Hey guys! Sorry that I'm a little late, but it looks like this two week schedule will be around for a while. A hoping to get back to one week if I can, but more than that I'd just like to get back on some kind of track. While I'm thinking about it, I want to thank everyone for reading this and giving feedback. Honestly, I never thought this story would get close to 100 followers, at least not this close to the beginning. So, for all my readers and reviews: thank you :) As always, be sure to favorite, follow, and comments any thoughts or questions about the story. Enjoy the next chapter!

"How is he, Oz?" asked Qrow.

"He'll survive," replied the headmaster, "but he's taken a serious blow."

"To the face, or his pride?"

"Yes."

Both veteran huntsmen were making their way toward their injured comrades hospital room. With school finally ending for both of them, the men were able to board ships for Atlas once they heard the news of Ironwood's attack.

Well, Ozpin heard the news. Qrow woke up to Ozpin's message about meeting up in Atlas around 2:00 a.m. that morning. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd been drinking after the campfire, but apparently alcohol and s'mores were enough to make him drop what he was doing and get on a cross-continental flight.

"So," said Qrow, still a little woozy, "did Glenda make the trip too?"

"Yes," Ozpin replied. "She's waiting for us in James' room now."

"Alone with Goodwitch in a hospital room," said grey haired man with a sly smile. "I bet Ironwood looovvves that."

"I'm starting to think calling you may not have been the best idea."

"Come on, Oz. Nothing was gonna keep me from seeing my old pal when he's all bandaged up. Besides, it's not like I have anything else going on right now."

"I think we both know there's plenty going on."

The two stopped in an empty corridor, making sure no one else was around.

"Yeah," said Qrow, "there's quite a bit. I don't even know where to start. I gotta say, I don't know what's harder in all this, being a huntsman or an uncle."

"I think you're lucky," said Oz. "At least this mission will keep you close to home. Whatever this is, it's certainly a serious issue. We already deal with legends, only now we don't know the whole story."

"I learned a little bit more," said Qrow. "Apparently that silver gem is a lot more than a piece of jewelry. If the kid is telling the truth, we may have a pretty serious threat on our hands, but I can't say anything for certain."

"These are uncertain times, my friend," said Ozpin. "That's why you need to watch Aero carefully." A nurse appeared on one end of the hallway, prompting the men to continue on their way and stop talking so freely.

"I don't think I'm the only one who'll be watching him," said Qrow with a laugh. "I know Yang's ready to knock him out the moment he steps out of line."

"Or takes a step towards Ruby," Ozpin said with a sly smile, causing the scythe-wielder to glare in response. "Oh, come on. You must have noticed the girl's behavior by now."

"It's hard not too," he said in response, "but making a move would be very bad for his health."

Ozpin just laughed at his friend's reaction, but Qrow was far from joyous. It may have just been the splitting headache, but the idea of his protege getting lovey-dovey with someone made him want to throw up. Of course, that was probably just the nausea.

Well, it's a good thing I'm in a hospital. I wonder if they've got an anti-hangover pill.

The two reached their destination a few moments later. As expected, two guards were stationed outside of the general's room, which was far separated from the more public area of the hospital. Qrow halfway expected that he'd have to "convince" the guards to let them inside, but both moved out of the way once Ozpin introduced him as another one of Ironwood's acquaintances. They entered the room and, as much as he hated to admit it, the scythe wielder felt a quick pang of pity upon seeing the patient.

Ironwood was damaged. From how Ozpin described it, Qrow knew the tinman didn't have any broken bones, but that just made his state all the more uncomfortable to see. The military man wasn't one to let a few bumps and bruises impede him, but his entire right torso was covered by bandages covering burns Qrow didn't want to imagine. The image was unsettling, but the huntsman was even more concerned with the mask covering half of Ironwood's face.

"Holy crap," said Qrow. "What happened to you?"

In response, Ironwood tried to raise his body, but was gently pushed down by Goodwitch, who was sitting at his side. It was obvious to everyone that he shouldn't be moving, but it was just as clear from the look in his eye that the general wasn't keen on being so helpless.

"Guards," Ironwood said in a weak voice, "leave." At once, the guards left down the hallway. Ozpin walked over a second later and closed the door, shutting them off from the outside.

"So," said the slightly hungover man, "weapon malfunction, huh? Is that really the best story you Atlas specialists could come up with?"

The general looked at Qrow angrily, which was nothing new, but the gray haired man knew something was off just from looking Ironwood in the eye. There was a flash of something darker in his expression, but it was quickly cut off by a slight moan of pain.

"James," said Glenda, "you should stop trying to move. You're only going to hurt yourself more."

"We have bigger problems than a few little injuries," said Ironwood.

"A trail of second and third degree burns is a little injury?" she replied sternly. "That's not even mentioning the laceration they follow. A little deeper cut, and your condition would be much, much worse." Her tone was somewhat harsh, but everyone in the room knew she just didn't want to see James put himself in unnecessary pain. Thankfully, he managed to calm himself down.

"James," said Ozpin, "what do you mean "bigger problems?"

Ironwood closed his uncovered eye and sighed.

"First and foremost," he said, "you're right, Qrow. There wasn't a weapon malfunction."

"Called it."

"It was actually our infiltrator, the Queen we've been searching for."

There was silence in the room at the mention of their mysterious adversary. Every ear listened closely to the general's next words.

"She and another girl broke into my airship and disabled the security system. Before we knew it, they had full access to the prison sector."

"Let me guess," said the scythe wielder, "Roman."

"You're… half right."

"Half?" asked Ozpin.

"There was someone else that escaped with them."

"Another pawn?" asked Goodwitch.

"I believe so," he replied, "but there is something very different about this one. Before being captured, he managed to singlehandedly take and hold one of our bases in the Vacuon desert. It looks like he was making a break for the kingdom itself, but lost control of his stolen ship and crashed. He also nearly managed to defeat one of my finest operatives before finally being taken in."

"He must be very skilled," said Ozpin. "Tell us, was he anyone recognizable? Anyone from the past?"

"No," said Ironwood. "Before the escape, I had no reason to believe he was tied to her at all. He was just a boy, maybe a little younger than our students."

"You're telling us that you got your ass kicked… by a kid?" said Qrow.

"He wasn't just a kid!"

The whole group was taken back by the outburst. Ironwood, while very proud, was usually very composed. Maybe it was because that pride was hurt as much as his body, but the offputting, almost eerie feeling coming off of him was becoming more and more noticeable.

"Easy, James," said Glenda. "Please, what do you mean?"

"He… he wasn't normal," the general said, calming down slightly. "It was like talking to a machine. There was no emotion, no fear, no anger, no remorse. And then there were the…"

"The what?" asked Qrow, but there was no reply.

"James," said Glenda, "is there anything else you want to tell us?"

That's when Qrow saw it again, the flash Ironwood's eye, only now it seemed far more real. It almost looked like a color, like some sort of deep violet, but it only lasted the smallest fraction of a second. In that moment, Qrow knew there was something the general was keeping from them.

"Only that we now have a powerful new enemy," he finally said. "A lot of data was destroyed in the attack. Now, we don't even have a damn picture. All I can say is this: if you see a boy with black hair and violet eyes, take him down."

-x-

"It's called Zeta."

The group looked down at the emerald ring sitting on the table. At first glance, it didn't give much hint at being more than an ordinary gemstone. The ring itself was made of Adamantine, though Aero expected he was the only one who knew, and a faint green light was shining off the crystal.

"So," said Weiss, "this is one of those Shards you were talking about?"

"Yes," he replied in a low tone. There was more he could say, but he was far too distracted by the girl standing next to him.

Ruby, standing with her hood up and her face down, was still recovering from what had happened. Aero himself was far from okay, but he was more concerned with how Ruby was responding. It felt like an eternity before she'd calmed down enough to move and even longer before they managed to shuffle their way back to the house. Aside from some incoherent muttering, the trip had been completely silent.

"Hey, guys," said Ruby, shocking Aero, "I think I'm gonna head to bed. It's been a long day."

With that, the girl slowly stepped toward the staircase. No one stopped her, but Yang followed closely behind. Weiss tried to follow, but Blake put her hand the heiress' shoulder. Everyone was quiet as the sisters made their way up the stairs, the sound of a door closing echoing soon after.

"What did you do?"

Weiss' words hit Aero hard in the chest. She didn't even turn to face him, but the blonde boy could tell she believed Ruby was hurt by something he had done. Weiss didn't seem like the type to show her true emotions, but it was clear she was defending her friend from a perceived threat.

You're not wrong, Weiss.

"Will you answer already?!"

"Weiss!" said Blake, staring her down. "Let him speak."

Begrudgingly, the white haired girl sat down, glaring at the boy.

"Please," Blake continued in a soft tone, "what happened?"

"It was…" he replied, stuttering, "it was…"
"It was what?" said Weiss.

"It was Summer," he said, causing the girls' eyes to shoot open. "We went to… to her gravestone, and she was there. She's the one who had Zeta."

"But where is she now?" asked Weiss, now far less angry.

Aero explained that he honestly didn't know where Summer was or where she had come from. He told the girls what had happened, minus some of the more personal details, and, despite it being the millionth time he'd looked over it, he couldn't explain any of what had happened.

Summer was there. Then she wasn't. That was it.

Once the prince had finished his story, he watched the teammates exchange glances with each other. As he expected, neither knew what to make of the information. To be honest, Aero didn't know either. Summer had disappeared before the shock had ended, leaving no time for whatever emotion he was feeling to come to the surface. The more he thought about it though, he could feel a small chill growing in his chest.

"Ruby," Weiss said in a whisper, distracting Aero from his thought. Before he could say anything, the white haired girl had stood up and ran up the stairs, leaving Blake and Aero alone.

"You really don't know what happened?" she asked.

"I wish I did," he said. "The Shards aren't exactly known for being predictable. I still don't know why I'm here, let alone why Summer showed up when she did, both now and before. For her sake, I wish I knew."

He looked up toward the staircase, some barely audible muttering coming from the top.

"But I'm going to find out."

"How?"

Aero was a bit shocked by the tough tone in Blake's voice. Granted, he didn't really know her, but she seemed like the quiet type, almost like Jen. Still, thinking about his childhood friend, it made sense how the quiet ones could also be some of the strongest.

"I… well, I'm not entirely sure. I just know…"

"Aero," she said, "stop."

"Um," he said, a little shocked, "what?"

"I can see it," she said. "You're riled up right now, especially after seeing Ruby's reaction. You're trying to keep calm, but we both know that calm is the one thing you aren't."

In all honesty, Aero was dumbfounded. Out of nowhere, a person he'd known for barely a week was reading him like an open book. A part of him, that cold chill in his chest, was growing more and more irritated by the girl's words. Unfortunately, they were right.

"How can you tell?" he said, letting a bit of his annoyance come through.

"I've been there before," she said, not looking him in the eye.

"You've seen someone you care about fade out of your sight, not knowing where they'll end up?" he said, a tad more anger showing.

"Actually, yes."

The sensation in Aero's chest fell flat when he heard her. The anger was gone, but the chill was still there, now feeling like a weight holding him down. He reached up to grab Beta, hoping for relief. He almost considered grabbing Zeta, knowing what it's effect would be, but he felt ashamed, like using it would be running away.

"Blake," he said, his voice quieter, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound angry. I guess I really am on edge right now."

"Which is why I brought it up," she said, a small smile now on her face. "I don't know you, not yet, but I can tell you want your answers, but you also want to run away."

Can every girl in this time read minds?

"So," she continued, "take my advice: stay still, just for a little bit. Give it time and don't let this get the better of you, for everyone's sake."

Aero thought about the girl's words for a moment before sighing.

"You know," he said, "you sound like someone who's lost a lot."

"Yeah," she said. "Some of it was taken, some of it was sacrificed. Sometimes it's the closest people that hurt you the most."

"I know the feeling," he said, thinking about Rize. "I hits you out of nowhere."

"Everytime."

"I suppose we get stronger from it though," he said, picking up Zeta, feeling the weightless sensation sweep over him. It wasn't that he was used to it, but he had enough practice to not freak out like he had the first time. Zek never let him live that particular incident down.

"I think you'd make a good advisor," Aero said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "If we were in my home, I'd hire you in an instant."

"Well, my prince," she said jokingly, "I expect to be paid double my weight in tuna fish."

"Uh," he said, "why would I pay you in fish?"

"Oh… uh. Gold," she quickly said, looking flushed. "I meant gold."

Uhh…

"Well," she said while standing up, "I"m gonna go check on the others." She made it a few steps before turning around. "Feel free to come up if you want."

"I'll think about it."

With that, the black haired girl left the boy completely alone, leaving him to look at the ring in his hand and wondered if things were ever going to start making sense.

-x-

Oobleck downed another swig from his thermos, trying to fight off his sleepiness. Feeling tired was something he rarely experienced, having naturally high energy mixed with an insane amount of caffeine, but even he needed rest every once and awhile. Unfortunately for his tired eyes, there was still plenty of searching to be done.

He closed another book and placed it on one of the towering stacks on his desk. It had taken him the greater part of two days to make a dent in the various mountains scattered before him. Though he hated to do it, he laid his head down for a moment, trying to let the information head obtained, or the lack thereof, sink in.

I haven't studied this hard since college, he thought to himself, remembering the word "Doctor" attached to his name. Worth it.

The doctor hoped his current study would yield just as satisfying results as his previous ones had. He was desperately searching for leads about Totum, searching through every book he could get his hands on. Understandably, there wasn't the most extensive list of works that mentioned it directly, save a few paragraphs here and there, but nothing substantial. After a few moments of rest, he picked up his next source, an older book simply titled The Kingdoms of Remnant.

While picking it up, Oobleck smiled fondly at the cover. It was certainly an old book, having been written before Atlas succeeded Mantle in power, but it was one every historian was well acquainted with. The cover showed the symbols of each kingdom, with the Vytal symbol stamped between them all. It was looking at this symbol that caused something to click in the back of the green haired man's mind.

Wait. Could it be?

He quickly turned to the page he wanted, "Symbols," and skimmed down the page. By the bottom, a smile was plastered on the professor's face.

Finally, he thought. A lead.