Alright, everybody! This is it! You guys ready? Let's do this!

Chapter 13: Life Will Change

April 23rd:

Farran could feel his palms sweating all throughout the morning, as he, Ruby, and Yang went about making preparations for their mission. They had spent most of the morning searching for a spot for Viola to hide while she made her mirages, and just past 11, they found the perfect place. One of the Physical Plant garages over by the edge of the woods had a ladder connected to the side of it, allowing them to get a vantage point of a normally unused courtyard, which just so happened to be monitored by one of Richards's cameras. Farran summoned her out of the Velvet Room, and let her survey the area to make sure it would work for her.

"Let's see here…" She hummed as she knelt down, extending an arm towards the courtyard. After a second, the image of the two boys from the photos Farran had showed her, alongside the image of Professor Goodwitch who was holding what looked to be a bag of Diamond Dust, flickered into existence, "It's just on the edge of how far I can make them, but otherwise it's perfect."

"Awesome." Farran handed her his scroll, "I want you to take this. When we're in position, I'll send out a text from Yang's phone to let you know when to make your mirage. Once he's gone, Ruby will be coming right here to get you."

She nodded, "Right, then the two of us will meet you at the entrance of the Palace."

"Exactly. Just hunker down until then, and we'll be in touch. Sorry if this takes a little bit, we just want to make sure we're ready."

She waved him off assuring him she'd be fine waiting there, then took up a spot in a little nook on the roof. There wasn't much danger of her being discovered, as no students ever really used the courtyard below, and Physical Plant would not be operating until classes resumed the next day, but even so, she felt it best to hide. From there, the trio made their way over to their lockers and grabbed their weapons, bringing them to the usual alleyway, and storing them in one of Professor Peach's large shipping containers that she had left there. They figured it was the perfect place to leave them, as the alley wouldn't be cleared on that day, and it would look suspicious if they brought their weapons to Richards's office. Farran closed the lid of the shipping container, and patted his pocket, making sure he had the drive with him. With all the preparations made, the group headed for Beacon Tower, taking the elevator up to the floor where Richards's office was located.

The elevator finally stopped about five floors below the top of the tower, letting them out onto the landing. The entire floor was filled with the empty shells of old offices, as Farran had heard that prior to Richards getting the job, this floor had been an administration office filled with them, but once he got the position, he forced everyone on that floor to relocate. Now, the only office left in use was his own, taking up an entire half of the floor. Farran, Ruby and Yang moved over to one of the abandoned offices, and hid.

"Ok, Ruby." Farran whispered intensely, "After Richards leaves, you're going to take the other elevator down, and then get to Viola as fast as possible. Do not let him see you. As soon as we're done here, we'll meet you in the alley. Got it?"

She nodded, "Yeah. I'll make sure he doesn't see us. Worst comes to worst, I'll have Viola throw up a mirage around us or something."

"Good. Ok, Yang. Let me borrow your scroll for a sec." Farran started typing up the message to Viola once she handed it to him. Once he finished, he just stared at the words, his heart pumping and a small smile starting to creep on his face, "You guys ready to go? Once I send this, we're moving. There's no turning back." He waited as Ruby and Yang looked at each other, then back to him and nodded, "Alright then. This heist is a go!"

Farran thumbed the send button, and handed the scroll back to Yang. He looked to Ruby, and with one last thumbs up, she left their hiding spot and approached Richards's office. With one last deep breath, she started pounding on the door.

"Director Richards! Director Richards!" She yelled, "I need your help!"

There was a short, tense moment as Farran and Yang stared at the door, waiting, until finally a flustered Richards winged the door open. They could see a whole line of security monitors covering the office wall behind him.

"What the devil is going on out here?!" He looked down at Ruby, "Miss Rose, what is the meaning of this?"

"I'm sorry, Director Richards! There's something we need your assistance with! I was just in the courtyard over by the woods. There were these boys there, upperclassmen I think, I've never seen them before." Ruby never was the best actress, but she sped through her words the best she could to try to cover that up and make herself seem more panicked, "They… They tried selling me drugs! Diamond Dust, I think they said. When I refused, they said they would hurt me if I didn't buy some, so I ran. I told Professor Goodwitch, and she told me to come get you!"

"What?!" He roared. In a panic, he charged back into his office, and grabbing a remote. From where she stood, Ruby could see one of the monitors switch to the feed containing Viola's mirages. Richards stared at the disbelief for a moment, then ran out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him, "Those fools! Miss Rose, wait here for now. I'll need you to clear things up when I get back…"

Richards stormed off towards the elevator, doing his best possible interpretation of a sprint. He slammed the call button, and soon after, disappeared into the elevator. Once the doors closed behind him, Ruby stuck her tongue out mockingly as it started to descend. She motioned over towards where Farran and Yang were hiding, and both got up to join her.

"Nice job, Rubes!" Yang tousled her sister's hair, "Hero and I will take over from here, go ahead and get to Viola."

She nodded, "Alright. Be careful, you two!"

Yang watched as her sister zipped to the elevators and pressed the call button, bouncing impatiently as she waited for it to come up. She turned back to Farran with a worried smile, "Ok, so what's next?"

Farran opened the scanner panel, "You're gonna need to activate your Semblance and fry this thing. Give it as much heat as you got!"

"Ha, that should be no problem." She shot him a wink, "After all, I'm already hot as it is."

Yang's hair started to glow, and her irises turned from their usual violet to crimson. Farran could feel the temperature in the room dramatically increase around them as Yang's Semblance activated. She pressed her knuckles gently against the panel, a waft of steam rising off of it as she did so. However, even after a few moments of waiting, nothing happened, and the door stayed locked in front of them.

"Nothing's happening…" Yang muttered.

"You guys need to hurry up!" Ruby called from the elevator door, "We don't know how long he'll ne gone!"

Farran stared at the panel for a second, thinking to himself. Maybe if… "Yang, we need more heat."

"Well, no shit Farran!" She grumbled, "What do you think I'm trying to do?"

He watched as her hair got slightly brighter, "I don't know what you're trying to do, but it's obviously not working. Come on, we need to get in there, now!"

If looks could kill, Farran would be a dead man, "I. know. Farran."

"Do you? Cause I don't think you understand just what's at stake here. Velvet's life is going to be ruined, and I'm gonna get expelled! So, if you would please stop messing around and-"

"Will you shut your Gods damned mouth already, Farran?!" She roared.

Yang's hair started glowing white, and the room turned blistering hot. Yang glared at Farran, and looked like she would deck him, but before she could, her knuckles suddenly sank a bit into the scanner. Yang pulled her hand away, surprised, as her hair and eyes returned to their normal state. The scanner started to sputter and spark, and after a second, the display flickered off.

Farran heard the lock on the door click just as the elevator returned to their floor to pick up Ruby. He let out a sigh of relief, "Oh Gods, thank you… I didn't know what else to do if that didn't work."

Yang blinked at him, "Wait, you were doing all that to piss me off on purpose?"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?!" Farran pointed his thumb towards the door, "Come on, we don't have much time."

With one last wave to Ruby, the two burst into the room. It seemed as if Richards's office at one point had been a command center of some sort, as a number of desks lined either side of the room, all pointing towards the wall of monitors. In the very back of the room sat a large desk which seemed to belong to Richards.

"Alright, Yang. Find Richards on the monitors and let me know whenever he starts heading back." Farran directed as he headed to the back of the room. He knelt down behind the desk, finding the main computer terminal. His hand slipped into his pocket, grabbing the drive, and plugging it in, "Gods this place smells… Does this man eat nothing but raw onions? Alright Yang, how are we doing?"

"He's just making his way around the school now!" She called back, "Not like he's a sprinter or anything. Ruby should be just fine getting to V before he does. How about you, the program working?"

Farran wiped some crumbs from Richards's swivel chair and took a seat. The monitor in front of him showed that the program was downloading, but it was progressing at a snail's pace, "It's working, but we're gonna need some time? Just let me know if anything changes."

Ten percent. Fifteen percent. Twenty percent. A lifetime seemed to pass in between each tick of progress. Farran drummed his fingers on the desk, willing the progress bar onwards with all his might. He was sure that after this mission was over, his name would be much more fitting, as the stress from all this would turn his hair silver to match. After a while, he heard Yang let out a gasp of concern, just after the bar passed the halfway point.

"What's wrong?" He looked up to see her standing stock still.

"He ran into Goodwitch!" She pointed at the monitor she had been staring at, "The real one!"

In a panic, Farran rushed to her side. Just as she had said, the monitor showed a courtyard located not far from the alleyway they would be heading to next, but still quite far away from Viola. Richards and the real Glynda Goodwitch stood there, apparently yelling at each other. After a few moments, Richards threw his hands up in disgust, spun on his heels, and stormed off the way he had just come.

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" Yang screeched, "He's on his way back here!"

Farran sprinted back to the monitor, the program only sixty percent of the way finished, "Just let me know when he gets close! We still got a while yet."

Farran stared at the screen, not daring to take his eyes off it, as if doing so would cause progress to come to a halt, or worse, the whole thing to crash altogether. His whole body was shaking, and he could feel his heart beating out of his chest with each tick of progress. Sixty-five percent. Seventy percent. They needed the program to finish, and soon. He had no idea what Richards would do if he found them there, but he certainly didn't want Yang to be dragged into it.

"Farran, he's at the elevator!" She hissed.

Eighty percent, "I know, we just need a little more time."

"Farran we need to get out of here!"

Eighty-five percent, "We can't! We have to make sure this damn thing works, or this was all pointless!"

"Farran, he's on the elevator! If we don't go now, he'll find us!"

Ninety percent, "I know, just… Just pop open the window! It's almost done, and we'll get out that way."

His vision started to go blurry, as he gripped the edge of the desk tight enough, that he was convinced it might snap off at any moment. Finally, once the elevator reached the halfway point to their floor, the progress bar sped to the end. As soon as the program finished downloading, the monitor he was staring at, and all the ones on the far wall turned black, and then, a dark crimson.

"Yes, we're good!" Farran swiped the drive from the computer and thrust it back into his pocket, "Let's get the hell out of here, Yang!"

She threw the window open, allowing enough space for the two of them to climb out. The whole campus stretched out below them, completely devoid of anyone who could see them make their escape. Farran activated his Semblance, and gave his wings one test flap. Before they could leave, however, they stopped at the sound of music coming from the room. They looked at the screen, surprised to find that the dark crimson had changed to a bright red, the words "Confess your crimes!" scrolling across the bottom. After a few seconds, much to their disgust, a small, cartoon version of Professor Port came onto all the screens and started to dance, shaking his rump for all to see.

"That is wrong on so many levels…" Yang deadpanned.

"You're a Gods damned asshole, Fox…" Farran shook his head, "We don't have a lot of time, Yang. Do you trust me?" After a brief moment of hesitation, she nodded, "Good. Then hold on tight."

Farran picked her up, bridal style, and with one last deep breath, he leapt through the window. His wings spread as they went through the air, as he felt a slight pinch from one clipping the window frame on the way out. They fell a good few feet before he could get his wings flapping enough, but before long, he slowed their descent, and soon after that, they were slowly gliding towards the ground. Over the rushing of the wind, he could hear Yang happily saying something that he couldn't hear, but it brought a smile to his face nonetheless. They had done it! Their first step was complete, and they were free and on their way to the Metaverse. Farran curved around the building, out of sight of Richards's office's windows, and after gliding a few feet, he brought them both to a soft landing.

"My hero." Yang tittered as he set her down gently.

"You're hilarious, Yang." Farran deadpanned, "Now come on, let's get going! We gotta meet up with Ruby and Viola. The job isn't done just yet."

They made a mad dash for the alleyway, wanting to put an end to this, and wanting to put as much distance between them and Richards as possible. A few minutes later, the duo found Ruby and Viola standing in the alley, patiently waiting for then, Ruby already having Crescent Rose holstered on her back. Viola fished their weapons out of the container, handing Ember Celica to Yang, and Silverbreak to Farran, as the two caught their breath.

"So, did you guys do it?" Ruby bounced on her heels, "Did you get all the cameras taken down?"

"Well… We ran into a bit… of technical difficulties." Yang panted, "Richards ran into the real Goodwitch before he could even get to where you guys were."

"Still got the program to work though." Farran straightened up, pressing a fist into his lower back and feeling a slight pop, "Just barely, but it worked. Slightly disappointed I didn't get to see his reaction, though."

"I think you'll get to see it just fine, Farran." Viola noted as she scanned his scroll, "Whatever that program did, it worked. The Shadows are all in a frenzy on the other side, and the Palace ruler has most of the major corridors throughout the Palace blocked off. We're lucky we found that sigil, otherwise I don't know if we'd be able to reach him."

"No point in thinking about 'ifs'. We have everything set to go. Are you all ready?" Ruby waited until she received nods from Farran, Yang, and Viola, "Alright then, Team. This mission is a go. BANZAI!"

She flipped open her own scroll, holding it above them. With a press of the button, blue light quickly swallowed the group, and soon after, their world fell away, transporting them into the void.

Before the light had even faded, a cloud of thick, black smoked surrounded the group, filling their lungs. Coughing and wheezing, they staggered their way forward a few feet as soon as they felt the ground reach them, only to turn around to a horrifying sight. The decrepit city that surrounded the tower in the Metaverse had been set completely ablaze. Pillars of flame rose from the already destroyed town, licking towards the sky that was once again filled with smoke. The factory, too, had been destroyed, with gaping holes having been blasted through much of the structure. The panel that had once kept the glyph that would teleport them to the top of the tower hidden had been wrenched off the side of the building completely, the soft light of the sigil pouring out from the darkness within.

"What the hell is going on here, V?" Yang mouthed, awestruck, "I know for a fact you can't blame all this on me like last time…"

"No, it is our fault, but I should have warned you about the possibility." Viola took a cautious look around, "This is what happens in a Palace after you expose the Palace ruler to just how vulnerable they and their desires are. The distortions affecting it have completely changed, and are now warping the reality that's inside this world."

"Because before, he thought he was completely untouchable at Beacon, right? And now that he knows he's not, he pictures the one place he thought was safe as being under attack?" Farran looked to Viola for confirmation and received a nod.

"That's right. And if I had to guess, the reason his Palace is like this, and the reason that the Shadows are so agitated, is he believes his enemy that has been lurking in the city have made their first move. Which means," She pointed up towards the top of the tower. After a brief pause, they saw a guard Shadow plummet through the smoke, splattering on the ground, and instantly dissolving, "There are two factions of Shadows going to war inside. We'll need to be careful, regardless of if they're fighting the same enemy as us, there is no such thing as a friendly Shadow."

Ruby unholstered Crescent Rose, extending it to its scythe form, "We'll be careful. Now let's get a move on before any come through here."

The group ran into the small alcove where the sigil was located. Bits of rubble, shaken from the ceiling by the fighting above and the destruction of the factory, left a thin sheet of dust over top the sigil, but its light continued to shine through. They stepped on the glyph, and instantly felt themselves start to rise towards the top of the tower.

Richards's private study had been left just as devastated as the ground below. All the books and papers had been ripped to shreds, the desk lay in splinters, and the outside wall had been cleaved open, leaving an open hole to the outside, letting them see the carnage beneath. The platform had been turned into a battlefield, with Shadows of all kinds fighting amongst one another, spells soaring through the air, sometimes finding their mark, but more often than not, carving a new hole in the walls of the manor or the floor of the platform. Every so often, one of the more physical Shadows would pick up another, and toss it from the top of the tower, hurdling towards its demise at the bottom. Viola motioned for the others to group up near the doorway, listening to the sounds of a group of Shadows running by.

"We need reinforcements!" One cried, "The enemy has completely overrun the elevator landing! We must stop them from securing it as a foothold, otherwise we wont be able to hold them off for long."

"All units! Make you way into the tower." They heard what they presumed to be the leader of this group yell, "Fight until your last breath! Fight for the honor of our Boss!"

The voices were followed by the sound of metallic footfalls slowly growing quieter. Farran popped the door open, and peered out into the empty hall.

"Well, it looks like we wont be going down that way, then." He muttered.

"Wasn't that the whole reason we went looking for this glyph in the first place?" Yang questioned, "So we didn't have to fight an army of Shadows on the way in or out?"

Ruby nodded, "Yang's right. The elevator wasn't going to be an option no matter what. Taking down Richards's Shadow is going to be bad enough. Besides, we don't know how they Shadows will react once its gone."

"Speaking of which. Hey, V." Yang looked over to Viola, "Are there any Shadows that we need to worry about on this floor or the next one?"

Viola looked over Farran's scroll again and frowned, "No, there isn't. The only Shadow being picked up on the map on either floor is the Palace ruler himself. I figured he would have at least some of his strongest guards up here with him, but it seems that all the Shadows have been deployed to the lower levels. That scares me. Either he is extremely desperate, extremely confident in his own abilities, or some combination of the two. In either case, we need to be careful."

The group nodded, as Farran, Yang, and Ruby prepared their weapons, holding them at the ready as they crept along. With the study behind them, the noise outside lowered considerably, although the occasional rocking of the manor served to keep them all on their toes. When they reached the top of the stairs, Farran peeked in through the double doors. Richards's lair had stayed completely intact throughout the fighting, and would have been identical to how they had seen it the other day, however, all the monitors that lined the walls now displayed the same crimson "Confess your Crimes" screen from the program in the real world. Thankfully no Professor Port, at least… In the far, left corner, Shadow Richards stood angrily pounding on one of the monitors, in a desperate attempt to get it to work.

Farran stepped back and addressed his teammates, "Alright, he's in there, alone. Just like Viola said. This is it guys. Once we step through this door, there's no turning back until we beat this guy. What do you say, are you all ready?"

Ruby pumped her fist, "Let's do this! Just gotta take this guy down, and we'll save Velvet, Farran, and all of Beacon too!"

"Ready whenever you are, Hero!" Yang punched her open palm, "No way we're turning back now. This bastard has been running around doing whatever he wants for far too damn long. It's time for us to knock him down a peg."

Viola beamed, "You all have worked so hard to get to this point. I might not be able to fight, but remember that I'll giving everything I have to back you all up. Just one more fight, and you can all go home safely."

"Alright then. Let's go." With one last smile to his team, Farran threw open the double doors.

They boldly walked into the room, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the red carpet that led to Shadow Richards's throne. Farran felt his grip on Silverbreak's hilt tighten as Richards turned towards them, the sound of the door alerting him to their presence. He did all he could to force w cocky smile, trying to keep his arms steady, belying the frantic beating of his heart and the sweat coming from his palms. A demonic look crossed Shadow Richards's face as it ran towards them, stopping a good few paces between them and its throne.

"You troublemakers! What the devil are you doing here?! This is my Palace!" A vein started to pop on its forehead, "I have enough problems at the moment without having to slaughter the likes of you!"

"Yeah, a shame about that, isn't it?" Yang snickered, "Seems like someone burnt their way into your office and put a virus on your computer, taking out all your precious cameras. Sooo sorry about that."

Shadow Richards stared at them, dumbstruck, but when the pieces all came together, he exploded, "You! Somehow I knew it was you that did this! Do you have any idea what you all have done?!"

"Do you really think any of us give a damn?" Farran stepped forward, "You, asshole, have been ruining one of the only institutions keeping all of Remnant safe since the first Gods damned day you set foot at Beacon. You threatened the livelihood of anyone who got in your way. And you planned on ruining Velvet's life, an innocent girl who just wants to make Remnant a better place, for no other reason than trying to make a few extra Lien."

"The beast is getting what it deserves!" Shadow Richards bellowed, "That whole race of animals are nothing but vermin! Don't act as if they're all innocent. They have gangs all over Atlas and Mantle, just the same as ours. You think we're the only ones? They sell drugs and pimp and murder just the same as we do!"

"Will you shut up already?!" Ruby mustered up the best imitation of a glare that she could, "You can't act like all Faunus are bad, just cause you ran into a few bad ones! It would be like if they said all humans were bad just cause of you!"

"I can do as I please! Wealth and status are the only things in the world that matter, and I climbed the chain of the Atlesian Mafia all on my own! I am the reason we have been as financially successful as we are."

"And yet your superiors plan on offing you, don't they?" Farran snarled, "Probably not a good look to be taking money off the top of your operations, now is it? Face it Richards, you're the lowlife in the situation. You always have been, and if it weren't for whatever you have over Ozpin, you wouldn't have any kind of standing in your little gang. This is the end for you, man. We're going to take you down, and you're going to confess to your crimes."

Shadow Richards started to cackle, "Confess? You really are naïve, kid. Blabbing to the authorities would be accepting the death penalty for me. No way the rest of the Mafia let me live. Even if my Palace is being stormed, I'm not about to let that happen. If I'm going to die today… THEN I'M TAKING YOU ALL WITH ME!"

Shadow Richards reared back, and as he did, a maelstrom of wind erupted from him, shoving the group all the way across the room. Its body started to stretch and contort, growing immensely in size as it all started to become a mass of darkness, much like Shadow Cardin had so long ago. Higher and wider it grew, with a large, dark blob amassing in the center as smaller tendrils spread out, fanning across the room and connecting to the walls, floor, and ceiling. When the gusts of wind finally stop, the darkness fell, revealing Shadow Richards's true form.

A giant spider with Richards's face, its body nearly the length from the floor to the ceiling, clung to an enormous web that fully blocked anything past the throne. Thick plates of steel armor covered its thorax, and most of its hind legs. The front two, each covered in thick, black hair, came together in front of the beast, which he gleefully rubbed together as it stared at them, fiery anger filling its beady, black eyes. Far in front of the spider, separating the group from their target, were three disembodied hands, each in wearing a white leather glove. They floated around in circles, ready to strike.

"Oh, that is just wrong on so many levels…" Yang grimaced.

Shadow Richards let out another cackle, its voice now heavily distorted, "Now, now, no need to be afraid. Please, come to my web! I promise my associates will take good care of you."

Farran adjusted his grip on Silverbreak, preparing for a fight, "Alright, Viola. What are we looking at here?"

"Just give me a second to scan them." The light of Viola's scan started to spread across the room, "Let's see here… The Palace ruler itself doesn't seem like it's capable of much offense on its own. I can tell you it isn't weak to anything in particular, and it's only strong to light and dark moves, which I don't think any of you have. As for the hands, I can tell they're weak to fire and psychic damage. There's something more about them, though… I can barely see- AH!"

She was almost immediately cut off by one of the hands flying directly at her. Just as the hand was about to close down around her, it received a swift jab from Yang, a burst of gunfire releasing into its palm from Ember Celica, sending it across the room.

Shadow Richards cackled, "Now, now, we can't have you narcing all my secrets. Do you have and idea what happens to stool pigeons in my line of work? Alright, men! Target the one in the blue dress first! She'll make an excellent first prize…"

Farran, Ruby, and Yang fell back around Viola, forming as much of a protective wall around her as they could as the floating hands flew towards them. Farran summoned Charon, using him to create a shell of ice around her. He knew it wouldn't last for long, but for a temporary solution, it was the best he had. The trio had to alternate between sending attacks towards Shadow Richards, and protecting themselves and Viola from the onslaught of the hands. Farran was forced to use his whole compliment of Personas all throughout the exchange. Kijimuna's gusts of wind and provided some useful cover, Lady Luck proved to be a great option once they got close, and Salamander's fire peppered the plate armor of Shadow Richards, but Farran found himself relying more and more on Echo. His newest Persona possessed a wide array of psychic attacks, which devastated the hands, forcing them back towards Shadow Richards. Just when it seemed like they might be able to force them off and do some damage, Farran heard a horrible squelch, followed by the sound of a gunshot, and felt fiery pain explode from his chest, dropping him down to one knee. He looked up to Shadow Richards, only to see a pistol the size of Crescent Rose protruding from its back end. Shadow Richards laughed maniacally as the hands restarted their onslaught, one fist slamming into Farran and crushing him against the wall, while two more smashed into the ice barrier, shattering it around Viola.

The hands lashed at her, desperately trying to get at Viola, only to be knocked away by Lupa and Pele. Ruby lined up Crescent Rose, and sunk four rounds into one of the two, the shadowy matter that made them up exploding out from the hand with each successful hit. The hand charged at her, only to be caught with a slash from Lupa's scythe, who then immediately started to howl, sending the hand skyward in a pillar of wind. Ruby quickly popped the magazine out of Crescent Rose, bringing a new one out from her pouch and reloaded. Once the hand hit the zenith of its flight, Ruby stared down the sights of Crescent Rose, letting one last deep breath out before she took aim and fired. Her bullet exploded from the barrel, crackling with electricity as it sped towards its target. She waited with baited breath until, finally, the shot struck true, and sparks roared out from the center of its palm, encapsulating it completely, and turning it back into the mass of shadowy matter. With a satisfied smile, Ruby spun around, looking to help out Yang with her foe. She raised Crescent Rose, staring down the sights of her rifle, but before she could take aim, she was struck dumb with surprise. Instead of fighting the one other hand that had attacked Viola, Yang was instead fighting four hands at once. She quickly spun to check on Farran, who was still struggling to escape the clutches of the hand pinning him to the wall. She went to raise Crescent Rose again, but was immediately smacked flat to the ground. She craned her head to see Lupa being crushed beneath the palm of yet another hand. With a sinking feeling, she looked up, only to see the shadow of another hand cascading down at her. With a grunt, she rolled out of the way, just as the incoming hand smashed into the ground where she had once been, shattering the floor all around it.

Yang was in trouble. It had been far easier than she had expected once they had separated the hands, and between her and Pele, Persona and user had been easily able to dissect their foe. The hands movements were slow and predictable, clearly supposed to be modeled after a boxer, but far less experienced of one than her dad, who had trained her to fight since she was old enough to throw a punch. A few strikes from Pele here, a couple of blasts from Ember Celica there, and every so often having Pele launch a fireball at the hand, and she had it on the ropes. Just as it was about to go down, she picked her spot and charged in, releasing a good amount of the energy she had been saving up through her Semblance just as she struck. Ember Celica roared, as an explosion of bright light surrounded her and the hand. When the light faded, she expected the area in front of her to be clear, allowing her to go after Shadow Richards, or at the very least help her teammates, but instead, where there was once one Shadow hand, there were now two. Not one to be daunted by a new foe, Yang cracked her neck, raised her fists, and got ready for a fight. Even with the second hand, Yang dispatched of the two fairly easily between her and Pele, soon finding herself within range to finish them off again. Choosing to save her Semblance, she sent Pele, who sunk her flaming fist into the palm of one of the hands, ripping it in two. However, instead of disintegrating like all the Shadows she had faced previously, the hand reverted into a dark mass, split in half, and reformed into two more hands. She stared at them, dumbfounded, giving them an opening, which they readily took, forcing her to dodge just as one of the hands was about to sink its knuckles into her torso. She continued to fight, but it soon became apparent that she had no chance of winning. Each time she destroyed a hand, it simply split into two more. Three became four, which became six, which became eight soon after. Yang started panting, slowly but surely being drained by her use of Pele, but she didn't have a choice. With the other two caught up in their own fights, all she could do at the moment was dodge and defend.

"Yes, good…" Shadow Richards cackled from across the hall, "Struggle all you want, little insects. You'll only doom yourself more in my unending web."

Farran struggled to get free of the crushing hold of the Shadow hand, watching the chaos unfold while Ruby and Yang fought. After a moment, he was finally able to shove the hand off of him enough to summon Minotaur. He knew it was a gamble, as Minotaur's strength drained his own exceedingly quickly, but it was one he had to take with Ruby and Yang slowly being overpowered by sheer numbers. The half-bull, half-man Persona wrenched the Shadow off of him, slamming it to the ground. Farran gritted his teeth as he commanded Minotaur, already feeling the fatigue set in. It picked the Shadow high above its head, taking aim, and launching it clear across the room. In a split second, the hand shot towards Shadow Richards, colliding with it, and cracking the steel plate on its back slightly. Enraged, Shadow Richards reached up and grabbed the hand with one of its front legs, spiking it down to the floor.

"You damned fool!" The Shadow bellowed at the hand beneath it, "You dare strike me? I own you!"

Shadow Richards opened its mouth wide, allowing a nightmarish set of pincers out. The pincers separated, and in the blink of an eye, snapped shut through the air. For some reason, the hand began to seize and shake, wrenching its form all over the ground. After a moment, it stopped moving, then disintegrated completely.

Farran moved up, summoning Salamander and started to help Yang cull the ever increasing tidal wave of Shadows. Ruby, who had been fighting off her own, slowly but surely made her way over to the rest.

"Alright, Viola." Farran ducked out of the way of an incoming fist, "What the hell is going on? No matter how much we beat these things, they just keep multiplying!"

Viola dodged a hand of her own, "I'm not sure! I need to be able to set up and concentrate to scan them, but with them all flying around, I can't really do that!"

Yang scanned the room, desperately trying to find any sign of a way to beat them, or at least a way out, as a veritable army of Shadow hands filled the room. The room itself was covered by the flames that had been launched by Pele and Salamander, small fires just lapping up towards the ceiling. Just when she began to give up, she caught sight of a small glint out of the corner of her eye. She thought she had just imagined it, but every time one of the small fires started to flick upwards, she saw it. A small line, just hovering in the air, between the hands and Shadow Richards. It's almost as if…

"That's it!" She yelled, pointing towards the glint, "Guys, I know how to beat them. It looks like all these hands are acting on their own, but he's controlling them. There's a small wire or string or something that connects them to him. That's why the one you launched at him got destroyed, Farran!"

"You sure about this, Yang?" Farran grunted as he forced one of the attacking hands back.

"Positive! That's why he's so desperate to get Viola. If she scanned them, she'd have been able to tell. Just watch the fires, you'll see what I mean."

In between attacks, Ruby squinted in the direction Yang had been looking. Sure enough, right where one of the flames was burning, she could see the line Yang was talking about, "She's right. Now that we know what to do, I have an idea. Farran, I'm gonna need you to get one of them to chase you. You're gonna loop around the lines until they all start to tie together, and then we'll cut them all at once. Yang and I will fight them off here, and try to take out as many as we can, but there's no way we can take them all on like this. Can you do it?"

"Got it. Just hold on the best you can, guys." Before he flew off, Farran quickly summoned the Musketeer, "Keep me covered if any of 'em get to close, yea?"

He waited for the Persona to nod and take aim with his musket, then deftly kicked off the ground, flying towards the center of the room. Immediately, a squadron of five hands picked up on his movements, breaking away from the rest and pursuing him. Once he was halfway between Shadow Richards and the others, Farran made a hard left, skimming across the floor towards the wall, preparing for his loop. As the hands continued to chase him, he heard more maniacal laughter come from Shadow Richards.

"Yes, fly, fly, little fly. Fly through the air as fast as you can!" It chortled, "Don't you know what happens when a fly struggles in a spider's web?"

Farran sped around the room, doing loop after loop after loop around the threads that Yang had talked about, yet he still couldn't see. Every so often, he would feel one of the hands bearing down on him, only for the Musketeer to make it peel off with one of his shots. After far too many passes, Farran started to feel sick, but he was finally able to see the strands. Dozens of strands of white silk spread across the room, bowing in the middle where Farran had been busy tying, then spreading out towards the hands. Evidently, Shadow Richards finally caught on to their plan, as he started to desperately bark orders at the hands.

"No, you damned fools!" The spider bellowed, "Cant you see what they're doing?! Catch him immediately!"

Concentrating on getting just one more loop, Farran gave every last ounce of strength he had to his wings, bobbing and weaving around the torrent of hands trying to stop him. His dodges, however, significantly reduced his speed, and once he reached the crest of his loop, he felt a gut-wrenching, searing pain coming from his back. He craned his neck around to see one of the hands crushing his wings in its grasp. The hand reared back and pitched him down to the ground, crashing to the hard marble floor.

"Ruby… Now!" He yelled over the pain, wincing as he forced his wings to dissipate.

Hearing her cue, the young leader zipped away from her spot, just as one of the hands bared down on her. It crashed to the ground atop a pile of crushed rose petals. Curling around the bend, Ruby leapt for the knot Farran had tied, switching Crescent Rose into its scythe form, and smashing its tip into the floor. Just as the maelstrom of Shadow hands were baring down on top of her, she stuck her tongue out at them with a smile, pulling Crescent Rose's trigger. The recoil sent the blade carving through the strands, effortlessly cutting through them all, and severing their connection to Shadow Richards. Much like the one Minotaur had launched at the main Shadow, the army of hands fell to the ground, seizing around, before finally disintegrating.

"No!" Shadow Richards cried out, "You bunch of insolent punks… How dare you! This is my world! MY WORLD! You have no right to go against my word!"

The spider made a sound quite similar to a cat coughing up a hairball. It reared back and spat at Ruby, sending a sticky ball of webbing shooting towards the girl. Just as it was about to make impact, it was met by a ball of fire thrown by Pele, immolating it. The remaining ashes fell to the ground in front of Ruby as Yang walked over to help her sister up.

"So, he's got a gun coming out his ass, and he shoots his web out of his mouth." Yang grimaced, "Nothing about this thing makes sense, and its all just plain creepy."

Farran, who had finally recovered from being tossed to the ground, made his way over to them, his grip on Silverbreak tight, "Don't tell me you're afraid of a little spider, Yang."

"Oh yeah, cause that things little. I'm not scared, but this thing is seriously freaky. I mean, did you see the pincers come from its mouth?"

"Touché. Viola?" Farran turned around to their navigator, "This thing got any more reinforcements coming, or are we free to take it down?"

The soft light of Viola's scan spread throughout the room once more. Her scan done, she flashed a satisfied smile, "Nope. Now that the hands are gone, there's nothing to worry about. That thing isn't any stronger than the first Shadow you beat on its own. Once you take out that armor, it'll be completely defenseless."

"You dare compare me to that brat?!" The Shadow roared, "I'll show you… I'll kill you all!"

The Shadow let loose a salvo of webbing and gunshots at the group. Farran leapt back, having the Musketeer take aim at the crack that had been left by Minotaur. Yang and Ruby gave him cover, Pele burning up the webs, and Lupa's wind diverting the course of the bullets. When the Musketeer finally locked onto his target, he pulled the trigger of his musket, letting loose a fireball that careened through the air towards the Shadow. It struck true, exploding just inside the crack in its plate armor, causing the whole shell, pistol and all, to shatter and fall away. While the Shadow was still stunned, Yang ordered Pele to launch a fireball at the main web it rested on, burning it to ash, and causing Shadow Richards to collapse on the ground.

"You… You haven't won…" It grunted as it wretched back to its feet, "I have come too far… to die here."

The Shadow shot from its side of the hall, speeding towards the group with all the force of a freight train. Each step crashed through the marble floor and what was left of the red carpet.

"You got any ideas Ruby?" Farran got low and flared his wings back out, preparing for the Shadow that would soon be baring down on them.

"Would I be as good of a leader as you say I am if I didn't?" Ruby beamed at him, "There is a reason I had us practice, you know."

Yang smirked, punching her open palm, "Alright, Rubes. The call's on you, let's take this bastard down."

Ruby stared down the Shadow, readjusting her grip on Crescent Rose as the crashing footfalls of Shadow Richards grew ever closer. She picked her spot, eying a torn portion of the carpet about fifteen feet away. Her body tensed as the Shadow grew closer to the spot, and once its face crossed over that bit of carpet, she sprung into action.

She summoned Lupa as she charged at Shadow Richards, "Cardinal!"

Farran flew right next to her, summoning Abel as they drew close to the Shadow. Right as they got within striking distance, Ruby and Lupa dipped low, while Farran and Abel went high, all four delivering simultaneous strikes across the body of Shadow Richards, stopping it right in its tracks, and even forcing it a few feet back. His part done, Farran flew past the Shadow, curling back above it, and waiting for his next signal.

With a predatory grin, Ruby continued to direct traffic, "Strawberry Sunrise!"

Ruby and Lupa feinted towards Shadow Richards, getting in position for Yang and Pele, who were following close behind them. Persona and user set the heads of their scythes on the ground in front of them. Yang jumped on Crescent Rose, while Pele leapt onto Lupa's scythe. With the pieces in place, Ruby heaved, commanding Lupa to do the same, sending Yang and Pele up through Shadow Richards's face with stereo uppercuts. The force of Pele's flaming fists, as well as the near cannon blast of Ember Celica, knocked the Shadow clear on its back as the two ascended. Yang took a deep breath, watching Pele dissipate in front of her as she soared through the air.

Ruby waited until Yang had just about reached Farran before she belted out her final command, "Phoenix!"

Farran reached down below him, grabbing Yang by the wrists. With a grunt, he flapped his wings, causing them to whirl around again and again. He looked Yang dead in the eye, watching as her hair started to glow and her eyes changed from violet to blood red. With one last cocky grin, she gave him a nod, prompting him to release her. She launched towards the Shadow, torqueing her body around to face it, and readying every last ounce of energy she had been storing with her Semblance, and prepping a round in Ember Celica's chamber. She timed everything up, and just as she reached the Spider, she threw her punch. Yang crashed through the Shadow, golden energy exploding from her and filling the room, causing all of the monitors on the walls to shatter, their glass falling and smashing on the floor.

When the burst of light from Yang's attack finally faded, Shadow Richards had already reverted to his normal form. Yang grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, dragged him over to the wall, and slammed him against it, holding her fist cocked back slightly. The barrel of Ember Celica continued to let off a small trail of smoke off into the air as she primed it, ready to strike if he moved.

"H-Hold on, now! You win!" Shadow Richards pleaded, "You win, I give up. I'll turn myself in…"

"I know you will." Yang growled as the others ran to them, "But before you do, you're going to tell me everything you know about Raven!"

Shadow Richards desperately waved his hands in front of him, "I don't know anything about her, I swear! Some of my men are regulars down at Junior's bar, he does a lot of good work for us. They were there the night you trashed the place. When they finally got him to spill the beans on what you wanted, I looked up as much info as we had on her and the rest of that team in the Beacon records. Thought it might be useful to have some ammo against Qrow down the line…"

"What do you want with our Uncle Qrow?" Ruby tilted her head.

"He shows up to Beacon a lot, meets with Ozpin. I don't really know the guy all that well, just that he doesn't like me, he reeks of booze, and Ozpin sends him all over the damn place. In my line of work, you don't take any chances with a guy like that. But that's all it is, honest! I just used her name to bluff you when you were destroying my factory, that's all, so please let me go!"

"Tch. Fine…" Yang released his collar and let him slump to the floor. She folded her arms with a sour look on her face, "Guess that's another dead lead…"

"Gods, you kids are insane… Guess I shouldn't expect anything different from Huntsmen…" Shadow Richards sputtered, "Why, though? Why would all of you do this? Why would you come here and risk your own necks, just to protect some stupid Faunus girl?"

"Are you kidding me? Are you really that Gods damned stupid?" Farran spat, "Why would we do all this? Maybe cause you were planning on ruining Velvet's life you freaking psychopath! We saw everything you were going to do to her, asshole. Everything from framing her for having Diamond Dust to getting her addicted to it so you could get her to work for free. I don't give a damn what happens to me, I'm not gonna let that happen, to her or anyone else." He shook his head, his voice changing from enraged to desperate, "And what about you, huh? Why Velvet? Why all of this? Why the hell did we have to go through all this Gods damned bullshit to stop you from ruining her life? What gives you the right to even think about doing that to anyone?!"

"Why? I already told you ages ago, kid. Profit. That beast… That girl, rather, is far beyond spineless. Get something on her, and she'll do whatever you say. I've seen far more of that type than I care to count get chewed up and spit out in my field of work." Shadow Richards's laugh was filled with self loathing, "None of you could ever understand. You and I come from completely different worlds, after all. It isn't that I think I had the right to do that to her, it's that in my world, I didn't have a choice. In my world, the only thing that matters is how much Lien you can get, nothing else, and a golden opportunity for free Lien like her is far too good to pass up. See, I grew up on the streets of Atlas. In that city, you're either loaded, or you have nothing. There's no in-between, and when you grow up as a have-not, all the Haves will do what they can to stomp you out. Choose between working whatever factory has the lowest injury rate among workers or living on the streets, if you know what I mean."

"Which is why you decided to join the Mafia?" Yang muttered.

"Exactly. It was the only way out of that hell. We weren't as big then as we are now, which is why they let someone as young as I was in, even if it was only for smaller jobs. Even then, that life isn't normal. You lose a bit of your humanity ever single day, just so you can do the things that are necessary to survive. I sold my first bag of Diamond Dust the day after my thirteenth birthday. When I was fifteen, I made my first hit. A Faunus from a rival gang that was encroaching on our territory. We wanted to send a message, and the poor guy got caught up in the worst possible situation. I can still remember everything about that day, but I'll spare you the messy details. The point is, by the time I was of age and could graduate from an expendable kid to a full fledged member, I had completely given up any sort of morality. I had to."

"I'm… I'm sorry to hear that." Ruby frowned slightly, "I really am."

"Ha. Don't be. I don't feel bad about a single thing I've done in life, and I'll never apologize for it. Given the chance to change anything, I'd just do everything the same way. That was the only way I survived, after all. The only reason I'm telling you any of this is cause closure helps you normal people cope."

Yang glared down at him, "But you're still going to confess to your crimes, right?"

"Of course. We might be from completely different worlds, but there's one rule that extends to everyone. There's winners, there's losers, and the losers have to do as the winners say. Looks like I came up short today, so I don't really got a choice." Shadow Richards let out a deep breath, and almost looked completely relaxed, "Besides, between fighting and talking with you, I think I can see a way out. Finally, after all these years. I'm gonna turn myself in, but only under the condition that I serve whatever sentence I get directly under General Ironwood. See, he's gonna be coming in a couple days to work with Ol' Ozpin to work out some last minute planning for the Vytal Festival, and I plan on working with the two of 'em to take out the rest of the Mafia. Say what you want about Jim, but the guy has gone to huge lengths to make sure none of our number ever made it into his outfit. Working with him, I can probably get away without anyone making a hit on me. At the very least, it'll buy me some time." Shadow Richards started to smile as soft light surrounded him, "I suppose this is farewell, since you won't be seeing me again after tonight. That being the case, I'll just leave you kids with this: No matter what happens to you, never let go of your morality. Losing mine may have kept me alive for this long, but you see what happened to me. It seems like such a simple thing, something I should have realized a lot sooner, and yet it took the four of you to beat it out of me. So I guess… you have my thanks."

Once Shadow Richards finished speaking, the light completely overtook him, and in a moment, he was gone. Farran stared at the spot where his foe had once sat, a sigh of relief passing through his lips. They had done it! After a long month of planning and worrying, Agni Richards's Shadow was no more, Velvet was safe, and he wouldn't have to be worried about being expelled. He wanted to cry out in joy, and celebrate with his teammates, but before he could even blink, an explosion from somewhere down below them rang throughout the whole building. The room began to shudder.

"Hey, Viola…" Yang looked over at their navigator, worry all across her face, "What happens to a Palace after we beat the Shadow in control of it?"

"To the Palace? Well…" She brought a finger up to her chin as she muttered, "Without the Palace ruler, it doesn't really have any reason to exist. So, that being the case, it might cease to exist now."

"What, you mean like it's all going to collapse?!"

As she finished speaking, a portion of the ceiling fell down, crushing Shadow Richards's throne beneath it, shaking Farran from his stupor, "Guess that answers that question. Let's get the hell out of here, now!"

Farran wrapped his arms around Viola and Yang's waists, kicking off the ground and flying through the door, with Ruby using her Semblance to speed along next to them. Bits of ceiling and walls crumbled around them as they sped through the halls, into the room with the glyph. The outside wall that had been partially blown out when they arrived had now completely fallen apart, giving them a view of the battle that even now continued to rage outside. The group touched down, landing on the glyph, and descended down and out of the tower. Just as they were halfway between the factory and the exit, and explosion rang out. They stopped momentarily, spinning around to see a gaping hole in the tower, the ear-splitting noise of tons of wrenching metal as it kinked, bent, and started to fall right towards them. Farran couldn't remember a time where he moved as fast as he did to get them all to the exit, closing his eyes as Ruby hammered the button on her scroll, enveloping them in light.

It wasn't until he heard the soft sound of birds chirping in the distance that Farran finally opened his eyes. He looked around to the familiar sights of the alleyway and the campus greens beyond it, now coated in the darkness of early evening. He released his vice grip on Viola and Yang, letting them down to the ground. The group collectively let out their held breaths as the realization that they had made it back dawned on them.

"Guys…" Yang muttered, a smile starting to crack on her face, "I think… I think we did it."

Farran let out a sharp chuckle, "Yea… We did it. We won."

He wanted to laugh or scream or something, but before he could even react, he felt something heavy slam into him. He looked down to see Ruby hugging him tightly, her face buried into his chest, "I'm so happy for you, Farran!"

"For me? Why?!" He stared at her, dumbfounded, "Velvet was the one we were trying to save, not me."

She held him at arm's length, "But you were gonna get expelled! Without Beacon, without us, you wouldn't have anywhere to go. Then what would you do…?"

"Come on, don't act like I'm completely useless on my own! I would've found some way to get by."

"She wasn't acting, Hero." Yang clapped him across the back with a smile, "But it looks like you're gonna be stuck with us for a while. Such a shame."

The four laughed, as Viola came forward and took Farran's hand firmly in hers, "Needless to say, you did well, my dear guest. All of you did. Through your own hard work, you defeated the Palace ruler, and now the future shall be changed, and your justice, my dear guest, will take its first major leap forward. As your attendant, as well as your navigator, I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I am at your accomplishment." Her smile faded, "I only wish I was of more use during the final battle. I must apologize that you all needed to protect me, rather than focusing on your objective. If only I could use the Compendium like the other attendants…"

"Don't even worry about it, V." Yang waved her off, "You kidding? One bad fight doesn't overshadow everything you did for us so far."

"Yea, what Yang said…" Ruby pouted, "You've been there since day one for Farran and me. If it wasn't for you, who knows what would have happened when Farran and I got locked up in the tower?"

"And besides, if it weren't for you, the heist would have been a bust today, Viola." Farran shrugged, "Without your mirage, I don't know how the hell we would've managed to get Richards out of his office. We need you on our team."

Viola looked around at all of them, "Thank you, all of you. It really means a lot to hear you all say that, honestly." She smiled sadly, "Now, I suppose it's time I head back to the Velvet Room. My Master will be expecting the good news of our victory, so I must bid you farewell for now. I will hopefully be seeing you all again soon. In the meantime, I suggest you all get a good rest tonight. You have certainly earned it after today."

With that, Viola said her goodbyes, and summoned the door to the Velvet Room, disappearing into the bright light within it. Their goal accomplished, Farran, Ruby, and Yang snuck back to the locker rooms and stored their weapons, then made their way back to the dorms. It proved to be a tough night for the three of them, as Weiss seemed particularly suspicious, and they could hardly show the fatigue that weighed heavily on them with her watching so closely. When night finally fell, the three of them made their way to their respective beds, and shortly after, were out cold. For Farran, in the depths of his otherwise peaceful slumber, he could faintly make out the sound of garbled words coming from the darkness of his mind.

"…You gave us…"

"…your choice…"

"…son…dead…"

"…I'm sorry pal. This is just how it has to be…"

Author's Notes

Down goes Richards! Down goes Richards! :D

Hey Guys!

I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I really gotta thank all of you for your support, whether you favorited the story, followed it, reviewed it, hell even if you just choose to read it whenever it pops up on the updated feed. Hands of Fate has been so much more of a success than I ever thought it would be, sitting at 110 followers and 73 favorites as I type this, and my last chapter got nearly 800 views the day of upload. It seriously blows me away, after originally figuring I might get maybe one or two followers a review telling me to stop while I'm ahead, that I would ever reach this point only 2.5 months in. You guys are seriously awesome, and all your support is what drives me to make this story the best I can.

So, all that's left is taking care of the fallout of Richard's Shadow having been defeated, and we'll be moving into act two! I hope you guys will continue to join me all along this ride, cause I just can't do it without you.

That's all I got for this week. I hope to see you in the next chapter!

Inferno :D