"I have a visitor?" Camellia asked the guard once more, the statement not quite making sense to her upon first hearing it. There wasn't really anyone who came to visit her unannounced like this. Winter usually let her know a few days in advance if they were going to try and work out a deal, but Camellia had purposefully been left out of the loop, so it seemed like her intel was never enough to justify her release. She wondered if maybe it was Titus coming to finally get answers about why Admon had always targeted him, but even Camellia wasn't sure of the answer to that question. The guard grunted and nodded, slowly opening her cell door.

"They're waiting up at the call center," the guard explained to her. "I'll escort you up there. You're allowed five minutes for your call, and the call will be monitored." She nodded. Standard procedure. All things that she had learned while she was in the military with Admon. It wasn't uncommon for her to have to work the prison shift from time to time. The facility was a large spherical building, housing far fewer criminals than it had the capacity for, but it was commonly used these days for those with high profiles instead of beatniks like it had once held. Quake and The Chameleon were currently the only other two being kept there with her, and in some way, she felt like they were giving her too much credit. However, the longer she stayed there, the less guilt she had to feel about helping her brother.

"Hey! Where's she going?!" Quake shouted, slamming his entire body against the hard light wall of his cell, something he had done in vain endlessly since they had locked him up. Some kids in Vale had taken him down, a feat that Camellia found impressive considering the fact that it had taken a man like Alexander Latherus to take him down the first time. She wondered if Titus had helped fight Quake. The guard held a fist up to Camellia, signaling for her to stop briefly.

"None of your concern!" He shouted back. "And cut it out, would you?!" Quake stopped for a moment before smirking and getting back to his unfruitful labor. His shoulders were bruised and she could tell that he winced every time that his body made contact with the wall, but he didn't let up. Perhaps that was the method that he had used to escape the prison in Mistral, but it wouldn't work here. Telling him wouldn't have helped, he was far from being deterred.

"Another visitor for the lady? Winter again perhaps?" Chameleon inquired as they passed his cell.

"You don't need to answer him," the guard informed Camellia as they strode past without a second glance.

"I wish you'd let me join you! I only desire for you to look more like our queen!" He shouted angrily. Our Queen. The concept had struck her as almost idiotic now, to the point that she could have gone back and laughed in his face, unhinged, showing Chameleon that she didn't fear Salem, though it only would have been for show. She still feared the unknown powers of the witch that had once, and not long ago, threatened to destroy the entire planet, just to get to even with a couple of gods that were trying to teach her a lesson, but she wasn't so afraid that she found herself devout to the woman. She never was. She had always followed her brother's lead, and that was enough…

But sitting alone in a cell for nearly a year had given her a new perspective…

"Admon," the guard said, snapping her out of it. She at first assumed he had spotted her brother, but it was nothing more than a statement of her last name, and she nodded to him as he held the door open for her and let her slip in, locking it shut behind her as she sat at the window, waiting for her visitor to arrive. The booth was dirtier than she recalled, which was strange for Atlas to say the least, but what was more surprising was the fact that Winter wasn't already sitting in front of her. The General had always made it a point to arrive before Camellia did so that neither of them was wasting any of the others' time.

The walk from registration to the call center wasn't all that far, and she wondered what was taking them longer than usual, though it became fairly obvious to her long before the door was even opened. She could smell it, smell him coming. A smell of stale tobacco that she had once associated with her father, but now paired with her sibling. A scent that he only carried when he was stressed and reminiscing. A habit that he only picked back up when he wasn't sure what to do next. Had he been biding his time at their old home in Mantle, planning his next move absent of the prying eyes of Salem's self-appointed right-hand man, Abigor?

Her brother Carmello, a name he had long ago departed with for the sake of a name that he would personally ensure that people remembered. A name that symbolized power, and a name that carried with it the same weight the Ironwood's did. She wanted to say that she was glad to see him, but he had left her here. He hadn't tried to contact her. He hadn't told her to stay put. For the first time in her life, she hadn't had him to look to for answers. He wasn't telling her what to do next. She had finally thought for herself, and what she wanted wasn't what he wanted. When the door finally did open, a soldier walked in, a skewed grin the only thing she could tell with the helmet fitting loosely on his head, and he sat down, shaking his head.

Tobacco-stained fingernails. A muddy and bloodied uniform. Calculated, but often poorly executed. Who did he think he was fooling in that?

"What are you doing here, Carmello?" She questioned with a smirk as the grin was wiped from his face. She knew he hated that. He glanced back at the clock, calculating how much time he had with her before turning back to her, never taking his eyes off of her as he reached into the soldier's pocket, removing a cigarette and lighting it, taking a long drag before blowing the smoke into the air above him.

"For the last time," he exhaled.

"Cut to the chase… Admon…" she seethed. They stared at each other for a long moment before he spoke again.

"I would have thought you'd be more excited to see me," he informed her. "I'm about to break you out and cripple Atlas once and for all. After I'm finished here, Ironwood will never show himself in public again, and it will all be thanks to me."

"Excited to see you?" She chuckled. "You're kidding, right? You left me here, Admon! I've been left alone with my thoughts for nearly twelve months, so please excuse me if I don't seem as enthused as you would have hoped to see you!"

"Stop acting so dramatic," he rasped. "Do as I say and we'll both get out of here with what we want."

"I don't even know what I want anymore," she admitted. Silence fell over them. "I… I can't keep following you blindly. I told someone everything that we did. Hearing myself say it… It all sounded wrong." Another drag with a reply and he stood slowly, putting the cigarette out on his hand before tossing the unlit fag into the corner of the room.

"Do as I say and we'll both get out of here with what we want," he repeated to her. "I swap with you, go in and do what I need to do, easy as that."

"And I stay here to let you out when you get back, right?" She questioned.

"I never said that," he reminded her. He took a deep breath, shaking his head and staring up at the ceiling. "I went home. Thought about things. Thought about us. I've never once considered you, have I?"

"You're just trying to butter me up so I stay as an exit plan," she interrupted. He didn't speak right away.

"Think what you want," Admon told her. "This is my last favor to you. I recommend running once you get out. Don't let Ironwood find you. Don't let Salem find you. Run."

"Admon…" She spoke softly. Was he serious? Before she could ask, they swapped places and he smirked at her once more. "Carmello!"

"I said run!" He shouted at her. What had gotten into him while he was self-reflecting without her? Had his failure with assisting the Fang in overthrowing Vale really affected him that much?

"I love you, Admon," she told her brother before moving to the door and throwing it open.

"Run," he asserted once more. With that, she left, and he was left alone on the wrong side of the glass. There was no way he could have brought his sniper rifle with him into the facility so instead opted for a small knife with large serrations, alloyed with Gravity Dust paired with a glove he wore under the Atlas issued pair. He pounded tirelessly on the heavy metal door until Camellia's guard finally opened up, immediately plunging his blade into the man's throat. "Nothing personal." He headed directly for the elevator, the facility was largely unchanged from the original that he had once patrolled almost daily before his promotion.

"Going down?" Asked the elevator passenger that greeted him when the door opened. An Ace Op. He didn't know her. She appeared to be wearing a uniform that closely resembled Harriet's, shoulder-length hair that was teal at the roots, fading into light green towards the tips, purple eyes carnally taking him in. He smiled and nodded.

"I suppose so," he replied to her. "Heading to storage."

"Don't want to talk about last night?" She asked, looking up at him. She was short, shorter than he'd first realized.

"I think you might have me confused with someone else," he insisted. She chuckled and placed a hand on his chest.

"Not unless you're wearing someone else's uniform, Dianthus," she claimed, moving closer yet.

"I thought we weren't going to discuss that at work," he replied.

"How can we not talk about something that amazing?" She questioned. "I could stop the elevator and we could go for round two…" Admon's chest pounded. Who was this freak that Ironwood put on the Ace Ops, and who was this absolute madman that was sleeping with her? She pressed the emergency stop and smiled, beckoning with a finger. She pulled him in and kissed him passionately, her tongue exploring his mouth deeply.

"Not wasting any time, are we?" Admon chuckled. She smiled again and reached up, pulling the helmet off.

"No, but you're not Dianthus," she stated. "His eyes weren't lightish-red." Without missing a beat Admon's knife was at her neck, but she'd caught it with a weapon designed like a paper fan, with hard light Dust. "How about a dance first?" She kicked him back into the wall, brandishing a second identical weapon, bringing both down on Admon as he blocked with his knife.

"I didn't catch your name," Admon grunted as they struggled against each other.

"Kelly Cristatus," She informed him. She freed herself, head butting him as he ducked in the next moment, punching her in the stomach. She stumbled back, blocking a jumping kick with her fans connected together to form a shield that she bashed him in the chest with. Both of them stumbled and lost their balance as the elevator began moving again. "We were expecting you, Admon."

"My reputation precedes me," Admon bowed, swapping places with Kelly, throwing her off momentarily as he used his glove to blast away the service panel on the ceiling, throwing his dagger and severing the cable, dropping them in a free fall.

"Permission to kill?" Kelly requested pressing her earpiece.

"We need him alive per Ironwood," Admon heard. Marrow's voice. Of course, they expected him, who else would have visited Camellia. But he had counted on it.

"I'd love to stick around…" he claimed, tossing his dagger out through the open panel and allowing it to pull him out via the Gravity Dust. "But this is my stop!" He dangled from the wall for a moment, spotting his door on the far side. He leapt across, slamming his fist on the door. "Help, there was an elevator fault!" He continued at this for some time until some unsuspecting guard finally pried the door open and he swapped places with the man, his screams filling the shaft as he fell.

"How far do you expect to get?" Ironwood's voice filled the room from the PA system.

"I've always been one step ahead of you, old man," Admon chuckled. "When are you going to tell the council that you've had the Life Stone for quite some time now." Silence.

"So you know," Ironwood stated.

"After I talked to Abigor about how it worked, it all added up," Admon noted, prying open storage lockers, checking them for the item, and slamming them back shut. "You didn't need me to finish Pietro's work like you said. You wanted to create someone with a seemingly endless aura to use the stone. I remembered seeing it before I knew what it was. It didn't take long to do the math… it's just too bad that the young man fell into an endless coma before we could complete our experiments, he did seem like the most promising subject."

"And you think I left the stone in there?" Ironwood questioned. "Knowing you were coming for it?" Admon stopped short of tearing apart the next locker. He had to be bluffing, the man never changed.

"Well…" A voice said as the door to the stairwell opened, sending a chill running through Admon, turning his blood to ice as he stood motionless, initially refusing to look. "I was on my way to lunch when I received a call to come check on an old friend who seemed to be snooping around in storage, and here you are. Been a while, Admon."

"He used it," Admon mumbled. "How much of you is actually left!?" Admon shouted out to Ironwood, but the man didn't answer. He turned slowly, confirming his fear.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," the man stated, taking a step closer. Admon faced him.

"Clover," Admon said. "You look spry for a dead man." Clover looked at him puzzled.

"Dead?" Clover asked.

"I seem to recall a certain psychopath impaling you," Admon reminded him.

"I pulled through and fell into a coma," Clover stated. "That's what Ironwood told me." Admon nodded.

"Of course he did," Admon nodded slowly.

"Stay!" Came a shout from behind Admon, stopping him in place.

"And Marrow," Admon laughed. "Let's do this then, right?"

"We don't need to fight," Clover insisted. "Come willingly and we can spare ourselves the trouble."

"Did Ironwood fill you in on what I've done since you were 'out'?" Admon inquired. Clover nodded. Admon snickered. "Then you know I'm not coming quietly."

"Admon…" Clover stated. Admon swapped with Clover, Clover now frozen by Marrow's command and quickly threw his dart which was intercepted by Kelly's shield at the last moment as she slid into the fight.

"You thought dropping me down that shaft was going to stop me?" Kelly questioned.

"What are you doing wearing Harriet's uniform again?" Marrow questioned.

"I look cute in it!" Kelly exclaimed. "Is this really the time for this?"

"Three of you then?" Admon questioned, cracking his neck.

"Don't try it," Clover insisted as Admon summoned his dagger back.

"If there's anything I preach more, it's the strength of the individual," Admon smirked. Marrow threw his weapon, which curved past his team and came for Admon who swapped with Kelly, letting her take the hit as his dagger was deflected by Clover at the last moment. He glanced over Clover's shoulder, swapping with Marrow and catching the boomerang out of the air, having it snatched back by Clover's fishing rod. Nothing was between him and the elevator, and he could sever the cable on the second car to reach the top quickly to confront Ironwood. "I'd love to stay and fight, but I have a meeting with Ironwood, and I'd hate to be late."

"Kelly, just use your semblance and end this!" Clover instructed.

"Aw, that's no fun," Kelly groaned.

"He's just going to keep running," Clover noted.

"Stay!" Marrow demanded again, stopping Admon in his tracks again.

"You really are a buzzkill," Admon seethed. "Detonate." Several Dust bombs that Admon had added into the storage lockers ignited on his voice command, throwing the Ace Ops about, allowing him to escape the dog's semblance and he made it to the elevator, taking the quick way up as planned. He was always one step ahead, and they had no means of stopping him now.

"They were right about you!" Kelly exclaimed close behind him, using blasts of Wind Dust to chase after him. "You really do think of everything!"

"I'm flattered!" He called back to her. Except for you… He threw his dagger at her which she easily deflected but caught her arm as it came back to him. She had to know by now that he could call the weapon back, so why did she seem so unbothered about him hitting her, she hadn't even tried to deflect it. He managed a few more solid blows on the way up, sprinting down the hall to put distance between him and Kelly.

"Incoming!" She shouted. As he glanced back he saw her Faunus feature for the first time, a fully feathered out peacock tail of untold beauty, but he couldn't be hung up in awe of it, he needed to reach his… Before he could finish his thought he found himself on the floor and restrained by a gravity bola. "Thanks for looking back, babe." Kelly forced him to his feet, pushing him towards Ironwood's office.

"Is that a gun in your pocket?" Admon jested as Kelly bodied him forward.

"Nope," Kelly replied with a grin. "You thought I was a girl, didn't you?" Admon didn't reply. "I'm flattered! Usually, Marrow yells at me for dressing like this. I think the orange eyeshadow pulls it all together, what do you think? You're hung up on that kiss, aren't you? Understandable. I've been told I'm a great kisser." Ironwood opened his door. "Here you are, sir."

"Thank you, Kelly," Ironwood replied, taking Admon from him. "Carmello. We have much to talk about…"

If Ironwood has used the Stone, where is it now? Next time, Chapter 43: Failure!

A big thank you to all of my readers, and to artists AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.

Until next time, stay healthy and stay classy!