Alright! I updated this fic a whole lot faster than I intended LOL

So, here's the next chapter. In it, we get some insight into some of the things going on in people's heads. This fic delves deep into character introspection and with how things are going, it's about damn time these jackasses took a moment to think about things and what they're doing. Namely, the antagonists of this story for the next few Arcs. I remember not too long ago, someone said that this Brotherhood Arc was coming off kinda weak, but personally, the idea behind the Brotherhood was never to be a White Fang replacement. It's not about conflict between people, it's a conflict between ideologies and how people can be poisoned and twisted by experiences.

It's not just the Brotherhood to contend with - it's each other.

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY

Chapter 40: Hard Truths

"Are you sure about this, Orion?"

The boy turned to the rabbit Faunus beside him. Wearing white armor, similar to the standard issue of the Atlesian Military, blues and whites came together. While not exactly the same standard issue, she kept the breastplate and the thigh guards. Navy blue leggings rose up to her hips, topped with white fur around her neck. Dark skin, red eyes tilted inward, long eyelashes, white hair to match his own, falling to her mid-back, and large, fluffy rabbit ears protruded from her scalp. Her name was Rei Nanami

He did not forget to notice the worry in her eyes, "I am."

"They're going to shoot you," she said, "I don't trust this King of Vale. There's something off about all of them, even the Winchester. I've seen strange people, after all, you know a lot. But them…they're hiding something and somehow, everyone that works for them is in on it."

"I agree, but what choice do we have?" he gave her a pointed look, "Larissa and I failed our missions. The Brotherhood High Council isn't going to like this – my mother isn't going to like this. We don't have any options. Two years is too long to wait – we're doing this. I waited almost a week for this call…I'm not backing out now."

She frowned, "fine, but if you need any help, just let me know, alright?"

"I will," he smiled. Taking her hand into his, he leaned in, giving her a quick kiss, "I'll be back. Just make sure there aren't any LVDR sneaking about, nor Brotherhood. I heard Alivia was snooping around."

"There were rumors, but I didn't see him," she nodded, "alright, Orion, be safe."

"Hey, Rei," he said, turning to her, "I love you."

"Get going, idiot," she smirked.

Taking a deep breath, the Argent reached for the door handle, throwing himself into the street. There was nothing but shadow beneath the face of the infamous King's Fist HQ. Deep within what once, was one of the many Red-Light Districts in Vale, he had to admit, the King knew how to clean a place up. Down the street, instead of hookers and strippers dancing in glass tubes lining buildings and tenements, there were market stalls, street vendors and people walking and praising the infantry doing their patrols.

There was very little difference between the streets he saw now, and the war-torn districts of Mantle. People were still sick and poor, but they were content here. People looked up the HQ and saw safety. Keeping his eyes forward, he took a deep breath as he headed for the entrance. Large glass doors lined in gold and handles of forged intricate material. On either side of the door, a squad of infantry were gathered, either on their lunch break, or lounging around in the spring heat.

However, as his hand touched the door handle, their heads turned to him. Weapons were reached for, rifles and firearms were cocked. Quickly raising his arms, he stood still as a sergeant, by the looks of his armor, walked up to him, looking up and down, examining his appearance.

"You look familiar, Atlesian," the man said with a glare, "what are you doing here? What do you want with the King's Fist?"

"I'm here to speak with the King," Orion said, "I received a call from the King himself."

The soldiers gathered began to laugh, "not just any moron can walk up to the HQ and demand to speak to the King. Do you have any proof for this meeting?"

The hairs on Orion's back raised as barrels were raised at him. Swords were drawn and weapons leveled. Biting his lip, he was not here looking for a fight, "look, I just want to speak to the King. I have information he would want to hear!"

"Do not raise your voice at us," another sergeant growled, "hey, Cherno, I know who this fucker is – it's Orion Argent, the Prince of the Brotherhood. I heard about him and his sister in a briefing with Lieutenant Roux and Lieutenant Rosemary. This guy's a literal demon. Not only does he torture Faunus, he tortures humans as well. I heard they have gladiatorial fights using homeless men and women as combatants."

"I heard they make them fight to the death with the victor being promised Lien and a job," a soldier said, "I also heard they never keep their promises, knowing there will be more homeless men and women to fill those spots."

"I didn't come here to trade stories–"

"You will shut the fuck up!" the second sergeant spat, "boys, bag him. The King will want to know why this scum showed up here."

"Wait, Delwyn, no," the first said, "as much as I don't like this guy either, we don't want to start a war with the Brotherhood. Not until the King says so."

"Our Queen is a Faunus," the second replied, "it's our duty to give the enemies of our Queen what they deserve."

"If he's really the Prince of the Brotherhood, if he's hurt, they would want our heads."

The second laughed, "I said bag him, not kill him."

Before Orion could speak, a black bag was thrown over his head. Zipped tight around his throat, the man was pushed forward, stumbling over his feet. Unable to get a sense of where he was, he felt tile against his shoulder, heard the squeaking of combat boots against polish. A ding, there was an elevator. Throwing against a metal railing and wooden walls, he collapsed, shrinking into himself as the doors slowly closed behind him. Ding, ding, ding, he was ascending. Several more floors were passed and he was getting nauseous. The fabrics and threading of the sack illuminated by the bright iridescent light.

A louder ding was heard. Elevator doors hissed open. Unable to move of his own accord, he was pulled from the elevator floor and thrown forward. Feet slipping over tile, he was surprised at the carpet that soon met the sole of his boots. Strong hands pushed him, pulled him, almost tearing his arms from their sockets. Before he could ask another question, a door handle clicked and he was thrown in. Finally, he had found a chance to move, but another hand, lithe, yet strong, grabbed his shoulders and slammed him into a seat. Suddenly, the black bag was torn from his head, revealing an elaborate office filled with trophies and weapons.

In the center of the room in front of a set of windows that overlooked the entire skyline of Vale, a mahogany desk with golden inlays. Sitting at it, was none other than Jaune Arc. The Four Queens of Vale standing at his sides, Pyrrha Nikos and Blake Belladonna at his right, Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee at his left. Whipping back, Lie Ren stood at the door with Nora Valkyrie and Ruby Rose, all three ensuring the boy went nowhere. He gulped – this was not what he was hoping for.

"Arc, I guess…thank you for letting me come to you," Orion said, carefully glancing left and right, "but…is all of this necessary?"

"Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of my closest friends and Queens," Jaune glared from behind the mahogany desk, "now speak. I'm sure your sister or the Brotherhood wouldn't appreciate you being here, especially with my dad's trial happening right now."

"I guess small talk is out the window…" Orion said, "I am tired of my sister's games and that of my parents. I already apologized to your friend, Sun Wukong…I don't hate Faunus, alright? Sometimes people have to do terrible things just to survive. My teammates and partner are Faunus, if you haven't noticed…and well, she's been my secret girlfriend for several years. But we both had to keep appearances and we both had to make sacrifices. She had to play the grateful subordinate assigned by the Brotherhood and I had to be the ignorant sycophant, following their ideology. So, I'll give you something my parents have kept secret for decades – Doctor Merlot is alive."

Weiss raised a brow at his confessions. As did the rest of RRAYNNBW, more so, Jaune, "W-While I appreciate what you're telling me…why?"

"D-Did you not hear me?" Orion said incredulously, "I'm tired. If you wanted a sob story, I got one. If you wanted me to spill my entire life, I can. I just can't keep up this façade if I'm going to keep some semblance of sanity. Look, if you want a target, I can give you several, Arc. My father, my mother, my sister, my uncles and aunts; Willow Schnee."

Weiss sputtered, "E-Excuse me?!"

"Your mother and mine have known each other for many years, even before they met their worthless husbands," Orion said, "while they weren't huntresses, they knew many huntsman circles and it didn't hurt that they were filthy rich. Your mother isn't a part of the Brotherhood, but with her friendship with my mother, it is enough to put a target on her back."

"We are not arresting my mother!" Weiss hissed.

"I never said anything like that," Orion frowned, quickly trying to rephrase his next response, "look, I want peace and quiet. I want to be with Rei, and my team away from all of this bullshit. I knew that coming here would be dangerous, I knew that my family and the people I know, would do nothing more than create wounds, and I'm sick of it. After everything I've seen you do, all of you, this isn't a fight I want a part of. The only way you can stop the Brotherhood and all who support it, is to put its members six feet under."

"Tell us what you're not willing to share," Weiss narrowed her eyes, "you can never take an Atlesian's offer at face value."

"I'm actually from Dale, but you're right," Orion sighed, "I want to make sure that when you do destroy the Brotherhood, me and my team won't be on the Hit List. Unlike the way Larissa treats LVDR, ONYX is my family. Unlike many teams in the Atlesian Military, aside from maybe FNKI; right from the start, we became more than just comrades. We were friends and family. When I was selected to be team leader, I learned that they were assigned to my team as punishment by the Brotherhood members in the Atlesian High Council. I may have reacted badly to some members hurting a Faunus. But I followed both General Ironwood and the Brotherhood's orders to the tee, because that's what I was trained and raised to do. No more, I'm done with fighting, I'm done being forced into fights I can't win."

"What do you intend to do if we agree?" Pyrrha asked, feeling the heat and anger growing off of Weiss and Blake.

Orion took a deep breath, "Rei and my teammates have always wanted to move to Menagerie. After all, that's where the rest of their people are."

Blake suddenly burst into spiteful laughter, "Ha! The hell you are! You think that just because of some vague past, we'll just let you walk and be free after everything you've done? On top of that, you want to walk among the very people you've dedicated your life to hurting and subjugating?! I don't fucking think so."

"Blake…" Weiss and Pyrrha gave her a sideways glance.

"I know, I know, language," Blake sighed, "We appreciate what you're doing, Orion, but there's no way we can just let you be free knowing what you've done. The Faunus know who you are, my parents know who you are and they're now the King and Queen of Menagerie. Even if we gave you our blessing and protection, I doubt my mom and dad will let you just immigrate! Not after the history between our people!"

"I know," Orion nodded, "that's why I wanted to ask that you let me serve under you, in probation to prove myself. If I must fight for the King's Fist, then so be it."

If the eight of them weren't surprised yet, they certainly were now. They physically flinched from his declaration, almost in disbelief. Weiss was the first to snap from it, glaring harsher than before, "well, if we were to agree, I want to ask some things first, Orion."

"Ask away," the Argent nodded.

"What was your mission here in Vale? You said you and your sister were given tasks by both the General and the Brotherhood," Weiss said through teeth, "I don't believe for a second that you were only here for the Vytal Festival. You want us to believe you, start by telling the truth right now."

Orion was hesitant, causing Ren and Blake to reach for their weapons, "I…my sister and I were given missions directly from our mother, Evanthe. My sister, who we all know by now, had a direct effect on Cardin Winchester and the House of Winchester in Viridian Hollow. Years, the Brotherhood and the Argents especially have tried to take the city from the Winchesters – she almost succeeded in turning Cardin, but her brutalization and maiming of that Faunus was too much for him…and me."

"Her mission, was to seduce Cardin and bring him back into the Brotherhood," Orion said, "she…she's had a slight obsession for him since they parted ways and she doesn't take kindly to being abandoned. As for me…I was to seduce you, Schnee."

"E-Excuse me?!" Weiss nearly shrieked.

"That's what I said!" Orion frowned, "Your mother was too drunk to object and no one knew about Rina and I…you know damn well I am not doing any of that shit. If you want more information, then I am more than willing to share."

"Weiss," Jaune turned to her, "do you need to step outside to calm down? This…this is a lot to take in."

"No," she glared at Orion, "I'm fine. Continue, Argent."

"Doctor Merlot has survived in Dale for several years since the fall of Mountain Glenn," he nodded, "his research into Grimm was to find a way to control them and in turn, serve his every command and whim. So far, he has hundreds of mutated Grimm, armored Grimm, mechanical Grimm and advanced machines that contend with Atlesian Knights. Using notes from Doctor Watts and Doctor Polendina, he made his own version of the automatons."

"It's not enough to make an army to contend with, but if he's given time, he definitely could," Orion said, "with the resources of too many businesses, corporations and monopolies, it wouldn't be long before he gets a proper foothold and returns. Grimm expanding in numbers and in regions has made his efforts to research them that much easier."

"How do we find him?" Jaune asked.

"My sister told me he was still in Dale," Orion answered, "though, I don't know how much I believe that."

"If not Dale, then where could he possibly be?" Ren asked.

"I don't know, somewhere in Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo," he raised his hands in defense, "Mistral and Vacuo are hard to search with how many small towns and villages there are, but if I was a guessing man, I'd say he went to Atlas. With you gaining this much control, this fast, most likely spooked him. Especially with Yang Xiao Long as a Queen – STRQ annihilated him before, he didn't need the next generation foiling his plans again."

"Then…" Pyrrha began, "Jaune, General Ironwood said he has been looking for Doctor Merlot. This could be the lead we need to increase relations between our Kingdoms. If we were to capture him before say…Salem catches wind of him and his studies, we could take another piece from Salem's board."

"It could work," Ren nodded, "but Orion, it's not just you who has to prove themselves – the rest of Team ONYX will have to do so."

"We don't have time for that," Orion said.

"Then we have no deal," Yang glared, "either you're all in, or you're all out. That's how it goes, Argent."

"If we go back to Atlas," he pleaded, "I don't know what the Brotherhood would do to us. I can't leave Rei to those bastards and I refuse to stay in the shadow of my sister! She's insane, she's fucking lost it! Please, don't make us wait too long for a decision…their lives depend on it."

"We don't care," Blake and Weiss said almost in unison. However, Pyrrha and Yang quickly reacted, trying to calm them down, but they were inconsolable, "I'm not going to let this degenerate waltz in here and make demands, nor will I allow him to keep pretending like one good act will wash away all the bad he had done."

"It's not that, Weiss," Pyrrha pleaded, "this is not right! He came to us in good will and we're going to just shut him out?"

"That's how disagreements work, Pyrrha," Blake frowned, "he said some things and we decided that we didn't care."

"We?" Yang raised a brow, "you mean, you two, not us. What happened to we?"

"Yang, that's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?!" Yang snapped back.

"You know what I've been through because of people like him!" Blake shouted, "You know what they're capable of!"

"Then what about me?!" Pyrrha added, "What about all of us?! What about you?! I've we're going to turn him away because of what he's done, does that mean Weiss was right to insult you?!"

"T-That's different!" both Blake and Weiss responded, "We know she isn't the same. We know she left the White Fang – this one right here, is still a member!"

"For all we know, he's not even genuine," Weiss snapped, taking a threatening step toward Orion, "this could all just be a trick. Remember, he's more than a huntsman in training – he's a soldier in the Atlesian Military. They are taught tactics and strategies along with killing Grimm. On top of all of that – he's a team leader."

"Please," Orion slipped from the chair, falling to his knees, "I'm begging you. If we go back to Atlas, our lives could be in danger. If we…if I have to stand before the Brotherhood council and my mother, I don't know what they'll do to me, or worse, Rei."

"That doesn't matter," Yang said through gritted teeth, "we're just going to turn him away without even giving him a chance?! Where's the logic in that?!"

"It's not turning him away; it's making sure he doesn't hurt us from within!"

"Turn him away and he could hurt us anyway!"

"Look what you've done, Argent," Weiss hissed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "You've turned us against each other. Such a small and insignificant speck, managed this in less than an hour!"

Pyrrha sighed in despair, snapping to the girl, "Weiss!"

He was pleading, throwing his head at their feet, "t-that was not my intention! I just…I just want my friends, the girl I love…I want them to survive! I want them to live! I know what I've done, I know who I've fought for! I'm not asking for salvation! I know my worth. Don't think of me, think of them! They're innocent of everything I've done! They aren't part of the Brotherhood – I am. I'm doing all of this, I'm raising the white flag not for me…you're right, I'm trash, I'm degenerate filth; but I'm doing this for them; they're the ones who matter."

Jaune raised a curious brow. They're the ones that matter. It was a distant whisper in the back of his mind. A slightly older, angrier and weaker blond boy looked up at Cinder Fall. Her heel embedded in his chest, tears and defiance in his eyes. Hate, disgust, rage; all the emotions he could muster and it did nothing but endanger the white-haired Queen beside him. They're the ones that matter. It made his stomach twist as he stared at the white-haired boy in front of him.

"Guys, that's enough!" Nora bellowed, holding her hands to her ears, "shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

"Alright, Orion," Ruby quickly followed their silence, drawing all eyes to her, "we've had our fair share of terrorists in our group of friends. If you're being honest, if this is really what you want, then who are we to deny you this chance to be free? Like I told so many people – we're guardians, we're huntsmen and huntresses. We don't let our emotions get in the way of the mission; doing what's right and protecting the people of Remnant. You are among those people, Orion. I don't agree with killing the Brotherhood – there is always another way, but if we can save lives in any way, we'll do it. Right?"

Blake, Yang and Weiss glanced at Ruby. Shame, regret, anger. Blake snapped from her gaze giving the girl a heated glare, "I know what we're supposed to do, but I can't ignore him or what he's done…he's an Argent!"

"I get that!" Ruby raised her voice, causing everyone to flinch. Silver eyes flickered for a moment before calming down, "don't say I don't! I may be young, but I'm not stupid! All of you, especially you, Blake, Weiss; you two think that violence solves every problem. You think that we can just fight our way to a solution – we can't! Not everything needs to be stabbed, or shot! I don't trust him either, but that doesn't mean I can't give him a chance! If we turned him away in his time of need, we could have another Adam Taurus, we could have another Cinder Fall – instead of making enemies, we should be making friends. I don't care if you're Queens; I'm still your team leader."

"For just one second, can't we just be teenagers again? Full of life and joy," Ruby ran her hands through her hair in frustration, "it's just so annoying, how all of you have changed since Jaune and Ren returned from Menagerie! Everyone keep thinking the worst, everyone keeps expecting betrayal – this is what Salem wants! We are turning against each other, we are fighting and arguing and if we let it continue, it will drive a wedge through us. She knows she can't beat us when we're united, that's why she wants all of these terrible things to happen. She wants us ignorant; she wants us confused and full of fear."

Ruby marched to Orion who flinched at her waiting hand, "I for one won't be afraid of her, or what she can do any longer. I won't be so dumb to worry about what ifs and maybes. Jaune and Ren are tired, we're tired, they're tired. But instead of using what energy we have left to cause pain, use it to bring hope, damn it! That's why Jaune is King, that's why you four are Queens! He trusts you and the image you give to the people; he trusts all of us because of what we've done, what we've accomplished and what kind of good we bring!"

"Whatever this is, it's not you; it's not us," Ruby said with a stern tone, "We watched people die on a night we were supposed to be dancing and having fun. We watched people get hurt in a meeting that was supposed to bring peace. We watched people die when Grimm appeared in the middle of Vale. We watched people die at the Battle of the Docks. Every single time, it's death, death, death. No matter what we do, everyone always falls back on killing – why?! We shouldn't be doing this; we shouldn't be leaving people out in the dirt to be murdered, when they come to us for help! What changed in all of you?!"

They were silent looking between one another. Ruby's words cut like a hot knife through butter. It stung a little, for Blake and Weiss, who shrunk into Yang and Pyrrha. No one spoke, unable to meet her silver eyes. Before they could speak, however, every person in the room suddenly turned slate grey. Everyone turned to Ren, who himself, was a deep grey, eyes closed in meditation.

"Personally," Nora began, "I believe him."

"Nora?" Weiss turned to the hammer wielder.

"Remember back in Forever Fall?" she asked, "no one wanted to trust Cardin or CRDL. No one. Even when Jaune and Blake personally asked all of you to give them a chance, each and every single one of you, even you, Renny, refused to take the first step. All of you, are so blind and unable to look past what you've seen, to even think about the chances of someone changing, no matter how horrible they once were. You know who did take that first step? Me. Like I said in the Levy on the way to Mountain Glenn a week ago – being mopey sucks. Feeling down, feeling terrible, is something no one should want to feel. But now, listening to all of you, it's like that's the only feeling you know. Even you, Jaune."

He looked down at the desk. Nora continued, rising from her perch, "Weiss, after Blake ran with Jaune, all I knew was that you said some messed up things, things that no one should say, no matter the circumstances. Pyrrha, you are so high strung on your moral compass, you can't conceive someone being morally grey. Yang, you are so hard-headed, and you can't read a room sometimes. To be fair, I relate to that. Blake, I know how you feel. While I was never discriminated against because of who I was, I was treated terribly because of what I was. I'm an orphan, my own mother left me to be eaten by Grimm. When I was a child, I drifted from village to village, treated like dirt everywhere I went – did I hate them for it? Of course, but did I linger on it, no. Why? Because people change, people learn."

"His actions, are the same as anyone who's been forced to survive," Nora glared at them, "just because we don't agree with what he's had to do, doesn't mean we should just write him off as another delinquent to be ignored! If we turned away every terrible person, then Jaune, you shouldn't have looked for Junior, you wouldn't have broken Neo out of prison; you wouldn't have been willing to trust General Ironwood again; you wouldn't have redeemed CRDL! When we stick to our imaginary high ground, and deny a helping hand, then we're no better than Salem!"

"Nora's right, guys," Ruby said, "Jaune…you're the King here, you do what's right."

His response however, caught everyone by surprise, "Ruby, in the past, we deferred to you for judgement. When we went to Mistral to look for Cinder, it was because you wanted to find her. When we landed in Mantle, it was because of you. You've never led me, or us, astray. I was trust you again."

"Alright, Orion," Ruby kept her hand extended, "get up."

Grabbing her hand, she pulled him to his feet. A head taller than her, he looked down at his savior, light headed and legs almost like jelly, "I…thank you…"

"Don't thank me," Ruby said, silver eyes flickering, "I don't trust you yet, but that doesn't mean you can't earn it. You said you were willing to fight beside us? Then I expect you to do just that. Forget the Brotherhood, forget whatever your sister has done and prove to us, not me, not Jaune, but all eight of us, that you mean it. I'm pretty sure you don't understand anything we just talked about."

"It's one of the many questions I've had since this started," Orion frowned.

"Then prove yourself," Ren said, "prove to us that we can trust you with the truth. This fight, it isn't against Kingdoms, but the Grimm itself. More so than the Huntsman Academies."

"Will my team be safe?" Orion asked.

"Will you be willing to betray the Brotherhood?" Ruby returned the question.

He thought for a moment, amethyst eyes closing, "y-yes."

"Then you will have our word; you and your team will be safe," Ruby said, "most of the people you have affected won't be willing to trust you. All that matters is if you have some people trust you. What will you do now?"

"I…" he thought for a moment, "I think…I think I'll have to go back to Atlas. There are some things that I need to do. The Brotherhood hurts people, not just Faunus. They are savages and they deserve nothing but death. You want my trust; I'll give you something that will please all parties involved. As I was saying when I first came here; Doctor Merlot is alive. I will find him and give you and the General his location. My father and the Brotherhood High Council has been using him to build them machines and weaponry. I don't think my father would want a war with you, King, but your father instead."

"Orléans and Dale have been at odds with one another since before the Great War," Orion said, "with the Azure Knights of Orléans, the Argents of Dale needed something that could tip the scales of war in their favor. Doctor Merlot's research into Grimm and automatons, the Brotherhood believes the time is coming soon."

"Soon?" Jaune raised a brow.

"I don't know when, I heard my father and the High Council speaking to the Doctor some time before the Vytal Festival last year, about major breakthroughs," Orion continued, "they don't intend to attack Orléans yet; instead, Viridian Hollow. As the middle ground between your city and Dale, it is intended to be the catalyst for war between the Argents and the Arcs."

Jaune froze for a moment, catching the Queens' attention. T-This…for the last seven lives, the family I know now has existed. But the Argents are something new, or I just never got the chance to know about them until now. This was the first life where I went out of my way to show my true power and knowledge. Maybe that's why I don't know about all of this supposed history.

Pyrrha's reasons for leaving behind Anima and Mistral were different this time. Blake's personality has pretty much changed completely. Yang's too. Don't get me started on Ruby cursing. Gods, what have I done? Jaune's eyes quaked. Viridian Hollow is their target? With how I've actively tried to ensure Ironwood stays out of Valean politics, I think I just unintentionally gave the Argents and the Brotherhood the opening they need to act on their plans.

Every life before this, I died in Atlas or Haven, or the gods came early and obliterated Remnant. Jaune narrowed his eyes at the boy in front of him. Every life before this, I never got to contact my family before everything went to shit. Why do I have memories of a sister living in Argus? Why do I have memories of a nephew? Enough. That's gone and doesn't exist anymore.

Is this…is this what hid in the background while we fought Salem? Is this what I've ignored? Is this…is this what I've caused?

"I…" Jaune finally said, "thank you for this, Orion…if it does come to war…would you be willing to fight back against your family?"

"If I have to," he nodded, "the only family I have now is ONYX. To save you some trouble, I'd might as well tell you what we can do. I am Orion Argent, leader of Team ONYX and the only human and male member of my team. My semblance is the same as my sister's, but instead of compressing space, I can expand it. Rei Nanami, is my partner. Her semblance is called Quake, it allows her to create tremors when she hits any surface, solid or liquid. Yuki Vanna, a reindeer Faunus, is the 'Y' in ONYX. Her semblance allows her to send sonic shockwaves through breath or voice. The last is Xue Rong, a leopard Faunus. Her semblance is similar to Queen Pyrrha's semblance; polarity; but instead of moving metals to her will, she can repel and attract more than just metals."

"My sister's team is LVDR," he said, "lead by my sister, Larissa, you've all seen what she can do. Her partner is Delina Stahl. Her semblance allows her to contort metal like Queen Pyrrha and Xue, but she can't make it go far. More of a support semblance than an offensive one. The 'V', is Sterling Vista, his semblance allows him to create tremors, like Rei, but he needs build a charge first through damage taken. The last is Rayen Shani, her semblance is similar to the shockwaves of Yuki, but she needs to clap her hands together after gaining some damage first."

"If you haven't noticed, it's almost too similar," Orion said, "while it wasn't exactly planned, it worked to serve as nothing more than a wedge. We have different views on what it means to be team leader and that in turn created very different team dynamics. ONYX prefers utilizing strengths of the group, while everything revolves around Larissa's semblance for her team. I like to use my teammate's abilities together, while she makes sure her team follows the paths she creates. But given our performance in the Tournament a few days ago, you probably came to that conclusion already. I'm far from a strategist, but I'm not going to waste resources for something as trivial as glory."

Jaune nodded, deep in thought, "then…we will make sure to document everything you've said. Do you happen to know anything about your father's plans for my dad's trial? I want to make sure they aren't going to mess with the courts."

"N-No," Orion shook his head, "my father and I don't speak often. Whenever we do, it's to give me a new mission or to insult me."

"I see…" Jaune said, "did you guys get everything?"

"Already done, Jaune," Weiss and Ren said in unison.

"Good," Jaune stood from his seat, "then, when you arrive in Atlas, make sure you let us know of any developments. Keep an eye on your sister."

"T-Thank you, Arc," Orion quickly bowed, "thank you, Queens. And thank you, Rose. All of you…I won't let you down. I promise."

"Make sure you don't," Blake said, "because not even Jaune will stop me and Weiss from killing you."

As he left the room, the door hissed shut behind him. They waited a moment, looking to one another in bated breath. A ding was heard on Jaune's desk, telling them the elevator opened and had begun its descent. Eight breaths were released at once. He pressed another button on the desk and a bookshelf suddenly split in half, revealing the Malachite Twins sitting in a hidden room with an elaborate listening post flashing them a thumbs up. Lights on the contraption shut off and the whole system shut down.

"I didn't think he'd start crying," Melanie gagged.

"You'd think he'd have more pride," Miltia followed, "anyway, your grace, we saved the recording on an encrypted flash drive. After we edit out the unimportant parts, we'll have the Reds and Blues, along with Carolina and Rosemary begin their smear campaign in Anima."

"Good," Blake smiled, "make sure the encryption is secured. We can't have any hackers working with the Brotherhood finding out what we're doing. If they succeed, Brotherhood members will be forced to come out in the open."

As they left, they whistled and gave one another hugs, "damn, Weiss-cream, you should've been an actress! You had me scared there for a moment!"

"Well, hearing about my mother, somewhat made me lose composure for a moment," Weiss blushed at the complement, "I had to improvise to make sure everyone kept to the act. Needless to say, this news has surprised me. I'll need to call my sister as soon as possible."

"Talk about luck," Nora giggled, "who knew that the ones who drew the bad cop straws would be the ones most affected?"

"Well, Nora," Yang gave her a wink, "I think this calls for victory pancakes – who knew the good cop, bad cop schtick would work?"

Nora smirked, "it always does."

"Well, we planted the seeds of doubt," Pyrrha said, "all we can do now is wait."

"Name-dropping Salem, and being vague about time travel, will pique his curiosity," Ren nodded, "especially since his emotions were genuine. He's afraid and deeply confused. He will want to know more."

"Guys, I know we were just trying to make him tell us everything he knew, it's just that for a while there, some of it felt a little too real for acting," Ruby murmured, "later today…we're going to have a talk; as team RRAYNNBW. I'm not asking."

As Orion left the elevator, he walked carefully through the main lobby of the King's Fist HQ. Hundreds of men and women were gathered, talking with one another over coffee and lunch. Others were simply vaping in a corner, drinking in another. It wasn't an HQ, it was a lounging area, it was a barracks. Eyes trailed to the ceiling above, eyeing the security cameras. If it weren't for the miniscule swivels, he wouldn't have seen them. To the podium in the rear of the lobby, banners of the King's Fist and the Arc family rustled in the freezing air conditioning. On either side of the stage however, were powerful automated rotary cannons.

Soldiers and guardsmen stood at various posts dotting the upper terraces and bridges leading to different floors above the towering lobby. Black walls and white accents gave it a club vibe. He could have sworn the center of the lobby was a dance floor. Glass pillars rose up to the bridges above, glimmering with different colors. Blinking once more, there were more than security cameras gazing down at them – there were spotlights. Swallowing the lump in his throat, it was definitely a club.

Nearing the doors, he paused as familiar soldiers stood in his path, "are you going to let me through, or are you going to harass me again?"

"Orion, don't be dramatic," Rei's voice entered his ears, "they were just doing their jobs."

Blinking, he turned to Rei, who sat among the Faunus of the soldiers, a bottle of water in her hands, "w-what?"

"I got bored," she shrugged, "I didn't have a place to park and they offered a valet. Besides, I made some friends – they aren't too bad when you get to know them!"

"I…" Orion's face immediately softened at the woman, "alright…let's go. The airships won't wait forever."

"Alright," she nodded, bunny ears bending softly, "I hope to see you guys again in a few years!"

"Have a safe flight, Rei!" a soldier called, quickly wrapping her arms around Rei's shoulders. Orion didn't miss the wagging dog tail behind her, "and you, Argent. You better take care of her. And there's your car."

Walking down the steps, hand in hand, he went to the passenger side of the car, opening the door for her. Quickly jumping into the driver seat, he clicked his seatbelt and checked his mirrors. Black SUV's and ISV vehicles with their imposing Forty Millimeter canons rotating left and right. Soldiers marched up and down the pavilion all around them. Taking a deep breath, he could swear he felt the team RRAYNNBW looking down at him. Pressing the ignition button, he accelerated slowly, quickly turning to get out of the district.

"So, want to tell me what happened while I was gone?" Orion said with a nervous smile, frantically checking his mirrors.

"I think it's only fair if you start first," Rei picked her fingernails, "you were gone a while, also, you look like you saw a ghost. What's – can you stop checking your mirrors and look at me?"

"Fine, I talked to the King and…well…I convinced them," he smiled at her, "it took some…begging…but it worked. It would seem they aren't as unified as we thought. They are pretty divided on what to do with the Brotherhood and in turn, ONYX. The Rose, the leader of team RWBY, spoke up for me and Valkyrie, the teammate of Lie Ren."

"Wow, who knew kissing a king's rings would get you all of that," Rei nodded, "what does this mean for us?"

"One, he doesn't wear rings. We're going to be safe. We're going to be free," he smiled, "All of us, all of ONYX."

Her brown skin reddened for a moment, "good. This is perfect. I can already smell the waves on Menagerie's beaches. Have you ever had coconut milk before? But what's the catch?"

"When the time comes…we'll have to fight the Brotherhood and my sister," he said. Rei's smile dropped, his grip tightened on the wheel as they drove past apartments and storefronts of the innermost downtown districts of Vale. Carefully looking left and right as he came to a stop light, the mirrors were good, just the usual traffic. Lifted trucks, lowered trucks, slammed coupes, souped up streetcars, booming bass, "It's about time we did something to take fate into our own hands."

Color drained from her face. Rabbit ears tilted down, "F-Fight the Brotherhood?! Are you insane?!"

"I know what it sounds like–"

"Don't give me that, Orion!" Rei punched the glove compartment, "We were supposed to leave the fighting behind, not join someone else's war!"

"It became our war when we decided to be together, Rei!" he said, with frustration, "If you don't want to help me, then don't. I'll do this myself if I have to, but I'm not letting my parents, or my sister, hurt any of you. It's my job as the leader of our team – if things go to shit before the next Vytal Festival, you know the code to my bank accounts; withdraw it dry and take the first airship to Vale and get to Menagerie."

"You're being dramatic again, Orion," Rei groaned, "I didn't say we would leave you behind."

"You have no reason to stay and fight, Rei!" Orion frowned, "Look, the whole reason I went there was because of this very thing happening. We became a team last year because of my parents, to punish me. We know what happened."

"I know, I know," Rei took a deep breath, "Ciane didn't deserve that."

"Who would?" Orion asked, gripping the steering wheel. As he opened his mouth, he noticed something strange. Glancing at the mirrors, he saw a familiar black SUV. Unmarked and no plate number, black limo tint. Blinking, he made a sudden right turn, earning blaring car horns and cursing from pedestrians. Rei shot to the left, but the seatbelt stopped her from wrapping around the stick.

"Orion, what the fuck?!"

"Rei, did anyone follow us? Was there anyone tailing the HQ?" Orion asked, making another sharp left turn, surprising other drivers.

"N-No? Why?" snapping back, she glared, watching an SUV follow the same sharp turn, causing several collisions, "holy shit."

"I don't know what this is," Orion shifted the stick, slamming his foot in the acceleration, "try to get them off of us, but don't do too much damage to the roads!"

"Already ahead of you," Rei unbuckled her seatbelt, "call up the rest of ONYX!"

"They should – hold on!" her rabbit ears twitched. Quickly reaching for the grab handle, she held her breath. Orion quickly spun the wheel, swinging the car in a full three-sixty, burning rubber around the street. As they came to a smoking halt, she jumped out of the vehicle, focusing her aura. The SUV did not slow down, in fact, it only sped up. Bringing her semblance to life, she raised her strong leg, knee to her bust. With a great battle cry, she slammed her foot into the concrete.

The SUV did not stop, even when the very visible tremor rushed to them. Narrowing red eyes, she watched the two front tires suddenly spring from their axles, shooting off into the intersection. Slamming down into the road, the vehicle sparked but continued to move to them. Stomping once more, the earth began to shudder in a straight shot, throwing the SUV up, in a plume of smoke and dirt. Seated in the car once more, she smirked, slamming the door shut as the vehicle crashed on its backside.

"Go!" she shouted, clicking her seatbelt.

"Gods," Orion hissed as he made another hard turn, screeching tires and burning rubber, "I don't know what that was, but…"

"I felt something when I flipped the car," Rei said, frantically checking behind the vehicle, "it felt like…like a shield. When I sent the second quake, something tried to stop it, but whoever did it, wasn't focused enough…what does that sound like to you?"

"Alivia…that worthless fucking degenerate!" Orion growled. Punching the console of the car, he roared out, screaming, "damn it! My sister! We have to go back and make sure he doesn't say anything about the HQ!"

"Wait, Orion, we can't turn back now!" Rei said, snapping to him, "What about Yuki and Xue?!"

"Give them the call," he said, "we're taking another airship to Atlas."

"We're not just students who can come and go as we please, we're Atlas Military Personnel, Orion," Rei gave him a pointed look, "we ignore Alivia, but when the time comes, we will speak to Larissa about sending her dogs! This is what I meant, Rei! This is what I was afraid of!"

"Orion…"

"Whenever we try, we're always found. Whenever we want to leave, we're always stopped. Whenever we're given a chance, someone, something, somewhere always comes to screw us over! I'm so sick and tired of this shit!" Orion roared once more, foot pressing the pedal to the floor, "I just want to get this done and over with and make sure that stupid son of a bitch doesn't do anything to make this worse."

"Alivia will have some troops on standby if he's really after us," Rei narrowed her eyes as the car made a sharp U-turn, "we can't kill him or else we'll have the Brotherhood after our hides. I didn't even know he was in the city."

"Neither did I," Orion frowned, "let's go."

The SUV remained on its backside, smoking in the middle of the street. Slamming his brakes, the car came to screeching halt, scaring the pedestrians rubber necking on the sidewalks. Unclipping their seatbelts, they left the car, auras activated and hands already reaching for their weapons. Orion reached into the glove compartment and grabbed a pair of pistols. Rei raised her fists, letting metal gauntlets and metal greaves surround her arms and legs. People took pictures, whispering among themselves as they neared the car. Sirens blared, airships were moving, they needed to be careful.

Punching door, Rei reached, ripping the offending piece of metal from the body of the car. Tossing it aside, she huffed, dropping to a knee. Red eyes widened, "Hello, Alivia…"

The man breathed hard, locked and choking on his seatbelt, "hello, wretch…"

Grabbing him by the throat, she ripped him from the vehicle, throwing him into the street. Rolling about, he panted, choking on blood and spit. Pushing himself off the road, Orion pulled the trigger, putting a bullet only an inch from his head.

"What the fuck are you doing, Alivia?!" Orion marched to him, tossing aside the handguns. Grabbing his collar, he smashed him into the concrete, lifting him, "Did Larissa send you?! Why are you watching us?!"

"Look around, Orion," the man smiled, "you're on the CCTN now…"

Freezing at the words, he glanced up, amethyst eyes locking with the flash of a scroll. Looking around, more flashes, more scrolls, more people watching with fear. He didn't know what to do. Frozen over him, he knew he was caught. Snapping left and right, he could hear police sirens moving to him. Letting the man go, he straightened, watching as several police cars pulled up, blaring sirens, policemen with handguns raised.

"What now? You think the King will want to protect you now?" the man smirked, keeping his face away from the cameras, "Got nothing to say?"

"You little shit!" Rei shouted, moving to Orion's side.

"Let go of your weapons!" several policemen shouted. Before they could act, the police lowered their weapons, holstering their sidearms. Looking up, a LAHAT descended slowly onto the street. Orion watched as the pedestrians watching from the sidewalks and the windows, cheering and clapping.

The bay doors hissed and sprang open, revealing a woman with piercing emerald eyes and long black hair. A green overcoat with armor plates sown in the fabric, and the golden Arc symbol emblazoned on her chest. Soldiers of the King's Fist exited the gunship and quickly filled the street. Orion and the woman locked eyes, but neither said a thing. She continued to the policemen, "Get the people out of here and get someone to move this SUV from the street. This is King's Fist business."

"Yes ma'am," the sergeant in charge nodded, "you heard Lieutenant Arc – clean this up!"

Rei grabbed Orion's arm, staring at the woman, "Arc?"

"I'm Rosemary Arc, the oldest sister of King," she nodded, "get on the LAHAT. My brother told me you might need help. As for this piece of work…Pallidus Alivia, a huntsman who serves the Alivia family of Dale…you're coming with me for questioning."

"T-Thank you, Rosemary," Rei bowed her head, "we didn't know what to do."

"Don't mention it, kids," she smirked, "your airship is getting ready to depart."

"Guys," Ruby said, glancing at the friends, "it's about time we talked about what we want out of this."

"What do you mean, Ruby?" Nora asked.

"I mean…you heard what happened in the office," she said, "that was more than acting and you know it. Pyrrha, it's clear as day that you're still being affected by being a Maiden. Yang, you still don't want to talk about…that. Weiss, you and Blake are filled with so much anger, you don't even want to admit it. Jaune…you were so good to them in the beginning, but now – you've been pushing everyone away, except for Ren! Why are all of you doing this? Why does it feel like every day, we stray further away from each other?"

"Ruby, that's…" Weiss lowered her head, "I don't mean to be so angry…I guess I'm starting this. I just feel this way because of past history with Atlesians and their politics. My father has done everything in his power to hold me down, to treat me like a commodity, rather than a daughter. That's why I'm so angry. To learn that my mother has known these miscreants, makes my blood boil. All my life, I've known her to be a drunk, a worthless, scared drunk. I never knew she even had friends since my father broke her."

"Seeing people from that old life, it stresses me out," Weiss admitted, "I came here to escape Atlas, to leave that lifestyle behind. You don't know the kinds of things they'll do when they have even the slightest hint of blackmail. They could ruin careers – lives! They are able to twist narratives, they can make even a strong man feel weak. Seeing Orion, hearing him speak, it just felt like we were being manipulated, like someone was trying to play us into their hand. I didn't trust it and I still don't."

Blake frowned, "While I've never fought the Argents before, I've seen what they've done to my brothers and sisters in the White Fang. I didn't hear about it, I didn't learn about it; I saw in the field hospitals and infirmaries, the kind of damage they could do. I don't trust him because I've seen the carnage he and his sister can unleash. His team being exclusively Faunus doesn't mean anything. Playing roles is one thing, going so far as to do half of the things he's done, foregoes all of that virtue. It's wrong and he knew that, yet he still did it. Following orders be damned – when I was tasked to kill innocent humans, I refused to, because it was wrong."

"Everyone is given a choice; I don't care how bad it gets. Cardin had a choice to maim and brutalize my friend, but he didn't. He turned his back when it got too out of hand; I left when things devolved to that point," Blake continued, "I know there are other ways to handle this kind of thing, but I just don't see it. There are crippled Faunus out there, that are crippled because of the Argents. That kind of pain doesn't go away just because this entire time, he's had a moral compass hidden away."

"Everyone says it's not that simple, but Cardin and I see it just like that. We've both been hurt by the Argents; we've both been ruined by the Argents. The only ones who can really understand that, are his teammates, because they know what kind of person she is and in turn, he is. I know we should be doing things differently than our enemies, but it's just so hard to let that kind of history go. They are criminals; they are murderers and they've gotten away with it for far too long, just like Adam."

"If there's anything I know what this world needs less of; it's people like Adam."

"But would Adam feel bad for what he's done?" Ruby asked.

"How do you even know he was–"

"That wasn't my question," Ruby said with a straight tone. Blake's eyes widened, cat ears flinched.

"N-No, he wouldn't."

"Act or not," Ren said, "he was afraid. His emotions were genuine."

"Still," Blake frowned, "I'm not forgiving him."

"I'm not asking you to, Blake," Ruby said, taking her hand, "I'm asking you to give him a chance. Like you gave Cardin."

"I know…"

"Yang?" Ruby turned to her sister, "do you have anything to say?"

She closed her eyes, leaning into her seat, "no."

"Yang," Weiss and Blake sighed, turning to her.

"What do you want me to say?" Yang asked, snapping to the two, "you want me to talk about my feelings lately? You want me to talk about how we were almost useless in the Battle of Vale? You want me to talk about how every night, I still feel all those people dying? That no matter how strong my semblance is, I can't be everywhere at once, that I can't even do the one thing my mother wanted?! That my real mother fucking abandoned me, and didn't even bother to look for me?! That my mother cared more for Jaune, than she did for me?! Her own fucking Daughter?! What do you want me to say?!"

The table was quiet, all eyes planted on her. Running a hand through her hair, they watched as a tear fell from the corner of her now eyes, "I am supposed to be a Queen of this Kingdom, but I couldn't even do that! I couldn't even fight for my people; I couldn't even defend them in their time of need! I am a huntress, I am Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long's daughter as much as Ruby is, and what did I have to show for it?! We were unprepared, we were caught off guard, even when we were supposed to stay vigilant at all times! Ren was unconscious, Jaune, Blake and Pyrrha were held up because Jaune apparently went under at the same time! We were caught with our hands in our pants and Salem struck without any hesitation!"

"It infuriates me even more, to know that despite all that we did; despite every friend we lost, every soldier that died in our arms, the day was saved. Not by us, not by the traumas we had to suffer, but by a single flick of a wrist," Yang shouted, slamming her fists into the table, "and even worse, the one who did it, was supposed to love us! He was supposed to be there, cheering me on, congratulating me, giving me support when I won the stupid tournament! He was gone, nowhere to be found for two nights! This isn't the first time this has happened either – and it's not just abandoning me, but all of us, Jaune!"

"I get it, you're King, you've got all this mess going on, but you can't even spare some time for us?!" Yang clenched her fists, "You've spent so much time since coming back from Menagerie in front of cameras, in front of audiences, in front of microphones, than you do your own team! What happened to all the promises, what happened to never leaving us behind, what happened to being there for us, for me?! You don't even have the courtesy to tell us when you disappear, or even why. We're your Queens, we're your closest friends and you can't even tell us what's going on?! I didn't even know the Fall Maiden was here in Beacon, none of us did! We had to piece that shit together ourselves…"

"And to top it all off, my own mother," Yang's hair ignited with spontaneous fire, "my own fucking mother, couldn't even give me an explanation. She couldn't even tell me why she's been avoiding me, why she abandoned me, or why she even bothered to show up in Vale. The letter is still in your desk, Jaune, I've seen it. I just can't wrap my head around her or why she does the cowardly things she does. You would think, me being a Queen, me being the renowned fighter I am, she'd wise up and actually talk to me, but no. She wanted to leave as soon as the fight was over. She wanted to ignore me from start to finish and that just…that shit just hurts. No matter what I do, I'm worthless to her and I don't know why."

"Over and over again, I get reassured that things are going to be different," Yang said, "time and time again recently, I'm let down. What changed in you, Jaune?"

Taking a deep breath, the boy leaned forward, sweating bullets. This caught the attention of all present. Ren glanced at him, seeing the multitude of petals rushing up, down, orbiting and trickling. He was in emotional turmoil. Narrowing his eyes, he reached forward, grabbing Jaune's hand, "Jaune…you have to be honest."

"Ren…"

"Honest about what?" Blake backed away from the blond.

"Jaune!"

"Ren, don't…"

Shaking his head, the ninja took a deep breath, "Fine…they already have their questions…you'd might as well."

He was right. Jaune knew he was right.

"Things happened when I merged with the god of Light…" Jaune began as tears streamed down his cheeks, "You've all seen the older version of me. When I merged with the god of Light, I merged with him too. But not just him, but the Jaune who all know as the King of Vale. I am the Jaune Arc of this timeline…"

"W-What does this mean?" Pyrrha couldn't stop the welling tears, "Is this why you didn't even know who Blake and I even were?!"

"What are you saying, Jaune?!" Weiss almost begged.

"I'm saying…aside from the god of Light's aura and powers of my past and current life," Jaune paused, "I received memories of my past lives. This isn't the first time I've gone back in time and I'm afraid it won't be the last."

All seven were silent.

"What?"

"What were you doing speaking to the Arc King?"

Orion kept his head down, unable to look at the man. He could feel those amethyst eyes boring holes into his scalp. Unable to move, unable to even breathe, he stayed silent. The man took a deep breath, standing from his seat. Glancing around the office, it was a long room, decorated with trophies of the Faunus War and his big game hunts in the wilderness of Solitas. Towering ceilings, dangling taxidermy of giant flying beasts and chandeliers, were above him. Paintings older than the Great War, decorated walls and the fireplace in the rear.

"I asked you a question, Orion," Alexios glared.

"I wanted to congratulate the Queen Yang for beating Larissa in the tournament," Orion said quickly.

The man nodded, "always trying to be the good sport. Why did something as simple as that, take over an hour? And why did Pallidus tell me that you were bagged against your will? I thought having Rei on your team would ensure that you would never be touched. There was a reason we chose that wretch. Since you love the animals so much, we thought it would be wise to only give you the animals. Why didn't she act? Why was she seen drinking and laughing with those wretched King's Fist infantry?"

"I…" Orion's eyes widened for a moment.

"To think, that Arc would have my son treated as a prisoner!" Alexios threw his fist out. Blasting through a stack of papers, a bullet of wind plowed through his desk, "who do they think they are?!"

"F-Father?" Orion raised a brow.

"Did they hurt you?" Alexios asked.

"N-No!" he shook his head, "we talked and we made amends. It wasn't–"

"Do you really think so?" Alexios asked. Pulling a scroll from his rear pocket, he slapped it on his desk. Orion watched carefully as a hologram came to life, "There is propaganda in Anima using your voice, outcrying against the Brotherhood. Our allies in Wind Path, Kuchinashi and Argus are unsettled by this turn of events. Not only that, they arrested Pallidus and several of his troops in the same stroke. But…they didn't arrest him alone. You had that rabbit destroy his car. There are pictures of you threatening to kill him in the street – worse yet, there's video of you getting into one of their gunships."

"Father, it's…" Orion raised his hands. Pale white cheeks reddened watching the video. It was his voice, admitting everything he said in that room. The Brotherhood hurts people, not just Faunus. They deserve nothing but death.

"So, we deserve nothing but death?" Alexios glared, "You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"N-No!" Orion panicked, mouth quivering, "I-I was only saying things to get them on my side! T-They were willing to talk, so I tried to do something before leaving for Atlas. Father, I swear, I wouldn't betray the Brotherhood for some Arc – especially for some Arc! You know how I hate them!"

"Do I?" Alexios questioned, "How do I know you're loyal to the Brotherhood – to me."

"I swear I am," he said without a shake in his voice.

"Then what did you talk about?"

Amethyst eyes locked. Biting his lip, he shrunk under the man's gaze, "they…he…"

"He wanted you to talk about me, didn't he? He wanted to know what he could do to stop his father's trial, didn't he? Don't even bother answering, I can see it on your face."

"I-I didn't even say anything!" Orion shouted, "what's the point in asking me questions if you aren't going to let me answer?!"

"Then spit it out, boy!"

"They tricked me into talking about how you plan to go to war with the Arcs," Orion said without thinking, "he told me his father is already preparing the Azure Knights of Orléans! He said that with the Winchesters of Viridian Hollow and the Arcs of both Orléans and the King's Fist are already working with their Generals to come up with a campaign to attack Dale."

"Do they know about the Brotherhood's movements in Glade?"

"No. As far as they know, the White Fang pulled out of the city completely. They don't know that the Brotherhood has crossed in and taken over the city."

A bang made him jump. Alexios punched his desk, pacing around the office, "I see…Dale is in danger…I knew it!"

"F-Father?"

"Enough," the man raised a hand, "get going…the trial just started in Vale. I'll be on the first flight tomorrow. If you have nothing else to say, get going. When I return from Vale, the Brotherhood will reevaluate your team. Those animals couldn't protect you from our enemies – what can they possibly do against the Grimm."

"Excuse me?!"

"Oh, you finally have something to say, Orion?"

"I…I have nothing to say…"

Giving his father a nod, he turned away, walking to the door, but his father's groan caught his attention, "you'd better watch yourself, Orion. Traipsing with a Faunus sends a bad message to the rest of the Brotherhood."

As the door opened, Orion sighed as it hissed shut. Gazing at the silver and black walls of the manor, he shook his head. Faunus servants walked left and right across the halls, dusting and maintaining the ancient sets of armor. They were meticulous, always ensuring that nothing was out of order. Maids, butlers, there were almost one hundred of them, a small army of servants. Giving them nods as he passed by, they bowed, giving him sympathetic looks. A curse caught his glance, a whisper and a crash.

Snapping at attention, he ran to the source, finding a young maid on the floor, a silver tray of wine glasses shattered on the floor. Rushing to her side, he was careful not to startle her, "are you okay?"

"M-Master Argent," the maid bowed her head, "I'm s-sorry!"

"No, it's alright, come on, let's get you up," he said as he pulled her to her feet, "just make sure this gets swept before my mother finds out. Here's some Lien to buy replacements."

"Thank you, Master Argent," the girl bowed her head, "we…we heard you say that…that the King of Vale is going to go to war with your parents?"

"I…" he didn't know what to say. Seeing her eyes filled with such hope and excitement, he gulped, "y-yes, he is."

"Don't lose hope," she nodded, as several servants walked up to him, "You and Rei can have your piece of heaven soon…the King of Vale will save us…"

He watched her run away to the front doors. The weight on his shoulders only grew heavier as the Faunus whispered amongst themselves. Looking for an exit, looking left and right, he gave them a simple nod before heading for the entrance. Into the lobby, similar to the Schnee Manor he had seen too many times, he looked at the giant pieces of knight armor of an ancient, more glorious time. Banners of the Argents, a dragon wrapped around an Amethyst gemstone on a field of silver, waved from every pedestal, every railing they could fit one. He hated that banner; he hated that dragon. Running a hand through his pale almost silvery hair, he groaned, hissing his frustration.

Thoughts running a million miles an hour, spiraling in his head. Pounding, beating, like his own racing heart. He pushed the doors open, entering the cold, harsh wintery winds of Solitas. Into the gardens, into the pavilion of his once childhood home, he rested against the railings overlooking the destitute city below. Built on an outcropping of stone, the Argent Manor looked down at Mantle. Like the Argents of old, they wanted to make sure they always looked down, never up. While he could not see the people in the streets, protesting, crying out for something, anything, his heart tightened in his chest.

In the crater, in the Dust Mines, he could see hundreds of Faunus dirty, tired, exhausted, laboring away, even in the dim, cold night. Despite the work the Kingdom's Council had done to mitigate Faunus discrimination, it wasn't enough with so much Brotherhood control in the city. Gripping the railing, he cursed once more, fighting the tears building in his eyes. So many families wanted nothing to do with the men and women down below, human or Faunus – to them, they were all the same; a meat shield for the Grimm. Bending the railing, his semblance activated by accident.

A forcefield activated, crushing the railing, only to hyper-expand it, leaving nothing but dust and debris. Aura flickered, he gasped, surprised by his held breath. No one noticed, or else, an Argent Brand should have come to his aid. Looking back at the guardsmen of the manor, they were men shipped from Dale, from Vacuo, from all over the world, with one task; to ensure the Argent Manor was untouched, unblemished and impenetrable. Flicking his wrists, the debris suddenly came back to life, smoke disappeared and pieces once obliterated to specks, reformed until the railing was indistinguishable from the rest of the pavilion. However, he knew, all it would take was a little push to break it.

Shaking his head, his mind shut down. Before he knew it, he was back in his Barracks, Rei sitting on the floor, watching the news reports about what was happening in Vale. He blinked, Xue was studying for their Finals, while Yuki did push-ups, trying to stay active. It was nothing more than distractions. Orion knew they were all listening to what Lisa Lavender had to say. The trial was once again called for a recess with no judgement deferred. No jury was called in this day either, leaving them to wonder just what exactly was happening in Vale.

"As we all heard today, Claude Arc pleaded not guilty to the accusation of slander and treason," Lisa Lavender said into her microphone, "the evidence however disagrees. It has been proven that the smear campaign playing across Anima and parts of Eastern Sanus was edited by another source, splicing the words of the Corporal Orion Argent of the Atlesian Military. There are rumors on the CCTN claiming that Claude Arc had the message created to draw the Brotherhood into a war with his son, the King of Vale, Jaune Arc."

"While the claims are unsubstantiated, the unrest it has caused across eastern parts of Sanus under the constituency of Vale, only adds to the confusion of this trial. As Grimm hordes move across the continent, the King's Fist and Azure Knights of Orléans, have come to their aid at every chance they are given," Lisa flipped through papers, "Some, in the realm of conspiracy theories believe this is nothing more than some elaborate setup for a power play against the Argents of Dale and the Alivia of Glade."

"But these of course, are nothing more than rumors and baseless conjecture," Lisa said, "here at VNN, we pride ourselves in being a just and unbiased news network. As such, we will continue to follow the course of this trial as closely as we can to give you, real news. This was Lisa Lavender, with VNN."

Shutting the tv off, Rei threw the remote across the room, "they fucking tricked you, Orion."

"They probably had their reasons, but I didn't think it would get this bad," the boy crossed his arms, "I swear…"

"They didn't outright try to betray him," Xue said, looking away from her textbook and notes, "I wouldn't write them off just yet. The servants of the Argent Manor need the idea of the King of Vale, Orion. I don't think giving up hope would help them."

"I know, I know," Orion held his head, "I just wanted to save you guys…I'm in too deep now. With what I told my father, with what's being said on the CCTN…I might have accidentally started a war."

As I said in the first A/N, this half of the arc will really focus on the decisions and decision making of RRAYNNBW, how they deal with all this new information and how they deal with their relationships moving forward. As for the Argents and the Arcs, the fight is more than just troops on the ground and who has the more numerous, the better or bigger guns; it's about who can sway people. Some will say, oh but Jaune has the god of light, Ren has the god of darkness, just wait and see. Things are worded the way they are for a reason. Just trust me lol

Anyway, so the trial has begun and Claude says he's not guilty; Orion is torn between duty and love; RRAYNNBW has a serious talk and now dirty laundry is getting aired out. Shit's not gonna be pretty, I can promise you that.

Tell me what you thought!

Ja ne!

gottahavekyuubi