Y/N POV:
I sit in Team RWBY'S along with Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Oscar as Weiss holds the invitation with her father.
Weiss: Only my father would turn a hostile takeover into a fluffy PR move.
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.
Oscar: 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? (sighs) There's just too many coincidences.
Y/N: 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.
Ruby: If Jacques Schnee is up to something, I think we should know what it is.
Yang: But you could use some back up in case things go wrong.
Weiss: Well, I did have a certain maid with me.
She looks at me as I realize what she meant.
Y/N: No way...No I'm not putting that outfit on again.
Weiss gives me the sad puppy dog eyes as I feel my resolve falter.
Weiss: Please...?
Y/N: (sighs) Fine...
Timeskip~
Y/N: (I can't believe I'm doing this again)
Yue: (But you look really pretty mom)
Miyuki & Koyuki: (See we're not the only ones that think so)
I walk around handing drinks to people at the manor as I see the others walking in.
Y/N: (There they are)
I see Whitley walk up to them as he opens the double doors.
Whitley: Good evening, everyone.
Weiss: Where's Klein?
Whitley: What an interesting way to say "Hello, dear brother, how have you been?"
He crosses his arms and continues 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.
I look down feeling guilty as he's the one that helped us escape Atlas.
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.
Ironwood: Until then I'm sure they'll be happily celebrating your father's victory.
Whitley forces a sarcastic grin with a smug chuckle, then rolls his eyes as he turns to lead them into the foyer.
I follow them in and hand out drinks to the guests so they wouldn't get in way if I need to leave.
Whitley: For those of you joining us in the dining room, please follow me.
He walks in the direction he pointed, crossing his arms behind his back. Ironwood, Winter, Penny and Clover follow he glances back at Qrow.
Clover: Wish us luck.
Qrow: I mean, they already invited you, didn't they?
I see a rabbit Faunus waiter walk over to Qrow offering a wine glass.
Waiter: Care for a drink, sir?
Qrow: Uh... No, n-no thanks.
Y/N: (I'm glad to see he's trying to change)
Qrow: (To RWBY) I think I'll just stick to patrolling the grounds.
He walks away as Marrow follows behind him.
Marrow: Words out of my mouth.
Harriet: Right, well, don't wander off, don't break anything, and be ready in case the General calls on you.
Harriet walks 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.
She gestures for me to follow as we walk to the staircase but stop as Whitley walks down them.
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?
He looks at her with a smug grin not showing any signs of moving out the way.
Y/N: (This might be a problem)
Weiss: Well, Whitley, I'm sure the company is lucky to have you, but if you'll pardon me--
He sidesteps in her way to keep her from going up.
Whitley: And where exactly is it that you're going?
I see Nora coming up with a tower of food as I realize what's she planning.
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.
I see Nora and Ren pass each other behind us intentionally bumping shoulders with one another as they do so. With a grin, Nora begins spinning around dramatically.
Nora: Oh no, look out!
She throws her tray in the air and falls backward as the food goes flying near Whitley.
Y/N: Master Whitley look out!
Y/N: (Gonna have to adjust it a little)
I use a slight shift of wind to make the stew fall directly on Whitley.
Whitley: (annoyed) If you'll excuse me.
I hand him some towels to help clean himself up as he goes upstairs.
Weiss and I look over our shoulders to see Ruby is laughing, and Yang and Blake are smirking as we use the opportunity to go upstairs.
Y/N: That was too close.
Weiss: Good thing you helped them out or it would've hit that woman.
Y/N: Yeah...
I continue struggling to walk along with her due to wearing heels.
Y/N: (Stupid maid outfit...)
We continue on our way seeing multiple protraits of the Schnee family until a waitress walks up in front of us.
Waitress: Miss Schnee, is everything okay?
Y/N: I've got it covered.
Waitress: Understood.
Weiss: Keep up the good work!
We walk past her continue down the halls until we make it to Jacques office and walk in as I hear a voice behind us.
???: Hello darling.
I see a woman that looks like an older version of Winter holding a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other.
Y/N: (It's Willow)
Willow: I'm sorry I couldn't come down for your party, I'm... afraid I'm not feeling well.
While she speaks, Willow walks around to the side of Jacques' desk and sets her bottle and glass on it.
Weiss: Um... it's okay, mom. It's fine.
Willow: (slowly) What are you doing i-in your father's office?
Weiss: Just looking for something I left.
Willow looks at her glass, leaning it in circles on the desk.
Willow: That's right, you... left. (pauses, looking at Weiss) You left.
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.
She turns her back to the desk and leans against it, resting her hand on top of her glass.
Weiss: Yes, well, some of us are trying to do something about it.
Willow tenses her fingers on the glass. She snatches up her bottle of Six Swans brand vodka and begins drinking from it.
Weiss looks away and holds my hand as I accept it until Willow realizes what's she doing and sets the bottle on the table.
Willow: He started locking his home computer.
She turns around and grab her scroll.
Willow: But... he still has blind spots.
She opens the Scroll and taps one of the buttons, showing us a live camera feed of the office.
Weiss: You put a camera in here?
Willow: (upset) I put them in every room of this house, for our safety, in case I ever needed to...
She trails away before recomposing herself.
Willow: That's how I know about your girlfriend here.
Y/N: ...
Willow: You haven't come back to stay, have you?
Weiss: No.
Willow: (smiles) Good.
A single tear rolls down Willow's cheek. Her smile soon fades, and she wipes her tear away, while Weiss looks away gripping my hand tightly.
Willow: (sniffling) A man came by.
She hands Weiss the Scroll, picks up her bottle and begins walking across the room.
Willow: I'm afraid your father may be involved in something more dangerous than he realizes.
I see a man meet up with Jacques.
Willow: No matter what happens, Weiss... please don't forget about your brother.
Weiss: Whitley wants nothing to do with me.
Willow: Of course not, you left him alone.
Willow: (sadly) With us.
She walks towards me and whispers in my ear.
Willow: (whisper) Please take care of her.
Y/N: (whisper) I always will.
She leaves the room, shutting the door behind her as Weiss looks down saddened as I hold her hand as she looks up.
Y/N: It's okay...
Weiss: Right...
She looks at the scroll and starts playing the video.
Timeskip~
After learning the information on the trial Weiss and I hurry downstairs to the dinning room as I hear Ironwood and Robyn.
Camallia: General, since the day you were appointed Headmaster, there have been Atlesians who are skeptical of one man holding two Council seats.
Ironwood: Yes, which is exactly why we have checks and balances.
Sleet: We're supposed to, but lately you've been running roughshod all over them, making unilateral decisions without us.
Ironwood: Councilman, I never intended--
Sleet: What people intend and what they do aren't always the same, General.
Sleet: Councilman Schnee?
Jacques: Um... (clears throat) Yes, I, uh... agree with everything, everything that was, uh, just said. No, uh, no further questions.
Robyn: I'm not quite done yet. You're afraid of something, General. Aren't you?
Ironwood: I think that's pretty obvious, Miss Hill. I'm trying to prevent Atlas from becoming another Beacon, another Haven.
Robyn: Yet, you don't trust your own Council to help you? Operating in secret? These are the actions of somebody who's hiding something.
Ironwood: I'm not hiding anything.
Robyn: Let's put it to the test.
Robyn: You're all aware of my Semblance. Let's settle it here and now, General Ironwood.
Robyn: Here and now.
We finally make it to the double doors and push them open.
Weiss: Wait!
Y/N: You've got the wrong man on trial.
Weiss: I know who's been framing Ironwood, who rigged the election. And my father does, too. He's been working with him.
Weiss sets the scroll down on the table and projects the screen as the it shows Jacques and Arthur Watts in his office.
Camilla: Is that... Arthur Watts?
Sleet: That's impossible! Dr. Watts died in the Paladin Incident years ago.
Jacques: Wha-- W-w-what is this?
Ironwood: Play it.
Weiss taps the play button on the Scroll, and the floating screen begins playing the video.
Jacques: (in the video) That bastard is costing me more money every day with this embargo. I'd lay off every employee in Mantle if I wasn't trying to get their damn votes for this Council seat!
Watts: What if I said you could have your cake and eat it, too?
Jacques: (in the video) What did you have in mind?
Watts: James Ironwood never recognized my genius. After everything I gave him, he still disgraced me. I simply wish to return the favor.
Jacques: (in the video) What's in it for me?
Watts: A seat on the council. All I need is your login credentials for the Atlas network.
Y/N: (Bastard!)
Watts: You promise to make Ironwood's life a waking nightmare, and I will guarantee you victory at the polls by giving the voters down in Mantle a little... "digital push", if you will.
Jacques: (in the video) I always knew you were a good scientist, Arthur... but I never knew you were such a good salesman.
Ironwood: Enough.
In the video, Jacques cackles, and Weiss taps the Scroll's screen, pausing the video and making the floating screen disappear.
Jacques: (stammering) That, that is-- I--
He quickly stands and moves next to his chair, putting his hands up.
Jacques: (stammering) I can explain that. (clears throat) That... isn't real.
Sleet: (angrily) Jacques, take your seat.
He runs for the door as I block him.
Y/N: Kneel...
I let out my Aura causing him to kneel before me until Weiss walks in front of me as I stop and he looks up at her.
Jacques: Weiss...
Weiss: Jacques Schnee, you're under arrest.
Weiss withdraws her Scroll and displays her Huntress license to him with a very serious expression.
Weiss: (to Ironwood) Can I do that?
After settling down Jacques is placed back on his seat as the others join in.
Ironwood: I knew you'd stoop low to get what you wanted, Jacques. But this?
Jacques: This is all a great leap, James.
Ironwood: No, it's quite simple really -- now that I know Arthur Watts is alive. Working with a madman like Tyrian Callows, it would be easy for someone like him to coordinate an unthinkably heinous act like the one in that warehouse.
Ironwood: He used that access to hack the surveillance system and frame someone else for the job.
Ironwood: All while stealing an election.
Ironwood: And once you became a Councilman, your newly granted clearance gave him a (slamming his hands onto the chair's arms) backdoor into Atlas' secure network.
Ironwood: But you probably hadn't even considered that, had you?
Robyn: The people that died that night, their blood is on your hands.
Sleet: Jacques Schnee must be tried, not only for treason, but as an accessory to murder.
Jacques: These are outrageous accusations! I only intended to win the election. I had nothing to do--
Robyn: Only?!
Enraged, Robyn grabs the nearest chair and slams it into the wall. Penny puts her hand to her lips, and Jacques, Ironwood, Winter and the councilmen look at Robyn. Ironwood straightens up.
Camalia: What else will he be able to do with the access Jacques' given him?
Ironwood: With enough time... whatever he wants.
Jacques, Camilla, Sleet and Ironwood's Scrolls all buzz and ping, with Jacques' Scroll lighting up the pocket of his coat.
Camilla deploys her Scroll's screen, which displays an emergency alert, and Sleet answers a call on his.
Sleet: Wait... wait, what? What do you mean the heat has gone off?
Jacques: You have to believe me, I-I-I didn't know he was planning this.
Winter slams her hands down on the arm of Jacques' chair, and he flinches away from her.
Winter: You are going to shut your mouth and get the heating grid up and running again.
Jacques: I... I've been informed that we can't get into the system. It's... it's been blocked off.
Sleet: Without heat down there... people are going to die.
Ruby: General Ironwood? How bad is it?
Ironwood: He's using Jacques' credentials. We can follow that activity on the network. If he's found his way into the Amity system...
Ironwood: No, the secret is safe. For now. But if he learns about Amity, she learns about Amity.
Weiss: Can you block his access?
Ironwood: It's too late. He's already starting to lock us out.
Blake: It's too late. He's already starting to lock us out.
Ironwood: He's going to be mobile. We need his access point. We need to get him out in the open.
Robyn: Okay, so let me get this straight.
Ironwood stops, and he, Blake, Yang, Weiss and Penny look at Robyn. She holds up her hand and then does a finger gun gesture as she speaks.
Robyn: Yep, still here everyone.
Robyn: How do a disgraced scientist and disappeared serial killer find each other, General? Why would they target you? And why are you working so hard to hide the Amity Communications Tower from them?
Ironwood: (surprised) You know?
Robyn: I used to think you were hiding something to protect yourself. But I can tell there's something much bigger going on here. Now I think it's to protect something else.
Robyn: Us... Atlas, maybe even all of Remnant. And you're afraid of what might happen if you tell the truth.
The double doors on the other end of the room swing open, with Clover and Oscar on the other side.
Clover: General, the Grimm are all over Mantle.
Clover: The air fleet's doing everything they can, but they can't easily target Grimm in the city without risking casualties.
Ironwood: This... this is what I was afraid would happen.
Clover: Sir, we need ground support now
Robyn: What we need is to start evacuating Mantle. If it's completely overrun, it's not going to be safe anywhere. Use the fleet to get--
Ironwood: If I move the fleet, then Atlas is vulnerable. I... I tried to keep the kingdom safe. And now we're losing everything.
Oscar: General? Earlier, you asked for my advice.
Ironwood: I wanted Ozpin's advice.
Oscar: And his advice probably would've been to keep your secrets. When we first got here, you already knew that wasn't the right course. You had a new plan.
Ironwood: It's time to give up on that plan.
Ironwood: It's all falling apart.
Oscar: The panic you were worried about? It's already happening. The secrets you're keeping? They're about to be in the open anyway. It's time.
Oscar: Tell the truth.
Ruby: You're not alone.
Ruby: We can do this together.
Ironwood: (nods and smiles) Thank you. Oscar, I think it's time you get back to the Academy.
Oscar: I think you're right.
Ironwood: Miss Hill, Councilman Sleet, Councilwoman Camilla, there are some things you need to know about. Let's figure out how we can help Mantle... together.
Winter: I've called a transport.
Yang: What about Watts and Tyrian?
Ironwood: You leave them to me. Right now, you're needed down below.
Ruby: Alright everybody, it's time to do our jobs. All of us.
Clover: What she said. Let's make it happen, Huntsmen.
Y/N: Finally!
I take off my maid outfit as I was wearing my battle attire underneath as we run out of the building and I fly down to Mantle.
Y/N: (Let's go)
Chapter End