A.N: Les Mis references for the win, y'all! I hope enough people actually catch the reference in the title, otherwise that outburst is going to make me look like a lunatic. Whatever, enjoy.

Chapter 22: Castle on the Cloud

Vale's prisons were like any other prison. Walls with barbed wire at the top. Guards roaming the perimeter in case any inmates tried anything funny. And of course, the most problematic of inmates were placed in solitary confinement. There were a lot of reasons one could be placed in solitary. Reason number one: they are a danger to the general populace, like if they were murderers. Or, reason number two, the other way around: if the general populace were a danger to them.

For example, if an inmate did anything horrible to a child, you can imagine that those who know will show no mercy. It actually reached the point where Vale's prosecution, prison guards, and even ex-convicts actually argue for the death penalty for child murderers and rapists. It is actually a kindness compared to what their fellow inmates will do to them.

And then there is the third kind of convict that is placed in solitary confinement. The kind that's so freaking annoying, that the guards are afraid someone will just kill him for being too damn annoying. At the moment, there was only one man who was placed in solitary confinement for that very reason.

And he was still annoying everyone around him…

"Guard? Oh Guard?!" Roman Torchwick said in a sing-song voice.

The guard groaned. The poor bastard had been the unlucky sap who literally drew the short straw and was stuck with guarding this guy's cell. And yes, that is one hundred percent accurate. Roman Torchwick was so damn irritating, that the guards were resorting to gambling to finding out who would be the poor schmuck who would have to put up with him today. It was the only fair way they could decide on it.

Roman, of course, was well aware of the effect he was having on the prison guards. And he loved it. It made being arrested after all that shit with the Vytal Festival went down almost worth it. Almost. He did still prefer being a free man at the end of the day.

Well, at least Neo was still out there, as far as he knew.

"Hey guard? Guardie?" Roman banged on his cell bars, desperately trying to get the poor sap's attention. "Come on, Bucko, I know you can hear me!"

"Stop banging on your cell, Torchwick." The guard said simply. "You know that's not allowed."

"Ooh, sorry, I forgot." Roman chuckled, moving away from the bars. "This may shock you, but I'm actually not arrested very often. See, I usually get away with this stuff."

The guard remained calm, although he did want to glare at Roman for that statement. He lost a good friend in the attack on the Vytal Festival. And this bastard was one of the people responsible. "Hey, Guard?" Roman asked. "Since we're finally on speaking terms with each other, would you mind explaining something to me?"

The guard remained silent, making Roman pout like a child. "Come on, Guard, I'm bored. Can't you at least answer me one little question? Solitary confinement isn't exactly fun ya now."

"It's not supposed to be."

Roman shrugged. "Well, I think it should. Give me a deck of cards, a dartboard and some nice magazines and I'll never want to break out of here. I'd be a model prisoner forever and ever."

"But seriously though, Guard," Roman continued, "at least be a pal and answer me this. Because I've been curious about it for awhile now. And for some reason, nobody wants to tell me anything."

The guard knew he should not give a guy like Roman the time of day. However, curiosity got the better of him and he spoke up. "Okay, what is it?" He demanded.

Roman grinned. "What's up with all the goons from Anthonio Corleone's mafia being paraded around? The fact you've got this many in lockup makes me think something particularly interesting happened."

That was not the question the guard expected. At that moment, his hate for Roman Torchwick won out. He wanted to use this as an opportunity to break the man's spirit, that the law was winning against crime bosses like him. "Anthonio Corleone is dead." The guard spat. "A huntsman busted a huge operation in Vale that he was overseeing. All those guys you're seeing are what's left of his operation. I've even heard rumors that his entire mafia is starting to fall apart all over Remnant."

Roman's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Anty is dead?" He inquired before grinning. "Well, shit, and here I thought his diet was going to kill him first."

Roman just laughed. "Oh, to be a fly on the wall while his lieutenants try to pick up the pieces. That ain't gonna happen of course. Cut off the head of the snake and the body dies. Anty made himself way too important to his own criminal enterprise. Me, I was always glad my loyal number two could handle things while I was away."

And I hope that number two is alright. Roman admitted inwardly.

"Sure, he was quite the boogeyman, but the problem with being the boogeyman in the underworld is that once you conquer the boogeyman, what comes next? He tried to be more than a man, and now he's a corpse. A perfect ending for a bozo like him."

"You're surprisingly smug for a scumbag in your position." The guard pointed out. "We just won a great victory for law and order. Organized crime has just been dealt a heavy blow."

Roman just laughed at that statement, much to the guard's surprise. "Perhaps you're right, but...would you do me a solid and answer another question for little old me?"

"What is it now?" The guard growled.

Roman then gave the guard a dark gaze. "Has Corleone's 'big client' responded yet?"

"The hell are you talking about?"

"Aww, Guardie, you mean you don't know?" Roman chuckled. "Organized crime may be a crime, but it's still a legit business. 401k's, tax returns and all that jazz. Well, maybe not tax returns, that's how you get tax collectors snooping around your operations."

"And you see, Guardie," Roman continued, "every criminal enterprise has clients. And Anty had a big, big client. I don't know who it is, but as soon as he was hired on, he started doing shit like what I was doing for my clients."

"What's your damn point?" The guard demanded.

"My point Guardie, is a question for you: how long before the client gets pissed their supplier is gone?" Roman smugly inquired. "The thing is, you're in a similar situation with yours truly."

"Think about it, guys like Anty and me, who were supplying bigger bad guys than us with the shit they need? We're the real heroes here." Roman claimed. "We hold back even worse monsters by...feeding them."

"That's bullshit and you know it." The guard snarled, almost losing his temper with Roman. "If you were feeding the monsters you were working for, what happened at the Vytal Festival would have never happened."

"Ugh, it's not like I knew their whole plan was shaking up the world when I signed on." Roman complained. "I learned when they were...well, halfway through putting things into motion. And it's not like you wouldn't have done it if you knew the things I knew, Guardie. The old saying is: 'if you can't beat them, join them.' Of course, I didn't expect them to fail."

"But the thing is, things would've gotten so much worse even earlier had I not been holding them back by acting as their supplier." Roman explained. "Do you really think that crazy bitch who gave the big speech that night would've been as tactful as yours truly? Hell no. Beneath that calm, somewhat seductive demeanor of hers is a total whackjob."

"I mean, hey, don't get the wrong idea, I love teamwork. In fact, I never would've pulled off half my heists without a little help from my friends." Roman remembered Neo once more. "But honestly, I don't want to be part of Cinder's team anymore. More trouble than it's worth at this point."

"And now I'm in jail, with no chance of getting out this time." Roman pointed out. "And Anty's somewhere burning in hell, answering for every single crime he committed in life."

Roman sighed. "We, the suppliers are gone, and now our clients are pissed."

The guard stared at Roman, shocked at everything the man was saying. Roman then raised a single finger into the air and uttered a grim proclamation. "One month," he said, "meh, maybe two if you're lucky. Then you're going to wish we were still around to keep the beasts in check."

Next morning, at the Vale International Airport, a yawning Team RWBY found themselves immediately gaping in disbelief as they stared at a small but luxurious airship. "Talk about traveling in style." Yang muttered.

"I don't mean to brag, but it's my private airship." Ozpin arrived by their side, having come to see the students and his apprentice off. "Courtesy of Vale taxpayer dollars and generous Vale laws regarding headmaster employee benefits, this is a little something I like to use whenever I need to get somewhere quickly."

"I am so going to strive for being headmaster one of these days." Yang immediately responded.

"I don't recommend it, Ms. Xiao Long." Ozpin chuckled. "It's nowhere near as nice as it seems."

"Now, that being said, I hope you four enjoy your flight, and your time at Atlas Academy. And of course, I'm required to tell you four to be on your best behavior as well. After all, you're representing Beacon Academy. While I've been more than willing to bend the rules for you, I can assure you, General Ironwood won't be as accommodating in that sense."

"I'll keep everyone under control, Professor Ozpin." Ruby promised with a salute.

"We're doomed." Weiss and Blake sarcastically muttered.

At that moment, Hansel Kobalt arrived, having been conversing with the pilot. "Okay," he said, "we're looking at about a twelve hour flight. Hence the 6:00 AM departure time."

"Screw you for that, by the way." Yang groaned, letting out a yawn. "A girl needs her beauty sleep, ya know. It's 5:30 AM."

"Just get on the plane." Hansel sighed. It was way too early for this nonsense.

Team RWBY shuffled into Opzin's private airship, one by one. Ozpin then gave Hansel a completely serious gaze. "I know I'm going to sound like I'm badgering you about this," he began, "but please remember to behave yourself as well. We're trying to use this as an opportunity to mend the relationship between Vale and Atlas. That won't happen if you and James are arguing with each other at every opportunity."

"I'll do my best to stay professional as long as he does." Hansel promised.

"Hansel," Ozpin said sternly, "you will stay professional even if he fails to do so. Turn the other cheek."

Hansel grumbled at that, lowering his head. "So what then, you just want me to ignore him if he starts going off on your methods again?"

Ozpin sighed before smiling gently at how loyal Hansel was. "Look at me," he said. Hansel did so. "It truly does warm my heart to have someone as loyal as you by my side, Hansel. I mean that with all of my heart."

"Well...of course I'm loyal." Hansel pointed out before his face fell slightly. His expression sombering. "You've done so much for me...you know that."

Ozpin gazed at Hansel with sympathy, knowing the kind of thoughts that were rushing through his mind at the moment. He had become very familiar with Hansel's thought process for the last eight years. He then gave his apprentice a pat on the shoulder. "And I would do all of those things again, every single time, even if presented an opportunity to change things." He promised.

"S-sir…"

"Hansel, no matter what happens in the future, know that I'm proud of the man you've become. Never believe otherwise." Ozpin told him.

At that moment, Hansel gave Ozpin a genuine smile of contentment and happiness. It was small, but it was there. Ozpin cherished these moments, deep down. He knew he was one of the two people that Hansel would act this vulnerable towards.

"Thank you…" Hansel said softly.

Ozpin then took Hansel into an embrace, surprising the young man. Inside of the airship, Ruby gasped in surprise, having been watching Ozpin and Hansel's conversation from her window.

Ozpin then broke the embrace. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm sorry that we were never able to make things official."

"But I'm truly proud that you are my apprentice...and my son, regardless of blood ties."

Hansel just nodded, unable to trust himself to say anything else without breaking down further. "Now go and accomplish what you have set out to do." Ozpin told him before adding with a mischievous smile. "But don't forget your four students accompanying you."

Hansel gazed at the airship and saw Ruby peaking through the window. Groaning in defeat, he trudged up the steps into the plane, making Ozpin laugh in amusement. As the doors came up after Hansel, Ozpin's face fell slightly. I...just didn't want to have any regrets. He thought.

I escaped with my life when the Vytal Festival happened. We all did. But it served as a reminder of just how 'mortal' I am.

I wonder...how long before I have to repeat the process once again.

"Okay," Hansel called out to his yawning students, "strap yourselves in and get comfortable. Again, we're looking at a twelve-hour flight…"

Hansel trailed off, seeing that Weiss, Blake and Yang had already fallen asleep in their respective seats. "Of course." He muttered, shaking his head to walk past them, making his way to his own seat.

"You and Professor Ozpin seem close." Hansel froze and looked at Ruby, who had said that to him.

Ruby was giving him an innocent smile. "That's...really nice to see." She said, sounding supportive.

Hansel took one look at Ruby. He almost said something biting to silence her, frustrated at how one of his students had seen him in such a vulnerable state. However, he took a deep breath, remembering his promise to be a better teacher and man for the sake of his students (especially Ruby) and settled on a very simple order.

"Just go to sleep, Rose." Hansel told her.

"I really do think it's nice." Ruby refused to fall silent. "I guess Professor Ozpin's like a father to you, just like Professor Goodwitch is your surrogate mother...right?"

"What did I just say." Hansel groaned.

"Professor...I know you think you're better alone...but I don't think you've ever really been alone." Ruby said without thinking.

Hansel almost snapped at Ruby, but once again barely managed to restrain himself. He simply settled with: "Rose, speak out of turn again and I'm going to add to your detentions on Saturday."

Ruby finally fell silent. Hansel took a seat in the back of the plane. The more I see him, the more I speak to him...the more I realize just how sad he really is. Ruby sadly noted.

Hansel relaxed into his chair. He reached into his pocket and took out a few pills before placing them in his mouth. I can already tell this is going to be a long week. I really hope I don't regret this. He noted before relaxing into a nap.

Ruby drifted off to sleep as the airship took off into the sky. I wonder...if my dreams will be more pleasant this time. She inwardly pleaded.

Darkness overtook Ruby. Hours passed. Suddenly, a pleasant smell assailed her nostrils.

Ruby whined adorably as she stirred awake from the pleasant scents. One by one, the rest of her teammates stirred awake as well. "That smells good." Yang yawned, stretching her arms out. "Is someone cooking something on the plane?"

Team RWBY was then treated to the sight of their trays pulled down in front of them. Someone had done it while they were sleeping. Then, one by one, a single hand placed a bowl of ramen in front of them on their trays. When Ruby got her bowl of ramen, she was treated to the sight of Hansel Kobalt putting down some chopsticks for the ramen. "What?" He asked flatly.

"Did...you make us lunch?" Ruby asked in disbelief.

"How?" Blake wondered.

Hansel gestured to the back of the airship. "There's a little kitchen with some of the basics. A fridge, a microwave, that kinda stuff." He replied. "It's not like we can land the airship and eat at a nice restaurant, and you four need to keep your strength up, so I thought I'd go ahead and make you some lunch."

Hansel gazed at the ramen and heaved a sigh. "What a pain," he lamented, "only having a microwave means I can't really do anything real special for lunch. Instant ramen in a cup doesn't really require much effort. Thankfully, Professor Ozpin had plenty of seasoning and spices for me to add."

Hansel sighed again. "I could make a much better lunch if I just had access to better tools."

Team RWBY took their first bite of their ramen simultaneously. Immediately, all four let out a muffled gasp. It was so good!

Hansel gazed at how happy his students looked. "What?" He said flatly.

Yang and Ruby immediately gazed at Hansel with a wild look in their eyes. "How the hell could you possibly act like this isn't a big deal, this is delicious!" Yang exclaimed.

"You can make better meals than this?" Ruby demanded.

Hansel was taken aback by how happy and excited they were from his lunch. "Calm down." Hansel told them. "I told you, this wasn't a big deal. I can make way better meals than this. And Glynda is a way better cook than I could ever hope to be."

"Now quit your gaping and start eating." Hansel ordered. "Do it, or I'll have you four expelled immediately. Don't you dare waste food in front of me."

"Yes sir." Team RWBY said in unison. "Time to dig in!"

Team RWBY immediately began to chow down on their ramen, each one taking note of the many flavors assailing their taste buds at once. Hansel then leaned against a wall and began eating his own instant ramen he had made for himself. "You know, this is actually pretty good for something I could only microwave." He acknowledged.

"Anyway, now that we've all gotten comfortable, I should tell you, after I woke up from my nap, I did some thinking before you all woke up." Hansel told them.

"Is it about career choices?" Yang asked with her mouth full of ramen. "If that's the case, then yes, I think you should quit being a Huntsman and become a freaking chef!"

Hansel sighed, restraining himself from snapping at Yang for interrupting him. "No, Xiao Long, what I was thinking about has nothing to do with my career choice."

Hansel then gave Team RWBY a completely serious expression. "What I've been thinking about," he began, "is whether I should tell you four why we're really going to Atlas. And I've decided it's best you four know."

Immediately, Blake was suspicious. "The real reason? So you were hiding something from us?"

"You four were on a need-to-know basis, and I've decided that what you need to know has changed." Hansel frowned at Blake for that accusatory glance she was giving him.

"Now, don't get the wrong idea, you four came with me because Professor Ozpin does think you could learn a lot by getting a different school's perspective." Hansel explained. "And overall, we are hoping that this improves relations between Vale and Atlas, considering those relations are at a low right now."

"However, what brought this about was something I came across. Something I decided was best to explain to you four."

"Well, what is it?" Weiss asked curiously.

Hansel gave his students a grim expression. "Awhile back, I had Oobleck investigate the device that was found on Anthonio Corleone's body. The one we discovered had necrotoxin stored inside of it that ended up being injected into his body."

"That weird wristband thing?" Ruby frowned. "Dr. Oobleck was looking into it?"

Hansel nodded. "We have strong reason to believe that the device originated in Atlas, based on the design and the fact that it seems to be some sort of wristband to execute inmates if they step out of line, something that a nation that supports the death penalty like Atlas would design without hesitation. With that logic, they were the only possible suspect for us to consider."

"What was the device doing on Corleone then?" Weiss asked curiously. "I don't remember anything about him being arrested before that night. It would have been big news."

Blake's eyes widened, catching onto what Hansel was trying to say. "Don't tell me…"

Hansel nodded. "We suspect," he revealed, "that an inside man's been stealing Atlas technology, and supplying it to the people who had hired Corleone."

"Whoa," Yang's mouth dropped open before smiling, "investigations into possible traitors smuggling weapons? This is straight out of a spy movie!"

"I wish it was," Hansel sighed, "spy movies are at least entertaining for about two hours. There's nothing enjoyable about this. And this is going to be longer than two hours."

"Sir," Weiss gazed at Hansel, "who exactly was supplying Anthonio Corleone with weapons? You do know, don't you?"

"Do you...plan on telling us?" Ruby asked curiously.

Hansel nodded. "I made up my mind to tell you the whole truth about this operation. That includes giving some insight into what I did before coming to Beacon to teach you all." Hansel revealed. "But what I'm about to tell you remains between us. Don't go running your mouths, posting it on the DustNet, or any other crap like that."

Hansel then gave them all a serious but also quizzical expression. "What do you four know about the terrorist cell called Gray Jackal?"

Blake's eyes went wide as all the color drained from her face. Yang frowned slightly. "Aren't those guys a myth or something?" She asked curiously. "Like that secret society, the Dustinati?"

"No, not a myth." Weiss shook her head. "Just a bunch of fools on the DustNet looking for attention. Every time some awful event happens, some lunatic claimed responsibility in the name of Gray Jackal. From there it just...caught on. There's a forum nowadays that talks about Gray Jackal activities. Every time the site shuts down, it returns under a different url."

Hansel shook his head. "They're neither a myth, nor are they a bunch of crazies on the internet. That was a cover story they themselves began pushing to take the heat off. That was something I found out a while back. Turns out, someone gave the dumb kid who started the whole thing the idea to start claiming attacks in Gray Jackal's name, knowing people on the DustNet would catch on and do the same for attention. I feel bad in a way. That kid had problems, and whoever targeted him knew it and took advantage of it. Didn't help him much in court though."

"Then, they're real." Yang's eyes widened.

Hansel nodded. "And it looks like Belladonna agrees." He noted, gazing at the fear in Blake's eyes.

Blake gulped and nodded. "Awhile back," she revealed, "when Sienna Khan took over as High Leader of the White Fang, a...rumor began circulating that Gray Jackal had approached her for a possible alliance between organizations."

Hansel's eyes widened in slight surprise. That was information even he was not aware of. "Khan turned them down, of course." Blake quickly added. "I know that woman, she wants the Faunus to obtain their equality alone."

"And by violence, too." Hansel pointed out, making Blake's 'bow' droop in shame.

Still, this adds to my problems. Hansel noted inwardly. If Sienna Khan was in talks with Gray Jackal, I need to look into this.

"Okay, so they're real." Yang noted. "And they're the guys who were working with Corleone?"

"It was more like Corleone was working for them." Hansel corrected. "I don't know why he had that wristband, I'd guess they lied about its use, but make no mistake, he was working for them. Gray Jackal was his 'client'."

"Okay, so where do you fit in all of this, Professor?" Weiss asked curiously.

"It should be obvious," Hansel replied, "for the past year, before I came to Beacon to teach you lot, I was investigating Gray Jackal. I was...concerned about their intentions for Remnant, so I devoted myself to hunting them down and eliminating them."

"Is that why you wanted us to focus on fighting people?" Blake realized.

Hansel nodded grimly. "I told you all that day that you'll find that people, be they human or Faunus, can be far worse than any Grimm. If you've seen what I saw during my investigations into Gray Jackal, you'd agree with me 100%."

"Are they really that bad?" Ruby asked curiously. "What are they even after?"

Hansel sighed. "I'm not sure," he admitted, "whatever their endgame is, they've kept it hidden. If I had to guess, the only records of what they are planning are kept between their leaders. But yeah, these guys are bad news, seriously bad news. Everything they've done so far has been to reshape Remnant, much like any other terrorist cell."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Terrorists are defined as extremists who use violence in pursuit of their goals, especially political ones." Hansel pointed out. "So far, they've been using Corleone as a proxy to attack the four kingdoms and weaken them. Weapons trafficking for example. And the big one has been using organized crime to destabilize entire regions."

"How?" Weiss asked.

Hansel folded his arms. "I only experienced this once, but during my time investigating Mistral, I came across a settlement that Corleone's mafia had taken control of. They were purposefully taking shipments that were being sent into the capital. From what I could gather, they were planning on doing this to tons of agricultural settlements with the intent on screwing Mistral's supply chains. Thankfully, I managed to put a stop to that. I just hope that with the Don's death, any other operations they had like that fell apart.

"Whoa...you've been waging a one-man-war against an entire terrorist organization?" Yang's mouth dropped open, she then smiled. "That is awesome!"

Hansel sighed. "Not really." He muttered. "If it were awesome, I'd have brought them down by now."

"Whoa, hey, I just realized something else, Yang." Ruby eagerly added. "When we took down Corleone, we dealt a blow to a terrorist organization. We did that! Score one for the good guys!"

Hansel groaned. "You just don't get it." He muttered.

"What's not to get?" Ruby looked at Hansel in worry.

Hansel gave them all a completely serious gaze. "Yeah, it's true that when you four beat Corleone, you dealt a blow to Gray Jackal's operations. Which is exactly why you four better pray to whatever god you believe in that they don't find out about any of you."

At that moment, all four members of Team RWBY went pale. "Didn't think of that, huh?" Hansel deadpanned. "Look, I don't want to scare you guys...actually, a part of me does if it'll get my point across."

"But either way, my point stands." Hansel said. "You four almost painted a massive target on your backs that night. If they find out you four had a hand in ruining one of their big operations, do you really think they're going to let it go just because you're a bunch of students? A bunch of kids?"

"Well, no of course not. I mean, why would they?" Ruby asked.

"Right, you don't think that." Hansel acknowledged. "You know better after everything you've already been through. But that's exactly why you all need to exercise caution now. You got off lucky, but luck doesn't last forever."

"These guys are dangerous. Very dangerous. If you thought Corleone was bad, you haven't seen anything yet." Hansel told them. "If they find out you four got involved in ruining one of their operations, they will kill you."

"For crying out loud, Teach." Yang was nervous now. "The hell are you telling all this to us for?"

"I'm telling you all this so that you won't get in my way again." Hansel explained. "I chose to bear the burden of having this entire organization as my enemy. And let me be clear, it's a burden that none of you can handle right now. I'm being forthcoming with you all this time for your own safety."

"Are they...really that dangerous, Professor?" Ruby asked worriedly. "What about you?"

"Like I said, I chose this path." Hansel reminded her. "And I'm choosing right now to tell you everything so that you'll all stay out of my way and let me do my other job. This is for your own good."

"And...someone from Gray Jackal's in Atlas?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, an inside man." Hansel nodded. "But none of that matters to any of you. I want you four to act like normal students and just focus on learning. Leave Gray Jackal to the guy who has chosen to fight Gray Jackal."

"Are they really that dangerous?" Blake asked curiously.

"Their officers, the Numbers and their superiors, the Rulers, are extremely dangerous." Hansel acknowledged. "If their identities were known, they would most likely be ranked as either Class-S or Class-A threats. I'm talking about the worst of the worst."

"Hold on, there's only ever been one person to ever be ranked Class-S." Weiss pointed out. "The Headless Horseman. And even...that thing was a special case."

"That should give you an idea of how dangerous they actually are." Hansel pointed out. "Now, I don't know all of this for sure. I've just been estimating based on what I've heard in passing and read during my investigations."

"What about you?" Ruby asked, still worried. "Are you strong enough to take on threats that big?"

Hansel hesitated. Truthfully, he would classify his strength as a high B or a low A. Certainly not Class-S. However, he knew that if he worried Ruby in any way, she would interfere with him regardless of what he said.

So, he responded with: "My strength doesn't matter right now." He claimed. "I'm just going to focus on taking their operation apart piece by piece. That will eventually destroy Gray Jackal."

And I'll keep getting stronger along the way. Then, when the day comes...I'll be ready… Hansel added inwardly.

Blake and Weiss looked sick to their stomachs. Ruby was still looking at Hansel in concern. Yang, however, surprisingly displayed a bit of maturity and chose to end the conversation right then and there. "Thanks for trusting us with all of this, Teach." She said with a smile. "Don't worry, we'll stay out of your way so you can find out who the traitor is."

"That's what I want to hear." Hansel nodded. "Thanks."

Hansel gazed at the cups of ramen, which they had not touched for awhile. "Now go on, get back to eating your lunch before it gets cold." He gently ordered.

Hansel went back to his seat in the back of the airship to finish his lunch. They were now 6 hours from their destination now. That ramen was instant, but it should hold them over until they get to Atlas. They can get something nicer to eat once they're there. As he neared his final bites, Hansel made an attempt to clear his mind of any negativity, knowing he was about to walk into an extremely stressful situation, courtesy of James-freaking-Ironwood. He promised he would be professional, for Ozpin's sake, so he would do his best to live up to that promise.

Do your best, that's all you can do…

Hansel closed his eyes, taking deep, cleansing breaths. Back with Team RWBY, Weiss found herself gazing back at Hansel, her mind now going through a new possibility. "What's up, Weiss?" Ruby asked curiously. "Aren't you going to finish your ramen?"

"Oh? Sorry, Ruby, I was just thinking about something." Weiss promised before quickly going back to her ramen to deflect any suspicion.

I never realized that there was a much larger conspiracy involving the Don. Weiss thought inwardly before paling in concern. No...could my father have been doing business with Gray Jackal too? If he's willing to do business with Corleone, then he'd be willing to for them as well…

Weiss briefly glanced back at Hansel, who still seemed to be in some sort of meditative position. I can't keep this just between me and my team any longer. If anyone needs to hear about this, it's probably him.

And...perhaps he'd be willing to give me advice on how to handle this dilemma as well? Weiss hoped.

Weiss turned back to her ramen. But first, I should probably finish this. Professor Kobalt seemed serious when he told us he hated to see wasted food.

Weiss managed to scarf down the rest of her ramen as fast as she could. Glancing at the rest of her team and seeing that they were enjoying their ramen still, Weiss got out of her seat and walked over to her professor. "Umm...Professor Kobalt?" She softly called to him.

Hansel opened his eyes to see Weiss standing in front of him. "What is it, Schnee?" He asked curiously.

"Umm...might I talk to you in private...in the back of the ship?" Weiss requested.

"Private? You sure you don't want your teammates involved in this?" Hansel gazed at Weiss in slight surprise, wondering what she could possibly want to talk about.

"They...kinda already know about what I want to discuss. I would just...like another's opinion on this." Weiss admitted.

Hansel raised an eyebrow, still trying to come to terms with the fact people wanted his opinion on...really anything. Knowing he could not just turn this girl away, Hansel rose from his seat. "Come on, we'll head to the back."

Hansel and Weiss walked to the back of the airship. "So, what's up?" Hansel asked. "This thing you want to talk about, wouldn't Glynda or Professor Ozpin be more suitable? I'm not exactly the kind of person people think of when they think 'advice' ya know."

"I'm sorry, but it has to be you, sir. I feel like I'd just be banging my head against the wall if it were anyone else." Weiss claimed.

Hansel raised an inquisitive eyebrow at that, but ultimately relented. "...Okay, Schnee, what's bugging you? I'll uh...try to listen and offer whatever advice I can."

Weiss nodded and began. "Sir, how much do you know about my family's company since my father, Jacques Schnee, took over?"

Hansel shrugged. "I...don't normally get mixed up in that kind of stuff." He admitted

Weiss sighed. "...I should've expected that." She admitted. "Anyway, I'm sure I project a sort of image of a spoiled little rich girl to you at some point. And I'm sure people like Professor Port had the same impression of me when I started as a student."

Weiss looked away in shame. "But the thing is...I'm actually really concerned. I'm well aware of what my name is associated with nowadays. And I'm well aware it's because of my father and his business practices."

"I've always kept quiet though, because my hope is to become a Huntress who can one day work to fix all that. Huntresses have a lot of respect and influence. If I can gain that as a Huntress...I can maybe one day take the company and fix everything my father broke."

Hansel frowned. "I'm sensing an 'and' a 'but' or a 'yet' in this."

Weiss nodded. "During the Neverland Gorge incident...Don Corleone...he openly bragged about having my father as a business partner, to my face."

Hansel's eyes widened in surprise. "...I see."

Is Jacques Schnee connected to Gray Jackal too? No, it must be a separate business partner.

"I knew my father always operated in moral gray areas, trying to twist the law to his benefit, but to actually work with criminals to save a lien…" Weiss trailed off

"What do you plan to do with this knowledge?" Hansel interrupted.

Weiss sighed in frustration. "What can I do? If I go public, he'll just hire his usual team of lawyers, pay off the police, pay off the judge, pay off the lawyers, pay off the jury. He'll pay off someone. Then he'll get off without even a slap on the wrist...and I'll lose the position as heiress I've tried to keep for years for the sake of my goal."

Hansel sighed in realization. "Now I get it. You didn't want to go to any of the other faculty about this because they would just tell you to go to the police...and you know that itself is useless."

Weiss nodded. "But that still doesn't explain why you thought I was a good person to talk to." Hansel noted.

Weiss shuffled, blushing in embarrassment. "Well, don't take this the wrong way, Sir, but I suppose I simply assumed that because of your family, you know what it's like to live with a reviled name attached to you."

Hansel frowned while Weiss winced, realizing she may have said too much. Hansel noticed what he was doing and visibly put in the effort to calm himself down. "Okay...I suppose that is fair." He admitted before getting back on track. "So tell me, Schnee, what do you want me to say about this?"

Weiss' look of frustration worsened. Her brows furrowed. "I honestly don't know Sir. I just...don't know how to continue like this. I know my father needs to be punished if he really is conspiring with criminals in the Schnee Dust Company's name, but I also know that making any move against him will set my own goal back indefinitely, and I can't allow that."

Hansel nodded in understanding. "You feel trapped. You know what you have to do, but the cruel reality of the world we live in is just going to break you if you do it."

Weiss nodded. "...Yes."

Hansel sighed. "Huntsmen walk a very thin line between being right and being lawful. And because of how frustrating that can be, this life...is definitely not for everyone. So tell me, do you still think this life is for you?"

Weiss look of frustration was replaced by one of determination. "I do. My father wasn't the beginning of our family name, and he certainly won't be the end of it."

Hansel nodded in satisfaction. "Then you already have the answer."

Weiss blinked in surprise. "I do?"

Hansel had a stern but encouraging look on his face. "Endure. You have no excuse not to, not when you're still in a better position than most." Hansel bluntly told her

Weiss was confused now. "I am?"

Hansel nodded again. "You've got it rough, Schnee, but trust me when I say this: there are hundreds out there who have it much worse. At the end of the day, you're still the Schnee Heiress, who has access to her family's resources. At the end of the day, as long as you play your cards right, you'll still be the one to inherit the title as head of the family. Even if you feel trapped, you have no right to give up. Not when there are people trapped like you are, who would still trade positions with you any day of the week."

Weiss' eyes widened in realization. "I...suppose I never thought of it that way."

"You keep doing what you're doing." Hansel told her. "You know that you can't let your old man ruin your family's name, and you know that in the world we live in, the only thing people recognize are accomplishments, not always morals. If the world deals you crappy rules, sometimes working to change those rules does more harm than good. Instead, you have to beat the world by playing by their rules. If Jacques Schnee is protected by money and popularity, then you beat him that way."

"So endure." Hansel continued. "Keep getting stronger. Keep racking up achievement after achievement. Become so renowned, that you can beat your old man at his own game. Become so popular that not making you the next head of the Schnee Family would be a worse political move than making you the head."

Hansel then spoke in a tone that actually surprised Weiss. It was gentle and encouraging. "And then, you go and take your family and your company back from him, and free yourself from your own demons."

Weiss gasped, remembering her first meeting with Hansel. "...Because we're only free when we confront our own demons."

Hansel nodded. "And Schnee, don't feel like you have to be guilty for what has happened to your company. The only person responsible is your old man, and whoever's actively going along with what he does." Hansel told her.

Weiss nodded, sincerely touched by Hansel's genuineness. "Th-thank you, Professor."

Weiss began walking back to her seat with a smile. "I'm starting to understand why Ruby stands up for you so much. You really are actually a nice guy. She's definitely quite the judge of character." She noted.

Hansel rolled his eyes at that statement. "Yeah, yeah, don't get too comfortable. I'm still your teacher first. Not your friend."

Weiss chuckled. "I know, as a Schnee I do respect rank, sir. Thank you for offering your advice."

"...No problem, Schnee."

With that heart-to-heart between a girl trapped by the machinations of her father and a harsh but honest professor, the remaining six hours of the flight were quite uneventful.

Then as night fell, Ruby and Yang suddenly pressed their faces against the window, squealing with joy at the magnificent sight of a city in the sky. Blake warily gazed at the floating metropolis. Weiss was unimpressed. She had seen it all before.

"Hey, Professor!" Ruby eagerly called out to Hansel. "This is really the place?"

Hansel gazed out the window at the city before him, steeling himself for what was to come. He heard the pilot announcing their final descent. "Yeah," he said, "that's it."

"That's Atlas."

A.N: Finally, we've entered Atlas for the Atlas Investigation Arc. Wild Hunt will be going on break for awhile. We're going to let Volume 7 run its course before resuming.

A lot to unpack here until then. Roman has finally made his first appearance. Hansel is slowly moving into the role of Team Dad/Brother. And some insight into how Gray Jackal operates. Hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter of Wild Hunt for awhile. When we come back after break, the Atlas Investigation Arc will continue.