There we were. The three of us, Cindy, Pyrrha, and myself, on top of the broken Beacon tower. We each had something in our hearts.

In Cindy's, darkness.

In Pyrrha's, an arrow.

In mine, a blazing fire.

Hours earlier.

I stood at the edge of an outcropping at the top of a chapel, looking over the city. People were walking here and there, doing whatever they did during the festival. My scroll buzzed. I took it out of my pocket. A message from Qrow said that they'd just invited Pyrrhy into the fold. I put the scroll away, closed my eyes, and extended my arms so the hands were as far apart as they could be. Then, I took a leap of faith. As I fell towards the ground, my speed increasing, an eagle overhead let out it's cry. I opened my eyes and flipped my body, so my back was facing the hay as I landed in the cart. I jumped out, brushed off the hay, and used the grapple hook to ascend a building. Using my new speed and strength from Torch's exo-suit, I ran across the rooftops to the cliff that separated Beacon from Vale. I free climbed up the cliff face, using the grapple hook to skip tougher parts. Torch and I agreed to meet at the west landing pad, to plan the primary defense of Beacon.

I put my hand on the upper ledge, and, underestimating my new strength, threw myself about a hundred feet in the air, so my body was over the wrong side of the cliff. Raising my left arm I launched the grapple hook and pulled myself back onto solid ground, landing with a roll. I stood and looked around. Torch wasn't here. I checked my scroll.

Will be late. White Fang's making it hard for my men to move. the message from Torch said. I put it back in my pocket and looked around. This was certainly the more barren part of the school, as there was a single 5-foot wide path that lead to the school building, surrounded by green grass that made up the rest of the ground. The landing pad had two platforms, and a 50-foot diameter circle as an unloading area.

A few minutes later, two airships flew up and landed on the platforms. The doors opened on one, and Neo, Torch, and two of his bodyguards stepped out.

"G'day, mates." I said, walking up to him. It was night out. "Decided to make me hurry up and wait, I see."

"Well sorry that the White Fang is deciding to be a massive roadblock. After Cinder found out about my true allegiance, about twenty of them came after me." He said, taking out and lighting a cigar.

"Right mate. Now, 'bout the-" My scroll suddenly buzzed, far more intensely than usual. I took it out. "Damnit." I uttered.

"What now?" Torch said.

"Attack's begun. We need to move." On the screen, was a deep red rook, over a bright red background. The symbol that I'd found while doing some hacking into Cindy's stuff. "Get as many of your men that'll join ya, we mustn't let Beacon fall!" I turned and sprinted towards the main landing platform.

"Alright men," I heard Torch yell as I ran, his voice growing fainter, "You two, with me. The rest of you, follow Neo. Do not let the Grimm or White Fang take the Academy!" The airships took off, and as I approached the platforms, several White Fang airships reached the top of the cliff. I drew both of my guns and shot the pilots of two of them, sending them spiraling into the ground hundreds of feet below. The doors on the others opened, and Grimm jumped out.

"Shit." The creatures charged at me, and as they approached, I jumped fifty feet into the air, and let off the final ten shots from my guns, felling the beasts before landing back on a knee, facing the ground. Guns clicked from the direction of the edge of the cliff.

"Right, guns're a thing." I stood up and raised my hands. About a dozen Fangs stood, guns aimed at me. Adam stood in the middle of them.

"End of the line, Assassin." He said, crimson sword drawn.

"Ah, g'day jackass!" I mocked. He didn't like the joke.

"You've stood in the path of the White Fang for too long. Robbed us or our chance of revenge at every turn. Well, now the tables seem to be turned. With the Atlas Rite of Templars on our side, we will not lose this war!" I chuckled.

"Then let's go, mate." Guns clicked behind me, as Torch's Templars, with Neo at the lead, finally caught up. "The clash o' the baddies." I muttered, reloading my guns and taking my brass knuckles from my pocket.

The air stood still for the moments before the battle began. It was quite, peaceful. Quiet. The air was cool, and a breeze was passing by, letting the tails of my robes float in the air. Leaves fluttered past. In the distance, life went on as normal. Until the calm ended, and the war began again.

Shots cracked from the fang's guns, felling three Templars. The Templars returned fire, killing more fangs. Adam and I lept at each other, weapons brought back, ready to attack. His blade struck my brass knuckles, allowing me to parry it aside and get two quick jabs at his side. I rolled under a swipe of his blade and delivered a blow to his back, before drawing a revolver and fanning all six shots into him, breaking his aura. He stood, teeth gritted, and faced me, sword raised. I stood and holstered the gun, ejecting my hidden blade at the same time.

"Just die already!" He screamed and charged at me recklessly. I dodged to the side nd kicked him to the ground.

"Adam Taurus, by order of the Brotherhood of Assassins, you're sentenced to death." I walked up to him and raised my arm, ready to strike. He looked up at me, a crack going through the center of his mask. I kicked it aside, revealing his green eyes, filled with hate. The mask broke in two. He let out a chuckle.

"You may kill me, but the White fang, and my master, will live on. They will see your death." I prepared to make the kill.

"Get back, get back!" A templar yelled behind me. I looked up, and saw several grimm being forced out of airships. I retracted the blade and drew a gun, reloading it and backing up. There were nearly two dozen, and I heard more on the way. Several templars were holding their ground, trying to fend off the grimm, and most being killed doing so.

"Fall back, ya bleedin' idiots! Set up in the 'cademy!" I yelled, fanning the hammer at the grimm, before turning around and running towards the tower. After myself, Neo, and the remaining templars made it to the main campus, we took cover behind whatever we could find. Pillars, downed airships, whatever could stop a pistol round. I ducked behind one of the airships, drawing my other gun. I peeked over the wreckage, to see a familiar face walk off an airship, along with her lackeys.

"Cinder fuckin' Fall."