Heart's Embers

by SugarLoaf12

It's been fifteen months hasn't it? Living from day to day, moving from place to place. Looking for the next payday, the next target... the next fight. I thought living outside their war would be easier. But sometimes knowing... is all it takes to leave you wondering "What if" I think back to why I left and I know I made the right choice... Ozpin be damned.

30. Schnee

Got another chapter for you guys all ready! Been working overtime on writing these chapters. I hope all of you had a fun Easter for those of you that celebrate it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"Speech"

Thoughts

---

Chapter Thirty: Schnee

The sun was setting over the city of Mantle, only the smallest sliver of light could be seen over the rooftops. Most of the population was on their way home or to work for their late night shifts. The only people on the streets without a vehicle were the patrolling soldiers and criminals lurking in the shadowy alleys.

One such alley was completely empty, save for the birds and rats picking at what scraps they could find in the nearby dumpsters. There was a large puddle in the center of the alley right at the foot of a wooden stair case, leading up to the back entrance to the building it was connected to.

The door slammed open, a man flying down the steps into the puddle below, splashing water everywhere.

"C'mon, buddy" Yang wore a bored expression as she made her way down the stairs "I don't want to do this anymore than you want me to do it to you" She grabbed him by the back of his collar and slammed him into the brick wall with her metal hand trapping him by his throat.

"I dunno! I don't work with Schnee. I seen one of his boys payin a visit to other gangs, but 'twasn't us!"

"Uh-huh" Yang narrowed her eyes "Stop wasting my time and tell me the truth before you start losing your teeth"

"I'm tellin the truth! We ne'er talked to anyone from the company! Promise! Please lemme go" he begged.

"How do you know he was from the company?"

"The logo on his suit, tis the same as the company's. 'Twas talkin to the Spades' boss bout a month ago"

"Spades?" Yang looked confused.

"Not from round 'ere are ya" he sucked in as much air as he could before continuing "The Spades are the gang that took over after Ol' Dragon got tossed"

"What would they want with each other?"

"I dunno, try asking 'em" he gestured out of the alleyway "All I know is the Spades 'ave been movin lotta cargo into one of them factories in the city. I couldn't tell ya 'twas in 'em, or what they's for"

"Where?"

"tis the only factory on the east side of town, Spades always meetin' with 'em just round the corner by the bar"

Yang released her grasp on him, dropping him to the ground. He gasped for breath "Thank you. See? That wasn't so hard was it?"

"Yous not workin with that other guy are ya?" he asked worried.

"What other guy?" Yang asked confused.

"Huntsman like yous, got a mask on. Sounds like one of them tinmen always walkin about town"

Yang's eyes widened in surprise "What do you know about him? Name? Where he's hiding? Anything?"

"I dunno, I knows he's been recruitin out of the gangs around town the past few months, but that's all!"

"Recruiting for what?"

"Dunno. But he always says anyone who joins em twoud make more money than they ever has workin the streets like we been"

"What happens to those who join up with them? Where do they go?"

"He sends 'em to the Spades. I dunno what happens to em after that. No one e'er sees 'em again"

"Sounds like I need to go speak with these men" she turned her back on him "Thanks for the info, and sorry about the bruises" she threw back over her shoulder. She launched herself skyward by firing Ember Celica behind her, landing on the roof. Yang got on her knees and watched the building across from the bar. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be going on from where she sat.

Removing her scroll from her pocket she dialed quickly and pressed the device to her ear "Hi, Yang!" came Penny's energetic voice.

"Hey, Penny. What do we know about a gang called the Spades?"

"One moment" there was several moments of silence on the line before she spoke once more "They're a mostly reclusive gang, they don't do much violent crime unless forced. They're usually charged with racketeering more than anything else, they used to work for McLaren before she was arrested. Leader is named Reolin Hanson, usually frequents one of the local bars-"

"I'm right outside of it" Yang interrupted "Is that everything we know?"

"Everything I was able to obtain from the digital archives, yes"

"You said they're frequently involved with racketeering, could that have something to do with why they've been meeting with someone from the Schnee Dust Company?"

"I suppose that is possible, but Councilor Schnee and his company are under constant scrutiny now that he is a member of the council, I can't imagine he would do business with known criminals and risk his position now"

Yang rolled her eyes "Well he is, seeing as someone keeps meeting with them about something" she sighed "Apparently the Spades have also been taking in recruits for the man who tried to kidnap Ruby"

"Really?" Penny sounded shocked "I'll report this at once to General Ironwood. I imagine you're keeping an eye on them?"

"For now" she answered "If Schnee's man shows up, I'll follow behind him"

"Understood. I'll report to Ironwood immediately, perhaps you'll even have some backup if things go poorly"

"Thanks, Penny"

Yang ended the call just as a black car pulled up in front of the building across from the bar. A tall portly man walked out from the entrance to meet the car, two men flanking him on each side. He had short brown hair and blue eyes as well as a light complexion, he wore a black and white suit with a cigar in his mouth. The back window rolled down. Inside was a man wearing a dark blue suit with a top hat in his lap, the Schnee Dust Company logo on the left side of his chest. He had deep red eyes and short slicked back hair that matched his suit. Beside him sat a figure wearing a black hood over their face, concealing them from cameras and onlookers.

"Your last shipment arrived exactly as specified" spoke the man in the suit.

"Course it did, Inspector" the man puffed a cloud of smoke to his left "Spades always deliver, discreetly" he grinned "I've another shipment ready for delivery, soon as I see payment"

"Of course" a gloved hand reached out of the car, Lien in hand.

"Pleasure doing business with ya" he chuckled accepting the money from the offered hand "Might I ask if there's anything else the man in charge requires?"

"You may not" came his firm answer "He will contact you if he requires anything more of your services, for now... you will continue to do as you have been"

"Come on..." he puffed another cloud of smoke into the car, leaning on the side of the window "You know I am as good as my word, I can be of assistance in more than just smug-"

He was cut off when a pistol suddenly emerged from a concealed wrist-mounted rig within the figure's sleeve aimed in his face "You will do as commanded Mr. Hanson, nothing more, nothing less. Understood?" the Inspector gave a threatening glare.

He gulped taking a step back with his hands up in surrender "Y-yes, of c-course" he stuttered out "Just trying to help"

Just as quickly as it emerged, it disappeared back within the figure's sleeve once more "Good day, Mr. Hanson" the window rolled up. The car rolled forward away from the building.

Well that was interesting Yang thought, she watched as the car moved along I better keep an eye on that car and see where it's headed

---

Jacques stood outside the door for what felt like forever he made a deep sigh. His hand came up to knock on the door, but stopped just before making contact with it. He turned and began to walk away, flowers in hand. He only made it a few steps away before he stopped, taking a deep breathe. He turned around and made his way back to the door "Come on, Jacques... it's not that hard" his hand came up to knock once more, he was stopped when the door opened, he took a surprised step back.

Stepping out of the room, Weiss looked shocked to see him "Uh..." was all she managed to get out in her state.

"Hello, Weiss" he greeted awkwardly.

"Dad" They both stood silently, not sure what to say to each other.

"It's... It's uh... good... to see you I mean" he stammered out.

"We didn't exactly part on good terms" she crossed her arms.

"No... we didn't" he agreed with a deep frown "I uh... I'm..." he cleared his throat "I'm sorry... for how I treated you when you came back home"

"It wasn't just when I returned from Beacon-" she started.

"I know" he gave a small rueful laugh "Honestly" he shook his head "I always know what to do when it comes to doing business, but when it comes to family... I've never been very good at that"

"You've been pretty terrible" Weiss shot in a seething tone.

Jacques wanted to be angry with her, but he couldn't "You're right" he forced out.

"I am?" Weiss asked surprised before she realized what had come out of her mouth.

"I am not blind, Weiss. Despite popular belief, I know how frustrating I can be... an unfortunate necessity when it comes to running a large company, not that it excuses my behavior"

Weiss looked between his face and the flowers "Are those...?" she let the question hang.

"Yeah" he looked down at them, forgetting he even had them "I brought them for Winter"

"You waited until now?" Weiss asked.

"I knew she wasn't awake, and... I didn't think I would be welcome"

"How would you know if you didn't try?"

"I..." he sighed "There were other things I was doing but you're right... I should've made an effort-" he stopped when the door was pushed open behind her.

"Weiss, is something wrong out-" Qrow stopped when he saw who she was speaking with "-here" he finished.

"Who is it Qrow?" called Winter's voice from behind him.

Qrow looked down at Weiss, she gave a small shrug and moved aside to give her father room.

"It's uh..." Qrow stepped back "Your dad"

Winter's expression changed from curious to shocked as he moved into view, flowers in hand "Oh"

"Winter" he greeted after a brief moment of silence.

"What do you want?" She asked, a tight lipped expression on her face.

Jacques sighed "I don't blame you for thinking I want something... but I just wanted to see you. To know you were alright"

Winter's eyebrow quirked "I am" she looked to the flowers and back up to him, a ghost of a smile appeared on her face "Can we have a moment alone?" she asked looking to Qrow.

As surprised as he was by her request, he nodded nonetheless "Sure, we'll be right outside" he stepped out and closed the door behind him.

Jacques took a small step forward "Thank you for giving me this-"

"Snowdrops" Winter smiled.

Jacques looked down at the flowers in his hand and back to her "They were always your favorite when you were little"

"You remembered?" Winter didn't bother to conceal her surprise.

"I never forgot" he handed them to her.

Winter inhaled deeply, enjoying their faint scent. She placed them on the small table beside her bed "You said you didn't want anything from me. That you only wanted to see that I was alright..."

"I did-I do" he corrected.

"Yet you came alone" she shook her head "Does Whitley no longer care for me? Mother no longer allowed off your leash?"

"MY LEASH?!" Jacques asked in shock "I knew Willow was capable of a lot but this?" he sat down beside her, looking exasperated "I have never done anything to limit your mother's ability to live her life as she saw fit"

"Then why isn't she here?" Winter asked, crossing her arms.

"She and I don't see eye to eye on many things, Winter. But I have stayed with her all these years for you... for Weiss... for Whitley..." he placed his face into his open palm "Honestly I don't even know what she does when she leaves the house anymore. And she hasn't lifted a finger to keep her own company from collapsing after all these years. I've been swamped trying to keep everything together, both at home and at work"

"Don't try and use the company as an excuse for your negligence" Winter growled "The only thing you ever did at home was argue with Mom, or punish us for something"

"Because your mother refused to!" his voice was filled with sorrow "I'm not going to pretend I was father of the year, Winter. But do not doubt everything I did, I did because I thought it would be in your best interest, whether you thought it was or not"

"Like forbidding me from attending the academy?" her eyebrow quirked.

"I was worried about your safety, you had no prior training when you applied. I was worried you'd get thrown into the army instead"

"Yet you let Weiss go to Beacon?"

"I paid for her lessons years before she even spoke of attending that school, she always wanted to be a Huntress just like you" he gave a small smile at the memory.

"So Whitley being the only boy had nothing to do with your decision to introduce him into your company?" she asked knowingly.

"What would you have done if you had a child with no aspirations? I was hoping to give him some life skills before he decided if he wanted to choose a different path"

"You wouldn't allow him to choose something else unless you were forced" Winter sneered.

"I know I am far from the perfect parent, Winter. But surely you can see I am trying here" he sighed.

"Why are you really here, Dad?"

Jacques looked her in the eyes "I'm here..." he sighed "To ask for a second chance"

Winter's eyes went wide "What?"

He stood up and approached her bed "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, Winter. Marrying your mother, choosing to help run the company, trying to convince you out of being a Huntress..." he kneeled down to her level "But none of them matter to me more than the biggest mistake I ever made... not being there enough for the three of you. Maybe you wouldn't have wanted me around, or maybe I'd have screwed it up worse than I have already, but..." he looked like he might've been on the verge of tears as he looked away from her.

"Dad?" she asked with a small amount of concern.

He looked back up at her "When I heard you were in surgery... I lost it" his hands closed into fists "The thought of you dying... was more than I could bear. I wanted to come see you sooner... but I didn't think I would be welcome. I thought... maybe..." he sighed "Maybe once you had woken up, I'd have a chance of making up for past mistakes" he stood up straight "I'm sorry, Winter... for everything. I truly am. I want to make things right with you, all of you"

"Even Mom?" Winter asked.

"I'd like to try" he nodded "If she'll give me the chance"

The door opened abruptly "Oh, Councilor Schnee" Pietro's surprised voice came.

"Doctor" he nodded.

"Here for my check up" Winter smiled.

"As always" he chuckled "Though I imagine you enjoy it considerably less than I"

"No doubt" she rolled her eyes "Where's Weiss and Qrow?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, I'm still here. Haven't gone anywhere" Qrow's voice called as his head popped in "Weiss went to go get some food, hasn't eaten all morning"

"Good" Winter nodded.

"If you would, Councilor" Pietro motioned for him to step aside "You're welcome to stay, so long as Ms. Schnee doesn't mind"

"I do not" she smirked "But I don't think he'll want to stick around to see you change my bandages"

Jacques looked like he was about to throw up at the thought, he cleared his throat quickly "No, that's alright. I think I shall excuse myself" he stepped toward the door.

"Dad" Winter called. He turned back toward her.

"Yes?"

"If you're really serious about that offer..." she took a deep breathe "I'd be willing to give you a shot. Just don't expect a clean slate"

Jacques smiled "Don't worry. I don't. Thank you"

---

The black car pulled up to the entrance to the Schnee Dust Company processing factory of Mantle "Check on the shipments" the hooded figure ordered turning to the man beside them "Make sure everything is in order. We can't afford any mistakes on this"

"Of course" he nodded. Opening the door, he stepped out and placed his top hat on, closing the door behind him. He made his way toward the entrance as the car pulled away.

The building was full of tired Faunus workers, each of them wearing black collars with faint blinking red lights on them. There was Schnee security guards watching their every move, with cameras lining the walls.

"Inspector" a dark haired woman approached him with a firm greeting.

"Supervisor" he nodded.

"We weren't expecting you today. Are you looking to see the shipping containers we received two nights ago?" she asked.

"Indeed" he stepped forward and motioned for the container in front of him to be opened.

"I assure you, we haven't opened them since delivery"

"Good" he waited as the two Faunus workers opened the container, revealing Dust packed all the way to the top "You've weighed the containers I take it?" he asked looking back at her.

"Yes, Inspector. They're within regulation" she nodded.

"Excellent work. Schnee will be pleased"

One of the guard's hands moved to his earpiece, he nodded. He quickly made his way to the Inspector "Sir, one of our motion sensors went offline about a minute ago. None of our cameras saw anything"

"Sweep the perimeter, make sure no rats takes an unhealthy interest" he ordered.

"Yes, Sir-" Yang landed on his back, smashing him into the ground. Grabbing a handful of the Dust from the open container next to her, she threw them at the closest guard to her, disorienting him as he pulled an electrified baton out.

Yang grabbed his arm with both hands as he attempted to strike her, breaking his arm with her metal fist slamming into the back of his elbow. A second man approached her from behind with a baton in hand, she caught it in her metal hand and twirled beneath his arm, wrenching it from his hand as she got behind him, slamming it into his face. He was thrown into the Dust containers behind him, knocking them over like dominoes.

Large amounts of Dust shattered on the ground, causing a mini explosion. Yang used the smoke from the explosion to hide from her target as he aimed a gun in her direction, she deflected the bullet with her gauntlet and kicked the next man across the face as the smoke neared him.

Her target turned to run, making it only a few steps before a rope wrapped around his neck, pulling him backward toward her, she forced his face onto the nearby table, the barrel of Ember Celica against his face.

"Who the hell are you? What do you want?"

"Information" she forced his arm behind his back painfully "What business does Schnee have with those gangsters? What're they all being recruited for?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" he cried.

Yang fired beside his head, leaving a burnt hole in the table "Don't lie to me. I saw you paying the Spades gang leader. What are these shipments for? What do they have to do with the man who tried to kidnap my sister!?" she shouted.

"We were paying them to move some shipments for the company under the radar. We just wanted to make sure Ironwood didn't stop them from being shipped out of the kingdom!" he took a breath before continuing "Mr. Schnee has always been against the embargo, he just wants to make sure his business keeps making money is all. I swear, I don't know anything about your sister. I don't even know who you're talking about"

"Who was in the car with you? The one with the gun?" she asked.

"Who?" he asked. Yang grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him off the table, she caught his neck with her metal hand and lifted him into the air.

"You do not want to piss me off right now" her Aura flared, her eyes flashing red.

"Okay, okay! It was Mr. Schnee! I swear, just please don't hurt me" she dropped him onto the floor.

"See? We could've made that completely painless if you had just answered my questions. I'm sure you'll be answering a lot of those soon enough"

"Stop right there!" the security guards held their guns level with her.

"I'll let you boys handle it from here" Yang gave a small smile "I have an appointment I'm late for" Atlas soldiers stormed in from the entrance.

"Drop your weapons!" they shouted. Yang simply held up her license "Huntress on duty!" the one marked as the sergeant called to his men, their weapons shifted away from her and to the security guards.

"Make sure this one gets to General Ironwood" she motioned toward the inspector "He'll want to hear what he has to say"

"Yes, Ma'am"

"I'm also going to need some officers to meet me south of here to make a few more arrests once I am finished questioning them" she added.

"I'll radio the station and requisition some men to help you, just need a time and place"

"Will they take long?"

"We have a pretty fast response time, Ma'am. But you don't need to worry, the boys love working with Huntsmen like you. You'll find no shortage of volunteers"

She smirked "Good"

---

Oscar stood in the center of the training room surrounded by Blake, Jaune, Nora and Ruby. Ren stood off to the side, observing.

"Ready?" Jaune asked.

"Ready" he answered back, a determined glint in his eye.

Nora lifted Magnhild over her head and swung downward at Oscar. He shifted to the left around her strike and blocked Jaune's overhead strike from behind. Blake thrust her blade toward his chest, he deflected the strike with his own weapon causing her to stumble from her own momentum.

Ruby swung Crescent Rose horizontally toward his chest, Oscar blocked the strike, using his open hand to keep the cane steady. He pushed her scythe back, stumbling her as he ducked beneath a second strike from Jaune.

Jaune twisted out of the way of Nora thrusting Magnhild. Oscar twisted around her attack, using his cane to force her to the other side of him. Blake performed an overhead strike for Oscar, he narrowly managed to block it before smacking her in the back with his cane, she rolled forward with the momentum of her strike.

Jaune held his shield up to block a second strike from Oscar, but the force behind his strike caused him to fall on his back. Twisting around, he thrust his cane forward, stopping mere inches from Ruby's face as she prepared to strike, stopping her in her tracks.

"Again?" Oscar asked lowering The Long Memory.

Ruby nodded "Again"

Oscar ducked beneath Blake's strike for his back, punching her in the abdomen before using the hilt of his cane to strike Nora in her side, knocking them both over.

Crescent Rose's blade folded in slightly as Ruby trust it toward Oscar. He managed to block the strike and catch her right wrist in his hand. Turning toward Jaune, he struck his cane toward his head, forcing him to block with his shield. Oscar flipped the cane over in his hand as he shifted his stance, kicking Ruby in her abdomen as he struck the back of Jaune's knee with the handle of his cane.

Oscar spun on his backfoot and struck each of them across the face with his cane, throwing them all onto their backs.

"Very impressive, Mr. Pine" Ironwood's voice called from behind them.

"Thank you, General" he smiled widely. Oscar offered his hand to Ruby, she accepted

Ironwood offered his hand to Blake, Ren helped up Nora and Jaune propped himself up "Thank you" Ironwood nodded in return to her.

"Do you need something from us, General?" Ren asked curiously.

"Always right to the point with you" he smiled "I do have a mission for you, but I was curious as to how you've been progressing with your training"

"As you can see, Oscar is picking up on things quickly" Jaune gave a light laugh.

"Handing us our asses on a silver platter is more like it" Nora griped.

"That's to be expected of course" Ironwood folded his arms behind his back "Qrow and Slade certainly haven't been taking it easy on you according to Winter"

"How is she?" Ruby asked concerned.

"As well as can be expected" Ironwood smiled "She's been recovering well, and now that she's awake, Pietro says she should be good to leave as soon as tomorrow"

"I imagine she won't be doing any field duty for awhile" Jaune pointed out.

"Not likely for a few days yet at least" he agreed "Now, as to the mission I have for you"

"Anything fun?" Nora asked excitedly.

"I'm afraid not" Ironwood chuckled at her deflated expression "I want you to head to the Schnee estate and speak with Willow and Whitley Schnee. I need to learn everything I can about Jacques before I am certain he could become an asset"

"Asset?" Ren looked surprised.

"What about me? I'm not even a proper Huntsman. What am I supposed to say?" Oscar asked.

"Not to worry. I thought of that" he handed Oscar another ID.

"Probationary Huntsman" he read aloud.

"You're officially 'shadowing' these Huntsmen" he gestured to the others around him "I trust you can make that work, Mr. Pine?"

Oscar smiled brightly "Of course, General. Thank you, General"

"No thanks necessary. You've more than earned it. Any questions regarding the mission?"

"You want us to question Weiss' mother and brother... for dirt on her father?" Blake's eyebrow quirked up.

"Willow isn't on great terms with Jacques, so if he's hiding anything from us, she'd be the one who'd know" Ironwood answered.

"I doubt you'd need all of us to talk to two people" Jaune pointed out.

"Sharp as ever I see" Ironwood unfolded his arms from behind his back "No, I need a few of you to speak with them and see if you can learn anything useful. The other members coming with you will be sneaking into his office to see if you can find any evidence of duplicity. Jacques could very well be our traitor"

"The Schnee estate is massive, there's no way we could sneak around the house and find what we're looking for without getting caught" Oscar concluded.

"Not without help no" Ironwood agreed.

"That's why I am coming with you" Weiss announced as she and Qrow entered the room.

"Winter is still doing well?" Ironwood asked barely turning toward them.

"She's fine" Qrow answered "Ruby will be taking Jaune, Nora and Oscar to question the family. Weiss will be sneaking Ren, Blake and I into his office. Once we're there, we connect one of our scrolls to his computer. Pietro and Penny will handle the rest from there" he explained.

"Sounds easy enough" Blake concluded "Why exactly are Yang and Slade being the only ones left out of this mission?" she asked curiously.

"Slade is shadowing Jacques to see if he can catch him 'in the act' so to speak, and Yang has been investigating criminal dealings within Mantle that could be related" Ironwood answered.

"When do you need us there?" Ruby asked.

"We leave now"

"How do you know my father won't show up while we're there?" Weiss asked curiously.

"Because I will unfortunately be attending another one of these damned council meetings" Ironwood sighed "You'll know if he's leaving as soon as I do" he pointed to his ear piece "We're all going to be hearing each other, the whole time"

"I suppose I'd better watch my mouth then" Nora joked.

"I expect my ears can handle it Ms. Valkyrie" he chuckled.

---

The moon illuminated the cold winter night, a Raven soaring through the air, it perched itself on a rooftop and watched the street below. A girl with long blonde hair entered the bar across the street from the Raven.

"Reolin Hanson, in the flesh" she called grabbing a chair from nearby, she flipped it around and sat in it.

"I might be, depends on why you're asking, beautiful"

She flashed him a smile and held her license in hand "Yang Xiao Long. I have a few questions for you"

"A Huntress? For little old me? I'm touched Ironwood thinks so highly of me, but I don't have time to answer your questions. I'm off the clock" he motioned for her to be dealt with. Several men moved from their places at the bar to attack her.

Yang stood and caught his fist in her arm, twisting it around his back as she stepped around him and slammed her knee into his face, throwing him onto his back. A second approached to strike her from behind, she lifted the chair in her hand and smashed it over his head knocking him to the ground.

With only the top of the chair remaining in her hand, she used it to block a knife headed right toward her head, twisting around she slammed it down into the knee of her next attacker stabbing the knife into his leg through the chair piece.

Releasing her grip on the chair, she spun on her heel and smashed her elbows into both of her attacker's face with a loud crack echoing through the bar. Leaping up as they dropped to their knees, she kicked them both in the face, catching herself on her hand. Spinning on her hand, she slammed her heel into the crouch of the next man preparing to strike her.

The man wheezed painfully and dropped onto his front. Yang pushed herself to her feet "Get her!" yelled Reolin as he pushed a man toward her. Yang easily backhanded the frightened man out of her way and caught Reolin's arm, narrowly avoiding the knife in his hand aimed for her face.

He was thrown back against the bar as she slammed her head into his nose. He reached for the gun strapped to his waist, Yang caught his arm with her metal hand and forced it up as the gun fired three times. Grabbing him by the back of his collar, she slammed his head into the bar and dragged him across it, tossing him to the ground.

Reolin tried to crawl away from her as she flipped him over with a swift kick to his abdomen "Wait!" he coughed out.

"You'd better make it good"

"Easy, easy, I'll cut ya in on the action, Lady. I'm sure he could use a talented Huntress such as yourself"

Yang's eyes narrowed "Talk, now"

"Here" he thrust the money he was given toward her "Take it all, I don't care. Just don't rough up me and my boys anymore-" she smashed her fist into his chest, causing him to cry out in pain.

"I'm not looking for a payout!" she grabbed the money from him "I'm looking for information, tell me everything you know about the man you're recruiting for"

"You're serious? You don't know who he is?" he laughed "If you don't already know, I ain't gonna be the one to tell ya"

Yang cracked her knuckles "You sure about that?"

"Look, Lady. He ain't the type of guy ya wanna cross. He could have me killed like that" he snapped his fingers "Atlesian custody ain't enough to keep me safe from him"

Yang slammed her fist into his chest once more, cracking a rib. He shouted in pain "Hit me all ya want, it isn't gonna make me talk. He's more dangerous than any of your Huntsmen"

"More dangerous?" Yang's eyebrow quirked.

"He's part of the Chimera ya see"

"Chimera" Yang looked confused.

Reolin choked out a laugh "Ya don't even know what they are?" he waved her off "I'm done talking, so just arrest me already. I'll be out by the end of the weekend anyhow"

"I wouldn't count on it" Yang placed the money on the bar "Sorry about all that" she gave a light wave and quickly exited out the front door. Reolin reached for his gun and aimed it right for Yang. Pulling the trigger, he was shocked to find it empty.

Yang looked back at the man with a smirk on her face "Missing something?" she asked holding up several rounds of ammunition in her hand.

Several soldiers and mechs entered the bar around her "Sorry we're late, Ma'am" the man marked as their captain saluted her.

"Not a problem, Captain. I was just finishing up here" she quirked an eyebrow at him "You know what he was talking about?"

"Chimera?" he scoffed "Ya, it's garbage. There's no such thing, just boogeymen. Something you tell your kids to keep em in line"

"Be good or Chimera will get you?" Yang asked.

"Yes, Ma'am. Ghost story" He stepped aside as several of the gang members were being led out the door by the soldiers.

Yang looked unconvinced but nonetheless, allowed them to carry on. Stepping out of the bar Yang watched as a raven took flight off the nearby rooftop, soaring through the air away from her.

"Mom?" she asked aloud.

---

Ironwood sighed deeply "Councilor, I understand your hesitation-"

"Hesitation?" Harris asked incredulously "You ask us to take your word at every turn" she snarled "You say someone is sabotaging our kingdom from inside on YOUR watch, you say there is an army of Grimm amassing against us, yet provide no proof! We were just attacked in this very room, and you ask us to ignore who you choose to associate yourself with?" she scoffed "Hesitation? I'd say we're along way from hesitating to trust your word at this point"

"While..." Rawlings sighed "I cannot say I completely agree with Councilor Harris' attitude on the situation. She does raise several fine points. We were all attacked by a known criminal, and you have risen one of her old associates to the rank of Huntsman after he failed out of Beacon Academy" he gestured between himself and the other Councilors "You have to give us something, James"

"I wish I could, Councilor" Ironwood's metal hand closed into a fist "I have several operations underway to uncover the identity of our saboteur. Telling you now could expose my men and put them at risk just as much as the rest of you. As for the Grimm massing against us, you need only look at Argus and the kingdom of Vale to see I speak the truth"

Harris sighed exasperatedly "Not this again"

"Councilor, I know we've been over this before-"

"Vale has nothing to do with us, General. Argus has suffered increased attacks from the Grimm because of the lack of Huntsmen in the area after Lionheart's unfortunate passing, we all know this"

"Yet a team of my very own Huntsmen had to fight an unusually large amount of Grimm within the kingdom while hunting a known criminal"

"Likely because they were attracted to the criminal they were hunting" Harris pointed out.

"In such large numbers?" Ironwood asked "Perhaps you have a theory as to how on several different occasions, my own soldiers have been replaced by people with no criminal record?"

"In our kingdom" Rawlings argued "It's entirely possible this criminal they were hunting hired people from outside the kingdom, we don't have access to their systems after Vale fell after all"

"Awfully convenient isn't it?"

"General..." Harris sighed.

They continued to bicker back and forth, Jacques was completely disinterested in the conversation, he hadn't heard a word they'd said for sometime now. He's been too focused on his scroll, he had several missed phone calls and messages all telling him he needed to watch the news as soon as possible or to get in touch with the legal team immediately.

"Councilor Schnee?" Rawlings called.

"Councilor!" Ironwood's voice boomed snapping his attention back to the table.

"Yes?" he looked up abruptly "Apologies" he waved his hand dismissively "Something seems to have happened with my company I will need to address as soon as we adjourn"

"That's quite alright" Rawlings nodded in understanding "Surely you have an opinion on this matter though, considering it involves your own daughter"

"Who nearly died" Harris added.

Jacques expression turned dark as he looked in Ironwood's direction "I may not know enough about the Grimm to be able to definitively say there isn't something to what you say, General. But I would at least like to know if this criminal who tried to kill my daughter is related to the attack we suffered in this very room"

"I told you already, Councilor. I cannot speak about operations-"

"Please, General" Harris scoffed "We all know the operation isn't top secret or ongoing, you needn't hide behind regulations that don't exist"

The door to the chamber suddenly opened, Penny entered quickly and approached Ironwood, she whispered in his ear.

"When?"

"Just now" she said loud enough for the others to hear.

"Good" he nodded "Wait for me outside, we'll go as soon as I wrap up here"

"Yes, Sir" she gave a firm salute and marched out of the room.

"Everything alright, General?" Jacques asked.

"Quite, though I suspect you will want to tag along after we're done here" he turned his attention back to Harris "Perhaps you're right, we're not actively hunting him anymore so no need to keep it secret until we have some new intel" he sighed "I placed Specialist Winter Schnee and Qrow Branwen in charge of a team of Huntsmen to capture the criminal known as Tyrian Callows, he's responsible for more Huntsmen deaths than any other criminal we have on record. Unfortunately they were ambushed by a large contingent of Grimm and criminals who masqueraded as my scout team, they had killed them and stolen their equipment" Jacques eyes widened in shock at the name, but he remained silent.

"I take it Mr. Callows is responsible for Specialist Schnee's injuries" Rawlings concluded.

"He is indeed, and for the deaths of the other Huntsmen" Ironwood answered "As for your question, Councilor Schnee; Tyrian Callows is an associate of Cinder Fall, the woman responsible for the attack on Beacon Academy, she in turn was an associate of Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan. The one responsible for the attack during the operation was Neopolitan"

"Yet you still have one of her associates, Slade Stroud, in your inner circle?" Jacques asked narrowing his eyes.

"I do, and I believe that was the right course of action" he smiled.

"Do tell, General" Harris folded her hands in front of her.

"Slade Stroud was in charge of the rescue team I sent after Specialist Schnee. Were it not for his personal intervention, she very well could've perished. Your daughter owes her life to Mr. Stroud"

Jacques was unable to hide his surprise, he cleared his throat "I suppose that is one point in his favor, but don't expect me to trust him so readily"

"Oh I don't, but maybe a thank you next time you see him wouldn't be uncalled for" he smirked.

"Is there anything else?" Jacques asked.

"Indeed, but not for the whole council" Ironwood stood from his place "Ms. Xiao Long has just apprehended a member of your company working with a criminal element within the city of Mantle. According to him, you're the one who told him to do it" he smiled.

"WHAT!?" Jacques shouted incredulously.

"Easy, Councilor" Ironwood held his hand up to try and calm him "His word alone won't be enough to convince me you're involved, but I do think you'll be interested to hear what he has to say while in interrogation" he gestured toward the door "Care to join us?"

Jacques grumbled "If it's not one thing, it's the other. This is all I need"

---

Ruby, Jaune, Nora and Oscar made their way up the entryway to the Schnee Mansion.

"I can't believe we're finally meeting Weiss' brother and mother... while we're lying to their faces" Jaune laughed "I suppose I always did want you to introduce me to your family when we started dating back when we went to Beacon"

"In your dreams, Vomitboy" Weiss' voice came through his earpiece. Nora bellowed with laughter.

"C'mon, guys" Ruby looked nervous "We need to make this look good"

"Right, we can't just keep talking to them while we're in earshot" Oscar agreed.

"Just relax" Ren tried to comfort them "Just don't do anything to give us away, and keep them talking long enough to find what we're here for"

"Uncle Qrow, you're awfully quiet" Ruby was met with a loud "CAW!" she laughed "Right"

"Oooooh!" Nora bounced up to the door excitedly "Can I?"

"Sure, Nora. Just not too-"

Nora began excitedly slamming her fist into the door "Hellooooooooo!" she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Loud" Jaune finished.

"Sorry" Nora looked back sheepishly "I've never been inside a house this big before, it's exciting"

A deep sigh "At least try and act professional Ms. Valkyrie" Ironwood's voice came through just below a whisper.

"How're you doing that?" Blake asked "Can't the other councilors hear you?"

"The earpieces work sub-vocally" Weiss explained "If you speak lower than a whisper, than only we can hear you"

"Must look pretty weird moving your mouth without saying anything" Ruby giggled.

"Just focus on the task at hand Ms. Rose. Allow me to worry about how I look" a low beep indicated his earpiece was no longer recording audio from his end. Just then, the front door opened revealing Whitley Schnee.

Whitley has white hair and light blue eyes with a fair complexion. His hair is mostly pushed to left, although he does have a cowlick. Whitley is fairly tall with a slender build. His attire consists of a short-sleeved white dress shirt, the sleeves fastened just above his elbows by navy blue cuffs, each with twin gold buttons. Over his untucked shirt, he wears a light blue vest, with a black handkerchief in his right breast pocket. He also wears a black necktie, navy blue trousers and black dress shoes.

"What can I do for you?" he asked in an exasperated tone.

The four of them held up their Huntsmen licenses "Hi" Ruby waved with her free hand "We just have a few questions to ask you and your mother regarding your father-"

"Oh my goodness!" Nora practically screamed picking up Whitley by his waist "You're so adorable! Why doesn't Weiss talk about you more? I want to see pictures!"

"P-put me down! I am not some pet to be manhandled!"

"Ooops!" Nora released him, causing him to fall on his back "Sorry"

"Sorry about that, Nora can be a little..." Jaune began as he offered his hand to Whitley, looking for the right word.

"Ball of sunshine?" Nora finished for him.

"Something like that" Oscar chuckled.

Whitley dusted himself off, picking himself up off the floor without Jaune's help "Aren't you all a little young to be Huntsmen?" he asked aloud "And how is it you know my sister?"

"We are indeed, not that you're the first to notice. Though technically I'm on a probationary period" Oscar gestured between himself and the others "My name is Oscar. These three are former classmates of Weiss. Jaune, Nora and Ruby"

"I see" Whitley sighed "General Ironwood deigned to make you all Huntsmen including my sister because he's undermanned" he shook his head "Come along then" he gestured for them to follow.

"Well isn't he a bundle of joy" Blake groaned.

"He seems to take after my father the most" Weiss laughed.

The front door closed behind them just after a crow flew in undetected and made it's way to one of the locked windows on the second floor. Flying through the hallway, he transformed back into human form, opening the window he pulled Blake, Weiss and Ren through the window. Closing it behind them to make sure no one noticed the draft.

"We're in" he quietly announced as he pressed two of his fingers to his earpieces "Keep us posted with the Schnee's locations" he turned to Weiss and gestured for her to lead the way.

Ruby's team was led into a dimly lit room, only illuminated by the fireplace in the center of the room, the sound of a piano playing lightly echoing through the hall.

"Wait here" Whitley gestured to the nearby chairs and couch. Approaching the closed door, he knocked firmly. The gentle sound of the piano abruptly turned to one loud off key note "Mother, we have guests who'd like to speak with you"

Ruby looked at her friends and shrugged, after a moment of silence the door opened just enough for her to slip through, closing it behind her.

"Guests, you say?" she observed them with a cold, calculating gaze.

Willow is a fair-skinned woman with slate-blue eyes. She wears her white hair tied up in a bun, low on the right side of the back of her head, while her bangs are shaped around the left side of her face and a small curled lock of hair reaching almost to her shoulders. Her attire is colored navy blue, white and gray, consisting of a white coat with sleeves that expose her upper arms, a red-lined high collar and a red brooch.

"May I ask why they're here?" she turned her gaze to her son.

"They're Huntsmen, here to ask some questions about father" he answered nervously.

"I see" she smiled brightly "General Ironwood believes my husband could be using his position to commit duplicitous deeds behind his back like his predecessor" she chuckled darkly "Never has Jacque replaced a more fitting role model"

Ruby looked between a very nervous Whitley and the calculating gaze of Willow "Does that mean you know of anything he might've done before or during his appointment as a councilor?" Jaune asked.

"Not specifically" she shook her head. Taking a seat across from them, she sighed deeply "I haven't been personally involved in my company since my husband took over, and I never asked what he was doing with his personal time so long as he wasn't bringing it home with him, those were our rules after all"

"She makes it sound so one sided" Weiss sighed.

"We've just entered his office, just keep them busy for a few more minutes" Qrow added.

Nora looked to the table beside her, there was a small red button on it. She got a mischievous glint in her eye "What's this do" she pressed the button without waiting for an answer.

"Please I would rather you don't touch that" Whitley called.

"This?" Nora asked innocently as she pushed it again.

"Did you hear what I said? Hands off"

Nora looked between him and his mother before pressing it again.

"Seriously? Somebody says don't touch that and the first thing you do is touch it?" Am I not being clear enough? Stop touching that!"

Willow laughed "It's killing you, isn't it? You traveled hundreds of miles across two different kingdoms to end up in Atlas and now you really want to know what that does"

"How do you know we traveled across two kingdoms to get here?" Jaune asked surprised.

"Please, you think you do anything my daughter doesn't tell me about?" Nora pushed it again, Willow's attention shifted back to her.

"I never told her we were coming here, and I certainly didn't say anything about what we've been through" Weiss' voice assured them.

"Maybe Winter did?" Blake asked.

"It'd be news to me, she hasn't spoken with mother for years-"

"Guys, we have a problem" Ren alerted them.

"You're thinking: Maybe a Grimm will pop out if I just keep pushing it" Willow smiled "Go ahead. Touch it one more time, and then I'll let you in on the secret"

Nora pushed it again "Right, well every time you touch that button one of our workers dies at random from electric shock directly from their computer" she winked to show she wasn't telling the truth. Nora grinned, pushing it with her full palm this time.

Whitley groaned "And yet you did it again. Good thing she was lying, it doesn't actually do anything. It's been broken for the past three days and no one has been in to fix it yet, given the lockdown. You'd think you would've figured it out after the 20th try"

Ruby laughed nervously "What's the problem?" she whispered.

"My father met with Tyrian... in this very room" Weiss answered.

"He's working with Tyrian!" Jaune barely managed to contain himself.

"Something wrong?" Willow asked.

The door swung wide open, revealing Qrow Branwen "Sorry for the intrusion" he gave a curt wave to Willow and Whitley as he showed his Huntsmen license to them "But General Ironwood needs us all back at the Academy immediately"

"How did you get in here?" Willow asked.

"I used the front door" he answered with a smile.

Willow matched his, standing from her seat "Don't let me keep you" she gestured toward the door "Clearly you have more pressing matters to deal with" she turned toward Qrow "Stay a moment, Mr. Branwen. I have some questions for you"

Qrow looked to Ruby and gave a quick nod "I'll meet you back at the academy"

"It was really nice meeting you both" Ruby gave a small wave as she quickly exited with her friends.

"Thank you for your time" Jaune called over his shoulder.

"If you ever need someone to test buttons" Nora gestured to herself "I'm your girl" she grinned.

"We'll be sure to think of you" Willow gave a light laugh.

"Thank you for your hospitality" Oscar quickly followed behind his friends.

"General, if you can hear us; we need to warn Slade. Tyrian could know our every move" Worry was clear in Blake's voice.

A low beep could be heard through their earpieces "Stroud can handle himself. Just get back here as soon as you can, all of you. Something has happened"

Willow turned toward her son "Whitley, be a dear and give us some privacy"

"Yes, mother" he exited the room, Qrow didn't like the nervous look on his face.

"What's happened?" Ren asked concerned.

"It'd be better if you saw it for yourselves"

"Would you like tea or coffee?" Willow asked taking her seat once more, her legs crossing.

"Neither, thank you" Qrow sat opposite her.

"Something a bit stronger perhaps?" her gaze shifted to the flask on his belt.

Qrow's hand hovered over it "No. That's alright. I try not to drink anymore"

"That's good, I am sure your nieces are glad to see you taking better care of yourself"

"What do you know of my nieces?" he asked furrowing his brow.

"I know a great many things about you, Mr. Branwen" she smiled "Your sister Raven Branwen is a wanted criminal, your oldest niece Yang Xiao Long is the only one who's actually related to you by blood and Summer Rose, Ruby's mother has been dead for nearly two decades now"

Qrow's eyes narrowed at her "What does any of that have to do with-"

"My husband?" she tilted her head "Just making sure you know, that I know more about you and your friends than you might think... and giving a warning. If you try to play this game with him and tear down everything he has built these past few decades... well" she grinned "Let's just say he will try and do the same to you, and if he doesn't... I will"

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yes. You see..." she stood from her chair, folding her arms behind her back "I know you're going to chase these shadows for Ironwood until their inevitable end. But some shadows, are best left alone. When two objects of equal force collide... there is always damage left behind, of a collateral nature. You wouldn't want your family to get hurt now would you? Are you really sure you want to play this game, Mr. Branwen?"

"I'm afraid you'd lose"

"Would I?" she grinned "I'm afraid you might not know what your up against"

"If you try and harm my family, or threaten those I care about again... I will not be held responsible for what happens to you" Qrow stood and turned to leave.

"Better hurry, you wouldn't want Mr. Stroud to get in any trouble while you've been delayed" she gave a knowing smile. Qrow glared back at her before leaving.

"General, find Slade. Now"

---

"You're the reason we're stuck in here to begin with!" Reolin shouted.

"Settle down Hanson-"

"You don't tell me to settle down!" he stood from his chair abruptly "What did you tell them?!"

"I told the huntress exactly what she asked for, and nothing more" he smiled.

Yang, Penny, Ironwood and Jacques stood on the other side of the glass, watching the two men argue loudly.

"Reolin Hanson and Inspector Liam Ferguson" Ironwood turned to Yang "How're they related?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet" Yang sighed crossing her arms over her chest "Reolin has been making deliveries to the Dust Company factory in Mantle, and Ferguson said they were trying to get around the embargo" she turned to Jacques "There was someone else in the car with him when he paid Reolin, I couldn't identify them. He said it was you"

"Me?" Jacques asked shocked "I haven't left the Academy all day today"

"Easy, Councilor" Ironwood placed his hand onto his shoulder "I know you weren't the one with him. The real question, is why would he try to frame you for this crime? And of course, whether or not you actually were trying to get around the embargo"

"You know the main reason I became a councilor was to revoke the embargo, and I am still doing my best on that particular matter" he shook off Ironwood "But I would never stoop to smuggling to make up for the money I've been losing. Especially not with a thug like him" he gestured to Reolin.

"Good" Ironwood smirked "Then you won't mind going in there to question your employee"

"Me? You want me to go in there with them!?" he asked incredulously.

"Unless of course you already know why the Faunus had shock collars on in your factory" Yang snarled.

"Or why the Dust containers your company was smuggling out of the kingdom had corpses in them" Ironwood added, shocking Yang and Jacques.

"Corpses!?" They both practically shouted.

Jacques swung the door open to the observation room "That's it!" he stepped outside and quickly entered the interrogation room.

"Mr. Schnee-" Ferguson began.

"Silence!" he growled as he sat down across from him.

"Sir?"

"Nice of you to join us, boss" Reolin laughed.

"You do not work for me" Jacques glared "I don't know who put you up to this, but I assure you... you've made a grave mistake making an enemy of me" he turned back to Ferguson "You on the other hand have a lot of explaining to do"

"However do you mean?" he asked with a smirk.

"Faunus workers in my factory with SHOCK COLLARS!?" he shouted.

"Well they weren't being paid, so I wouldn't really say they were workers" he grinned "Of course, they knew they couldn't say anything about what they saw or they'd be killed"

"Because you were smuggling corpses out of the kingdom?"

"When Chimera hires you to do a job, you don't turn them down"

Ironwood looked at Yang "Chimera?"

"Reolin said something about them too, but your officer said they didn't exist"

"I thought they didn't" Ironwood turned back to the conversation.

"You really think it's a good idea to let him question them?"

"I know he isn't involved with these men, his reaction was far too genuine"

"What or who is Chimera? And what the hell does that have to do with you committing crimes in MY NAME!?"

"Well..." Ferguson suddenly looked pained "Urk!" blood spurted out of his mouth and he collapsed

"What the hell?!" Reolin shouted standing up "What's wrong with him?"

Ironwood slammed the door open and grabbed Ferguson, checking his pulse he found none. His veins had turned completely black.

"What just happened?" Yang asked.

"He's dead" Ironwood sighed.

"But there was no sound, he just died" Jacques was mortified.

Reolin suddenly collapsed "Penny!" Ironwood called.

"Already on it, Sir" she was scanning them both to find the cause of death "What in the world is that?" she wondered aloud.

"What is it, Penny?" Yang asked.

"There's something black inside them, pulsing with life... but..." the pulsing mass inside both of them suddenly became stagnant before quickly falling apart "It just broke itself down" she knelt beside Reolin's corpse.

"What did?" Ironwood asked.

"I don't know... it was made out of the same thing as... the Grimm" She looked at Ironwood with a worried expression.

"Councilor... will you give us the room?" he asked placing his hands onto the table.

"What just happened?! What does she mean it was made out of the same thing as Grimm? What is going on here?"

"Councilor, I don't understand what just happened any more than you do. Give. us. the room" came his firm reply.

Jacques gulped "R-right, I'll just... I have to make a call" he stepped outside quickly, leaving Yang and Penny alone with Ironwood and the bodies.

"General-" Yang began as the door closed.

"AAAAAAURGHH! he screamed in rage, throwing the table into the wall. He was breathing heavily "They were the only lead we had! The only connection to Salem we could find in the whole damned kingdom, and now it's gone!" he smashed his metal fist into the glass, shattering it.

"General!" Penny called placing her hand onto his shoulder "You need to calm down"

"I need answers!" he shouted back as he turned to them "If we don't do something soon, we're going to lose everything!"

"Slade is still on his mission, maybe he'll uncover something more" Yang offered.

"Yang's right. Ruby and the others could turn something up too, we still haven't exhausted all of our options yet"

Ironwood took several deep breaths, straightening himself out "You're right... you're right... I'm sorry" he rubbed his eyes tiredly "All of these losses keep mounting on us, and I can't keep giving the council excuses" he gave them with an apologetic look "We'll find something, even Salem can't think of everything"

"Guys, we have a problem" Ren alerted him through his earpiece.

Ruby laughed nervously "What's the problem?" she whispered.

"My father met with Tyrian... in this very room" Weiss answered.

"He's working with Tyrian!" Jaune barely managed to contain himself.

Ironwood gave a small smile "We've got something"

"What do you mean?" Yang looked confused.

"Your friends just found out Jacques has been working with Mr. Callows"

"I'll kill him" Yang punched her fists together.

"Get in line" he chuckled "Let's go have a chat with him"

"General, if you can hear us; we need to warn Slade. Tyrian could know our every move" Worry was clear in Blake's voice.

Ironwood placed two fingers on his earpiece "Stroud can handle himself. Just get back here as soon as you can, all of you. Something has happened"

"What's happened?" Ren asked concerned.

"It'd be better if you saw it for yourselves"

---

Jacques stood in the garden, looking up at the night sky "Where the hell is he?" he growled.

"Making sure you weren't followed" Tyrian laughed "You called for me?"

"You promised to get me into office, and so far you have held up your end of the bargain. So, now I need to know... what do you get out of this?"

"We already talked about this did we not?" he folded his arms behind his back "A few favors. You will know when the time comes"

"I was content to leave it at that, until you almost killed my daughter!" he turned toward Tyrian, a gun in his hand.

Tyrian bellowed with laughter "You really believe you're going to accomplish anything with that?" he knocked the gun aside with his tail "Please, I kill Huntsmen for fun"

"Why?"

"Why?" Tyrian looked back confused.

"Why her? Why my daughter?"

"Because she was there" Tyrian turned his back on him laughing all the while.

"That was it? Because she was right in front of you, you could just kill her!?" he shouted furiously.

"Please, don't act like you actually care. You and I both know, the only thing you care about is money and power"

"Your right, I do care about money and power" he looked down at his feet "But my children... I am still their father, despite all my faults. I can't just let you get away with what you've done, you'll only try again"

"Then it seems we have a problem" a voice called from behind him. Jacques turned around to see a horrifying image before him.

"Your grace" Tyrian knelt before her.

"W-w-what the hell are you?" Jacques took a step back in terror.

Salem smiled "My name, is Salem. I am the thing that keeps General Ironwood up at night" she laughed "And now it would seem, I do so for you as well"

"You... you look like... the Grimm"

"Do you believe that to be a coincidence?" she tilted her head "Go on, Tyrian. I'll handle Mr. Schnee"

"Yes, your grace" Tyrian quickly scampered off, leaving Jacques and Salem all on their own.

"I was pleased to know you agreed to work with Tyrian, after all... It is so hard to find good help nowadays. Your company has done so much to aid my cause, it is only fitting you're now apart of it"

"Ferguson, he's who you're talking about?"

"Of course, and a few others" she grinned "I have eyes and ears everywhere. Ironwood knows this, it's why he's so paranoid. Why he seems to be fighting an enemy that doesn't exist"

"You're behind the attacks on Vale and Mistral aren't you?"

"Don't forget Argus" she folded her arms behind her "It's a shame Haven didn't go better. I so would've liked to have the lamp in my possession"

"Lamp?" he asked confused.

"Surely you've seen it" she held up her right hand, producing a cloud of dark smoke, revealing an image of the lamp as it dissipated "The boy, Oscar Pine. He's been carrying it with him ever since he arrived here in Atlas"

"What is it?"

"That doesn't concern you. What does concern you, is I want it. And the staff that's holding up Atlas"

"Holding it up?" he looked shocked "If you remove that, won't the city fall?"

"It would, eventually" she smiled "But what does one city matter? Or two if you include Mantle. I will reshape the world, make it better than what it is right now... no kingdoms, no rules, and no Huntsmen"

"Does that include my daughters" he glared.

"You already know the answer to that now, don't you?"

"I will never work with you, not so long as you pose even the slightest threat to them"

"You would rather die than turn against your family?"

"There aren't many things I would take a bullet for..." he looked away "I'm not a good man, and I certainly haven't tried to be... not when it mattered" he looked back at her "But I have always cared for them, even when I didn't know it myself... so yes, I would"

"Such a shame" a blade as black as the night formed above her right shoulder "Then it would seem you have to die" the blade suddenly lurched forward. Jacques' eyes widened in shock as he was thrown to the ground, a heavy weight pinning itself to his back. The blade embedded itself into the tree behind him.

"Stay down, Councilor!" Slade's voice shouted.

Salem frowned, looking down at Slade "Always trying to play the hero, aren't you"

"I'm done playing, Salem"

She grinned "So you are" she looked to her left, watching as Ironwood charged down the corridor, weapons drawn, Penny and Yang flanking him.

"Then it's time I stop playing as well" she turned back toward Slade "Next time we meet, I will not show mercy. To anyone" she dissipated into a black cloud of smoke.

"Slade! Are you alright?" Yang called as she reached them.

"I'm fine" he helped Jacques off the ground "It would seem Salem was never here to begin with"

"You mean she wasn't even here!?" Ironwood asked incredulously as he watched the tree wilting around the blade.

"Doesn't mean she can't use her magic apparently" Penny noted.

"What the hell is going on here!?" Jacques asked exasperatedly.

"I'd be more than happy to explain, but this is probably better to do with the whole council" Ironwood answered "We need to call another meeting"

---

Cinder stood looking out the window of the apartment, the night sky looked dark as the stars were blocked by the city lights. Neo sat on the edge of the bed behind her, legs cross, tapping her fingertips on the sheets.

"Emerald claims Chimera is coming to kill me" Cinder sighed turning back to Neo "Here I thought they were just a ghost story"

Neo shrugged folding her arms in her lap, she quirked her eyebrow at her.

"You're wondering if I have a plan?"

Neo nodded.

"Not specifically. I figure between the two of us, we should be able to handle who ever it is who comes for me. Being a Maiden should come in handy there"

Neo's expression changed to one of shock, she stood quickly reaching for Hush. Cinder turned just in time to see the shadow of a figure swinging down toward the window. He came crashing through the window, kicking Cinder in the chest, throwing her onto her back.

"Ooh" his metallic voice echoed "That looked like it hurt" Cinder flipped backward away from him, landing on her feet "Easy now" he held his hands up in surrender "I'm just delivering a message"

"You couldn't use the front door?" Cinder asked taking a combat stance beside Neo.

"I didn't think you'd take my call" he crossed his arms over his chest "Besides, Salem isn't the patient type"

"I'm aware" Cinder growled "She's also not one to send a ghost to send a message"

"So you know who I am, or at least who I represent" he chuckled "I'd be surprised, but honestly Salem's known Emerald wouldn't be able to keep any secrets from you. As to the message, well..." His hands shifted to the handle of the knife on his belt "I imagine she wanted to make sure you listened"

"What's the message?" Cinder asked never lowering her guard.

"Stay away from Ruby Rose" he replied "Salem has need of her... alive. You're free to do whatever you wish to her once she's done"

"And if I refuse?"

He unsheathed the knife "I'm to convince you, or at the very least make sure you can't get in the way"

"Not gonna happen!" Cinder launched a bolt of lightning from her hand. He rolled out of the way just narrowly avoiding it.

He kicked at her chest as she formed an blade of fire in her hand, using it to block his strike. Neo turned to attack, but was forced to dodge when he threw the knife at her head. He slammed his fist into the blade several times as Cinder used it to defend herself before she elbowed him in the chest, stumbling him backward. He kicked toward her legs, causing Cinder to flip backward over the strike to avoid it. Neo leapt toward him, kicking for his face. Catching her by the leg, he threw her into the nearby wall.

"Your coordination needs work, you're shit at working together" he laughed.

He was thrown by a powerful blast of fire striking him in the chest, flipping through the air he caught himself with his left hand, sliding to a stop. Cinder launched herself forward, thrusting the blade toward his chest. It pierced his arm, but he showed no sign of being in pain as he pulled her toward him with his free hand on the blade. He struck her across the face with each fist individually, stumbling her back.

Cinder spun around, kicking him in the face as he pulled a knife, the strike never even slowed him down. He used the knife to slice across her abdomen, leaving a nasty cut across it. Neo threw a frying pan at his head, he used his forearm to knock it aside before blocking a kick to his face with it next. Twisting around her as she leapt over his head, he removed the pistol from the holster on his left shoulder.

He fired it twice, both rounds being deflected by Hush as she opened it up. He placed his palm onto the front of Hush and forced it back, the handle smacking Neo in the face and knocking her onto her back, shattering into glass as she did.

"I had heard you would be challenging... I'm not impressed"

Neo dropped from the roof and swung the handle of Hush toward the back of his head. He caught it in his open hand and fired the gun into her chest, throwing her backward.

Sparks fell from the open wound in his arm, showing it to be metallic "I can hear your heartbeat... I can hear every breath you take. Your illusions will not work on me"

Cinder rushed him from behind, he twisted around her and thrust the knife in his hand toward her left shoulder. She blocked it with both her forearms against his, keeping him in place.

"You know, there are several ways around this. For example..." he shoved his hand into her open wound, causing her to lose her ground and fall to her knees. She punched for his face, forcing him to remove his hand and block the strike.

"Of course, we could always try the direct approach" he suddenly forced the blade into her shoulder through unnatural strength. He pulled it out and sliced across her hip as he stepped around her, he then stabbed her in the back of the same shoulder painfully. Cinder screamed in anguish.

Neo prepared to strike but stopped once he put the barrel of his gun to Cinder's head, kneeling down on her back "Now, this time... I hope I have your attention... Stay. Away. From. Ruby. Rose" he stood abruptly. Neo thrust Hush toward him with the blade out of the edge, he caught it in his hand and wrenched it from her grip. He slammed his left fist into her elbow, dislocating her arm. Her mouth opened to scream but no sound came out.

Neo quickly recovered and kicked for his face, he blocked using Hush then slammed it down on the bed as she narrowly avoided the strike. Using her working hand, she placed it on the ground and kicked him in the chest, stumbling him back. Punching for his face as he stumbled, he caught it with his right hand and slammed his knee into her abdomen. She dropped to her knees in pain. Flipping through the air, he kicked her in the back, throwing her forward. She slid to the edge of the shattered window.

"Enough" he holstered his weapon and returned the knife to it's sheathe "Be glad I was told to be merciful today, and that I have more pressing matters to deal with. Otherwise..." he stepped toward the open window "You'll probably want to look into a new place to stay. I don't imagine this will do you much good once security arrives... better get moving" he laughed just before jumping out the window.

Neo stood painfully, approaching the edge of the window, she slammed her dislocated arm into the unbroken window painfully forcing her arm back into place. Neo approached Cinder, carefully moving her onto her back.

"We need to get out of here, and find somewhere else to hide" Neo nodded in agreement "Whoever that was... he wasn't human"

---

Ironwood inwardly groaned "I am simply doing what I believe to be right"

"The Fall of Beacon has been on your mind ever since you returned, it has affected your decisions" Rawlings replied.

"That is true, Councilman. Beacon fell at the hands of criminals, traitors to the four kingdoms. They used the White Fang and the Grimm. They attempted to do the same with Haven and now they're targeting us"

"Criminals owe their allegiance to no one but themselves, profit is their only goal. What could anyone have possibly gained from Dust robberies and toppling an entire kingdom?" Harris asked not convinced.

"You're right, Councilwoman. Criminals don't do anything that doesn't benefit them. But they have sided with the enemy and they use the Grimm to terrible effect-"

"What enemy?" Harris snarled "There is no enemy, James. The four kingdoms of Remnant have aligned for the past eighty years. Vale is crumbling from the Grimm overpopulating the area, that Wyvern is the problem not some criminal conspiracy, and Mistral was saved from the White Fang by a band of noble Faunus. What enemy could there possibly be?"

"General, for eighty years we have enjoyed peace, a hard won, watchful peace-" Rawlings began.

"Are we? Are we at peace?" Ironwood asked leaning forward "Grimm activity has increased all across Remnant, they're raiding villages and destroying farms, even within our own borders despite increased Huntsmen presence. Bandits have attacked people and raided occupied villages!"

"Hardly a prelude to war, James. You were always paranoid, looking for trouble where none exist!" Harris shouted.

"Let him speak" Jacques spoke, surprising the both of them

"Thank you, Councilman. There is something at work in the world, my friends. Something beyond the evil of terrorist organizations like the White Fang, something beyond the Grimm... something far more powerful. We can remain blind to it but it will not be ignoring us! That I can promise you"

"What do you know? What could be worse than the Grimm?" Rawlings asked concerned.

"Vale isn't the only place that has suffered from these people, they're... the world is becoming a darker place because of them. The people in Vale have seen it, students from Beacon witnessed their power. The woman who spoke after Penny was ripped apart in Amity is one of them. Huntsmen throughout Mistral have been hunted down by a single man, Tyrian Callows, a known criminal and terrorist, the same man I attempted to apprehend earlier this week" Ironwood placed his hands on the table "Leonardo Lionheart was killed because of them..."

"Well? Don't stop now. Tell us about this 'Great evil'" Harris sneered mockingly.

"You know there is an infiltrator. Someone hiding amongst us, could even be in this very room with us now. This infiltrator serves this darkness, whatever form it may take. I don't know what comes next, but I know without a doubt, Atlas is next"

"That's absurd, no such power exists in this world" Harris narrowed her eyes "This "Infiltrator" is nothing more than a criminal, an anarchist at worst looking to destabilize our kingdom, at best he is an angry citizen who only wishes to open our borders for trade, and to remove this ridiculous lockdown-"

"I thought so too at one time. I believed that this was nonsense, that people wouldn't create chaos for the sake of chaos... but, Ozpin told me-"

"Ozpin?" Harris asked "Do not speak to us of dead men, we shouldn't sully their memory-"

"I don't seek to do anything but warn you of the danger. If we revoke the lockdown and the embargo, then we're opening ourselves up to attack. We need to be ready!"

"You do not know anything. You've heard rumors and whispers, enough to frighten you to-" Harris stopped upon the sound of a large silver case smacking against the table.

"What is that?" Rawlings asked.

"Proof" Ironwood opened it "A relic, from a darker time" inside the case was a the hilt of a broken blade "You have all asked me for proof, now you have it"

The other members of the council stared in shock "That looks just like..."

"It is the fabled weapon of the witch of old" General Ironwood answered "It was forged by a powerful witch that cast a great darkness over all of Remnant. No one has had such power since" he placed his hands onto either end of the table.

"The children's tale?" Harris scoffed "It is a tale told to frighten children, nothing more than a legend"

"Then surely you know the legend quite well" Ironwood smirked "When the witch was slain by the mighty wizard, her remains were sealed within the deepest pits of Solitas, with everything she possessed during the great battle. She was buried within a tomb so dark, light would never pierce it again. Sealed with the most powerful magic the wizard possessed to ensure she never returned"

"We know the tale, General" Rawlings sighed "That cannot possibly be one of these fabled blades, even if they did exist they would be within the deepest tomb known to man here in Atlas, and the seals would be unbreakable if the tale is as true as you say"

"What proof do we have that this weapon came from such a place? That it belongs to this 'Witch'" Harris asked mockingly.

"The Huntsman who recovered the blade himself"

"Who?"

"Slade Stroud" he answered hesitantly.

"Stroud" Harris smiled "Then you have the word of one man, a man from a noble family who fell from grace after their deaths, flunked out of schooling at Beacon Academy and became a criminal, a criminal you raised to the rank of Huntsman on a whim" she shook her head "We can safely dismiss such a claim by such a man, what else do you have?"

"I have nothing but J-"

"Because there is nothing. Let us take a step back and examine what we know" Harris leaned back comfortably "Bandit tribes have become bolder since the fall of Vale, that is to be expected, they sense weakness. A broken sword that was made to look like the one described in the tale has been found by a Huntsman not worthy of the name, likely from a replica made for a play or some such nonsense. Grimm activity has increased in the kingdoms, not unexpected given the fear people must be feeling given what happened with Vale. Finally, an unknown 'Infiltrator' decided to hack our security and issue false orders to get rid of the Faunus, likely someone who has a particular distaste for their kind"

"Councilman-"

"It's not so very much after all" she finished "The real question that troubles me so deeply is the company you've been keeping. You raised seven students from Beacon to the rank of Huntsmen including Councilor Schnee's own daughter and they were only first years along with a criminal who abandoned his education to be a hired gun. You take the word of such people because they fan the flames of your conspiracy theories, they indulge you" she sighed "I am not convinced, James. I don't feel the council should condone such actions, and should have them stripped of their rank. If you had come to the council first before making such decisions, we might have spared them this disappointment. I do not pretend to understand your reasoning for raising their hopes, and indulging the fantasy that they are Huntsmen after all and not just children playing at-"

"If you wish to take any action against these 'children' as you have called them, then I suggest we cast a vote"

"You hold two fifths of the vote already on this council, it would not take much to end in your favor James"

"Then perhaps you would prefer to withdraw your statement?" Ironwood quirked his eyebrow.

Harris grumbled "It still doesn't change the fact-"

"I saw her" Jacques interrupted.

"You... what?" Rawlings asked surprised.

He looked up from his lap "In the academy garden, she approached me. Made me an offer to help her destroy Atlas. I declined, and she tried to have me killed... she would've succeeded had it not been for... Stroud" he gestured to the blade "She created that blade out of thin air. The tree it found it's way into; wilted within seconds. She said people within my own company were working for her, and we've already seen what happened in Vale with our mechanical soldiers being hacked"

"Are you suggesting, James is correct? That there really is some dark enemy coming for us?" Harris asked.

"I am suggesting, we do whatever we can to stop her. If that means giving James a little more leeway to help keep us safe. I'd say that is worth it"

"Councilor Schnee!" Harris was aghast.

"Until today I would've gladly agreed with you. But you didn't see what I did" Jacques wore a look of horror "I don't know what she is, or who... but if the world knew about her... we'd all be losing sleep. I think James' choice to keep this information so closely guarded may be the right one"

"Then... perhaps we should reevaluate our stance on your past decisions, James" Rawlings reluctantly agreed.

"Jacque... are you certain you saw this woman he claims... that it wasn't just a trick-"

"I know what I saw, Harris" Jacques narrowed his eyes "I joined this council to lift the embargo, and while I was fully committed to that idea. I don't believe giving this woman any advantage is a good idea. I believe James is going to do his best to keep the kingdom safe. I also believe it is up to us to make sure he continues to do so"

"Then... I suppose we are all in agreement" Harris sighed "So long as you keep us appraised of your efforts to stop this woman from destroying the kingdom... we will allow you to continue as you have been"

Ironwood smiled gratefully "Thank you, councilors. I am only sorry I couldn't speak to you about her sooner. I know it is a lot to take in"

"We wouldn't have believed you if you had approached us without proof" Rawlings replied "May I ask, do you know who she is?"

"I do" Ironwood smiled "Her name is Salem, and she is very old and very powerful"

"Can you stop her? Truly?" Harris asked.

"She hasn't been able to conquer the world just yet, councilors. I'm not about to be the one who lets her start now"

---

Ruby and the others all sat at a table in the empty cafeteria waiting for Ironwood to get back with Slade, Penny and Winter.

"Those bodies..." Weiss looked mortified.

"Whatever did that to them disappeared after it was done. There is nothing to indicate their deaths were natural" Pietro sighed "If it weren't for Penny's quick thinking, we may not have ever known what happened to them"

"Salem happened" Blake's ears drooped sadly.

"Those men dying while in custody isn't going to look good for Ironwood" Qrow pointed out.

"Hopefully the council will come around with Jacque finally having learned the truth" Pietro offered hopefully.

"What if my father doesn't back him up in there?" Weiss asked worried "He's already worked with Tyrian, who's to say he won't stop helping them"

"She just tried to kill him, I saw it myself. I doubt they'll be on good terms from now on" Yang assured Weiss.

"He'd be a fool to turn on Ironwood now" Oscar agreed.

"Salem said she's done playing, is that what she's been doing this whole time? Playing?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"It means she's finally going on the offensive, which means we should too" Ren concluded.

"How would we even do that if we wanted to?" Nora asked "We don't even know the first thing about Salem's plan to destroy Atlas"

"We know she has people in the academy, but we don't know how many... or who they are" Jaune sighed.

"Then we need a plan, we know Tyrian was working with Weiss' dad, but now he isn't. Maybe he knows something" Blake offered.

"Salem wouldn't trust my father with the identities of her agents. She's too smart for that"

"Then what?" Yang asked exasperated "We just sit around and wait until she chooses to attack?"

Oscar took a deep breath "We all need to take a minute to calm down" everyone's attention shifted to him "We know more than we think we do" he offered a reassuring smile.

"Kid is right" Qrow uncrossed his arms "We know Chimera is working with Salem. Figuring out what exactly Chimera is will surely keep us occupied, and that's not even considering what we know about Jacques. Even his wife seemed to know far more than she should, I think we should turn our focus to those two obvious trails and see what we can turn up"

"She was acting strange" Weiss agreed "She was so loving when we were younger, but... I didn't even recognize her tonight" The door opened to reveal Ironwood, Winter, Penny and Slade.

"How is he?" Weiss asked with concern.

"Father is... shaken" Winter answered "I'm sure he'll be fine given a few days to forget this whole thing. Until then, he's pouring himself into his work"

"Given what we know. I'd say it's time we took some of Salem's pawns off the board" Ironwood looked toward Qrow "I want you and Slade to start looking into Chimera as soon as possible, I want to know who or what it is"

Qrow smirked "I think we can handle that much" Slade looked uneasy but nodded in agreement nonetheless.

"What about us?" Ruby asked.

"When you're not training, you're going to be performing missions for me on a need-by-need basis" Ironwood answered "Three Huntsmen have turned up dead within two hours of the attempt on Schnee's life. I cannot afford to lose more"

"That's why I will be heading to the closest military base to Atlas and making sure their forces are ready to deploy at a moments notice. Salem isn't going to wait for us to be ready when she makes her move, we need to make our move first" Winter explained.

"But you've only just begun to recover" Pietro argued "You shouldn't even be up and walking yet, let alone going on a mission-"

"Don't worry, Doctor" Winter gave a comforting smile "I won't be doing anything too strenuous, just looking over their forces and equipment. We cannot afford to be taken by surprise"

"When do you leave?" Weiss asked.

"Tonight"

"Then... shouldn't we do the-mph!" Penny's mouth was covered by Slade.

"I think we should leave that decision up to Ruby".

"Huh?" Ruby looked confused "What're you talking about?"

"The thing" Weiss answered.

"Thing?" Yang asked confused "What thing?"

"The very important thing" Jaune tried looking to Ruby desperately.

"Oh! Oh, ya! That thing! I almost forgot!" she zipped up excitedly "Does that mean everything is ready?"

"As ready as we could make them on short notice" Ren assured.

"What's going on here?" Yang asked crossing her arms.

"Oh, nothing" Ruby rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly "Don't worry about it... uh, just... hum..." she tried to find the right words.

"You know you're not a great liar, Ruby" Qrow laughed.

"Why don't we just show her instead of trying to hide it more" Nora offered.

"I like that plan!" Ruby looked extremely excited.

"Show me what!" Yang was exasperated at this point.

"Close your eyes" Oscar handed her a blindfold.

"Is this really necessary?" Yang asked.

Ironwood chuckled "humor them. They've been putting a lot of work into this"

Yang groaned "Fine"

Ruby took her hand and led her through the halls of the school. The others went on ahead of them as quickly as they could.

"Are we there yet?" Yang asked annoyed.

"Almost there" Ruby answered.

"Can I take this damned thing off yet"

"Not yet" Yang sighed.

"Okay" Ruby stopped her, then zipped around the room "Just one more second" she grabbed something off the table "Okay! You can take it off now" Yang reached up and pulled the blindfold off.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled in unison, Yang was shocked.

"Oh..."

"Happy birthday, Yang!" Ruby said, holding up a cake with several candles in it.

"Guys" Yang laughed "How long have you been planning all this?"

"Couple of weeks" Weiss shrugged.

"So you better enjoy it!" Nora hugged her "Happy birthday"

"Thanks, Nora. Thank you guys"

"Well don't just stand there, kiddo. Go ahead and blow out the candles" Qrow held up his scroll to take a picture.

"Who made this cake anyway? It looks amazing"

"That would be yours truly" Jaune gave a flourishing bow.

"He's clearly learned a lot from being raised with so many girls" Ren chuckled.

"Oscar helped a bit too" Blake pointed out.

"Oh, nothing big. Just showed Jaune a few things he didn't know is all"

"C'mon, Oscar. Don't be so modest" Ruby giggled "You did way more than just help with the cake anyway"

"That's correct, he helped get the decorations, make the snacks, he even helped father and I with-" Penny listed off, stopping herself "Oops, almost said it"

While they continued to converse and laugh together as Yang blew out the candles, Slade leaned toward Pietro "Is it finished yet?"

"Of course" he smirked handing him a small box "She only needs to have it on her person, and it will start" he winked at him.

"Thanks, Doc" Slade grinned "She's gonna love this"

"I'm sure she will appreciate it very much"

Ironwood started cutting the cake and handed out slices to everyone, Yang opened the presents everyone got for her, thanking each of them as she did. Eventually the party started to wind down as many of them got tired.

"I really appreciate this guys, thank you. All of you" she hugged each of her friends as they funneled out of the room, Ironwood had left long ago, having to return to work "Thank you for coming, Winter. I'm sure it meant a lot to Weiss"

"You're very welcome, Yang" she gave a warm smile "I didn't just come for her you know. You kids have started to grow on me. Besides, it was... fun"

"I thought the Ice Queen couldn't have fun" Qrow jabbed her with his elbow as he walked by "Happy birthday, Firecracker" he patted her on the head as he passed by.

"I'm fun! I have fun all the time" she protested.

"Oh sure, I believe you" he chuckled, she growled following behind him.

"Happy birthday, Yang" she called over her shoulder.

"Of course, it's not over quite yet" Pietro smiled gesturing toward Slade "I believe there is one present you still haven't opened yet"

"There is?" she looked confused.

"Enjoy it" he winked "It took a lot of work from many of us" he added as he exited the room, leaving her and Slade alone.

Slade held up the small box "Happy birthday, Yang"

"Thank you, Slade" she smiled accepting the box from him. Opening it she found a small electronic key fob with the words 'Bumblebee' on it "You didn't" she looked up at him in shock.

"We did. Pietro, Penny, Oscar and I all worked on it together" he smiled at her reaction "I wanted to do something special for you, as a thank you for dragging me out of my stupor. You can thank your father for giving us the original specs on it. Though Pietro might've tuned it up a bit-woah!" he was thrown off balance when Yang crashed all her weight into him, wrapping her arms around him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Thank you so much! I love it!" she bounced excitedly as she let go of him "Where is it? Is it ready?"

"Oh it's ready alright. It's down in the academy garage-woah! Hey, Yang!" he protested as she dragged him into the hall.

---

That's all for this time. I've already gotten started on the next chapter, so hopefully that won't take me too long to get out to you guys. Thanks for reading!