Note: Here's a chapter y'all have been looking forward to. Gonna be a two-parter since there's a lot to cover and I have a status quo to shake up. Enjoy.

April 2nd.

The day everything changed.

Nora suggested hosting a "watch party", which Ruby didn't fully understand. This wasn't something necessarily worthy of celebrating, and constantly monitoring the news, waiting for the shoe to drop, was hardly engaging. Ruby still invited Team JNPR over to their dorm for the occasion. Being the newly formed and still-unnamed RWBY-JNPR alliance, this would impact them just as much. Team CFVY had yet to get back to them with their decision, but Ruby was actually glad. She wasn't sure she could handle the extra pressure.

Everyone was on their Scrolls, watching, waiting. Each had tuned into a different news network, or scrolled through their socials, refreshing every few minutes. The second the news hit, they would be ready for it. The lone exception was Ruby, who paced frantically around the dorm, running through every conceivable point of failure.

"It should have leaked by now."

"It will," Weiss promised. "Give them time."

"What if there wasn't enough to go public?" Ruby wondered aloud. "What if Atlas caught on and buried the story already? What if—"

"Ruby, deep breaths," Weiss said calmly. "Winter will come through for us."

"Yeah, and Sienna's an expert at this," Yang added. "She'll get the story out."

"I know, just…" Ruby sighed. "There are so many problems. Even if it's something bad, people could still find a way to ignore it."

"The way Winter described it, this couldn't be ignored," Weiss said.

Ruby wanted to believe Weiss with every fiber of her being. None of them had actually seen the documents yet. Winter's reports were as brief and non-descript as her usual manner of speaking. All they knew was her efforts to steal the files went without a hitch, her cover was unblown, and all necessary materials had been delivered to Sienna Khan the day before. They would only know the extent of the damage when the dam broke, which was supposed to happen any second. For each moment the truth was delayed, Ruby's stress increased tenfold.

"I mean, are you sure it hasn't dropped yet?" Jaune asked. "How would we even know when we see it?"

"You'll know," Weiss insisted. "Just keep checking. Eventually, it will—"

Blake jumped up to her feet, staring wide-eyed at her Scroll. "It dropped!"

Immediately, the room erupted in a panic.

"It did?"

"Where?"

"Where are you seeing this?"

"I'm checking, I'm checking!" Blake said quickly. "Hold on, I just saw something about it on my feed. I just need to… wait one second…" All eyes had fallen upon her, and she felt the pressure as her thumbs worked quickly to track down the source. Her feed was a chain of contextless KnightsPage quotes, jokes, memes, and shock over things she couldn't yet verify. She just needed the actual source to appear. Damn, how hard was it to fact-check something?

And then, she found it. An article from the esteemed Central Vale Post, a center-right, establishment news organization. Blake's eyes grazed over the headline not once, but twice. Her mouth fell open.

"Oh my god…"

Ruby leaned in. "Is it bad?"

Blake scrolled down the page. She read through the first paragraph, dumbfounded. "Oh my god." She kept reading, reading, reading, scrolling through what seemed to be an infinitely long document. With every word on the page, the words in her mouth faded away. Nothing could do her thoughts justice. She wasn't sure whether to feel disgusted or laugh from the sheer absurdity of it.

"Blake, what does it say?" Weiss asked. She didn't need Blake to tell her though. Her own Scroll suddenly buzzed. Her sister had messaged her the same article. Once she read the headline, her stomach dropped. "Oh my god…"

"Yeah. Yeah," Blake nodded. "This will… oh, wow, this will do it."

Quickly, their feeds lit up. One by one, they found the article on their Scrolls, and read through the allegations in shocked silence. Quickly, the news was picked up by other outlets, large and small. Quickly, it consumed their entire social media until it had sucked up all the oxygen in the room. Ruby read through the article over Weiss's shoulder, and she realized that all of her panic was for nothing. Winter and Sienna had come through for them, and she wasn't sure if a god was capable of withstanding the scrutiny coming their enemy's way.

The article was titled: Jacques Schnee: A Monster Above the Mines

It's header: New insider documents reveal disturbing allegations of fraud, embezzlement, sex trafficking, child labor violations, and more against the man who redefined an era of Dust mining

The Day Before

Of all the people Sienna Khan expected to walk into her office, Winter Schnee was never one of them. Her guards alerted her of a potential threat to her life, and even suggested that the Huntress be brought into the room in chains. Sienna dismissed their concerns, though she still required the Schnee to be escorted by three armed bodyguards. She wouldn't put it past the Kingdom of Atlas to attempt such an obvious threat on her life, yet she suspected Winter was there for different reasons.

She had been warned, after all, to expect the unexpected.

When Winter strolled into Sienna's office, she was surprised by how small the space was. The headquarters of the White Fang was already plain and industrial, a concrete prison built in a less-than-spacious Mistran city center. Sienna's office was somehow more pathetic than that, in that it was excessively kitschy. Her walls were lined with abstract art paintings that could have been made by a kindergartener, her desk was littered with colorful knickknacks and mementos that didn't belong near the workplace, and a flag of one of the rainbow people hung in the corner. Winter did not know which one, nor would she ever be interested in learning. She stood stoically in front of Sienna's desk, her hands in the coat pockets of her Atlasian military uniform. Walking through the Faunus-riddled halls, she was seen as an oppressor. Sienna merely smirked at her from behind the safety of her desk.

"So," she said with keen interest. "You're Team RWBY's inside source."

"You know me?" Winter said, her face unreadable.

"It's my job to know people," Sienna said with a shrug. "Have to be honest though, was not expecting Weiss to get her sister for the job."

"Then you don't know me at all. My loyalty is to my sister, not my company."

"Good to know. I take it this means you have what I asked for?"

"In a sense."

Sienna's smirk faded softly as Winter pulled out her Scroll. "What does that mean? Do you have it or not?"

"There's been a slight change of plans," Winter explained as she placed her Scroll onto Sienna's desk. The White Fang's leader was quiet as a holographic projection of a document appeared before her. It wasn't anything she expected. She had been quite clear about her demands. Proof of the exploitation of Faunus. Details of employment, payroll, hours, violations, and punishments. She had already asked her top advisor to begin writing a press release detailing her findings. She was ready to scream it from a mountaintop. Instead, she saw what appeared to be an invoice—wire transfers. Bank accounts. A single phrase kept repeating: Atlasian Federal Funding Grant (AFFG).

"What is this?"

"Two months ago, my father requested permission from the Atlasian government to expand his mining operations into the Crescent Mountain ranges," Winter explained casually. "He claimed the additional funding was necessary to clear out environmental hazards from drilling. The Federal Funds committee agreed and assigned the SDC one hundred and fifty million lien to start the expansion. These documents here," Winter scrolled through the files, "show my father secretly moving the funds to his private accounts, stealing the money away from the SDC. The safety measures he requested were never implemented, and he underplayed the risk of mining into the mountains to his investors. He also did the same with this Grant for one hundred million…" Scroll. "… and this grant for two-hundred-twenty-five million…" Scroll. "… and this…" Scroll. "…and so on…" Scroll. "… and so on…"

Sienna stared at the files, dumbfounded. She didn't react at all as Winter pulled open a new set of documents. "These are the emails my father sent to his personal accountant detailing how to value his estate for property tax reduction, undervaluing it by half. Here's a separate email of him instructing his company's accountants to understate corporate revenue by over three billion Lien last year, reducing total profit to zero and allowing him to apply for another grant with Aegean Financing. It also let him announce corporate restructuring without violating Section 21 of the Atlasian Business Code. I have the documents detailing similar actions for the past twenty years, of course, all with the necessary paper trails tying the movement of funds to his personal accounts, most of them being at the expense of money that otherwise would have gone to government sources or contributed back to the economy. Now these files over here…" Winter hurried through more documents, the holographic numbers blurring together through her dense prose. "These demonstrate how he packed the Board of Directors and lied on sworn statements to give the appearance of independence in relation to the Fed's investigation of his eighty-million lien compensation package. You might remember the small controversy that caused; the ABC considers unnecessary bonus packages a form of fraud unless they can be determined to be within the reasonable course of business, and the Board's independence was a crucial feature in swaying their findings. This shows that was anything but honest reporting. That being said, this might be a bit too complicated for you. You might be more interested in my father spending company money on these…"

New documents appeared in Winter's projection: extensive legal paperwork, full of names that obviously should have been redacted. Sienna narrowed her gaze as Winter gave her the revolting details. "These are the Non-Disclosure Agreements signed by seven different women, from the years 85 AC to 99 AC. In it, you'll find the discussions of the numerous acts of sexual harassment, assault, threats, and trafficking my father committed against the women who were employed in his offices, varying in payments from one point two to thirteen million Lien. You'll be particularly interested in Case Number Four—a woman who, as evidenced in the documents within—was passed around between my father and several of his close associates as a sexual object and threatened with demotion if she did not comply. You can read the more… horrific details on your own time, but they should be more than enough to stoke public outrage."

Winter scrolled down the files even further. "There's plenty more within for you to appreciate. Blake suggested you would be keen on learning labor violations, and I have provided evidence of my father vetoing workplace safety laws, intentionally hiring underage labor forces, depriving Faunus of their minimum required payment, covering up workplace accidents and fatalities related to mine safety, and bribing public officers, and much, much more. It all ties to him directly, all in instances of him going above or behind his own company. I assure you, I was thorough in my research. If there's a story about my father forgetting to bless someone when they sneeze, it's in there."

Winter shut off the projection and slid the Scroll across the desk. Sienna did not reach for it. She didn't budge. She mulled over the data in silence, and the Huntress watched her, both fascinated by her reaction and disinterested in her opinion. When Sienna spoke, it was as a low growl.

"Why are you showing me all this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Winter said bluntly. "I want my father ruined."

Winter had so much conviction that Sienna couldn't question her, even if her suspicions were flaring and the alarm bells were going off inside her head. Jacques Schnee had ruined millions of lives. Would it really be a shock to say his family were among them? If this was some grand ploy, she wouldn't have been so forthcoming with such salacious information. Yet, Winter's intentions hardly mattered. Only her actions. Sienna wasn't fond of those. She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to take the Scroll.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's our new deal," Winter explained. "I know what you were scheming. Generate public outrage toward the SDC, use my sister and her teammates as fodder in your war of public opinion, and eventually force them to cave on improving the condition of Faunus in their employment—or release them altogether. Unfortunately, we both know the SDC is immune to public opinion from your kind, and its relationship with its Kingdom makes it hard to create meaningful policy change. You'd have to consider other options. Am I wrong?"

Sienna scoffed. "We're sure Team RWBY sent you. Those girls know how to mind their manners."

"You aren't correcting me."

"I don't respond to baseless allegations."

"What a politician you are," Winter sneered. "Remarkable that more people don't see through you."

"Listen, Miss Schnee," Sienna said with a forced smile, sitting up straight. "I invited you into my office under the pretext that you would give me the information I was promised. Team RWBY and I had a deal. While I appreciate you giving me information on my people, it's less useful if it only incriminates your father. Ruining Jacques Schnee is not, nor has it ever been, my intention. If this was Team RWBY's idea, please tell them I do not appreciate them trying to play me again. If this was your idea, I would suggest you leave the premises."

"Just hear me out," Winter grunted. "You want the Faunus free. Team RWBY wants you off their back. I want my father to suffer. I am offering a path where everyone benefits."

"With all due respect, I don't care about what happens to your father," Sienna said, picking up the Scroll and waving it around. "This could get him removed as CEO—hell, I agree, it might even get him arrested. He'll just be replaced by another one of his sycophants. Nothing will change within that company unless we force their hand."

"I am not my father's sycophant," Winter said sternly. Sienna stuttered.

"Wait… you wouldn't—"

"I would. The pieces are already in place," Winter nodded. "I can't give you all the legalize, but I can assure you that when I obtain a controlling interest in the Schnee Dust Company, I will free the Faunus he has trapped. For those who wish to remain, I will treat them as they deserve to be treated."

Sienna's defenses lowered. Not entirely. She was far too smart for that. But she was faced with a possibility she hadn't considered before. She needed her team to verify it for her, but she couldn't deny its plausibility. Jacques Schnee of all people would devise some scheme to keep company control within his family if anything happened to him. She didn't know Winter would obtain that power. Wasn't there some little brat roaming the infamous Schnee Manor who would take charge instead? Regardless of her doubts, she couldn't refuse the offer. Not yet.

"You would help my people."

"With all due respect, Miss Khan…" Winter said, holding back her disdain. "I don't care about your people. To be honest, I never have. I find the Faunus… unpleasant to be around, frankly. The thing is, you have been making threats toward my sister, and I can't tolerate that. I won't lie—I considered taking far more violent actions." She casually eyed the bodyguards surrounding her, but Sienna ordered them to heel before they could move. "But let's say I recently have come to see the world in a new light and would rather not burn bridges before exploring all of my opportunities. I see no reason why we cannot resolve this issue peacefully. You could wage war against the SDC, hope their position weakens and they eventually change their minds. You could keep your extortions against my sister and see how far that gets you. Or, we can work together, and you can get a personal guarantee that your requests for 'equality' are met. Wouldn't you rather have an ally within the SDC, one who's honest with you, changing it from within? As Blake would say… a seat at the table?"

Sienna held back a snicker.

Belle Kataliana… that cheeky little bitch. She wondered how much of this was her idea. Just when she thought she couldn't be surprised…

She cautiously placed the Scroll into her pocket and gestured for her guards to leave the room. They obeyed her without hesitation. She nodded toward a seat in the corner.

"Pull it up," Sienna beckoned. "We got lots to talk about."

Chaos had overtaken Jacques Schnee's study. The infamous billionaire was expecting a stressless day. A round of golf. A few shots of brandy. An early rest. He wasn't expecting to be screaming his lungs out over his Scroll, demanding answers from his assistants. He wasn't expecting to be fielding a hundred texts from his legal team, either, nor was he planning on having three different news broadcasts playing simultaneously in the background. In the four hours since the initial story broke, it was picked up by every major news network on the planet. Most focused on the sexual crimes and the distinct lack of moral character in the allegations. The Atlasian networks paid closer mind to the fraud, specifically his usage of government grants and public money. His favorite business channel, Atlas Sky Now, was reporting that Schnee Dust Company stock had plummeted fifteen percent.

Fifteen percent—his blood vessels nearly burst at the thought.

They were saying his career was over, that his resignation would come shortly, that he should be investigated by various world governments, that he should—and this one was truly offensive—release a public apology. Every report seemed to take an immeasurable glee in the details of his downfall, especially the woman who spoke with such false, feminist bravado it made him want to hurl.

And there was Winter Schnee, standing in the corner of the room, proudly watching the madness unfold.

Jacques slammed his fist down on his desk, hunched over, saliva dripping from his mouth and eyes bloodshot. He yelled directly into his Scroll, his voice loud enough to echo in every corner of the Schnee Manor.

"I want names!" he bellowed. "There has to be some record who would steal from us."

"Sir, our security team is already looking into it. They can't detect any sign of a break-in."

"Then check again! I want a record of every fucking rat who could have accessed my files! Dammit, hold—" He clicked a button on his Scroll, changing lines. "What, Clarrissa?"

"Mr. Schnee, sir, the press is still requesting to speak with you—"

"Tell them I deny every allegation, and anyone who reports on it is a goddamn parasite!"

"And what of your meetings with Mr. Brenshaw, sir?"

"Are you fucking dense?" Jacques spat. "Cancel it. Cancel everything. We're in a fucking crisis, and I don't have time to hear fucking Brenshaw sell me his shitty real estate."

"Yes, sir—"

"Go, go!" Jacques groaned. He switched lines again, his Scroll so close to his lips his heavy breathing could be heard on the other end of the call. "What? What is it?"

"Jacques, it's Gary. What the hell is happening? Is this all true?"

"Of course, it's not true."

"This sounds very serious, Jacques. I was talking with some of the other shareholders, and we need to hold a meeting tonight to deal with it."

"Tonight? Are you—no, we can't rush into any stupid decisions. That's what they want. They want us to panic."

"The stock is in freefall, Jacques. We need to talk about our path forward as a company."

Jacques hung up his Scroll and slammed it down on the table. It didn't stop vibrating. It would never stop vibrating. A hundred people had called him, and so would a hundred more. Lawyers. Employees. HR. The press. Stupid fucking vloggers with their stupid fucking opinions. He felt his suit tightening around his neck, and he found himself in a fury that he had never experienced. They weren't just attacking with him one measly scandal. It was a war on every conceivable front. His mines, his personal life—what kind of disgusting leeches would attack a man's character? Whoever was responsible for this, their intention was clear. They didn't want an apology—they wanted him gone.

He wasn't going to tolerate that. He was Jacques Schnee. He transformed this company. Whoever thought they could oust him was sorely mistaken. The only question was who. Activists? Wretched, brain-dead activists? One of his team thought they uncovered a lead linking the original article back to the White Fang. Were a bunch of Faunus trying to claw at him? No, no, this had to be more personal. It was someone close to him, someone who had access to his darkest secrets and would benefit from wanting him gone.

That's what this was. A power grab. Jealousy. He had grown too strong, and now one of his rivals sought to remove him from the game. There was no justice in this. It was greed.

But who? Who was this? He had one immediate thought, an obvious target. Several months ago, he had allied himself with Team RWBY. The girls brought in a small profit, but their real power was in their sway over the public. It was unfortunate that now seemed useless—even if Weiss was willing to speak in defense of his actions, she wasn't sure that alone was enough to turn the tide back in his favor. Even in his induced madness, he was clever enough to not drag that property into his games. But the memory of Team RWBY brought with it another possible lead.

He picked up his Scroll again. This time, he would do the accusing. He placed the Scroll to his ear as the news in the background foretold the destruction of his company. He was surprised when it was answered so quickly. On the other end of the line was James Ironwood, whose monotone droning was less reassuring than it had been in the past.

"Jacques. What a coincidence. I was just about to call you."

"I wonder why?" Jacques growled.

"I just saw the news. It's spreading faster than I could have predicted. Whoever was responsible knew what they were doing."

"Don't act coy, you bastard. You did this, didn't you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you! You couldn't handle the risks of my partnership with those girls, so you decided to take me out. You never could play well with others."

Ironwood chuckled. "Accusing me, Jacques? Do you really think I would risk our partnership after all these years?"

"It had to be you!" Jacques said confidently. "You thought you could get away with this, but you forget how much you needed me, James. Consider my funding from your campaign pulled. Hell, when I drag you in front of a court for defamation, you'll end up paying me every last lien you have."

"I would be extremely careful with your threats, my friend," Ironwood said politely. "I might be the only person who can save you now."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I didn't reveal any of your skeletons, Jacques. That's not my style. I am enjoying the controversy, however. You've been busy in more ways than one, haven't you? Stealing from the Kingdom? Stealing from me? Your company is built off of lies to Atlas, and I have been receiving requests for the past hour to put up a formal charge to prosecute you."

"P-Prosecute?" Jacques stuttered, furious.

"I am taking them very seriously. Your share within the SDC means you are responsible for its unlawful behavior. These allegations might only be the tip of the iceberg. At the very least, it would only be sensible to launch an investigation of your entire company."

"You bastard…" Jacques hissed. "What are you really after, James? You want more money? A seat on the Board? If you're going to extort me, at least have the common courtesy of giving me your terms."

"I haven't decided what I wanted yet," Ironwood admitted. "Perhaps I wouldn't mind nationalizing the SDC, or maybe I would just like some assurances you stop associating with certain parties. No matter what deal I offer you, I would highly suggest you take it. The public's demand for accountability will only grow louder, and looking at your stock… your net worth will only continue to fall unless this scandal is dealt with accordingly. We can help each other, Jacques, as we have in the past. I'll leave that decision squarely to you."

Ironwood hung up. Jacques screamed his name into his Scroll to no response. He threw the damn thing into his desk, denting the wood. He thought he was going to faint. Threatened by James Ironwood—even if that piece of shit wasn't responsible for this mess, he was damned happy to take advantage of the consequences. Giving up the Schnee Dust Company would ruin him. Staying in charge and facing criminal charges would also be disastrous. Even though he could afford a proper legal team, that was still time and money he did not wish to spend. If his assets continued to plummet, those funds would dry up incredibly quickly. He was cornered and betrayed by his closest allies. Vultures, the lot of them, ready to feast on his corpse. Only one of them was responsible, and he had no clues as to the creator of this catastrophe.

"Father? May I speak?"

The shadows on Jacques's face deepened. His hand slowly closed and he squeezed until his knuckles were white. His gaze shifted to his daughter—the daughter that he had maimed, tortured, and ruined—who was calmly watching his life fall into pieces. Whose sister he had scarred and threatened. Winter had been there for all of his triumphs, yet she was also keenly aware of his weaknesses. If he focused on her, he thought she was hiding a smirk, watching him panic. Just the smallest, barely perceptible schadenfreude.

And Jacques froze, for just a moment, staring at the woman who would benefit more than anyone from watching him fail.

He thought of every terrible thing he had ever done to her, how she had sworn revenge, and how he had fought to take that drive from her.

He lingered on the possibility.

And then, Jacques found irony in the fact she was the only one he could trust. The chance of Winter betraying him had been given up a long time ago.

"Speak," he ordered.

Winter, stoic, hands clasped behind her back, had practiced this moment in her head a dozen times. All she needed was the perfect execution. Fortunately, she excelled at execution.

"You do understand what we have to do, correct? The public will not be satiated until they feel appropriate action is taken. General Ironwood wants to imprison you. If you fall, there is a strong possibility that you take the Schnee Dust Company down with it."

"I know that."

"Then you know our next step."

"They will not hang my head like a lion above their mantle!" Jacques declared. "If they want me to give up my company, they will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands."

"Father, please," Winter said firmly. "I am suggesting this because it is the only way forward. The Schnee Dust Company is your legacy—our family's legacy. It cannot be allowed to fall. The situation will only worsen over the next few weeks. If you were to resign, however, we can mitigate the damage and remove you from the public eye."

"The Bloodline Plan was meant to be enacted in the case of a hostile takeover," Jacques stated. "Whitley's not old enough to legally hold an office, and you… you're not capable of leading."

"But you are. With you guiding my hand, you will maintain complete control."

"I don't need a puppet to do my bidding."

"With me in control of the SDC, you can focus your efforts on your legal defense and keep your cash liquid. You do not need to be its face to be in control."

"Then they would have won," Jacques confessed. "A resignation is disgraceful. It's an admission of defeat. I won't go out on those terms."

"Then you will go out on their terms," Winter stated, her formality giving way to a passionate plea. "If you do not give up your position willingly, you will be forced out, either by the hands of the Board or by Ironwood's twisted machinations. They will take everything from you. I beg you, Father, take the path of dignity and do not give them the satisfaction of tearing you down. Let me help you… the same way you once helped me."

Winter fell to a single knee, bowing in front of her father's presence. The sight of such dedication moved Jacques, and it was enough to temper him for just a moment. In its place, there was a strange pride. He had raised Winter with a better business acumen than he remembered. She was painfully correct. He could not allow those fiends to decimate his legacy. Through Winter, he could maintain control of all executive decisions while avoiding detection. He would fight off the allegation, renegotiate with Ironwood in secret without the threat of a government buyout, and when the time was right, Winter would return her shares and he would come back a conquering hero. It was a perfectly executed piece of corporate politicking, just as he expected from a Schnee. One day, if she kept it up, she might even become cleverer than him.

It was a defeat, but only temporarily. He would save the Schnee Dust Company and his own legacy. He would bury the thieves deep into their earth where even the memory of their existence would be eaten by the worms. Like he had his whole life, Jacques Schnee would survive.

"I'll let my team know to start drafting the paperwork for a stock transfer agreement," Jacques said with a sigh. "Hold your conviction, Winter. It's done you well so far."

Winter smiled. Jacques thought it was strange. There was almost something genuine behind it. "Thank you, Father. I won't let you down."