Saving a Rebellion
Onyx flies towards Beacon while avoiding all patrolling airships.
Ironwood seats Umbra at the other side of Ozpin's desk, which he is sitting at.
"There is a version of this conversation where you get to go back to your kingdom and lead your army. Life as you know it will go on." Umbra says, "You have no idea what you're up against here."
"Really?" Ironwood asks, "What's the other version of this conversation? The one where you kill me now. Does it matter? If I cooperate, I'll just die with the rest when your Pillars of the Riders are recharged."
"What's your preference?" Umbra asks, "I'm going to ask you this once: Where is Onyx Rider?"
Onyx actives level two of his Verto and crashes through the window of Beacon Tower. Onyx knees Umbra into a portal leading him into the volcano where Umbra first awakened.
"Come on!" Onyx yells as he opens another portal, this one goes to the warehouse.
Onyx then activates his COM.
"Silicon, use my scroll as a beacon, find Pyrrha, Jaune, Mercury, and Emerald." Onyx orders.
"It'll give away your location." Silicon warns.
"I'm at Beacon, my location is already compromised." Onyx states.
After a while, Silicon speaks up.
"That doesn't make sense." Silicon says.
"What is it?" Onyx asks.
"Jaune and Pyrrha are below Beacon." Silicon states.
"The Vault." Onyx says.
Onyx enters the elevator and makes his way down towards the Vault. Once inside he sees Amber lying on the floor. Onyx checks her pulse.
"Guess her attacker died and the full power of the Fall Maiden returned." Onyx says, "Too bad Umbra got to her before she could use it."
Onyx continues walking until he reaches the pods that were originally designed to keep Amber alive and transfer her aura. Umbra repurposed them as prisons for Jaune and Pyrrha. Onyx opens the pods. Their expression are varied, Jaune has one of anger and Pyrrha has one of relief.
"Why are you here?" Jaune asks, his voice was seeping with anger.
"You're welcome." Onyx says with equal hostility.
"Answer the question." Jaune demands, "I thought you gave up. Couldn't live with the fact that this is all your fault."
"Jaune!" Pyrrha calls, "Now is not the time."
"It's the perfect time." Onyx counters, "After this I will be done. So be happy I'm saving you when I only agreed to get Ironwood. Which I did already, so I can leave right now and my mission will still be complete."
Jaune and Pyrrha glance at each other.
"Stay close to me." Onyx orders, "I'm your best chance for survival."
"How ironic." Jaune comments.
The three make their way through Beacon towards the locker rooms.
"I expected to find more of Umbra's top men here." Pyrrha comments.
"They would be in the Temple of the Riders, Umbra's mobile fortress in the sky." Onyx states.
Onyx sends out a small shockwave of energy overloading all the lockers, forcing them to open. The three look around for Jaune and Pyrrha's weapons.
"Over here!" Pyrrha calls.
Onyx and Jaune walk towards Pyrrha, in two adjacent lockers are their respective weapons. Once armed, Onyx opens a portal.
"Go," Onyx orders, "I'll find Emerald and Mercury."
Emerald and Mercury continue walking with Deus. They arrive to a empty circular room where Prodromus is standing, commanding his army.
"Are we ready to engage the humans?" Deus asks.
"No." Prodromus answers.
Deus nods and turns towards Emerald. In an instant his staff is impaling her. Emerald opens her mouth to speak, but blood is the only thing that comes out.
"That was your left lung." Deus states.
Emerald begins to cough out blood as more blood leaks out of her wound.
"You are hesitant to help us." Deus says, "Could it be that you are actually considering joining the resistance?"
Deus removes his blade from her chest, leaving Emerald in the growing pool of her own blood.
"You didn't show any hesitation." Deus says, "Even now."
Mercury stands at a distance watching the scene breaking out before him.
"Do you not care that we are going to destroy your entire race?" Deus asks.
Mercury tightens his unconsciously made fists.
"I'm not stupid." Mercury says, "I know we can't beat you. If you can provide me with a guarantee that I will be safe from the Pillars of the Riders, I will continue to help you. If not, kill me now."
Deus says nothing as he sheaths his staff. Deus then opens a portal beside him.
"Take the body." Deus says, "Tell them you were attacked."
Mercury nods and looks at Emerald, chocking on her own blood. Mercury grabs Emerald's weapon and converts it into a sickle. Emerald looks at Mercury with pleading eyes, but Mercury's are emotionless. He raises the sickle and stabs Emerald with it, speeding up the process of her death.
Mercury arrives at the warehouse, covered in Emerald's blood, carrying her body on his arms. Weiss is the first to notice but covers her mouth.
"What happened?" Winter asks.
"A Guardian." Is all Mercury says before laying Emeralsd's body down on a crate and walking away.
"Onyx." Silicon calls into the COM, "Emerald and Mercury are accounted for."
A crimson portal opens and Onyx walks out, seemingly upset.
"That's stupid." Onyx says.
"What's stupid?" Ruby asks.
Onyx ignores and continues talking to seemingly no one.
"You're telling me you don't even know how the Book of the Riders works because you've never used it before?" Onyx asks, "Then how do you know that it can turn back time."
Light notices that the Shard of the Riders is glowing brighter than usual.
"Onyx is talking to Lux." Light informs.
"I know because I designed it that way." Lux says.
"And you never tested it." Onyx adds.
"I didn't need to." Lux states, "I know it will work."
"Except it won't because the book doesn't consider this situation worthy of its use." Onyx retorts.
"I can not control the Book of the Riders." Lux states.
Onyx groans and opens a portal.
"You're leaving already?" Anna asks.
"No." Onyx answers, "We're leaving. I know a place that is fitting for holding an army. Because it did during on point in time."
Umbra, after recovering from his lava bath walks through the brig of Ironwood's airship. He looks at the prisoners held in the ship; Eclipse agents, including Flint, and criminals, Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan. The latter of which was captured shortly after Prodromus gained control of Ironwood's ship. Umbra deactivates all the doors and the prisoners exit.
"I am Umbra." Umbra introduces, "I come seeking help with a problem I believe you've all familiar with. The Rider."
Roman begins laughing.
"Have I said something entertaining?" Umbra asks.
"Umbra," Roman calls, "I speak for all of us when I say thank you for opening our cells, but your problem is just that. Yours."
"Yeah, yours." Flint says, "As in not ours."
Umbra blasts Flint into the wall.
"That was regrettable." Cyclone, an Eclipse mercenary comments.
Cyclone is bald, tattooed, and wears orange robes. Over his robe is a white cloak.
"We don't take orders from you." Teal Aquamarine, another Eclipse mercenary says.
"By morning, Remnant will be under the control of the Cultis Ex Ipsis." Umbra states, "Help me, and there will be a place for you."
"And by help you, you mean kill the Rider?" Roman asks.
"Alive or dead is no matter to me." Umbra states, "Whoever brings me the Rider, will be rewarded with their own piece of Remnant to do whatever they please. So do we have a deal?"
Emerald and Amber are dead.
BTW they weren't part of the 5 on the kill list.
Which has expanded to 10. And that does not include deaths we've already seen.
