The team gathered in the center of the ruins, concluding their activities for the day. Oobleck signalled for Kyra to join them, but instead of walking over, Kyra leaped off the building she had been perched on, gradually growing larger as she approached. The ground shook slightly upon her arrival, dust swirling around her as she gracefully touched down. It was a moment that seemed straight out of a comic, leaving the team briefly stunned.

 

"I am here." Kyra says with a grin, standing proud with fist’s on her hips.

 

"Everyone, I think that's enough for today. Kyra, thank you for running overwatch and keeping everyone safe," Oobleck praised, tossing his bag to Yang, who effortlessly caught it, accustomed to Kyra's unexpected maneuvers.

 

"You 4 set up camp in the building we talked about earlier.” He sets everyone but Ruby to work. “Also make sure it is cleared out of creatures. Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby.” Oobleck says, quickly ushering Ruby along with him for a walk.

 

"Well, let's go do it. Also, why do you all seem to be questioning your existence right now?" Kyra asks, grabbing the hiking bag from Yang and heading towards the building.

 

The three girls are ripped out of their thoughts and quickly follow behind Kyra. Silently… For minutes on end, it was entirely silent. "How high up should we go?" Blake broke the uneasy silence, attempting to diffuse whatever this silence was.

 

"The opening on the 12th floor seems structurally secure, offering cover and a good vantage point," Kyra responded confidently. Yang, curious about Kyra's seeming expertise, questioned her. "Kyra, why do you seem so knowledgeable?" Yang inquired.

 

"Come on, Yang, you know what I am," Kyra reminded her, alluding to her Saiyan heritage. "Oh, that makes sense," Yang crossed her arms and nodded in acknowledgement, leaving Weiss puzzled.

 

"What?" Weiss interjected, seeking clarification amid the cryptic conversation. "Nothing much, just survived on my own in the forests on the other side of the mountains before reaching Vale," Kyra replied casually. "So what about food, water?" Weiss questions the apparent ‘Expert’.

 

"Well, believe it or not when it comes to missions like these. Water is often the heaviest thing you are carrying." Kyra says, while idly setting up the fire and everyone's sleeping mats.

 

"Not bad." Yang mutters watching Kyra swoop around the room and setting everything up, her eyes most certainly didn’t wander around.

 

"I was hoping to start the fire." Blake says from beside the aforementioned fire.

 

"Sorry." Kyra says, wincing, rubbing the back of her head in embracement.

 

"I was actually hoping to not do all the work for you all. It’s just camping like this is almost second nature to me." Kyra says, pulling out her hammock and a couple nails from the Pip-boy.

 

"Here's a fun thing for trips like these: hammocks.” She presents the item as she nails one end into a wall, “You can sleep up high in the trees and not worry about the Grimm below. Though, the insects might be worse," Kyra remarked, securing her hammock into the pillar opposite the wall and settling into it comfortably.

 

"I can't believe we didn't find anything," Weiss muttered, her voice tinged with more despair than before, gazing off into the distance over the city, her knees held close to her chest.

 

"We've always had the fortune of being in the right place at the right time," Blake reflected, opening a good book.

 

"Who says we're not in the right place? Maybe it's just the wrong time.” Kyra pointed to the team, “Blake, when does the White Fang usually operate?” Kyra inquired from her hammock, slightly swaying back and forth in the air.

 

"Usually, we use the cover of..." Blake paused, her finger stuck flipping the page as she realized what Kyra was getting at.

 

"Use what?" Yang asked, walking over to the edge and sitting down to watch the twilight roll in.

 

"The cover of night," Blake answered, looking to the slowly darkening sky.

 

"Sometimes you guys don't think," Kyra chided lightly, she further relaxed into her hammock, "Rest a bit, I'll keep watch tonight and alert you if I see them."

 

"That's not what I meant!" Weiss shouts, suddenly for seemingly for no reason, as she bolts to her feet.

 

"Huh, you're not making any sense," Yang remarked, attempting to grasp Weiss's intention, she lightly kicked her legs in the nice cool breeze and leaned back a bit on her hands.

 

"I'm talking about earlier when Dr. Oobleck asked us questions.” She lightly stomped like a petulant child, her face red as her arms shook. “Upholding the legacy, there is more to it than that…” She held herself close, “There is more to me than my last name…” Her words carried a weight of uncertainty and a search for identity.

 

Yang chimed in, reflecting, "There's more than just thrill-seeking for me too, I think." Blake, introspective as ever, confessed, "I know what I want to do, but I don't know how to get there. I'm just taking it one step at a time." She licked her finger as she flipped another page, her bow twitching.

 

Then, Weiss's emotions broke through. "I-I don’t know if I am ready for this life. I’ve been looking at it like a-a, I don’t know. I ALMOST DIED TODAY! WHY AM I HERE!" Her outburst shattered the somber atmosphere as tears streamed down her face, she curled up on herself, back against a pillar.

 

"I could give you the answer,” Kyra turned away from Weiss, leaning on her side in the nice comfort of her hammock, “But it has more meaning if you discover it for yourself," She offered, her voice a gentle thing amidst the emotional storm Weiss felt.

 

"Kyra… Thank you for saving my life." Weiss says aloud, with a sniff, as she whipped away her tears.

 

"Of course, Snow Princess." Kyra says sleepily from her hammock, giving a little wave as footsteps approached the camp.

 

Professor Oobleck arrived, breaking the tension. "Perfect, a textbook campfire," he remarked while inspecting the setup, while Ruby, seeking a distraction, exclaimed, "Ooh, Hammock." Ruby appeared right before it.

 

Kyra, abruptly rising from her hammock, surprised everyone by planting a kiss on Ruby's cheek. "I'll take the first watch. The rest of you can rest," She waved them all off, she jumped out of her hammock and sat down with her Blue Rose ready.

 

"Good night, Ruby," Kyra bid, acknowledging Ruby's fatigue, even as she tried to hide it.

 

"Thanks, Kyra," Ruby replied gratefully, knowing the team needed rest after the mess of today. No one noticing Weiss watching Ruby and Kyra with a little bit of jealously. 

======================

In the quiet of the night, Professor Oobleck approached Kyra, seeking answers. "So, Sapphire Kyra Stark," he began, settling next to her, his curiosity evident. "I'm sure you have plenty of questions, Professor. I will answer one," Kyra responded, anticipating his inquiries.

 

"Why do you keep your weapons secret?” Oobleck questioned, genuine curiosity in his voice, “If the world knew what you had today, we could probably push the Grimm back far enough to reclaim the continent," He pointed out, hoping for a solution to their ongoing struggle.

 

"As a professor of history, you should understand it is never that simple," Kyra replied, casting her gaze down at the city below. "Enlighten me." Oobleck urged her to elaborate, eager to comprehend her reasoning.

 

"History is equal parts heroism, tragedy, and misunderstanding.” She started, her voice not wavering as her eyes roamed the desolate city. “80 years ago we had a devastating Great War which ushered in the age we are in today.” She pointed out as she pulled up a scope, she crouched and properly braced her self as she took aim. “Very rarely have we displayed those three components of history more than in that war.” She let her Rose fall to the ground as the Grimm she saw ran towards another.

 

 "Go on." Oobleck urges her, wondering where she is going.

 

"Vale is a strong kingdom.” She started to recall Vale’s History, “The Warrior King of the kingdom fought on the battlefield and won, but rather than conquering he offered everyone peace.” Her voice held something her couldn’t quite decipher. “He put in a system to hopefully keep that peace. But for some reason, Atlas kept developing and improving its weapons, they have gotten full of themselves and see themselves as peacekeepers.” She held a slight disdain in her voice.

 

“They are so proud of their technology that they would do anything to not be surpassed, they would invent more and crazier weapons to fight the Grimm.” Her mind thought back to the arms race the Cold War kicked off. “Problem is, that's not what a weapon is, as a history teacher, you should know what a weapon is.” Her voice, held Wisdom beyond her apparent years.

 

"A weapon is a tool used to kill an enemy quickly and efficiently in a time of conflict." Oobleck reminisces on it.

 

"Exactly so, if I surpass Atlas' weapons, or they know I surpass them.” An awkward silence hung in the air as Kyra took a breath. “They will surely try harder to catch up. The next thing that happens is an arms race where we are constantly trying to outdo each other's weapons.” Understanding started to bloom in the professor. 

“Then all it takes is a single accident like an assassination of a leader, and the assassin makes it look like Vale is responsible. Those weapons that were designed to fight Grimm are suddenly turned on Humans and Faunus.” Kyra started to rant heavily, “The two countries would be at war

and the other two would get dragged into it, as Atlas would need the resources. I don't know if the Humans and Faunus can survive a Second World War while having to fight the Grimm." Her rant ended with her heavy breathing.

 

"So, using history to try and predict the future, you have decided to not try and usurp the main powers in the world for the time being." Oobleck says with a nod, understanding Kyra’s want to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

 

"History may not always repeat itself. However, it certainly rhymes." Kyra says, looking up into the starry night sky.