Only shortly after the total twelve members of JNPR, RWBY, and Iridescence decided to safely categorize their mission to capture Robyn Hill a failure did anyone among them receive word from their higher-ups. Aboard airships that'd bring them straight back to Atlas Academy in no time, it was only Opal's whose scroll buzzing interrupted the soft murmurs of quiet conversation that took place between everyone. Somewhat trepidatious about if the call was Ironwood calling to express disappointment and frustration at their failure, Opal answered the call and became subjected to somewhat mixed experiences. On one hand, she felt relief that Ironwood hadn't called to remind her how much more difficult their job would become if they repeatedly failed to capture their target. On the other hand…
Ironwood informed her that everyone involved in their failed mission would attend an expertly-crafted dinner party hosted by their ultimate political adversary, these days – Jacque Schnee. In what could only be described as an unfortunate twist of fate, that information alone made Opal feel more fatigued than their long, drawn-out failed mission ever could. There were many lethal situations she'd been thrown into before she was ready over these past few months, but in truth, Opal couldn't say if she'd ever be truly prepared to tolerate Jacque's presence for any extended period of time.
After all, no faunus with an intact brain stem would feel comfortable having to deal with Jacque inside his own home. Insofar as most faunus were concerned, Schnee Manor was most easily describable as the physical manifestation of the discrimination their people had faced over the world's vast history. Opal, Iridescence, and all their allies were no different, regarding this perception.
This same discomfort at their imminent next mission the following night haunted Opal well into the following morning, despite the decent night's sleep she'd managed to achieve.
In less directly stressful but still surprising news, though, Ruby had recently invited Opal into her team's meeting before the formal dinner itself. On her somewhat meandering journey there, Opal hypothesized that her fellow team leader requested her presence for simple logistical support. Given how their last conversation together had transpired, it was the only explanation she could surmise as to the extended invitation; after all, why else would Ruby invite her over unless she thought RWBY would need her perspective on whatever plans they might be making?
Before she could give herself a headache, Opal decided not to question the seemingly innocuous gesture too greatly. Officially, Opal outranked RWBY on the totem pole in terms of authority among the Atlesian military, but everyone remained equals wherever the fight against Salem was concerned. That was her perspective on their alliance's relationship, anyways.
"So…" Oscar idly began. "Any ideas about how this meeting's gonna play out?"
Opal glanced beside herself, shrugging easily as they continued along. "If we're being honest? Your guess is probably as good as mine. I might've known everyone on Team RWBY for months before you did, but I can't say their minds are easily read by someone that isn't on their team. That's a talent only teammates can develop for one another."
"Right," Oscar paused. "Maybe they want you there to help them understand what they should expect from the dinner party?"
Opal hummed, unconvinced. "Doubtful. Weiss would know everything about how Jacque carries out his fancy dinner parties – if they needed intel on that logistical stuff, she could divulge all the details they could ever need. This is probably business."
"Then in that case, maybe they've already come up with some plans themselves, but want us around for approval?" Oscar thought aloud. "I guess?"
"Knowing their habits, that's pretty likely," Opal agreed. "We both bring different perspectives to the table, too, so they probably think that if their plan has any holes in it, we could point them out and help resolve them before the dinner party tonight."
"Since when did their team need anyone's approval for things like this?" Oscar asked.
"Since they likely realized that situations like these are too delicate to meddle with without their allies being made aware of their self-assigned missions," Opal answered.
"Good point," Oscar conceded. Their journey then came to an end, with the pair stopping outside their friends' apartment door. "Here goes nothing, then."
Immediately after the apartment door hissed open, Opal recognized how completely RWBY their apartment had become. Over mere weeks, it seemed her friends had transformed their meticulously crafted Atlesian penthouse apartment into an enlarged version of their dorm back at Beacon. Posters, snacks, and miraculously half-damaged furniture were spruced about their respectably large living room, while the scent of strong coffee clinging to the air contrasted against the scent of homecooked meals Opal had become accustomed to within her team's own well-maintained home.
Closer toward the center of the living room were several couches, wherein the apartment's residents were currently located. Yang and Blake both looked like they tensed ever so slightly upon her arrival, though Opal wrote off the reaction as merely a lingering effect concerning the matter at hand. Weiss, meanwhile, hardly seemed to recognize their guests' arrival, largely more focused on the formal invitation from her father held within her hands. Ruby practically leaped onto her feet from the loveseat when she saw the pair enter.
"Opal! Oscar!" Ruby greeted with an enthusiastic wave. "Sorry if we interrupted your guys' plans before tonight, but we figured that it'd be smart if you two were around to hear what we've been talking about lately."
"Told you this was business," Opal whispered.
"That you did," Oscar quietly agreed.
"What was that?" Ruby asked.
"Nothing!" Opal answered. Without any further delay, she advanced deeper into their apartment and deposited herself upon an empty couch. "What's the scoop, then?"
"We guessed that it's probably something to do with the dinner party," Oscar commented, sitting down beside her on the couch.
"Well, you'd have guessed right," Weiss absentmindedly commented. "There are many, many variables that everyone here's noticed about my father's behavior that simply don't add up – beyond his typical two-faced approach to every encounter he's involved with. It doesn't help dissuade our suspicions when he's already managed to turn this attempted hostile takeover into an elaborate, fluffy dinner party."
"On the news, he said he just wanted to break bread and hash things out," Ruby reminded. She then plopped back down into her loveseat. "It might not look great, but maybe it won't be that bad? There's always a chance that this could be an opportunity for us – we do want Ironwood to start opening up to these people, right?"
"Yeah, but on his terms," Oscar interjected. "Ironwood's going to be locked in a room at his biggest political rival's own dinner party. It isn't exactly the sort of situation anyone would feel comfortable revealing some of their biggest secrets in, you know?"
"Not only that, but although Jacque might've said he would 'happily moderate' the proceedings, that only means he will control where exactly the conversation flows," Opal inferred. "People like him couldn't ask for better opportunities to advance their political agendas."
"Not hard to imagine how that'll play out," Blake sighed.
"I still can't believe that my father won in the first place," Weiss admitted, softly shaking her head. "Robyn was supposed to be the people's champion, wasn't she? Even after my father's SDC shutdown, everyone in the lower city still seemed ecstatic to provide her power on the council. What could've changed?"
"Our dear friend you-know-who said it herself," Opal admitted, pointing with her thumb toward the invaluable lamp upon Oscar's belt. "Peoples' hearts are easily swayed. Remember when my team was being hailed as the entire kingdom's champions? That belief vanished almost instantly after we were framed at Robyn's victory party, and it doesn't look like it's coming back anytime soon. Not until Tyrian's captured and we can reveal my eye's recording of what really happened there, but even then… there's no telling if the people will place their faith in Iridescence again."
"We can always hope, though," Ruby encouraged.
"Maybe."
"Even so, the situation hasn't changed," Weiss said. "There are too many coincidences that have occurred throughout this election, given my father's recent actions."
"Then we should probably tell them what we're all thinking right now," Yang stated. She then turned her attention to their guests. "Weiss thinks her dad might have something going on between him and Salem."
"That'd explain why everything he did during election season was so blatantly inflammatory," Opal thought aloud. "Acting on the assumption that these suspicions are true, then we have to wonder… how long's Jacque been allied with her?"
"If anyone would have any solid guesses, it'd definitely be Weiss," Blake stated.
"Right…" Weiss set aside the dinner invitation before crossing her arms. "If my father has had background dealings with Salem, then they've probably only been recently arranged. Otherwise, there'd have been no reason for him to wait this long before he started causing chaos across the kingdom."
"What could've made him do this, then?" Oscar questioned. "Jacque built your family's empire up from scratch compared to what your grandfather left behind. Why would he risk throwing all that away by working with Salem?"
"Because there's no sacrifice that my father wouldn't make wherever his precious profits are concerned," Weiss explained. "This kingdom could fall into ruin, and my father wouldn't care – not unless his borderline criminal empire was placed at risk."
"Which is why we should finally play by his rules, too," Ruby asserted.
"Meaning?" Weiss questioned; an eyebrow raised with curiosity.
"Well, nobody knows your dad better than you, and out of everyone that's going tonight, I'd say you're the only one who could snoop around the house and not be questioned," Ruby revealed, her gaze scanning across everyone in attendance. "If Jacque Schnee is up to something, we should know what it is. Does all that sound about right, Opal?"
"It does," Opal agreed. "Since this mission of your team's is self-assigned, nothing that happens with Weiss tonight could reasonably reflect upon General Ironwood or Iridescence. It's doubtful that anything could go wrong with Weiss' mission either because her chances of being called suspect for roaming her own manor – even after her expulsion – would be negligible. With any luck, we'll have whatever secrets Jacque's hiding before he gains any considerable ground when he's with Ironwood."
"Then in that case…" Weiss inhaled slowly, then looked determinedly at the team leaders. "I'll do what's necessary. With the way things are going, this kingdom couldn't take another crisis of my father's making without running the risk of collapse, and as Huntresses, we must protect as many people as we can. If that's everything, we should probably prepare ourselves."
Opal stood. "Couldn't have said it better myself."
While their hovercars completed their long, spiraling journey up the mountain which Schnee Manor had been constructed, Aurora reflexively glanced around her surroundings. An Atlesian broadcast news airship hovered in the night sky above the manor, with the broken moon turning the craft into little more than an ominous silhouette above them. Expertly-designed fountains and meticulously trimmed hedges lined the edges of the road that presently led Iridescence's vehicle toward their imminent venue itself – and an impressive venue it was. Aurora's clan home took up an entire small hill's worth of Mistral's precious land; meanwhile, Schnee Manor made her ancestral residence seem downright modest by comparison. By the time their approach had completed and her team's hovercar started decelerating, the manor seemed almost obscenely large and overly elaborate.
In short, it was the perfect place an unapologetically corrupt corporate monopolist like Jacque Schnee could call his home. Aurora suppressed the instinct to let her expression turn into one of clear unease when her team's hovercar completely stopped.
'This should be fun…'
After their door automatically snapped open and her teammates emerged from the comfortably cramped confines of their hovercar, Aurora followed after them. Schnee Manor's impressively large, wooden double doors laid only a short distance away from them, though it seemed that her team had exited their vehicle first. RWBY, JNPR, and one last hovercar that contained Qrow, Oscar, Winter, and General Ironwood himself released their passengers shortly after Aurora made that observation. Readjusting the strap attached to an inconspicuous pouch on her hip, she also observed that the only people who'd dressed up explicitly for the party were Jaune and Pyrrha, whilst everyone else remained in their typical combat outfits.
"Hey, Jaune!" Tenebris called. "Don't you think you're overdressed?"
"Listen! We both thought that we should dress for the occasion!" Jaune protested, indignation abundant in his tone even from afar. "If anything, you guys are underdressed for this!"
Ren placed a placating hand on his leader's shoulder. "Jaune, their team's the most officially recognized assortment of fighters across the kingdom. It would be highly unprofessional if they all appeared wearing formalwear instead of their combat outfits."
"Yeah, yeah," Jaune sighed. "We probably shoulda seen this coming, huh?"
"Perhaps," Pyrrha answered noncommittally. "Though if it makes you feel better, I think you look rather charming right now."
"Thanks, Pyrrha."
Aurora didn't quite catch whatever Nora exclaimed that interrupted the couple's conversation, though JNPR started toward the manor itself not that long after, leading RWBY, Qrow, and Oscar to follow their example. Iridescence then advanced toward Ironwood and Winter, who remained by their vehicle, gazing at the massive manor before them with thinly veiled fatigue and complete contempt, respectively. Aurora couldn't possibly imagine what could be going on within Winter's head, right now.
"Suppose we should smile for the cameras?" Ironwood asked.
"Sir, with all due respect, you'd have to pay me," Winter deadpanned.
While his right-hand specialist started away, Ironwood smiled briefly in amusement. With little more than a simple nod toward Iridescence, both they and their superior slowly set out in the direction of Schnee Manor's imposing front doors.
"Somehow this manor makes me think Jacque might be compensating for something," Tenebris commented.
"Or this place could be interpreted by others to simply brag about his wealth," Lux countered. He then shook his head. "It certainly looks elaborate enough to serve that purpose… and various others that're even more awful."
"Like reminding every faunus who even glances in the manor's direction that Jacque's built his industrial empire off our backs?" Opal proposed. "No arguments there. Jacque's family has more money than his entire lineage could ever conceivably spend. Ninety percent of the manor's rooms probably haven't even been seen by Jacque for years, at this point."
Aurora sighed softly. "Such is another textbook example of inordinate wealth mixed with the lavish lifestyle that every Atlesian bureaucrat thinks they're entitled to."
"It doesn't help that Jacque Schnee was the kingdom's ultimate trendsetter where these practices are concerned," Ironwood quietly added, almost at their destination. "When the council first promoted me onto the position of general, this kingdom didn't have half the glitzy skyscrapers you see around the upper city these days. Nobody realizes it these days, but Jacque's responsible for perpetuating many more immoral practices than those concerning the faunus – it's just that his discriminatory actions are the most noticeable ones."
"Great. Tonight already sucks," Lux drawled.
"Believe me, you aren't the only one who already feels that way." Ironwood stopped, inhaling slowly. "It's all everyone here can do now to simply mitigate our chances of acting irrationally while attending this dinner party."
"Easier said than done," Lux murmured.
Ironwood stared at the massive door for another few seconds before finally ringing the adjacent bell. "Here goes nothing, then."
Shortly after the bell's chime faded away, the double doors swung open to reveal an individual whom Aurora only recognized through the various disconcerting tales Weiss had told about them; her little brother, Whitley Schnee. Slightly taller than Weiss despite being two years her junior and easily distinguished as another Schnee via his short white hair and light blue eyes, his expression remained completely neutral upon recognizing the number of individuals that awaited him just beyond the manor's doors. Even though his outfit consisted largely of navy blue and white formalwear, somehow, his entire appearance made him come across clearly as another version of his father in-the-making. Admittedly, Aurora was ever-so-slightly unsettled at that ominous notion.
"Good evening, everyone," Whitley greeted formally.
Weiss stepped forth; brow furrowed slightly with concern. "Where's Klein?"
"What an interesting way to say 'hello, dear bother, how have you been?' after all this time you've spent away from home." Whitley dropped his unconvincing smile before crossing his arms. "I'm afraid you won't find him here anymore. He's been released from his duties here at the manor – I can't possibly imagine why."
Silently, Weiss frowned guiltily.
"General, exactly how large do you believe our dining room table is?" Whitley asked, returning his attention to the man himself.
"Given previous visits, I happen to know that it's enormous," Ironwood answered. "Though your father needn't worry, because most of my guests will be on standby in case the council requests additional eyewitnesses. Until then, I'm sure they'll all be happily celebrating your father's victory the other night."
"An understandable argument." Whitley plastered on another fake smile before turning around and leading the assembled group further inside. Plentiful upper-class guests dotted the manor's pristine white foyer alongside numerous faunus servants carrying around wine, hors d'oeuvres, and various other refreshments. "For those that'll be joining my father in the dining room, please follow me."
Among the well-over dozen individuals Ironwood brought with him that evening, only his two highest-ranked allies, Winter and Opal, continued walking away from the foyer with him. Aurora remained silent when the trio separated from everyone else, though not everyone on Iridescence maintained that silence.
"Opal," Lux said. "Good luck."
"Right back at you," Opal returned.
Iridescence's remaining members glanced toward the general area their leader had pointed with her extra ears, whereupon they noticed a goat-horned faunus approaching them with glasses filled with undoubtedly expensive wine. The individual's expression maintained complete neutrality, though nobody among their team was foolish enough to mistake that professionalism for contentment.
Lux especially. "Oh, yeah. Right."
The faunus stopped before Qrow. "Care for a drink, sir?"
Qrow stared at the refreshments for all of three seconds before he found his voice. "Uh… no, n-no thanks. I think I'll just stick to patrolling the grounds."
"Right there with you," Lux immediately added. "Security's always gonna better with an eagle-eyed view of everything that's happening around this place."
"Better than an actual crow's?" Tenebris quipped.
"Screw you, eagles are always better," Lux retorted, though his tone lacked any distinguishable venom. Slowly walking backwards to follow their more experienced ally, he continued. "Alright, you guys know the rules from here. Don't break anything, get drunk, or generally dismantle what little rep the general has left with the kingdom's upper crust."
"Boo!" Tenebris protested. "It isn't a party unless something gets smashed."
"Or somebody," Nora added, grinning.
"Nora, the term you're looking for is 'hammered' if you're talking about alcoholic beverages – which we aren't legally allowed to consume yet," Ren reminded.
Aurora watched Lux depart until his form became obscured amidst the crowd. "General Ironwood's already landed in dangerously hot waters. It'd probably be for the best if his guests didn't dig an even deeper hole for him to deal with tonight."
"Got it," Tenebris conceded. "You won't see me ruin things, guaranteed."
"And on that note…" Yang began, catching everyone's attention. "How about we get this party started? Weiss?"
Weiss subtly pointed toward the earpiece hidden behind her hair. "Right. Whenever I have the time, I'll keep my team posted on what's happening with my mission, which will keep everyone else informed about my progress. Other than those who are with my father, anyway."
"Good luck," Aurora encouraged.
"Thank you." Weiss started walking toward the foyer's grand staircase. "I'll definitely need it."
With an abrupt reappearance intercepting her, Whitley descended those same steps. "Dear sister, I was hoping we could use this opportunity to catch up."
"Oh, then-" Weiss began.
"Then there's no better time than now?" Whitley interrupted. "My thoughts exactly. Now tell me, why'd you go through so much trouble to leave home, only to come crawling right back?"
Even from afar, Aurora could practically feel the awkwardness radiating out from the siblings in unyielding waves. Oscar casually emerged beside her, an insignificant hors d'oeuvre atop an equally delicate glass plate in his hands.
"This might be a problem."
'Wait, when did he even get that?'
"You think?" Tenebris responded.
Aurora sighed, mentally reminding herself again about her pouch. "This is why we always come prepared. Tenebris? Watch Sapphire for me."
Before she departed elsewhere, Tenebris accepted her weapon, though his eyes briefly glanced down upon it with abundant confusion. "Okay…?"
"What're you doing?" Blake asked.
"Something that I'll probably regret forever," Aurora answered. "I'll return soon."
Nobody else questioned her reasons for leaving after that, and the foyer's imposingly grand architecture faded into the comparatively conservative hallways that seemingly stretched out forever leading elsewhere in the manor. While she maintained vigilant whilst searching for an unlocked room that could temporarily grant her some privacy, words she'd heard spoken by an impossibly ancient entity only weeks ago came to mind.
"The hearts of men are easily swayed."
Emphasis on men.
'Thanks for the advice, Jinn.'
It became immediately apparent that Ironwood hadn't been lying about the unreasonably absurd size of Jacque's dining room table. Even inside a room that was probably one-sixth the length of some Atlesian battleships, the table left little more than perhaps six feet between itself and the two entrances into the room itself. Despite the total number of individuals that'd be seated only being seven, there were easily over quadruple the number of seats necessary to fulfill that task. Excessive décor similar to what could be found quite literally everywhere around Schnee Manor could be found around the room's walls, but Opal didn't spare much effort to take in the finer details. Instead, her attention fixed itself onto the other councilmen present near Jacque, who himself was situated furthest away from the door where Ironwood, Opal, and Winter had been brought inside.
Councilman Sleet's complexion was similarly pale to Jacque's own, though his black, slicked back, graying hair distinguished him greatly from his recently elected colleague. Opal recalled from his dossier that Sleet was the most accomplished politician in Atlas' recent history before Ironwood's installation as military general.
Councilwoman Camilla's complexion contrasted against almost everyone's in the room, much more identifiably dark-skinned with shoulder-length gray hair meticulously having been styled into curls for the occasion. While her political career had originated after several failed attempts to attend Atlas Academy in her youth, Carmilla was historically an incredibly staunch advocate of the military specialist system Ironwood had created. Until recent times, at least.
Somewhat surprisingly, Robyn Hill could be found standing nearby the dining room's plentiful windows. She didn't even acknowledge the general's entrance, instead simply staring outside with her arms crossed and an unmistakably frustrated look within her eyes.
"General Ironwood, please…" Jacque gestured toward the seats closest to the military trio's position. "Make yourself comfortable."
Ironwood's eyes narrowed, though he nodded an affirmative toward his two subordinates, nonetheless. They walked forward before taking their seats, at which point Ironwood started to the chair located exactly opposite Jacque's.
"Councilwoman Sleet. Councilwoman Camilla," he greeted.
"Councilwoman Hill would have had its own charm, too," Robyn bitterly responded while she returned to the table, situating herself right between the two political alliances present. "Though I suppose I should just be grateful for this invitation, huh?"
Jacque chuckled snidely. "Miss Hill, that vigor of yours is precisely why we're grateful for your mere presence attendance tonight."
"What is she doing here?" Ironwood inquired.
"What we're all doing here, James," Jacque responded evenly. "Addressing the concerns of our kingdom, which means that we have much to discuss."
"Indeed. I was hoping we could start by-"
"Are we safe with her here, perchance?" Jacque interrupted. Fortunately, the easily identifiable suspicious glare he threw Opal's direction earned little more than an innocuous twitch of feline ears in response. "If I recall correctly, there was some confusion regarding her involvement with that horrific massacre the other night."
Ironwood's tone turned defensive. "As the official report stated, the entire affair was completely unrelated to Team Iridescence's presence at the time. There were other elements at play there that can't be disclosed at present, but Iridescence's members are completely under my control."
"Which is even more concerning than that undisclosed footage, I think. Both morally and philosophically," Jacque politely argued.
"Concerning?" Ironwood echoed.
From behind the businessman-turned-politician, several waiters entered the room, carrying with them all the expected food and drink that'd undoubtedly go entirely untouched by all parties seated around the table. Jacque maintained his neutral mask with practiced ease, though Opal knew that the almost predatory look she noticed in the politician's eyes didn't escape Ironwood nor Winter. Not in the slightest.
"That line of inquiry can be discussed later," Jacque responded. "For now, let's talk about what exactly you control…"
Upon Aurora's reentry into the grand foyer, current events revealed themselves to have changed insubstantially since her departure. The three female fighters not involved in Weiss' mission to infiltrate deeper into the mansion remained spectating their teammate. Tenebris and Oscar both seemed involved in their own separate conversation despite their eyes repeatedly stealing glances over toward their alliance's would-be spy. Somewhat expectantly, Whitley hadn't moved an inch since Aurora had first walked away, which had left Weiss with little choice than to feign interest in her brother's ceaseless self-aggrandizement. It wasn't impossible that her brother would lose interest in annoying his sister eventually, thereby reinstating her freedom of movement, but that wasn't the sort of scenario Aurora would bet on occurring anytime soon.
Which was exactly why she'd take control of the situation herself.
Despite half her conscious effort being spent mentally reminding herself about the necessity of the actions she planned on making next, she also gave herself another once-over. Within the pouch she'd brought with her into Schnee Manor was the royal blue qipao that she'd changed into mere minutes ago. Decorated with beautifully golden designs reminiscent of stylized Mistrali flowers from top to bottom, the dress accentuated Aurora curves perfectly without its formfitting nature bordering anywhere close to risqué. Given that the dress coincidentally revealed no small amount of her bare left leg at any given time before ending around Aurora's ankles, she was also abundantly aware that this dress was far from practical. That said, it'd serve its imminent purpose perfectly for this one occasion.
'Alright, this'll be fine. Jinn is quite literally the physical embodiment of knowledge, so she wouldn't be wrong about saying that 'the hearts of men are easily swayed.' It might take every ounce of self-control I can muster, but everything you've planned will work out here. Hopefully.'
Aurora sighed. Why couldn't life have mercy on them even once, lately?
Tenebris detected her approach before anyone and slowly turned around immediately after. "Oh, hello there, miss- oh! Right, whoa. Didn't recognize you there for a second."
"Not surprising," Aurora admitted. "I haven't worn this dress once since the Beacon Dance. It's good that it still fits me even after all this time, huh?"
"Y-yeah, but…" Tenebris shook his head. "Any particular reason you're wearing that qipao right now?"
RWBY's remaining trio turned around next, though Yang's eyes widened with immense interest when she bore witness to her friend's new outfit. "Whoa. That looks awesome on you, but what gives? Looking to hook up with someone?"
"Yang!" Blake protested.
While her half-sister responded with an almost flirtatious smirk, Ruby laughed.
"No, not quite that." Aurora exhaled deeply. "Without going into unnecessary detail, I pretty much expected Weiss' mission to run into some kinda hurdle like this, and if anyone should do what needs doing here next, it should probably be me."
"And what's that?" Tenebris asked.
"Something that you're never going to discuss after tonight if you value your life," Aurora stated, tilting her head off to the side.
"No way. You're gonna flirt with-"
Ruby's jaw dropped. "Wouldn't Whitley be suspicious about you, though?"
"Doubtful," Aurora answered. "Whitley doesn't hold any positions of power within the SDC yet because of his age, which means he's probably spent most of his life sheltered inside this manor. Aside from fancy dinner parties like this, how much actual social interaction do you think he's experienced? With how much power his family has at their disposal, who would even dare approach someone like him strictly on friendly terms?"
"Probably nobody," Blake mentioned. "Which means Whitley over there has zero experience dealing with girls who might try hitting on him… or maybe even girls in general."
"Exactly. Nothing that's said between us tonight will reflect on Iridescence, either," Aurora elaborated. "There aren't any cameras inside here, none of these Atlesian upperclassmen would probably even recognize me if even you didn't, so…"
"Do you even know how to flirt?" Yang questioned, crossing her arms.
"Doesn't matter," Aurora retorted with a dismissive wave. "Boys are boys, and it's unlikely that someone as sheltered as Whitley would behave all that differently. Even if he doesn't respond right away, I'll just play up my feminine charm… for all the wrong reasons."
"It's for a good cause," Tenebris comforted.
"Yeah…"
"Don't worry, our lips are sealed," Tenebris continued. "Right, RWBY?"
"Mhm!" Ruby chirped.
"Yep," Yang said.
"I didn't see anything," Blake asserted.
"Good." Aurora turned around. "Then this is my moment."
Only another few seconds after she left her friends behind did the exact wording of the Schnee siblings' conversation become clear once again. Shortly before she would've come close enough to intervene, Aurora adopted an attractive smile she suspected most men found alluring on young women like herself.
"Well, Whitley, I'm sure the company is lucky to have you, but if you'll pardon me-" Weiss attempted to step around her younger brother, who then blocked her.
"And where exactly is it that you're going?" Whitley questioned.
"Does it matter that much?" Aurora asked sweetly, placing her hands atop the former sibling's shoulders. "If she's homesick, let her wander for awhile. That doesn't mean she's being invited back into the manor forever, right?"
Surprised by her sudden appearance, Whitley's eyes betrayed his instinctive curiosity, scanning slowly across the newcomer's dress before he finally responded. "True. Dear sister, while you're being granted temporary freedom to roam once again, do avoid destroying anything, hm?"
Weiss nodded. "Of course."
While the remaining pair's attention remained fixed on the former heiress until she reached the top of the stairs, Aurora knew for certain that the glance Weiss cast her way was one meant to convey her appreciation. When Aurora finally returned her gaze down to the Schnee family's current heir, she was unsurprised to find Whitley's eyes roaming across her feminine curves once again. Whitley cleverly disguised the action as him scanning across the foyer itself upon being caught, but he'd already given Aurora an invaluable indicator that he remained as human as any other teenager his age.
"Aurora Borealis, yes?" Whitley started as his attention returned from the 'foyer' toward his new conversational partner's blue eyes. "I must admit that you're not dressed as I'd have expected tonight, especially since you're another member of General Ironwood's most elite team. Did you change from your combat outfit, perchance?"
"Perhaps," Aurora said coyly. "This is an occasion meant for everyone to enjoy themselves though, isn't it?"
"It is," Whitley's eyes remained fixed on hers.
"Then why can't we?" Aurora proposed, stepping beside him.
"We?" Whitley echoed.
"Of course." Aurora's words emerged with an unfamiliarly seductive tone, and she suppressed the urge to wretch while she led Whitley away from the staircase. "Come on, while your sister's upstairs, we can discuss whatever we like…"
'Weiss, please finish your mission quickly…'
Within the dining room, as expected, everyone's food remained entirely untouched ever since their plates had been placed down before them. Ironwood's attempts at defending himself had grown weaker with each passing minute, with Sleet, Camilla, Jacque, and Robyn's impromptu alliance turning the 'mediated' dinner party into the perfect opportunity for the combined quartet to bombard the military general with their grievances.
Ironwood's characteristically strained expression threatened to make its complete return onto his face as the lambasting continued. Winter tapped an increasingly dangerous rhythm on the dining room table with her finger to suppress her clear frustration. Opal only maintained her composure through sheer willpower – that, and the faith she'd placed in her friends to discover what Jacque could possibly be hiding himself.
"The fact of the matter is, you've operated with an unacceptable amount of autonomy for these past few years, James," Sleet continued. "But what we need now is for you to work with us."
"Sir, I have-" Ironwood started.
"It's obvious that no kingdom intends to declare war upon Atlas," Camilla preemptively countered. "We were not involved with the incident at Haven and have acquired substantial evidence that our drones weren't acting on orders at Beacon. At this point, the closure of our borders is only serving to hurt our relations with the rest of the world."
"I-"
"The rest of the world?" Robyn echoed frustratedly, throwing venomous glares toward either end of the table. "It's hurting us. Atlesian citizens are suffering, and they want to know why."
"Quite right, Miss Hill," Jacque agreed.
Everyone's attention returned to the recently elected councilman.
"General Ironwood, I'm afraid there's more than just your choices that have brought harm to our citizens lately," Jacque continued. "Have you found any evidence as to who's slaughtering innocent civilians down in Mantle?"
"That's an ongoing investigation, as well," Opal politely answered. "Its finer details are also classified, right now."
Jacque scoffed, slightly shaking his head. "Well, I'm afraid of the ever-growing list of classified and otherwise undisclosable information the military seems to be keeping. General Ironwood, I asked our fellow councilmen here to shed some light on your Amity Colosseum project, and, as it turns out, they know about as much as I do."
"Even you don't know?" Robyn questioned.
Ironwood gestured his hand Jacque's way. "The Amity project will help with all these issues you've presented, but you have to understand that discretion is a top priority at this time."
Jacque raised his brow. "Are you saying you don't trust us?"
"Trust is something that has to be earned, Jacque," Winter half-spat.
"Oh?" Jacque smiled. "I couldn't have said that better myself."
Winter's ire was then replaced with the sobering realization that she'd played right into her father's hands. Opal glanced nervously at Ironwood, whose eyes had narrowed not because of his specialist's outburst, but because of his political rival's complete confidence.
"General, I'll make this statement as simple as possible," Jacque said. "You have spent what little trust this council had left in you. The hacker who turned Atlas drones against us was never captured, whoever's been murdering your critics is still at large. How are we supposed to give you our trust, when you've given us nothing as of late?"
"That's not-"
"Winter, that's enough." Ironwood glared across the table. "Continue, Jacque."
Intelligent enough to easily detect when an already-terrible situation was going from bad to worse, it took tremendous effort for Opal to prevent her distaste for the kingdom's newest councilman from appearing on her face. Ironwood was losing ground faster and faster with each passing moment, which left little probability that his side of the argument would be heard out whatsoever. It was all but certain that unless someone entered the room with a miracle, Ironwood was almost guaranteed to lose his power among the Atlesian councilmembers.
Now, Opal could only pray that Weiss would become that necessary miracle.
Among the innumerable technological marvels that made life sustainable on the inhospitably cold continent of Solitas, the atmospheric heating systems installed across both the kingdom's cities perhaps topped them all. Through the clever combination of several advanced prosthetic variations of fire and gravity dust, the artic snowfall that would've otherwise doomed the lower city under other circumstances turned that same weather pattern into an unexpectedly harmless rainstorm. Thunder rumbled overhead and lukewarm water rained down from above onto dozens of citizens' readied umbrellas, though this weather in of itself wasn't cause for concern – the one man who'd obtained access to this monolithic weather system was.
Arthur Watts observed the lower city from his position atop one of Mantle's plentifully massive apartment buildings in complete silence. With an umbrella in his right hand and a custom-made jet-black scroll in his left, this simple observation calmed him enough that he could calculate his next move whilst completely at peace.
Understandably, Emerald was getting rather restless after her indefinite order to avoid meddling in his schemes stretched on from simple days into weeks. Oftentimes, Watts wouldn't even go a single day without suffering another earful from the young girl about how things would proceed 'better' if she were simply provided free reign again. Insufferable though those conversations were, Watts wouldn't deny that her ability to prevent herself from betraying their self-styled divine mistress' decree quite yet was somewhat admirable. It wouldn't long before she'd finally have her wish granted, but before that fateful time came about, Watts would truly make his own dreams come true. Atlas would suffer.
This kingdom's foundations had been built upon the sacrifices of several parties, ranging from impoverished faunus to intellectual elites like himself. Subsystems that spanned across the kingdom, ranging in purpose from agricultural stimulation to invasion alert networks had all been built upon his genius. Pietro Polendina and others who were hailed as the scientific heroes of the kingdom had all found inspiration and even tutelage under their own colleague's wing all those many decades ago. In more ways than most children could count, it was he that could've been adequately referenced as the single greatest progenitor of everything that made modern Atlesian citizens took for granted.
Yet not even out-of-date history textbooks would dare mention the name, Arthur Watts.
Watts hadn't only created the technology for the unthinkably vast construction projects that eventually led the kingdom into its current state of being. No, he'd dipped his proverbial toes in the waters of military technology, too. After assisting his bright, foolish colleagues in creating the groundwork for the ultimate defense initiative, the P.E.N.N.Y. project, everything had started falling apart.
First, his refusal to sacrifice his aura repeatedly for what he'd initially perceived as an utterly absurd weapons project had his name discredited despite his immense contributions to the kingdom's exponential growth.
Second, his defection shortly thereafter had his name retroactively struck from history textbooks across the kingdom, leaving only those with positions of power privy to the identity of the person who had truly made life on this barren continent anywhere near hospitable.
Third, his subsequent experimentation and creation of various new weapons preceded his near assassination by independent Huntsmen when his machinery became too dangerous for anyone not affiliated with the kingdom's military to possess.
It didn't matter if Ironwood had hired those individuals, but what did matter was that it was only through the timely intervention provided by Salem's Grimm that he survived the encounter. She appreciated the immensity of his genius, even when their circle's various members interpreted his intellectual attitude as an unjustifiable annoyance. Once the genuine nature of that respect became clear, Watts knew that he'd owe her his loyalty and commitment to whatever objectives she requested him to accomplish.
Fortunately, this mission was one he enjoyed fulfilling tremendously.
"How very lovely, isn't it?" Watts ruminated aloud. "Mantle's atmospheric heating system prevents the arctic cold from ever hitting the city. But-"
His finger danced across his scroll's screen, hardly even looking at the device when it displayed the interface for his backdoor program into the kingdom's updated security systems.
"Unfortunately, Jacque doesn't quite possess foresight in spades," Watts continued. "Let this become punishment for his greed. Let this be what ultimately pushes that damned Ironwood toward the brink of ruin. Let this be my vengeance."
One button was pushed, and the orange glow that persisted throughout the entire lower city faded into nothingness. Lukewarm rain faded away, and ominously soft snowflakes slowly drifted down from the heavens to take the liquid droplets' place. Watts then neatly folded his umbrella, and only thirty seconds after the heating system's deactivation, Mantle became subject to its first bitter snowstorm in decades. Those without unlocked auras would perish in minutes if caught outside unprotected, while those trapped indoors would only last several hours before they'd suffer similar fates.
Insofar as the grand scheme of things was concerned, millions of civilians' lives – or even his own – meant precious little. So long as this kingdom suffered for its complacent idiocy and the atrocities it'd committed against the distinguished legacy his name should've left behind, victory was theirs.
Watts smiled. "Salem. Dreams do come true, don't they?"
Despite having every conceivable reason for her response to become muffled from within his briefcase, Salem's voice perfectly whispered right into his ears. Complete satisfaction hardly described the sensation that accompanied her answer.
"That they do, dearest. That they do…"
Authors Note: Despite how amazingly fast the turnover for this chapter was, I feel as though it epitomizes everything that this Volume 7 of ToTI is – revisions, edits, and complete overhauls of canon scenes/backstories of the mythos/plot itself. Opal's being a faunus and taking Clover's place arguably adds more depth to the 'Ace-Op' "its classified" lines than canon, Aurora flirting with Whitley makes the latter seem human whilst avoiding an incredibly cringe joke, and Watts… well, he speaks for himself, eh?
Time and again I've said it, but we're getting so close to where this fic finally diverges substantially from canon. It'll be two-to-three more chapters yet, but once you see how the big climax is different from how CRWBY handled it, you'll understand how exponentially original this story will become over time. Hopefully.