Chapter 33 – Lake Matsu

Ruby

It was nothing like the Summit's Claim, she felt like she was in danger with every second that passed by. So far, the Claim was the safest place she had known, even safer than Beacon Academy felt. Perhaps that was due to the two Battles of Beacon that occurred? Ruby lost her best friend and she was stabbed there, so it was understandable why she could not feel totally safe there all the time.

But this place? Everything felt like it was a trap, there were people keeping their eyes on them, but they also knew that they would be slaughtered if Lavinia gave the order. Ruby glanced at Eryka, and she was tense. She massaged her wrists constantly, Constantine Damascus laid on her lap. She held on of her extendable arrows in her fingers, spinning it round constantly whilst Dulcis sat next to her, his eyes stared around the area. Paladins marched past and the soldiers were armed to the teeth, using armour from Atlas and modified to suit their needs.

They were intimidating to say the very least, and the statement that they could take on the Black Gallows was most certainly not an understatement. Ruby stood up and she walked towards Eryka, moving past the Tribe that were all together, nervously talking to each other. Shay was sat with his grunts, and he was on edge as well – which made Ruby very nervous. He never struck her as the kind of person to think strategically in situations like these. Ruby approached Eryka and she sat down next to Neptune's sister. "Are you okay, Eryka?" She asked her curiously, and Eryka glanced at her.

"I… well… this place just brings back memories." Eryka sighed.

"Why? Was this where you and Neptune were raised?" Ruby asked, shocked at the idea that this was where they could have been raised.

"Oh no, no… Mom… Lavinia… she never took us here. We were never anywhere near the actual Cartel itself, she and our father wanted to keep the family separate. Well our dad did, Lavinia was always more passionate about leading the Cartel than raising a family. But no… our home was in Mistral. But I've been here a couple times." Eryka explained to her and Ruby looked at Eryka as she spoke. She sighed, pushing her hands against her face, sighing into her palms.

"I'm sorry…" Ruby apologised.

"Don't be, I knew this place was not gonna be fun the moment I knew we were coming here. I guess I didn't prepare myself for how many memories it would bring back." She sighed as she rubbed her scarred knuckles. Ruby noticed them, then Eryka pulled her gloves back on, hiding her self-consciousness from her friend. Ruby did not comment, she was not stupid she could put two and two together.

The Criminal Pit Fighting that Eryka took part in had brought her some pretty terrible scars that had haunted her even now. Her hands were not thick, they were still slender and gentle looking… but the scars changed a lot of that. Ruby then looked at her bow, gently stroking Dulcis' head. He softly chirped next to Ruby. "I never asked… did you make that bow?" She asked her.

"Yeah. But it wasn't something I always knew; it was something that Li taught me." Eryka explained as she held Constantine Damascus to her. Ruby held the huge Bow in her hands, she was surprised by the weight of it, but she also knew it was a shotgun as well as a Bow. She slid her fingers across the impressive craftsmanship of the Bow. She looked back at Eryka as she held the weapon. "You really are a dork for weapons, aren't ya?" Eryka chuckled.

"Oh yeah… I never was great at socialising with people. But weapons? That was always my thing." Ruby admitted as she turned Constantine Damascus over so she could admire the many markings that were engrained into the metal.

"I must admit… if you told me when I first came to Beacon four years ago that I would have a girlfriend and become a Huntress? Well I doubt I would have believed you." She admitted, and Ruby smiled.

"You wanted to be more. To be there for your brother." Ruby said with a smile. "He's lucky to have a sis like you. I know I am for having Yang, and Weiss with Winter." She said with a smile and Eryka smiled, gently rubbing Ruby's head.

"You're a good kid, Rubes." She said, making Ruby giggle with a blush.

They all turned and saw Qrow, Raven and Valravn returning to them, and Qrow had a worried look on his face. Ruby and Eryka were the first to stand up, looking right at the three Branwens as they came back to them. Eryka walked towards Qrow and Raven whilst Valravn hung back, since he could not go with them per the demands made by Lavinia Vasillias. "Come on, what's the word? Does she have Amber?" Eryka asked, and Cinder immediately walked over to them, stood next to Ruby.

"She has her, she's safe and being looked after." Qrow said, and it partly gave Cinder some relief, but she still desperately wanted to save the poor girl. She did not want her to be like what Salem turned her into.

Even though Cinder believed she was always going to be this way… all that hate and desire for power? It was always there.

Salem simply magnified it.

"Will she give her back to us?" Cinder asked the two of them and Raven looked at Qrow with a sigh.

"She will but it isn't Lien she's interested in. If it was, she would have already been sold to the highest bidder. No – Lavinia wants us to earn her custody." Raven explained, and Cinder clenched her hand into a fist, scoffing.

"Cool it, C." Eryka softly said to her, maintaining her composure.

"So, what does she want?" She asked them. Qrow looked at Eryka and he scratched his stubble.

"She wants a team of us – ones she has selected – to go and protect her Mining Team from Lancers, in the Lake Matsu Floating Islands." Qrow explained, and Eryka's eyes widened.

"What the hell could Lavinia possibly want from there?" Ruby asked.

"Gravity Dust." Eryka answered. "I knew that stuff sold for a lot, but I never knew she was into selling illicitly acquired dust through the Black Market."

"She's a slave trader, and that's what surprises you?" Cinder scoffed, Eryka glanced at her and she sighed. Eryka walked past the group of them and she started to ponder it all.

"I don't like it. My mom never does things so simply, she has her own angle on all this. It could be a trap." Eryka explained, looking back at them all.

"Why would she wanna lay a trap for us?" Ruby asked, showing her sweet innocence again.

"Ruby – trust me when I say this – my mother is one of the most dangerous people on Remnant. She is cunning and will do anything to ensure her own victory, there's a reason why she managed to take over the entire Criminal Underworld as quickly as she did." Eryka explained, her hands behind her head.

"Lake Matsu is unpredictable, it would be really hard to lay a trap there, Eryka." Raven said as she walked over to her.

"You don't know her; not like I do. That place is dangerous on its own but with her being our eyes and ears in this operation? She has something planned for us." Eryka explained.

"Then what do we do? We can't just cut Amber loose and just leave." Cinder stated, and Eryka stared at the Office where she could see her mother staring at her through the windows. Eryka sighed.

"No… we're not. Get everyone ready… I'm gonna go have a chat with my mother." Eryka told them as she walked towards the Air Traffic Control Centre that had been re-designed into their headquarters for their many operations. Ruby walked after her, still holding Constantine Damascus.

"Do you want me to come with?" Ruby asked.

"No." Eryka sharply responded, walking to the doors with her fists clenched. The others all stood there, watching as Eryka walked away from them.

Eryka

It was not long before Lavinia's forces took her to meet with her mother, she walked down the hallways inside of the base. There were many rooms, and she glanced in each of them. One of them had many people sorting through the shells they had made, carefully inserting the ammunition inside their cases, building Dust Projectile Magazines for distribution of ammunition. Some of them were even making explosives, it was very clear to Eryka that Lavinia had some big order to fill in.

This is new… last time I was here she never really dealt in weapons; it was more the trade of drugs. That was easily the highest earner, but the whole time we have been here it has mainly been Military Equipment being built and sold off.

What kind of deal could she have possibly been given to build this much military equipment?

And of course… who is she selling it to?

The questions were rattling around in her head as she walked, and in each room, there were more workers building weapons. Rifles, and machine guns, rocket launchers and grenade launchers, some of them were even building… Huntsmen Weaponry. She glanced inside of the room and saw collapsible swords, ones that looked like they could turn into guns on command. She furrowed her brows.

I knew that the Vasillias Cartel had Rogue Huntsmen and Huntresses in their ranks, but I've never seen them build their weapons for them. Huntsmen don't normally buy weapons either, they make them to suit their needs. Sure, they may pay for a skilled Blacksmith to do it for them, but a Huntsman or Huntress always designs the weapon.

There is no market for this…

… in fact, most of these weapons being sold off keep being given to their own men and women.

… is she selling them?

… or preparing?

Everything was just getting stranger and stranger, but Eryka kept following the guards that were taking her. She could not help but… well… appreciate… how disciplined they appeared to be. They were nothing like Shay and the Branwen Tribe, they were like the Military in their own right. But pretty soon she was about to get the chance to ask her mother what exactly is happening here.

She turned a corner and the soldiers stood there, and they opened the double doors to Lavinia's round office where her desk was sat at the very end, and Lavinia stood at the large window that overlooked her base and the mountains. She held a small glass of whiskey in her hand, looking out and Eryka slowly walked into the Office. The doors closed behind her, and immediately Lavinia sighed through her nose.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised – you've always been the one to fall for the losing cause." Lavinia said, turning to her daughter. Eryka scoffed, raising a brow.

"Losing Cause?" She questioned. "We want to make the world a better place."

"By inciting a war against the Black Gallows? Yeah… the whole world knows about you and your little band of rogues turning on Beacon Academy after Jackdaw's attack." Lavinia said as she turned around and walked towards her desk. Eryka was stunned at that.

"You… know it's him?" She asked.

"Of course, I knew. The second that Jackdaw appeared in Malachite's Nest her spies informed me that the infamous Jack the Ripper was indeed alive. He made one hell of an impression on Beacon Academy." Lavinia said as she walked around the room.

"Then how can you possibly claim I am on the wrong side? If you know, then you know that he slaughtered those people! Children!" Eryka growled as she slammed her hands against the desk.

"I said the losing side… not the wrong side." Lavinia corrected as she sat down. Lavinia was not one to lie to her… not her daughter, that was the one thing that Eryka knew. But Lavinia was a bit like Valravn sometimes, she knew how to be clever with the words she would use, and Eryka could snuff out her meanings real fast. Eryka stood tall again, taking her hands away from the table. "It's brave… standing up against Killian. I'd advise against it though, his men went easy on you back at Vacuo, I doubt they will do the same a second time." Lavinia said.

"Then we'll kill them if they stand in our way. Jackdaw has to pay for what he has done." Eryka snarled with a clenched fist.

"Is… this about what happened? That night?" Lavinia asked, slowly standing up and walking over to her daughter. She gently reached her hand out to Eryka and stroked her striking blue hair, almost affectionately, but Eryka wanted none of it.

"Don't touch me." She snarled, pushing her mother away. Lavinia sighed, squeezing her eyes shut.

"I did what I did to protect you. Those men wanted to kill you, both of you." Lavinia told her as Eryka crossed her arms. "I'm a shitty mom, I know that. But… I do care… I do love the two of you… if I could just see him…"

"No." Eryka growled. "I won't let you corrupt his mind, not like how you nearly did to me."

Lavinia chuckled. "Come now, Eryka. You were never gonna be like me, always idealistic. Never accepted the world for how it is."

"You'd be surprised." Eryka said as she looked over her shoulder at her mother. "I know you killed them to keep us safe, it wasn't that… it was when I learned what you really were. When you massacred the Vacuo Mafia for control."

Lavinia sighed. "I did what I had to – the Mafia were week and also too idealistic. If we did not destroy them then someone else would have."

"But it was all for nothing. Vacuo is doomed, the Kingdom is falling apart and in the next few decades the Kingdom will just be a memory. That's on your hands, not theirs. They died for nothing – all for your power. I won't let my baby brother have a mother like that." She growled at her, clenching her fist and walking over to her table.

"Did you come here to simply regurgitate past arguments? I'm tired of them my angel." Lavinia softly said to her.

"Don't call me that." Eryka snarled.

"You're my daughter – whether you like it or not." Lavinia said as she walked past her and returned to her table. Eryka looked at the photograph that was there, the one that had her beloved family. Lavinia was a confusing character to figure out, because of her devotion to the Cartel… but her true love for her family. The trouble was this simple question – which meant more to Lavinia?

The Cartel?

Or her Husband, her Daughter and her Son?

"So… why have you come up here?" Lavinia asked as she sat down, she was not as laid back in front of Eryka as she was in front of the Branwens. She was sat up straight and she cleaned up her face so there was no more blood. Like a completely different person.

"What are you up to?" Eryka questioned, and Lavinia raised a brow.

"That's vague…" Lavinia softly mumbled.

"With us? All the guns too? I remember you once said you never dealt weapons – rather kept your arsenal close." Eryka commented and Lavinia looked at her.

"And we are – I'm not selling weapons, well we are… but only to those I know will help us when the time comes." Lavinia explained as she got up from her desk and she approached one of her other desks.

"What does that mean? When the time comes?" Eryka questioned, Lavinia picked up a newspaper and she walked back to Eryka, holding it to her.

"I won't lie… not to you." Lavinia said, and Eryka stared at her mother then she looked at the Newspaper. "See for yourself."

Lavinia walked past her daughter and she sat on the edge of her table whilst Eryka read the front page.

Riots Break Out in Vacuo, Mantle and Argus

Following a battle against the Black Gallows in the Marketplace of Vacuo, multiple Rogue Huntsmen and Huntresses clashed against Killian and his forces. With most of the population under the belief that Commander Nathaniel Killian is what is best for our society.

Conflicting reports from multiple civilians claimed that Yang Xiao Long, a Huntress from Beacon Academy, responsible for breaking the leg in foul play of Mercury Black during the Vytal Festival, said that Killian was not who he said he was. Many people started to believe her words, the Black Gallows were an organisation to be feared for many, many years. And many people had started to take up arms against the mysterious organisation.

This group rivalled against the Puritan Followers, who named themselves the Truth's Voice have started growing in numbers across the world of Remnant. These different opinions are sparking fights in the streets, and soon? We fear something worse could be afoot.

Nathaniel Killian still has not had anything to say after being released from Vacuo Hospital on the situation.

We will keep you informed as the situation develops.

"Seems like that show you all put on in Vacuo has given some hope to people who have the same trust issues in Killian and the Black Gallows." Lavinia said as Eryka put the Newspaper down on the table.

Neither sides of this journey had any idea of this development in the Kingdoms, especially after they had to cut themselves off from the Cross Continental Transmit Network. "I don't know what to make of this… we didn't want to start dividing people. I know the Puritan Followers are a devoted bunch, and I can't say I blame them. Killian saved a lot of Valerian Lives that night."

"Yeah, from a Grimm attack that he started." She pointed out, and Eryka looked at her mother.

"So, you agree with me?" Eryka asked.

"Of course, I do, I'm not stupid. I don't eat up his bullshit like the rest of the world seems to. People want a hero to turn to nowadays, and Killian managed to play the part perfectly that night. But it doesn't mean he can't become the villain again… you just need to him show what he is to the world." Lavinia explained as she shrugged her shoulders.

"How are we meant to do that?" She asked.

"By playing it smart. If you manage to find the biggest proof in the world, one that shows him for the sleezeball that he is? Then you can't show the full truth." Lavinia explained to her.

"Why?" Eryka asked.

"Some people cannot handle the cold hard truth, so sometimes you need to make it familiar and fluffy. Tell them the stuff they can handle and hold the harsher stuff back for a later date." Lavinia explained. "Because if you don't? You could trigger something much worse."

"You're talking about what he did to Jaymes, aren't you?" Eryka asked. "I take it that was something else Malachite told you?"

"No… I believed you when you sent me that message." Lavinia said. "But yes, that is a scary truth people will not want to hear. You need to start with small truths about who he is, things that slowly show him to be what he is. Jumping the shark to the worst thing you know he has done will make people think you're untrustworthy." She explained.

"But why? Wouldn't it be easier and faster to use the full truth? No matter how harsh? People will handle it." Eryka stated.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because people are children, and children like stories. How many stories have you read that jump straight to the villain's demise?" Lavinia asked her and Eryka sighed, since she knew she had a point. "Let Killian build his own downfall. Once he stands at the cliff? Push the bastard off it."

Eryka sighed as she stood there. "I'll think about it… but Mom…" She said, looking at her and Lavinia looked at her beautiful little creation. "… you still didn't answer my question."

"The weapons are to defend ourselves when Killian eventually tries to take me and the Cartel out of the picture. I'm the last army that can stand against him, the Atlesians already are with him alongside the other Kingdoms. When that time comes, we will fight to the last man." Lavinia explained to Eryka.

"And us? No other secret plots you're waiting to hatch on us at Lake Matsu?" Eryka questioned and Lavinia looked at her and she just walked towards her. Eryka stood her ground, despite her heart pounding.

"Be careful, honey." She gently said to her, moving the strand of blue hair that fell over her eye round her shoulder. "You read the front page – Killian is back, and he is coming. And he won't be playing this time." She warned. "Be ready."

Eryka stared back at her mother, and she had a feeling that she knew what that meant.

Killian is coming for us… somehow, I knew that was coming.

Eryka turned around and she walked away from her mother, but before she left, she stopped, and her eyes widened when she heard his voice. "Eryka?" Roland gasped, Lavinia turned, and she saw her husband stood there. He looked so small in comparison, yet it was Lavinia who looked away, out of regret for the things she did to make him so afraid of her.

"Hey… dad…" Eryka softly greeted, her voice fragile, as if she was about to cry.

"What are… what are you doing here?" Roland nervously asked her as he crossed his arms over his chest, fiddling with the steel wedding ring on his finger.

"Just… getting some things." Eryka answered.

"Oh… okay…" Roland softly sighed. Lavinia turned to her husband and he flinched… it stabbed deep… she loved him madly, she never hurt him or abused him in anyway… but he was scared of her, nonetheless. She reached out for him, but he walked away. "It… it was good to see you sweetie." Roland departed, and Eryka wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You too." She softly winced, before she walked away from Lavinia again. Her mother stared at where her husband left, and then she turned with tears streaming from her eyes. And Eryka was gone too… leaving her alone.

And she said one thing, as she stood there – with everything and nothing.

"I'm sorry…" She sniffled, voice breaking.

Lavinia Vasillias lived like a Queen, she had an army, the world never dared mess with her.

Yet she always felt so lonely.

That was Lavinia's Curse.

Ruby

A few Hours later, the team had arrived at Lake Matsu, and Ruby was gleefully floating in the bizarre gravity fluctuations here.

Lake Matsu was roughly circular, with one very large island located on the west side of the lake halfway between the shore and the centre of the lake. Large natural gravity Dust deposits along the south shore of Lake Matsu formed huge crystals that caused small islands to float several hundred meters above the lake. The Gravity Dust was known to cause turbulence for ships flying through the area, hence why they used a very unique Airship, one that could be landed on the water, and they made their way up the islands, using the Zero-Gravity to their advantage. While many of these islands were nothing more than large rocks, some of the islands were large enough to support grass and even trees.

But they knew this place was not safe, not by any means, and Yang bounced up and down on the zero gravity that surrounded them. "This is so cool!" Yang laughed, doing flips as she did so. Ren on the other hand kept his senses sharp and Oscar was walking back and forth on the rocks.

Eryka and Dulcis were both sticking close to each other, like Glue and she kept her blue eyes watching the islands… but she heeded her mother's advice. She kept her eyes out for the Black Gallows, if they really were coming for them then this would be the perfect place for an ambush. Eryka knew that trusting her mother was a fool's game, end of the day she had double crossed more people than Eryka could ever dream of doing.

But Lavinia would never lie to her children or her husband.

Ruby jumped up and she flew through the air, landing next to Yang on one of the mountains, looking down at Nora who was working hard to keep herself afloat. The Miners were drilling into the huge Dust Crystals that formed this islands that floated above the sapphire blue lake beneath them. "Any signs of Lancer Activity?" Raven called out, transforming back into her Human Form once again as she returned to them. Qrow flew around the sky and he landed on one of the other islands as well.

"Nothing, I think we're in the clear so far." Qrow said, and Eryka looked around as she stood there. Ren walked up the Islands and he stood beside Eryka, he looked at Shay who was with his men he brought with him.

"What are you thinking?" He asked her, she looked at Ren and she blew out a breath.

"I don't like this. It just feels like they are waiting for us to make some kind of mistake. Lancers have never been stealthy, to say the very least." Eryka said with a sigh, her grip on Constantine Damascus was strong.

"I know…" Ren agreed as he looked around, listening but all he could hear was the wind.

But as they stood there, they heard one of the miners scream with terror. "I'm on it!" Ruby called out, blasting off with Yang in a flurry of petals. Yang bounced off the closely clustered islands and boulders, and they turned to see the large Lancers that hissed at the Miner who held his drill in his hands.

Lancers had a three-segmented black body with three sets of legs. They had a white bone armoured mask and armour along their back. On the back of their abdomen, the armour was in four overlapping plates. They had jagged pincers, antenna, four red transparent wings and a stinger, with glowing red eyes. The huge Wasp snapped its pincer-like mandibles at the Miner who tried to get away from it. Ruby yelled and she fired herself forward and slashed straight through the Lancer. The Creature of Grimm crumbled away into smoke around them, and Ruby slammed Crescent Rose into the Island next to her to stop herself from floating any further.

"Nice shot, sis!" Yang cheered, thrusting her fist up into the air.

"Everything seems to be going according to plan." Qrow shrugged to his sister and she smiled, nodding her head.

Ren smiled and he looked up as the sun was blocked out by the Shadow of Broken Promises. The massive jet-black Dreadnaught darkened the sky and he saw the flashes… and the incoming shells that came firing down towards them. His eyes widened, realising too late. "GET DOWN!" Ren bellowed, as the Broadside Cannons opened fire upon the entire Cluster of Islands. The shells exploded against the islands, shattering some of them and throwing the huge burning chunks of rocks flying, killing multiple Vasillias Cartel soldiers, Miners and some of the Grunts that Shay had brought with them. The wave of shells burned across Lake Matsu, some of them missed and whistled as the exploded into the lake beneath, throwing water up into the low gravity, forming rising Waterfalls.

Yang jumped to Ruby and she caught her, both of them tumbled as the explosive shells erupted where they were, killing the Miner that was stood there. The Shadow of Broken Promises eventually stopped firing on them all, Qrow transformed into his Corvid Form, flying as fast as he could to avoid the remaining artillery that came crashing down, diving and dodging the shrapnel. Nora blasted herself away from the islands just in time and Shay rolled into one of the caves, narrowly avoiding one of them. Eryka slid down her Island with Ren, both of them held onto the sides, looking up at the huge Dreadnaught that floated up there.

"Damn it Mom… why did you have to be right?" Eryka softly growled, but as she stared at the Shadow of Broken Promises, she saw the Black Gallows descending from the hangers, and multiple Wasps came towards their location. The Raven Talons jumped out from the Airships alongside some Shadow Dagger Troopers, using what seemed to be grappling hooks alongside the thrusters on their boots. They used the Zero-Gravity to their advantage… and as Eryka watched them… she grit her teeth in anger as she saw him descending.

Killian.

He was not messing around anymore, he dove from the Airship with stern eyes and gritted teeth, wearing his combat armour and he fired the Grappling Hook from his bracer that punctured into the island and he drew his Pistol and Dagger, swinging towards one of Shay's Grunts who survived the Ambush. The Grunt choked in agony as Killian drove his dagger straight through his jugular, ripping it out and sliding across the ground to dodge the gunfire. He jumped up and fired his Chrome Pistol at the two Grunts in front of him, hitting one of them in the heart and blowing the other's eye out. Their blood rose up into the sky.

Killian turned with anger in his onyx eyes, and he swung round and launched his Throwing Knife towards the other Grunt. The knife wobbled into his skull, and he opened the palm of his gauntlet which glowed bright, using a magnetic calling device that pulled the knife right back. The corpse of the soldier was pulled with him and he ripped the knife out from his head so hard that he threw his corpse away.

The remaining Vasillias Cartel soldiers stood there with fear in their eyes, guns in their hands, scared to fight. The mission was ruined, and they knew it. Eryka hung in there, and she finally knew something.

This isn't my mother's doing… she may be untrustworthy, but she isn't stupid. She never would have put so much stake in this mission to have us come here… someone else was responsible for this!

"We need to get to the others, the Cartel Soldiers won't stand a chance, but we can use their deaths to give us time." Eryka whispered, but Ren looked horrified. None of them had spilled any real blood… yet…

Killian pointed at the Cartel Members that hid at the same spot, and the Raven Talons made their move. The Cartel Soldiers yelled desperately, firing their machine guns at the Black Gallows, but the bullets were completely useless against them. Because the Stockholm Troopers were completely shielded by Hardlight Dust, all around their bodies, meaning that they could not be stopped… or at least it seemed that way. The Raven Talons fired their Grappling Hooks forward and they rushed the six remaining Cartel Fighters.

One of the Raven Talons fired his Grappling Hook straight into the fighter and he pulled himself right towards him, kicking the Combatant in the chest with both feet. The attack ripped the hook out, opening a hole in his chest. The Raven talon turned and caught the machete that the soldier swung at him from behind, and he snapped the blade and drove it straight through the man's knee. He then grabbed the Thug's head and drove it into the same blade, pinning his skull to his knee.

Another Raven Talon shot up into the air, using the low gravity and the many islands that surrounded them to his advantage, and he aimed his Machine Gun and fired it down at them. The bullets shot down and punctured through their bodies, no armour or valuable tech whatsoever. Lavinia should have sent better men; these poor people were practically target practice. The fourth of the six remaining combatants looked around with fear, unaware of the Shadow Talon that emerged behind him, shutting off his active camouflage and driving his two swords through his back. He gasped in agony, blood poured from the wounds and the Shadow Dagger ripped them out with great force.

Only two more.

And Killian had them for himself. He walked towards them as they charged towards him, and he ducked under the first man's bat that he swung at his head. He fired his pistol into the back of his leg to bring him to one knee, whilst drawing his advanced throwing knife and driving it upwards, right up the second man's jaw. Blood poured from the wound before he kicked him in the chest and ripped the knife through his jaw. He finished the last man off by rolling across his back and carving the blade clean through his throat. Killian spun his Knife through his fingers and he calmly sheathed it.

The Monster was unleashed, not the Human Being.

Killian turned to his squad of Black Gallows soldiers, and he more of them just landed, all of which were Raven Talons and Shadow Daggers. This terrain was not suited for the heavier soldiers, this needed quick soldiers who could react fast. "Find the Rogues, kill the rest. Take them alive." Killian ordered as he reloaded his Chrome Pistol.

Whilst the Black Gallows looked for them, everyone found each other underneath one of the islands, hanging onto the Vines. "Damn it… I thought we would have more time!" Yang said.

Eryka had already informed them of what Lavinia told her, about the Newspaper and Killian being back on his feet. But how he immediately knew they would be here? That meant something… something big. "There's no way he could have figured out that we would be here at this moment, not on his own. He's smart but not omniscient. Someone… is playing games!" Qrow growled with anger as he clenched his hand into a fist.

"Calm down, we need to figure out a way out of this mess. We'll have to find a way to free Amber afterwards…" Raven said as she looked around, but Ren got a good look at them.

"I saw them, the Cartel shot at Killian's men and their bullets completely bounced off their armour. They had some kind of Hardlight Shielding around them, they didn't even make a scratch." Ren explained, and Ruby started to think as she sat there.

"That makes fighting them a lot harder. This really is what these bastards are capable of then, huh?" Oscar scoffed.

"Yeah, guess we really pissed 'em off?" Yang scoffed.

"Wait…" Ruby said. "It's not possible for all their body to be completely shielded. The Hardlight has to come from somewhere, like some kind of generator that is exposed on their armour?" Ruby asked and Eryka thought back.

Wait… she's right! I remember seeing a bright blue light on their backs when they ran forward.

"On their backs! Definitely, it must be the generator! You little genius, Ruby!" Eryka squeaked, making Ruby blush a smile.

"I saw they were using Grappling Hooks too, to use the terrain." Ren explained and Qrow nodded his head.

"Makes sense, they can move faster than us… but we have the element of surprise and can use the low Gravity to get to them." Qrow explained as he drew Harbinger, ready to shed blood. Ruby's silver eyes widened as she looked at him.

Qrow looked at his nieces and then at Nora and Ren. "This is it, you four. This is the day where you're gonna have to dirty your hands." He told them.

Killian looked around as he walked across the grass, and a Lancer suddenly erupted from the hole in the ground in front of him, but he swiftly drew his Pistol and fired it straight through the skull of the creature, killing it instantly. He lowered his pistol and he admired the beautiful rising waterfalls, when suddenly an arc of fire suddenly shot upwards into it, instantly evaporating the water into clouds that obscured his vision.

"Shit!" Killian explained, looking around with his men as they all started to move away from the clouds, realising that this was happening to all of them. "They're here… turning the water to steam so we can't see them… this could get ugly." Killian said as he looked around, then they all leapt up from underneath their floating island.

As Ruby floated up the low gravity, doubts filled her mind. I… I can't… I'm... I'm a huntress, not a murderer…

Qrow flew up into the air in his corvid form and he could see them all from up there, and he counted how many Black Gallows were down there. He dove back down and transformed back into Human Form. "Twenty-five and Killian! Total!" Qrow called out, and Killian turned as he heard his voice echo through the clouds.

"I can't see a thing!" One of the Raven Talons yelled as he flew through the air, using both zero-gravity and the grappling hook to pretty much fly through the air. But as he tried to find a way through the fog, Ren suddenly emerged behind him. Uncertainty plagued his face… but he focused… and he understood.

We have to do this…

… we have no choice.

Ren fired Stormflower into the glowing blue Hardlight Dust pack inside of the Raven Talon's armour, and the bullet nailed him there, shattering it and causing the field that surrounded his body to fade away. "What the –" Ren yelled, bringing down the second Stormflower blade, and he sliced it straight through the soldier's throat. His dying eyes stared up at Ren as he groaned from the pain, his crimson blood rising from where he opened his neck. Ren yelled, forcefully finishing the job as he pulled the blade away from the soldier's throat, and his corpse fell through the clouds, crashing against the mountains.

Oscar was using this strategy to his advantage as well, he launched his hammer into the back of one of the soldiers, so hard it broke his spine and destroyed his Hardlight Pack on his back. The soldier screamed in pain as he recoiled and Oscar swung the long-chained hammers round and smashed them against the back of the other, not killing her though. He launched his chains forward and he smashed them into the side of the Male Raven Talon's head, killing him instantly. Unlike the Rogues he had nothing holding him back, no morality when it came down to spilling blood.

He landed on one of the Islands, but he gasped, turning to see that second Raven Talon erupt through the fog and aim her rifle at his head. "Die!" She yelled, only for an arrow to come soaring through and puncture through her sternum between her breasts. The soldier gasped and she plummeted down from him, disappearing into the clouds.

"Yes! Nice shot Eryka!" He called out, and Eryka sprinted across the Islands as she dodged the incoming bullets, sliding underneath one of the toppled over trees from the Shadow of Broken Promise's assault. She jumped up into the air and she twisted round and fired another arrow that landed behind the soldier, and it exploded. The shrapnel destroyed his Hardlight Pack, lowering his shields, when Raven suddenly blasted up with a yell and drove Omen straight through his chest, so hard that his blood splattered over her face.

"Damn it!" Killian yelled as he heard his men being slaughtered by the rogues, firing his gun up at Ruby as she soared through the air. She ducked under the incoming shots from the Shadow Dagger that flew around her. He slashed his swords at her and fired the gun on his shoulder, a small arm that held a turret, aimed at whatever he was looking at. Ruby kicked the soldier in the chest so hard that he slammed against the wall and the generator broke apart, the only thing that was no protected by the Hardlight Shields. Ruby flew round in a burst of petals and she slammed her boot into the side of his head, so hard it knocked him out.

But it did not kill him.

She landed and looked at his unconscious body. "I'm sorry." She softly said.

Nora blasted up into the air as she charged up Stormur Skeggox, her eyes glowed bright blue as she shot towards them. "Damn she's fast!" One of the Raven Talons yelled as Nora's body charged up, her semblance enhancing her strength and speed. She yelled and she swung Stormur Skeggox with great force and cut straight through the pack on the back of the soldier, using the fog that obscured their vision to their advantage.

It was making combat against them painfully easy – but the clouds would not stay forever, and they were beginning to thin.

As his Hardlight Shield faded, Nora swung round and dug her axe into his chest and swung him round and launched him towards one of the other Raven Talons. The body of the soldier crashed into his and knocked him out of the sky. Nora took that chance as she shot towards him and she fired her grenade launcher into his chest, which blasted him down and he crashed against one of the Islands, destroying the generator and he plummeted down from the islands and into the lake below.

Yang blasted up into the air and she punched one of the Raven Talons across the jaw, she yelped from the pain but swung right back, nailing Yang's cheek. Yang took that as her chance and she kicked her in the side of the head to stun her for a second, and she blasted behind her and punched straight into the generator with her Cybernetic Hand, ripping the core out. The field faded and Yang grabbed the soldier and blasted Ember Celica through her chest, her eyes widened behind the red visor and Yang winced… watching the life leave the soldier as she fell from her.

"Once they break our Hardlight Shields, their weapons have the advantage!" Killian yelled as he looked around. He turned and he saw Raven transform from her Corvid Form, and she leapt towards three of his soldiers. Raven drew her Flaming Blade and she slashed across their bodies, and she rolled across the back of one soldier and she run the blade through the generator and his body. She jumped off his body and flipped through the air, firing her flaming blade towards the next soldier which bounced off the Hardlight, but she caught it in the Hilt, and she slashed up the back of the soldier. As the generator exploded, she switched to her red Odachi Blade and cut straight through his body and rushed to the next.

"We're getting slaughtered… we have to stop them!" Killian yelled, until he felt the Bad Luck Charm coming back for him. He heard four of his men die at once and he turned, wide eyed as the glowing red eyes of Qrow Branwen came for him, blood covering Harbinger. "At this rate… they'll wipe us out!" He yelled, anger in his heart.

Qrow flew closer and closer towards Killian, ready to finish him off.

For good this time.

Qrow yelled with anger, Harbinger held back as he got closer and closer.

"SURPRISE BROTHER!" Jackdaw yelled, suddenly appearing from one of the mountains, transforming out of his Corvid Form. He flipped through the air and blasted both of his Grave Dust Formed guns at Qrow.

He gasped and so did Killian who took cover out of fear, and Jackdaw landed on one of the floating mountains, looking down at Qrow with a smirk. Qrow stood behind one of the trees, only narrowly missing that attack. "Well, well – I see you've remembered every trick dear old Uncle Val taught us. Managed to follow my little breadcrumb trail all the way here." Jackdaw chuckled sinisterly, Ruby landed, and her silver eyes narrowed, and she gritted her teeth as Yang landed next to her.

"JACKDAW!" Ruby yelled with anger and Yang's eyes flared red.

"Damn! If it isn't the girls themselves!" Jackdaw laughed as he jumped down from the island he held onto, and landed on the one with Qrow, Killian, Ruby and Yang on. "A pleasure to finally meet you both in the flesh, wow you really resemble your mommas don't ya?" He teased with a smirk, his bladed feathers forming from the 3-D Printers built into his cybernetic arms, grave dust hardening into razor sharp feathers.

"You… you're gonna pay for what you did!" Ruby yelled in anger, gripping Crescent Rose tight and he smirked at her.

"The innocent little flower? Funny how you hated being forced to kill these fine soldiers… but me? Oh, that's different?" He laughed. "You hurt me. Come here, why don't we make up? Come on give a nice hug to you're Uncle Jack?" Jackdaw smirked as he tilted his Top Hat… ready for a battle.

Author Note - It's been a while since we last saw him, but he's back!

God I love this chapter, time for the gang to dirty their hands, and all of them bar Ruby have done it. I do love exploring Ruby's conflicts over killing people, since she couldn't bring herself to kill a soldier, but Jackdaw? That's different. I love playing around with a bit of hypocrisy with my characters from time to time.

And man, I love writing the Black Gallows. If it weren't for the fog it would have been a more even fight, but luckily Raven thought ahead, but the fog has cleared now, and there are still more of the bastards out there. Everything is on even turf now. And I could finally show what Killian is capable of too, there is a reason behind how he has made it this far. Not just lies, but also because he has become a pretty lethal fighter. With failure comes wisdom, and he has become very wise from how many fights he has lost. I also love his pistol, simple yet effective.

I also love the Vasillias Family in Eclipse, so interesting to write, how Lavinia has so much yet she is so alone because it has cost her the love of her family. Everything has a price.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for the next chapter - Peaks Pass!

- Matt