"I must say, Adam, you are quite effective at your job. Much better than your girlfriend."

Adam didn't even glance in Torchwick's direction as the pair strode down the halls of Schnee Manor.

"I mean, really! A successful frontal attack on this place is nothing to Schneeze at." He grinned sideways at Adam, who continued to ignore him. "Of course, you never could have managed it without my help, but still. The tenacity of your fighters The ferocity. The brutality. It's so refreshing to work with non-humans."

Adam growled.

"Exactly my point!" Torchwick exclaimed, laughing.

"Sir." Hashimoto spoke, arriving from down a side corridor. "We've found them."

"Oh, are we taking a trip to the kennels?" Roman asked lightly as Adam turned to follow the lieutenant.

"You know what we're doing. You don't need to speak."

"Always so dramatic," Torchwick sighed with an exaggerated shake of his head. Hashimoto snorted. "See? At least someone appreciates me."

"Usually I want to kill you."

"That's the reaction I usually get. It's part of my charm."

"They're in here. You have the key?"

"Of course," Roman said, handing it over to Adam, who gave him a confused look. "She's your girlfriend."

Adam shook his head and opened the door.

"I'm just saying that explosions have to be good for us, right?"

"Unless we are trapped by debris, not a priority for the invaders, or used as hostages."

"Luckily, none of that will happen."

Blake leapt to her feet, staring out from the bars of her cell. "Adam!"

"Sir!"

"Hello, Blake. Gavin. Ray." Adam crossed over to the cell door and opened it, freeing the two faunus inside. "Are you hurt?"

"They are," Blake replied, "Though not badly. I have fully recovered."

"Good. You two head out. I need a word with Blake."

"Right."

Adam waited until Gavin and Ray had left the room before turning to Blake.

"I'm… glad your alright."

"Me too."

There was an awkward pause. Roman cleared his throat loudly.

"This is very touching, but I believe we have a job to do."

"Right. Hashimoto?"

The large man retrieved something from his back and handed it to Blake. "We found their confiscated weapons."

"I thought you might want this back."

Blake took hold of the weapon. "Thank you."

"Now, there is something we need you to do."

"You want me to kill the Schnee."

Adam nodded. "Though not just her. Her sister is here, too."

"Both of them?" Blake glanced at Roman. "I thought we needed the elder."

"Well, not particularly," Roman commented. "Besides, if only one dies, that would look odd, wouldn't it?"

"That does make sense."

"And I already have everything I need from her. So you animals have all the fun you want."

The three faunus glared at Roman.

"Come on," Adam growled. "Blake, we'll make sure you aren't interrupted. Good luck."

Blake nodded andvanished down the corridor.

0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0

"Winter!" Weiss burst into the ballroom to find her sister sitting calmly as the building shook from another explosive impact.

"Ah, there you are, Weiss." Winter greeted, gently setting down her teacup and standing.

"We need to go. Atlas is invading and the White Fang is here."

"I'm quite aware."

"Then let's go."

"No need to worry, Weiss. I'm quite fine."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I am in no danger."

"No danger? How are you in no danger?"

"You recall my contact? He knows where I am and will ensure that I am not harmed."

"Your contact… is with the White Fang?"

"Not exactly. He's independent."

"Roman Torchwick."

"Oh, you know him already? That complicates things."

"You planned the White Fang attack."

"Yes."

"But the White Fang needed the cover of Atlas's invasion to attack. You couldn't have…" Weiss gaped at her sister. "This war, Atlas's invasion, that was you?"

"Of course it was!"

"You started a war!"

"I've done what I needed to."

"You've killed hundreds of people! Thousands!"

"I have done what is necessary for our company and our family!"

"How does this help?"

"Simple. We provide to both sides of the war. The SDC is making a fortune off of it."

Weiss gaped at her sister. "You've killed thousands of people for a profit?"

"Not just for that. I wanted to prove that I could help the company."

"You… you want father to make you heir?"

"Like he should have done in the first place! I've always been willing to sacrifice more for our family! I've worked harder than you! I've done more than you! I've always been better than you!"

"Winter, do you seriously think father would promote you for this?"

Winter closed her eyes. "Maybe. Maybe you're right, for once. Yes, I should have been more direct."

"So you'll stop the war?"

"Oh, no. It's still profitable, anyway. But it won't solve my real problem." Winter drew the sword from off of her back and fixed her gaze on Weiss. "My real problem is you."

Weiss's eyes grew wide as comprehension dawned. "Winter, don't-" She barely managed to fall back as Winter's sword swung at her. Winter laughed.

"You have no idea how satisfying it is to see daddy's princess fall on her ass in fear." She stepped forward, bringing her sword to bear again. "But it'll be more fun to see you out of my way entirely."

Weiss cast a glyph, thrusting herself up into the air, drawing Myrtenaster as she flipped over Winter and landed, facing her. "Winter, this is insane," she pleaded. "I don't want to fight you."

Winter swung again and Weiss took a step back. "Well too bad, because I want to fight you."

"Father will be angry if you kill me," Weiss argued, parrying another attack.

Winter shrugged. "There have been a lot of white fang attacks lately, Sis. Wouldn't be too hard to pin it on them. Hell, maybe I can even make it look like I tried to save you."

Winter conjured a small flame glyph and sent it spinning at Weiss, who dodged to the side. Weiss responded by launching herself off a glyph of her own, spinning above her sister and sending a jet of ice down at her. Winter countered with a blast of flame before sending another pair of glyphs, these ones sparkling with electricity. Weiss blocked them with her own semblance and fired a jolt of lightning down Myrtenaster at her sister, who was thrown back by the blast.

"You've been practicing, Sis!" Winter shouted, rolling to her feet and firing another blast of fire from her sword. Weiss didn't respond, only leaping over the wall of fire and preparing to fall upon Winter. Winter was ready. Sidestepping her sister's lunge, Winter swung down at Weiss's unprotected side, her sword coated in heavy earth that slammed into Weiss, sending her bouncing across the floor.

Weiss trembled as she rose to her feet, still reeling from the blow she had received. Winter advanced upon her, sword raised.

"I always was better than you, Weiss."

She brought her sword down, Weiss barely managing to block it as she was thrown backwards into the wall. Her vision blurred as she slid down it to land in a crumpled heap on the floor. She raised her head, expecting Winter to be there, ready to deliver a fatal blow. She wasn't.

Weiss blinked and looked around. There was Winter, wildly swinging her sword around her at what seemed to be a shadow. What?

Weiss blinked again. Not a shadow. A person. A woman who… made shadows? The woman danced around Winter, easily evading her heavy sword and glyphs, often leaving shadows behind to confuse her. Then, with a flash, her blade darted out across Winter's shoulder, sending flecks of red across the polished floor and drawing a scream from Winter.

Winter stumbled at the woman, swinging her sword wildly. The woman easily slipped behind her, raised her weapon, and fired two shots. Winter fell to the ground.

There was silence as Weiss rose to her feet, gazing at her sister's body. "Is she dead?"

The woman knelt next to Winter and pressed a hand to her neck. "Yes."

"Oh."

The woman stood back up, still not looking at Weiss.

"Who are you?"

The woman glanced at her before looking back down. She wore white and black clothing, and had hair with odd tufts sticking up from it. No, not tufts of hair. Ears. "You're the White Fang assassin."

The woman looked up at her. "Yes."

"You saved my life."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Footsteps echoed down the corridor The assassin glanced at the door, then at Weiss, before readying her weapon and firing it up at the ceiling and launching herself out of the window.

"Wait!" Wiess called, running after her. But she was gone.

"Miss Schnee! Are you alright?"

She turned to see her security officers in the door. Two had gone over to her sister, while two more were approaching her.

"Miss Schnee? What happened?"

Weiss looked back out of the window for a moment, then back at her officers. "A lot, apparently. We must contact Professor Ozpin."