Leon had recently brought Nemera to the Twin Goliath Tavern, a new pub that had opened in Mistral to speak to her. Leon looked up from his drink, glanced over his shoulder, and saw someone enter the building. He was an ox faunus with two fierce horns on top of his head, his black hair was shiny and disheveled, and he was wearing a breastplate, loose pants, combat boots, and leather gloves. He walked in and sat down at the bar, ordering something Leon couldn't really hear before the bartender ushered the faunus to the back.

Nemera: Leon, are you listening?

The bartender lead Brick to the back room and to one of the many fermentation barrels the tavern had, he then pressed a panel on the wall and the lid rolled aside, opening a secret tunnel. Brick entered the descending tunnel and came to a large metal room filled with thugs partaking in tests of strength, scientists and engineers building weapons and machines, and robots of all shapes and sizes carrying out various tasks. Brick started walking through the chaos and came to a room with a circular table which had four chairs and a large throne. Sitting at the table were three people Brick came to know over the past few months. Olivia, a girl with purple highlights in her blonde hair, a set of goggles, and an old work apron, Albert, a bat faunus with a velvet vest and cloak whose eyes were a pale blue, and Steinar, a mole faunus with squinting eyes, near sighted glasses, a bulky frame, and a diggers outfit along with a drill fitted around his right hand.

Brick: *sits down* Where is our lord?

Olivia: He hasn't shown up yet, which leads me to question, he's backed all his enemies into a corner, yet he doesn't finish them off, why?

Albert: He can remove all opposition to his plans, yet he chooses not to.

Steinar: *snorts* What I don't get is why we're sitting around doing nothing, we should be out there fighting evil!

???: All in good time, my loyal council.

The four turn to face the door, through the door came someone wearing a massive suit of armor that concealed his identity. The armor itself was a true marvel, it's visor glared with purpose and contempt, and it's metal casing gleamed in the dim light. The gauntlets were equipped with hydraulic boosters and the boots seemed heavier than they should be, and despite it's bulk, it moved with an almost inhuman grace and silence. He walked around the table and sat on the throne.

Albert: Lord Summer Storm, why must we delay the killing blow to our enemies?

Summer Storm: Do not consider them our enemies, consider them our playthings.

Olivia: But my lord, I don't understand.

Summer Storm: We break down our enemies' forces and resolve with concentrated attacks and by stealing resources. Once they are at their worst, we offer them security under our banner, thus expanding our forces exponentially. But enough of that, I have new orders for all of you.

Steinar: What do ya want us to do than? *snort*

Summer Storm: Olivia, the White Fang has a shipment of supplies in a warehouse not too far from here, see if you can't "convince" them to hand it over. Brick, certain businesses have failed to give us our protection fund, make them pay the piper. Steinar, rouge hunters from Vale are coming to visit Mistral soon, go say hello. And Albert, some of our foes are gathering in your neck of the woods, I want them subdued by the end of the week, now move!

As the Summer Storm's elite council gets up and leaves, Summer Storm stops Steinar at the door.

Steinar: What is it my lord?

Summer Storm: These hunters I'm sending you after are incredibly dangerous, just remember to mention the one I told you about, whether you're defeated or not.

Steinar: Of course. *snort*

Brick walked out of the burning remains of one of the shops he was supposed to hit with a bunch of lien in his fist. After stuffing it in his pants pocket, he saw the next one, a humble little dust shop at the other end of the street. After pushing his way through a crowd of people, Brick came to the front entrance.

Brick: *slams the door open* Time's up!

Shopkeeper: *puts his arms up* No, wait, I can explain!

Brick: *slams his fist on the counter* Oh really, then explain!

Shopkeeper: N-not many people are coming in to shop out of fear of the White Fang, I just can't get the money for both you and myself!

Brick gets behind the counter and shoves the shopkeeper aside before he can hit his alarm button. Brick then picks up the cash register and shakes at least hundreds of lien onto the floor.

Brick: Oh really *points at the lien* because that looks like enough!

Shopkeeper: N-no, you don't understand,it's--.

Brick: *Points a double barreled shotgun at the shopkeeper* Get outta here, and have your payment ready next time, or I'll burn this place to the ground!

The shopkeeper flees to his store's back room as Brick starts picking up all the lien and putting it back in the cash register. He then leaves with the register under his arm, just in time to see Winter walking up the street accompanied by her elite troopers.

Winter: What's going on here?!?

Brick: Business, that's what's going on!

Winter: You call this business, you just robbed that man's store!

Brick: He failed to pay his debt on time.

Winter: *Draws her saber as her troopers draw their blasters* I've heard enough, you're under arrest!

Brick: *smirks and chuckles* Wrong choice lady!

Brick roars loud enough to shake the street, an instant later, the troopers drop their blasters and run away in terror, along with any passerbys. Winter drops into a fighting stance as Brick scrapes his right boot along the ground and charges at her, catching her saber between his horns. He then twists his head, ripping Winter's saber from her grasp.

Brick: *raises his greataxe* You loose lady!

Brick swings his greataxe, but Winter conjures a gryph to shield herself, the glyph then detonates, causing Brick to stumble back.

Brick: *regains his balance* Ha, what a treat, I get to kill a Schnee!!

Brick charges at Winter again, she jumps over him and retrieves her sabre.

Winter: You picked the wrong day for this!

Brick: Ha, you picked the wrong day to challenge the Summer Storm!

Winter: Wait, you work for the Summer Storm!?!

Brick catches one of Winter's attacks and struggles against her.

Brick: Yes, and he will judge you for your crimes!

Winter: *pushes back* What do you know about Isaac?!?!

Brick: That isn't your biggest concern Schnee!

Brick Punches Winter, sending her into a nearby building. Brick steps through the hole his attack made and moves a large piece of rubble aside, finding Winter's unconscious body underneath. Brick picks up the unconscious Winter and returns to base. He found the Summer Storm in his throne room, which was a large room occupied by large pillars, two rows of armor suits that line a red carpet that leads to a throne made from scrapped Atlesian machines and robots.

Brick: My Lord, I have succeeded.

Summer Storm: What's that you have with you?

Brick: You will be most pleased, for I have defeated a Schnee. *throws Winter before the Summer Storm's throne*

Summer Storm: Hmm, moderately impressive.

Brick: Thank you my Lord. Shall I kill her for you?

Summer Storm: *stands up* No, not yet, I have plans for her, you're dismissed.

Brick nods before leaving.

Albert stood on the stage of an old opera house he used to perform in. Normally the ceiling would shine, and the seats would host a full house, eager to hear Albert sing. Now the whole building was coated in thick dust and cobwebs, every other seat was missing, and the wood on the walls and ceiling was decaying, he had also sat a bunch of bound people in the seats, hoping one of them was the enemy the Summer Storm told him about. Albert then turned back to the stage, which had a cardboard cutout in the shape of a marble fountain and a few benches, sitting in one of the benches was a female mannequin wearing a simple dress. Albert remembered this as the famous scene in one of the operas he performed. He sat on the bench and pressed a button on the floor, causing a sad orchestral melody to start playing, Albert then took a breath and began to sing. Meanwhile, Kayla and her sisters were investigating a series of disappearances near an old opera house, when she hears singing coming from inside.

Albert: ♭Why can't we live as one?♯

???: ♮Why must we live far apart?♭

Albert: ♮You've left a gaping void in my heart♯

Kayla: Hey, do you two hear that?

Christine: Hear what?

Kayla: Listen.

Albert: ♯I know we'll find a way♭

???: ♮I know we'll be together, someday♭

Helen: Sounds like singing.

Kayla: Let's go.

Kayla, Christine and Helen all enter the old opera house, inside they find Albert singing to the same mannequin, who sings back to him via a speaker on it's chest. Albert sees them enter and stops singing.

Albert: ♮It would seem we have new guests♯.

Kayla: It would seem we found our kidnapper.

One of Albert's prisoners tries to yell for help, but she's muffled by a strip of tape over her mouth.

Albert: Just take a seat and I'll begin my next performance.

All the sudden the lights go out, Kayla could see Albert leap off the stage and swoop towards Helen, she tried to catch the attack but Albert dug his claws into Helen's leg, When the lights come back on, Helen is on the floor with three lacerations in her leg, and Albert is nowhere to be seen.

Kayla: *draws her pike* Show yourself!

Albert: I think not, the Summer Storm has ordered your defeat.

Christine: Where is he, and who is the Summer Storm?!?

Kayla: Forget about that, dress Helen's wound, I'll go find this guy.

Kayla started slowly shuffling through the opera house, when suddenly the lights went out again. Kayla stood there in the darkness for a moment, she heard another swoop and raised her pike behind her, blocking an attack she didn't see. Her attacker fled with a woosh and the lights returned.

Albert: So you are catching on, good.

Kayla darted her eyes around, looking for Albert. When Helen weakly raises her crossbow and fires up at the ceiling, she hits the mark and Albert falls in front of the stage.

Kayla: *Walks up and puts her pike to Albert's neck* Now you're gonna tell me, who is the Summer Storm!?!

Albert: All you need to know is that he controls this city.

Kayla: *pressures Albert's neck* Take us to him!

Albert: Don't make me laugh prima donna, he'd tear you to shreds. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for intermission.

Albert reveals a mounted microphone on his head and screeches, Kayla recoils and covers her ears. Seizing the opportunity, Albert escaped. Meanwhile, Olivia was standing outside one of Mistral's many warehouses, waiting for the White Fang to arrive.

Olivia: *looks at her machine* Can't wait to see the look on their faces when they see this.

Olivia sees a small groups of WF grunts enter the warehouse, along with a lieutenant.

Lieutenant: Secure the doors.

The grunts start scattering deeper into the warehouse. When suddenly, a large mechanical spider crashed through one of the walls, the spider's abdomen looked as though loaded to the brim with weapons and it's legs were equipped with wicked spikes.

WF grunt: What is that thing?!?

Lieutenant: Shoot it down!!!

The grunts start firing at the spider, but it doesn't damage it at all. A panel on the spiders back opens up, and an electric wave suddenly flies out, shutting down the grunts blasters. Meanwhile, Olivia enters carrying a chainsaw sword in her left hand.

Olivia: Ha ha, ladies and gentlemen, the almighty White Fang!

Lieutenant: Who are You?!?

Olivia: That doesn't matter, this warehouse and everything in it is now property of the Summer Storm!

The lieutenant didn't say a word, instead charging at Olivia and swinging his massive axe. Olivia sidesteps and counters with her chainsaw sword, sawing clean through it. The spider then fired a net from it's abdomen, pinning the lieutenant to the ground.

Olivia: Heh, you're finished, and as for the rest of you, tell your boss there's a new ruler in town, and his name is the Summer Storm!

The grunts flee.

Olivia: *turns to the robotic spider* Issue command, return hostage to base.

The spider climbs up to the ceiling, uses another net to snare the lieutenant and carries him away. Meanwhile far from Mistral, Steinar had taken over a village along the road to Mistral, hoping to find the hunters the Summer Storm told him about. Steinar himself had stationed digger droids all over town while he himself rested in a drill tank the Summer Storm had build for him, suddenly, Steinar gets a ping from one of his droids.

Droid: Warning, warning, targets detected.

Steinar looks at his viewing monitor and it shows him a video feed of team RNJR exiting a certain shop, one of them suddenly notices his droidcam and speaks.

Jaune: Hey guys, you think that robot is watching us?

Steinar: Oh he's not, but I am. And I'll give you a welcome you won't soon forget.

Just as team RNJR left town, the ground suddenly started rumbling

Nora: What's that?

Through the trees suddenly comes a massive vehicle, it had a jagged shape about it, was carried by mud caked tank treads, and had a massive, rusty drill on the front. Steinar opened the vehicle's top hatch and climbed to the roof.

Steinar: *speaks through a megaphone* Eh you freaks down there, my boss knows what you're up to and now I'm here to remove you!

Ruby: Who's your boss, and more importantly who are you?!?

Steinar: You'll see, if I don't flatten ya first!!

Steinar climbs back inside the tank, then the drill started spinning and and tank started moving forward.

Jaune: Run, RUN!!

Team RNJR starts sprinting down the road with Steinar's tank following close behind.

Steinar: You're roadkill, you hear me you little punks!

Steinar's tanks suddenly gets stuck on a big tree.

Steinar: *growl* go you peice of junk, go! *snort*

Jaune looks back and sees the oil tank on the tank is leaking.

Jaune: Nora, the oil tank's leaking, fire a grenade at it!

Nora: Way ahead of ya!

Steinar continued to spur his tank to overpower the tree as Nora ran to the side of the tank and fired a grenade into the leaking oil tank. Meanwhile Steinar gets an alert that his tank is about to explode.

Steinar: No, no!!

Steinar quickly climbs out of his tank and escapes just as it explodes.

Steinar: Heh, you four are more trouble than you're worth, I'm leaving. *snort* But don't worry, you can still play with my toys!!

A squad of slim yellow robots welding drills, shovels, pickaxes, and jackhammers come out of the ground and surround team RNJR while Steinar himself turns and runs.

Jaune: *deflects an attack from a digger droid's shovel and splits it in half* You guys keep them busy, I'll go after that guy!

Jaune gets through the digger droids and runs off after Steinar, Jaune eventually finds Steinar trying to climb a cliff at the end of a small clearing.

Jaune: *raises his sword* Nowhere left to run.

Steinar: *turns around and raises his arm drill* So you didn't like my toys? Ah well, I can take ya, now *starts up his drill* let's see if I can strike oil!

Steinar stomps the ground, the ground shakes and Jaune stumbles back. Steinar then charges at Jaune and swings his fully spinning drill, which Jaune blocks with his shield.

Steinar: Ha, struck a rock in the dirt, but even rocks can be broken.

Jaune tries to hit Steinar with his sword. But Steinar grabs his arm, retracts his drill, and slams his head into Jaune's, causing Jaune to stumble into a nearby tree.

Steinar: Is that really all you got?

Steinar swings his drill again, and Jaune ducks under him.

Steinar: Heh, this is just rich. I have no idea what your little girlfriend saw in you. *snort*

Jaune: W-what did you say?!

Steinar: You heard me, I don't know why that Pyrrha lady put her trust into such a-uh... spineless, pathetic weakling like you! And-er... clearly some of your weakness rubbed off on 'er when she made that mistake, a-and that's why she peri-er-peri... gah! Bit the bullet!

Jaune yells out in anger and charges at Steinar, swinging his sword hard enough to push Steinar back.

Steinar: I knew I'id find your gold mine if I kept digging!

Jaune clenches his teeth and delivers a flurry of quick attacks to Steinar, Steinar counters and manages to knock Jaune's shield away.

Steinar: Heh, what you gonna do now?! *snort*

Jaune swings his sword again, this time knocking Steinar's drill off his arm. Steinar tries to stomp the ground, but Jaune swings at his other foot and sends him to the ground.

Steinar: Ha, I was wrong, you got it in ya after all.

Jaune: *puts his sword to Steinar's neck* What do you know about Pyrrha?!?

Steinar: I don't know nothin, but my boss, he knows, uh a lot I guess.

Jaune: Take me to him.

Steinar: Ha, he'd tear ya to shreds!

Jaune: *pushes on Steinar's neck harder* That wasn't a request, take me to him, NOW!

The rest of team RNJR shows up.

Ruby: Wait Jaune don't kill him!

Jaune: *looks at Ruby, then back to Steinar* Alright mole here's the deal, you take us to your boss, and I don't have to make you shorter.

Steinar: Alright fine. *snort*

Steinar started walking team RNJR to Mistral. eventually stopping for the night, Steinar waited for team RNJR to fall asleep before going somewhere secluded and contacting the Summer Storm.

Steinar: Eh boss, we got a problem here.

Summer Storm: What's happened?

Steinar: Those guys you told me about, I couldn't beat em, I still told them about the lady you mentioned, but now they want me to take them to you.

Summer Storm: Hmm, this is troubling, but perhaps we can use it. Lead them to the hideout and I'll have a trap all set for them.

Steinar: Yes boss.

Summer Storm: *terminates the call* And while he does that, I got more pressing business.

Summer Storm turns to a special holding unit, which was a steel coffin like device which bound the limbs of it's captor. In the device lay Winter, covered in bruises and cuts from her recent encounter with Brick. Winter then slowly starts waking up.

Summer Storm: Finally awake I see?

Winter: Who are you?!

Summer Storm: *steps into view* The crime lord who rules this town, I am the Summer Storm.

Winter: Where is Isaac?!

Summer Storm: Not a hello in the slightest, I thought you Atlas folk would have better manners. But if you really want to know, he's my arms dealer, probably off selling weapons to another gang.

Winter: Even under that visor I can tell you're hiding something.

Summer Storm: Hmm, you got me, well no point in hiding now. You see, Isaac is not my arms dealer, we are in fact...

The Summer Storm's chest plate and helmet open up, and Isaac steps out.

Isaac: One in the same.

Winter: I-Isaac, you're the Summer Storm?!?

Isaac: I am, and you my dear Schnee, are my leverage. Now tell me, do you know what this is?

Isaac pulls out a canister of GX-virus and shows it to Winter.

Winter: You stole that, do you know how dangerous that stuff is?!?

Isaac: I'm fully aware, and I also know it will be the key ingredient in the recipe for Atlas's destruction.

Isaac walks over to a small stock of odd devices. They would normally function as bombs, but in the place of explosives, there were more GX-virus canisters.

Isaac: Behold, operation Atlas shrugged. In a few days I'll invade Atlas and place these devices at key points all over the city, then when they go off, all the people will turn into monsters, rip each other to pieces, and it's bye bye Atlas.

Winter: You're insane Isaac!

Isaac: Says the right hand lady of the guy who thought it was a good Idea to try and enslave an entire kingdom. Now then, I'm gonna give good ole James a call, then we can go visit him with my new toys.

Isaac turns to a camera in the room. Meanwhile in Atlas, Ironwood was caught up in the search for Isaac, and where the White fang will strike next.

Ironwood: Ensign, any news on Winter's whereabouts?

Ensign: No sir, no trace of her.

Suddenly, the main screen starts to static.

Ironwood: What's happening?

Ensign: I don't know sir, it's some kind of interference.

A video feed of Isaac appears.

Isaac: Surprise!! *starts laughing*

Ironwood: *clenches his fist* Isaac!

Isaac: That's right James, don't wear my name out. Now then, your few months time period is up, and I'll be coming on over to make you pay for your crimes against Remnant. Oh, and in case you're having second thoughts.

Isaac turns his camera so that Winter is in view.

Isaac: I got your lady friend right here, and if you don't face me. *puts his blade staff to Winter's neck* Then you'll be looking for a new second in command. That'll be all, see ya in a few days James, untill then. *Isaac kicks the camera and the call ends*

Ironwood: *pounds his fist on the console* You, ready my personal commandos, he's made this personal!

Ensign: Yes sir.

End of part 18.