March 25th
Location: Unknown
7:21 PM
"Cinder!" Salem shouted, glaring at the woman who looked up at her quickly. "There is something we need to discuss."
Turning quickly in surprise, the former Schnee felt her hands shaking. Motioning to Emerald, the small, green-haired girl came to her side while she whispered to her what to say to the Queen. Sighing, Emerald forced herself to meet Salem's ever more terrifying gaze.
"Uh..." The young woman said nervously. "She says that she isn't sure what -"
"Over here," Salem said, beckoning the sorceress towards her. "And you two," She said, glaring at Emerald and Mercury. "Stay over by the door."
Slowly, Cinder sat down next to Salem at the table in the large room that had grown all too familiar in the last twenty years. Her gaze falling on the mirror at the other side of the room, Cinder bit her lip to avoid shuddering at the memories of torture by that particular object.
"Look up," Salem commanded, and Cinder did so hesitantly. "There is a part of your training that I know we've neglected and that would be your...control over grimm. Since we have spent years working with controlling and even eliminating your emotions with the mirror, I should think that it is best to start with the creature that is in control of that mirror. A seer, naturally."
Cinder stared at her in shock before Salem snapped her fingers and one of the many seers within the Queen's domain came to her side, slithering before it wrapped its tentacles around Cinder's wrists. Recalling her previous tortures at the hands of this creature - both by the mirror and with her body, Cinder forced herself not to cry from the pain as the tentacles wrapped only tighter around her wrists until she focused the half maiden powers she had into singeing it off of her. Salem temporarily gave her a faint smile of approval though her lips pursed when she saw the fear that was rising in the girl's face. Tapping her foot under the table, Salem shook her head before summoning the creature to her side and positioned it so that it was directly across from her apprentice.
"I know that you do not have your full power as a result of that...Glynda Goodwitch," Salem said bitterly. "But that is no excuse. Give in to your abilities and force the creature to fear you! You may not be the Fall Maiden as you are destined, but you are a sorceress!" Dismissing the seer temporarily, Salem glared. "Cinder, there is no reason for you to not be this weak! I have spent the last twenty years training you and I am growing increasingly irritated by your -"
"But -" Cinder began, her voice still low, barely audible, and raspy.
"No," Salem said firmly. "Now, with Ozpin in Atlas, we are more vulnerable than before. The protection he's getting – even if only because of his wife's status – is strong and your failure to kill him has put us all worse off. Do you understand me?"
Cinder nodded weakly, fighting back the memories of her family that always resurfaced at the most unfortunate times, and Salem casually held out her right hand as the girl began to breathe heavily in response to the grimm that the Queen was using to manipulate her and her powers.
"Do you feel it?" Salem demanded. "Don't fight it, girl. It can sense your trepidation. You must make it dread you."
Cinder turned back to the door when Salem summoned the seer back into the room and it glowed a faint, ominous yellow while its tentacles brushed against the floor. The second the doors swung open to allow it passage and it came into sight, both Emerald and Mercury shrunk back in fear as it entered once again and slowly it meandered to the Queen's side. Leaning to it to ask it to have it confirm or deny what Hazel had told her, Salem clasped her hands together and narrowed her gaze once again. Cinder's eyes went slightly wide and her hands shook though she felt herself growing increasingly nervous about the possibility of Salem seeing her as weak. Recounting the things she had been able to do and the powers she had gained, Cinder tried to reassure herself that she was not weak but there was a part of her that was still in doubt when Salem leaned closer to her and pinched her lips together.
"Cinder, I am going to ask you this one more time, and I expect a clear answer," Salem said, her voice deadly and menacing. "Did you kill your brother during your mission last month?"
Biting her lip once again, Cinder began to call Emerald towards her once again though Salem stopped her by slamming both of her hands onto the table with her eyes glowing ominously as she shouted.
"No!" Salem commanded and Cinder lowered her arm fearfully. "I want to hear you say it."
Though it had been months since Beacon had fallen and that silver eyed child had damaged her, Cinder was still having some difficulty speaking and, for that reason, rasped several times before she managed to speak hoarsely once again. "No…I wasn't able to."
Several beats passed in which Salem stared at and assessed her before looking to her seer with her ornaments jangling. "Reinforce our numbers at Beacon. The Relic is there, and, no, I do not care that that Glynda Goodwitch is almost done with her control over the most basic repairs to the structure and exterior. The more fear we can drive into the area the better because I have several flames of hope to...extinguish. Starting with a certain Lysithea, actually. That poor little clairvoyant is going to be a thorn in my side, I can imagine and, considering that she's so young, the sooner I do away with her the better. She's nothing more or less than her mother's child."
Cinder began to feel sick as she bit at her nails, worried about what that could refer to and likely did. Salem on the other hand, began to grow lost in thought as she casually directed the seer into the mirror once more and Emerald and Mercury watched. Turning her head away from Cinder, Salem began to tap her fingers against her chin as she thought about the possibility of her and Cinder's efforts to kill Ozpin (and other members of her family) as having not been enough. The mere thought of her enemy's name, his wretched name, brought her back to the memories of her daughters, the four girls she had carried and it made her angry, so angry in fact that her eyes began to glow as they did when she was on the precipice. All of her losses only made her the more eager to kill Ozpin but she knew that it was not going to be easy despite her feeling justified in what she was doing and the means by which she was doing so. It wasn't until she glanced back at Cinder that she realized that the girl suffered from the same flaw that she did. She cared too much for her family and specific members of it were valued over others.
"What are you planning?" Salem questioned quietly before turning to Cinder and speaking to her with blunt authority. "The mirror. Now."
Anxiety threatening her, Cinder stood up with her hands and body shaking in fear for what she knew could happen to her nieces. It bothered her, somewhat, that she cared so much for the brats but there was a faint, neglected side of her that was maternal towards them and she knew that it had existed for years. Never had she ever had a desire to hurt the two of them and especially Sam. Tears in her eyes, Cinder wiped them away angrily before grasping the railing in front of the mirror tightly - not daring to look at her appearance reflected in it. Feeling Salem's fingers grasping her shoulder, Cinder forced herself to look up in spite of herself though she gasped upon noticing the faint rim of sparks around her eyes that indicated the bit of power she had stolen from Amber.
The second her hand was released from around the girl's shoulder, Salem waved a hand at the mirror to force it to show wherever her brother was and the woman stared in horror when she saw the group of bandits surrounding him, his wife, that blonde from Beacon, Sam, Lysithea, Matt, and Annetta. As the seedy men moved closer to them and the blonde one walked away from her motorbike, Cinder could see Emmett drawing sword in one hand while he summoned a glyph for protection. Emmeline had drawn her rifle, it was obvious that Emmett was cursing, and Sam, Lysithea, Matt, and Annetta had their own weapons at the ready.
Salem clicked her tongue in irritation. "Tell me, Cinder, is your 'love' for your family coming back again?"
"No..." Cinder rasped though it was a lie to even her ears.
Taking sharp note of the fear in the former Schnee's eyes as they both the scene, Salem pinpointed the weakness and shook her head in disapproval though she herself knew it was hypocrisy.
"Oh..." She remarked. "It's Emmett's daughters. Samara and Lysithea..."
The image changed again and this time it showed Lysithea standing in the center of one of the rooms within the Queen's foreboding domain. The young huntress was shivering in fear and collapsed to the floor, curling into herself and mumbling incoherently though Cinder had a few guesses as to what the girl could be scared by. Lifting her head up suddenly upon hearing the heavy metal doors open, Lily screamed when she saw Salem walking towards her with her eyes glowing. Shaking her head with her white curls flailing wildly, Lysithea clenched her fists and tried to run but found herself unable to move. Reaching her side, Salem bent down and used a finger to tip the girl's head back before forcing her to look at her. Sighing, the Queen flicked her wrist once and the tentacle of a seer pierced through her and the girl collapsed on the floor in a heap.
Closing her eyes and shattering the mirror as she let out an agonized cry, Cinder felt a hard slap across her face and Salem glaring at her while the image disappeared and the mirror frosted over once again. Out of the corner of her eye, Cinder could see Emerald staring at her sympathetically and Mercury blowing her kiss - an act that only caused her to glare, summon a fireball, and throw it at his head to singe the top of his hair. Mercury stared at her in shock before he looked to the door and reminded himself that there was never any possibility of Cinder Fall loving him despite the flame he carried for her. He knew that Emerald felt the same way about the sorceress and it was one of the more awkward aspect of their friendship though he knew that she was relieved that Cinder was unaware of her attraction to her.
"Stop being weak!" Salem screamed at Cinder as the sorceress leaned against the railing to steady herself. "Pray you do better with fighting against the grimm or I will be utterly disappointed in you!"
Pushing the girl into the other room so that it would simply be the two of them, Salem summoned four beowolves to the scene and snapped her fingers together to order Cinder to begin her attack. Starting with her natural born powers rather than straining herself with the maiden powers, Cinder sent a flaming arc in the direction of the grimm before continuing to do so in direct succession. Looking back to the darkened hallway to which they had entered from, Cinder tried to focus herself as the creatures only moved closer to her in their perfect formation. Adjusting her hands and thereby her aim, Cinder began to attack the creatures once again though this time, unlike the last, it killed them and monsters disintegrated. Now breathing heavily, Cinder forced herself to breath though she felt her chest constrict when she heard the footsteps of another grimm. Turning to face it with a gasp and her hands shaking, Cinder stared for a moment in fear as it leapt towards her though she killed it with a well aimed ball of fire. Seeing no more enemies and temporarily forgetting Salem was in the room as her fears fell back to Lysithea, Cinder collapsed to hear knees and held her head with an arm and tried, to no avail, to steady her breathing again.
"Enough," Salem said, walking towards the woman who was still on her knees. "I thought you were the girl who wanted power. Did you lie to me?"
Cinder winced though she forced herself to look up and shook her head.
"Then stop holding back," Salem told her sharply. "If you wish to master whatever of the powers of the Fall Maiden you have, you must -"
"I'm sorry..." Tyrian mumbled as he wandered into the room while he sobbed and fell to his knees, bowing his head and laying his hands onto the floor though he raised his hand up to his chin. "She'll forgive me. Please..." Once again bowing, Tyrian tried to reason. "Forgive me..."
"Tyrian!" Salem shouted as she stood before him and he remained on his knees though he raised his head and Cinder pushed herself up off of the ground. Holding her arm imperially, Salem glared at him as he bowed his head once again. "Your task. Were you successful?"
"N...no..." Tyrian admitted in fear, watching her narrow her eyes before walking away and Cinder, her eyes wide, observed the Queen - refusing to meet the faunus man's gaze. Deciding to beg, Tyrian shifted himself to remain facing the Queen. "But...but hope is not lost! My tail, my stinger, I...I poisoned him, Qrow! He will not be a nuisance to you any longer, no...no longer! I've done that...have I done well? Have I pleased you?"
Salem pursed her lips. "The last eye is blinded...you disappoint me."
Leaving with perfect grace, Salem left her apprentice alone with the man as he fell forward once again, wailing as if he was a small child. Simply recognizing that pierced the former Schnee more than she would care to admit and she could only stare as a beowolf approached him. Ignoring Cinder in spite of her fear and capitalizing on the steady flow of negative emotion that was being exhibited by Tyrian, it began to leap towards him. Wailing still, Tyrian hit it with force and the creature landed on its back while he opened his weapons and himself leapt atop if it. Slashing at it with his tears still streaming down, Tyrian let himself begin to laugh in his violence towards the creature though it was all Cinder could do to not burst into tears as she observed the scene in utter horror.
April 3rd
Schnee Family Manor
City Of Atlas
Atlas
Downtown
7:29 PM
"Whitley!" Jacques snapped, looking at his son who was shifting nervously. "Are you listening or are you not?"
"Of course, father," Whitley said, his hands tightly clasped behind his back. "Might I ask why you are so enraged?"
Jacques's eyes flared and he groaned. "General Ironwood, for one. Although Elizabeth Morell and your aunt are not helping the slightest. Did you hear that the Department of Financial Affairs And Corporate Restriction is suing me for supposed business malpractice? Apparently, the DFACR thinks that my business deals over years are now something of scrutiny. Actually, they have even included your grandfather's granting me the company in the first place as a possible...infraction."
"Why?" Whitley asked nervously, terrified at the idea of inciting his father's anger. "I mean, grandfather gave you the company because you were the best person to lead it. Why would that be in question?"
"Because General Ironwood and General Ciel are convinced that I coerced your grandfather to write that into his will while he was still somewhat under anesthesia from surgery," Jacques told him, his eyes narrow. "It's complete poppycock, naturally."
"Naturally," Whitley agreed though a part of him wasn't sure. "What is Elizabeth Morell doing that is causing the company trouble?"
"Well, just her being the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council is one," Jacques said, rolling his eyes. "How a woman that unstable could have her position is beyond me but I suppose that the people think of her as a 'redeemed' woman. I shouldn't say this, and you best not repeat it, but it's a relief that Cristal and Ozpin aren't in a position, now, to add fuel to the fire."
Whitley flinched at the name of his aunt and uncle. "Well," He said weakly. "I can imagine that Emmett isn't helping things either, if General Ciel is already angry."
"Do not get me started on Emmett!" Jacques said as he leaned back in his chair and groaned. "The man is insufferable! All his life, he had been raised to the standard that a Schnee ought to hold themselves to, but he acts like he was raised on the streets! Did you know that he destroyed one of my cars once? Or should I tell you about how Emmett also inherited some money from his father that was later revoked and then, in a more than inappropriate stroke of audacity, told all of us on his sixteenth birthday that he wanted to become a huntsman rather than a respectable profession? He spent the next two years training intensely before he was accepted to Atlas Academy by shortly before he turned eighteen in the October of his first year? That was where he met that Valerian woman and Ironwood...and of course Roman Torchwick."
"That is...appalling," Whitley said even though a part of him was amused and almost admired the things his uncle had done to spite his father. "Who is 'that Valerian woman' Emmett met at Atlas Academy?"
Jacques scoffed. "Glynda Goodwitch, Beacon's current headmistress since Ozpin's position was revoked following the Fall. As his deputy headmistress, the Government Council of the Unified States of Vale decided that she of all people would be the most fit to lead the academy."
"Oh," Whitley said, trying to mask the fact that he already had know who his father had been referring to. "She isn't -"
"She married Ironwood twenty years ago," Jacques told him. "And they had three kids who are all awful in their own ways. Their eldest, one of their twin daughters, is clinically insane yet pursuing law. Their other daughter had an affair with Adam Taurus and his having his child, while I'm almost certain their son, their youngest, is in love with that brooding faunus girl your sister was stuck on a team with...but I don't know for sure."
Whitley bit his tongue, forcing himself not to react in anger to his father's racism, disagreeing with it in its entirety in the same way that the majority of the world did. He knew that the White Fang was one of the most violent groups in the world, but he wasn't without mercy.
"That's..." He started slowly.
"You don't need to tell me, I know," Jacques said, waving a hand dismissively. "I just cannot understand where all of this ignorance comes from!"
Your narrow mind, for one, Whitley thought as a quiet knock was heard on the door to his father's study.
"My apologies, father," He said shortly. "But were you expecting anyone?"
Jacques stood up to get the door, glaring at his wife outside while she forced herself to meet his gaze despite being afraid. "You're late," Jacques snarled as she sat down and tightened her grip on her wine. "And I simply cannot accept that."
"Oh really?" Willow snapped, her voice stronger than she had been expecting. "Well, I hope you haven't been hurting our son - or have you forgotten that Weiss has been gone for over a week now while Winter ran off to the military and Qrow Branwen years ago?"
"Qrow Branwen is several years older than her, for one," Jacques shouted. "Something I do not approve of, and, for another, I believe they are separated as of now because he went after his niece!"
"Yes, well at least he cares about our daughter!" Willow snapped again. "At least he loves her!"
"Shut up!" Jacques commanded her, slapping her across her face while Whitley turned away, unable to watch. "Just be pretty and drunk, or perhaps listen to me for once!"
"Oh, please," Willow said, glaring at him, unusually confident. "I already know you're in legal trouble over the circumstances under which you received the SDC and your running of it, but you're also in legal trouble with the Department of Health and Human Resources."
Jacques stared at her, stunned, before he spoke in his eerily calm tone and forced away the fear of what she could be implying. "I beg your pardon?"
Willow smirked and took a sip of her wine. "See, I, after all these years and with the help of Emmeline and Emmett, provided the DHR with evidence that not only have you physically, mentally, and emotionally abused me, Winter, Weiss, and Whitley, but that you -"
"You bitch!" Jacques shouted, his composure slipping and she winced out of habit after having suffered this for so many years. "How dare you -"
"And, if things go the way the DHR thinks they will," Willow shouted back, feeling guilty when she saw Whitley flinch and cover his ears. Lowering her voice, she sighed. "I am going to take full custody over Whitley, regain the house, and possibly the company. You're not going to win, not this time. I won't let you. I've been through fucking enough over the years, and I am done putting up with your crazy. Weiss and Winter may have run so fucking far from all of this, but Whitley can't and they have left him here with us! You're not a broken man anymore, Jacques, you are a fucking -"
"Don't you dare," Jacques grabbed her sharply by the wrist. "You won't."
"Yes I will," Willow told him, staring at their son and breaking free from his grip. "Whitley, come along. You and I can spend some time together. Perhaps you'll play me a new composition on the piano?"
Whitley smiled and took his mother's hand as if he were a small child. "Of course, mother."
"Mom, or mommy," Willow corrected him with a smile. "Oh, and Jacques," Willow said, glaring at her husband. "I think that the divorce papers that Elizabeth is helping me obtain will come to light soon enough. So, since Emmett and Emmeline aren't in the room to say it, fuck you."
The door shut deftly behind her and their son and, for the first time, it occurred to Jacques that may he had, despite everything, once loved her and let the lust and power inebriate him. Perhaps she had been right, that night a few weeks before, when she had told him that she simply assumed that he had done something (or been involved in) very, very wrong.
April 13th
Anima
1:33 PM
"Yeah, this would be Mistral," Emmett muttered with a nervous smile they all hesitantly entered the Branwen Tribe's lands. "But the... shady part, so we need to be careful."
Team SAML and Yang had been traveling with the swordsman and the general for the last few weeks, and it was a damn relief that there hadn't been much danger over the last few days. Still, he had been set on edge. Everything seemed so wrong, and he was just as worried as Emmeline for their son, who was still at home in Atlas. He felt absolutely terrible for not being home for their son's eighth birthday, but they hadn't a choice. It had sounded like, based what Spencer had said, Eddie was doing just fine, but that knowledge was little comfort. Emmeline had become more and more keyed up as the weeks had gone on, while Samara had been anxious at best and Lysithea had become snappish. Matt was the only one of all of them that had remained somewhat optimistic, but Yang was doing her best to squash that out of him.
It certainly didn't help that Annetta had lost control of her powers as a sorceress and had fallen unconscious for a few days because of it.
"This will be fun," Emmeline said dryly, brushing some of the dirt off of her combat uniform and reaching for her rifle out of habit.
"Yeah," Yang agreed with a slightly derisive snort. "I expect honor from people like this."
Annetta rolled her eyes and slung her axe over her shoulder. "These aren't good people, Yang."
"I was being sarcastic," She snapped. "And –"
"Daddy screamed the first time he saw a grimm," Samara suddenly interjected, and Emmett paused, looking rather embarrassed, while Emmeline took his hand and laughed with the others. "He told us about it one time. It sounded hilarious."
"Okay, that's not fair," Emmett protested. "I had been eighteen, it was the first mission my team and I had ever gone out on, and that was the first time I ever came across a grimm. Happy now?"
Everyone laughed, although Yang rolled her eyes at the story.
"Emmett," She said, still laughing herself. "You didn't really scream the first time you saw a grimm, did you?"
Emmett winked. "If you want to get confirmation, I'm sure that, when we get back to Atlas, Glynda or James will be more than happy to confirm that story for you."
They all suddenly fell silent. Though it had been over a week since they had fought and caused serious damage to the bandits who were leading them into the camp, the men were still seriously bruised and a few were moaning in pain. They all believed that it served them right. Annetta sent Yang a sympathetic look though everyone tensed when the other bandits on the path were glaring at their group. Yang supposed that had something to do with Emmett, Emmeline, and Team SAML being noticeably Atlesian although Yang thought that unfair, especially since Annie was an Atlesian-Valerian and Yang herself was a Valerian. It didn't shock her that there was a sentiment against Atlas in this area, but it bothered her regardless and she saw two bandits set down some playing cards before they began to walk towards the group. A woman stood outside of her tent and stared out all of them though when they reached the main tent, Raven stepped out with her mask on.
"Mom," Yang said, crossing her arms irritably.
"Yang," Raven replied, removing her mask slowly. "So, after all this time and my continued offers, you finally decided to visit me."
Her natural hand shaking, Yang felt her eyes narrow sharply, matching her mother's own stare. "You know that I searched for you, I spent years looking for you before you sought me out twice. Once to save me, the second to offer me to join the tribe."
Raven smiled faintly. "And you've found me despite me not giving you much instruction as to where my tribe was. You were patient, determined, and strong enough to make your dream a reality beyond two meetings. Well done, Yang, but did you have to be so rough with my men?"
"I didn't want a fight," Yang informed her, sending Emmett and Emmeline a pointed look before turning back to her mother and her men. "They started it."
"Well, you certainly finished it," Raven began, allowing for some silence. "Right. I'm sure this is all very overwhelming, but I must admit that you've proven yourself. So, any questions you have I'll be happy to answer. You can stay with us tonight. I'll even have the cooks whip up something for you."
"That's not why I am here," Yang told her and the rest of the tribe reacted in shock at her lack of reverence for their leader.
"What was that?" Raven asked, her voice darkening.
"I'm not here for you," Yang said, irritable even as Ivy squeezed her hand again. "Ruby is somewhere in Mistral. She's with Qrow, and she's going to need my help. I just need you to take me to her."
Raven's eyes flared though she didn't use her maiden powers. "And why would I do that?"
Yang glanced over to the others, knowing full well why they were there. Emmeline had come on official business for the Atlesian government. Without even having to ask, Yang had known the general meant every word she was going to say and didn't give a damn about the tribe beyond striking a deal. Emmett had come with her, in part because he couldn't bear the thought of being separated from her in the aftermath of the Fall, especially with two of their kids going with her. Yang also knew that he had made a promise to his sister and Ozpin that he would do his part in protecting the Schnee family, and that he wouldn't let Spencer and Karissa be put through more hell than they already had been in the last several years. Regardless, it made things difficult but even Yang knew that she needed the support. She was never going to push them out, and it would probably be well worth whatever arguing they were dealing with in the meanwhile.
"Look," Forcing herself to speak, Yang sighed. "You'd do that because we're family."
Raven scowled at her and began to mutter to herself. "Family, only coming around when they need something." Looking back to her daughter and projecting her voice again, Raven replied. "I have to say, I'm disappointed. After all, you found me, didn't you? Why not take that drive and use it to find your little sister, I mean cousin, if she means that much to you?"
"Because," Yang said, trying to force her to see reason. "You're going to save me time. Ruby was heading to Mistral, but there's no guarantee she's made it there. Looking for her in Anima could take ages...but...dad told me how your semblance works."
"Tai..." Raven muttered under her breath, before cursing her ex-husband and sending Emmeline a dark look. "Let me guess, he told Elizabeth too and now that bitch wants me dead even more. Pathetic."
"You can bond to certain people," Yang pressed on. "And when you do, you could create a portal that takes you straight to them. You've got one for dad, one for me, and you've got one for Qrow. He promised me he'd watch out for Ruby before he left, and I trust him. So, make me a portal to my uncle and sister, and I'll be on my way."
"You know," Raven growled, angered that she still thought of Ruby more as her sister than as her cousin. "It takes real strength to march in her and demand such a favor of me. I've got to say, I'm impressed. It's very noble to want to help out your...'sister', but if she's with Qrow, then she's already a lost cause to me and she should be to you too."
"What does that mean?" Yang demanded.
"You don't want to get mixed up in all of that, Yang," Raven told her, glaring at Emmett and Emmeline in particularly. Emmett, in part because Emmeline gently set a hand to his shoulder, forced himself not to retaliate although he knew that Raven knew he was still a loyal member of the group. "Ozpin is not the man you think he is, and Qrow is a fool for trusting him. The Schnees are too, actually. I would know, I trusted him once too."
"I don't care what you think," Yang told her, looking at Emmett who bit his lip upon noticing Myrtenaster in the other woman's hand before she glared at it and set her right hand to her hip.
"Your choice is your own," Raven told her daughter. "All I'm suggesting is that instead of getting wrapped up in something too big for you, for any of us, that maybe you take a moment to wonder if you're already where you belong."
"Save your breath," Yang snapped. "You can spout off whatever you want, but nothing is going to keep me from my sister."
"Well, aren't you stubborn," Raven commented, her eyes narrowing.
"I get it from my mom," Yang informed her angrily.
"Well, if that's how you feel," Raven said, trying to conceal her hurt. "Then it sounds like we're done here. Take her away."
Even though the bandits began to move towards her and the rest of the group reached for their weapons, Yang turned back to Raven. "Did you not hear me?" Yang demanded, watching her mother turn back to her while Yang found her eyes turning red. "I said send me to Qrow, damn it!"
"That's enough! You watch your mouth in front of our leader!" One of the bandits yelled and some of his comrades tensed behind him as he went to attack her though she punched him into a tent that revealed Weiss who was sitting in her cage.
"Yang?" Weiss started, before she noticed her cousins, aunt, and uncle. "Wait, what? I -"
"Weiss?" They all exclaimed to varying degrees of shock.
Emmett looked as if he could kill someone for everything that had happened, even if a lot of it happened in a matter of seconds.
"Alright," Weiss said to herself, while the others all looked in shock as the others realized that they knew each other. "Well, subtlety is out."
Forcing her summoned Arma Gigas to expand and destroy the cage, Weiss ran towards her uncle, cousins, and friend with it following her. Yang was the first one to speak in shock.
"What is that?" She asked almost breathlessly.
"Don't worry about it," Weiss said while Annetta stared in awe and Matt began to laugh, almost falling onto the ground while Sam and Lysithea smirked. "What?"
"I'm sorry," Matt breathed through his laughter. "But I just...holy fuck that is something!"
"What are you all doing here?" Weiss asked.
Yang gestured to Raven. "Well...that's my mom, and she can take us to Ruby."
"Ugh," Raven groaned.
"Your mom kidnapped me?" Weiss half-screamed in shock.
"You kidnapped her?" Yang shouted, turning to her mother as they all raised their weapons to fight the bandits though a lightning bolt stopped them before a fight could ensue.
"Enough!" Vernal shouted.
"Thank you," Raven said to Vernal though she glared at everyone else. "If you people don't keep it together, this place will be crawling with grimm!" Grudgingly, she turned back to Vernal who followed her command in surprise. "Give the girl her weapon back. You all. In my tent. Now."
"Why?" Yang and Emmett demanded at the same time before narrowing their eyes at each other.
"If you're really going after these people," Raven began bitterly before entering her tent and the rest of her tribe went back to their work. "Hell, since Emmett is one of these people, Emmeline too, then you need to know the truth."
Once she was gone, Weiss placed a hand to her chest in relief while Yang spoke. "Sorry about -"
Suddenly dropping Myrtenaster, Weiss hugged Yang tightly. "I missed you so much."
"I've missed you too," Yang admitted, never more relieved to see the heiress.
"What part of 'in my tent, not' do you all not understand?" Raven demanded, coming back out with her hands on her hips. "Has Atlas really made you all that soft?"
Team SAML, Yang, and Weiss all ran inside, in part because it had started to rain, but Emmett and Emmeline remained on the stairs. Both of them looked pissed, and were standing just in front of Raven and matched her gaze almost flawlessly.
"Well," She said, looking irritable. "You all are going to be here for a while."
Emmett scowled. "We'll determine that for ourselves."
Emmeline sent him a dark look and stepped on his foot. "Whatever happened to striking an alliance with them?"
Raven raised an eyebrow. "Striking an alliance with me, General Ciel?"
"Yes," Emmeline said shortly, crossing her arms. "I believe we have terms to negotiate, don't we?"
Raven considered that. "Yes," She said. "I believe we do."
"And keep in mind that we have the DFAMA behind us in Atlas," Emmett added, pausing in front of Raven with his wife still by his side, who looked a bit exasperated. Team SAML and Yang had already disappeared into the tent. "Especially since you've run so fucking far from responsibility."
Raven scowled at him. "You know something, Schnee?" She said, her voice dripping in venom. "There was a time I thought I was in love with you, before Tai, but I've realized who you are. You're not even a sliver of the man you think that you are and, for everything that you have, you're always going to have a hole in you that can't be filled with money, drugs, and cars. I'm so glad I never ever had a baby with you…you don't give a damn about anything unless there's something in it for –"
Emmett suddenly punched her in the face, and Emmeline sighed.
"You're the one in the wrong," Emmeline told her. "You're just too blind to see it."
Raven snorted. "Well, then," She said darkly. "Let's hope you've all got something good for me."
April 19th
City Of Atlas
Atlas
Downtown
11:53 PM
"Glynda…" James sighed as she closed out of the images of the current state of Beacon on her scroll. "I...it's looking better, isn't it?"
"I guess," She said, rubbing her glasses against the sleeve of her blouse. "But...but the grimm population is supposedly rising again."
"Hey," James said, sitting down next to her and pulling her into him. "It's going to be okay. Things are getting better, just not at the rate I know you were hoping for."
"It's not just Beacon..." Glynda admitted, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I...I...I'm scared about what might happen to all of us, especially given everything that's happened, and I..."
"Glynda, I promise it's going to be fine," James gently began to stroke her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder and began to cry into him. "Glyns, I know this is hard on you, and it's been hard for me too, but it's...they'll be fine."
"Jamie -" Glynda began though he cut her off with a kiss and she sighed as he brushed her tears away with his finger.
"Glynda, there are very few people I actually trust," He said gently. "And it's you, the Ciel-Schnees, Cristal, Cate, Jake, and…and Ivy."
Glynda sighed. "James -"
"As it happens, that's our family," James pointed out, causing her to sigh. "Okay? We'll be okay…I just wish we knew what to do. Oz has gone silent, Cristal might as well be unreachable, and I barely know what to do. Honestly, beyond revealing the truth that Oz has been so damn afraid of this whole time, I…"
"Don't say it," She told him, not wanting to think about the powers any more than she had to because it only brought her thoughts back to what Cinder had done to Beacon. "I already have to think about that enough, all things considered."
"I know," James said, sighing heavily. "I shouldn't -"
"How do you..." Glynda began though she shook her head. "Never mind, I -"
"Glyns, I know that there's no way you would be having such violent nightmares if it weren't on your mind," James told her as gently as he could. "And I know that you're nervous about having to fight and kill Cinder -"
"It's not that she doesn't deserve it," Glynda said, trying to force her voice to be steady. "But I just...I...I don't feel right about killing another person."
"Neither do I," James assured her though her eyes only began to tear up again. "Glynda, even if you do kill her, even when the other half of the powers transfers to you... you're still going to be the woman I married twenty years ago."
"Am I?" She challenged, unsure of what to do. "Because I'm going to kill a woman to prevent her from -"
"From killing you and taking the rest of the powers of the Fall Maiden?" He pointed out and she sighed. "Glynda, for all intents and purposes, it's more like self-defense -"
"I know that!" She snapped in exasperation. "I that that is what it is, mostly, but that doesn't mean I feel any better about doing it! I'm pissed that she killed Edward Ciel, I'm pissed that she hurt Elizabeth, and I'm really pissed that she's tried to tear Emmett's family apart but that doesn't mean that I feel justified in killing her! Emmett has a direct reason, Elizabeth has a direct reason - fuck, even Tai, Sam, and Lysithea, Eddie, and Emmeline would be justified in killing but that doesn't mean any of us truly want to do those things or could!"
James was silent for a moment before helping her to her feet and walking out onto the balcony with her while a light rain fell.
"Glynda, it's going to be alright," He gently repeated. "I don't like any of this either, but none of us have much of a choice."
"I know," She admitted weakly. "But I..."
"Glynda, no matter what happens," James wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him before kissing her deeply while her arms wrapped around his neck. "I'm going to love you no matter what."
Tears weighing down her eyelashes again, Glynda nodded. "I love you so much..."
"So do I," James swore, pulling her even closer to him as the doorbell to their house rang out.
One arm still around her waist, the two of them walked down to the first floor to get the door where Elizabeth was with Tai, looking rather disheveled. Glynda narrowed her eyes, but motioned them upstairs nonetheless before slamming the door with her crop and crossing her arms as she stared at the shut door for a moment. Biting her lip as James followed the Tai and Elizabeth upstairs, Glynda lingered before sighing irritably and pushing up her glasses. Stomping up the stairs with her crop in hand and sitting down next to James on the couch across from Elizabeth and Tai, she took in the room for a moment before twisting her side bangs around her fingers. Elizabeth was somewhat shaky and Tai was rubbing her back until James finally broke the silence and he released his wife.
"What happened?" James asked, looking to Elizabeth who rubbed her neck.
"Jacques," Elizabeth informed him, her tone increasingly bitter. "That little bitch's trial starts in a few days and...well, he published this."
Handing him her scroll, she watched him as James's eyes widened at shock upon seeing the headline.
Is the Atlesian Government Corrupt? An Inside Look at Elizabeth Morell's Uncanny Knowledge Of Alleged Business Deals Made by Jacques Schnee.
"No," James said, glaring at the headline before handing her scroll back to her. "That's bullshit. You followed every single law in place when it came to looking into Jacques's company and -"
"And that's not the worst of it," Elizabeth said, her anger rising. "Because he is hindering the trial by manipulating the media -"
"He's not going to get off," James said but Elizabeth only glared. "He's not -"
"Ha," Elizabeth said though she was unamused. "Clearly, he's got some networks in his back pocket. Believe me, I'm pissed but he's attempted to discredit me by citing my testimony -"
"What?" Glynda stared at her with her arms still crossed and her riding crop in her hand. "That son of a bitch! How would that -"
"Because he's trying to convince people that my testimony reveals mental scarring that makes me unfit for office," Elizabeth told her, wanting to break something. "And if I was given half a chance, I would be very forthcoming about beating the shit out of him -"
"Don't worry, we would be too," Glynda promised her, looking at her crop in her hand. "I for one would love to fight him. Emmett actually will with no questions asked. When he gets back to Atlas, I would ask him or Emmeline."
"Oh I will," Elizabeth said, her voice dark. "Because Jacques...I cannot believe that he has sunk this low!"
"It's not that surprising, Eliza," Tai pointed out and she looked at him in surprise. "If only because we're talking about Jacques Gelè of all people."
"Let's see how far we've come..." Elizabeth muttered before shaking her head and sighing. I just don't know what to say, it's a mess."
"I agree," Tai said and she sighed again. "But it's going to be alright."
"Really?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because, yes, I promised him that this investigation, this trial, wasn't going away but -"
"But we have more on him than he has on you, or more accurately could turn on you," James said and she closed her eyes for a moment before nodding. "Such as the fact that we may be able to prove, with hospital records anyways, that he coerced Nicolas into signing the company over to him."
"We damn better," Elizabeth said bitterly. "Because that man needs to be handed his comeuppance sooner rather than later. They all do."
