Oscar, who is currently letting Ozpin take over, and Qrow are seen sitting together.
Qrow takes a sip from his cup "Things aren't looking good, Oz".
"Ever the optimist" Ozpin said before he sips from his own cup "While I would not say our current predicament is... ideal, I think we can both agree that the situation could be much worse. Humanity is a resilient force".
"Oz, pro Huntsmen like that don't just bite it all at once. Salem's powerful. It seems like her reach is growing by the day. What does that say about humanity?" Qrow asked.
"That there are indeed a misguided few who have filled their hearts with malice. It doesn't take a great number of people to cause harm, but I still believe there are far more people in this world willing to prevent it" Ozpin said.
As Ozpin is about to take another sip, Ruby walks into the room "Um, excuse me?".
Ah, Miss Rose, join us. We were just about to gather everyone to discuss our next steps" Ozpin said.
"Oh, uh, great" Ruby said though something was clearly on her mind.
"Something on your mind kiddo?" Qrow asked.
"Uh... uh, it's... if it's okay to ask" Ruby began.
Qrow smiled "Of course".
"Well, uh... we've been talking about the Relic at Haven... and the Spring Maiden, but... what about the Fall Maiden?" Ruby asked.
"Cinder?" Ozpin guessed
Ruby gained a brief look of anger before continuing "Does that mean... Salem has the Beacon Relic?".
Ozpin and Qrow share a brief look with each other before Ozpin speaks "Very astute, Miss Rose, I was wondering who would be the first to ask. No, thankfully she does not. It's true that the Relic at Haven is very much at risk, and for now, that should remain our primary focus. Let's just say I made finding the Relic at Beacon a... bit more challenging than at the other schools".
"Oh" Ruby sighs in relief "That's good to hear".
"It is, but let's not forget the challenges that still lie before us" Ozpin said and Ruby nods "Now is there anything else we can help you with?".
"Oh, uh... well, I did have one more question" Ruby said.
Ozpin knew what she was going to ask "No, my cane is not a Relic".
Ruby held up her hands "I have no more questions".
They all chuckled before Ozpin spoke again "Yes, while this cane is indeed very precious to me, it is also just that, precious to me. While I admit it still has a few more tricks up its sleeve, I can firmly say that being a Relic isn't one of them. Now why don't you run and get the other students? And make sure to get Dante and V in here too."
Suddenly, Qrow's scroll is heard vibrating. He takes it out from his pocket to see and takes the call "Yeah? ... Okay... yeah, we'll be there".
When Qrow hangs up Ruby asked "Who was it?"
Qrow sighs while taking out his flask "It was Leo, says he had a breakthrough with the council. Thinks he might be able to get together a small raiding party for the bandits. He wants us to meet up at the school tomorrow night to walk us through it".
Ruby gasps and smiles "Really? Oh that's great! I'll go get the others".
Ruby runs out of the room while Qrow takes a drink from his flask.
"Mmm, that sounds drastically different from your original conversation, does it not?" Ozpin asked
"It does" Qrow confirmed.
"Interesting..." Ozpin said in thought.
"Things aren't looking good, Oz" Qrow said.
Ozpin nods "I know..."
Something was not right. But they had no idea what is could be.
…
At Leonardo Lionheart's office, the Haven headmaster sits at his desk in front of a blue holographic screen with the text "CALL END" before deactivating. Raven stands a few feet away from him, arms crossed and smiling "I still have questions for you".
"You're not alone in that" Lionheart said.
Raven walking in front of his desk "You know, I never expected you would be the one to have the guts to betray Oz. Which makes me wonder, what does she have on you?".
Lionheart looks down "I'm helping her for the same reason you are - I'm afraid. We... we can't stop her... no one can...".
"That's why I tried to leave when I did. I'm not afraid, I'm smart" Raven said.
"You can call it whatever you want, it doesn't really matter. We're here... helping her" Lionheart buries his face in his hands, sighing "I've crossed a line... I've done things that Ozpin will never forgive, and he shouldn't! I don't know where I go from here".
Raven places her hands on his desk "Man up! You did what you had to do to survive, there is no shame in that".
"Who are you trying to convince?" Lionheart asked. Raven doesn't say anything, she just leaves the room while Lionheart sadly leans back sighing.
Just then, Roman and Neo appear from a hidden corner of the room.
"She hasn't changed a bit since I last saw her." Roman said. Neo shook her head in disappointment of Raven.
Lionheart glared at Roman: "When are you going to tell me who it is you're working for and what his plan is."
Roman chuckled: "I'm not one for being kept in the dark either, pal, but all in good time. And now, thanks to you, that plan will work and your academy will remain safe."
Neo nodded her head in agreement, a smirk on her face. Lionheart merely sighed: "I hope you're right."
…
In Menagerie, the assault on the Belladonna Family Home continues. In the darkened tea room, Kali and a guard fire back at unseen assailants. Kali runs out of ammo in her pistol and throws it to the ground in annoyance. She then picks up a tea tray to block another shot. She looks to a wounded female guard leaning against a pillar, who just stares back.
"Do you have a better idea?" She asked.
Suddenly, Yuma flies in and knocks down the other guard to the ground. He wraps his hands around the guard's throat to choke him out "Quiet now..."
Kali then lifts the tea tray above her head, and does a loud battle cry as she runs toward Yuma.
The Female Guard reaches out: "Ma'am, no!"
Yuma lets go of the guard's neck as he looks back in surprise as Kali approaches him. The sound of a thunk is heard.
Elsewhere, Blake and Ilia stare at each other from their positions, both holding their weapons.
"Did you come in here to hide?" Blake asked.
"I told you, I didn't want this" Ilia said.
Blake glared "But you're still here!"
"I don't have a choice!" Ilia snapped
"Of course you do!" Blake shot back. Ilia doesn't say anything, she just looks away. "I know you're only here for Hector, so just... stay out of my way".
Blake puts Gambol Shroud on her back and starts walking away. Suddenly, Ilia leaps and charges at Blake but her form disappears. Blake then reappears a few feet away behind Ilia. Blake holds Gambol Shroud in a defensive stance, while Ilia begins to attack with the whip form of her weapon. Blake dodges and rolls. She runs along the desks and chairs in the room as Ilia tries to use her whip to hit her. Blake manages to dodge and block Ilia's attacks, and uses her ribbon to wrap around Ilia's wrist. Ilia is pulled toward Blake, followed up with the latter kicking the chameleon Faunus to the ground. The two then lock blades with each other.
"Why do you feel like we have to hurt people to get our way?!" Blake demanded.
Ilia grunts "Because it works!".
"That doesn't make it right!" Blake argued.
"Well, it worked on me when Hector left, so it'll work on them!"
Ilia pulls the trigger on her weapon, giving an electrical charge that causes Blake to drop her katana a few feet away from her. Blake pulls out her cleaver, but Ilia jumps from the desk and does a turn kick that knocks Blake over another desk, causing her to drop her weapon. Ilia whips at Blake again, but she uses her Semblance to get out of the way. Blake takes cover behind a desk.
"Ilia, please!" Blake pleaded.
"Stop lecturing me!" Ilia screamed.
Blake peeks from behind the desk and notices Ilia's Grimm mask left behind on the ground. Ilia quietly turns the lights off in the room, causing it to go dark. Blake quickly goes to pick up her katana while Ilia sneaks around the room, camouflaged.
Blake hears a creak on the floor, Ilia quickly knocks her back. Blake uses the pistol form of her weapon to shoot at Ilia, who quickly evades the shots.
"Why couldn't you just leave?!" Ilia shouted.
Blake transforms her pistol to katana form "Because I run away too much".
Blake dodges a couple more whips from Ilia. As she takes cover from behind the desk, Blake takes out two cartridges, one with fire Dust and the other with ice. She loads the fire Dust cartridge in her weapon and aims at the shrubbery at the top corner of the room.
"Sorry, dad" Blake fires her weapon and the spreading flames start to light up the room, revealing Ilia's location.
With camouflage not an option anymore, Ilia engages Blake in combat. The two start off with a mixture of sword clashes and hand-to-hand. Blake dodges out of the way of one of Ilia's attacks and starts shooting at her with the pistol form of her weapon. Ilia deflects the shots with her whip.
"Quit taking potshots and fight me like you mean it!" She screams. Blake dodges another one of Ilia's whips and lands on the balcony above her. She takes cover behind the railing as Ilia rants at her "You used to see things the way I did! The way Adam did! If no one's going to do anything to stop the humans that attack us, then the only choice we have left... is to attack back!".
Ilia jumps out to try and ambush Blake, but Blake counters and managed to pin her to the ground. Then, Blake tried desperately to stop all this violence "Ilia... please. You're a good person but you're making all the wrong decisions!".
"SHUT UP!" Ilia screamed.
"Is this really what your parents would've wanted?! Is this what Hector would have wanted?!" Blake asked
Ilia's voice began breaking "I don't know what else to do!" Suddenly, she ceases her struggling and her eyes start to well up and she began sobbing "I don't know what else to do...He left me…he left me.".
As Ilia continues sobbing, Blake hears a rumble. Corsac is thrown through the wall, dropping his weapons. Ghira jumps into the room as he growls at Corsac. He then notices his daughter "Blake!".
Suddenly, Fennec stabs Ghira in the back, who cries out in pain and slumps toward the ground.
"Dad!" Blake shouted.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Hector yelled, leaping from the doorway and tackling Fennec to the ground. Sienna runs in after him.
With Blake distracted. Ilia gets her off her and kicks her off, knocking her down. Hector uses his tail to throw Fennec into Ghira's fist, and he tosses him away as Corsac runs to him. Ghira pulls the dagger out of his back and clashes fists with Corsac. The two then struggle to push each other as their hands interlock. Ilia just stares in disbelief at what's going on around her, before a voice snaps her out of her trance "Ilia! What are you doing?! Fight!".
Fennec pulls out another dagger and charges at Ghira…just as a strange horn could be heard from outside, catching everyone off guard.
Hector stood up: "Well, it's about time they showed up."
"Who?" Blake asked.
"My backup."
Suddenly, the window above crashed open…as Team DRMS dropped in, weapons out. Before anyone could react, Romulus aimed his rifle and fired a round, catching Corsac in the face and sending him sprawling.
"BROTHER!" Fennec screams before he tries to attack again, but Sun jumps in and kicks him away. Sun sees Blake struggling to get back up and angrily glares at Ilia.
"Go help Blake!" Hector shouted.
"On it!" Sun and Darius shout in unison as Sun pulls out Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang and engages Ilia in combat. He delivers a flurry of attacks with his shotgun nunchucks that overwhelms Ilia and disarms takes the opportunity and kicks Ilia into a pilliar and Sun moves closer, pinning her. As she struggles to get out of his hold, the pillar she is getting pushed against starts to crack.
"What took you so long?" Hector asked the faunus team. The third member of the team, a faunus with lynx ears named Maroon, answered him.
"Oh, you know" he said as he parried n attack from Fennec with his katanna, "Bad air traffic, angry extremist mob, the works."
"On top of that" Darius added, "We weren't the only ones who wanted to come."
"You weren't?" Hector asked. Suddenly, the group could see a squad of White Fang troopers running down the hall towards them and prepared to fight, only to watch as the squad was completely blasted away as someone from behind the squad fired into them.
Hector lit up: "Wait, I know that gun!"
"Close, actually" said an Australian girl's voice said as a familiar rabbit faunus walked into the room carrying a holographic minigun.
"Velvet?" Hector asked in surprise.
Velvet gave a nervous wave and smiled: "Hi."
"Uhh, guys" said the fourth member of DRMS, a faunus with raven wings named Steffen, "We still have a problem"
As if on cue, a loud crack gets everyone's attention.
Ilia managed to push Sun off her and falls to the ground. Suddenly the pillar starts to crack even more, Sun moves out of the way quickly as the balcony above Ilia starts to give way. Ilia yelps as the balcony is about to fall on her. Suddenly, Ghira is shown lifting the broken part of the balcony with his own strength. Ilia stares in awe.
Ghira struggles to hold it up "Go!"
Ilia quickly gets out of the way as Ghira is forced down on one knee to keep the balcony from falling on him. Sun uses his Semblance to summon two light clones that go and help Ghira lift. Hector goes over and help lift as well. Blake grabs her katana and transforms it into her kusarigama form. Unbeknownst to them, Fennec gets back up and sees his brother still unconscious. He then grabs Corsac's dagger and runs towards Ghira.
Blake sees this and quickly uses her weapon to wrap it around her father's torso and pull him out as Fennec lands just below the falling balcony. Sienna does the same, wrapping her whip around Hector to pull him out. Fennec is then crushed by the balcony, and the Dust in the daggers explode from impact, killing the younger Albain for good.
Afterwards, Kali enters the room dragging an unconscious Yuma, who has his hands tied behind his back.
"Mom!" Kali drops Yuma as her daughter comes up to hug her. Their embrace is cut short as a voice gets their attention.
"What have you done?" Corsac spoke darkly as he was standing back up "You ruined everything..." He inhales "EVERYTHIIIIIIING!".
The Belladonnas, Sienna, Hector, Team DRMS, and Sun take defensive stances. Corsac angrily runs forward, but suddenly, Ilia's weapon wraps around his body, electrocuting him and knocking him unconscious. With the battle over, Ilia starts to cry and falls to her knees as she breaks down, with everyone looking on. Hector walks over and kneels down as he tries to comfort her.
Outside of the Belladonna's home, a large crowd of Faunus gathers outside, noticing the smoke coming from the building.
"Back! Everyone, stay back! We've got people inside doing their best" A female guard said.
Someone in the crowd pointed "Look!"
From the smoky doorway, Ghira walks out carrying the motionless bodies of a White Fang soldier and a Menagerie Guard on each of his shoulders. He hands the bodies to two guards as Saber arrives "Get in there! Search for any stragglers!"
More guards walk out keeping Corsac restrained, followed by Hana, Blake, Kali, Sun, Ilia and the others. Hector has his arm wrapped around Ilia's shoulders as the two walk out.
Saber looks at Ghira "We came as soon as we got the call. And Fennec?" Ghira sadly shakes his head. Saber walks over to Corsac "Was it worth it?".
Corsac looks down, defeated. As the commotion continues, Blake shares brief looks with Sun, Hector, and Ilia. She then takes a deep sigh as she goes down the steps. Ghira notices his daughter walking away.
"Blake!" Before Ghira could go any further, his wife stops him, and both look on. Blake then stops at one of the steps as she begins to address the crowd.
"Humans didn't do this" She points at the smoke coming from her house "We did this: Faunus. We did this to ourselves. We are just as capable of hate and violence as the humans, but I don't think any of us would jump at the chance to point that out. So why are we letting Adam do it for us?! By doing nothing and staying silent, we let others speak and act in our place. And if we're not proud of the choices they make, then we have no one to blame but ourselves. This is the message that Adam Taurus will bring to the world if no one stops him. But we can stop him! You have to understand that all of you are looking for simple answers to a very complicated problem. And I can't give that to you. I don't know how to make hate go away, I don't. But I know that this kind of violence is not the solution. I understand that to ask you to leave your homes and protect Haven Academy is asking you to put your lives at risk. But that's what's at stake. So I'm going, and I'll stand by myself if I have to".
"I'll stand with you!" Blake turns around with a surprised look on her face as Ilia stands up. Her pained expression then looks down "If... if you'd have me".
Despite some of the crowd's murmuring amongst themselves, Blake smiles at her old friend. As Ilia proceeds forward, Saber suddenly stops her "You're not going anywhere!"
Hector hisses at Saber, forcing him to back off.
"Let her come" Blake said.
Saber looked at her in shock "Huh? You're just going to forgive her? After everything she did?!"
Blake nods "I am".
"As am I" Sienna said, waling up next to Blake.
Saber looks to Ghira, who nods to let Ilia go. Ilia continues to walk down the steps to stand next to her friend "What does she think she's doing?"
Ghira smiles "She's learned a lesson that evaded me until I was much older: That there is strength in forgiveness".
Blake puts a hand on Ilia's shoulder, sharing a smile together. Hector walked over to Ilia as well.
"Look, Ilia" he said, "I'm really sorry for when I left. It wasn't because of you; it was because I was too horrified by what the Fang was doing that I just had to get out of there. I didn't realize what that would do to you, and now that I look back on it, it was pretty selfish."
Ilia leans on Hector's shoulder: "And I'm sorry for hating you so much."
Hector brought his sister in for an embrace, and Ilia quietly sobbed as she returned the gesture: "You know what still hasn't changed?" Hector asked.
Ilia sniffled: "What?"
"I still love you, sis"
Ilia really broke down here as she squeezed Hector in her hug: "I love you too."
Blake smiled, happy that the two siblings had rebuilt their relationship.
Sienna then stepped in front of them and faced the people: "Blake is right. Adam tried to kill me himself. I for one am not going to let his murderous rule continue. If you're with us, speak now!"
"I'll go!" Velvet said, raising her hand.
"We're in too!" Darius said, he and his team making slightly heroic poses.
"I'll go!" Mata the ram Faunus steps forward and raises his hand, followed by many more.
As more Faunus start to give Blake their support, Sun walks down the steps to join her, Hector and Ilia. The crowd is heard cheering as a majority agree to volunteer. They all smile at the crowd.
"Looks like we've got work to do".
"Thank you" Blake said.
"We gotta hurry" Steffen told them, "I feel that the attack on Haven will be soon."
Romulus scoffed: "You and your semblance, I swear…"
"And we're going to need shields, training, whatever we can do to protect as many people as possible" Ghira said.
"We'll need transportation too. For everyone" Kali added.
Blake smiled "I think I know a ship captain who owes us a favor".
Hector and Ilia got determined looks on their faces. Hector cracked his knuckles: "Time to kick some ass!"
"Preach it!" Maroon shouted from the crowd, earning a smack in the back of the head from Romulus.
"Alright, everyone" Blake said, looking to the others, "Let's get going!"
Team DRMS returns! I was thinking of bringing them back and figured that this would be a good time to do that. Let me know what you think so far!