"What is this?!"

While Weiss spent a couple of seconds getting her frustration out, Ruby glanced around at the shuffling audience surrounding the arena. Nearly everyone fiddled with one thing or another, and several got up to leave. But potential escapes clicked out just as fast as the lights when the clogs began. The open sky provided some decent light, but the hallways appeared to be quickly blocked off by a mix of students and arena staff.

"Is this normal?" Blake asked, and Weiss rounded on her.

"What part of this seems normal to you?"

"I don't go to these very often."

Weiss appeared to bite her tongue, huffed, sighed a little, and fell back in her seat.

"No. This isn't normal. The tournaments had a few surprises before... but nothing like this."

"Hey, um..." Yang wiggled a little and stood, lifting one foot up and planting it back down. "Is it just me, or does it feel like we're dropping?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Weiss leaned up, her expression similar to what it had been back during their first few days at Beacon where she couldn't ever seem to get a decent night's sleep. "We're probably just moving a little closer to the city so they can get some extra support equipment up here. This clearly isn't part of the show, and if we're moving it means they need more than what they have on hand."

"Okay... But how can you be so sure we won't land?" Yang let herself sit again, and Weiss crossed her arms.

"Because if we were, they'd warn everyone first."

"Aren't all the screens out?"

"They'd have people running around shouting-"

"Everyone please stay seated." Somehow perfectly timed as always, Professor Goodwitch proceeded to speak through a pretty big microphone. Ruby squinted, only for her curiosity to blow up into confusion as she spied Roman and both Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck as well. The four quickly split up, and she could make out several other calls to get leveled over the audience as they perused the stands.

"Stay put, kids. Atlas is embarrassing themselves right now, so just lean back and wait for their inevitable excuses. Might as well call over the snack stand while you're at it."

"Please remain calm and in your places until further instructions. You will be updated on repairs as they happen. We are experiencing a short power outage, however none of it has touched anything essential. The tournament will commence on schedule."

"Don't worry lads and lasses, our friends in Atlas are in the midst of a fierce battle with some technical faults. Nothing a few minutes can't solve. Doctor Oobleck and I will be raring to go at the mics for the intense battles to come as our students show off their stuff."

Weiss sunk in her seat, her cheek flat against her palm as she melted.

"Great. The one time we have a chance to show our prowess, and this happens."

Ruby sort of fell out of the conversation between the rest of her team, even going so far as to ignore Sun and Neptune who had diligently listened in silence as her teammates speculated and argued over what seemed to hold Amity Arena in a pickle. Sun obviously wanted to join in, but every time he opened his mouth one of the others would speak up. Neptune laid a hand on his shoulder and offered a solemn head shake, at which point they resided in listening.

Her scroll dinged, and Ruby checked her messages.

She wished she hadn't.

"Hey." The boys spotted her first, apparently, as Sun cast a concerned look. "Is something wrong? You're looking a little pale."

Ruby swallowed, and for a moment sat on what to do. First and foremost: Sun. He asked first. Out of everyone she'd met at Beacon, he also seemed the least likely to immediately gasp or shout or stutter or react in an excitable way; unlike the rest of them, embarrassing as it was to be rumored as the troublemakers. She stepped out around, drawing only Blake's attention based on a swift side eye, before flashing Sun the message.

A tiny grimace flopped over his once complacent face, but the most he produced in noise fizzled out through a tiny whistle.

"That's not nice." He looked around for a second before a deeper hum fled his nose. "Crap baskets."

He could say that again.

"Ruby?" Blake finally prodded, quieting the rest of her team down. "What's wrong?"

"We... might have a tiny problem on our hands."

"What's up, sis?"

Ruby motioned them all to huddle into a tiny circle before she showed them Mint's message.

"Bad news. White Fang's got the docks surrounded. I overheard 'em say they'll kill anyone they see. They also said something about Vale. If you can get word to anyone who can clear them out, that would be great. I'm pinned down at the moment, but otherwise safe."

Before anyone could bicker and whatnot, Ruby pulled out and unleashed her semblance to zip up to the closest figure: that being Roman Torchwick, who had wandered over unleashing his continued verbal assault of Atlas's competence- although now, she wasn't sure rang all that true. He gave her a weird look until she showed him Mint's message.

"Bite my apples..." He groaned, tensed, and did everything to apparently not pop. Within ten seconds he recovered; his face stony. "Tell the rest of your little club and get in the halls."

"What for?"

"Because we'll probably need your patent for trouble pretty soon." His voice lowered to a whisper. "Chances are, we won't be getting decent backup, so grab the rest of your little squad after and spread the word to every other toddler like you who brought along their toys."

"Are we going to fight them?"

"Little Red, as much as I hate it, we don't have enough people here to deal with that. Whether they like it or not, you kids are our only line of defense right now. Unless you wanna kiss everyone's ass here goodbye?" He waved over the stands, garnering strange looks, but making his point clear. "Now get going, but wait until one of us gives the word before charging in. Knowing Beacon and Atlas, they'll want a clean sweep; no killing, and no casualties. Sounds good?"

Ruby nodded, and with one final flick of his head, she took off to rally her team and prepare.

.

.

"Are you sure?"

"I am. Glynda has just sent word that Amity is dropping, and the docks have been overtaken by the White Fang."

"And Mercury Black was in here moments before it happened."

"Have you gotten control of the terminal?"

"Ozpin, we haven't even been able to get the tower under wraps. Whatever he's done, it somehow locked everything out. The best we've managed to do was quarantine the system, but we're not even sure if it's the source. My men are out searching for the boy as we speak, while I'm stuck here still trying to figure this out."

"He made a single call. Are you certain that was all?"

"I watched it play out myself. I kept him talking, and observed him punch in the numbers. But... I'll admit, he dragged out our conversation on his own. I didn't have to do much lifting."

"He wanted you talking too?"

"I believe so, but I still haven't figured out why. It's almost like he wanted me to see him make his move."

"What if we're going about this all wrong? What if he didn't do any tampering? What if the call he made merely acted as the trigger?"

"To what?"

"We're watching "what" play out right now. James, I believe that during the night she invaded the CCT with Miss Rose, Politan, and Polendina, Cinder Fall did plant something in the CCT systems."

"But our scans, even the deepest ones, came back clean."

"Let's assume she planted a virus of some kind, one that - through some miracle - couldn't be traced by us, and let's also say she knew we'd fail to find it. She then blew up a terminal, and proceeded to stick around Beacon. She next sends Mister Black in to trigger that virus, and he chooses to keep your eyes on him, on the CCT, on Beacon alone."

"All the while the action carries out unobstructed in Amity." James nearly crushed his scroll. "Damn it! She's been playing us this whole time. She wanted us to focus on her, on Beacon, so we wouldn't notice the real work."

"Fall and Black were last seen in Beacon, however Sustrai and Politan were spotted over in Amity."

"They were working right under our noses, and we just let them." James collected himself and solidified his posture. Every muscle in his body stood for attention, fully prepared to act in accordance to the situation. "It seems Neo has made her choice."

"She has." Ozpin hummed, a happy little hum, which James never got the chance to question. "Her word alerted Glynda of the White Fang."

A tiny shiver rolled over his neck, and everything blurred for a solid few seconds as all sounds sharpened. Evidently, James expelled most of his tension, along with a little bit of shame from his body through a heavy exhale.

"Seems you were right again."

"No... I was wrong, very wrong. Neo made this choice of her own accord, and if anyone is to thank for that, it's Miss Rose."

"She's Summer's daughter. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"Indeed, and just like Summer, she's unknowingly cleaning up my mess."

"Ozpin?"

"I never should have allowed Cinder to roam free. I was so focused on whether she was one of Salem's that I ignored and made excuses to watch her: to try and find out for sure. I was so confounded by the possibility that Salem had, out of nowhere, changed up her unbroken strategies. For several millennia her tactics and moves followed a very confined set of circumstances and patterns. I never once considered- No, I forbade the thought she might stir up the pot and forgo patience, and it blinded me."

"If there's anyone who has the right to claim knowledge of Salem's strategies and tactics, it's you."

The elevator dinged behind him, and the line went dead as James turned back to see his friend step out.

"Thank you, James, but this time, you are the one who was correct. I've been too complacent in our stalemate. All of this... it's proof I cannot rely on my age old tactics. It's time we stand up, and drag this war under our terms."

"Does this mean-?"

"Yes, my friend. We will be fighting Salem directly, and it all starts right here and now. We are going to go out there and capture Miss Fall ourselves."

"And if we are unable? If she's truly Amber's attacker, then she'll have the Fall Maiden's Power."

"We'll do what we must. Cinder Fall sacrificed her life the day she bowed before Salem."

Ozpin's voice... changed. Deep, and with a hair-raising chill so bitter that James could hardly tell it from his own. Never had he seen Ozpin so dismissive of one's life, especially with a smooth expression feigning composure and artificial stillness. It took him too long to notice he'd locked up, and upon clearing his throat, James nodded and stepped up.

"Let's put an end to this."

Any and all positivity to be found fled the scene when Ozpin got another message, one which stretched his eyes wide. The ire remained steadfast, and his posture twitched unnaturally.

"Qrow's spotted Black and Sustrai in Vale. They're with the Fang, and they're planting bombs around the city."

"What?" James refused to trip up a second time. They would be stopped. "I'll alert my men and be down there-"

"No."

Ironwood froze. His head swiveled against rust to peer into Ozpin's glare.

"Excuse me?"

"It's another distraction, meant to draw us away from Beacon this time. Qrow saw only the two, meaning Fall is most likely still here."

"But the bombs-"

"Send all your men. It's what she wants. She wants Beacon clean so she can search. Allow us to grant her wish."

"Are you certain?"

"How much trust do you place in your men?"

"... I'd lay my life in their hands any day."

"Then put your faith in them to fulfill their duty to the people down in Vale. Amity itself is filled with huntsmen and huntresses in the making; they need none of our help. But here, where the only threat is Salem's Maiden... We alone are qualified to stand against her. We must trust in our friends and allies as they trust in us."

"I do trust them, but... Even with Specialist Schnee's leadership, we don't have enough bodies to capture and subdue all the Fang in Vale."

"Then don't."

"Don't?"

From behind his spectacles, Ozpin's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Tell your men we are not taking prisoners."

"Are you certain about this? You've never approved something of this caliber before. Ozpin... are you sure you're feeling well?"

"I was a king once before, did I ever tell you that?"

"You've mentioned it briefly."

"As a ruler, I learned that there are two ways to deal with insurrection. Either you give those demanding what it is they desire... Or you snuff out the infection before it can spread." Ozpin's eyes glowed, unmistakable magic radiating from them. "Tell me: are you willing to bury every human on Remnant to appease our enemies?"

"N-never."

The taste of blood glazed his tongue as his teeth bit into his inner cheek. The last time James recalled honestly fumbling a spoken commitment had been back as a trainee, under the scrutiny of his then commanding officer who asked him if he would shoot a dying man to uphold Atlesian values.

As a boy, he said yes.

"Then our path is clear. We will cull the sickness before it spreads."

.

.

"Make a liar of me..."

Kids aren't going to like this. What are you thinking, Ozzy? Roman sent requests for clarification over the order he'd been cursed with, only for Glynda herself to return with blatant confirmation, and then Peter, and then Oobleck. And yet, no one spoke with any semblance of appreciation, even through simple text. Kick the chair out from under us, why don't you?

"Is something wrong?" And there went Little Red; a pep in her step and ripe with real worry.

Roman glanced over, pocketing his scroll with a harsh scoff. Figures the wannabe hero would catch his discomfort first; not like the rest of 'em were nosey enough to ask. On the bright side, he had a good gathering of decent firepower. RWBY and JNPR stood awaiting his command, alongside three other teams he didn't know all that personally. Out of twenty groups, Roman felt he had it good.

At least he didn't have to wrangle CRDL into shape - out of everyone, Peter had the best chance with them, and Roman knew for sure the man wouldn't let those goobers go get themselves killed, so all was fine in the proverbial waiting room.

"Well..." A part of him wanted to take some semblance of joy from popping the little pimple's worldview, but this... parody of a situation seemed mean even for his tastes. "Let's just say I failed to read the room. You're not going to like this mission."

Blonde brawler cracked her knuckles from behind - at least someone relished the challenge.

"Says you. I've been itching for a chance to test out some new moves for a while now, and there's no better time than the present."

"What is our mission, exactly?" And in came the kitty cat. Honestly, Roman expected that question to come from the more professionally focused girl, but she seemed more set on checking the dust in her rapier, which thankfully kept complaints and back sass to a minimum - his fault most of the time, but still. Knowing her, she was listening anyway.

"Exactly what you're probably expecting: take out the White Fang grunts and clear the docks for evac. Citizens are thankfully stuck in their seats under the watch of staff, but that probably won't last knowing the stubbornness of your average Joe, so you'll be fighting against the clock. When I give the word, we charge. You know the drill: big aura boys take front and tank the gunfire, while the rest of you slash and scram. Extra points if you get a few of them to waste shots on their buddies."

Most everyone mumbled in agreement, until Little Red tried her luck again and asked.

"But what's the problem? You said we wouldn't like it."

"You won't." Damn those big round eyes! At least he wasn't being pestered for ice cream. "Turns out I'm terrible at guesswork. We aren't getting back up."

"Is that all?" Now why did she have to get all smiley? "It's fine. We can handle them!"

"I don't doubt that for a second, but that isn't the issue." Oh great, now everyone started staring at him. Lop on the pressure, that's fine. "Put short: we aren't taking prisoners."

Ruby blinked, her head tilted a tiny bit. Confusion... wonderful. Now he had to be specific.

"What do you mean?" Or maybe not. Blake squinted, but unlike her leader, she wasn't nearly as ignorant. She still voiced false hopes though, which he'd have to bury. "Are we just letting them go? Driving them to run off."

"Not at all. Turns out they're rigging bombs around Vale as we speak." Several gasps and a few angry comments and shouts from in the back. "We've apparently moved past arrests and reasoning. Now it's kill on site."

That shut them up; too bad he couldn't enjoy it. Out of everyone to level protests, Roman admitted genuine intrigue when the Schnee of their bunch spearheaded pushback for the euthanasia of terrorist faunus.

"Isn't that going a step too far? Doesn't Atlas need Vale's approval for something of that caliber? Vale wouldn't approve of something so extreme."

"Technically you're right. Thing is, Vale passed the torch of responsibility onto your headmaster for issues regarding the Vytal Festival. Far as they're concerned, Atlas is Beacon's problem."

"Then can't the headmaster stop it? They must be held responsible for their crimes, but this… isn't it a little much." Right after, the little girl's eyes teased a glance over, and Blake shrunk in on herself.

You know what, kid? I'm actually sorry for this. He took one solid breath, in and out, before he dropped the bomb.

"Unfortunately, Headmaster Ozpin gave this order himself. General Ironwood just approved it."

Author's note

…

So that escalated. Of course, the White Fang started it.

No Mint this time, but even so she's having effects. On the plus side, Ozpin is apparently and questionably leaping off his high horse to bring the battle to Salem. On the not-so-plus side, the kids are about to make a massacre. Mint probably won't care, but someone like Ruby?

Who knows.

Until next time.