Chapter Text
The screen flickered for an instant before stabilizing. The viewer now saw the Cadena 7 ValeNews studio, one of the kingdom’s most important news networks.
The anchorwoman, a brown-haired woman with a serious expression, adjusted some papers in front of her as the background music faded.
“Good evening, Vale. This is Mariana Linder with updated information on the incident that occurred during this afternoon’s charity event. As many of you already know, the chaos began when the infamous thief—now a suspected terrorist—Roman Torchwick appeared at the venue, interrupting the official broadcast.”
On the screen behind her, frozen images of the hotel’s interior appeared just before the signal had cut out.
“Moments before the signal collapsed, individuals affiliated with the White Fang were also identified on-site, causing major concern due to the group’s history of violence. Since then, we hadn’t received new updates… until now.”
An assistant briefly entered the frame, handing her a sheet of paper.
Mariana’s eyes widened slightly.
“It seems we have last-minute information. For that, we connect with our colleague at the scene. Go ahead, Evelyn Shore, the floor is yours.”
The screen split and then transitioned completely, showing a young human reporter outside the hotel. Night had fallen; patrol lights and drones illuminated the street, and a helicopter circled overhead like an expectant vulture.
The reporter took a deep breath before speaking.
“Thank you, Mariana. This is Evelyn Shore, live from the hotel entrance. We have new information about what’s happening inside the building. Just minutes ago, our team managed to capture what appears to be an internal confrontation.”
As she spoke, a video recorded from afar appeared on screen.
Evelyn continued narrating it.
“What you’re seeing here is the side of the second floor. Three figures fall violently from a shattered window. They seem to try to control the fall, but end up crashing through a first-floor window.”
The video replayed in slow motion.
Three silhouettes: two larger, one smaller.
Shouts. Shattering glass.
Evelyn reappeared.
“We still don’t know what triggered the fight, but after analyzing the footage frame by frame, our team has confirmed the following: two of the individuals involved are members of the White Fang. You can clearly see the ears of one of them—a feline faunus, seemingly with cat ears—and the other wearing the extremist group’s characteristic Grimm mask.”
She pointed to the lower section of the screen, where the team had marked zoomed-in details.
“What’s most alarming,” she continued, “is the third figure. A young human male, blond, approximately school age… We believe he could be a huntsman trainee, possibly caught in the middle of the attack or attempting to defend himself from the faunus.”
The camera zoomed in on the broken window, where shards of glass still clung to the frame.
“For now, that’s all the information we can confirm. Authorities still haven’t entered the building and there are no reports of casualties… but what’s happening inside appears far more serious than initially assumed.”
The signal steadied.
Evelyn looked into the camera, tense.
“Back to you in the studio, Mariana.”
The screen went dark for a moment and returned to the studio.
“Thank you, Evelyn,” said Mariana Linder from ValeNews, regaining composure as the image of the hotel appeared behind her. “We will continue this coverage minute by minute…”
But her voice grew distant, as if the television were moving away from the scene.
Because it was.
The broadcast was being watched from a large, dimly lit office furnished in black, with screens glowing in blue. Several Atlas officers observed in silence—some frowning, others exchanging looks.
Murmurs began to surface:
“Look at that… always the White Fang.”
“I told you, faunus always bring trouble…”
“And that blond kid? Poor guy…”
“Hey, you think they’ll kill them once they make a move?”
The comments grew louder—sarcastic, some outright derogatory.
Until they heard it.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Heels striking the metal floor. Firm, quick, a whipcrack everyone recognized instantly.
The room froze.
Everyone straightened.
They turned with automatic rigidity.
And the conversation died immediately—cut clean.
From the hallway emerged a figure no one expected to see like this: Winter Schnee, wearing the white uniform of the elite, her coat billowing behind her like a cold gust. Her hair, still damp—evidence she had left her quarters in a rush—hung in wet strands down her back.
And, most shocking: she was moving urgently.
Winter Schnee did not run.
Did not hurry.
Did not show emotion.
But now she did.
She passed between the soldiers without looking at a single one—a silent storm.
Even so, the whispers resurfaced as soon as she passed them.
“What do you think happened?”
“No idea… I’ve never seen her like that.”
“Is it about her siblings?”
“Right, they were at the hotel right now…”
“Shhh! Quiet! You’ll get us in trouble!”
Winter took one more step, but something made her pause for a fraction of a second.
She turned her head.
Just that.
A cold, perfect, precise look.
The kind of stare that didn’t need words.
That erased them entirely.
Everyone held their breath.
They expected a scolding.
They expected the icy explosion of discipline.
But Winter simply looked at them…
and then ignored them completely.
She turned away and continued with the same speed, the same urgency, heading toward the wing where the General was.
Everyone else collapsed inward, feeling like they had dodged a bullet.
Winter did not take much longer to reach the General’s office.
The door opened once she inserted her card.
Winter stepped through quickly, but froze upon seeing the enormous holographic screen in front of General Ironwood’s desk.
On it appeared the severe, perfectly groomed, and irritated face of her father… Jacques Schnee.
“…you need not worry about your son’s safety,” the General was saying firmly. “He is under the protection of a team I personally selected and assigned. They—”
The sound of Winter’s rushed steps made Ironwood glance back, though he didn’t end the call.
“Specialist?”
Winter kept a rigid posture, though she didn’t fully hide the surprise of finding her father on the screen.
Jacques raised an eyebrow.
“Hm. My daughter… what a pleasant and unexpected surprise,” he said, in a tone far too polished not to sound cynical.
Winter breathed in deeply, recomposed herself, and stepped forward.
“Mr. Schnee,” she greeted coldly. “I apologize for interrupting your meeting, but I need to speak with the General.”
Jacques let out a short nasal laugh.
“Oh, come now, Winter. We both know perfectly well why you’re here. After all, you too should be concerned about your siblings.”
Winter clenched her jaw.
She didn’t look directly at him, but muttered loud enough to be heard:
“As if you cared.”
Jacques narrowed his eyes.
“Of course I care, Winter,” he replied with an icy, unreadable smile. “They’re my children.”
Ironwood raised his voice to cut off the tension.
“Jacques, I assure you there is no need for concern. We will receive updates from both my team and your children shortly.”
The Schnee patriarch did not look convinced.
His deep frown made that clear.
“Very well,” he said with a heavy huff. “I’ll believe you, James… because you know exactly what will happen if that isn’t the case.”
Ironwood replied calmly:
“I’m aware.”
The screen shut off.
The hologram faded.
The air seemed to lighten just a bit.
Ironwood turned fully toward Winter.
“Specialist, before you—”
“Sir,” Winter cut in immediately, maintaining perfect military posture, “I request a ship and authorization to travel to Vale at once.”
Ironwood’s frown deepened as he stood, and Winter knew she would not be allowed to leave as quickly as she wished.
“You’re not thinking clearly, Specialist.”
Winter did not retreat—not when the only people she cared about were in unknown condition.
“With all due respect, General, if I were truly not thinking clearly… I wouldn’t have come to ask for permission.”
Ironwood took a step closer, hands firmly behind his back, posture unyielding.
“Even if I granted you a ship, the flight to Vale is dangerous due to the storm covering the southern route and the Grimm along the way. Even with the fastest transport available, you’d arrive in at least two days… and that’s assuming there are no complications.”
Winter didn’t look away.
“General… I may not be thinking with perfect clarity,” she admitted, her voice steady even though she was clearly shaking inside. “But I still need to go to Vale.”
Ironwood closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling a heavy sigh.
Winter thought it was a sign.
For a brief instant, she believed he would let her go.
But then—
“Winter…” Ironwood said, serious, a shadow of regret on his face. “I’m sorry, but I cannot authorize your departure to Vale.”
Winter blinked, as if the words had physically struck her.
“But, sir—” she tried to protest.
Ironwood raised his hand.
“Winter. That is an order, Specialist.”
That tone…
That tone allowed no argument.
Winter’s expression cracked for just a second—a tiny gesture, but so rare on her that Ironwood himself noticed it.
Still, Winter straightened her shoulders, inhaled deeply, and responded:
“…Understood, sir.”
Ironwood softened slightly, allowing a small smile.
“I thought you had more faith in them… after all—”
“I do,” Winter replied immediately, “but even so, I—”
She didn’t finish.
The door burst open.
A messenger soldier stumbled in, pale, eyes wide as plates.
“General!”
Ironwood turned to him, tense.
“What is it?”
“Turn on the screen… and switch to any channel. Quickly, sir!”
Winter and Ironwood exchanged a brief, alarmed glance.
Ironwood acted instantly.
He activated the central screen, tuning to the first available channel.
As soon as the image appeared, Winter let out a strangled gasp, covering her mouth with a hand.
Ironwood simply froze.
His expression hardened, unable to hide the horror.
The screen flickered with static for a second before stabilizing.
“The… the broadcast…” the soldier stammered. “It resumed two minutes and sixteen seconds ago, sir…”
Ironwood opened his mouth to issue an order, but never managed to.
The sound of running heels echoed down the hall—this time frantic, violent.
“Specialist!” Ironwood shouted, turning just in time to see Winter sprint out through the doorway, running with a force she never displayed in public.
She didn’t look back.
Ironwood sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Then he grabbed his scroll.
He dialed a number.
It was answered on the first ring.
“Agent Clover,” Ironwood said in an urgent, hard voice. “I need you here immediately. It’s an emergency.”
He hung up without waiting for a response.
The General stepped out of his office, following the same hallway Winter had fled through… leaving the massive screen on behind him.
The television flickered for a moment…
…until the image returned clearly:
Whitley Schnee.
Bound and kneeling.
Tape over his mouth.
Beside the criminal Roman Torchwick.
———
Qrow was sprawled across the couch in the living room of the house in Patch, snoring softly after getting himself drunk. On the nearby table, Taiyang was in the same state—slumped over a chair, one arm hanging down, an empty glass near his hand.
Everything was quiet… except for a bzzz… bzzz… bzzz that wouldn’t stop.
The first to react was a small corgi.
Zwei opened one eye, annoyed by the noise. He got up, shook his ears, and followed the sound, tail wagging in confusion. The noise was coming from Qrow’s pocket.
Zwei approached and nudged the hunter’s feet with his head.
Nothing.
Qrow kept snoring without a care in the world.
Zwei frowned in dog frustration, backed up a few steps toward the wall, stretched, arched his back, and then—with all the determination of a four-legged soldier—charged at full speed.
He jumped.
And landed squarely on Qrow’s stomach.
“URGH!” Qrow shot up, clutching his abdomen. “What the…?”
Zwei barked once, pointing with his gaze at Qrow’s coat pocket.
The hunter blinked, still half drunk, and pulled out his scroll. The buzzing continued. The screen showed an insistent call, marked as urgent priority.
Qrow, frowning, answered while Tai remained passed out at the table.
“This better be important…”
He picked up the call, voice thick and exhausted.
“…Yeah?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt your rest, Qrow,” came Ozpin’s calm voice.
Qrow squinted, taking in the scene around him: empty beer cans, Tai collapsed over the table, the usual chaos of a shared hangover.
“Well…” he grumbled, “it was kind of rest.”
“I know I promised not to call while you were spending time with your nieces,” Ozpin continued, “but something has come up that requires your immediate presence.”
Qrow straightened slightly, a bad feeling tightening in his chest.
“…Is it her?”
Ozpin denied it on the other end.
“Fortunately for us, it isn’t.”
Qrow let out a sigh he wasn’t sure was relief or disappointment.
“Then… what is it?”
“I need you to head to the Éclat Doré Hotel as soon as possible.”
Qrow frowned.
“Isn’t that the place Jimmy wanted us to watch an event from?”
“That’s the one. I’m surprised you noticed.”
“Well,” Qrow snorted, rubbing his face, “my nieces went to see the bunny girl, so… yeah, I saw it.”
“You’re referring to Velvet Scarlatina?” Ozpin asked, now serious.
“That’s her. You know how close that whole group is.”
Ozpin’s tone shifted—tighter, heavier.
Qrow picked up on it immediately.
“Ozpin… what’s going on?”
A short silence. Too short to be casual.
“The event was dedicated to Velvet’s father,” Ozpin explained. “Doctor Scarlatina.”
Qrow didn’t fully grasp it… not until Ozpin added:
“And his daughter is present today.”
A cold shock ran down the hunter’s spine.
“…Shit.”
———
A pink flash burst in the middle of the room.
Lily dropped to her knees the moment she materialized, lily petals scattering across the carpet like a soft trail of something that wasn’t soft at all. Her breathing was ragged, trembling, her throat burning from the strain of using her Semblance. Ciel was definitely going to scold her later for overusing it.
“Ugh… shit…” she muttered through her teeth as she leaned against the bed.
Lily forced herself to stand, fighting the dizziness. She immediately turned, went to the lower edge of her bed, and slid her hand underneath, searching for cold metal.
Click.
She pulled out the silver case. Set it on the bed with a sharp thud, and opened it by punching in the memorized code—almost automatic.
The inside glimmered faintly.
Her Lily’s Bloom.
Pure white, with pale blue details that pulsed as if they were breathing. The yo-yos were larger than what most people could handle, but for Lily they were an extension of her hands—of her contained anger… and her fear.
“Alright…” she murmured, voice shaking despite her efforts to hide it.
She strapped on the ammo-disc belt, tightening it over her dress. She would’ve liked to change—put on something more comfortable, her uniform, anything other than this dress now torn and dirt-stained from the fight… but there was no time.
Not a single second.
When she turned toward the door, her body stopped for an instant.
“Ciel’s weapons,” she blurted, startled.
She crouched again and searched under her partner’s bed. Another silver case slid out. Code. Open. And—
Lily frowned when she saw it only half full.
“Always armed, aren’t you, Ciel…?” she muttered, a mix of relief and worry in her voice.
She carefully took the remaining weapon and hooked it onto her own belt to bring with her.
She straightened up, swallowing hard. Looked at the door. Looked at her reflection in the room’s mirror—her red eyes from exhaustion, her trembling expression, the insecurity painted all over her face… and still, she spoke:
“Come on, Lily…” she inhaled deeply. “Yang and Vel…vet are here. They need help. Your team… needs you.”
…Yang… Vel… maybe this is a step to start again.
One last deep breath.
Her Semblance detonated once more.
Pink lilies fell like soft rain.
Their scent lingered in the air for a heartbeat.
And Lily vanished.
———
The entire hallway seemed to be holding its breath.
The silence was so deep they could hear the drip of a broken pipe somewhere behind them.
Ruby and CRDL were aligned in front of the closed entrance to the main hall.
And there… right in front of the door, sitting as if she owned the place…
Neo.
The girl had one leg crossed over the other, her parasol resting on her shoulder and a teacup delicately held between both hands. She took another sip with total calm, as if they didn’t exist.
Sky turned toward Ruby.
“...You know her?” he whispered.
Ruby nodded, swallowing her fear.
“Yeah. She’s Torchwick’s partner… Neo.”
Cardin clicked his tongue and stepped forward.
“Partner of Torchwick? She doesn’t look like much.”
Russel added with nervous mockery:
“Besides, there’s five of us. She’s just one. And the same size as the wolf-girl here.”
Neo set her cup on the floor with a soft clink. She rose slowly, stretching like someone just waking from a nap, parasol in hand.
Ruby stepped forward urgently.
“Wait! That girl held her own against Pyrrha. Don’t underestimate her.”
Dove turned, confused.
“Against Pyrrha? How much?”
Ruby swallowed, never taking her eyes off Neo, who was now spinning her parasol with graceful ease.
“A lot. I think… Pyrrha was going to lose.”
A heavy silence fell over CRDL.
Tense. Disbelieving. Terrifying.
If Ruby was telling the truth, the small figure before them was a monster in the shape of a girl.
Then—
BANG!
A shot rang out.
Neo didn’t even blink.
She simply flicked her wrist and lifted Hush, her parasol-shield, blocking the bullet with a metallic crack.
The smoke cleared. Neo lowered the dome-like weapon, frowning. She was no longer the calm Neo from moments ago. Irritation burned in her mismatched eyes.
Ruby spun toward her team to find the culprit.
Dove trembled, his weapon still smoking.
“M–my… shit…”
Too late.
Neo snapped her parasol shut.
The dry clack echoed louder than the gunshot.
Ruby felt her aura scream an instinctive warning.
“Back! We can’t beat her!” she shouted.
But Neo had already taken her first step toward them.
And though she was small, her approach felt like an entire storm walking their way.
Dove, still shaking from his failed shot, raised his weapon again the moment Neo rushed them.
BANG!
The bullet hit the girl square in the chest.
But not the right one.
Neo’s figure shattered into pink glass fragments that clinked onto the ground before fading like smoke.
“What the he—?” Cardin started.
He didn’t finish.
WHAM!
A heel slammed into his face.
Neo had appeared between them without anyone seeing, wearing a simple tilted smile.
Cardin dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks, his aura flickering.
Ruby and the others spun at the same time to counterattack, but the Neo in front of them burst into glittering shards again before they could touch her.
“What kind of Semblance is that?” Sky spat.
Ruby had been asking herself the same question for years, but this wasn’t the time.
“Don’t let your guard down!” she warned.
The four grouped up back-to-back, cold sweat sliding down their temples.
“Up here, idiots,” Cardin groaned from the floor.
They all looked up.
Neo was hanging from the ceiling with one hand, as if it were a child’s game, smiling her “miss me?” smile.
The moment they spotted her, she let go.
CRACK!
She dropped down onto Sky, smashing her parasol directly against his head. The boy hit the ground dazed, kicking up dust.
Russel and Dove reacted immediately—one with his spear, the other with his knife.
Neo, still half crouched, slid across the floor in an impossible split, dodging both attacks with insulting elegance.
She didn’t even stop smiling.
With a sudden twist, she grabbed Russel’s spear, ripped it from his hands, and slammed him against the wall with a strength that didn’t match her size.
Ruby fired twice.
BANG! BANG!
Neo spun on one foot, lifting Hush to block the shots, the metal ringing with an almost musical chime.
Dove, desperate, lunged with his knife.
Neo tilted her head just enough for the blade to scratch her cheek… as if she had allowed it.
Then she leapt, twisted, wrapped her legs around his neck, and brought him crashing down in one fluid movement. Dove choked, struggling to breathe as Neo squeezed effortlessly.
Ruby fired again.
BANG!
Neo shattered once more, leaving Dove free and gasping.
Ruby growled in frustration, her wolf ears twitching to locate her.
A soft sound.
A faint tap on the floor.
Ruby turned.
Neo stood at the far end of the hallway, completely relaxed, wearing a slight smile.
CRDL was on the floor.
Dizzy.
Stunned.
Defeated.
And Neo… not even a hair out of place.
Ruby looked at her fallen companions. Without Crescent Rose, she knew she was at a huge disadvantage. Neo, smirking, lifted Hush invitingly, daring her to try.
Ruby understood the provocation… but she also understood that they had no chance unless she stopped Neo right now.
She gritted her teeth, grabbed the knife Dove had thrown, and took the best stance she could. The two girls stared at each other, measuring each other.
Ruby let out a battle cry and burst into rose petals, reappearing right in front of Neo with her gun aimed at her chest.
Neo lifted Hush to block the shot…
But no shot came.
Ruby took advantage: a sudden kick knocked the parasol aside, and she lunged with the knife. Neo’s eyes widened as she caught Ruby’s wrist with her free hand, stopping the stab.
Ruby didn’t stop—she raised the gun and fired point-blank.
BANG!
Neo, seeing the movement, let herself fall backward. Ruby stumbled forward, and when she looked down—
Two feet slammed into her stomach.
Neo had used the momentum to kick her away. Ruby dropped both weapons from the impact. And when she looked up, a thin needle from Neo’s parasol was pointed directly at her face.
Ruby moved on pure instinct, exploding into petals again, retreating and scooping up both weapons. Still breathless, she fired twice.
BANG! BANG!
Neo sidestepped effortlessly, dodging both bullets.
Ruby knew she would lose unless she overwhelmed her. She dashed again with her Semblance.
Neo didn’t raise Hush this time. She simply waited.
Ruby materialized in front of her and—without warning—threw the knife.
The blade grazed Neo’s face, slicing several strands of her bicolored hair. Her eyes widened in genuine surprise for the first time.
When she looked forward again, Ruby already had the gun pressed to her chest.
Ruby smiled, triumphant.
“Got you.”
She pulled the trigger.
…Click.
Nothing.
Ruby’s eyes widened in horror.
Neo’s smile grew… just before her body shattered once more.
Ruby turned on instinct, but too late:
A cold pressure touched her throat.
She looked down.
A sharp needle from Neo’s parasol rested right against her neck.
Neo stood behind her, total control of the situation. One light, mocking hand rested on Ruby’s shoulder as she trembled.
The fight was over.
Neo had won.
———
The first-floor hallway was a complete disaster.
Unconscious bodies everywhere, walls scarred by Yang’s explosions, cracked glyphs still floating like white smoke in the air… and only one person left standing besides them:
The squirrel faunus.
She was panting hard, her mask crooked, a lock of hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. She reached for another arrow in the quiver at her hip… and found nothing.
Yang smirked, flexing her fingers inside Ember Celica.
“What’s wrong? Out of arrows, sweetheart?”
The squirrel faunus growled, baring her teeth. Her pride hurt more than her bruises.
Weiss, still without Myrtenaster, held the improvised sword—poorly balanced, far too heavy, but effective—and knocked down the last White Fang member with a graceful spin. The man hit the ground, unable to get up.
Weiss pointed the sword at the leader.
“Surrender,” she said firmly, her voice steady. “We won’t hurt you if you cooperate.”
The squirrel faunus spat at her feet, eyes full of venom.
“I will NEVER surrender. Especially not to a Schnee.”
Yang tilted her head, crossing her arms.
“Oh wow, so original,” she said with heavy sarcasm. “Never heard that one before.”
Then the faunus pressed a button on her bow.
CLAK.
The metal structure folded inward, internal plates rotating until it collapsed into a long staff. Both ends sparked with crackling blue electricity.
The weapon hummed through the air as she spun it around her wrist.
Weiss stepped back, a glyph glowing under her feet.
Yang stepped FORWARD.
Her gauntlets clicked and primed with a short burst.
“Good,” she grinned, fire in her eyes. “We’ll do this the hard way, then.”
The faunus charged.
“AHHH!!!”
SHING— SHING— SHING— SHING— SHING—
The air behind them tore open ten times.
Yang frowned.
Weiss’s eyes went wide.
Ten silver daggers sank into the hallway, forming a perfect circle around them. The glowing wires connecting them vibrated with a musical hum.
“What the…?” Yang managed.
Weiss was already preparing a defensive glyph… until she noticed the squirrel faunus had frozen, completely shocked. Weiss felt her skin crawl.
Then a voice boomed from behind them:
“DON’T TOUCH MY FRIEND!”
The daggers yanked violently.
The wires reeled back.
PENNY shot forward like a human projectile, spinning through the air with flawless momentum. Her dress remained immaculate, even as she reached a speed that should’ve been suicidal for a human.
Yang and Weiss barely stepped aside as Penny blasted between them.
“Penny!?” Weiss exclaimed, unsure whether to feel relieved or alarmed.
The faunus leader raised her staff, but she didn’t get a single second.
Penny spun on her axis and—
BAM
She used both legs like a double hammer. The impact was so powerful the squirrel faunus flew like a rag doll, crashing into a nearby wall. Her aura flashed white—
And SHATTERED.
The leader collapsed behind the counter without moving.
Silence.
Penny landed gracefully, bending her knees only slightly. The daggers yanked themselves free of the walls instantly, returning to her back with perfect mechanical synchronization.
Yang blinked, still processing what she’d just seen.
Penny beamed.
“Apologies for the delay, friend Weiss!” she said with a small bow. “First phase of the mission complete!”
Yang was still blinking, stunned.
“Ex— excuse me…?” she echoed, confused.
Penny turned to her with a polite, composed smile, as if nothing unusual had happened.
“That is correct. I have been assigned to protect Weiss and ensure she does not leave the hotel.”
Weiss snapped her head toward her.
“Wait—WHAT!?”
Penny nodded with impeccable seriousness.
“Because the White Fang has taken control of the hotel alongside the criminal Roman Torchwick…” —the name made Weiss tremble— “…and considering all the guests are being held hostage, including your brother, I was tasked with protecting you and keeping you inside the hotel until we rescue him. They will not take lethal action until they have both you and your brother.”
Yang didn’t understand most of that—Ruby-level information dump—but after mentally digesting the blow of news, she reacted.
“Wait—wait—wait. The thief is HERE!?”
Weiss felt the floor drop from beneath her.
“Whitley…? They have him?”
Penny lowered her gaze, her voice softening.
“Yes and yes… I’m very sorry, friend Weiss. My team should have prevented it. We… failed.”
Weiss breathed deeply, trying not to break.
“Don’t worry, Penny. I never imagined something like this could happen either.”
Yang, scratching her head, chimed in:
“Well, we’ll teach them a lesson, so don’t get discouraged.”
Weiss, knowing exactly what was in Yang’s head, added:
“You just want to punch Torchwick, don’t you?”
Yang looked at her with such a serious frown that Weiss actually froze. It wasn’t the reaction she expected.
“That bastard made Ruby suffer.”
Weiss knew it was true—Ruby had faced the criminal twice, and both times Roman escaped while Ruby ended up at the police station… when it should’ve been the other way around.
“All right. Then let’s move.”
Penny lifted her head, refocusing.
“Correct. My priority now is to find my teammate.”
Weiss tilted her head.
“Soleil?”
“No. I’m looking for Ellis,” Penny replied. “She should still be inside the hotel. She wasn’t present during the attack… although finding her will be difficult.”
Yang’s eyes widened at the name Ellis; her lilac eyes almost flared crimson, but she forced herself not to react.
“Okay, but we’re looking for my sister first,” Yang said firmly.
Penny tensed at the mention of Ruby being here—she had orders not to interact with anyone from the docks incident, especially Ruby, for reasons she didn’t fully understand.
Weiss clarified:
“She’s right. Ruby is here… and she brought her weapon, right?”
“Yeah, she brought it,” Yang confirmed.
“Then she should be fine,” Weiss tried to sound confident.
Yang shook her head.
“Oh no, Weiss. I’m not leaving her alone.”
Weiss smiled slightly.
“Of course not. But we can split up.”
Yang blinked.
“Split up?”
“That’s right,” Weiss said, fully Schneelike. “You go after Ruby. I will go with Penny to find her teammate.”
Penny stiffened.
“I—I believe… that may be the most optimal plan…” she said, though she didn’t sound very convinced.
Yang sighed, accepting it.
“Fine. You two be careful.”
“Same to you, Yang,” Weiss replied firmly.
But before Yang left, she turned to Penny. Her expression was serious—almost harsh.
“And you… when this is over, don’t disappear again. Ruby searched for you nonstop after the docks.”
Penny froze—literally froze.
“S—She was… looking for me?” she whispered.
Weiss and Yang shared one last knowing look before focusing again—
Or so they thought, until a fourth voice arrived.
“Yang! Weiss!” Velvet’s voice echoed in their minds.
The two turned, searching the room instinctively.
“Vel?” Yang asked, recognizing the voice better now.
“Good, you can hear me,” Velvet replied inside Yang’s and Weiss’s heads.
Yang smiled in relief.
“Good to hear you, bunny ears,” Yang said cheerfully. Then quickly, “Are you and Fox okay?”
“We’re both fine… though we are currently hostages…” Velvet admitted, embarrassed.
Yang frowned, lips tight.
“Don’t worry. We’re coming for you.”
Weiss was much more thrown off—she now realized the voice was literally inside her head.
“H–How am I hearing you?”
“Right, Weiss doesn’t know about Fox’s Semblance,” Velvet said.
Yang turned to her.
“The blind red guy? He can talk telepathically. That’s his Semblance.”
Weiss needed exactly two seconds to process it—and to understand how much better their situation suddenly was.
“T-that’s… incredibly beneficial for us right now.”
Penny, still standing nearby, watched Yang and Weiss talking to someone invisible and sifted through her memory database for a possible explanation.
“Excuse me…” she said gently.
Yang and Weiss both turned toward her.
“I apologize if this sounds insensitive, but… are either of you diagnosed with any mental condition I am not aware of?”
Yang’s eyes widened before she burst out laughing.
Penny blinked, confused—she wasn’t joking, and mental health was something to be taken seriously, as far as she understood. She turned to Weiss for clarification—
Weiss had a scandalized expression—wide eyes, mouth agape. Penny concluded she had been deeply impolite.
“I’m sorry. I did not intend to offend anyone,” Penny bowed her head.
“Yang, why are you laughing?” Velvet asked, confused in their minds.
Weiss finally composed herself, clearing her throat.
“Scarlatina, is there any way to extend the… connection… to someone else?” Weiss asked.
“Hm… you can touch that person—one of you two,” Velvet replied, then paused.
“Connection?” Penny tilted her head. “You mentioned Dr. Scarlatina’s daughter—is that her voice? Do you require mental-state assistance?”
Yang, now calm, stepped over and placed a hand on Penny’s shoulder.
“Nothing like that, Penny. It’s a friend’s Semblance. You’ll hear her soon.”
Penny absorbed the words, still confused.
“All right, it should work now,” Velvet announced.
Penny jolted backward the moment she heard Velvet’s voice inside her systems.
“Girls? Everything okay?” Velvet asked when no one responded.
“H-how am I hearing you?” Penny asked, unsettled.
After a quick explanation—and once Penny calmed down from hearing a voice in her… mind? Matrix?—Velvet finally told them what had happened with her and Fox. She also explained the plan she and Ciel had devised, and now everyone was on the same page.
“This is worse than I imagined,” Weiss admitted, overwhelmed.
“Damn it, they’ve got the whole hotel,” Yang muttered.
“They do. Which is why we need to regroup,” Velvet said.
“Regroup? Is someone else out there?” Weiss asked.
“Well, Ruby’s not with you, so she should be—” Velvet paused. “Fox senses her on the third floor. So you need to get to her.”
Yang agreed instantly.
“Good. Let’s get my sister—and then we’ll smash Torchwick.”
“Yang, what did we say? We have a plan that does not involve punching,” Velvet scolded.
“I’m just saying,” Yang shrugged.
“And we have someone else helping us—our key piece,” Velvet added.
“A key person…” Weiss murmured—until a red-haired girl flashed into her mind. “Ellis… she could get everyone out of here!”
Velvet hummed in mild annoyance.
Penny brightened.
“Exactly, friend Weiss. And as we said, the White Fang won’t harm anyone until they have both you and your brother, which we will use to our advantage. Once we regroup with Lily, we only need visual confirmation and we’ll extract your brother and the others in no time!” she assured with a radiant smile.
Weiss smiled—a solid plan, nearly impossible to fail. She turned toward Yang trusting the moment—
But Yang wasn’t smiling.
She looked… serious. Too serious for Yang.
She seemed lost in thought.
“Everything okay, Yang?” Weiss asked.
Yang blinked, snapping back from her thoughts.
“Oh—sorry. Zoned out a bit.”
“All right. Cutting the connection now,” Velvet said. “Ciel is talking with Lily. I’ll try to reach Ruby next. Good luck, everyone.”
Yang took a deep breath.
“Let’s go.”
And without another word, she headed toward the stairs to the second floor.
Penny followed—until she noticed Weiss wasn’t moving.
“Is everything okay, friend Weiss?”
Weiss was staring at Yang… something felt off, and she didn’t know why. But she needed to rescue her brother and the hostages first.
“Y-yeah… let’s go.”
The two girls followed Yang up the stairs, in search of two sisters.
———
A pink flash lit up the dim corridor again as Lily materialized, her boots hitting the floor with firm precision. The lilies fell faster this time, more decisive, as if even her Semblance could sense her urgency.
Lily opened her eyes, and the first thing she did was scan everything around her. Empty hallway. Heavy silence. No trace of White Fang movement.
“Good…” she whispered.
Through the large windows, far in the distance, the red and blue glow of patrols painted the walls. They had arrived. Finally.
But if no one had gone inside yet…
That means they’re still in there… all of them…
And if Ciel hadn’t sent her a message, it wasn’t because she didn’t want to.
It was because she couldn’t.
Lily clenched her teeth, feeling her heart pounding hard against her ribs. Hostages. Definitely. She couldn’t just appear in the middle of the ballroom without seeing what was happening first. That would be suicide.
She placed a hand on her belt, grabbed both yoyos, and secured them tightly against her back. Then she moved forward with light steps, breathing slowly through her nose to stay in control.
She needed to find a way to peek into the ballroom without being seen. Some interior window, a side access, a vent—anything. The building was huge, and she knew parts of it.
A shout suddenly echoed through the hallway:
“IT’S OVER, ILLIA!!”
Lily froze.
She turned immediately toward the source of the yell, pressing her back against the wall. Her eyes scanned every corner… but she saw nothing. No movement, nothing out of place.
But that kind of yell…
That was a shout from a fight.
Or from desperation.
Someone needs help… now.
Lily continued. Fast, but silent. Every step measured. Every breath an effort not to accelerate more than necessary and make a sound that would alert someone.
The hallway curved into a narrower, darker area.
Lily blinked when she recognized it.
The servants’ storage room. She had been there dozens of times—helping, asking for things she needed.
But now…
The servants… were White Fang infiltrators… could there be more inside? Or had they locked someone in?
She approached the door. Placed her hand gently on the wood. With all the care in the world, Lily inhaled… and cracked the door open just a few centimeters.
Three figures came into view.
The first was a blond human man in a servant’s uniform lying on the floor, looking recently beaten, a Grimm mask beside him like the ones all White Fang members wore.
The second figure— a girl… human, dazed and confused, with a black cloak and gray eyes—stood facing a faunus woman with cat ears. Lily couldn’t see her face from behind, but she saw the weapon: a sort of sword aimed at both of them.
Two unarmed people against someone holding a weapon.
Lily’s eyes narrowed, and she quickly reached for one of her yoyos.
She had to intervene and save them from that faunus.
———
Jaune dropped to his knees, sliding his hands toward the weapon at the very last second. His fingers brushed the metal—and he caught it.
“I got it!” he said with a quick, victorious grin.
But when he looked up, the smile vanished instantly.
Illia was right in front of him.
And she was furious.
Her skin shifted through intense, vibrant colors, flashing from deep purple to blood-red. Her eyes were pure venom.
“Oh… crap…” Jaune whispered.
He didn’t even have time to stand. He threw himself forward, pinning the weapon under his chest like an improvised shield.
“Give it to me!” Illia roared.
The first blow slammed into Jaune’s back like a sledgehammer.
The second hit his ribs.
The third struck his shoulder.
Jaune clenched his teeth, drawing his arms in tight, only able to shout:
“No! Wait! Agh! AUGH!”
Illia kicked him in the side, forcing a pained groan out of him. She knelt over him, trying to yank the weapon out from under his body while continuing to beat him mercilessly.
The tied-up servants around the room watched with growing terror. Some trembled. Others looked away, bracing for the violence to get worse.
Illia kept going—desperate, frustrated, dangerous:
“GIVE ME MY WEAPON, YOU DAMN HUMAN!”
Jaune curled in on himself even more, shaking from the pain.
“AUGH! I TOLD YOU NO—!”
“IT’S OVER, ILLIA!”
The voice cut through her rage, making Illia look toward the last person she wanted—and didn’t want—to see.
Illia froze.
Jaune, panting, lifted his head just enough to see.
Blake was standing there… barely. Her breathing was uneven, her stance unstable, but her expression was pure determination mixed with a sadness that reached even Illia.
And Blake was aiming directly at Illia with the sheath of her weapon—the only part she still had, since the blade was still embedded outside the building’s exterior wall.
Her arm trembled slightly, but she didn’t lower it.
“Let him… go,” Blake insisted, her voice steadier than her body.
Illia stared at her, and for a moment her burning fury mixed with something else: confusion… guilt… fear… but only for a second.
The colors of her skin flickered and dimmed.
Blake’s eyes shone—not with anger, but with heartbreak.
“I don’t want to keep fighting you, Illia… but I won’t let you hurt anyone else.”
Silence grew heavy.
Jaune groaned quietly from the floor.
The servants held their breath.
Illia clenched her fists, trembling… and her voice came out cracked, full of venom but also desperation:
“…You don’t understand? You don’t understand me, Blake?”
Red and blue lights flickered through the broken window, filling the storage room with flashing reflections scattered across shattered glass on the floor. Each pulse illuminated the terrified servants, Jaune’s bruised body… and Blake, who stepped forward without lowering her sheath-weapon.
Her voice came firm, though burdened with pain:
“Illia… I realized a long time ago that we’re not creating change. The White Fang… lost its way.”
Illia’s brow furrowed. Her skin rippled, shifting colors briefly before settling into a dark, defensive tone. Her voice dripped with bitterness—and old wounds:
“That’s what you think… After all, now you’re nothing but a pet.”
Jaune lifted his head, confused; the servants gasped quietly. But Blake didn’t react with anger—only with a pain she had carried for years.
“No… I’m not,” Blake said, without breaking eye contact.
Illia’s eyes widened slightly, surprised by her calm.
Blake held that gaze. A gaze Illia knew from the days when they shared pamphlets, speeches… and broken dreams.
“I’ve met a lot of people,” Blake continued, her voice shaking with deep emotion, “who don’t see us as different. People I thought would be like… like we always believed. Humans and faunus I thought would never understand us.”
For a moment, shadows of faces crossed her mind:
Ruby. Yang. Weiss.
Her team. Her friends.
“And if those people could accept me… even after everything I’ve done…” her voice cracked, but she stayed steady, “then…”
Blake lowered her weapon slightly. Not enough to stop being prepared—but enough to show she didn’t want to hurt her.
“…then I’m asking you to leave.”
Illia’s mind buckled under the confusion those words sparked.
“…What?” she whispered, stunned.
Even Jaune, still lying over the weapon, frowned in confusion.
Blake kept her gaze locked on Illia.
“Leave, Illia. This place is already surrounded. And you’re unarmed… if you want to risk fighting, go ahead,” she breathed out, “but I’ll let you go if you leave my friend, me, and the servants alone.”
Illia’s face lost all aggression for a second. It was surprise… fear… uncertainty… a tremor she hadn’t shown before.
“You… what…?” she stammered.
Blake swallowed, stepped forward, and said:
“Dukson.”
The name dropped between them with a mutual understanding only they shared.
Illia stepped back, confusion and anxiety twisting inside her, though she couldn’t explain why.
“W-why would you…?”
She didn’t finish.
A sudden whir cut through the air.
Everyone turned toward the sound—except Blake, who didn’t have time to react.
A yoyo shot down the hallway, wrapping around her torso with brutal speed. Before Blake could understand what was happening, the cable snapped tight and yanked her backward like a rag doll.
“A—!” she barely managed—
CRASH!
Blake slammed into the wall. Her aura flared… trembled… and shattered in a painful flicker.
Jaune and Illia froze. The tied servants held their breath, some sobbing in fear.
The yoyo snapped back into its owner’s hand as she holstered both weapons.
“Stay there!” Lily ordered Blake, stern, already rushing toward Jaune and Illia—her tone shifting to concern—“Are you okay?!”
Jaune, confused and full of adrenaline, shot to his feet.
“What are you doing?! Why did you attack her?!”
Lily stopped dead. Her expression fell into bewilderment.
“I… I saved you from the faunus threatening you…”
“What? She’s the one—” Jaune began,
But Blake shouted from the floor, pained:
“Jaune, look out!”
Jaune barely turned when Illia—now holding her weapon converted into an electrified whip—snapped it toward him.
WHIP!
The strike hit Jaune square in the chest. Yellow electricity tore through his aura, making it flicker before sending him flying backward.
“Ugh!” Jaune crashed into Lily.
Still stunned by the confusion, she couldn’t react in time. Both fell to the ground.
Blake tried to stand, bracing herself against the wall, breathing through the pain.
“Illia… please…” she whispered, voice breaking.
Illia looked at Blake. Then at Jaune struggling up. Then at Lily readying her weapons.
And with a barely audible whisper—only for Blake—she said something that made Blake’s eyes widen.
Illia holstered her weapon.
Lily, not waiting, drew both yoyos, aimed, and pulled the trigger.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
A storm of bullets shredded the air toward Illia.
The faunus sprinted toward the window, weaving in zigzags as bullets struck wall, floor, and wood just inches from her.
With one last leap, she dove through the fractured window.
Lily ran to the opening, ready to chase or teleport—
but as she leaned out…
Illia was already gone.
“What…?!” Lily gritted her teeth. “How did she vanish so fast?”
“…Agh…”
Lily turned at the sound behind her.
The blond boy—Jaune—was helping the injured faunus stand. He asked if she was okay, and the girl nodded through the pain.
And at that moment, Lily’s stomach dropped.
She had made a terrible mistake.
She holstered her yoyos quickly, her posture shrinking. She approached them with visible concern.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…” she repeated as she helped Jaune sit Blake on a nearby chair.
Both accepted her help, but their expressions made it clear—they were upset. Disappointed. And Lily couldn’t blame them.
Once Blake was seated, Jaune began checking her for worse injuries. Only bruises… many, and shattered aura.
Lily apologized again.
“I’m sorry… really. I didn’t mean to… I thought—”
“We’re going to ignore what happened,” Blake interrupted, exhausted. “Help the others, okay?”
Lily opened her mouth, wanting to apologize more. To explain, to beg for forgiveness…
But looking around—crying servants, ruined room, distant fire—she understood it wasn’t the time.
She nodded.
Without another word, she went to free the tied servants.
When she was far enough, Jaune exhaled and leaned toward Blake.
“You okay?”
Blake shook her head with a broken sigh.
“No, not really… and even less after being shot at by a…”
“A racist?” Jaune offered awkwardly.
Blake replied, dry:
“…Yes.”
An uncomfortable silence hung as Jaune looked over her bruises.
“About what happened…” he began carefully, trying to touch the topic of Illia.
“I don’t want to talk about it…” Blake said, looking away. “Not now.”
“That’s fine… I get it,” Jaune answered softly.
Lily returned, finishing with the last servant.
“I’m really sorry. I swear I thought you were—” she tried to say.
Blake cut her off with a harsh glare:
“Don’t pretend. I know what you did and what you thought. You saw a faunus with a weapon near a human and you acted.”
Lily froze, pinned by Blake’s stare.
She lowered her head, hands trembling slightly.
“Yes… I did.” She swallowed hard. “I’m really sorry…”
Blake blinked, surprised by the raw sincerity.
She hadn’t expected that.
“…Fine,” Blake said eventually, letting the matter drop halfway. “We need to move.”
She tried to stand… but her legs gave out immediately.
Jaune caught her before she hit the floor.
“Careful!” he said. “You shouldn’t stand yet.”
“I’m fine,” Blake insisted, though her body said otherwise. “We need to get these people out of here… and stop the White Fang.”
“Blake, your aura’s gone,” Jaune replied. “We have to leave.”
Blake clenched her teeth.
“And what about Weiss, then?”
Jaune opened his mouth… but no words came out.
His expression said everything.
Blake breathed deeply, frustrated, and turned to Lily.
“You were the one with the youngest Schnee, right? Do you know what happened?”
Lily nodded quickly… too quickly. Why did she do that? She didn’t really know what was happening. She only knew the White Fang had taken the hotel; Ciel hadn't contacted her, nor had Penny—so they must’ve been restrained, she hoped. But beyond that… she knew nothing.
“T-the hotel was taken by the White Fang…”
Blake narrowed her eyes.
“What I feared…”
Lily, wanting to redeem herself—and lacking any real information—tried to sound confident:
“I… I’ll get everyone out of here as soon as possible. I promise.”
Blake raised an eyebrow.
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?”
Lily inhaled to answer.
Opened her mouth—
But then—
A voice thundered inside her head.
So clear and so full of anger she almost collapsed.
Ciel.
“LILY ELLIS, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?”
———
Neo had always found Roman’s almost obsessive interest in this girl curious.
Yes, Ruby had caused them trouble… especially with their new boss involved. But even then, Roman should’ve been able to handle a simple student. Neo couldn’t understand why she drew so much attention.
While thinking about it, Neo toyed with her parasol, pressing the tip of the needle right against Ruby’s throat.
The girl let out a small, choked whimper, trembling at the very real possibility that this could be her last moment.
Neo leaned in closer. Much closer.
She practically embraced Ruby from behind, and with her free hand she grabbed Ruby’s chin, forcing her to turn her face toward her.
Ruby’s eyes were glossy, filled with fear.
Normal. She should be afraid. Neo could end this instantly… if Roman hadn’t been so clear:
No killing until they dealt with the Schnee.
Neo gave Ruby a smile as she lowered her gaze to her neck, still red from the electric shock she had given her minutes earlier.
She had to give the girl credit: not many people stood up again after something like that.
Some groans caught her attention.
Neo glanced at the pile of bodies that was team CRDL sprawled on the floor. Unconscious.
Useless.
They didn’t pose any threat, so she ignored them.
“W-why are you doing this…?” Ruby asked.
Neo blinked, slightly surprised.
The wolf’s voice tried to sound firm, but the trembling ruined the effect.
Neo simply shook her head. She couldn’t speak, even if she wanted to.
Ruby tried again:
“I looked you and Torchwick up… you two are thieves, not killers.”
Neo’s brow tightened, though her smile didn’t fade.
It was true: they were thieves.
And yes, she was the only one who got her hands bloody… but it was always with people who, honestly, deserved it.
“Answer me!” Ruby demanded, her voice cracking but determined.
Neo had to admit that even with her life literally in Neo’s hands, this little wolf still had spirit.
Annoying, yes… but interesting.
Before Ruby could add anything else, a voice came from Neo’s scroll, rising over the groans of CRDL.
Without lowering her guard, Neo pulled out the device, keeping the needle pressed against Ruby’s throat.
She raised the volume and extended the screen.
Ruby gasped when she saw the image:
Whitley Schnee, tied up and on his knees, clearly a prisoner.
“Wh-what… what is this? Did you—?”
Ruby stopped abruptly.
She looked at Neo… then around her… confused.
Neo frowned. She didn’t understand what Ruby was seeing either.
The wolf kept looking around, as if something—or someone—were there.
Neo looked too, only shifting her eyes, never letting Ruby go.
She saw nothing.
And then, from the screen,
a voice came through—one that instantly captured both of their attention.
———
Roman took a deep breath, preparing for what was undoubtedly his most forced performance to date.
He stood in the main hall, facing a camera pointed directly at him. All around, White Fang members secured the area.
“We’re live,” one of them warned.
Roman smiled with an elegance bordering on arrogance and stepped closer to the camera.
“Greetings to all the kingdoms. I’m Roman Torchwick… though I suppose you already know that,” he said, gesturing grandly with his cane. “After all, I am the greatest thief you've seen in years.”
He let out a light chuckle, as if all of this were nothing more than part of a show.
“Sorry the broadcast cut off earlier, but well… let’s just say my presence wasn’t appreciated by all the guests at the gala, hehe.”
He smiled again, but this time there was a sharp edge in his eyes.
“But we’re back. And before continuing… I want to show you something. Something important. Come on, kid, say hello to the camera.”
The camera shifted, revealing Whitley Schnee—kneeling, hands tied, terror written across his face.
Roman walked over to him, placing both hands on the boy’s shoulders.
“Let me introduce a new friend I made today. I’m sure you recognize him—especially you, faunus out there. After all… he’s the youngest son of the Schnees. Wonderful, isn’t it?”
Whitley tried to pull away, but Roman tightened his grip, forcing him to stay still.
He finally let go and stepped back in front of the camera.
“All right… enough games.” He cleared his throat with a couple of short coughs. “To all Vale authorities: if any of your forces set foot in this place… well, I hope you understand that red stains do not match my outfit.”
He spun his cane with theatrical grace and adjusted his hat.
“What do I want? Oh, come on—there’s always something to want. Hostages, cameras, drama… it’s obvious. So let’s get straight to the point: I want three billion lien before midnight. If not… the boy pays the price.”
His smile vanished, replaced by a cold expression.
“Now, to our brave runners in the hallways… I’m asking you to surrender. I promise nothing will happen to you. Probably.”
Roman raised a finger, as if remembering something important.
“And you, Ice Princess… Weiss Schnee.
If you don’t show up within the next—” He glanced at his wrist despite not wearing a watch. “Oh, right, ten minutes… I’m afraid to say my White Fang colleagues are running out of patience.”
He stepped back, tipped his hat toward the camera, and concluded:
“Thank you very much for your attention.”
With that, he walked out of the camera’s view, leaving Whitley on the screens of every kingdom.
———
Neo could only smile as she watched her partner perform through the scroll. She knew perfectly well that Roman’s performance was the most forced thing he’d ever done, a complete circus… but that didn’t make it any less impressive. Roman was still Roman.
“W–Weiss? You want Weiss…?” Ruby asked, still trembling under the parasol’s blade pressed against her neck.
Neo had almost forgotten about Little Red. With an annoyed sigh, she put her scroll away. She had to drag five losers to the main hall… what a miserable job.
“Rushell, now!” shouted the councilman’s son.
Neo narrowed her eyes, scanning for the threat among CRDL’s unconscious bodies. Three of them were on the floor… three. Where was the fourth?
BANG!
Neo reacted just in time, jumping back as a bullet grazed her throat. The boy had been right underneath her, aiming point-blank. Neo frowned. She hadn’t heard him coming. Not at all.
“Sky!” Rushell shouted again.
When Neo landed, she was already expecting the next attack. She never understood why people yelled out orders. All it did was warn the enemy.
The boy named Sky slammed his hands onto the floor. Neo didn’t see the point… until she tried to move and felt her boots stuck to the ground. Literally stuck.
Aura. A semblance technique.
“Cardin!” Rushell shouted as he grabbed Ruby in his arms and dragged her toward his team.
“H-how are you—?” Ruby stammered in confusion.
Cardin answered quickly:
“We’ve got semblances, y’know?”
Neo was annoyed. Very annoyed. She pulled hard, trying to free herself, and saw Sky’s aura flickering. He was overexerting himself. With one final yank, Neo ripped her boots off the ground just as the boy’s aura shattered.
Ruby saw this and panicked. She knew they couldn’t win.
“Dove, let’s go!” Cardin ordered.
Neo took off running. She wasn’t going to let them escape.
The whole team touched some part of Dove’s body, and Dove grabbed Ruby by the shoulder. Neo frowned. What were they planning?
Before she could react, the students began sinking into the floor as if it were water.
Neo’s eyes widened in surprise. She leapt forward, lunging toward them. She raised her parasol—Hush—and struck directly at Ruby.
Ruby shut her eyes, bracing for the hit.
But when the parasol came down… it passed straight through Ruby as if she didn’t exist.
Neo froze for a second, utterly baffled.
She stomped on the floor a couple of times as though she could still follow them, and when that didn’t work she let out an irritated sigh and decided she needed to report this to Roman.
No ice cream for her tonight.
———
Ruby and team CRDL crashed onto the second floor with a hard thud. The impact shook the ground, and all five of them tumbled in a very ungraceful heap.
Dove’s aura shattered the instant he hit the floor.
Everyone groaned from the fall.
Ruby was the first to sit up, still trembling.
“Are… a-are you guys okay?” she asked, looking around.
Cardin held his head.
“Let’s see… one, two, three… idiots, four, five heads… yeah, we’re fine.”
“Speak for yourself,” Russel grumbled, rubbing his shoulder. “We barely got out alive.”
Ruby brought a hand to her neck, remembering the red burn and the edge of the parasol. It still stung.
Cardin took a deep breath.
“We better move before that psychopath finds us.”
“Yeah… that’s probably best,” Ruby agreed, lowering her head, embarrassed. “Oh, and… thanks for saving me.”
Russel looked away, uncomfortable.
“I was just following orders.”
“You’re welcome,” Sky added, raising a hand.
Dove chimed in:
“We weren’t gonna let you die.”
Cardin let out a short snort.
“Your blonde sister would kill me if that happened.”
Ruby gave them a genuine, warm smile. But before she could say anything else, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway.
“Shit, they’re coming,” said Russel.
Ruby, Cardin, and Russel stepped to the front, bracing for the worst. Sky and Dove backed up a little—neither had aura left.
The footsteps drew closer. Fast. Determined.
And then Ruby saw a yellow blur launch itself at her.
“RUBY!!!” Yang roared.
Ruby was lifted off the ground and crushed in a hug so strong it nearly snapped her ribs.
“Yang— can’t breathe!” Ruby wheezed.
Yang set her down, though she didn’t fully let go. She held Ruby by the shoulders, scanning her from head to toe with frantic eyes.
“Where did you disappear to during the party, young lady?” she scolded suddenly. “What the hell are you doing dressed like that? And where’s your tiara? And what the hell happened to your neck!? What happened!?”
Weiss arrived running behind her, followed by Penny.
“Oh, by Dust…” Weiss let out a sigh of relief. “You’re okay.”
Ruby smiled upon seeing her friend.
Penny looked at Ruby with huge, glowing eyes… but didn’t say a single word, stepping back.
Yang, still wound up, turned toward CRDL. Her gaze went from them to Ruby, then back to them again. Her eyes burned.
Ruby panicked, her ears flattening against her head—and Yang noticed.
“Yang, wait. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not what it looks like!”
But Yang was already stepping forward.
She planted herself in front of Cardin.
“Five words.”
Cardin swallowed and glanced at his team for help.
The other three shook their heads. He was on his own.
“Just so you know…” Cardin said, lifting his hands in surrender, “I just saved her life.”
Yang narrowed her eyes. She was one second away from breaking his face when Weiss stepped between them.
“Yang, not now!” she said, pushing her back by the chest.
“Yang…” Ruby rushed over. “He’s telling the truth. They just saved my life. Right now.”
Yang stared at her. She knew too well when Ruby was lying… and when she wasn’t.
Finally, she took a deep breath and turned to Cardin.
“…Fine.”
Cardin huffed.
“I didn’t save her. We just got the enemy off her.”
“Penny!” Ruby squeaked suddenly, running toward her.
She hugged her tightly and began speaking fast, tripping over the words:
“I can’t believe you’re here! How are you? Where were you? What happened after the docks? What are you doing here? Wait—how is everyone here!?”
Penny had an uncomfortable, conflicted expression.
“I-I… I can’t.”
Weiss turned to Ruby, frowning. Penny knew Ruby was a Faunus? ... Not the moment to ask.
“Wait… you don’t know what’s going on?”
Ruby blinked, confused.
“Uh… Roman and the White Fang are in the hotel?”
“Yes, that. But also—”
Velvet’s voice suddenly burst into Ruby’s mind so loudly she flinched.
“Ruby! Ruby! What happened!? Are you okay!?”
Ruby’s eyes widened. She had completely forgotten that before Neo had her at her mercy, Velvet had contacted her… and Dove’s semblance had cut the connection.
Ruby looked up at the ceiling as if she could see Velvet through it.
“Y-yeah, I’m okay. We managed to escape. Oh, and I found Yang!”
CRDL exchanged looks as if they understood barely ten percent of what was happening. Ruby lifted an eyebrow at their expressions, but had no time to question them.
“Wait, you’re with Bunny Ears?” Yang said, crossing her arms.
“Yeah, Vel, you can—”
“We’re all talking now,” Velvet interrupted, now echoing in EVERYONE’S heads.
“What the fuck…?” Sky muttered, looking around as if trying to locate the source of the voice.
“Great,” Yang said with a sigh. “This saves us time.”
“Indeed,” added Weiss, “and we don’t have much.”
Ruby suddenly remembered Roman’s broadcast. Her expression tightened, and she stepped closer to Weiss… though she kept a small distance, as if afraid of the answer.
“Weiss… please tell me you didn’t…”
“No,” Weiss answered immediately. “We’re not playing that thief’s game. Especially when we already have a plan.”
“Plan?” Ruby tilted her head.
“That’s right,” Velvet said. “We already have a plan, but we need to hurry. Blake and Jaune are already in position with Ruby’s weapon.”
Ruby’s ears shot up instantly.
“Wait, What?”
“Looks like it,” Yang said. “Or at least that’s what that girl—Ciel—told us.”
“Who?” said Ruby, confused.
“We don’t have time for that,” Weiss cut in firmly. “We need to move now.”
Ruby stepped toward her.
“What do we have to do?”
Weiss inhaled deeply, like someone about to accept the inevitable.
“Simple,” she said with surprising confidence. “I’m going to turn myself in.”
Ruby stared at her, unable to process it.
“WHAT!?”
———Ciel’s Report No. 124——
Mission: Vale — Log 4/?
Tomorrow is finally the day.
After a few days in Vale, the day of the event —and the end of my… our mission— has finally arrived.
Vale has been quite a pleasant place, even with how little I’ve actually seen of it.
I decided to spend most of my time at the hotel, staying close to young Schnee and his sister. It’s been tense company, to say the least… but cordial.
Fortunately for me, there haven’t been any incidents of any kind, though there is a certain feline Faunus maid who’s been watching us… At first I thought she was interested in the Schnee siblings, but she’s even been observing me, Lily, and Penny. I hope it’s simply… prejudice, and not something else she’s planning.
Speaking of those last two.
Penny has been at my side most of the time due to her order to stay with me unless I instruct otherwise, though I’ve told her that she’s free to be anywhere she wants as long as it’s within the hotel. Something worth noting is that she’s become friends with Weiss; apparently they already knew each other from before. And if that’s the case, Weiss herself told me that her team leader is a friend of Penny’s and that the two of them have a lot in common.
Curious. Penny never mentioned this person… Could it be…? I’ll have to ask her, though I doubt she’ll tell me much. She tries to cover up who it is, and it seems only the General knows.
And Lily.
Well, she’s been wandering around Vale these days in search of her destined encounter… ugh, that girl… She says she knows where that person lives—or so she thinks… and she still doesn’t go. The worst part is that she’s been obsessed with it these past days and hasn’t chosen a dress for tomorrow. Penny and I had to go out and get several for her to try on tomorrow. I’m lucky I know her measurements… more or less… I’ll have to talk to her about this… and hope I don’t step on a landmine.
Anyway… I hope tomorrow goes by quickly and that my first mission ends in success.
End of report.