In a pool of black slime in a dark red and purple land. A large paw emerges from within the slime and a Beowolf gradually crawls out, slime sliding off of it and onto the ground.

The camera pans out to show several such pools and many Beowolves emerging. It pulls further and further out to show a mostly dark and desolate land made up of red ground, purple crystals, and a red and black clouded sky.

Mercury and Emerald is looking at the scene through a window from inside a high building. Emerald has her hand to her mouth while Mercury seems slightly disgusted. Then Cinder lifts her hand and snaps her fingers, signaling them to return to her side and they obeyed.

3 other men sit around a table, waiting for their leader to arrive.

One man, Arthur Watts, has short black and gray hair. He also has a mustache and green eyes. He wears a dark blue overcoat with yellow linings, with a yellow-buttoned black undercoat, yellow dress shirt, a black necktie and brown fingerless gloves.

Another man, Tyrian Callows, had pale skin and has brown hair braided in ponytail and he has gold eyes. He wears a white sleeveless jacket with leather belts strapped to it along with white pants. His jacket is left open, exposing his bare chest, which is crisscrossed with prominent scars. His arms are covered with purple bandages and leather vambraces. He also wears leather boots covering his entire shin with knee guards.

The third man, known simply as Hazel, is very muscular. He has brown short hair, a beard and hazel eyes. He wears a gray and brown coat with yellow buttons and linings on it, and a large belt. His arms are hairy and appear to have some scars on both arms near his sleeves. He also wears brown boots and black pants.

Cinder sits quietly, while Mercury and Emerald move to her side. Emerald nudges Mercury out of her way so that she can be directly next to Cinder.

"Yes, yes, keep your posse in check" Watts mocked, Mercury grunts and makes a move toward Watts, but Emerald holds him back "You hear that? Silence" Hazel gives Watts an unimpressed sideways glance "I've half a mind to thank the little girl that bested you".

"If I were you, I'd hunt her down" Tyrian began before he snickers "Find her and, well, she took your eye, didn't she?".

Cinder only stares at Tyrian while he cackles at her. Cinder tries to speak but only manages to make quiet exhaling noises. Emerald leans in to hear her.

"Pathetic. Why did you even-" Watts began but stopped when the sound of a heavy metal door being unlatched. The doors open and everyone stands just before Salem enters. She glides alongside the table with soft footsteps before reaching the head of it, jewels jangling from her hair. Salem stops, facing away from them and toward a candle and crystal display.

"Watts" She spoke and Watts straightens, looking toward her as she turns around "Do you find such malignance necessary?" She gestures for all to sit down.

"I apologize, ma'am. I'm not particularly fond of failure" Watts said as he and Salem sit simultaneously.

"Then I see no reason for your cruelty towards young Cinder. She's become our Fall Maiden, destroyed Beacon Tower, and most importantly, killed dear Ozpin as well as the Huntsman, Julius Rose. So I'm curious, to what failures are you referring?" Salem asked, though when she mentioned Julius's name, a hint of hate was in her voice.

"Well, the girl with the Silver Eyes" Watts pointed out.

"Yes. We've dealt with their kind before. How is it a novice was able to best one of us?" Hazel asked.

"My thoughts exactly. Even without her new power, it should have been effortless" Watts said.

"It is because of the Maiden's power. Make no mistake, Cinder, you hold the key to our victory. But your newfound strength brings with it a crippling weakness. Which is why you will remain by my side as we continue your treatment" Salem said. Cinder is unhappy about this and lowers her head. Emerald looks at her in sympathy "Dr. Watts, you are to take Cinder's place and meet with our informant in Mistral".

"Very good" Watts responds.

"Also," Salem asked Watts, "How goes your little…experiments?"

Watts got a devious smile on his face: "They are coming along very nicely. Ever since the first one's defeat, I was able to figure out where any further improvements could be made. As for the other one, well, it will need more time, but soon we will have a Hunter of our own."

"Very good. Continue your work as you see fit."

"I shall inform Dr. Pierce as soon as I can."

"Tyrian, I want you to continue your hunt for the Spring Maiden" Salem said.

Tyrian laughs a little "Gladly".

"And Hazel, I'm sending you to the leader of the White Fang. Adam Taurus has arranged the meeting. The boy continues to prove loyal. Ensure that Sienna Khan feels the same" Salem said.

Hazel nods "As you wish".

Cinder raises a finger. Emerald fails to notice this gesture for a moment "Oh!" Emerald leans in to hear her Cinder rasps into her ear. Emerald straightens.

Salem lifts her hand "Speak, child".

"She wants to know…" Emerald hesitates "What about the girl?"

Watts scoffs "What about her? Seems to me that this is Cinder's problem, not ours".

Cinder slams her fist onto the table and glares at Watts, who grins at her.

"That's enough. Tyrian?" Salem spoke.

Tyrian looks at her "Yes, my lady?".

"Spring can wait. Find the girl that did this to Cinder" Salem said and Tyrian giggles elatedly and claps "And bring her to me" Tyrian freezes, groans disappointedly, pouts for a second, then looks back up at Salem with an acquiescent shrug "Because of your efforts, Beacon has fallen. And Haven will be next".

Everyone rises. Tyrian snickers at Cinder and points to his left eye "Eye for an eye".

Tyrian goes into an uncontrollable fit of manic laughter, while Cinder grits her teeth.

Elsewhere, our heroes were in a forest. Ren and Nora were debating the name of their new team. Which proved to be real difficult considering Nora kept considering Jaune the leader while Ren debated it was Ruby who was leading.

Suddenly, the forest begins to rumble and Jaune spoke up "It's here".

Ruby comes flying backward from trees, firing Crescent Rose in the direction she came from. A collection of floating boulders with a Grimm mask moves the trees aside, clearly chasing her.

Ruby falls, crashing against tree limbs along the way "Bad… landing… strategy!"

Ruby lands on her feet on a big tree branch strong enough to hold her weight. She uses her Semblance to fly past the Grimm.

"Let's get that thing off her" Jaune said as he runs toward them. Ren jumps up into the trees.

"Don't forget me!" Nora said as she pulls out Magnhild and shoots it at the ground, propelling herself into the air with excited whooping. She lands right beside Ren in his branch.

"We need to draw its attention away from Ruby!" Ren said

Ruby flies past them "Could use some help!".

Nora shoots the Grimm in the back. Ren hops around on branches. The Grimm tries to hit Ren, but he runs up its rock arm, flies into the air, and comes down upon the Grimm, striking at it with StormFlower. It's ineffective.

"Gotta get in closer!" Jaune shouts as Ren lands beside Jaune.

"My blades don't hurt him!" Ren said as The Grimm turns, standing upright.

"Crap!" Nora said.

"How about this?!" Ruby loads a magazine with an image of a lightning bolt on its side into Crescent Rose and fires. Electric bolts encase one of the Grimm's arms. The red lines on the arm glow brighter, and the Grimm slams it into the ground. All are sent flying backward, but Ren, Nora, and Ruby manage to land on their feet. Jaune tumbles along the ground painfully until he hits a boulder between his legs and falls forward.

"You'll be fine without a weapon. You're the strategist" He groans out.

"That's it!" Nora runs forward, tossing Magnhild into the air and transforming it into hammer mode. She jumps into the air and hits it, breaking its arm apart. A large piece flies straight toward Nora, but Ruby gets between them and knocks it away. The Grimm uses its other arm to strike at the two girls.

Jaune straightens and stretches and soon has to dodge a barrage of rocks "Wha? Whoa! Wha? Ho! Hey! Be careful!"

A rock the size of his head hits him in the face and sends him into a tree. Jaune lands in a crouch and shakes his head to clear the pain.

The Grimm's armless shoulder gains a glowing red circle with a symbol of an eye in the middle. The circle spins, and then a black, elongated arm with clawed fingers emerges from it. The arm rears back.

Jaune gasped as The Grimm shoves its new arm into the tree he was leaning against and lifts it from the ground.

Jaune runs "His arm is a tree! His arm is a tree!".

"Big mistake!" Ruby spins Crescent Rose and loads another magazine into it - this one with imagery of fire on its side. She fires, and the flaming projectile swings around to the tree arm. Jaune fist pumps. The tree arm swings around to him, on fire. Jaune loses his smile.

Jaune puts his hands into his hair and runs "Big mistake!".

The Grimm chases Jaune, swinging the flaming arm at him. It misses twice, but then Jaune falls. One of StormFlower spins through the air and makes a cut across the Grimm's mask. The Grimm falls.

Ren lands beside Jaune and catches his gun. Ruby and Nora come up behind their teammates.

"His body is too thick to break through" Ruby said.

"Plus it can keep grabbing new limbs!" Nora added.

"Guys, I got it! We hit it harder!" Jaune said.

Ren was confused "Is that it?".

"No, seriously. It's trying to keep us from its face. If we kill the limbs, we'll have a shot to kill the whole thing!" Jaune explained.

"Alright! Come on, team, let's do this" Ruby said.

Nora "Yeah!

Ren "Right!"

"Ren, left. Ruby, right" Jaune ordered, Ren and Ruby depart as told "Nora, ready to try out the new upgrade?" Nora nods and heads away to get ready "Right. And I will-".

Jaune gets hit in the back by the Grimm.

Ruby attacks the right side as Ren attacks the left.

Nora activates a mechanism that generates a current of electricity across the hammerhead of Magnhild.

"Use everything you've got!" Jaune shouts

Ruby uses her Semblance to fly at the Grimm, taking Nora with her, and the red and pink swirls go right for the tree arm. Ruby slices the tree in half, opening the way for Nora to hit the mask with Magnhild. The rock body shatters and the ephemeral Grimm rises out of it and flies off.

Ruby aims a shot at it, and fires. The Grimm's death is practically a silent one.

Jaune was breathing heavily before posing with his hands on hips "Another victory for Team JNRR" but after a few moments: "Ok, Ren. I kinda see your point now. It just doesn't sound that good anymore."

The group heads back to the village where they had been asked to deal with the Grimm. Ruby shakes hands with the town Mayor as he speaks "We truly can't thank you enough".

"Just doing our job, sir" Ruby said.

"That Geist had been plaguing our village for weeks. We were beginning to wonder if we'd have to relocate" The Mayor said.

"Well, we are on our way to Mistral. You could always come along with us if you don't feel safe" Ruby offered.

The Mayor was amused "Ha. I take it you're not from these parts. Anima is a large continent. I'm afraid our people would never survive the long trek to Mistral. It may be safer in the Kingdoms, but we prefer our way of life. I just wish we could pay you more".

"Our previous arrangement is more than sufficient" Ren assured.

The Team bows to the Mayor in respect. Later they head to the Blacksmith who sets down a set of armor "There you go, son. It's going to be heavier than what you're used to, but you'll thank me the next time you go up against a set of claws".

Jaune looks in awe "Wow. That-eh. I don't know what to say".

"Don't gotta say anything! Just put it on! I'll go get the rest" The Faunus blacksmith said as he turns and goes out back.

"So, what are you waiting for?" Nora asked.

"Oh, uh, right!" Jaune takes off his old chestplate "Guess I was going to grow out of it eventually".

"A sign of progress" Ren said, making Jaune smile.

"Progress" Jaune turns around, and Ruby gasps, then covers her mouth and tries not to giggle "What is it?"

Ruby points to his chest "What is that?".

A bunny emblem was on Jaune's chest "What, my hoodie? I've always had this".

Ruby began snorting "It's got a cute little bunny rabbit!"

Ruby laughs loudly.

"It's Pumpkin Pete! You know, from the cereal?" Jaune tried to explain.

Ruby was in near hysterics "What did you do?! Send in a box top for a prize?".

Jaune turns away "Yeah! Fifty!".

Ruby continues to laugh hysterically, her head stylistically expanding, before she falls onto the floor.

Ren shrugs "Well, I suppose we don't have to grow out of everything".

Ruby chortles from the floor, feet in the air. The blacksmith returns from out back.

"Can't have a Huntsman without his weapon" He puts a wide sword sheath is stuck into the countertop "Made all the modifications you asked for" The blade expands into a shield "That was some fine metal you brought me. Accents the white nicely. Where'd you get it from?"

Jaune looks at the design on the bottom reminiscent of Pyrrha's circlet "From a friend".

Ruby closed her eyes. She really missed Pyrrha. All of them did. They wait outside the shop. Then, Jaune comes out wearing the armor. He pulls out the sword and expands the shield.

The Blacksmith leans on the doorway "He cleans up alright, don't you think?".

Ren nods "He certainly does".

"I still think a grenade launcher would've really brought the look together" Nora said.

"Nothing's gonna stop Team RNJR now!" Ruby said in confidence.

"JNRR…" Nora interjected.

"It doesn't matter what we're called. As long as we're together" Jaune said.

"You kids sure you won't stick around? You've been real good to this town" The Blacksmith said.

"Sorry, but we've got another mission" Ruby said.

"Make it to Haven Academy, no matter what" Nora said with dedication.

"We've heard the next village over has a working Airship" Ren said.

"Mmm, no way to know for sure. Scroll signals were weak enough out here back when Beacon Tower was still up. Haven't heard from Shion Village in a while" The Blacksmith said.

"Well, there's only one way to find out" Ruby said and with a wave, the Team turns and leaves. The blacksmith waves back and grunts.

Jaune began to list their provisions "Food?".

Nora "Check!"

Jaune "Water?"

Nora "Check!"

Jaune "How about ammo?

"Locked and loaded! Thank you, Schnee Dust Company!" Nora shouts. Ruby looks down sadly at that.

"Got the map?" Jaune asked.

"Ren's got it" Nora said.

"No, I don't. You have it" Ren said.

Nora blinks "Wait, what?".

"Guys, please tell me you're joking" Jaune all but pleaded.

Nora smiles nervously "Uh.. heh-heh-heh".

"Guys! Guys? Guys..." Jaune said, unable to believe it

"Nope" Was all Nora could say. Jaune groaned in frustration.

With that they continued their long journey, walking hand in hand.

Back in Vale, Neo was hidden out in a currently abandoned shop. She had been forced to leave once the Grimm became too numerous. She currently knelt over the fallen form of Julius Rose, whom she had willingly removed from the rubble and carried all the way here. She now cradled the body in her lap, tears in her eyes. The two had been very good friends, but Neo had, in truth, kept her true feelings for him a secret, and it was now too late to reveal them.

Suddenly, the door of the shop burst open, and Neo whipped around to see Roman stroll in. She immediately ran over and hugged him tightly.

"Woah, Neo!" Roman exclaimed slowly hugging her back, "It's good to see you too!"

Neo then pulled him over to Julius and showed him to Roman.

"Oh…" Roman said, slightly deflating, "That wasn't supposed to happen now, was it?"

Unknown to the two there was a third figure in the room. Standing next to Julius's body was the shimmering form of a woman, her figure hidden in a white cloak and hood. She looked down on the fallen body and placed her hand on Julius's chest, and felt something unusual happening; Julius was self-healing! She could already feel the massive gashes in his chest closing, albeit very slowly.

"Interesting" the woman mused, "But not that surprising. Let's speed this up, shall we?"

Her hand still on Julius's chest, she extended her aura into the body, and then disappeared after a few moments, all of this invisible to Roman and Neo. As the two watched, Neo suddenly noticed something; was it just her, or did Julius's hand just twitch?

She walked up to get a closer look.

"Neo, getting closer to him isn't going to bring him back" Roman said, "Now come on, we gotta get out of here before the Grimm head this way. I don't wanna be eaten again."

Neo paid no attention, but slowly reached her hand out, feeling Julius's chest, quickly starting back in shock; the wounds were gone!

"Neo what is it?" Roman asked, noticing the look on her face.

He soon got his answer as Julius's eyes shot open, flashing with a silver light before going back to normal as the Huntsman shot upwards with a small yell. Roman and Neo almost jumped to the other end of the room in fright at what they just saw, but as they got closer again, they could see that Julius was no zombie, in fact, he looked like himself, just with damaged mechanical parts. Julius looked around in wonder.

"Wha-Where am I?"

Neo rushed forward and hugged Julius, tackling him to the ground.

"Ah!" Julius cried, then looked to see who it was: "Wait…Neo?"

Neo pulled back and nodded, a massive smile on her face as she leaned in and kissed Julius on the cheek.

"Woah, ok. I missed you too." Was all Julius was able to get out.

"Neo, you can let him go now." Roman told her, and Neo pulled back and stood up, slightly blushing. Roman then walked over and helped Julius stand up.

"Roman…" Julius said.

"Yeah, kid. It's me." Roman replied.

"What happened?"

"Well, long story short, we lost."

"We…lost?"

Roman gestured outside with his cane: "See for yourself."

Julius ran outside and looked around, taking in the broken shops and buildings, and Beacon Tower in pieces and with a petrified Wyvern on top of it. Julius dropped to his knees in shock; everything was happening too fast for him to handle.

Neo walked up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Roman followed behind her.

"Julius…" he began to say, but was suddenly cut off by a massive yell that echoed throughout the city.

Julius looked up: "What was that?"

"I don't know" Roman replied, "But something tells me it's not something we want to be around for."

"Yeah" Julius said, standing up, "You're right. We should probably go."

With that, the three ran out of Vale as fast as they could, not caring of what lay ahead.

Author's note: Julius Rose lives.