Chapter Twenty-Four! I'm so glad you guys are all liking this story so far, I just want to thank you guys again for the overwhelming support I've been getting up to this point, I hope I'm worthy of it all. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Speech
Thoughts
Chapter Twenty-Four: War
Slade, Yang and Blake exited the building to find Ozpin and Ironwood nowhere to be found. Oobleck and Port were surrounded by the corpses of Grimm.
"Where's Professor Ozpin?" Slade asked.
"Ozpin headed for the bailey, you'd better head over there" Glynda answered.
"Come and get it you hulking horrors!" Port yelled charging toward more oncoming Grimm.
"We'll keep the Grimm here from reaching the citizens" Oobleck announced following after him.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Blake asked concerned,
"You needn't worry about us, we can take care of ourselves just fine. Now go!" Glynda assured following after her colleagues.
"Got it" Yang nodded rushing past them toward that direction followed by Blake and Slade. Arriving they found a multitude of corpses littering the ground around the destroyed wall, Grimm and Atlesian soldiers alike. Slade didn't stop, rushing to the edge of the cliff overlooking the battlefield, most of the fighting was taking place in the cliffs surrounding the approach to the wall.
"No..." Slade's gasped, his eye's expressing his shock. Thousands of Grimm charged toward the city with the massive Goliath taking up the rear.
Pyrrha's shield came spiraling back into her hand as it decapitated multiple Grimm around her, she dropped onto her knees exhaustedly, Jaune rushed to her side helping Pyrrha to her feet.
"Don't give out on me just yet, Nora and Ren are going to need our help too" Jaune ordered gaining a smirk from Pyrrha in return.
"Yes, team leader" she kissed him on the cheek before rushing forward into the oncoming Grimm army.
"W-wait for me!" Jaune called quickly following behind her.
Ironwood flipped over the head of an Ursa firing his pistol into it's head as he landed, he turned firing several rounds dropping the Grimm before him. A single Beowulf swung it's claws for his chest just before he leapt away from it firing once more dropping it onto the ground easily, he twisted around slamming his metal hand into the face of an Ursa crushing it's skull.
"You won't be taking my city so easily" he growled.
Neo ran to the edge of a cliff with an Ursa chasing after her, turning around she leapt forward placing her hands onto it's head pushing off away from it, the Ursa turned around meeting Roman's cane causing it to stumble clumsily over the cliff side.
"Nice work" he smirked at Neo, she gave a thumbs up in response. They both noticed the Grimm army rushing toward them "Ready for round two?" he asked aiming his cane for them as she unsheathed her blade from her umbrella. Neo grunted in response charging forward "I'll take that as a yes" he smirked firing into the crowd of Grimm.
Tai and Qrow stood back to back surrounded by hundreds of Grimm in the cliffs around them, Qrow's blade pointed at the south side and Tai's gauntlets covering his arms as he prepared for battle against the north side.
"Think you can handle this many?" Qrow asked.
"Well... might be tough if one more shows up" he replied with a playful smile. Qrow scoffed with a smirk.
"Then that'll have to be the one I take care of"
"What, you're fighting too?" he asked in mock confusion. Qrow chuckled as his blade transformed into a scythe just before they both charged different directions attacking the Grimm head on.
Winter and Weiss combined their glyphs fighting beside their own summons as they launched themselves around slicing through Grimm easily, Nora slammed her hammer into the ground launching the Grimm into the air as Ren fired into them killing them all before they made contact with solid ground.
"There's too many of them" Winter groaned as more came their way.
"Then we're just gonna have to thin em out!" Nora yelled charging headlong into battle.
"Guess we'll make sure she doesn't get herself killed then" Weiss scoffed playfully as she followed behind her.
"We always are" Ren agreed with a sigh.
"Why is it your friends are always so crazy?" Winter asked exasperatedly.
Dozens of Grimm were being slaughtered by Penny's blades as she stood triumphantly on the cliff above them, she smiled as she weaved her hands around causing the blades to spin slicing through the Grimm easily. Sun stood below her, facing the oncoming group of Grimm charging for him as he held his nunchucks ready to fight, twirling them in his hands he expertly killed off several as they came toward him, Sun easily ducked and dodged their attacks as he struck back with his own weapons.
"Who's hungry!? Come get some!" he taunted over the sound of gunshots from his weapons.
"That's a lot of Grimm" Blake pointed out.
"Think we'll be able to handle this many?" Yang asked somewhat nervous.
"Where's Ruby?" Slade asked looking desperately through the battlefield for her. Ozpin flipped through the air from the outer wall in front of them, he held his hands out firmly indicating they were not to go any further.
"You three need to protect the relic, Salem's followers could be searching for it as we speak" he ordered.
"What about Ruby?" Slade asked.
"All of our friends are fighting out there and you just want us to abandon them for the relic?" Yang protested.
"Don't worry. There's already plenty of Huntsmen in this fight, we can handle this" he assured turning his head toward them.
"I'm not abandoning my friends, if you're so worried about the relics than you go protect them" Slade argued.
"What part of my order did you not understand?" Ozpin asked sternly.
"The part where I leave my friends to fight alone. I'm going to help them, even if I need to go through you to do it" Slade warned.
"Yang, Blake, I'm ordering you both to make sure Slade does as he is told" Yang and Blake looked between each other uncertain, they both smiled nodding toward the other.
"We understand" Yang replied.
"Good, watch for danger. We don't know who'll be coming for the relic with Cinder"
"You be careful too" Blake added.
"I'm not going anywhere" Slade protested.
"Slade, do as you told" Blake scolded.
"You're coming with us whether you want to or not" Yang added smirking.
"C'mon, Slade" Blake winked nodding her head toward Ozpin. Slade smiled in understanding.
"Fine"
"Let's go already then!" Yang yelled. Slade mouthed a thank you to them both.
"Let's do it" Blake grinned excitedly.
"Right" Slade smiled rushing past Ozpin followed by Yang and Blake.
"What're you doing!?" he asked shocked as they leapt down the cliff.
"Sorry, Professor!" Slade called back.
"Hope you can forgive us!" Yang called sheepishly. Ozpin watched them as they rushed to the battlefield, he sighed placing his hand on his forehead exasperatedly.
Slade, Yang and Blake all entered what looked to be a crumbling ruin separating the city from the rest of the Grimm army, a dark portal opened revealing Adam Taurus standing before them.
"You're all looking pretty lively" he smirked "Something going on I don't know about?" he asked tauntingly.
"Move before we move you" Slade growled.
"Now that's just plain rude" he shot back.
"You're not going to stop us from helping our friends, we have more important things to worry about right now" Blake said feigning disinterest.
"Silence, traitor" he pointed to Blake, he removed his blade from it's sheath preparing to strike.
"What's the plan here?" Yang asked.
"Last time I fought this guy I got hurt pretty bad, this time we take him together" Slade answered.
"Sounds good to me" Yang cracked her knuckles as her gauntlets encased her arms.
"It's a plan I can get behind" Blake agreed unsheathing her blades.
Slade placed his hand on Yang's shoulder causing her to appear behind Adam, he turned around as Blake's blade flew past his ear. Yang caught the blade as Adam unsheathed his own twisting around he sliced for her head, she slid onto her knees cutting at his leg with the blade as she stood back up, she flipped backward over his blade tossing her's back to Blake as she leapt past her catching it in her hand. Ducking back under Adam's second swing she stabbed her blade into his abdomen causing him to yell out in agony grabbing the blade as he yelled. Blake dropped onto her back, then pushed herself back up using her own body weight trying to dislodge the blade from him, she jumped up kicking him in the chest pushing him backward into a dark portal opening behind him.
Adam appeared from another behind her holding the hilt of his blade with both hands as he stabbed for her back, Slade rolled forward between them blocking with Obsidian, pushing up on the blade he flipped Adam forward toward Yang as she swept for his legs, Adam flipped backward over her leg. Arcing his blade up as he swung forcing Yang to lean back away from the blade then duck under a horizontal slice meeting Slade's blade instead, twisting the blade he stabbed back for Yang only to clash with her gauntlets instead. Flipping over Slade's strike for his legs he swung for is face only to have his blade knocked from his hands. Blake leapt forward using both her legs to kick him in the chest throwing Adam onto his back, rolling onto his knees.
"We don't want to kill you, but we will" Slade warned.
"I kinda want to kill him" Yang shrugged.
"I'll not die by your hand!" Adam yelled reaching for Slade's throat with his metallic arm only for Adam's own blade to appear embedded through it.
"Perhaps you shouldn't be so bold when it's clear you've already lost" Slade suggested as Yang smashed her fist into his mask shattering it, his eyes were pale blue.
"Can't believe you dated this guy" she scoffed to Blake.
"I'm glad I realized who he really was before it was too late" Blake sighed.
"Allow me to show you exactly who I am-!" he yelled in rage using his one good arm to strike for Yang, Blake severed it with her blade. Adam stared at it in shock "You didn't!" he yelled in disbelief. Blake spun around severing his head from his shoulders.
"I just did" she replied sheathing her blade.
"Kick ass, Blake" Yang high fived her.
"Let's stay focused, we still have a battle to win here" Slade turned toward the Grimm army on the horizon. Ozpin cleared his throat from behind them as he approached a stern expression on his face. They looked away shamefully, Ozpin looked toward the corpse of Adam Taurus then smiled lightly.
"You sure have a lot of friends to help" they looked up at him in surprise "We need to all pull together and finish this battle" he instructed.
"We can do that" Slade smiled.
"Let's get to it then!" he ordered as a loud roar tore through the chasm.
"That Goliath doesn't sound happy" Blake groaned.
"It'll be more upset when I sever it's head from it's shoulders" Slade replied leaping off the nearby ledge descending into the army of Grimm below.
"I hate it when he does that" Ozpin sighed.
"Guess we'd better go catch up with him then" Yang offered with a shrug.
Slade placed his hood and mask over his face as he fell, using his hand he steadied himself as he landed charging forward to the oncoming Grimm, Weiss could be seen fighting in his direction. Two Beowolves turned toward him, he slid underneath their strikes as he passed by continuing to run past them as he rose to his feet, they turned toward him confused. Two Ursa charged toward Slade, he leapt midstride between them kicking them both onto their backs as he spun around, using his hand to catch himself as he slid to a stop behind them mere inches from Weiss.
"Nice of you to drop by!" Weiss called from behind him removing her blade from the chest of a Beowulf.
"Sorry, had a bit of a Taurus problem" he replied not standing from his position "Where's Ruby?" he asked concerned.
"I haven't seen her since the fighting started-" she replied, the ground started to shake as the Goliath got closer.
"Problem!" Slade called as the ground rippled beneath them splitting apart, the ground next to them rising up from the force. Slade gripped the ledge created by the split rolling himself atop it running toward the tip, as he neared it the slope became too steep to run up causing him to slide downward. Slade unsheathed his blade embedding it into the ground stopping himself from falling as he slid to a stop, he climbed to the tip coming face to face with the Goliath, Weiss used her glyphs to reach the top with Slade running up the side easily.
"Show off" he scoffed.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Weiss asked looking at him with a confident smirk. Slade transformed his blade into rifle form ready to attack.
"Probably not" he answered with a shrug. Weiss formed a glyph on the ground around her, Slade aimed his rifle toward the charging Goliath, he fired using Weiss's glyph to increase the speed of the bullet, piercing the Goliath's eye sent it into a rage as it smashed through the ground they stood on. Slade grabbed Weiss by the arm teleporting them to safety, a single Beowulf roared angrily behind him. Slade slung his rifle over his shoulder firing it into the Grimm's head.
"We're gonna have to do more damage than that to take that beast down" Nora said approaching them.
"I think I have an idea for that" Weiss smirked.
"We'll follow your lead then" Slade replied transforming Obsidian into it's blade form as Weiss made a glyph on the ground beneath her.
The Goliath reached them stomping it's foot down toward them, Weiss launched herself spinning with dust flowing off the edge of her blade into it's foot holding it in place as it continued to push as hard as it could downward and her spinning increased. Slade moved Nora above the creature's head she fired Magnhild launching herself onto it's head slamming it down into the earth grinning. Qrow's scythe rested underneath the beasts throat, Winter created a glyph beneath him preparing to launch him.
"Now, Winter!" Slade yelled using his semblance to distort the air around the Goliath's neck, Qrow easily sliced through the extremely thick throat of the beast launching the head backward as it severed. Slade dropped onto his knees from the exertion as the head descended toward him, hundreds of Grimm surrounding him prepared to attack.
"Slade!" Blake called concerned, Yang launched herself using her gauntlets grabbing Slade as she passed by, pulling him along with her to safety. The Goliath's head crushed the Grimm surrounding the Slade's previous location.
"Aw, we missed the fun part" Yang whined disappointed as she helped Slade up to his feet.
"Thanks" Slade coughed out, receiving a crisp nod in response.
"Anytime" The Grimm army suddenly froze as if compelled by some unknown force.
"What happened to them?" Blake asked confused.
"Beats me kid" Qrow shrugged.
"I've never seen them freeze like this before" Slade crossed his arms.
"I have" Ozpin announced approaching them, concern spread across his features.
"Hey!" Nora yelled pointing up toward a figure above them, a hooded figure stood on the cliff above them. Removing the hood Salem looked down upon the Goliath corpse with annoyance.
"Salem!" Ozpin called charging up the cliff toward her.
"Let's go!" Slade called only to be surrounded by the remaining Grimm, an army of over a thousand Beowolves, Ursa, and Beringel along with Nevermores circling the sky above them.
"We can't let Salem get away!" Yang yelled frustrated.
"Then let's cut our way out!" Qrow began slicing through the army of them.
"See you on the other side!" Slade called back charging the Grimm army with his rifle in hand. Slade fired into the shoulder of an Ursa then into the head of a Beowulf standing on a boulder beside him, he leapt onto the opposite shoulder of the Ursa firing into it's head as he leapt into the air. Slade's rifle became a sword as he descended into the army of Grimm, dozens of them dropping at once. Slade stood over the corpse of an Beringel removing his blade from it, he ran toward an nearby bolder sliding toward it to avoid the Nevermore's feathers impaling the ground around him. Stopping in a crouched position, Slade used his arm to steady his aim as he fired his pistol back killing a charging Ursa, he ducked behind the boulder for safety, the Grimm suddenly were overtaken by a large barrage of explosions.
"I can't help but notice the only places we go to are the ones where monsters are trying to kill us" Yang smirked placing her hands on her hips.
"That's not true" Slade replied "People try to kill us just as much as the Grimm do" he chuckled.
"Salem" Ozpin called from behind her overlooking the city destruction.
"How long has it been since we've last had the chance to speak like this, my love?" she asked looking up wistfully at the sky.
"You know you could've stopped this madness at any time, why have you continued on this path to destroy everything? Was killing our daughters not enough for you?" he asked.
"You only have yourself to blame for that, you're the one that did this to me. You changed my very nature... I'm unable to feel remorse for what I do anymore, I am only able to feel negative emotions: Pain, anger, rage, hatred... I truly wish I could feel what I once was but because of you I cannot, I can't even remember what real happiness feels like" she answered.
"Haven't we both paid enough for my mistakes, hasn't the world paid enough?" he asked a stray tear dropping from his eye, his hand closing into a tight fist around his cane.
"Does it feel good knowing you tried? Knowing that all that remains is the slow, cold, brutal death of the fools who will all die in vain?" Salem asked pacing in front of him "How does it feel knowing your efforts will fail? Knowing all you've built will be torn down?" she continued.
"I know my friends will stop you, even if I'm not strong enough to do it myself" he answered.
"Send your guardians, they will fail. Legends and heroes will crumble and fall. You're not going to prevail with them"
"Humanity is stronger than you give them credit for, they've kept you at bay for this long haven't they?" he taunted.
"Form your armies, dream your dreams, make your plans and plot your schemes" she listed off slowly walking toward him "Send your fighters, one and all... then in battle watch them fall" she grinned.
"You've taken the lives of too many of my friends throughout the years, it ends now. I'm done allowing them to die on my behalf" he pointed his cane toward her mere inches from her face.
"It was you who ended their lives... you made them dig their own graves with your dark, sick, cruel design. You convinced them their world could be saved"
"I told them the truth-"
"Have you no shame? Signing them up for YOUR war, training them to fight what they can't beat... your sins are what they pay for"
"I told you I'm done letting others die on my account!"
"Sacrifice them for your needs as much as you want. Slaughter is coming, the end is drawing near. You'll regret your deeds" she pushed the cane away from her face "Legends and heroes scattered in time, maidens and kingdoms wrapped up in a lie" she continued "These children you mislead, you'll watch them all bleed... strength will not bring victory"
"What exactly do you hope to accomplish?" he asked not understanding.
"I want to watch you burn" she answered simply as she turned away from him.
"Professor Ozpin!" Slade called as he, Weiss and Blake arrived behind him.
"Looks like your friends have finally arrived, they're strong... stronger than your previous choice" Salem chuckled.
"What's the plan here, Professor?" Weiss asked ready to fight.
"I wouldn't attack if I were you" Salem warned "You wouldn't want anything to happen to Ms. Rose now would you?" she asked grinning.
"Ruby?" Weiss asked in disbelief.
"What have you done with her!?" Slade yelled furiously.
"Nothing... yet" she cackled wickedly as the dark portal enveloped her.
"Stop!" Ozpin called leaping into the portal after her.
"Professor, wait!" Blake called as it disappeared leaving them alone on the cliff overlooking the city.
"Damn it!" Slade slammed his fist into the ground angrily "DAMN IT!" he yelled again.
"Slade-" Blake tried.
"Way to fall right into her trap" Raven called from behind them leaning against the stone wall.
"What trap?" Weiss asked.
"It's a set up by Salem, she's is using Ruby to make you second guess yourselves. Salem knows every decision you make from now on will be mired in concern for her well being, giving her the opportunity to claim the relics for herself. That's her master plan" she explained pushing herself off from the wall, walking closer to them.
"What exactly does she want with the relics?" Blake asked.
"Man you guys are slow" she chuckled shaking her head "She's told her followers that she plans on using it to break Ozpin's curse and finally kill him for good. But that's just part of it, what she wants is immortality, omnipotence, and to destroy everything that exists " Raven explained.
"Where's Ruby?" Slade asked.
"Look, kid. About Ruby... I'm sorry"
"You're sorry?" Slade asked confused.
"Salem took her back to where I have been hiding out, she knows about me too now. I've been teleporting to Vernal's corpse as a way to escape unnecessary complications. She's already won, we just haven't caught up to her yet" Raven shook her head in frustration "I was hoping we'd have more time-"
"Raven" Salem's voice called appearing between them.
"Uh oh" Raven scowled using her Semblance to escape.
"I'll ensure she doesn't bother you ever again" Salem announced as her portal vanished.
"I don't care about any of that!" Slade yelled furiously.
"If it's Ruby you're worried about then don't be. I promise I'm taking very good care of her"
"Take me to her" Slade pleaded. Salem raised her eyebrow in confusion.
"Is she that important to you?" she asked.
"More than anything" he answered.
"Show me how important" she ordered. Slade hesitated for a moment, then dropped onto his knees placing his hands together pathetically.
"Please" he pleaded shocking Weiss and Blake, Salem shared their expression.
"So you truly do care for her... if that's the case..." she grinned malevolently "The answer is no" Slade jumped back away from her stopping next to Blake and Weiss.
"You son of a bitch!" Weiss yelled angrily.
"Are you angry? Do you hate me?" she asked "Show me your rage"
Blake attempted to run forward being stopped by Slade's hand on her shoulder holding her in place. Slade charged forward leaping into the air, unsheathing his blade ready to strike. Salem raised her hand causing the ground beneath Slade to rise dramatically slamming him into it, Slade bounced upward slamming back down into the elevated ground as it rose. Looking up from his place as the ground stopped he watched as Salem soared above him rising the earth beneath her at tremendous speed along with the ground behind him. Salem launched a black lightning bolt from her hands splitting apart into several smaller streams of lightning, striking Slade causing him to cry out in pain as it singed his clothes.
Weiss rushed past Slade quickly climbing the wall up to Salem using her glyphs. Salem held her left hand out toward the sky forming dozens of blades of darkness, using the wind around her she created a small cyclone catching the blades in it's current. Blake appeared beside Salem pulling her fist back to strike. Salem caught her fist in her right hand kicking Blake in the abdomen throwing her backward.
Weiss arrived slicing her blade for Salem only for her to backflip over the blade landing on the blades riding the cyclone. Holding her arms out in front of her she launched ice at Blake and Weiss forcing them to run around the blasts to avoid being frozen. Weiss used her glyphs to launch herself behind Salem, leaping up toward her she sliced downward from above Salem. Salem leapt from the cyclone forming a dark blade in her hand twisting around she used it to block her strikes grinning all the while.
Salem stabbed her blade into the ground streaming lightning through the earth toward Blake shocking her painfully, she jumped back atop the cyclone riding it up to a higher platform racing past the previously made platforms. Slade raced after her only to have the cyclone of blades split off hitting him in the back knocking him from the platform, Slade tumbled down the rock face stabbing his blade into it he slid down to a stop the wall breaking off with him still attached.
"Slade! Hold on!" Weiss yelled up to him.
"No kidding!" he yelled back.
Weiss looked down confused when she felt the earth shake around her, blades tore through the ground cutting through her aura as it threw her facedown into the ground beside their current, Slade flipped over the falling rock wall only to get caught in the barrage of blades as well dragging him up into the air as he attempted to block them with his gauntlets.
"Weiss! Are you alright?" Blake asked rushing to her side.
"Slade" she groaned out picking herself up to her knees. Weiss used her glyphs to form a ice shield around Slade defending him form the barrage of blades stopping them in their tracks, forming stagnant path of blades leading up above Salem's current position, his aura violently exploded outward destroying the blades and shield. Salem grinned hungrily as she watched him; Slade crashed into the ground behind her quickly picking himself up, he charged Salem with Obsidian in hand striking madly for her head, she easily blocked his strikes with the blade in her hand.
Salem slammed an ice blast into his left arm with her free hand throwing him backward, Slade rolled to his knees watching in horror as his arm slowly began to freeze climbing up to his shoulder. Blake appeared behind Salem pulling her arm back to strike with her blade. Salem ducked under her arm grabbing her by the head with her open hand dangling her over the edge of the platform.
"Let her go!" Slade yelled standing up, he was suddenly thrown from the platform by several more blades striking him in the chest from above.
"Blake!" Weiss called worriedly. Salem froze Blake solid dropping her off the ledge allowing her to helplessly fall toward the earth. Just before she crashed into the ground, Slade caught her sliding on his back, using his aura to absorb the shock keeping her from shattering upon impact.
"Is she alright?" Weiss asked rushing to his side.
"Keep Salem off my back for a minute" he answered holding his hand over her chest, Slade's aura began to melt the ice around Blake freeing her to move.
"Thanks" Blake shook the ice off her as she stood up.
"Any...time" Slade panted out giving a thumbs up. The ground returned to normal around them. Salem stood watching them intrigued as the ground finished setting itself.
"Quite impressive, you were able to save your friend even when you were in peril yourself"
Slade unsheathed his blade appearing in front of her, striking for her head. Slade was caught by some unknown force around his throat holding him in the air as Salem's hand looked to be holding something in front of her.
"I can offer you so much more power than they can, join with me and I shall give you more power than you could possibly imagine" Salem offered constricting her hand slightly.
"The... only thing... I care... about... is... Ruby" Slade chocked out. Salem's smile faded at his words.
"Such a shame... you have so much potential, yet you waste it on those unworthy of you"
"They've... earned it... you... never will"
"Even these beasts recognize what you're oblivious to, Slade" she said referring to the Grimm "Your nobility has blinded you, as ever"
Slade drew his pistol pointing it at Salem only to have it thrown from his hands by her free hand "She left little to chance didn't she?" she mused aloud "Time may have been your ally, but now it has abandoned you" she continued talking to someone not present.
"What're you talking about?" Blake asked confused.
"Sounds... like you're... crazy... to me" Slade choked out a laugh. Salem growled waving her hand back dismissively throwing Slade into the nearby wall, he dropped onto a boulder rolling off onto the ground groaning in pain.
"Are you alright?" Weiss asked as she helped Slade to his knees.
"I believe it's time I have a talk with Ruby-"
Yang crashed into her side stumbling her back, Yang punched Salem in the face, followed by an uppercut and another powerful left hook, she clasped her hands together slamming them down onto her head then separated them into fists slamming them down onto Salem's shoulders . Yang grabbed her by the shoulders smashing her into the nearby wall, her eyes and aura both flaring red.
"Stay the hell away from my sister!" she yelled furiously.
Salem smiled placing her hands onto Yang's wrists slowly forcing them off her despite Yang's tremendous strength, releasing her left arm, Salem jabbed Yang between her collar bone causing her arm to go limp as she cried in pain. Yang swung her right arm up meeting Salem's forearm as she punched her in the face then again in the chest forcing the air from her lungs. Salem punched her in the face again using her opposite hand to block another useless attack then punched Yang in the abdomen and head-butting her grabbing Yang by the throat she punched her across the face through a stone pillar. Grabbing Yang by her hair she slammed her face into her knee then lifted Yang by her shoulder and abdomen holding her triumphantly above her head before slamming Yang onto her back.
"Yang!" Slade called worriedly as Blake and Weiss watched with great concern.
"I'll let you live despite your obstinacy, I won't be so gracious a second time" she whispered to a barely conscious Yang.
"None of you can hope to stand against my power, not even Ozpin is strong enough to kill me alone" Salem explained "I have over a thousand years of combat experience and powers you could only imagine. Ozpin's power has waned over time, mine have only grown" she continued proudly.
"That's some tough talk coming from someone who's always lost to Ozpin" Slade goaded causing Salem to scowl.
"I can admit that I have been stopped in the past, I have never been successful in obtaining the relics before... but neither have I been able to gain the power of the Maidens until now. Perhaps you should reevaluate your situation before taunting me again" she replied.
"Why bother? You're just going to kill us all once you've obtained the relics" Slade asked.
"The power I showed you today was only a taste of what I have to offer, you'd best rethink your position. If you want proof; ask the general" she gave a low chuckle as the darkness transported her elsewhere.
"She's... intimidating" Weiss admitted as she helped Blake pick up Slade resting him on their shoulders.
"We have to get Ruby back" Slade choked out.
"We will, right now you need rest and we need some answers" Blake replied.
"Right now isn't the time for rest-"
"Slade" Weiss said sternly "You need to recover before you can do anything, you're no help to us as dead weight"
"I... fine" he relented, General Ironwood arrived with JNPR, their weapons ready.
"What happened here?" Pyrrha asked rushing over to an injured Yang, Ren quickly helped get her off the ground.
"Salem" was Slade's one word answer.
"Salem was the one doing the freak show with the ground?" Jaune asked in shock as he began healing Yang with his Semblance.
"She's more powerful than we thought" Blake answered.
"Imagine what she could do if she had the relics" Weiss shuddered.
"She's never gonna get those, we'll stop her" Nora assured trying to boost their confidence.
"Where's Ozpin?" Ironwood asked his eyes scanning the area. Slade shook his head removing himself from his teammate's grasp barely standing on his own.
"I see" he sighed disappointed. Yang shot up her eyes filled with worry as Jaune finished healing her.
"She's got Ruby!" she yelled forcing herself onto her feet.
"Who's got Ruby?" Ren asked.
"Salem!" Yang yelled grabbing Ironwood by his collar "We have to get her back before she kills her or worse!"
"I understand, but we cannot just charge headlong into a situation we know nothing about" he removed her hands from him.
"You've got some explaining to do" Slade said exhaustedly.
"Indeed... we should regroup with the others first, they'll want to hear this"
Salem walked through the empty halls of a ruined temple, opening the doors before her. Ozpin sat suspended in the air with dozens of thin black blades over his entire body, Ozpin helpless watched as she stepped closer.
"Enjoying yourself, my love?" Salem asked mockingly, knowing he couldn't answer "Glad to hear it" she chuckled.
"Y-you...h-haven't...w-w-won...yet" he forced out painfully
"Clearly you're not feeling enough pain, seeing as you're still talking" she growled whipping her wrist up slightly forcing the blades deeper, Ozpin painfully groaned squeezing his eyes shut.
"Stop it!" Ruby yelled, drawing Salem's attention from him, the blades retracted from Ozpin.
"You're finally awake" she smiled "We have so much catching up to do"
"Stay away from her" Raven growled hanging from her arms tied to the statue above Ruby chained to its base. Raven's mouth was then covered by the statue's hand moving in accordance with Salem's will.
"I've heard enough out of you, traitor" Salem turned her attention back to Ruby "You know in all my time warring with Ozpin, I have never succeeded in capturing him, nor have I ever obtained the power of any of the maidens... until now" she explained as Cinder came out from the shadows "Now I will have all of the maidens powers in a single being able to rival his own power"
"You're never going to win" Ruby replied pulling desperately trying to free herself from the chains binding her to the statue.
"Once Cinder holds the power of the four maidens she can open the vault to all of the relics, although Slade can do it himself using just his Semblance if he so desired" she explained.
"Slade would never help you, you're a monster!"
"Now, now, Ruby. That's no way to talk to family" Salem scolded slicing the chains apart with her hand.
"Family?" Ruby asked confused looking to Ozpin meeting an equally confused expression on his face.
"We have so much catching up to do, my dear" Salem slung her arm around her shoulder, Ruby attempted to pull away stopping upon hearing Ozpin's pained groans "Pull away from me again and I'll hurt him much worse than you can possibly imagine" she warned pulling her back to her.
"How many did we lose?" Cinder asked.
"All of them" Salem answered smiling, Cinder was instantly uncomfortable by the hungry glint in her eye "Each of Ozpin's team took down around five to eight hundred alone, Slade easily doubled that" she added.
"So we lost Adam Taurus and over thirty thousand Grimm" Cinder sighed shaking her head "Those students of yours are much more talented than we imagined" she said looking toward Ozpin.
"I've told you before, never underestimate your opponent" Salem reminded "You should get started on extracting Raven's power, but keep her alive, I wish to have some fun with her before she dies" Salem instructed earning a nod from Cinder in response.
"As you wish"
"Let me tell you a story, Ruby..." Salem grinned as she exited the room.
That's all for this one, I promise to have the next chapter out as soon as possible!