Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MidwayLives]

Though the facility lacked windows, night had well and truly descended at this point. Jabberwock's breakdown of the complete and utter deathmatch that was the preliminary event had specified its conclusion at dawn, and while hours had passed and some competitors had already secured their full set of keycards many more remained until the top floor was unsealed and they could actually access the exit to use them. Whether it was Nora and Pyrrha swapping tales following the vanquishing of a fierce foe, Yang's masquerade hitting a terrible brick wall in the form of the very deviant alter she was posing as revealing herself to force a sudden and involuntary partnership on her, Tock holing up with the mysterious band of mercenaries, or the Branwen twins' brush with a cultist and subsequent time spent planning, strategizing, and chiefly arguing with the eldest and most inflexible of the current Schnee generation, there were few who could claim their opening few hours had been uneventful.

Except Grey. He got lost in the library.

Perhaps lost was a misleading term; it had gone largely overlooked by other combatants, and someone with his toolset had little trouble concealing himself from androids and opponents alike among the winding maze of books. But its labyrinthian nature had made it a double-edged sword; he was unable to find Gretchen to follow up on any plans of partnering up on commencement, and in the time since he really hadn't had much luck running into... anyone.

He'd been hoping to win through stealth.

He just didn't think he'd be THIS stealthy....

"...I wonder where everyone's gone?"
​

That all changed when a large fist exploded through a bookshelf to his right, snatched him off his feet around the collar, and ripped him right through to the next aisle in a shower of books and wood chips as he found himself staring directly into the eyes of his first opponent.

Wait...

"My aura's going off-"

*BRAM*

Grey's eyes widened to the point of resembling dinnerplates as he was grabbed and scooped right off his feet.

That position didn't last long though as Grey was ripped right through and left with his feet dangling inches above the ground.

"Urk..."

This was going to be bad...
​

He had no idea whether it was man, faunus, or something else behind those burning red orbs and the fearsome snarl of a wolf helm that looked just a little bit too realistic, but whatever it was had him in a grip of iron as glowing purple patterns lit up along the gauntlets that extended the entire way up to his shoulders. The greaves he wore did likewise, and the gravity dust canisters housed in both did their work as the man tensed and pounced up, up, and over the highest bookshelf with the reporter still cinched firmly in his grasp, spun once in the air, and proceeded to absolutely piledrive Grey back down to earth, fully intent on sending him to HELL.

Wasn't really much Grey could do to resist this...

So he didn't...

*SMASH*

A crater was left where Grey had been smashed and his mask was left with cracks all over it. Holding his hand out through the smoke, a stream of black fog shot out in Big Lincoln's face. Scrambling out of the crater, Grey slumped against whatever remained of the bookcase he'd been ripped through.

"This...This isn't going to work..."

Just then before Grey could properly think up some kind of plan, a massive figure loomed over him.

"I don't like being rude. But I'll state the obvious. You don't belong here."

Grey turned with 'Poisonheart' drawn-

*THUMP*

"URGH...."

Grey was flung across the room and through a table due to a punch from the gut.

"Giving up is an option. I suggest you take it."

Grey shook his head.

"Sorry, can't do that."

Tiger stopped and smiled.

"I respect your commitment. I'll remember it."

She moved to strike Grey. Pushing up his mask, he spit a wad of fog right into the faunus's face stumbling her back.

Rolling to his feet and clutching at his stomach, Grey tried to run for the door.

"Hurt...Gotta run. Can't think like this..."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Back there...With Icy....You know what kinda event this is, right? The lowest of the low, the scummiest dregs society's got are gonna show themselves here. No reason to hide anymore or hold back. Icy was just another face in the crowd: a cold-blooded killer who'd murder to get what he wants." Satin chuckled again. "When you had him pinned down....You should have put one between his eyes. If he wasn't already screwed, he'd know that you wouldn't kill him and he'd keep coming after us....Til he killed us."

Then he went silent for a bit.

"....I don't know you, guess it doesn't really matter who either of us are when we're not here. But someone like you....I get the feeling you won't kill less you don't have a choice. Some of the folks here-hell, most of em, they won't give you that choice. It's do or die...All I'm saying." He concluded with blood starting to seep from the singed stitches on his left arm.

"No."
​

"Well...Would you look at that..."

Satin had been prepared to torch what he'd deemed as Icy's last attempt at attacking them.

But due to his death, the sphere melted to reveal what appeared to be the chick he'd killed's keycard.

"Guess that if he was gonna die, he didn't want an enemy getting BOTH cards...."

But what of the other sphere?

"Guess not." She grabbed the card.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

This brings back memories.

The short faunus girl pulled the hood of the heavy and warm jacket a little tighter around her head as she walked the streets of Mantle. There was no keeping an eye out on Shadow Fang stuff, no plotting or scheming or really even thinking about the Schnee councilwoman. She tried to not think about any of the real big stuff, only looking to take a quiet night to just...clear her head some. There was so much that was different about this Remnant. Blake, Weiss, Eve and the rest, but there was so much that was the same. Not simply similar but the exact same. Familiar sights from years past and a world away. There, there was the sandwich shop she had once favored for lunches when she had lived down in Mantle. The coffee place on the corner that brightened up many a cold morning. The bakery that made the best muffins around. Warm and flaky and...just the perfect treat to melt in your mouth. The school she went to before she got the chance to attend an Atlas prep school.

And...

She stopped along one of Mantle's residential streets, lifting her head to stare at an apartment building. The place where she, her parents and a lot of the kingdom's other miners had resided.

She knew it was technically not the same place, but it looked exactly as she remembered. She knew better now, that the seventh floor and fourth door down apartment was a tight, cramped place to live and hardly enough room for three people to reside in but at the time, as a kid...she'd thought it was just perfect. Everything about the building from the outside, it matched up perfectly with what she recalled, even though it had been years since she had been there last. There was one time when she had come back, long after they were gone...had tried to go up to their old place when she was sure nobody was inside. The landlord had stopped her though, that kind older man. Even older and with as many tenants he had probably dealt with, he still recognized her back then. Told her to go and to not return, that he didn't want to see her come back. That he was aware there was nothing left for her here beyond pain and tragedy.

That he wanted more for her than that.

Her gaze lowered to stare at the front entrance to the building, where she knew just beyond, his front desk stood. Or had once stood, anyways. She didn't know if he still owned the place or not. There was a brief smile but it was just as sad as her eyes. She could have gotten into the apartment if she tried further, benefit of being a natural infiltrator but she hadn't tried. Instead...

Ilia's eyes rose up to the roof, to the exact spot along the edge that she had sat on. Where she had just...cried. For a moment there, the chameleon could just about imagine her younger self sitting there. Ilia wondered what a younger her might have thought about all the stuff she'd experience in the future. Of all the cool and all the crazy that would go down. It was an intriguing daydream. Enough so that she wasn't exactly certain how long she stood there thinking about it but eventually she turned, going to double back to the bakery she'd passed to go get a muffin.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Hurry up hurry up!"

"Oh my gods calm down, I'm coming, sheesh."

Ruby looked far more excited than Cinder did in that moment, but despite the grumbling, the latter had a smile on her face too. Cinder could appreciate a cool looking or badass weapon but Ruby was so into this that the unbridled enthusiasm made her think that Miss Rose and Miss Valkyrie might have temporarily swapped souls or something like that. "Hey, don't sheesh me. You're the one who took a good look at my sweet Crescent and asked if maybe we could collab together and make your dinky bow awesome."

"...How dare you."

The sheer nerve, calling Midnight "dinky", how absurd. "Sure, it isn't flashy like some, but it works just fine for me!"

"That's only cause you've been thinking too small!" Ruby countered as she leaned back away from the bow. The weapon itself she hadn't done much with yet, but its ammo on the other hand. "Dust arrows are great and all but you can do so much more considering, well, arrows!"

"Like what?"

Ruby roped an arm around the other girl's shoulders, pulled her in and gestured at a small pile of a few such arrows she'd put together with scrounged up materials. Sure, they were basic examples and only meant for rough testing of how well they could potentially work but Ruby seemed pleased with them all the same. "Feast your eyes, er...eye! Among these beauties we got a glue arrow, a flashbang arrow, a metal net that also delivers electroshocks arrow, and a couple smoky ones to cover quick getaways, that sort of thing! Not so much for Grimm, keep up the dust for them, but any human or faunus baddies...they better watch out."

"...You put a lot of thought into this. And effort."

"Say it with me. Ruby Rose, weapons specialist."

"Pfft. Little early to say that, don'tcha think? We don't even know if they work yet."

Ruby pulled away, a gasp escaping her lips and hand shooting up to her mouth a split-second later, though it was clear from her expression that it was definitely more mocking than serious. "Alright, then go on and try them, you doubting doubter!"

"Fine!"

"Okay!"

"Good!!"

"GREAT!!!"

Cinder stepped over without any more words on her end, picking up her bow and notching one of those arrows. Yet as soon as it was notched, the tip of the arrow burst apart in a small explosion and covered the maiden's hand and much of her forearm in glue. "..." Slowly she turned her head back over to Ruby.

The other girl was smiling, though. More than that even, she was barely stifling her laughter. "...No. You didn't..." Cinder slowly put that together and then the laughter got far more open as Ruby stopped restraining herself. "You did that on purpose?!?" Cinder's eye flared and the sticky residue of the glue burned away from the heat. "How dare you, you punk!" The fall maiden lunged over at Ruby but she missed grabbing hold, only catching a grip on a few petals, the speedy huntress now on the other side of the workbench. "Hey hold on, I didn't even get to the best one! Tell me, what do you think about a boxing glove arrow?"

Cinder came to an abrupt halt, her anger evaporating almost in an instant after hearing that idea. "...….Seriously? A boxing glove arrow."

"Yeah! So you can punch people from far away! Ingenious!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...That's completely silly. Absolutely ludicrous. Utterly absurd. Let's do it."

"Heck yeah!"

This was clearly time well spent.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Glad to see you're enjoying yourselves. Can Penny join you?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

View attachment 745205

"Glad to see you're enjoying yourselves. Can Penny join you?"​

"...How much of that did you see...? BUT YES OF COURSE SHE CAN!"

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, though she was no less concerned/curious about what Ironwood may or may not have seen.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

The Atlas skyline was still beautiful, if nothing else, though whether it was a view tainted by the deep-dive they'd all taken into the glamorous kingdom's dark underbelly was a question only they could answer. After what they'd been through it was nothing if not a comforting sight, however, and for some among them the same may have applied to the room they were all standing in, detracted from as it was by the fact they were all in gravity dust cuffs. There was perhaps no better example of the city's beautiful architecture to be found than in Atlas Academy's headmaster's office, elaborate spiral patterns and constellations that shone just as brightly as the ones in the sky looking down from its domed ceiling, twinkling the same hardlight blue as the city illuminated beneath the veil of a dawn that hadn't quite fully broken yet did through the windows. The mahogany desk was just as populated by the various documents, devices, and books denoting it as a workstation as it had been when those who'd once reported to General Ironwood here had done so, even if the person now sitting in that chair (which looked far too big for her) cut quite the contrasting figure, dignified and elegant in her authority rather than militant.



"So. That was exceptionally dense of you all." Weiss stated neutrally, (seemingly) twin blue eyes hard in their judgment like she was still trying to figure out what exactly their angle was as she held each of them in the same cold mask of impassivity she affixed all her enemies with. Those eyes didn't soften when they passed over Yang, and if anything only seemed to grow sharper in their judgment when they finally reached Winter at the back of the room, whose rapt attention and urgent frown almost immediately had the councilwoman roll her eyes. "Not that I can fault the sentiment of wanting to secure a piece of leverageable intel over me, but I'm sure by now you must realize I had the matter of my mother's treachery well in hand. How long's it going to take for you to understand that I'm not prone to letting people play me? I'm a Schnee. I win. I always have, and I always will."

Her eyes narrowed as she gestured demonstratively to the bizarre assortment of figures around her, barely bothering to conceal the hint of pride in her voice. Tock and one Colonel Ector stood to either side of the desk, the terrifying Carnelian positioned by the windows with his back to them as he stared out expressionlessly across the city. Clover stood attentively by the door, apparently the only Ace Op Weiss saw a personal use for in her little cabal. In the shadowiest corner of the room lurked Doctor Merlot, looking on with the same veiled maniacal intrigue in his eye he always had as he twisted the furthest wisps of his goatee around thumb and forefinger, and flanking him in the shadowiest part of the shadowiest corner of the room was the lithe, supple shape of the fully rejuvenated Maria, whose silver eyes twinkled sinisterly from time to time in the darkness.

She took a weary, solemn breath, resting her cheek on her knuckle and drumming her fingers against the table with the restless irritation of someone craving nicotine.

It had been a long night.

Spoiler: THE LONG NIGHT AKA ME TRYING TO HIT SOME OF THE STORY BEATS I HAD PLANNED INDEPENDENTLY

If there was one thing that could be stated with surety about the semblance pits, it was this: Both IC and OOC, pretty much no one was having a good time. Wherever they were, whatever the dire straits they had ended up in, the combatants found the tedious violence interrupted by a series of distant rumbles and explosions as the bunker was breached from outside. Each and every android in the facility suddenly froze, irrespective of whether they were in the midst of patrols, combat, or repairs, and in the moments before they stopped acknowledging the participants entirely and rushed off to defend their master they each projected one final flickering hologram. It depicted the Jabberwock themselves, though the helmet was now removed and their hibiscus eyes burned with a vacant, rageless malice as her faunus ears twitched and she stared directly into the soul of anyone who saw it.



"You're all gonna burn for this."

Then they were gone, and all across the facility the ceaseless death battle carnage gave way to chaos of a different nature as the bunker's every floor was assaulted by neverending legions of Special Operatives and Atlesian Knights, the might of the greatest military in the world brought to bear and quickly overwhelming the defenses of a lone criminal empire. The various plot threads that had been unspooling throughout the night were promptly interrupted since that's where we're at now.

---

Qrow, Raven and Winter had been successful in rallying up enough of a force to challenge the other Raven and his lethal horde of Grimm, joined as they were eventually by Tock, Wrath and the bizarre mercenary company he commanded. A series of furious skirmishes had ensued, no decisive victor emerging on either side until in the heat of their most intense and decisive battle they all found themselves dazzled by a flare of blinding white light.



When it passed, each and every one of the wendigos was petrified in place, forming a twisted menagerie of terrifying statues that promptly had the deranged Raven drop to his knees and start worshiping its source like she was some sort of reborn deity, or 'the rose goddess in bloom' as he called it. The once-Masque was flanked by a veritable battalion of androids, soldiers and specialists, all of whom quickly dropped down to surround the competitors with weapons raised as the nearest stepped up with cuffs and gave a very perplexed Qrow a wink.

"Cavalry's here. Lucky you, huh?"



Bi panic dial up noises playing over the Sound of Silence

The only ones in the room not to be immediately held at gunpoint were Tock and the Sins, whose mysterious leader finally broke his vow of silence with a deep, grandfatherly sigh as he pulled away his mask in a swift motion.



"Aaahhh, that's better. Wasn't as much of a problem when I had younger lungs, but you sure do forget how musty the air tastes through a mask after a few years without wearing one, dontcha?"

Greed sauntered up with an air of apathy now that the bloodshed was over, hands thrust deeply in his utility pockets. "S'why the rest of us don't bother with 'em, boss. Still, the Sins are always happy for the chance to ride with the best in the game when he's not busy being some bigshot nowadays. These military gigs you send our way pay the best, anyway. Heeeey, about that..." He raised his eyebrows.

"Guess the brass figured out a way of finding this place themselves, so the rest of your mission parameters won't be necessary. That doesn't void our contract, though. You'll get it the usual way."

The man grinned. "Awesome. Well, that's it for us then! Buzz us the next time you get wound up sitting behind that desk all day and decide you wanna sin a little, for old time's sake."

Snake Eyes Selleck Carnelian snorted. "I always do, don't I? But you'd be surprised. I make time to indulge myself here and there when I can. Speaking of, pretty sure I saw an old friend around here somewhere. Be rude if I didn't say a quick hello. If you'll excuse me."

He strode out with a dutiful nod to the operatives he passed, who were busying themselves taking the likes of the Branwens, Winter and their allies into custody.

---

Yang's night was about as rough as they came. Ambushed by her horror show lookalike at an early juncture, the short-haired, mentally unraveling Yang wasted no time in showing her better-natured counterpart how much she appreciated some weak, sappy poser taking the Dragon's name in vain. She had been kept heavily restrained, bound up in such a manner even her herculean strength lacked the leverage to break free, efficiency born from a precise knowledge of where that line lay straight from the mind of a version of her who was all kinds of down to be tied up every once in a while.

She spent the next few hours drifting in and out of consciousness, though even when she was awake the liberal application of duct tape to her mouth kept her from speaking up against her doppelganger's abuse, her unhinged self apparently relishing in denying her even the scintilla of her customary swagger and self-confidence that might've returned if given the chance to sass. She wanted her to know what it was like to be the victim. She was flung, beaten, and manhandled around the halls by hands that went from abusive to overly familiar with the slightest provocation, the Grimm appendage occasionally latching onto her face to drain her and keep her aura levels, semblance, and even her will to struggle at manageable levels. Her experience could've been appropriately summed up as a cross between a pinata and a footstool, the other her dragging her leisurely through the corridors like she was on vacation as she tested the limits of her new friend to great effect, racking up an absurd bodycount amid the carnage.

There was little doubt as to why. Part of it was about proving which Yang was dominant after their last two encounters, but after a certain point all the mistreatment and reading between the lines of her yammering started to give the impression that the Yang Xiao Long of this world also just had serious esteem issues with herself; issues that had been twisted and malformed, warped into a psychotic hatred of this younger, kinder, happier version of her own face. Eventually the number of other fighters they ran into started to dry up, and the crueler Yang was bored enough that she was on the fourth or fifth round of dropping her duplicate down an elevator shaft, giving her a mocking shake where she was dangling over the abyss by the ankle.



"Ready to beg for me yet, grimm bait? Gonna cry? Jeez, who the fuck is this big show for? Y'know there's really no point in pretending you're not terrified right now. I mean, who do you think you're kidding? We're literally the only person here."

Quick as lightning, her grimm arm lashed out and elongated to whip her counterpart up to eye level, drawing her close enough that she could knead a hand through her hair sensually like she was about to pull her in for an inverted Spider-Man kiss. She leaned forward, breath hot against her skin, voice dropping to a husky and seductive whisper.

"C'mon, lover, I wanna hear you squeal. Sooner you do, the sooner I know you're ready to admit who the baddest Yang of all is, and the sooner I can stop making you feel so bad and start letting you feel good. Hell, if you're a polite little girl who does everything she's told then maybe I'll even give you a turn on top once I'm done. Sounds like fun, right? After all, if we can't make ourselves happy who can?"

That was when a second voice made itself known, curt and icy as it declared itself from the other side of the hallway.

"...Unhand her. Now."



Weiss had many thoughts on what she was witnessing when she came striding around the bend into the elevator corridor and saw... That, but for her own sanity she chose to vocalize none of them. She opted to do the rational, goal-oriented thing instead and simply pointed Myrtenaster's tip at the lunatic in the room, a bit more reticent than usual but no less calculated as she narrowed her eyes without ever blinking them. Her other hand clutched a scroll, the most efficient tracking software Atlas had to offer open with a pinging beacon to indicate the slightly more palatable Yang's location, but she stowed it in favor of concentrating on the foe before her.

Internally, she was vexed. This was the last predicament she expected to find Yang in, and it was earlier than she would've liked to confront one of Ozpin's devotees who couldn't be turned or manipulated by any lustful feelings towards her. Especially... well, this one. It had been some months since they'd crossed paths, before even Haven or her first contact with the other world's Yang, when she was still a brooding, leering brute and Weiss was still playing the part of a subservient bootlicker. How times changed. Recent developments had certainly complicated what scant relationship they once had.

Yang stared for a solid few seconds as red eyes locked with blue, eyes that had last met over the span of Ozpin's roundtable under wildly different circumstances. Both waited for the other to blink first, neither did, and eventually Yang brushed her shortly cropped hair back behind an ear and flashed her a lopsided grin.

"W-"

Weiss cut her off with a raised hand. "Or die. It's your choice."

Yang rolled her eyes, waited several more seconds with eyebrows raised in mock imploration, then continued. "...So everything I heard's true. Ooooo-ho-ho-oh, man, Weissy, Weissy, Weissy. You really fucked up, huh?"

"That's rich, coming from you." Her eyes flicked to the twitching, gurgling monstrosity she called an arm.

"Not really. Kinda don't wanna get into it, though. 'Splainin my whole deal to Remnant's most mobile dead woman seems like a waste of breath."

"Your sister doesn't seem to agree."

Yang's teeth gnashed together so hard Weiss heard it all the way down the hall, something far less fond and far more dangerous to the teeth she bared now as her eyes flared a little wider. As expected. Weiss wasn't looking for any kind of sustained dialogue here, so she kept her answers terse and laconic in the hopes of coaxing Yang into attacking so she could get this over with. "See, now that I didn't know. Don't tell me you're the one who's been filling her head with ideas? What're you, letting her crawl up your skirt?"

"Nothing so base, no."



Those red eyes flared wider still, the glint in them growing more deranged. "But you know it's all bullshit, right? She's just cozying up to whoever her fucked up little brain's obsessed with right now! You aren't changing her! There IS no changing her, I tried! I tried for FUCKING years!"

"And yet it seems you're the one who ended up changing. I'm a bit more tenacious than that." The maiden shot back calmly, ignoring the outraged snarl it provoked and hiding a smirk as Yang whipped her counterpart into the wall opposite the elevators like a discarded toy, stepping forward. "Sorry your methods were lacking, but all behavior is programmable. Every decision in the world is just a bunch of chemical impulses, dear. A series of variables, like binary. Reactions derived from stimuli. Ruby wants something from me, and early responses to the suggestion of how she might get that something have been promising. Enough so for me to believe she might be trainable given the proper reinforcement. That's about the simplest way I can put it, but let me know if I should use smaller words."

"So you're leading her on." She shot back flatly, instantly finding a simpler way.

"I am not!" Weiss scoffed, deeply affronted, which drew nothing more than a roll of the eyes. Yang stalked forward once more, digging grooves in the metal wall with her claws as she dragged them along its surface menacingly.

"Whatever. First time you won't let her in your pants she'll go fucking psycho on you, same way she did me. Maybe then you'll finally get it, if you're not already dead by then. Quick question, though. Where the fuck's my invite? I mean it's not like I'd ever take it, duh, but what the actual fuck? The abortion thinks you're cute so she just gets a royal pardon? Like I fucking don't??? Why should she get an olive branch before me? HOW is that fair?! She doesn't even know what good and bad are, she just... does whatever the fuck she feels like doing! SHE'S the one who ruined MY life!"

Something about the way that sentence was spoken and the face it came from had Weiss's own features flicker, softening her glare and drawing deeper lines to her frown as her sword's tip dropped an inch or two from where it was. "That's... disappointing to hear. But it also changes nothing. As you said, she has a loose understanding of morality at best. You're... knowingly cruel, just for the sake of it. And what's been done to you is beyond even my ability to fix. I'm giving Ruby this chance because I think there's a chance for her, Yang. But not you."

"...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggh..."

*THUD*



"Um. Hello?"

*THUD*

Ironically enough for someone so cold, calculating and ruthless, who had spent years honing her combat skills to the point of perfection, Weiss Schnee wasn't very partial to violence. The thrill of combat, yes. Killing Grimm, yes. Visceral, graphic violence involving people and blood and such, absolutely not. It turned her stomach, really, owing to a somewhat sheltered upbringing that had nevertheless been defined by it. Memories of her own blood.

*THUD*

So when Yang turned, gripped the wall with both hands with sufficient force to warp her own handholds, pulled her own head back and smashed her face into the steel surface hard enough that the first impact split a gash on her forehead open even with her aura, the sheer self-directed brutality of the act shocked her into letting her sword hand fall to her side, completely nonplussed. "Excuse me!"

Normally, of course, she could just suck it up and get on with her day. But she liked Yang's face. It was endearing. She looked like a hug. It was a rarity after a lifetime spent being disappointed by loved ones in a city as duplicitous as Atlas to meet anyone capable of actually inspiring affection in her cold, dead, heart.

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

The blood was starting to drip and pool at her feet. Weiss's face had turned white, moreso even than usual. Reluctant as she was to use any of her more maidenly gifts in full view of an enemy's cameras, in her shocked state all she could think to do was point two fingers at Yang and spawn a triptych of glyphs in front of her to try and propel her away from the wall by force. "Yang! Stop doing that, you brute!" She demanded, though it was to no avail as the unhinged berserker just dug her heels and grip in and refused to budge.

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

She finally stopped, turning and sliding down to her haunches with her back to the wall as she heaved deep breaths in and out. The fact that they were accompanied by an intense shiver of satisfaction from the dragon disturbed Weiss even further, as did the way she let her hands slide down her face and body to smear the blood out across her person, eyes blurry and unfocused, breath hitching in her throat as it came out through a grin of dazed elation.



The councilwoman, on the other hand, was shaken beyond belief, completely outside her emotional wheelhouse at the sight of any Yang doing that. "...Whatever he did to you, it's... it's completely horrific. Surely some part of you must recognize that?"

"Whatcha talkin' bout, ice queen? This is just the real me, no baggage. I'm the best I've ever been. Here, lemme show ya." Her voice was low and monotone as her hands came away from her face again, eyes a more flaming red than normal, shortened hair overflowing with so much energy it was rippling and bathing the hall in gold like it was made of fire itself. "I feel GREAT-"

A savage, malicious growl that was nothing like anything from either the human or animal kingdoms tore its way free as Yang pounced, surging for the heiress like a predator lunging from all fours. The power in her legs meant the speed she moved with was blinding, and in her unsettled state Weiss honestly wasn't sure she could've raised Myrtenaster in time had it come down to it. Thankfully, having the presence of mind to not split off from the military personnel by herself meant she didn't.

A nearby air duct exploded as a shadowy, coiling shape shot out, movements graceful and serpentine as she raced to put herself between the two in the nick of time, cloak spread out and blanketing her vicinity in a shroud of darkness. She wore a turquoise hood, and a notched, skeletal mask concealed her face's features save for the silver light already starting to stream from the eyeholes as the fruit of Merlot's research proved her worth.



"MEH. You always were a lousy sister, Yangy-poo."

Yang blinked. "Oh, what the fuUUUUUUUUUCK ME! OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING FUCK BITCH GRANDMA FUUUUCK-"

She collapsed to the floor in a heap, kicking and screaming as she clutched at the now-petrified arm jutting from her elbow. She snapped it off almost immediately, a few wispy shadows curling from the stump, and her next pounce had her clumsily smash through another pair of elevator doors and drop all the way down the empty shaft, clanging off the metal walls a few times and howling expletives long after she disappeared from view.

Maria blinked, peering down into the darkness in obvious surprise. "Woooow, that really shoulda put her down for the count! I have no idea what kinda Grimm that was! Weiss, you think I should heeeEEEEEEEEEEEY IT'S MY GIRLFRIEND!"

She cheered, scrambling over to the other Yang excitedly. Weiss stalked up to her side a second later, still a bit pale but making a point to stare down at Yang with an indulgently raised eyebrow before she made any move to start freeing her.

"You're under arrest again." :|

---

The military forces spread through the facility, overwhelming the remaining androids and competitors with little resistance. A notable name left off the arrest sheet was one Cassidy Cobalt, with the reporter Grey Winters the only soul who could truly attest to why. Just when it appeared as if his fierce, animal-themed pursuers wouldn't relent, the smiling gunslinger had appeared to lend a hand, sliding out from under a nearby shelf just in the nick of time.



"Mister Grey! I been lookin' everywhere for ya, pardner!"

They immediately dazzled with their pistolero skills as they spun, flourished and occasionally fired an oversized revolver of outdated design en route to helping Grey fend the wolf and tiger off. Just as their battle reached its fever pitch, however, the atmosphere in the library changed. The air grew chill, and the hairs on the back of all four combatant's necks started prickling their skin as the faintest noise started to scrape against their ears and send shivers down their spine. It was a sound Ruby could lay claim to hearing earlier in the fray, deep in the lower levels.



Only this time, they saw its originator too.



The terrible grimm that had been sealed away on the bottom floor was barely definable, more a face and two hands emerging from a swirling veil of darkness than anything as it hovered around the corner from the door and started a menacing advance towards them, bony hands outstretched. It was relatively slow, but escaping it was proving to be no easy task regardless; its very presence was polluting their emotions, calling to mind vivid memories of their worst memories, the very deepest sadness that dwelled in their hearts. They saw those visions reflected in the darkness surrounding it if they stared long enough, as vivid as the day they happened.

Suffice to say, everyone bolted, Cobalt quick to react as a being seemingly devoid of sadness and grabbing Grey's hand to pull him into the maze of aisles, recognizing the entity as a grimm well outside their ability to handle. Their plan was to lose it amid the books, but it was there that they ran into an unfortunate complication.

The Misery Grimm could pass straight through the shelves as though they weren't there. The parts of it that were black and smoky simply curled around the shelves like smoke, while its bony face and hands knocked books from the shelves as they passed through the gaps and spaces. While they had to deal with twists, turns and dead ends in their bid to escape, the creature simply followed them in a straight line, and it was almost upon them by the time they reached a storage closet and Cobalt made a rapid impulse decision.

"Awwww, ta heck with it! Ah went t'school for this! Mister Grey, there ain't no chance o' either of us outrunnin' this thing while it's got eyes for us, an' I know ya might not agree but ah reckon I gotta do somethin' real reckless an' stupid t'try get it off our trails! Before ya start arguin', there are three things I gotta ask ya to do for me! One! Tell the general ta stop takin' himself so serious all the time! Two, and this one's a doozy! Ya gotta be a li'l more confident in yerself, pardner! Three⁠—"

They quickdrew their massively oversized pistol and shot Grey in the fucking chest.

All six dust canisters housed in the cylinder fired at once, sending a concentrated blast out through the chamber that hit Grey with such impact it blasted him all the way to the back of the storage closet, instantly shattering his aura. The recoil should've been tremendous, but for whatever reason the weapon stayed as steady as the grave in Cobalt's hand, and as Grey composed himself the last he saw of the gunslinger was the sight of them sealing the thick reinforced door, an act preceding their promptly pistol whipping the hell out of the controls on the other side to ensure Grey could've opened it. He probably could've done so if his aura wasn't broken, but as it was it'd be 15 or 20 minutes before it replenished enough for him to stand a chance.

By the time he emerged, both Cobalt and the nightmare Grimm had vanished. Not a trace of the kingdom's greatest bounty hunter was found that night, and by the time Grey was detained by the Atlesian forces the bad omen he'd been given back in the Ace of Spades hung heavily over his mind.

---

The reunited tandem of Nora and Pyrrha managed to evade the Atlesian forces longest by happenstance, though Nora didn't evade the Grimm arm that came surging out of the darkest hallway of an intersection to abruptly shove her all the way through about six walls, lashing all the way back to Yang with immediacy as she came strutting out of the darkness. Her appendage might've already been regrown, but there was nothing mistaking the grimace on her face for anything other than sour as she grunted at Pyrrha in obvious frustration, beginning to pull her in the opposite direction of the distant crater she left Nora in by the arm.

"Thing's blown. We'll have to find our kicks some other way. Wrap up whatever the fuck this Lifetime movie is and let's bail. The old man'll lose his shit if his two best end up in prison when everyone else is already ditching him, apparently."

And then everyone got arrested except them.

Weiss had graduated from someone who craves nicotine to someone smoking nicotine over the brief period since she last spoke, kneading her temples as she sighed out of a puff of smoke with clear stress. The reports compiled in front of her from the footage of the night that had been recovered was enough to give anyone a headache, not that she needed an excuse to have headaches these days.

"Whatever you people thought you were doing, it appears I owe you some thanks. Entrants to those unsavory things are supposed to be swept for trackers and bugs to avert military attention. Everyone I was able to sneak in were. It appears, however, that whoever screened you all neglected to do so for Yang. At a guess, I'd say they were too afraid to. Your less charming self's been causing quite a stir in the underworld ever since she reemerged in Atlas, so perhaps they mistook you for her and made the mostly reasonable assumption that your reputation alone would preclude you from working for me. Which you weren't, but... well..."



"...I put four separate trackers in you that one time and whoever you had remove them all missed one?"

She was banking that if she said that part quickly and innocently enough any concerns regarding the violation of her friend's privacy might go overlooked. The fact that it may well have saved her life notwithstanding, of course.

"In any case, once I realized why you might be so far out in the tundra I simply mobilized the military and staged a direct raid on those vulgarians, thus forgoing the need for all this other nonsense, toppling a barbaric bloodsport empire that's gone unchallenged for years and proving once again why Weiss Schnee is the best thing for Atlas and humanity in general. Now, as a token of gratitude for the part you all played in that-"

She nodded to Merlot, who pushed a button on his bionic arm that had all their gravity cuffs release with a pop and a hiss, dropping to the floor.

"-Consider yourselves only sorta arrested. Atlas Academy is empty currently, so feel free to use the dorms and other facilities as you please. I do need you all to remain in one place while I sort through some things, though, so for the time being any attempts to leave the academy will result in you proceeding to real jail. No buts. And before you all start trying to press me into some sort of kangaroo court, be aware that I'm an important woman and that's not how I do things. I'd like everyone to leave the room now; anyone who wishes to speak to me is welcome to form a line outside my door, presuming of course that the topic of conversation lacks any juvenile moral judgements or cloying attempts to appeal to my humanity. If I think it's worthwhile then I'll get to you when I have a second, which is rare lately."

It was then that Winter chose her moment to step forward. "Weiss, I-"

"Except you." Weiss overruled mercilessly, suddenly extremely focused on the stationary in front of her. A vague flicking motion with her wrist signaled Clover to drag her older sister from the room.

"But I just want to speak with youuuuuuuuu-"

"Now unless there are any urgent questions, I'd ask that you all vacate my space. I know Yang and miss Hill have both stayed here before, I'm sure they remember the run of things. My colleagues are at your disposal as well."

"YEA, I GOT A QUESTION!!!!!"



Of all people, the barmaid shoved her way to the front of the group, picked a choice selection from the 'Glass him' school of dialogue options and slammed both palms down on the desk flat, missing how Weiss had to frantically motion under her desk for Carnelian, Tock, Ruby, Maria, Merlot and possibly others to all stay their hand and not kill her immediately. She thrust her hand incredulously at the huge behemoth standing at the back, looking very lost and confused.

"WHY ARE ME AN' COOKIE HERE????? WHAT THE HECK IS EVEN GOIN' ON RIGHT NOW?????????? YA GOT THE WRONG LADIES, LADY!"



Weiss probably would've taken that poorly, but A: it seemed a reasonable thing to ask given the implications, and B: something about this woman's fluffy ears and tail made her heart beat faster the same way Zwei did when he rolled over. "Oh, are you not with them? I'm terribly sorry, there must've been some sort of administrative mistake."

She shot Carnelian a glare, who gave an apathetic shrug without turning away from the window.

"Yer darn right! A ministration mistake, that there was. So me 'n the big gal are free ta go, right?"

"I'm afraid not. If you were just random participants in the tournament then you should be on a prison transport right now."

Robyn had never had someone spontaneously appear at her side and wrap an arm around her shoulder so fast before. Her hands were extremely clammy and her heart rate seemed dangerously high as her mind raced ahead of it.



"Oh nooooo it didn't woooooork yer so smaaaaaaaart aha... N-Naaaahhhh, ya got me, we're totally with these guys... Say, w-why this lady here I happen t'know intimately! Me'n Cookie, we're the newest members'a that group a'hers, ya know the one... the... Sappy Huntresses?"

"Oh."



Well, Weiss just didn't believe that even slightly. This young lady was incredibly adorable though, and a lifetime of being targeted by extremist groups had made Weiss deathly paranoid of coming off any more racist than her father already made her family look. She also just really, really didn't like the cut of Robyn Hill's anarchic demagogue jib, so any chance to inconvenience her was one she was happy to take.

"...Okay. Miss Hill, you're responsible for them both."

She shooed them on their way too, giving anyone who wished to the opportunity to go make themselves at home in the academy. Likewise, those who wanted to speak to Weiss or one of her associates were free to await the chance to do so as well.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"So. That was exceptionally dense of you all." Weiss stated neutrally, (seemingly) twin blue eyes hard in their judgment like she was still trying to figure out what exactly their angle was as she held each of them in the same cold mask of impassivity she affixed all her enemies with. Those eyes didn't soften when they passed over Yang, and if anything only seemed to grow sharper in their judgment when they finally reached Winter at the back of the room, whose rapt attention and urgent frown almost immediately had the councilwoman roll her eyes. "Not that I can fault the sentiment of wanting to secure a piece of leverageable intel over me, but I'm sure by now you must realize I had the matter of my mother's treachery well in hand. How long's it going to take for you to understand that I'm not prone to letting people play me? I'm a Schnee. I win. I always have, and I always will."

This is beyond embarrassing and shameful, Raven thought while glaring back at Weiss with a heavy frown. One of Beacon's best huntresses in recent years and here now she stood, cuffed and feeling like some kind of common criminal. But even that didn't compare to the punishment of having to listen to the arrogant drivel coming out of Schnee's mouth. Her crimson eyes likewise rolled upon hearing that, but she didn't respond otherwise. Instead, she withdrew inward, thinking back to the night and everything that went down...or what she could have done different that might have changed things.​

When it passed, each and every one of the wendigos was petrified in place, forming a twisted menagerie of terrifying statues that promptly had the deranged Raven drop to his knees and start worshiping its source like she was some sort of reborn deity, or 'the rose goddess in bloom' as he called it. The once-Masque was flanked by a veritable battalion of androids, soldiers and specialists, all of whom quickly dropped down to surround the competitors with weapons raised as the nearest stepped up with cuffs and gave a very perplexed Qrow a wink.

"Cavalry's here. Lucky you, huh?"

Bi panic dial up noises playing over the Sound of Silence

Spoiler: Flashback #1

"...Shit."

That was the most appropriate reaction she could give to seeing all that, and while she was tired, she felt confident that even so she could take the Masque in direct combat. The problem was...everybody else the lunatic had with her. There was a chance for escape, she could have made a portal to Salem or Glynda and exited stage left, but if it went wrong, that would have meant these guys would have a straight shot to them. No, not an option. So she didn't go for that, or on fighting back, instead tossing down her weapon and surrendering peacefully as they approached with cuffs. Her gaze focused on one in particular, and after hearing him speak and that wink, Raven blinked in surprise, eyes rapidly flickering back and forth between the man and Qrow. "...Huh."

Despite the seriously bad situation they were in, she couldn't keep the look on her face from emerging.

Whatever that was, it sure seemed there was a story there. Perhaps something to learn about when they weren't, y'know, getting arrested.

The only ones in the room not to be immediately held at gunpoint were Tock and the Sins, whose mysterious leader finally broke his vow of silence with a deep, grandfatherly sigh as he pulled away his mask in a swift motion.

"Aaahhh, that's better. Wasn't as much of a problem when I had younger lungs, but you sure do forget how musty the air tastes through a mask after a few years without wearing one, dontcha?"

Greed sauntered up with an air of apathy now that the bloodshed was over, hands thrust deeply in his utility pockets. "S'why the rest of us don't bother with 'em, boss. Still, the Sins are always happy for the chance to ride with the best in the game when he's not busy being some bigshot nowadays. These military gigs you send our way pay the best, anyway. Heeeey, about that..." He raised his eyebrows.

"Guess the brass figured out a way of finding this place themselves, so the rest of your mission parameters won't be necessary. That doesn't void our contract, though. You'll get it the usual way."

The man grinned. "Awesome. Well, that's it for us then! Buzz us the next time you get wound up sitting behind that desk all day and decide you wanna sin a little, for old time's sake."

Snake Eyes Selleck Carnelian snorted. "I always do, don't I? But you'd be surprised. I make time to indulge myself here and there when I can. Speaking of, pretty sure I saw an old friend around here somewhere. Be rude if I didn't say a quick hello. If you'll excuse me."

He strode out with a dutiful nod to the operatives he passed, who were busying themselves taking the likes of the Branwens, Winter and their allies into custody.

Spoiler: Flashback #2

It's him it's him It's him It's him It's him It's him It's him It's him IT'S him IT's him IT'S HIM IT'S HIM IT'S HIM

Tock's mind suddenly flared with the outburst of several voices ringing at once, a deafening echo that only she could hear. With the sudden revelation of who exactly she had been partnered with this whole time, the pain was almost unbearable. Both blades fell out of her grasp as she clutched at her head.

Go on, kill him, you know you want to. You know he deserves it.

No, he works with her. The one who helped me see...she...

Are you listening to yourself??

I...

He's the BUTCHER OF SOLITAS! The man who killed so many of our kind and made us suffer for years! It's time for retribution. In that moment the younger Sienna in her head sounded far more like the Sienna that currently ran the Shadow Fang.

No no no no SHUT UP! The crocodile faunus certainly did not inspire great feelings about her current state of mind, as she took to punching at her own skull in an attempt to silence the voices.

Even now, some time later, she did everything she could to not look Carnelian's way or acknowledge the man in any way. If she could pretend he wasn't there, then...he wouldn't be a problem. She took a step forward when the other faunus made such an aggressive move but stopped before taking any more as Weiss gestured to hold back. Is this you now, Liadan? You'd hurt your own kind on a Schnee's behalf?

...

The empty silence on her part seemed almost haunted.​

Robyn had never had someone spontaneously appear at her side and wrap an arm around her shoulder so fast before. Her hands were extremely clammy and her heart rate seemed dangerously high as her mind raced ahead of it.

"Oh nooooo it didn't woooooork yer so smaaaaaaaart aha... N-Naaaahhhh, ya got me, we're totally with these guys... Say, w-why this lady here I happen t'know intimately! Me'n Cookie, we're the newest members'a that group a'hers, ya know the one... the... Sappy Huntresses?"

The barmaid attaching herself...it was so sudden that if she wasn't as disciplined as she was and her general mood wasn't simmering with anger, Robyn might have jumped up in shock. As it were though, she just stood still, mouth opening as if to say something. Whether it was to vehemently deny the claim of getting intimate like that, or to make clear that these two were not part of her squad, or to correct the faunus woman on the name of said group, she didn't get a chance to say a single syllable.​

"Oh."

Well, Weiss just didn't believe that even slightly. This young lady was incredibly adorable though, and a lifetime of being targeted by extremist groups had made Weiss deathly paranoid of coming off any more racist than her father already made her family look. She also just really, really didn't like the cut of Robyn Hill's anarchic demagogue jib, so any chance to inconvenience her was one she was happy to take.

"...Okay. Miss Hill, you're responsible for them both."

"...Hey wait, no, hold on--" She didn't get any more words out before she was ushered out of the room. Though once outside, she took a spot to wait at the door because YEAH NO she was definitely going to talk, dammit. Though she was not first in line, that honor belonged to the Raven Branwen of this world, standing there with a serious almost bitter frown. She might have crossed her arms were they not cuffed.​

She shooed them on their way too, giving anyone who wished to the opportunity to go make themselves at home in the academy. Likewise, those who wanted to speak to Weiss or one of her associates were free to await the chance to do so as well.

Okay, no.

The tiny bruiser ignored that shooing gesture and stomped on over to the desk, repeating the same aggressive slamming of the hands down on the desk that the barmaid faunus had just done. It was difficult to determine if her rage had to do with that demeaning gesture, the whole being arrested, some lingering negativity at how she'd been manhandled by that other Yang with the grimm arm or just how Weiss was acting in general(like Weiss when she had first started at Beacon but up to ELEVEN). Sure, they weren't like, arrested arrested. Atlas Academy was probably better than actual jail but the other things were concerning. The harshness she treated her own sister with, the absolute violating of privacy that came with having four(FOUR!) tracking stuff planted on Yang, the general condescending superior attitude. Screw waiting in some line. Nora started whatever she wanted to say with one single question.

"What's the matter with you?!" ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Okay, no.

The tiny bruiser ignored that shooing gesture and stomped on over to the desk, repeating the same aggressive slamming of the hands down on the desk that the barmaid faunus had just done. It was difficult to determine if her rage had to do with that demeaning gesture, the whole being arrested, some lingering negativity at how she'd been manhandled by that other Yang with the grimm arm or just how Weiss was acting in general(like Weiss when she had first started at Beacon but up to ELEVEN). Sure, they weren't like, arrested arrested. Atlas Academy was probably better than actual jail but the other things were concerning. The harshness she treated her own sister with, the absolute violating of privacy that came with having four(FOUR!) tracking stuff planted on Yang, the general condescending superior attitude. Screw waiting in some line. Nora started whatever she wanted to say with one single question.

"What's the matter with you?!"

Before anyone could say anything else Carnelian had taken far more steps towards Nora in rapid succession than anyone could be completely comfortable with given the look on his face, wrinkles and frown lines so deep they cast shadows as his cybernetic eye probed her in a glare that had frozen men and women who saw war in their tracks. Clover and Maria also made moves, if slower ones, but all three suddenly stopped in their tracks like they were playing the most intense game of musical statues ever (with Nora playing the part of the chair) when Weiss calmly held up her hand.


"It's fine, give us the room. I'd like to get the briefest meetings out of the way first, and I can't imagine we'll have very much to say to one another. Colonel, would you make sure Yang is looked after, please?"

It had the verbiage of a polite request but carried all the authority of a direct command. She nodded to the kindest of the presences on her side of the desk in Ector, watching him lead a Yang who looked haggard to a degree even surpassing the others out with thinly veiled concern. The rest of her associates filed out in turn, Carnelian completely ignoring the sea of glares he walked through as he passed the rest of those assembled with a bit more purpose in his stride like he was out for a Sunday stroll in the park, moving off to oversee his own duties. Only when the last of them had left and Weiss and Nora were left alone in the celestial room did the councilwoman deign to speak back to her, though her confrontational aggression provoked little more than a preoccupied air of indifference as she focused on what looked to be some sort of budgetary report in front of her.

"Thank you for asking, miss Valkyrie. Take a seat."

Her tone wasn't far removed from that of a bank teller instructing someone to take a ticket and wait for her number to be called, and if Nora didn't acquiesce and sit down of her own volition a pair of precision glyphs formed around her heels and gently launched her into the chair behind her with just enough force to rattle its four legs, another snowflake spawned behind it as a brace to keep it from toppling over.

It was a full two minutes before Weiss said anything else, regardless of any follow-ups. It appeared the heiress was committed to showing her guest just how far emotional outbursts went in this office. Eventually, she signed off on the bottom of the page with a pristine, flowery signature and set her pen down, finally lifting her gaze up to affix her with a stare that contrasted Nora's fierceness in how utterly indifferent it was in its sternness, palms clasped neatly on the table before her.



"What's the matter with me? Let's see. I have a society to correct, a war to plan, an immortal horror to vanquish, a piece of perfectly good ceremonial headwear passed down by my forebears that I can never look at the same way again because of someone who looked and sounded exactly like you, and a child in my office who I presume is about to try and lecture me about how the world works even though she isn't from this world and has more than likely never held a job for more than six months. Should I go on, or is that your preferred jumping off point?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Thank you for asking, miss Valkyrie. Take a seat."

Her tone wasn't far removed from that of a bank teller instructing someone to take a ticket and wait for her number to be called, and if Nora didn't acquiesce and sit down of her own volition a pair of precision glyphs formed around her heels and gently launched her into the chair behind her with just enough force to rattle its four legs, another snowflake spawned behind it as a brace to keep it from toppling over.

She didn't move a muscle to comply with that demand but the choice was taken out of her hands by the glyphs that forced her into the chair regardless. As could be expected, that treatment didn't calm her down. Neither did the two whole minutes of being ignored. If it weren't for the fact that she was cuffed, that those glyphs were a pain to deal with, that the woman in front of her was a maiden, Nora definitely would have gone to grab the councilwoman's collar, pull her right out of that chair and held her up in the air before continuing to talk. Unfortunately, all those things applied here and so she did not do any of that.

She was pretty passive aggressively tapping her boots against the floor for those whole two minutes though.​

and a child in my office

She remarked, absolutely countering the least important of those points first. "Also I don't know what you're on about with the headwear, that doesn't really seem to fit in with the rest of the stuff you listed...but I also don't really care about that." She shrugged. "Anyways...so what? Yeah, so you got a lot on your plate. Join the club, we have to deal with a lot of the same stuff plus figuring out how to get home. That doesn't excuse or justify a lot of the stuff you're doing. You want to correct society, you say. Sorry, but where the hell do you get off? How is somebody who has no problems with murdering an old lady to get ancient magical power and is also alright with extreme violation of privacy supposed to have any idea how to "correct"--" She finger quoted. "--society?" Nora shook her head.

"Sure, okay, I may not be the most experienced person when it comes to the world, but if you honestly think either of those things are a-okay? Then you know even less than I do about how a world is supposed to work."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

She remarked, absolutely countering the least important of those points first. "Also I don't know what you're on about with the headwear, that doesn't really seem to fit in with the rest of the stuff you listed...but I also don't really care about that." She shrugged. "Anyways...so what? Yeah, so you got a lot on your plate. Join the club, we have to deal with a lot of the same stuff plus figuring out how to get home. That doesn't excuse or justify a lot of the stuff you're doing. You want to correct society, you say. Sorry, but where the hell do you get off? How is somebody who has no problems with murdering an old lady to get ancient magical power and is also alright with extreme violation of privacy supposed to have any idea how to "correct"--" She finger quoted. "--society?" Nora shook her head.

"Sure, okay, I may not be the most experienced person when it comes to the world, but if you honestly think either of those things are a-okay? Then you know even less than I do about how a world is supposed to work."

"A child." Weiss repeated, a faint ghost of a smirk tracing her lips at the need to split hairs. "It's a state of mind, dear. I'm well aware I'm only a handful of years older than you. Word to the wise for your twenties: little girls who make noise, stamp their feet and hit things they don't like rarely find their opinions being afforded a great deal of consideration or respect. Of course, a man with those same qualities might find himself at the head of a multi-billion lien Dust corporation he doesn't even have a birth claim to. Before you start trying to moralise my methods, I recommend you think very carefully about the power base you're defending and the many injustices it allows for in the name of stability. Until you do? You're little more than another complacent, juvenile armchair politician who thinks thoughts, prayers, and individual acts of kindness are enough to save the world from the many shysters who own it. The same men who've been profiting off the misfortune of the downtrodden and the impotence of anyone who cares enough to do anything about it for years."

It really was like trying to argue with her in her most raw, untempered, indiscriminate mean girl days, but it was also something more. A true terror, a nightmare of stubbornness and eloquent diction many Beacon Academy year 1 students only dared fathom in their darkest, most forgotten dreams: a Weiss Schnee who was a politician. Whose drive and diligent study to become a huntress had been substituted for debate classes, personalized combat lessons and model Atlesian small councils. If the Weiss she knew had an answer for everything, this one had answers for questions she didn't even know she wanted to ask yet.

Her eyes widened a bit at the accusations Nora leveled her way, but it was surprise infused with a sense of incredulous mirth as her hand flew to her mouth to conceal a dainty giggle.



"Goodness! You mean the old lady receiving world-class specialist care at the Donut's best medical facility as she lives out her final days in peace? Honestly. What sort of outlandish conspiracy stories have you dissidents been whispering to each other while you squat in whatever dilapidated warehouse you're living out of? This is Atlas. The technology to extract the magical essence from Fria's soul was all right there at my disposal. What in the world would I possibly stand to gain from killing her? See, being prone to this sort of sensationalized, hysterical thinking is exactly why people arguing your case never have a leg to stand on. You lack the mental discipline to divorce the truth from your need to pigeonhole me as some sort of cruel, ruthless harpy, because that's what best fits your narrative. How am I supposed to take anything you say seriously? As for Yang, well..."

The self-congratulatory countenance she adopted midway through her rebuttal fell back into a state composed neutrality at that, brow slightly raised with eyes narrowing a bit as she leveled Nora with a piercing stare of appraisal. Based on the iciness in her gaze, the prognosis wasn't good.



"...She'll just have to get over it. Where I 'get off' is the door to progress. You all surrendered your right to considerations like privacy and common decency when you made it clear you intend to oppose that, with extreme prejudice might I add. We're enemies, Valkyrie. Don't come whining to me because you start fights then can't match the lengths I'll go to to win them. You and yours have been the instigators of every single hostile encounter between us, and even Yang introduced herself to me by wrapping a hand around my throat. I think I've been quite respectful of you all in light of that, but that can change. Quickly. So be careful of the tone you take with me when you open your mouth again."

The sharp tone she herself took was like being buffeted by the cold winds of a blizzard when coupled with the uncompromising severity of her gaze.

"Besides which, that 'violation of privacy' allowed me to dismantle an underground fighting ring and rescue her from the clutches of her depraved self. I'm of the mind that the ends more than justified the means, in this instance. So do you have any other enlightening points to make, or are we done here?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

She immediately belted Weiss in the nose without warning

actual post soon-ish

 

[MidwayLives]

If there was one thing that could be stated with surety about the semblance pits, it was this: Both IC and OOC, pretty much no one was having a good time. Wherever they were, whatever the dire straits they had ended up in, the combatants found the tedious violence interrupted by a series of distant rumbles and explosions as the bunker was breached from outside. Each and every android in the facility suddenly froze, irrespective of whether they were in the midst of patrols, combat, or repairs, and in the moments before they stopped acknowledging the participants entirely and rushed off to defend their master they each projected one final flickering hologram. It depicted the Jabberwock themselves, though the helmet was now removed and their hibiscus eyes burned with a vacant, rageless malice as her faunus ears twitched and she stared directly into the soul of anyone who saw it.

"You're all gonna burn for this."

Then they were gone, and all across the facility the ceaseless death battle carnage gave way to chaos of a different nature as the bunker's every floor was assaulted by neverending legions of Special Operatives and Atlesian Knights, the might of the greatest military in the world brought to bear and quickly overwhelming the defenses of a lone criminal empire. The various plot threads that had been unspooling throughout the night were promptly interrupted since that's where we're at now.

"The hell...?"

Things hadn't been going well for Satin at all lately.

He'd been given a nasty headache, had a couple of his fingers broken, and his right arm needed to be looked at.

Then everything went to hell in a handbasket.

As Atlesian troops began filtering in, Satin decided to cut his losses.

"See ya later, toots."

He pushed Robyn away from him and threw up a wall of flames to separate the two as he raced off.

'Well, out of all unexpected things, I gotta say this was probably at the top.'

Guess it shouldn't have been too surprising in hindsight. Schnee had her fingers deep in everything that went on around Atlas. Her figuring out what the hell was going on here only felt as though it were just a matter of time. Letting himself get arrested wasn't exactly an option though. With no way to get word back from Mistral, he'd be on his own. Which meant that he'd probably never see the outside of a cell if any of Schnee's goons got a hold of him. Racing down the ever growing winding halls hearing orders to stand down and so on from less fortunate competitors, flames tickled at the edges of his eyes.

Mangled though he was, he couldn't just give up and let himself get caught. It'd piss away the whole reason he'd been sent here: to fix things and reestablish some kind of stability for the Ashes's position here which was tenuous at best and growing ever close to collapse the more of their contacts were getting found out and arrested. If the 'Rage of Life' found himself behind bars, one of the Boss's Elites, it'd send the worst kind of message: the situation is untenable, we need to bounce on out of here and leave Atlas alone.

Any Atlas operatives who tried confronting Satin or caught wind of him got massive streams of fire blown their way.

As smoke seemed to follow him wherever he went, he coughed.

"It's a shame...."

He was genuinely hoping to turn some of the others here into kindling for his flames. Ah well, some things just weren't meant to be.

As Satin urgently worked on his escape amid the chaos, he failed to notice a soft 'uryyyyyyy....' following closely behind him....

~~~
​

Qrow, Raven and Winter had been successful in rallying up enough of a force to challenge the other Raven and his lethal horde of Grimm, joined as they were eventually by Tock, Wrath and the bizarre mercenary company he commanded. A series of furious skirmishes had ensued, no decisive victor emerging on either side until in the heat of their most intense and decisive battle they all found themselves dazzled by a flare of blinding white light.

When it passed, each and every one of the wendigos was petrified in place, forming a twisted menagerie of terrifying statues that promptly had the deranged Raven drop to his knees and start worshiping its source like she was some sort of reborn deity, or 'the rose goddess in bloom' as he called it. The once-Masque was flanked by a veritable battalion of androids, soldiers and specialists, all of whom quickly dropped down to surround the competitors with weapons raised as the nearest stepped up with cuffs and gave a very perplexed Qrow a wink.

"Didn't expect to see you again so soon..."

The last time they'd talked, Qrow had threated her to stay away from his nieces.

One of whom had been nothing but kind to the former enforcer of this world's greatest evil. Despite knowing that, the other world's Yang played games with her and consoled her as though she were her actual flesh and blood. At the time his words had upset her and her reaction had earned her an admonishment from Weiss. In the end however, both of them had been right. If either Yang was to truly live their lives a little easier, the first step would be excluding herself from it. There were no words or actions she could take apart from potentially taking her own life that'd make up for a childhood of abuse and torment that'd she inflicted upon her Yang and she wasn't about to take that way out of things.

Not when she'd told Weiss she'd see this through to the end-the inevitable punishments' for her many crimes being the end result-if they all survived the doom in the horizon.

Still, a part of her had been excited at the idea of fighting.

'just...not against those two' She thought to herself as the previously gentle grip around Crescent's handle grew tighter.

She'd leave the escorting and cuffing to Clover and the others. She'd done her part.
​

The military forces spread through the facility, overwhelming the remaining androids and competitors with little resistance. A notable name left off the arrest sheet was one Cassidy Cobalt, with the reporter Grey Winters the only soul who could truly attest to why. Just when it appeared as if his fierce, animal-themed pursuers wouldn't relent, the smiling gunslinger had appeared to lend a hand, sliding out from under a nearby shelf just in the nick of time.

The library was something of a mess by the time Cobalt had intervened.

Shelves were town down, some were demolished, and Grey?

He was starting to realize he'd gotten a touch in over his head.

If he'd been given a little bit of time, any at all, to try and get his semblance working-

"Too slow!"

Grey was punched through a bookshelf and Poisonheart lay scattered among the fallen books. He doubted it'd have done much use for him here anyway. These opponents were both too strong for him to get a good stab in and there was no way he'd get their aura levels down enough to go for anything potentially debilitating. Tiger wasn't really enjoying this and truthfully had no real desire to murder the reporter but his stubborness in refusing to give up his keycard even after being viciously pummeled was something to be admired. It was as she'd told him before, she'd at least remember his defiant stand against her.

Standing over the downed resistance figure, Tiger balled her right hand up into a fist.

"One last chance. Give me the keycard and I'll let you walk away."

Grey weakly reached for his mask and lifted it up to spit off to the side.

"Can't...do that. Won't. Sorry."

Tiger nodded.

"Then it's over for you-"

As Tiger's fist came down to crack Grey's head open, he resigned himself to his fate.

It'd been his choice to sign up. His choice to fight.

It was just bad luck he'd gotten these two.
​

"Mister Grey! I been lookin' everywhere for ya, pardner!"

They immediately dazzled with their pistolero skills as they spun, flourished and occasionally fired an oversized revolver of outdated design en route to helping Grey fend the wolf and tiger off. Just as their battle reached its fever pitch, however, the atmosphere in the library changed. The air grew chill, and the hairs on the back of all four combatant's necks started prickling their skin as the faintest noise started to scrape against their ears and send shivers down their spine. It was a sound Ruby could lay claim to hearing earlier in the fray, deep in the lower levels.

"Cobalt!"

Tiger turned her head and was promptly shot right in the face.

Aura protecting her of course.

Grey couldn't have been happier if he tried. It was as if the aches and pains throughout his body didn't matter. Somehow it was always something about Cobalt's optimistic prescence that uplifted him. Even when he was at his most cynical. Reaching out with one of the tendrils on his costume, he wrapped it around the hilt of Poisonheart and whipped it back to where it belonged: in his hand.

"I'm glad you found me..."
​

Only this time, they saw its originator too.

The terrible grimm that had been sealed away on the bottom floor was barely definable, more a face and two hands emerging from a swirling veil of darkness than anything as it hovered around the corner from the door and started a menacing advance towards them, bony hands outstretched. It was relatively slow, but escaping it was proving to be no easy task regardless; its very presence was polluting their emotions, calling to mind vivid memories of their worst memories, the very deepest sadness that dwelled in their hearts. They saw those visions reflected in the darkness surrounding it if they stared long enough, as vivid as the day they happened.

Suffice to say, everyone bolted, Cobalt quick to react as a being seemingly devoid of sadness and grabbing Grey's hand to pull him into the maze of aisles, recognizing the entity as a grimm well outside their ability to handle. Their plan was to lose it amid the books, but it was there that they ran into an unfortunate complication.

The Misery Grimm could pass straight through the shelves as though they weren't there. The parts of it that were black and smoky simply curled around the shelves like smoke, while its bony face and hands knocked books from the shelves as they passed through the gaps and spaces. While they had to deal with twists, turns and dead ends in their bid to escape, the creature simply followed them in a straight line, and it was almost upon them by the time they reached a storage closet and Cobalt made a rapid impulse decision.

"Awwww, ta heck with it! Ah went t'school for this! Mister Grey, there ain't no chance o' either of us outrunnin' this thing while it's got eyes for us, an' I know ya might not agree but ah reckon I gotta do somethin' real reckless an' stupid t'try get it off our trails! Before ya start arguin', there are three things I gotta ask ya to do for me! One! Tell the general ta stop takin' himself so serious all the time! Two, and this one's a doozy! Ya gotta be a li'l more confident in yerself, pardner! Three⁠—"

They'd managed to escape from the faunus and her partner.

That was good news!

Then this terrible abomination found them.

That was most definitely bad news.

His semblance worked to induce hallucinations/fears but this Grimm...It looked as if it were a nightmare itself. His fog and his weapon couldn't do anything against that. Coming to an abrupt stop, Grey listened to Cobalt's instructions and shook his head. "Cobalt....No....You saved me, I can't let you do-"
​

They quickdrew their massively oversized pistol and shot Grey in the fucking chest.

All six dust canisters housed in the cylinder fired at once, sending a concentrated blast out through the chamber that hit Grey with such impact it blasted him all the way to the back of the storage closet, instantly shattering his aura. The recoil should've been tremendous, but for whatever reason the weapon stayed as steady as the grave in Cobalt's hand, and as Grey composed himself the last he saw of the gunslinger was the sight of them sealing the thick reinforced door, an act preceding their promptly pistol whipping the hell out of the controls on the other side to ensure Grey could've opened it. He probably could've done so if his aura wasn't broken, but as it was it'd be 15 or 20 minutes before it replenished enough for him to stand a chance.

By the time he emerged, both Cobalt and the nightmare Grimm had vanished. Not a trace of the kingdom's greatest bounty hunter was found that night, and by the time Grey was detained by the Atlesian forces the bad omen he'd been given back in the Ace of Spades hung heavily over his mind.

Grey was blown back off his feet by the shot-obviously-and could do little but weakly hold his hand out.

"Cobalt..."

But it was too late for him to do anything. It'd been too late for him to do anything from the moment he signed up.

When he finally felt wel enough to stagger to his feet, he wrenched the doors open with Poisonheart and staggered out.

Cobalt was gone.

He fell to his knees and clutched onto either side of his mask.

Pulling it off over his head, his eyes were glistening.

"No..."

As the troops arrived, his mask had fallen to the ground and he was completely unresponsive as they arrested him.

​

She shooed them on their way too, giving anyone who wished to the opportunity to go make themselves at home in the academy. Likewise, those who wanted to speak to Weiss or one of her associates were free to await the chance to do so as well.

Grey didn't say anything.

He hadn't even moved until a forceful shove from Ruby got him walking towards the door to join the other that'd been detained.

But the look in his eyes was one Ruby had seen many times.

They were vacant, in other words the lights were on.

But nobody was home.

​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"A child." Weiss repeated, a faint ghost of a smirk tracing her lips at the need to split hairs. "It's a state of mind, dear. I'm well aware I'm only a handful of years older than you. Word to the wise for your twenties: little girls who make noise, stamp their feet and hit things they don't like rarely find their opinions being afforded a great deal of consideration or respect. Of course, a man with those same qualities might find himself at the head of a multi-billion lien Dust corporation he doesn't even have a birth claim to. Before you start trying to moralise my methods, I recommend you think very carefully about the power base you're defending and the many injustices it allows for in the name of stability. Until you do? You're little more than another complacent, juvenile armchair politician who thinks thoughts, prayers, and individual acts of kindness are enough to save the world from the many shysters who own it. The same men who've been profiting off the misfortune of the downtrodden and the impotence of anyone who cares enough to do anything about it for years."

Nora couldn't roll her eyes harder if she tried. "Believe me, you don't need to tell me about the system is not the fairest in the world. I know how bad it can be, I've lived it. From what I've been told, from what I've gathered...yeah, the kind of society you want to make, it sounds nice. The intention seems great. I just hope you don't have to resort to illegal, underhanded or unjust things to accomplish it. Like you did with Yang and those four total invasions of privacy...and you could stand to be less of an uptight jerk about everything." Rather than explicitly irritated or annoyed or angry, she sounded and looked more disappointed.​

"Goodness! You mean the old lady receiving world-class specialist care at the Donut's best medical facility as she lives out her final days in peace? Honestly. What sort of outlandish conspiracy stories have you dissidents been whispering to each other while you squat in whatever dilapidated warehouse you're living out of? This is Atlas. The technology to extract the magical essence from Fria's soul was all right there at my disposal. What in the world would I possibly stand to gain from killing her? See, being prone to this sort of sensationalized, hysterical thinking is exactly why people arguing your case never have a leg to stand on. You lack the mental discipline to divorce the truth from your need to pigeonhole me as some sort of cruel, ruthless harpy, because that's what best fits your narrative. How am I supposed to take anything you say seriously? As for Yang, well..."

"Oh good, so you're not completely heartless." In truth, from what she'd heard the previous maiden's current state had been...uncertain at best. She had assumed the worst, but if Weiss could be trusted at her word, and that was a pretty big if, that at least was something.​

The self-congratulatory countenance she adopted midway through her rebuttal fell back into a state composed neutrality at that, brow slightly raised with eyes narrowing a bit as she leveled Nora with a piercing stare of appraisal. Based on the iciness in her gaze, the prognosis wasn't good.

"...She'll just have to get over it. Where I 'get off' is the door to progress. You all surrendered your right to considerations like privacy and common decency when you made it clear you intend to oppose that, with extreme prejudice might I add. We're enemies, Valkyrie. Don't come whining to me because you start fights then can't match the lengths I'll go to to win them. You and yours have been the instigators of every single hostile encounter between us, and even Yang introduced herself to me by wrapping a hand around my throat. I think I've been quite respectful of you all in light of that, but that can change. Quickly. So be careful of the tone you take with me when you open your mouth again."

The sharp tone she herself took was like being buffeted by the cold winds of a blizzard when coupled with the uncompromising severity of her gaze.

She rolled her eyes again. "Must have missed the part in the contract that said those things are no longer a right." She snarked. "And yeah, one hundred percent. Totally respectful, planting those tracking bugs. Taking your butcher off his leash and pointing him at my friends. Whatever you did to Maria or the croc lady or Raven...a lot of respect there. Plenty. Tons." ​

"Besides which, that 'violation of privacy' allowed me to dismantle an underground fighting ring and rescue her from the clutches of her depraved self. I'm of the mind that the ends more than justified the means, in this instance. So do you have any other enlightening points to make, or are we done here?"

"Uh-huh, of course you're of that mind. Anything to justify your actions, no matter how messed up. Not much of a rescue if you get thrown in pseudo-jail after." She didn't roll her eyes a third time, but the attitude was definitely in there. Even so... "Yeah, I got one. You can be a real cold and uptight jerk, maybe loosen up your panties." : | "Cause, thing is, yeah you aren't the nicest person in the world, and you'll go to questionable lengths, but...well, a few of us want to give you the benefit of the doubt. Hard to blame them, and honestly, well...the enemy of my enemy and all? It'd make sense to not be fighting against each other while dealing with bigger things. Just know, if that does happen to go that way and when this is all done, if you do something messed up like that for whatever reason...your knight won't stop me next time."

She hesitated. "And please do try to be less of a jerk to your sister. This Remnant already has one screwed up sister relationship that I know about." ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Nora couldn't roll her eyes harder if she tried. "Believe me, you don't need to tell me about the system is not the fairest in the world. I know how bad it can be, I've lived it. From what I've been told, from what I've gathered...yeah, the kind of society you want to make, it sounds nice. The intention seems great. I just hope you don't have to resort to illegal, underhanded or unjust things to accomplish it. Like you did with Yang and those four total invasions of privacy...and you could stand to be less of an uptight jerk about everything." Rather than explicitly irritated or annoyed or angry, she sounded and looked more disappointed.

She couldn't roll her eyes harder than Weiss either. "Fortunately, I'm about as affected by your judgment of anything I may or may not have to do as I am your childish name-calling. I've heard it all before, miss Valkyrie. There's no angle you can approach this from I haven't already considered a million times. Concepts like legality and justice, they're nothing more than empty platitudes. A shield the real masters of Remnant have used to shift the blame and avoid responsibility for years. I'd expect someone who was once stepped over in the street while she starved to get it, but if you're still not convinced go ask a member of the Shadow Fang what's 'fair' or 'just' about the world. Then ask yourself why they're not even the first faunus extremist paramilitary our society's given rise to in recent years."

Even knee-deep in an argument about morality the woman was a long way from discarding her airy presence, the words as practiced and well-spoken as if she'd said them thousands of times before a mirror. A solid half her attention was already back on the paperwork in front of her, seemingly only making an obligatory effort in the conversation at this point.

"The rulebook may have been written with equity in mind, but in the years since it's come to be defined by its complete and utter inability to serve everyone the same way. Not when all it takes to weaponize it is a little influence and power. I'm simply going to be the first to weaponize it to a noble end, and I decided a long time ago I won't be letting moral dilemmas or ethical quandaries stop me. Nor the judgment of some self-righteous child who keeps rolling her eyes at me like we're in high school."

She finally met Nora on her own level of snarky intonations for that last part, giving a light shake of the head that set her ponytail swaying.

"Dangerous words to hear from a politician, I know. They couldn't be trusted from the mouth of just about any authority figure in the history of Remnant, but I'm not them. There's never been anyone like me before. They all had petty feelings like anger, greed and pride muddling their decisionmaking, but I've been severing those messy strings out of necessity ever since I was a child. I was born to do this. You'll find I have very little regard for my own life, miss Valkyrie. Only my purpose."

"Oh good, so you're not completely heartless." In truth, from what she'd heard the previous maiden's current state had been...uncertain at best. She had assumed the worst, but if Weiss could be trusted at her word, and that was a pretty big if, that at least was something.

She offered only a faintly amused hum at that.

She rolled her eyes again. "Must have missed the part in the contract that said those things are no longer a right." She snarked. "And yeah, one hundred percent. Totally respectful, planting those tracking bugs. Taking your butcher off his leash and pointing him at my friends. Whatever you did to Maria or the croc lady or Raven...a lot of respect there. Plenty. Tons."

Weiss had been fielding the accusations with the patient air of a woman dealing with someone she found slow, but at the specific names Nora dropped couldn't help but give a short, incredulous scoff. "Excuse me? Maybe you should visit Merlot's lab and ask Maria yourself what exactly it is I've 'done' to her. As for your world's Raven Branwen, Yang told me all about how she became the Spring Maiden by murdering her predecessor. With that in mind, I think my treatment was more respectful than she deserved. I'm hardly to blame if she had some sort of breakdown and ran from her commitments again, nor do I have much sympathy."

There was a mild furrow to her brow at the mention of the woman her left eye now served as a constant reminder of, almost too faint to notice. Mostly because she was still getting used to wearing contacts and it wasn't exactly doing wonders for her stress headaches.

"We've been over the trackers, and Salem's immortal attack dog warrants more extreme measures than the rest of you. Lastly, Borous attacked because I was attacked. None of that went the way it was supposed to. And seriously, calling him something as dogmatic and crude as my 'butcher' makes it sound like you've been taking the same brainwashing elective Blake Belladonna has. I've known him since I was a little girl. He may not be the most savory man, but he has a soft spot for my family and makes for a powerful ally in a time when I need them most."

She pursed her lips, letting a soft sigh escape through the nose.

"Not to mention, shaking hands with serpents is the only way to thrive in Atlas. It's a kingdom full of them. Do you have any idea what the ceiling is for someone in my position with a reputation as a bleeding heart? It's not high. If I got up on a soapbox and started shouting down every little injustice I saw, I'd be branded a threat by the rest of the ruling class and prevented from accumulating the resources I need to actually change anything. There's an element of tact to all this, you know. A concept I'm sure you're unfamiliar with."

"Yeah, I got one. You can be a real cold and uptight jerk, maybe loosen up your panties." : |

"Who says I'm wearing any? Ha! No, I am. They're silk."

Apparently a feature of knowing a Weiss who had actually lived in the world and had a social life outside Beacon was that she A: was much less inhibited and B: both told and laughed at her own jokes, which was... something.

"More to the point, that's the second time you've called me uptight and yet you're the one nagging me. Do they not have dictionaries in your dimension?" :|

"Cause, thing is, yeah you aren't the nicest person in the world, and you'll go to questionable lengths, but...well, a few of us want to give you the benefit of the doubt. Hard to blame them, and honestly, well...the enemy of my enemy and all? It'd make sense to not be fighting against each other while dealing with bigger things. Just know, if that does happen to go that way and when this is all done, if you do something messed up like that for whatever reason...your knight won't stop me next time."

She said nothing to the bulk of her words, but on that final note her eyes flicked in back in another roll to level their tallies at two apiece. "No, Valkyrie. I will."

She seemed to consider the conversation largely over, but there were frightening amounts of resolve in those two words; as well as the cold, cautioning stare behind them.

She hesitated. "And please do try to be less of a jerk to your sister. This Remnant already has one screwed up sister relationship that I know about."

?????? "How is that any of your business??? Get out."

Now she was truly done, and a glyph appeared under Nora's backside to bump her back up to her feet as Weiss pointed for the door, attention now fully on the work before her.

"Maybe you should put your sentimentality to better use and go figure out what's wrong with that reporter fellow. I'd have expected him to be the first one lining up to ask questions. Speaking of which, you can tell whoever's next they may enter⁠—But please, issue a gentle reminder that I already said I have absolutely no interest in being preached to or lectured at. You know, since you immediately forgot." :| "I'll be lenient this time since your equivalent in this world never was good at controlling her mouth, but I advise you try a little harder next time. Or I'll do it for you."

That stern warning issued, Nora was once more shooed.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah." was Nora's only response to most of that, coupled with her mockingly moving her hand like it was a puppet. If Weiss was going to keep calling her a child, then an absurdly childish response was what she was gonna get. That and after the night the ginger just had, even the hyperactive Valkyrie didn't have the energy to dissect all those words and counter those points in a lengthy talk. There was only a couple times the sassy attitude Nora cranked up to max power faltered.​

"Who says I'm wearing any? Ha! No, I am. They're silk."

Apparently a feature of knowing a Weiss who had actually lived in the world and had a social life outside Beacon was that she A: was much less inhibited and B: both told and laughed at her own jokes, which was... something.

"A Weiss who can make dirty jokes? Now I've seen it all..." ​

?????? "How is that any of your business??? Get out."

Now she was truly done, and a glyph appeared under Nora's backside to bump her back up to her feet as Weiss pointed for the door, attention now fully on the work before her.

As well as this moment as she got shoved back up into standing and Weiss pointed at the door for her like she was a pet or something. That gesture really got under her skin, as evident by the glare she directed towards the councilwoman. Even with her attention on the work, it was hard to miss the gaze that might as well have burned its way through her skull, intense as it was.

Though after a few seconds, she let up and turned away, speaking over her shoulder as she headed out.​

"Maybe you should put your sentimentality to better use and go figure out what's wrong with that reporter fellow. I'd have expected him to be the first one lining up to ask questions. Speaking of which, you can tell whoever's next they may enter⁠—But please, issue a gentle reminder that I already said I have absolutely no interest in being preached to or lectured at. You know, since you immediately forgot." :| "I'll be lenient this time since your equivalent in this world never was good at controlling her mouth, but I advise you try a little harder next time. Or I'll do it for you."

"I didn't forget. I just chose to ignore what you wanted." :|

Then she was out of the room, a thumb jabbed over to the door and "you're up, birdy" the only indication she gave to Raven that she could proceed. Nora also deliberately refrained from giving any reminder as she stomped off. Raven took it in stride, stepping through the door before it had even closed behind the young girl. "...Councilwoman Schnee." Despite the messy nature of their last meeting in that cellar, the knowledge that this woman had been an agent of humanity's greatest threat for years(a threat that the youngest of the three Branwens currently in this world had dedicated more than half her life to fighting against) and had been party to who knows how many atrocities as well as setting terrorists free...in spite of all that and more, Raven's greeting managed to be neutral. Polite might have been stretching it, and cordial definitely was, but at the very least she managed to keep the distaste she had for Weiss Schnee out of her voice. If they were actually going to make a go at uniting against the bigger threat, snapping at each other wouldn't help...even though she felt relatively sure Nora had already done some of that.

"I don't intend to be here longer than is absolutely necessary, so I'm just going to be blunt about it. I'm only here to ask you one thing. What did you do to Tock? I know you did something. It's not just the fact that she seems...unstable. I've known her for a long time, she was more loyal to Salem than any of us. Not to mention, knowing how she lived and the kind of person she is? The last thing I'd expect from her is taking up security for the rich, pampered, privileged and arrogant types. She wouldn't just abandon ship to step into that life, so tell me, what in the brothers' name did you have done to her? And tell me the truth. I've lived long enough to know how to spot a lie and I'd rather not have to drag in Hill to guarantee getting the truth out of you." ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah." was Nora's only response to most of that, coupled with her mockingly moving her hand like it was a puppet. If Weiss was going to keep calling her a child, then an absurdly childish response was what she was gonna get. That and after the night the ginger just had, even the hyperactive Valkyrie didn't have the energy to dissect all those words and counter those points in a lengthy talk. There was only a couple times the sassy attitude Nora cranked up to max power faltered.

"That's⁠—Stop⁠—That's just childish, you're like a ridiculous little baby right now, what do you possibly hope to⁠—"



She quickly just stopped bothering. Weiss hid it well, but regardless of age, home universe or criminal affiliations good lord did this woman know how to push her buttons.

"...Councilwoman Schnee." Despite the messy nature of their last meeting in that cellar, the knowledge that this woman had been an agent of humanity's greatest threat for years(a threat that the youngest of the three Branwens currently in this world had dedicated more than half her life to fighting against) and had been party to who knows how many atrocities as well as setting terrorists free...in spite of all that and more, Raven's greeting managed to be neutral. Polite might have been stretching it, and cordial definitely was, but at the very least she managed to keep the distaste she had for Weiss Schnee out of her voice. If they were actually going to make a go at uniting against the bigger threat, snapping at each other wouldn't help...even though she felt relatively sure Nora had already done some of that.

"I don't intend to be here longer than is absolutely necessary, so I'm just going to be blunt about it. I'm only here to ask you one thing. What did you do to Tock? I know you did something. It's not just the fact that she seems...unstable. I've known her for a long time, she was more loyal to Salem than any of us. Not to mention, knowing how she lived and the kind of person she is? The last thing I'd expect from her is taking up security for the rich, pampered, privileged and arrogant types. She wouldn't just abandon ship to step into that life, so tell me, what in the brothers' name did you have done to her? And tell me the truth. I've lived long enough to know how to spot a lie and I'd rather not have to drag in Hill to guarantee getting the truth out of you."

Ah. Her.

Weiss swore she could feel her eye tingling as she set her pen down again and gave Raven a very plain, neutral look, keeping her inner thoughts while she surveyed the Salem loyalist carefully guarded. Well, at least her tone was respectful if not her wording. Her eyebrow levered higher and higher with each successive word during the 'rich, pampered, privileged and arrogant' string, but she brushed it off and set her hands on the table before answering candidly.

"As if I'd ever let her do her little party trick anywhere near me. The third-degree is unnecessary, you know. I may have told Salem quite the number of lies over the years, but now that we're all aware of where we stand I have nothing more to hide from you. All chips are down, as it were."

She held her stare a few moments without speaking for emphasis, as well as to compile an answer.

"Since you asked semi-respectfully, I'll tell you. You recognized my associate Merlot, yes? He used to be Vale-based. He's had his share of run-ins with Salem in the past, maybe you were there for some. He's currently working out of a laboratory in the academy's sub-levels, and while I was stressing over what to do with the immortal, unkillable Salem lapdog you dropped into my home, whose semblance makes her impervious to harm and link to your semblance makes her nigh-impossible to contain long term, he offered a solution. Some 'cognitive realignment therapy' or something, I don't know. Science stuff. He's secretive about his methods, so generally I don't ask. Running a company is about finding pioneers in your industry and outsourcing your problems to them, so that's what I do. Satisfied?"

There was nothing to indicate the words were anything other than honest or truthful, either in the way they were spoken or her face as she held her cool, impassive gaze.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Since you asked semi-respectfully, I'll tell you. You recognized my associate Merlot, yes? He used to be Vale-based. He's had his share of run-ins with Salem in the past, maybe you were there for some. He's currently working out of a laboratory in the academy's sub-levels, and while I was stressing over what to do with the immortal, unkillable Salem lapdog you dropped into my home, whose semblance makes her impervious to harm and link to your semblance makes her nigh-impossible to contain long term, he offered a solution. Some 'cognitive realignment therapy' or something, I don't know. Science stuff. He's secretive about his methods, so generally I don't ask. Running a company is about finding pioneers in your industry and outsourcing your problems to them, so that's what I do. Satisfied?"

There was nothing to indicate the words were anything other than honest or truthful, either in the way they were spoken or her face as she held her cool, impassive gaze.

"...Yes." She answered succinctly and nodded as well. Her gut instinct told her nothing about what Schnee had just said seemed insincere in the slightest. That was exactly the answer she had been hoping for. Now she had some idea what must have gone on, as well as having a name, a face...and a target, if needs be. "I want a meeting with Merlot. Can you arrange that, as soon as possible, preferably. If you're charitable enough to give me that." ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...Yes." She answered succinctly and nodded as well. Her gut instinct told her nothing about what Schnee had just said seemed insincere in the slightest. That was exactly the answer she had been hoping for. Now she had some idea what must have gone on, as well as having a name, a face...and a target, if needs be. "I want a meeting with Merlot. Can you arrange that, as soon as possible, preferably. If you're charitable enough to give me that."

Well her first instinct was a hard no. But in a way she supposed she owed these people a debt, so...

"Crazy as he may be, the doctor is a crucial part of my future plans. There isn't a researcher alive who's made more advances in the field of Grimm biology, which is of great importance to me for obvious reasons. What exactly is your intention with this meeting?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

View attachment 747213

Well her first instinct was a hard no. But in a way she supposed she owed these people a debt, so...

"Crazy as he may be, the doctor is a crucial part of my future plans. There isn't a researcher alive who's made more advances in the field of Grimm biology, which is of great importance to me for obvious reasons. What exactly is your intention with this meeting?"​

"Only a talk, that's all. What's the matter, it isn't like you have anything to worry about." Raven lifted her cuffed hands up and shook them a bit for emphasis. "Not like I can do anything that crazy with this on, unless you mean you plan to uncuff me. Which, hey, no arguments here but somehow I doubt you intend anything of the sort. So is that a yes or a no?" ​

 

[MidwayLives]

As imposing of a figure as Ruby liked to believe she cut, the former enforcer of evil was troubled.

Guarding and or watching over those waiting in line was no trouble. They were cuffed and she'd cut them down in a moment's notice if she had to.

But even after the time she'd spent by Weiss's side, something about this didn't feel right.

She believed in Weiss's goals: that they'd make not only Atlas but the world a better place. A walking plague like Ozpin needed to be stopped and along the way, Weiss would help Ruby escape the trappings of the monster she'd once been. Or if you asked certain people like Ruby's sister, she still was that same monster in the body of a well-meaning girl. Thoughts of whether she deserved this chance or if Weiss was planning to simply kill her when her 'use' had dried up were common thoughts at this point. She didn't like that they were but nothing she tried would get rid of them. With her cape flowing behind her, the fingers on her prosthetic hand clicked as she methodically opened and closed her hand. Weiss had helpepd Maria and for that Ruby would always be grateful.

Ruby felt that by simply not murdering her on the first night they spoke, Weiss had meant it when she'd said she'd help her.

Her face on the outside was cold and stoic. At least until someone if anyone approached her. It wouldn't do to be rude. Even when she was working for Ozpin, she didn't believe in being cruel/rude unless it was absolutely warranted/you were pushed first.

But the young Rose couldn't help but wonder.

'What'll happen once we win?'
​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Only a talk, that's all. What's the matter, it isn't like you have anything to worry about." Raven lifted her cuffed hands up and shook them a bit for emphasis. "Not like I can do anything that crazy with this on, unless you mean you plan to uncuff me. Which, hey, no arguments here but somehow I doubt you intend anything of the sort. So is that a yes or a no?"

"Well, actually they were supposed to-"

She nodded to Merlot, who pushed a button on his bionic arm that had all their gravity cuffs release with a pop and a hiss, dropping to the floor.

"...Never mind."

She supposed one or two of them must've been broken, judging from Nora and now the Branwen woman. Oh well, she had no love for either of them. They could stay on.

"You know what? Fine. Whatever. You can have a meeting with him after I finish up here. With me present, naturally."

Her eyes narrowed sharply at that, a non-verbal warning that she had no qualms about enforcing the huntress's promise if necessary.

"Now if that's all...?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Well, actually they were supposed to-"

View attachment 747244



"...Never mind."

She supposed one or two of them must've been broken, judging from Nora and now the Branwen woman. Oh well, she had no love for either of them. They could stay on.

"You know what? Fine. Whatever. You can have a meeting with him after I finish up here. With me present, naturally."

Her eyes narrowed sharply at that, a non-verbal warning that she had no qualms about enforcing the huntress's promise if necessary.

"Now if that's all...?"​

"Wait wait wait, what was that?" Raven blinked. "Are you saying mine was supposed to pop off too? You didn't keep it on me on purpose??" That the tired player didn't forget that bit? "I was going to just walk out and say yeah that's all but if I can get these off too...that'd be gracious of you. Other than that, yeah, that's fine and that's all and we're done here." ​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Wait wait wait, what was that?" Raven blinked. "Are you saying mine was supposed to pop off too? You didn't keep it on me on purpose??" That the tired player didn't forget that bit? "I was going to just walk out and say yeah that's all but if I can get these off too...that'd be gracious of you. Other than that, yeah, that's fine and that's all and we're done here." ​

​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...Fine." Raven growled, turning right around without another word and stalking for the door out. She'd just have to find Qrow or Yang or somebody to help get her out of these. Bet if I was blonde and batted some eyelashes, Schnee would have bent right over to help. No hesitation at all. Just one look and boom, done. Fast as a snap of the fingers. Probably. Whatever the case, Raven tore herself from those thoughts to glance over Robyn's way. "Your turn. And don't worry, I doubt there are any lapdancers around, so you should be just fine." Robyn frowned at that dig, a barely audible indignant hiss escaping her lips. Not only at being reminded of that but also by the fact that May wouldn't let her forget that situation any time soon either. Still, she didn't rise to Raven's bait with any retort, just striding past her right on in. Raven moved on immediately herself, going to start trying to find her brother. And unlike the previous two, Robyn had no idea how long she was going to be there or how long she even wished to be present.

"Hey, snow princess." ​