Sorry if this chapter took a while to come out, I had 2 midterm exams this week so I was pretty much up to my neck in work.

To answer Guestdxd: Yeah I do actually intend to do some OC arcs later, especially for Hex and Nitro, and I have something planned for Luna but they come in later. In terms of RWBY's actual characters, if you haven't guessed already, I am going to be developing Adam, and I am mad hyped for when I eventually get to Oscar cuz I had this ludicrous idea for an arc for him that actually makes him into more than who he already is.

I love the idea about the cult for the Apathy in the cellar, I'll definitely look into that because I figured those particular Grimm had loads of potential.

(Spoiler alert for those who haven't watched Vol 7 yet do not read this author's note any further, just go on to the chapter)

My thoughts on Volume 7:

It was honestly the best-written volume since Volume 3, then again we don't have alot of comparison given volume 4 and 5... I think the whole concept behind the fall of Jaques Schnee could have been handled with alot more drama and flair, Willow needed more screen time because I think her character has some serious potential. I feel like the fight between Clover, Qrow and Tyrian could've also gone completely differently had Clover actually been reasonable and Qrow not be an idiot and work with Tyrian, and there was the whole concept of Robyn Hill being completely unnecessarily dumb and acting without a hint of subtlety, I literally see why Ironwood didn't trust her.

James is sort of right to trust his own judgment considering it's either him, an experienced combat general, or the ideas of justice fueled teenagers who went behind his back and lied to him at the start. He wasn't correct in his actions either considering he let fear rule him and allowed it to drive his decisions, and pushing him to the point of insanity. Also with Penny now being the Winter Maiden... well how does that even work exactly? She's an android, even if she's more human and has more personality than some of the characters in the show, can robots even use maiden powers? And don't even get me started on the hinting that Ruby and Oscar might have a crush on each other, like holy shit that came out of absolutely nowhere, my boy is literally 14, he's a kid, Ruby's practically 17 in volume 7. Not that 3 years age diff is that big but, like OSCAR IS A BABY! I was like, I love White Rose, but you gotta make me approve of Pine Rose first, cuz, well HE HAS OZPIN IN HIS HEAD, The idea of Ruby being together with the incarnation of Ozpin creeps me out a little, even if Oscar is his own person. Bumblebee wasn't even handled well for this volume, it felt like the majority of the time spent was Blake pointing out all the flaws in Yang's rationale and moral outlook. I predict dope redemption arc for Neo in the future but I'll be damned if I don't write my own first.

But yeah, I intend to work magical wonders with that stuff ESPECIALLY the Schnee family drama... god I can't wait to work on that part of the story because I have a few things cooked up that are borderline insanity driven conspiracy theory, and with the revelation of Willow Schnee, it literally gave my creativity its own level of justification.


Chapter 32: Evil Begins Rearing its Ugly Head


"Ozpin!" Nova said barging into the headmaster's office, behind him were the members of team ASHNRWBY.

The headmaster who'd been peacefully reading his documents and filing records of previously done missions had barely managed to stop himself from dropping his coffee mug when the interruption came.

Carefully, he composed himself, placed the cup gently on the table and folded his hands under his chin and propping his head up.

He breathed a heavy sigh, "Considering that the matches are still ongoing and that you never barge in here just to say hello… I'm assuming something's happened…"

Nova raised his finger in the air to refute, "I…" his poised index drooped and a comical face of concern washed over him. "Wait where are you attempting to be humorous?"

Ozpin raised his eyebrow, "Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Yes…?" Weiss was the one who responded, her face also layered in confusion.

Ozpin moved to take a drink from his coffee.

"Sir, we… or rather Nova has reason to believe that there's a traitor working amongst us," Ruby said causing Ozpin to choke and sputter on his coffee. His entire form racked with the cough as he patted his chest trying to calm himself.

"Excuse me?" he offered hoping he hadn't heard that correctly.

"Sir our team's last battle… against team TRKR from Atlas. Our opponents were Thorian Callus and Gale Rogue Ebons, they were our old teammates back at Haven." Nova continued as if the reasoning was as plain as day.

"Yes, the ones who turned on you correct?"

"How…" Nova didn't ever remember telling Ozpin about this… though he doubted it would've made much of a difference. "Never mind…"

"What could they possibly be doing at the tournament. They're wanted criminals by Mistral, how would they even enter an Atlesian team?" Ozpin questioned. Atlas was even tighter on security than any other kingdom was. "Are you sure you were not mistaken?"

"Sir… faces may change over time but my scars never forget…" Hex said clutching the scar on her left side where she'd been stabbed by Gale all those years ago.

Ozpin inhaled deeply, "Alright… assuming that you aren't mistaken… do you have any evidence to back up the accusations you are making? Where would the traitor even lie?"

"Sir there isn't a shred of doubt in our minds. They were the fiends of our past." Luna started but Nova held up his hand. He understood why Ozpin wasn't just outright trusting their words. It was because the headmaster didn't want to believe he'd been compromised.

"They said it themselves. Their 'benefactor' from Mistral, whoever that may be, got them the resources they needed to get into Atlas. From this information, and the fact that they managed to hide their identities in this highly secured tournament, I believe that there's a traitor with a high level of administrative power." Nova explained.

"And what makes you believe that exactly?"

"Well in order to sneak two unidentified persons into an event with several trained professional huntsmen and Atlassian military security, they'd need high-level clearance with almost no questions asked." He explained further. Ozpin already figured this but, voicing these assumptions out loud was something his position prevented him from doing.

Ozpin's face was stoic but Nova could see the twitch in his eyes. "You will speak of this to no one. The traitors must not know we are onto them."

Everyone else nodded in understanding.

"Sir, the team from Haven, the one with Emerald and Mercury. They claim to be first years from Haven but they're most definitely not. There's a lot that doesn't add up with their story and the fact that we've never even met their fourth member." Nitro spoke up now, relaying what he'd gained from his interactions.

Ozpin quirked his eyebrow, "First years? Their transcripts say they are third years."

"Third years? Sir if they were, we'd have known about them since we did, in fact, attend Haven." Hex said folding her arms.

"The evidence is stacking up further and further… two teams with unknown information… a traitor in our midst and all evidence is being directed to one place…" the headmaster looked concerned. "I don't like where this is going…"

"Sir we should make our move. Stomp out the enemy before they have a chance to proceed with their plans." Blake said, all the fire inside her burning.

"No… with the way things are… we can't take direct action. They can easily spin this situation out of control, especially with the Four Kingdoms gathered here, it's all too easy for them to label it as an attack against their kingdom, especially when we have no physical proof. If they do that, even if it's all a lie and they can't bring anything out of it, the drama they'd cause would be enough to stall the tournament, and with attention being diverted they'd be in the perfect spot to enact whatever plan they have." Ozpin explained.

"And with all the drama, comes worry and panic. Panic brings Grimm..." Yang rationalized.

"Essentially, our enemies are right under our noses and we are powerless to move against them? There must be something…" Weiss pondered, placing her hand on her chin.

Nova smirked, "Well maybe not Ozpin, but who's to stop a couple of students from enacting their own, information gathering?"

"A solid idea no doubt, but with the chaos of the event, there's no consistent way to police our suspects. Just… keep a watchful eye on them." Ozpin said, leaning against his armchair, trying to drink in all of the information.

ASHNRWBY nodded in understanding and made their way out.

Just as they were about to leave Nova turned around, "Sir… I almost forgot. Thorian mentioned that they were working for… a 'queen'. Any idea who that may be?"

The moment the word left Nova's moth Ozpin froze, the look of shock on his face did not go unnoticed. "It couldn't be…" he said under his breath.

"Oz?" Nova noticed the look on his face, but just as quickly as it came, it disappeared.

"It's nothing. I don't know who this queen is… but if you find out… be sure to tell me." The ghost of a pained expression was hidden behind his eyes and Nova could tell. The headmaster knew exactly who that queen was but whoever it was, terrified him to his core.


-White Fang Outpost, Vacuo-

Onyx reclined in his leather armchair, sitting in the training room of the facility, observing his pupil, Adam Taurus, train.

The high commander looked on intently as Adam drew on the power of the Aegis gene, resonating with the gemstone around his neck. The red-haired boy's body began to glow a deep red aura that eventually was being consumed by underlying black, which eventually overtook the red until it was only an outline. The black crystal began to levitate around his neck as the boy drew more power, his skin slowly being covered in luminescent darkness that looked like the night sky.

Once it covered his entire body, pressure began exerting around him, rattling the room.

"Good… hold that form…" Onyx instructed as Adam rose to his feet. The boy held the power at what seemed to be his maximum output, his face pained and struggling.

"Release the energy, full force at the target." Came the bear's instruction. Adam silently gripped his blade, still struggling through the pain, and drew the katana in a slash.

To the normal person, the movement looked as though he were standing still as a blast of dark energy shot out like a slash, decimating the ground as it passed through the air and crushed the dense steel wall like it was paper.

Onyx was pleased, "Very good… now again…"

His instruction went unfollowed as the power immediately left Adam's body, his skin returning to normal and dark aura disappearing quickly. Adam collapsed onto his knees, his breath ragged and laboured as though he'd just run three marathons.

The High Commander slammed his fist onto the chair in frustration. "ARGH! YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A FAUNUS! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO ACHIEVE PROGRESS IF YOU CAN'T HOLD THE ASPECT FORM FOR MORE THAN THIRTY SECONDS!" the room shook with his deep voice and Adam could feel the crushing weight of his master's aura.

"My apologies Master. I will do better." Adam said through harsh breathing, struggling to his feet but his knees would not move.

Onyx calmed himself down, releasing the pressure, "I don't want your remorse. I want you to perform." He spat. "Though… I guess it's not entirely your fault. The artificial genes you were injected with were… incomplete prototypes…" he cursed. Adam wasn't an Aspect of Remnant, he held no real power, nor was he chosen by the Fragment. At the end of the day, this was all they could manage with some false prototypes and training.

Just then the room door burst open with a disheveled looking deer Faunus in a lab coat.

"High commander Onyx sir!" The deer-man said.

Onyx turned around with a deadly look in his eye, "I specifically ordered no interruptions…." He glowered, his black miasma-like aura constricting the man.

"We… succeeded…" he choked out.

Onyx released his hold with a stoic expression. "Explain, make it short."

The deer Faunus straightened himself and made a few grateful gasps of air, "We've perfected the formula sir. We've successfully created a fully functional artificial Aegis gene serum."

Onyx folded his arms, "Well… now… show me." He instructed, following the Faunus out of the room

They made their way to the lab, a beautifully mechanized room, dozens of monitors on a wall, depicting different graphs and information. A large control panel sat neatly with a giant wall of clear blast-proof glass, separating the equipment from a large white area.

A few scientists were in the white room, working on various steel tables, chemicals and different machinery associated with biological testing were located throughout.

"Doctor Remus, I've brought the commander." The deer Faunus spoke into a microphone on the control panel.

A doctor clad in a blue lab coat and mask with black and white streaked hair popped his head up from a table.

"Ah! High Commander. Just in time, I'd like to show you what we've achieved." He said.

"Make it quick, this better not be a waste of my time or you'll find that you'll sooner get a life cut before a pay cut." The high commander threatened, folding his arms and staring through the glass.

"Y-Yes s-sir. If you would look at the screen to your left, you will see the cell structure of Maiden DNA, courtesy of our business partner." He gestured for Onyx to observe.

On the screen showed the complex cell structure observed in real-time from a microscope.

"We've used this, and combined it with the nanomachine serum left behind by Doctor Flareheart to produce the artificial gene."

Onyx rubbed his temples, "Last time I checked the serum was worthless, only that bitch had the knowledge to perfect it. You mean to tell me you've fixed something that the greatest Medical genius of our time has failed to?"

Remus chuckled, "Some great genius she was… After extensive analysis of her notes, I came across several inconsistencies with the combination of DNA to serum and various other formulae that… while made sense on the surface, had very minor flaws. These flaws added up in the long run and were the reason why our progress had been hindered for so long." He prided himself on surpassing his senior.

Onyx was quiet for a moment, then suddenly burst out in a roar of laughter, "Remus you fool, get your head out of your ass… she didn't make mistakes if what you're saying is correct… then the more likely explanation is that she purposely hid these mistakes so we wouldn't notice them She was trying to sabotage us from the inside…"

Remus sputtered in embarrassment, "Well… it matters not. Behold." He held out a vial of dark black liquid that held tiny sparkles in it, like a galaxy in space.

Onyx's eyes widened as he stared at it, "Is that what I think it is?"

"Indeed, sir. This is the artificial Aegis gene that responds to the Lunar Fragment. This serum will give you the power of both nanomachine and command over the Aspect of Lunar."

Onyx roared with laughter, "And what's the catch? These things always have some side-effect to them."

Remus nodded, "Yes actually, the person drinking this would have their entire DNA code restructured from the ground up… in other words, it would be enormously painful and taxing on the body that only someone with extreme fortitude could handle it."

Onyx contemplated for a moment, "And can we produce more?"

"Not currently, it'd take us at least three months and a batch of maiden DNA to create more."

"We don't have that luxury of time… you said this would be painful yes? And you are sure it will work?"

"I'm willing to bet my life on it, sir." The scientist confirmed.

"Then I'll hold you to that claim if it doesn't…" Onyx opened the door and stepped inside the room, grasping the serum from the man who stood twice as short as he was and held it to his face.

"Sir what're you…"

Onyx opened his mouth and downed the entire vial. Looks like your usefulness is at an end boy… he thought as his mind drifted to his pupil before his body became wracked with violent pain.


-Some island off the coast of Vale-

"And that's match! The Winner? TEAM ASHN!" came the sound of Port's voice over the television in a sea sidebar.

"That was some fight wasn't it?" the bartender, an average looking man with a mustache, said as he poured a glass of whiskey on the rocks.

"Fight? That looked like a mess to me…" Qrow said as he took the glass and downed the entire thing in one go… even though it wasn't a shot.

"Qrow you really shouldn't be drinking on duty…" Randolf said as he motioned the bartender to pour him a drink too, why stop at just Qrow.

"Oh get that stick outta your ass Wulf, gotta drink to our nephew and niece's first tournament victory~" He slurred happily.

The grey wolf just shook his head, "As if there was any doubt they'd win."

"True, but did you catch the look on charcoal's face when he kicked that kid off the rails? The shit was dark. I don't know what he said to him but something's goin' on back at Beacon." Qrow said, that one glass of alcohol already wearing off. It was good booze but it wasn't as strong as the stuff he usually carried around.

"All the more reason for us not to be hanging around some bar. We should have been back at Beacon yesterday." Randolf said drinking down his own glass.

"Head back sure… but with what transport?"

"This one?" came the instant reply as the roar of an airship was heard just outside the bar.


-Beacon Academy-

"Remind me again why we're out here? I should be back at the lab helping mom with her work…" Luna complained as she trudged alongside her brother, Ruby, and Weiss.

"Firstly I'm glad you found something you're passionate about, and secondly… ask Weiss, she's the one that dragged us out here…" Nova said ruffling the girl's hair.

It was afternoon now, Luna had spent the majority of her time with Elain in the lab and Weiss thought it would be a good idea to drag her away from the fun.

Nova, on the other hand, was just stressed out, with all the crazy stuff going on he was beginning to get a migraine from all the scheming and planning. Any excuse to not be doing that was welcome.

"You'll see…. Oh, look, the ship's arriving!" Weiss said as she suddenly picked up a running start, heading toward the airship landing zone.

A large Atlassian bullhead pulled up and out came a conglomeration of soldiers, most of them arriving as extra security, probably called in by Ozpin, but, soldiers weren't the only persons on that ship.

Striding proudly with her head aloof was the one and only Winter Schnee, looking just as prim and proper as the day she first met them.

"WINTER!" Weiss practically gushed as she ran up to greet her sister, followed by the others. "It's so good to see you! I mean… your presence honours us." Weiss curtsied. Nova rolled his eyes.

"Sister, friends of my sister… how… pleasant to see you…" She said with the word pleasant-sounding anything but its meaning.

Nova chuckled, "Ice queen, you're looking good. Haven't seen you since the Breach, you didn't even come to check up on us, I thought we were friends?" he said in mock emotional hurt.

Winter grimaced, "Need I remind you that I am an Atlas Specialist and a professional Huntress. I'd suggest you address me accordingly."

Nova snickered, and leaned to Ruby, "That's her way of saying it's nice to see we're okay." The red leader and Luna also chuckled.

Weiss punched all three of them and they all comically fell over. "Please don't mind my rude friends, they're just glad to see you as much as I am."

"Indeed…" Winter stuck her nose in the air but there was a hint of embarrassment on her features that only the emotionally attuned could detect.

"Come on Winter, you can drop the icy charade, you make Weiss-cream look like molten lava, I know what you're really like." Nova smiled with a quirked eyebrow.

The specialist glanced around at the number of Atlassian soldiers, then back at him and raised her own eyebrow in question.

"Oh right… business." Nova realized she had to act as properly as possible when in the face of her subordinates.

"So… what brings you to Beacon? The festival?" Weiss asked curiously, and overly cheery, no doubt trying to butter up to her idol.

"Classified." Came the short and swift reply.

"And how long will you be staying?"

"Classified."

Luna groaned, "Of course it is…"

"Well… this has been fun…" Ruby said awkwardly.

Winter opted to move but one of the soldiers also followed. She turned around and held up her hand, "Leave us."

The soldier nodded and it was understood that from here on out things would be 'off-record' so to speak.

"Why don't you take me to your quarters? I'd like to catch up," She gave a light smile that barely looked above her normal frosty exterior.

Weiss looked practically bursting with happiness, "OH! WONDERFUL! Follow me!" She said and began marching forward. Nova, Ruby, and Luna looked at each other and shrugged, deciding to follow.


As they were moving onward, there was a distinct sound of crushing metal and sparking circuitry. The party instantly stopped moving and turned around to see none other than Qrow Branwen holding up a decapitated android soldier.

Nova, Luna, and Ruby all looked positively elated, and then there were the Schnee siblings, looking mortified.

"HEY ICE QUEEN!" Qrow called out slurring. "I'm talking to you!" He tossed the robot's head at Winter's feet.

The elder Schnee looked positively livid, grabbing onto here saber and marching forward. All soldiers had their weapons trained on Qrow.

"Saw your gaudy ship in town… figured you might be here." He slurred again, wobbling on his feet and squinting.

"I'm standing right before you." She responded coldly.

Qrow leaned over and narrowed his eyes, "So it would seem…"

"You do realize you just destroyed Atlas Military Property…" she glowered.

Qrow looked around and faked a guilty expression, "Ohhh… I'm sorry. I mistook these for some sentient garbage."

"I don't have time for your immature games Qrow." Winter walked up and stared him down.

"Wait you two know each other?" Weiss was confused.

Ruby, Nova and Luna looked on from the sidelines, "Oh this out to be good…" Nova said side leaning to the two girls. "How does Uncle Qrow know Ice queen anyway?"

Luna pondered for a moment, "Well... they are professional huntsmen, both working for their kingdoms and top of their class, I'd be surprised if they didn't know each other." she said waving her hand around, gesturing between the two.

"Geez you Atlas Specialists think you're so special, don't you… you know what you really are? A buncha sell outs! Just like your boss…" He said looking rather angry.

"I don't know what you think you're implying but I've heard enough."

Qrow smirked, finally getting under her skin, "See I heard Ironwood finally turned his back on Ozpin…"

"Ozpin? What's he talking about?" Weiss was again caught confused. Winter just pushed her back.

"Weiss you should step back, I'll handle this… If you have any shred of dignity I'd suggest you hold your tongue... or I'll remove it for you.." Winter glowered at Qrow.

"Oooooo" Came the simultaneous sound of the trio in the backline.

Qrow smirked, "Come take it then."

"Was that a taunt or a flirt?" Nova asked his sister and girlfriend.

"Both?" Ruby answered, quite unsure.


Winter drew her saber and rushed him with blinding speeds, and the drunk Qrow just effortlessly dodged everything with mock grace.

He blocked her head strike with his blade and drew it on her, swiping horizontally with fury while Winter gracefully backflipped to dodge all of them.

"Oh shit, he's already started…" A new voice said pulling up alongside the teens. The quartet turned to see Randolf Wulf looking rather annoyed and his glasses off.

"Mas… Uncle Randolf, you're back!… What's the old man doing? Egging on Frosty the snow-woman?" Nova asked folding his arms.

The older man huffed, "I left to pick up your uncle only to find him lounging on the beach on some tropical country off the coast of Vale. Said he'd finished his mission early… we were supposed to be back yesterday."

"And why weren't you? You missed our first match!" Luna berated, lightly hitting him.

"He… may or may not have used strong persuasive methods to let him stay another day, saying he wasn't done investigating the town."

"And by investigation, he meant drink the local bar dry of all its liquor?" Nova opted, piecing it together.

Randolf sulked, "I'm ashamed of myself… At the very least we did get to see your match on tv… you did pretty well out there."

Nova snorted, "If by pretty well you mean emotionally distressed, then yes, we did fine…"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'll explain later…"


Winter and Qrow were now duking it out from the top of Beacon's cross-building hallways. Eventually, Winter had gotten tired of playing nice and swapped her saber to dual sword mode, now dangerously clashing with Qrow in the courtyard, just in front of the teens.

The quartet's eyes darted back and forth between Qrow and Winter going at it from all angles.

"She's really not holding back is she?" Luna pointed out as Winter used the signature Schnee family semblance to launch her self in a flying attack to which Qrow easily blocked.

"Yeah but Qrow certainly is…" Nova said bringing attention to the fact that Qrow still wasn't using scythe form.

"My money's on Qrow…" Randolf said making everyone stare at him incredulously.

"Aren't you supposed to be the voice of reason?" Weiss asked looking appalled.

Wulf quirked his eyebrow, "I said nothing of the sort. DEFROST THAT BITCH QROW!" he yelled making Nov and Luna fall over comically.

Weiss was flustered, " TEACH HIM SOME MANNERS WINTER!"

"KICK HER BUTT UNCLE QROW!" Came Luna and Ruby.

Nova refused to take part in this.

Winter readied her semblance to fire off living ice, and Qrow clicked the gears in Harbinger, ready to swap it to scythe form until he noticed something behind Winter. Instead, he unclicked the gear and sheathed his blade much to everyone's bafflement.

He made a mock bow and gestured with his hands to 'bring it on'. To which Winter gladly obliged, rushing forward with her saber aimed right at him, stopping mere inches from his neck when a loud "STOP!" echoed.

Winter froze, more than she already was, and slowly turned around to see Ironwood and Penny closely behind.

She instantly straightened herself, "Sir!"

"Specialist Schnee, what is the meaning of this?" He asked angrily.

"Sir! He started the altercation."

"Not true, she swung first," Qrow said with a smug look.

"Is that true?" Ironwood was livid.

"I…"

"Alright enough is enough everyone… There's a sanctioned fight just around the corner in our colosseum, with better seats… and popcorn." Came the voice of Ozpin entering the scene and dissipating the fight.

Ironwood huffed, "Let's go…." He said gesturing for everyone to walk off. Penny gave the brightest smile in the world and waved to her friends.

Ruby and Nova happily waved back since they were the only ones who really knew her, Ruby more so than Nova.


-Amity Colosseum, after dark-

It was dark at night now, most people were inside the colosseum watching the last of the team battles. Security was tight, but nothing warranted too much concern for the members of Cinder's team as they lurked around the back spaces. Emerald and Mercury constantly on alert, trying to find breach points in the massive stadium. The moved with stealth and precision, being careful not to alert unwanted attention yet simultaneously being aware of all of their surroundings. It came as a complete shock when they bypassed a pair of persons sitting on the rails along their path.

"Our Queen sends her regards…" the ominous voice of Thorian says from his perch atop the outer rails of Amity Colosseum.

The team spun around to see him and Gale sitting comfortably on the rails that separated them from the sheer drop to the ground below as if the thought of plummeting thousands of feet to certain death was entertaining.

"Who're you?" Emerald asked aggressively, her eyes narrowed as she stared down the two of them, prepared to enact combat should the need arise.

Gale chuckled, "Is that any way to treat your comrades? Well… I guess in our business loyalty is a matter of perspective."

Emerald, Mercury, and Neo looked rather confused, their expressions warranting amused looks on the two men's faces. Cinder motioned them to leave, "Leave us, I'll find you later." They reluctantly complied.

"I see they aren't aware… well, it's not my place to tell, even though I could go all night about the wonders of our queen." Thorian said with a sly disposition, earning a death glare from Cinder.

"Stuff it Callows, you and your brother are both crazy. Spare me the theatrics and tell me why you two are here? I have this under control." Cinder seethed. She despised Thorian Callus, or rather Callows, as was his real name. Both brothers were deranged and psychotic, so far gone she'd feel more comfortable talking to a war criminal.

Thorian feigned hurt, but laughed madly after, "If you call knowing the glory of our queen madness, then yes… Tyrian and I are both crazy."

"Our Queen thought you'd need backup once all hell breaks loose here. Not to keep you in check but rather… to monitor your… other reinforcements." Gale said leaning backward until it looked like he was practically falling off the railing.

"What other back up are you referring to?" she asked now feeling a twinge of murderous intent in her brain. Her patience was wearing thin.

Thorian made a look of fake shock, "What? Were you not aware? Your so-called business partner, that flea-bitten sorry excuse for an Ursa, sent his own team in as well… I believe you are familiar with the members of Team BLDE (Blade)?"

Cinder's eyes widened, "They're here too?" She wanted to curse herself for not thinking about it. Onyx wasn't exactly one to trust humans to do his job, he always had his special operatives tailing them on any mission. In short… she should've seen this coming a mile away.

Team BLADE, minus Adam Taurus, was the perfect infiltration for this tournament since every member was a ghost to the world. No one knew who they looked like and they were never caught. Their names never show up under any criminal records and they could just as easily slip away before things got… messy. They were good at what they did after all, that she could not deny.

If they were here then it just meant their plans would go even smoother, and the fact that she couldn't find any reason to push them away made her furious.

"Alright, what's your plan?" Cinder asked calming herself down.

"Observation. We only act if necessary or if asked. We've used our… connection on the inside… to wipe our evidence from the records. Thorian and I were never here. On the other hand, we did gain some interesting information on our resident lizard problem." Gale looked amused.

"And that is…?"

"We've field-tested their powers, the little girl is still a mystery… but the boy… he's got the serum in him." The golden-eyed boy said with a little laugh. "His powers are a threat to be sure… but it's no longer just heat, he can manifest fire… you know what that means correct?"

Cinder was piecing it together, she smiled devilishly, "That's music to my ears…" if he controlled fire, then her Maiden powers could potentially override his control. In theory, she might be the only one who could stop him.

Thorian chuckled, "At the end of the day, you're here to sew the seeds of fear and panic. We're here to guide those seeds so they break open the shell from the inside. BLDE's job is to eliminate as many threats as possible to ensure the smoothest of operations."

"And one more thing." The blue-haired one said earning a look from Cinder. "We believe the Flarehearts are going to 'reveal themselves' so to speak in one of their upcoming fights… most likely the doubles round. The resurrection of the Dragon family might spark a large mix of both hatred and joy in the Faunus population. Either way… there'll be a lot of chaos."

Cinder smiled devilishly, "It's like they're working for us and they don't even know it… If they keep this up I might have to start paying them."


-Beacon Academy Infirmary-

Krome woke up, groggy and in pain. His head felt like it was smashed in with a hammer and his body felt like it'd been passed through a pile driver. He glanced around, trying to understand where he was. Considering his last fight, combined with the multiple medical equipment, this place must be the infirmary.

"Oh, you're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border right?" A voice said through his hazy mind. He saw a woman with a mess of wild blue and orange hair staring at him and he had to shake his head to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"Excuse me?" He asked disoriented, shaking his head to rid himself of any hallucinations.

"I asked if you were okay. Feeling any pain? That last fight looked pretty rough." Elain scanned his features for any sign of pain.

"Oh… that's what I thought you said… Yeah, I'm fine where's…" He was about to ask where Ragnar was when the door bust in revealing the black fox.

"Krome! Thank Oum you're alright… when those two shit stains tossed us out of the arena, your aura was already low so your head took a bad hit. I was worried…" Ragnar hugged his friend.

The macaw-Faunus winced as the fox accidentally squeezed his wings, "I'm okay but can you like, not crush my wings?"

"Oh right sorry…" Ragnar instantly released his friend with embarrassment.

"Your allies… Thorian and Gale, I believe were their names correct?" Elain asked bringing back their attention.

"Yes, how did you… Oh, you must've looked at our team record right?" Ragnar looked annoyed.

Elain's brow crinkled, "No… your records are blank, only your names show up and even then it's just basic information. I have no idea who your teammates were… nor would anyone else."

The two looked shocked, "But then how…" came Krome.

"Because I happen to know some people who are familiar with the two in question. How they managed to slip through our securities and change their record is beyond me…"

"You're not just a doctor are you?" Krome looked skeptical.

Elain nodded, "Indeed, I work for Beacon, now… tell me everything about those two." She interrogated.

The two looked at each other and then back at her. "There's not much to tell, Atlas apparently needed a second team to fill a spot, we were roped in with those two as a makeshift team. We'd never actually met them before a few weeks ago, we didn't even know what they looked like…" Ragnar explained and Krome nodded in agreement.

Elain was intrigued, "Interesting… is there anything else? Who issued the command for the team's formation?"

Both faces were a complete blank, "Sorry Doctor… we have no idea. It wasn't the General and as far as we know… it was just an order from the administration." Krome said.

Elain sighed, it was useless. These two kids were just victims of circumstance. "My apologies for the interrogation, it was mandatory. The two members of your team, Thorian, and Gale, were wanted criminals by Mistral. We don't know how they managed to get into your system, but we are working on tracking them down."

She reached over and grabbed both of them by the shoulder, using her semblance to remove any minor residual injuries they may have had.

"What was that?" Krome asked, his disorientation now completely gone and his wings and muscles feeling good as new.

"Think of it as compensation. My son and his team did quite the number on you." She smiled.

"Son?" Ragnar questioned but it went unanswered when they were ushered out of the door leaving them confused.

"So what now?" Krome asked his partner.

"I guess we stay and watch the rest of the matches until Atlas issues transport for us. In the meantime maybe we can help find those two?" Ragnar offered.

Krome smiled and pounded his fist into his palm, "Yeah, I'd say we have a few bones to pick…"


The plot continues to thicken and Nova might find himself digging deeper into the rabbit hole than intended.

Chapter 33 is already in the works so hopefully I get that finished soon.