It was evening in Ozpin's office, everyone was gathered there, Tin Man, Ozpin, Glynda, Schnee, and Courrier too weirdly enough. Courrier was saying something weird about the doubles bracket; it was pretty funny seeing Glynda correct the guy about how it was going to take place tomorrow. Qrow chuckled; guess the guy really was all brawn and no brains.

"How'd you make these?" Qrow whispered to Courrier as the two stood next to one another inside Ozpin's office, completely ignoring the pointed look that Winter's currently giving him, "Because this shit hits the spot."

"Local ingredients, I'm surprised you can't taste the sand in those bottles," Courrier whispered back, ignoring the glare that Glynda was sending his way, "That thing's been fermenting for longer than I've been alive."

"Really? Huh…" he took another swig.

Glynda rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed in exasperation, "Mr. Courrier, do you mind explaining to me why-" "He tripped."

Qrow nodded, "Yep, pretty nasty fall too, shattered my Aura like instantly."

Winter rolled her eyes, "That is untrue and you know it."

"Oh buzz off, is it so hard to believe that I tripped during our fight and accidentally cracked my head open in the courtyard?" Qrow pointed at Winter, taking another swig from the moonshine bottle.

"YES!"

"Besides, you started the whole fight anyways!" Qrow smirked, nudging Courrier, "Come on, back me up here, which one of us started the fight?"

"I don't know, when I got there Qrow was already on the ground," Courrier lied through his teeth as he swallowed more of those tablets he always carried around, "Who's the clone over here?" he pointed at Schnee.

"Clone?!" she fumed.

"Yeah, white hair, basically the same person, you're just taller." Qrow held back a laugh.

"Why you-" "Enough!"

Ironwood decided that now would be the time to intervene, "Qrow, what were you thinking, trying to instigate Schnee like that?" Tin Man glared at Qrow, he shrugged, "Not to mention the property damage, you should be grateful that that's not coming out of your account."

Qrow shrugged again, taking another swig from the bottle before replying, "Hey, sometimes you're not thinking right so cut me some slack!" he nudged Courrier, "Blame this guy over here, the alcohol he produces are top notch."

"Don't drag me into this," Courrier grabbed the bottle of moonshine out of Qrow's hand, "You're losing a bottle because of that."

"Booooo."

"Care to explain why you went dark for the duration of the whole week leading up to the Vytal Festival?" Ironwood glared at Qrow, "No contact, no nothing, not even a hint that tells us that you're alive."

"Oh come on Tin Man," Schnee sneered at the nickname, "Have some more faith in your buddy over here, I'm not that easy to kill."

"Besides, you're not my commanding officer."

"This man's a fool…" Ironwood mumbled, "Fine, sure, do you have the intel now? Despite not sending it to any of us in the past seven days?"

"Sure do," Qrow's smile slipped off his face as he turned deadly serious, "You want intel on our enemy? Well our enemy's already here, how about that?"

"We already know that!"

"Really? Well what the hell did I risk my life for out there?"

"We spoke about this a week ago, Qrow," Ironwood threw up his hands in frustration, "Are you hard of hearing by any chance? Need a little jog down memory lane?"

"Oh fuck you Tin Can, if you already knew then why didn't you say anything?" Qrow pulled out his Scroll, opening up the inbox, "See this? Where's your message huh?"

"We had reasons to believe that you were compromised."

"And I have a lot more reasons to believe that you're supposed to be back on that ship of yours Ice Queen, maybe actually talk to your sister too, ever thought about that? So how about you do all of us a favour and just fuck right off," Qrow turned back to Ironwood, "You didn't tell me shit while I was out there. What, I was gone for a week and you thought I was dead? Dick move Tin Can, dick move."

Winter's hands clutched her rapier, she shook with rage, "Sir-" "Schnee, we'll talk about this later."

"But-" "Leave!"

Relenting, Schnee glared at Qrow before turning on her heels and leaving the office, "Good, now that she's gone, we can finally talk about the important things," Qrow glanced at Courrier, "Uh… no offense but are you supposed to be here too?"

"I don't know, hey Ozpin, am I supposed to be here?"

"Yes."

"Well that solves it."

Qrow shrugged; maybe the guy knows something that he doesn't, "Our infiltrator isn't another goon or pawn from… her, they're the one responsible for uh…" Qrow glanced at Courrier, "Amber's… condition."

Glynda raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"You see, I uh… um… okay seriously, I don't know if we can say all of this secret shit in front of Courrier, like, is he actually supposed to be here?" Qrow pointed at Courrier before turning to Ozpin, "Hello? So what's the verdict here is he a part of our little club or not?"

"Don't be so impatient Qrow," he then turned to Courrier, "Mr. Courrier, do you remember what you were doing before you became an assistant teacher here at Beacon?"

"I was a part of the White Fang, the one responsible for the Vale terrorist attack just a couple weeks before," Courrier glanced at Ironwood, who looked… miffed, just that bit annoyed? Qrow sipped his flask, it didn't hit like the moonshine did, Ironwood was still probably annoyed about the fact that a terrorist got more trust from Ozpin than him, "You asked me to do some things involving the White Fang and all that, I did it and now I'm just waiting until you throw me back into prison or something."

"Heh, yeah, that is until we found out what your 'Semblance' can do." Qrow pointed out.

Ozpin nodded, "We've been letting you go around unimpeded for a while now, any news about the White Fang's Vale sect?"

"Oh don't I have any news, you know who Adam Taurus is?"

"A violent Faunus supremacist advocating for the culling of all humankind?" Glynda scoffed, "He's well known around here."

"He sent me a message recently," Courrier pulled up his weird wrist-Scroll and showed it to everyone, "telling me to come to a hideout and discuss some plans with the guy."

"Apparently, Adam got contacted by some woman named Cinder Fall ordering him and his White Fang sect to cause chaos in the Vytal Festival during the singles bracket," Ironwood's eyes widened, "Before everyone panics, Taurus already has a secondary plan not at all related to this Cinder woman's."

"Adam and his White Fang sect are going to retreat from Vale completely."

"And you're going to trust the words of a terrorist?" Ironwood narrowed his eyes at Courrier, it seems like the man never trusted him to begin with.

"He doesn't seem like the lying type, besides, I'm a terrorist, and don't you trust my words?"

"No."

"Damn," Courrier rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well hold on for a moment, I know Taurus well alright? He's a logical guy now; he knows what's best for the White Fang."

"Logical?" Qrow busted out laughing, "Nice joke, Courrier- hah- haha, that guy is anything but logical, have you seen what he did before?"

"No, but I know what he's going to do now," Courrier turned to Ozpin, "I'll take personal accountability, I have full trust in Taurus and if he were to break that trust then I'll deal with him personally."

"…" Ozpin stared at Courrier before sighing, "I'll honour that arrangement, just understand that if Taurus were to do anything other than what you said he would do then…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know my punishment, life in prison ain't that bad once you get used to it," Courrier took out a bottle and drank from it, "So uh… I guess I'll show myself out?"

"No, no, stay."

"Ozpin! Are you sure this is the right decision?" Ironwood glanced at Courrier.

Ozpin nodded before whispering to Ironwood, "We need him on our side."

Ironwood just looked at Ozpin for a moment before relenting, stepping away from the table, "Now that that's done, Tin Can, mind explaining why you brought that big-ass fleet with you to Vale?"

"It'd make the people feel safe. Staying silent and playing the secrecy game will only make the people paranoid."

"And you think that'd work when they see another nation's army floating right above their heads?" Qrow scoffed, "Forty years might be a long time for some but for others? Their war hasn't ended yet."

"I know that better than anyone here, Qrow," Ironwood's eyes hardened as he grabbed his right arm, which began twitching at the mention of the war, "I might've not participated in it, but the effects it had on the next generation were palpable."

"Woah, calm down there, both of you," Courrier raised a placating hand, "We're here to fight the enemy right? Not each other," he turned to Ozpin, "Ozpin, can you check the CCTS databases for anybody named Cinder Fall?"

"The person that tried to order Taurus and his White Fang sect?" Glynda raised an eyebrow, "There is a student here named Cinder Fall, someone from Haven Academy… It could just be a coincidence."

"Well, it's the only lead we have," Courrier swallowed down some more of those strange tablets, "If that student really is the one orchestrating this whole terrorist plot then we have a problem on our hands."

"Wait… student… they fit!" Qrow snapped his fingers, "Infiltrating the CCTS in Beacon is no easy task for an outsider, but if the infiltrator was faculty or a student then they could've wandered off during the dance!"

"Just like your niece did?" Glynda smirked at Qrow.

"Exactly- wait, she did what?"

"So it's plausible then, that this Cinder Fall is who we're looking for," Ironwood rubbed his chin, "But what does she intend to do when the White Fang's pulling out of Vale? Unless she has a private army, there's only so much that one person can do…"

"There is another way she can enact this plan of hers," Ozpin's eyes narrowed, "The Grimm."

A chill ran down everyone's spine, except for Courrier who just stared blankly at Ozpin, "Right… that is a possibility isn't it…" Qrow sighed, downing his whole flask in one go, "We've already established that this infiltrator of ours is one of her pawns, and a dangerous one at that… the connections are there, but why would this Cinder Fall want the White Fang if she already have the Grimm?"

"Who's this 'her' you're bringing up?"

Qrow looked at Courrier, "Courrier, you know of the Grimm right?"

"Yeah? Who doesn't?"

"You ever wondered why they just seemed to be endless despite not having the ability to reproduce?" Courrier nodded, "This… woman, Salem, she's the one making the Grimm."

Silence, Qrow waited to see what Courrier's reaction would be.

Courrier shrugged, "Sounds about right, I've been having questions about that myself. I always thought the Grimm were more artificial than natural anyways."

"You're not surprised?"

"Why would I be?"

"I- alright, fine, if Cinder is one of Salem's lackeys then why does she need the White Fang for?"

"Taurus said that Fall told the White Fang to 'cause chaos' during the Festival, she probably doesn't care about the lives of the White Fang and is willing to use them in conjunction with the Grimm like some kind of double team on Vale..." Courrier smirked, "What Fall doesn't know is the White Fang pulling out of Vale completely, so now without the White Fang's interference and confusion, all we need to do is probably just up the security around the Festival. Make sure no flying Grimm gets inside."

"That's easier said than done," Ironwood sighed, "With the large amounts of people in the Colosseum and the Festival, the collective fear they'll produce might be too large to handle…"

"That's probably why Fall needed the White Fang for," Glynda pointed out, "The White Fang will cause the chaos and fear that'll then lead to the Grimm, now with the White Fang out of the equation, if Taurus is to be believed, then Fall's plan will, quite literally, fall apart."

"She'll probably have a backup plan involving the Tournament, seeing as how that's the most crowded space of the Festival, and the most densely packed too," Ironwood glanced at the Vytal Colosseum floating just outside, "So we'll have to up internal security as well," he then smirked at Qrow, "Looks like my fleet worked out after all, Qrow."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Tin Man, guess you're right or whatever."

"Courrier, since you're the latest addition to our group, you'll be our eyes on the ground," Ozpin leaned back on his chair, Qrow always found it weird that he's the only one that gets to sit down, "If this Cinder works for Salem then chances are she'll know about everyone in this room, all except for you of course."

"Cinder Fall, Haven Academy student who joined the Tournament with her two other team members, Emerald Sustrai and… Mercury Black," Glynda glared at Courrier, "Which is the same student that you beat up three days before the Tournament…"

"Wow, didn't know you have it in you to fight random students like that," Qrow chuckled, patting Courrier on the back, "So what'd the kid do?"

"I didn't like the way he looked."

"Fair enough."

"Are her team members working for Salem as well?" Ironwood rubbed his chin.

"Could be…"

Courrier then snapped his fingers, "Alright! I got it, so they're in the Tournament right? How about I just manipulate the brackets a bit to give them a fight in the singles bracket that I know they'll lose!"

"Is that allowed?" Qrow looked at Glynda, waiting for her answer, she sighed, "Although I don't condone such actions… this might be the least intrusive option to investigate those two, alongside Fall as well."

"Well it's decided! I'll play Announcer for both the doubles bracket tomorrow and the singles bracket the day after that. We'll see where the doubles bracket leads and I'll have the opportunity to mess around with the match-ups for the singles bracket in tomorrow night," Courrier walked towards the door, "While all of this is going down, Glynda, can you double check all of their databases in the CCTS and send the information to me, that way I can make the match-ups even more unfair!"

Glynda sighed again, "Never in my years of teaching did I ever assist a reformed terrorist in rigging the Vytal Tournament… fine, I'll do it."

"Awesome! Thanks Glynda, maybe I'll pay you back sometimes." And with that, Courrier exited the office, leaving Qrow, Ironwood, Glynda, and Ozpin to plan out their next move involving Salem.

"He's very… eccentric isn't he?" Ironwood asked Ozpin, "I still don't know what you saw in him."

"Courrier is a very reliable man, he might have his faults but don't we all?" Ozpin glanced outside of the window, "He might come off as aloof sometimes but when you really get to talk to him one on one… you'll see that he's scarily intelligent sometimes too."

Mercury cursed under his breath as he twisted another screw inside of his bionic leg, damn that Courrier, one elbow from him nearly destroyed his prosthetics altogether! And it seems that fate likes to bring him and that maniac together as well, seeing as how that bastard suplexed Qrow Branwen so hard that his Aura shattered.

"You've been fiddling with that thing for the last hour now." Emerald smirked at Mercury's suffering as he accidentally tightened a bolt too loosely.

"Fuck off Emerald, you weren't there…"

"Are you sure that the person that bested you was John Courrier?" his blood ran cold as he turned to look at Cinder.

"Ye- yeah, blue overalls over a brownish orange shirt, red bandana and a pair of goggles around his neck, even that weird wrist-Scroll thing too."

"He's a complete unknown in our scenario, what do we do now?" Emerald asked Cinder meekly, Mercury scoffed before turning back to his leg.

"We continue on as normal, Courrier doesn't seem to suspect us just yet, and besides… we have a backdoor installed…"

"That's… good… right?" Mercury raised an eyebrow; he never was good with electronics.

"Depends, the two of you go to your rooms. I'll prepare the plans for tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am."

"Alright…"

Cinder raised her Scroll which showed the brackets for tomorrow's doubles bracket, "We'll give them what they want, a good fight." She scrolled down the list and selected Mercury and Emerald to be faced off against two members of team CFVY. With a satisfied smirk, she applied the changes before turning the Scroll off, preparing for tomorrow.

What she didn't know was that the rigged match that she set up was changed within a minute of her applying the change. No longer was the match going to be against team CFVY's Coco Adel and Yatsuhashi Daichi but rather someone called… Lavs?

"You want an exhibition match first thing in the morning for the Tournament?" Ozpin asked with his eyebrow raised, "And you say this is to open the doubles bracket by showing the 'best of the best' fight to motivate the other contenders?"

"That's right, I've been itching to use Lavs in a fight after I picked her up, and she's come along now, being better at fighting now and all that," Courrier chuckled, "Don't worry, I know how to play the crowd… that's what an Announcer's supposed to do right?"

Another chapter done. Time to answer a question.

Madma: No actually, I don't have any of this planned out or even written down beforehand. I'm a 'make shit up as I go' kind of writer, I write each chapter at like midnight before I publish them and go to sleep (that way when I wake up I'll already have all the stats and stuff), and you can definitely tell with my writing lol.

Some tips for other fanfic writers out there, don't do what I do, typing out 2k to 3k words on a word document at 4am is not a good thing!