"I don't like it."

Ozpin understood his friend's opposition; James never fancied taking risks in situations he didn't have total control over, but such a thing had been planned for in advance.

"I didn't think you would, which is why I wanted to run it by you."

"We just got Torchwick settled in; interrogation is scheduled for later today. According to passing conversations during the lockup, he seems nonchalant over his little helper's abandonment."

"Perhaps they are not as ideally intertwined as rumors say?" Ozpin fully believed that Miss Politan and Mr Torchwick were well beyond simple friends: their stories, as recounted by Qrow, went well beyond mere acquaintances. But even so, opinions were rather ridiculous things, and sometimes simply disagreeing over which lines to cross was enough to separate entire families.

"Maybe not," the general's gruff demeanor rang well within his office, and Qrow off on the side was looking almost bored out the window; his own opinion on the matter already stated earlier, that being casual wariness towards any action taken. "But that doesn't make her capable, or even acceptable as one of ours; indirectly or not. Neo Politan is a criminal, and regardless of her skills or opinions of the White Fang, we cannot simply take her in."

"And I'm not suggesting we do." Ozpin retained his composure however, as while it would be easy to argue against James's stance, he'd rather all his companions stand on a similar page. "However, Qrow himself isn't a total stranger to the shadier side of the kingdoms. I'm not saying we should tell her any of this," he waved his arms around to include all of them, before setting them back on his desk. "But if she truly has erected a wall between herself and the White Fang, then maybe having a middleman to confide in will provide a sense of sanctuary."

"Or this is simply a trap waiting to be sprung." James wasn't entirely wrong, even as his eyes narrowed, leering past Ozpin and into his own thoughts. "Is it not convenient that Neo's opinions towards the White Fang have only shifted now, when the eyes of everyone have been centered on the lengths they're willing to go?"

"Yes," Ozpin adjusted his stature, leaning forward. "But is it also not strange that she'd brutalize their men openly, feeling nothing of the sort from doing so? You saw it just as well as I: no love was shared towards those she killed. If this really were a trap, then wouldn't she have incapacitated them instead? Just enough to escape."

When his friend's jaw clenched, Ozpin knew he won. Regardless, James spoke curtly.

"If the point was to separate herself visually, then a level of intensity is required. The White Fang are terrorists willing to sacrifice anything to succeed; those who die are considered martyrs, and that label, from our understanding so far, is something aspired towards."

James made a valiant point... for those who weren't watching. Rather than point out the obvious reaction of those killed, something he probably suspected seeing as the intensity and belief he held in his own statement clearly faltered, Ozpin settled for pointing out another interesting piece of information regarding the event.

"Perhaps... but I also noticed something peculiar during the chaos which I found fascinating. Before Miss Politan took off, did you catch her final act?"

The squint to follow as he recalled the encounter said otherwise.

"Nothing noteworthy."

"Then allow me to suggest otherwise. Before making her escape, Miss Politan locked eyes with someone, and during that moment she showed the first level of emotion throughout the battle. Did you at least see her face?"

"She was shocked, wasn't she?" James replied, his own face falling into contemplation. "It was hardly a point of interest, but I didn't see who she was looking at. Although, I briefly recall seeing her freeze up, eyes widening almost coming off as disgusted in herself. It was strange, but if she was facing someone in particular, I'd assume she didn't intend for whoever she spied to witness the murders she performed, or perhaps she did something else deserving of regret."

"Yes, I feel much the same. And so I find it interesting that she'd been directing all those feelings towards Miss Rose of all people; Qrow's niece."

"What?!" Coming into the fray at last, his more field-wary agent, Qrow, bore a mixed look of worry and disbelief. "She was giving the eye to squirt, and you didn't tell me?!"

"I was saving it for now." Ozpin stood, coming around to face the men fully. "As far as I recall, Miss Rose and Miss Politan share no relationship at all. So, realistically, there should be no interaction... but there was, and it was from both sides."

"Oz, you're losing me," Qrow said, voice dipping deeper into concern. With an edge to his expression, he asked, "What do you mean by 'both sides?'"

"Miss Politan wasn't the only one staring knowingly." This would be, by all accounts, the most difficult thing to explain; not for its complexity, but in terms of leveling their surely... extreme reactions. "Miss Rose looked on with equal shock, only hers had a tinge of sadness to it."

"Are you saying she knew Neo?" James barked, only holding his collected appearance thanks to his own self-restraint and Qrow's presence. A bit of a stretch, yes, but James was used to these little implications of his.

"As more than an opponent? Yes, yes I am."

"You better not be insinuating things." Qrow's gaze fell nothing short of piercing. "Ruby isn't in with them. A little overexcited at times? Yeah, she's got a habit of jumping into trouble when she really shouldn't, but she's not a killer."

"Calm down. I never said she was." The level of defensive care was endearing, but Ozpin knew all too well how 'justice driven' the silver-eyed girl could be. "However, there is more to this than you might like to believe; allow me to demonstrate."

With a push of a single holographic button on his desk, a projection displayed in the center of the room an image of a girl. Black twin-tails and emerald eyes drew focus from both men, with her gothic state of dress topping off her distinct appearance. Both were, understandably, confused as to why he was showing them her photo, and so Ozpin set himself to rectify that.

"This is Mint Vanille, a member from Team CEMN who is visiting for the Vytal Festival Tournament; like many others."

"Alright..." Qrow mumbled, his previous intensity making way for suspicion. "So what's up with her?"

"Nothing on the surface, however, she is one of the few 'mute' students Beacon is currently hosting. On its own, it means nothing, however since their arrival she has been seen in constant proximity to Team RWBY, more so with your niece in particular. And, to add on to that: shortly before "The Breach" as the media has taken to calling it, Mint left Beacon to supposedly visit family down in Vale, and during the night following the attack, returned, where she met with Miss Rose under the lone tree in the gardens."

"I'm seeing some strings," Ironwood mumbled before asking blatantly, "but can you explain your vision properly? One shared trait isn't enough to point fingers."

"Very well." Had it not been for that sighting, he'd not have seen it himself. "Whilst dealing with the fallout that day, I'd taken to gazing at the midnight school grounds to relax and rest before calling it a night. From there, Miss Rose planted herself beneath the tree, in her night clothes for some unknown reason. I'd been worried at first that something was wrong, and was ready to leave and confront her, but then I saw Miss Vanille."

"So they met up," Qrow crossed his arms, less of frustration and a genuine wonder. "That's not exactly damning material; a little weird, sure, but nothing all that bad."

"From the onset, no, but feeling a touch confused, I tuned in to one of the security cams nearby. I'll let both the audio and visuals speak for themselves."

And so they had, not only confirming Ruby believed and confirmed that Mint was Neo, but also that she had infiltrated Beacon. That alone called forth immediate action, but the idea that someone unknown was pulling the strings and moving her around made things worse - it wasn't stated aloud, but Ruby's reaction did a good enough job contextualising things.

"We move to apprehend." Ironwood shot around, stomping along until a bolt of lighting blasted past and crackled against the elevator door. Standing resolute, but internally stunned, he turned back, and Ozpin lowered his cane to sit before his legs. With both hands resting atop the bulb, he spoke evenly.

"We'll do no such thing."

"We'll-?!" Bewildered, Ironwood protested. "She's an active terrorist in your school! She needs to be removed!"

"She is in the good graces of Miss Rose." Ozpin could see the strangled senses of his friend and trusted ally tangling themselves up across his face, and so moved on to the hard part of things: convincing both to lay off. "Yes, she is dangerous, and yes, she is a criminal, but at the same time Miss Rose sees something in her that's worth fighting for."

"Ruby Rose is a child," James reminded sternly, his tone hard as the prosthetic he pointed accusingly with. "Running off any judgements decided by her is not only irresponsible, but will get everyone killed!"

"Don't diss my niece," Qrow lost his cool for a second, but soon enough his murderous gaze repelled into wary agreement. "But I stand with your main point; as much as I hate it." Turning to face Ozpin, Qrow asked, "You can't seriously be letting miss murder-happy go free just because Ruby's willing to give her a chance."

Feeling a small flood of relief, Ozpin smiled - Qrow had no idea how easily he'd just made things by providing a perfect segway.

"I'm not." Finally able to take control again, Ozpin returned to his seat, prompting the other men to pull up chairs and sit as well, which they did - after a few tense minutes. "Now, what do we know in regards to Miss Politan?"

None wanted to answer, but James appeared to suck in his discontent first and do so.

"Neo Politan is a wanted criminal known for working alongside Roman Torchwick, and has accumulated the title of Vale's Ghoul Princess for her disturbing use of illusions to seemingly resurrect herself after allegedly suffering fatal wounds. Qrow's reports on Vale's points and people of interest covered this."

"Good, so we're all on the same page. Now then, let's assume her falling out is legitimate. Her presence in Beacon prior to knowing her identity sparks concern, however with the breach over and done with, those worries have wavered."

"How?" Qrow curled a brow. "With or against them, she's still dangerous."

"It's not her I am concerned for, but the rest of Team CEMN; Neo Politan has assumedly made her stance towards the White Fang known, while they have not." Taking the reins, Ozpin went on to say, "Had she not fallen out and we discovered this before, we'd naturally assume they're all in with the Fang. However, seeing as she's back and has assimilated with little issue again, it removes some of that weight."

"That's right," James stole the chat, bringing up some wayward ideas. "They're supposedly part of Haven under Lionheart, correct?"

"Exactly," Ozpin restrained his smile; still appreciating how quickly James caught on. "Leo's just as, if not more, cautious as I am. Miss Politan is a Vale exclusive criminal; alongside Torchwick to be precise. This means that Team CEMN was coined before she could even be involved."

"How's that possible?" Qrow asked. "If she was here, then she couldn't have been there, right?"

"Correct. Team CEMN, under Leo's supervision, could not possibly include our apparent interloper, meaning the Team CEMN we have here might possibly not have been the one sent over from Haven legitimately."

"Then they're all invaders," Ironwood guessed, to which Ozpin nodded.

"Potentially."

"Alright. Assuming we go along with this, then what does that make them? What do they want, and how is Roman's little pocket-knife involved?" Qrow thus doubled down with caution. "She was part of their lot before she left the Fang, meaning they must have something in common that isn't the Fang's prosperity or victory."

"That is precisely what I want to find out." Ozpin, leaning upright again, explained calmly. "While the White Fang is one issue we may have temporarily cut from Beacon - if Miss Politan was there to introduce them - that doesn't exempt the others. If not the White Fang, then who do they work for, and what happened to the original Team CEMN?"

"Assuming you'll be getting a hold of Leo following this discussion, I suggest we set up some equipment in their room."

James's idea, while it seemed perfect, couldn't be executed.

"Sadly, we cannot risk them finding it. With the Vytal Festival in play, the discovery of spying equipment will drum up controversies of cheating. If we're going to investigate, we need to do so in a way that cannot be traced back to us."

"So what have you got?" Qrow asked, only to stop and settle on an idea. "Wait a minute, scratch that. Let me guess: Neo's apparent friendship with squirt has something to do with it, right?"

"Well, considering neither seem too keen with the situation Miss Politan has found herself in, I see it as a chance for both to stand up against whatever is chaining them down. Qrow, I want you to spend a little more time with your nieces; there's a festival coming up after all, so it's only natural you'd be given some time away from your duties."

"And if I just so happen to get both of them talking and spilling things, then that's just secrets between family, right?" Getting a nod, Qrow sighed. "This feels wrong; like a real mess in the making. Fine then, but what about the three on Mint's team?"

"Leave that to Miss Rose and Miss Vanille to handle themselves; knowing your niece, she'll sway Mint into taking action soon enough. As we've well seen, Miss Politan has a line, so we should allow her team the chance to pass it. Alongside that, I hereby officially accept handing off security preparations to General Ironwood of Atlas."

"Excuse me?" James, clearly caught off guard by this sudden change, slowly settled down. "Alright, I accept. Now, what does this have to do with the rest of CEMN and I? You've been fighting my advances since I first brought it up."

"With things officially under your care, and with my blessing and aid, I'll openly permit the use of extra patrols and protection over the student body. In exchange, you'll lessen the extent of your army, sending around... 35 to 40% back in favor of directing more units to Beacon's protection, under the guise of watching over your own students."

"That won't go over well with the media," James pointed out. "They'll assume I'm playing favorites or providing unfair advantage in some way."

"That's exactly what I'm counting on." Spying the confusion over him, Ozpin elaborated. "By doing so, we'll draw the eyes of the media more towards Beacon as a whole, meaning that for any "unsavory action" to be commenced or discussed in privacy, it would require the perpetrators to leave school grounds, at which point a single trusted agent could shadow the unwary individuals."

"Control their activity by limiting the available playing field." James hummed, growing more and more in agreement with the idea. "Not only allowing us to tell when they may be plotting - if they are - but also reinforcing Beacon at the same time, which will help with potentially keeping Amber's attackers at bay should they show up looking..." And like that, his eyes stretched wide again. "Amber's attackers... Hold on. CEMN not openly being with the Fang means their motives for infiltrating an academy in the height of its capacity… What they're risking everything for can't be something minor. No… I, that can't be… But she's here, and they…"

Every word had Ozpin giddy, although this was only shown through a growing little smile. James though? He was on an apparent roll in his own mind, with Qrow himself seeming to latch on and shake in his seat.

"Were they the ones to attack Amber? And if they did, is it possible their removal of the original CEMN and drafting of Neo Politan's help was so they could find Amber? Is it possible the split Maiden Powers can call out towards one another?"

All the what-ifs were getting to him, but if the line of thought were true, then this was definitely the worst possible news; or perhaps the best.

"I don't know," Ozpin admitted. "They've never been split apart before. But when I first considered the idea that they weren't working with the White Fang, I knew their motives for coming here had to be extreme to some extent. Perhaps assassination of a target, but then why not wait until the target leaves school grounds? What could possibly require them to enroll themselves? Why take the risk? And then, as these thoughts compounded, I began to wonder if it was personal. It didn't take long to recall Amber, and wonder if these were her attackers coming to finish the job."

"Oz... you're not telling us everything." Qrow broke the mold. "If you really believed they might be the ones, then I know for a fact you would have done some serious research to confirm it, as opposed to just asking questions and spouting maybes. So what did you find that closed this case enough for you to share the idea with us?"

Qrow Branwen, the more analytical of the Branwen twins once more proved why he was the best at what he did. Ozpin was only too happy to share.

"Upon truly coining the idea, I did some digging into their identities. At first, I assumed their names were aliases, like Miss Politan's was. However, upon digging into Mercury Black specifically, I'd come across some older records of a house fire outside of Vale, up in the mountains. DNA analysis of the only discovered casualty wrote up one Marcus Black. Sound familiar?"

"No way..." Qrow mumbled, his face growing ever serious. "Marc's dead?"

"Who exactly is Marcus Black?" James asked, to which Qrow replied.

"One of the deadliest hitmen to run with the mobs. Usually, it was said he'd been hired only by the big families, such as the Spiders of Mistral, or the Xiong Family here in Vale. Either way, Marcus was bad news."

"Bad news indeed." Ozpin adjusted his spectacles. "And according to one of your older reports, it was rumored he had a single child, supposedly as a backup should he be "taken out" of the business. Perhaps it's a bit of a stretch, but among a group of near-confirmed criminals, wouldn't it make sense for one to carry connections within Vale itself?"

"It would certainly make maneuvering easier," Qrow pointed out, only to add, "And it would also make sense when dealing with the White Fang; Marcus, despite being said to mostly deal in bigger jobs, has been reported taking some side-gigs from whoever paid. Faunus or Human; he didn't care so long as you had the money. Seems like a stretch to run off of names when they may be fake… But, if your only ties to crime died in a fire, then there isn't much risk of them being discovered and linked to you - supposing you've stayed under the wire."

Brilliant deduction or insane babbling; either way, it seemed the little connection between Neo and Mint had opened up the floodgates to perhaps enact justice for Amber's injury, and maybe even save the girl if this truly was correct. Emerald Sustrai and Cinder Fall brought up nothing notable, but that only led credence to the idea Mercury was who they believed him to be, as his name held nothing but a similarity to Marcus.

Now, they'd be relying on Miss Rose and her skills of bringing the best out of people; as she'd done with Miss Schnee - according to Port's reports.

Author's note

…

Well, this was a fun one for me.

Yeah, nothing in the wake of the main cast, but an Oz chapter was guaranteed to happen eventually, and boy was it one.

So, confirmed or not: Ozpin, Qrow, and Ironwood not only know Mint is Neo, but also believe Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury are the ones to assault Amber. Although not confirmed entirely in their eyes, that won't stop them from trying to discover the truth.

Things are about to get funky.

Until next time.