Epilogue (Snooping around the mansion)

The Schnee family drama continued into the hallways. Weiss had just confronted Jacques over his election fraud by showing a recording of his secret meeting with Dr Watts to General Ironwood and representatives of the Atlas council.

Blake missed out on most of the conversation- when asked where she had been, Blake answered that she got lost looking for Weiss.

However, Blake was not the only person snooping around the mansion... Neopolitan and Cinder disguised themselves via Neo's semblance. They were gathering intel on General Ironwood using a recording device they placed under the dinner table of the meeting room where he met with the Atlas council.

Neopolitan spotted Blake running through the hallways back to her friends. Neopolitan informed Cinder through texting. Cinder couldn't believe it at first. She had been busy daydreaming about her childhood until Neopolitan messaged her. Cinder wasn't even paying attention to the councilman meeting being recorded, planning on listening to it later. She only began to listen in because Neopolitan texted her saying there was a commotion inside. She heard Weiss Schnee in the midst of the conversation. All of Team RWBY had to be in the building!

Standing before Cinder was a choice- to continue gathering intel and follow her quest for power or get **** against the teenage silver eyed brat for burning her skin at the fall of Beacon. Cinder chose the latter. She stormed towards the councilmen meeting with Neopolitan, prepared to burn the place to the ground.

Blake heard Cinder create a plume of fire using her maiden magic first and shouted at everyone to get down. An explosion ripped through Schnee Manor, narrowly avoiding Team RWBY, Penny, Winter and Jacques. Team JNR, Oscar, Ironwood, Robyn, the Ace Ops and the councilmen are caught in the blast. Both councilmen Sleet and Camilla died in the flames.

Team RWBY, Penny and Winter are thrust into combat against Cinder and Neopolitan. They only managed to apprehend Cinder once Ruby activates her silver eyes to stun her. Winter, Blake and Yang together manage to defeat Neopolitan.

The handmaid did not get to finish her affair with Willow. To escape the blaze, the handmaid puts her clothes on and carries Willow out of the Schnee mansion naked. Whitley is appalled at the sight as he assists hurrying the guests out of the Schnee mansion.

Jacques is spotted trying to escape the Schnee Manor by Winter who promptly arrests him. Ironwood is so livid with Jacques for his treachery against Atlas that he considers executing Jacques outside the Schnee Manor.

Winter objects, pleading that he must stand trial. She succeeds in calming him down... temporarily. However, Ironwood raises the question of whether Jacques hired Cinder and Neopolitan to kill him. Jacques declares his innocence, but it is not enough to convince Ironwood. Jacques is sent for interrogation as Ironwood dispatches the Ace Ops alongside his allies to evacuate Mantle.

The destruction of the Schnee legacy is on full display, much like Willow's bosoms. Their house burned to a crisp and their reputation was ruined beyond repair. Blake had fulfilled her heart's desire to have an affair with Willow. But this came with unintended consequences.

Knowing that Salem's forces had infiltrated Atlas and that intel of his Amity project was leaked to Robyn, Ironwood made a decision to prevent anyone else sneaking around his kingdom doing as they pleased. Not Jacques, not Dr Watts, not Robyn, no one.

Atlas’ military was dispatched to evacuate as many Mantle citizens as possible while Winter received the order to claim the winter maiden's powers. He told only Winter that his plan was to use the relic of creation to raise Atlas high into the atmosphere.

Once Ironwood apprehended Dr Watts and received confirmation of Tyrian's capture, Ironwood successfully withdrew all his forces from Mantle. Atlas was raised high into the sky. Mantle was abandoned, left to be demolished by Salem within hours in a fit of rage.

Team RWBY was evacuated along with some citizens of Mantle. Ruby and Blake condemned Ironwood's decision... at first.

But with time, Weiss came to understand Mantle was a necessary sacrifice. She convinced her teammates too. No army on Remnant was prepared for Salem to arrive in full ****. Mantle would be destroyed whether Atlas fought or not. Atlas had managed to cut its losses, using the destruction of Mantle as a rallying cry for the kingdoms to unite against Salem.

Blake wondered if this outcome was partially her fault. Once Ironwood declared martial law over Atlas, he stated that his reasoning for abandoning Mantle was because the Amity project was leaked to "enemies of the state". Robyn Hill was jailed for dust theft and sedition, yet Blake was the one who leaked the Amity project to Robyn.

Blake helped to stoke Ironwood’s paranoia. Inadvertently, doing so saved the lives of everyone in Atlas… at the cost of Mantle.

The relic of creation stayed out of Salem's grip. Her remaining allies broke away to warn Vacuo that they were her next target (though Penny beat them to the punch). Two of Salem’s most trusted men were held in Atlas maximum security centres. Her maiden hunter was put into an induced coma until Ironwood found another suitable host. All because of the events which took place in the Schnee mansion one fateful night.

Are the Schnees the heroes of this story or perhaps the victims? You choose.