A.N: I'm honestly at a loss of what to say right now. There's really nothing I can do to build up this chapter, considering the buildup that happened last chapter. So let's just get right to it, shall we? Enjoy.

Chapter 46: Pyrrhic Victory

After deciding to leave Rainn Biggs to Hansel and Ruby, the rest of Team RWBY began to retreat towards the shelters to provide any required additional aid. However, on their way to the shelters, they were all taken aback by a sight that shocked them all.

"Damn it, for crying out loud, Eugene, I can make it on my own!"

"Your limp says otherwise."

"Look, fucker, I don't need you mother-henning me like you're my mom!"

Weiss, Blake and Yang could only stare in shock at the odd comedy routine going on before them that took the form of someone who looked a lot like Charlie Magnolia arguing with some Atlesian pilot. "Weiss…is that your friend, Charlie?" Blake asked uncomfortably.

"No. No. Charlie doesn't raise his voice at…well, anyone. And he certainly doesn't swear." Weiss denied.

"Whoever it is, he looks an awful lot like him." Yang pointed out. "And he's talking to that pilot like my dad and Uncle Qrow do."

Weiss ran over to the two. "Charlie? Is that you?"

Flynn's eyes widened at that familiar, angelic voice. He turned beet red as he turned to see Weiss running towards him. "W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-Weiss!" He hissed.

Not good, not good, not good, not good, not good, not good, not good, not good, not good, she is the last person I want to see right now! I can't let her see me all beat up and bruised like this, she's gonna think I'm so UNCOOL!

"You are Charlie Magnolia, right?" Weiss frowned, while Yang and Blake joined her.

Eugene looked at Flynn. "Magnolia? As in the Magnolia family? You said your name was Flynn, kid."

Something's wrong. Blake noted. His soul is similar…but this isn't Charlie. I can sense Aura from him too. The Charlie Magnolia we met that day didn't have Aura.

Flynn laughed uncomfortably. "Ah, right that, I am, but I'm not at the same time. See, I often like to go into town and pretend I'm someone else so people don't recognize me. It sucks, being a celebrity from a pretty notable family, ya know what I mean?"

Oh my God, he is so lying. Yang deadpanned.

Weiss raised a curious eyebrow. "And does that mean you don't actually need your glasses?" She asked.

"Ah, right!" Flynn exclaimed. "My glasses, I can't see a thing without my glasses!"

Flynn dug into his pockets and fished them out. "Oh, here they are, right here! Right where I left them! Because I totally meant to take them off and pocket them and not leave them on my face…even though I totally need them to see."

Weiss glared at Flynn. "How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked, holding up two fingers.

"Two?" Flynn asked without thinking before realizing his mistake. "FUCK!"

Weiss grumbled, now very suspicious of the situation. Flynn, deciding to try and salvage the situation, did the smartest thing he could think of.

Strategic withdrawal! Flynn exclaimed inwardly before shoving the glasses onto his face and deciding to make this his other personality's problem. I mean, not like he could just tell her the truth that Charlie actually has a split personality and he's the alternate persona.

Flynn briefly went limp into Eugene's carry, only to perk up once more. "What? Where am I?" Charlie Magnolia wondered. "Weiss? What are you doing here? And who's this guy holding me?"

"HUH?!" Eugene and Weiss yelled in unison.

"GAH!" Charlie let out a sharp intake of breath as the pain from Flynn's fight with Viper hit him. "Why am I injured all over? What happened?"

"Okay, now I am really confused." Yang muttered.

"The Man With Two Souls." Blake said in awe.

"Why are you referencing that book of yours now?" Yang asked.

"Well…it's only a theory, but if I'm right, there might be more to Charlie than we originally thought." Blake admitted while Weiss began to fuss over him, in spite of her own confusion over the situation.

Even so, I guess I should be glad…it's almost over. I can feel it. Blake added inwardly.

It was not over, sadly. In the snows on the outskirts of Atlas and Mantle, the man known as Joker, Farben, was sitting cross-legged, uncaring of the cold. He giggled at the sight before him. "Hey, you remember, right?" He inquired in a mocking tone. "You and the Headless Horseman? You're both considered S-Class."

Klaus Rot lied in the snow, surrounded by his own blood. His body, broken from the beating of a lifetime. Shallow breathing was the only indicator he was still alive.

"Both you and him, my friend." Farben continued. "Congratulations."

Farben laughed cruelly at the aftermath of the one-sided massacre between the Horseman and Klaus. Then, he was silenced as Klaus suddenly forced himself to his feet. He began to applaud mockingly.

"There you go, Mr. Winter Hermit, keep doing your best." He mocked.

Klaus glared viciously at Farben. "Ooh, that's a scary look. Would you prefer I praised you instead?" He continued to mock. "I suppose I should though. The fact that you still have enough Aura to heal such wounds to the point where you can move is impressive."

"But the thing is…healing, the things 'normal' Huntsmen do, it's not that impressive at all, actually. It's all so…common and boring."

"You see, Klausy-boy," Farben continued, "When…the great Doctor Osten helped develop the ranking system we Aura-users follow today, it certainly did serve its intended purpose. Mortality rates went down, and we began to gain a better understanding of the power we possessed. However, the good doctor made a huge miscalculation."

"What he did not expect was that the more people who survived and continued to grow, to evolve, the more the concepts of S-Class, A-Class, even D-Class, all become meaningless in the long run. Take the Horseman for example. You two are only on the same level because there's not a higher level they can go to."

"The reality is, Klausy-boy, is that neither you, nor the other Legends, and certainly not the fools who run this world, NONE of you know what true power is." Farben hissed. "None of you know the true power of the soul."

Farben then rose to his feet. "This seems like a good opportunity," he admitted, "so allow me to show you what a true Semblance is capable of at its very peak."

Farben then clapped his hands together, his Aura became visible, revealing itself to be pitch-black in color. A perfect representation of how depraved the man really was. Then, he spoke two words that chilled Klaus to the very bone.

"Spirit Overdrive."

Farben's Aura began to pour off of him. Then it began to mold, take shape into something physical. Klaus could only watch in disbelief as the Aura took the form of a disembodied upper half that wore the garbs of a court jester, a demonic clown-mask for a face, and brandishing a massive scythe. Klaus could not help but compare the scene to a demon. Not a Grimm. A demon.

"Cackling Reaper!" Farben introduced this new technique that even Klaus, one of the ten strongest Huntsmen in the entire world, knew nothing about.

Klaus could only gaze in shock as the Cackling Reaper flew right at him. Then the entity flew right through him. Klaus then found himself gripped by the throat and staring not only at the Cackling Reaper, but his own body as well. He then took note of his appearance, it was transparent. At that moment, he realized something truly horrifying.

This power had separated his very soul from his body. A power like this should not even be possible. Spirit Overdrive? What in the world was Spirit Overdrive?

Cackling Reaper began to do its namesake as its grip tightened. Klaus let out a silent gasp. He tried to break free, only to find it impossible. He soon realized this was the end. He was going to die.

Forgive me, Nicholas. And of course, his final thoughts were of his dearest friend. I pray that…someone out there will take up our endeavors.

Cackling Reaper's grip continued to tighten and tighten until finally Klaus' soul popped like a balloon before dissipating into nothingness. Farben's expression turned disappointed. "Well now," he said, "I was only going to leave your soul in a few pieces, but I guess you were even weaker than I thought."

"No, that's not fair, it's not that you're weak, it's that the Horseman is…invincible."

And with this tragedy, the Ten Legends became Nine, and a cruel and ruthless Joker just laughed and laughed.

Meanwhile, with Hansel and Ruby, the two stood victoriously over the slumped over and unconscious Rainn Biggs. Ruby was the first to break the silence. "Is he…"

Hansel nodded. "We won." He said simply.

Ruby could not resist. She leapt into the air. "Whoo hoo!" She cheered. "We did it! Victory for Team Red and Blue!"

A vein popped out on Hansel's forehead. Ruby landed and then blushed in embarrassment. "Er…right, I called us that again…sorry."

Hansel took a deep breath and went to collect Wolf Fang. He then began advancing on the unconscious Rainn. "We've won…but it's still not over yet." He claimed.

Ruby did not like where this was going. "Professor?"

"I'm going to end this. I refuse to give him the chance to harm anyone else in the future." Hansel snarled, brandishing Wolf Fang.

Ruby's eyes widened. Brief memories of that night with Jack the Ripper flashed through her mind. "You can't be serious!" She exclaimed. "Professor, it's over, we've won! You don't have to kill him!"

"It's not a question of winning or losing, Rose. It's about removing a threat to the security of Remnant." Hansel countered.

"Professor, he can't even fight back!" Ruby pointed out.

"Don't be so naive, Rose." Hansel said to her. "Rainn wouldn't show us mercy if we were in his position."

"Even if that's true, this is not justice! Killing someone who can't defend themselves is straight-up murder!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Kill one and you save ten, remember?" Hansel hit Ruby with the numbers game he used to justify his actions. "Think, Rose, think! How many people died because this man walked the world, using his Semblance to steal their faces in the name of Gray Jackal? How many people would still be alive if this man was already dead? How many people will die if we don't kill him right now?"

"We'll take him into custody, let Atlas deal with him!" Ruby countered. "They can interrogate him. You can learn more about Gray Jackal."

At this moment, Rainn began to stir. He could hear the faint sounds of what appeared to be a girl pleading for his life. "He won't talk." Hansel insisted.

"You don't know that!" Ruby shook her head.

"I do!" Hansel yelled. "He is a former Black-Ops Specialist, Rose! The kind that die before giving up any sort of secrets about their military, their kingdoms, their countries, their employers! He is the kind of man who was trained from the get-go to take secrets to the grave with him."

Rainn chuckled weakly, alerting Hansel and Ruby to his presence. "He's right, I won't talk." Rainn acknowledged. "I'll never talk. I have my pride after all. This old man will just…rot in jail. At least until Gray Jackal decides they need me again."

Hansel was seeing red at this. He increased his pace. Ruby then reacted without thinking, she quickly sped in between Hansel and Rainn, holding her arms out. "Get out of the way, Rose." Hansel growled.

"No, I won't let you do this, Professor." Ruby insisted.

"You heard him. No repentance. No desire to make amends of any kind. Just a vow to rot in jail until the possibility of Gray Jackal breaking him out." Hansel snarled. "Do you realize who you're protecting? You're protecting a man who's just going to do it all again if given the chance!"

"I know." Ruby acknowledged.

"So why?" Hansel demanded.

"We're Huntsmen! We're better than this! You're better than this!" Ruby insisted.

"Huntsmen. Are not. Heroes, Rose! We fight, we eliminate the threat, we live, and then we do it all again, and again, and again, until we're dead!" Hansel countered.

"Whatever opinion you may have on Huntsmen, Professor, it doesn't change the fact that Huntsmen are not murderers. You are not a murderer!" Ruby yelled.

Hansel actually flinched at the passion in Ruby's voice. However, he had no intention of backing down easily. "Don't make this personal, Rose." He warned. "Whatever opinions you may have of me, it doesn't change the facts. The man you're protecting is an unrepentant monster who has openly said he will gladly do this all again if his handlers break him out of prison. It's not about what we want, it's not about what we feel. It's about what's right."

Hansel's expression softened. "It's not easy, remember? Killing is never easy. I have to do this, Rose. This is the reality of our world. These are the hard choices we have to make, because no one else will, because no one else can."

Ruby flinched now. Is that really the only reason I want to spare this man? Because I don't want to see the professor do something he'll just hate himself for? She wondered.

Or is it because I just can't fundamentally agree with something like this? Huntsmen aren't heroes? If they aren't, what are they? If saving this man's life is truly wrong, then what's even the point of trying to be a hero?

Mom…what should I do?

Then, much to Ruby's surprise, the answer came to her in a memory. "You owe it to Charlie to come quietly." She had said to Rainn.

That's right, we're not murderers, and maybe we aren't heroes. And while we're Huntsmen, that's not all we are.

Ruby nodded. "You're right, professor, it is about what's right." Hansel was surprised at this. Then Ruby continued. "But that's exactly why I can't let you do this."

"Rose," Hansel warned.

"Look, I've been thinking about this a lot. The teachers at Atlas, they certainly do things differently at Atlas compared to Beacon. But they certainly brought up a lot of interesting points. One point was how to win this war of ours in the long-run. To be honest, I still don't really have an answer to that, but I do think I at least am starting to find small little answers that might help me piece together one big answer."

"We're human beings, Professor. Living creatures capable of doing good things and bad things." Ruby reminded him. "And the man I'm protecting has done a lot of bad things, I'm not going to deny that. Bad things that have hurt a lot of people."

"But it's precisely because we're human that we can't kill him. We have a choice to make, and we owe it to ourselves to make the right choice."

"To let him live and just do it all again?" Hansel demanded.

"No, we're making the choice to be better than it all. To show him that we're more than just weapons, we're more than just warriors." Ruby shook her head. "He's as human as the rest of us, so we treat him as such."

Rainn's eyes widened. He was…human? After everything he did, this girl he was trying to kill earlier was calling him 'human'?

"And most importantly, Professor, we're making the choice to let him stand before the people he's hurt. Charlie, General Ironwood, and all of Atlas." Ruby declared. "Maybe we're not heroes. We're certainly not murderers. And even if we are Huntsmen, that's not all we are."

"We're human beings, and so is he. And at our best, human beings do our best for the people around us. Things like giving a man the dignity of standing trial and facing those he's hurt. Things like not stooping to finishing someone who can't fight back. And most importantly, giving closure to the people an evil man has hurt."

This actually seemed to resonate with Hansel. Rainn's eyes widened. "Charlie." He said softly.

Ruby glared at him. "That's right," she said, "don't think I'm doing this for you. I'm doing this for him. He trusted you, and you betrayed that trust. I've been betrayed too…but I can't even imagine how he must be feeling, considering how close you two were."

"You owe it to Charlie to stand before him and explain yourself. That way he can have closure."

"What you said before," Rainn said, "about me being…human. Did you mean that?"

"I did," Ruby nodded, "you're human, Rainn Biggs. And it's precisely because of that, you have to stand and own up to every single crime you've committed. You can't do that if you're dead."

"That's how it works in the world of human beings." Ruby declared.

"Kid…" Hansel said softly.

"I'm making the choice to be better, Professor, just like you did after that first day of teaching. Just like those Atlas students after your fight with Kay. And just like Team RWBY is constantly doing thanks to your guidance." Ruby said to him. "If you still feel differently, you're free to kill him. But please…at least wait for Charlie to get his closure."

Hansel looked at Ruby in slight awe. You continue to surprise me, Ruby Rose. He admitted inwardly. I guess you did do a little growing while I was absorbed in my investigation, huh?

Rainn then cut Hansel from his thoughts with short, labored laughs. The kind of laughs that seemed like they wanted to become full-blown belly laughing. However, if he did that, he would hurt from the laughter.

"How amusing," Rainn calmed down enough to speak clearly, "really…it's so damn amusing."

Hansel and Ruby gazed at Rainn in confusion. Rainn's expression softened. "How long has it been since someone's called me 'human'? Treated me like a human being?"

Ruby's eyes widened. "When you join the old Atlas Black Ops division…you lose everything, your identity, your very humanity. All that's left of you is your physical form, now a weapon to be used in the name of your kingdom." Rainn reminisced. "I was a soldier though, proud to fight for my kingdom. I didn't mind."

"But I have to admit, it's been so long since someone has actually treated me like a human being…I've forgotten the feeling." Rainn admitted, his expression turning sad. He then quickly brightened up. "I must admit, the feeling is odd…but I think I like it."

"You," Rainn turned to Ruby, "never in my life have I met someone like you. Someone who is actually willing to acknowledge the naivety of her own ideals but still be so dedicated to them. Someone like you would never last in the Black Ops, were they still around. Hell, someone like you shouldn't even be a Huntress. Strong as you are, you're far too kind for a job like that."

"And yet…it seems that kindness is ultimately what has defeated me." Rainn conceded. "Human…even after everything I've done, you still stand up for me, insist I am more than just a tool to be used for war. Insist that I be given the dignity of a man. Something I thought I no longer had…you gave back to me through words alone. Such a thing…it brings me more joy than I care to admit. Hell, I don't even understand why it brings me joy. The fact it does amuses me, really."

"But while I can't understand why I feel this way, what you've said to me does bring me joy…like I've rediscovered something I thought I've lost." Rainn admitted before giving Ruby a sincere smile. "And for that, child, I thank you."

"Oh…um, you're welcome?" Ruby said uncomfortably.

"That's all well and good," Hansel stepped around Ruby, a gap was left in between the two of them, "but it doesn't change the fact that you have to stand trial. Face your accusers, face Charlie, face everyone. You'll likely hang."

"That I will." Rainn nodded. "But before that, allow me to give you two a gift. Consider it your reward for your victory."

Rainn then turned to Ruby. "And as for you, child, consider this my thanks for treating me like a human being."

Rainn smiled. "I'll tell you both everything. Everything I know about Gray Jackal. Their members, their activities, and most importantly, everything I know about their endgame for the world of Remnant." He promised.

Ruby gasped. "You'd really do that?"

Rainn's smile remained. "I'm making the choice to be better."

Ruby smiled. "That's…that's great." She said softly.

Rainn nodded. He opened his mouth to speak. Then, as fast as Ruby and Hansel could blink, his lower jaw went limp. Hansel's eyes widened, he could immediately tell that something was wrong. "Mr. Rainn?" Ruby asked in concern.

Hansel's eyes lowered. He gasped. A perfectly cauterized hole was right where Rainn's heart should be. Oh gods, I didn't even see it happen. My mind didn't even register it! Hansel realized. One second, one nanosecond he was alive, and the next…

"...Mr. Rainn?" Ruby was now beginning to register what had happened to the old man.

…The next, he was dead. Hansel grimly realized.

"No…" Ruby now truly understood what happened. She looked down and saw the results of the fatal blow. "No…"

Hansel felt a chill run down his spine. The assailant. The assailant who killed Rainn. Were they still here? He turned his head slowly. Every instinct in his body told him not to look back. I'm…afraid. He realized.

Then, Hansel looked up and immediately saw why. He felt a terrifying pressure suddenly eclipse him, nearly forcing him to his knees. His chest tightened. Sweat began pouring from every pore in his body. His skin went deathly pale.

Ruby was distracted from the body of Rainn Biggs when she heard the sound of fast, heavy breathing. She then looked at Hansel and was shocked to see an expression of abject terror, given sound by hyperventilating. What in the world was he staring at that could send HIM into a fit of hyperventilation.

Summoning her courage, Ruby turned her gaze to where Hansel was looking, and almost immediately her body reacted the same way Hansel's did. But she also teared up, she felt bile rise up in her throat. Her legs turned to jelly as she almost collapsed as she looked up at Rainn Biggs' killer.

Pitch black attire. A single silver sword. A Grimm taking on the form of a horse. And most importantly no head. All floating in the air without a care.

"Don't look at it!" Ruby forced her gaze away from the Headless Horseman and onto Hansel. "Focus on me! Keep your eyes off of it, or you'll get the full blast of that thing's presence!"

Ruby forced herself to focus entirely on Hansel. "Look at me," he ordered, "look at me and don't stop looking at me, do you understand?"

Ruby whimpered and nodded. However, it was still hard to look at Hansel, see the look of utter terror on his face. Then she saw Hansel move in front of her, as though he were protecting her. "Don't look," Hansel ordered, "keep your eyes on me, Rose!"

The Headless Horseman had turned their attention to Ruby. That was why Hansel had moved in front of her protectively. This is unlike any Aura I've ever felt before. It's presence is subjugating, like being at the bottom of the ocean. Hansel realized. And it's concentrating on us!

Hansel could hear Ruby whimpering in terror behind him. She can still feel it. The only reason it's not outright killing her is because she's focusing on me.

All across Atlas, people felt chills go up their spine. The Headless Horseman's presence, their very Aura, had enveloped the kingdom in its entirety. And Ruby and Hansel were right at the epicenter.

Hansel gazed up at the Headless Horseman, wondering what they were planning to do next. Then, much to his surprise, the Horseman simply nodded curtly. Whether it was to him, or to Ruby, he did not know. Then, the Horseman rode off. "It left…why?" Hansel muttered breathlessly, feeling his strength return.

Ruby seemed to calm down too. "What was that thing?" She asked.

Hansel swallowed hard. "That thing is the most dangerous known criminal in all of Remnant. The only criminal to ever receive an S-Class label."

"That, Rose, is the Headless Horseman."

Ruby gulped. "Are they…as powerful as Salem?"

"I don't know," Hansel admitted, "I've never seen Salem fight before. But Rose, I don't think I need to tell you that thing is dangerous. You felt its Aura."

"It was awful…like all the happiness and hope in the world just drained away." Ruby admitted. "Professor, what did the Horseman do to be called the worst and most dangerous criminal?"

Hansel's expression darkened. "Do you remember when I showed you all that monument to Ashley Hollow? The greatest student to ever graduate from Beacon Academy?"

"She died in the line of duty, right?" Ruby's eyes widened as the realization hit her.

"She was murdered by the Headless Horseman." Hansel revealed. "The story goes that Ashley Hollow was to become the strongest Huntress, greater even than Professor Ozpin. She was already well on her way to becoming a Legend."

"Then…she died and the Headless Horseman took credit for her death. They've been hated as the most dangerous of criminals ever since."

Ruby then looked over at Rainn. "Professor, what did they do to Mr. Rainn?" She asked.

Hansel's expression darkened. "I don't know," he admitted, "it happened so fast, I didn't see what they did to him. I take it you didn't either?"

Ruby shook her head. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "Look at him," she said, gesturing to the open-mouthed smile on Rainn's face. "Look at him, Professor. He's still smiling. I don't think he even realizes he's been killed."

"I suppose that is something of a mercy." Hansel admitted.

Ruby then began to cry gently. Hansel could hear her choke out small tears. "Professor," she said, "do you think he was being honest when he said he would tell us everything? That he was choosing to be better?"

Did he actually think that? Honestly, Hansel did not know. In this line of work, it was tough to sort truth from lies. However, could he bring himself to crush Ruby's hope right now? That he did know the answer to, and it was no.

"I think he was, Rose." Hansel told her. "Perhaps it was a brief moment. And perhaps in the end, Rainn Biggs was an awful man who was not truly repentant for the crimes he has committed."

"But," Hansel continued, "I think for that brief moment, when you treated him like a human being, you truly moved him. Maybe he was evil…but I think you also touched his heart with those words of yours."

Ruby sobbed at this. "I'm sorry, Rose." Hansel said softly. "I think you did help him…sadly, fate had something else in mind for him. But you won't always…"

"You're wrong, Professor, you both are." Ruby told him.

Hansel fell silent at this. "We are not weapons, we are not tools, we're not even just Huntsmen. It's not about the fight or the mission. It's more than that! We're human beings, all of us." Ruby said in between sobs. "People who can be better if given the chance and choose to do so, just like Mr. Rainn did."

"And maybe…just maybe, we can be heroes too."

Hansel sighed. He no longer had the strength to debate Ruby on the matter. Then he felt his Scroll vibrate. He scowled. Someone was calling him now? He turned on his headset without bothering to check the ID on his scroll. "Kobalt, here." Hansel spoke.

"Hansel, it's Ironwood." Came Ironwood's voice on the other end.

"Ah good, I have news. Rainn Biggs is dead. The circumstances are complicated, but…well, I better just explain everything to you in person."

Hansel heard Ironwood heave a sigh on the other end. "I suppose some good news is needed right now."

Hansel felt his chest tighten at those words. "What do you mean?" He dreaded the answer.

Hansel felt the color drain from his face at Ironwood's response. "Hansel, it's Winter. You need to come to our military hospital, right now."

Ironwood quickly sent Hansel the coordinates, and within minutes, Hansel and a concerned Ruby were at the hospital. "Winter Schnee," Hansel said to the receptionist, "direct me to her room, right now!"

"Room 193. We keep the intensive treatment rooms on the first floor." Hansel and Ruby did not register the second part. They immediately darted towards Room 193.

When they reached it, however, they were blocked by two Atlesian soldiers. "Let us pass." Hansel demanded.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we were given orders from staff not to let any visitors…"

"Let us pass, goddammit!" A familiar voice made Hansel and Ruby look over their shoulders.

Weiss was storming towards Room 193 with a frantic expression on her face. She was flanked by Yang and Blake. "That's my sister in there! Let us pass!"

"You heard the lady." Hansel told them.

"Hey, come on, let them pass." One soldier said to his partner. "Come on man, what if it was your sister in there?"

The other soldier sighed. "Go on in, just…don't be too shocked by what you see. I saw her brought in…it wasn't…well, just see for yourself."

The two soldiers stepped aside with solemn expressions on her face. Hansel stepped forward and opened the door to Room 193. He stepped inside and Team RWBY followed. None of them were prepared for what they saw.

Everyone went silent. A large tube with liquid filling it to the brim, laid horizontally. An oxygen mask attached to the face of the inhabitant, and floating right in the middle was the motionless Winter Schnee.

Weiss began to hyperventilate at the sight of her sister while Ruby, Yang and Blake simply gazed at the scene in abject horror. Hansel felt sick to his stomach. She looked awful.

Winter's body looked like it had been gutted like a fish. Torn open by some sort of weapon with the greatest of ease. Her pale skin was even paler. Was she even breathing?

Hansel's eyes could not help but dart to each open wound. It was as though her assailant had meant to mar her, scar her permanently, slice her porcelain-skinned body open into ribbons in an attempt to leave wounds that would remain forever. Her stomach, arms, legs, all slashed like she had been mauled by a Beowolf's claws.

Whoever attacked her was merciless. As though they carried a very personal grudge against Winter Schnee.

Weiss could not contain it any longer. She dropped to her knees like a puppet whose strings had been cut and let out a pained, ear-splitting wail of grief. Yang and Blake winced at the horrible noise while Ruby looked close to tears. Hansel lowered his head in sorrow.

Yang and Ruby rushed over to Weiss and pulled her into a tight embrace. All Weiss could do was sob and babble Winter's name over and over again. "It's awful." Blake choked. "It's too awful. How could anyone be this savage?"

Hansel wordlessly walked closer to the tube where Winter was being kept in. He examined the wounds closely, trying to figure out just what it was that savaged Winter so brutally. Also, to look for a sign. Some sort of hint that she was still alive inside there.

Thankfully, someone else was there to give them the news…

"It was close, but we managed to prevent her from dying." James Ironwood revealed. "The device she is kept in is a life-support device, similar to what we've used in some more…secret projects. This, however, has always been in the books."

Ironwood sighed. "However, I'm sorry to say this, but I'm afraid she's not out of the woods yet. At this point, all she can do now is cling to what's left of her life and fight to get the rest of it back. But we're going to do everything we can to make sure she succeeds."

Ironwood shuddered at the memory of the call. "Winter's attacker was…ruthless and very thorough. The one who did this to her…well, I'm not exaggerating when I say she's a prodigy in killing people. And she was strong too. Winter is a high B-Class fighter, probably low A-Class at her best. The woman who did this to her must've been incredibly powerful."

Hansel swallowed hard. "She? Then, you know who attacked Winter?"

"I got the report from the soldiers who were with her." Ironwood revealed. "Her attacker spared them. It was as though she was only interested in Winter."

"Ironwood, who was it?" Hansel spoke softly but demandingly.

Ironwood's expression turned grim. "She called herself the Ace of Spades." Ironwood revealed.

"One of Gray Jackal's leaders." Hansel noted. "She did this because Winter was helping me with my investigation. She did this because of me."

"Don't you dare blame yourself Hansel, not even for a moment." Ironwood warned him. "You and I both know that Winter would not want you to blame yourself for this. The fault lies with the attacker and her alone."

Hansel found himself gazing at Winter's wounds once more. A horrifying thought crossed his mind, and he prayed he was wrong. "The weapon…Ironwood, did your soldiers say what kind of weapon Ace of Spades used on her?" He demanded.

Ironwood nodded. "It was a katana, Hansel." He revealed.

Blake saw it happen. She saw the look in Hansel's eyes. A look of pain, horror and fury all mixed into one. Then, the look vanished and was replaced with his usual even-keel gaze.

Wordlessly Hansel turned around and stormed past Ironwood and stormed past his students. Ironwood wanted to go after Hansel and demand why he left like that, only to finally be drawn to the sounds of Weiss' broken sobbing. He walked over to her and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "I'm so sorry, Weiss." He said softly. "I'm so, so sorry."

Meanwhile, Blake slipped out of the room herself. She had to confirm what she saw.

Hansel stormed into a more reclusive corner of the hospital. He sank against a wall, bracing himself against it with his hands, trying to collect himself. Then, Hansel Kobalt snapped.

He let out a yell of rage as he punched the wall, thankfully remembering to pull back his strength and not bring down the whole building.

This was the scene Blake Belladonna was treated to when she arrived. She immediately got down to business, asking exactly what she was suspicious about.

"You know who it is, don't you Professor?" She asked. "The woman who attacked Winter, you know who she is, don't you?"

"Don't, Belladonna." Hansel shook his head. "Don't."

"Don't what? Don't press you for the answer? Professor, my friend's sister is fighting for her life!" Blake yelled, close to tears now.

"And what the hell will you do if I tell you who it is?"

"So then you do know who attacked Winter."

"I do," Hansel admitted, "so, by all means, Belladonna, tell me what you plan to do if I tell you who it is?"

"That should be obvious, Professor." Blake and Hansel turned to see Weiss slowly walking towards them with a dangerous look in her eyes. A concerned Ruby and Yang flanked her.

"Schnee, you don't understand. This is beyond you. Way beyond you."

"I DON'T CARE!" Weiss screamed, eyes red from crying. "My sister is lying in a FUCKING tube, fighting for her life! I want to face the monster who put her there!"

"And if you know who she is, then you have to tell me!" Weiss insisted.

"If I tell you, you're just going to go off and try and hunt her down yourself, and I promise you, that won't work. You do that, and you'll be killed for sure." Hansel told her.

"She's my sister, Professor!"

"Dammit, Schnee, listen to me!" Hansel yelled. "If I'm right, and I am, then the woman who attacked your sister is someone who makes the man Rose and I fought today look like a newborn pup by comparison. There's no way in hell I'm going to tell you ANYTHING that'll just lead you to getting yourself killed in a foolish quest for revenge. You all will."

Weiss looked utterly betrayed by this statement. "If you want to help your sister, Schnee," Hansel told her, "then live and grow stronger. That way, she can have something to look forward to when she wakes up. And she will. You have to believe in that."

"Let it go, Schnee…if not for me, if not for yourself, for her." And with that, Hansel walked past her, intent on finding an exit from a hospital. He needed some air with everything that had just happened in the span of a few minutes.

Behind him, Weiss collapsed once more and began to wail tears of grief and frustration once again. Ruby, Yang and Blake did not hesitate to rush over to embrace and comfort her. Hansel winced at the sound of Weiss' wails. He bit his lower lip to stop himself from crying in guilt and frustration. A bit of blood began to trickle down his lower jaw.

He passed by Room 193 and shared a brief look with Ironwood, who was standing over Winter and the life-support tube she resided in. Hansel quickly looked away and continued onwards, away from Room 193.

I'm sorry, Winter. Hansel could only think to himself. I'm sorry.

A.N: Holy shit, where to begin here? I mean, let's get the smallest part out of the way. It seems no matter the personality, Charlie/Flynn has the same opinion of Weiss.

Next, we have the tragic end of Klaus Rot. Sadly, he was meant to be a doomed character. But I will say, I'm very happy with how memorable he was for all of you in the short time you knew him. It makes what happened to him even better. And we have the introduction of what's basically Semblance Bankai/Domain Expansion. Spirit Overdrive. One day, I asked myself: What if Bankai was a thing, but the bad guys discovered it first? As a result, we've deconstructed power-level systems and got Spirit Overdrive. And of course, one of the more depraved antagonists I've written so far is the first to use it. I can't stress this enough, only a select few have this technique, and they're all bad guys. Side note, Cackling Reaper is an awesome name and that is absolutely a hill I'm willing to die on.

And we also have the surprisingly tragic ending of Rainn Biggs. After nearly 20 chapters of buildup, the man goes out on a surprisingly somber note. All according to plan. And in the process, we get what in my personal opinion was a genuinely good debate on ideals. Take note canon RWBY, especially you volume 7 and 8. That's how you have two protagonists argue without a clear cut winner in the debate. But seriously, what I loved about writing Hansel and Ruby's argument was that you can understand where they are both coming from. Hansel has completely understandable fears of the man just breaking out and doing it all again, and Ruby can't morally agree with killing a person who can't fight back and wants to try and take the more idealistic route. For me, it was almost Fate-esque. Like Shiro and Archer's arguments.

And now, the cherry on top, Winter Schnee's maiming and everyone else's reactions to it. Dear God, that was heart-wrenching to even write, especially when I got to Weiss' reaction. I have to say though, I adore everyone's speculation on who the Ace of Spades is. And I hope this just continues to add fuel to that fire.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Next time, I'm hoping we can finally conclude the Atlas Investigation Arc. I'll see you all next time.