Chapter Text

           The dropship ride back to the Happy Huntresses camp was full of unease and quiet. Ruby and Weiss held close to Penny, comforting her over her new role, while Nora clung close to Ren, who held a death grip on the other, shaken by what he had seen. Jaune, vigilant, stuck close to Maria in the cockpit, keeping an eye on the instruments while she flies, Pietro silent between the two. Yang and Blake, meanwhile, scan the windows for any sign that Oscar’s nearby.

           “I can’t believe everything that’s happened” spoke Yang, breaking the silence.

           “I knew Ironwood was a few bolts loose, but to do something like this is just madness” Maria chirped back, focused on the skies around them.

           “I do not understand. He says he wants to save Atlas, but doing this, dividing our forces, it only lowers our probability of doing so….” Penny quantified, staring at her hands.

           “Penny, he’s not thinking correctly right now.” Pietro told her.

           “Yeah. He’s deciding only on fear, and that’s exactly what Salem wants him to do. If he continues like that, then he’s just going to crash and burn. Hard.” Ruby reassured her, rubbing the back panel of her friend. Looking to Maria, Ruby asked, “How much longer until we arrive?”

           “It’s still gonna be a few, Driving Blind while Blind isn’t really easy, you know,” Maria quipped, tapping the machinery attached to where her eyes used to be.

           “Ren, you haven’t spoken since-” Nora quietly whispered to Ren before being cut off.

           “Not now. Just…...not now.” Ren spat back as quietly as possible, trying to close himself off again.

           “You seem troubled Oscar” Ozpin questioned the boy as he walked through the seemingly abandoned equipment.

           “Well, I just fell all the way from Atlas after getting shot point blank by a guy who’s more and more unhinged, and that was also after getting attacked by a girl who didn’t speak but tried to kill me and could turn into me. So yeah. A lot to process while trying to not die in a frozen tundra.” Oscar retorted, clinging to himself while also keeping a grip onto The Long Memory, using it to make sure he wasn’t about to take another tumble.

           “That was one thing I never did admire in James. If he saw a task, he’d do whatever it took to get it done as fast as possible. However, he never took to account if it cost lives.” Ozpin solemnly responded.

           “Yeah, that made me wonder, why’d you even trust him in the first place if you knew he’d act like that.” Oscar questioned the ancient being.

           “For one, I didn’t intend on it happening. However, in trying to keep the peace between the Kingdoms, I had to. Atlas was always stuck like that. But one day, I decided to take a chance with him. And he showed that he was loyal to me. If I could, I wouldn’t make that mistake again. James can’t handle such knowledge.” Ozpin explained.

           “Well, that much is evident. What, with him trying to kill me.” Oscar replied, spotting a sheet and grabbing it to wrap around himself. “I just hope I can get back to the others soon….”

           James stared into the window that the Ace Ops were looking in at their leader as he laid in the bed, a patch on his chest trying to keep the hole in his chest closed. Letting them be, he turned behind him to enter Winter’s hospital room, shifting so that he could enter with his still-casted arm.

           “Winter. I hope you’re recovering quickly.” James expressed, focused on her.

           “Yes General…….you still have your arm bound?” Winter questioned.

           “I was about to go and get it replaced, honestly. It’ll be quicker than trying to wait for Aura or medicine to heal it, and time is not something we have at the moment.” James explained to her, stepping to the foot of her bed.

           “….if I may speak freely, sir?” Winter asked politely.

           “You may.” James answered.

           “Keep the arm. You’ve already lost so much of your body over the years…...if you keep replacing it with machinery, then-” Winter started to say before being cut off.

           “Then what? I’ll just be a machine? I don’t think you’ve noticed, Miss Schnee, but we’re under attack, and time is of the essence.” James retorted, looking down at his right-hand woman.

           “And when this is all settled, and Atlas lives or dies, which do you think the people would rather see? A man who gave up his heart to have the technological edge, or a Man who kept the failures of his flesh and beat the odds anyway!?” Winter snapped back, eyes narrowing as James stared back. Their silent battle of wills stayed for a few minutes, before being broken by Harriet knocking on the door frame.

           “Sorry to interrupt…….the Doctors say that, despite the blood loss and the hypothermia…...and…...the wound…….Clover’s barely hanging on. Only trouble is…..there’s nothing they can do about it now. They don’t think he’ll make it past the night...” Harriet explained slowly, trying to fight back tears with each word.

           “It appears that the Luckiest Man in Atlas finally ran out of it……...I just hope I’m wrong…..” James said, looking back between the two women. “Bree, I want you and the Ace Ops to help secure the Transports that have brought citizens here already, and re-fortify the Defenses. Understood?”

           “Sir! Yes Sir!” Harriet exclaimed, stiffening up as if on instinct.

           “My order from earlier still stands. Ruby Rose and her friends, as well as Penny, are to be arrested and brought to me.” James stated, before leaving the room. Winter watched silently as he did, before sharing a worried glance with Harriet.

           Touching down into the plaza of Mantle, the group exits the Dropship quickly. Ruby quickly scans around the area before turning to her team.

           “Alright, we need to fan out and find either Oscar, Civilians, or the Happy Huntresses. Let’s go individually, but keep our Scrolls ready just in case, okay?” Ruby asked them, Crescent Rose folded up and in her hand. Seeing everyone nod, Ruby started to turn before feeling fingers lacing between hers. Turning, she sees Penny shyly sticking to her. “Uh, Penny, that means you too.”

           “But, I wanted to go with you.” Penny said, dejectedly.

           “Penny, we cover more ground individually. Besides, all we have to do is call the others in an emergency and we’ll be there in a heartbeat.” Ruby explained, hugging the automaton. “It’ll only be for a little while, okay?”

           “Okay….” Penny replied, watching the others take their paths before walking down her own, her sensors scanning for any movement. After the first few sensor trips were just the standard rodents, Penny began to ease up. However, after a short time, her sensors went off again, this time to a much larger target. Focusing on where this body was, Penny quickly ran over, using both Standard Color and Heat Signatures to locate the person. “Hello,” Penny called out, keeping her weapons at the ready to deploy, “is anyone there?”

           Ren trudged through the alley, keeping his Semblance up to sneak past any loose Grimm. Quickly scanning around to ensure the coast is clear, Ren continued onto an empty street. Looking into a disheveled storefront, Ren was about to move onward.

           Clii-ink…….

           Quickly snapping around, Ren snapped out both Stormflowers, aiming at the source of the noise before spotting Nora, shocked with her hands raised, Magnhild on her back.

           “Whoa, Ren! It’s just me…..” Nora pleaded, seeing a level of fear in Ren’s face that was wholly unfamiliar.

           “Prove it! Tell me something only Nora would know!” Ren spat, fingers on the triggers of his pistols.

           “Ren, what are you-”

           “DO IT!!!” Ren commanded, tears starting to leak down his face.

           “Alright, alright, back when we were still on our own Ren and I would cuddle together at night because we were both afraid the Nucklavee would be right there when we opened our eyes!!!” Nora quickly spat out, stepping back as Ren’s expression softened, before seeing him slowly lower his weapons. “Ren, what is going on?”

           “…...she turned into you…...and she…...she made me think I was about to kill you…….the look she gave-” Ren started, feeling Nora quickly cling to him, before breaking down and hugging her tightly. “I just didn’t know if…….if it was her…..”

           “Ssh…..it’s okay……..I’m here, and I’m not going to go anywhere either.”

           “Anyone see anything?” Weiss asked as everyone started to regroup.

           “Well, I didn’t see anything, but then again, neither did Pietro.” Maria chimed, chuckling to herself.

           “I saw a pair of Rats…...they seemed to be having their own time, so I left them alone.” Jaune sheepishly said.

           “Hey wait...” Ruby said, counting the different members of her squad. “Where’s Penny?”

           “I didn’t see her, I thought you would meet up with her.” Yang said, motioning to Ren and Nora, who held hands tightly.

           “We need to find my little girl soon…..” Pietro worriedly said.

           “No need to worry Father, I am alright.” Penny said from behind Ruby, causing the others to immediately spot and tackle her. “Ow” Penny responded once the pile stopped moving.

           “Penny! Where were you? We were worried sick!” Ruby worriedly exclaimed, hugging her friend tightly.

           “I was with my new friend! She said we could come with her to meet her Friend who helps the Happy Huntresses!” Penny explained as they all slowly got off each other and stood up straight.

           “Wait, not only did you find a person still in this city, but also one that was friends with a person who’s one of the people we’re looking for?” Blake questioned.

           “Indeed! Now, shall we go? I do not wish to keep her waiting.” Penny said before skipping along towards the way she came.

           “So am I the only one who’s certain that she’s leading us to a trap?” Maria whispered to the others, getting nods in response. “Alright, if we’re going to our Dooms, let’s not make the innocent one cry doing so.”

           Ruby lead the others towards the direction of where Penny went off to, dashing forward a bit to talk to her. “Hey, Penny, why are you skipping all of a sudden? It’s kind of….weird.” Ruby asked.

           “Oh! That! My Friend showed me how! She stated that it was a way to show excitement!” Penny explained cheerfully. Simply allowing her friend to skip, Ruby hung back to rejoin the others. Quickly noticing the scenery of the City getting seedier, Ruby placed a hand on Crescent Rose again.

           “Everyone get ready in case this thing turns sideways.” Ruby whispered to them.

           “I’m already covering our ass.” Yang responded, marching backwards with Blake leading her along the right path. After several minutes, the alley narrowed to a single file space, barely enough to allow Pietro’s chair down it. Approaching the door right at the end, Penny knocked in sequence, leading to a small panel sliding open and eyes peering out of it.

           “Hello Mister Bouncer! I am back with my other Friends to meet my new Friend!” Penny responded, showing the others.

           “Shit, I thought you were kidding. A’ight, the Boss wanted to see you all anyway. He and his Right Hand Lady are in the Warehouse.” The figure said before sliding the panel back and opening the door open, revealing a long hallway. Slowly trekking inside, they heard the faint sound of machinery in motion, slowly getting louder until they got to the end, seeing a massive warehouse.

           “Look at all those crates…...” Jaune said, stepping out into the area in front of them.

           “I can see a few SDC Crates, but it looks like a lot of it is just general supplies…….makes sense for the Happy Huntresses, but who’s collecting them?” Weiss said, approaching the railing.

           Tap tap tap

           Quickly turning around and looking above them, all of them were shocked when they saw the person standing there, aside from Penny.

           “See? I told you! Friends, allow me to introduce you to my newest Friend-” Penny began to say while turning around before getting cut off.

           “Neo Politan. We’ve met. Penny, she’s bad news.” Nora responded, quickly pulling Magnhild off and extending it to its Hammer form while Ren instantly trained Stormflowers to Neo. Acting surprised, Neo climbed onto the railing of the platform she was on and hopped off, floating down as she opened her Umbrella, landing and giving Penny a hug, then pulling a sign out from what appeared to be behind Penny, revealing a message on it.

           “It’s fiNe, I uNdeRstaNd. But I’m Not the peRsoN you all aRe about to meet.”

           “Wait, what does that mean?” Yang asked the group before hearing boots clopping along metal. Looking back up, every single face aside from Penny and Neo went pale as they saw who it was.

           “Well hey there! I was told Little Red was here, but I wanted to see it for myself. Now I definitely know it’s past your Bedtime.” Roman Torchwick taunted, smirking. “What’s the matter? Seen a Ghost?”

Chapter Text

           “This is so gross!!!!” Roman said to himself as he felt around the inside of the Griffon, feeling the different folds and dips on the internal lining. Reaching forward a bit, he recoiled as he felt a sudden burning sensation on his fingertips. “Fuck!! Of course this fucking thing has Stomach acid!!!” He tried to force his way backwards, but a sudden jolt knocked him right into the stomach of the beast. Getting flopped around as it flew, Roman struggled to remain above the level. “No way! I’m not dying like this! I gotta get out of here and back to the land!!!!” Roman shouted, before suddenly feeling the walls around him force him back up the throat. “What the-?!?” He questioned, as he was held there for a while before feeling the Griffon land. “What, I’m gonna be fed to it’s babies?” He asked, before seeing a light to his side. Looking at it, he realized that the Griffon was suddenly dissolving. Before he could react, Roman dropped out of the beast entirely.

           “GAH!!!!!!” He gasped as he was exposed to the fresh air, before dashing away from the dissolving body. Taking a break to catch his breath, he looked back at the carnage of the battle of Beacon. “Oh gods…..” He said before hearing a landing and footsteps off to the side. Turning, he spotted Neo running to him. “Neo!!!!” He said, getting up and catching her in a tight hug.

           Neo looked to him with a fearful expression as they parted. “I know, I know,” He said, “I fucked up badly. And we got the short end of the stick massively. And I know! ‘I told you so~!’” He gently mimed how Neo mimed words, earning a chuckle from her. “You know who’s fault this is? That stuck up little snob Cinder. She got us into this mess, and she’ll get us out of it dammit!” He looked over to Neo as she smirked, then held out his arm before realizing. “Wait a second…….I got swallowed whole, but here I am like that thing just dropped me off. Neo…..are you thinking what I’m thinking?” He asked, seeing the gears in her head turning as well. Just before either of them were about to answer, a brilliant light came directly from Beacon Tower, and when it died down left the stony remains of the Wyvern perched there.

           “No fucking way. That’s how you survived?!” Yang asked, sitting with the others in Torchwick’s office as he had regaled his tale to them.

           “Yep. And how I figured out my Semblance, which I apparently had all along.” Roman responded, adjusting the black suit-jacket over his orange dress shirt underneath.

           “And your Semblance, you can actually control The Grimm?” Jaune asked, shocked more than anything.

           “Not fully. I give them a task and they do that, then they die. And they can only do it for a limited time.” Roman explained.

           “How long?” Blake asked, sitting with part of her legs in Yang’s lap, with part of Yang’s legs in hers.

           “Depends on the Grimm. Little ones can be for maybe 30 minutes or so, medium size can be an hour or three. Big ones take a lot, so I can only do one at a time. But I can do those for a full day.” Roman explained, sitting down.

           “So, how does she fit into this? Because she just stole something massively important to us and separated us from our friend.” Ren spat out.

           “Oh, we’ve had Neo work a fun angle where she’s got a copy of everything working with that Cinder Bitch. And did you mean this?” Roman said, holding up the Relic of Knowledge. “I have no idea what it is, but since she wanted it, you all can have it again.” He said, handing out the Relic. Watching Nora walk over and grab it, he leaned back, saying “Anyway, what can I do for you all. After all, all of you no longer have the Mighty dork in the Military on your side, so I’m guessing you’re needing me for something.”

           “Our friend, Oscar, he got separated. We think he’s under the base of Atlas, where the Mines are.” Ruby answered, standing before the desk.

           “So he’s alone. Aura low if not gone. In the middle of basically nowhere. When night’s approaching? He’s as good as dead. Why’d you guys want to risk something for him?” Roman asked.

           “He’s currently holding Ozpin.” Weiss answered.

           “….okay, you lost me. I thought his name was Oscar.” Roman asked.

           “Oscar is his own person, but he unknowingly became the current vessel for Ozpin, who’s been around since Humanity’s first time on Remnant.” Ren explained.

           “Whoa whoa whoa, what do you mean ‘The First Time?’” Roman asked, surprised.

           Cinder watched as Neo flew them to the side of the giant Grimm Whale. Gripping her seat tightly, Cinder braced for whatever Salem would decide to be punishment for her failure to gain the Winter Maiden powers. Watching for the area that most resembled a Landing Bay, Cinder rocked back in her seat. As soon as Neo started to land, however, she bolted up and dashed to the door, wanting to get her punishment over with as soon as possible. Taking a few steps off the shuttle, however, Cinder noticed the figure greeting them.

           “Oh god, of course you’d show up.” Cinder commented, rolling her eye.

           “Oh, why the long face? We’re all just delighted to see you again!” Tyrian said eagerly, his face in an expression of sheer insanity. “Oh, and you seem to have brought a friend?” He commented, causing Cinder to look back at Neo, who seemed uneasy at him.

           “Relax, he’s harmless. Just threaten that he’ll make Salem upset and he cowers back to her like an abandoned pup.” Cinder told her, glaring over at Tyrian.

           “Oh, I’d advise not going down that path. I’ve already killed once today, and I’m just waiting to go again!!!” Tyrian mocked before letting lose a maniacal laugh. Gripping Neo’s arm, Cinder lead her past Tyrian, taking her deep into the whale. After a while of traversing, Cinder saw a door open to a large atrium, and at the center, a throne facing what seemed to be the front of the Whale.

           “My Mistress….” Cinder said sheepishly, kneeling before the throne.

           “Oh? Is that you Cinder?” Salem questioned before standing and walking slowly to her, causing Neo to nervously kneel as well. “And you seem to have brought a friend into our midst…….how interesting.”

           “Forgive me, Mistress. This is Neo Politan, she will serve you well.” Cinder stated, still not looking up at Salem. Salem slowly stepped towards Cinder, before gently picking her chin up.

           “I’m sure she will. However, I’m sure you haven’t come back Empty Handed…..” Salem said, bringing her hand back to her and stepping back, causing Cinder to slowly stand before watching her produce the Relic of Knowledge. “Very excellent……..,” Salem said before taking the lamp, feeling it’s heft in her hand, “You know, destroying everything Ozma made to try to stop me isn’t something I’d normally find solace in, but this right here……..does put a smile on my face.” Salem grinned widely, staring into the Lamp’s glow.

           “…..my Mistress, I regret to inform you that I don’t know how to use the Lamp…..” Cinder said, looking away and ready to flinch at Salem’s next sentence.

           “It’s alright, Cinder-” Salem started to say before being interrupted.

           “-and I regret to inform you that I was unable to take the Winter Maiden’s powers, as the Puppet intervened before I could take it from her. She now has the Power” Cinder stated, flinching when Salem placed her hand gently on her scarred shoulder.

           “Cinder, Cinder, please, calm down.” Salem cooed to Cinder, before pulling her into a one-armed hug. After waiting for a few seconds, Cinder slowly gave her a hug in return. Pulling back afterwards, Salem gently lifted the Lamp up. “This right here is a very large step for my plan, and the fact that you were able to get it with little to no resources speaks volumes. You should be praised.” Salem remarked, smiling at her.

           “Y-Yes Mistress….” Cinder said shyly.

           “Don’t fret over what you were unable to do. We have the grand gift of time, a luxury that they do not. We will get what you have yet to get eventually.” Salem said, before walking back towards her throne, leading the two women towards it. “Look forward. Atlas is starting to burn, and soon it will be overrun by Grimm, and finally, the Staff of Creation will be in my hand. And Atlas shall fall.” Salem sat on her throne, resting the Lamp in her lap. “We will win, I am sure of it. Now, go and rest, The Grimm shall show you both to your quarters.”

           “But Mistress, what if you have need of-” Cinder panickedly asked before shrinking back as Salem quickly stood.

           “Cinder Fall. Have I told you of my second Daughter, Catherine?” Salem asked, cupping her face.

           “I-I wasn’t aware you had children….” Cinder confessed.

           “I had four Daughters, a long time ago. They were my most precious treasures….” Salem smiled as she trailed off, before slowly gaining a soured expression and glaring Cinder in the eyes. “Do NOT follow the same faults she did that caused me to lose her. Understood?”

           “Y-yes Mistress.” Cinder responded, feeling Salem pat her face gently.

           “Then go rest. You’ve earned it.” Salem said before taking her seat again. Listening to Cinder and Neo’s footsteps exiting the Atrium, Salem waved her hand, beckoning a nearby Seer to her. Once it got close enough, she looked into the orb head. “Contact Tyrian. I have need of his abilities.”

           “Hurry up! Come on, we need to be boxed up and moved out, on the double!!!!” Roman started shouting at the workers, power-walking along the ground level of the warehouse, followed by Neo and the group.

           “Roman, what are you doing?!” Ruby asked, hurrying to try to keep up with his panicked gait.

           “If everything you kids just told me was TRUE, then Atlas needs my help much faster. We gotta get people moved, move all this explosive Dust out of the way, and you all need to get to that Oscar kid!” Roman answered, turning around to talk to Ruby before turning back around. “Raoul! Ready the Sabres!” He shouted to a worker in the back.

           “But we also have to help the Happy Huntresses.” Jaune pointed out to him.

           “And we are! But we need to send them off first!” Torchwick responded, opening the door Raoul disappeared behind and leading them all in. Stepping through the door, Ruby’s eyes widened at the sight before her.

           “You’re holding Ice Sabres here?!” She asked, thinking he’s gone nuts.

           “Yep! Turns out if you have the negativity I have, you can sustain Grimm for a few weeks without issue. And these puppies are the fastest things on the Ice, even faster than our Vehicles!” Roman said, smacking the wall beside a Grimm, causing it to roar at him.

           “But, you only have four of them. We’re all not gonna fit on them.” Nora pointed out.

           “Well obviously, Hammertime. I’ll take the remainder to the Happy Huntresses, but you all need to decide who goes ahead of the Transports I’ll send anyways and keep Mr. Special alive!” He responded, leaning against the wall.

           “Okay, um, I think I should go, just in case Grimm attack us.” Ruby said to the others.

           “That’s one.” Roman said, holding up a finger. Neo slowly leaned against him, resting her head on his arm.

           “I should go too, just in case we need to fly fast.” Weiss added, getting nods from the others.

           “There’s two.” Torchwick added, raising another finger.

           “I can get him from a distance if we need to grab him fast.” Blake piqued in.

           “Yeah, that’s good. I’m more close range, so I’ll stay behind and help out.” Yang responded.

           “Lucky No. 3, now who’ll be the last of this Quartet?” Roman asked, holding up yet another finger.

           “I feel like I should go.” Penny stated.

           “No way Penny!” Jaune said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

           “He’s right! I’m not all too keen on you getting this new responsibility, but I’ll be damned if my Daughter gets taken by a megalomaniac when she goes to save someone!” Pietro shouted, slamming his fist down on his armrest.

           “He has a point, Twinkletoes. You go, and they get a lot of energy output. I can help hide you as we try to get this shit fixed.” Torchwick commented.

           “Here, I’ll go. Is that okay Penny?” Nora asked, seeing Penny nod slowly.

           “Nora-!” Ren said before Nora kissed him gently to quiet him down.

           “It’s okay, I’ll be alright, then I’ll be right back. Trust me.” Nora cooed, rubbing his head gently.

           “…...okay….” Ren responded, holding her hand until she stepped towards Ruby, Weiss and Blake.

           “And now we have all four. Girls, onto the saddles! Don’t worry, their heads are immobile and they can’t bite.” Torchwick told them. Watching them slowly and carefully get onto the Grimm, he strolled over to the front of them, his Left eye glowing a mix of Blue and Orange. “Listen up Sabres!” He shouted, causing all of the Sabres to immediately halt and point towards him.

           “Whoa….” Jaune said gently, shocked.

           “You all have to get these four ladies across the Ice right to the heart of the Crater. I don’t need to tell you all, but you won’t be coming back from this! Make sure they get there safely as fast as you can, got it?!” He commanded to them, making them nod and immediately face the outer Tundra as the shutter door opened. “Then GO!!!!” He shouted, pointing towards the field as the restraints were released. As soon as this happened, the Sabres rushed out at top speed, the girls on top hanging on for dear life.

           “Whoa!!! Ngh, Hang on Oscar! We’re coming!!!” Ruby said, gripping the bony protrusions of the Grimm with all of her strength.

           Tyrian slowly stepped into the Atrium, heading for the side of Salem’s throne, bowing at her side as she talked to the others.

           “Hazel, take Emerald and Mercury to Vacuo, I want you to lay the groundwork for our arrival once we’re finished here.” Salem told them, lowering a hand down to Tyrian’s head to pat it gently.

           “Yes Ma’am.” Hazel replied, starting to leave with the two younger and smaller beings before Salem called for Emerald’s attention.

           “Um, Y-yes Ma’am?” Emerald shyly asked.

           “My youngest daughter, Dorothy, was shy but hopeful as well. Do succeed, please?” Salem asked of her, seeing the shock in Emerald’s eyes.

           “Y-yes Ma’am.” Emerald responded, shooting Mercury a glance as they exited.

           “Tyrian, I’m glad you came.” Salem stated.

           “You have need of me, my Goddess?” Tyrian asked eagerly.

           “Yes. Unfortunately, the Lamp is currently locked, as I don’t have the key-phrase. I have a hunch who knows it. So, bring me Ruby Rose. Alive.” Salem told him.

           “Are you sure you don’t want me to grab…...Him?” Tyrian asked curiously.

           “No. By grabbing her, Ozma will come to me. After all, the Hearts of Men are easily swayed…….Boys, even more so…..” Salem remarked.

           “Then by your command, it shall be my sole task, my Goddess.” Tyrian responded, before letting out a slow, maniacal laugh.

Chapter Text

         James watched as Qrow sat in the interrogation room with his head down, looking at Clover’s pendant in his hand. Glaring at the man through the one-way mirror, James heard the door open slightly. Turning around, James saw Winter, her arm in a brace and several bandages around her body.

         “Miss Schnee. I see you’re recovering well.” James said, putting his right hand behind him, his left arm fully encased in various machinery.

         “Sir…...I see you replaced it…..” Winter said dejectedly, before James pressed a button on the side, sliding several panels away from the front of his left arm, revealing the whole thing soaking in a multicolored liquid. “What….”

         “It’s a new experiment. They put the antiseptic in the cases and mixed in various Dust crystals in powder form, to try to supercharge my healing. They predict it’ll be better in a week or two. Then again, they’re still working on it.” James explained, switching the panels back, then flexing his left hand slightly. “Now, onto the important matter right now.” James turned, seeing Qrow unchanged.

         “Does he know about Clover’s condition?” Winter asked, stepping beside him.

         “No. And I’m not going to tell him.” James said, walking to the door to the interrogation room, heading through. Closing it behind him, James glared at Qrow, who slowly looked up, his eyes red and puffy.

         “James…...I….” Qrow started to say before seeing James walk up and grip his throat, struggling then to keep breathing as he’s being lifted.

         “You had one job. Bring in Tyrian Callows. Your arrest was warranted, so you had to be brought in too. And what did you do?” James scolded the man, lifting him off the floor.

         “It wasn’t-” Qrow choked out before getting slammed against the wall.

         “IT WAS! YOU ALLOWED CALLOWS TO ESCAPE! YOU’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLOVER’S DEATH! EVERYTHING NOW IS YOUR FAULT!!!” James bellowed at Qrow, tightening his grip before feeling Winter pulling on his arm.

         “Sir! Stop it! You’re going to kill him!!!” Winter begged, making James drop Qrow to the floor. James stepped back, adjusting the glove on his right hand.

         “Miss Schnee, take him back to the Cells, then come see me in my office.” James ordered, exiting the room.

         Ruby gripped her Sabre tightly as it kept rushing forward through the sharp cold tundra. Looking over, she saw Blake and Nora practically climbing into the fur of their mounts, while Weiss stayed upright.

         “How are you fine in this cold?!?!” Ruby shouted to her.

         “I grew up here, remember? Cold air isn’t an issue with me.” Weiss nonchalantly said.

         “Well, we need to have a plan when we get to Oscar, because These guys won’t last much longer.” Ruby shouted, seeing a trail of ashes following behind them. Before she could say anything else, she saw Blake’s Sabre stumble.

         “Whoa!!” Blake shouted, throwing Gambol Shroud over to Weiss, who let it wrap around her arm before yanking it to pull Blake off of her Sabre, the beast collapsing and turning to ash once Blake left it.

         “This isn’t good!!!!” Nora shouted out to the other girls. Ruby gripped the softer parts of her Sabre, rushing over to Nora’s and helping her onto the back of hers. Seeing Nora’s Sabre collapse as well, and feeling her shiver against Ruby, she rushed towards Weiss and Blake.

         “We’re going to have to go faster!!!!” Ruby shouted, seeing the other side of the cliff still distant.

         “Then we’ll go faster!!” Weiss shouted, drawing out Myrternaster, focusing a set of Glyphs out in front of them, adding smaller and smaller amounts of Electric Dust to make the Sabres run faster and faster.

         “This is-” Ruby started to say before seeing both of the remaining Sabres falter, “Gonna be rough!!!!” Ruby braced with Nora as their Sabre bucked forward, sending them into a snowbank before it instantly ashed into it as well.

         “Ruby!!!!” Weiss started to shout before tumbling with Blake as her Sabre dissolved as well. Panting hard, Weiss slowly stood with Blake, the latter shaking snow off her cat ears, before they both went over to the banked girls. Pulling them out gently, Blake chuckled a bit to see Ruby and Nora shivering more than before.

         “Guess only the Ice Queen’s comfy here.” Blake remarked, giving Weiss a sly look.

         “Hey!!!” Weiss exclaimed, glaring at the now giggling girls before a large gust of cold air reminded them that they needed to move. “It’s a good thing we got pushed basically up to the Cliff...” She remarked, walking with them as they headed towards the cliff and construction site atop it.

         James stared out of his office window, glaring at the giant whale Grimm hovering before the Kingdom he was tasked with protecting. Hearing the door open, he swiveled around and looked upon his subordinate.

         “Miss Schnee.” James said, resting his elbows on the piece of metal he placed over-top the top of his broken desk. “We are in the time of a crisis. And the people of Atlas are looking up to us.” He explained to her, moving a data pad around and pushing it towards her, seeing her slowly pick it up. He then leaned back as her eyes widened after reading the beginning of it.

         “You want to execute Qrow?! Why?!” Winter panickedly asked him.

         “Miss Schnee. We need to show that not only will Atlas not be intimidated, but we’ll stand firmly against those who try to harm us. Sometimes, that means sacrifices must be made. Qrow will have to make this sacrifice to help keep us strong.” He explained, watching as Winter threw the data pad at the ground, breaking it.

         “But Qrow isn’t someone you can just kill without a second thought! He’s a talented Huntsman, a member of an outside Kingdom, and on top of all that he’s your friend!!” She protested as James stood up.

         “And he’s also led to what is most likely the death of Clover, one of our own, and allowed a Psychopath to not only run freely through Atlas, but also potentially back to Salem! And I’m not willing to let such a transgression go without punishment!” He commanded, stepping away from his desk and facing away from her, calming himself after a moment. “Qrow Branwen will be executed first thing in the morning. It’ll be set to broadcast on every Scroll, Screen and storefront in both Atlas and Mantle, and then we will continue our efforts to repel Salem. Understood?”

         “Sir-!” Winter protested before she was cut off.

         “AM. I. UNDERSTOOD?” James bellowed, still not facing Winter. He waited for a moment before hearing her sigh in reluctance.

         “Sir, yes sir...” Winter said, starting to leave his office, but stopping at the door frame. Turning back to him, she remarked “If you were wondering, this shows you definitely don’t have a heart.” Not wanting to hear a response, she stormed off, formulating her plans.

         “Hey, could be worse.” Robyn sheepishly said, looking over to Qrow, who was still hunched over, looking at Clover’s pendant.

         “I nearly got choked out by Ironwood and a guy I just befriended is dead from my weapon. How could it possibly get worse?” Qrow sarcastically asked her.

         “Well, I know you didn’t. That crazy kook got into your heads, both of you. That’s their whole strategy: Split us apart and take us out the moment we let our guards down.” Robyn explained.

         “Yeah. Now look where we are.” Qrow scoffed, leaving them in silence for a time before hearing a door slide open. Hiding the pin in his coat, Qrow looked up to the hard-light Cell door to see Winter stepping up before it. “Oh great, now we got the Ice Queen as an Audience.”

         “Qrow, listen to me very carefully. I have been ordered to inform you of tomorrow morning’s event.” Winter told him.

         “Yeah, well we don’t need to go see James’ parade about how he’s gonna fuck up against Salem.” Qrow replied, lying back and rolling over so his back was facing her.

         “Qrow. James is going to execute you.” Winter explained to him, hearing Robyn bolt up and rush to the Cell Wall of hers.

         “He can’t! He has no authority without the acceptance of the Council-!” Robyn protested before Winter cut her off.

         “The General declared Martial Law. He has full power over Atlas now. And he’s dead set on this action.” Winter explained, seeing Qrow stand before her.

         “And what? You wanted to see me and do a Conjugal Visit before I got offed? Sorry, but right now I’m not in the mood.” Qrow told her, glaring at her.

         “I was just telling you what was going to happen, and to instruct you to stay in your Cell until you’re retrieved.” Winter stepped back and turned to leave, just before turning her head back to him. “Oh, and we’re currently experiencing a series of blackouts due to Grimm Attacks. Should the Walls fail, we do insist you stay in your Cells.” She winked at Qrow, then proceeded to exit the holding area before either him or Robyn could respond.

         “…..I think we just got told to make a jail break…..” Robyn said.

         “Yeah. But to where?” Qrow asked.

         Oscar shuffled along in the snow, passing by some heavy machinery, sticking close to them as the wind gusts around him. “If there’s these machinery around here, then there should be…..there!” He said, rushing to an abandoned warehouse quickly. Rushing along the perimeter, Oscar barricaded and closed all of the doors aside from one, just closing that one. “There….now if anything, I won’t be freezing to death.”

         “Ingenious, but what about food?” Ozpin asked the boy as he explored the building there.

         “Rule of Threes for Survival. Three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, three weeks without food.” Oscar replied, looking around more.

         “That’s one thing I always found to be fun. Humans can find a way to make even rough survival in inhospitable conditions simple.” Ozpin stated, chuckling in Oscar’s head. The young man was able to find a bottle of water, but before he could open it up he heard commotion outside. Rushing to a nearby window, he gripped The Long Memory tightly, listening closely to the voices.

         “I can’t stand the cold!!!!” one voice shouted out, instantly sparking Oscar’s memory. He bolted to the door and flung it open, seeing the girls outside.

         “Ruby! Weiss! Blake!…..Nora?” Oscar asked, seeing them rush over.

         “We came to try to get you back, we’ve got to try to get everyone out of Atlas.” Ruby explained, just before the wind and snow started to kick back up and obscure the landscaping around them.

         “Hurry inside!” Oscar shouted over the storm, helping them in and slamming the door closed.

         “….so, are you gonna turn the light on?” Nora asked him.

         “Oh, uh, right.” Oscar sheepishly said, fumbling around the walls for a few minutes before hearing Blake scoff.

         “Forget it! I got it.” Blake responded, walking calmly towards where the switch was, having seen Oscar start to walk away from it while in the dark. Closing her eyes before turning it back on, she reopened them to seeing the others gathering under a small amount of light in the center of the room, which illuminated several machines and boxes around them, showing the maze of a place.

         “Well, this looks like it was a competitor to SDC. Jacques probably bought it out and laid off everyone here.” Weiss explained, sitting on a box nearby. “Anyway, what happened after you split from Jaune, Nora and Ren?”

         “Well, I tried to reason with Ironwood……….aaand he shot me in the chest.” Oscar said, rubbing the back of his head gently.

         “Ugh, that guy is getting on my last nerve.” Nora responded, walking up and giving the boy a hug. Oscar at first was shocked, but welcomed it after realizing it wasn’t a tackling one like in the past.

         “So, how’d you guys get here so fast?” Oscar asked them.

         “Oh, we-” Ruby started to explain when they were all interrupted by maniacal laughter. “What the-!?” She quickly grabbed her weapon and extended it to Sniper mode as the others got their weapons out.

         “Fan out, we need to figure out where he is and if he’s here!” Oscar said, each of them taking a direction and walking slowly, getting deep into the stacks of boxes and machines. They thought they scanned through everything when they heard Tyrian’s voice much clearer.

         “Oh, I’m already here! And I’ve been instructed to pass on an Invitation to the Little One from our Goddess!!! Such an invitation is to be immediately accepted…..” Tyrian taunted, before shooting out the light, sending them all into Pitch Blackness.

         “Blake! Get to Oscar, he’s after him!!!” Ruby called out, feeling her way around.

         “Right!!!” Blake shouted out, scanning through the dark warehouse’s turns and corners, quickly finding Nora and Weiss, who willingly let her lead them by hand, keeping her ears lowered to try to muffle Tyrians cackles. “This is insane! I hope we can find-” Blake started to think before turning one corner. “Oscar?!?”

         “Blake?” He asked, turning around a bit until she gripped his arm and pulled him towards them. “Who’s with you?”

         “Weiss and Nora.” Blake said to him, “Have you seen Ruby?”

         “No, and I have no clue where Tyrian is.” Oscar replied, barely making out Blake panickedly looking around. “What is it?”

         “I have no clue where he is…..I can’t even hear him……..” Blake responded.

         “If he isn’t after Oscar…..” Weiss started off, before they all realized what was about to happen. Before they could act, the boxes they were beside toppled over, knocking them all to the ground.

         “Guys?!?” Ruby asked, turning a few times, and unfortunately losing her direction and gathering of her surroundings. Turning and starting in one direction, Ruby stopped nearly instantly.

         schlICK!

         Ruby looked down, feeling a sharp pain in her abdomen, and stinging cold of metal. Dropping Crescent Rose, Ruby’s eyes widened as she was lifted up, slowly making out Tyrian’s stinger stabbed into her gut, then being brought to his wide, grinning face.

         “Now, onto meeting our Goddess!!!” Tyrian exclaimed, quickly yanking his stinger out of her and catching her with his hands, before wrapping her up in his tail and holding her to his back as she slowly passed out from shock, shooting out a giant windowpane before jumping through it.

         Having witnessed their friend being kidnapped before them, they all immediately bolted for the door closest to them, Nora smashing it open with Magnhild. Quickly spotting the madman dashing away, they quickly rushed towards him.

         Looking back and seeing this, Tyrian increased his pace, reaching under his vest and plucking out a Silverfish Grimm. Bringing it to his ear, he felt the squirming creature burrow in a bit, before hearing a voice.

         “Tyrian. Have you gathered your Quarry?” Salem asked, speaking through the Grimm in his head.

         “Yes, my Goddess, but I’m being trailed by the children and him!” Tyrian stated, heading for his transport.

         “Then hurry. I don’t want her to be taken back.” Salem told him.

         “I’ll ensure I succeed, my Goddess!!” He responded, before seeing a canister launch past his head and detonate at his transport, destroying it. Taking a sharp turn, he ran towards the cliff. “My Transport has been destroyed! Are there any Grimm nearby?” He asked quickly.

         “There will be. Jump, and I’ll catch you.” Salem told him after a moment.

         “HAPPILY!!!” Tyrian bellowed, rushing even faster and leaping, yards away from the reach of Blake’s toss of Gambol Shroud.

         “NO!!!!!!” Oscar shouted as he saw Tyrian dive over the edge, being held back by Weiss and Nora to prevent him from falling as well. They all peered over, before seeing a pair of black wings shooting out and taking off, spotting Tyrian and Ruby atop a Teryx, it flapping fast towards the giant Whale. “RUUUUBYYYY!!!!!!!!!!”

         Harriet entered the tiny room she was told to head to, seeing Vine, Elm, and Marrow standing loosely before Winter. “What’s going on?” She asked, hesitant to be there.

         “Harriet, please, close the door and lock it.” Winter asked her, watching the Huntress slowly do so. “Thank you all for coming. I’m sure you’ve all heard the news. And what The General is going to do.”

         “Yeah…..is it true? He’s really going to just kill Qrow?” Marrow fearfully asked.

         “Even I thought that the General was a bit nuts for that.” Elm replied.

         “Unfortunately, yes. The General is planning on executing Qrow. Which is why I asked you all to come here.” Winter said to them.

         “What’re you planning?” Vine asked her, which caused Winter to sigh.

         “In stories I heard from my Mother from my Grandfather, he often encountered people who felt that there was a fault in their leader’s logic or plans. A Fault that, in hindsight, would have caused the Death of their men. So, to prevent such a Fault from coming to, these men would defy their Leader…….to the point of replacing them if needed.” Winter explained, seeing Harriet’s angered expression first.

         “Are you seriously suggesting we Mutiny against the General?! He’s leading us to Safety!” Harriet retorted, seeing Winter step forward to challenge her.

         “He’s acting like a scared child! One that doesn’t want to be punished and will do anything to try to save himself! I’ve followed every one of his orders, but this one defies everything he’s stood for!” Winter spat at her, causing Vine to separate the two of them.

         “I, for one, agree with Winter. Martial Law is one thing, but stating that your friend deserves to die just to try to save your own skin should be more than enough reason to be taken down.” Vine stated.

         “I agree. We should be working together, not killing each other!” Marrow hurriedly said, before feeling Elm’s hand on his shoulder.

         “I’m with that sentiment. We were tasked with protecting Atlas and Mantle from anyone who would harm it. With these actions, The General is proving he’s a danger to both. We need to take him down.” Elm stated, the three of them looking at Harriet.

         “But….he….” Harriet tried to form, before feeling their hands on her shoulders.

         “Harriet, you know better than anyone what letting stuff like that get to your head does.” Marrow said, using his other hand to tap her forehead, causing her to wince.

         “….fine. We’ve got to stop the General. But how?” Harriet relented.

         “He’s going to be in his office for the rest of the evening. If you work together, you should be able to take him out.” Winter explained to them. “After that, we can call off the arrests for Ruby and her friends, and then we’ll work together to stop Salem.”

         Harriet sighed, then held her hand out, causing the others to put theirs on top. “Then we’re agreed. We take down The General. Tonight.”

         Ruby weakly opened her eyes, seeing her hands bound before her and her laying on her side on red, fleshy ground. Hearing voices, Ruby struggled to focus on them.

         “Very excellent, Tyrian. I expected no less than success.” Salem told him, walking around Ruby’s body, unknowingly showing the young girl her chalk white feet and black nails. “Did you hold back on your Poison like instructed?”

         “All but a drop was held back. That was enough to paralyze her.” Tyrian explained, swirling his tail behind him.

         “That’s good. Don’t want our Guest dying on us.” Salem said, kneeling down to Ruby’s side and holding her face, turning it to smirk at her. “Hello Ruby. I’m glad we can finally meet.” Salem watched as the girls eyes widened more before rolling back as Ruby blacked out again. “Take her to be Rejuvenated. I have big plans for her.”

Chapter Text

         “ Wake up, Little Petal…...”

         Ruby stirred, hearing a familiar voice. As she started to wake, she felt warm all throughout her body, but at the same time cold on her skin. “Wha…...” She squeaked out, not opening her eyes.

         “It’s time to wake up, my Little Petal…..” The voice said again, the exact person who said it just evading Ruby’s mind. As she was about to venture a guess, she heard a new voice, making her snap her eyes open.

         “Come now, Little Petal. I need you to wake up.” Salem teased her, seeing Ruby’s silver eyes immediately dash to her as the girl woke. “Good, I was worried that Tyrian’s poison was stronger than anticipated.” The Immortal said, leaning back in her throne. Ruby struggled to try to stand, but immediately yelped as she felt a familiar sharp cold on her feet. Looking down, she saw that not only was her Huntress outfit and boots gone, but the outfit had been replaced with a knee-length black dress with red accents.

         “What the-?!” Ruby worriedly said before looking to Salem. “Did you do this?!?” Ruby gestured to the dress with her bound hands, seeing the Immortal smirk.

         “It is one of my old dresses, but it’s still in good condition.” Salem replied, resting her head on her closed hand.

         “That’s not what I meant! Where did my clothes go and…..who saw-” Ruby started to ask before seeing Salem realize her implication.

         “Oh. OH! Nonono, don’t worry Little Petal, no one saw. Even I didn’t see.” Salem comforted, strolling over and using a dark portal to hoist her up off her feet.

         “Wait, really?” Ruby asked, shocked at the Woman’s sudden change in demeanor.

         “Little Petal, I may be an Immortal Being transformed by Pools of Darkness into a malevolent entity hellbent on the destruction of my former husband’s lifelong work and ready to see the small reappearance of Mankind snuffed out. But what I am first and foremost is a Woman. And I wouldn’t want anyone I wasn’t comfortable with seeing my naked body. So I ensured no one saw yours.” Salem explained, cupping her face.

         “….okay, that doesn’t explain how it happened….” Ruby pointed out to her.

         “That’s because I instructed only Grimm to do the act. They don’t have any instinct other than what I command them, and they won’t care what you appear as.” Salem revealed, causing Ruby to blush. “What? When I emerged from the Pool in the beginning, I was stark naked and they didn’t care.”

         “…..okay, now I’m seeing a version of you I really didn’t want to see again….” Ruby started to say before cupping her hands over her mouth. Salem smirked as she saw this.

         “So, I take it you’ve used the Relic of Knowledge. Good.” Salem let Ruby down onto her feet, before waving a hand over, causing a Seer to float over. “I want to know what you asked specifically.”

         “Like I’m gonna tell you!” Ruby defiantly said.

         “I know. That’s why this will get it for me.” Salem said, watching the Tentacles of the Seer dart and wrap around Ruby’s body, “Show me what she saw.” Salem commanded, watching the Seer make Ruby drop to her knees before attaching itself to the back of her head, hearing the young girl scream as a picture forms.

         “GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!!!” Ruby protested, trying to tug at the tentacles around her futily.

         “Relax. It will be over soon.” Salem reassured her, watching the events shown to Ruby get displayed in the orb on the Seer’s head. Watching the familiar scenes play back out, she stopped the Seer at the moment that her old Castle was destroyed, and she burned Ozma to death. “So, you know everything that happened to this world.” Salem stated, having the Seer release Ruby, who barely caught herself from smacking back into the floor.

         “I hate you….” Ruby spat out at her between pants, causing Salem to smirk as she tipped her head up to her.

         “Good. Now you can help me.” Salem coyly said, getting an angry look from Ruby.

         “Help yourself to THIS!!!!!!” Ruby shouted, making her eyes grow wide, causing Salem to chuckle after a second as she realized what happened.

         “You don’t honestly think I’d let someone with “Special Eyes” in this giant Grimm without taking precautions…..did you?” Salem asked, letting Ruby’s face go and stepping away.

         “What did you do to me?!?” Ruby panickedly asked. Salem turned around to smirk at her, holding her hands just before her.

         “I wove a Spell into that dress. As long as it remains on you, you can’t use your power.” Salem explained, seeing Ruby’s expression turn to one of despair. “Now, I have to grab something, so I’m going to leave something to guard you so you don’t run off.” Salem snapped her fingers, having a Beowulf emerge from a nearby hallway and sit before her.

         “When I get outta here-” Ruby started before getting interrupted.

         “What name did you utter in your sleep? “Zwei”, was it? Well, this is your new Zwei.” Salem stated, ignoring Ruby’s comment, turning her attention to the Beowulf. “Zwei, make sure whatever she does, she doesn’t leave this room until I return. Got it?” Salem smirked as the Beowulf nodded, then turned around and sat before Ruby, staring the girl down. “Having Hostages will be fun….” Salem said, strolling out of the room.

         “We gotta go after her!!!!” Oscar said, starting to rush back to the Warehouse, before stopping dead in his tracks and clutching his head, screaming a bit before stopping.

         “Oscar!!!” Weiss shouted, rushing over to the boy with the others before seeing him slowly stand.

         “Sadly, not now.” Oscar said in an older-sounding voice, turning himself to face them.

         “Ozpin? You’re back?” Blake asked, receiving a nod from him.

         “Indeed. I needed to step back in to prevent him from being reckless.” Ozpin said, putting his hands behind his back.

         “What do you mean Reckless? We just saw Tyrian kidnap Ruby!!!” Nora spat out, gripping Oscar’s coat.

         “And what do you think we should do? Find the closest sky-worthy vehicle and jump aboard to run headfirst into danger with no plan, no strategy, no knowledge? That’s exactly what Salem wants. She took Ruby as Bait, to try to lure us into a spot where she’s in full control and can make our decisions for us.” Ozpin explained, causing the girls to realize everything that he meant.

         “So what, you’re just going to let her do Gods-know-what to her?” Weiss accosted, glaring at him, “Because as Ruby’s partner, I don’t agree with that mentality.”

         “I have no intentions on letting anything happen to Ruby. But for the time being, until we have full access to a plan, Ruby will have to be with Salem. I don’t like it any more than you three.” Ozpin stated.

         “And what about Oscar? What does he say about this?” Blake asked.

         “He’s a boy trying to navigate hormones right now. He’s not thinking with the correct “head”, if you catch my meaning.” Ozpin stated, being let go of by Nora. “Now, until we figure out a way off this cliff-side, I suggest we get out of the cold.”

         “It’s gonna be a short while. Our Ride needed to move his other supplies before he could get you.” Weiss explained.

         “Yes, and I am extremely curious how you all managed to cross a frozen Tundra in less than an hour.” Ozpin stated, leading them back to the Warehouse.

         Jaune sat in the back of the truck with Yang, Ren and Neo, as well as several citizens of Mantle, as it slowly drove them along. Jaune looked at his Scroll, seeing the “Out of Range” signs on Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Nora and Oscar’s icons, and sighed. He then heard a small whimper, and saw a little girl on the verge of tears. Before he could get up, he saw Neo hopping up and heading to the little girl. Neo tapped her foot, causing the little girl to look up at her. Neo then created several balls in her hands, and started juggling them in perfect synchronicity. After a few seconds, Neo transformed them into caricatured heads of Ironwood, Jacques and another Council Member, making the entire truck slowly start laughing together. Jaune felt his Scroll buzz, looking at it to see an unknown number messaged him.

         “Call Me”

         Jaune dialed as the others focused on Neo, scooting to the side of the wall to try to get some privacy. “Hello?” He asked the person on the other side.

         “Good news and Bad News. Good News is that we got a couple of Transports cleared and sent them to the Girls.” Roman said to him. Jaune sighed in relief, then thought for a second.

         “What’s the bad news then?” He asked him.

         “We’re currently getting a little bit stuffed for where we can put the People of Mantle. We’re gonna have to figure out where they can go. In addition, we still can’t contact your friends.” Roman answered, getting a sigh in return. “How’s everyone in your truck?”

         “Well, Neo’s currently pantomiming with Balloon Animals to make little kids laugh.” Jaune answered him.

         “Yeah, that’s my girl. She and I really didn’t have a good childhood, so kids are a bit of a weak spot for her.” Roman responded to Jaune.

         “What do you mean?” Jaune asked, curious.

         “Sorry kid. You haven’t unlocked our Tragic Backstory yet. Anyway, we’ll be getting to the current offloading site in a couple of hours, so be prepared for that.” Roman scoffed.

         “Alright.” Jaune said before hanging up, saving the contact as Torchwick.

         Qrow and Robyn sat on their benches, staring in silence as they waited their time. Looking at Qrow’s hand clutching Clover’s pin, Robyn finally decided to break the silence.

         “Go ahead and put it on.” She said to him, trying to be reassuring.

         “What?” Qrow asked, confused.

         “The pin. Put it on. I’m sure he’d let you if he were here.” She responded.

         “Don’t you think that’s a little weird, wearing a Dead Man’s pin?” He asked her as a retort.

         “Well, you say your Semblance is Bad Luck. Maybe you need a little Good Luck.” She answered, watching him contemplate before opening the back of the pin and putting it onto his lapel. “How’d he mess with it, anyway?”

         “Like this.” He responded, gently brushing the bottom of it with his thumb to his left side. As soon as he did so, the screens for the Cell Wall fell, the lights cutting off before turning to Emergency lighting. Qrow looked at Robyn, who started to smirk, and glared a bit. “Oh hush, let’s go.”

         “We gotta find our weapons first!” Robyn said, rushing out of the Detention Hall with him.

         “Hhmph. This is going to be interesting.” Watts said to himself as he watched them leave, sitting behind his hard-iron bars on his cell door.

         Ironwood inspected the plans for the morning execution and battle following so, staring out at the night Sky, infected with the dark cloud around the Grimm Whale, when he heard the door to his office open. Curious, he turned around in his chair, seeing the Ace Ops before him.

         “Oh, I wasn’t expecting you all. What’s wrong?” James asked them, before seeing them start to draw their weapons.

         “General James Silcon Ironwood, due to your actions towards the Kingdoms of Atlas and Mantle, Their People, and the Guests from Vale, we deem you unfit to lead us. We must therefore place you under arrest.” Harriet said slowly, staring down the General with all of her muster.

         “What are you talking about, I’m trying to protect this Kingdom!” James argued, balling his fists and standing, throwing his makeshift desk to the side of the room. Elm and Marrow gripped their weapons, while Vine readied himself with Thorn. James sighed, then looked to them. “You’re all making a mistake. Don’t do this.”

         “Please sir, just come quietly and we can get this solved.” Harriet pleaded with him, extending her weapons down her arms. James scoffed, then slowly pulled out Due Process, aiming it behind him with his right arm.

         “It’s Treason then.”

Chapter Text

           “ It’s Treason, Then.”

           James pulled the trigger, using Gravity Dust to launch himself right at the Ace Ops, smashing his arm into Marrow’s face, knocking him back and to the ground, flipping Due Process around in his hand and smacking Vine’s followup attack away. “Zeki, your Over-reliance on your Semblance means you’re horribly inefficient with your Weapon!” James scolded him, switching hands and gripping Vine’s head in his metal arm and tossing him back. Hearing Elm give away her attack, he turned and held his arm before locking it in place, intercepting her hammer. “Ederne, your brute Strength is remarkable, but your reliance means you can get trapped and intercepted easily.” James quickly fired a round into each of Elm’s feet, making her scream in pain and crumple. Before he could back up, he felt several jabs as Harriet used her Speed to strike several times. Waiting for the right moment, James held his healing arm out, smacking Harriet in the face as she was about to make a pass. “Bree, you’re far too headstrong and easy to bait into being an angry, uncontrollable mess.” James looked over at Marrow, who drew Fetch up and readied a swing before getting knocked back by another round of Gravity Dust. James then walked over and stomped onto Marrow with his metal foot, pinning the Faunus down.

           “GAH!!!!” Marrow choked out, struggling to breathe.

           “Amin! You’re so situational you shouldn’t even be an Ace Op. You think I’d let four people around me without knowing how to take you all down from day one?” James lectured, seeing them slowly struggle to get up. “You’re all Traitors, and you need to be dealt with accordingly.” James turned to Marrow, looking down and aiming directly at his head.

           “No!!!!” Marrow choked out, struggling more to try to move James’s foot.

           “No!!!” Harriet said, struggling more to get up, ringing in her ears blocking all sounds. Marrow saw James’ finger starting to pull the trigger, and shut his eyes tightly.

           BANG

           Marrow opened his eyes, seeing the gun he was staring down held off to the side. Upon closer inspection, he saw a hook and line attached to James’s wrist, holding the arm away from him. Following the line, Marrow was shocked to see Clover, in Hospital pants, the patch on his chest, and King Fisher in his hands, pulling back with all his strength.

           “MARROW, NOW!!!” Clover ordered, snapping Marrow back to the situation.

           “STAY!!!!!” Marrow said, snapping his fingers and pointing to James, freezing him with his Semblance.

           “VINE! ELM!!” Clover commanded, seeing the two rush over, Vine using his Semblance to grab James’s arms and holding them to his body, while Elm grabbed and tugged hard on James’s real leg, letting Marrow up before she forced Roots to appear all over her body in contact with the ground, rooting the both of them in place while Marrow tried the same on his side.

           “HARRIET, NOW!!!” Clover commanded, letting go of James’ arm with King Fisher, letting Harriet to dash around James and bind him with several Bolas, before shoving into him to knock him to the ground after Marrow and Elm let go.

           “No!!! You’re all making a mistake!!!!” James protested, struggling to free himself before getting back-slapped with Fetch by Harriet, knocking the General out cold.

           Panting hard, Harriet put her finger to her ear, trying to contact Winter. “Target…...neutralized…..” She spoke, turning to Clover, and finally noticing how pale he looked. “Sir!!!” She rushed to grab him with the others as his strength gave out, making him collapse into their arms.

           “So…..what did I miss?” Clover asked them.

           Jaune sat in the Truck, watching Neo spinning several plates on sticks on various points on her body, including her nose, smiling at her.

           “You know, when she’s not trying to kill us, she’s pretty nice and fun.” Yang said, resting herself on her metal arm.

           “Hmph.” Ren scoffed, crossing his arms and turning away. Before Jaune could try to mediate, the Truck lurched to a stop, throwing Neo off balance and forward. Rushing, Jaune caught the young woman in his arms, sending the plates and sticks she created with her Semblance to shatter back into nothingness.

           “You okay?” Jaune asked her, getting a blush and a nod in response. Before the two could part, the doors opened wide to reveal Roman, cigar in his mouth and spotting them first.

           “Well, I hope you at least made them pay up front before you took Mr. Happy’s innocence in front of them.” Roman joked, getting laughter from the adults on the bus and an extremely flustered expression from Jaune. “Alright, everyone off the Truck. We’re still in the process of getting everything taken care of, so take caution.” He helped people off, picking the children up and setting them down on the ground so they don’t have to hurt themselves exiting. Seeing Neo, Yang, Jaune and Ren getting off, he motioned to them to follow him.

           “So, any updates on the others?” Jaune asked him, getting a sigh in response.

           “Yeah, I did. In here.” Roman said, opening a door to give them privacy.

           “What’s wrong?” Yang asked before going in.

           “Just…..step in. You need to sit to hear this. The less Negativity the better.” Roman said, causing them to slowly step in as he closed and locked the door behind him. “I hate this feeling…….doing good and then getting this news….”

           “Torchwick, what’s going on?” Yang demanded from him, agitated.

           “The preliminary feed from the Ships say they picked up your Friends. Mr. Special’s among them.” Roman explained, looking somber.

           “Then what’s wrong?” Ren asked, ready to grab Stormflower.

           “…….apparently before they got picked up, they were attacked by a Faunus. Some “Ty-Ryan” or something.” Roman started before Yang cut him off.

           “TYRIAN?!” She exclaimed, balling her fists.

           “Yeah, him. They tried to fight him, but…..” Roman started, looking at them with sorrow, “He took Little Red with him.” Yang’s eyes widened as she heard this, Jaune’s expression fell and Neo covered her mouth in shock.

           “No….nonononoNO, there’s no way she got caught by him!!” Yang stated, gripping Torchwick’s suit-jacket. “Stop Lying to me! I hate it when people lie!!!!” Yang started to bring her arm back before Jaune grabbed her by the elbow.

           “Yang! Stop it!!!!” Jaune shouted, trying to pull her back, getting aid from Ren.

           “LET GO!!!” Yang protested.

           “Yang, stop! Fighting amongst ourselves isn’t going to get her back!” Ren pleaded with her, making her soften for a moment.

           “Thanks kid…..now, that information came directly from Ice Queen. And apparently, their orders are to hold off until they get back here and re-assess what materials we have.” Roman explained.

           “Orders?” Yang asked.

           “Yeah. Apparently the Kid and the Old Man swapped, so he’s in charge of his body.” Roman stated, walking over and rubbing his temples.

           “Wait…...” Jaune said after a moment of thought, “Neo, you’ve got a copy of yourself over there at her base, right?” Neo nodded to this, confused at Jaune’s thinking. “Can you get her out of there?”

           “Hold on, buck-o. If that copy takes any Damage, Neo won’t be there to replace it. And What do you think that Crazy-face would do if she realized Neo’s with us and not her?” Roman countered, shooting down Jaune’s idea.

           “I just thought….” Jaune started, getting Roman’s hand on his shoulder.

           “It was a good idea, but we need more setup for it to work. Neo, is the copy anywhere close to Little Red right now?” Roman asked her, seeing her nod and make a Glass Shard screen, showing the copy’s view as she strolled into the Throne Room with a tray of food, stepping closer to Ruby while being cautious of the Beowulf before her.

           “Ruby!!!” Yang shouted, bolting to the front of the group, about to grip the screen.

           “Whoa! Hold on, Buttercup!” Roman stopped her, “You touch that and we lose feed. And Neo can’t talk, remember?”

           “Ngh….” Yang grunted, watching as Neo crouched down on the feed and offered the tray to Ruby, seeing the young Girl smile and wink at her as she took it. Ruby appeared to say thanks, but no sound could be heard, as she slowly started to eat the small meal. Once finished, Neo took the tray back and started to leave, cutting the feed.

           “What was with that dress she was wearing?” Jaune asked, crossing his arms.

           “More importantly, why isn’t she using her Silver Eyes? She’s inside a giant Grimm.” Ren pointed out.

           “My guess is that she can’t, either under threat or something we’re not aware of.” Roman said, walking over to a cabinet. Opening it, he turns to the group. “Anyone want a drink? Scotch, Vodka?”

           “…..we’re underage….” Jaune reminded him.

           “Oh, right. More for me.” Roman said, about to grab a bottle when a knock at the door stopped him. Walking over and unlocking it revealed a worker. “Nicholas, what is it?”

           “Sir, the shuttles you sent off have returned.” The man responded, causing Torchwick to sigh.

           “One thing after another….alright, we’ll be there in a second.” Roman responded, looking back to them. “Come on, let’s go already!” Rushing over there with the others, they spotted Weiss, Blake, Nora and Ozpin.

           “You!!!” Yang shouted, bolting over and picking up Oscar’s small frame, glaring at the man using it. “You hide all this time, and when you finally come back out you lose my Sister?!?!”

           “Miss Xiao Long, Salem had Ruby captured because she wants to use her as bait to lure us, me specifically, into a trap. What do you think she’ll do the moment she has no use for her?” Ozpin responded, causing them to realize the brevity of the situation. Being let down, he dusted off Oscar’s coat and stepped towards Roman and Neo. “Now, onto proper introductions. I’m Ozpin, former Head of Beacon.”

           “Roman Torchwick. I tried to raid Beacon, nearly died.” Roman responded, shaking Ozpin’s hand.

           “Interesting. And her?” Ozpin asked Neo.

           “That’s Neo, my partner-in-former-crime. She’s unable to speak, though.” Roman explained for her, draping his arm over her shoulders, causing her to give him a side hug.

           “Now that’s very interesting.” Ozpin said. As he was about to ask another question, Weiss’s Scroll began to rang. Drawing it out, Weiss’s eyes widened as she saw the caller.

           “It’s Winter!” She said, looking worried.

           “Go ahead, we can move fast if we need it.” Roman responded, watching the girl answer and put the scroll on Speakerphone.

           “Weiss!!!” Winter said through the phone, “Thank the Gods you’re alright!”

           “Winter. What do you want?” Weiss responded, hesitant to give any information to her.

           “I just want to talk. I’m taking the Arrest for you guys off.” Winter explained.

           “And why should we believe that?” Weiss retorted.

           “Because The Ace Ops and I arrested the General.” Winter explained, causing sounds of surprise from the others.

           “Holy crap, she’s serious….” Nora said, moving closer to Ren.

           “Yes I am. Now, Where do you want to meet? Name any place and I’ll go.” Winter pleaded with Weiss.

           “Well, that’s currently a problem. We’re trying to help Refugees find a place to stay.” Weiss responded, holding the Scroll to the side. After a moment of pause, they heard Winter continue.

“           Let me make another call, I think I can help with that.”

           Weiss and the others looked on as the shuttles and limos that had arrived to their site have brought them and several dozen refugees to Schnee Manor, the doors to the front and the Grand Hall wide open, Willow Schnee standing in the front doorway. Getting off the Shuttle with the others, Weiss rushed over to her mother, giving her a hug.

           “Is Winter here yet?” Weiss asked her, nervous.

           “No, not yet. More importantly, where are all the people?” Willow asked, seeing some of them disembarking the shuttles.

           “We were able to load a lot of people on, but we had to leave some behind with the promise that we’ll pick them up as soon as we can.” Weiss responded, seeing the shuttle she and the group were on taking back off and going back.

           “Well, we haven’t a moment to waste then.” Willow responded, looking back into the Foyer. “Whitley!!!” She called out, seeing the young man slowly come forward. Upon seeing Weiss, Whitley groaned.

           “First you have Father arrested, then you’re a Criminal, then you show up with a bunch of people demanding to-” Whitley started to criticize before getting cut off by Willow.

           “Whitley Jacques Schnee, I will not have you badmouth guests as they’re coming. In the past, your Grandfather would gladly help out the less fortunate in times of need to show the Trustworthiness of the Schnee name.” Willow lectured him, making him frown and nod slowly.

           “Whitley, would you mind helping get these people settled down? They’re all tired, cold and hungry.” Weiss asked him, seeing him relish the thought.

           “Why should I do that?! I’m not the Help….” Whitley said, quietly whispering the last part.

           “Well, it’s either that or you accompany the Shuttles to help pick up the rest of them. That’s another thing your Grandfather did.” Willow responded.

           “Go with them?! But what if we get attacked?!” Whitley asked, shocked at the idea.

           “Then you take this pistol, call us and hide until we come and get you.” Winter responded, walking up beside the other Schnees and handing Whitley a small pistol, making his and Willow’s eyes widen.

           “But….I….uh….” Whitley stammered, looking amongst the three women.

           “Plan A or Plan B, Whitley.” Weiss stated, seeing him look nervous before he slowly strolled out to the Shuttle and get in, flying off with it. “Hey Winter...” Weiss slowly said to Winter, seeing the woman rush and hug her tightly before recomposing herself.

           “Sorry…..a rush of emotion came over me.” Winter stated, looking to the others and noticing the new additions. “Roman Torchwick?!?”

           “In the flesh! Now, I hate to be the one to have to remind people, but can we please step inside before things start going sideways?” Roman said, making Willow nod and lead them all through the Manor to Jacques old Office.

           “This place reminds me, what are you going to do now that Jacques…….not available?” Weiss asked her Mother.

           “Well, I’m going to try to help bring the Schnee name back. Part of that means that, once this whole thing is over, I’m going to try to file for Divorce. I’m fully expecting him to fight it.” Willow explained, rubbing her forehead slightly. Before any of them could continue, a Scroll started to go off. After everyone began to check theirs, Ozpin pulled out Oscar’s, and everyone’s eyes widened as they saw the name.

           Ruby

           Ruby sat against the wall, staring and glaring at the Beowulf staring her down. “What? I may be unarmed, but I could take you….” She muttered to herself, tugging at her restraints again. She immediately stopped when she heard the door open, and saw Salem strutting over again, a familiar device in her hand.

           “Now, you’re going to help me with this.” Salem told her, holding up the girl’s Scroll. Ruby smirked at her, then pulled her knees up towards her.

           “As if I’d explain to you how a Scroll-” Ruby started to smugly say before hearing Salem speak over her.

           “Let’s see, Notes, Texts, Pictures…….a lot of dogs and weapons in here…….” Salem slowly said, swiping through the menus before looking down to Ruby’s shocked face. “What, you think just because I prefer an Organic aesthetic that I wouldn’t have what could be the smartest man in Remnant educate me in the latest common technology available to you all? After commanding this Whale, a Scroll is as easy as tapping a button.” Salem brought up Ruby’s contacts and started to scroll down to the “O”s. “You said his name was “Oscar”, right?”

           “Don’t….” Ruby pleaded as Salem dialed, then crouched down and put the Scroll to Ruby’s ear, waiting for her actions. Ruby waited for the tone to say it picked up, and heard a voice at the same time.

           “Miss Rose?” Ozpin’s voice spoke through the device.

           “OSCAR I-” Ruby started to say before Salem pulled the device away and put it on Speaker.

           “Ozma. I’m glad you answered.” Salem taunted, staring at Ruby.

           “What do you want, Salem?” Ozpin asked her.

           “Well, I have a Relic but I can’t use it because I don’t have the right words to work it. I want those to start, as well as any others you might have.” Salem explained to him.

“           If you ask the Relic of Knowledge, you can get the others. So you just need that one.” Ozpin said. “If you have Ruby, you have the password already.”

           “I know, but I don’t want the password from her. I want it from you.” She explained, leaning on her throne.

           “…..what are your terms?” Ozpin asked her.

           “I will give you three hours. You have until then to appear on the Atlas Landing Pad. If you don’t, then I’ll just take one of your body’s friends. Then another. And another. Until I have them all. Then I’ll start killing them, with this precious girl being the first in line.” Salem said, gently gripping Ruby’s chin as she said this, making the girl’s eyes widen and slowly fill with tears. “I’ll let her pick the first one to go when the time comes. Don’t make me wait, Ozma. And don’t you dare lie to me.” Salem cut the call off after saying that, gripping the Scroll in her hands, then smirking at Ruby. “Now, let’s have some fun, shall we?”

Chapter Text

           Whitley slowly got out of the Transport after it landed, the Pistol Winter gave him tucked into the side of his dress pants, and the boy slowly looked around the decrepit warehouse that the Transports were starting to come into. Looking around, Whitley scoffed a bit, until he noticed the SDC logo on the wall. “What happened to this place?” He asked.

           “This Warehouse was abandoned after a series of budget cuts Five Years ago, ordered by a Mr. Jacques Schnee.” Penny replied to him from behind, waving to him as he turned around. “Hello Mr. Whitley. My name is Penny!”

           “I remember, you came to the Manor two days ago….so, where’s the rest of the people?” Whitley asked.

           “We are loading the rest of them onto the Transports now. If you will follow me, I can direct you to them.” Penny told him, leading him to a more open area where Pietro and Maria were directing people, before hearing him shiver. Turning to see such, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

           “It’s super cold!!! How are you all comfortable now?!” Whitley asked, clutching his arms.

           “Penny, can you run and find him a jacket?” Pietro asked her, turning his chair around to face the boy. “I’m sorry, I’m Pietro Polendina, Penny’s Father.”

           “And I’m Maria Calavera. Local Kook!” Maria joked, looking up at Whitley. “So, why is someone so completely inexperienced with Atlas cold doing anywhere near here?”

           “My Mother said I had to either help people there or come here to help……..but I have no idea how…...” Whitley explained, pulling on the thick coat Penny brought him.

           “Well, we’re almost done anyway. Last thing would be to help Pietro and his chair onto a truck.” Maria responded, tapping the large device with her cane. Before any of them could respond, an ear-piercing shriek cut through the air.

           “Penny, what’s coming?” Pietro asked the young Maiden.

           “Several Large-class Grimm are approaching.” Penny stated, opening her back and sending out her array of swords. Maria turned to the direction of the Transports and held her hands to her mouth.

           “IF YOU HAVE EVERYONE ELSE ON THE THING, GO! WE’LL HOLD THEM OFF!!!” Maria shouted, extending the blade out on her cane. Seeing the Transports start to fly off, Pietro hurried as fast as he could to one leftover Transport, leading Whitley with him. Penny and Maria scanned around, looking for the Grimm heading to their position.

           “What could possibly lead them here?” Penny asked her.

           “Well, there’s a bunch of Refugees leaving here, as well as a Girl that now has the Powers of a Maiden. Take your pick.” Maria said, swinging her Kama as a Grimm flew by them, cutting the Teryx’s leg off cleanly. “Now, let’s show these creeps what messing with a couple of ladies will do to them!!!” Maria cackled as she ran towards another Teryx and jumped onto it’s back, landing and slicing into it, controlling it’s flight with her lone Kama. Penny twisted her arms, directing the wires around her swords to stab into the different Grimm and cut them down, ashing them instantly.

           “Six more….” Penny counted, switching a few to Blaster Form and firing laser blasts at a couple of others that were approaching Pietro and Whitley. Hearing Maria cackle as she flew around the Warehouse, Penny kept track as she kept cutting down more and more Teryx. “Two more….Maria is on one, so-GAH!!!” Penny shouted as a large White-bodied Ursa with black armor and spikes tackled her and knocked her to the ground. Penny quickly tried to pull her swords back, but felt a sharp tug as she saw the White Ursa stomping on the cables. Trying to hide the panic in her eyes, she tried to shift the position the weapons were in when she felt the Ursa tug it, pulling her towards it. Acting quickly, she caught the large paw of the Grimm before her face, using all of her Strength to combat the older Grimm’s. “MARIA!!!!” Penny shouted out, hoping the woman would hear.

           “HANG ON, PENNY!!!!” Maria called back, trying to steer the Teryx she was riding to go back towards the Warehouse, seeing the Ursa lifting it’s other paw, pushing it’s body weight onto Penny and the weight of it all forcing Penny’s arms down. “Move faster!!!!” Maria tugged, accidentally cutting through and killing her Ride. Quickly hopping to a set of boxes nearby, Maria saw the Teryx collapse and dissolve feet from Penny and the Ursa. “No!!!”

           POW!!!

           Penny saw as the Ursa was thrown back, looking over she saw Whitley shakily holding the Pistol in both hands as the boy unloaded the gun into the Ursa’s head, killing it with the last shot. After seeing Whitley drop the pistol, Penny slowly got up, pulling her weapons back into her. “Thank you, Whitley.” Penny replied, Whitley still wide-eyed and watching the corpse of the Ursa slowly dissolve.

           “I have to say, you’re pretty handy with that-” Maria started before she saw Whitley retch, cover his mouth and throw up on the ground beside them, stepping back with Penny. “Evidently, however, you don’t have the Stomach for this kind of work.” Maria chuckled, seeing Whitley pull out a handkerchief and wipe his mouth off.

           “Alright…..let’s get to moving…….I gotta make a call….” Whitley said, pulling out his Scroll and dialing.

           Salem walked over to her throne, sliding Ruby’s Scroll under her dress, under where a pocket would be. Sitting on it, Salem looked over to the defeated Ruby, then smirked at her. “Come over, Little Petal…...” Salem asked her.

           “…..why don’t you just kill me?” Ruby quietly said, pulling her knees up to her chest, trying to hide her face.

           “Because I have need for you, and your survival dictates it. Now, come over. I won’t ask again.” Salem told her. Ruby slowly struggled to stand, her hands still immobilized, then walked over to stand beside her. “Look forward, Little-”

           “Okay, that’s it, why are you calling me that?!!?” Ruby snapped at her, seeing Salem shocked.

           “It’s a nickname given to you. I thought you had been going by that name for a while.” Salem explained.

           “No one’s ever called me that. Maybe my Mom, but she’s dead. So I don’t know. Who started calling me that?” Ruby asked.

           “Why, it was Cinder. She took one look at you in the Rejuvenation pool and hurriedly said that name.” Salem explained.

           “Wait……..what-pool?” Ruby asked. Rather than answering her, Salem made a point of Magic on her fingertip and put it to Ruby’s abdomen, making the Dress fabric move to expose Ruby’s Navel, as well as a quarter-sized scar a few inches above it.

           “It’s a Pool I send my most injured to to heal. Just because I bathed in Destruction doesn’t mean I won’t have something to help people I desire.” Salem explained, pulling her finger back and allowing the fabric to re-cover Ruby’s belly. “Now…...you did mention your Mother…...” Ruby glared at the Immortal after hearing this, balling her fists.

           “What about my Mother.” Ruby spat out, glaring more at her, trying to force her Silver Eyes at her.

           “Well, who do you think ordered the Grimm to attack her?” Salem asked, smirking.

           “She was a Silver-Eyed Warrior, she couldn’t have been taken out by-” Ruby started to say before Salem cut her off.

           “Did you know that following the first five months after a Pregnancy, a Silver-Eyed Warrior temporarily loses her ability to use said eyes? There’s not many Warriors around, so it’s not a widely-known thing. Most often they find out when they go to use them and…….poof” Salem explained to Ruby, seeing her eyes widen as she heard this.

           “….y-you’re lying-” Ruby started to say before Salem glared at her and gripped her face hard.

           “Ruby Rose. I am many things. However, the one that I absolutely am not is a Liar. If you ask my Subordinates if I am Truthful, they will all tell you that I will gladly answer any Question to the best of my knowledge. Besides, I remember the Grimm that returned.” Salem scolded to Ruby, letting go of her face, seeing Ruby rub it gently.

           “So how big was the pack after they came back?” Ruby asked, already upset at her.

           “Oh no, it was a single, solitary Beowulf pup.” Salem explained, seeing Ruby’s eyes widen more. “As it turns out, after they attacked, your Mother ordered your Father to take you away, and when he returned to see what became of her, he massacred nearly all of them.” As Salem explained this, the Beowulf she called Zwei trotted over and nuzzled her leg, getting a pet from its creator.

           “…….I don’t know if someone’s lying to you, but there’s no way that could have happened. No one knows what happened to my Mom…...Not my Dad, not Uncle Qrow…..not even Ozpin…..” Ruby responded, seeing Salem’s eyebrow raise.

           “Hm….interesting……..anyway, back to the Matters at hand. Look before you…..” Salem commanded to Ruby, having the front of the Whale shift to reveal Atlas, still burning in places. Looking back to Ruby, Salem saw her defiantly looking back towards the back of the Room. Snapping her fingers harshly, Salem summoned a hand to stretch and grab Ruby’s head, slowly and forcefully making the girl fall to her knees and turning her head to face Atlas. Panting hard, Ruby tried to shove herself forward, but fell over onto her face before being returned to her previous position by the Shadow Hand. “That Dress blocks your Semblance too. Just in case you were going to try that again.”

           “…..I hate you…….” Ruby choked out after panting hard. Slowly feeling the Shadow hand move away, she shuddered as Salem’s hand moved to the side of her head and began to stroke her gently.

           “I know. And I’m glad. I want you to be angry. Now, let’s see if Ozma can follow directions. But first, let’s get my Scientist back….” Salem said, snapping her fingers and seeing several Avian Grimm out from the Whale towards the floating city.

           “…….so what do we do?” Jaune asked the group, now nervous about the entire mission as they had to think of their Ultimatum they received. Ozpin sat in one of the chairs, his fingers crossed, deep in thought.

           “We have three hours to turn over Ozpin, or...” Yang started to say before being interrupted.

           “We have three hours to end this battle, or she sends Tyrian out. Then who knows how long she’ll give us.” Ozpin clarified, turning to Winter. “Is there anything that James or the Ace Ops had that might be beneficial?”

           “Not that I’m aware of. Every gun we have that might be able to punch through that hide’s not in Atlas right now.” Winter sadly stated. The room remained in silence for a moment until Roman snapped his fingers.

           “Ice Queen-” Roman said, getting a brief scolding from the three Schnee women, “Oh cool off! Army one, what kind of explosives do you have?”

           Looking shocked at such a question, Winter assessed her Scroll until she answered, “Not enough to punch through the hide, but we do have enough to completely fell a building.”

           “Where are they?” Roman asked, getting to the center of the room.

           “What are you getting at?” Winter asked, annoyed at the former Criminal’s questions.

           “You keep saying that this thing is just too damn big, that we can’t punch through it. But, you’re forgetting. Going through something isn’t the only way to take something down.” Roman explained.

           “You aren’t suggesting we-” Blake started before seeing Roman turn to her.

           “I am suggesting, Kitty Down. We sneak in, place a giant Bomb in the thing’s core, and boom! Problem solved!” Roman said, smacking his hands together. The group looked around at each other, obviously thinking that the plan might work.

           “How will we get an Explosive load to match it?” Winter countered after a few minutes.

           “I’m one of the hands that has been sneaking Dust away from that ass-hat in charge of this place. I got enough Dust to get this thing going. We just need to get a plan to get on.” Roman said, seeing a look of irritation from Willow.

           “Ren can mask emotions, make us invisible to the Grimm. I can supercharge it enough to cover half an entire Train, so we should go.” Jaune pointed out.

           “We should keep the group small. That way there’s less of a chance to get found out.” Ren said, getting nods from the rest of the group.

           “Well, then you all should head up to the Military Base. The explosives are there. I’ll call the Ace Ops ahead of time to get them mobilized and then down here to help keep these people safe.” Winter stated, starting to send a message when the door opened, making everyone’s heads turn.

           “Oh, I’m terribly sorry, however, Master Whitley sent me a message that my services are needed?” Klein said, taking his cap off before stepping into the Office, and getting a hug from Weiss as soon as he finished his sentence.

           “Klein! You’re okay!!!” The Schnee Heiress said, hugging him tightly.

           “Yes indeed, I am. It was a bit hectic after we got you out, but I’ve managed.” Klein reassured her, seeing Willow walk over and hug him as well.

           “Klein, as you can see, we’ve got a lot of people here. While we send people out to try to fix the overall problem, we need support keeping both morale high and spirits away from the Negative.” Willow explained to him, “If you’d be willing, we’d like you to have your Job Back, at a higher pay than before.”

           “Mistress Schnee, I’d be honored to help out, but I’m fine with doing this for free in this time of crisis.” Klein stated, smiling.

           “Well, then while they get themselves ready, I’ll lead you to meet everyone else.” Willow said, stepping out with Klein before they heard Weiss call out. Turning to the Huntress, Klein saw her pulling the Relic of Knowledge and Crescent Rose’s compressed forms from behind her.

           “Klein, this lamp here is very important. There’s no one I trust with it’s safety more than you.” Weiss said, handing the Relic over. “And…..this is my Best Friend’s Weapon…...we’re going to try to get it back to her, but until then-”

           “I’ll keep that safe as well, Mistress Weiss. Don’t worry, I’ll have everything under control.” Klein reassured her, gently taking Crescent Rose as well, and exiting with Willow.

           Turning back to the Group, Weiss exhaled a sigh of relief, then narrowed her brow. “Alright, if we’re going to do this right, then we’ll have to distract Salem to get Ruby back safely. If we separate her, then we should be able to do so. Which means two more teams.” Weiss stated. “And I think I have an idea of who to send, but it has to be done after we get the Bomb ready.”

           Salem pulled out Ruby’s Scroll, checking the time. Seeing it’s at the agreed time to react, Salem focused her powers and located the Grimm still in Tyrian’s head. “Tyrian” She spoke to him, “Has Ozma appeared?”

           “He seems to remain in hiding, my Goddess…..” Tyrian replied, ready to strike at her command. Salem smirked, then looked to Ruby, who seemed terrified beside her.

           “Time to decide.” Salem told Ruby, dialing Oscar’s Scroll again. After a few rings, the Old Headmaster answered.

           “Salem.” Ozpin said.

           “Ozma, you haven’t listened to me once again. So now I’m going to take another of your body’s friends.” Salem stated, holding the Scroll to Ruby. “Now, tell him which Friend he will lose.”

           “No…...no!!!” Ruby protested, getting her hair gripped tightly and tugged by Salem as punishment.

           “I said tell him!” Salem commanded, seeing Ruby shake her head. After tugging even more, Ruby finally spoke.

           “JAUNE!!” Ruby spat out, before sighing in regret. “Jaune Arc…..he…...he started out way behind any of us…...” Ruby began to weep as she saw Salem bring the Scroll back up to her level to resume her conversation.

           “You heard her. Jaune Arc. He will be the next to go. Unless you meet with me. Ta ta, Ozma.” Salem hung up the Scroll, petting Ruby’s hair and smoothing it back down. “I’m sorry I had to do that, Little Petal, but I don’t enjoy repeating myself…..” Salem refocused on Tyrian, then spoke. “You heard the name, right?”

           “Indeed, my Goddess. I already know of this boy, I know who to hunt! This one will be most intriguing…...” Tyrian said, laughing maniacally as he left the Transport ship.

           “Hurry up with those Charges!” Roman barked to Jaune and Ren, lifting the large canister of several huge uncut Dust Crystals and bringing it over to the table with the help of Elm. “We gotta get enough stuff that can blow to make a big enough boom!!”

           “You’re a nutcase, you know that?” Elm said to Roman, getting a grin from him in return.

           “Like a fox! Now, Bunny Girl, you sure you can rig it to blow?” Roman asked Harriet, getting a glare from her.

           “Just because they call me “Hare” doesn’t mean you get to call me that. Or a variation of it.” Harriet coldly spat at him, soldering contacts together to increase the payload amount. “That should do it. But I still think it’s crazy what you’re doing.”

           “Well, it’s the safest. We do this and no one else has to get hurt.” Jaune said, helping Ren pick up the bomb.

           “You two go ahead after Vine and Marrow and everyone else to Schnee Manor. That’ll give them the most protection.” Roman told the remaining Ace Ops, picking up the remote Detonator and slipping it into his back pocket. Seeing the two Huntresses rush off, Roman leads the two young men along the halls of Atlas Military, trying to get them to the Landing Bay. “Just a bit more” Roman said, opening the door to the bay. Jaune looked ahead and stopped, making Ren bounce back a bit.

           “Jaune, what-” Ren started to say, turning his head and spotting the figure at the hanger entrance.

           “Who’s that?” Roman asked, looking at the man walking towards them, laughing.

           “Oh, they know who I am. And I know who my Target is…….” Tyrian said, cackling as he extended his wrist blades.

Chapter Text

           “ Ngh...”

           “Oh hush up, James. Just sit up.” Watts called out to the General. Snapping awake as soon as he heard the voice, James tried to push himself up to not only feel a tug on his metal arm, but the arm not working at all either. “They took out that little chip in your head, so you couldn’t try to escape.” Watts explained as James struggled to sit up.

           “What happened?” James asked, glaring through the hard-light screen towards Arthur’s Iron Bar cell.

           “Oh, you just turned into a complete maniac and tried to have your friend killed because he hurt your other Friend. So your soldiers turned on you.” Watts explained, leaning back on his bench. “Congratulations, James. You’ve finally fallen off your Steel Throne.”

           “And why should I even listen to you-” James asked, trying to stand on one leg but feeling his arm bound to the wall by heavy steel chains.

           “Because you literally have no other option than to listen to me.” Arthur smirked at him, crossing his arms and staring back at James’ glare.

           “……..why are you even bothering?” James asked, irritated at the Scientist.

           “Because you’ve done this entirely to yourself. By choosing the quickest path to whatever’s ahead of you, not only have you lost several limbs, but you’ve lost all of your allies. Your right hand woman, chosen by you to become the Winter Maiden, found you a danger to your people, and the people you selected to be the best of the best worked together to take you down. One of them literally at Death’s Door. Your being here is entirely due to your own actions. You’ve tried to brute-strength your way through everything. And look where it’s gotten you. In a Jail Cell on the losing side.” Arthur monologued to James, causing the man to frown and look down at his boots.

           “…..and look who’s beside me in another Cell.” James retorted, hearing Arthur stand. Looking up, James saw Arthur digging into his pocket.

           “Not for long. I much prefer full digital, but under the circumstances….” Arthur stated, pulling a SilverFish out and putting it to his ear. James turned away as the small Grimm burrowed into Watts’ head, looking back after he sighed in relief. “Mistress Salem, If you can hear me, I’m currently in the West Detention Block. Do you have anything coming to me?”

           “What are you-” James started to ask before the side of the Block blew out, the dust settling to reveal a Sphinx. James sat speechless as it clawed and tore the bars out, freeing Arthur and allowing him onto it’s back.

           “I’d offer you a ride, James, however I don’t really care to. If I see any of your lackeys, I’ll tell them you’re still here!” Arthur called out to him, flying off on the Grimm’s back. James sighed in regret, then leaned back, staring out the hole.

           Qrow and Robyn rushed through the halls of the Atlas Military building, having recently swiped their weapons back and trying to evade the Personnel rushing around the halls.

           “We can get through that room if we could get past all these people…..” Robyn said to Qrow, who smirked and flicked the pin. Taking a leap, Qrow instantly transformed to his bird form and flew over-top the crowd, flying towards the door that they noticed. Landing and turning back, Qrow held the door open as Robyn rushed over. “How are you...” Robyn began to ask before getting a finger shaken by Qrow.

           “We don’t have time for specifics. Just know a Wizard did it. Now, we gotta get outta here. Where should we go?” Qrow asked her.

           “The Pneumatic Tube System. It’s easy to use and easy to get back down to Mantle. If we take that, then we can get out quickly.” Robyn said, leading Qrow along the halls and towards the Tube System room, knocking out any Soldiers in their way trying to stop them. Tucking them into common areas, the duo slowly get to the doors, before staying right outside them as the room’s absolutely full of people.

           “Any more Bright Ideas?” Qrow asked Robyn, rolling his eyes.

           “Maybe a little Luck?” Robyn said, nodding to the pin.

           “I told you, my Semblance is Bad Luck.” Qrow replied, irritated at her.

           “And how long have people told you that that’s your Semblance?” Robyn asked.

           “All my life, why?” Qrow sniped back.

           “Well, why not try a different perspective. When you’re upset, it’s Bad Luck. When you’re calm, collected and sure of yourself, it’s Good Luck. Probability.” Robyn explained to him. Qrow pondered for a bit before looking at the pin.

           “How sure are you that that’s a thing?” Qrow asked her, skeptical.

           “It’s the power of a comic book hero I read as a girl!” Robyn quickly said back to him.

           “You’re kidding. You read Comic Books? You’re so much like Ruby.” Qrow said, chuckling.

           “And you can somehow turn into a fucking pigeon, now do it!” Robyn angrily said. Qrow shrugged, then gave the pin another flick.

           “EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUILDING THROUGH PLAN T! I REPEAT, PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUILDING THROUGH PLAN T” Winter’s pre-recorded voice boomed through the overhead PA. Looking back into the room, Qrow and Robyn watched as all of the attendants quickly filed out of the room through the opposite side door.

           “Okay, so you may have a point. Let’s move.” Qrow replied, not looking to her smirking face before both rushed into the room.

           “We can use these to travel quickly to Mantle, from there I can call up a Huntress or two to pick us up. But we gotta program the Tube first.” Robyn explained, starting to hit buttons before Qrow grabbed her waist and lifted her. “Hey! Put me down!!”

           “I’ll operate the thing, you sit tight.” Qrow said, putting her into the tube beside the panel. Robyn glared before lying back, putting her hands close to her chest in anticipation. “Got it!” Qrow said, hitting the button and quickly turning back into Crow form, dashing right between her hands and tucking under them just as the Tube sucked her down and sped them off.

           “Ready?” Weiss asked the group as Ozpin dialed Ruby’s number on the Scroll. Putting it on speaker, Ozpin watched and listened as the dial tone went on for a bit before hearing it pick up.

           “Ozma. I’m surprised you had the guts to call me.” Salem spoke through Ruby’s Scroll, “I take it that you’re going to surrender?”

           “Yes, I am. But I want it to be on a location I choose.” Ozpin stated to her.

           “I’ll let you have that. But after you tell me, I’ll tell you where you can pick up your friend. Or, should I say, where your friends can pick her up.” Salem responded. Looking to Weiss, Ozpin smiled as their plan began to work.

           “That’s agreeable. Central Plaza, Mantle. Where Ironwood began to reveal who you are to the citizens of Mantle.” Ozpin stated to her.

           “Fitting. My reveal will be where you disappear. Alright, Now, your friends shall find the girl on Platform 7 of the Atlas Military Base. I recommend you evacuate that building first. If anyone other than you or one of your friends show up to either location, I’ll order the girl killed. Understand?” Salem coldly stated.

           “Alright. I was hoping for four hours from now, that way we’ll have plenty of time to evacuate.” Ozpin pleaded her.

           “It’s a date. See you, Ozma.” Salem said, before hanging up the phone. Ozpin sighed a breath of relief with the rest of them.

           “Winter, could you please-” Ozpin started to say before the Huntress cut in.

           “I’ve already ordered an Evacuation of the building. We have several, so I chose the one that didn’t use Platform 7. Let’s just hope they make a swing by the Detention Center to get Ironwood and Watts out.” Winter stated.

           “Alright. Miss Polendina?” Ozpin asked, looking at the newly arrived Maiden.

           “Yes sir?” Penny asked, tilting her head.

           “I need you to stay in the sky as high as you can, and be ready to go to either location to help out, understand?” Ozpin asked her.

           “Hold on, Ozpin, That’s my Daughter you’re asking to do that!” Pietro countered, angered.

           “Father, I-” Penny protested before Pietro cut her off.

           “No! Do you know how horrified I was when they brought you off Amity once it came back? How Terrified I was that I had lost you? I don’t ever want to lose you like that again, and if I allowed this, then who knows what might happen?!” Pietro scolded her, smacking his fist onto the armrest of his chair. “I forbid it Penny!”

           “Father! I am sorry, however this is my duty. I am the only one of us with the Core or the Flight capabilities to aid the others for the plan. And you know if it works properly, then They will need me.” Penny protested, closing her fists as she pleaded her case.

           “Penny!” Pietro began before Penny stomped her foot.

           “I’m! Going!” Penny stated, causing gasps from everyone.

           “You used a contraction!” Yang pointed out, seeing Penny blush.

           “Well, I mean it. I need to do this, Father. I am sorry if this upsets you, but it needs to be done.” Penny told him, seeing him sigh after a short period.

           “I want you to stay safe over all else, alright?” Pietro told her, to which he received a nod. “And I want to be in contact with you at all times, okay?”

           “Yes Father.” Penny responded.

           “Now, we need to get to our positions-” Ozpin started to say before hearing a knock on the door and seeing Vine and Marrow carrying Clover on both sides into the room.

           “Hey! The Cap’ said the Refugees needed a bed more than he did.” Marrow explained.

           “Yeah, I’m alright….” Clover stated weakly.

           “Clover, you had a blade shoved through your chest. You need a bed.” Winter protested as he urged his way onto the lounge couch in Jacques office.

           “That’s what we’ve been telling him. However, he has the General’s stubbornness.” Vine explained, lowering him down to a reclined position.

           “I’m fine, I told you….” Clover protested before getting Winter’s hand on his shoulder.

           “If you insist on not being with the others, at least help us plot out everything from in here, alright? We’ll move you if we need to.” Winter told him, earning a nod in return. “Alright, let’s move.”

           “Cinder!” Salem called out through the whale, walking alongside Ruby, who looked fearful at what her plan was.

           “Mistress!” Cinder said, running up towards Salem as she was called, followed shortly by Neo. “You summoned us?”

           “Yes. I’m off to go and fetch Ozma. You and Neo are to go and drop off Miss Rose once I give the signal.” Salem explained, seeing Cinder frown.

           “Yes Ma’am…..” Cinder solemnly said. Salem walked closer and placed her hand onto her Maiden’s shoulder and smirked at her.

           “Be glad with this knowledge: If Ozma lies to me, or to you, then I’ll give you full rights to Kill Ruby.” Salem told her, seeing Cinder’s expression brightened before seeing her grin evilly at Ruby.

           “That does make me very happy. Very well, my Mistress...” Cinder said, bowing before Salem before glaring to Ruby. “Come on then, we have our orders.” Cinder pushed Ruby along after getting the location of where they’re going from Salem, leading Neo with them towards the Landing Platform and shuttle. Shoving Ruby inside, Cinder buckled her in tightly while Neo climbed into the Pilot seat.

           “You’re enjoying this too much, aren’t you?” Ruby asked Cinder, getting a smirk in response.

           “Yes, very much so. And I really hope that they don’t follow directions. I so want to kill you.” Cinder said, taking her seat and swiveling around to watch Ruby. Ruby meanwhile, looked to the windshield, seeing Neo’s reflection smirk in it, knowing that there’s a plan in the works.

           “I really hope they got something good….” Ruby thought to herself.

           Roman had to rush while carrying the large and heavy bomb, since both Jaune and Ren had to dash away as Tyrian attacked them to split them up. Trying to get the device at least to the Shuttle, he mustered all of his strength and shut up while the battle raged behind him. Tyrian cackled as he launched a barrage of bullets at Ren and Jaune, before noticing Roman rushing with the bomb.

           “Oh no you don’t!” Tyrian shouted, rushing towards the former Criminal before feeling his tail getting pulled away. Turning around, he saw one of the fiber cables that came from Stormflower and wrapped around the bulb, trying to pull him to Ren. Grinning madly, Tyrian yanked his Tail and cable towards him, cutting the cable in a slice before adding a small slice to Ren’s abdomen as momentum pushed him towards him.

           “Ngh!!!!” Ren grunted out, putting a hand right over the wound. Tyrian cackled more as he approached before feeling a Dust Crystal getting thrown at him.

           “Hey, Ugly!” Jaune called out, drawing his attention. “It’s me you want!”

           “Oh, that much is certain!” Tyrian said, picking up the crystal. “But first...” Tyrian then turned his head, seeing Roman backing away from the Shuttle and the Bomb he had placed onto it. “CATCH!” Tyrian shouted, tossing the Dust to Roman’s feet, before aiming his weapon and firing.

           “Oh Shi-!!!!” Roman started to shout before the explosion rocketed him back into a wall, pulverizing it and creating a bed of rubble he laid on after falling, his Aura flickering. Ren roared after this, rushing and shooting Tyrian as fast as he could. However, before he could react, Tyrian rushed at him and slashed even more, before using his wrist blades and Semblance to push through Ren’s Aura, stabbing him in the gut on both sides of his body, before casually tossing him aside.

           “Ren!!!!” Jaune called out as his friend got thrown back, several deep slices and cuts all over his torso. Gritting his teeth, Jaune gripped the blade of his sword tightly as Tyrian crouched down and readied his next strike. Bringing his Shield up, Jaune rushed to intercept Tyrian, launching him back a bit on impact and taking a swipe at him with a Gravity Blast. Landing and snapping back forward, Tyrian rushed and ducked, gripping the sides of the shield and firing his Pistols, making Jaune drop it. Tossing the shield away, Tyrian rushed forward, working his Semblance to try to slash at Jaune’s arm, but saw that his Aura remade itself nearly instantly, making his attack bounce off of him. Confused, Tyrian tried it again and again before Jaune punched him in the face, sending Tyrian back.

           “I see…….so while I slip it away, you build it up…….” Tyrian smirked, changing his stance before jumping away at Jaune again, trying to whittle down Jaune’s Aura with several quick attacks. After a short time of this, he managed to get through, cutting one of the straps for Jaune’s armor, taking off a shoulder pauldron. “Why bother with the armor if it’s useless to you?!” Tyrian taunted, continuing his onslaught and taking more and more straps out, cutting Jaune’s armor pieces off. “Crude! Ineffective!! Worthless!!!” Tyrian shouted as he cut the pieces off, leaving the young man with only his breastplate hanging on by a few straps that remained. Making a bold decision as he turned, putting Tyrian’s back to the wall, Jaune undid the remaining latches, letting the plates fall to the ground. Upon seeing the shirt he had on underneath, Tyrian lowered his guard in utter confusion. “What…..is that?”

           Jaune realized that Tyrian’s focus was on the rabbit design on his shirt, and decided to capitalize on it. Jaune roared as he rushed Tyrian, slashing hard and strong at the psychopath, causing him to backpedal as Jaune continued his onslaught. Forcing his Aura through his Sword and cloaking it in Light, Jaune swung at Tyrian’s arm, cutting it clean off at the elbow. “IT’S PUMPKIN PETE!!!” Jaune shouted, slashing and knocking Tyrian’s other arm back before using his Aura in the same way to slice that arm off as well.

           “FUCK!!!!!!” Tyrian shouted, turning back to Jaune as the young man let out one last roar and stabbed Tyrian directly in the center of his chest, embedding the sword into the wall. His eyes widening, Tyrian looked down at the sword plunged into his heart, before looking up into Jaune’s eyes, a confused expression looking directly into a furious one.

           “The woman I loved advertised it…….and your freak of a boss had her killed…..” Jaune spat at Tyrian, instantly making his face twist to one of rage.

           “How DARE YOU TALK OF HER LIKE THAT!!!!!” Tyrian shouted, extending the stinger on his tail as far as it’ll go and sending it right at Jaune. The Boy could barely move as it hurtled towards him, saved only by a whistling shot directly into the bulb, detonating and destroying it, knocking Jaune back. “ NO!!!!!!!!!!!!” Tyrian screamed, writhing on the sword, while Roman, sat against the pile of rubble he made, lowered Melodious Cudgel, exhaling a sigh of relief.

           “Nice work, kid…..” Roman said, before slowly getting up and walking over to Jaune to help him up. Jaune slowly stood, looking at the now dying Psychopath, before walking over and gripping the end of his sword. Tugging a few times, Jaune gave one final, hearty tug before the blade snapped, causing Jaune to fall backwards as Roman caught him. “Sorry about your sword, kid. I’ll pay for the repairs.” Before the two could respond, they heard coughing, and saw Ren trying to roll over, the young man coughing up blood from his injuries.

           “Ren!!!” Jaune rushed over with Roman, immediately trying to apply his Aura healing before he started to sway.

           “Easy, kid! We still have the Mission to do!” Roman said, stopping him, as they heard footsteps running into the room.

           “REN!!!!!” Nora shouted, seeing them and her boyfriend in the state Tyrian left them in, running over and putting Magnhild on her back. “Is he alive?”

           “Barely. Get him back to the Manor now, it’s his only chance!” Roman said, picking up Ren and putting him in Nora’s arms.

           “But-” Nora tried to protest before she looked and saw Tyrian’s corpse, her eyes widening as she realized how serious it was. “What about the mission?”

           “Jaune and I can handle it. The more time you waste, the more of a chance he doesn’t make it, now GO, Thunder-Thighs!!!” Roman shouted, ushering her off towards the door, watching her carry Ren off.

           “How are we going to get on-board now?” Jaune asked Roman, pulling on the breastplate and grabbing his shield.

           “I got an idea for how we can, you got a backup weapon?” Roman asked, seeing Jaune lift his shield up. “Right…...let’s get going, I already managed to get the Bomb aboard.” Jaune nodded and climbed aboard with Roman, who took controls. Roman started up the liftoff sequence, then sighed. “Alright kid, you earned it.”

           “Huh? Earned what?” Jaune asked, confused.

           “My Tragic Backstory.”

Chapter Text

         Jack Brunswick sat on the meadow edge overlooking the nearby valley beside his Father’s settlement. Sighing in boredom, Jack began to lay back. Opening his eyes back up once he did, he was shocked to see the young brown-haired and eyed girl standing over him. “GAH!!” Jack shrieked as he righted himself, seeing her laugh at his shock. “Come on, Vanellope! No practical jokes!” Jack protested to her

         “Oh come on yourself, Sleepyhead! I gotta have some fun for myself!” Vanellope responded, putting her hands on her hips and smirking at him. “I don’t know if you knew this or not, but there’s not a lot for a girl like me to do in this place!”

         “You’re three years younger than me, we do the same things.” Jack scoffed, standing slowly before her. “What are you doing out here, anyway?” He asked her.

         “Your Mom said that dinner’s almost ready. Come on!!!” She pleaded, tugging his hand.

         “Alright, alright!!” He responded, following her until they both broke out into a run, rushing through the forest until they got back to the Town limits, seeing the pair of Huntsmen stationed at the gate. “Hi Flotsam! Hi Jetsam!” Jack shouted to them, waving at them as they passed by.

         “Hey kids! Better hurry inside, it’s getting dark out!” Flotsam told the two, waving as they ran past. Jack and Vanellope rushed back to the main house, where Jack and his family lived, rushing right into the kitchen.

         “Jack, Vanellope, shoes!!” Jack’s mother, Marian, lectured them.

         “Sorry Mom!” Jack said, rushing back to the mudroom with Vanellope, taking his shoes off as she took hers off, placing them together before running back to her barefoot. “What’s for dinner?” Jack asked curiously.

         “We’re gonna have Lamb Chops and Brussel Sprouts.” Marian said, seeing the expressions on both Jack and Vanellope’s faces. “Brussel Sprouts are good for you and you will eat them!” She scolded the two children.

         “But they’re stiff and gross!!” Jack pleaded. Before any of them could continue, the town bell began to ring fast, and Bartleby Brunswick burst through the front door.

         “Grimm Attack! To the basement!!” Bartleby said to them, escorting the group to the Wine Cellar and locking the door after getting his rifle, taking his seat at the Cellar door and aiming at it, ready to fight if the Huntsmen cannot. Jack and Vanellope clung to Marian’s dress, trying to remain calm. After waiting for a moment, Marian made it over to the wall with their primitive contact system, grabbing the one for Vanellope’s House, then prepared to lower her voice.

         “Hello? Mr. Rhode?” Marian whispered into it.

         “Marian! Have you seen Vanellope?” Her Father asked.

         “Yes Rawk. She’s right here. We were just about to have dinner. We figured that we’d feed her too.” Marian said to him.

         “Sorry about that, Marian.” Rawk told them.

         “It’s alright. Are you safe?” Marian asked him.

         “Yeah, I got the Jacobsons with me. How’s Vanellope?” Rawk asked.

         “She’s fine. Here.” Marian said, picking up Vanellope and letting her rest on her hip.

         “Daddy?” Vanellope asked, holding the small pipe in her hands.

         “Hey sweetie. You doing okay?” Rawk asked her.

         “Yeah.” She said quietly.

         “Alright. I’ll see you once this whole thing is over, okay sweetie?” He asked her.

         “Okay Daddy. I love you.” She said.

         “I love you too Vanellope.” Rawk responded.

         It was morning before the Huntsmen were able to safely chase off the Grimm that had attacked the town. Jack was carried out with Vanellope, both in an adult’s arms, as the adults assessed the damage. As they got to the Fields, Bartleby cursed upon seeing them.

         “The crops! They’re ruined!” Bartleby cried out, dropping to his knees and letting go of Jack, who stood beside his father. Marian gently placed her hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

         “It’s still the beginning of the season. We can still replant them and still have a pretty good harvest.” Marian said, trying to calm him. Flotsam and Jetsam came up, both panting hard and looking worse for wear.

         “It was a pack of Beowulves. Don’t know where they came from, but we sent them packing.” Jetsam stated, cradling his weapon to him.

         “Thank you, Jetsam.” Marian said to him, gently handing the sleeping Vanellope back to her father.

         Jack awoke one night weeks later to hear his Father arguing with his Mother. Taking care to sneak down the stairs as silently as he could, he listened to the two.

         “I’m telling you, Marian, we need to figure something out about these stupid Grimm Attacks!” Bartleby said to her, pouring himself another drink.

         “I know, but we can’t do anything about those beasts aside from hide while the Huntsman fight them!” Marian reminded him.

         “And that’s another thing, those two Huntsmen are going to bankrupt this whole town!” Bartleby said, gulping down his wine. “What we need is to get a way for the Grimm to ignore us…...to…..cloak us…...”

         “Yeah, as if anyone can do that….” Marian said to him. Jack heard them drink some more before he hurried back off to bed.

         Jack was helping his mother in the kitchen, chopping onions and potatoes for her. “Jack, can you go into the basement and see if your Father’s finished doing whatever it is he’s doing down there?” Marian asked him.

         “Yeah!” Jack eagerly said, rushing down to the little Bar that Bartleby had set up, not seeing his Father there, but noticing that the Cellar door is open. “Dad?” Jack asked, slowly trekking down the stairwell, and seeing a large hole made into the Cellar wall. “What the…..” Jack started to slowly walk towards it, peeking around before going through the hole, water splashing between his bare feet and toes. “Dad?” Jack asked again, before hearing splashing down the tunnel. Slowly walking through the wet tunnel, Jack made a few turns, before coming towards a light source. “Dad?” Jack asked, poking his head towards it before gasping in horror.

         “Jack!!” Bartleby shockingly said, standing before a pair of Apathy Grimm, having just finished tying their hands to the wall and having stitched one of their mouths tight with leather, the other partially stitched.

         “Dad, what are-” Jack asked before being shushed as Bartleby immediately rushed to finish stitching the other’s mouth shut, forcing himself to get it closed. Backing away immediately after, Bartleby panted hard.

         “Jack, this is my plan for our Future.” Bartleby explained. He pulled his arm around his son and held him close, motioning to the two Apathy. “These Grimm aren’t violent, they’re frail, and they help mellow people out!” Bartleby continued.

         “Dad, they’re Grimm! They’ll kill us!!” Jack pleaded, worried.

         “Not if we keep them like this! And if we just keep up a base Negativity, then we’ll keep them alive, and keep all other Grimm out of here!” Bartleby explained to him.

         “….did you tell Mom about this?” Jack asked him.

         “No, and she doesn’t need to know about this, got it?” Bartleby told him.

         “But-” Jack protested before getting cut off.

         “Jack, this is for the betterment of all of this town. No one can know, not even Vanellope. Understand? This is our secret.” Bartleby told him.

         “…...okay….” Jack responded.

         Months later, Jack frowned as he looked around the town. Everyone was much more mellow, and this caused the town to have to release Flotsam and Jetsam. Jack, on the other end, was on high alert. For the past few weeks, he could have sworn he saw something in the tunnels under the town when he went to check on the Apathy. Jack started to walk past the barn, but jumped when Vanellope scared him from inside the barn.

         “Damn it, Vanellope!” Jack shouted at her, trying to recollect himself.

         “Oh come on, don’t you start acting weird now too.” Vanellope scoffed at him, putting her hands on her hips.

         “What are you talking about?” Jack asked her, walking into the barn while holding his bag to himself to try to hide it.

         “The past couple of months everyone’s just getting more and more lackadaisical. Then we lost Flotsam and Jetsam, and now you’re doing something weird with your bag!” Vanellope stated, turning the corner and seeing Jack’s bag full of food, and a small box also full of food he was standing beside. “Jack, what are you doing?”

         “I’m tired of staying here, Vanellope. I don’t want to be in this stupid town and I don’t want to be a stupid farmer anymore!” Jack told her, looking mad.

         “Then, what are you gonna be?” Vanellope asked him

         “Either a Huntsman or a Pirate. Whichever one works better for me.” Jack told her, going back to packing.

         “…..can you at least help me look for my Dad?” Vanellope asked him, making Jack look confused at her. “He said he was gonna swing by your place for a bottle of wine he was saving, but he hasn’t been back since last night...” Vanellope was shocked as Jack’s face turned to panic as she said this.

         “You’re kidding!!! He didn’t!!!” Jack said, grabbing her hand and tugging her along.

         “Jack, what’s wrong?!” Vanellope asked him.

         “I’ll fill you in later, but we’ve got to save your Dad!” Jack answered, grabbing a Trowel and running through town and the shambling residents, tugging the young girl along with him to his house. Throwing open his front door, he and her blew past Marian, who looked very lackadaisical towards them. Jack rushed past his Father, who just sheepishly drank more at his bar. Rushing down through the Cellar and into the waterway, Jack led Vanellope through the twists and turns before stopping in his tracks. They spotted Rawk, withered on the floor with an Apathy finger at his temple, letting out a long wheeze as his features receded into him, his hair turning pure white.

         “DADDY!!!!!!” Vanellope shrieked, seeing the Apathy touching him to let go, then seeing the horde of Apathy turning around, quickly showing they were overwhelmed.

         “Run!!!!!!” Jack shouted, running back with her through the waterways and through the Cellar, seeing his Father in the exact same position he was in when they went down. “Dad, they came for them!!!!!” Jack shouted as he ran past, turning to see his Father simply shrug it off. Groaning in frustration, Jack turned to Vanellope. “Grab whatever you want to bring and get back to the barn, we’re leaving!!!” He told her, seeing her nod and rush back to her house. Rushing to the Barn, Jack hurriedly grabbed his old sled, putting the box and his bag onto it. Tugging it outside, Jack waited for a few minutes before seeing her running up with her Doll in her arms.

         “You brought that with you?!?” Jack scolded her, seeing her glare back at him.

         “I’m not leaving Miss Cocoa behind!” Vanellope scolded back, putting her Doll right on top of the sled with him and grabbing the strap with him. They both quickly pulled the sled between the two, dragging it along the soft earth with them, trying to quickly flee as the sun dipped down. After running for two hours, they both needed to rest, and so quickly gathered firewood for a small campfire. “Jack, you know how to start one, right?” She asked him.

         “Yeah, yeah, I got my Dad’s Tinderbox.” He told her, arranging the wood together before quickly sparking flame, creating a small light. Looking back up at her, Jack’s eyes widened as The Apathy were mere feet away from their nearby Sled. “VANELLOPE!!!” Jack got out before one of the Apathy let out a horrific shriek, causing him to clutch his head in pain while Vanellope slowly crumpled to the ground. Jack forced one eye open, only to see an Apathy reaching for Vanellope. The moment it touched her right temple, she let out a long wheeze, and the right side of her hair started to change colors. Gritting his teeth hard, Jack bolted up and pointed at the Apathy. “GET AWAY FROM HER!!!!!!!!” Jack ordered, seeing the Apathy look at him, before the one touching Vanellope’s head withdrew its hand and backed off, the pack staying right at the Sled. Jack hurriedly rushed over and pulled her up, bringing her back behind the fire with him. Jack angrily stared at them, gripping the trowel from before tightly, before seeing them all turn to ash and dissipate.

         “Are you okay?” Jack asked her, wrapping up the spot on her head where the Apathy had touched her. Vanellope opened her mouth and attempted to vocalize, but with every try not a single sound came out. “Did…..did they take your voice?” Jack asked, seeing her nod her head in fear. Gritting his teeth again, Jack bolted up and stomped his boot. “I’m sick of this! Those stupid adults got us into this, and look at what they did to you!!!” He bolted out, motioning to her hair change as well as her new pink-colored eye. Vanellope looked frightened before he reassured her spirits. “From now on, it’s just you and I. No Adults, no one else trying to look out for us! I’ll look out for you, and you look out for me.” Jack saw her nod a bit, then decided to get a bit more bold. “And we’re gonna make it, doing everything that the Adults don’t want us to do!” Jack started to hold out his fingers as he continued, “Lie, Steal, Cheat, and Survive!!!”

         “…..and that’s the Tragic Backstory, kid. After that, Neo and I decided to change our names, and we’ve never looked back.” Roman explained, finishing his story while piloting the ship.

         “I….I can’t believe it…..” Jaune said slowly, looking at his hands.

         “Crazy, right?” Roman asked him.

         “No, Ruby and her team, Qrow, Oscar and Maria all went to Brunswick Farms after we had to split Argus Limited, trying to escape a Blizzard.” Jaune explained.

         “Really? What happened?” Roman asked puzzledly.

         “Apparently they almost lost Blake when the Apathy attacked. Ruby had to use her Silver Eyes to get them time before Weiss burned the place down, I’m guessing from your Dad’s Wine Cellar.” Jaune answered.

         “…...so Brunswick Farms is gone…...huh….” Roman sheepishly said, before getting a good look at the Whale before them. “Alright. You said you can amplify Aura enough to make Flower-Boy cloak a Train, right?” Roman asked.

         “Yeah, what did you have in mind?” Jaune asked, before seeing Roman’s hand extended to him. Getting an idea, Jaune slowly held it, extending his Aura and using it to amplify Roman’s. Roman focused hard, both eyes glowing bright orange and blue.

         “Let us inside, and ignore us.” Roman commanded to the Whale, waiting a few moments before hearing the Whale vocalize, then a fin move and expose a landing platform.

         “There!” Jaune said, keeping a grip on Roman’s hand as he landed the Shuttle.

         “Alright, help me get this Bomb onto my back. One way or another, we’re getting this done.” Roman told Jaune.

         Ruby got off of the Shuttle behind Neo and before Cinder, standing barefoot on the platform between them, shuddering. “It’d be nice if Salem gave me back my shoes. It’s freezing up here.” Ruby commented to them.

         “Shut it. Let’s just get this over with.” Cinder ordered her, shoving Ruby forward. Looking to the other shuttle, Ruby noticed Weiss and Nora standing beside it, looking forward. Ruby narrowed her eyes for a moment, because something didn’t appear right to her.

         Salem stepped off of the Manticore she took, petting it’s bony mane. “I’ll be back, sweetie.” Salem told it, seeing it fly off. Salem stepped out to the Plaza of Mantle, seeing Oscar standing before her. “Ozma…..” Salem said slowly, stepping towards him. Oscar, meanwhile, stared defiantly into her eyes as she did so, fists balled up with rage. Upon getting close to him, Salem pet his face gently. However, staring into his eyes for a minute, Salem pulled her hand back and slapped Oscar right across the face.

Chapter Text

         Salem watched as Oscar flew back from her hard slap, falling to the ground before exploding into glass-like shards, revealing him to be Yang in disguise. “You didn’t have the look he used to give me….” Salem told her, glaring at the young Huntress.

         “YANG!!!” Blake shouted, landing behind her and lifting up Yang off the ground. Both Huntresses standing on their feet, they extended their weapons and glared at the Immortal. Salem glared at the both of them in return.

         “I warned Ozma what would happen if he didn’t listen to what I ordered.” Salem coldly told the pair. Looking up to Atlas above them, Salem focused onto Cinder. “Cinder. Execute Ruby.”

         Nora paced back and forth in the hallway outside of Weiss’ old room, nervous about Ren’s condition. She could hear gently from inside the room as Klein repaired the damage, teaching several of the young children how to heal him. Nora turned around again, seeing Maria looking up at her.

         “How’s Ren doing?” Maria asked her.

         “I don’t know. He got hurt really bad by Tyrian, and Klein’s been in there for a while…...if Jaune were here, he’d be able to help, but…..-” Nora started before Maria cut her off.

         “But right now you don’t know what will happen to him.” Maria finished her thought, getting a nod from Nora. Maria walked over to the nearby bench, sitting on it before patting the seat beside her, watching as Nora sat down. “Look, I may not claim to know you excellently. Shit, outside of Ruby, I don’t really have a good connection outside of having robot parts like Yang. But I do know that you all are a lot stronger than I was at your age.” Maria said, seeing Nora’s eyes widen, “You all are gonna pull through this whole thing. You just have to give him time to recover.” Nora frowned, before hugging her close. After a few minutes, The doors to the room opened, and Klein lead the children out.

         “And that, children, is how you help someone who’s in pain with lacerations and deep tissue damage.” Klein said, holding a large bucket of supplies in his hands. Nora bolted up in panic before rushing over to him.

         “Is Ren okay?” Nora asked him.

         “He’ll be fine, but he was hurt very bad. He’ll have to wait for his Aura to return fully and help him heal, but until then, he should rest.” Klein told her.

         “Can I see him?” Nora asked.

         “I don’t think-” Klein started to say before seeing Nora’s begging face, then sighing and saying “As long as you don’t do anything to rip one of his stitches and push him hard, it should be fine.” Nora nodded, then rushed into the room, stopping just inside the doorway as she saw Ren. The young man breathed slowly, his entire torso wrapped up tightly with bandages, and as she slowly stepped around the corner, she saw the bloody sheets under him. Covering her mouth as she looked over her boyfriend’s condition, Nora slowly managed to get a chair and pull it close to Ren. Sitting and taking Ren’s hand, Nora stared at him, tears welling in her eyes.

         “How could you be so stupid?!” Nora chastised Ren. “You knew that that guy was bad news when we fought him last, and there was four of us and Qrow! He toyed with us then and he nearly killed you now!!!” Nora continued, gripping his hand tightly. “You always told me when we grew up that you wanted to be able to make a world where we can try to remake Kuroyuri Village, really honor your Family, and not have to worry about fighting anymore. But then you go and do this!” Nora choked out, fighting back her tears and failing. “You go and do this, and you can’t even say ‘I love you’…….I don’t want to lose you……..you’re all I have left…...” Nora cried, burying her face into the upper portion of his chest and letting loose, staying like this for several minutes. When she finally calmed enough to pause her tears, Nora turned her head to Ren’s face, and immediately saw his finger. Before she could react, she felt it gently press her nose.

         “…..boop…..” Ren wheezed out, smiling extremely weakly. Nora immediately bolted her head up and looked at Ren’s face, seeing one of his eyes open as he smiled through his pain. “Did…...did I do it right?” Nora laughed, crying more and kissed him hard on the lips. Breaking the kiss after a few seconds, she laughed more.

         “Yes, you big dummy!!!” Nora said, petting his head. Nora tapped her head to his, feeling him do the same back to her weakly. “Don’t you ever do that again…..”

         “…..I’ll try…..not to…..” Ren replied, slowly letting it out.

         “Okay. I’m gonna be right here until you’re better.” Nora told him, before hearing a knock on the door-frame, seeing Harriet.

         “I’d hate to make you a liar, but we need you out there, Valkyrie.” Harriet told her.

         “What do you mean?” Nora asked her. Harriet walked over to the window and threw open the drapes, showing a giant swarm of Grimm on the way to the Manor.

         “That’s going to be here in a few minutes. All we have right now are a handful of soldiers, the rest of the Ace Ops, and you and Ozpin. We’re criminally low on Huntsmen, so if you’re not incapacitated….” Harriet said before seeing Nora stand up and protest.

         “No, I can’t leave Ren alone!” Nora started to say before feeling Ren tug on her hand.

         “Nora, go with Harriet…….bring the kids and everyone in here…...” Ren told her.

         “Ren, you-” Nora protested before he continued.

         “I can cloak everyone…..if we need it……...” Ren told her, “Go and help the others….”

         “Ren….” Nora started before feeling his finger on her nose again. “Okay, okay…...just rest then, okay?” Nora told him.

         “Okay...” Ren said, letting go of Nora’s hand as she did, feeling her pull the covers up and tuck him in before watching her slowly walk out with Harriet.

         “He’s gonna be fine. Besides, you’re still gonna help him. You just gotta use that hammer of yours to help him.” Harriet reassured her, the both of them rushing outside.

         Cinder smirked as she heard Salem’s order, gripping Ruby’s shoulder and throwing her to the ground. “Neo, watch those two. I want to enjoy this.” Cinder ordered. Ruby started to scurry back until Cinder stepped her heel onto her ankle, pinning her.

         “OW!!!!” Ruby cried out, glaring up at Cinder, who smirked down at her. Ruby watched as Cinder flexed her hand, making a large curved sword out of fire encased in glass.

         “I really hope this will be painful, Ruby. I want you to feel every bit of agony you’ve caused me since we met…...” Cinder said, putting the tip of the sword to Ruby’s chin. Ruby glared at her, then looked to the Neo watching, who smirked. Taking the cue, Ruby smirked back to Cinder.

         “And I hope you learn to watch who you trust.” Ruby said, Cinder looked confused, until she heard the familiar shattering of glass. Turning around, she looked in horror as the Neo she was interacting with slowly shattered into a pile of glass, and even more as the Weiss and Nora that were there as well started to shatter as well.

         “NO!!!” Cinder shouted, stepping off of Ruby and turning around, looking for Neo. Ruby slowly struggled to stand and looked at her, seeing Neo appear behind Cinder as she kept turning.

         “NOW!!!!” Ruby shouted, watching as Neo rushed to attack Cinder, who barely was able to Intercept. Neo instantly went and flipped, before hopping over to Ruby, pulling the blade out of her Umbrella and using it to slice the bindings on Ruby’s hands. “Thanks, Neo.” Ruby said, rubbing her sore wrists. Neo nodded, took off Torchwick’s hat and reached her hand inside, pulling a large, antique-looking sword out of it, then handing it over and replacing the hat. “That from Weiss’ house?” Ruby asked, getting another nod before she took it. “It’s not Crescent Rose, but it’ll have to do.” Ruby stated, gripping the hilt of the sword and holding it in both hands, lowering it to her side and widened her stance for balance. Neo got into her stance and smirked at Cinder, who scowled at both of them.

         “Fine! I’ll take you both on!!!!” Cinder screamed, rushing at them.

         Jaune and Roman rushed through the different hallways of the Whale, both of them panting hard from having to navigate through and taking on Grimm that find them quick enough to keep them hidden still. Getting to a cross-shaped intersection, Roman stopped them for a breather. Slipping the bomb off of his back and resting against the wall, Roman saw Jaune sit near him and do the same.

         “…..hey, kid…..lemme ask you something…..” Roman asked him.

         “What?” Jaune asked back.

         “Back when we were fighting that freak, you said you had a girl that this crazy bitch had killed.” Roman said, looking to Jaune but seeing his face sour. “Mind if I ask?” Jaune looked away for a bit before he commented.

         “Her name was Pyrrha Nikos. She was really famous, got brand endorsements, everything.” Jaune started. “But all I knew of her when I saw her was that she was pretty, and seemed strong….”

         “I think I remember her, that super-sugary cereal that was Fall-themed?” Roman asked, sitting beside him.

         “Pumpkin Pete’s, yeah. I used to eat nothing but that for breakfast…...” Jaune said, chuckling. Jaune looked over at Roman when he heard the man chuckle as well.

         “I feel sorry for your Dentist, all that work he probably did because of it.” Roman joked, seeing Jaune rub the back of his neck.

         “…..to be honest, Pyrrha was the first person I told my secret to.” Jaune told Roman.

         “What secret?” Roman asked, curious.

         “I forged transcripts to get into Beacon…….I wanted to be a Huntsman so bad, I lied my way into getting in…...I didn’t even have my Aura awakened when I met her…..” Jaune confessed.

         “Huh…..so, what happened to her?” Roman asked Jaune.

         “…..Ozpin revealed the Maidens to her…….she was going to take the Fall Maiden’s power to try to keep it from Cinder, but she wasn’t able to in time…….we got out with Ozpin fighting Cinder, but when she arose to his office…..” Jaune started, balling up his fists.

         “…..she felt the need to do what’s right, right?” Roman finished for Jaune, getting a nod from the boy.

         “….Ruby saw her getting……..y’know…..and Qrow only was able to bring back her little headdress and the remains of her weapons….” Jaune continued, patting his breastplate. “It’s actually where I got the gold trim for my armor and my weapons…..”

         “So that you always had a part of her with you….” Roman guessed, getting a nod.

         “I also was able to see her statue in Argus…...” Jaune said, looking down at his feet.

         “Yeah, Neo told me about it a bit when we were passing through there to Atlas…..” Roman said, causing Jaune to look up at him. “Getting around is pretty easy when you work with a woman who can reshape your appearance at will.”

         “Oh….right….” Jaune said slowly. Roman gently put his hand on the young man’s shoulder, patting it a bit.

         “I think I get you better now, kid. You’re a lot like me. Neo would do anything to help the others out too if they need it.” Roman said, pulling the bomb back onto his back. “I got big plans for her once all these shenanigans are over with. Maybe make our own town. Anyway, come on, you wanna sit there or finish this mission?” Roman held out his hand to help Jaune up. Jaune looked at it, then smirked and grabbed it before standing slowly.

         “You kidding? I could do this all day.” Jaune proclaimed, getting a smirk as Roman kept leading them through the Whale. After a few more turns, Jaune decided to ask Roman, “So, how much farther do we have until we get to the core?”

         “According to the Whale, right about…...here.” Roman said, stopping right at a large opening in the floor.

         “Looks like a one-way thing…...we’ll have to find a new way out once we set this thing up.” Jaune reasoned.

         “Yeah, about that. We got a slight bit of bad news.” Roman said, seeing Jaune’s expression shift to that of shock.

         “What do you mean, Bad News?!” Jaune asked him.

         “You know how you shouldn’t keep your Scroll in your back pocket?” Roman asked, pulling the Detonator from his back pocket, showing it’s crushed and destroyed. “They really should say that about Remote Detonators too.”

         “So we can’t blow it up?! What do we do?” Jaune asked him.

         “No, we can blow it up. It just has to be done Manually.” Roman confessed.

         “So….” Jaune started.

         “One of us isn’t going to make it out of here alive.” Roman explained. They both sat in silence before Jaune looked up at Roman.

         “I’ll take it to the core.” Jaune told him.

         “Really?” Roman asked, seeing Jaune nod.

         “It’s the right thing to do. It’s what Pyrrha would do.” Jaune answered. Roman sighed, twirling Melodious Cudgel in his hand for a bit before gripping the shaft of it.

         “You really wanna sacrifice yourself to save everyone here.” Roman stated, looking down the long shaft with Jaune.

         “Yeah. I do.” Jaune replied, not looking up.

         “…..fine. Just do me one favor before you do?” Roman asked him.

         “What’s that?” Jaune asked, still looking at the shaft.

         “…….take good care of Neo for me.” Roman said, slapping his cane to the back of Jaune’s armor, turning on the magnetic field he installed on it and making the end start to blast off, shooting Jaune through the top hole of the room.

         “ROOOOOMAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Jaune called out, struggling to try to free himself as the Cane got faster and faster. Roman smiled up at Jaune, seeing the holes closing up as Jaune passed them by.

         “Sorry kid. But you have a longer story to tell.” Roman said to himself, before hefting the bomb back up and beginning his final descent.

         Jaune screamed as loud as he could as he was ejected from the top of the Whale, trying to adjust himself so he could direct his flight. He managed to get his direction towards Atlas for a few seconds before the cane on his back started to sputter. “NononoNO!!!!!” Jaune screamed, quickly bringing his Shield up and extending it out to glide out further. Jaune panted hard as he looked back, seeing the hole that he came out of closing up. “Damn you, Roman!” Jaune cursed the man, trying to grab at the cane on his back. “Come on…….WHOA!!!!!” Jaune shouted as he suddenly got hit by a force. Looking around after a moment, Jaune realized he was being carried by Penny, who smiled at him.

         “Salutations, Jaune! Have you and Mr. Torchwick managed to plant the bomb?” Penny asked him.

         “Penny, he’s going to blow it up right in his face! We’ve got to stop him!!!” Jaune pleaded with her. Penny’s eyes widened as she looked down to the Whale.

         “We need to stop him!!!” Penny started to fly towards the whale when she screamed out in agony and dropped Jaune. Looking back as he began to fall again, Jaune saw blue strands on four points of Penny’s body, extending out to the rings on Watts’ fingers.

         “Oh, I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere.” Watts mocked to her.

         Yang was thrown back after the wave of Magic launched at her. She extended her metal arm out, digging it into the ground and righting herself. Panting hard, Yang watched as Blake threw Gambol Shroud around a nearby pipe to catch herself and launch her to land beside Yang. “Our regular strategies aren’t working…….” Yang commented to Blake, circling Salem as the Immortal studied their movements.

         “What do you think we should do?” Blake asked her, adjusting the grip on her sword’s sheath.

         “Keep buying time until it goes off.” Yang said, about to rush again when they heard Salem call out to them.

         “If you both want an incentive to give over Ozma, how about this?” Salem shouted to them, waving her hand and causing several dozen Grimm to take to the sky and fly up towards Atlas. “If you’re wondering where the pack is going, I already know you have everyone going to the Schnee household.” Salem smirked at the two Huntresses, “So, you can either give me him now, or know that all of that innocent blood will be on your hands.” Yang roared, launching herself at Salem and delivered a high-spinning kick, smacking her in the face with her boot before getting picked up and thrown back.

         “Wait a second...” Qrow said, halting his and Robyn’s movement towards a Happy Huntress base. Looking around, his eyes widened as he saw his Niece and her Girlfriend fighting the Immortal. “Yang!!!” Qrow quickly drew Harbinger, extending it out into Scythe form, and shifted to Crow form to get right up close before he shifted and slashed at Salem, cutting clean through her. Qrow landed, holding his Scythe behind him, and watched as Salem’s top half started to tip back, the cut extending from under her left armpit and reaching down to the bottom of her right-side ribs. “I know that didn’t kill you, but damn I hope it hurt.” The four Huntspeople watched as Salem’s arms gripped onto the remainder of her body and slowly righted itself, her chalk-white skin re-sealing itself near instantly. Salem then turned around, as the part of her dress under her left side began to droop and hang from off her waist, exposing her navel.

         “I really liked that Dress.” Salem said condescendingly, holding her hand out and creating a string of Magic, making it latch out in an instant and wrap tightly around Qrow’s throat, choking him. Hearing Blake call out, Salem attaches a similar one to her, choking her too.

         “BLAKE!!!!!” Yang shouted, beginning another rush with Robyn readying a crossbow bolt. Salem twisted her body and tossed her two captives at the two Huntresses, knocking them all down onto the ground, Blake and Qrow coughing to regain their breath.

         “Qrow, do it again!” Robyn told him.

         “We all just saw that that didn’t work!” Blake told her.

         “Not that!” Robyn said, miming for him to flick the pin. Qrow sighed and shook his head, standing a bit.

         “Might as well, we need whatever we can get.” Qrow said, reaching to the pin and giving it a hopeful flick. They waited a moment in silence, Salem raising her eyebrow in confusion.

         “Well, that was pointless.” Yang said. Salem was about to yell to them again when a tearing sound was made, and a Portal appeared before their heads. Instantly recognizing it, Yang and Qrow were both shocked. “Mom?”

         “What’s Raven-” Qrow began to say before a mass flung itself out of the portal, landing before them and bleeding severely. Upon realizing what had happened, Yang and Qrow’s eyes widened, shocked as Raven lay before them, her lower half missing from the waist down, and the Black-haired woman coughing up blood.

         “ MOM!!!!!!!”

Chapter Text

       Raven sat in her tent, crouched on her knees in meditation, but plagued by Yang and Qrow’s voices in her head. Gripping the fabric of her outfit at her thigh, she tried to refocus, only to hear them again. Raven was about to try to focus one more time before she heard Salem taunting the two, causing her to snap her eyes open. “No!!!” Raven spat out, eyes widened in fear and horror. Knowing exactly what was going on at the moment where they both were, Raven looked at her hand, unsure if she wanted to go through with what was needed. “Lieutenant!!!” She shouted, getting up and grabbing Omen, selecting the Blade inside before walking back over and kneeling back down in her spot.

       “Ma’am?” Raven’s Lieutenant chimed, stepping into her Tent to see Raven kneeling. “You summoned me?” He asked her, putting his hands behind his back.

       “Lieutenant, you know about my Daughter, correct?” Raven asked him, seeing a nod in response. “Do you have a child?” She asked him.

       “Yes, I do actually. I try to keep in contact with her as much as I can, but sometimes it can be difficult.” He responded, seeing her nod.

       “If you knew something bad was going to happen to her, but to prevent it, something even worse would have to happen to you, would you do the worse thing to stop it?” Raven asked him, looking solemnly at him.

       “Of course. It’s a Parent’s job to want the best for their Children, and to sacrifice whatever they can to try to ensure their life is better than theirs.” He told her.

       “Even if that means you won’t be there to see it afterwards?” Raven asked him.

       “….Ma’am?” He asked her, concerned.

       “….I’ve been a horrible Mother….” Raven said, crying a bit, shocking him. “I carried my Daughter, and after she turned a year old, I left……...then the next time I saw her was just to save her from death, then it was to try to recruit her two years later. After that, the last time I saw her, we were trying to kill each other…..”

       “No one’s perfect, Ma’am…….everyone makes some mistakes-” He began before she interrupted him.

       “But I’ve actively been running away from doing this!!! And right now, she’s in trouble, fighting what should be my fight…...She could die, because I let it happen...” Raven said, choking out Tears.

       “…….we can go and help her, give her support if you want-” He began before seeing her shake her head.

       “All that would take too long. I can help her right now, and save her now……..” Raven began, composing herself, “But to do so I’d be throwing everything away…….”

       “…..may I speak freely?” He asked her, seeing her nod. “Do it. She’s your Daughter, and I know you care for her. No matter what you’ve done, no matter what she thinks of you, she can’t deny that you love her if you do this for her.” He saw Raven sniffle a bit, then grip the hilt of her blade.

       “Thank you, Lieutenant. I have one final task for you to do.” Raven said, clicking a switch to draw out the hilt with what appeared to be the smallest blade she had.

       “Ma’am-” He began when she looked directly at him.

       “Take care of the Flock for me.” Raven then immediately gripped the hilt in both hands and shoved the blade into her stomach, screaming in pain as she flipped the switch, extending the blade to it’s maximum length, shoving it through her back.

       “Boss!!!!!” He screamed out in panic. Raven ignored him, shifting her grip and focusing entirely onto Yang, knowing she only had one chance. Gripping her blade tightly, Raven shoved it to the other side of her body, entirely severing her as she activated her Semblance, dropping her top half through the portal, her legs and weapon remaining outside of it.

       “MOM!!!!!!” Yang screamed out, staring at her Mother’s bloody body. Qrow stared at his Sister, his heart falling right to the bottom of his stomach. Robyn’s eyes widened in horror, while Blake’s ears drooped.

       “….hmph. That was unexpected.” Salem said calmly to herself. Qrow’s attention immediately shot to her, eyes glowing red and letting out a war cry, launching himself at her. He unleashed a massive and fast Onslaught, the Immortal having to focus on keeping him at bay as he continued. Blake and Robyn rushed to help him, running to try to make sure he doesn’t kill himself. Yang began to run after them, tears in her eyes, when she was stopped in her tracks.

       “…..Yang…..” Raven choked out, coughing more. Hurrying to her Mother’s side, Yang held her in her arms, keeping her tightly to her.

       “What were you thinking?! We gotta get you out of here to-” Yang started before feeling Raven’s hand on her face.

       “Yang….l-listen to me…...” Raven began, trying to straighten herself up, looking into Yang’s eyes. “I’m…..I’m sorry….” Yang’s eyes widened as she heard those words leave her Mother’s lips, seeing her continue to struggle. “I’ve been a bad Mother……..I shouldn’t even be it…...but I am…...”

       “Mom….” Yang started before Raven cut her off.

       “I’m a coward…..what can I say…...I’ve always been ruled by Fear……...but not you…..your courage is something I wish I had…….” Raven choked out, tears coming from her eyes. “You are so much stronger than I am for that…...” Yang teared up as well, holding her Mother’s face too. “Yang…...you deserve this, so much more than I do…...” Raven told her, seeing Yang’s eyes widen. “Don’t try to deny it……..this power was made for you….”

       “Mom, you can’t-” Yang began, feeling Raven’s finger on her lips.

       “You must……...I know I can’t kill Salem…….but you are brave enough…...strong enough……..and stubborn enough to do it……….and if this means that I can help with that, then I want to do it…..” Raven said, her eyelids beginning to get heavier.

       “Mom!!!” Yang cried out, hugging Raven. “Don’t go…..”

       “It’s okay…..I’ll…..always…..be with you…...” Raven said to her, struggling more. “Yang…...I lo…….I lo…..” Raven gasped more, before slowly falling slack in Yang’s arms.

       Salem deflected more and more attacks from the Three Huntspeople around her, growing tired of their efforts. Gripping Qrow as he continued trying to swing at her by his head, she threw him right at Robyn, knocking them both to the ground. Salem then glared to Blake, seeing the Faunus look in terror at the Immortal, then began to step forward before hearing a massive surge in power. Her expression immediately shifting to one of Terror, Salem and Blake looked towards the source of the power, seeing Yang strolling towards them, her eyes burning with the Blue of the Spring Maiden power, the purple of her eyes now a full Blood Red and her teeth gritted. Yang glared right at Salem, creating Ice-extensions to her gauntlets.

       “YOU!!!!!” Yang screamed, pointing to Salem. The Immortal stepped back a moment, unsure what was about to happen next. “My name is Yang Xiao Long. You killed my Mother! I’m going to make you Shit Blood!!!!!” Yang smashed her fists together, igniting her Semblance, raising her hair up in fire, before the Maiden Powers mixed with it and transformed her golden mane to a bright blue. Yang lept, then disappeared, before reappearing a moment later, sucker-punching Salem in the gut.

       “GHHH!!!!!” Salem choked out, coughing up black blood onto Yang before Yang continued her onslaught, her punches slowly gaining in speed before her arms became a blur of yellow and blue. Blake watched for several seconds as Yang dealt blow after blow, unable to even see where Yang’s fists were, before Yang brought her left fist back.

       “NOW LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK!!!!!!!!” Yang screamed, punching Salem one final time and launching her right back at the Whale, seeing her go through the Whale’s red head after three seconds of flight. Yang panted hard, then began to look at her hands. Before she could take off after her, Yang heard more coughing. Turning her head, She saw Qrow sitting up, looking at Yang’s burning eyes and his own widening, the red glow no longer present.

       “Yang…..you have…..” Qrow choked out, seeing Yang’s eyes well with tears.

       “…...she was the real Maiden…...” Yang choked out, rushing to her Uncle and hugging him tightly, crying into his shoulder. Qrow gently held her back, rubbing her head through her hair, crying as well. Robyn slowly got up, before hearing a Grimm shriek and remembering the pack headed to the Schnee Manor.

       “Look, I don’t mean to try to lessen that woman’s sacrifice, but we need to get up there and help out.” Robyn reminded them.

       “We have a shuttle, we can hurry there if we all get on it.” Blake responded. Yang nodded slowly, breaking the hug from Qrow and standing slowly.

       “Right….we’ve got to take her back too.” Yang said. Robyn was about to protest, before seeing Yang’s eyes glaring at her.

       “Okay, okay, we can take her with us.” Robyn said.

       Ruby and Neo hurried to block Cinder’s rushing attack, Ruby kicking the Fall Maiden back. Afterwards, Ruby rested her blade before rubbing her foot. “Note to self, don’t kick without shoes!” Ruby gritted out, before readying herself again. Cinder rushed at them again, so Ruby quickly twisted and hurled the sword up, catching Cinder in the shoulder and knocking her to the ground. Neo rushed over to Ruby and gripped her shoulder, cloaking them in her Semblance. Ruby was about to say something when Neo raised her finger to her mouth, signaling silence. “Guess her Semblance can’t muffle Sounds.” Ruby thought as Neo led them around, watching Cinder study and try to locate them. Ruby looked around, then motioned for Neo to perform an attack. Nodding back to her, Ruby lifted the large blade and began to rush at Cinder, letting out a scream as she left the little hiding spot that Neo had made. Cinder twisted and intercepted Ruby, shifting her sword to catch Ruby’s. Seeing her grip her own sword in the Grimm hand, Ruby was unable to stop as Cinder used her Semblance to melt and ash the blade, before kicking Ruby in the face and knocking her back.

       “Now stay down while I catch this twerp!” Cinder ordered her, summoning another blade and stopping Neo’s sneak attack.Neo instantly turned and twisted around, kicking Cinder right in the face to anger her. Neo landed and smirked, irritating Cinder more. Cinder then smirked, activating her Semblance and creating several flame portraits around the two. Ruby scurried up to try to rush away, but was blown back as they all detonated. Ruby landed on her side, groaning out in pain. Ruby moved her hand closer to her, before yelping as Neo’s hidden dagger stabbed right before her head. Looking over, She saw the young woman laying unconscious, and covered in ash.

       “Neo!!!!” Ruby cried out, trying to wake her ally. Cinder glared over at Ruby, smirking at her.

       “That’s right. I had an order to fill out.” Cinder said coldly. Ruby’s eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. Thinking quickly, Ruby scooted back and tugged at the small dagger, trying to free it.

       “Come on!!!” Ruby cried out, tugging with all her might. Cinder began to strut up to her, reforming her swords that had been destroyed.

       “Don’t bother trying to delay the inevitable.” Cinder taunted, seeing Ruby tug the dagger free. “I’ll cut you down before you get close to me!!!” Cinder then began to raise her swords, while Ruby instead focused on the hem of her dress, gripping it tightly and stabbing it through with the Dagger.

       “I’m not!!!” Ruby shouted, cutting the Dagger through and ripping the hunk out of the dress, then looking up at Cinder. “Pleasework!!!” Ruby quickly thought as she tried, then saw in glee that she was able to blast Cinder with a flash of her Silver Eyes, stunning the woman.

       “GAH!!!!!!” Cinder screamed, backing up and trying to hide her Grimm arm. Ruby then immediately Petal Burst away to Neo, sticking close to the woman to get Distance. “I’ll Kill You!!!!!!” Cinder screamed at Ruby, starting to run to her before seeing a giant pillar of Ice appear right before her.Before Cinder could react, Weiss and Winter landed before her.

       “I’m going to have to ask you to do me a Solid and NOT hurt my Bestie, got it?” Weiss told Cinder, raising Myrternaster and pointing the tip at Cinder. Winter went to Ruby, who was grinning while holding Neo.

       “I’m so glad you guys are here!” Ruby said to Winter. Weiss held Myrternaster pointed at Cinder, who slowly circled them until her back was to her shuttle.

       “I’ll get you wretches next time!!!!!” Cinder shouted, causing a Fire blast right before Weiss, buying her an out for her escape, climbing into the shuttle and taking off. Weiss glared at the shuttle, then turned to Ruby.

       “Are you alright?” Weiss asked.

       “Yeah, but Neo got knocked out…..we gotta move her out of here.” Ruby said, slowly trying to stand while picking her up. Winter aided her, pulling her arm over her shoulders. “Don’t forget to grab her Umbrella and knife.” Ruby handed the dagger over to Weiss, who took notice of her friend’s appearance.

       “Perhaps we need to get you some different clothes?” Weiss commented, causing Ruby to realize she cut and tore too high, exposing her completely bare hip. Blushing at the idea of showing everyone that she’s currently going commando, Ruby looked to Winter.

       “Until we get her on the ship...” Ruby started, seeing Winter nod and switch sides to hide it with Neo.

       “Luckily we thought of that when Yang, Jaune and Ren said you were in a different outfit, so I made sure to pack a leftover of mine.” Weiss commented.

       “And shoes?” Ruby asked.

       “Flats. We’ll get your clothes fixed later.” Weiss replied, feeling Ruby hug her for thanks.

       Jaune gritted his teeth as he saw Watts trying to control Penny. Gripping onto Melodious Cudgel finally and yanking it off his back, Jaune twisted in the air, putting his Shield right under his feet. “Five Charges…..” Jaune said to himself, pushing the button to launch the Gravity Dust charge, propelling him upwards. The moment he felt himself going back down, he hit it again. “Three...” Jaune said, spotting the tail of the Sphinx Watts was riding. Getting closer, Jaune hit the button to push him closer, aiming at the Tail. “One shot…..” Jaune pushed the button a final time, propelling him up as he hit the button on Melodious Cudgel, firing the handle at the tail, seeing the hook wrap and latch, pulling him right to the Grimm.

       “What?!” Watts said, looking over to Jaune, who gripped onto the tail and lugging himself onto the Grimm.

       “Look buddy, I’m not in the mood to deal with this! We’ve got a friend in there that’s gonna lose his life!!” Jaune said, angry.

       “Well, it looks like I have two things to command.” Watts said, twisting his finger and bringing Penny up to their level. “Automaton, eliminate this boy.”

       “No!!!!” Penny cried out, struggling to hold her arms down. Jaune gritted his teeth and gripped the cane tightly, extending his Shield back out. Jaune quickly blocked a blast from Penny as her hand was forced to launch one at him. “Father!!!!”

       Deep in the Schnee Manor, watching this from screens, Pietro gritted his teeth. “I’m here, Penny. I’ll try to override it, but it’s his Semblance. It’s always been powerful in Atlas!” Pietro said through his headset, eyes widening as he heard the next voice.

       “Charming Automaton you made, you fat oaf.” Watts taunted to him.

       “Arthur! Get away from my Daughter, you bastard!!!” Pietro cursed at him.

       “Perhaps after I finish using her to kill the Boy, I’ll let Salem decide her fate. I’m sure she’ll just give her Power over to Cinder, but you never know. She may need a coat-rack.” Watts snarked, twisting his fingers to bring Penny’s swords out.

       “Penny! Use the Maiden Power, it’s yours!!!” Jaune told her. Penny tried to focus, but a twisting of Watts’ fingers yanked her head back.

       “I cannot!!!” Penny cried back.

       “It’s your power to control, with your Soul! Not your body!!!” Jaune pleaded, trying to shift to Watts to attack him, but getting blocked by a hard-light shield Watts made with his Rings. Penny refocused, summoning several permafrost swords and encasing her own, then encasing her own hands in the frost as well.

       “I am holding it back!” Penny shouted. Watts twisted his fingers sharply, freeing some of the Swords. Penny refocused, her burning green eyes burning faster as she re-encased them. “But he is freeing it again!!! Father!!!!” Pietro turned his Chair around, then walked it over to the window facing the battle. He looked out, seeing the Ace-Ops, Soldiers and Nora ready to fight the swarm of Grimm about to descend upon them. Looking up, he could see Penny’s light trails, burning in the sky.

       “Penny, I got one last option to give you a boost. It should give you enough power to overpower him.” Pietro said, unknowingly shocking Maria who just walked into the room.

       “Pietro, no!!!!” Maria called out, rushing to him as fast as she could.

       “Penny, I love you…...” Pietro said, focusing on his own Semblance and aiming right at Penny, focusing right at her head. “Goodbye.” Pietro then launched a massive Green burst out through the window, seeing it launch through the sky and speed as it traveled, before his eyes slowly closed and he slumped back into his chair.

       “Father?!?” Penny cried out, twisting in the air and seeing a green ball hurtling to her, smacking right into her and severing all of the strands Watts had on her.

       “Damn!!!!!” Watts cried out, extending the strands again. However, just as they got to Penny, they were repelled with a Green Force-Field, which collapsed to wrap around Penny, turning her Aura to a full Emerald Green. Penny opened her eyes and glared at him.

       “I will not allow you to do that again!!!” Penny shouted, bringing every one of her Swords before her and configuring them into Gun mode, and forming the same amount of Permafrost Guns, before blasting Watts with the ray, taking out the head of the Sphinx in the blast. Jaune jumped, entering a free-fall again until Penny rushed and gripped him by his shirt and breastplate. “I have you!!!”

       “And I’ll get him!!!” Jaune said, firing the cane’s hook around Watts’ foot and pulling him back up towards Penny and himself. Watts quickly twisted and tried to fire Energy blasts from the Rings on his hand, trying to aim at them.

       “Nice try, boy! But you don’t have a Weapon or Dust to stop me!!!” Watts taunted, aiming again. Jaune extended his shield once more and put his thumb on the button.

       “Don’t I?” Jaune said, hitting the button and blasting his last Gravity Charge at Watts, knocking him back and making him continue to fall. Before he could tell Penny to catch Watts, Jaune and Penny saw a Shuttle zooming up towards him and turn, catching him as he fell. “DAMN IT!!!!” Jaune said, holding onto Penny who gripped him with both hands.

       “We must go after them! Father, we need to go!” Penny said over her headset, but heard no response. “Father?”

       Nora readied herself, standing between Harriet and Elm, gripping Magnhild tightly in her hands. She watched the Horizon as it started to darken with the swarm of Grimm. “Not a single one through.” Nora said, gritting her teeth as she ran to the first Grimm and swung at it, crushing its head. Nora instantly twisted to swing at another, as shots rang out from all of the Soldiers. Harriet rushed through, delivering several strengthened punches at different Grimm, knocking them back several feet. Marrow mixed firing rounds with Fetch and throwing Fetch itself, slicing through several necks on its return path. Vine rushed forward, extending his arms as far as they could reach, sweeping more Grimm back. Elm, rooting herself in place, decided to open by firing her rocket launchers at as many as the clip she had could. Ozpin watched this from the front doors, gripping The Long Memory, before stumbling.

       “Ngh…...damn…….out of energy…...I’m sorry, Oscar…..” Ozpin choked out before forcibly switching Souls with Oscar again, making the boy drop to his knees and pant.

       “gah……..damn you, Ozpin!!!…..” Oscar struggled out, looking up to see Nora notice and launch herself to him, landing and slowing herself before him.

       “Ozpin, are you okay?” Nora asked him.

       “No…...he dropped out…..” Oscar choked out. Nora sighed, then looked to the young man.

       “Oscar, I hate to have to say this, but we don’t have time to-” Nora stopped as a Grimm rushed up behind her. Taking a large swing, she clocked it towards Marrow who shot it in several areas, killing it. “We don’t have time to watch you in this battle. If you hurry inside, we’ll try to keep you safe, but if you can stand, we need you to fight!” Nora rushed back to her position, switching to Grenade Launcher and shooting a canister into a snarling mouth, detonating it on impact. Oscar gritted his teeth, gripping The Long Memory, then used it to hoist himself up.

       “Look out!!!” one of the Soldiers screamed as a large Grimm started to run towards the door and Oscar. Oscar readied his weapon, when at the moment of truth, a giant flash of White struck back from behind him, pouncing on the Grimm and killing it instantly. Turning around, Oscar’s eyes widened as he saw the largest King Taijitu he had ever seen, pearl white and gray, it’s eyes a strong blue, and the largest Glyph ever behind Willow.

       “This is MY House! All of these beasts are TRESPASSING!!!” Willow bellowed, sending her Grimm summon towards the front lines, helping them out. Willow walked over to Oscar, then looked into his eyes, seeing they were different than from before. “If you need to hide, everyone’s in Weiss’s Room and around there. It’s our Final Stronghold.” Willow stepped out, extending out an old Antique Sword she once held, but was still fully familiar in her hand, and rushed out to aid the Huntspeople. Nodding to her as she rushed out, Oscar went inside and closed the door, hurrying towards the room in question.

       Thirty minutes later, the Battle continued to rage, each of the Huntspeople close to having Aura Breaks and Willow nearly dead from exhaustion keeping her Summon up for so long, having been years out of practice.

       “We can…..we can still do this…...” Nora told herself, swinging her Hammer once again. “Just be strong…..and hit stuff!!!”

       “We just lost the last Soldier!!!” Marrow shouted, throwing Fetch as he’s now out of Ammo.

       “We could really use some backup!!” Vine shouted. Before any of them could react with more attacks, a giant torrent of Ice plowed through the Grimm horde.

       “Was that Weiss or Winter?” Elm asked, looking. All of them, however, were shocked at what they saw: Yang, flying, her eyes burning Blue and her punching Torrents of Ice out towards each cluster of Grimm. Taking advantage of this Distraction, Nora turned to Harriet.

       “Electrocute me!!” Nora told her.

       “What?!” Harriet asked.

       “I can hit harder, but only if I’m hit with electricity!” Nora explained briefly, seeing Harriet look regretful, but shake her hands enough to generate a charge and punch Nora in the chest, discharging it into her. Taking no time to let it dissipate, Nora charged into the remainder of the swarm with the others, finally reducing it to rubble in a matter of minutes. Once the last Grimm was gone, Nora collapsed, falling onto her behind with the others as they saw Yang descend, the Shuttle they were taking finally landing and letting out Blake, Qrow and Robyn.

       “So…...you two got out…..” Harriet panted out, the soles of her shoes worn completely out, ready to let her toes poke out.

       “More importantly…..did Penny….” Elm started to ask, before Yang shook her head.

       “My Mother was the Spring Maiden…...she…..she knew we were fighting Salem, so…….she gave me a boost.” Yang solemnly said, looking back to the shuttle, and the bundle wrapped up tightly in Qrow’s arms. Before anyone could try to console Yang or Qrow, they all heard a snarl, and saw a single Beowulf rushing through the door, shattering it in the process. “No!!!”

       “Oscar! There’s a Beowulf heading right for you!!!” Nora shouted through the headset to him.

       “Got it!!” Oscar said, getting before the group to ready fighting the beast.

       “Young Master!” Klein shouted to Oscar, making him turn. “Might I suggest some Ranged Support?” Klein tossed Crescent Rose over to Oscar, who nodded, then quickly fumbled before he managed to extend the Scythe out to full size. Stabbing it into the ground, Oscar aimed and waited. Moments later, the Beowulf turned the corner at the end of the hallway, snarling. Looking down the scope to aim, Oscar pulled the Trigger, then smacking himself in the face with the Scope, not seeing the Grimm take the shot to its shoulder.

       “How does Ruby fight with this thing?!?” Oscar asked, resetting himself quickly. Taking careful aim, he pulled again, gripping the body of the Scythe to try to prevent the kick as it launched the round right down the gullet of the Grimm, killing it instantly. Oscar breathed a sigh of relief, then heard the people behind him cheer. “Everyone, the people are secure. Now it’s up to Jaune and Roman to detonate the Bomb.”

       Roman pressed a panel on the side of the wall, seeing the large veiny door open up before him. Seeing the large Core at the center of the giant room, Roman breathed a sigh of relief. “Almost over...” Roman said to himself, rushing over towards the bottom of the Core and taking the bomb off of his back. Before he could begin to arm it, his Scroll began to ring. “Ugh, what now?!” He shouted, pulling it out and answering it, sliding it into his pocket after putting it on Speaker. “What?!”

       “Roman! We just picked up Jaune and Penny and they both said you’re going to detonate that bomb manually!!! What are you doing?!” Ruby shouted at him, speaking through the phone.

       “Ah, Little Red, nice that we finally got you out. Yeah, I’m doing what I said. Setting the Bomb. My idea, My responsibility to make it blow.” Roman told her, cracking open the casing on the detonator and wiring it to the bomb itself.

       “We can come get you, we can find another way to-” Ruby began to say before getting cut off.

       “Ruby. There is no other way right now. We’re out of time to try anything else.” Roman told her, trying to work and talk at the same time.

       “That you are.” Salem said, walking into the room from behind him. Roman turned around to see her battle-worn clothes and appearance, seeing her black blood leaked from her mouth and down her chin. “I take it that you are the Roman Torchwick that Cinder once had help her back at Beacon.”

       “I am.” Roman told her.

       “Then we might be able to negotiate a truce. You stop setting up that Bomb and getting me what I want.” Salem replied, glaring at him.

       “Don’t Listen to her!” Ruby pleaded with Roman. Roman pulled the Scroll out of his pocket, then looked at it.

       “I have a Bomb to worry about, Little Red. I’ll call you back when I’m done.”

Chapter Text

         Salem stared at Roman, glaring at the man as he kept holding the detonator, wires linking it to the bomb. “I must implore you to stop messing with that Bomb. The consequences of disobeying me will be…..severe.” Salem told him, venom dripping off of the last word. Roman chuckled, earning another glare from her.

         “Look lady, I don’t have time to argue this with you and I don’t think you have enough to buy me out of-” Roman started, before Salem cut him off.

         “If it’s money and wealth you desire, then I’ll be more than happy to grant you whatever you desire……..as long as you let me finish the task I’ve set out to do first.” Salem offered him. Roman looked at the Detonator, then smirked at her.

         “Y’know, a while back, a past me might have taken you up on your offer…….” Roman began, “but see, these Happy Huntresses kind of grew on me, and doing good really did so. So I’m gonna have to decline. But please, stay and watch as this entire room’ll turn brighter than a Holiday Tree in Wintertime.” Roman began, stepping back towards the Bomb before hearing something large and heavy drop. Turning around, Roman’s eyes widened as he saw a large Bestial Grimm, sniffing towards his direction.

         “Like it? I enjoy shaping Grimm pools to make my own designs, and this is a prototype one. I call it “The Hound”” Salem said, walking up and petting under the beast’s chin, then leaned close to its ear. “Bring me his head.” She commanded, stepping back. Roman stumbled back as the Beast rushed forward, gritting his teeth as he knew what would be his only saving grace. Roman let go of his concentration on the Whale, hearing it cry out as it let go and his eyes flared Orange and Blue again.

         “Enough!!!!!” Roman shouted, making the Hound skid to a stop mere inches before him, following his face as he fumbles to the ground while it did. Roman focused, then glared to Salem, before looking back to the eyeless face of the Grimm. “Buy me time.” Roman ordered it, seeing the Grimm study him before nodding, then turning around.

         “What….” Salem said, shocked at this turning.

         “It’s my Semblance. I call it “Death Command.” I give Grimm a command, and they either do it or do it for as long as possible, then die.” Roman said, watching the Hound rush towards Salem, the beast snarling as it rushes her. Thinking quickly, Salem blasted its head off with Magic, before seeing it quickly regrow itself. “Have fun!” Roman said, turning back to the Bomb.

         “Damn you!!!!” Salem shouted, regretting the exact modifications she made to The Hound as she was forced to dodge its slashing and crushing attacks, blasting it with more Magic. Gritting her teeth as it reformed itself nearly instantly, Salem made a Whip around its neck to try to choke it out.

         Roman, meanwhile, kept working on the bomb. Cracking open the casing to the panel, Roman carefully pried away the wires connecting to the wireless receiver and drew them out. Biting at the casing, Roman exposed the wires and pulled on them, tying it out to the nodes on the Detonator, seeing a puff of smoke. Grinning for a moment, Roman glared as he saw that the mechanism for the button was damaged. Looking back, he saw the Hound slicing its head off through the whip and re-attaching itself before twisting and snarling at her, slashing her arm off. Salem didn’t even blink as she twisted, grabbed her arm and reattached it before blasting the Hound back towards Roman. “Come on, big guy!!” Roman pleaded, seeing the Hound get up and rush back to fight, before seeing the spot it had landed on start to turn to ash. “Not now…...” Roman muttered to himself, pulling the Bomb a distance away from where the Whale’s decay began before re-working the Trigger again.

         “You could be my right hand, but instead you choose to fight for these peasants!!!” Salem scolded Roman as she continued to fight The Hound, throwing up a Magic Barrier that it wailed on.

         “Yeah, I’m just doing this for my friend and I, not for anyone else!” Roman said, re-setting the trigger. He then quickly taped the detonator back together and replaced the panel on the bomb, holding up the Detonator and standing. “I got it!!!” Roman shouted in excitement, before realizing what this meant as the Hound looked to him before dissolving. “...shit...” Roman said to himself as Salem extended a Magic Whip out to his neck, choking him as she strutted towards him. Thinking quickly, Roman depressed the Trigger.

         “Well well, now look how wonderful your idea was.” Salem taunted, walking up to him. “Now your bodyguard is destroyed, and your little Bomb didn’t go off.”

         Gathering all of the voice he could, Roman looked up to her and said, “You haven’t heard of a Dead-Man’s Switch, huh?” Salem raised her eyebrow and loosened the hold she had on him.

         “Explain, and be quick.” She told him.

         “It’s a trigger mechanism. Once it’s pressed, if it gets un-pressed, boom.” Roman told her, showing he’s pressing it down hard, causing her eyes to widen. “So, now it’s just a matter of how long I can hold this down.”

         “You’re a fool! You could have lived ages beyond this!” Salem said, letting go of the whip, letting Roman stand.

         “Maybe, but I’ve seen your work, and I’m not happy. If blowing myself up doesn’t kill you, I at least hope it’ll ignite the spark that makes the flame that takes you down.” Roman said, grinning at her. Salem’s eyes furrowed to narrow slits, before encloaking her hand in Magic and ramming it into Roman’s stomach, slashing through his clothes and into his abdomen, making him scream in pain as she gripped his insides.

         “Then I’ll just make it as painful for you as it will for me!!!” Salem responded, ripping some of his intestines out. Roman glared into her eyes, before reaching behind him and pulling out an Atlas Pistol.

         “Boom.” Roman said, firing it at point blank range at her forehead, knocking her back. “Head-shot…..” Roman slumped to the floor, focusing now on keeping his finger on the button. Reaching back into his pocket, he redialed the number that called him last, then put it on Speaker and placed it beside him.

         In the Shuttle, Ruby gripped the seats of the Pilot and Copilot as Winter and Weiss kept flying them towards the Whale. Jaune and Penny sat beside Neo, who’s head was resting on Jaune’s shoulder as Penny studied her Vitals. Hearing Weiss’s Ringtone, Ruby grabbed the Scroll and answered, panicked. “Roman!!!” She said, needing information.

         “Hey Ruby…...I got the Bomb ready to go, and the ignition sequence is about to start.” Roman told her, looking at the Scroll, flipping to a picture of Him and Neo that the latter shot.

         “Roman, get away from it and we’ll come find you!” Ruby told him, hearing his weak chuckle in response.

         “Ruby, I wired this thing to go off once my finger’s off the trigger, Salem’s regrowing her brain from a head-shot, and I’ve got my guts hanging out of me. There’s no coming back from this.” Roman told her, not seeing Neo beginning to wake up and realizing what’s going on.

         “Roman!!!!! We can still-” Ruby started, before hearing him cut her off.

         “Ruby. We both know there’s only one way this can go. I just hope that in the long run, this’ll mean something. So you guys can’t fail from here on out. Got it?” Roman told her. Ruby looked at Weiss and Winter, before sighing in acceptance.

         “Okay.” Ruby said slowly, looking to the Whale, not seeing Neo’s eyes widen.

         “Is Neo there? I wanna talk to her….” Roman asked. Before Ruby could say anything, Neo rushed up and grabbed the Scroll, hitting a button to make a tone go off. “Hey Neo……..I’m sorry…….I can’t make my Promise to you…..”

         No, no don’t do this! Neo mouthed out, unable to say it.

         “Listen to me…..you’ve got to work with these guys……...they’ve got a plan. It may take a while, and it may be very painful, but it’s going to work…..I know it will.” Roman told her, coughing up some blood.

         But you won’t be there!!! Neo silently pleaded, tears forming into her eyes. Roman was about to say more when he saw Salem starting to get up.

         “It looks like she’s moving, so we gotta cut this short Neo.” Roman told her.

         NO!!!! Neo silently shouted, gripping the Scroll tightly.

         “Don’t forget what I said, Neo...” Roman said, pulling himself up against the Bomb, seeing Salem slowly stand. “And hey, if everything doesn’t work out……..you remember our Motto.” Salem looked to Roman and glared. “Lie. Steal. Cheat…….and Survive.” Roman said slowly, holding up the Detonator and letting go of the trigger, engulfing the two in Light.

         The entire Shuttle sat in silence, no one daring to make a noise outside of the static coming from the Scroll. Neo crumpled to her knees, dropping the Scroll, and opening her mouth towards the roof in a silent, agony-filled scream. Ruby and the rest of the group looked amongst each other, for they knew none of them would ever understand her pain: Of being in utter agony, and not being able to physically express it. Winter finally broke the silence of the Shuttle, sighing and switching the Autopilot on. Ruby watched as the Military woman walked around the chair and crouched to Neo’s eye level.

         “Neo Politan…….I understand that this is the absolute worst time right now, and I wish I didn’t have to…..but I need to place you under arrest for your past Crimes in the Fall of Beacon.” Winter said slowly, hearing Weiss bolt up.

         “Winter! She just lost someone close to her!” Weiss scolded, before seeing Jaune stomp his foot down as he stood.

         “Imagine if you lost everything and then someone took Weiss too, that’s what she’s going through right now.” Jaune lectured her. Winter waved her hands slowly to try to ease them down.

         “I know, I know!!! That’s why I’m willing to cut her a Deal.” Winter said, seeing the young crying girl look her in the eyes. “If you agree to come quietly, no fighting, then I won’t cuff you. I’ll walk with you right into the room we’re going to have to hold you in, and I assure you on my own reputation that I’ll ensure you get the fairest Trial possible, even if I have to be your Counsel. Agreed?” Neo looked like she thought about it for a while, then nodded slowly.

         “We’ll be with her all the way too.” Ruby said, sitting on the floor with Neo. Penny moved beside the two, holding Neo’s other side. Neo began to cry more, burying her face into the old ballroom gown Ruby was wearing, both of them holding onto her. Winter sighed in relief, then sat back in the pilot seat.

         “Next stop, the Manor.” Winter said slowly.

         Cinder blasted the veiny wall of the Grimm Whale, causing it to open. “This is where she last was, Watts!!” Cinder shouted at him, seeing him using a device to try to locate Salem.

         “I’m aware. The shockwave from the blast has just scrambled the-” Watts began before they both heard a groan. Turning to the source of the noise, they were both shocked to see Salem on her stomach, her clothes nearly fully burnt off save for a few scant scraps covering her lower region, her pale white skin having several burns and chunks missing, exposing muscle, tendon and bone.

         “….Cinder?….” Salem choked out before the Maiden took her small cloak off and draped it over the Immortal’s shoulders.

         “Watts, your coat!” Cinder said, reaching with her Grimm arm. Not arguing, Arthur quickly shed it, handing it over. Cinder quickly grabbed it tightly, wrapping it around Salem and slowly helping her Mistress stand.

         “I need to….heal…..” Salem said, dripping black blood all over Cinder.

         “We’ll get you back home, there you can heal.” Cinder told her, leading her to the Shuttle with Watts. Gently seating her in the rear passenger seat of the cockpit, Cinder draped an additional blanket over her as Watts began to take off.

         “Well, that was rather unfortunate. Made a miscalculation or two…..” Watts began, looking to the two women who just glared at him. “…..a few Miscalculations…….lost a great deal of Resources….”

         “…...Tyrian’s…..gone…...” Salem said weakly.

         “That too, we’re never going to find a good enough Psychopath like he was to fill his void. All we can hope is that Hazel, Emerald and Mercury fulfill their Mission in Vacuo.” Watts continued. “In the meantime, let’s get back to the Realm of Darkness. If we keep this trajectory, maintain peak speed, and make minimal stops, this Shuttle should have enough Fuel to get us back safely.”

         “…..Cinder….” Salem spoke.

         “Yes Ma’am?” Cinder asked.

         “…..this is why I hate lies…..” Salem said to her. “Please help Watts fly….”

         “Yes Ma’am...” Cinder said, moving to the Co-pilot’s seat.

         Hours later, the Shuttle flew beside a cliff, having to make a large detour to prevent them from being received on Atlas scanners. Salem slowly stood, having listened to the two only talk about the diagnostics of their flight, and looked out the side of the Cockpit. Watching the waves crash against the clifface, Salem’s eyes instantly narrowed at one speck she noticed.

         “There!” Salem shouted, pointing.

         “My Lady?” Watts asked, confused.

         “Put us down there!” Salem told him.

         “What’s wrong?” Cinder asked.

         “Nothing. I just found my next weapon.” Salem said, smirking to herself.

         Winter led Ruby, Weiss, Neo, Jaune and Penny through the Schnee Manor, having landed on the opposite side to the others for safety. Winter led the party to her old Room, opening the door wide. “Until we get Atlas cleared of Grimm, I must ask that you stay in here, Neo.” Winter said calmly. Neo nodded slowly, not having looked up since they got there. Ruby and Weiss helped her into the room, gently seating her on the bed. “Alright, we’re going to go meet up with the others to figure out a game plan.” Winter said to them. Weiss put her and Ruby’s Scroll numbers into Neo’s, then stepped out.

         “Weiss, mind if I look through your other clothes?” Ruby asked, adjusting the dress she had on.

         “Yeah, no problem.” Weiss said, leading Ruby out with Penny following them. Winter was about to step away when she noticed Jaune sitting at her desk.

         “Jaune, we need to regroup with the Ace Ops and whomever’s left.” Winter told him.

         “Go ahead, I’ll catch up later.” Jaune said, holding Melodious Cudgel in his hands. Winter sighed, then closed the door, locking it behind her. Jaune looked over to Neo, who scooted back onto the bed further, hugging her legs tight to her chest. “Hey….” Jaune said meekly to her.

         Ruby blinked, seeing the red veiny floor of Monstro. Quickly moving, Ruby spotted that her hands and feet were bound tightly, and that she was back in the black and red Dress. Panickedly looking around, Ruby’s eyes widened as she saw Weiss and Blake, bled out on the floor and their eyes closed. Yang, nearby, with several puncture wounds on her chest around her heart, blood dripping from her mouth into a puddle around the floor. Turning her head away from that, she saw the charred corpses of Ren and Nora, clinging to each other. Jaune, on his back, his breastplate pierced with his own sword. Qrow, strung up on the wall, stabbed with several knives and his Scythe embedded in his heart. Twisting, Ruby saw Penny in pieces, her chest having similar wounds to Yang’s. Neo and Roman laying face-down on the floor, their hands missing. Ruby looked up and saw Oscar strung up by several Grimm, grimacing in pain as a device extracts Ozpin. “No….” Ruby said to herself, her eyes widened.

         “Oh Little Petal…...” Ruby heard Salem coo to her from behind. Ruby tried to move, but was hoisted up by Dark Hands. “Don’t forget, Little Petal…...” Salem said, turning Ruby around. Ruby’s heart dropped as she saw not the face of the Immortal that had imprisoned her, but of her Mother, with Salem’s eyes and facial lines. “You’re mine…..forever.”

         Ruby bolted awake, screaming in terror. Panting hard after screaming, she heard a thud, looking to see Yang immediately at her side.

         “Ruby…...was it the dream again?” Yang asked her, getting a nod. “Okay. Blake, Weiss, Plan S.” Ruby watched as her teammates got off of their beds, then grabbed several pillows and plopped them down into a large pile. Getting out of her bed and walking with Yang, Ruby laid in the pile, being held by her teammates.

         “Thanks guys…...I’m sorry this keeps happening…..” Ruby apologized, clinging to Weiss.

         “Don’t be. It’s not your fault that what happened happened. You just have to work with it, one day at a time.” Blake reassured her, petting Ruby’s head. Ruby nodded slowly, deep in thought.

         “Well, we should get some sleep. Trying to put together everything again is gonna take a while.” Yang told them, getting nods from Weiss and Blake.

         “…..guys?” Ruby quietly asked them, “I wanna do something tomorrow….”

         Qrow walked into the Schnee family Crypt, walking past the various Uncles and Grandparents that were laid to rest here. Walking to the end, Qrow’s eyes lingered, looking over Pietro and Roman’s resting places, before laying his eyes on Raven’s, a small pyre burning before her Symbol, reading the epitaph Yang decided on. “Leader, Maiden, Mother, Lost Soul...” Qrow recited somberly. Hearing footsteps, Qrow turned his head, his eyes widening as he saw Clover. “Y-you’re-”

         “Alive. I know, Lucky Me.” Clover said, stepping in and noticing Qrow’s lapel. “My pin….” Qrow realized and began to try to take it off before Clover stopped him. “Keep it. It suits you.” Clover grinned as he said it, getting a chuckle from Qrow. Stepping closer and looking at Raven’s pyre, Clover spoke. “So, she was your Sister?”

         “Twin Sister…..She came first.” Qrow clarified, somber again. “I don’t know how I’m gonna go on, knowing the one person I’ve spent the longest time knowing is gone…..”

         “Well, you go one day at a time.” Clover said, patting Qrow’s back, getting another chuckle.

         “So, the Ace Ops almost done with clearing out the Dorms?” Qrow asked.

         “Not yet…….they’re putting in more effort than normal today.” Clover said.

         “Why’s that? Ruby and the girls should be helping.” Qrow asked him.

         “They’re not there. They just told me that they were gonna use the Last Question to keep it from Salem.” Clover explained.

         “Oh, makes sense. What’s the Question?” Qrow asked again.

         “Ruby wants to know everything about her Parents.” Clover answered, seeing Qrow’s eyes widen in fear.

         “WHAT!??!?” Qrow demanded. “Where are they!?!?”

         “I-In the house, they’re about to-” Clover began, seeing Qrow bolt out of the Crypt, seeing him shift to bird form and flap as fast and as hard as he could.

         “You guys ready?” Ruby asked, holding the Relic of Knowledge in her hands. The rest of her friends nodded, seated around her. Ren leaned back, resting in Pietro’s chair since he was still recovering from his injuries. Ruby nodded back to them, then turned around and held the Lamp close. “Jinn...” Ruby said calmly, seeing the Lamp light up and float from her hands.

         Qrow sped through the house, trying to get closer to the group as fast as possible to stop the Question from being asked. Qrow’s bird eyes widened in horror as he saw the blue time-stopping veil start to lower. Pushing everything into his wings, Qrow hurried to fly under the veil, getting there just before it lowered and stopped time. Landing on the ground and shifting back to Human form, Qrow sprung up from a roll and hurried towards the Room that Ruby and Yang were staying in.

         Ruby and the group looked up as Jinn reformed herself before them all, the large blue entity stretching before spotting Ruby. “Well, I take it that you have a Question, this time?” Jinn asked, her voice tinged with a slight amount of annoyance.

         “I do.” Ruby said calmly. Before she could respond, everyone turned to the door as Qrow threw it open, panting hard as he stopped running.

         “Ruby…….don’t ask it….” Qrow panted out, looking terrified.

         “Uncle Qrow, it’s fine. I already know a bunch about Mom and Dad, I just want to get the rest of the details.” Ruby reassured him.

         “Ruby, I forbid it!!!” Qrow ordered, causing everyone’s eyes to widen in confusion.

         “Uncle Qrow!” Ruby protested.

         “I mean it, damn it!! You don’t need to know about that!” Qrow told her. Ruby glared at him, then turned to Jinn.

         “….Tell me about my Parents.” Ruby told Jinn.

         “NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!” Qrow screamed, rushing up and jumping to try to punch Jinn, before the entire world around Ruby disappeared. Looking around, Ruby saw Jinn’s blue Mist begin to recreate a campsite.

         Let us begin with the parent you know the least about…...Qrow Branwen.

END OF VOLUME 8

Chapter Text

VOLUME 9

           We Begin, ironically enough, at an Ending.

           A Woman screamed bloody murder in the tent, her legs splayed out before a Man and her belly massive. The man watched, ready to aid her in the birth of their child. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang and the others all moved to the side, so they didn’t have to see the woman’s parts as she progressed further into labor.

           “Hang in there, Friga!” The man shouted to her, trying to reassure her.

           “EASY FOR YOU TO SAY, JACKASS! YOU’RE NOT SQUEEZING A WATERMELON THROUGH YOUR DICKHOLE!!!!!!” Friga screamed at him, getting another wave of a contraction. She bellowed out another scream, Qrow staring at her face, unable to remember this pivotal moment of his life. With another push, a wail filled the tent, and Friga sighed in relief.

           “It’s a Girl!” The Man said, picking the young infant up and showing her.

           “Raven…..” Friga weakly said, smiling. “She’s got your hair, Idno…...” Friga’s expression immediately turned to pain as she screamed again, throwing her head back. “WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?” Idno looked back under the blanket covering her lower half, his eyes widening.

           “A foot?! Friga, you’re having Twins! But this one’s coming out wrong!!!” Idno answered, hearing her scream.

           “SAVE HIM!!!!!” Friga shouted to Idno. Mustering up his courage, he reached between her legs and tried to adjust the infant inside.

           “….Mom….” Qrow choked out, eyes filling with tears as he watched them work together to try to save his life. After several minutes of her pushing and him working, Qrow’s infant body was pulled up for her to see.

           “Qrow…...” Friga weakly said, before noticing the infant’s silence. “Why isn’t he crying…..”

           “Come on, son…...” Idno gently patted his son’s body, trying to rise the newborn. Doing so, he failed to see Friga falling back.

           Using the last of her life, Friga tried to use her Aura to jumpstart Qrow’s heart. The results were…..conclusive.

           Idno’s eyes widened as he heard his son cough a bit before wailing louder than his sister. “Friga! He’s alive!!!……..Friga?” Idno looked over to her, his heart dropping as her chest slowly fell, knowing instantly that she was at Death’s door. “No!!!”

           “...let me…..let me see him…..” Friga weakly said. Idno slowly placed their son into her arms, trying to be cautious of the fragile child. “Qrow……..you’re……..perfect…...” Friga choked out, her eyes closing as she let go, her head falling back to the floor. Idno tried in vain to call out to her, while Qrow dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face. The group then watched as the Blue Mist enveloped the scene before them, shifting to a new point in time.

           Over the years, The Two Branwens learned from their Father only one proper lesson: The Weak Die, and the Strong Live.

           Qrow grunted as he fell on his ass, his face covered with bandages all over. Looking up at Raven, who smirked at him.

           “Twelve to four, guess you’re doing the Chores again, Little Bro.” Raven smugly taunted. Qrow glared at her gap-toothed grin before their Father cleared his throat, getting their attention in an instant.

           “Again, children. I want you both to be evenly matched on this.” Idno coldly told them, staring down from his perch.

           “Yes Father….” They both annoyedly said to him, getting back up to get back to their positions. Qrow slowly gripped his knife back tightly as he got back into his stance, seeing Raven ready her stance as well. Narrowing his eyes, Qrow planned out his motion to attack. Raven rushed forward, launching herself at him. Qrow quickly ducked and dashed away from her, barely evading a slice from her knife.

           “I just need her to slip up!” Qrow thought to himself as he saw her land. Focusing on her foot, his eyes widened as she saw her foot slip and her ankle twist.

           “FUCK!!!!” Raven cried out as she fell flat on her face, before grabbing her ankle. Qrow began to hurry to her before Idno hopped down to her and assessed the injury.

           “This is peculiar…..” He said to himself, before looking over to Qrow. “Qrow, did you do something as you evaded?”

           “No…..I just…..I needed her to slip up on her attack…..” Qrow answered. Idno nodded, gently picking up Raven.

           “Alright. Now, I’m going to teach you both how to dress a sprained ankle so you can move on it again.” Idno told them. “Remember. The weak die..”

           “The Strong Live.” Qrow and Raven repeated. The three figures exploded in blue mist as Jinn reshaped the area around the group to jump ahead in time.

           When they became of age, Qrow and Raven both began their attendance at Beacon…

           Qrow looked up to the school with Raven, staring at the building’s towers and spires. “Remember, we do these stupid classes, we get the training we need and we get out to go hunting.” Raven reminded him.

           “What’s another four years to avenge Dad?” Qrow joked, seeing Raven scoff and walk towards the building. Qrow sighed, looking down at his boots. “Yeah…...bad timing…...” Qrow felt a sudden shove as someone collided into him.

           And for this scoundrel, Fate was always shoving into him.

           “Sorry!!!!!” Summer said sheepishly to him, seeing she’s accidentally knocked their weapons to the ground. Qrow sighed in relief as he crouched down with her.

           “It’s okay. I’m used to getting my shit knocked from me.” Qrow replied, picking up Harbinger while glancing at her weapon. “What are you carrying around, Little Missy?” He asked her.

           “Oh, uh, it’s a Multi-Round Mortar Launcher and Halberd?” Summer responded, putting her weapon on her back. “I call it Gibbing Blossom.”

           “You named it?” Qrow asked her.

           “Well, yeah. Didn’t you name yours?” Summer asked, nervous.

           “N-no, I did…..I just…..didn’t expect anyone else to….” Qrow began.

           “….to name theirs too?” Summer finished, getting a nod from him. “So, what’s yours called?”

           “It’s a bit embarassing…...” Qrow told her, rubbing the back of his neck.

           “Oh come on! I told you mine!” Summer pleaded.

           “Okay, okay….it’s called…..Harbinger...” Qrow sheepishly answered, seeing her snicker. “Hey!”

           “I’m sorry! It’s just…...that’s so “Oh, I’m doom and gloom!”, why’d you bother with that name?” Summer asked. Qrow frowned, then looked down.

           “Well…….I’ve always been strucken with Bad Luck……...I lost my Mother as she gave birth to me, and my Father died recently…….” Qrow answered, seeing her looking mortified.

           “Oh…...sorry I brought it up…..” Summer told him.

           “It’s okay. I’m just used to it now.” Qrow responded, putting his blade back. Qrow began to turn around to walk towards where Raven went when he heard a soft explosion, saw Summer appear before him with Harbinger, and a force from behind him. Turning his head and torso, he saw large Petal Effigys of his weapon and the girl, confusing him. “What the, how did-?”

           “What kind of a weapon uses this many gears?” Summer asked before Qrow snatched Harbinger away from her.

           “With my experience, a well kept set of gears won’t fail on you for random reason.” Qrow answered, putting Harbinger back to his back. Qrow rolled his eyes a bit as he walked back towards the school again before hearing the same noise he had heard from before, seeing Summer appear before him.

           “We got off on the wrong foot…...I’m Summer, Summer Rose.” Summer told him, holding her hand out. Qrow looked at it for a minute, then gently shook her hand.

           “Qrow Branwen. Hope everything works out with you.” Qrow told her, seeing her frown. Sighing, Qrow explained. “Look, people who hang around me don’t exactly have a good time. The less people that deal with me, the better.” Qrow walked away, headed for the School proper. Seeing the scene shift again, all of the group but Oscar remembered the Auditorium of Beacon. Before any of them could look, their attentions were drawn to the stage as they heard Ozpin clear his throat. Standing on the stage beside Glynda, Ozpin looked out amongst the crowd.

           “I'll... keep this brief.” Ozpin began, “You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people.” Team RWBY looked amongst themselves, as did Nora and Ren, while Oscar faintly heard Ozpin reciting the words in his head. “But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction.” The grown Qrow looked over to his younger self, seeing the young boy glare at the man. “You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step.” Ozpin stepped back, allowing Glynda to step forward.

           “You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed.” Glynda told the crowd. Qrow looked around and found Raven, heading over to her.

           “So, looks like we’re in.” Qrow told her, getting her to glare at him.

           “Where were you?” Raven scolded him.

           “I got sidetracked by a Flower Girl….” Qrow answered. He heard her sigh and saw her roll her eyes.

           “Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten away unscathed either.” Raven said, stepping to the side to reveal a younger Taiyang, smirking at the both of them.

           “Hey. How’s it going?” Taiyang said smoothly to them.

           “I already told him no.” Raven said.

           “I wasn’t speaking to you.” Taiyang said, making Qrow’s eyes widen. “Hey.”

           “No thanks, buddy.” Qrow said, blushing a bit.

           “Worth a shot.” Taiyang said, looking back to Raven. “So, he your boy toy or anything?”

           “Twin Brother. Do you have an “Off” Switch?” Raven asked annoyedly.

           “That I do? Or is it the “On” Switch?” Taiyang smirked, before getting his collar gripped by Qrow.

           “Listen kid, You don’t need to be around us. Leave my Sister and I alone and you’ll live, capice?” Qrow threatened, glaring into Taiyang’s eyes.

           “Mr. and Miss Branwen.” Glynda said coldly to the twins, getting their attention. “A moment of your time, we spotted an issue with your transcripts.” Raven rolled her eyes while Qrow looked to Taiyang.

           “Get lost. Got it?” Qrow told him, letting go and starting to walk off with Raven. The group watched as the scene shifted to an interrogation-like room, where Glynda stood while young Raven and Qrow sat.

           “I must say, I don’t know how you got these Transcripts, but I’ve seen better forgeries in my sleep!” Glynda scolded them. “All these say is your Birthdate, your names, and that you’re applying here! No Family, no Previous Schools!”

           “We were Homeschooled, and our Family is dead. Happy?” Raven replied, setting her foot against the table, irritated at the questioning.

           “With the way things are going, I should just boot you two out of the School!” Glynda threatened, before hearing Ozpin call to her.

           “Now now, is that any way to treat Students?” Ozpin asked her, carrying a plate of cookies. Setting them down, Ozpin sat on the opposite side of the table, holding his cane beside him. The three sat in silence for a few moments before Qrow reached to grab a cookie, getting a glare from his Sister.

           “What, I’m hungry.” Qrow responded. Raven rolled her eyes while he chomped away.

           “So what, are we good to go or stuck going back to where we came from.” Raven chided.

           “It matters not how Students get to my School, nor how they got in past the screening process. What matters to me is that they make the effort to try to get here. What they do afterwards is up to them.” Ozpin replied. “I can only share knowledge. Whether or not it is retained, and then used accordingly is to each their own.” Raven looked to Qrow, then back to Ozpin.

           “So….we’re in?” Raven asked, getting a smile. The group watched as the scene erupted in blue mist again.

           That morning, The future Team STRQ prepared for their first trial: Forming a team.

           Qrow twisted through the treetops, slicing his way down towards the ground. Landing hard on his side, Qrow groaned as he slowly got up. “Don’t feel anything broken. That’s good…...now, time to find Raven.” Qrow said to himself. Trudging through the woods for several minutes, he lucked out and found his Sibling cutting down a large Ursa. “Rae!” Raven turned her head and rolled her eyes at him.

           “You’re late. Again.” Raven scolded him.

           “Had to dust myself off. But at least now we’re a Team.” Qrow said to her.

           “Unfortunately, you’re too late for that.” Raven said, as Taiyang strolled out of the underbrush.

           “Hey. I got her as a partner.” Taiyang said, smirking.

           “You’re kidding.” Qrow said.

           “Nope. But, at least with a Partner that doesn’t have a Weapon, I won’t have to worry about him dragging me down. He won’t survive long enough to do so.” Raven said, walking off. Tai smirked at Qrow, winking at him as he followed Raven. Qrow groaned and rubbed his neck.

           “Now who am I gonna be partners with…..” Qrow asked himself, before hearing a familiar noise behind him.

           “Hey. Did you get a Partner yet?” Summer asked him, petals blowing past them in the wind.

           “No. I’m guessing you did?” Qrow asked her.

           “Nope!” Summer said happily, smiling at him. Qrow’s eyes widened as she said that, realizing what she meant.

           “Oh boy…..” Qrow said regrettably, starting to walk towards where Raven went. The scenery shifting again, the first thing the group saw was the pedastals where their chess pieces were placed.

           “Huh. Looks as decrepit as when we went…..” Blake said as the mist created Raven and Taiyang, followed by Qrow and Summer.

           “Ugh! How can someone so ill-prepared talk so damn much?!?!?” Raven screamed at him.

           “I dunno. How can someone so brooding be so beautiful?” Tai said lovingly to her, earning a massive groan from her.

           “Having trouble, Sis?” Qrow asked her.

           “Yes, this stupid Dunce is seemingly caring more of myself than actually trying to stay alive!!!” Raven exacerbatedly said.

           “Hey! The term you’re looking for is “Himbo”, and I’m not that!” Taiyang told the both of them.

           “Uh, guys?” Summer said to them.

           “Well, at least we know what you aren’t when you’re getting torn apart by Grimm while we survive!” Qrow spat back at him.

           “Guys?!” Summer said again, more urgently.

           “There’s no way I’d ever be torn apart by them!!!” Taiyang told them.

           “GUYS!!!” Summer said, getting angry at their bickering.

           “Yeah Right, you’ll be gobbled up at the first-” Raven began before Summer shoved herself between the three of them.

           “GUYS!!!” Summer spat, pointing towards the Treeline and showing a massive amount of rustling and several Grimm coming out.

           “Oh. Shit.” Qrow said slowly.

           “Grab a Relic and let’s get the hell out of here!!!” Summer said to them, making Raven and Qrow nod to each other. Running over to the Pedastals, they both grabbed two facedown playing cards before slipping them into their pockets. Nodding to each other, the four Huntsmen ran from the pedastals, the scene shifting to an opposite side of the treeline. The landscape around them shifting from barren plains to desert sands, Raven looked back and realized something about the Grimm pack.

           Their first Challenge together, was something none of them could expect.

           “Guys! They stopped!!” Raven said, sliding to a stop in the sand. Qrow and Summer stopped as well, looking back at the pack of Grimm running from the barren area they just went through.

           “That’s good, right?” Summer asked Qrow.

           “No. Animals in the Wild don’t do that unless there’s something Big and Deadly in the area. For Grimm to do that…..” Qrow said, turning his head to see Taiyang way ahead of them. “HIMBO!!!” Qrow called out, seeing Raven raise her hands up as well.

           “TAIYANG!!!!! GET YOUR ASS BACK OVER HERE!!!” Raven ordered him, making the young man turn around.

           “WHAT?!?!?” Taiyang called back to them.

           “THE GRIMM STOPPED! WE DON’T KNOW WHY!!!” Summer shouted as well. Seeing the lone Huntsman run back towards them, Summer sighed in relief. “What Grimm generally live in Desert areas?”

           “Well, there’s Deathstalkers, King Taijitu, Geists can live anywhere really…….but some legends say-” Qrow began to explain before they felt a rumbling beneath them, then saw a massive hill in the sand rush towards Taiyang. “SHIT!!!”

           “Don’t tell me that-” Raven started to say as a giant Grimm burst through the ground, jumping into the air to show off its massive lower jaw, complete half-cone boneplate hiding where its brain would be, powerful black front paws, several dozen bony spikes down its body to a short, sluglike tail. Looking closer, the three Huntsmen saw that Taiyang was right in its jaw as it chomped down, swallowing him.

           “Shit! A Graduga!!!!” Qrow said, whipping out Harbinger into sword form.

           “A What?!?” Summer asked scaredly.

           “Something that was unsure to exist, and it hunts by sound! So now we just lost him.” Raven said, drawing out a blade.

           “So….what do we do?” Summer said, slowly extending out her weapon, making it into the Halberd form. Before Qrow or Raven could answer her, a loud noise came from where the Graduga landed and burrowed back down, and a cloud of dust burst through the ground, and the trio heard Taiyang’s scream as he was hurtling towards them, landing before them in a stiff, spiky position.

           “What the hell is going on with you?” Qrow asked.

           “My Semblence. I can stiffen my body to make it so it can’t be pierced. Means I don’t need a weapon.” Taiyang said, unstiffening himself and standing slowly.

           “Well, that seems more useful. Now if only we weren’t trapped in this death pit.” Raven said, keeping an eye out on the ground.

           “If we split up, we might be able to confuse it until we take it out.” Qrow said to the rest of them. They all felt the rumbling of the beast beneath them, then got themselves ready.

           “Break!!!” Summer shouted, having Raven and Qrow bolt away from the spot they were all at just as the Graduga burst through, it’s massive ramming lower jaw bursting through before the bone plate as well. Qrow quickly got up, yanking his weapon into Gun mode and firing rounds off at the beast.

           “Over here, you ugly bastard!!!!!” Qrow shouted, trying to get the beast to take attention to him, just as Raven started throwing blasts of her Sword’s inherit Dust inlays at the ground. Qrow snapped his weapon back to sword form as he jumped, slashing at the beast’s jaw, but seeing the blade bounce off it. “Damn!!!” Qrow shouted as the Grimm dug back down under the ground. Quickly bolting off, Qrow rushed back over towards where Summer was, getting halfway to her before seeing the lower jaw begin to erupt from before him. Qrow quickly shut his eyes, but after a rush of wind, Qrow hesitantly opened them, seeing Summer gripping his vest and panting. Looking around, Qrow saw a string of petals leading to where he was standing, the Beast digging back down. “What...”

           “Just run!!!!” Summer said, running with him while Taiyang chucked large boulders over their heads and Raven tossed energy waves at the same time.

           “We need something big right up at it to stun it!!!” Taiyang told them, having guessed that idea.

           “You got an explosive charge?” Raven mockingly asked him. Qrow was about to say something when Summer gripped his vest again.

           “Everyone, get over here and make as much noise as you can!!!” Summer told them.

           “Are you nuts, girl?!” Raven asked her.

           “Trust me!!!!!” Summer told them. Taiyang shrugged and moved right up close, causing Raven to groan and rush up to them as well. “Everyone hold onto each other.” Summer said, stomping her feet to try to get their noise level up. Qrow helped out a few seconds later, followed by Raven doing so half-heartedly. Tai stiffened his legs and started smacking them to the ground, making a large amount of noise. Seeing the Graduga rushing towards them and diving down, Qrow looked to Summer.

           “What now, Flower Girl?!” Qrow asked as they could feel the beast coming up to them.

           “THIS!!!” Summer shouted, making the world around them turn gray as the beast’s lower jaw came up before them and the upper part of their mouth began to emerge from the ground. Just as everything froze around them, Summer started tugging the group along. “We only have Ten Seconds, come on!!!!!” Not wanting to waste time asking for an explanation, the group rushed out, following Summer as she counted them down. Once getting to One, the world resumed colors and in the spot where they were at, four Rose Petal Effigies were, before the jaws of the Graduga snapped shut around them. Hearing a noise as it launched into the air, the four were shocked to see the beast start to swirl around before landing on its side.

           “It’s stunned!! Hit it hard now!!!” Raven said, rushing out with one of her Red Blades. Qrow followed her, switching all the way to Scythe mode. Summer, blushing hard, rushed alongside Qrow while readying a swing. Taiyang stiffened his body enough to make his arms into blades, and all four slashed at the same time, cutting through the large beast and emerging from the other side, cheering as they saw it start to disintegrate. The scene exploded in Blue mist again, and the group looked around as it rebuilt itself again.

           After this, Team STRQ formed, and quickly rose to be one of the greatest Teams at Beacon Academy.

           The group watched as several scenes flashed before them, of Raven, Summer, Tai and Qrow going through various locations around Remnant and around Beacon, and either fully completed missions or had shenanigans at Beacon, such as pulling pranks on other students or some teachers, or just slacking in class.

           However, everything changed on their first Mission of their Final Year at Beacon.

           “Ugh! How much farther are we supposed to travel!” Tai asked the group, hands behind his head. Raven scoffed and looked towards his direction.

           “If you payed attention, you dolt, then you’d know we have three more Miles.” Raven told him, earning another groan.

           “Cheer up. We should just be having a simple mission this time around.” Summer said to him, hands held behind her back.

           “It’s the Missions that we think are simple that fuck up royally, don’t forget that…..” Qrow reminded them, hands held in his pockets.

           “Let’s just hope that nothing stupid happens….” Raven said, glaring at Tai.

           “No promises.” He told her, before the four of them halted in their tracks as a scream cut through the air around them. Looking towards the direction of it, they saw a colossal Geist Grimm in several stone and wood chunks with a pack of Ursa chasing after a grey-haired elderly woman in orange. “Guys, battle time!!!” Raven shouted, drawing a blade out of Omen and dashing towards the woman, Qrow, Summer and Tai following in quick pursuit after.

           “Help me!!!!” The woman shouted as Raven passed her, stumbling and collapsing into Summer’s arms.

           “We’ve got you!!!!” Summer told her. Summer then helped the old woman move away as Qrow slashing at several Ursa near them, keeping the beasts at bay. “Are you okay?” Summer asked her.

           “N-no…...I….I can’t…….” The woman wheezed out, clutching her stomach.

           “What’s wrong, how can I help?” Summer asked her. Looking up at the young woman, the older one smiled a bit, holding her face.

           “Did Ozpin send for me…...are you the young faces?” She asked, shocking Summer.

           “Wait, you’re Detema?” Summer asked, seeing the elderly woman nod slowly.

           “In the wrinkly flesh….” Detema told her, getting more supported from Summer.

           “We need to get you out of here then, Oz told us to get you back to Beacon!!” Summer told her, trying to lift her up more.

           “I’m afraid that isn’t an option anymore…...” Detema told her. “At my age, moving three miles being chased by Grimm isn’t good for the old Ticker…..” Detema rubbed her chest over her heart, seeing Summer realize what was happening. “But it’s good that you’re here……..I need to pass something onto you…...”

           Qrow slashed at an Ursa, knocking it towards Tai, who stiffened his arms to punch the Ursa in half, the hunks of body dropping beside him. “Rae, how’s it going with that Geist?!” Qrow asked her.

           “Working on it!!!!!” Raven shouted back, slashing a hunk of Rock away at the ligament, making an entire finger drop off.

           “This is absurd! Why is this old-ass Grimm going after an old lady, and with so many Ursa at that!!” Tai asked, blocking a Rock Blast at Qrow with his stiffened chest.

           “Beats the hell out of me!!!” Qrow responded, looking back and spotting the old woman looking into Summer’s eyes intently. “SUMMER! GET HER-” Qrow began to yell before the woman fell slack in her arms, her eyes closed, “...out of-” Every creature stopped as Light began to erupt from her eyes and Mouth, seemingly exploding from pressure inside her. The Light traveled quickly to Summer, who’s eyes and Mouth erupted in the light as well, quickly drawing in all of it from the Woman. After a minute, the Light ceased coming from the woman as Summer gently laid her on the ground, before rising up, being encircled in Flames, her eyes having an orange flame trail beside her eyes, staring intently at the Grimm.

           “BEGONE!!!!!!!” Summer boomed, raising her hand and blasting a massive fireball at the Geist’s mask, shortening it’s limbs by three stages, shrinking it to the size of a large boulder. Thinking quickly, Raven looked to Summer.

           “Sum! Your Eyes!!!!” Raven shouted, Summer nodding at the plan. Combining the two powers, Summer’s Silver Eyes activated, blasting the remaining Ursa and the Geist, turning them all to burning Stone Statues. Summer slowly floated down, her eyes no longer flaring out before falling into Qrow’s arms.

           “What the hell was that?” Tai asked.

           “I…..got her power…..” Summer said meekly.

           “We gotta get back to Ozpin, he’ll know what to do.” Qrow said, picking up Summer, the scene exploding into Blue Mist once again.

           After returning to Ozpin with the body of the previous Fall Maiden, the Ancient Man was not ….in the best of moods

           “Are you KIDDING ME!!?!?!?” Ozpin slammed his fist to the table, in a fit of rage that the group had never seen before. “This could NOT have happened at a worse time!!!” Ozpin said to them, Glynda beside him.

           “What the hell’s going on, what happened to me?!” Summer asked him, panicked. Ozpin sighed, looking to Glynda.

           “Bring them in.” Ozpin said to her, gripping his cane and standing slowly, turning to look out of the massive windowpane. Glynda ran out of the room, returning minutes later with two people.

           “Raven, Qrow, Summer, Taiyang, please meet James and Leo.” Glynda said, stepping aside to allow the two inside. Ruby and the group watched as Ironwood stepped out, both arms exposed and human, with a babyface to add to them. Leo, meanwhile, meekly stepped around, his hair poking out on the top and sides with longer tufts, his tail wrapped around his waist.

           “Uh…..hi?” Qrow said, waving.

           “James is slated to take over Atlas Military after he graduates, and Leo will be a professor at Haven Academy once he graduates, but will liason with us here.” Ozpin told them.

           “Okay, that’s all fine and dandy, but why does it have anything to do with us?!” Raven barked, seeing Ozpin turn and nod to Glynda, who pulled out her Riding Crop. Glynda twisted her wrist, making several shards of metal float through the air. Ozpin closed the blinds to the window as she did this, and everyone there watched as a large statue of Salem appeared flawlessly from the shards uniting together.

           “For many years, I’ve been fighting a battle with this entity. Her name is Salem. She has an extremely long natural Lifespan, and I have had the unfortunate debacle of having to share bodies with people.” Ozpin explained, standing between everyone and the statue.

           “Wait, how long have you been doing this for?” Leo asked.

           “I’ve been going about this since Mankind started to make Cities, and were attacked by Grimm.” Ozpin lied to them. “It’s been a long time, but I’ve managed to hold her back for years. Though not without sacrifice.” Ozpin held out his hand, creating a small ball of fire floating above it.

           “What kind of Dust did you use?” James asked, seeing Ozpin shake his head in response.

           “There is no Dust. This is actual Magic.” Ozpin explained.

           “Excuse me? Magic?” Tai asked.

           “Yes. It’s something I’ve had for a long time.” Ozpin explained.

           “And what does that have to do with Summer?” Qrow asked angrily.

           “It has to deal with one of my old lives, you see, I bestowed some power unto a group of young girls-” Ozpin started to say before a fireball was lobbed above his head, colliding with the metal statue of Salem, fusing several pieces together.

           “Enough of all this boistering and beating around the bush! What. Happened to me?” Summer demanded, her eyes flaring up with Maiden Power. Ozpin sighed, then looked directly to her, extinguishing the Fire in his hand before resting them on the head of his cane.

           “You inherited the power of the Fall Maiden. You have just became one of the four most important people in Remnant.” Ozpin explained, seeing all of their eyes widen. Ozpin began to talk as the scenery dissolved again.

           Ozpin reluctantly explained his side of events in his battle with Salem. Swearing them all to secrecy, The Ancient Man dismissed the group, where others had revelations.

           The group watched as the scene shifted to the STRQ dorm room, where Qrow sat shirtless beside Summer, who was sitting on her bed, staring at her hands. “So…...I’m a Target now?…..” Summer asked meekly, her hands folded in her lap. Qrow gently held her hands in one of his and smiled at her.

           “I won’t let anyone turn you into a Target, I promise that.” Qrow told her. Before either of them could continue beyond small smiles, Raven burst into the room, her arm with a box of cookies in it and munching on one in hand and Tai following behind her.

           “I said to drop it, Tai! Just because I want a few snacks doesn’t mean that something’s wrong with me!” Raven barked at him, plopping her hind end on Tai’s bunk.

           “A few snacks wouldn’t be an issue, but you’ve eaten a box of cookies every day for the past month!” Tai told her. Raven rolled her eyes and bit down on another cookie.

           “So I like eating cookies now, big whoop!” Raven told him. “I don’t talk shit about you eating half your weight in crap after a giant fight!”

           “Okay, first, that’s because when I stiffen up, I have to expend energy and fat stores, so I can’t do it forever, it’s like I’m building more-” Tai suddenly stopped talking, his eyes widening. Qrow raised an eyebrow, looking confused.

           “Uh, Earth to Tai?” Qrow said, snapping his fingers.

           “Hey, Himbo? You in there?” Summer asked, grabbing a nearby broom and poking him in the shoulder with the handle of it.

           “…..pregnant….” Tai whispered. Raven’s gaze shot directly at him, her mouth agape as she was about to take another bite.

           “I beg your fucking pardon?” Raven asked him, vitriol in her tone.

           “T-that’s what’s going on! The cravings, the bitchiness more than normal-” Tai started before getting interrupted.

           “Watch it, dipshit.” Raven said to him.

           “But that’s what’s going on! You’re pregnant!” Tai said excitedly, making Raven’s eyes widen.

           “T-there’s no way in hell I’m pregnant!!!” Raven spat back, putting the cookies down and standing up.

           “Oh really? Because I remember last month when I won your dare, you-” Tai began before Qrow cut him off.

           “Woah, dude! I know we’re close but I don’t need to know about the fine details of you banging my Sister!” Qrow said.

           “Well, it’s the only logical thing!!!” Tai said desperately. Raven groaned, then grabbed his hand.

           “Fine. We’ll head into town and grab a test. If that proves you wrong, you shut up and buy my food for the next month.” Raven told him.

           “Alright, but if you get proven wrong, then once we get out of school, you gotta move in with me. Better for little Tai or Rae.” Tai said, smirking.

           “I’ll knock your lights out if you say that again.” Raven said, tugging him along and out of the door. The images of Qrow and Summer dissolved, shifting so Summer was in bed and reading a book while Qrow tightened screws on Harbinger, the window revealing it was late at night. The door slammed open again as a very pissed Raven walked in, stripping her armor plating off. “I’m sleeping with you tonight, Sunshine.” She said, climbing into Summer’s bed and clinging to her tightly, shocking the young Maiden.

           “O-oh…..okay…..” Summer said, feeling awkward in her own bed. Qrow looked to the doorway again, seeing Tai smirking at the scene before him.

           “The test said Positive.” Qrow guessed.

           “The five she bought all said it. Then a Doctor confirmed it when she demanded that too.” Tai explained, giving off a shit-eating grin.

           “Dude, she’s still my sister. You piss her off now, I won’t guarantee your Safety.” Qrow said, resuming his maitanence. Tai shrugged and hopped into his bunk, dissolving the scene yet again.

           During the time of their acceptance into Ozpin’s Circle and their Graduation, Qrow and Raven managed to convince him to give them both the ability to turn into birds, though warned Raven not to while with Child. After their Graduation, the two halves of STRQ split, and didn’t meet until half a year afterwards.

           Qrow and Summer stood on the doorstep of Tai’s house as it quickly formed from the mist, both looking nervous. “I really hope they’re here….” Summer said to him.

           “I do too, I haven’t seen Raven since they rushed off to deliver-” Qrow began before the door opened, revealing a sleep-deprived Tai with a tiny bundle in his arms.

           “Hey guys…...glad you were able to make it into town…..” Tai said, stepping aside so they could step inside. “Raven’s sleeping, this little one kept her up late….” Tai gently bounced the bundle a half an inch up to motion to it.

           “Aww…...what’s the little joy’s name?” Summer asked, gently picking up the blanket to look at the tiny face under it.

           “It’s Yang…..her name’s Yang Xiao Long…...” Tai said softly, rocking baby Yang. Qrow smiled a bit, looking at Tai.

           “You managed to get Raven to accept a last name other than Branwen? That’s a damn shock.” Qrow said softly, getting a gentle pop on the forehead, making Qrow blink confusedly.

           “Language, Qrow.” Tai reflexively said. Summer giggled at this, and Qrow rubbed the back of his neck before they all heard a groan.

           “Tai, can you please shut it while I’m trying to-” Raven started to say, stopping when she saw Qrow and Summer. “Oh…..hey guys…..” She sheepishly said, rubbing the back of her messy hair, tugging her sleep-top shoulder back into position. “Is it the day you were gonna come over?”

           “Yeah Sis, it is.” Qrow chuckled.

           “Sorry, after Yang was born, we’re both pretty low in the “Sleep” Department…...gimme a second to throw my face and some acceptable clothes on…..” Raven said.

           “Should I brew you a pot of Decaf?” Summer asked.

           “Nah, Yang’s drinking Formula now, so I can take the real stuff…...” Raven said happily, walking back through the hallway.

           “Coffee’s in the top of the cabinet.” Tai told them, turning the light on after covering up Yang’s face again.

           “What, don’t want to let Raven have any?” Qrow asked him.

           “No, Yang here likes to grab when she’s awake. Gotta keep stuff way outta reach of her.” Tai told him. Summer opened the cabinet, then tried to reach for the jar of coffee grounds, but coming up a few inches short. Chuckling at her, Qrow reached up and grabbed the jar, bringing it down enough for her to grab it.

           “There you go, Sunshine.” Qrow said to her, smiling. Helping Summer make the coffee, Tai poured in the needed sugar and cream that he liked, while leaving Raven’s empty for her preferred Black Coffee. Qrow and Summer, meanwhile, had milk and sugar, Summer dumping several spoonfuls of the white substance into hers. Filling the mugs up, Raven finally joined them, in a new, better fitting shirt, baggy sweatpants and the same hospital socks she had on before.

           “There we go…...” Raven said, picking up her mug and taking a sip, smiling afterwards. “Much better….” Yang, hearing her Mother’s voice, gently cooed, reaching out in direction of Raven.

           “Looks like she wants her Mama.” Tai chuckled out, smiling at her.

           “I had to deal with her all night last night…..” Raven told him.

           “But she wants you now…...are you gonna really ignore a defenseless baby?” Tai asked her, seeing her blush before seeing her turn.

           “Give.” Raven ordered, holding her hands out, taking Yang in her arms as Tai handed her over, adjusting her hold so she can support the infant’s head and sip her coffee at the same time.

           “So, how’s it going being a young pair of parents?” Summer asked them.

           “Well, we’ve mainly been staying at home…..as it turns out, babies are like, ridiculously fragile.” Tai said, chuckling.

           “The doctor also said that my immune system would be out of wack while taking care of her and her immune system, but luckily that isn’t much of an issue now.” Raven said, gently rocking Yang.

           “Well, she’s very adorable…..” Qrow said, smiling at her. The four continued to talk for a while, with Qrow and Summer both taking turns holding Yang. The group watching the four smiled a bit, aside from Ruby who’s eyes were wide as she watched these four interacting. The scene burst again, shifting to a different apartment and showing Qrow and Summer walking in to relax.

           “That was fun…...” Summer said, taking her white cloak off and hanging it up.

           “Yeah, I gotta admit, that little kid they got is a giant ball of fucking adorableness.” Qrow said, smiling at Summer, who was facing away from him. “…...Sunshine?” Qrow asked her, confused how quiet she was being.

           “…...you really liked her, didn’t you…..” Summer asked him.

           “Yeah, I think it’ll be fun to have a niece to mess with…...what’s up?” Qrow asked her. Summer turned around, blushing.

           “Well…….I’ve been feeling…..off lately….” Summer said to him. Qrow raised an eyebrow for a bit, before quickly understanding what she was implying.

           “You mean…..” Qrow asked, seeing Summer nod.

           “I took a test yesterday…….” Summer said, smiling. Qrow smiled back, moving close and kissing her, holding her close. This scene again exploded, shifting once more.

           However, things would not last for them.

           The scene reset itself right outside of Tai’s house, the man holding now Toddler Yang on his hip as he saw Qrow walking with a picnic basket while Summer held the tiny four-month bundle of Ruby. “You guys sure that it’s safe to be going out?” Tai asked them.

           “It’s been months since we’ve done anything and it’s a beautiful Day. I haven’t had an incident with my Semblence for a few years, so I’m confident everything’s fine.” Qrow told him.

           “Really Tai, you gotta lay off us. Just because Raven….went on Vacation…..doesn’t mean we will.” Summer said to him.

           “Unka Crow! Where go?” Baby Yang managed to squeak out.

           “Over the River and through the woods, tiny Dragon.” Qrow chuckled to her.

           “Rok!!!” Yang said, grinning. Summer giggled and smiled at the young girl.

           “Alright Yang, we’ll find you the coolest rock ever.” Summer told her. Yang cheered as they continued to walk off, the scene shifting to Qrow and Summer sitting in the meadow, looking out at the valley around them. Qrow smiled, petting Ruby’s tiny head in Summer’s arms.

           “She’s perfect….” Qrow said to Summer. “So, we’re confirming we’re gonna call her Ruby then?”

           “Well…...about that…..” Summer said, getting a concerned look from Qrow.

           “I picked a terrible name, didn’t I?” Qrow asked, hearing Summer begin to reassure him.

           “Nono, it’s fine…..but I want to call her “Ruby Branwen.” Think it’ll fit?” Summer asked him, seeing his eyes widen in shock.

           “Summer, we aren’t married yet…..” Qrow said to her, hearing her scoff.

           “If that wasn’t the most blatant way of proposing to a man, I don’t know what is.” Summer said, laughing at the same time. Qrow chuckled with her, staring intently into her eyes until Ruby began to wail out.

           “Huh? Hey Little Petal...” Qrow said, making the grown up Ruby wince, “What’s wrong, you got a-” Qrow said, looking up and seeing the large horde before them. Summer looked as well, her eyes widening.

           “Qrow, take Ruby back to Tai’s, I’ll hold them off and rejoin you there.” Summer said, transforming her weapon out to regular size.

           “What, no, you take Ruby back, I can-” Qrow pleaded before Summer glared to him.

           “You’re able to shapeshift and fly, you can get her faster, now go!!!” Summer ordered him. Qrow looked upset, but held Ruby close, running towards the treeline behind them. Jumping out, Qrow quickly shifted to his bird form, clutching the tiny baby bird form of Ruby in his claws, holding her as tight to him as he could, the scene having Summer and their picnic disappear as it follows. Qrow landed once he got to Tai’s house, running to the door and pounding on it.

           “TAI!!!!” Qrow screamed out, before seeing him open the door, confused.

           “Qrow, it’s barely been two hours, what-” Tai managed to get out before getting Ruby shoved into his arms. “Qrow!!”

           “Summer’s in trouble, I got to get back to her!!!!” Qrow said, running back and shifting again, flapping hard back the way he came, the scene shifting to Summer slicing through a Beowulf, dodging another and leaving a Petal effigy in her stance. Summer whimpered, struggling to keep a level head as she kept using her Semblance over and over, forgetting how liberating it made her feel.

           “Why do I get turned on by that…...” Summer asked herself, blasting a Fire shot at an enclosing Beowulf, sending it reeling back. “Fourty more seconds!!!” She said to herself, sticking the blunt end into the grass near her and twisting on it, launching herself feet-first at another Beowulf, shoving it to the ground from its mouth before spearing its heart. Summer quickly pulled out the polearm, twirling it around herself, grabbing the blunt end and sweeping it around her, cleaving through several of the Grimm before one bit down hard on the blade, catching it. “Give it back!!!!!” She shouted, tugging hard to try to get her weapon back. Summer shoved hard, unintentionally snapping it in half. “Shit!!!!” Summer blasted the Beowulf with her Maiden Power, before stopping time again, laying several fire bombs beside others as she moved herself, before looking to her left as another Beowulf was mid-lunge, its jaws wide open as time Resumed and she was in its path. Summer focused her power to her eyes, but they widened in horror as her Silver Eyes failed to activate and the Beowulf landed, snatching her by her neck in its jaws, making her scream out in pain, feeling its teeth digging in slowly.

           “Fuck…….” Summer wheezed out, gritting her teeth. Feeling the Wolf’s teeth dig deeper into her throat, Summer gulped, knowing what she had to do. “I’m Sorry, Ruby….” Summer thought to herself. “I wanted to give you these powers when you were much older, and I was much older…..but it seems that won’t happen now……..just know that Mama Loves-”

           “SUMMER!!!!!!!” Qrow shouted out, having just landed and seeing her literally in the jaws of a Grimm. Quickly looking to the man, her eyes widened as he stared into hers.

           “Qrow-!!” Summer choked out before the Grimm squeezed tighter, crushing her windpipe and breaking a few of her vertebrae. Letting out one last gasp, Summer’s head fell slack, Qrow’s eyes widening in horror, dropping to his knees. Before anyone could react, Light erupted from Summer’s mouth and eyes, rushing towards Qrow and colliding with him, before rushing to the air and splitting apart in different directions, taking the full power out of Summer and leaving her body lifeless.

           “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!” Qrow screamed, shifting Harbinger into Scythe mode and launching himself at the pack, his eyes glowing red with anger. The group watching turned away and hid their eyes from the scene, as Qrow unleashed his fury and rage at the Grimm, acting completely animalistic at them. The current Qrow, on his knees in horror as he remembered every single swing and emotion at the time, just watched, tears streaming down his face. After minutes of watching Qrow slaughter the horde, the Vision Qrow walked over to Summer’s body, crouching down and picking her up, before screaming in agony to the skies. The scene burst one last time, reforming to show Qrow carrying Summer’s wrapped up body towards Tai’s house, the other man seeing the bundle Qrow has and gulped.

           “…...let me make sure the kids are asleep…...I’ll help…..” Tai told Qrow, rushing inside to check before coming back out. The two men took Summer’s body to a nearby area and spent a while digging out the hole before resting Summer inside. “I’ll make a headstone tomorrow…..just stay in the house tonight, okay?” Qrow nodded as the two went back inside, checking on both of the girls before Tai went to his bed and Qrow laid out on the couch. He laid still for a while until a pecking on the window got his attention, looking up Qrow saw a black bird glaring at him before flying away. Getting up and heading outside, Qrow saw Raven come out from behind a tree, glaring at him while holding her weapon.

           “I felt what happened. Did it go quickly?” Raven asked Qrow, who sheepishly nodded. “It’s a shame…….she was one of the best of us….”

           “….shut up….” Qrow muttered.

           “What?” Raven asked him.

           “I said shut up! You left us, and you abandoned your own damn daughter! You could have helped us out in saving Summer! She’s Dead because you decided to be selfish!” Qrow acused, glaring at her. “You don’t have the right to even Think about Summer anymore!”

           “She was my friend too, you asshole!!!!” Raven spat back, glaring back at Qrow. “I was going to offer to set up a Link to your Daughter, but now you can just forget it.” Raven said, turning around. “Congrats, Qrow. You’ve pushed yet another person away.” Raven then lept, shifting to her Raven form and flying off. Qrow shuffled back inside, and passed out on the couch. The scene fast forwarded to daytime, and Qrow heard Tai comforting the infant Ruby. Struggling to get up, Qrow rubbed his face slowly until he heard another voice.

           “Unka Crow!!!” Yang cheered out, grinning. Qrow looked over, letting her up onto his lap.

           “Hey kiddo….” Qrow said sheepishly, smiling at her.

           “Unka Crow, you hug!” Yang said, clinging tightly to him. Qrow’s eyes widened as he got an idea from her words.

           “Yeah…….Uncle Qrow needed a hug…….” Qrow said, hugging her back. “Yang, can you do me a favor?” Qrow saw the little girl look puzzledly at him. “Take good care of your Sister for me, okay?” Qrow smiled as she nodded, everything exploding into Blue Mist. The group watched as the Lamp holding Jinn sucked the mist back into it, before going dark and plummeting to the ground, now in Stasis for another 100 Years. Ruby glared forward, gritting her teeth and balling her fists up. No one dared made a sound after learning all of the facts about Summer and Qrow. After a few minutes, Qrow feebly let out, “Ruby-” before getting punched as hard as Ruby could, knocking him back to the door.

           “MY. ENTIRE. LIFE. HAS BEEN A GIANT LIE! EVERYTHING I’VE KNOWN ABOUT YOU, OR DAD…...I CAN’T EVEN CALL HIM THAT ANYMORE!!!!!” Ruby screeched, enraged beyond compare.

           “Ruby, please-” Qrow began to plead before Ruby stomped her foot down.

           “I HAVE NOTHING ABOUT MY CHILDHOOD THAT WAS TRUTHFUL! EVERYTHING HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME ON A GIANT PLATTER OF LIES!” Ruby continued, her anger boiling over, “I WISH I WAS STILL WITH SALEM, AT LEAST SHE TELLS THE GODDAMN TRUTH!!!!!!!” Everyone gasped as Ruby said this, and hearing the multiple gasps made Ruby herself realize what she had said. Looking scared, Ruby rushed to the table where Crescent Rose was, grabbing it and immediately activating Petal Burst, flying out of the large glass window of the room and out towards the Tundra below.

Chapter Text

           “I WISH I WAS STILL WITH SALEM, AT LEAST SHE TELLS THE GODDAMN TRUTH!!!!!!!”

           Ruby rushed through the stinging Tundra air, plummeting towards the ground at breakneck speed. Quickly pulling her Petal Burst bubble up, she flew off until the cold made her stop, shifting back to her regular form. Taking off running as soon as she landed, Ruby pushed herself as far as her bare feet would allow her in the snow, before stopping and falling to her knees. “GOD DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!” Ruby screamed out into the emptiness around her. Feeling the sting of cold on her hand, Ruby looked down at Crescent Rose in her hand. Remembering the knowledge she just learned, Ruby scowled, twisting herself and chucking the weapon as hard as she can in anger. Shifting onto her ass, Ruby pulled her knees up to her chest and began to cry. “Why………..why….”

           Grrrrrrr…….

           Ruby’s eyes snapped open as she turned around, seeing more than a dozen Ice Sabres behind her. “Shit…..” Ruby said to herself, reaching behind her only to realize she had tossed Crescent Rose. Petal Bursting away once the closest Sabre pounced, rushing to her weapon and grabbing it, twisting it in her hands as it expands out. “Twenty Shots….” Ruby thought to herself, swinging at a Sabre and catching it, twisting her body around and firing one to launch herself at the pack while cutting it in half. Ruby continued this, firing several shots in quick succession, using the combined momentum of the swings and the recoil to cleave clean through more and more of the Grimm. “Four more…..” Ruby said to herself after a minute of this, seeing more and more Sabres come towards her. Launching herself with another shot, Ruby swung with another propelling, she quickly pulled the trigger on another swing.

           Click…...Click……

           Ruby’s eyes widened as she heard this, shocked at the noise as her Scythe embedded in a Sabre, ashing it and leaving the tip in the Ice. “Where’d my last two shots go!?” Ruby asked, trying to pull the weapon out of the ice. Hearing the Snarl of another Sabre, Ruby quickly rushed around, glaring at it’s maw as it lept, ready to blast it with her Eyes.

           click-BANG!!!!!

           Ruby’s eyes shifted to the source of the sound as it knocked the Sabre to the ground, seeing Yang, Blake and Weiss flying in on the Queen Lancer summon. Yang lept off, punching another nearby Sabre away while Blake and Weiss rushed over to Ruby, the latter handing her a pair of slip-on shoes.

           “Next time you decide to run away into the freezing cold, at least have on some footwear!” Weiss scolded, readying Myrternaster. Ruby nodded, pulling her shoes on while Blake provided cover fire. Yang, meanwhile, suplexed more and more of the Sabres, grabbing chunks of Ice Weiss launched at her and throwing them at more of the beasts. Standing up and finally wiggling Crescent Rose out of the ice, Ruby saw Blake handing over another of her clips.

           “We got another wave coming, let’s clear these out first before we bail.” Blake told Ruby. Nodding to her, Ruby quickly reloaded her weapon and readied herself.

           “Alright…….” Ruby said to them, putting Crescent Rose into position behind her. “Embarrassed Zebra!”

           “We’ve got to rethink that name!” Weiss shouted, rushing off with Blake to begin the maneuver. Blake rushed around the opposite side of where Weiss was, with Ruby rushing into the center, Crescent Rose’s blade curved around to carve out the sides of several Sabres. Weiss knocked several more Sabres towards the center with Blake, before sending a set of Glyphs to trap them. Rushing to them with Blake and Ruby, all three rushed through the different Glyphs, shredding the Sabres into ribbons. Looking around, they saw another set of Sabres getting thrown to them. Yang walked over, cracking her fingers.

           “So, with these things taken out, can we head home before that Swarm gets here?” Yang asked. Ruby nodded, climbing onto the Queen Lancer with everyone once Weiss remade it and got it to take off.

           “…..how bad did it get after I ran off?” Ruby asked them, knees tucked into her chest.

           “Mother and Klein came in after hearing the glass break, and when we explained briefly what happened, they took Qrow out of the room.” Weiss explained.

           “….so….” Ruby started before Blake petted her head.

           “We just told them that you learned everything about your parents and got upset. We didn’t tell them the exact truth yet.” Blake explained.

           “We’re gonna let you decide when to tell them. Nora and Ren are gonna tell Jaune when you say okay. Oscar…...well, let’s just say he’s kicking himself that he wasn’t able to see the similarities earlier between you and Qrow.” Yang continued for Blake. Ruby looked to her, smiling.

           “Thanks…..to be honest, I’m kicking myself for not seeing Un-” Ruby stopped herself, frowning again.

           “Yeah…..that’s gonna take some getting used to…..” Yang said, holding Ruby close.

           “Communication between Kingdoms is still down, so we aren’t able to contact Mr. Long.” Blake added, holding Ruby close as well.

           “We’ll call Dad when we’re able to…...he deserves to know we know.” Yang said solemnly.

           Ruby held tightly to her mug of hot chocolate as her Teammates set up another pillow pile and blankets in their room, sitting in the desk chair. Blake looked over to her and frowned, trying to come up with something to cheer their leader up.

           “Hey, at least we all have something to match now…..” Blake piped up.

           “What?” Ruby asked her. Yang looked curious as well, unsure what her Girlfriend is implying.

           “Well, Yang’s got her arm…….I got my spot…..” Blake lifted up the hem of her shirt to reveal the X-shaped scar on her lower abdomen. “You’ve got your spot now, and Weiss…...um…..” Blake faltered, unsure of what the Heiress’s body looked like after her Cinder attack. Weiss shrugged, then lifted up her shirt to reveal a large, fiery scar close to her sternum and above her kidneys. Turning around, Weiss showed them the other side of her, revealing even more scar curves where the heated glass spear shot through her.

           “Jaune may be able to boost our Aura enough to heal us, but whatever her Glass is still scars.” Weiss explained, dropping her shirt. “And while morbid, Blake is right. Your new scar means we all match.”

           “Wow…..I’m shocked I didn’t realize that first.” Yang said, stretching out. Ruby chuckled a bit, finishing her Hot Chocolate and setting the mug down, climbing onto the pile with her team as they snuggled together around her.

           “…...thanks guys…...I’m sorry that……...everything we knew turned out to be wrong…...” Ruby apologized to them.

           “It’s alright. Sometimes, when we want the Truth, it’s not what we want to hear. It may not even be what anyone wants to hear. But it’s still important.” Blake said, smiling to Ruby.

           “Alright, alright, not to break up the sap fest, but we gotta make up for lost time with Grimm removal tomorrow. Let’s get some shut-eye.” Yang said, pulling a large blanket over-top of them all with Weiss’ help. Ruby nodded, then tried to sleep with her teammates.

           Ruby re-awoke some time later, unable to rest. Slipping out of Weiss’ arms, Ruby put her slippers on and started to walk through Schnee Manor. The young girl looked around the various items strewn around on the walls, portraying both the Schnee Wealth, as well as the Schnee Legacy. Ruby was enamored with these many paintings, sculptures and trophies collected over the years, when she heard a loud sighing. Looking towards the noise, she saw a door slightly ajar, with light coming from inside. Heading towards it, Ruby peered inside to see Qrow, sitting in one of Jacques’ chairs, staring intently at a glass of vodka beside him, Willow in the other chair already asleep. Ruby’s eyes narrowed as she growled, causing Qrow’s attention to falter, looking towards Ruby.

           “Oh…...hey Kiddo…...” Qrow nervously said. Ruby, however, was more irritated than anything.

           “I thought you promised me you wouldn’t drink another drop.” Ruby spat, marching in towards him, stopping only when Qrow gently pleaded.

           “And I haven’t…...look at my eyes.” Qrow told her, opening his soft red orbs as wide as possible. Ruby looked in, and saw they were normal, not glassed over. “I still haven’t drank since we left Argus….”

           “Then why….” Ruby started to ask when Qrow picked up the glass.

           “Bit of a Metaphor I saw in a book once, and bit of reassurance.” Qrow explained, looking into it again as he handed it to Ruby.

           “Reassurance?” Ruby asked, confused.

           “Yeah…..just…….knowing it’s there and I’m here……...that I don’t need it, even if it’s right in front of me…..” Qrow explained, seeing Ruby look into the cup. Qrow’s eyes widened when he saw her take a sip, only to immediately cough and gag.

           “Blech! How’d you drink this stuff?! It tastes nasty!” Ruby said, handing it back to the man, who set it back down beside him.

           “After a while, your tongue becomes numb to it, and before then, you generally try to get drunk fast enough that you don’t care.” Qrow explained, seeing Ruby move a chair closer to him and sit in it. Qrow looked to his boots, unsure of what to say, when he decided to just go for it. “You wanna talk about it?”

           “I mean……..which part? The whole “Tai’s not my real Dad” part? The part where you saw Mom die? Or the part where I basically said I wanted to be with Salem?” Ruby asked back. Qrow shrugged, getting a sigh from Ruby. “Why didn’t you want to be my Dad?” Ruby asked him. This time, Qrow sighed.

           “Ruby, you saw what my life was like. With the Semblance I have, getting close to anyone is a risk. And after losing both parents, countless friendships, and…...y’know…….I was just ready to make sure nothing had my name on it. That way I couldn’t curse anyone else.” Qrow explained. The man then looked at the young girl, looking remorseful. “After a few years, I wanted to tell you the truth, I honestly did…..but it’d shatter your life, and Yang’s. Everything you knew would be wrong in an instant, and you two were too young to properly comprehend it. So…..I kept up the lie…...and eventually, I got to believing it myself.”

           “…...If you could go back, change what happened…….would you do it?” Ruby asked him, pulling her knees up to her chest, looking tiny in the large chair.

           “Without Question.” Qrow said. “I never would have let Summer go through that if I had known what would happen. I’d…..” Qrow frowned as he continued, “I’d’ve let myself take the fall to make sure you both lived.” Ruby’s eyes widened, then she frowned more as she readied her next question.

           “And if it didn’t matter? Would you still want to raise me as your own?” Ruby asked him, afraid of the answer.

           “Absolutely. I know how bad I screwed up, and I’d give up anything to go back and fix it.” Qrow told her. Hearing this, Ruby smiled a bit, staying silent as she pondered. Having come to a conclusion, Ruby slowly stood up.

           “I can’t call you Uncle Qrow anymore….” Ruby started.

           “I know….” Qrow told her.

           “But right now, “Dad” just feels way too weird…..” Ruby continued. “So…...how about for now, it’ll just be “Qrow”?” Qrow thought about it for a second, then smiled, standing with his daughter.

           “I’ll be okay with that.” Qrow said to her, the two of them slowly hugging as they accepted their new roles. The two stayed silent for a while until Willow let out a loud snore, getting a chuckle from the both of them.

           “Let’s get her to bed….it’s late.” Ruby said to him.

           “Way ahead of you, Kiddo.” Qrow said, walking around to the back of Willow’s chair and lifting the woman up from her armpits. “Grab her legs, it’s not the first time I’ve put a drunk back in their bed, and I highly doubt it’ll be the last.”

           “It won’t be me, that much is for sure. I can’t stand the aftertaste I got now…..” Ruby said, shaking her tongue out of her mouth as the two slowly carried the grown woman through the halls. “I really wish we had a good way to unwind once we get Atlas cleared up…..” Ruby admitted, sounding hopeful. His eyes widening, Qrow grinned to her.

           “Oh, I think I just got a wonderful, AWFUL Idea…….”

Chapter Text

           It took two weeks to get all of Atlas cleared out of Grimm, then an additional three to clear them out of Mantle. In this time of hardship, the Elite of Atlas and the People of Mantle were able to realize that not only were they targeted equally during the attack, they were actively pitted against each other. Due to this, both agreed that both Cities deserved to be United much more. Both populations aided each other in the cleanup of Mantle, and the Elite swore with the leaders of Mantle that they would pay to improve every bit of infrastructure that was failing. In addition, at the center of both Cities, large Bronze Statues of Roman Torchwick were commissioned, to honor the fallen Hero.

           “Alright everyone,” Winter said to Team RWBY, Ren and Nora, Oscar and Penny. Looking confused, Winter asked “Where’s Qrow?”

           “He said he was gonna be helping the Ace Ops today.” Ruby explained. Winter simply rolled her eyes before recollecting herself.

           “I know we’ve been busy for the past month, but we need to go through and salvage what we can for our Scientists.” Winter explained, handing each of them a checklist. “The Scientists have stated that these are top priority for us to locate and try to recover. If it’s broken, see if it looks repairable. If it’s destroyed beyond repair, note it please and move on. We’re going through the Labs first, then we’ll be going into the Dorms so we can clear the Manor out faster. The Ace Ops meanwhile will work on cleaning out the Hangars and the Lunchroom.”

           “This is a lot…..” Ren said, turning over pages on the checklist.

           “Well, we have a lot to try to rebuild since we don’t….” Weiss began before stopping herself, seeing Penny’s face fall a bit. Ruby noticed as well, giving her friend a tight hug.

           “It’s okay, Penny. He’d want us to help rebuild.” Ruby reassured her, cheering up the young Maiden. Penny smiled and nodded to Ruby, before the group stepped into the lab, all of them aside from the Schnees and Penny aweing at the size of the place. “Think of how many weapons were made in here…..” Ruby meekly said.

           “Not in here. This was Military Gadgets and Tools.” Weiss explained, pointing to a large symbol on the wall. “See?”

           “That’s what that is? I thought the Wall was giving us the Finger.” Nora said, getting an irritating glare from Weiss and Winter. “What? It does.” The two Schnees rolled their eyes before the group spread out, bringing the salvageable devices to the door and setting them outside. Penny lifted a hunk of rubble and tossed it back through the roof, using her laser to fuse the stone and metal back together.

           “Huh? What’s this?” Ren asked, moving some of the smaller rubble pieces aside to expose what looked like a mechanical dog in pieces. Winter looked over and sighed.

           “That’s Sparky, according to the sheet. It was a Robot designed to help out the Military in more extreme conditions, but when they decided to make the 130 Knights, it got scrapped. Essentially it’s just spare parts now.” Winter explained. Penny frowned, picking up the automaton and looking into the cracked glass view-port on its face.

           “But we are going to bring him with us, right?” Penny asked. Winter’s eyes widened a bit, but shook her head.

           “They don’t have it anywhere on the necessary items to bring Atlas back up and running. I’m sorry Penny. Please put it in the scrap pile.” Winter gently said to her. Penny looked sullen, lowering her head.

           “Okay…..” Penny said to her, picking up the loose parts around Sparky and taking it out of the room.

           “Finally, some time to relax!” Marrow said, stretching as they walked back into the Mess Hall, having gotten a meeting there from Team RWBY.

           “Still kind of a jerk move for Qrow to say he was gonna help them out instead of us.” Harriet chimed, irritated.

           “Hey, ease up. They’re all reeling from whatever they saw from Jinn a while back.” Clover said, trying to ease the team’s tension.

           “I just don’t understand what the big deal was. He probably knew what her parents were like.” Elm asked.

           “The only reason why I would think he’d be unwilling is if he had feelings for her Mother. But even still, a month?” Vine added.

           “Look, when Qrow wants to tell us about what happened, he’ll tell us. All we can do is support him through-” Clover continued before being cut off.

           Thwack!!!

           The Ace Ops fell silent as water erupted from the back of Harriet’s head, making the woman’s eyes go as wide as possible. Before any of them could respond, the lights of the Mess Hall kicked on, and the doors flung open, revealing Team RWBY, Ren and Nora, Penny, Oscar and Qrow, all in summer-wear, aside from Penny who had on a full raincoat, and grinning.

           “Ace Ops! We’re giving you all a five-minute head-start to put on your bathing suits!” Ruby shouted, tossing a large duffle bag over to them, “After those five minutes, we’re coming after you.” Yang smirked, tossing up another Water Balloon, showing the stakes of their challenge.

           “A Water Balloon fight?” Harriet scoffed. “What, are we actually acting like Grade-School children now?”

           “What’s the matter? Chicken?” Ruby taunted, seeing Harriet glare. The woman grabbed the duffel bag and tugged Elm with her as she started to march out of the room.

           “Come on!!!” Harriet ordered, taking the bait that Ruby laid out. Waiting for the Speedster to leave the room, the young Huntress chimed up to the remaining Ace Ops.

           “We put Coolers of balloons around the building. May the odds be ever in your favor.” Yang explained, seeing them hurry off.

           Ruby rushed through the air, reverting from Petal Burst form to drop several balloons onto Vine, then switching back as they fell and burst on him.

           “Hey!!!” Vine shouted, laughing and reaching for her with several balloons in his hand, failing to get her and losing the balloons as he shoved the hand against a wall. Yang, taking the opportunity, punched water balloons that Oscar and Ren gently chucked before her, lobbing them towards Vine and Elm behind him.

           “You little!!!!” Elm shouted, twisting her makeshift hammer around, the pot serving as a head getting loaded with balloons from a dashing Harriet, launching the collection at the three.

           “Oh crap!” Oscar shouted, bringing his arms up, not seeing Blake dash around and smack the balloons around, hitting Marrow and sending a few towards the door, which opened to reveal Jaune walking in beside a pouting Neo.

           “And this is where we normally-” Jaune was saying before all of the balloons smacked him in the face, soaking him completely. “…..eat….” Jaune wiped the water away from his face, seeing the scene before him. Weiss looked away from her several Glyphs that her and Penny were loading up, each set to launch right at Marrow at the current moment. All of them, aside from Yang and Penny, the former wearing a bikini and short shorts, were in either swim trunks or one-piece swimsuits. Upon seeing Jaune’s soaked top half, they all busted out in even more laughter than before.

           “You should see the look on your face!!!” Nora shouted, holding her sides.

           “Haha.” Jaune said, rolling his eyes. “Sorry about-” Jaune turned to Neo, seeing her laughing silently like the others, until she noticed he was paying attention to him, then crossing her arms and resuming pouting. “So, mind if we join?”

           “Only if you guys don’t mind getting your regular clothes wet. We didn’t expect you to come, so we didn’t bring swimsuits for you.” Weiss said. Jaune shrugged, taking off his armor plating, while Neo rolled her eyes and took her gloves off. The two of them both grabbed balloons from nearby, joining in on the fight. Minutes later, everyone was running and laughing, lobbing more and more balloons at each other. Harriet, seeing Ruby right before the larger door, took her chance and chucked the balloon in her dominant hand as hard and as fast as she could, it hurtling through the air right at the young Huntress.

           “Got you!!!!!” Harriet cheered, sure her aim was true. Ruby, however, smirked and sidestepped, the balloon launching further.

           SMACK!!!!!!

           The group looked at the sound, everyone’s eyes widening in horror as they saw General Ironwood between Winter and Robyn, his face soaked and covered in remnants of the balloon. Winter looked horrified, while Robyn could barely contain her laughter. James wiped the water from his face, glaring at the group before him.

           “Who threw that.” James said coldly. Harriet slowly held up her free hand, absolutely scared. “Front and Center.” Harriet nodded, slowly walking towards him with her head down. “Give.” James commanded, holding out his healed hand, watching his subordinate place the balloon in. James watched as she began to walk back to the group. Harriet’s face was of despair, feeling absolutely awful about her choice.

           POP!!!!!!!!

           Harriet’s eyes went wide as she felt another balloon smack her in the back of the head. Turning around, the entire group was shocked, seeing James stretched out, having thrown the balloon with his human hand, and the normally stone-faced man laughing like a young child.

           “S-Sir!!” Winter began to plead before he looked to her.

           “What? Don’t make me order you to have fun!” James said, running out to a nearby cooler and grabbing a couple of balloons out. Robyn shrugged, grin wide on her face.

           “I’m down.” Robyn said, running to another and grabbing some balloons, lobbing one of them at Winter, smacking her in the face. Growling, Winter pulled her gloves off and ran into the room.

           As the last balloon burst, the entire group panted hard, sitting around and chuckling over the massive wet mess around them. James sat down beside Ruby, his suit-jacket opened down to his base shirt, panting hard as he smiled to the girl.

           “You thought up of this to help ease tension, right?” James asked her.

           “No, that one was Qrow. Weiss, Blake, Yang and I worked hard to fill the balloons though.” Ruby explained.

           “You and your Uncle must be happy, I haven’t seen the Ace Ops so relaxed.” James said, looking to Ruby and noticing her looking away.

           “Well…….stuff happened, so…..we really needed something to take our minds off of it…….” Ruby said, pulling her knees into her chest. James looked away for a moment, working out the information in his head, then lowered his voice.

           “…..he’s not your Uncle, is he?” James asked her quietly. Glancing over, he saw Ruby nod gently. “How many people know?”

           “My team, Ren, Nora, and Oscar.” Ruby explained, frowning. James sighed a bit, not looking at her.

           “I won’t tell the Ace Ops if you don’t want them to know.” James said. “But keeping something that big in…..it’ll eat you alive…..leave you hollow…..” Ruby looked at the man, looking at his machine hand, then moved closer.

           “General, how’d you lose your arm and leg?” Ruby asked him. James sighed, closing his eyes.

           “I jumped into a Prototype about to explode, trying to rescue the Pilot, whom I…..” James paused, “had feelings for…...inside.”

           “Really?” Ruby asked. James opened his eyes, then looked at the young girl.

           “The Pilot was okay. Lucky Him.” James said, causing Ruby’s eyes to widen as she looked over at Clover.

           “You mean-” Ruby started before getting cut off.

           “No one knows. Not even Winter. Had to send a few Atlas Ladies away not too long after she sent them for me as “possible Mrs. Ironwoods”.” James explained, chuckling. Ruby snickered a bit, remembering what Jaune told her about one of his jobs.

           “I wonder if any of them are the Moms that keep hitting on Jaune….” Ruby said, chuckling. James looked over at the boy, sitting beside Neo. “I won’t tell anyone else.” Ruby assured the man, getting a smile from him.

           “No wonder why Qrow speaks highly of you. Your Heart’s always in the right place, even when the ones in charge can’t see it.” James said to her.

           Jaune used a nearby towel to dry his face off, seeing Neo smile at the others. “I take it you had fun?” Neo looked at him, shocked, then frowned and pouted again, before allowing a nod. Jaune watched her pull a Scroll, given to her due to her condition, out and tapped on it fast. Neo looked back at him and showed the screen, allowing him to see her message.

           “This was fuN, but I’m goNNa ask WiNteR if she caN take me back to my Room. I just waNNa be alone RN” Neo had typed out for him, before standing slowly and walked over to the Woman in question, who was sitting with Weiss. Jaune sighed, resting his head in his hands.

           “Girl trouble on your mind, kid?” Qrow asked, seeing Jaune look up at him.

           “I don’t understand. Pyrrha didn’t have any issues with me when we first met, and I didn’t even know how to land properly. How am I supposed to take care of Neo when she doesn’t even want to be in the same room as me?” Jaune asked him as he sat beside him.

           “Well, I don’t think I’m breaking new ground when I say this: No two Women are alike. Aside from the Ice Queens.” Qrow said, getting a towel thrown at him by a passing Winter.

           “Fuck off, Qrow.” Winter coldly told him, escorting Neo behind her.

           “Be Gentle, sweetie!” Qrow teased, chuckling. Looking back at Jaune, who just looked more confused, Qrow sighed. “Look kid, she’s been through a lot. A couple of months ago, she was sitting on an operation to help all of Atlas with the person she’d grown up and escaped death with. The only person she ever had the will to trust. And now he’s gone, and the last person he was with that wasn’t trying to kill him survived. Right now, all of her anger, aggression and frustration’s jumbling around with no outlet. At this moment, you’re a lightning rod.”

           “So, how do I turn away from being a Lightning Rod?” Jaune asked him.

           “You gotta just wait. And while you’re waiting, just let her know she can trust you, no matter what. All good things take time.” Qrow said, looking over at Ruby beside James. “Everything’ll turn out fine in the end.”

           “So, just, try to open up to her?” Jaune asked him.

           “You could say that, yeah.” Qrow said.

           Ruby, her team, Qrow, Ren and Nora, Oscar, Penny and Winter all walked into James’s office a week later, seeing Robyn standing beside the man behind the desk, both standing.

           “Everyone! I’m glad you all could come.” James said.

           “You wanted to brief us on something, sir?” Winter asked.

           “Yes, firstly, I realize that I overstepped several boundaries during the Siege of Atlas. I know that I can’t correct those things overnight, but I hope to one day make amends for it.” James said, walking around to the front of his desk. “In part of doing so, I’ve offered and the Council has agreed to remove one of my Seats. Now I’ll just be one person on the Council again.”

           “So what? Another bogus election? For four people?” Nora asked.

           “No, only Jacques’ seat will be up for Election. And we’ll be offering Mantle a direct seat; no Atlas Personnel will be running.” James explained.

           “Then what about that other seat?” Ren asked.

           “That’s where I come in.” Robyn said, walking around and putting her elbow on James’ metal shoulder, leaning on him. “The Council decided unanimously that my Happy Huntresses are an asset to both Mantle and Atlas, so they want us to weigh in on decisions too. About time, I’d say.”

           “That is wonderful!” Penny cheered, clapping to them all.

           “Thank you Penny. But more on why I called you all here. To get to here, Salem must have passed by Vacuo at some point. We never were sure on where her hideout was, but the fact that none of our contacts in Vacuo said anything worries me. I’d like you to go and investigate if Vacuo is still standing, or if they’ve lost the Summer Maiden as well.” James explained.

           “Alright. What about the Ace Ops?” Ruby asked.

           “We’re still working on getting Atlas and Mantle back to 100%. Until then, you all are the only ones I can spare.” James said.

           “General Ironwood?” Penny asked, seeing James look at her. “I would like to go with Ruby and her friends. It would be advantageous to keep the Staff of Creation in the Vault like it is now without any access to it.”

           “If you choose to go with them, Penny, then I can’t stop you. No one can anymore.” James said to her.

           “If Penny’s going, sir, then I’d like to formally resign from my post.” Winter said, stepping forward, ignoring Weiss pleading to her. “The Winter Maiden should be protected at all costs, and I’m willing to ensure that she’s protected.” Winter explained, keeping her hands behind her back. James crossed his arms and shook his head.

           “No. I won’t accept your Resignation. I have a very important Mission for you, Miss Schnee.” James talked over her pleading. Winter sighed and looked annoyedly at him.

           “And that mission is, Sir?” Winter asked him.

           “I want you to go with Ruby and her group, and protect the Winter Maiden, the Spring Maiden, and Oscar. Understood?” James said, seeing Winter’s eyes widen. Oscar looked confused, then leaned closer to Qrow before bringing his hand up to dampen his voice.

           “Wait, what’s going on?” Oscar asked, confused.

           “It means we get Atlas funding from now on.” Qrow explained, getting murmurs from the rest of the group.

           “Sir! Yes Sir!” Winter said, smiling before standing back beside Weiss.

           “If that’s all, then we’ll let Jaune know and pack our stuff.” Ruby said. James’ eyes widened as she said this.

           “You mean he didn’t tell you?” James asked.

           Jaune walked out of the Mess Hall, holding both his tray and Neo’s, trying to make a beeline for her room.

           “Jaune!!!” Ruby cried out, making Jaune look over to her running up to him.

           “Ruby, what’s-” Jaune started before seeing her angry at him.

           “You’re staying here?!?” Ruby spat at him. Jaune sighed, turning around to face her.

           “Look, we’re still waiting for Neo’s trial, and my Sword’s still snapped.” Jaune said, shaking his hip, where Melodic Cudgel was strapped. “Roman told me to take care of Neo, and running off to who-knows-where just before her fate’s decided is not taking care of her.”

           “So what? You’re just gonna say goodbye to our mission to stop Salem?” Ruby barked at him, crossing her arms.

           “No…...I’m just…..gonna have to catch up later. I’m sorry, but…...I’m needed here.” Jaune said to her. Ruby sighed, then glared at him.

           “Fine. I’ll accept that you’re needed here.” Ruby told him, turning. “But it doesn’t mean Nora and Ren will. OR that any of us will like it.” Ruby walked off a bit before Petal Bursting away, the force throwing Jaune’s food against the young Huntsman’s chest.

           “Aw Beans…..” Jaune muttered to himself before setting the now empty tray under Neo’s to wipe himself off. Jaune sighed, resuming his walk before stepping towards large glass windows. Looking out at some of the cleanup outside, Jaune noticed a couple of Soldiers carrying a crate of debris with a black feather poking out of it. Jaune’s eyes widened as he rushed towards the exit.

           Blake and Yang lugged some large crates of Supplies that they now needed onto the Transport, Winter and Qrow manning the cockpit. Weiss checked all of the items they were taking with them off of her checklist, while Ruby was kneeling down to Maria.

           “I’m sorry I can’t come with you all, but these Schmucks don’t want to let me go without knowing they’ll be able to repair my eyes if they mess up.” Maria told Ruby, holding her face. “Just remember what I told you about using your eyes, and you’ll get the hang of them.”

           “Thanks, Maria. Make sure you write to us, alright?” Ruby told her.

           “I’m basically a Grandma. That’s a given.” Maria responded, ruffling her hair. “Make sure you take good care of Qrow too, having that big a secret out in the open now’s gonna be hard for him.”

           “I know.” Ruby said, standing up as Ren and Nora arrived, carrying their bags. Ruby smiled at them, before seeing Jaune behind them all, weaponless. “Jaune!”

           “Hey guys….” Jaune said, seeing them frown to him.

           “All this, and you just wanna throw it away?” Nora scolded him.

           “No, I just…..I wanna take a pause for the moment. I’ll come back, and I’ll make sure I pick up whatever slack I left.” Jaune assured them.

           “So, what? This is good-” Ren started before Jaune cut him off.

           “Don’t. Just…..don’t say Goodbye. The last two people that said that to me….I never saw again…...so, I don’t ever want to say Goodbye again. If anyone asks where I am…...then I’m just…..not there right now.” Jaune slowly said to them. “And you guys just aren’t here right now.” Ren and Nora looked between themselves, then nodded slowly.

           “Then we’ll be waiting for when you are here with us.” Ren said, moving close to him with Nora and the three giving each other hugs. Nora buried her face in Jaune’s shoulder, soaking it with her tears.

           “Don’t you go off and make us regret this, got it?” Nora said to him.

           “Only if you do the same, guys.” Jaune said to them, the three separating. “I’ll see you guys when I’m there.”

           “See you….” Nora said, heading onto the transport with Ren. Jaune stepped back as Penny skipped towards the Transport, stopping before Ruby.

           “I am here to board!” Penny said, her hands holding tight to a backpack over-top of her built-in backpack.

           “Penny and Penny’s bag…..check!” Weiss said, crossing that point off of her clipboard. “I’ll go ahead and take your bag-”

           “NO!!!” Penny reflexively said, shocking Ruby and Weiss. Reassessing her reaction, Penny laughed lightly. “It is okay, Weiss. I can carry it easily. No need to worry.” Penny hurried onto the Transport, taking her seat and waiting by herself. Once the Transport was loaded, Winter and Qrow began their flight, all of the passengers looking out to watch Jaune, Robyn, Maria, Willow, James and the Ace Ops all waving them as they flew off.

           Jaune walked up to Neo’s door in the moonlight, knocking gently. “Neo? Can I come in?” Jaune asked. Waiting for a moment, Jaune heard a light noise inside.

           Ding

           Gently taking the doorknob in hand, Jaune opened the door, seeing the young woman laying on the bed, in a knee-length nightgown and glaring at him. “Did I wake you?” Jaune asked her, having one hand behind his back. Neo rolled her eyes, typing fast and showing him the screen.

           “I was. What do you waNt?” Neo had typed.

           “Well, I just wanted to see if you were doing okay.” Jaune said to her.

           “I’m fiNe. I just waNt to tRy to Relax foR the Night.” Neo typed out to him in response.

           “Alright, I’ll leave you to it…..” Jaune said, starting to close the door. Neo began to lie back down before Jaune hesitated. “Neo?” Neo glared at him again, seeing him step back in.

           “What?” Neo scrawled out, now angry.

           “Well…..I saw this about to be thrown out, so I rushed over to save it….” Jaune said, pulling out Roman’s hat, making Neo sit upright with her eyes wide as dinner plates. “I figured…..since he can’t have it now, the next best person is the one he cared for most.” Jaune slowly held the hat out for her. Looking nervous, Neo slowly reached out, before snatching the hat from Jaune, balling herself up in the corner of her bed and the wall, holding the hat tightly to her. “Alright. Well, I’m gonna head off to bed, okay?” Jaune said to her. Turning around, Jaune stepped towards the door, opening it slowly.

           Ding

           Jaune turned his head, seeing Neo hurriedly typing a message out to him. Seeing a new expression on her face, Jaune waited for her to finish her message.

           “Would you miNd stayiNg with me toNight?” Neo wrote out. Jaune smiled, closing the door.

           “No problem.” Jaune said, walking over and laying down on the floor while Neo laid back down on the bed. “Goodnight, Neo.” Jaune waited for a moment, seeing her hand stretch out to show the screen again.

           “GoodNight, JauNe.”

           “Ugh!!! Why would you even do that you fucking idiot?!?!” Emerald screamed at Mercury, glaring at the Assassin.

           “Well, I wasn’t the one at the controls!” Mercury responded, arms crossed and scowling at her. The two were about to continue when Hazel placed his large hands on their shoulders.

           “The both of you, stop. It doesn’t matter now. The Transport’s dead, and we still need to get to the Capitol.” Hazel told them. “Let’s build a base camp and get back at it first thing in the morning, alright?”

           “Fine by me.” Mercury spat, glaring at Emerald.

           “Fine!!!”

Chapter Text

           Cinder gazed out of the window in Salem’s tower, seeing the Pools of Darkness slowly reforming, having been greatly used to make Monstro. Cinder shook her head lightly, hurrying back towards where she was summoned, seeing Salem, in a large black robe with several bandages wrapped around her legs and arms, and Watts, showing her information from a Datapad.

           “Tell me, Watts, with these infusions, how long will it be until my new Weapon’s finished?” Salem asked him.

           “By the current rate, it’ll be ready within the year.” Watts said, tapping several points on the Datapad.

           “See what you can do to try to speed it up. Mama’s eager to see this weapon fully operational…...” Salem said, smirking and leaning back in her throne, crossing her legs as she noticed Cinder entering. “Cinder. Have you recovered fully?”

           “Yes, Mistress…...are you recovered as well?” Cinder asked.

           “Not yet. I exhausted a great deal of Magic during our attack, and after having to rebuild my Body like I did, it’s taking longer than normal to restore.” Salem said, leaning on the side of her throne and resting her head in her hand. “Have you any news from Emerald, Mercury or Hazel?”

           “No, Mistress...” Cinder said slowly, unsure about the Ancient Woman’s reaction.

           “Hm. This is troubling. I want you to go to their last known location and investigate. We’ve been hit so hard after our attack, I want to know if we’ve lost them as well.” Salem told her. “If we lost our contingency, then I don’t want your power to be lost from me.”

           “I understand, Mistress.” Cinder said, bowing. Before she could turn, Salem added on.

           “And a word of warning, Cinder. With my body recovering as it is, outside of my Castle, the Grimm will attack you as normal. This is unfortunate, but it must be said before you try to associate with the ones in their world.” Salem warned.

           “I understand. I’ll tread lightly when around them then.” Cinder said. Salem stood slowly, easing her way over to Cinder, before holding the woman’s face in her pale white hands.

           “I’ve lost so much these past couple of months, if I were to lose you too, I don’t know what I’d do.” Salem said at her. Cinder smiled a bit, nodding.

           “I won’t fail you, Mistress.”

           Emerald sat before the fire, the night sky unseen in the forest canopy over the three. Mercury stared at the fire as well, tightening some screws on his knee. Hearing large footsteps, the two turned to face Hazel, with his pockets and arms full of several different kinds of fruit.

           “Dude, you know it’s okay to bag a Deer or a Rabbit sometimes, right?” Mercury asked the larger man.

           “It’s my belief that only one being deserves to die. Everything else deserves to live as long as Nature intended.” Hazel explained, setting some of the fruit down on a surface they cleared earlier and reaching into the branches above them, pulling down several limbs. Pulling away as many sharp points on the sides as possible, he handed two of them to the two younger people. Freeing his other hand, he pushed several of the softer fruits onto the limb, holding them over the fire to cook.

           “I, for one, am fine with a diet of veggies until we get back to society.” Emerald said, smirking as she took her branch with her. Walking to the fruit pile, Emerald started to put her dinner together when she heard a loud growling. Looking up, Emerald’s eyes widened at the sight before her. “Guys?”

           “What is it now-” Mercury started to say before being stopped, seeing a giant pack of Grimm staring at them all. “Um, Hazel? Is this normal?” Mercury asked. Not answering, Hazel stabbed the bottom of his dinner pike into the ground and stepped before Emerald.

           “All of you back off. We’re servants of your Mistress, Salem. Now leave us alone.” Hazel commanded them. Emerald slowly set the branch down, reaching behind her with her free hand to grab her weapon when the pack burst, rushing towards them.

           “EM! DOWN!” Mercury shouted. Reflexively dropping to the floor, Emerald watched as twin shots launched out right where her head was, exploding when coming in contact with the head of the pack. Whipping out Thief’s Respite, Emerald fired out several rounds to cut down the pack at their knees. Rushing his hands into his pockets, Hazel gripped two large Gravity Dust crystals and rammed them into his arms, screaming as he activated his Semblance while the energy flooded his body.

           “GET AWAY FROM US!!!!!” Hazel bellowed in his altered voice, punching one of the Grimm and shooting it in the crowd. Rolling up to aid him, Emerald flicked out the blades to her weapons and fired them at a rotting stump, twisting and hurling it towards Hazel, who launched that towards the Grimm as well. Mercury, meanwhile, ran towards them, dodging his allies blasts, and delivering several kicks, discharging a single round in the vital spots of the Grimm, taking them out with ease. After several minutes of this, the three watched as the remains of the pack ran off, tails tucked in fear.

           “Okay, what the hell was that?! I thought Salem put something on us or tagged us in the Minds of Grimm to be invisible or whatever.” Mercury asked.

           “This is bad. I’ve only seen this happen once before, when she got too close to a Volcanic vent and had to restore her body afterwards.” Hazel said.

           “Wait, so…..she had to reform herself? Does that mean-” Emerald began to ask when Hazel turned his head to her.

           “The Destruction of Atlas has failed. We lost.” Hazel said, causing Mercury and Emerald’s eyes to widen in horror.

           “Wait, seriously?! How could Salem lose with the Element of Surprise and Monstro the fucking Grimm Whale?” Mercury asked. “She even got Cinder and that weird mute girl!!!”

           “Guys…...what if she lost Cinder?” Emerald asked, worriedly. Hazel sighed, then gently patted her shoulder.

           “The Maiden Power transfer is nigh instantaneous. If she got killed, the Contingency would have kicked in by now. You’d be the Fall Maiden. Since you aren’t, then she’s still alive.” Hazel reassured her. “However, this does mean that until we complete our Mission, we now have the Grimm to contend with as well. I’ll keep first watch tonight. You two get some rest.”

           “Ngh…..fine….” Mercury said, walking back over to their disheveled campsite.

           Emerald trudged through the forest, all three of them now on high alert for if the Grimm attacked them while they were on their way. Hazel took up the rear, keeping a lookout.

           “What do you think happened?” Mercury asked the other two. “I think that Atlas somehow had a giant mech that we didn’t expect.”

           “That’s preposterous.” Hazel said. “More than likely, someone betrayed Salem’s trust, and now they’re on her shit list.”

           “Oh! I got it!” Mercury said, “There’s a bunch of Jackass Aliens fighting amongst each other while doing nothing but standing around talking and they caught Salem in the middle-” Mercury got stopped as Emerald groaned out hard before stomping as she turned around to face him.

           “THAT’S STUPID! YOU’RE STUPID! STOP BEING STUPID!!!!!” Emerald yelled at him, seeing him scowl at her in response.

           “Oh really? And who was it that crashed the fucking ship, Ms. High and Mighty?” Mercury retorted, balling his fists up.

           “Both of you, knock it off!” Hazel said.

           “SHUT UP!!!!” Mercury screamed at him, before turning his focus back to Emerald. “You know why you’re never gonna be anything more than a Contingency? Because Cinder couldn’t give two shits about you. You got her the powers, and she’s just tagging you along because she can’t let you go on your own without having to take you out. She just doesn’t want to have to put forth the effort to kill you!”

           “You’re goddamn wrong!!! She saved me, she cares for-” Emerald began before Mercury cut her off.

           “She’s not your goddamn Mother! You’re just a Street Rat she picked out of the gutter that was mildly useful to her!” Mercury screamed. Before either could interject more, the three shook as the ground around them shuddered. Looking towards the epicenter, they all jumped as a large Petra Geist came barreling towards them.

           “Enough fighting each other, let’s take this thing out now!” Hazel shouted, rushing over towards the front of the beast. Taking opposite sides to the stony creature, Emerald threw the chains of her weapon to Mercury, who caught them and planted them in the path of the Grimm, causing it to topple and the Geist to flee it’s body. Hazel then gripped the Grimm by the mask and crushed it in his bare palm, exhaling slowly afterwards. “Now, we should-” He began before they heard a loud crack from further down from their location. Hurrying towards, Emerald’s eyes widened as a large wooden dam, man made-looking in structural design, had the remains of the Geist’s torso in pieces, shooting water far out from the cracks slowly being made in the wood as it split.

           “Oh shit…..” Emerald said.

           “Oh well. So it made that burst a bit.” Mercury said. Emerald’s eyes widened as he said this.

           “What are you talking about?! We caused that thing to start bursting!” Emerald said. “This Dam means that there’s probably a village nearby, and if they did this to keep themselves from being drowned, then we’re about to kill them!” Emerald gripped her weapons tightly and began to rush down the slope of the dried up riverbed.

           “Emerald! What the fuck are you doing!!!!” Mercury asked, shocked at her change in demeanor.

           “She’s taking responsibility for her actions.” Hazel said, starting to follow her slowly. “We caused a problem. We have to be the Solution.” Mercury watched speechless as the large man walked after the dashing Emerald, growling and grunting in frustration, before sighing in acceptance.

           “Fine. It’s Hero Time then.” Mercury said, running after them.

           “Come on!!!!!” Emerald screamed as she lugged along the heavy trunk she shot apart and bringing it to the hole she dug. Shoving it as far as she can, she panted hard as the bottom of the log finally sank into the hole. “Now for number three…….” Emerald panted before hearing grunting. Looking towards where she was, her eyes widened as she saw Hazel carrying along three trunks on each shoulder.

           “Hurry up with the new holes, these are heavy.” Hazel told her. Emerald nodded, digging fast and moving out of the way while Hazel just sat a trunk down into the holes just as fast as she made them. “We should have a bunch of these logs felled before it, that way it’s harder for water to get past it and to strengthen it.”

           “Alright. If you dig out more post-holes, I’ll grab more logs to put behind them.” Emerald told him. Hazel nodded before she ran back up the steep bank to get back to the forested area she was getting the trees from. Hearing more grunting, Emerald was shocked further to see Mercury with several felled logs and trunks beside him, the assassin kicking another tree with enough force to knock it over.

           “About time you picked up some of these!” Mercury scolded her.

           “You’re helping?” Emerald asked.

           “Out of necessity. Easier to survive with two people helping you rather than just by yourself.” Mercury said, hurrying to another tree and delivering more kicks. Emerald rolled her eyes and grabbed as many of the logs as she could carry, dragging them along to where Hazel was digging out the trench for them to lay the logs down in.

           “Hurry, we’ve got water starting to come this way.” Hazel reminded her, motioning to a few thin streams of water rushing past them. Emerald nodded, tossing her bundle of logs into the trench before turning to get more. Spotting a few passerbys as she did, Emerald’s heart sank.

           “Go! Hurry! The Dam’s gonna break!!!!!!” Emerald shouted at them, firing a few rounds at their feet to get them to run off. Minutes later, after dragging several more logs and trunks over, Emerald’s eyes widened as what seemed to be an entire town rushing up towards them. “What’s wrong with you all!??!” She screamed at them, dropping the trunk she held.

           “We heard from our gatherers that some people were trying to fix where the Dam’s breaking. It should have lasted for generations.” One elder man asked. Emerald huffed in frustration as she kicked the trunk down to Hazel.

           “We were fighting a Geist and it crashed into the thing, it’s gonna break!!!” Emerald pleaded, trying to get them to run.

           “Well then, we should give you all a hand.” The elder said, making Emerald look bewildered while Hazel sighed in relief.

           “Our ally is in the forest, knocking down more trees. He should have more there.” Hazel shouted up to them. Seeing a portion sliding down into the riverbed with him, Emerald shrugged it off as she and several other villagers grabbed the trunk she had been carrying, bringing it easily to a hole between two other trunks and planting it down firmly. Several of the other villagers began applying a mixture of mud they were making with the water coming towards them to seal up the gaps between the trunks on the side that would be intercepting the water.

           “We got more to go, come on!!!” Emerald shouted, leading them up the bank into the woods, seeing several villagers chopping trees with axes before Mercury delivered a swift kick to them to topple them over.

           “I don’t know how you got this help, but I ain’t complaining!” Mercury shouted. Emerald nodded, panting hard with Mercury as she and others grabbed another trunk and some logs, hurrying it over. With the addition of the small town of people, what would have taken several hours was able to be tackled in under two. Just as they put the last trunk down to keep the logs in place, they all heard a loud snap, then a rush of water.

           “Here it comes!!!!!!!” A Villager shouted as the water rushed down the damp riverbed, hitting the hastily made Dam and began surging the barrier forward. Hazel rushed to the trunks, shoving his hands onto the structure to support it.

           “Hazel!!!!!” Emerald shouted, rushing to him with Mercury, trying to push with him.

           “My pockets! The Gravity Dust!” Hazel shouted to them. Reaching into both of his Dust pockets, they pulled out the last Gravity Dust Crystals in his possession. “Shove them in my legs, just above the front pockets!”

           “Hazel, we-” Emerald began to plead with him before he looked angrily at her.

           “DO IT OR WE ALL DIE!!!” Hazel shouted. Nodding to Mercury, both of them aimed their swings, then rammed the crystals through his pants and into his body as hard as they could. With a loud, bellowing roar, Hazel activated his Semblance, his lower legs and feet swelling, bursting the bottom half of his pants and shredding his boots as deep purple lines surged through his body. Slamming his feet down again, Hazel rooted himself in place.

           “We need to use whatever shots we can to help him!!!!!” Mercury said, lifting his leg up to check his rounds, ejecting the spent shells. Emerald did the same, hurrying to put what Ice and Earth Dust rounds she had into her weapons, trying to fire different pillars in to help hold the Dam in place. Just as they shot their last rounds, a handful of Villagers rushed down with more logs, lodging them in place beside their attempts. Another handful ran to them directly, with boxes of ammunition.

           “Here, our Smith said these should help out!” A Villager said as he began to help load up Talaria with as many rounds as they will hold.

           “Thanks, kid!” Mercury said, rushing to continue making pillars. Emerald followed suit as she helped. After several minutes, they finished, making Forty support pillars before Hazel was able to let go of the structure. Panting hard before pulling the bloody crystals out of his legs and dropping them, Hazel fell back, regaining his breath as he rubbed the wounds on his legs.

           “Thanks, guys…….” Hazel wheezed out, looking to the growing crowd around them.

           “Isn’t that Hazel Rainhart?” One Villager whispered.

           “The Mass Murderer?” Another questioned.

           “No, he’s the Unshakable Mountain…..” Another responded.

           “You’re both wrong. He’s one of those thugs that tried to sack Haven Academy.” Yet another said, giving a sour tone to the Villagers.

           “Come on…..” Emerald said, trying to help their colossal Mentor up with Mercury’s aid when they both hear the crowd murmur differently. Looking over they saw a person in a long brown robe with the hood up, hobbling towards them. Turning to get a better look, Emerald heard a female gasp, pinpointing it from this new person.

           “Emerald Fae Sustrai…….it’s you…..” The woman said gently, with hope in her voice. Hearing this, Emerald’s eyes widened as she instinctively grabbed her weapons and aimed at the woman.

           “WHO ARE YOU!?!?” Emerald shouted, not blinking as she shakily aimed at her.

           “You don’t remember?” The woman asked.

           “Em, what did she-” Mercury began to ask when Emerald cut him off.

           “No one knows me by that name! Not Cinder, not Salem, not even the damn government!!! How do YOU know it?!?!” Emerald panickedly said, tearing up. “HOW DO YOU KNOW ME?!?!?!?!” The woman frowned, reaching under her hood. Pulling it back, the woman revealed an aged, dark-tan face with Cyan eyes and Green and gray-streaked hair.

           “It’s me, sweetie. I’m your Mother.”

Chapter Text

           Hazel leaned against the building, keeping watch on the front porch as the many different villagers walked around the building, going on with their lives. Keeping his arms crossed and his expression stern, his head turned as he heard the screen door open.

           “Hazel, I brought you some Tea.” Emerald’s Mother said, smiling while holding the small cup. Gently bringing up his hand, Hazel gently refused.

           “I’m good, but thank you Holly.” Hazel politely said.

           “Don’t give me that. I’m an old woman, and I don’t take No for an answer when it comes to my cooking.” Holly told him. “Besides, this Tea helps repair tissues, which with your Semblance and Power-Increasing method, you need as much help with as possible.” Hazel shyly looked away before gently taking the cup from her.

           “Thank you, Ma’am….” Hazel quietly said to her before taking a sip.

           “That’s much better.” Holly said to him, “Are the pants and boots fitting? We normally don’t have such big people coming through here.” Holly looked to the tight-stretched denim jeans and large boots with two sets of laces on both boots to hold them closed.

           “They’ll manage for now. I just need to take care.” Hazel said, pausing for a moment. “Perhaps I should avoid crouching. I might not be able to get up decently.” Hazel tipped his head back, drinking the last of the tea in the cup before handing it back to her. Holly nodded, putting it back on the saucer.

           “You know, you’re welcome inside too.” Holly told him.

           “Thanks, but I’d prefer to be out here. Might make things crowded in there.” Hazel replied, resuming his watch.

           “Alright, but if it gets nasty out here, come inside.” Holly said to him, stepping inside to where Mercury and Emerald were sitting. Emerald was glaring at her while Mercury just finished off his third cup of tea.

           “I don’t know how, but you made this really good. I don’t even like tea!” Mercury said eagerly, getting a smile.

           “Thank you, Mercury.” Holly said, pouring him another cup. Looking over to Emerald, Holly noticed that she was still sitting angrily, her cup untouched. “You haven’t had any, Emerald?”

           “I want answers. What do you mean you’re my Mother?” Emerald demanded. Holly sighed and sat before them, reaching down and unlatching a few belts before taking off the wooden spike she used for a leg.

           “I meant every word of it. Your Father and I had you when we were just married, but I lost both of you. How I’m so glad you’re back.” Holly said to her.

           “How?! I don’t even remember you!!!!” Emerald shouted, seeing Holly’s face fall.

           “Oh dear…….the Human brain and Trauma….” Holly said, before pulling her chair along, scooting with her one foot moving the wheels, moving right beside Emerald and bringing her hands up. “Hold Still.” Emerald pulled her head back, in shock.

           “What are you doing?” Emerald asked her, shocked.

           “My Semblance allows me to briefly enter your mind and, if need be, undo mental barriers you may have unknowingly put up.” Holly explained. Emerald’s eyes shifted as she thought.

           “Will it hurt?” The young woman asked.

           “Only if I have to force my way inside.” The elder woman responded.

           “…..is it possible for me to see?” Mercury asked, leaning over to see both of them.

           “If she wants you to. You need to put your hand on her shoulder the moment I touch her temples.” Holly explained. Mercury looked to Emerald, the latter blushing gently before looking back to her Mother.

           “Alright….” Emerald said to her Mother, nodding. “You can come into my head.” Emerald then turned back to face Mercury and put her finger right in his face. “You make one ‘I’m inside you’ joke and I’m shoving Hazel’s boot right up your ass so far Doctors’ll have to perform brain surgery on you to clip his toenails!” She ordered him.

           “Alright, alright, jeez…..” Mercury responded, holding his hands up in a show of pleading before hovering his hand over her shoulder, Emerald looking her Mother in the eyes.

           “On the count of three…..” Holly said, putting her hands in place. “Three!!!” She shouted, putting her hands on Emerald’s temples while Mercury rushed to grab Emerald’s shoulder.

           “MAMA!!!!!!” A 7-year old Emerald shouted amongst the busy crowd, looking very panicked and scared.

           “Em?” Mercury asked, standing a distance away with Holly.

           “This is as far back as her memory allows of her life. Her Block is somewhere near here.” Holly said to him. Mercury looked to her, before his eyes widened as she stood beside him. Looking down, he was not only shocked to see she had her missing leg back, but his legs were back and attached to his body as well.

           “What the fuck’s going on?!?” Mercury asked before getting smacked on the forehead. “OW!!!”

           “Language, Young Man!” Holly said to him. “We’re guests in her mind, we need to be mobile, so any parts lost are regained.”

           “…..that’s…..” Mercury started, wiggling his exposed toes.

           “Overwhelming?” Holly finished for him.

           “Yeah. Massively.” Mercury said.

           “Well, come on. We’ve got limited time to find the block in here.” Holly told him.

           “ What’ll it look like?” Mercury asked her.

           “ Depends. Sometimes they’re l ike the worst Grimm you’ve ever seen.” Holly said to him, leading him through the crowd, “ Sometimes they’re just a person who’s been in control of them for a long time.” Holly turned to face him as she continued to lead him. “Either way, we should be very cautious. If we fall in here, then we’ll never wake up out there.”

           “ Right. We screw up bad here, we don’t go home.” Mercury said. Holly nodded when she heard a familiar voice being spoken at by an unfamiliar to her one.

           “ Remember. You’re nothing without me…...” Spoke a figure in black, standing before the current-aged Emerald, staring deep into her eyes as she knelt before the figure.

           “ EMERALD!!!!” Mercury shouted, seeing the figure reveal themself to be Cinder, with a pale white face, black limbs, and several bony white plates along her body, a long horn coming from where her missing eye was. “What the?!?”

           “My my, Mr. Murder’s here too? This is a shock….” The Grimm Cinder cackled, snapping herself around to face him in an unnatural way. Mercury gritted his teeth, before rushing towards her.

           “Mercury, stop!!!!” Holly called out to no avail. Mercury, twisted around and dealt a kick hard to the Grimm Cinder’s face.

           ‘Fire!!!!!’ Mercury thought to himself, but his eyes widened as he realized that with his real legs, the firing mechanisms in his feet weren’t there. Before he could think of a plan, Grimm Cinder’s bony fingers gripped his leg tightly and hurled him into a building, knocking him through the wall. “What the hell…...” Mercury found himself being lifted by a glowing gold aura, brought out of the building as it rebuilt itself with the same aura. Looking over, he saw Holly’s hands stretched like they were controlling a puppet with each finger, cloaked in the same aura.

           “Your normal fighting style won’t work here. I, on the other hand.” Holly explained, setting him down and focusing on Grimm Cinder. “Have all the power here.” Holly grabbed a large vehicle with her powers, hurling it at the apparition and squashing it. Rushing over, Mercury helped up the Emerald he knew and hurried to Holly.

           “Is that it?” Mercury asked, before seeing the vehicle lift.

           “It never is.” Holly replied, readying a ball of energy between her hands as she moved them around to make the ball grow.

           “Then how do we stop her?!” Mercury asked.

           “Apparitions like that I can stay for a bit, but so personalized as they are, only the person I’m inside can truly put them down once they accept how much of a hold they have on them!” Holly said, launching the ball at Grimm Cinder, making it burst and form into energy chains to pin her on her knees. Mercury looked to Emerald, who’s eyes appear glossed over, and gulped as he formulated a plan.

           “Emerald…..” Mercury held her shoulders, “You gotta accept this. Cinder is just using you for the contingency. She doesn’t care about you.”

           “But…...she…...found-” Emerald started to say before Mercury cut her off.

           “She saw something she liked and could use! Look at us!!!” Mercury said, holding his hand out to show Holly, struggling to hold the Grimm Cinder down. “Holly just found you again and she’s willing to risk her life to help you, with barely two hours of knowing you again!” Mercury explained, swallowing down his regrets, “And I’m here! I’m here because you’re my best friend. I want you to succeed! But you won’t do anything other than be another pawn for Cinder if you let her do this!!!!”

           “….Merc…..” Emerald said, her eyes watering a bit before both were cut off by Holly, crying in anguish as Grimm Cinder strained the chains more. Drawing in a large breath, Mercury moved his hands to Emerald’s face, getting her attention on him again.

           “You’re the only one who can stop her!!!” Mercury said, pulling her closely and giving her a long, deep kiss. Emerald’s eyes blinked in shock for a second, before closing and holding him in contempt. Parting with her, Mercury smirked at her. “Now show that bitch what you’re capable of without her.” Emerald blinked, her eyes normal again, a blush on her face spreading as she nodded, gripping a nearby pipe. Emerald walked up to Grimm Cinder, glaring at her.

           “You’re weak! Nothing without me!!!” Grimm Cinder screeched at her.

           “Then why did I make it out of Haven? Why did I not have to prove my place?” Emerald responded, gripping the pipe tightly. “And why am I not the one in chains?” Emerald pulled her arms back, swinging hard and knocking the apparition in the head, causing the horn to get cracked and Grimm Cinder scream in agony. Taking another swing, Emerald aimed right at her horn, snapping it off and causing black smoke to start erupting from the hole in the being’s head.

           Emerald gasped as they all woke up, gripping the table tightly. Holly panted, rubbing her own temples while Mercury reached down to where his legs were, gripping onto the machinery underneath. Emerald looked over to Holly, gripping her tightly in a hug. “Thank you….” Emerald began, getting a hug in return from Holly.

           “It’s just a starting point. For further help, which is always needed, I recommend a proper doctor.” Holly told her, then looking to Mercury. “Now, let me know, young man, if you ever want me to undo what Marcus did.” Hearing this, Mercury’s eyes widened as he slowly looked to her.

           “H-How do you-” Mercury began to ask, absolutely terrified when she smiled and patted his shoulder.

           “I’ve had to restore the Semblances of his Victims several times over when he just leaves them for dead.” Holly explained. “He told you he can just rip it away from you, didn’t he?” Mercury nodded slowly, staring and listening to the woman’s every word. “He lied. Shocker, I know.” Holly leaned back, moving herself back around to the other side of the table. “His Semblance allows him to put up a Mental Block in his Subjects, frequently done to prevent them from using their Semblance.”

           “W-wait, you mean-” Mercury began before Holly nodded.

           “Your Semblance can be reactivated. I just have to step into your mind this time.” Holly explained. Emerald looked to him curiously.

           “Can I step in this time?” Emerald asked. Mercury frowned, then shook his head gently.

           “Dealing with him…….I don’t want you to have to see what he put me through…..not yet at least…..” Mercury said slowly.

           “Well, I wouldn’t be able to do it today anyway. With Marcus involved, I prefer to be at full strength before attempting.” Holly said, putting her spike back on her leg and standing slowly. “You three can stay here until we’re ready.” Holly limped over to the door, seeing a concerned Hazel right beside it. “You can stay in here too. I always have the guest room ready.” Holly smiled at them.

           Later that night, Emerald sat on the bed given to her by her Mother, in a tank top and sleep pants, looking over at Mercury, walking in in just sleep pants, sitting on the bed opposite her.

           “God, I forgot how awesome a nice hot shower feels after a long day….” Mercury said, stretching out his front foot pads towards her. Emerald smiled a bit, before blushing as a thought popped back into her head.

           “Hey, Merc?” She asked him, hearing him vocalize interest in her question. “Back when we were in my head…..why’d you kiss me?” Mercury’s eyes widened as he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck.

           “Oh….um….well…...uh…….” Mercury stammered before the door opened, revealing Hazel, still in jeans and shirtless, exposing his completely scarred chest. Emerald’s eyes widened as she stared, not spotting an inch of unscarred skin on his chest.

           “Once we’re finished with our business here, we need to leave. I don’t want to risk jail time when we still have a mission to do.” Hazel said. He then grabbed a chair and moved it over, using it to help guide him down onto the floor so he doesn’t rip his jeans. “Go ahead and get some rest, you guys.”

           “N-night….” Mercury said sheepishly, pulling his legs under the covers.

           “Night…..” Emerald said, lying back and staring up at the ceiling.

           “Are you sure you three need to leave now?” Holly asked as they packed the stuff she gave to take with them.

           “We appreciate your Hospitality, Ma’am. We really do.” Hazel said calmly, “However, some of your town were able to easily identify us. We need to keep moving to stay safe.”

           “Right, your ‘Mission’.” Holly gently mocked, Emerald frowning as she thinks about their cause. “Mercury, remember what allows your Semblance to work again.”

           “Happy thoughts, right…….kind of a low well on that one.” Mercury said, tightening up the drawstring on his bag and slinging it on himself. Emerald rolled her eyes before moving more stuff in her bag and seeing a small, aged stuffed monkey.

           “What’s this?” Emerald asked, picking the thing up, spotting one of its arms deflated of the stuffing while the other arm is nearly bursting at the seams of it.

           “Oh, that’s your old Stuffed Animal.” Holly said, walking over to Emerald. “We got it at a Carnival when you were four, you managed to toss a ring onto a bottle against the odds and won it. I kept having to re-stitch it since it was quickly made before they got there and you carried it everywhere with you.” Holly smiled as she looked at the aged toy. “His name was ‘Huggy’ if I remember correctly.”

           “Huggy, huh?…..” Emerald said as she stared at the old toy. Holly smiled, placing her hand on it and Emerald’s hands.

           “Take it with you, sweetie. That way you’ll never forget me.” Holly said.

           “M-Mom, I can’t-” Emerald started to say before getting cut off.

           “I insist.” Holly said, putting the stuffed animal in her bag, zipping it closed before gently lifting it to Emerald’s arms. Emerald slowly took the bag, before adjusting it so she could hug Holly again.

           “I’m gonna miss you….” Emerald whispered to her.

           “I know.” Holly whispered back. Separating from Emerald, Holly focused on Hazel. “Hazel dearie, are you sure you don’t want me to take a peek in your head before you leave?”

           “Thank you for the offer, but I’m good. If I change my mind, I’ll come back.” Hazel said to her. Putting the bag on his back, Hazel placed the Dust Crystals provided by the town into the pouches on his sides, fully loaded once more.

           “We’ll try to write as much as we can.” Emerald told her.

           “Alright, sweetie. Have fun with your ‘World Domination’ you have going on.” Holly said, waving to them as they exited. All three waved as they slowly made their way out of town, headed towards Shade Academy.

           “Well, the Base seems alright.” Ruby said, stretching her legs out while Winter and Qrow examined the Base’s interior, the rest of their group looking around at the bustling Atlas Base.

           “Yeah, just like the ones at Atlas, just a lot less strict.” Nora said, seeing a pair of Officers walk by in Floral button-up shirts and slacks.

           “Hey, don’t blame us. We got drafted.” One of them said as they passed by.

           “I just hope Shade isn’t like this. Far too loose from what we just got through.” Weiss said, helping Yang and Blake unload the shuttle’s cargo onto a cart. Penny, meanwhile, flew around excitedly through the canopy overhang, cheering.

           “THIS IS SEN. SATIONAL!!! I LOVE THESE TREES!!!!!” Penny excitedly said, landing before all of them again.

           “Well, at least we have strong Positivity to fight off Negativity.” Ren said calmly, seeing Qrow and Winter walking back towards them, the latter muttering to herself while typing furiously on a Scroll.

           “Is….everything okay?” Oscar asked.

           “Yeah, Ice Queen here just doesn’t like that they took to Vacuo’s ‘Laid Back’ Lifestyle.” Qrow said calmly, getting a glare from Winter as she paused her furious typing.

           “There’s a difference between ‘Lax’ and ‘We’re basically unguarded and open to attacks if someone put forth the effort!!!’” Winter replied, resuming her typing, “Everything I saw will be going back to General Ironwood immediately!”

           “Well, I’m glad you’re still focused, Winter.” Weiss responded, hearing Ruby chuckle at the former Heiress’ sarcasm.

           “So, did we get directions to Shade too?” Ruby asked Qrow.

           “Yeah, trouble is that it’ll take about two weeks. The terrain’s too rough for most Transports. Our Cart’s gonna be the only thing with wheels for a while.” Qrow replied, rubbing the back of his head. Looking up, his eyes widened as he laid eyes upon Yang. “Yang…..is that…..”

           “Mom’s?” Yang said, stopping to gently touch the Bandanna now wrapped around her neck like an ascot. “Yeah. This way, it’s like she’s here, guarding me. Guarding us.” Yang smiled a bit. Qrow chuckled, smiling back.

           “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s hurry to Shade!!!” Ruby said excitedly.

Chapter Text

           Ruby and her team trudged through the woods, on Day Four of their trek along the path to Shade Academy. Ruby kept an eye out for Grimm, staying around the middle of the group with Oscar. Winter and Qrow took up the lead and rear of the group, respectively, while Penny, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Nora and Ren were spaced around both the supply cart and between either Ruby and Qrow or Ruby and Winter. Looking over at Nora and Ren walking while holding the other, at Weiss walking with Penny, the latter following and helping move the cart, and Yang following Blake as the latter read one of the books she brought with her, Oscar blushed when looking to Ruby.

           “You know, you can always say what you’re beginning to feel to her.” Ozpin spoke to the young man.

           ‘No way! I don’t want to say anything that might screw up the relationship we have. I just want to take it slow.’ Oscar thought, sending it to Ozpin.

           “You need to talk to her about it now, before you may lose the opportunity.” Ozpin told him.

           ‘What do you mean?’ Oscar asked him.

           “You know how I had to force control over your body while Miss Rose was captured?” Ozpin asked him.

           ‘Yeah….’ Oscar said nervously.

           “Unfortunately, that reduced the time we had before Harmonic Convergence.” Ozpin explained.

           ‘Harmonic Convergence?’ Oscar asked.

           “It’s what happens when it comes time for us to stop sharing bodies and become one singular being.” Ozpin explained.

           ‘Oh…..well, what happens? Do we just, pick whoever takes control?’ Oscar asked.

           “It changes every time, so I’m unsure. Either I’ll take over, and all of your memories will transfer to me, You’ll take over, and all of my memories will transfer to you, or our minds will cease to exist, and instead will re-meld into one singular being with both Memory sets.” Ozpin explained.

           ‘Oh crap….how long does it normally take?’ Oscar asked.

           “Ten to Fifteen years.” Ozpin explained, “Using my Magic or me taking too long of a control hold drastically reduces the time.”

           ‘How long do we have then?’ Oscar asked.

           “A little less than three years.” Ozpin explained. Oscar’s eyes widened as he stopped dead in his tracks.

           “WHAT?!?!?” Oscar shouted, gripping his head. The group, upon hearing this, instantly turned to face him.

           “Oscar? What’s wrong?!” Ruby asked, concerned.

           “Ozpin was just telling me about something called ‘Harmonic Convergence’.” Oscar explained.

           “Oh, so he was explaining that, huh?” Qrow asked.

           “What’s that?” Nora asked.

           “It’s where Ozpin and whoever he’s sharing a body with become just one mind. So, what spooked ya? The Melding thing?” Qrow explained briefly.

           “No, he said we have less than Three Years now!” Oscar said, getting gasps from the others.

           “That’s horrible!!!” Weiss said.

           “Calm down, calm down!” Qrow said. “There’s a chance that Oscar’ll be the one that makes it out of the Convergence. I say let’s hope for that option to be the one that happens.” Qrow reassured them. Winter nodded, then turned back to face where they were walking.

           “Come on, we’re burning time we don’t have to get to Shade Academy.” Winter pleaded, picking up the pace for the entire group. Oscar sighed, then heard Ozpin in his head again.

           “I’m sorry, Oscar. I never wanted this to happen to you.” Ozpin told him.

           ‘So what? Now I just wait for you to be me?’ Oscar thought to him.

           “No. Now we must make sure we defeat Salem before Harmonic Convergence. And until we do….” Ozpin trailed off for a moment, “Enjoy every moment you have with Miss Rose. Don’t falter in your choice and live to regret it. I do for my choices with Salem, every moment I’m aware of anything.”

           Yang followed Blake as they walked, peering over her Girlfriend’s shoulder, reading the book she was reading as well. Doing so was a rather easy task, as Blake took two to three minutes to read a page, the young Faunus savoring every word on the page. Yang knew nothing of the general story, since Blake was in the middle of one of the middle volumes of the series she was in, but Yang could at least be entertained as she read the book. Getting to one part on the other page that Blake hadn’t gotten to yet, Yang smirked as she thought of a way to instantly tease Blake.

           “And then Jack turned to Yusei and said “Come over here and kick my engines into Overdrive!!”” Yang said loudly, projecting to the group and causing Blake’s face to instantly turn red from embarrassment. Yang laughed gently before feeling a pine cone tossed at the back of her head, seeing Ruby frown.

           “Yang, I don’t need my Sister reading her Girlfriend’s Filth out loud to the entire group!” Ruby barked to her.

           “Alright, alright…...” Yang said, holding onto Blake’s hips as she continued, the Faunus trying to hide her face in her closed book. Weiss rolled her eyes as she continued tugging the cart along, Penny behind it.

           Ruff!!

           Weiss’s ears perked up hearing this noise from behind her. “Penny, was that you?” Weiss asked, befuddled.

           “Was what me?” Penny asked quickly, putting her hands on the bag she’s carrying with her.

           “I could swear I just heard a dog noise.” Weiss said, continuing tugging.

           Bark!!!

           “ssh!!” Penny quietly said to herself before Weiss turned around to face her.

           “Okay, now I know I just heard a dog bark. Are you playing with us?” Weiss asked her.

           “Y-yes! I am trying to imitate animal sounds I would like to meet.” Penny said, altering her voice box to imitate several different sounds, seeing Weiss roll her eyes.

           “Well knock it off at least until we get Camp set up.” Weiss told her, seeing Penny nod fast several times, turning around and not seeing her sigh in relief. Qrow raised his eyebrow at the young girl, before his ear caught a noise separate from the group. Qrow stopped in his tracks, gripping his sword and quickly pulling it out and extending the main blade, causing the group to stop, getting their weapons out instantly.

           “Show yourselves!” Qrow shouted, waiting a few moments before a group of Raiders popped out of the underbrush, simplistic weapons already ready. Standing before Qrow after walking out to face him, was an arrogant-looking male, smirking at the refined Huntsman.

           “So, you noticed us, huh ‘Pops’?” The young man snarked to him. “Gotta say, pretty neat for an old man.”

           “I’m old, I got it.” Qrow calmly said. “You guys want to take our stuff, I guess.”

           “You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” He asked him.

           “I’ve been on your side before. Ever heard of the Branwen tribe?” Qrow asked.

           “I heard of them. Bunch of weirdos. Heard there were only two left.” The man boasted.

           “Congratulations then. You just met the younger of the two, with the older’s daughter in tow.” Qrow responded, trying to intimidate him.

           “Oh, is that so?” He said, twisting his weapon in his hand. “Guess we get to kidnap and ransom you all then too.”

           “You wish.” Qrow said, bolting forward and shifting to his bird form, making the young man’s eyes widen as he brought his weapon up, barely catching the slash back as Qrow shifted back and attacked, knocking him back and landing. “GIRLS, NO MERCY!” Ruby nodded, barely glancing back as she pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose, firing a round and launching herself forward while also knocking out one of the Raiders in front of Weiss. Twisting herself around, Ruby started slashing at several, trying to knock them out primarily.

           “Penny, cover me!” Weiss shouted to the young Maiden, preparing the Arma Gigas glyph before her. Penny quickly rose to the air, bringing up Floating array around her, switching them to blaster mode and firing in all directions at various Raiders getting too close. Ren and Nora rushed towards the cart as well, firing rounds as well to help defend their supplies. Yang, meanwhile, was launched by Blake swinging her towards the group, quickly punching her way through them to break their surrounding hold. Tossing Gambol Shroud into a tree, Blake swung herself out as well to aid Yang, the two double-teaming several of the men around them. Oscar rushed to Winter, tripping up several of the Raiders, quickly bowing back to keep himself from getting hard at some of her sword swings.

           “RUBY, BURST!” Qrow said, bringing his sword back as he took aim at several raiders around her getting back up. Ruby, without hesitation, quickly activated Petal Burst and rushed above them, landing far from them. Qrow quickly rushed towards the group, switching Harbinger’s mode to Scythe, as he swung and cut all of their heads off cleanly at the neck. Seeing this, Ruby’s eyes widened in horror, then seeing Qrow land, switch Harbinger back to Sword mode and twist the large blade back, stabbing another Raider in the chest, the massive blade pushing through out of his back. “COME ON, RUBY!!!” Qrow shouted to her, seeing the young girl’s eyes widen in horror at his actions. Quickly shifting and coming before her, Qrow grabbed Crescent Rose and twisted, impaling a Raider on its back spikes and throwing him away. “Get up!!!!”

           “Qrow, we’re-” Ruby started to plead before Qrow glared at her, with a look she had never seen before.

           “IF YOU DON’T THEN WE’LL DIE!!!!!” Qrow shouted, giving her her weapon back and continuing his attack, slashing hard and fast. Ruby’s eyes welled with tears before she dropped Crescent Rose, falling to her knees.

           “….but they’re people…..” Ruby squeaked out, completely unaware of a Raider spotting her and taking advantage, rushing up to her, his weapon raised.

           “RUBY!!!!!” Weiss shouted, focusing on her partner. Penny looked over, then grabbed her pack and tossed it towards her.

           “NOW!!!!” Penny shouted, seeing the pack pulse before exploding into ribbons, revealing an orange, green and black-painted robotic dog, quickly transforming out and flying to the Raider, biting him directly in the throat and ripping out his jugular.

           “BARK!!!!!!!” The robotic dog bellowed, the view-port it had for eyes showing red, angry eyes. Quickly extending several blades out of its paws and at the end of its tail, the machine quickly moved around and ripped Raiders apart as they got closer and closer to Ruby, preventing any from getting close to the girl, who by now was hyperventilating and clutching her head, completely losing it. Yang and Blake rushed over to hold Ruby close, Weiss joining in after being thrown there by her Summon. Ruby sat on her knees, hyperventilating while her teammates held onto her, shouting at her to snap out of it, while the leader walked up to them. With the Robotic Dog digging into a different Raider, Qrow’s eyes widened in horror as he saw what was about to happen.

           “RUBY!!!!!!!!!” Qrow screamed, about to leap into Bird form again, but halted with everyone as a bright blue burst hit the Leader in the back, sending him flying to be intercepted by the Dog, biting his stomach open. Hearing this activity, Ruby looked up, tears in her eyes as she saw where the blast came from.

           “NOW!!!!!” Jaune shouted out, gripping Neo’s hand tightly and taking aim with her as the pair made several firing passes, taking out Raiders left and right before letting go, the jet boots they both wore shutting off and the two extended their weapons out to float down on top of the supply cart. Jaune drew his sword, the blade thinner than before, and rushed towards the nearest Raider, attacking him with brutal tenacity. Neo, meanwhile, lept at another, shattering just before she got to him and reappearing as she tripped him and stabbed him in the back of his ankle with her Umbrella. Qrow, smirking, worked with the two, Winter, and Weiss’ Armor Gigas to quickly either kill the other Raiders or send them limping away in fear. Qrow, panting hard, looked at the two, Jaune back in his armor with his messy hair back, as well as the new boots and gauntlets on him, Neo now adorned in a waist-length pink and white floral short-sleeved kimono, black tights and the same boots and gauntlets as Jaune, the sash around her waist having a long trail behind her, reaching her feet.

           “What took you guys so long?” Qrow asked. Jaune chuckled, then rubbed the back of his neck.

           “It’s a bit of a long story.”

Chapter Text

           “So wait, they just let her go?!” Ren asked sharply.

           “Well, not entirely.” Jaune said. “They agreed that, she had performed several heinous crimes in the past and needed to be punished for that, but also that she had tried to turn her life around with Roman.” Jaune gently put his hand on Neo’s shoulder, who was sitting beside him, smiling and trying to be warm and happy.

           “So they gave her Community Service?” Nora asked, annoyed.

           “8000 Hours, so she’ll be doing at least a year’s worth of helping the Community. Luckily, General Ironwood offered to allow her to come aid on the mission, since that’s technically helping the Community. They agreed, provided I became her Parole Officer.” Jaune explained further.

           “And you just expect us to let her join us like nothing’s an issue?!” Ren demanded, eyes narrowed and very irritated. Neo frowned, then pulled out her Scroll and typed fast, before turning the screen around to show them.

           “I kNow that it’ll take some time to get your tRust, if I eveR get it at all. I’d waNt to be fRieNds with you guys, but I kNow that boat is pRobably alReady sailed. But I do waNt to help take that bitch out. She took eveRythiNg fRom me….” Neo typed out to them. Nora’s eyes widened as she read the message, looking to Ren. Ren’s eye twitched, then he sighed.

           “’Friends’ is pushing it right now.” Ren told her. “We’ll work with you to try to get Salem taken out. Our Trust, however” Ren added, “Is something we’ll have to see if you’ve earned.” Nora nodded, and Neo typed again.

           “TheN I woN’t let you dowN.” Neo had typed out, smiling at them. Yang walked up, her hands on her waist, smirking.

           “Well, if you don’t try to kill us, that’ll be fine with me.” Yang told her. Neo nodded, and Winter stepped up as well.

           “While this is good news, I must ask where you got those gauntlets and boots from. They look like Atlas Tech, but I hadn’t seen anything like them before I left.” Winter asked.

           “They’re Prototypes. We’re testing them out. Some of the Scientists were trying to replicate some of the stuff Penny can do.” Jaune explained. Penny looked at her hand, giving the robotic dog pets with the other one.

           “Trying to replicate me?” Penny asked.

           “They don’t have much headway, since…..y’know...” Jaune sheepishly said. “But they did manage to make these from observation alone.”

           “How do they work?” Nora asked. Jaune held out his hand to Neo.

           “Well, for one, unless they’re connected, they’re useless. We have to hold hands to operate them properly.” Jaune explained, Neo gripping his hand and their gauntlets and boots humming as they gained power. Without moving a muscle, they both activated their boots, letting them hover for a few seconds before letting go of each other and dropping as the power was cut off.

           “That looks really fun.” Yang said.

           “Yeah, it is. We’ve still got to test these things as far as they’ll go.” Jaune said, looking over to the Robotic Dog. “So, what’s up with the dog?” Winter’s eyes perked up hearing this.

           “Yes, I was wondering that myself, because it looks just like that Device I told her to destroy.” Winter said, in a scolding tone.

           “I am sorry, however I just could not let Spyro be destroyed!” Penny responded, hugging the robot, who’s eyes were blue and happy.

           “Spyro?” Blake asked, hiding behind Yang.

           “I decided that, since I rebuilt him to be better, that he deserved a new name!” Penny said, Spyro using his metal tongue to “lick” her. The group gently agreed, before readying themselves to find a spot to make camp for the evening. Weiss, meanwhile, had her Arma Gigas lift her and Ruby onto his shoulder and carry them there.

           “Alright, let’s start up Dinner.” Weiss said, setting up their portable stove. Neo immediately rushed up, eager to help. “You know how to cook?” Neo nodded, typing out on her Scroll.

           “RomaN aNd I had to suRvive oN veRy little, so we kNew how to make the most out of aNy iNgRedieNt.” Neo wrote out to Weiss. Weiss peered over, then gave it some thought.

           “Alright, just let me know how I can help out. And please remember we have to keep this rationed out until we get to Shade.” Weiss reminded her. Neo nodded, then peered through their supplies, before pulling out some vegetables, mimes chopping and holds her fingers together to indicate size. “Julienne these, got it.” Weiss said, getting a knife and chopping board to cut them as requested.

           Ruby sat from the group, knees tucked up to her chin, Crescent Rose condensed at her feet as she stared at the weapon, seeing the different color of red on its paint job where blood splattered on it. Ruby was lost in her own head until she felt a hand on her shoulder, snapping back to reality. Looking up, she saw Qrow looking sad.

           “Hey Kiddo…….you alright?” Qrow asked her. Ruby frowned, looking away from him. “Guess that answers that.” Qrow looked at Crescent Rose, seeing the blood still on it. “You mind opening her up?” Ruby nudged it with her foot, sending it clattering to the ground. Qrow sighed, then began to talk to her when she cut him off.

           “Why did you have to kill them?” Ruby asked him, on the verge of tears.

           “Ruby-” Qrow began when she cut him off again.

           “We could have just knocked them out, or tripped them up, or scared them off, or-” Ruby continued when Qrow began to interject.

           “Ruby, we-” Qrow began when she shot him a rage-and-anguish fueled look.

           “NO, QROW!” Ruby spat out. “WE’RE THE GOOD GUYS, WE DON’T GO AROUND KILLING PEOPLE!!!”

           “I KNOW THAT!” Qrow shouted back, before regaining his composure. “I know, Ruby, and I hate that we had to do that.” Qrow gave her a serious look, pulling up a stump and putting Crescent Rose in his lap, slowly unfurling it out to full length. “Ruby, you have to understand. I grew up with people like those guys. People who didn’t care who they hurt, how they hurt, or when they hurt.” Qrow pulled out a cloth and began wiping the blood off of the blades of Crescent Rose. “I was raised and trained that if I encountered other groups, then I was to intimidate with the Family Name, and if that failed, show no mercy.” Hearing this made Ruby’s eyes widen, shocked at the information.

           “So…..when-” Ruby began when Qrow continued.

           “I fell back into my old mindset when I heard them around us and basically told us they were gonna rob us. I knew what I was doing wasn’t right, that it went against everything I re-taught myself….” Qrow looked to Ruby, tears in his eyes. “But the only thing I could think of was ‘I don’t want to lose her too. Not again.’” Qrow wiped his eyes, sniffing to try to calm himself. “I regret taking every life I’ve taken. But I needed to do every single one.”

           “But it’s wrong!” Ruby pleaded to him. Looking up at her, Qrow began to condense her now cleaned weapon.

           “Ruby, the people we fight; Salem, Cinder, Hazel, Mercury, Emerald, Watts, the Raiders, even Tyrian back when he was alive. They all went into the fights we were in, ready to kill any of us to ensure that they’d win.” Qrow said, swallowing a lump in his throat. “They’ve already badly injured Weiss once, and…...you know….” Qrow looked over to Jaune, who was setting up his and Neo’s tents. “Whenever we fight them, we may choose to keep our ideals, to fight with honor and discipline, but when push comes to shove, when its either them or you, you just have one choice. Do you keep to your ideals and let them kill you, or do you choose to live.” Qrow handed Ruby back her weapon, the young girl gingerly taking it. “Jaune made his choice to live. Yang and Blake made their choice. You can ask them how they felt about it, or you can wait for the time for the Choice to come to you.”Qrow stood up, looking to her. “I’ve made my choice. I won’t let anyone take my Daughter from me. Not after losing Summer. Not after losing Raven.” Qrow then began to walk back to the group, while Ruby stayed on the outer side of the camp.

Chapter Text

           The group sat around the campfire, enjoying the food that Neo made. “This is most scrumptious!” Penny said, chewing happily.

           “I’m surprised you’re even able to eat, Penny.” Nora said to her, her mouth full.

           “My Father wanted me to be able to blend in as much as possible. I can taste the food easy, however instead of digesting, I just burn it inside for extra fuel.” Penny explained. Neo smiled at her, giving a gentle bow before continuing eating. Yang looked over to Ruby, who hadn’t moved from her spot since Qrow talked to her. Getting up, Yang walked over to Ruby with Blake beside her, the blonde carrying a spare plate of food before the two sat beside her.

           “Saw you over here, figured you needed some food.” Yang said, giving Ruby her plate. Ruby nodded, before taking the plate from her and slowly eating, her face lighting up as she tasted it. “Tastes absolutely delicious, right?”

           “How’d it get this good?!?!?” Ruby asked between bites, scarfing the food down as fast as possible.

           “I chock it up to Neo having to live on her own with Roman for years, they had to learn how to cook and cook good.” Blake said, enjoying her food as well. Ruby smiled and laughed a bit, before frowning as she thought about her earlier conversation.

           “Hey, guys?…...What was it like…...when you had to…...y’know…..with…...y’know….” Ruby sheepishly asked. Yang’s eyes widened, looking to Blake, ready to make sure her Girlfriend didn’t have to talk about him if she was too uncomfortable. Blake sighed, then looked Ruby in the eyes.

           “I don’t regret doing it to Adam, he was gonna kill us. But I do regret that Yang and I had to do it.” Blake told Ruby, who’s eyes widened as she heard this. “Adam wasn’t always like how he ended. He used to be gentle, kind. He valued both Faunus and Human life. But every time he made a mistake that ended in a Human life, Sienna gave him praise. My Dad scolded him. We all know which he preferred.” Yang looked to the ground, then cleared her throat.

           “I uh…...I also don’t regret doing what I did, for the same reason. If anyone tries to take out someone I love, I’ll make them regret it.” Yang said slowly, seeing Ruby soak in all this information. “You okay, Sis?”

           “….I just don’t know…...I know that we have to stop Salem, but….” Ruby began to say before trailing off.

           “….you never put any thoughts into having to take lives during it.” Blake finished for her, getting a nod from Ruby.

           “Thanks guys….” Ruby said, hugging them gently. Yang hugged back, and Blake joined in, nuzzling Ruby like a young Kitten.

           “Alright, don’t stay out too late Sis, we still gotta get up early in the morning.” Yang told Ruby, heading back to the campfire with Blake. Not too long after, the others went to their tents as well, Spyro keeping an eye on the fire to ensure it would be put out properly. Waiting for them all to fall asleep, Ruby finally got up to head to her tent. Slinking by Penny and Winter’s Tent, Yang and Blake’s Tent, and Neo’s Tent, Ruby began to slink into hers before feeling a pair of arms grab her.

           “Gah!!!” Ruby cried out while being pulled inside, taking a few moments before realizing that the arms grabbing and clinging to her were attached to Weiss, who held her teammate close.

           “Next time you decide to mope, you mope until bedtime, alright?” Weiss gently scolded her. Ruby blushed before nodding, holding onto her in return. “I may not be as warm as Yang or Blake, or as comfy, but I will do my best.” Weiss gently rubbed her head, feeling Ruby snuggle in.

           “Thanks, Bestie….” Ruby said, passing out slowly. Weiss smiled, shifting enough to zip up their tent before lying back down to rest.

           “No problem, Bestie….” Weiss said before drifting off to sleep.

           Ruby awoke in the morning to pouring down rain hitting the top of the tent hard. Being careful to not touch the roof, Ruby unzipped the tent to see the massive downpour all around them. “Weiss!!” Ruby said, gently nudging her partner with her foot to wake her up.

           “What is it, Ruby…..” Weiss asked, still in a deep sleep.

           “Weiss, look outside!!” Ruby said. Weiss reluctantly sat up, spotting the downpour outside.

           “Oh my Lord!” Weiss said, moving up close to Ruby, not wanting to rush out. Ruby hurriedly grabbed her Scroll and set up a group call, dialing one of every tent occupant to try to wake them. Hearing everyone pick up one by one, Ruby pulled the Scroll inside to get her voice heard better.

           “Guys, look outside!” Ruby told them, unable to hear their tents open up.

           “Oh dear!” Penny said.

           “It’s Raining Cats and Dogs out there!” Nora cried out.

           “Hey!” Blake said.

           “She didn’t mean it like that, Blake.” Oscar said.

           “Well, we’re not gonna go anywhere with this downpour.” Qrow said, a tone going off after he said this.

           “Pretty sure that was Neo for “agreed”.” Jaune said, getting another tone.

           “Should we stay in place until the storm passes?” Ren asked.

           “That would be the best option.” Winter said to them.

           “Alright, let’s wait a couple hours to see if the storm goes away.” Ruby said.

           “UGH!!! How much water could those clouds hold!!!!” Nora shouted exacerbatedly.

           “We’re gonna have to head out in this.” Qrow said calmly.

           “But I can not progress in this heavy downpour.” Penny said worriedly. The group saw Neo’s parasol poke out of her tent before opening, turning up and the young woman stepping out carefully, before hurrying to a box of supplies. Creating a duplicate of herself with another Parasol, Neo peered through, taking care to keep the contents dry, before pulling out a large poncho, closing the crate and hurrying over to Penny and Winter. “Thank you, Neo.” Penny told her, getting a curtsy from the woman.

           “Alright, let’s try to pack up as best as we can before we head out.” Jaune said, climbing out of his tent with his shield extended, using it as a makeshift umbrella. Hurrying with the others, they quickly bundled up their campsite and packed it back up, wrapping the large tarp around the cart to try to keep the entire thing dry.

           “Hang onto me, Spyro. I am not sure if your circuits are waterproofed.” Penny said, holding onto her canine companion under the poncho. Penny aided in helping put everything back together as best as she could, before they all began their trek onward to Shade.

           Hours later, the Group moved to a single-file line while going along a narrower ledge, barely able to get the cart along.

           “Everyone hang onto each other!!” Ruby said, gripping Weiss’ hand while she held onto the cart’s handle. Penny held onto Winter in lead, Oscar holding onto her hand. Qrow grabbed onto Ren, who had his hands on his weapons, uneasy about their surroundings since they were so out in the open. Nora had her hand loosely on Neo’s back, who held onto Jaune. Neo and Jaune stepped over a large boulder in their pathway, trying to avoid slipping. Nora, however, stepped right on it, and immediately felt it start to sink.

           “Wo-oh-WOA!!!!!” Nora cried out, falling down the large drop beside them.

           “NORA!!!!!!!” Ren shouted, bringing his weapons up to fire the cords to her when Neo dove out, grabbing Nora’s wrist as tightly as she could. Gripping her Parasol by the business end, Jaune used Melodic Cudgel’s handle to link with the Parasol handle to catch her, bringing her footing right at the side of where they were stepping.

           “Hang on, girls!!!” Jaune cried out, pulling them up slowly. “Ren, help me out!!!” Ren nodded, quickly grabbing the base of the cane and helping pull Neo up, grabbing her arm and gauntlet, tugging her up. Qrow reached over as well, grabbing Neo and Nora and pulling both girls up as well, bringing the rear of the group back onto stable ground.

           “You kids okay?” Qrow asked.

           “Yeah….I’d’ve been a goner if it weren’t for Neo….” Nora sheepishly said. Turning around, Nora blushed a bit. “Thank you, Neo.” Neo smiled, waving her hand as if to say it was nothing.

           “Let’s go ahead and keep going….” Qrow said, grabbing back onto Ren. Feeling this on him, Ren grabbed Nora’s hand, who grabbed Neo’s hand instead of her back.

           Having decided to set up camp once more as soon as the rainstorm broke around sunset, Jaune finished setting his tent up and hurried inside. Taking off some of his armor plating and mud-caked boots, Jaune rubbed his face gently while sighing in relief. Pulling out his Scroll, Jaune swiped through his photos before getting back to one of himself and Pyrhha. “You’d be way better at this than me…..” Jaune quietly said to himself.

           Ding

           Jaune looked up, seeing Neo wave gently as she crouched down, peeking in. “Neo, here, come in...” Jaune said, scooting over while she crouched and got in, setting her boots down beside his. Sitting beside him, Neo’s eyes glanced at Jaune’s Scroll, seeing the picture of Pyrhha. Neo gave Jaune a puzzled look, causing Jaune to rub the back of his head. “Oh, uh…..this is Pyrhha Nikos…...she was my Partner back at Beacon….” Jaune explained. Neo used her Semblance to make a small sign, holding it up for Jaune.

           “Was She Nice?” Neo made appear on it. Jaune chuckled a bit, staring at the picture.

           “Nice is an understatement. While she would be aggressive and mean when she needed, all she wanted was to be accepted for who she was, not what she had done….” Jaune trailed off a bit. “….I’ve missed her every day since Beacon Fell…..” Jaune kept staring at the picture, hearing Neo snap her fingers and her Semblance acting again. “What are-” Jaune began to ask, before his eyes widened as Neo had finished changing her appearance, now looking like a carbon copy of what Pyrhha looked like. Neo winked at Jaune, posing to look appealing and smirking at the young man. Jaune stared for a few moments, tears welling in his eyes before his face twisted into one of rage. “GET OUT!!!!! GET! OUT!!!!!!!!” Jaune screamed at her, shoving her out of the tent and tossing her boots out before zipping it up. Neo looked back at the tent, confused and shocked, before turning her head to look at Ruby as she sighed.

           “Jaune never told you about Pyrhha before, didn’t he?” Ruby asked, setting some dry firewood down in their fire pit. Neo nodded, getting groans from Yang, Ruby, and Weiss.

           “Come on and sit down, we’ll tell you.” Yang said, watching Neo shift her appearance back and sit before them.

           “So that’s why Jaune blew up at you.” Ruby said, having helped explain Pyrhha and Jaune’s relationship to Neo, who’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “No clue, huh?” Neo shook her head, pulling out her Scroll.

           “I had No idea that she was that special to him. I feel like such aN idiot.” Neo wrote out to them.

           “You had no way of knowing. Stuff around the Fall of Beacon’s messy, even nowadays.” Yang reassured her, sitting beside her and putting her arm around her, trying to comfort her.

           “ I just Really hope that I didN’t scRew thiNgs up with him…..”

Chapter Text

           Neo crawled out of her tent the next morning, unsure of the day ahead of her, and saw Jaune, already in the process of putting his tent away. Neo stood slowly, dusting her knees off, before pulling out her Scroll and hitting the button to ping a noise, trying to get Jaune’s attention.

           “What?” Jaune coldly asked, not even looking at her. Frowning, Neo focused and made a small sign appear before Jaune so he could see what she was trying to tell him.

           “Are you alRight?” Neo had asked him.

           “Never better.” Jaune coldly responded, putting his tent poles back before slinging his supplies on his back. “Go ahead and wake up the others. I’ll take the rear of the group. I don’t want you going closer than Ten Paces away from me while travelling.” Neo frowned, before nodding as Jaune stepped away, going over and gently waking everyone up. Yang and Blake crawled out of their tent, yawning at how early they were stirred.

           “Neo? What’s up?” Blake asked, rubbing her eye as she saw the woman type.

           “JauNe is gettiNg Ready to move out. He asked me to wake you all.” Neo typed out onto her Scroll.

           “Alright, we’ll get ready.” Yang said, stretching out before working on the tent. After several minutes, the remainder of the group was awake and putting their tents away. Neo slung her tent on her back, still frowning when Ruby walked up to her.

           “Hey Neo, you okay?” Ruby asked her. Neo shook her head gently, then typed again.

           “JauNe seems aNgRieR today…..” Neo had typed out to her.

           “Pyrhha’s loss was massive on him…...the last time he saw her, she shoved him in a locker and launched him far away from where Cinder was.” Ruby told her.

           “It’s fuNNy. A couple of days ago, I hated him foR beiNg alive iNstead of RomaN. Now, he’s mad at me because I looked like heR.” Neo typed out again. “IRoNy is a bitch.”Ruby chuckled a bit, crossing her arms.

           “And I was absolutely pissed when I found out Qrow’s my Dad, not Yang’s.” Ruby said back to her. “I’m still a bit miffed, but I’m getting used to it.” Neo’s eyes widened as she heard this information, typing fast.

           “That old guy’s youR dad?!” Neo wrote out to her. “I thought he was just aN old faRt!”

           “He is, but he’s also my Dad…...we asked Jinn about my parents, and she went to him first….” Ruby said. Looking at Neo’s face, Ruby saw the young girl completely confused. “Oh, uh, Jinn’s the being that lives in the Lamp you were wrestling from Oscar.”

           “Kicked my ass getting it too….” Oscar said, giving Neo a verbal jab as he walked by to put his stuff on the cart.

           “I am soRRy that I had to do that, but I had to keep up appeaRaNces.” Neo wrote out for her.

           “I know.” Ruby told her. “Now come on, let’s get Camp put away.”

           The Group slowly trekked along the raised path in the woods, their feet squishing with every step as they trudged through the mud. Jaune took up the rear, keeping a lookout for any further bandit attacks, as well as keeping an eye on Neo.

           “Hey, what do you think would win, a 100-story tall giant lizard or an 80-story tall gorilla?” Nora asked the group.

           “Obviously the Lizard. It’s a lizard.” Yang responded.

           “What else is going on with the animals? Are they just super-big or do they have special adaptations?” Ren asked her.

           “They grew big and were able to support their weight in the scenario.” Nora clarified.

           “I think that the Gorilla would win. It’s a primate, and they can use tools.” Weiss commented.

           “True, however Reptilian life was one of the first Lifeforms seen by the Fossil Record, and Mammals came later on. The Lizard has technically had longer time to evolve a better body for survival.” Blake added.

           “I love it when you talk all smart….” Yang said, kissing Blake, causing her to blush hard. Jaune rolled his eyes slightly as the group continued on this bizzare conversation. Jaune looked down towards Neo’s feet to avoid getting pulled in. Jaune stared for a few minutes until he saw her trip on a buried stone, causing her to slip and slide down the side into the thick forest below.

           “Neo!!!” Jaune cried out, rushing over and sliding down the bank, disappearing from the group’s sight faster than they could react. Jaune extended out his Shield to use as a ram, before a stone buried under the dirt tripped him up. Being sent tumbling forward into a thick branch, he smacked his face right into it, blacking out.

           Ding……

           Ding…….

           Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding!!!!!

           Jaune’s eyes slowly opened, groaning as his body suddenly felt the pain he was in, rubbing his face gently. Sitting up, Jaune looked over to see Neo sitting near him, silently sighing in relief.

           “You weRe out foR a couple of houRs, aNd I didN’t waNt to leave you afteR I fouNd you.” Neo had written out on her Scroll, getting a groan from Jaune.

           “How long was I out for?” Jaune asked, pulling his knee up towards him. Looking over at Neo, he saw her bring up four fingers, and a concerned face. “Four hours? Great. Did the others at least call out for us?” Jaune asked her, seeing her shake her head. Groaning, Jaune slowly got himself back up and started brushing mud off of himself. Jaune took a single step, then screamed in pain as he collapsed and fell back to the ground. Neo rushed over, helping him take off his boot to reveal a heavily sprained ankle. “Great…...” Jaune said, rubbing it and wincing. “I need to get to some kind of stable shelter…..” Neo nodded, moving over to his uninjured side and lifting him up easy, causing him to go wide-eyed and blush as she carried him along, him hopping with her.

           A short while later, Jaune and Neo managed to find a rock overhang that appeared to expand into a cave further in. Neo rested Jaune down against a small wall of rocks before rushing off to go and get firewood, as she had mimed. Jaune, meanwhile, exposed his foot, seeing it turning a deep purple. “That doesn’t look good….” Jaune said, sighing as he tried to collect his thoughts. “Remember…...you need calm…..” Jaune said to himself, holding his hands on his leg and began to activate his Semblance, going back to the thoughts he always thought of when he tried to healing.

           “Good! You’re getting the hang of this!!” Pyrhha told Jaune, putting her weapon away behind her. “We may have to stop these Night Training Lessons soon.”

           “W-wait, what?!?” Jaune asked, very nervous.

           “It’s alright, Jaune. We’re still gonna be partners…...” Pyrhha told him.

           “R-right…...I-I kinda forgot...” Jaune said, rubbing the back of his neck. Pyrhha blushed for a second before holding her hands before her.

           “You know…...we could still come up here and hang out…..” Pyrhha offered him.

           “But what will we do if we don’t train?” Jaune asked her. Pyrhha rolled her eyes, then walked over to him slowly and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in close.

           “Wo-woah-!!!” Jaune said before Pyrhha kissed him gently, closing her eyes. Jaune blushed hard, before kissing back and holding her by her waist, closing his eyes. Feeling her break the kiss, Jaune slowly pulled his head back and opened his eyes, only to see Neo in her place, with her expression. Jaune backed up slowly, his eyes wide in horror.

           “Did that feel good?” Neo said to him, but Pyrhha’s voice came out of her mouth.

           “GAH!!!!” Jaune blurted out as he snapped out of his thoughts. “Come on, you know what to do…...” Jaune said to himself, trying again but kept getting the same end result. After several more tries, Neo began appearing earlier and earlier throughout the memory, until Pyrhha had been completely wiped out of it except for her voice. “DAMN IT!!!!!!” Jaune screamed, his ankle still swollen and purple.

           Cla-atter….

           Jaune turned his head and opened his eyes to see Neo staring at him, several dry branches and logs in her arms. Neo’s eyes widened as he looked at her in frustration, unsure as to what had happened. “Now because of you, I can’t even activate my Semblance!” Jaune shouted at her, gritting his teeth to prevent himself from saying anything further. “Just get me a few sticks and some vines to get a splint made and leave me alone.” Jaune said, looking away from her. Neo frowned, nodding slowly and setting her bundle down, hurrying to get the items Jaune told her to grab. Jaune quickly tied his ankle between a quickly made splint, then laid on his side with his back to Neo. Neo frowned more, before starting up a fire to keep them warm.

           Jaune and Neo trudged along through the forest the next day, slowly due to Jaune’s ankle. Keeping 10 paces behind her, Jaune kept glaring right at Neo as she continued up the forest hills.

           Ding……..

           Jaune ignored the noise as he continued, not wanting to deal with Neo at that point of the day.

           Ding-Ding

           Jaune kept ignoring this, walking for a while before seeing Neo stop and stomp her foot, a sign materializing from her Semblance before him, forcing him to see what she was trying to say.

           “This is stupid! We should just fly ouR way out of heRe!” Neo had written out on it. Jaune rolled his eyes, taking a few more steps in a different direction before another Sign appeared before him. “DoN’t igNoRe me!!!” Neo had put on that one.

           “We need to keep moving.” Jaune coldly told her, turning again to see another sign before he could react.

           “Look, I’m soRRy foR what I did. I didN’t kNow what PyRhha meaNt to you.” Neo wrote on the sign. Jaune, now getting angry at an instant, turned directly to the young woman.

           “No! You don’t get to say her name after what you did! You have no idea what she meant to me! What she did for me!” Jaune angrily said to her. Neo glared back at him and made another sign.

           “ANd you thiNk you caN talk afteR what happeNed to RomaN?” Neo wrote out, glaring daggers at him. Jaune was about to reply back when a loud noise happened near them.

           Skree!!!! skitter-skitter-skitter-skitter

           Jaune and Neo turned to look and see a massive and moss-covered Deathstalker coming up towards them, a few small trees growing from it’s armor plating on its back. “Shit!” Jaune said, drawing out his sword and extending his shield. Neo grabbed her Umbrella out as well, extending the blade at the end. Jaune focused, pulling his Aura up over him, feeling his leg starting to heal as it did. Neo rushed towards the Deathstalker, shattering as it swiped at her with its claw. Neo reappeared after that, swinging herself up onto it’s tail, slashing and stabbing at its glowing stinger bulb. Jaune rushed forward, slashing at the joints with his sword, but seeing it bounce off every time. “Damn it!” Jaune cursed, shifting his hand on his sword and pushing the button, making the edge of his sword to open slightly and project out a Blue, superheated Hard Light Dust blade. Jaune swung again, seeing it quickly make a large cut along the joint of the Deathstalker, making it cry out in agony. Knocking Jaune back and tossing Neo off towards him, the Deathstalker screeched as it began to dig up some boulders, throwing them at the pair. Jaune rolled out of the way, thunder clapping overhead as the sky darkened and began pouring down rain again.

           “Damn it! We need to knock that thing’s armor free or use it against itself!” Jaune screamed out to her. Neo nodded, beginning to rush again towards it, sliding along the mud and bowing back to limbo under it, taking out the hidden blade of her umbrella and slicing along the underside of the Deathstalker before climbing up the back of it’s tail. Jaune rushed over and swung hard at several of its legs, immobilizing it. Neo wrapped her legs around the part of the tail just before the stinger, then began stabbing at it to try to dislodge it. “Come on…..” Jaune said to himself, seeing her stab more before getting thrown before the Deathstalker. Before Jaune had time to react, the Deathstalker pulled its tail back and stabbed Neo in the stomach with it’s stinger.

           “NO!!!!!!!” Jaune screamed out, Neo’s face one of shock before falling back as the stinger pulled back out of her. Jaune let out a bloodcurdling scream, jumping onto the Deathstalker’s back and stabbed his sword down where the Deathstalker’s head was, then grabbing his shield and firing the Gravity Dust Charge in it, shooting his blade clean through the beast and embedding it into the rock beneath it. Jaune rushed over to Neo as the Deathstalker began to ash, picking her head up and crying as his hand covered her wound.

           “Why would you do that?!? You didn’t need to do that!!!!” Jaune asked from her, trying to focus his Semblance on her. His vision focused on trying to heal her, Jaune didn’t see her trying to mouth words to him until her hand gently held his face, making him look to hers.

           If one of us dies, then I’m glad its me……. Neo mouthed to him, tearing up as well. Jaune shook his head, his heart breaking.

           “N-no, I’m gonna fix this…...” Jaune began, holding her hand as she loosely hung onto his. Neo smiled a bit as her eyes began to fall closed.

           Goodbye Jaune……. Neo mouthed, her eyes closing and hand falling slack. Jaune cried out, begging her not to go, before pulling both of his hands over her wound.

           “Come on, work!!! WORK!!!!!!!!!”

           Jaune awoke the next morning and exited his tent, stretching before looking at the sunrise he could see through the trees. Brushing off some of the water that had seeped onto him from having to hastily build his tent in the downpour, Jaune walked over to the boulder he had left his sword in and shield beside. Picking up and collapsing the latter, Jaune again activated the Dust Blade on his sword to easily pull it from the rock by widening the hole, before shunting the power and sheathing his weapon again. Jaune sighed in relief, rolling his ankle around to ensure it healed properly before looking at the scenery around him.

           Ding!

           Jaune turned around, looking back at the tent to see Neo, looking like she was still asleep and fumbling as she typed on her Scroll. Jaune walked up to her and chuckled, hands on his belt. “So, slept well?” Jaune asked her.

           “BetteR thaN beiNg dead.” Neo typed out to him, then began typing out another message. “ThiNk we’Re Ready to fly out of heRe?” Jaune nodded, helping her up and worked with her to begin putting the tent away. Strapped back to his back once more, Jaune held out his hand, Neo taking it and their gauntlets and boots powering up. The duo took flight, rushing through the treeline and back towards where the road was percieved to be, seeing the camp of the others after an hour of flying. Landing in the center, they heard the group cheering as they arrived.

           “What happened to you guys?! We were worried sick!” Ruby asked them.

           “Sorry, we kind of took a hard fall and needed to find our way back.” Jaune said, rubbing the back of his neck. Neo nodded, having readjusted the sash around her to hide the hole in her outfit where she was stabbed.

           “Well, would you mind doing a heal? Oscar sprained his wrist and it’d be easier than waiting for it to heal normally.” Ruby asked Jaune, who nodded. Jaune walked over to Oscar, crouched down to the boy and held his hands out.

           “Just stay calm….” Jaune said, meaning to himself as he focused.

           “ Alright, this is an Arc family recipe for Ice Cream, so no telling anyone what it is.” Jaune said to Neo, pulling out the tray of ice pops from the freezer. Neo rolled her eyes at him, making Jaune realize what he had said. “R-right….” Jaune said, getting one of the pops out before handing it over. “Just eat it slow, okay?” Neo nodded, rolling her eyes again and taking the pop, giving it a lick before her eyes widened. “Like it?” Neo nodded fast, licking more and more before just deciding to take large bites out of it. “Careful, before you-” Jaune started to say before she stopped, then clutched her head tightly in pain. “….get a brain freeze….” Jaune chuckled, patting her shoulder. “Rub the top of your mouth with your tongue, it’ll thaw it out.” Neo cautiously nodded, doing so in her mouth for a few minutes before sitting herself back up. Neo fumbled for her Scroll, typing out slowly.

           “I NeveR kNew ice cReam was so delicious!!!” Neo typed out to him. Jaune looked shocked at this message.

           “You mean Roman never took you to get ice cream?” Jaune asked her, getting a “no” reply from her. “Well, I’m glad I was your first in that department.”

Chapter Text

         Mercury slowly crawled out of his tent, stretching in the morning light over their cliff-side camp. Mercury walked over to Hazel’s tent, knocking on his leg near where his head would be. “Hazel, come on, up and ‘attem!” Mercury shouted at him, hearing rustling in his tent.

         “Fine….I’ll make the coffee….” Hazel said, rubbing his face and crawling out of his tent, using a large log nearby to help himself get up. Mercury walked over to Emerald’s tent, listening to see if she was awake, then gently unzipped her tent a tiny bit to peer inside. Emerald laid on her sleeping bag, clinging tightly to her stuffed toy Huggy. Smiling a bit, Mercury unzipped her tent the rest of the way, gently shaking her leg.

         “Em, wake up.” Mercury said to her, seeing her eyes flutter open.

         “Wha….” Emerald said, still heavily asleep.

         “It’s morning, come on. Hazel’s making coffee.” Mercury said. Emerald sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes.

         “We need to get the creamer and sugar out then.” Emerald said. Mercury chuckled, helping her out of the tent.

         “I know, I have no idea why he makes it so strong-” Mercury began before they heard Hazel bellow.

         “GOD DAMMIT!!!!” Hazel screamed. Mercury and Emerald immediately looked over seeing him shooing off several raccoons and squirrels from where they kept their food. Rushing over, Hazel sighed in frustration before noticing them. “Damn vermin got into the coffee. Now we have nothing.” Mercury groaned while Emerald looked heartbroken.

         “Why has the past few days been this godawful to our luck?!” Emerald asked rhetorically.

         “Alright, just a few more days to get to Shade. Let’s hope we can hurry it along...” Ruby said to the group.

         “Before we take off, can we get some people to head out and grab some fruits and veggies they can find? The ones we have are starting to look off.” Weiss asked her.

         “Yeah, I can go. Yang, you up for it?” Ruby asked her Sister. Yang looked to Blake, who nodded and opened her book again, sitting against their tent bag.

         “Make sure you hold the page for me, Kitty-Kat!” Yang teased, getting a flustered blush from Blake.

         “Hey, m-mind if I go with you guys?” Oscar asked them. Ruby looked to Yang, then shrugged with her. “Alright, cool. I’ll go get the cane.”

         “You kids try not to take too long, okay? Anything longer than 3 hours and I’ll come after you all.” Qrow told them.

         “Alright Qrow. We don’t think we’ll be that long.” Ruby said to him.

         Emerald and Mercury walked through the forest, gently picking apples off the low-hanging branches. Emerald plucked one from a branch and gave it a look over, before walking over to Mercury. “Hey Merc, this look good to you?” Emerald asked him. He looked it over for a few seconds, then gave it a sniff.

         “Smells okay…..” Mercury said, reaching his mouth over and taking a large bite out of it. “Tastes okay.” He continued, his mouth full as he chewed. Emerald glared at him before shoving the apple back into his mouth.

         “Then you can eat that one, jackass.” Emerald annoyedly said to him as she continued.

         Ruby and Yang walked around, pulling apples from the trees to put in the large basket Oscar was carrying. “How is it that I’m the one that ended up carrying all the food you guys pick?” Oscar asked them, annoyed.

         “Well, you’re technically two people…...” Yang said, tossing another apple into the basket.

         ‘I believe they’ve made us into a ‘Chump’.’ Ozpin said to Oscar.

         “That would be the term, yeah….” Oscar replied as they continued, listening to them speculating on how Taiyang and Zwei were doing at that current moment.

         “He’s probably lounging on the couch, fast asleep after breakfast.” Ruby said.

         “Dad or Zwei?” Yang responded.

         “Both.” Ruby responded. “Zwei’s butt on his face.” The two of them giggled together, sighing in happiness.

         “What do you think Dad’ll do once we tell him we know?” Yang asked Ruby.

         “Probably get another ulcer. He did when he found out you learned your Semblance after punching that Ursa.” Ruby said, getting a chuckle from Yang.

         “Yeah. Qrow wasn’t that bad then. I remember that’s when he taught us how to play Mistral-hold’em.” Yang told her.

         “Aww man, now I remember him taking my Birthday candy….” Ruby said, frowning.

         “He gave it back to you after you won that massive hand.” Yang said. Ruby gave it some thought before looking to Yang.

         “You think he threw that just so I could win?” Ruby asked her.

         “Possibly. It is Qrow, so anything’s possible.” Yang replied. Ruby was about to say more when she stopped the three of them, hearing familiar voices.

         “Honestly, if you keep eating these things, then how the hell are we gonna feed Hazel!” Emerald asked Mercury, walking with him as he ate another apple. Mercury shrugged, swallowing down another mouthful.

         “Hey, if he got his fill the way he did back at the village, we’ll never eat.” Mercury replied to her, looking around for a second before spotting Ruby, Yang and Oscar. “Uh, Em?”

         “What?” Emerald snarked back at him, focused on the apples in the trees.

         “YOU GUYS!!!” Ruby shouted out, getting her attention as well.

         “Crap!!!” Emerald shouted, backing slowly.

         “Cheese It!!!” Mercury told her, both of them dropping their apples and running back the way they came, followed quickly by Ruby and Yang, Oscar tailing them after setting their basket down. Yang fired a few rounds after them, causing Mercury and Emerald to both dodge and make several harsh turns, before getting back to the clearing they made their camp in. “HAZEL!!!” Mercury screamed out to the large man, “WE GOT COMPANY!!!!”

         “What, is it another-” Hazel began, looking over to the two before spotting Ruby and Yang. “….Grimm...” Hazel slowly stood to his full height, before seeing Oscar trailing them. “Ozpin…...” Hazel growled, gritting his teeth.

         “You guys…..what are you even doing?!” Yang asked them.

         “We’re off to Shade to get the Sword of Destruction.” Mercury responded, getting ready to fight.

         “We don’t have to fight, please….” Ruby tried to reason with them.

         “We have to do this….don’t get in our way.” Emerald warned her, aiming her weapons at them.

         “This is pointless, let’s just talk it out….” Oscar said.

         “You still have to pay for what you’ve done, Ozpin!!!” Hazel said, grabbing out a few Fire Dust Crystals and jamming them in his arms, roaring as energy flew through his body and activating his Semblance. Oscar extended out The Long Memory while Ruby slowly and reluctantly expanded Crescent Rose.

         “So, ready for Round Three, Prissy?” Mercury mocked to Yang, who smirked back.

         “Oh, you don’t even wanna feel what I’m packing, pretty-boy.” Yang taunted back, seeing Mercury take the bait and rush in for an attack. Ruby looked to Emerald, then started spinning her weapon to block blasts from the woman. Oscar watched the two fighting, before hearing a bellow and seeing Hazel rushing him.

         “Crap! Crap! Crap!!!” Oscar shouted, narrowly dodging the enormous man. Emerald dashed around the clifface, dodging rounds from Ruby and Crescent Rose, while Mercury went toe-to-toe with Yang, dealing a kick for her every punch. Ruby aimed one round and fired, coming close to Emerald but ripping through her bag, causing the stuffed toy to fall out.

         “What the...” Ruby said, confused, not seeing Emerald notice and look to where Ruby was looking, her eyes widening.

         “Huggy, no!!!!” Emerald shouted as she dove towards the toy, scooping it up in her arms tightly, landing right at the cliff’s edge. Hazel, meanwhile, tried his best to crush Oscar under his fist, with the smaller boy dodging at every time, getting to where Hazel would have to readjust.

         "ENOUGH OF THIS!!" Hazel shouted, firing a Dust Blast at Oscar. Oscar quickly used The Long Memory to get the inside of the ring, spin the blast, then toss it off and away from him. Emerald, however, only noticed the blast at the last second, knocking her over the edge of the cliff.

         "EMERALD!!!!" Mercury shouted, rushing after Emerald and jumping after her, smoothing himself to one rod to catch up with her as they both plummeted.

         "MERCURY!!!!" Emerald screamed, afraid and now terrified that they were about to die.

         “No!!!!!” Ruby cried out.

         "Come on!!!!!" Mercury said to himself, trying to remember the first time he used his Semblance. Quickly grabbing onto Emerald's body, Mercury snapped himself upright.

         Ruby and the others at the top of the cliff stopped fighting, all of them rushing over to see the two that went over.

         “Do you see them?!” Yang asked, scanning the area below them. Looking down, however, they saw nothing. No splashes in the water, no craters in the sand, no evidence that they were there. Hazel sighed in regret, looking up when his eyes widened.

         "There!" He said to them. Ruby, Yang and Oscar all looked up, their mouths falling agape. Mercury held onto Emerald tightly, and Emerald quickly looked down to see what they were on. Her eyes widened as she saw nothing under Mercury's metal feet. Mercury was flying.

         “M-Merc…..w-we’re….” Emerald sputtered out, clinging to him as he held both her and the toy, before slowly floating back over to the group.

         “Are you guys okay?!” Ruby asked, rushing over and putting a hand on Emerald’s shoulder.

         “Y-yeah, I’m fine….” Emerald shakily said.

         “How’d you do that?!” Yang asked Mercury.

         “It was my Semblance…..I’m just glad it still works….” Mercury said, letting Emerald stand on her own. “So, can we get back to fighting?” Mercury asked.

         “No.” Hazel said, reaching to his arms and gripping the Dust Crystals, roaring as he yanked them out, dropping them to the ground.

         “Hazel!!” Mercury pleaded, getting a stern look in response.

         “You two just barely survived a fall that would have ended you, and they’ve shown concern even still. They want to talk, fine. Let’s listen to what they want.”

         “So…...the Gods left the world because of Salem’s actions?” Emerald asked them, sitting with Mercury and Hazel at Team RWBY’s campsite, picking gently at the food they were provided them.

         “Yeah. And that’s why Ozpin reincarnates. Because the Gods want him to stop her.” Blake clarified.

         “So, if that’s how that happens, what are the Relics for other than calling the Gods?” Mercury asked, finishing off the meat from his plate.

         “Well, the one you guys are looking for, according to Oz, allows someone to instantly clear a battlefield of opposing foes.” Oscar said, frowning. “But at the same time, any leftover time they would have had on Remnant must be taken from someone, so that time’s added up and immediately subtracted from the user’s lifespan.”

         “A literal Double-edged sword.” Hazel said, crushing some nuts in his hand before picking them apart and eating them.

         “Yeah. So someone like Salem who can’t die would be unaffected by that.” Ren said, keeping an eye on their actions.

         “And all she wants…..is to die…….” Emerald thought, Mercury and Hazel’s eyes widening as they realized the significance of what that would mean.

         “So…….all of this…...using Cinder to get all the Maiden Powers…….trying to get the Relics…...it’s all gonna be for nothing…...” Mercury said.

         “She probably meant it. Giving you all that you wanted before using the Relics to destroy everything.” Ruby said.

         “She does hate lying….” Hazel said, deep in thought.

         “So, what do we do now?” Emerald asked.

         “You could always join us. We were friends back at Beacon, at least, I thought we were.” Ruby offered them. “And Hazel, if you’re friends with them and willing to fight with us, then you’re welcome too.” Hazel thought for a bit more, looking up to the young girl.

         “…...would you mind letting us think about it for a day or two?” Hazel asked, getting acceptance from most of Ruby’s group. Emerald thought for a bit, then looked to Ruby.

         “The Contingency.” Emerald said.

         “Huh?” Ruby asked her.

         “Salem and Cinder have a contingency in the event Cinder dies. She’s supposed to think of me, that way the Fall Maiden Power stays in Salem’s circle. As long as Cinder thinks I’m alive, then she’ll follow the Contingency.” Emerald explained.

         “So what do we do?” Jaune asked.

         “If she’s encountered, don’t tell her that Em’s alive unless it’s impossible to hide.” Mercury said.

         “Got it….” Ruby said. “Let’s rest up and head out in the morning.”

         Hazel started marching away from the camp in the dead of the night, having left a note under Spyro’s paw explaining he needed to do some Soul Searching before making his decision, and giving his word that he wouldn’t return to Salem. Hazel got a good way away when he heard running behind him.

         “Hazel! Wait up!” Emerald cried out to him, Mercury behind her and both of them with their gear.

         “What are you two doing?” Hazel asked. “I thought you wanted to help them from the conversation earlier.”

         “Yeah, but what about you?” Mercury asked him.

         “I gotta think about things. About Gretchen, Salem…..everything I’ve done in her service….” Hazel said, looking down to the ground. “Until I’m ready to make my choice on which side I want to be on, I’d only be a liability to either one. So I’m going out on my own.”

         “Well, then we’ll come with you.” Emerald said to him, shocking the man. “We’re a team, even if we’re just by ourselves. We stick together.”

         “Yeah. Whatever one of us goes through, we work together to kick it’s ass.” Mercury said, putting his hands behind his head. Hazel smiled, stepping close and grabbing them both in a bear hug.

         “Thank you both…….that means a lot to me…..” Hazel said.

         “So, where to?” Mercury asked after being let down.

         Theodore slowly paced in his office, closing the cabinet he pulled the file out of, having memorized the contents inside already but doing so out of habit. The Headmaster looked out amongst the Evening view of the town below, but could easily sense dread dripping in the air. He placed the file on his desk, sitting in his chair and facing the window. He remained in this position even as he heard someone beating at his door. Bursting open with a burst of fire, Cinder stepped through, placing her human hand on her hip.

         “Theodore Bolger. We have a lot to talk about.”

Chapter Text

           Cinder lit a small flame in her right hand, walking over to the Seer perched over the counter-top and sitting the flame on the candle under it, then stepping back as the Grimm lowered itself, the bulb on its head growing to a much larger size before the image of Salem looking back at her appeared. Cinder immediately kneeled and bowed her head to her leader. “My Mistress, Shade has been taken for you, as has the surrounding town. They’ve been threatened that if they don’t comply, I’ll have the Grimm destroy everything.”

           “Good. Fear is useful to us. And the Headmaster? How is little “Teddy”?” Salem asked, resting her head on her bandaged hand while smirking. Cinder nodded, stepping away before wheeling the man over, having tied him up and secured him to the chair.

           “He was in a Trance by the time I got to his Office. No clue if he’ll make it out.” Cinder said, holding his head up by his hair.

           “He’s trying to see possible outcomes. He may be like this for weeks. Little does he know only one outcome will be allowed.” Salem said to her. “Have you met up with Emerald, Mercury and Hazel?”

           “Sadly, no, my Mistress.” Cinder said, looking away from Salem. “I fear that they have been lost.” Salem closed her eyes to focus, before shaking her head gently.

           “I still cannot sense any Grimm outside of this Domain. I fear that they are lost as well. This is most troubling.” Salem said, opening her eyes and looking directly at Cinder. “I want you to take care so that I don’t lose my Maiden, Cinder. Understood?”

           “Yes, my Mistress.” Cinder said, nodding to her. Salem paused for a moment, before smirking.

           “Cinder, I just had a thought that might cheer you up. If Miss Rose happened to arrive in Shade, you have my full permission to kill her.” Salem said, seeing Cinder’s face brighten. “Just take care to ensure her head is at least intact, and bring it back to me.”

           “Yes, my Mistress.”

           Ruby and her group crossed the town’s threshold, stretching before letting out a happy sigh. “Finally, we’re here. I can’t wait to sleep in a proper bed….” Ruby said.

           “I’d kill for a shower after the two weeks we’ve had.” Weiss said, pulling along just their tents and camp cookware. The rest of the group, aside from Neo and Qrow, began to discuss their ideal relaxation methods as they got towards the center of the plaza, before Qrow stopped dead in his tracks, looking around.

           “Hang on for a second…..” Qrow told them, eyes narrowed. Yang turned around, curious.

           “What’s up, Uncle Qrow?” Yang asked him.

           “Shade may be unconventional, but it’s normally bustling.” Qrow said, peering around the empty streets. “Why is it deader than a Desert?” Upon hearing this and realizing how exposed they are, the group quickly formed up and gripped their weapons, when the town’s residents started to come out with their own weapons and farm tools aimed at them.

           “What do we do to prevent hurting them?” Blake asked, beginning to draw Gambol Shroud out of its sheath when a voice boomed over them.

           “You can start by laying your weapons down and surrendering.” The voice boomed over the loudspeakers. Glaring towards the School, Ruby saw the woman appear on the jumbo-tron screen on the side of the building.

           “Cinder…..” Ruby spat out.

           “Ruby Rose. My Mistress has told me some wonderful news, and I plan on following through. Now, lay down your Weapons. Or I’ll have the Grimm turn this entire city to rubble, and every single person’s blood will be on your hands.” Cinder said, stating her Ultimatum into the mic. Qrow and Winter sighed, taking their weapons and dropping them to the ground.

           “She had us walk right into her trap. We have no choice.” Winter said, holding her hands up. Taking her lead, each of the group slowly dropped their weapons, Ruby dropping Crescent Rose last before all of them were pulled apart from each other and restrained by the frightened townspeople.

           “Good. Now, Take the others to the designated spot, and bring Ruby to her Quarters. I want to talk to her before I have my fun…...” Cinder commanded, cutting the feed from the giant screen.

           “T-This way….” One of the Townspeople said, pulling the members of the group with them while Ruby was forced to watch all of them escorted away from her. Once they were taken out of sight, Ruby herself was tugged along in the opposite way, being led through the frightened people and streets of Shade, and into the School’s back entrance.

           “Where are we going?” Ruby asked her escort, who hadn’t said a word to her before.

           “I’ve been ordered to take you to the Amphitheater Holding Area.” The Escort said, frowning while moving.

           “You know you can let me go, we can try to stop her….” Ruby said calmly to the Escort.

           “If I don’t do as she says, she’ll kill my wife and our baby...” The Escort replied, a tear falling down their face. Refusing to talk further despite Ruby’s pleas, the Escort threw Ruby into the Holding Area, which just appeared to be a much larger animal cage. Untying Ruby’s wrists, the Escort closed and locked the door, sealing her in her cell. Ruby watched the Escort leave, rubbing her wrists where they were bound, before looking around her Cell to find she was not alone.

           “Hello?” Ruby asked, walking over to the bound man before recognizing him. “Professor Theodore? Theodore Bolger?” Ruby gently shifted the man’s head up, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. “Oh no…...” Ruby said quietly to herself before Theodore’s body snapped to rigidity, shocking the girl and making her back up quickly.

           “Dynm rlp Gubucd fqqfkq Enfzbsip Dzaosxc rlp Rmwc. Zxews scosysj y Yeurvl. Zs Ycdkk, M pce'r iezbr cmx fvfqq Rguxcfw!!!!!!” Theodore quickly spat out, seemingly looking all around the room before slumping back over, catatonic again. Ruby’s eyes were wide in horror before she heard a familiar voice.

           “He’s trying to see the Future apparently. But all he’s doing really is scrambling what little brain he had left.” Cinder said, leaning against the bars of the Cell. Looking over at the woman, Ruby’s eyes glared as she rushed over, reaching her arms out to try to get her but failing as the woman backed up.

           “Why you little…..” Ruby started to try to threat before hearing Cinder laugh.

           “Aww, look, she’s trying to be scary.” Cinder mocked, smirking at the young girl.

           “Why are you holding the entire town hostage, you already have me!” Ruby demanded from Cinder.

           “Bossy, aren’t we? Well, seeing as how events will be playing out later, I’ll let you in on some of the game-plan. Once we squeeze the Summer Maiden’s location out of Mr. Jumble over there...” Cinder said, pointing her Grimm finger at Theodore, “We’re going to force her to either give us the Sword of Destruction, or lose her power to me, and I’ll just take it.” Cinder smirked to Ruby as the latter glared, gripping the bars tight enough to make her knuckles turn bright white.

           “Then why bother holding me and the others apart? We don’t even know the Summer Maiden.” Ruby demanded, seeing a devilish grin spread across Cinder’s face.

           “Because, Dear Ruby…...before I look for the Summer Maiden, I’m going to kill you.” Cinder responded, seeing Ruby’s eyes widen in horror as she said this. “And I’m going to make it the biggest spectacle ever.” Cinder laughed, her arms outstretched as if for dramatic fanfare. “Now, do rest up. I want a good fight out of you in the morning.” Cinder then turned to walk away, leaving Ruby in her cell, alone with no one to talk to.

           “Bring the Prisoner Forth!” Cinder boomed over the Amphitheater intercom, watching Ruby getting raised from below it, chained to the spot on the floor. Ruby looked out, seeing all of her friends tied down and gagged in the seats, with several townspeople holding up eye restraints beside them. “Now, I want you all to keep watching as this goes down. Otherwise, I’ll have them force you to do so….” Yang bit down hard on her gag, trying to bite through it, while the others watched as Ruby was slowly unchained before them. Cinder stepped out of the intercom room, before jumping out, using her Maiden Power to slow her descent to the ground, gripping Crescent Rose in her real hand. Landing far from Ruby, Cinder tossed the young girl’s weapon to her. “I’ll give you a fighting chance and let you use your precious weapon….” Cinder mockingly said. Ruby glared, stepping forward to pick up her weapon, not unfurling it yet.

           “You don’t have to do this. Just let the people of this town go and I’ll go with you willingly. I don’t want anyone to get hurt!” Ruby pleaded, hoping to at least try to reason with Cinder. Cinder, hearing this, began to laugh hard at Ruby, before summoning her long-swords from fire.

           “You honestly think I’m being forced to do this? My Mistress gave me permission to kill you. I just have to bring her your head.” Cinder replied, smirking at the now panicking Huntress while her allies tugged at the restraints, Qrow’s blood boiling as he tugged at the ones he had. “Now, if you don’t want to fight, then just roll over and die!!!” Cinder rushed Ruby, readying a swing as the young girl barely was able to partially extend her weapon into gun mode to block it, the thick red casing stopping the swords from connecting at all. Quickly backpedaling, Ruby continuously blocked more of Cinder’s attacks with the casing on her weapon, not extending out the blades of her weapon.

           “I don’t wanna fight you!!!!!” Ruby cried out, continuing to block and step back as the onslaught continued.

           “The feeling isn’t mutual you brat!!!!!” Cinder screamed, slamming her weapons down hard onto Crescent Rose’s side, making Ruby have to hold onto both sides of her weapon to try to prevent Cinder from forcing her glass swords down onto her. Ruby looked up at the woman, barely keeping her weight on her toes while Cinder grinned down at her with a face full of malice. Ruby’s eyes wandered, looking over to her allies and saw the pain in their eyes as they were forced to watch. Her eyes focused on Qrow, who looked sternly to her and nodded. Knowing what she had to do, the world quickly slowed to Ruby as her mind raced.

           Ruby turned back to face Cinder, blinking and glaring back at her. Picking up her foot and stomping down, Ruby re-balanced herself and began to move. Ruby quickly pulled her upper body back and lifted her weapon up, before shoving her forehead forward, making it collide with Cinder’s nose, causing the woman to step back. “FUCK!!!” Cinder cried out, using her real hand to rub her nose, distracting her from hearing Ruby twist and unfurl Crescent Rose, putting the blade right under her Grimm arm. When Cinder felt the cold of the blade right where the Arm turned, her eye widened as Ruby pulled the trigger, screaming in agony as the blade quickly cut through the thin arm like butter, tossing the sword it held aside.

           ‘There you go, Kiddo!!!’ Qrow thought as he watched his Daughter do this.

           Ruby twisted her weapon around again before putting it in her stance behind her, causing the townspeople and her allies amazement. “What the Fuck is wrong with you?!?” Cinder cried after the Grimm arm regrew itself, making her pant.

           “You wanted a fight, now you’re gonna get one!” Ruby defiantly said, hands firmly on her weapon. Cinder gritted her teeth and summoned another sword.

           “You wanna go?!?” Cinder said, more agitated as she began another attack, which Ruby quickly blocked, twisting around her large weapon.

           “I’m gonna knock your fucking teeth in!!!” Ruby cried out as she swung her heels directly into Cinder’s face, sending the woman back again in a pain-filled scream. Cinder stood slowly as she glared daggers at Ruby.

           “You think you’re FUCKING CUTE?!?!?” Cinder snarled.

           “Bitch.” Ruby said calmly, glaring back at her and putting Crescent Rose behind her horizontally, “I’m Adorable.” Ruby pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose again, launching herself towards Cinder. Cinder raised her swords to anticipate the attack, but failed as Ruby Petal Burst upwards at the moment of impact, reforming directly above Cinder and shifting Crescent Rose to rifle mode again before taking several shots directly at the Maiden. Cinder roared, activating the Maiden Powers and launching herself up towards Ruby in a pillar of fire.

           “YOU’RE DEAD!!!!” Cinder screamed out, shooting more fire at Ruby, using it to mask another swing with her swords, finally connecting to Ruby and knocking her back down to the ground, making Ruby’s aura flicker. Ruby quickly twisted as Cinder plummeted and stabbed down where Ruby was, shattering the glass swords she held. Ruby quickly twisted and smacked Cinder with the side of Crescent Rose, knocking her back and causing Cinder’s aura to flicker as well.

           “Had enough?!” Ruby shouted, extending out Crescent Rose’s blades again. Cinder growled, reforming her blades and rushing again, both women slashing at each other, slowly chipping away at each other’s Auras before they both launched themselves at each other, smacking into each other and breaking both of their Auras. Ruby tumbled back towards her friends before stopping, panting hard while Cinder fell and rolled to empty seats, barely picking herself up. Ruby stood up slowly and walked over to the woman, who tried and failed to make a working sword for herself until Ruby aimed the barrel of Crescent Rose at Cinder, getting the woman’s attention.

           “You’ve lost, Cinder. Accept it.” Ruby told her, getting a glare from the woman.

           “No way…...I’m not gonna go down unless you kill me!!!” Cinder said. The Maiden quickly flexed out her fingers and tried to slash at Ruby, but the latter quickly shot a flash from her Silver Eyes to disintegrate Cinder’s arm again. Screaming in pain, Cinder dropped back to her knees, feeling her arm grow itself back yet again before feeling the cold steel of Crescent Rose behind her neck, looking up to see Ruby glaring at the woman while panting hard. Gritting her teeth, Cinder frowned, knowing her only options. “Go ahead. Kill me and take the Power. Just get it over with.”

           Ruby looked the woman over, mulling the thought as she regained her breath. After minutes of hesitation and seeing Cinder become more unhinged as she begged for Death from Ruby, Ruby raised Crescent Rose up and behind her. Cinder smiled, lowering her head slowly. The group looked in horror as they were forced to watch, unable to enter in any commentary.

           Cling! Clatter-CLANG!

           Cinder’s eye snapped open as she heard this noise, still seeing Ruby’s boots before her. Looking up with her eye widened, her gaze met Ruby’s, who looked back at her with pity in her eyes. Turning her head to the side, Cinder saw Ruby’s discarded weapon off to the side of the arena, having just been hurled there. “W-What are you doing?!?” Cinder asked Ruby panickedly.

           “I’m sparing you. I won’t kill you. Because I know that deciding you aren’t worth killing will eat you up inside more than me just going through with it.” Ruby explained. “So you get to live. Go back home to Salem with your tail tucked between your legs and tell her exactly why you lost the Sword.” Ruby told her, turning away and headed for the stands.

           “Y-You can’t spare me! I’ll come back and kill you!!!” Cinder pleaded before Ruby got far enough away. Ruby shrugged as her head turned over her shoulder slightly to be heard by the woman.

           “Then I guess I’ll have to spare you then too. After all, who’d want to lose to someone a fifth time?” Ruby mocked, continuing. Before she could get further, Cinder roared out in anger, and Ruby cried out as the woman reached out towards her with the Grimm hand, slashing clear through her boot and ankle and instantly sending her to the ground, feet from the sword Cinder had dropped earlier.

           “I won’t give you that chance! I’ll take you back to Salem!” Cinder screeched, rushing over on all fours to Crescent Rose and picking it up before bringing it behind her, standing upright. “Even if I have to chop you up first!!!!!” The group tugged hard at their restraints as Cinder began to run towards Ruby, Qrow tearing up as he tugged futily. Yang finally bit through her gag, coughing a bit before drawing in as much air as she could in as short of time she could.

           “RUUUUUBYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Yang cried out in terror as Cinder moved closer, holding the weapon up high, in a complete blood-rage. Ruby quickly looked around, spotting the Glass sword and dragging herself over to it, gripping it tightly as Cinder was on top of her. Twisting herself as fast as she could, Ruby aimed the Glass blade right at Cinder.

           schlIIIICK!!!

           Ruby panted for a few seconds before slowly opening her eyes, looking up and seeing in horror as she had driven the Glass Sword directly into the center of Cinder’s sternum, the Maiden’s eye widened in horror as well. Cinder’s face looked sullen for a moment, before twisting into one of Anger again as she tried to bring Crescent Rose back up for a swing. Spotting this, Ruby pushed more onto the Glass Sword, hearing Cinder cry out in agony as the back half of the sword came through more of her back, barely missing her spine. Ruby’s eyes immediately welled with tears as she felt trickles of hot, sticky blood run over her fingers.

           “I GAVE YOU ANOTHER CHANCE! WHY DIDN’T YOU FUCKING TAKE IT!!!!” Ruby cried out in anguish, bawling while Cinder and the others looked on, everyone breathless at the action that just happened. Cinder slowly let go of Crescent Rose, hearing it fall at her feet, before feeling all of her strength begin to fail, being held up only by Ruby’s locked arms.

           “no…..NO!!!!!!!!!” Cinder screamed out, raising her Grimm hand back once more, forcing Ruby to shove the sword to the side, shattering it inside Cinder and making more hot blood gush from the now open wound on her chest, drenching Ruby. Cinder, realizing what Ruby just did, dropped to her knees, clutching at the hole in a feeble attempt to hold her blood in, before looking finally at Ruby. “Y-you….” Cinder choked out, her gaze clouding over as her hands dropped. Before she could say another word, her eye, mouth and scarred over eye exploded in Orange Light, bursting forth from her and rushing to Ruby, who’s eyes and mouth were swallowed in this light.

           “Ruby!!!!!” Yang cried out, remembering the feeling of what was happening to her younger Sister now. The Light and Power flowed out of Cinder and into Ruby for a few moments before dropping Cinder completely, and sucking itself directly into Ruby. Ruby coughed hard as the Transfer finalized, dropping back onto her elbows. Yang looked to the Townspeople around her and instantly put on her angry voice. “Get us out of here, now!!!!” They happily nodded, quickly letting Yang go as the young Huntress lept out onto the battlefield, rushing over to Ruby followed by Blake and Weiss, getting to her and holding her tightly.

           “Get a Medic crew out here now!!!” Qrow told the Townspeople before jumping and shifting over to hurry to get to Ruby as well.

           Ruby sighed as she limped out of the bathroom, using a walker to support herself while her ankle remained bound in heavy bandages, wrapped up in plastic to keep them dry. Hearing her coming down the hallway of their dorm room, Weiss hurried over, helping her Teammate back over to her bed, unwrapping the plastic and helping Ruby prop it back up on the pillows given.

           “How’re you feeling?” Weiss asked her.

           “Oddly warm.” Ruby said, rubbing the spot on her chest right above where her heart was. “I think it’s because of the Power……..Cinder did always use Fire, but I guess that’s not the only thing I can use now….” Ruby looked over to her exposed arm, seeing the new black mark of her symbol seemingly tattooed on it. “Gonna take a while to get used to this now….”

           “Yeah, mine was a shock too.” Yang said, stretching back, her Flaming Heart emblem in the same tattoo-like form on her outer-thigh, just under where the short-shorts she had on to sleep ended.

           “At least now, it’s over. Cinder won’t bother us and we can recover.” Blake added, sitting on Yang’s bed. Ruby nodded slowly, her eyes drooping as she remembered the fight. None of the girls made a sound until the door let out a knock, Weiss going over to see Qrow, who was still dressed.

           “Hey, mind if I talk to Ruby?” Qrow asked them.

           “Yeah.” Weiss said, letting him step in. He nervously looked at them before Yang gently gripped Blake’s hand.

           “He means alone.” Yang guessed, helping Blake up and off the bed, letting her Girlfriend grab her book.

           “Yeah, sorry. Father-Daughter talk, you guys understand….” Qrow explained a bit as they nodded and left barefoot, headed to Jaune, Neo, Nora and Ren’s room for the time being. Qrow then closed and locked the door, before grabbing a nearby chair and pulling it up beside Ruby, sitting in it. “So, how’re you holding up, kiddo?”

           “…..I can still see her face just before the Power transferred…...every time I close my eyes…..” Ruby said, pulling her one knee up to her chin and resting her arm on it.

           “Yeah, that happens when you kill your first person.” Qrow tried to comfort her, but seeing her shudder after he said that. Qrow sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

           “…...do you still see the people you’ve killed?” Ruby asked him after a few minutes of silence.

           “Every day.” Qrow said, shocking the girl.

           “Does it ever get easier?” Ruby asked him, seeing him shake his head in response.

           “You never feel it get easier. Only people like Tyrian feel that. You just learn how to live, knowing what you’ve done.” Qrow said, rubbing her shoulder. “But these feelings that you’re feeling now? The Disgust, the Horror, the Anguish…..” Qrow looked to his daughter, “This means you have a heart, and aren’t a killer.” Ruby smiled at this.

           “Thanks, Qrow….” Ruby replied, tucking her damp hair behind her ear.

           “Besides, she had her own choice. She just decided to make the stupidest one possible.” Qrow said, hearing Ruby chuckle a bit. Qrow grinned as he gently nudged her shoulder. “There’s that smile!!”

           “Alright, alright…….I think I’ll go ahead and head to bed.” Ruby said, slipping her one foot under the covers.

           “Okay, I’ll get the others back in here…..” Qrow said, standing slowly, before stepping over and leaning close, planting a small kiss on Ruby’s forehead.

           “Hey!!!!” Ruby said, mocking annoyance as he pulled himself back as he chuckled. Qrow began to unlock and step out of the door when Ruby decided to try something similar. “Goodnight, Dad….” Qrow looked back to her in shock, seeing her blush. “Still sounds a bit weird….” Qrow chuckled, smiling at her.

           “Goodnight, sweetie.” Qrow told her, heading over to tell the others they can come back in. Weiss, Blake and Yang came back into the room, engrossed in a conversation.

           “Who would have guessed that her nightgown looked like a Tutu?” Weiss said, in disbelief.

           “Well, not all of us are actual princesses. We just have to pretend.” Yang responded, helping Ruby tuck herself in while also keeping her leg elevated. Kissing Ruby’s cheek, Yang smiled down to her sister. “Goodnight, Rubes.”

           “Goodnight, Yang.” Ruby replied. Blake came up and hugged Ruby tightly. “Goodnight Blake.”

           “Goodnight, Ruby.” Blake responded, climbing into bed with Yang and snuggling the blonde. Weiss came over and hugged her Partner, sitting on the bed after letting go.

           “You sure you want to be by yourself tonight?” Weiss asked her.

           “Yeah, I can’t keep sleeping with you guys when I’m 80…..” Ruby responded, getting a smile from Weiss.

           “Well, if you have any problems, just tell me and I’ll be right down.” Weiss told her, climbing onto the bunk above Ruby. “Goodnight, Bestie.”

           “Goodnight Bestie….” Ruby responded, closing her eyes as Weiss hit a button to cut the lights off. Ruby drifted off to sleep at the same time as her teammates.

           Ruby’s face was one of irritation and pain as she tossed and turned. Laying on her side, Ruby looked over to Blake and Yang, sound asleep together with the former’s head resting on the latter’s chest as if it was a pillow. Ruby sighed as she saw that, before rolling onto her back. Blinking once she did so, Cinder suddenly appeared before her, floating over-top of her. Eyes growing wide as she saw this horrific sight, Ruby was about to scream out when Cinder gripped her throat tightly, smirking as Ruby’s voice was caught in her throat.

           “You’re mine, Ruby. No one can keep you from me now.”

END OF VOLUME 9

Chapter Text

VOLUME 10

           “Alright, you’re almost fully healed.” Weiss said, applying simple bandages to the back of Ruby’s healed Ankle. “Think you can stand on it?” Weiss held her hands out to her Partner, holding Ruby’s hands as she slowly stood up, wobbling a bit before getting her balance fixed.

           “I’m a little sore on that foot, but it’s nothing I’m gonna collapse over.” Ruby said, stretching.

           “That’s great!” Yang said, picking her up and giving her a tight hug, getting a few playful slaps from Ruby. “I’m still weirded out how Jaune trying to heal you didn’t work.”

           “Don’t ask me, I have no clue how or why that happened.” Ruby said, taking a few steps around the room to ensure she can still walk safely. “I think we can start getting a move on tomorrow.” Ruby said to them. Blake’s ears perked up as she heard the Scrolls of the team go off at once, each of them pulling them out to see who sent them a message. “Huh, Professor Theodore wants to see us. Wonder why?”

           “Maybe he just wants to make sure you’re okay? It did take about two months before it finally disappeared.” Blake mentioned.

           “That might be it…..let’s hurry there.” Ruby said, taking a few quick steps before wincing and turning around. “You guys hurry, I’ll catch up.”

~

           “Hey there Mr. Bolger. What’s up?” Yang asked him as they entered, having waited for Ruby to catch up to them.

           “Oh good, you all seem to be recovering well, considering what happened.” Theodore said to them.

           “Well, physical wounds heal faster than mental, but I’m pushing through.” Ruby said, sitting in one of the chairs before them. “So, what’s up?” Theodore hit a button on his Scroll, then sat down at his desk.

           “I’d like you to meet one of my trusted Associates, he’ll be here momentarily.” Theodore explained. “He was researching the Maiden Power with the Summer Maiden recently.” The team’s eyes widened as he said that, looking amongst themselves.

           “Oh, we actually were wanting to speak to the Summer Maiden, is she here too?” Blake asked. Theodore frowned, then shook his head.

           “It’s best if my Associate explains it. He was there when it happened.” Theodore explained.

           “When what happened?” Yang asked, before the door off to the side opened, revealing an Olive-Skinned man, dressed in dark casual wear with several intricate tattoo sleeves on his arms and a black hood attached to his shirt over his head, hiding a mane of fiery red hair, also showing a pair of black rounded Lion ears.

           “Good. Everyone, this is Raican Tusūhenshikidan.” Theodore introduced.

           “Who the hell are these Parallelograms?” Raican asked snarkily.

           “Raican, this is Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long. They’ve come from Atlas after having been at the Battle of Beacon.” Theodore introduced the team to him.

           “Great. More Beacon Trash.” Raican insulted the team.

           “Ex-fucking-scuse me?!?” Yang asked, “I beg your fucking PARDON!?”

           “After that worthless Decilligram flunked outta here, I just figured only one decent team raised the Average of that place. And those Parallelograms are currently Solving an Equation for some other Parallelograms.” Raican taunted. Ruby tilted her head as she gave his words thoughts to try to understand, before showing complete confusion.

           “Uh, can I ask for Subtitles?” Ruby asked.

           “We had only a few students from Beacon come here to Shade to continue their education: Team CFVY and one Cardin Winchester. Unfortunately, Mr. Winchester couldn’t make the cut, and dropped out after a few weeks.” Theodore translated. “Mr. Raican here has a peculiar habit of speaking with Arithmetic in his lexicon.”

           “Uhhh…..” Ruby began, still confused.

           “He talks with a lot of math terms.” Weiss translated further.

           “Ohh…..” Ruby said, relieved.

           “Great. And this Parallelogram got Maiden Powers added to her. Our Chances just got dropped to the side of the Bell Curve.” Raican said.

           “Hey, you insult my baby Sister one more time and I’ll shove my arm up your ass and control your mouth with my knuckles!” Yang threatened.

           “You wanna try my Equation, pendeja?” Raican snarked, flexing his fingers, the tattoos on his fingers seemingly glowing. Yang, in return, extended her Ember Celica, her eyes flashing Red and showing off the eye trails for the Spring Maiden power, gritting her teeth to intimidate him. Raican smirked as she did so, before Theodore stood up.

           “Enough, both of you! We’re on the same side, anything further will reduce our outcome probability!” Theodore ordered.

           “Probability?” Blake asked. Theodore nodded, then sat down.

           “Whenever I look into the Future, I don’t see what’s going to happen. I see various events with varying levels of probability. Any of them are possible, but several I can see happening more frequently. When I looked into the future when hiring Raican here, it held the greatest possible Probability of us winning over Salem.” Theodore explained.

           “Oh…….alright.” Ruby said.

           “Wait, THAT you got?!” Blake asked.

           “Well yeah, he looks ahead, but because stuff changes with every step, he can only see what might happen and go from that.” Ruby explained. Raican scoffed at this, crossing his arms.

           “Parallelogram does have a brain on her shoulders then.” Raican taunted, getting a glare from Yang. Before any of them could respond, Ruby’s Scroll began to ring. Pulling it out, her eyes widened in shock.

           “Marrow?!” Ruby said out loud, answering it before putting it on speaker. “Marrow, is that you or is Neo pranking us again?”

           “Nope! It’s actually me!!!” Marrow spoke through the phone. The group crowded around Ruby’s Scroll, before seeing Theodore uncover a panel on his Desk. Moving over and putting the Scroll on there, a Screen began displaying, showing Marrow’s face as he looked to them. “I take it you guys made it to Shade, awesome!!!”

           “How are you calling us, did you get sent out nearby?” Weiss asked him.

           “Nope! The Scientists just launched Amity! They worked out the last of the bugs and set it up in the air.” Marrow explained to them, “The General wanted to talk with you guys before they started getting everything ready for the reveal.”

           “What reveal?” Ruby asked.

           “The General wants to reveal Salem to the world.” Marrow explained. The group’s eyes widened, then looked nervous.

           “That might not be the best thing right now…..” Blake said, “People might get extremely panicky, and cause her to do something dangerous since she got revealed.”

           “Fair enough. Here, let me get the General for you guys.” Marrow said, disappearing from the screen as the image started moving fast in his hand. The group could hear him running to Ironwood and handing the Scroll over, before the General looked into the camera himself.

           “Ah, good. Communications between Nations is restoring well.” Ironwood said, smiling at them. “How are you, Team?”

           “A little shaken up…...” Ruby said, rolling up her sleeve to reveal her Symbol mark. James’ eyes widened as he saw that, pulling the camera closer to see the symbol.

           “You got Maiden Power?! What happened to Penny?!?!?” James panickedly asked, in an obvious state of worry.

           “Penny’s fine…...I just…...I had to…...kill Cinder…..” Ruby slowly said, looking down at her feet, disappointed in herself. James sighed as he pulled the camera away from his face, relieved.

           “Thank the Gods…...at least now we have the Fall Maiden back with ourselves.” James said, still frowning. “I am sorry you had to do that, Miss Rose.”

           “I’ve been pushing through it….” Ruby said, moving her head back up to look at James. “Now, Marrow said you were about to reveal Salem? I think that’s a very bad idea.”

           “Yeah, what if when she sees we revealed her, she decides to bombard everything with another Grimm Whale? We have no idea what Resources she has, or how badly that last attack hurt her.” Yang said to him.

           “These Parallelograms have a point. Rush to execute your Solution and you’ll forget to double-check your homework.” Raican said, stepping into the camera view.

           “I’m sorry, who….” James began to ask before seeing Theodore step before the screen as well.

           “He’s an associate I hired here at Shade, James.” Theodore explained to him.

           “Can he be trusted Theodore?” James asked him.

           “I’ve already explained the Maidens and Salem to him, as I’m sure you have to your subordinates.” Theodore explained.

           “Alright then. Glad to have you aboard, then Mr...” James began.

           “Raican Tusūhenshikidan.” Raican introduced himself to James.

           “Understood, Mr. Raican.” James said to him, looking back to the girls. “And I have to admit, thinking more about it, my original plan was…...flawed. To put it bluntly.”

           “More like trying to factor the wrong equation.” Raican commented, getting a snicker from Yang.

           “Quite. For Now, until we can get the Summer Maiden secured and the Crown of Choice reclaimed, all I’ll be telling later will be that Communication is back, and should remain back until further notice.” James said. “Speaking of, where’s the Summer Maiden?”

           “Unfortunately, when trying to extrapolate more Data from her, she got Subtracted. We’re trying to Median out her from the Range of other Parallelograms.” Raican explained.

           “Damn…….alright, hurry to find her, before Salem and her forces have the opportunity to get the Sword of Destruction. Please keep me informed.” James asked of them.

           “We will General.” Ruby said, giving him a thumbs up. James smiled, then handed the Scroll back to Marrow.

           “Alright, well, I gotta get the others together, we gotta tell you what the stuff that’s been going on here has been like. Talk to y’all tomorrow after breakfast?” Marrow asked them.

           “Sure. See you then, buddy!!!” Yang said, seeing the call end.

           “Is what you said true? That the Summer Maiden died?” Blake asked.

           “Yes, unfortunately. Raican and her were trying to uncover secrets about the Maiden Powers, when a freak accident caused her to perish. We’re still trying to find the new Summer Maiden.” Theodore explained, causing the team to Sigh in irritation.

           “One step forward, two steps back…..Well, we’ll head out tomorrow once Ruby’s alright.” Weiss said. “In the meantime, I’m going to get with Winter and call Whitley and Mother, I’m sure they want to know we’re alright.”

           “Good call, I’ll call my Parents and Sun too, make sure they’re okay.” Blake added. Yang nodded, kissing her girlfriend before turning to Ruby.

           “You want to talk to Dad?” Yang asked her. Ruby smiled a bit, before rubbing the back of her neck.

           “Yeah, but maybe in a bit? I kinda want to chill for a bit before blowing that case wide open.” Ruby said to her. Yang nodded, then turned around to Raican.

           “So, you wanna spar to see how this Maiden fares?” Yang asked, cracking her knuckles, getting a smirk in response.

           “I think I can run those figures for a bit.” Raican grinned, leading her away. Ruby sighed a bit, before getting up and slowly making her way back to their Dorm. Upon getting back, Ruby closed and locked the door quickly, sighing in annoyance before turning around, seeing Cinder sitting on her bed.

           “I was gonna sit there dammit.” Ruby told her.

           “What are you gonna do about it, kill me? Oh wait….” Cinder said mockingly, putting her one hand on her hip trying to taunt Ruby. Ruby rolled her eyes and shoved her away, lying back on the bed. “You’re gonna be lazy again?”

           “No, just ignoring you.” Ruby said, pulling the blankets over herself and closing her eyes.

           “I could kill you, you know.” Cinder taunted.

           “We both know you physically can’t do that. What I can do, however, is not get plenty of rest and make you even more lethargic than I am.” Ruby responded back, rolling over to put her back to Cinder. Cinder growled, yanking the blankets off of her. “Really?” Ruby responded.

           “Fuck you.” Cinder retorted. Ruby rolled back over and glared at her again.

           “Aren’t you supposed to disappear into my subconscious?” Ruby asked her.

           “Only if I allow it. And nothing you do will ever get me to allow it.” Cinder explained, leaning against Yang and Blake’s bunk.

~

           “Ready?” Ruby asked Yang, standing beside the desk, holding her Scroll.

           “Might as well rip this band-aid off.” Yang said. Ruby nodded, hitting the button to dial Taiyang, then placing the Scroll onto the pad, making the screen display again. The two Sisters moved over, sitting on the couch as they watched the call start to connect, revealing Taiyang’s panicked face.

           “Ruby?! Yang?!!?” Tai asked, looking hard at the screen to them.

           “Hey Dad! We got to Shade!!” Yang explained.

           “Shade, wha….I thought Ruby was headed to Haven?!” Tai asked.

           “We did…...but then we had a big fight there……..so we went to Atlas.” Ruby explained.

           “ATLAS?!?!?!!!!!” Tai shouted, showing he’s worrying about them.

           “It was fine…...getting arrested wasn’t…….neither was the Siege….” Yang said.

           “What do you mean, Siege!?!??” Tai asked her.

           “…...Salem attacked?” Ruby said, seeing Tai’s eyes widened as he fell back into his chair.

           “…..so you guys know about Salem…..” Tai said solemnly.

           “…….a bit more than you do, actually…..” Yang said to him, seeing his eyebrow raise.

           “What do you mean?” Tai asked them.

           “….Salem and Ozpin were from a time where actual Magic was common…….he rescued her from a tower, they lived together for a while, and she caused Humanity to be wiped out after he died. The Gods that lived with them shattered the moon as they left, and she jumped into Darkness to try to kill herself, but she turned into an immortal being of darkness instead.” Ruby started off. “Ozpin got tasked with taking her out and reunifying Humanity, but he thought he could change her. They had a life together, but when he told her why he was brought back, she destroyed his body and their four kids.” Tai looked shocked as Ruby summed up their lesson from Jinn.

           “That’s…..a lot…...” Tai said, rubbing the back of his neck.

           “Also…...some bad news…..” Yang said, frowning as she looked to the camera, flaring out the Maiden eye trail.

           “…...Raven died?” Tai asked, causing Yang some shock.

           “Wait, you knew she was the Spring Maiden?!?” Yang asked him. Tai nodded, blushing a bit.

           “She showed up out of the blue a few months back…..” Tai began to explain.

~

           Taiyang was tidying up his garden, straightening up the mulch around the flowers he, Yang and Ruby planted years ago. Humming to himself, he was interrupted by the sound of one of Raven’s portals opening up nearby. Tai stood slowly, scanning around when he heard a flop, then groaning. Walking over towards the direction of the sound, he saw Raven, on her knees and scraped up from her fight. However, the most shocking thing he could see was tears coming from her face, plummeting to the ground underneath it. Tai gently reached out his hand as she looked up at him, and smiled to her. “Hey.” He said, using a tone he had last used when they had first met.

           “18 years and you haven’t changed a day……..” Raven said to him mockingly, gently taking his hand and standing up.

           “You look like shit.” Tai told her.

           “With the day I’ve had, I feel like shit.” Raven said, frowning. Tai gently led her back to the house, welcoming her inside and heading into the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee. Raven began to enter the home when Tai called out to her.

           “Shoes off, please.” Tai shouted, grabbing the tub of coffee down. Raven looked over to the ground beside the door, and saw that he not only took his shoes off in the blink of an eye, but also put them in the spot designated with his name. Glancing over, Raven saw Yang and Ruby’s following his, which were followed as well with Qrow’s and even Summer’s, the latter empty and dusty. However, looking just past that, Raven’s eyes widened as she saw a spot equally dusty, with her own name above it. Blushing slightly, Raven cautiously took off her heels, setting them gently in her designated spot before stepping in and sitting down on the couch. Raven rested the empty cylinders of Omen beside her, the empty hilt latched onto the sheath . Raven clutched the fabric on her thighs tightly, not even looking to the Kitchen, ashamed of herself. Hearing footsteps nearing her, Raven shut her eyes tight, afraid of what’d happen next.

           “Here you go.” Tai said, holding out Raven’s old mug to her. Raven slowly looked up to see it, gently taking it after a second of hesitation. Taking a nervous sip from the mug, she was shocked that it was exactly as she had always had before.

           “How’d you do that. Not even my Flock have been able to make Black Coffee the way I like it, but…...18 years after I leave, you still make it exactly the way I remember it.” Raven asked him. Tai chuckled, then sat beside her, leaning back against the couch.

           “I did it the same way I do everything. With Love.” Tai smirked at her, crossing his legs and putting his free arm on the back of the couch, toward Raven. “So, what happened?” Raven frowned more, looking away from him, clutching her mug with both hands.

           “…….I let myself get manipulated by that stupid fucking-” Raven began, before getting a gentle pop to her forehead, making her space out momentarily before hearing Tai interrupt.

           “Language, Please!” Tai told her. The shock of his statement and firmness of it threw Raven for a loop, before making her begin to break into a full-body laugh. Hearing Raven laugh caused Tai to laugh after a moment, the two resting their coffees on the table to make sure they don’t spill out as they laugh more.

           “ I haven’t laughed like that since you ran into the door we cling-wrapped and then fell for the wrap around the toilet bowl five minutes later!!” Raven said through her laughter.

           “I remember that, you and Qrow were practically peeing on each other laughing.” Tai said, chuckling as well. “ Summer, meanwhile, was trying hard to hide her face since she was the one that came up with it.” Raven smiled, before frowning a bit afterwards.

           “Qrow was really mad when….that happened to her….” Raven said, looking down. “He told me to never even mention her name again.”

           “I wondered why you didn’t make an appearance. Guess I wasn’t fast enough.” Tai said, hearing Raven snicker.

           “That’s a shock considering some of your history.” Raven teased. Tai chuckled with her, taking another sip of his coffee.

~

           Hours Later, Tai held onto Raven as she laid against him, snuggled into his chest with Zwei licking her fingers.

           “Y’know, I’ve had a lot of dogs bark at me as a bird, but every time I’ve been around this one as a bird, he’s been calm. Never had an issue.” Raven said, smiling.

           “Maybe he’s sniffing you and remembering Yang. As a puppy, he’d always snuggle up to Ruby and Yang.” Tai said to her. Raven smiled a bit, feeling Tai pet her back gently.

           “…..they’re both much Stronger than we were……..any of us…..” Raven said to him.

           “….I know…...” Tai answered.

           “…...I pissed off Yang…….after fighting Cinder, she chastised me for my choices…...and she was right on every note….” Raven said, burying her face in Tai’s chest.

           “Yang was probably right, like always.” Tai said to her. Raven paused for a moment, deep in thought, before pushing herself up to look directly at his face.

           “Tai…...if something should happen to me, then I want you to know that I’ll be with Yang forever.” Raven told him. Tai looked at her confused, before Raven flared out her Eye Trails, seeing his eyes widen as he recognized what that meant.

           “You’re-” Tai began before getting cut off.

           “The Spring Maiden. And I’ve made a choice to make sure my last thoughts are of Yang. I may be a bad mother, and she may hate me for it, but if giving her my power will help her, then I don’t care if I have to be hated.” Raven said, letting her Eye Trails die down.

           “Rae…..” Tai began, sitting up and holding her close. “I don’t want to lose you too…..” Raven frowned, holding him close as well.

           “I don’t want to lose either of you…..but if it comes to it, then just know….” Raven began, before being cut off by Tai pulling her into a kiss.

~

           “Okay, okay!!! I don’t want to hear what happens next!!!” Yang said, standing and motioning for him to stop.

           “Sorry, but it happened.” Tai told her.

           “Um…...there’s…..something else…..” Ruby said, putting her longer hair behind her ear.

           “I swear, if you’re about to say what I think you are-” Tai said, pinching the bridge of his nose before Ruby responded.

           “I know about Mom and Qrow.” Ruby said. Tai chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of his neck.

           “T-that they were partners?” Tai sheepishly said.

           “To prevent Salem from getting access to the Lamp of Knowledge, I asked Jinn about my Parents. I expected to hear about how you and Mom met.” Ruby replied, looking away as she said it. “But instead, she told me about Qrow, some of his life before Beacon, and how he and Mom started up together.” Ruby turned back to him, frowning. “She also told me how she died.”

           “Oh, Ruby….” Tai began, before seeing Ruby shake her head.

           “It’s okay. One of Mom’s gifts is finally mine.” Ruby said, blinking and showing off her Eye Trail, making Tai’s jaw drop.

           “You mean…..both of my girls….” Tai began before seeing both of them nod. “I don’t believe it..”

           “Well, it happened. And I can’t just say you’re my Dad since Qrow technically is, but you technically are too. So, I’ve decided.” Ruby said, standing up. “You both are my Dads. It’s just not like Jaune’s nephew having two Moms.” Tai chuckled at that, nodding.

           “Well, we gotta get ready for tomorrow, so we’re gonna need to cut the call Dad.” Yang said, walking up with Ruby. “We’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

           “Alright, I love you two!” Tai said to them, smiling.

           “Love you too, Dad!” Yang said.

           “AlsoYang’sdatingBlakenowbye!!!!!” Ruby rushed to say, causing Yang to blush hard and Tai to gently freak before hitting the button to end the call.

Chapter Text

           Ruby awoke during the middle of the night, hearing Blake and Yang snoring as they sleep, Blake adding in purrs to it. Weiss snored gently, her hand draping over the edge as she slept. Rolling over, Ruby spotted Cinder curled up on the floor, back to her. “You’re Restless. What’s going on?” Ruby asked her.

           “Am not.” Cinder said, not looking to Ruby.

           “I haven’t had a bad night’s sleep since I was a child. Ever since you’ve began living in my head rent free, I haven’t been able to sleep properly. So what’s wrong?” Ruby told her.

           “…..I hate it here….” Cinder said, clutching her armless side. “There’s nothing here that even remotely sits right with me. Not you, not the stupid dipshits you have a team with, not even that oaf Theodore. And here I am, stuck wherever you go. Because you managed to get the best of me.”

           “Well, I wasn’t the one who decided to try and take me out after I spared you. That was your stupid choice.” Ruby said to her. “Now come on, we’re gonna be picking a Mission with Raican tomorrow. Get some shuteye.”

           “…….something doesn’t sit right by me about him…..” Cinder said to her.

           “And I will take that into consideration. Goodnight.” Ruby replied.

           “….fuck you…..”

           “So you all are doing Jaune’s route too?” Yang asked, the girls eating their breakfast while on a video call with Marrow.

           “Yeah. We figured it’d help better our image with the general public better. The kids love it when I stop the Cars with my Semblance.” Marrow said to them.

           “What about Hare? She seems like the type to hate doing something so “lowly”?” Ruby asked him.

           “Well, She did to start, but then the kids figured out quick that if you tease that she can’t do it, she works hard to prove you wrong. They love getting rushed along by her in under 5 seconds, and she’s now up to being able to carry 6 kids without issue.” Marrow explained, chuckling towards the end, hearing the girls snicker and giggle as they picture it.

           “That does sound a lot like her.” Ruby responded, scooping a spoonful of cereal in her mouth.

           “Oh, Elm’s got it better. She roots herself in place to keep the kids from going into the street, and they keep shoving and shoving to try to make her budge. They haven’t gotten her further than an inch so far with the entire line pushing her.” Marrow explained. “Vine is much simpler, he just holds his arms out and extends his Aura before them all and they hang onto him. Clover can easily wrangle kids up if they string too far, but they know he’s more chill.”

           “Sounds like the Ace Ops have it all covered.” Blake said, sipping her tea.

           “Well, the General had the worst first day…..” Marrow said, rubbing the back of his neck.

           “Wait, back up, Ironwood’s doing this too?” Weiss asked.

           “Yeah…..his was a bit brutal.” Marrow began.

           “ Alright everyone, Sing l e file…..” James said, holding the stop sign up with his robotic hand and ushering them along with his real one. James kept a mental count of the kids crossing the street to the school. “17, 18, 19……” James muttered to himself before hearing a few of the kids before him start tussling with each other. “Hey, knock it off!”

           “He Started it!!” The Smaller of the two protested.

           “No, he did!!!” The Larger of them retorted. James set the sign down before stepping over and picking the both of them up by their backpacks with ease.

           “I don’t care who started it, I told you both to-” James began before Sirens blared, forcing his attention away. “ Oh crap….” James said, letting the boys down. “Everyone, get to the School!!!!” James shouted, pulling out Due Process as a small pack of Ice Sabres burst through the street. James quickly brought up the pistol, firing several rounds in succession, taking out five easily. James aimed at the last one as it lept, but got pounced on and pinned before he could fire. Thinking quickly, James shoved his metal arm in the Sabre’s mouth, letting it chew on it and his coat before looking for his weapon. Spotting it a distance from himself, James reached out for it, barely able to get close as the Sabre shoved deeper onto him, its breath hot on his face. James grunted, shoving the beast away more, trying to think of a plan.

           POW!!!!!!

           James eyes widened as the Sabre was thrown off of him and disintegrated quickly, before looking over to where the shot came from. The smaller of the boys, knees bowed inward and entire body shaking, held Due Process as much as he could, face an expression of fear. James slowly stood as the Alarms shut off, walking over to the boy. “Hey, what’s your name?” James asked him.

           “B-Billy….” The boy answered, seeing James kneel down to his eye level and gently take the Gun away from him.

           “Well, Billy, I’m very thankful that you did that. You saved my skin over there.” James said to him, holstering his weapon while the boy smiled. “But I’d rather you not do that again. I’m here to protect you, not the other way around. Got it?” James told him, placing his real hand on his shoulder reassuringly. Billy smiled, nodding as he rushed forward and hugged James.

           “But yeah. After that, The General carried a Button that one of the kids’d hold onto in the event an issue like that happened, so the Nearest Ace Op could rush over and help.” Marrow finished.

           “So, it’s a button that calls Harriet.” Weiss responded. Marrow chuckled and rubbed the back of his head with a half-grin on his face.

           “Yeah, it pretty much calls Harriet. Luckily, he hasn’t had to use it much.” Marrow responded, laughing with the girls for a few moments before Ruby’s spoon suddenly and seemingly knocked itself away from her hand and across the table.

           “Ruby, you okay?” Yang asked her, seeing her Sister laugh a bit.

           “Y-yeah, just a bit of Butterfingers I guess…..” Ruby nervously said, glaring over at where Cinder had moved to, seeing the former Maiden mockingly smirked at her. Ruby reached over to pick up the spoon again and continue eating.

           “Anyway, I gotta go. Talk to you guys later!” Marrow said to them, cutting the call before them.

           “Well, it’s nice that they’re doing much better now.” Blake said, placing her now empty cup of tea back on her saucer.

           “Yeah. I just hope that we’re able to get this whole thing over with soon.” Weiss responded. A few minutes later, the door opened to Raican, who strolled in with Theodore following him.

           “Good morning, ladies. I trust you all are ready to head out for a mission.” Theodore asked them.

           “I’m ready. So, what do we gotta do? Find the Summer Maiden now?” Yang asked, kicking her feet up on the table.

           “Yang, feet down!” Weiss scolded her, seeing her blonde ally reluctantly do so.

           “Actually, yes. Raican has managed to trace some residual Maiden Energy to an abandoned Dust Mine a few miles out of town. I’d like you all and him to travel out there to investigate and possibly pick up a few leads.” Theodore explained to them.

           “Alright, we’ll get our gear together and hurry over with him then.” Ruby responded.

           “Maaaybe you could do a quick haircut before, Sis?” Yang piped, gently picking up a lock of her now shoulder-length hair.

           “H-hey!!!” Ruby said shyly, gently batting her metal hand away.

           “It did grow out a bit while you recovered.” Blake mentioned, trying hard to not giggle. Raican scoffed and crossed his arms, smirking at them all.

           “This ain’t Atlas, and all that gear from before’s Garbage. You lot better recalculate before getting to the shuttle. T= before Dusk or earlier. Make your choices quick, Parallelograms.” Raican mocked to them, strutting out of the room with a smirk.

           “He does have a point. Winter Gear in a Tropical Environment is as dumb as trying to give water to a drowning man.” Weiss stated, standing slowly.

           “Alright, we’ll head to the Armory first before hurrying to the shuttle bay.” Ruby said, heading off after the others and Theodore left, glaring at Cinder as she walked beside her.

           “You’re still going to wear that stupid cape, aren’t you?” Cinder snarked at her.

           “Hey, I love that cape.” Ruby spat back at her.

           “It’s foolish. You’ve got the Maiden Powers now and you’re still planning on wearing a foolish cape!” Cinder responded, glaring daggers at her.

           “Well, my body, my choice.” Ruby told her, seeing her face curl into a growl.

           “At least think of actual body armor instead of simply doing Light Armor. If you lose the Power before you can even properly drink and I’ll kick both your ass and the new host’s ass!” Cinder threatened.

           “As if…...but Armor might be useful…..” Ruby muttered to herself.

           “And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with those whelps you associate with. Cut your hair.” Cinder told her as Ruby stopped before a mirror. Ruby frowned, looking at herself before picking up a lock and put it back behind her ear, staring at her reflection.

Chapter Text

Ladies and Gentlemen of Ao3, I am afraid I have a grave announcement. On this day, April 1^st, 2022, I must declare that…..

We will be having a very special RWBY Chibi special!!!!!! So, without further ado,

RWBY CHIBI!!!!!!

           Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang strolled through the halls of Beacon, listening as they each recalled their dreams from the previous night. “I swear guys! She looked just like me, but way bigger!!!” Ruby exclaimed.

           “I highly believe that’s just from you eating your weight in cookies last night!” Weiss scolded.

           “Ugh, don’t say eat…...I don’t want to have to go through my dream again….” Blake groaned, clutching her stomach.

           “Whatever. My dream still rocked!” Yang cheerfully said before a voice stopped them all in their tracks.

          “OH GUNDALIAN INVADERS!” Ozpin cursed, hanging up his Scroll and glaring at the screen. “How she managed to do that….” Ruby and the others rushed to him as he muttered to himself.

           “Professor Ozpin? What’s wrong?” Ruby asked.

           “Oh, girls. Great….” Ozpin remorsefully said, putting his Scroll back into his pocket and turning around. “Well, that was my Divorce Attorney, and-”

           “Wait, Divorce Attorney? You’re married?” Yang asked.

           “WAS. Married. However my Ex-Wife decided that she wanted to take herself in The Divorce.” Ozpin explained.

           “I’m sorry, sir.” Blake said to him.

           “Unfortunately, that’s not the worst. According to my Attorney, she managed to get a Motion passed to get Visitation. Why the Judge granted it is beyond me.” Ozpin further explained.

           “Visitation? Professor, you never said you had kids.” Weiss asked.

           “That’s the thing. The Visitation is for you all. Every other weekend.” Ozpin further explained. The girls exclaimed in horror, before Ozpin motioned for them to calm down. “My Attorney’s already on trying to get it overturned, but until then, we have to comply.

           “Well, where does she live?” Ruby asked.

           The bus quickly sped off, leaving the four girls in front of the dark, frightening Castle with their bags. “Well…..maybe she’s nice?” Ruby nervously asked. After a moment, Salem floated down before them, cloaked in Dark energy with malice in her eyes as she grinned at them all.

           “Ah, good. So you’ve managed to make your way here. This makes me very happy.” Salem said, closing her hands.

           “So, what are you gonna-” Yang began before being interrupted.

           “Ah, you must be…..Dane, if I remember correctly.” Salem said after a moment to try to recollect herself. “I was told that you are all about fighting and proving yourself strong.”

           “Well….yeah, but-” Yang began before getting cut off again.

           “Ah, excellent. See, I’ve prepared a Beringel with a pair of boxing gloves, and I figured you two could have some fun on your own.” Salem said, snapping her fingers and summoning it from a Dark Portal on the ground. Seeing the beast trying to get its hands free, Yang’s face brightened as she tackled the Beringel, making a smoke cloud as the two tussled and moved away.

           “Uh…” Blake gently said before Salem turned to her.

           “Drake, wasn’t it?” Salem asked her. “I’ve heard you’re quite the bookworm.”

           “Well….not ‘worm’, but...kinda…” Blake confessed.

           “Well, I happen to have a Library with quite nearly every book ever written. Even some lost to time. You’re more than welcome to use it if you so please.” Salem told her, seeing Blake’s eyes widen. Salem turned to the side and raised her hand to her face. “Tyrian! Come escort Drake to the Library!!!” Tyrian cautiously walked up, looking between the remaining girls.

           “Mistress, are you sure-” Tyrian began.

           “Of course I’m sure. Now, go escort her.” Salem ordered him. Blake lept and clung to the side of his face, a blank, cat-like stare on her face.

           “I wanna see the books.” Blake told him as he sighed and started taking her to the location.

           “Now…...Dwight?” Salem said, unsure of herself but shrugging it off. “I’m told you’re the top of your class.”

           “That I am!” Weiss boasted.

           “Good. Why don’t you hang out with Arthur, he can even show you his Science do-dads he has making up.” Salem said to her.

           “Ma’am, I don’t think that’s-” Watts began before Weiss exclaimed in happiness.

           “Arthur Watts! You were one of the greatest Scientists at Atlas before you got lost!” Weiss exclaimed.

           “Well, yes, I-” Watts began before feeling Weiss tug him along, his eyes going wide.

           “I wanna see your lab! Pleasepleasepleaseplease!!!!!” Weiss begged as they went off. Salem then turned to Ruby and grinned at the young girl.

           “And finally, you. Ruby.” Salem said, grinning and stepping close to her. “Sweet, precious, Silver-Eyed Ruby…..” Ruby held her arms close to her as the ancient woman got close to her with a wide-open mouth. “I heard you lost someone very young, so I wanted to bake some cookies, maybe do a puzzle or maybe even knit together if you wanted.” Ruby’s eyes widened as the woman had backed off and held out a large puzzle box and knitting supplies.

           “O-oh…..wow……” Ruby shyly said. “That actually sounds pretty fun.” Ruby was about to say more when a Beowulf started to run up and bark at Ruby. Salem, hearing this, glared at it as a Dark Hand arose from nothing and spritzed it with a water bottle it seemingly had with it.

           “Bad Beowulf! Ruby’s our guest, and I won’t have any of you terrorizing her!” Salem scolded the beast, causing it to scurry away with its tail tucked between its legs.

           “Huh, wow. You know, you’re not at all like how I pictured.” Ruby cheerfully said. “I guess Professor Oz-” She began before being cut off.

         "WE DO NOT SPEAK OF THAT IMBECILE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!" Salem bellowed out, seemingly speaking in three grating voices at once, throwing Ruby off-kilter. “Oh, sorry. Where are my manners. Let’s head inside, shall we?” Salem gently took Ruby’s hand, dragging the frozen girl along with her.

           “HIYAAAAA!!!!!!” Yang bellowed, throwing the Beringel to the side of the ring where another Beringel rushed over and rubbed its shoulders.

           “She’s killing me over there, Biff.” The Beringel with gloves said to the one supporting him.

           “You gotta get back in there, Mac! Otherwise, who’ll be Champ?!?” Biff told him. “Come on, you got a Wife and four kids counting on you bringing that Prize money!”

           “Yeah…..yeah….” Mac replied, trying to hype himself up.

           “Besides, are you seriously going to let a Human take the Champion Belt? Your Father won that Belt, your Grandfather won that Belt, His Grandfather won that Belt! That Belt is your Family’s property!!!” Biff egged him.

           “Yeah!!!!!” Mac said to himself, hyped up even more.

           “So are you just gonna sit here and take it?!!?” Biff questioned.

           “NO!!” Mac replied.

           “What are you gonna do?!?” Biff asked.

           “I’M GONNA WIN!!!!!” Mac shouted, getting up and rushing over to Yang, who twisted around and punched him square in the face, sending him through the air and into the bleachers, where other Grimm were observing. Biff sighed, then looked to Yang.

           “Kid, you got a Coach?”

           Blake was enamored in her book, a large set of stacks scattered around her. Tyrian glared at her as she did so, upset at her presence. “How DARE these mere Mortals associate with our Goddess…..” Tyrian said aloud, glaring more at Blake. “Even then, just ignoring her to-”

           “Ssh!!” Blake quickly shushed him before going back to her book.

           “Ngh! How dare-!” Tyrian began to loudly say before getting shushed again. “Will you-” Blake shushed him again. “Stop it-!” Blake shushed him once again, grabbing the books and taking them to another area of the library, stacking them and books she had read in the past into a large fort for her to hide inside to continue reading. “Grrr….” Tyrian started to growl before seeing Blake glare at him again. Tyrian glared back, looking around the Library before stepping away.

           Weiss hummed and pranced around as she traversed the Lab, rearranging the different vials and experiments Watts had arranged.

           “Um, I don’t think you should be doing anything like what you’re doing to my laboratory….” Watts piped in.

           “But I want to help organize better, and this will help further my education if I organize an actual lab!” Weiss cheerfully said, continuing to organize while Salem and Ruby passed along in the hallway.

           “But-” Watts began to say before getting shot a glare from Salem, daggers being shot from her as she kept walking behind the skipping Ruby. Sighing, Watts looked to Weiss. “Go ahead…….”

           “Excellent!!!” Weiss shouted, spinning as she used her Glyphs to move heavier machinery around.

           Tyrian crawled up the fort of books carefully, not trying to disturb any as he approached the hole in the roof of it. “Now….” Tyrian said in a low tone, “You pathetic whelp shall pay for your insolence and transgressions for our-”

           “Ssh!!” Blake quickly spat out, having poked through the hole in the roof and put her finger on Tyrian’s lips, not moving her eyes away from the spot on her book. Blake held this position for a few seconds before lowering herself back into the fort. Tyrian was frozen in place, still processing her actions and how quickly she moved.

           Salem mixed the cookie dough in the mixing bowl as Ruby added chocolate chips in. “Careful, too many will throw off the balance. Too many chips and the dough won’t rise properly.” Salem reminded Ruby.

           “I always make them super-mega-choco-chunk!” Ruby told her, getting a laugh from Salem.

           “Well, why don’t we just make these regular. Future batches can be super-mega-choco-chunk.” Salem suggested to Ruby. Nodding to the older woman, the two started to dole out hunks of the dough into balls on the cookie sheet, before Salem snapped her fingers. Coming up from the floor, a pair of Dark Hands grabbed the sheet and put it in the oven. “Did you two remember to wash your hands?” Salem asked them before seeing them both give her thumbs up. “Good, now run along.” Ruby watched as the Dark Hands disappeared from where they came, before peeking into the oven, seeing no visible change from the glass panel separating her from her prize.

           “How long do we have to wait?” Ruby asked.

           “Well, I haven’t made this recipe in over five centuries, but the Bat Milk and Dragon Eggs haven’t changed, so…..I’d have to say about twenty minutes.” Salem said after thinking for a moment. Ruby blinked a bit before turning and looking at Salem.

           “...Bat Milk?”

           Two Beowulfs hurried around the dark landscape, before one stood up and checked if the coast was clear. “Okay, we weren’t followed.” Mike said.

           “Oh thank god.” Marty sighed, standing and rubbing his back. “Being hunched over for that long is brutal!” The two Beowulfs walked over to a hidden water cooler, before grabbing a pair of cups and filling them up.

           “How much longer are those girls gonna be here?” Mike asked.

           “I heard from Tim in Accounting that they’re supposed to be here for every other weekend for the foreseeable future.” Marty said, getting a groan from Mike.

           “You’re kidding! The Boss was talking about letting the little red-haired one keep me as her new pet.” Mike replied.

           “No way! What, did Herb leave for the regular world?” Marty asked.

           “Nah, he got ashed a few months back, remember?” Mike said. Marty sighed, shaking his head.

           “First I lose 80,000 Lien on the fight with the blonde and Mac, now this!” Marty said, throwing his hand up. “Could this day get any worse?” The sound of Yang’s gauntlets going off echoed slightly, before Mac was thrown on top of Marty.

           “Ugh…….I quit….” Mac groaned out. The Beringel looked over at Mike and shifted slightly to wave. “Oh, hey Mike. Where’s Marty?”

           “I think you broke my coccyx……”

           Tyrian crawled out of the ceiling, staring at Blake as she stayed perfectly still in her fort. “Now….” Tyrian quietly said, embedding his tail into the ceiling and lowering himself down. “I’m going to make this whelp pay for what she’s done!” Tyrian began to laugh quietly, before slowly increasing in volume.

           “Ssh!!” Blake spat out, shoving her finger at his nose as she poked out from the tile he was embedded in, before hopping back down and making her Shadow disappear and taking the book back. Tyrian looked shocked as he slowly fell through the air, landing head-first outside of her fort.

           Ozpin cautiously paced back and forth before Glynda as the latter sat on a bench outside of Beacon. “Sir, I think you’re overreacting.” Glynda scolded him.

           “Oh please, Glynda. You haven’t had to deal with that Mechtanium Surge woman before!” Ozpin replied back to her.

           “Oh please, the girls will be fine.” Glynda reassured him. Before either could say anything, the bus drove up and let Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang off before them.

           “Girls! I’m so glad you all are okay.” Ozpin said to them. “Tell me, what horrors did that creature beset to you all?”

           “Well, she and I made cookies, and we put together a giant puzzle! I even got a new Zwei for over there!” Ruby cheerfully said, gripping a larger cookie in both hands.

           “I was able to help reorganize and redistribute an entire laboratory!!” Weiss happily said.

           “….I read 420 books that were lost to time…..” Blake said contemptly, a smile on her face.

           “I beat the reigning champion and took home the Title Belt!!!!!” Yang exclaimed, holding the belt up above her head. “Come on guys, let’s go show what happened to the others!” Yang ran off with her team as Ozpin stood, frozen as he processed all of the information that the girls gave him.

           “Oh Geogan Rising……” Ozpin choked out before flopping backwards. “I hope my lawyer can put an end to these visitations soon…...”

Chapter Text

           Raican leaned against the shuttle, crossing his arms in frustration as he had to wait for Team RWBY to arrive. “I told those Parallelograms to be here before now.” He muttered to himself.

           “I’m sure they’re just taking their time to ensure that their weapons and gear is in tip top shape. It’ll be alright, Raican. Please be patient.” Theodore told him. Raican scoffed before hearing Yang call his name out.

           “Yo!!!!” Yang jogged forward, now having traded her jacket out for a large pauldron and yellow arm armor, stopping just shy of her compressed gauntlet, her metal arm freed up to her shoulder. Yang’s right leg now having not only the purple bandanna wrapped around it, but also her old yellow one and a white and red one just above them, with a hunk of metal with ridges acting as a protector plate. Her chest now encased in a yellow breastplate with a belt holding it together. “You guys ready or what?” She taunted, grinning and resting her hands on her hips.

           “I’ve been waiting for you infinitesimals for a long time. You almost missed your vector.” Raican told her. Yang scoffed and flipped her hair back.

           “What can I say, I had to make sure I looked perfect to kick ass.” Yang commented. Raican rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

           “So, where are the other Parallelograms?” Raican asked her.

           “I’m coming!!” Weiss shouted out, hurrying over there with her heels clicking. Arriving before them, Weiss smoothed down her shorter skirt, now having several more dust pouches hanging on top of it and revealing knee-guards. Her jacket was now missing the sleeves it held, cutting off at her new elegant pauldron armor at her shoulders. Her neck was now more exposed, which helped accent her new criss-crossed belts over her chest. “Sorry, had to make sure I had enough Dust for anything.” Weiss explained. Quickly following her, Blake strode in, her jacket now gone, her forearms now encased in purple sleeves meeting at her ring fingers, the middle of her stomach now covered in dozens of scale plates, with a mixture of black, red, white and yellow scales amongst them. Covering her thighs were two large plates, attached to the fabric of her bodysuit. Her heeled thigh high boots, latched with three belts, now had sharp spikes for heels, and her hair now was tucked into a bun at the lower back of her head.

           “Sorry, just had to get used to these new heels…….” Blake said, tucking some of the last tufts of her hair gently behind her ear.

           “Lookin good, sweetie!” Yang said, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek.

           “So, where would Miss Rose be?” Theodore asked.

           “I’m here!!” Ruby shouted, running towards them, her new greaves clanging lightly as she rushed to them. The armor plates around her waist and on her shoulder also clanged together, Ruby skidding to a stop before she would have collided with Weiss. The trio of older girls stared lightly at Ruby, who shyly rubbed the back of her head, under her still-long hair. “I know, it’s still long, but I like it like this.” Ruby said.

           “Rube, you look-” Yang began before getting cut off.

           “Like Mom? I know…...I figured, why not? She’s part of me now, like how she always wanted……” Ruby said, looking around. “So, what’s the story?”

           “Ever since we lost the Summer Maiden, Raican’s been scanning the area around the town for any instances of her energy, which we were able to record.” Theodore explained, pulling out a datapad and projecting a display of the area before the girls. “A scan late last night detected the energy around here.” Theodore pointed towards the mine.

           “What was that mine used for?” Weiss asked.

           “Dust collection, as well as metal and other necessary materials. What else?” Raican explained.

           “Are any of the workers near it?” Blake asked.

           “It was an old Ruthschtaker mine. They mainly used….um…..” Theodore began before nervously looking between Blake and Raican, the latter of whom simply crossed his arms and growled.

           “…...Oh…..I get it…..” Blake said, crossing her arms and glaring at him as well.

           “The Ruthschtakers were out of business by the time that Jacques took over, so my guess is that Theodore had no way of stopping it Blake.” Weiss explained, trying to ease her friend’s nerves.

           “It still doesn’t make it right!! They were people too!!” Blake protested.

           “I understand your anger-” Theodore began to say before Blake interjected.

           “No you don’t! You’re Human, there’s no way you can understand how WE feel!!!” Blake spat back at him, before Raican stepped before her.

           “I’m not keen on it either, Gato. But Prof here does show his work. Nearly 90% of the Fractals in this town are Faunus, and the remaining Hominids know no difference other than appearance.” Raican defended. “Would I love to subtract this portion of history? Absolutely, no exponentials added. But it happened. We’re unable to factor that out. Got it?” Blake glared at him, before feeling Yang’s hand on her shoulder.

           “Blake, Theodore couldn’t do anything…….but it’s shut down now, so nothing else bad can happen.” Yang gently said to her. Blake thought about it for a moment, her ears lowering in shame.

           “I-I’m sorry….” Blake said.

           “Don’t be.” Raican replied.

           “N-no…..I’ve been in the White Fang since I was born, my Father founded it…...any time that I see where Faunus were treated……” Blake began, balling up her fists before feeling Weiss’s hand on her other shoulder.

           “It feels like you’ve failed everything you’ve been taught to do, right?” Weiss asked, getting a nod from Blake.

           “I am deeply sorry for everything you’ve had to go through, Miss Belladonna. You’re right, I’ve no idea what you or any Faunus has gone through. All I can do is try to do better than what has been done.” Theodore said to her.

           “…..let’s just go…...I want to get this over with…..” Blake said, making sure Gambol Shroud was magnetized to her back. Raican smirked, tipping the brim of his hood up.

           “I’ll fly.”

           Raican hopped off of the shuttle behind the girls as they began trekking towards the aged colossal doors to the mine.

           “It’s so big…..” Ruby said as they came close to it.

           “It apparently used to bring in thousands of pounds of Dust back in the day.” Weiss explained.

           “Still doesn’t make it right…….” Blake muttered, her arms crossed over her chest.

           “So, Raican….” Ruby piped up. “I don’t see a Weapon on your person…...do you have one?” Raican smirked at her as he rolled his sleeves up, revealing almost every inch of his arms and hands covered with intricate tattoos.

           “Weapons are Garbage for me. The only thing I take into a problem is Art and Flawless, intricate Equations.” Raican boasted, spreading his arms. Ruby’s eyebrow raised in confusion before Yang piped up.

           “You gotta see him in action, it’s pretty cool actually.” Yang said to her as they entered the mine’s massive doors, seeing dozens of overturned carts and piles of rocks, coal and Dust covered in regular dust, showing the place as having been abandoned for years.

           “Think there are any Grimm in here?” Weiss asked aloud.

           “I see evidence of their Variables.” Raican said, pointing to what seemed to be a pitch-black wall.

           “Uh, you sure?” Yang asked.

           “No, I see it too. It’s just in the dark.” Blake said.

           “Oh, right. Faunus-vision…..hey, where’s the nearest Light Switch?” Ruby asked.

           “Negative X Axis, Positive Y, slope is √3 intersecting at 0.” Raican stated matter-of-factly.

           “Uh…..” Ruby said, looking at Raican with Weiss and Yang in utter confusion. Blake sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

           “Ten-o-clock from where we’re standing.” Blake translated. She then turned to Raican and glared at him. “Next time, just make it easier to everyone and use a clock”

           “Fine.” Raican said calmly as Ruby walked over to the wall, fumbling around a bit before turning the light on fully, basking them in dim light.

           “Well, that’s a bit better. So, let’s try to find some evidence of the new Maiden.” Weiss said, the five of them traversing into the mine cavern. They traveled in for a few minutes before encountering a caved-in path.

           “Detector indicates this deviation’s fresh.” Raican said, lowering his tracking device to his side and clipping it to his belt.

           “She must have collapsed it to hide herself. Yang, do you think you-” Ruby started to suggest when Raican stepped forward and growled. “Uh, Raican?” Ruby asked him.

           “I told you. Art.” Raican said, flexing his hands and causing several of the tattoos on his arms to glow. “And Flawless Intricate Equations!!” Raican swung his arms out, projecting the tattoos off of his body as razor-thin blades, before rushing to the rubble and clearing the larger boulders with ease. Stepping back towards the group, Raican grinned, the arm tattoos he used now faded to reveal the skin beneath. “Class dismissed.” Ruby’s face lightened immediately as she saw this, getting excited at his ability.

           “That is SO COOL!!!! Is that just a Semblance or some new technology?!” Ruby asked, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

           “It’s my hidden exponent. I can project the equations I embed into me. I can even infuse the ink with Dust to add effects.” Raican said, pointing to a few colored tattoos on his arms.

           “That sounds very dangerous.” Weiss said.

           “And Painful…..” Blake added.

           “But you can’t deny, that’s super cool.” Yang defended. Raican pulled out his tracker and turned back to the hole he made.

           “Come on, trail’s going cold. We need to keep advancing.” Raican said, leading them into the tunnel.

           After several hours in the caverns, Raican and the group encountered a fork in the road. Raican began to go down one pathway, before stopping and pointing the device in the opposite path. Raican followed that path for a few steps before stopping again to smack his tracker a few times.

           “What’s up?” Yang asked him.

           “There’s some interference. I’m getting a pair of equations with the same frequency from both directions.” Raican explained.

           “So, do you think the tunnels meet up after a while?” Blake asked.

           “From an echolocation-based Map this thing has been building, not likely.” Raican pushed a button, displaying a hologram of the massive labyrinth of tunnels they’ve been traversing through, with a red line dictating the path they’ve been taking.

           “We’ve been down THAT far??!?!??!” Ruby asked, in awe.

           “More importantly, if there’s two equal paths that she could be down, what happens if we go down the wrong path?” Weiss asked.

           “Then we put ourselves on a wild Nevermore Chase. Which is why we need to divide.” Raican said, lowering his tracker.

           “How do we do that? There’s five of us.” Ruby asked.

           “If I pull out my Summon in a fight, it’ll at least be Even.” Weiss said.

           “We do have two people here that can see in pitch black. Weiss could go with Raican and we could go with Blake.” Yang offered.

           “Are you sure?” Blake asked.

           “Math checks out for me. We’re trashing valuable time, Parallelograms.” Raican told them, beginning his march down the tunnel of his choosing, Weiss gently sighing in frustration.

           “We’ll keep in touch with our Scrolls if we need it, alright?” Weiss said, following him.

           Ruby, Blake and Yang slowly trekked through the tunnel, lit by the flickering light of their dying flashlights as Blake led them through the darkness.

           “There seems to be a large open area ahead…...might be a central hub where Mining was done.” Blake said, the light around them finally dying down, followed by Yang groaning in frustration.

           “Come ON you cheap piece of shit!” Yang exclaimed, smacking her flashlight. Ruby’s eyes could barely make out her teammates when a familiar hand put itself on her shoulder.

           “Wow, you’re really not doing this smartly, huh?” Cinder asked Ruby, who gave her a side glance.

           “What are you talking about?” Ruby harshly whispered, trying to keep herself from being heard by Blake.

           “You have the Power, you can be a fucking Torch for you all.” Cinder annoyedly said, frustrated with her new host.

           “So what, I can make you hold it?” Ruby whispered again.

           “No fucking way. I’m not a goddamn candlestick.” Cinder protested.

           “I can make you suffer with little consequence to me, Gods-dammit.” Ruby responded, making out Cinder’s frustrated glare as the former Maiden stepped back and raised her remaining hand, creating a medium-sized Fireball in her hand, illuminating the cavern around them.

           “Woah…..Sis, how are you doing that?” Yang asked, looking over to Ruby, who gently rubbed the back of her neck.

           “It’s just a little trick I picked up……” Ruby said, seeing Cinder’s remaining eye narrow at her.

           “Well, let’s keep going.” Blake said, leading them along. The three living girls and one apparition kept up their trek, coming to the large atrium-like area after a short while.

           “Looks like they used to dig out Dust and Coal here……” Ruby said, analyzing the area.

           “Might want to be careful with that fire then, Sis.” Yang mentioned to her.

           “Right…….maybe I should put it up at the ceiling and illuminate the room?” Ruby loudly said to herself, seeing Cinder roll her eye and step forward. The Former Maiden then sent the Fireball up and increase to the size of a small bear, illuminating the area with the warm glow.

           “That’s better.” Yang said. The three began to look around the room before hearing a mine cart topple over near Blake, revealing another young woman. “Hey!!” Yang shouted, running towards Blake, extending out the Ember Celica. The young woman looked panicked for a moment, before looking to Blake and looking sorrowfully.

           “I’m sorry….” The young woman said, extending out an expanding flute, bringing it up to her lips and playing, keeping her eyes focused in Blake’s, who began with a shocked expression, before it drooped to a dull look. Blake’s hands then quickly snapped to her weapons, pulling them out and drawing them.

           “Blake?!” Yang asked, seeing her girlfriend’s body turn around, her head dolled over to the side as her body moved to attack. Blake, silently and without visible choice, lunged at Yang, who barely was able to block her strikes. Blake’s body continued, hands seemingly leading her body, like a demented marionette. “Blake! Snap out of it!!!” Yang shouted, blocking the different slashes that were being sent at her. Ruby gritted her teeth as she looked to the young woman playing, rushing towards her. The young woman noticed this, then played a few additional notes to her song, sending Blake to intercept Ruby. Ruby whipped out Crescent Rose, blocking slashes with the thick case. Yang looked over, then rushed and grappled Blake, holding her in a Full Nelson. “Ruby, get Weiss and Raican!!!” Yang shouted, doing her best to try to avoid Blake’s swings as she’s controlled to try to get out. Ruby nodded and rushed away, as Blake left a Shadow in Yang’s arms as she rushed forward. Yang let the Shadow go, dissolving it instantly before blocking more attacks, the young Maiden trying to plead with her Girlfriend to snap out of the control.

           “Come on……” Ruby said to herself, trying to dial Weiss through the thick rock cave walls.

           “She’s really giving Blondie a hard time.” Cinder said, lounging over the pile of coal Ruby’s taking cover behind.

           “Cinder, you’re. Not. Helping!” Ruby sniped at her, sending a quick message to Weiss after the third failed call.

           “I never said I was trying to be. You’re the Maiden, after all.” Cinder mockingly said, tone full of snark.

           “If you don’t have anything helpful to do then just fuck off!!!” Ruby said to her, putting her Scroll back up and lept out, extending the blades of Crescent Rose, using her weapon to intercept some of Blake’s swings, both her and Yang not trying to harm their friend. Cinder sat on the pile, crossing her legs while watching the fight play out.

           “I should have gotten some popcorn!” Cinder mockingly said, still watching until she noticed the Young Woman trying to stride backwards to an unstable-looking cavern. “Hey, dunce! She’s getting away!” Cinder pointed out.

           “I noticed!!!” Ruby said, blasting a fireball towards her, seeing the young woman’s eyes erupt in pink trails before blasting a blue fireball back at it, colliding with Ruby’s and sending it to the ground closer to Ruby. “Damn it!!!” Ruby shouted, slamming Crescent Rose down hard to embed Gambol Shroud’s sheath to the ground, restricting Blake to one weapon. Yang grappled Blake again, trying to pin her down.

           “Blake, it’s me! Yang! This isn’t you!!!” Yang pleaded, looking deeply into her eyes, which remained half-lidded and seemingly empty. Ruby was about to add to this when a blast of Ice launched towards them, pinning Blake’s foot down. Yang and Ruby looked over to where the Ice came from, seeing Weiss with a large glyph behind her. Raican stood beside her, grinning and projecting out more Tattoos, causing what appears to be clawed gauntlets over his fists, exposing more bare skin underneath.

           “I hope we’re not too late!!” Weiss shouted.

           “Shit!!!” The young Maiden cried out, playing a quick few notes before dashing through the tunnel, seemingly knowing where she’s going. Blake, meanwhile, Shadowed herself out of the Ice shackle and twisted around Yang’s back, pulling the blade back from the thinner portion of Gambol Shroud and firing several rounds at the supports of the tunnel, causing it to quickly collapse, cutting off their advancement to the young woman. Blake hopped off of Yang after this, standing still.

           “Blake! What’s wrong with you?!?” Weiss asked her, rushing up with Raican. Instead of giving any answer, Blake faltered momentarily, before falling over and collapsing. Yang and Raican rushed to Blake, catching her before her head collided to the stone floor of the cavern.

           “Blake?…….BLAKE?!?!?!??” Yang screamed out, “BLAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!!!!!!!”

Chapter Text

           Raican burst through the doors to his lab, an unconscious Blake curled up in his arms, followed immediately by Yang, Ruby and Weiss. “Come on, Gato, stay around for this equation!” Raican told her, lying her down on one of the tables in the immediate area before going off to find the equipment he was looking for. Yang rushed to Blake’s side almost instantly after Raican had moved an inch away, holding her girlfriend’s hand tightly in her own. Weiss and Ruby looked at the two, before taking a look at the room around them, not only seeing several dozen different kinds of Scientific equipment, but also Medical Equipment and what appeared to be a chair surrounded by needles, attached to a ceiling-mounted contraption.

           “Uh, Raican?” Ruby began to ask before seeing the man easily lifting and carrying a device over to Blake and Yang, going to the opposite side of the table from them. Raican opened a panel on the side, pulling out several electrodes and attaching them to Blake’s chest along her collarbone and on her temples.

           “What are you doing?!” Yang demanded as he turned on the machine, before hearing beeping coming from it, revealing he had brought out an EKG Monitor for her. Yang looked at the readout of the device, then noticed confusion on Raican’s face. “What’s wrong?”

           “Her Data’s fine. It’s like she’s asleep.” Raican explained, gently pulling Blake’s eyelids apart to see her pupil, flashing a tiny flashlight in it to check to see if she’s reactive.

           “How can she be asleep?! What even happened down there?!” Weiss asked.

           “Well, we encountered a woman down there that started playing a flute, and almost immediately Blake started attacking us.” Ruby summed up. Raican turned to her with a look of frustration on his face.

           “Flute? Son of a Digit….” Raican uttered, tapping a few buttons on his Scroll before putting it to his human ear. “Yeah. It’s her. Bring her file.” Raican told through the Scroll before putting it back in his pocket.

           “What’s going on?” Yang asked before Raican hooked up Blake to another machine, this one monitoring her brain waves.

           “It looks like she’s currently graphing out a trance. It’s unfortunately common in this situation.” Raican explained, tucking a pillow under Blake’s head. “Only thing we can do is wait for the Graph to finalize so she wakes.”

           “The hell’s that supposed to mean?!” Yang demanded.

           “Once the Prof gets the file and she wakes, I’ll explain everything.” Raican said, stepping away from Blake and Yang. Yang growled a bit, then held onto Blake’s hand tightly.

           “So, what is this place?” Ruby asked Raican as he came towards her and Weiss.

           “This is my lab, and where I design my art!” Raican explained, heading over to the needle chair and getting a few Dust Crystals out. “I have several pre-set designs, or design my own. I can either use regular ink, or mix in Dust here.” Raican put the crystals into a compartment that showed them being pulverized and turned into dust itself, then dumped and mixed into tanks below it. The tanks below shifted from black to entirely different colors, then those colors being pumped into tubes attached to the tanks. Raican sat in the chair, pulling a tablet over to his lap and tapped several designs. Moving the tablet away, Raican laid his arms out for demonstration as the machines lowered and went to his arms, diving into his skin and beginning printing the elaborate designs onto his arms, highlighting them with the colors he put in there.

           “Woah…..” Ruby said, eyes wide and starry as she watched the massive tattoos be performed in a matter of minutes.

           “How are you able to handle all that Dust in your skin?” Weiss asked him. Raican was about to explain when Blake bolted up and screamed.

           “Blake!!!” Yang shouted, standing up beside her.

           “Where am I!?!? What’s going on?!?!?!?!” Blake panickedly asked, looking around frantically as Ruby and Weiss rushed over, Raican coming over after the tattoos finished printing out on him.

           “Easy Gato, you’re recovering from what happened.” Raican said to her.

           “What happened to me?!?” Blake demanded, gripping Yang’s metal arm tightly.

           “You met with the new Summer Maiden.” Theodore said to them all, carrying several files under his arm. Walking up to the girls, Theodore handed each of them a file, setting his Scroll down on a display platform to project the face of a young woman, having fiery red hair and emerald green eyes. “Meet Pamela Piper. She was a student here a few years ago, but we had to expel her over her lack of willingness to follow the rules of the school.” Ruby and Weiss flipped open their files to look over the information while Blake focused on her.

           “That’s the last thing I remember before waking up here. Seeing her face.” Blake said, staring at her.

           “Are you sure you don’t remember anything else?” Theodore asked her.

           “Why, what should she remember, that she was fighting us?” Yang asked, seeing Blake look horrified at what Yang said.

           “What?! I don’t…..” Blake began to say, her legs trying to fold under herself.

           “Pam’s Semblance in action. She can play a tune and can easily control Grimm, Animals, even People.” Theodore explained.

           “Wait, if she can, then why didn’t Yang or I get affected?” Ruby asked. Theodore glanced at Blake and Raican, the latter of whom nodded in permission, before explaining.

           “Pam’s Semblance seems to have a natural ease in…...controlling Faunus. It’s easier for her to have them do her bidding.” Theodore explained. Blake’s heart dropped as she heard this, gripping Yang’s fingers tightly as she pulled herself into a tighter ball. “Raican here has had an experience similar to yours himself.”

           “It wasn’t something I desire to replicate.” Raican explained, crossing his arms.

           “We’ve noticed several Faunus having memory issues after we lost our former Maiden, so we began to look to see if she was the fault.” Theodore explained. “Evidently, today confirmed it.”

           “I don’t even remember what happened…….” Blake repeated, clutching her head.

           “We tried not to hurt you. It looked like you were those puppet things that have the strings.” Ruby told her.

           “A Marionette.” Weiss told Ruby.

           “Thank you.” Ruby said to her. “You looked like someone was making your hands and feet move and your body followed like a Marionette.” Blake’s ears folded over, ashamed of what apparently happened.

           “So…..how’d I get to……” Blake looked around as she said this, trying to figure out what room she’s now in.

           “My Lab. Where I perform research and solve my Equations.” Raican explained.

           “Right…...how’d I get here?” Blake asked.

           “Well, I carried you out of the mine, we held onto you on the trip here….” Yang began, “But then the moment we landed, he scooped you up and just started running.” Blake looked up to him, who just shrugged his shoulders.

           “Easier than trying to lay directions to newcomers.” Raican explained, trying to be nonchalant.

           “Thank you anyway….” Blake told him, seeing his new tattoos.

           “Don’t mention it.” Raican said, walking over towards his whiteboard before he began writing out more numbers and problems on it.

           “Let’s go ahead and head back to the dorm with the others, maybe they’ll help us wind down.” Ruby said, helping Yang ease Blake back up on her feet before the four exited the lab, Raican still focused on his wall-sized equation.

           “And then it went in and shot the Dust particles in his skin!” Ruby said to Blake.

           “It just shows how versatile Dust can be.” Weiss said smugly.

           “Or how resilient to pain people can be.” Yang responded.

           “I think it’s just a disaster waiting to happen.” Blake added, leaning onto Yang more.

           “I think it’s super-cool!!!!” Ruby said, holding her hands in eagerness in front of her. The group were stopped outside of their dorm room as a loud clattering gained their attention immediately.

           “DAMMIT NEO!!!” Ren shouted, quickly backing out of their room and pressing himself to the wall as Nora walked up slowly to the door, looking confused. “She did it AGAIN!” Ren said, as what appeared to be Nora’s foot stepped out to the hallway. However, once the remainder of her body came out, it was clearly Neo, as Nora’s face had seemingly been superimposed onto a balloon full of air connected to her body. Jaune walked up beside the Nora that had also been walking up and took note of the situation.

           “She did her inflating head thing again, didn’t she?” Jaune asked him.

           “She got within an inch of my face before inflating.” Ren angrily said as Neo’s guise shattered down and she was revealed, laughing silently in their door-frame. Ren sighed, stepping closer to the Nora that was in the hallway and held her close. “It’s getting really frustrating….” Ren began as he went to nuzzle that Nora’s neck.

           “Ren?” Nora asked, having just walked up from behind Team RWBY. The team looked back at her, then immediately to the Nora that Ren was clinging to, when that Nora’s head began inflating with a giant grin as well.

           “DAMMIT!!!!” Ren shouted, backing up as the head on that one popped and dissolved the illusion, making Jaune and Team RWBY laugh.

           The girls were in the process to get ready for bed, Ruby stretching in her sleep pants and tank top. Weiss laid on her bed in her nightgown, studying Pam’s file. Yang slowly came towards where her and Blake slept, having just showered, while Blake just sat on their bed, curled up into a ball. “Hey, you okay?” Yang asked her.

           “It’s just……..why wouldn’t I remember what happened?” Blake asked her.

           “Blake…..” Ruby said slowly, about to step forward when they heard a knock at the door. “Uh, who is-” Ruby got out as the door slammed open with a kick from a luxurious-looking High-Heel.

           “Ladies! It’s so good to see you all again!!!” Coco beamed out to them, strolling in with Velvet, Fox and Yatsuhashi waiting patiently in the hallway.

           “You guys, I can’t believe you guys are here!!” Weiss said, gently hopping off her bunk and welcomed their team in.

           “Well, we wanted to keep up our Huntsmen training after Beacon, and Shade was where we decided we’d fit better.” Velvet explained.

           “Nice! We’ve…..” Yang began to say, before chuckling a bit, “We’ve had a journey since Beacon.”

           “We’ve heard.” Fox said, staying close to the door-frame.

           “We heard you went to Haven, to get information about the group that infiltrated Beacon?” Yatsu asked them.

           “Yeah…...then Leo betrayed us……” Ruby said.

           “Ouch.” Coco said, lowering her shades. “Well, at least you guys are alright. No craziness or anything.”

           “Not…..exactly…..” Yang said, keeping guard of Blake.

           “Right. We heard about Ruby’s encounter with Cinder.” Velvet said, closing her hands before her.

           “It’s more than that……..” Weiss said, looking to her teammates. “What did you guys hear from Ozpin?” Weiss asked.

           “Well, just that there was a group of Women in Remnant that held actual Magic.” Yatsu answered.

           “And Salem.” Fox added.

           “So the basics….” Blake muttered. Ruby sighed, explaining to Team CFVY about what really happened with Salem and Ozpin, causing all of their eyes to widen, including Fox’s pale white orbs.

           “You’re kidding.” Yatsu said.

           “Nope. We’re on a time limit basically.” Ruby said.

           “Well, then what are we gonna do?” Velvet asked.

           “We’re first, gonna get the Summer Maiden under control instead of being a rogue.” Weiss said, “Then, we’re going to secure the last two Relics.”

           “Well, we’ll help as best as we can.” Coco said, smirking at them all.

           Blake looked out among the crowd of people, seeing dozens and dozens of Humans surrounding the podium they were at. Blake’s eyes frantically shot around the crowd, seeing more and more of the situation the Humans were in: Dressed in rags, barefoot, covered in dirt and chained to each other, every man, woman and child kneeling before the stage, in reverence to her. “No….no….” Blake began to say, before an all-too familiar hand put itself on her shoulder. Blake’s face turned, to see Adam’s exposed face, the scar of the SDC brand now over a whited-over eye as it once-again somewhat resembled his other eye, his face sunken in and hair falling out in clumps, smirking at her.

           “Isn’t this what we fought for, dear?” Adam said, blood spurting from his twin chest wounds with every breath. Blake struggled to pull from his bony hand, as he quickly grabbed her arms and forced her to look forward, Blake spotting a familiar head in the crowd. “This is all for you, my darling…” Adam evilly said as Yang raised her head, Blake’s name now branded directly over both of her eyes, her mouth sewn shut and dripping blood.

           “GAH!!!” Blake blurted out as she awoke with a jolt, breathing hard and erratically.

           “Blake? Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Yang sleepily asked, sitting up to the woman on her lap. Blake took a moment to recollect herself as she looked back to Yang, perfectly fine and unlike what her dream self looked like.

           “N-nothing…..just a bad dream…...go back to bed…….” Blake said, gently lying back down with her, resting her head on Yang’s breast, listening to her strong heartbeat. Blake felt Yang’s metal hand gently stroking her back, but was completely unfocused and unwilling to sleep. Because Blake now had a horrid thought in her head. That wasn’t the first time she had seen that scene.

           The first time was when she blinked after hearing Pam play her flute.

Chapter Text

           “Absolutely not!” Yang scolded Blake.

           “Oh come on! I want to go out and look for her too!” Blake spat back.

           “Which is exactly the problem! I don’t want you getting hurt or being forced to hurt us again!” Yang responded, with Ruby, Weiss and Oscar looking nervously amongst themselves.

           “I can handle myself!” Blake shot back, seeing Yang cut her off with a shouting of her name, Yang’s eyes flashing Red again. Yang quickly closed her eyes and calmed herself, opening them to reveal her purple eyes once again.

           “I know you can. However, we still don’t know what this woman wants or how else she fights.” Yang said to her, gently taking her girlfriend’s hands in tow. “Until we can figure out a good counter-strategy against her controlling you, it’s better if you stay out of the main fight.” Yang smiled a bit at Blake, trying to cheer her up. Blake, however, yanked her hands away and stomped away, leaving the four at the entrance of Shade Academy.

           “Come on, we should hurry along.” Oscar said, gently leading them outside, Ruby tugging Yang along.

           “UGH!!!” Blake cried out as she stormed into Raican’s lab. Raican didn’t look up from his tinkering on his tattoo machine.

           “If you have to walk in here, keep the noise level to low.” Raican told her without looking into her eyes.

           “Sorry, it’s just…...ugh!!!” Blake groaned, pacing back and forth. “I’m the one that had to suffer from what that bitch did, and they seriously expect me to fucking sit on my ass!!”

           “If you’re gonna complain, at least hand me my tools. Damn Ink tubes got a blockage and I’m trying to fix the equation.” Raican said to her, holding his hand out. Blake looked around, then handed it to him. “Continue.”

           “I swear, they should know by now I won’t just sit around and let them do everything related to me.” Blake said to him as he tinkered with the pump to his ink tank. Raican nodded and held his hand out again.

           “Pass me the 3/8ths wrench?” Raican asked her. Blake looked in the toolbox and found the wrench he was looking for, handing it to him. “Thanks.”

           “And it’s like I’m not even the one who got controlled!!!!” Blake said, handing Raican the socket wrench to him as he was attaching the ink tank back to his chair.

           “It’s insane how people don’t take that into account.” Raican said.

           “Right?!?” Blake said, seeing his hand reach out again. “Need the Needlenose Pliers?”

           “Yeah, this factoring clip isn’t coming out as I turn, it’s pissing me off.” Raican replied. Blake handed the pliers to him and watched him get back to work, thinking hard about the vision she saw.

           “Hey, Raican?” Blake asked.

           “Yeah?” He responded, setting the pliers down and grabbing the socket wrench again.

           “When Pam controlled you…...did you…..see something?” She asked him nervously, seeing him pause in his work.

           “…...how long until you remembered what was displayed?” He asked her in response.

           “…..last night, as I was sleeping.” She answered.

           “That happens sometimes.” He said, slowly resuming his repair. “Faunus who get controlled will generally remember what she showed them in either a calculation or two.”

           “Did you?” She asked, curious.

           “No. For some reason, she stayed controlling me for about five seconds before screaming and running away. No clue why, and I barely remember even seeing the parallelogram when it had happened.” He responded. “What’d you see?”

           “….I saw…...someone from my past…...with a horrid scene before me that……..used to be something I wanted…..” She responded.

           “Something from your White Fang days?” He asked her, shocking her.

           “How-” She began to ask.

           “I read your file. Blake Belladonna, daughter of Ghira and Kali Belladonna, the former the base generator for the White Fang, before relinquishing control of it to Sienna Khan and then retaking it after the Battle of Haven Academy.” He explained.

           “It’s that detailed?” She asked him.

           “Yep. Even detailing how you kept with the White Fang after the transfer with partner-” He began before getting cut off by Blake.

           “Don’t. Don’t say his name….” She quickly said.

           “…..that guy…...until your disappearance and then the file picked back up as you re-entered Beacon.” He finished. “That guy, on the other hand, seemingly drops off the face of Remnant after the Attack of Haven.” Blake looked away with a frown.

           “…...he’s dead…….he attacked Yang and I, and we had to kill him.” She said, crossing her arms over her chest and holding herself tightly.

           “…...sorry about that Factoring Digit.” He said, sitting up and facing her. “Was he in the vision too?”

           “….yeah…...he looked…….decaying…….and he….he showed me….” She began holding herself even tighter, before Raican put his hand gently on her shoulder.

           “It’s okay. I don’t need that data.” He said to her. “So, what do you want to do?”

           “Huh?” She asked.

           “Well, they left you here, but are you gonna just sit there like a good house-cat, or are you gonna be a normal one and Factor up in their absence?” He said, smirking as he said it. Blake’s eyes widened as she realized the meanings in his words. Blake stood up, forming a plan in her head.

           “I’m gonna do what I do best. Read up on everything I can about Pam.” She looked down at him with confidence. “Would you mind me using the Lab to do my research?”

           “Just don’t be too loud and let me make my calculations, and I won’t pay you any mind.” He responded.

           Blake cracked her fingers as she had several Tome screens around her, the file for Pam spread out beside her. Blake began typing away, re-entering her information to the Forum Server she used to connect to at Beacon, grinning as the credentials still worked, and saw that the Forum was bustling back as the people there were catching up since the Global Network went down. Blake went to the ‘Post Message’ window and began typing.

           “ Hey guys, it’s TeeFauNinCat! I’m so glad that everyone’s back here again! I became a Huntress in the time that everyone was disconnected. I’d love to share what’s been going on in my life, but I need your help first. I’m in Shade Academy, and I’m looking for any information about a former student here by the name of Pamela Piper. It’s imperative I find her as soon as possible, so please help if you’re able to! Thanks in advance!!!”

           Blake smirked as she sent her message out to the Forum, minimizing the tab and looking around on local forums.

           Yang exhaled slightly as she stepped up to the door of the dwelling, reaching out her metal hand and lightly knocked on the wood. Stepping back, Yang hid her hands behind her, waiting for a few moments before she heard the doorknob turn. Yang smiled as the door opened, revealing a young Mouse Faunus cautiously peeking out. “Hey!” Yang happily said.

           “…..hi……” The Mouse Faunus quietly said.

           “I’m Yang Xiao Long. I was hoping you could help me out with a thing I’m looking into.” Yang said to her.

           “What are you looking into?” The Mouse Faunus asked her.

           “Well, we’re looking for Pam Piper and-” Yang began before the Mouse Faunus yanked herself back in and slammed the door in her face, the locks on the door audibly clicking into place. Yang glares, kicking the door and stomping off in fury, meeting back up outside with the others. “No dice for you guys?”

           “No. Everyone closes the door as soon as I mention her name….” Ruby said, rubbing her nose slightly.

           “This really is absurd.” Weiss said.

           “You said it. It’s like everyone’s under some spell to hide all information about her.” Oscar said. Yang glares to the ground and crossed her arms, Ruby noticing after a few seconds.

           “Yang? What’s wrong?” Ruby asked her.

           “I’m still worried about Blake. We were kind of harsh to her….” Yang said.

           “Well, if we didn’t, then there was a really good chance we might lose her to this woman.” Weiss reminded them.

           “Still doesn’t mean it could’ve been easy.” Oscar said.

           “Yeah…..” Yang said.

           Blake gently sipped her cup of tea as she watches the screens move with all of the information gathering around her. Raican, sipping his coffee, was also working on one of his Equation designs when the Direct Message noise popped off on the Tome. Blake rushed over and opened it, spotting a message different from the others simply welcoming her back.

           “ TeeFauNinCat, I think I can help you with your search, but I want to meet you in person to make sure you’re trustworthy. Meet me on the outskirts of Shade, at Midnight. Tonight. Come alone.

-Fdlrnthrf”

           Blake stared at the message, having read it out to Raican as he had began to look over at her. “I don’t believe it….” Blake said, covering her mouth with her hands.

           “That sounds like either a lead, or a trap.” Raican said to her. “You want me to tail you guys so you’re safe?”

           “No!!!” Blake shouted at him. Blake shook a bit before recomposing herself. “I want to know about everything this person has, and I can’t risk losing that information! I’m going by myself, and if I need backup, I’ll call you, okay?” Blake said. Raican chuckled, smirking at her and crossing his arms.

           “Alright Gato, you go and get the info.” Raican said to her. “In fact…..” Raican walked over to his workbench, opening up a drawer and pulling out a strange-looking device on a tether. “This Function right here,” He explained, “creates an area of smoke about 10 meters wide, and obscures all vision. However, it seems to be unable to affect Faunus vision.” Raican handed Blake the device, the Huntress looking it over. “You pull the string and chuck it, and it starts exporting its data in about 5 seconds.” Blake nodded, securely attaching it to her belt before logging out of the Tomes at the station she was at.

           “Thank you!!!” Blake shouted as she ran out. She rushed away and through the school, avoiding sight from the room that Jaune, Neo, Nora and Ren were training in, as well as staying far away from Penny’s room.

           Ruby, Weiss and Yang rubbed their shoulders, exhausted from having to walk around for nearly 12 hours straight. “I hope Blake is better now…..I wonder what she did today….” Ruby said.

           “I think she took time to sulk, followed by working on reading the entire library here.” Weiss said, taking off her Dust pouches.

           “I just hope she’s-” Yang began, opening the door to their room and seeing it completely untouched, and Blake’s gear gone. “….okay…..”

           Blake carefully snuck out of her hiding spot near the entrance of Shade’s town once it got close enough to the meetup time. She breathed a sigh of relief, having narrowly escaped being detected by Ruby and the others at one point. Blake started to trek outside the wall of the town, easily peering through the darkness of the night until she came upon a sign, freshly erected.

           “ TeeFauNinCat, travel north along the path and wait. I’ll be there.

-Fdlrnthrf”

           Blake nodded to the sign, carefully following the instructions given to her until she encountered a small clearing in thick trees. Taking this as a cue of the location, Blake hopped into a tree for the element of surprise to be in her favor. Blake kept her eyes focused on the different paths leading to the clearing, trying to anticipate where the informant could come from. Blake waited, keeping watch of the time until she picked up the sound of someone coming. Blake’s head immediately turned to the path she could hear the steps coming from, seeing a light coming from the path itself. ‘Alright, so this is either a Human or a weaker-eyed Faunus…’ Blake thought to herself. Seeing the light come closer, Blake’s eyes widened as she saw who was carrying the torch.

           “Hello?” Pam Piper asked out into the clearing, looking around carefully until she heard Blake leaping down before her. “I figured you were the person looking for me.” She said. Blake glared, drawing out Gambol Shroud.

           “What the hell’s going on?!” Blake shouted, gripping her weapon tightly.

           “You said you wanted information.” Pam said.

           “Why the hell are you doing any of this?!?” Blake asked her.

           “Any of what? Not wanting to live under this oppressive city and get stuck as nothing, or help out people who need it?” Pam responded.

           “Why did you show me that!?!” Blake shouted at her, causing Pam’s eyes to widen as she realized what happened.

           “Oh…...that…..” Pam said.

           “Yeah, that.” Blake responded. Pam sighed, stepping to the side.

           “Look, I can explain everything, but can we do this where we can both sit? You’re gonna want to when I tell you.” Pam said to her. Blake glared more, mulling the thought over, before loosening her stance.

           “I’m keeping my weapons out.” Blake told her.

           “That’s perfectly fine. Put them away when you’re comfortable.” Pam said to her, letting Blake walk before her along the path she took.

           Blake carefully snuck through the dark halls of Shade, getting close to her room. Taking a look at the door-frame and seeing no light coming from it, Blake sighed a bit in relief, stepping backwards into the room as she hoped for her friends to still be out looking for answers. As soon as she closed the door, however, the light turned on behind her, causing Blake to turn and see Ruby and Weiss with their arms crossed, and Yang looking concerned.

           “Where have you been?” Ruby demanded from Blake.

           “I was out. In the library.” Blake lied.

           “I already checked, the only record of you with them was checking out several Tomes and files about Pam. And Jaune, Neo, Nora and Ren said they didn’t see you at Lunch. So where have you been?” Weiss scoldingly said.

           “Where I go is my own business.” Blake said, crossing her arms.

           “Blake…” Yang said a bit before getting a glare from her.

           “It is. I had a thing and I went out.” Blake told them. “After all, you all had a thing and left me.”

           “Blake, that’s not how it was and you know it.” Ruby said to her.

           “And you know damn well that it was a low blow to cut me of all people out.” Blake spat back at her.

           “Blake, we’re a team.” Weiss said.

           “Are we? Because I don’t remember reading in the handbook that you immediately bench a Teammate when something happens and they lose control of their own damn body!” Blake shouted at Weiss.

           “Blake, you can tell us anything, just come in and-” Yang tried to calmly say before getting cut off.

           “No! I know a lot damn more than you lot know, and I did it all while you all left me. I don’t need to tell you anything. Figure it out on your own.” Blake grabbed the door handle before getting interrupted.

           “Did you actually meet Pam?” Ruby said, shooting up as if guided by someone else.

           “And if I did?” Blake said, not looking at them.

           “Blake, you know she’s bad news!” Weiss said, standing as well.

           “Oh really? You know better than me?” Blake responded, turning around. “Don’t you think if I didn’t trust her, I would tell you guys everything?”

           “Blake, we just want you safe!” Yang finally let out, standing too.

           “Well guess what! I know where the safest place for me is right now.” Blake said, gripping the doorknob tighter.

           “We’re not gonna let you just walk out of here, you know.” Ruby threatened her. Blake hesitated, thinking for a moment.

           “….Jaune, Nora, Neo and Ren are waiting for me outside, right?” Blake asked.

           “….yeah…..please don’t do this Blake…..” Yang pleaded. Blake held her tongue for a moment, before turning her head slightly towards Yang.

           “….I need to do this…..you can’t stop me.” Blake said to her.

           “Blake-!” Yang shouted, reaching for her as Blake threw open the door and lept out, over Jaune Nora and Ren who tried to rush her and left a Shadow in her place. Ruby and Weiss rushed to help the trio up and to follow Blake, who took off running the moment she landed. Yang, meanwhile, fell to her knees, in shock at the events that just took place.

           “Don’t let her get out!!!” Ruby shouted ahead, Ren taking off and disappearing into the glass dimension Neo opened up for him to dash into. Blake, meanwhile, rushed through the hallways, pulling Gambol Shroud off her back to slash through illusions Neo put up, trying to trick her into making a false turn. Blake continued through, retracing the steps she took from the entrance until she got into the main hall, hearing Ren bellow as he left the dimension and dodging his grapple, letting him get stuck in an Ice Shadow. Blake held her weapon in a defensive stance, seeing Jaune, Ruby and Weiss follow up behind him. Taking note of this, Blake back-flipped away, anticipating Nora’s hammer coming down on top of the Fire Shadow she left, kicking as Neo tried to grab at her feet. Neo was flung back, being thrown into Weiss’s stomach.

           “Blake!!!” Jaune cried out as she turned around, dashing out of Shade Academy and disappearing into the night.

Chapter Text

           “Jeez, that must have been awful to see.” Qrow said, sitting beside Ruby, who had regaled him the events of the other night.

           “You don’t know the half of it. We looked for an hour after she ran out of the building, but not even Penny or Spyro’s scanners could find out where she was.” Ruby said, sipping her coffee. “We really could have used a little birdy to tail her.”

           “I’m sorry, kiddo. But Winter and I were getting anxious waiting for you to heal.” Qrow said, rubbing the back of his neck.

           “We’re still Huntsmen, and we have jobs we have to do in addition to the Mission against Salem.” Winter said, typing away on a Tome a report on the situation. “We needed to help out where we could.”

           “I’m just worried for Yang.” Weiss said, sipping her own cup of coffee. “She’s been hanging around the Gym, but hasn’t been doing much but sulking.”

           “Which is odd, when Blake ran off before, Yang was more angry. But now, it’s like she’s been gutted out.” Ruby said, holding her mug with both hands. Qrow gently reached around Ruby’s armor, patting her shoulder.

           “Yang’s a lot stronger than any of us know. Plus, it sounds like Blake’s got a good reason we may just not be seeing right now. My guess, we should trust her.” Qrow said. “Besides, we let her play it out, she may get the Summer Maiden on our side by herself. Which’ll give me time to put the moves on ol’ Ice Queen here-” Qrow was cut off by the bagel Winter was eating being chucked at his face, smacking him in the nose.

           “Drop Dead, Qrow!!!” Winter yelled, furiously typing away.

           Yang gently gave the punching bag she was leaning against a light jab, not having the heart to put her training in. Yang stared at her robotic hand, the memory of her losing it to save Blake flashing back in her mind. Yang’s fist tightened, the memory of them crying over having killed Adam flashing back again. Yang’s eyes flashed red, pulling her metal hand back and punching hard, breaking the chain holding it up and launching it through the air to collide with the wall, spilling the contents of the bag everywhere.

           “Jeez, what pissed off your integers?” Raican asked, having just walked into the training room.

           “None of your business.” Yang growled at him, gripping another punching bag and hooking it up to the hook the previous one had been hanging from. Yang exhaled, pulling her fist back to deliver another half-hearted punch when her elbow was caught. Turning her head, Yang saw Raican’s frowning face.

           “She’s a fiery Kitten, Gato is.” Raican mocked to Yang. Yang glared at him, balling up her fist and yanking her arm out of his grip.

           “Shut up.” Yang spat at him.

           “What, not wanting to hear what data I got from her?” Raican taunted to her. Yang turned her head slightly, curious.

           “You know where she is?!” Yang quickly asked.

           “Yeah. Exactly where she wants to be.” Raican said, smirking. Yang growled, quickly rushing him and throwing a punch, which he caught in his hand easily. “Ooh, that one stung a little.”

           “Knock it off!!” Yang shouted, yanking her hand back before trying to punch him again. Raican simply backpedaled, catching her fist in his hand and gently pushing it away.

           “More importantly, what are you feeling, blondie?” Raican asked her. Yang’s eyes flared red, starting another onslaught of punches, each of them getting caught and pushed away or simply redirected to air.

           “I’m pissed because you’re toying with me!!!” She said, rushing to grapple him when he dodged toward her, flipping her as he passed and putting her flat on her back. Yang groaned out, seeing Raican’s hand out to her, gently taking it to help herself up.

           “That’s not what I mean. How do you feel with these equations?” He asked her, holding his hands up. Getting what he was trying to do, Yang eased herself into her stance, before smacking her fists back into his hands. She kept punching for a while, not saying anything as she forced more and more of her frustration through, Raican backpedaling to prevent her from injuring him more. “C’mon, you call that a punch?” Raican taunted her. Yang gritted her teeth, throwing more force into her punches, getting a chuckle from Raican. “Now!” He continued, “What do you feel about the equation before you?!” Raican gave a quick jab, throwing Yang back a bit. Yang glared, as she focused her rage at him.

           “What do I feel?!?” She shouted, punching Raican, who was now deflecting and throwing his own blows. “I feel like a goddamned fool!” Yang continued her assault. “I lost Blake back at Beacon, She came back, we got super close, and now I lost her again!” Yang punched his crossed arms hard with her metal hand, seeing his tattoos flex in response. “I watched her run twice from me, and this time I basically pushed her out!!” Yang delivered one more punch before getting her fist gripped tightly in Raican’s hand. Raican twisted and threw her up and flipped her right onto her back. Yang exhaled hard as he had chucked her to the ground, feeling his knee pinning her metal arm down.

           “So you feel like you’re entirely at fault for the answer of the equation?” He asked her. Yang smacked his knee to try to get him to let up on her, only for him to press further. “Here’s an alternative solution: You had no way of finding Pam. Accept it. Gato figured out an alternate way and capitalized on it. She found something that fit her equation, and went with it.” Raican looked into her eyes. “Now look at your work and hers. Is Gato a bad person?” Yang panted hard, giving Blake’s history a thought.

           “…..no…..I guess not…” She replied.

           “Then it might be a proper function that Gato just has more of the Variables solved than you do.” Raican replied, letting up on her arm. “Trust her.” Raican stood, holding his hand out to Yang, who slowly took it. Raican helped up Yang, who nodded back.

           “I mean, I guess you’re right. She’s smart, so unless Pam’s controlling her again, I don’t see her as inheriently bad…..” Yang smiled a bit, seeing Raican grin when Ruby rushed to the doorway of the Gym.

           “You guys! Come Quick!” Ruby cried out to them. Yang and Raican looked confused before following Ruby to where the Job Board was, seeing an alert having popped up.

           “ Warning! Structure Fire in the Housing District. All available Huntsmen and Huntresses requested.”

           “That’s not good.” Yang said.

           “We’ll go on ahead and try to help out where we can, you guys catch up?” Weiss said. Yang and Raican nodded, hurrying off to get their Gear while Ruby, Weiss and the others rushed over to the site.

           Ruby and Weiss rushed into the apartment building, seeing fire coming from several spouts on the walls. “If that fire hits a Dust Line, this place’ll light up like a Holiday Tree!” Weiss said, drawing out Myrternaster.

           “I’ll go upstairs to the 8^th floor and up. I’ll make sure everyone’s out of here. You tackle here to Floor 7!” Ruby said to Weiss, who nodded at the plan. Ruby Petal Bursted upwards, rushing up the flights of stairs until she got to the top floor, seeing it in a more minimal state of fire. “Oh crap…..” Ruby muttered to herself. Rushing over to the doors, Ruby started to kick them in, trying to see if there was anyone left. After helping several get their Fire Escapes open, Ruby rushed down another flight, helping them out as well. Before She could get to the Floor beneath her, Ruby’s ears picked up an unneeded sound.

           “MOMMY!!!!!!!!” A young girl cried out, somewhere hidden in the floor. Ruby’s eyes widened as she rushed back through the area, trying to find her.

           “Hello?! Little Girl!??!” Ruby cried out, looking around for her. Ruby blinked, seeing Cinder looking around at the situation in a slight amount of unease.

           “Look, just forget the girl and get out of here before we’re stuck.” Cinder said, keeping her eye on the flames increasing in size.

           “No way in Hell!” Ruby told her.

           “That’s what I’m afraid of, that we’ll end up in Hell!!” Cinder replied back as a Beam burned through the floor above them and landed, cutting off the pathway Ruby was about to try to go into.

           “Cinder, now is-” Ruby began before getting cut off.

           “HELLO?!?” The little girl’s voice cried out from a room near the two. Ruby dashed in, seeing a lot of the apartment engulfed in flame.

           “Hello?! Little Girl?!?!” Ruby cried out, pulling the bit of her cape over her mouth to try to protect her from the smoke.

           “I’m in here!!!!” Her voice cried out from a bedroom. Ruby rushed over, stopping in the doorway to witness the little girl, still in her nightgown and clutching a doll of hers, her bed surrounded by a wave of fire. “Help!!!”

           “I-It’s okay, I’m gonna get you out of there…..” Ruby said to her, taking a step back, seeing the flames sway back and forth. Rushing forward again, Ruby quickly exploded into Petals, wrapping herself around the Girl and absorbing her into the burst, then shooting out of the room as her bed collapsed with the floor beneath it. Reassembling themselves from the Burst, Ruby hoisted her up and carried her through the halls, seeing more beams falling. “Cinder, keep the path clear!” Ruby ordered.

           “I’m not your slave!!” Cinder responded, blasting more fire to knock the path to the fire escape clear several times. Upon getting to the newly flaming room, Ruby got the young girl over to the escape and set her out of the window first.

           “Hurry down the stairs and find your family!” Ruby told the little girl, who nodded as she began to hurry down.

           “We gotta get out of here or you’re gonna die!” Cinder told her.

           “Not until we-” Ruby began to rebut before getting cut off at the sound of an explosion from below. Before she could react, the floor fell out from underneath Ruby, sliding down the incline it made into several more holes, quickly and uncontrollably falling through each of them until at last, she found herself plummetting right into the hard stone of the basement.

           Smack!!!

CRASH!!!!!

Chapter Text

“Wake Up!”

“Wake Up!!”

“WAKE UP!!!”

           Cinder slapped Ruby hard, the young Maiden’s eyes now opening slowly as her senses returned to her. “Hurry up, dammit, we’re trapped and you’re gonna die!!!!!” Ruby shook her head as she propped herself up, seeing the former Maiden looking panicked and sitting on her lap. Ruby only had a moment to think about that before a large stinging in her cheek hit her brain.

           “OW!!!” Ruby rubbed her cheek as she glared at Cinder, who quickly got off of her and hurried Ruby up.

           “We need to go, come on!!!!” Cinder hurriedly said while trying to push Ruby along.

           “Hey, calm down, I just woke up-” Ruby began before being cut off.

           “NO! WE NEED TO GO!!!!” Cinder told her. Ruby began to try to argue before more burning debris fell around them. As Smoke filled the room, causing Ruby to cough violently. Ruby held her hand up and tried to focus the Maiden Power through, trying to quell the flames. “They’re natural Flames, your Power won’t do shit!” Cinder told her, tugging Ruby along through debris she had already scouted around through.

           “Why are you worried, if I die then you don’t have to deal with me-” Ruby began, coughing during it when Cinder turned around quickly and snapped at her.

           “BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO NOT EXIST ANYMORE, ALRIGHT?!” Cinder shouted, fighting back tears.

           “….what do you-” Ruby began to ask when more debris fell down.

           “We don’t have time to argue, come on!!!!” Cinder said to her, leading Ruby through until a point. “I could only get so far from you, and this is way bigger a basement than I thought it would!” Cinder looked around panickedly, hyperventilating.

           “If we go towards the front of the building-” Ruby said, coughing more, “We should hopefully find emergency stairs….”

           “Yeah, good thinking….” Cinder said, helping Ruby navigate through the quickly growing amount of debris surrounding them. “Of all the time for you to not bring your stupid Scythe!”

           “Well, I didn’t think that we’d be in this situation!” Ruby spat back, coughing harder and falling into a wall. Cinder rushed over and helped Ruby back up, looking extremely worried.

           “What kind of a moron designs a basement like this?!?” Cinder shouted to the empty room filling with smoke around them. “It’s like they were trying to hide some shit down here!!!”

           “You-” Ruby began to cough hard, “Never know, they could be staging a coup of Shade from right under their noses.” Ruby glared at Cinder, who wasn’t focused on her snark at all. Cinder turned the corner, spotting the staircase they were looking for as Ruby began a hard coughing fit again and fell to her knees.

           “No!!!!” Cinder rushed to Ruby’s side, trying to help her up. “You can’t do this to me, dammit!!!!”

           “You….” Ruby choked out, “you got your wish, I guess……” Ruby then fell forward, straining to get some air into her lungs. Cinder stood up, gripping her hair as she panicked, trying to figure out a way to get Ruby to keep moving. Cinder looked to the Staircase, raising her hand to try to blast fire at it, only to see the flames fizzling.

           “No, no, NO!!!” Cinder rushed to the door closing the stairs, slamming her fist hard against it. “HELP!!!!! LET US OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!” Cinder fell to her knees as the flames grew around them.

gasp!!!!

           Ruby began coughing hard, feeling the oxygen mask on her face as she was coming to. Ruby slowly opened her eyes, looking around and seeing Yang, Weiss and Qrow looking down at her.

           “Ruby!!!” Yang shouted, pulling her sister in a tight hug. “Don’t you ever do anything that stupid again!!!”

           “….air…” Ruby choked out before Yang let go. Ruby sat up, being eased by Weiss and Yang as she looked around, seeing the burning building before them and Shade Medical Services helping the apartment residents and their injuries. “What…..happened…..”

           “Apparently, the Fire started as a Space Heater shorted out in a broom closet. It hit the Dust line and slowly blew up everything.” Weiss explained.

           “You fell down 13 stories and got a minor concussion.” Qrow said to her. “Not bad for your first house fire.” Ruby chuckled a bit, coughing more.

           “Easy, the medics say you inhaled a lot of smoke.” Yang said to her.

           “How…..how’d I…” Ruby choked out when Raican walked up, another Oxygen mask on his face.

           “Stupid Parallelograms. I’m fine.” Raican said, pulling it off and putting the tank at Ruby’s feet, walking off.

           “...did he…” Ruby began to say when Weiss interrupted.

           “He carried nearly 30 people out, then when we heard you banging on the cellar door, he rushed down there and carried you out.” Weiss explained. Ruby looked over to him, struggling to get up when Qrow stopped her.

           “You’re still not good to run around, kiddo.” Qrow said to her.

           “But-” Ruby began to say when she felt another person hugging her tightly. Ruby looked down to see a worried Oscar clinging tightly to her.

           “Don’t scare us like that!!!”Oscar said to her, before realizing the position he was in and backing off, blushing hard. Ruby giggled, smiling at him.

           “You IDIOT!” Cinder scolded Ruby as soon as Weiss had left the room. “Do you realize how dangerous it is for you to run into a burning building?! What if you had died?!?”

           “Then I’d die. What about that bit about you not wanting to not exist?” Ruby rebutted, standing before her as she steadied herself.

           “That’s none of your business!” Cinder told her.

           “We’re sharing a body and I know next to nothing about you!” Ruby spat at her.

           “My past is my business, and you don’t need to know about it! You need to focus on not dying for a stupid reason!!!” Cinder scoffed to her.

           “No. I wanna know why you’re so damn secretive about everything!!!” Ruby said.

           “Like hell I’d tell you anything!” Cinder responded. Ruby glared for a moment before a thought popped in her head. Cinder got a feel of the thought, and her eye widened. “No…”

           “If you won’t tell me, then I’ll just use the Power to figure it out. Has to be some way.” Ruby said, holding out her hand and focusing, Cinder backing up and clutching her head to try to block out Ruby.

           “No!!! Stay out!!!” Cinder shouted to her. Ruby focused more and more, her field of vision fading to black.

           Charlene Andoff struggled to carry the two large pails of Water over her shoulders, her eight-year old stomach aching from the meager scraps she had been given over the past month. Her throat burning for the water she wasn’t allowed to drink but was still forced to carry. Stumbling from the well, Charlene managed to make it halfway down before dipping into an alley and collapsing, her tiny frame wheezing and panting.

           ‘Please….’ Charlene thought to herself, ‘If I have to die, just let me die like this…….’ Charlene blinked slowly, her eyelids getting heavier and heavier with each blink, before she noticed a pair of pale white feet having appeared. Before she even knew what was happening, the feet rushed to her, and she felt whoever was connected to them lifting her up. “D…...D…..” Charlene choked out before feeling something cold and cool touching her lips.

           “Drink….” the mysterious figure cooed to her, as Charlene slowly and quickly gulped down the liquid she was given. The moment it hit her stomach, she could feel it expanding, and Charlene’s eyes widened as she finally took in the figure who was holding her. She had the visage of a Woman, but if she didn’t have the veil on, Charlene could swear she was a Grimm, for her skin was Chalk White, her eyes black and red, and she simply oozed horror. “Good, you’re awake.” The figure said to her, petting Charlene’s head gently. “What happened, little one?” The figure asked.

           “I...I fell…...I was hungry…..and thirsty…...” Charlene said meekly to her, very nervous about what might happen to her.

           “Well, luckily the fluid I gave you will fill your belly and keep you sated for….about a day and a half. Why haven’t you been eating, little one?” The figure asked her.

           “….Stepmother won’t allow it….” Charlene quietly said, seeing the figure’s expression instantly shift from curiosity to silent rage.

           “Why are your clothes dirty and ashen? Where have you been cleaning them?” The figure asked.

           “I haven’t. Stepmother makes me sleep in them...” Charlene answered.

           “Where have you been sleeping then? The fireplace?” The figure asked.

           “…….it’s warm once the fire’s gone…..” Charlene answered, seeing the figure’s eyes narrow to slits.

           “Oh. Tell me, what is your name, Little One?” The figure asked her.

           “C-Charlene Andoff….” She said, before the figure helped her up. Seeing the figure twist her fingers, she saw the water she had spilled enter the pails, then the figure picked them up and hoisted them onto one of her shoulders.

           “Well, little Miss Charlene Andoff, I would very much like to have a few words with your Stepmother. Would you please bring me to her?” The figure asked, holding out her gloved hand. Charlene nodded, then gently took it, leading the woman through the streets back to the manor.

           Charlene brought the Figure right up to the office door to her Stepmother, when the figure gently stopped her from knocking on the door. Watching the figure place the pails down on the ground, she stepped back as the Figure smiled and moved to the door.

           “Wait here...” She said as she entered the office, closing the door behind her. Charlene peeked in through the keyhole to watch as much as she could.

           “Excuse me?! Who are you, and why are you entering my home?!” Charlene’s Stepmother barked to the figure, her eyes widening as she saw the figure move the veil back.

           “My name, is not important. Why would you still care for your Daughter in this way after treating her this way?” The figure asked angrily, taking her gloves off to expose pale white hands with red lines going up from her black fingernails.

           “Oh, that little cretin. She’s a product of her Father, who had to go and die and leave me with the wretched thing. If you want her, you can have her, but you have to pay me for the labor I’ll lose with it gone!” The Stepmother acosted, making Charlene frown.

           “You comment anything towards her like that again, and you will regret it.” The figure sternly told her.

           “And what are you going to do? Kill me?” The Stepmother chided. Before anyone else could react, the Figure created a black ball of Magic and blasted it directly at the Stepmother’s chest, causing the older woman to scream in agony. Charlene stepped back, gasping and covering her mouth, shocked as the screams only got louder and louder, the Magic increasing in volume as well, until finally Charlene heard a thud, and everything suddenly became silent. The door opened slowly, and the Figure strolled out, then gently picked up Charlene, resting the young girl on her hip.

           “Can you direct me to the kitchen please? I need to grab a bottle of Wine.” She asked the young girl. Charlene nervously nodded, pointing her the way, before watching the Figure grab the first full bottle she saw and carried Charlene out of the building. Before they left, Charlene managed to look into her Stepmother’s office, and saw the woman twisted and smoking in a husk, her mouth agape in pain.

           Once outside, the Figure flipped the bottle in her hand a few times before looking at Charlene. “Do you want to live with me, little girl?” She asked Charlene, sounding curious again.

           “….i-if you’ll have me…...I can clean, cook-” Charlene started to say before being cut off.

           “But I haven’t the need for a Chef or a Maid. I want a Daughter. Can you do that?” She asked her. The figure watched as the child’s face brightened and nodded eagerly. “Good. I think I’ll call you…….Cinder Fall.”

           “But…...why?” Charlene asked her.

           “Because!” The woman shouted as she turned her head and threw the bottle from the neck to the manor doors, before blasting it with a quick Flame spell, causing the Manor to quickly ignite. “You arose from the ashes that fell here. So, what do you say, Cinder? You want to be my Daughter?”

           “…..yes….” Cinder said slowly, seeing the woman smirk.

           “Then you can call me Salem.”

           Salem strolled into the doorway of the room she had set up for Cinder, seeing the tiny girl in the large bed. Knocking gently on the door, she saw as the girl’s attention snapped to her. “Hello Cinder. Are you settling in well?” Salem asked her.

           “Um, yes, but….” Cinder started to say before Salem slowly stepped towards her.

           “You’re having trouble sleeping. Aren’t you?” Salem asked, seeing the girl nod. “You’re still getting used to the Grimm, correct?”

           “I always expected them to just...” Cinder started before feeling Salem’s arm wrap around her.

           “Kill you on sight?” Salem finished, seeing her nod. “Don’t worry. No Grimm shall harm you unless I allow it. Now, do you want me to help you sleep?” Salem asked her, seeing her nod. Salem waved her hand, causing a book of Fables to come to her and open. “How about……. “The Girl in the Tower”?”

           “What’s that about?” Cinder asked. Salem smiled, pulling her legs up onto the bed as she flipped to the story and began to read.

           Cinder strolled into Salem’s sanctum, glaring at newcomer Tyrian as she walked towards Salem’s throne. “You called for me, Mistress?” Cinder asked her.

           “Yes, Cinder. I felt that, since it’s your 18^th Birthday, that you should learn what I have planned for you for my grand plan.” Salem told her, seeing the young woman’s face brighten up.

           “Yes?” Cinder asked eagerly.

           “Do you remember one of the stories I used to read to you? The Four Maidens?” Salem asked her.

           “Yes, four young Girls-” Cinder started to recite before Salem stopped her.

           “What if I told you that they were actual people, blessed with Magic from the man I’ve told you about?” Salem asked her, seeing Cinder’s eyes widen.

           “W-well, I’d be shocked that someone other than you has Magic.” Cinder answered truthfully.

           “Well, it is. What I have planned for you, dear Cinder, is for you to reunite the Magic back into one being. I want you to become my one, True Maiden. Do you think you can do that?” Salem asked her. Cinder appeared to think for a moment, before grinning to the Immortal woman.

           “I would gladly be your Maiden, Mistress.”

           Ruby blinked, having seen the memories Cinder had buried deeply. Ruby dropped to her knees in shock at this new information, while Cinder slowly stood, balling her fist up as she stomped to Ruby. Ruby looked up at her as Cinder backhanded her, knocking her back.

           “You useless!” Cinder said, slapping Ruby again. “Moronic!” Cinder backhanded again, making Ruby scurry back to her bed. “FAILURE!!!” Ruby raised her arms to shield herself, when she heard the sound of a hand catching another. Peeking out, Ruby’s eyes widened as Cinder’s hand was held tightly by Summer Rose, who glared at the Former Maiden.

           “Cinder, why don’t you take Five? I want to talk to my daughter.” Summer coldly told her. Cinder looked at Ruby, then to Summer again, who just glared at her before bursting into flames, disappearing after they dissipated. Summer sighed, then looked over to Ruby.

           “….M-Mom?...”Ruby asked her.

           “I’m sorry she was doing that, my Little Petal….” Summer said, the familiar voice relaxing Ruby rather than setting her on edge as it did. Ruby brought herself up after a moment, then rushed into her Mother’s arms, clinging tightly to her. “It feels so wonderful to be able to hug you like this….”

           “Mom….” Ruby said to her, crying, “I missed you so much…..” Ruby held her mother tightly as she held her daughter, rubbing her head softly before moving to her bunk, sitting with her. “I’m so happy that I can see you again now….” Summer’s smile faltered, her expression shifting to sorrow.

           “Ruby, I wish that were true, but I can’t do that now…...there’s been too many Maidens inbetween us.” Summer said, seeing her daughter’s expression shift as well.

           “What do you mean?” Ruby asked.

           “The Maiden Power would be going on for several transfers in a year if it just gave the new Maiden the Power and just let her figure it out on her own. So, until the Maiden fully masters her Power, the previous Maiden stays around and helps them learn.” Summer explained. “The previous Maidens can appear, but they have to draw upon your Strength to appear for more than a few moments. After this for example, you’re going to pass out for a while.” Summer noticed Ruby looking worried, then waved her hands a bit. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine! It’ll just feel like you ran around the planet three times.”

           “So, will I see you again?” Ruby asked her.

           “I wish I could, Little Petal…..” Summer said, lifting up the covers and coaxing Ruby to crawl under them. “But I’ll tell you what. Every time the Power warms your core, and fills you with hope, part of that is me, wanting you to succeed with everything you do.” Ruby smiled a bit, getting tucked in like a small child by her Mother.

           “I’ll miss you, Mom…….” Ruby told her.

           “I know. I miss you too, every day…..” Summer said, leaning down and kissing Ruby’s forehead. “And you’ll figure out something with Cinder. Despite what she claims, she’s still that little girl, trapped in her Stepmother’s fireplace. Just, think of something she’ll want to do as well as you….” Summer said to Ruby, who mulled the thought of it over. “I love you, Little Petal…..”

           “I love you too, Mom……” Ruby said, eyes blinking for a moment before the strain of keeping Summer up made her pass out. Summer quickly got the Scroll beside Ruby’s bed and wrote out a vague message for Weiss, letting her know Ruby’s fine and replacing the Scroll in its place before she disappeared again.

           Ruby’s eyes blinked open slowly, feeling extremely lethargic as she finally reawoke. Ruby fumbled her hand over onto her bedside table, picking up her Scroll and looking at the date.

           “….you slept for three days….” Cinder mornfully said. Ruby looked up and saw Cinder sitting and staring out the window, her legs pulled up to her chest and her lone arm holding them close to her.

           “Hey Cinder……” Ruby said to her, sitting up herself. “When you said you didn’t want to not exist…..”

           “...your Mother appeared in my head when I got a taste of the Power from Amber. She didn’t like that the Power was split, but she still taught me what I needed to know of the basics because that was her job then. Then, after I…” Cinder stopped for a moment, remembering what happened and glancing to her arm. “….when I reawoke, carried back to Mistress’ tower, Summer was gone, and Amber was just there, afraid of me.”

           “….and she told you that Mom couldn’t come back again….” Ruby continued for her, seeing a nod from her. Ruby thought for a moment, then walked over and gently tugged her up. “Look, I know you hate me.”

           “Hate doesn’t even describe what I feel about you right now.” Cinder said, not looking Ruby in the eyes as her hand was held.

           “I can’t change the past that I killed you. Or that I became the Maiden, sticking us together.” Ruby told her, seeing Cinder’s face turn to an annoyed scowl. “But, if you don’t start helping me learn how to use The Power, then you’re gonna disappear. Faster than if I learned how and died of old age.” Ruby saw Cinder’s eye widen as she spoke that truth. “So, why don’t we work together, to keep you around? I want to know how the Power works.” Cinder looked back at Ruby’s sincere face, then looked away, deep in thought. After a few moments, Cinder raised her hand with Ruby’s, smiling back at the girl who smiled at her back. Cinder then forced her hand forward, shoving Ruby off her feet and onto her ass. “OW!!!”

           “If we’re going to do this, then let’s cover using the Power to prevent you from falling to your Death again. Saved me several times.” Cinder said, a smug grin on her face as she looked down to Ruby. “I think I might even enjoy this.”

Chapter Text

yfsitas

yfsitas

yfsitas

Satisfy

           Yang, Ruby, Penny and Spyro walked into the nightclub as the music began, the sounds of Pop and Synth melding together for an uplifting tune to dance to. Penny listened as the music played, smiling and gently bouncing along.

           “I really like this song…..” Penny said, moving in tune to the beat, as did Spyro.

           “Penny, you go towards the right half of the club, Ruby, you go to the dance floor, I’ll go on the left and we’ll meet up at the bar. Senior’s gotta be around here somewhere.” Yang said, walking off in her chosen direction. Ruby was about to make sure Penny was listening when she saw the young Maiden completely enamored in the music. Smiling, Ruby simply leaned down to Spyro and told him to keep an eye on her before walking down to the Dance Floor.

           “Looking for salvation; Useless old protection; Choked up with emotion; Searching for a scapegoat…” Cinder was singing to herself, her voice only heard by Ruby. Ruby shot a glare at her and lowered her voice to try to not make a scene.

           “Cinder, pay attention, we’re looking for this guy!!!” Ruby scolded her.

           “And? I can’t interact with him, no one can see me, and I actually like this song!” Cinder told her, swaying her hips and lifting her arm, dancing to the beat by herself. Ruby groaned and rolled her eyes, walking away. Ruby weaved through the dance floor, not finding anyone matching whom they were looking for. Looking around, Ruby quickly found the bar and made a bee-line for it, seeing Yang leaning on a bar stool. Ruby hurried over to her sister, who looked calm in the chaos of the club.

           “Did you find anything?” Ruby asked her. Before Yang could say anything, the bartender slid Yang a drink.

           “Strawberry Sunrise, no ice!” The Bartender said to her, Yang grinning while taking the drink.

           “Sweet, two umbrellas!” Yang said to herself as she sipped her cocktail before looking at a disapproving look coming from Ruby. “What, it’s got low alcohol content and it tastes delicious.”

           “We’re supposed to be looking for this guy you’re supposed to know.” Ruby coldly told her.

           “And we will. He’s just confirming my identity with his son.” Yang said, leaning back.

           “How do you know his son?” Ruby asked her.

           “I put his balls in a vice grip and beat the shit out of him after.” Yang said, sighing happily. “Fun times….”

           “Did you do that with every guy you met back at Signal or was that just in the few months before Beacon?” Ruby asked her.

           “Only the special ones.” Yang said to her, winking which caused her to groan. Yang looked across the club and chuckled. “I still find Penny dancing funny…..we gotta teach her some more moves though.” Ruby looked over to find their Ally and her dog dancing “The Robot” to the music. Ruby shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

           “I thought that got removed after she was rebuilt…….” Ruby muttered to herself. “Definitely need to teach her to dance.” Ruby heard footsteps, looking over and seeing an elderly man with a large frame, Bear ears and a nose, and twin bodyguards at his side walk up to them.

           “Junior said your name’s ‘Sir’, not Yang Xiao-Long.” The man told them.

           “It’s both, I just told Junior that he could call me Sir instead of Blondie.” Yang said teasingly. “So, do we get some time to chew your ear? No offense.” The man rolled his eyes and nodded his head to the back, leading them to a backroom.

           “My office is here.” The man said to them, holding the door open to let them in first, stepping in after and closing the door behind him, letting his guards stay outside. Ruby and Yang sat down on the front side of the desk, while he sat down behind it. Ruby looked at the nameplate on his desk and immediately put it together.

           “Wait, you’re Mr. Xiong’s Dad?” Ruby said, looking at Yang. “You brought us to him!!! He’s gonna kill us!!!”

           “On the contrary, if I wanted you dead, I’d’ve already done it.” The man said. “And please, call me Senior.”

           “Senior knows Junior was a bit of a blowhard sometimes. He’s apparently been trying to knock some sense into him for years.” Yang said.

           “While doing Crime does get more money, running a reputable business means you make more money longer, with less risk for shutdown by the cops.” Senior elaborated. Ruby relaxed a moment, before looking nervous.

           “Um, I don’t mean to be rude, but-” Ruby began before getting interrupted.

           “My Wife was human. When a Human and a Faunus have a child, it actually has a 98.3% chance of being a Faunus of the same species. We found that out when we had Junior, and a test proved he was mine.” Senior explained. “Not many people realize this until it happens. Anyway, onto business.”

           “Yeah. We’re looking for a girl around here, her name’s-” Yang began to say before she was interrupted.

           “Pam Piper?” Senior asked, shocking the girls.

           “Um, yeah?” Ruby said to him.

           “I’m sorry girls, but I can’t tell you where she is.” Senior told them.

           “Oh come on!!!!” Yang pleaded to him.

           “I’m sorry, but she does a lot for us around town, and we don’t want her to be locked up.” Senior told them. Yang slammed her hand on the desk, splintering the wood beside her metal fist. The door flew open to reveal the bodyguards with their guns drawn, trained at the girls when Senior held his hand up, causing them to stay their hands and lower their weapons. “Miss Xiao Long-”

           “Do you know what that girl did to us?! She took our friend, got in her head and controlled her like a puppet, then made her leave! And then she tried to burn an entire apartment complex down!” Yang yelled at him. Senior slowly stood up and looked at her sternly in the eyes.

           “Miss Xiao Long, all I can tell you is that the young woman is not what you’re making her out to be. If your friend left, then there was a reason why she did so.” Senior told her. Yang glared and gritted her teeth as he told her this, his expression unmoving. “What I can tell you, is that your friend isn’t in danger, and that you should trust her.” Yang narrowed her eyes, setting her drink down on his desk and began storming out. Ruby sheepishly stood up afterwards and extended her hand out to him.

           “Thanks for the information…..” Ruby said to him. He nodded, shaking her hand firmly.

           “Not a problem. It’s just business.” Senior told her. Ruby nodded back and quickly followed her sister out and back to the main floor.

           “We’re leaving.” Yang said as she walked past Penny, tugging her along.

           “Aww, the song was just getting good…” Penny said, leading Spyro along with her. Ruby walked around the dance floor towards the exit, looking around and spotting Cinder, who seemed to be dancing right up close to an attractive man. Ruby focused on Cinder, sending a thought to her and motioned for her to come on once Cinder’s head looked up. Cinder sighed, walking through the guy as they walked out of the club.

           “Ugh! This is infuriating!!!” Yang snarled out as they walked back into Shade. “Even big businesses aren’t working with us to find this chick!!”

           “We’ll find her Yang…” Ruby told her.

           “Who do you need finding?” A familiar voice asked them. Ruby, Yang and Penny turned around and saw Sun, smile wide on his face as always and leaning against the door. “Hey, isn’t she supposed to be dead?”

           “Sun! You can’t just ask people why they aren’t dead!!!” Ruby said, the latter half after giving him a welcoming hug.

           “It is alright, Ruby. He was not around for when I reactivated again.” Penny said, smiling. Hearing Spyro growl, Penny looked down to him. “No Spyro, Sun is a friend!” Spyro looked at Sun, tilting his head before scanning the young man.

           “O….kay…..kind of weird…...so, what’s up?” Sun asked them.

           “Well, we’re currently trying to find a girl who’s taken Blake.” Yang explained. “Unfortunately, we have no damn leads.”

           “Oh. Well, I’ll find her.” Sun said to them.

           “How?” Ruby asked him.

           “I’m good at finding her. I’ll be back!!” Sun said, running off towards the town. Yang sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

           “I don’t know whether to hug him or punch him in the face.” Yang said out loud.

           “Eh, six of one, half a dozen of the other….” Ruby replied.

           “He does seem to be looking to help!” Penny said happily. Before any of them could say anything, Ruby’s Scroll went off.

           “Weiss? What’s up?” Ruby asked, putting her Scroll on Speaker.

           “Hey, can you guys come to the Morgue? Winter wants to show us something.” Weiss asked them.

           “This school has a morgue? That’s fucking creepy.” Yang said.

           “That’s not the point. Point is, get down here now.”

           Ruby and Yang hurried down the stairs while Penny floated down with her jets, holding Spyro in her arms. Getting to the bottom of the staircase, Weiss stood before the morgue door, holding a box and wearing a face mask over her mouth and nose. “Weiss? What’s up?” Ruby asked her.

           “I dunno. Winter asked us to wear these before going in.” Weiss said, holding the box out to them, the panel on the top torn open to reveal the masks inside.

           “Masks? What, we’re gonna make the corpses sick?” Yang asked, taking one.

           “They also protect us from anything they might have.” Ruby reminded her, slipping one on.

           “Do I have to wear one, or should I just switch off breathing for right now?” Penny asked her.

           “You can do that?” Weiss asked her. Penny nodded, a clicking noise coming from herself.

           “Yep! Like this!” Penny said, her voice now much more robotic and digitized.

           “Okay, that’s creepy.” Ruby said. “Let’s get what we need out of here and go so Penny’s voice can be back to normal.” The girls nodded, stepping into the Morgue.

           “This way. Winter wouldn’t let me in until you all were here.” Weiss said, leading them along the maze-like structure of the Morgue, opening a side door and letting them in. Winter was inside, hands inside of a charred corpse, dressed in her military outfit with a large apron over it, and shoulder-length gloves on her arms, a medical mask with large filters over her face. “Winter, we’re here.”

           “Ew…..” Ruby said, keeping her distance as the others moved closer.

           “Sorry Rose, but this was the quickest way to get this information.” Winter said to them, pulling her hands out of the chest cavity.

           “What, that burned corpses are more disgusting than regular ones?” Yang asked.

           “No. This was the only casualty in the fire the other day. How do you think she died?” Winter asked, reaching over to a counter where a tub was sitting.

           “Logic would dictate that she expired by either smoke inhalation or shock from being on fire.” Penny said, raising her hand.

           “Right. But look.” Winter said, lifting up an organ sitting inside the tub, revealing a cooked lung.

           “Do we have to…..” Ruby asked, looking away.

           “Where’d you even get the idea to do this, Winter?” Weiss asked her.

           “Atlas offered a Forensics program when I joined the military, and I thought it’d help.” Winter explained. “Moving on, what does this look like to you?”

           “Something that’s gonna make Ruby throw up if you keep messing with it.” Yang said, having noticed Ruby’s expression since they had walked in. Winter placed the lung back in the tub and sat it back off to the side.

           “I’m sorry, however I needed them to test if they had any smoke in them. Which led me to do a full-body exam.” Winter explained. “To briefly explain to those of us with weak stomachs” Winter said, looking at Ruby, “This person was dead before the fire was even started.”

           “What are you saying?” Ruby asked.

           “Someone set that fire to cover up a murder.” Winter said. She took off one of her gloves, grabbing a data-pad and bringing up X-Rays. “I had these taken after I found no evidence of smoke in her lungs. Look at the C3 and 4 Vertebrae.”

           “The what?” Ruby asked, taking the data-pad.

           “The third and fourth bone in the neck.” Weiss said, pointing to them. The three girls looked at the scan, unsure of what was being shown.

           “If the C3 and C4 Vertebrae are broken, then it would mean that this woman’s neck was snapped.” Penny explained further.

           “Wait, do you think Pam snapped this woman’s neck and set her on fire to cover it up?” Yang asked.

           “Well, it’s either Pam or-” Winter began to say.

           “Blake would never do that.” Yang said firmly, glaring at Winter.

           “I’m just looking at what the facts say. And the facts say that someone killed this woman.” Winter said.

           “I dunno…..nothing about this is adding up……” Ruby said.

           “Well, I’ll keep looking for any other information I can obtain. I’ll write up a full report and send it to you all.” Winter said.

           “I’ll pass on that.” Ruby said. Before anything else could be said, their Scrolls all pinged. Yang pulled hers out and opened it up, seeing the text sent.

           “Coco spotted Pam around town, she’s in pursuit! Let’s go!!” Yang said, rushing out of the room, quickly followed by Ruby, Weiss and Penny.

           “After her!!!!” Ruby shouted, running with Penny as they followed Pam on the ground, while Coco and Yang ran along on the rooftops to chase after her. Penny pushed herself, igniting the boosters in her feet and launching herself towards Pam. Taking notice, Pam dodged to the side, taking a turn down another street.

           “Barnacles!!!” Penny shouted, rushing to get back in line with Ruby.

           “Time for her to turn left!” Coco shouted, letting her handbag expand out and fired several rounds at the wall near Pam’s head. Yang followed suit, having Pam turn again to lead her where they wanted her to go. After several minutes of chasing, Pam stopped in her tracks as Spyro and Weiss were before her, having waited patiently for her to arrive before the former switched to capture mode. Pam looked around, seeing Ruby and Penny walking up right behind her. Pam looked to the other direction from the alley, which was almost immediately blocked by Yang and Coco jumping down to cut her off.

           “There’s nowhere to go, Pam.” Yang taunted her. Looking panicked, Pam turned around and rushed into the alley. Coco twisted her arm, chucking her handbag at Pam, hitting her square in the back and dropping her to the ground. Allowing them to catch up to her due to this, Yang rushed and put her in a headlock.

           “Ngh!! Let go!!!” Pam shouted at them.

           “Pam, you need to confess, we know what happened to that one person in the Apartment Complex.” Weiss told her.

           “I don’t know what you’re talking about!!” Pam responded.

           “Pam, we saw where her neck snapped. We don’t believe Blake killed her, but-” Ruby began to say before Pam interrupted her.

           “I don’t know who you’re talking about, but Blake and I haven’t done anything!!!” Pam pleaded.

           “Don’t lie!!!” Coco shouted, stepping towards Pam.

           click! HISSSSSS!!!!!!

           The group watched as a large device slid between their legs, immediately shooting out a massive cloud of black smoke, making Yang, Ruby, Weiss and Coco cough and cover their faces as they struggled to breathe.

           “Ruby! Guys!!!” Penny shouted to them, fumbling around in the cloud as it surrounded them before slowly finding each of them.

           “What was that?” Ruby said through the coughs, the smoke dissipating after several seconds to reveal Pam long gone, the device missing from where it was and a black bracelet around Yang’s real hand.

           “What the….” Yang said, turning the bracelet around to see a few letter-beads woven into the design of the bracelet.

           “Sorry Yang. -Blake”

           “Well, that was useless…….” Yang said, shuffling back into Shade late in the evening with the others, staring at her bracelet.

           “I can’t believe Blake went in and got her out that fast…..” Coco said to the group.

           “Tell me about it. And what was that thing she used?” Weiss asked.

           “It does not appear to be on the Shade Object List. Should I search further?” Penny asked, having checked after up-linking herself to a nearby Tome terminal. Ruby walked over to Yang, putting her hand on her shoulder.

           “You okay?” Ruby asked her.

           “No…….why is Blake being so secretive?….” Yang asked. After they all sat down, Sun came strutting through the area they were sitting in.

           “Hey Sun, did you figure out anything?” Ruby asked him.

           “Yeah, Blake told me.” Sun replied, getting shock from the rest of the group.

           “What’d she tell you?!” Weiss demanded.

           “Hey, that’s for her to say.” Sun responded. “Mainly I just noticed she seemed to be in the right spot where she needed to be.”

           “Oh bullshit!!” Yang shouted, balling her fists up. “Tell us where she is, right now!!!”

           “No can do. But maybe you guys should take a page from her book and figure it out yourselves.” Sun explained, grabbing a turkey leg for his dinner. “You’ll get the hang of it!” Sun shouted as he hurried off to his room.

Chapter Text

           Ruby stretched as she awoke, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Opening them, she saw Yang on her side, her face looking frightened and holding her blanket tightly to her chest while asleep. Ruby stood up slowly, wiggling her toes in the rug of their room before stepping over and gently shaking her sister awake. “Yang, wake up….”

           “Huh?” Yang asked, cracking her eyes open.

           “It’s time to wake up, sleepyhead…” Ruby said, grinning at her. Yang nodded gently, slowly propping herself up while Ruby turned around, seeing Cinder stick her finger in her mouth and bring it close to Weiss’ ear, before spotting Ruby glare at her.

           “Party pooper.” Cinder said, pulling her hand back and leaning against the corner. Ruby rolled her eyes and shook her partner awake.

           “Wha….” Weiss asked.

           “Wake-up time….” Ruby said, heading over to the coffee pot in the corner and started to brew a pot. “So, how are we gonna try to figure this out today….”

           “Well, Blake was hanging out with Raican the day she left. Maybe he knows what happened.” Yang said.

           “If we try to retrace her steps, we might be able to get a guess on what she was doing.” Weiss said, pulling her hair back up in its braid.

           “Then let’s drink up and get to moving.” Ruby said, pouring each of them a mug.

           “Raican!!!” Ruby shouted, the man looking up from the notebook he was writing in and spotted the three girls running up to them.

           “What’s up, Parallelograms?” Raican asked, closing the notebook quickly and sticking it in his back pocket, putting his pen behind his ear.

           “Blake was with you the day she left, right?” Yang asked.

           “Yeah, Gato was doing her research in my lab. I hadn’t put her Tomes back in the Library yet. Give me a few minutes and I can give them to you.” Raican said, continuing on his walk.

           “Wait, what are you doing?” Ruby asked.

           “Equations aren’t compiling correctly right now. I was gonna ask Ted if he could peer ahead to chart out the Equation we need.” Raican explained.

           “Should we ask Penny to guard him while he’s looking ahead?” Weiss asked.

           “That’s actually a good idea, keep Ms. Roboto as a mobile sentry with her little dogbot.” Raican said to them. “Go ahead and get her on board.” Raican continued off in the direction of Theodore’s office.

           “I’ll text Penny and tell her what’s needed.” Weiss said, pulling out her Scroll. Yang pulled out her own, staring at the picture of her and Blake she managed to sneak on their first night at Shade, before opening the file Winter sent them.

           “Huh.” Yang said to herself.

           “What’s up?” Ruby asked, looking over at the text document Yang had up.

           “Apparently Winter used dental records to figure out who the fatality was. Contorta Manfred.” Yang said, pulling up her real face from her criminal record. “Apparently, if you needed something shady, she was the one you could go to. Pay her enough, she might even have caught Grimm.”

           “That bold, huh?” Ruby asked.

           “Apparently. Though I don’t know why someone would want her dead….” Yang responded.

           “Only one I could think of right now is Pam, but even that’s a stretch.” Ruby said. “Sounds more like Pam would do whatever she could to help her out.”

           “Exactly. And if Pam is so liked by the town, then why would she set a building on fire?” Yang added.

           “I dunno. This whole thing just keeps getting muddier and muddier…..” Ruby responded. The girls only had to wait a few more minutes for Raican to return, the man grinning.

           “So, you Parallelograms trying to figure out where Gato went.” Raican said, walking them to his lab.

           “Yeah, looking around town hasn’t resulted in anything, so we’re gonna try going at this from a different angle.” Ruby explained, seeing him open the doors to the lab. Stepping in with them, Raican motioned to the Tomes left by Blake, her tea kettle and cup on top of them.

           “Thanks for holding onto them.” Yang said, picking up the tea set and one of the Tomes before looking back at Raican, noticing him standing before the opening to a curtain cutting off the other half of the lab. “Hey, what’s up?”

           “I’m just working on some tinkerings. I don’t like showing my work on that unless I run into an error in my equations.” Raican explained, arms crossed.

           “O...kay…..” Yang slowly said, unsure of his current expression as he watched them like a hawk as they collected the Tomes and left.

           “Okay, anyone else find him acting a bit weird?” Yang asked, having set the Tea set back in their room while Ruby and Weiss set up the Tomes in the central area that branches off to their bedrooms.

           “Weirder than normal?” Ruby asked, logging into a Tome.

           “It is true that he’s already strange to begin with. Anything that might seem odd to us would probably be normal to him.” Weiss added, typing away as she got the Tome working. “Blake went to a lot of book forums.”

           “Well, you know her. She loves books.” Yang said, smiling a bit.

           “She also looked at newspaper articles about what was Publically Said about Pam. Looks like her thief antics started after she got booted out of Shade.” Ruby said. “Other than that, this one doesn’t have much on it.”

           “Oh damn it!” Weiss cursed. Ruby and Yang came around to the other side to see the screen, seeing a login screen. “I tried accessing her account inbox, but the login timed out. I remember her User ID from Beacon, but she didn’t save the password.”

           “Try her Birthday.” Ruby said to her. Weiss hurriedly typed the number sequence in.

           “No.” Weiss replied.

           “Try all of our names.” Yang said. Weiss typed this in as well.

           “No.” Weiss replied again.

           “Maybe her favorite book series?” Yang asked. Weiss typed this attempt in.

           “No.” Weiss responded.

           “Maybe ‘nowthatsakatana’?” Ruby asked. Yang looked at her with an eyebrow raised. “What, it was something both her and I said when we read the same part of one of her dirtier books.”

           “Funny as that is, no. And we have a bigger problem.” Weiss said, pointing to a new spot that was brought up. “We only have three guesses left before this account’s deleted for safety.”

           “Shit!!! Uh…...try her Parents names, what were they again?” Ruby asked.

           “Ghira and Kali Belladonna.” Yang answered.

           “No, two tries left. Let me guess one….” Weiss said.

           “What are you trying?” Yang asked, seeing the screen declare it as a failed password after she entered it.

           “Damn. I tried typing in Adam’s name, just in case it was it. But now we’re on our last chance.” Weiss said.

           “Shit! What are we gonna do?!?” Ruby asked.

           “Calm down, we’re gonna figure this out.” Yang said.

           “But we only have one more try!! I don’t know what Blake would put to keep her stuff safe!!!” Ruby shouted out, seemingly looking at the empty space beside herself. Yang looked deep in her mind, thinking about what the possible password might be.

           “…...try…….YangBlakeSun.” Yang said after a few minutes.

           “Are you sure?” Weiss asked her.

           “Yeah. It’s the only thing I can think of.” Yang said.

           “Okay…..here goes….” Weiss said, carefully typing out the password. “Moment of Truth….” The girls held their breath as Weiss hit the button to enter the password. The Mouse icon turned into a loading wheel for a moment, the page frozen in place, before the details of Blake’s account suddenly appeared before them.

           “You got it!!!!” Ruby cheered, hugging her sister tightly.

           “How’d you figure it out?” Weiss asked Yang, clicking over to the Inbox.

           “I just figured, Sun and I have been closest to her, it was either that or a combination of our three names in some way. I just took a shot.” Yang said.

           “Huh. Kinda weird, don’t you think?” Ruby asked.

           “Once Blake gets back we’ll discuss that when she’s ready.” Yang said.

           “Okay, guys, if you’re actually wanting to figure out what the hell’s been going on, I’m going through her messages. There’s a bunch unread, but they’re dated for after she left.” Weiss said.

           “Right. Well, we can forget about those. What about the ones just as she got back on, there should be an easy way to see when she was still at Beacon and when she went in now.” Ruby told her. Weiss scrolled down, seeing the timestamp difference.

           “Found it. Now if we just go to the messages she read and look through for info-” Weiss began to say before clicking on one and seeing the message that Pam had sent to Blake.

           “…..five Lien says that that person was actually Pam.” Yang said to them.

           “I’ll take you up on that bet.” Ruby said, writing down the location in her Scroll.

           “We should head over there now before it gets darker so we can-” Weiss began before the doors burst open.

           “YOU INSUFFERABLE ASSHOLE!” Winter shouted out, storming in as Qrow followed, a partially eaten bagel in his hand

           “You know, there wasn’t a name printed on this, so technically it was fair game.” Qrow calmly said.

           “YOU KNOW THAT I WAS WAITING FOR THE BAGELS AFTER A LONG DAY OF BEING SHOULDER DEEP IN A CORPSE!!!” Winter yelled at him.

           “Well maybe you should have called ahead, Sun and the other kids raided it before I even got there!” Qrow responded.

           “YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CONSIDERATE, NOT BE A PRICK AND LICK BOTH HALVES!!!” Winter spat back.

           “WELL MAYBE IF YOU DIDN’T START SHOVING AT ME TRYING TO GET IT, I WOULDN’T HAVE THE NEED TO LICK IT!” Qrow yelled back.

           “ARROGANT DICK!” Winter shouted.

           “SPOILED SOW!”

           “FUCK YOU!!!”

           “FUCK YOU!!!”

           “FUCK YOU!!!”

           “ FUCK! YOOOU!!!!!!”

           Qrow and Winter panted a bit as they glared at each other, the other girls frozen in fear as the two adult-figures were staring at each other. Winter moved right to Qrow in an instant, wrapping her arms and leg around him as she forcefully kissed him, Qrow catching her as if on instinct and kissing back.

           “Holy-!” Ruby said as the two immediately began to stumble and fumble down the hall, not pulling apart from each other and trying to rip their clothes off. “We need to go!!!”

           “Right!” Yang hurriedly said.

           “My eyes!!!!!” Weiss said, covering her eyes with her hands as Yang led her out.

           “Eugh…...there is not enough bleach in the world to clean my eyes…..” Weiss said, sitting on a stump outside of Shade’s walls.

           “Oh ease up, Weiss. Maybe she was just trying to get a bird in the bush?” Yang said, snickering as she was finishing before Ruby tossed a pebble at her.

           “Not funny, Yang. I don’t want to think of Qrow doing…..THAT…..either.” Ruby said to her.

           “Hey, everyone got made because of it.” Yang responded as Ruby searched through the bushes.

           “Not Penny.” Weiss retorted.

           “Okay, now I’m wondering where the inspiration to make Penny came from……” Ruby said, standing up and dusting herself off.

           “That is a good question.” Yang said.

           “Can we FOCUS!!!” Weiss spat out, walking along the path before spotting a bit of wood hidden under bushes. “I think I found a clue.” Ruby and Yang rushed over, the latter picking up the wood and yanking it from the plant growth holding it down.

           “Follow the North Path, huh?” Yang said, dropping the sign and leading them along the path.

           “It’s getting way too dark out here, we need some light….” Weiss said. Ruby looked over, seeing Cinder holding a ball of fire in her hand and nodded to her.

           “Allow me….” Ruby began walking forward, taking up the middle of the group to keep them in the light. After a short while of walking, they came upon the branching path between the trees that Blake met Pam at.

           “Great. Now which one of these would even be where Blake went?” Yang said, putting her hands on her hips.

           “Well, we can eliminate the path we just came from, which means that we have three options before us.” Weiss said.

           “But we’re not splitting up, that’s a stupid idea.” Ruby said.

           “Seconded.” Yang said.

           “No need to tell me twice.” Weiss said.

           “That and I only stick close to you, so they’d be in pitch black.” Cinder said to Ruby, who shot a glare back at her.

           “Now what do we-” Yang started to say before hearing a twig snap. The three girls and Cinder turned their heads, seeing Pam on one of the paths, her eyes wide as she held a torch in her hand. After a moment, Pam rushed back, dropping her Torch and hurrying away. “AFTER HER!!!!” Yang shouted, running after her with Ruby and Weiss in tow. Ruby turned to Cinder, who was hurrying to keep up with them.

           “Stay close to her so we can see her!!” Ruby told her.

           “Don’t tell me what to do!!!” Cinder shouted, rushing forward and floating, keeping the fireball beside Pam.

           “Ngh!!!” Pam shouted, blasting a burst of Blue Flame to extinguish the fire in Cinder’s hand, who simply reignited it.

           “Dumbass.” Cinder said as she kept close, leading the three girls through the winding path around the forest. After a few minutes of running, the treeline broke, leaving them in a field with another set of lights growing in the distance.

           “Ruby!!!” Yang shouted, holding her hand out to her Sister. Ruby nodded, holding her hand back out and grabbing it, letting Yang twist and swing her around herself before throwing Ruby at Pam. Just as Ruby began to fall short, Ruby Petal Burst forward, smacking into Pam and knocking the both of them to the ground.

           “Gah!! Get off me!!!” Pam cried out as Ruby gripped her leg and yanked it back.

           “Not until you tell us what you did to Blake!!” Ruby responded.

           “Yeah!!” Yang added, extending out her Ember Celica.

           “PAM!!!” Blake shouted, rushing towards the girls.

           “Blake!!!” Weiss said as a shot rang out in the dark, stopping the trio as they looked to the source, seeing a farmer with a long-rifle pointed at the sky.

           “Now you harlots git off her!!” The Farmer said, dropping the gun to aim at them. Ruby quickly got off Pam and stood up slowly, all three of them holding their hands up. “You okay, Miss Piper?”

           “Yeah, I’m okay. You can drop the gun, Bill.” Pam said, being helped up by Blake and dusting herself off.

           “But they put you on the ground!” Bill replied.

           “They’re friends.” Blake said. Bill glared at her, then lowered his rifle. Blake sighed, looking over to the group. “Sorry about that, he’s very protective of the Villagers.”

           “Villagers?” Yang asked, surprised. Pam nodded, holding her arms out as the girls made out the shapes of several dozen cabins.

           “Yup! Welcome to Ahkara Village!”

Chapter Text

           Winter panted hard as she finally pulled away from Qrow, the bedsheets pulled tightly to her collarbone and held in place with her right hand. Qrow panted as well, grinning after a few minutes before pulling her into his arms, stroking her back gently. Winter blushed hard as he did this, trying to regain her composure. “W-We can never do this again.” Winter said to him.

           “You know, I’d be more inclined to believe you if this wasn’t the thirtieth time we’ve done this.” Qrow said to her. Winter’s eyes widened in shock as she moved herself up to get a better view of his face.

           “You COUNTED?!?” Winter horridly asked. Qrow chuckled, raising himself on his elbows.

           “No, I was just making an exaggeration. What, did you count?” Qrow asked her. Winter blushed harder and looked away from him.

           “……..thirty-fifth…..” Winter quietly said.

           “And you say I’m the perverted one.” Qrow said to her.

           “I don’t know why I keep doing this with you!” Winter angrily said.

           “Because you come from a broken home, trying to get the love that your asshat of a Father never gave you, and when that fails you do stuff you know he’d disapprove of because it’d’ve at least pissed him off?” Qrow gently suggested. Winter’s eyes widened again, slowly falling into his arms and burying her face in his chest.

           “…..why are you right….” Winter asked gently. Qrow chuckled, petting her back.

           “It’s okay, Ice Queen….” Qrow told her.

           “….shut up….” Winter quietly said to him.

           Ruby, Weiss, Yang and Blake were all seated at a table inside Pam’s home in Ahkara Village. Pam walked back into the room, carrying a tray with both tea and coffee on it, setting it down between them all.

           “Blake mentioned y’all like your cream and sugar. We have the sugar, but I’m afraid we only have the powder creamers.” Pam said, smiling at them. Ruby, Weiss and Yang cautiously looked at the setup for a moment before Blake started to pour herself a cup of tea. Seeing their friend accepting the drink as if it was normal, they cautiously followed suit. “So, I’m pretty sure you’re all confused…”

           “Yeah, what is this place? It doesn’t show up on a map anywhere near Shade.” Ruby asked.

           “That’s because we aren’t affiliated with Shade.” Pam explained.

           “I’m sorry? What do you mean?” Weiss asked.

           “About 20 years ago, some villagers settled here to escape from the bustle of a city. They were doing fine, but notably lacked several supplies. Shade took notice, and offered to open trade, but the village would be immediately annexed to Shade, and would have to relocate everyone inside the walls.” Blake explained, setting her teacup back on its saucer. “The Villagers refused, so Shade refused to do any trade with them at all. Even when the Village itself was under heavy attack by Grimm or Raiders, Shade refused.”

           “That’s horrible….” Yang said.

           “When I found out my Semblance, I was trying to figure out a way to use it and not hurt the others around me. I even set up an idea with my Team. But Shade told me I was forbidden to even Discuss my Semblance. So, I left.” Pam said, taking a seat beside Weiss and Blake. “And when I found the Village, they offered to take me in, since I was cast aside like them.”

           “And afterwards, you started stealing supplies and stuff they needed so the Village can prosper?” Ruby asked her.

           “Yeah. I try not to take control of people unless I can shift them into a better position and I ask first, but sometimes I gotta take control first to get out of a pinch. Which is what I thought I was in when we were in the mines.” Pam said.

           “When Pam explained everything to me, it reminded me of my time in the White Fang, so I felt needed to help her out. I wanted to slowly break everything to you, but you guys seemed so upset…” Blake told them. Yang buried her face in her hands, hiding it.

           “I feel like such an idiot…..” Yang said quietly to herself. Blake giggled a bit, scootching her chair closer and pulling Yang onto her arms.

           “It’s okay Yang, we all were being a bit stupid……” Blake told her, nuzzling her head. Blake smiled, before noticing a detail. “Wait, how’d you guys find us?”

           “We accessed the Tomes you were using. After several dozen tries, we guessed your Password to your book account. You may want to change it.” Weiss nervously explained. Blake blushed hard as her teammates now knew her embarrassing password.

           “So, what do you want to do now?” Ruby asked Pam.

           “What do you mean?” Pam asked her.

           “Well, we’re in easy talking time with Theodore. If we explain everything and ask him to look at the ratios of everything, we may be able to get into Trade Negotiations so you don’t have to steal.” Ruby told her.

           “You’d do that?” Pam asked her.

           “Yeah, I mean, you’re the Summer Maiden now. We’re gonna need your help for taking down Salem.” Ruby explained.

           “Who?” Pam asked.

           “Holy shit, we gotta take this bitch out….” Pam said, walking between the girls as they walked through the streets of Shade.

           “Understatement of the year.” Blake said, holding onto Yang’s arm as they walked side by side.

           “We’ll have to get access to the Vault to get the Sword of Destruction, but honestly I don’t know what we’ll do with it once we get it.” Weiss said to her.

           “Yeah, having to have the remaining time taken out of your lifespan sounds like it’d be brutal.” Yang said, fingers laced with Blake’s.

           “How would we even use that?” Pam asked.

           “I have no clue, but, let’s take this one step at a time.” Ruby said, smiling as they approached the entrance courtyard for Shade Academy, stopping with the others as they could make out a figure dragging a lump behind it. “Uh, Blake, who’s that?” Blake looked forward, narrowing her eyes to get a better view of the person.

           “That’s Raican and…..he’s dragging an Alpha Beowulf!” Blake said in shock.

           “And it isn’t killing him?!” Weiss asked.

           “If anything, it looks terrified!” Blake said, letting go of Yang and gripping her weapons.

           “We need to solve that, now!” Ruby said, pulling out her weapon with Weiss and Blake, all five of them running to the front doors of Shade, bursting through as a giant glass panel burst down from the ceiling, cutting the foyer in half.

           “I thought I heard you Zeptograms walking back into the city together.” Raican said snarkily, moving his hand from the panel he just used, bringing his hand back and smashing the panel as he was done.

           “Raican, what are you doing?! That’s a Grimm!” Ruby asked him.

           “You obviously can’t extrapolate the data, so let me do your work for you.” Raican said, anger dripping off his voice as he stomped his boot on the Beowulf’s broken hind legs. “Grimm here have a core, full of this.” Raican pulled out a tiny vial of a pitch-black fluid.