Chapter 1 – a toast to K

"Ladies and gentlemen. I address you today not as your general or as your headmaster but as a fellow Atlesian. What occurred early this morning is nothing short of a tragedy. For those among you who are not aware, allow me to inform you of the situation."

"At 0300 hours, a White Fang hit squad entered the Western Lights SDC Mining Encampment by force, taking the entire work crew hostage. While this scourge of a terrorist organization claims to be fighting on behalf of equality, I'd like to remind you that the bulk of these innocent miners are themselves Faunus struggling to make a life for themselves and their families. At 0330 hours, these White Fang radicals ruthlessly and publicly murdered Foreman William Thomson. If this act of barbarism was not enough to reveal their true colors to the world, a second paramilitary contingent of Faunus troops simultaneously seized and destroyed over 2.9 million metric tons of refined Dust that was stored onsite."

"I will not sugar coat this situation. The undisguised assassination of an innocent man and the destruction of this much critical energy propellant shakes Atlas and Mantle to our shared core. We are a kingdom that takes great pride in our commitment to justice, honor, and freedom. This issue is neither human nor Faunus – Foreman Thomson was a known ally to several Faunus causes, frequently contributing sizeable lien contribution to charities that actually support their people by furthering equality in righteous ways. Furthermore, the destroyed Dust would have powered the hospitals and heating units of Mantle, a city whose Faunus population have suffered because of the traitorous actions of a small few."

"Let me make this clear: we will not let this stand. The White Fang must be rooted out and destroyed, or no man, woman, or child will be safe. To this end, the council has granted me emergency powers for the purpose of ensuring Atlesian security and arresting all those who would see this brave kingdom defenseless."

"Now, on to the specifics. First and foremost, we must not lose sight of our greatest priority: guaranteeing the safety of the people. I have reallocated an equivalent amount of Dust from military surplus stores and backup warehouses to replace that which was destroyed. Mantle will never sleep in the cold as long as I am general."

"Next, I have begun taking steps to locate and eradicate White Fang bases of operation. As the specific details of our initiatives cannot be safely disclosed without compromising our numerous ongoing counterterrorism operations, I shall have to leave it at this: we will stop the White Fang, and we will do so soon."

"Finally, I must address a concern that this attack has shed light on. None can deny that the Schnee Dust Company is a dependable and economic source of Dust. It has faithfully supplied the Atlesian military with fuel and weapons grade Dust since its inception by the great Nicholas Schnee. However, we cannot allow the esteemed history of this enterprise blind us from what needs to be done. When the SDC's security is unable to defend its own people and Atlesian interests, the question must be asked: can we leave what is fundamentally an essential public utility in the hands of a private individual? The failure to successfully defend the Western Lights camp is but the most recent in a long string of attacks on SDC facilities. It is SDC Dust that keeps Atlas afloat, powers the generators of Mantle, and supplies the armed forces. So, with the powers granted to me by the council, I have reached a decision. From now on, the Atlesian military will be taking command of any and all Schnee Dust Company assets until such times as their security is shored up. This includes mines, work encampments, refineries, administrative spaces, and any other holding or resource. Additionally, to ensure the safety of all SDC employees and the continued and streamlined production of Dust, we shall undertake a full investigative review of all work practices and excise any inefficient security practices, corporate corruption, or unsafe working conditions that could lead to supply line delays or operator endangerment–"

Cheers erupted across the entire room full of Faunus before Ironwood could finish his speech, loud enough to drown out the television.

It was a rare occasion indeed to see the entire White Fang all joined in celebration, for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, the goals of individual factions rarely aligned. Some Faunus wanted equality, like Blake, while others like Adam had made it clear that they were interested in little more than revenge at those who'd wronged him. If Ilia was honest with herself, she was a bit of both. Somehow, this recent raid the three of them had spearheaded had granted everyone's wishes.

Secondly, the full group rarely convened in one place. It tended to be dangerous; if Atlas located their site, then the entire contingent could be caught at once. On the eve of this great victory, though, Adam had called for a great celebration to commemorate, quote, 'the night Jacques Schnee got it up the ass without lube.'

Thirdly, there was rarely ever a cause for joy. Successful missions were few and far between, and even rarer than them was the publicity and social change that tonight had brought.

Adam himself was not immune to the jubilation. A drink in his hand, he'd said a few words of encouragement to the recruits and even stole a kiss from Blake. Ilia felt a twinge of jealousy at the bullheaded boy's luck, but it easily fluttered away as Adam broke the news of the century to their group: he'd called the high leadership of the White Fang before the news had broken, and Sienna Khan herself was en route to congratulate the Atlas branch. In person!

Ilia could barely contain her elation. Rarely did Sienna venture far from her seat of power in Menagerie; a visit from the chieftainess of the island would be a rare honor for the Fang members present.

"A marvelous job from a marvelous crew," Adam announced, his speech slightly slurred. He'd wrapped his arm around Blake, who was clearly steadying their swaying cell leader. "You all, you truly are the best of us. We've driven our blades through the hearts of those bastard humans, and we've won!" He raised a fist. "You hear that, Schnee? WE WON!" He hiccuped.

"I think it's time I take you to bed, Adam," Blake quietly told him.

Adam grinned lasciviously, and several Faunus in the audience whistled. Blake turned beet red and frantically tried to convince everyone that she didn't mean it like that, but it was too late. The men had gotten it into their heads that Adam was getting lucky tonight, and no amount of protest could dissuade them of that notion. Ilia chuckled at their boyish 'catcalling' and downed her own drink. They are right about one thing. This is going to be a very fun night.

"A toast!" said Adam, slipping away from Blake's gentle tugs and raising a new glass that he'd grabbed out of the hands of some jaguar Faunus. "To…uhhh…to the White Fang! To the Faunus! To K– to kicking the Schnees' asses!"

"To the Fang! Whoo!"

"To Adam!"

"To the work ahead of us!"

The last cheer came from the rear of the room, even further back than Ilia was hiding. Turning around, she found herself face to face with…

"High Leader." Ilia bowed her head. "I welcome you to–"

"None of that, Ilia. I should be the one bowing to you. Was it not you, Blake, and Adam who led the raid?"

"Yes, High Le– yes, Sienna."

"And it was each and every one of you who brought this about, whether or not your participated in the event itself," Sienna announced to the room, stepping forward towards the front of the crowd. "There are no small people or small jobs. It is through our combined strength that the Faunus may rise up…"

Blake carried a wobbly Adam towards Ilia as Sienna launched into her speech. Both Albain brothers stood behind her, walking together in stride. The captain of the Menagerie Guard, Saber Rodentia, stood at attention a short distance away.

"You okay, big guy?" asked Ilia, stepping under Adam's other arm to support him as she and Blake carried him out of the room.

"M'fine. Just…had a few too many."

"I should think so," said Blake. "You nearly toasted to K in front of the entire White Fang, Adam."

"Did I?" Adam shook his head from side to side slowly as they made their way down the hallway. "I didn't."

"You totally did," confirmed Ilia, hoisting up Adam with her shoulders. Dust, he was so heavy. Aura-enhanced strength or not, both she and Blake still struggled to carry the six foot three man. Tall bastard. Maybe he's secretly a giraffe Faunus.

"I…oh, shit. I did. Man, that would have been bad. I-I'm sorry." Adam looked at Blake. "I'm really sorry, Blake."

"It's fine." Blake waited out of sight for a line of Atlesian soldiers to finished running into the building, then led Adam out the front doors from which they'd entered. "You saved it at the last minute. I guess K stands for kicking ass, now."

"I thought I…was supposed to be drunk?" Adam asked.

"Kinda. You overdid it a bit, but you were told to look drunk and to visibly drink."

"Oh," Adam breathed. He seemed a lot soberer now; perhaps the cold air outside of the compound was doing him good. "Well, if James gave if the okay…"

"The general said that if someone as stoic and disciplined as you was seen drinking, others would follow suit, or at least lower their guard."

"Blurgh. Remind me never to follow James' orders again," Adam groaned as Ilia and Blake sat him down on the curb. "At least when they're about alcohol. My head is aching."

Ilia sat down next to him and stayed quiet. He'd taken quite a few bullets to the head during the raid on the Western Light camp which might have compounded the pain. Ilia looked over her shoulder as gunfire rang out behind her in the White Fang headquarters. At least we aren't in the thick of things anymore. All that noise would be killing Adam.

"I hope it's not too bad, Adam."

Adam moaned but stood up and saluted, nonetheless. Blake did so as well, but Ilia stayed seated. She'd been on her feet all day.

"General."

"Adam. Blake. Ilia. A job well done."

"Oh, that's rich," commented Blake, lowering her salute and sitting down again next to Ilia. "Sienna literally just told us the same thing back inside the compound."

"If you don't mind me asking, where is Jacques Schnee right now?" asked Adam.

"Contrary to my speech, we've actually been gathering evidence against him for a while. There is sufficient evidence of workplace safety violations, corporate fraud, racketeering–"

"Yeah, but where is he?"

"We've detained him in a minimum security holding facility. He's considered a low flight risk."

"Prison." Adam gasped in joy. "He really is getting it up the ass."

"He's getting what he deserves," said the general. "And it's long overdue. Atlas has laws for a reason. For him to believe he can simply get away with such things because of the power his position as CEO grants him…I've lost count of the number of times a legal investigation of the death of some young Faunus has been halted by the council due to SDC involvement." Ironwood balled up his fists and looked away. "And the threats he made of withholding Dust to the military to get his way…"

"Don't worry, General," said Ilia. "The big, mean Schnee bully can't hurt you anymore."

"Amitola," he growled, but there was no real anger behind it. She'd was a part of K, and she'd just served him the SDC and the White Fang on a silver platter, both on the same day.

"Also, it is uncertain as of yet, but Councilwoman Camila's actions may be called into question."

"What'd she do?" asked Blake.

"Her ties with the SDC may be considered a violation of the Coke-Barnes Anti-Lobbying Act. As I said, it is uncertain. I'll try to keep you posted. You three deserve to know just how much you've accomplished today." The general looked at Ilia. "That said, I must ask. Thomson?"

"He was the one in charge the day of the cave-in," Ilia replied calmly. "You promised me that I'd get to–"

"Yes, I remember. Anyone responsible for your parents' deaths." The general nodded and looked away. "I had a feeling you had your reasons."

Ilia sighed. "He had some little Faunus kid hostage when I went into his office. He must have heard about the perimeter breach before we got to him. I wouldn't have done it otherwise."

"I see. Even if there hadn't been a hostage, I would not begrudge–"

"I'm not a murderer. Sir."

"I didn't mean to imply you were."

"S'cool. Hey, where's Winter?"

"Specialist Schnee has resigned her commission in protest of the expropriation of her father's company."

"Oh, shit," Ilia said without thinking. "Sir, I'm sorry. That's…I'm so sorry. Are you going to be okay?"

Adam looked at the general with worry. "James…"

"I'll manage. What we did today…I knew there would be consequences."

Ilia looked down the street at the massive military force assaulting the White Fang headquarters. She knew from the general's encrypted messages that similar offensive measures were being taken for the branches in the other three kingdoms. Adam, as Branch Leader, had access to a plethora of information regarding troop placements, safehouses, infiltrators, and known sympathizers. Anything that he couldn't get through official channels, Ilia and Blake had learned through espionage and stealth work. Spying tended to be easy for people who could camouflage or effortlessly blend into their surroundings.

As of tonight, the White Fang was as good as dead.

It was the culmination of all his dreams. An entirely lifetime of work building up to this one moment, and by the Brother Gods, it was so fucking worth it.

As Adam exited the office, he took a look around the mansion. This place was pretty darn nice. Too bad it was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of innocent Faunus…actually mostly just blood of innocent Faunus. Well, some tears, too.

Damn humans…

"Your fly's undone," pointed out Blake, waiting for him outside the office. She was leaning with her back to the wall looking at some Schnee painting. "Can't you even pretend to be a professional like me or Ilia?"

"Not gonna lie, I would have if I could have, Blake," said Ilia. "But to get the stream to land directly on Jacques' desk, I would've had to do some super awkward squat-crouch on top of it." She glared at Adam. "Men have all the luck."

Adam zipped up his trousers and sifted through some files that he'd pilfered from Schnee's study. Technically, the manor had been used for business purposes, as the CEO had stored proprietary documentation and commercial records (albeit under lock and key) in his home office. Now, those very same documents were in the bull Faunus' hand. He'd noticed the business papers when he was doing his business and decided that he could save James a trip and hand them off in person. Of course, they weren't the only memento he'd taken. A handcrafted wooden chess king, painted off white and with a Schnee snowflake carved into the front, rested in his back pocket. Just a little trophy from him to hold onto.

Adam followed Blake's eyes and saw that the man in the portrait she was staring at was none other than Nicholas Schnee himself, founder and former owner of the SDC.

"When you think about it, the whole thing is his fault," said Adam. "If that human hadn't made his confounded company, the suffering of thousands of Faunus may have been averted."

Blake didn't look away from the lifelike depiction as she responded. "Really? You believe it's his fault?"

"It's not a matter of belief, it's a fact. He founded the SDC. Case closed, guilty as charged."

"I'm not so sure. Modern Atlesian sources paint him as a flawless saint, and the White Fang calls him the second coming of the God of Darkness, but I read about him, in unbiased books detailing first-hand accounts from humans and Faunus. None of those contemporary sources describe him as a bigot. Apparently, he treated workers with dignity and respect regardless of whether they had an extra set of ears or a tail."

"I truly wonder what book you read that is guaranteed to be unbiased. But it doesn't matter either way – he started a company that practically enslaved our people. Even if he 'had a Faunus friend,' he was still a bad person."

"Actually, that was his dear son-in-law that did the enslaving," piped up Ilia. "The SDC was just another company when Nicholas was in charge. It wasn't it the industry titan with a complete Dust monopoly that is is today…rather, that it was yesterday. That changed when Jacques Schnee took over and decided that he'd rather be called CEO than bossman. The Schnee family only became so ridiculously wealthy because he raked in huge profits, and he only raked in huge profits because he hired Faunus for cheap and didn't spend a red lien on keeping them safe. Dust lung, workplace accidents…cave-ins…these things became the norm."

Adam looked at the portrait of Nicholas Schnee disdainfully. "You expect me to believe that this human wouldn't have done the same thing if he'd known how rich he could've become?"

"Nicholas Schnee, for better or worse, had something of a healthcare plan for his workers, and he often pulled shifts in person when someone else couldn't make it. He led such a small operation that he and his men were on a first name basis. As difficult as it may be to believe, he was a good Schnee." Ilia's face contorted. "The last one."

Adam thumbed the chess piece in his back pocket and nodded in agreement. "You may be right about that. Hey, when did you two have time to look this stuff up?"

"I told you, I read," Blake said. "It's what I do."

Ain't that the truth, thought Adam. Blake was almost never seen without her books. However, she wasn't the one whose answer interested Adam.

"Ilia? What about you?"

"Oh, you know…I keep my eyes and ears open, and, uh, you pick up a thing or two. Yeah."

Her noncommittal response was so uncharacteristic of the normally forthcoming girl that even Blake perked up. K was all they had, and they weren't supposed to hide things from one another.

"Ilia?"

Ilia turned bright red, and her spots lit up in yellow. "J-Just leave it alone."

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry I asked."

Adam looked away, and Blake resumed her extrospection of the deceased Schnee patriarch's portrait.

"It was in school! There, you happy?"

Now it was Adam's turn to grow red. Ilia's time before K had always been a touchy subject for a number of reasons. Blake and Adam had originally been the sole plants planned for the White Fang until Ironwood has assigned a chameleon Faunus to them and turned their duo into a trio. The early years had been rough, especially when it came out that Ilia used to impersonate a human. Adam regretted some of the words he'd used that day. It had all been apologized for ad nauseam, but the subject was still sore, more because of Ilia's guilt than any lingering resentment on Adam's part. She always seemed uneasy with how she'd been leisurely reaping the benefits of her human-like appearance while the others had been suffering. Either way, it was essentially taboo to even bring up the period of time.

So, Adam dropped it.

"Are we all done here? I've got some files I found that might interest James."

"I'm good."

"Let's go."

"Detail, atten-tion!"

Blake straightened her pose as General Ironwood entered the briefing room.

"At ease."

Ilia and Blake slunk back into their chairs. Adam did so as well, thought after a longer pause than either of the girls.

"I hope you enjoyed your leave."

Blake did not. Shore leave had to be the most idiotic, brainless, mind-numbingly boring concept ever invented by Atlas. No, by the world. Seriously, if anyone's idea of spending their free time sitting around twiddling their thumbs when there were so many obviously easily fixed problems in the world, Blake would gladly shove her shore leave up their–

"Belladonna. If I may have your undivided attention, please."

"Sorry, sir," she offered sheepishly and refocused on him.

"As I was saying, your next assignment shall be beginning shortly, and I would like K fully prepared and readied for shipping out by 0300 hours tomorrow. You will be attending Beacon Academy under the guise seeking accreditation. Yes, before you ask, I am aware that Adam is older than a third year students, and all three of you are probably more experienced than the average hunter. Rest assured, you are not being sent halfway across the world for lessons."

Beacon Academy? What possible reason could there be for sending K to Vale? Aren't we supposed to be allies with them? Even though she did not have any permanent lodgings in Atlas or Mantle, she'd long since stopped thinking of Menagerie as home in favor of the northernmost kingdom. It was in part due to the lengthy period of time she's spent as a White Fang double agent working for and against Atlas, and in part due to the loyalty that the general had earned by propping her up when the world had sought to put her down.

"So what are we being sent there for?" she asked.

"I want to make it explicitly clear: this is not a combat mission. Your objective is to gather critical intelligence on a target of tactical value within Beacon. The skillset required for this mission and the unique circumstances in regards to Atlesian involvement almost makes me wonder if some divine being has favored K for this assignment."

Unique circumstances – that meant deniability. Unlike the Specialists Corp, Atlas' strong right arm, K was entirely cut off from the military. There were no records of their recruitment, no documentation on their missions, no paper trail, no nothing. The only thing tying them to Atlas was the knowledge of their existence in General Ironwood's mind. And Winter's, but not anymore, I guess.

"Atlas and Vale are in a strong, prosperous, mutually beneficial alliance, one we wish to preserve. As such, Atlas cannot formally task operatives with infiltrating a public institution on foreign soil."

"But you can send K."

"Precisely. Furthermore, your time with the White Fang has made you into the most adept unit I have for undercover work and infiltration. I am…aware that the three of you have been in the field fighting for the White Fang for nearly your entire lives, and this will be your first new assignment."

"Don't worry, James," said Adam. "We can adapt."

Blake and Ilia nodded in assent.

"Excellent. Your objective is this." The general projected a hologram from his scroll containing the blueprints of some sort of machine. "An aura transfer device."

"It looks Atlesian in origin." Blake wondered why they were being tasked with locating this device when the general already had blueprints for it that looked detailed enough to build one from scratch.

"That is because it is. The device was stolen by the White Fang's Vale cell during a shipment and destroyed."

Blake exchanged glances with Adam and Ilia. "Sir, none of us ever heard about anything like this."

"Exactly. The supposed White Fang raid that led to this machine's destruction never took place. The rail line on which the shipment was being transferred was destroyed by a makeshift IED consistent with White Fang hardware, and Atlesian soldiers reported being attacked by enemy dressed in White Fang uniforms, but the intelligence you fed me indicated that no such attack transpired. Someone intended to frame the White Fang for the destruction of this device, and they would have succeeded if not for K. Whoever did this is unaware of your existence and thus did not take into account that Atlas was aware of all White Fang terrorist operations."

"W-Was it Vale?" asked Ilia. "Is that why you're sending us to Beacon?"

Ironwood grimaced. "I believe so. Your mission is to pass as students and locate the aura transfer device. If possible, ascertain the identity of the culprits behind its theft and their motives. We suspect it is being held on Beacon grounds due to the large number of aura users on the premises, though concrete evidence is limited to a handful of grainy satellite images. The headmaster of the school, Ozpin, is a good friend of mine, but many of his recent actions have not added up. He has been behaving…erratically. He may be hiding the device or harboring those responsible for it. Friend or not, he is a Valean and will be loyal to Vale first."

Adam saluted. "We won't let you down sir."

"I know. However, there is one…complication. Beacon hunter teams consist of four members. Thus, for this assignment, K will be welcoming a new member."

Omake

Blake: Why are you sending us to Beacon?

General Ironwood: I mean, c'mon. RWBY is in the tags – where else would I send you, Shade?

Author's Notes - Fanfic #2! Like my first, this one has been completely written in advance (50 chapters, ~192K words), will be updated weekly, and is also on AO3. Comments and reviews are encouraged, whether they be positive or negative. I will try to answer any questions put forth provided I have an answer and it's not a spoiler. Remember to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon. Please feel free to point out any typos or formatting errors I may have made.

I still don't own Rooster Teeth and RWBY (but I'm working on that).