(A/N) Finally, after ten-thousand years (and an eye surgery) I have returned!

So uhh… yeah, that's the reason why I haven't uploaded in a while. I tried to get this done before that, but it didn't work out. Special thanks to the betas of this story: Sierra-D421, Wesley9516, [REDACTED], Ghost-G339, and Cy Man!

Anyways, I think I've kept you waiting long enough – here's a Discord url, have fun: 3jf9w8u


Volume Three

Chapter Six – Thus Began The Troubles


/-\ Yang Xiao Long /-\


I… slowly opened my eyes.

Something was shifting next to me – something big and warm.

…and then it slammed into my nose.

I reeled back and promptly fell off the bed, landing on the floor with a loud thunk. Groaning, I stared up at the gently swirling ceiling fan above me for a second. I was fully awake now – how couldn't I be after that?

Then a knife-wielding arm drooped over the bed, slowly miming a stabbing motion about an inch from my face.

I… scooted away from the bed, my still-sleeping sister giving up on stabbing me after a few moments of hitting nothing but air. "Gahhhh… geeeeeet away from my sista…" She muttered.

That caught me by surprise. I was half-tempted to wake her up in case she was having a nightmare, but she seemed to quiet back down after a few moments. So as my sister lay there, eyes closed and body splayed out over the entire bed, I sat up.

Glancing at the bed on the other side of the room, I briefly thought about trying to go back to sleep. A look at the alarm clock next to it shook away any thoughts of that – it was already five o'clock, plenty late enough to get up.

…by Team RWBY standards, at least.

I felt a slight rumble in my stomach and decided that sleep was overrated anyways. The Team would be leaving today for the potentially month-long mission – having a home-cooked breakfast before that would probably be nice. As I got up and opened the door as quietly as I could, I realized that Ruby might want some too. A smirk crawled its way onto my face as I had a hilarious idea. 'See how you like loads of salt in your pancakes – that'll teach you to kick me outta bed…'

Thankfully, the hallway light was off, meaning I could slip through the door. It closed easily and I stood, listening inside for any sign I'd woken her accidentally. After a few moments, it seemed the coast was clear.

I crept downstairs, trying to do my best Blake impression. I couldn't help but imagine her rolling her eyes at the attempt and playfully calling me an amateur. I rolled my shoulders as I entered the kitchen, the muscles sore from sleeping in my clothes last night. Flipping on the light, I went for the fridge and started grabbing all the things I'd need.

As I mixed up the batter, I started having second thoughts about purposefully oversalting Ruby's pancakes. Even if she did kick me out of bed, messing with her breakfast… didn't sit well with me. I was never one for pranks like this – comes with the territory of being too depressed to even have friends.

That… gave me pause. 'My whole life, I've been too depressed to do… anything.' I realized. '…So who am I, really?' That question haunted me the entire time I was cooking – however short the process actually was.

I… hesitated when I reached for the salt, the last of the batter still in the mixing bowl. The Question rang again in my mind and gradually, I started tipping the saltshaker over. 'Maybe… I'm curious…' I thought as the salt poured in.

I glanced at the still-occupied griddle. 'I can give her the salted pancakes and then switch one out with a good one after I've had my fun.' With that thought, I removed the last of the unsalted pancakes and plopped the tainted batter into two smaller puddles, the tannish-brown mixture sizzling as it lande-

"Hey sis."

I just about jumped out of my skin as I heard Ruby's voice from behind me.

"Heh, sorry." She said, walking up next to me. "What're ya doin'?"

Letting out a breath, I glanced at her. "I uhh… figured breakfast sounded good."

"Yeah, it does." She said, looking at the stack of cooked pancakes I left off to the side. "You've got a lot here, do you mind if I…?"

"U- Uhh…" I let out, wracking my brain for an excuse. "I uhh, didn't know you'd be up already. Here, I'm uhh… just finishing yours if you can wait a sec."

She shrugged. "Eh, sure." She said, grabbing a plate and setting it next to the griddle. "Sorry for waking you up this morning, by the way. I'm… not exactly used to having a bunkmate."

"I can imagine." I said, rubbing my head. "So uhh… when did you wake up?"

"'Bout when I pushed you off the bed." She said. "Thought a Brute got the drop on me for a sec."

I glanced away. "Well uhh… guess that explains the knife."

She scratched the back of her head. "Yeahhh… it was already in my hand when I realized what was going on and the only thing I could think of was to pretend I was still asleep."

I hummed, not really knowing what else to say. The silence was awkward at first, but soon, the tension left the room. I finished making the salted pancakes before buttering them up and putting them in front of Ruby, who had sat down at the table in the interim.

I grabbed two for myself before joining her. To my surprise, she'd already wolfed down one and was cutting into her second without a complaint. "W- Wait!" I shouted, not knowing what else to do.

She paused, fork halfway to her mouth. "What?"

I cleared my throat. "I- Isn't there uhh… anything weird about them?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I mean, they're a bit salty, but I've had worse." She said, popping the bite into her mouth.

"Worse?" I muttered. Quickly, I sliced off a bit of her salted pancake and popped it in my-

My eyes shot wide open and my tongue felt like it curled up and died. I coughed the half-chewed """food""" onto the floor. "A- A little salty?!" I shouted. "Wait, what's worse than that?!"

She frowned. "You do remember the stories I told you about eating weeds on some missions, right?"

"I thought you were exaggerating!" I shouted, groaning. Grabbing my glass of water, I downed it in a second flat. "That is the worst thing I've ever tasted." With a grimace, I pushed my plate over to her. "Here, you've earned this." I got up and refilled my water, draining it quickly, then refilled it again – anything to wash away the taste.

"Huh. This is a lot better." Ruby said, behind me. "Did you do anything to the other ones?"

I groaned again. "Yeah, I wanted to get you back for waking me up with a knife."

She stared at me, keeping her composure for all of a second before bursting out laughing. "And you thought food would be enough?"

"I didn't wanna go too extreme!" I shouted, face heating up. "I was even planning on trading one with you before I actually had a bite." I grabbed another plate, loading the last couple pancakes onto it before going back to the table.

"Well, 'A' for effort." She said, already having finished both plates of pancakes. "Why don't ya finish up and we'll go for a jog. Weiss and Blake'll be here in an hour or so – should be enough time."

I nodded and began to cut into my pancakes. These were actually edible, thank the Gods…


/-\ The Rightful Maiden /-\


I suddenly became… aware again, shooting to my feet almost instantly.

Looking around, I was immensely surprised to find myself in a… cathedral of some sort. 'Wasn't I in a forest a second ago?' I thought. 'How did I get here?' I shook my head, looking behind me to make sure no one was… looming over me.

There wasn't. Only a featureless, white-stoned wall stood there – the same as the walls beside me. Frowning, I turned forward once again and walked on.

Gradually, the walls began to take more and more elaborate shapes. Vaulted ceilings, elaborate stone carvings, paint, and even dust crystals started decorating their otherwise bland surface by the time I reached a large wooden double door.

I looked back, estimating I'd walked for miles judging how the hallway curved downwards… but oddly didn't fade into the horizon. I blinked; how did I not even notice it was such a long walk? I could've sworn only a few minutes had passed…

Shaking my head, I approached the doorway, seeing each door decorated very differently. One had gold flecks of paint smattered throughout its mahogany surface and an icon of a long, serpentine dragon – reminiscent of a Sea Feilong – etched into it. The other used a lighter-colored wood with black specks of paint, this one's icon being far more aggressive – its shape reminding me of a Griffon.

I glanced between the two before parting the doors and walking through.

The other side was just as split as the doors. Save for the marble floor tiles and the many, many windows, it was almost like two different rooms were just… stapled together. One side had golden columns, flowering plants, and even a crystal-clear stream with koi fishflowing through it. The other half had skull braziers, jagged basalt arches, and pools of Grimmgore. On the far side of the room – beyond the long dining table in the center – sat two empty thrones, each matching the aesthetic of the side they were on.

I shivered; the rightmost one reminded me far too much of Evernight Castle. Still, I could… see myself sitting on that golden throne. Without thinking, I found myself walking forward along the water-filled river, my high heels gliding silently over the marble. Just as I brushed past one of the textureless plants, I stole a glance outside the windows…

…and into the white-blasted landscape.

I stopped in my tracks, just… staring outside. There were no trees, no grass, not even sand… just… whitish-grey rock. On top of that, most of it was shaded – not by clouds, but by vast, continent-sized landmasses floating in the sky. Many had gigantic spires of dust crystals sticking out of them but were still mostly made up of the same rock that surrounded this place. I… was at a loss for words.

"Enjoying the view?" A voice said from behind me.

I whipped around, ready to yell at the man for spooking me and ask where the hell I was, but that died on my lips when I actually saw him.

The beast of a man stood head, shoulders, chest, and even stomach above me, making me almost subconsciously take a step back. The man's eyeless, purple-washed face grinned down at me. "Not many mortals get to see it, after all."

"W- What… are you?" I asked. "Where… am I? How did I get here?"

"So many questions…" He said. "Fortunately, we have an equal amount of time, Wicked One."

"What?"

"I'll leave you to figure the first answer out on your own. As for the second and third… you are in my domain upon the surface of… what did your people call it again? Ah, Thrymm. And how you got here? Simple." He leaned forward, making me shrink back even more. "You died."

"I… I what?"

He hummed. "Oh yes, Wicked One. Quite dead in fact." He squinted, eyeing me up and down like a Grimm sizes up its prey. "Catastrophic blood loss with a side of asphyxiation via a neck wound, then your remains were burnt to ashes." He smirked. "Cinders, if you will."

I scowled, consciously sharpening my gaze in the hopes it'd hide my unease. "So, you know who I am."

"Of course I know, young Maiden." He said. "And yes, I mean with the capital-M, not merely the generic term for a bachelorette."

My powers blazed to life. "You still haven't told me who you are."

He barked a laugh, throwing his head back. "My, my… has the power truly chosen such an ignorant whelp?" He shook his head. "Of course it hasn't. I can see it in your soul, Wicked One. You were not chosen, you were not beloved, you stole." He said, striding closer and closer to me.

"Back off!" I shouted. When he showed no sign of stopping, I lashed out with the most powerful blast I could manage…

…and he caught it in the palm of his hand. He chuckled, looking at the ball of flames in his palm for a moment before crushing it in his grip. "My own gifts… used against me." He said. "That has not happened in a very long time." He spared a glance at the golden throne – his gaze almost having a longing to it – before turning back to me. "No matter. You will hold still – I must know if a Progeny is involved."

He strode forward and I tried to back up, but found my legs anchored in place. Magic coursed through my veins, giving my muscles every single ounce of energy I could. It still wasn't enough. His hand fell upon my face, muffling the scream that echoed forth.

To my surprise, it… wasn't painful. In fact, it almost felt like nothing happened. I blinked as he pulled back his hand. "Ah…" He let out. "So, a Progeny is involved…" He muttered. "One of the few Wayfarers of this era, to boot."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, teeth clenched.

"Your killer." He said. "She holds the powers within her, now. I must act swiftly if she is to survive – the rejection process has likely already begun." He stepped back. "In the meantime, Wicked One, you shall stay here and await your Judge to enter my hall."

I opened my mouth, but no words came when I tried to speak. None at all – it was as if something silenced me.

"I recall I never answered your question of why you were here, Wicked One. Allow me to clarify: you are here because of chance." He shrugged. "Or, rather, that is how most Maidens end up here – your memories tell quite a different story."

"'Tis a shame about young Amber – she was one of the very few of my great-granddaughters to have put some of the pieces together." He laid a hand on my shoulder, and I found that I could no longer move a single muscle – even more paralyzed than before. "I wonder what she'll choose; will it be eternal suffocation?"

Suddenly, I felt the need to breathe… and found no air. After only a moment, the feeling passed.

"How about something… classic? Thrown into the fiery pits of oblivion?"

My skin felt like it was set alight, making me scream. It, too, passed after only a moment.

"What about wandering the wastes of this world for all of eternity? Forever isolated from any kinship whatsoever."

I suddenly felt more… alone than I ever had in my life – even before breaking out of that hellhole in Atlas.

"Or, perhaps, she is the merciful sort? Allowing you to join your sisters in my hall?"

Visions flashed before me of thousands of women drinking, fighting, weaving magic, and doing… anything and everything their hearts desired.

"I know not which path she will choose – only that she shall choose one." He said, looking me in the eyes. He let go, but I still found that I could not move a muscle. "So, let us stay here, shall we?" He walked out of my field of vision, turning me around so the sun was directly in my eyes. "And by we, I mean you. I have business to attend to, after all…" He chuckled. "Enjoy the view."

His footsteps echoed behind me as he continued muttering; something about 'the wayfarer's family'. Only a moment later did the door slam shut behind him, leaving me completely alone.

I watched for… time uncountable.

The sun ducked and weaved behind the floating continents at a snail's pace, but I still watched long enough for it to happen hundreds, thousands, possibly millions of times. People came and went during that time, but my hearing was obscured; all I could make out were their footsteps – something that surprised me, given my high heels made no sound on the stone floor – and the fact that they were speaking… not able to make out any words. After a time, new lights joined the many, many stars in the cosmos – most zipping across the blackness with great speed.

I just… stood there, for eternity.

Watching.

Screaming.

Thinking.

Crying.

Reflecting.

Awaiting my fate.

…all until I collapsed to the ground, my legs being as strong as a pair of wet noodles.

"Ah, Young Cinder." A terrifyingly familiar voice said. "So this is where you've been all this time…"


/-\ Emerald Sustrai /-\


My legs pumped against the forest floor, each step launching me forward.

I didn't know who I was, I didn't know why I was here, all I knew…

…was that I needed to run.

Leaves on the trees flashed to gold for a moment before flashing back. A cackling chuckle made me look back, only to see nothing.

When my head turned forward again, I suddenly found myself stationary…

…with the image of my legs having left me behind in favor of continuing to run forward, disappearing into the gold-green foliage beyond.

I sat there for only a moment before realizing I could still drag myself forward with my arms. I put out a single hand, only for a heavy and green metal boot to trap the appendage beneath its step.

Half-frozen in fear, I slowly looked up to the boot's owner.

Into the golden visor.

I saw a reflection inside, but not of myself.

It was of Mercury – his blueberry-colored face holding lifeless eyes.


I jolted awake, gripping the pristine white bedsheets like my life depended on it. I sighed, relaxing back as the feelings from the already-forgotten nightmare began receding. 'That… was intense.' I thought, wondering just what the hell happened this time. I knew it wasn't one of my usual nightmares – they never left me sweaty nor my heart beating out of my che-

I… blinked.

The dorm room didn't have a white ceiling, nor did any of my team bother to change the sheets from Beacon's standard red. I… felt like I was… missing something.

'Weren't we supposed to go on a mission today?' I wondered. After a moment, I shook my head – that was yesterday. I remember it so vividly – we rode in a Bullhead with that annoying Monkey Faunus, started walking through the forest, and then-

…exterminated some Grimm. When we got back, Cinder actually hugged me.

I blushed, wishing she hadn't just done it as a cover for our operations.

Sighing, I swung my feet over the side of the be-

I frowned – still in the same spot. I tried again, this time hearing the chinking of chains. I tried to raise my arms, but once my wrists came into view, I could see metal cuffs binding them to the bed.

A spike of panic bolted through me, but I managed to suppress it with a few deep breaths. I'd been in this situation before… before… before…

'…before what?' I thought. Before I could think on it further, I realized that I hadn't felt any cuffs on my legs. Smirking at just how idiotic my captors were, I flung my feet above my head for the leverage to free myself from-

I… blinked.

My legs still stayed put where they were. Frowning, I tried again. They didn't budge. At that point, I realized I couldn't feel my feet. I… pressed a hand to my stomach, inching it downwards as I felt the contours of my own body through the bedsheets and thin hospital gown I was dressed in.

Inching downwards, inching downwards, inching downwar-

I gasped, the feeling completely disappearing at my waistline. I… could still feel my fingers, but… what should be the skin on my hips didn't feel like it was being touched. Only an inch above, and the feeling returned. My breath quickened as I tossed and struggled, trying to get the cursed bedsheet off so I could see my legs.

Then I felt it – the big gash and the tug of stitches on my lower back.

I froze, slowly realizing what had… what had been done to me.


/-\ James Cutter /-\


My boots clanked against the metal floors of my ship – one of the last children of Reach. Soon enough, I reached my destination – a… special portion of the medical wing. The black-armored guards at the door saluted me as I entered.

Before I could even get a feel for the place, a woman started screaming. Not in pain, not in anger…

In sheer, primal terror.

I shook my head, hating that this place even had to exist in the first place – especially on my ship.

"Quite the pair of lungs, that one." A snide voice said from beside me.

"Major Foley." I said, not even looking at the spook. Instead, I chose to look at the three large two-way mirrors that let us peer into each room, though only two were occupied. The leftmost one held the screaming woman, her green-haired form thrashing about as she desperately tried to free herself. The middle held a blonde-haired and middle-aged man – unconscious.

"Captain." He said, my peripheral vision catching a half-hearted salute from the man. He waved a hand at one of the nearby techs – the man hitting the mute button on the screaming woman's cell. "I'm guessing you're here for a report?"

"Indeed I am."

"Well, in this case, I must apologize for the wasted effort – Subject Green has only just woken up for the first time and Subject Gold was… merely an asset."

I raised an eyebrow. "Merely an asset?"

He nodded. "Yes. His involvement was at the lowest level possible, and it quickly became apparent that whoever his… employer was, had compartmentalized their operation."

"Because nothing can be easy…" I muttered with a frown. "What do you plan to do with them, then? We can't exactly release them back onto Remnant, and I believe you would've told me should an execution be necessary."

He hummed. "That is the ultimate plan, yes, though not… the usual method." He said. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a data crystal. "We have… plans, Captain. Search for Project Alpha Iota Psyche – nothing will come up if you do not spell it correctly."

Raising an eyebrow at his… code choice, I nevertheless pocketed the crystal. "If that is all, Major…?" He nodded. "Very well. I await your next report." I said, turning on my heel and marching out. Once the door closed behind me, I sighed in relief.

God, I hated dealing with spooks…


/-\ Ilia Amitola /-\


I sat at the workbench in one of our many, many safehouses in this godsforsaken city, my whip-like weapon half-disassembled before me. I always hated how much of a pain it was to clean my Lightning Lash, but that was the price I paid for having such an intricate weapon – a price I wouldn't pay if it wasn't worth it.

"ATTENTION!" The loudspeaker outside blared. "CURFEW IS NOW IN EFFECT! PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR HOMES IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO! THE SCHNEE DUST COMPANY THANKS YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND COOPERATION!"

The door to the workshop creaked open just as I clicked the last part into place. "Sister Ilia." My partner for this operation – a Bat Faunus named Yuma – said. "It is time."

I nodded, rising from my seat and holstering my weapon at my hip. On the way out, I took one last look at my mask, running a thumb along one of the horns, before slowly slipping it over my eyes. "I'm ready."

"Then let us join our… allies." He chuckled. "At least… allies for the time being."

I frowned at his tone, but nodded, nonetheless. "Yes. Let's."

Following him through the door and into the hallway, I suppressed a shiver as the huddled mass of civilians – both Human and Faunus – lining the walls all prepared their weapons. Men, women, and even some children polished their swords, loaded clips and magazines for rifles, and strapped themselves into their corrugated steel armor.

Finally, we entered the main command room. Here, the Happy Huntresses plus a few huntsman hangers-on – including a thin and pale man dressed in what looked suspiciously like an Atlesian Specialist uniform – stood. Robyn herself hunched over a map, the ODST standing opposite her with his helmet resting on the crate between them.

"I'm telling you…" He started. "a frontal assault on Schnee HQ is suicide – they've been preparing for that since the riots broke out."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you have a better idea, Corporal?"

"Definitely." He pointed at the map. "Have Zeki take a few militiamen and ambush a patrol here." His finger moved to the other side. "Sanguine can put up a wall of her red spirits here." His finger moved once more. "Greenleaf can smash up their propaganda office and rile up the protesters outside. And you, Miss Hill, tell every single one of your contacts to cause as much hell as humanly possible."

He stood back up to his full height, crossing his arms. "Then… we sit tight for a bit – they'll be hard-pressed to deal with the entire city at once and they'll have to take some clankers from HQ to help deal with them. When the trucks leave, the rest of us hit it. I'll take Amitola and Landis around the back. When you hear the music, wait a hot minute and then hit it from the front while they're confused."

Robyn tisked. "That sounds like a lotta moving parts…"

The Corporal shrugged. "Better than assaulting an entrenched position with only massed infantry."

"Massed infantry is all we have!" She shouted.

The Atlesian stepped forward. "It may be a complicated plan, but I believe it's the better of the two."

She huffed. "Of course the grunt-types are sticking together, why wouldn't they?"

His eyes narrowed, one hand clutching his helmet still on the table. "Best rephrase that, ma'am." He said. "There ain't a Human out there who'd wanna get compared to those genocidal fucks."

"Whatever." She turned around, grabbing her weapon, and turning to the sheep-eared Faunus. "Spread the word – we're going with the edgy soldier's plan." The girl nodded and scurried out of the room, Robyn clearing her throat. "You've all got your assignments: keep your eyes on your scrolls and ears on a swivel, that bastard Schnee'll get what's coming to him… tonight!"

Many of the Happy Huntresses in the room cheered, though their excitement was short-lived as everyone gathered their things and headed out…


/-\ James Ironwood /-\


Tick, the tower went.

I idly tapped my finger on my wrist as the elevator carried me upwards. Ozpin had summoned me after the… incident at the rally. I had no idea what he wanted, but he sounded… off when he called me.

Tock, the tower went.

'He almost seemed… angry.' I thought. In all my years – decades, counting his last incarnation – of knowing the man, he'd scarcely raised his voice. I realized I'd never seen him… properly angry. Displeased? Annoyed? Disgusted, even? All yes… but never angry.

Tick, the tower went.

Was it about the security failure at the rally? Was it the deaths – the Atlesian deaths – caused by said security failure? It was at times like these when I wished my semblance extended to much more than just Strategic Foresight.

Tock, the tower went.

The doors slid open, and I stepped out into his office.

He sat at his desk, as usual. His head rested in his hands, again as usual. However, his eyes bore an unusual sharpness as they lurked behind their wire spectacles. I straightened my tie, clasping my hands behind my back as I approached his desk. "Ozpin."

"General." He said, voice even.

I sucked in a breath, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "What's this abou-"

"Your announcement." He snapped. "I have told you time and time again that trying to leave Remnant is-"

"A waste of time, I know." I said. "But we don't have to rely on dust anymore. The battlecruiser we captured solves that problem."

He sipped his cocoa. "That is… not the only issue." He said. "There are… things out there – terrible things."

"Like the Covenant." I nodded.

"Not just them." He said. "Nearby – too nearby – are a machine… race, for lack of a better term. They nearly exterminated their creators in a completely unprovoked war of annihilation. Elsewhere is a race whose entire cultural being revolves entirely around other sapient races being inferior simply due to them having less eyes than them. Then there is the race of nigh-unkillable Beowolf-sized lizards with a temper only a hair's breadth longer than a Grimm's."

I sat back, my jaw threatening to fall off as he continued. "This is why I forbade even the thought of going beyond our atmosphere – this is why I ordered that our quote-unquote 'attempts' be made to fail. For Remnant to survive, we must remain hidden."

My fist clenched. "Well did it ever occur to you that they might find us anyways?" I shouted. "Clearly not, or else you would have made even the most rudimentary of contingency plans!"

"My contingency, James, is myself!" His fist pounded into his glass desk, a spiderweb of cracks infecting the pristine surface. "Do you know how many times we have had to crawl back from the dirt? Have you ever lived in the rubble of the cities – of the empires – that you yourself built? Have you ever had to put the last few members of our species in stasis for centuries at a time because you failed?"

"I-"

"No." He interrupted, sighing. "And I pray to the Brother Gods Above that you never will."

I frowned. "Atlas… was close enough."

He nodded. "Atlas was close enough."

We… sat still for a few moments…

Tick, the tower went.

Slowly, our tempers died down. He lifted his fist, unclenching it as he looked upon what he had wrought. Only now did I realize that I, too, had done damage. The chair's right armrest had splintered some time ago – the force of my prosthetic hand squeezing it too much without me even noticing. On the floor, it was split into two jaggedy shards – ones that could easily run a man through…

Tock, the tower went.

"I…" He began. "…apologize, for my outburst."

I reached into my coat pocket, retrieving a Lien card and placing it on the desk. "And I… apologize for the chair."

He nodded, his gaze trailing off to a corner of the room. I glanced back but saw nothing there. By the time I looked to Ozpin once more, his eyes had sharpened once more, though not in hidden malice like they were when I first saw him today. "There is… a reason for it, however."

I raised an eyebrow. "I would be surprised if you weren't – you've always had a reason for acting the way you do." I chuckled. "Even if I disagree with them often."

"Quite so." He said, sipping his cocoa. "Tell me, have I told you of how I… acquired this curse?"

I gave him a look, wondering why he changed the subject. Still, I shook my head. "Yes. I believe it had something to do with you failing to stop Salem, so the Gods cursed you to reincarnate until either she was dealt with, or Humanity was no more. Then they… departed."

"Ah, so I have told you." He hummed, setting aside his cocoa. "That… was not the full story."

I suppressed a surge of anger, instead rubbing my forehead. "I suspected as much."

"They did not go very far at all – in fact, they only retreated to their… I suppose you could call it a vacation home on the moon."

I blinked. "…and I just promised the Atlesian people I'd lead them there."

He nodded. "I imagine they will not be happy to be disturbed." He sighed. "But… I shall attempt to reason with them."

Frowning, I leaned forward. "This is the future for my people, Ozpin, I should be there to-"

He held up a hand. "The Gods will see you as nothing but a petulant child. I've… dealt with them in the past – I can secure a deal for your people."

My eyes narrowed. "I'm not budging on this, Ozpin. We Atlesians don't send others in our stead to determine our future – we take it for ourselves." I said, standing up. "Arrange our transport. I have things to see to." I turned around, marching towards the eleva-

"You cannot go, James." He said. My stride didn't even break as I continued on. "Are your prosthetics still based on dust?"

My hand paused, only an inch away from calling the elevator. It retracted, balling into a fist as I turned around. "Then who do you suggest we send?" I asked. "Because I will not allow a non-Atlesian to negotiate for our future."

He stared at me, mouth hidden as he rested his chin in his hands. "Someone… talented in the arts of diplomacy." He said. "Someone in high standing." He sipped from his mug. "Someone we can trust."

I glanced towards the ground in thought, running through names upon names as I thought of who could-

I stopped, looking him straight in the eyes. "I'll drop by her dorm and issue her new orders momentarily." I turned back around, not looking forward to this conversation with my subordinate. "You'll need someone to fill in for her class, I'm afraid."

He sat there for a few moments before nodding. "I believe that can be arranged."


/-\ Ilia Amitola /-\


"PLEASE, RETURN TO YOUR HOMES – A CURFEW IS IN EFFECT." The loudspeaker blared. "FURTHER INSURRECTION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED."

I huffed, peering through the shattered window I hid next to. The city before me was bathed in crimson – both from the twilight stained red by the smoke of Atlas's corpse a few dozen miles away and the actual blood that pooled around a few bodies in the street. For not the first time, I wished it was further along in the year – this far north, the sun would stay below the horizon for months and months on end.

The Humans of the SDC would be just about helpless in the long Solitasian night…

I shook my head, knowing we couldn't wait any longer even if we wanted to. Faunus – good Faunus – were still slaving away in those godsforsaken mines and every second we dallied could mean another body that we would be responsible for.

The sun being only a few degrees below the horizon – even at midnight – was the best we could do. Idly, I wondered if Sienna Khan had sent any more operatives to infiltrate Mantle – I hadn't exactly been able to get a message out in two months, after all…

Crunching glass next to me almost made me lash out, but the silver visor in the corner of my eye stayed my hand. "It's rude to sneak up on people." I said.

The ODST sat down next to me, a small gun held at a low ready. "Sorry, force of habit in a combat zone." He said. "Anything?"

"Clankers shot a few people when they got too close." I said, glaring at the only high-end building in the entire city. Across the street from the abandoned factory we squatted in, elaborate hedgerows and gardens stretched on for what would be entire city blocks… all surrounded by electrified razorwire and guard towers.

Security inside was tight – AK130s and even some sleeker, white models patrolled in groups of three. Always in lockstep. Always the same distance apart. Always… dead. But there were living guards, too. They were rarer – much rarer – most of them lounging about the gardens with rifles, rockets, swords, and pistols all at their sides.

Sitting back down, I looked to where Yuma was perched – his eyes closed as he snored from his perch up on a steel beam. "You were right, though – seven trucks left about five minutes ago."

"That's good, we'll get ready to…" I heard the Corporal gag, shaking his head. "Monster bearing two-six-three, by that miner statue." It took me a few seconds to figure out where he told me to look, but once I did, my hand immediately went to my weapon, my skin turning green with disgust and red with anger at the same time. There, right below a statue of Nicholas Schnee himself, a guard stood in front of his comrades…

…with a Wolf Faunus's skinned head mounted to his helmet.

The jaws of the once-living man were split open. His eyes were removed, now only showing the stark white of an Atlesian-made helmet. Random bits of hair – obviously from other people – had been glued to the skin, an attempt to make it more animalistic – to paint the picture of an actual wolf owning the half-flopped ears atop the helm instead of a man.

With every second I stared at that… that monster, the rage inside me built and built. I felt a cold, armored hand rest on my shoulder. "He won't survive the night – we were always encouraged to… take our time with trophy-takers." The ODST said, his voice low. "C'mon, op's a go." He stood up, walking past Yuma and gently whacking him upside the head.

The Bat Faunus gasped, flailing about for a moment before regaining his balance – all the while, the Corporal's hand was poised to grab him should he fall. "Hey, what's the big ide-"

"It's time, Landis. Grab your gear and get set to jump feet first into hell." He said, doing a final inspection of his weapon. "How good're those wings of yours? Can you fly, or just glide?"

He huffed. "I can fly just fine, Human."

The soldier nodded. "Good. Amitola, how well can you blend in?"

I blinked. "Not very well in the daylight like this, but if it was dark out, I could blend in so well that even Faunus wouldn't see me."

"Alright, good to know." He peered back out the window for a moment. "Here's the play…"


I leaped from rooftop to rooftop, Lightning Lash at my hip and a pair of fragmentation grenades in my hands. It wasn't very long before I sighted the SDC perimeter on the streets below, a trio of AK130s walking in lockstep in front of a guard tower.

This was their weakest point – there wasn't another tower for almost a dozen blocks in either direction and their armored cabs meant they couldn't shoot into the compound even if they wanted to.

Skidding to a stop, I patiently waited for the stupid clankers to finally notice me. It took about twenty seconds – more than enough time for me to sneak past them if I wanted to – but they eventually figured out they had the ability to look up.

"ATTENTION RANDOM CITIZEN." They shouted in unison, turning towards me in unison while a spotlight from the tower lit up my position. "THIS AREA IS RESTRICTED – RETURN TO YOUR HOME AT ONCE." I cocked an eyebrow, making a 'hurry it up' motion with my finger. The bots swung their arms up, their hands being replaced with gun barrels. "YOU HAVE FIFTEEN SECONDS TO COMPLY."

Now that I had their attention, I pressed the priming button on one of the grenades and tossed it over the edge. In unison, their heads followed it as it bounced and rolled towards them, eventually stopping once it hit the lead one's foot. They still stared at it for another second or so, my mind conjuring up the image of a buffering ring idly spinning in their mechanical heads.

Finally, they spoke again. "ROCK DETECTED. ACT OF VIOLENCE RECOGNIZED. ENGAGE AT WI-"

The grenade exploded, showering the robots in flames and shrapnel. I jumped off the building, landing in a roll before the smoke even cleared. Above, I could hear shouts of alarm and even a few stray machinegun bursts aimed at nothing. By the time the lazy occupants' rifles started poking out of the firing slits, I was already well inside their firing arcs.

In a single bound, I leaped upwards and grabbed onto the underside of the tower. Even with one hand occupied, I was still strong enough to hoist my light frame upwards and scale the side of the building. The roof was fairly barren – only some chest-high walls to use as cover and a hatch in the middle.

A hatch which was opening.

I kicked the SDC soldier back down into the cab, followed by my other grenade. The slavers inside just started screaming when I closed the hatch. A few seconds after the thump of the explosion rang out, I opened it back up and hopped inside.

The sight was… gruesome. What I think were three men inside had turned into… hamburger. Flesh sliced and diced and blown completely off. The small and armored room offered zero cover from the blast – even a coward who hid behind his friend wasn't spared the shrapnel that struck him in the bloody hole where his left eye used to be.

Shuddering, I opened the lower hatch and dropped down.

I landed in a roll, popping up and surveying the gardens I'd landed in. I was in the hedge maze portion of the gardens – the part that was the hardest to reinforce without trampling the exquisite shrubbery.

The assholes of Schnee Upper Management wouldn't allow that, not in a million years. Especially with the thin, gold-plated posts that held solar dust in them. 'I bet this little pathway was more expensive than a dozen of their slaves down in the mines…'

I sighed - the coast clear. "I'm in." I said over comms. "Sector is clear – where are the reinforcements coming from?"

"The troopers are still organizing, but you've got bots coming in from your west." The ODST said. "We're in position – dropping in five mikes. Let me know if you need backup sooner."

"Against clankers?" I huffed. "Not a chance."

I turned around, hearing the metal footfalls of approaching robots. I drew Lightning Lash, giving it an experimental twirl before the first of the AK130s showed their soulless faces. "INTRUDER, IDENTIFY YOURSELF." The first one said as it and five others rounded the corner.

Its arms were in the middle of changing to their gun forms when I charged at them. The first few bullets barely left their barrels before I reached their line and with a twirl of my weapon, the first clanker fell. I felt the sting of a round bouncing off my aura and immediately began blocking the follow-up rounds from the other AK130s, moving through their group and cutting them down one by one as I went.

Finally, the last one fell as my weapon pierced right through its chest plating and fried its electric innards. I glared at the crumpling scrap as I retracted my weapon, thankful their armor wasn't strong enough to chip the blade.

In the distance, I heard an explosion. Just as I turned towards it, I saw one of the distant guard towers fall. "Yuma, here." I heard over comms. "I'm in."

"Roger, making my move now." The ODST said. "Amitola, link up with him – there's about half a platoon of bots between you two, but that's most of their forces on that side of the compound." He said. "Kill those, and they'll be forced to send their QRF to deal with us."

I nodded. "And it'll be easier for the front door team to get in." I said. "Moving now." Sprinting off towards Yuma's position, I faintly heard another explosion behind me.

Things were off to a great start…


/-\ Whitley Schnee /-\


Things were going terribly.

First, riots erupted all over the city, then the masses started pushing against our perimeter. Now… a report just reached us of huntsman-level combatants breaching the compound. The head of security moved us all to father's office at the heart of the building – away from the converted bedrooms we'd been living in since the Fall of Atlas.

I sat next to mother on the far side of the office, a cushy chair beneath me while she sat upon her wheelchair with a lopsided smile and her eyes half-lidded. Part of me wished that father hadn't ordered her to be doped up all the time, but I… didn't want to be struck. Everyone – including doctors – who had suggested she be taken off her drugs had been assaulted on his orders.

Armed guards stood outside the door just to my right and their commander stood next to father, who sat at his mahogany desk. The Commander clearly was formerly an Atlesian soldier – his uniform was clearly related to the latest infantry-scale armor system they used before their collapse. However, there were certain… eccentricities that made me suspect he was a former Specialist.

The blue sash, the oversized and fur-lined pauldrons, the oversized warhammer on his back, the Wolf Faunus skin mounted to his helmet. That part unnerved me – sure, it was from an animal and not a Human, but it was still close enough to make me… squeamish.

"Sir." The Commander addressed. "The enemy has breached the front gate as well."

Father's grip tightened on his drink. "More of them?" He asked. "How many is that, now?"

"Three in the gardens and... huh…" He let out. "Looks like the Happy Huntresses got tired of us ignoring their demands – visual confirmation on four of their five members up front."

"I don't care who they are, I just need them out of my compound!" Father said. "Preferably in a body bag – those Happy Huntresses have been a thorn in my side since Atlas fell and I will suffer them no longer!"

The Commander sighed. "Sir, they've got an angry mob several dozen strong pouring in through the breach in the front gates and seven huntsman-level combatants." He said. "The odds are not in our favor even with the fortifications inside the building."

His fist slammed down on his desk. "No!" He shouted. "I will not surrender to these… to these… animals!" He shot up from his seat, pointing a finger at the commander. "You will do everything in your power to push them back! Traps, gas, I don't care! If you could get the Grimm on our side, I would authori-" He paused for a moment, a wicked grin crawling out from beneath his mustache. "Do we still have control of the city's defenses?"

The Commander stepped back, cuing his mic and asking the same question. After a moment, he looked back at father. "Yes sir, complete control."

"Good." He said. "Order all city gates to be opened and every guard we have to pull back to HQ. Now."

My eyes widened as the Commander didn't even hesitate for a second to relay the order. After he finished, I shot up from my seat. "Are you insane?!" I shouted. "The riots have attracted hordes of Grimm! Without the defenses, we'll be overrun!"

Father shot me a withering glare before slowly marching towards me. "Who gave you permission to speak, boy?"

"I- I-"

My cheek stung as my head was wrenched to the side. "Do not question me again, Whitley."

I took a shuddering breath. "Y- Yes, father."

He smirked. "That's… my boy." He said, returning to his desk.


/-\ Robyn Hill /-\


The men were getting antsy.

They'd heard the sound of explosions and gunfire and death from the other side of the Schnee compound - it was all we could do to hold them back. The fighters - the revolutionaries - we'd gathered weren't the best equipped, but they were the bravest we could ask for.

The Schnee compound didn't seem as affected as we'd hoped, either - the machineguns out front were still manned, the spotlights still swiveled, and the clankers still marched in lockstep around the perimeter.

From the roof of the occupied-until-recently apartment buildings, I watched, waiting for the right time. Waiting for a chink in their armor to show, just as that Trooper said it would. Then, a hand fell upon my shoulder.

Glancing back, I saw it was one of the Happy Huntresses - May. "What's it look like out there?" She asked.

"Not the best." I said. "Things aren't happening as fast as I'd like 'em too."

She tisked. "You and me both."

Then another explosion boomed in the distance, both of our gazes were drawn back to the razorwire and sheet metal down below us. To my astonishment, the pair of open-top bunkers - the reason why there were about a hundred bodies on the street in front of the compound being pecked at by vultures - were in disarray.

The men within shouted orders, argued over comms, and were even pulling back. Remembering the plan, I hesitated to cue my commbead - waiting just a few minutes longer. Turns out, that was the right move. Their forces at the front gate halved in only five minutes.

Finally, I cued my commbead. "Fiona, we're making our move. Get the men ready to charge when I give the signal."

"Understood, stay safe out there." She said.

When I turned to May by my side, she was already raising her hand to activate her semblance. A moment later, we leaped off the roof - completely invisible even in the half-twilight of the late Solitasian summer.

Landing and sprinting over the corpse fields, we soon reached the bunker. May twirled her weapon as her semblance faded, a machinegunner's head falling to the ground. Meanwhile, I raised my crossbow and fired at the other emplacement's gunner.

The survivors of the other bunker - the ones we were standing in having already been dealt with by May - sounded the alarm, but it was already too late for them. I gave the signal to Fiona and eighty-seven men and women began pouring out of the nearby buildings, attacking the entire length of the entrance. At the front were my comrades - Fiona herself and our other member, Crimson - she didn't show herself often, preferring to stay in a support role.

I loosed another bolt, impaling an important-looking Schnee Security officer at the forefront of a squad of new, stark-white clankers. He fell to the ground as the robots adopted a two-line formation. Just as I finished reloading my crossbow, the front rank took a knee, all shouldering their Atlesian-made laser rifles.

My eyes widened. "Take cover!" I shouted, ducking just in time.

May thudded into the ground beside me, wincing as her hair smoked from a near miss. "What's the plan, Robyn?" She asked.

Behind me, I heard people scramble for cover and more shouts of pain as more and more fell. I poked my eyes above cover for a moment, only to duck back down again. "Same as before - semblance up and charge."

She nodded, activating her semblance. The second we were behind its blue shroud, I shot up and rolled to the side, skirting the very edge of their laserfire. The robots stood unmoving as we approached, only shifting fire once a few bullets managed to hit home. I loaded an explosive bolt as we moved towards them, ready to tear them apart.

"Now!" I shouted when we were only thirty meters away. May dropped her cloak and my bolt sprang forth, enveloping their center in flames. When the short-lived smoke cleared, a dozen droids lay in scrap heaps.

All of the clankers immediately shifted their fire back towards us, catching us out in the open. Sting after sting of laserbolt struck my aura - my shield could only cover so much. My heart raced as every spike of pain brought me closer and closer to depletion.

To death.

Thankfully, these new bots weren't even as good in melee as their predecessors - they just simply could not turn their guns fast enough to hit us at this close range… as long as we kept moving.

When there were less than a dozen of the things left, the cavalry came charging in - Fiona and Crimson backed by a mob of shoddily armed and armored civilians. They swept through what remained of the bots and sprinted beyond the courtyard.

Behind those decorative walls at the end, the compound turned into a plaza. Plenty of cover, for those who needed to fight conventionally. In other words, I knew I could take a rest. Fiona, after a nod of encouragement from me, went on to lead the others while Crimson stayed back with us. The gunfire once again became close, and the screams of the wounded and dying once again filled the air.

I… sighed, collapsing on a bench as Crimson looked us over. "What're you down to?" May asked.

"'Bout a quarter." I said. "You?"

"Same." She said, sighing.

We… stayed silent for a moment after that. My gaze… wandered. Near the barricade, bodies piled up. There weren't many white-and-black uniforms of the Schnee Security Force among the people there - more raggedy clothes, corrugated steel plates, and even a few Great War relics.

"Hill, Parks here." The ODST said over comms.

I cued my mic. "I read ya, spaceman."

"Encountering stiff resistance in the gardens - no casualties so far, but I don't know if we'll be able to make the assault on headquarters."

I frowned. "Do we have to deal with them? Can't you just use your fancy jetpack and fly up to the roof or something?"

"That means I'd have to disengage, and I don't think the others can handle all these guys on their own." He said. "Plus, you'd need to pull forces away from the assault to cover your flank if we left these guys completely alone."

"Ugh, I get it - bad ide-"

"Robyn!" Joanna's voice suddenly said over comms. I jolted in surprise - she wasn't even on this part of this mission. "They're opening the gates!"

"What?" I asked. "Who's opening what gates?"

"Schnee's opening the city gates!" She shouted. "He's letting the Grimm in!"

My eyes widened. "He's what?!"

"His men are pulling out! Everyone's pulling out and coming right for you!"

I sprang to my feet. "Organize everyone you can and take those gates back! If they stay open, we all die." I said. "Fiona, change in plans, they're coming right for us! Get your men back in here and into defensive positions!"

Gathering what men were still filtering in through the gates, I set them back up in the same bunkers which May and I had just cleaned out not ten minutes ago - even took the same machineguns from the dead defenders.

Fiona's men came back through as well, taking the clankers' guns before throwing them into the gap in the wall between our courtyard and their plaza - anything to make their advance even slightly more difficult.

It wasn't long before the trucks came back - the trucks carrying armies of clankers and almost an entire city's worth of Schnee Security Force guards. At first, they tried to simply drive through the barricades with droid-driven vehicles, but their drivers were quickly disabled by our guns - both with men on the walls using their own small arms and with the pair of machineguns.

Soon, the rhythmic thump of metallic marching returned to my ears. "Eyes up!" I shouted. "They're coming!"

It wasn't long until a string of explosives went off in front of us, the small and fancy apartment building crumbling to dust in front of our eyes. It took… forever to settle, the marching growing louder and louder and loude-

I saw a glint of steel from within the cloud.

My eyes widened. "Open fire!" I shouted. The machinegunner beside me obeyed without hesitation. Within the cloud, sparks flew and metal clanked. Just as the machinegunner on the other side of the gate opened fire as well, the clankers within the cloud returned it.

Bullets - not laserbolts - pinged and sputtered off the reinforced concrete and sandbags in front of us, but one still got lucky. With a dull thunk, the gunner next to me fell silent, his head missing.

"Robyn!" Fiona shouted over comms. "They're attacking from the building! They're almost to the barricade, what do we do?!"

Before I could answer, grenades trailing white smoke flew from the dust cloud in front of us. One landed right beside me, bouncing off the armor of the replacement gunner. The second it was on solid ground, the smoke from inside it filled the air.

I coughed and hacked as tears flowed down my face and my throat felt like it was on fire. Suddenly, I felt a force tug on my sleeve. I barely recognized the mop of disheveled blue hair as its owner guided me away…

…and then we both tripped over a dead body.

My vision was nearly useless as we scrambled back to our feet, but my hearing was just fine. Through the gas and tears and smoke I could hear screams - both of the dying and the terrified - guns fired over and over again, pinging off concrete and whizzing by my head.

Barely, I remembered I was still in command. "Retreat..." I rasped out. Biting the bullet and sucking in a big breath of thick, gas-tainted air, I tried again. "Retreat!" I shouted, immediately coughing up a storm.

The hand once again grabbed my sleeve, guiding me… somewhere.

Finally, we reached one of the outer walls of the compound - someone had blasted a hole in it. We made a run for it, along with about half-a-dozen comrades, their weapons abandoned. Eventually, we cleared the gas cloud, our auras getting to work on clearing its effects almost immediately.

After only a few minutes, I could see and think again. The first thing I did was get back in contact with Fiona, who had escaped with about a dozen of her men. Crimson was nowhere to be found, but May was right next to me… sans an eye.

She insisted she was fine about a second before she collapsed. I rushed her to safety, handing her off to a doctor before getting in touch with Joanna. In the twenty minutes we'd held out against the Schnee counterattack, things had only gotten worse. The Grimm had broken out from the choke points around the gates and some were even roaming free throughout the outlying neighborhoods of the city.

I… tried, I really did.

No matter what we threw at the Grimm, nothing stemmed their tide - not without the city's defenses and gates keeping them out anymore. As twenty minutes of attempts turned into forty, into an hour, into two, into three, I… was out of options.

We needed every able-bodied man and woman on Grimm containment, but we also couldn't let Schnee interfere with our operations. Something needed to change. With a sigh, I cued my comms.

"Corporal Parks, I've got an idea… you're not gonna like it."


/-\ Whitley Schnee /-\


I just... sat there after father gave his order - what else could I do? Over the next half-hour or so, the sound of distant gunfire increased substantially – several of the huntsman-level combatants invading our compound even retreated. From what I overheard, the reinforcements drawn from elsewhere in the city even managed to push back the enemy incursion at the front gate, though the gardens were still contested even now.

We sat there so long, an entire meal was even brought to the office.

I had just finished my hot ham and cheese sandwich – a meal generally reserved for the plebians – when the distant gunfire became close gunfire. The Commander immediately shot up from his seat and demanded a status report.

A moment later, he turned to father. "Enemy huntsmen have landed on the roof!"

"On the roof?!" Father shouted. "This is a ten-story building!"

"Sir, I suggest you consider evacuating." He said. "The situation is no longer under contro-" He stopped, head turning to the side. "I'm getting reports of incursions from the sewers as well. You need to evacuate."

"I will never surrender this city!" Father said. "I paid an outrageous price for it and I've barely gotten a profit! Mantle is Schnee land!"

The Commander grunted. "Schnee land or not, you're about to lose it." He said, drawing the battleaxe from his back. "I need to assist in the defense – my advice is to evacuate." He said. In a flash, he was out the door, moving far faster than a man of his size had any right to.

Father tried to stop him, but he was far too slow, his shouts falling on deaf ears. He pounded his fist into his desk again, activating the security cameras. I couldn't see what was going on from my side – his privacy filter ensured that – but whatever it was, father did not look happy.

The gunshots grew closer and closer.

I could hear screaming and shouting and even melee outside the room. My hands shook, my breath quickened, my heart raced. I imagined all the ways the White Fang would… would torture me if they got in here…

…and how utterly powerless I was to stop them.

I had no weapons – or training for them – no dust, not even an unlocked aura. I realized… these could be my last moments. 'All those times of arguing with Weiss and Winter about the merits of armies over huntsmen…' I thought. 'And here I am… my father's army being slaughtered by only a handful of huntsmen…'

Suddenly, father rose from his desk, a revolver in his hand. My eyes transfixed on the weapon. 'I… is he going to… to kill us?' I thought. At that moment, I remembered just how much information he'd passed onto me as the heir to the Schnee Dust Company. Locations of mines, security procedures, manufacturing processes…

Valuable information.

So when father grabbed me by the shirt collar and instead tossed me out the office door, I was quite surprised. As I got back to my knees, I heard a metallic thump next to me – he'd thrown the revolver out with me. Just when I turned around to ask why he'd done this, the door slammed shut.

…And the deadbolt clicked into place.

I gasped, rushing for the handle to confirm it was locked. No amount of jiggling or pushing or pulling or even ramming it jarred the door free.

The gunshots and screams were drawing closer.

They were loud enough to hurt my ears already.

With shaking hands, I bent down and picked up the revolver. I had no training with this… thing, but it was the best protection I had. The entire building shook for a moment as I took off. I knew there was a breach near the roof and one near the sewers, but nothing else.

I cursed the layout of this building – father's office was at the end of a hallway. I had to run towards the sound of gunfire to even have a chance at escape. So I did – I charged off along the marble floor as gunshots and screams and orders drew louder and louder. If I could just slip by at the first intersection, I could go away from them again.

And that's when I saw a bleeding security guard collapsed just on my side of the door. He wasn't the Commander, just a lowly grunt, but that meant combat was far too close for comfort. I steeled myself and opened the door – I had no other way through.

The first thing I saw was a bat-winged Faunus have his head turned into little more than red mist by the Commander's warhammer. His body twitched once before falling to the ground, painting the wall behind him red.

Then I noticed the black visor – the black visor on the black armor. I'd seen similar before, just white and with a skirt.

On Weiss.

The wearer rolled to the side to avoid a strike from the Commander, whose aura flickered from follow-up shots by the ODST's pistol. I stood, frozen, as the two battled. The Commander clearly had the speed and strength advantage, but the Trooper seemed… used to that situation. He moved almost before the Commander did, always getting off a few rounds with either his pistol or a stolen security guard's rifle.

The Commander growled and shouted in frustration as bullet after bullet impacted his aura, winding for a devastating strike. This time, the Trooper stood shock-still, his visor glaring down the Commander as he fired the rifle into his chest. With a wild roar, the Commander burst forward almost quicker than I could follo-

The Trooper moved, landing a kick in the Commander's back as he passed and embedding him in the wall. He unsheathed a knife and plunged it into the Commander's ne-

The Commander kicked just in time to save himself, flinging the Trooper back across the room and making him bounce off the far wall. The Commander struggled to pull free, eventually unclipping his Wolf Faunus-covered helmet inside the wall.

I grimaced, seeing the man was missing an eye and had three large claw marks dragging through his hairline. He was… Winter's age. 'With all those scars…' I thought. Briefly, I wondered if he was lucky to have survived an encounter which got him those scars, or if there was some other reason.

I was brought back into reality as the Trooper laid on the ground, audibly groaning while the Commander picked up his warhammer and stalked towards his… prey.

He hefted it up, bringing it down on-

…empty air.

Just before the hammer hit, the Trooper's large backpack suddenly grew thrusters and jetted him out of the way, a pistol at the ready. Three rounds – silent to my ears – cut their way into the Commander's head. As his body slumped to the ground, the Trooper slowed to a halt, eventually coming to a rest leaning against the wall just below the Commander's abandoned helmet.

The ODST grunted, reaching up and removing his own helmet before spitting a wad of red blood onto the floor. He took a deep breath, looking up at me. "Hey, kid." He said. "You wouldn't happen to know how to… ugh…" He spat another glob of red onto the floor. "How to close those goddamn city gates, would you? Save a lotta lives if you did."

A pang of dread ran through me. "Th- They're open…"

He chuckled. "Yeah. Be really nice if we could close 'em – get this shit under control."

I… paused. My first instinct was to ignore the man and run for it, but… with his performance against the Commander I… didn't like my chances. Then… another thought entered my mind. "Are you… with the White Fang?"

"They're here, yeah, but no, I'm from the UNSC."

I gave him a flat look. "I know." I said. "What I mean is… if I help you, can you ensure I'm not captured by them?"

"Kid, if you can get those gates closed, I'll move Heaven and Earth to make sure those guys don't get their hands on you."

I nodded. "My… mother as well?"

"'Long as it ain't your dad, kid. Sorry, but I don't think God himself's gonna stop 'em from lynching that bastard."

My fist clenched. "There's no love lost there – he threw me out of his office when the fighting got close."

The man chuckled, standing up with a grunt. "Throwing out your son to save your own skin?" He shook his head. "Yeah, that sounds right in line with what I've heard of the bastard. So, we got a deal?"

I… took in my options. This man was offering to protect mother and I from those animals in the White Fang and all he wanted in exchange was to save people. Alternatively, I could run… and potentially get captured by the White Fang, eaten by a Grimm that was roaming the streets or even simply killed by one of my father's former workers.

Even if I didn't fully trust him, the choice was... obvious.

I held out my hand and we shook.

He nodded in approval, returning his helmet to his head. "Alright, we gotta get moving. Amitola's keeping the guards downstairs busy, but she can't hold out forever."

I took off down the way I came, the man easily keeping pace. Just as we reached the office door, I realized something. "Hey, wait, how are we supposed to get down if you haven't taken the lower floors?"

Instead of answering me, he walked up to the door, wound up a kick, and completely blew the wooden door off its hinges. Then, he simply lifted it out of place. I was… slightly impressed - I certainly couldn't do that.

He raised his weapon once more, walking in slowly and making exaggerated motions of moving his weapon side-to-side. Eventually, he did go fully inside, motioning me to follow him. "That the control computer?" He asked, motioning to the screens on father's desk.

"Yes, it is." I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that mother was exactly where I'd last her. And no sign of father anywhere. No escape route, no hidden handle, no misplaced books, no askew paintings, nothing.

"Know how to work it?" He asked.

"I do." I said, marching past him and sitting down at the computer. Father had locked it before he left, unbeknownst to him, I knew his passwords. It took a couple minutes of snooping around once I got in, but I did eventually find both the city gate controller program as well as the automated defense grid controllers. Setting them both to 'on', I stood up. "There, now let's get out of here."

He paused a moment. "Just confirmed - gates and guns are online and killing lots of Grimm. Just one more question." He said. "Will they stop doing their jobs without this computer?"

I blinked. "I- I mean, no. This is just an access point hooked to the servers in the basement - the only one in fa-" He raised his gun and started shooting the desk. The computer sputtered and died from the second bullet, let alone the full clip. I groaned. "Why did you do that?"

"So no one can stop them from doing their job." He said, doing something to his weapon. "C'mon, grab your mom and let's go."

Pausing only a moment, I wheeled her out of the room just behind him. "So, you never did tell me how we're getting out of here."

He chuckled, tapping his jetpack.

"You can not be serious…"

"Kid, this thing's rated for Spartans, we'll be fine."

I groaned, half wondering if I'd made the last decision of my life by following this insane man...


/-\ Jacques Schnee /-\


The emergency escape shuttle zoomed along its underground track. When I was a safe distance away, I hit the detonator button below my seat. A shockwave boomed throughout the tunnel and looking back, I saw that it was well and truly sealed. Finally, I could breathe a sigh of relief.

I was safe.

Again, I thanked my paranoia – installing these escape tunnels beneath every one of my offices was clearly worth it. With a trembling hand, I reached for the cooler just below the windshield and took out an aged bottle of whiskey. I deserved it after tonight's… activities. Not even bothering to pour a glass – if there were any stored here at all – I drank straight from the bottle.

It burned on the way down, but it did hit the spot. Putting it away, I reflected on the situation. The loss of the one semi-competent heir my wife had produced was a… setback – I'd have to begin rectifying the problem as soon as possible.

I wasn't getting any younger, after all…

As the shuttle continued on, I tried to think of any possible… candidates I could use for heir production. My thoughts drifted to a certain animal I once had a dalliance with – the one time I let feelings get in the way of practicality.

I huffed – they were never requited anyways, even if she was a far better lay than Willow ever was.

Shaking my head, I resolved to address the problem later. I'd arrived, after all…

The shuttle slowed to a halt at the only other station in this entire tunnel – the executive landing pad about fifteen miles from the city. Hopefully, the traitors in Mantle were too busy with the Grimm to do anything about one airship taking off.

I stepped out of the shuttle and made my way to the elevator, heading up. I frowned as I got in. 'I distinctly remember posting two guards here…' I thought. 'They must be on the perimeter – no sane Commander would guard the subways in a Grimm invasion.'

I didn't have long to wait in the elevator – it was only three floors. What I saw when the doors opened made me gasp.

There, on the floor, lay the bodies of dozens of my elite guards. I stood frozen for a few seconds, but quickly regained my bearings and hammered the 'door close' butto-

"Where do you think you're going?" A deep voice asked. A moment later, a large, meaty hand clawed at the side of the elevator. I shrunk back, hugging the walls as the full-face Grimm mask of a White Fang Lieutenant slowly inched into the elevator with me.

The revving noise of a chainsaw reached my ears, but I couldn't take my eyes off those soulless, black holes where the animal's eyes would be. I yelped as something buried its way into the wall next to me – a glance revealing a chainsaw bigger than I was!

"So, Papa Schnee himself, eh?" The monster said. "Oh, we're gonna have fun with you…"

And just like that, his meaty hand let go of the elevator door and seized me by the throat. The last thing I heard was his cackling laughter…


/-\ Yang Xiao Long /-\


I double, then triple-checked my bag. After a few minutes, I was satisfied everything was packed. Grabbing the big green bag and slinging it over my shoulder, I opened the door and totally did not get stuck in the doorway thanks to said obscenely large bag. With a grunt, I pulled free and continued downstairs.

"Having fun?" Blake asked. Weiss and her arrived a while ago, fully packed already. Now Weiss was off Gods-know-where and Blake was – judging by the half-dozen cans of salmon in her hands – helping herself to our family's fish stores.

"Yeeep." I said, rolling my eyes. "Lots." I walked over to the front door and set my bags down next to the others' – the plan was to take the ferry back to Vale and then a Warthog to Reavia. I wasn't exactly excited about spending four hours cooped up in a transport 'Hog, but apparently there was an overland trade convoy we were supposed to escort there.

Either way, we weren't leaving for another hour, so now was the time to kick back and relax. With that in mind, I plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV.

I was barely five minutes into channel-surfing when Dad walked into the room. "Oh, hey Yang." He said. "Your umm… mom wanted me to let you know that she wanted a word before you left – she's at the graveyard. If you see Ruby, tell her the same thing."

Tossing him the remote as he sat down, I stood up. "Alright, thanks." I mumbled, heading back towards the door. "Goin' for a walk, Blake!" I shouted.

"'Kay!" She shouted back.

In a flash, I had my boots on and the door closed behind me. Deciding to jog there – it wasn't a short trip, after all – I did a few stretches. Just as I finished up, Ruby and Weiss jogged out of the treeline. "Getting better, Ice Queen." Ruby said, smirking.

Weiss took a deep breath. "Well, not all of us can be superhumans, you know."

She shrugged. "Eh, just means you're fun-sized instead of Spartan-sized."

"Wha- fun-sized?!" She shouted, face red.

Before either of them could say anything, I broke out into laughter. It wasn't long before Ruby joined me. We had a good laugh but eventually got it under control when Weiss cleared her throat. "Eh, sorry Weiss." I said. "Gotta admit, it was uhh… it was pretty funny."

She pinched her nose. "Fine, fine. You've had your fun."

"Yeah…" I let out. "Oh, Ruby, uhh… dad wanted me to tell you that mom's over at the graveyard and wants to talk to us."

She froze, mid-stride. "U- Umm… she does?" For the first time since she's been back, I heard a hint of… nervousness in her voice.

"Y- Yeah." I said, still caught a little off-guard. We stood there for a few moments, awkwardly staring at each other. Eventually, I… broke the silence. "U- Uhh… so…?" I rubbed the back of my head. "Ya comin'?"

She sighed. "I… don't think so."

I frowned. "Still uhh… worked up from last night?"

"You could say that." She looked in the direction of the graveyard – an expression of both longing and… fear on her face. "I just… need a bit more time than we have, okay?"

I opened my mouth… then closed it. Eventually, Weiss reached up and put her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Family trouble?"

"Yeah…" She said. "Last night, some things were-"

"Shhh…" Weiss said, placing a finger over Ruby's lips. "Just… think about it some more. I umm… seem to be the resident expert on dysfunctional families around here, so umm… I'll… lend you an ear if you need it."

A soft smile graced my sister's lips as she reached around and embraced her partner in a one-armed hug. "Thanks." She said. "I'll… think about it."

"That's all I can ask for." Weiss said with a smile.

"Well, uhh… if you're sure…" I said. "I guess I'll just… go…"

Ruby nodded, as did her partner. So I turned and started jogging towards the graveyard – not exerting myself too much, but also not taking my time either. I didn't know what mom wanted nor did I know how long it would take, after all.

Before I knew it, I approached the cliffside graveyard. Mom stood there, her stark white cloak gently swaying behind her in the breeze. Her hood down, I saw one of her ears swivel towards me as I approached. "Hey Yang." She said, only turning her head towards me.

"Umm… hey mom." I said. "So uhh… you called…?"

She nodded. "Yeah." She sighed, motioning me forward. "Kinda weird, looking at your own gravestone."

I stole a glance towards my own, which sat right next to hers. 'An inferno built from embers but extinguished too soon.' I read. "Y- Yeah…" I let out, a slight shiver running up my spine. I hadn't come here since returning – maybe this was the reason. "I uhh… guess I know what Ruby feels now." I said, looking at her gravestone too.

Suddenly, mom chuckled. "Do you think they'll let us re-use these when we actually need 'em?"

I frowned. "That's… a bit dark."

"Yeah, but it's the reality of a job like mine." She said, turning towards me. "Ours now, I suppose."

I rubbed the back of my head. "Still it's…"

"You might not come back." She said, her eyes… misty. "You or Ruby."

"Of course we will, it's just a recon missio-"

"Don't." She said, holding up her hand. "Gods, please don't say that." She sighed. "Some of our worst missions as Team STRQ started with someone saying 'Oh, it's just a blank mission'."

I… knew what she was saying. Still, I looked her in the eyes. "Mom. Ruby's a Spartan. Our teams boarded two Covenant capital ships and won both times." I said. "We're. Coming. Back."

"Did they tell their mothers the same thing before their last missions?" She asked, gesturing behind her to the other graves – the ones who we all knew wouldn't just show up out of nowhere. "There's a difference between duty and suicide. Sometimes… it's hard to tell which one's which."

"You know this isn't-"

"I know this isn't." She agreed. "That's why I'm not on my hands and knees begging my girls to stay home. But… how long until you're asked?"

"I knew the risks when I joined up and so did Ruby." I said, immediately wincing when I remembered I – at the time – wanted to die in the line of duty and Ruby was a literal child when she was conscripted into the Spartan program.

She stared at me for a few moments, inquisitive eyes piercing through my own gaze. Eventually, she sighed. "I… never wanted…" She bit her lip, eventually shaking her head. "No, that's a conversation we should have when Ruby's here too."

"Umm… oh-kay?" I let out.

"Just… take care of yourselves, alright?" She said. "I know you gotta get going, but just… hear me out for a second longer." She strode up to me and put her hands on my shoulders, looking directly into my eyes. "Ozpin might have the best interests of the world at heart but… don't trust everything the man says. He's got a lot of secrets." And then she hugged me – tight enough to flare my aura, even.

I groaned, hugging back. "I'll… domybest." I let out. "Nowlemmiehavesomeairplease!" Her grip loosened a bit and I drew in a deep breath. "Thank you."

Finally, she pulled back, eyes teary once more. "I'm serious – take care of yourselves out there." She said. "You two… grew up in the blink of an eye. I want to spend more time with you two."

I nodded, giving one last quick hug before taking off back towards the house.

It was almost time to leave, after all…


(A/N) Got quite a long one, there. Fun fact, this monster of a chapter was originally supposed to be conjoined with the previous one. Yeah, that's why there really wasn't much Team RWBY action in this chapter – there just wasn't enough room.

Speaking of not having enough room, I've really been dropping the ball on the worldbuilding of this story, haven't I? To rectify that, there will be two interludes (one focused on the overall goings-on at the higher levels of Remnant while the other focuses on other characters, namely teams RESN (Resolution) and CFVY) before the next proper chapter.

So.. uhh… yeah, that's about all I have to say here, onto the review responses!

Guest001 said – "What about the whole finding the Quarians and Jaune's body!? What was with Ironwood's eyes!?"

It's coming, don't worry. This chapter and the previous one were originally intended to be one chapter, buuuuuuuuuuuut then big things were happening, so… yeah. They just left for that mission, but there's gonna be a couple interludes before the actual, month-long (in-universe) mission. As for what's in Ironwood's eyes, that's his semblance, which is NOT Mettle. That is the single worst semblance in the show, considering it basically amounts to a mental disorder.

BlazBlade said – "Well Tyrian's now been caught. Hopefully ONI makes the bastard hurt and scream, guys like him deserve nothing but a painful death. Though they should make sure the bastard doesn't have a way to escape just in case.

So Atlas is now heading to the Moon? I wonder if they'll set up weapons to bombard areas on Remnant or have satellites made by the UNSC to keep track of Grimm and WF activity. I bet Salem is annoyed now that Remnantians could one day leave the planet and leave her alone to rot away or make weapons that can hit her Grimm from a place she won't be able to reach easily.

Also, will the UNSC give some ideas for improving Remnant's weapons to be more effective against the Grimm, White Fang, and Covenant? Like a version of the Bullhead that's a gunship or something? Plus maybe have them really experiment and make really crazy and destructive Dust weapons like a flamethrower that combines Wind and Fire Dust?"

Umm... sorry to burst your bubble, but Tyrian's still at large. The Jackal in the sewers caused *just* enough of a distraction for Ruby to not look the right way, so he slipped away. The guy that got captured was a rando that just happened to collaborate with Salem (though quite indirectly).

Spy sats are kinda a given - total orbital supremacy has its advantages. Once *she* learns of this... yeah, she won't be the happiest camper in the world.

I doubt they can offer any tips for making weapons more effective against Grimm (snarly shadow demons are kinda an outside context problem for them, just as the Covvies were for Remnant), though they certainly could against the Whiskey Foxtrots and the Covvies. As for a Bullhead gunship, they did already help develop the Kite, which is basically an oversized Falcon with dust-based jet engines and hardpoints for anti-ship torpedoes.

Guest002 said – "What about Artificial Gravity, cause too many generations on Moon Gravity will make its inhabitants have difficulty going to other planets with "normal" gravity!? Not to mention that powering the habitats will be an issue in the long term in the sense of securing resources fir the reactors. Still, loving the idea for the Atlas refugees! Wish we could see Jacques' REACTION to his "cast out" daughter's NEW NAMESAKE!"

I forget if it's a thing in Halo canon, but I read a fic once that said extraterrestrial parents (meaning, Human couples living off-Earth that were expecting) would make a pilgrimage to Earth to have their kids before AG was perfected – may touch on it, but the UNSC surely brought the tech with them.

As for powering the habs on the moon, if it's anything like ours, it's perpetually blasted in solar radiation, which is rich in Helium-3 – a fuel for nuclear fusion. Else, deuterium harvested from the ocean could be shipped up from Remnant in exchange for the metric asston of dust that's on the moon.

So uhh… about Jacques reacting to the Weiss Schnee… yeah, that's uhh… probably not gonna happen now, given he's gonna get shipped off to one of Adam's prisons. Not a pleasant experience.

ScreamingStuka said – "Tyrian was *this* close to getting his tail ripped off and getting beaten to death with it. Cant wait to see how that showdown will eventually go.

And the Xiao Long Rose renuion that went about as well as it did for the UNSC; not that well. Hopefully things can be patched up. Ha, patch. get it?

Awesome chapter, was starting to get a little worried as time drags on, but it just makes new chapters all the more sweeter!

Just one thing im slightly lost on: what is Neo's connection to Sun? I liked the aftermath of Suns debrief with ONI, im just puzzled as to what caused Neo to care about sun and the story behind. Not sure if I missed something in the story.

Anyway, thanks heaps for the update and cant wait for the next one!"

Yeeeeeeaaaaaahhhh sometimes I get a bit stuck on some chapters - can't guarantee it'll never happen again, but I can say that I don't abandon stories.

Either way, thanks for the feedback! I know now that I *probably* should've expanded a bit more on Neo and Sun's relationship (the only other scene with them is during the dance) but umm... yeah, they're dating. Really weird ship that just came to me one day and I decided to roll with it.


Aaaaalrighty then! That does it for the review responses, I'll see ya guys in the next one! Remember, there'll be two interludes before the next proper chapter, which will be titled "A Walk In The Woods" when it finally drops.