"You're shaking."

Severian chuckled lightly. It cut the tension in the elevator as Severian Ashbringer and Selena Rustin rose up the Atlesian skyscraper.

"Of course I'm shaking. After all, this is the worst assignment in the military."

Selena could not help but lift a brow at that.

"I don't think I follow," she said unsurely, "Isn't it a good thing to visit friends? Can't she help us?"

Severian shook his head sourly.

"You're making a lot of assumptions there. For one thing, Artoria isn't exactly someone I'd call a friend. If anything, I'd call her a coworker."

Selena narrowed her purple eyes in suspicion.

"Dare I ask why not a friend?"

"Well, eh, Artoria is the type of woman who not only ends up on the cover of those pretentious magazines, but also personally knows the name of every employee of Atlas charities. So, she's kind of, em...", Severian trailed off.

"A perfect little good girl who's too pure for this sinful world?"

The black haired huntsmen snapped his fingers, "There you go! She's a stuck up b*tch. Anyway, don't say anything, but my hands aren't exactly clean. I've taken and given bribes, had some investigators disappear, and embezzled enough money to buy Beacon Academy. Since we were on a team together and are both in the Atlas military, we get teamed up for a lot of projects."

"So, she caught you red-handed?"

"No, I covered my tracks well enough. She can't prove anything, thank the brother gods, but she knows I'm a 'corruptive' influence in Atlas. Every time we meet up, she's onto me like a flea on a faunus. It makes my job here all the harder, since she'll take it something awful when it's from me of all people."

For the first time, Selena faced her elder directly in an indignation.

"What does it matter that this is harder? General Ironwood ordered you to tell her about Ebonvale. And in case you forgot, my friend is still back there suffering gods' know what. If Artoria can help us, then we need to ask no matter how hard it is for you to swallow your pride."

Severian didn't face her, but with tired red eyes lowered, he sighed.

"You're right that we should get her help with the situation. Honestly I'd prefer to skip to that part. Besides, your friend demonstrated an interesting semblance, she needs to be rescued as soon as possible. Although, I don't think you know what we're here for. I wasn't ordered to come here to ask for help. I'm here to break the news that half the team is gone."

Whatever indignation Selena felt dissipated, replaced by a sense of shame. Severian had to endure the same thing she had: the death of teammates. Those same huntsmen had even saved her life at the cost of their own. Selena was so focused on going back to save Caitlin she ignored the full gravity of what happened back in Ebonvale. Her friend was captured, but so many had been killed.

"I'll admit, kid, I've never been much of a team player. Beowulf was a little too noble for me and Irvine was frankly a buzzkill. Even so, we were team ABIS, the best damn huntsmen to emerge from Atlas Academy. Even if I hate sentimentality, I owe it to those two to break the news to Artoria. Once that's done, we're going to get back out there and get some revenge."

Revenge was something Selina could get behind. She offered him a nod, to which he reciprocated.

The ring of the elevator bell notified them of their arrival to the top floor. Selena braced herself to speak with yet another superior. Artoria Sabre, though dismissed by the more cynical in society, has a strong reputation as the ideal of an Atlesian specialist and is admired by thousands. An itch of nervousness creeped up her spine.

After a moment, the doors opened to the finest suite the Atlas military could offer. An open loft colored in pale blues and sterile whites greeted them. The couches and chairs were designed in a plain, spartan manner, yet the quality of the fabrics used was unquestionable. The walls boasted no decor, reflecting the cold and unexpressive nature of the kingdom. The main feature of the suite was the glass wall that offered a spectacular view of the city of Atlas below. There, standing before the glow of the city night, was Artoria Sabre, the apex of the Specialist Forces, and Winter Schnee, the right hand of General Ironwood.

Selena held back her surprise to see Winter Schnee as much as possible. Garbed in the elaborate and spotless dressed uniform of the Atlas Specialist Division, she cut an imposing figure only a Schnee could manage. Artoria, in contrast, was garbed in a white dress of the caped patchwork variety, taking the appearance of a high-class civilian for those unknowledgeable of her profession. The two Specialist Huntresses seemed deep in serious discussion. It was not deep enough, however, for the them to fail to notice the unexpected visitors. Both glared in suspicion squarely upon Severian, who shrugged off the hostility with practiced apathy. He did linger in their gaze before at last speaking, though Selena wondered if it wouldn't have been better had he kept his mouth shut.

"Ladies. I've come to report on the aftermath of the recent battle. We lost, and our dear leader got himself killed."

_______________________________________

Among the incredibly long list of talents Winter Schnee possessed that Selena was aware of, tending to bruises was not one of them. Though to be fair, there are rumors concerning the Schnees that are less than pleasant. Seems they were true. Winter carefully tended to a harsh blackened swell on Severian's face, right below his right eye. Of course, she did so whilst scolding him with an unimpressed scowl.

"As the Captain of the Atlas Military's Experimental Division, I would have expected that your grasp on tact would at least be somewhat proficient and not entirely lacking. I must confess, my opinion of you is greatly reduced."

Severian winced at the pain.

"Granted, that wasn't my finest hour."

"Then why did you break the news in such a fashion?", Winter demanded.

She was answered with a low chuckle.

"Panicked. I stopped thinking and just blurted it out in the same way I usually talk to the princess."

Both Selena and Winter shot him disapproving glares.

"What?", Severian dared defensively, "I'm not a sentimental person. I was told to break the news and I did. If she can't handle that, then it's her problem."

Winter moved to speak some rebuttal, but thought better of it, choosing to avoid extended conversation with the man.

"I'll not bother myself with your personal concerns then. Though I do urge you to speak with her again before tomorrow. And this time, at least attempt to possess some sense of tact."

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say."

As Winter left the room, Severian leaned towards Selena in a conspiratorial manner.

"It's like talking to my mother all over again."

He was met with an unimpressed expression.

"Don't tell me you're with that woman on this. Artoria is one thing, but the Schnee has a stick up her arse. Course, with how close she is with Ironwood, I wouldn't be surprised if he lived up to his namesake with her, eh?"

Selena scoffed in disgust.

"Can you not talk about people like that? I thought adults were supposed to be more mature."

"Hah! That's where you're wrong little missy. Dig down deep enough, and even the most upright and "mature" adults are as vulgar and depraved as they come. Did it never occur to you why Council member Camilla has no aids older than twenty-five? They always vanish after they get older. I wonder why that is."

Selena dropped her guard for a moment. In retrospect, that was true. In all the years the Councilwoman has sat on the Council, her aids were always the same in appearance and age. Surely that had to be coincidence? Doubts began to crop up in her mind, but she didn't believe Severian just yet.

"Whatever. So when do we leave?"

"Hmm, I'd say not until tomorrow."

Caught off guard, Selena couldn't hide her surprise. Her expression bought her a condescending smirk.

"Better enjoy it, brat. This is likely your only chance to sleep like the upper crust. After tonight, you'll have to get used to leathery cots and thin, itchy blankets. Now get going. Yours is room number three."

Selena bit back a demand, deciding against further discussion with a man who proved increasingly irritable to be around.

"Just... Whatever."

She left him in the loft, retiring to her assigned bedroom. Passing by the right of the exit, she found it without much trouble. Paired with room four next to it, she almost felt like she was in an Atlas Academy dorm. The room Selena had been given, as she quickly found out, was in many ways a reflection of the loft: cold colored, sterile, and spartan in design. Boasting only a desk, a bed with a blue and white comforter, and a small holo screen computer, it was emblematic of the military character of the kingdom. Any other kingdom, Vacuo included, would find such a sparse room a serious social blunder. Even so, this was what Selena grew up on. For her, it might as well have been home.

Turning off the lights, she collapsed onto the bed and considered what she would do next. Frankly, she felt helpless. That's right, she was just a helpless one armed girl who was way out of her depth. There was no way she could rescue Caitlin on her own, but Atlas was moving too slow. The Eclipse Syndicate, meanwhile, was growing stronger by the day. With that in mind, being "out of her depth" was something of an understatement. While she bullied and laughed away her days at Atlas Academy, Nathan and Brittany were plotting the Kingdom's downfall. No one except maybe Tracy were any the wiser about what was approaching.

"Was that why the three of you always looked down on us?" Selena sighed staring into the darkness, "Did we seem so naive? To think I fooled myself into believing Brittany was my rival. You never even took notice of me, did you?"

Time ticked by for what seemed like eternity. Eventually doubt and uncertainty gave way to exhaustion, and she passed into sleep.

______________________________________

With a cry of defiance, they had charged and slammed into the enemy lines. For a moment, it seemed as though victory was in their grasp, but then their leader was beheaded within view of the whole army. After that, confusion and panic reigned as everyone fled to the remaining airships. With enemy ships appearing in the night sky, Grimm rushing into the fray, and wrathful foes surging after them, any chance of reforming was lost. Selena didn't care about that, however. She was more concerned with her friend, Caitlin, being taken captive by that faunus.

The rush of fresh enemies had prevented her from following after Caitlin, and she was forced to fall back with the others, parrying hostile blows and cutting down overextended bandits all along the way. Escape, at least, was a simple task. One arm or two, she was still one of the higher tier students of Atlas Academy. Even a handicapped huntress-in-training can give an incautious thug a harsh lesson in the differences in their abilities. Still, she could only fall back. To halt the retreat or counterattack would be suicide.

It was a terrifying sight heading back to the airships. Like cold, white spectres, lobster-shaped Consortium ships appeared out of the dark night and into view of the Ebonvale searchlights, firing neon green bolts into the Atlesian warships that dared to share their skies. The wrath of the enemy was a dreadful thing, freezing the blood of even the veterans who watched these airships advance upon them. Selena, however, felt no fear, but instead felt that something was wrong about the image before her. It had something to do with the color of the sky, she thought, but she needed to focus and so dismissed her concerns, returning her attention to the evacuation. What transports remaining on the ground were at risk as scores of Grimm, attracted to the chaos and fear, swarmed to the evacuation site. Only the specialists managed to form a perimeter to defend the remnants of the Atlesian army.

The chaos progressed rapidly. Too rapidly. The progress of battle was a swift affair, but Selena could have sworn that the field was larger. She couldn't seem to remember crossing that great a distance. Even having arrived at the landed transports, her creeping unease did not diminish. Why, she thought, did the evacuation point seem lit up as though in a spotlight on a stage? Standing amongst the Atlesian forces, she considered what was really happening. With the flowing stream of realization that something was off, she became ever more aware that her body wasn't moving of its own accord. In fact, the more she willed it to move, the more it defied her and remained still. It was certainly for ill, as an acute sense of danger washed over her.

"I don't... Why do I know what's coming?"

Her loss of movement was punished with a scythe blade wrapping around her abdomen. She did not panic, however, as the scythe shortly fell to her feet, it's wielder, one of many rogue specialists, slumped over dead behind her. An arrow shaft stuck out from his abdomen.

"Rustin!"

Selena got a good look at her savior. Irvine, the huntsman, in both the professional and survivalist definitions of the word, of team ABIS. Between his hood and mask, Selena could only make out his pale white eyes, which held an unusual glow to them. Perhaps more disturbingly however, was the fact he was covered in injuries. Still-bleeding bullet holes riddled his abdomen and more than a few daggers and swords were impaled into his flesh.

"Why aren't you running? You did last time," Irvine accused with a passive tone.

A cry of violent wrath reverberated from the sky above. Selena looked to the source of the cry. She only briefly managed to glimpse an enraged Brittany Lilith standing at the open hanger door of a Consortium airship, arm outstretched as though a warlord unleashing a heathen horde. More pressingly, however, was the serpentine streams of fire spiraling towards the remnants of Atlas forces. Although it was well known back at the academy that Brittany had a gift for employing dust as though casting spells, it was another thing entirely to bear witness to it. A cry of terror emanated from Selena as she was consumed in flames.

______________________________________

Selena awoke from her bed panting. Throat dry and covered in sweat, she spent an unbearable about of time calming down as the visceral memory of her nightmare faded. The room was still dark, and a quick look at her scroll confirmed she had only slept for about three hours. It was better than she'd feared, less than was healthy. She gripped the stump of what was her right arm. It wasn't comforting but it kept her grounded.

"Damnit. Is this what the life of a huntress is like?"

Her grip hardened.

"Is this what we're going to be doing for the rest of our lives?"

She sat in silence, her mind dueling itself as a dreaded sense of fatalism and desperate searches for comforting thoughts fought for preeminence. After some time, she began to overhear the dull sound of what she presumed was a heated argument. Though tired, she didn't want to revisit her nightmares, so she elected to quietly eavesdrop on the conversation. Getting out of bed, she crept out of her room and carefully made her way to the foyer, stopping behind the corner to avoid detection. She recognized the voices of Artoria and Severian.

"Have you at least got your new weapon yet?"

"Yes. They came in from my family not long before you arrived. I'll admit, it was something of a shock to lose Glimmer, all the more so after learning who it was that destroyed it."

"You know her?"

"She's my sister, one who I thought had died some time ago. It seems she's taken the name Sapphire Drey instead of the one our parents gave her."

"Are these new weapons capable of beating her, or are we going to see a repeat of what happened last time?"

"They'll do the trick. The broad blades of the rapiers are made of special lightning and gravity dust, for a surprise that should put her on the back foot. I named them Addewid and Cof, a promise to serve justice for Irvine."

"Great, a revenge oath."

"It isn't about revenge, Ashbringer! I could have done something if I was there. I know how to lead men, how to watch his back. I could have saved him!"

"There wasn't much we could have done. The Knights and Paladins made up a third of the army, and they were wiped out early on. As for the rest of the men, pft. Outdated fighter tanks and men armed more as riot police than soldiers. We were walking into a slaughter."

"The Atlas Council had concluded-"

"The Council concluded shite. A full army of men from the reserves and garrisons and they arm them with riot gear and standard issue carbines. The tanks they gave us had no shielding either. Not much good it would do anyway with the artillery the Syndicate was packing."

"Artillery?!"

"Yes, artillery. I bet my hide they got those cannons from the Trade Cartel. I'd recognize their flash fire anywhere. Apparently the brilliant minds of the Council didn't account for the Syndicate being anything more than a large gathering of bandits armed with pistols and two by fours. With what we had, we barely made holes in their lines before being flanked and torn apart. We couldn't even get proper air support, because the craft got annihilated by a combination of AA guns and A DAMNED VAMPYRE SWARM. Oh yes, what a great idea it was, issuing old model ships that the engineers couldn't have been bothered to choose between designing as a fighter, a bomber, or a transport! It was a wonder any of them lasted as long as they did in the air. It's such a pleasure using gear from the last century against a lunatic with heavy artillery and dreams of world domination!"

Severian breathed a long, tired sigh. He looked to the ceiling in a quiet pause, then chuckled at his own expense. It wasn't like him to get so worked up, he thought.

"Everything that could have gone wrong, did. Ironwood is using the disaster to grab even more power out from under the Council. He's been working at rebounding the army, but he needs time and results. We are to give him both. You and I are to command the Experimental Corps and conduct search and destroy missions against anyone deemed a threat to the security of Atlas. Martial law is to be established."

Artoria bit her lip.

"Must we treat civilians such a way?"

"People need to know the consequences of crossing Atlas, and given how thin a string you're on with the Council, I don't think you have a choice. Whether they're a rioter or a disturber of the peace, they are to be dealt with with extreme prejudice. But look on the bright side, we get to test out my personal hunting dogs.  Kholad Andersmith alone has provided something amounting to three successful ice based semblance users. Ironwood signed the orders, surely you can bear with it?"

"How do I know you're telling the truth? My understanding is that he didn't approve of the program. Such an extreme measure doesn't sound like him."

"Eh, well, maybe the Martial law part was more the Council trying wrest power back from Ironwood, but hey, same difference. Besides, times are changing. Even the General has to adapt."

"I can't say I'm comfortable with the Experimental Corps. It isn't right to breed a semblance, even if they are faunus."

To say Selena couldn't believe what she was hearing was something of an understatement. Martial law? Faunus supersoldiers? She thought it sounded like the plot of a cheesy Mistrial cartoon. It was all the more jarring to her that General Ironwood is behind it. Although he was always rather strict, every student, even Austin, agreed he was a role model everyone respected. Concerned and conflicted, Selena crept away silently back to her room. Taking a seat on her bed, she felt that despite her exhaustion, she didn't want to make the effort to go to sleep. Nothing had changed in the darkness, yet after what she heard she had even more thoughts keeping her up.

As if things weren't stressful enough, now she has reason to question Ironwood of all people. Sure, Atlas has always been on the government control side of things, but never to the point of using the military against ordinary people. As for Faunus experiments, Selena had a bit of trouble balancing her conscience. On one hand, the ethical implications alone is dystopian. On the other hand, despite her efforts to better herself, she still couldn't shake her dislike of Faunus. It wasn't their fault, she knows that, but she despised them for so long that a part of her is satisfied it's Faunus being experimented on.

"By the Divine, why did I become such a horrible person?", Selena moaned to herself.

She wondered if this cringing feeling she held against herself was the same as everyone concerning her and Austin. She reminisced on how cruel they were to people. Was it Austin who influenced her, or was she always this terrible? More pressingly, since Atlas is doing and planning to do these terrible things to people, is Atlas terrible because of what Nathan and Brittany have done, or was Atlas always this terrible? ASTC served it's internship at Solitude, the darkest secret of the kingdom she knows of. Is Ironwood just running out of options or is this sort of thing something he's been wanting to do for a while now? She did not come to any satisfying answers. A quick rattle of knocks at her door caught her off guard. The door opened before she could respond. Standing there was Winter Schnee. She was no longer in uniform, having exchanged it for a snow white night dress that looked far too expensive for even Selena's wallet. The fierce, striking figure of General Ironwood's right hand now appeared to her the very picture of demure maidenhood.

"Pardon the intrusion, but I can tell you're troubled. Might I lend an ear? It isn't much but it may help."

Even her manner of speech has softened considerably. Selena pulled her legs up, wrapping her arm around them and pressing her cheek to her knees. She figured if anyone could give her comforting answers, it may as well be Winter. She nods, to which Winter enters the room and stands by the foot of her bed. She gives Selena a comforting smile. It's a rare thing to see from the specialist, almost motherly in it's own way.

"Ms. Schnee, Ironwood is a good guy, right? He cares about people?"

Winter's brow furrowed slightly in apprehension.

"Yes, of course. Where did this come from?"

"I'm just a little confused. General Ironwood has always seemed like such a fatherly figure to us students back at Atlas Academy. But... I overheard Artoria and Severian talk about these horrible things Ironwood is about to do. It's more than a little jarring to hear that he oversaw so many terrible things. I just want my friend back, but it sounds more and more as though rescuing Caitlin would be a happy side effect instead of a goal."

Winter sighed wearily. It was clear she had entertained the same notion.

"I know the General has his faults. After all, the defense of a kingdom forces him to consider what is good for the people rather than what we may consider to be morally correct. Even so, I know he has nothing but the best of intentions", Winter looked to Selena in earnest, "I know it, because if it wasn't for him, I would not be here."

Selena raised a brow to this nugget of information, wondering what a story that must have been. Winter obliges her curiosity.

"I am the firstborn of the Schnee family. As such, it was expected of me to lead the company as it's heiress. Ever since my debut in Atlas, everyone had great expectations for the 'noble Schnee', none more than my father. Yes, the uglier rumors are true, my father was a cruel and manipulative caretaker. I was never allowed anywhere on my own, I was forced to attend countless events that served no other purpose than to show me off, and the closest I've ever felt of familial love was from my two younger siblings, both of whom I rarely had a chance to see."

Winter clenched her eyes shut as she leaned against the wall.

"I felt trapped, like a caged bird. I couldn't turn to anyone for help. Weiss and Whitley were too young to understand, my mother was so detached from it all, and those outside the family seemingly took my father's side. I started to accept it after a while. No more rebellious behavior or objecting opinions, just obedience. Then, I was introduced to James Ironwood."

Her voice released a good deal of tension as she spoke the General's name, particularly his first name, something Selena caught notice of. The young huntress refrained from commenting on the scandalous endearment with which Winter regarded her superior.

"I'm not sure what he saw in me, but Ironwood suggested to my father that I complete my education at Atlas Academy. Why father accepted, I don't know. Perhaps he viewed it as a way to further tie Ironwood to the Schnees' interests. My time under his tutelage was the very best of my life. I made friends, learned how to be a huntress, and found a sense of confidence and accomplishment that I've never had before. When I graduated, Ironwood offered me a captaincy amongst the Atlas Specialists. I, of course, accepted. I wanted to follow him wherever he went, even if that meant conceding the title of heiress. No, perhaps it's especially because it meant conceding the title of heiress."

Winter paused for a moment. A million different thoughts and emotions swirling through her eyes as she gazed at nothing in particular. When she spoke again, Selena could see a sadness to her.

"My father, however, refused to let me go. He demanded that my rank be rescinded and I to be sent back to the Schnee estate, under his care. If Ironwood refused, then my father would double the cost of dust shipments to the Army and the Academy. I thought it was over, my career ending before it began. I knew how important those shipments were to Atlas. James only had so much money from the budget, after all."

Pushing herself off the wall, she met Selena's gaze.

"In response to this threat, though, he pulled out his scroll and contacted his Secretary of Kingdom Resources. Do you know what he said? He told them to cut funding for multiple projects, some I had never even heard of, and reallocate the funds to the dust budget. Once done, he put away his scroll and told me to join him in his office."

Winter placed her hand on Selena's shoulder, her eyes encouraging.

"If you can trust nothing else, trust that General Ironwood cares. He may grow cynical, he may appear controlling at times, but he always cares. Ironwood will stop at nothing to ensure Caitlin is rescued. We will get your friend back, Selena. I guarantee it."

Winter spoke with conviction, for there wasn't a single doubt in her mind. Even to her own surprise, Selena believed the veteran huntress. She would believe in Ironwood, and perhaps get some revenge by the end of it.