66

Chapter 66:

"Ruby!" Penny Polendina exclaimed, throwing herself at her friend, who had already been getting to her feet.

Unfortunately, the weight of Penny's android body was too much for Ruby, in her current state of balance, and Ruby was completely knocked over by Penny's enthusiastic tackle, and found herself being crushed beneath Penny's metal frame.

"Whyyyyyy?" groaned Ruby.

"Long time, no see," said Yang, grinning brilliantly at the sight of their friend. "Where have you been?"

"With my team," declared Penny proudly, shifting her weight enough to lessen the burden on Ruby, who let out a long sigh of relief.

"Ooookay," said Yang, throwing a dubious look at the other two girls who'd arrived with Penny.

They were a study in contrasts. The girl who'd been just behind Penny looked on with an impassive expression. Her skin was a dark, tanned color. She surveyed the scene with a pair of blue eyes, and sported a head of navy-blue hair. Her hair was short, reaching down to just below her chin at its longest. Like Ruby, her hair was styled to be asymmetrical to one side, on the left in her case.

She was dressed in a short-sleeved, white, button-down shirt, which was tucked into a sky-blue skirt. Her arms were covered by long, black, fingerless gloves that ran up past her elbows, leaving only a small portion of skin showing between the ends of the gloves and her sleeves. Her legs were covered by white leggings, which were closed with gold buttons, with black shoes over her feet. Her head was covered by a beret, which matched the color of her skirt perfectly. Her forehead was decorated by a small, yellow mark, shaped almost like a starburst.

By and large, her posture was incredibly rigid. She stood straight up, exuding an almost military bearing.

"Ma'am, please remember that we only have two hours of time allotted to this," she said, her voice completely calm and neutral, bordering on robotic. "We have already spent more than fifteen minutes in transit. We should finish this as expediently as possible."

"Aww, come off it," said the other girl. "You know we're on exchange now, right? We get to go by Beacon's rules."

Ruby's gaze shifted to take in the other girl. Her long, black hair was styled into a pair of corkscrewing twin-tails, which ended just above her waist. Her complexion was much lighter than her companion's, almost as pale as Weiss actually. Her pink eyes augmented the playful expression on her face. She was considerably taller than Penny and the dark-skinned girl, with impressively long legs and arms, which were just short of looking too long on her. They were surprisingly thin, almost scrawny even.

Rather than a dress of any kind, this girl was dressed in a white, long-sleeved, button-down shirt, over which she wore a black, sleeveless vest. Her legs were covered by slightly loose, black pants, with what looked like black dress shoes on her feet. The long, delicate-looking fingers of her hands were covered by white gloves. The shirt hugged her outline fairly well, with the girl's figure indicating a rather modest bust.

While Ruby was dragging herself out from under Penny, Weiss had gotten up and marched over to stand before the two girls.

"Ms. Schnee," said the dark-skinned girl, her tone flat and devoid of intonation of any kind.

"Soleil," Weiss replied, her voice just as devoid of inflection.

"Huh?" Ruby cocked her head to one side, unsure of what was going on here. Weiss and the other girl's voices indicated that they weren't friendly with one another, but there was nothing negative either. They greeted one another with an utter lack of any kind of emotion.

"Hey, Boss-Lady," said the peppy girl, grinning past Soleil's shoulder.

"I'm not your boss," said Weiss, letting out a small sigh.

"Yeah, but my dad works for your dad, so that kinda means that he'll be working for you someday," said the peppy girl, "right?"

"I will be taking over the company," said Weiss. "But that does not mean I will be your boss, unless you choose to join your father...and I'm not in charge yet."

"Eh, details, details," replied the other girl dismissively, waving an idle hand.

Getting up, after escaping Penny's full-body press, Ruby came to stand behind Weiss. "You know these people?" asked Ruby.

Weiss nodded. "Ruby, this is Ciel Soleil," she said, gesturing to the dark-skinned girl. "And this is Piper Cerny." She gestured to the peppy girl.

"Nice to meetcha," said Piper cheerfully, before pausing and rolling up her eyes thoughtfully. "Hey! Wait a second! Why is the Boss-Lady introducing us? Penny, you've gotta introduce your teammates, you know."

"Right," said Penny, shooting to her feet with a giggle, and saluting playfully. "Ruby, these are my teammates, Ciel and Piper."

Piper gave Penny a deadpan look. "Little late now," she groused.

Ciel's expression didn't flicker an iota through the whole exchange. "We should get on with this," she said. "We've wasted another two minutes."

Piper sighed, leaning on Ciel's shoulder. "Geez, you've gotta loosen up, Ciel."

"In any case, let's begin making our selections," said Ciel, walking away, without bothering to shrug off Piper's arm. Her departure was so smooth, yet so sudden, that Piper was left looking as though she was leaning on thin air for a second, before she abruptly let out a surprised cry and flailed her arms to recover her balance. Then, with a sigh, Piper went to join Ciel at the rack to look through the available dresses. Penny gave Ruby another wave, before going to do the same.

"Wow," said Nora, looking after them, "they're kinda weird."

"You're one to talk," said Blake, Yang, and Weiss in unison, while Ruby giggled.

"Sounds like you have a history with those two," said Yang, as Weiss rejoined her on the bench.

"Well...history...is a bit much," said Weiss.

"Good, bad, what?" prodded Yang.

"Neither," said Weiss. "I barely know them at all. I've seen Ciel at a few galas that Father has hosted. She comes from a distinguished military family."

"She seemed a bit...uh..." Ruby struggled to find the words.

"Uptight," suggested Blake.

Weiss rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Ciel Soleil is as precise and timely as an Atlesian-made atomic clock...and about half as charming. Granted, at the very least, she's never approached me with ulterior motives...or any motive at all, for that matter."

"Huh..." mused Ruby, glancing over at the dark-skinned girl, who was staring at a dress that Piper was holding up for her.

Weiss recalled a few of her run-ins with Ciel, if they could really be called that. She knew that Ciel, and her family, attended those galas largely at the behest of Ironwood, for whatever reason. If there was one genuinely positive thing Weiss could say about Ciel, it was that her disinterest in pretty much everything social also extended to the self-serving and backbiting tendencies that most of the other girls who moved in her circles possessed. Ciel rarely offered her more than a greeting at those galas, before moving off and doing something else.

"And the other one?" asked Blake, glancing at Piper.

"Piper Cerny is...well..." Weiss shrugged. "I don't know her very well either. I've encountered her at our primary development facility from time to time. Her father is one of our Research and Development chiefs. From what I've heard, she has a fairly impressive intellect. It's a surprise to see that she went into Atlas Academy."

"She seems cool, at least," said Yang.

"I suppose," said Weiss, thinking back to her brief meetings with Piper before. She remembered Piper being a bit more reserved back then. Of course, it might have been because she was interacting with Weiss within the context of the Weiss being the daughter of the man who employed Piper's father. Piper could have easily been afraid of offending her back then, worried that any such offense could lead to the loss of her father's job...which made it a little jarring that she was now casually referring to Weiss as "Boss-Lady," and showing off a much more easygoing manner.

Piper quickly ushered Penny into one of the dressing rooms, after picking out a dress for her to try. Then she came over and dropped down onto a nearby bench, kicking her legs out. "So...bit of a surprise to run into you here, Boss-Lady."

"Likewise," said Weiss, glancing over to see Ciel still examining dresses. Then she turned her gaze back to Piper. "And please don't call me that."

"Is Weiss okay?" asked Piper.

"It's fine," said Weiss.

"You gonna tell Ciel to call you that too?" asked Piper playfully. "Or are you gonna let her stick with that stuffy 'Ms. Schnee' moniker?"

"I'd just as soon do something more productive with my time," retorted Weiss, "such as asking a river to run backwards, or a rock to not roll downhill."

Piper chortled at that.

"In any case, I'm surprised to see you here too," Weiss added. "I thought you were going to go into a technical school, considering your interests."

"Never planned to," said Piper, flashing a toothy grin. "Pops wanted me to, but I've always wanted to be a Huntress...Weapons are the coolest!"

"You can say that again," said Ruby, smiling widely, excited at the thought that she'd met a fellow enthusiast.

Piper ran her eyes over the group, taking them all in. "So, you girls are the ones that Penny hooked up with, a few weeks back."

"She told you about us?" asked Yang.

"Nope," said Piper, her expression falling slightly. "Had to get it second-hand." She let out a disappointed sigh. "I don't know what his deal is, but Ironwood hardly ever lets the poor girl out. I don't even see her in any of our classes."

"Ms. Penny is an important personage," declared Ciel, walking over stiffly to join them. "Her safety and wellbeing are General Ironwood's top priority."

So I'm guessing they don't know, thought Ruby, glancing between the two other girls. From the sound of things, they had no idea that Penny was an android. If that was the case, she could understand why Ironwood was keeping interactions to a minimum.

"Still think it's weird," grumbled Piper. "If a girl's on a team, she should be on a team, not...adjacent to it. You know what I mean?"

"I think so," said Weiss.

"Oh well, no point in arguing with the General over it," said Piper in a voice laden with resignation. "So why don't you introduce your friends to us, Weiss?"

"All right," said Weiss. She gestured to Pyrrha. "This is Pyrrha Nikos, my partner."

"Hello there," said Pyrrha politely. Truth be told, she probably needed no introduction, but it was polite at least.

"Wow! You got Pyrrha as a partner," said Piper, her eyes widening. "Lucky you."

Pyrrha blushed furiously and averted her eyes.

"And this is Ruby Rose," added Weiss, gesturing to Ruby, "our leader."

"Hi," chirped Ruby.

Piper looked at Ruby, then blinked, then gasped. "Oh! Wait! I remember you. You were the one who fought Nikos to a draw!"

"Uh..." Ruby's cheeks heated up and she averted her eyes as well.

"Dang! No wonder you're the team leader," observed Piper with a grin.

"It is quite an accomplishment," agreed Ciel.

"Now it's official," said Piper proudly. "You got Ciel to compliment you. Now that's an accomplishment."

Ruby's blush merely spread.

"What about the rest of them?" asked Piper, moving on with surprising abruptness.

"This is Yang Xiao Long, Nora Valkyrie, and Blake Belladonna," said Weiss, gesturing to the other three girls. "They're from Team Rainbow, our sister-team."

"Sister-team, huh?" Piper raised an eyebrow.

"We ended up all working together during the initiation," explained Ruby.

"Plus, Yang is Ruby's actual sister," added Nora.

"Wait! How does that-?" Piper began to question, before remembering what she'd heard about Ruby. "Oh...right...Grade-skipper."

"Pretty weird how that worked out," said Nora, prompting a nod from Blake.

Piper mulled it over for a moment. "So I'm guessing the other two are boys."

"Yep," said Ruby. "We have Jaune on our team, and Ren's the leader of Team Rainbow."

"Huh, I guess that means Rain's meeting with them," said Piper, casting her eyes at a wall that separated them from the other set of changing rooms, which were currently being used by the boys.

Weiss jolted, throwing a surprised look at Piper. "What!? Rain's on your team?" She froze for a second. "Wait! Rain's training to be a Huntsman?"

"Who's Rain?" asked Ruby.

"He's..." Weiss paused, before looking down, seeming a bit confused about how to frame it. "...a boy I know."

"Oooh...An old flame?" Yang wanted to know.

"Hardly," scoffed Weiss, before sighing, "though not for a lack of trying on his father's part."

"What's that mean?" asked Nora.

"He was one of your suitors?" inquired Pyrrha, getting an idea of what Weiss was getting at.

"Of a sort," said Weiss. "Granted, it was largely against his will, so I don't hold it against him, particularly because he never tried to really make an effort at it."

"His family is seriously old-money," explained Piper. "Apparently, they come from one of those old noble lineages from back when the Kingdoms were actual kingdoms. I guess they use marriages as a way to keep their capital from running out...which was why his dad tried to set him up with Weiss."

Weiss nodded. Given her position as the present heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, she'd had no shortage of suitors, whether they were advanced by their own families, or introduced by her own father; people who either sought to marry her in order to get access to the Schnee Family's wealth and power, or people her father considered marrying her to, because they had something her father thought would strengthen the company.

Of all of them, Rain was one of the extreme few Weiss had actually come away with a positive impression of, mainly by virtue of his lack of interest in going along with his father's desire to court her. He'd been frank and polite about his reasons for approaching her, and allowed her to turn him down with minimal fuss, something Weiss respected him for.

However, given the nature of his family, she was even more surprised to learn that he'd gone into Huntsman training, even more than Piper's decision surprised her.

Piper developed a sly grin. "Of course, you definitely don't have to worry about him courting you now, Weiss. After all, our boy is head over heels for Ciel."

All eyes went to Ciel, who...didn't react at all, merely checking the glowing, blue screen of her wristwatch, before glancing at the dressing room Penny was using. After a moment, she seemed to actually realize she was being stared at. "Yes?"

"Uh...I take it you're not interested," said Yang.

"It's immaterial to the current situation," said Ciel. "And it is true that Rain has expressed in interest in courting me. I had nothing to add."

"Did he ask you to the dance?" asked Ruby.

"He did," replied Ciel.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"And...?" prodded Nora, leaning forward.

"And...what?" Ciel wanted to know.

"Did you say yes?" pressed Yang.

"I did," said Ciel without hesitation.

Everyone stared at her for a little longer, prompting her to ask, "What?"

"I'm beginning to get what you mean about her, Weiss," said Yang, leaning over to whisper into Weiss ear. Weiss could only nod in response.

"Eh, she's just like that," said Piper with a shrug. "Teasing her's no fun at all."

"Do you like him?" asked Ruby.

"I appreciate Rain's skills as my comrade," said Ciel. "He also shows an admirable degree of restraint, and appreciates the boundaries I have set, so his feelings have not become...overbearing."

"Uh...translation?" said Pyrrha, everyone looking to Piper.

"Basically, Rain's good at his job, is pretty dang nice and patient, and totally cool with going at Ciel's pace," said Piper. "Sorry, this girl totally partitions her life. So there's no room for romance, when there's work or studying to be done. Luckily, Rain gets that, and takes it in stride; a pretty upstanding guy all around."

"Sounds like a winner," said Yang.

"Given that we are currently occupied with our studies and training, I do not wish to be distracted by romantic matters," said Ciel. "However, I do not find the idea of a relationship with him objectionable."

Penny's the android, but Ciel is way more like a robot, thought Ruby wryly.

"I'm surprised that he even decided to become a Huntsman," added Weiss.

"Actually, he's a bit like me." explained Piper. "It's what he's always wanted to do. His dad wasn't very happy about it. But Rain managed to get training, and made it into Atlas easy." Her grin widened. "It helps that his weapon is totally awesome!"

Now I wanna see their weapons, thought Ruby eagerly.

They chatted some more, though all talking came to a halt when Ashley emerged from her dressing room. The dress she had tried, at Weiss' instigation, was a leaf-green sleeveless number, with a rather tight-fitting miniskirt that was slightly ruffled, with her bushy tail extending from the gap that had been provided at the back of the dress, a feature deliberately incorporated for a faunus, the main reason that Coco had recommended this particular establishment to Weiss and her friends.

Ashley blushed, shifting nervously before her assembled friends, as well as the newcomers from Atlas. She'd actually hesitated a good few minutes, after she'd finished dressing up, a bit nervous at showing herself in front of these strangers. But after hearing Ruby and the others chatting easily with them, she emerged in her new outfit to the vocal appreciation of her friends.

"That looks great on you, Ash," said Yang, before glancing sidelong at Weiss. "Still, I was expecting something...I don't know...poofier...for the skirt."

"That wouldn't work at all," said Weiss. "We don't want to break up her outline too much. A wider skirt would clash with her tail."

Blake, who'd been mostly silent through the session, raised an impressed eyebrow, amazed that Weiss would tailor her expectations to choose a dress that would show a person's faunus traits to their advantage.

Ashley, of course, needed to be introduced to Penny's team...twice, after Penny exited the dressing room in her first outfit. Then her circumstances needed to be explained to the Atlesian team, which drew a shocked response, particularly from Piper and (impressively) Ciel, upon learning that Ruby had faced off against Adam twice, and won both times. For the time being, Ruby and her friends left out the part where they suspected that someone at Beacon was working for the White Fang, and still gunning for Ashley. What they did say at least mollified Ciel, who had been troubled by the idea of a civilian running around on the grounds of a Huntsman Academy.

"That's a pretty crazy story," said Piper, staring at Ruby with wide eyes. "So...not only Nikos, but Taurus too. Damn! Color me seriously impressed. That guy's messed up pro Huntsmen pretty badly."

"Killed some," added Ciel.

"Yeah, but Ruby is just that awesome," said Yang proudly, while Ruby blushed and looked down.

"It helps that Ruby is especially skilled at learning how to read an opponent," said Pyrrha, having experienced the full brunt of Ruby's ability during their clandestine matches. "Unless Taurus substantially changes his style, it's unlikely that he'll ever be able to gain a sufficient advantage to defeat Ruby."

"Do you think that's likely?" Weiss whispered softly to Blake, who frowned.

"Adam probably doesn't understand how Ruby beat him," Blake replied, just as quietly. "He'll train. But I doubt he would ever want to change his style substantially, as he'd feel like that's an even worse admission of defeat."

"I guess we have little to worry about, if Ruby runs into him again," mused Weiss.

"I suppose," agreed Blake.

"What's taking so long?!" demanded Adam, shouting into his scroll as he paced through the cavern. "That girl should be dead by now."

"Need I remind you that you are not in a position to be making demands," replied Cinder, her purring voice underlined and distorted by the crackling of static, and interrupted by the occasional pop. The signal boosters the White Fang were using to allow Adam to stay in touch with Cinder were far from perfect, particularly with the impediment of a certain mountain between them and Vale.

"It's only a matter of time before she spills everything," snarled Adam. "If the public gets word of this..."

"I understand what's at stake, Adam, thank you very much," Cinder replied flatly. "Rest assured, the girl will die. But we have preparations to make, preparations that are essential for our main plan as well."

"What preparations?" asked Adam.

"Perhaps it's best if I keep that to myself," replied Cinder, earning an angry growl. "You are a bit too impulsive Adam. Granted, it would be virtually impossible for you to leak anything out there. But I would sooner not take unnecessary risks, particularly considering the risk we are already taking on your behalf...which you could stand to show more appreciation for."

Adam growled again.

Cinder sighed, the sound causing another pop over the tenuous connection. "Well...I suppose I can tell you a little. Tomorrow evening, Beacon will be hosting a little soirée, a dance."

"And the girl will be there?" prodded Adam. "You'll kill her there?"

"If the opportunity presents itself. It would appear that her friends have invited her. However, we shall not make any attempt, should it prove too risky. The important thing is that the dance will occupy much of Beacon's staff, which should leave their security a little...lacking. Thanks to that, I will be able to run a certain errand, which will make the assassination you've been asking for much easier to execute.

"After that, starting on Monday, the first-year teams will be leaving on their missions, including your target's friends and protectors; and, of course, a significant portion of Beacon's staff will be accompanying them. Once the cat's away, the mice will play; as the saying goes. In that nice, convenient window of opportunity, we shall dispatch the girl and her parents. That should be enough to satisfy you."

"Assuming she doesn't go public before then," growled Adam.

"That is not my concern," replied Cinder firmly. "We are already going out on quite the limb for you, Adam Taurus. I would hope you would appreciate that, particularly since the need for this was born from your failure in the first place. We have other priorities, ones far more important than cleaning up your mess, so you should be grateful that we are willing to do this at all. Have a pleasant day."

Cinder's scroll disconnected with a final pop. Adam glared down at the scroll, his lips pulling back to bare his teeth, the fingers of his right hand tightening around the housing, while his left clenched around the handle of blush, Wilt rattling within the sheath.

Finally, Adam pocketed his scroll, before turning around to see Ilia and Meinrad staring at him, both of them having borne witness to the conversation, which Adam had chosen to hold around the assembly of crates that was serving as an impromptu table, surrounded by smaller crates that were being used as chairs, all set up within the space designated for their equally impromptu command center, which was really nothing more than a clear spot set adjacent to their work-site. Seeing as they were currently underground, there was little need for an awning of any kind.

"What?" he snarled, glaring furiously at them, the force of his anger palpable, even though the slits in his mask kept his eyes from being visible.

"Nothing, Brother," said Meinrad. "The task shall be done. So...we should perhaps focus on our work, here."

Ilia nodded in wordless agreement.

Adam's grip on Blush tightened even more, and Ilia tensed, fearing that he was about to lash out at them again. Adam's behavior had only become more volatile, in the days since the failed rally in Vale. The arrests had been yet another hit to their manpower, which was making it nearly impossible to keep to their required schedule. The members were pulling double, even triple, shifts to ensure that everything was ready, and it was running them ragged. It didn't help that each delay or setback only provoked more violent responses from Adam, leading to battered workers visiting the medic, which did not help their schedule in the slightest. At this rate, meeting Cinder's deadline was looking more and more difficult by the day.

But there was no one willing to explain to Adam how his outbursts were only making things worse. He was already the highest-ranking member of the White Fang present, with no one to supersede his authority. The lethality of his skill and strength meant that no one beneath him was willing to challenge him, particularly as it was growing more and more likely that anyone who expressed opposition of any kind towards him would bear the brunt of that lethality.

Right now...Adam was their own worst enemy.

"Perhaps you ought to dial back the hostility a notch, oh great warrior," said a strange voice, accompanied by a jingle of bells.

Their heads snapped around to seek the source of the voice. There stood a man in a black and purple jester's outfit, seeming to melt out of the darkness, the bells on his cap and shoes ringing lightly with every movement.

"A human!" shouted Meinrad, surging to his feet.

Ilia jumped up as well, unsure of what to do. But neither she nor Meinrad got their chance, as they were preempted by a black and red blur. Adam closed the distance between himself and the newcomer in the blink of an eye, Wilt flying out of its sheath in a streak of red. Before anyone could even twitch, he'd launched a barrage of swift, crimson slashes that left red streaks dancing across the vision of everyone watching. Wilt returned to its resting place with a swift clang.

But the jester stood there, seemingly unfazed by the blows he'd just been hit with, not a showing a single sign that they'd even touched him. "Wow...mighty quick to blow your load there. Maybe that's why the kitty left your camp."

Adam roared, and Wilt emerged again. Another barrage of slashes later, and Adam stood there, panting for breath, glaring at the jester, who was still unfazed. "Got it out of your system yet?" he asked.

In response, Adam leveled Blush and fired several shots at the man. However, the shots were accompanied by the soft "ping" of the bullets falling to the ground, landing right at the jester's feet. "Still going...? Okay. I can wait."

"What are you?" gasped Adam.

"I'm a friend," said the jester, raising his left hand across his chest, and bowing forward slightly. "I think you heard me the first time you called dear little Cinder about your rodent problem. I'm the one who convinced her it would be a good idea to do you that favor...even if she is a little slow following up on it."

"You are Jester then?" asked Adam.

"I am," replied Jester, his grin widening slightly, which only made his countenance seem all the more sinister.

"And why can't I hit you?" demanded Adam.

"It isn't allowed," Jester replied. "Since ancient times, in the courts of lords and kings, those who spoke against their masters were punished...save one. The Jester is empowered to stand before the mighty and the powerful, to speak the hard truths, to say the words that the kings did not want to hear. That was possible because the Jester cannot be touched. I am beyond the reach of your blade, Adam Taurus, because I am the one empowered to tell you that which you do not want to hear."

"And what is that?" asked Adam.

"That you are not fit for this," said Jester. "You have become the greatest hinderance to your own success, Adam Taurus. Guided by grudges, ruled by impulse, you have done more harm to your own cause than any human propaganda. Even your own now dwell in fear of your wrath. Instead of making them feel stronger, for fighting for their cause, you make them feel oppressed, because the slightest error may invite your wrath."

"Lies!" snarled Adam.

"The Jester does not lie," replied Jester with a cackle. "He merely points out the lies you tell yourself. For example, do you not think it hypocritical to beat this poor man..." With the marotte in his right hand, he gestured to Meinrad. "...for failing to bring down a pack of students, when said pack included the girl that you failed to defeat twice?"

Another roar erupted from Adam's throat, and Wilt flashed again. But Jester remained untouched.

"You lose yourself in anger too easily, Adam Taurus," chided Jester. "You can lash out all you want, but spilling all the blood in the world will not make truth become untruth."

"Shut up!" shouted Adam.

"Nope," replied Jester simply. "When all others stand silent, it's my job to speak out. If you wish to truly make progress, Adam Taurus, then you must stop trying to do what cannot be done. Cease attempting to silence me...and listen."

"I will not listen to the words of another human!" shouted Adam. "I've had enough of your kind to last me a lifetime!"

"Your tolerance needs work too then," said Jester, raising his marotte. "I'm here to help you, Adam. Flailing about blindly in your anger may be cathartic, but far from productive...or are you telling me that your schedule isn't being slowed by the stream of people you keep sending to the medic?"

Before Adam could respond, Jester had already reached out and gently settled the skull atop his marotte on Adam's shoulder. The next thing Adam knew, he sank to his knees, even though Jester's touch had been light as a feather, his body feeling heavier than he'd ever thought possible.

"Come now," cajoled Jester. "Let's talk this over...peacefully."

Ilia and Meinrad looked on helplessly, unsure of whether or not to interfere. On one hand, this human was making a mockery of their leader, subduing him with painful ease. On the other...what he was saying was true. As he had said he would, Jester spoke the words that Ilia and Meinrad were afraid to, the words that were choked down by fear. He'd said the very things they'd wanted to say...and Adam hadn't been able to touch him...literally.

"Listen to me, Adam Taurus," said Jester, "the ability to instill fear is a critical ability in any leader. Fear is a powerful motivator, especially fear of failure. But fear of violence..." He clicked his tongue disappointedly. "...you hamper the ones who should be aiding you. They have things to say that you need to hear, yet they do not speak. Why do you think that is?"

Adam grunted. It wasn't apparent whether he had nothing to say, or if he was trying to speak, and Jester was silencing him in some fashion. He remained where he was, apparently held in place by Jester's will.

"Listen well Adam Taurus: Love for your friends, hatred for your enemies. Be sure not to confuse the two. Forge your rage and hone it for your foes. Wielding it against your own only dulls your blade, when you wield it against the one you are truly meant to."

Another grunt came from Adam.

Jester sighed. "You need to be retrained." His gaze settled on Meinrad and Ilia, who flinched as those hidden eyes landed on them. "I'm borrowing this one for a sabbatical...possibly a mondical and a tuesdical too. You two have this operation nailed down pretty well. If anything, you'll do better without this one mucking things up."

"Wait-!" shouted Ilia, reaching out towards them.

But they were already gone. Jester and Adam's forms had abruptly swirled together, their bodies appearing to run and spiral inwards, like paint flowing down a drain. In a fraction of a second, they had vanished.

Ilia and Meinrad stared at the empty space for a moment. They were joined by other members of the White Fang, who'd been drawn by Adam's shouts, and the sound of his weapon. They'd borne witness to their leader being subdued with the greatest of ease, before he was abruptly taken away, leaving it look as though he'd never been there to begin with.

"What do we do now?" asked Ilia, looking to Meinrad.

"We continue our work," said Meinrad, sounding unhappy nonetheless. "While I worry about what that fiend is doing, completing the mission is what truly matters. And I know that is what Brother Adam would want."

Ilia wasn't so sure. But, then again, she supposed it was the only option they had. They could look for Adam, but there was no telling where Jester had taken him. If they missed their opportunity, and blew the operation, Ilia wouldn't count that as a bad thing. However, she knew that Adam, once he returned (assuming he did), would be completely unforgiving. And then there was the matter of his...benefactor...who Ilia feared would be even less-inclined to forgive failure of such magnitude, seeing as she apparently considered them all tools.

Truth be told, seeing this operation...this atrocity...to completion was the last thing Ilia wanted to do. But she had her duty. Sienna's orders were clear, and Ilia couldn't do anything to jeopardize her cover. Silently, she bowed her head, preparing to resume preparations for the unforgivable deed they were about to commit.

At least they had the benefit of working without Adam snarling down the back of their necks for a while.

Adam's body slammed into the dirt with enough force to drive the breath from his lungs. Jester's bells jingled as he set down next to Adam, grinning down at the prone faunus.

"Where...where are we?" wheezed Adam, staring up at the man.

They were under the open sky. The broken moon, and all its fragments, loomed overhead, its light washing out the stars. Adam couldn't see any trees. Instead, they appeared to be in the midst of a rolling plain, grassland stretching away in all directions.

"Eh...somewhere," was all Jester said.

"Take...me...back!" demanded Adam, rising to his feet.

"No can do," said Jester. "Let's face it. They'll get more work done without you there than with all the threats and beatings you can fling their way."

"I'll kill you!" shouted Adam.

"I think we've already established that that ain't happening," said Jester. "If you'd like to swing your sword at me a few-hundred more times, then go ahead. I'll wait for you to get it out of your system."

"What do you want?" demanded Adam.

"I want to make you into the best you that I can," said Jester, tapping his marotte against his shoulder. "But, to do that, we need to do some work. As you are now, you are...lacking."

"Lacking what?" scoffed Adam.

"Discipline...focus...willpower...strength..." Jester's grin widened as his words only seemed to make Adam angrier. "Let's put it this way, you're a sword."

"A sword?"

"Doesn't that make you happy, Adam?" inquired Jester, chuckling. "You are a blade in the hands of your cause. Power is your edge, conviction your technique. You are wielded in how and where you apply your power. You honed yourself to a magnificent edge and made many a fine cut.

"But blades wear down, and grow dull. The katana is a magnificent blade. Its outside is high-carbon steel, made to hold a razor-edge. Its core is softer steel...supple...made to withstand the force of impact. The combination of these two is what makes it such a fine blade. However, polish and wear them too much, and the outer steel is worn away, and only the soft steel is left. When that happens, it ceases to be an effective weapon.

"That's what's happened to you. You've polished yourself against the whetstone of your anger and resentment. But you've ground away too much. And now your own hatred undermines your strength. Thus, you need to be reforged. You must be made anew, with a new core and a new edge, reborn as a proper weapon. You must then maintain yourself and your will properly. That is where I can help you."

Adam lowered his face. But his posture betrayed that his anger was only growing. "I..." His voice was a low growl. "I need no help from the likes of YOU!" He lunged forward, his hand going for Wilt's handle.

But Jester was behind him, his bells jingling once. Adam froze. The entire world seemed to come to a stop.

From the tip of the carved fools hat that rested atop the wooden skull at the end of Jester's marotte...a single bead of blood dripped.

Adam lurched, blood bursting out from lacerations that opened up across his body. How many there were; ten, twenty, thirty, more...he couldn't say. He couldn't even say it was speed. He couldn't be sure what had happened. All he did know was that he had been about to strike...but now he had been beaten to within an inch of his life.

"I can tell this is gonna take a while," said Jester, letting out a disappointed sigh. "It's not my intent to beat you into submission, Adam. There is much I want to show you, much I can do for you. It would do you no good to simply pound the defiance out of you. That defiance is a critical part of who you are, a major component of your strength. To remove that would hobble you. I merely want to show you how to hone it."

Jester grinned. "Well, we'll have plenty of time, I promise. By the time it's over, Adam, I'll have you feeling like a new man."

"It pains me to see you like this, Mr. Xiao Long," said Ozpin, seating himself at the table before Taiyang.

Taiyang growled, his blue eyes glaring piercingly across the table at Ozpin. "Let. Me. Out!"

"I am afraid that is not an option for now," said Ozpin sadly. "So long as you continue to insist on interfering so obstructively in your daughter's life, we cannot permit you to continue to run free. Right now, your behavior clearly falls under the category of stalking and harassment. Your continued efforts have only made Ms. Rose all the more determined to never see you as her father."

"I don't care how she sees me!" shouted Taiyang. "I AM her father, and I will do what it takes to keep you from killing her...like you did Summer."

"I did not kill your wife, Mr. Xiao Long," said Ozpin.

"She died because she was working for you!" Taiyang shouted back, slamming his fists against the table. Though it was bolted to the floor, the vibrations still ran through it, so that Ozpin felt them at his end. "It was a mission that you sent her on. You set her up to be killed."

"That was never my intention, and you know it," said Ozpin. "Ms. Rose knew the risks, as did you, as does Qrow. Risks are risks because there was never any guarantee of survival. No amount of skill and power can make one invincible, Mr. Xiao Long."

"And that's why I won't allow Ruby to become a Huntress," said Taiyang firmly. "You're right, it's a risky profession. So I won't allow my daughter to take those risks. It's my right!"

"It is not," countered Ozpin. "You cannot unilaterally dictate your daughter's path through life. At some point, she must be permitted to make her own decisions." His eyes narrowed over his spectacles. "If things went as you wished, what would happen, once you passed from this world? You are older than Ms. Rose after all. Even if you successfully shielded her from all risks, and all the ills of the world, you would still be hampered by your own mortality, and would be able to do nothing for her past that. However, your treatment would all but ensure that Ms. Rose would not be capable of doing anything for herself."

"I'd figure something out," claimed Taiyang, his assertion ringing hollow.

"I sincerely doubt that," said Ozpin. "However, it is all merely hypothetical. The truth is that you are not permitted to interfere with your daughter any longer."

"I won't give up!" shouted Taiyang.

"I feared that was the case," said Ozpin. "That is why I have spoken to the Council."

"What?" gasped Taiyang, leaning forward.

"Taiyang Xiao Long, you are hereby stripped of your Huntsman license," said Ozpin sadly. "Furthermore, you have been deemed a continued risk to your daughters' wellbeing, and represent a persistent threat. As such, you are to be confined to a secure facility...this facility, until such time that it is deemed that you no longer present a continued threat to Ms. Rose, which will only be possible after completion of full grief-counseling, and a full psychological evaluation." Ozpin slowly shook his head. "If you remain committed to pursuing Ms. Rose in such a manner, then you shall be here for a very long time."

Taiyang's lips curled back, baring his teeth. The look of utter fury on his face should have been enough to make Beacon's Headmaster burst into flame from the mere heat of his gaze. Taiyang roared wordlessly, lunging over the table at Ozpin. However, he reeled back, having slammed face-first into the barrier of hard-light-Dust that partitioned the room. Invisible normally, the barrier flashed white upon contact, hexagonal panels of energy appearing to rebound Taiyang back, knocking him over, and sending him sprawling.

With another sigh, Ozpin stood up. "I hope that you are able to rise above this, Mr. Xiao Long. Otherwise, you will be an inmate here for a very long time."

Taiyang's only response was to scramble back up, then launch himself around the table. He was stymied by the same barrier as before, but slammed his fists against it repeatedly, trying desperately to batter his way through, his wordless roars carrying a force in their own right. All Ozpin could do was leave the room, closing the door behind him.