On the surface, lurking within the ruins close to where Weiss first fell, Doctor Oobleck and most of team RWBY waited. Oobleck had managed to get in contact with Beacon, passing on their information and a request for reinforcements. He now sat next to a beacon, flare gun in hand ready to help guide the first bullhead to arrive. Ruby was perched close to the top of their tower, ostensibly keeping an eye on their surroundings, whilst Yang and Blake were in the lowest level, Blake doing her best to keep her partner from spiralling.

Yang's frustration hadn't faded, leaving her alternating between pacing angrily and sitting, foot tapping away rapidly. The bundle of anxious energy was doing little to calm Blake's own nerves, a tight knot in her gut over the day's revelations, and the fact she'd once again crossed blades with the White Fang. And of course, her worry for Weiss' safety. The White Fang would not be kind to a Schnee, that much was certain. All she could do is hope that Weiss could evade them long enough for help to arrive.

Three heads snapped up as a flare suddenly fired from the building, trailing green smoke as it curled up into the air. Moments later, the increasing roar of a bullhead approached, the aircraft soon coming into view. It circled once before coming in to land by their building, the doors opening to disgorge its passengers. Team JNPR leapt out, accompanied by Professor Goodwitch. The three of them raced out to meet them, followed shortly by Oobleck. "Jaune? I thought you were going out to one of the villages," Ruby questioned.

"We were, but Professor Goodwitch redeployed us here," he explained. "Said you ran into some trouble?"

"Trouble's one word for it," Yang said, shifting around impatiently. "So, the cavalry's here, are we finally going to get going?"

"Where's Weiss?" Pyrrha asked, looking over the group before looking around their surroundings.

Oh, shit, Pyrrha, Blake realised, wincing.

"Doctor Oobleck, report," Glynda said, cutting through the other questions and conversations.

"We started performing our reconnaissance sweep yesterday, found nothing of significance. Earlier today we found evidence of activity within the ruins around an entrance to the subterranean area of the city. As we continued our sweep, Miss Schnee fell through a weakened portion of the road." He tried to ignore the horrified gasp Pyrrha let out.

"We elected to abandon stealth in favour of attempting to regroup with her as quickly as possible. We entered the undercity through the earlier identified entrance, and quickly encountered the White Fang. As we fought our way through, we managed to reunite with Miss Schnee, and attempted to evacuate. Unfortunately, we got separated once again. An Atlesian Paladin in use by the White Fang collapsed the building containing the exit to the undercity we used, sealing the entrance and trapping Miss Schnee on the other side. We then returned to the surface and called for reinforcements."

"Weiss is still down there?!" came Pyrrha's distressed cry. The rest of her team's reactions were hardly better, even the stoic Ren looking horrified. Jaune's jaw dropped silently, whilst Nora immediately began to mirror Yang's barely-restrained fury. Oobleck continued with his report, his professionalism forcing him to press forward.

"We didn't get a precise count on their numbers, but… Glynda, there's an army down there, well-armed and equipped with stolen Atlas tech, including Paladins Paladins they know how to use." Glynda's expression turned sour.

"Why are we still waiting here, then?" Pyrrha asked, rocking on the balls of her feet and clearly desperate to run to Weiss' aid. "If Weiss is down there-"

"That's what I've been saying!" Yang yelled in frustration. Glynda spared the pair a glance before looking back at Oobleck, expression tight.

"Barty…" she began softly, low enough that only Blake could hear them, and that was only thanks to her faunus traits. "I need absolute objectivity here. Emotional states and deployability." Oobleck sighed, rubbing his eyes before pinching his nose.

"Compromised. Badly. Team RWBY is down one of their best fighters and their other strongest fighter is at her limit, whilst the rest of them are clearly demoralised. Team JNPR is a little better, but Pyrrha…" Glynda nodded, saving him from having to complete his thought. The news about Weiss and Pyrrha had quickly made its way through the school's gossip circles, and Glynda already knew about their relationship.

"And we could well be looking at a hostage situation, or worse." Oobleck tasted ash as Glynda reminded him of the very real worst-case possibility that he had desperately been trying not to think about. "I'm going to recall them to Beacon," Glynda said unhappily. Blake's eyes widened, ears trying to flatten beneath her bow.

"They're going to hate us for it," Oobleck pointed out, though the resignation in his tone indicated his agreement.

"Better alive and hating us than the alternative," Glynda responded, before speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. "More reinforcements will be here in minutes, professional huntsmen and Atlas soldiers. Team RWBY, team JNPR. You will return to Beacon." As expected, her declaration was met with a wave of fierce resistance.

"WHAT?!" Yang roared, eyes turning red as her hair ignited, waves of heat washing off of her instantly. Ruby, Jaune, and Nora all looked at her in disbelief, spluttering out half-formed protests. Ren said nothing, but his tightening expression and clenched jaw said enough. Pyrrha's reaction was the worst, as far as Glynda was concerned, betrayal, hurt, and outrage writ large across her face.

"Y-you can't!" she insisted. "Weiss is still down there! You can't just send us back!"

"You are all still students, one team is down a hunter, and you are clearly emotionally compromised. I cannot in good conscience allow you to throw yourselves against an army of White Fang, especially not in your current state," Glynda countered firmly. "I know you are concerned for Miss Schnee, and I am sorry, but my decision is final." She then looked directly at Yang, heading off the retort she was sure was coming. "What would you all do if she's been captured?" she asked.

"Save her, obviously!" Yang answered angrily, hands balled up into fists at her side.

"And probably get both her and yourselves killed in the process. Do you have any experience with hostage rescue?" Glynda asked, looking around the seven students. Surly silence was their response. "Any idea on how to conduct a large-scale urban assault against an entrenched opponent?" Again, silence.

"If we were up against grimm, I would not hesitate to allow you to continue. But we're not against grimm here, and we need a different approach, and a different set of skills. Furthermore, your negative emotions are highly likely to attract grimm, making the situation worse. I am sorry, but my decision is final." Yang and Pyrrha both stared at her, Yang in silent fury and Pyrrha in desperation, begging for her to change her mind.

Glynda remained resolute, and after a few more seconds of staring Yang let out an inarticulate howl of rage, turning and punching a hole clean through the wall next to her. Blake flinched at the display of anger, looking with wide eyes at Yang.

"Professor, please," Pyrrha begged, eyes watering slightly. "Don't… Don't make us abandon her." Glynda met her gaze, giving her a small, sad shake of her head. Pyrrha let out a small, strangled sob at that. Yang snarled, ripping her arm free of the wall before storming over to the bullhead, flipping Glynda off as she went.

The rest of the students slowly trickled after her, Blake putting an arm around Pyrrha and guiding her to the ship. Glynda looked at each expression in turn, seeing the hurt, anger, and betrayal in each of them. Once they were all in the bullhead, the doors slid shut and it took to the air, turning towards Beacon.

"And that is why I could never do your job," Oobleck said, stepping next to Glynda and looking at her sympathetically. "You made the right decision." Glynda let out a humourless laugh, recalling Ozpin's words about 'right decisions' from three days ago.

"The correct decision, not the right one, as Ozpin would say," Glynda responded.


By the time the students returned to Beacon, foul moods had given birth to despair. Pyrrha had quietly cried the whole way back, sniffling miserably and leaning against Blake. Hot, angry tears ran down Yang's cheeks as well, fists still clenched, every muscle in her body tight. Ruby seemed to be barely holding herself together, and the rest of them weren't much better.

The bullhead landed, the doors opening and allowing them to disembark. Waiting for them at the end of the platform was Professor Ozpin. He wore a small, sad frown, the most emotion any of them had seen out of the headmaster other than faint amusement. "Hello students," he greeted them. None verbally responded, only a few of them meeting his eyes. "I very much doubt you want to hear any words of comfort from me right now. So, I will just say that my office is always open to you, as is that of the school counsellor."

"What's going to happen now?" Yang asked, eyes glued to the floor, fists trembling at her sides.

"As we speak, a team of professional hunters, along with Professor Goodwitch and Doctor Oobleck, are sweeping the underground of Mountain Glenn, along with two companies of Atlesian soldiers. As for you all, I would recommend getting what rest you can. I can assure you, when the time comes we will not prevent you from lending your aid." Yang nodded sharply. "I also have a task for you, a simple one, if you are up to it," he offered, prompting a vague sense of interest from them.

"Before we accept," Blake started, "what's the task?"

"Briefing Special Operative Winter Schnee when she arrives," he said simply. Pyrrha looked up at that, wiping her eyes.

"Weiss' sister's coming here?" she asked, causing Ozpin to nod.

"I'm told her airship has already performed several airspace violations."

"So Weiss' sister gets to help, but we're too 'emotionally compromised'?" Yang asked bitterly.

"Specialist Schnee is a graduated and licensed hunter, a member of Atlas' most elite special operations group, and General Ironwood's de facto second-in-command," Ozpin gently countered. "More to the point, I have no authority over her. I have no power to stop her, and the General does not seem particularly inclined to do so. Not that I blame him for that, she is… Well, if you do decide to meet her, you'll understand."

"We'll talk to her," Ruby said. Ozpin nodded.

"Good. A brief from those with a first-hand account will be more useful. Is there anywhere in particular I should tell her to meet you?" he asked. Ruby paused, looking at the students around her.

"The common area?" Pyrrha suggested. "I'd like to see her as well," she said quietly. It probably wasn't the best time, she knew that, but she had a strong desire to meet the only still-living member of Weiss' family she spoke favourably of.

"The one closest to your dorms? Very well, I'll make sure she's escorted there."


Both teams were left waiting for an hour or two before Winter arrived. In that time, the more emotionally collected members of the group had gathered copious quantities of comfort food and items. Blankets and pillows were scattered around the sofas and chairs in the common area they had commandeered, ice cream had been acquired, and Ren was in the middle of making another batch of pancakes. Pyrrha remained a puddle of anxious sadness, whilst Yang's anger had cooled somewhat, though her mood remained foul and her temper frayed.

This was the scene that Specialist Schnee arrived at, the students lifting their heads as the woman arrived. The family resemblance was readily apparent, with the familiar pure white hair and ice-blue eyes. Winter's face was harder than Weiss', however, and she was naturally a fair bit shorter.

A sabre was sheathed at her side, and she wore a white, long-sleeved coat, with a dark blue waistcoat and a white blouse under that. White dress trousers covered her legs, along with a pair of grey thigh-high boots, and black gloves covered her hands. She looked across the students, expression steely and unreadable. "Team RWBY, and team JNPR I presume?" she asked.

"Here," Ruby raised a hand to wave half-heartedly at her.

"Guessing you're Weiss' sister?" Yang asked flatly. Winter nodded stiffly.

"I am. I understand you're to brief me on the situation?" she asked, putting her hands behind her back, standing at-ease. Blake, Yang, and Ruby took turns to fill Winter in on what had happened in Mountain Glenn. Blake couldn't miss the way Winter's lips turned downwards at the mention of the White Fang, fury flashing briefly in her eyes before being hidden behind ice and steel once again.

"I see. Thank you for filling me in. I know how difficult situations like this are," she said, the tiniest hint of sympathy entering her voice. Yang bit her tongue to restrain the bitter, sarcastic reply that almost automatically spilled out.

"What are you going to do now?" Pyrrha asked quietly.

"For the time being, I have been told to wait until we have a better understanding of the situation," she said, moving to a chair and sitting down, knees together, hands in her lap.

"In that case… Would it be alright if we asked you some questions?" Pyrrha asked, causing Winter to cock her head to the side slightly. "Weiss hasn't really talked much about her life outside of Beacon."

"I see," Winter said with a nod. "Hmm. Would you all describe yourselves as Weiss' friends?" she asked.

"Yes," Pyrrha said, nodding quickly, not quite ready to have the 'big sister' talk regarding her and Weiss' new relationship.

"Very well, though I expect to have some of my questions answered as well?" Winter asked.

"That seems fair," Pyrrha said, sniffing a little.

"Alright. What's your first question?"

"Why's your dad such a shithead?" Yang asked, the embodiment of 'surly'. Six heads turned to Yang, her fellow students wide-eyed at the sheer bluntness of the question. Said heads then snapped back to Winter at the sudden, unexpected bark of laughter. Winter looked as startled as they did, covering her mouth with a hand before clearing her throat, lowering her hand again, looking a touch embarrassed by her outburst.

"Yaaaang, that was rude!" Ruby admonished her sister.

"But quite accurate," Winter said, coming to Yang's defence. "I wasn't sure how aware you were of Jacques' personal failings, though it seems you have some knowledge of them."

"You call your father by his first name?" Pyrrha asked, blinking a little. The two sisters had dramatically different attitudes about their father. Whilst Weiss seemed to understand that he was, objectively, a terrible parent, she still treated him with deferential respect. Winter, though, seemed to favour open contempt.

"Of course. The man's only valid claim to being my father is the fact he is my biological parent. In every single other respect imaginable, he is not my father, even legally speaking since he disowned me." The students shared some glances at that.

"But, to address your question, I imagine it's because he has a soul so black it would make a Grimm blush, a heart made of lead and unrefined dust, vision so narrow he might as well be legally blind, and all the moral strength of a solitary sheet of wet paper." There was no obvious note of venom in her tone, which somehow made the vitriol in her words all the more apparent.

"That's quite the condemnation," Blake observed, blinking slowly.

"I could elaborate further, but I dislike allowing that sad excuse for a man to occupy my thoughts. I believe it is my turn to ask a question?" When no one objected, Winter pressed on. "How has Weiss been settling in?"

"It's…" Ruby started, tailing off.

"It took her some time to adjust," Pyrrha said diplomatically.

"She's a lot better now than she was when she started, though," Blake said.

"I take it she was something of a challenge at first?" Winter asked, sighing. "I can only ask that you don't hold that against her too much. She had extremely few good role models growing up, and practically zero contact with anyone not either belonging to Atlesian high society or employed as staff for the manor. How has she been with faunus students?"

"Not… Great to start with," Ruby said, wincing a little. "Better now, though." WInter sighed, nodding her head.

"We've had plenty of conversations about it," Blake said.

"It's good that she's improved," Winter said. They continued exchanging questions for some time, the students bringing Winter up to speed on Weiss' time at Beacon, and Winter providing a little more context behind Weiss' history. As they did so, the tension in the room faded somewhat, and whilst Winter never quite relaxed, she became less reserved. She was in the middle of sharing an anecdote from when the Schnee siblings were much younger when her scroll started buzzing. "Excuse me," she said, pulling it out and looking at it. Her expression hardened slightly.

"News about Weiss?" Yang asked, some nervous energy starting to return to her. Winter didn't immediately respond, pressing a few buttons on her scroll. As she did so, a video began playing.

"Every day that our demands are not met is another day that the Schnee is at our mercy!" The words, tinny and slightly distorted, completely changed the mood in the room. All the students, save Blake, leapt from their seats, shouting. Rather than allow herself to be crowded, she set the scroll down on the table so they could see the screen. A bull faunus in mostly black clothes and a grimm mask paced back and forth in front of the camera, the unmistakable form of Weiss chained up behind him. Blake's eyes, wide in horror, became glued to the pacing figure.

No. No, no, nonononononono, she repeated in her head like a mantra, diving into utter denial at what she was seeing.

"You've heard our demands. Meet them, or your daughter continues to suffer." The faunus then nodded to one of the White Fang members in the background, who stepped forwards, yanked Weiss' head back, and injected something into the side of her neck. The scream that came from Weiss was so loud and shrill that it peaked out the microphone, and the video feed showed how she writhed in agony. Her back arched, limbs straining so hard against her restraints that she'd have surely torn something if they were still organic.

The feed lasted for a full minute before cutting out again. To her credit, Pyrrha managed to last most of the way through the footage, tears streaming down her cheeks before collapsing and sobbing, whilst Yang's hair blazed so strongly that the temperature of the room began to climb. Blake remained frozen in terror, whilst the rest of the students looked somewhere between horror and outrage.

Winter, meanwhile, had become the very picture of quiet fury. Her expression had become steel once again, but her eyes burnt with near-primal fury. With a slow, precise motion she collected her scroll and stood from her chair. "I believe we now have a better understanding of the situation," she said simply.

"What are you going to do now?" Ruby asked, swallowing thickly around the lump that threatened to totally block her throat.

"I am going to get Weiss back." With that, she turned on her heel and marched out of the room, one hand locked tightly around the hilt of her sabre. As she left, Nora and Jaune had gone to Pyrrha's side, doing their best to comfort their distraught teammate.

"Weiss... Oh gods, Weiss," she sobbed, breaths coming in ragged gasps. Yang remained glued where she stood, eyes boring a hole through the table, and Blake likewise remained rooted to her chair.

"We'll get her back," Ruby said. "We know she's alive. We'll get her back."


Weiss wasn't sure how long it had been since she first woke up here. A little while after her first conversation with Adam she'd been knocked unconscious, waking again to find she couldn't move her prosthetics. Adam had gleefully told her that they'd unplugged the cables that allowed her to control and feel her cybernetic body.

She'd screamed and cursed at that, calling into question everything from his lineage to his honour to his fashion sense. She'd been halfway her tirade on his assumedly poor sexual performance when he finally lost his temper. In a flash he had his sword in hand, looming over Weiss and holding the red blade a hair's breadth from her right eye.

"Perhaps I should cut this one out as well, give you a matching scar," he threatened, baring his teeth. "Or perhaps I should carve out your tongue and stitch your lips shut. How well will you be able to kiss that lady love of yours without a mouth, I wonder?" Weiss remained silent, meeting his gaze through his mask as if daring him to do it. After a few moments he stepped away, sheathing his sword before leaving the room.

After that, the passage of time had begun to feel off. Weiss wasn't quite sure if it was stress, boredom, or the guards deliberately trying to throw her off, but she quickly lost any sense of what time it was meant to be. Meals were brought to her cell, just barely enough to prevent her starving to death, roughly force-fed to her.

It felt like it had been a day or so between her first and second meals, but it couldn't have been more than five minutes between the second and third. Despite that, her hunger felt about the same between each one. "You've been messing with how she feels time?" Mercury asked, stood inside the observation room with Emerald, Adam, and Rowan.

"It's a relatively common tactic," Rowan observed neutrally. For someone who had spent so many years of her life running from the consequences of her actions, her decision to linger in the proximity of Weiss' cell was unusual. But linger she did, because as much as knowing what her associates were doing to the teenager made her sick, the thought of ignoring it was somehow worse. "Make them start to question their own senses. Never met anyone who could do it quite like this, though."

"There's limits to how much I can do," Emerald said, watching Weiss intently. "I can only skew it so far in either direction and only for so long."

"Hmm. Can you do worse to her?" Adam asked. "Making her bored and confused is hardly what I was promised." Emerald nodded.

"I think I can do something."

Back in the cell, Weiss's head lifted as she heard a noise outside the door. A few muffled thuds, one louder one against the door, and then silence. Until she heard a humming noise, a black aura appearing around the door before it opened. Weiss' heart leapt as she saw who was stepping through the opening. "Pyrrha?!" she gasped out. "What, how-"

"Shh, not so loud," Pyrrha said, shushing her and glancing back out the door. "We managed to find where they were keeping you," she explained, moving closer. "The others are keeping them busy for now, but we need to move quickly." She then raised her hand, the chains binding her limbs breaking thanks to her semblance. Now lacking the chains to keep her up, Weiss collapsed to the floor with a grunt. "... Weiss?" she asked after Weiss failed to rise.

"They disconnected my prosthetics," Weiss explained. "I can't move, Pyrrha." She craned her neck to look up at her girlfriend, who winced.

"That's… Not good. I… Have an idea," she said hesitantly. "I could… I could use my semblance to walk you out?" she suggested. Weiss grimaced at the idea. "I know you don't like the idea, but I can't carry you on my own, and we don't have much time." Weiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath, nodding.

"Okay. Okay, I trust you. Let's do it," she said, swallowing stiffly. Pyrrha nodded, raising her hands. The humming noise started again, and Weiss felt herself rise up, Pyrrha awkwardly puppetting her upright. Once standing, Pyrrha kept her there for a few seconds. And then a few seconds more. "Pyrrha?" Weiss asked, looking over at her, seeing an expression of puzzlement and interest on her face.

"Oh, sorry," she apologised, shaking her head. "Right, let's see…" she said, focussing as she made Weiss take a step, and then another, and another. Rather than walking her to the door, however, she made her walk in a circle in the room.

"Okay, you can get me to walk. Good. Can we please leave?" Weiss asked, almost pleading. Watching and feeling Pyrrha move her body without any input of her own was deeply unnerving.

"Hmm," Pyrrha responded noncommittally, expression neutral. "Sorry, this is just a little more interesting than I thought," she said, somewhat absent-mindedly.

"Well, I don't like this, so can we please leave quickly so we can stop doing this?" Weiss asked a little more desperately. What is she doing? she thought, confusion warring with discomfort.

"... You know Weiss," Pyrrha said after a moment, looking her in the eyes. "I've seen how you look at other girls." Weiss blinked at that.

"Pyrrha, what- We don't have time for this!" she insisted, starting to become a little scared.

"You're my girlfriend, Weiss. I don't want you to look at other girls like that. I want you all to myself," she said, eyes intense.

"Pyrrha, you're scaring me," Weiss said, swallowing as her heart hammered away in her chest.

"I never thought moving you around with my semblance would be this fun," she said, her eyes dropping again as she moved her hands, making Weiss do a little, clumsy pirouette.

"Pyrrha, stop it!" Weiss begged, terror sinking its teeth into her. "Please, stop it!" she repeated as Pyrrha made her dance around the room, a slight smile spreading across the woman's face.

"I could keep you like this," Pyrrha observed, blinking as if the idea had suddenly occurred to her. "You'd never be able to go after other girls, and you're such a pretty puppet." Weiss' eyes were wide with betrayal and disbelief.

"P-Pyrrha, please," she begged, voice catching as she struggled to move. "P-please, don't." Pyrrha didn't seem to hear her, looking back at the door thoughtfully.

"Everyone else is still busy… We can slip out without them noticing. And then it'll just be us. Won't that be fun, Weiss? You can be my puppet, and you'll never leave me." Weiss felt her body lurch forward again as Pyrrha started walking for the door, making Weiss' body follow her.

"Pyrrha, don't, please. Pyrrha? Pyrrha?! Pyrrha!" she screamed, slamming her eyes shut and desperately wishing she was somewhere, anywhere else. She kept them closed for a while, until she realised she wasn't moving anymore. Slowly cracking one eye open, she saw she was in her cell. Still chained to the ceiling.

"W-what?" she asked, looking around. Her heart still beat painfully hard in her chest, and she still trembled, but there was no evidence of what had just happened. What the fuck is happening?! her mind screamed, demanding answers she couldn't supply. She tasted bile in the back of her throat. Her mouth was dry.

What the fuck was that?! Dull pain flared in limbs that didn't even exist anymore, and her vision swam as tears started to fill her eyes. The door then opened again, and her head snapped over as Adam Taurus once again entered her cell. A cruel grin was plastered beneath his mask as he held up a needle.

"I almost forgot about your medicine. Try not to bite your tongue off, this will sting a little."


The moment Emerald stopped forcing Weiss to hallucinate, Rowan left the observation room, walking in silence through the makeshift base, eyes unfocussed. She'd known Emerald's semblance was bad news. She'd had some idea of what she could do with it. She still hadn't been prepared for the pain and terror in the Schnee's eyes as Emerald toyed with her mind, carefully describing what she was doing the whole time. She'd left the room because she knew she wouldn't be able to keep herself from vomiting if she saw the girl writhing in agony from that pain-inducing venom again.

And yet she's the one having to live through it. Coward. As she walked, she was spotted by Neo, who quickly fell into step beside her. The short woman leant forwards enough to appear in Rowan's field of view, signing at her. She received no response, and her expression turned to concern as Rowan walked in silence.

The silence lingered as Rowan led them to the rooms she'd claimed as theirs, ushering her in and closing the door behind them. Still not saying anything, she swept the room for hidden cameras or microphones before pulling her bed aside and grabbing a crowbar from a crate being used as a side table.

Jamming the tip of the bar between two tiles, she levered one tile up and pulled out a small metal box, opening it to reveal a scroll. It was a prepaid burner, something she'd picked up before Cinder moved her out to the south-east, and she had one hidden in every location and safe house she'd prepared for Cinder's plans. Finally, she looked at Neo and began signing.

These people are monsters. We're getting out of this, and we're taking this whole operation down. Neo's eyes widened, glancing at the door before signing back.

How? Cinder will kill us if we try anything. Not to mention the whole army of White Fang.

You're not going to like it, Rowan warned her. We're going to turn ourselves in.