Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Cold Compassion. Enjoy the 900-word chapter. I don't own RWBY, Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth do.

(Vacuo.)

The return to the Solitude was not something that was quiet. The arrival of more Atlesian Troops near Shade was cause for both concern, and outrage among groups of both Vacuo and Atlas.

Winter watched as the craft circled for a landing before setting down in the hanger bay of her flagship.

She turned to Slater who sighed and looked at the massive influx of Vacuo troops and a few Atlesian dropships which provided support to the school.

"You know, I'm still curious on why they didn't lay siege to the school before we arrived, it was the perfect cover and they had no real defense from us or Vacuo here… it's almost like they were planning on us going there and trying to stop them… I just can't figure out why and how they'd decide something like that was a good idea… it just boggles my mind." Slater sighed and rubbed at his temples. His aura was still healing up fine and he hadn't any real damage due to it.

Still, he questioned how they were able to plan any of that without a single document or transmission that would give away their idea.

It bothered Slater, he was supposed to be on top of things like that and now he wasn't, it was almost like they were playing a game with him.

"You haven't gotten any documents from the soldiers we defeated or been able to hack into their scrolls?" Winter questioned as Slater hummed and shook his head back and forth.

"No, I haven't. I really haven't at the moment. the scrolls we have were sent to tech to try and pick them apart for intel and the soldiers we captured didn't have any written word on their plan, a goal or an objective other than to storm the place. I don't like it. the White Fang want to burn down the school, but they're never this subtle about anything before. I have no idea how they could get that many soldiers anywhere near the school before we or Vacuo noticed, it isn't realistic." Slater and her leapt out of the Manta and passed by rows of soldiers and androids.

Slater sighed and rubbed at his back as Winter looked at her boyfriend caringly.

"Your find something, you always do, it's just a matter of time. I want to know what they'd want at Shade… whoever hired them wouldn't tell them about the vault, they don't have the maiden and even if they did? You couldn't just break into Shade and sneak down to the vault. All the schools have security and such to prevent a break in like that. it really doesn't add up." Winter got the same look from Slater.

They had reinforcements coming with General Ironwood who would be taking over formal command from Winter and allowing her to retain partial command. It helped allow her to operate separately while still helping the military as a group.

Whoever was messing with them was operating alone, this wasn't the work of Salem. Salem was usually loud and dramatic considering her first trick to try and take over Atlas had failed.

This meant as well that whoever was messing with them had caused enough trouble to be pursing them regularly. They had run into the White Fang on every deployment, Winter guessed there had to be a connection to what they were after lied with them.

Was someone else hunting her because she was a maiden? It was a very probable cause, but almost everyone in Atlas and the world wasn't aware she was a Maiden. Winter knew the general had done all he could to make sure nobody in the world knew what Winter was.

She had continued her training, though. Winter wanted to make sure that when the time came for her to use her powers? they were available to her and would respond to her will when they were needed… it helped as well that Winter would devote herself to getting a goal done if she believed it was something she could do, that made her dangerous when she set her sights on doing something.

Slater and her reached the control room as Slater went to report on the mission to their commanding officer and make sure he knew they were ready for the next step of their campaign on Vacuo.

Winter went to go to her room to prepare for sleep and make sure that tomorrow would be a full day with her rested.

It still clawed at her that someone knew or was implied to know something that would compromise her.

She would deal with it tomorrow… to worry now was to compromise herself and her troops by focusing on something that wasted both time…

She was beginning to sound like her father, and he was rotting in an Atlesian Jail cell, never to bother people again.

Author Notes

Phew, another chapter done! I want to point out that I might not make the chapters longer until season 8. Next chapter is also going to possibly be in 2 weeks or so and will end up showing a briefing on what Slater and Winter will do next. until then, Lighting Wolf out!

Ps: Penny will be next Wednesday or so hopefully.