A/N: I don't own RWBY. That goes to Rooster Teeth, with its conception to the late Monty Oum.


The night was cold. Harshly cold. The shattered moon's light appeared menacing when it provided no warmth, just a haunting, fractured light that made the sheer chill of the wind all the more unbearable. Shadows danced over lamp-posts in almost kaleidoscope patterns, crisscrossing along the walkway.

"So… this is what you deal with… no wonder every Atlesian I met was either a bitter asshole or an emotionless closet-dweller… I'm starting to feel pissed at nothing." Coco shivered in some fancy coat as Weiss casually walked alongside her. Indeed, she was right in a way….. she dealt with it.

The party was, obviously enough, in the auditorium. It wasn't like it was being used to greet first years…. School was canceled, due to recent events. Weiss couldn't blame them, but it just hammered home how… broken the world had become.

Maybe a party could get her mind off of things. It wasn't like she could ignore everything around her forever, but this should help.

"This party better be awesome, it's been so long since I've just unwound and enjoyed a frivolous get-together full of strangers." Coco continued shivering and shuffling her feet along the slightly snow dusted concrete.

"Trust me, if FNKI has a hand in it," Weiss groaned, "it will be an experience."

They continued walking, the auditorium not that far off. Weiss could actually hear the popular music thumping, the bass beats reverberating out into the cold air. Wasn't there supposed to be live music? Maybe a mix of both, Team FNKI probably wanted to let out some steam as well; Weiss could imagine you couldn't fully do that performing on stage.

Following the gaudy tempo, Coco and Weiss found themselves at the entrance. The auditorium was laced with cheap colored strobe lighting, blinking incessantly and flickering across the darkened room. People in stiff uniforms moved like broken windup toys, shuffling and limping to and fro in some pathetic merging of club and ballroom dancing. The loud music consumed the room, preventing any sound outside of bass thumps and the 'wubs' that encouraged a tempo to the "dancing."

"Well…uh…." Coco screamed, though it sounded only like a whisper to the over-powering playlist. "This… KINDA looks like my kind of party…."

"Told you it would be with FNKI involved, though I'm surprised so many played along…." Weiss than turned to the snack table, where a massive vessel playing the role of punchbowl took center stage. Neon stood next to the punch bowl. "…never mind, I know EXACTLY why they're playing along…" Weiss walked towards her second best cat faunus friend. Coco followed.

"What did you put in the punch?" Weiss accused Neon when she arrived, Neon shrugged.

"Enough. Nothing creepy, though. No drugs outside of the usual legal stuff. Hi Coco!" Neon then waved to Weiss's companion, "would you like some punch?"

"I like knowing what I drink, thanks…." Coco raised an eyebrow as she took off her sunglasses. "Have anything else?"

Neon pouted, but nodded. She skated away in a rainbow laced blur and came back holding two bottles with a pink liquid. "Hard pink lemonade, straight from the bottle, nothing else added. Atlesians honor."

Weiss took the bottle and brought the liquid to her lips. It wasn't too much unlike the cocktail Neon gave her what seemed a long time ago, when they weren't in danger…. Again. Maybe that was the point.

Coco took her bottle as well, having a more impulsive and deep swig. Weiss turned to their host. "Are you drinking anything?"

"Not yet, we're playing soon and I got to be fully cognitive, can't play drums all tipsy." Neon smiled, "shouldn't stop you guys. Anyway, there are some hot guys, a lot of them single, a lot of them expecting their lives to be short, be sure to wear protection."

Weiss spat out her beverage onto Neon's face, who, considering the fact she didn't seem to fazed by it probably expected it for some degree. She simply wiped her face, continued smiling, and replied, "or, if you're in the mood for something more… lesbian I'm always here…"

"NEON!" Weiss exclaimed indignantly as Coco face-palmed. Neon giggled, though it was mute to the thumping of the club music, and skated away.

"She seems… nice." Coco said after a brief moment of 'silence' nullified by a woman screaming about wanting someone's body. Weiss actually paid attention to the vulgar lyrics, how the girl wanted to move the body herself, let herself in the ways and perform 'what love or whatever-this-is' and form a proper synchronized dance. Why she listened to it was probably because she never bothered listening to them. Weiss turned to Coco.

"You get used to it. She's worse than Yang."

"Never really got to know Yang, only member of your team I consistently saw was Blake since she and Velvet… talked?" Coco shrugged. "Seems like I have to get to know you now, being stuck here and all."

Weiss smiled, "you'll get used to it. Ruby did. Even Blake did."

"You make that seem like a big deal."

"It was." The conversation would've continued in its strained screaming form but the music overhead stopped, replaced with the screeching of a recently plugged in microphone.

"Yo Atlas, you having a good time?!" Flynt's voice echoed throughout the hall. It was responded to a bunch of slurring cheers. Weiss turned to the stage where Flynt stood by a microphone, holding a cane in one hand, holding the microphone in the other, and his trumpet tucked underneath one of his arms. He raised his cane in the air, and then lowered it once more, as the cheering started to soften. Weiss wondered if these typical Atlesian students respected him that much when there blood WASN'T laced with booze.

"Good! Well, Team FNKI here! And we're going to hit this place up with some modern jazz! Who wants some of that?!" He paused as the crowd continued to cheer. "We have Neon on the drums! Igneous on the Saxaphone! Karma on the Bass! And Me on the Trumpet! We are Team FNKI, and before we make some music, can you all make some noise?!"

Noise was made, that made Weiss cover her ears. Coco seemed to happily make noise along with the drunken idiots. Of course she would.

They started playing. It was good. It was catchy. Weiss found herself tapping her foot as Flynt demonstrated massive command of his wind pipes as he ripped through various chord progressions. Igneous, while he certainly reeked off being full of himself, certainly warranted praise regarding his playing, his fingers ripping through the keys, moving almost in a way that Ruby would've been jealous of. Karma also seemed to be dexterous with her fingers, even if her role as the bass player typically regulated her to the role of accompaniment. Nevertheless, she had some solos, and they were spectacular.

Oddly enough, Neon had been playing mildly. Her glow-stick-nun-chucks were indeed functioning as her drumsticks, but she failed to showcase any skill outside of lightly tapping the snares while occasionally rhythmically disturbing the cymbal.

Suddenly, Flynt's trumpet softened. Igneous's saxophone let go. The bass thumped but did nothing spectacular. The lights dimmed, making it near impossible to see. Then… the glow-sticks turned on, the only visible thing with its azure hue, challenging the darkness back.

The blue started twirling and swirling, accompanied by frantic drum slams, the snares rattling and the cymbal clanging. The entirety of the room cheered as the blue continued blurring with its frantic movements.

Huh, Neon can play in the dark. Weiss herself cheered alongside the drunks with the impressive display of skill.

After around a minute or two of the light show, the room brightened up once more as Neon, sweat visibly glistening from where she sat, finished her last beats as she slammed the snares, and returned to her gentle keeping of the beat, as Flynt and Igneous jumped off from the solo with standard jazz melodies. The room went ballistic. Weiss found herself slamming her hands together with more aggression than usual. Maybe it was the drink, she had already drank half of it… wait… it was two thirds.

Weiss looked around the now once more alit room to find that Coco no longer stood beside her. She probably melted into the crowd and was dancing stupidly with the rest of them. That was fine, whatever kept Coco entertained.

Enjoying the music but starting to feel claustrophobic, Weiss decided to take a break and walked outside, the air smelling less like sweat and had a crispness to it from its cold, against the humid heaviness that saturated the auditorium.

She sighed, the cold familiar to her. It wasn't desirable, but winter was something she grew accustomed to being raised in Atlas. She smiled as she watched her breath transform to mist, and felt her eyes follow the condensed vapor to the impressively black sky.

"Hate parties too?" A familiar voice made Weiss jump. She then steadied herself, made herself still, steeled her eyes, and then turned into the direction the voice came from, her glare as harsh at the weather around her.

"Emerald. What are you doing here?" Her voice was cold, each word practically dead from frostbite.

"Hasn't Flynt told you?" Emerald rolled her eyes, "I'm being baby-sat by that guy as HIS punishment for reading personal info about Pluto. He offered for me to stand around and enjoy, but…" Emerald scoffed, "parties aren't my thing. Too many people."

Weiss growled, "maybe you should kill them too while you're here."

"Don't give me ideas." Emerald's venom was audibly potent, bitterness with no sweetness even to cover it up. "Everyone here is insufferable."

"Then why don't you just send yourself to prison, where you belong? Surely you'll find more people of your ilk there. And I'm sure Dr. Glass would be more than happy to send you there, I can only imagine your pleasant company."

"He's also 'pleasant' company." Emerald almost seemed to laugh, "that bastard's more screwed in the head than I am. He has drugs pumping through him twenty-four seven. At least, that's what I assume that tubing is for."

"Tubing?" Weiss remembered that Flynt stated that Dr. Glass had implants that had metal in them, impairing his ability to fight Nickel. "Oh yeah, those."

"Even if that's not what it is for, I don't care." Emerald was sullen, "I took his offer because it IS better than rotting in a cell for the rest of my days, either waiting for my death or the end of the world."

"Is that what your boss wanted? What Cinder wanted? The end of the world?"

"I honestly don't know." Emerald sighed. "Fuck, it's cold… music is less sufferable than this damn weather." She left without even saying good-bye or a 'see you later,' Weiss wasn't surprised nor unhappy with that realization.

Weiss crossed her arms and stayed outside. It was pretty cold, but she felt like staying out there longer, as if to spite Emerald. Damn her. Damn her for what she did and that she's now here, practically consequence free… or at least free of consequence that she deserves.

She stomped her foot in frustration. So many things reminded her of the fall of Beacon that she was wondering if she'd EVER get over it. Even if the evil that caused it was stopped, hell, even if it was HER that stopped it, would she ever forget feeling her innocence die was she saw Ruby run up that tower with all the desperation she could muster…

Only for the blinding light to emerge at the top of the tower, and for Ruby to come back unconscious, and for Pyrrha to not come back at all.

Well, she DID come back…. Though… not in the way she liked it.

She really wish she had Ruby with her. And Blake. And Yang. And the rest of JNPR…. Or JNR, wouldn't it be now? Jaune could be most helpful, Ciel described to her how Nickel struggled against Pyrrha's father, not out of being outmatched, but from his own actions being resisted internally.

Is Pyrrha in there, somewhere? Struggling to be let out?

She almost laughed at the idea: Jaune standing in front of this gigantic war machine that killed millions, and without even letting out a single attack, pinning the man down, making Nickel suffer, and eventually wiping him off the face of the earth.

It was HILARIOUS. Weiss started laughing anyway, hoping to Oum no one was there to see her so undignified.

She almost didn't feel her scroll vibrate. She definitely didn't hear the ringtone, it's subdued default setting the only jingle befitting a poised and unflashy person such as herself. She stopped laughing to bring up the scroll.

"From General Ironwood." Huh, weird. What would the General want specifically with HER now? Maybe he meant to call her sister Winter. That would make more sense. Still, it would be rude to just let it roll to voicemail. She answered it.


The wind howled as the troops marched. His arm was still slung over the man who rescued him. This soldier was getting a promotion. Oum knows there would be room for a new officer.

James Ironwood continued marching alongside his rag-tag remains of soldiers still loyal to him. The man's… wait…. This wasn't right.

"What's your name soldier? I apologize, a lot has been on my mind."

"Nothing wrong with that, sir. I'm Vern. Private Vern. You sent me to reconnect with Winter a couple days ago."

"Oh… yes. I remember." I don't. So many soldiers go on so many missions. "And then there you were, stationed at the same station where my own men defected to join that man."

"We weren't the first." Vern said sullenly. "Other men from other encampments came to ours, claiming that a Mistrali General came, exuding immense power, and instead of attacking, he was… recruiting… We naturally laughed it off until Nickel himself arrived." Vern shivered, reverberating to James's body. "He spoke eloquently, offering us the best chance of survival, but we must help him first. Help him topple the kingdoms. No Mistral. No Atlas. No Kingdoms. Only Unity." Vern shook his head. "A majority submitted out of fear, but some even fell for that bullshit. That such a man would have even an interest in us. He clearly only seeks power."

"Indeed." To be fair… no… I did it for the benefit of mankind. To improve safety. To streamline the political process to purely for the citizen's protection.

That's… that's what I commissioned the A.I. to do… He wants to take over the world to streamline the political process towards purely providing the citizen's protection….

Damn it. He's me.

No, he wasn't. He wasn't so twisted. He wasn't consumed by rage when he took over. It was purely practical. He didn't toy nor brutalize his opponents. He was sane. He was good.

Nickel… Nickel was messed. The robot's goals were similar to his own, but James Ironwood took the high road. He believed that the majority of people were good, they just didn't know what was best for them. Nickel clearly wished to rob every man of his dignity and what little freedom they were allowed to protect them from the Grimm. He wished to subjugate all of mankind for the sake of its survival.

That was not what Ironwood intended. They were not the same. They couldn't be.

He didn't mention this aloud, however. Only he needed this crisis; his men had no need of it.

"Woah…. Wow. Guys, look at this." The point man ahead realized who he was in the presence of, "I mean…" his hand jerked to his forehead in a salute, "sir! There is something you should see."

"At ease soldier, we are marching for survival, this isn't a battalion exercise." James sighed. "But what have you seen." With the aid of Vern, he limped over to the front of the pack.

Trees were torn down, strewing the snowy field like a web. Grimm paw prints were everywhere, with claw markings etched in the wood.

What was interesting was also the flurry of human footprints that laced the snow. Spread out throughout the forced clearing as if it was a tiny army, it was certainly more than one person. However, what was interesting was that the shoe-prints were COMPELETELY identical. Same grooves, same size, same everything. Even in his own battalion, all dressed alike, that wouldn't happen. It was as if a small army of twins arrived to fight the Grimm.

"Strange…" Vern whispered, apparently making the same observation. He liked this private. "It was clearly more than one person in this scuffle, yet every human foot print is exactly the same." He DID make the same observation.

"Same shoe, same shoe size." One of the soldier shrugged.

"Yes," Vern agreed, "yet look at this, unless the assailant had jumped all across this entire area, this is more than just two people. Four people AT LEAST. Most likely eight." Quicker on the approximations than even he! Yes, Private Vern was in for a promotion if they made it out alive.

"What, it's not like quadruplets showed up and killed Grimm. Last time I checked, there are none on record."

"That Nickel character wasn't on record." Well, he was, but on a very secret record. Best not mention that, however.

"It doesn't matter," Ironwood spoke up, "we need to keep moving. If we keep heading 12 degrees off North, we should arrive at an Atlesian township with a bullhead station."

"Couldn't you just hail a fleet of bullheads to our location?" Vern asked. James Ironwood felt very stupid.

"Thank you private, I…. was hit on the head." James reached into his pocket, and found that his scroll wasn't there. He checked the other pocket. It wasn't there. He patted himself down. There was no scroll.

"Well… I mean… it's probably best that whoever intercepts it doesn't know I'm alive… he could already be working for Nickel." James explained away.

"Of course sir, we should continue marching." Vern shrugged it off and continued heading towards the township, where hopefully the townspeople weren't seduced or scared into following the murderous maiden-yet-still-technically-a-man robot.

However, there was the mystery of his missing scroll. It must've been picked off him during his encounter when he was out of it. Either a random soldier had it, or….

Oh no… Oh Oum no.


"Heh heh…." That… that wasn't Ironwood's voice. It was deep, yet fragmented, shattered across different pitches. It reminded Weiss of….

"Excuse me for this sudden call. I…. I just wanted to…. to call an old friend."

"Nickel…." Weiss whispered, her spine lashing like a smashed tuning fork within her. She looked around, hoping there were others there… no. She was alone. She could just hang up, but….

"Are you outside? The sky is beautiful where I stand. The stars are truly something to marvel… though the moon is more ominous than beautiful."

"Why did you call me? Where's Ironwood?" Weiss found her hand cupping her scroll with fervor, her nails almost scratching the screen.

There was a long sigh on the other line. "If you knew the Ironwood I knew, you wouldn't sound so concerned."

"Where. Is. Ironwood?"

"I would honestly be more concerned about Glynda, if I were in your position. You'd still be wrong to be so indignant, but…."

"GOODWITCH?"

"Heh. I was right."

Weiss's teeth had thrusted into each other, grinding the enamel into powder. Her nails started stabbing the screen, with cracks forming at the edges of her scroll. "Why, Nickel?"

"Weiss, except maybe for Blake, you were the least naïve of all of us." Us? "Are there some things you refuse to look towards? Afraid of the answers you'd find? If you find me an abomination, I'll just tell you that it was THEIR sins that led to my existence."

"I know Pyrrha was supposed to become a maiden." Weiss firmly stated. "Flynt and Ciel filled me in on what you said and what Flynt read."

"Flynt read?... .Oh…. ohhh… interesting way to spend your time when injured, peering where THEY wouldn't want you to peer… but I applaud him."

"So they wanted Pyrrha to be some maiden-thing. I don't fully understand what's going on in that regard, but that… that doesn't excuse…. Them being…." Weiss refused to admit what was probably true. Maybe if she didn't say it, her worries would prove false.

"It led to her death, Weiss. It led her away from help, away from…. Him…. And towards her 'destiny.' Some false crap that doesn't bring heroes, it brings corpses to the ground. I refuse to let another useless corpse become of good people…. But I fear that I must do that soon. If they…. Refuse to see it.

"Refuse to see what?" Weiss hated being the one that knew the least in a conversation. She hated it more when that person spoke in vague concepts than rigid explanations. She hated it most when that person heavily implied that he….. that he….

"You want to know why I saved you, Weiss?" Weiss remained silent, that night of the Grimm still haunting her, with Nickel's laughing figure when he glowed with that hellish azure of 'Winter.' "You weren't the enemy. You still AREN'T the enemy. And you don't have to be. You don't have to fight on behalf of a kingdom that would willingly send you to die to keep its secrets kept. You don't have to slave towards some 'standard' of morality that claims you CAN'T change the status quo, which needs to be changed." Weiss's breath started quivering. Was it that cold outside?

"You…. you crippled Flynt. You kidnapped and…. also crippled my Father! You…. you KILLED Ironwood and Goodwitch! You yourself have left a trail of corpses yourself everywhere you go! Good men! Men who don't have a political agenda, just an agreement to protect each other, against entities that threaten the very fabric of society, to drive everything into death and chaos. Just like you…"

"ARRGGHHH" Nickel screamed on the other side of the scroll. It sounded more like he was in agony and frustrated more so than angry. "Why do they refuse to see? Why do YOU refuse to see? WE WERE FRIENDS!" There was a pause, with only the chill being present for Weiss. Even Weiss felt words fail her. We were friends?

Maybe Weiss was wrong. Pyrrha wasn't struggling to get out… she was struggling getting sucked in…. Pyrrha wasn't controlling Nickel, Nickel was perverting Pyrrha. Or…. Maybe Nickel was just Pyrrha's darker side, brought to life?

It was easy enough to accept. The Pyrrha she knew was most certainly dead.

"Nickel," Weiss snarled, "I'm not fighting you to protect Atlas. I'm not fighting you to keep those in power still in power. I'm not fighting you to protect the status quo. I'm not even fighting you for what you did to Father and Flynt. I'm fighting you…" and Weiss enunciated every word, each consonant harshly clicking in the unforgiving chill, "… because if the Pyrrha I KNEW was alive right now, she would want to stop you. But she isn't, and all that remains of her is something ugly and horrible… and I refuse to let YOU be her legacy." She seethed, her teeth, clasped together by the cold, chattering and clashing, made every word forced yet genuine. "I'm fighting you, because the world you envision, isn't much better than the one we are already fighting."

There was a silence, only accompanied by breathing, as the cold fog drifted up into the air after each huff Weiss made.

"I'll make you see." Nickel finally droned. "I'll make you see the world I envision. I'll show you the beauty of it. I'll show Ruby. I'll show Nora. I'll show Jaune. I'll show them all…" The fractals of his voice became more tinged with anger, his lower bass drifting to a growl, and the higher tones representing screeches. "It will be glorious, I know you'll see…. You MUST see…"

"No. I won't see it." Weiss tersely and coldly responded.

"Then, with great sorrow, you will die…. Why must you flock towards the flame of your destruction? Why are you all so blind?"

"Because, Nickel, it's not fighting for our survival." Weiss swallowed hard, "it's about fighting for our lives."

"Foolish…. So foolish." Nickel hung up. Weiss continued grasping her scroll like a scalding stone that would explode if dropped. She hated holding it, but she held onto it with fervor that she couldn't explain.

She found her knees collapsing, she started hyperventilating, her tears started escaping her eyes.

"Pyrrha…. I'll…. I'll stop him for you. I'll put you to rest." She knelt down, and started bawling.

It doesn't have to be me alone, frightened yet fighting…

It doesn't have to be me alone, broken and crying

Weiss looked up, hearing the singing words, jazzily upbeat yet surprisingly somber without instrumental accompaniment. She turned behind her to see Neon walking towards her. Not skating, walking. No rainbows, just gentle strides. She continued singing.

I always thought that it had to be me, alone and lonely

But it still doesn't have to be me alone, I have family…

Flynt appeared, playing a mild tune on his trumpet. It was soft, still jazzy but it had a hint of respect. Neon let Flynt show off before she continued, showcasing a skill Weiss did not know the faunus had.

We aren't related by blood.

We don't have the same background.

We didn't share the same mud

When we played on different playgrounds

But I know that when we share

Our trials and victories.

We stand side by side

Like any picture featuring families.

I thought it was only me

Me vs. Remnant

Me vs. Planet

Me vs. Atlas

But I learned that it could be We

We vs. Remnant

We vs. Planet

We vs. Atlas.

And while we try to be strong alone.

We are stronger together

And if we're cursed to be on our own

We are stronger when we think of each other…

We are stronger when we think of each other…

So it never had to be me

Me vs. Atlas

And it doesn't have to be you

You vs. Atlas.

We are here together, and for all it's

We vs. Atlas…..

Because you are strong enough

And I am strong enough

And we all are strong enough

If we just together fight enough

We vs. Atlas…..

Neon stopped singing, a small tear was visible underneath her eyes, as, know fully close to Weiss, standing over her, she offered her hand. Weiss instinctually took it, and was then wrapped by a consuming hug that rivaled Yang and maybe even Nora's.

"What…. What… was that?"

"I wrote that song after our first year as Team FNKI. We never played it on stage, but we thought we should make its concert debut in honor of you…"

"But when we called you out," Flynt finished, "we couldn't find you in the crowd. Then Emerald shouted that you were busy sulking outside. So, Neon thought she'd bring her performance straight to you… and I followed to make sure she didn't get frostbite."

"So…" Neon let go, smiling. "It's not Weiss vs. Atlas, okay? YOU alone don't need to stop Nickel. We will."

"We all will," Flynt nodded, "and if your team-mates were here, they'd be with you as well, and trust me, if they knew what was going on, they'd be with you in spirit."

"Flynt? Neon?"

"Yeah?" Both asked at the same time.

"….thank you….. but I'm not really fighting Atlas. I'm fighting FOR Atlas in this scenario…"

Neon scoffed, "It's us vs. the world at this point, and our world is Atlas. Don't take things too damn literally!" Flynt started laughing. His laughter was then caught by Weiss, who started chuckling. Neon, despite her indignant look, also succumbed to the nonsensical hilarity.

Emerald herself even watched. She wasn't too enamored, finding it overly cheesy, but, unaware of it, she had the smallest smile on her face.

Karma and Igneous were back inside, making out.


He was making a militia out of students. Students. That is how desperate he and James had become. Under normal circumstances, Pluto would be welcoming students back with a smile. He would wish them luck on their endeavors in both classwork and training. They would probably lightly bow among other overly formal BS, but they were Atlesians, who viewed themselves as applying themselves to Atlesians specialist program. There were a couple exceptions, team FNKI being the most blatant of them all, but many students acted already as their childhood was over, business for the rest of their years until crippling old age, or more likely, death.

Pluto hated when he felt he was granting that death earlier than it needed to be. He sent first years into the wilds for initiation, as was tradition, and as the years went on, they were sent on progressively more dangerous missions. However, they were either properly assigned a mission appropriate for their year, accompanied by a competent guide, or both.

He sent Ciel, Weiss, and Neon into a deathtrap: not a guaranteed one, but certainly the odds weren't in their favor. Only because James would not involve freelancers nor sacrifice already assigned specialists. Oh, who was he kidding? He wanted as little people to know of his little mistake as well.

It wasn't like he could fight Nickel. Well, he could, but it wouldn't be pretty. How long could he last with his regulators failing? Agreed, it would probably unleash some ridiculous powers that resulted from merging his soul with Grimm essence, but the carnivorous aura that it formed devoured his soul.

What was a body like without a soul? Would his aura fade as well without a soul to sustain it?

It honestly fascinated him almost as much as it horrified him. Truly he was a scientific marvel. When the day eventually came, he hoped his sacrifices contributed to something. He lost enough of himself and hurt enough people to make him devour himself with regret.

He stayed away from alcohol usually, he saw what it did to Qrow. Besides… he had his medication.

Pluto yawned, throwing his scroll onto Ironwood's desk. Why did every thought of his have to return to the tubes that laced his body? To the state of his mental health?

To what you did to your child-

His hand slammed on the desk, making all the odd knick-knacks that Ironwood decorated it with jump slightly. There was a foul taste in his mouth, he wanted it to go away. He found a water glass that he didn't finish, and guzzled it greedily.

His scroll buzzed. He looked to see that it was from Ironwood. Thank Oum, I was worried something bad happened. It was highly possible that James being James, forgot to keep him informed, but considering how things were, it was best that they kept in contact.

"James!" He immediately responded, "what the hell is going on out there?! I haven't heard from you all…" Dr. Glass stopped, something was wrong. If Dr. Glass did this, Ironwood would let out a loud sigh, as he was wont to do, and he would've been inconsiderate to not move the receiver out of the way. "….General? Is something wrong?"

"He would find it so, yes. But I would disagree with him." No. No. This… this…. Oum shit! "Greetings, Dr. Glass. To think you had more involvement in my creation than that bumbling yet pitiable scientist…. A shame… it was an accident. I couldn't control it…. But it couldn't be helped, now would it?" There was a pause. Intentional, most likely, since Nickel didn't need to breathe. "That must be what you tell yourself, isn't it?"

"What do you want Nickel?" He didn't need to ask what he'd done to Ironwood. He was probably strewn apart, pieces of him scattered in some clearing in the middle of nowhere.

"To talk. To offer you mercy. Unlike every other elite member I will inevitably meet, you had no… direct responsibility in her demise… then again, it WAS your technology they used. But it wasn't your choice."

"You think I'll take your mercy, after what you've done? You've wreaked havoc across the Kingdom! You've endangered civilians, destroyed various structures, and from what I've gathered, you hi-jacked a kingdom's entire military. And since you have access to Ironwood's scroll…" Dr. Glass sighed, "you're now recruiting within our own armed forces, aren't you?"

"I knew you were smart, Pluto. You are the host of all the info I would ever need to put this world back on track." What is it with robots deciding to use their minds to hack into his files once they have souls? Damn robots and their affinity with technology.

"You know, if you want to show me kindness, how about you tell me when you and your army will arrive at the capital? That would help, we could arrange a pre-party! Set a date, have a parade, we could shank… I mean… SHAKE hands before battle. Make…

"Doctor, enough of your inane ramblings, I have neither the time nor the humor to sit through them." His voice was odd, like his voice-box was damaged. "As I said, simply, surrender Atlas to me. And no one has to die. Without Ironwood…. It is yours to give up, isn't it?"

Dr. Glass felt his heart sink. Wait… was he offering a way out? A way to stop the suffering?

"You never wanted Atlas as a kingdom anyway. You FOUGHT for Mantle when Ironwood staged his coup. The only reason you're at the top is because he NEEDED you for it to thrive the way it did, and for those perverse experiments… the ones that ruined your life."

"If you know what's good for you, you would shut up before you continue…"

"Yes, that does make sense. When I saw Anise, even I had to contain my horror. Such a disgusting fate for a once beautiful woman…"

Dr. Glass was about to shout angrily until it dawned on him, "You… you saw Anise? Anise Meadows… THE Anise?"

"She was working with the Mistrali's providing intelligence. I thought you knew? Did Ciel not tell you? She was there…"

Ciel… Pluto found his offhand curling up into a fist, his nails scraping the thin flesh of his palm. Anise… Anise is here… why didn't she tell me? Why?

"It was funny, she refused to acknowledge she knew you. She claimed to know Ironwood. She claimed to know the Atlesian military functions… but she REFUSED to mention you…. maybe her face aren't the only scars you left on her, especially if…"

"Nickel…." Pluto's voice was a mere whisper, "if you want me to surrender, you have a damn poor way of convincing me. Even if you spoke to me more sweetly than a damn well-paid prostitute, I wouldn't surrender. I never surrendered to Ironwood, and I certainly wouldn't surrender to him on drugs, even if the fight is against most odds."

"Even if it puts innocent people in danger?"

"I'm already past putting students in danger they shouldn't deal with, I already loathe myself enough to wear that guilt on my shoulders. I'm already a monster…." Dr. Glass found himself smiling disturbingly, "…and I guess it takes a monster to fight a monster, doesn't it?"

"I am not a monster, Pluto, and neither are you." Did… did Nickel just give a compliment? "We are both freaks of nature, we never asked to be made. The only difference is you accidentally made yourself."

"And I accidentally made you."

"Poetic, isn't it, that everything you touch becomes ugly and wrong. Anise's face being only a literal-" Nickel didn't get to finish it as Pluto threw his scroll across the office, smashing it to the wall.


She had to get to Atlas. Nickel was on the move. Her friends were in danger. Neon is in danger, I need to help her! She's my partner!

Ever since Penny activated Flynt's semblance in such an extravagant way, she started… feeling different. Was that the word? She was… starting to have memories that weren't her own. Feelings that, while she didn't disagree with them, weren't her own.

She worried more about Neon than Weiss, though there was a soft spot for the heiress as well. But Neon was so much more personal for her, it was like… she was her first friend? No, she had many friends, Neon was just the first she felt comfortable opening up to. Wait?... No, that never happened. Her first friend was Dr. Glass, but Neon….

It was strange. Every time she entered a relaxed state after a battle with the creatures of darkness, she would remember things that didn't happen to her, yet her feelings towards them weren't confusion. She knew the context, she knew the feeling, they weren't disjointed dreams as much as they were… revelations.

She even hated the smell of artificial lemons now. She can't even smell!

She'll have to ask Dr. Glass about this if she ever got the chance to reunite with him. Even if she was busy prowling the wilds, killing Grimm, while also protecting the people lost in the woods, vulnerable to the crossfires of war.

She just had to keep the aura cancelling cuffs on whenever she was outside of a battle. If her aura was muted, then Nickel's aura sensors wouldn't be able to pick her up if he was close.

If she was caught in the middle of a scuffle with the Grimm, then she'd be doomed. Or maybe not? Maybe she could have a heart to heart… wait… they are both robots. Aura core to aura core talk…

It couldn't be healthy for Nickel to be using the semblance the way he was. Considering how much Flynt's semblance was affecting her.

Her thoughts were snatched away with the breaking of a branch. Must be more Grimm. She paid more attention to her sensors, painting the world around her in data. It wasn't vision, but it was better than vision. It was a full on environmental report.

It wasn't Grimm though… It was a person. A lone person. Aura was around half-full, he or she had been fighting…. No… she… it's a female's aura.

But who would be wandering the Atlesian woods, all alone?

She followed the sound and the aura reading, only to sense an attack.

She flipped away from the attack, quickly uncuffed herself, and let hers sensors detect the opponent. She was coming at the side. She reached her hand and caught the attacker.

"Wha- How? How did you see me?" Penny's sensors did a deeper scan on the individual.

[Recognized: Anise Meadows] Huh. Weird. What is she doing here? Isn't she Dr. Glass's ex-fiancée? Oops… maybe snuck a peak at too many of Dr. Glass's files when she was sending them to herself…. She meant Flynt.

"Simple, I didn't see you. I sensed you. Greetings!" Penny programmed a smile as she turned to 'face' Anise. "I am Penny, a robot developed by Dr. Glass to protect him and Atlas itself!"

"Wha-… Get the hell off me!" The push was aggressive, but not lethal. Penny complied by letting go, but continued standing with a cordial offer of friendship. Yes! A new friend! A new person to help!

"I assure you, if you are familiar with the OTHER robot running around. I am NOT about that bizz, yo!" Need to work on the slang, Penny. "I'm for protecting people and keeping them safe, not subjugating them in some misguided attempt to 'keep them alive.'"

"Then… what are you doing out here?"

"Helping people! And now, that includes you!"

"I don't need help…."

"Nonsense! Even if you don't NEED it, everyone can USE it!"

"You're not going to leave me, are you?"

"No! We're going to be homegirls together!"

"Home….girls?"

Reeeeaaallly need to work on that slang, Penny.


A/N: Roooolllll credits! *Ding* [Yes, Kirjoitabls can make Cinemasins jokes]

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