60 Tying up Loose Ends: Leonardo Lionheart

In a room constructed in wood, filled with intricate carvings, sitting on the edge right on the opposite end of the room, was a man pacing in front of his desk frantically.

This man was Leonard Lionheart, a man considered by many to a brave and loyal to his friends and the students he managed. He was swift in the manner of him taking care of his precious huntsman and huntresses.

Of course, this wasn't any bit true.

By swift, he meant swift in leading his students to their deaths. By loyal, he meant loyal to anyone strong enough to kill him. (Making sure to change sides faster than Italy in both wars.) By brave, he meant being brave running in the other direction.

He was one of the other close friends Ozpin has in his inner circle. When Salem managed to scare him enough, he was coerced into switching sides. He had served her for a while now. His recent action was sending Cinder and her cronies to infiltrate Beacon.

Though, he was supposed to return the message of Cinder which was very much a big delay. He was nervous, no not nervous, terrified. Salem was not one to trifle with and Leonardo knew that.

The breach was planned a day ago yet Cinder, usually, one to report immediately was not contacting him nor was the news showing any kind of breach. There was news on the White Fang having a supposed new leader but he didn't care about that.

His voice shook as he panicked. "What am I going to do? What am I going to do? How do I explain to her where Cinder is?!"

A Grimm Seer nearby calls for his attention, a chill is felt up Leonardo's spine. It was time to break the news, hopefully, he wouldn't get killed after saying that he doesn't know where Cinder was or what her plans are going forward.

"Leonardo... how is my favorite headmaster doing?"

"Good... No, Great! Very... Excellent." He stutters out.

"Hmm... Is that so? Well, if it is so excellent to you, then perhaps it's time for you to report on why one of my close subordinates that you sent to Beacon has not been communicating with me lately. I recall very recently that you promised to report on her actions since it was you who were confident in your ability to trick Beacon's headmaster."

Leonardo froze, he thought of lying and pinning everything on Cinder but it wouldn't work. If he says Cinder got captured or worse killed. He would be having his corpse to the birds, it was his responsibility for sending out Cinder as a disguise.

"There... has been hiccups with communicating with the CCT. Knowing Cinder, she would've already sent someone to talk personally. If she is caught I can talk to Oz about it."

Silence took its time in the conversation before a change in tone from Salem showed Leonardo that he may have signed his one-way trip to the morgue.

"That's odd. Cinder has sent me one 3 days ago, detailing that her plans were only a day before the execution. So, if she was going to follow through with what I have said, then why is it that nothing has been done, Leonardo Lionheart."

"I can ask Ozpin. He can't hide it from me even if he has discovered Cinder and her group-"

The barbs on the Seer whip out and strike Leonardo's neck. He grunts and stumbles to the ground as the barbed tentacles wrapped around his neck, his aura prevented the full suffocation but he could feel the pressure mounting as he gets dragged to a kneel.

"Let me remind you, Leonardo. I know your craven attitude, see to it that you do not do the same traitorous actions against me. Watch where you tread."

The Seer lets off their grip and left a scared and desperate Leonardo on the ground still groveling.

He lets himself up and sits on the chair with both hands grasping his temples. He was beyond stressed, almost like he was sitting on a bomb stuck constantly beeping.

"I should talk to Oz. No, I need to visit him myself." he determined.

A knock on the door arrived, and the sound of rigorous thumps made its way into his mind. He relaxes, thinking it was a student. Such kind of thing wasn't unusual and could occur at any moment. He has done this before and will do so again, all to hide his colluding with Salem.

"Hello? Headmaster Lionheart?" a female voice echoed.

"Yes? What's the problem?" Leonardo asked behind the door.

"Someone wants to meet you, he says it's urgent news from Beacon."

Leonardo thought it himself. 'Who would say that? Is it Cinder? Maybe Ozpin's...'

He shakes his head. "Let them in. I'll be waiting here."

He heard footsteps walking away from the door. He shuffled in his seat, uncomfortable not at the chair but at who could be coming through that door.

Later, two pairs of footsteps came from the hallway connecting his office to the outside world. A knock came again and the previous female voice announced, "He's here."

Another voice finally revealed itself, a boy's voice instead. "Leave us. It is a private matter."

Leonardo watched as the door slowly opened. His eyes were wide open and his heartbeat spiked and dropped rapidly as he saw who was on the other side of his desk.

Those same gray eyes and hair that Leonardo knew who it was. One of the subordinates she has taken for herself was standing in front of Leonardo.

"Excuse me, sir, I can't help but notice but there seems to be a problem with your curriculum."

Leonardo Lionheart was confused, "What? Stop spouting nonsense and tell me how Cinder is doing. Salem is not satisfied and if you don't report to me Cinder's actions we'll both have our neck strung up high."

Mercury blatantly ignores him and sarcastically asks Leonardo, "Cinder? Puhh! I don't know who that is. Anyways I need to ask why we have a lesson in public speaking."

"What?! Have you gone crazy? Perhaps Emerald was right in reporting your crazed obsession with patterns on the ground. Salem is furious, why hasn't your plan on breaching Vale and destroying Beacon not been progressing? Nothing is on the news and Salem is getting impatient in waiting."

Mercury walks around while shrugging his shoulders. "What do you mean?"

Leonardo Lionheart needed to save the situation and didn't want to deal with whatever Mercury was smoking. "I'll contact Ozpin, I need you to get back to Beacon."

Mercury smiled while turning his back to Leonardo. "Now why would I do that?"

"I suspect we've been compromised."

Mercury laughed on the inside before facing Leonardo. If only Leonardo knew what was going on. "Of course, Leonardo. Compromised."

Leonardo was starting to suspect something off about how Mercury was acting. "That said, why are you here?"

"Just here to personally relay everything, Cinder doesn't actually trust you too much you know? I needed to confirm you were on our side still after a minor change in plans." Mercury answered.

Leonardo relaxed. 'So that's why he was acting odd.' He stood up and prepared his scroll and placed it on his table. "Go, I need to contact Ozpin."

"Not so fast, Leonardo." Mercury brings out his own scroll and a single symbol is shown. It was in the shape of a microphone that showed that Mercury was recording the conversation the whole time. Leonardo stood shocked at what the action meant.

Mercury had betrayed them.

"Do you not value your life?! Salem is unstoppable! Would you really work for Ozpin and risk your life?!"

Mercury chuckled. "Ozpin is a quack! You know very well that Salem intends to do the worst on Remnant. I may be an assassin but destroying the world ain't exactly the best job description I would happily join in. A New Order will be the ultimate victor, not this pointless feud the two have been waging."

"What…"

Suddenly, what sounded like screams and engines blaring around the academy sounded. Leonardo looked suspiciously at Mercury who was gesturing for him to check.

Leonard switch his display to viewing the cameras and could see hundreds of men breaching inside the school while his students stepped away from the group of soldiers.

A pair of studenrs tried to stand in front of a soldier to stop him before the soldier pulled a grenade and tossed it at the floor. Gas started to rapidly spread and the student nearby was left unmoving on the ground.

Leonardo was done for, the Wehrmacht was poised to strike and enacted their attack the moment the signal was given by Mercury reached them. It was inevitable.

The headmaster brings out his weapon and tries to retaliate but Mercury expected it and leaped out of the way. After Leonardo recovers from his swing he observes a single cylindrical object on the ground.

Leonardo looks up to Mercury smirking with a pin on his finger and a mask prepared beforehand now on his face. Gas puffed out and the room was covered in the paralyzing agent.

He felt his body go numb as he falls to the ground. "Do you really think Salem wouldn't notice this? She will get her revenge and tear you apart!" he screams out.

Mercury gets closer to look at the incapacitated headmaster on the floor.

"Oh, Leonardo." Mercury crouches down. "I'm not usually one to monologue but here's the thing; what Hanns has planned convinced me that Remnant itself will undergo a major shift. You gotta ask yourself this, Salem is only but one person with glorified elemental manipulation that can already be provided with current technology." (Kinda disappointed with magic in RWBY, to be honest.)

Mercury stands back up and goes for the door. "Even if Salem has an army of grimm, it's been proven to me with my own eyes that Hanns has a higher form of power that can do better than lighting stuff on fire without dust or some other gimmick. I feel bad for Salem honestly, the only step left is for us to control Atlas."

Leonardo was questioning everything he was hearing, 'Had Mercury been telling the truth?' He thought to himself. "Atlas?"

"A certain CEO is up for the chopping block. Atlas itself will change leaders too, soon enough." Mercury ominously commented.

An aggressive knocking sound on the door made Mercury open it wide. The dozens of armed men were now surrounding and taking anything useful in Leonardo's office that could incriminate him.

A lieutenant walks over to the room and reaches out to Mercury. He takes away the recording from the scroll and nods.

"See, I did my job well. Can you put a good word to Hanns that I can be trusted now?" Mercury asks.

The lieutenant nods, "He will be appreciative of it. I'm sure he would give you another chance to stay now. Though won't you do the same for your partner?"

Mercury sighs out. "Emerald is great and all but she is still hung up on Cinder. I'm not cold-hearted but she needs to realize that the battle will soon change. Salem can flaunt her immortality and magic all she wants but when even her grimm are struggling to take territory, then I know I picked the right side."

The lieutenant proceeds in capturing Leonardo as Mercury stares at the unmoving body of Leonardo. 'I hope what the leader says is true. That there is a way to defeat Salem and use her immortality against her.'