So it is done

Rat number one leads

Jonathan watched as the puffs of smoke in the distance rose slowly upwards, all the while trying to figure out exactly who did it and what had provoked such a reaction. More importantly, what such an act would mean in the future.

Robyn was out of the picture – you made sure of that. Could Joanna have done this? She had the decisiveness to do it, but she lacked initiative, she wouldn't do something so drastic without orders from Robyn. And Robyn, for obvious reasons, couldn't give the order. Fiona? Absolutely not, she has no character, no control, and no loyalists to her side that could do the act. Adam? Actually, it's very probable – but I've made sure he's as far away from Robyn as possible, so news about her incapacitation shouldn't have arrived to him to warrant such a reaction yet. Robyn's deputies also wouldn't give him that information, at least not now, exactly for fear of Adam's drastic reactions... And for a good reason.

What are we betting on? Is it him or not him? Who else but him would react in such a way?

The General is out of the picture, his subordinates don't know it yet, so it's unlikely for the perpetrator to be a 'proactive' officer in the field... Unless it's simply a small fry who decides to interfere with all the plans.

Ozpin, Kaiser or Aifal?

Kaiser doesn't need it, he's ambitious, but not in pursuit of a bloodbath. He wants to rule, not destroy.

Ozpin?

It's hard to predict with him, I can reasonably measure his personality but still could not predict how it would affect his actions. He has millennia of experience, what may seem to me a random action on his part may be part of some grand plan. It also meant that he's pragmatic or perhaps vicious enough to commit an act of terrorism if it benefits his goal.

So, is it Aifal then?

I know even less about him. Neither his motive nor his plans...

So it's either Ozpin or Aifal?

But it's still possibly done by Adam's hands. You don't leave a good tool lying around.

What awful old politicians we are, calling Adam a 'good tool' – just wait till they offer you the chair of the Primus of the Order of Hermes.

Jonathan lost his train of thought for a moment as that last piece of thought stumbled out of his occupied mind. "It just slipped out! I'm not old enough yet not to go along with my own youthful impulses!"

Slipped out – or let loose?

Jonathan wrestled with that thought for a moment before being forced out of it as he heard a knock on the door. It seems that one of the agents assigned to guard the entrance to his room must have wished to inform him of what was happening at the moment. If not, then it must be because he's needed to negotiate with whoever is handling the crisis now, as he would be the only one left on Mantle's side that could do so.

With Robyn out of the picture, and with Joanna probably busy dealing with that, only Fiona would be left to represent the Mantle Liberation Front. And Fiona? Well, she's not suitable to deal with the upcoming crisis and emergency negotiations.

If Adam decided to go all-in – the situation would get quite complicated... But that opened up new avenues as well.

Jonathan felt some sort of almost mocking smirk appear on the back of his mind.

No man, no problem – it worked with faunus, too.

Adam would have to be taken out anyway sooner or later, one way or another. Simply shooting him where a relatively peaceful resolution exists would have been impossible, too influential, too many followers...