Chapter Twenty-One: Swift Retribution
The Beowolf made a mad dash towards the treeline, black paws pounding on the earth, but a bullet clipped its skull, bringing it down. A sharp bash from China's tonfa snuffed out its life and as silence fell over the forest, the nations of AGATE lowered their weapons.
Germany crept to the edge of a rocky crevice and looked out at the area near the bottom of the mountain, where a small town could just be spotted in the distance. The town was isolated, but not nearly as much as the other American towns they had been sent to thus far. And yet there it sat, oblivious to how close it had been to being attacked by Grimm.
"That was too close." China murmured, echoing Germany's internal sentiments. "They've gotten more aggressive."
"Well a human town is right there." Denmark said, pointing at the structures in the distance. "The emotions must whip them into a frenzy."
"Does our guest have anything to say on the matter?" Prussia asked as he leaned casually on his glaive.
Germany nodded. "He said the younger Grimm do tend to get… excited when they are close to civilization. The older ones have more control."
Although the topic of the other spies had yet to be breached, the nations had found a nice source of information for Grimm-related matters from the Atlas soldier. The man mistrusted him, but his morals were not so broken that he would let innocent civilians die when he could prevent it, even if Earth and its people may be considered his enemy.
"Good thing these ones were young, then." China said. He balanced a tonfa over his shoulder and glanced at Germany out of the corner of his eye. "One of these times we aren't going to make it in time. I am shocked no footage of Grimm has made it onto the internet yet, aru."
Germany grimaced at the thought. "It is to Salem's benefit that her creatures remain a secret from Earth's public."
"But for how long?" China murmured.
Germany did not have an answer. He planted the butt end of his ahlspiess into the dirt. "Enough dawdling. We're not done yet. There's an abandoned factory on this mountain. There could be Grimm inside."
"Think we'll find a Nuckelavee?" Denmark asked eagerly.
Norway yanked on his collar. "Please stop asking for trouble."
"Split into groups of four." Germany ordered. "Comms on at all times. If we lose contact, converge to that group."
Spain raised his hand. "Are you sure we should split up at all?"
"Unless you want to be here all day, yes." Germany said sternly. "There's only one entrance. Austria, Spain, Lithuania, Poland: you stand guard."
The four nodded in assent. The factory dwarfed the surrounding trees, as out of place in the middle of the forest as a fox in a chicken coop. It towered over the surrounding woods in a grim mockery of a fairytale castle, comprised of metal and concrete and with little care for aesthetics. Poland cast a distasteful glance at the huge black columns and broken windows, nose wrinkled.
"I can already smell it." he moaned, waving a hand in front of his nose. "What was made in here?"
"Beer." Prussia said.
Poland's disgust multiplied tenfold and he pinched his nose. "It smells awful."
"You don't have to go inside." Germany reminded him.
Poland sighed in relief and squawked, clapping a hand over his nose. "Ew ew ew."
"Split off." Germany commanded.
The rest of the nations formed into their groups. It showed how far they had come that there was minimal squabbling as to who went with who. To Germany's surprise, Finland ran over to him and stood contently at his side with his sniper rifle in his grasp.
When Germany shot him a confused look, Finland smiled. "We always go in the same groups so I thought we could mix it up this time."
Germany was about to reply when he saw Denmark bouncing in place. He frowned. "Denmark, you're with Finland, Hungary, and I."
"What did I do?" Denmark yelped.
"What didn't you do?" Norway said, deadpan.
Denmark huffed and walked over to Germany's group. Germany decided not to comment and give Denmark and excuse to explain his lack of enthusiasm.
"Move out. We'll reconvene in an hour."
The entered the factory, and Germany's nose wrinkled. Poland was right. The place did smell. One would think a factory that crafted beer would smell good, but the worn-down factory that was long out of use smelled anything but pleasant. Germany let his gaze wander over the cobwebs hanging along the ceiling and grimaced, wondering why the factory had been abandoned.
The groups split up, with each taking a section. Germany's group elected to check on the upper floor, and upon seeing the mass of rotted kindling that was supposedly 'stairs', Germany had to wonder if the factory was closed for safety violations. He cautiously placed a foot on the first step and a board creaked under his weight.
"Be careful not to fall through the floor." he murmured.
Hungary looked at the ceiling, which had visible cracks. "I'm more worried about the ceiling falling on us, to be honest."
They made it up the stairs without incident and Germany grimaced. This floor was even grimier than the first one. A layer of dust and scum covered everything, from the windows to the floor to the machinery. Seeing the engines in such disrepair made Germany's cold mechanic's heart ache but he ignored the feeling, focusing on the mission.
A floor board creaked.
Germany raised his weapon and fired, shooting the Beowolf in midair. Its body hit the floor with a thud, sending a puff of dust into the air, and faded away. Germany lowered his gun.
"And that is why we check." he said calmly.
Finland put a hand to his communicator. "Sweden? We found a lone Beowolf. There might be more."
"Und'rstood." Sweden grunted briefly.
The sound of rustling featured came from within a tower to their left.
Germany peered into the space, looking up, and met dozens of red eyes.
He raised his gun. "How many?"
"I see forty-two." Hungary said.
"Count your kills." Germany said levelly.
The four nations fired into the swarm of tiny Nevermore in the roof. The bird-like Grimm screeched, flying about frantically, but there was nowhere to escape from the closed-off tower above. The tiny bodies fell like rain, dissipating once they hit the ground. Those tiny Nevermore would become huge behemoths if left unchecked, so although the dark tower seemed empty, Germany scanned it again just to be sure.
"I'll climb up." Hungary offered.
She put her flashlight between her teeth and grabbed the thin metal ladder, climbing into the tower. Realizing it was too late to stop her, Germany sighed and let her go. A floorboard creaked and he raised his weapon, faltering when he spotted a human shape near the window.
A tall man stood at the end of the hallway, his figure cast in shadow by the light coming through the window. He stepped forward and Germany noted he was dressed in the type of camouflage hunters wore, with sturdy boots and sun glasses over his eyes. Germany realized the man must have been hunting in the area and heard the gunshots, so he came to the factory to investigate. That was a rather reckless plan but the man was American. Americans had a habit of running towards danger instead of away.
"Hello, citizen." Denmark greeted. "There were rabid birds in the area but they have been exterminated."
Finland palmed his face.
The man stared at them, expression blank, and Germany realized there was no confusion or alarm in his face. In fact, there was nothing to indicate he was surprised they were there. Germany's senses screamed and he tackled Finland to the ground.
The air above them rippled and exploded. Germany's ears popped and the shockwave shoved Denmark to the ground, shattering the windows around them. He staggered to his feet, firing at the man— The Atlas spy, Germany realized with a jolt— but his bullets bounced off the man's chest harmlessly.
The gun in the soldier's hand twisted, shifting into a mace. The weapon struck Denmark and he crashed through the window, falling out of sight. Germany heard shouts from outside and realized he had landed in front of the guarding team. The hair on Germany's nape prickled and he threw himself aside, avoiding a blast that shattered the wall behind him, leaving a gaping hole. Germany rolled to his feet and fired at the soldier, who casually blocked the shots with his mace.
He has some type of air-explosion Semblance. Wonderful.
Germany dodged another blast. The spy apparently saw him as the greatest threat for he shot another shockwave his way. Finland dove at him, nearly catching him in the throat with his bayonet, but the soldier batted him aside like a fly. Finland hit the floor with a pained "Ow!" but rose to his feet, firing at the man's back. The soldier hardly stumbled. In fact, he did not seem to notice the bullets at all. He certainly noticed when Hungary kicked him in the face.
The blow would have sent a normal man sprawling, but the soldier hardly moved. He grabbed Hungary's leg mid-kick and flung her into some machinery. She crashed through a console, leaving sparking metal in her wake, but yanked herself free, teeth bared. Germany lunged for the soldier's back and wrapped his arm around the man's throat. His skin prickled and he released the soldier, jumping back as the air around him warped. The blast sent Germany into the wall and he grimaced, pulling himself free of the mortar.
The soldier's mace swung for his head and he ducked, eyes widening briefly as the metal sank deep into the wall. He did not wait for his enemy to recover the weapon and punched him in the face. The soldier grunted, grip loosening on the weapon, and Hungary sprang on him, arm locked around his throat. The soldier staggered, dragging her with him as her feet swung in the air. A large hand latched onto her hair yanking it roughly, but she only grunted, refusing to release her hold. The air rippled.
Before Germany could shout a warning, Finland lunged for the man and smashed the end of his sniper rifle into his face. The man balked and Germany recalled the head was a weak point in Aura's defenses. He pushed himself off the wall and slammed into the man's side, bowling him and Hungary over. Mentally apologizing to the nation, Germany grabbed the soldier's head and smashed it into the floor. His skull cracked the floorboards and he howled in pain.
"Subhuman scum—!" he screamed.
Hungary's fist met his nose, followed by her booted foot. His sunglasses shattered, revealing alien yellow-and-pink flecked eyes that no person of Earth would possess. Finland used his gun as a club and brought it down, while Germany kicked the man in the back of the head. It was a brutal and— as Prussia would put it— "unawesome" way of keeping him down but Germany could not feel guilty for the dirty fight. Overpowering and pummeling a man into submission was not his style, but for an Atlas spy he would make an exception.
Hungary's boot connected with the soldier's nose again, and finally something crunched. Orange light flared briefly and the man swore, clutching a hand to his bleeding nose. Without hesitation, Hungary yanked her gun up, settling it against the soldier's temple. The man made to rise but was not quick enough.
Hungary put a bullet through his head.
Germany panted heavily, keeping his weapon aimed at the soldier. The man remained slumped where he fell, his blood joining the layers of grime on the floor. Hungary cautiously knelt— ignoring Germany's command to back away— and felt the man's pockets. She brightened and pulled out a phone out of his coat.
"Looks like we have another lead." she said with a grin.
Germany took the phone and turned it over in his hands, recognizing the make and model as one from Earth. He could not tell if there were any alterations done to it, and was wary of it blowing up in his face. Before he could decide what to do, Hungary snatched the phone back.
"Let's see." she said, clicking the button.
Germany jerked towards her. "Wait—"
The phone chimed and the screen lit up.
Hungary's smile froze on her face. Then it vanished entirely. Without a word, she showed them the lockscreen of the phone. The background was nothing unusual, simply a simple picture of a snowy landscape. It was the partial message displayed on the screen that was out of place. The notification was meant to only show that the message existed, giving a brief snippet of the text, and as such Germany could not see the whole thing. What he saw was enough because the message was coordinates.
Their current coordinates.
The message was sent at 9:24 a.m. Exactly one minute after AGATE received the alert that there were Grimm in this area. The only people who knew about that mission was the Taskforce and the American agents who told them the Grimm's location. Germany wished he was jumping to conclusions, but there was only one logical conclusion to make.
One of the agents is an Atlas spy.
The nations stared at the Atlas soldier's dead body, then looked at each other.
"Well, shit." Hungary muttered.
XXXXXXX
No one slept well the night after Salem's attack. Some slept, of course, but their lethargic movements and baggy eyes showed it had not been restful. Even Japan was notably disturbed, gaze darting around with a distinctly paranoid air as they walked. They all had been shaken by the near-miss, though the worst off had to be America.
Any progress he made had crumbled back into dust and because there was no privacy and they could not give him space to process things, he retreated the only way he could: inward. Not a single word passed his lips, not even a "Good morning." or "Thank you." when Ruby handed him a bit of jerky.
Canada never thought his brother would have selective mutism, and yet he could not ignore the hollow silence that had taken his talkative twin. The others tried to cover America's uncomfortable silence with their own chatter but it was like trying to stop a river with a tiny sponge. The lack of a loud, boisterous laugh was too blatant to ignore.
So as they walked through endless woods, Canada did not know how to proceed. When he thought about comforting— or confronting— America to try to coax him out of his armored shell, the memory of his twin's hurt face, one hand pressed to his reddened cheek, would float into his conscious thoughts. Logically Canada knew he had not been in his right mind when he had struck his twin, but Salem could not create something from nothing— Well, maybe she could. Regardless, guilt gnawed at Canada's gut like a parasite.
The hit had almost shocked him out of the burning anger— anger that consumed him more and more over the course of a few weeks— but it was not until Ren used his Semblance that Canada's mind cleared enough for him to comprehend that something was wrong. And what he had done.
America had forgiven him, but Canada could beat him bloody and his twin would forgive him. He could walk up with a hand raised threateningly and America would only brace himself. He could take out all his anger and resentment on his twin and America would let him without complaint. Hell, he could probably break America's leg and his twin would apologize to him.
And that's the problem, isn't it?
Canada acknowledged his bitterness with a sigh. They had decided to have Ren use his Semblance on them all every few hours, just to make sure they were not being influenced again, and thus Canada knew that bitterness was all him.
Once he might have screamed at America that he was self-centered. Now he'd scream that America was not self-centered enough. In fact, America's life and well-being was the last priority on Canada's stupid, selfless, damaged twin's list. Which may be another reason for America's silence.
His brother was not happy about Team RWBY and JNPR's new mission. Not at all. A part of it may be the before-mentioned lack of privacy, but Canada suspected it was mostly the whole guarding thing. Specifically the part that involved jumping between America and danger. America was a self-sacrificing idiot but if someone he loved thought about sacrificing themselves, he would drag them away kicking and screaming.
The fact that America himself was the possible reason for potential self-sacrifices only made it worse.
The fact that— objectively— his life was worth more than theirs made it unbearable.
If any of them died for America, Canada knew his brother would never forgive himself.
I should ask Penny how she got America to accept her as his bodyguard, Canada thought. He grimaced. Then again, he probably did not have a choice...
Canada cast a worried glance his twin's way but America did not acknowledge him. Nor did he acknowledge Jaune and Yang, who walked 'casually' at his sides. America was not fooled if his hunched shoulders were of any indication. Canada felt sorry for his twin but they had to stick to their guns— no pun intended— and do whatever it took to keep him safe. And not just from Salem and her minions.
Canada's eyes flicked to Oscar and narrowed.
Sterlyn halted abruptly. "Penny moved."
America's head snapped up but he still did not speak. He hurried to Sterlyn's side as the pilot set Penny down and crouched beside her. The others gathered around him— with Yang and Pyrrha at his back— and they waited with bated breath. Without warning, green eyes flicked open and life returned to them. Penny's gaze landed on America and she sat up.
"Who must I kill for causing you distress?"
America's smile was painfully thin and weak. He opened his mouth, but closed it just as quickly, shaking his head without saying a word. Canada was beginning to wonder if his throat still hurt from having the Grimm essence shoved down— from what Salem did. He shuddered at the thought.
"Are you feeling better?" Ruby asked when America failed to speak.
"It took longer than estimated to expel the water from my systems." Penny said. Green eyes locked onto Canada. "What transpired while I was in hibernation?"
Canada frowned, noticing the non-answer. "A lot of things." he said. He hesitated and reluctantly went into detail. "Salem used her powers to magnify everyone's negative emotions except America's. We became..." He remembered flesh striking flesh and winced. "...aggressive."
Penny's eyes flashed. "Data on Alfred's habits indicate that such a discrepancy in behavior would cause him to retreat."
America grimaced but did not deny it.
Penny's eyes narrowed. "What happened." It was not a question, but a demand for answers.
"Turns out Salem can possess her Grimm." Weiss said stiffly. "We fought her off."
Penny's expression went blank. Her unblinking gaze roamed over them with unnatural smoothness and Canada was viciously reminded that she was a robot.
"You have taken up guard positions around Alfred F. Jones." she noted.
"Yeah. We're guarding him. Officially." Yang explained.
"Noted." Penny said. An arctic winter was warmer than her eyes. She rose to her feet and brushed the dirt from her clothes. "I shall continue my mission to protect Alfred F. Jones as well."
America's face twisted. He lowered his head to hide it but Canada had already seen the miserable look in his eyes. He may as well be wearing a sign that screamed "I don't want this" but none of them had the heart— or the bravery— to try to talk to him about it and open up that possibly devastating can of worms.
"If you have any tips for us that would be appreciated." Weiss said graciously. "You're more experienced at this kind of thing than us."
Green eyes scrutinized her and Penny inclined her head. "Noted."
America shivered visibly. He rose to his feet and silently shoved his way past Yang and Pyrrha, continuing down the road. His guards hurried after him, falling into formation, and his jaw clenched visibly as a tendon quivered in his throat.
Rather than catch up, Penny walked beside Canada. "Alfred is distressed." she said softly.
"Yes." Canada murmured.
"Why?" Penny questioned.
"He doesn't want anyone dying for him." Canada explained quietly.
Green eyes flicked over their group— briefly following Blake as she took a new position directly behind America— before locking with Canada's violet. "It is unlikely every member of this team will come out of this conflict alive."
Canada winced. "America knows that. But that's not the issue. He doesn't want them jumping between him and Salem." His shoulders slumped. "He doesn't want them jumping between him and any danger."
Penny's brow crinkled. "I do not compute. Alfred F. Jones's safety is the priority of this mission."
"That doesn't mean he's okay with anyone dying for him." Canada said.
"I still do not compute." Penny admitted. "However, that emotional response is irrelevant. We will protect Alfred F. Jones whether or not he is 'okay' with it. He does not have a choice in this matter."
Canada struggled not to flinch at her wording. He glanced at America again, noticing the dull look in his eyes and the way his feet dragged with every step. Something took hold of his heart and twisted it, leaving him feeling breathless and pained.
"You're right." he said faintly. "I suppose he doesn't."
XXXXXXX
It was a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly. The temperature was perfect. Old friends laughed. Town gossips chatted. The children played. The birds sang a pretty song.
Qrow eyed one such bird distastefully and considered massacring his feathery brethren.
The damn things had been chirping nonstop since four o'clock that morning, so excuse him for being a little tired of it. The small sparrow landed on his windowsill like some rejected fairy tale mascot and began tweeting gratingly. Its chirps grew higher and higher, and it stared directly at him like it knew exactly what it was doing. Qrow's hands inched towards his scythe. A pale hand stopped his.
"Mister Qrow, please do not murder the wildlife." Whitley requested. He released Qrow's hands and folded his on his lap. "The nurses just returned your weapon to you. Surely you do not want it taken from you again?"
Qrow scowled at him. "They can damn well try to take it from me." he snarled.
Whitley inclined his head in a way that was infuriatingly similar to his oldest sister. "I think they may succeed. The medical staff can be quite determined when their patients are acting foolishly."
...Was the kid insulting him? Qrow grunted, glowering at the sparrow. It blinked at him with its beady eyes and chirped innocently before twittering a happy tune.
Qrow's eye twitched. "Why are you here so early, kid? You don't usually show up until nighttime."
Whitley did not appear to catch onto his grouchy tone. Or he was used to it by now. He clapped his hands together, holding them lightly. "I thought you could come visit Sun with me. I have read that comatose patients can sometimes hear conversations so perhaps your voice may reach him."
"Are you saying I'm loud?" Qrow asked slowly.
Whitley had the perfect diplomatic expression on his face. "I never said such a thing. Right, Klein?"
"Indeed. Mister Whitley voiced no such accusations." Klein said solemnly. His twinkling eyes gave him away.
Qrow slouched in his hospital bed and glowered at the wall. "Well, you can go visit Sun without me. I'm fine here."
Whitley frowned at him. "As the one responsible for you, I cannot do that in good conscience. You've been in here for weeks. You need to get out of this room. You've become very moody."
"You aren't responsible for me. And I'm not moody." Qrow snapped moodily.
Whitley arched an eyebrow.
Qrow scowled. I'm arguing with a child, he thought, disgusted. "Fine. Let's go visit."
Whitley smiled like the sun— Gods, that smile reminded him of Ruby— and brought his wheelchair over. Qrow glowered at it, secretly hoping it would burst into flames. He despised the contraption, not only because of what it represented, but because the damn thing was annoying to maneuver. Qrow could not push himself around effectively yet and he had to rely on others to help him, something that made his pride twinge in agony every time it came up.
Klein helped him into the wheelchair and he balanced Harbinger over his knees. Whitley pushed him through the halls at a careful pace and Qrow rolled his eyes.
"You can move faster, kid."
Whitley paused and leaned forward. "Are you sure?"
Qrow's patience thinned. "Yes—"
Whitley took off running. Qrow yelped and gripped the arms of his wheelchair as they skidded around the corner. Whitley's laugh pulled him out of his panic and he smiled briefly.
"Don't hit anyone, kid. I don't feel like burying a body."
"The halls are empty this time of day." Whitley claimed but he slowed down to a steady walk.
Klein caught up to them and adjusted his sleeve. The butler did not admonish Whitley for running in the halls and merely opened the door to Sun's room. He was an alright guy. Not too strict, not too reckless. He was a good influence on Whitley and apparently was fine with a little bit of rule-breaking. Qrow could appreciate that.
Whitley pushed Qrow inside Sun's room and stopped him by the Faunus's bed. Qrow glanced at the stack of books piled on the bedside table, tipping his head to read the names on the spines.
"I have been reading to him." Whitley informed Qrow seriously. "I researched the topic of comas using well-proven studies and scholarly articles that claimed reading to the patient can help."
Qrow eyed the tall pile of business and law books. "I'm sure he's enjoying them, kiddo."
Whitley smiled. "I thought so as well. I tried reading a couple of fantasy books but they were quite boring."
Qrow's lips twitched. He covered his smile with a cough. "So is that all you do here?"
"Usually." Whitley admitted. "Though sometimes Klein and I play games to let Sun know we are here."
Qrow nodded absently. He was a bitter and jaded man, but he was not heartless enough to tell the kid all his reading and talking and game-playing was for nothing. Vacuo would not awaken until his Aura was returned to them, and even then it was not a sure thing. But Qrow would not tell that to Whitley, whose heart was a lot bigger than so many believed. And who knew? Maybe Sun could hear them and would know he was not alone. Qrow picked up a board game and inspected it, noting the stupid birds were singing outside this window too.
He did his best to ignore them. "Games, huh? That's something to do other than wait for my next checkup, I guess. I suppose it can't hurt to stay for a little while."
Whitley beamed at him.
Klein smiled softly.
Sun slept obliviously on.
The birds stopped singing.
XXXXXXX
They stopped walking long before the sun set. Not because they were tired, but at Ozpin's request. Ruby knew why the former Headmaster had asked to stop early but her brain refused to accept it. Her body knew exactly what was coming and her stomach tried to crawl out of her throat, leaving her feeling nauseous. So as they set up camp with their limited supplies, Ruby made a beeline for the closest person.
"Alfred. Need help with that?" she asked.
Alfred looked up from the rocks he was placing into a ring and shrugged. Ruby took that as a yes from him and began walking around the area, searching for more rocks for the soon-to-be fire pit. Alfred slowly placed every rock in a circle, moving as if each one weighed a ton. He turned to accept a particularly large one from Ruby and stopped, staring past her. Ruby glanced back and saw Blake, who stood awkwardly to the side with a hand on her weapon. A visible tremor passed through Alfred and he took the rock from Ruby without looking at her.
"That one looks like a cat." Ruby blurted.
Alfred blinked at her. His eyes were dull again, like they had been back in Frontier. Oh dear.
Ruby crouched next to him and pointed. "That's the tail, those are the legs, and there's the head. See? It's a cat."
Alfred blinked at the rock and inspected it from a different angle. Eventually he sighed and shook his head, adding it back to the ring.
Ivan snorted as he passed by. "Stop moping and get over yourself, Alfred."
Alfred winced. He did not speak a word.
Anger boiled in Ruby's veins— and eye— but she forced it down. She glared past Ivan— not at him, but past him, just in case. "That wasn't nice, Ivan. Apologize."
Ivan's eyebrows rose. Ruby's glare jerked to him and her anger smoldered. She knew Ivan could be insensitive sometimes but he did not have to be mean. He did not know what was going on in Alfred's head. Ivan did not know how much he was struggling. He did not know how scared Alfred was that someone might get hurt because of him, scared that one wrong decision or outburst would cause her to—
Alfred was holding her hand. Ruby did not remember seeing him move. His dull blue and green eyes were steady as they held her silver and Ruby felt herself relaxing. She was so ready to kick Yang in the shin if she made a single joke. Instead her sister silently added a few rocks to the circle and retreated.
Alfred did not glance her way, instead holding Ruby's gaze. It was almost funny. His eyes were still dull, but they seemed calm. Ruby suspected that was only because he realized she needed him to be. Yet underneath that serenity, sadness still lingered like a shadowy cloak.
Ruby hesitated. "Do you want a hug?"
Alfred stared at her but nodded. Ruby hugged him as tightly as she could, because he may be thin and tired but he was not breakable. He hugged her back much more carefully, like his touch was poison and he was terrified of staying too close. Some of Ruby's nausea receded and she admitted she needed the hug as much as he did.
Yang made no teasing comments. No one did. Instead they politely walked around them to continue setting up their makeshift camp. Ruby knew she was not the only one to notice Alfred's shift in attitude, and had to wonder what signals she was giving to the others. Not that she was giving any signals. She wasn't because there were no signals to give. She was fine. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.
Oscar's eyes flashed and Ozpin looked her way.
"I'll go get firewood!" Ruby blurted. She released Alfred and hurried towards the treeline.
"Ms. Rose." Ozpin's voice froze her in place. Golden eyes studied her carefully, and softened into a kinder look. "We do not need to do this if you do not want to."
Ruby's mouth was dry. She forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat. "It doesn't matter what I want. I need to do this. I have to learn whatever I can about Silver Eyes just in case."
"You don't have to. You have a choice. What you want matters."
Ruby would be cheering that Alfred had broken his silence if not for the uncomfortable words he decided to say. She shifted from foot to foot and hid her trembling hands by clasping her sleeves.
"Not really. It'd be selfish of me not to try. I have to do this."
All expression vanished from Alfred's face and he silently walked to the woods. Penny, Yang, Ren, Blake, and Pyrrha followed him. Nora halted beside Ruby and watched them go, releasing a puff of air that made a lock of her hair flutter.
"I think Alfred needs more than a hug." she muttered.
"Yeah." Ruby sighed.
Nora hefted her hammer onto her shoulder. "I get it though. I'd be super upset if you guys said you'd die for me."
Ruby winced.
"I hope we don't attract Grimm, especially with Salem body-snatching them." Nora continued. She frowned and leaned over, speaking softly. "You don't think Salem will do anything to Alfred because we beat her, do you?"
Ozpin overheard. "That is doubtful." he said, making Nora jump. "Once Salem would react violently to every inconvenience, but believe it or not she has… mellowed out over the centuries."
That was not as reassuring as he probably meant it to be.
Ruby cleared her throat. It was very dry for some reason. "S-So. Silver Eyes?"
Ozpin inclined his head. "I fear there is not much I can teach you. As I said, many aspects of Silver Eyes are still a mystery to me, but I do know they activate due to outbursts of emotion. In the best case scenario, these lessons will consist of lectures and meditation, and little else."
Despite her unease, Ruby's nose wrinkled unhappily.
Ozpin eyed her sternly. "As boring as you may find it, you need to learn to keep yourself calm. Silver Eyes are not something you can simply learn to control. All I can do is teach you how they activate… but more importantly, I will try to help you find ways to not activate them. This power is not one to rely on, Ms. Rose. Not even in the worst of circumstances. It is a curse that will destroy all in its path. It will not save anyone."
Ruby winced, chastised, and gripped the talisman Arthur had given her. "I understand."
Golden eyes softened slightly. "I believe you do." His gaze flicked left. "Mister Vargas."
Feliciano and Lovino looked his way.
Ozpin's lips twitched. "Both Mister Vargas, please."
Lovino grabbed Feliciano's arm before he could approach the former Headmaster. He shifted position so he stood in front of his brother as Alfred and the others returned with wood. The blond-haired teen halted at the edge of the clearing, mismatched gaze darting between them worriedly. Penny stepped sideways so she was closer to her protectorate.
"What do you want with us?" Lovino asked sharply.
Ozpin was not dissuaded by his tone. "Your Semblances may be of assistance if anything… happens." Ruby's heart pounded, trying to escape her chest. "Feliciano, your intangibility allows you to be unharmed by Silver Eyes. Lovino, your ability to put anyone to sleep could also be essential in this matter."
It could be essential in keeping me from killing everyone, you mean, Ruby thought.
A hand settled on her shoulder and Yang stopped beside her. Her metal arm creaked and her eyes flashed to red.
"It's fine, Yang." Ruby said quickly. "I know Silver Eyes are dangerous. I—" She cut herself off before she could say "I'm glad someone can stop me."
Her words— and the words left unsaid— only made her sister more visibly enraged. Ruby glanced at Ren but although he had his hand on the ground in preparation, he did not appear pained like he had when Salem had been affecting them. These emotions were all their own.
"You can help me sleep!" Alfred gasped suddenly.
Arthur's head snapped up from where he was trying to light a fire. "What?"
"Nothing." Alfred said, scratching his cheek nervously. He grimaced and touched his throat.
Alfred said nothing more but he broke the tense standoff, albeit unintentionally. Yang looked torn between laughing and staring at Alfred like he was crazy, and the stiffness in Ozpin's posture eased.
"We could use your assistance." he told the Vargas brothers.
"I'd love to help." Feliciano said, but he wrung his hands nervously and did not quite look at Ruby.
Lovino grimaced and grunted in apparent assent, crossing his arms.
Ozpin smiled. "Excellent. Ms. Rose—" Ruby flinched. "—we should go some distance away before we start."
Ruby gripped the talisman again and swallowed. She could do this. She had to do this. "O-Okay."
Yang blocked her before she could take more than a step.
Her face twisted like she were in pain. "Ruby—"
Thud.
The firewood slipped from Alfred's fingers, hitting the dirt with an echoing crash. The rounder sticks and wood rolled across the ground, nearly hitting Blake's foot before they tumbled to a quivering halt. Alfred did not appear to notice he'd dropped them, staring straight ahead with a frozen expression. For a heart-stopping moment Ruby thought Salem was back, but a look behind her revealed nothing was there. Matthew frowned at the empty woods as well and approached his twin, putting a hand on his arm.
"Al, what's wr—?"
Alfred fell to his knees with a howl of pain. His body contorted as he curled up on the ground and he screamed again, raw and agonized like he was being tortured. His eyes went round and his jaw clamped shut, stifling his howls, but his fingers clawed at the dirt as his body writhed. Matthew grabbed his hand, holding it tightly, and Arthur pressed a hand to his brother's chest, muttering rapidly. He immediately lifted it, skin flickering with violet light.
"I can't do anything." he said tightly.
"What's happening?" Weiss demanded.
"An attack." France said wearily, expression drained. "A bad one."
A pit opened in Ruby's stomach and she plugged her ears, unable to listen to Alfred's screams. She could hear his wails through her hands and gritted her teeth, struggling to force away the pressure building in her eye by focusing on her breathing. After an agonizing few minutes that felt like hours, Alfred's muffled cries became soft whimpers.
Red trickled down his face.
Ruby clapped a hand to her mouth to hold back a gag as a streak of crimson dripped from his left eye like tears. The eye remained intact but blood seeped from it, sliding down into his hair and staining the golden locks red. Penny lurched to her feet and paced back and forth, fingers twitching madly as her backpack whirred. Arthur pulled Alfred into his lap and held him, hushing him softly as he moaned.
"You're alright. You're alright, Alfred. We're here with you. We're here."
Ruby pretended not to hear his voice crack. The rest of them stood around uselessly until Alfred's body stopped lurching, his whimpers fading to silence as his eye leaked bloody tears. His eyes slipped shut but before Ruby could hope he'd fallen unconscious, they snapped open. His body trembled from effort and his lips parted, flecked with red.
"Frontier." Alfred croaked, voice hoarse. "Frontier is gone."
Ruby's breath caught in her throat. The comprehension was there but no connection could be made. She stood in blissful ignorance, even as Yang gasped hysterically and Blake's skin went white.
"What are you saying?" Weiss whispered. Her stoic mask cracked and she grabbed Alfred's shirt. "What do you mean Frontier is GONE?"
Alfred hardly seemed bothered by her shaking, as if he barely registered her presence at all. Penny took much more issue with her manhandling and advanced, weapons glowing green. Winter yanked her sister off of Alfred and held her as she screamed at him.
"It's not gone." Weiss snarled as she fought her sister's hold. "Frontier isn't gone! It can't be! Whitley and Klein are there!"
"Sun." Blake whispered, ears flat against her head.
And Uncle Qrow— Ruby clapped a hand over her eye as it pulsed, ready to ignite. Don't think don't think don't think DON'T THINK—
"The Grimm." Alfred mumbled deliriously. "There were… so many Grimm..."
Weiss fell to her knees in the dirt, eyes blank. Alfred did not notice. He blinked, brow furrowing in a puzzled manner, and slowly turned his head towards Matthew. He blinked again, getting congealing blood in his eyelashes, and squinted at his brother.
"Oh." He murmured and the tinge of panic in his voice chilled Ruby to the core. He smiled, but it trembled, like it was a breath away from crumbling under the weight of his tears.
"Mattie?" Alfred said tremulously, voice small and tired and scared. "I can't see out of my left eye."
XXXXXXX
A/N: Salem doesn't take defeat well.
Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, etc!