It was deep in the afternoon before they finished digging graves.

Members of Kilo Regiment were gathered around a series of fresh plots. Eleven had been lost to the Grimm. Five during the surprise attack. Another six during the reclamation.

Their mission had been a long slog. The task list seemed never ending. Each building was triple checked. Juvenile Nevermore nests were burned out. An Ursa Major had to be coaxed out of a burrow and disposed of. But they had pulled through.

The vile monsters had been cleared from the faunus settlement ruins. Now, all future Dust for their movement would have a place to be safely stored. This was yet another necessary step towards a major White Fang victory.

Such forward casting thoughts were far from the mourners' minds. They were concentrating on the present. On saying goodbye.

Adam Taurus only watched them briefly before returning to a separate set of burial spots. Those who had died recently were not the only ones interred here. This was a graveyard of faunus heroes. They all rested in the shadow of Fort Bergeron.

The fort was a mighty stone structure that straddled a river. It was a former military installation from the Great War. After the Treaty of Vytal abolished the armed forces of the four existing kingdoms of Vale, Mistral, Mantle, and Vacuo, the fort was abandoned.

Fort Bergeron did not stay that way. The faunus of the area had stationed a militia at the fort to defend against the Grimm. It had survived the razing of the nearby settlement due to lack of interest from the marauding humans.

Now Bergeron would serve a purpose once more. White Fang scouts would stay behind to keep watch over the hidden requisitions. The meadow beside the Fort would also be used for any fresh dead. There were sure to be many more in the near future.

Those currently grieving would not believe it now, but to be laid to rest here was a great honor. Adam himself hoped to be buried here someday. That would allow him to be close to the only people in the world who had ever truly cared for him.

One of them was in front of him. Out of respect, he had removed his mask and knelt with both knees touching the ground. He propped himself up with his hands on his legs and bowed his head towards a makeshift tombstone.

What had once been a massive war hammer marked the grave of a mighty warrior. Its head was planted firmly in the dirt while the handle reached towards the sky. The warrior's family name was roughly cut into the thick lever.

Adam sat in silent contemplation. A shadow fell over him. His head lifted to see Elder.

The larger faunus stood politely before visibly bristling. Seeing the initials of their most hated enemy, 'SDC,' seared over Adam's left eye always incensed him. There was also a note of confusion at his leader forgoing the veil of the White Fang.

"This is my teacher." Adam nodded to the marker, answering Elder's unasked question. "She saved me. Molded me. Gave me a purpose. I hide nothing from her."

He had been born in a mining camp. While growing up, he had believed his destiny was to die there. His hope of escape had perished with his parents in a tunnel collapse. His innocence was taken by the miner who had branded him. His dreams were shattered by the daily grind.

Then, one night, everything changed. He was rescued. His tormentors were punished. The mines and machinery were destroyed. All of this was accomplished by a team of faunus commandos on the orders of his teacher.

"Then I owe her as well."

Elder had been recruited in a similar way. He too had been pried loose from the clutches of the SDC. This was no mistake. The template for revolution had been copied by the current leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan.

His teacher lived on in them all.

With only slight hesitation, Elder removed his mask. The disfigurements that lay beneath were as gruesome as Adam's own. Just another similarity that bound them.

The lieutenant moved around to sit beside his commander, mimicking the respectful pose. There they kept vigil. The grave remained silent.

Minutes passed. Adam's mind wandered. His gaze ran over the other nearby plots.

Names called to him. Billy. Kohl. Davies. Cooke. Colorado. Onyx. And so many more.

After escaping the carnage, Adam returned to help bury them all. He had tried to move on by immigrating to Menagerie. Tried to be what he was before. But there was no going back.

There were so many tears shed back then. There were none now.

All that was left was a cold emptiness. One he had tried to ignore or distract himself from by using the adorations of another. The time for such diversions was over.

"Why are you here?" Adam asked Elder.

"I have an update from Trifa." The lieutenant paused to measure his next words. "She contacted Fall and received a list of targets. There are… conditions on how to go after the Dust they hold."

"Of course."

Whatever benefits Cinder Fall brought them was always balanced out by more complications. First, she strong-armed them into compliance. Then she made them into common robbers. Now she was dictating how they were allowed to operate.

It was a maddening situation. Adam had to fight down the cold fire in his heart.

"There was also another matter. It involves those who attacked us. The human knew them. We now have a name to go along with the sketch now. Trifa wanted to discuss it with us in-person back at the main camp."

That, at least, was a positive development. The invader had made a mockery of their forces. His White Fang did not forget such insults.

Adam stood, slipping his mask back on. "Onward then."


X. Hammer Stone


"-lp."

Robyn Hill looked up from her Scroll. A noise had caught her attention. It was fleeting but sounded like a shout.

The huntress had been perusing the notice board for missions. Her choices, such as they were, came down to deciding between defending a settlement's perimeter or collecting a bounty on an encroaching Grimm herd. Essentially the same mission, but one was more proactive.

She glanced around her dorm-styled room. Setting down the device on the table beside her single bed, she stood. Her hand twiddled with the crossbow mounted to her wrist. Then the noise occurred again, much clearer this time.

"Help!" Someone yelled.

As she ran out into the second-floor hallway, her platinum blonde ponytail was barely kept together by a thin hairband. Robyn was nearly run over by an equally startled Joanna Greenleaf at the stairwell. The statuesque woman was only halfway in her heavy overcoat.

Reaching the lobby, they found nothing amiss. The worn couches around a small fireplace that kept the outpost mostly habitable were empty. Exchanging looks, the two wondered where the plea for assistance had come from.

"Anybody! We got a lady down out here!"

Joanna reached the entryway first. As usual, the door to the outside was stuck. Feeling the urgency of the moment, she ripped it off the hinges.

Outdoors now, both looked around frantically. They were located far beyond the safety of any walls. All that surrounded them was flat ice and jagged mountains.

Snow fell about in flurries. Their rickety outside heaters fought valiantly but were not up to the task of keeping the tundra at bay. The equipment did manage to keep sleet from accumulating, allowing them to walk around without slipping.

"Over here!" Stumbling up to them were two recognizable huntresses in an unrecognizable situation.

The first was May Marigold. She was haggard with short navy hair that was not so neatly combed. Her orange duster had large red splotches on the inner vest. There were no visible cuts on her. The source of the blood was the shorter, faunus woman cradled to her side.

Being dragged by May was the visibly injured Fiona Thyme. Her clothing had been ripped to shreds, exposing bare skin to the elements. She shivered profusely.

"Fi!" Joanna scrambled over. "Hey! Fi! Hey!"

"H-hey yourself." Fiona whispered, bright green eyes fluttering.

"Her Aura is very low. We need to get somewhere warm." May told them.

They quickly trudged back to their home. It was a Huntsman Lodge of some renown, and not the good kind. The four were members of the most infamous lodge in all of Atlas.

Lodge H, derisively called 'Happy House' by those in the know, was the bottom barrel of lodges. Number eight of eight, positioned on the outer edge of Mantle. Much like the 'city of yesterday,' most would prefer the place forgotten.

Unofficially, Lodge H was a dumping space for those on the last leg of their career. Anyone who resided within was 'happy to be there' after losing favor with the Atlesian military. While huntsmen were free to work in any kingdom, Atlas was adept at making life miserable for the out-of-favor.

Over time, Robyn, Fiona, Johanna, and May had all ended up in the derelict lodging. While others had retired or emigrated, the core four had stayed put. They had built themselves an unironically happy home. One that was currently being rocked at the foundations.

"Set her here." Robyn, the unofficial lodge head, directed them to the couch closest to the fireplace.

They laid Fiona lengthwise on the furniture. Her light body barely sank into the rock-hard cushion. Under the glow of the flickering hearth, they could see the extent of her injuries.

Her ear, the bovid one, was bleeding profusely. One of her earrings had been pulled out without unclasping the jewelry. In addition, a mass of her soft white hair was missing. Someone had taken a razor to it.

They spent a few minutes trying to clean her wounds with their Lodge's medical kit. Robyn cursed when she saw that the disinfectant had expired. This was particularly infuriating because the kit had arrived unopened a month ago.

Atlas had either not properly checked the dates or purposefully sent them old supplies. They had to settle for using lukewarm water. Thankfully, the bandages had not lost their adhesive property.

After fixing her up, Fiona began drifting off to sleep. The trio moved over to the entryway to not disturb her rest. Joanna waited until then to roughly grab May by the collar.

"What did you do!?" She growled under her breath.

"Let go! This wasn't me!" May retorted as a whispered shout.

"She was fine when you both left!"

"I found her like this! Someone roughed her up."

"You were supposed to watch each other's backs!"

"I trusted her to look after herself. She's a huntress, not a child."

"You-"

Placing pinky fingers in her mouth, Robyn let out a whistle. The feuding ladies looked at her in agitation. Fiona's nose scrunched at the sharp noise.

"Let's all take a deep breath, huh?" Joanna reluctantly let go of May. "Start from the beginning. What happened?"

"It's, uh…" She eyed Johanna and took a step back. "You know that military encampment? The one with all the activity?"

Recently, numerous Atlas grunts had been hanging around Mantle. Ironwood himself had been sighted walking the city streets. Rumors spread that an operating base had opened right outside the city gates. One that residents were being kept far away from.

It was a strange situation. The war hounds tended to stay on their floating island. Anytime they came down to Remnant, it was a prelude to something shady going on. Given their contentious relationship with Atlas, the Happy House Huntresses' curiosity had been piqued.

"Don't tell me you-"

"We finished a delivery mission early so we went to check it out."

"Didn't we agree to do that together?"

"It was on the way back." The other two huntresses glared, making May look away. "Anyway, we were just going to scope the perimeter. Maybe take some pictures. Fiona went one way; I went the other. We were supposed to meet on the other side."

As May spoke, Joanna fumed and walked in place. Robyn knew they had a ticking time bomb in the room. But they all needed to hear the story.

"She never showed?"

May shook her head. "I circled the place twice before finding her face down in a ditch. I-I picked her up, thinking she was dead and-"

The last portion came out in a sob. Joanna, finally, stopped pacing a hole in the floor. She approached May. Instead of socking her in the face, as Robyn feared, she pulled the slender woman into a fierce but comforting hug. The blue-haired huntress went limp.

"It's not your fault." They all heard Fiona say softly.

The sheep faunus was trying to sit up. Her aches and pains had her dropping back onto the head cushion in a huff. Robyn rushed over to keep her down.

"Easy does it."

"Not May's fault. I messed up." She started again, feverishly.

Joanna walked over. "You can tell us after you-"

"No. It's important!"

"Take your time, then."

Fiona's head tilted before coming back up. "There was an Atlas ship. It had landed in a field. One of those new transport types. A Manta, I think? I thought there might be a manifest or something I could snatch inside, so I snuck in."

"It wasn't unattended." Robyn guessed.

"Soldiers caught me in the cargo hold. I pretended to be a curious local. They got angry. So angry. I let them rough me up so they would not make me as a huntress." She wheezed, clutching at her torn shirt. "They… went further than I anticipated."

Joanna's face darkened. May put a hand to her shocked face. Robyn let out a shuddering breath.

"But it was worth it! Here!"

She held out a glowing hand. A thick binder appeared from out of thin air. Robyn took it with wide, violet eyes as the faunus' Aura shattered.

Fiona's Semblance allowed her to store inanimate objects in a pocket dimension. The bigger the item, the more Aura was required to keep it stored. Once she ran out, the object would be lost forever. She had been clinging to consciousness to ensure that did not happen.

The binder itself was marked as part of a military brief. Robyn was familiar with them. Inside would be a collection of documents and memos meant to explain a major operation to key stakeholders. Information of this kind was always physically transported to cut down on possible enemy interception.

The ship Fiona had snuck into must have belonged to a high-ranking official's courier. Happening upon that particular vessel was a million-to-one occurrence. As much as Robyn hated that a friend got hurt, the opportunity had been worth the risk.

No longer burdened with her task, Fiona passed out. Robyn and May pushed forward to check on her. They both flinched when they heard the broken door behind them fall over. Joanna had left the Lodge.

Robyn cursed. "Can you-?"

"I'll watch Fiona. Go stop Jo before she kills someone."

May was not joking. Robyn was fast to chase after their friend.

It was not difficult to track the powerful huntress. Thick footprints were left in the snow. Her outline was easy to spot in the icy haze.

"Yo! Joanna! Hold up!" Robyn jogged to keep up with the heavy of their crew. "What are you doing? Huh?"

"Hunting Atlas dogs." Ice cracked under her stomps. "I'm going to neuter 'em and mail their bloody bits to Ironwood. Let him know what it means to mess with one of ours!"

The silver-haired huntress got out in front. "Fiona knew what she was getting into."

Joanna ceased her march at last to peer down at the de facto leader of Happy House. "Like being beaten into an inch of her life?"

"Atlas doesn't like people in their business."

She pushed a finger into Robyn's chest. "Those soldiers didn't know she was in their business! If they had, she would've been arrested. This was a hateful act conducted by a bunch of goons. Simple as that."

"You can't know what was in their heart."

"Would they have sheared her if she were human?"

No. Robyn knew they would not have. She wanted nothing more than to put arrows in the heads of every over-armored thug she saw. But they all needed to look at the bigger picture.

"Atlas has no idea we have this info." She raised and shook the offending binder. "If you go and cause problems, it wouldn't take a genius to put together what happened. Don't make the trouble Fiona went through pointless."

"It is pointless! All of it! All of this!" The giantess was breathing hard now. "We can't allow them to get away with it."

"They won't. I promise you that."

The two engaged in a stare down. The larger woman glared holes through the smaller. When Robyn refused to look away, Joanna huffed and switched her gaze to the horizon.

In the distance was the floating capital city of Atlas. Even out in the Solitas boonies, they could see the shadow cast by the seat of power of the greatest kingdom of Remnant. There was no mistaking the implicit threat to Mantle, situated far below.

"I want to believe."

Her anger always burned hot and fast. Now that Joanna had worked through her initial outrage, she needed a task to focus on. Robyn would give her one that was constructive.

"Fiona will need proper medical attention when she wakes up."

Taking the hint, Joanna seized it. "I'll… head into town and bring a doctor back. There are a few that owe me a favor."

With that said, she began walking towards the lower city. Hopefully, she did not run into anyone from the military. Robyn was unsure if Joanna could keep her cool. She was unsure if Joanna should keep her cool.

Everyone was at their wits end with the government. Pressure had been building for a long time, but a crescendo had been reached. The signs were glaringly apparent to those on the ground.

The populace was restless. Civilians spoke in hushed tones. Faunus feared gathering in large groups. Regular people rarely ventured back and forth between the two cities. Huntsmen side-eyed their Specialist counterparts.

Distrust fed distrust.

Robyn was not sure how much longer they could keep going like this. Something had to give. She was afraid that it would be the kingdom splitting in half.

That was why the top-secret binder was important. It might provide a clue on what Atlas was up to. If she could understand what was happening, she could get ahead of the seismic change that was surely coming.

Alone and with nothing better to do, she cracked open the binder to read. "Now, what the hell is Operation Hammer Stone?"

/ / /

"Operation Hammer Stone is the codename for a counterinsurgency force whose primary objective is to degrade, diminish, and destroy White Fang capabilities throughout the Kingdom of Vale."

As Special Operative Winter Schnee spoke, she clung to the papers in her lap tightly. There was nothing written on them. She had already memorized her talking points.

It was a trick she had learned in boot camp. Holding something prevented her from chewing her fingernails. The nervous tick was difficult to kick, even with the 'help' of a drill instructor.

"While the exact size of the opposition is unknown, signals intelligence suggests 50 to 200 enemy combatants. Most are likely novices. The exceptions are the leader of WF-V, Adam Taurus, and his lieutenant known only as 'Elder.' Both are considered high value targets, having led raids on military and private installations."

Winter chastised herself internally for a verbal slip. 'WF-V' was their terminology to distinguish the Vale/Vacuo flavor of the White Fang from the main branch on Menagerie. She would need to explain that jargon away earlier during the real presentation.

"Because this is a covert mission, we will be deploying a light force. Four companies, totaling 120 soldiers. They will report directly to-"

"Why, exactly, is this a covert mission? I thought Vale was our ally."

The sudden interruption nearly made Winter stutter. Her light blue eyes focused on the man behind the desk. Leaning back, with feet propped up and bulging, uncovered arms supporting his head, was fellow Operative Clover Ebi.

His face was unreadable. It was a blank, aesthetically pleasing visage sandwiched by cropped brown hair and a square jaw. Despite the lackadaisical stance, his modified uniform was prim and proper.

"There are operational security concerns. While they may be our allies, Vale does not have the appropriate intelligence apparatus to keep-"

"Are 120 soldiers really enough?" Clover disrupted her again. "Don't you need at least three times as many to suppress an insurgency? In fact, I've heard some experts claim five."

"That-" She took a deep breath to brace herself. "That is an accurate assessment, assuming both forces are equal. However, as I have pointed out, WF-V is not as well-prepared as our own. We will also be supplementing ours with Atlesian Knight units-"

"How much is that going to cost?"

"The supplemental budget report I filed details-"

"Yes. I read this so-called 'report.' Asset requests for AK-130s, 135s, and our new 200s. Dropships. Power armor. Fuel for all of that equipment. The costs are sure to exceed these estimates." He tossed his briefing binder onto the table. "Maybe we should rename this to Operation Boondoggle."

"That is not an accurate-"

"And what is this non-regulation transport that is part of the package? A 'Schnee Dust Company' airship? How is the SDC involved?"

"They are not involved. The airship is a commandeered vessel that I use for my personal functions as an Operative."

Atlas had seized the ship as a part of a civil-asset forfeiture case. Because Winter already knew how to fly the machine, her superiors had granted her exclusive access. The ship had come in handy in quite a few instances, hence why she had included it in the budget.

"Personal use, eh? Is there any sparkling wine or caviar onboard the vessel?"

Her nostrils flared. "Excuse me?"

"Just a concern I have. Are taxpayer funds being used for the betterment of the kingdom? Or are they being used to feed the extravagances of an heiress?" He now sported an unrestrained grin. "Sorry, I meant a former heiress."

"Now see here!" Winter roared before Clover held his hand up.

"Careful, Winnie. Remember. This is our Council you will be talking to. They have the power to make you scrub toilets for the rest of your career."

She seethed before saying. "My apologies."

Her temper was a problem. It was the one issue her drill instructor did not solve. She had tried her best, but that was something that neither the best etiquette classes nor her grandfather's strict teachings could fix.

"I doubt they will hit that low, but you should be prepared. Councilman Sleet has no love lost for the SDC and is a deficit hawk. He'll look for any reason to slow the requisition process down."

"Slow? Not stop?"

"It's a done deal. He is outnumbered and if it gets out that he voted against taking the fight to the White Fang, his political career is over. Doesn't mean he won't try to strangle you with red tape or reduce the budget, though. Did you double your projected expenditures like I asked?"

"I did." She said hesitantly.

"That is for Sleet specifically. In fact, triple it. Make him feel accomplished for any cuts he gets through. Who knows? You might end up with more than you originally wanted."

The tactic was manipulative. But Winter would do as she was told. Clover was the one with experience speaking with the Council.

While both of them were a part of the Special Operatives Unit, Clover was a commissioned officer: An 'Ace' Operative. This made him Winter's direct supervisor. Deference was to be afforded to his advice.

"Speaking of changing the report, is it proper to omit the Arrowfell technology from our list of assets?"

She personally felt that the civilian members of the Council should be made aware of any field tests of an Arrowfell. Such tech was highly experimental and dangerous. So much so that the Council had shuttered the laboratory site that had been producing them.

"Technically, Project P.E.N.N.Y. was reclassified under a different designation." She frowned at the use of a technicality. "Regardless, the Council has oversight over force authorization and bankroll. Source and methods are left to the discretion of General Ironwood."

More lying. But no matter how distasteful, this was for the good of Atlas. For everyone. P.E.N.N.Y. could one day save the world.

"Very well. Shall we start again from the beginning?"

"Let's see." He leaned forward and checked his Scroll. "We will need to cut this short. I have a team meeting in a half hour. You should be fine though. Keep practicing."

"Yes sir." She held a groan.

He sensed her discontent. "You look like you could use some fresh air. Walk with me."

Not in a position to refuse, she stood and followed him out of the room.

They were immediately greeted by an evening sky. Clover, due to his rank, was given a sleek, modular office attached to Atlas Academy. They set out together on a curving white path.

Even after working under him for a few years, she still felt out of place walking beside Clover Ebi in public. Despite a lackadaisical persona, he effortlessly commanded respect. A pack of private class soldiers jogged by them. They nearly fell over themselves while deciding if they should salute or not.

He waved them off with a smile. Without sparing a single look for Winter, they broke off into a full sprint. She desired to be seen the same way.

"Oh. I forgot to ask. Have you picked your squad?" Clover asked suddenly.

"Squad?"

"Your Sabyr squad." He clarified. "I know you have been buried in paperwork, but you cannot neglect such a major aspect of planning."

A Sabyr squad was a cross-functional team that would advise her during Operation Hammer Stone. Its members were meant to be experts in their fields who assisted in solving complex problems as they arose. This mission was likely to encounter many of them.

"Not yet. I am mulling the options."

Anticipating those issues beforehand felt impossible. Did they need a demolition expert for the bombs that WF-V were likely building? Who was to be in-charge of company readiness? What specialty should their chief scientist hold?

Sorting through the possibilities brought Winter to near panic. This would be her first such large-scale assignment. A lot was riding on its success, both for Atlas and for her personally.

"It's a big step. Operations are made or broken on less."

"Do you have any advice? This is all a bit…" Winter trailed off.

"Overwhelming?" At his prompting, she nodded. "Take your time reading through the personnel files, but don't overthink it. Trust your gut. The right people tend to stick out."

"With all due respect, I was hoping for practical advice. Not platitudes."

Clover stopped walking. Winter worried for a moment she had crossed a line. Then he started laughing. A group of technicians who were eating on a bench relocated. It was a full five minutes before he stopped.

"Wow! You are blunt."

"I'm sorry, sir, I-"

"No, no. I see why the General likes you now. You follow orders, but don't kiss your superior's butt in private. That is rather refreshing."

"Regardless, I apologize."

"Hmm, sure you do." They began walking again. "Back on topic though, I'm afraid that is the best advice you will get. Sometimes you have to build the plane while you're flying it. Experience is the hardest kind of teacher."

"Yes, sir."

"That said…" He flashed a grin. "I can give you a recommendation."

Winter perked up. "Someone from Ace-Ops?"

"Can't lend you anyone from my team. Ironwood has us busy with our own missions. However, there is a huntsman we are actively recruiting that has complementary skills."

He pulled out a Scroll and tapped away. A few seconds later, Winter received a message on her own device telling her she had access to a new document. Opening it revealed a picture of a man around her own age with fluffy green hair.

Scanning his service record, she was impressed. Glowing reviews. High success rate on missions. No demerits. A fantastic Semblance that would work well for capturing terrorists.

There was an issue with using him, though. A big one.

"He is a faunus?"

"Will that be a problem?"

Winter shook her head. "Not on my end."

She had yet to meet a faunus who did not hold her family name against her. Having such a person answer directly to her was likely to cause issues. With a mission this important, she could not afford petty grudges to infect her Sabyr squad.

"He's one of the good ones. We wouldn't consider making him an Ace Operative if he could not play well with others."

"I don't know." She had been burned before by their ilk.

"It would look good for you to pick a faunus." He said knowingly. "Him as well to accept. To be frank, there are questions about where both of your loyalties lie. Are you for Atlas? Or are you slaves to your past?"

Winter bristled. "I have been nothing but loyal. Sir."

"I know that. Ironwood knows that. But everyone else? You still have a lot to prove." They had arrived outside the main administrative building. "Here's my stop. Think about what I said."

With a quick wave, he proceeded towards the entrance. His Ace-Op coworkers were waiting in the wings. They fell into position at his side and entered as a unit.

As asked, Winter did ponder his proposal. After a brisk walk, she came upon an observation station. Her long, white hair blew in an updraft as she peered over Atlas' edge.

Far below was her kingdom. These were the people they were meant to protect. Her discomfort was nothing in the face of that. She composed a quick message to the huntsman known as Marrow Amin and then headed back to her barracks.

/ / /

Jaune Arc woke up.

It was a bizarre awakening. One that was not a gradual rousing from slumber. Rather, he had suddenly become aware that he was sitting upright in a bed.

He was dressed in a green gown with an open back. A thin blanket was over his knees. His bare back stuck to the paper covering of the pillow behind his spine. His skin was damp, not with sweat, but fresh water. Someone had bathed him.

Looking around, he did not see his personal items. The room was sparse, not quite feeling like a medical office. The smell was different and there was a monitor embedded in the opposite wall. But it was hard to imagine where else he could be but a hospital.

The teen tried to remember what had happened. He recalled being thrown onto the Queen Lancer and crawling his way on top of the Grimm's back. Then he was standing over a gaping wound in the carapace. The last bit was him chucking the Dust bomb into the gory opening.

His bright idea had been to drop the explosives in and jump over the side. Upon reflection, it was not a great plan. Adrenaline must have fried his brain if he thought that he could outrun an explosion or survive the fall.

But he did survive. Somehow.

His hand came up to touch his cheek. He recalled the withering heat that had blasted his face. Absently, the wandering fingers migrated down his neck. The opened palm was now touching the apple in his throat. Blond eyebrows drew close.

Before he knew it, the digits had wrapped themselves around his throat. There was a brutal squeeze on his windpipe. The boy gagged and spat while flailing uselessly.

Brain finally catching up to the threat of the moment, his other hand came down to grab the offending wrist. His attacking hand was unresponsive. Wiggling under the iron grip allowed some air to rush into his burning lungs.

In-between the struggles for breath, he searched for an answer. In the monitor's reflection, he saw that the hand had taken on a peach-colored hue. His Aura was active on the appendage.

The source was clear. He pulled on the fleshy noose.

"Roman?" Jaune wheezed out.

"You stupid idiot."

"Why…?"

"That's a good question! Why do I bother? I gave you everything! Money. Clothes. Knowledge. And this is how you repay me? Is this how parents feel about ungrateful kids? No wonder mine were such bastards."

Jaune would have defended himself from the verbal assault, but he was too busy with the physical. He scratched at the hijacked limb to see if pain would break the spell. Aura prevented anything from breaking through.

Roman continued on. "All that effort! Nearly wasted! If I had not arrived, you would be nothing more than a smear on the forest floor!"

"You saved me?"

"I saved you alright." The spirit growled. "Saved you so I could kill you myself!"

The thief went back to strangling the boy with impunity. Jaune clawed uselessly at the possessed hand. Everything began to go dark.

In a bit of desperation, he kicked the sidebar of the bed. The collision of flesh and metal made a loud bang. He did it again several times to be sure someone, anyone, would hear him.

Somebody did.

His room door slid open. "Jauney!"

"This isn't over." The spirit released its hold on his hand. "Not by a long shot, boyo. I'll get you back for this."

Jaune barely had a moment to breathe before Nora was there. She practically teleported on top of him in an instant, pressing up nose-to-nose. If she had noticed him strangling himself, she did not say. The girl was too elated.

"You made it! You made it! You made it!"

"H-hi, Nora." Jaune said with a red face.

Two others entered the room behind her: Weiss and Pyrrha. Jaune would have greeted them too, but he was preoccupied with a lap filled with Nora.

"I'm so glad you finally woke up!" She leaned back, with a super serious expression. "You've been out of it for three weeks."

His embarrassment evaporated. "What!? Three weeks!?"

"Kidding! It's only been a few hours." She giggled at his pale face.

A tiny, green glyph materialized beside Nora. It broke apart, resulting in a gust of wind that pushed the squawking ginger off him. Weiss took a spot next to the bed. Sadly for the boy, she did not crawl up to straddle him as well.

Her hair had been washed clean of blood but was still tinged pink. She leaned in, smelling so nice that his eyes lidded in hopes of a kiss. Instead, she grabbed his shoulders and shook him. His head snapped back and forth like the bulbous end of overcooked asparagus.

"You buffoon! You dunderpate! You-"

"Careful! I'm injured here." He pulled free of her grasp.

"We all saw what you did! After those feeble grenades failed to so much as leave a dent in the Lancer Queen-"

"Feeble!?" Nora objected from her place on the ground.

"-You should have run for safety! But noooooo… You had to charge back in and blow yourself up! You numbskull! You jobbernowl! You-"

Before Weiss could continue to berate him, Pyrrha softly spoke. "I believe you have made your point."

The Schnee heiress coughed into her hand, cutely. "Perhaps you are right. There will be plenty of time to correct such mental deficiencies during our studies here at Beacon."

"Beacon?" He repositioned himself to be more comfortable. "Is that where we are?"

"Beacon's infirmary." Weiss corrected him in a matter-of-fact manner. "They considered moving you to a hospital, but the health care professional who examined you said you were remarkably unharmed. Your only ailment is exhaustion."

"It's a miracle." Pyrrha said, teary eyed.

"Sure doesn't feel like one. I'm sore all over." He chuckled weakly. "How about the rest of you? Anything serious?"

Nora popped back up. "Clean bills of health all around! Well, except for a hairline fracture in my hip and Pyrrha's sprained legs. Oh, and Weissy has a mild concussion."

His eyes widened. "Will you all be alright?"

She gave a thumbs up. "I've gotten worse from a spar."

Pyrrha nodded. "We should be alright as long as we get enough rest. Oddly, Weiss will have the longest recovery window. Even with Aura, the brain takes longer to heal than bone and muscle. At least, that is what the nurse told us."

"I have to undergo a series of cognitive tests before they let me out into the field again." The gorgeous girl grumbled.

"So…" He had put off the question long enough. "Are we Beacon students? Did we pass?"

"How could we not have?" Weiss scoffed. "We defeated a Queen Lancer."

Nora scratched her chin. "Actually, Jaune-Jaune brought it down."

"W-well, we helped! Credit should be given for the assist!"

"But we didn't return our relic to the cliff. They flew us directly to Beacon."

The same was true for Jaune and Pyrrha. He was sure that Coco had come through for him by delivering the relic. However, recalling what Professor Goodwitch had told them, it had not been him or his partner who had handed in the chess piece.

"Does that mean we failed?"

The three girls became glum. He was the same way. After all that struggle, only to come up short, was a real heartbreaker.

"Oh for the love of-" The dead man cursed. "Screw Beacon. You lot survived something that would have killed experienced huntsmen. Be thankful that you lived to fight another day."

A wide smile creased Jaune's face. Confusion invaded everyone else's expressions. Roman was right.

"Who cares if we passed or not? If that did not qualify us for Beacon, then I don't want to go to this school anyway."

"What about our huntsman licenses?" Weiss said, alarmed at the prospect.

"We'll get them another way!" Nora cheered, suddenly chipper. "Anyone can go out there and kill Grimm! Renny and I took low tier missions all the time! We could do that while preparing for the licensing exam!"

"Not many people have received a license without going through a four-year academy." Pyrrha rained on their parade before joining in. "But nothing worth doing is easy. I would be more than amenable to trying. Um, if you will have me."

"Wooo! The Invincible Girl is in. How about you Weissy?"

"Don't call me that!" She blasted her partner with an artic glare before thawing. "And… I suppose I could tag along for a while. There are tutors I know that could assist in our independent study."

"Great!" Jaune declared, happy not to have to go it alone. "Go find my clothes and we can get out of here."

There was a knock at the door. "So sorry to interrupt."

From the opening, Headmaster Ozpin entered the room. All four teens straightened up instinctively. He set his cane against the wall before pulling out a tablet. Wiess was the one to address him.

"Did you need us, sir?"

"Yes, Miss Schnee. It is fortuitous that you are altogether. I am proud to report that there will be no need for you to study outside our academy."

He hunt-and-pecked the surface of his handheld. The larger screen behind him came to life. It mirrored his device, showing a picture of Beacon's campus before going completely blank.

"Normally this is a much more formal affair. Please forgive us for being low key this time around. Our usual procedures have been a mess."

Tired as they were, the children did not quite catch his meaning. It slowly began to dawn on them that he had overheard their plight and was changing their circumstances. They could hardly believe their ears.

"Jaune Arc. Weiss Schnee. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the White Rook piece."

On the screen, headshots of them appeared. Beneath the images were their full names. Slowly, the words faded, leaving behind a single letter each that compressed together.

'JWNN.'

"From this day forward, you will work together as Team Jaune."

The newly minted team stared at the initialization. None of them knew what to say. None, except for the second 'N' of the group.

"We did it!" Nora grabbed the person closest to her in joy.

This happened to be her fellow 'N,' Pyrrha. The redhead had anticipated a jubilant response. She was not expecting to be lifted off the ground and spun. She laughed happily and with a tinge of apprehension at being handled so casually.

The headmaster was not quite done yet. "This team will be led by Jaune Arc."

"Huh?" Was the 'J's' hapless remark.

"Led by!?" The 'W' screeched.

"Congratulations, young man. There are others that need to be informed about their placements. I will leave you to your celebrations."

The headmaster grabbed his cane, and with a twinkling grin, exited the room. As the door slid closed, Jaune felt all the tension leave his muscles. Somehow, everything had worked out.

Nora was still dancing with Pyrrha. Glancing over at Weiss, though, he spotted a problem. The girl beside him twitched with fury.

"He… made you… the leader?"

Even Jaune understood that his crush was not happy with him at that moment. He tried to make himself as small as possible and wait out the storm. This self-awareness did not ultimately save him. Not when there was a vengeful spirit within him seeking revenge.

"So, are you going to do it?" Roman asked Weiss through Jaune.

"What are you blathering about?"

Jaune felt the thief move down to his hand again. Suddenly, his pointer finger extended at her waist. She frowned, not understanding before Roman clarified.

"Didn't you say something about 'eating your own skirt' if you were forced onto Team Jaune? Well, here you are. Brand spanking new member of my team."

She suddenly became very cross. "Think very carefully about your next words, Arc."

"All I am saying is..." Jaune should have covered his mouth right then and there. "Bon appétit!"

But he was not fast enough. The damage was done. Pyrrha and Nora disentangled just in time to restrain his snow angel before she throttled him.