Happy New Year One-Day-Late

Cover Art: Mystery White Flame

Chapter 41

"I don't appreciate you stepping in where you're not invited."

Jaune swallowed, sat opposite Ironwood and alone with the General. It was the first time they'd spoken face to face without Glynda or Winter there to moderate, and the fact it came less than a day after Blake and Ozpin snuck out to find the White Fang didn't do much for his confidence. It could have only been worse if Cinder had been invited too.

"I'm sorry for what my student-"

"Don't waste my time, Arc. I know who Ozpin is, I know who that girl is, and I know nothing that happened last night happened without your approval. That's just how you are. You planned this. All of this."

Nine times out of ten, he'd have been able to say no, to say they were overestimating him again and just assigning lucky success to his reputation. Except that this was the first time in forever that it wasn't the case. He had planned for Blake to sneak off. Or rather, he hadn't planned what she'd do, but he'd known and allowed it.

"They found the White Fang," he said.

"Yes. With the aid of Qrow, who just so happened to also be investigating them despite my instructions for you to stay out of this."

"In my defence, I didn't ask Qrow to. He was here on other business."

"I'm aware. Qrow arrived long before the White Fang did, so unless you predicted their attack and refrained from telling us, his involvement is an accident." Ironwood scowled at him. "A fortunate accident. I've had teams follow up on the information gathered."

"Subtly?"

"Did you expect me to do it any other way?"

"Ah. No…"

"You think we're so brash and stubborn as to barge in, arrest some petty mooks and give up our advantage? Atlas, the idiot Kingdom that can't think without firing off canons and launching battleships?" Ironwood loomed over him. "No, Arc. I sent infiltration teams. They were not noticed. If you're going to insult me, at least give me the credit of assuming I'm not an absolute cretin."

Jaune cringed. "I didn't mean to insult you. We're allies-"

"We are. And that means working together." General Ironwood drew something from his drawer and pushed it across the table.

"What is it?"

"Arthur Watts was thought dead to us. There was a reward on his, the details of which are here." He tapped the folder. "I've made it out to Beacon. Easier than the alternative…"

"Me?" Jaune asked.

"You're not the one who killed him, are you?"

Oh hell. Cinder! No wonder Ironwood wanted it made out to Beacon instead. Jaune nodded and pulled it back. "It'll go to repairs and helping the students," he promised. "Thank you, General Ironwood. This will really help the school."

"Hmph. See that it does. On the issue of allies, I want you to stop interfering in our investigation. You found the White Fang and I appreciate that, but if the public finds out this is how it happened, it would reflect poorly on us. I believe you meant well." The words sounded like they physically hurt him. "But there are reasons I wanted you limited to the base, and that's not just because I don't trust you. There is politics involved."

Politics. Jaune bit back a sigh and nodded. There really shouldn't be anything more than finding Adam in their heads, but Atlas wasn't their Kingdom and they had to play by the rules. At least Glynda had spoken to Ironwood first. Otherwise, this might have been a much more heated conversation.

"What would you have me do?" he asked.

"Stay on base until called for and keep an eye on your guest. I'll also be expanding the curfew I placed on you to the team you brought with you." Ironwood's face said he wouldn't budge on that, even if it wasn't really Team RWBY's fault. Sighing, Jaune nodded again. "If they ask why, be sure to tell them it's your fault."

"Fine. I'll let them know. We're all on the same side here, Ironwood."

"We're not. We are allied against Salem and will fight in defence of one another, but I am on the side of Atlas and you are of Vale. Our objectives are similar, but not the same. How you do things in Vale – even how Ozpin did things – are different from here. Were the Vytal Festival held in Atlas, I might have cancelled it at the first sign of attack. At the very least, I would have mandated checks on every single competitor and guest."

That didn't sound like a bad idea. It was intrusive though and he said so.

"Ozpin felt the same way," Ironwood said. "That is why we differ. I don't mind being the villain if it means keeping my people safe, while Ozpin saw merit in maintaining his reputation and the trust the people had in him, even if it meant letting them be in danger. How far did that get him? Was it worth it?"

"I don't know…"

"Neither do I," Ironwood said, standing. "But it won't happen here. See to your teams and prepare them. If all goes well, we will be launching an attack tonight and you and yours will be involved. To not be would only imply there's a rift between us."

"Isn't there one?" he asked.

"Of course. But both you and I can be professional enough to set that aside, I trust."

If it meant stopping Adam, then yes. Jaune nodded. "I'll take care of that then. Is that all?"

Ironwood grunted. "Dismissed."

You can't dismiss me. I'm not a soldier. Even so, he backed away, not wanting to dig the hole deeper. On the way out he bumped into Oscar – Ozpin, he realised. The posture differed. The immortal nodded briefly to him and stepped into the room, the booming voice of Ironwood instantly sounding a lot happier than it had been as he greeted an old friend and not an enemy.

Watching the door seal shut behind him, Jaune sighed and headed off to find Team RWBY.

/-/

"We're being grounded?" Yang complained. "Well that sucks."

"Ironwood's orders, I'm afraid," the headmaster said. "I couldn't do anything about it. If it's any consolation, I think they're planning the assault tonight, so see it as a chance to rest rather than a punishment."

Having worked alongside the headmaster for a while, Blake liked to think she'd learned to read between the lines a little. He often spoke to Sienna, Roman or Neo when she was near, and sometimes they forgot she was there at all. It was a good source of information. As it was, hearing the way he said that had the pieces clicking into place.

"Ironwood is upset it's us who found the White Fang."

"What?" Ruby protested. "Nah, that's silly."

Jaune didn't say a word.

"Isn't it?" Ruby asked nervously.

"Bah!" Yang said. "They're seriously annoyed we did their work for them…? How petty do they want to be?"

"It's more complicated than that," Jaune said, all but confirming Blake's suspicions. "I can't even understand it myself; it's Atlas politics. Not Vale's. From what little I get, it's about saving face. Blake finding out about the White Fang did help – and it's going to yield results." He sent her a nod and Blake returned it, pleased inside. "But they can't say that. It makes them look bad if they've not been able to figure anything out for a week, then we arrive and get it on day one."

"That's because it is bad," Yang said. "I'd be ashamed if I were them."

"Blake had the advantage of knowing about the White Fang though," Ruby said. "It wasn't entirely fair."

"Atlas had the advantage of vast resources, surveillance and hundreds of people who could search at any one time," Weiss countered. "And it's not like Blake knew exactly where to find them. Honestly, they should have found them sooner. That they haven't speaks either of incompetence or something worse."

Spies. Sabotage. Blake expected it was that. For all that they could take the mess out of Atlas for some things, they weren't idiots and the Atlas military was good at what it did. That they'd failed to find evidence of the White Fang where she did so easily had to be planned. Either the White Fang had infiltrated those tasked with searching for them, or they'd broken into the mainframe. One of the biggest problems with a huge organisational structure like Atlas was that you had to send information up and down the chain.

Electronic communication could be picked up by spies anywhere in the system, from the lowliest IT tech to assistants to upper, middle or even lower ranked officers. If not those officers themselves. Beacon's advantage hadn't been her knowledge of the White Fang, but how much more casual they were. How they could talk and trust one another without the need to involve anyone in the middle.

"Assume it's the worse," Jaune said, obviously on the same thought pattern as her. "General Ironwood isn't unaware, either. He expects spies and I'm sure he has safeguards in place against them." He smiled lopsidedly. "I'm just here to tell you not to try and leave the base without permission. Sorry to be the deliverer of bad news and all."

"It's fine," Ruby said, stroking Zwei and beaming brightly. Bad news or not, she was just happy to be involved in the conversation. That they were meant they were trusted, which Blake appreciated and was sure Yang and Weiss did as well, but that Ruby, with her crush, obviously appreciated a whole lot more. "Thanks for telling us, sir. We won't let you down."

Sheesh. Blake looked to Weiss and they both rolled their eyes.

Yang glowered at her younger sister. "Yeah, I won't let us let you down. Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Ruby as well to make sure she doesn't do anything silly."

"Wha-? Yang, I'm not the one who-" Silver eyes grew wide. She and Yang glared at one another.

I've heard of sibling rivalry, but this is ridiculous, Blake thought. He's not even that special. So what if he's the youngest teacher ever, so skilled he beat Cinder, able to fight Adam and that he's done more to stop the White Fang than Ozpin ever did…

Okay, maybe he was a little cool, but she wasn't getting involved. That'd be way too complicated. And unhealthy. She'd seen the looks Neo sent Glynda and she wasn't sure Neo knew what `friendly competition` meant. Waking up with a sword in her back just wasn't worth it.

If Yang and Ruby wanted a piece of that, they were braver than her.

/-/

Cinder listened intently as her new patron explained the situation. Attentiveness had never been in question when Salem spoke, for failure to heed could be met with violence. Rarely applied by Salem, but all too eagerly by Tyrian. Of Jaune, she doubted such would be forthcoming. In that, he was much more subtle. Rather than force her attention, he made her want to listen. To learn what his plan was and see history unfold before her very eyes.

"You're going to be involved in the attack on the White Fang," he said. "Not because Ozpin wants you there, but because he wants me there and doesn't dare leave you behind to cause a mess."

"Understandable. He fears me."

"He fears the damage you can do. He fears telling people their child, parent or lover died because of you. I doubt General Ironwood fears you. Or anyone at all." Jaune impressed that on her with a pointed look. One she couldn't quite decipher but would never admit to. Instead, she nodded back.

He was wrong about one thing, however. Ironwood feared two people. Salem for the obvious reasons, but also Jaune Arc. He's right to fear Jaune. I should have taken more note of that myself. Had she, she might still have both eyes and her freedom.

Although, there was no telling what Jaune might have done to her then.

"Ironwood needs Atlas to be seen as the ones responsible for stopping the White Fang," he continued. "We're just there to support. A show of alliance and having common ground. If we put in too good of a show, people might start to think we're the ones carrying all the weight, and he doesn't want that."

Cinder's head tilted to the side. Was that…? It might just be, but she had to be sure.

"And what do you want?"

"I want what Ironwood wants." He looked at her meaningfully when he said that, tilting his head down to make his point clear. Or to hint at something. The cameras! Of course, he'd made a show the day before of pointing out and ignoring every camera in the room.

He can't answer honestly. I have to look deeper. `I want what Ironwood wants…` That didn't necessarily imply agreement with Ironwood, did it? Only that they both wanted the same thing. That they might be in competition for it.

Cinder nodded. "I see. It would be problematic for you to steal his thunder."

"Exactly." Jaune leaned back, apparently satisfied with what she was saying. "If I do anything untoward, it's going to look like I'm trying to upstage Ironwood. The same goes for the girls since they're my students and I'm responsible for them."

They were limited. Their actions affected Beacon.

Hers, however, did not. Or rather, they didn't to the same degree. Jaune was responsible for her, but only for making sure she did not break the law. To ensure she was on her best behaviour. Of course, she didn't want to assume out of hand. "My actions reflect on you as well, don't they?"

"Yes. Both the bad and the good. That's why I need you to be on your best behaviour when the raid happens. What you do is going to reflect on me and Beacon."

Cinder nodded again, excitement rising up inside her. "And what, Jaune, would you have me do?"

"Do exactly what General Ironwood wants. Nothing more. Nothing less."

Jaune shivered and rubbed his arms, looking around again. To anyone watching, it might have seemed that he shied away from her intent and piercing attention, but she knew better. His anxiety around her was feigned. His discomfort a clever ruse. His eyes roamed over the nearest cabinet, over where she knew a surveillance camera was hidden.

"The last thing we want is to upstage Ironwood," he said a second later. "That's the last thing I want."

The last thing he wanted. But her orders were to do what Ironwood wanted. What Ironwood and Jaune wanted were not necessarily the same, and as someone not officially of Beacon, she held a certain degree of freedom. Her actions would reflect on Beacon, but she was a criminal. Who could expect them to have perfect hold of her yet? Wasn't it understandable for her to be just a little wild? Just a little out of control?

No one could blame them if she went above and beyond. Certainly not Ironwood, and not if he looked over this meeting and witnessed Jaune specifically telling her not to. Truly, he was a genius the likes of which few had ever existed before.

Smiling cattishly, Cinder met his eyes and nodded once. "I'll be on my best behaviour."

Mission received.

"Good." He nodded back and stood. "Don't let me down, Cinder. I'm trusting you."

Another test. Or a chance once and for all for her to prove that she should stand at his side. His equal. His partner. Cinder kept the thrill that shot through her hidden, masking it in pouring herself a cup of tea as he made his way to the door and left, locking it behind him. With but ten minutes and a few simple words, he'd left her flustered and eager to see what he would do – not so much to her, but to Atlas. No. To all of Remnant.

"My, Jaune, you certainly know how to leave a girl wanting…"

/-/

A farm boy and the General of the strongest military on Remnant walk into a secret bunker. It wasn't the punchline to a joke. Their footsteps echoed down corridors as Oscar dwelled silently in the back of his mind, unwilling to speak and unusually quiet. For a long moment Ozpin feared it might be too late, that he had already taken control, but he felt the stir at the thought and quickly concealed it.

Oscar had enough to worry about without that making him afraid. There were some things that couldn't be changed, after all. Couldn't be avoided. For everything else, there was coffee. He wished he had a mug to hand.

"Will you act on what we found?" he asked his old friend.

"You know I shall, Ozpin."

"I'm glad," Ozpin replied, currently in charge of Oscar's body and walking alongside James Ironwood down secure and secretive corridors deep within Atlas. "I had thought for a moment you might allow pride to get in the way. I know it's not like you, but nothing about our current situation is what one might call normal."

"Says the fourteen-year-old boy."

"My point exactly."

"Can he be trusted?"

"Oscar will not reveal anything we say."

James stopped. "I wasn't referring to your host."

"Jaune is an ally. Or I believe so. Will my saying that change anything?"

"You thought Cinder Fall not a threat as well," James pointed out. "Allowing her into Beacon, trusting her and letting your guard down."

Ozpin sighed. "You make one mistake…"

"And Leonardo Lionheart."

"Two mistakes – and no one lets you forget it."

"I believe there was Hazel as well. Then Raven. Not to mention Salem herself."

"A few mistakes, then," Ozpin allowed, rolling his eyes. "Ignoring those, however, I am an excellent judge of character." He glared when James made a disbelieving sound. "I've lived eons, James. A few hiccups out to be expected."

"Isn't it you who are always saying you've made more mistakes than any other man alive?"

Ozpin hummed and kept walking, the corridors familiar despite this body never having stepped foot within them. Mistakes were something he thought on often; some bigger than others, some smaller and others callous, foolish or that could have been easily avoided. Living as long as he had, even the most cautious of people would have picked up more than anyone currently alive, so his old saying didn't mean much.

They were on their way to look at another co-called mistake of his.

Or a number of them.

"How is she?"

"Dying," James said simply. "I'm afraid you won't be able to see her, not that I think she'd want to see you." He said it kindly, but Ozpin still winced. "Winter is the only one allowed in and out, the better to enable the transfer."

"Keeping her a prisoner may see her think of someone else in the last moment just to spite you."

"Allowing her to roam free didn't work much better for Amber."

Ozpin scowled. Mistake or not, that didn't make keeping a sick maiden on palliative care locked away a good decision. Unless her mind had completely fractured, it wasn't like exposing her to Winter over and over would remove all other women from her mind. If it were him locked away, he'd think of someone else just to defy his captors.

"This is a mistake, James."

"Then let me be the one to make it." James – no, Ironwood now – looked ahead firmly. Uncompromising. "I let you have your way in Vale and we saw how that ended."

"Yes. Beacon surviving, Cinder sent scurrying away minus an eye and the White Fang humiliated."

"You dead."

"That wasn't a great price to pay."

"It was for me," James hissed.

Surprised, Ozpin stared up at his old friend, then looked away with a rueful smile when James would not return his gaze. "I see." He chuckled. "I am sorry, James. It wasn't my intent to fall and I'm sorry if my passing caused you any distress."

"You're back now," the General said gruffly. "That's all that matters."

"Yes. And I'm glad to be back."

Ironwood stopped before a door and typed in a code, then placed his hand on a pad and typed in a second code before it opened. Even that did not give them access to the treasure within, only a chamber from which they could vaguely see the machines that surrounded it. Ozpin stepped forward.

"The Relic of Creation…"

"It's still providing the power to lift Atlas," James said, crossing his arms.

"Yes." Ozpin closed his eyes. "Another dubious decision on my part."

"Hm." James didn't disagree. "I'm not sure what anyone was thinking on that one. I mean, sure, staying afloat helps to protect us from the Grimm, but only if all of Atlas is floating. Most of the city is still on the floor, essentially leaving them abandoned."

"Not to mention people built under Atlas," Ozpin groused. "Who decided on that exactly?"

"City planners. Apparently, no one has a problem with homes literally under several thousand tonnes of metal and rock." James made his opinion clear with a hand over his face. "And of course, with Salem and hers now after this, we run the risk of coming crashing down – which wouldn't even be an issue if we hadn't decided to float off in the first place. We can't even move or hide the Relic now."

"Mistakes," Ozpin admitted. "I've made them."

"Indeed. Aside from a neat parlour trick, all the floating has done us is convince the other Kingdoms we're selfishly holding out on city-floating technology that could save lives. And because I can't tell everyone the truth for obvious reasons, I've had to say it's secret technology." He sighed and scratched his thinly growing beard. "The result is obvious. I'm the callous monster who doesn't care about anyone or anything but Atlas."

"I do apologise for that…"

"No. It's fine. So long as you and I know that's not the case." James turned away. "For better or worse, the Relic is locked here now and if Salem gets a hold of it, she destroys Atlas at the same time. Nothing quite like tying our fates to a gimmick, I must admit. Were we on the ground, she'd have to contend with escaping or dealing with our military or myself and you. As it is, she just needs someone to push that thing out the machine and we're all done for."

It really was an awful countermeasure. With Mantle ripe to be crushed when Atlas fell, it would mean the end of the entire Kingdom. Delicate military hardware was unlikely to survive the fall and huntsmen would be scrambling to pick survivors from the wreckage, easy targets for the White Fang or Grimm. And all for what? So a portion of Atlas could float?

Amity floated. It didn't stop the Grimm.

"This is why I haven't been able to dedicate everything to the White Fang as I might wish," James said. "I'm afraid that if I tunnel vision too hard, someone will slip by to take the Relic. If Winter had the power of the maiden, she could be left to defend it, but until then…"

"You made the right choice, James."

"I know. Sadly, no one else does – so to those outside, it looks like I'm making the wrong one. I'll say it frank, Ozpin. I don't trust Cinder."

Ozpin blinked. "Am I supposed to be upset about that?"

"I don't trust Cinder – and I don't trust her motives for suddenly switching sides. That means that whatever you say about Arc, I can't afford to trust him either. And don't argue. I've already set the rules that he can't leave her unattended, so right now they come as a pair."

"You realise I'm keeping an eye on her, no? She isn't going unmonitored."

James pulled a strange face, like he was trying to find a way to say something without it being taken the wrong way. He hummed to himself for a few seconds, before shrugging his shoulders and just saying it. "Oz. She killed you. In your old body, which was a lot more trained than this one."

"Yes well…"

"A whip of a girl who must be twenty at best, killed you."

Defensively, he said, "She was very well-trained, James. Deceptively so. With her skills, I dare say she'd been trained from a young age to be a killer. Perhaps even from the age of five."

"Fifteen years training versus fifteen hundred years training. I'm sure you never stood a chance…"

In his head, Oscar snickered.

"Shut up," Ozpin groused. To both of them. "I was caught off-guard; she took the maiden's power, and I had to defend Miss Nikos as she retreated. It was harder than it looked – and she displayed a rather ridiculous degree of control over said power, especially since everyone else who has had it has needed time to get used to it."

Really, ripping out full weather control, beams of energy and everything else within literally ten seconds of killing Amber wasn't just prodigious. It was downright bullshit. Apparently, the whole `takes time to master` thing didn't apply in that moment, even if according to Cinder herself, she'd had to take time to learn to control it after the fact anyway. How that worked, he had no idea. She'd been able to fly for crying out loud. That wasn't exactly baby-maiden's first trick.

"I'm just saying you keeping an eye on her isn't as comforting as you might think," James said. "I want her physically kept away from the Relic. I won't budge on this."

"Very well, James. I won't try to convince you. Even so, the solution seems simply to me. Involve them in dealing with the White Fang. That should keep them both away from the Relic and allow a chance to test her loyalty. I dare say Jaune will appreciate that as well. He trusts her about the same, if not less, than you do."

"I intend to." James turned away from the Relic and motioned for Ozpin to follow. There was no reluctance there. Ozpin turned his back and left, relieved to be away from that damning reminder of what the Brother Gods had done. James sealed and locked the door once more. "I won't be able to take command of the raid on the White Fang. I can't leave it to Arc, either. Trust aside, this has to be Atlas' operation. Please understand."

"I do. Atlas must be seen capable of standing on its own feet. Jaune understands that as well, James. He does."

"Is that why he defied my orders?"

"Jaune did not leave-"

"Cut the crap, Ozpin. We both know you and that girl going clubbing together wasn't an accident." James paused. "At least I hope it wasn't or we're about to have a disturbing conversation about age differences."

"I prefer my women a little more mature. You know that. Miss Belladonna is several hundred years too young for me." Under his breath, he muttered, "Not to mention Salem and I never technically divorced. I don't want to open that can of worms."

Technically speaking, their vows had been said in another era long before the Kingdoms, but he was still a citizen of Vale, so he was bound there. And last he'd checked `is technically Queen of the Grimm` wasn't a valid option for annulment. Last thing they needed was Salem discovering she was technically owed half of Beacon by law. Knew we should have signed a pre-nuptial, but nooo, too eager to get into bed and start the baby making.

Mistakes. So many mistakes.

"I don't mind you finding the White Fang for us, but Atlas is taking the credit," James said. "It has to. We can't afford weakness at a time where Salem is pushing the White Fang our way. If the Kingdom appears weak, I'm likely to be replaced – and I'm not confident of who would take my place."

Someone worse, obviously. Even if they were perfect in every regard, they wouldn't know the truth about him or trust him, and that was problem enough. At worst, they could be in Salem, the SDC or the White Fang's pockets.

"Who will be in charge then?" he asked. "If it can't be you, Winter or Jaune – and it certainly can't be me. Nor Glynda, given her position. Who else is there?"

Ironwood sighed. Heavily.

"There is… one person…"

/-/

"SALUTATIONS, MAGGOTS! I AM YOUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF!"

Ruby, along with her team, Headmaster Arc, Miss Goodwitch and several unknown huntsmen and huntresses from Atlas who were going on the same mission as them, all stared at the bubbly orange-haired almost-girl who came bursting through the door with what looked to be a copy of Miss Goodwitch's crop in hand.

"Penny…?" she hazarded. "What are you-?"

"That's Captain Penny to you, friend-Ruby. Now drop and give me twenty!"

"Wha-?"

The crop slapped down into her palm. Penny's voice rose, not as though she were shouting but instead like someone had simply taken the volume knob on a television and ripped it up as high as it could go. "I said drop and give me thirty!"

"B-But twenty!"

"It's forty now for that lip, soldier. Do I make it fifty?"

Ruby's hands hit the floor as she started with the push-ups.

"Move your hips, cadet. I want to be able to polish my boots in your armpit hair."

"That doesn't even make any sense!"

"Do you want more push-ups, soldier?"

"NO, CAPTAIN PENNY!" Ruby yelled.

"I thought not."

"Penny," Yang tried, then quickly changed her tune when Penny looked her way. "Captain Penny, I mean. Um. We were told to wait here for the person who'd be leading the assault on the White Fang…" Even as she spoke, realisation dawned, both on her and everyone else. Someone whimpered loudly. A soldier muttered about not having updated his will, while a Huntsman Atlas started gently banging his forehead against the nearest wall. "That's you," Yang said weakly. "Isn't it? You're the one leading us…"

"Affirmative! Both General Ironwood and Specialist Winter Schnee are busy. Due to fears of White Fang spies on other commanding officers taking note of them moving, General Ironwood has decided the element of surprise will better support us if I lead the assault. He has also recognised my tactical brilliance." Her eyes lit up. "Isn't that amazing?"

"Y-Yeah. It… That's great…"

Blake groaned. "We're doomed."

"What was that, maggot? Do you want push-ups?"

"Why are you talking like a boot camp instructor out of a movie?" Weiss asked.

"I had limited time to brush up on military command," Penny said casually. "And so I decided to download several gigabytes worth of military instructional videos directly, along with motivational speeches." Slamming a fist into her hand, Penny pointed at them all. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes. Spears shall be shaken; shields shall be splintered. A sword day, a red day, 'ere the sun rises!"

Silence. Absolute silence.

"Yep," Yang said, slapping Blake on the shoulder. "We're doomed. Nice knowing you."

Blake sighed.

"Tonight!" Penny roared, shaking a fist at the ceiling. "We dine in hell!"

Sorry for no omake today – just busy trying to catch up on stuff, not easy when I'm out of a week's writing practice. I'll try do one next week. And poor Penny. She's just trying her best to be a proper commander.

I realise there are a bunch of new characters being introduced in RWBY in Atlas that could benefit here, but I haven't watched the new season yet. I might do when it's done since I'm really hearing that it's started to improve again, and that Rooster Teeth are stepping up from the last few seasons. I just want to make sure that continues for the full volume before jumping in, as I don't want to believe the hype too soon and be disappointed again like I was for volumes four and five.

But with any luck, RWBY might well be getting back on track. Hell yeah. I can accept any number of bad hairstyles if it means the plot improves. Shave Jaune bald. I'll take it.

Next Chapter: 9th January

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur