(Your POV)

Weiss was holding an invitation to a banquet hall at the Schnee Manor.

Weiss: Only my father would turn a hostile takeover into a fluffy PR move.

In their dorm room at Atlas Academy, Weiss was sitting in a circle with you, Ruby, Oscar, Yang and Blake. She, Ruby and Oscar were sitting in chairs, Blake and Yang were sitting on Weiss' bed, and you were leaning against the wall, your mind racing with your developing theory on Arthur Watts and having to revert to your old ways of thinking.

Ruby: On the news, he said he just wanted to break bread and hash things out. Maybe it won't be so bad? We do want the General to start opening up to these people, right?

Oscar: Yeah, but on his terms. Ironwood's going to be locked in a room at his rival's own dinner party. I know Jacques says he's happy to moderate, but all that really means is he'll be the one controlling the conversation.

Blake: Not hard to imagine how that's gonna play out.

Weiss: I still can't believe he won. Robyn was supposed to be the people's champion, wasn't she? There's just too many coincidences.

That was another thing you hadn't considered. Of course the ideas you were developing were new, but that would make perfect sense. This Arthur Watts was working with Salem, and he made sure that Jacques won.

Your theory about the people voting for Jacques made sense on the surface level, but there were too many things that didn't fit. You started with a premise and tried to make it work, not the other way around.

Yang: You really think your dad might have something to do with Salem?

Weiss: I think my father would do whatever it takes to win.

Ruby: And we should do the same.

Weiss: Meaning...?

Ruby: Well, no one knows your dad better than you, and out of everyone going tonight, I'd say you're the only one who could snoop around the house and not be questioned. If Jacques Schnee is up to something, I think we should know what it is.

Weiss thought about it for a moment, then gained a somewhat determined look.

An Atlas Broadcast News airship hovered in the night sky above the Schnee Manor. Four hover cars drove along the driveway loop and came to a stop in front of the manor. While you, Ruby, Weiss, Yang and Qrow got out of your car, you looked to see Jaune and Oscar standing nearby, having already exited their car. 

The Ace Operatives exited another of the cars, and Ironwood stepped out of the fourth car with Winter. Penny got out of the other side of Ironwood's car.

Ironwood: Suppose we should smile for the cameras?

Winter: Sir, with all due respect, you'd have to pay me.

Ironwood smiled in amusement from Winter's response, and the two headed to the front door of the manor. Weiss stopped and took a deep breath before following them. Everyone gathered at the door, and Ironwood rang the bell. The double doors opened to reveal Whitley.

Whitley: Good evening, everyone.

Weiss: Where's Klein?

Whitley responded with a sarcastic smile and somewhat dramatic poses.

Whitley: What an interesting way to say "Hello, dear brother, how have you been?"

He crossed his arms and continued to address Weiss with a frown.

Whitley: I'm afraid you won't find him here. He was let go. I can't imagine why.

Whitley smirked, and upon realizing what he meant, Weiss gasped and looked guilty.

Whitley: General, exactly how large do you think our dining room table is?

Ironwood: I happen to know it's enormous. But most of my guests will be on standby in case the council requests additional eye witnesses. Until then I'm sure they'll be happily celebrating your father's victory.

Whitley forced a sarcastic grin with a smug chuckle, then rolled his eyes as he turned to lead you into the foyer. Scattered around the room were small groups of formally dressed guests. Waiters roamed the room with trays of wine glasses and hors d'oeuvres. Whitley stopped in the middle of the room, turned to the group and pointed to his right.

Whitley: For those of you joining us in the dining room, please follow me.

He walked in the direction he pointed, crossing his arms behind his back. Ironwood, Winter, Penny and Clover followed. Clover glanced back at you.

Clover: Wish us luck.

Qrow: I mean, they already invited you, didn't they?

Clover responded with a slight chuckle. A Faunus waiter approached Qrow and offered him a tray of wine glasses with his rabbit ears folded back.

Waiter: Care for a drink, sir?

Qrow looked at the wine, his eyes widening slightly.

Qrow: Uh... No, n-no thanks.

Qrow waved his hand in rejection and turned to Team RWBY, avoiding your questioning gaze.

Qrow: I think I'll just stick to patrolling the grounds.

Qrow walked away from the group. Marrow frowned and watched the waiter pass by.

Marrow: Words out of my mouth.

Marrow walked away in the same direction as Qrow, and Harriet turned to address you and Team RWBY.

Harriet: Right, well, don't wander off, don't break anything, and be ready in case the General calls on you.

Harriet walked away with Vine and Elm.

Vine: Hors d'oeuvres?

Elm: Let's eat them out of house and home.

Yang: Counterpoint, how about we do wander off, consider breaking things, and then all that other stuff.

Weiss: I'll be in touch.

Weiss pointed to her ear, then headed to the staircase. She stopped at the base of the staircase upon seeing Whitley descending the stairs.

Whitley: Dear sister, I was hoping we could use this time to catch up.

Weiss: Oh--

Whitley: I have to know, why did you go through so much trouble to leave home, only to come crawling back?

Whitley gestured as he spoke and ended his question with a smug grin. Weiss looked away and sighed, while you and the others watched from across the room.

Oscar: This might be a problem.

(3rd Person POV)

Jacques: General Ironwood, please... have a seat.

Jacques was standing on the other side of the room at the head of a long dining room table, and he opened his arms in invitation. Sitting to either side of him were Sleet and Camilla. On the left side of the room, Robyn Hill was standing by a window, staring outside with her arms crossed.

Ironwood nodded to Clover and Winter, who then took their seats on either side of the end of the table nearest to them. Penny took a seat next to Winter.

Ironwood: Councilman Sleet, Councilwoman Camilla.

Ironwood took a seat at the end of the table.

Robyn: Councilwoman Hill would have had a nice ring to it. Though I suppose I should just be grateful I got invited to the table.

Robyn took a seat at the middle of the table, as Jacques chuckled at her remark.

Jacques: Miss Hill, that vigor of yours is precisely why we're grateful to have you with us tonight.

Ironwood: What is she doing here?

Jacques: What we're all doing here, James, addressing the concerns of our Kingdom, which means we have much to discuss.

Ironwood: Indeed. I was hoping we could start by--

Jacques: Are we safe with her here, by the way?

Jacques looked over at Penny, who looked upset by his comment.

Jacques: I do recall some confusion regarding her involvement with that horrific massacre.

Ironwood: As the official report stated, that footage was doctored. Penny is completely under my control.

Jacques: Which is concerning, I think.

Penny grew even more upset, tensing up her shoulders and looking down.

Ironwood: Concerning?

A waiter and a waitress entered the room, carrying trays with plates of food.

Jacques: Let's talk about exactly what it is you control.

In the foyer, Ruby and her friends watched from across the room as Whitley continued to talk to Weiss in front of the staircase.

Yang: Why won't this kid buzz off?

(Y/N): Displacement, perhaps? He's probably in the same situation as Weiss and Winter, but he couldn't leave. He probably has resentment towards the two, misplaced, but still there...

Blake: We need to do something.

Jaune thought, while Ren stared ahead in boredom and Nora bounced in place, grasping a tray with a maniacal look on her face.

Jaune: What was that earlier about breaking things?

Jaune looked at Nora and Ren with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, and Ren looked at him while Nora continued bouncing. A short while later, Nora walked around the foyer, piling all of the wait staff's hors d'oeuvres onto her tray. As she did so, Ren walked around holding a plate with a single hors d'oeuvres, smiling to himself, and Jaune snuck around to get into position.

Weiss: Well, Whitley, I'm sure the company is lucky to have you, but if you'll pardon me--

Weiss tried to walk past Whitley, but he side-stepped to continue standing in her way. While this happened, Jaune hid behind one of the columns holding up the upper floor walkway and looked around.

Whitley: And where exactly is it that you're going?

Nora walked across the foyer, swaying and turning as she went. Her tray had a tower of hors d'oeuvres topped with a bowl of stew. Jaune gave Nora an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Nora: Careful, messy food comin' through!

Whitley: Of course once I'm old enough to drive, the company has promised me my own parking space.

One of the butlers approached a female guest and offered his tray of wine glasses.

Butler: Care for a drink?

Female Dinner Guest: Don't mind if I do!

Nora and Ren passed each other behind Weiss, intentionally bumping shoulders with one another as they did so. With a grin, Nora began spinning around dramatically.

Nora: Oh no, look out!

Female Dinner Guest: I'm going to go get some hors d'oeuvres.

The female guest turned and began walking in the direction of Whitley and Weiss right as Nora threw her tray into the air and fell backward. The food flew through the air, the stew already starting to spill from its bowl. Ren smiled, and Jaune celebrated prematurely.

Jaune: Yeah!

Whitley turned his gaze away from Weiss, having noticed the massive collection of food hurtling toward him, and his eyes widened. Soon after, the female guest approached the area directly between Whitley and the food. 

Ren and Jaune frowned, and Whitley looked at the guest, his eyes still wide. Before she even realized what was happening, food covered the dinner guest, and Jaune and Ren cringed. Now covered in stew, the guest screamed, and Whitley watched her, cringing. 

The dinner guest began hopping up and down in distress, causing her wine to spill onto Whitley, who reflexively put his arms up to protect his face. The wine covered his hair and the front of his shirt, and he held his arms out and looked at the stain, eyes wide. 

Jaune, Ren and Nora smiled. Weiss had watched the entire event with her hands clasped over her mouth and nose. The dinner guest ran away hysterically, while Whitley stood with his arms out and an annoyed expression on his face, wine dripping from his hair.

Whitley: If you'll excuse me.

Whitley wiped some of the wine from his face and walked away. Weiss watched him leave, then looked over her shoulder at her friends. Across the room, Ruby was laughing, and Yang and Blake were smirking. Weiss took the opportunity to finally ascend the stairs.

In the dining room, the Council members had begun talking to Ironwood.

Sleet: The fact of the matter is, you've operated with a fair amount of autonomy for the past few years, James. But we need now is for you to work with us.

Winter was tapping her finger on the table with a scowl on her face.

Ironwood: Sir, I have--

Camilla: It's obvious that no kingdom intends to declare war on Atlas. We had no involvement in the incident at Haven, we have proof our drones weren't acting on orders at Beacon. At this point, the closure of Atlas borders is only serving to hurt our relations with the rest of the world.

Ironwood: I--

Robyn: The rest of the world? It's hurting us. The people of Atlas are suffering and they want to know why.

Robyn turned her head to look at Ironwood who looked saddened.

Jacques: Quite right, Ms. Hill.

Ironwood dropped the saddened expression and looked at Jacques. Robyn turned to Jacques, as well.

Jacques: And I'm afraid there's more than just your choices that have brought harm to our citizens as of late. Have your forces found any additional evidence as to who is slaughtering innocent civilians down in Mantle?

Clover was looking at Ironwood, and as he began to speak, Clover turned his gaze to Jacques.

Clover: That is an ongoing investigation, the details of which are classified, I'm afraid.

Jacques immediately began speaking again, not leaving even a split second of silence.

Jacques: I'm afraid of the ever-growing list of classified information you seem to be keeping. I asked our fellow councilmen here to shed some light on your Amity Colosseum project and, as it turns out, they know about as much as I do.

Winter continued to tap her finger on the table.

Robyn: Even you don't know?

Ironwood: The Amity Project will help with all of the issues you've presented, but you have to understand that discretion is a top priority at this time.

Jacques: Are you saying you don't trust us?

Winter's tapping sped up, and she aggressively slammed her fist onto the table and stood up, facing Jacques.

Winter: You can't just buy trust like everything else, you have to earn it!

Robyn looked at Winter, smiling a little. There was silence for a few moments, and Jacques began smiling.

Jacques: I couldn't have said it better myself.

Winter gasped.

Jacques: General, if I may be blunt, you have spent what little trust this Council had left in you. The hacker who turned Atlas drones against us was never captured, whoever's been murdering your critics is still at large. How are we supposed to give you our trust, when you've given us nothing as of late?

Winter: That's not what--

Ironwood: Winter.

Winter stopped and looked at Ironwood.

Ironwood: That's enough.

Penny stared up at Winter, who clenched her fists.

Winter: Excuse me.

Winter quickly exited the room just as a female butler entered, and she shoved the door open on her way out into the hall.

Weiss walked down a hallway, passing by a room that has framed portraits and replicas of Manticore and Beowolf heads decorating the inside wall around the doorway.

One of the portraits was a painting of Jacques and Weiss, from when Weiss was younger and still had her ponytail centered, before she received a scar over her eye. 

Another portrait depicted a white-haired man in a suit of armor. One portrait depicted Whitley playing piano, and another appeared to depict a man in a white suit shaking hands with a man in a dark suit outside a Schnee Dust mine. 

There was a pair of portraits appearing to depict headshots of Jacques and Willow Schnee in their wedding attire, from a profile view. The other portraits depicted the Schnee Manor, a curved pathway between two unknown structures, the City of Atlas, an industrial type building next to a cliff, and a fountain with a statue of a winged figure holding a staff.

As Weiss continued walking, she was startled by a waitress.

Waitress: Miss Schnee, is everything okay?

Weiss: I'm fine, thank you! Keep up the great work.

Weiss curtseyed and walked past the waitress, continuing on her way through the halls. Once she got to Jacques' study, Weiss entered and breathed a sigh of relief, still facing the door. A voice from across the room startled her.

Willow: Hello darling.

Weiss turned around to see her mother standing behind Jacques' desk with a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other.

Winter stood alone with her arms crossed in a hallway away from the dining room.

Penny: Are you okay?

Winter looked to her right to see Penny leaning around the corner. Penny walked over to her.

Winter: I'll be fine. I just let my emotions get the better of me.

Penny: What do you mean?

Winter: You wouldn't understand.

Penny took a brief moment to process.

Penny: Oh... right.

Saddened, Penny looked down at the floor, fidgeting with her skirt. Winter looked at Penny, and upon seeing Penny's expression, she realized that her words were misinterpreted. She moved to stand in front of Penny, speaking with a softer tone than usual, and Penny lifted her head to look at her.

Winter: No, no, what I mean is, this place holds a lot of memories for me, specifically. I thought I was in control, but... you heard me. I sounded like a petulant child.

Penny: I thought you sounded fine. You were just speaking from your heart.

She placed her hands to her chest.

Winter: And that is precisely the problem. I should have just stayed in line.

Penny turned her eyes away, thinking for a moment. She then looked at Winter.

Penny: I guess you're right, I don't understand.

Penny walked away, going back around the corner. Winter stayed behind, watching her go. She then looked to her side as (Y/N) walked by, and past her, nodding to her as she cocked her head, confused.

Willow: I'm sorry I couldn't come down for your party, I'm... afraid I'm not feeling well.

While she spoke, Willow walked around to the side of Jacques' desk and set her bottle and glass on it.

Weiss: Um... it's okay, mom. It's fine.

There was a brief silence, before Willow spoke slowly.

Willow: What are you doing i-in your father's office?

Weiss blinked rapidly, unprepared for the question, but she soon recovered.

Weiss: Just looking for something I left.

Willow looked at her glass, leaning it in circles on the desk.

Willow: That's right, you... left.

She paused, looking at Weiss.

Willow: You left.

Weiss walked across the room, heading for Willow and the desk.

Weiss: I need to use father's computer.

Willow: Why?

Weiss: Because I think he may have done something. Something wrong.

Willow: I thought we all simply assumed that at this point.

Willow turned her back to the desk and leaned against it, resting her hand on top of her glass. Weiss looked at the glass, then at Willow.

Weiss: Yes, well, some of us are trying to do something about it.

Willow tensed her fingers on the glass. She snatched up her bottle of Six Swans brand vodka and began drinking from it. Upset, Weiss looked away and gripped her arm. Willow finished drinking and gazed at Weiss, gaining a look of realization, followed by sadness. She set the bottle on the desk.

Willow: He started locking his home computer.

Willow turned and picked up a scroll from the desk.

Willow: But... he still has blind spots.

She opened the scroll and tapped one of the buttons, showing Weiss a live camera feed of the office. Weiss gasped and looked at the corner behind Jacques' desk. She then looked at Willow.

Weiss: You put a camera in here?

Willow then spoke, quite upset.

Willow: I put them in every room of this house, for our safety, in case I ever needed to...

She quickly trailed off and took a moment to gather herself. She then looked at Weiss.

Willow: You haven't come back to stay, have you?

Weiss: No.

Willow smiled.

Willow: Good.

A single tear rolled down Willow's cheek. Her smile soon faded, and she wiped her tear away, while Weiss looked away sadly.

Willow: A man came by.

She handed Weiss the scroll, picked up her bottle and began walking across the room.

Willow: I'm afraid your father may be involved in something more dangerous than he realizes.

Weiss looked at the scroll, which had a recorded video of Jacques and Arthur Watts pulled up.

Willow: No matter what happens, Weiss... please don't forget about your brother.

Weiss looked at her mother.

Weiss: Whitley wants nothing to do with me.

Willow stopped at the door and turned to look at Weiss.

Willow: Of course not, you left him alone.

She looked at the portrait of Jacques behind the desk, and Weiss looked at it too.

Willow: With us.

Willow left the room, shutting the door behind her, and Weiss stared at the door with a sad look of realization. She then gathered herself and looked at the paused video suspiciously.

Weiss: Who are you?

She tapped the screen to begin playing the video.

Thunder rumbled, and rain poured down on the streets of Mantle. Watts was standing on a roof in front of a billboard advertising Atlas Academy. He was holding his umbrella in his right hand and his scroll in his left. 

He held up his scroll and tapped a folder with the Atlas emblem on it, which brought up three windows. The first window was labeled "ATLAS_SECURITY_NETWORK.EXE", and the other two were labeled "MANTLE_HEATING_SYSTEM.EXE". The third window showed a map of Mantle with the sections colored red. 

He tapped a couple times on his scroll, and it began making a processing noise. A large portion of the Mantle map lost its red color. Across Mantle, heating units began powering down.

Soon, the orange glow disappeared from the sky, and the rain stopped. Watts tossed his umbrella off the roof as snowflakes began drifting down. On the porch steps below, the drunk buddies were sitting together. 

Civilians holding umbrellas were walking by, and a Faunus was sitting on the sidewalk, playing guitar. 

A small child inside the house ran to the window and looked at where the umbrella fell. He then looked around at the snow. The drinking buddy pointed up, and his friend looked at the sky. Slowly, other civilians began to stop and notice the snow, as well.

Mantle Child: Hey mom, it's snowing!

The child ran off to get his mother. The snowfall grew heavier, and wind began to blow.

Until next time...