August 9th
City of Mistral
Mistral
Downtown
9:28 PM
Night had fallen hours before and the City of Mistral was sparkling from the lights. Downtown was filled with people in their best winter fashion, the clubs were loud enough to be heard all over and the sound from them seemed to blur together. All around, there were people drinking, dancing, and, in some of the more luxurious clubs, making shady deals and getting sleazy. Haven Academy was almost empty on the grounds, with students out and socializing on the slightly chill Saturday night. Mistrali winter did, after all, tend to arouse a yearning in people to give up and do whatever the hell they wanted. Yet, below the beautiful surface, things were far less glamorous. Huntsmen and huntresses were dealing with grimm on the outskirts. The police were handling a dust explosion that could have been a sign of attempted arson downtown.
And General Ironwood had spent the last few hours coordinating with those under his command and working, alongside General Ciel, with the hunters in the city. For her part, Emmeline had returned back about an hour before because of a phone call from Emmett, who had been worried about her despite knowing where she was. James had meant to leave with her but a sudden report from the city police required extra support. White Fang terrorist activity had been reported in the northern sector and the response needed to be imminent. They were dangerously close to the power grid for the entire city and, if they managed to shut off even part of it, there would be danger and no one wanted to risk it.
That was when everything had went dark. Most of downtown had been unaffected, in large part because of backup generators, but the northern and southern sectors of the city were in total blackout. Everything seemed to shut down at the same time, and only faint figures could be seen. There were huntsmen and military officials everywhere and, in the southern sector where James was, they were all prepared in case of attack. People were being evacuated from the most dangerous areas, and downtown was put into high alert. This was, still, not what worried James most. Shadowed figures continued to flicker about, something which troubled the general considerably. It was impossible to tell who was friend and who could potentially be foe. Even more troubling were the occasional screams that seemed to appear and then disappear. Regardless of everything downtown being per usual (if only because of drinks and hearty partying despite the activation of the alert system), it felt that something, especially in the south, was very much wrong.
"Who's -"
James tightened his hand around his gun upon seeing a shadowy figure pause in the alleyway. Slowly, he began to move towards it but got barely a few feet closer to it before he heard gunshot and a few empty boxes burst into flames near him. He took a step back, reminding himself that it could not possibly be Ashlynn Schnee, and steadied himself to counterattack if necessary. Then, another crack burst through the air and, in the darkness, he felt something sharp hit him in his natural side. His aura rippled over him and he let out a short yell before attempting to shoot but missing. The figure got closer and swung what the general was almost certain to be a sword. This time, he managed to dodge the attack and fired another shot that, based on the angered scream and cursing that followed, did not miss.
The figure and the general then ran towards each other and James pulled out his second gun to fire a quicker shot without reloading his primary immediately. The shot missed by barely an inch and the general only just evaded a sharp kick by the figure. In the faint light from the burning boxes, James could tell he was fighting a man but he stopped when he caught a glimpse of the small horns on his head. He watched, for just a moment, as the figure unsheathed its sword and it was then he realized exactly who he was fighting. This was no ordinary faunus who mistook him for police or simply wanted to wreak havoc. This was a man with whom the Atlesian general did not have a kind history with, and, even worse so, he was one that constantly managed to evade any and all authorities.
The figure moved to swing his sword down on the general but was stopped suddenly. He cursed upon the sword being bent and recoiling when it hit James' metal arm. The only damage that seemed to be done was tearing the general's uniform, something that could be easily repaired. Taking advantage of the few seconds he had, James fired a few shots in distraction. The figure had dropped his weapons from the shock of the recoil and, in their moment of weakness, could feel their mask being punched off their face by the general's metal hand. The figure had known all along who he was fighting but, in the brief seconds that followed, he realized that James had figured it out too.
"Hey, dad."
James scowled at the man in disgust and Adam Taurus merely spit into one of the boxes nearby.
"Although…" Adam went on disdainfully and tapping his chin in feigned thought when the general did not reply. "Considering that Ivy chose Atlas over justice…"
"She did what was best for her and her baby girl," James snapped. "A girl you seem to have no care for or —"
"Daughter?" Adam laughed. "I don't have any kids, general, and Ivy was only sleeping with me. I don't know what you're getting at, but —"
Adam cut himself off and moved to attack the general again, this time only fist to fist, but James deftly blocked him and caught his wrist with enough force for Adam to curse from the pain.
"I don't care what happened between you and my daughter," James hissed. "But, if you lay hand to her or anyone else in my family for that matter, you will pay."
Adam laughed. "Do you honestly believe I'm afraid of you?"
James glared. "You should be."
The general began to reach for his gun with his free hand but briefly lost his balance upon Adam wrenching out of his grasp. By the time he managed to steady his weapon to shoot the man enough to force him into Atlesian custody, Adam had blown up part of the alleyway on the other end. Everything billowed with smoke for a moment and, in the frenzy, Adam escaped. When the smoke eventually cleared, James, albeit coughing and dusting off his uniform, began quickly back to downtown. He was angry, he knew that for certain, but the worst part of it all was the fact that the man got away and the trauma of what had occurred almost twenty one years before in the south Menagerie sea as well (as what had happened just weeks before at Beacon) crashed into the general like a tidal wave and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
August 9th
City of Atlas
Atlas
Downtown
10:23 PM
"I...I can't do this."
Caitlin Ironwood-Goodwitch felt all of the air leave her lungs when she softly spoke the words she had been unable to bring herself to for the last few months. Her lips were still lingering lightly over Ivan Varley's and he, too, was frozen. The two of them had known each other for five years and grown close in that time - as close as she was with some of her childhood friends, even. He had met her in the deepest depths of her depression and seen her at both her best and worst. He was one of the few people who truly knew what she had been through; it wasn't just the attempt on her life by her ex-boyfriend or the emotional manipulation she had endured by her ex-girlfriend. He knew, like Samara and a few others, that she had helped raise her brother because her father had been traveling most of her life. He knew how close she was Ivy yet how distant they could be at the same time and he knew about her gift and semblance.
For the last three months, though, she had started seeing him in secret. Samara had been gone for so long, it seemed, and, even for the brief time she had been back, they hadn't spent as much time together as they had meant to. Samara had been pulled in every direction by hunting missions, while Caitlin had been subsumed in work for her classes. It had been wonderful when they had been together during those times, especially when Caitlin's emotions were trying on her, but they had been few and far between. She had wanted immediate comfort and support and, when he had kissed her a little while back, she had not fought it. Now, standing in the warm summer air in downtown Atlas, she was being hit with a wave of guilt. She had deep feelings for him, that was undeniable, but she could not go on. It was all too much, and -
"Caity?" Ivan stared at her in confusion. "What is it?"
"I can't do this," She repeated weakly, pulling away and staring at her feet while she pushed up her glasses. "It's...it's too much, it's too fast...and...you know Mara...she and…"
Ivan paused in consideration. "I know," He said, sighing heavily. "But, Caity, don't push me away either. I care about you and -"
"I can't be with you," She said, her voice breaking. "I just can't."
Ivan bit his lip. "I didn't mean like that."
Caitlin swallowed hard. "Stop using your semblance to block out emotions. I'm awful for this and you know it -"
"Sure," He agreed. "But I care more about us being friends than us being friends with benefits."
She fell silent, utterly stunned.
"Why aren't you more upset?" She finally said. "Angry, screaming...I would be."
"Not everyone is out to get you," He said, gently embracing her. "If that's what you're thinking. I thought you knew that -"
"Stop it," She said, tears rising in her eyes. "I know you understand me better than most, but…"
"Caity," Ivan started. "I have questioned this...relationship if that's what you want to call it since you told me at the start you wanted it to be secret. Believe me, I know what I'm saying even if you don't know what you feel."
She tried not to break down in tears and looked down at her feet again.
"I still don't...I…" She trailed off, unsure of how to go on. "I called this...clarity, remedy, or whatever you want to apply and yet it's -"
"I care about you, not romance or making out or holding you or doing God knows what with you," He said, a little harsher than he had meant to. "And I promise I -"
"Ivan, don't," She weakly protested. "I've hurt you enough."
He tightly embraced her for a moment when she started to sob but let her go when she flinched.
"Caity," He said quietly. "If you ever need anything, you can call me. I will be here for you...even though it...it hurts you don't want this but...if that's not what you need then…"
"I know," She said softly, turning the corner. "I'll text you later...I just need some time alone right now."
The two began to part ways but they both glanced back. By the time Caitlin had made it back to her dorm about half an hour later (she had detoured in her distraction), she felt almost better but she still wanted to cry. Oh, she knew he had meant every word and she texted him after texting with Samara, who put her in slightly better spirits, yet she felt horrible. Everything had been hazy and spinning for months it seemed when it came to everything but her classes and her family. Now, she felt everything she had been trying to handle or repress coming to subsume her. The last year had been hard on everyone, she knew, but things seemed to have only gotten a little better. All she wanted was to set everything on fire and watch the flames burn higher and it was then she made a realization that had been a long time coming. Perhaps, even, she had known it from the start. There was irony in that, she was well aware. In some ways, she was almost amused and, at the same time, unsure of how to move forward. Everything in her room had come into sharp focus and the only thing that broke her out of her hazy shock was the indignant meow of her sassy little cat upon being hugged a little too close. Holding her head in her hands as she watched the cat saunter over to her food bowl, Caitlin was suddenly more certain than she had been of anything else before in her life.
What she realized was this: she would never be satisfied because nothing would ever be enough for her.
"Oh, God…" She breathed, setting her glasses beside before she curled into herself and started to cry. "What...what have we done with our lives and what has it ever gotten us…"
August 9th
City of Mistral
Mistral
Downtown
11:37 PM
"Alright, Ozpin, you've had over a month and, frankly, I am tired of your lies," Elizabeth Morell said, her voice haughtily clipped as she sat down on a small sette across from the man. "So, tell me: what is really happening here?"
Ozpin sighed and continued pacing for a moment while his wife nervously glanced up from her scroll. Her glasses were slightly askew and she was laying in bed with her hair down. She was more than a little exhausted and, when she set her scroll aside, she knew it wasn't only because of the stress caused by her job. Elizabeth sent her a pointed look, almost daring Cristal to object, but the prosecutor said nothing. She simply fidgeted with her wedding ring and tried not to meet Elizabeth's gaze. The woman's aura was projecting enough anger, after all. A minute passed in relative silence, and then another, before Ozpin finally stopped pacing and turned to his wife. He came over to her and gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. Then, he met Elizabeth Morell's increasingly narrow gaze.
"You have to understand, Elizabeth, that this is not easy for any of us," Ozpin said, breaking the tension for a moment. "We all have suffered because of this and —"
"And?" Elizabeth glared and then shook her head. "Is Emmeline right? To say we cannot defeat the Queen, that is?"
Ozpin shook his head. "On that particular subject, she's wrong. I trust Emmeline a great deal, but she and Emmett are both...jaded by some of the things that happened."
Elizabeth snorted. "For good reason."
"No one contests that," Cristal snapped. "But all of us have made...shall we say shortsighted mistakes because —"
"I have not," Elizabeth cut across. "I have done everything in my power to protect Atlas, to increase national and global security, and I am repeatedly dragged down by bullshit like this! Not to mention the lies!"
"None of us have lied to you, Eliza," Cristal scowled at her as she went on. "And for you to accuse of us of that is personally and professionally insulting, not to mention —"
"You have lied to me, quite recently, actually!" Elizabeth yelled, her anger threatening to activate her semblance. "Or, to be clear, how long have you known you aren't Nicholas Schnee's daughter?"
Cristal paled and her hands began to shake, causing Ozpin wrap an arm tightly around her in an attempt to steady her
"How do you know about that?" Ozpin eventually said, his voice eerily calm. "We only told —"
"Emmett," Elizabeth snorted. "I overheard him and Emmeline talking about it a few weeks ago. It was only part of what seemed to be a rather long list of grievances Emmett holds against Nicholas but, nevertheless —"
"You've been eavesdropping on all of us?" Cristal said, her voice weak. "Is that how little you trust us these days?"
Elizabeth sighed. "I'm not the only one whose taken on a new approach. In case you've forgotten, James —"
"And I support his plan," Cristal softly replied. "I know Oz and I were...in the dark for awhile but, after Beacon —"
"After Beacon, Ozpin proved he isn't in a position to guide us," Elizabeth snapped, then ruefully shaking her head. "It pains me to say it, but circumstances have changed and I, for one, am in a much better position to guide all of us —"
"You?" Cristal stared at her in shock. "Of all people, you honestly believe that you are in a better position to —"
"I have years invested in all of this — during many of which I had no idea what I was truly fighting!" Elizabeth paused for a moment and then began to pace once more. "Do you have any idea of the price I've paid for your husband's nearsightedness? There are hundreds — thousands, even — of Atlesian soliders that are dead because of Ozpin and his lies! If he —"
"Elizabeth, please —" Ozpin calmly interjected.
"If you had told us everything from the start, we could have saved Edward Ciel!" Elizabeth angrily but off. "We could have evaded the wars we've been fighting for decades in Vacuo over dust and putting an end to terrorism! More people die in combat everyday when they don't even know what they're truly fighting! Do you really think Atlesian specialists or lieutenants or any other lower to mid-ranking service members know who Adam Taurus or Sienna fucking Khan answer to? No!"
A heavy silence followed her words. Ozpin looked away, guilt rising within him, and Cristal bit her lip, unsure of what to say or if she could reason with Elizabeth. For so long, they had been good friends and colleagues but, suddenly, the air felt very different between them. Elizabeth, too, held her tongue for a moment, worrying she had gone too far and was undermining her own words. She feared she was proving herself to be unfit to lead but she feared even more that Ozpin was leading them astray. She refused to acknowledge Raven as being the first to recognize Ozpin's shortcomings yet she was desperately afraid that everything they claimed to be working towards was nothing but a wild goose chase. After all, they all had decades invested in their little group and had made little progress and Elizabeth, for one, felt that she had been taken advantage of. There was quite a bit of anger behind her words, and even she knew there was a faint longing for power. She was still jealous of Ronnie's position as the Atlesian president — one of the most popular and well before the end of his first term — and she felt severely underestimated. She had enough of being taken advantage of years before and she was Elizabeth Morell, the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council for nearly twenty years. She was not in the mood to be pushed aside or not heeded, not anymore.
"I'm not going to apologize for being honest on this matter," Elizabeth finally said. "Most especially when you two haven't been."
"You are exaggerating —" Cristal began irritably.
"Exaggerating?" Elizabeth laughed dryly. "How am I exaggerating when you and I both know that so many die for Ozpin's sins while he has no remorse? Do you really think he's fit to lead, or are you just blinded by the fact that he's set aside your arrogance and married you anyways?"
Cristal angrily activated her powers as the Winter Maiden and glared at Elizabeth when she stood up and started towards her.
"I've always considered you a friend, Eliza," Cristal said, her voice shaking. "Do you really want to tread that line?"
Elizabeth took a small step back and activated her semblance, hydrokinesis.
"Maybe I have overstepped," She conceded. "But you cannot honestly tell me I'm wrong."
Elizabeth pushed Cristal's faint snowstorm towards her and stormed out of the room. What she never saw that night, though, was Cristal collapsing to her knees while her powers threatened to overwhelm her and Ozpin, for all his efforts, struggled to help.
"Oh, hell yeah!"
Matt Mar-Ciel grinned like a madman and slammed his fists together before running at the couch and springing over it like a hurdle. Samara and Lysithea shared a bored look and Lysithea rolled her eyes. Matt, however, smirked at his cousins and sarcastically saluted them. He had briefly gone home a few weeks before, in large part to ease the fears of his increasingly worried mother, and he had come back even weirder than before, if that were possible. When Annetta had found his scroll, shit had gone down. She had made it a point to show her teammates and Ruby and Weiss some of the ridiculous pictures of her cousin that he had, one of which showed him screaming on a mechanical bull. Ruby had laughed herself onto the floor and Weiss had struggled to be a voice of reason as she often was with them. Ultimately, what had caused Matt to try and prove his superiority to all of them, was Lysithea's consistently inappropriate (and, often, decidedly mean) comments about the length of his shorts from the pictures she had found of him running at cross country meets. Thus, in an effort to prove his cousin wrong, Matt had taken to greeting everything around him as a challenge. As it happened, it had only worked out for him about sixty percent of the time.
"Why are you…" Emmett Schnee had, in a rare move, set his coffee aside and stared at his nephew in confusion. "Why are you dressed like you're going to kill Batman?"
Matt had shrugged and grinned uncomfortably before he realized he was proving his uncle's point.
"Why do you wear tight hootchie pants?" He had sassily replied. "Don't you think —"
Matt had paused upon his aunt irritably stepping into the room. She was wearing a long, form fitting black dress, red silk gloves, and a white mink coat, which, considering the newly permanent state of her hair, greatly amused Matt. Emmett, however, smiled despite the annoyed look his wife sent him. Matt was then almost certain that she saw what he was seeing and, because of it, he had to restrain himself from bursting out into laughter. He knew just as well as everyone else that she was still angry about what had happened to her hair and they all knew it was going to take a while before she was used to having monochrome hair. Still, being a teenager with minimal self-control, Matt couldn't help himself. It was too damn funny and he could barely believe that Emmett had perked up so much upon seeing her. As Matt would later tell (much to the disgust of Sam and Lily, neither of whom had wanted to think about anything their parents could possibly do when they were alone), he thought it was a strange look to be so attracted to.
"I am not wearing this, Emmett!" Emmeline had said, crossing her arms. "And especially not if we're going out! I look —"
"Beautiful —" Emmett had started, pushing up his glasses before he sighed and loosely embraced her.
"Like you wanna make a coat out of someone's dalmatians?" Matt had coyly suggested. "We could get you a fake smoke stick and —"
He had paused when Emmett sent him a sharp look that implied he should quit while he was ahead. It was then Matt raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Oh…" He had said, struggling not to laugh. "I get it, okay. Speaking of which, I think your pants might be a little inappropriate right now since they kinda —"
Matt burst out into uncontrollable laughter at the memory, not even finishing his telling of the story. Based on the looks he was getting, that was probably in his best interest. Ruby had squealed and taken cover under cape while Sam and Lily had both began to angrily protest. Annie had smacked him upside the head and given him a slight shock with her magic, and Weiss merely stared at him in utter disgust. He only stopped laughing when Sam yelled that she would duel him if he brought the subject up again before storming out of the room in a huff. Ruby then peeked at all of them from under her cape before shrugging it down and Weiss affectionately put an arm around her and kissed her cheek. While Matt took advantage of the brief moment of peace and stretched out, Lily pulled out her scroll and began to look up insults to throw her cousin's way. She was too slow, though, and it was Annetta who broke the silence.
"You're disgusting sometimes," She said, sending Matt a dark look. "And I can't believe you made a sex joke around aunt Emmeline and uncle Emmett."
Matt shrugged. "It wasn't hard...if you know what I mean."
Weiss threw a pillow at him. "You're the worst!"
"I've spent a lot of time around Qrow," Matt said, shrugging. "He jokes about them all the time."
"That sounds like my dad," Ruby shook her head and chuckled. "He has a lot of inappropriate stories."
"Yeah he does…" Lily muttered. "I can't wait to get him back for it."
Annetta laughed. "And I'll be the one behind the deranged mastermind that set it up."
The small, otherwise diplomatic transport from Menagerie landed quietly in a secure location in downtown Mistral. As it had happened, General Emmeline Ciel had let slip to a certain fiery blonde who was landing where. While she ordinarily wouldn't have passed such information on to a young huntress, let alone an unlicensed one, the circumstances had persisted. The only thing that had annoyed her was the obnoxious insistence of the Spring Maiden to accompy her daughter to the landing site. There were many reasons Emmeline Ciel did not trust Raven Branwen, but the most concerning of those stemmed from the Spring Maiden's horrible tendency towards wandering off and then returning hours later with no explanation.
If she had lacked all self-restraint, Emmeline would have accused her of any number of crimes but, for the time being, she remained silent. As a result, Raven Branwen stood side by side with her daughter when the transport landed. Yang was not without apprehension herself; after all, she and her mother were still not on the best of terms. She still did not protest and, however irritably, resigned herself to merely sigh until her partner stepped off the transport. She and Blake stared at each other for a moment, almost overwhelmed, and then tightly embraced each other while several members of the Menagerie Guard watched carefully.
"Been awhile, huh?" Yang said when she released her partner. "You look...great, you really do."
Blake awkwardly smiled. "You too."
A soft silence fell over them and, unfortunately, was rather quickly broken by a guard starting towards Raven, who did not take kindly to their presence.
"Who are you?" The guard asked, a hand resting over his weapon.
Raven narrowed her eyes. "Does it concern you, pup?"
"Mom," Yang started warningly.
The guard eyed Yang suspiciously for a moment but turned back to Raven upon catching glimpse of a faint nod from Blake.
"Yes, your identity concerns me," The guard matched her scowl while watching, as insurance, Yang and Blake climb onto the blonde's motorcycle and drive off towards the city. "I will repeat," He said shortly. "Who are you?"
Raven sighed. "Elizabeth Morell."
The guard took a step back, surprised by her answer if a little suspicious. He knew, of course, that a few Atlesian Council and military officials were in Mistral but, much to the irritation of those in Menagerie, who was there as well as their specific locations had been left out of the communications for what the Atlesian Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action had claimed to be "security purposes." In actuality, as everyone in Menagerie (including its monarchs) well knew, it was yet another demonstration of the Atlesian Council having interests rather than allies and it was, clearly, not in their interests to be completely transparent. It seemed to fit, however, that Elizabeth Morell would be hesitant to reveal her identity. The woman before him, too, seemed as opulent as anyone in Menagerie would expect Morell to be.
The woman had black hair and dark eyes, was extremely pale (although without Elizabeth's light freckles, something which slipped the guard's notice), and she was wearing pearl earrings and a matching necklace against a wine red dress and black tights. Her heels seemed to be gold, and she seemed perfectly composed. The guard still felt something was wrong but, deciding it was his own mistrust of Atlesians, he let it go and nodded respectfully. He flinched upon seeing her smirk but nevertheless began to walk with her towards the supposedly protected location. After all, there would be quite a bit to sort out along arrival. This, however, did not take long and, even with his reservations, he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief when they entered the driveway.
"Taiyang!" The guard exclaimed upon seeing the blonde man crawl out from beneath a pick up truck. "What has it been, ten, fifteen years?"
Tai smiled when he looked up and embraced the man.
"Fifteen," Tai said as he released him. "Although I'm surprised you're here, Mike."
He shrugged. "Business is business. You know —"
"Tai, I need you to…" Elizabeth Morell paused in the doorway, frowning. "Who's this and why are the two of you —"
"Step back," Mike ordered her, stepping in front of Raven. "I have direct orders from the Menagerie royal family to not allow harm to be incurred on Elizabeth Morell, whom was so kind as to personally escort me here."
A heavy silence befell them. Tai looked particularly exasperated and sent Raven a dark look, to which she only smirked, and his wife, the real Elizabeth Morell, angrily pulled her ID out of her purse and stalked towards Mike before shoving it in his face.
"I don't know how stupid you all are," She said disdainfully, sending Raven a sour look. "But she is Raven Branwen, someone who, as it happens —"
"Eliza —" Tai started, laughing anxiously.
"— is a fugitive at best," Elizabeth went on, briefly scowling at Tai. "I understand things are different where you're from, but I would recommend you think logically rather than letting your tail think for all of you."
Mike bristled and, despite himself, his tail started flicking angrily.
"And, to be frank," Elizabeth said, taking his silence to mean he was dumbfounded. "I do not and will not ever need input on how to handle Atlesian security from a...mutt like you! You are here as a fail safe in case of assault from people like you jepordize the mission but, let me be clear, you will not be returning with us to Atlas! Our borders are closed — no one in and no one out — with exceptions only for those pre-approved to travel by the Council and more specifically the State Department! Have I made myself clear?"
Mike took in a sharp breath and attempted to calm himself before he spoke.
"Yes, I believe you have," He said curtly. "I suppose we are at your discretion, Madame President."
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "Your formality is misplaced there," She said dangerously. "I am not yet the Atlesian president but, rather, the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council for almost twenty years now."
"Yet?" Raven repeated, glancing to Elizabeth dubiously.
"Precisely," Elizabeth said haughtily, not even relaxing when Tai came over to her and, an arm wrapped around her waist, started to lead her back inside. "And, both of you," Elizabeth put in, halfway inside and briefly turning towards them with a small, self-satisfied smile. "Either learn your places or prepare yourselves for having perhaps too much to answer for."
Fittingly, she slammed the door shut behind herself and Tai with her heels and it shut with a short, harsh snap.
"There is nothing wrong with being aroused by my wife," Emmett Schnee said, giving Emmeline (who had blushed pink) a loving squeeze before scowling at his teammate (and best friend). "You and James are plenty affectionate. Don't be a hypocrite."
Glynda rolled her eyes. "I'm not being hypocritical by saying you should be quieter."
Emmeline nervously raised an eyebrow. "I'm almost afraid to ask what you mean."
Glynda sighed. "Last night while the kids were out, Cristal and Oz were downtown, Raven was God knows where, and Tai, Qrow, Eliza, and James were in a meeting with Leo, I was trying to read. Because of Emmett, I ended up having to bring a blanket out onto the balcony so I could read without hearing you tell your wife that you think it would be sexy of her to skin some dalmatian puppies and turn them into a fur coat."
Emmeline buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe you heard that..."
Emmett pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "It's fine, Emmy," He assured her. "At least it was only Glynda. It could be worse."
Emmeline briefly glared at him. "I suppose…" She muttered.
"Also, I meant what I said," Emmett added, ruffling her black and white hair. "It would be sexy of you."
"It was bad enough hearing that the first time," Glynda reminded him, adjusting her glasses out of habit. "Did you really need to capitulate on the point?"
Emmett shrugged. "I have this shitty tendency to make things worse when I think I'm making them better."
Emmeline laughed. "Like the other day when you and Ronnie were all but yelling at each other on the phone and you called him a —"
"I've called your brother a lot of things!" Emmett protested. "Some of which I got from things I've heard Lysithea say."
Glynda raised an eyebrow. "You've called Ronnie things your daughter has? Are you sure you're really an adult?"
"Emmett's always been a man child," Emmeline said with a teasing smile, reaching up to tap his nose. "That's why he's my trophy husband."
Emmett smirked. "In more ways than one, too."
Glynda briefly activated her maiden powers to shock him, something to which he reacted grandly.
"That hurt like hell!" Emmett yelped, taking his glasses off for a moment to rub the bridge of his nose. "When did you get so powerful? Have you been practicing? Did Chrissy —"
He cut himself off upon seeing a blurry figure step into the room. When he all but slammed his glasses back onto his face, Emmett found himself at all loss for any lightheartedness he had before and was never more relieved to see his other teammate alive. He was no more relieved than Glynda, however, who, after a moment of stunned silence quickly stood up and tightly embraced her husband, who looked far more disheveled than usual. James held Glynda close for a minute, gently tucking part of her hair behind her ear and giving her a few seconds to calm down. He knew he looked terrible. Apart from the fact that his beard was a little shaggy (something he knew was both his own fault and something that mildly annoyed Glynda), he knew his uniform was torn in a few places and that Adam had managed to draw a bit of blood from his natural arm. He was also certain he would have a black eye, later. Emmeline was almost as shocked as Emmett, who seemed both unsure of how to react and — unusually — at a complete loss for words. Finally, after a few minutes, James gently released his wife and the two of them sat down at the small table across from Emmett and Emmeline.
"Before I ask what happened," Emmett nervously began, still struggling to compose himself. "I just wanna warn you that Elizabeth has been on one today."
James sighed. "Is this still about Ozpin?"
Emmeline snorted. "If it isn't, then I'm sure I can ask Ronnie what he did to incur her wrath."
A heavy silence befell them and, for awhile, it seemed no one was willing to break it.
"Adam Taurus is in the city," James eventually said, tiredly probing his forehead. "I'm not sure why he's here but, whatever the reason, it can't be good. When the power went out, he cornered me in an alleyway and I'm sure the rest is self-explanatory."
Glynda tensed, her hand tightening on his shoulder.
"That could throw a wrench in our plans," She said darkly. "Did he —"
"He was mostly taunting, once he realized I had figured out who he was," James said, and she grimaced. "I'll tell you more later, but, for now —"
"He's a little bitch," Emmett put in, and James sighed. "Not to mention a whore."
Glynda scowled. "That isn't helping."
"Regardless, this must be noted," Emmeline said, pulling out her scroll while every word she spoke seemed to be getting faster and faster. "He cannot be underestimated, and if there is even a slight chance he and his followers in the White Fang had anything to do with the power outage —"
"I know," James said, and she paused for a moment, her fingers lingering over her work email. "But we can't be hasty. The more people who know about this, the more dangerous —"
"You don't understand, James!" Emmeline snapped, slamming her scroll down on the table and startling all of them, including Emmett. "These are the people that murdered my father! These are the people who have been trying to kill my family members and myself for years! I say we take this chance to end this right here instead of being paranoid —"
"Emmy, sweetheart —" Emmett started worriedly, taking her hand tightly in his.
She fell briefly silent, tears biting at the corners of her eyes.
"I've been robbed time and time again of retribution," Emmeline said softly, her voice breaking. "And, between Oz's lies and this...I can't take it anymore. I've lived almost my entire life in fear, and —"
"That's why we're staying a step ahead of them," James gently told her. "If we keep this between the four of us, we can handle it discretely."
Emmeline brushed the tears away from her eyes while she considered his point.
"We'll scout the areas they've been seen tomorrow and blow them up when we get the chance," She said with almost shocking hatred. "They did worse to my father...and they should count their lucky stars we're more merciful."
Glynda and James briefly shared a notably concerned look with Emmett but none of them said anything despite knowing they were beginning to see a side of Emmeline Ciel that even her husband had only seen unleashed once before. Emmett knew then, without a doubt, that Emmeline had fallen into the same desperation she had the day Ashlynn had tried to claim her life nearly twenty years before.
Leonardo Lionheart took yet another anxious look around the office that, within the end of the month, would no longer be his. He dreaded the knowledge that he had given up everything because of his daughter, and he dreaded the place he knew he would end up. He knew he would be far safer in maximum security prison in Atlas than he ever would be in Mistral and yet he was terrified of it. He was terrified of Karissa Mar and the deal he had made with her. He was terrified of Ronnie Ciel — his son in law and a man he knew held no sympathy for him. He was terrified of the future, of what could be coming for him, and he was terrified of what the rest of the group would say when they found out of his nearly twenty years of deceit. Leo knew he even feared Emmett Schnee for his bitterness regarding his sister and, not to mention the wrath they all knew Emmeline could unleash for her husband's sake or her own. But, for everything around him he feared, Leo was most afraid of the Queen herself even though he was well aware she still believed him to be one of her many pawns. An obedient servant, even. She was capable of destroying everything on a whim and he was utterly paralyzed by the knowledge that she would kill him — brutally and without hesitation — when she got word of his betrayal.
It was a terrifying thought and an even more terrifying reality.
Now, Leo well knew, he was bound and his hands were tied. He had told Karissa Mar everything to gain her trust and a little bit of clemency, and now he had nothing left but fear and his life. His only consolation was the knowledge that Ashlynn Schnee was dead and would not come after him. She would no longer be demanding power or access to a relic he could not open even the chamber to. Just as well, she would not be coming to him for a place to hide whilst she evaded what powers may be in Atlas. She could not force his hand any longer, but more powerful people could and Leo believed that made them more dangerous. He did not think Karissa Mar or anyone on the Atlesian Council were evil (and certainly not to the extent Ashlynn Schnee had been) but he did believe — no, he knew — they wielded immense international power. They didn't need to beg, steal, or barter on the international stage; they could do almost anything they wanted if the could justify it and everyone in the Atlesian government (especially the higher-ups) knew it. They were astute to the nth degree and every action they ever took was cold and calculated. Atlas was the freest and strongest kingdom but it was also the kingdom with the darkest secrets.
"Leonardo."
He jumped backwards upon hearing the all too familiar man enter his office, and (as always) not alone. Leo stared at him for a moment, still clutching his chest in fear while he tried to take in Watts and his companions. There was a young tanned woman with close-cropped hair whom Leonardo had not seen before but the other two he knew. They had been students at his Academy, after all. Yet, without Ashlynn Schnee there as extra intimidation, they seemed comparatively weak. His face still covered by his fear, Leo realized things in the next few weeks would likely go easily unless they received the support of the White Fang. It was all he could do not to fall to his knees and begin praying for the White Fang to lie in wait. He wanted things to be over with quickly and involving the White Fang, especially if the rumors that Adam Taurus had managed to sneak into the capital were true, would make everything much messier. Still, he kept reminding himself, Ashlynn was dead and that was a tremendous edge for Atlas and Ozpin's group to have. His mind persisted, though, and things suddenly felt as terrible as they always did. With Watts and the others roaming his office, that feeling was only amplified three fold.
"This is Vernal," Watts said, gesturing to the tanned woman. "The Spring Maiden."
Leonardo swallowed hard. "The Spring Maiden?" He repeated, trembling.
Vernal snorted. "Who else?"
Watts smirked. "We're going to finalize our plans for the coming days here. Do make sure the...group will be in your academy's sinfully large ballroom on the thirteenth. We'd like to handle this quickly, after all."
Leonardo nodded weakly, his knees threatening to give out.
"Of course," He choked out. "It will all be prepared by then."
