That Escalated Quickly

by Shogun121

The fanfic was started before Volume 5 aired and is essentially an alternate reality based on "what if" in Volume 3 during the Vytal Tournament. Therefore it continuity diverges as the story progresses, but the essence of the world is largely the same with a few extrapolations, inclusions, and exclusions. Enjoy.

1. The Downward Spiral

Ch 1 The Downward Spiral

Doubt and Hope

Yang sat on her bed in her team's room trying to figure out what had happened in her bout with Mercury. "I was walking away victorious, telling him 'better luck next time'." She said trying to retrace her steps. "Then he… threatened me? He said 'There won't be a next time blondie!'" Yang recalled turning around, watching Mercury close the distance quickly. Yang did what any sensible person would do, she defended herself. He left an opening in his leg strike, she took the opportunity. Yang felt more and more frustrated as she pondered. She took a deep breath and brought her hands to her face, holding it, and then swiping outward while letting out an annoyed sigh. "Even the screens showed me assaulting a downed fighter. I know I didn't though, I couldn't!" Just then, Qrow made his presence known.

"Hey there firecracker." He said as he leaned against the wall with one foot resting on it. Yang looked out the window as she responded somberly. "Hey Qrow." Qrow had stopped by because he wanted to know why Yang would assail Mercury, she was wild, but not cruel. "So, why'd you do it?" He asked deciding to skip the small-talk.

Yang wasn't sure how this would go but she was already at her wits end. "You know why." She spoke with a tinge of anger. Qrow didn't buy it. "All I know is that you attacked a helpless kid. So either you're lying, or you're crazy." Yang looked up at him and narrowed her eyes "I'm NOT lying." She said defiantly. "Hm, crazy. Got it" Qrow returned as he pushed off, stepping toward her, placing his hands in his pockets and looking at the floor as he did.

"Who knows, maybe I am." Yang replied still angry, but, unsure of which felt more true. They made eye contact as she spoke, before she looked out the window again. Qrow shook his head as Yang spoke, having reached the foot of her bed, and turning back. "And here I thought your dark haired friend was the emo one." Yang called out to Qrow, as he strode toward the door, he stopped in his tracks.

"I saw my mom." she spoke with hesitation, but wanted to change the subject. Qrow turned halfway to face her, his eyes widening briefly. He looked on, intrigued, with a hint of shock on his face. Yang continued, avoiding his gaze as she spoke. "I was in a lot of trouble, took a pretty hard hit. But when I came to, the person attacking me was gone." Qrow was facing the wall as she explained, a look of sadness and concern on his face. "And I thought I saw...her. Her sword. Like the one in you and dad's old picture." When Yang finished she looked at Qrow with uncertainty and confusion in her eyes, hoping he would have a few answers.

Qrow spoke flatly. "Tch, you're not crazy, Yang." Qrow turned to face her as he spoke, making for Weiss's bad. "That was your mom alright. Let me guess, she didn't say a word, did she?" Yang felt a flurry of emotions, she was still dejected but was now curious how Qrow knew what happened on the train against Neo. "How did you know that?" She inquired, as Qrow stopped midway up the bed's length as he spoke, glancing away briefly. "I don't see my sister very often, but she does try to keep in touch...Whenever it suits her." Yang was rising out of her stupor as she spoke again, frustrated that no one had bothered to tell her. "Wait you talked to her. That was real?" She asked shaking her head, as question after question crossed her mind all at once.

"Yeah, she found me. Had a tip for my most recent assignment, and wanted me to give you a message." He spoke calmly, ready for the anger that was likely to follow the withheld information. "Why didn't you tell me sooner!" Yang nearly shouted. Qrow placed his hands on his hips while gazing out the window in front of him. "I was trying to wait for the right time. And this sure ain't it." He replied shaking his head. "But I guess you have a right to know. Yang looked up at him with anticipation.

Qrow looked at her sadly as he relayed Raven's message. "She wanted me to tell you that she saved you once. But you shouldn't expect that kindness again." There was a moment of silence as Yang contemplated what Qrow had said. He waited a second as he searched for what to say next. "Raven's got a way of looking at the world that I don't particularly agree with." He pointed his finger at her as he spoke again, this time in an endearing manner trying to give her something positive to think about. "But you're a tough egg kiddo. You shouldn't let this tournament thing get you down. You had a slip up, sometimes bad things just happen. I say it's time you move on."

Yang met his gaze, more confused than anything as she spoke. "Move on to what?" Qrow turned back to the window as he spoke again, placing his hands on the bookcase beneath it before leaning forward. "Well, Raven let some info slip before she took off. If you ever want to track her down. I think I might be able to help." He looked at her as he finished speaking. She wasn't sure of what to think. Yang took a moment to find the words before she spoke again. "Thanks, Qrow. I've wanted to find her for a long time." Qrow smiled as he walked toward the door. "Don't mention it kiddo, just let me know when you're ready." Yang managed a slight smile as the door closes.

The day had been stressful, but the thought of finally being able to find her mother made it a little less dreary, and much more hopeful. Yang laid on her back as she thought everything over, closing her eyes to images of reuniting with her distant parent. "So many questions, so many emotions, it would be an adventure just to find her. Let alone sorting the mess out afterwards." She began to feel the weight of her troubles, as though they had been laid on top of her. "I will find her." She reaffirmed.

Second Thoughts

The White Fang were initially enthused by this plan. To attack Beacon, a prominent academy in Vale would be a blow to one of the four nations of Remnant and certainly hinder the humdrum in the region. This would be excellent publicity, both in the inability of the humans to defend their territory and prepare their warriors. Also, though, to endorse the White Fang, and showcase its resolve and power.

It became clear to even the rank and file of the White Fang, though, that the balance of power at Beacon on this night was precarious. The plan still had merit, but the more one thought on its complexity the more uncomfortable they became. The number of events that needed to go right, if they could happen at all was disconcerting. Vale was known for its resilience. The last thing the White Fang needed was to be slugged, especially if they hoped to cultivate support by claiming that humanity had passed its prime.

If this chain of events was indeed a bust, then all would be for naught. The scheming, extortion, and intimidation; it would all be undone by a deal struck with a briefcase full of dust and money in a ravaged camp. The three of them standing there so confident, and yet so earnest in their offer.

Adam respected their power, and their resolve. He had initially turned them away, not willing to waste the lives of his organization on the scheme of some human seeking to usurp other humans. He wanted to overcome humanity, not become lost in its intrigue. Adam's preliminary evaluation of her power left him doubtful. However, they returned, and proved him wrong, so he complied.

The offer proved too tempting, and now, for better or for worse the White Fang was marching on Beacon academy on a Human's whim. Handling the Grimm they were now forcing off of shuttles was dangerous work, and being the first part of the plan further unnerved Adam. "She did not mention that we would be cannon fodder." He grumbled, taking note of his surroundings.

As Adam surveyed the battlefield he noticed that Beacon's defenders were tougher than he expected. The Grimm were playing tug of war with the fighters. The ground was littered with a few waves of White Fang, some Atlesian soldiers, and a few Hunters, although none of any significance, much to Adam's disappointment. Not only that, the soldiers were tougher than expected. The plan called for the Grimm invasion, in tandem with the White Fang advance. If the Fang wanted a stake in this, they had little choice but to accept the plan. They did, however reserve the right to control how many troops were deployed, and when, to prevent a wholesale loss if Cinder betrayed them. "The Grimm thrive on despair, I see no shortage of hope as of right now." Adam assessed.

He watched as a handful of soldiers gunned down an ursa charging in their direction. Adam was surprised to see that Knights, expensive synthetic soldiers, were not in short supply. Rifles were the most common weapon, but sword and shield armament could be seen. He blinked, when re realized that one of the Knights was wielding a great-sword. "Atlesian ingenuity at its finest." He thought. "We were told they had guns, and that was it." That was the last straw.

Adam summoned some of his scouts. "Find all of the White Fang you can." He commanded, "We are pulling out." They bowed and darted off to carry out their orders. Adam turned and spoke to his lieutenants that had been walking closely behind him. "While we retreat, I want all of you to steal and pillage anything you can. Leave the humans alone if possible. They are strong, but are also busy fighting for their lives. They can die at our hands another day." They nodded in approval. His lieutenants quickly dispersed to carry out their task.

"Kinara, I have a different assignment for you." The tall slender woman stopped, spinning on her heels before walking back to Adam. "Yes?" she responded in a cool, level voice. "Your semblance allows you to channel dust, correct?" She gave an affirmative nod. "Good, I want you to take some lighting dust and see if you can't disable some of their Knights." She understood, but seemed to question the value in it. Adam spoke again. "Take some foot soldiers with you, when you have them incapacitated, transport them back to our forward base. Let's see if we can't reprogram these Atlesian toys and use them against Ironwood." The White Fang in earshot smiled and whispered among each other in approval. "Worst case scenario, we sell their parts" He said blankly. "Understood sir." Adam smiled. "Good." She did as she was told, having her subordinates store additional amounts in their packs in case she needed it.

Adam mused as everyone busied themselves. "This battle is likely to be a constant struggle. Anyone could win, Grimm, Beacon, Cinder, or…. us." He stopped as a plan formed in his head. Perhaps, the White Fang would withdraw from Beacon. Leaving some scouts behind, with orders to stay hidden, Adam would wait for his enemies to play all of their hands. Then, the White Fang could make their move while everyone was fatigued and occupied. He liked this idea, "Besides… I still need to pay Blake a visit" he thought aloud. "once we retreat I'll begin plans for a surprise attack, and then I'll have a chat with Blake." Adam grinned as he thought on his future encounter. "Soon, love…...soon."

Pillaging amid the chaos turned out to be easier than the White Fang expected. The Grimm concentration had increased immensely. In fact, they had enough trouble trying to avoid Grimm, let alone worry about being seen by the Humans. Arduous though the task was, it was well worth it. Lien, valuables, memorabilia, you name it, they took it.

The infestation was worsening. Word reached Adam's ears that flying Grimm were dropping beowolves, boarbatusks, and ursa on top of the defenders. He found this extremely troubling, as it meant their withdraw would have to be swift if they didn't want to become ensnared in the explosion of Grimm.

Kinara's task also went off without a hitch. Her blitzkrieg was paying off, knight after knight dropped to the ground. Quite often unaware what fate was about to befall them. She had downed about two dozen by her count when she noticed how few White Fang were around. "Must be about that time then." She said flatly under her breath. "Lets go!" she signaled her underlings to retreat.

Back at the temporary command post Adam was pleased with what he saw. He had lost a few more Faunus than he anticipated, though far less than if he had stuck with the plan. His modified battle tactic seemed to be worth it in the end. Vast sums of wealth, tech, and the prized synthetic soldiers that Atlas was so proud of.

With what he had gained Adam thought this was a perfect time to fold for the time being. Let the enemies duke it out. He would return when they foolishly assumed the battle was over. Adam would seize victory, for him, for the White Fang, and for all the Faunus all over Remnant languishing under ruthless human rule.

Tournament Troubles

Pyrrha stood dumbfounded as murmurs spread through the crowd. "What…? Where did I go wrong?" She choked as she struggled to link the use of her semblance to the dismembered Penny that lay across the arena from her. "I must be going crazy!" She thought frantically. "I saw Penny's weapons hovering above her ready to strike, then they multiplied." The events slowly came back to her. "I panicked… and used my semblance as I closed my eyes and the oncoming weapons were redirected back at Penny. The strings! The weapons flew past her, and she was dismembered by her connection to the weapons." Pyrrha nearly broke down into tears as she relived the final moment over and over again.

All of the screens turned red with a black chess piece centered on it. A sultry voice broke the silence of the stadium echoing over the loud speakers. "This is not a tragedy. This was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand…"

Pyrrha stopped listening almost as soon as the mysterious voice had begun, still in shock. The voice delivered what amounted to a speech calmly, with no shame for the timing. One could only guess at the purpose, but the thought on everyone's mind was the horrific scene they had just witnessed. Slowly though, the onlookers, and those watching on television began to feel uneasy. Faces looked at one another with fear and suspicion, particularly if surrounded by others from different kingdoms. Soon, the sadness and fear, became paranoia as spectators left the arena in a hurry. If the woman had meant to play on the ancient tension before the war ended, she succeeded.

Ironwood was standing in the announcing podium slack jawed. The moment his scroll hummed he closed his eyes in resignation. "This won't go well" Ironwood said knowingly as he answered the call. He tried to defend himself, tripping over his own words. "Ozpin...the girl… I can explain." An uncharacteristically stern voice, cut through his jabber. "You brought your armies to my kingdom James!" Ironwood waited for the explosive conclusion. "Use it..." Ironwood felt a wave of relief wash over him as he hung up.

At that moment a nevermore landed on the stadium. It was trying furiously to break in. Pyrrha was still mortified as it succeeded, landing a few dozen feet from her. Spectators began flooding the exit as things quickly got out of hand. Pyrrha was still unresponsive as the nevermore stretched its wings and screeched. Ruby rushed to the scene stepping in front of Pyrrha, grabbing one of Penny's blades and pointing it at the fearsome Grimm. "Leave her alone!" She screamed through the now abating tears over Penny's death. This display jarred Pyrrha back. "Ruby, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to!" She said as she tried desperately to make peace with the ordeal, long enough to fight for life if nothing else.

"I know you didn't Pyrrha." Ruby said sympathetically over her shoulder. "Pyrrha was clutching a shred of Penny's clothing that had been torn at that fateful moment. Ruby prepared to do what she could to protect herself and Pyrrha as best she could without Crescent Rose. "I won't watch another friend die!" She roared in her head as she tempered her resolve. "She was startled by the sound of rockets. "What are…." She stole quick glances around the stadium, still trying to keep her eye on the Grimm that was preparing to strike. "A… No, multiple rocket lockers?" She said with a mixture of confusion and comic catharsis. She watched as the lockers rose above the stadium from all directions. She looked on in awe as they all dipped inward and rained down on the unsuspecting creature. The wings were pinned to the ground and the back has been struck many times over. As the avian figure struggled it was swarmed by students attempting to arm themselves before it recovered.

Among the first to reach the lockers was the rest of teams JNPR and CFVY. Jaune quickly issued instructions as they tried to make the best of a precarious situation. "Ren, run interference, get its attention." "Right." "Nora, break its legs!" "With pleasure!" A grin crept over Nora's face. Moments later CFVY was up and running. Coco pelted bird's face as Fox and Velvet attacked the soft spots on the back of the feet. Yatsuhashi and Nora took turns hacking on opposite sides of one foot. Jaune made his way over to Ruby and Pyrrha. He handed Ruby his scroll so she could summon her own locker. "Pyrrha..." He began, searching for the words to console the grief-stricken warrior before him. "You were set up. There's no way with everything happening that someone isn't pulling strings! That woman over the speaker, she is responsible for Penny's death." By now Ruby's locker had arrived, landing next to her. "Jaune!" She tossed his scroll back to him as she grabbed her weapon and joined the fray, propelling herself high in the sky. Pyrrha did her best to steady her breathing and recalled her arms using her semblance as she wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Jaune." She said as she managed a smile. "I'll be alright, but we have bigger problems to deal with right now.

The nevermore was nearing defeat. In an attempt to distance itself from its attackers it broke its wings free from the lockers with a howl of pain and began flapping them. Quills flew in all directions, accompanied by drops of blood. The students were thrown backwards, many into the arena's walls with a thud. At that moment the bird's face rocked back as three well placed shots downed the creature. A confident and rumbling voice could be heard. "HA...HA! HEADSHOT."

Everyone still in the stadium turned to see Port and Oobleck standing on the arena wall opposite the nevermore. Port's blunderbuss still aimed at the disintegrating kill, smoke emanating from the barrel. "I told you I wouldn't miss, Barty!" He thundered as his shoulders shook with laughter. Oobleck dropped his face into his hands briefly before the cries of Grimm drew his attention upward.

Everyone looked skyward. Griffon Grimm were lining stadium's perimeter. "Oh ho ho,..." Jaune said, not sure what to make of it. "Heavy hitters to the front, gunners to the back, strikers stand by." Jaune said, recovering as he tried to organize the combatants. Everyone filed in, preparing themselves for the assault. Pyrrha looked at Jaune with a mix of satisfaction, pride, and a hint of longing.

She couldn't help but hope that someday they'd have their moment, Jaune had come a long way since the first day of class when she noticed him. Pyrrha couldn't be sure with everything going on, but hoped that the way he rushed to her side was an indication. Port and Oobleck looked on, nodding in approval. "When I first met Mr. Ark, I wasn't sure if he was going to make it. I quickly learned, however, that he possesses an acute knack for strategy." Oobleck said. "Indeed, not the best fighter, but none can deny his indomitable spirit. Since day one he has made the most progress, and continues to look for ways to improve. Someday he will make a fine Huntsman." As Port concluded he leapt down from the wall and strode to the arena's center. Shooting his way through, he called out to the students "Oobleck and I can handle these lightweights! Go, get to Beacon! They undoubtedly need help." Port belted over the raucous.

"But-" Ruby began before Oobleck cut her off. "This day will undoubtedly go down in Beacon's history. I'd prefer my students live to be able to tell about it!" With that Oobleck and Port assumed their place in the arena's center drawing as much attention as possible so the students could make to the docks. "Place your bets Barty!" Port yelled energetically as the Griffons descended.

The trek to the ships went quicker than expected. The dock was empty as most of the ships had been taken by the fleeing spectators. As the students organized to disembark plans were being discussed for their landing. They were interrupted by several charging Beowolves from behind. Before they could ready themselves a white blur zipped into view and dispatched the nearing creatures. The host had Ironwood to thank, as he brandishing his revolver.

The general of Mantle was tall, austere looking. No matter the occasion, he was well dressed, typically in a white overcoat with a gray-blue vest. Ironwood's black hair was streaked with white above his ears. He proceeded to deliver killing blows to the Grimm as he approached them. "It's good to see you all survived. Terrible...business out there." Ironwood said sincerely as he strode to a carrier containing a few dozen soldiers. Sun felt the events weigh on him as he exploded with anger. "What is going on?!"

Ironwood stopped for a moment as he turned to address the aggravated student. He looked upon the faces of the others that stood before him. He could see the same emotions on all their faces, anger, fear, concern, and the occasional glimmer of resolution. "They might make fine huntsman and huntresses yet." He thought to himself. He ultimately decided that their help would be needed if Beacon was going to survive this ordeal.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "As you most certainly know, Grimm have breached the borders, the invasion began small but gained momentum quickly as panic and despair spread." He began pausing to piece his words together. "That woman's speech sure didn't help." Sun remarked, winning a few cathartic chuckles. Ironwood smiled briefly before he continued. "To make matters worse, the White Fang have been sighted. Initially seen in airships dropping ground troops and Grimm, oddly enough." This won a few whispers and he could feel the sentiment sour.

Not wishing to incite panic or give the Grimm anymore power than he had too, Ironwood cleared his throat before cutting through the chatter with a stern voice. "At any rate, we aren't down for the count yet. The White Fang are behaving strangely, they appeared, released some Grimm but then slowed to snail's pace. Moments before we met up I was receiving reports of the White Fang pulling back. I am suspicious, but I'll take what I can get. If I can coordinate the war effort we will stand a fighting chance. Now if you'll excuse me I must assess the damage." Ironwood finished as he turned around again and continued walking.

Jaune looked around at his peers. They seemed worried and confused, after all where should they start if they hoped to make a difference. He decided to speak before Ironwood could depart, slightly confused and frustrated. "What are we to do?" Ironwood stopped midway up the carrier door, and turned. "You have two choices. Defend your school and your kingdom… or save yourselves. No one would fault you if you leave." With that he continued into the carrier, taking off as the door closed. Ironwood stood facing the students and nodded respectfully as his ship took to the skies.

They all stood motionless for a moment, not sure what they should do. "I mean… come on!" Sun said in frustration. "We can take a ship to Beacon!" Jaune offered. With that, they all made their way to the closest ship. Ruby was the last to board, she peered down from the dock and surveyed the damage, and the battle that still raged below as the shuttle lifted. The sight brought a few tears to her eyes, as Pyrrha wrapped an arm around her, hoping to return the kindness in the arena. Ruby started, turning to see who was next to her. Pyrrha stood silently, holding her close. "We'll make it Ruby." She said trying to convince herself, as much as her troubled friend. Nodding, Ruby placed an arm around Pyrrha as they stood there in silence watching the chaos below through the window trying to keep their heads.

Jailbreak

Roman Torchwick lay in his cell aboard one of Ironwood's ships hearing the chaos unfold on the ground. The room was tiny, having a marginal amount of space in front of the bed he now lay on. Lighting was poor, as his cell had no light fixture of its own, and relied on the light from the hallway. Roman was disappointed as he listened to the festivities from below. "Sounds like a grand ol' time." He spoke, trying to sit up, grunting in pain before laying back down. He knew when he escaped this cell Ironwood would pay for this poor excuse for hospitality. "Injured, and unable to partake in the fun, how...disappointing."

Thinking on the master plan Cinder had laid out, Roman wished he could be free of this predicament. He was an experienced criminal with a head for strategy. that became mixed up in the chaos, her chaos. The authority vested in him, along with the expectations that came with it, initially were right up his alley. As he walked down the path she had laid out for him, however, he found his self-assurance increasingly scarce. His ambitions, as he soon learned, were dwarfed by Cinder's malice.

Roman chased his doubts away as the pandemonium spread. "No point dwelling on past mistakes now." As he lay there he realized he had slowly taken a liking to Neo. "What a woman. The fluidity and flexibility you fight with...captivating. The impudence you carry yourself with says 'Neo don't take shit from anyone.' a wayward soul after my heart." He thought with a shudder, finding himself smitten. "Oh the things I'd like to do to you. Perhaps, when I make it out of here we can work something out. We could have something..." He fantasized as he drifted off to sleep, adapting their skill sets to different scenarios with satisfaction.

Neo strutted down the corridors as she made her way to Roman. Her part of the plan was to spring him, and then the two would infect the Atlesian software that controlled all of the military's weaponry, ships, and mechanized soldiers. Thus far she hadn't encountered any opposition. Turning another corner she found the cell block dead ahead. With a slight frown she noticed guards stationed outside its sealed doors.

She lunged at one of the guards. The man braced himself, excepting a frontal attack. With a sly grin Neo gracefully threw herself forward about her center. After landing on her hands, Neo wasted no time clutching his neck between her feet, and threw him against the nearby wall. The second soldier was aghast. He realized too late that his hesitation was to be the death of him.

Neo cart wheeled onto one foot while spinning into a leg sweep, causing the guard to strike the ground with force. While both guards were on the ground she sauntered over to the second. In doing so, Neo stepped in front of the first while brandishing her hidden blade from her umbrella. She smiled mischievously as she thrust the blade through an opening in the neck plating once, twice… three times. Her first target had recovered by this point and aimed his rifle at the back of her head. In his fear however, his shaky hands betrayed him, missing every shot. Neo flipped backwards over his head landing behind him. She landed effortlessly before she thrust her blade through his skull from underneath the back of his chin. He screamed in agony. She had stabbed off center, and tilted the blade to the side as to miss the brain on purpose. She smiled again, although, this time purely sadistic in nature as she removed the blade and walked in front of him after he collided with the ground. The guards wide eyes met hers as he gurgled, choking on his pooling saliva. Without even the slightest hint of remorse, she plunged the blade through his throat until the screams ceased.

Regaining her composure Neo realized the clean Atlesian uniform she was wearing over her normal clothes was stained with blood. She frowned deeply as she searched the bodies for a security cards and unlocked the door, and stepped inside. Neo knew she was close, and simply needed to find Roman's cell. Fortunately for her, Ironwood had the name of each occupant written on a board next to the respective holding cell.

Neo walked confidently down the hall, her footsteps echoing in the silence on the tiled floor. Roman's enclosure, as it would see, was near the outer wall of the chamber. As Neo continued, she felt her heart was skipping beats, and her breathing become labored. Worried she had actually been wounded in the fight, she stopped walking. "Odd..." Neo mused, checking herself over for injuries. Satisfied with her findings she refocused, chalking it up to nerves. Until, it resurfaced, stronger than before. "What is…. Roman? No, it can't….. Why would?" She racked her brain trying to recall any instance that would explain this attraction. Did she miss a sign? The more memories Neo sorted through, the stronger the attachment became.

"Roman is handsome, savvy, has street smarts, and has no qualms about forging his own path. He is exceptional at what he does." Neo remembered the map she had seen in his warehouse base that he had written notes on. "The best targets with the least security, and keeps a scratchpad next to it with future plans." She wrestled with the notion briefly, ultimately concluding there was no reason it could not be indulged. However, it would have to wait until these plans had been seen through. There was a great deal hinging on hacking the net. Now was not the time for distractions. Doubly so, as she realized she was behind schedule as the cacophony below steadily rose. "If those mechs aren't on our side soon Cinder will roast me the next time I see her." She thought to herself as she pushed on.

Truthfully, Neo was also more concerned with finding an out at the moment, she might be evil but she wasn't interested in total destruction, annihilation, or domination. She just wanted to cause a little entropy. Taking a moment to compose herself she continued to Roman's cell,… smiling softly with her hand on her chest. "Later." She told herself.

When she opened the door Roman looked out into the light, shielding his eyes. He sat up instinctively, ignoring the pain. Neo held out his hat, as he grabbed it their hands touched, and their eyes met. They both blushed slightly as they stared at each other, Neo looked away and let go.

As Roman seated his hat he felt his feeling stir after the scent of her perfume struck him. "Ah hell, if not now, then when?" He thought. "Neo.." He began shakily, not sure how to word what he wanted to say. She met his gaze "There aren't many things that he looses his cool over." She thought. "Does… he feel the same? Should I...take the chance?" Roman looked nervously at her.

"Neo, there's something...we need to...address when-" He was cut off as she pinned him to the wall, stealing a kiss as their hands locked. The air was electric, however both of them knew that now was not the time or place. She pulled away, blushing so intensely her whole face was nearly pink, not sure what to say, still hoping she didn't misread the moment. Her heart jumped when he broke the silence. "It's settled then, after we put the plan into motion you and I have a few things to discuss." He said assuredly as he smiled genuinely. She reciprocated, delighted he felt the same.

They left his cell, and headed to the command center. He glanced at her as they walked. "What could it hurt." He figured as he reached for her hand. She started, and looked at the floor as she blushed again, complying. "You know,… you're cute when you blush." He teased. "Neapolitan ice cream is my favorite, Strawberry being my absolute favorite." She shoved him playfully as they continued on.

On the bridge, the soldiers were trying to coordinate ground team movements, resupplies, and aerial bombardments, among other tasks. The bridge chatter stopped when the doors opened. Staring in disbelief the bridge guards saw Roman, free from his cell with someone at his side. "Ironwood isn't on the ship either." One of them muttered. "Damn it all."

There were eight bodies on the bridge in total. Four guards, and four soldiers operating the various consoles. The bridge was a U shape, with the entrance being at the back of the two points. Two guards stood on either side of the bridge. There was a main display in the middle that overlooked the three smaller consoles. The three of them lined the outside of the room, wrapping around the main display, while sitting at a lower elevation.

Roman and Neo looked at each other and nodded. Roman would take the closest two guards to him and Neo would do the same. The four guards readied their weapons, but Roman was quicker on the draw pointing the gun end of his cane at the guard closest to the display and firing. As the dust propelled shot tore through his chest, he fell to the ground with a thud. Using the momentum of the shot Roman flipped his cane 180 degrees, and fired. The hook of his cane raced toward the remaining guard, snatching him by the neck and pulling him to the ground. His gun spun as it slid to Roman's feet as he sauntered over to the disoriented guard. The Atlesian looked up. The business end of his own rifle was the last thing he ever saw.

While Roman was having his fun Neo was having hers. Spinning, striking and vaulting over her two outclassed opponents. By the time Roman looked over she had both of them on their backs and quickly stabbed each through the neck with precision and gusto. Roman laughed approvingly as he clapped. He proceeded to shoot the four crew members stunned by the rapid take-down, without prior notice. "Looking away is harder every time I see you swing those hips." Neo blushed again as she reached for the scroll containing the computer virus. She attempted to insert it into the terminal when Roman grabbed her wrist.

"Wait." He said. Neo was confused, was he changing the plan? "What if we… didn't do this. We agreed that when the plan was in motion we would sort these feelings out." He said earnestly, but went straight faced when he spoke again. "But if we help Cinder now, there's no going back. Chances are Beacon will figure most if not all of this out." She nodded knowingly. "But if we don't,… we have some leverage. Perhaps even an out." Neo saw the merit in this, but wasn't sure how she felt about taking this chance. It might pay off, it might not. Foregoing the plan meant that if Cinder survived she would probably send someone after them. The thought terrified her. She shook her head vehemently.

"I bet Beacon's Defenders would take our side if we stood Cinder up though." He spoke softly, fairly certain of what she feared, and hoping he could assuage it. She looked up at him uncertain of how she felt about his idea…and about everything. It was all happening so fast. He was right though, the sleights of the past were petty compared to what was going on now. But for them to deny Cinder one of her aces… She didn't seem like the person you wanted as an enemy. Conversely if Beacon survived, and they could work out a deal whether they stayed in Vale or not, than their chance of survival improved immensely. Poor Neo's head was swimming with maybes that she couldn't think straight. She took a deep breath and decided that she felt trapped in Cinder's plan and that helping Beacon was the best option they had. Also, she didn't want to miss out on this chance to see where She and Roman could go.

Neo looked back at a wide eyed Roman eagerly awaiting her reply. She smiled stepping forward as she held his face, nodded, and handed him the scroll. Roman was ecstatic, so overjoyed that he pulled Neo into a passionate kiss as he placed his hands around her waist. She was startled at first, and resisted. She didn't think now was any more appropriate than his cell, but gave in when he showed no sign of letting up. Roman was gentle, so gentle she almost didn't notice as he re-positioned them.

Her back was now against the wall, she felt her heart racing again, but faster than before. She was beginning to feel warm. In all the movement her blouse had ridden up exposing her stomach. Roman pulled away from Neo, much to her disapproval, and began a trail of kisses. First on her lips, then her neck and then her exposed midsection. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his head. Roman placed his hands loosely her waist once more. "Is this really happening?" Neo thought. "Here, with Roman Torchwick?" Roman was also enjoying himself, smiling as he went. "Each touch is better than the last. Her smooth skin, her scent, and that cute face…. Ooh, its too much." The ship was suddenly struck by a flying Grimm. Disappointed though they both were they agreed that making it to safety was objective number one. They took a moment to fix themselves.

"Alright Neo, lets find an escape pod. Once we make it to the ground, we'll have to convince them of our motives." They shared a look of concern, but believed it was the best course of action they had. Especially since they had no idea what Cinder had planned for Vale, or them for that matter once things hit the fan. They made their way to the pods, and were confronted by last minute cold feet. Neo reached for Roman's hand, he obliged, as she led them into the pod, disembarking shortly thereafter. Neo was an excellent pilot but navigating the eye of the storm proved difficult. On more than one occasion they were almost knocked out of the air by flying Grimm. They landed safely as Neo let go of the controls, her face beaded with sweat. "Fantastic, my dear." She heard Roman say as he patted her shoulder. She flashed a confident smile as they sat for a moment. The two steeled themselves before they took the plunge placing their chips in this one basket, now their only basket. "We will be fine, I am a smooth speaker." Roman reassured her as they stood before the door. "Yes, yes you are." She thought looking him over. "Ladies first." Roman said in a mock baritone voice.

Ground-side

Ironwood knew, as his ship hastened to the ground that he needed a plan. He needed to organize his forces, make contact with the other guardians, and rally his soldiers already caught in battle. He rubbed his temples as he sighed deeply. The general leaned forward and pressed the speaker button on the console.

"To all aircraft in the area. We are in a state of emergency. To all those not currently engaged, Beacon is besieged by Grimm forces both in the air and on the ground." He paused for a moment as he thought about what he was going to say next. "Also, I received reports of White Fang activity. Their presence was brief, but destructive in its own right. Though they have withdrawn, the danger they pose is still very real. I want all ships to secure the skies, set up a perimeter and relay all relevant data to my flagship, The Reprieve. All carriers are to be escorted to stable landing zones for troop deployment. All ground forces are to secure respective home bases and gain footing until further notice. Once a region has been secured medships should begin landing to provide crucial medical assistance. The infirmaries should also prepare to tend to the wounded fleeing, or fighting the Grimm. Ironwood out." Satisfied with the organized thoughts, Ironwood leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment trying to figure out where Glynda, Ozpin, and Qrow were likely to be.

"Ozpin is probably in his tower surveying the battlefield. If Qrow and Glynda were with Ozpin he would likely send them out to the field to shore up defenses as best they could. Ozpin believes in cooperation, despite the misgivings at the stadium. To that end, Qrow and Glynda probably have a secondary task to meet up with me." Ironwood mused to himself as his ship rapidly approached the ground. "The two of them will be harder to find, but would have a better idea of what's going on. I'll start there, once I get a feel for the situation, here." Ironwood stood and walked to the door, ready to take care of business.

A transmission from the prison ship stopped Ironwood in his tracks. He hurried back to the console. "Sir! Roman Torchwick has been freed. He and whoever sprung him are gone. The ship is missing an escape pod, and the bridge crew has been killed. We are attempting to track the craft but it's a shit show out here. We'll keep you updated, sir!"

Ironwood was not happy to hear that at all. "More fuel for the fire..." He growled as he balled his raised fist and struck the terminal, causing it to groan. "Truthfully though, Torchwick should be the least of my problems right now." He said, bridling his frustration with ease. He braced himself as the ship rocked upon touching ground. Ironwood waited for the ship to settle before he strode to the door.

As it began opening the general gazed upon the once serene landscape now dotted by plumes of smoke from damaged buildings. The brick streets were in tatters as many bodies, and mechs lay strewn about it. "For the glory of Atlas." Ironwood belted as he walked down the ramp followed by rows of marching soldiers in high spirits. Airships soared overhead as they doubled up on the weak Grimm presence in the area. They appeared to be gaining some ground, here anyway. "A day in the life." Ironwood spoke solemnly reloading his revolver and giving hand signs to the soldiers with him to secure the area.

Back in the sky the students' shuttle was cruising downward toward Beacon tower. Suddenly, two oncoming Griffon latched onto the transport and tore both engines off. Jaune laughed uncomfortably in response as the ship stopped abruptly. "Who would've thought? Brace for impact!" The ship slammed into the ground before skidding to a halt. The rough landing had torn the staggered brick path to Beacon Tower in the process. The host didn't land far from it, fortunately. The crew ensured their fellow hunters were alive and kicking as they emerged from the wreck. The ongoing struggled was muted, as it occurred at a distance around them. Like standing in the eye of the storm, the Hunters in training drank the fragile peace in with trepidation.

Jaune was the first to speak, attempting to provide some semblance of order and direction in the sea of turbulence. "Alright, now that we are here, we need a plan of attack. I suggest all the teams stay together and head out to provide assistance to the wounded, and combat the Grimm until Ironwood makes his move." Heads in the crowd looked at one another before dispersing figuring that even if Jaune wasn't a general like Ironwood, for the moment it was as good a plan as any.

The lanky blonde boy's face hinted of dejection as the unfamiliar faces of students seemed only to accept his idea for lack of an alternative. Pyrrha approached him from behind, placing a hand on his shoulder before speaking. "Don't worry Jaune, they will warm up to you, just be patient. Your friends know where your strengths lie. We trust you and are with you one hundred percent!" She smiled cheerfully. Jaune replied in kind, and without thinking, placed his hand on Pyrrha's as he turned to face her. Both of them looked slightly uncomfortable but neither pulled away. Pyrrha's mind raced as she glanced at their hands. "The last time he touched my hand I thought my heart was going to break through my chest. I want this very much, and I think Jaune is finally starting to pick up on the signs I've been trying to give him." Her smiled faded. "But I don't know what will happen. This Maiden business,… I… don't know what to do!" She lamented, remembering the pain in his eyes when he struck the wall.

Jaune was concerned as Pyrrha's facial expression continued to darken. "Pyrrha,… I don't know what's wrong. You left in a hurry that day, I'm… sorry if I said something that offended you. I just want to help, but I can't if you keep me in the dark." He cautiously moved in for a hug, but she backed away slowly, staring at the ground. Jaune felt rebuffed, but decided that now was not the time to pursue the matter. He chose instead, to offer his continual support as a closing remark. "Pyrrha, If nothing else, I want you to know that I'm here for you when….. if….you need, o-or want me."

She looked up, and managed a smile and a nod. Pyrrha appreciated the gesture, and were her mind not so bogged down, she would have openly thanked him. However, right now she had too much on her mind to give in to anything, especially after the her loss of composure in the tournament appeared to result in the dismemberment of one of her friends.

By now every other team had wandered off. Team RWBY had remained longer than most, showing their support for Jaune by not immediately taking their leave. Now, team JNPR prepared to enter the fray when Pyrrha looked over at Beacon Tower, and saw Ozpin atop its steps. The conversation with the Guardians flashed through her mind, causing her to frown. She hung her head and slowly walked in his direction.

"Where is she going?" Nora asked. "I don't know." Jaune said in confusion, I'll go find out, you two go on without us." They nodded and sped off as Jaune caught up to Pyrrha and Ozpin, searching for an answer. Pyrrha's brow furrowed when she heard the approaching footsteps, knowing whose they were. "Jaune, please don't make this any harder than it already is." She wanted to tell him as she winced, looking to the sullen sky for comfort. Ozpin noticed, and offered a pained smile as consolation to her.

Order

Glynda and Qrow had rushed to Beacon Tower to convene with Ozpin as soon as they could. The pair burst into his office, flushed and panting as they caught their breath. Ozpin gazed at them with concern in his eyes, though he hid it well. "Go! Find Ironwood and get started. I will catch up with you both once I have tied up a few loose ends." He called with only the slightest hint of worry. They were too flustered to object, though Qrow gave it a shot anyway. "Oz-" To his surprise Glynda threw an arm in front of him. "We don't have time Qrow. Let's go." Her companion's typical offhand demeanor mellowed as he complied.

As the two of them raced down the tower they just ascended only moments earlier Qrow felt a knot in his stomach. "I have a bad feeling about this." He thought as they sped down the tiered steps in search of Ironwood. "We should have waited for him, splitting up at a time like this is a bad idea." He said to Glynda.

She was particularly calm in almost any situation, when events unfolded by the book, anyway. However, she felt the nagging sensation as well and was busy trying to comfort herself. Qrow's remark only served to agitate her further. "Qrow, believe me, I know this is far from ideal, but Ozpin can take care of himself. The people in Beacon need us more than he does. Finding Ironwood will give us the best chance to regroup in lieu of remaining with Ozpin."

Qrow was so absorbed in his thoughts that he had not noticed the charging ursa, nor Glynda's warning. His head had been down, and he happened to glance up in time to avoid having to replace his attire. Glynda shouted to him angrily as she skewered a pack of Beowolves with branches from a nearby fallen tree. "Focus! You won't be of use to anyone if you die."

He could feel the sweat forming on the nape of his neck and flushed from embarrassment. He removed his blade from its holster and minced the offending ursa with rapid, yet incisive strikes. After the skirmish concluded the Guardians pressed on, hoping to make up for lost time. "Knowing Ironwood, he probably landed close to the arena and is fighting to create a safe zone. We should look around there first." Qrow said with both respect and contempt. Glynda looked him over as they continued. "Qrow, if he made it off the stadium, chances are the students, and your nieces also did."

Qrow exhaled sharply as Ruby and Yang's safety was brought to the forefront of his mind, nearly causing him to miss a step. "No, I will not break to go help them. They are...safer that way. Besides they can handle themselves, I trained them myself." Qrow concluded trying to change the subject before he changed his mind. Glynda eyed him, disappointment, at first, but decided it leave it where it lay. Fortunately for Qrow, the issue was soon pushed aside as they heard coordinated gunfire.

The two stopped to listen, still uncertain if Ironwood was present amid the hazy debris cluttered scene to their side. "That could just be a level headed officer." Qrow stated as he turned away. Once they had nearly passed out of hearing range a voice bellowed above the raucous. Turning on their heels, they made for the commotion. "Damn Atlesians and their gunpowder." Qrow said coughing as the two searched for Ironwood.

Ironwood knew when he landed that his plate would be full. On impact, he decided to help a group of nearby soldiers. The party was besieged on all sides by encroaching Grimm. The soldiers were in danger of routing when Ironwood's signature revolver shattered the ambiance in rapid succession. With fresh soldiers at his back Ironwood rescued his beleaguered subordinates.

"Alright troops, this is the plan. Two of you with me, the rest of you split into small groups and tip the balance of nearby scuffles. BUT, make sure to not spread yourselves to thin, Who knows what the Grimm have up their sleeves." The body of soldiers nodded and dispersed, breaking into a light jog.

"You two." Ironwood said, spinning on his heel. "Give or take, you were handed the short end of the stick, keep up." Without waiting for a response Ironwood bolted in the direction with the least coverage, dispatching beowolves, boarbatusks, and a few runt sized nevermores with ease.

Ironwood was worried he would be bogged down giving direction, and not have time to fight. He did not intend to let a soldier die if he could help it, but greatly desired to find a few officers to orchestrate the shored defenses. He slowed, ducking behind a building as he saw a rather large grouping of soldiers, both human and synthetic. Upon closer inspection he noted captain markings on at least three of them in addition to a paladin, though visibly damaged.

The attacking force was comprised mostly of ursai and boarbatusks. "Small and fast, as well as big and slow." He muttered planning his daring move. "You two, swing around left and distract them." He ordered before leaping into a roll to his right. He made more noise than he had intended too and drew the Grimm prematurely. "Damn, new plan." He resolved as he loaded his revolver, and took pot shots before he completely lost his preemptive advantage. He was running along the perimeter of ruined buildings, taking shots in the openings as they passed him. "Hoohoo, I'm good." He remarked, swollen with pride as he reloaded his revolver on the go.

The group of soldiers was startled by the sound of gunfire. "Was that the White Fang?" A nervous man asked looking around. "Negative. A single experienced shooter, terminating Grimm exclusively." The synthetic voice replied. This was a newer model of Knight, better in every way, with the exception of the price tag. Proving how the stripes were earned, the captain signaled a few soldiers to follow. Unable to extrapolate the next target, it did the next best thing. Using the blue tinted glaive it put on an inflammatory display enticing the now cautious Grimm.

The Grimm charged the captain, visibly annoyed and as such, ripe for exploitation. With clean, fluid strikes the creatures fell with howls of pain as graceful slashes, parries and punctures made quick work of them. Ironwood took note of this as he continued his work. "Good to know the R&D department back at Atlas isn't the money-sink I was beginning to think it was." The two met face to face as Ironwood finished his flank maneuver. "General." The greeting came complete with a bow.

Fine work captain, your actions likely saved more than a few lives moments ago. Again, the Knight bowed. The two rushed back to the clustered soldiers, who were starting to gain ground. "Might a suggestion be made, General?" "Of course." Ironwood replied, thrilled to see initiative among his leadership. "Leave the coordination of the firefight to this platform, and use it as cover to eliminate the targets." Ironwood scratched his chin as they regrouped. "Make it happen." He called, taking aim anew while dashing diagonally at the enemy.

To Ironwood's surprise the suppression fire and back up close quarters assistance was superior. Trusting his back to the able bodied captain, Ironwood tenaciously pursued the routing Grimm. A few stragglers escaped as Ironwood broke off pursuit. He regrouped to tend the injured and praise for a job well done. He was further relieved to see the two soldiers he had sent around earlier, still breathing.

Ironwood leaned against the wall of a ruined building to catch his breath and clean his gun when a gruff voice called to him. "Resting on the job are we?"

Ironwood was struck with mixed feelings. With the situation as it stood he needed their help, though working with Qrow required an immense amount of restraint. "Qrow, as you can rightly see I have been busy. Never mind that, though, I have a few issues to attend to." Here Glynda stepped in to mediate. "Ironwood, what is more important than your, our, duty as a Guardian?"

He knew one of them would play that card sooner or later. "Under better circumstances, nothing." Qrow extended an olive branch, much to their surprise. "Tell you what, if you can walk and talk at the same time I think we can make a stop or two."Ironwood nodded in appreciation. "Alright, I received word that a certain someone broke free, and according to fresh reports that someone stole a shuttle and will land nearby."

Glynda frowned. "You aren't hung up on the criminal are you?" Here Qrow further surprised them. "I am with Ironwood on this one Glynda, he has a pretty big rap sheet. Tracking him is a pain, but would be a public service." Glynda looked at the two of them with resignation. "Lead the way, Ironwood." She said flatly. The two men seemed to be getting along, which was a rarity if there ever was one.

Before the Fall

Mercury and Emerald kneeled on the downward slope of a roof, while Cinder stood on its apex. The culprits admired their handiwork from their vantage point as the carnage spread. The night had set in before their plans were complete, much to the party's approval. Cinder giggled before commenting on her master plan.

"Well done, both of you. Between Emerald's ability to beguile the students, and Mercury's prosthetic legs, the poor children didn't know what they were up against. Not to mention the useful information our contact found for us. That is the last time I question an informant's use. Though, I am not sure I buy the price markup being a finder's fee for knocking on a politician's door."

Mercury gave a malevolent laugh in response as Emerald stared blankly ahead. "I was so disappointed we had to restrain ourselves. I was really feeling that spar with Pyrrha, she practically radiated frustration that I could hold my own against her. After that, cheating Yang out of her win made having to fix my leg worth it. Not to mention the fun I missed out on during prime time. The icing on the cake would have been tormenting Ruby after she witnessed one friend dismembering another. The pain in her eyes was almost too much to handle." Mercury shuddered with delight before pausing to collect himself. "Will we get a chance to join in the fun, without the now unnecessary restrictions?" Mercury asked with excitement in his voice. "Of course, now that the plan is in motion there is no need to hold back." Came Cinder's approving reply. "But not until I have succeeded in claiming my rightful powers. Until I return from the tower, you two are to stand here and observe the chaos, not participate."

Cinder was so thrilled she could feel her heartbeat in her temples. "The rush! It almost compares to the ambush on Amber when that damn drunkard interfered. I have him to thank for this emptiness that gnaws at me." Almost on cue, her mind displayed a disjointed and hazy rendition of that fateful night. "The hunger has not subsided since!" Cinder hissed under her breath as both, her eyes and tattoo, visible on her back through a V-cut in her dress flared a hue of amber. Cinder's mind was stirred by an outburst from Emerald.

"Where exactly do you get off Mercury? Keep aiming for the stars, and you might not survive the trip back down."Emerald added with a shake of her head. Mercury seemed to think about it for a moment before grinning. "I just want to watch the world burn, I could care less about how it happens." Emerald couldn't help but shudder as she listened to the two of them take such pride in causing pain, needlessly. The green haired girl with red eyes was no stranger to violence and destruction, but found the escalating cacophony to be of bitter taste. With narrowed eyes and a frown, she tried to draw the conversation away from the mayhem. "What is the cue we are looking for, Ma'am?"

Cinder grinned. "Right now? Nothing in particular, I suppose. At this point we are more waiting and watching to build a profile of our enemies. Just as the two of you have been doing from the moment we arrived in this bubbly academy. After I return from the Vault, however, the vibrant lights will be unmistakable." Mercury seemed to be impatient, and did not hesitate to voice it. "Is that all? They are fools that blindly trust without question, why are we being so cautious around people so oblivious?"

Emerald smiled as she noticed Cinder's disappointment grow with every word Mercury spoke. "Yes, that is all! Do not mistake good nature for stupidity. Every set of armor may have a soft spot, but just because you can see the imperfection doesn't mean you have the upper hand. Any good fighter knows their strengths and weaknesses." Mercury hung his head in place of replying.

Emerald had remained vigilant while the other two were engaged, enjoying Cinder's admonition. There had been nothing of interest to observe for so long that she had begun to tune everything out. Finally, almost on cue, Emerald spotted something, or rather someone. "Cinder! Qrow and Glynda have left the tower." Having recently finished reprimanding Mercury, Cinder had yet to refocus on the objective, and immediately followed Emerald's gaze.

"Mm, isn't that just wonderful?" Cinder cooed to herself, trying to contain her excitement. The moment to strike was fast approaching. Waiting for the distance between the Guardians and the tower to increase, Cinder was beginning to lose the battle in her mind. This moment did not present itself every day, and Cinder refused to ruin it with impatience, with the finish line in sight. Now at her wits end, she noticed something that piqued her interest.

"Ozpin is standing at the base of the tower...alone." Cinder looked around for a possible cause, knowing the dutiful headmaster would not idly stand by while his academy burned. She smiled maliciously as she saw two students join him atop the steps. First, one with hesitation, then the second with haste."Places!" She hissed in excitement. "I am going, keep an eye on things until I return. This should not take long."

With Cinder's closing words she darted down the building with grace. Waiting for the trio to enter the tower before quietly following at a safe distance. Emerald still couldn't shake the feeling that all of this was wrong. Her heart, however, reasserted that Cinder was the reason Emerald no longer lived as a petty thief wasting her semblance on cheap tricks.

As Cinder waited for the elevator to return to the ground floor she indulged herself. "I have come too far to let this opportunity slip away. I pressured the White Fang into agreeing to this attack, despite them having grown a spine, after the fact. The hiring of Roman Torchwick added immensely to my reach. True to his reputation, he stored more dust than I had ever seen in one place, and kept it under wraps. My two henchman are capable and loyal, and my benefactor is the most powerful being in existence. Right now, it feels awesome to be Cinder Fall!"

The ring of the elevator scared her. She looked around, flushing in embarrassment before stepping into the enclosure. With piercing, unblinking eyes, she followed Ozpin to the Vault.

Torchwick's Deal

As Roman and Neo nervously exited the pod they surveyed their surroundings. The pair had landed close to Beacon Tower. "Alright." Roman began. "We just need to-" He was cut off by the general's authoritative voice "Torchwick!". The guardians saw the aircraft land, and came to investigate on Ironwood's hunch. "You!…." Ironwood eyed Neo, presuming she was the reason Roman was free.

Roman pulled out the scroll Neo handed him on the ship, steeping forward before addressing the group. "I know today has been very trying for you Ironwood. Believe me it's been….an adventure for me." Neo blushed behind him. "But I have a proposition for you Woody." Ironwood's eyes narrowed at the moniker. Qrow gave a hearty chuckle, and even Glynda seemed to find it amusing as she tried not to smile.

"Out with it." Ironwood barked, irritated that his companions were clearly not on his side. "On this scroll you will find a virus." Roman began, holding the scroll high in the air. At this Ironwood's mouth dropped for a moment. "You didn't!" Ironwood bellowed. "Oh trust me Woody.. we did NOT, for a very specific reason. We want a clean slate with Beacon." Roman continued, seemingly immune to the man's explosive anger.

"Out of the question-" Ironwood started before being cut off by Qrow. "What exactly is it supposed to do?" Qrow said in a gravely voice. The Guardian was not about to let his opinion of Roman override his decision making, unlike his companion. "Hack the military network."The trio's eyes widened in horror. "That would have undermined our whole war effort. Not to mention degrade Atlesian relations with every nation." Ironwood spoke dejectedly.

"I know, ghastly stuff! The latent ramifications are precisely why we decided not to. We don't know what our boss had in mind when this was all over." Roman said. "And after a …. thorough discussion with my friend, we decided we would rather take our chances with you and yours rather than her." Neo smiled to herself as he finished.

The three glanced at each other before turning back to Roman. "A moment to deliberate if you would." Glynda said courteously, but flatly. The Guardians turned around, showing the pair their backs and spoke in hushed tones as they discussed their decision. "We should take them up on this offer and call it good." Qrow said, his ears pricking to the sound of combat off in the distance. Ironwood retorted in disbelief. "Do you actually believe they are sincere?" "Why not? I already like them more than I like you …. Woody" Qrow said smartly, enjoying Roman's jab. Glynda decided to step in before the matter spiraled out of hand.

"Alright gentlemen, lets be civil here. We have no way to be absolutely sure, but if we take the scroll, that's the best we can hope for. And in case you've forgotten James, we are in the middle of something here. These two are criminals, sure, but we need all the help we can get. If everything you and Qrow have said is true, then they are resourceful and capable. Take the deal, we can sort out the details later. If performance is unsatisfactory we can always throw them in jail and you can pat yourself on the back."

Qrow appeared amused as he listened, he didn't trust the two of them but Glynda was right at every turn. There are bigger fish to fry and they certainly couldn't make things worse by pitching in. "Ooh! As an added bonus I'll let you in on a little secret…. James, was it? The only reason this plan was going to work is because our boss set the groundwork the night of your dance." Roman called, hoping to win them over with his charm. Ironwood's eyes flared again. "Ruby was right!" he said aloud. Ironwood would have to apologize to Ruby for questioning her motive that night. Their decision made, The Guardians closed the gap between them and their charges.

"Alright you two, deal, but we'll be watching, closely, until this mess is sorted out. So long as the five of us travel together, you will have a temporary reprieve. Once the flames have been smothered a formal plea will be heard." "You got it Woo-...Ironwood." Torchwick replied, keeping himself in check.

With that, Torchwick stepped forward handing Ironwood the scroll and the five of them set off to continue the firefight. Neo and Roman walked next to each other, relived with the way the talk concluded. Neo admired Roman's shrewd diplomacy, she gave him a quick hug as they continued, thankful he knew how to appeal. Roman laughed softly. "This girl,… is so damn adorable, and when she is handing someone their ass…. Ooh she's just dancing around my heart." He thought to himself as he returned the casual embrace. "Also, whatever perfume Neo is wearing is intoxicating." Torchwick mused with a chuckle.

The Vault

Pyrrha was nervous as she, Ozpin, and Jaune walked into the elevator. The chaos outside seemed to ebb and flow as the Grimm concentration fluctuated. "I know this is right, but I'm afraid of what it will mean for me, now, and after this. I finally have friends, a life outside of combat and academia, I think my feelings for Jaune are bearing fruit. But to gain power great enough to champion my beliefs….I can't pass this up. For the greater good, I will give everything." Pyrrha reaffirmed trying her best to put all else out of her mind as she headed to what she believed was her destiny.

The elevator closed shut and began its descent. The trip felt as though it would never end. Even Ozpin began to feel uncomfortable shifting in place, though his reasons were much different than Pyrrha's or Jaune's. "A shame to ask someone so young to make a sacrifice of this magnitude." He mused. "Not only is it a heavy decision, we don't even know what will happen. I can't even comfort this poor girl, nor can I tell her what to expect. One way or another this process will break new ground." Ozpin sighed softly, trying his best to hide his own discomfort, lest it add to theirs.

The elevator came to a smooth halt. The chime brought everyone back to reality as the doors opened to reveal the secret vault that so few had seen. Pyrrha felt a shiver run up her spine as she recalled the last time she had set foot here. Jaune gazed slack jawed around the imposing chamber, oblivious to the eerie circumstances surrounding it. Ozpin motioned for them to hurry, beginning to feel the pressure of time. Additionally, he couldn't shake the feeling that something felt out of place.

As they quickly made their way to the far end where Ozpin and Pyrrha would play their part Jaune couldn't contain his curiosity. "What is this place?" He asked amazed. "Its… a type of vault." Pyrrha said while trying to savor every second as best she could, watching the pods draw closer. "What would this school have to….hide?" Jaune's voice fell off as they reached their destination.

Ozpin quickly went to work setting up the process. "Are those pods? Is there a woman in the left one? Why are we down here?" His head was now swimming with a million questions. Pyrrha saw the confused look on his face and tried to speak. "Jaune-" Ozpin interjected. "Miss Nikos." Pyrrha wanted to explain everything to Jaune, if this didn't work out she wanted him to know what exactly had transpired. Pyrrha wanted so badly to tell him why she was trying so hard to keep him out, after letting him in.

"If you want to make yourself useful Jaune, stand guard there." Ozpin told Jaune flatly. The sweat was beginning to run down his face as he raced to finish the preparations. Jaune nodded at Ozpin's instructions, but first wanted a better look at the woman in the pod. She had straight shoulder length brown hair, and an unusual scar stretching across half of her face. "It...almost resembles a vein structure." Jaune thought, taking his post, shuddering as his thoughts ran away from him.

Pyrrha slowly made her way over to the vacant pod and took a breath. "What do we do?" She managed. "We don't do anything. You have a choice to make Miss Nikos." Pyrrha took what could be her last look at Jaune and wiped a tear away as she stepped into the pod, placing her arms at its base. Ozpin grimly performed a system check before turning to Pyrrha. "Are you ready?" She nods. "I...need to hear you say it." He says shakily, visibly perturbed about what was about to take place. "Yes" Pyrrha says, defeated. Ozpin nods and initiates the process, torn between intrigue and shame.

Amber's pod glowed gold as her eyes open. The tubes connecting her pod filled with a radiant light, it then traveled upward through the tubes, then down again toward Pyrrha. When the light reached Pyrrha she screamed in pain. Ozpin looked on with a mix of horror and resignation. "I'm… so sorry." The lights begin to flicker as the process continued. Jaune starts at Pyrrha's scream "Pyrrha?" he asks, fearing for her safety as he turned to face her.

Then, a whistling arrow pierced the pod, and lodged itself in Amber's chest. In shock, everyone turned to see Cinder, still aiming the bow at Amber, with a sly smile. Amber's last gasps briefly punctuated a series of electronic beeps. The glow faded from her, and the tubes, as its source shot through Amber's pod, seemingly drawn to Cinder. The mood was further dampened when the lighting momentarily failed. Only the emergency lighting continued to function as the power reserves were drained.

Cinder began hovering, emanating gold light, her eyes bore the glow of the Fall Maiden as the lights within the pods quickly dimmed. Jaune was beside himself, and did the only thing that came to his mind. He charged Cinder before Ozpin could stop him. "Stay back!" He said reaching out in vain as Cinder blasted Jaune with raw power. From inside the pod Pyrrha could be heard screaming. "Jaune!" Using her semblance she ripped the door off its hinges, hurling it at Cinder, who deflected it with a bat of her arm. Pyrrha summoned her arms and prepared to strike. Ozpin stood in her way. "Take Jaune and get out of here. Find Glynda, Ironwood, Qrow. Bring them here right away, the tower cannot fall!" He spoke sternly but his voice shook.

Pyrrha spoke hopefully, trying to remain positive in this dire situation. "But.. I can help!" Ozpin admired her courage, it was one of her many endearing qualities. However, of the three of them only Ozpin knew what they were up against. He offered his remark as kindly as he could. "You'll only get in the way." Pyrrha was hurt by this, but sensed that it was true. Taking Ozpin's words to heart, Pyrrha helped Jaune up and the two of them ran for the elevator, eyeing Cinder as they passed.

Cinder watched them as they departed savoring her victory over Ozpin and the would be Fall Maiden, then turned to deal with the lone Ozpin. She spoke, but not in her typical calm and alluring voice. This time in annoyance, tinged with a feeling of swollen pride. "This whole time, right beneath our feet. She was right about you, such arrogance." Ozpin readied himself for the coming battle. The two stared each other down, waiting for the other one to make a move. Ozpin lamented as what he felt was his final battle came into focus. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way. None of this was was. All is not lost, if the rest of the Guardians can hold everything together we just might triumph before the deed is done." The tension was nearly visible as the two raced toward each other.

In the darkness flashes of green and orange could be seen. Strikes and deflects at incredible speeds. Cinder bounced back from a trade scraping the floor with her hands, leaving an orange gash in her wake. From it, she summoned dust shards and sent the volley at Ozpin. Ozpin dodged each shard with ease, standing in place, moving faster than the eye could follow leaving afterimages. Then, Ozpin surged at Cinder, suspending her in mid-air as he struck her repeatedly with the bottom of his cane like a fencer with a sword before throwing a right punch which sent her flying backwards.

As she regained control of herself, Cinder floated high in the tall chamber channeling her Maiden powers as amber wisps ribboned outward from her center. Ozpin slammed his cane into the ground, creating a green semi-opaque half circle barrier around himself. Rings of green light radiated outward across the ground emitting a buzzing noise. Cinder aimed the gathered energy in Ozpin's direction. Ozpin, leapt for Cinder heading straight for the oncoming attack, the scene ended in a whiteout. "Well, if at first you don't succeed." He laughed under his breath.

The Guardians' Charge

Ironwood was less than thrilled to have the two criminals in tow. He could feel the tension in his body as the party assisted in defeating countless Grimm. No matter what enemies they fought or who they rescued, Ironwood kept an eye on Roman. He imagined the many ways that the criminal could make them regret their earlier decision. On edge though he was, Ironwood could not deny their usefulness. Both Roman and Neo knew how to handle themselves in a fight. Neo's style was defensive, relying on counterattacks and grapples while Roman fought aggressively at close and long range.

Impressed, but not convinced he had promised himself not to let them catch the Guardian's unaware; the trio had enough problems as it was. Ironwood was admittedly already at his wits end while trying to recover from the loosing battle his army faced. His favorite Hunter addressed him, to Ironwood's annoyance. "Hey Ironwood, if you could stop brooding for a second I want to ask you something." Feeling the heat spread across his face the general replied. "You would do well to appreciate my attention to detail."

Qrow smiled nonchalantly. "Oh yeah? I suppose you noticed the giant ursa standing right behind you then?" Ironwood's heart stopped. He steeled himself before turning around, revolver in hand and unloaded every chamber into the hulking ursa. Qrow's jubilant laugh was a mystery to Ironwood, who busied himself reloading his handgun with a moon clip. However, loaded weapon in hand, the joke was all to clear. There at his feet, lay a half-pint beowolf riddled with rounds.

Glynda smacked the back of Qrow's head with enough force to cause him to reel. "Now is not the time for jokes." Qrow restrained his excitement. "Alright, alright. The point stands proven anyway. Take it easy general, i saw the gleam in your eyes. We have a long way to go, don't loose your cool yet." Ironwood stood in silence as he waited for his heart rate to slow. "I'll be damned if the drunkard isn't right." He mused, holstering his weapon with trembling hands.

Glynda offered a plan, refusing to waste time letting the two men stab each other with their sharp tongues. "How about we keep moving and pretend it did not happen?" Her voice was firm, but lacked the weight it typically had. Roman inserted himself into the conversation. "Lead the..." He trailed of as the eyes burrowed into him. "Alright, I'll take a page from Neo's book." He thought, looking away. The three Guardian's continued as he tried to shake the cold stares. Neo patted him on the back, as she passed by.

Qrow spoke first as the five of them regrouped after rescuing a small group of hunters. "Can we take the collars off now Ironwood? There is too much going on to babysit capable fighters." Glynda favored the notion, and gave approval with her eyes, looking to Ironwood for his verdict. "Do you trust them to help us if left to their own devices?" He protested.

"I trust them more than I like you. They came willingly, with a peace offering at ground zero in the ramping battle. Ironwood, one of the first and most important rules a Hunter learns in training is to trust and how to be trusted. There's no battle line, or covering fire, and medics are in short supply; if you can't trust your back to your comrades then you won't survive."

Roman and Neo looked on, flattered and uneasy. A good word was a great feeling, but set the bar for performance. "Test number one has been revealed." Roman muttered as he followed the conversation with his eyes. Roman also found himself relating to the amicable statement. Trust is crucial in most operations, certainly in ones he was used to. Though his dislike of Ironwood ran deep, he would need to overcome his feelings and forget the interrogation at the Atlesian's hand if he and Neo were serious about a clean start.

Ironwood seemed to cave, after some internal conflict. "Alright, I cede. What is the plan Glynda?" She took a moment to applaud the concession, knowing how fervently Ironwood disagreed with it. "I think the two of them can handle the relief operation. The three of us should head back to Beacon Tower. Ozpin will likely have plans in motion and could use our help." Qrow took the opportunity to set something straight. "Don't think that means we aren't still cautious, we are removing the leash and placing you on probation." Qrow called.

Roman chuckled nervously before replying. "One step at a time." "One small step at a time." Ironwood added, looking the two up and down skeptically. Roman removed his hat and bowed respectfully.

As the Guardians left they made idle chatter amongst themselves. The trio were far from Beacon Tower and began their return in earnest, fearful of being tardy. "Roman seems like a nice fellow." Glynda said, absently using her semblance to decapitate an ursa. "That's just a facade, Glynda he's rotten, through and through." Ironwood said in disappointment while putting a few beowolves down. "I would have thought the glistening knight of Atlas would appreciate a facade. Much like you, the sheen goes with his character but does not define it." Qrow added halving a charging boarbatusk. Ironwood mumbled angrily to himself as they continued, Qrow and Glynda smiled at each other at their companion's frustration.

In the other direction Roman and Neo were busy making good on their parole. "How shocked do you think people are when we jump in to help?" Roman posed to Neo after a confused group of trapped civilians offered their thanks. Neo flashed him a smile while shaking her head. "You are right, they probably don't give much thought to who it is that rescues them." He continued. Neo clapped quietly as they moved on.

As the pair walked steadily they slowly passed into an opaque cloud from all of the smoldering buildings. Much to Neo's approval Roman had stepped closer to her in response. She thought moving even closer under the guise of sticking together. However, her plan was derailed when the lunging ursa startled both of them, as their sight was hindered by the smoke. The two dove out of the way at the last second in opposite directions.

Neo landed abruptly on a pile of rubble she had not seen, nearly toppling her as she landed mid-way up it. Though the air was thick her elevation advantage allowed her to see the ursa, Roman, and several beowolves closing in on him. With insufficient time to warn him, she moved to occupy the ursa so Roman could dispatch the fodder. "He will be fine." She thought skewering the ursa's arm with her hidden blade with a sadistic smile.

Roman skidded to a halt as he landed and realized he could no longer see Neo. At the mercy of the growing concern he scanned the haze for her. Unfortunately, moments later he heard the light footsteps approaching from behind. His fears were lessened when he heard the ursa howl in pain.

"Guess that means I deal with them first." Raising his cane he downed two of the small Grimm before they could even move. The remaining creatures leapt at him. He evaded them with ease, gracefully spinning to the side and fired a few more shots. The final beowolf seemed more agile than the others. Roman studied it, before aiming at the creature's feet. With a snarl the wolf jumped, right into Roman's trap. Flipping his cane, Roman used the handle to yank the beast to his feet. With a single succinct motion, the muzzle flash was the last thing the wolf saw.

Roman took a moment to revel in his victory, despite being easily won. That is, until he remembered the reason he was assailed by them in the first place. "Neo!" Turning around quickly he saw the ursa flat on its back as Neo gouged the creature repeatedly. "The maimed enemy of today is the nemesis of tomorrow." Roman said softly, admiring Neo's drive.

Joining up Roman motioned in the direction he believed to be forward. Exiting the fog the two stopped to chat when they heard a nearby battle. "Do you suppose the heroes are always this busy?" Roman asked humorously. Neo shrugged as they prepared for another skirmish.

Bifurcation

Blake and Weiss stood amid the chaos. Uncertain of what to think. As they looked around they saw nothing but destruction. Burning buildings dotted the landscape creating patches of smoke that were too opaque to see through. People were screaming as they sought shelter. "I don't believe this." Weiss said, in shock. Blake wasn't sure what to say to her, as she reached for her scroll. "I need to know if Yang is okay." She thought as the call connected.

"Yang are you alright?" She asked concerned. Her conversation with Yang went on as Weiss continued to look at the mayhem. "This cant be happening… Penny." She said in resignation as she recalled witnessing her death on the television in the restaurant. Blake looked over at her before Yang drew her attention back to the scroll. Weiss thought she heard Yang encounter Grimm. "Will she-" Weiss started. "She'll be fine, Weiss. Yang wouldn't let a few Grimm stop her." Blake said confidently as she let her arm hang for a moment. "Blake, what are we going to do?" Weiss asked.

Blake brought the scroll back up as she summoned her rocket locker. "We are going to docks, and we're doing our job." As her locker landed Weiss looked at her and nodded, firming her resolve. Blake armed herself as Weiss summoned her locker. Once they were both ready they set a brisk pace for the docks. The journey began without a hitch. They were making great progress when the heard some screams off to the side. They eyed each other before deviating to lend their assistance.

When they arrived they saw two civilians surround by four ursai. "Could be wor-" Weiss started, trying to lighten the mood before the screech of a nevermore cut her off. Blake looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Weiss smiled apologetically as they readied their weapons. The nevermore landed on the roof of a building across the way from them. The bird eyed Blake and Weiss greedily, as it spread its wings and took to the sky heading for them."I'' give you a lift." Weiss said, trying to redeem herself. Blake nodded as ice platforms rose out of the ground in increasing heights in the nevermore's direction. The ursai reared as they roared, and charged at Weiss as Blake began jumping the pillars of ice. The final platform went up, colliding with the nevermore's beak eliciting a shriek. Blake seized the moment and jumped atop the avian creature, landing near the nape of it's neck. Back on the ground the ursai began demolishing the ice pillars. Fortunately for Weiss, the columns slowed the approaching Grimm down while she recovered from the exertion.

Weiss glyph jumped backward out of harms way as she thought of her next move. While airborne the revolving element indicator on Myrtenaster spun to lightning. Her coordinated landing coincided with a surge of lightning striking the closest ursa, soon after chaining to the two flanking beasts. The three hulking figures growled in anger before slamming the ground with a series of thuds. The final ursa jumped the dazed trio and roared as its target neared. Blake was watching things unfold as she planned her move. "I better wrap this up quick." She thought as she reached for her weapon. "Birdy can't fly without wings." She smiled mischievously as she cautiously made her way to closest wing and prepared to stab it with the blade of her gun as the nevermore leaned to come about.

Blake had enough time to complete the injury, only that it was the only thing keeping her from falling. She looked down and sighed. "Weiss!" She called below. "Weiss was about to torch the ursa nearing her as she heard Blake call. She did a double take as she looked up and tried to refocus before realizing the gravity of Blake's dilemma. She had just enough time to sidestep the downward swipe of claws. As she did, the grunts from the three downed ursa let her know they were back and ready for more. "Oh! Of all the timing!" She yelled, frustrated. "First things first." She thought calming herself.

Weiss struck the ground with Myrtenaster, summoning an open, palm down ice hand shooting into the air beneath the nevermore's path. "Jump!" She yelled to Blake, hoping she could see the construct. "Well done" Blake grunted as she tugged on her blade, deciding to follow through with her plan and take the nevermore's wing as she fell. The air was split by the beast expressing its profound agony. The bird was no longer able to control its trajectory, as it neared a building loosing altitude.

Blake had begun her descent on her back, and had since rolled onto her stomach placing her hands and feet out in front of her, muttering under her breath. "Thanks mom."

Back on the ground Weiss was on the defensive with all of the ursa up and moving again. She took a chance as she finished a series of back flips to send puddles of water in front of her pursuers. They stumble as their speed worked against them. Seizing this moment of weakness, Weiss doused the ursai with jets of water before quickly switching to lightning, preparing to strike. "Stay down this time!" She yelled in anger as she shot bolts of yellow light rushing to them. The Ursa raised their claws in front of their faces as the bright light neared.

Instantaneously they howled in pain as they were electrocuted and dropped to their knees. The first three then fell to the ground. Weiss cursed under her breath when she saw the fourth one stand back up, albeit slowly. Weiss realized in that moment she had reached her limit, and the lightning strikes ceased. She placed Myrtenaster in the ground to steady herself as she nearly ate dirt, looking up at the survivor. The stench of burnt fur filled the air as the corpses sizzled briefly.

Blake had climbed to the top of the fingers to watch the struggle, not wanting to get in Weiss's way. "Now or never." She said blankly. She switched to fire rounds, readied her weapon and jumped off the hand firing at the ursa as she landed behind it. Hitting the ground running, Blake took off in a bee line for the monster. Weiss could see Blake dashing in her direction but wasn't sure how much help she could be. Deciding to help as she could Weiss brought an icy hand through the ground to grab one of the ursa's feet as Blake approached.

In the final moments the hand distracted the ursa as Blake jumped. Clearing the ursa in the air Weiss was confused as to what her partner had planned. Blake landed on the bear's shoulders, turning to face it as she brought her weapon tether to bare and quickly wrapped it around the creatures neck and her free hand. Tightening it as fast as she could she then aimed down at the center of the ursa's skull and fired incendiary bullets. Howls erupted from the creature as it toppled to the ground, Blake wrapped her hand too well. As the Grimm hit the ground she was sent flying as the tether came loose from its neck. She hit the ground, bouncing a few times and skidding to a stop. "Blake!" Weiss called as she ran over to her.

Blake finished unwrapping her hand and put away her weapon while giving herself a once over. A few scrapes and bruises on the sides of her arms and legs. "Could have been worse." She said calmly as she brushes the scene off. "Are you alright?" She heard Weiss ask once she caught up. She was still worn out from the encounter, and leaned on Myrtenaster taking deep breaths. "I'm fine. How are you holding up?" Blake asked, concerned. Weiss looked up at Blake's thoughtful eyes. "Well enough. We don't have time to sit around." She said trying to hide her fatigue.

Blake looked around, searching for more enemies. "The area seems secure." Blake said confidently. Weiss recovered as she spoke. "Good to hear, we still need to reach the docks." Blake nodded as they set off once more. They continued on without much incident. The occasional pack of beowolves slowed them down, but were quickly dispatched. Weiss would run interference so Blake could neutralize them from the shadows. The two of them had come a long way since their dispute over the Faunus at the docks some time ago, learning how to play off of each others strength.

Weiss recalled the difficulty the team had trying to find Blake after she let her Faunus heritage slip. She remembered the feeling of relief she felt once Blake was found, and the tinge of fear when she heard how close her team mate had come to death. A wave of guilt washed over her, knowing that Blake shouldn't have had to face that battle without her team. Weiss had decided that day her preconceptions were not entirely accurate and vilifying an entire group left no room for individual assessment for exceptions like Blake. In the end she placed Blake, a member of her team that she had come to know and admire above her prejudice.

Lo and behold she became a symbol for what most Faunus actually were, just like the humans that discriminated against them fighting to show that coexistence was possible, and was beneficial to both peoples. Velvet and Sun went a long way toward proving that Faunus are not all like the ones that threatened her family, their business, and her childhood. "Coming to Beacon has taught me so much. I… I've grown as a person, I know I have. I owe a great deal of that to Blake for not giving up on me. Also to Ruby, for showing me that innocence still exists in this world. Yang too, her protective instincts are warm and inviting when I retreat within myself. My team, no my family…" Weiss had become so caught up in the moment that she hadn't realized the tears welling up in her eyes. She wiped them away quickly before Blake noticed.

They weren't far from the docks when a large beowolf ran over a nearby rooftop. It stopped for a moment to look at them and continued on. "I'll go after it." Blake said. Weiss nodded and continued on her path. Blake soon disappeared into the night. "Keep moving Weiss. You're almost-" Her thoughts were interrupted by yells, gunfire, and clashing off to her side. She steeled herself and headed for the source of the commotion. "It must be students, or even soldiers. I'll help them and then we'll all head to the docks."

Weiss glyphed her way around some debris and arrived on the scene. She saw students from every kingdom banding together aided by soldiers fighting to stay alive, Human and Faunus alike. The scene gave her pause, almost as though she were being given yet another example of what could be achieved when differences were set aside to combat a common threat. She steadied her breathing and joined the fray.

As Blake gave chase to the beowolf she ran through her teamwork with Weiss. "She has grown up. She came to Beacon a biased, spoiled brat. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get through to her. I saw potential in her, like I did in all of team RWBY, this has been a second chance at life for me. A life of protesting and fighting for equality takes its toll, I was worried It left me jaded, that I wouldn't be able to change when I arrived here. It soothes my mind so to know that I can forgive, and someday, hopefully forget."

Our Time to Shine

Weiss made her way through the battlefield to speak to Ruby about the situation. Weiss looked around as she darted. The scene was under control but she could only guess how long the students and soldiers had been fighting. Ruby was having a field day, wielding Crescent Rose as a scythe and using it slice one beowolf after another as they jumped at her. Once they were dispatched she switched to sniper mode as she spun it and delivered a fire dust round to the head of an ursa about to eviscerate a soldier. Weiss was now a few feet from Ruby, but took a moment to admire her combat focus. Shaking it off she stepped closer and called out to Ruby, not wanting to end up like the Grimm if she surprised her.

Ruby started, as she nearly cut Weiss in half turning with her scythe as she dismembered an ursa. "Sorry!" Weiss said, narrowly dodging the strike as she stepped back. Ruby's eyes widened when she realized what she had almost done. "WEISS! I'm sorry." Ruby dropped her weapon and ran over to Weiss hugging her tightly. Caught off guard she gasped as Ruby squeezed her, before returning the hug and trying to breathe. "How can I help Ruby?" She said after Ruby let her go.

Ruby smiled, happy to see another friendly face. Bringing herself back she thought. "The medics are busy firing rifles to help us hold our position. If you could free them up, we could start treating the wounded." Ruby said. "Consider it done Ruby." Weiss said confidently as she strode off to find the nearest medic. Ruby was relieved to see one of her team mates. She was hoping to see Blake and Yang, but Weiss was enough to keep her hopes up. "Besides." she thought as she loaded fire dust into Crescent Rose. "Maybe she knows where they are, when this dies down I can ask her!"

Two ursa reminded her she was in the middle of a war-zone as they roared, rearing up. Ruby readied her rifle as she dashed into the air with incredible speed, soaring over their heads delivering a bullet between the ears on the back of the skull to both of them before she even landed. She saw a group of soldiers loosing ground as they were firing at a death stalker. She rushed to their side now wielding a scythe as she halved some beowolves without stopping.

She jumped high into the sky as the stalker had backed the soldiers into a corner of rubble. With a single strike she dismembered the stinger as she passed over the scorpion. She landed on its face as it shrieked in rage and pain. Spinning her weapon she pointed the muzzle at the center of it's face and let off two rounds. Somersaulting off of the creature a small jet of fire erupted from the wound, the death stalker fell to the ground. The soldiers cheered as they ran over to thank her. She nodded as she smiled brandishing her weapon once more.

Ruby spotted a nevermore that had landed and was about to peck an injured student. She aimed her rifle backwards and fired. Using her semblance in tandem with the propulsion she rapidly approached her target. Once more she trained her rifle, only this time at the ground, and at an angle. Reorienting herself parallel with the ground she lined up with the nevermore's neck and began spinning. A few onlookers were taken back by the planning this would take if it were to work. Ruby knew she succeeded when the air was filled with repeated slicing noises.

Meanwhile, Weiss had succeeded in relieving the medics who were now tending to the wounded. The host seemed to be on the mend as the Grimm presence ebbed. The soldiers regrouped, discussing logistics. The students gathered around Ruby with a clamor.

Ruby's voice cut through the air. "Once the wounded are safe to transport, and the soldiers are ready, we head for the docks! Meet with your team if they are present and prepare to move out." The noise died down as people scrambled to find their team mates. Weiss and Ruby met up and spoke again.

"I can't tell you how much of a difference you made Weiss. With the injured treated no one at present is in danger of dying, we can focus on fighting and an organized retreat." Weiss nodded in thanks before speaking. "Me? Ruby you single-handedly killed a nevermore, a death stalker, a few ursa, and, I don't even know how many beowolves." Weiss said in disbelief. Ruby blushed as Weiss gave her praise.

"Aw, Weiss it was nothing, really! I saw my friends were in danger, I felt something stir inside me. I let go, and believed in myself." Weiss stood amazed, she wished she could have believed in herself when Winter was instructing her to summon. "I know I could do so much, if I could just believe in me!" She lamented to herself.

A hand on her shoulder informed her she hadn't guarded her feelings as well as she had thought. "Don't worry Weiss! Your time will come. Just don't give up!" Ruby said with a smile. Weiss thought Yang would be so proud if she could see Ruby right now bear the mantle of leadership. Not just for team RWBY, but for everyone here. Even the soldiers seemed to look up to her as they carried on. "Yang! Blake!" Weiss tensed, remembering that they hadn't met up yet.

"Ruby" Weiss began before being interrupted by a series of roars. The two turned to see hordes of Grimm running at them dead ahead crashing through ruined buildings. "Head for the docks!" Ruby yelled. The host was in motion, until they heard more screams and howls from what was now in front of them. Their sides were blocked by buildings that not everyone, especially the wounded could clear. Ruby looked around at the faces that were filling with terror, and despair. "Hold your ground!" She shrieked, pulling her weapon from her back and shot a flock of small nevermores. "Form battle lines while we still have the chance." She finished as she struck several beowolves that had broken from the pack and charged ahead. The host began organizing. They were finally in position when the ground beneath them began to shake. "This is bad!" Sun said. A massive King Taijitu erupts from the ground knocking many of the defenders down. The Grimm seized the moment and surged in.

"Stay focused!" Ruby commands as she dispatches beowolves before slicing three ursai in quick succession. Following her example the host took the fight to the enemy. The King Taijitu proved more an annoyance than anyone could have anticipated. The serpent insisted on rapidly tunneling through the ground and surging through it. As a result, formations were extremely difficult to maintain as people tried not to be tossed into the air or worse yet devoured. Ruby turned to Weiss, as they fought close by each other.

"Do you think you could freeze it in place the next time it pops up?" Ruby asked hopeful. Weiss was still a little worn from her battle but refused to let everyone down. She nodded, trying to summon as much power as possible for the next eruption. Ruby rushed over to Ren, Nora, Sun, and Yatsuhashi to tell them of her plan.

"I need your help to take out the Taijitu." Ruby said to them, over the cacophony. They nodded knowing that that snake being down for the count would make this battle much easier. "The next time the snake rears it's ugly head Weiss is going to freeze it in place. I need Ren to distract it." Ren frowned slightly but understood, Nora placed a hand on his shoulder, offering her condolences. "Sun I need you give Nora and Yatsu a lift. They will strike the snake's head from above and hopefully bring it down." Nora eyes gleamed. "I'll break it's… TEETH!" She said gleefully.

Everyone else shared a quick chuckle. Ruby stayed nearby to coordinate and deal with any obstructing Grimm. Across the way Weiss prepared to immobilize the massive snake when it next appeared. It shrunk back into the ground. Weiss closed her eyes trying to focus. "Remember your training Weiss. Slow your breathing, focus on your target. Picture the ice" She thought to herself as she opened her eyes. The scene moved in slow motion as she waited for her moment. Ruby's words echoed in her head. "Your moment will come Weiss! Don't give up!"

Then the Taijitu surged through the cobbled road. "Now" Weiss screamed in her head as she twirled. Myrtenaster's indicator spun to ice and she took one last breath before plunging it into the ground. The ground trembled, but not from the snake. Icy hands spurted forth and seized the snake tightly. The serpent hissed angrily, and it thrashed about trying to break free. Weiss mentally focused as hard as she could on the image of the ice hands to keep her effort together.

"Ren, start running and gunning." Ruby called seeing the whole scene occur. Ren nodded and took off firing at the snakes face. "Sun do your thing." Ruby called as she sliced a few Beowoulves that drew too close. Sun prepared himself for the focus he would need. He glowed yellow briefly before six clones appeared. "We are only going to get one shot at this." He said as sweat dripped down his forehead. Four of the clones lifted Nora and Yatsu. "On the count of three they will toss you up. Then the other two will do what they can to get you higher. The rest is up to you two." Sun said trying to maintain his breathing.

They nodded. On three, the clones heaved upward sending the heavies into the air. The last two clones quickly followed suit. The four ground clones then disappeared so Sun could focus more energy on what was about to happen. "Hold onto me Yatsu!" Nora commanded. The two remaining clones reached them. Grabbing Nora and Yatsu they swung backward, then up as hard as Sun could manage. "Here we go!" Nora practically screamed as she aimed her launcher at the ground and fired a round.

The pair was fighting to keep their eyes open as they flew through the sky. The Taijitu was frozen in place, but followed them with its eyes as they soared above its head. Yatsu seemed disturbed by their velocity. "I think we overshot our target." He said nervously. Nora just smiled as she grabbed him while she aimed at the sky and fired.

"Going down!" She wasted no time turning her launcher into a hammer preparing to strike. Nora had her own plan. "Yatsu, dive and lodge your blade in the snake's skull." Yatsu nodded as he dove, straightening out as he picked up speed and neared the massive Grimm. With a fierce battle cry he grasped his blade with both hands and lodged it squarely between the snake's eyes. However in the act he lost his balance and fell from the great height.

Nora was worried but had to much to worry about to give it thought. With a mighty yell she summoned lightning as she struck Yatsu's sword. The blade was momentarily charged as it passed through the center of the snakes head striking the ground with a loud 'ting' and leaving a cauterized hole in its wake. The force of the collision tossed Nora back into the air. Firing her launcher behind her to reposition herself, she threw her weight forward. Somersaulting as many times as she could to pick up speed as she nearest the Taijitu's head a second time. Nora landed on the snake's head and delivered a second strike of lightning via Magnhild. The creature shrieked as it's body was electrocuted, and began to fall forward. "TIMBER!" Nora yelled as she put her weapon away and began sliding down the snakes back sticking the landing perfectly with her bubbly giggle as she gave Ren a thumbs up. Ren was unsure of what to say, or even how this all made him feel. But he felt one emotion take over as he gripped Nora tightly in a hug briefly. "I-" He began, before pulling away, blushing. Nora was also at a loss for words. "Did that just happen?" She thought to herself, giddy.

Down below, Neon Katt saw Yatsu falling and called to Flynt as she skated closer. "Flynt, can you slow him down?" Neon said pointing to the sky. Flynt was confused at first but saw what she meant and nodded. He created sound waves that slowed Yatsu's descent. Neon swooped in and caught Yatsu as he neared the ground, almost loosing her footing. "T-Thanks." Yatsu said, blushing slightly. Neon laughed as she broke to put him down "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" She laughed before he could reply and skated back off. Yatsu waved at Flynt, who merely tipped his hat and went back to business.

Weiss was once again exhausted, as she saw that the plan worked. She was horrified to notice, however, that the scene had not improved. The Grimm were gaining ground and increasing in number. She wouldn't let a little fatigue prevent her from standing with her friends in their moment of need. She steadied herself and ran into the fray. Team CFVY was loosing ground, when Yatsu returned. Fox, Velvet, and Coco greeted him as best they could while dodging feathers from two nevermores circling above. Fox dashed forward neutralizing a few beowolves nearby as he dodged a massive feather. Coco and Velvet were trapped in a ring of them as Yatsu neared. He tried to hack his way through but wasn't making much progress. The two birds landed just outside the ring and swept the feathers with their wings, knocking Coco and Velvet down. "Velvet, it's now or never!" Coco said as she saw countless Grimm drawing closer. Velvet nodded as she excitedly made a break for her weapon.

She grabbed it and rolled backwards as a nevermore almost crushed her underfoot. Velvet opened her box and began cycling through all the weapons she had gathered pictures of. She used Penny's to eviscerate the nevermores, the feathers, and a few ursai that were midair. Cleaning up Velvet decimated the Grimm forces, but they kept coming. Weapon after weapon Velvet gave it her all but she couldn't keep it up forever. One area she had succeeded spectacularly in was relieving pressure off of everyone else. Grimm flocked to the bright lights and loud noises with anger, forgetting their former targets entirely.

Velvet was slowing down and was on her last weapon when a hulking ursa slammed into her. The rest of team CFVY was busy trying to keep Grimm at bay. Coco heard Velvet's pain-filled yell and looked in horror as she was about to be over-run with Grimm. "Velvet! Hang on!" Coco screamed as she aimed her mini-gun at the mass forming around Velvet. She dared not aim at the ones on her for fear of hitting her companion as well. Coco was making progress but couldn't make enough of an opening for Fox or Yatsu to throw the assailants off. They were busy fighting ursai, and couldn't assist even if she had.

Right as Velvet's neck was about to be gouged a blue glyph appeared in the sky above her. A giant sword passed through it, followed by a metal-clad gauntlet. The hand made a sweeping pass above Velvet rending the aggressors. "Get to safety, Velvet!" She heard Weiss yell, closer than she thought. Velvet didn't need to be told twice, she leapt to her feet and scampered off to her team. Weiss channeled what power she could, as the hand hurled the sword at the Grimm. More than a few were crushed or otherwise maimed under it's weight. "Why...not…. go for broke." Weiss thought, turning a bright shade of red as she focused.

The sword began pulsating as arcs of ice shot out and struck Grimm, freezing them in their tracks. A loud ringing noise rose above the raucous as the sword stopped arcing. It turned ice white while emitting a blinding white light. Shortly thereafter, it shattered killing every Grimm in the immediate vicinity. Unfortunately a shard had lodged itself in Weiss's thigh. With a scream of pain, she dismissed the glyph, and team CFVY ran over to help Weiss.

"Thank you Weiss!" Velvet said cupping her hand. "Don't mention it Velvet." Weiss gasped as she struggled with the pain. "Come on, lets get you to a medic." Yatsu said, placing his sword on his back before, picking Weiss up with both arms. "Velvet!" Weiss called before Yatsu carried her away. "You were pretty cool yourself!" Velvet blushed. "Aw, thank you." She said as she looked at the ground rubbing it with her heels." The battle was far from won but Weiss and Velvet turned the tide. The increase in positive sentiment meant less Grimm arrived. The heightened spirit coupled with the feeling of gaining ground yielded visible results. The beleaguered host was on the upward slope.

It didn't take long for word to spread to everyone that couldn't see the spectacle. "Weiss! Weiss, are you alright!" Ruby yelled as she stopped and doubled over trying to catch her breath. Her injured team mate was laying on the cobbled road with bandages on her thigh and Myrtenaster next to her. "I'm fine Ruby. Thank you for the concern. How is everyone else?" Weiss replied, touched, but trying to hide her discomfort.

"Fine!" Thanks to you and Velvet we are just cleaning up and preparing to move out. There shouldn't be another attack like that, given the sheer number that we, you, slew." Weiss smiled as she took a few deep breaths. "When do we move out?" She said struggling to stand. The medics tried to stop her but she swatted their arms and used her weapon as a prop while she stood. Ruby smiled, it was good to know Weiss was alright. She only wished she knew how Blake and Yang were doing. Then it hit her, Weiss might know something! "Weiss, do you have any news on Blake and Yang?" She asked worried, and hopeful. Weiss nodded.

"I have, some, Ruby. Blake and I witnessed the initial outbreak. When Blake called Yang, she said she was heading toward the dock. We resolved to do our job and set out to do the same. Blake and I were drawn to a group of trapped civilians, we freed them and kept going. After that, we saw a large beowolf, and Blake went after it. I found all of you shortly thereafter." Ruby took a moment to process everything. Blake and Yang were probably alright. Unfortunately, the host had more pressing matters at the moment. Getting the wounded to the docks in hope of proper medical treatment and respite for all of the fighters. Ruby decided to iron out as many kinks as possibly.

"I'll go scout on ahead to make sure as we march we have as few obstructions as possible." Weiss nodded as she left. Able to stand once more she resolved to rest here a moment to recover when she heard a familiar voice. "Oh the timing." She thought as the cheery blonde haired girl raced toward her.