Chapter 57
"This is all fabricated, I assure you!" Jacques shouted as General Ironwood read through the documents. Clover was blocking Jacques from trying to grab the documents as the military General's eyes continued to roam the pages. Many guests had been moved outside by the bodyguards, as well as a few Atlesian soldiers the General had called in, but some still remained to watch the unfolding spectacle alongside the staff.
"It's over, Jacques," Blake said, a wide grin on her face as she watched her biggest dreams come true right before her eyes. "All the injustice you put so many people through - my people and your people alike - is over."
"Silence!" Jacques spat at Blake before he turned back to the General, attempting to remain calm but failing miserably. "James, you can't possibly believe I could do all of this! A-alright, so some of those reports had me cutting corners, but they were necessary and completely legal, and the ones involving deaths were done without my supervision! I can give you all the information you'd need for those responsible!"
I was furious at what Jacques was doing. Despite all the evidence against him, he still tried to throw everyone else under the bus for even a chance to get away with it. It disgusted me, and no doubt everyone else that was watching. I'm pretty sure I saw a scroll or two, which actually helped calm some of the tension I was beginning to feel. If these videos spread, then anyone who had more dirt on Jacques should come forward, and any allies Jacques had would see how he didn't hesitate to potentially ruin them.
Whitley was near the back, utterly confused and horrified at what his father was being accused of. He had always seen his father as invincible with all the power that he held. He'd always come out looking better than before when he'd been under fire for similar accusations, so seeing him looking genuinely scared…
Finally, General Ironwood snapped the document folder shut - both disgusted and delighted at what he'd just read- disgusted by the contents of the documents, and delighted at what he was now legally allowed and obligated to do. "Clover, please restrain Mister Schnee and take him outside. I already have an airship on the way," General Ironwood said, nodding to the Ace-Ops leader as the Schnee CEO squawked in indignation.
Clover was quick to comply with the order, twisting the man's arms behind his back and locking them in place with cuffs, having prepared himself for so long, just for this satisfying moment. He didn't even hide the fact that this was likely planned, and that made me smile.
"Unhand me, you barbarian! Don't you know who I am?!" Jacques shouted at Clover, unsuccessfully trying to escape the specialist's grasp before staring at his ever so hated wife. "Willow, how could you betray me like this? After everything I provided for you and this family!"
"The only thing you ever provided was the need for me to drown myself as you manipulated our children into your own image!" Willow growled before she looked away, Winter resting a hand on her mother's shoulder. "I should have done this earlier - I've been so frightened over nothing..."
"You're under arrest for multiple counts of variable negligence and the withholding of official records - as well as the second hand deaths of countless citizens around Remnant. You have the right to an attorney-" Clover said as he led the struggling Jacques through the grand hall and towards the door, with others following behind.
Jacques was led out of the hall and outside the mansion, in front of the rest of the guests. Every eye quickly landed on the scene, and shocked gasps and numerous whisper's ran throughout the area, as everyone wondered what was going on.
"Father?!" Whitley cried from the sidelines as he tried to rush over, finally realizing that his dad was being taken away.
"Whitley! Whatever they tell you, don't believe them! I'm leaving all my resources to you, get all of my lawyers immediately!" Jacques yelled as he was taken further and further away from his heir. "You will regret this! I'll have you buried!" His meaningless threats and yells faded as he was taken further and further away.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Whitley hissed at us, as his father was led out down the driveway, towards the main road where a police airship was hovering. He tried to run after him before he was blocked by his mother and Winter. Before he could say anything else, Weiss stopped him, grasping his arm.
"Let go of me!" he snapped.
"You'll only get taken away as well," Weiss warned.
"For what?!" Whitley continued to shout as he wretched his arm free from her grasp. "This is all your doing, isn't it?" he snarled. "Upset at the fact that you're no longer heiress, so you have to throw your toys out the cot!"
"I couldn't care less about the position of heiress," Weiss responded, sounding frustrated with her brother as she clenched her fists. "That man's done a lot of terrible things, and now he'll finally be punished for them."
"He's still your father!" Whitley yelled back.
"Who never treated us like any true family!" Weiss growled back before Blake gripped her shoulder. Weiss calmed down and sighed, as Whitley wheeled around at the still gathered guests and servant's.
"Everyone get out! Guard's!" He shouted, turning to the various men stationed around the room. "If anyone is still here within the next five minutes, arrest them!"
The rest of the room continued to watch the spectacle. Many were still trying to understand what the hell was going on, while others had their scrolls out and recording, but with the threat in the air, the crowd began to move. Many servants choose to leave with the guest's.
"And that includes you!" Whitley shouted at our group, the rest of the Schnees in particular, his rage reaching near nuclear proportions, face red and body shaking. "You don't want to be a part of this family so badly?! Then fuck off!"
Whitley quickly stormed off, leaving the rest of us utterly dumbfounded at the sheer intensity of his rage. Blake and I were left wincing from the volume, his sisters could only gape at his retreating form, and Willow had collapsed completely, sobbing.
General Ironwood was quick to leave with Clover, but when Winter tried to accompany him, he stopped her - a hand on her shoulder as he exchanged words with the Atlesian specialist. When she nodded, Ironwood boarded the ship as Winter turned back to rejoin us. The General must have insisted that she stay and help sort out the situation with her family - probably making it a direct order.
"What now?" I asked, as I tried to help up and comfort the grief stricken mother.
"He was given all his father's power, and those guards seem like they intend to carry out his orders." Blake said, as she eyed said guards, more slowly filling into the room as they ushered any stragglers out. Those that weren't, held weapon's at the ready. "I say we get out of here, we got what we came for."
"No." Weiss said with finality in her voice. "You guys can go, but I need to…I need to at least do something."
"I can't either," Winter added. "I want to help Whitley, our brother, to see Jacques for the man he really is. Maybe I can get some more evidence against him. I doubt he will simply listen to us."
"The guard won't be an issue," She said as she glowered at one approaching us, causing him to falter before he turned toward another group. "They may be loyal to his money, but not him. They won't risk the wrath of the military."
"Alright, just give us a call if you need us," I said as I began to leave with Blake, stopping to help Willow to her feet.
"I need to stay here," Willow said as she pushed off me, for the second time that night, and faced her retreating daughters. "It's my fault that I let this go on for as long as it has, I need to take responsibility. And if he hates me then so be it, as long as all of you are happy."
Willow gave her best attempt at a grin, despite how watery it came out from her previous crying. Weiss couldn't help but feel happy at seeing her mother trying so hard, the mother that she'd always hoped would come back.
"Let's bring him back," Weiss said as she linked her arm with her mother, leading the way up the stairs to find Whitley. Winter smiled at the scene as she followed close behind. Being the oldest, she got to experience the most of her mother's love before her father ruined everything, so she was more than willing to allow Weiss to experience all the love she'd missed.
They unfortunately didn't know where he was exactly, only the general direction. So they went from room to room, keeping an eye out for their brother/son. One of the first rooms they had checked was his bedroom, his supposed haven from the rest of the house, but it was left untouched. His room was clean and bare bones, looking more like a hotel room if it wasn't for the office set up in it, various documents strewn about the desk.
"It looks more like an employee lived here than a child," Weiss muttered, as she looked around the room that was so different compared to her own, also being the first time she'd ever been inside it. How many times had she and Winter stayed and had fun in each other's rooms?
"It seems father had him running one of the smaller mines," she said as she looked over the paperwork. "Even he delegates most of the work to others, so how did he expect Whitley to do this and his regular studies?" The next lead they'd come across was actually Willow's bedroom, with the door being left wide open. Now while Willow was sure she could have done that when she'd left to get Jacques arrested, she was still tipsy after all, she knew she would have left it such a mess.
A mess would be an understatement, Weiss couldn't help but think, but it wasn't because her mother had been a slob. The place was absolutely torn apart. Drawers opened and contents dumped, the bookshelf empty of book's, with said books opened and pages torn. What caught Willow's attention however was the opened secret compartment she had put inside a wall, and covered by a painting. "He found the copies," she said as she walked over.
"Copies? Copies of what?" Weiss asked as she surveyed the destruction. She understood her brother's anger but she couldn't help but think that he was taking things rather too far with this.
"I made copies of the evidence against your father in case anything ever happened to the original. It wouldn't do for me to finally work up the courage to call him out, just for him to destroy everything I had against him." Willow said with a sardonic laugh at the end.
With nothing else to see, the group continued their search. They had been at it for a while now, and Weiss was beginning to worry that they'd never find him. That was until they came upon Jacques office, and spotted two guards standing outside. Only one reason they'd be there.
"Step aside, you are no longer needed here," Winter said as they approached, with every bit of her inner drill Sergeant. The two hesitated to follow the order, with the younger of them even taking a step forward to stop them.
He thought better of it however when Winter pierced him with a frigid gaze.
"Don't." She simply said.
That was enough for the two guards as they backed off disgruntledly. "We don't get paid enough for this..." One of them muttered. Satisfied with her work, Winter turned back to the door, as Weiss began knocking on it.
"Whitley we know you're in there," She said, as she continued to knock. "Please let us in. We just want to talk."
Weiss received no response, and continued attempts were proving futile.
"Fine, be that way." Weiss said, as she took a step back, before pointing at the doorknob with her hand. Honestly, why hadn't she just done this first? Unlocking and forcing open the door should be an easy feat-
The door flew back and landed in the middle of the room, the glyph in the center of it rapidly fading as the door shattered.
There was silence as Weiss and the other two stared at the door. She'd intended to unlock the door like she had done when she escaped, destroying it was overkill.
"We need to work on your control Weiss," Winter said, as her sister blushed and ducked her head, before quickly entering the room to prevent any further embarrassment.
"The door was blackwood...do you know how expensive that is?" A droning voice greeted them.
Seated at their father's desk was Whitley. A folder similar to the one given to the General open before him, alongside a very expensive looking bottle of bourbon. A suspiciously empty bottle, Weiss noted, as she spotted the glass in her brother's hand.
"You're too young to be drinking," Winter said, a harsh look directed at her brother.
"I almost understand why our dear mother loved to drown herself in the stuff," Whitley said, as he ignored his sister, and instead focused on the swirling liquid in his glass.
"Whitley I know you're upset, but this isn't the answer," Weiss tried to get through to Whitley, slowly approaching him.
"Really Weiss? And what gave that away?" Whitley asked in a mocking surprised voice.
Winter was getting tired of this. What's done was done, her brother needed to grow up and stop being such a child. They'd all had to suffer through being a part of this family. He wasn't some special snowflake.
"Incase you haven't noticed we have Grimm trying to invade Atlas as we speak!" Winter said angrily as she marched up to the desk. "We need this dust to defend it, to protect everyone-"
"AND WHAT ABOUT ME?!" Whitley exploded, as he threw the glass in his hand at Winter. She dodged out the way, causing it to hit the wall behind her instead. Her eyes hardened in anger, but they tensed when she saw the raw blizzard in Whitley's. "You all care so much for other people, you've completely forgotten about me!"
"That's not true Whitley-" Willow tried to interject.
"You are the last person I want to hear that from!" Whitley rounded on her, causing her to freeze alongside her daughter's, who didn't know what to do. "You haven't raised me since I was five. You were so caught up in your own grief that you abandoned your children!"
Willow felt what little resolve she'd built up thanks to Markus crumble even further. Oh gods what had she done? He was completely right, and yet she still dared to hope that they could be a happy family if only Jacques was gone. But she knew for certain now, everything was her fault.
"That's our mother-"
"She isn't my mother!" Whitley rounded on Weiss. Forcing her back, because the anger reminded her so much of Jacques.
That had been the last straw for Winter however, as she covered the last bit of distance between themselves and decked Whitley in the face, holding back at the last second just enough to not break anything.
Whitley's body stumbled back much farther than Winter had intended, before it quickly came in contact with the bookshelf and then the floor, causing him to groan in pain. "Winter!" Weiss screamed, horrified as she held back an equally horrified Winter.
Willow could only stare, her mind being unable to process everything after what her son had shouted. It was all too much, she needed a drink - no. Alcohol was what started all of this. With a shake of her head, she clenched her fists: this was something that she needed to handle with no help from a bottle.
Whitley groaned, his face alight in pain, but the alcohol in his system numbed his senses to the point that it just felt like a dull ache. He was able to pick himself up and rest his body against the shelf, staring at his two siblings. "And you...aren't my sisters," Whitley huffed, his earlier anger vanishing, just leaving him feeling tired and empty.
"And you wonder why I call huntsmen barbaric..." He mumbled as he rubbed his aching face which began to slightly swell. "I always knew our father was a bad man, but what was I supposed to do? You two only cared about each other, Willow only cared about her bottle - even Klein didn't care about me as much as he did you, Weiss."
"That's..." Weiss tried to say before trailing off, because the fact was he was right for most of it. So instead she focused on putting ice on his face to help with the swelling. "Father wouldn't let Klein near you..." she muttered.
Whitley didn't even try to fight her off, too tired to care anymore. "So I did what I had to survive. I tried to become the best heir he could ever ask for. Hard working, diligent, obedient and even ruthless. I know it's not right, but it's all I had left. Father was all I had left," Whitley continued before giving a defeated laugh, a few tears leaving his eyes. "Yet no matter what I did, as soon as you came back, he wanted his little heiress."
"I'm sorry..." Weiss's voice broke, her own tears falling as she continued to hold the ice to his face.
"Why wasn't I enough, Weiss? Please just tell me...what am I doing wrong," Whitley fully cried now, his voice sounding like the little boy she had long forgotten. "Why did you leave me alone?"
Weiss just wrapped her arms around her little brother, crying her own tears as she tried to convey how much she loved him through the hug. Trying to tell him that he was enough, that it was never his fault, that someone did love him.
Willow continued to look on, her dormant motherly instincts telling her to go comfort her two babies. But no, she gave the right to call them her children long ago, her son confirmed as much.
Unfortunately her eldest didn't seem to get the memo, as she just grabbed her mother's hand and had her join the family hug, as Winter held her siblings. Willow didn't think she was deserving of it, but she held all her children all the same. She'd missed this feeling.
"We'll do better. We can be the family we've always wanted to be, but it'll take some work." Winter said once everyone had calmed down a bit, but didn't let go of the hug.
"What's the point?" Whitley mumbled, a dead look in his eyes, even if he was enjoying the hug that blanketed him. It felt warm compared to everything else in the Mansion, though he would never admit it. "Father may be gone, there's no way his lawyers can save him, but words are already spreading. Workers are leaving as we speak and our stocks are at an all time low…"
"Just take what you need and go. The SDC likely won't recover anyways," Whitley whispered as Winter gently rubbed a finger over the injured spot from her blow. Her face looked contorted, as if she were about to cry.
"And what about you?" Weiss asked, still holding him tight.
"I'll stay here. Whatever happens after that…"
"No. We're not leaving you here," Weiss denied immediately. She knew by the look in his eyes that if she did that, she'd likely never see her brother ever again. She was not going to lose him.
"Neither am I," Winter said. "We need each other, now more than ever."
Whitely didn't argue or try to fight the decision. Right now he was too tired to care, and his head was becoming far too fuzzy. He was betting on it being because of the alcohol, but a concussion was just as likely.
Nothing more was said for now - the hug spoke volumes.
- a few hours later: Atlas dormitories -
Blake and I walked down the hall to our dorms, still wearing our formal outfits. "Look, I know Weiss will be fine," Blake said. "She's Weiss - stubborn as always."
"Yeah. Still...family has always been a sore topic for her. I mean, they're free from that jackass now, but that's a lot of bad history," I said. "I just...I want to know she'll be alright."
Blake smiled. "She'll be alright," she said before frowning. "I'm sorry if this is a rough topic right about now. Your family..."
"Is gone," I said as I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Nothing more I can do about it. And...well...I don't think I'd wanna leave this place anyways. New life and whatnot."
Blake frowned. "That's kind of cold," she said.
"A lot better than just thinking of how much I wanna go home right about now," I mumbled. "Home is gone. I can't do much by wondering how much I miss it, or if I can go back. I'm dead in my home universe."
Blake looked down - frowning before she winced. Sighing, she looked back up at me. "Sorry for...earlier," she said. "About trust...and..."
"I forgive you," I said bluntly. "Can we not talk about it, it was rough for both of us-"
"No...no, I think we should. I should never have accused you of turning into another Adam...you've never turned on us, and I know you never will - I know that now," Blake said.
Markus may say he already forgave her, but she knew that was just him wanting to ignore the issue. She was the one that fucked up, she was freely admitting it. It was actually shocking in hindsight, seeing how much Adam actually scared her, even with him being dead.
I sighed as I rubbed my eyes. "Thanks, Blake," I said as we approached the dorm that team RWBY was staying in. "But I trust you already. I just don't want it to happen again."
"It won't, I promise," Blake said as she reached for the door. Before she could open it, however, it slammed open. Blake yelped as she was barreled over by a big furry shape, pinning her down on the hallway floor. I'd stumbled back in surprise as well, before I heard sniffing and the odd sounds of slurping.
Blake whined as she covered her face - her hands receiving the onslaught of Biscuit's licks and nuzzles. Ruby and Yang - in their Atlas Academy sleepwear - were peering out and eyeing the scene with amusement. It was surprising how large Biscuit was, he was probably most of Blake's height. Plus maybe heavier than Blake was. The fluffy dog looked healthier than ever - and I couldn't help but smile at that.
Biscuit looked up, before barking once and tackling me by using Blake as a launch pad. Soon, I was the one lying on the floor laughing and squirming as Biscuit licked me all over. Blake just scrambled into the room before Biscuit could go after her again.
After a few minutes of Biscuit crumpling the suit I was wearing and me getting slobbered, the doggo finally got off of me and bounded back into the room. I followed a moment after, brushing down my suit and closing the door behind me. When I turned around, I saw Blake on the top bunk - Biscuit trying to get to her. Yang and Ruby were goading Biscuit on, while Blake hissed down at the overly affectionate dog, crouched on all fours like the cat she'd always deny being.
"So, what did I miss?" I asked.
"Oh, Ruby just cuddled with Biscuit here for a few hours," Yang said as she reached over and rubbed at the sides of Biscuit's face. "Who's a good fluffy doggo, you are, yes you are!"
"You don't think Zwei is gonna be jealous, do you?" I remarked, crossing my arms and leaning on the wall near the door.
"Nah, Zwei tends to be super friendly," Yang said as Biscuit panted against Yang while she kept affectionately rubbing his face. "He and Biscuit would probably get along."
"Just think about it!" Ruby cried. "Me, Biscuit, and Zwei! Hugging! It'll be the best bed to exist EVER!"
"If he doesn't roll over and crush you in the process," I said.
"Hey! You callin' Biscuit fat?" Ruby gasped.
"No, we're calling you tiny," Yang said. Ruby squawked in anger before she turned away, pouting in indignation. Yang and I chuckled before Yang reached over and rubbed her little sister's head. "We love you, baby sister."
"I'm not a baby," Ruby grumbled
"What do you think, Blake?" I grinned playfully at the cat Faunus, who was currently in the furthurthest corner of her bed, eyes never leaving Biscuit. "Want to have a playdate with Zwei and Biscuit?"
"I'll make your life a living hell," Blake grumbled in response, and Ruby, Yang, and I chuckled at Blake's fury. For now at least, things seemed like they could get better. Weiss and her family had a rough journey ahead of them, but they would get through it together.
And once she got back - Weiss had her team and friends to call on for help.
- elsewhere in the Atlas military complex: the next morning -
"My legs have to be tired by now," Oscar whined, watching Ozpin use his body to patrol down another endless hallway.
"Of course they are, but you won't be feeling it," Ozpin remarked as he walked past a few soldiers. He was wearing an earpiece - which helped him keep in contact with Qrow and General Ironwood, but it also allowed him to talk to Oscar out loud without seeming suspicious or crazy at the least. "And this is a very important job."
"I know, Salem's forces are here. But nothing's happened. I thought there'd be alarms going off, or the shields going down, or..." Oscar muttered.
"People dying, I know. For now, I'm glad that isn't the case - it gives us the chance to locate the threat and subdue them before something goes wrong. Or eliminate them if necessary," Ozpin said. In his hand was Long Memory, tapping the floor with every second step he made as he used it as a cane, as he always did. On his belt were a few
"Yeah..." Oscar mumbled.
"Oscar, I know-" Ozpin began before Oscar cut him off.
"I know death is something I'll have to handle. Especially since it'll be my body doing it. I also know that I'll have to handle killing if it means saving lives," Oscar said. "It's just hard to think about."
"I understand," Ozpin said. "It may have been millennia ago, but I remember my first kill. It was...not pleasant."
"I know. I can see it," Oscar said, before the two fell silent. "Then there's that, the two of us merging together. I mean, I saw it happening before...but to actually feel it..."
"I'm sorry," Ozpin said. "I know it must be tough on you, but please know this was never something I wanted. I can only hope this can end soon...for both of us."
"So do...wait," Oscar said, and Ozpin froze in place at once. "Do you feel that?"
Aura. It was very faint, but it was there. In a section of the complex that housed no specialists.
"...indeed, I do," Ozpin whispered before he rushed down the hall towards a room with a locked door. Pressing the side of his head to the door, he heard a few things. Some of them were the sounds of shuffling and beeping, but the one thing that caught his attention was the grumbling barely heard above anything else.
Without a second thought, he pressed a few buttons on the keypad's door - a loud blaring of the small door computer filling the air in the hallway before the door slid open. At once, Ozpin stepped inside, Long Memory in his hand.
The room was a security room - two guards knocked out on the floor while someone stood in front of the many monitors on the wall, leaning on the consoles. That someone was a woman - a tall and very athletic looking woman. She had lightly tanned skin and short black hair, with a long dug-in scar from under her right eye to the back of her ear. She wore a black body suit that fit her a little too tightly, probably one or two sizes too small.
When the woman turned to face Ozpin/Oscar, they could see that she had dark blue eyes. "And who are you?" she asked. Her voice sounded rough, as if she'd been chewing and gulping down bullets for breakfast. In one hand was a sword - one of the standard issue weapons most Atlesian soldiers carried. There was no doubt about it - she was one of the infiltrators.
"And she managed to hide this long," Oscar said in Ozpin's head - or really in his own head.
"I'm here looking for some people who...don't belong," Ozpin said as he stepped to the side - walking around the edge of the room casually. "You don't happen to know any places I can look?"
"Hah, good luck, kid," the woman said as she turned back to the monitors - eyeing them with interest. "I dunno where I can look either. If you're looking for my pals, they split. They could be anywhere in this damn maze."
"I see," Ozpin said, piecing together what little he had to figure out this woman's angle. "I imagine you are part of Lacer's tribe."
The woman tensed up. "What'd you say?" she said, a hint of anger in her voice. Ozpin grinned - now wielding confirmation. Markus and Emerald being held prisoner in a tribe full of huntsmen level threats, Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart attacking them and Markus escaping with Emerald, it could only mean the recruitment of these people by Salem and her forces.
Perhaps that explained the lack of recruitment from the White Fang - Salem always did prefer quality over quantity. And he could see Salem viewing the White Fang below Atlas as a potential threat more than a potential ally - a few hundred people with plenty of heavy weapons, a faction that could possibly be directed against her and the Grimm, alongside the entirety of Atlas's military power already pointed in Salem's direction.
"I imagine Salem came to you and your group after my friends escaped your clutches," Ozpin said, swinging his cane casually as the woman took her eyes off the screens. "You must be part of her tribe - recruited by the Queen of the Grimm when her two assassins came to collect their targets. They escaped, but they were left with you."
"And what do you know, exactly?" the woman growled. It seemed she didn't like being reminded that the Grimm likely owned her right about now.
"I knew their leader. She was a student at Beacon, if I recall," Ozpin said, hearing the few pairs of handcuffs he had jingling on his belt. "It has been a long time."
"What do you mean 'knew'?" the woman demanded, properly standing up straight as she stared at Ozpin. "Just who are you, kid?"
Ozpin just grinned, but didn't answer. The woman barely saw him lunge before the cane connected with her lower gut.
All was silent at first, time seeming to freeze. Then alarms blared loudly moments later as the room literally exploded in an instant, Ozpin flying through the wall and another room into the hallway as the woman blasted out the other direction - monitors and plaster shattering everywhere as the blast kicked up plenty of smoke down both ends of the hallway. A voice on the intercom rang around the hallway as Ozpin groaned and tried to shake out the ringing in his ears.
"I didn't expect that," he grunted as he got up to his feet, brushing himself off. The woman was sprinting down the hall away from him, her body and hair covered in dust. He pressed his earpiece - grateful that it hadn't broken or flown off in the impact. "This is Ozpin, I located one of the infiltrators! She's making a run towards central command!" Ozpin said as he bolted after her, jumping over a few big chunks of broken wall.
"Already on it," Qrow said, as rapid-fire gunshots filled the air ahead. Ozpin looked to see a soldier fly into the ceiling while another was thrown into a room, the door breaking in the process. Two assault rifles lay on the floor.
"Uhh, are we gonna catch up?" Oscar asked, sounding worried.
"That blast knocked out almost a third of our aura," Ozpin said. "We don't know what semblance this woman has, but it's safe to say that it's defensive oriented. When we made an impact with her body, the blast came back just as strong."
"So she has a deflecting power?" Oscar croaked. "How do we deal with that?"
"For now, we keep our distance," Ozpin declared before he retracted Long Memory and holstered it. "And it's best to refrain from using any powerful attacks, especially since it could prove rather destructive against us and the building we're in."
"Then we can't do much," Oscar said.
"I didn't say that," Ozpin said before he accelerated down the hall, the alarms still going loudly. Luckily, he reached the end of the hall - which led to a larger and more open room - where the woman was trapped in the middle of.
One door on her left was blocked by three soldiers and a fourth armed with one of the new Atlas railguns. The door on her right had Clover and Harriet waiting for her to make a move. The door in front of her had Qrow Branwen, Harbinger in his hands. "Heya. What're you doing so far from home?" The seasoned veteran huntsman asked, adding a wink to enhance his 'roguish good looks', as he'd describe it.
Ozpin sighed before turning to see two more Atlesian soldiers behind him, also guarding the doorway he was currently standing in. The woman rolled her eyes before looking back in Ozpin's direction. "So, what now? Gonna rush me all at once?" she asked.
"If that's what it takes," Harriet said, and she knelt down - clearly ready to bolt at her.
"Wait!" Ozpin shouted. "Her semblance lets her deflect attack damage. It's likely she'll still lose aura - but any attacks you do to her will send just as much of that damage back at you."
"So what now?" one of the soldiers guarding the left door said.
"I say we gun her down - she can only take so many bullets," Harriet said. As a result, the soldiers raised their weapons, ready to open fire.
"Or, we can rush her, whittle her down. Small attacks that won't do too much against us, even if deflected. Bullets will probably fly back at us," Clover said.
"I think restraining her would be better in this case." Ozpin said, deciding to add in his own two lien.
"Are you really strategizing against me while I'm still here?" the woman said, smirking. She was looking confident now.
Qrow just grinned in response. "You really think it'll help you?" he asked. And he vanished. The woman's grin was gone now - as she whirled around in shock trying to find Qrow, before a whip of fast air sent her stumbling back. Qrow had reappeared beneath her, before he rammed Harbinger right into her gut.
The infiltrator slammed into the ceiling as Qrow was sent skidding back against the wall. Almost immediately, Clover acted - grappling the woman and quickly reeling her in. Swinging down, he slammed her into the floor and shattered the tiles with an ear deafening bang. Her aura flickered brightly, but she didn't even look fazed. It looked like she still had plenty to spare.
Clover had been left unscathed, unlike Qrow however, showing that her semblance was only able to defend against any direct attacks they sent at her. It seemed that Ozpin's plan was what they were going with.
"Assholes!" the woman barked before she ripped the fishing line off her midsection and leapt to her feet, dodging a swing from Qrow and a kick from Harriet before she leapt off of Qrow's cape clad back, rushing for the opening that Qrow had left open.
"Oh no you don't!" Harriet growled, tackling her with near blinding speed before the two tumbled into the wall. Soon, the two were a mess of limbs and yells as the two wrestled with each other on the floor, auras flickering.
"Catfight!" Qrow immaturely shouted before he lunged in there, grabbing the woman and impulsively headbutting her. Almost instantly, he stumbled back - clutching his head as the woman growled. "Agh, that hurt!"
Ozpin rolled his eyes before he rushed into the fray, jumping over Qrow and grabbing the opponent's leg with surprising strength. Harriet backflipped to her feet as the woman kicked at Ozpin. Quickly, Ozpin dodged and twisted his arm over - in an attempt to turn her onto her stomach.
"Hold!" Harriet shouted in the background, likely to the soldiers blocking the doorways. Clover immediately threw his line, grappling around the woman's arm and midsection. Her left arm was now locked, and the woman had Ozpin pinning both her legs down. However, she was still struggling like a rabid animal - likely realizing she really had no chance of escaping them.
"She's getting loose!" Ozpin grunted. "Can you hurry up?!"
"I got her-" Qrow tried again before he got a loose foot to the knee. "Agh, dammit!" he yelped, stumbling back. The woman must've used her semblance, enhancing that kick, because that had no right to hurt that much!
"Anyone helpful?!" Ozpin growled as he pinned said foot down. He was strong, but the woman was stronger - and no offense to Oscar, but he just didn't have that much strength to him. Farming tools and a few months of training had nothing on someone who was flailing wildly like a Beowolf.
"Almost got her!" the voice of a soldier said, his teeth sounding gritted. "Got her! Get clear!"
A beep caught the infiltrator's attention, and she stopped struggling and turned to see what was going on. The soldier with the railgun was aiming right at her, and she immediately braced when she heard the click of the trigger.
It did her no good. The boom alone sent Ozpin back as he jumped clear, and the impact sound was even more deadly.
The sound deafened everybody in the enclosed space, and the round impacting the woman turned the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room into smithereens as the loud boom sent Clover, Harriet, Ozpin, Qrow, and all the soldiers in the immediate area flying back into what was left of the walls or into the hallways. Once again, Ozpin found his vision filled with smoke and dust, as coughs and groans filling the air.
A minute passed as the dust cleared up - and Ozpin found standing on the now cracked and jagged concrete difficult. His eyes were teary, and his ears still rang as he coughed and choked. This was one of Atlas's new toys? What a terrifying weapon. When he could open his eyes without them stinging, what he saw made him sigh.
The woman lay on the floor, dug in a trench formed by her body. She was unconscious - judging by the subtle and gentle rise and fall of her chest, and her aura was finally depleted. Without missing a beat, Ozpin moved up and handcuffed her hands behind her back, securing her before she could wake up and have the chance to escape. As he did so, he realized that his aura was also utterly depleted.
"Finally," Qrow groaned as he sat up - a blanket of dust and pebbles raining off his body. Shaking his head, he coughed and brushed off his hair - wincing as even more dust rained down on them. "Pretty sure the ringing is gone now."
"Agh, ow, dammit," Harriet groaned, clutching her legs as she shook her ankles. "There's something in my shoe..." A few other soldiers walked in, likely there to investigate and assist in the situation. Two of them knelt immediately to help Harriet up. "I'm fine...just need a minute."
"Ugh," Clover coughed as he got up, leaning against the wall to prevent himself from falling over dizzily. He was the least injured among them however, if he had any at all. "Next time, I'd like that set to lower power, private."
The soldier with the railgun was peeled out of the wall by two more troops, bits of concrete pouring over his helmet and armor. "T-that was the lowest power setting, sir," the man said, shakily getting to his feet before he flopped to the ground, tiredly mumbling.
"Well then, let's be glad that wasn't at a higher power setting," Ozpin remarked as he dusted off his hands, feeling the vertigo finally drift away. "We'd likely end up killing our new guest. It would likely have a much messier result as well."
Clover dusted his arms off. "Right," he said. "Let's get her someplace else. Who knows if any of her buddies will try and break her out."
"And the mess, sir?" one soldier said, his helmet crooked and his armor dented. Looking around, Ozpin saw many of them had their armor damaged - it was probably the only thing that had saved them a trip to the infirmary from the backlash of the destructive weapon, as well as the impact between said destructive weapon and equally annoying semblance. Really, what made that soldier think firing such a weapon indoors and at a woman who could deflect damage, was a good idea?
Well, maybe it was the only thing they could do. It worked - at the cost of many concussions and probably tens of thousands of Lien in military property damage.
"I'll handle it," Clover said, frowning as some dust still drifted down from his hair. Looking to the new soldiers, he began to issue orders. "Let's move. I want a high security prison district open, and General Ironwood informed. Send a clean up crew as well." He turned to Ozpin as the soldiers barked off their affirmations - as hard as it was to hear them. "You alright?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Ozpin said as he stretched his arms. Looking down at the downed woman, he sighed as Clover walked in front of the woman, looking down at her with disdain. "Shall we?"
- Schnee Manor: an hour later -
I finally stepped out of the taxi - having spent a few hours in busy morning traffic in the overcrowded city of Atlas. Weiss hadn't returned to the dorm, and it was at late midnight last night when we got the text that Weiss would be staying with her family for a while.
I walked into the large and empty manor, wearing jeans and a hoodie as he saw Klein Sieben approach me. "Ah, you must be Mister Onissa!" he said cheerfully, his eyes yellow. "I'm so very glad to see one of Weiss's young friends."
"Nice to meet you too," I said, reaching out a hand and shaking Klein's hand when he grasped mine with his. "I hear you're the one who raised Weiss."
"Oh, that's not true at all," Klein said, his eyes going pink at the praise. "Weiss is a powerful and independent young woman, after all."
"But she had a shitty childhood. And from what I hear from her, she has you to thank for her getting this far," I said. "Unlike her piece of shit dad."
"Ah, Jacques," Klein said. "I can't help but admit how glad I was to see him get locked away in the news this morning."
"You should've been there in person," I said, and the two of us chuckled. "So, how're Weiss and the others doing?"
Klein sighed. "They're doing alright," he said. "I hear they had plenty of heart to hearts, and it appears that things are slowly healing between them."
"But?" I asked.
"Slow is the keyword. Young Master Whitley still doesn't trust his sisters or Miss Willow," Klein said sadly. "They wish to not be disturbed, if that's alright."
"That's cool. I was just wondering...well..." I said. "About the Dust. The reason for us attending that party last night had to do with us getting that Dust to power the shields."
"I see," Klein said. "And I imagine Jacques's arrest was not planned?"
"Nope. I...may have accidentally got Willow to do that," I said. "It's a long story."
"Indeed," Klein said as he smiled to himself before he looked back at me. "Well, I suppose I could assist you in this matter. Master Whitley gave me operational control of the Schnee Dust Company's assets while he reconnects with his family. He rehired me as an emergency executive in the meantime, and I do know a thing or two about business transactions. Now, if you'll follow me..."
I did so, following the ex-butler to Jacques's office. The only change I saw was that Jacques's painting was now gone. Klein opened the computer and began to type before smiling.
"Alright, I've pulled up a list of the assets available for use," Klein said as he turned the holographic monitor to face me. There were a few things I didn't recognize, but the first things I saw were 250,000 tons of unrefined Dust crystals and 185,500 tons of conduit capable Dust. I imagine conduit capable Dust was Dust that could be transferred directly to power.
"Alright. So we can get this sent to the shields?" I asked.
"Not necessarily," Klein said as he turned the monitor back around. "The crystals are unable to be transferred as power - it takes months for them to be refined for such a use. I'm afraid these won't be useful for what you need, not right now. There is also another issue."
I frowned. "What is it?" I asked, and Klein responded by bringing up files.
"These are requests by the cities for more Dust to feed their power grid. Ever since Mantle and Atlas were joined on one floating rock, the draw for Dust has gone up more than 650 percent. If it continues for another month, I imagine the results would be catastrophic," I said.
So it was an either or situation. "The shields already can't last a bit over a month. Can we split the Dust?" I asked. "We just need to last a few more months."
"There's barely enough refined Dust to last one or the other more than two months, I'm afraid. No matter how evenly you divide the assets, I'm afraid, supplying both won't last nearly long enough," Klein said. "As one entire set of shipments to one or the other, they'll last a few months more. But only for one of them, and for barely long enough."
I grit my teeth - a whole nother dilemma in my hands. "Great..." I mumbled. On one hand, powering the shields meant protecting Atlas - but leaving the populace to panic when the power eventually died out. On the other hand, powering the city would protect the people from panic, at the cost of the shields dying out and leaving the entire kingdom open to a full-on assault from Salem's Grimm.
Both risked Atlas and the people heavily. Even worse, there was much less usable Dust than we had planned. I didn't know which outcome was worse - and the last thing I wanted was to make a decision as heavy as this. Plus, there was still Cinder to worry about.
So I found myself with only one thing left to do.
I pulled out my scroll. "Mind if I call someone?" I asked. At Klein's nod, I immediately pulled out General Ironwood's contact information and let it ring.
If anyone was prepared and able to make this decision, it was him.