Wolf: I've gone and done it again...
Tiger: What have you done?
Wolf: I've noticed that I put chapter 13 twice...
Tiger: aww Jeez
Wolf: Don't worry I'm fixing it, also one thing...
Tiger: Hmm?
Wolf: Never mind I found them, I couldn't remember where I saved the extra chapters
Chapter 14: Next Stop...
I stepped back allowing the two to gaze at one another
"Well I'll leave you two to talk this out." I smirked as I sat beside Vernal taking a box of cigarettes from my pocket I offered one to the injured bandit, she only nodded in thanks taking one as I lit it, Salem had my last lighter so I'm having to use my secret flames more and more, at some point it won't even be a secret anymore.
I leaned back and saw that it was indeed open, also whose idea was it to fill it with sand?
"Thanks to the chaos you and your friends caused upstairs and Silver here, keeping Cinder busy. I knew you could handle it. You're my daughter after all." She smirked I just flicked the ash from my cigarette.
"Qrow and Oz told me how the Maiden powers are transferred. The girl you found… she would've had to have trusted you if you were in her final thoughts - cared about you a lot." Yang said my eye flicked to Vernal then Raven.
"I'm sure they told you plenty, and you just sat and obeyed." Raven mocked I rolled my eyes.
"No, I'm starting to ask questions like you said. So, tell me, what happened to the last Spring Maiden? Did she die in battle? Was it sickness?" Yang asked I could feel Vernal tensing beside me.
"What does it matter, to you?" Raven asked.
"I can already see the answer. It's all over your face. How could you?!"
"She was scared when we found her! Weak. No matter how much training I put her through, she never learned! She wasn't cut out for this world! And with those powers, she would've been hunted her entire life! What I did-" I'll admit hearing Raven trying to cover all this up was entertaining.
" "Wasn't personal." " She quoted the raven.
"It was mercy!" Raven snapped.
"Which is it, mom? Are you merciful, or are you a survivor? Did you let me walk into that trap because you knew I could handle it, or because it meant you could get what you wanted?!" Yang snapped right back at her.
"It's not that simple. You don't know me, you don't know what I've been through, the choices I've had to make!" I hissed through my teeth hearing that.
"You're right. I don't know you. I only know the Raven dad told me about. She was troubled, and complicated, but she fought for what she believed in, whether it was her team or her tribe! Did you kill her too?" Yang yelled.
"I've stared death in the face over and over again!" Raven started her eyes burn with her maiden powers, oh boy. "And every time I've spat in that face and survived, because I'm strong enough to do what others won't!" Raven retorted Yang only rolled her eyes.
"Oh, shut up! You don't know the first thing about strength! You turn your back on people, you run away when things get too hard, you put others in harm's way instead of yourself! You might be powerful, but that doesn't make you strong. " Yang yelled I sighed softly to myself.
"Who do you think you are lecturing me?! Standing there, shaking like a scared little girl?!" I shot to my feet by Yang held her hand out to stop me.
"Yeah, I'm scared. But I'm still standing here! I'm not like you, I won't run, which is why you're going to give me the Relic." Yang said in a stern tone.
"And why would I-"
"Because you're afraid of Salem! And if you thought having Maiden powers put a target on your back, imagine what she'll do when she finds out you have a Relic. She'll come after you with everything she has. Or she can come after me. And I'll be standing there, waiting for her." Yang said, Raven turned to her surprised at the offer.
"You don't want to do this, Yang."
"Nope. But I'm gonna do it anyway." Yang walks forward, bumped her mother out of the way as she passed her. Raven looked down before turning to see her daughter approach the Relic chamber. A tear dripped from Raven's eye. I nodded to Yang and moved to lean against the chamber door.
"I... I'm sorry." Raven said tears falling from her eyes, Vernal strained to get up and limped over to Raven's side. I watched as the two escaped through a portal. I sighed brushing the bangs from my face revealing the mask I used and felt my heartrate slow.
"Talk about a stressful situation, I felt my blood pressure double just then." I joked getting a chuckle from Yang. She approached the Relic of Knowledge - an ornate, gold and cyan lamp - as it rests on the stone pedestal, I followed close wanting to get a better look at it. Yang grabs the Relic by its handle, and small, indistinct whispers can be heard when near it. Tears then stream from Yang's eyes, before she falls to her knees as she breaks down crying. I stood beside her letting her release all the pent-up emotions she was dealing with.
*Back on the surface, Ice's POV*
The rest of us were still trying to get Emerald, Mercury and Leo down but they were being stubborn and would not go down, not to mention they are good at dodging too, I don't know what happened outside but Hazel hasn't come back in so I think the siblings took him down finally.
Me, Ruby and Naniele were trying to pin Emerald down but she kept using her illusions to confuse one of us and slow us down while dodging our attacks, if there was one thing she was good at, it was running away, it's such a pain.
Everyone else seemed to have a similar problem with Mercury although Leo wasn't good at putting up much of a struggle as he was easily overpowered by Ozpin although this whole thing is going to take a while although I should check on what Sky and Jet are doing when I get the chance.
"Naniele, Ruby, I'll leave her to you!" I yelled towards them and leaped back and let the two charges forward.
I ran outside into the courtyard and noticed what all the sirens, lights and explosions were about, there was a crater in the main area where Hazel lied in the centre with wires surrounding him and Sky was stood next to him, looking pretty annoyed.
There were a few White Fang members on the ground being tied up by some Faunus and from what looks to be... Adam Taurus having a standoff with... Blake?!
Jet was sat on the floor surrounded by some other Faunus, he was kicked over and tied up for some odd reason and lastly it seems the Mistral Police were flying overhead shouting their useless words but before I question anything else I ran over to Sky to get her to explain.
"Sky may I ask... What the hell happened out here? It's only been 5 minutes." I gave her a slight glare where she just glared back but soon softened her look.
"Well... where should I start." She put her hand to her chin to think.
"My brother took on Hazel and was the reason for the crater you're standing in now since he didn't warn me about his tactical nuke so I've got to deal with him after for something so dangerous but it seems the Faunus are doing that job for me."
I looked over Sky's shoulder to see Jet shouting at the group while he was being scolded, almost like he was being interrogated, he then looked over at me and smiled as if asking for help but I just ignored it and focused back on Sky and her explanation.
"Next, the White Fang you see here were caught in that explosion so we arrested them while Mistral Police were flying overhead just doing nothing but shouting where I don't understand why they are even here apart from giving us light, jeez if they're gonna be useful at least come down and help capture them but instead these are all Faunus from Menagerie that came to protect Haven, can you believe that?! Another continent coming to protect a school when it should be Mistrals job!" Sky scoffed after her vent of frustration which honestly, I can't blame her for anymore from what I'm seeing.
"So, what's the plan now?" I asked her, being careful not to rile her up even more.
"Just hand over Hazel to the lighting providers and deal with the rest, speaking of which... how are you guys doing?" Sky asked curiously, Lighting providers being the Mistral Police from what I understand.
"It's... going slowly, they are like trying to catch an eel." I admitted embarrassingly with a chuckle.
"That's why you stab the eel instead of grabbing it."
"Doesn't count if the eel has aura."
"Ehh... you've got a point."
After our little exchange, Sky left to go retrieve Jet from being arrested but then I heard some metal break and bend until I looked down towards Hazel who managed to stick some more fire dust crystals in his legs in a desperate attempt to get more power into him as he broke himself out of his restraints and reached for me but I jumped back and went on guard as he slowly stood up.
"How... awful, you kids always put others in danger, is that what Oz has been teaching you?" He growled at me even though what he said is entirely untrue.
"For your record I'm 25!" Jet shouted from the distance but was stood on again by another Faunus.
"Unfortunately, we only have 2 people THAT reckless from what I'm seeing" I said as I ran to tackle Hazel, dodging his quick and powerful fists but not as strong as before since the dust is now concentrated in his legs.
I keep dodging him and lured him back into the house where Weiss had managed to summon a Lancer Queen that stabbed through Hazel and flung him further into the room to my surprise that she can even conjure the damn thing.
The large man just shrugged it off like it was nothing and gave out a roar, if we are to get him down, we'd need to break the bones in his body if need be.
I looked over to Neo who was just resting still with Naniele keeping guard of her now while Ruby kept Emerald busy and now with the biggest pain back, I'll have to take him on while Sky and Jet finish their business meanwhile Ray who we all had forgotten about was dealing with Leo by herself now and fought like she was a ballerina with quick consecutive strikes while keeping a smooth posture each time.
I focused back on Hazel and went with a more tactical approach of dodging his attacks but striking where he leaves openings with the blade to hopefully grind him down to stop, it was going well for a while till he kicked me away but as he stepped forward to attack me again, Blake swooped in and kicked Hazel in the face before jumping away to Weiss.
"Hey, isn't it time to give up yet? You're outnumbered and now outmatched once our walking nuke returns to the scene." I said, straightening up.
"Don't think it's over now, Cinder will come up, she'll have the relic and she will stop all of you!" Emerald screamed at us from a corner where now the room fell silent and only the sound of chuckling could be heard as I found that statement too funny.
"Oh, really now? That was a nice joke, did Salem teach you that?" I brushed my hand through my hair and gave a grinning glare at Emerald.
"What do you mean?!" She barked back but as she said that we all heard the elevator come back up and watched as Silver and Yang came up with Yang holding a golden lantern which must be the relic and Silver just stood by her looking pretty smug.
Emerald stared at them for a moment before dropping to the ground, her realisation that Cinder had possibly died must've flooded into her head and she's on the verge of breaking down from that, Hazel and Mercury were stepping back slowly as they realised just how much trouble they are in right now.
"Emerald... we gotta go." Mercury told her in a low raspy voice.
She didn't budge as she looked up, eyes widening as she came out of her shock as she was about to burst.
"Emerald!" Mercury yelled for her but too late as she let out a screech that would haunt anyone in the room.
Then... it hit me... there was some black matter swirling around right before us as the lights flickered and the air felt like it froze to ice as I looked at the mass collecting together and rising up to reveal Salem, the lord Grimm Bitchalous herself as I just stared up at it until a shadow cut through the image and reality just came back to us all.
In front of me Silver was stood with her spines out as they curled around her making a skeleton like armour, the bones snapped as they went back into her body slowly as she looked at me. Wait... why is her shirt torn?
"Tch, they got away." She spat but it was true, the signs of our enemies were gone, even Leo who is probably getting murdered by Salem herself in the back room.
"Only you would not be scared of something as terrifying as that." I chuckled as I sheathed my weapon.
"Well when you've been to hell and back would you be scared by something like that?!"
"You've got a point."
"Hey, nevermind the chit chat, what the hell was that?!" Jet ran over to us and asked in panic with Sky by his side.
"That, was an illusion my friend of Salem, the leader of the Grimm." I answered him and he seemed to have calmed down quite quickly compared to his sister that still looks panicked.
"T-that thing?!" She blurted out.
"Probably not as tall but yeah." I shrugged.
"Oh..." She dropped to the floor to let all the information she just received sink in and Jet just simply sighed like he's used to this, meanwhile Silver taps on my shoulders and points me towards team RWBY when they are finally meeting up.
I watch as Blake approaches the other three who were hugging together where they warmly look up to Blake and smile, I can't hear any words they would say but... it was heart-warming watching the team come back together as Blake falls into their hugs and becomes one whole team again, just like how the sun breaks through the clouds after a rowdy storm.
"At least we got to see this and we should find out where to go next." I nudge her and walk over to Ozpin before he returns Oscar to us.
"Alright, where to take to lantern?" I asked, noticing he is exhausted and tired from the whole fight as he was panting like crazy.
"We must... take the lantern... to Atlas..." He blurted out in short bursts, I nodded and turned to our team and now Neo up and standing as everyone came over to us to hear the announcement but I nod to Silver to say the news as she comes over and I whisper to her where we are to go to next.
She coughs before speaking.
"Alright gang, we are to go to Atlas to deliver the lantern." She speaks but as soon as Atlas was mentioned, Jet gives off quite a dark scorn, as if he has a bad history with that place along with Sky looking worried.
"But for now, get some rest everyone, you earned it and Blake... welcome back." I say and look over to Blake with the rest of her team as we managed to keep this part safe at least as now we would have to prepare for Atlas and well... somehow deal with their closing of borders issue but will figure out that in the meantime.