"A leader is a dealer in hope" – Violet Rose

Violet studied the Zero mask laid out on the counter, the dirt and scratches marring its majesty. Indeed, the myth of Zero would forever be stained by the events of the day. Though total annihilation was prevented, too many had died for too little. Sure, they inflicted terrific casualties on Atlas, but in the grand scheme of things it was just a bloodied nose to them. Atlas will recover, as for him… He sighed in exhaustion.

A cup of hot tea was placed in front of him, and then another just next to it. Blake brought up a second chair, taking a seat beside him.

"You must be tired," She said, "A hot drink ought to help us both. You can lose the costume, you know? It's completely drenched. We don't want you getting sick now, do we?"

"Yeah, yeah…" He unfastened the dark cloak, letting it fall to the ground in a wet heap. "So, I take it 'Tukson's bookstore' is deserted?" He said before lifting his cup.

"He left the Fang long before I did. Thought I'd check in over the break, only to find him dead. A hit by all indications. I cleaned it up and now I inhabit the place."

"Wait, you live here?" He almost spilled his drink.

"Uhhh… Yes?" She looked confused. "Where else would I live? On the streets?"

"I don't know, Beacon? They let students stay over."

"While we're being investigated? Like hell I will."

"Don't remind me," he sipped the tea, "I just happened to sneak out on Yang's bike on the morning of the battle, something I've never done before. I've got no alibi, Yang's bike is God knows where, and I dread having to check my scroll for missed calls."

"You'll be happy to know they've cut all CCT communications since the battle started, so you're safe on that front."

"That's just the start of it…"

"But it's a start. As I said, we'll take it one step at a time. Regarding Yang's bike, I had a soldier drive it to a safe place. It's worth checking out once our auras fully recover. And as for the investigation… Chances are they'll update their investigation records before trying to capture you. You'll get an advance warning. Er, probably."

"It's the best I can hope for…" He drank the last of his cup, "But that's all secondary. We're out of money, we're out of weapons, not to mention how the Knights are demoralized and disorganized. Hell, I don't even know how many of my officers got out alive."

"It's okay." Blake said, "There's little you can do right now, so rest. We'll think of a solution together, I promise."

Though it seemed impossible at first, he found relaxing to come to him easier than expected. Maybe it was not appropriate given what had happened to his soldiers today. But he was just so damn tired, and he didn't like the idea of stressing out for hours until the lockdown ended.

She made him another drink, this time hot chocolate, and she brought him a spare set of dry clothes to change into. He, meanwhile, picked out a stray story off the shelves, settling for silently reading it with Blake. In short, it was tranquil. The elements raging outside, and undoubtedly the patrols were out in full force, but inside they had a momentary escape from the world. It brought his mind at ease, and let him think clearly.

"Alright, Blake. First things first, we need to perform a simple, flashy raid as soon as possible. Show people that we are not yet defeated. Restore morale among our members."

Blake hummed in response, setting aside the book. "I thought we would have to capture the damage Atlas did on camera, but it's so big I don't think there's any need to do the work ourselves."

"Kind of hard to hide a whole neighborhood getting blown to ruins, no? Again, the academies will be the most outraged. I bet I could get most of the students onboard for when the time comes."

"And when do you think 'the time' will be? Because the larger you grow, the more difficult working in secret becomes. They've upped their security these last couple months, getting back to where we were will be harder."

"I'm aware." He said, before growing silent for a while. He sipped his drink, "I think… I think we've been approaching this whole thing the wrong way."

"What exactly do you mean?"

"The poor and downtrodden have plenty of reason to be upset, and nothing to lose. They're easy manpower that I can convert into impressive gains, but the current strategy of hiding out in slums and chipping away at our enemy's numbers… It would take years to win at this pace."

Blake understood, "Of course. If your base of support is not powerful, it would take enormous effort to gain said power."

"And if I do win, what then? I can't run the government with half-literate people."

"Violet, you can't just say-"

"It's true. I mean no offense, they're brave and virtuous, but they can't staff the civil service or manage supply chains. Hell, most of the competent officers we do have come from a military or security background. We need to focus on attracting powerful and competent people in order to seize, and more importantly, hold power."

"And what will that look like?"

"We need to secure people already embedded in the country's key institutions. Military, police, media, academia, businesses. We might be popular among the poor, the faunus, and the young huntsmen, but most middle and upper class people have little to gain by siding with us. Instability threatens what they have, and my messaging just doesn't speak to them."

"It's unlikely that you've got much to offer them. Not to mention, you have a hard time reaching them in the first place."

"True. At least for now. I've been trying to make contacts outside the poor neighborhoods and outside of Vale for some time. It wasn't a priority considering everything else we were doing these past few weeks, but now we need them more than ever. There are opposition groups that still maintain legal status out there, in Vale and abroad. They've staged some decent protests in the wake of the Breach, so I don't expect it to be too difficult. I'm sure that the slightest suggestion of my semblance would get me into contact with their leadership."

"And you think they would be radicalized enough by this disaster to help you? It's possible, but still… You overestimate their influence, the well-off people are still isolated from most of the damage. Some listen, but many can safely ignore the politics if they want to. Believe me, I've seen it all during my time protesting."

"So? We'll make them feel the pain. We'll put pressure on the economies of Vale and Atlas. Once their bank accounts start going into the red, and general discontent rises to a level they can't ignore, they'll pay a lot more attention to politics. And I'll deliver just what they want to hear."

"Which is?"

"Less of the crude emphasis on killing dust barons, more talk about specific policies tailored to exploit existing grievances. Rooting out corruption, independence for the press, more money for the universities. Lowering of taxes, reducing tariffs for certain industries…"

"Will you actually achieve all that?"

"I'll take whatever policies are best for the people of Vale."

"So the answer if no."

"Every side always promises everything to everyone. I'll try to keep it as close to the truth as I can, but I also have to win. Also, very important- We need a more conciliatory approach towards Vale's police and military. They'll fight to stop us at all costs if they think we'll replace them. We'll promise to clear out the worst offenders and promote the decent, loyal, people left. They'll be fighting to throw their officers at the wolves once the decisive moment comes."

"You don't fear you'll alienate your current supporters?"

"Not particularly. They're so outraged they'll support me in whatever I do. What other choice do they have? We can afford to expand our appeal outward. The fact remains that the Breach was a massive failure of the authorities, that we saved thousands of people from the Grimm, and that we really did wipe out hundreds of White Fang terrorists. It will serve as a powerful unifying force, and a reminder that the Black Knights stand for stability and the common good."

Blake smiled, "See, you know exactly what to do. But…" her cat ears deflated, "You know I was always very idealistic… never one for those kinds of scheming politics."

"I understand. But-"

"But it's necessary, I know. And yet… I trust you now. I trust that you can balance what is right with what is necessary, that you will do the right thing in the end. You will do the right thing, right?"

"Right." His mind conjured the image of a young boy, enthralled by his semblance, and sent on a suicide mission. He forced a smile for Blake, but in his heart it all felt so, so wrong. He almost wished for her to doubt him again, because he knew that he deserved it. But that was okay, his web of lies did not start today, and falling in just a little deeper was a small price to pay for continuing on.

And it's not like he plans on going back on every one of his promises, but he knows this won't be the first time he'll be forced to compromise. Day after day, his ideals were being chipped away by this cruel world. By the time he ascends to the throne of skulls he's making, how much of him will there be left?

"One thousand two hundred and seventeen," Ironwood said. "One thousand two hundred and seventeen casualties among the military and police. Of which seven hundred and twenty eight are dead or irrevocably injured."

Chills ran up Winter's spine. She felt so small, seated in Ironwood's cold office, his form towering over her. He was nothing like the stern but kind man who had rescued her from father.

Neither of them spoke for a while, and every tick of the wall clock made the feeling of dread swell within her more and more.

"Do you have the slightest idea how massive a failure this is?"

Winter winced at his booming voice. "Yes." She whispered.

"Not only that, but you have lost four Paladins, and had to resort to draining our local supplies of aircraft bombs and artillery shells, causing catastrophic damage to the city."

"We were betrayed by Marrow!"

"And you were his chief advocate!" He shot back.

It pained her to admit it, but he was right. She put her faith in the young faunus, despite so many objections, and all she got for it was a stab in the back.

It was her choice, now she had to deal with the consequences of it. But still, she did stand victorious in the end, and she would remind the general of that fact, "We eliminated the vast majority of their organization. We have over 800 uniformed Black Knights dead or in captivity, having hit many of their bases all across the city. Alongside that, we have eliminated a further 1000 plainclothes terrorists and made over 5000 arrests of likely terrorist sympathizers."

"And yet, no word of Zero or any of his reported inner circle. Winter, you do realize you were almost beaten by a rebel band?"

How can he think of them as mere rabble? If he was there, he wouldn't be like this, "This was a victory, general. Zero may have eluded us, but their activity will be greatly reduced. Especially if you implement my recommendation of restricting dust sales, and focus your manpower on more thorough enforcement of arms restrictions, including permanent city checkpoints. They will never reach their previous heights, not while we remain vigilant."

"Perhaps. But at the same time, you've disappointed me greatly. I had high hopes for you, Winter."

"Sir?"

"Consider yourself dismissed from your position as Lieutenant General and as head of the Vale theater of operations. I will be taking command from now on."

"What?" How could he? What happens now?

"I will start by transferring several new Paladin units, as well as two more infantry regiments over from Atlas. The city will be totally secure from terrorists for the festival. And once the tournament is in full swing, the outrage from both the Breach and from this fiasco will fade away."

Winter nodded, still nervous, "What will I be expected to do in the meantime?"

He looked over her once again, a tiny, vindictive, smile coming across his face, "You… will be demoted to head of the Atlas railway troops."

"Excuse me?" The words hit her like a freight train. Surely not, I must have misheard.

"You will ensure that the railway between Atlas and Vale is secure. You see, we've had a return of White Fang raids in the countryside…"

"But that's- You promised…" She stood up, "You said I had a bright future. I won't have the opportunity to prove myself there, hunting a handful of terrorists hiding out in the forests and hills-"

"Is it not exciting enough for your refined tastes, Miss Schnee?" Ironwood countered, "Maybe you'll learn some patience for a change. Your recklessness has destroyed the careers of countless good men and women. Count yourself lucky you're not demoted to private."

She gulped, sitting back down in shame.

He walked over to her, placing his head on her shoulder. "You must understand, Winter, I do this because I want the best for you. Perhaps I was too hasty with giving you responsibility you were not ready for. You still have much to learn, and I am confident this will help you."

She nodded.

"Remember, we are not like the other kingdoms. We do not throw away our citizens in such a reckless manner. To help you understand better, I will task you with writing letters to the families of every single Atlesian soldier who died yesterday."

She couldn't refuse him. The military was everything to her. She couldn't go back to father. "Yes, Sir."

"Good. Say your goodbyes, you will be transferred in a week."

"I'm not an idiot, Vio." Yang said. They were at the shed next to their home, and Yang was crouched near Bumblebee, inspecting the bike for any sign of damage.

"I never said you were." He leaned on the wall, trying to act aloof.

"Yeah, you just happened to sneak into Vale the morning of the operation? I don't know how you got it past Dad and Qrow, but I'm no-"

"I didn't get anything past them," He argued, "I had a letter, signed and stamped by a Colonel saying I was held at a checkpoint until the mess was resolved. You can't just fake that."

"But you still wanted to go there," She leveled her eyes at him. He returned with a glare of his own.

"With no weapons on me? And I took your bike out plenty of times," he lied.

"I would have noticed."

"Oh come on, Yang. I have a life of my own. I can't go out only when you're feeling up to it."

"And why couldn't you ask for my permission?"

"You do realize you sound exactly like your dad?"

"I- No I don't." She stammered out.

"Oh yes you do," he teased her, mockingly imitating their father, "What could you possibly be doing out past 9pm? Back in my day we were in bed by 8."

She chuckled at him, briefly alleviating the tension.

He continued his impression, "We'd get up before dawn, and we'd walk 10 miles to school. Uphill both ways! Every day we would fight a whole horde of Beowolves on the way, you kids have it so easy these days."

"Stop it, Vio," She giggled, "I don't need to know what kinds of weird things you and Blake do, just ask me before taking my baby for a ride."

"As if you'd ever let me. I learned all about asking for forgiveness rather than permission from the best."

"You bastard," she threw a cleaning rag at him.

He was glad her suspicion lessened, but he was sure she wasn't totally convinced. Perhaps he could convince her to redirect her thoughts, "Now, now. It wasn't all Blake. I had to get a fill of my oldest vice before Zero stops all the fun."

"Oh? I hoped you'd forget about your nasty gambling habit with your Beacon duties, but you continue to surprise me. You're not acting shady because of some debt, are you?"

"You know me better than that, Yang. I don't lose," he pulled out a couple hundred lien from his pocket and put them on the bike seat before leaving, "Here's money for the gas, your bike is a damn fuel guzzler."

She wasn't far off as it technically was his last money, but some aggressive use of his semblance should remedy that quickly. More importantly, Blake has called in to report that a meeting with an opposition representative in Atlas has been arranged. It would be a risky gamble, but he felt confident. After all, he doesn't lose. Not when he can stack the deck.

He was quite anxious as he led Blake outside the city. He managed to make contact with a few of his most trusted men, and he had them out scouting to see if anyone was following them. They found nothing, and so he was assured of his secrecy when they reached their bullhead in a forest clearing several miles past the city walls. The aircraft was repaired and repainted to cover up the Black Knight symbols and any battle damage sustained. After all, they would be taking it straight to the heart of the enemy.

Violet climbed into the craft, "Hello, Hawk."

"Hello, Zero. Finally got tired of dragging that costume around?"

"Yeah, well, you've proven trustworthy enough."

"I appreciate it." He would be the pilot for today. Vio expected some sneering from him for failing to live up to his promised victory, but the man was in a strangely solemn mood. Came with being a soldier, he supposed. He had a clear head on him, he should be taking his advice more seriously.

Even after they've taken off, the sense of unease did not escape them.

"You sure we'll be safe, Zero? That it's not a setup?" Hawk asked.

"Nothing is certain," he said, "But I'm confident they're genuine."

"You better not be basing this off some hunch."

"Trust me," Blake spoke up, "He knows what he's talking about."

It was a dangerous prospect, so he 'interrogated' the envoy they sent over to negotiate. It seemed legit, at least as far as the messenger knew. Violet was still armed, of course.

He distracted himself as the trip went on by appreciating the vastness of the nature- the red trees of forever fall slowly giving way to the boreal forests so characteristic of Atlas, with barely a few minor villages dotting the landscape.

"Such vastness…" Blake said as she sat beside him.

"You spent a lot of time here, yes?"

"We used to harass the traffic between Vale and Atlas on and off for many years. Railways, roads, outposts, and everything in between. A couple miles east of here should be the dust mining town of Dustvale. I know, very creative name. But it's important enough that they've got a separate rail line going through it, the place was a major target of ours back then."

"It used to belong to Vale originally, and it was one of the few major population centers outside it."

"Last I checked, it was crawling with Atlesian soldiers," Hawk added from the pilot cabin.

"Yup." Blake said, "The mines there are responsible for some 10% of global dust production."

"It would be a perfect target then. Since the city is becoming more and more dangerous, we'll increasingly start hitting them in other areas, like that one."

"Is that your plan?" Hawk asked, "Can't say I object to leaving the city, but guerrilla warfare gets a hell of a lot harder if you don't have a civilian population to hide behind."

"We'll figure it out," He looked at Blake, "After all, we have an expert on hand."

A few more hours, and they had reached the black heart of the Atlesian empire- The floating city of Atlas stood proud, its dense high-rise buildings so clean and orderly, while the artillery emplacements and bulky gravity generators gave it a most imposing appearance.

About a mile below laid its twin city of Mantle. Though it still retained some of the character expected of Atlas, even from up high he could see the fault lines. The architecture was less ambitious, the streets were narrower, and the buildings were tarnished by pollution from its many industrial facilities.

They landed at an airstrip in Mantle, thanking Hawk before exiting. He would stay behind to guard the craft and refuel. Getting into the city proper did little to improve their impression of it. It wasn't nearly as clean as he expected, and while the people looked presentable enough, he couldn't help but sense that they seemed tired, spent. In some ways he wasn't surprised, given that its large population was so tightly packed inside the anti-grimm walls. He found it revolting that there wasn't more disorder.

"Have you been here before?" He asked Blake.

"Once, maybe- oh three years ago. We were patrolling the length of the Vale-Atlas railway, and I was sent in to buy various supplies."

He passed by some kind of minor political rally, not even 20 people. Was it pro or anti-government? Stupid question, they both still fly the Atlesian flag.

"Is it any different now?" he asked. The opposition here has a long way to go, they too are afraid of losing what little they do have. They'll see the truth in time. He'll give them the courage to admit it.

"Hard to say. I was too busy being utterly terrified of getting caught. Come to think of it, what were they doing, sending me out here at that age? I expected things to look somewhat better though. You know, that they'd put some of their dust money to good use."

Violet pondered it for a moment, "Empires are expensive to maintain, Blake. Keeping a defensive force is difficult at the best of times. An army and navy large enough to fight against most of the world, while possessing expeditionary capabilities…"

They walked by a hologram of General Ironwood giving some cliched patriotic speech. He wanted to vomit. "But can't they leverage their dominance to gain economic concessions from other nations?" Blake asked.

"Not as much as they might hope. Their hold on global affairs is tenuous at best, with us being a prime example. They can only push other countries so far before they retaliate. The point is, I don't envy the Atlesian citizens that much, they are at best marginally better off than the rest."

"I find it difficult to believe," she said.

"I don't need to argue the point. The results speak for themselves."

"Yes, it does explain things… But accepting that would make all this so… banal, no?"

"Of course. At some point it all probably made sense. Now, though, their halls of power are filled with different people, people who had their brains fried in the Great War and never recovered." He pointed to another hologram of James talking authoritatively, "Ol' general here is still imitating the heroic speeches of a bygone era. Longing to impress the long-dead officers he venerated as a lowly private. He's even using the same words, not noticing how they were stripped of their substance decades ago. It's a different era now."

Blake nodded, "That's one way to put it… You're almost making me feel sorry for him."

They continued through the cramped streets, the crowds slowly thinning as they ventured into a more remote part of the city.

"Is that why Atlas wants to act like a mighty empire? Otherwise it seems too risky an investment to me. It could all go awry and they'd lose more than just money."

"Precisely. It's not an investment. They really do believe they're agents of justice, bringing law and order to an otherwise incapable world. World peace through world domination… Eventually."

Blake looked up at the sky, "They'd do a lot better if they treated faunus like people and shared more of their technology. Just the gravity generators holding up Atlas are estimated to be 20 times more efficient than regular ones, and yet…"

"I know. It's a disgusting attitude. I will show the world there is a better way."

"Say, what would you do differently?" Blake asked of him, "What would you do if presented with the power that Atlas commands?"

Violet never seriously considered it. Most of his thoughts were on specific reforms to Vale, but managing the whole world was a completely different issue.

"That's a good question. I don't think an empire has to be evil, it just needs to have a good vision."

"Oh?" He could tell it was not what she expected to hear.

"They're evil because they're repressive. They're repressive because they're weak. They're weak because they're hated."

"And they're hated because they're repressive?"

"More or less. It doesn't have much to do with having influence on the world, it's about what the influence does and how it's gained. It's not impossible to escape from the cycle, but it is extraordinarily painful. People don't tend to forgive past transgressions."

"If Atlas were to collapse," Blake spoke, "Groups like the White Fang would run rampant, massacring everyone and furthering the cycle of hate."

"Exactly. That transition will be a crucial moment, and it will need to be managed expertly." He pointed at himself. "I will be different. I shall win with a core of people fanatically loyal to me, and I'll use my dominant position to right the grudges of the world with minimal bloodshed. Then, maybe, Atlas can share its gravity generators without fear of them being used in a terrorist attack."

"I have to say, you're very idealistic. I was right on the money when I called you the real fairy tale nut of the family."

"Or maybe everyone else is too cynical. The great war did a number on everyone's psyche."

"I hope you're right." She pointed at a building in the distance, "I think that's the place."

They approached what appeared to be a hotel. It looked like it was nice once upon a time, but those days were far behind.

Blake walked past him, "Right, the plan. I'll scout ahead and call if it's safe."

"No."

She turned around, giving him a questioning look.

He was on edge. Maybe it was the cold, maybe he just wanted to barge in and shake down those shifty wannabe rebels down for all they had before leaving this cursed place, "Forget the plan. Chances are they're already watching us. We go in quickly, don't give them an opportunity to prepare."

Violet barged into the hotel lobby, with Blake behind him. As they approached, the bored receptionist, a cat faunus, looked up at them, "Yes, how can I help you?"

"We would like to reserve a room," Blake said, "Is number 222 available?"

A flash of recognition came across her face, and she shifted to a more professional posture, before giving them the key, "No need for payment, everything has been arranged in advance."

They hurried to the place. He didn't like operating in unknown terrain, so he had his semblance ready to fire in case of an ambush.

When they opened the door to their room, they found it empty. It was quite spacious and outfitted with ornate furniture, yet marred by age. It might have passed for high class a century ago, but the place hasn't been maintained well.

Blake took a sentry position at the door, while Violet looked out the window for anything suspicious.

"Hmm…" Blake looked around, "So, we're supposed to just wait for them?"

"Guess so. They should have been here."

"You're not afraid of it being a trap?"

He pointed to his left eye, "I doubt it. Besides, I'm confident we can fight our way out."

Her cat ears twitched, "Maybe we'll have to." She leaped into the air, drawing Gambol Shroud and pointing it at a seemingly empty corner of the room.

"Perceptive," Said a voice from there. An invisible veil lifted, and two women appeared out of it, one tall, with tanned skin and white hair. The other was shorter and fair-skinned, with blue hair. Violet unfolded his weapon, but the white-haired woman tried to calm them.

"There's no need for that. If it was a trap, I'd have 20 people surrounding you right about now."

"Robyn Hill? Is that you?" Blake said.

"The one and only," She walked to the center of the room, taking a seat on a couch, "Please do forgive May's semblance. It was not our intention to scare you."

"Only to spy on us." Violet countered, still not letting go of his scythe.

"You're the one that wished to support us?" Blake said, "I thought you did things legally?"

"I wouldn't say I'm here to 'support' you. Not yet, anyway. But, the events in Vale have spurred me into action. My contacts there said many disturbing things about the operation a few days ago, but we were closely monitoring you since the start."

"Why not contact us earlier?" Violet took over.

"I was told I would be meeting Zero. Tell me, young man, are you really him?"

"Do you doubt me?"

"I have no need for doubt," she stood up and extended her hand. Of course, he heard of her infamous lie-detection semblance. It would prove a valuable tool in making her trust him, but it was double-edged sword. She could ask some very uncomfortable questions, and if he refused to answer them, it would be as good as a confession.

"Fine," he approached her, taking the hand.

"Are you the one known as Zero?" She asked, her grip overpowering.

"Yes." A green light engulfed their hands. Oddly enough, the two of them tensed up at that. She released her grip, looking at him with a newfound seriousness.

"Well?" He looked at her, unimpressed with their conduct so far.

"As to why we haven't contacted you until now… Don't take this the wrong way, but you've been sending us mixed signals, Zero. First, you claim to fight for equality, yet we've receive reports that you've allied with the White Fang. Then you attack them at the Breach, fair enough. But just after that, you start calling for a bloody war."

"The last time Atlas was humiliated like that, they attacked the slums. I acted preemptively."

"You gave them a free hand to kill thousands," May said.

"What else was I supposed to say after Atlas sent the air force to attack us? While we were cleaning up the Grimm they ran from. In any case, they were the ones that turned a Vale neighborhood into a bloodbath. I didn't take you for Atlas apologists."

Robyn narrowed her eyes, before sighing, "The abuses of Atlas have only grown since your debut. They feel threatened, and they're lashing out at any sign of dissent. Mantle would never rebel under current conditions, yet they felt the need to increase the security presence many times over."

"And yet here you are, casually conversing with so-called terrorists." He smiled, "Maybe it's warranted."

"It was not an easy choice for us to make. We don't like supporting armed rebellion. If you truly aren't a terrorist, if Ironwood's propaganda is all lies and you truly are a righteous man fighting for justice… Then we will take the risk of supporting you."

"And what are your criteria?"

"I've heard a lot of nasty rumors about you, Zero. About your shady dealings, your disregard for civilians, and about your intentions after gaining power. A few fundamental questions shouldn't be hard to answer, right?

"Already making demands, huh? If I do answer, what kind of support can I count on?"

"For starters, five million lien. Dust and weapons… Our embedded agents in Vale could be called upon to aid you in intel gathering and propaganda efforts."

"Hmm… And what kinds of weapons do you have to offer?"

"We can smuggle large quantities of ammunition and guns from army stockpiles."

"Useful, but insufficient. Our experience has shown the main problem to be a lack of weapons against armored vehicles, Paladins, and aircraft. Can you provide that?"

"You already know that's an extraordinary request, Zero. We would be risking a lot to acquire those. People would notice."

"That's what I need. Forget the money and get us those, then we can talk."

Robyn and May shared a look.

"If we are satisfied with your answers, yes." She offered a hand.

He didn't like this. Being forced into making concessions and having to pass her naive standards of conducting a war. "You know, Robyn, I'm still not convinced your semblance is infallible. Your questions could be vague, the answers could be misinterpreted."

May eyed him suspiciously, "How dare you imply she's a liar."

"Relax, May. His concern is reasonable," She looked at Violet "But I assure you, my semblance is reliable enough that even the Atlesian government makes use of it, despite my ill-concealed distaste of them. If you refuse to answer, I'm afraid we find ourselves at an impasse. I will not risk my life and my cause on some barbaric terrorist."

"You put much trust in the vague rules of semblances…" He eyed a vanity table in the corner. "Can you leave the room? I wish to consult my companion. It will take only a minute."

The two Atlesian women shared another look, before walking out, "Very well," said Robyn before shutting the door.

A few seconds passed before Blake whispered, "I can hear their footsteps, they're not far from the door. Certainly eavesdropping."

"That's a good sign," he whispered back, "Means the place is not bugged."

"Okay. What did you want to ask me?"

"Nothing. Go get them. Distract them for a minute or so, that's all I need."

"You're planning something, aren't you? Will it come to violence if she doesn't like our answers?"

"I don't know. Now head out."

The moment Blake closed the door, he walked over to the vanity table. He gazed upon its mirror, the ever-familiar mark of his semblance so clearly visible in his eye. It held immense power, he could cause massive chaos with it. But he couldn't hold power with it alone.

He was aware of his limits. And even when staying within them, he was cautious. Robyn flaunts her powers everywhere and relies on them for the most trivial matters. Much like a huntsmen who over-relies on their semblance in combat loses their prowess, her social skills have atrophied. She's never had to deal with deception, and he's about to commit his greatest masterpiece in it. A perfect bow tie on his intricately woven web of half-truths.

He focused his power, looking directly into his mirror image, "I need you to forget some things…"

"Alright," Robyn said, her hand outstretched, "We've danced around the issue long enough."

"But the dance is the best part," Violet said as he confidently accepted her handshake.

Blake looked on in anticipation. Her hand was on her hip, just next to the sheathed Gambol shroud. She was dismayed that May noticed, but it was too late to back down now. The Marigold girl shouldn't be so worried, she herself wasn't sure who she would point the weapon at if one of the questions was false. She figured it would depend on the question.

"Zero." Robyn Hill spoke, "I've heard many rumors about you. Tell me, did you ever take any action that you knew would endanger civilians?"

Zero let go of her hand, "Every action does that. Even your visit here endangers the hotel staff."

Great start, Blake thought. May's hand went over to her weapon. Robyn frowned, but gestured for her to stand down. She forcefully took his hand again, gripping it with all her strength, "Did you ever consciously target civilians or use them as human shields?"

"No." Violet said calmly. A green light engulfed their hands. Her grip relaxed, even if her irritation did not go away.

Blake let out a sigh of relief. She doubted him many times, and though she told him that she trusted him now, the confirmation put her at ease.

"Very well. Did you ever ally yourself with the White Fang?"

"No." he said. Another green light.

That struck Blake as odd. It was never intended as a genuine alliance, but they had an agreement that was understood as one. She doubted Hill's semblance decided to stop working today, maybe it just determined the truth at a deeper level?

"That's incredible," May said, "Atlas intelligence was genuinely convinced that you two were allies. Our own agents within their ranks told us as much."

"I do have some members who were formerly part of it, that might be the origin of their suspicions. Rest assured, none of them exhibit such a rabid ideology now." Another green light, not that it was necessary.

"Alright, final question, Zero. Should you take power in Vale, do you intend to pursue a swift peace with Atlas, give your opponents a fair trial, and establish a system of popular governance?"

"Yes."

A green light appeared. Robyn let go and smiled at him, "See? That wasn't so hard after all."

"I was just being careful. So, you'll aid us now?"

"Yes. We can get down to details," She sat down on the couch, "So, what do you need to knock some sense into Ironwood's dense skull?"

"In short, I need to rearm my men. I have a couple hundred survivors who are in urgent need. Not to mention the many, many people who I am confident will join us in the wake of the massacre they made."

She thought about it for a moment, "We could smuggle in about a thousand rifles, and some fifty machine guns. Accompanying ammo too, let's say half a million rounds. Our agents have been skimming off the top from their stocks for a while now."

"Weapons do tend to break a lot in the cold." Zero said sarcastically.

"Of course. Shipments go missing, the White Fang gets blamed. You know how it goes."

He smiled, "I would also need a lot of dust."

"Dust is in no short supply here. You're quite lucky, as my intel has indicated Vale plans to restrict dust sales soon."

He raised his eyebrows, "And they think that'll hurt us? While we have been buying some of it from stores, much of our supply was seized from the authorities or the White Fang."

"I don't doubt it. Dust is expensive."

"They'll just end up pissing off honest huntsmen with that policy. I must say, Robyn, you indicate that you possess a very large and sophisticated network of agents."

"One can gain a lot of sympathizers in important places if they don't immediately declare war on their nation. And cultivating those relations while they climb to positions of prominence… Say, noticed anything odd about the coverage of the Breach?"

"Apart from it being terrible?"

"It was terribly executed, yes," Robyn grinned, "Almost like…"

"Intentional sabotage." Blake said, "It's ingenious. The news stations acted too zealously in reporting, pushing the authorities into taking up a clearly false position. And since they were acting out of loyalty to the government, they weren't punished too severely."

"Your companion is very bright, Zero. You would do well to keep her by your side. In any case, I'll provide you with a contact line to some of the newsrooms. If you need their help on messaging at key moments, or if you need a broadcast hijacked…"

"Thank you. I will be very careful with how I use this boon. And your compliments are noted, but I wasn't finished."

"Yes, you mentioned anti-armor and anti-air infantry weapons. It will be provided, though we won't be able to grab large quantities of it without them noticing."

"I also want Paladins."

"Preposterous." Robyn said, "Those things are impossible to smuggle without the whole military going on lockdown."

"Really? Then how did we get ahold of one?"

"How would I know?"

"Well I'll tell you. We recovered it from the White Fang, who obtained three Paladins for themselves. If a faunus supremacist organization can steal that from Atlas, why can't you?"

"We… don't have anyone close to that project. If you truly want to obtain them, you'll have to capture them, preferably in transit."

"We can work with that. I was going to be sabotaging the rail anyways, if there are any slated transports, we want to know."

"It would be hard to say what they're transporting all the time, but we'll do our best to provide you with accurate reports."

They spent the next hour or so going over the details of the requested aid and figuring out a reliable means of communication between them.

"Phew…" Blake exhaled as they walked out into the streets of Mantle. A snowstorm had picked up, but at least that meant the streets were a little less crowded, "That was tense. That girl was itching for a fight."

"You mean the blue-haired one? Really, both were prepared to kill today."

"Yes, the name is May Marigold. Top Academy graduate, hails from a big Atlesian family."

"You'd think powerful people would stop sending their children off to be huntsmen after the hundredth one rebelled against their family."

"It still commands prestige. Virtually every founder of such a family was a huntsmen. But yes, in recent times powerful families are beginning to restrict their children from attending the academies. Such was the case for Weiss. Her father had her fight a powerful geist possessing a suit of armor as a condition for going to Beacon."

"I take it he didn't see her winning that fight?"

"He underestimated her fighting spirit. She fought even after she ran out of aura. That's how she got her scar… Reminds me of you, actually."

"Well, I'm glad to see you're getting along with her."

"It's a shame, though. We won't be able to keep it a secret forever. Certainly not if we ever take over Vale. Our team will inevitably fracture. I worry what that will do to her. It will feel like a betrayal."

"I'm sorry. Truly, I am. But you know there can be no other way."

"I know." She looked down at the ground.

"Cherish what you still have. We're still a ways off from that."

She stopped, "In that case… I have an idea," She pulled out her scroll and showed him a picture of Weiss, titled 'Atlas Theater – Weiss Schnee'

"So that's what you were after. You could have just said it upfront."

"Sorry, I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it."

"Ordinarily, I wouldn't have wanted to remain here for a second more than necessary. But I don't like flying in this weather, so I guess we're off to see the ice queen." The snowstorm that was picking up felt bad enough behind the walls of Mantle, he figured that at a flying altitude it would be far worse. "I'll inform Hawk we're going tomorrow morning."

"That's a relief," she leaned against a wall, taking out a ribbon and tying it around her cat ears. Upon seeing Violet's questioning look, she explained, "It's one thing if I get dirty looks, but provoking a scene at her event is unacceptable."

"It's good that you're so considerate of your friend, even if the circumstances are unfortunate." He was struck by how mature the gesture was. It was hard for him to believe that a year ago she was a full-blown White Fang member.

They hurried to catch a ferry aircraft to Atlas proper, and they made it just in the nick of time. They had barely taken their seats when the announcer spoke, "Introducing: Weiss Schnee." The vast theater rang with applause.

"I'll be honest," Blake said, "I've never been to such a fancy event."

"Then it looks like we'll both get civilized by Atlesian high culture." He said sarcastically.

They watched as Weiss walked onto the stage. As someone who spent ages obsessing over body language for his persona, Violet felt that her stride was overly formal. It was missing the effortless grace she usually displayed. Her expression was somber as she stood in silence for several moments before singing.

"Mirror… Tell me something…"

"Tell me who's the loneliest of all…"

"She doesn't lie," Blake whispered, "She does seem terribly lonely down there. You know… sometimes I fantasize that she abandons her awful family for good, that she joins whatever we build in Vale and we somehow get our happily ever after."

He cast his gaze on Blake, who was leaning on his shoulder. "Much as I appreciate your optimism, the Schnee is simply too big a liability. She would always be hated by the vast majority of the faunus."

"I'm-"

"I know you're not like that, but it's the truth. She would never feel welcome in our ranks." He sighed, "Despite everything, I found myself liking her, and I really do wish her the best… I know what you're trying to do, and I'm telling you that you'll be putting her through hell."

She sighed, "She doesn't have anyone apart from us. You know that, right?"

"She'll find someone in time. She's learned to be more independent during her time at Beacon. It will serve her well."

"I know… But I feel like any day could be our last as a unified team. One slip-up and I would never see her again. This here might be my last time seeing her."

"Hmmm. We could always see her again, after the show."

"Really?"

"Yes. Don't worry, I'll figure it out somehow."

The conversation died down, and they focused on the performance. Though he knew Weiss had a talent for singing, he was surprised to see how popular she was, managing to fill almost the whole theater. And the songs were excellent too- she was contributing to her family reputation here, not taking advantage of it. Once she had finished her repertoire, and was replaced by some other guy the attendance started to thin rapidly. He figured they might as well find her now.

A knock came to the door of Weiss' backstage studio.

"Come in." She said as she was removing her makeup.

"I hope we're not disturbing you." Violet said as he entered with Blake in tow.

"You- Where did you two come from? How did you even get permission to be here?"

"We have our ways," Blake smiled.

"Of course you do," She rolled her eyes. "I hope you at least didn't skip the entry tickets. Oh God, you saw me on stage." She covered her eyes in shame.

"Oh," Blake said, "I didn't realize you were like that about your performance."

"I think it was wonderful." Violet said. "Truly."

"I-" She turned away. "I know it's silly, but I still get embarrassed about it. It's the same anytime my family sees my work."

Violet thought about how embarrassed he'd feel if Yang was watching a Zero speech alongside him. It would be a bit awkward, he admitted to himself.

"Never mind that," she said, "Why are you two even in Atlas?"

Blake spoke up, "You complained about how you would be all alone over here. We were in the area, and we thought it would be great if we visited you."

"Why, thank you. I wasn't expecting anyone I cared about to visit over the break… Still, why have you come here?"

"Maybe some other time," Violet said, "It's another one of those surprises, you see."

She rapidly shifted her eyes between the two of them, a smile coming onto her face, "No, no, it's okay. You two can bring us more great news when you're ready."

Blake was confused, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. You'll figure it out eventually. By the way, how are things over in Vale?"

There was no escaping that ever, was there? "Things…" Violet wasn't sure how to approach it, "Let's just say they could be better."

"I've heard a lot has happened, but sorting through the noise isn't exactly easy. Certainly not from this far away."

"Whatever's the worst version you heard…" Blake tightened her hands into fists, "It's probably the closest one to the truth."

"That bad, huh?"

"I'm honestly lost as to how they're still going along with the tournament." Violet said. "It's insanity."

"Do you think there might be a terrorist attack planned for the tournament?"

"Doubtful." Violet shut that train of thought down.

"Really?" Weiss' eyes narrowed, "How can you be so certain of that?"

"Not their MO, but there definitely will be attacks on military infrastructure in the city."

"I see. How do see Vale's chances?"

"In what way?"

"Will something happen?" She asked. "Will they- you try to break free?"

"Break free? But I was reliably told by Mr. Oobleck that Vale was the freest place in all of Remnant."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well, It's no secret you don't like it. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Blake smirked, "Yang taught her quickly that snitching isn't a thing among friends."

"I didn't need her to tell me anything. Besides, I would be creating a rift in my team over something that really isn't my business."

Blake and Violet shared a look. Violet thought carefully about the question, "Though the Black Knight presence might be reduced in the very short term, I think there's a good chance something drastic still happens. I doubt it will target you, but I'd be cautious in your place."

"Of course. In any case, you have no idea how much I've missed talking to someone I don't utterly despise." She looked over at a wall clock, "I'm really sorry to do this, but I need to leave soon. I'm supposed to attend an important event."

"That's unfortunate," Blake said.

"I know. I hate it as well. But thanks for coming, it means a lot. And you two have fun with each other, alright?" She winked before hastily leaving the room and leaving two blushing messes behind. Yang really was a terrible influence on her. Or was this part Blake's fault?

Regardless, ever since *that* comment, they couldn't manage to talk beyond a few short words here and there as they toured Atlas. It was funny, they pretended to be dating for a time, they even had a fake breakup and a fake makeup. Regardless of all that, they were very close. It was no wonder why Weiss might get the wrong idea about them. After all, who wouldn't? They were literally sharing a hotel room right now.

"Hey, Blake?" Violet was admiring the lights of the city from the room window.

"Yes, Vio?" She was lazing on her bed. At least they had enough sense to get a place with separate sleeping arrangements.

"You know how after the debut of the Knights, we made Yang think we were sharing a hotel room? Well, here we are." He chuckled to himself.

"That's not how I remember it. *You* made her think that. Asshole."

"I was just distracting her from thinking we were involved in that day's events."

"And you couldn't have thought of anything else? She still thinks we did it, you know?"

"I'm not surprised, but I am very amused."

"Well, I'm not." She pouted. "Having my way with someone within a week of interacting with them? She thinks I'm easy, Vio…" She buried her face in the pillow.

He sat down on her bed, caressing her hair, "I'm sorry for giving you trouble. If nothing else, it makes me look easy too."

"That's not how it works, it makes you a victim."

"I'm hardly that much younger, and I'm male."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you know…"

"I don't. Explain it." She had a sly smile on her.

"I'm not someone you can take advantage of, that's all."

"You sure about that?"

"Wha-" Before he knew it, she had pushed him down onto the bed, pinning his arms against the mattress. She bit her lip as she looked down at him, their faces mere inches apart, "Because there's no one to rescue you here."

He laughed, "Should have known what I was getting myself into. I know all about the books you like to read, Blake. You're a freak, aren't you?" He raised his head, briefly kissing her on the lips.

With the move distracting her, he managed to free himself from her grip, pushing her off balance and making her collapse on top of him. Blake chuckled, "That was a dirty trick, Violet."

"What can I say, I'm known for my unconventional tactics."

She caressed his body, her hand going underneath his shirt, "Violet… You've got so many scars already."

"Do you like them?"

She lifted his shirt, finding three diagonal scars from an Ursa strike, a gunshot wound below it- courtesy of Atlas, and a faint horizontal slice from Penny's sword. "They make you look like a proper huntsman."

"I'll take that as permission to take even greater risks. If it's for you…"

"Ugh, you're impossible," Blake said as she grabbed him by the cheeks and kissed him. And it was a proper kiss, earnest, romantic. She couldn't deny it anymore, she loved him, and she wanted nothing more than to comfort his troubled soul.

AN: Yeah… I'm sorry for taking so long to update this story. I promise I haven't given up on it. I will finish it… eventually. I just got burnout from writing such large chapters, especially as a lot of the stuff I was looking forward to in this chapter didn't seem to work. Hell, I'm still not entirely happy about how it turned out, but I'm tired of staring at the same doc for months on end and I just want to continue the story.

Anyways, I took a rest from writing for a couple weeks, then started working on another story to get back into things. (It's a Ruby/Fallout:New Vegas crossover. I might publish it depending on how I feel about the story after a few more chapters)

Also, the geography of cannon RWBY is really annoying. For example, the show doesn't ever indicate that Vale and Mistral are separated by a sea, and yet they are? In this AU, Vale, Atlas, and Mistral are all located on one big landmass, with Vacuo and Menagerie being on their own landmasses. Vale, Argus, and Kuo Kuana are also the only major cannon settlements directly accessible by sea.