Howdy y'all!

I just want to say that Volume 7 was fucking incredible.

So, as for lack of updates on literally anything, I've had really bad writer's block and struggled to write anything more than a paragraph or two.
Along with fanfictions, I'm also working on my book and the subsequent series that comes afterwards. Needless to say, shit's been difficult.

Now that Valentine's is over and my job's gonna go back to normal, hopefully, my writer's block disappears and I'll be able to continue writing like I used to.

So, once again, if you want to read my book, it's available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble!
Just search for; Baeorillia: Beyond the Flames, by Derrick Sasuman

Either way, Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY

Chapter 35: Nemo Sine Vitio Est

Did she expect her claim to calm any of the protests or the anger – no, not really. She simply said it to save her skin. She knew that if she didn't come up with something soon, she was definitely going to get her head served up on a silver platter. Weiss didn't have to be vain to know her head looked better when it was attached to her neck. Cracking her neck, ignoring the heat from the stage lights, Weiss let her hair fall to reveal her scar more openly. There were whispers in the crowd and there were some that actually voiced their concern and wonder.

Yes. To save her skin. There was no other reason. Ignoring the doubt growing in her chest, she looked to the woman, ice blues almost in a deep glare. There was an unspoken doubt in Lisa's eyes, one that she wouldn't dare to speak aloud. Weiss could sense it with her cold, calculating orbs glimmering in the stage lights. The scar she had was revealed completely, beautiful and free. The young Heiress, now Queen, sat prepared for whatever came next.

Scarring was hard to achieve in their line of work, especially with their auras available, at least that was what those without were led to believe. Not many knew about it and fewer knew how she got it. Looking at Lisa's awestruck face – Weiss didn't know whether she was still crunching numbers in her head about her declaration or if she'd just run out of brain juice. From the mixed reactions, to the men and women pressed against the windows behind her, she at least stopped the negativity from getting out of hand.

Glancing at the myriad of cameras on their swivels, there were enough cameras there to block the first few rows of seats. She wouldn't be surprised if those sitting there were pretty pissed at their lack of a view. Weiss took a slow breath, careful not to rouse suspicion. With the number of cameras, practically every screen in Vale had her face plastered on it – no doubt, in the world. Keeping a good face and a confident one at that, she knew her father was watching. She could already see his silent smirk as he leaned into his comfy chair.

There was something about his imagined face that made her smirk with delight. He wasn't proud, far from it, but he most definitely knew that she wasn't going to sit around and act like a pawn of his. The game she played was dangerous and had a high chance of blowing up in her pretty little face and she knew it – however, if she could just get a glimpse of the look, the sour smirk hidden beneath that stuffy mustache, she felt it would all be worth it.

Weiss looked to the people around her, from Lisa Lavender to the nameless cameramen that hid behind their machinery, to the nameless men and women gathered at the windows and even those hiding in the shadows, unlit in their darkened stands. Looking to herself, she fought the smirk threatening to grow on her porcelain face. Staring fiercely at the woman in front of her, she crossed her leg over the other and leaned into her seat, the royalty of her upbringing and pedigree bursting at the seams. "Anything else?"

"Uh…" Lisa looked at the cameras and to the stage crew behind her. Whipping back to Weiss, she cleared her throat before fiddling with the papers sitting in her lap. "I wasn't aware of a fourth Queen."

"No one was." Weiss nodded. "Few knew about our arrangement, but after admitting my relations with the King to my father, and long-winded talks with the Patriarch and Matriarch of the House of Arc, we came to…fruitful agreements."

"I see…"

"As both the Heiress of the SDC and the fourth Queen of Vale, consolidation of power and the dream of true unification and peace is well within our grasp. As hard as it is to believe, the SDC, despite its…questionable practices, was made with the best interests of its home Kingdom in mind."

"Now that you, the Heiress, are a Queen of a foreign nation, what does this say for Atlas?"

"Simple. If General Ironwood doesn't pull his forces from my Kingdom, then the SDC will be forced to find new and how do I say…greener pastures." Weiss didn't break gaze, nor did she stutter. All the training she was given seemed to really come forth. "I want the best for my future Husband and for my people. Atlesian politics and ambitions lost all meaning when Jaune and I found ourselves together. His dream became my dream and Vale became my Kingdom. Those airships hovering over Vale are a blight and despite the wishes of the ineffective Valean Council, we, the people of Vale do not need the General's army to watch over us."

"Our army, the King's Fist alone could protect Vale in its entirety, as shown during the Great Battle. Having the automaton divisions of Atlas do nothing to aid us." Weiss didn't give Lisa a moment to speak. Thinking of everything that had happened on this day made her mind spin violently. "He attacked my Queens. He attacked my friends. He attacked my King. I tried to stop an Atlesian missile from killing the High Leader of the White Fang as she brokered peace, but it instead flew and exploded when it hit Jaune."

"The fact alone that one of their weapons hit the King is grounds for an international crisis, but Jaune is not going to fall for the General's warmongering ways. None of us are – but we will do what we need to if he doesn't pull his forces from our Kingdom after the Vytal Festival Tournament. None of us wanted this, but after deep consideration between myself, my Queens and my King, we felt that it needed to be done."

"So, let this be known to the Atlesian forces; the captains on those ships and to the General himself." Weiss turned to the cameras, flipping her hair so her scar could be seen vividly. "Vale is not Atlas; Orléans is not Atlas. Viridian Hollow, is not Atlas. We will never be Atlas. Keep your forces where they need to be and we'll keep ours where they need to be. I've said this before, no one wants a war."

"Darling. No need to be alarmed. The good Doctor is still on the line, most likely trying to regain control of his scroll." The man's accented voice quickly came.

Larissa stared at the letter hovering above her scroll, watching it spin on an invisible axis. "Who are you and what do you want? Do you even know who I am?"

"Larissa Argent; daughter of Alexios and Evanthe Argent; heiress to the House of Argent. Leader of Team LVDR – partner of Delina Stahl. Sister to Orion Argent, the leader of team ONYX. Oh, and my favorite, High Inquisitor of the Brotherhood. My, you are quite accomplished and well-rounded in all accounts of skill. However, you lack something that only my mistress can bring you – direction."

"What would you know?" Larissa glared at the hologram. "Who the hell are you to say these things of me?"

"I know well enough, my dear." The man chuckled. "Your parents hold you back. The organization you were raised into is losing its gleam. I've seen it all before. You want something to stretch your legs, something that will give you the freedom to choose and be whoever you wish to be. In the Brotherhood, that cesspool of nepotism, is no place to cultivate skill such as yours. There's a reason I left Atlas. They weren't overly fond of my experiments."

"Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"I am Doctor Arthur Watts."

"Aren't you the bastard that got his license revoked for inhuman experimentation?" Larissa felt her brows quirk. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Ah, there aren't many who know of my scientific breakthroughs." The man murmured. "I wonder if you learned of it from your parents or innocent desire. Curiosity was never a trait of Argents. As for death, it didn't take, as you can hear."

"I like to be informed. Like now; what the hell does a dead man want with me?" The woman sneered. "I will send word to the General and whoever else it concerns if you don't have anything good to offer me."

"My, the mouth on you." Watts chuckled, almost unimpressed. "All bravado like your mother. Evanthe was never the life of the party. I was hoping more of your father in you, but it seems I had chosen the wrong Argent."

"Wait."

Larissa didn't know why, but she knew he was going to say something about her brother instead. The idea that someone would choose her brother over her, for anything infuriated her. Standing still, ignoring the sirens of the City of Vale, ignoring the Bullheads roaring their engines and definitely ignoring the uproar on the school grounds. This Watts guy wasn't entirely known in Atlas, one of the General and the Council's better kept secrets. After all, imagine what the rest of Remnant would do if they found out about Atlesian human experimentation. Worse yet, some scientists looking to Faunus for testing – they were, after all, animals in many eyes.

"Oh? A hint of damaged pride?" Watts poked. "You don't even know what I was going to offer?"

"I know well enough that whatever it is, it'll be wasted on Orion. He can't fight his way out of a cardboard box. Whatever it is, I'm sure that I can handle it." Larissa crossed her arms over her chest. "Assuming you can see me – or else you wouldn't be so brazen as to call me in broad daylight. You know I'm in a private dais, somewhere far from prying eyes. You were hoping for this, weren't you?"

"Shrewd." Watts's tone turned. "Clever. You're exactly the type of person we need. You know well enough that with the surrender of Sienna Khan, the White Fang has officially been disbanded. The world has no reason for arms and weapons and defenses and chaos. Peace cannot come yet – my mistress needs the insanity to keep her plans moving. Judging by the unscrupulous things you've done in your youth so far; it would be waste of potential and ability to simply let you rot away under a white flag. After the fall and disbandment of the White Fang, who do you think that so called King of Vale will target next?"

"The Brotherhood. He made it painfully clear that he was going to go to war with us if he saw it reasonable to."

"One of his queens is a Faunus. A Faunus that fought the Brotherhood several times." Watts reminded. "Which brings us to our current predicament. The White Fang destabilized the world – now that they're gone, who's going to keep the chaos running. To let it pitter out like a starved flame would spit on everything my mistress has fought for, what you and your family has fought for. Could you imagine the damage that could do to the Brotherhood's reputation, what it would do to yours?"

"I am not the leader of the Brotherhood. I can't do much."

"You need not worry of that, my dear." Watts soothed. "We will make you the leader if we have to. Understand, child – you have no choice now. We will know if you betray us. We will know if you choose to move against us. We will know your every move, Larissa Argent. Tread lightly. I will send an agent to meet you in Vale within the next week. You will receive a message and you will meet with them no matter what with your next set of instructions."

With that, the 'W' disappeared from her phone, revealing the hologram of a doctor wiping his forehead and typing furiously into his keyboard. As soon as he realized it, he snapped at attention, saluting the woman and speaking frantically, as if his world was falling apart. Wherever Watts was, he hacked their call specifically, he intervened and cut the doctor off completely, leaving him to watch in confusion without any audio and only video of Larissa and that floating stylized 'W'. Larissa didn't speak, only listening to the doctor's tirade.

"Doctor Merlot, pack your things." Larissa frowned. "Head to Atlas. You'll have more privacy and Brotherhood support there. Stay out of sight. If someone catches you on the General's airships or even a Manta Gunship, I can't save you."

"A-As you wish, Larissa. It will be done."

Sienna walked through the halls of Beacon Academy, hands twitching against the chain whip and the different Dust infused blades just waiting to be used. There were all kinds of people at the school, ranging from absurdly gargantuan and ridiculously tiny. Their weapons were as varied as their foolish bodies. The only thing that made them unified on the surface was their curious glance, their waking eyes planted to her tigress form. Was it the ears? Was it the black cape? Was it her criminal past? There were too many answers to such a simple question but it was really beginning to get on her nerves.

Letting her sandals slap against tiles turning to stone slabs, she had found herself in the courtyard before the great Beacon Tower, the CCT that she maybe once, vaguely heard Adam planning to attack. Cursing herself, she ignored students and patrols of the King's Fist infantry. She should have seen the signs of Adam's madness. She should have seen his mental decline from the first hint of it. From pointless murders and reckless behavior that damaged useful property more times than not to his senseless hate for anything and everyone. A newly inducted unit could be berated, harmed or worse, killed in training and Adam would refuse to take blame.

Yeah, he was respected but that didn't give him free reign to do as he pleased. Sienna hissed. She somewhat blamed herself for the deaths of hundreds of her own people because in a way, she nurtured the worst aspects of that bull. When Ghira called him out on his tendencies, when several other Faunus were uncomfortable with his methods, who stood by his side and defended the man at every step – she did. When he was questioned and tried by the Faunus Council, she propelled him forward with embellished details and an almost mythical description of his skills and fervor. Now look at what she'd done – several Faunus are on the loose, stronger than ever before and causing irreparable damage on a level unheard of since the Faunus Wars.

Remembering what the King had said to her, she really did have a choice. And she chose this nonsense. Could she back out? What kind of woman, warrior and leader, would she be if she shied away from a challenge at the first step? She was a tigress, a proud Faunus and one of the best fighters the movement ever had. But his words echoed within her chest with every waking second, she spent watching the infamous Fireteams of the King's Fist, walk around with stacks of books in their hands and book bags slung over their shoulders, looking no different from the hapless students populating Beacon's grounds.

The interviews were over and the Schnee princess, or should she say Queen, was already receiving full praise and welcome back on the school grounds. It wouldn't be long before she herself ran into the Schnee. Part of her wanted to thank her for what she did to the General, while the other part of her wanted to finish what she really set out to do. She was one of the few people who saw what really happened to Adam Taurus and why his hatred for humanity was what it was. She knew the horrors of the Schnee Dust Company – to attack the Schnee where it hurt, was tempting. All too tempting.

The power the King showed during their battle was all too fresh for the tigress, reigning in her inhibitions. She wasn't ready to receive the full brunt of the King's Fist bearing down onto her. If she started a fight, she knew she wouldn't make it to the damn landing pads at the edge of Beacon Cliff. Even if she did make it, what then? Her airships were taken and repurposed for the King's Fist air fleet and the defense of Vale against any Grimm that could decide to come from the mountains or Mountain Glenn itself. That was her mistake. Adam was in Vale and the King took her force from her with her unconditional surrender.

Thinking of how the events unfolded, she realized she didn't get many words out in her own defense. The King handled that himself, painting her to be some noble misunderstood leader of an equally misunderstood organization. Whatever he was planning, he made sure to keep those he was using out of the loop. Her forces, who knew if they were rotting in jail cells or simply conscripted into the King's Fist's divisions? Regardless of their fates, Sienna knew that she was out of her playing field and she had to make do with what she had.

First things first, he didn't give me timeline, but he did say that Neopolitan was in prison in Vale. Where exactly, he deigned from sharing that much information. Sienna scowled softly as she ignored the choice looks and passing glance of students from across the Four Schools of Remnant. If I were a betting woman, I'd say she would be somewhere of high importance; high security. There are few places in Vale that have that kind of security…I wonder?

Heading to the landing pads, a LAHAT was seen, unmarked, unpainted and simply waiting with a pilot and a barebones crew. As she approached it, a pair of riflemen appeared from the other side of the vehicle with their MA5D assault rifles aimed right at her. Before she could even react, another stepped from behind the blast doors revealing a woman bearing sergeant marks.

"Sienna Khan?" The woman asked. Her hand rested against the magnum holstered against her thigh.

"Yeah? And who are you?" Sienna questioned.

"Sergeant Aera, I was tasked by the King himself to accompany you on your mission." The woman saluted. "We are Inferno Squad, I am Aera, leader and tactician. He's Kobi our demolitionist; Ivory, our marksman and medic; Ebony, our heavy and support gunner and in the cockpit is Ray, our pilot and vehicle specialist. We're the best of the King's Fist special forces. We won't let you or the King down."

Unable to formulate a response, Sienna simply nodded and followed after the waiting sergeant. Walking into the LAHAT, she calmed down and took a seat beside the woman as the rest of Inferno Squad got situated in. Blast doors hissed shut and the vehicle lurched vertically, taking off into the sky and incredible speeds.

Looking between the gathered men and women, she mentally kicked herself for being so careless as to think the King would let her go on her own. Standing at the head of the group was Aera, she wore black military fatigues with black and dark red camouflage pants. On her left thigh, a holster holding a magnum was seen. On the right, strapped to her belt as well, was a thin but no doubt, sharp short sword for close encounters. Behind her, resting ominously, was a helmet with a wide visor, almost reminiscent to the helmets the Huntsman Fireteams wore with their armor.

The one motioned to be Ebony was ironically a pale woman with burnt orange hair. Behind her, a shaggy black fox tail, almost as dark as night flowed from beneath her combat utility belt. On her chest, heavy armor was outlined with glowing dust trims and accents. Instead of ammunition pouches, she had full pockets and hanging bags around her waist, abdomen and even on her back where she assumed to be Dust Rockets waiting for the collapsed AT-10 launcher.

On the far end of the cargo hold, was Ivory, ironically named as well, since he was a dark-skinned man with black hair. If it wasn't for the blotches of white across his features, she wouldn't have noticed the reason for such a name. He was spotted, almost like some breeds of canine Faunus. She didn't want to assume until he opened his mouth to yawn, revealing elongated canines. Lying beside him was a massive scoped rifle with magazines the size of actual books. Sienna shivered slightly at the thought of the rounds within such a device. The man sharpened a series of scalpels, keeping his piercing orange eyes on her.

"The King told us of your new Fireteam, yes? Fireteam KRWN?" Aera asked, bringing Sienna from her thoughts. Receiving another nod, the woman continued, tapping the screen of her scroll. With a smooth motion and soft ringing, holograms shot from the floor of the levy, revealing a hard-light map of Remnant with four glowing dots in varying points of Sanus and Anima. "There are two red dots here in the city of Vale, excluding you. While the General brought his airships, dreadnaughts in the sky, he also brought smaller craft, cruisers would be their surface floating counterparts. Those cruisers are also the flagships of Atlesian Specialists, one in particular is large enough for a compliment of Manta Gunships and Hammerhead Dropships, or a wing of Orca Air Superiority Fighters. In our case, a Low Altitude Heavy Assault Transport – LAHAT or Levy."

"O-Okay?"

"Neopolitan is not in some jail cell in some prison in the middle of Vale or even on the outskirts. She is hidden away on one of those cruisers. Which one, we don't know at the moment. We will do our job and get her out and into the Levy, who's callsign is Shadow. Your job, however, because the King doesn't exactly trust you yet, you will have to prove yourself and commandeer the cruiser and fight its commander."

"Fight its commander?" Sienna narrowed her eyes. "Cruisers tend to be commanded by Atlesian Specialists, you said?"

"Yes." Aera simply responded. "We will be handling whatever AK-200's they have on board, but fighting the Specialist will be your job. They tend to travel alone, but there are cases where they travel in pairs, so it'll be dangerous enough with just one. Specialists are the best of the Atlesian Military after all."

Sienna nodded her head, turning her eyes to the slits in the blast doors showing the glimmering rays of sunlight reflecting off the windows and polished cars within the winding city streets. "What the fuck have I gotten myself into?"

"If you're all the media chalks you up to be, you shouldn't have too much trouble. The mission is to get Neopolitan on our side and lure Winter Schnee away from the Atlesian forces. Once that's complete, we can move onto Phase Two."

"Let me guess. Convincing Winter Schnee into our merry band?"

"Exactly." Aera nodded. "Ray projected it to be well within failure territory, much against our favor; but I believe much like everyone else in Remnant; strength always bests people and it will always bring them to heel. We killed Greater Grimm without semblances or Huntsman training – taking down simple specialists and bandit queens shouldn't be too hard. Inferno Squad – whaddya say?"

"Oorah!"

Sienna sighed softly, looking away from the patriotic soldiers. Pulling her chain whip and drawing upon her aura, the woman closed her eyes, concentrating on the world around her. Listening to the soft hum of Levy engines, to the clicking of bullets into empty magazines. While she didn't know them all too well yet, she was already registering Aera's breathing, the heartbeat of Ebony; the soft whistle of Ray in the cockpit; even the soft whispers and murmurs of Ivory as he checked his medical supplies. While she had only just left Beacon, she knew that they were definitely on their way to their mission.

To think; she came to Vale to have peace. Now she was leading a death squad to break a criminal free and start a secret war against an equally secretive woman who supposedly controlled the Grimm. Absolutely none of that made any sense to the tigress, but she let it slide. Running the pads of her fingers against the blades sheathed against the belt on her waist, she could feel the inserted dust powder beginning the first stages of ignition. Slowing once more, she sheathed her current blade, unclasped the explosive fire Dust and replaced the blade with frost Dust, knowing she needed her cruiser functional.

"How long before we reach our target?"

"No more than twenty minutes, ma'am."

Wiess sat before Jaune and rest of team RWBY and JNPR. Her face was unreadable and she maintained the feigned act of surprise. Honestly, out of everyone present, Jaune was the most amused. Not that he saw any of it coming, but the way Yang reacted, the way Blake reacted and more notably, the way Ruby reacted. Pyrrha seemed the most unbothered and through it all, the shouting, the explaining and the weird conversation of harems and polyamorous relationships – Weiss seemed to be the most level headed of everyone.

Was he surprised? Not entirely. Weiss always did have a certain ability to remain calm and collected. Sure, she lost herself on the battlefield, but who didn't when they were shown first hand from start to finish the chaos of war. The Battle of the Docks was nothing, the Battle of Vale was a testing ground; the Battle of Forever Fall was her proving ground. She proved she could act, she proved she could lead and most importantly, she showed that she was woefully unprepared for the true stress of battle. Did she let it consume her? Apparently not.

Hindsight gave her enough clarity to take full advantage of the situation and my oh my, was Jaune impressed.

"Cough up, Nora." Yang finally said after relenting. Turning her eyes to the orange haired grumbling girl. "I told you she would."

Weiss coughed, a hot blush burning across her face. "I'll have you know I said that out of necessity. The world would have erupted into a war and who knows what would have happened if I didn't say what I did?"

"You could have said literally anything else, though." Blake raised a brow. "Maybe not claiming to be the fourth queen. Already, we're under attack by all facets of society. Yeah, my parents in Menagerie know about you and Yang, but our allies in Anima, Vacuo, who knows what they'll say. It took a lot of time and money and words shared to keep them off our backs."

"Well…do you love Jaune?" Ruby asked. Heads turned to the young reaper, eyes softening.

"Love?" Weiss faltered a little. The façade she wore dropped for a moment. "I…would it be surprising if I said I did?"

Ruby nodded slowly, closing her silver eyes. "I see…"

"Ruby…" Weiss felt her heart pound. "Nothing's different."

"Yeah." Ruby nodded fervently. "Yeah, nothing's too different."

"No, Yang. You cannot melt my ice heart." Weiss narrowed her eyes at the snickering blonde. "Nora, don't encourage her."

"Oh please, my queen, you know it was pretty funny." Nora rolled her turquoise eyes. "Jauney, where's my castle?"

"You'll get one eventually, Nora." Jaune chuckled. "Look, Weiss…I'm intrigued that you'd say that you're my queen on live television, but you do know that once you've made it known, you'll have to back up your words. Threats like the ones you made won't be taken lightly and it's time to walk the walk."

"You should know I'm more than experienced in that regard. I've never shied away from a challenge." Weiss huffed. "Even still…I'm happy you're not angry with me."

"Why would I be?" Jaune felt his eyebrow twitch with confusion.

"For adding more onto your shoulders." Weiss felt her blue eyes trail to the side of the room. "Look, I know I've been pretty distant since before you went to Menagerie…I…okay, can I speak to Jaune alone, please?"

The Queens looked to one another and simply nodded at her request. Oddly enough, Yang was the first to shoo people out the dormitory. As Ruby was the last to file out before her, Yang quickly snapped back to look at the pair, winking and shutting the door as she disappeared behind it. Weiss sat in her chair, leg crossed over the other, scar visible and those confident eyes she once had, were replaced with timid, uncertain and worried orbs that displayed more emotion than ever before. Neither spoke, uncertain of where to begin, or where to end. There was something they wanted to share, something they wanted to get off their chests, but with the sheer pressure resting on their backs, neither could find the courage to speak.

Looking upon her, Jaune watched the snow angel he once fell in love with. Her long, white, pristine hair, hung over to the side, topped with a snowflake-like tiara. Leaving her whole face to be seen, her white brows accentuated the coldness in her blues, the shivering blizzard she kept hidden within her walled heart. Arms crossed and with another huff, her bangs flipped softly, leaving her beautiful scar free for him to see, unblocked and unabated. His eyes trailed over her, her white dress and red markings, the lithe soft legs – no. He cursed himself.

"Jaune." Weiss said suddenly. Bringing his eyes back to her cold orbs, he found warmth instead of shivering loneliness. "I…"

He moved smoothly, kneeling before her. "If you apologize, I'm going to fight you."

"Fine." Weiss rolled her eyes. "I won't apologize. I just want to know if I've overstepped my bounds."

Definitely confused, Jaune was taken aback. "Overstepped…what?"

"You're with Pyrrha! Blake! YANG!" Weiss threw her arms out, nearly knocking him back. "Three of the most beautiful women! Three of the most powerful women! Three of the most incredible women! I always thought I was worth something because of my knowledge, my diligence, my pedigree…but none of that mattered when it came to you. Jaune…you don't have to force yourself to notice me."

Jaune felt his mind go blank. "Force myself? Weiss–"

"I don't have the hips or butt of Blake; the skill and heart of Pyrrha, nor the chest and strength of Yang…yeah, I suppose there are some things you could find attractive about me, but seriously? All I feel I can bring to this, is the SDC, my place as heiress and the titles that come with it all – the very thing I was afraid of people pining for. How do I even compare?"

"Weiss–"

"Jaune, please. You don't have to lie to me. I know my teammates. I know your Queens – I've seen them in battle too, they're no slouches either. The things we've been subjected to, the things we've seen and done; it's so overwhelming and so ridiculous when you think about it, but I do it for Remnant, for my friends and for you. You're…You're…"

"All of you mean so much to me, Jaune." Weiss whipped back to face him. For the first time in a long time, Jaune saw tears prickling the corners of her eyes. "You all mean the world to me. I would do literally anything for all of you – you, especially! When you first disappeared, I thought the worst – you told me our past, as frenemies and then close allies broke my heart because, damn it all, what the hell was I thinking?! You saved my life in Haven, you continued to try to save everyone. I died before you could do anything, I swore that it wouldn't happen again – you don't deserve that, and I certainly don't."

"Everything that's happened so far, all the building, the fighting, the training and the wars, it's so much that I just couldn't fathom. I came to Beacon to change myself and find my path, Jaune. I came to Beacon because I didn't want to be another tool that my father could dispose of. Through you…through the opportunity you've made for me, for all of us, supersedes anything I've ever thought I could achieve. What you've done for me…I can't ever thank you enough and I don't think I've been fair to you."

"Weiss–"

"When I think of Yang; I think of Power. When I think of Pyrrha; I think of Kindness. When I think of Ren; I think of Peace. When I think of Ruby; I think of Hope. When I think of Blake; I think of Righteousness. When I think of Nora; I think of Joy. But when I think of you…gods…my heart flutters and my stomach twists. When I think of you; I think of Love and everything I've always wondered how it'd feel. But there I was, pushed to the sidelines by my teammates, by people I trust and love. I was always the second choice because of my sister and as time went by, my brother was chosen over me. I just wanted to be the one people could count on."

"Ruby counts on you." Jaune smiled.

Weiss chuckled for a moment, wiping a stray tear. "Yeah. The dunce really does. She'd do something reckless without me."

"Weiss." Jaune rose from his knees, taking her hand into his own. "Look at me. When in Haven in the future-past, I thought similar thoughts of myself. When we faced Cinder and her cronies and Adam Taurus was on his way to fight Yang and Blake, I couldn't think, I couldn't do anything to help the people who meant the most to me. When that bitch Cinder tried to kill you, thoughts of Pyrrha and how I failed her flashed in my mind…this time, it was my fault. I goaded her; I gave her the ammunition she wanted to truly hurt me. I desperately wanted to die, and she knew death would be too good for me."

"I refused to let anything happen to Pyrrha again. I refused to let anything happen to Yang when we reconnected. Blake died to save me and I vowed to never need saving again. I became a victim of my own self-hate – I refuse to let you be a victim of your own. Look at me, Weiss. You're strong; you're powerful in your own right, you should have seen your summons; you're beautiful in so many different ways. You spent your life in Atlas as someone else's plaything in someone else's game. No more, Weiss. You're free and you did that yourself before."

"But it took losing everything I loved." Weiss looked away from him. "I was weak; maybe pretentious. I remember everything you told me. How my future was to die in Atlas, in the company of my family. People that scorned me; belittled and treated me as nothing more than pieces to move on a board. What am I supposed to do with that information? What am I supposed to do knowing that everything I do and fight for is for nothing?"

"Not this time." Jaune said defiantly. "You've changed so much; you've forced that future away just as I have. How about this; we move past this; we figure this out and look to our future with courage. We have to be strong enough to spit at Salem and back; we have to be strong enough to say, Not This Time Fate. We have to."

"Jaune…" Weiss held her arm. "I don't know if I'm strong enough. I'm not like Ruby. I'm not like you. I'm not like any of you."

"I'm not asking you to be." Jaune laughed. "What I am asking though, is that you stop selling yourself short. You're amazing in your own way and if I'm going to be honest, RWBY would be nothing without you."

"You're just saying that." Weiss turned on her heels, facing the window. Her icy eyes scanned the horizon, the airships hovering over Vale and the courtyard of Beacon. "You're just saying things to make me feel better."

"Do you really think I'd do something so base?" Jaune asked, a slight joke in his tone. "I believe that's what you've said before."

"S-Shut up." Weiss huffed.

Her hand reached out, softly resting against his shoulder. Her eyes were unable to meet his, the level gaze he had on her was almost overwhelming. Her eyes tentatively turned upward to meet his deep cerulean orbs, entranced with the glimmer that seemed to shine through the reflecting haze. Her heart jumped when their connection deepened, resounding in a drumline, a rhythmic melodic pounding in her chest. Doing the unthinkable, she jumped up, throwing her arms around his shoulders. Pressing her lips to his, she thought he'd jump, maybe even pull away, but he only seemed to press back, pushing against her.

Everything was sent wild in all directions. She shuddered into him, tightening her arms around him. Slowly, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer. She couldn't believe it. Everything was in freefall; she was flying. As if wings had sprung from her back, she could feel the winds rushing against her face; she could feel the clouds whipping through her hair. It was incredible. But all good things always come to an end.

"Ahem." A playful cough broke her euphoria. "Now that that's all figured out."

Jaune turned slowly with a beaming smile. "Really, Yang?"

"Oh, you know it, lover boy." Yang chuckled. "Though; I wasn't expecting Weiss-queen to jump and kiss you already. Prim and proper is kinda her thing."

"Damn it, woman." Weiss hissed, a bright red blush rupturing across her pale face. "I was enjoying the kiss."

"Yeah, yeah. You'll get enough chances to do that later." Yang motioned for them. "I got a call from Coco while we waited in JNPR's dorm, that they were assigned a hunt with Professor Peach in the Badlands of Sanus. They'll be gone for a long while, so Professor Goodwitch just called and asked us if Teams RWBY and JNPR could plan and prepare the Ballroom for the Vytal Festival Dance."

"You interrupted us for that?!" Weiss asked with simmering fury.

Yang bellowed with thunderous laughter. "Nah! I just wanted to see your face."

"You're actually insufferable!" Weiss gritted through barred teeth.

Jaune could only laugh as Weiss threw every pillow she could reach at the blonde. "Finally. Something normal for once…"

Moving through the corridors of the cruiser, Sienna could hear the suppressed thuds of bullets hitting targets and the sparking of stripped wirings. Atlesian Knights fell to the floor, clanking against the steel grates and against steel pillars. Having commandeered many Atlesian airships before, she had never found herself taking a Cruiser of all things. Atlesian Specialists were dangerous and given their sheer devotion to Atlas; she wouldn't be surprised if the Atlesian would scuttle their own ship before letting it fall into enemy hands.

Though; who the enemy exactly was, wasn't entirely defined. The Atlesians were in a begrudging alliance with the King and even then, it wasn't entirely an alliance given her place in it all. She couldn't kill anyone, but she sure as hell could let them see who she was. None of it made sense. Pushing through Atlesian barricades and tearing through AK-200's with relative ease, her chain whip hissed and retracted back into her sleeve, the blade only stopping in her palm.

She was certain the Special Operative was growing impatient and already beginning to realize there was something wrong. Leaning against a wall, she pressed her ears against the metal sheets. Footsteps, heartbeats, chains. Feeling her ears perk at the sound, she immediately sprang forward through the halls, using her years of espionage and sneaking about to her advantage. She slid about like a snake in foliage, throwing knives and using her chain whip with lightning dust infused, to disable Atlesian Knights.

Sliding against the floors, she swung the chain whip around, latching onto their necks and mechanical throats, while Inferno Squad, equipped with suppressors, blasted through the automatons with practiced ease. Casings jingled across the floor; bullets never missed their targets. With a grunt, the former High Leader pulled her trapped target to the floor. With a quick flip and a dropped heel, the limbs of a machine burst from its torso chassis.

"Lieutenant Khan…go and fight the Specialist. Ray is certain that this is the Airship that Neopolitan is held. We'll get her out no problem." Aera nodded. "As soon as she's in the Shadow, we'll let you know."

"Good luck, Sergeant."

"You too. This is the Third Cruiser we've hit…it won't be long before the rest of the Atlesian fleet realizes."

Sienna Khan nodded, turning her eyes to the great doors of the cockpit. Having studied Atlesian Fleet Doctrine and airship design, she could expect no more than seven crewmen, a captain and the Specialist. If all went to plan, she wouldn't have to worry of the Atlesian Military Personnel. They were easy to knock unconscious, having had years of experience in doing so. The Specialist was what she was worried about. Winter Schnee was famous for being the best of the best; if the other Specialists were anything like her, the kind of fight she'd have would be tremendous, especially if a dangerous criminal like Neopolitan was aboard the vessel.

"She's here!" Aera could be heard in her earpiece. "But she's putting–"

"Sergeant Aera?" Sienna whispered with concern. "Aera, come in."

Suddenly, the white and blue lights of the Airship turned into a spiraling red, alarms blared and within seconds, her racing heart dropped into her stomach. "Well fuck me."

Pushing the cockpit doors open, she burst into action, throwing her chain whip about. Crewmen sitting at their computers were knocked unconscious by the blunted blade at the end of her weapon. Flicking her wrist, the chain shot back toward her. In fluid motion, she dodged bullets from the Captain's magnum and the Specialist's sidearm. Using her fancy footwork to her advantage, she swung the whip again, this time, tipped with an aura absorbent metal.

As the blade smashed against the Captain's Platform, the Specialist and the Captain were blown back. Unlike the Specialist, as soon as the Captain hit the floor, he was knocked out cold. Sienna repositioned, pulling her chain back to her waiting hands. Taking a stance, with the chain extended between her clenched fists, she waited for the Specialist to regain their bearings.

"S-Sienna Khan?" The Specialist asked. "You're…You're supposed to be our ally!"

She narrowed her eyes at the man. "You have someone I need."

"Neopolitan is not leaving this ship!" The specialist drew a sabre. "I don't know why you're doing this but you will answer for your crimes!"

Charging ahead with a speed of true masters, she blocked with her wrapped chain. It did little to stop him. She dodged, weaved and spun around him as his swings sped toward her, faster and faster with every lunge and swipe. If her life wasn't teetering on the edge of mortality, she would have been impressed. She had to run from every cruiser she attacked thus far, leaving her inevitable confrontation with a Specialist on hold.

Until now!

Blocking with her chain once more, the Specialist slid his blade against the wrapped metal links. Turning his blue eyes toward the Captain's control panel on the platform, both he and Sienna came to the same conclusion. Jumping back he raised his sidearm, pulling the trigger with exponential repetition. With each trigger pull and bullet zooming from that barrel, the Tigress was finding it harder to time and block the bullets. Is it a semblance? How is he doing that?!

Taking a second of reprise to quickly reload, Sienna looked to find him just inches away from the control panel. Without a moment to spare, she threw the blade of her chain whip forward, lodging the weapon into the panel. With a flick of her wrist an a channeling of aura, the Dust infused with the blade ignited, electricity rushed through the panel, short-circuiting the buttons and the touch screen.

The Specialist whipped his head back. "Do you know what you've done?!"

"I stopped you from notifying the rest of the Atlesian Fleet!"

"And in doing so, doomed the ship!"

As he prepared to charge, the door was blown off of its steel hinges. Flying at inhuman speeds, the door smashed into the Specialist, breaking his aura and knocking him unconscious. In the chaos, bullets riddled the cockpit, bouncing off steel railings and the ceiling above. From the smoke, a small woman, a girl at best, flipped and danced around the lightning fast projectiles, using her parasol to block and redirect. She was like a ballerina, flexible, fluid in motion, almost like Sienna herself. Pulling the chain free from the control panel, her eyes narrowed at the girl.

"Neopolitan?"

The girl in question simply narrowed her heterochromia eyes. Drawing a blade from the parasol and flipping the umbrella around, she took a stance, barring her teeth in preparation. The glare on her face was unlike any she'd seen today. It was one of true rage, filled with real disgust and hatred. Rushing for the Faunus, she lunged with her rapier-like blade, punching between the chain links of her weapon. With wide eyes, Sienna felt everything fall in slow motion.

Neo forced the blade closer and closer, inching ever so slightly toward her forehead. As she fell back, she swore she could already feel the point pierce her skin. But as if fate, or the King himself watching over her, binds wrapped around the elusive girl siphoning her aura and binding her. She rolled on the floor biting and gnawing at the inch-thick wires holding onto her tiny body.

Coming into the room, Aera could be seen nursing a bleeding wound on her temples with Ebony bleeding from the shoulder. "Khan, you broken?"

"I'm good."

Pulling the Tigress to her feet, the two nodded. "That could have gone better."

"You're telling me?" Sienna huffed. "What happened?"

"Her semblance is what happened. Illusions. As soon as the cell opened, she attacked us, using her semblance to distract us." Aera wiped the blood coursing down her cheek. "I should have been more careful."

"Well what now? We have the airship and we have Neopolitan."

"Time to attract a Schnee."

Raven Branwen glared at the man in front of her. With arms crossed over her buxom chest, she leaned against the pillar behind her. There was merit to his words, but absolutely none of it meant that she should actually give a shit. If he said anything else, it would sound like begging and she for one, refused to hear it. Begging was for the weak. Crimson eyes met crimson, unimpressed with his pitch. No wonder their chosen profession was to be huntsmen – sales was not in their blood apparently.

"Qrow." Raven said with falling tone. "I can tell you this now – I honestly don't give a shit about you or the King of Vale. The Tribe is all that matters."

"At least hear him out." Qrow said once more. "He needs you."

"Or do you need me?" Raven asked with a hint of spite. "I'm surprised you haven't pulled the family angle yet."

"As if that would change your mind." Qrow spat. "Your own daughter is Queen and you haven't had the guts to visit or even say something."

He hit a nerve. "Don't even pretend to know my reasons for leaving."

"There's nothing to pretend. You left because you cared more for the stupid tribe than you did your own daughter." Qrow glared.

"Pretentious as always." Raven turned her back.

"The Fall Maiden was defeated." Qrow said. "Half of her power was taken by a woman named Cinder Fall. She's still in Vale and despite–"

"Despite everything that the King of Vale has done, despite his resources and spies, he still hasn't found her, or else you'd have no reason to find me." Raven scoffed. "How did you even know I was in Vale?"

"I don't know. Call it Twintuition." Qrow sarcastically drawled.

Raven could only roll her eyes. "If she has half of the Maiden's powers then what use am I?"

"You know where the Spring Maiden is." Qrow said with a simple tone. "If we're going to fight a maiden on her side, we need the other Maidens."

"What of the Summer, the Winter maidens?" Raven glared. "Why do you need the Spring Maiden?"

"Jimmy isn't going to hand over the Winter Maiden without being forced to." Qrow shook his head. "And Theodore has been trying to find the Summer Maiden since the last one fell a decade ago. You know this don't you?"

"I like to keep informed."

"Then help us."

"No."

Raven turned on her heels, heading toward the window. "Though, I think I'm going to stick around and see what this King is all about."

"Cinder…" A young woman said. Her eyes were shaking.

"I…" The woman in question glared at the warehouse.

Bodies upon bodies were littered across the floor and the Dust she had accrued was gone. The hidden bases they had maintained a hold onto, were destroyed, burning and turned into mass graves. The people that followed her laid in their guts and blood, lifeless and empty shells of what they were supposed to be. Clenching her fists, the woman huffed, eyes glowing with fire and heat.

"Fuck…" A silver haired boy managed to mummer. "This…this is…"

"The CCT is our target." Cinder said. "We have to maintain our timetable."

"B-But Cinder…" Emerald pleaded. "What army do we have?"

"The Grimm." Cinder simply said. "I didn't bring you along to question me. Listen and Obey."

"Y-Yes ma'am." Emerald lowered her head in disgrace.

Walking through the chaos, she pushed dismembered bodies about, wiping blood onto her crimson dress. Rummaging through papers, guts and scorned viscera, she found the object she needed. Swiping the scroll and shoving it into her dress, she turned on her heels, letting the stilettos click against the concrete floor. "It would seem that not all is lost, after all. Whoever did this…"

"They knew nothing of the plan, did they?" Mercury questioned.

"Obviously not." Cinder walked past the pair. "My Mistress thinks me a traitor…after I do this…she'll see the truth."

"Cinder…?" Emerald looked to her with a worried look.

So, pieces are coming into play and soon, we're going to have an epic battle, far more extravagant than the one we got in canon.

Hopefully it doesn't take me forever to update again!

ja ne!

gottahavekyuubi