Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[MyrtenRose]

Ozpin's castle. As ever, Blake saw it as a bastion of power, the pinnacle example of the might of the apex predator. Whatever else she thought of Ozpins remaining lieutenants, she could acknowledge their strength; None of them were prey animals, not even the the young rose. All monsters, and all arrayed against this world's current witch queen. Together, no matter what else they thought of each other. Or so she thought.

The last time Blake had been in these halls, she'd been given the task to capture the spring maiden, and met both Cinder and Carnelian. Two humans that ostensibly served her lord as well. Trust wasn't the word for what she felt for them, but there was a begrudging acceptance that they would do what they were told, and not get in her way. For all that she despised them, she was capable of stowing her pride away just as well as any other emotion if it meant pursuing her goals. Now even that miniscule level of acceptance was burned away. Cinder had taken her prey, and Carnelian and his dogs had begun to try and burn the fang out of Solitas.

Neither were going to get what they wanted in the end, as long as Blake breathed. Cinder understand the beast she'd provoked, a far cry from the simpering white fang of her world. Weiss had overplayed her hand.

The doors to Ozpin's council room groaned open, the first sound Belladonna had made since she entered the castle. She only strode forward a few more steps and knelt in lieu of taking her seat; it didn't matter if Ozpin was in the room or not, she knew he'd be there when he wished. Once he arrived, and once she was acknowledged, she finally spoke.

"Lord Ozpin. I bring your report on the strike at Argus for the Spring Maiden."

Time to see who's loyalty lied where.

It took some time for him to arrive, but enter the room he eventually did, having started heading over once the airship that had been approaching the castle had landed. He strode past the kneeling Blake with not even a single glance aimed at the faunus, walking past like she was not there. The redheaded warrior from Mistral trailing behind him did notice, but didn't say a word as she just took up a position leaning against one of the walls by the door. It was only after he had seated himself that he looked, with emphasized slowness in the tilt of his head, towards Blake. The look lingered for some time in silence before he opened his mouth to speak. "Very well. Proceed. Were you successful?" It was impossible to tell from the sound of his voice if any of that had been said in jest. His face, likewise, seemed chiseled from stone, utterly impassive as he looked at his faunus agent.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

It took some time for him to arrive, but enter the room he eventually did, having started heading over once the airship that had been approaching the castle had landed. He strode past the kneeling Blake with not even a single glance aimed at the faunus, walking past like she was not there. The redheaded warrior from Mistral trailing behind him did notice, but didn't say a word as she just took up a position leaning against one of the walls by the door. It was only after he had seated himself that he looked, with emphasized slowness in the tilt of his head, towards Blake. The look lingered for some time in silence before he opened his mouth to speak. "Very well. Proceed. Were you successful?" It was impossible to tell from the sound of his voice if any of that had been said in jest. His face, likewise, seemed chiseled from stone, utterly impassive as he looked at his faunus agent.​

"I was not"

She didn't try to mince words or say that she did succeed except-. Regardless of the reasons, Ozpin had wanted Blake to deliver him the spring maiden, and Blake had nothing to give him. The reasons did matter, but the result was the result all the same. Her mask stayed tilted downwards as she continued.

"Both Fall and Spring were traveling together. Given what we know of maidens, I opted to strike at them in a populated area rather than the wilds. The engagement was initially successful; I disabled Fall on my own, and the rest of the Talons had Spring well in hand. Had we been unaccosted, I would have two maidens to give you instead of none."

Her mask finally tilted upwards, and her yellow eyes were churning gold.

"Yet your human pets decided to get in the way, my lord." There was a dangerous undercurrent to her words, a tone that Blake had never taken with Ozpin in the past. "Schnee's general was in argus as well, and forced me to abandon the fall maiden to ensure we captured spring, as you ordered. Yet when I arrived to take spring, your fall maiden also arrived, and told us that you had assigned her the task of delivering her instead. Forgive my impudence if that was the truth lord Ozpin, but I did not believe her; I intended to engage her myself, but the general decided to strike as well. With the ensuing chaos, both maidens were lost to me."

She stood from her kneel, fists clutched at her side

"One of your maidens attacks my people and steals my prize, and now the other, Schnee, has given her attack dog free reign to strike upon fang agents in solitas, the place your enemies are currently gathering, where we are most needed. Once more I must ask you forgive my impudence, lord Ozpin, but I have been loyal to you since the day I walked through those doors, and ensured that the Fang has followed in step with me. Yet the other side of the bargain has not been kept. Loyal faunus blood stains Solitas snow. Have you abandoned us in favor of your kind?"

 

[Indolent]

"Hope the intel's good. Where we headed?"

Emerald's head lolled to one side as her eyes swiveled in within their sockets, an exasperated sigh accentuating her outward mood. There was a perceivable split between the act and when the answer came that even the unobservant could infer the thief's indecision on whether she ought infuse a healthy dose of cutting sarcasm in her reply. "Not really, the intel's crap given it's outdated by several months. But that's okay, it tells me just enough." She rounded the bend outside the facility's egress, a series of capsized equipment that looked to be what transported the dust in and out, leading the group up the sloping way towards the crater's egg. They would have to essentially zigzag their way up through the slums to get into Mantle itself proper.

"S'a record of the resistance's last known zones of activity, moderately useful depending how you use it." The words flowed with a bite, as if the content of what Emerald was saying was too trite for her taste.

"... So that means you have no idea where they are?" Came Gretchen's input, the opening a signifier of her hesitance to even ask considering that the very reason why they'd come was to get into Atlas and it was starting to feel like there probably wasn't really a plan. But she had an inkling of some kind that Emerald was withholding something.

"Duh? We haven't a clue where they're based. Tock was the one who could've ferreted them out with no issue. Speaking of, the Atlesian elite in their ivory towers definitely did notice our entrance so we wanna hustle. Now, it really wouldn't be an issue if it was just me. Or me and Neo. We could get lost and never be found if we wanted to. But you guys?" Emerald slowly turned to face them, her eyes settling on Hazel specifically, prompting a quizzical expression. "You guys are like a Goliath in a dust shop in Atlas."

"So, we're making for these areas they were last seen in asap."

"Oooooh. Because even if they're not there anymore, the resistance would be keeping eyes there even with the military presence. But doesn't that mean..."

"Yep, gonna be a matter of who finds whom first! Also, that ship is totally gonna get impounded in the next hour, nobody really uses this place anymore since ye but that's not our problem." Her words concluded with an uncharacteristic cheery tone to them. She absolutely hated how that stupid ship looked.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"I was not"

She didn't try to mince words or say that she did succeed except-. Regardless of the reasons, Ozpin had wanted Blake to deliver him the spring maiden, and Blake had nothing to give him. The reasons did matter, but the result was the result all the same. Her mask stayed tilted downwards as she continued.

"Both Fall and Spring were traveling together. Given what we know of maidens, I opted to strike at them in a populated area rather than the wilds. The engagement was initially successful; I disabled Fall on my own, and the rest of the Talons had Spring well in hand. Had we been unaccosted, I would have two maidens to give you instead of none."

Her mask finally tilted upwards, and her yellow eyes were churning gold.

"Yet your human pets decided to get in the way, my lord." There was a dangerous undercurrent to her words, a tone that Blake had never taken with Ozpin in the past. "Schnee's general was in argus as well, and forced me to abandon the fall maiden to ensure we captured spring, as you ordered. Yet when I arrived to take spring, your fall maiden also arrived, and told us that you had assigned her the task of delivering her instead. Forgive my impudence if that was the truth lord Ozpin, but I did not believe her; I intended to engage her myself, but the general decided to strike as well. With the ensuing chaos, both maidens were lost to me."

She stood from her kneel, fists clutched at her side

"One of your maidens attacks my people and steals my prize, and now the other, Schnee, has given her attack dog free reign to strike upon fang agents in solitas, the place your enemies are currently gathering, where we are most needed. Once more I must ask you forgive my impudence, lord Ozpin, but I have been loyal to you since the day I walked through those doors, and ensured that the Fang has followed in step with me. Yet the other side of the bargain has not been kept. Loyal faunus blood stains Solitas snow. Have you abandoned us in favor of your kind?"

"...Hmm." His chosen response once of all that had been said, it seemed strangely subdued in comparison to the other times failures had been reported. His fingers steepled together atop the table as he let all that information roll around in his head. He was no longer even looking at Blake, his gaze ostensibly looking in the direction of the door but in truth, his eyes seemed distant. His next sentence wasn't even addressed towards anyone in the room. "The pieces move across the board in unexpected ways..." There was a few seconds of silence before he looked back to Blake. "I had not thought that this Cinder would be so bold. No, I did not give any such order for her to retrieve your target." He rose out of his seat then, stepping calmly over to Blake. There was no move to attack as he stood in front of the Shadow Fang member, no sudden rush of Grimm hands out of nowhere or anything close to that. He simply stood there for a moment before one hand reached out to remove that mask from her face in a gentle manner, so he could see her in full. His next words were just as calm as his stride, somehow despite it all they were almost...fatherly in tone.

"You came to me and pledged your loyalty, and have proven it to be quite strong. Do not think I do not appreciate that, I do. Greatly." One hand rose to cup her chin, lifting her head slightly. "You do not need to beg forgiveness, child. You are right, I have erred on our bargain. You came to me, seeking an ally in laying waste to the many that hold your kind in shackles. I have not adequately held up to that pledge. Failures. Agents placing their own goals above my own. Unexpected variables like these otherworldly arrivals disrupting the game. This has gone on for too long, I believe." He pulled his hand back.

"I believe it is long past time that your loyalty be rewarded. The King has sat on his throne long enough." Ozpin turned, striding for one of the windows, his eyes staring into the distant horizon. "You desire the destruction of these kingdoms, as I do. You have done marvelously in that regard, even if others have not. The kingdoms of the world being cut off from each other has proven that. But I believe the time has come for me to take a more active role. I will see to it myself. In fact-" His gaze lowered from the horizon to the grounds just beneath the castle, where a truly staggering amount of Grimm rested.

"-I have already been readying myself to do so, for quite some time. I must confess to having been wary once we learned about these otherworldly visitors acting against us. The foreknowledge they seem to possess. Their presence changes things. And so we must change accordingly." He turned back to face Blake. "You will get what you desire, I promise you." A few strides brought him back to arm's reach of the faunus, whereupon he moved to hand the mask back. "It will be glorious." There was a dark smile on his face, complete certainty in that outcome etched in those eyes.

"To that end, you have my leave to head out to Solitas and act as you see fit. If Schnee is openly having her forces act against the Shadow Fang, despite knowing full well about the alliance we share...then do what you must. The Masque, her sister are already there and if much of our enemies are gathering there as well...no better time. Take Miss Nikos with you when you go up that way. Do your work as you will. I shall join you there soon, but there is a stop I must make first." ​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Not really, the intel's crap given it's outdated by several months. But that's okay, it tells me just enough."

"Oh."​

"Duh? We haven't a clue where they're based. Tock was the one who could've ferreted them out with no issue. Speaking of, the Atlesian elite in their ivory towers definitely did notice our entrance so we wanna hustle. Now, it really wouldn't be an issue if it was just me. Or me and Neo. We could get lost and never be found if we wanted to. But you guys?" Emerald slowly turned to face them, her eyes settling on Hazel specifically, prompting a quizzical expression. "You guys are like a Goliath in a dust shop in Atlas."

"So, we're making for these areas they were last seen in asap."

"Oooooh. Because even if they're not there anymore, the resistance would be keeping eyes there even with the military presence. But doesn't that mean..."

"Yep, gonna be a matter of who finds whom first! Also, that ship is totally gonna get impounded in the next hour, nobody really uses this place anymore since ye but that's not our problem." Her words concluded with an uncharacteristic cheery tone to them. She absolutely hated how that stupid ship looked.

At the mention of their entrance being noticed, Cinder was quick to take a scanning look over her shoulder just to be absolutely sure, even if it was unnecessary. No way they could already be on top of them. Right? She shook her head, returning to looking at the others. "So our plan is...just hope we're really lucky." Not much of a plan if she was being honest. Luck hadn't been on their side that much in the past. Still, she couldn't think of a better one herself, so she was willing to go along with it. Shame about the ship though.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...Hmm." His chosen response once of all that had been said, it seemed strangely subdued in comparison to the other times failures had been reported. His fingers steepled together atop the table as he let all that information roll around in his head. He was no longer even looking at Blake, his gaze ostensibly looking in the direction of the door but in truth, his eyes seemed distant. His next sentence wasn't even addressed towards anyone in the room. "The pieces move across the board in unexpected ways..." There was a few seconds of silence before he looked back to Blake. "I had not thought that this Cinder would be so bold. No, I did not give any such order for her to retrieve your target." He rose out of his seat then, stepping calmly over to Blake. There was no move to attack as he stood in front of the Shadow Fang member, no sudden rush of Grimm hands out of nowhere or anything close to that. He simply stood there for a moment before one hand reached out to remove that mask from her face in a gentle manner, so he could see her in full. His next words were just as calm as his stride, somehow despite it all they were almost...fatherly in tone.
​

Blake did not fear Ozpin. Not on a personal level. She didn't fear anything in that regard; any feeling resembling fear for her own life had been beaten and sharpened into pure survival instinct, the only use of which was to ensure that she remained a blade against the humans' throats for as long as she could. While events in the last few months had shown that she wasn't immune to the emotion itself, respect for the sanctity of her own life just wasn't an emotion Blake felt any longer.

And yet

When something so ancient and bloody began striding towards you, a creature that stopped being a person long ago made you the target of its gaze, sometimes it didn't matter how resolved and sharpened one's mind was. Be it the body or the soul itself, it rejected the idea that this was something to stand tall and firm against. The pulse quickened, goosebumps prickled the flesh, and muscles tensed involuntarily as flight or fight took hold, no matter how calm the thoughts in her head were.

Yet she didn't move as he approached, not even as he began to reach for her. Sienna may have been the one who forged the blade, but Ozpin wielded it just the same; so long as they served the faunus, she was a tool, and subject to her wielder's whims, a resolve Sienna had tested in more ways than one over the last few years. She spoke her piece, and until the day Ozpin ever tilted his hand and showed malice towards her goal, she would suffer any consequences for her words in silence. Yet no strike came. When he clasped the mask around her face, one of the hands at her side involuntarily reached for it. It was as much for her sake as it was for the enemy; There was no use for Blake Belladonna's face as the Right Hand, and only a select few ever needed to see it. There was an almost uncharacteristic look of apprehensive surprise on her face as it came off, and she met Ozpin's ancient gaze with a small frown, looking far more like a concerned and nervous young woman than the vicious killer she so often was

"You came to me and pledged your loyalty, and have proven it to be quite strong. Do not think I do not appreciate that, I do. Greatly." One hand rose to cup her chin, lifting her head slightly. "You do not need to beg forgiveness, child. You are right, I have erred on our bargain. You came to me, seeking an ally in laying waste to the many that hold your kind in shackles. I have not adequately held up to that pledge. Failures. Agents placing their own goals above my own. Unexpected variables like these otherworldly arrivals disrupting the game. This has gone on for too long, I believe." He pulled his hand back.

"I believe it is long past time that your loyalty be rewarded. The King has sat on his throne long enough." Ozpin turned, striding for one of the windows, his eyes staring into the distant horizon. "You desire the destruction of these kingdoms, as I do. You have done marvelously in that regard, even if others have not. The kingdoms of the world being cut off from each other has proven that. But I believe the time has come for me to take a more active role. I will see to it myself. In fact-" His gaze lowered from the horizon to the grounds just beneath the castle, where a truly staggering amount of Grimm rested.

"-I have already been readying myself to do so, for quite some time. I must confess to having been wary once we learned about these otherworldly visitors acting against us. The foreknowledge they seem to possess. Their presence changes things. And so we must change accordingly." He turned back to face Blake. "You will get what you desire, I promise you." A few strides brought him back to arm's reach of the faunus, whereupon he moved to hand the mask back. "It will be glorious." There was a dark smile on his face, complete certainty in that outcome etched in those eyes.

"To that end, you have my leave to head out to Solitas and act as you see fit. If Schnee is openly having her forces act against the Shadow Fang, despite knowing full well about the alliance we share...then do what you must. The Masque, her sister are already there and if much of our enemies are gathering there as well...no better time. Take Miss Nikos with you when you go up that way. Do your work as you will. I shall join you there soon, but there is a stop I must make first."

"...I see."

There was a quiet, joyful relief in those two words, undistorted by the mask she wore, and she immediately fell back onto her knee as she lowered her head.

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you, lord Ozpin" She said earnestly. "I'll do as you say. There is not a kingdom more fitting to receive your return to Remnant. As ever, I won't fail you."

So this was it then. No more niceties. No longer would she have to stay her hand and glower from behind her mask as the monster who's legacy was seared across Eve's face, who's company had buried Ilia's parents in an early grave, fawned and played the loyal leiutenant to her lord. It would take some time herself; the talons organized, permission gained from the High Leader, all the other necessary preparations. But Blake would come to Atlas, and if it was her lord and lady's wish by the time she arrived, the shadow fang would tear out the kingdom's throat. That was her wish. Not the Hand's, but the most fervent desire of Blake Belladonna herself

The mask was pulled back over to hide her face, and with it any of the warmth that had been pointed towards her lord.

"Let's go, Nikos. We have work to do."

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...I see."

There was a quiet, joyful relief in those two words, undistorted by the mask she wore, and she immediately fell back onto her knee as she lowered her head.

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you, lord Ozpin" She said earnestly. "I'll do as you say. There is not a kingdom more fitting to receive your return to Remnant. As ever, I won't fail you."

So this was it then. No more niceties. No longer would she have to stay her hand and glower from behind her mask as the monster who's legacy was seared across Eve's face, who's company had buried Ilia's parents in an early grave, fawned and played the loyal leiutenant to her lord. It would take some time herself; the talons organized, permission gained from the High Leader, all the other necessary preparations. But Blake would come to Atlas, and if it was her lord and lady's wish by the time she arrived, the shadow fang would tear out the kingdom's throat. That was her wish. Not the Hand's, but the most fervent desire of Blake Belladonna herself

The mask was pulled back over to hide her face, and with it any of the warmth that had been pointed towards her lord.

"Let's go, Nikos. We have work to do."

"Of course." He replied genially enough though he wasted no more words beyond that. He waited for the two to exit the room, and once they had he stepped back to the window looking out open it all. His eyes roved over the large packs of grimm moving about outside before flickering up to the airship Blake had used to get here, both hands on his cane as he waited for the ship to depart, eyes locked onto it with a strange intensity. Once it had become a distant speck in the horizon, only then did he turn away from that window as a familiar grimm floated in. And only in that moment was Weiss, even though she was thousands of miles away wherever she was in Atlas, overcome with a sensation so strong and so sudden that there was a chance she jumped up in shock. A gut feeling deep inside, raw instinct telling her that the time to summon one specific creature was now. A cold even by Atlas standards feeling, and likely an unwelcome one.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Of course." He replied genially enough though he wasted no more words beyond that. He waited for the two to exit the room, and once they had he stepped back to the window looking out open it all. His eyes roved over the large packs of grimm moving about outside before flickering up to the airship Blake had used to get here, both hands on his cane as he waited for the ship to depart, eyes locked onto it with a strange intensity. Once it had become a distant speck in the horizon, only then did he turn away from that window as a familiar grimm floated in. And only in that moment was Weiss, even though she was thousands of miles away wherever she was in Atlas, overcome with a sensation so strong and so sudden that there was a chance she jumped up in shock. A gut feeling deep inside, raw instinct telling her that the time to summon one specific creature was now. A cold even by Atlas standards feeling, and likely an unwelcome one.

The first time Weiss had felt such a sensation clawing at the interior of her gut, she had indeed jolted to her feet in surprise. To someone with her boundaries, with the unflinching agency she insisted on maintaining over herself at all times, it felt wrong, like an intrusion. That first time had not been a pleasant one, so it was lucky she was alone.

The second time she had stood up, respectfully excused herself from the shareholders meeting she'd been chairing, and calmly proceeded to an empty boardroom where she could field the call in private. Every instance since had been the same. No flinch. No acknowledgment. A quiet, personal defiance, private spit in the eye of the roadblock to humanity's progress that she swore to one day eradicate.

That was the sight that awaited Ozpin now. Weiss, in an empty and locked SDC boardroom, leaning primly against the conference table as she produced a cigarette with steady hands and let her eyes flare, igniting the tip with a blue-burning cherry. She dragged and exhaled, smoke dispersing of its own accord as an ill-placed breeze swept through the room despite a lack of any open windows, and the Seer clicked and chattered in time with its emergence from the glyph that softly illuminated the gloom of the office from in front of her. Her tone was carefully guarded as she addressed the man as she would any of the legions of co-workers in this very building she despised; with respect, diplomacy, and an understanding the recipients quite frankly were undeserving of.

"Ozpin. I'm a bit surprised to hear from you; it's been some time. I trust all proceeds as well on your end as it does here?"​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Emerald's head lolled to one side as her eyes swiveled in within their sockets, an exasperated sigh accentuating her outward mood. There was a perceivable split between the act and when the answer came that even the unobservant could infer the thief's indecision on whether she ought infuse a healthy dose of cutting sarcasm in her reply. "Not really, the intel's crap given it's outdated by several months. But that's okay, it tells me just enough." She rounded the bend outside the facility's egress, a series of capsized equipment that looked to be what transported the dust in and out, leading the group up the sloping way towards the crater's egg. They would have to essentially zigzag their way up through the slums to get into Mantle itself proper.

"S'a record of the resistance's last known zones of activity, moderately useful depending how you use it." The words flowed with a bite, as if the content of what Emerald was saying was too trite for her taste.

"... So that means you have no idea where they are?" Came Gretchen's input, the opening a signifier of her hesitance to even ask considering that the very reason why they'd come was to get into Atlas and it was starting to feel like there probably wasn't really a plan. But she had an inkling of some kind that Emerald was withholding something.

"Duh? We haven't a clue where they're based. Tock was the one who could've ferreted them out with no issue. Speaking of, the Atlesian elite in their ivory towers definitely did notice our entrance so we wanna hustle. Now, it really wouldn't be an issue if it was just me. Or me and Neo. We could get lost and never be found if we wanted to. But you guys?" Emerald slowly turned to face them, her eyes settling on Hazel specifically, prompting a quizzical expression. "You guys are like a Goliath in a dust shop in Atlas."

"So, we're making for these areas they were last seen in asap."

"Oooooh. Because even if they're not there anymore, the resistance would be keeping eyes there even with the military presence. But doesn't that mean..."

"Yep, gonna be a matter of who finds whom first! Also, that ship is totally gonna get impounded in the next hour, nobody really uses this place anymore since ye but that's not our problem." Her words concluded with an uncharacteristic cheery tone to them. She absolutely hated how that stupid ship looked.

"Oh."



At the mention of their entrance being noticed, Cinder was quick to take a scanning look over her shoulder just to be absolutely sure, even if it was unnecessary. No way they could already be on top of them. Right? She shook her head, returning to looking at the others. "So our plan is...just hope we're really lucky." Not much of a plan if she was being honest. Luck hadn't been on their side that much in the past. Still, she couldn't think of a better one herself, so she was willing to go along with it. Shame about the ship though.​

The first two sites they visited whatever they were bore no fruit. The entrance to the third was an abandoned dust shop; the entire building complex it was jammed into had been hollowed out, the backroom going from old, mildew caked tile to sheet metal walls and pillars quickly but precisely constructed to hold up the roof in a much more open space, with heaps of wiring that had been attached to computers that were no longer there. It was a surveillance outpost that had been burned weeks ago. There were no windows, counterintuitive as that would've been to a secret location, so the only light was what came streaming in behind them through the door that had been smashed open during the raid that ended its tenure. what they could make out wasn't pretty; blood stains were splattered over the walls in places, and scorchmarks covered almost every desk where consoles and servers used to stand.

The darkness also made it incredibly difficult to make out the solitary figure standing near the back wall.

Whoever it was was wearing a dark trench coat with the collar pulled up and a wide brimmed hat, and they stood so absolutely still that it was very likely that even among the trained hunters entering the room they weren't even noticed until they spoke up in an electronically distorted voice distorted voice.

"The resistance sends you its regards. Why are you looking for us?"

Even once they noted their presence, their whole... stance was off. Their shoulders didn't move, their wasn't a single twitch or shift in their movement. It was like if a scarecrow in a field suddenly spoke to you.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Ozpin. I'm a bit surprised to hear from you; it's been some time. I trust all proceeds as well on your end as it does here?"

"Is what I hear true, Weiss?" He immediately started, bypassing any attempts at being polite or jovial through the long distance communication as well as seemingly ignoring her query. "That you are having your forces butcher the Shadow Fang at this time? That your General cost them the ability to reliably retrieve Spring or even Fall?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

The darkness also made it incredibly difficult to make out the solitary figure standing near the back wall.

Whoever it was was wearing a dark trench coat with the collar pulled up and a wide brimmed hat, and they stood so absolutely still that it was very likely that even among the trained hunters entering the room they weren't even noticed until they spoke up in an electronically distorted voice distorted voice.

"The resistance sends you its regards. Why are you looking for us?"

Even once they noted their presence, their whole... stance was off. Their shoulders didn't move, their wasn't a single twitch or shift in their movement. It was like if a scarecrow in a field suddenly spoke to you.

Cinder briefly glanced at all the others in the group after that voice called out to them so suddenly. A mystery voice coming from somebody she hadn't noticed in the darkness, pfft no way that had been enough to make her jump up in surprise! No way, nuh-uh, definitely hadn't done that. She just made sure all the rest knew that just as certainly as she herself did, that glare that briefly shot to all them making it clear they absolutely had not seen the young Cinder jump up a good four or five inches after hearing that...and after that was done, the fall maiden was swift to step up in front of all the rest as she cleared her throat to answer the trench coated person with the hat.

"We thought we could help them and they could help us?" She offered the stranger, hoping this wasn't a ploy of some kind.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Is what I hear true, Weiss?" He immediately started, bypassing any attempts at being polite or jovial through the long distance communication as well as seemingly ignoring her query. "That you are having your forces butcher the Shadow Fang at this time? That your General cost them the ability to reliably retrieve Spring or even Fall?"

About a beat longer passed before the councilwoman made her reply, and when she did Ozpin found her taking quite a different approach in her defense against these claims than Blake had in making them. There was no deference, no admission to wrongdoing or misconduct of any sort in that flat, apathetic look, Weiss's stare incredulous in how sardonic it was as she flicked some spent ash into a precision glyph. She looked like she was being forced to address no more than a tabloid smear in front of the camera, and the tone she gave her reply in was one of effortless innocence as she arched an eyebrow. "Forgive my bluntness, Ozpin... but I was under the impression we had a good working relationship, and that's a fine accusation to level against someone who's been nothing but a high quality asset to you to this point. Were I my father or a more easily slighted woman, I would never work with you again. Thankfully? I'm neither of those things."

It had to be said that it was not a tone Ozpin was used to brooking from his inner circle, the heiress apparently just that put out by hearing such a heavy charge from someone she had done her utmost to please. Her head tilted indulgently as she went on, for all the world as dignified and unperturbed as if she'd been handling absurd claims being made against her by extremist paramilitary organizations her entire life.

"So who submitted this fallacious 'report'? Tell me, it wouldn't happen to have been someone who stands to gain from seeing me lose favor in your eyes, would it? Perhaps, I don't know, someone who's proven incapable of making it through a single conversation in my presence without reminding me of how she's going to 'kill me' someday because it's what 'must be done'? Honestly. The Belladonna girl doesn't mean you any ill, but she is attempting to play you for a fool, and I don't think she realizes it. She may have committed herself fully to her purpose, but hers was a purpose born from reactive thinking and a compromised emotional state. She is not immune to the trappings that were born along with it. Think about it; she hates me. Everything I do is some sort of violation of her god-given faunus right to breathe air, or what have you. Don't judge her too harshly for it, because I have zero doubt that in her world the depiction of events she gave you is true; in the real world, however, things played out quite differently. But Blake Belladonna doesn't live in the real world. And with respect? Neither do you."

She held up a staying hand and sighed, terse and to the point like her name had already been cleared and she knew just the approach to take to deal with this.

"I mean no offense. Simply that you, like her, have been living apart from society too long to understand the gravity of certain actions carried out in its view. Take a public strike in the city of Argus, for instance. Atlas's most crucial trading hub, barring our own capital. I'm not Sienna Khan, Ozpin. Atlas isn't my own private cult of personality where everyone sits around dimly-lit rooms wearings masks and playing ninja. I didn't snap my fingers and have the greatest city in the world throwing itself at your feet. I painted the people of my kingdom an intricate picture to climb to where I am, a picture of conspiracy and treachery carried out by the other kingdoms, and right at the forefront of that picture is the Shadow Fang. They strike in Vale, and cause untold loss of life. They strike Mistral, and the world's communication goes out. Quite simply? In the picture I painted they're the boogeyman, one I was able to secure the populace's faith in me by promising I can protect them from. And do you know what Blake Belladonna did by carrying out an unsanctioned, unapproved strike in the city that acts as the bridge between Mistral and Atlas, with Mistral so-recently left a glorified wasteland because of their actions?"

Her hand went up again, only this time it held an invisible brush. She mimed painting a long, thick stroke down the length of a similarly invisible portrait.

"She painted an ugly, black smear all over my intricate brushwork. I was never informed. I was never approached. I was given absolutely none of the notice I needed or was due to put an appropriate spin on the situation, and I consider that a failing on both your part and hers. Frankly? It was a slap in the face in light of all my hard work for you. She had all the time in the world to prepare. She could've easily waylaid them on the road, or during transit. Instead she did what she did, and Atlas went into a panic that night. My efficacy was called into question. With a single, thoughtless act, she undermined me and jeopardized everything I've aspired to achieve for you here. And that's the tone you bring this matter to my attention with? Tch."

Her hand went to her hip, eyes disappointed and scorned like the daughter feeling the sting of a parent playing favorites. It was an experience she could claim a visceral familiarity with, reflected in the authenticity to how strangely hurt she appeared by the development. Her tone, when resumed, was icy.

"I'm sorry. I simply thought I'd been useful enough to you to be owed the benefit of the doubt, but I suppose it's Blake you truly value. I'll bear that in mind for future reference. In any case, here's what really happened. For the sake of our alliance and his commitment to it, my general did an extremely barebones, negligent version of his job that day. He disabled the Spring Maiden himself, tossed her at the Shadow Fang's feet and told them to conclude their business and get out. What ensued was a power struggle between Blake and the woman I told you not to trust, if you recall, which I had absolutely no involvement in. Carnelian and I were left to attempt to exercise damage control, and that entailed retaliation in the form of chasing every Shadow Fang cell in the regions surrounding Atlas all the way back over to Anima. Simple as. You don't need them in Solitas. The hatred they bear for me ensures they simply can't be trusted in my territory. The only military superpower in the entire world awaits you here, at my, Carnelian's—and ultimately, your—disposal. That is more than enough. This isn't personal to me; the Shadow Fang are taking a well-deserved slap on the wrist for a poorly executed stratagem, and that's really all there is to it. If you think I'm the one who broke the truce, I implore you to think again. Blake did."

She huffed out a dismayed breath, and it may have come as a surprise to Ozpin when her eyes softened.

"...But as I said, it's not her fault. Even from beyond the grave, my father ensures she simply isn't capable of perceiving this as anything other than an act of barbarism on her people. She's on her way here to kill me, yes?" Despite phrasing, it wasn't really a question.

"I only ask that you allow me to deal with it. I'll give her a talking to and see this matter put to bed. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this whole situation has caused you, Ozpin, as well as my frustration. It's just..."

Her sigh was earnest, troubled, and despite herself there was a slightly doleful look to her eyes as her lower lip curled.

"...I don't hear from you in almost two months, and when I finally do it's to field this? Is something wrong? Did I displease you in some way?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

About a beat longer passed before the councilwoman made her reply, and when she did Ozpin found her taking quite a different approach in her defense against these claims than Blake had in making them. There was no deference, no admission to wrongdoing or misconduct of any sort in that flat, apathetic look, Weiss's stare incredulous in how sardonic it was as she flicked some spent ash into a precision glyph. She looked like she was being forced to address no more than a tabloid smear in front of the camera, and the tone she gave her reply in was one of effortless innocence as she arched an eyebrow. "Forgive my bluntness, Ozpin... but I was under the impression we had a good working relationship, and that's a fine accusation to level against someone who's been nothing but a high quality asset to you to this point. Were I my father or a more easily slighted woman, I would never work with you again. Thankfully? I'm neither of those things."

"That would be your prerogative. As well as your mistake." The look in his eyes was indistinguishable, hidden as they were behind the shiny glare of his glasses as he looked through the Seer grimm. His expression was likewise composed, in spite of what he had just stated. "But, yes, thankfully-" For you went unsaid. "-you are neither of those things."​

It had to be said that it was not a tone Ozpin was used to brooking from his inner circle, the heiress apparently just that put out by hearing such a heavy charge from someone she had done her utmost to please. Her head tilted indulgently as she went on, for all the world as dignified and unperturbed as if she'd been handling absurd claims being made against her by extremist paramilitary organizations her entire life.

"So who submitted this fallacious 'report'? Tell me, it wouldn't happen to have been someone who stands to gain from seeing me lose favor in your eyes, would it? Perhaps, I don't know, someone who's proven incapable of making it through a single conversation in my presence without reminding me of how she's going to 'kill me' someday because it's what 'must be done'? Honestly. The Belladonna girl doesn't mean you any ill, but she is attempting to play you for a fool, and I don't think she realizes it. She may have committed herself fully to her purpose, but hers was a purpose born from reactive thinking and a compromised emotional state. She is not immune to the trappings that were born along with it. Think about it; she hates me. Everything I do is some sort of violation of her god-given faunus right to breathe air, or what have you. Don't judge her too harshly for it, because I have zero doubt that in her world the depiction of events she gave you is true; in the real world, things played out quite differently. But Blake Belladonna doesn't live in the real world. And with respect? Neither do you."

It was fortunate that she quickly followed up with a pseudo-apology, for otherwise those last three words might have provoked something...unseemly. As it was, no response came to any of that specifically. Or at least, not yet. The only thing that came close to being any sort of response to that was Ozpin propping his elbows onto the table in front of him and interlacing his fingers as he observed Weiss.​

She held up a staying hand sighed, terse and to the point like her name had already been cleared and she knew just the approach to take to deal with this.

"I mean no offense. Simply that you, like her, have been living apart from society too long to understand the gravity of certain actions carried out in its view. Take a public strike in the city of Argus, for instance. Atlas's most crucial trading hub, barring our own capital. I'm not Sienna Khan, Ozpin. Atlas isn't my own private cult of personality where everyone sits around dimly-lit rooms wearings masks and playing ninja. I didn't snap my fingers and have the greatest city in the world throwing itself at your feet. I painted the people of my kingdom an intricate picture to climb to where I am, a picture of conspiracy and treachery carried out by the other kingdoms, and right at the forefront of that picture is the Shadow Fang. They strike in Vale, and cause untold loss of life. They strike Mistral, and the world's communication goes out. Quite simply? In the picture I painted they're the boogeyman, one I was able to secure the populace's faith by promising I can protect them from. And do you know what Blake Belladonna did by carrying out an unsanctioned, unapproved strike in the city that acts as the bridge between Mistral and Atlas, with Mistral so-recently left a glorified wasteland because of their actions?"

Her hand went up again, only this time it held an invisible brush. She mimed painting a long, thick stroke down the length of a similarly invisible portrait.

"She painted an ugly, black smear all over my intricate brushwork. I was never informed. I was never approached. I was given absolutely none of the notice I needed or was due to put an appropriate spin on the situation, and I consider that a failing on both your part and hers. Frankly? It was a slap in the face in light of all my hard work for you. She had all the time in the world to prepare. She could've easily waylaid them on the road, or during transit. Instead she did what she did, and Atlas went into a panic that night. My efficacy was called into question. With a single, thoughtless act, she undermined me and jeopardized everything I've aspired to achieve for you here. And that's the tone you bring this matter to my attention with? Tch."

His eyes narrowed slightly, but it was still difficult to notice beyond his glasses. There was still no spoken reply to any of it.​

Her hand went to her hip, eyes disappointed and scorned like the daughter feeling the sting of a parent playing favorites. It was an experience she could claim a visceral familiarity with, reflected in the authenticity to how strangely hurt she appeared by the development. Her tone, when resumed, was icy.

"I'm sorry. I simply thought I'd been useful enough to you to be owed the benefit of the doubt, but I suppose it's Blake you truly value. I'll bear that in mind for future reference. In any case, here's what really happened. For the sake of our alliance and his commitment to it, my general did an extremely barebones, negligent version of his job that day. He disabled the Spring Maiden himself, tossed her at the Shadow Fang's feet and told them to conclude their business and get out. What ensued was a power struggle between Blake and the woman I told you not to trust, if you recall, which I had absolutely no involvement in. Carnelian and I were left to attempt to exercise damage control, and that entailed retaliation in the form of chasing every Shadow Fang cell in the regions surrounding Atlas all the way back over to Anima. Simple as. You don't need them in Solitas. The hatred they bear for me ensures they simply can't be trusted in my territory. The only military superpower in the entire world awaits you here, at my, Carnelian's—and ultimately, your—disposal. That is more than enough. This isn't personal to me; the Shadow Fang are taking a well-deserved slap on the wrist for a poorly executed stratagem, and that's really all there is to it. If you think I'm the one who broke the truce, I implore you to think again. Blake did."

"...Irrelevant." He finally spoke up. "Whether her version of events is more in line with what happened, or yours is, or if it is more like a mixture of the two, it doesn't matter. It is ultimately irrelevant. Your truth, her truth, the only truth that matters is mine. That truth being this: I do not have the Spring Maiden in my possession." He did not growl, or snarl, and barely raised his voice, but those words still did make his discontent sufficiently known. "The intricacies of what you have to do to put a kingdom unknowingly under my thumb, they are irrelevant. Whatever excuses you wish to throw at me in an attempt to deflect the blame, they are irrelevant. The grudges between you(plus Atlas in general) and the Shadow Fang, they are irrelevant. You all serve me. You say the words, say that your military is at my disposal, but I believe you have forgotten what it means to be truly subservient. The way Blake has repeatedly proved she is, kneeling every single time she is in my presence, in addition to following through on every demand I ask of her. Even if it means cutting off the limb of a fellow faunus. Perhaps that is on me, for giving you far too much freedom to act on your own accord."​

She huffed out a dismayed breath, and it may have come as a surprise to Ozpin when her eyes softened.

"...But as I said, it's not her fault. Even from beyond the grave, my father ensures she simply isn't capable of perceiving this as anything other than an act of barbarism on her people. She's on her way here to kill me, yes?" Despite phrasing, it wasn't really a question.

"I only ask that you allow me to deal with it. I'll give her a talking to and see this matter put to bed. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this whole situation has caused you, Ozpin, as well as my frustration. It's just..."

"That remains to be seen." He replied to the not-actually a question. The look in her eyes, the fact that she apologized, those were the only things that had stayed his hand from continuing on even more harshly. "See that you do." He added, in regards to putting the matter to bed.​

Her sigh was earnest, troubled, and despite herself there was a slightly doleful look to her eyes as her lower lip curled.

"...I don't hear from you in almost two months, and when I finally do it's to field this? Is something wrong? Did I displease you in some way?"

His expression was, as ever, unreadable. He deliberately ignored answering her questions in favor of stating his intent and asking a question of his own. "I will be coming to Atlas myself, and I expect that the staff will be handed over to me when I do arrive. Is that understood?" Only after that question was answered in the affirmative, did he relent and bother with answering her queries. "When I get there, I will personally make certain to reveal if there is indeed anything wrong, if you have displeased me in any way."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...Irrelevant." He finally spoke up. "Whether her version of events is more in line with what happened, or yours is, or if it is more like a mixture of the two, it doesn't matter. It is ultimately irrelevant. Your truth, her truth, the only truth that matters is mine. That truth being this: I do not have the Spring Maiden in my possession." He did not growl, or snarl, and barely raised his voice, but those words still did make his discontent sufficiently known. "The intricacies of what you have to do to put a kingdom unknowingly under my thumb, they are irrelevant. Whatever excuses you wish to throw at me in an attempt to deflect the blame, they are irrelevant. The grudges between you(plus Atlas in general) and the Shadow Fang, they are irrelevant. You all serve me. You say the words, say that your military is at my disposal, but I believe you have forgotten what it means to be truly subservient. The way Blake has repeatedly proved she is, kneeling every single time she is in my presence, in addition to following through on every demand I ask of her. Even if it means cutting off the limb of a fellow faunus. Perhaps that is on me, for giving you far too much freedom to act on your own accord."

The Weiss Schnee who first encountered Ozpin, the one whose natural paranoia and affinity for knowing when things were being kept from her had unearthed secrets buried deep in the very foundation of Atlas and first drawn her into a world much darker than the one of conference meetings, political machinations and extremist plots she knew, may have been cowed into silence by the chilling missive. The one who had infiltrated Beacon Academy and lied to Salem's face certainly would've been, her commitment to maintaining the facade of being under the man's thumb so driven and convincing by that point that in hindsight it honestly disgusted her how difficult it was to discern from truth. It wouldn't have been fear that bade them both to stay quiet, that had them swallow the incensed retort and tongue lashing they so-desperately wanted to give this spiteful, wretched little man who thought he owned her from the first day she met him, a man who thought he could control her. Simply a calculated, pragmatic efficiency, the belief that it was the best foot forward towards attaining the world she wanted. The single-minded determination and faith in the ideal that so long as she could keep her own irrational impulses and feelings out of it, so long as she swallowed insignificant pulls like dignity, honor and pride, this path would not lead her astray.

Perhaps even the Weiss Schnee of little over a month and a half ago would've joined them.

But as the Weiss Schnee of the present stood there, listening to this miserable, ancient pig who stood only for decadence and an inflated sense of self-importance dress her down for mistakes that had not been her own, for Blake's shortsightedness in carrying out her task and misguided belief that she could test Weiss unanswered, for his own unfathomable stupidity and arrogance in expecting the Fall Maiden of another world to simply fall in line and do his bidding, a very sudden, very potent realization hit her. The realization of her one, simple mistake. Her own rationality should never have been in question; it wasn't the one she needed to worry about.

It was the rationality of stupid, pitiful little mongrels like the one currently talking down to her. The men who thought they owned the world. Then a second realization hit, no less potent, perhaps even a little impulsive, and that thought alone was enough to excite her.

She didn't give one singular solitary fuck about any of the things he was saying to her right now.

Her intent had always been to accumulate power until she reached her apex, to build and build and then strike at Ozpin while his back was turned. But as she stood there and listened and thought about it, really thought about it, she came to a final, emphatic realization. She had no need to strike from behind. Where was the honor in it? What kind of a beginning was that to the new world she had worked so tirelessly to create? This man was not infallible. He wasn't some sort of unknowable ancient god. He was merely that. A man.

And Weiss Schnee had been chewing up and spitting out men of his breed her whole life. She was a councilwoman of Atlas; the maiden of Winter. Two relics were in her possession. Each and every one of her contingencies to defend against this exact eventuality were already in place. She had already conned this moron out of ridiculous, incomprehensible amounts of power; more than enough to give her the utmost confidence in her victory. Enough to make her wonder why she'd even tolerated this self-indulgent worm for as long as she had.

Ozpin may have found it a little strange that Weiss was checking her nails by the time he finished talking, and rather than accept the admonishment or address individual points simply dismissed the entire thing out of hand with a contemptuous scoff.

"Blake's so accustomed to kneeling she's worn holes in her tights, dear. If you ever expected that of me, then I'm afraid you've set some seriously unrealistic expectations for our arrangement."

His expression was, as ever, unreadable. He deliberately ignored answering her questions in favor of stating his intent and asking a question of his own. "I will be coming to Atlas myself, and I expect that the staff will be handed over to me when I do arrive. Is that understood?" Only after that question was answered in the affirmative, did he relent and bother with answering her queries. "When I get there, I will personally make certain to reveal if there is indeed anything wrong, if you have displeased me in any way."

"...I see." She returned diplomatically, though without relinquishing the bored, indulgent expression on her face as she stared the man down through the core of the Seer. "In that case, I have only two questions. Firstly, should your request prove impossible? As I've repeatedly mentioned, the Relic of Creation is what's keeping Atlas in the sky. The kingdom maintains the illusion that it's done through the use of gravity dust, but the technology for something on that scale doesn't exist yet. My technicians have worked tirelessly to bring it to fruition, but it's going to take time, as I've mentioned. So if I can't give you what it is you want?"

She was fairly certain she already knew, but kept holding him in an icy glower as she awaited the answer to her first question.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"In that case, I have only two questions. Firstly, should your request prove impossible? As I've repeatedly mentioned, the Relic of Creation is what's keeping Atlas in the sky. The kingdom maintains the illusion that it's done through the use of gravity dust, but-"

It was at this point he decided his tolerance had reached its end. Between her greater interest in her nails, the thinly veiled contempt in her scoff, the attitude reflected in her body language and especially the look on her face, it became far more clear to him that he had indeed given her far too much freedom to act as she willed, so long as all that work was done in his name. His gaze through the seer shifted away from Weiss herself, to eyeing an empty spot close by the winter maiden, though the shift in what he was looking at went unseen behind the glint of his glasses. Without warning, a dark void tore a hole into existence in that very spot and in less time than it took to blink, more than a dozen hands shot out of that black abyss. Grimm arms, unrecognizable as belonging to any particular species, cut Weiss off in the middle of her line of questioning. One went for the throat, a hard grip that began to choke the air out of the Schnee CEO's neck. Another pressed against her mouth to silence her for the time being. Two more went to clutch her wrists tightly, the rest wrapping around her arms, shoulders, lower and upper legs. One even coiled around her stomach like a snake.

They were as strong as they were swift, and as the Winter Maiden hung there suspended in mid-air, that fact only got more and more apparent as their grips tightened. From this position it felt like it would be a trivial task for them to pull on each limb they grasped and rip her apart from the strain, if he so willed it. He did not, however. He simply sat there, chin resting atop his interlaced fingers as he took in the sight. A few moments passed before his head tilted.

"Now I'm curious, what was it exactly that made you this bold? To speak and act that way as I watched...was it the knowledge that another has gone against me in favor of her own self-interest? Did the new arrival of Cinder Fall embolden you? Or was it that you truly believed you were safe from me, all the way in your ivory towers of Atlas? Or perhaps it was the fact that you have the power of a maiden now, magic that you believe you could use to defeat me? Or maybe it is all those things put together." His head slowly shook in profound disappointment.

"Whatever the case may be, let me dispel the false notions. You should not be so eager to follow in this Fall Maiden's example, Weiss. I will make it clear to her as well, how going against me will end...poorly. Second, no, I am afraid that you are not safe simply because you are thousands of miles away in Atlas. The distance won't matter any more than your military superpower will. If you cross me, the only thing they will amount to in the end, is delaying the inevitable. Finally, yes, it is true that the maidens possess great power. Power Salem freely gave. Great magic, indeed...yet...split apart. The magic she gave was split equally among four. Now, surely someone as well educated as yourself can appreciate this math. The 25% of the power that Salem gave to each of the four maidens, the power that is inside you at this moment? That is an insignificant, paltry, meagre level of power compared to me. Consider this your one and only warning. I will not accept further defiance so leniently." He let those words sink in for a few seconds before he waved a hand idly. Most stayed where they were but the grimm hand clutching her throat eased up to let her breathe and remain conscious, and the one against her mouth moved away to allow her to speak. It slowly dragged one of the talons masquerading as fingers up from her mouth, across her cheek, and then up to her forehead before pulling away and hovering in the air instead, those talons looking more than sharp enough to pierce into her pale skin if he chose to.

"Now, you were saying?" Ozpin asked, the casual tone of voice completely at odds with everything he had just said as well as the situation Weiss found herself in as those grimm hands held her aloft.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Malachiiiiiite..." Emerald pondered from next to the smaller girl, never one to forget a face or name as she stood there with arms folded and finger lightly tapping her chin in thought. Possibly brain damaged Mercury pretty much forgot stuff he didn't care about all the time, so as he moved up to them with their unusually animated and distinctive bounty slung over his shoulder like a sack of flour his blink up at the sign was uncomprehending.

"Yeah, and?"

"Wasn't that the name of those bouncers in that club you hooked up with? You know, one after another, within a week of each other because you-"

"-thought they were the same person. Yeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhh... Heh heh." He probably shouldn't have looked so proud of that as they moved for the door, and the moment he swung it open Neo found herself ambushed by a ghostly white woman with a head that was constantly rotating all 360 degrees and limbs that were bent and disjointed in the wrong directions as she scuttled down the wall from the ceiling towards her.

"REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"

Neo's head tilted up towards the noise, and rather than her slight smile disappearing it froze entirely on her face as her eyes shot as wide as it was physically possible for them to go. She quaked in place down to her boots, before her shoulders suddenly went stiff, her breath hitched, and she collapsed backwards to the floor with a heavy thud. Her face was still frozen in place, and no breath came from her lips.

Lupin peered around Mercury's shoulder with a look of utter bafflement.

"...Did she just fucking die?"

The commotion also drew the eyes of the rest of the establishment. Calling it anything but a dive bar would've been a disservice, but it was, at least, relatively cleaner than most that bore the name. The all wooden interior and furniture called to mind the pictures of the Vacuoan frontier, and a lot of the clientele looked to match. Business was good for information brokers in this new age of no more Information Age in Mistral, and while the place wasn't packed it was decently filled.

At least until the bartender locked eyes with Emerald and went white as a sheet. Long brown hair framed a pretty enough face if it wasn't for the long gash of a scar along the side of her cheek, and she was dressed in what my brain is too tired to describe as anything other than a purple accented cowgirl outfit without the hat. "...Right then." she muttered quietly before she turned to the bar at large.

"EVERYBODY 'CEPT THOSE BOUNTY HUNTERS, OUT!"

One particularly grizzled patron, five o'clock shadow framing a wrinkled face and bedecked in battle tested body armor, sneered passed his drink from where he was seated at the bar itself. "The hell? I just paid for this, and I haven't gotten my- *BANG* Fuck-"

The bullet that richoceted off his forehead was a high enough caliber that it shattered his aura in one shot and sent him tumbling backwards off his chair. a cadre of people dressed in similar garb to the bartender were all armed in a flash, and the bartender's own gun was still smoking as she raised it from its quickdraw firing position to point towards the ceiling. "ANYBODY ELSE?"

The particularly grizzled patron was particularly quick to get the hell out of dodge, and everyone who didn't work at the place seemed eager to do the same. If Em and Merc didn't immediately dip back out in the chaos, the bartender sighed and lowered her weapon as she turned back to them, though she very pointedly didn't put it away as she eyeballed the pair with an incredibly leery stare.

"...So... You're back. Been almost a week ma'am. Thought you might've left, more permanent like." she ventured carefully.

 

[Gus Gungus]

It was at this point he decided his tolerance had reached its end. Between her greater interest in her nails, the thinly veiled contempt in her scoff, the attitude reflected in her body language and especially the look on her face, it became far more clear to him that he had indeed given her far too much freedom to act as she willed, so long as all that work was done in his name. His gaze through the seer shifted away from Weiss herself, to eyeing an empty spot close by the winter maiden, though the shift in what he was looking at went unseen behind the glint of his glasses. Without warning, a dark void tore a hole into existence in that very spot and in less time than it took to blink, more than a dozen hands shot out of that black abyss. Grimm arms, unrecognizable as belonging to any particular species, cut Weiss off in the middle of her line of questioning. One went for the throat, a hard grip that began to choke the air out of the Schnee CEO's neck. Another pressed against her mouth to silence her for the time being. Two more went to clutch her wrists tightly, the rest wrapping around her arms, shoulders, lower and upper legs. One even coiled around her stomach like a snake.

They were as strong as they were swift, and as the Winter Maiden hung there suspended in mid-air, that fact only got more and more apparent as their grips tightened. From this position it felt like it would be a trivial task for them to pull on each limb they grasped and rip her apart from the strain, if he so willed it. He did not, however. He simply sat there, chin resting atop his interlaced fingers as he took in the sight. A few moments passed before his head tilted.

"Now I'm curious, what was it exactly that made you this bold? To speak and act that way as I watched...was it the knowledge that another has gone against me in favor of her own self-interest? Did the new arrival of Cinder Fall embolden you? Or was it that you truly believed you were safe from me, all the way in your ivory towers of Atlas? Or perhaps it was the fact that you have the power of a maiden now, magic that you believe you could use to defeat me? Or maybe it is all those things put together." His head slowly shook in profound disappointment.

"Whatever the case may be, let me dispel the false notions. You should not be so eager to follow in this Fall Maiden's example, Weiss. I will make it clear to her as well, how going against me will end...poorly. Second, no, I am afraid that you are not safe simply because you are thousands of miles away in Atlas. The distance won't matter any more than your military superpower will. If you cross me, the only thing they will amount to in the end, is delaying the inevitable. Finally, yes, it is true that the maidens possess great power. Power Salem freely gave. Great magic, indeed...yet...split apart. The magic she gave was split equally among four. Now, surely someone as well educated as yourself can appreciate this math. The 25% of the power that Salem gave to each of the four maidens, the power that is inside you at this moment? That is an insignificant, paltry, meagre level of power compared to me. Consider this your one and only warning. I will not accept further defiance so leniently." He let those words sink in for a few seconds before he waved a hand idly. Most stayed where they were but the grimm hand clutching her throat eased up to let her breathe and remain conscious, and the one against her mouth moved away to allow her to speak. It slowly dragged one of the talons masquerading as fingers up from her mouth, across her cheek, and then up to her forehead before pulling away and hovering in the air instead, those talons looking more than sharp enough to pierce into her pale skin if he chose to.

"Now, you were saying?" Ozpin asked, the casual tone of voice completely at odds with everything he had just said as well as the situation Weiss found herself in as those grimm hands held her aloft.

"HEY! Mrmff-"

There were so, so many things Weiss wanted to say to that, to the point that her fervent efforts to twist her jaw free from the coiling arm of Grimm muffling her in those first few seconds only served to hasten the pace at which the one around her throat wrung the air from her lungs. Incensed panic and indignation were quickly reigned in by tempered discipline as she got the message and went limp, little to even indicate whether she was conscious or not by the time Ozpin finished up and the arms loosened. Her starving lungs expressed their displeasure in the form of an immediate, strangled coughing fit, tones far weaker than her practiced singer's vocal cords normally allowed for as she hefted in the deepest, most greedy breaths the limb still constricting her windpipe enabled, mind racing to parse that display. Admittedly not the most promising yield to her first show of active defiance. But...

She recalled the first few times she put up any kind of an active resistance against her father, did anything in her own defense during his moods or temper tantrums bar go limp and wait for it to be over. How furious he had been, how swift his reprisal as he rushed to reassert his authority before it could go any further. She'd been too young to recognize it then, but she recognized it now. He'd felt scared. Threatened. He was trying to force her back inside the box, trying to nip it in the bud before it could progress any further, because however assured he felt of his power and dominion in that moment the tiniest deep-buried part of him found itself just a little worried by the prospect of what a Weiss Schnee who was no longer compliant could do.

But she wasn't delusional. She knew this creature was not her father, however convinced she may have been that their core components truly were no different. The slightest misstep, the most fleeting moment of negligence where she failed to regard him for the true threat he was to all Remnant and all life, would lead to her immediate and painful demise. And then all of this would've been for nothing.

Unacceptable.

"I'll... I'll just skip right to the second question then..." She managed to gasp with a shudder of revulsion, eyes shut and bearing quiet.

In her mind, there was never much doubt as to the likelihood of her odds against Ozpin in a straightforward confrontation. However proficiently she'd taken to the powers of winter, however much they felt like the very birthright of her soul, he'd been wielding a far greater magic for far longer. Centuries, even. If she let it come to that, she knew Ozpin was powerful enough crush her in a one-to-one battle.

But she wouldn't let it come to that. And she just didn't think he was smart enough, adaptive enough, or driven enough to beat her in a war.

She also saw this little farce for exactly what it was: a scare tactic. If Ozpin were that powerful, powerful enough to squash somebody like her like an insect from continents away without any hope of her defending herself, he wouldn't have had enemies. He wouldn't have needed pawns. The kingdoms would have already been his.

None of those things were the case.

And like the attack on her manor just a few nights ago, Weiss was done with whatever this was.

"...That assassin of yours... the hybrid you're so proud of. What was her name, Maria? Heard anything from her lately?"

As rapidly and spontaneously as the arms had, an array of precision glyphs spawned all around her form at the most strategic points to sever this mess of darkness holding her prisoner with ice spikes even as another imbued with gravity repelled the talon that had positioned itself to strike her face. Her follow-on was only natural, hand already gripping Myrtenaster on her hip when her feet touched the floor again as both its hardlight barrels lit up an intense cyan, and a quadruple layering of glyphs swirled around her to erect four successive barriers around herself just like the ones she'd used to contain Maria. Upwards of a dozen other offensively inclined glyphs were already manifesting around her to intercept further surprise attacks, but however Ozpin responded to that she found herself truly not caring, and if he had begun to answer her question in any way she actually went so far as to do the unthinkable; something only someone with the gravitas and authority of Weiss Schnee could even think about doing.

She held up one hand and sharply cut him off.

"Because she's dead. And you're next."

The Seer dissipated in an instant, and Weiss waited with bated breath and ears strained to see if the skies turned black and hell descended or any such nonsense.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Because she's dead. And you're next."

The Seer dissipated in an instant, and Weiss waited with bated breath and ears strained to see if the skies turned black and hell descended or any such nonsense.

They didn't. No further attempt like those nasty grimm appendages came, nor any other form of assault. Yet...even Weiss Schnee, a resident of Atlas and the Winter Maiden herself? Not even she found herself immune to the chill in the air as the room grew inhospitably cold. More than half a world away, the utterly inhuman man that was Ozpin...there was no anger on his face after what Weiss had said about Maria. No frustration at his attack being nullified so easily. No concern about her promise/threat that he would follow his best assassin to the grave. And absolutely no fear. There was only a smile, though by now she could not see it nor hear him speak.

"We shall see."

The lack of anything even resembling worry in those brief three words spoke volumes about his belief on how this would go. Salem had tried, many times, over many lives, to permanently end him. Not a one attempt had actually done so. He always came back. If Weiss wanted to have delusions of grandeur of succeeding where Salem had repeatedly failed, well, that was up to her. She wouldn't have been the first to get in way over her head. He would simply enjoy breaking that self-delusion bit by bit, inch by inch. Personally. Face to face.

He stood, striding out of the room at a relaxed pace and in absolutely no hurry to reach that conclusion. Time was on his side.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Neo's head tilted up towards the noise, and rather than her slight smile disappearing it froze entirely on her face as her eyes shot as wide as it was physically possible for them to go. She quaked in place down to her boots, before her shoulders suddenly went stiff, her breath hitched, and she collapsed backwards to the floor with a heavy thud. Her face was still frozen in place, and no breath came from her lips.

Lupin peered around Mercury's shoulder with a look of utter bafflement.

"...Did she just fucking die?"

Mercury didn't seem like he had any more a solid picture of what was going on, very slowly and deliberately taking Lupin off his shoulder by the scruff of his neck and glaring into his soul with an intense look that instilled the type of feeling only a born assassin in extremely close proximity who was trying to figure out if you were responsible for one of the only important things in his life or not keeling over randomly could instill.

"Did you just fucking kill her?"

"EVERYBODY 'CEPT THOSE BOUNTY HUNTERS, OUT!"

One particularly grizzled patron, five o'clock shadow framing a wrinkled face and bedecked in battle tested body armor, sneered passed his drink from where he was seated at the bar itself. "The hell? I just paid for this, and I haven't gotten my- *BANG* Fuck-"

The bullet that richoceted off his forehead was a high enough caliber that it shattered his aura in one shot and sent him tumbling backwards off his chair. a cadre of people dressed in similar garb to the bartender were all armed in a flash, and the bartender's own gun was still smoking as she raised it from its quickdraw firing position to point towards the ceiling. "ANYBODY ELSE?"

The particularly grizzled patron was particularly quick to get the hell out of dodge, and everyone who didn't work at the place seemed eager to do the same. If Em and Merc didn't immediately dip back out in the chaos, the bartender sighed and lowered her weapon as she turned back to them, though she very pointedly didn't put it away as she eyeballed the pair with an incredibly leery stare.

"...So... You're back. Been almost a week ma'am. Thought you might've left, more permanent like." she ventured carefully.

"..."

"..."

So they were crime lords now. Yeah, sure. Whatever. Cool. They could roll with this.

Mistaken identity struck Emerald as a little weird, considering she always thought she was pretty distinct looking, but it wasn't dwelling too heavily on either of their minds as they shared a look that communicated so much with so little before moving like clockwork towards the bar, leaving Neo's corpse by the door and plopping Lupin into the third barstool in her place as they each took their own.

"Yeah, damn right I'm back. Back and yet I don't see you pouring me or any of my three friends a drink to celebrate yet. Why is that?"

"Yeah, why is that?"

"Yeah, answer him. Why is that? By the way, this guy's your new boss too. He's the son of Marcus Black." Emerald thumbed over to him, raising a hand to shield her lips in hushed tones like he was the talk of the town.

"It's supposed to be a secret."

"He tells everyone he meets now."

"No I don't."

​

 

[MidwayLives]

Once they were sure that Fox was gone, the two moved on.

There was nothing more that could be done for the human who'd ended up in all of this. He'd been killed and even though Trifa had stopped Tyrian from being the one to pull the trigger, she couldn't help but shake the feeling of guilt weighing down upon her shoulders. Both sides had it's scumbags as far as she was concerned. Faunus, human, all different names for different assholes. The right to treat eachother as they should be would come when everyone could decide to stop fighting and killing. Not that she was much of a judge in that regard. She'd taken a life before, sure it was in self defense, that's how the police reports stated it anyway, nobody even knew that it was her.

But she'd taken the gun and she'd pulled back the hammer and she'd fired. Nobody made her do it.

Everyday no matter how much she showered, how much she tried to forget about that, it clung to her. Like a moss that just wouldn't stop spreading no matter what you did. As the two of them walked back to the motel that Trifa had paid for out of pocket(Tyrian didn't carry any cash and had threatened the clerk a few times.), she noticed the scorpion hadn't said much.

"Tyrian? Are you-"

She reached out to him and he promptly slapped her hand away.

"Don't."

The hero pulled back her hand and the two continued their walk in silence. It was something she'd suspected during that fight with Fox but she really hoped it hadn't been true. Even though she'd agreed to come all the way here and stay with him through all of this?

He felt as though she'd betrayed him.

Returning to the motel itself wasn't anything too out of the ordinary. Trifa made sure to leave a couple bit more lien on the counter. Just in case Tyrian lost his temper and broke something. The last thing they needed were the police snooping around their business. More so when Trifa liked to think she'd formed something of a good relationship with the authorities, back home at least. Plopping down on her bed, Trifa pulled off her mask and watched as Tyrian peered past the blinds of the room's window. His tail swaying back and forth in an almosty hypnotic pattern. It was clear he was on edge and it didn't take three guesses to figure out why. They weren't just fighting mere run of the mill thugs anymore. Fox was a member of the Talons, some of the Fang's elite soldiers. They weren't to be taken lightly by any measure and if he hadn't been messing around with them? Trifa doubted both of them would have walked away from that battle. She felt that in his heart, Tyrian knew that too and he hated it. Hated that there was someone out there stronger than him with the capability to threaten his life and really mean it.

Still, the obvious unease was making her uncomfortable. She had to say something even if he wasn't in a mood to talk.

"Tyrian. Please, sit down and let's try to think about where to go from here-"

"Why? It's not like you care about why we're here."

"....Tyrian, that isn't fair. You think just because I don't want to take on all of the Shadow Fang that I don't care?? That I don't want to see Taurus brought to justice?? Hell, I'd settle for us taking down that freak bodysnatcher! But life isn't a big fighting ring, Tyrian! You can't expect to declare war on an organization numbering in the hundreds, maybe even thousands, and expect me to not at least worry a little bit??? I'm scared, Tyrian, sorry but I am."

Tyrian said nothing and instead closed the blinds and stepped back from the window.

"They said they'd kill us if we didn't back off this, right? Well, if I've got a good enough idea of their semblance, they can jump into anybody they want but their's a time limit to how much they can spend in it. By the time they decided to off that meatbag, it was time to go. Their probably watching us right now and I'm not gonna make it easy for em. Keep the blinds closed and don't step out of here unless it's absolutely necessary. We don't know who's body he could be hiding in. It could be anyone..."

"Tyrian...Back when we fought Fox, you told them that you didn't need humans to reach your goals. I know that isn't true. What about your friends, Tyrian?"

The memories of Watts saving him, Hazel comforting him, and Cinder....running away all flashed through his mind.

He missed them despite his talk.

But it was too late to go back to them.

"I'm not the Tyrian they'd want. Not anymore. All I care about is getting my revenge. After that....I...'

He cut himself off and headed for the door.

"I'm gonna go do some looking around. I'll let you know if the rain clears up at all. Trifa, listen..."

"....What's up, Tyrian?"

"...If I come back, don't open the door for me right away. I want you to lock it behind me. Ask me something that only we'd know. I don't know the depths to which this guy can 'take over' a body but if it's only physically, he won't be able to read my thoughts, know what we know. If something happens and they take control of me....I don't want them getting you too." Tyrian had seen the brutality that someone like Taurus fought with against enemies like the Grimm. He had no doubts in his mind that if pushed to their limits, Fox would make any deaths look like a mishap, a happy little accident, and they'd continue on scot-free. Tyrian hated that Trifa wasn't as 'eager' to fight as he was. But she'd grown up and saw merits to life other than just throwing yourselves against opponents.

She was better than him.

The thought of it brought a smile to his face but it quickly vanished as he headed out the door.

"Bye."

Trifa waited until he was gone and got up and locked the door. "...Idiot..." She sniffled.

~~~

He felt alone without Trifa accompanying him but the less danger she was in, the better he could operate. His hands tucked away in the pockets of his dirty brown jacket, the faunus began once again wandering the streets of Mistral looking for some answers. There was no way in hell that Fox had only been snooping around here in the vain hopes that they'd get to recruit him to their cause. There had to be more to it than that and Tyrian didn't care who he had to beat up or who he had to fight.

He'd figure it out or die trying.

​

 

[Gus Gungus]

They didn't. No further attempt like those nasty grimm appendages came, nor any other form of assault. Yet...even Weiss Schnee, a resident of Atlas and the Winter Maiden herself? Not even she found herself immune to the chill in the air as the room grew inhospitably cold. More than half a world away, the utterly inhuman man that was Ozpin...there was no anger on his face after what Weiss had said about Maria. No frustration at his attack being nullified so easily. No concern about her promise/threat that he would follow his best assassin to the grave. And absolutely no fear. There was only a smile, though by now she could not see it nor hear him speak.

"We shall see."

The lack of anything even resembling worry in those brief three words spoke volumes about his belief on how this would go. Salem had tried, many times, over many lives, to permanently end him. Not a one attempt had actually done so. He always came back. If Weiss wanted to have delusions of grandeur of succeeding where Salem had repeatedly failed, well, that was up to her. She wouldn't have been the first to get in way over her head. He would simply enjoy breaking that self-delusion bit by bit, inch by inch. Personally. Face to face.

He stood, striding out of the room at a relaxed pace and in absolutely no hurry to reach that conclusion. Time was on his side.

"..."

Well, now she'd gone and done it. Yang you boob, you know this is YOUR fault.

She had quite simply already hit her quota of sass for the whole month well before Ozpin reached out to her. How else was that supposed to go? Yet as she stood there and felt a chill born far outside the realms of Winter creep into her very bones, she didn't find herself regretting a single word of what she'd just done or said. No... actually, this was more than acceptable. Her original hope had been to gain Ozpin's full confidence, to begin influencing his already questionable decisionmaking for the worse by establishing herself as his most shrewd strategist. Weakening the enemy from within, then striking with the full arsenal of all the pieces and players she'd brought onto the board to strike his pestilent blight from the earth in a fell swoop. Oh well.

Those players and pieces were all very much still primed and ready for the fray. All she had to do was make a few calls.

---

Weiss strode back into the SDC board meeting with an air of snappish impatience and brusque disregard for each and every one of the reptiles in suits surrounding her than usual. They murmured vague welcome-backs as they went through the specifics of their quarterlies, all of which Weiss ignored as she stood at the head of the table, promptly clapping her hands to draw everyone's attention with a polite clear of the throat.

"We're liquidating."

The hush that fell over the room was like something to be expected out of Ozpin's own malignant castle as some of her father's oldest friends exchanged hushed glances; some amused, some bemused, and some... a bit apprehensive. One of the older men in the room spoke up, though he seemed hesitant to do so.

"...Er, ah, miss Schnee, your sense of humor is as sophisticated as it is elusive. Perhaps if you could clarify-"

She cut him off with a sharply raised fist, closing her eyes with a shake of the head. "No jokes, I'm afraid. In a matter of weeks this company will no longer exist. All mines closed, all assets sold off. In a sense, you're all fired."

"...I'm afraid that's not how it w-"

"Oh, it is. I've made sure of it."

Her eyes opened to coldly regard the room of suits, execs, and other such miscreants as they stared at her in a disbelieving stupor, waiting for the punchline to drop and their employer to reveal their livelihoods were in fact not being taken away. It was almost sad.

And yet, she felt nothing.

"Now get out."

This cursed, obscene place had outlived its usefulness, and quite frankly she was going to need the funds.

It was time to enter the final phase.​

 

[MidwayLives]

As did all things, their training session came to it's inevitable conclusion for the day.

It seemed as though that given more time Paradise would be able to utilize 'Twisted Love' without so much as a moan of pain or a grimace of hesitance marring that beautiful face.

Still, routine check ups were necessary in order to see that the weapon system was still taking well with the younger faunus's body. If the site showed any signs of infection or irritation, it could prove disastrous for Magenta's testing results and Paradise's continued well-being. Instructing his assistant to step into the testing room, the rabbit faunus took a seat and went to remove his shirt as he was prompted and turned to show his back to the medic who'd taken him under his wing. "I hope everything's okay, Magenta..."

"Well, that depends on what you believe to be 'OK' and what I believe to be 'OK' equating to the same thing, my dear Paradise."

The original procedure to implant the Twisted Love system into Paradise's body had been a long and tedious one. No breaks were allowed for if he slipped up and allowed himself to grow too relaxed for even a moment, the faintest slip could mean someting wasn't implanted right/a bolt wasn't screwed in properly/etc. Initially, before anything else had been attached there was just a metal plate secured to Paradise's spine. As with everything else in the procedure, this had to be done right to the letter or else grave complications would arise sooner rather than later. Would the body reject the implant? Would the areas where the plate had been bolted in to hold it in place show signs of infection?

....No, everything seemed to be fine on that front. He'd clean over the spots with a swab just to be on the safe side of things. No signs of redness or puss were a good thing.

"Has it felt less heavy over the past few months, Paradise?"

That'd been another issue that Magenta had been worrying about. The system had a sizable girth to it and even accounting for aura, if the recipient couldn't handle it, it could lead to disfigurement/contortion of the spine/general back problems. It was partially why Magenta had waited until he met somebody like Paradise who boasted a healthy amount of upper body strength and seemed capable of taking on the herculean task that lay before him.

"I think I'm getting the hang of it, Magenta. I think if you give me just a bit more time, it'll be fine! It'll be like it's not even there!"

"Hm...."

The medic didn't sound exactly 100% convinced but he'd let it go for now.

"That's good, my boy. The long term goal of 'Twisted Love' is that you shouldn't even feel it as a weight, as a burden upon your body. It'll feel as if it's always been a part of you. Using it will be as seamless as using your legs to walk and your arms to grab. It'll become integral to who you are." His grip on Paradise's bare shoulders grew tighter. "It'll make you the best soldier that's ever served Atlas." The grip relaxed and Magenta went onto inspecting the blade that'd been attached to the plate. It was a long trail of hydraulics with metal plating around it to keep the innards(wires, cords, etc)safe from harm and if one were to part the hair on the back of Paradise's neck, they'd find a small row of stitches on the back of his neck. A sensor had been placed there in order to connect 'Twisted Love' to his brain stem. That way controlling the blade would require no physical gestures on Paradise's parts. If he wished the blade to strike downwards, it would. If he wished it to strike form the sides, it would.

If the blade was somehow destroyed be it by combat or other measures, Paradise would need to be heavily sedated and the sensor removed and re-routed for the new blade that would have to be attached in it's place. Any signs of infection or issue in that area would prove highly dangerous. Moving his gloved hands up to push past Paradise's hair, he exhaled in relief. The sensor appeared to be fine.

"Everything seems to be doing fine, Paradise. Twisted Love is performing at optimum standards and you're making me quite happy..."

"I'm so glad to hear that, Magenta! Really I am.."

"Oh?~"

Magenta rose to his feet and held his hands off to either side.



"Would you perhaps say that you're ready for a test out in the field?"

"A f-field test?! But where would we even do it, Magenta??"

"You're not an ignorant boy, are you, Paradise? You haven't been keeping up with things? That group calling itself 'The Resistance' seems to have gotten bolder and bolder by the day. It seems like it's as good a time as any to bring them down a notch, wouldn't you agree?"

Truth be told, Paradise was a Atlas loyalist through and through. Atlas's enemies were his and he'd make them suffer for daring to make nuisances of themselves in his home. Did he have any personal animosity for them? He couldn't really answer that but personal feelings didn't matter nor should they have ever entered the equation of a soldier trying to do his duty. He was to be directed and do what needed to be done to accomplish the task. It was his role and as his two long rabbit ears twitched, he frowned. He'd also make sure to do the best job that he could if just to show his human counterparts not to underestimate him just because of what he was.

"....I'm more curious about what you think of them, Magenta.."

Magenta leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands together.

"The Resistance seems to oppose Schnee and for all the woman's perceived faults and her company's 'crimes' against our people? I can't really say I agree with them. As a matter of fact, the woman has my genuine admiration and respect. By all accounts, her father sounded like a right tried and true bastard. Blue blood to the nth degree. We were animals who complained too much to someone like him. Schnee doesn't let issues like that overcloud her decisions. She does what she feels has to be done in order for Atlas to thrive. Some may disagree, others might think she's got the right plan. All I can say is I respect one thing in a person and that's commitment. To stick to your guns no matter what the potential for fallout may be. It's why I perfected my skills to become a medic, my sweet Paradise." Rising from his seat, Magenta headed towards the door that lead back into the main office he and his assistant shared.

"It's all about the bigger picture. Schnee gets that and focuses on it. The Resistance can continue throwing itself against her and seeing what happens. But if you'll allow me an analogy. It's akin to throwing's one boat against the craggy rocks offshore that'll tear your boat asunder. Schnee is at the top of Atlas and we are whom Atlas's enemies will break against in times of strife. I don't hold any hard feelings towards her or her company for past sins or even present ones. I focus on what I can do and what you and I can do together." He gestured grandly around the room. "For everyone in Atlas."

"I...I think I understand, Magenta."

"Excellent! Now, what's say we see about trying to find some of those Resistance fellows, eh?"



"Right!"

Magenta reached out to pet Paradise like one would a dog or cat they were proud of.

"Good boy! Such a good boy!!~"​

 

[Indolent]

The past few days since the attack on the manor was something of a blur, Colonel Ector could make out only events distinctive from the everyday even in light of changing circumstances. The earliest recalled was the ravenous consumption of all the data files he could claim, pertaining to the serial killer discovered and documented within the database by his departed friend Viorica Cristex, before it was corrupted and purged. The snapshots of the entry of before, when it had been corrupted, and after were alarming to say the least, at most evoking a meager modicum of dread with dealing with something that plainly felt unnatural, something monstrous. Neither emotion was enough to dissuade the colonel, brushing both aside as meager hindrances that barely merited his attention. After all, they only served to bolster the affirmation he'd made for himself, the unsung promise forged between himself and the dead. He couldn't remember the expanse between, timing passing as he dedicated his study to this 'Fox', leveraging the clout inherent to his rank combined with the rising fears and concerns within the kingdom to substantiate his research as a necessity to combating the Shadow Fang for the inevitable. Whenever that may come.

Now, it was intensely disconcerting given that with the fall of the CCT in Haven, any further collection of reports with the distinctive mo was an impossibility, leaving something of a monumental roadblock that even Ector could not ignore.

The next instance Llewellyn recalled was the meeting that evening with Councilwoman Schnee, the appointment made to discuss the events during therein and their aftermath to glean the explicable from the inexplicable for himself, beyond what the preliminary report he'd read would offer. It was the first real conversation the two managed, though they had crossed each others' paths in passing, and it carried on after a fashion he came to expect with an individual like Weiss Schnee. He understood she was a woman who brooked no nonsense, easily allayed concerns for her own well being, and was swift to reprimand if she weren't deferred the respect she mandated. With that foreknowledge and understanding, he approached the conference more a diplomat than a soldier sent to do his job, carrying out his duties to the fullest and beyond.

He was mildly, and pleasantly, surprised that the Councilwoman was a smidgen more forthcoming, her level of severity a notch lower than he expected, and their brisk exchange carried on respectfully for both sides. She'd even accepted his apology, without a remonstration of any kind, on his behalf for his subordinate Gwen Helios's initiative without forethought, possibly pleased by the implication the Colonel would ensure a similar incident never transpire again. There wasn't a need to be obsequious in any capacity and the Colonel was left with a question simmering by the meeting's end pertaining to it all, on the very nature of it.

Why had the councilwoman defied the expectations he'd set for himself in their meeting? Established by his understanding of the councilwoman and all that pertained to her, their subversion as subtle as it may have been did not go unnoticed. After all, she had made it consistently clear she never so much liked the military's presence within her home and she never shied from displaying these feelings in full.

Something told him that question was to be answered today, as Ector peered out the window from the sedan's rear as it pulled through the steel gates enclosing the long winding path to the Schnee Manor. It was an overplayed display of grandiose opulence he always felt, an unnecessary existence that only served to glorify the pinnacle of the thoughtless accruing of capital and influence in the mind of someone like Jacques Schnee. An affront ultimately considering the state of affairs that existed outside its grounds, a resonating affirmation that it was more than unnecessary, that it never should have been and yet it was. There was not a single reason, nor was it his place, to ever express his true feelings on the matter and in a way, he felt that Weiss Schnee was undeserving of being lumped in with the sort. After all, she'd only inherited it and what little Ector ascertained, aimed to do good with all she could bring to bear even if others were so quick to demonize her. So it was easy to stifle these feelings and to cast his attention forward on the coming meeting that the councilwoman called him for.

"Liza," the Colonel opened, his features affixed in thoughtful repose, "I'd like for you to attend the meeting with me today. I have a feeling it is... significant." His attention remained fast on the passing scenery, a row of trimmed hedges that trailed the driveway spaced apart that the scenery unveiled beyond to be roiling hills of verdure, maintained to give the wide expanse the illusion of life within. Within the passing of mere minutes, they would loop around a statuesque fountain situated before the manor's entrance, the vehicle coming to a gentle halt before it. There was no need to refer to the clock whatsoever, the indelible training of military precision etched into their very essence informed them well enough they were squarely on time for their meeting with the esteemed Councilwoman.

Soon as Liza facilitated their departure in proper protocol, the Colonel stood before the portal to within with his adjutant at his back, content to await for their being received.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

The past few days since the attack on the manor was something of a blur, Colonel Ector could make out only events distinctive from the everyday even in light of changing circumstances. The earliest recalled was the ravenous consumption of all the data files he could claim, pertaining to the serial killer discovered and documented within the database by his departed friend Viorica Cristex, before it was corrupted and purged. The snapshots of the entry of before, when it had been corrupted, and after were alarming to say the least, at most evoking a meager modicum of dread with dealing with something that plainly felt unnatural, something monstrous. Neither emotion was enough to dissuade the colonel, brushing both aside as meager hindrances that barely merited his attention. After all, they only served to bolster the affirmation he'd made for himself, the unsung promise forged between himself and the dead. He couldn't remember the expanse between, timing passing as he dedicated his study to this 'Fox', leveraging the clout inherent to his rank combined with the rising fears and concerns within the kingdom to substantiate his research as a necessity to combating the Shadow Fang for the inevitable. Whenever that may come.

Now, it was intensely disconcerting given that with the fall of the CCT in Haven, any further collection of reports with the distinctive mo was an impossibility, leaving something of a monumental roadblock that even Ector could not ignore.

The next instance Llewellyn recalled was the meeting that evening with Councilwoman Schnee, the appointment made to discuss the events during therein and their aftermath to glean the explicable from the inexplicable for himself, beyond what the preliminary report he'd read would offer. It was the first real conversation the two managed, though they had crossed each others' paths in passing, and it carried on after a fashion he came to expect with an individual like Weiss Schnee. He understood she was a woman who brooked no nonsense, easily allayed concerns for her own well being, and was swift to reprimand if she weren't deferred the respect she mandated. With that foreknowledge and understanding, he approached the conference more a diplomat than a soldier sent to do his job, carrying out his duties to the fullest and beyond.

He was mildly, and pleasantly, surprised that the Councilwoman was a smidgen more forthcoming, her level of severity a notch lower than he expected, and their brisk exchange carried on respectfully for both sides. She'd even accepted his apology, without a remonstration of any kind, on his behalf for his subordinate Gwen Helios's initiative without forethought, possibly pleased by the implication the Colonel would ensure a similar incident never transpire again. There wasn't a need to be obsequious in any capacity and the Colonel was left with a question simmering by the meeting's end pertaining to it all, on the very nature of it.

Why had the councilwoman defied the expectations he'd set for himself in their meeting? Established by his understanding of the councilwoman and all that pertained to her, their subversion as subtle as it may have been did not go unnoticed. After all, she had made it consistently clear she never so much liked the military's presence within her home and she never shied from displaying these feelings in full.

Something told him that question was to be answered today, as Ector peered out the window from the sedan's rear as it pulled through the steel gates enclosing the long winding path to the Schnee Manor. It was an overplayed display of grandiose opulence he always felt, an unnecessary existence that only served to glorify the pinnacle of the thoughtless accruing of capital and influence in the mind of someone like Jacques Schnee. An affront ultimately considering the state of affairs that existed outside its grounds, a resonating affirmation that it was more than unnecessary, that it never should have been and yet it was. There was not a single reason, nor was it his place, to ever express his true feelings on the matter and in a way, he felt that Weiss Schnee was undeserving of being lumped in with the sort. After all, she'd only inherited it and what little Ector ascertained, aimed to do good with all she could bring to bear even if others were so quick to demonize her. So it was easy to stifle these feelings and to cast his attention forward on the coming meeting that the councilwoman called him for.

"Liza," the Colonel opened, his features affixed in thoughtful repose, "I'd like for you to attend the meeting with me today. I have a feeling it is... significant." His attention remained fast on the passing scenery, a row of trimmed hedges that trailed the driveway spaced apart that the scenery unveiled beyond to be roiling hills of verdure, maintained to give the wide expanse the illusion of life within. Within the passing of mere minutes, they would loop around a statuesque fountain situated before the manor's entrance, the vehicle coming to a gentle halt before it. There was no need to refer to the clock whatsoever, the indelible training of military precision etched into their very essence informed them well enough they were squarely on time for their meeting with the esteemed Councilwoman.

Soon as Liza facilitated their departure in proper protocol, the Colonel stood before the portal to within with his adjutant at his back, content to await for their being received.

The ride up till that point had been spent in comfortable silence. Not that the woman across from Ector hadn't been attentive, just focused. The first few minutes had been spent doing a check of the pair of handguns holstered at the back of her uniform, more than likely tools that would be unnecessary for the location they were headed to, and also a task she'd already done at least once today, yet she went through the motions all the same. The rest of the ride was spent with her eyes quietly roving the streets outside, quick, second long studies of the faces they passed and the dark corners they drove by. It wasn't an action born of stress or paranoia; her shoulders were calm and her breathing was steady. It was simply the task she'd assigned herself.

Those eyes immediately flickered over the colonel as he spoke, and her response was curt and short.

"Of course, sir."

She exited first, gave their surroundings one last scan, and opened the door for him before she stepped aside to let him take the lead. She was standing just behind Ector as the bell was rung, hands crossed behind her back and at attention.

 

[Indolent]

The first two sites they visited whatever they were bore no fruit. The entrance to the third was an abandoned dust shop; the entire building complex it was jammed into had been hollowed out, the backroom going from old, mildew caked tile to sheet metal walls and pillars quickly but precisely constructed to hold up the roof in a much more open space, with heaps of wiring that had been attached to computers that were no longer there. It was a surveillance outpost that had been burned weeks ago. There were no windows, counterintuitive as that would've been to a secret location, so the only light was what came streaming in behind them through the door that had been smashed open during the raid that ended its tenure. what they could make out wasn't pretty; blood stains were splattered over the walls in places, and scorchmarks covered almost every desk where consoles and servers used to stand.

The darkness also made it incredibly difficult to make out the solitary figure standing near the back wall.

Whoever it was was wearing a dark trench coat with the collar pulled up and a wide brimmed hat, and they stood so absolutely still that it was very likely that even among the trained hunters entering the room they weren't even noticed until they spoke up in an electronically distorted voice distorted voice.

"The resistance sends you its regards. Why are you looking for us?"

Even once they noted their presence, their whole... stance was off. Their shoulders didn't move, their wasn't a single twitch or shift in their movement. It was like if a scarecrow in a field suddenly spoke to you.

The first site had been an underground, dilapidated transportation hub or it had been before it was set aflame by the military in a bid to curtail the resistance's access to vehicles. The second was no different from the third except it was a grosser affair, the plumbings destroyed to the extent of ensuring an overbearing dampness that spoke to the growth of mold with electrical shorts evident at junctions throughout that stood apart from the scorches that increasingly spoke to the army's propensity for immolating the undesirable. It was overall a depressing series of drudgery that was honestly better at home nowhere else but Mantle. It did, somehow, manage to add to the glumness that came naturally to one Emerald Sustrai who had no qualms emoting them. Gretchen would have fallen victim to the malaise that exuded from nearly everything were it not for her brother's immutable optimism that clashed with his intense reticence.

"I think I would literally die of depression if i lived here, how could anyone... these people deserve better and the resistance are trying to give them that." She'd say for the fifth time as they all entered the dust shop's premises. Yet another burnt out hole that looked to be nothing different from the past two except for the scarecrow figure propped against the backwall that Emerald immediately picked up, electing to say nothing but wait for their action. When the electronic voice vibrated out, Gretchen absolutely jumped side by side Cinder, with Brosel elevated a neat four inches off Gretchen's shoulder in the upward motion, landing with a soft flumph with a puzzled expression to his weasel face.

░I░ ░t░o░t░a░l░l░y░ ░s░a░w░ ░t░h░e░m░ ░b░u░t░ ░w░h░a░t░e░v░e░r░

Hazel, for his part, took a defensive step towards the figure, almost interposing himself between them and his companions, a furrowed frown speaking volumes. His mouth was about to open, his tone being diametrically opposed to his presentation in a bid for diplomacy before Emerald cut him off.

"Because we're Girl Scouts and we take selling cookies very seriously, we can't let the girls in Troop 8 beat us; we're here with an incredible deal, we'll sell you pallets to feed your friends at cost." Without missing a beat, Emerald thumbed over to Hazel, "He's not with us. So whattya say, wanna help our troop win best selling for the year?"

Cinder briefly glanced at all the others in the group after that voice called out to them so suddenly. A mystery voice coming from somebody she hadn't noticed in the darkness, pfft no way that had been enough to make her jump up in surprise! No way, nuh-uh, definitely hadn't done that. She just made sure all the rest knew that just as certainly as she herself did, that glare that briefly shot to all them making it clear they absolutely had not seen the young Cinder jump up a good four or five inches after hearing that...and after that was done, the fall maiden was swift to step up in front of all the rest as she cleared her throat to answer the trench coated person with the hat.

"We thought we could help them and they could help us?" She offered the stranger, hoping this wasn't a ploy of some kind.​

Emerald was quick to drop all pretenses however, "We need an in to Atlas and the resistance probably could use a bolstering of its ranks. Something of a quid pro quo scenario here, considering our semblances and a Maiden." Her words flowed as matter of fact, hinting at her knowledge that the entities within their ranks were more than likely aware of this motley band and their capabilities.

"For instance, this one could probably communicate with the rats and give you all the info you need on ground."

"... Hey... I don't take advantage of my friends like that... much..."