"What the fuck were they thinking?!" General Ravyn shouted as she stormed into the circular council room. An emergency joint meeting of the available World Council members and the Vale Grand Council members had been called here. Jack scanned the few already present. Most dutifully ignored the raging woman, wishing to avoid her wrath. A few, however, gave her their attention as an entourage of IRS soldiers filtered out to form a perimeter – not that the Vale Police Department hadn't already done so. Ravyn was just prone to an overly cautious method of operation.

"General Rose, please, refrain from such unnecessarily crude language," Jaeger said. A thin and chiseled face held a slightly disgusted expression, mint cream eyes expressing some of the underlying annoyance. His snow white locks were pulled into a ponytail not unlike hers, though his stopped around the middle of his back. A crisp white suit and red tie rounded out the Schnee CEO's dapper appearance. "That ship seemed unaffected by our efforts, I'm sure they acted with the best intentions."

"Would that be because you ordered them to do so?" Ravyn said, turning to face the man with a cold stare. It always gave Jack a shiver up his spine to see those eyes like that, the raging storm of her fury bearing down on some unfortunate victim. Jaeger, however, was completely undeterred, remaining as cool and collected as he'd been before she entered.

"I had nothing to do with it. Was I not the one who instituted the ban upon firing within an inhabited kingdom? I simply voiced the opinion that they tried something drastic when all else seemed doomed to fail. Perhaps such measures wouldn't have been necessary if the good men and women of the Intergovernmental Remnant Security department had had their General leading them in battle instead of wandering off to Dust knows where," he said. Ravyn's body flickered with a red tint – he hit a nerve.

Jack sighed. This was the one thing he hated about coming to Vale. These two got along together about as well as oil mixed in water. The fact that neither was known to compromise in the best of circumstances certainly didn't help. He rubbed his temples, fighting off the exhaustion induced headache from earlier in the day. He couldn't wait until he could get some rest – unfortunately, he knew that would have to wait until much later tonight. Someone in his position would need to be present for any discussions and press interaction following everything that had just happened. He glanced up to the shattered windows, eyeing the reddening sky as the sun dipped toward the horizon. They'd known it was coming, and they'd still been blindsided. How? How had it worked out so well in the White Fang's favor?

"I was making sure my daughter was safe, seeing as she was one of their targets. How is yours doing?" Ravyn asked. Well, here comes the "who's the least shitty parent" argument. Really, neither of them had a right to tell the other how to deal with their children considering the way they acted toward them.

"She's quite alright, no thanks to you," Jaeger said.

"No thanks to me? I had a search and protect order throughout every tier of law enforcement and military in existence, and you have the gall to say no thanks to me?" Why give Jack any credit? It's not like he had issued that order or anything.

"For the entire team, yes – and yet you lost the little bea-er, Belladonna girl! My droids had much higher effectiveness out there while searching for her, holding White Fang off of our young huntresses-to-be and ensuring their safety when that accident occurred." While searching for her? Weiss told them to do that. And I'm sure me busting my ass to make that shield had nothing to do with their safety during that accident, Jack thought with a tired glare toward the two of them. Do you even know how many people I had to kill to do that? How many lives I wasted? Then he fought down a grim chuckle. Why would Jaeger care? They had been faunus. Even so, he was done with this.

He decided to cut in before Ravyn could speak. "Look, I'd hate to interrupt your 'discussion,' but could we get back to the issue at hand and leave the bad parent's pissing contest until later?"

A flicker went across the storm grey eyes as Ravyn turned away immediately. Anger and hurt? It had been a bit harsh, he supposed. He did know her situation, so it wasn't exactly a fair statement. He'd deal with that later, however.

"Mr. Irving! How dare you?" Jaeger exclaimed.

"Cut the shit, Jaeger, I'm too tired for it. I just want to get this over and done with so I can get some rest – because unlike you two, I was undoubtedly out on the front lines helping those girls," he said, glaring at the man with heavy lidded eyes. Jaeger's jaw moved, as though contemplating a rebuttal. When he remained silent and Ravyn turned back to look at him, he continued. "Now," he said, projecting his voice for the half full hall, "I'm glad Mr. Schnee brought up those spiderdroids. Apparently, one of them went rogue and attacked some IRS soldiers out by a marina. It killed two of them, hospitalizing the others."

The pale and calm face became indignant. "That's preposterous – there's no way something like that could have happened. Those machines are the epitome of safety and security, only harming threats to their designated ward!"

"For once, I think I agree. What exactly happened?" Ravyn said, brow furrowed.

"Well, we don't have much because only one was conscious for any amount of time. Apparently, however, they thought it was going to help them fight some suspicious individuals they thought were White Fang – they both had masks, one with prominent ears of some kind. When they neared to assist it, it fought them off with an odd sound – he said it was a laugh. It caught them unawares, and they were taken out before they really had any time to respond. It was found destroyed, so presumably the two individuals who had been fighting it won and escaped," Jack explained, checking his scroll to make sure he'd gotten everything the soldier had told them.

Ravyn glanced toward another soldier in the back, this one wearing a modified form of the standard armor. It was segmented, as though they were scales. Seeing the face of her helmetless head, however, told him they were metal feathers. Deputy Head of the IRS, Mindaro Morrigan. He remembered her because he'd been surprised to find out Mindaro was a woman – to think both of the most badass and highest ranked military minds of Remnant were of the so called fairer sex.

"Mindy," Ravyn began, "Do you think…?"

"I've no doubt it was him. Makes sense – supposedly General Taurus was leading from within that sub," she replied.

"General Taurus… the head of the Vytal Super-chapter? The guy directly under the Alpha, correct?" Jaeger inquired.

"The one and the same," Mindaro replied.

"Also, the adoptive father of Blake Belladonna," Jack put in, recalling what he'd read of the girl's file.

"I had not realized she had been so close to them. So, is the rumor propagating around correct? Was that girl the sole reason they were here?" Jaeger asked.

"That seems to be the case," Ravyn answered a furrowed brow and distracted stare. "If he was here, then their mouse likely was as well. The question is, who was he after?"

"Who is 'the mouse?'" Jack called out in an exasperated sigh.

"Whitaker Myska, one of the infamous Myska brothers," Mindaro replied. "There was a big issue back in the day when the oldest's semblance was discovered. Come to think of it, weren't-"

"Lieutenant General Morrigan," Ravyn cut in harshly. "I advise you let old ghosts rest." She quieted, looking as though she wanted to apologize. Dust, he was glad he worked with Ravyn instead of under her – owing her for getting him his job was bad enough.

"I am afraid that does not ring any bells," Jaeger spoke up. Jack sympathized. The name "Myska" sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember the story associated with it.

"You may better know them as the technomancers we were worried about some years back," Ravyn said. Ah, them. That was before his time at the World Government, but he'd heard about it afterward. That's right, the Myska's had apparently put the World Council's tail between their legs, as well as Menagerie's and Asylum's – one of the few times all of them had agreed upon something. Each feared the other would acquire them – and subsequently, their power. So, they'd ended up with the White Fang?

"That's right – we drove the survivors to the White Fang. I remember now. So, one of them was responsible for my droid malfunctioning? How so?"

"Remote access and control of machinery are possible through the semblance of Whitaker Myska. He's usually in Rakuen, but he's close to General Taurus. He was probably brought in to deal with your droids. Well, that and the surveillance system, which also explains why none of our ambushes worked and they were consistently a step ahead of us. What I don't get is why he had the droid. The soldier said they had masks?" Mindy nodded to Ravyn, Jack joining her. "Then were they not White Fang?"

"Well…" Jack said, looking to Mindaro. She'd been out on the arena with him, at least at the end. He hadn't recognized her out there with the helmet, but she'd been one of the few who'd rallied to his cry for long range attacks against the submarine.

"There wasn't just the White Fang to consider," Mindaro replied. "The local mobsters, including those tied to Torchwick, were all fighting as well." Ravyn went to speak, but Mindaro cut in again. "On our side." Ravyn shut her mouth.

"I had known they were resisting the White Fang, but are you sure they were… 'on our side?'" she finally asked.

"Hei Xiong, Melanie Malachite, and Miltiades Malachite were all helping protect the Primary Assets. Miltia was seen specifically working with your daughter, sir." Ravyn considered the information. She'd likely heard about the "aid" coming from the mobsters, but to find out they were actually assisting in the exact mission? That probably had never even occurred to her. Jack himself had found it hard to believe, and he saw it firsthand.

"How...?" Ravyn murmured to herself. She ran a hand through her ponytail as she thought.

"Please, General Rose, share your thoughts. My attempts at acquiring mind reading technology have not progressed far," Jaeger spoke again in a bored tone. She gave him a glare, but took a breath.

"How did they know the White Fang's objective?" Jack's mind hit a wall. Shit, how had they known? Miltia had been on Yang's back before he'd even had time to react to the attack. How hadn't he thought about that yet? Well, it had been a long and rushed day – he was tired and his mind was hazy. Even so, that was a major oversight on his part. Looking up, he saw a similar look on Mindaro's face. Her dark eye shadow and curly raven locks framed the light green eyes and lips in their shocked expression.

"An inside man," Jaeger said quietly. That had to be it. He'd heard the mafia had been eerily good about countering the White Fang's forces within the city, some tourists celebrating them as heroes without knowing who they were. Whoever this Whitaker fellow had the droid attack must have betrayed them, giving out the intelligence necessary for Xiong's forces to counter as best as they could. But why not come to us? Mindaro voiced the thought as he'd reached it.

"Why do you think?" Ravyn said with a dark chuckle as she looked Jaeger in the eyes. "We'd have been ordered to shoot them on sight and disregard the information as an attempt to lead us astray. Isn't that right, Councilmember?" The pale green eyes narrowed slightly.

"The White Fang have attempted such tactics before. Nothing is beneath those faunus – they will do anything to get the upper hand. You are right, that is exactly what we would have done – and nine times out of ten, we would have been entirely correct in doing so." He hated agreeing with the snow haired asshole on anything, but Jack had to agree. It would not have been the first time the White Fang would have tried to misdirect them with false intelligence.

"Well, until the soldiers wake up or we can recover any recordings, I'd say that's all we can say. The White Fang had a spy in their midst; shame we didn't know to contact them. Now, onto that submarine," Ravyn said, continuing her glare at Jaeger. Really, she loved grilling into this guy, didn't she? Though, in this case, he knew why.

"Oh, do not give me that look! You know as well as I do that the Schnee Dust Company had absolutely nothing to do with that!" he yelled out, seriously losing his cool for the first time.

"You've always been secretive about what your company is doing in these meetings. Are you sure you're not hiding anything?" Mindaro said.

"Am I hiding something? I run a business and my largest competitor is sitting across the damn room! Of course I am hiding something! I am hiding everything I can! Or would you prefer that I sign over the rights to the Schnee Dust Company right now to Mr. Prasino there?" he shouted angrily, pointing toward Giuseppe Prasino. He was a bit overweight, having a short greasy mop of blond hair and a tux that was ill-made and disheveled. Jack was sure that the empty seating around him was due to the inevitable smell of alcohol, smoke, and sex about him, as he was known for absolutely wallowing in the base pleasures of life. Despite that, he had an expert mind for business and management, creating an economic juggernaut that rivaled the half a century old SDC in a single decade. That had earned him a place on the Mistral Advisory, serving as their government's ambassador today while he visited for the festivities. Jaeger took a breath before continuing as Giuseppe leaned forward with a small smirk. "You of all people should know," he continued while meeting Ravyn's glare with his own, "that the Schnee Dust Company's only foray into the world of subaqueous endeavors was in a joint venture with the World Government. We stopped when we failed to find a way to protect them from the deep ocean nautilus and aggressive aquatic khorkhoi. We made several which will never see the light of day again, their crews – made up largely of my engineers – lost to an unmarked watery grave for eternity. I have not invested a single dime into that technology since our last failure nearly a decade ago now. I. Do. Not. Have. ANYTHING. To do with that submarine vessel those terrorists are using. Those guns, on the other hand… well, I told you to do something about them attacking my shipments – guess all those dead soldiers of yours will just have to haunt you until actually do something about it." God damn it.

"If you were not a councilmember..." Ravyn muttered as she shook her head, Mindaro stepping between them with a worried expression. She'd been making her way to the center of the circular room for awhile now. "Fine, we'll assume you had nothing to do with it – though an investigation will take place for you and Giuseppe regardless. You can't blame me for asking, seeing as you claim to have the most cutting edge technology. I suppose we'll have to ask him for some info again… Dust, I hate asking him for favors." Him?

"Do you think the King of-?" Mindaro started, cutting herself off when Ravyn and Jaeger hushed her.

"Do not speak of him by name or title. You should know better than that," Jaeger spoke quickly, as though nervous. Ah, right, the King of Shadows was said to be able to know when he was spoke of. It was prohibited to speak of him by name due to law concerning blacked out huntsmen and huntresses, but that was a law broken regularly among the councils for most other individuals. He was the exception. The codename "King of Shadows" was adopted for his black market activities in securing and ruling Asylum. However, he began listening for that as well, and they had recently begun avoiding speaking of him at all to prevent catching his attention. Jack's plant, Aeliana, creaked around him, sprouts pointing upward. It seemed they were too late, however.

"Should she, Lord Schnee?" a deep voice spoke from the darkness in the domed ceiling. "Why, if I didn't know any better, I would think you were frightened."

"Yasha," Ravyn called. "Always a pleasure. To what do we owe the honor?"

"You called, I came. Now, it seems you were discussing the recent incident you had in Vale today, correct?" Ravyn glanced toward Jack as he did the same. He'd known they were having the meeting. He'd probably been listening the entire time. Jack looked back toward the darkness. After all, Vili was here. "Unfortunately, I cannot assist. Even I do not know where they acquired that ship. I'm quite interested in what Conri is doing myself. Perhaps I will happen upon some information to forward later."

"What about Vili? Why did you send the Prince of Darkness here?" Jack asked.

A hum of bemusement. "I actually have nothing to do with that. Can I assume, by your question, he didn't assist the White Fang?" Yasha answered. Ravyn nodded. "Well, at least we still agree on that. We had a bit of a falling out, you see, so we went our separate ways a few years ago now. You know how children are, always rebelling and wanting to find their own way in life despite your efforts to provide for them." Ravyn and Jaeger both remained silent, but their demeanors changed in a way that suggested they knew what he meant. "Anything else I could help you with, Ravyn?"

"Well, while we have you…" she began, glancing toward Mindaro. "Blake Belladonna. Why is she important?"

A deep chuckle. It brought a chill down Jack's spine, Aeliana rustling around him in displeasure. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said, amusement in his voice.

"Try me," Ravyn stated. "I'm my mother's daughter – you don't scare me." The sky outside the blown out windows darkened, the room seeming to take a twilight gloom. The lights went off entirely, the shadows creeping forward.

When he next spoke, his deep voice lost its mirth and seemed to come from all around them. "Summer had no reason to fear me. You are nothing compared to her, a child lost in the shadow of a goddess. Perhaps you should take a lesson from Jaeger, who always pays me the respect I deserve." Jaeger seemed to be cowering from the encroaching shadows, his eyes trying and failing to muster his usual glare. Indeed, Yasha was not something to trifle with. The World Government had failed to best him before, and getting on his bad side was the last thing they wanted. The fact that very few of the World Council were actually here to prevent Ravyn from stepping a bit out of her bounds was a problem. He needed to ensure she didn't do something they'd all regret. He didn't get the chance to, however.

"General Rose, not too long ago the man was worshipped upon a pedestal as high as your mother's. Give him a bit of civility and he'll repay it in kind. A lack of fear is no reason to show a lack of respect," Giuseppe called toward her.

"Oh, I meant no disrespect, but we both know that was an insult. I'm familiar with how you work, Yasha, and I simply wanted to let you know that intimidation wouldn't work. Not with me," she said. There was no response for a moment before the shadows fell back and the light returned to normal. Truly an absolutely terrifying semblance.

"You are the Head of Intergovernmental Remnant Security, daughter of the greatest huntress, with a connection to me, Tytus, and your former partner. Gain access to the Shizine archives in Rakuen – the priests should be able to help you." The Shizines? Was it history or religion he meant for them to find within the archives? And what on Remnant did that have to do with the White Fang or Blake Belladonna?

"Uh… sir? Lord? Mister King of Shadows, could you give us anything… more specific? Or perhaps point us in the direction of the spy who'd infiltrated them," Mindaro asked, obviously unsure how to address him.

Another laugh. "A spy? Your ignorance of the White Fang's current condition is amusing. No, I don't think I will help you any further. The fact of the matter is your issues are of no concern to me, and you should be glad I'm helping you at all. I've pointed you in the right direction, I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for. Now, I've got a kingdom to run, but this was fun; we should chat like this again sometime. Best of luck," he ended. There was a notable feeling of brightness now that he was not speaking – though Jack had no doubt he was still listening.

The room was immediately abuzz with chatter as various people voiced their opinions on the criminal's involvement. "He can't be trusted," "His service was and continues to be exemplary," "He's a monster," "Than would you rather have him as an ally or an enemy," "We should have just killed him," "Such blasphemy! We could never murder him outright," "Besides, the Grimm can do it for us as usual," "We failed that before."

"Silence!" Ravyn shouted. The council room went deathly quiet. "What are we, a bunch of children, gossiping behind each others' backs?" An apt description, actually. At least, that was Jack's impression from his comparatively short time among the World Government. "He's an ally – for now – and we will keep it that way. Should we decide against it, none of you here would have the authority to make that call – most of you here are only of Vale's Grand Council, are you not?" The majority reluctantly agreed or nodded. "Exactly. You are not authorized to make the call of what foreign entities we seek war with – whether it be our partner Menagerie or the illicit King. Should you have an issue with that, take it up with your representatives, Mr. Schnee and Mr. Alba. Now, onward to the next issue of business," she continued, eyeing the glass from the windows on the ground. "The firing of the RAF Brave Leo's main cannon within inhabited airspace. This act was ruled by the World Council, under strong advisement from our own Jaeger Schnee who designed it, to be illegal due to the high level of disruption and destruction it could cause. Just about every piece of glass within the kingdom has been shattered, with some windows as far away as Beacon Academy having been affected. Some buildings improperly rated and constructed have suffered damage from the tremors and shockwave associated with it. Coastal buildings have been subjected to variable amounts of flood damage from the ensuing wave, with many of the ships and boats being damaged and run aground as well. We'll get to addressing how to deal with these issues in a moment. In the mean time, however, we need to find out why this has occurred in the first place. Who gave the order?"

"I did," a voice called from the hallway. Footsteps approached and then Tytus Alba stepped in, followed by Verginia and a few other members of the World Council who had traveled with them. It was about time they got here. "I apologize for our lateness, everyone. As you were discussing, the docks and marinas have been affected by the blast, delaying our retrieval of our fellow council members from the fleet. Tilt jets were necessary, and people have just been so confused and disorganized in arranging everything."

"So, care to explain the reasoning behind such an act?" Ravyn spoke in a quiet and precise manner. Some unfamiliar with her may take it as respect, but Jack knew that was barely restrained anger.

"Of course. Verginia," he said, quietly motioning to the faunus as he went to sit down. She stepped forward, calling out clearly with her soft voice. What was it he'd heard it described as? A fairy's speech? He had to hold back a laugh at some people's reaction to her – they thought her a sweet and harmless pet, but Jack knew she had claws. He had the bruises from their sparring lessons to prove it.

"It was brought to our attention that the submarine the White Fang were using was enduring any efforts to damage the hull. Upon consideration of our efforts with Mr. Schnee and our failure to counter the aquatic Grimm that plague ship travel, we deduced this submarine must have a level of protection never previously encountered. The RAF Brave Leo was stated to possess a destructive power beyond anything we had previously built. Though it was strongly advised against, we stress that it was merely a high level advisory that prevented firing in inhabited kingdoms. It is stated that under dire circumstances, this restriction could be removed by a World Councilmember, superseding the orders of any other officers of the Mythografos. This includes our own Jack Irving, who was unaware of our decision. Mr. Irving, we apologize for the position we placed you in, but we believe that our course of action was justified. We ask you forgive the men and women of the RAF Brave Leo who were simply following orders, and thank you for your actions in securing the safety of those in the stadium," Verginia stated, standing still and at attention when done. Jack gave Ravyn and Mindaro a glance, noticing Jaeger giving a smug look to the General. Mindaro seemed pacified, but Ravyn was still pissed. He guessed it was best if he took the lead.

"I welcome your thanks and apology, and of course allow the pardon of the RAF Brave Leo's crew for disobeying my orders. However, I do not believe the matter is settled. The fact of the matter is, this destruction was all for naught," he said, recalling the words of Ravyn when he'd briefly spoken to her before this. "The submarine possessed a unique shielding technology that was triggered for the first time when you fired upon it. The reports state it clearly – the RAF Brave Leo's main cannon was entirely ineffective."

The room grew quiet. This was the first time the IRS had mentioned that information. Rumors had been going about, but they'd dodged explaining what exactly had actually happened. He'd only known because Ravyn had taken the time to tell him. She'd seen it with her own eyes, she told him. It part of why she was so pissed – they'd damaged their kingdom, endangering thousands of lives, and gotten nothing for it.

"Th… that can't be right," Jaeger said quietly. "That just can't be right! It had to be a trick! They're fooling us, getting us to think we can't touch them! What about the fleet? Did they find them? Are we tracking them?"

"I'm afraid not. The blast did not penetrate the energy shield – it never touched the submarine itself. Furthermore, they traveled out of our reach – sonar picked them up but once they hit the cold open ocean, we lost them. The scouting ships couldn't pick them out among the nautilus and oceanic mountain and cave systems. Without a submarine of our own, we can't follow them, we can't find them, and we sure as hell can't beat them," Ravyn said grimly.

"I've spent millions of lien and years of my life building those things – the greatest military endeavor since the Hyperion… and you're telling me a bunch of furry eared parasites have something better?" Jaeger stated angrily.

"Mr. Schnee, calm yourself. Ravyn, are you sure the results were conclusive? Are we sure the shield stopped it?" Tytus spoke, pointedly ignoring the suppressed laugh of Giuseppe at Jaeger's more than mildly offensive reaction.

"There's no doubt, sir. Many have reported seeing the same thing – it's why the rumors were so hard to contain. Even civilians saw," Mindaro cut in.

"Very well, I will make a statement in the morning. Verginia," Tytus replied.

"I'll make the necessary arrangements. We should also present a course of action for dealing with the White Fang, as well as the damages."

"Then we must discuss making reparations. Of course, I am willing to lend the personal support of the Alba estate to any who need it, but we must establish what exactly needs to be done," Tytus put in.

"You have the support of Mistral and the Sostituire Corporation in this time of need, Councilmember Alba," Giuseppe spoke.

"As well us in the Schnee Dust Company and the kingdom of Atlas," Jaeger added quietly. He was clearly still sulking about the Aurora airship's performance. Jack didn't have much of a say in these matters, so he simply leaned back and listened, knowing he'd likely have to present some of it later as the Chief Public Relations Officer of the Mythografos. However, his headache and exhaustion must have gotten the better of him at some point.

"Oi, Jack! Wake up!" he heard Ravyn call. His eyes snapped open as he jerked forward. The room was cool, the sky outside dark but for the stars and moon. How long had he been out? "The economics bore ya?" Ravyn asked with a small smile. The room was nearly empty, just a few such as Jaeger, Tytus, and Giuseppe remaining.

"I'm terribly sorry, I don't even know where I slipped off…" he stammered out while shaking his head. Ravyn and Tytus shared a look.

"Well, we're not quite done hashing out some details here, but go get some rest," she said.

"No, no, I'm good. I've got to hear this so I can know what's going on. Can't serve as a decent voice if I don't what I'm saying, can I?"

"Jack, please, it's quite alright. That…" Tytus said, looking out a window. Through it was the bay beneath the stars, the stadium half covered by the remains of Aeliana's shield shimmering with a faint green tinge. "That must have taken quite a bit out of you. You deserve a rest after that bit of heroism. Verginia, escort him to the estate and prepare a warm welcome for him."

"Oh, no, sir, I couldn't!"

"Nonsense, Jack! The entourage would love to have you – it's so empty all the time. Go there, get cleaned up and take a guest room for yourself – we'll join you for some dinner later. Verginia and I will be sure to get you up to speed in the morning."

"He's right, kid. We don't need you here for this. Get some rest, your time comes tomorrow when we've got to deal with the press and the public," Ravyn added. He sighed, giving in. They were right, tomorrow was going to be a long day. Actually, a long week was more likely.

"Alright," he said, rising up with a sigh as his body protested after hours of sitting in a chair.

"After you, Mr. Irving," Verginia said, holding the door for him. As he went to walk out, he glanced at the brooding Schnee.

"Hey, Jaeger," he called, pausing until the man's eyes rose to his own. "Those Aurora's saved our ass today, regardless of whether we took out that sub. They fought down their support, sent out the droids, and scared them off. They likely made the difference between us getting through by the skin of our teeth and a soul crushing defeat, so be proud." The cold green eyes stared for a moment, as though scanning for some level of sarcasm or disingenuousness.

"Thank you, Mr. Irving. You did well out there, protecting them from the cannon. You likely saved my daughter's life," he finally said. Jack just nodded, turning back to exit through the door. Verginia bowed to the council before closing the door and following.

Care to explain the Prince of Darkness?

We were curious. Weren't you?

So curiosity drove you to threaten our objective by introducing the second most powerful man of Asylum into our plans? Your "curiosity" will ruin everything! I told him not to trust you; you don't listen to orders or reason.

Only if your stubbornness doesn't do so first. This allowed you solid footage of him and his abilities – something the King of Shadows prevented previously. Congratulations, you are now one step closer to perhaps being the first to best the Prince. Now, let's make one thing clear, General: I do not work for you or the Alpha. I work with you. If you presume to give me orders, you would be sorely mistaken in expecting me to follow them. Understood?

Fine. I suppose the rest of your work was good. You helped keep the soldiers off our back by placing them on the mainland instead of the stadium, as well as supplying funds for the materials. Thankfully, the mission was a success; despite run-ins with some unwanted guests.

You mean the assassin and your son? Yes, they'll likely come up as an issue – Whitaker's actions have attracted the attention of the younger Bird. Oh, and I suppose I should tell you, Blake is still alive.

What? …How?! The news are reporting her among the casualties, we saw proof… Adam. The children I've raised…

Yes, see? He's already a problem. So, in the end, we've lost. However, it would likely be in your best interest to act as though you believe her dead, as well as acting ignorant of your bullock's involvement.

You main in your best interest so they don't suspect a mole?

My best interests are your best interests. I hold the power in our partnership, General, best to remember that. Now, do you have a plan to deal with things, or is direct intervention necessary?

No. No, I think I have an idea of how to deal with them. My son, my… daughter, and all the other children who have wandered into the adult's business. I think you'd like this one – the consequences may be… chaotic, but undoubtedly effective, I think.

Effective? That's what I like to here. As long as that is the case, I'll leave you to it until you need my help again. Farewell, General. And sorry about your recruits – they shouldn't have threatened me.

A/N: Well, this was a transitional chapter, honestly. Yeah, you get a lot here (information, character development/revealment, and a bit of a teaser there at the end because I like torturing people), but it doesn't really do much in progressing the plot. Now, we're going to jump back a bit for the next chapter(s), taking a look at some other stuff. Congratulations, my readers, you've completed the first story arc! (or second if I count the tournament as a separate one) I'd like to say where we are, but... I don't know anymore. Kind of like the actual show has them saying "Oh, this was supposed to be later, but we could use it here, and that means this will take a bit longer, but then I'm not sure about later on," I'm saying the same thing. I keep changing things as I write, so I can't really give you an estimate. I can tell you this next arc is one thing, then another "lull" as I refer to it, and then a major action arc, but I'm not sure beyond that anymore. I know where we're going, I'm just not so sure how we're getting there, is all. That's not buying me confidence, huh? Look, trust me, it's not like everything's going out the window, I'm just admitting I don't know what changes I'll make in the future and so don't want to promise one thing and then think "Oh, I could do this better this way, etc." There also the new canon to consider - I was mostly right about dust, the exception being clothing and body melding (and clothing may be either irrelevant or ingenious considering what I did with aura and dust), but incorporating what I can also changes things. Anyway, as usual, all feedback is welcome. Shinobi201 out.