I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

Coup d'Etat

Fox watched the guards as they patrolled in front of the door. They were better at their jobs than the Vale branch. Not surprising considering the difference of importance between a semi-hidden Vale hideout and the headquarters for the entire White Fang. After several minutes, he turned back to Ava and Wulfe.

"Okay," Fox said. "It's time for them to change over. Everyone ready?"

Ava and Wulfe nodded. Fox turned back to the guards, watching two more walk out, replacing the first two, who walked back into the building. Fox stepped out of the trees, walking calmly toward the pair. They turned toward him and he continued walking, ears standing tall and tail swishing behind him as he walked. However, as he got close, they pointe their spears at him and he stopped.

"You've come to the wrong place, Fox Winters," one of the guards said. "Arctic foxes are rare, which makes you easy to recognize. And there's a price on your head."

"And who put it there, I wonder?" Fox asked. "Sienna Khan? Or Adam Taurus?"

The guard glared at him through his mask's eyeholes for a moment before both stabbed at him. Fox dropped under the spears, standing and sweeping them aside before stepping forward and slamming a reverse chop into one's throat, crushing his wind pipe before spinning and drilling a fist into the other's jaw, dropping him. As soon as he was on the ground, Fox grabbed his head and twisted sharply. Then, he dragged both into the bushes where he and Wolf pulled the uniforms on over their clothes, placing handcuffs loosely on Ava's wrists and walking her into the building. As they walked, they passed several guards, all of whom flashed predatory grins at Ava, their heads following their eyes on a completely undisguised trail up her body. Each time they did, Fox and Wulfe both fought the urge to kill the person for it. Finally, they reached Sienna's throne room and Fox closed the door, Ava slipping her cuffs and tossing them away as Fox and Wulfe both tossed their masks over their shoulders, pulling their hoods down and kneeling before Sienna's throne, her bodyguards all preparing to attack only for Sienna to calmly wave them off.

"Fox, Wulfe, Ava," Sienna said. "I assume you killed the guards whose uniforms you took."

"They were loyal to Adam, not you," Fox said. "Trust me, you won't miss them."

"I see," Sienna nodded. "Yes, I got your message. Explain."

Fox stood, pulling his stolen uniform off and balling it up, tossing it off to the side as he explained about the truth of the fall of beacon, and about how he believed Adam was planning a coup. Sienna said she was due to meet with Adam in five minutes, and invited them to meet with him with her. Fox nodded and Wulfe also shed his stolen uniform, the three of them walking up tot he throne, Sienna meeting Fox with a hug.

"I'm glad you're safe," Sienna smiled. "I'd hate for anything to happen to my brother."

Fox chuckled, leaning against the wall behind her throne. "You practically raised me, Sienna. You're closer to my mother."

"Except I'm only a year older," Sienna snorted. "No, older sister works just fine for me. So, you and Ava ever hook up?"

"No," Ava said. "He's in love with a black cat."

"Good choice," Sienna smiled, her tiger ears tilting backward. "Still, I was always hoping you would finally fall for Ava. After all, she's the only bird faunus I've ever met, and I kind of want to know what happens when you mix arctic fox with bird."

"Sienna!" Fox and Ava both groaned, blushing. "Jeez. Only you would be thinking about someone else having kids."

Sienna shrugged as the door opened and Adam stepped in before freezing, staring at Wulfe, then Fox. After a moment, he grinned widely, his eyes returning to Wulfe.

"You're more crafty than I thought, Wulfe," Adam said. "Sure you're not part fox?"

Wulfe growled at him, hair beginning to stand on end, only for Ava to rest a hand on his shoulder, calming him. Adam walked forward, kneeling before Sienna.

"Forgive me," Adam said. "I didn't realize we welcomed traitors."

"They're friends of mine," Sienna said. "I'll welcome them anywhere I please. Now, Adam, we need to discuss your actions of late, as well as your plans for the near future. This is your one and only warning. I'm not going to repeat myself. So I want you to listen when I tell you that the White Fang will not attack Haven Academy."

"High Leader Khan, I am begging you," Adam said.

"You should beg for forgiveness and nothing else!" Sienna snapped. "The assault you led on Beacon was not the great victory you clearly think it was, and you should be grateful your punishment wasn't more severe. You are a symbol for many in our organization, but that doesn't make you infallible."

"I was merely trying to follow your example, High Leader," Adam lied, Fox's hand already resting on his sword's hilt, seeing Wulfe's thumbs circling the buttons to extend his claws.

"And what example might that be?" Sienna asked.

"Strength," Adam said. "Strength and unwavering conviction. The humans have seen that strength now."

Sienna sighed. "I was one of the first to suggest violence where violence was necessary. Peace bread complacency and acceptance of our place in the world. I will not allow humanity to push us down without pushing them back. But the destruction of the Huntsmen academies crosses a line! The loss of the CCT has brought global communications to a crawl, and the White Fang is more of a target now than ever before! You have justified humanity's campaign against us, and for what? Empty promises from a group of humans? Humans we still know nothing about, and come and go as they please!"

Fox tensed immensely, hair starting to stand a little higher, knuckles turning white. If Cinder showed up, they were finished. But who were the others Sienna was talking about? Mercury and Emerald? Somehow it didn't feel quite right.

"These are not examples of strength, Adam," Sienna continued. "They are examples of your talents being diminished by shortsightedness!"

"If you want to know more about the humans, then why not talk to one of them yourself?" Adam asked, Fox drawing his weapon, extending his sword blade and snarling.

"You brought the bitch here!?" Fox snarled.

"Bitch?" Adam asked. "No. I don't trust that bitch, or her two brats. I brought someone else." He stood and turned toward the door. "Hazel!"

The door swung open and a man with a powerful build, a green jacket with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, brown hair and beard, and black pants strode in.

"Took you long enough," Hazel rumbled, voice as deep as his appearance would suggest, kneeling beside Adam.

"What is this!?" Sienna demanded, her guards aiming their spears at Adam and Hazel now, Wulfe and Ava having drawn their weapons as well, Ava with hers as a scythe with a blade on each end, facing opposite directions, holding the weapon behind her.

"Apologies," Hazel said. "I don't aim to cause any trouble."

"You've brought a human to this location!?" Sienna seethed, glaring at Adam as Fox and Ava stepped up beside Sienna, getting between her and her guards.

"You should hear what he has to say," Adam said.

"This is grounds for execution!" Sienna spat.

"Allow me," Fox snarled. "Please allow me."

"Ma'am...please," Hazel said. "Nobody needs to die today. I'm just asking for a moment of your time."

"The longer you stay here, the less of a chance you have of leaving alive," Sienna warned.

"I'll take those chances, if you don't mind," Hazel said.

Sienna watched him for a moment before sitting down, her guards relaxing but Fox and the others doing no such thing, remaining where they were.

"You don't like me," Hazel began, standing. "You have no reason to like me. But you don't have to like me to get the results you want."

"I'm starting to doubt either of you fully comprehend what it is that I want!" Sienna growled. "I want humanity to fear the faunus, to know that we demand respect! I do not want to start a war with the humans that we cannot win!"

"That's where you're wrong," Adam said, taking a step forward, only to stop as Fox leveled an arrow at him. "We can win a war against the humans. Not only because we have the support of Hazel's master, but because the faunus are the dominant species on this planet." He took another step forward.

"I swear to God, Adam, if you take one more fucking step I'm going to castrate you with this arrow!" Fox snarled. "And what master do you serve, Hazel?"

"Salem," Hazel said, the name striking at a memory from somewhere in Fox's mind, though he couldn't place it.

"We're better than humans," Adam continued, Sienna pulling Fox's arm down as Adam continued forward, Fox returning his weapon to its sword form, leveling it at Adam again. "We have everything humans have and more. Humans shouldn't just fear the faunus, they should serve the faunus."

"I've had enough of this conversation for tonight," Sienna sighed tiredly. "Guards, take them away."

No one moved.

"I said, take them away!" Sienna repeated.

Fox sighed. And so it began.

"I will admit Sienna," Adam said. "You were right about my popularity. My followers at Vale already see me as the true High Leader. And many here in Mistral feel the same."

Sienna stood as the doors opened, four more White Fang members running in, two with spears and two with machine guns.

"What are you doing?" Hazel asked.

"What's right for the Faunus," Adam said. "From this day forward, I will be the one to lead the White Fang."

Four more guards with guns ran into the room, from the sides this time, and the bodyguards turned their spears toward Sienna. However, just as they did, it became chaos. Fox slashed a spear aside, grabbing it and yanking it from the guard's hands, removing the guard's head with his sword as he did. Then, he pressed the button on the side of the spear as he aimed it at one of the ones with a gun, a laser shooting out of the blade and blasting him in the face, the same with the next one, and the one after. As he did, Ava did the same on the other side, using a spear she, too, had stolen. Once the last of the gun-wielders were dead, Fox hurled the spear across the room tot he door and impaled one of the two remaining guards at the door, Ava's stolen spear mirroring his. The last two body guards lunged at them, but Fox and Ava easily killed them. Fox turned to Adam, finding him fighting with Wulfe, who had blocked Adam's attempt to stab Sienna. Fox turned instead to Hazel as Ava went to help Wulfe.

"Will you fight us?" Fox asked.

Hazel regarded him in silence for several moments before pulling a pair of yellow lightning Dust crystals out of his coat in each hand.

"No," Hazel said, driving the crystals into his forearms, roaring as electric Dust energy instantly began to surge through his body, his eyes glowing and his voice distorted when he spoke again. "I'll kill you!"

He shot forward, punching at Fox, only for Fox to flip over the punch, Sienna in his arms. As Fox landed, he caught the sword he had thrown before he jumped and spun, slashing at Hazel. The edge of his sword crashed into Hazel's fist and halted. Then, Hazel's other fist crashed into Fox, breaking two ribs and hurling him backward. Fox crashed down hard and rolled in a backward somersault, ending up on his feet again and streaking forward, slashing a stab from Adam away from Ava then ducking, allowing her to flip over him and slash at him with her broadsword. Adam flipped out of the way, landing on his feet in time to use his sword to block Wulfe's laser, the explosion sending him crashing into Hazel.

"Run now!" Fox shouted, driving his sword into the ground.

Instantly, he spiked his semblance, the ground exploding apart, throwing Adam and Hazel away. Fox sprinted after Sienna and the others, getting outside just as Ava kicked her shoes off, and bent forward, a pair of massive green wings bursting out of her back through her shirt, tearing a pair of gaping holes in the shirt. Then, she grabbed Sienna in her arms, flapping her wings and rising into the air, her feet grabbing one of Fox and Wulfe's arms respectively before she began to beat her wings quickly, leaving the base behind before anyone could shoot at her.

"Where to?" Ava shouted over the wind.

"Menagerie!" Fox shouted back. "As fast as you can get us there!"

Ava nodded, flapping harder, the four of them streaking through the air.

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