A/N: I don't own any of the characters associated with the RWBY series. All rights belong to Rooster Teeth.
Setting: Foyer
The windstorm outside the mansion finally ceased. Zinnia could see it clearly from the destroyed front of the mansion. The Paragon just witnessed the end of the battle between Zelts and Winter but had no idea Ebony was there with them. She had to remain inside to keep Lily and Silver wrapped in her weapon.
Lily was beyond exhausted at this point. She couldn't believe she was still conscious after all the fighting she has done. Looking at Silver, who was unconscious, Lily could admit she was a little jealous. She really wanted to rest right now.
Zinnia eyes were on the outside but she heard something ripping through the air and coming from her backside. She instinctively knelt down to avoid what was coming for her and saw two throwing knives pass by and land on the ground. She turned around to see a foot come here way and she blocked it by catching the kick with her left hand. Zinnia focused changed from the kick to the person who kicked her and softened her expression when realized who attacked her.
"Alyssa?" Zinnia said to her younger cousin.
"Don't call me that!" Violet responded in anger.
Violet stood before Zinnia with her foot out from the kick and she was still carrying Remus in her arms. Behind her was Blood who simply watched the two Underlands confront each other. Zinnia released Violet's foot and Violet dropped it while keeping her eyes on her cousin. Neither of them acted after that and just looked at each other. Violet held a firm gaze while Zinnia looked perplex with this turn of events.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were with uncle at the SDC Charity Concert," Zinnia asked Violet.
"I came here when I noticed the mansion was on fire. The smoke could be seen from the kingdom," Violet lied.
She didn't want Zinnia to know what really happened between her and Tarax.
Zinnia looked at Remus in her cousin's arms and wondered if he was one of the intruders. She didn't recognize him. At first, she guessed Violet took him down somewhere in the mansion, but she doubted that when she noticed how he was being carried. He was caressed gently, something no normal person would give to an enemy. And the fact that Blood was by her side made Zinnia think about their relationship as well. Zinnia believed her cousin and Ebony's retainer were familiar with one another.
Slowly but surely, Zinnia was connecting the pieces between, Violet, Blood, and Team VRSZ.
"Zinnia, stand down!" Winter's voice called out.
Zinnia, Violet, and Blood looked over at the gaping hole where the front door of the manor used to be to see Winter. The Schnee elite dragged Zelts with her and she dropped him to the ground beside her. Violet noticed how injured her friend was and was ready to fight Winter out of rage. Zinnia kept her arms up to stop her cousin's potential attack.
"That's about enough, Violet," Ebony called out. "It's over. Your prince charming has arrived!" she bowed theatrically.
"Zinnia I said stand down. Lower your weapon," Winter repeated.
Zinnia looked at Winter then glanced over at Ebony. This situation was getting more complex than she originally thought. The charming Vantablack flashed her a friendly smile. Zinnia did as Winter requested and retracted her whip sword, releasing Lily and Silver from her grasp, and placed the blade in its sheath that hangs off her waist.
"Why do I have the feeling this is all your fault?" Violet said to Ebony who smiled at the accusation.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. The reason I came here was to find you."
"And why is that?"
"Enough of this," Winter interrupted, not caring about their conversation. "Have your little squabble some other time. Zinnia, we're placing these intruders under arrest."
"Sadly, you can't do that, Ms. Schnee," Ebony told Winter. "The situation is more complex than it seems."
Winter wasn't amused by Ebony's wayside way of speaking and wanted a clear answer to this whole event. "Explain."
"These people here are intruders as you say, but they're not strangers. The young men here are members of Team VRSZ, Violet's teammates, cherished friends, and surrogate family. I'm guessing they came to Atlas to find their leader and their search brought them here. That girl over there and another roaming this place are friends they asked to help with their mission. It's safe to assume after arriving at the Underland household, an argument over Violet arose which evolved into a blown-out battle which led to all of this. That's my understanding of it," Ebony Vantablack summarized.
"Even if what you say is true, it doesn't change the fact that these people will be arrested for intruding into a noble family's household," Winter informed her.
"Like I said, they aren't intruders. They're Violet's friends and you can't arrest them for coming to a noble's home if the head of the family permits it."
"Tarax isn't here so they don't have the permission to be here," Zinnia added.
Ebony's face turned from coy to slightly sad after hearing that then looked to Zinnia and Violet.
"Oh. That's right. You don't know. I guess neither of you know. Tarax died a couple hours ago."
Zinnia was shocked and devastated to hear this. She couldn't believe her uncle passed away. She was aware of his fragile condition, but somewhere in the back of her head, she believed Tarax was fine. This was unsettling to the Paragon of the Underlands. Violet glanced at her cousin and took note of how she reacted to the news. It showed she actually cared for the old man and how Violet didn't care for him at all. She did wonder if Ebony knew everything surrounding how Tarax died. She didn't want to be a suspect in his death.
"H-how did he-"
"The paramedics said he died of a heart attack. It happened after you left the hotel to come here, Violet. I'm sorry your father's gone," Ebony said, but Violet felt like she knew the whole story and was keeping it a secret.
"It's unfortunate, but with his passing, the Underland name passes on to Violet, his daughter. So, if she says they have her permission to be here, then you can't arrest them for intruding," Ebony told Winter with a triumphant smile.
"…They have my permission to be here. You can't arrest them," Violet announced for everyone to hear.
Winter returned a steely gaze to Ebony then held a knowing smirk. "It's true I can't take them into custody for coming here, but if what you say is true, then I can arrest them for an even bigger crime: crossing into Atlas while the closing of borders policy is still active."
"Shit," Violet thought.
Her new status as head of the Underlands would do her nothing against such a crime. She didn't know how she was going to do it, but Violet vowed to find a way to get her boys and her friends out of Atlesian custody.
"I'm sorry, but I can't allow that," Ebony told Winter.
"Excuse me?"
"I wish to speak to someone with a little more authority than you. Allow me to speak with General Ironwood," Ebony demanded.
"I don't know who you think you are, but you don't have the power nor the right to request such a thing nor do you have any control on this situation. You are not speaking to General Ironwood about any of this! We're done here! Apprehend those two by your side, Zinnia!"
"You speak as if you have a choice in this matter," Ebony said in a slightly colder tone.
She approached Winter and said, "Can you or General Ironwood really expect others to uphold the closing of borders policy when you two clearly don't?"
"What are you talking about?" Winter asked defensively.
Zinnia stopped trying to arrest Silver and Lily to hear what Ebony had to say and so did Violet and Blood.
"I had an interesting conversation with your father at the charity concert, Ms. Schnee. He told me what the general ordered you to do. In fact, if these guys here knew what you did, they'd be quite angry with you when I tell them what you and the general have done. Especially the one in Violet's arms."
"Us? Remus?" Violet wondered how her team was related to anything Ebony was talking about.
"I don't know what you're implying but-" Winter said in a low, threatening tone but Ebony, unaffected by her tone, interrupted her.
"Fine. Play dumb if you want," Ebony said before revealing to everyone there what the secret Jacques Schnee told her.
"A month ago, General Ironwood ordered Winter Schnee to infiltrate Vale during the closed border policy and kidnapped a certain individual. A wolf faunus named Niveus Lupa, a former scientist of Atlas and currently an instructor at Signal."
"YOU DID WHAT!?" Violet shouted in disbelief.
She lowered her voice because Remus was still in her arms and he was beginning to groan. He was stirring but he didn't wake up from her outburst. Violet didn't want him to learn about what the kingdom of Atlas has done to the women he considers his mother. He'd go ballistic and try to fight his way to Ironwood. It would be suicide and Violet wasn't going to let that unfold.
"You broke your own law?" Zinnia chimed in.
She looked at Winter with a look of disbelief. Her senior and role model as well as the kingdom's law abiding general ignored their own rules meant to keep order in Remnant now that it was in such a fragile and chaotic state.
"Why?" she asked.
"…" Winter remained silent because the answer didn't justify their reason.
"Winter and Ironwood kidnapped Dr. Lupa because they wanted to use her research to strengthen the kingdom's military might. Specifically, Ironwood wanted info on Project: New World. If Atlas could replicate Lupa's project, they could make their people perform pass their physical limits and create an army of enhanced super soldiers," Ebony said, spilling the beans on Ironwood and Winter's involvement.
"No… No, that can't be true," Zinnia told Ebony, not wanting to believe her superiors would do such a thing.
She looked over at Winter for confirmation but the Schnee elite wouldn't look her junior in the eye, telling Zinnia all she needed to know. The Paragon Underland was disillusioned with her world right now. After learning about the underhanded tactics. She felt like she really didn't know what the higher-ups of Atlas were doing. How could they establish peace with an army of enhanced soldiers? Zinnia didn't believe in using force to usher peace and stability.
"Sadly, it is and they still have the poor women in their custody. I take it she never broke and now you're just keeping her in a cell in the hopes that she cracks, correct?" Ebony asked Winter who looked at her grimly. "Hit the nail on the head, huh?"
"…" Winter came here to help, but now she felt like she was in a rock in a hard place. "What do you want?" she asked Ebony.
"All I want is to speak with General Ironwood directly about this incident among other thigs. Refuse, and this information will be anonymously released to the higher-ups of the other kingdoms in Remnant. You thought Atlas had it hard now, wait and see what happens when this juicy secret is leaked."
Winter was in a compromised position and Ebony had a sly look on her face. This discussion ended as the charming Vantablack predicted. Everything was going Ebony's way.
Two Days Later
The events that transpired at the Underland household ended on a multifaceted note. Winter called for several medical teams to come to the manor to tend to the wounded. They checked on all the members of the Underland family before the members of VRSZ. All of them were wounded but the only ones who needed extensive care were Bluebell and Marigold. The stoner Underland had a bullet wound and burns on his body but they weren't life threatening. Marigold's condition, however could've gone either way. Azura mutilated the mad Underland as her revenge. His face was burned with burn marks in the shape of a hand. His throat was slashed open. The wound alone wasn't going to kill him but it would if the medical team didn't reach him in time. They tended to the cut and saved his life though he lost something in the process. Marigold would never be able to speak again.
When Violet's boys, Azura, and Lily were finally inspected, they were also put into General Ironwood's custody and remained there until further notice. Each of them was placed in a cell designed to hinder their abilities.
Silver was restrained by chains attached to every limb of his body, suspending him in the air and preventing him from moving an inch. Remus was blindfolded and tied up in an isolated, closed wall cell to prevent him from teleporting or reaching the others. Zelts was placed on a cold, steel slab with cuffs made of a strong alloy on his wrists and ankles. He was stripped of his dust clothing and given regular clothes so he couldn't absorb the dust with Conversion. Azura was given special metal gloves and boots that continuously drained the dust in her body so she couldn't use it and placed in an ordinary cell. Lily was placed in a regular cell, but wasn't given any device to hinder her semblance. She just laid on the ground and slept soundly like she wanted.
Violet, being the new head of the Underland family, was excused from the incident and identified as a bystander. Her father's cause of death was a heart attack so she had nothing to worry about in regards to being responsible for it. She wanted to go free her friends but was aware that her new status wouldn't allow it. Ebony informed her she would get all of them under her custody and take all of them out of Atlas for good. Violet was highly skeptical, but knew she had no other options if she wanted to take everyone back to Vacuo. All she could do for them was wait, but Violet's own activities weren't placed on hold. There were a few things she needed to do.
Setting: Dining Hall
The room where all the Underlands come to eat was one of the few places in the manor that remained relatively untouched during the whole fiasco. The only real damage it had were cracked windows that showed the charred courtyard. After the ordeal, the staff of the mansion was mostly focused on putting things in order and getting rid of any lingering debris. Even the kitchen chefs were too busy to cook or bake anything right now, but there were people sitting at the dining hall's long table.
All the Underlands were present at the table except for Bluebell and Marigold who were in the hospital. Linnaea, Linnaeus, Dahlia, and Aster sat around the table while the head of the Underland family sat at the head of the table. Violet was still wearing the casual clothes because her father burned her old Vacuo clothes when the day after she got here. She leaned onto the table with her elbows up and fingers intertwined while she quietly scanned her cousins. They were looking at Violet patiently, expecting her to make new decrees for them to follow like Tarax and other heads have done. They mostly suspected her to order them to do something cruel as revenge for trying to usurp her for the past two and a half months. Her silence made them worry and it only got worse with every passing minute.
None of the other Underlands dared to speak before Violet and waited for her to speak and she finally did.
"I hate this family."
Setting: General Ironwood's Office
The decorated officer paced around his office with a slightly irritated face. When he learned Ebony blackmailed his subordinate with highly classified intel and forced into this upcoming meeting, he was furious. Ironwood was not the type of person who enjoyed being forced into a situation. The military figure preferred to be in control at all times and Ebony's extortion only served to anger him.
General Ironwood had an idea about what the charming Vantablack wanted to discuss. She wanted to accelerate her desire to be a diplomat, something she wanted the high council to commission from the get go and now she was using him to make it happen sooner rather than later. The general didn't know what she was going to say, but he had every intention to deny her what she wants.
He heard a knock on his office door and he knew who was on the other side. "Come in."
Ebony Vantablack entered his office, smiling as if she already got what she wanted. Ironwood didn't bother to greet her. He simply walked to his desk and sat down. She did the same at sat in the chair adjacent to his desk, still smiling at him.
"I don't know where you came up with such an elaborate lie, but let me tell you something, Miss Vantablack," Ironwood started, claiming the blackmail was made up and still threatening her.
"No, let me tell you something, James," Ebony countered, fully activating Charm to put the general completely under her spell.
She knew what she wanted and she wanted it now.
Setting: Hospital
Marigold was laying in his hospital bed with bandages wrapped around his head down to his neck. The only opening in the wrapping was over his right eye which allowed him to see the area around him though the most he could see was the ceiling of his room. All he really knew about the outside world was that Bluebell was also somewhere in this hospital. Whether his cousin would come to visit or if he even could be up in the air for Marigold.
A pager was placed in his right hand if he ever needed to call a nurse to aid him. This was a necessity for the mad Underland because he lost the ability to speak thanks to the injuries Azura inflicted. Even though he couldn't speak, words could not describe how distraught he was. The only noises he could make were strained grunts. He felt like his life was spiraling out of control and he grunted in anger, cursing the Sky-Blue Warrior that did this to him.
He heard the sound of his door being open but he couldn't turn his head to see who it was. Footsteps got louder as the person who entered stood before Marigold and he could see the person was his cousin as well as the new head of the Underland family, Violet.
She looked down at her injured relative and he looked at her with sorrow. His ambition to become the next head were thwarted and he was reduced to less than what he was before. His voice was lost forever and his face was scarred. Marigold couldn't believe things could get any worse.
Violet looked down on Marigold and felt no pity for him. This all came about because thought he could play puppet master and manipulate everyone to his whim. In the end, the puppet moved in ways the master couldn't predict and he paid dearly for it. Violet could see he wasn't the great mastermind he portrayed himself to be. He had some merit but he had no real potential to manipulate people, not like Ebony. Violet learned a few days ago she was on a completely different level.
Marigold didn't know how to communicate with violet or other people in his new condition. He figured he needed to carry around a pen and paper, but he had nothing for this current moment. That was okay for Violet because she didn't visit to start a conversation, she came to kick him while he was down.
"I'm sure you're aware of my new status. I'm the new head of the family, and you're not. After all your efforts to claim this power, look at yourself. I almost feel sorry for you," Violet said without an ounce of empathy.
He couldn't say anything even if he really wanted to and Violet continued.
"I know how much you coveted this dream to become the head so you should be happy to know that I won't be keeping this position for long. I already gathered the others earlier and issued my first and final ruling as the head of the Underlands. I abandoned my position as the head and given it to Aster. I don't believe any of you deserve it, but however she isn't someone any of you could overthrow easily. Her Clairvoyance should keep her one step ahead of all of you so try to feud over the throne you want. I don't care either way. I told you all this from the start."
Marigold wanted to scream, but he was no longer able to do that. Even the sounds of anguish were taken from him.
"I came by to tell you and Bluebell because I was around. The real reason I came to the kingdom was to have some paperwork done. It's finally official: I've emancipated myself from this toxic family. Alyssa Underland has been dead ever since she ran away from home. I don't want to have anymore ties to you or the others. Hopefully, this is the last time I see any of you,' Violet stated as she walked away from Marigold's bed.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go see that Vantablack girl. I need to make sure my boys and my friends are out of Atlas custody like she promised."
When she reached the door, Violet turned her head to look at her cousin one more time. She thought about how her boys came to bring her back home and how Marigold tried to toy with them only to fail. She saw his condition as the end result of messing with them.
"Marigold," she called out.
He tried to look her way but his set position prevented him from doing so and he continued to stare at the ceiling. All he could do was listen to what she had to say. Violet said two things before leaving.
"Let the loss of your voice and your disfigurement be a lesson to you for the rest of your life. Don't fuck with VRSZ."
Setting: General Ironwood's Office
"Thank you for being so cooperative, general," Ebony said to Ironwood with a smile before exiting his office and deactivating Charm.
The middle-aged man watched her leave then began to question himself. He tried to figure out why he gave her so many privileges when he planned to give her absolutely nothing. Somewhere in their negotiations, Ebony persuaded him into giving her everything she wanted and more and he knew he willingly agreed with her. It was nothing like he intended, but he already gave his staff the orders and informed the other members of the council.
Ebony walked out of the building with everything she wanted as always. Now, the charming Vantablack was going to rendezvous with Violet as they discussed.
Setting: Kingdom of Atlas
Violet Tulipe and Ebony Vantablack walked side by side through the kingdom. The two of them were going to the prison that was holding VRSZ, Azura, and Lily. They both walked in silence though the tension between them was thick. All of it mostly came from Violet who leered at the young woman beside her while Ebony was pleasantly humming to herself. Her peculiar attitude made her even harder for Violet to decipher. She didn't know why she was going to such lengths for Team VRSZ. She had no idea what were Ebony's motives or endgame.
"What's she after?"
"If you want to ask what I'm after, you can just ask," Ebony said, reading Violet's thought process with ease.
"What do you want? You destroy Fortuna, take me here, then help all of us escape. Why?" Violet asked and hoped to get a clear answer.
"Let me clarify a few things so you don't get the wrong idea about me. Fortuna's end was my aunt's plan, not mine. I had little to no say in the matter and she wasn't someone you could just say no to. I saw my chance to get rid of her and I took it but Greyson and his cohorts were still after you and they were under her orders to find you and capture you. Aunt Caraboose intended to take you back home and let you rot. I did it because I was heading to Atlas anyway and because I was interested in you as a person and wanted to see if you were going to break under your family or persevere and triumph. I'm glad to see you prevailed! I always intended to bring you back to Vacuo if your willpower could withstand your family. You can believe that. However, your boys coming here to find you was something I wasn't expecting. I guess they truly missed you," Ebony said and smiled after saying that last part.
"You brought me back to my family as a test?" Violet said in an bemused tone.
"And you passed! Not a lot of people have your fortitude and force of will. Though I can probably understand why you'd see me as a villain after what I did to you."
"Maybe not a villain, but that doesn't mean you're not my enemy," Violet said.
"And here we are. Walking together with the shared desire to rescue your boys. Just two sides of the same coin, right?" Ebony said with a pleasant tone.
"We are nothing alike," Violet stated. She started increasing her pace so she walked ahead of Ebony. She didn't want to talk with her anymore.
The charming Vantablack giggled at her antics then said to herself, "I wouldn't be too sure of that."
"Don't you want to know why I'm doing all this?" Ebony called out.
Violet stooped walking and turned to her with a semi-serious look. She wanted to her about Ebony's motives.
"Above everything else, I just want to be remembered," Ebony answered.
Her answer perplexed Violet because she wasn't completely sure what she meant by being remembered.
"Before I met Aunt Caraboose, it was just me and my parents living a normal life. I grew up reading and learning about some of the greatest Huntsmen and Huntresses in Remnant's history along with other figures who made a name for themselves and I envied them. I thought no matter what I do in life, it won't measure up to those people or even be acknowledged by those around me. That feeling changed when Aunt Caraboose came and told me all about the Vantablack family on my mother's side of the family. After learning I came from a family with some power in the world, I was more than eager to be Caraboose's protégé, but I was also disappointed with how little the Vantablacks have impacted the world. They could be found in many established governments and kingdoms, but they were satisfied with just being there to help history instead of make it. Caraboose was an even bigger disappointment with her sole desire to bring anarchy though if she continued her actions, I'm sure she would've been remembered for her misdeeds. I wanted to be the Vantablack who broke the mold by actually doing something that will leave a mark on history. Clair was just like me, raising a growing settlement in Vacuo on her own and I admire her for it, even if Caraboose ruined it. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"
"…" Violet didn't know what to say after hearing this.
"My goal in life is to leave my own mark on Remnant's history so I'll never be forgotten. I want to use the power given to me and see how far I can go. Good or bad, I want to be remembered," Ebony summarized with an ambitious gaze that told Violet she was being truthful… and serious.
"…" Violet still didn't know what to say.
"Come on, let's get your boys out of prison," Ebony said.
The charming Vantablack took the lead and walked to the prison with Violet following behind her. Violet learned a lot about Ebony in the past few minutes, especially the reason why she does what she does. She wondered if Ebony's desire to be remembered by others would drive her to do more than just good as she claims.
Another thing Violet learned was that Ebony's ambition frightened her a little.
Ebony Vantablack's true goal is to leave her mark in Remnant's history. She admired all the historic people because they were remembered years after their deaths. She wants to be remembered and known by the people of Remnant especially after living such a boring life before learning she was a Vantablack. Ebony embraces the term, 'You die twice in life. When you die and when you're forgotten.'
Zelts is Team VRSZ's shield. His abilities allow Zelts to last longer than the others most of the time. The Heart of Gold is better suited for defense than offense and the wind dust from its wingblades are great for crowd control. The wind doesn't deal a lot of damage, but it can still attack a massive number of enemies at once and his manipulation of the wind makes Zelts even more formidable. He can create tornadoes, wind funnels, and surround himself in wind to simulate flight. He has better control of his aura and he uses that in conjunction with his shield to buff up his defense at the expense of aura, but that's it. His aura allows him to absorb different forms of energy and convert it to physical strength, making Zelts stronger and faster than before. He can transfer this energy to other objects through physical contact. He does this a lot with his weapons to create an electrical current in his wind. The effect of Conversion varies depending on the weapon. Zelts's weakness comes from his semblance and his fighting ability. He doesn't automatically absorb energy because he has to activate it like any other semblance and there's a limit to how much he can absorb. Once he reached maximum capacity, Zelts can absorb energy-based attacks, leaving him vulnerable. Another weakness of Zelts is the fact he is somewhat slower than the others due to his muscular stature, but he is a brawler you'd want to avoid up close.
