#Atlas Shrugged Part 2 poster

[chemicalmagecraft]

A Black Wind Howls Chapter 2

A/N: So I decided to do that "Previously on Avatar..." thing they do before like all the episodes in ATLA to remind you of some plot points that'll be relevant because it's cool and stuff. I mean I'll probably regret it later but oh well.

oOoOo

Previously on Avatar...

"Look at this, guys!" Aang said, pointing to a board of wanted posters. The poster he was pointing at showed a person wearing a black mask with a swirling pattern on it, reminiscent of the insignia of the Air Nomads.

"The Black Wind is a spirit that started to appear after the start of the Hundred-year War. It's said to have powerful control over air, akin to a master airbender, and can become one with the air itself."

"Maybe it comes from an airbender who escaped the Fire Nation!" Aang added.

Frigid, gale-force winds battered the firebenders, their mounts, and even the trees. Blades of wind sliced at every surface, cutting through the firebenders' armor and even killing some outright.

The taller shadowy figure stood in the center of the swirling crater made by the blast. His face couldn't be seen behind his swirl-patterned black mask, but it didn't need to be for everyone present to know he was scowling.

"My name is Dorji. I'm an airbender."

"Y-you have to understand, my father..." She sniffed. "M-my... my father..." She started crying, still trying to explain herself between sobs.

"The power of airbending may have survived through my family line, but unfortunately the spirit of the Air Nomads lives on only through you." Aang winced at that comment.

Aang frowned for a moment, but forced a smile. "It's... fine. Don't worry about it."

oOoOo

Aang sat on Appa's head, silently brooding as he held Appa's reins. Dorji sat in the back of Appa's saddle, curled up with her arms hooked under her knees.

"So, uh... what do you do for fun?" Sokka asked her, cutting through the awkward silence.

"Training," Dorji muttered. "Sometimes I play Pai Sho too, though only when one of my family members wants to play. I'm told that most people underestimate the value of the White Lotus tile."

"Really?" Katara asked.

Dorji shrugged. "There are a few unusual strategies you can do with it." She took one arm out from under her legs and started rubbing Appa's fur. Momo flew up to her and curiously sniffed at her. Dorji started petting him too.

"Do you like animals?" Katara asked.

Dorji nodded and picked up Momo. The lemur purred as she rubbed behind his ears.

"I think I see the thing you told me to look for," Aang said. "What are we doing here, again?"

"It's a surprise," Dorji said.

Aang frowned. "Well, we're landing."

oOoOo

"Is this... a moon peach orchard?" Katara asked. Dorji had had Aang land Appa in a small clearing surrounded by moon peach trees in a large plot of land mostly filled with neat rows of trees.

Dorji nodded and walked over to one of the trees. She jumped to pull down a branch and appraised one of the moon peaches on it, cutting the stem with a swipe of her thumb when she was satisfied with its quality. "We grow more things too, but this part is where all the moon peach trees are." She leaned on the tree and started eating her peach. Momo flew onto her shoulder and stared longingly at the peach. Dorji picked another peach and handed it to him.

"Should you really be stealing moon peaches?" Aang asked her in a slightly accusatory tone.

Dorji shrugged. "Not stealing. Take some if you want."

Aang's frown deepened slightly. "What do you meant by that?"

A very tall woman walked between two trees. "Dorji, is that you?" she said and bounded over to the girl. Katara and Sokka got ready to fight, but relaxed when the woman scooped Dorji up for a big bear hug. "We were so worried about you!"

"Hello, Lhamo," Dorji said, returning the hug. Her facial expression and tone of voice didn't change too much, but she still looked like she was at ease with the woman. When the woman released her she climbed onto and sat on her broad shoulders. "Katara, Sokka, Aang, this is my cousin, Lhamo. Lhamo, this is Katara, Sokka, and Aang. They're my... acquaintances."

Lhamo gasped and hugged the three. "Dorji has friends her age!"

"Acquaintances," Dorji muttered.

Lhamo put the teens (and child) down and beamed at them. "So, how'd you guys meet my cute little cousin?"

"Um... We stumbled across each other after freeing some earthbenders from the Fire Nation?" Aang said.

Lhamo chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like something she'd do."

Dorji shook her head. "I deserve no honor for what I did."

Aang frowned. Before he could think of what to say, the giant woman crouched down to get a better look at him. "Wait a second, you're an airbender! Wow, I thought Grandmother, Uncle Wangchuck, and Dorji were the only ones left!" She paused. "You are an airbender, right?"

Aang nodded morosely.

Lhamo straightened back up and grinned. "I've gotta take you to Grandmother, then! She was actually around before the Hundred-year War!"

Aang perked up a bit at that. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah! She was kinda young, but she was raised in the Eastern Air Temple. Apparently she met the Avatar a few times before he disappeared." This made Aang tense up again. "Is something wrong?"

Aang flinched. "Oh, no it's..."

"Aang's the Avatar," Dorji chimed in from Lhamo's shoulder.

Lhamo tilted her head. "You don't look like you're older than Grandmother."

"We found Aang in an iceberg," Katara said. "He was frozen for one hundred years."

"Still not sure how that works, except 'Avatar magic,'" Sokka added.

"Wow," Lhamo said. "Yeah, I have no idea how that'd work."

"Why don't we see Grandmother now," Dorji suggested.

Lhamo nodded. "Right, follow me." She guided the three out of the clearing and down a row of trees to a large house. They walked by a few workers along the way, who all greeted Dorji and told her they were worried when she went missing. She tersely thanked them, but didn't really say much else. When they got to the house Lhamo let them inside. The room on the other side of the doorway was empty save for a few sofas surrounding a small table. "Huh, she was here when I last saw her," Lhamo said.

"Grandmother is perfectly capable of movement," Dorji said. "Very fast, when she wants too."

"And nobody knows where I am, when I don't want them to," a slightly distorted voice said. It was clear that it belonged to an old woman, though. The door suddenly creaked shut. When everyone looked at it they saw a rather short old woman with long white hair appear with her hand on the white lotus design in the middle of the door, as if out of thin air. She was wearing dark clothes of a similar fashion to Dorji's, though instead of forest green it had hints of dark orange. "Where the hell were you, kid?"

"Grandmother," Dorji said, then hopped off Lhamo's shoulder. She bowed down, her forehead touching the floor. "I have failed you and Father. Father was captured by the Fire Nation because of my blunder, and after he was I... I ran."

"Dorji," the woman said sternly. "You know my back is bad. Get up so I can fucking hug you already."

Dorji tensed up. "But..."

The woman didn't so much as twitch but Dorji was pushed back onto her feet, the lightest expression of surprise on the girl's face. The woman hugged her and stroked her hair. "You idiot. Did you really think your own grandmother would hate you for making a mistake or two?"

Dorji sniffed. "But I..."

"Kid, even I make mistakes. It's okay to be scared." Dorji started crying again. "There, there. Let it out. Dooon't worry about getting snot on my clothes," the woman said softly.

"Aww, c'mere you guys!" Lhamo said and also started hugging Dorji. Aang, Sokka, and Katara just stood there, not sure of what to do but not wanting to interrupt.

"Now then," the old woman said after Dorji stopped crying and the two released her, "you brought guests. Why don't you two go make some tea for us?"

"Okay, grandmother!" Lhamo said. Dorji nodded and followed her into the kitchen.

The old woman sat down on one of the sofas. "Ah," she sighed. "Getting old fucking sucks. Why can't I go back to when my legs didn't hurt if I stood up for more than ten minutes?" She looked at her guests. "Well? Sit down already!"

"Oh, sorry," Katara said. The three sat down.

The old woman frowned at them for a few minutes. "Now, speaking of old age... Aang, how the hell do you still look twelve?"

Aang blinked. "What are you..." He thought for a moment. "Wait... is that you, Tsering?"

The old woman, apparently named Tsering, chuckled. "I'd gripe about you taking so long to remember me, but to be fair I think I have a few more wrinkles than the last time we met."

"What happened to you?" Aang asked.

Tsering grimaced. "I survived. I was eight when the Fire Nation attacked the temples, you know. It was pretty damn traumatizing. I still have nightmares sometimes..."

Aang winced, looking very guilty. "I should've been there. I'm the Avatar, I could've...

Tsering snorted. "You would've died. I did some research on what the fuck happened that day. Apparently the Fire Nation took advantage of a firebending-enhancing event called Sozin's Comet that happens once every hundred years to enhance their attack. I only got out through sheer luck. And after that the Fire Nation started hunting down what few airbenders were left. I stumbled upon this very orchard when I was on the run and the man running it took me in, no questions asked. That's the only reason I survived."

'We've got tea!" Lhamo said as she returned from the kitchen, holding a tray with a tea set on it. She set it on the table and Dorji silently distributed everyone's teacups. Lhamo poured the tea.

"That was fast," Sokka noted as he looked at his steaming tea.

"Thank you," Tsering said. She waved her hand over her tea, causing a miniature whirlwind to stir it and cool it down considerably before she drank it. Dorji blew on hers like a normal person, though. "Your tea is delicious as always, you two. So, Aang, you never really answered my question. What happened to you?"

Aang sighed. "I... I ran. I heard that they were going to take Gyatso away from me and I got so angry, so I ran. I'm sorry."

Tsering stared flatly at him and made a flicking motion in his general direction. Aang flinched as he felt a light blow on his forehead, like he was flicked by air. "Kid, were you not paying attention to what I said when I was consoling my granddaughter?"

Aang rubbed his forehead. "Yeah, but I'm the Avatar. I should've been better than that..."

"Bullshit," Tsering objected. "You were younger than Dorji is now, don't feel like you always have to be this great spiritual leader all the time."

"Wait, Aang's younger than Dorji?" Katara asked.

"I'm fourteen," Dorji muttered, slightly indignant.

"So what happened after the iceberg?" Lhamo asked.

"We went to Aang's childhood home, the Southern Air Temple," Katara said.

Tsering nodded. "I went back there once, after the Fire Nation heat died down. It... wasn't very pretty."

Aang shook his head and took a sip of his tea. "After that we, uh, went to Kyoshi Island. That was a lot more pleasant."

Tsering grinned. "Enjoying the warrior women, eh? Don't worry, I did that too when I visited that place."

Aang blushed. "N-no, I..."

Tsering laughed and slapped her knee. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

"And after that we went to Omashu. It was surprisingly terrifying," Sokka said.

"We met an old friend of Aang's, though," Katara added.

"So you met Bumi, then?" Tsering asked.

Aang smiled. "It was good to see an old friend. The same goes for you, too." Then he frowned. "Wait, I didn't know you knew Bumi."

Tsering chuckled. "All old people know each other. Shouldn't you know that by now?" She drank some of her tea. "We met a few times, when I was a young lass of thirty-something. Got to know each other. Carnally." Aang spat out his tea at that last comment. Tsering raised her hand, causing the flying tea to turn into a small cloud before condensing into a liquid marble held in place by an air ball. She dropped the tea back into his cup with another lazy gesture. "Let's not waste tea."

"No offense, Tsering," Aang said, blushing, "but I never thought you'd... well..."

She shrugged. "The last time you saw me I was like eight. I'd be more offended if you did."

"R-right."

"This is awkward..." Dorji muttered.

Lhamo stood up. "Right, so Dorji's gonna go with you guys, right?"

Dorji nodded. "I would like to."

Lhamo rubbed her hands together. "Then why don't you and I bake them all Dorji's favorite moon peach pie, Grandmother?"

Dorji and Tsering both stood up. "No, you sit back down," Tsering said.

"I can help bake the pie," Dorji offered.

Tsering shook her head. "No, this pie is for you. Plus, if you wanna be useful you could probably see to getting Aang's bison fed. Aah, what was his name again, Aang? Opa?"

"Appa," Aang corrected.

"Appa. I'm sure the big guy would like something to eat."

Dorji nodded. "I can do that. Follow me, Aang."

"Yeah, sure..."

oOoOo

By the time the pie was done the sun was starting to set, so Tsering offered (demanded) to let Team Avatar sleep over for the night. Dorji and Katara were to sleep in Dorji's room, while Aang and Sokka took the guest room.

"Your room is... nice," Katara said hesitantly. It was a little minimalistic. There was a wardrobe in one corner, a bed with a nightstand in the other, and a rug on the floor. The bed had a few stuffed animals on it, though. One of them looked like a homemade sky bison plush.

Dorji picked up the sky bison and sat on the rug, hugging her plush. "You take the bed. You're the guest."

Katara shook her head. "No, you take the bed."

"I'm fine on the floor."

"Tell you what," Katara said, then sat down on the bed and patted it. "Your bed is kinda big and you're... not that big. Why don't we share it?"

Dorji thought about it for a moment. "Sure. It shouldn't be too uncomfortable." She got in the bed with Katara.

Meanwhile, in the guest room, Aang was sitting up in his bed while Sokka was under his covers. "Something wrong, Aang?" Sokka asked.

"N... no, I'm fine," Aang said. He didn't turn to Sokka so he couldn't see his frown.

"Was there something wrong with the pie?" Sokka asked. "I mean, you looked like you were pretty uncomfortable while you were eating that pie."

"No," Aang said gloomily. "The pie was delicious. I haven't eaten a genuine Air Nomad fruit pie in a while, and it was as good as I remember." He chuckled. "It was nice to see something from my culture preserved."

Sokka sat up slowly. "Actually, I think I know what your problem is," he said somberly.

"You do?"

"Yeah. I've been there before." Sokka sighed. "When I was young, my dad and the rest of the men of our tribe left to help fight the Fire Nation. I was the only male left in our tribe. Well, except for the ones who were babies at the time..." He clenched his fists. "I felt like... I had to be the man, y'know? I know it was just stuff I was putting on myself, but I felt so much pressure to do all the man stuff. I had to learn how to fight, I had to provide for the tribe, I had to train the kids when they grew up. I was surrounded by people, but I just... felt like there was nobody I could talk to about it..." He sighed. "Sorry, that might not be exactly what you're going through. Just... remember that you do have people to talk to."

Aang sighed. "Thanks, Sokka..."

"You're welcome." He yawned. "Right, I'm gonna sleep now. Don't stay up too late!" Sokka's head hit the pillow and he almost immediately fell asleep.

Later, around midnight...

For the first time in her life Dorji had a very flustered expression on her face. At some point Katara had shifted in her sleep, ending up with her arm hooked around Dorji's waist. Judging from the red glow dusting her cheeks and ears Dorji had some very conflicting feelings about this. "Shiiiiit..." she muttered softly, realizing that this would be a very long night.

And in the guest room Aang was also still up as well, though without anyone hugging him in his sleep. He had gotten under the covers, but in all his restless fidgeting he'd thrown them back off. Despite what Sokka had said, Aang simply couldn't sleep. How could he when all he could think about was how little of the Air Nomads were left?

oOoOo

A/N: So this was the first of hopefully multiple storylines original to this fic. Ideally I'd like to do more of that, but as of right now I kinda don't have any ideas for them... If you have any suggestions I'm open to them. Though originally this and the next chapter were going to be one chapter but I decided to maybe cut them in half because it was getting a lil long.

Also.

Aang: Spends the night worrying about being the last of his kind and the implications thereof Dorji: gay panic

[texanredrose]

Dishonored - Ch 2

Chapter 2: Roots in the Den

The beeping of her alarm roused Winter, despite being in the other room. After finding the report she’d sought, she’d hardly made it back to her quarters before exhaustion took the remainder of her strength.

Two hours before sunrise, she sat up in the chair she’d collapsed into, stretching her arms above her head. The glass she’d filled with burning amber liquid the night before sat next to the report, half empty.

Silently, she reached over and opened it, confirming that she hadn’t suffered some manner of fever dream that strung together fictional events. No, every word she’d read stood out against the faded, crinkled paper, so she closed it and set it aside, eyeing the glass for a moment. Although she wouldn’t usually start the day in such disarray, she also felt like she absolutely needed the bracing bite to fully rouse her.

Ultimately, she pushed it away and went to her bedroom, shutting off her alarm and pulling out a fresh uniform for the day. She would need her wits about her fully if she wished to confront her prisoner.

Winter couldn’t be sure if the answered she sought… would be the ones she wanted to hear.

Before heading to her office, she stopped by the interface in her living room to read the notes sent to her overnight. Among them, she noted the two-two-sixth had rolled out to link up with their squad and a notification that a secured message arrived via the only operable line they kept open during the blackout.

On top of dealing with the contraband issue and her prisoner, she’d need to personally call to Atlas Command and explain herself to one of the Generals.

Sending a message to her staff officers, she informed them that she expected a pot of coffee in her office by the time she arrived.

It would be a long day.

Ruby sat against the wall, humming softly to herself a tune she’d learned sometime when she was young. She couldn’t remember where she’d heard it from but Yang always smiled whenever she started it up and sometimes even joined in, even when things looked dire. Like that time they were both pinned down by Atlesian soldiers- no ammo, steep odds, and no chances of getting any back up. They’d gotten clever that time, and perhaps a bit lucky, but they’d made it out with only a few new scars.

It just… gave her hope, even when she probably shouldn’t have any.

She could tell by the movements of the soldiers outside that it was close to daybreak. Usually, everyone on the base would be awake about an hour before, scuttling to wherever they needed to be in time for the morning call-to-arms, and then in full swing by the time the sun started its climb through the sky.

But there seemed a bit more going on than the previous morning. The guards moved around a little erratically, as if startled by something.

Then the door opened and she supposed that explained everything well enough.

The Colonel walked stiffly, as if she’d been injured or just slept wrong, the tightness in her neck probably from stress. Though, the pinched expression might also be from finding out the nighttime guards weren’t as attentive to their duties as their daytime counterparts. She held a few papers in her hand that looked weathered, old, and recently leafed through.

Ah, she thought, schooling her expression into one of mild curiosity. A clever soldier indeed.

“Summer Rose,” she said, those blue eyes staring down at her, looking for any sign.

Ruby thought it would work to her advantage, so she indulged her. “My mother. I’ve heard a lot of stories about her over the years.”

“Including how she died, I assume.” The Colonel indicated the report. “What’s your version of the tale?”

“Interesting word choice.” She met the woman’s gaze. “You’re already implying that what I’m about to say isn’t the truth.��

“What you’ve been told is likely an embellishment.” She indicated the papers. “Between your version and this, I will find the truth.”

“Do you really think that’s the most important thing I have to offer?” A nonchalant shrug, a bait to hurry up with the interrogation process, but she continued regardless. “Alright, I’ll tell you. Mom and Dad lived in a little cottage on Patch. It’s an island just off the coast of Vale.”

“I know where it is.” Her eyes narrowed. “The population there was small, the economy was geared towards fishing, most people inherited their occupations from their parents- it’s a blip but one I’m familiar with. Atlas Command had the people there relocated a decade ago.”

“You should be a tour guide.” Ruby smirked, noting the brief flicker of annoyance in the woman’s face. “Back then, before the ‘relocation’, it was just the four of us. Mom, Dad, my sister, and me, and the thing about small, tight knight communities is that you can’t really take someone away from it without leaving an impact. Trades are passed down- remove the people who know that trade, and you’ve left the community lacking a basic element. That’s what the relocation order was doing to Patch, trying to tear it apart. First, they took the Faunus, forcing them to move to Menagerie. Mom stood up to the Atlesian soldiers doing it and they killed her for it. So Dad took us and tried to come here, to Mistral. Eventually, the Atlesian military got their way and took a third of the island’s population, then stationed their own soldiers there.”

“Soldiers who didn’t take up the trades vacated by those relocated- or on the run. I suppose that’s where you’re going with this.”

“Well, that, and they continued using resources. Less people fishing but more people eating the fish- it’s not exactly a sustainable model.”

The Colonel hummed. “The infrastructure collapsed on itself, leading to the relocation of Patch’s remaining population. I suppose I could believe that.” Her head tilted. “But it doesn’t explain how your father died yet you survived.”

“My sister did too. We’re kids from an island; we knew how to swim before we could walk.” She couldn’t recall the details herself- just a bit too young- but Yang told her the story when she was old enough. Usually while yelling, because she’d been holding onto the anger for years and needed to let it out, but Ruby could be a bit calmer, even if it hurt. “Dad stayed with the boat, drew the soldiers chasing us away so we could swim to shore.”

“Two children alone in a strange land.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “That was almost twenty years ago. How did you survive?”

Now, she had to get creative. “We were taken in by a village. They raised us for a while, until the Atlesian patrols became stricter. After that, we wandered, until we decided we’d had enough. Atlas took everything from us- Mom, Dad, our home. All we have left is each other.” A pause and she chuckled; even if the this part of the story wasn’t strictly what happened, it did hold a bit of truth in it all the same. “Well, I guess, that’s out now. Once she finds out where you’re holding me… there won’t be any stopping her.”

“I’m not sure if I believe that.” Now the Colonel seemed to be gaining confidence, convinced she’d ferreted out a lie. “Your sister’s dead. Else, she would’ve been here by now.”

“She might not be the poster child for patience, but she knows how to bide her time. I know she’s out there.” Another shrug. “It’s a sister thing; you wouldn’t understand it.”

“I have siblings. A sister and a brother.”

“Younger or older?”

“Younger, both of them.”

“Are you sure they’re safe?”

The Colonel immediately bristled. “You’re in no position to be making threats. And if any of your ilk come anywhere near them, I will personally skin each and every one of you alive.”

“Oh, but how could you use us against our friends and family then?” Ruby shot back, noting the dark cloud that seemed to settle over the woman. “Since we’re playing the game of fact or fiction, I’m curious- did you really use the reanimated corpses of fallen rebels to fight their former friends in Azulen?”

“I don’t use reanimated corpses.” She forced out through gritted teeth, the hand holding the report clenching hard enough to crinkle the papers.

“Forgive me if I’m not convinced.”

And then something happened- something Ruby could hardly explain, even as it unfolded before her very eyes. White light erupted around the woman’s left hand as she held it out, towards a spot between the two of them. A symbol of some sort- like an intricate snowflake- appeared, a mirrored copy three times the size reflecting on the floor. The glyphs began to spin as light filled the center of the larger one, growing bigger and taking shape, until a life sized white Beowolf appeared, with bright blue markings across its muzzle.

The beast regarded her with cool, blue eyes, before turning its head and dropping down to all fours, nuzzling into the Colonel’s hand.

“I can summon any foe I’ve dispatched,” she said, paying the Beowolf little mind, and it seemed rather content with that. “But I don’t desecrate the dead.”

“Well… that’s a first, for an Atlesian.” Ruby watched the creature, having fought more than her fair share of Beowolves, but finding none of the aggressive posture in this one. Usually, Grimm hunted with a single minded purpose- to find the source of negative emotions and elicit even more, that they might feed. Killing came secondary, and usually the result of a young Grimm trying to get more out of its meal and unintentionally destroying the source. The Alphas and older ones, no, they didn’t often kill, unless it could be used against witnesses… sometimes, she thought the Atlesian military took more after the Grimm than anything else. “Having a pet like that trailing you during battle would probably help.”

“Age, training, and discipline have honed my abilities. They call me the ‘Wolf of Azulen’ because I summoned six score of these and saved the unit stationed there from an embarrassing rout.”

“You must have quite the catalogue of dead enemies to pick from, then.” She shifted her gaze. “But I can promise you this; using me against my sister won’t work as any sort of advantage for you. She’ll be able to tell it isn’t me and it’ll just piss her off worse.” A smirk lifted her lips. “Maybe that ‘embarrassing rout’ will come around anyway. You might want to get used to the idea that your name will go down in history as the one who lost Mistral to one seriously ticked off big sis.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” And then, briefly, she could see something akin to fear in the woman’s eyes.

“You’re arrogant, underestimating-”

“No.” A bit of force in the woman’s voice, a crack in the armor. “I wouldn’t ‘use’ you against your sister.”

Ruby couldn’t help but be surprised at that. “An Atlesian not pressing an advantage? That’s unheard of.”

“You shouldn’t make light of what you don’t understand. I’ve made the mistake already and I won’t do it again.” The Colonel turned sharply, leaving the summoned Beowolf behind. “Enjoy your new company.”

As the door slammed closed, she frowned, watching the creature as steadily as it watched her.

While she’d probably managed to achieve her goal in unsettling the woman, now Ruby wondered if, perhaps, there were certain lines not even the Colonel would cross. The plan would work fine under the assumption that the woman could achieve her goals no matter the cost, but if she held some manner of standards, that would throw a wrench into everything.

Which made the impending arrival of the interrogation squad all the more troubling.

Winter sat at her desk, a cup of coffee off to the side and the report she’d carried around that morning tossed into a nearby chair. Although she didn’t particularly like the task before her, she really had no choice in the matter. Reaching over, she hit one of the buttons.

“Sergeant Forecastle.”

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“I’ll utilizing the secured line,” she said, a frown on her lips. “See to it I’m not disturbed.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

With that out of the way, she pulled up the secured line and punched in the proper code.

Now, if her call could go unanswered, that would be splendid, but she didn’t seem to have that sort of luck.

But she did have just enough as a familiar face filled the screen. “Colonel Schnee. It’s been too long.”

“General Ironwood,” she replied, trying to force a smile. “I wish it was under better circumstances.”

“You shouldn’t equate contacting Atlas Command with being reprimanded, Winter.” He favored her with a smile of his own. As her mentor, he’d always held a bit of a soft spot for her, and she could honestly call the man a better role model than her father ever could be. However, he was her superior first and foremost. “Though, we are curious about the current blackout. You’ve yet to file a justification.”

“I wanted to be sure I have something before troubling Command with it, Sir.” Winter shifted slightly in her seat. “Considering the current state of Remnant, throwing about accusations or making unchecked claims seems… reckless, at best.”

“I remember there was a time when you were exactly that sort of reckless.” The General clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. “I trust you’ve made headway in verifying whatever it is that prompted the blackout? Or are you waiting for the interrogation team to arrive?”

She’d almost forgotten about that. “I’d like them to verify my results, Sir. Their methods might prove… more illuminating.”

“I trust your judgment.” He looked away and sighed. “However, I’m afraid I’ll need something- vague as it may be- to provide the other Generals. As you’ve said, these are turbulent times, and losing contact with one of our most solid strongholds is more than a little concerning. They won’t accept mere assurances.”

Winter nodded, buying herself a moment to make her decision. “I believe I’ve uncovered the methods by which the resistance here in Mistral is growing. Their motivations and the particular events they’re utilizing to gather more support to their cause. I also believe it’s possible to dismantle their rhetoric, but I’ll need more time for that.”

General Ironwood raised a brow, slightly taken aback by her words. “While I’m genuinely intrigued by how you came by that information I’m not sure if it’s a worthwhile investment of your time.”

“Why not?” Her brows furrowed. “If we can stop the resistance from recruiting new members, it simply becomes a matter of routing the remainder.”

“I don’t discredit the logic, Winter; I simply mean that I don’t think it’ll have the effect you’re hoping for.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “As long as Atlas has ruled, there have been groups trying to undermine the security we provide Remnant. The problem is that you can’t combat illogical ideations with logic. Rebels and the like will crop up, no matter how you trample and remove their excuses to do so.”

“Sir, with all due respect, I don’t think that’s an accurate assessment.” Her gaze briefly deviated to the report. “I believe with some adjustments to policy, we could very easily dissuade a large number of people from supporting or joining the forces acting against us.”

“Every policy we have is justified; there’s simply no pleasing everyone.”

“Sir, have you read through the census reports from Mistral over the past five years?” She had, several times, both to try and nail down where the missing children of Taiyang Xiao Long might’ve turned up, and then looking into it further when she began to notice a trend. How she hadn’t seen it before boggled her mind. “The local population of Mistrali is beginning to give way to Atlesians and those of mixed heritage. The vast majority of locals are either joining the resistance or suspected of doing so and being executed.”

“Then it sounds like the problem will take care of itself in another generation or so.”

Winter’s mouth opened but no sound came out as she blinked, turning that sentence over in her head a few times. “Sir… what you’re suggesting is practically genocide.”

“I don’t think that’s an accurate way of looking at it.” He shook his head. “We are just as much part of Remnant as they are; as long as we remain to stand strong, Atlas- and, by consequence, all of Remnant- will continue to march forward, and we’ll drag the territories kicking and screaming with us, no matter how they protest.” A sigh left his lips as he reached up, massaging his temple, just shy of the grey streaks running through otherwise midnight black hair. “I know you’re under a lot of pressure, Winter. Being the commanding officer for a territory is a difficult step in your career, but right now, you need to focus on executing the missions Atlas Command puts before you. Deal with the resistance when they present a problem and put them down, but don’t try to understand them. You’re simply wasting your time.”

For a moment, she just stared at the screen. “Of course, Sir. There… is the matter of a possible traitor on my base.”

His brows furrowed. “That’s a serious claim to make. No Atlesian would dare defy Atlas Command.”

‘And expect to live’ she mentally tacked on, though outwardly she only offered a nod. “I’m not entirely sure where the source of the leak is coming from, but I’ve reason to believe someone is… attempting to undermine our position here, and using our own soldiers to do it. I’m sure the interrogation squad will be able to hunt down the source of this… troublesome flow.”

“Yes, good, see that you put your efforts to solving that immediately. We don’t tolerate spies in our ranks, Colonel.” He sat back. “Finding the leak is a much higher priority than concerning yourself with the cause of the resistance. The interrogation squad will be arriving this afternoon; they’ll be able to assist you in this matter.”

“Yes, Sir. I will lift the blackout and make a full report to Atlas Command as soon as there’s proof of my concerns.”

“Good. Take care, Winter.”

“You as well, Sir.” She ended the call and sat back in her chair, sighing heavily. In the back of her mind, she could feel the connection with her summoned Beowolf- anxious, bored, never a fan of tight spaces. Rose didn’t seem to be provoking it.

However, she needed to provoke her prisoner a bit more.

The only thought Ruby really had during the hours between when the guards reluctantly brought her breakfast and when the Colonel returned was that she hoped beyond hope that Ilia didn’t try returning any time soon. Although the beast didn’t breath or move like a living creature would, it reacted to movement and sound, looking at the guards when they came, following their movements even through the wall, snapping its attention to Ruby whenever she shifted. It could be unnerving, at the least, but she couldn’t tell if it had the capacity to recognize friend from foe.

But then it started… pacing would be the only way to describe it. Restless, moving around the cell in a pattern that seemed to speed up with every pass, and she couldn’t rightly tell what caused it.

Until the Colonel burst into the room, somehow even more stressed than when she’d left. “What’s your plan?”

“Well, I was going to read a book and order a pizza for lunch,” she replied sarcastically, lifting up the chains still binding her wrists. Better to feign ignorance than give away that she had a plan at all. “But I’m tied up at the moment, so-”

“Spare me your smart remarks.” Whatever had gotten under the woman’s skin, it had dug deep, and the summon began gnashing its teeth as a reflection of her frustration. “If your resistance, by some miracle, manages to displace the Atlesian military presence here in Mistral, what then?”

Ah, so she hadn’t been found out yet. A little bit of relief suffused her being but now she stood at a crossroads. In the woman’s eyes, she could see how hard she searched for something, but couldn’t be certain what, or which response might tip the scales in her favor. Every day she sat in the cell she accomplished nothing for her allies and, without her there with the others, she worried what concern over her might encourage Yang to do. She needed to continue hitting the woman’s buttons, even if it meant playing the bloodthirsty rebel.

“What makes you think we’ll ‘displace’ you?” She lifted her chin defiantly. “We’re not interested in your relocation methods.”

“Then you seek blood.” In a flash of steel, the Colonel drew the sword at her side as the Beowolf growled. “There is no reasoning with you.”

“See?” She offered a smirk. “Your own methods seem harsh when they’re turned around on you, aren’t they?”

“The Atlesian military attempted to relocate-”

“Poorly attempted, and when that failed, they turned to executions; don’t split hairs with me about skipping the optional first step to your people’s two step plan.” Ruby rolled her eyes. “This is what I’m talking about. Everything you people do, you’ve already built in a justification by first being unreasonable and refusing to see it. Destroying entire communities because they didn’t suit Atlas’ needs.” Their eyes met, and she could sense that she was getting somewhere, pushing the woman, because the grip on her sword faltered just a bit. However, something told her that she wasn’t getting any closer to her goal, which presented a problem. “There were four kingdoms, now there’s five, but Atlas only sees itself as the rightful holder of that distinction. The rest? Second class citizens, or worse.”

“There’s no other way,” the Colonel said, the tip of her sword lowering until it almost touched the ground as her summon fell silent once more. “That’s how things have been and how they’ll stay. How do you possibly hope to change that?”

She’d have to switch tactics. At this rate, the woman seemed to be daring her to provide a reason to be taken seriously. So, she’d oblige.

“By fighting. Fighting with everything we’ve got, until we’ve pushed Atlas off Mistral’s shores and reclaimed the kingdom for the people born to it.” A sigh left her lips. “Then, the hard part starts.”

“If you’re trying to insult me-”

“For once, no, I’m not.” Ruby looked up at the ceiling. “Right now, we’re united. Everyone who is sick and tired of what Atlas has done to Mistral- we share a common enemy, but when we win, then that goes out the window. As it is, those of us who’ve earn the resistance’s trust will be seen as the leaders, and we might be able to hold onto that power long enough to set up some form of government. Mistral used to run on a system of city-states; we could bring that back.” Perhaps she’d let a bit too much of the truth out but, for some reason, she felt like it might actually be working in her favor. The Colonel listened intently, something she seemed to do whenever searching beneath what Ruby said, so perhaps she could be tricked into believing she’d uncovered something else. “But, if something happens to us- if the heads of the resistance somehow get taken out before we can rout Atlas- then the ones who step up to fill those spots might not hold the same ideals we do.”

When she lowered her gaze, she found blue eyes watching her, but they looked away as she paced the length of the room. “What I’m hearing is that killing you could very well destabilize the resistance now.”

“It might.” She held up a finger. “But there’s also my sister to consider. She might be mad enough to destroy every last Atlesian fortification on the continent but she’s not going to be able to use that anger to keep things stable after the fighting stops and I won’t be there to convince her when enough’s enough.” A short chuckle. “You’re banking on her getting her revenge and stopping but she’s the sort of person to run across the ocean and take the fight to Atlas Command herself, if it means avenging me.”

She only stretched the truth a little. Yang’s temper might be legendary but she could also be calm and level headed when the situation called for it. Yet, she also would be the sort of person to launch a one woman assault on Atlas Command. It was kinda where Ruby got the idea in the first place.

“That would be a suicide mission.” The Colonel seemed absolutely sure of that.

“At that point, she’s lost everything else. What more could she lose? What’s a life when everything that made it worth living’s been stripped away from you?” She nodded at the woman. “You say you’re a big sister. If one of your siblings was killed, what would you do? Hunt down the people responsible, even if it meant sacrificing your life in the process? Or sit here and send a card for the funeral?”

Then, she had the woman’s attention once more, her pacing halting as she threw a heated glare at Ruby. “I would never be that callous. They would have justice.”

“Good! Then, now, you’re getting it. You understand what lengths she’ll go through and how little she’ll care for the outcome.” Her voice took on a teasing lilt. “It’s only a matter of time before she comes here, looking for me.”

“What of the others?”

“What others?”

“Don’t play coy. The Fox, the Cat, the Dragon- there are other leaders. How many of you are there?”

Now, she had a chance. “The Dragon is my sister. The others aren’t in Mistral.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean they aren’t in Mistral?”

“Vacuon rebels engaged Atlesian troops in a full scale battle the day I was captured; a full platoon lost on your side. In Menagerie, the White Fang resurfaced after an extended dormancy period. And, if you haven’t heard from Vale yet, they’ve had a few mishaps at several of their trainyards, disrupting supply lines and putting several of their outposts at risk.” She shrugged. “Unfortunately, I think we’re the only ones who missed our mark. I’m sure Dragon will catch up, once she’s done destroying every building on this base.” She paused, hoping she’d counted the days right. “And, unless I miss my guess, this morning is going to be very eventful for the troops in Vale. Those near Forever Fall- they were doing a training exercise out there this week, right?” A smirk. “Guess there’s no better training than the real thing.”

“Are you implying that every rebel group working against the Atlas military is connected?” The barefaced confusion splayed across her expression- no one had tried connecting the dots? Really? She didn’t know if that spoke to how well they’d covered their tracks or Atlas’ arrogance. “How?”

“Sorry, Colonel.” She closed her eyes and leaned back. “I’m done talking to you.”

That should be more than enough reason for her to be turned over to the interrogation squad. Especially if she’d gotten the timing right.

“You little-” The Beowolf growled and lunged, but she remained calm and didn’t even open her eyes as it landed just in front of her. It didn’t touch her, though, and while she could feel it standing over her, the presence disappeared a moment later as the woman made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. “Your mind might change once the interrogation squad arrives.”

“If you’re anything to go by, I have nothing to fear,” she replied, satisfied she’d prodded enough. With the return of the threat, she felt certain she’d tipped the scales back into her favor. Now all she had to do was force the woman’s hand. “Bring them in. At the end of the day, you won’t have anything to show for it.”

“We’ll see,” she replied, turning to exit again.

Left alone with the summon, Ruby wondered just how long she’d be left to sweat it out before the Colonel’s frustration rose too high. The pressure had to be pouring on from everything else happening around Remnant; Atlas Command kept too close of tabs on everyone under their thumb to allow for a period of silence to last. Eventually, someone had to break, and it couldn’t be her.

The door opened again, a full squad of Atlesian soldiers with riot shields and armor entering the room, regarding her like a threat while paying the summoned Beowolf no mind.

“On your feet,” one said, his voice gruff and obviously displeased. “Move.”

Well, so much for sweating it out, she thought wryly while complying with the order and mentally preparing herself for the trials ahead.

But twenty minutes later, she found herself in another detention cell just as devoid of anything remarkable as the first, and her cellmate of sorts had followed her during the move.

“What is that woman planning?” She watched the summon but received no answer, though it looked just as anxious as before, pacing the length of her cell mindlessly.

She had half a mind to join it.

Winter marched through the halls, sparing no one a glance as she made for her office. After instructing the guards on duty to move Rose to a new cell and not disclose the new location to anyone not guarding that particular section, she’d started for her desk. Not only did she need to make preparations to stall the interrogation team, she had to find a suitable distraction, and that wouldn’t be easy.

“Ma’am.” Sergeant Major Cirrus’ voice caught her attention, her brisk pace slowed so the man could catch up, accepting the scroll he handed her. “We finished questioning those found with contraband. They identified a few soldiers as the sources they bought the goods from.”

“All Atlesians, which we expected…” she slowed to a stop, reading over the information and drawing the connections- why the names seemed quasi familiar “... but isn’t that odd.”

“Erm… Ma’am?”

She pointed to the right hand side, where the soldiers’ units were displayed. “I find it strange, Sergeant Major, that all of these soldiers are recently returned from night patrols. Is that where they acquired the goods? And did they sell to multiple people to hide who their intended target was?”

“I… suppose that is peculiar.” He remained silent for a moment before lowering his voice. “Ma’am, permission to speak freely.”

“Granted.”

“Are you accusing one of our own of turning against us?”

The same, grave seriousness she heard in General Ironwood’s voice when she brought up the same idea. So, she opted to push a boundary, just to see the reaction. “I notice some of these soldiers aren’t born of Atlas. They have Atlesian blood but they’ve never been to the homeland, Sergeant Major.”

“Ah, that explains it.” He nodded, apparently accepting that conjecture without a second thought. “I can launch a full investigation into them immediately.”

“Investigate all of them,” she replied, handing the scroll back and not giving away the rolling in her stomach. “Let's not tip our hand.”

“Of course, Ma’am.” As he left, she reached back through her memories and opted to check his personnel file.

Because, if she recalled correctly, Sergeant Major Cirrus was born in the Mantle Mountain range, just beyond Atlas’ borders. Just as much a territory as Mistral, even if inducted into the fold earlier.

Winter shoved the thoughts from her mind, heading into her office after shouting to Sergeant Forecastle that she'd be on the secured line. Amid all the thoughts pinging around her head, something lurked and preyed on her mind more than the rest, setting her nerves on edge. Only one thing could assuage it.

When the line connected, she was greeted with her sister’s perplexed expression. “Winter? Or is it Colonel this time?”

Her eye twitched. “There’s no reason to be formal. This is a personal call.”

“It’s not my birthday.” Her eyes darted elsewhere. “And it’s not yours-”

“Weiss, please.” A sigh slipped past her lips as she ran a hand over her face. “How are you doing?”

“Fine, I suppose. My assignment in Menagerie has been… somewhat eventful.” A quirk to her lips. “Knowing General Cotta, you already know what I mean.”

“I do.” Sitting forward, she folded her hands and tried to keep the restless energy at bay. “I just wanted to check on you. See… if everything’s going alright.”

Brows pinching together, her younger sister tilted her head slightly. “Winter, is something wrong? I know the report appears to be troubling but we’ve been vigilant. There’s no White Fang activity; it could’ve very easily been an elaborate prank.”

“You’re sure?” The certainty in Rose’s tone, the barest of hints in those silver eyes… Weiss might be an intelligence officer, but things sometimes slipped through the cracks. “You’ve sent out your scouting parties? Double checked the perimeters? Have you determined how those flags got hung in the first place?”

“Winter, slow down.” They, perhaps, weren’t as close as other siblings, not as tightly knit, but she recognized the thread of unease in Weiss’ voice, could hear it plain as day. “Of course we’re taking the threat seriously. The last thing we want is for another rebel group to disrupt our work.”

She sighed, looking away for a brief moment. “Our work… you refer to the mines.”

“The dust deposits are the reason we’re here.” Weiss recited the official line of Atlas Command- Vale and Vacuo to instill order, Mistral to provide protection, and Menagerie for the vital resources. A reason to continue their work across Remnant. Something to believe in, something good and necessary. “And they are still operating to full capacity.”

Winter pressed her lips into a thin line. “I suppose that’s good.”

“It’s exactly what Atlas Command asks of us.”

“Do you believe it’s right?”

Weiss blinked, apparently taken off guard by the question. “Is what right?”

“Our missions.” She sat forward, interlacing her fingers. “I’m here to protect the people of Mistral, yet my night patrols engage with more and more people every day- more and more ‘suspected’ resistance fighters who don’t survive the encounter. And I’m forced to ask myself: who am I protecting?” A pause. “Do you ever have thoughts like that?”

Her sister remained silent for a moment, and in her eyes a battle waged, before she hid everything behind a mask. “Of course not. It’s not our fault the people we’re attempting to serve and protect revolt against us. If they simply obeyed, you wouldn’t be pushed to such measures.”

“Indeed.” It should’ve assured her, should’ve calmed the storm of her mind just a little, but instead she just heard the same resolute belief she’d already experienced with the General and Sergeant Major. In her heart… she felt a keen sense of disappointment. “It’s that reminder that keeps me true to the course. But diligence alone won’t protect you, Weiss. You’re aware of that?”

“Of course. I plan on leaving no openings that could be exploited.” Weiss smiled, though it looked a touch forced. “I appreciate your concern, Winter, but I assure you. I will not fall victim to some foolish rebel.”

“Good.” She nodded. “If you are in need of reinforcements, remember that I always keep two rapid deployment units on standby along the south coast.”

“I’ll be sure to brief my command on the resources available to us.” She offered a small smile. “Goodbye.” Winter reached forward to disconnect the call but stopped short. “And… I love you. Even when you’re troubled by heavy thoughts.”

A soft smile curled her lips. “I love you, too. You make me very proud, Weiss. Take care.”

Ending the call, she sat back in her chair and sighed heavily, lifting her gaze to the ceiling.

“I’ve already made my decision, haven’t I?” Nothing answered her, of course, save for the sinking in her chest. Yet, she found herself reaching out to dial another number… and frowning when the line connected. “Whitley… where the hell are you?”

He feigned innocence. “What makes you ask?”

“The fact that it’s snowing and the only place you could possibly be at this time of years is up in the mountains, which I distinctly remember you not being stationed near at all.”

“Am I not allowed to take leave?” He pouted- outright pouted- while snowflakes clung to his hair.

“You were just on leave!” She began to massage her temple, frowning at the screen. “I remember having a long talk with General Ironwood and Colonel Gold over how much leave you’ve taken, in fact.”

“Okay, so, maybe this isn’t so much ‘leave’ as… I’m not going back.”

Winter breathed in deep and let it out slowly. “You… what?”

“The military isn’t for me,” he replied, ducking indoors somewhere- given the construction, it looked more like a house or shop than any military building. “You and Weiss are free to walk in Mother’s shadow but I’m rather tired of it all. We still run the mines up here in the mountains, so I thought I’d help Father with overseeing them.”

“So… you just… left.” Reports began flashing through her mind. How many people were hunted down for simply walking down the street too late at night? And her brother just… abandoned his post?

“They’ll hardly miss me.” Whitley shrugged, sitting down somewhere as a window with snow clinging to the pane framed him. “And I’m much happier freezing up in these mountains than I ever was out in those awful forests. Do you have any idea how many forests there are in Vale? The answer is too many.”

She drew a steadying breath. “You’re my brother, so I’m obligated to say I’m pleased that you’re enjoying yourself, but as an officer-”

“Who is not in my command and can’t do anything anyway?” He smiled at her then, smug. “Report me if you wish but it’ll do little good. I’m sure Mother’s already been informed, and if she hasn’t come to collect me herself, what outcome are you expecting?”

Her hands curled into fists. Her brother had a point. “I understand if you’re disinclined to continue your service but why not at least finish out your commitment first?”

“Because I don’t want to,” he replied, expression slowly falling. “I suppose it’s a feeling you can’t understand.”

“Try me.”

“None of you understand it- Mother, Weiss, all of you are good at the whole military thing.” He practically spat the last word, dragging a hand down his face. “I never wanted to join, but I didn’t have a choice in the matter, and now? It doesn’t matter how proficient I am. I could be the best soldier or the worst and my place wouldn’t change one bit.” Then, he gestured behind him. “But here? When I excel, I excel, and I’m rewarded appropriately.”

She had half a mind to accuse him of something so base at greed but the words caught in her throat. Laziness wouldn’t be tolerated at her level, of course, but the chances of Whitley ever reaching her rank ran slim, purely because she’d been born first. Just as she’d never reach General until Mother died or retired. It was one of many laws put into place to mitigate certain risks- no chance of professional jealousy if one’s rank was determined by fate- but she’d met her fair share of incompetent officers. And only Atlesians born in Atlas were considered qualified to reach beyond a certain rank anyway.

A method of control, to keep people in their place… to walk in the shadow of those who came before.

“You’re good at it, then?” She kept her voice even despite the tumultuous thoughts rolling through her mind. “Managing the mines?”

“So far, I’ve increased productivity by a fair margin. Father’s impressed.” He sighed. “I’m not sure if that’s very encouraging though. So far, all I’ve done is walk through the mines. Apparently, having a real Atlesian in the area is required for these lazy workers to actually do their jobs.”

Winter frowned. “Really? You haven’t threatened them in any way?”

“There’s no reason to; they know what awaits them if they fail to meet my expectations.”

That didn’t ease her concerns in the slightest. In fact, it just made some of Rose’s comments echo in the back of her mind. “Are you expectations at least reasonable?”

“Of course; I learned from you and Mother, after all.” That set her stomach rolling. She’d always maintained high standards, just as Mother had, but when they weren’t met… she’d always justified the punishments in her mind. However, what she would ask of soldiers and what she would ask of civilians differed and she didn’t believe for a second her brother understood that difference. “We’re on schedule to have these mines closed by the end of the year and the workforces moved to new prospects.”

Her brows pinched together. Admittedly, she’d never paid Father much mind when he talked about the mining business; dust provided an important asset to the military, yes, but they’d won many battles without it.“You’re going to relocate the workforce? Move entire cities?”

“Of course. We don’t need them here; we need them where the dust is.”

“And they’ve agreed to that?”

“Winter.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “You act as if they have a choice.”

She pressed her lips into a thin line. “I suppose that is rather foolish of me.”

He sat forward, looking genuinely concerned for the first time throughout the conversation. “You’re probably just stressed. It’s not like you’ve taken leave recently. You should look into it; get some time to clear your head.”

“I’ll consider it.” A sigh slipped past her lips; although not exactly the way she’d wanted to find out, she had the answer to the question she’d asked Weiss. “Try not to get into trouble, Whitley.”

A scoff. “Good luck to you, too, Winter.”

As the call ended, she passed a hand over her face and slumped in her chair. Checking in on her siblings… she didn’t do it as often as she should, true, but she’d always justified it with the knowledge that they understood the demands of her position. If they needed anything, they could easily call her- she’d never denied a message from them, no matter the form- and she would move mountains if necessary to help them out.

But they were all products of Atlas, of the military, and under the thumb of Atlas Command. For anyone of lesser status, abandoning one’s post would be grounds for a severe punishment. Yet, she understood rather well that Whitley would face no repercussions. Born of Atlas, for him to face any sort of consequence would first require something a bit more serious than dereliction of duty, especially if Mother waved a hand and had him ‘reassigned’ to some fictional position to cover his absence.

Confronted with this reality alongside the eagerness of Sergeant Major Cirrus to ferret out the non-Atlas born weak link and General Ironwood’s grave interest in a possible traitor, she found it nigh impossible to justify the clear classism. She couldn’t even explain the flippant way Whitley spoke of the mine workers, how they were expected to do as told, and she didn’t doubt they’d be killed for any failure to comply. They were likely working themselves to the bone not out of a previously held lack of effort on their part but simply motivated by the knowledge that Whitley could order any one of them killed for little to no reason and it would never be questioned.

Reaching over to the console, she typed out a message to Mother, informing her of the situation. Not that it would change anything- if it wasn’t swept under the rug already, it would be after this- but because it was what she would be expected to do, as both the eldest sibling and a higher ranking officer. Mother charged her with keeping tabs on Weiss and Whitley decades ago; remaining silent when she full well knew the woman would find out eventually would simply draw more suspicion to her.

And she didn’t need any more, even as she sent the message and dialed another number.

“Colonel Schnee.” A man answered, his expression twisted and face flushed. “I’m afraid I don’t have the time to track down your brother if he’s not answering his scroll.”

“I’ve already spoken with him, Colonel Gold,” she replied, frowning as the sounds of several voices droned on in the background, some panicked. “He’s abandoned his post; he’s up in the mountains overseeing our family mines.”

A small amount of relief washed over the man. “With respect, good. I don’t need his antics on top of everything else right now.”

“Anything I can assist with, Sir?”

“No, we’re already mobilizing a full brigade to go investigate.” That… was a lot of soldiers. “One of our units was training in Forever Fall when we lost contact with them. Their last communication indicated some manner of attack.” He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “It’s probably some fool Valen’s idea of a prank. I’m sure it’s nothing but I don’t tolerate such blatant disregard for training protocol.”

She raised a brow, slightly confused. “Training protocol?”

“We sent an augmentation force with the unit to act as an opposing force- a bit of force on force training is good for morale, you know.” He waved a hand. “But knowing these blasted vermin, they cut the comm lines like an actual enemy would, and there’ll be hell to pay when I find out who had that bright idea.”

In that moment, Winter thought about warning him that it might not be a simple training mishap. That those soldiers might be marching into an ambush. “I’m… sure the culprit will be revealed when a fully armed brigade arrives looking for them.”

“Fully armed?” Colonel Gold scoffed and shook his head. “I’m not wasting time outfitting an entire brigade. They’re rolling out with the bare minimum; I need them there quickly to put an end to this fiasco.” A light chuckle. “Though I would rather like to see the looks on their faces when the brigade arrives.”

“Have you considered it might not be a training accident?”

All mirth fled him at that moment. “Listen here, Schnee. I understand Mistral and Vacuo has its share of rebel scum, but you’re seeing shadows where there are none. We pacified Vale years ago; there’s simply no way the local populace could stage anything close to an attack. Even then, they’re just Valens. We’ll simply burn whatever village they came from to the ground, if it comes to that, which it won’t.”

“My apologies, Sir,” she said. “Perhaps you’re right.”

He nodded. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an augmentation force to reprimand.”

When the screen faded, Winter had to face a harsh truth.

She’d just willingly withheld vital information that could lead to the deaths of several Atlesian soldiers… and as conflicted as she felt about that, she rightly shouldn’t- it should’ve been the most clear cut decision, and she’d made the wrong one.

Yet… she found herself thinking about a little island village destroyed by Atlesian troops. The cost of that ‘pacification’. And the futility of it.

Standing, she walked around her desk, intending to visit Rose, but the moment she opened her office door, she was confronted with an unfamiliar sight.

“Ah, Colonel Schnee. Just who I wanted to see.” A shock of orange hair poked out from beneath a black bowler, green eyes that seemed a touch too friendly, and a white coat in the Atlesian style but lacking any rank identification, instead bearing a mark representing Atlas Command- someone she’d never met but could recognize instantly and her blood ran cold. “You are the one who requested an interrogation squad, right?”

[heeeatofthemoment]

RWBY: Light

This is a RWBY x Reader fic following an original team of characters attending Beacon! You are (Y/N) Luman, who is starting Beacon after moving from Atlas with your friend Ashley Ghost.

You’re now part of team LGHT! Today begins you first day together, with your first class together too.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

It is five in the morning. You’re up really early, considering that class doesn’t start until 9 o’clock, but you hadn’t slept much at all last night. The mixture of anticipation of your first set of classes, and the still giddy feeling you had about your new team prevented you from catching much rest.

Your new team. It was an odd thing to think, as people had always joked around that you were a very disorganised person, and to be fair you agreed. Though you felt like you were a half-decent fighter, and were exceptionally good with technology, you never figured you could lead a team. Yet here you were, with three students you were in command over, one of them being your best friend for years.

You sit up on your bed and swing your legs off the edge, placing your feet on the floor. All four of you were in the same room, with the four beds placed in a line against the wall opposite the door. It was certainly spacious enough, and it wasn’t like you all had brought a lot of belongings to take up the room, though for now most of everyone’s stuff was still packed. You look over your teammates, whom are all still tucked in bed, somehow sleeping soundly. You figured they were still tired from yesterday, Ninia especially, considering the number of Gateways she used during the fight.

Slowly standing up, being cautious over every movement as to not create a loud creaking in the floor, you work your way over to your stuff. You dress yourself in your usual clothes, and slip on your pack. Making your way to the window, once again careful of making noise, you swing it open, breathing in the fresh sea air. The view from your room was exactly what you would want. It was high up and had a beautiful view of the front courtyard of the academy. You could see the cliff edge, the sea and Vale even further off in the distance. The sun hadn’t risen yet, causing the sky to be a warm orange. “Kind of like Ninia’s eyes” you thought to yourself, not quite sure as to why that comparison came to mind.

With a delicate movement, you climb out of the window, sitting on the edge and dangling your legs off. Taking one quick look behind you to be sure you hadn’t woken anyone, you slide off. You let yourself fall for a while before activating your wings, as the thrusters could be quite loud. You fly down to the courtyard, soaring over it and to the cliff. You touch down a few meters from it, walking over to the edge and sitting yourself down. Immediately you look down, taking in what looked like at least a 2000ft drop into the water below. There were no railings, no fences or anything to keep people from plummeting off the edge, though weirdly enough this made you feel better.

Something about heights had always been exciting to you, though you never were sure why. It would give you a lot of weird attention back at the academy in Atlas, with everyone questioning this strange obsession you had. Much like most things, you would shrug, always saying “No idea, I guess I have vertigood or something?” The pun would make people groan or roll their eyes, and you smiled at the memory.

“Couldn’t sleep too, huh?” a young voice said from behind you. You turn to see Ruby, who has walked up behind you, removing her hood as she smiles at you.

“Ha, yeah not a wink. I’m assuming you’re also a bit overwhelmed about it all too?” you ask her, as you pat the ground next to you invitingly. She hops on over to you and sets herself down, looking at the view you across the water.

“Yup. I just… team leader?” she says, wide eyed.

“Right? Like there were so many better options I feel,” you say, stammering as you realise what you were saying. “As in for me! I can’t say about you. Well, what I meant is I haven’t actually seen you fight, I’m sure you’re a good pick-” you ramble, as Ruby giggles at your attempted compliment.

“Don’t worry, I get what you meant,” she reassures. “I just don’t have a clue what I’m doing, so I don’t know why Ozpin picked me,” she continues, sighing heavily.

“You and me both. But hey,” you nudge her in the shoulder, “maybe we could trade notes, see if we can’t work out this mess together, eh?”

She stares at you, gazing in wonder with her silver eyes. “I think that’d be good,” she replies. The two of you sit in silence for a bit.

“You can see my home from here,” Ruby perks up, breaking the quiet, as she points to Vale.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Well not my actual home, my home from home,” she pauses and furrows her brow. “No, this is now my home from home… I mean my last home from home”. Seeing that you’re confused she spreads out her hands. “Signal! I mean Signal Academy!”

“Ah right! So that’s where you went before here?” you ask.

“That’s right, trained by my uncle to use my scythe there”.

“You use a scythe?” you whistle, “that’s something I haven’t seen”.

She raises an eyebrow at you. “and I’ve never seen anyone use wings”.

“Touché,” you relent, “bet you miss your friends huh? What with you being skipped two years,” your comment makes her a little sad.

“Yeah, I do. But I’ve made so many friends here at Beacon! Which is something I was not expecting to do…” she mutters the last bit and you can’t help but chuckle.

“Well you’re doing a good job so far,” you stand up and brush yourself off, reaching down to offer to help her up. Ruby accepts and you hoist her up.  She’s lighter than you thought she’d be.

“I’m going to head back, should get my lot to unpack before lessons in a few hours”. You point to your backpack. “Want a lift?” you offer.

Ruby looks excited, and almost takes you up on it, but shakes her head. “Nah, I should probably walk, that and you wouldn’t want to scare my sister…”

You nod, recalling her hair exploding in the forest yesterday. Extending your wings and giving a quick two-finger salute, you launch away.

Gently gliding to your window, you retract your wings and catch hold of the ledge, hoisting yourself up and into the room. Unlike your graceful flying, your landing was less so, as you flop onto the floor, flipping onto your back. You pull your head up and see your three teammates paused in the middle of unpacking the rest of their stuff, giving you a blank look.

“See? Toldja,” Ashley says, giving a raised eyebrow look to Carter. He raises a hand in defence, with the other holding a pile of neatly piled up clothes.

“Fair enough, but it was draughty so excuse me if I forget next time”.

“And tell me it wouldn’t be funny to see the look on his face?” Ninia chimes in. You jump to your feet and point your chin up.

“That is no way to treat your fearless leader!” you say in an exaggerated pompous tone. Ashley rolls her eyes.

“Well could you unpack your stuff already, we don’t want to be late on the first day,” she points to your remaining stuff. From there, the four of you work on settling in. It doesn’t take long to sort out. You set up all your own tool kit area in the corner, where you could fix or upgrade weapons and equipment, Ashley places a pedestal for her arm near her bed and Carter brings out a case filled with fire based dust crystals.

“It’d be no fun if I just told you?” he says to you, upon asking him what it’s about. Finally, Ninia has a dozen posters on the wall closest to her bed, comprising of bands, movies and a few other groups or things you don’t recognise. The four of you stand by the door to inspect it all. No-one shows distaste, with everyone giving nods of approval.

“This will do nicely, I think,” Ashley comments.

“Shall we take a picture? Something to look back on?” Ninia says, waving her scroll in the air. You smile and put your arms around Ash and Carter and draw them in, with a surprised sputtering from Carter. The Faunus extends her arm out, holding her other hand to her face and making a “V” shape with her fingers.

“Say… Light!” you say. As Ninia snaps the picture, you see Carter grinning, Ashley rolling her eyes but smiling all the same, you pressing your face into her shoulder with a goofy look and Ninia closest to the camera in her pose, winking at the same time. You all gathered round to look. Carter made a complaint about his hair, Ashley made a comment about how you made her look stupid and Ninia held her scroll away so no-one could try and delete it. Whereas you just stood in silence, holding in the urge to laugh at how warm the group made you feel inside. This was day one of what felt like paradise.

“Hello? Remnant to ‘fearless leader’?” Ashley waved her mechanical arm in front of your face, with Ninia snorting in the background.

“Oh, yeah?” you ask.

“Well what’s our first class?” she questions you, sounding like she was repeating herself.

“And when is it?” Carter chimes in.

“Right!” you pull out your scroll and look at the picture of the timetable you were sent a few minutes ago. “So… we have Grimm studies with Professor Port at 9 o’clock first”. Twisting your arm, you look at your watch, “and we have 20 minutes until then, how about we take a slow stroll over?”

Ashley gives you a quizzical look. “You? Walk?”

You give a shrug, “As leader I will have to be amongst the common folk sometimes,” you narrowly dodge a punch from Ash as you all make your way out of the room and to class.

You had been sat in your seats for five minutes, with only seconds before class was to begin. The professor was at the front sorting through some papers and other things at his desk whilst he waited. He was quite a pompous looking person, wearing a maroon double-breasted suit that was highlighted with gold piping and buttons. He had grey hair with a thick moustache that covered his mouth completely. Without being insensitive you would describe him as quite a large individual, but he looked very friendly. You almost didn’t see how he could be a trained hunter.

The classroom was set up with rows of gradually ascending semi-circular desks the curved around the back of the room. At the front, behind his desk, which was situated in the centre, the wall had detailed sketches of various types of Grimm on posters along the wall. Higher up, a weapon is mounted to a plaque, which you assume belongs to the Professor. It is a large blunderbuss gun with two axe blades attached to the stock.

Moments before the lesson was about to begin, both team RWBY and JNPR burst through, rushing to their seats. RWBY sat themselves in the row in front of your group and JNPR sat somewhere up near the back. Seeing that everyone is now present, the Professor stands up and take position in front of his desk. After clearing his throat, he begins class.

“Monsters! Demons! Prowlers of the night!” he starts off saying, gesturing to the images behind him. “Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Hah ha!” he lets out a guffaw of a laugh, holding a fist over his body. He seems to look for a response, but no-one says a word. “Uhh, and you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy. Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces”. The Professor has begun to pace the length of the lower desks, gesturing in exaggerating ways as he does. “And that’s where we come in. Huntsman!” he proclaims, pointing to himself. “…Huntresses!” he gives Yang a wink, which causes even you to recoil at how weird that was. He continues nonetheless. “Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves. From what you ask? Why… the very world!” raising his fist into the air, only one other student from the back gives a small cheer in response. “That is what you are training to become. But first, a story. Me!” Port begins to rant off on a tale from his youth, though you completely zone out and lean over to Carter, who is sat to your left.

“Is he actually going to teach us something?” you ask. “I was kind of hoping Grimm theory would be a bit more… practical?”

Carter shrugs. “No idea, to be honest I’ve been watching Ruby,” he points down in front of him and you can see the young student scribbling on some paper. From here you can see she’s making a crude doodle of the professor. She shows it to her team and Yang snorts, with you also chuckling a bit. Port clears his throat, clearly signalling for silence, but immediately resumes his story.

“You’ve got to admit, he’s an entertaining storyteller,” Ashley comments from your right, and you raise an eyebrow at her.

“You’ve actually been listening?”

She sticks out her tongue at you and you both return attention to the front.

“The moral of the story? A true huntsman must be honourable. A true huntsman must be dependable. A true huntsman must be strategic, well-educated and wise”. As he is saying this you notice Weiss glaring at Ruby, as she goofs, hardly paying attention to the Professor. “So, who amongst yourselves believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?” he asks the class. You notice Ashley about to raise her hand, but you hold it down.

“I think that would be a bad idea…” you say to her, as you look at a steaming Weiss.

“I do sir!” she proclaims, her hand shooting up.

“Well then, let’s find out. Step forward, and face your opponent”. Port turns to his side, not shifting in emotion as he gestures to a cage to the side of the class, that you can see two burning red eyes glaring from inside.

“Did no-one else notice that either?” you ask your friends. “Seriously, was that there the whole time?

Weiss had momentarily left the room to change back into her combat skirt, as well as now wielding her weapon. She’s standing on the opposite end of the classroom, prepared for what will emerge. From the seats, the rest of her team shout in support.

“Yeah, represent teeeam RWBY!” Ruby cheered.

Weiss drops her stance for a second and turns to her leader. “Ruby, I’m trying to focus!”

“Oh, sorry…” she replied quietly, sinking into her seat.

“Alright. Let the match, begin!” the Professor announces, as he wields his weapon, which he has taken off the plaque, and slices off the lock to the cage. Almost immediately, a boarbatusk charges out from within, making a beeline for Weiss, as it lets out a high pitch squeal. Slashing at the beast, before rolling to the side, the huntress in training eyes the Grimm, as it comes to a halt and gives her a hungry look back.

“Haha! Wasn’t expecting that were you?” Port comments from the side, hands behind his back. Staying calm, Weiss makes an attempted strike, dashing toward the creature as it makes another charge. Her strike simply reflects off its tough hide however, and it catches her blade in its tusks. She is flung into the air, as she holds on by the hilt, with her and the beats tugging back and forth.

“Bold, new approach. I like it!” you’re sure the Professor is just joking, because clearly she didn’t intend to do that.

“Come on Weiss show it who’s boss!” Ruby continues to cheer from the side. Weiss is distracted for a moment and the boarbatusk retches the blade from her grasp and flings it behind it, simultaneously knocking her onto her back.

“Oho! Now what will you do without your weapon?”

As the Grimm begins to make another charge, Weiss barely dodges to the side, causing to ram into an empty desk. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she runs across the room and reunites herself with her weapon.

“Weiss, go for its belly! There’s no armour underneath-”

“Stop telling me what to do!” Weiss yells at Ruby, glaring at her. You wince at the words. That was a little harsh on the poor girl, she was only trying to help. Meanwhile, the Grimm lets out a sound between a squeal and a roar, as it tucks into itself and begins to roll toward Weiss at an incredible speed. At the last second, she produces a glyph and it stops it dead, causing it to land on its back. Using the moment wisely, she pops another glyph above her, backflipping onto it and using it to propel herself toward the creatures exposed belly, impaling it with her blade. As it lets out a last cry, the Grimm dissolves.

“Bravo, bravo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in training,” the professor commends her. “I’m afraid that’s all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings and, stay vigilant. Class dismissed”. He gives a final firm gesture, before the class begins to slowly file out. You notice Weiss give Ruby another seething look as she leaves without her team. Everyone watches her leave, as Ruby gets up and runs after her. You nudge Ashley and nod toward them, “we should go help them out”. Your friend agrees and you both jog toward the exit.

You and Ashley round the corner as you catch up to them midway through the confrontation.

“What happened to all the about working together? I thought you believed in acting as a team?” Ruby says, her voice clearly showing she’s hurt.

“Not a team led by you. I’ve studied, and trained, and quite frankly, I deserve better,” she says bluntly, turning her back on her teammate and folding her arms. “Ozpin made a mistake”. After finishing with that, she storms off, leaving behind a defeated Ruby.

“I’ll go talk to her,” Ashley offers, to which you frown in response.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I can handle this,” she simple puts, making off after her. You place your hand on her shoulder, and are about to try and reassure her, but a voice behind you interrupts you.

“Hmm. Now that didn’t seem to go very well,” Ozpin calmly says. He looks over to you. “As much as I’m sure Miss Rose appreciates your company at this time, may I request that I talk to her in private for a moment?” he asks you.

“Um…” you pause for a moment, but see Ruby give you a nod. “Yeah sure thing Professor, I’ll be around if you need me Ruby,” you give a two-finger salute and move on, leaving the two to talk.

Ashley catches Weiss sitting at a bench on one of the open pavilions on the upper floor. She has her arms crossed and is looking over the view of the academy, though she is clearly not paying attention to the surroundings, absorbed within her own thought. Quietly walking up to her and siting down next to her, Ashley opens with a simple, “Hey”.

The heiress looks over to her, confused for a moment, but quickly shakes it off. “Hello,” she responds.

“You ok?”

“I… I just… Do you see what I’m trying to say?” Weiss asks, to which Ashley gives it thought.

“I see what you think you’re trying to say, but have you really looked at Ruby’s side?”

“She’s just a child! What could she-”

“Exactly,” Ashley calmly interrupts, not raising her voice at all. “All she’s been trying to do from the moment she’s been here is try and fit in. Like you said she’s a child, she has no idea what she’s doing yet”.

“Then why did Ozpin make her leader?”

“No clue,” Ashley shrugs, “Why is (Y/N) leader of my team? Who knows? Ozpin seems like a very wise person, so who am I to judge?”

Weiss looks like she is going to try and complain again, but Ashley places her hand on her shoulder. Not being assertive or chastising, but gentle, looking her in the eyes.

“Weiss, it’s been a few days, give her a chance,” Ashley smiles.

Taking a deep breath, the heiress stands up, noticing Professor Port is standing on the opposite end of the pavilion.

“I’m going to go talk to Port, thanks for talking,” Weiss gives Ashley a grateful look, giving no indication as to whether she’s been convinced or not, though Ash doesn’t really mind. She walks over to the Professor, as Ashley goes to leave, taking a few more seconds to watch Weiss before she does.

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! :D

@please-stop-killing-dean

[knightofbalance-13]

Re:RWBY Chapter 2 “Review”

http://archiveofourown.org/chapters/22649114

Remember that stupid little project that’s said to be a passion project but the writer out right insulted the original writing staff and blocked their only critic? Well, I’mma gonna point out every single flaw in each part of Re:RWBY for my followers. I would do this for the author but they've made it clear they don't want my opinion by blocking me so sucks to be them: I’m never directly criticizing them ever again.

So let’s begin:

The kind of view you could only get up close.

See, the reason here is that if this was said by a person, the weird dialogue here would be excused as a part of human speech pattern but since it’s narration, it sticks out like a sore thumb. What works as a character talking does NOT work as narration. It’s also a sentence fragement that, again, only works with casual dialogue, NOT narration.

That guy’s got a flaming staff!

See, this normally wouldn’t be a problem...but the author directly took an almost exact line from the original and decried it. So apparently they’re allowed to get away with this but the original writing staff isn’t. Hypocrisy people: it kills the enjoyment of a story. Also, the lack of a chibi Ruby makes this scene

“Just weapons?” she exclaimed in disbelief, “They’re an extension of ourselves! They’re part of our very being, and they’re really cool!”

See, this is a problem with the written style of Re:RWBY: What works in the original show does not always translate well to written form directly. This line is emphasized by the sheer emotion and speech that Ruby shows in the original. Here, it loses the charm. You’d need to be way more description to make this funny or charming.

That’s pretty deep of you.” Yang remarked with a smile. She had heard this a hundred times before.

Why is Yang saying it’s deep of her if she’s heard it so many times? had you said that Yang rolled her eyes and then smiled then it would show exhaustion on her end and thus be funny but now it’s just boring and awkward.

“Like you’re always up in people's’ faces, and Ember Celica’s all about aggression! And then you know, Dad’s not very confrontational so he’s got his whole thing, and me, well…”

Mind telling us about how Ember Celica is all about aggression because you didn’t write the trailers so for all we know, Ember Celcia is all about defense. I know that’s nitpicky but if they’re not going to be fair, I see no reason to be myself.

Also, rwde posters criticized miles for being vague...so this person just decides to be as vague as possible with Taiyang’s weapon. Yeah, even though I love Taiyang to death, that will not save this person from my knife.

“Are completely over-the-top and rip off your heroes?”

Yang’s brutal but that was just uncalled for, aswell as rather OOC for her. Goody, this writer can’t keep an already established character consistant, something any fanfic author worth their weight in ink learns day 1.

“Hey!” she said defiantly, “I love Crescent Rose for what she is, I just happen to appreciate certain amazing weapons as a base.” “So, you copied Uncle Qrow’s gimmick.” “Shh!” she hushed Yang with a pout. It didn’t exactly help that she hit the nail on the head with that comment. “I just love seeing new weapons, okay? It’s a lot like meeting new people, only better.”

Yeah, see the scene in the original worked better as it flowed faster into Ruby’s social awkwardness and made her more adorable. We also say Runy looking away from Yang, emphasizing this. Here, this is not the case.

“Actually, my friends are here. I should really catch up. You’ll do great! Just wander around and find some people! I’ll see you soon!” Yang sprinted off towards the older students who had arrived together with peers their own age. “But Yang!” “Bye!” she shouted, and melded into her circle of friends. It left Ruby rather dejected.

yeah, again this fails because Yang was talking really fast, zooming around with shadow people as friends and zooming away really quickly, leaving Ruby visibly dazed and confused with really wacky music playing in the background. All of these factors catch the viewer by surprise and thus make it funny. Here, it’s dull, flat and emotionless. And yes, it is possible to translate this to writing. Easily. Watch.

“Actually...” Yang drawled out, fiddling with her hair. All of a sudden, several people zoomed out of seemingly nowhere, the force of the movement sending Ruby into a spin, making her resemble a black and red top.

“Myfriendsarealreadyhere, Ishouldcatchupwiththem.You’lldogreat,wanderaroundandmeetsomepeopel. ‘kaybye!’ Yang rattled off quickly, zipping away so fast all she could make out was the dark sillouhtte of Yang’s friends, leaving her older sisters words to rattle around the poor girl’s skull as she desperately tried to get the world to stop spinning

“But Yang!-” She cried out, her rotations pettering out much like her hopes for the day

See? I managed to do it, keep it closer to the original and keep it funny. And it took me about thirty seconds. Not hard, at all.

“Where are we even supposed to go…?” she wondered aloud in a hushed whine. Did she have to worry about dorms? Did the school even have dorms? Well of course they had to, otherwise where would they live? She still had no idea where to find them or who to report to for a room key or even the names of anyone else in the huge place! “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Yeah, this was much funnier in the original as ruby said all of these in a paniced squeak, not a hushed whine. Also, the middle part was said not narrated, adding to the hilarity. Narration should only be used as an addition, NOT a substitute.

“This is Dust! It’s all Dust! Mined and purified straight from the finest Schnee quarries! Do you even know what the market price is for a mere ounce of this?” Little did she realize the powder spilled into the air with each reckless movement. “Uuhhhh…” Ruby sniffled. "What are you, brain-dead?" She slammed the case she held shut and dropped it back on the luggage cart. “Dust! Only the best Dust there is! You’re not gonna find a better producer on the planet and you’re out here knocking it around!” "Right, I... I know..." Ruby coughed and pulled her sleeve over her nose. “Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Ah see here, the thing is this dialogue paints Weiss as your stereotypical rich girl and while she did have a few shades of it in the original, it was only her attitude that was this, not her dialogue hinting that there is more to her. So in essence: Weiss’ first lines are OOC.

Ruby, who had received enough Dust to the face by that point, finally sneezed one of the greatest sneezes of her life. The force of it blew the volatile Dust particles right back at the girl, where they ignited in a large but otherwise harmless explosion. It left her flawless white dress and fair skin covered in black soot. She began to dust it off and barely contained her rage.

Thing is: There are times to take liberty with the source material and thus you could have said that it created a crater ike it was intended in the original. But by sticking to it (for once) you’ve limited your self and contradicted your writing (”large but otherwise harmless?” me thinks this person doesn’t understand how explosions work.)

“Heiress. It’s heiress, actually,” announced a voice from afar. Both girls turned to see a dark-skinned young woman walk towards them. Silky black hair bounced with each step along with an oversized bow atop her head. “Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company” she said plainly. “Finally,” Weiss smiled smugly, “some recognition!” “One of the largest Dust producers in the world, hailing all the way from Atlas.” “Precisely.” The new girl shrugged and closed her eyes nonchalantly. “The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners, not to mention the dangerous implications of a Dust monopoly on the world economy.” "Wha- How dare you- The nerve of... Ugh!”

One : Blake was pissed off in her second line, drawing a connectionto her disdain for Weiss. Now it seems like she’s just stating facts.

Two: They put the fuming after this but she starts getting angry immediately and thus should have been connected to the last line. This is basic writing technique and the author fucked it all up.

Weiss began to fume, which made Ruby chuckle. The black-haired girl offered her hand, when her tights-covered legs came into view, Ruby took it, hoisted to her feet by some hefty upper body strength. In contrast to Weiss, Blake boasted incredible height, and in contrast to Yang, all of her muscle came in toned, smooth arms.

That’s a pretty damn sexual description of Blake for an asexual like Ruby who is confirmed to not think about sex. Great, OOC and forced lesbianism. Wonderful. Would have worked if this were an AU but nope, this is meant to be a novelixation of RWBY so this is a problem. Also, “The black-haired girl offered her hand, when her tights-covered legs came into view, Ruby took it, hoisted to her feet by some hefty upper body strength” ? Couldn’t just leave out the comma? The line feels clumsy and awkward and unlike the writing staff of RWBY (specifically Miles) who was just starting out on the show, the author boasts being a better writer...despite amateur screw ups that my thirteen self would cringe at.

The rich girl scowled and snapped her fingers. A couple of servants came and collected the suitcases on the ground. She walked alongside her luggage cart as her servants rolled it off, but her thousand-yard grouchy stare stuck to the black-clad girl the whole time.

Problem: Weiss is never seen with any servants at Beacon and never mentions anything and wants to distance herself from her father. So this is still pretty damn OOC for her.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" Ruby yelled after Weiss. With all said and done, she really did not want to make any enemies. “And thanks for the backup,” she said to the other girl, “guess I’m not the only one having a rough first day…” She turned to what she hoped could flourish into a new friend. “I’m Ruby! What’s your name?” “Oh, uh” she seemed taken aback by the question. “I’m-” “Hey! What did Sneezy get herself into over here?”

yeah, Blake walked awaynin the original encounter which left Ruby alone, making Jaune’s reach out to her all the more noticeable and making an immediate bond with her. But seeing as the author barely tolerates him, I guess I should be thankful they didn’ t ax him immediately.

Also: Sneezy? Nowhere near as funny as “Crater Face” which due to length and size is a clear parallel to “Vomit Boy” and also I assume this is a reference to Sneezy from Snow White? Yeah, wrong character: Ruby’s red Riding Hood so the reference is a screw up.

“Do they?” Asked the black-haired girl rather flatly. She put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow. Ruby noticed a black ribbon wrapped up her forearm.

Blake go away! You’re intruding on the best damn relationship in the show! And no I don’t mean romatically but Ruby and Jaune always had this bond with each other that made them really click as they share so much. This also helped Ruby gain some points as jaune is the Audience Surrogate and thus we feel closer to her.

Now it’s just Blake...and Ruby’s delivery with her higher voice is funnier.

“Woah! What’s that?” Ruby interjected again as she spotted what that ribbon attached to; a black rectangular sheath with a sharpened edge strapped to the back of the girl’s waist. “Is that your weapon?” “It’s, uh…” “Is it a gun? A sword? A gun-sword?!” “It’s more of a-” “And is the sheath a sword too? Wow! And that ribbon ties it all together. Is it elastic or something so you can slingshot it around?” “I’d rather just-” “You know,” Jaune cut in, “I have a weapon too.” “Don’t we all?” Ruby asked, and grabbed Crescent Rose from behind her back. She transformed it immediately and slammed the tip of the blade into the ground for balance. The gears and machinations at the base of the curved blade, as well as the Dust cartridge loaded up to the barrel made it impressive for reasons more than its size.

I am bored as shit right now. The gag of Blake trying to introduce herself is not funny, the two with real chemistry aren’t interacting and my patience is nearing it’s end!

“Is that a giant scythe?” Jaune asked, intimidated. “It’s also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle.” “A…. a what?” “It’s also a gun.” The black-haired girl clarified. Ruby cocked the rifle’s slide to agree. Despite Ruby’s enthusiastic smile, the other girl hardly seemed as dazzled as Jaune. “Isn’t something like that a little dangerous for someone of your…stature?”

Ruined the line. The author ruined one of the most iconic lines in the series. There’s nowhere enough description for the voices to be funny, nowhere near enough build up of awkwardness to come out of nowhere, Blake bogs the scene down and the gun cock comes before the line. All of this makes it dull. The author made RWBY dull!

“Sounds like more of an heirloom to me,” Ruby chuckled. “Well, I like it. Not everyone has an appreciation for the classics. How about you, friend-” To her surprise, the black-haired girl had vanished while they conversed over Jaune’s sword. Not a trace left.

Not enough build up to be funny, don’t know enough of Blake to be meaningful thus she was completely superfluous. Blake was completely pointless, what was her poi-

“Shows concern and then runs off without warning,” Ruby mumbled, “she’d get along great with Yang. Didn’t even get her name!”

Ah, I see. A build up to a dumb joke and not even a good dumb joke and forced Bumbleby ship tease. Great.

"Hmm." Ruby looked around as students dispersed. "Hey, do you know where we’re supposed to go?” "Oh, I don't know! I was following you. Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark?” Ruby giggled at the thought of them as two new students completely lost with zero help. Of course her day would end up like this and things would go disastrously badly! “Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?" "Heheh, hah…That's a 'no.'"

Joke falls flat because they haven’t moved a god damn inch, not enough description to be funny anyway and “disastrously badly” ? Really? Two adverbs in a row in narration?! Well, at least it ends as it started: Bad.

I mean it: This is on of the worse novelization of a series I have ever seen and I happen to be a fan of the concept. Not enough description to match the vibrancy of the original, chops up lines and characters until they kill scenes and OOC out the butt. If this is what critics of RWBY think it should be then I’m starting to think that RWBY critics are totally wrong after all. Especially if they are arrogant enough to think THIS is even close to equal to RWBY, let alone above it.

*Holds up a copy of Re:RWBY Chapter 2* Only one thing to do left. *Flings it the air, causing the pages to float down*

SILVER CHARIOT, CUT THIS SHIT TO PIECES *Silver Chariot appears and slashes and stabs all the pages with speed and precision befitting the Stand of Victory. The pages are quickly cut into pieces, then into fragements then into shreds and so on until the chapter is cut beyond repair*

[patlamismisirkutusu-blog]

Atlas Shrugged: Part 2 (2012)

patlamismisirkutusu.com