Three shadows blended perfectly in the darkness.

The dome in front of them shimmered a bright, relentless purple as a few snowflakes drizzled from the sky.

When the half-demon arrived at the edge of the dome, she halted. If she were to continue, her life would be at risk.

As a signal, Cinder pointed a finger in two different directions for her followers.

Knowing what that meant, Mercury and Emerald bolted off as the darkness covered their forms. They headed in two different directions.

Not only was darkness their helper, but the trees provided perfect cover.

For the plan, Emerald had her alpha beowolf by her side, while Mercury's deathstalker scampered next to him. Before, Cinder made sure to casted a spell over her rowdy followers to mask any sounds they may make.

Meanwhile, Cinder remained around the perimeter. She didn't dare move forward another centimeter.

The annoying dome had to go.

There were three points to the sacred barrier. Each one had to be destroyed at the same time if this was going to work. With that in mind, Cinder easily found the first point of the protective barrier. It was invisible to the normal eye, but because of her half-demon vision, she was able to see how far she could walk until she was shocked like a dog wearing an electric collar.

That's why her followers had grimm. With the help of grimm, it was easy to point out the barrier weakness points for their human masters.

The barrier that'd been surrounding the temple in a dome shape was a pain. At least before. Now that she had followers to help her break it, it would be easy.

Firmly, Cinder experimentally stepped on the metal in the ground, not surprised that nothing happened. Within a few minutes, the alpha beowolf and deathstalker ran up to her at the same time.

Each monster met her on different sides from where their humans separated.

"Did they find them?"

A small shriek and low growl of affirmation ensued.

"Good," Cinder stated, her amber eyes pierced the darkness. "Go back to them."

Heeding the orders that were set in stone, the beasts scampered back to her followers. After, Cinder conjured a fireball in her hand and shot it to the sky. When the fire exploded, she waited exactly three seconds and murmured under her breath.

When the time limit was up, she heaved a flamethrower at the metal embedded in the chilly grass.

Alone, nothing would happen. Her two minions must've followed through because the metal of the Earth shattered.

The air around her dropped several octaves before the purple barrier shattered into a million pieces.

Cinder smirked and took the first step forward.

"Are the enhancements done?"

"Patience, Glyn," Ozpin said as his green aura surrounded the floating broom. "I'm almost done."

In the center of the room was a floating, polished Wanda. Beneath Wanda, there were several circles marked on the wooden floor. Scoured in the room were multiple lit candles. More than they could count, but necessary for the process.

Wanda twitched a few times from Ozpin's adjustments. This was to make Wanda more efficient as a weapon and as a form of transportation. Goodwitch could only watch the process with interest. After this, Wanda will be good as new with a few adjustments.

Her beloved broom spazzed before the friendly green smog that enshrouded it lowered it to the ground.

Satisfied, Goodwitch sauntered to the middle of the room. She picked up Wanda and analyzed her, finding that she felt as smooth as ever. The bristles were pricklier. A couple of bumps were at the end of the wooden portion.

"She feels better than ever," Goodwitch said with a smile. "Thank you."

It was true that she hadn't used her in action yet, but her broom felt like it was ready. She could easily tell that Wanda was in much better condition now. Not like she was in poor condition before, but now she was brand new times a thousand.

"It was my pleasure," Ozpin offered her a grin. "Why don't we clean this up and get some coffee?"

"That would be divine."

After the professors blew out a few candles, there were several tremors all around them. The noise was so loud it was like glass shattered directly in their ears. They almost recoiled to avoid the shards.

"Glynda," Ozpin's voice raised in alarm. "The barrier."

In response, Glynda poised her broom at the ceiling. "It was only a matter of time."

On the bumpy end of Wanda, a sonic boom erupted directly upward. The pulses reverberated for miles as the ground and air itself shook.

The pulsations can only be heard by a select few. Those with unlocked auras.

In seconds, several beowolves charged into the room. To deflect them, Ozpin stabbed them in rapid succession with his cane. The few that managed to dodge were met with the harshness of Wanda.

Combat was anything but organized. When some beowolves vanished, even more rushed in. Several lit candles tilted over and rolled dangerously onto the wooden floor.

Knowing that they at least had to get out of the cramped room, Glynda hopped on her broom and shot directly to Ozpin. So far, it felt like the enhancements worked. Wanda was excessively fast. Almost faster than what she could keep up with.

Just as Ozpin dodged a swipe from a beowolf, she grabbed him by the collar and forcefully yanked him off the floor. Before he could choke to death, the two soared out of the room. Ozpin was left to dangle and gather his wits before twisting his body to jump on the broom behind Goodwitch.

"Thank you, Glyn."

"And thank you for the enhancements."

Multiple snarling beowolves chased their prey. Various howls rocked the temple along with heavy paws.

Determined, Goodwitch veered quickly to the left, only to be met by a few creeps. Because those grimm are lower to the ground, she didn't see them in time. She had no time to halt or veer away and smashed directly into them.

The professors gave startled grunts as they flew over the grimm.

"Agh," Glynda groaned as she rubbed her back. It took the full force of the blow when she tumbled on the carpet.

To add to the pain, the creeps' sturdy tails landed a few blows on the downed teachers. They didn't have time to gain their bearings, so they were easy targets.

Once they recovered, they were surrounded by those creeps and rapidly approaching beowolves. Black smoke ominously followed the pack and heated the entire building. The air was getting warm. Almost hot.

Glynda grit her teeth as she clutched Wanda. The creeps were trying to stall for the pack to tear them apart.

"We don't have time for this."

Ozpin agreed, so he shouted. "Spectacles!"

Knowing the drill, the pair hopped on the broom and spun rapidly. One-by-one, the weaker creeps were knocked backward, eliciting high-pitched screeches. If the professors could cover their ears, they would. However, they had to hold on.

"Cinder can control them!" Glynda exclaimed as she blocked a sturdy grimm tail with her foot.

"Theory-" Ozpin kicked a creep's jaw. "-confirmed!"

Suddenly, his partner, Glynda, was slammed from behind. A yelp ripped from her lungs when she was forcefully swiped off the broom. Now that Wanda's master was no longer in control, the broom dropped to the floor like dead weight.

This left Ozpin with few options as he stumbled, trying to gain his footing as multiple rounds of tails almost nailed him. With no choice, he utilized his cane and stabbed the grimm in rapid succession. All the while, the headmaster made sure to protect his friend.

When a beowolf almost clawed the downed Goodwitch, Ozpin used his cane like a baseball bat and cracked its jaw. A pop sound ensued with a satisfying screech.

"Thanks for the save," Glynda complimented as he hastily helped her get to her feet.

The room was filled with heat. Smoke invaded their lungs.

"We need to get out of here," Ozpin observed.

"Brilliant observation, professor," Goodwitch said sassily.

If the pack caught up to them, they'd be stalled. The major threat wasn't the grimm, it was the smoke. It wouldn't take long to succumb to smoke inhalation. That'd no doubt slower their movements and chances of escaping the burning temple.

Wasting no time, Ozpin grabbed his partner's hand and the two dashed to the exit. Along the way, they narrowly dodged a few swipes and tail-swings.

"I told you the candles were a fire hazard," Glynda complained and let out a strained cough.

Dozens of grimm were hot on their tail. The smoke fogged the entire building and menacing snarls loomed within.

"Like you cared before!" Ozpin retorted.

It was getting harder to breathe. Sprinting so fast didn't help their case. Their lungs began to burn from the exercise and deadly smog. The professors began to cough, which compelled them to pick up the pace.

They were so close. The door was in sight, although enshrouded by the thick black.

Howls overshadowed the atmosphere. The clattering of paws grew frantic with every stride. Glynda and Ozpin could only dash forward as more coughs racked their bodies.

While Ozpin tried to open the front door, Glynda shot off multiple rounds of yellow bolts from her broom. This knocked down a few of the closest monsters, which bought precious time.

The rest of the horde was gaining on them. It was then that Ozpin swung open the door with all his might. A rush of fresh air breezed passed them as they grabbed each other's hands for support.

Letting go was the last thing they wanted. Their sense of security depended on the other person.

Together, they leaped out the front door. Several beowolves lunged after them-

- until a powerful punch rippled through the entire pack, sending the monsters sprawling back inside.

The group of darkness was obliterated as the air dropped a few octaves.

A familiar war cry pulsated throughout the entire forest. To finish the job, Yang lingered closely by the door to exterminate any grimm that dared come after her professors. Smoke could be seen from the distance, so she wasn't too keen on going deep inside.

Her three teammates grabbed Glynda and Ozpin and coaxed them to a safer distance. They were still coughing and panting. Their outfits were covered in soot and dirt. However, now they were getting some fresh air and could breathe again.

"You're okay," Ruby said calmly as she held onto Glynda's arm. "We got you. You are okay, right?"

"Yes, Ruby. Just winded," Goodwitch breathed. "Thank you."

She didn't seem to be lying. Aside from being out of breath and winded, the professors seemed fine.

While Blake kept an arm around Ozpin's waist, she said softly. "Let's go a little further."

Weiss was on the other side of the man, acting as a crutch. Ozpin didn't have trouble walking. He was just having a hard time gulping for air.

When the three led the teachers over to Yang's motorcycle, Bumblebee, they took a moment to process things. The professors took a few minutes to catch their breath. When they breathed steadily again, that caused the relic hunters to feel relief.

"Thank god," Ruby sighed. "How're you feeling?"

"Better," Ozpin replied firmly. "Your timing was impeccable."

When Glynda felt well-enough, she spoke. "You all saved our lives."

Ruby waved dismissively. "Psh, nah, we just did as we were told."

Ozpin nodded. "That may be, but you all deserve praise nonetheless."

Not wanting to make small talk, Weiss chimed in.

"She's here?"

"Yes," Ozpin stated even though he hadn't seen her. "The barrier broke."

"Good," Blake chirped solemnly. "Going as planned so far."

If there was one thing she liked, it was playing it by the books.

While the relic hunters left their professors to exchange conversation, they kept firm eyes on the scorched temple. It was like the entire building was boiling as smoke rose in the air, joining the overcast sky.

For a moment, things felt oddly calm. It was then that the right side of the building was destroyed. Judging by the ensuing war cry, Yang was responsible. More grimm must've been in there than they thought. Perhaps they infested all the rooms.

"I'm going to help Yang," Weiss mentioned sternly.

When her teammates nodded in approval, bolted to her beloved girlfriend. Luckily, her fears ebbed away when Yang strolled out of the temple with her signature wide grin. Her blonde mane was frazzled and in disarray, but she seemed fine.

The smoke burned behind her and rose to the dark sky, shrouding the moonlight.

As Yang dusted off her brass knuckles, she announced. "Taken care of."

"Good job," Weiss praised and pecked her on the cheek.

From the kiss, Yang said cheerfully. "I feel rejuvenated already."

"Sure you are," Weiss said sarcastically and checked her over for injuries. "Are you okay?"

In response, Yang cracked her knuckles. "That wasn't even a warm-up."

Satisfied with the answer, the couple started to walk back to their teammates and guardians.

"It's going to be a long night," the priestess said, her tone suggesting that she wasn't looking forward to it.

From that, Yang smirked. "It's inevitable. Let's kick some ass then go on a date."

After playfully rolling her eyes, Weiss said. "You couldn't have worded that more romantically?"

Yang sent her a deadpan look. "Our temple is burning and you're worried about semantics?"

"My priorities are in order," Weiss replied.

That earned a light chuckle. Soon enough, they joined their friends by Yang's motorcycle. Glynda and Ozpin seemed to have fully recovered. The group were on edge and on guard.

"You got them all?" Blake asked.

"Yep," Yang reported, popping the 'p.'

Satisfied, Blake used her night vision to locate the main threat as she glanced around with sharpness.

To her mild shock, there were dozens of grimm surrounding them. Red eyes pierced the darkness and hid behind the dense shrubbery.

"Lots of grimm..." the faunus described.

"Okay," Ruby said intently. "Anything else?"

Seconds later, Cinder and her minions emerged from the shadows.

Yang finished for her friend.

"... and three assholes."

The chapter title is after the lyrics from Cross the Line by Amalee.

"'The night's' approaching. 'Ravenous and cunning', but there is a droplet of hope still shining!"

Stay dandy,

~Toto