RWBY S

by J.S. Everest

After a night of complete despair, Ruby Rose was given the opportunity to enter Beacon Academy so that she could turn her life around. But her decision to accept had slowly put her into something much bigger than anything she could have ever imagined. Now she and her ragtag allies are pursued by spies, the kingdoms, the world's secrets, and her own painful past.

18. Prelude to the Waltz

Here in his office at one of Atlas's fortified bases, Ironwood had his hands behind his back as he surveyed the outside through the window, observing the fire and smoke still raging at the walls from a far distance. But even though he had yet to give them a glance, he was still well aware of the presence of his Ace Ops and M374 – the latter now fully repaired – as he listened intently to the latest report.

"We still have no news from the second wave we sent to the power plants, so we must consider them as lost," Clover said. "Three have been taken down already, and so more than 90% of Atlas's power has shut down from the repeated attacks, with the Grimm invasion still raging at the walls. But all of our backup generators are doing fine, at max capacity to power all our mission critical operations. And the state of emergency is in effect. Messages are blasted on the network telling the citizens to keep calm, but the kingdom itself is locked down... No one enters or leaves Atlas."

The Grimm... Ironwood took a sip from his glass of whiskey. Those monsters proved tougher than anticipated. Perhaps a reaction from them after the Atlas rail cannon cracked their stronghold bubble? It had to be that. Then again, how much more the damage could have been had he not gone through the drastic steps he took? The battle would've ended in defeat without the Járnviðr, which was now their best weapon against the Grimm. But it seemed the enemies seeking to destroy and steal it were working faster than even Ironwood anticipated; the destruction of the power plants was clearly a diversion – the enemy wasn't fooling around – and he had to answer them accordingly.

"...I take it your last conversation with the royalty didn't go as smoothly as we hoped."

That was another thing. Losing face in light of the recent data breach was one thing, but after having just come out from an emergency meeting with the royalty, Ironwood would be damned if he let his plans be foiled now. "It's alright, Clover. Go on."

"We've already contacted counterintelligence. Whoever's taking advantage of the Grimm invasion to use as their cover, it's definitely not the anarchist domestic groups, though that traitor Robyn Hill still remains missing. But they're a strong force nonetheless. And as to them being another kingdom taking advantage of the chaos..."

"We'll know who it really is soon enough." It had been difficult to assuage the royalty that everything was going according to plan, with many thinking that his decision to use the rail cannon, with the King of Atlas's blessing, had only caused the other kingdoms to retaliate. But the show of force had to be done, Ironwood would stake his life on that. But the nerve of some of the royalty to waver in their support just because of a few setbacks! What use did Atlas have for old fools that balked at breaking some eggs to get real peace? No one – the other kingdoms especially – had any right to criticize him, when they themselves had given up on eliminating the Grimm long ago. There was a good reason why only he received the King of Atlas's favor after so many decades; he had basically been running much of the kingdom for a while now in his stead, with approving feedback from the masses. "Any new intel on those Hunters you fought at the Schnee Manor?"

"They work for Robyn Hill, we're sure of it. That woman would have every incentive to recruit foreigners in her dirty work to cover her tracks. Details are unclear on whether the Vale kingdom is directly involved... But tracing Willow's call to Vale still proved critical in getting a lead, with Robyn revealing her true colors."

Vale... Even though Atlas spies report them as being plagued by budget cuts – a sign of mismanagement – they were still a threat to Atlas's interests; Vale had always been supportive on unilateral slowdown on weapons research since the treaties. Atlas's rail cannon must have gotten them so spooked that they showed their hand, to the point of destroying power plants and killing innocent civilians. Yes, it might actually be them. Not that a kingdom of fragmented sand tribes like Vacuo, a bastion of paranoid isolationists like Mistral, or a ticking time bomb like Menagerie didn't pose their own threats to Atlas, but still...

"Status of the Járnviðr?"

"Still on cooldown," Clover said. "It may take some time depending on any unforeseen mechanical hiccups."

"But we still have the reserves on standby, correct?"

"Currently defending critical stations, but us Ace Ops are ready and able, General. I don't think there's need to mobilize the reserves at the expense of exposing our infrastructure and supply lines."

Ironwood paused, recalling what he had discussed with his Ace Ops before. They chose the boldest course of action after Sleet's betrayal, and things were going quite well actually, but it was just unfortunate that the Grimm were putting up such a fight at the walls.

He went through his options, considering the public at large, and of the state of his forces. Should he commit?

"I believe in you, General."

Ironwood took note of what M374 said. Despite her training, she wasn't a military girl to begin with, so there was an innocence to her words... Which was normal given her origins. But innocence wasn't necessarily bad. Perhaps that was the reason why she survived the experiments in the first place. And if their gamble on her worked out, then...

Very well. So be it.

Ironwood turned to the people behind him. "We let go of the power plants, they're a lost cause. Instead I'll be sending the order for the reserve battalions to sortie to the front lines. If the Grimm are putting everything they have into this battle, then we'll reciprocate, committing all our military might." Ironwood then reminded his Ace Ops of what it took to make their plans a reality, and of what had to be done. "We must defeat the Grimm now at the walls if we're to hope of true victory... We've sacrificed too much to be denied from that."

"A full commitment, understood," Clover said. "But what about the Atlas mainframe and other vital areas?"

"Whoever this new enemy is, they must be think that they have us fooled right now, so why not feed them that illusion to its fullest, and strike them down right when they least expect it? I'll be taking command of local law enforcement, as we discussed in 'Plan Orange'. We're still agile enough, and the enemy can't be too big, we'll eliminate them easily. But if we encounter heavy resistance, enough to consider them as a real invading force... As much as I don't want the citizens to panic, we then escalate to martial law to gain access to the militia, as outlined in 'Plan Red'."

"Yes, sir!"

Good to see that there was no hesitation or push back. And so Ironwood went to the laptop at his desk to send out his commands; him, his Ace Ops, and M374 would be getting into the fray soon enough.

But there was one more thing to take care of before venturing out.

Ironwood finished the last of his glass of whiskey, and the whole bottle along with it – nothing like a good drink before a big battle ahead – then looked at the handcuffed woman beside his Ace Ops, held at the arm by Clover. It was notable that she held her tears for this long, listening silently the whole time since she was brought here. But now she had reached her limit; tears once again flowed down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry that you had to be involved, Mrs. Schnee. But your husband left us no choice." Ironwood doubted that getting any rougher on Willow would do any good as far as intel was concerned, and it was a shame that they weren't able to capture those Hunters, but Willow could still prove herself useful...

"What did Jacques even do to you?! And why did you have to hurt Weiss?! She could be dead because of you!" Willow began to weep, letting go of the hurt kept deep inside; a terrible anguished sound. "What did we do to deserve this?! We know nothing about Colonel Hill or anything your men have been asking me, so tell me what we did wrong! Because my family doesn't deserve any of this!"

Ironwood waited patiently for Willow to settle down, feeling pity as he did. Poor woman; Jacques really did leave everyone he cared for in the dark.

A sudden compulsion came to him. At the cusp of a turning point in world history, why not just tell her the truth along the way?

"How about investments fraud and tax evasion to keep his doomed space program alive, Mrs. Schnee?"

Willow's eyes widened. "No! That can't be true! Jacques would never do such a thing! He loved the idea of going to space, but he wouldn't be so reckless as to do any of that! And he already abandoned his project!"

"General, should you be..."

Ironwood shook his head, stopping Clover right then and there. There was no need to be concerned now that things had escalated to this point. And Ironwood knew that Willow hadn't been told anything specific yet about what Jacques did, so he might as well be the one to say it too. "Did you really believe that the Schnee Dust Company was in good health three years ago?" he continued, looking at Willow in the eyes. "But he was failing to show results for his space research to your investors, Mrs. Schnee. He told me this himself. There's a reason why only he has complete oversight of the Schnee Dust Company finances."

"...!"

"Jacques desperately tried to find ways to keep his project alive, all while making sure there were no layoffs at the company, to gain as much goodwill to his work as possible... Ironic that a miner would have such strong dreams of reaching the heavens. But with none of his efforts working, and not wanting to let go of his dream, what else was there left for him to do but to fabricate the data he needed, to fool investors for as much as they were worth, until he finally made it?"

"You're lying! My husband would never do that!" Willow began to weep again. "You're just slandering the Schnee name to get back at Jacques! After taking away my daughter, you–"

"But believe me, what your husband did on his own doesn't compare to what he did with someone else." Ironwood frowned. "In truth, he was spied on by a certain fool who desired the Schnee mining equipment for his own purposes. And when your husband slipped up one day, he was there to take advantage."

"...?!"

Ironwood paused for a moment. Should he even utter that fool's name? No, that vile person was dead, and he deserved to be relegated to nothingness. "That said fool discovered something incredible three years ago, out of sheer luck during his Dust research excavations. But the tests he conducted on this new material gave him illusions of grandeur, and so he began looking for obedient accomplices to help him with that task. But it's hard to read the minds of strangers. So why not kill everyone who can go against you... Your colleagues even... And bring in your own people? Among them a sad old man with broken dreams, deathly afraid of being branded a criminal, and all the mining equipment one could ever need at his disposal? Caught red handed committing fraud, Jacques obeyed a silk tongue and helped embezzle taxes to remain free and fund a madman's plan to destroy Atlas!"

Just remembering what that traitor planned to do when he himself was caught red handed was enough to bring Ironwood's blood to a boil. An admittedly brilliant mind, addled with nonsense about gods and salvation and damnation, having the temerity to go against the kingdom... It was only right that he repurposed the fool's work for Atlas's benefit.

Meanwhile Willow's legs gave out, with Clover's hold on her arm the only thing keeping her from crumpling. But the latter slowly let her go, and soon the woman was on the floor, sobbing in a fetal position.

"So it was only fitting that I caught that fool red handed in turn, executing him on the spot. But I believed that Jacques could still redeem himself, Mrs. Schnee. Yes, even after helping a terrorist. So I offered him a way to redemption if he terminated his space project in favor of my own plans, diverting his mining profits to do so... Surely even you have noticed the current downward slump of the company. But it was all for the best. If the railgun isn't enough proof for you, then you only need to look at M374 over here for the results of his funding. She's the product of a fool's intellect used for the greater good... The first of Atlas's new defenders."

And so M374 made a quick demonstration of her skills, revealing her true nature for Willow to see, and the woman cried harder upon realizing the truth.

But even that did little to stop her protests. "But why did Weiss have to be involved? She didn't do anything–"

"If anyone would have a reason to get revenge on Atlas, it would be Weiss, however misguided. All because your daughter Winter was a traitor as well, Mrs. Schnee."

Willow was stunned by what she just heard.

"It's unfortunate that Winter was born an idealist, and that she was also influenced by the likes of Robyn Hill. Winter... Couldn't be convinced. Or bought. For her, glory in serving archaic law was the only prize. And with her habit of seeing things through to the end... Jacques would've known that I wouldn't let it pass for long."

"...?!"

"We've already suspected Winter and Robyn Hill... Her comrade, no doubt... For committing crimes against kingdom security based on suspicious actions, but they were too high profile to eliminate outright, and they were careful enough to not leave incriminating evidence. It was a hidden battle between us and them, that teetered on the brink... Knowing my might, who would Jacques think would slip up first? So naturally he helped out in capturing her through social engineering, in an attempt to get anything we could use against her and find out what her next targets were, all to ensure that Winter was captured alive. Now Jacques had always been a cowardly man, but I don't doubt that he made many attempts."

"...!"

"Eventually we got Winter right where we wanted her with the info that Jacques finally obtained, but Winter refused to surrender, even taking down her sister Weiss who was sent to stop her, and she rejected all efforts to negotiate. She was determined to take her secrets with her, rendering Jacques's efforts futile, so in the end, I ordered my Ace Ops to finish the job. A pity Winter survived in a permanent coma though... Death's sweet release would be preferable."

Willow remained speechless as her tears fell; Ironwood couldn't blame her. He pitied her, he truly did.

"We hid everything from the public about what happened that day of course, with Jacques being all too ready to follow suit... Weiss, kept in the dark by him, took the blame for Winter's death, and exiled herself soon after. I should've known that Jacques would run away in time though. Maybe it was guilt over not being able to save Winter, or a seething hatred over me. But whatever his reasons, he escaped while knowing sensitive info about our projects, and we don't know what he plans to do with it. A shame that I didn't tie the leash on him tight enough... His tongue might just be loose enough to spill secrets to the wrong parties. So can you blame us for our efforts to find him, Mrs. Schnee? We have no choice but to take the threat Jacques posed very seriously. And yes, that included Weiss, who came back to Atlas at a most curious time... She might also know the truth."

"You murderer!" Willow shrieked. "You killed my family! You killed them! And you're just a mad ruler, leading Atlas to ruin!"

"That's enough from you!"

Clover restrained Willow before she even got to stand up, most likely trying to claw at Ironwood or something close to it. But Ironwood could care less about the woman's feeble attempt; he was actually more interested in replying what she just said.

"A mad ruler, Mrs. Schnee? You make it sound like I'm a despot in a far flung land. But what I did was only right. 'Rule' is just the proper way of governing to keep people's unnecessary ambitions under control."

"...under control?!" Willow continued to shriek, struggling against Clover's grip. "You call what you did to my family as 'under control'?!"

"Isn't that what the gods do anyways?" Ironwood snapped. "Consider how everyone runs free with 'free will'... But is one actually 'free' when the gods themselves smite those that grow bold enough to subvert 'the rule of nature'? And we all know how the saying goes... 'Render unto the gods what is theirs, and render unto the kingdoms what is theirs'. What's wrong with humans taking a page from the divine wisdom? Ultimately people still need to be ruled, and that can only be done if there's sublime control in place, just like that of the gods and their 'free will'. And just like the faithful are happy, as long as the citizens are just as happy, I can't ask for any more than that."

"You're insane!" Willow cried out. "And don't you dare say that the citizens understand a monster like you!"

"But you know this is what the people want, Mrs. Schnee. Even if they can't explain it themselves. You're an educated woman, you've seen the surveys. The antipathy of the citizens over a weakened Grimm, but at the same time uncertain about the future... Five kingdoms jockeying for position, ready to explode at any moment. How many causalities do you think will come out of a protracted world war? It's enough to keep me awake at night sometimes. So what do you think Atlas should do for its people? Nothing while the other kingdoms become the superpowers themselves? Sit back and not upgrade our military, while others do so behind the scenes? The treaties are ancient... They were rushed out the door when the world faced an existential threat. But now that Atlas is on the verge of eliminating the Grimm, what else is there left to do but also ensure that we are in control of a new world order? Is doing that really a dreadful thing to achieve? Am I wrong for loving Atlas enough that I want it to be at the top? So what if my hands are bloody? They're only stained by the blood of traitors, fools, and the Grimm after all... Even the gods would understand my reasoning, if only they existed."

"They do exist!" Willow screamed. "And you're only human, Ironwood! You don't know how the gods think! And the people of Atlas will tear you apart the moment they–"

"I'm the only one who knows how the gods think," Ironwood replied coolly. "At least, I'm the only one with the wisdom to emulate them, to do what is necessary. Because how else do you think I could've made the railgun work, to make M374 a reality, and take on what could be the biggest Grimm extermination we've seen since the Dust Revolution? And the Atlas people only need to know what they need to know... They're the happier for my omission, aren't they? I intend to keep that the status quo... I'll bloody my damned hands every day if I have to, so long as Atlas is clean and protected."

By now utterly exhausted from struggling against Clover, Willow crumpled to her knees once again, sobbing as she did.

"...why are you telling me all this?"

Now maybe Ironwood didn't have to be so specific. But Willow did ask for the truth, didn't she? So why would he deny her that now? Ironwood believed that what he did was right and justified, regardless of what Willow thought in her head... And he also wanted to be honest to somebody, really. Was that wrong too? He replied as much to her, adding, "Because you're coming with us, just in case we stumble upon Jacques. Negotiations will surely become easier once he sees you in person, and I promise you that he'll admit to everything I've just said, in case you still doubt my words."

"But how would Jacques even–"

"I've already sent out notifications that we'll personally be entering the fray. And with every Atlas man, woman, and child all glued on their phones because of the blackout, looking for assurance from their kingdom, I might as well make the most out of it... I'm sure you know what I mean by this. Right, Mrs. Schnee?"

Willow didn't react to that, only continuing to cry until her tears ran out, though she seemed to be aware of what exactly Ironwood meant.

No point in continuing the conversation then. But he would never apologize for hurting her with his beliefs. Deemed as having reckless thoughts ever since he was born in poverty to a wretched family, the urge to defend himself at every opportunity had always been strong... Almost as strong as his love for Atlas, his true parent.

Ironwood looked at his Ace Ops, who all nodded in approval; the arguments he told Willow was more or less the same thing he told them all those years ago when he found them at the slums, each with their own stories of poverty, but all with abilities that only he could bring to light. And so here they were, living comfortable lives as top Hunters, their lives given purpose and meaning by the opportunity he gave them, their loyalty to Atlas – and to him – as unshakable as the foundations of the kingdom itself.

"Now that's a heavy thing to chew on right before a battle," Marrow quipped, then spared a look at M374. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"..."

"Hehe, get it? No?" Marrow sighed. "...c'mon now, that was damned funny."

"She gets the joke, Marrow. But the girl's just absorbing the truth of what General Ironwood said, that's all." Harriet put a hand on M374's shoulder, who indeed looked somber, deep in thought. "Sorry kid, but we've been so busy with preparations that we never really got to have a long talk with you after your training. But that'll change once this is over, you have my word on that."

"Harriet also means filing the paperwork for you to be a formal member of the Ace Ops... Ironwood's Ace Ops," Elm added. "Think of it as the real start of your new life. And trust me, it's good to be part of something far bigger than yourself."

"As the first hybrid success of Atlas no less." There was a calmness to Vine's voice as he said that, as he crossed his arms. "And as per our promise, your foster father is still set to be eventually released without consequence, once we've matured the hybridization technology. So long as he keeps his secrets to himself, of course."

"Atlas always keeps its promises," Clover added. "And we can vouch our lives for that. So thank you for choosing this path with us. The road is harsh, and we too have to be harsh... But at the end of the day, we do this for the people of Atlas, even though we were the unwanted dregs of society once."

"Thank you everyone," M374 replied meekly, "...for giving me the opportunity to have a second chance in life." She paused, then nodded in a more confident way. "I'll make Atlas proud, and protect it from its enemies while doing it. Because there's no greater shame than power without purpose."

"Indeed," Ironwood replied, nodding back. It was good that M374 still saw things as wisely as she did when they first met; surely another reason why she was the first to survive the hybridization tests. And with her powers, it seemed destined that she was here with them, in Atlas's finest hour.

And now it was time for them to finish what Atlas's enemies started.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Verdammt! Ich werde dich zerreißen! Du bastard!" Her mother tongue taking over, Weiss wanted to tear her own father to pieces. Her exile had been for nothing... Everything she thought she knew was a lie!

"Keine Zeit, mir noch einen anzuhören, wie ich sehe..." Jacques replied in kind, as if to match Weiss, but his tone was that of a man that had given up on life. "Aber ich möchte nur, dass Sie die Wahrheit erfahren."

Weiss drew Myrtenaster, refusing to restrain herself anymore. The rage that she kept locked inside her for so long, born out of guilt for failing Winter and the shame of embarrassing her family... She thought she knew how it felt to be livid. But to hear her father coldly admit to everything Robyn accused him of, and more?!

"Calm down!" From the corner of Weiss's eye she saw Qrow make one step towards her. "I know how you feel, but he's is still your father, so try not to kill him, alright?! Because we still need him to fix this damned mess!"

Weiss heard Qrow clearly, but she wasn't having any of it.

She pointed Myrtenaster at her father. For what he did to their family, Weiss was close to ending it right then and there... Hell, they were in some dark corner at a riverbank near a bridge, weren't they? Maybe even slam her father's head to the campfire after, once she got Team JNPR – who were busy keeping warm while drying out their wet clothes – out of the way first...

Weiss drowned in the dark thoughts that ran wild in her head.

"Weiss, no!"

Myrtenaster fell from Weiss's hands, as Ruby caught Weiss totally off guard; Weiss soon found herself pinned on the ground.

"Please, Weiss! Don't do this!"

"Let me go, Ruby! I said let me go!"

But Ruby had her locked down, and there was nothing Weiss could do to escape it.

"Weiss, please stop..." Ruby begged. "Please calm down!"

"Damnit, let go of me!" Weiss shrieked. "He's the reason for what happened to Winter, and why my mother was taken! And now even Blake's missing! And who knows what will happen next because of what he did, of how he helped Ironwood! Everything's all because of him... Atlas itself might fall all because of him!"

Weiss raged as she struggled to break free, but Ruby knew her holds; left completely helpless, Weiss began to weep, reduced to just staring at her father. But stare and curse at him she did, all while crying at the same time. "Fick dich! Ich hasse dich! Brenn in der Hölle!"

Weiss couldn't remember the other things she said, or for how long she had been shrieking – everything had devolved into a messy blur – but the next thing she knew, her tears had dried up, her body was limp and weak, her throat hoarse, and Ruby had released her hold.

"Ready to talk in a language we all understand?!" Qrow said, looking at both Weiss and Jacques with stern eyes. "It's cold enough as it is. Now let's talk about things calmly, or I'll knock some sense into your heads!"

"But why would you? Weiss is in the right here."

"What was that?"

"You heard me. Why punish Weiss when she's the victim here?" Weiss then noticed that Yang was the only one who wasn't right beside her, standing some distance away from the others with her arms crossed instead. "Jacques admitted to everything, didn't he? Then Weiss has every right to rip him apart!"

"Yang, don't..." Weiss saw Ruby approach Yang, clearly trying to calm her down, but Yang just brushed her off.

"Jacques here should win an award or something." Weiss saw Yang glare at Jacques, though her father simply took it without a word. "You just had to gamble everything for a dream, didn't you? Your daughters did nothing wrong, but now one of them's in a permanent coma, and your wife and Blake are probably dead too! And that's all thanks to your goddamned ambitions!"

"Whoa, slow down there blondie." Shaking his head, Qrow took out a cigarette from a pack he took out from his pocket. "You're right, Jacques is a piece of shit. But I had a hunch I'd have someone like you to deal with too when I got here..."

Yang immediately turned to face Qrow. "What the hell?!"

"You heard me. You're going to use this to grandstand, aren't you? Tch, kids nowadays and their fucking timing." Qrow lit up his cigarette. "We've got a situation here where a lunatic could threaten world peace with his giant rail cannon, and I'm trying my best here to get as much intel as I can to stop it, but what's an additional anger management problem compared to that, right? So c'mon, let's hear it."

"Dad, not now..." Ruby pleaded.

"Yang..." Weiss managed to say, wanting to stop her too, but the next words she wanted to say just wouldn't come out.

"What, cat got your tongue now, blondie? You got a problem with your mom too or something?"

"Fuck you!" With the sharpest tone Weiss had ever heard from Yang, she pointed a finger straight at Qrow. "None of you guys here know shit!"

Her shout was especially loud too, and Yang almost brought Ruby off her feet with a push from her left hand.

Yang then gasped at what she just did, and an awkward silence followed.

"I'm sorry..." Stammering as if she got back to her senses again, Yang made a deep bow, her tone now mellow and... Oddly subservient. "I didn't mean to..."

"I know." Qrow replied. "I was also young once, it's all good. No one's eavesdropping on us from Atlas anyway." So saying, Qrow spared a look at the night sky. "Well, not right now, at least."

"I'm sorry, but I need to get some air..."

"We're already outside, blondie."

"...yeah."

With another deep bow at Ruby, Yang walked away in a huff, leaving her greatsword behind; from the corner of Weiss's eye, she saw that the whole of Team JNPR were on their feet too, with Jaune firmly making sure that no one among them interfered.

"What a night, huh?" Weiss heard Ren say to his team, and he was quickly elbowed on his ribs by Nora. "Ow!"

"Is your friend always like that, pipsqueak?" Qrow said. "Or was that just a phase?"

Ruby sighed as she approached Qrow. "Dad..."

"Yang was out of line there, you know? Pushing you and all that. You ok?"

"I'm fine, it's nothing."

"Alright." Qrow paused as he smoked, then he shrugged. "I didn't do anything wrong by the way, so I'm not apologizing to her."

"..."

"Leave Yang alone to blow off some steam for a while," Qrow said, right after a cough. "Pretty blondes with a complex, I know her type all too well. She should be easier to talk to later... But I'm sure you already knew that."

"Sorry, Dad. Everyone's just stressed out..."

"Tell me about it, I have a bone to pick with Ozpin myself once we get back. Now I know you do too, but leave him to me first." Qrow then blew smoke in a wistful manner. "Then after that, you can get mad at me."

Weiss saw Ruby's face fall. "Dad, there's so much I want to say..."

"I know, I know. But we'll talk about it later, once everything's good." Dropping his cigarette and snuffing it out with his boot, Qrow then turned to Jacques. "There's something we need to take care of first."

Weiss soon found herself being helped by Ruby to stand up; all well and good, because she didn't even have the strength to pick herself up from the ground. But she had her attention on her father, after seeing Qrow go to Jaqcues.

"Remember how I found you, right before you were about to be caught by soldiers at some dark alleyway?"

"I remember, Qrow. Though you didn't have to also tell me that you're a Vale agent looking for his daughter. What, was I supposed to be relieved that Vale's to the rescue, or that I'd be touched by your story? Because let's not pretend you're doing this primarily to save Atlas's citizens. Vale would kill to be at the top too after all, the treaties be damned." Jacques then took a deep breath. "But I do appreciate you telling me that Weiss was in Atlas... So thank you for that, at least."

With Ruby by her side, Weiss noticed that her father was looking straight at her; she avoided his gaze.

"Trust me, I know that the kingdoms are hypocrites, and I know your guilt's acting up real bad. But I'm not here to argue, only to ask for a little bit of gratitude in return... I just need one more thing from you before I go, ok? Since you don't know where the Grimm experiments are being done, but you were once at the railgun itself... I'm not about to go to the Atlas mainframe to waste my time getting that info just to see an army of soldiers defending it, so I'lll need the closest coordinates you can recall–"

"To be honest, I thought I could fool myself to desire absolution, when you told me that my daughter was here. Even made me think that the reason why I escaped was for some greater purpose, rather than to just escape from my guilt. But now I know I'm too tired to play these games... I've told you enough, Qrow, so leave me be. Because I won't tell you where the railgun is."

"And why the hell not?!" Qrow snapped, and that was enough to make Weiss spare a glance, even for just a second, to her father again; she saw him still looking at her though, so Weiss looked at the ground instead.

"...what's the point in telling you?" Jacques replied, after a brief pause. "Nothing can stop Ironwood now."

"It's just about whether he can be stopped, but also what would be left after the fact," Qrow replied, and Weiss saw him clench his fists. "It'll be one thing if Ironwood was just blowing smoke when Atlas announced a new way of destroying the Grimm around two months ago. But despite his best intentions, he still violated the treaties by creating a weapon of unknown technology and the gods know what else in total secrecy... That little science fair demo Ironwood made that tore a hole in the Solitas Grimm bubble? I'll bet my ass that's all been leaked to the other kingdoms by now, and they could be on the move as we speak."

"There's nothing stopping that either. Ironwood will either raise Atlas to new heights or raze it to the ground, there's no in between... Who knows, mutually assured destruction might just be around the corner."

"But it doesn't have to be this way, Jacques. Best case is that the railgun gets shut down long enough to prevent the other kingdoms from launching a full scale invasion, and allow them to copy the damned thing and make one for themselves... That's the least number of casualties as far as I can see it. And maybe, once everyone has a big shiny gun, we'll finally have some headway in killing off the Grimm for good rather than have some animal reserve out there in Tenebrae, and huddling in our walls... Ironically Ironwood might just get what he wants, in a roundabout way. But your general might do something really stupid first before then, so it's in everyone's best interest that the railgun is–"

"You make it sound so simple," Jacques said, shaking his head. "But you haven't even mentioned the Grimm experiments. What do you plan to do about it, now that Ironwood has made it work? M374? You haven't seen anything yet. Mass production of a similar cyborg combination is inevitable... You think Vale's the only one that has long suspected the science behind it? Imagine what you'll deal with once the other kingdoms take notice."

"I'll worry about that one when I get there!"

"So you're just going to wing it? That's your plan? You're just a fool after all..." Jacques scoffed. "...why did I even bother entertaining your questions? I refuse to be part of your farce any further, and I've already said my piece. Now how much do you want me to pay you so that you can go mountain hiking? Find that railgun yourself!"

"You're not helping at all with your nonsense, you old fuck!" Qrow growled, catching Weiss by surprise, making her look just in time to see him grabbing her father by his shirt collar; Jacques was now staring at Qrow with his cold blue eyes. "Now listen up and listen good. I've been busting my ass for years... Years! All to keep the peace between the kingdoms! And I'm not about to let my sacrifices go to waste just because of someone like you... Someone who sacrificed his wife and daughter for some stupid dream!"

"And what would you know about sacrifice, you Vale mutt?!"

Qrow punched Jacques hard in the face, and the old man crumpled to the ground.

"Stop!" Ruby and Weiss yelled at the same time, and Qrow stopped before he could follow up his punch.

"What are you being so hardheaded for, huh?!" Qrow snarled, barely containing his anger, as he towered over Jacques. "Why won't you tell me where the railgun is?!"

"Stop..." Weiss said again to Qrow, in a weaker tone this time, as she watched her father struggle to stand up. "Please, stop..."

Muttering to himself, Qrow backed off, just as Weiss requested...

Wait, why was she asking Qrow to stop?

Her father laying on the ground like that... Weiss figured she would be happy at the sight, after everything he admitted to. It was only fitting that he struggled like that, wasn't it? Jacques had never been a loving, doting father; he was aloof, and kept to himself and his research and business. Her sister Winter on the other hand, was always there looking out for her, so compared to that, there should be no reason why she was suddenly feeling pity for her father, right? Especially after what he did... There was just no reason at all!

But the fury Weiss felt earlier was gone, somehow. All gone, even after knowing that he was involved in Winter being in a coma. Instead replaced with...

Weiss soon found herself shaking, her knees about to give way, with only Ruby acting as her support; she watched her father get to one knee.

"I won't tell any of you where that railgun is," Jacques said, with a surprising finality in his voice. "...because Weiss will die if I did."

Her father's words burned in Weiss's heart...

"And she's the last thing left of my dream... My dream to help Atlas... And to connect humanity."

...and Weiss began to cry.

Is there something urgent you need addressed?

I don't see you very often, so I wondered how you were doing.

This is incredible! I didn't know that you were working on something like this!

I didn't know that you'd be interested in it.

That's because you're never around… I wish you told me sooner, Father. Even if it's not related to being a Hunter, I can still appreciate a great engineering project.

It's not every day that I get to find someone who shares my vision. I'm glad that you like what I'm working on. You've always had good grades in the applied sciences, Weiss… Maybe I should have seen this long beforehand.

Will you tell me more once you make more progress into this project?

So you want updates too, hm? Then for you Weiss, I will. I promise. Just be patient with me, alright? I know this will take time, but it's always been my dream to make my mark on the world beyond just gathering resources. And I think that's worth fighting for, regardless of how long it takes, and the sacrifices.

"Are you finally listening to me, my dear Weiss?"

"Father..." Weiss sobbed.

"Then please, before anything else... I just want to tell you something. Even if only for one last time."

Silence hung in the air; no one else spoke, as if they all understood what her father meant to say...

"I really wanted to make Dust work in space, Weiss," Jacques began, as he got to his feet. "Satellite technology would've advanced the world's communication lines, bypassing the problem of building undersea cables in Grimm infested oceans, and would've created a global area network for everyone to benefit from. Imagine someone transmitting data to the exact opposite side of the world in seconds, rather than the limited one we have now... A network of networks, using protocols that any device could use, that anyone could have. The potential of that, and what it would mean for world affairs... You understand what it would mean for humanity if I had succeeded, don't you?"

"..."

"The glory of inventing it had always been the primary goal for me. That a man who did nothing but dig up Dust all his life for profit could give back to the world too, and truly uphold the Schnee tradition of excellence and goodness... That was my dream. But I let my ambition cloud my better judgment in the face of hardship, so I took advantage of others, to hide my faults and continue on with my dream... I was afraid to fail, and I didn't want to go to jail for the wrong I had already done. But I was taken advantage of in turn, and I only endured being a lapdog because of a hope that it would be over eventually, and that I could make things right again in due course. But in truth nothing changed. Only my masters."

A cool night wind passed, pausing Jacques for a moment.

"Whitley has really grown into the businessman role, by the way." Jacques continued. "He's almost ready to inherit the Schnee Dust Company from an old fool like me, he has the true Schnee spirit. Though I don't think I'll be able to check on his classes anytime soon, sadly... But I managed to sneak him into an overseas business training program in Vacuo, right before I made my escape, so he should be safe there for the time being..."

Rubbing his right cheek where Qrow punched him with the back of his left hand, Jacques then looked at the shattered moon – this time avoiding Weiss's own gaze – as if he was in some nice beach, somewhere far away.

"But you were supposed to remain in Vale, Weiss. Or in any other kingdom, really. Just as long as you could live your life free from a fearful kingdom too afraid to trust others. And that's where Winter wished for you too, when we last talked in private."

"...?!"

"It's the truth, Weiss. A truth that Winter didn't want you to know, because she knew that you idolized her, and that you hated the Schnee business life... She didn't want to break your dream. And that's considering she was an army officer when she confided that to me, so she already knew of Ironwood's abuse of power, and the Atlas royalty's inability to keep him in check. But because Winter took the oaths she swore to heart, to always protect the citizens even if it were to come at great cost... She feared you would follow in her footsteps to become part of the Atlas military, and that was a burden she didn't want you to bear... She didn't want you to waste your life in vain, fighting for a kingdom that had forgotten the right path."

"...!"

"Winter didn't want you to be involved in Atlas as a Hunter, Weiss. She wanted me to not support you being a Hunter once you graduated from Laran Academy, while she thought of ways to sideline you to safe assignments, to not have Atlas cast its gaze on you, and drag you along with it... Winter even told me that if she had her way, she wanted you to be a scientist instead."

I never wished for you to be involved.

Involve me with what?

Exactly. You don't know anything, and there's nothing you can prove to anyone. That's for the best, Weiss. A private citizen like you should be left out of this. But even so, I want you to know that there are enemies out there, both outside and inside Atlas's walls. So please be careful…

Weiss's legs suddenly lost strength, and only Ruby catching her stopped Weiss from falling to the ground; not that Weiss would've cared at this point.

Wait… Are you being coerced by somebody?

No, I'm not.

But you have to be, right? Because why would someone like you do this anyways? You can tell me if they set you up, ok? I'm your sister, I can protect you too! Well, did they? Damnit, just tell me who they are!

I have no idea what you're talking about. I found out something, so I worked alone, and I knew the risks I took.

I can't believe you… You said you want to protect me, so why…

Yes, I do.

Remembering her talk with Winter during their fateul battle, it tore Weiss's heart to understand it in its true context.

"...I tried to stop your sister, I really did. But she was too nosy, too eager... Winter simply refused to back down. And I was sure she would arrest me the moment I revealed my connection to Ironwood, sealing both our fates. So I betrayed her... And that's why I asked you to stop her when she was finally caught, hoping that she would listen to you, her own little sister, as innocent and pure as white snow..." Jacques's voice began to break down; he cleared his throat. "For my failure and hubris, not a day goes by without seeing Winter in my dreams..."

Weiss felt Ruby console her by rubbing her back, but it felt like such a distant thing, compared to the grief that had swallowed her up; sorrow that Weiss didn't even know could exist.

"I couldn't dare tell Willow and Whitley the truth, not after what happened to Winter. But I still had to protect you in some way, even if it hurt the both of us. So I crushed your heart, started that quarrel that night, even threw chairs at you, all so you would hate me enough to leave on your own, and start a better life for yourself... I had already accepted my fate of living with my sins. And believe me, I did everything I could to stop you from coming back. Fueling your guilt over Winter even more, and using Willow's vices against you, just so you stayed away, hidden from Ironwood... All to ensure that no matter what happened to Atlas, you would be safe."

"You're lying..." Weiss finally managed to say, after all that time of listening, of disbelieving, of being subjected to the most awful feeling of despair she had ever experienced. "You have to be lying, you don't have proof... And this doesn't change anything about what you did... You're just saying this to make me feel sorry for you..."

"I'm not looking for forgiveness, Weiss. But after keeping you in the dark for so long, I only wanted to tell you the truth this time... Nothing less than that."

Weiss then felt a snow crystal fall to her right hand. Then another one, this time to her left hand. Then another one to her right leg...

This could only mean one thing; November was wrapping up, and out came the first signs of snow, and the start of Atlas's–

"Winter..." Looking at the sky, Jacques began to weep. "My daughter, I'm sorry..."

Silence from everyone, as snow crystals fell from the night sky.

"...thank you for listening, my dear Weiss." Jacques said, as he wiped away his tears. "That'll be all from me. Now go home and take care of Winter, so I can tell Qrow where the Atlas railgun is."

Weiss's eyes widened.

"Qrow, if you'll have your daughter escort mine to the Schnee Manor... I will tell you what you need."

"Father, no! You can't leave me out of this!" Wracked with emotion, Weiss hadn't thought much about this until now, but her father changing his mind meant that he was outright refusing to have her to join the fight, and basically left finding her mother Willow to the others... Weiss suddenly found herself wishing that her father kept his word not to tell anyone, because being excluded like this hurt so much...

"It's better this way, Weiss."

"Weiss, please calm down..." Ruby whispered.

"You have to tell me, Father! I'm not as weak you think I am, I can fight and defend myself! And I'm a member of Team RWBY... My mission is save Mother... And take down Ironwood for what he did to Winter!" Weiss then realized that she didn't have Myrtenaster, but she almost wanted to pick it up from the ground just to point it at her father. And yet... "Tell me where the railgun is! Or else–"

"Or else what? You'll kill me? Then go ahead, Weiss. I'm right here, defenseless."

"...!"

"But you can't, can you? Even though the thought had crossed your mind so many times. You can't even point Myrtenaster at me anymore..."

"...Father!"

"Even though I hurt you, and failed to protect our family, you still couldn't take matters into your own hands. Can I really let you face a man like Ironwood then, knowing he won't play around, and kill you without remorse? I wouldn't be able to look at Winter in the afterlife if I sent you to your death, to the same man who ordered her own death. Assuming the gods would even allow me to be anywhere near Winter ever again, that is."

"Father, please!"

"Why do you still call me your father?"

"Please..." Weiss begged, crying even harder upon hearing that; she could no longer bring herself to pick up her weapon and threaten her father with it, even after everything. "Please..."

"Already you're pleading... You hide your emotions in a veneer of pride and anger, but that's because you're impressionable and vulnerable... That's why you idolized your sister so much. Because Winter would've cut my throat the moment she knew I betrayed her... You won't survive against Ironwood. So please, Weiss, go home. The gods willing, your mother won't be used as a shield by Ironwood as long as he doesn't see either of us on the battlefield, and that she will survive..."

"Wait, what are you planning to do after all this?" Qrow asked.

"...once I tell you where the railgun is, and Weiss is safe at home?" Jacques looked at the raging river close by. "...I want to sleep. For a long, long time..."

"Father, no!"

"We make our own choices, Weiss…" Jacques shook his head. "We make our own choices..."

Winter's words.

If Weiss felt her heart was torn before, it was shredded into pieces now. And any iota of doubt she had about what her father said were all gone; he really was telling the truth.

Weiss was then sucked into a darkness so complete, she couldn't see, even with her eyes wide open...

Weiss didn't want to hear any more, didn't want to be here any more.

So she ran away, ignoring Ruby and Jaune shouting at her, telling her to come back.

Weiss wanted to run away to somewhere. Anywhere. Anywhere but here.

She ran, and ran... Weiss didn't know how long she had been running.

But the next thing she knew, she had tripped on something, and she fell to the ground.

Only the river nearby gave any sounds, any indication that there was a battle raging in Atlas... Weiss could easily think she was at home, sleeping in her bed.

Weiss turned so that she was lying face upward, looking at the night sky; the stars and the shattered moon her only sources of light here in an otherwise consuming darkness. Maybe she could just rest here on the ground for a bit though, even in the void, and dream of better times. Then maybe she would wake up and find that this was all just a horrible nightmare...

But no rest came, and Weiss quickly lost track of time, not knowing how long she laid there, even as the first snow crystals of the winter season came down from the heavens.

Winter...

Weiss recalled memories of better times, such as that of her and Winter growing up – including that of Winter accidentally dealing the scar on Weiss's left eye – and of Winter graduating to become a Hunter and being promoted to First Lieutenant; Weiss recalled being happy for Winter back then, and wanting to do the same...

Father...

Weiss wanted to hate her father so much. She knew she had every right, even he himself basically admitted it. But was knowing that he had good intentions in his project really what was stopping her? Was Jacques being her father enough to override her feelings? To think that Winter never suspected her father of betraying her, up to the very end...

But her mind came up with nothing; she had no answers. All Weiss knew was that she remained there crying softly, feeling her tears fall down her eyes.

"There you are... I finally found you."

Of course it would be Ruby that would find her eventually. But Weiss didn't want to talk, so she just laid there on the ground, still staring at the night sky.

"...you left Myrtenaster behind, so I brought it for you."

"..."

"Please get up, it's going to get really cold... I mean, fighting to survive helps keep the adrenaline pumping and the blood warm helps, but now with the snow coming out..."

Ruby knelt near Weiss – she really did bring Myrtenaster with her, now that Weiss gave Ruby a look – but Weiss kept quiet and turned her head, avoiding her gaze.

"Please get up, Weiss." Ruby's voice was extra warm, now that she was closer for Weiss to hear. "Here, c'mon, take my hand, stand up now..."

"Father sent you to take me home, didn't he?" Weiss managed to chuckle bitterly at that, somehow. "...how much are we getting paid in this mission again?"

"Huh?"

Weiss didn't know why she even asked that out of the blue, but in her despair, she decided to go along with it. "Why stop at me going home? I'll pay everyone, I still have money in my savings, and I might as well save the others the trouble..."

Ruby sat on the ground near Weiss, and put Myrtenaster close to the latter's side. "Weiss, that's not why I'm here–"

"My father's right, isn't he? I can't even wring out where the railgun is from him, even though it's the only clue we have to find my mother. I can't even do what's necessary, so how much more when we fight the enemy..." Weiss sobbed, realizing what she was saying, but she couldn't refute it. "I want to go home, Ruby. I want to be with Winter right now..." Weiss covered her eyes with her right arm; the tears just wouldn't run out. "I realized I just don't have it in me to continue, right when it really matters."

The snow that fell down on the two girls was still few and far between, but Weiss believed that the Atlas winter season starting tonight had to be more than just mere coincidence; her thoughts wandered off.

"What would Winter think, if she was here? Once she saw that I couldn't even bring myself to hurt our father... The man who betrayed her?"

Ruby fell silent.

"I wonder what would you say to me, Winter? That I'm not the only one who needed you, that you thought I understood?" Weiss paused as a crying fit came over her; for a moment, she imagined she really was talking to her sister again, like the last time she talked to Winter in her room. "But you were the one I needed... And you left me like I never thought you would..."

Silence. Of course Winter wouldn't answer. She never did, after their last battle. But it didn't matter anymore. Because nothing would ever bring Winter back, and Weiss was just too weak, in both strength and will, to prevent it. And that was true even now, with her mother Willow...

Weiss then heard Ruby cry, and that somehow stopped her own.

"...why are you crying, Ruby?"

"I'm sorry about what happened, Weiss... I can't blame you for feeling like this. But I still have to tell you something..."

"...what is it?"

Ruby took a deep breath, trying her best to calm herself down. "Jacques finally told Qrow where the railgun is, acting as our guide... And I'm here to pick you up, because your father wants you to come along with us."

"...huh?"

Weiss was so shocked by the news that she gained the strength to move from where she laid on the ground; she now sat face to face with Ruby, who was busy wiping her own tears.

But why... Weiss couldn't believe it; why did her father have a sudden change of heart?

"Is he trying to get me to forgive him?" That had to be it, right? That her father was banking on one last attempt to avoid jail, to gain enough pity from her to keep him free. That had to be it, there could be no other reason. But a new wave of hurt went crashing to Weiss's heart nonetheless; with her tears once again falling, Weiss summoned a sliver of anger for anger's sake. "Well, you can tell my worthless father that this changes nothing between me and him, alright? That if he so much as make one step on the Schnee Manor, I'll–"

"When you ran away, your father told us to not follow you just yet, and he thought a long time about things... My dad didn't even try to browbeat him this time. The two of them talked... And then, Jacques said to everyone that he still loves you, regardless if you didn't love him back, and that he'll allow you to be in the fight ahead..."

"...!"

"He swore to surrender once this was over, and that he's ok with being disowned... He just wanted you to know how happy you made him feel, when you visited him that night at his study... And to ask that you continued his research down the line, so long as humanity benefited... Whatever you decide on this, he respects your choice."

Emotions came bursting forth from Weiss, hot tears once again running down her cheeks.

"Your father was too ashamed to say this to you upfront, so he asked me to say it to you in his place..."

Weiss covered her face with her hands, her whole body shaking. She had been crying for so long now, with seemingly no end in sight...

She was then shocked to feel Ruby's embrace, offering her shoulder.

"I'm here for you," Ruby whispered. "Let it out, before we head out. We still have some time to spare. And it's alright... It's just us here, no one else."

That was it. Weiss cried the hardest she had ever done since seeing Winter in a comatose state, a lament that pierced the stillness of the area around them. Reliving the pain of losing her sister, dreading of possibly losing her mother, and wondering why she was even feeling sorry for her awful father... It was all too much to endure. Weiss shook and bawled and wailed, all while Ruby held her close in her arms, consoling her by running her hand down Weiss's back.

And then – after what seemed to be an eternity to her – Weiss's tears weakened, and she managed to mumble, "Ruby, I can't–"

"It's alright, it's ok. You're a great Hunter, Weiss. I know you can do it."

"How can you say–"

"How can I not? You're the only one with a full A+ grade assessment in the team, you have leadership skills, you can do almost anything with your ice Semblance, and you know your academics. You even had to tutor me so that I'd pass, remember? And I've read your essays regarding Professor Oobleck's research... I didn't understand anything about it of course, but I got the point." Ruby sighed wistfully. "You know, you really can be a scientist, now that I'm thinking about it."

Weiss shook her head. "I can't fight like this... I don't want to fight..."

"...I don't like fighting either."

Weiss then felt Ruby gently hold her face, looking at her pale blue eyes with her silver ones, all while wiping away her tears, her thumb touching the scar on her left eye.

"But we're going to have to fight, Weiss. Your father made that very clear to me. We're going to have to get involved with Atlas in some way, as much as I don't want us to. And I don't think Ironwood will give us a choice. Fighting him is most likely the only way... I know you're scared and confused right now Weiss, but I promise you, we'll accomplish our mission, as long as we stick together."

"...but what hope do we have?" Weiss asked weakly, in between gasps and sobs. "We couldn't even win against Ironwood's agents. And I'm no good, I'm not strong enough..."

"But you held your ground trying to protect Winter, didn't you?"

"...?!"

"...you remember what I told you guys about Cale, right?" Ruby paused to gulp, then continued, saying, "How I couldn't live with the guilt after what I had done, and how Ozpin saved me from nearly killing myself fighting Grimm at the forest, during the darkest time of my life... All because I ran away when it mattered most, leaving the love of my life to the beowolves." Ruby showed a pained smile. "So how could I just stand there and let you do the same mistake I did? Because that would've been your point of no return otherwise... And in the end, you still didn't put a hand on your father, even after everything, and you're the stronger for it. Stronger than me."

"But how can I be–"

"I know you want to take revenge on Ironwood. And this will be rich coming from me, having tried to kill Cinder, but promise me that you won't run off and try to kill Ironwood the moment you see him. Because the last time I did that I was almost killed for it by a beowolf, saved only by the gods giving me Cale back, even though I didn't deserve it, and now he's missing again... I can only pray that he'll come back to me soon enough..." Weiss saw Ruby shed a few tears again. "So this is why you're stronger than me... Because between the two of us, you're the one who did nothing wrong. You fought bravely to protect Winter, you kept your honor as a Hunter..."

"Ruby..."

"I'll help you get through this, Weiss. As the leader of the team, and as your friend, you have my word on that. And the gods willing, we'll meet up with Blake again, I know she survived and is out there somewhere, I can feel it in my bones... And Blake would be the first to say that we prioritize the mission. And Yang will be fine too... She has a short temper, and holds something painful in her heart, but even she would want you to come with us and fight."

"...you really think so?"

"Yeah... Because we're Hunters after all. We have Semblances granted by the gods to protect those in need, whether against the Grimm or otherwise... We always complete our mission. And since your mom, acting as our client, has been kidnapped, we'll fulfill our contract with her... And save her tonight."

Weiss took a deep breath; her crying had slowed down, and she could notice the soft falling of the snow again, along with the moonlight of the shattered moon...

Weiss clung to Ruby's hands – still feeling the latter's fingers wipe away the tears from Weiss's cheek – and she closed her eyes, remembering her time with her sister in her room, telling her stories she never replied to, and asking questions she never answered.

"...what do you think Winter would say to me, if she was here?"

"...what Winter would say?" Ruby paused for a few moments, then she said, "...she would say that she's proud of you for getting this far, for being a great Hunter... And that you care about your teammates, even though you might not look or sound like it... You have the potential to be a leader in her own right." Ruby nodded slowly, clearly agreeing to what she just said. "...and even though Winter might not have wanted you to be a Hunter, she would say that she appreciates you looking up to her, and would remind you that you can still walk your own path, apart from hers... And that you find happiness, whether that's being a Hunter, or something else."

"...you really think so?"

"Your sister's kind of like my mom," Ruby smiled softly. "She didn't want me to be a Hunter either, but she still respected my choice in the end."

"...I'm sure she loved you very much."

"Yeah, and I love her too... I'll never forget her."

"...am I supposed to forget my father too?"

"Weiss..."

"I wish none of this had happened... I wish he wasn't my father..."

"If only we could just wish everything away," Ruby said, with a markedly wistful tone. "But all we can really do is choose what to do in the situations we're given... And that involves a lot of falling down, especially in my case. Maybe the gods will give me a chance to make up for my wrongs, or maybe they'll just punish me even more. But as for you, Weiss... You still have a clean slate, and you should keep it that way. Not that I'm outright saying that you go the extra mile for your father, only you can decide on that... But I believe that thinking the best of the people you still have around you, fostering goodwill... That's a good first step to peace."

Weiss slowly nodded, letting it all sink in, remembering everything the two of them had talked about. Ruby had always been conciliatory when faced with problems, apologetic to a fault even, but Weiss knew she meant well, and she did what she could to keep their team intact, even at her own expense...

She didn't know just how much time had passed since running away from her father. But the calmness of their surroundings, along with Ruby's words of encouragement, helped a lot in finally stopping her sobs; Weiss took deep, slow breaths.

A thought then hit Weiss. If Ruby thought like she did right now, during the time they first met, would they still be friends?

...no, we most likely wouldn't.

Just imagining it hurt her...

And that was when she understood the wisdom – and the humility – in her friend's words.

She let go of Ruby's hands, and Ruby let go of Weiss's face in turn, as she wiped away her own tears.

"You ok, Ruby?"

"I should be the one telling you that. Are you ok?"

"...I'm getting there."

"That's good to hear." With a relieved look, Ruby patted Weiss softly on the head. "See, I knew you could do it... You're stronger than you think."

A pause, then Weiss smiled; the hurt in her heart was still there, but it felt like a massive weight was taken off her shoulders. "I'm glad I met you, Ruby. Thank you... Thank you so much."

"I'm glad I met you too, Weiss. Blake and Yang too... Even if they can be a handful in their own way sometimes."

Weiss chuckled. "...somehow, I feel like I owe you my life."

Ruby smiled back. "I know the feeling."

And right as Ruby said that, her phone beeped; a message, and Weiss saw her friend quickly read it.

"Dad said there's rumors of Atlas mobilizing... And we have a lead as to where Ironwood's heading... He might not be at the railgun after all."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Spies are such failures in combat... Nothing has changed even across kingdoms, what a pity. All you lot really know is to hide in casual wear, snitch, and run away." A cackle came after that. "None of you know true power, much less wield any."

"Is May alright?" Robyn whispered, ignoring their enemy's insults, her bow and arrow still aimed straight at whoever would walk into the narrow hallway they were at. "How is she? Is she stable? Is she going to make it?"

"May's in a really bad state..." Fiona replied with a marked weakness in her voice. "I've done all I can to stem the bleeding, but her gaping wound..." She then bit her lip in an effort to not cry out as she held on to the blood red bandage on her side... That wasn't even counting the various ice and fire marks on her body. "Heh, sorry. I'm not exactly in good shape myself."

"Join the club." Joanna found it in her to chuckle as she pointed at the awful gash on her right leg. "I can't fight anymore either, because I have to use my ax as a crutch..." Groaning, Joanna then looked at Robyn. "Now look at you, unscratched like nothing happened. It would be a shame if you got hurt too just because we're dragging you down..."

"I'm not leaving any of you behind!"

"That's not..." Joanna groaned again. "For you to decide anymore..."

Robyn shook her head, sternly glaring at her teammates to shut them up. Because after all those years of being together, having survived so many missions during their early years... She wasn't having this!

"The four of you could've prevented all this if you just answered my requests, I'm not hard to negotiate with. But now it's too late for that. Just look at what you've gotten yourselves into..."

Grimacing, Robyn listened at the slowly approaching footsteps of the woman hunting them – intentionally gloating very loudly as she did, in a tone that bordered on insanity – while she and her group hid for their lives, here at one of Atlas's bases.

It was a complete mess. After dropping off Ruby, Weiss, and the others, Robyn planned to get to the nearest military base that had the least amount of guards, then bomb the place so spectacularly in the hopes that it would divert attention and give them access to the vital Atlas mainframe – which of course would be heavily defended – where the rail cannon location could be found. Not that it had a high chance of success; gathering the munitions to fuel a bomb using Joanna's Semblance, all while evacuating the soldiers somehow... It was doomed to fail. But it was better than nothing, and Robyn was fine making a last stand. But the enemy soldiers here were a skeleton crew... And they certainly didn't expect the monster they would stumble on next.

"I know you're hiding here somewhere. Making a last stand, are we? Don't bother hiding it, I know how people like you think. But you should be aware just how futile your resistance is... It would be a pity to die for nothing. So I'll give you all one last chance... Tell me where Ironwood is, and I'll let you tend to your friends in peace."

A woman clad in black and wielding a dustmetal scythe... That was just about the only normal thing about her. With a vicious Grimm left arm and the most insane Semblance Robyn had ever seen; it was just too much. Even working as a team, with Robyn's aura and Joanna's explosive Semblance for offense, May's Semblance canceling for defense, and Fiona's phasing as support, this woman – this damned monster – was simply beyond any of them, and Robyn was at her wit's end thinking of a way to survive.

The insult to injury was that Internal Affairs just received confidential information from the military that Atlas would abandon its vital areas temporarily to rout the Grimm invasion using the reserve forces, with Ironwood and his team supposedly going to the front lines. So all of their efforts here had been for nothing; if only they had held back for some more time, then they could've just gone straight for the Atlas mainframe to take the fight there directly, and perhaps none of this would've happened.

"What the hellare you?!" Robyn cried out.

"A being far superior to humans," the woman replied, a vicious smirk on her face. "And I'm here to make sure that no kingdoms get to create any more of me. Because only the chosen ones can be blessed with this gift... With the vast majority faded to be culled, only a few can reach the next stage of human evolution."

"The hell are you talking about?!" Keep her talking, keep her gloating; completely outmatched against her in combat, this might just give Robyn the chance to give her team an escape route. "What does human evolution have to do with any of this, you freak?!"

"A freak, hm? Is that what you call me now? Foolish woman... Call me whatever you want, none of you are going to live long enough to see the end anyways, or that you couldappreciate the truth even if I did tell you. But that's what you deservefor casting your lot on James Ironwood."

"We already said we're trying to find him ourselves! He's the reason why Atlas has a big target on its back! We're just trying to–"

"Ensure that Atlas is at the top of world... Ha! Why even bother pretending to be a rebel group right in my face? Do you think I'm a fool? If you hate James Ironwood and everything he stands for that much, then you wouldn't have attacked me for killing off his soldiers!"

"We're not going to let you murder innocent people!"

"No one is innocent!" the woman snarled. "And I'm not about to be told otherwise by lapdogs like you!"

The footsteps were getting closer, the woman's voice louder; Robyn still had her bow and arrow at the ready. Not that she thought it would helped, when Robyn saw that woman tank her entire aura burst at point blank range, block all of their melee attacks with just that monstrous Grimm hand, and launch ice and fire in return...

"It's not a bad deal, think about it. The first batch of guards I met were smart. Already on edge with the Grimm invasion, they got me here with no fuss after just a brief showing of my power... Good on them, I prefer getting to my target without being noticed. But the next batch chose poorly, and it seems the four of you aren't any different... Tsk, still not answering? Now that is truly a shame. The academies really aren't teaching anything good to spies nowadays."

Robyn grimaced. It was only a matter of time, wasn't it? But if only Ruby, Weiss, and the others were here, maybe they could've put up more of a fight... No, Robyn knew she shouldn't be thinking that. They had their own mission to take care of.

Well, they knew what they signed up for, and Robyn wasn't about to have her team lose face, even in the end.

"I'm glad I met you guys," Robyn said to her teammates, all while still keeping eye on whoever will come into her arrow's line of sight. "I'm sorry we couldn't do much of anything... We can only pray that Atlas survives whatever happens next... I'll even accept being wrong about Ironwood if it means the citizens are safe. But we sure aren't going down tonight without one more fight." Robyn managed to chuckle. "One for the road for us Merry Men, how's that sound? Except I'll be the one driving off into the sunset, while you guys live another–"

"Stop it with the speeches, Robyn. You're the one getting out of here alive."

"...May!"

"One for the road... That means no holding back, right? But that's for the dead men walking to do, not you... And that's what we're doing now, you don't need to worry about us anymore..." May coughed and groaned as she struggled to speak, her right hand still trying to hold her crossbow dustmetal weapon. "There's no coming back from this anyway... Just look at what that monster did to me, I'm done for..."

"Can it right now!" Robyn snarled, barely keeping her voice contained as they hid. "The three of you are going to make it, you hear me?! There's no way I'm going to let you guys die on my watch!"

"We're trying to not overstay our welcome here... Fiona and I can't even fire our crossbows anymore... We're just cogs in a larger wheel, and the fight continues on without us..."

"But I–"

"Are you always this dense and hardheaded?" May forced herself to smile despite her awful wound. "Don't tell me Winter was right about that too..." May suddenly chuckled. "Geez, how did we girls even survive this long if you're like this..."

"Better one soldier to keep on fighting, rather than for three to hide just to die before everything's over..." Joanna added. "We weren't born yesterday, Robyn. When things really get messy in a battle, the wounded aren't left behind... So much as used to buy time for the others."

"I don't know what Ironwood's thinking to leave such a heavily classified military installation like the Atlas mainframe so exposed," Fiona said. "But if the defenses are bare bones there, then you should get there asap. If you're quick enough, you'll be there before Ironwood realizes it. Without any opposing forces, and hopefully with enough time, you should be able to find where the railgun is, along with where Ironwood's been doing his experiments, too... And destroy them before the other kingdoms get involved..."

"..."

"At a loss for words?" Fiona shook her head. "Don't tell me you're having cold feet now..."

"...Fiona!"

"We've always known that we're in the minority ever since Ironwood got to his position. He and many of the citizens believe that the kingdoms must grab power in an anarchic world to survive. But we've always believed in the old treaties, and how they're the key to ensure cooperation between the kingdoms and prevent war... That's why we're all in Internal Affairs, right? To ensure that law is upheld against those who want to usurp it... Yes, we're hypocrites in that we fight in the shadows too..." Fiona coughed painfully. "But we fight because we believe what we're doing is right, and that we're ready to die for what we believe in. Just like Winter did."

"Fiona's right..." May added, and coughed up a bit of blood as she did. "We knew what could happen to us by opposing Ironwood. But you, Robyn... You have to survive... You still have to make up for Winter, and this is your one chance to make a difference in this fight... You have to let us go..."

"It's been fun, Robyn," Joanna added. "We've been through a lot, you know? We've been beating up corrupt soldiers, spies, embezzlers, and other types of bad guys ever since we got in a team, and we would've loved to beat up Ironwood with you. But it looks like this is the end of the line for us... All I have left in me is one last explosive hurrah..."

"My own Semblance had never been good for combat anyways," Fiona added, grabbing her side. "And I can't even take care of my own wound here. But saving lives is what it's good for, and I'll be happy if I can save you, one last time... By the way, I haven't told you this, but Winter visited me in my dream once." Fiona smiled softly. "Don't worry Robyn, you'll avenge Winter before the end."

Robyn still had her arrow pointed at the entrance to the narrow hallway they were in, but all three of her teammates were looking at her now... It was impossible for Robyn to not piece together what they planned to do, and she began to weep.

"No, there has to be a better way!" Robyn cried out to her teammates through clenched teeth. "Don't do this!"

"Still not answering me I see... Now where could you be?" The woman cackled, clearly taunting and playing around with them, much like a cat would with a mouse. "You know, I've always hated spies," she then said, in a much graver tone. "Nothing but arrogant and pretentious cowards, who do nothing but bring others down, thinking that only they have all the answers..."

"See you later Robyn," May said. "Oh yeah, those lien you owe me on our last card night? That's on the house."

"We'll beat up bad guys and Grimm again in another life," Joanna said. "The gods willing, I won't be so big boned next time."

"I would've wanted to hang out more with Ruby and Weiss and their friends, to be honest... They seem to be an interesting bunch." Her hands glowing a bright green, Fiona sighed wistfully. "But it's been fun, Robyn."

"...there you are!"

The woman had stepped to the entrance right as Fiona said that, with autumn leaves drifting around her as she twirled her scythe, and on instinct Robyn released her charged arrow, even as she begged for her teammates to not go through with it.

But before Robyn could think of what to do next – or even see if her attack did any damage – she was phased through the wall with just a touch from Fiona's hands, and with the greatest force Robyn had ever experienced from her, to the point that she was passing right through various rooms and hallways...

The next thing Robyn knew, she was at another hallway, near the exit out of the base, and far away from where she once was.

Robyn then felt a large explosion happen somewhere right after that, and her heart instantly broke.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Upon Mercury's signal that the coast was clear, Merlot stepped into the Atlas mainframe, stepping over a few charred and battered bodies of soldiers as he made his way, not wanting to dirty his boots with their blood.

"Not bad, huh?" Mercury said while wiping away the blood from his dustmetal weapon, specks of black flame still lingering on his staff. "Every annoyance taken care of, all the security cameras accounted for... I'd say we got the job done quick. Not that the guards here put up any meaningful resistance... This damned cold is putting up more of a fight."

"...so it seems," Merlot replied, taking note of what Mercury said. "But great work in snuffing out the enemy. Now how are the others?"

"Emerald reported that the power plants have gone down as planned," Arthur said. "Meanwhile Cinder's on the hunt, currently disposing of roadblocks... Though we've received news of Ironwood and his lackeys making a public appearance to allay the masses, but still no idea as to when exactly he'll meet the soldiers at the walls. Regardless, Cinder is sure to intercept... Only a matter of time before Ironwood gets what's coming for him." Then, with a derisive snicker, he added, "That woman's too much of a monster to lose the scent, after all."

Merlot slowly nodded, and began to think of how best to proceed, once he was done here...

"See? I told you Emerald was the real deal," Mercury said with a smirk, giving Arthur a knowing look. "She got her mission done even while having wildcards like Hazel and Tyrian to deal with at the same time. And to think you were shitting on her when you two first met. What do you have to say now, huh?"

"Hmph. I'm supposed to be impressed with her slightly exceeding expectations?" Arthur scowled. "Whatever Semblance tricks she's hiding, I'm sure Merlot chose her for good reason. But I didn't agree with your stupid bet in the first place, so drop it. I'm not interested in your games."

"Having no honor among thieves is one thing, but being a sore loser too? Tch, no wonder Cinder bullies you. You're as fun as a wet blanket."

Arthur raised a closed fist at Mercury. "Say that to me again, and I'll make sure you join these corpses."

"You're pathetic, Arthur. Not even good enough to know any better." Mercury chuckled darkly. "...not worthy of anything."

"So now you're picking a fight with me just for kicks, eh?!" Arthur growled. "Are you really that bored, you insolent fool?! I ought to bury you in scrap metal right now!"

"Have your petty squabble later." Merlot commanded, making the two look at him before they did anything stupid, and he gave the two cold looks each. "I'll go find where Ironwood is hiding his secrets. Cover my back while I work... I'm sure the three of you can handle that without clawing at each other's throats."

"You got it, boss!" Mercury piped up, and Arthur mumbled to himself; Neo – who had been silently standing at a corner with crossed arms the whole time – simply giggled.

The three then made their way out to defend the mainframe entrance, with Neo closing the door as they left.

Not that I care if you really do rip out each other's throats, so long as you do what I pay you to do first. You're all a means to an end for me... Whether you'll get the blessing in the end, is none of my concern.

Now alone, Merlot walked towards the Atlas computer mainframe, currently running on backup power due to the widespread blackout, and readied the tools from his bag.

Here everything about Atlas military matters could be accessed – a strategic decision by the kingdom to ensure swift military action – and normally would be heavily defended, but the Grimm invasion proved to be quite the wrench to Atlas's plans. So much so that the battle still raged on at the walls, the Grimm proving stubborn even after being shot at by the railgun. Which meant that Atlas was stretched thin in quelling it, and Ironwood clearly gambled wrong in diverting his forces.

Then again, Merlot wasn't surprised. Ironwood had always been a shortsighted fool, with a misguided sense of love for kingdom, and he didn't even know the potential of what he commandeered, as the man was sloppy enough to leave a trail leading to his flawed experiments... Merlot began to work.

I've waited a very long time for this, Ironwood. You think you got the best of me, the last laugh? Cinder is on the hunt for you, just you wait. You're out there somewhere, aren't you? Hiding under the shadows of greater men, yes, that would be your style. Unfortunate that I won't be there to watch you suffer and die though... I would've loved to gloat at you in your final moments, just like what you did to me back then. But for almost destroying my life's work, I'll settle for destroying yours.

And there it was; after some time, Merlot discovered the exact coordinates of the Atlas railgun, hidden in the mountains. Good, very good. And now, to find out Ironwood hid his equipment, the ones he created but that man defiled, making mockeries of true hybrids.

Hello, Merlot. It's been a while.

With a familiar fear running down his spine, Merlot turned, knowing who that awful voice belonged to, but the words he was about to utter died in his mouth.

Why so shocked? Are you wasting time again? Even after months upon months of nothing? This time I hope not, for your sake.

There was no helping it; the presence before him was still difficult for Merlot to comprehend, even after seeing it many times before. And why wouldn't it be? Clad in a shadowy gray cloak that covered its whole body, it was a Grimm that had the hallmark red eyes, but lacked their bony armor and grotesque physiques. It was instead a sinuous copy of a man, with a pasty, dark gray skin...

"No, Fereus... Not at all..." Merlot winced from the pain in his head; he thought he had gotten used to it. Then again, did he even have a fighting chance? Wielding strange abilities thought only to exist in Semblance theory – telepathy being one of them – and with a mind of its own strong enough to name itself, this Grimm was...

Your struggles are amusing, Merlot. But there will always be pain when I talk, so you might as well accept it. Because it'll be the least of your worries if you disappoint me yet again, after all of your promises.

Merlot quickly did so, kneeling and hoping that he would get used to that voice that could only be described as stone being ground to dust. But as he struggled to say more, Merlot made sure to show obeisance too; Fereus wasn't just a powerful Grimm either. It was also the scion of the deity he found deep underground, slumbering, waiting... Shalem.

Merlot looked to see the Grimm observe the surroundings.

Ah, but it appears that we're not in your base after all. A nice surprise for once. I presume we're finally in Atlas?

"...yes, we're at the Atlas mainframe, not far off from the underground deposit." So Fereus had noticed before Merlot could bring it up... Merlot recalled its annoyance at the lack of progress when it last visited him, and the threat of punishment it alluded to if things didn't improve. But he hadn't been slacking off. Busy looking for new recruits to help him infiltrate Atlas, things had coincidentally improved since he hired Emerald, and so he said as much, adding, "I would never jeopardize our plan without good cause, you must understand. But Cinder seeing that Vale spy was the windfall I needed..."

The Grimm slowly raised a sooty clawed hand and clenched it.

So your efforts have finally paid off... About time, Merlot. You've always been an overcautious old coward.

"Cinder took a chance to get something from that spy, and it paid off..." Merlot groaned in pain. "And by good fortune, the Grimm attack at the Atlas walls right now helped greatly in my infiltration... The Atlas railgun had been fired soon after we entered though, tearing a hole at the Grimm bubble, but the Grimm still fight on..."

So the Grimm are inadvertently helping you... It makes sense that they're much more aggressive, now that Shalem is starting to stir. But for them to coordinate to your benefit, even if by chance... Hmph.Thank your luck it happened right when you needed it.And if Ironwood is that far ahead with his weapon, to be able to pierce the bubble, then yes, that would also explain the Grimm'srenewed fervor.Destroy the railgun immediately Merlot, we have no use for such a roadblock.

"Yes, Fereus."

But with that said, have you also found out where Ironwood hid your equipment?

"I should find my equipment shortly. I just need more time..." Merlot struggled to keep his voice steady, trying his best to hide his fear, as the voice in his head switched to a darker tone. "They'll be safely transported the moment they're found."

So you don't know yet where he hid them?

There was a hint of anger in that awful voice... Merlot trembled, even though the anger had only been for an instant.

"It'll be done soon, I swear it." As per its own admission when they first met, Fereus was 'bound', so Merlot was tasked to execute Shalem's wishes in his stead. But Merlot knew better than to test Fereus's ignorance or patience; somehow, as if Merlot had been marked by an invisible brand, Fereus had means to be right beside him regardless of where he was at a moment's notice. "Shalem didn't make a mistake choosing me..."

You best reclaimyour equipment soon, and kill Ironwood while you're at it... All threats must be dealt with. Because Shalem isthe reason why you're not rotting under the ground in the first place, all so you could see the future that you rightly dreamed of, and she has limited patience.

"...I never forgot, Fereus." Even while in pain and subtly being mocked at, Merlot still felt awe at the Grimm before him, its lips curled into a thin smile as he talked telepathically, his cloak without so much as a ripple. And that wasn't even counting the goddess it served as her right hand, a being even more colossal. Terrifying, but still magnificent; beings from another world that arrived to bring humanity to its next stage of evolution... Merlot had to see it happen with his own eyes. He had to! "Just give me time to regain what I lost, then we can restart the experiments..."

Do it quickly. Or I might just tell Shalem that you will never repay her kindness... Even in her sleep, she's not one to like ingrates.

"I will repay!" The thought of missing out on the final days of humanity – when the chosen few that could take in the blessings of the Grimm would transcend this world and leave the rest to the fire – was so unacceptable that Merlot raged despite the pain. "I must see the Grimm future you've told me! I won't be denied from it!"

Your passion and religious yearnings are also amusing, Merlot. Perhaps that's why Shalem chose you. But don't think you're irreplaceable, even though you created Cinder. And speaking of her, I wouldn't be surprised if she could do a better job than you, if only she wasn't fated to be sacrificed. Wouldn't that be ironic?

"I'll get it done!" Merlot knew Fereus didn't think much of him, even though he successfully created Cinder as a tool, but Shalem did; he was the only one with the wisdom to side with the Grimm. Only he knew the truth of the world because only he could handle it... He would prove himself in due course! "I swear I'll get things going! I'll show you, Fereus! I will be at the Day of Wrath... And I shall be as the gods!"

Fereus laughed, a dark, sonorous guffaw, and that unnerved Merlot enough to dissipate his anger. To hear Grimm utter noises was one thing, and hearing Fereus communicate telepathically was another, but his laughter was just something else.

Very well. We'll see if this time you'll deliver. Because in truth I'm not as limited as before, Merlot. So be assured that I'll check on you again, in more ways than one... Much sooner than you think.

That sent a shiver down Merlot's spine. Not limited as before? He didn't expect that at all. At least not before Shalem could begin to stir from her vast prison, deep below the earth. "...when?"

Expect my visit when the darkness comes. The night I think is best for hiding all.

Fereus's lips coiled into a smile. Then, turning slowly, the Grimm walked to the patches of shadow cast by the computer equipment... And abruptly vanished.

Merlot took the time to breathe deeply, free from the pain in his head, as he collected himself.

He wished he knew the true nature of Fereus's abilities. But he was sure that on the edges of shadow, where light was becoming dark, was where Fereus was strongest. It was there where it could do incredible things, like vanishing without any trace whatsoever, and disintegrating things to nothing, with no ash or anything else left behind... Even with the leading theories on both Grimm and Semblances, and the many experiments Merlot had done with humans and Grimm over the years in secret, Merlot hadn't seen anything like it.

But that was for another day to think about.

Merlot went back to work, trying to find his equipment, but more intent than ever to prove he was worthy...

"Boss! Neo just reported that Ironwood and his men are heading this way, with a whole lot of reinforcements... He's planning to surround us!"

Merlot turned to meet Mercury with widened eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sorry for the long delay, kid. But one of my comrades is still busy at the moment, so we have no choice but to just sit back here and wait."

It couldn't be helped. News from one of their group's agents had alerted her of the escalating situation in Atlas, of the urgency to destroy the rail cannon, and that there were other groups getting involved... Sienna couldn't just ignore that. And so here they were in a car near a convenience store rich enough to have their own backup generator, waiting for her comrade's next report, all while just a few miles away from a destroyed bridge and a destroyed power plant that were visible from the vantage point they parked at.

Sienna checked the recent comments sent to Atlas's network using her phone; yes, it was pretty much as she expected. The Atlas citizens, anxious but trustful of their kingdom, were in agreement that the rail cannon was the correct step in handling the Grimm, and simply awaited the solution to the ongoing crisis, with a few even favoring possible martial law; not that far off from the conversation she overheard a few people talk about while at the store. It was amusing for Sienna to experience, if only because of how pathetic Menagerie was in comparison. The ambition was there, but it was nowhere near as competent as Atlas... It was only right that Kensei led them to a brighter future for their kingdom and its citizens, and Sienna and the rest of her group's members would do their utmost to make it happen, as per her master's visions.

Snow was falling down from the sky for some time now; the first sign of Atlas's infamous winters, with tonight being the start of it. Now what did Kensei say again?

White snow, a rising darkness, silver tears, and the ululation of laments...

"...ok."

"Rumors are circulating that this was done by terrorists... They must have a few screws loose then, because the damage is overkill." A few screws loose, and with incredible power to boot. Whoever was making their move wasn't concerned with subtlety at all; did Kensei foresee this? Sienna would just have to assume that he did. But they needed to find out who these people were nonetheless. "Looks like our group has bad company to deal with, lucky us. They seem to want Atlas all to themselves, preferably in several pieces."

"..."

"Now I know I've been talking for a while now, so I apologize if I'm starting to bore you. But sharing what's on your mind will help pass the time too... Surely that beats keeping it all in your head."

"..."

"Besides, sulking doesn't suit you. And you haven't eaten in hours, you haven't touched your cheeseburgers."

"I'm not hungry."

"Still not in the mood, huh?" Sienna paused briefly, then looked at the sulking figure in the passenger seat, his back turned towards her, with the case he carried with him on the rear seats. "Let me guess, you're taking my 'borrowing' of this car against me too?" Sienna forced a chuckle. "I don't blame you, kid."

"..."

"Do you still hate me, Cale?"

"...I want to." After refusing to hold a conversation since last night, his tone now was sharp and curt. "...I really want to."

"Fair enough." Finally a response more than just acknowledgment; after all that effort in making small talk, Sienna could now be assured that Cale hadn't fallen completely to the voices in his head. "But you can always get back at me later, kid. Or why wait, you can do it right now if you want. You know I can't beat you. To be honest, I don't think anyone can."

"So it that why you brought me here? So that you and your allies can gang up on me and kill me? Is that why you wanted me to tag along with you that much?"

"Kill you? I'm trying to save you, kid. Because keeping you safe means changing the world." Sienna kept a warm look on her face, even as Cale's own words surprisingly cut deep. "I know why you're mad, but I also know that you understand why I did what I did. And you know why I can't leave you out of my sight anymore, not after what happened. You're more important than you and I can imagine–"

"But how do you even know that for sure?" Cale snapped, his tone rising. "You don't even know anything... You're just blindly following what your master said!"

Now Cale was understandably upset – Sienna believed he had every right to be livid, actually – but as a devoted member of their group, she had already placed her faith in Kensei a long time ago, leaving no room for any form of doubt. "Even if he doesn't tell me things immediately, I still trust him with my life... We in our group all do. He would never steer us wrong."

"Because he has a Semblance that can let him see the future or something? Is that it? Is that why he's so sure about me?"

"I don't think 'seeing the future' is the proper description."

"But you believe in him so much that you're freely talking to me about it?"

"Yes."

"Then what the hell does he want from me, when he hasn't even told you anything yet?! What am I even supposed to be doing here?! What, you want me to just sit here and wait for something to happen?!"

With another growl, Cale sulked more in his seat, his back still facing Sienna...

Then his back swelled up, not unlike a dog's hackles.

"Who cares what the future holds?" Sienna said. "You believe in yourself, don't you? And that you'll see Ruby again, no matter what?"

Silence hung in the air.

"...I told you not to mention her," Cale muttered.

"I know, kid. But I just had to say her name..." Sienna paused briefly; Cale's back was normal again, good. "...because I had to."

"...?!"

"You've made it this far with her in mind, so it would be best for you to remember that. But just like I told you earlier before we left, be careful too. Because your condition... It's known to twist what one holds most dear."

"..."

Sienna went on, reminding Cale – who might not have been listening the first time, and might not even be listening now – about what her group knew about these experiments. Specifically, how they even existed in the first place. "A strong will to live, a personal reason... A promise to keep living... And something... Or someone... That truly makes them happy and content. Every survivor we've met always had these. But eventually they succumb to a cruel obsession, and they–"

"Shut up!" Cale snapped, rage boiling in his voice. "I made a promise to her! And I'm still a person, damnit! I'm not about to–"

"Don't look now kid, but you're making one hell of a case to live."

"...!"

"Promises have weight... That's what you told me, right? So keep yours too, Ruby would want that."

Another long, silent moment.

Then Cale turned to lie normally in his seat, and he put his right arm to cover his eyes.

"That's how I know you're not going to be another victim, kid. Because why else are you still you, and why am I still alive?"

Cale seemed to absorb Sienna's words, no longer sulking... He lifted his right arm, revealing tired copper eyes.

Then Cale's stomach rumbled, the loudest Sienna had heard since they left.

"You're letting your hunger pass." Sienna reached out to get the brown food bag resting on the car dashboard and handed it to Cale. Given how ravenous the kid had been the past few days, Sienna could only imagine the pain he was intentionally subjecting himself to. "Please don't be stubborn, we don't want any complications."

"I'm not hungry..."

"But you picked these cheeseburgers yourself, kid. And didn't you say Ruby likes these back at the store?"

"...yeah." Cale smiled softly, and a glimmer of light appeared in his exhausted eyes. "...she really loves these."

"I imagine that Ruby would also be the type to eat on time, right? Because burgers aren't as good when cold."

"...you could say that."

"Then go ahead and eat."

After what seemed to be another long moment, Cale finally took the food bag from Sienna's hand, and got one burger out of six.

"Think of it as a Ruby's Cheeseburger, with a trademark and everything... She knows how to cook burgers too, I take it?"

"Yeah..." His tone progressively becoming mellower, Cale smiled at what seemed to be him recalling a memory. "We had a date at a burger joint once."

"Nice, though I bet she already fell in love with you the day you two first met," Sienna said. "Ruby loves you, Cale. And you love her too."

"..."

Sienna watched Cale slowly take a bite, even with his stomach grumbling audibly, still managing to keep himself from just gorging on it. But Cale remaining stable after that earlier scare was the much better sign; Sienna hoped it didn't progress any further, but with the right segue, talking about Ruby should help calm him down...

After taking a few bites, Cale then wiped his eyes with his right hand.

"It's ok, you don't have to be embarrassed."

"Sorry, but it's different for guys." Clearing his throat, Cale took a gulp out of a bottle of water. "It's ok, I'm good. You didn't see anything."

Now this was something Sienna didn't expect to hear; Cale was surprising her at every turn, for better or worse. "You really are an old fashioned kid, huh?"

"There are some things worth conserving," Cale replied. "A man's a protector, after all. A girl having to protect her guy as a last resort is just..."

"She's never seen you..." Sienna's voice trailed off, then she shook her head; she should've known. "You're going to keep this a secret from her, aren't you?"

"I don't want to be a bother to her."

"Sometimes I forget you're still a kid." Sienna refrained from making an annoyed sound. "I didn't think I'd have to tell you this, but you need to tell her the moment you two meet again... I get where you're coming from, but sometimes you have to do what's necessary even if it's difficult..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sienna thought she made perfect sense that time. But she quickly saw that Cale didn't respond well to it – his tone had a menace to it, and his face darkened – so she said with an effort to be calm, "Something to think about, that's all."

"...yeah," Cale said after a few moments, mellowing once more, and he continued to eat.

"You know I'm just looking out for you, even if I'm just a filthy Menagerie freedom fighter."

"...thanks for all your help," Cale said. "...I appreciate it. And you fight for what you believe is right... I can't take that away from you."

"Yes, I fight for what's right for Menagerie... And that's why everything will be alright, kid. I promise."

"..."

"Are we still friends?"

"..."

"...Cale?"

But he refused to respond, and simply ate in peace.

Sienna couldn't blame him, of course. Because he really was a good kid, and he just happened to be caught in something no one could be expected to go through, much less endure. He could've easily handled this a lot worse. Much worse. And she could tolerate a cold shoulder or two, and a few barbs at the heart... Nothing she hadn't experienced before.

Looking at the shattered moon, Sienna recalled an awful time when she was younger, when she was begging for food during a mismanaged Menagerie relief program after her village was destroyed by invading Grimm. With her parents having been killed in the attack and her possessions lost in a fire, Sienna was left to fend for herself, with no one to help her out...

Then one day Kensei came into her life, right when she was cornered by drunken thugs under a moonless night; a young faunus man not much older than she was, yet wielded the finest swordsmanship Sienna had ever seen, unsurpassed and peerless, his shadowy blade streaked with bloody red.

Thank you so much for saving me! Thank goodness you were around... You were incredible! You must be the strongest Hunter in Menagerie!

...it's fortunate that I had been passing by. But I'm not a registered Hunter, having not graduated from an academy, and there are stronger people out there than me.

Wait, so the way you move... That was basically self taught?! Wow! Your swordplay is the best I've ever seen!

...I appreciate the kind words, but believe me when I say that I'm not the strongest out there. No need to go overboard with your praise.

I'm sorry... It's just that you saved me, and I couldn't have taken them on–

But you weren't that helpless yourself, with you moving very well using your chain. Clearly you're not the only self taught person between the two of us.

Oh, this... Yeah, I was trying to save up enough money to get into an academy to become a Hunter, and I did a lot of training to prepare for it. Guess you could say it's a natural talent of mine, huh? But so much for that dream now. The village I was born in had always been poor, but with my family gone and nothing in my name after that Grimm attack, I don't even have a room to myself, much less have money for tuition.

...I'm sorry.

It's ok, it's not your fault. The wall defenses, though... Yeah, they leave much to be desired.

...

See that big abandoned school over there? That's pretty much my home now, and I'm sharing a room with other refugees. But it can't be helped. It's been a month since the attack, and you can see how slow the relief effort is. So fighting's been necessary for me to protecting myself, because it's not easy being alone around these parts.

...

Yeah, I've become a bonafide street rat alright, all because Menagerie basically left us to rot in hell. But what can anyone do about it, right?

...I wonder about that too.

...huh?

I know what you mean, I've seen Menagerie's corruption myself, and I understand your pessimism. But I've been wandering all throughout the kingdom for a reason, because I want to do something about it.

That moment quickly turned into something else entirely, and Sienna would never forget that fateful choice she made in agreeing to what he offered her. Soon she was part of the underground group Kensei commanded, and eventually she became part of his inner circle; she was the first. And that was when Sienna saw his true face, saw his mysterious Semblance active in real time, and when he started training her and anyone else who got to join the nucleus. And as part of their gratitude, they always referred to him by his title, not his real name...

Sienna soon found herself wondering if she was projecting her feelings of being saved to Cale.

Wait... Sienna realized she had legitimately spaced out; how long had she been reminiscing? She immediately turned to look at the kid...

And she saw that Cale had fallen asleep, having eaten all of his food.

Sienna breathed a sigh of relief.

A phone call came in right at that moment, and Sienna quickly picked it up; finally, about time.

"Yeah, it's me. Took you long enough to call back. So what's the situation? How are things over there? I see, that bad, huh... Yeah, I figured there are unknown actors walking around. Atlas is bold to leave its sensitive areas unguarded though, however brief. But this should give me some wiggle room to move at least, so thanks for the heads up. Since there's no guards to worry about, I'll go check out the power plants, and you use this time to take a break. You've been doing great work, and I don't want you to overexert yourself. Surely there's a few clues in those wrecks that'll lead us to who these newcomers really are... It's ok, I'll handle that from here."

But with the bridge destroyed, Sienna would have to take the long route towards the power plants, so as to not waste time, she started the car and drove off while still on the call. Meanwhile Sienna looked at Cale every now and then to check up on him; still sleeping soundly without so much as a stir, good.

"Who would've thought the kid would be that important to us, huh? Easy to overlook, I get it... No, it's alright... I would've done the same thing. We can't let Atlas have a railgun all to themselves, much less have them field hybrids to the battlefield. Or anyone have hybrids at their disposal, for that matter. Taking care of that will always be our first priority. And I'm sure there's more out there... Dangerous thoughts, I know. But Kensei did say the kid's special... That's right, I agree. He's our ace in the hole if things ever go south... Yeah, don't worry, I'll be careful. You too, alright? I'll be going now. Lay low and keep safe."

Sienna hung up, and after an hour or so of driving, finally arrived at their destination; the smoldering power plant closest to the destroyed bridge, the one reported on the Atlas network to be the first to fall. Their group could've dealt with this earlier actually, but various factors prevented them from doing so, and other things came up that took precedence... Sienna assigned herself to complete that task, and it made sense to start here.

Sienna looked at Cale one more time; still sleeping. Good.

"I'll be back, kid."

"Ruby..." Cale mumbled in his sleep. "I'm sorry..."

Sienna sighed upon hearing that. "...don't go anywhere."

She stepped out of the car, and was greeted by a cool wind, the slow but steady falling of snow, and the dying embers of the structure before her; an ominous feeling crept up to Sienna, and it wasn't because of the cold.

There was still the risk of possibly being ambushed, even though it was reported that the enemy had vanished after destroying Atlas's power plants, but either way, Sienna still had to check if there was anything here they could use... The Grimm being so resilient in their attack at the Atlas walls was one thing, but previous reports of a powerful hybrid running wild under enemy command didn't bode well for Menagerie's future, and even Kensei would be alarmed, if it weren't for the kid...

Sienna walked towards the wide open space of the power plant, sparing a few glances at the car while doing so; at this point her line of sight to the vehicle was somewhat obscured by objects from the power plant, but it was still workable; she should still be able to respond in case something happened.

Now with piles of rubble everywhere, Sienna thought it would take some time for her to determine what really happened here and who did it, but it actually didn't take long for her to notice something odd.

On the ground was a large circle of... Something faintly red and fading away. But this wasn't paint at all, or any kind of sign that made any industrial sense, and it fading wasn't like the normal wear and tear of the elements.

Sienna knelt down to take a closer look before it vanished, and right before the red circle finally winked out of existence, Sienna smelled... The faint scent of roses.

...what was this? Some kind of... Semblance?

Then out came the abrupt sound of metal being sheared, followed by a guttural dirge.

"...!"

Sienna turned to the source of those awful sounds, ready to take out her weapon and unleash her Semblance on instinct...

But her eyes widened in horror instead, as goosebumps formed on her skin; even with an obscured line of sight, she could still see...

No, it couldn't be! No, no, no!

Sienna ran back to the vehicle, still clinging on to hope... But there was no denying the truth. The right front and back car doors were shredded and torn open at the hinges, and the metal scraps were on the ground alongside the now open large metal case, the item in it missing.

It all happened too fast. Way too fast!

Another gust of wind passed by Sienna, but it gave her no comfort. Only the cold touch of fear, and a lingering sense of dread.

A doleful cry could be heard from the distance.

"...Cale?! Cale!"

But there was no response; Sienna was all alone.

And Cale was nowhere to be found.