His mother sat patiently, perhaps losing her mind in the tides of bickering arguments being cast carelessly around her, tangling all in a web of pointless nonsense. His father, expectedly, stood before several armed soldiers complaining about events the men had no control over. This left Whitley more or less alone with himself, unable to really do much else than wander.

Passing through and around the obvious panic, he cast a short gaze up at the blackened sky, drowning out the horror such a sight should have instilled within him, and instead replaced it with his best rendition of indifference. Neither Atlas above, nor Mantle below could handle the coming extinction encroaching upon the horizon - if one still remained. The shadows had surrounded the floating city, leaving little in the way of natural light, and only the glow of mechanical shine painting the windows and lamp posts kept this artificial midnight at bay.

Or, just maybe, this was the most natural of midnights after all.

Their city, which stood as a testament to technological evolution, towered brazenly against the ivory meadows of snow which made up their home, and yet these pastures carried above them the soon to be harbingers of Humanity's extinction. Maybe those down in Mantle could see some sparks and clearings past the smoke of their approaching demise from the southwest.

It might also just be that not all the darkness of the most lonely hours of night were volatile.

Within the black, Whitley saw sanguine pinpoints burrowing free from the cloud: surely thousands upon thousands of ravenous, fiery eyes merely waiting to gobble them all up. But many of those eyes within the doomsday blight sat firmly in the southwest, and while the school's mass blocked most everything behind them, a short but prudent glare proved that not all of the inky sky was tainted by specks of blood.

If this consideration of his was true, then it would mean they could potentially move northeast in the hopes of escape - not that they'd be fast enough to outrun annihilation.

Still, he had no way of knowing how Atlas planned to handle the situation, and thus he would worry no more about it. Regardless of how, as most of his free-time opponents in the virtual world would say, fucked they were, there was little to gain both mentally and physically with drowning yourself in the wines of fear. In fact, such misgivings would only rally their foes, and so Whitley had sought out methods of distraction to keep his mind and its darker thoughts at bay.

A few minutes of walking around had drawn the intrigue of one of his darling sister's Beacon companions, and he found himself being overlooked by the ginger one, who's hammer was large enough to squash a newborn.

Well... that was a disturbing notion; finding entertainment needed to happen soon, otherwise graphic visualizations of gore might just consume his mind - those online losers were, apparently, rubbing off on him. If there was one thing that stayed put with the loss of the CCT, it was the fact that even when limited to Atlas and Mantle alone, the pool of chronically online wayfarers maintained their sickened sense of humor.

"Woah there, kiddo." She zipped around him, taking him by the shoulder and pulling him away from the edge of the railing he had directed himself towards. "Why are you marching away from the group?" Pausing a moment after, she squinted, rubbing her chin with her free hand as she accosted him with another question. "Hey, don't I know you from somewhere."

Before Whitley could respond, she snapped her fingers, smiling triumphantly. "Ah ha!" And then pointed a finger at him. "You're Weiss's little bro, aren't you? White... um, Whitey, Wiley -"

"Whitley." He corrected, before she gave herself an aneurysm recalling a name she'd most likely heard a total of maybe once in her life; knowing Weiss, she probably never much talked about her home life, let alone her family. "Whitley Schnee."

"Yeah!" She slapped a hand on his back, nearly sending him rolling over; Brother's this woman was strong. "That's it!" Despite him giving her a scowl, she didn't waver in her tone. "So, Whitley, why are you over here on your lonesome? Did you get separated from your family?"

"No." He pulled away a step, straightening himself and rolling his shoulders back into their proper positions. "I know well where they are. I'm merely distancing myself from my father's inane slew of complaints towards anyone with a weapon."

"Ooooh~" Strangely, the huntress spewed out a low, almost mischievous whistle. "I see." Leaning in, she bore a smirk along the levels some of his age-range attendees of his father's gathering's used when they believed they were being subtle with their scheming. "Daddy's being a dick, huh?"

My oh my, sister. A minor snort escaped him, but nothing more. I think I'm starting to see what you adore within your companions.

Either this woman was ignorant to how one should speak to the upper class, or she was one of the few foolish souls capable of spitting their sass directly into the faces of those who irked her. Regardless of which was true, and he was banking on the latter due to her smirk alone, Whitley found it refreshing to have someone who didn't hide their regard of him or his family, especially when no ill will was immediately detected towards him.

This may just be the woman hiding her true feelings, as their kind tended to do, but she lacked the little touches and twitches in tone of voice often attached to those deceptive ones. A woman who wasn't marred in near irreplaceable flaws or greed; yes, this was a refreshing change indeed.

"In a manner of speaking." He told, redirecting his eyes to the railing. "I'd been intending to ignore it until a change was made regarding our occupation here in the academy."

"Yeah." The hearty lady pulled in a stark breath through clenched teeth. "We're... we're working on it."

"I suppose I should take the idea of our safety with a side of salt."

"Eh... I wouldn't say it's that bad." Her eyes rolled over as she no doubt searched for an excuse, making it more than obvious she didn't know how legitimate his worries might have been. "It's just... probably a little bit that bad, maybe... But only if you squint a little."

"Mhmm." A tiny grin bit into his cheeks. "Then I am grateful we have such confident hunters as our guard."

"Smartass." She exclaimed with an almost proud grin; clearly, his troublesome attitude proved entertaining to her. Soon though, that playfulness relaxed. "I'm beginning to see why ice-queen was so frosty whenever anyone asked about home. You're spicy though; I like that."

"Do you now?" He raised a brow, blatantly looking her up and down. "I'm not sure my father would approve of someone he doesn't have in his pocket making courting attempts towards me."

"Really?" Her cheesy smile was back. "Well then, I guess I'm safe so long as I don't chase you. Good thing I'm not interested in little boys." Whitley would have chuckled, but she leaned in before he got the chance. "But be careful; I think some of the hags around here just might. Real pack of cougars; meow~"

Rolling his eyes, Whitley pulled away again. "I suppose I can heed such caution."

"Yep." She grabbed him by the wrist, yanking him suddenly along. "Now come on."

"W-what are you doing?!"

"Can't have you strolling too close to the edge; we need you nearby in case the peace goes pop." They came upon the school again, and he was led into a room not too far down the right hallway past the entrance. Pushing open the door, she practically shoved him in, all the while raising her hands in the air and calling, "behold!"

Whitley, after catching hold of his footing once more, looked up to see the small gathering of a few children. He became confused, until he saw how a familiar young woman stood off in the distance. Her distinct red hood made her stand out against most other hunters in Atlas, and that hood had been the one he believed belonged to his sister's partner.

"What is this?" Forgetting his manners entirely, the question bumbled out against the noise and cries of both excitement and disappointment, as well as the action on the screen the kids were huddled around. Although few, Whitley had known and seen some of these children. If he recalled, they were accompanying some of the elected who sat in on the meeting. Why some of the audience to the debate had seen fit to bring their spawn with them he could not fathom, but considering how his father had brought him up over the years, he would assume that same line of logic applied here: to teach their children how to listen and probe.

"Behold: the gathering." Whitley looked back inquisitively, and the huntress's glee tapered off at the sight of his clueless expression. Relenting bluntly, she spoke plainly. "It's basically where we're keeping the rowdy kids until we figure out what we're going to do with everyone." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Hey, you want to meet your sister's partner?"

A strange way to save face... but not a wholly unreasonable one. He'd admit, he was curious as to what her sister's team were like.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

"Great!" She dragged him by the arm again. "Let's go!"

About five seconds was how long it took to cross the room.

"Hey Ruby." The woman called, pulling the eyes of their red hooded wonder away from the kids. She raised a brow, possibly just as curious as he was when he too was first called out.

"Nora?" Her eyes fell onto him. "And you... Weiss's little brother, right?"

"Whitley Schnee." He gave a short, practiced bow. "A pleasure I'm sure, and you are?"

"U-um... Ruby: R-Ruby Rose." Well, she certainly wasn't used to how he and his siblings were forced to present themselves, that was for sure. Considering this was Weiss's partner, it made him wonder just how his sister had been acting in Beacon. "I'm your older sister's partner. It's, uh... nice to meet you?"

"I would assume so, depending on what she's said of us."

"Oh..." Ruby blushed a tad. "Well... she hasn't really said much."

"No surprise there." Dropping his posh tone felt almost natural with regards to these people; unlike many, they appeared to care little for upholding stature, and so, he reasoned to himself, why should he? "With how our family functions on a good day, I'd be shocked if she's explained anything beyond the fractured essentials."

"Ha!" Nora, yet again, slapped him, but this time on the shoulder. "Ice-queen's really that predictable, isn't she?"

On multiple levels, yes, but who was he to say? Wiping a false tear from her eye, Nora rose with a sigh, evening out her voice and carrying on.

"I like him. He's like a salty little version of Weiss, but a bit more clever with how he roasts everyone." The comparison to his sister wasn't all that enjoyable, even if logical, but he did appreciate being dubbed superior in some regard. Nora's grin dropped into a casual affair once again. "Say, why are you down here anyway? Weren't you meeting with the general?"

"That's done." Ruby exclaimed carefully. "Until he gets everything into place, we're on standby. He'll let us know what to do when it's time, and where we have to go -" A few cries of defeat echoed harmonically throughout the air, and Ruby's sight shot over to the kids. She sighed, hunching over a few inches. "And it sounds like Penny won again."

"Penny won?" Nora asked, and Ruby gave them a scattered smile.

"She's started playing some video game recently. She keeps trying to beat this one guy, but can't." Sighing, Ruby leaned back. "Buuuuut, being "bedridden" has probably left her with nothing to do but play the game. Weiss and the rest of us are going to head out once we're given the go; we're part of Mantle's defense."

Hearing another indignant cry, Whitley's wonder reached its peak. Casually, he wandered over to see just which game brought the children such disappointment. It had to be a competition of some sort for them to be losing to another player, and he'd admit, the way their heads were set rigidly towards the screen layered his mind with intrigue. Chances were, he'd probably be able to recognise the game at least, even if he didn't play it.

However, he did recognise the game, and not only that, he recognised the player as well.

It's him! Or, perhaps in this case, it was best stated this individual was a her. Out of nowhere, prompted from his long lack of challenge within his favored hobby, Whitley approached the screen. The kids had lost another round, and based on the results tally, they'd lost around twelve games so far. If the username hadn't given it away, then the persistence towards rematches certainly did.

"Aw man!" The child holding the controller complained, shaking as he gripped the plastic item furiously tight. "We lost again! Can't we win just once?!"

"Would you like to?" He really had no place in it; this was a pastime meant for the children stuck here. Even so, he felt almost compelled to face his challenger again, and now that he had a name, he might even get a chance to learn more about her later.

As if he hadn't somehow heard about Mantle's defender.

"Can we really?" The kid looked up at him, eyes full of hope. Despite being of a clearly wealthy upbringing, he could see genuine childishness in his face; apparently, Atlas hadn't dashed his innocence and joy across the rocks yet. Whitley nodded, and the child handed him the controller.

Whitley wouldn't lie, he was thrilled to be facing his fabled rival again in digital combat. Finally, he'd get the chance to look away from the inevitable death of his home.

.

.

"Huh..." Nora scratched her head. "Who would have thought the kid could kick ass?"

Ruby seconded that; heck, she'd argue Whitley could more than outclass even her uncle Qrow at that game. At least he was relaxing a bit; the less people on the edge - or a total meltdown - the better. Instantly her mind returned to the incessant impatience within. They needed to wait before the operation was launched, meaning she was stuck at the school until the word was given. Defending Penny would be a priority, however they were awaiting the deployment of a full defense.

Ironwood was already ordering troops around and into position, and during that small window of a half hour, he directly told them their traitorous foe might make a move on the school. And so, she and the rest of her team were positioned strategically to cover each level of Atlas Academy. JNPR would be sent out on the front lines when the orders were given, but until then they were left with their previous orders: protect and defend their guests, and keep panic to a minimum.

Ruby didn't really mind that she was here with the kids, awaiting either the signal to head down to Mantle, or any signs of trickery, but that didn't make the tension go away.

Right now, V was probably nearing the midpoint of the city, doing his best to cut a clear path without causing chaos. There was a chance he might assume they'd come after him for any number of reasons, and so they could assume he was moving cautiously to an extent.

Pushing off of her temporary resting place, Ruby made for the door, content to leave the children in the hands of Nora for now. She seemed happy enough cheering on Whitley, and he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. While she'd been told to keep an eye on the ground level of the school, Ruby wasn't strictly confined to any one room, and so had the freedom to patrol if she so chose.

Then again, the desire to patrol in particular wasn't what caused her departure.

Passing out into the open after ghosting through the halls who, on this level, were occupied merely by cautious students and some military guard who'd been spared the brute of direct duties for the defense, Ruby made her way through the crowds of attendees and stared out at the city. Despite their plan seeming rather simple, Ruby couldn't fight off the sickening despair clouding her thoughts.

It was easy to wear the façade of courage when proclaiming her vow to guard her robotic friend earlier, but without that rush of immediate companionship at the forefront of her thoughts, the darker seeds of consideration took root.

So many Grimm on the horizon, blotting out the sky with little regard for delicate patterns of approach; as mindless in convergence as a swarm of riled up wasps seeking a space to sting on their enemy's body. Still being so far away, Ironwood had predicted it would be about an hour before the gigantic whale monstrosity could reach the floating landmass, which meant an hour of prep time before Salem's fury reached their barren, dusty shores. The city's automated heating system practically eradicated all snow within the dome, but without the shield, the chilly marble specks fluttered down freely, heralding their quickly approaching conflict.

"I've never seen so many Grimm before." Pyrrha approached from her left, and Ruby noticed the almost content look within her eyes; it should have been worrisome, had it not fit her like a glove. "You grew up in the smaller towns, yes? Has anything ever come close to this?"

"Not even in my dreams, but you probably expected that."

"I did." Pyrrha tossed on a gentle grin. "Truthfully, I'm just fishing for something to talk about." Her sight returned to the horde. "There's nothing to be gained in fretting over that which you cannot change."

"Sounds like you think it's hopeless for us." Ruby pointed out, and Pyrrha shook her head.

"Not hopeless... Just difficult." She stepped away, turning to see the people huddled into one another. "They won't believe us if we claim it'll be alright. They'll assume we're lying, and then they'll begin to imagine the worst."

"Telling them they're doomed won't help either."

"I never said otherwise." Pyrrha relaxed herself against the railing. "But this isn't something we can brush away. People are going to die, that much cannot be disputed. There are simply too many Grimm to believably counter, even with the plan in mind."

"Maybe." Ruby felt a pull in her chest. "But we should be able to evacuate everyone... right?"

"If we have enough ships, and everything goes off without a hitch, then yes." Ruby could hear the metal crunching, and a short peek showed it crushed within Pyrrha's grip. "But we both know that when it comes to Salem, nothing ever goes to plan."

"Is that why you came over? Just to dampen my mood?" It was a fairly mean and sudden accusation, but Ruby was avidly trying not to feel hopeless, and Pyrrha was dragging her down into the mud, although that was most likely accidental.

The lips of the pale woman twitched, and the guilt spreading on her face slapped Ruby upside her own. Oh come on: I didn't mean it! Stupid emotions and her stupid way of handling them; she thought she'd been over this already. Taking a breath, Ruby forced out an apology; things were already stressing enough, and her own lapse of control had not helped in the least.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean -"

"It's okay." The reply felt almost too easy going; immediately tension wrapped itself across her entire body. "I was letting my rational side take over; forgive me."

"You don't need to ask me for that." Ruby quickly stated. "You didn't do anything wrong; you were just tempering my expectations, which is probably a good thing. I just have to accept that things aren't going to go so well."

"I was." Pyrrha eased herself off the rail. "But I could have worded it better. As is, it came off insensitive. Besides, I didn't come here to remind you of how dire our situation is."

"Then, what did you come over here for?"

"To spend time with you." This got a curious look from Ruby, she'd admit that without hesitation.

"Why?"

And that just so happened to be the one word to break Pyrrha's expression of jumbled guilt. Again she appeared content, but with a somber afterglow. A sense of finality rode atop her voice, and the train of thought pulled into the station carrying a mix of various collected emotions.

"I fear this may not go over so smoothly as we might hope, and if something were to happen to any one of us, I'd wish to know we'd spent at least some time together earnestly."

You think we're going to die.

As much as Ruby wished to counteract that idea, she herself couldn't find the strength. So far, almost nothing had gone right for them, and constantly they'd been faced with death of one brand or another. When it wasn't enemies or acquaintances physically dying, it was mental and emotional death. Demise seemed to be a constant, and while they had some time to recuperate upon entering the city, the spread of finales never let up. V had lost his emotions, and Penny had been shut down twice now. Cinder and her partner were killed by V, and he too had left them again. Before that, Adam had met his end at their hands, and so too did the numerous enemies prior.

How much more death would show itself to them?

"Some fun before the showdown." Ruby put on her best appreciative face. "I guess that isn't so bad."

She'd be lying if she said it felt wholly good to take a load off and just chat with Pyrrha, but no matter what inane childhood stories they swapped, the following thirty minutes did nothing to truly alleviate the fear slowly bubbling in the bottom of her stomach.

As expected, around a little past the half hour mark, they were given texts from the general: direct orders for each of them. Pyrrha and the rest of JNPR were to join in the front lines of the city, equipped with multiple pows to pelt their assailants. RWBY were, of course, headed to Mantle with Robyn and May. It was at the landing pads that she reconvened with everyone, although they were not alone. Halfway through the flight, Robyn Hill stumbled upon an unlikely stowaway while rummaging through some of the cargo brought onto the ship after she noticed most of what should have been inside settled out and to the left.

"Whitley!" Weiss shouted, glaring down at her brother with both worry and fury. "What are you doing here?! Why aren't you back with mother?!"

Ruby noticed the distinct lack of attention towards Mr. Schnee, but now knowing how scummy that guy was, on a much deeper level since coming here, she couldn't say it was all that shocking. Funnily, the boy whose age was the same as her own didn't look all that bothered by his older sister's outburst, merely raising a brow as he crossed his arms.

"I'm following after you; I'd think my presence here would make that quite obvious."

"Why?!" Why started with a demanding aura, covered in worry and about ready to pull her individual hairs out. "What do you get from following me? Better yet: how did you even get on the ship?"

"It's easy to pass by when everyone is preoccupied with one thing or another." He actually had the gall to smirk, and while that only made Weiss even angrier, it also got a small grin from Robyn - although it was quickly wiped away. "As for why I've decided to follow: I wish to meet with Mantle's defender."

"What?" Weiss, confused by what she heard, only carried on with more vigor. "Why? Since when do you care about hunters at all, and why risk it now of all times?"

"Because I most likely won't get another chance." Whitley said curtly, his face spread with an uncaring, almost cruel, scowl. "You've seen what we're up against. I'm not stupid, sister, we very well might not make it to tomorrow."

Instantly all the demanding rage in her expression melted into a pitiful state of unease.

"That's not... entirely true."

Whitley tsked, shaking his head. "See? You can't even lie about it. And as for why? Let's just say it's for personal reasons, and leave it at that." He moved over, taking a seat right next to Ruby herself now. "If you're so curious, you can listen in when I speak with her."

"And how are you so sure we're even off to see Penny?" Robyn hopped in from her place on the opposite end of the airship. Her eyes narrowed, but Ruby wouldn't describe her look as entirely offensive. She looked more interested in what the boy had to say than anything overly emotional.

Whitley's response was to smirk, before he waved a hand at Ruby.

"Simple: you're all off to Mantle, and Penny is Mantle's defender. Ergo, it would stand to reason you'd reconvene with any and all possible backup to aid in the protection of the city, meaning you'd have no reason not to seek out perhaps the most powerful, and to an extent popular, huntress within the kingdom." His smirk screeched with a sassy style of energy. "Oh, and as a tip: just because everyone's in a tizzy doesn't mean their ears are shut off. When speaking with one another, you may want to watch what you say, as some of us might just be listening in."

Or, in other words, he was eavesdropping on them - that was kind of on themselves for just assuming people weren't listening.

Weiss's head fell into her hands, and she gave off a heavy sigh before rising again.

"Fine. It's not like we have time to turn the ship around now." With a cross expression, Weiss gave out a warning. "But listen well: you do what we say, when we say it. We'll drop you off so you can have your chat with Penny, but you'll be staying there until we come back to pick you up again. There'll be no debating this; do as you're told, and nothing else."

Whitley nodded, accepting the terms without another word, and Weiss looked to settle back down.

Considering Penny wasn't going to be active on their mission, it wasn't like things were all that different. Besides, Inky was there too, and so was Clover - Penny's temporary guardian alongside Ruby herself. At the very least, Whitley wasn't in too much danger with them; not like it was safe really anywhere now with Salem looking to brawl.

If anything, Ruby was just hoping they would make it out in one piece.

Author's note

…

Okay, so we get another relaxed chapter, but RWBY's on the move now, and with not only Robyn and May, but also a stowaway.

Whitley's purpose will show itself later, so just keep in mind he's skilled enough to outclass a machine in execution; Penny's more Human at this point, but she's still got the processing power and speed of Atlas's best. Sure, it's in the realm of video games, but who knows what other hobbies he may have where this skill carries over.

V was mentioned, but his perspective will come later, so don't worry.

We're dreadfully close to the Atlas end game here, so be prepared for things to get a little strange.

Until next time.