It didn't take long for the trio to realize that things had taken a turn for the worst. Aside from the evident police sirens and chaos stirring outside, Fang soldiers were now patrolling the halls. They'd been lucky enough to dodge the few patrols that came through the area, but the situation was clearly dire.

"Ruby, any chance you could sneak us out with your semblance?" Jaune asked as he peaked out of the doorway of the latest room they'd taken refuge in, some kind of conference room with ornate stilings.

"Uh…I mean, maybe, but I've never moved more than one person at a time." Ruby admitted nervously, glancing down at Crescent Rose in her lap and fidgeting a bit. "If we get caught, I'd have to exit my semblance so we could defend ourselves."

"We don't even know how many of the White Fang are out there, or if they've taken any hostages…neither my mother nor my sister are responding to my texts…" Weiss muttered, staring at her scroll with a mix of frustration and fear on her face. "I don't know what to do…I don't want to leave them behind, but we can't fight off an entire army on our own."

Jaune frowned, leaning back from the door and weighing their options carefully. Weiss was right, they didn't have the numbers to take on the Fang…but between the three of them, they all had some form of combat training. People were in danger every second that the Fang were in control of the plaza, they had to do something.

Before he could delve deeper into this conundrum, his scroll suddenly buzzed with an incoming call. He pulled it out and quickly answered the call, the familiar voice of his friend following swiftly in a whisper-like tone.

"Jaune, you there? Please tell me you got out of the plaza when you heard those gunshots." Daniel pleaded, receiving a nervous chuckle in response from the young blond and sighing in exasperation. "Of course you didn't…dammit. Where are you now?"

"I'm on the second floor with Ruby and Weiss, we're holed up in some kind of conference room." Jaune replied, catching the attention of both girls as he peaked back out the door. "What about you?"

"I'm near the southwest corner, trying to get a bead on just how many Fang we're dealing with…they passed through a few minutes ago with some hostages, I can see the room they're being held in." Daniel replied, a shuffling sound following before he continued. "Still working on a plan for getting them out, and now I gotta worry about making sure you three stay safe…"

A beat of silence followed as the three digested the Specialist's words, feeling the full weight of their situation weighing on their shoulders. Surprisingly enough, it was Ruby who spoke up first, tone surprisingly firm with a steely look in her eyes.

"We could create a distraction for you."

Weiss and Jaune looked up at her in surprise, and soon Daniel's voice crackled through the scroll once more. "Was that Rose? Look, kid, I appreciate the thought, but this isn't a game! The Fang are the real deal, there's no way I'm putting you guys in danger."

"Daniel, we have training! We might not be soldiers, but people are in trouble and we can do something about it!" Ruby insisted, looking between her two friends. Jaune wore a contemplative look on his face, but Weiss was looking more and more certain by the second. Eventually, she chimed in.

"Ruby's right. My family is being held by these barbarians, I refuse to stand idly by and simply let these ruffians have their way." Weiss interjected firmly, nodding to Ruby in a show of unity before the two girls turned their gaze to Jaune, who chuckled nervously at their dual intensity.

"Well…seems like I'm being outvoted here, Daniel…besides, they have a point. We have the opportunity to help, why shouldn't we?"

There was another beat of silence, then a heavy sigh evident through the scroll as Daniel seemingly relented. "If any of you get hurt, I'm kicking your collective asses. Just…Brother's above, do you guys even have anything to defend yourselves with?"

"Yeah, actually! I grabbed Crescent Rose and Myrtenaster from our dorm room!" Ruby chimed in with a bright smile, before glancing at Jaune and wincing slightly. "I, uh…didn't think about Jaune, but we can find him something to fight with!"

"...got a feeling you guys are gonna go through with this whether I ask you not to or not." Daniel muttered, sighing heavily once more before continuing. "Okay. Watch each other's backs, be careful out there…and stay safe. I could never forgive myself if any of you got hurt on my watch."

"We'll be careful, Daniel…just promise you'll do the same." Jaune replied with a sad smile, worried about his friend despite the difference between them. Daniel was a soldier, he could handle the White Fang…but that didn't keep Jaune from worrying anyway. "Good luck saving the others, and stay safe."

"Back at you, buddy…see you on the other side." Daniel replied in a soft tone, before the line went dead and Jaune tucked his scroll back away. This was all entirely crazy, but they didn't really have a choice at the moment.

"Jaune, here!" Ruby suddenly clamored, making him look up just as an ornate sword and shield were thrust in his direction. He blinked in surprise, wondering where on Remnant she'd gotten them on such short notice…before noticing the pointedly open space above the nearby conference table. "It's no Crocea Mors, but it's enough for now, right?"

She actually had a point; while still ornate and less than sharp at the moment, the sword and shield itself was actually pretty sturdy. I must have been a real piece from the old war, refurbished for posterity's sake. He didn't recognize the family crest, though…

"Heh, it's perfect, Rubes. Thanks." He chuckled, patting the scarlet shorty on the head before accepting sword and shield, giving her a once over after doing so and laughing again. "Guessing you're really glad to finally have a reason to get outta those heels?"

Ruby giggled and nodded along with him, looking down at her feet, now sporting some ratty old tennis shoes instead of the fancy heels Weiss had given her earlier. "Yeah, I can't even imagine trying to fight on those things! I'm really lucky Weiss brought a spare pair of shoes."

"Oh, like I was going to make you wear them all night long." Weiss huffed, spinning the dust cylinder on Myrtenaster one last time to make sure everything was in order before turning to the duo and nodding. "Well…I suppose we should get started, yes?"

"Not much of a choice at this point…guess you're right." Jaune agreed, holding up the shield and spinning the sword experimentally. He looked back towards the door, and steeled himself for what was to come. "Let's give this a shot."

Ironwood stared at the floor before him, trying his damndest to focus. The situation was grim, to say the absolute least. The Fang had taken 9 hostages including himself, Willow, Winter, Jacques, and five high profile SDC executives that had been on stage when the terrorists first entered. Two masked guards stood at the door, leering at the captives diligently. And as if things weren't bad enough-

"Do you animals have no idea how much trouble you're in! Have you the slightest idea who I am?!" Jacques ranted and raved at the stone faced guards, his own face a luminous red of rage as he shouted at them like a mad man. Willow and Winter both looked wholly unamused with his tantrum, but didn't make any attempt to silence him either.

"I'm certain they're well aware of who you are, Mr. Schnee. These outbursts are entirely unhelpful." Ironwood interjected, earning a scathing look from the SDC CEO, not that he much cared. The man was all hot air anyhow. "It would be wise to keep a cool head in this situation."

"A cool head?! General, we are prisoners to a collection of insane terrorists, and you expect me to feign calm?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes so hard they nearly rolled out of his skull. "I would have expected more from you, these savages dispatched you and your Specialists with ease!"

"We weren't exactly prepared for a fight, you know. You're the one who requested no weapons in the plaza during your event." Winter grit out, looking none too happy with her father, though that was hardly a surprise given the circumstances.

Jacques flushed a new shade of red, but before his next tirade could begin, the doors to the room they were being held in creaked open. The soldiers on either side of the door stood at attention as Adam Taurus strode in, a confident smirk on his face as he slowly strode up before the assembled lot of hostages.

There were panicked whispers among the executives, and even Jacques had finally shut his mouth in evident terror as the leader of the Valerian branch of the White Fang stood before them. The crimson-haired Faunus chuckled softly, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he stared down the group.

"What, no bluster-filled speeches? No threats of retaliation, of striking down more of my people?" He hummed, vindication staining his tone as his masked gaze flicked between each of the hostages. "Hmph. Just as I expected. Nothing to say when you're faced with the consequences of your actions."

"You won't get away with this." Ironwood assured him in a firm tone, catching the gaze of the Fang leader and prompting him to kneel before the captured general. "The Atlas Military and Vale Police Force will have this location surrounded within the hour."

"Oh, I'm sure they will…but my people and I will be long gone by that point. You and these spineless suits are just insurance to keep them from sieging the building before we're finished here." Adam scoffed, before his gaze shifted to Jacques as his tone hardened, drawing Wilt from its sheath and slowly stalking towards the man. "Speaking of which, it's time to take care of business."

Jacques shrunk back with a pathetic sputter, and Ironwood fought against the aura dampening cuffs as he attempted to stand. He despised Jacques, but he couldn't stand by and watch the man die, either. Adam stalked forward all the same, holding his sword tightly as he stepped closer and extended a hand-

Suddenly, the doors to the room opened once more, and three soldiers stepped in, an officer and two grunts, lugging a suited man between them. The officer nodded to a clearly irritated Adam, and explained herself in a hushed tone.

"Apologies for the interruption, sir, but we found this man in the southwest hall." She explained, nodding to the restrained man, who wore the same cuffs as Winter and Ironwood. "He took out six of our men before we tagged him with one of the aura draining rounds. He appears to be a Specialist."

Winter sucked in a breath beside him, and Ironwood suddenly stilled as his gaze flicked away from Adam, and onto the battered and bruised body of Daniel Wilson, held up by the two grunts. He looked like he was barely conscious, sporting a black eye and other bruises courtesy of the terrorists that discovered him.

"A second one? Well now, isn't that a surprise." Adam mused, voice shifting into amusement once more as he turned towards the restrained man who was just dragged in, tilting his blade beneath Daniel's chin and raising it to look him in the eyes. "All that training and your toys mean so little when you're hit with the same firepower your own nation developed."

In a frustratingly audacious move, Daniel rolled his eyes at the terrorist leader's words. Ironwood could practically hear Winter's blood pressure sky rocket beside him as her partner started to mouth off.

"Startin' to get the sense you like the sound of your own voice a lil' too much." The wounded Specialist grit out, leering up at the Faunus despite the sword at his throat. "It's not exactly a feat to be proud of if you use the same bullshit tactics and they still work, y'know. They're bullshit by design."

A heavy silence followed, only lasting a few seconds before Adam tsked softly and drew his sword back from Daniel's neck, instead swiping it up along his cheek and giving him a nasty scar in the process. The executives all made noises of alarm, Winter jolted against her restraints while her mother's eyes widened in horror, and Ironwood felt his cybernetic hand seize against the aura cuffs in protest as he tried to break free.

"Such unremarkable arrogance…seems like a staple for you Atlas dogs these days. I'd admire your spirit if you weren't so profoundly unworthy of it. " Adam scoffed, before grabbing the Specialist by his battered suit and tearing him from the grunt's grips, tossing him in the direction of the wall, which Daniel collided with hard before sliding down with a wheeze of pain. "My patience is limited. Sergeant, accompany myself and Mr. Schnee to the broadcasting room. We have a message to relay."

The sergeant nodded and promptly hoisted a protesting Jacques to his feet, flanked by the two grunts from before as the business man was hauled off, Adam pausing one last time to look back at the remaining hostages, now sporting a sneer.

"You would all do well to remain calm and refrain from any attempt at escape. We don't need to kill you…but we will."

And with that, he was off, leaving a heavy silence in his wake as the doors shut behind him once more. Two Fang soldiers remained, still watching over the group even after the warning, stoic as ever.

Winter promptly shuffled over to where Daniel lay, followed by Ironwood as the two attempted to help him sit up. Now that they were side by side, the General could see how badly the young man had been roughed up. His tie was long gone, suit tattered and torn. Aside from the black eye, there was also evident bruising on his jaw, and likely some along his ribs if his pained wheezing was any indication.

"Damn you, Wilson, what were you thinking? You couldn't take all those Fang alone." Winter chided softly, her tone more worried and fearful than reprimanding. Despite this, Daniel chuckled softly and muttered something about a 'mother hen' before responding.

"Had to get to you guys somehow…didn't know they had aura drainers…really kicked the shit outta me once I was down, too." He chuckled ruefully, sitting up fully and leaning against Winter shifting his arms awkwardly as he shot Ironwood an embarrassed smile. "Suppose my recon still needs work, huh, boss?"

"Just stay still, Daniel. I can imagine that without your aura, those injuries are quite strenuous." Ironwood huffed in reply, a slight scowl growing on his face as Daniel continued to shift awkwardly beside Winter, who looked just as confused as the General felt. However, before he could ask what the young man was up to, there was a soft chink of metal releasing.

One of the guards tilted their head to the trio, the pair of dog ears upon their head twitching as they stepped toward the group, one hand sinking to the holstered pistol on their hip. "Oi, the hell was that? You three, separate now."

Ironwood leered up at the approaching soldier, but Winter rose to her feet slowly, arms still behind her back as Daniel slumped against the wall once more, a strange grin on his face. The soldier stepped closer, but whatever they were to bark next was cut off as Winter's arm suddenly swung out, slamming the disengaged set of aura cuffs she'd been clutching into their face and sending their sidearm fumbling from their holster.

The other guard immediately notice this and drew his own weapon, but was deterred by the same pair of cuffs being hurled at his head, slamming directly into his mask and stunning him just long enough for Winter to roll to the side and snatch up the sidearm, turning swiftly and firing off three shots. Neither soldier had any time to react as they slumped over, down for the count.

The executives once more started to babble in astonishment and panic, but Willow and Ironwood both just looked absolutely shocked. Winter rose from her crouch and moved over to Ironwood's side, deactivating his aura cuffs and removing them from his lists.

"I don't understand, how did you get free?"

"Funny thing, getting the shit kicked out of you. Turns out the people doing the kicking tend to not pay attention to the injuries they inflict…" Daniel explained, catching the General's attention as he held up his left hand, showing off the discomfiting sight of his dislocated thumb courtesy of the Fang soldiers that captured him. "Slipped outta my cuffs while Taurus was running his mouth. Also, uh…someone mind uncuffing me? The effect is still active, and the adrenaline's starting to wear off, so I'm in excruciating pain."

"Ah, apologies!" Winter muttered, quickly moving away from her mother after undoing her cuffs and finally slipping off Daniel's remaining one as well. He sighed in relief, though swiftly yelped as Winter suddenly took hold of his hand and popped his thumb back into place, shooting her a horrified look after she released his hand, to which she rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. Your aura would have healed it incorrectly if I didn't reset it."

Ironwood strode over to the far Fang soldier's corpse and wrenched the pistol from it's holster, as well as grabbing a few magazines of ammunition from the belt before standing back up and and approaching the duo as they bickered.

"We don't have much time, we need to apprehend Taurus as soon as possible." He instructed, prompting Winter to rise as well with a serious look on her face while Daniel struggled to rise, only to be stopped by the gentle hand of the General, who spared the younger man an apologetic look. "You're in no condition to rejoin the fight, Specialist. Stay here with Willow and the rest of the executives for now."

Daniel grimaced at the order, but didn't object as he slouched and slumped to the ground. Willow, who'd just finished untying the bonds of the other hostages, came over to his side and patted his shoulder with a comforting smile before turning her gaze back to the General and her daughter.

"I'll take care of him, you two get going. We'll hold up here until it's safe to leave." She assured the duo, before taking Winter's hand in her own and looking into her eyes before turning her gaze to Ironwood, becoming quite serious. "Keep each other safe out there, please…"

"You have my word, Willow." Ironwood promised her, holding her gaze a few moments longer before turning to Winter and nodding to her as he raised his pistol. They didn't have any more time to waste, it was time to take the fight to the White Fang while they had the advantage.

"Hey…you ever wonder why we're here?"

A terse sigh escaped from the Fang soldier as he turned to glare at his partner with a deeply unamused look behind his mask. "How many times are we gonna talk about this?"

"How many times are you gonna dodge the subject?" The first soldier retorted, lowering his rifle and throwing his arms out in exasperation. "Look, man, this isn't what I signed up for! The White Fang was supposed to be about peaceful protests and legislation, now we're storming hotels and taking hostages! It's insane!"

"It's necessary. A lot of good Faunus died trying to end things peacefully, y'know. Atlas, Valco, Mistral, Vale…they're all so far up their collective asses that they really didn't think we'd ever cross the same lines they did." The second soldier growled, his tail swishing angrily behind him as he leered at his partner venomously. "Now, are you gonna shut your yap and fall in line, or am I gonna have to-"

Before the Fang soldier could finish his threat, the door directly to the right suddenly blasted off its hinges, sending it flying into him and knocking him out cold. The second soldier barely had time to raise his rifle before a blur of red rose pedals zoomed out from the doorway, colliding with him and sending him flying back with an undignified yelp.

The petals dematerialized as Ruby cocked Crescent Rose and prepared for further combat. Weiss stepped up beside her, raising Myrtenaster and preparing her glyphs in turn. Jaune stepped out behind the girls and looked down the opposite hall, where two Fang soldiers had just rounded the corner and were now heading their way.

"I guess we're doing this…you guys handle that hall, I got this one covered!" He ordered, raising his shield and spinning his blade before charging the approaching Fang, who drew their swords in response and bellowed a ferocious war cry.

Ruby glanced back as Jaune charged the Fang soldiers, worry clear on her face before a dust round whizzed past her head, prompting her to whip back around and face the handful of Fang soldiers that had spotted them from the opposite hall.

"Focus, Ruby! You take the ones on the left, I got the right!" Weiss instructed, before launching forward with the use of her glyphs and launching a volley of return fire with her weapon as she charged the soldiers.

"R-right, got it!" Ruby chirped in reply, using her semblance to close the gap between her and the nearest soldier, who let out a dignified squawk as he was sent flying by a powerful swing from Crescent Rose, following it up by striking the next soldier, then blasting to the next after that.

Weiss and Ruby moved in remarkable precision, striking down any unprepared Fang soldiers unfortunate enough to catch wind of the commotion and move to engage the two girls. As for Jaune…well, he was putting up a fair fight. His swordsmanship was enough to keep the first two soldiers at bay, but as more started to arrive, the best he could do was hide behind his shield, and duck/weave while backpedaling away from the incoming fire.

"Uh, guys! I need some help here!" He shouted in a panicked tone, swiping at one of the Fang that got too close and wielded a spear, slashing at him and denting the shield with a well placed strike. Before the spear wielder could get another strike in, a sniper round blasted him back, courtesy of Ruby on the opposite end of the hall.

"C'mon, Jaune! Get over here!" She shouted, letting loose another round that nailed a second Fang soldier that was closing in on him. Jaune took her advice and quickly started running to join the others, his pursuers being blocked by the unexpected threat of a giant, glowing knight spawned from one of Weiss' glyphs.

Jaune did a head count as he reunited with the two girls, and realized that they were actually doing alright so far. Around twelve soldiers total were already down for the count, with Weiss' construct defeating another three with remarkable ease. They just might have actually had a chance at this!

Just as the thought occurred, the universe seemingly chose to humble Jaune as a deafening explosion sounded from behind, prompting him to turn around just as he reached the girls to see the glowing knight construct splinter and vanish as a new wave of soldiers emerged from the far stairwell, two of which held large grenade launchers that were trained on them.

Banesaw, the leader of this gaggle of Fang stepped forth, breaking out a large chainsaw and starring the three down with an unsettling glare. Soon enough, he spoke up, his voice loud and powerful in the tight halls of the plaza.

"I don't know who you three are or what the fuck you think you're doing, but I can assure you you're sorely mistaken." He intoned, revving the chainsaw and taking a step forth, the Fang soldiers on either side of him raising their weapons. "Lay down your weapons, and you will be spared. Our only quarrel is with the Schnee."

Jaune and Ruby glanced at one another, suddenly realizing that this address wasn't being offered to Weiss, and only to them. In a brief moment of silver meeting blue, they nodded to one another and raised their weapons in preparation. Weiss stilled behind them, wishing she had the words to express her gratitude for the sobering fact that they were willing to fight for her.

Banesaw sighed, and rolled his shoulders experimentally as his chainsaw roared back to life as he nodded to the soldier directly next to him, one of the grenade launcher wielders. "Blow 'em away."

The soldier nodded and fired a fresh grenade, only to have it sniped mid air by a quick shot from Crescent Rose's sniper form, the resulting explosion briefly clouding the area between the two groups. That was all it took for Weiss to generate three more glyphs beneath the feet of her and her allies, launching them forward as they drew their weapons once more and passed through the haze and caught the Fang forces off guard.

Despite their superior numbers, the three unlikely rebels had the edge in the brawl, between Ruby's speed, Weiss' creative use of glyphs, and Jaune's general fortitude. The soldiers barely stood a chance in the chaos, with even the grenade bearers being promptly dismantled by a few strikes from Jaune's sword and some smart shield work.

Of course, nothing could ever be quite so simple. Weiss had blasted away one soldier with a shot from Myrtenaster before another shot rang out and a searing pain shot up her back, her aura buckling and then dispelling as she fell to her knees.

Banesaw swiftly transformed his weapon back into its chainsaw mode, stepping towards the fallen heiress as he revved his weapon in preparation. "Not the Schnee I was hoping to kill tonight…I'll have to make do."

He raised his chainsaw to finish the job. Ruby noticed all too late, having been preoccupied by the stragglers near the back of the group. By the time she turned, even her semblance wasn't enough to get her between the two in time.

But Jaune was closer.

He lunged between the duo, barely blocking the blow with his shield, standing his ground even as sparks rained off the ornate plating as it steadily buckled inward from the sheer strength of Banesaw's blow. He looked up past the shield, scowling up at the Faunus leader as he started channeling aura into his sword.

"Get the fuck away from my friend!"

Punctuating the last word, he lurched against Banesaw's blade and got just enough separation between the two to bring up his blade in an arc. He was no Huntsman of legend, but his aura work had been sufficient enough, searing the man's arm and making him cry out in pain before dropping his weapon.

"Ghhh, you little fucker-!" Banesaw snarled, before his shoulder jerked back as Ruby fired a final round from Crescent Rose, sending him to the ground as he writhed in pain. Jaune looked around in shock, and realized that they'd actually managed to fight off the White Fang soldiers…they'd survived.

"Weiss! Are you okay?!" Ruby shouted, quickly zipping over to her roommate's side, helping her back to her feet as her aura seemed to return with a flicker of blue. Weiss seemed a bit stunned, struggling to find words for a moment before shaking her head and replying to Ruby.

"I'm fine, Ruby. Just a bit shaken, is all." She assured her, before turning her attention to Jaune with an odd gleam in her eye, tone bordering on amazed. "You…saved my life, Jaune…"

He blinked, his attempt to refute the statement dying on his lips rather quickly. He'd just acted on instinct, seeing Weiss in danger and fighting like hell to keep her from harm. That didn't seem too special from him, but then again, he hadn't been the one 'saved'.

Before he could actually come up with a response to her, a flicker of movement caught his attention. He raised his sword once more, having dropped the shield after shoving Banesaw back, with Ruby and Weiss spinning around prepared to draw their weapons-

"Sister?"

General Ironwood and Winter Schnee stood a few feet away, both seemingly bewildered at the sight of the haggard trio. Weiss wasted no time closing the distance between herself and her sister, hugging her tightly as she nearly sobbed with relief.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Weiss whimpered, clutching her sister desperately as a myriad of emotions played out on Winter's face. For the moment, she just hugged her sister back and offered soft reassurances. "I-is mother…?"

"She's safe, Weiss. She's safe." Winter swore, feeling her sister's shoulder sag with relief at the news. She then turned her attention towards Ruby and Jaune, her expression hardening a smidge. "What were you all thinking, staying here?! You could have gotten yourselves hurt, or worse!"

"Winter, as much as I understand your frustrations, we can chastise them later." Ironwood interjected from the side, grabbing a rifle from one of the fallen Fang soldiers as the sisters separated from their hug, a deathly serious expression on his face. "We need to find Taurus, and your father."

Something was wrong, Adam could tell.

Banesaw wasn't responding to his scroll, nor were a great majority of his forces left in the plaza. Either their signals were being jammed, or Atlas and the VPD had finally retaliated. Neither boded particularly well for his remaining forces.

"Sir, we've finished downloading the video file. I can have it uploaded to the CCT within the hour, but I'll need a secure place to secure the uplink." One of the soldiers he had in his entourage state as he approached him, a worried expression plaguing his face. "If the plaza is compromised, perhaps it'd be wiser to pull back now to home base."

Adam pursed his lips, biting back a swift refusal. He wanted to fight longer, to strike back at the Atlas forces coming to rescue the SDC executives. He wanted to butcher Jacques Schnee like the dog he was, pay him back for every drop of Faunus blood spilled thanks to his cruelty and bigotry.

But he knew the risk of staying around longer, and that it would only cost more lives in the long run. Gritting his teeth, he nodded and turned to the nearest cluster of soldiers, who snapped to attention under his gaze.

"Secure our exit and get this technician out to the vans." He ordered, sending the soldiers into action as they rallied up and started out of the secured room they'd been holed up in for the last half hour. Adam then turned to the final duo of soldiers that had been keeping the Schnee secure during their mission. "Let's go. He isn't worth the added trouble."

The two remaining soldiers nodded and exited as well, leaving Adam and the gagged CEO stared one another down. He stepped forward slowly, stepping right up before the restrained man and ripping the duck tape from his mouth, relishing the pained noise that followed just before the bastard started running his mouth.

"You really think this will change anything? A coercive confession of guilt, after the mess you caused tonight?" Jacques spat, leering up at Adam before scoffing in agitation. "You're even dumber than you look, you belligerent-"

Quick as the wind, Wilt left Adam's sheath and flicked out beside Jacques' head, silencing him immediately at the fear of the Brothers reentering his eyes. Coward.

"The only reason I've elected to let you live is because the White Fang is yet to grow strong enough to topple your empire. Tonight was just a taste of our potential power. You will have much more to fear as soon as your confession goes live, and Remnant learns what we are really capable of."

Adam starred the stunned CEO down a few seconds longer before holstering Wilt and turning on his heel, leaving the room with a subtle smirk on his face. Setbacks aside, the Fang would only endure and grow stronger after tonight. Of that, he was sure.

It was around half an hour later when Vale PD and an Atlas Response Team cleared the plaza of any further White Fang insurgents. Overall, 28 were captured including the lieutenant known as Banesaw. Adam Taurus and another 12 were unaccounted for, and currently being hunted by the Atlas Response Team.

The Schnee family reunited tearfully, excusing Jacques himself, who instead wordlessly left his family to their reunion as he ranted and raved at the Ironwood demanding that "those animals" be tracked down and executed immediately. Needless to say, he was brushed off fairly quickly by the general, and eventually stormed off to a nearby limo and ordered the driver to take him to a local SDC safehouse.

Jaune and Ruby slumped against a far wall, both fairly exhausted from the quick but strenuous brawl they'd been a part of. Ruby eventually noticed her scroll ringing, answering the call and nearly dropping the device following the frantic questions from her mother, father, uncle, and aunt about where she was, if she was safe, and if they had to kill anyone.

"I'm fine, Mom, I swear! I just, y'know…fought some terrorists with Jaune and Weiss, is all." She tried to placate, visibly wincing as a fresh round of shrill questions crackled through her scroll, leaning back to flash Jaune a sheepish smile. "I, uh…think I should go talk to them in person…talk to you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely. See you then, Rubes." He chuckled, waving to her before she zipped off with her semblance, shaking his head in amusement before letting out a weary sigh and closing his eyes. A few seconds later, he felt someone slump next to him, cracking open an eye and instantly grimacing. "Ouch…you look like you had a rough night."

"Eh, I've had worse…definitely top five, though." Daniel mused with soft chuckle, his black eye mostly healed, along with his ribs. His aura was slow to return compared to Weiss, but by sunrise he would be back in fighting shape. Ironwood had given him the coming day off, regardless. "What about you? You sure as hell look better than me."

"I mean, shock hasn't set in yet, so…I think I'm okay?" Jaune laughed, earning a snort from his friend as he held up his hand. "I was shaking a bit when we got out of the fight, but since then I've been…fine, I guess? Should I be worried?"

"Maybe you're just made of stronger stuff than you give yourself credit for." Daniel replied with a shrug, before casting a gaze over to the three Schnee's and cracking a soft, sad smile as his eyes fell upon Winter. Jaune caught this, and a sorrowful look crossed his face.

"I'm guessing things didn't work out…?"

Daniel sighed deeply and shrugged his shoulders loosely in response before looking over to Jaune with that same sad look. "Not exactly, but…we're still friends. She still cares about me, and I about her, so…I'll live. It'll hurt for a while, but that's just life."

Jaune didn't say anything in response, just scooted closer and wrapped his friend in a hug. Daniel deflated a bit in the blond's arms, and soon hugged him back. For just a moment, the chaos of the night melted into the background as the two friends relaxed after one chaotic event.

A few minutes later, they were back in Daniel's car, driving back towards Jaune's apartment. Jaune asked what the Specialist had in mind after he dropped him off, and Daniel politely informed his friend that he planned to get shitfaced at the bar closest to his own house and dull some of the pain. Jaune didn't ask him to clarify which he meant.

As they pulled up to the curb outside Jaune's apartment, Jaune sent Daniel one last worried look. "You sure you're gonna be alright tonight?"

"Yes, Arc, I'm sure. You don't have to go all mother hen on me." Daniel snorted, shooting his friend a reassuring look in turn. "Really, buddy. I'll be okay, I promise."

"Alright…goodnight, Daniel." Jaune replied softly, stepping out of the car and onto the sidewalk, waving goodbye to his friend before he drove off down the street, out of sight in only a few seconds. Deep down, Jaune knew he'd be fine, but it still sucked to see one of his oldest friends hurting in such a way.

He made his way up to his floor silently, a certain wariness entering his bones as he slipped his key into the door and pushed it open…

Only for a hand to shoot out, grab him by the tie, and yank him into the apartment, slamming the door behind him before the silence of the night resumed.