Chapter 56: Executions

"Um... hi. Is... there a Ruby Rose here?"

Neo doesn't respond, simply looking over her shoulder towards the back – a place Oscar can't see because of the center decorations.

"Are... are you sure this is the right place?" The young boy looks to his right, where Qrow soon walks past him, grazing his hand along Oscar's shoulder as he passes by.

"Don't mind her. She's a quiet one," the Huntsman reassures.

Neo takes a step back, allowing more room for Qrow, but mainly for Oscar to enter. Even if Qrow is the one who brought him here, Neo will keep her eye on him. He's an unknown. He might even have malicious intent towards you. Likely not a true threat, but that doesn't make Neo's overprotective nature quell in any way.

Oscar is definitely put on edge by Neo's suspicious gaze, especially when she seemingly disappears and reappears right on the couch, one leg resting on top of the other.

"Hey, kids!" Qrow calls out, immediately getting the attention of NJR, who've barely started their kitchen prep work.

"Yes, sir, Mr..." Nora stops for a moment, mid-salute. Her eyes are drawn to the young, confused boy who's now registering Nora and her friends in his mind. "Who's this? A secret Huntsman?" She blitzes beside him, hand on her chin as she examines Oscar. "I bet he's stronger than he looks," she lifts his arm, dragging a finger down the shirt. "Older too. And waaaaay buff and tough."

"I... uh... Huh? Haven't changed?" He whispers.

"Haven't changed? Are you wearing old clothes?" Nora raises a brow while lowering his arm. "Don't worry, we only switched things up recently."

"I'm sorry?" Oscar's discomfort is at the forefront of his voice.

"Where's Ruby and (Y/N)?" Qrow takes another look around.

"Fighting in the back," Jaune casually answers.

"What?" Qrow begins his trek towards the balcony.

"It's friendly!" Nora shouts.

Qrow pushes the back doors open, immediately hearing the clear sounds of Crescent Rose's rounds.

"Just... stay... still!" Ruby hollers.

"Come on, step it up," you taunt, soon appearing at the base of the balcony, a short distance from Qrow. You shimmy your body and tilt your head to avoid three more bullets. "You're too slow, little red."

"I'll show you slow!" Red petals fall from the sky as Ruby's twirling form converges from three sides.

"Hey!" Qrow's deep voice grasps the attention of the bickering couple.

Ruby disables her Semblance, revealing herself in a lazy swinging position, though her momentum sends her right past you. On instinct alone, you grab Ruby's arm as she passes, maneuvering her so she spins around you a few times as if you were a pole. She comes to a halt behind you, to which she pops her head out from your side to see her uncle.

"You're back! And you're not drunk!"

"Heh, you should have more faith in your uncle," Qrow says with a bit of pride. "But that's not the point. I have someone I want you to meet."

"Oh, that's easy!" Ruby strafes around you and marches toward the door. "Is it an old Huntsman friend?"

"In... a sense."

Completely abandoned, and a little insulted at that, you follow the scythe wielders into the building. All your friends have taken their seats in the main room, on some of the couches. Sitting on his own is a young boy who looks better suited on a farm than sitting in a room with trained warriors. With Qrow, Ruby, and lastly you coming into view, Oscar peeks at the new bodies. He doesn't even look at you, instead gazing directly into Ruby's eyes.

"Whoa... you have silver eyes."

Ruby stops in place, unsure how to respond to this new person's observation. "Who... are you?"

Qrow, now having taken a seat on the reclining chair, chuckles. "Why don't you tell'em?"

You now come into view, stopping beside Ruby. Oscar finally focuses on the remaining member of this entourage... and something twists in his stomach. The way you stand, the weight pulling you down to the ground outshines anything they see from the others. You aren't what they were expecting.

"Well... um... my name is Oscar Pine..." He twiddles his thumbs behind his back, not unable to break eye contact with you. A decision that's not entirely his. "But you probably know me as... Professor Ozpin," he tries to say as casually and confidently as possible.

There's a massive jolt in your stomach that nobody shares. Professor Ozpin. Ozpin. Your adoptive father. The headmaster who died at Beacon. He's here? No, he's just a child. Yet Qrow doesn't flinch at his words. Of course, he wouldn't, he knew full well what was happening before he arrived.

"How..." You say, barely above a whisper, but the silence of the room amplifies your sound.

"Did he reincarnate?"

"Age backwards?"

"Is he possessed?"

The random guesses of your friends only slightly alleviate the short tension built in the room, but it does nothing for the turmoil inside yourself. That's something Ruby instantly sees. She takes a hold of your hand, hoping to share some of her kind warmth with you.

"It's okay," she mouths.

"Calm down. I know it's not an easy thing to believe, but he can prove it himself. Wanna show off your little trick, kid?" Qrow gestures to the boy.

"Eh, right," Oscar nods. "Just so you know, I'll still be here."

These words only make the situation more confusing taking a second to close his eyes and breathe in. His body almost seems to pulse as his green Aura momentarily flares. As he opens his eyes, they briefly glow a dim yellow, and he speaks.

"It is so very good to see you again, students," he humbly greets the others before looking right at you.

That look in his eyes. That understanding, calm demeanour that Ozpin always gave you. It pierces right through your very soul.

"(Y/N)... I'm so happy to see that you're okay."

"I'm okay? Am I okay? Is that what it looks like to you?" You break free of Ruby's grasp and step forward. "How am I supposed to be okay when we lost? You died, Beacon fell, I-"

"I'm sorry," Ozpin bows his head. "Qrow has told me a little of what you've been through, and that likely isn't even scratching the surface."

"You think?" Your voice is just angry now, inciting Salem's mark.

"(Y/N)," Ruby returns to your side, placing her hand on your shoulder.

"Whatever," you march away from the group, passing Ozpin and heading straight out the door.

"Hey, (Y/N)!" Jaune calls out.

"It's alright, Jaune," Ozpin raises his hand, soon hearing the door slam behind him. He lowers his head a bit, downcast to see you so angry. "This... isn't easy for anyone."

Neo's eyes follow you while you storm out, completely losing interest in Ozpin's story. She's never cared, and certainly won't start. You, however, are her single purpose. Waiting a few moments, Neo slickly gets off the couch and leaves, letting the group have their discussion.

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You march out of the house, the chilling air cooling your heated cheeks. That alone gives you a moment of pause, to collect yourself. It wasn't much time until Neo is right at your side. It's a surprise, but one you don't make clear. You gaze at her, eyes weak, then drift your sight towards the waterfall far away.

"Hey..."

Neo raises her brow, giving a cute little point at the house.

"Yeah, I know," you huff. "I'm not really mad at... anyone. I can't even have a reason that's not childish," you start walking further away with Neo in toe. She doesn't care where you're going, but being the one you talk to now is perfect. She wasn't there before, however you managed to come to terms with your hurricane of feelings. This may not be as destructive, but she still wants to help you. She'll always help you. No matter what.

"Just..." You wave your arms, trying to conjure the words. "How am I supposed to react? I thought he was dead, I continued thinking I was going to avenge him... and then he just shows back up in some kid? How? I don't even..." You sigh, rubbing your left arm's sleeve. "I feel like I'm so deep in... whatever's happening in the world. With Ozpin, with Salem, with Harrier, with the Tawnys, Cinder, all of it. Yet I know so little. It's frustrating," you exhale, taking nearly a minute to stand in silence and bask in the beautiful night sky. It's calming – more calming than sitting inside would have been. "But I suppose storming out doesn't help my comprehension. Qrow told us about the Relics, about the gods, about Salem... no reason for Ozpin to hide his reappearance... but..." Having brought them up, your mind wanders back to your family on both sides. Are there things he hasn't told you about Harrier? He certainly left out everything regarding Clementine's family. That's something you want to ask him alone. It's nobody else's business. "I'll speak to him myself. Apologize to everyone afterwards," that nearly makes you chuckle. "I'm apologizing a lot lately. But it's not undeservingly," you stretch your body, trying to wriggle out the anxiety of everything. As your arms come down, you rest a hand on Neo's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. "Thanks for the talk, adorable."

Neo nods, giving you a beaming smile that she would only give to one other person.

"I'll give it a few minutes before I go back. Wanna let them know I'm okay?"

Neo shakes her head.

"You want to stay with me, huh? Heh... I'll be back, don't worry."

Neo rolls her eyes, turning on her heel and strolling back to the house. You pivot and look over at the girl while she returns, waiting until she enters the house before gazing back out to the gorgeous city.

You step to the top of a house, closer and above the waterfall you were admiring earlier. The few bits of mist wisping around cooling yourself down. If there's one thing you really like about Mistral, it's the overall feeling of the Kingdom. Vale was amazing, of course. Vale, Beacon – it's still a home for you. But this really can feel like a beautiful vacation spot. If only you were here for just that reason, and not to try and prevent the second Fall of Beacon. At least last time, Beacon was far separated from the city of Vale. Here, a Grimm attack would be far more disastrous. Not that it'll happen so long as you're around.

But your calm break is ruined when you notice a person – a young lady – frantically running away. She's almost comically easy to see with her bright yellow hair, very much like Yang's, but this girl has much shorter hair. She's looking around, breathing so heavily that she can't even scream. Without a second thought, you step a short distance ahead of her, assuring you give her space so she isn't so frightened of your appearance.

The moment she sees you, she jumps back a bit. Her face is flushed of hope and drowning in fear. Her rapid-moving eyes, heaving chest, it's all so clear to you.

Raising your hands, you slowly step towards her. "Hey, I'm a Huntsman... in-training," you whisper the last part. "Are you okay?"

"You're... I..."

There's a moment where you believe she recognizes you. In general, you're famous for the Vytal Festival, and the unfortunate incident that went with it. But you wouldn't imagine that would incite fear in someone. But there is also the issue with the Tawnys, which may be more renowned than you'd prefer.

"I'm not supposed to talk to you... but..." She looks back, shifting in place. "But he needs help!"

"Explain later," you start jogging towards her. "Where is he?"

"I... yeah! Please, hurry!" She turns around and keeps at a fairly fast pace for a regular person. "I don't know who attacked us! But, my friend, he's a student at Haven!"

Someone's beating a student? Can't be any ordinary thug then, or else this student isn't a good fighter. Maybe a first year? Then again, all of RWBY was first-year... and so was Jaune.

"H-He told me to stay back. But this person – I couldn't see their face – they knocked him right across the courtyard. He told me to run!"

"He'll be okay, just focus on where we're going."

"Y-Yeah!"

Sprinting down one of the slopes, crossing a plaza, and entering a residential district, the young woman brings you towards a large entertainment area. Normally, street performers or people selling their own products – like paintings and paintings – would set up. You can see a few dents in the stone floor, indicating the use of a weapon.

"Aero! Aero, where are you!" The girl shouts, her voice trembling every second her friend is absent. "Do you see him?"

You don't respond, still searching around.

The battle moved... or maybe he tried to run away.

Taking a look at the environment, you peek at each exit from the area. It's possible they could've made their way up, using buildings to get to a different district. But if they were relatively nearby, Aero would've responded... unless he couldn't. Another exit brings into a brighter, more public area. You can hear the faint muttering of Mistral citizens. Makes you wonder why she didn't run that way. Perhaps the way was blocked off.

There's the way you came, and you certainly didn't miss any movement or battle. Which leaves a stairwell inside the mountain. The wooden door is closed and doesn't appear to be tampered with, but it's the only option you have right now.

"Head towards the group," you flick your head towards the path closest to civilization. "Just in case."

"Okay... please bring him back. He's nice..."

You give her a reassuring nod and smile before bolting towards the door. As you get closer, your eyes manage to catch the fact that the door is slightly ajar, which means someone did pass through, or maybe gently close, earlier. Without a thought, you burst through the door and bear witness to a strange sight.

There's a body pushed against the stairs, a light green-cyan coloured aura rapidly flickering. A short sword is shattered to pieces at the base of the stairs – likely being the boy's weapon. Covering the body is another person, seemingly short as their long black cloak flows to the ground, crumpling. You don't say a word while you draw your sword and dash forward. Right as you're making the slash, sword coming in for an attack on their back. But, suddenly, the blade comes to a halt. It vibrates through the blade, into your body, as if you just hit a sturdy brick wall... but nothing is there.

The hooded figure spins around and throws a kick with, as you suspected, a relatively small leg. You start leaning back just fast enough for the limb to just graze over your chin. One thing you notice as you start to lean back is the leg glowing with a red Aura... but then purple... and lastly white. The changing colours is something you'll keep in mind, but your priority is saving this boy. With you fully leaned back, you pop your foot up and kick the assailant's chin, flinging them towards the ceiling. But they only go up a foot before they seem to land on some sort of invisible force, using it as a springboard to come right back down upon you. The hood, even as it flows in battle, keeps their face mostly concealed. The one viewable part is the beaming, almost Grimm-like red eyes that pierce through the darkness. They reach down at you, their hand visibly shrouded in Aura – Aura that continues to change into all sorts of colours and shades. You almost see the excitement in their cursed eyes. She hones in on you, hand getting closer and closer, You can almost feel the warmth radiating onto your face, but then the Aura-covered hand is enveloped in black shadow. You appear in the air, arm pulled back to thrust your blade into their head. It's unexpected for the assailant and ends up connecting. The force of your attack sends them crashing right into the stairs, bouncing off the left wall. They recover after that, pushing off the air itself to spring themselves to the top of the stairs.

You take a quick glance at the boy on the floor. His aura's colour matches his hair and even the accents on his uniform. You jump over him, assuring you're standing between him and his attacker.

"Are you alright? Can you move?"

There's no response, but that's not the alarming part. His Aura is still flickering, but the intensity and colour of it is diminishing... just like his breathing. It's slowing down.

What the hell happened to this kid? I gotta get him to a hospital right away, but can I afford to let this psycho get away?

The red eyes look you up and down, unsure what to make of you.

"Damnit, come on," you start stepping back, picking up the student with one hand.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The figure above you laughs with a clearly female voice. As she raises an arm, a massive flat force pushes against you. It's like having a column, or a wall, thrust into you and carrying onward. To keep Aero safe, you leap back to the courtyard, bearing witness to the wooden doors exploding into tiny chunks. You keep your eyes on the door, now realizing that the scared woman is in view of the attacker.

To get the jump on her, you use your Semblance to scout the stairwell your opponent was in... but they're gone. Perplexed, you scour further, following through the stairwell to the exit, only to find it closed and untouched.

Did they follow me out here?

You open your eyes, stepping to the girl's side and resting Aero beside her.

"Aero! Oh my-"

"Shut up," you sharply command as your eyes survey the immediate area. "Where... did you go?"

"He looks so weak. We-"

"We need to get him to a hospital," in one quick motion you sheathe your blade, turn around, and place a hand on both the teens. You know the hospital is in the upper district, so it only takes mere milliseconds to locate and leap the three of you there.

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It's not a place too dissimilar from Beacon's medical wing, but it has that Mistral touch to it. A more artsy architecture, pretty plants, artwork that was likely donated to give some rich folks more credibility among the masses - it's all pretty. All very Mistral.

In a burst of shadow that scares some of the wandering nurses and patients, your three bodies become visible. The woman falls onto her butt, clenching her heart.

"That... was weird. What... are we..?"

"He needs help," you shift the hand that was on the girl to Aero, hoisting him up while you stand. "He was attacked."

The sudden arrival and situation give all the nurses pause, but this isn't something out of the ordinary for them; at least, with the patient in need part.

The closest nurse approaches you, immediately giving orders to her cohorts. "Get me a gurney, now!" She flicks her arm towards a hallway. "What happened to him?" She then focuses on you.

"He was attacked by... someone. I didn't get a good view of them. His Aura hasn't broken yet but there might be internal bleeding or a concussion. He was unconscious when I arrived."

"Isn't that (Y/N) Slater?" A whisper travels the air.

"He killed the Tawnys."

"You think he did it?"

"We have a patient here!" The nurse shouts. "You didn't do this?" She then quietly asks you.

"No. This young woman here was running from the scene looking for help. I just happened to bump into her."

"Good enough for me."

Three nurses, two men and one woman, sprint through the stylized doors and set up a stop nearby. You set the young man down, taking a step back so the professionals can get to work. Something noticed by all of you is that his Aura is still flickering as if it was taking damage, but it's even fainter than what you saw before.

"Can I stay with him?"

"You can stay here. What's your name, miss?"

"Danny. I'm his friend."

"Wait here, Danny. We're going to stabilize him. Come on!"

The group of healthcare workers sprint off to save the young boy's life, leaving you and Danny to watch. Her eyes swell with tears as she fears for her friend's safety. Quickly turning on her heel, she falls onto your chest and cries.

"Thank you! I don't know... he..."

"It's alright," you return her embrace to comfort the frantic lady. "He'll be alright. He's got you to look after him."

"Heh..." That moment of levity is all you needed to hear.

"I'm leaving him to you. Make sure he recovers. I'm going to double-check where that woman was. Maybe she left a clue."

"It was a girl?" Danny repeats.

"Sounded like it, yeah," you nod. "Don't worry, I'm a professional," you say with a toothy grin before disappearing in a puff of shadows.

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You reappear in the tunnel path where you saw the assailant in, taking a minute to observe the area.

"Just my luck that everything happens at once. Ozpin comes back, I have to kidnap a Maiden tomorrow, and there's some crazy person on the loose. I really don't get many breaks, huh?" You mutter to yourself while checking for key environmental clues.

One aspect you notice is, aside from the damage from your short battle, there are no other signs of struggle.

"No struggle could mean that he was knocked out quickly..." You jog up the stairs to get a view from the top and see the continued path. "Yep, nothing," you note. "So... Danny did say he tried to fight, but that doesn't mean a fight actually happened. I can't tell whether it started here, down in that courtyard, or somewhere up there. Hm..." You place a hand on your chin. "So there's nothing? Not a single thing is leading me to whoever this person is. Other than that creepy laugh, I guess. True crazy, I swear," you shiver. "I guess I'll just have to put this on the backlog for now - take care of it after the Maiden. But I don't want to leave empty handed. This is a little too important to just shrug off," you tap your arms, making a little beat. "But if I can't find anything, I can't find anything," you end up shrugging. "I'll do one more look over then head back."

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Dylan, having been travelling with his Semblance nearly non-stop for days, has finally arrived at the outskirts of the main White Fang compound. He lets his water platform wash away as he lands on the ground, falling to his knees and panting. His Aura crackles across his skin, visually showing how little he has left.

Charging into potential danger without Aura isn't usually my style... but I don't have much of a choice, do I?

Dylan gets to his feet, getting a good look at the compound. There are grey stone walls surrounding the complex with smaller buildings doting around its area. All of that pales in comparison to the main building, which is almost like a town in size. Even if Sienna Khan isn't as actively violent as Adam, the black building with red White Fang banners draped down doesn't exactly scream "We're here for peace."

With luck, I'll be able to just walk in. Sienna and I are on... in all likelihood, bad terms. I did abandon them. But she'll have to hear me out.

Dylan subconsciously pats his pocket where his scroll, bearing proof of Adam's plan, resides.

Whatever her opinions are of me, she can't deny what I have to say. I can't waste any more time. Adam could be here already. Or... he's already been here.

Dylan sprints forward, no longer bothering to hide his presence.

Please, let me make it on time.

Going full tilt, he easily garners the attention of the gate guards. They're in towers positioned beside the entryway, looking down on their former comrade.

"Is that Dylan Brine?" The right guard snickers. "What're you doing here? A family reunion?"

Family reunion? Is Aza here?

"No!" Dylan shouts. "I'm here to see High Leader Kahn. I have important information she needs to hear."

"Important information?" The woman on the left scoffs. "You're a traitor! Why would we listen to anything you have to say?"

"He is a Brine. Shouldn't we at least inform High Leader Kahn he's here?"

"High Leader Kahn is busy at the moment!" The woman sternly retorts. "She is giving her time to someone far more important than him."

"I doubt that," Dylan calmly replies.

"You think yourself so high and mighty, Dylan? Someone who couldn't even stay loyal to the White Fang, to Adam?"

"Because I can think for myself and choose what's right," Dylan responds. "Adam wasn't right."

"Adam has always been right," she seethes through her teeth.

Dylan's eyes widened for a moment. This isn't someone who's just weary of him or trying to have a conversation. No, these words show a level of loyalty to Adam beyond what one of Sienna's guards should normally have.

"I need to go in right now!" Dylan steps forward, his voice sterner and louder. "High Leader Kahn's life is in danger!" Though it's normally bold to reveal his hand, he has no choice but to rely on the loyalty of others. Declaring the leader of the White Fang's life is in danger isn't something even a grunt can just look past.

"What?" The man raises his brow. "Explain yourself, Brine."

"I have evidence that Adam Taurus is going to usurp the White Fang from Sienna! Just let me speak to her!"

"That's... there's no way he would do that," the man adamantly shakes his head. "I should just turn you away for this-"

"Just let me in! Let Sienna decide for herself while there's still a chance! Do you not care that it's even possible your leader will die?"

"I..." The man looks away for a moment. He knows that Aza is a loyal friend to Sienna, and it's hard to think that Dylan would be much different. Plus, with the siblings together perhaps it wouldn't exactly be the wrong call to let him in. But if Dylan is trying to harm Sienna...

"Of course your evidence is false!" The woman spews, garnering the attention of both men in the conversation. "You'd do anything to drag Adam's good name through the muck."

"He did that himself," Dylan hisses back. "I just want to make sure he doesn't take the whole White Fang with him."

"Dylan... you can come in," the male finally decides. "High Leader Kahn is already in a meeting with Adam Taurus. I'll escort you to-"

"What are you doing?! You trust him?" The woman turns and shouts.

"I don't want something to happen to our leader just because I don't like someone."

"Our leader..." The woman mutters.

"Dylan, I'll escort you," the man clicks a button before turning to leave the tower. As he descends, the metal gates pry themselves open for the visiting Faunus, revealing a sight he has not experienced in quite some time - a White Fang encampment.

The female guard keeps her snake-like eyes on Dylan the entire time, even as the other guard warms up to him.

"I know how to get there," Dylan states.

"I'm not allowing you to wander freely here, but I won't take your accusations lightly. Come on," he gestures to the outcast to follow.

"Can we pick up the pace?"

"Yeah."

The two jog towards the main building, getting looks from all the nearby White Fang. It's relieving that there are people here who will listen to reason. Adam is a very influential and beloved member of this organization, but it's impossible for everyone to follow his ideals. There have to be some people who see his actions at Beacon as monstrous, or at least trust in Sienna's word over his.

"I'm surprised you're letting me through," Dylan starts the conversation.

"As I said, I'd rather go out on a limb and be wrong than deny you entirely and Sienna dies. Besides, if you are plotting something then you'll have to deal with Sienna, Adam, and Aza."

"So Aza is here," Dylan's suspicion is confirmed.

"She's been here for quite some time. Personal guard to High Leader Kahn."

"What? Really?" Dylan's surprise is genuine. "She was with Adam the last time I saw her."

"And now she's with High Leader Kahn."

Is she doing this for herself? Or is she undercover for Adam? Could she lie to Sienna straight to her face? Aza always held Sienna in high regard... I doubt she'd just openly deceive her. At least, I'd hope my sister wouldn't do that. Maybe, if Aza really is on Sienna's side, I won't have to worry about anything.

Dylan's thoughts are put on hold as he notices the White Fang around him are shifting their position. It's no longer casual, or on guard, but seemingly battle-ready. Any who were in the building or tent has left, weapon in hand. Even the high ranking guards that stood at the large metal doors have begun approaching.

"Expecting something?" Dylan asks with a neutral voice, knowing that, with so many Faunus around, whispering is pointless.

"Not that I know of," the guard slows down, taking a look at the strange shift of mood. "Did something happen?"

"I didn't hear anything," Dylan passes by the guard. "Please, we need to keep going."

"You're not going anywhere, Dylan Brine," the door guards come within range, standing fast between Dylan and the main building.

Most believe armour to be worthless in comparison to Aura, but when your job is to protect the leader at all costs, whether you have your Aura activated or not, armour is a definite benefit. It also damages your Aura less when armour is hit in comparison to the regular clothes like Dylan wears.

"What's the meaning of this?" The escorting guard steps forward. "He has information that High Leader Kahn-"

"This man is a threat to everything the White Fang is working towards," one of the guards answers.

"How?"

Dylan doesn't have to follow this conversation to know where it's ending up. It's likely that revealing why he's here in the first place was both a blessing and curse. Those who're loyal to Sienna would hear him out, but any who are on Adam's side would see it as an immediate threat. Clearly, there are plenty here that aren't loyal to their High Leader.

"I'm running out of time," Dylan growls under his breath. "Hey," he garners the attention of the guard who escorted him. "You want Sienna to be safe, right?"

"Of course I do!"

Dylan closes his eyes and sighs, letting out a chuckle. "So do I. Forgive me, ok?" He says with a small grin.

In a flash, Dylan activates Zephyr Shale, aims one hand at the high-ranking guards and the other at his escort, and fires. The latter blast is wider, lighter, meant to simply push him away and allow Dylan to work. The former is heavily fueled, sending the guards blasting towards the metal doors.

This act prompts everyone in the compound, whether they're loyal to Sienna or Adam, to aim and fire their weapons upon Dylan Brine. Taking a note out of Yang's book, Dylan brings his arms up and thrusts down, projecting a massive amount of air that shoots him high into the sky - nearly eclipsing the main building itself.

I have to get to Sienna, but I don't know which of these Faunus are with Adam. I can't just kill them all; it'll ruin any hope I have at persuading Sienna that I'm on her side. No matter how difficult it may be, I cannot kill anyone... but that doesn't mean I have to be gentle.

With the high ground, Dylan aims multiple, power blasts of air at key locations around the compound. All of them are gathering spots for soldiers who just fired at him. Most of them don't even know where he is, given their severely lackluster perception in comparison to Dylan. He knows there will be plenty of powerful Faunus between him and Sienna, but most of these White Fang members are just regular Faunus. This isn't an exercise at Beacon, this isn't practicing with you, these are Faunus who just believe the White Fang is the best option for them. Unfortunately, it means they're impossibly outclassed by the skillful Brine.

"Attention! Attention!" The speakers start to blare while screams of Faunus being carried away by wind fill the courtyard. "Dylan Brine has infiltrated the compound. He is after High Leader Kahn! Everyone is to intercept and neutralize Dylan Brine!"

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Though unheard in the main room where Sienna is, Aza Brine, who was just getting some light training in while waiting for Adam to arrive, overhears the announcement.

"Dylan? What are you doing here?" She lowers her hands, breathing a little heavy from her exercise. The room is intensely hot from her Semblance usage and a little charred in some spots. It's not an uncommon occurrence since she's arrived. "Damnit," the woman sprints out the door.

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The two massive metal doors fly off their hinges, giving Dylan his entry. The young warrior bursts forward, gliding across the ground while he turns around and slams his fists together, connecting the weapon and recreating the brilliant gem. He fires off his wind to swirl around him. The intense wind catches any of the bullets shot at him from outside and redirects them into the two walls. As Dylan's momentum slows, he turns around, keeping what speed he has going while starting to run again. He twists his torso, looking back and firing multiple wide-sweeping blasts to prevent any of them from getting a clear shot on him.

Dylan's cat ears twitch as he hears talking and steps from further inside. He looks ahead, still blindly firing behind him. Dylan has to go straight, as it's thankfully a linear way to reach Sienna's main room. But there are a plethora of hallways on either side that could bring in any enemy at any point. It's not like he can focus on listening through all the hallways with constant gunfire from behind.

With forces swarming him from everywhere, and his Aura already running low, Dylan needs to be efficient. Instead of foolishly running in a straight, stagnant line, he jumps towards the wall and spins. While in motion, he grabs some of the leftover gravity Dust he has stored. He loads it into his left weapon and fires it towards the entryway. The wind picks up the doors and gravity propels them easily, carrying a few screaming soldiers with it as it locks against the walls, mostly blocking off the exit.

Dylan smirks, landing against the wall and pushing his right hand to propel himself diagonally through the air and against the other wall. He keeps this up, passing by the branching hallways and completely dismissing the soldiers who would have cut him off. But those soldiers quickly see what the intruder is doing and start blindly firing at the upper walls, some trying to directly tag the flying Faunus while others are shooting where they believe he's going.

"I'm trying to save Sienna, you idiots!" Dylan shouts back at them.

While mid-air, he uses both pieces of Zephyr Shale to blast behind him as if he was the tip of a triangle. With calculated movements in the wind's direction, Dylan spirals and flies through the air as if he had wings. The air he's pushing behind him also slows down any bullets to the point of uselessness, or misdirects them entirely. But it's not enough to push his pursuers back, which inturn allows their numbers to swell at a rapid rate; a fact not lost upon Dylan Brine. All he can hope is that Sienna will call them off so he can explain. They wouldn't openly defy her.

But Dylan's focus on pressing forward makes him ignorant to one fighter whose arm, as if it was made of putty, stretches out, it's strength surpassing the wind pressure, and taking hold of Dylan's ankle.

"How di-"

Dylan's cut off by him being slammed against the ground, disabling Zephyr Shale. He's immediately whipped back into the air, crashing against the ceiling, then flicked against both right and left walls, only to be pulled towards the hand's owner. Dylan manages to get a glance at his attacker, dressed in the generic White Fang garb and mask, his arms having more hair than most, and his dark brown hair coming around his neck. He holds a weapon that reminds him of a far scarier, far deadlier ball and cup toy he used to play with as a child. Its metal, spiked around the edges of the cup and inside the ball, is burning a hot, fiery red. Dylan's pulled right against the spikes, chipping away at his Aura. The wielder releases the grasp on Dylan's ankle and fires the ball, burying it in Dylan's chest and carrying him forward. It's no more than a second when the ball releases its own explosion.

Dylan spirals out of the dust, bouncing along the ground as his Aura is on the verge of shattering. The chained ball slowly retracts back into its holster as the thundering giant marches towards Dylan, a small army backing him.

"You won't touch Sienna," his deep voice booms.

"I wasn't planning on it," Dylan slowly gets to his knees.

I barely have any Aura left... but I don't know if Zephyr Shale is enough to keep them back anymore. And if Adam is there... I can't win without Aura. But I won't get there if I let myself get stopped here. Damnit

Dylan claps his hands together, a torrent of water being pulled from the air itself and passing over him. The immense pressure and sheer amount of water completely washes everyone, strong or weak, far down the hall. Dylan takes a short breath as he gets to his feet.

"No time to waste. At least I still have Aura."

The Faunus turns on his heel and sprints down the hallway. His momentum is immediately cut off by a fireball slamming into his arm, exploding on contact and shattering Dylan's Aura. He's blown into the opposite wall and flops on his stomach, moaning in pain.

"Brother... what is the meaning of this?" Aza reaches the main hallway, a flaming hand aimed at her younger sibling. "Attacking our compound? Why would you want to take down Sienna?"

"I... don't," Dylan slowly gets up, noting his sister continuing to aim at him. "Aza, listen to me, please. I have proof that Adam is planning to overtake the White Fang."

Aza's eyes widened, her heart tightening. Taking over means the death of Sienna, or her unfortunate removal. Aza has been terrified of Adam and his influence since she returned here, even if Sienna has helped calm those flames of fear..

"You... this isn't a joke, Dylan."

"Jokes were never my specialty," Dylan takes out his scroll. "I can tell that you don't want harm to come to Sienna by your reaction. Sister, please trust me. Let me reach Sienna before it's too late."

"Too late? There's no need to rush. I was informed Adam was... delayed..." Aza's voice trails off.

"Aza... he's here. RIght now. We need to get to her before-"

Without another word, Aza darts down the hallway, abandoning her brother.

"Gee, thanks, it's not like you broke my Aura or anything," Dylan mutters.

"Hurry up!" Aza shouts.

Dylan struggles to get his groove going, but he does power through the soreness of his body and gets going. He's forgotten how painful it is to get hurt without Aura. It gives him a momentary appreciation for you, considering the amount of times he's seen you keep fighting without your Aura.

Still lagging behind his sister, the two siblings reach the main room within twenty seconds. They're lucky that no other corridors cut them off, as this is a more decorated section of the hallway. It always had lights and drapes, most of which were likely ruined by Dylan, but this prepares one for the inevitable meeting with a leader. A leader with strong convictions.

Aza is the first to reach the door, firmly pushing it open so she can bear witness to what's happening inside.

And what is shown to her breaks Aza's very soul.

Members of the White Fang calm and relaxed, a large, unknown human, Adam standing at the top of the stairs... and Sienna's body at the bottom.

"All who were... oh, Aza," Adam greets.

Her presence makes everyone turn to her, most with their guns pointed, but the giant human simply takes a gander. Of all the people here, he seems the least hostile. But he's still standing beside Sienna's corpse.

A moment later, Dylan comes in, getting a taste of what Aza's palette has been tainted with.

"No... damnit, ADAM!" He vehemently shouts. "You idiot! What do you think this will do to the White Fang? What do you think destroying Haven will do?"

"Sienna..." Aza's voice shakes as her eyes are locked onto her now dead friend.

"I am going to ensure the Faunus come out on top - become the true rulers like we were always meant to be."

Dylan grinds his teeth, though his swelling anger is nothing compared to Aza's boiling volcano.

"You're going to doom our species, our world, just because of your pathetic vendetta!" Those words urk Adam for a moment. "You are not worth tearing Remnant apart for, and neither is your obsession with killing humans. You're going to be the downfall of the Faunus!"

"Adam..." Aza peers at the blood dripping from his blade. "You..." Flames slowly build around Aza, trickling up to the ceiling. "I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!" She howls, bursting forward in a tornado of flame. Her straightforward approach forces her to pass by Hazel, who, despite not intending to fight or kill, pivots perfectly and uppercuts his fist right into Aza's stomach. He Keeps his momentum going, throwing her back to Dylan.

"Aza!" Dylan catches his sister. "Are you okay?"

The White Fang around the siblings begin firing, forcing Dylan to toss his sister aside and connect Zephyr Shale together to make a protective barrier.

"I'll be happy when Adam's nothing but a charred corpse!" Aza violently howls, spiralling into a flaming bullet once more and breaking through the barrier.

"Damnit, Aza," Dylan grunts, quickly dashing to the right as his barrier shatters and bullets fly overhead.

The younger sibling pulls his arm back and fires a tightly spread air blast that carries them into the far wall. Spotting the other side, Dylan launches himself into the air with one hand and aims with the other.

"Hazel, I'll handle the girl. Deal with him," Adam commands as Aza approaches.

"Very well," the quiet giant responds, looking up at the cat Faunus.

"ADAM!" Aza's flaming form slams against Adam directly, her power clashing against his now glowing sword.

Adam says nothing as he pivots and pushes Aza towards the throne. Aza fumbles as she hits the throne, awkwardly resting on it as she recovers. Adam dashes forward, his slash met with two of Aza's kunai that shake against the pressure of Adam's single blade. With both her arms occupied holding Adam back, the masked swordsman slides to his dominant side as he smacks the side of Aza's head with his sheath, stopping at the side of the throne before firing and knocking the girl off. He doesn't want to mess up his new chair, after all.

Aza flips in the air, regaining her stature and rapidly throws fireballs at Adam. The swordsman expertly approaches, dashing and slashing through each attack as if it couldn't sear the skin off a man. Adam closes the distance, hitting Aza with an upward slash, he quickly sheathes his weapon and weaves through her follow up slices with her kunai, finding the right moment to fire his sword out of its home and bounce off her chest, twirling through the air for Adam to jump up, grab and cut Aza down. The woman manages to block the attack with one kunai and slam her hand against his chest, preparing a flaming barrage. With quick thinking, Adam shifts his sheath upward and fires it at the base of Aza's wrist, forcing her hand up towards the ceiling and avoiding the flames that're subsequently released. Adam's blade, hair, and emblem on his back swiftly glow a red tint as he charges the energy he got from Aza's initial attacks and cuts right through her with double her own force.

Aza's stuck in place, her Aura flickering as it takes the brunt of Adam's devastating attack. But it does not break, and neither does Aza's fighting spirit. The woman grits her teeth, flames trickling around her while she turns her waist, grabbing Adam by the hair and, while screaming, throws him over her shoulder and towards Sienna's throne. Adam, recovers mid air, using his sword as a brunt for Aza's massive cone of flame she immediately releases.

The flames dance around the room, hitting some of the drapes and the carpet that leads to the throne. Those flames grow rapidly, and they're dangerously close to Sienna's body. That realization stops Aza's assault, leaving the two Faunus at a momentary standstill.

Aza's rage has quelled slightly, and her senses are returning. There are people here, a building representing what Sienna fought for her whole life. If Aza really does everything she can to kill Adam then she'll destroy this place, and certainly ruin Sienna's body... and she deserves a proper burial.

Meanwhile, Hazel leaps towards an airborne Dylan at speeds that the boy wasn't prepared for. Hazel grabs Dylan's face, his hand wrapping around his mouth, and brings him plummeting down to the ground. Dylan fires Zephyr Shale into Hazel's gut at full blast, but he's surprised that there's absolutely no reaction by the brute. Knowing hitting the ground would be a detriment to the fight, Dylan instead aims his arms backwards to cushion the blow. Seeing this, Hazel turns Dylan slightly and punches him in the stomach, using the Faunus' air pressure as an extra force to slam him into the nearby wall. The massive drape slightly lessens the impact, but Dylan still hits the wall hard, leaving cracks at the impact zone. The water wielder falls the rest of the way to the ground, which was barely higher than an average person, but the damage from both the punch and collision are gut-wrenching.

Hazel slowly walks toward him, keeping calm and in control of the fight. Dylan, who's slowly getting onto his hands and knees, drifts his eyes over to his opponent. Small strands of hair obstruct his face from Hazel.

"No Aura, huh? How foolish to come charging in," his voice sounds more like a teacher lecturing than a cocky villain.

"I didn't want to be late," Dylan uses the wall as support while he gets back on his feet. "Guess that didn't pan out."

"What we want rarely becomes reality," Hazel stops a step and a half away from Dylan.

"That's bleak."

"It's honest."

"I'm sure you're a straight arrow, honest sort of guy," Dylan huffs. "Staging a coup within the White Fang."

Hazel pauses for a moment, taking that second to gaze over at Sienna's body with some remorse. "Nobody had to die today."

"Little too late for that now!" Seemingly being distracted, Dylan throws his hand to both punch and activate Zephyr Shale.

Hazel, in one swift motion, turns, catches Dylan's wrist with his right hand and aims it upwards to avoid the air blast. He cocks his left arm back and punches just above Dylan's elbow, completely snapping his arm.

"GAAAAAH!" Dylan's horrific scream catches Aza's attention.

She looks over, seeing her brother's skin and muscles tear, revealing the bones in his arm. Hazel pushes the limp end of Dylan's arm the opposite way, turning the boy's body towards him so Hazel can grasp his head and bring it down to his knee, forcing it to bounce off only to be clobbered by a follow up punch and slam against the wall.

With no Aura, Dylan immediately falls unconscious from this barrage. His body flops down at Hazel's feet, blood dripping from both his arm and nose.

That's the moment Aza remembers when she attacked him, and that SHE destroyed his Aura. She never considered they were entering a fight with her brother at his most vulnerable. The fact that he even fought, that he didn't complain...

Aza cannot lose her brother too.

The flaming Faunus surrounds herself in flames so hot they even make Hazel sweat. It's an immediate deterrent for Adam, so he doesn't get close. The girl, using those flames launches herself across the room and towards her brother and the human, focusing all her power into one burst of fire that even an on guard Hazel cannot tank. The man is pushed back some distance, allowing Aza to grab Dylan and, once again, burst into the air and through the ceiling.

Adam relaxes, despite the flames still roaring around him.

"Please, clean this place up and prepare our previous leader's body for a burial," he says to the soldiers who're still standing but were too overwhelmed to even attack. "And be sure to mark both Brine's siblings as enemies of the Faunus."

Hazel relaxes as well, thinking back on his opponent.

"Dylan Brine..."

Hazel is done here. He's leaving.