Chapter 55 – O'Death


Mazen


The Bullhead tattooed with the White Fang's Red Beowulf roars across the ocean, with significantly less people inside of it now. Corsac is sat down inside of the cockpit, with cold and rather saddened eyes. The death of his brother has hit him hard, and the fact he left his hanging body behind truly shows his loyalties really do come down to his own selfish nature. Mazen is knelt down inside of the troop bay of the aircraft with multiple crates that they collected from the Radar Station. His Chainsword leant down on the chairs behind him.

He stands tall, staring at the many crates and he walks towards where Corsac is currently sat, his hands holding onto the joysticks that help steer the craft. Mazen grasps his hand onto the back of his seat, staring out at the sea that stretches out before their very eyes, and Corsac's eyes slightly turn when he senses the presence of the High Leader. "I do hope all the lives we lost were worth the trouble it took to get those crates." Corsac speaks with his deep growling voice, angry over the loss of his younger twin brother. Mazen slightly looks at him but keeps his head mostly facing the stretched out sea before them.

Mazen sighs, walking away from the cockpit as he looks at the twelve crates that they managed to get aboard this ship before the chaos followed in that Chamber. "As do I, Corsac...as do I." He agrees, talking a crowbar and stabbing it into the box, pushing down with all his might to detach the lid of the wooden crate. The crate's lid breaks off with the ping of the lock and hinge shattering from the action. Mazen drops the metal tool onto the clang, and he peers into the box.

Corsac looks back at him, seeing what he pulls out from inside. Mazen chuckles menacingly, holding a backpack that the Seeker's wear to move at supersonic speeds, all it requires is Electrical Dust to be loaded into it. "With this tech, though – our forces will be able to challenge the Acolytes...and those damned Huntsmen in the middle of this war." Mazen states, setting the backpack onto the crate again as he walks over to him again.

Although, Corsac does not appear to share the same enthusiasm, he just stares out at the distance again with pain in his eyes. Mazen is not blind, he can tell when someone is feeling down over a certain loss, and watching his brother die like that was enough reason for Corsac to be angry, and sad. "Corsac...your brother will not die in vain...our cause will save the Faunus from what is coming." Mazen promises, and he chuckles at the High Leader's promise.

"Adam said the same thing about when Ilia died." Corsac tells him, and Mazen stares straight at him. The huge man sighs, scratching the back of his head exposed since his mask is no helmet. Then his words send a chill down Corsac's spine.

"Adam was weak." Mazen states, causing him to turn.

"What?" Corsac questions – Corsac Albain never really liked Adam or trusted him, but he respected the man for what he fought for. And in his eyes, Adam returned back to the fold after trying to betray their own cause. That is enough reason for the Last Albain to put some respect on the Bull Faunus. But clearly, Mazen does not share the same feelings towards him, as he walks over to the gear that they acquired.

"He let his obsession over Blake Belladonna cloud his judgement, and because of that it got him killed. He could have never lead the Faunus to a better tomorrow." He states, looking back at Corsac, and the Albain does not disagree.

"Yes, but he was still fighting for the future of the Faunus." Corsac defends, but Mazen guffaws at that, opening another crate with the Crowbar he picked back up, barely even struggling to pop the wooden lid from the hinges.

"Do you really think he chased after Blake Belladonna because he wanted to help the Faunus? Do you think he personally lead the attack on Beacon Academy because of the White Fang's march to bring equality?" Mazen questions, as he looks inside, pushing some high tech rifles, armour and schematics for Juggernaut Exo-Suits, and many other things buried in there. Along with caches of Dust mined from that chasm that his chamber was connected to. "His mind was solely focused on getting back at a single girl that dumped him – I don't know about you but the boy was fooled by love." He scoffs.

Then Albain drops the ice cold bomb on him. "And you are doing this for the Faunus and not your own personal ideals?" Corsac questions, and Mazen stops in his tracks, slowly placing the crowbar onto the floor, staring straight at him through that mask that hides his real face.

"Excuse me?" Mazen challenges as he approaches him with a snarling voice, showing his inner Bear Traits. But Corsac uses his intelligence and good memory to support his claim, bravely challenging the High Leader of the White Fang.

"When we were in Kuo Kuana, he had no respect for the Faunus who lost their lives there. You just shrugged their deaths off as statistics, and your are completely focused on wiping out the Atlesians." Corsac explains, which confuses Mazen of what his motives are.

"Then what are your motives?" He questions.

"I am not my brother – I loved him but he was clouded by his bloodlust. He always enjoyed killing things in his life, but I aim to bring order to the Faunus. To allow us to stand where we should be standing all along." Corsac explains to him, and Mazen glares at him through the glowing red visors which perfectly are placed where his eyes are.

"And where would that be?" Mazen grills, standing tall before the much shorter Fox Faunus. And Corsac's answer is just as chilling as the words that Mazen has been saying.

"Above Humanity, not wiping them out...but using them the way they have used us." Corsac answers.

All of them want payback for something, and Mazen can tell just from the way he said it, where he came from. "You were a Slave in Mantle, weren't you?" Mazen presumes, and Corsac nods his head.

"My brother and I – I promised him once that we would be free from the Schnee Dust Company and their manipulation. And now he is dead, hanging by a cable because of those who continue to push us down." Corsac explains, with conviction clear in his vocal tones, his fist clenched as he speaks.

"Is that why you and your brother slaughtered those Faunus in that Village? Because you were helping the Faunus?" Mazen questions, and the fact he knows about that does surprise him. How long ago that feels now, when his brother and him formed those bloodthirsty Faunus Fanatics that followed their White Fang, killing any Faunus that have any relations to Humans. Killing Faunus who fell in love with a human, or the other way around as well.

"That was my brother's doing – not me. He believed it was right that Humans should suffer, and any Faunus that defend them fall as well." Corsac explains.

"And what do you believe?" Mazen questions.

Corsac stares straight into his eyes. "Control – nothing more. Not the murderous rampages that my brother liked to go on." He states.

Mazen exhales as he stares at the man, he cannot tell if he is lying or not – so he does not bother to find out. Corsac and Fennec both are great liars and thieves, and with only one of them left now, that means his lies have more weight. No second loose end to rip the line of lies that they had forged.

But Corsac seemed to be honest.

Mazen has calmed down now, understanding the reservations that Corsac has towards this plan that Mazen has, and he has just lost his brother too. It is reason enough for anybody to be a little sharper than they normally would be towards their leader. "We all have our reasons, Corsac. I want Atlas to fall for what they did to my family, you want revenge for what they did to you and your brother in those Mines. Adam Taurus did want to avenge his parents – but when Blake Belladonna left him behind on that train...it fed into his more unfortunate tendencies." Mazen explains, speaking softer about the man that he disliked.

Corsac looks at him as Mazen places his huge hand on his shoulder, Mazen sighs and he takes his hand away from Corsac, stepping away from him as he continues. "But he did not have what it took to rid himself of his demons – and it got him killed." Mazen states, turning to him and Corsac sighs, looking away from his leader.

"My brother let his inner demon kill him as well." Corsac sadly says as he looks down at the floor, desperately wanting to avenge him.

"His death will mean something, Corsac." Mazen assures, looking at the crates inside of the Bullhead and he pats his hand on one of the closed ones. "This was a major victory for the White Fang, Corsac, even if it does not feel like it yet." Mazen assures.

"How so?" Corsac asks.

"All this technology? All of it comes with blueprints, blueprints we can give to our allies to build more for our soldiers." He explains, but he shakes his head.

"We have hardly any forces, High Leader. Most of our soldiers are either dead or are tired of fighting for our cause. Or have been captured – we do not have the forces to fight a war like this." Corsac explains, wisely as well, yet Mazen still has a plan.

"No...And that is why we shall free the Faunus who have been captured across Remnant. Many Bandits, such as the Traffickers have taken plenty of Faunus to sell them to the Schnee Dust Company. And Mantle has thousands of Faunus who are hungry for revenge." He explains to him.

"Even if we freed them all, that is not enough against the Acolytes of Lien. They have Faunus in their command as well. It is possible they have no idea of what has happened in Menagerie." Corsac explains, and Mazen chuckles.

"And that is the other way we will gain more soldiers." He states, revealing something he had recorded on his scroll.

He recorded the conversations between Jacques Schnee and Doctor Merlot that the good Doctor showed to the Huntsmen and Huntresses that arrived in the Chamber.

"Once the Faunus hear of what happened in Menagerie – they will all be crying for war." He states, hitting the stop button on his Scroll.

Another War is coming.

And with Vir Nominis Umbra working his dark magic and skills in the background.

Things are not looking good for Remnant at all.


Blake


The Belladonna Huntress, still with tears welled up in her eyes, is on her knees beside the newly dug grave for Adam. He looks at peace, his skin turned pale from his passing and there are still cuts and blood on his body. But they have done what they could to clean the damage off, and they have recovered the remains of Wilt and Blush to bury it with him. Despite everything that he did in the past, and everything that happened here, they still have the reverence to bury him, and pay their own respects to him. Qrow and the Architect both crouch down as they help pick Adam up and they gently carry him to the grave that they have dug for him. They both carefully lower him into the grave, and Jaune watches with respect in his low eyes as he watches. Pyrrha rests her head on his shoulder.

The fact that they...

Of all people...

Are the ones doing this for him, shows that they are better people than Mazen and Corsac. Because they did not only just bury Adam, but they also made sure that they buried everyone else that they could find. Even Fennec...after what he did to Port, they still buried him in Menagerie.

Because they are better people than their foes.

Qrow and the Architect both rise back up after setting him down and Blake takes Wilt and Blush, gently placing it on his chest where it belongs. Kassius and Kragen look down at Adam as he lays there with his hands held over Wilt and Blush, ready to bury him before they set the tarp over him out of respect. "Would anyone like to make any words?" Kragen asks, as he looks at Adam's body, and Blake stands up with a sniffle.

Ruby, despite still a little weak from her stab wound she suffered from Corsac, reaches out to Blake to calm her down, flinching from the sharp pain that fluctuates from her stomach where the bandage is tightly wrapped. But Blake looks back at her, and she smiles affectionately to her friend, because she feels like she needs to say something to him.

Blake approaches the grave and she crouches down beside it, looking at his body inside and she sniffles, her hand pressed to the soil. "Adam..." She sniffles as she looks down at him, some bandages wrapped around her body in places as well from the fight that she endured against him. Her aura slowly repairing the damage that Wilt and Blush had done to her skin. "I'm so sorry that things had to end this way between us..." She gently says to him, as she looks at his face as he rests there.

She does not say it but...

He looks at peace...for once.

Her eulogy continues for her old friend as she looks down at him. "You were always there for me, before I ever met Ruby...before Sun...Before Yang and Weiss...before Jaune and Pyrrha. Before anybody I met after I ran – you and Ilia were always there for me, with my parents – when I needed you." Blake eulogises as tears trickle down from her eyes. Oscar stands with Ruby at her side, his hand holding hers as he looks at her affectionately and she smiles, looking at Port's body that has been wrapped in a body bag, being taken back home to Beacon.

Sadly...

They could not uncover the bodies of Vos, Serena and Gray, for the Sandstorm buried their bodies, leaving them M.I.A.

Blake rubs the tear from her eye as she sniffles. "You taught me how to fight – to be more than what Humanity made me think I was. But you let your own anger grow beyond your own control...and now you can rest." Blake says as she stands up, backing away so then Kragen and Kassius can take the soil and bury him, as Winter covers his body with the sheet. They both begin to cover his body up with the soil, returning him to the dirt and Blake squeezes her eyes shut. "Goodbye Adam." She concludes, bowing her head as they bury him.

Burying him beside the graves...

Ghira Belladonna

Loving Father and Husband

Kali Belladonna

Loving Mother and Wife

Ilia Amitola

Caring Friend taken too soon

Adam Taurus

Caring Friend taken too soon

Blake feels the lump in her throat as she holds back the urge to cry more and more, at least he was buried where he belonged. As they stand there, Oobleck looks at Qrow and they both seem to have the same thing on their mind. "The Thralls..." Qrow says as he looks around, and for some reason no one else seems to have noticed it either.

The Thralls that plagued Kuo Kuana.

They are all gone, not a single cry or shuffle.

"They're all gone." Qrow says, since they were never attacked when taking Port and Adam back to the Belladonna Estate. And behind them is the Prowler that they took to get there in the first place.

"Something is not right, Qrow." Oobleck states, still weak from Adam's Moonslice attack that destroyed his Thermos Staff.

"I know." Qrow agrees.

Blake continues to watch as Kassius and Kragen both finish burying his body, and Yenna looks at the body with Cinder beside her. It is very clear that Yenna does not overly trust Cinder due to the way she attained the power, but she can tell that she is trying to atone. Yenna looks at her, and she sighs. "You fought well." Yenna gently compliments, surprising Cinder. As always she never expects to get compliments from anyone after what she did to Beacon all those years ago. But she is slowly becoming more and more accepted amongst everyone here.

"Thank you." She says to her.

"A lot of things you could work on though." Yenna says, as if she could not hold in that little addition. Cinder's shoulders slump downwards and she sighs, her eyelid hangs low over her amber iris.

"There it is." She sighs.

"No – I mean your gifts." She says, which confuses her.

"What do you mean?" Cinder asks.

"In that Chamber you only seemed to rely on Conjuring and Fire, but there was so much more you could have done in there." Yenna tells her as she looks at the young woman with her violet eyes.

"How do you mean?" Cinder asks.

Then Cinder's eye widens and she gasps when she feels a root caressing her ankle that truly surprises her, she looks down to see some roots and even flowers growing around them. And above the graves of those who belong at the Belladonna Estate. "All four Maidens harbour the same gifts, if we just know how to use them. Some time I will be happy to help you." Yenna assures as she continues to pay her respects with her hands held together, looking at the grave of Adam Taurus.

But Cinder still remains confused.

"Why?" She asks, Yenna looks at her with a sigh.

"Well – not matter how much I may disagree with you killing another Maiden to take her power – you clearly are not the same person you once were. And down there in that chamber? I could see how much you were trying to atone for your sins." Yenna assures, she has lived for a very long time so she will know a hell of a lot more about this kind of stuff that Cinder will ever know.

"Thank you..." Cinder gently says, until the sharp and aggressive voice of Yenna returns, making her jolt.

"Don't think that this makes me like you though!" She warns, and Cinder looks away with a sigh.

Guess I was expecting a little too much.

Blake remains stood over Adam's grave, and everyone slowly begins to walk away around her, taking Port into the Prowler so then he can return home. Kragen walks past her and he gently places his hand on her shoulder as he walks away. He moves past Ruby and Oscar, seeing the distrust still in both their faces as they watch him. Eventually Ruby and Oscar go as well, leaving only Blake and Kassius stood by his grave.

Kassius...

Looking at both Adam and Ilia's graves.

He still feels such guilt for how he tried to kill Ilia without hearing her side of the story, but there is a reason for him being by Adam's grave still as well. He sighs as he reveals his reason to Blake. "I never got to apologise to him." He says, and Blake looks at him with a surprised expression. It took her a second, but then she quickly remembered that he broke his horn off when Hyde snapped and took over.

And he did fight all of them in the process.

"Kassius..." Blake gently speaks but as always the Huntsman just shrugs her affection off.

"I nearly killed him, nearly killed Blake...both because I run off so much anger and aggression." He says with saddened – or even disappointed – eyes, clenching his cybernetic hand into a fist as he looks at Adam's grave.

Blake approaches Kassius and she looks up at him. "He cut Yang's arm off, you had every reason to get angry." Blake defends, despite how much she still cared for Adam in the end, especially when it ended like this.

"That's not the point, Blake." He rejects.

"Then what is it, Kassius?" She asks him, and he reveals it as he crouches down beside the grave.

"I attacked him just from the mere sight, I nearly killed Ilia when I saw her. I cannot control Hyde, all it takes is a trigger for him to snap and..." He stammers, then Blake figures out what his fear seems to be.

"You're afraid you'll hurt someone you care about." She realises and Kassius slowly nods his head.

"Yeah...I attacked all of you when I tried to kill Adam. It hasn't happened in a while...but I don't think even Hyde can control it." He says, sighing.

Blake leans her head against his shoulder gently, there for him as his girlfriend's best friend. "Then we will help both of you get through it together – at the end of the day let's face it – both of you are part of this family now." Blake assures with a smile.

He looks at her and he sighs, nodding his head. She does not even realise how touching those words were for Hyde, he may not show kindness very well. But that does not mean he does not have it in him.

"Thanks..." Hyde softly whispers, bringing some happiness to the entity.


Whitley


The youngest child of the Schnees is sat at a Piano, playing a complex song on the keys with ease as he sits there. Each finger nails the right key at the perfect time as he plays, the music echoes down the corridor of the Manor that feels so empty now. He follows the sheet of paper with the marks printed on it perfectly.

But before he can go any further, the voice of his father makes him jump and he accidentally messes it up, playing multiple keys at once. "You've certainly improved." Jacques says to his son with his arms crossed, looking at him by the photographs on the wall. Whitley stammers when he sees his father standing there with his blue eyes focused on him.

"Oh...hello father...I was just practicing again." He replies as he stumbles, yet strangely enough Jacques does something that nobody else has ever seen him do. He calms him down as he approaches, with an aura of actual supportiveness and kindness towards him.

"Don't worry, it's okay." Jacques assures as he pulls a chair up and he sits down in it. He crosses one leg over the other and he looks at the boy. "What song is it? I haven't heard this one before." Jacques curiously asks his son, and Whitley turns to the sheet of paper with all the notes on it. And the name of the song is imprinted on the very top of the piece that he holds.

"It's called the Grand Lord of Redcrossing. I found it in some of the old archives in the Library that Klein used to look after." Whitley explains to him, setting the piece of paper back onto the mantelpiece.

"Why not use a datapad? I'm sure that would be easier to scroll through." Jacques presumes, but Whitley shrugs his shoulders with disagreement.

"I prefer having it on paper – dunno why – just works better for me." He says to his father.

Jacques looks at his son, in a way he never looked at either of his daughters – but he actually looks proud of him. Not for his own ambition or that he actually has an heir worthy of his dynasty to continue it, but just of how he has turned out.

Perhaps there is a softer side to the cold Businessman.

"Don't worry, I'll pack it up –" Whitley stammers, but Jacques holds his hands up.

"No, no...please..." He requests as he sits back, actually wanting to hear what he has learned.

"You...want to hear it?" He asks with confusion.

"Of course." Jacques replies with a smile, and Whitley smiles back as he begins to play.

Whitley sits forward in his chair and he cracks his fingers as he prepares to play the song on the white Piano before him.

Then he begins to play the song for his father, and Jacques is legitimately happy for his son as he hears how talented he is at playing on the piano. Landing every single key perfectly with his fingers, creating a beautiful tune that he can listen to.

And it shows the side that Weiss, Winter and Willow – even Klein – never saw between the two of them.

Winter had her mother and saw her decay when Jacques revealed he only married her for the family name, so she defied her father because she connected to her mother. Weiss saw the same but not as long as Winter did, and thus followed her sister's footsteps. Whitley on the other hand never remembered a time where his mother did not drink so much wine, does not remember the breaking point, and thus he only had his father to connect to. Since Weiss and Winter were so busy trying to get out of their during their childhood.

And thus...

The connection his father had with his son was better as well.

When Whitley plays the song, there is a side to Jacques that nobody expected – the side of a father that just wants his family to be happy. But his ambition is always there and it always seems to get in the way.

But here...

In this one moment.

Jacques actually feels like a father for once.

And he actually feels pride.

Whitley continues the song, hearing the lyrics in his head as he plays the tune to the words.

Why, oh why must I bow down to you.

A group of measly peasants?

Spoke the Grand Lord of Redcrossing,

Demanding his people work harder and harder – for his own goal.

Gold, women, food, wine and power,

Tis all the reward he knows for his effortless acts.

Though judgement comes for all men,

No matter wealth, age or gender.

When he comes – one should allow him entry with kindness,

And think carefully on their wishes.

"Riches, food and power...this is what I demand"

Spoke the Grand Lord of Redcrossing.

But now the ashes lay on the once green fields,

With only one body residing.

Wishes be granted...

But not what he wanted.

And with all he asked...

He be left behind with not a soul to share with.

Whitley gently plays the conclusion to the song, the sound of the keys begins to fade away as he closes the song up, and he leans back against the chair, turning to his father. He takes his hands from the keys and Jacques smiles, giving him a round of applause for how impressive that was. He may not say it, but he does see a slight resemblance to his youngest daughter, she could sing and he could play the piano perfectly. "You have vastly improved from when I last listened." Jacques compliments.

Whitley smiles as he accepts the praise his father gives him, something he rarely ever hears since it is mostly business that they discuss. "Thank you father, I have been meaning to do some more practice when things had – calmed down." Whitley states, with the shrug of his shoulders. Jacques nods his head as he sits there.

"Yes...did you know I used to play the piano once?" Jacques asks him, and Whitley looks confused.

"Really?" He questions.

"Well – I say I played it – I was crap at it, but I gave it my best. It was nowhere near as good as that." Jacques chuckles as he looks at his son, making him laugh as well.

"Well it's never too late to try." Whitley says with a smile, but Jacques chuckles as he looks a little saddened.

"Well...my teacher was a Faunus." He reveals and Whitley looks truly surprised by those words.

"Wait...here at Atlas?" He asks with confusion, since Faunus are practically outlawed in Atlas, and are enslaved in Mantle for labour.

"Yes, you see when dear old Nicholas Schnee was alive – he made sure that the Faunus had a place here in Atlas. He was blind to the threat that they posed to us." Jacques states, with a scowl as he stares out at the window with resent in his eyes. "But my teacher – he was adamant that I would never make anything in my life. That I would be an immense failure that the world would forget I ever existed." He explains, beginning to reveal some reasons behind his hatred for the Faunus Species.

Whitley listens to his words intently. "Until one day...I finally did it...I mastered my craft in playing the piano. And I had a show, one where I would play in front of a stage of one thousand people." Jacques explains to him. "My knees were wobbling so much, wouldn't think that after how many public speeches I have had to make."

Whitley chuckles but Jacques continues. "I played my soul out to that crowd, and I was madly in love with the woman that would become your mother. I was trying to win her over...and she was in the crowd, cheering me on." Jacques explains with a smile on his face. The fact he speaks so highly of her, it does confuse the poor boy, but Jacques continues on and on. "I finished it, and the crowd cheered for me. And when I got off the stage I was ready to soak in the joy..."

"Until...my teacher appeared on the stage...and he created a lie that destroyed that reputation of mine. He said that I cheated, and I used a recorded version that he played to make it look like he was the real artist. He is a liar and a cheat. He said that to the entire audience, and he stole my praise...and swallowed all of it for himself." Jacques explains, and Whitley's eyes widen at this revelation.

"Mom heard him say that? Did she believe him?" Whitley asks, since he never did have the highest praises for his mother.

But the answer is not what Whitley expected.

"No." Jacques reveals. "She believed me, when nobody else did. I loved her...and eventually she loved me." He says, then Whitley spots the anguish in his father's eyes as he stands up and stares out at the Garden where she sat. "Willow...what a mess I made of it all.." He whispers as he stares at where she would sit, still imaging her face now.

"But she...she cheated on you..." Whitley questions and Jacques turns round.

"Because I betrayed her – in my rage I said that I only married her for the family name. But that wasn't the truth, I was angry and drunk and stupid. And everything changed after that, she began to drink more and more, and we drifted apart. I became more violent because...because it was the only way she would listen to me." He sighs as he presses his hands against the windowsill.

Whitley stands up and he walks over to his father with compassion in his blue eyes. "I don't blame her for falling for Ironwood instead of me. He didn't let his ambition control him." He reveals, showing a side he has never shown anybody, perhaps even his own wife when she was alive.

The smirk he gave when the bombs went off...

They were not for Willow or Klein or perhaps even Ironwood.

It is because the politicians and Thaddeus stood in his way were now eradicated.

Willow, Klein and Ironwood were merely unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire. "I'm really sorry, father." Whitley apologises, and Jacques sighs, wiping a stray tear from his eye as he stands back up.

"All that matters to me know is you, son. I will not let the Faunus hurt you the way they hurt me. That teacher was only one reason for my hatred for their kind, I have more but I will leave those tales for another time. If running the company and fighting your sisters and anything else that stands in our way will protect you..." Jacques says as he places his hand on his shoulder gently. "...I will." He assures with a kind smile.

Whitley smiles back, until Jacques hears his Scroll buzzing with an incoming call. Jacques sighs. "Go on now, please keep practicing." Jacques requests as he walks away from him, but before he does he stops and turns to him. "And Whitley?" He speaks, getting his attention, he turns and looks at him. "You mother loved you with all her heart – I am the reason she fell. If you have anybody to hate – place it on me, not your mother." Jacques requests, and Whitley lowers his head.


Jacques


Clearly there is more to this businessman than just money and power, he knows of his sins and he lives with them every single day. The Leader of the Schnee Dust Company enters the cold Study of his and he closes the door, setting his scroll down onto the floor so then the call can activate.

A holographic projection of Darren Ortega forms before him with his hands held behind his back, stood like a proper military general. Jacques picks up his large bottle of Kuchinashi Brewed Whiskey into a glass that he puts some ice cubes into, lifting it up with his hand as he turns to the Admiral. "Ortega, to what do I owe this fine pleasure?" Jacques asks him as he walks round his desk and leans against it, looking right at him.

"It seems we have a new course." Ortega tells him, and Jacques takes a sip of his Whiskey.

"And that is?" Jacques asks.

"It appears the White Fang attacked Merlot's facility and so did your eldest Daughter and her allies." Ortega describes, and Jacques lifts his head, returning back to the cold Businessman that he shows to everyone else, opposed to the father-figure he is to his son.

"Was anything important taken?" Jacques asks.

"Twelve crates of Merlot Industries crafted technology. Seeker backpacks, Juggernaut Armour, countless blueprints." Ortega lists and Jacques sighs as he sets the glass down onto his table.

"So what are we going to do about that?" Jacques asks me, and his answer does seem to worry the Businessman.

"Well our contact, the one we are working for?" Ortega asks him, and Jacques stands there, his back turned to Ortega and he slowly turns.

"Vir Nominis Umbra?" Jacques presumes.

"Yes – he arrived on board my ship – not sure how – and he told me that Merlot has...and I quote...outlived his usefulness." Ortega informs, and it clearly seems to have surprised both of them.

"He gets robbed so he is dead to us?" Jacques questions with confusion, a ballsy thing to question Vir Nominis Umbra's order like that.

"Well he did say that he found something he really shouldn't have uncovered. But the issue is I have no idea where he is based." Ortega tells him.

"Neither do I, he has always maintained that secret from us." Jacques agrees. "Why doesn't he just kill him himself? Seems he can pop in out of nowhere wherever and whenever he wants." Jacques states, and that is what surprises them both again.

"That's what he told me – that even he cannot track him down for some reason. So we all need to work hard to follow the tracks. But he did say he has a small idea of where he could be." Ortega says to him, but Jacques already seems to know exactly what he is about to say as an answer. "Well...and Umbra said that he had something important to do right now, something he left pretty quickly to do."

Jacques does not even seem to pay attention to that last part, so he just continues with what he was going to say before being interrupted by the Admiral.

"Arkhonex?" Jacques guesses.

"Precisely." Ortega nods.

"Of course, the Lost City of Arkhonex that nobody can find because it has been hidden for thousands of years. He had me hidden in Ephai for months until I was allowed to return home but your spies turned up nothing of the city's location. How could he have located it?" Jacques questions as he paces back and forth.

"I don't know...and I don't like it either." He sighs.

"Why?" Jacques questions. "You have plenty of workers who have the blueprints you needed from him."

"Not that." He says, staring coldly at the man, and Jacques figures it out quick.

"Ah...Miss Penny Polendina, that little project you had him do for you?" Jacques chuckles as he stares at him with a sinister smirk.

"The last thing he told me is that he was really close to bringing her back, very different to our last conversation." Ortega tells him, still with his daughter's necklace she made for him around his neck.

"Well the employer has made the demand and we cannot argue with him. You heard the order, and I will send out a contract to hunt him down." Jacques says, and Ortega glares at him with narrow eyes as he ends the call. "Farewell, Ortega." He says, and he approaches his scroll, terminating the call. Jacques takes his scroll and sits down at his table, loading up his network he used to set bounties on people as the Trinity Marshall.

He loads up his contract.

Doctor Archer Merlot

Award: 100'000'000 Lien for the capture of the professor.

Jacques leans back as he uploads this meaty contract to track him down.

"Goodbye, Merlot."


Ruby


Unaware of this unexpected betrayal in the ranks of their foes...

The Prowler finally returns back home to Beacon, the night has fallen and the Fractured Moon hangs above them all as the Branwen Tribesmen approach with rifles in their hands. The rear door opens and they are stunned when they see the Architect walking past with the body bag that carries Professor Port's body inside, all of them quiet with saddened expressions.

The Bandit looks at Qrow as he walks out with a shocked look. "What the hell happened?" The Bandit questions as he sees them all walking past and towards the Amphitheatre to relay the bad news. "Did you find a cure?" He asks.

Qrow sighs and just shakes his head. "We failed." He replies, walking past the Branwen soldier and towards the Amphitheatre.

Pyrrha and Jaune both look ahead and see Ren and Nora stood there and their eyes widen with joy when they see them. Nora jumps into Jaune's arms, hugging him tight before doing the same to Pyrrha. "Are you okay? What happened?" She asks then they both fall silent when they see the body bag in the Architect's arms.

"Who is in the bag?" Ren nervously asks.

Pyrrha is the one to break the news with a saddened voice. "Port...Fennec Albain killed him." Pyrrha reveals with tears in her eyes, and Nora and Ren's eyes widen with horror and anguish.

"Oh no..." Ren mutters as he presses his hands against his head and Nora clenches her hands into fists.

"Fennec's gonna pay! Fennec is gonna pay for this!" Nora yells with rage, but Jaune stifles the anger.

"He already has, Oscar and Ruby managed to kill him...but he didn't go down without a fight." Jaune states, as he looks at Ruby who is still limping from the pain in her stomach. The Shadow Dust in that blade still has a small affect on her aura, making the healing process a little slower.

"And Adam?" Ren asks, but Jaune just shakes his head.

"Only Mazen and Corsac managed to escape alive, we also faced the Knights there as well. And...the Faunus..." Pyrrha stammers when she pictures the monsters that they became in Kuo Kuana. Nightmares that she may never forget.

"We know...we saw what happened to Brawnz..." Nora informs which brings them horrible worries of what could have happened.

"How is everyone?" Ruby asks as she emerges with Oscar and Blake with her.

"Roy and Nolan aren't doing well, high fever and they have been saying they feel their skin itching really bad. Yang has started to sweat a lot as well." Ren describes, and those symptoms do not sound good, especially after what happened to Brawnz after he felt the bones in his forearm shifting in weird ways and places. Ruby checks her aura, noticing that the fluctuations have finally passed now, and her wound can begin to heal back up normally again. Clearly the Shadow Dust only has an effect for a couple hours before the aura can replenish itself naturally again.

"I want see them." Ruby says as she walks towards the door, she opens it and sees them all inside. It is as if she can feel the shock and awe as she enters, and the stains on the floor where May was brutally torn to shreds by Brawnz. Taiyang gasps, standing up and Raven smiles when she sees Ruby and her brother walking into the room.

"Ruby!" Taiyang sighs with relief, hugging her tight. "You're okay..." He sighs as he holds her close.

"Hey...dad..." She softly says, since she knows how much of a friend that Port was to him.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Taiyang asks as Glynda approaches, she can see the defeat in their eyes, not only because Merlot did not have a cure but the death of Professor Port had hit them hard. Taiyang looks at Qrow and he shares the same expression as everyone else, so he walks past both of them and opens the door, and his eyes widen when they unzip the bag to reveal his body. His eyes closed and the stain of blood in his chest where the Spiral Dagger blasted the Shadow Dust bolt into his chest. "Pete..." He gasps with shock, and Glynda looks just as heartbroken.

She turns to look at Kragen, Qrow and the Architect. "Please tell me that Merlot had a cure." She begs with fear in her voice.

Kragen sighs, shaking his head. "No...he didn't – he didn't even make the plague, we think Umbra did. He just managed to contain some inside of the devices that released it into Vacuo. And managed to make one that activates fully on command on Atlesian soldiers...testing it on the Faunus there." He stammers, and Glynda can remember the conversation with Cinder about it as if it just happened.

Kassius and Ruby both rush over to Yang, and Kassius immediately wraps his arms around her, kissing her cheek affectionately. "Thank the gods you're okay..." He sighs with relief.

"Hey babe..." Yang weakly greets with a smile, the plague is still eating away at her, she sweats profusely and her skin is pale. Kassius takes his eyes from her beautiful face to look at the medical bag above her head to see that it is nearly empty.

"Crap...Glynda where are the meds?" Kassius asks.

"Um...Check in the dorms, I had us store some new ones in there. They just arrived from Vale Medical." Glynda says, clearly things have been hectic here for even Glynda to just put them in a random dorm.

"Alright...Jaune, Pyrrha. Let's go find them!" Kassius says as he runs towards the doors. Neither of them argue, they just follow after him, running through the doors to the Dorms.


Kassius


Jaune and Pyrrha run alongside him, towards the Dormitories. "How will this work, Kas? It's a three story building with like twenty dorms on each." Jaune asks him.

"Each of us check one floor, it's gotta be in one of them." Kassius says, as he sprints straight towards the double doors, smashing his shoulders against the thick wooden doors, barging them open.

They sprint as fast as they possibly can to get there, running up the stairs into each level to find where she stored them. Kassius runs through the level where Team R.W.B.Y and J.N.P.R's dorms used to be, as fast as he can.

Until a voice stops him.

"Kassius..." The voice whispers.

He stops with widened eyes.

He knows that voice.

That was Merlot.


Ruby


"Okay...when Kassius gets back with the meds we can think of a new plan." Ruby says as she paces back and forth.

But then...

They all stop when they hear Yang quietly singing something.

A song...

A terrifying song.

"A grin as candid as children, as sweet as bee honey,"

"His voice kind and sharp, as the blade of a razor,"

"Brings you from elder to youth, within the blink of an eye."

"Wishes be granted, be it: love, riches or luck,"

"His face like a mirror, fear shall consume you,"

"Anger through truth, loss through acceptance."

"For the end of your journey, Death will come for you,"

"Charcoal Cities, come waiting for you,"

"The Soothsayer shall wait, for his voice will control you,"

"Torment and Control, till the moon will shatter..."

They all stare at Yang with horrified eyes, Ruby looks at Oscar and he knows exactly what that song means. Nora and Ren look truly scared as they stand there. "Yang?" Weiss stammers with widened eyes, Blake holds Sun's hand as she sits beside him, all their eyes on her. Weiss' voice seems to snap Yang out of it, and she looks at them all with a worried expression.

"Guys? Why are you looking at me like that?" She stammers.

"Why are you singing that song?" Kragen fearfully asks.

"What song? I wasn't singing..." Yang states, as if she completely just blacked out.

Before they can even ask any more questions, the unmistakable caw of countless crows echoes from outside. The Architect peers through the window to see that there are hundreds of Crows outside, all sat on the Colonnades in the courtyard, staring straight at the Amphitheatre.

All of them have glowing red eyes.

And crystal beaks.

"Guys?" The Architect stammers, the most afraid they have ever heard him, and Cinder can feel the mark that Fury gave her tingling, as does Nora with the one the Lord of the Wood gave her. "He's here..."


Vir Nominis Umbra


The Bandits all turn with confused expressions to see the Soothsayer approaching with his eyes focused on the Amphitheatre, walking slowly towards them with a chilling smile on his face. His arms swing back and forth slowly as he moves closer and closer to the building. The crows all watch from above, the infinite eyes of the monster that he is.

One of the Bandits walks towards him with his Revolver drawn, aimed straight at his head. Unaware of who this entity really is. "Hey asshole! Stop right there!" The Bandit demands, all the others have their rifles aimed straight at the Soothsayer.

Vir Nominis Umbra smirks as he walks towards him slowly, and he just walks closer and closer to the Bandit.

Then he just walks, right past him, without even looking at him. "Hey! I said –" But before the Bandit can even finish his sentence, his voice suddenly cuts out and his body jolts. His heart completely stops beating from one moment to the next, his brain shuts down, every organ deactivates and his blood seems to freeze inside of him. Killing him instantly, and he collapses to his knees, dropping his rifle to the ground before landing on his face.

The other Bandits are now terrified.

Vir Nominis Umbra did not even look at him, did not even do anything. He just walked past him, and killed him instantly. And out of fear, the Bandits all begin to scream, firing their weapons at him constantly. Blake turns round with wide eyes when she hears the gunfire outside of the Amphitheatre. The bullets just shoot straight through his body and he only flickers like a hologram as they pass through his form.

He does not even stop walking or turn to attack them, he just continues on his path, and every single Bandit that he walks past collapses, killed instantly from whatever it is that he is doing. One by one they all fall, their bodies killed instantly from whatever dark magic he is pulling on them. They now try and turn to run, wailing with terror, but as soon as he walks past, they collapse to the ground, murdered instantly by him.

In a mere few minutes.

Twenty Branwen Bandits have just been wiped out.

And Vir Nominis Umbra did not even move.

He just walks closer and closer to the doors, and he reaches to the doorknob.

As the Fractured Moon watches from above.

Vir Nominis Umbra is here...


Author Note - Oh shit...

He's here, and now Ruby is finally going to speak to the big bad villain. I would like to preface this right away, just a little warning for the next chapter - it will be rough and it might be one of the most important chapters in the whole damn series. So be sure to stay tuned for that! And also, since I named the chapter off it - I would recommend listening to Jen Titus' O'Death rendition for the bit when Vir Nominis Umbra wipes out the Bandits. That is another scene I have been waiting to write for so long now, so that was great fun to do.

Other than the "oh shit" ending I just gave, another WTF moment will have to be Kassius hearing Merlot's voice coming from his Dorm. What do you think that means? Why do you think he is here?

And now he is being hunted as well because he is of no more use to Umbra.

Also what did you think of the development I did for Jacques and Whitley in this chapter? There will be a lot more development for dear old Jacques in the next Act since he plays a pretty big part in it. The same goes for Whitley and Ortega, and Merlot too. I have always had the idea that his hatred for the Faunus comes from his childhood and that is one of the reasons he hates them. And the way he became the man he is will be explained in greater detail in the future. He is a pretty complex character in this story, so I hope you look forward to that.

I hope you enjoyed and are terrified for the next chapter.

As I said...be prepared.

It's gonna be important as shit. :)

Please review, follow and favourite if you enjoyed!

Stay tuned for the next chapter - Not an Angel

- Matt