RWBY: MRRN
Volume 7, Chapter 11: Long Lost, Now Found
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.
Night had fallen and Summer had led Forest and his group to a safe hideout in a cave, which she had checked beforehand for Grimm. Sterling and Ruadh had awoken and were just in much shock as Forest to learn that Summer Rose was still alive after all this time.
"I'm guessing you have a lot of questions," Summer assumed as she sat down on the ground around the campfire. "I have questions of my own too."
"I…I don't understand," Forest spoke in a tone indicating that he still wasn't registering what he was seeing. "Qrow said he saw you fall on your last mission. How did…how are you…?"
"I…I was captured by Salem," Summer informed.
"What?" Ruadh gasped. Summer looked down solemnly, gentling holding her right arm.
"After I fell, I was found by the Disciples, these Grimm humanoids who serve Salem and wield these weapons that can absorb Aura."
"We fought them before at the Argus Limited," Forest brought up. "They were pretty formidable."
"But why didn't Salem kill you?" Ruadh questioned the reaper Huntress. "I thought she wanted the Silver Eyed warriors dead. Why did she want you alive?"
"Because Salem has discovered a way to corrupt our powers," Summer replied. "She wanted to use my eyes to create this…this power that would make Grimm invulnerable instead of destroying them."
That was horrifying to say the least, but it also made so much sense. If Salem had indeed discovered a way to corrupt the powers of the Silver Eyes to make Grimm invulnerable, then the danger of her becoming truly unstoppable was very imminent. However, this discovery would've had to have been very recent since Grayson's parents had been killed by agents sent by Salem.
But that begged the question; why did Salem have Grayson's parents killed, which would've been undoubtedly after Summer was captured? If Summer managed to escape, then why did she kill them?
"We met another Silver Eyes, Grayson," Forest brought up. "He's teaching Ruby how to use her Silver Eyes-"
"Ruby!?" Summer gasped. "Is she alright? Yang!?"
"They're okay for the most part," Forest replied. "But perhaps it'd be best if I inform you of everything."
So Forest did tell Summer everything. Yang had lost her arm during the Fall of Beacon, but received a prosthetic from General Ironwood months later. Ruby had left with some of her friends to Haven with Qrow, where they met Ozpin in the body of a farmboy named Oscar Pine. Then he approached the subject about Raven during the Battle of Haven Academy…
"Raven did what!?" Summer gasped, horrified by what she heard. "Raven…she'd never…"
"I'm sorry, Summer, but it's true," Sterling confirmed. "Raven had the Spring Maiden this entire time…until she killed her and took her power for herself."
By now, Summer was in complete shock about her old friend, Raven Branwen. She knew that Raven had chosen to run to avoid the conflict between Ozpin and Salem, a decision she saw as selfish and cowardly. But she never suspected that Raven would deliberately choose herself over protecting her family from Salem nor murder an innocent girl. The three Huntsmen stayed silent out of respect for Summer, who processed the information she was told of.
Summer's expression changed from shock to anger. How could Raven deliberately do nothing when Ruby was nearly killed by Cinder? How could she betray Yang, Qrow and Ruby for her own selfish benefit? No matter what the scenario was, she chose to betray them, she chose to put herself ahead of everyone else.
"Leonardo Lionheart was working with Salem," Ruadh added. "He gave away all the information he had on the Huntsmen and Huntresses in Mistral. Had Silvio Steel not organized a militia, our battle at Haven would've been much worse."
Again, Summer was surprised by this news. Lionheart was once considered the bravest among Ozpin's lieutenants, but because of the torture he endured at Salem's hands, he was reduced to a cowardly traitor who betrayed everyone who trusted him. So much had happened in the time since her disappearance.
"You said Yang and Ruby are with Qrow now?" Summer asked her former lover.
"Yes and they're going to Atlas with the Relic of Knowledge," Forest answered. "The Relic revealed everything about what Ozpin was hiding from everyone, including us."
Again, Forest let out everything about what was learned from the Relic of Knowledge. Ozpin's past with Salem, her immortality, the true stakes involved with the war and the newly formed plan they had for defeating Salem.
"So that's why Ozpin was always sending me off on extra missions," Summer deduced. "But why didn't he tell me this instead of…?" She sighed, knowing what the answer was.
Ozpin had spent millennia being betrayed by those he trusted, which had led to him developing these terrible habits of withholding vital information. She could easily empathize with him, but she couldn't condone his actions that had now cost everyone's trust in him.
But there was hope still. The Dark Heralds, as Forest called them, were able to destroy Salem with the aid of the Silver Eyes. If Salem could be destroyed, then the goal of reuniting humanity could be achieved much quicker and proficiently. Her death was needed for their victory.
"Why didn't you come back, Summer?" Forest asked her. "We all thought you were dead." Summer sighed heavily as she remembered a terrible deed Salem inflicted on her.
Summer laid in a chair, bound by chains as she struggled to free herself. Salem watched over her, a sadistic smirk on her scowl as she prepared for the 'exercise' again. The Grimm Queen held Summer's cheek and started speaking words.
"Summer Rose," she started.
"Stop!" Summer barked, trying to break free.
"I bind your will to my own. You shall serve me and all that I create!" Summer's struggles slowly stopped before her Silver Eyes became a dull gray color. Salem smiled as she was close to having the result she wanted.
"I serve Salem," Summer spoke in a dead tone.
"Salem…she…tried to turn me into her weapon," Summer started. "She put something in my head, something that…" Summer breathed heavily, hating what Salem had done to her, the experiments she performed to corrupt her Silver Eyes.
"Because of her Grimm nature, she couldn't use the power of the Silver Eyes herself, so she needed me alive to use it," she continued. "She tried to brainwash me, turn me into a Grimm weapon. Had she succeeded, the Grimm now would be invincible…as would she. She'd be truly indestructible."
"I'm sorry," Forest apologized. "Had I known, I would've come for you." Summer smiled sweetly at him.
"I know you would've," she replied with the same smile Forest found too beautiful to resist before it dropped. "I didn't come back because…I couldn't. I would've endangered you all."
"What do you mean?" Sterling asked as he tended to his bow. "How could you have endangered us?"
"If Salem says a certain phrase…I'd turn on all of you in an instant," Summer explained. "As I said, she tried turning me into a weapon. I managed to escape her before she could complete her experiments on me. That and…every time I use my Silver Eyes, Salem will know where I am. I stayed away because I didn't want to endanger my family. I was scared that in one moment, Salem could brainwash me again and when I woke…they'd be all dead."
Salem's torture of Summer Rose had driven her to believe that she was a danger to her family who could turn on them in an instant. If her brainwashing into a servant of Salem didn't kill her family, her Silver Eyes giving away her location every time she used them would.
"Summer…" Forest spoke softly, slowly reaching out to her. The white cloaked woman stood up and walked a few feet away from the three Huntsmen.
"Get some rest," Summer insisted. "But I can't go with you."
"Summer, maybe we can find a way to cure-" Forest tried to speak.
"What she did to me cannot be undone," Summer interrupted. "I'm a danger to all of you. I cannot go with you."
As she walked away from the three Huntsmen in the cave, Summer felt her heart break all over again, but with the additions of betrayal and anger.
Ozpin had deliberately used her as a weapon without ever telling her his plan to defeat Salem. Had he been honest with her, then this terrible fate could've avoided. Now Summer had to live her life feeling like a danger to her family; at the drop of a hat, Salem could trigger Summer's brainwashing and turn her against her allies.
She was angry at Raven for her selfish betrayal. She didn't care how the situation was viewed by anyone; the fact remained that Raven chose herself over everyone else, not caring if they died or not. Never in a hundred years did Summer suspect that Raven would stoop to something so selfish and low.
"Summer…" Forest called out once more. "Salem is after Ruby…" Summer stopped as soon as she heard her former love say that. She immediately turned around to make eye contact with him.
"She wants your daughter alive. Do you think she's planning to do to her what she did to you?"
Summer's eyes were wide with horror. If Salem wanted Ruby alive…
"No," Summer spoke. "No. No. No." The eagle quickly ran forward and held Summer close, hoping to comfort her.
"I won't…I won't let that witch torture my daughter," she stated. "I can't."
"Then will you come with us?" Forest asked the white cloaked woman.
-0-
The morning rolled by rather quickly for the teams staying in the Atlas dorms. The beds were comfortable enough and the sleepwear Ironwood provided kept everyone warm throughout the cold night. Weiss wasn't lying when she said how cold Atlas could be.
Pyrrha was the first member of her team to wake up. Not wanting to wake up her friends from a well-deserved sleep, she changed out of her pajamas and into her normal clothes. As soon as she was dressed, she felt her stomach growl; she was hungry and ready to go get breakfast. She opened the door to her dorm and walked out.
"Hey, Pyrrha," Ruby greeted with a smile, which Pyrrha reciprocated.
"Hello," the redhead replied. "How are you this morning?" Ruby stretched her arms and let out a yawn.
"Beds were comfortable enough," Ruby replied. "But it was still nice of the General to let us sleep here."
It was kind of him, but it wasn't enough to convince Pyrrha he could be trusted. He openly supported lying and manipulating her and Math and forcing her to take the Fall Maiden's powers against her will. This showed how far he was willing to go to do what he felt was needed.
"I can't wait to see what upgrades Crescent Rose will get!" Ruby shrieked like a fangirl. "Oh, maybe I'll get an additional scythe blade! Ohhh! That'd be so cool!"
"It would indeed," an elderly voice greeted from behind Ruby. Both the girls looked in the direction to see a dark skinned elderly man with white hair, a green cap and oval lenses. He must've been paralyzed considering he was in a chair with four mechanical legs that allowed him to move.
"Oh, hello," Pyrrha greeted the man. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr…"
"Actually, it's Dr. Polendina, Pietro Polendina," the elderly man answered.
As soon as Pyrrha heard the name 'Polendina', her welcoming smile changed to fear and worry. She found herself unable to speak or move, her mind overflowing with the terrible tragedy that started the Fall of Beacon.
Before she knew it, Pyrrha was looking at the dismembered body of Penny Polendina after she had been tricked by Emerald Sustrai into killing her. The dread, the guilt, the fear…all those feelings coming back like a tidal wave of emotions.
"Ma'am?" Dr. Polendina addressed, concerned for what was happening. "Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry," she cried solemnly, tears forming in her eyes. "I…I'm sorry."
"Pyrrha," Ruby addressed as she hurried over to her friend and held her close, offering her comfort.
In truth, Ruby's heart was aching terribly as well meeting the man who created Penny, the girl who was killed back at Beacon. She wanted to break down too, but Pyrrha's grief kept her from doing so. It was however undeniable that both of them grieved heavily, Ruby for failing to stop the match and Pyrrha for being tricked by Emerald into killing Penny.
"Ms. Nikos, Ms. Rose," Dr. Polendina started, causing her to calm down a bit as she looked up at the man with tear-stained cheeks. She thought she'd see contempt and anger in his eyes, but instead, it was sympathy and understanding.
"Dr. Polendina…you were Penny's father?" Ruby asked the elderly man.
"Yes…I was," he confirmed before letting out a heavy sigh.
"When I saw what happened out there in Amity, I…" Pietro clutched his fist in frustration and grief. He remembered viewing on the projection screen the mangled body of his deceased daughter, having been killed with her own weapons.
"At first…I did blame you, Ms. Nikos," Pietro admitted. "Even when General Ironwood defended you at first, all I wanted to do was…was curse both you and Ms. Rose. I wanted to…"
There were no words Pietro could use to describe how he initially felt towards Pyrrha and Ruby after Penny was killed. He blamed them both for his daughter's death at Amity Colosseum, he wanted to condemn them as murderers.
"But that was until after General Ironwood received the news from Mistral about Emerald," Pietro brought up, his fist loosening and his sense of anger diminishing. "Her Semblance allowing the use of hallucinations, Mercury faking his injury, Cinder Fall…" He breathed firmly.
"Penny died because Emerald tricked you into seeing something that wasn't there, because Mercury faked his injury and stopped you from halting the match, because Cinder manipulated everything. They're the ones who took Penny away from me."
"Dr. Polendina…is Penny truly gone?" Ruby asked, almost afraid of receiving the answer.
"I'm afraid she is," Pietro solemnly answered. "Her core was damaged beyond repair. I tried to fix it when she was returned to Atlas, but…she's gone." When he noticed Pyrrha was still in tears, despite having heard everything he said to her and Ruby, he came closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Ms. Nikos, please don't blame yourself for what happened," he insisted in a very sincere tone. "Mercury, Emerald and Cinder…they're the ones to blame."
It was truth what Dr. Polendina just said. Salem and her allies were to blame for Penny's death and the Fall of Beacon. They were the reason why so many good people didn't return home to their families, why so many dreams and careers were cut short.
But why couldn't Pyrrha shake the feeling of damning guilt from her heart? Why couldn't she be rid of the pain that demanded her to take the blame for Penny's demise? Why couldn't she shake this horrible feeling from her?
Perhaps in time, Pyrrha would eventually find a way to be free of her guilt, but it'd be a long time before she was truly free of this pain. She didn't deserve to bear the guilt of a crime that Cinder and Emerald were responsible for. It took her a few moments, but she finally calmed down and looked at Dr. Polendina with a much clearer expression.
"Thank you, Dr. Polendina," Pyrrha replied. He nodded with a smile, not wanting her to suffer for Penny's untimely demise. The door to Ruby's dorm opened and out walked Weiss, shaking off the sleep from last night. She stopped when she saw Dr. Polendina with Pyrrha and Ruby.
"You must be Ms. Schnee," Pietro assumed. "Dr. Pietro Polendina at your service. I was hoping to see you before I returned to the lab this morning."
"What about?" Weiss asked. Pietro moved his chair over to Weiss and pulled out a scroll, showing the evidence Weiss had gotten on Jacques Schnee.
"The evidence is legitimate," Pietro informed. "Nothing was forged at all. This'll put Jacques Schnee behind bars for life."
Two feelings arose within Weiss: relief and fear.
Relief because her father was finally going to answer for his crimes, for corrupting the once honorable Schnee name. With him out of the way, Weiss could now start redeeming the Schnee name once and for all. It'd take years, probably longer, but at least she could start on fixing the family name her father had married into and corrupted for his own glory.
Now Willow and Whitley could finally be free of Jacques's control and abuse. No longer would Willow be left in a loveless marriage with a man who had used her for his own greed and glory. No longer would Whitley have to be a tool for Jacques to manipulate just as he had done to Winter and Weiss in years past.
But fear also was present because deep down, she believed at least some of the evidence was fake, possibly having been made by Adam as anti-human propaganda. To know that all the evidence was legitimate and not forged disturbed Weiss even more since it confirmed that her father was that much of a monster.
"Thank you," Weiss replied to the Atlesian scientist.
"Well…have a good day," Dr. Polendina responded somewhat awkwardly, not sure to end the conversation with the three girls. After a few moments, he decided to end with "The cafeteria is on the first floor, across from the training grounds."
Only Weiss responded with a farewell, Pyrrha and Ruby mostly quiet as Dr. Polendina left the area. Weiss was unsure of why the two redheads didn't respond, so she asked them.
"He was Penny's father," Ruby informed the Ice Queen.
Suddenly, it became clear to Weiss. That was the man who had created Penny, whose death still haunted Pyrrha and Ruby to this day. Even with Dr. Polendina's assuring words, Pyrrha couldn't shake the guilt of the girl's demise from her heart.
"Pyrrha, Ruby," Weiss addressed the Amazon and reaper. "You don't deserve to live with that guilt. What happened to Penny was their fault, not yours. Now let's go get some breakfast before Nora and Ruo wake up and take everything. Gluttons." Pyrrha and Ruby chuckled at Weiss as they started walking in the direction of the cafeteria.
-0-
After everyone had woken up and went to go get breakfast (Ruo and Nora having eaten the most food), they went off to explore Atlas Academy while Math and Robin went down to the training grounds to test out their available upgrades.
Saf went to a room where she could oversee the whole city of Atlas and a portion of Mantle. She had heard so much of the City of Dreams, but she almost never believed she'd be here.
Atlas was a Kingdom of innovation, progress, invention and resilience. The cold and unforgiving climate of Solitas had made the people of Atlas and Mantle hardy, strong and technologically superior to support themselves. There was no doubt in her mind that Atlas was definitely a place people could dream of living, a city in the clouds of Remnant.
But while it looked like a City of Dreams on the outside, it could hardly be called that once one looked past the beautiful buildings, advanced technology and superiorly trained military. The racism against Faunus, the selfishness and corruption among some of the elite, the apathy towards the other Kingdoms, their neglect of Mantle, and other facts could easily give anyone a very sour opinion of Atlas.
This was also the Kingdom where Math's biological father, Trenton Brownwood, had come from. From what Forest said, he was arrogant and headstrong in his youth, but he matured into the man that would one day impregnate Corcra with his child, who would promise her a better life away from Donovan's abuse of her family.
Saf sighed heavily. How could her mother keep this from them this entire time? Why didn't she tell them this before they left for Haven? Perhaps if she had known the true danger they were facing, she would've told them. They deserved to know the truth about her and Math being half-siblings. In time, she'd ask her why she had kept it a secret for so long.
"Hey, beautiful," Iggy greeted the spear user. He was in his Atlas Military uniform with his shield on his back and his hammer on his belt. He smiled with confidence as he approached the brunette.
"Hello," she greeted back awkwardly. "Ignatius, right?"
"Iggy for short," he replied. "So, what do you think of Atlas so far? I heard this is your first visit to the City of Dreams."
"It's okay so far," Saf replied as she looked out the window. "It does look beautiful, but I've been told quite a bit about-"
"How it isn't so perfect," Iggy guessed before leaning on the windowsill. "Yeah, I've seen it firsthand myself, especially with Geom-Eun."
"Because he's a Faunus?" Saf asked the Atlesian Commando. The blonde hammer user's face twisted with some disgust and disappointment.
"Colonel Holang-I is a brilliant leader, strategist and fighter. He's done much for Atlas as much as any Colonel, yet he's overlooked and ignored because of who he is. Seriously, even some soldiers refuse to take orders from him simply because he's a Faunus." He shook his head and let out a small chuckle.
"Sorry, didn't mean to drag down the mood. I was hoping to catch you."
"What for?" Saf asked the hammer user, raising an eyebrow.
"First…do you have a boyfriend?"
Saf's eyes widened, immediately knowing what he was going to ask. Anytime a person asked someone if they had a boyfriend or girlfriend, something was up. But for the sake of politeness, Saf gave an answer.
"No. Why?"
"Because after our mission, I'd like to take you on a date," Iggy asked. "I know a lot of good places here in Atlas and Mantle."
Saf was somewhat cautious about agreeing to go on a date with him. She had heard of Ignatius being somewhat of a flirt; she didn't want to be just a flavor of the month after everything she had been through. She didn't know if he could give her a deep, meaningful relationship like she'd want.
"I'll think about it," she replied. "In the meantime, I'll see you later."
"Hopefully sooner," Iggy replied before winking and walking away from the brunette. She remained at the window, awkwardly recovering from being flirted with, especially since she wasn't used to flirting.
-0-
"Colonel Holang-I, thank you for your efforts last night," General Ironwood applauded Geom-Eun with Colonel Sonceto present in his officer. "Captain Desmond will be punished to the full extent of Atlas Military law. You and your Commandos stopped a terrible situation from getting worse. Thank you."
"You're welcome, General," Geom answered. "But things are getting worse in Mantle. The longer we keep taking supplies from Mantle, the worse things will get. We have to address this."
"He's right," Zlatno agreed. "Some people down in Mantle are actively trying to demonize the military, turn the city against us. If we don't address it soon, things will explode in our faces." Ironwood let out a sigh before turning to face the window.
"What would you have me do?" he asked his Colonels.
"Bring Robyn into this," Geom answered. "The people of Mantle look up to her. If we can get her to help us, things will deescalate in Mantle."
"The odds of that happening are slim," Ironwood claimed. "Robyn will make problems for all of us. She's been doing so ever since she started running for Council."
"That's because she doesn't know what's going on," Zlatno stated. "Now is not the time to push away valuable allies. Robyn-"
"Robyn cannot be trusted," Ironwood claimed again. "She'd be more likely to shoot me than speak to me."
Geom shook his head in disbelief as did Zlatno. Robyn Hill was a valuable ally who could help ease the tensions between Atlas and Mantle. They knew the people of Atlas didn't trust her much, but right now, she was a prime candidate to ask for help. Without it, they'd have a much harder time keeping peace in Mantle.
"You're not giving her the credit she deserves," Geom spoke to the General. "Robyn has regretted her part in what happened years ago, but right now, we have a much bigger issue to worry about." General Ironwood turned to face the Tiger Faunus, his expression stern and no-nonsense.
"Mantle is a powder keg ready to explode. Amity Tower won't matter if we have a civil war on our hand or riots that keep attracting Grimm or much, much worse. General, Amity Tower is a grand idea, but ignoring Mantle is not."
"Ignoring Mantle?" Ironwood barked. "My soldiers are down there, protecting them from the Grimm and anyone else who would cause them harm in any way. Those men and women are done there, fighting to protect that city and you say I'm ignoring Mantle!?"
Geom and Zlatno were taken back by Ironwood's sudden outburst. The Atlesian general breathed heavily several times before recollecting himself and calming down.
Ironwood regretted his shouting at the two Colonels, but he was tired of everyone claiming he was ignoring Mantle. Yes, he was taking supplies they needed, but in his mind, Amity Tower required more attention than Mantle. If the tower could be completed, they'd reunite the world and unite humanity against Salem once and for all.
"I'm sorry," General Ironwood apologized. "I shouldn't have yelled like that. But you must understand that Amity Tower must take priority. Mantle has more than enough ways to protect itself; they can hold out until the Tower is done."
"And what about the Council?" Zlatno asked the General. "They're planning to remove you from your seats if you keep piling up classified information. You can't keep them in the dark forever, sir."
"Leonardo Lionheart was one of Ozpin's most trusted lieutenants and even he betrayed us," Ironwood brought up. "If even he could fall to Salem's side, then what would stop any of the other members from doing the same?"
"General, we-"
"You're dismissed," General Ironwood silenced, allowing the two Colonels leave of his office. The two of them saluted the General before leaving the office.
"Dammit," Zlatno growled in frustration. "Ironwood can't keep this up forever. If we don't address these issues soon, then things will blow up in our faces. Things are getting worse and he's so focused on the Amity Project that he's putting every else on the shelf."
"Especially after what happened last night," Geom brought up. "He is ignoring Mantle by doing nothing to resolve the issues between our two cities. How long can this go on?"
"Bad enough if we don't do anything about it soon," Zlatno replied. "I hate to suggest this, but…if Ironwood doesn't listen, we may need to consider…overthrowing him." Geom's eyes widened in shock at what he just heard.
Did he hear right? Did Zlatno just suggest betraying their military leader? He knew Ironwood wasn't handling everything correctly, but betrayal?
"Zlatno, you cannot be serious," Geom insisted. "You're talking about betraying the General of the Atlas Military. Do you have any idea what would happen if Ironwood heard you saying that? You could be charged with treason."
"I know," Zlatno replied. "We've both served General Ironwood for years, but he…he has deteriorated ever since he returned from Vale. He's throwing away valuable allies, ignoring practical concerns, and it worries me. If the Council tries to strip him of power, I'm afraid of what he might try to do."
Geom shared that same sentiment. What would Ironwood do if the Council tried to strip him of power? Would he use his military influence to take power from the Council and render them powerless? Would he transform Atlas into a military state to make sure no one could rise against his command? They knew Ironwood could do a lot of things, but simply stand down and do nothing was not one of them.
"I want to do what's best for Remnant, but betraying the General shouldn't be one of them," Geom insisted. "We can't treat it like it's our only option, not until we've exhausted the others."
"And if it does come to that?" Zlatno asked. "Will you help me?" Geom was very reluctant to answer the Colonel, but he knew that his suggestion, while treacherous, may be necessary should Ironwood prove too volatile to lead or took measures that were far too extreme.
"Only if we have no other option," Geom replied. "And we need to be careful about this topic. We could easily be charged with treason and you know it."
"I know," Zlatno replied.
Author's Note: I hope everyone is doing okay during these chaotic times in the world! I pray you all stay safe and we see things become peaceful again!