Ivory kicked her feet, flapping her wings wildly in an attempt to escape from her brother, but the hooks were deep, and he was far too strong for her to break free, not to mention the excruciating pain that she now found herself in as she dangled there. She looked up at her brother, the poison still affecting his mind as he plotted his next move.

"Rowan… Stop this!" She demanded trying to stay strong. Rowan looked down at her, his face lost to the adrenaline and fog that Jade had incited in him. He didn't care right now about anyone. He only cared that he found something that might satiate his bloodlust. He slammed her against the wall of the vertical tunnel, panic setting in as she realized that her aura was close to its limit. She reached back and removed a lightning arrow, firing it into the air and blinding her brother before he could react. He reached up with one of his hands, covering his eyes out of instinct and she flapped her wings again, his grip slipping and she managed to free herself, flying back into the second-floor hallway and right towards the training room. She spun her body, preparing to kick the door but instead landing and sliding in, forgetting that Weiss's Ursai had earlier taken care of the entryway.

She turned in time to spot Rowan and she planted her axe as he flew by overhead, grabbing the hooks. They tore out of her skin and she collapsed to the ground instantly in pain. She only needed to do as Jade instructed and imagine that Rowan was attacking their parents. She couldn't do it though, no matter how hard she tried, she knew that it was Rowan that she was fighting and he would never have done anything to hurt their parents. She watched as he circled back around and covered herself with her wings, trying to buy herself some time. His hooks glanced off, faster and faster until she was convinced that he might break through. She needed to get to Weiss, but it didn't matter now, did it? If it wasn't Rowan, it would be Joseph. Or Jade. Or Salem. There was no chance from the beginning that she'd be able to save Weiss. But she had to try, and now was the time to act.

She threw her wings open but he had already expected she would try that, and he brought his hooks up under her wings. What is he doing? She struggled in his grip but he held onto her, his eyes becoming wilder and his body burning brighter, nearing the level it had when he had faced Ruby. She pulled against him, but she knew he outmatched her in strength and he placed his foot in her back, pulling with everything he had. Surely he didn't mean to… Something snapped and she cried out in pain, her aura was going to give at any second.

"Rowan! No!" She screamed. He leapt, his other foot crashing against her back and he took off in flight, tearing off both of Ivory's wings. Ivory crumbled into a heap of unbearable pain as her aura shattered. She laid on the ground, unable to move. This was it. She was going to die at the hands of her brother. It was far from how she had ever imagined that she would go, but it was happening all the same. Perhaps if she had been stronger she might have made it. Perhaps if she hadn't cared about Weiss so much, she wouldn't be in this predicament. But it was too late to think about any of that.

"Any last words?" He asked. He loomed over her with his hooks in hand, his mouth snarled and distorted. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to move.

"None that matter," she managed. "Forgive me… Rowan. I only hope that I can forgive myself." He moved in close and she rolled over at the last moment, catching the hooks with her staff and reaching past, slamming the lightning arrow into his mouth. She had pulled it out of the quiver when she was covered by her wings during his relentless attack and kept it held close to her chest so that he wouldn't see. It exploded and electricity coursed through his body, dancing through his hooks and throwing him back from her. He lay, convulsing on the ground for a long moment before finally stopping, his body became motionless. She used her axe as a walking stick and made her way over to him, shakily bending down and snatching the fire Dust necklace from off of him. She threw it into the hallway and watched as it slid across the floor and out of sight into the elevator shaft. She sat down several feet from him, hoping that the poison would be worn off when he came to.

Salem looked down at her hands and body, admiring all that the girl had to offer her, and grateful that she had. She chuckled lightly as she sat on the table and looked at the two pods before her, shaking her head as she lifted her hands into the air. Giant glass crystals burst forth from the floor and destroyed the machine, entombing it. She stood up and made her way around the device, pulling unseen energy from out of the space in front of her, the hangar slowly filling with pools of blood that gave way to Grimm. She turned back slightly as the stairwell door opened and she smirked.

"All that wasted time trying to find me, and now I've finally made it back," Salem spoke. She grabbed the Beowulf that had crawled from the blood in front of her and her hand phased into the beast, pulling out a sword made of bone as it slipped back into the pit. "It's been a long time, hasn't it…? Raven?" Salem turned completely around to view Raven who stood in the door, her hand fixed on her sword that was sheathed. Salem laughed as she sized up her opponent, bone sword held in front of her. She swung it lightly to get a feel for it and attempted to pierce through Raven's stare, but Raven's eyes and face showed no indication of fear or anxiety. "Are you prepared to kill again? I think I can hear Jade's voice, still crying out in fear."

"You're the reason that I couldn't face my daughter for the majority of her life. When I left to hunt you down, Summer Rose stepped in as the mother I never was, and you forced me to slay her. It was bad enough I had to kill Summer to stop you the first time, but I continued searching for you, hoping that I could make it up to my daughter, and before I knew it, I had been gone for over 20 years. I missed her birthdays, playdates, her first crush, first kiss, heartbreak, everything… And all of it was because of you," Raven told her. The sheath clicked and whirred, stopping on wind Dust as she still remained motionless, staring Salem down. Salem's smile didn't crack, it remained there, a hollow and haunting reminder to Raven of what she had done.

"I'm flattered. If you'd like I can repay you, and spare your daughter when I reform Remnant. I plan to start the entire world over with a clean state, and there aren't very many that I'm taking with me. So you can leave and I can continue my plan as it is, or we can fight each other for a while and I'll continue my conquest with your sword in hand. It would be quite the upgrade from what I normally use. I'll leave it up to you really, but I'll warn you if you think that I'll be as easy to take down as last time, think again. There were no silver eyes to wear me out first this time." Salem warned her. They stared each other down, Grimm still crawling out of the earth and lumbering towards the edge of the hangar where they ran down the mountain. "The choice is all yours Raven."

"I choose to send you to hell again," Raven replied. Salem chuckled.

"That wasn't a choice." Raven removed her blade swiftly and cut through the air, the wind Dust slicing through the hangar and cutting down multiple Grimm. As it reached Salem a wall of glass formed in front of her, blocking it. She stepped out from around it and Raven was directly in front of her, swinging her sword down and clashing with Salem's. "Is that the best you can do?" Salem raised her free hand, throwing it above her head and then pointing at Raven. Glass pikes formed above Salem and targeted Raven, forcing Raven to leap back away from her opponent. Salem gave a laugh again as Raven blocked the projectiles flawlessly with her sword.

"I'm just getting started," Raven declared.

"Misplaced self-confidence," Salem replied shuddering with pleasure. "My favorite."

Salem ran out to meet Raven again, their swords crashing off of each other's in a blinding flurry, Salem's free hand forming a glass shield that Raven's blows glanced off of with tremendous speed. Both of them stood their ground, neither overpowered by the strength of the other. Raven quickly sheathed her weapon, changing the Dust to gravity and Salem made an attempt. Raven opened a portal between them quickly, Salem's attack landing on nothing in the empty void. Raven crushed the sword as the portal closed on it, causing Salem to stumble back, but she blocked Raven's sword with her shield. The gravity Dust smashed into her defense with extra force, cracking the glass, and sending a shockwave across the hangar. Several Grimm were thrown out of the bay door, down the mountainside. Salem reeled back around, her sword now made of glass. They crashed off of each other quickly.

Raven focused on the shield, concentrating her blows on it as Salem tried to keep her busy. The shield gave under the pressure, giving Raven an opening which she took, removing Salem's arm. Salem glanced up at her, an out of place smile on her mouth as a glass spear slammed through Raven's torso out of thin air and drove her into the wall. She sheathed her sword, grabbing the spear with both hands but struggling to remove it.

"It's in that wall pretty deep, or at least deep enough that you won't be getting it back out," Salem told her. Where Salem's arm had been removed, one of her glyphs appeared, a shadow hand breaking forth and forming glass Dust over the top of itself. Raven opened a portal behind herself and fell back into it, leaving Salem alone for a moment. Salem slowly made her way back towards the device, wanting to get a better look when Raven reappeared, throwing the spear at Salem. The spear shattered and drifted away as it reached Salem and she turned back towards Raven again. The sword disappeared in her hand and was replaced by a bow and arrow, which she fired in rapid succession. Raven blocked quickly as she reached Salem, swinging out to slice through her. Salem teleported behind her in an instant, the glass decoy in front of Raven crumbling to the ground.

Raven opened a portal behind Salem, throwing herself back into the woman and knocking her it. They both tumbled through and came out on the cliffside on the opposing side. Salem knocked Raven away from her with amazing strength and Raven landed on top of Summer Rose's grave. Salem charged for her, bringing a newly formed glass scythe down at Raven who rolled out of the way. She leapt to her feet and pulled out her katana, slicing through the air and blasting both of Salem's feet with ice Dust, freezing her hands to the weapon as well.

"I'm sorry, too soon? I think it would be apropos if I murdered you on her grave with her weapon. It's how you should have died the first time!" Salem yelled. Raven charged Salem, running her sword through her and Salem's body shattered, crashing to the ground as glass. Two glass daggers tore deep through Raven's skin, throwing her to the ground as she cringed in pain. She rolled in time to block the next attack, surprised by Salem's suddenly enhanced strength. Raven strained as she pushed back against Salem, bloodlust filling the pale woman's eyes. "Do you know how far you set me back when you sealed me away that day? You and Ozpin both, always getting in my way, only this time you have no silver eyed anyone to come running to your rescue. Do us both a favor and die!"

"Not before I make things right with Yang!" Raven yelled out. She pushed Salem away, letting herself drop through a portal and coming out on the other side in front of Salem. Raven sliced through Salem again, destroying another clone and sinking her blade into the ground. Ice Dust flew out from her, giving her a moment to change the blade's Dust to fire as she spun around, meeting Salem's sword. Salem was running through glass Dust faster than Raven could have imagined and she wondered if there was any limit to her power. Raven could feel the blood from Salem's attack trickling down her back.

"Feeling weak yet?" asked Salem.

"Not enough to lose to you!" Raven shouted out. She pushed Salem back with the help of a fire Dust explosion and Salem stumbled, coming to a stop a few feet away. She was instantly met with blows from Raven and she backed slowly away, hoping to wear Raven out.

"It's futile!" Salem declared. "You can't stop me and you won't stop me, so why do you even bother trying?" She asked. Raven guided Salem's sword towards her arm, allowing it to be scratched on the surface, seething slightly as she let Salem make another attempt, this one catching her in the side. Raven fell to the ground holding her side and Salem kicked her, sending her sprawling back. "So weak! I was really hoping for more of a challenge." Raven's mind raced as she closed her eyes.

There it was…

Raven opened her eyes and her hair lightly floated as she reached Salem without giving her opponent a moment to think. Raven crashed through Salem as her semblance exploded, quickly racing to the next Salem and smashing through that one as well. She turned quickly, her blade slicing through the next clone and shattering it the same as the last two. She quickly sheathed the sword, activating lightning Dust and removing it. Salem's sword made the first move, knocking hers out of the way, but she reached in, wrenching Salem's arm in the opposite direction, her free fist slamming into Salem's chest. She opened a portal behind Salem, grappling her and tackling her through. They tumbled out into Salem's dimension and Raven straddled her, landing several good punches to Salem's face before being impaled by a pike from behind. Raven rolled off, falling face first into the dirt before she disappeared into an explosion of black feathers.

Salem quickly found her feet, impressed by Raven's show of power, but chuckling softly to herself.

"Oh, Raven. Why would you bring me back here? I have more power here than in the real world, and it just doesn't make any sense. You know that since I now have an actual body, I can't be resealed in here until the body is killed. Such a foolish decision," Salem called out to her. Raven appeared behind her, quickly swinging for her, but a wall of crystals formed, trapping her sword. Raven released her katana, smashing the crystals apart with her fist and grabbing her weapon out of the air, making another attempt. Salem smirked as a wall of crystals separated them. "Thanks to Jade for contributing her life to the cause, I won't have any need to face you head on anymore."

"I won't give you that option!" Raven cried out. Salem turned quickly, Raven had used a portal to place herself on the same side of the wall as Salem. A giant Grimm hand burst forth from the earth, grabbing Raven and throwing her through the wall, her semblance breaking as she crashed through. Dammit, she thought, if only I could have held onto it for a little longer!

"I'll guarantee that your body will not hold up as long or as well as mine," Salem told her. "Everything that you've done to this point in your pathetic existence was in vain, and I want you to know that as you die."

"I won't give up!" Raven cried out. Salem laughed.

"So be it." Salem reached out, green snakes made of aura leapt from her hands and converged on Raven. She sliced through them as they leapt for her, convinced to poison her. Salem sent wave after wave, which Raven either massacred or sent elsewhere via her portal abilities, but she felt herself becoming weak, she couldn't keep straining her body like this. Salem felt her lip, only now finally noting the blood that was dribbling down her chin. "I have a schedule that I need to keep Branwen, that dreadful niece and daughter of yours are doing their best to ruin my plans!"

"Then I guess we're gonna see this one out to the very end," Raven called back. Salem gave a noise of mild displeasure and slammed her sword into the earth, wisps and strands of Jade's green semblance energy flowing down it and burrowing into the earth. Raven stood in silence for a moment until the earth opened up, and out from it burst a large green snake, close to the size of a King Taijitu. Raven rolled out of the way and into Salem who skewered her with a sword, running it all the way through until the hilt met her stomach.

"Getting close, aren't we?" Salem asked with a sneer, a grimace forced upon Raven's face. Raven struggled but managed to swing her sword across, destroying the Salem before her and with her, the sword. Raven quickly looked up to see the snake above her, coming down at a ninety-degree angle and she batted its face away with her sword and a blast of gravity Dust, forcing it to change course. Raven sprinted in the opposite direction as it curled back over itself and moved to strike at her. She dove as it stuck, missing and slithering over her. She quickly escaped with a portal and moved to open another when she hit the ground, a searing flash of pain struck her worse than any she had ever felt before. "There it is."

Salem stepped into the interdimension with her and shook her head, snatching Raven's sword away from her and swinging it above her head lightly.

"After all this time, I thought I stood a chance against you. I guess I should have learned something from Summer's death, but all that I wanted to do was make you pay. I was too blinded by rage to understand that if Summer wasn't strong enough, I wouldn't be either," Raven told her, noting a blood stain on Salem's lip where she had wiped it off from. Raven smirked as she unlatched the sheath at her side quietly.

"Any last words before you join Ozpin and Summer? I'm feeling benevolent today," Salem offered.

"Yeah, go to hell." Salem chuckled.

"Unlikely." Salem swung down and sliced through Raven's sheath as she pulled it in between them to block the blow. The dust inside exploded, breaking Raven's aura and killing her almost instantly, throwing Salem back onto her side, her ears ringing as she lay dazed on the ground. She had fallen for it. Raven knew at the end that she was going to die, but she had bought Yang and Ruby more time. Salem groaned as she propped herself up on her hands and knees. "Damn you." The blade dissolved as she reached out for it and she pounded her fist on the ground. "Dammit!"

Excuse me, boys!" Came a shout as an Ursa rode through the middle of the Dust Knights that were about to open fire on Team RWBY. "I can't let you do that. Kind of on an important mission!" Ruby and Blake exchanged looks before opening fire into the group followed by Weiss and Yang, who took a more head-on approach.

"Ashley, how did you know we were here," asked Blake.

"I didn't know that you were here specifically, but Coco reactivated her comms unit and got ahold of us and let us know your plan. We're gonna get you back to the bunker, if it takes all of us," Ashley told her. Ruby nodded at her as she ran by, followed closely by Weiss and the others. "Who's ready for round two!?" They quickly ran up through the tree line that followed closely along the base of the mountain and elevated slowly. This would be the hardest part physically, but once they reached where Ruby's warehouse had stood before, they would most likely meet more resistance than they had ever known. The level spot came into view and Ruby pointed, looking back at her teammates.

"Look!" Ruby exclaimed. She turned back around to be met with Joseph's horn plowing into her chest and dropping her to the ground. Yang grabbed his horn as he ran past, his feet set and stopping her, pulling back on her arm. She pulled it back, rubbing it, as Blake attacked with her sword. The earth Dust lit up on his cloak, covering him in a dome of rock which he broke through in a sprint, crashing into Weiss and Dorian who tried to push her out of the way.

"You!" Joseph yelled. He grabbed Dorian and wrenched his arm back, breaking it as Ruby's scythe hooked him. Dorian dropped into the snow as Joseph activated gravity Dust and leapt back, keeping up with Ruby as she repeatedly fired, trying to slice him in two. He spun out of her path, Blake's ribbon wrapping around his arm and she pulled, but he wasn't moved. He pulled back, throwing her towards him and Yang met his jaw, knocking him away. "Damn that blonde!"

"How's it going, Joseph? Or should I say horny?" Yang asked winking at him, hands on her hips. Ruby flushed.

"Yang, you're doing it again," she murmured.

"Oh, it's gonna go much better this time blondie!" Joseph removed the vial and slammed its contents, wiping his mouth off as he finished.

"What was that?" Blake asked. Joseph's body hit the ground, his horns growing larger and twisting out more to the sides as his legs transformed into those of a goat. His clothes tore as his body enlarged at an accelerated rate and soon he was as tall as a building, his face completely Grimm, but his body left man. He clutched the destroyed cloak in his hand and roared at them. "He must have finally perfected that steroid for Faunus that we discovered!"

"The what?!" Weiss demanded. "That's perfecting it?! He looks like a monster!"

"He kind of already was," Yang told her. He swatted at them but Aku and Ash leapt in the way, his blow slamming the two of them against the mountainside. They crashed off, rolling back down as a screaming came from above them. Grimm poured out of the hanger, rushing out to meet them. "Things are looking pretty Grimm!" Alright already! Yang cocked her gauntlets and took on Grimm as they rushed by.

"There's too many and no chance of getting past this guy!" Ruby yelled. Weiss looked at her as she shouted back at them, loading ammo into her scythe and taking aim. I will protect you, Ruby, no matter what. Weiss stepped forward slowly past Ruby. Ruby let her gun down for a moment to take note of her before opening fire again. "Weiss!"

"Don't worry. I can handle this." Weiss told her reassuringly. She closed her eyes and placed her hand on the back of Myrtenaster, concentrating on her breathing and visualizing what she wanted. "Giant Armor, now!" Her eyes shot open and a giant glyph spun into existence in the air, slowly descending and revealing the Giant Armor in its place. The armor met Joseph's fist with its sword and the beast roared back at it in anger. "I'll hold it off, you go on ahead!"

"Weiss! No! I'm not leaving you!" Ruby yelled as she swung through the hoard of swarming Grimm.

"Ruby! You have to! You can save us all!" Weiss yelled at her. Blake cleared out Grimm around Weiss as she concentrated on Joseph.

"Not without you. I'm not going to leave you again!" Ruby demanded. Weiss looked up at the armor and then back at Ruby. Yang stepped in between them as she fired through a Creep's skull.

"I've fought this joker before, mind if I take the armor for a spin?" Yang asked.

"I don't even know if that's possible," Weiss told her. Yang crouched her legs.

"Worth a shot." She replied. Weiss opened a glyph bellow Yang which opened a series of glyphs leading to Joseph. Yang took a swing and the Giant Armor copied her movement. "Heh, would you look at that."

"Yang…" Ruby told her.

"Weiss is right sis. You can fix this. Now get back to the bunker. Go!" Ruby nodded at her and took off again with Weiss on her heels. Blake grabbed Yang and kissed her hard on the lips.

"We don't know if this will work," Blake told her, her face still close. Yang blocked a blow from Joseph and returned with a jab to his ribs.

"It will," Yang told her. "It has to." A loud noise could be heard from the mountain and as Blake looked back a portal opened in the mouth of the hangar, releasing a giant green snake that slithered down and past them towards Ruby. Blake looked at the snake and then back at Yang.

"Yang, I have to…"

"I know!" Blake kissed her again quickly and took off, sticking her sword into the snake and riding it. "Get Ruby to the bunker."

Ruby skidded to a stop as the snake weaved in front of her, hissing as it loomed above Weiss and Ruby, ready to strike. Dorian pulled up next to them and grabbed Weiss by the arm.

"What is this thing and where did it come from?!" He yelled. He summoned his sword, jamming it long ways into the snake's mouth and it jerked back, trying to close its jaw. Blake shot past them, attacking its neck as its tail caught up with the rest of it and batted her away. It attempted another strike, just to be stopped by one of Weiss's glyphs as she formed another under herself, Dorian, and Ruby and they all leapt back away from it. "What's the plan?!"

"Calm down," Weiss told him. "Ruby always had a plan." Ruby lifted her scythe.

"Got it! Blake!" Ruby yelled. Blake leapt over the snake, firing at it to deter it from coming any closer. It shook its head, discouraged momentarily and focusing again on the object in its mouth. It struggled with it, still unable to close its mouth. "Attach your ribbon to something sturdy! Weiss, remember the Nevermore during initiation?"

"Like I could forget?" Weiss asked. Blake's gun wrapped snuggly around a large tree and Ruby leapt, letting Weiss draw her back on the cord.

"Dorian, any way you can send me back here a few times?" She asked. He looked at her and Weiss and Weiss nodded. He removed his watch and prepared himself, nodding back to Weiss. "Let's do this!" Ruby's scythe shifted into a spear and Weiss launched her at the snake. Ruby sliced through the neck, seeming to do little damage when Dorian quickly pulled her back through time to her launch repeatedly. She shot through the snake four times before finally landing on the other side. She waited for a moment, crouching and catching her breath as she looked over her shoulder at the beast. Dorian's blade finally snapped and the serpent flopped to the ground, separating into two separate snakes, one heading for Ruby, and the other for Dorian. "Crap."

"Not a problem!" Weiss shouted to Ruby. She opened a gravity glyph and Dorian formed a new sword, throwing it through. It tore through the air and straight through the snake. The snake hissed in pain and anger, striking towards Weiss who sprinted out of the way ahead of Dorian. "They're after the two of you, we have to get rid of them!"

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" Ruby asked. She spun around, firing several rounds into it until it avoided her, heading for Blake instead. "Blake!"

"Don't worry about me!" Blake yelled. "Make sure that you and Dorian make it back!" The snake struck, phasing through her clone as she landed on its head, slicing at it relentlessly. It headed quickly into the dense woods, hoping that some of the branches above would take care of Blake. Ruby sped towards Dorian and Weiss, grabbing Weiss and stopping on a dime.

"Ready?" Ruby asked, smiling at Weiss. Weiss blushed.

"Ready for what?" Weiss asked.

"Stick Myrtenaster out and just trust me!" Ruby exclaimed. She launched back in the other direction, the two of them spiraling towards the snake using Ruby's semblance. Weiss threw up her glyphs around the snake and they shot back and forth between them so fast that Dorian couldn't see them. Ruby finally came to a stop, tumbling to the ground with Weiss and looking up at the snake as it fell, landing near Dorian and dissipating. Ruby jumped on Weiss, tackling her to the ground. "We did it!"

"Get off of me you dolt!" Weiss yelled. Ruby looked her in the eyes, that warm expression bringing Weiss to a smile as well and they kissed. "We still have to get you back to the bunker."

"I second that!" Dorian called out fending off Grimm.

"Shouldn't we help Blake first?" Weiss asked. Ruby leapt up and helped Weiss stand.

"She can handle things herself. She's always been a better fighter on her own," Ruby told her.

"Right." Weiss agreed. Dorian joined them and they turned to head deeper into the woods when Blake's gun flew past, wrapping around Weiss and pulling her in. "Ruby!"

"Weiss!" Ruby called out. Weiss blasted Blake back with a glyph freeing herself as Blake swung into the trees and perched, watching them from above. "Blake, what's going on?" Blake looked at Ruby, an unnerving expression of nonemotion swept across Blake's face, her eyes an eerie green. "Blake… No…"

"Ruby!" Weiss demanded shoving her. "This time you have to go!" Ruby shook her head.

"Weiss!" Ruby protested. Weiss kissed her hard and shoved her away.

"You can fix all of this! If you don't, we're all screwed anyway! You saw the Grimm coming out of my headquarters. Something is wrong and something big is coming," Weiss told her. She raised Myrtenaster and blasted at Blake with fire Dust, causing one of Blake's clones to take a hit as she disappeared momentarily. "Go Ruby. I love you." Ruby felt tears in her eyes as her heart seized for a moment.

"I… I love you too." She grabbed Dorian and she headed even deeper into the woods with him as Neptune, Sage, and Scarlet shot past.

"Are you okay Ruby!?" Scarlet yelled out. She sniffed and nodded, not stopping for a moment.

"Keep the Grimm off of us!" Ruby yelled back.

"You got it!" May replied sprinting past with Nora and Ren. Pyrrha followed moments later.

"You can do this Ruby. For all of us," Pyrrha told her. As she continued on, Ruby knew that she meant the words to encourage her, but they hit Ruby much harder. That was the depth of the situation. If Ruby failed, she didn't only fail herself and Weiss. It would mean that she failed everyone.

Yang crashed the giant armor against Joseph again and he stumbled, allowing Yang to bring in the sword and ram it through Joseph's chest, who protested by trying to pull it out, but Yang wouldn't let up. She smirked as she pushed harder against him.

"Once you're dead and you shrink back down, I'm going to take your other horn!" Yang shouted as she grunted. Without warning, Joseph's body was barraged by glass projectiles, and he fell to the ground with a great thud. Yang looked around and looked at her hands, wondering if that was an ability the armor had that she wasn't aware of. Weiss's glyph broke and the armor was gone, leaving only her and a mess of Grimm with Joseph. Yang felt shivers down her spine as a voice addressed her by name.

"Yang Xiao Long," it said, sending a chill over her and nearly immobilizing her. She turned gingerly to face Salem, who stood several feet away, hands clasped together in front of her and she bowed slightly. "Your mother sends her regards from the grave. She says she wishes she had lived long enough to make things right." Yang clinched her fists, teeth grinding as her rage built up.

"She did, last night when she saved me from you bastards!" Yang shouted. Salem laughed kindly.

"Temper temper child. What's the old saying? 'Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger?'" Salem asked, offering another amused bout of laughter.

"What do you want?" Yang asked. She cocked her fists back, her gauntlets chambering the next round.

"I think you know quite well what I want, assuming that you know who I am. If your sister and that idiot make it back to the bunker and their little time travel escapade works, well then I'm done for. I've been planning this return for almost as long as you've been alive." Salem and Yang stared each other down.

"I won't let you do that." Salem laughed again, only serving to enrage Yang further.

"Oh, I know you aren't going to let me, child. I just thought that it was a common courtesy if I gave you the option of saving yourself when I do stop your sister. I mean, if I do succeed, you'll be dead and there will be no traveling back and doing it all over again," Salem explained. Yang cracked a grin and Salem titled her head, wondering what the girl realized.

"You know it will work, don't you?" Yang asked. "You've had Jade and Cinder do everything in the past, and now that we have a plan that will work, you've come down here in order to ensure that it gets done. Listen here lady, I might not be able to stop you, but I can sure as hell slow you down." Salem rolled her eyes and reached out in front of her, forming a glass sword in her hand.

"You remind me of someone I just killed a few moments ago." Yang smiled and took off running for Salem. Yang's fist pounded against Salem's sword as she blocked several blows. Yang backflipped as Salem made an attempt, landing on her feet and leaping back as Salem created a mass of glass knives above them, attempting to rain them down on Yang. Yang came to a stop, and as the daggers stopped falling to the ground, she could see that Salem was missing. Yang turned quickly, catching the sword with her robotic arm and snapping it in half with a flick of her wrist. Salem looked for a moment in slight shock as she formed a shield which Yang laid into. "Is this really the best you've got?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang asked through her swings and grunts. Salem teleported away and directed her beasts at Yang who batted them away, grabbing a Beowolf by the jaw and slamming it into the earth as she reached over it and fired at a Griffon that had landed nearby. Yang fired several shots at Salem which she easily deflected with her shield, but each one hit harder and slowly broke off shards of her protection. Yang fired behind herself, racing in and placing both fists on the shield at the same time firing. It knocked Salem back and she shattered, appearing behind Yang and stabbing her in the back with a large glass katana.

"Well, this weapon looks familiar. Not that you would know since your mother abandoned you when you were only a child. Let's end this quickly if we can, I'm growing impatient with Team RWBY's… Hope." Salem told her.

"Shut up!" Yang's cybernetic hand grabbed the sword, shoving it back through with ease, and she spun around, this time grabbing it with her real hand. It sliced across Yang's palm, causing her to bleed all over the sword, but she reached out with her right, grabbing Salem. "I always wondered what this gravity Dust shot would do, but didn't have the chance to use it since it was gifted to me on my wedding night." Yang cocked back and fired, the shot thundering into Salem and shot her through the air. Yang sprinted after her as she bound across the ground and fired again with her right arm, another direct hit that caused Salem to slam through several trees and plant into the side of the mountain. Yang reached her and grabbed her by the collar, her fist placed against Salem's head.

"I think your mother would be proud," Salem spoke softly. Salem shattered and fell to the ground as Yang slammed her fist into her, Jade's semblance spiraling up Yang's arms and into her mouth, penetrating her lungs. Yang wretched, trying to fight it for a moment and stumbling into Salem. "Foolish child." Two long glass blades extended from each of Salem's palms and she slammed them into Yang's chest, puncturing both lungs and pinning her to the mountainside. She moved to Yang's ear as she took her last breath, gasping helplessly. "I'm sorry, but patience isn't my strong suit. Now… Stay out of my way."

Shit hits the fan as our heroes race against Salem to return Dorian and Ruby to the bunker! Will they succeed? I'll be at the Madison Comic Con next weekend, so Chapter 33 will be uploaded today shortly after this one. Chapter 33 - I May Fall!