Halo, it's time for the next chapter. I enjoy the reading.


- That's it! – As soon as Lynda saw that her team was going to fight the team SSSN, she got really excited and went to her locker for her weapons, just like Lance.

As she entered the lockers room a group of Atlas soldiers and robots were stationed at her own locker which they broke open and ransacked.

- What's going on?! - Lynda asked with a hint of indignation in her voice. – That's are my…

- Lynda Dawn, - One of the soldiers approached her and two robots aimed their rifles directly at her. – we arrest you for collaborating with the White Fang!

- WHAT?! – Lynda could hardly believe her ears and barely understood what was happening, only when the handcuffs snapped on her wrists. - You can't do that! You have no evidence!

- Hey, what happened?! - Lance came into the warehouse but they hardly wanted to let him in. - Why is Lynda being arrested?

- I'm afraid we found a lot of White Fang equipment in your teammate's locker. - The soldier pointed to Lynda's closet where they found a pistol, a Grimm mask, a black hood, a white vest with the White Fang crest on it and a letter with instructions.

- Someone put it there! - Lynda objected. - I've never seen that stuff in my life!

- I did! - In the meantime, the members of the RWBY team also became curious as to what this big commotion was about and why they disqualified the team LLMM. Blake was among the first to testify. - In the harbor when we tried to capture Roman Torchwick! She was also among those who tried to steal the shipment!

- What?! - Lynda snapped angrily. – Blake?! How can you say that?!

- Her weapons were the same, all Lynda's. - Blake continued.

- What are you talking about, - Mike and the rest of the team LLMM also arrived. – that day I was with Lynda and helped her study for a supplementary test so she wouldn't fail.

- You were with her the whole time?! - Yang also joined the discussion.

- Well... not all day, we parted at bedtime and...

- The robbery happened in the evening, after you went in the bed! - Blake spoke up.

- She attacked us too, in front of the CCT-tower, - Ruby also joined in the accusations. - Lance can testify.

- Lance, - Lynda hoped that at least her own team would stand by her. - you don't believe this nonsense, do you?! - She tried to smile, hoping it was a bad joke but you could hear the fear in her voice. - Me? A member of the White Fang?!

- That's enough! – General Ironwood put an end to the argument, before the soldiers started saluting, both LLMM and RWBY teams stopped arguing. - We'll find out the truth but I'd like you to leave this to the adults.

- But Lynda… - Yang couldn't bear to be treated like a child and pushed aside.

- Say no more, Ms. Xiao Long! - Ironwood silenced her immediately. - I'd like to have the team RWBY and LLMM come in to testify so we can decide if she's either guilty or innocent.

- But... - Ruby tried to convince the general but he didn't even listen.

- You have to believe me. - Lynda looked pleadingly at team RWBY and team LLMM as they were led out.

- She's innocent, - Lance remarked as he looked towards the girls of team RWBY who were staring at him. - you will see.

- I wouldn't like to tell you either, - Weiss was also with her team. - it makes sense that she was sent here to free Torchwick.

- Lynda surely wouldn't do that! - Mike was the next to come to the faunus girl's defense.

- Lance, - Ruby just looked at the Red Knight. – did you see how she attacked us at the tower?

- Someone who uses a weapon like Lynda, - Lance refused to believe his teammate would be a traitor. - but I didn't see her face and her fighting style didn't match either.

- She also attacked me at the port! - Blake didn't let it go either.

- Use your heads! - Lance snapped. - Mike said he was with Lynda that day when he went to bed, which is 9:00 PM at the academy!" The attack happened at 10:00 PM, it's impossible to go from the academy to the port in an hour!

- Maybe she was picked up on the way. - Weiss noted. - It's not impossible, especially with her Semblance.

While team RWBY and LLMM argued, Lynda was originally going to be transported to one of the Atlas cruisers but the General received a call.

- What are you talking about, Ozpin?! Dealing with and interrogating enemy forces is my job! But now... - The general just sighed. - Okay, your student, it's your responsibility. - He glared at Lynda. - You're in luck, Ozpin wants to talk to you.

- I am innocent, General. - Lynda muttered looking straight ahead.

- That will be decided.


Ironwood and Lynda, along with two other soldiers, entered the elevator, which headed for Ozpin's office. The elevator opened by the sound of a bell, the soldiers got out first and then the general pushed the girl forward so that she could go in front. Ozpin was found outside his office, drinking a cup of coffee.

- Ms. Dawn, - As soon as he saw the handcuffed girl accompanied by the general, a clear disappointment appeared on his face. – I was shocked to find that you're supposedly related to the White Fang.

- Professor, - Lynda looked at Ozpin pleadingly. - you have to believe me! Someone's trying to scr*w me up! And I would never… - Her pleading ended when Ironwood gently put his hand on her shoulder and Ozpin raised his hand, indicating that she didn't need to beg, then she sat down in front of the headmaster.

- A mask and vest known as the hallmarks of White Fang soldiers were found in her closet, Ozpin. - Ironwood reported and handed him a piece of paper. - And instructions that they plan to free Roman Torchwick and launch an attack next week.

- Hm, - Ozpin took the paper thinking and then looked at Lynda. – are you saying that someone could have put it in your closet?

- Yes, headmaster! I've never had any contact with the White Fang and I've never seen that letter!

- I see. - Ozpin took a sip of his coffee. - James, send up those who claim that she is actually a member of the White Fang.

- Right now. - He signaled to the two soldiers to do it.

Within a few minutes, from team RWBY Ruby and Blake came up, not sitting down because they didn't want to take a seat next to a traitor.

- Ms. Belladonna and Ms. Rose, are you claiming that Ms. Dawn isn't only a member of the White Fang but also that she attacked you? - Ozpin asked the question.

- Well… - Ruby wasn't entirely sure.

- Yes, - But Blake does. – in the port.

- Maybe you saw her face at the port?

- I… no, but her weapons can only be Lynda's. - Blake was also a little unsure.

- And you, Ms. Rose?

- When Lance and I were on the trail of that mysterious girl, there was a female White Fang soldier who used a weapon similar to Lynda's, but I couldn't see her face. Lance stayed behind to fight her, but I don't think he saw her face either.

- Maybe they can show some compelling evidence that suggests that she is actually the perpetrator? – Ozpin asked and the two girls just looked at each other and then shook their heads.

- No, professor. - Ruby replied and Blake agreed.

- Thank you for your testimony. – Ozpin signaled to Ironwood, who motioned again to the two soldiers to escort the girls back upstairs.

- What do you say, Ozpin? - Ironwood crossed his arms. - Is that enough to detain the girl?

- Hm, I would still listen the defense. Send her team up.

- Immediately. – Ironwood took out his Scroll and typed some instructions to his men.

Minutes later, the rest of the LLMM team came up the elevator, again accompanied by two Atlas soldiers. Lynda's eyes lit up when she saw her teammates, her friends, who believed her.

- Take a seat, please. - Ozpin instructed them as the two boys, Mike and Lance, sat down next to her but Mandy was a little further away.

- Don't worry Lynda, we will prove your innocence! - Lance assured.

- We hope. - Ozpin added. - Mr. Monroe, Ms. Rose claimed that Ms. Dawn attacked her and you in front of the CCT-tower then you stayed behind to fight her.

- Well, - Lance just scratched the back of his head. – a female White Fang soldier did attack me, but… I couldn't see her face and she didn't fight the same way as Lynda.

- Perhaps, - Ironwood interjected. – she used similar weapons as your teammate?

- Yes, but not in Lynda's style.

- It doesn't matter what style she used, - Ironwood wasn't convinced by this small detail. – besides, not as cruelly as you said, maybe she didn't want to harm her teammate. - He stared at Lynda suspiciously. - Her friend.

- I said, sir, I didn't see her face. I'm pretty sure Lynda doesn't work for the White Fang at all. She participated in several missions with us and saved us more times than you would think.

- I'm really impressed by your camaraderie but it doesn't count as real evidence. - Ironwood was still not convinced.

- I'm afraid the general's right. - Ozpin agreed. - Mr. Birmingham, Ms. Forester, can you provide any evidence that could help prove Ms. Dawn's innocence?

- I... - Mandy turned to the side in shame. - no. I'm sorry.

- Lynda couldn't do it. - Mike assured everyone. - Simply, no.

- Maybe you have proof? - Ironwood was interested.

- It's... not, but Lynda is a good girl! Her actions speak for themselves! She was always there when I needed help, always came up with good jokes and I know she wouldn't get along with the White Fang, since I talked her out of it!

- What do you mean you talked her out of it? – The last part caught the general's attention and Lynda just tiredly rubbed her forehead and shook her head as if Mike had said something very stupid that only made the situation worse.

- Well... - Mike only recognized it too late, since he was talking without even thinking. – the night before the team work training make-up exam... Lynda... wanted to go to the White Fang but I talked to her and she came back the next day, saying she had changed her mind.

Ironwood and Ozpin just looked at each other, finally Ozpin broke the silence.

- Thank you for your testimony. Go back and await our judgment.

The team LLMM stood up, except for Lynda who took one last look at her friends.

- Thanks for trying.

Ozpin and Ironwood continued to ponder.

- What do you say, Ozpin? - Ironwood was interested. – She's your student. You have to take responsibility for her. – Ozpin just measured Lynda, he didn't see any lies in her eyes and her body language didn't indicate that she was lying either.

- I'm afraid, Ms. Dawn, - Lynda froze on the spot, feeling that the headmaster was going to give her bad news. – but in the absence of evidence, we cannot release you.

- But it's... - Lynda was desperate.

- But, - Ozpin added. - we don't even have direct evidence that you are really the culprit. So, we will keep you in custody until your guilt or innocence can be determined.

- But...

- That's the most I can do in the present situation, Ms. Dawn.

Lynda wasn't very happy with this outcome but she was with the fact that she hadn't yet been convicted.


The other members of the team LLMM were escorted down by the soldiers and as soon as they reached the ground floor, the team RWBY was already waiting for them.

- Well? - Ruby asked.

- They didn't say anything. - Lance replied. - They just questioned us.

- Maybe she really is innocent. - Ruby was beginning to doubt what she thought.

- I don't know, - Blake said too. - I wish she was really innocent, but...

- But?! - Lance snapped.

- Considering the evidence, she might actually be one of them.

- Lynda is a good girl! - Mike stood next to Lance.

- Maybe, - Blake found herself in a familiar situation. – but good people can also do bad things if they are forced to.

- What are you talking about? - Yang was interested.

- A friend of mine... I mean, more than a friend, he did things that I wouldn't have expected. He told me not to worry but I did. At first, I was sure he was doing what he did for a good reason but over time it happened more and more often and he enjoyed it more and more. I don't want Lynda to go down that road either because she reminds me so much of him.

- Lynda won't go down that road, will she, Mandy? - Lance looked towards the faunus girl who disappeared. They only saw her walking towards the end of the corridor. - Hey! - Lance and Mike ran after her to talk to her. – What's wrong with you?! Our teammate was innocently arrested and you don't even care about that?!

- Guys... - Mandy's voice was shaky and filled with sorrow.

- Mandy, - Mike said. – you don't think Lynda is a White Fang person, do you?

- I do not know…

- What do you mean "you don't know"?! - Lance got angry. - You know Lynda! She would never turn against us! Just like we wouldn't turn against each other! – At this statement Mandy teleported away and they didn't know where she could be.


Mandy couldn't stand it without crying. She teleported outside the building, to the courtyard where the autumn, yellow and red leaves almost glowed from the rays of the setting sun and enveloped the entire academy courtyard. It was autumn, the season of passing when everything comes to an end, the harbinger of winter, when everything turns white and the trees drop their leaves. After winter comes spring, a new beginning. She sat down on a bench and wiped away her tears.

She knows that now is the season of autumn but tomorrow the last tree leaves will fall and the operation will begin, during which so many people will suffer and she will also take part in it but she believed in the spring after winter. She believed that all this was necessary so that her kind, with the help of the White Fang could break out of the oppression of humans and a new era could begin.

She believed in the coming spring.

- Mandy, - Her fat teammate stood over her with a worried look. - what happened to you? - He saw her reddened eyes, which indicated that she had been crying. - Are you that upset about Lynda being arrested?

- Mike… - Mandy could barely speak.

- No need to cry. - He sat down next to her. - I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. Lynda will be released and everything is back to normal. – Mandy knew well that the "normal" will end tomorrow and there would be no turning back.

- Mike, - She found her voice but it still proved weak. - do you believe that... for the sake of the greater good... sacrifices must be made?

- What? What are you talking about?

- Just that throughout history, many people have done things that may seem evil and terrible but...they were necessary for the sake of peace and the greater good.

- Well… - Mike scratched the back of his head in confusion. - yes. But why are you asking this?

- Tell me, if you become a Hunter and you have the opportunity to help your loved ones but in return, others have to suffer because of it... what would you do?

- I don't know... what kind of question is this... why would my loved ones suffer just because I would help others? That doesn't make much sense.

- Of course, there isn't! - Mandy snapped. – As an outside observer, it's easy to talk about making difficult decisions but when you have to make that decision yourself, you realize that it's not that easy!

- Mandy…

- Just… leave me alone!

Mandy teleported away again, worried that she might have revealed too much.

"Pull yourself together!", she tried to command herself. "Stop blabbering, you fool! You can't be friends with them, they're the enemy standing in our way! The White Fang is your family, your faunus brothers and sisters who are suffering back home! You must help them, at any cost, to make your parents proud of you!"


The team CMEE, on the other hand wasn't tormented by guilt, they were confident about tomorrow's big plans and excitedly waited for the operation to finally begin. Mercury, since he was going to be fighting in the singles round was pressing pushups but Emerald was just playing on her Scroll while Neo was just combing her hair.

- Oh. - Cinder found something amazing while browsing her Scroll.

- What is that? – Emerald turned to her and the rest of the team curiously turned to their leader.

- Nothing. – Cinder excitedly noticed that Ironwood foolishly entered the Beacon system with her Scroll and the virus that he placed in the CCT-tower's system that day had already copied everything to her Scroll. Information on the formations of the Atlas soldiers, their fighting strategy, their numbers, the control codes of the robots, the entire control system of the spaceships and last but not least, Penny. - There will only be one small change in the plan.

- And… - Mercury just stared, from his abandoned recliners. - what does that mean?

- That it will be even easier than we thought. - Cinder stared at her Scroll with an evil smile, then looked at Neo. - Neo, then you have to get on the ship where Roman is being held captive. - Neo just shook her head in confusion and spread her arms, asking "What for?". - The contents of Ironwoon's Scroll, transferred to mine, - She gave the Scroll to the younger girl. - if you plug this into the central computer of one of the cruisers and the other two cruisers are neutralized, then you can control all of the Atlas machines. - Neo began to understand what Cinder was referring to and smiled evilly. - It's a good thing Roman is being held on one of the cruisers.

- Wow, - Mercury was shocked. - anybody would think that the general should take better care of his data.

- The General is predictable, just like his robots. I know exactly what his next move will be. - She looked at Neo again. – If Neo frees Roman in time and he sends the virus into the central computer, we'll have it much faster with fewer victims than we planned.

Neo didn't care about Cinder's great plan, she just wanted to keep Roman safe. She will do everything to get on that Atlas cruiser after the start of the operation.


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