Chapter 64: The Interview.

The camera panned around the ruined buildings of Mountain Glen before coming to rest upon a relaxed Yang Xiao Long. Her hand was resting on her hip and she had her head tilted in that way that made both men and women fall for her.

"Hi!" Yang began waving to the camera. "My name is Yang Xiao Long and I'd like to tell you my story."

"Thank you for agreeing to this interview." The voice speaking to Yang was distorted and warbled, one might assume it came from a male but it was hard to tell. Even the hand holding the mic was blurred out. "You've become somewhat of a boogie man to the people of the 4 kingdoms in the years since the Vytal Festival incident. I'm surprised that you decided to talk with me."

"Well *&%&, any time I have an opportunity to speak to a person in the media, they either flee from me screaming or immediately call in Atlas" Yang sighed, the name distorted and her mouth blurred. "But hey, Atlas is already coming for me and you're not running and screaming, might as well take a chance."

"Well you are one of the scarier people I've interviewed, so I am tempted to run." The voice chuckled. "Besides the truth's important."

"Well then thank you for being open to my side of the story" Yang grinned wide. "So ask away and I'll fill in the gaps."

"so, the Vytal festival incident" Yang's face drooped noticeable and her stance became less open. "Everyone says they saw you attack Mercury Black unprovoked after your bout. You professed your innocence, what really happened?"

"Do you have a Semblance (#*$ ?" Yang asked.

"No, I never activated my aura." Yang stared past the camera.

"How about you?" the Camera shook no in response. "Almost every huntsmen and huntress has a semblance, a focus of their personality, soul, and aura. Most are unique, my sister has speed, I can store up kinetic energy and increase my strength and the Schnees had a beautiful semblance that's hereditary."

Yang bloomed her aura and her hair ignited to show off her point. "Once in a while there is a type of Semblance called an illusory semblance, makes you see things or else makes physical illusions. It was right then at the end of my fight with Mercury that I got hit hard with a semblance like that."

"You're saying that Mercury Black had that semblance?" Yang shook her head.

"Not Mercury Black, his partner; Emerald Sustrai. Merc was out of aura by the fight's end, he needed to be, meanwhile, Emerald was waiting in the wings and hit me with the Whammy of all illusions. Because of that whammy, I saw Mercury unleashing a wicked flying kick right towards the side of my head."

"If this is true you're saying that she willingly let you cripple her partner." The voice noted.

Yang threw her head back and laughed so hard it echoed in mountain Glenn. "Mercury was crippled, to begin with."

"He didn't fight like one."

"Mechanical legs, my friend, his knee was pure metal. It was all in line with their scheme. Though these bastards are so ruthless I think they'd be willing to cripple one of their own to get the job done."

Suddenly images flashed on the screen of a number of censored crime scene photos. Times and dates also flashed too, including the breach in Vale and the assassination of a number of huntsmen and huntresses around Remnant. The list was long and thorough, It ended with the name Summer Rose.

"Who's 'they'" the interviewer asked, Yang, flexed her hand her knuckles popping as she squeezed it tight. "You've mentioned this mysterious party a number of times, this sounds a bit like a conspiracy, is there something people should know."


Ozpin

Ozpin stared wide-eyed at the screen watching Yang Xiao Long-standing there thinking. Glynda and the team of computer technicians were desperately scrambling through the CTT tower looking for a way to shut down the broadcast and recover control.

"Move people I want this tower back under our control yesterday" Glynda shouted ordering the techs around before moving close to Ozpin to whisper in his ear. "This is bad professor… should we resort to the Grimm-option."

The Grimm-option referred to the destruction of the CCT tower. Such an action would make all 4 kingdoms go dark until the Vale tower could be repaired. Such an action would give her an amazing opportunity and require Atlas' assistance to fix.

Or the council of Atlas would require the general to return to Secure Atlas' border. Ozpin pinched his nose as his old old mind played out different scenarios. If the CCT shuts down and Atlas forces leave a panic may erupt. She'll take advantage if she's not already grabbing onto the current chaos.

"No," he finally said and was glad to see the relief on Glynda's face. "That would cause more problems than it would solve. Try to re-establish control."

"Ok professor…" Glynda said turning around to bark orders.

This is in your hands now Long please make the right decision.


"Yeah, they should know that the world isn't a fair or safe place!" Yang finally answered after a minute of silence. "There are Grimm cultists out there and Anarchists that just want to see the world burn down in fire and Grimm fangs. Those bastards came after me and were coming after Vale itself. No amount of sticking your head in the sand will make that go away. The White fang is still a problem too"

Yang folded her arms under her chest and breathed out as if she resented what she just said. There seemed to be more to say but the interviewer let it go it seems.

"So after this Grimm-anarchist faction hit you with this illusion, you were placed into Atlas and Vale joint custody before you escaped." The interviewer's mic again returned towards Yang's face. "Do you have any comments regarding that?"

"Yeah!" Yang started annoyance clear in her voice. "Thanks, Vale News Network for charging me guilty before any of the facts got in, thanks for the condemnation of an 18-year-old Girl! That slander was really appreciated, didn't help my old team's social life nor my chances in a trial." Yang spat on the ground. "Sorry (*$&% I don't mean you specifically that just drove me up a wall is all."

"It's alright no offense taken," the voice said. "I just want your side of the story."

Yang smiled softly and rested against a nearby wall. "Well, you know how I was captured and held in an Atlas prison cell awaiting trial?"

The camera nods briefly.

"And you know that I escaped before the trial was scheduled?" Yang said and again the camera nodded while the voice affirmed. "There's a tiny little detail they keep out of things that was behind my escape… Ironwood was trying to ship me to Atlas to be judged in front of an Atlessian military tribunal…"

A small window appeared on the screen showing 3 Atlas soldiers approaching the disarmed Yang in her holding cell. A timestamp and date displayed when the event occurred.

"You see because it happened in Vale the trial was supposed to be under Vale's jurisdiction," Yang said as her battle with the Atlas personal was played in the corner. "But Ironwood has it in his head that jurisdiction doesn't matter and he'll have a person's trial anytime and anywhere he pleases, screw the laws of Vale."

"Are you serious?" The voice asked shock clear in its tone. Yang showed off all her teeth in an aggressive grin.

"Hell yeah!" Yang answered. "I mean he's planted himself here with a majority of his military, he's got a base in every kingdom and his military forces just ignore the laws of those kingdoms half the time."

A small slideshow in the corner appeared showing off the numerous Atlas bases. The bases were followed up with clips of Atlas soldiers in Mantle, Vale, and Vacuo streets arresting people with Atlas pattern manacles.

Yang pointed to the West dramatically. "You go to Vacuo right now, you'll see those people reeling from all the overstretching Atlas did just to find my ass. Ironwood doesn't care what upsets the good people of Vacuo all he cares about is catching me and sealing away his great humiliation."

Yang's smile fell and she held her own arms looking north towards Vale.

"You know I always wanted to explore Remnant, to go to bed and not know what tomorrow will bring…" Yang looked down at the ground. "Well, Atlas granted my wish. I don't know what tomorrow will bring because it might be my last day, at any point I could be captured by Atlas and sent to prison up in their tundra, I might starve for a week just because I don't want to risk going to a town for food, Dust Sometimes those Atlas specialists are going for the kill. I might not wake up."


Taiyang

Tai's hands squeezed tightly till he was worried that his knuckles would break under the extreme pressure, as he saw the tears in his daughter's eyes. She tried to hide them but he could see and no doubt could others.

"I've had to fight for every day, I've had to work with 'Criminals' to get by." Yang used air quotes around Criminals. "And after all of that, I still can't see Vale, my friends, or my family because Atlas is so deeply dug into my home."

Tai tore his gaze away from the tv to the Atlas soldiers in the spaceport. Any Atlessian who looked his way immediately averted their gaze and quickened their step. Then he saw an interesting thing; he wasn't the only one giving them dirty looks. Other citizens of Vale were giving the Atlessians the stink eye. One person even said "Boo!" out loud.

"Did professor Ozpin know about this?" the voice asked bringing Tai and the rest of the airport's attention back to the screen. "Did he know about Ironwood trying to ship you off?"

"I think so but I couldn't say for sure… Ozpin is trying to do the right thing." Yang said after a pause. "He's struggling with a lot and he'd do anything to keep more people safe, his school is good but he can be a bit passive sometimes; he let Atlas stay in Vale… I don't know what he knew."

Please be alright baby.

Taiyang's pocket buzzed and he whipped out his scroll it was Qrow calling.

"Qrow!" Taiyang wasn't unkind in his response to Qrow but nor was he polite, he had a question in mind.

"Are you seeing this?" Qrow asked over the scroll.

"Hard to avoid it Qrow," Tai said through Gritted teeth.

"Oz thinks they got into the CCT, did you ko-"

Tai cut him off before he could finish that question. "Actually, Qrow I have a question for you!"

The other line was silent, so Tai decided to go ahead with his inquiry "Did. You. Know?"

"Know about what?" Qrow asked back, Tai felt himself squeeze the scroll extremely tight.

"Qrow did you and Ozpin know about Ironwood shipping off Yang!"

"Tai I-"

"DID YOU KNOW!" Tai was making a scene in the airport, he didn't care he needed Qrow to realize that he wasn't going to take any of this misdirection any long, being Zen didn't mean you'd let everyone walk all over you. "Well!?"

"I don't know…"

"Then I'll ask Ozpin myself" and Taiyang slammed the scroll down and continued to watch his daughter's interview. In his mind, he thought up all the questions he'd ask the wizard and how hard he'd hit him square in the face right before he asked them.


"You seem to have a respect for Ozpin" the voice continued. Yang Laughed at that.

"Ozpin… He won't sacrifice people as easily as Ironwood, but he will Spend lives just not a callously. Still He was a good teacher, may have left me out to dry but he can train some tough huntsmen," Yang said lifting up her bicep to show off her arm. "Dust it was Beacon students that got the closest to catching me, not Atlas Specialists."

"And now both pursue you here"

"As well as anyone man enough to try," Yang answered with all the fervor she had when she first issued the challenge. "This challenge accepted all fights. Though (*%$ no offense but I meant people with Auras."

"None-taken, doubt I could fight you even if I had an aura." Yang had a disappointed look on her face and the camera zoomed in on it. "Why did you offer this fight to all challengers anyway?"

"What you just said," Yang said pointing towards the interviewer. "'I doubt I could fight you, even if I had aura' that mentality is why I'm accepting all challengers."

"I don't follow." the voice asked confusion coming through the alterations.

"You must've heard me take out that entire Atlas squad right?" Yang asked pointing towards a broken building. Yang slapped her chest. "I did that. Me! The people of Vale have become complacent, settling to allow themselves to live under Atlas' thumb. They think Atlas' big army and large numbers will win the fight for them, So they're trading their kingdom for security, false security. And Vacuo isn't far behind."

Clips of Vacuo appeared on screen, showing images of Atlas soldiers beating down the citizens of Vacuo, and Vacuo huntsmen and huntresses being arrested. Images of the Vacuo Atlas base popped up and Vacuo citizens protesting around it.

"People are trading their freedom for a product that doesn't even work." Yang went on as the clip played in the corner. "I can take on a dozen Atlas soldiers without breaking a sweat, some are brave men but they tell you these guys are made of gold, their barely bronze."

Yang ran her nails across her Grimm helmet and snarled, punching the wall behind her breaking it down into rumble with a single punch. The wall crumbled before she began again.

"The atlas forces are a calming presence, that's all; a big sign that says: All is well… but that's the problem all is not well and you don't know it." Yang spat squeezing her fist tightly. "They keep things from you, trying to keep you from panicking because if you panic the Grimm will attack. But when their illusion breaks down, that panic and mayhem will be all the greater. That's what Ozpin and Ironwood don't get.

"I am not weak, I never have been." Yang went on in the passion of it now. "I had to step up when I was a kid, I had to take care of my family, I was so scared of being weak but I was never weak, I've always been strong! Atlas has tried to kill me for 2 years and I proved that I was stronger than them."

Yang pointed right at the camera. "That could be you, Vale if you tried and stopped relying on others for your protection if you made yourself long as you are weak you need Atlas and Ironwood and Ozpin to do the thinking and the fighting for you. You don't have to be weak!"

The interviewer and the cameraman were both silent as the camera was mesmerized by Yang Xiao Long. Across Remnant, many people were similarly mesmerized.

"Many Atlas soldiers and specialists said I'd be dead as soon as Atlas found me again. That I was nothing compared to the might of Atlas." Yang threw her arms Wide, Ember Celica unfurling in that motion "Well here I am! One woman versus the whole lot of them, I've been dodging them for 2 years and now I'm kicking their asses all by myself."

The words echoed into the empty city when the interviewer spoke up. "Acting as devil's advocate, what about the unprecedented peace we've been experiencing for the past few years?"

Yang smiled a mocking smile and tossed her hair back giggling as if she were laughing at a joke for which she was the butt.

"What peace?" Yang said in a tone of contempt. "The white fang are more active than ever, more violent than ever. Atlas is actively occupying Vale as we speak. The Grimm-Anarchists I mentioned are manipulating things from behind the scenes. That's not a peace that's just war with less fighting."

"Atlas says it's doing Vale a service" the voice went on.

"Mantle said the same thing last time they tried to take over." Yang countered. "Think of how many laws Atlas is ignoring, right now. How many Vale and Vacuo laws they don't give a shit about and yet expect us to conform to their Atlessian laws. Only the smartest woman I know can even comprehend the quagmire that is the Atlessian legal system."

Yang was quiet for a moment holding herself leaning hard against the wall. The winds whistled around her and her hair blew into her face as she stood in thought. It could've been a painting it seemed so serene and majestic.

"Peace, bah it's a lull." Yang finally said "I'm ready I'm strong, and so could the rest of you but Beacon's running on lower attendance than ever, and people are putting their heads in the sand"

Again the camera zoomed in on her face. "That's the point ) #($&… everyone in Vale, Vacuo, Mistral and hell even Atlas has the capacity to be just as strong, just as in control of their lives… but that's the hard path, that's the path riddled with difficulties. It's the path Atlas and every would-be dictator would prefer people avoided."

Yang's eyes locked with the camera. "You are weak. If you let Atlas rule you, while you sit in your home hoping a huntsman or huntress will always be there to deal with your problem, you are weak… Atlas has been blaming a few huntsmen deaths on me."

News reports and files of the deaths flashed onto the bottom right of the screen. A few blurred out gory images.

"Have you killed huntsman?" the voice asked. Yang took in a deep breath and shook her head.

"No… I've killed before, but never huntsmen nor huntresses. Not even the ones that Atlas sent to gut me." Yang's somber face lightened. "I mean I did kick their ass and break a few knees here and there, but those murders weren't me."

"I would've thought Atlas would've enacted a thorough investigation into such crimes."

Yang shrugged. "Who knows they might have… but dust in Vale I'm the boogeyman right, it's hard to say that they aren't smart enough to figure out who did it, it's easy to say 'the boogeyman did it' Life's hard as a scapegoat. I know it must've been an atlas Agent or…" Yang changed her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "… or even the savior of Vale herself."

"The Savior of Vale?" the interviewer asked confusion full in his voice. "Pyrrha Nikos?"

"Just ask any huntsman or huntress who's worked with her, dust ask any Atlas soldier who's got loose lips, she isn't exactly the most stable since that title got forced on her." Yang paused and turned away. "But that's not Pyrrha's fault, Ironwood's scientists put too much power into her to make her that powerful. Her strength and ability to fly isn't natural, Ironwood made it by cramming 2 souls into 1 body. She didn't know, just wanted to help people… now she's too powerful for people to stop her when the craziness hits her. Ironwood doesn't care, either he ignores it, or he sweeps it under the rug and blames me for each kill."

"That would make me pretty mad" The interviewer admitted. "Mad enough to take a few drastic measures into my own hands."

"Like beating up a whole army, single-handedly?" Yang turned towards the interviewer and grinned widely. "There's a real threat out there, and we might not be ready for it… might never be ready for it… but sitting here with our heads in the sand relying on others to fight our battles will never help us." Yang took a deep breath and her hair once more bloomed into flames. "if you want to know about the Grimm Anarchists, I'll give you a few names."

Yang held up 1 finger. "Tyrian Callows, religious serial killer, Atlas declared him Dead when really he escaped." Tyrian's image appeared on screen along with his rap sheet and time-stamped recent security camera photo of him.

Yang's second finger rose. "Arthur Watts, a former Atlas scientist, said to have vanished but you ask anyone in the black market and that mustachioed mad scientist is still kicking. Though Atlas would have you believe otherwise." Arthur Watts photo and similar rap sheet appeared though there was no security footage of him.

Yang's third finger rose and she took in a deep breath. "Cinder Fall, a teammate of Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai. She planned out the Grimm incursion, my framing, and the murder of the fall maiden… until I killed her."

Images of Cinder fall appeared on screen along with images of her with Mercury black, Emerald Sustrai, and Roman Torchwick. Finally, her police report appeared found amongst dead white fang members.

"Why did you kill her?" the voice asked.

"She was going to kill my mom," Yang said quietly. She looked directly into the camera, her red-eyed stare more than intense. "I wasn't about to let them kill my mother again."

Then the feed cut out to static.


Ironwood

Ironwood stared at the screen his mouth agape. He turned towards Yang pure hatred in his eyes. Yang stared back at him defiance in her own.

"Do you know what you've done?" he asked through gritted teeth.


Author's notes.

We're approaching the end game now. Ive been waiting for this chapter for a bit and I hope you enjoy the confrontation that follows it. Please leave a review and spread this around wherever you can I always appreciate it.