The Black Tide: Chapter Two...
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They were half way to the chamber that housed the Staff of Creation when the first Grimm landed inside Atlas walls. Ruby could hear them even through the layers of concrete, shrieking and careening through the city streets as they dodged gunfire and crushed the immaculate buildings to rubble. As soon as he heard them Qrow broke into a run, drawing his sword as a precaution. Weiss, Penny and Ruby followed him in silence, sprinting into the bowels of the city towards the mechanism that held it afloat. Ironwood had lifted the restrictions on Qrow's scroll, allowing him access to areas he would usually be denied. He didn't even glance at the wonders of the latest Atlas technology lining the labs they passed. Eventually they came to a thick door marked 'Auxilliary Flight Control Hub'.
"The Staff is kept in a vacuum sealed chamber at the back of this room," Qrow said. "To get to it the only way in or out is here. This is where we fight. If the Staff is taken from the chamber the whole city goes down." He flashed his scroll across the terminal on the wall and the door slid open with a metallic swish. He stepped inside, surveying the area before beckoning the girls in behind him. The door slid closed again, shutting them in. The room was lined with command stations housing touchpads and holographic screens that could be called up at will. Qrow walked to the nearest station and pressed his hand onto the touch pad, reading the information on the screen quickly.
"It would appear that the city's turrets are doing an admirable job of defending us against any Grimm still in the air," Penny said as she surveyed another screen. "All the Grimm in the city have been forced to land." She pointed at hundreds of small white dots facing off against hundreds of red dots. "The Atlesian army is white. The Grimm are red. For now it seems we're evenly matched." She moved across the screen to a larger dot, highlighted in black. "This is Salem. Our systems will use CCTV and aura scanning to monitor the presence of each hostile in the city. I'm keyed in to each sector automatically and I can access them whenever we need to. If you want to see where Salem is tell me and I'll find her."
"Show me," Qrow said. Penny tapped a few keys on the digital keyboard and pressed her fingers onto a scanner. A moment later the image of Salem being carried gently down from the great floating Grimm she rode in on came into view. Ruby watched in horror as she commanded the Grimm to tear anything near her apart, a serene smile on her face as she moved her arms like the conductor of an orchestra.
"She looks...happy," Weiss murmured, her nose wrinkling in disgust.
"She is," Qrow answered bluntly. "This is what she lives for." He was busy tapping more buttons on another digital keyboard as he spoke, the stoic expression on his face illuminated by the blue glow. His eyes flickered between what he was doing and the screen with Salem's image on it. His typing faltered as Yang stepped into the frame, her knuckle bombs wreaking havoc as her and Blake tore into the Grimm. His lips pressed into a tight line as Salem waved her hand to send yet more creatures after them as she stepped out of range of the CCTV, a Seer Grimm following her closely. Penny immediately switched to the next camera just as Salem stepped within its reach, that horrid smile still on her face. To Ruby it felt like Salem knew they were waiting for her. It made her feel sick.
"How are we supposed to beat her?" Weiss asked.
"Salem is strong but she's nothing if not predictable." Qrow jabbed his finger at the tentacled orb behind her. "She'll come here with that thing and nobody else. She's over confident and it'll work in our favour. If she came here with an army of Grimm we'd be done for, but that's not her style." He turned away from the screen to look at the three girls with him. "Don't underestimate the Seer. It's as deadly as she is. I've seen it kill too many good Huntsmen and Huntresses. You three concentrate on it. I'll try my luck with her."
"You can't face her alone," Ruby argued.
"It wouldn't be the first time," he said softly. She frowned at him and he sighed. "I guess now's as good a time as any to tell you the truth. You remember the image she showed you in Ironwood's office?"
"Of my mother. I remember. She made it sound like she killed her." The revelation had brought Ruby to her knees, sending her into a pit of hysteria that even Maria's training couldn't rouse her from. Her Silver Eyes had failed her in that moment thanks to the storm in her head. The storm had calmed since then but the image of Salem's glee as she revealed the truth was burned into the back of Ruby's eyelids.
"It was the last time I came face to face with Salem. Raven was supposed to be the one with me but she left to rejoin the tribe after she decided the fight with Salem was an unwinnable war." His eyes took on a faraway look as he recounted his history. "Ozpin was convinced we'd find Salem's lackeys and that she wouldn't make an appearance. She was making a move to trap the Summer Maiden and I was being sent to stop it. At the last minute Summer volunteered to come with me." His head dipped. "I tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn't listen to me. We went in expecting to stop some of the people that worshipped her and instead we found the Grimm Queen herself. I should've expected it really. The last time she'd sent her minions out to do her dirty work I killed half of them and arrested the other half."
"Didn't you run when you saw her?"
"We didn't get the chance. She knew we were coming and caught us by surprise. The Summer Maiden killed herself to stop Salem from using her and then Salem turned that anger on us. She saw Summer was a Silver Eye and went straight for her. She threw her sword at Summer before I could register what was happening. I turned expecting to see her stabbed but I saw nothing, not even the blade. One minute she was by my side and the next she was just...gone. She vanished. I thought she'd used her Semblance to get away but I never found her."
"What happened to you?"
"I fought Salem and almost died. Managed to change into my bird form and get far enough away for her to lose interest. I crash landed a mile or so away and I was picked up by a passing traveller." He frowns. "As soon as I was able I spent months searching for your mother, Ruby. Months. Ozpin sent scouts out whenever he could but we always came up empty. I'm sorry I couldn't bring her back to you."
"It's not your fault," Ruby answered softly. "It was never your fault."
"If I hadn't let her come along-"
"Then you would be gone," she said, cutting her uncle off. "It was my mother's choice to come with you. Nobody else made that decision." He smiled sadly and squeezed her shoulder.
"You're a good kid," he said softly. "I'm proud of you." She reached up to touch his hand in thanks.
"Salem has breached the inner line of defences," Penny said, cutting through the conversation. Qrow turned and cursed when he saw the Grimm Queen walking casually through the carnage, untouched by bullets or weapons. She had unsheathed her bone sword and delivered killing blows with barely a glance, never straying from her path. All around her a war raged, Grimm against soldier in a desperate struggle for control of the city. Every so often Ruby would see a glimpse of faces she recognised dancing in and out of the picture. Her friends were fighting with dogged determination. She hoped they were having more success down in Mantle.
"Penny, no matter what you do, you must not open the Vault for Salem. If you do the flight mechansim that keeps the city afloat will shut down," Qrow warned.
"Understood," Penny responded.
"Weiss, there isn't much space here and Salem is a skilled fighter. We'll need your help to stay out of the way. Anything you can do to keep us mobile would be a huge advantage."
"I think I can manage that," she answered, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her rapier sword.
"Ruby, your speed is key here. The Seer is quick, but you're quicker. Never take your eyes off the tentacles. If you can use your gift we might be able to disable Salem."
"It hasn't worked since the apparition of Salem in the office," she answered quietly.
"Then you better fight like hell, kid." His response was calm and honest as he gazed back at her with his rich red eyes. She nodded and took Crescent Rose from her back. The room offered enough space for the four of them to swing their weapons easily but she knew it would still be difficult to fight Salem in an enclosed area. To make things worse, the machinery in the room had to remain undamaged or it could affect the city's ability to fly. It wouldn't drop Atlas out of the sky but Qrow still warned that it was dangerous all the same. Penny walked to each terminal and touched it gently, her green eyes glowing.
"I was built for this," she explained as Ruby watched curiously. As her fingers touched each scanner a faint green hue appeared around the work stations. "This should shield the computers well enough. I will refrain from using the Maiden powers for as long as I can. Salem cannot access the staff if she doesn't know I have the ability."
"Make no mistake," Qrow warned. "She will try to kill you if you cross her."
"What does she plan to gain if she doesn't have the Maiden?" Ruby asked.
"She'll still believe the Maiden is hidden in the Isolation deck. She'll want to kill most of us and torture the last one alive to find out where the Maiden is for sure." He cast his eyes downards. "Since I'm what she calls the Last Eye my money is on me being up for the torture."
"The Last Eye?"
"One of Ozpin's spies. It started off with Me, Glynda, Ironwood and Lionheart. Lionheart is dead, Glynda is missing and Ironwood isn't what you'd call stable these days. That leaves me. And she knows that I'm the one who's sent out to protect the Maidens when they're at risk. She knows damn well that I'm her guy."
"What happens if she destroys me in her efforts to get to you?" Penny asked.
"Then the Maiden power passes to the last woman in your thoughts," Qrow answered. "And she'll probably torture me anyway. If you don't think of anyone it passes to a random person that could be anywhere on Remnant."
"So our objectives are don't die and don't tell her who the Maiden is," Weiss mused. "That sounds easy enough."
"Trust me, the last thing this fight will be is easy."
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Ozpin returning was both hugely unexpected and hugely relieving. Oscar had been afraid ever since Jinn had revealed the truth of Salem's immortality and Ozpin had retreated from him. He felt like everyone expected him to know what to do next and yet nothing ever came to him. Sometimes he'd even wondered if they thought he was hiding Ozpin on purpose.
And then, like a breath of fresh air, the old soul had appeared just in time to help him save his life. He'd helped him use his aura in a way Oscar had never known he could and the power that was now unlocked within him was vast and new. Alongside the magic he'd gained, he also experienced a handful of memories from Ozpin's past lives. He felt a new respect for the soul sharing his body. Ozpin had lived through many horrible things and outlived many of his loved ones, always with the knowledge that Salem could not be killed.
Instead of hearing Ozpin as a completely separate voice in his head, their thoughts now merged. He found his own thoughts mirroring his companions more and more often as he adapted to his new life. He felt a million miles away from the farm boy he used to be. His body was leaner and stronger, his mind sharper and his soul calmer despite the turmoil he'd been cast into against his will. He finally felt that he was where he was meant to be.
The border of Mantle was up ahead. He could get over the wall and find an airship to get him back to Atlas as long as he could survive the crowds of Grimm trying to overwhelm the city. He had no doubt that Qrow or Ironwood had sent people he trusted down to Mantle. He just needed to find them and get to Atlas before Salem reached the Staff. He would worry about the Lamp later.
He danced back away from the swipe of an Alpha Beowulf, twirling his cane fast enough to pick up a breeze and cracking it against the creature's skull hard enough to shatter the bone. The Beowulf slumped and disappeared in a haze of foul black smoke as it hit the ground. A few weeks ago that would have been a challenge. Now? He was brimming with energy. He stepped over the carcass and continued on towards the large wall until he stood at its base, dispatching several more Grimm as he went. He stared up at the huge structure and called on the magic inside himself. He jumped and landed on a ledge of green light several feet up, before leaping again and creating another ledge, and then another and another until he was standing on top of the wall.
The city below was in a strange state of controlled chaos. A defence line had been set up a few streets in from the main gate, surrounding the centre of the city. Atlesian Soldiers and the Mantle Military destroyed hoardes of Grimm with quick precision. The line was holding with ease. Further back, clustered around the largest building in the city were scores of soldiers. He realised that they'd abandoned evacuation and decided to defend instead. He wondered absently if the order had come from Qrow or if Ironwood had come to his senses at last.
Oscar stepped off the edge of the wall and plummeted downwards, using his power to soften his landing. He straightened up and broke into a steady run, trying to pick his way through the quietest streets. He still had to fight plenty as he made his way through the carnage. He was kicking a Beringel across the jaw close to the outer defence line when he heard a familiar war cry and the telltale crash of a hammer against bone plating. He wasted no time in jabbing his cane through the monster's eye socket, turning away as it died to find the source of the sound.
"Oscar!" Nora shrieked with glee when she saw him, flinging away an Ursa with a deft swing of her weapon before shooting across the street and wrapping her friend in a bear hug. Oscar gasped as his ribs creaked, but returned the hug quickly. "What happened to you?"
"It's a long story." They paused to dispatch a small group of Griffons coming for them before Oscar spoke again. "I need to get back up to Atlas right now."
"Come with me, I'll take you to the inner ring." She set off at a jog, tapping on her scroll as Oscar pursued her. "Ren? Tell Yang I'm heading back to the inner defences. I found Oscar and he needs to get up to Atlas." She ended the call and picked up the pace, and Oscar marvelled at how far his body had come in the last few weeks. He didn't tire as he followed beside her. She leapt into the air, firing a rocket at the ground to force her higher as Oscar leapt onto the back of a Deathstalker and latched onto the large stinger. He swung his body as hard as he could, forcing the tail forwards to position the stinger above its head. Nora came down with a thundering crash, the hammer forcing the wicked point through its skull just as Oscar leapt out of the way. They continued on as the creature dissolved in a fog of darkness.
When they reached the inner defences Nora went straight to where Maria Calavera and Pietro Polendina fussed over a pile of weapons, adding quick fixes and modifications to them before tossing them to the nearest soldier and moving on to the next one. They both looked up and Maria whooped in delight as her eyes fell on the green-clad figure beside Nora.
"You look like crap, what happened to you?" she asked.
"It's a long story. I need to get to Atlas now," he said quickly. "Do you still have a ship?"
"Sure do, come with me." She hopped off her chair and shuffled around the corner of a building where the small cargo ship she'd commandeered sat, obscured by the low brick structure. She climbed straight into the pilot seat and spooled up the enginges as Nora hurried back to rejoin the fight. "We'll be ready to go in a second."
"What are we waiting for?" Oscar frowned. The engines were running and the status boards showed the ship was more than capable of moving.
"Them," Maria said, pointing at a blonde mane of hair bobbing through a crowd of soldiers beside a girl with short black hair and a pair of cat ears. Yang and Blake ran towards the craft as fast as they could. "Won't hurt to have back up and we've got things under control down here. You worry about our friends up there and get Yang back to her sister." Oscar nodded. "I'll drop you off on the flight deck. It's up to you to find them."
"Understood," Oscar answered. As soon as their feet hit the ramp the aircraft was moving. Yang grinned broadly and yanked Oscar into another tight hug.
"Good to see ya, farm boy," she grinned. He couldn't help grinning back as they shot upwards towards the floating city.
"You didn't have to come with me you know," he answered. "This will be very dangerous for you."
"Couldn't let you have all the fun now, could we?" she winked.
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