AN: Okay, I'm trying to post more often, but my job has me slammed. That, and I've written this chapter a few times because I was unsure of flow and direction. But it's here! I'll try to speed up so it's not a chapter every 3 or 4 weeks.
Intel
Four days later.
1800
Haven Academy Landing Pad.
Lil Miss Malachite.
It was a name that is simultaneously well known, and unheard of.
Malachite was a common surname, either from the northern mountains of Mistral or from the West towards Vale. The average citizen in the upper levels of Mistral would not assume much from the name, and the average foreigner would be even more clueless.
But, those that dabbled in the underworld knew. Mistrali Gangsters, bounty hunters, even bandit tribes, they all knew who the Queen spider is. It is who you go to for information, and it is who you do not cross if you wished for a long and happy.
The name Lil Miss Malachite had popped up in intel reports during Operation Tyrant Spear. That was the extent of Winter's knowledge of the person.
Raven had told her much. Raven is someone who grew up in the filth of the underworld. Someone who thrived in it, until Lil Miss Malachite's forces swallowed the tribe whole. However, someone who was this deep into the underworld could not have their words taken at face value.
Winter needed someone she could trust.
Sitting on the edge of the airship landing pad, Winter Schnee waited patiently in the orange glow of the sunset.
The winds blew gently, caressing her sweat-slicked face and sending cold shivers down her spine. Her eyes scanned the horizon, looking for incoming airships and scanning the passengers of the large rotating platforms that traversed between levels.
Then, she saw it. Instinctually, she knew.
Winter lifted up her hand. The crow fluttered its wings and came to a rest on her finger. It cawed, as if in greeting. It was a heavy, large bird, its red beady eyes glimmering with intelligence.
Winter smiled and closed her eyes. Crows don't naturally have red eyes.
"Hello, Qrow."
As if startled by the noise, it fluttered off. There was suddenly a heavy warm presence sitting down next to her. She took a breath. The familiar faint scent of alcohol and smoke somehow calmed her.
An arm wrapped itself gently around Winter and pulled her in. She felt a chin rest on top of her head, and Winter allowed herself to relax, if only for a moment.
"Hey Ice Queen."
Winter opened her eyes.
"You didn't have to come personally, you know?" Winter whispered softly.
He flashed her his signature grin, that cocksure smile of utter confidence built up by years of experience, "I wanted to see you."
His smile dropped, "I heard what happened. I want to make sure you are okay."
Winter nodded, "Same every time it happens. We have to keep it together until the mission is over. Then, we can grieve."
Qrow hugged her tighter, "I'll be there if you need me."
"I know."
She looked at his crimson eyes, "Will you be here for long?"
Qrow shook his head, "I'm mainly here to oversee the transfer of the sensitive equipment you have requested. The airship should be arriving sometime at midnight, but I jumped out. After that, Ozpin needs me to scout out potential leads in Vacuo."
"You jumped out?" Winter asked incredulously.
"I fly faster on my own. Cordovin still thinks I'm in the cabin,"
Winter giggled, "Is this how you've been traveling all this time? Flying from place to place as a bird and sneaking into places where you shouldn't be?"
"Seats are usually too small for public transport, and private transport is usually out of my price range," Qrow replied without hesitation.
She laughed, "All this time, I never knew. You appearing in places you shouldn't be just seemed like a natural occurrence. Didn't think it would be magic."
Qrow pulled back, giving her a surprised look, "You never thought me climbing through the window every chance I got was weird?"
"You were always a rapscallion and scoundrel. I doubted you wanted to go through the hassle of explaining yourself each time you went through the front door. So, I thought you just...climbed."
Qrow snorted and drew her back in again. She could feel his face curl into an amused grin, "You're not wrong,"
"I missed you," Winter said.
"Me too,"
They stayed like that for a moment, overlooking the majestic mountains of Mistral. The sun glimmered beautifully off the distant waters of the Great Central Lake.
Winter sighed, forgetting all her troubles in that blessed brief moment.
1815
Haven Academy Combat Arena
In the virtual combat arena, Winter watched from the seats as her men executed drill after drill. There were no live projectiles being used, and the augmented reality simulation was mainly programmed for Grimm. But, it served its purpose
Grimm Creeps, small creatures with bulbous heads and short stubby legs, were small enough to provide an adequate challenge. Ciel had disabled artificial intelligence, so the holographic creatures were for all intents and purposes, were just moving targets.
"Contact front!" Ciel barked. Russel and Ren spun around, throwing back their jackets and drawing out concealed pistols. There was no muzzle flash, just a loud electronic "bang". Targets fell in quick succession.
Ciel announced, "reset."
The loss of Cardin is affecting them all. An idle mind and body breed poisonous thoughts. Winter knew that, and her men knew that too. The drills and practices had been nonstop, anything to take their mind off their recent casualty.
It suddenly hit Winter, of how small the group had gotten. With Winchester gone, she was reminded that her men had given their lives for her, on her orders. She swallowed a lump in her throat. Dumb bastards.
"Team!" Winter shouted. Her men turned to look at her, instinctively straightening to attention.
"That's enough for the day." Winter waved them off, "Get some food and get some rest. Dismissed."
She watched as they started to pack their gear. Qrow sat down next to her and handed her a cup of tea.
She nodded in thanks and took a sip. It was too bitter. Qrow had scalded the tea leaves.
Winter smiled. Some things don't change.
"Alright, so…." Winter urged.
"Just us in an empty training arena?" Qrow wiggled his eyebrows, "people are going to talk."
Winter cracked a smile, "Shut up you buffoon. Don't you have something for me?"
It was a mystery how Qrow's transformative magic worked. It had crossed Winter's mind more than once, the question of where the Huntsmen's items went.
Harbinger, Qrow's sword-scythe, hung loosely on his waist. It had materialized, much like Qrow's clothes and items on his person, when he transforms back into human form. Winter never bothered to ask Qrow where his items went. Knowing the man well - too well, in fact -, she knows the question never even crossed his mind.
The question came to Winter again when Qrow pulled out a small but bulky locked box from his jacket.
He paused before opening it, "Glynda had to pull a lot of strings for this to happen. Though I'm surprised you got Robyn on board with this."
"I owe Robyn more than a few favors now," Winter grumbled, "plus, this gives her another charge to write me up on if she ever decides to lock me up one day."
Qrow's face darkened, "She wouldn't."
"Who knows? Never liked politician types. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," Winter sighed. Her mind drifted back to her father for a moment. She was sure he wasn't always the person she remembered him to be.
"Well, if you need someone to break you out of Atlas high-security prison…you know who to call." Qrow winked. He flipped a switch on the box, and it hissed.
A series of mechanical whirs and clicks and opened slowly, revealing a scroll the shape of a smooth black disk the size of his hand.
Qrow picked it up without much ceremony and handed it to Winter.
Winter frowned as she picked up the odd device, "How…does this work?"
Qrow looked at her incredulously, "Wait, they didn't tell you how to use it?"
"No?"
"Well, they sure as hell didn't tell me."
The disk suddenly hummed softly. A thin beam of light swept across Winter's face, almost making her drop it in surprise.
A small cheery voice cracked out of the disk, the hidden small speakers not diminishing the energy one bit, "Identity confirmed! Salutations, Legionnaire Captain Schnee!"
From the center, a hologram of a little girl with long orange curly hair materialized. She wore a green sun dress that swayed gently as she hopped into existence with excitement. With a smart snap, she saluted. "Penny Poledina, ready and willing! Sensors and weapons of the Ironclad-class Battlecruiser, AAS Penny, are at your disposal! Current status-" Penny frowned, tilting her head, "current status: Offline. It would seem that we are out of range."
Winter couldn't help herself. She smiled warmly, "Hello Penny. Good to see you again."
"My memory indicates this is the first time we have interacted! However, I do have access to past records of interaction."
Winter sighed melancholically. A strange sadness descended upon her when she realized that Penny had no recollection of the time they spent together. Prior to Ciel being Penny's caretaker, Winter had been assigned to her as a show of trust from Ironwood.
"Regardless. I'm happy to see you." Winter reached out with a finger.
Penny reached out, her small hands barely the size of Winter's fingertips. The hologram fizzled slightly as they made contact.
The AI looked up at Winter and beamed. Just like she did the first day they met.
1820
Haven Academy Dorms
Russel sat heavily down on the dorm chair and sighed. A veil of melancholy threatened to suffocate him. His limbs felt sluggish, and he caught his mind slipping a few times throughout the day. Nihilistic thoughts clawed at the back of his mind, like Apathy claws on glass.
Was this how Ren felt when Nora died? When he realized with absolute certainty that he is now the sole survivor of his team? Did he try to convince himself it was all a nightmare? Or some sick joke played on him by some cosmic entity?
Russel never asked his comrade. He knew Ren well enough to know that rage and bitterness dragged him out of the pits of depression and powered him on, until Winter gave him focus and purpose.
Thoughts of sadistic violence wormed themselves into Russel's mind. He needed to kill the enemy, to rip them to shreds, to watch them bleed out as they begged and wept.
But, Winter told had told them to lie low. To await more intel, more resources, more weapons.
Days had passed, and despite the constant drills and exercises, the idleness was gnawing at his spirit.
It wasn't the first time he had resented an order. Respect and a twisted form of love all Legionnaires had for Winter won out in the end. She had never led them astray before.
Russel felt a pat on his shoulder. He looked around to see Ren. The touch alone almost set him off, to the point he had to restrain himself from lashing out. Everything seemed irritable. But this was Ren, his friend, his brother in arms.
"What?" Russel asked.
"Dinner?" Ren jabbed a thumb at the door.
Russel shook his head, "Not hungry, dude."
"Come on, man," Ren sighed, "you have to eat something."
Russel felt his face muscle twitch. No, he doesn't have to do shit. Unless Winter herself came down and ordered him to-
Ciel nodded, "Ren's right. We can't have you keeling over in the middle of a mission because you have low blood sugar or something like that."
Russel deflated upon hearing Ciels' voice. He forced a smile and snorted, "low blood sugar. I'm healthy, mind you. This is some ploy to make me gain weight so you can beat my timed runs."
"Russel…"Ciel whispered. The look on her face made Russel reconsider. He couldn't get angry at her.
"I…" Russel threw up his hands, resigned, "fine. Can we eat back in the dorm, then? Just get me whatever the hell you are getting."
"Come on, Thrush," Ciel began, but Russel waved her off.
"I don't want to be there if we run into Velvet. I don't want to be the one to tell if she asks."
Ciel reached out and gave the man a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. Russel touched her metal hands back, and although she couldn't feel it, he knew he was squeezing her hands back.
"Ren," Ciel said, "please get me the same thing as you are. I'm staying here."
Ren glanced at the pair, and shrugged. He left without another word.
Ciel walked in front of the bewildered Russel and looked him in the eye. She held onto both his hands.
"You can talk to me, you know?" she said softly.
"I know," Russel said, "just not right now. Okay?"
Ciel bit her lips at that response, "Stop it."
"Huh?"
"Don't bottle things up like that. Please." Ciel said, "It's going to destroy you when you least expect it. You never know when that dam is going to burst."
Russel felt his ire rise. Something about her tone annoyed him. Something about what she said. He felt his face twist into a sneer.
He snatched his hands away, "You don't know me." Russel snapped, "I'll be fine."
"You're right," Ciel said bitterly, "sometimes I think I barely know any of you."
"What's that supposed to mean," He growled.
Ciel glanced down at his hands, then back up. While Ciel's expression didn't change, the hurt and shock in Ciel's eyes was like a slap to Russel's face.
Russel realized he was clenching his fists as if ready to strike. He relaxed.
He reached his hands back out, "Ciel…"
Ciel stood up and took a step back.
"Five years of us having each other's backs," Ciel said softly, "five years of blood, death, and tears. But recently I realize I barely know any of you at all. You, Ren, Cardin…"
Ciel sniffed, and swallowed before speaking again, "…and now Cardin's gone. Just like everyone else. Bolin, Vorobey, Bhoora, Vesna…all of us in Winter's Legion. We were only a legion in name because of some old Mantle tradition. We were just a damned platoon. How long before nobody is left? I don't want to be left alone. Not again."
Russel stood up and stepped forwards, his hands reaching imploringly, "Ciel, enough."
The woman brushed his hands away, "No. Do you even know me, Russel Thrush? Apart from being the designated marksman of a dying unit, apart from the soldier you dragged out of the torture den in Menagerie. Do you even know me?"
Russel found that he could not answer.
Ciel wiped her eyes, "I'm going for a walk."
"Ciel, I-"
"Don't follow me," Ciel croaked, pushing past the stunned man.
Russel watched her leave. The door clicked shut.
When Russel felt pain, it was usually masked and overcome by the urge for violence. That was, in his humble opinion, what makes him effective.
As he collapsed back into the chair, he realized that urge for violence was strangely directed at himself. He looked at his own hands, and suddenly felt a sickening sense of disgust clinging to his skin.
He sighed and flicked out a cigarette. He stared at the "Dusty Strikes" brand written on the wrapping and realized he didn't even know what brand of cigarettes Ciel smoked, despite her knowing his.
"Man," Russel sighed as he lit up, "I'm a fucking moron."
"Establishing connection to the CCT," Penny intoned, "connection successful! Updating all relevant data on-"
"Penny, there's no need to report everything," Winter said mildly, "thank you."
"You got it!" Penny said.
Penny was not just a simple combat support AI. Penny was essentially a complete digital warfare specialist and a databank in on herself. Inside the unassuming black disk, contained every single snippet of data Atlas Intelligence has on all the criminal elements of Mistral.
People, places, organization, structure, their families, their addresses, all compiled through years of cooperation with the Mistral Police Force and Atlesian mass surveillance programs. Now with her direct connection to the CCT, Penny is scouring through thousands and thousands of articles and pages with the speed and efficiency only a machine could achieve. Even without memory of the previous day, the processing power alone was just as valuable.
But, despite everything, the information on the CCT rarely offers insight into the criminal underworld.
That was where Qrow came in…and unknown to him, Raven too.
"So…." Qrow started, "Lil Miss Malachite. Quite the person to target, Ice Queen."
"The Spiders have been on me since we stepped out of Atlas. Timing is too perfect for it to be coincidence,"
Qrow shrugged, "If Salem is involved, then it would make sense too. Who better to have under control than the criminal queen of Mistral?"
"So, a high profile crime lord."
"You have no idea," Qrow nodded, pointing his chin in the general direction of Mistral City, "everyday people are killed or kidnapped by her hands or with her blessing. Even two decades ago, she was quite the character."
Winter folded her arms, "Penny. Do we have a picture of her?"
"Authorizing," Penny intoned. Her hologram vanished, and a picture was projected in her stead.
A middle-aged woman with dirty blonde hair, photographed in a bar surrounded by purple-clad bodyguards. The picture was dated at least 10 years old.
Winter frowned, "Is this the only picture we have?"
"Affirmative, captain!" Penny confirmed, "It would seem that your target is an expert at keeping a low profile."
"Low profile does not mean inactive," Qrow cut in, "Malachite is a canny woman. In the past five years, the Spiders swelled exponentially in number. Hostile takeovers, bribery, she swallowed most if not all the major players in Mistral. The fact that she's able to keep it all under wraps could mean that other people in Mistral are compromised too. For example, law enforcement, maybe even other Huntsmen, or perhaps even higher than that."
"Lot of enemies, and some of them in high places," Winter sighed, "just another day in the office."
"No, Winter," Qrow's tone made Winter look into his deep red eyes, "you must understand. This is Mistral. An officer might turn his gun on you because they are gangsters or members of another organization. A councilman might list you as a dangerous fugitive simply because you disrupted their flow of money."
Winter's frown deepened, "Even Lionheart?"
Qrow hesitated, "Everyone has a price, Winter. Even you, even me,"
Winter folded her arms, "The hell's that supposed to mean?"
The veteran Huntsman winced at his choice of words, "I mean. It doesn't have to always boil down to Lien. The gangs here have enough influence and power to make almost anyone do anything. Hell, a student Huntsman might try to kill you because their families would be dead otherwise."
Winter licked her lips. Her hands suddenly itched, and Winter clenched her fists hard. Seems like Mistral was similar to war-torn Menagerie in more ways than she had initially thought, albeit with an added level of potential treachery.
"Just something to consider," Qrow said softly, "Mistral is not like other kingdoms in this regard. Not everyone in a police uniform, or carrying a Huntsman's ID, is a good guy."
Then again, are we the good guys? Winter thought sardonically.
Her scroll rang.
"Incoming message from Lie Ren!" Penny chirped on queue, "Message reads: Buying dinner right now. Does Qrow want anything?"
Winter frowned, "Penny. Please don't intercept my messages like that."
"Oops!" Penny's hologram suddenly looked mortified, "I'm so sorry, Ms. Schnee! I am currently monitoring all electronic signals in the vicinity. Would you like me to stop?"
Winter breathed in, mentally reminding herself to delete her CCT browsing history, "No Penny. Just don't read my messages out loud."
Qrow stood up, "Tell your boy I'm good. I think it's time for me to shoot off back to the Battlecruiser anyway. I'll be back in a few hours to hand the rest of the equipment off to you."
He leaned in and pecked her on the cheek.
Winter smiled, "I'll see you soon, then."
The canteen was relatively empty. The constant murmur of hushed conversation usually found on school grounds were curiously absent.
Ren ignored the odd looks and stares coming his way. He had gotten used to it, and he had long given up covering up the scars on his half cybernetic face. As he approached the counter, his eyes scanned the menu. The canteen lady, a hunched old woman eyed him with interest, but remained quiet.
"Ren? Ren is that you?" He heard someone call out to him, and out of instinct he almost turned. But, in that split second he recognized who the voice belonged to.
Ren froze. He sucked air through his teeth, "Shit," he muttered under his breath.
He did a heel turn and began to march in the opposite direction. He felt a sheen of cold sweat form over his face. Brothers, it had been such a long time since he felt this nervous.
He only hoped-
"Ren! I know it's you! Stop!"
The man hissed out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. His hasty retreat had indited him more.
No back step now. He clenched teeth in anticipation of the inevitable. He dropped his Aura for good measure. Brothers knew he deserved it. She must have been holding that bit of rage at him for over half a decade.
Ren turned, his heart racing, "Yang."
He had expected a flaming inferno of rage, searing into his emotional vision. He had expected blood red killing intent, or even venom green bitterness.
But none of those colors crossed Yang Xiao Long's Aura.
What he saw was worry, relief, a tinge of happiness, and overwhelming regret.
Somehow, that made it much harder to look Yang in the eyes.
"You have been avoiding me." Yang accused her edge of her voice robbed by his scarred appearance, "I'm not just talking about this week. Where were you these past few years? If I hadn't heard from Qrow, I would have thought…."
Ren stole a look at her. He wanted to run, but he didn't want to hurt this woman at all, even emotionally. Ren saw the unconscious twitch of eyeballs scanning over his torn face. He looked away, shame burning his cheeks. He didn't say anything, finding the words suddenly lodged in his throat.
"Talk to me, Ren. Don't ignore me," Yang said, annoyed. Her face immediately softened, and she reached out a hand to touch his metal jaw, "What happened?"
Ren flinched away from her touch, "Revenge, I guess..."
"Ren," Yang said gently, "look at me."
Ren found that he couldn't. The shame was almost too much for him to bear. He wanted to fold up and disappear, to drop dead. Anything to get away.
He opened his mouth, but only managed to rasp out, "I'm sorry."
He felt fingers on his chin. They turned his head around, but Ren kept his sight on the ground. In the edges of his vision, Yang was looking straight at him. He closed his eyes and lowered his head. Every moral fiber in his being told him to kneel and beg for forgiveness.
He still remembered the promise made in that small wooden house in Patch: "We'll keep her safe. We promise."
"Ren. Look at me. Please?"
Ren forced his eyes to open. Mismatched eyes met the deep lilac. Yang gave a small pained smile, "I…I said some very bad things to you back when…when you told me what happened to Ruby."
He remembered. Yang had reacted exactly as he anticipated. He had weathered the screams of grief and howls of anger hurled at him, which only ended because Yang had shattered her scroll on the floor.
He remembered Yang's last words hurled at him all too well. "It should have been you."
But now, looking at Yang properly, he saw no malice in her.
Yang was sincere, that much he could tell.
"I have never properly apologized for the things I said." Yang continued, taking her hands off him.
"There…is no need." Ren said, "you were in the right to be angry. We promised, after all."
"Don't be stupid, Ren," Yang shook her head vehemently, "I had years to think about it. You…you were hurting too, weren't you? I was not the only person to lose loved ones that day. Hell, it must have been terrible for you. You had no one else to go to."
"But I-" Ren took a deep breath. For some reason, he found it very difficult to speak, "I have failed. I know you will never forgive me, but-"
"There is nothing to forgive, Ren," Yang smiled, "I'm…I'm just glad you're alive."
Ren swallowed hard. He didn't know what he was feeling. He didn't know how to react.
But in that moment, something lifted in his heart. A shroud, a weight that he never knew was there.
Finally, he cracked a small smile, and Yang returned it in kind.
From the far side of the canteen, Team CFVY observed Ren as he talked to Yang.
He looked uncharacteristically relieved, although his remaining features danced through a multitude of emotions.
"Do you think Yang knows?" Fox sent.
"No." Coco sent back, "She hasn't caught on yet. This Lie Ren isn't the same Lie Ren we met at Beacon."
She watched, through her sunglasses, the man's mismatched eyes. They were both lifeless, like that of a corpse. A sense of revulsion surged from Coco's stomach, but she swallowed it.
"They have been staying put these last few days," Velvet's voice echoed through Coco's mind, "Fox, are you sure it was them on the highway?"
"A hundred percent," Fox said, "I saw their Aura signatures on the highway before we lost sight of that vehicle. You know I don't make these claims lightly."
"Coco. So far they have kept to themselves. But, if Ren's talking to Yang, she may be in danger." Yatsuhashi's mental voice was agitated, "We must let Lionheart know about this, then we'll bring them in."
"This doesn't make sense," Coco admitted, "if they are involved, that means Winter is involved. If Winter is involved, then Atlas is as well."
"To hell with Atlas," Yatsuhashi's voice growled, echoing through Coco's mind like an earthquake, "this isn't the first time Atlas waltzed their military into another Kingdom."
Coco was silent. She kept her mind blank as she pieced her thoughts together. Could Atlas also be involved in the disappearances?
Unlikely. Someone was hunting Winter and her group…and the fact that they got into a shootout the moment they stepped into Mistral city was telling, especially against such a large group.
Coco swallowed.
That means the enemy feels threatened by her…so Winter must know something.
"Coco?" Velvet sent.
"I'm thinking, Bunbun."
"Let me talk to them."
Coco sighed. Velvet's bursts of headstrong bravery were rare. But that usually means she has already made up her mind about something.
"Absolutely not. We don't know what they will do!" Yatsuhashi sent in a panic.
"They will not do anything," Velvet said firmly, "they are not bad people."
"Cardin and Russel?" Fox quipped, "The same Cardin and Russel that bullied you to the verge of dropping out of Beacon?"
"Quiet, you!" Velvet hissed, "you're not helping."
"And you're too soft." Yatsuhashi retorted, "You might have forgiven them, but we sure as hell haven't yet."
"Shut up." Coco spoke those words out loud, "I need to think."
Her team's mental arguments fell silent.
Coco sighed, and took off her sunglasses. She rubbed her eyes slowly took a deep breath. She toyed with the sunglasses in between her fingers. She reengaged Fox's teamspeak, "Fox. Can you see if they are all in their room at the moment?"
"I see Russel in the room. Winter is in the training arena. The girl- I forgot her name- is walking around in the courtyard. I still don't see Cardin anywhere."
Coco nodded, "Velvet. Do you still remember Russel's fighting style? His weakness?"
"I…I didn't see him while he was in JiuZhan. But, I remember his weaknesses from our Beacon days."
"Well then, Velvet," Coco sent, "looks like you get your chance to talk."
"Coco!" Fox and Yatsuhashi protested.
Coco slid on her sunglasses, "If push comes to shove, we'll be nearby to beat that asshole to a pulp. Even he can't take on four of us."
The silence was getting too oppressive.
In these moments of silence, the mind wanders to places it shouldn't.
He wonders what Ciel is doing right now, and what he should say to her once she cools off. He wonders where Cardin is, if he could have survived. He wonders who will be next to die?
How would he handle that? How would he-
Cursing himself, he sat up. He needed something to distract himself.
Pulling out his scroll, he connected himself to the CCT and switched to the news.
On the screen, Robyn Hill stood in front of the cameras, in the middle of a speech. The white suit she wore reminded Russel of Jacques Schnee. He wrinkled his nose in distaste.
"- a short summary of the meeting I had with the Headmistress and fellow Council member, Miss Goodwitch." Robyn Hill said. She seemed like a completely different person on camera. Russel knew how bitchy she could get.
"The tragedy at Schnee Manor has prompted an investigation into our Kingdom's security. What we have uncovered, is so much more terrifying. The growing threat of criminal elements within our own borders have allowed extremists and terrorists to infiltrate our home, and-"
Russel snorted, and his mind tuned out. He never liked politicians. He still didn't like Robyn Hill, although she was much more tolerable than that snake Sleet and that bitch, Camilla.
"-a joint Task Force, commanded by Captain Clover Ebi of the Ace Ops, have already identified and hit several criminal hideouts throughout Atlesian territory. Arrests have been made, and Former Councilman Sleet is under investigation for-"
"Wait, what?" Russel lifted his head at the mention of arrests, but before he could turn up the volume, there was a knock at the door.
Russel got up and walked to the door. Off the table, he casually grabbed his pistol.
The door knocked again. Russel crouched down low and crept toward the door.
By the Brothers, he hoped it was an assassin. Maybe some bloodshed would clear his mind.
Taking a deep breath, Russel cracked the door open slightly.
Velvet looked down at him, a befuddled look on her face, "What…what are you doing?"
Russel stared at the women for a few heartbeats, before tucking the firearm in his waistband. He cursed inwardly. The more he tried to run, the more his problems came to find him, "Being careful."
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "So uh, help you?"
Velvet glanced through the crack in the door, "Is…is Cardin around? I tried calling his scroll for a while, but it's switched off."
Of course this Faunus bitch was here to find him. Of course, she had to pick this moment to come. "No, he isn't around," Russel snarled.
Velvet took a step back. Her eyes widened in shock, perhaps at the edge in his voice. Then her expression softened into a bitter look of disappointment. She lowered her eyes, her shoulders and ears drooping.
"Oh." She said softly. He recognized the look. Ciel had the same look just a few minutes ago.
She turned to leave, "I'm sorry. I'll leave you be."
Russel kicked himself inwardly. He reached a hand out, and hesitated, "No, no. I mean, you won't be able to- uh, I mean-" He tripped over his own words, trying to fumble out the correct response.
Velvet frowned. She folded her arms and leaned back, like a parent waiting for their child to finish their excuse.
Eventually, Russel gave up. Russel chided himself. He must look very dumb.
He took a deep breath, "Velvet."
"Russel. You don't need to force yourself. I know you don't like my...kind," Velvet said, "I can just leave if you-"
"No, not that," Russel said. He opened the door fully, "Please come inside. We need to talk."
"She's been in there for a while," Yatsuhashi sent.
"It's only been five minutes," Coco sighed.
"She hasn't been murdered yet, so calm down." Fox sent. That earned him a slap on the back of the head, "Ow." He said.
"Don't say that, Fox," Coco snapped.
Fox shrugged. He was about to say something, but then he straightened up, "She's coming back."
The door swung open, and Velvet stepped out. She was wiping her eyes, and Coco could see her shoulders shudder. Her sobs were audible even from a distance.
"Oh, that little bastard," Coco snarled.
Russel's face loomed out from behind the door, his expression unreadable. He took one look at Velvet and made to close the door.
Yatsuhashi was already storming forward. Fox and Coco went after him, their hands curled into fists. Huntsmen or no, they will teach this shitstain of a human being a lesson.
"Russel!" Yatsuhashi's voice thundered down the hall. Velvet jumped at the sudden shout. Her eyes widened as she realized what it must look like to her teammates.
"Guys?" Velvet squealed.
"Oh boy," Russel muttered, "just my fucking luck." He stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him, grinning.
"Velvet," Coco growled, "What did he do?"
"No, guys!" Velvet said, hastily wiping away her tears, "He didn't do anything!"
"I'd listen to her if I were you lot," Russel licked his lips. His eyes were glinting, and a smile split his face like a knife wound, "or don't. I'm okay either way. I kinda need this right now."
"Why you-" Yatsuhashi started forward, but Velvet held him back. Her pleas fell on deaf ears. The promise of violence clouded any reasonable judgment.
"Come on," Russel twisted his neck from side to side, eliciting several sickening snaps, "give me a fucking reason to tear off your head."
"Look at you," Yatsuhashi snarled, "You fucking rabid dog. You and that piece of shit Cardin should have been put down -"
Russel was upon the man in a blink of an eye. Yatsuhashi didn't even have time to raise his Aura before Russel's fist cannoned into his throat.
Yatsuhashi stumbled back, choking and gasping as his throat seized up. Russel stepped onto Yatsuhashi's thigh, and rocketed his knee into Yatsuhashi's nose, sending the man toppling back in a stream of blood.
Velvet screamed.
Russel stumbled as he blocked Coco's heavy handbag. He ducked down and blocked an upward kick before spinning down low and, sweeping Coco off her feet. Fox leaped in, and -
There was a white blur.
Russel's head snapped sideways as he was sent careening into the wall. He slammed painfully into it and dropped onto his knees. A flurry of brutal punches rained down onto him, before a kick to his head broke through his Aura.
Russel rolled aside and onto his feet. Through blood-pinked teeth, Russel grinned. That attack had been brutal. He didn't even see those strikes coming. Maybe this wouldn't be so boring after-
His smile faded when he saw who threw the punch. A pair of powerful hands grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him into the wall.
Russel gulped, realizing he was in trouble.
"Sergeant," Winter Schnee snarled, "what is the meaning of this?"
Russel was on the floor, in a stress position the Atlas military has loving dubbed, "the Huntsman's rest". The man was in a pike position, except his hands were behind his back as if he was standing at parade rest, forcing all the weight and pressure onto the top of Russel's skull.
"It was a misunderstanding," Velvet began, "My team was-"
"His behavior was unacceptable." Winter said flatly.
"Winter Schnee," Coco took off her sunglasses to have a proper look at the woman, "I'm afraid we are equally at fault here. Velvet is right. This was all an ugly misunderstanding."
Winter nodded. She brushed a strand of white hair behind her ear and sighed.
Up close, Coco suddenly realized how beautiful the woman was, much like her younger sister, Weiss Schnee. There was something about the Schnee family blood that blessed their daughters with exceptionally good looks.
But, there was an edge to Winter. Perhaps it was her eyes, or perhaps it was her body language. Coco felt like she was staring down the barrel of a gun.
The older woman smiled. "It is all the same. Let me apologize for the behavior of Mr. Thrush here. Regardless of circumstances, he should not have struck first."
Yatsuhashi bowed, one hand still holding a napkin over his bloody nose, "I may have chosen my words poorly. For that, I apologize. To you, Russel, and to you, Ms. Schnee."
"It is still no excuse," Winter said. She shot Russel a glare, "How much has he told you, Ms. Scarlatina?"
"I told her-" Russel began, his voice strained.
"I don't remember asking you a damn thing!" Winter barked, jolting team CFVY in their seats. Russel shut his mouth.
Velvet swallowed the lump in her throat. She look at the floor, choosing her words, "He said that Cardin went missing. He said he couldn't divulge the details, but if this is the same as every other case in Mistral, then…"
Winter nodded. Technically, Russel was correct. Cardin was missing in the sense that there is no body to recover.
She sighed and took out a cigarette box from her pocket. But, when she saw Coco and Velvet's nose crinkle in distaste, she set it on the table, "That was all he said?"
Velvet nodded and was about to speak, but Coco cut in, "Ms. Schnee, let us talk plainly here."
"Oh?"
"You and I both know your excuse of being hired Huntsmen is a flimsy one at best," Coco said, "we know of your involvement in the highway shoot-out, but we also know you were being targeted by criminal elements."
Winter said nothing. She didn't even blink. Instead, she decided to have that cigarette.
"Uh," Velvet hesitated, "smoking is not allowed in-"
Winter shot the Faunus a flat look, showing just how much she cared. Velvet's objections strayed to silence as Winter took a drag, "Ms. Adel. True, we are being targeted by certain malicious groups in Remnant, as you must have realized when we made our stop at the station. But, these accusations are-"
"I saw you, Ms. Schnee," Fox said suddenly.
Winter arched an eyebrow. She looked into the blind man's milky eyes, and shot a questioning look at Coco, "Is he joking?"
"I'm afraid not, Ms. Schnee." Coco stood up. Winter could see the tension in her body. She could sense the atmosphere slowly change. She could see how Velvet's eyes shot around, how Yatsuhashi's breathing deepened, how Fox's fingers flexed in anticipation.
Russel sensed the shift in the room too and dropped the stress position onto his knees, ready to pounce to his captain's defense.
"Everyone has a different Aura signature," Fox explained, "I can see your Aura as clearly as you can see me, and I saw your Aura on the highway. You, Russel, Ren, and that other girl."
Fox jabbed a finger to the door, "Just as I can see Ren and his friend standing out the door right now."
There was a pause, and the door swung open and shut. Ren and Ciel slid in, pistols and blades drawn. Yatsuhashi turned around, his massive sword drawn. Velvet hesitantly took her position next to Yatsuhashi, a hard light copy of a shotgun suddenly in her hands.
Winter took another drag from the cigarette and flicked the ashes off, "What happens now, Ms. Adel?"
"That will be up to you," Coco said, "I can drag your ass to Lionheart by force."
Winter smirked, "You won't succeed."
"Or we can speak plainly to each other. No more secrets, no more lies," Coco looked Winter in the eye, "There is something going on in Mistral, and it may be rotten all the way to the top. I think we can work together on this."
"Interesting," Winter chuckled. She nodded back to the seat, "sit down."
"After you tell your men to drop their aim."
"At ease, boys," Winter said. Ciel and Ren holstered their weapons almost immediately, leaving Velvet and Yatsuhashi eyeing them uneasily. Ren went outside the room and took in two plastic bags of packed food. He shifted past Yatsuhashi awkwardly to get to his table, muttering to be excused.
Winter threw a look at Russel, then nodded, "eat something, Russel. We have this under control."
Russel straightened, "Yes ma'am."
Winter gestured to Coco and Velvet, "I remember reading the reports. Both of you were there during the Schnee Manor siege, were you not?"
The women nodded. Velvet shuddered at the sudden onslaught of memories, her photographic memory conjuring up the devastating events with crystal clarity.
"You spoke with one of my men, Ms. Scarlatina," Winter stated, "I'm sure you've had your suspicions, but Mr. Winchester and my men in this room were involved in the subsequent hostage rescue mission."
Winter gestured to Ren who was sitting on his bed reading his scroll, "As you can see, the scars are still fresh from that battle."
"So, what does this have to do with your presence in Mistral?" Coco pressed, "This doesn't explain why you are being targeted."
"The White Fang entered Atlas through Mantle," Winter explained, "the only way to get to Mantle is through Argus port. We have sufficient proof that the criminal organizations called the Spiders, were involved in the smuggling operation."
"…and you are here to shut it down?" Fox asked, "Just the few of you? Against the largest criminal organization on Remnant?"
Winter smiled bitterly, "While the Kingdoms of Remnant abide by the Code of nonaggression, the Atlas military and/ or their Huntsmen cannot deploy large scale in sovereign territory without kicking up a political shitstorm," she shook her head, "the deployment of a large task force this far outside of Atlas territory would tip our enemies off."
"But, it seems like they already know," Yatsuhashi said, "judging by what happened."
"Sounds like you have a rat somewhere in your ranks," Coco, casting each person in the room a brief glance.
Winter's face darkened at Coco's implication, "If there is a rat, they're not in this room. That much, I am certain."
"We meant no offense," Velvet said quickly, "a few years back, we had apprehended someone with a mind-controlling semblance that managed to influence the vice principal of Shade. Things like that, they are hard to predict."
Winter leaned in, interested, "How did you find out?"
Velvet winced, "A combination of Yatsuhahsi being captured, Fox's Aura vision, and sheer dumb luck."
Despite themselves, team CFVY chuckled. Fox quipped, "She's not wrong."
The soft laughter died as suddenly as it came. Their faces became sullen.
"That is why we volunteered ourselves for the Missing people investigation here," Coco said softly.
"Were you requested?" Winter asked.
"Initially, yes," Coco sipped the tea Winter had poured them all, "I had a talk with Nebula from NDGO. They said all the previous teams pulled out after one or more of their team members disappeared. Lionheart was desperate, so Headmaster Theodore of Shade recommended us to support the rest of team NDGO."
"But," Coco glanced at Yatsuhashi, "even without the official request, we would have come of our own volition anyway."
The man's face suddenly twisted in barely suppressed sorrow. Velvet leaned over and gave her partner a squeeze on the hand, "Go on," she encouraged, "maybe they can help."
The large man took a deep breath and nodded.
"A while ago, I got a call from my mother," He began, his voice thick with emotion, "she urged me to come back because she didn't know who else to turn to."
The man locked eyes with Winter, "My sister, Hiyoko. She's missing."
Winter watched team CFVY leave.
She heard the team let out a collective sigh.
Ren strode up to and placed the packed dinner in front of her. Winter nodded in thanks.
"Was it wise to tell them, Captain?" Ren asked, "they are trustworthy people, but…"
"Our cover is blown from the moment we were compromised," Winter said, "and any fool that has been paying attention to Atlas would have worked out something was going to be done about the attack sooner or later."
"What about them? Do you think they might turn hostile?" Ciel ventured.
"No. The big guy, Yatsu something-" Winter began.
"Yatsuhashi," Russel said quietly.
"Yatsuhahsi, yes. He was telling the truth," Winter said softly. She closed her eyes. Winter thought of Weiss.
She saw it in the way Yatsuhashi spoke and heard it in his voice. The fear of not being there to protect someone important. The gut-wrenching certainty of when something is wrong. Winter knew those feelings all too well.
"Indeed!" A voice suddenly chirped from Winter's pocket, "I have analyzed their voice patterns, and they suggest a low probability of falsehood."
Ren, Russel, and Ciel started dumbfounded at Winter.
"Oh," Winter grunted. She took out Penny from her pocket and set her carefully on the tabe, "Team. Meet Penny. Penny, meet the team."
The hologram of the AI danced into existence, and Penny waved cheerily at the new faces, "Salutations, friends! My name is Penny!"
Ren crouched down low to bring himself to level with Penny. The girl beamed at him, tilting her head as if puzzled.
"Penny?" Ren whispered. He looked up at Winter, "as in, the Penny that was plugged into a Battlecruiser, Penny?"
"Battlecruiser AAS Penny is within range," Penny reported, "Captain Cordovin is in command. Do you wish to call in fire support?"
"No!" Ren said quickly.
"That, was a joke." Penny grinned. She suddenly straightened, "New message incoming for Ciel Soliel from May Marigold! Message reads: Tell Russel that if he doesn't fucking-"
Ciel fumbled for her scroll, her face a mask of panic, "Nope! Stop! Stop!"
"Penny. Please do not intercept any messages and functions from any of our scrolls." Winter sighed.
"Understood, Captain!" Penny saluted. She tilted her head, "I am detecting an anomaly, though. There is currently an unknown Scroll within the vicinity. What is your directive?"
"What?" Winter sat up, "What do you mean?"
"I detect five Scroll signatures in this room. All of them are transmitting and receiving data. However, only four of them are registered to Atlas."
Winter looked around, meeting the eyes of her men.
Her gut suddenly dropped at the implication.
"Find it." She said, but her men were already on the move.
They had cleared the room for devices and anything suspicious before moving in, and it was unlikely for them to miss anything as large as a scroll.
Ren flipped over pieces of furniture. Ciel checked through their bags, going through each piece of cloth meticulously. Winter, with the help of her glyphs, boosted herself to the roof and checked the nooks and crannies in between the lights. Russel ran his hands along the carpet, feeling for any anomaly under.
A thought occurred suddenly to Russel.
He strode up to Cardin's bunk.
Opening Cardin's field bag, he stacked out the rifle magazines Cardin packed. Some were empty, others were full. They still needed to redistribute any gear they could use, and-
There it was.
A scroll that did not belong to Cardin. This must be it. This must be the device Penny had detected.
Gingerly, he lifted the device out. Cardin must have snatched it from a dead Spider before hopping into the van.
Russel opened the scroll. The device was not locked, and the display picture was photo of several men flashing their exotically jeweled firearms at the camera. Tattoos of a spider on a web were displayed proudly on their arms.
There was a program running in the background. Russel clicked it open.
He frowned, unsure of what he was looking at. Then, his heart dropped.
"Ah fuck." He muttered. He turned. "Winter! You have to look at this!"
Winter strode over and took the offered Scroll. She scanned the screen and did a double-take. Her face twisted into a snarl. How could she have been so stupid?
It wasn't magic or a semblance that tracked them. It was much- much simpler. Their scrolls were being tracked. Somehow, somewhere, they had uploaded a virus that was constantly transmitting their position. If Winter had not been so focused on the things she didn't know rather than the things she did, then Cardin-
Cardin…
Winter smiled.
They now know where he is.
Unknown time
Unknown location
He screamed.
Pain coursed from every molecule of his body. His first instinct was to fight, to lash out. He felt his muscles coil and tense as he struggled. He was briefly aware of a crack pop, and another bolt of lightning lanced through his mind as his shoulder came out of its socket.
Then, discipline reigned him in. He fought back against his base instincts, his mind beating and clamping down on the sensations. It was like trying to drown a struggling man, and he felt the claws of agony rake across his tortured mind.
He began to regain his senses, bit by bit.
His mouth tasted like it was full of iron. He heard the sobs and whimpers from broken throats, mixed in with the hum of machinery. He smelled the disinfectant, the mix of alcohol, and other cleaning agents of a hospital. But, he could also detect the faint trace of fresh blood in the air.
Perhaps it was his own.
His eyes readjusted, but nothing came.
He was hanging from his wrists. Chains rattled above him. But darkness enveloped the room, oppressive and suffocating. A needle-thin red blinking light hovered above him. It was the only way he knew he wasn't blinded.
In the darkness of his cell, Cardin Winchester smiled.