A/N: This is the longest chapter I've written yet! Here is Chapter Ten. Enjoy!

Chapter Ten: Out Of The Frying Pan...

Ten Minutes Earlier

Ruby walked out of the bakery with a clear plastic bag full of different kinds of cookies inside. She stuck her hand in the bag and began skipping down the sidewalk. Ruby pulled out the particular treat that she was looking for, a peanut butter-chocolate chip cookie, and took a bite. She closed her eyes as she let the sweet peanut butter and chocolate encompass her taste buds. Ruby was so enthralled in her snack that she didn't notice Weiss come from around the corner.

"Ouch!" Weiss shrieked as Ruby bumped into her, nearly dropping the small white pouch that she was carrying.

"Sorry, Weiss," Ruby swallowed the rest of her cookie. "What's that?"

"This?" Weiss held up the pouch. It looked like it there was something small and heavy inside. "It's...just something I bought."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Did you buy it for somebody else?"

"Maybe..." Weiss walked down the sidewalk and Ruby closely followed.

"Can I see it?" Ruby asked reaching toward Weiss.

Weiss brought the pouch to her chest. "Brush your hands off, first!"

Ruby looked at her hands and saw they were covered in cookie dust. She shook her hands out and rubbed them together before holding them out for Weiss to inspect.

Weiss examined Ruby's hands and determined they were clean enough. "Okay, Ruby," She undid the clasps on the pouch. "Just don't break it."

Ruby suddenly realized that the pouch itself was only a case, and out of that case, Weiss removed a lustrous silver pocket watch that sparkled in the midday sun. She held it out by the chain and Ruby gently took hold of it. She examined the exquisite detail in the metal work. The face of the watch was covered with intricate patterns and designs that circled the outer rim. She pressed the button and the face flipped downwards, revealing the watch itself.

It looked like an ordinary time keeper, except for the fact that the hands in the center were made of gold. Ruby whispered, "Wow...", and was about to turn it over to view the back, but Weiss snatched it from her hands.

"Sorry," Weiss slipped the pocket watch back into its case. "But there's something on the back that I only want him to see."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Him? Who exactly did you get that for?"

Weiss huffed. "I got it for Mason, okay?"

"But I thought you said you two weren't..." Ruby interlocked her fingers. "...together."

"We're not together," Weiss stared at the white watch case. "Well not yet, anyway..."

A massive smile grew on Ruby's face. "Awwww! That's so cute!"

Weiss tucked the case away in a pocket on the inside of her light blue jacket. "Don't act like such a child, Ruby!"

"I can't help it!" Ruby giggled. "I knew..." Ruby stopped in her tracks and her voice suddenly grew serious. "Weiss..."

Weiss stopped beside Ruby. "Yes?"

"Have you noticed that the street is completely empty?" Ruby asked.

Weiss looked around and realized that Ruby was right. It was a relatively small street. So small, in fact, that it could have easily been confused with an alleyway. But regardless of how small it was, there were always a decent amount of people that traversed it. However, today there were no vehicles, no pedestrians, and almost no sign of activity.

"You're right. Where did everybody go? This place is usually bustling with people."

Ruby placed her hand on the compact form of Crescent Rose. "I'm getting a bad feeling, Weiss. Keep your eyes open."

Weiss nodded. While Ruby could be somewhat goofy at times, she could also be serious when the occasion called for it. And, while Weiss didn't always understand Ruby's reasoning behind some things, she trusted her as a leader as well as a friend.

Weiss' hand slid to her side and she grabbed the handle of Myrtenaster. "What do we do?"

"Follow me." Ruby briskly started down the sidewalk.

Weiss picked up the pace and followed close behind. "I don't like this, Ruby."

"Don't worry," Ruby said. "Just keep move..."

Ruby was interrupted as two shadowy masses dropped to the street a few yards in front of them. Weiss immediately recognized the blood-red insignia imprinted on their silver tunics; a snarling wolf's head with three claw marks slashing through it.

"Oh no..." Weiss said as she came to a screeching halt.

Ruby grabbed hold of Weiss' hand. "We should probably avoid these guys!" She ducked into the alley beside them, dragging Weiss behind her.

The alley turned a sharp corner and into a square courtyard. Ruby and Weiss looked for an outlet, but it was a dead end. They turned around and tried to backtrack, but more goons dropped down from above, blocking their exit. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by members of the White Fang.

"Nice job of avoiding these guys, Ruby!" Weiss said sarcastically as she drew Myrtenaster from her belt.

Ruby unfurled Crescent Rose and stood back-to-back with Weiss. "I didn't know we'd be running into this! What do you think they want?"

"I don't know," Weiss activated the revolving cylinder inside her sword. "And I don't wanna find out."

Ruby turned to their attackers and addressed them directly. "Listen, we don't want to fight you!"

"Hah!" A male voice echoed from above them. "That's a wise choice! If you do as we ask, you won't have to!"

Ruby strained to see who was speaking, but he was too well hidden on the roofs above them. "What exactly is it that you want?"

"It's very simple, really," The voice spoke. "Come with us, Miss Schnee, and we promise not to harm you."

"Let me make this clear," Weiss clenched her teeth. "I don't know what you want with me, but I'm NOT coming with you creeps!"

"Tch, tch, tch," The smug voice replied. "I would have really loved to do this the easy way, but it seems as if that's not going to happen!"

The masked White Fang members readied their weapons and Weiss and Ruby did the same.

Ruby loaded an ammo mag into Crescent Rose with a satisfying click. "Don't let them corner you."

"The same goes for you." Weiss replied as she raised her rapier and a yellow glyph manifested under her feet. She shot like a bullet toward the wall of their attackers and engaged them.

Ruby swung Crescent Rose, knocking over several thugs in the process. A sword slashed wildly from her left.

"Woah!" Ruby stepped on the sword, pinning it to the ground before leaping into the air and ramming her knee into the face of the sword's owner. Ruby glanced over at Weiss as one of the goons raised his rifle. "Weiss, watch your left!"

Weiss turned around. She raised her hand just as a storm of bullets was unleashed in her direction. A black glyph appeared in front of her. As the bullets made contact with the glyph, they froze in midair and fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Thanks, Ruby!" Weiss shouted back.

"Glad to help!" Ruby was a blur as she rocketed back and forth between their assailants, knocking them down as if she were a life-size pinball.

Weiss spun Myrtenaster's revolving chamber and the blade of the weapon began to glow a light shade of blue. She flicked her sword in the direction of a group of four White Fang soldiers and a cascade of ice overwhelmed them, freezing each one in a massive column of ice.

Ruby and Weiss had the White Fang on the ropes. They began to try and fight their way out of the courtyard when the snarky voice spoke again, only this time it was much more forceful.

"You're useless! There's two of them and twenty of you!" The owner of the voice finally dropped down from the roof, revealing a blonde young man about 17 years old. "Do I have to do everything myself?" The blonde teenager pulled out a strange looking pistol and aimed it at Weiss.

"Weiss," Ruby shouted. "Watch out!"

Weiss turned around as he pulled the trigger. Two feathered darts shot from the barrel and firmly stuck in Weiss' shoulder. She staggered forward, trying to stay upright, but she lost her balance and fell to the ground in a heap.

"Weiss!" Ruby tried to fight her way to Weiss, but he moved like lightning as he spun toward Ruby and fired twice. She dodged the first dart, but not the second as it pierced her bicep.

Ruby's vision immediately began to blur and her head started to spin. She backed against the wall and slid to the ground. Ruby's limbs were becoming numb and her senses dulled.

The blonde kid walked over to the goon with the rifle and smacked him upside the head. "We're supposed to bring her back ALIVE, you incompetent idiot! You pull something like that again, and I'll string you up in the city square!" He looked over his shoulder and pointed at Weiss. "Somebody, tie her up and carry her back to the ship!"

Ruby watched helplessly as one of the masked thugs walked over to the sedated Weiss and tied her hands and feet together before throwing her over his shoulder. One of the White Fang members started to walk toward Ruby, but the blonde guy in charge stopped him.

"Leave her. Our orders are to bring back the Schnee girl, no one else."

Soon after, the White Fang assailants quickly filed out of the courtyard, leaving a half conscious Ruby alone with four White Fang popsicles. She strained to pull herself up, but she knew that there was no way she could chase them down in her condition. The numbness in her hands began to pass, and she pulled out her scroll and made a call to the only person that could help Weiss.

"Ruby, are you in a safe place?" Mason started walking down the street.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But listen, Mason," Ruby's drowsy voice spoke over the scroll. "You have to find her. They said something about taking her to their ship. You can't let them get away!"

"Don't worry," Mason said, trying to stay calm. "They won't get away. Call Yang And Blake and tell them where you are. Don't you move until they get there."

"I won't, Mason," Ruby said. "Just make sure you find her!"

"I'll track her down, kiddo, just stay safe."

"I will," Ruby replied. "Be careful, Mason."

"I will." Mason said before he closed his scroll. He zipped his hoodie up just below his chest, covering the armor chest plate on his combat shirt. Mason then sniffed the air to try and catch Weiss' scent.

He was only half-Faunus, so Mason knew that he didn't have as heightened of a sense of smell as a full-blooded Faunus. However, Weiss had a very distinct scent, a kind of mint lavender, and with a little luck, it would lead him straight to her.

Sure enough, he caught her scent. Mason flipped his hood over his face and sprinted down the street. He rounded the corner and ran like the devil down the sidewalk, nearly knocking over several pedestrians in the process. Mason turned another corner and the scent only got stronger. He was hot on her trail.

The streets of Vale were like a maze and Mason was closing in on the exit. The smell of mint and lavender burned through his nostrils and he sucked the oxygen in through his nose before forcing it back out through his mouth. The scent was so powerful, it was almost as if she were standing right next him, leaning her head against his chest.

Mason was close and he knew it. He began to hear the sound of engines whirring close by. He slowed down and huffed violently, trying to regain his breath. On the other side of the buildings was the shipyard, the only logical place for any kind of ship to land. The shipping crates would create the perfect kind of cover. Mason decided to take a shortcut and flung open the door to the nearest building and flew through the lobby of some kind of office.

The lady at the front desk didn't even have time to try and stop him before he ran out the back door on the other side of the lobby. A chainlink fence was all that separated him from the shipyard. Mason ejected his claws and slashed his way through the fence. He ducked through the makeshift hole and made his way through the shipyard.

Mason could feel the increase in wind speed as he closed in on the White Fang landing zone. He scrambled up the blue shipping container in front of him and slid through the crack between the two stacked on top of it. On the other side there was a small drop off, and in the center of that drop off sat a Bullhead airship. It was small enough to carry a decent number of troops and still be concealed by the right environment. Mason pulled out his scroll and made a call to Blake.

She answered after the first ring. "Mason, did you find her?"

"Yeah," He replied. "Are you with Ruby?"

"Almost," Blake clearly sounded winded. "I'll be there soon."

"They've got a Bullhead with the White Fang logo on the side, think I have the right ship?"

"I'd say so," Blake replied. "It's foolish of them to advertise themselves like that."

"Blake, what do they want with her?" Mason asked as he scanned the surrounding area, looking for any sign of Weiss.

"I can't say for sure. Their goals seem to have shifted recently."

"Yeah, I heard about that," He said harshly. "But I don't get the feeling that they're taking her out to a relaxing spa treatment."

"No, they're not," Blake spoke earnestly. "You NEED to get her back. Whatever they're planning isn't good."

Before he could respond, He saw Weiss being carried into the landing zone. She was tied up and surrounded by White Fang soldiers.

"Blake, they're really booking it." He counted the number of enemies on the ground. "There's no way I can risk getting to Weiss without putting her in danger. I can heal, but she can't." Mason took a deep breath. "I'm going after them. I'll figure out what to do when I get there."

"Do what you have to, Mason. But please, just be careful."

"Roger that, Blake," Mason stood up and began making his way down the containers. "Make sure Ruby's okay."

"Don't worry, I will." Blake said before Mason closed his scroll. About halfway down, a thought crept into his mind and he formulated a plan.

He made it to the ground just as they loaded her into the airship. Mason had a direct path to the ship. He only had one shot, and he had to make it count.

The Bullhead's engines rose to full power, and the ship began to rise into the air. Mason waited for the right time to make his move. When the airship was high enough, Mason charged a jump with his aura and leapt into the air, deploying his claws.

His jump was timed perfectly and Mason drove his claws into the underbelly of the aircraft. He hoped that no one inside had seen him as he hoisted his legs up so his body was flush with the Bullhead. He didn't know what he was going to do when he got there, but it was only one thought that crept into his mind.

I'm not letting anything happen to her.

"What does he think he's doing?!" Yang screeched with Ruby's arm draped around her shoulder, bracing her up. "I can't believe he's going in there without backup!"

"Yang, he'll be fine. Mason can take care of himself," Blake said in an attempt to calm her friend. "Right now, we need to get back to Beacon."

She growled. "But he should know better than that!"

Yang's frustration was stifled when her sister placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," Ruby said softly. "If there's one person who can get Weiss back safely, it's Mason."

Yang took a deep breath and exhaled. "You're right."

Ruby looked at the frozen White Fang members. "What do we do with those guys?"

"Don't worry," Blake said. "I've already notified the authorities."

They moved out into the street and Ruby removed her arm from Yang's shoulder. "I think I can walk on my own."

"Okay, Ruby," Yang said, "If you're sure."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

All of a sudden, they heard a roaring sound above them. Ruby, Blake, and Yang looked into the sky and saw an airship flying just above their heads. Yang could make out a figure latched onto the belly of the ship. She immediately recognized it as Mason.

"That crazy son of a gun..." Yang muttered.

Yang looked at Blake, who motioned back towards Beacon. "C'mon, we need to talk to Professor Ozpin."

When Weiss came to, she couldn't move her arms or legs and she felt dizzy. When her vision returned, although blurry, she could see enough to realize that she was in a ship.

The same voice from the alley spoke. "Ah, you're awake! Very good!"

Weiss' blurry vision focused and she saw the blonde haired teenager in front of her. She remained silent as he began to speak.

"This could've been much easier, you know," He knelt down and looked her in the face. "You could've come quietly and avoided all that fighting."

Weiss looked away from him and he grabbed her forcefully by the mouth and jerked her head back. "You look at me when I'm talking to you!"

She glared at him while still remaining silent.

He pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "Look, I'm sorry," He said softly. "I didn't mean to snap like that."

Weiss finally spoke. "You know, the 'Good Cop/Bad Cop' routine doesn't necessarily work if you're playing both sides."

"Is that so?" He acted surprised by her statement. "I don't think I got the memo!"

She looked over his shoulder and saw Myrtenaster propped up against the wall.

"Ah, ah, ah," He wagged his finger in her face. "I wouldn't think of doing anything stupid if I were you. You see, there are a lot of angry Faunus here that would like nothing more than to snap your pretty little neck." An orange tail with a little tuft of fur on the tip crept its way around him and softly grazed her throat.

Weiss resumed her defying silence.

"Oh what, you don't wanna talk?" He stood up and his lion tail flailed behind him. "That's fine! I have ways of making people talk," He looked out the window. "We're almost there."

As the blonde-haired lion Faunus walked away, Weiss closed her eyes. She knew it was going to take a miracle if she was going to make it out of this alive.

Every muscle in Mason's body was screaming for him to let go. It took every ounce of his strength to keep from giving up and plummeting to the ground below. His entire upper body was on fire from the strain that was being put on him. He could feel the muscle tissue begin to tear in his abdomen. Despite the incredible amount of pain, he pushed himself and only tightened his grip on the airship.

The gale force wind whipping against his face didn't help either. But, when it began to die down, Mason felt a tremendous amount of relief that briefly overshadowed the pain. He looked over his shoulder and saw the roof of a building approaching quickly. Before he knew it, the Bullhead had landed.

The occupants of the aircraft began to file out and Mason started to count them.

One...Two...Three...Four...

He continued counting as he struggled to hold on to the chassis of the Bullhead.

Eleven...Twelve...Thirteen...Fourteen...Fifteen...Weiss...

Mason watched as Weiss was carried into the building from the door on top of the roof, followed by the rest of their troops shortly after. Once he was sure he was alone, he retracted his claws and dropped to the concrete with a thud.

Mason withheld his howl of agony for fear of alerting someone. For a few minutes, he lay there, giving himself time to recuperate. His abdomen healed and the sharp and intense pain all over his body was reduced to a dull ache.

Once he felt like he could stand without doubling back over, Mason crawled out from under the Bullhead and observed his surroundings. He was in the middle of nowhere on top of some kind of dilapidated building attached to an old aircraft hangar. It was small, not likely their base of operations. It was probably stumbled upon and re purposed for the White Fang's needs. It looked as if it could only hold about thirty or forty people.

Mason looked over the edge. It was a considerable drop, but nothing he couldn't survive. He then turned back and looked at the door that Weiss had been taken through. The way Mason saw it, he had two options.

Option one was to go through the front door below. It was likely the more straightforward and faster option, but it also involved the possibility of encountering more foes than he'd have liked. Depending on how heavily fortified the place truly was, it would also most likely risk Weiss' well being.

Option two was to go through the door on the roof. There was most likely a guard post on the other side of the door to keep the Bullhead safe. Other than that, Mason had no idea what could have been on the other side of that door.

Both had their pros and cons, but he finally decided on the latter option. He would go through the door on the roof. He looked back at the craft that he'd arrived on and determined that the Bullhead would be their best chance of escape.

With a plan in mind, Mason slowly walked over to the door and pressed his ear up against the metal. He focused his hearing and detected two heartbeats directly on the other side.

With a deep breath, Mason knocked on the heavy door.

The two guards on the inside were stunned at the sound of someone knocking on the door behind them. How could anyone even get up there in the first place?

"Um...who's there?"

"Telegram!" A voice replied from the other side.

"A telegram?" Asked the other guard. "Who the hell still uses telegrams?"

The first guard opened the door and was greeted with a right cross from Mason's steel glove, knocking him out. The other guard tried to run, but Mason picked him up by the collar of his tunic and thrust him against the wall before clamping his gloved hand over the guard's mouth.

"I want information, and you're gonna give it to me," Mason said calmly as he held up the claws on his other hand. "If you scream, I'll ram these through your eye sockets, understand?"

The guard furiously shook his head.

"Good," Mason said before releasing him. "Where did they take her?"

"They...they took her to th...the hangar next door!" The guard said.

Mason smiled. "Thank you. You've been incredibly helpful."

The guard cowered and put his hands up in defense. "Please don't kill me!"

Mason rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna kill you."

The guard let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you."

"But seriously, if I were you," Mason's gloved fist slowly reared back. "I'd find a different line of work."

The guard didn't have time to react as Mason knocked him unconscious.

He remembered seeing a ventilation duct that ran from the building to the hangar. He looked up and saw a similar duct that looked like it might lead to the one he'd seen outside. Mason jumped up and grabbed a hold of the vent and ripped off the cover before hoisting himself into the building's ventilation system.

After being carried through the musty old building, Weiss found herself being thrust into a cold metal chair. Her hands and feet were tied tightly to the chair. One of the White Fang thugs carried Myrtenaster over and placed it on a table towards the exit.

The hangar was practically pitch black, except for a single bright ceiling lamp that was positioned down on the chair that Weiss was sitting in. She couldn't see through the darkness, but she could feel the burning eyes of those hidden in the shadows.

"Welcome, Miss Schnee," The lion Faunus said enthusiastically as he walked into the hangar. "Are you comfortable?"

Weiss defiantly remained silent.

"Your silence will only make things worse for you." He walked over to her and rubbed his hand against her cheek. "We don't want that, now do we?"

Weiss pulled her face away from his hand.

"Fine, be that way," He stood up and walked behind her. "My name's Nico, by the way. I must say it is a true pleasure to meet the heiress to the SDC."

She glared at Nico as he circled her like a predator, ready to pounce on his prey.

"I'm going to ask you a question, you're going to tell me an answer. One question, one answer. If I don't get the answer I like, then we've got a problem. And if we've got a problem," Nico stared nose-to-nose with Weiss. "That means you've got a problem. Is that clear?"

"Yes." Weiss hissed.

"Good!" He stood up and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm glad we understand each other!"

She just closed her eyes as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"How do I gain access to the Schnee Dust Factory?"

"You don't," Weiss said smugly. "Because I'm not telling you."

Nico stepped away from her and inhaled deeply. He stood there for a moment before he whirled around and slapped Weiss.

She let out a sharp yelp and tears began streaming down her face.

Mason's blood began to boil. He'd seen that punk slap Weiss and felt the malice and rage build up throughout his body. Enough was enough. He had to get her out of there somehow.

He slowly crawled out of the duct and dropped to the ground. His half-Faunus night vision was sufficient enough to see the numerous troops that stood on the hangar floor. If he was quick enough, he'd be able to take them out without anyone noticing. But first, he needed to get their attention.

Mason stealthily crept up behind one of the White Fang goons and with his glove of steel, he smashed his fist against the side of the goon's knee, breaking his leg.

Nico grabbed Weiss by the throat. "Either you tell me how, or I'll squeeze the life from your pretty eyes."

She knew things didn't look good. But either way, Weiss wasn't telling this guy anything. She wasn't going to sacrifice the safety of her family's company to low life thugs like the White Fang.

"I'm not telling you anything." She said defiantly.

"Boy, you are a saucy one aren't you?" He asked. "Do you have a death wish? Don't think that I won't..."

Nico was interrupted by a spine chilling scream from across the hangar.

"MY LEG!" The thug screamed. "SOMETHING HIT MY LEG!"

Nico turned to Weiss and with a smile, said, "Now don't you move."

He left Weiss alone to join the others in the darkness of the hangar. She sat there, trying to figure out what was going on and how she could get herself out of this mess. She wiggled her wrists in an attempt to free herself, but to no avail.

Weiss was on the verge of giving up when she felt a strange breezy sensation on the back of her neck. She jumped when she heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear from behind her. "You look like you could use some help."

She couldn't turn her head to see him, but Weiss recognized the voice instantly. "Mason!" She whispered. "Please, get me out of here!" Tears were running down her cheek.

She felt his thumb brush away her tears. "Don't worry, Weiss, just stay calm. I'm gonna get you outta here, okay?"

"O...okay," She stammered. "Don't let him touch me again."

"I won't let him lay another finger on you," His voice was calm, soft, and reassuring. "Don't worry, everything is gonna be okay." His breath sent a warm, comforting feeling coursing through her body.

Then, he was gone as another cool breeze grazed the back of her neck.

Almost immediately after Mason had disappeared, Nico had emerged from the darkness. "Find the bastard who did that!" He motioned toward Weiss. "It seems as if someone is here to try and rescue you." Nico walked over to a table and picked up a red staff with two blades on each end. "It's too bad there's not gonna be much left of you to rescue!"

Suddenly, the sounds of a struggle came from the shadows of the hangar and several thuds were heard, as if something fell to the floor. Nico turned and shouted into he shadows. "What's going on back there?!"

There was no response.

Nico was starting to get paranoid. "Come on out and face me, you bastard!"

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Mason's voice echoed in the rafters above them. "Didn't she ever teach you not to talk like that in front of a lady?"

"What did you do to my men?!" Nico shouted into the darkness of the ceiling.

Mason laughed. "Do you mean the guys I just knocked into last Tuesday?"

Nico growled. "Who are you?"

"The name's Mason Griffon." He said proudly. "And just who are you supposed to be? The leader of the Cupcake Warriors?"

"Shut up!" Nico shouted. "Come down here, or I'll bring you down myself!"

"Oh really?" Mason laughed again. "You and an army of unconscious half-wits?"

Nico roared and he walked toward Weiss. "Come down or I'll kill her!"

From out of nowhere, Mason flipped down from the rafters and landed between Nico and Weiss. In one fluid motion, he unleashed his claws in a shower of sparks.

"C'mon, just try and hurt her again. Make my day, buddy," Mason's voice grew deeper and angrier. "MAKE MY DAY!"

Nico swung his bladed staff at Mason and he swatted it away with his claws, sending sparks flying through the air. He kicked Nico in the stomach and knocked him backwards. Nico tried to swing again and Mason dodged it before slashing at him with his claws. He managed to evade Mason's attacks and hopped backward in an attempt to regain his bearings.

Mason, however, was relentless. He wasn't about to let this scumbag catch his breath and he kept the pressure on Nico. He retracted the set of claws on his left hand and activated the gauntlet's glove functionality. Now, he not only had to worry about Mason's claws, but also his raw punching power as well.

Nico was getting desperate. He crouched down and swept Mason's feet from under him, knocking him on his back. He raised his staff and prepared to drive it into Mason's heart, but before he could deliver the attack, Mason grabbed it with his gloved hand and wrenched it from Nico's hands.

He was now defenseless as Mason punched him in the chest, causing Nico to drop to the ground. Before he could react, Mason rolled over on top of Nico, pinning him to the ground.

"Why did you take Weiss, you little brat? Why do you want access to the Schnee Dust Factory?!"

"Hey, don't blame me," Nico answered. "I was under direct orders from Shaw! I don't know why he wants to access the factory!"

"Who's Shaw, your boss?!" Mason asked in a fury

Nico smiled. "I'm not telling you anything!"

Mason reared his metal fist back, threatening to flatten Nico.

"Okay, okay! Look, all I was told was to get the information out of her by any means necessary."

"I would love nothing more right now than to rip you apart," Mason snarled. "How DARE you lay a hand on her!"

Nico sadistically laughed. "You won't kill me. You don't have the stomach for iti!"

Mason grabbed Nico by the throat. "You're right, I'm not gonna kill you," He activated his steel glove. "But I AM gonna send you a message, you smug little punk."

"No, please don't!" Nico screamed as Mason reared his metal encased fist back and punched the concrete next to his face, leaving a deep crater in the ground.

"If you EVER come after Weiss again, this will be your face. Do you understand me?"

Nico frantically nodded his head.

"Good!" Mason smiled, "I'm glad we understand each other."

Nico looked like he was in a state of shock.

Mason got to his feet and before he made his way back over to Weiss, he stood over Nico once more.

"Oh, and one more thing," Mason said before kicking Nico in the crotch, leaving hm howling in pain. "That's for putting your hands on her."

He left Nico on the ground as he passed out from the pain of being kicked in the family jewels. Mason walked over to Weiss and smiled. He used his claws to cut her free from her bonds.

As soon as she was free, Weiss leapt onto Mason, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Thank you!" She said, burying her head in Mason's shoulder. "I didn't think I was going to make it."

Mason gently hugged her back. "I wouldn't let you down, Weiss."

"Thank you..." She whispered

Mason wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close. "What do you say we get back home?"

Weiss picked up Myrtenaster as she and Mason passed the table. "I think that's a brilliant idea, but how exactly do we do that?"

Mason laughed. "I can get us there, no problem."

Mason and Weiss walked out of the hangar, headed for the Bullhead on the roof of the main building.

A/N: Wowzers! Thank you so much if you managed to stick it out to the end of this chapter! For as long as it is, it was so much easier to write than any of the others so far. Anyway, thanks for reading! As always, drop me a message or comment to let me know how I'm doing, or even if you just want to chat, that's cool too! I always love talking with everybody! See you next time!