New chapter! Author's note below.

XXX

Atlas trains were known for their speed, but the ride back to the city felt like an eternity.

Winter had nearly bolted out of the traincar, and she immediately went to find Weiss first. In that moment, she didn't care if she should be following in General Ironwood's footsteps, she wanted to make sure her sister was safe - a somewhat odd response, considering they were not near the danger. Yet. In fact, Weiss probably would have been safer staying with Nicholas. But Winter didn't want to leave Weiss alone, and she knew Weiss would want to return to Atlas and fight too, if necessary.

Qrow was close behind on her heels the entire time, something that managed to break through her nerves and contained panic and make her feel slightly relieved.

Winter was fairly certain the other Brotherhood members had boarded the train too. She saw Glynda stop the General, whispering to him in tones too low for Winter to pick up on anything they were saying. Miriam and Clint fist-bumped each other before climbing into one of the train cars, each sporting a wide grin.

The General had stopped Winter before she boarded the train, motioning for her to follow him. Qrow had been about to follow too, but the General had held a hand up. "Qrow, I'm sorry, but I need to talk to Winter alone." Qrow had scowled, ready to argue most likely, but Winter had stopped him.

"It's ok Qrow," she had assured him. "This will only take a minute." How strange. I used to be the one who was asked to leave, Winter had thought to herself.

"Schnee, I'm going to need you and the other Specialists to help take care of this. I trust the Brotherhood members, but I'd rather them not know the true nature of the robotics being used. They know bits and pieces already of course, but the last thing we need is for them to know Atlas' more private secrets. I don't want another situation like Vale on our hands," General Ironwood had said, once Qrow had left for one of the other train cars. "You especially know what this is about. You've met with Dr. Polendina."

"Sir, if someone has stolen Dr. Polendina's experiments, this is a serious breach of security. The situation could be far worse than we think. What if Dr. Polendina betrayed us?"

"Dr. Polendina would do no such thing. He is a loyal and old friend," the General said.

"So was Professor Lionheart, sir. With everything that has happened, we cannot take chances," Winter pushed. "And if Dr. Polendina is truly innocent, then Salem has found some way to infiltrate our Academy and military compound. We need to make sure everyone is safe, and we need to make sure she doesn't get her hands on any more information."

"Our first mission is making sure those … robots … are detained and locked back up, hopefully before anyone else sees them. We'll only destroy them as a last resort."

"Sir, what if they've already been given Auras? Like Penny?"

"My order still stands, especially if they're intent on destroying the city." Ironwood had looked at her with a stern expression. "We have a duty to protect our people, Schnee. And to protect our secrets."

"But sir, if we talked with Dr. Polendina, he might know who has been working with Salem to do this," Winter had tried to argue. It had done nothing to change the General's stony face.

"Are you questioning your orders, Schnee?" he had asked. Winter felt herself straighten instinctively, her head bowing forward.

"No, sir. I'm merely worried about the situation with Salem." And then, because she had felt brave for a brief moment, she continued on, adding, "I feel we need to look at this as part of the larger picture, rather than this being simply an unusual attack on Atlas." She had felt Ironwood's gaze bore into her, and she kept her head lowered.

"Is this something Qrow said? Did he put you up to this?" the General asked, sounding suspicious. Winter almost felt her heart drop. He didn't believe her. The looks, the questions, everything that had been happening - he thought Qrow had brainwashed her. Because she was asking questions now. She hadn't even thought she had asked too many questions, or that she was out of line. She thought she had raised excellent and relevant points, all things considered.

"No. I apologize. My concern for the people of Atlas and for Remnant made me anxious," Winter had said, and the General had seemed to accept this as an answer.

So when Winter had found Qrow again, she asked him if he could contact Ruby and her friends and ask a favor of them. She wanted Ruby, Weiss, and the others to find Dr. Polendina. Qrow had immediately written to Ruby via Scroll, accepting Winter's plan with no fuss or objections, though he had given her a wary look afterwards.

"You're sure, Schnee?"

"Yes," Winter had said. "Consider this an important part of their, and our, mission."

And now, after everyone had boarded the train and Winter had spoken with the General, there was nothing to do but wait until they reached the city. Never before had silence been so deafening. Winter, Qrow, and Weiss were once again sitting together, just as they had been on the way to the Clementine Moore Facility. Winter had received permission from the General to sit with her sister, as long as she immediately met with him at the train station.

Everyone was quiet while the train zoomed back to Atlas. Winter caught Weiss staring out the window with a worried expression, her nose scrunched up a bit and her eyebrows crinkled, and she reached out and held Weiss' hand, giving it a soft squeeze. Weiss' face smoothed, and Winter felt her squeeze back. Qrow was slouched in his own seat across from them, appearing to be asleep, though Winter swore the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile.

The air turned thick with tension when the train finally returned to the city. Winter was thankful she was in her uniform, even if it was her newer one that she used specifically for formal meetings, and even more grateful that she and Qrow had brought their weapons. It would save them from leaving the group to grab their weapons before searching for the robotic vessels that were terrorizing the city.

"Schnee, where do we start?" Qrow asked, resting his sword across his shoulders.

"Special Operative Schnee." James' voice cut across the station. "We will be departing for the Merchandise District."

For a brief moment, time froze. Winter looked over to where the General was with the messenger soldier from earlier, both waiting for her. General Ironwood's forehead was creased, as if something was bothering him.

Qrow stared over at the General too. His expression didn't seem to change noticeably, but his mouth turned down slightly at the corners, and his gaze hardened.

"Yes, sir," Winter said, glancing at Qrow one more time before walking over to join the General. He nodded, motioning for them to move out.

"Hold on, Jimmy!" At first, Winter thought it might have been Qrow who had stopped them, but the voice was too high-pitched and cheerful. She turned to see Miriam Roo hop off the train, followed closely by her brother. "Where are we all going?" Indeed, as if summoned, the rest of the Brotherhood piled out of the train onto the station's landing. Ori in his magnificent suit, Glynda with her sharp-eyed glare at the General, Professor Chan looking regal and poised, Zap bouncing on her heels, and Kendall shifting through their tiny crowd silently. Even sweet Merle was there, leaning on an old, hand-carved cane with a handle shaped like a fish splashing out of water.

"You should all find a place to stay for the night. This is Atlas business," the General said. Winter whipped her head towards him, surprised he was trying to turn the Brotherhood away. Why? Why was he acting so strangely? Was he really so concerned about the discovery of Dr. Polendina's invention? Surely the matter of Salem and Remnant's safety took priority.

"Hmm." Miriam's eyes narrowed, and she unsheathed a long, thin sword of some kind, looking ready for battle.

"James, we're all here," Glynda pointed out, ever the practical one. "If this has something to do with Salem, we should be a part of this. Even if it doesn't, we can help. I know we're not your own army that you can command at your very whim, but surely a group of experienced Huntsmen and Huntresses is an asset in a situation like this."

"We have no evidence this is Salem's doing."

"Right." Qrow scoffed. "Because something crazy happening while you were away from the city and the Brotherhood was meeting is just a coincidence."

"Seems like you don't want us hangin' around," Zap noted, raising her eyebrows.

"It is simply a military matter," James tried again.

"Well, I don't have to leave," Ori said cheerfully. "I'm a Huntsman of Atlas!" General Ironwood looked very much like he wished that wasn't the case.

"Anyways, we don't have time to stand here and argue with you, Jimmy," Qrow said. "So just accept our help and let's go."

"What part of the city is the attack taking place?" Glynda asked. Winter watched Ironwood, saw a small grimace work its way onto his face. He seemed to be mulling over the question.

"I don't know for sure. It's a fast moving target that could be anywhere. If you insist on helping, check the Residential District, please," the General said. Winter did nothing, forcing herself to show no reaction, despite the fact that she knew the General was lying. He was sending them in the opposite direction. It was possible the Pennybot had made its way to the Residential District, but that would just be a happy coincidence.

"Where are you heading then?" Qrow narrowed his eyes as Jimmy and Winter turned to walk away.

"Before we join you, we are leaving for the Atlas base. If this is indeed a move from our enemy, I will waste no resource or soldier on protecting this kingdom," the General replied.

Lies, lies, lies.

They had never bothered Winter before. Lying was a part of her job. Lying could keep you safe. But then, she had never worked with other Huntsmen and Huntresses that weren't a part of the Atlesian military. It struck her that she had never had anyone, aside from some of the other Atlas Specialists, that she considered a friend.

When they turned again to leave, Winter didn't make eye contact with Qrow. Qrow wasn't always the most observant person, but he was no idiot, despite what he let people think. She knew he could tell something was up.

Once they were finally far away from the other Hunters, General Ironwood began giving orders again.

"Schnee, call in the other Specialists. I will have my own personal squad of the top soldiers as well. That should be enough to take care of this escaped vessel. And ready one of the magnets that we had prepared."

"Yes, sir." Winter nodded, rapidly firing messages through her Scroll, sending out the General's orders to those it applied to.

Night had fallen by now, and Winter was thankful for it. Night missions were often more dangerous because they required stealth and precision, but Winter preferred them. It meant avoiding unwanted attention from crowds because everyone was asleep or indoors, and usually there was less of a mess to clean up.

She was also thankful that the Pennybot had been spotted in the Merchandise District. It was a beautiful district, one of the cleanest and prettiest streets in the city, with white shops that glimmered faintly under the moon and sky blue awnings over the windows of many of the buildings. It was always kept clean, to ensure that tourists and shoppers wouldn't be turned away from any garbage or filth. It was also one of the least populated districts. Winter didn't want to ruin the beautiful avenue, but she was glad that there was no one around to witness the situation or be swept up in the danger.

If it had been a residential district, someone would surely have heard the loud crashes, the sound of glass shattering, and the strange zapping sound of what had to be lasers.

"We're nearing the target. Where is our backup, Specialist Schnee?" General Ironwood asked.

"On their way, sir. I've received replies from all but two of the Special Operatives."

"Good." He nodded, pleased.

Another crash sounded from the other end of the street. Winter frowned.

"Perhaps we should begin, sir," she said. The General nodded.

"Schnee, see if you can end this calmly and quietly. If you cannot, we'll wait for the reinforcements and finish it off." Winter gave a quick salute, and then sprinted down the street.

It wasn't hard to find the Pennybot. As Winter ran, she could see that there was trash and shards of glass on the sidewalks, skid marks from some kind of vehicle looping across the road, and even the Dust powered street lamps and metallic walls of some of the shops had large dents in them. The chaotic leftovers of the Pennybot's rampage increased in quantity as she neared the spot where the Pennybot was, and finally she saw it.

It looked like a young man, probably around Weiss or Ruby Rose's age. He had dark brown skin and curly brown hair, and when he turned his head, Winter could see his bright, lime green eyes that glowed.

Though Winter had seen Penny a few times and heard stories about the girl, the time they spent together was minimal at best. Winter couldn't even recall any distinct conversation she had ever had with the girl. And because of this, along with how little she knew of Dr. Polendina's work and the Aura transfer process, she was unsure of how to approach the young man.

So, she went for a simple command.

"Halt!" she ordered, hand going down to hover above the hilt of her sword. The boy turned to her, eyes unblinking. He was unnaturally still as he stood several yards away, watching her. Winter almost froze too. He had stopped his rampage for now, so now what? Assuming he understood her command, she had to assume he'd been given an Aura. So she continued. "By order of the Atlas military, I order you to disarm and come with-," she barely finished her statement when the boy shot towards her so fast, she couldn't track his movements. She grunted, pulling her weapon out, but he was already in front of her.

Quickly, she used her Semblance to create a black glyph beneath him, keeping him stuck in the same spot, but it did little to deter him. He raised his hands towards her face, and she noticed he had large, circular spots on his hands that began to glow. Winter's eyes widened, and she propelled herself back with a glyph just as a yellow-green laser shot through the spot she'd just been standing.

She landed a few yards away, taking a deep breath as she readied her sabre with Dust, and sent a wave of ice Dust at the boy, hoping it would completely encase him.

But trapping the Pennybot would not be so easy, it seemed.

The ice cut across the street in spiky shards, but the Pennybot darted to the right, easily evading her attack. Winter tsked, annoyance briefly taking over the feeling of unease that had filled her.

"You're fast," she muttered. "Dr. Polendina certainly did a good job."

The boy still hadn't spoken, and Winter wondered if she was incorrect in assuming he had understood her earlier order. Penny had been so different. She was a bright and bubbly girl. This boy was abnormally silent.

Attempting another command, Winter stood up straight and tall, lowering her sabre in one hand and pulling out her Scroll in the other, her Huntress license visible on the lit screen.

"This is Winter Schnee. By order of General Ironwood, you are asked to stand down," she said loudly. The boy cocked his head to the side, staring at her for a moment, but then his gaze began to wander. Winter raised her eyebrows, confused by his behavior.

Then the boy turned around and jumped towards the closest building, kicking his leg into the wall. Had he been a normal human, his leg would surely have been broken. But as he landed on the ground, Winter saw no damage to any part of him, and the wall of the building bore a huge hole. He pulled a fist back, his hand beginning to glow with a bright light again. Winter immediately rushed forward, sending another wave of ice directly at the Pennybot. The boy halted his attack and shot into the air as shards of ice sprung up.

Winter paused, startled as she watched the boy hover almost 20 feet in the air. Green lights shone from the soles of his boots, emitting some kind of energy. Winter wondered if he had some kind of Dust embedded within him that helped him to fly. She remembered Penny had similar abilities and a truly extraordinary weapon, but this boy seemed to be able to shoot powered attacks from his limbs. An upgrade, perhaps, that Dr. Polendina had installed.

Concentrating hard on the vessel, Winter raised a hand towards the boy, furrowing her brows as she summoned a glyph beneath him. She had no problem creating glyphs of any kind for herself, and if another person was close enough, she could create glyphs for them too. But with the boy hovering in the air above her, it took more concentration to pinpoint the origin point for the glyph.

Once again, a black Gravity glyph formed below him, pulling him downwards and keeping him in place. The Pennybot kicked out a leg, trying to break free from the glyph's pull. Confident that he was unable to escape, Winter created a line of black glyphs below him, each one pulling the glyph above lower so she could slowly pull the Pennybot back to the ground.

Suddenly, the boy's head snapped towards Winter, and his eyes glowed so bright, she could no longer make out the dark of his pupil. His eyes flashed, and two lasers immediately were shot at Winter. She raised her sabre, easily deflecting both, ready to create more glyphs to hold him in place.

"Ah, ah, ah!" A reedy, somewhat high-pitched voice sounded behind her. "You're not allowed to win here!" Something jabbed her in the back hard and Winter's breath left her in a whoosh as she fell forward, only just managing to catch herself on her hands before she hit the ground. She turned her head to see who her assailant was, but there was nobody on the street with her.

The distraction was enough though to break her concentration, and the glyphs around the Pennybot disappeared. Immediately its eyes glowed again, and it raised its arms. Winter climbed to her feet, breathing hard, and held out her weapon, ready to deflect his lasers again.

This time though, dozens of shimmering strings sprung from the bot's back, surrounding Winter. Unlike Penny Polendina's preferred weapon, these didn't have blades on the end, but some kind of weight that held them to the ground. The strings' faint sheen let her know they were most likely razor sharp. She hissed, slashing at the strings to cut through them. She managed to cut a few, the remnants fluttering to the ground, but another shot out and wrapped around her wrist. The Pennybot shot into the sky, pulling her with him and Winter grunted, feeling her feet leave the ground. Her Aura protected her for now from any cuts or serious injury, but that wouldn't last long at this rate, with the razor cord wrapped around her wrist. Where the hell are the other Specialists?!

Realizing the Pennybot was continuing to go higher, Winter tried slicing her sabre through the string with her free hand, but the force that pulled her upward made it hard to stay still and even attempt a decent swing. She just kept spinning and spinning. Opting for a different tactic, Winter prepared to Summon, ready to activate her Semblance.

A shot rang out through the air, and Winter saw the Pennybot's head jerk to the side, bits of metal and synthetic skin spraying. He began to descend slowly, shaking a bit as if trying to regain stability. Winter took the opportunity of the momentary stillness and pulled her bound hand down, yanking the Pennybot with it, and cut herself free. She freefalled for a moment, finding herself much higher above the ground than she had initially realized. Then she Summoned a Manticore Grimm beneath her, landing on its back. The Manticore flew down to the ground, landing softly on the street. Winter patted its head before dismounting, immediately searching for who had fired the shot. The street was still empty. There were no Specialists or Atlesian soldiers in sight, but there was the silhouette of a man on top of the building before her.

Qrow was sitting on the roof of the building, legs swinging over the edge. His pose looked very casual, but he had his weapon pointed at the bot, the gun cocked and aimed. A faint stream of smoke spilled from the gun, looking ghostly in the dim light.

"Qrow," Winter said in surprise.

"Talk later!" he replied, standing up and falling into a defensive pose, his weapon back in its sword form. Winter readied herself as well, gazing back upward. The Pennybot had regained its balance, turning its head to stare down at them. The glow of the moon casted the entire boy in shadow, except for his glowing eyes.

"That's too bad." Qrow sighed. "I thought I had taken out one of his eyes."

The Pennybot shot towards Qrow. It pulled back a fist and punched, meeting the blade of Qrow's weapon as he blocked the attack. Then the Pennybot kicked one of its legs out in a glowing green arc. Qrow ducked. Even from her position, Winter could see he had just barely dodged the kick. She focused on her Summon, sending the Manticore to the two. The Manticore reared up on its hind paws, then slammed them down. Qrow jumped back and out of the way, but not before pushing the Pennybot directly in front of the Manticore.

The Manticore's paws collided with the metal vessel and slammed it into the ground beneath a large, luminescent paw. Winter could see the Pennybot struggling, and she hopped up to the roof using her glyphs. She lightly tapped the surface beside the bot, and ice sprung up around it. The ice covered the boy's lower body and torso, trapping him. The Pennybot continued to struggle, but still he didn't speak. And when he looked up at Winter, she could see no sign of any life or feeling in his eyes. Whoever had sent this thing into the streets, they had not given it an Aura.

"Nice moves," Qrow commented. Winter finally returned her attention to Qrow.

"What are you doing here, Qrow?!" she demanded.

"Came after you," he said casually. "You and Jimmy were acting a bit suspicious. You're both pretty decent liars, but I don't believe for one second you and he had to go back to your base just to get more soldiers. You could have sent a message to them on your Scroll." Qrow raised his head to the skies, peering up, then looked down at the street below. "I would have thought you'd send a message for backup."

"I did. No one has showed up yet," Winter explained, once again annoyed. Why had the other Specialists not shown up? They were her team, or at least as close to a team as she had. And who had that voice been? She supposed she could have imagined it in her adrenaline rush, but surely she hadn't imagined being shoved to the ground. "I'm sorry for lying to you."

"Don't be. I don't blame you," Qrow said. "Jimmy's the one who didn't want to share. I wish I could say differently, but it seems he's gotten worse, at least since I've arrived in Atlas."

"He … was worried about what the others might think about the use of robotic vessels with Auras," Winter said, feeling unsure of her own words. "After the incident at Beacon with Penny, he was afraid that the others would blame Atlas again."

"I'm not sure if I believe that." Qrow narrowed his eyes. "And you don't either, do you?" Winter refused to reply. She didn't know what General Ironwood was thinking, but just because he had trusted her with classified information recently, it didn't mean that she was privy to his thoughts. "Because one thing hasn't changed. It doesn't make sense for Jimmy to create these things to fight Grimm. Which means …" Qrow trailed off, waiting for Winter to finish his statement as he watched her. She stayed quiet. She didn't want to answer him, but the answer floated to the front of her mind.

Which meant that General Ironwood created them to fight people.

Which meant that General Ironwood created them to fight against the other kingdoms.

"Specialist Schnee!" A voice called out, and Winter and Qrow both looked to see two figures approaching. One was a tall, lanky young man with copper-brown skin and dark hair that fell in front of his eyes. The other was a shorter, squat woman, probably in her late thirties, with a dusky-pink complexion and sandy blonde hair pulled into a bun. Winter recognized them vaguely. Hunter and Heather. Neither were close with Winter, but Winter had worked with them before. She saluted them as she neared, and they returned the gesture. Winter gently jumped down to the street from the building roof, Qrow doing the same and landing behind her.

"Specialist Schnee," Hunter began. "We received your message!"

"Do we need a formation? Where is the target?" Heather asked. Unlike Hunter, she seemed less than pleased to be there.

"The target has been subdued," Winter explained, raising a hand to calm them. She nodded at the roof. "If you would, you can make the arrest and take him to the restricted holding cell." The two Specialists nodded.

"Of course!" Hunter said.

"The General filled us in on the … technicalities of the situation," Heather said, eyeing Qrow with a distasteful look. Qrow grinned at her. Winter simply nodded.

"Thank you. Please take the utmost precaution with him."

"We came prepared," Heather replied, and the two strolled past Winter and Qrow, using the standardized grappling hooks that Atlas scientists had created to swing up to the roof where the Pennybot still laid.

"About time they showed up," Qrow commented.

"I couldn't agree more," Winter said in a low tone. "I don't understand where everyone else is either. We're supposed to be prepared for emergencies at all times."

"Should we leave yet?" Qrow asked.

"I'd prefer to wait and make sure they can handle the robot on their own," Winter replied. "It - he, is pretty tough. He wasn't exactly easy to fight."

"Wonder how the others are doing," Qrow mused. Winter frowned.

"What do you mean? Did something happen?" Now it was Qrow's turn to give her a strange look.

"Well, yeah. They're fighting the Pennybot in the Residential District," Qrow said. Winter shook her head.

"No, the Pennybot was never in the Residential District. General Ironwood didn't want the Brotherhood to get caught up in the situation, that's all. He sent them to a different district."

"Schnee, I came from that District. The other Brotherhood members are fighting a Pennybot as we speak," Qrow said slowly. Winter froze.

"What?!" She hadn't considered this. What were the odds there would be another bot loose, and in the District that the General had sent the Brotherhood too? Her mind was working furiously now, trying to piece together what had happened.

When she had visited Dr. Polendina's secret lab, there had been multiple vessels, similar to Penny in size and each looking like a young teen in appearance, hanging on the wall like marionette puppets. She doubted Dr. Polendina had let them loose into the city, at least not on his own. Someone who worked for Salem must have stolen the vessels or threatened Dr. Polendina.

"They're taking over the city, district by district," Winter said, mind working rapidly, frantically. "Except these robots don't seem to have Auras within them. Not like Penny Polendina did."

"Really?" Qrow asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes. There was something different about the way the Pennybot acted. There was no intent or thought in his actions. Someone sent them to destroy different areas of Atlas, to create fear-,"

"Which will attract the Grimm," Qrow finished for her. Winter nodded. "But I don't think that's it. If Salem is doing all this to create fear, and attract Grimm to the city, she's set on bringing Atlas down."

"This is a major move on her part," Winter agreed. "She's broken Vale, and she tried to break Mistral, but we stopped it. If she takes out Atlas, she takes out the most technologically advanced military in the world." Winter suddenly felt very defensive of her kingdom. It wasn't perfect, but she refused to let some sinister being who hid in the shadows and never showed her face to destroy it for some unknown reason. "Qrow, what's our plan here? What should we do?" Qrow crossed his arms, pacing back and forth. The scowl on his face grew.

"Let's find Jimmy," Qrow said, taking a step. Winter crossed in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "What?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Why, you think I'm gonna do something?" Qrow asked. He almost sounded hurt.

"No, I'm worried that if we speak to the General before anything happens, he'll order me elsewhere or make a decision without the Brotherhood," she said quickly. Qrow considered her words.

"All right. That's fair enough." He grinned. "Who would have thought you'd be the one who wanted to avoid Jimmy."

"Please don't joke about it. It's not like that," Winter insisted. "This is just a precarious situation."

The streetlamps shut off then, each one blinking out like a dying star, until the entire street was dark. Winter had never seen Atlas without light before. Had it been any other situation, it might have been beautiful. But right now it was terrifying. Especially because in the darkness, the sounds of fighting and screaming could be heard all around them.

"No," she breathed. Qrow looked over at her in concern. Winter's Scroll buzzed in her pocket, and she swiped it open to see a dozen new messages from various Specialists and Atlas soldiers. "There's another Pennybot in the Main Square. And one by the Grand Station."

Qrow's Scroll buzzed, and he picked it up, face paling. "It's from Ori. He, Chan, and Zap split from the others to chase after a seperate bot."

"They're already out," Winter said.

"Was Mantle hit?"

Qrow checked his Scroll again. "Doesn't look like it." Winter pursed her lips.

"That's strange…"

"But for now, the military and the Brotherhood are fighting each of them." Qrow sounded like he was trying to reassure her. Yes, there was that. But Winter could barely focus on Qrow's words. It took her a moment to realize her legs were propelling her forward, back in the direction of where the General had been before. Qrow caught up to her, reaching out a hand. "Schnee, where are you going?"

"To the General."

"... Didn't you just say we weren't going to do that?"

"Yes. But with this whole situation escalating, I need to ask him something."

"What?"

"I want him to evacuate the city," Winter said.

"Do you think he'll agree?" Qrow asked.

"I think the chances are slim." Qrow made a small sound in the back of his throat, and Winter thought that he agreed with her, but he wasn't saying anything out of respect - if not for the General, then at least for her.

This was all happening too quickly.

"Is this what it was like?" she asked in a low tone as they headed down the street. "Back at Beacon that night?" Qrow paused.

"Yes. This is what it felt like. And that's what worries me," Qrow answered. "Because we haven't hit the worst part yet. I can feel it. Salem wouldn't pull a tiny stunt like this, just to scare us. Not when she could take the kingdom of Atlas by surprise."

If Qrow considered the rampage of multiple armed robots that were meant to be classified and the fact that someone might have broken into Atlas' secret labs, then Winter didn't want to imagine what else Salem had in store.

An explosion suddenly shook the entire area, a plume of black smoke billowing into the sky. The boom echoed across the entire city. Winter braced herself, instinctively holding out a hand to Qrow. She realized a moment later what she was doing, and quickly withdrew her hand before he noticed.

"What was that?" Qrow asked in disbelief.

"I'm not sure. It sounded like it came from a few streets over," Winter said. "We should go, now." Qrow nodded in agreement, and then the two were off, racing through the streets of Atlas. Winter was racking her brains to try and figure out what could have caused such an explosion. Dust, perhaps. But Atlas kept its Dust well protected. Street lamps and any vehicles that were powered by Dust weren't prone to explosions and were encased in specific materials for that exact reason. A Dust store could have caught fire, but surely they would have seen or heard the effects of multiple types of Dust going off. This explosion had sounded quite normal, though loud. A loud, fiery blast.

Winter frowned, a sinking feeling filling her gut. Qrow ran ahead of her.

"Right here, Schnee!" he called. That feeling in the pit of her stomach grew worse. Winter's eyes widened, the last puzzle piece slipping into place in her mind. She shot forward with the help of a glyph, reaching out an arm towards Qrow.

"Qrow, stop!" she yelled, grabbing his arm and yanking him back just as a large ball of fire shot past them, right through the spot where Qrow had been standing.

Three things happened at that moment.

The fire ball hit a building and left a huge, burnt spot that nearly encapsulated the whole thing. Flames began to lick out the windows.

Then a loud siren filled the air. The sound filled the sky and reached every corner of the street. No matter what kingdom you came from, anyone would recognize this sound, so similar to the one that blared across Vale on the night Beacon fell. It meant a Grimm invasion.

And finally, the soft, clinking of heels walking down the street made Qrow and Winter turn to see what - or who - was the cause.

Off in the distance, a young, beautiful woman with light-olive skin and dark hair sashayed toward them, her crimson dress blowing in the phantom breeze. As she walked closer, Winter could make out the yellow-orange glow of her eyes, and a scar that twisted up the side of her face and curled the corner of her mouth into a permanent, ghoulish sneer.

"Hello, Atlas," the woman purred. "It's good to be back. Has James missed me?"

The Fall Maiden had indeed woken up. She was no longer frozen on top of Beacon tower. Cinder Fall was here.

And that would not be the worst that Qrow and Winter saw that night.

XXX

I'm happy to finally get this chapter out, though I admit, I kept going back and rereading it. There was a lot I wanted to include, and there's a lot that's happening in the story right now, so I was unsure of whether this would be a good part to stop. I also wanted to make sure that I didn't miss anything or forget to include something important! We've reached a very pivotal part of this story. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

NinaVale: Thank you! As always, you are too kind but I greatly appreciate your reviews, and I'm always so happy that you enjoyed the chapter. Ironically, Kendall and the twins were some of my favorite members of the Brotherhood to write. I'd love to share more about them, but I don't want to spoil anything in future chapters. And you've hit the nail on the head with Atlas, James, and their reliance on technology. I'm not sure I can say everything was 100 percent intentional, but it is definitely an important theme of the kingdom of Atlas in this story.

hypernova2718: Thank you for the review! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

GojiraFan:Thank you for the review! It's incredibly flattering to hear that any part of my story gave a reader an emotional response, so thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it!