Note: Ah, finally. My accounting knowledge comes in handy! Enjoy.

PREFERRED STOCK TRANSFER AGREEMENT

DATED

APRIL 2, 102 A.C.

THIS PREFERRED STOCK TRANSFER AGREEMENT (this "Agreement"), is made effective as of April 2, 102 A.C. by and between Jacques Schnee (the "Seller") and Winter Schnee (the "Purchaser"). The Sellers and the Purchaser are also referred to herein individually as a "Party" and collectively as the "Parties."

RECITALS

WHEREAS, each Seller is the record holder and beneficial owner of the shares of Class B Preferred Stock, Ⱡ101.10 par value per share (the "Preferred Stock") of Schnee Dust Company, an Atlasian corporation (the "Company"), set forth opposite such Seller's name on the attached Schedule A;

WHEREAS, the Sellers desire to transfer to the Purchaser, and the Purchaser desires to receive from the Sellers, a total of 534,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock for total consideration of Ⱡ53,987,400,000 (the "Purchase Price") to be transferred on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement (collectively, the "Transaction"); and

WHEREAS, the Parties have concluded that the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement are fair, reasonable, adequate and in their respective best interests.

AGREEMENTS

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the above recitals which are incorporated by reference, the mutual covenants and obligations set forth below, and other good and valuable consideration exchanged between the parties, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereby agree as follows:

1. Transfer of Shares. Concurrent with the execution of this Agreement (the "Closing"):

a. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Seller hereby transfers to the Purchaser, such Seller's entire right, title and interest in and to or otherwise connected with the Transferred Shares owned by such Seller, free and clear of any and all liens, encumbrances, security agreements, pledges, hypothecations, equities, options, rights, claims, charges or restrictions or interests of any kind (collectively, "Encumbrances"), in consideration for the payment by the Purchaser of the portion of the Purchase Price payable to such Seller, as set forth opposite such Seller's name on the attached Schedule A; with exceptions to payment noted below in the Subsection C.

b. Each Seller shall provide to the Purchaser all stock certificates representing the Transferred Shares being sold by such Seller and fully executed stock powers (or equivalent documentation) assigning and transferring such Transferred Shares to the Purchaser.

c. The Purchase Price to which each Seller is entitled, as set forth opposite such Seller's name on the attached Schedule A, has been fully waived by the Seller, with no expectation of recourse or recuperation of the Shares or all prescribed value.

d. The Parties hereby authorize and direct the Company to, upon Closing, (i) transfer the Transferred Shares to the Purchaser in the books and records of the Company and (ii) to take any and all other actions necessary and appropriate to effect the transfer of the Transferred Shares. The Company is hereby granted a power of attorney by each of the Sellers to execute 2 such documents and instruments as the Company may reasonably determine necessary in order to transfer the Transferred Shares to the Purchaser in accordance with this Agreement. The Parties acknowledge that such power of attorney is coupled with an interest and is irrevocable.

SCHEDULE A

Purchaser: Winter Schnee

Type: Class B Preferred Stock

Shares: 534,000,000

Total Cost: Ⱡ53,987,400,000

Total % of Ownership: 13.5

Total % of Voting Power: 82.5

SIGNATURES

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement effective as of the date first above written.

SELLER

By: /s/ Jacques Schnee

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement effective as of the date first above written.

PURCHASER

By: /s/ Winter Schnee

The press conference was hastily scheduled for eight o'clock that night, in front of the headquarters of the Schnee Dust Company. Even with the speed of the announcement, thirty reporters had gathered around, waiting to hear the response to the allegations that had shocked the world. A podium and two microphones were hastily set up before the revolving doors of the towering skyscrapers, and numerous cameras were directed toward it. Despite the late hour, the artificial lights of the City of Atlas and the equipment from the media cast the scene in a deep orange glow. Around the world, millions tuned in—including eight very eager Huntsmen students, watching intently from their dorm room in Atlas Academy.

At 8:10, the party arrived. Jacques Schnee emerged from his cave flanked by three assistants, three lawyers, his vice-president, and his daughter, who had swapped her military uniform for a grey suit. With script in hand, he approached the podium, laying out his notes. He never once looked the reporters in the eye, or acknowledged the cameras, as he addressed his nation.

"I would like to thank you all for coming here tonight, on such short notice." He was calm and collected, though anyone who knew him would notice the twitches in his brow. "Thank you to the Kingdom of Atlas for affording us this opportunity to address the nation. I would also like to thank my Board of Directors, who have been working diligently to ensure the Schnee Dust Company remains the number one dust supplier and manufacturer in the world. To all of my employees who work tireless nights, to everyone who has ever sacrificed hours with their families, and their loved ones, to support our cause, your work has been noticed, and greatly appreciated. While your efforts have been overshadowed, it is crucial we acknowledge your role in contributing to our continued success.

"Now, I am not particularly interested in wasting anyone's time. I am sure you are all aware of why we need to be gathered here. Earlier today, there was a leak of sensitive information from company files. This has followed a similar leak of classified information from Atlas Academy earlier this year. We believe this is no coincidence. Bad faith actors and malcontents have been attempting to undermine our great Kingdom since our rebirth, and it appears that rather than violence, they are using acts of international subterfuge and deception to achieve their goals. These actions are highly illegal and rest assured, we are taking every possible step to ensure that the perpetrators will be brought to justice and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We would also like to reassure shareholders that no personal information was revealed in these leaks, and violations of privacy should not be a concern. Any shareholder information remains confidential, and there is no threat of continued leaks. Our security has been reassessed and refined, and can promise this will never happen again. This has been a deliberate act of aggression against our company, and it will not succeed."

He shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his feet. "Now, in addition to valuable company information, it appears that these criminals have also included lies, half-truths, and obvious deceptions, in an attempt to add to their legitimacy. These include false statements, slander against company practices, and personal allegations against me and other honorable members of the Board of an abhorrent nature. I will state right now: The allegations presented against me are categorically and utterly false, and have no basis in reality whatsoever. I have worked ethically, fairly, and appropriately in all aspects of my role in this company, and have prepared statements from members at all levels of employment verifying my character. Whenever the perpetrator is found, I fully intend to bring every legal resource at my disposal toward them, and look forward to their recanting of such heinous accusations."

He bowed his head. "Unfortunately, while I maintain my innocence regarding these allegations, I am not blind to the political realities that are in front of me. The court of public opinion unfairly maligns those incapable of defending themselves and rushes to assume guilt despite the presumption of innocence. This is an unfortunate quality of our recent age. Already, the rush to presume guilt has placed a heavy burden upon our shareholders, and threatens the future growth of our great company. While I maintain my innocence fully, proving it will take time that I fear our company is not afforded. I have had many long discussions with the members of my Board, and I do not wish to be a burden to them, or anyone else unfairly caught in the crossfire. That is why, effective immediately, I am relinquishing all of my shares in the SDC and its related subsidiaries, and stepping down fully as CEO and Chairman of the Board."

Jacques held back a sneer as the reports murmured to themselves. They held back their questions for the moment. The lights from the camera highlighted every bead of sweat running down his forehead. "Per the terms of my contract, and after discussion with the Board, I have transferred my shares, along with all of their rights and responsibilities, to my eldest daughter, Winter Schnee. She will take up my positions as CEO and Chairman following my resignation. I understand that for some of you, this will come as a surprise. I also understand that there will be baseless accusations of nepotism in this appointment, as well as challenges to the authority I am placing within Winter. Some might even make the accusation I am using this appointment to maintain some semblance of power over the organization. I would like to quell all of those immediately. First and foremost, per the terms of my contract, I am giving up all aspects of my control in the SDC. After tonight, I have no further connection to the company, and will not be involved in any way in its day-to-day operations. The Schnee Dust Company has always been a proud, family-owned business, running back for what is now three generations. It is in line with tradition that we move to the next generation, as they are the ones who foster new ideas and innovate in ways we could not have foreseen. As for my daughter's business acumen, she has trained under me and maintained a watchful eye for most of her life. She is intimately familiar with the operations of the SDC and has all the tools necessary to grow the company to new heights. I also understand there will be questions regarding her military status, but as of tonight, Winter has officially retired from active military duty and will be contributing her efforts full-time to running the company. In my opinion, there is no one in the world more suitable for the position. Now, I would like to turn over the podium to Winter Schnee herself, so that she can address all of you personally."

Jacques stepped aside, wandering off far out of the camera's view. Most of his staff went with him, huddling around him, giving him advice, and congratulating him on his speech. Winter was left alone at the podium, staring down the reporters who had no idea who she was. Her posture was different than normal. In the military, she always squared her shoulders, feet together, head up straight. Now, in her new uniform, she seemed off-balance. Her injuries were covered—hair parted to hide her surgery scars, gloves to hide her prosthetics, anything to give the appearance of a woman as fit physically as she was sharp mentally. The papers left on the podium contained her own portion of the speech, and she cleared her throat before she started to read from it.

"Thank you, Father. Hello, everyone, here and watching around the world. My name is Winter Schnee. As you have just heard, I will be taking over duties as CEO and Chairman of the Schnee Dust Company. I am not able to answer questions at this time, but I do have a brief statement I have prepared for all of you." Winter gently gripped the podium, trying to find her footing in her unfamiliar environment. "My grandfather, Nicholas Schnee, began the SDC with a dream. He wanted to create a single source to supply the world with its Dust needs, bypassing archaic regulations and inter-kingdom conflicts. Through his hard work and dedication, his single mine grew into a vast empire that is responsible for more than seventy percent of all active Dust in the world. However, growth was not his only goal. He was a kind man with true, Atlasian values. He knew the importance of family. He respected every single person who worked for him, from the tops of the boardrooms to the lowest points of his mines. It was those values that served as the foundation of the Schnee Dust Company, and it's those values I hope to enforce during my tenure."

Winter scanned the next sentence of the script. My father has worked tirelessly to uphold those values, and I learned from him all the skills to become a great and respected leader. I would like to take the moment to thank him for all his contributions to the Schnee Dust Company.

"Before I continue, I would like to give some background on my dreams," Winter continued. She saw her father sneer out of the corner of her eye. He was looking forward to that sentence in particular. He chalked her error to nervousness and grumbled quietly. "It was never my dream to become CEO of the Schnee Dust Company. My Father taught me from a very young age that corporate life could be cruel. It could be unfair. Most people were out for themselves, and it took a strong and noble will to see through the lies and do what was right. It was a will I wasn't sure I had within me. I instead chose the route of a Huntsman, where my honor would never be challenged. In my many years of Huntress training, I learned how to stand up for what was right. I understood how to serve my role to help my Kingdom prosper. Being a Huntress doesn't seem like it would lend well to running a corporation, but its morals and teachings are the same that I will bring to my work every single day."

Winter looked further ahead in her script. It is unfortunate that my tenure has begun with an act of deception. "It is unfortunate that my tenure has begun with an act of deception. A tremendous blow has been dealt to our company's reputation."

Jacques mouthed along the next line of the script. These vicious actions…

"… have no place in our company. The Schnee Dust Company has always strived to be a leader not just in the global development of Dust manufacturing, but also a cultural leader."

Jacques nodded. Recover, Winter. Stay on message.

"To those who wish to demean our company and its people, I would like to give my first official message to you. We will not back down from frivolous threats. We will not be bullied into submission. If you have ever wronged my company or attempted to wrong my company…"

I will ensure justice is brought, Jacques hummed.

"I will not be shamed, or threatened."

I will not be bought.

"I have learned to be a fighter above all else, and I will not tolerate those who do wrong."

Jacques recovered his smile. He saw Winter's confidence grow, her voice rise with power, the crowd becoming quiet as her will took over there's. She looked at him one more time, and he could see her draw up strength, likely from their bond.

"And it is for that reason…"

That the legacy of the Schnees will carry on for generations to come—

"…that I was the one who leaked the news about my father."

Jacques's smile didn't fade. He didn't react at all. He couldn't even process what he had just heard. The many news reporters just stared at her, unmoving, unsure if she was trying to be funny or if had just misspoken. Winter just stared straight ahead at the crowd, emotionless and stoic as always. She waited, expecting some confused murmurs, yet was greeted only by silence. It took several long moments for everyone to realize just how deadly serious she was.

Slowly, Jacques's smile fell to the wayside. He cocked his head, a different woman now in front of him than the loyal daughter he had come to care for.

His legal team tried whispering into his ear, but he didn't hear them.

Dozens of miles away, in the cramped Atlas Academy dorm room, the eight teenagers started freaking out as Winter went into business for herself.

"I confess to my ignorance of my father's crimes until it was far too late," Winter admitted. "I had idealized him for most of my life, and I let that faith blind me to the truth. When the full extent of his actions became impossible to ignore, I realized it was my duty to expose them to the world."

Jacques's nervous twitch doubled in speed. "Winter, what are you doing?" His words went unheard beneath Winter's booming voice in the speakers.

"My father's actions against his employees, his family, and his Kingdom have brought shame onto my family's name—on my company's name," Winter stated. "He has violated every principle that he once stood for, and it was my responsibility as a servant to this Kingdom to ensure his damages came to light. I do not regret my actions in the slightest, only that they could not have come sooner."

"Get her off the stage," Jacques muttered to his assistant, yet they were too shocked to move.

"I will make a promise to you all, as my first official act as CEO, to demonstrate my willingness to serve the greater good over family interests, that not a single Lien of my family's money will go to assisting his legal bills," Winter announced, "and I will cooperate with the government in any and all investigations into Jacques Schnee's illicit practices. I am prepared to give both testimony and documentation to the fullest extent of my abilities."

Jacques grabbed his assistant's shoulders. "Get her off the podium!" His conniption was noticed by several of the reporters, and the keener among them turned to record his reaction for prosperity. Every detail of his red, blistering face, was broadcast split screen with his calm and regal daughter on every television in the Kingdom.

"I apologize for any outburst my father has," Winter said quickly, gesturing to Jacques. He realized far too late that the attention had turned back to him. "I suspect that he is going to spend the next several days attempting to drag my name through the mud in a feeble attempt to remain in power. He may also attempt to cast this as a power grab on my end. I want to immediately dispel all rumors. I did not act alone in casting out Jacques Schnee. It was a coordinated effort, conducted with the help of many individuals who were victims of Jacques's abuse. I want to thank everyone who stepped forward…" She paused, hesitating only for a moment before she stared straight ahead. "Above all else, I would like to thank my sister, Weiss, and all members of Team RWBY for their essential role in this operation. I could not have done this without them."

And those eight Huntsmen students, already on the edge of their seats, began to scream.

Back at the press conference, Winter pushed back the surprise of the crowd with fire in her voice. "But I do not intend to stop there!" Winter declared fiercely. "This company has an infestation down to its core. My father filled the SDC with his sycophants and accomplices, corrupting the name that my grandfather had built as a selfish means to protect his status. Because of his actions, the reputation of the Schnee Dust Company has been tarnished. It will be my primary responsibility, as CEO and Chairman, to clean this company from the inside out and drain it of its rot from the bottom up. Over the next several months, I will be conducting a thorough investigation into all practices conducted by the SDC to ensure that every employee is being treated with the respect and kindness my grandfather held dear. To that extent, I will not just be reviewing our corporate structure, but I will also be conducting a sweeping overview of all of our mining operations. Abuse will no longer be tolerated at any level, and any shortcuts, labor violations, or inhumane practices that we discover in our investigation will be uprooted."

A thousand miles away, in the headquarters of the White Fang, a tiger Faunus smirked as she watched the news unfold on her Scroll.

"This is a new age of the Schnee Dust Company," Winter declared. "To those of you who are afraid, put your fears to rest. The SDC will grow stronger than ever. For those who deserve to be afraid… understand that your days are numbered. As I have said before, I will not be bullied into submission. I cannot be bought. I swear, upon my life as a Huntress, upon the glory of my Kingdom, that I will restore my grandfather's dream and bring honor back to this company. I ask that you place your faith within me, and together, we will create a better future. Thank you all for coming tonight—I will not be taking questions."

With that final declaration, Winter spun sharply on her heel and walked away from the podium. At once, all of the tension, the questions, and the confusion in the crowd of reporters exploded. They burst forward, screaming after Winter, swarming her with cameras. She walked calmly through the crowd with a swagger in her step and a smirk on her lips. Jacques, hounded by another gaggle of reporters, furiously chased after her. He pushed his way through the crowd, trying to charge her down.

"Winter! Winter!" he screamed. With great force, he shoved a female reporter out of the way, causing her to stumble to the ground. As others reached to help her, he was able to press forward and eventually grab Winter by the arm. He yelled through gritted teeth. "What the hell are you doing? Do you think you can get away with this?"

The Huntress slightly narrowed her gaze. "Father, you're going to have to unhand me before I call security."

"Whatever game you're playing, this isn't funny."

"No game. Just what I should have done a long time ago."

"I am your father—"

"You are nothing," Winter said plainly, the microphones and cameras catching her every word. "You are also making a scene. I would spend your remaining days speaking with your legal team. You'll need it. In the meantime…" She hissed. "Smile and be grateful."

Suddenly, Jacques understood. His arm grew limp, and Winter easily slipped out of his hold. The reporters parted as she walked off into the City of Atlas. The remaining journalists bombarded him with questions, but he could only stand there in horror, numb to everything around him.

Within Team RWBY's dorm room, not a single soul was still. Whether pacing or fidgeting, the room had erupted into a mass panic.

"What the fuck was that!" Blake screamed. "What the fuck, Weiss! That was not part of the plan."

"I know, I know!" Weiss said desperately.

"This is bad," Yang panicked. "This is really bad. Now everyone knows we're responsible."

"I mean, maybe it's not that bad?" Jaune suggested. "She wasn't specific."

"She doesn't have to be specific," said Weiss worriedly. "That's more than enough."

"Our image is tanked," Yang said, horrified. "They'll all be coming after us now, right? Like, she just put a massive target on our back."

"Can you fix this?" asked Nora. "Release a public statement or something?"

"And say what?" asked Yang sharply back. "We can't just blatantly contradict her. Weiss, you need to call her. Tell her to fix this."

"I'm trying!" Weiss said, pointing to her Scroll. "It's not going through."

"Fuck…" Blake growled, before violently throwing a pillow against the wall. "Fuck!"

While everyone was talking around her, Ruby sat on her bed, dead eyes staring at her mattress. There was the twist. The irony. The universe's next masterful hand. She had planned for every contingency, and readied herself to fight every opponent, but she didn't expect Winter to go off script and implicate them in an internal corporate conspiracy. They were supposed to be laying low, manipulating events from behind the scenes. Now, once again, they were forced into a very harsh spotlight. Taking out Jacques Schnee would create many enemies, ones they couldn't defend themselves against. How were they supposed to deal with this pressure? How would Ironwood react to this, and what torments would he devise? What were they going to do with Team JNPR, whom they just roped into a brand-new disaster? She thought they would finally have a chance to breathe—now, the life was choked from them yet again.

At least, that was what she thought until Winter gave them a call.

It came through on Weiss's Scroll, and the Schnee frantically put the call on speaker so all could hear her. The members of Team JNPR joined them in huddling around the Scroll, anxious to hear the elder Schnee's explanation.

"Winter? What did you do?"

"I take it you saw the speech then."

Calm. She sounded calm. Why the fuck was she so calm after what she just did?

"You fucking piece of shit!" Blake screamed into the Scroll. "Why would you do that?"

"Do what? Help you?"

"Help—help us?" Blake said incredulously. "How the hell does this help us?"

"Are you suggesting it didn't? You really don't understand anything about this game, do you? Wait, actually, of course you don't, Blake."

"You—"

"In the past twelve hours, Jacques Schnee just became the most hated man on the entire planet. I directly credited you four with taking him down. That sounds like rather good publicity to me. In fact, based on what I'm seeing on KnightsPage, it looks like you're receiving nothing but praise."

KnightsPage? Was that true? Even Blake had to calm down for a moment to fact-check. Admittedly, they had been so glued to the screen that they weren't paying attention to the public reception. It didn't take long for Yang to check her socials, and even a cursory glance confirmed Winter's findings. There was praise—overwhelming praise. Several news headlines already included them: Team RWBY takes down corrupt CEO, was one that immediately caught her eye. Winter Schnee becomes CEO of SDC, credits famous Huntsmen team, said another. The tide against Jacques had been so strong that even without specifics, their heroics were simply assumed. That didn't fully address their concerns, however, and Weiss was quick to voice her opinion.

"Look, Winter, you still needed to tell us beforehand," she insisted. "We don't like being blindsided. And this attention is good for now, but we really don't need it."

"Of course, you need it," Winter explained. "Do you know what would have happened if we hadn't? Think about this, Weiss. Father had documents directly tying your Fund to his support. So did General Ironwood. The Jacques Schnee brand is toxic, and my father is out for revenge. It would only be a matter of time before he realized your involvement, and what would he do then? It would be trivial to tie you together. Imagine the headlines then. 'Team RWBY associated with criminal Jacques Schnee. What did they know?' That's damage, Weiss, damage you cannot afford. But now…"

Ruby spoke up suddenly, following Winter's reasoning. "Now, any ties found between us and Jacques are already explained. Ironwood can't use them against us."

"The kid is smart after all."

"Hang on, hang on," Yang said unsurely. "That doesn't fix anything. Like, okay, we're still popular, but now we have more enemies, right? Jacques is dangerous, and whoever you expose from here on out, they'll blame us as well."

"They're harmless. At least, to you," Winter said confidently. "I've known these types all my life. Some might be interested in revenge, but I doubt they can touch you once I secure Ironwood's protection. You'll be safe well within the public's eye. Most won't even care. They're about to lose a lot of money, and they won't be wasting spare change going after a bunch of teenagers whose involvement they don't understand. Especially not when there is such apparent danger."

"Danger?" asked Pyrrha, slower to follow along than the others. "What do you mean by that, Winter?"

"Who the hell is that?"

"Uh, she's a friend," said Weiss.

"You don't have friends."

"We do now."

"Wait, is she the one who almost ruined my surgery? You really let her in on this?"

"Never mind all that," Weiss shook her head "What danger are you talking about?"

Winter groaned. "In Atlas, victory goes to the strongest. You four may be popular with the tabloids, but the power players in this Kingdom don't fear you. It's why Ironwood has been so eager to step all over you, even by my father's side. He thinks you're weak. Spineless. You talk a big game about challenging the world, but you are petrified of breaking the status quo. I saw it in every one of you. Even when you agreed to go through with this, you were so afraid of the consequences that you didn't let me acknowledge your help. That won't cut it anymore. If you want to send a message, you have to stand proud and say it for everyone to hear. You are the power players now. You are the ones who topple empires. And now, everyone in Remnant knows it. You were able to take down one of the most powerful men in Atlas in twelve hours. Who will dare stand in your way?"

Ruby understood. Her teammates didn't. Her friends didn't. Not yet. But she understood. Winter was correct. They had been holding back, afraid to push the boundaries of what they were capable of. They were afraid these new circumstances would overwhelm them. But their enemies would not wait. Time would not wait. Now was the moment to break the status quo clean in two. A timid Team RWBY—no, a timid Ruby Rose would not, could not survive.

They were powerful.

They were defiant.

And they were here, ready to clean the world of the parasites that ruined it.

The next day, Winter would go negotiate their new terms with General Ironwood. She would make it clear that Team RWBY was pulling the strings, and if he didn't want to end up like his benefactor, he would play along and give them what they wanted. The new Team RWBY was the one giving the ultimatums now. They were in control, and all of Remnant knew that.

Ruby really liked the sound of that. Some part of her, anyway.