A/N: Hey readers. We know it's been awhile since our last update, but here's the latest chapter. Sorry this took so long to get out, but a good chunk of this was something Deviljho's Hatred wanted to write out personally and real life stuff kept getting in the way. But now it's all finished and the next chapter should hopefully come out in a MUCH shorter time. Enjoy.

Silence filled the kitchen of the Vance household. The bombshell of news that Leonidas Stryker had just dropped had all of Team LION stunned. That was to be expected of course, given what they had just been told.

"Terra's the next Fall Maiden?" Leon asked, barely able to believe it. "You're certain of this?"

"Unless her semblance suddenly decided to develop and be exactly what Maidens are capable of, then yes." Leonidas told him. "I've been with Ozpin a long time. I know what Maidens are like by now."

Mauve and Tanner looked at everyone, confused as to what was going on. "Wait, can someone explain this to us?" Mauve asked. "What do you all mean by Fall Maiden?"

Vizune looked at the parents. "It's a bit of a story."

Leonidas and Vizune went on to explain the history of the Maidens to Mauve and Tanner. About the power they possessed and how they had been kept a secret for centuries. They did their best to keep out the parts involving Salem and the Relics. Such things would only worry them further. And this news without those facts was going to be shocking enough as it was. The parents slowly let this news sink in.

"So… Terra is one of these four Maidens then?" Mauve confirmed. "Then what does that mean for her? You said the Maidens have been kept in hiding."

"They're not necessarily unable to live normal lives." Leonidas said. "But yes there is a lot about her that needs to be kept top secret from now on. And she will need to be watched often."

Mauve frowned as she looked at the floor. "She was just starting to get back to having a normal life. And now this?"

"I would have rather her not been involved with this either. Believe me." Leonidas told her. "But now that she is… there's something I wish to do."

"What would that be?" Tanner asked.

"Well the kids and I are already planning on heading to Vacuo. We've got business there." the old man explained. "If you'd be willing, I'd like to bring Terra with us."

"Vacuo?! But that's so far away." Mauve said. "And it's rather dangerous there."

"What exactly is in Vacuo that you need her for?" Tanner asked.

"I explained that there's a Maiden in regards to each kingdom, correct? The Summer Maiden should be in Vacuo." he explained. "If Terra goes with us there, she can learn firsthand how to control her powers. As for safety, you won't have to worry about that. She'll have her brother and his team looking out for her, not to mention myself. And she's gotten strong enough where some lowlife street thugs won't be able to mess with her."

"Still…" Mauve said. It was clear that she was not keen on having both of her kids gone. Especially with how much scarier the world was becoming lately.

"I think she should go too." Leon said. Both of his parents looked at him. "I mean, she's been locked in her room ever since she got her Maiden powers right? At least this way, she'll learn to control them."

Mauve was still unsure of how she felt about this. But Tanner put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Dear, I think we should listen to them. They seem to understand the situation a lot better than us. Plus, I'm sure they can keep her safe. Leonidas is a pro-Huntsman after all."

Muave let out a sigh. It was clear what had to be done, regardless of how difficult it was for her. "Very well. If you think it best, then you have my permission."

"Thank you." Leonidas said. "I promise you, I won't let a single thing happen to her."

"I'm counting on you then." she told him.

Mauve and Tanner got up and left the room, needing some time to clear their heads about all of this. Leonidas looked at Team LION. "I'm sure you understand this, but there's another reason I'm bringing Terra along with us."

"Salem, right?" Naomi guessed. "Rosemary isn't safe for Terra anymore."

"Sadly, that is the case." Leonidas nodded. "At least until she can fully control her powers. Even then, her life is never going to be the same."

The rest of the team looked at Leon. It was clear he wasn't happy about this development either. But there wasn't much that could be done. Terra was a Maiden now, there was no changing that fact.

"Alright then. We'll stay here for the night. Terra's gonna need time to pack her things too." Leonidas said. "We leave for Vacuo in the morning. Be ready."

"Ah, home sweet home!" Inori started as she jumped out of the freshly parked ship behind a mountain near the outskirts of a village. "Vacuo is so nice during the dead heat of summer!"

"Yeah, glad to see you enjoy yourself in the place we were just at not even a month ago." Roman snided from the doorway of the Bullhead. "Remind me why we got involved with that Grimm queen again?"

"Roman dear, you might be street smart but you are failing to see the bigger picture here. All we gotta do is play nice by Salem and we get whatever we want." The scientist moved back to the door and nudged her cohort in the arm. "I haven't steered you wrong yet, have I?"

"No, but give it time and she probably will." Both pairs of eyes turned to see Mercury with a grimace on his face. "You should've just walked away when you had the chance Roman, now there's no way you're getting out of this type of work."

Inori clicked her tongue in a fashion that one would if they were acknowledging a pet. A gesture that didn't escape the senses of the assassin. But before he could remark on it, all the air from his lungs was ripped out with Inori's fist shoved inches deep into his stomach. His Aura managed to keep an internal damage from occurring but damn if it didn't hurt like all hell. "Honey, I strongly suggest you keep that little defiant mouth of yours shut if you value your life. You're only alive because I'm letting you. If you wanna become the next base in my experimental armor runs, then by all means keep talking."

She removed her fist from the teen's gut, allowing air to re-enter his lungs. Although he didn't say anything, the glare he sent her way said more than words could ever communicate. "Glad to see we're on the same page here."

Mercury tried to curse her out but only rough coughs came out of his opened mouth. Emerald, coming from the door helped her partner back onto his feet. Sending a similarly nasty look to the scientist as the other three came out of the plane.

"Oh sweety, don't make such a sour face. It might get stuck like that." Crimson remarked with a chuckle and a small pinch to Emerald's cheek. The smile never left her face even when the thief slapped her hand away. "So feisty. Maybe you might be able to satisfy me later…"

"If you girls are done kissing, we got a job to do." Inori said while looking at a holo-map of the area around the village. "Now the academy isn't that far off from here. An hour or two by ground vehicle since we can't really fly this bird any further without drawing some mass suspicion from the local government. If we approached their air space even once, they'd probably shoot us down on the spot. So we gotta make due with stealing a car big enough to hide Virtue and driving to the surrounding areas adjacent to the academy to scope out the Maiden." The village near them was decently populated so their chances to find a truck or something similar was very high. "We take care of her so that no one can save that rinky dink headmaster when we storm in and murder him dead for the relic."

"We need the Maiden alive if we wanna get the relic." Emerald said. "Salem told us they're the key for unlocking the vault that holds it."

Inori sighed in annoyance. "So the stab and dash approach is out the window. I suppose we could just beat her unconscious and drug her until we get to the vault."

Isuka moved near the map and stretched it out for a bigger view of the kingdom. "Let's not forget that she could literally be anywhere here. These Maidens do seem to have a knack for the isolated life. Raven was with a traveling band of criminals and lowlives in an attempt to blend in."

"And that Amber chick was off roaming about when we found her."

Inori took both Isuka and Mercury's words into consideration. Scouring the entirety of the kingdom could take weeks, months even. And even then they weren't guaranteed to just up and bump into her. Her brows furrowed until she suddenly snapped her fingers. "Ah ha! I am furnished with a thought! Given how a Maiden seems to be a protector of sorts for the people of their kingdom, if we just stir enough of a panic…"

"... We could lure her out of hiding and capture her!" Crimson finished. "Ooh, deliciously devilish Inori."

"But first, vehicles. Neo, could you and Roman dear do a small scouting of the village and get back to us with some details? Oh and be sure to wet your pockets for cash and supplies while you're at it."

Neo looked to her partner in crime with a nod, making the crook sigh. "Sure thing. But don't expect us to come back with a mini fridge or something of the like."

"Oh I wouldn't dream of it. I already have all I need in appliances … Though another blender wouldn't hurt that much…"

Ignoring the woman's rambling, the duo went off into the sands to the nearby town. Hopefully they could come back with some useful information and materials.

"And what exactly are we supposed to do?" Isuka asked while motioning to herself, Crimson and Cinder's two brats.

Inori waved off them as she began to dig through a personal cabinet. "Start gathering up the essentials and put them into carry ons. We gotta trash this ship once Roman and Neo find a truck or something to secure it so as to not leave much trace of us being here."

"Wouldn't an air vehicle explosion raise more alarm than finding an abandoned one?"

"On one hand, yes. On the other, they find our prints everywhere, local and kingdom security is alerted and we die like dogs in this sweltering hellhole." It was surprising to see Inori take this situation much more seriously compared to her usual demeanor. "So we blow this whole thing up and bolt it to the next town over and lay low until the heat blows over. Then we systematically make our way to the Academy, murder the fools in our way and get the Relic once we draw the Maiden out of hiding. Win, win, win and then go back to Salem with our heads held high."

Isuka rubbed her chin in thought. Inori was deviously clever but she wasn't usually this thorough about her ideas. She had a very devil may care attitude about how she approached the day by day but this time was different. "What's your angle, Inori?"

"Why Isuka, what exactly are you implying here?"

"Don't bullshit me. We both know that you aren't this invested in anything except your science. Why are you so dead set on doing this for another person who doesn't trust you?"

The scientist let out a tiny chuckle as she pinched the cheeks of her musical assassin. "Oh my little Isuka. You're missing the bigger picture in that tunnel vision to murder my degenerate son. It's called moving up the ladder. The faster we get cozy with Salem the faster we can get into some REAL science with those magically charged women." In the same breath, Inori shoved a suitcase into her crony's hands and turned away. "Now shut up and get to packing. Either way this ship isn't lasting the end of the day."

The minutes turned into hours as they emptied out the ship of all belongings that mattered to those on board. However, it was mainly Inori burdening people with how much junk she packed compared to those who kept their stuff to a minimum. Although it wasn't that much of a big deal since Crimson loved to be treated like a pack mule. As the sun began its descent into the reddish sky, the sounds of brakes were heard outside the ship. Peeking outside, the mad scientist was delighted to see Roman and Neo return with a large pick-up truck.

"Oh this is a delight!" She cheered while clapping her hands. "Roman darling, you've certainly outdone yourself."

The compliment made the thief's chest puff up in smug pride. "All in a day's work for a master thief and his lovely assistant." To his side, Neo gave a soft bow.

"That's my daughter! Now let's get packed up and head out." Everyone gathered around Inori as she brought up a Holo-Map of the region. "Now I say we move out to one of the more populated settlements to draw the Maiden out. Coquina seems like the best option."

"Oh yeah, a place with an academy seems like an amazing place to raise hell." Emerald quipped. "Why don't we just wave a sign around that says; 'Please kill us, we are evil'!" A quick chop to the throat via Inori quickly silenced the protests. Everyone decided it was best to not interrupt as the girl laid coughing harshly on the ground.

"Relax everyone, these are my people. I know how to make some noise with the folks of Coquina, being a local hero there and all. Now let's mosey crew, we gotta make it there before nightfall."

Within minutes everything that was packed up was put into the back unit neatly as Roman and Inori took up the passenger and driver's seat respectively as the others filed in the back. Turning the keys in the ignition, a welcoming sound of an engine revving filled the mad woman's ears as she pulled back out away from the ship and began to drive out.

In the side view mirror, the Bullhead that served the group well for so long was becoming nothing more than a dot in the distance. Putting on a snazzy pair of sunglasses, Inori pulled out a switch from her lab coat and raised it up high. Much to the concern of Roman.

"Light it up."

A click of the switch was the only sound heard before a huge explosion blasted outwards in a huge ball of searing fire and molten metal. The orange haired man jumped out of his seat and clutched his chest as if he was having a heart attack.

"For god's sake, Inori! Think you could've warned me before pulling that shit!?"

A smile crawled onto her face as she fixed the thief with a wry look . "Oh but darling, where's the fun in that?"

Being brought along for the escapades of an insane woman was not how the trio of Roman, Isuka and Crimson were expecting their evening to go. The scarlet redhead wasn't complaining however, since she knew that this would lead to a pleasurable result either way. Roman was still a bit twitchy from the situation in the pick up truck earlier to the point that he couldn't stand near Inori.

Isuka on the other hand was looking forward to this. In all honesty she felt like she was getting rusty after not fighting for so long and the idea of picking a fight was something she found delightful.

"Ah, here we are! The Last Train Home, my favorite bar." Inori announced whilst shoving the double doors open. The trio looked to each other before giving a wary (in Crimson's case excited) to the bar in question. It was a run down large building that had some broken windows on the upper floors along with scorch marks on the side of the doors with cracks running along the sides. Rickedy didn't even begin to describe how fragile this building appeared to be.

Crimson was the first to enter followed by Isuka which just left Roman to sigh as he resigned himself to the fate of being dragged along by these women. At least a brawl in a desert town was something he was familiar with.

"Hey you sons and daughters of bitches! Inori is back in town!"

The old timey music being played by the band in the back stopped once the loud announcement was heard. Every head turned to the doorway where Inori stood with the other three hiding behind her just in case guns were pulled out. Twenty seconds passed before deafening roars of laughter and cheering resounded throughout the building.

"INORI!"

A nostalgic sigh escaped her lips as she began walking to the crowd gathering around her. "Ah, it's good to be home."

As the woman began to get lost in the crowd, the musician's eyebrows couldn't rise any higher than it currently was. "Can either of you explain to me what just happened?"

"You think I know any more about this nutjob's personal life than you do?" Roman countered.

Wiping the drool off her lips, Crimson placed a hand on both of their shoulders as a wave of old memories washed over her. "Well you see, Inori and I along with our old teammates used to be students at Oscuro Academy. We were a bunch of rowdy troublemakers that always set the school back on budget. But her genius was the reason why we never got expelled, she was seen as an asset to the kingdom before… well the cultural exchange program happened." Both of them looked to the masochist to continue but she shook her head. "Sorry… That wasn't right of me to mention that… If you have the physical resistance, go ask Inori yourself. But maybe do it when she's drunk so she's less accurate."

Seeing the rowdy way the scientist was carrying on about as thugs and lowlives laughed heartily along with her made the musician shake her head. "Nah, she's clearly happy right now. A chipper Inori means less headaches for everyone involved."

Just as she said that, a knife flew right by her left side and embedded itself inside the wall behind her. "Whoopsies, I got the butterfingers!" Inori delightfully called out as she returned to laughing.

Isuka only grumbled as she took a seat in one of the corners as the woman did her thing, leaving only Roman and Crimson at the forefront.

"And we are sure it's okay to let her get riled up like this?" Roman asked as he took a nearby seat. "This seems like something that can only end in disaster."

Crimson giggled while taking a seat next to Roman and motioned for one of the waiters to come. "Honestly, all of you are so doubtful of her abilities. She's kept you all alive this long, hasn't she? Inori is much more of a capable woman than you think. She wasn't the leader of our team for no reason."

"Barely kept us alive by the skin of our teeth. That situation in Mistral was something I'd rather not repeat…" A bottle of alcohol was placed in front of him, the thief took a deep swig of the lousy booze and slumped in his seat more.

As the three were off doing their own thing, Inori had found herself right at the end of the bar at a stool with three other unsavory looking people. Two men and a woman who were ragged, scarred and missing body parts or features. "So how have you three been? Feels like it's been forever since we've caught up." The question was answered with three bladed weapons being placed near her face. "Whoa there, sensing a lot of hostility here. Gotta say, don't appreciate it."

"You've got some gall asking that after the shit you pulled, Inori. You're lucky that we didn't shoot you on the spot." The woman said, pressing her dagger closer to the neck.

"Oh please. You cripple a guy and jumble his mind a bit, and suddenly the world can't forgive you. The guy was a douche anyways so what does it matter that he can't effectively procreate?"

"That guy was my brother, you bitch!" The woman seethed.

Inori laughed as she calmly pushed the edge of the knife away with her fingers, despite the resistance given. "Honey, he was bound for failure anyways. No one other than me and my teammates were worth anything in our graduating year."

The leaner man moved his axe forward in place of the dagger. "Oh yeah, nothing screams success like a psychopath scientist, a man who enabled everything, a freak masochist and a serial murderer. Who are you trying to fool?"

Once again, Inori simply moved the axe away. However with her index finger and thumb, she chipped off a piece of the axe in a show of intimidation. "Now darling, we all know that upsetting me is the worst thing you could do right now. Why don't we play nice, I ask questions then I'll be on my way."

The burlier man was the last to put his sword to Inori's neck. "And what if we say no and kill you here and now?"

The blade was roughly thrown back with a full handed shove, almost making the man fall off his chair. A dangerously sweet smile was plastered on the scientist's face. A sign that she was one bad comment away from losing it. "Then by the end of tonight, I'll be throwing my bloodstained clothes in the laundry and heading to bed in my nice, warm and cozy hotel room. Last chance to play nice."

"Now, now, let's not get crazy here." The bartender said, trying to defuse the situation. "We can all be civil and leave without anyone getting hurt."

"Well that depends on how willing they are to spot information. I'll leave once I hear what I need to hear." Inori countered while taking a swig from the glass of alcohol. Her face scrunched up at the taste of the bitter liquid before spitting out what was left in her mouth. "I see the beer here still tastes like shit."

"Please just ask your questions and leave. We don't want any trouble, miss."

Rolling her eyes, Inori focused her attention back to the trio. "So care to be team players or do I have to open up new holes for your body to breath out of?"

That last comment pushed the bulkier man over the edge as he brought his weapon high and sent it downwards on the scientist's skull. The blade was caught in an instant and yanked out of his hands as Inori jumped out of her stool. Smashing the handle against the head of her attacker, she moved quickly to pick up the stool she was sitting on and broke it as it hit the woman in the face. In a second more, the lanky man found himself screaming as Inori broke his arm and threw him against the bottles of alcohol.

A loud crash caught everyone's attention as the bottles fell down and down again with bangs galore. Roman could only facepalm as Crimson's face began to rise with thinly veiled degenerate desires.

The silence brought about by Inori's sudden outburst was ruined when said woman brought out a small revolver and shot some poor bastard in the chest. "Where is the damned Summer Maiden!? I know some of you insipid fucks know something about her! Tell me now or this whole bar gets a new paint job!"

Almost universally, all the patrons either fled to avoid being shot or picked up their weapons and charged at her… only to be shot. Roman took this chance to hide in the corner alongside Isuka to avoid the carnage. The dangerous duo of Inori and Crimson began tearing the already failing building apart as thugs and lowlives from all directions came at them. Inori shooting her gun and stabbing those who got too close with her butterfly knives and Crimson happily using her bare hands to absolutely beat down anyone within breathing distance.

"Well this just turned to shit real quick, didn't it?"

The guitarist nodded as she leaned back against the creaking wall. "When it rains, it pours hellfire wherever Inori walks."

It had only taken a matter of minutes before people started to flee in terror of the storm of power that was the childhood friends. So many bodies scattered along the floor either groaning in complete pain or bleeding out due to their wounds. Unlike the experienced criminals in the room, a large percent of them didn't have an Aura to protect them. Most of them should be lucky Inori aimed for non vital areas, a mercy granted to them only because she still needed information.

Picking up one of the lesser harmed individuals, the orange haired woman looked the man dead in the eyes with a stern look. "Last chance, buddy. What do you know about the Summer Maiden?"

"Ugh… Guh…. Ahh…" Were the only sounds he could let out.

"Wrong answer."

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?"

Four pairs of eyes all focused towards the front door where a lone girl stood. The girl looked to be in her late teens from the looks of it. She had a light brown hoodie with the sleeves ripped off and a streak of yellow going down the middle in the front and back of it. A pair of tight tan shorts hugged her rear, barely reaching down halfway to her knees. Yellow shoes were on her feet. On her wrists were a pair of black gauntlets. As she took off her hood, messy light brown hair could be seen falling just to her shoulders. A pair of yellow eyes glared at the group causing a ruckus.

"Excuse me but we're kind of having a moment here." Crimson said in an easing tone as she approached the teen. "So if you could just turn around and get on out of here, that would b-!"

Whatever else the masochist had to say on the matter was cut off when a huge blast of fire erupted from the teenager's hand. The remaining bottles of booze that were still standing all got sent downwards as Crimson hit the wall behind Inori. The scientist dropped the guy on his face as she slowly rose.

"Listen here, I don't know who the hell you guys are and I don't care. All I wanted was to go in for my shift and earn some money. But if you don't leave within the next ten seconds, I'll set everyone on fire and boil your blood from the inside out!"

Scoffing, the crazed woman began sauntering towards this new girl with her usual condescending expression. "Oh please kiddo, stop trying to intimidate us. We've been killing people since before you were born. And I'd be very happy to leave if you just so happen to know something about the Summer Maiden." She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and cast her venomous smirk. "You DO know something about that, don't you? If you're asking us to leave that is."

The girl looked up to the guileful grin that was sewn onto Inori's face before a soft smile came across her own. Soon, soft chuckles were heard by four pairs of curious ears until it started to break out into a cantankerous cacophony as she held her gut laughing. Within a few moments, the girl wiped a tear from her eye before standing up straight again. "Oh man, if I had known you guys were suicidal, I would've just collapsed the whole building down to end it quickly. But now that I know you're looking for something that you shouldn't know about."

The four criminals had to shield their eyes from a sudden explosion of wind that shattered the windows. The violent winds skated along the floors as it picked up every knocked out patron of the bar and tossed them outside safely.

Inori was so distracted by the whipping winds she almost didn't register the pain coming from her wrist as the girl twisted it in a vice grip. Her eyes glowing a bright burning red as she began to float in the air.

"You're not gonna leave here alive."

"Shit!" Isuka growled as she whipped out her guitar. She hadn't been expecting to fight the Maiden so soon in their investigation. Strumming a beat, she sent a wave of lightning from the head to this mystery teen.

The bolts bounced off the protective aura floating around her, making the attack hit the fallen tables and seats. She spared a glance to the direction of the attack and threw Inori over to Isuka before launching another fireball from her hand. Thinking quickly, Roman managed to jump in between the two ladies and catch the airborne leader and used his cane to grab Isuka out of the way of the encroaching ball of immolation. Roman leaped out of the way of the incoming explosion, but when the boom didn't come the three of them looked to see the ball begin wrapping itself along the walls of the establishment. Any sort of escape route was blocked off by a deluge of flames so thick that no one could jump through them without severe burns.

"Now all of you are gonna burn!"

Inori cackled at the thought of a new type of bar tussle. She was worried that they'd have to search high for this magical missy and yet she just plopped herself on her lap for the taking. This was going even better than planned. "Roman dearie, back me up when you can." She swifted pulled out a pair of butterfly knives from her coat and twisted them dangerously in her hands.

"It's time for us to skin ourselves Maiden!"

The flames began to encroach towards them and began burning away at their feet. The sudden sharp pain made all of them move just as the Maiden wanted as she began tossing fireballs in the direction of Roman and Iskua. The two dodged as best they could but couldn't avoid getting scorched through their auras. With one hand she kept the flow of fire going while the other was used to swat away a flow of knives sent at her.

Inori clicked her tongue and looked to her partner Crimson who was finally up from behind the bar. "You alright there?"

"Yeah… Girl hits pretty hard I must say." Crimson's eyes gleamed with a crazed light as she licked her lips. "Maybe she can even satisfy me better than you can."

Taking the challenge to heart, Inori looked over to her two compatriots currently getting roasted and smiled. "Roman, Isuka. Tag out, Crimson and I will take it from here."

"Don't gotta-! Shit!" Roman barely managed to dodge another blast of flame while pulling Isuka back. "You don't gotta tell me twice! C'mon little girl, time to exit stage left."

"Oh no you don't!" The flames intensified as Roman moved to a window to jump out of but faltered when the Maiden had to adjust her focus to the incoming Crimson jumping at her. With that solid moment, Roman made his escape with Isuka in tow, leaving the three women to themselves.

"And now with no more distractions, it's time for the true show to begin!"

"Tsk!"

From left and right came the two crazed women as they struck the Summer Maiden. To their surprise, both blows were caught and thrown aside while the heat around them grew even hotter. A triggered ignition from the Maiden caused an explosion to her left which forced Inori back a bit, allowing her to focus on the red head to the right. She pushed forward with blows that caused the heat to grow exponentially and made those who were barely conscious from Inori's rampage pass out. Crimson blocked as best she could but it was easy to tell that this kid was trained very well.

Coordinated attacks to exposed vital areas, feinting movements to land sucker blows, clear agility to focus a follow up. It was clear to see that this Maiden was trained in a much more deadly way than Cinder. Crimson's defensive leaning forced her back to the bar with the fallen alcohol where the girl closed the distance with a punch to the stomach so hard, it sent her through the bar counter and face first into the remaining shelved booze. Not missing a beat, she backflipped to avoid Inori's incoming backstab and drop-kicked her against Crimson.

With a snap of the fingers, the fallen alcohol lit up into a tempest of fire that blew both women through the walls behind them. A flurry of fire waves followed into the hole, making sure to burn anything left alive in there for absolute safe measure.

A few seconds of immolation gave way for a pause from the Maiden. She waited for any twitch of sound to indicate their survival. The sound of a gunshot caused her to move out of the way but the bullet still grazed her right outer thigh. However something that immediately concerned the girl was the immediate pain that she felt. As if there was no aura to protect her from the shot.

"Scared ya, didn't I?" Inori asked as she stepped through the fire using Crimson as a fire shield. "These rounds are my own personal invention that the Atlas Military discontinued after it was seen as 'too deadly' for the police to use. Aura Piercing Rounds."

The girl cringed at not only the pain of her minor wound, but the sight of Crimson's burned flesh returning to normal as if nothing had happened to her. "And I assume the freak is a regenerator? Just perfect… Guess it's time to stop playing softball."

"On that, we agree." Crimson charged ahead as Inori pulled out more knives from her coat. The edge of the blades gleaming with the sparks of fire as she slowly made her way to the fight.

The Maiden's legs buckled down slightly at the new strength Crimson was showing. It was likely some type of berserker after effect from healing those deadly burns but it was staggering. She barely blocked another punch as the floor cracked underneath her and threw it to the side. The wind was knocked out of the older woman's body as the force from the Maiden's fist tore through her stomach before pulling out and knocking her away with a roundhouse kick. She slid back a moment before stopping suddenly as the gaping wound closed up slowly, like nothing ever happened to her.

'This is getting stupid.' The girl thought as she defended herself against the combined assault from the two women. Her dodging had to be on point as knives and bullets flew around her like confetti while a bloodlusted maniac kept trying to tear her to pieces. From the side Inori came up with a solid blow to the ribs, making the girl grit her teeth before clenching her fists hard and backhanding the scientist into a few chairs and tables away. Flying back from another colossally destructive punch from Crimson, she activated more of her Maiden powers as she jumped and grabbed the lady by the head and threw her into the ceiling. Creating a bow and arrow from fire, she pulled back the burning bow string and fired a blazing arrow at Crimson that completely blasted the roof off of the ruined bar.

However as soon as she touched the ground, bullets tore through her arm. The pain distracted her enough to allow Inori to get in close and truly stab one of her knives into the gaping wound. The mad scientist caught the incoming fist and the kick following it with ease as the girl was clearly losing steam after sustaining such an injury. The girl's world turned upside down as Inori, using her amazing strength, lifted her up and brought her head first to the wooden floor with an overkill powerbomb. The girl's aura crackled as it was nearing its limit, those bullets doing a number on it to numb the pain. Being lifted up by her leg, Inori gave a mirthful sneer to the girl as she held her up by the leg.

"So tell me, sweetie. You wanna come with us and end all this nonsense or keep fighting until you die? Because I'm fine with either option, let me tell ya!"

Coughing up a bit of bile, the girl spat up on the woman's pants and shoes. "Guck… How about you… do us all a favor… and kill yourself, you fish out of water bitch!"

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." From her other hand, a knife shined dangerously as it came closer to her captive's eye. "But what I'm gonna do now is worse than anything you could ever do to me."

"Oh…? Even worse than THIS!"

Opening her mouth, a deluge of lava-like fluid came out and splattered all Inori's feet. The smell of burning flesh filled the immediate nostrils of the two just before an ear piercing scream of agony came from the woman's lips. Letting the Maiden go, she cut off the part of her pants and shoes to get the lava off her body but the damage had already been done. Patches of charred flesh and burning skin prevented her from moving out of sheer pain which allowed the girl to get back up on her feet and blow back Inori with a point blank explosion. Hitting her head on a remaining support beam, the crazed woman was knocked out cold which made her all the more of an easy pick for the girl.

She held up her non-wounded arm and began to gather flames once more. If this woman was the leader of these criminals, then killing her would be a clear message to not walk around with forbidden knowledge. But just as the blast was about to come through, from above a large chunk of wood hit the girl from across the back and shattered the rest of her aura.

Stumbling about, she managed to find her feet just as Crimson began limping towards her with a dark frown on her face. The injuries from the exploding arrow were not healing fast enough but it was clear she had a lot more to give than the Maiden did. With all options lost and the risk of death very real, the girl breathed hard once more as a black, billowing wall of smoke erupted from her mouth. The cloud of acrid vapor forcing Crimson to back off as she heard the sound of a window breaking. Cursing, she picked Inori up on her shoulders and exited the burning building just quickly enough to see a figure in the sky blasting off into the horizon.

She looked to the street seeing Isuka knocked out with a scorch mark on her face while Roman was on the ground rolling about to snuff the fire on his outfit. The redhead sighed as she helded Roman put out the fire before loading up the two unconscious women into the truck. They had to get the hell out of dodge before the Huntsmen showed up.

Meanwhile, the Maiden landed/collapsed onto the first train she came across. To her fortune, it seemed to be headed for the main city of Vacuo. She leaned against the door of the caboose, doing her best to stay conscious.

'Damnit… That bitch really got me good.' she thought to herself. 'Strawmann's gonna tear me a new one when he sees me like this.'

It was a long flight to Vacuo. But after nearly a full day in the air, Team LION finally reached the kingdom. Using his personal connections, Leonidas had managed to get them permission to land right near Shade Academy. The four teens, old man, and little girl stepped off the Bullhead and took in the school standing before them.

Shade Academy was located in the center of the city and had low walls around it to distinguish its borders. The school itself seemed almost like a pyramid, with the main building focusing on more vertical space than horizontal square footage.

"It's certainly a lot different than Beacon or Haven." Leon commented.

"True." Leonidas nodded. "It may not look as fancy as the other schools, but it's got everything its students need."

The group walked into the campus, after getting permission to meet with Headmaster Strawmann. Being a part of Ozpin's Inner Circle, Leonidas's name held quite a lot of weight around it. The old man led the way as they walked through the halls of the school. Unlike Haven, the semester was still going on for Shade Academy, leading them to seeing several students walking about. Compared to Beacon however, there were no uniforms. Students seemed to be allowed to dress as they pleased.

Finally, the group reached the top floor of the school building, where the Headmaster's office was located. Team LION and Terra couldn't help but feel anxious about meeting the Headmaster.

"What's the Headmaster like anyway?" Naomi asked.

"Theodore? Oh don't worry, you guys will love him." Leonidas assured them. "There's no other Headmaster more ready for a fight, but he's also got a good head on his shoulders. More or less, at least."

The teens had mixed reactions to Leonidas's description of the man they were about to meet. Leonidas opened the doors to the office and the group walked inside. Sitting behind a large desk near the window was a bulky muscular man with dark close cut hair. He wore a checkered vest and grey-blue cape that fell down towards his ankles. Below his silver belt was a pair of bright white slacks with deep side pockets and silver boots. On his hands was a pair of red gloves that were decorated with Dust crystals.

The man took notice of Theodore entering and showing a beaming smile. "Leonidas, you old so and so! How are you?"

"It's good to see you, Theodore." Leonidas said, embracing the Headmaster for a short hug where they both patted each other on the back. "I'm doing alright. Busy as ever though."

"I'll bet. I hope you aren't neglecting Vizune though."

"Never." Leonidas told him. "I see things in Shade are going well."

"Yes, well things did get hectic for awhile. We've taken in students from Beacon and Haven after everything that's happened." Theodore said. "I'm… assuming you're here to talk about that?"

"Among other things."

Theodore eyed Team LION and Terra, clearly a sign to warn Leonidas that they should be careful as to what they say, but the old man eased his concerns.

"You don't need to worry about them, Theodore. They know about everything. The Maidens. Salem. All of it."

Theodore widened his eyes for a brief moment before regaining his composure. "I see… and was it you who told them?"

"There wasn't much choice. Qrow's revealed the truth to some youngsters as well. Salem's forces are growing and we need to do the same." Leonidas explained. "And besides, these kids know how to handle themselves in a fight. They helped protect Haven so the worst didn't happen."

"Very well." Theodore said as he sat back down behind his desk. "The one girl seems especially young though. Is she really that skilled?"

"Well… not as much as she should be, though I did train her myself so she's strong for her age." Leonidas admitted. "She's here for… another reason."

"And that would be?"

Leonidas took a quick look at the door, just to make doubly sure no one was listening in on them. "Her name is Terra Vance. She's the latest Fall Maiden."

This time, Theodore didn't find it so easy to regain his composure so quickly. His expression showed he was dumbfounded. "You're absolutely certain of this?"

"I can't say it's 100%, but I'm pretty damn sure based on what's happened to her recently." Leonidas told him. "The thing is, she just awakened to her Maiden powers and can't fully control them. So we were hoping you could get the Summer Maiden to assist her with that."

"Cleo huh..." Theodore said. "Well she's not in the city right now, but I do know where she should be. It'll take a few days, but I can send word for her to come back here."

"What's the Summer Maiden like anyway?" Iris asked.

"Well she's-"

Before the Headmaster could continue, the doors to the room burst open. Everyone instinctively reached for their weapons, in case it was an attack, but they were rather surprised by what they saw instead.

It was a girl in her late teens. But all it took was a glance to see she was beaten and injured with her torn clothing and blood running down from parts of her body. Her legs were wobbling, a sign that she was barely able to stand right now. She breathed heavily as she managed to choke out a few words.

"I'm… gonna… kill… that… bitch…"

With that, the girl collapsed onto the floor and fell unconscious. All heads turned to Theodore, who let out a sigh.

"Well good news. It won't take as long as I thought to get Cleo back here."