"Erik," Jekyll began. Every one of Ozpin's inner circle, which meant the entire faculty, barring Glynda who was retrieving Jaune Arc, was gathered there. Jaune Arc had yet to enter the headmaster's office. "The Phantom of the Opera. Once, in Paris, around the same time as myself, give or take a few years and definitely a different country."

"Stay on topic, beansprout," Peach reminded.

"Right." Jekyll nodded. "Erik has earned his reputation as myth and rumor in the Palais Garnier, an opera house in Paris. He was also known as the Angel of Music, responsible for the training and success of one Christine Daaé. However, the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny was a childhood friend of Christine and the two essentially fell in love." There were a few details in there but Jekyll didn't find them relevant. It would also take too much time for him to get into those details; they still needed to keep the secrecy of Salem from the others. "Phantom loves Christine, being responsible for her success—he trained her since she was a child."

"He's a child too, right?" Peach raised the question. Jekyll stayed quiet on that one. "Beansprout? He is a child too, right?" She sighed. "Brother gods, he was an adult and she was a child."

"I may be a lawyer but I make no defenses for Erik. Nor will I condemn him for the horrid things that had befallen him."

"I can. I don't know the guy."

"Peach, that is enough." Ozpin raised a hand. Even Fran was nodding. "Personal morality and justices aside, why does he target mister Arc?"

"He believes that young mister Arc is Raoul. It is now my belief that Phantom was the one that had infiltrated the Schnee manor those months ago. As a fellow Assassin-class Servant, he would have the means of evading capture." Jekyll looked down, slight shame filling his heart. "In other circumstances, he and I would have a similar rank of Presence Concealment. But as I am more huntsman than Heroic Spirit, Phantom is greater at covering his tracks than myself."

"So is miss Winter Schnee this Christine?" Ozpin asked.

"No." Jekyll shook his head. "From what Greene had told me, I am certain that it is Weiss whom he believes to be some reincarnation of Christine."

"That's ridiculous!" Peach said. "Whoever said anything about reincarnation being—" she stopped that train of thought, considering a particular Infinite Man in the room.

Said Infinite Man raised a singular eyebrow. "Go on."

"I'll keep quiet." Peach's wings tried to bury themselves in her back.

"Weiss sang that night. Phantom cares for the voice. I have no doubts that it would be Weiss." Jekyll clutched his own arms. "He must have found out that team RWBY aren't going to this year's Vytal Festival and sought revenge against team JNPR, against Raoul."

Fran shook her head with much exaggeration. "Want. Diva. Back."

Jekyll's eyes narrowed at Fran's statement. Then, he remembered. "Mister Ball. The Vytal dance."

"Masquerade theme," Ozpin finished his thoughts. "They got past James' eye. With White Fang sympathy rising again, he couldn't focus on it."

"No." Jekyll shook his head. "I don't think so. The White Fang are part of Salem's own plans. But The Vytal dance is Phantom's; he just has Salem's support and backing."

"I see no difference, doctor Jekyll."

"Because there is nothing in it for Salem." Peach realized it next. "A reward for his services. Phantom does what Salem wants and he gets her support to claim Christine—miss Schnee, as his diva again." She shook her head once. "But Weiss intends to be a huntress."

"Something tells me that Phantom knows that," Jekyll added. "He will make his plans. Whether Weiss willingly follows or not; Phantom will claim Christine or kill Raoul."

Jekyll would have kept going but the familiar hum of the approaching elevator made him stop. The doors opened and a nervous Jaune Arc greeted them. Glynda led the way.

"Your information is most welcome, doctor Jekyll." Ozpin already adapted into his façade. "Now, everyone. This meeting is adjourned. I'm pretty sure we don't need to put any more of a burden on young mister Arc."

Everyone dispersed. But Jekyll made sure that he was right next to Ozpin. Jekyll leaned towards the ear. "Remember what you promised."

"There are more immediate concerns, doctor Jekyll."

Jekyll looked at Ozpin in the eye. He sighed. Jekyll would rather they not go through it again. It had been bad enough with miss Nikos those years ago. He didn't want to go through it here, not with Fran obviously siding against him when it would come down to it.

The ride back down was silent. Jekyll's own mind was full of noise. But one in particular drowned out all the others: Winter needed to know. Atlas had already made their arrangements and they couldn't move without being suspicious. Jacques Schnee put his name there too, adding the angle of politics that Jekyll didn't want to deal with.

"Hold it." Peach held Jekyll by the jacket. It fell from his shoulders that Peach had to grab the long-sleeved polo that he wore underneath. "What was the deal with Ozpin?"

"A secret that he has to tell," Jekyll replied. "He hasn't told me but whatever it was, he needs to tell it soon."

"Cinder?" Peach waited for Jekyll to nod. "Leo turned traitor. Cinder arrested. You think Ozpin isn't exactly being honest."

A bitter chuckle escaped Jekyll's lips. "He's hiding something that he's ashamed of. It takes one to know one. We all have—"

"Something to Hyde," Peach completed. "Yeah, I saw that one coming miles away. So, inform the wife and kid?"

"Winter isn't my wife, but sure."

"She will be though," Peach replied. "Just letting you know that this engagement of yours can't exactly keep going forever. People will start to ask why there's no wedding yet. Money isn't a problem for you."

"That's just one other façade that we have to keep up."

"You sure you want to keep it up?" Peach raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Jekyll draped the jacket back over his shoulders.

"I mean; it's working for now with the whole…Servant thing." Peach looked around them, making sure that no one was listening in nor was there anyone who could overhear. "Even if the problem keeps you both occupied for that long, it will start to get on either of you if you both keep up the fakeness of it all."

"Winter and I are good friends," Jekyll reasoned. "I'm sure it will be fine."

"Maybe." Peach shrugged. "But what happens when both of you finds someone who you want to be more than friends with?"

"I suppose that Jack would have to understand that Winter—"

"Stop." Peach raised a hand. "I said both of you, not just Winter, not just you, but both of you."

"You have too much faith in my courtship abilities."

"Gentleman fitting of a high-class aristocrat." Peach began to count with her fingers. "Academic intelligence with a passion for learning. Huntsman, so physical strength and combat ability to defend muh lady's honor. A wild side for the kinks—"

"Did you just insinuate that I'd let myself be Hyde in moments of intimacy?"

Peach kept going. "Good boy and bad boy all rolled into one. Even got the twisted serial killer vibe that some people are into because I can fix him or something; I'll never understand those types but hey, you do you and all that."

"Why are we having this conversation exactly?"

"You're exerting quite a lot of effort for a relationship that you admit and see as fake. Both of you are, actually." Peach pointed it out. "Schedule communications. This openness when it comes to small talk. Sure, you say that it's to keep up appearances but you don't have to do that all the time, not around Ozpin's circle especially."

"I know."

"So why the effort? Do you want to?"

Jekyll had no answer. He looked away and sighed. "I suppose; I did consider the possibility without realizing it." He hung his head in shame. "I guess I just latched myself onto the idea without ever noticing. Poor Winter ended up becoming the face of my own selfish whims, huh."

"A bit much by the end there, edge lord."

"You are spending way too much time with the students to be using their lingo so casually."

"Okay grandpa, that had been my lingo growing up. You think I'd know what Skabadi-urinal or whatever it is that they're calling it these days? Point is, do you want it to be real or not?"

"I don't know." It was the quickest answer that Jekyll was sure of.

Peach sighed. "At least you know."

"But seriously, can I ask why?"

"I'm just saying that if you want that chance, you'll have to find some way of explaining Hyde if you pick someone else, semblance or otherwise. With people like Winter, you don't have to do that. But keep up this façade thing and you two are just going to hurt each other. I'm no godmother but I'd think that Jack would rather have honest parents rather than liars."

Peach flew few feet from above the ground, she looked at Jekyll in the eyes at this level.

"You both had to have known that there'd be a price. You may not see it yet, but once this whole Salem business thing is done and over, both of you would have to ask yourselves: is this what I want?"

"Y-you've put a lot of thought into it."

"Ozpin has his curtains. You think you've pulled yours back."

"I'll think about it." Jekyll turned around.

"And if it's a yes, name the next kid after me! Something like a Tommy Thumb if it's a boy!"

"And suddenly I question your intent!" Jekyll shouted back. That broke any and all tension that Jekyll had felt. He wondered if it had been deliberate.

The first he did was send a message to Winter. It wasn't their usual hour yet; it was too early. He hoped that he got the urgency through.

Jack was absent this time when the video feed had opened. Checking the time and the news, Jekyll tutted. Jacques Schnee was bringing Jack out as part of his campaign, giving homes for orphans, especially those who never had families of their own. However, Robyn was a step ahead of him there. Not only was Robyn saying the words, she had the actions. The SDC's poor practices and treatment of the faunus was something that Jacques couldn't quite answer well. Robyn had insinuated that Jacques only cared about this for more labor among the SDC mines; SDC does hire huntsmen to protect the gathered Dust from bandits, after all.

Winter saw the worry in Jekyll's face. "Is everything alright? You look terrible."

"Is it possible that we could withdraw from the Opera House as the venue?"

Understandably, Winter tilted her head and looked confused. "Father has sponsored for it. Atlas has already made arrangements for it. Even if we could, we wouldn't be able to find another location. Atlas Academy did not prepare for this either."

Jekyll's hand closed tight. He nearly cursed. Breathe. He had to breathe. He can't lose himself right now, no matter how tempting it was; he'll have to be in the Emerald Forest for a while.

"How secure can we make the Opera House? We have… found our infiltrator."

Winter quickly understood. "In Beacon? How's Weiss? Is she okay?"

"Weiss is fine," Jekyll replied. "Though, I'm not so sure for how long that would be. It was her classmate, Jaune Arc, that was attacked."

"Attacked?"

"Ambushed. Midnight. Everyone had been asleep. The infiltrator is Erik, Phantom of the Opera. Jack knows just as much if you want details. The short of it is that Erik believes that Weiss is a reincarnation of Christine, someone whom Erik is fond of. Love, if you want to call it that."

"And what does mister Arc have to do with this?"

"Christine chose Raoul. Erik believes mister Arc to be Raoul just he does Weiss as Christine."

"I'll inform the general," Winter answered. "And I'll have Ball investigated."

"If you could get past your father," Jekyll cautioned. "It sounds heated over there."

"It boils down to Mantle versus Atlas." Winter shook her head. "That's all the conversation is now, never mind nuances and actual policy." She sighed. "But I don't think I'll be able to convince father to drop out of that support. He's using it heavily to present Atlas as artistic and not some inhuman machine of war. Robyn couldn't quite get past that being a huntress."

There was silence between them for a while. Jekyll was thinking of something. Phantom would be aiming to take Weiss or to take out Jaune. With team JNPR representing Beacon, one of them would be out of Phantom's reach. The question is who would Phantom choose?

"I think it is best that Weiss should come home," Winter suggested. She had been thinking her own plans too. "This Phantom would be coming back to Atlas. Some of the renovations of the Opera House has to be as this Phantom specifies. But if you have to split them up, there is a risk that Phantom goes for Weiss instead of Jaune."

"You think he'll try to claim Weiss there?"

"I can have security around. Atlas always favors security and law and order. That I can, at least, convince father to let me."

"You'd handle security personally?"

"The general will put me there if father won't. It's nepotism either way, be it as a Maiden or a Schnee. Besides, there's also the case of this Caster and Vlad coming."

Jekyll slapped himself. He had completely forgotten about those two. "I'll have to make sure that Ozpin brings Fran along. I don't think Jack could handle either of them."

"You can trust that Caster will be an ally, Jekyll." Winter reminded him.

"Right, right." Jekyll nodded. "But Vlad is still a threat." He looked at the palm of his hand. He turned his hand over and pictured a different body part in its place: a paw.

Winter's face remained neutral. Her eyes were elsewhere as she was thinking of her own plans, likely means of protecting Weiss or the likely movements she would make if given the orders. She's a committed woman. Anyone could see that. There was a looming threat and Winter honed in on it. She was balancing all that.

He was doing what he could to alleviate those burdens. Though little as his contributions were, Jekyll could only hope that it mattered enough. But what next? They couldn't keep their eyes on Salem's movements forever. Even Ozpin knew when to focus on other matters and Salem hadn't always been active in her movements. In his time away from Beacon, it had been quite the quiet time for anyone.

Jekyll and Winter continued on in their silence. Had anyone been watching, they would have thought that the two had some kind of argument. With both of them massaging their temples, it wouldn't be an unreasonable assumption to make. It was by the grace of privacy that there was no one around, both of them couldn't afford to be overheard by anyone given the topics of conversation. Even then, there was risk that they could be listened into. Belief that Arthur Watts was Salem's only technical and digital subordinate was their only reprieve; Watts was still in Atlas prisons.

"Weiss would want the rest of her team present," Jekyll said.

"I know." Winter nodded. "It will be out of my own pocket."

"No." Jekyll shook his head. "It will be out of mine. I've barely touched my salary."

"You think that is enough to rival the contents of my purse?" Winter had a smug face. "You do realize that the elites believe that it is you who is marrying into the Schnee family, right? Financially, they'd be correct."

"Not unless you consider that Mister Utterson would be leaving behind his funds to someone he trusts." Jekyll returned.

"Upstart. Grandfather would have loved you, Jekyll. He really would. Fine, but I will cover for Weiss. You get to cover the other three of her team."

Publicly, it would appear that their marital spat had been settled for the most part. There would still be tension in the coming days. Anyone would assume that it had been their first major fight.

"How soon do you suspect Phantom would act?" Winter asked suddenly.

"With all of Beacon on alert, I doubt he would be acting at all. He'll be waiting for us in Atlas. The opera house will be his domain. I'm not sure how you'd investigate the masks."

"That is something for Atlas security to decide on. But I could always advise caution for such a thing." There was a sourness in Winter's voice. "I'd hate to add further tension but I have to use White Fang sentiment as reason. Faunus coming into Atlas are reaching unprecedented numbers. Already, there are worries of faunus stealing human jobs."

"How does that worry even exist? No offense, but I recall that businesses in Atlas were the most likely to turn away faunus?"

"Not the SDC." That wasn't a surprising answer. There is no escape from the Schnee name. Schnees and faunus were not going to have a positive connotation when put together in the same sentence. "Though, I'm not so sure how long my relevance with last."

"What do you mean?" Jekyll caught that slight relief in Winter's face.

"Henry, dear," Winter emphasized.

"Ah. Right." Jekyll looked away. "I suppose there are lapses in what I thought should be the case. Your father was the one who changed his names, did he not?"

"You could say I am a rather traditional type of person."

Jekyll wanted to say something but that was with reference of his place and time. In a place full of monsters like the Grimm, the idea of traditionalism most likely has different connotations here in Remnant.

However, there was some sadness in that voice that Jekyll heard. "Is the Schnee name really that hard to bear?"

"More like I had been wishing to be free from it," Winter replied. "I may have taught Weiss the importance of upholding the Schnee name but I was always hoping that she would put that name aside. Imagine how proud I am that she did, somewhat."

Jekyll sat there, listening.

"Sometimes, I wish I could just change what I am, and know what it would be like to not be judged merely as a Schnee. I already have that as a soldier, as the general's lapdog." She sighed. "It's… it's something, I suppose. The only problem was—"

"That you still bear the same face," Jekyll guessed. "Despite the distance you've put between yourself and the SDC, you still bear the same face, same name, whether that is as a huntress, a soldier, or a Schnee." His mind conjured a conclusion. "You wish you could change your identity…"

"Even if it is only for a while." Winter admitted. "Oh... I see."

It was Jekyll's turn to chuckle bitterly. He shook his head and shrugged. "Well, I'm not so sure how much help I'll be, Winter. You know who I am already."

"And you've taken me as I am, Jekyll." Winter returned with a weak smile. She looked away. She nodded once and made a decision. "I know it is through a screen but if ever despair turns me into two, can I turn to you?"

"I'll make sure that every time you look into my eyes, it will always be someone you know, and not a stranger."

Seeing warmth return to Winter's face was enough for Jekyll.

"I suppose this would be the last we would be talking like this?"

"I suppose it would."

"I'm sure Jack would be excited to see you."

"Is there anything that she would want from Vale?"

"Nothing sweet, and most certainly nothing that contains the words Pumpkin and Pete."

"Would the celebrity on the box count?"

"Miss Nikos will be an exemption if she advises Jack moderation. I am concerned by the amount of boxes left."

Jekyll chuckled. "I'll let miss Nikos know."

The video feed ended there. But Jekyll didn't leave that spot just yet. His eyes were focused on the ceiling above him. He then proceeded to laugh at himself. He kept shaking his head. Never, in this life or another, would he imagine that he would be put in the position that he is now.

He put cleaned his place and proceeded elsewhere. Team RWBY wouldn't be found in their dorms that day but it was best that he ready himself for that announcement. He was pacing in the faculty dorms, Peach was his only witness, as he tried to come up with some excuse to bring team RWBY along.

"How does team RWBY coming along keep them safe exactly?" Peach asked. "If this Phantom guy is going to Atlas, wouldn't it better if Weiss was away from it?"

"I cannot predict what he would do should he find out that Weiss didn't come along. There's a chance he would stay in Beacon with us all away." Neither of the two were making eye contact. Jekyll's eyes weren't focused anywhere. "But with Weiss, we can get an approximation of Phantom's movements, or at least his goals."

"Either Jaune or Weiss." Peach was weighing the options. "Without miss Schnee, we'd know Phantom would focus on mister Arc, and all of that would be violent."

"Yes." Jekyll nodded.

"Well, it's out of your pocket anyway so I have nothing to object to."

"It's because it isn't out of your pocket."

"Yup. You really should have let Winter take the whole team. Schnee money is still money."

"Yes, let this be my mistake."

"You also forgot that you need a suit."

"How expensive could suits in Atlas cost?"

"If you want to be seen out there with Winter? A lot."

"Good thing that Winter doesn't care about that sort of thing."

"She doesn't. But her father does." Peach pulled out her scroll and searched for something. She then passed it to Jekyll. "If it's of any consolation, at least neither of you have to come up with a reason to bring Weiss along. You could just argue that Weiss insisted on bringing the team along and it wouldn't be too far from the truth."

"Jacques Schnee can go die in a ditch with a broken cane at his side." Jekyll took deep breaths. It took a minute at least. "Okay, I'm fine. I'm better. We absolutely do not need a repeat of my incident with Sir Danvers Carew."

"You're getting better with that!" Peach praised.

"Thank you." Jekyll nodded. Then, he noticed Peach was in battle position. "Now can you please put down that chair?"

"You can never be too sure." She defended. She was absolutely ready to swing hard.

Team RWBY had been out into the city that weekend. It had been an attempt to cheer up their friend and celebrate at the discovery of the semblance. When Jekyll had told them of the news and of the excuse, the two teams were absolutely happy to hear it.

"Looks like we got cheerleading duties!" Yang said. "I call dibs on being number one fan for—"

Yang first examined Jaune, then Ren. Then, she examined their respective partners.

"You know what?" Yang chose life in the end. "We're all in it together. So long as Beacon wins, I'm good."

"Good choice," Blake replied.

While everyone else there had a good laugh, Jekyll noticed that slight disapproval from Weiss. The reason that he had given was that Jacques Schnee had use for her being there; he had already argued that if it were the case, team RWBY would come with her. He was sure that Weiss was accepting of those terms at least but still disapproved at having her name being attached to father for his political engagements.

Winter will take care of Weiss, Jekyll thought. Erik won't be too harsh so long as he believes Weiss to be Christine. Mister Arc, on the other hand, will need help. He messaged miss Nikos. She was already aware of these sorts of things; she'll know the importance of it.


AN: We going back to Atlas, sort off. Just to recap our Servant line with their corresponding summoner is:

Jekyll and Hyde - Amber

Jack the Ripper - Winter (summoned by Fria)

Frankenstein's Creature - Ozpin

Vlad - Raven

Phantom of the Opera - Salem

Nitocris - Starr (headcanon for summer Maiden)