Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Cold Compassion. Enjoy the 1600-word chapter. I don't own RWBY, Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth do.

(Atlas, Schnee Manor.)

Winter and Slater felt uneasy back in the manor. They noticed it was raining and there were more light riots. Ironwood informed Robyn who sent her group to help as both agreed more soldiers would make things worse.

"General, having 2 seats has made many Atlesians uneasy." Camilla pointed out.

"That's why we have checks and balances, ma'am." Ironwood replied. Slater, Winter, Ironwood, and Robyn didn't want to be here.

They all had a city to protect, Ironwood had sent another shipment of supplies to the wall.

"And your running roughshod over all we've imposed. You've been making decisions without any of our approval." Sleet stated, an eye roll from Slater.

"Wha… No! You check it again, damn you!" Jacques hissed. He turned to see people looking at him with shock and interest.

"Councilman Schnee?" Sleet rested his hands on the table after speaking. He turned to them with shock.

"Wha? Nothing, it's nothing, I agree with everything." Winter and Slater slowly rested their hands on their weapons.

"Ms. Hill, I'm surprised you have been silent this entire time." Sleet stated. Robyn smirked.

"Your find out soon what the General is planning." Robyn said. Sleet raised an eyebrow.

"You and General Ironwood settled things already?" Sleet asked.

That was when the doors opened and Weiss came in.

"Weiss?" Jacques asked, Ironwood turned to the others as Weiss cleared her throat.

"You've been duped, council members, my father didn't get the seat legally… or without outside help." She started to pull something up on a scroll.

A hologram came from the scroll while the group turned to look at it. Jacques slunk for some reason and turned away.

"Is that… Arthur Watts?!" Camilla yelled; Winter saw Slater's face contort into a myriad of emotions.

"But he died in the Paladin Incident!" Sleet hissed, Winter saw Slater's fists clench and his eyes narrow massively.

Anger, fear, discomfort. She would question him later before the video continued.

"That b-sterd is costing me millions in Lien! I'd lay off everyone in the kingdom if I didn't need their damn votes for the council!" Jacques hissed, slammed his fists on his desk.

Winter and Slater turned to the withering Jacques. They looked at him like they would a lowly Grimm.

"What if I told you that you could have your cake and eat it as well?" Watts asked. Slater continued to hiss and breath in slowly looking at the figure.

"What did you have in mind?" He asked. Slater rested his hand on his Gravity Bola while Ironwood walked closer to him.

"James never resected my genius. He tossed me aside like yesterday's trash… Sort of like how your daughters did you… People who respect their fathers are so rare today, I should know."

"What's in it for me?" Jacques questioned before Slater detached his Gravity Bola with a click.

"A seat on the council. I just need your login credentials for the Atlas Network. You ruin James life? I will gladly give you… A little push towards the council seat. I noticed my dear boy on the cameras, I would so wish to have a little family reunion." Watts said. Slater cracked his arm with anger, Winter noticed this.

"I knew you were a good scientist, Arthur. I didn't know you were such a good salesman." Jacques said before laughing, Weiss ended the message.

"I… That's fake, it is false and…" Jacques said while standing up, Winter had a small glyph in her hand.

"Sit down, Jacques." Sleet growled out; Ironwood rested his hand on Due Process's holster.

"You…." He said before rushing towards the doors only to scream as Weiss's Arma Gigas summon rested there.

He turned to Ironwood before rushing him.

"I'll kill you!" He yelled before Winter kicked him to the ground, Slater threw him to the ground.

"You're a worthless old man…" Winter hissed before Slater cuffed him, Ironwood was unmoved.

"Jacques Schnee, you're under arrest!" Weiss yelled, flashing her Huntress license.

"Can I do that?" she asked softly, Winter smirked and nodded to her sister before forming a pair of Glyphs on her father's legs.

She kicked him to the ground while looking at him.

"I'm glad I disowned you." Winter stated before marching him to his seat and throwing him into it.

"I'd knew you'd stoop low to get what you wanted, Jacques… But this?" Clover walked out of the room while listening on his communicator. Ironwood looked at the man while continuing to speak.

"Your damn embargo… You want to act better than me, General?! I built an empire! I deserved the seat!" Jacques hissed. Winter turned away with disgust.

"I should have known Watts was alive. He's been spying on us… It's the only way he could rig the election. He built all of Mantle's systems… He framed Penny." He said. the group minus Jacques looked at Penny with Sympathy as Ruby hugged her friend.

"You gave him the digital keys to the kingdom… But you didn't care, did you?" Ironwood hissed. He slammed his fists on the chair, shattering the armrests as Jacques flinched.

"All that blood on your hands…" Robyn hissed; Jacques stared with hate at Ironwood.

"Your military is given Dust and military tech by the SDC… You dared to deny us the profits of this?" Jacques asked. Winter looked at him with hatred.

"People died in Vale!" she screamed; Jacques growled back.

"PEOPLE DIE ALL THE TIME! THAT'S WAR! YOU'VE KILLED WHITE FANG BEFORE, DEAR! I RAISED YOU AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME!? YOU UNGRATEFUL BIT…" Slater punched him before Sleet turned to Jacques.

"What else does Watts have access to?" Ironwood sighed with pure anger.

"Anything he wants… Robyn, I believe the seat will be yours by tomorrow." Ironwood said. Robyn crossed her arms.

"We have bigger concerns then that currently, General." She crossed the room and hurled a chair at Jacques which he dodged by falling out of the chair.

Ironwood, Jacques, Sleet, and Camilla had their scrolls buzzed before fishing them out of their pockets.

"What do you mean the heat is off!?" Sleet screamed before he turned to Ironwood.

Robyn looked out the window and put a hand on it, frost forming.

"Without heat, people will die." He said. Ironwood looked at his scroll and slammed a fist on the wall before rubbing his temples.

"Watts is inside the network. We can't let her know about the project. He's already locked us out, we can't trace him without luring him out to the open." He said. the others continued to talk before he began to give orders.

"Winter? I need you to find Tyrian. Clover? Secure the city and start evacuating people, Robyn had sent the Happy Huntresses to calm people down. We need to start taking the city to Atlas for now." Robyn frowned and turned to the General.

"We are going to talk about this again… I'll go evacuate people." She vanished out of the room before Clover and Qrow followed her.

"Councilmen, Councilwoman? I need you to come to Atlas with me. I can't say anything openly." He said, Slater walked forward and cleared his throat.

"I will dispose of Arthur Watts, sir." He said, Ironwood wanted to object, knowing how personal it was to Slater.

"Don't make it personal, Colonel." He said before calling a Manta to transport the group to his office.

"Get Jacques out of here." He ordered, Slater grabbed Jacques and pushed him out the door.

"He told me who you were. I know why your mad… You care about her and yet you haven't told her, hmm?" Jacques asked before Slater paused.

Slater thrusted an arm forward, seizing Jacques by the throat.

"The only reason I don't execute you for treason, accessory to murder, attempted murder of an Atlesian officer and the various crimes against Faunus? That's because of the General… And because killing you is too good for a pathetic worm like you." He said before 2 more Atlesian soldiers took the man and dragged him away.

"We need to talk." Winter said. Slater was uncharacteristically silent.

"I know." He said and turned to walk away; Winter gripped his arm.

"I saw those reactions… You have history with Watts, don't you?" She asked. Slater hummed.

"DEEP history." He said, he looked at the ground and shook his head and then turned to her.

"I will tell you when this attack is gone… Go stop Tyrian, they're going to need all the support you can give." He stated.

Winter looked down at her hand grabbing Slater's tightly and let to, unsure of her feeling about it. Slater rushed out the manor while Winter went to go and confront Tyrian.

Both passed a duo of Atlesian soldiers loading Jacques into a Bullhead. He tried to push away from the soldiers before one threw him inside.

"Salem's first wave is in Atlas… We need to take them down." Slater stated. He moved to take a Manta up to Amity Arena.

He knew where Arthur would go, it was time for war.

Author Notes

Phew, another chapter done! I want to point out next chapter is going to be short as 'Out in the Open' is going to be cut to Winter and Slater. I don't think Winter will fight Tyrian yet. next chapter is going to show Slater confronting Watts before their fight. I'm not trying to rush the romance or show the heroes as unstoppable as your see. Until next 1200-word chapter. Lighting Wolf out!