Roman's expression swiftly went from satisfaction to horror. He felt the bullets rushing past his back, hot lead pouring into the walls behind him, all around him, bullets flying to his left, and his right, and sometimes into him. Luckily, he was defended, but it wouldn't last long.

"Emerald, Neo, I'm pinned. Could use an assist."

Static.

A bullet whizzed straight through his Aura and into his shoulder. Another hit him in the prosthetic hand, blowing off a finger. He was tempted to scream in the pain, but didn't want to give away his location. He dropped Melodic Cudgel, and tried to run, but the next bullet struck right next to his leg. He could barely dodge the attacks of the soldiers by this point. They had far better numbers.

At that moment, a bullet hit the soldier attacking him, and a blade pierced his neck. Neo stepped out from behind, much cleaner than she usually was in these fights. Roman grabbed Melodic Cudgel with his prosthetic arm, and grabbed the finger off the ground, attempting to re-attach it. Eventually, he socketed it in, just in time for several more bullets to fly towards Neo.

Luckily, she shattered and left him alone. Now prepared again with his prosthetic arm fully working, he fired his cane off. There were too many soldiers. He cursed the predicament, and looked at the window. Smashing it, he leaped outside, before using his cane to grapple back to the ledge. He had no Aura, and even if he had, a drop here would end with him as a splatter on the ground. He knew that his plans of taking them down wouldn't last long.

Chains was faring far better. He had sliced several guns in half, and was pursuing a desperate, scared Whitley through a hallway. He deflected the bullets with his saw, weaving in and out of the hallways. and finally, as he caught up, Jacques himself fired a gun. Chains deflected the shot, but was too late to realize that the bullet was an explosive round. As it knocked him back, he was riddled with bullets. He stood before them. He stared down Jacques. His Aura had taken many bullets before breaking. And his Aura wasn't the only thing about to be broken. He revved his saw, before tossing it aside, as it slashed through the soldiers like swiss cheese. Some died, some weren't even hurt. Either way, they were stunned.

"Jacques Schnee. I did not expect to come face to face with the man responsible for my kind's mistreatment."

"You animals. Invading my home."

"Actually, there is only one animal here."

"Really? So you embrace your nature, Faunus?"

"As I've stated, only one animal here."

A kick shot the saw back to Chains's hand as the soldiers rallied. Emerald backed him up. She took suppressing shots at the soldiers, nothing clearly lethal. Emerald pointed her gun at Jacques as well, before shooting his gun right out of his hand. Jacques ceased the soldiers from firing.

"He said there was only one animal here."

"Yes, and I agreed."

"You don't get it, do you?"

"I understand them more than you do, you pathetic who-"

"First off: Those days are over. Next: You need me to explain it."

"What, child, pray tell?"

"You treat them like animals, like ticking time bombs, like they're less than people because they're not human. It's sick. They're not slaves, you know."

"What are you getting at? I've heard these accusations before, there had better be a point."

"Roman once said that humans were the worst. Case and point. He was right. We mistreat Faunus every day and expect to get away with it. And, sure, some of them use more volatile means to assault humans, but then you run away with it. So, if you want to mistreat them, they are going to strike back."

And just then, Jacques ordered his soldiers to fire. Emerald took a shot, but he ducked under cover moments before she could squeeze the trigger. Emerald got in the way of Chains as the bullets nearly hit him. She blocked them, but they both knew they'd break very quickly. Chains and Emerald each fought, but they were out of position and ideas.

Roman, meanwhile, had been trying to contact them for minutes. Neo had calmly drifted down, but he was sticking to the ledge. Finally, after the soldiers left, he rose up, and began to search for Weiss's room. He quickly saw a dumpy little butler, and looked at the poor man. He made no threatening motions. This man was the servant. He held respect for servants.

"Where is Weiss?"

"I'm afraid the lady has gone."

"...What?"

"She went missing, mysteriously."

Roman gritted his teeth. Neo had her blade ready to stab through him, but he waved her off. No more innocent blood today. This was meant to be a deal, but the Schnees had led them into a trap. Hostilities would begin, and in short, this was a colossal failure. He knew that Salem wouldn't forgive him for something this vital. He slammed his cane against the wall in rage, and allowed the butler to leave. He shot a hole into her room, and looked at it. Everything was gone. There was nothing but a bed. She had escaped. He was furious, but tried to channel it calmly. Eventually, however, he simply sat down on the bed, trying to get his comm to work.

It felt like hours before he saw the bloody body of Chains being brought to him. He kneeled down quickly, and began to wipe some of the red off his face. He checked for a pulse. He was breathing. He thanked the Heavens, and Emerald looked up at him, fire in her eyes. Finally, he grabbed a Scroll, and called Cinder.

"I need transportation, Miss Fall."

She just laughed. The Soldiers closed in on them. Chains was hurt. Emerald couldn't fight anymore. He and Neo wouldn't last very long. He lit up a cigar, and turned to the two.

"Go."

He grabbed a gun off the floor, and Neo bandaged his shoulder. He pulled a pistol out of his coat, and handed Neo his hat. He patted her head, and then told Emerald to grab Chains. He locked their hands together. The window was open, for some odd reason, and they went to the balcony. He checked to see if Emerald and Neo had weapons, and when assured they did, he did the thing a good family man would. He shoved his daughter off the balcony, and she maintained their weight. He grinned silently as the soldiers advanced. Jacques himself started by walking into the room.

"Jacques." he sneered the words.

"We're so similar, Mr. Torchwick. Neither of us are fond of Faunus. Both of us have excellent taste in outfits. Both of us are fathers."

"Don't call yourself that, you abusive bastard. You don't deserve to be called a father. We are nothing alike! You're one of them! The 1%! The sons of bitches in power! You're the kind of guy who screwed me over! Who took out all of my budget when I went to the Academy. You take advantage of the working class day after day, and you never endure consequences. I'm all for ditching the weak? But you? You are the weak! They are the ones who work every day for this."

"How hypocritical, Mr. Torchwick. You wear high-class outfits, smoke expensive cigars, and run armies. You're just like one of the 1%, but you're a terrorist!"

"I earned this! Years of work to get this far. You? You married into it. You started there. You never knew what it was like to work for someone. To want to keep her alive. I was on the streets, alone. And what did I do? I joined the mob. I ended up leading the mob. I've ascended from a criminal threat to a terrorist threat, and now a fantastical threat! You never worked a day in your damn life for your lot in life. You screwed us over! All I wanted was to protect, to fight for your kind. But she screwed me over, the 1% screwed me over. The Academy screwed me over. Made me a psychopath. A killer. You did this to me! You don't care about your daughter! I care more about your daughter than you do. At least when I try to kill her, I treat her like a person!"

"I never made you a psychopath, Mr. Torchwick. You did that yourself. You made that choice."

"To save my daughter."

"Your prejudice against Faunus… I recognize the source. The woman, Neo's mother…"

"...Yes."

"Royalty, no less."

"It was just a fling."

"Still, though, she wasn't even a student. She was just visiting. Led the organization you play a role in. It goes so far against her wishes."

"This isn't about her. This is about us!"

"Really? So this isn't about a young-"

"Shut the fuck up! You don't know a thing about me. And don't even say her name. Your kind, you betray us all! She was one too. So are you."

"I understand. Guards, shoot him."

Roman fired a shot from Melodic Cudgel into Jacques' forehead, knocking over the soldiers like dominoes. It didn't kill him, but it felt satisfying. As the gunfire went past him, he leaped off as well, and closed his eyes. This was where it ended. This was where it all came to fruition. This was karma. This was how it went. This was how the candle died out. Huh. He'd never got to show down with Ruby, never got to meet her again. Even say hello.

He'd never get to ruffle Neo's hair again, or smile proud at her killing. He'd never get to go further with Emerald. He'd never get to feel her skin, or talk to her, or just clutch her in his arms like there was no tomorrow. He would never see Team RWBY again. He thought about it. So long and so hard, that he couldn't decide whether he truly wanted them dead anymore. Was it all worth it? Was the killing, the crime, the countless monstrous things? Was it all going to be worth it?

This was just the world's way of catching up to him. Of teaching its final lesson. It was irony that he'd never face justice. Only the mad ravings of another psychopath. They were alike, more than he'd care to admit. As he flew through the air, he cast aside his jacket, and remembered that most likely, he'd never feel it. An attack due to shock when he opened his eyes. A quick death. Not as merciful as he deserved, but he'd take what he could.

They said your life flashes before your eyes when you were about to die. Roman had died once already. He knew it was all a lie. Symbolism. What he also knew was that he could only picture three faces. Three faces he loved. Emerald, who he had only recently began to care for romantically, Neo, who he had been a father to all his life, providing for her and caring for her.

The last one was Ruby. He didn't love her romantically, although a touch fatherly, but he loved her for how much like him she was. How she represented what he had lost. She was so into the combat, she never realized the casualties. The naivety was priceless. She killed, sure, but never out of hate. She genuinely wanted justice.

He removed his cigar from his mouth. Of all the people to think about, it was his newest love, his daughter, and his nemesis. But Remnant? Remnant would only know the end of their tales, not his. How he went out in a bland way like shock. Or falling. Or how he had escaped at the last minute. He was still pondering a way he could pull that off. But his followers? Everyone else? They'd tell tales about how he lived, about how he had improbably gotten away with everything. Others would deny the notion. They'd say he was gone for good. Well, it just wasn't a story about him, he supposed. Nothing was definite.

Helicopter blades whirled above him. He didn't hear them. Everything was silent to him. He was thinking. How would this end? Would they ever get away? People would never know his real fate. But the story wasn't over. And he would never know how the story ends.

"Ain't that a bitch?"