Everything around Willow Schnee froze in that moment. The blade of infamous Adam Taurus had fallen and it was aimed for her. Her drunk-induced state would have numbed the pain. So used to the alcohol, she was sure that she wouldn't feel anything. Was she that drunk? She felt the blood on herself and yet she could not feel the cold ground beneath her. She failed to register the feeling of the metal cutting through her clothes and her flesh.

She felt a weight on her thighs. She felt the red on them. She looked down. Blurry vision turned clear as Whitley was gasping for air as he looked defiantly at someone, Adam Taurus. That image had shocked her senses as she shook her head in disbelief. Her arms reached and held Whitley as though he were a baby again.

"Whitley?" Willow asked, still shaking her head. She turned Whitley around. "Whitley!"

"Finally became a mother again, huh Schnee?" Adam Taurus asked. "I'd heard rumors of how terrible this family is but I didn't think it was real. Seems like you people were slower than I'd given you credit."

"Whitley! Whitley!" Willow didn't know what to do. Was she to hold her son's face towards her, to remind him that she was there? Was she to stop the bleeding with her own two hands?

"Move aside!" Klein's grumpy personality took over. "I'm not about to let the brat lose the spine he just grew! Oi! If you're going to be proper terrorists for the faunus, you better be trying to be better than the humans you boast against."

The faunus were jolted into acting. The creeping fog did little to deter Klein's commitment.

"Klein…" Whitley said. "Klein… where's… mother?"

"I'm right here." Willow never acted faster. "I'm right here. I'm right here, Whitley."

Whitley held Willow's face. "There was a time when… when you were a mother. I remember those days when you… when you held me when I was scared."

"You will still live, master Whitley." Klein never stopped its care. Klein kept working furiously.

All around them, White Fang had begun to split up. Adam barked orders as the fog only grew thicker and thicker. Yet, Willow only held Whitley closer to herself, guided only by Klein's words. Eventually, the fog grew so thick that only the voices could be heard.

Screams, metals clanging, and guns firing were falling deaf on Willow's ears. White Fang were commanding and panicking by the sound of their voices and the many cuts and stabs that were heard would come closer or farther. The White Fang that were aiding Klein were now abandoning them and fled for their lives.

The source of the skirmishes split into three. That familiar sound of the Schnee semblance, Glyphs, being used was heard. Barks akin to a wild dog or wolf were heard in the other. Children's angered shouts were heard from the first.

These three noises had begun to converge into one area. Adam Taurus had already left them and Willow had no knowledge of where with the thickness of this fog. Even the bright lights of the Schnee manor could not combat this fog.

None of that matters now. All that matters were that Whitley was in her arms and she needed to do something about it. Whitley was still breathing; she could still hear that with clarity. But the growing wetness and redness on her thighs was alarming for her. Klein's curses only served to make Willow's own uselessness more apparent.

All three noises were in the room; Willow was sure of that now. The White Fang had circled around the Schnees, trapped with no means of getting out. The White Fang joined together and were fruitlessly finding solace in a companion at their side. Willow only knew this because of the names being thrown out at their lost comrade.

She found Adam Taurus' locations.

"You think I'm going to give in just because you're some child taken up by the Schnees?"

"You hurt uncle Whitley." That voice was familiar. Willow had heard of that voice before, a few times by her account, many more had she been sober.

No words were further exchanged. What followed was a quick clanging of metal, and a body thumped on the ground.

The fog began to recede. Like an flood contained within a natural basin, it took its time to vanish entirely. When things were clear enough, Klein had been the first to act by opening the windows; he quickly returned to tend to Whitley.

As the fog cleared more, Willow could see Winter rushing by Whitley's side. Her eyes were strangely glowing. Had her Glyphs evolved? Willow didn't even know that the Schnee semblance could do that.

A man removed his jacket and put it on Whitley. He took Whitley from Willow's hands.

"Klein," he said. "Ready the vehicle. We're taking Whitley to the hospital, now."

"Already on it, master Jekyll!" Klein ran out.

"Whitley, Whitley," said Jekyll. "Look at me. Look at me. You'll be fine. You'll be okay."

There was a child with them. Willow remembered seeing that child a few times. "Uncle Whitley!" The child was crying. "Uncle Whitley, please tell me you're okay."

Whitley coughed. Blood spilled out. "Of course I am, you little street urchin." There was something endearing in that tone. "Somebody has to finish those Pumpkin Pete cereal."

"Come on, Jack." Jekyll stood up, carrying Whitley. "Let's get your uncle to the hospital."

"I could—"

"The good doctors are better trained for this, Jack. Don't worry about it. Your uncle Whitley is stronger than you think."

Willow's hands reached out but her feet did not move. Whitley's eyes were closed while Jekyll and Jack ran off. Jack especially went ahead, opening every door ahead. The faint noise of a tire's rubber burning was heard.

She still remained in her spot, hand stretched out, still trying to reach for Whitley. Her trembling hand was stilled by Winter's own.

"Mother," Winter said. "Mother. I'm here. I'm here. It's me, Winter." Winter gulped, her eyes still glowing that strange light. "White Fang had been dealt with. You're safe now."

Willow remained quiet for the time being. The image of Whitley's near lifeless form still stayed in her vision. The red blood staining her clothes may have stopped flowing but she still felt it dripping down her knees. Even when Winter had let go of her hand, Willow still reached out for Whitley. Her hand moved to the side, as if she knew where Whitley was going.

The darkness of night had yet to give way to the morning. For Willow, it felt as though the night remained. Winter moved on to the other parts of the Schnee manor, at the behest of an angry Jacques Schnee who wanted to ensure the safety of their assets. Winter followed orders as though she were a soldier and Jacques treated her as such.

Willow, for her part, remained in that same spot. She had tired her hand that she had to put it down. Yet, every part of her wanted to keep reaching out. Willow begged her feet to stand and run after them. But they had died; Willow's legs had died there.

Winter's rant had jolted Willow back to the present. "Your son, the child you'd rather entrust the company to, is wounded with a chance of dying and your main concern is the bloody bottom line?"

"I will not tolerate that tone, Winter."

"I am a soldier, Jacques!" Since when had Winter stopped referring Jacques as her father. "My duty is to ensure the safety of Atlas' families, my family!"

"And what of the family you allowed to be married to you, hmm? What kind of mother sends her daughter to fight against a terrorist organization? Make sure that no one does about this."

"You're still on the running for office?" Winter never had sounded so offended at the notion. "I'm a soldier. Weiss intends to be a huntress, so she's going to have a problem running the company."

"That is the most sensible thing you have said thus far."

"And Whitley may be dead in a few hours. No one is going to take over the SDC, Jacques. Even if you win the seat, the company falls under and you will lose all that support. There is no family business anymore!"

"Then I'll buy out mister Utterson! You've spent a lot of time with his friend. If doctor Jekyll decides to reveal the man's identity, maybe I'll give you two my blessing."

"Doctor Jekyll is mister Utterson."

"So you've been conspiring with the enemy?"

"Enemy? You think this attack was ordered by Robyn?" Winter's voice only rose.

"That is quite fitting, no? Miss Hill has nothing going for her so she'll use these animals to her advantage. Secured a deal just to get rid of me and put a spin to it so that she is the tragic one mourning for my loss and begging the people to remember me fondly, while she gets to sit comfortably while ruining Atlas."

Ice being conjured was heard.

"Winter! Release me this instant! Don't you turn your back on your father, Winter Schnee."

"I am not Winter Schnee!" she declared. "I am not a Schnee anymore. You think you're the only one who could remove their own name? So will I. There is nothing in the Schnee name left with what you've been doing to it."

"Then leave this house and never return. I no longer have three children. Nicolas Schnee only had two grandchildren."

There was a long, hesitant pause before Winter committed. "Fine!"

Winter was running out of the hallways. She paused at the sight of Willow staring at her. Winter's eyes had stopped glowing. Guilt and shame painted Winter's face as she ran off. She pulled out her scroll and was calling someone.

Meanwhile, Willow found the strength in her feet again. The red on her dress was still wet. The first light of the day was approaching. Willow Schnee walked around the empty Schnee manor, ignoring the indignant calls for freedom from her husband.

If Jacques Schnee was calling for her, she didn't hear it. She stopped in one of the ransacked rooms. The large portrait of Nicholas Schnee, her father, was up there. Jacques had married into the family and was the one who changed his name instead.

Nicholas Schnee had always gone on the ground along with his workers. He went down the mines, leading the charge himself and still gave gifts to his employees even if he himself worked the hardest. But economic and business decisions had made it so that he had to give up the company to someone else. That was where Jacques entered the scene.

Willow herself couldn't run the company. She didn't know how to. The intricacies of the business world were not something that she had a mind for. For those reasons, Jacques was a logical and good choice. Economically, there is no denying the fact that the SDC had become the biggest Dust business in all of Remnant. The market for Dust was practically a monopoly.

Had there been competition lately? Willow was too drunk to remember the details. She couldn't tell which ones were reality and which ones were the result of her drunken state. She had to slap herself just to see if she was still drunk.

Speaking of drunk, a bottle rolled towards her. Many wine bottles had been broken and shattered. Some White Fang members had died here. They had drunk the supply and were compromised as they fell in battle. Who dealt with them, Willow didn't know.

Willow picked up a bottle. Her thumb was by the cork, as if by instinct. But she shut her eyes, shook her head, and put the bottle aside.

Sunlight was reaching the Schnee manor. Atlas' police sirens were heard. Police, soldiers, and huntsmen begun to enter the Schnee manor. One of the first responders had found Willow and escorted her out, the medics assumed that the blood on her was her own. But it wasn't.

"Whitley," she said.

/-/

"What?" Weiss had to clean out her own ears with what she was hearing.

"Christine, Christine," this Phantom of the Opera as he was called said. "Come back to me, and I will restore your memory."

"I'm sorry? But I think you have the wrong person." How many times must Weiss insist on this?

"You have her voice."

"So I sound like her? That doesn't make me this Christine Day. I'm Weiss Schnee."

Phantom chuckled. "Why must you play like this? Your name is Christine Daae. I do not hear the sound of your voice. But it is in your soul, I felt it."

"No." Weiss shook her head.

Phantom of the Opera approached closer. Nitocris of Vacuo got between them. All of team RWBY got behind Nitocris with Yang putting Weiss furthest at the back.

"Guys, I can take care of myself."

Team JNPR pushed Weiss further back. Pyrrha said: "we know. But Phantom is different, just like doctor Jekyll."

"Doctor Jekyll?"

"Oh," Ruby said. "I get it. Like miss Amber?"

Pyrrha nodded. When Jaune looked at Pyrrha, she said: "I'll explain everything, I promise."

But Ozpin said from his distance: "I will be the one to explain it all, miss Schnee. There is nothing to hide it now." He then looked to the masked woman in front of him. "There is nothing else that could be done, Salem. Reveal yourself."

"Oh?" Salem replied, chuckling. "I'm disappointed. I wanted to know just how long you could keep your ex-wife hidden from the rest."

Everyone looked at headmaster Ozpin. Even Fran looked at him with a shocked mouth; it was hard to tell what her eyes looked like underneath the bangs.

"But if that's what you wish." Salem's hand reached the mask. "I suppose I could do that for old time's sake."

Weiss wasn't alone in feeling aghast when the mask fell from Salem's face.

It was as though Grimm had taken a human form. Red eyes, skin whiter than Weiss' hair, pulsing veins, all of it came together to form a beautiful woman with an alluring danger around her. Only Nitocris, Fran, and the Phantom showed no emotions to it. Phantom himself still had his focus on Weiss.

Salem stretched out her hand. Balls of black energy appeared and spilled on the ground like liquid. Little Creeps began to spawn from the growing puddles.

Nitocris tapped her staff on the ground twice. A portal appeared above the Creeps and legged things covered in white cloths with eyes fell and stomped on the Creeps. Scarabs began to fly and destroyed the surviving Creeps.

Salem turned to face Nitocris. "Well now. So is that what it means to be a Caster? Quite the magic you have there."

"What I have is not magic, oh queen of the Grimm." Nitocris' jackal ears stood straight stiff. "It is merely magecraft of my homeland. True Magic is something greater than even what you can accomplish."

"Oh? How curious. Phantom, you never told me of this."

"Because True Magic is not something that could be accomplished by ourselves." Phantom's eyes never left Weiss. "Even the greatest of Casters are only capable of magecraft. Though, perhaps the magecraft of our homelands should be magic here in Remnant."

Magecraft? What is this? Is this a cosplay convention or something? That was a strange semblance that Nitocris did; similar enough the Schnee summons, Nitocris didn't have to kill anything for hers. Otherwise, Weiss would have to wonder what those small, clothed things were. There weren't any colors to them and looked realistic.

However, it was Salem that took priority. Weiss was taking it remarkably well but that was because Phantom never ceased finding some way to approach her.

Ozpin had his cane ready. Fran began to spark that Weiss could see traces of those eyes being revealed; they were yellow.

Raven's own eyes began to glow a strange color. Vlad moved aside and went towards Salem. He and Raven traded spots as Ironwood stood in place when Raven firmly placed her hand on his chest, stopping him from going any further.

"Christine!" Phantom called out. "Come back to me! I will save you, and restore your memory!"

"No!" Weiss put her foot down. "I do not know what it is you see in me, sir, but I am not the Christine Daae that you're looking for. Good day, sir!"

Jaune stepped forward, right beside Nitocris. He would have gone further before Nitocris raised a hand, keeping Jaune behind her.

"Stay behind me, Jaune." There was a knowing look behind Nitocris' eyes. "I do not know the circumstances nor the details, but I've heard that Phantom came for you."

"Raoul had his chance," Phantom said, shaking his head. "Hiding behind the pretense of Orleans' La Pucelle will not deter me from taking my chance now."

"I am not Raoul!" Jaune insisted.

Pyrrha remained close to Jaune's side. "Ruby," she said. "If anything happens, take Weiss and run."

"But we can—"

"We'll take Jaune and run. We're not fighting them. There is no negotiating that."

Nitocris stepped forward. But Phantom did not back away. "You students will only get in the way. Believe me on this."

Raven's concerned eyes trailed towards them. Vlad did not once look at their direction; he hid his shame away.

Fran put herself between Ozpin and Vlad. Salem then stepped back with Vlad taking her place. The more Salem summoned those Grimm, the more scarabs and those other familiars Nitocris brought back.

"You know," Salem said. "It is a great offense doing something like this to a queen."

"As a queen, you should have shown proper respect in foreign lands." Nitocris kept up the pace. "I am Pharaoh, descendant of the gods themselves."

That, for some reason, earned Salem's ire. "Gods. You are one of the gods."

Nitocris' eyes narrowed.

"Phantom, do what you must. If you fail, leave."

Every huntsmen and huntress, though still in training, acted accordingly: they all ran for shelter while the teachers remained.

Fran had pulled Ozpin back and clashed against Vlad's spear. A moderate explosion came from there as their weapons locked.

Phantom and Nitocris engaged in a melee with the advantage going to the Phantom. Nitocris had to use her staff as a weapon but it was clear that her specialty was in those summons of hers. Raven and Ironwood had begun to clash there with Raven blasting out some energy blasts of different elements: ice, fire, and lightning.

"Raven could never do that before!" Yang exclaimed. "How is she—"

"Less talking! More running!" Nora said. "We got enemies around us and we got no weapons."

But the opera house was shut off. Pyrrha detected no metal from it. "They knew."

"Yang?" Ruby asked.

"Looks thick," Yang answered. "I don't know if I can break through it."

"I'll need professor Fran to do this," answered Nora.

A loud crash was heard from behind them. Phantom's claws were reaching out for Weiss only for Nitocris to hold him back with her staff and toss back into the gathering hall.

"Jaune," said Ren. "Can you boost me?"

"How can you break through that?" Jaune asked.

"Trust me."

Jaune complied and began to boost Ren's aura. A white glow engulfed them both. Ren got into some kind of combat stance. Ren's arms stretched out and traced one semi-circle before meeting in the center. Ren's legs spread out with the front leg facing the walls. He shouldn't be able to reach it at this distance. Jaune poured out as much of his aura as he could.

Ren's back foot went forward in tandem with his back palm. Weiss could see a significant glow on that palm; it was so bright that all of Ren and Jaune's aura were being manipulated towards it. It was a martial art technique.

A single strike and that wall broke. Those that had seen it all began to rush towards them. But teams RWBY and JNPR were the first to exit.

"Christine!" Phantom called out. "Christine!"

Weiss didn't look back. She was not this Christine nor will she ever be.

Battles only grew in intensity even as they ran further and further. The girls had all removed their heeled shoes with some of them even tearing parts of their dress to move better. Jaune and Ren's coats could only cover two girls.

"Jaune," Weiss said. "Boost me."

No complaints there. Jaune boosted Weiss. The battles still grew in that intensity as more students evacuated.

She may not have her sword with her right now and it was dangerous to call their lockers here, but she knew were Atlas was and she knew how to aim.

"I hope you guys have a landing strategy!" A large Glyph appeared beneath them.

Everyone was launched as though it had been Beacon's initiation again. Ruby was the better person on thinking on her feet; some of it was rubbing off of Weiss. They all braced their auras, Jaune especially since he landed straight on Atlas' walls.

The soldiers would have arrested them but their attire showed them to be students. It was Ruby who explained the scenario. The soldiers, unsure of what to do, made calls to any commanding officers and received the orders of letting them inside.

Teams RWBY and JNPR all went inside and took their weapons. Though team RWBY were not participants in the Vytal Tournament, as students and due to connections made, they still had access to Atlas' facilities. Jacques Schnee also didn't want Weiss' team's weapons at the Schnee manor.

Changing into their battle outfit, Weiss did a quick check-up on her weapon. Daylight was approaching and from the sounds of the hurrying soldiers, the battle was still on-going.

But then, Weiss' scroll rang. It was Winter.

"Win—"

"Get to Atlas General Hospital, now." There was no room for negotiation in that voice. "Whitley's in critical condition."

The call ended there. Ruby asked: "Weiss?"

"Whitley's in critical condition," she repeated.

Blake answered before any question could manifest in Weiss' head. "White Fang have attacked the Schnee Manor. They had taken your family hostage." Blake's eyes widened at the scroll she was looking at. "Weiss, there was a lot of blood."

Weiss swiped the scroll. The sight of Adam's blade going down on Willow brought shock. Then, she was horrified when Whitley got up and protected her. Willow's face was absolutely broken, blank from any expression, disbelief.

The feed then turned white as a fog soon covered the cameras.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," Weiss said. "But I can't join you in the fight."

"That's fine. We're not going back to the fight, anyway. Jaune?"

"Pyrrha?" Jaune turned to his partner.

"I'll explain there. Whitley included. If Winter's there, then so would doctor Jekyll. They can give the details."

Teams RWBY and JNPR went out. They were initially stopped by the soldiers but orders from above were given that they should be allowed to leave.

Klein was there waiting for them. The Schnee limousine was damaged with many dents and scratches. The Schnee emblem no longer visible and the windows were already shattered.

"Get inside!" Grumpy personality had taken over. "Move it! Move it! What have they've been teaching you in school? How to take a nap? Move, you lazy bums!"

"What happened with Whitley?" Weiss asked once they were inside. They had no time to get their seatbelts before Klein burned the rubber and left a black mark on Atlas Academy roads.

There was a bitter chuckle. But Grumpy still retained the full personality. "Master Whitley is still breathing, miss Weiss. Intensive care and breathing."

Weiss sighed relief. Yet, she, along with the rest of teams RWBY and JNPR, never relaxed their grips.

"Oh, and miss Weiss?" despite the personality, the grumpy personality trait remained. Yet, there was only sadness in that voice. "My sincerest condolence on your loss."

"Loss?" Weiss' heart sank.

"Loss of your older sister," Klein replied. "Winter has thrown away the Schnee name."

AN: It was during the conceptualization and initial plotting stages that I realize the involvement of the Schnees. Had I gave it more thought, I might have come up with a Servant that matches the Maidens and the corresponding Schnee. Oh well.