AUTHOR'S NOTES: A looong chapter, but one I didn't want to divide up. We finally resolve the political situation in Menagerie. For those of you who don't find this their cuppa joe, don't worry-there will be a good old-fashioned bar fight next chapter. Yang is going to Las Vegas...

Lecket Hill

Near Glasgow, Lower Scotland, Menagerie

15 June 2001

Sienna Khan settled the cape over her shoulders, then admired herself in the full-length mirror. For someone on the far side of 30, she was still quite attractive. She flicked off a piece of lint, and checked for any more problems with her appearance. Today, she needed to be perfect.

There was a knock at her door. "Come in," Sienna instructed. Ilia Amitola walked in and bowed her head respectfully. "Adam Taurus to see you, High Leader."

Great, Sienna thought morosely. What the hell does he want? Adam was supposed to be laying low in northern Scotland. If he was spotted this close to Glasgow, it could cause issues. "Well, show him in," she sighed. Ilia bowed again and retreated, replaced by Adam. He was dressed in his black flight suit, the always-present sword at his side. He bowed as well, deeper and longer than Ilia had. "Good morning, High Leader."

Sienna touched up her hair. "Good morning, Adam. May I ask what you're doing here?"

"Two reasons, High Leader. First of all, congratulations on your election to the Menagerie High Council."

Sienna couldn't help but smile. "It's not official yet, Adam, but thank you. And your second reason?"

"The attack on Haven has been pushed back."

She added one last flourish to her hair, and turned to face him. "Only temporarily. The plan still goes forward, Adam, but for now we have to delay it."

"Politics," he snarled.

Sienna ignored his tone of voice. "Yes, politics. The extension of war by other means, as you may recall." She smoothed her cape. "Right now, I'm being watched—not just by MI6, but by the press. My appointment to the High Council makes me a more public figure. This only helps our cause, Adam. It's another front to the war—and in fact may do more good than any military operation would."

"Are you thinking about canceling the operation?" Adam asked.

It took Sienna aback for a moment. When she had heard of Charles Tabey's death—though assassination would be a better word, she reflected—she had strongly considered canceling the Haven operation. She was known as the High Leader of the White Fang, and too many of the wrong people would ask the wrong questions, such as if she had ordered the attack. But then, she had reconsidered: there were other advantages to attacking Haven. "I did consider it," she admitted. "But no—again, Adam, a war on many fronts. To say nothing of the fact that I do not want to offend our benefactor." Both knew she referred to Salem.

She saw the tightening of his hand on the sword hilt, and the slight downturn of his mouth, and inwardly sighed. Adam Taurus would always be the blunt instrument, would always be the attack dog she would sic on her enemies. He never seemed to understand that violence wasn't the answer, just the question—and sometimes the answer was no. She touched his shoulder. "Adam…you are a symbol for many in our organization, but that doesn't make you infallible. Remember that."

"I was merely trying to follow your example, High Leader." He followed her as they left Sienna's chambers for the main hall.

"And what example might that be?"

"Strength," he said. "Strength and unwavering conviction. The humans have seen that strength now, at Beacon, thanks to you."

Sienna laughed. "It's rather unlike you to kiss my ass, Adam. I should think that was a honor reserved for Blake Belladonna." She fought down a smile at the anger that flushed his cheeks. Occasionally Adam needed to be reminded who was High Leader. "In any case, you may recall that I was one of the first to suggest violence where violence was necessary. Peace bred complacency and an acceptance of our 'place' in the world. I will not allow humanity to push us down without pushing them back. But we must be careful, Adam, and not place a larger target on our backs than we already have. We must not justify humanity's campaign against us. And we must be careful of empty promises from humans we do not know. We'll do our benefactor's little favor at Haven, but perhaps we must reconsider our relationship afterwards, depending on the outcome of the operation."

"We will succeed," Adam insisted.

"Of course we will," Sienna agreed. "But what happens if we don't?"

They strode into the main hall. Sienna expected it to be empty except for her guards, but to her surprise, a large, burly human stood there. Sienna glared at Adam. "What the hell is this?"

"Apologies," Hazel Rainart said, hands behind his back. He inclined his head respectfully. "I don't aim to cause any trouble."

"You've brought a human to the hall?" Sienna didn't look at Hazel, but continued to stare at Adam.

"Didn't you a few days ago, with Neo Politan?" Adam pointed out.

"That was different," Sienna growled.

"You should hear what he has to say." Adam stood his ground.

Sienna checked her watch. There was time. She leaned against one of the chairs. "All right. Five minutes, Mr. Rainart. The only reason you're still breathing is that you're her representative."

"Ma'am, please. No one needs to die today," Hazel rumbled. "You don't like me. You have no reason to like me. But you don't have to like me to get the results you want."

Sienna rolled her eyes. "I'm starting to wonder if anyone understands what I want." She motioned at Hazel with a flippant wave of the hand. "So why are you here?"

"My…mistress wishes to know how the plan to attack Haven goes."

"It's been delayed for a week."

"Due to politics," Adam said contemptously.

Sienna shot him a murderous look. "As I said before—and will not repeat—yes, due to politics. I will be elected to the Menagerie High Council today. The media will be beating a path to this hall. I can't be seen with either one of you."

"I've committed no crime," Hazel said.

"No, but your face is known to various intelligence agencies. MI6 is already watching me; I don't need the CIA on top of it." She pushed off the chair. "The attack on Haven will go forward. That I promise. But it will go forward when I order it, and not sooner." She pointed to Adam. "In the meantime, you need to get back to Lossiemouth. Take Hazel here with you. Give Neo her payment and let her go on her merry way. Continue the training of the first strike force; they will leave in a week. The second force will leave 48 hours after that. According to the plan."

Adam nodded. "According to the plan, High Leader."

Sienna paused, wanting to say more, but they were interrupted by Ilia. She stopped next to Hazel; against his bulk she looked even more childlike than usual. "Forgive the interruption, High Leader. MBC just announced that Ghira Belladonna will hold a press conference after today's vote."

The High Leader snorted. "Admitting defeat, no doubt. Well, Ghira's always been a sore loser." She nodded—half to Ilia, half to herself. "Ilia, I want you in the audience. Ghira may be a sore loser, but he's also a good talker. If he starts swaying the Faunus, I want you to denounce him. Publicly."

Ilia was silent for a moment, and she looked worried when she spoke. "They'll arrest me."

"For what? Exercising your right to free speech? Besides, even if they did, you'd be out by nightfall. I'll see to that."

The chameleon Faunus looked far from convinced, but she bowed. "By your command, High Leader."

"Good." Sienna smiled at all of them, feeling expansive. "Gentlemen and lady, there is no reason for long faces. Today the White Fang have won a great victory." She turned and left them, motioning for Ilia and her guards to follow. Hazel and Adam were left alone in the hall.

Adam took his hand away from his sword and flexed it. Hazel watched him for a moment. "Should we go?"

"Yes." He led Hazel out the rear entrance of Lecket Hill. There was a helicopter with White Fang sigils painted on it, the one legitimate aircraft the organization owned. "She's a fool!" Adam suddenly exploded, as they left the house.

Hazel would have preferred to keep quiet. He didn't like Adam Taurus, and thought if someone was a fool, it was him. Still, Salem would want to know if there was dissension in the White Fang, which there apparently was. "How so?"

Adam stopped, and looked back at Lecket Hill with contempt. "Sienna gets elected to a seat—if she gets elected to the seat—and she thinks it's a 'great victory.'" He chuckled mirthlessly. "Victory has defeated her. She won't order the attack on Haven, Hazel…and even if she does, it's only because she's afraid of your mistress."

"She has a good reason to be," Hazel replied. "But I don't care if she's doing it because she wants to or because she's compelled to."

"I do," Adam said. He smiled. Hazel didn't like that smile. Adam was wearing his mask as he always did, but Hazel suspected the smile wasn't reaching the eyes. "Do you know what was going to happen if Charles Tabey hadn't picked now to drop dead? She was going to betray me to the Council. She was going to say that I, and I alone, planned and executed the attack on Beacon."

"I thought that was the idea. Plausible deniability."

"Throwing me under the bus, more like." Adam shook his head. "She thinks I'm stupid. She thinks I don't know."

"About what?" Hazel wanted to move this along, get in the helicopter, and go.

"That she tried to have Blake killed in the market last week. I had a talk with the would-be assassin just before I took his head off. She ordered the hit. Apparently, she thinks that Blake is my weakness." She is, Hazel thought, but said nothing. Adam apparently needed to unburden himself, and he was willing to let the Faunus talk. "And she says she doesn't want the CIA watching us? The CIA is already watching us."

Hazel's eyebrows rose. This was concerning. The last thing Salem or the plan needed was two intelligence agencies alerted; MI6 was already too close for his comfort. "How?"

"Ilia. Ilia Amitola. The chameleon girl with the red hair you saw."

"Why not kill her?"

Adam shrugged. "I can't be sure. And if I'm wrong, then I've murdered a valuable member of the White Fang. But too many things have gone wrong around Ilia. Besides," he smiled again, "if she is a spy, we can use her as much as she uses us." He motioned towards the helicopter. "Let's go. Ilia isn't the only spy around here."

Hazel nodded, and followed Adam to the helicopter, musing to himself that Adam might not be willing to kill this Ilia, but he certainly was.

The Menagerie Council Hall

Glasgow, Lower Scotland, Menagerie

15 June 2001

The capitol of Menagerie was not a stone edifice, towering above the city, and it wasn't a castle on a hill. It was actually a rather modern looking building, all glass and steel; the only nod to its status as the political seat of the Faunus homeland was a large spire atop the building, flying the Menagerie flag. Inside, it was just as functional, to the point that both humans and Faunus complained that it was a little too understated, as if the Faunus were afraid to admit their independence. The building, like its occupants the argument went, was too bureaucratic.

If so, the complainers would feel even more so about the hall where the Council met. It was a rather plain room, with the only real decorations being a mosaic of all the known species of Faunus and a few flags, including that of the White Fang—but the older White Fang flag, of blue with no claw marks. The eleven-person Council—ten at the moment—sat at a long table atop a low dais marked with plain lamps, the only luxury well upholstered chairs. Ghira Belladonna sat in the middle, his bulk dominating the table. The seat to his immediate right was empty; it had been Charles Tabey's.

Sienna Khan, walking into the chamber, smiled. It was going to be hers now.

She took a seat in the audience, in the front row. The place was full, every seat filled. Sienna was alone—her guards were not allowed, the Albains were outside the chamber, and Ilia had disappeared into the crowd gathering to hear Ghira's concession speech—but she felt confident. She noticed that Blake Belladonna and the monkey Faunus whose name Sienna couldn't remember were in the crowd, a few rows back; so was Kali Belladonna, though she sat in the first row as well, on the opposite side from the High Leader.

Her eyes met Ghira's, and she smiled. To her surprise, he smiled back. It was not the smile of someone who had just lost.

The clock softly chimed noon, and Ghira stood. The other nine members of the Council followed him. "As President of Menagerie, I call this meeting to order." He reached down and lightly tapped a hammer against a bell. All of the Council sat, and went through the usual motions of the meeting, approving minutes, voting for the day's agenda. Sienna crossed her legs, the one on the floor tapping impatiently in her sandals. She felt her claws itching in their sheaths, a sign of nervousness; she commanded herself to relax.

"The first and only item on the agenda," Ghira finally intoned. "A motion to fill the vacant seat of Sir Charles Tabey, may he rest in peace."

A hand went up from three seats to Ghira's left; a graying female with horns curving back from her hair around her ears. "The chair recognizes Marie Mata of Glasgow," Ghira said.

Mata stood. "I would like to propose a delay in filling the seat. Sir Tabey's funeral was yesterday. It hardly seems appropriate to fill the seat so soon." Sienna fought to keep silent. Shut up, sheep, she wanted to shout, and let the predators talk.

Ghira shook his head. "It would seem so, Miss Mata, but Sir Tabey asked that the seat be filled 24 hours after his funeral. The Council agreed last year to do so. I see no reason to delay, but the Council will hear Miss Mata's motion. All in favor of a delay, raise your hand." Only Mata's hand went up. "The motion fails."

"Yes," Sienna whispered under her breath.

"As per his request, I shall read Sir Tabey's wishes according to his will. The recorder will note that the Council agreed to honor these wishes last year, and make them binding on the council. Unless there are any other motions to delay?" There were none, so Ghira put on his reading glasses, opened a leather folder, and took out a piece of paper. Sienna could see the Tabey seal atop the paper, and adjusted her cape, putting both feet on the floor. "'To the Menagerie Council, my friends, colleagues, and occasional enemies." A laugh went through the audience and the Council; Tabey was known for his wry sense of humor. "'If you are reading this, I have passed on to the great beyond. I am ready to meet God; I am not sure if He is ready to meet me.'" Another laugh; Tabey was now quoting Churchill. "'Last year, due to my continually deteriorating health, the Council brought up who should temporarily fill my seat until an election is held. I had strongly considered Sienna Khan for this position. While her methods are rather direct, her love for the Faunus people is not to be questioned.'"

Sienna smiled, but then brought herself up short. Had?

"'Unfortunately,'" Ghira continued to read, "'it was recently brought to my attention that Sienna Khan's direct methods have gone beyond attacking our traditional enemies—humans that wish to use us and harm us rather than live alongside us. While violence is sometimes the answer to our problems, it is not the only answer. It is my belief that she planned, executed, and led the attack on Beacon Air Force Base in the United States, alongside her lieutenant, Adam Taurus. While I have no love for humans, and believe we must occasionally show our teeth as Faunus, this attack on a nation that wished us no harm, and the deaths of many humans and Faunus who pledged their lives to defend us from a great evil, was worse than an act of murder. It was a mistake. A mistake that Faunus would pay for with more suffering and more lives. As a young cat, I might have agreed with Sienna Khan's methods. As an old cat, I cannot.'"

Sienna's mouth hung open. This was not going at all the way it was supposed to. Her claws were out and digging into the chair.

Ghira glanced up at her, and his expression was one of pity. "'Because of Sienna's involvement in a foul terrorist attack, I not only withdraw her name as a potential replacement, I order, as a last request to the people of Edinburgh, to never allow her to stand for election in my district. Whether I arrive in heaven or hell, the only place I wish to see Sienna Khan stand is in the dock.'" Ghira put down the paper. "'Signed this day, June 11, 2001. Charles Tabey, Jr. and Susan Tabey, witnesses.'"

Silence reigned in the chamber. All eyes went to Sienna. Slowly, shaking with rage, she stood. Her lips peeled back from her fangs. "This is a forgery. Charles Tabey took sick that night and died the next day. He was not in his right mind."

Ghira took off his glasses. "Miss Khan, you have not been recognized by the Council." She made sounds of rupture at that, and Ghira held up a hand. "But I will recognize you and give you the floor."

Sienna stalked forward. "It is a forgery," she repeated.

Ghira held up the paper. "It was signed by his children, and notarized."

"His children!" Sienna exclaimed. "Who could undoubtedly forge his signature!"

"Why would they?" This from an older male Faunus. "What would they benefit from it?"

"To slander me!" Sienna shouted. "This…this…baseless accusation that I led the attack on Beacon!"

Ghira folded his hands in front of him. "It's hardly baseless, Sienna. We've all heard the recordings of your voice being broadcast. Witnesses have placed you at the scene." He held up a folder. "And in here are intercepted recordings of you planning an attack on an unknown location, simply referred to as 'Haven,' which we have reason to believe is somewhere in Japan."

"All lies," Sienna snarled. "My voice was faked. I am being framed."

"By whom?" Mata wanted to know.

"Adam Taurus. He wants the leadership of the White Fang for himself. And you're playing directly into his hands." Sienna knew she was on thin ice here. She'd always intended to put the blame solely on Adam, but that was before Tabey betrayed her. That old son of a bitch, she thought, enraged. He's hit me from beyond the grave. Did he know I was going to assassinate him? She had to play her cards carefully: Adam already knew she intended to blame him, but only for the attack on Beacon, not for a supposed coup.

"That may be," Ghira conceded, surprising her. "I should also note, in fairness, that while we are bound in the Council to accede to Sir Charles' last wish to not allow you to temporarily hold his seat, Miss Khan, the people of Edinburgh are not bound to accede to his last wish not to vote for you. They are free to vote for whoever they wish."

"Ha!" Sienna laughed bitterly. "Everyone knows that old bastard has fixed every election there since the Council was established. The people of Edinburgh would eat shit if he asked them to."

"Curb your tongue, Miss Khan," Ghira warned.

"The hell with my tongue," Sienna growled. "And to hell with this Council." She pointed at them with a sharp claw. "I still am High Leader of the White Fang. All of you know how much power I have, and how much support I still command. You lapdogs will roll over and play dead for the humans," she shouted over increased yells and curses from the audience, "but we will not!" She turned and stalked out of the chamber, slapping away attempts to stop her.

Ghira picked up his gavel and struck the bell until it quieted. "As it happens," he said evenly, "that was the only business of the Council today. We will vote on Sir Charles Tabey's replacement tomorrow. Those of you who wish to attend, I will be giving a press conference in five minutes outside. Motion to adjourn this session?"

The motion passed, and the Council filed out, fending off reporters and other members of the audience who wanted to know more about Sienna Khan. Kali made her way to the dais as Ghira gathered up his papers. "She's cornered," Kali observed. "That makes her more dangerous as ever. Do you still want to give the speech?" She was worried; Sienna Khan was capable of anything now, and Adam even more so.

Ghira weighed the folder with his papers. "Yes. It won't be easy for the people to hear, but the truth often isn't." He smiled at Kali and ruffled her hair. "I know they'll do the right thing."

"After trying everything else first," Blake sighed. "She's right, Dad. There's a lot of Faunus who will still follow her. They'll see this as a forgery and that the Council engineered the whole thing. For that matter, some might think the attack on Beacon was entirely justified."

"We'll have to take that chance." He walked off the dais, but stopped and looked at Blake and Sun. "I can't ask you to do this, either of you."

"That's a hell of a thing for you to say to me, Dad," Blake snapped back.

Sun nodded. "I'm in."

"Both of you are members of foreign militaries," Ghira reminded them. "Legally, you cannot support me."

"No," Blake agreed, "but we can give testimony. That's what we're here for."

"And I don't even care," Sun added.

Ghira looked at him, and for the first time, smiled at Sun.

It was a rather pleasant day outside as Ghira walked to the podium, decorated with the Menagerie seal. The media instantly crowded forward, raising recorders and camera. A battery of microphones were mounted atop the podium. Ghira looked out over the crowd, back to Kali and Blake, and began.

"Thank you all for assembling here," Ghira said. "I wanted to take time to address some of the rumors that have been circulating across our land. I believe that it is important for the people of Menagerie to understand the truth.

"No matter how you feel about the human race, I think we can all agree that the attack on Beacon Air Force Base was a tragedy. Both humans and Faunus died there, defending the United States from the GRIMM. Whatever questions we have for the United States for their use of supposedly banned orbital weapons, we cannot and should not disparage the bravery of those pilots and security personnel….especially their commander, Captain Oscar Ozpin. It was a tragedy that will set both man and Faunuskind back. And I'm afraid it gets worse." Ghira paused, shuffled the papers. He wasn't wearing his glasses; he'd memorized the speech. "We now have official confirmation that Adam Taurus—" he spared the Albain Brothers, standing off to one side of the crowd in their business suits, an angry glare "—the leader of a powerful splinter group inside the White Fang, was at least partially responsible for these attacks. Our belief was that Taurus' group was a rogue faction, but sadly evidence has come to light that Sienna Khan may have ordered the attack herself." Ghira let the murmurs of the crowd rise and fall. "If true, she and Adam Taurus have not only tarnished the reputation of an organization originally created to bring peace and equality to all, but our entire race. While I hope the evidence against Sienna Khan proves unfounded—" Ghira regretted telling a lie "—each day that Adam Taurus remains unpunished, it becomes increasingly difficult to condemn those who look down upon us."

He let the talk go again, then raised a hand for silence. "Recently, a spy from this same splinter group set their sights on my own home. My own daughter, Captain Blake Belladonna of the United States Marine Corps, and her friend, Captain Sun Wukong of the Chinese Unified Air Force, did their very best to apprehend this individual. While they were unsuccessful after being physically assaulted, they were successful in obtaining the assailant's phone." He held up the cellphone. "With this, we have been able to ascertain that Adam Taurus—and possibly, once more, Sienna Khan—intend to strike again, in a similar attack to the one on Beacon. This place, known only as Haven, is strongly suspected to be in Japan. We in the Council have sent a warning to the Japanese government, as has Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, but I believe we have a greater responsibility."

Ghira took a deep breath. "My relationship with the White Fang has been…an interesting one." He smiled, and a ripple of laughter went through the crowd. "Years ago, I led the organization to help try and create a world where I, and every Faunus who wished, could walk alongside the human race. And while I believe we made great strides towards this goal, it was made clear to me that the people both in and out of the White Fang wanted faster results. So my wife Kali and I stepped down, and Sienna Khan was appointed as my successor.

"It's true that I do not condone many of her methods. I do condone what Sienna fights for: the idea that the Faunus and humans are, have been, and forever shall be, equal. Adam Taurus does not seem to have that goal in mind, and I worry that he has unduly influenced Sienna as well." He looked for her in the audience. In the distance, Ghira thought he saw her car. He was giving her an out, but he doubted she would take it. "Adam Taurus only benefits himself. I think it's time that the Faunus showed the world that we are equals. I call upon you, the Faunus, that we snuff out this terrorist splinter group, and restore the White Fang to what it once was. Will you join me in this historic effort?"

Cheers erupted from the crowd—not as many as he'd hoped, but enough. He smiled, and again motioned for quiet. Now came the tough part, where the Faunus would put their money where their mouth was. "To do this, I think the answer is clear. We must go to Japan and protect—"

"TRAITORS!"

The voice cracked like a whip around the gathering. Every head turned in the direction, and saw Ilia standing atop a car. She was wearing her black jumpsuit, her features hidden behind the White Fang mask. She glared around her and pointed at the crowd. "You're all cowards!" she shouted. "After everything the humans have done to us, everything they've put us through, and Ghira wants us to help them?"

Ghira leaned forward. "No one argues that we have been treated fairly—"

"Where was their help when the Schnees treated our people like slaves?" Ilia cut him off. "Where was their help when the nations of the world hunted Faunus for being what we are? Where was my help when my parents were killed in a Schnee mine? Where, I ask you?"

Blake, angry, stalked forward and grabbed one of the microphones. "Ilia, stop it! You know it takes time!" She looked to the crowd. "At Beacon, my roommate was the heir to the Schnee fortune! She accepted me for who I am! If a former White Fang and a Schnee can achieve peace, we all can! We have to forgive each other!"

"The Belladonnas are the worse kind of Faunus!" Ilia shouted back, words that hit like a physical wound to Blake. "They want us to work with the same people that are trying to hold us down!" She pointed to the crowd again. "If you truly, truly want to help your people…now is the time to support Sienna Khan, not the Belladonnas! She will bring about the future that you deserve. Not these…these appeasers of humans!" She took a mask from her belt and raised it high. "And if you are unwilling to fight, know that the White Fang will fight for you!"

Sun grabbed the mike from Blake. "Shut up!" he yelled. He followed it with a spate of foul Chinese curses, but Ilia only threw the mask into the crowd, leapt off the car, and ran. Police pursued her, but she was gone in moments.

Ghira tried to address the crowd, but it fell apart as people began arguing over who to support. He gave up and began taking questions from the press. Few noticed the khaki uniformed Gurkhas who quietly closed in around the Belladonnas and Sun. Fewer still noticed the Albain Brothers slip through the crowd, get into Sienna's car, and drive away.

Fennec Albain waited until they were clear of the crowd before he spoke. Sienna sat in a corner of the rear seat, agitated, still shaking with rage. Her claws left rents in the upholstery. "What do we do now?" he asked.

"The charges will not stick," Corsac Albain tried to reassure his leader.

"I don't care anymore," Sienna seethed.

"Then what will we do? Cancel the attack on Haven?" Fennec wanted to know.

"We have no choice now. It will be a giant trap for the White Fang. Salem will just have to lump it."

"I'm sure she'll understand," Corsac said.

"I don't care," Sienna repeated. "No, Haven is no longer the target." She stabbed a claw into the seat. "Menagerie is. We're going to launch a coup." Her fangs ground together. "And we're starting by killing the fucking Belladonnas."