Legal Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY, Red vs. Blue, or any of the shows' characters. They are the rightful properties of Rooster Teeth.

Chapter Thirty-Eight:

Using the chain of miasma still around his neck to guide him embarrassingly enough as one might expect a leash, Salem led Clover over to what appeared to be some sort of large throne room carved out of rock. It still boggled his mind, even in his current state, that they were somehow existing in a dimensional space within the giant Nevermore. The white-haired goddess of destruction made her way to the very center of the room where the imposing throne stood tall over everything else in the space, sitting down on it elegantly as if she'd always been born to do so.

Her grip on the miasma chain tightened, and suddenly Clover's legs had morphed back into a tail without warning at the same time as she viciously pulled downwards, causing his Grimm form to stumble to the ground with a heavy thud.

"How obedient." She practically cooed over at him, and to Clover's dawning horror he saw more of the Grimm "food" forming above her free hand. It only took a matter of moments before the viscous, brackish liquid was trailing down his throat once more.

Just as he was finishing his latest meal, he dimly became aware of footsteps marching along the stone floor of the cavernous space. Cinder was briskly making her way towards them as the Nevermore circled overhead, its hypnotic lullaby keeping Clover as firmly in place as his tail on land and the chain did. Cinder's claw-like Grimm hand was gripping painfully tight onto the shoulder of one terrified-looking Oscar Pine as she shoved the staggering boy in front of her towards the dais.

Oscar's large hazel eyes were sweeping over the expanse, the freckled teen unable to stop himself from shaking at seeing where he was. Clover froze when those eyes landed on him at last, recognition flitting over them despite his horrific change, "Clover?!" Oscar gasped out, fighting to pull himself out of Cinder's tightening grip as if to make his way over.

Cinder bodily threw the boy to the other side of the throne. All Clover could do was watch in his current, pathetic state. "That's more than enough of that." The dark-haired woman coyly said, standing imperiously over Oscar as a predator might their prey, "Captain Ebi really isn't much for talking these days."

Oscar sat up, rubbing his arm where he'd landed on the ground and wincing fearfully, "Wh—what did you do to him?" He asked, clearly afraid but also trying to be resolute.

"Don't worry. As Ozpin's Inheritor, you cannot share the same fate as my own." Salem began speaking as soon as the boy finished asking his question, stepping down from her massive throne with the miasma chain still looped around her hand.

She stopped just a few meters away from where Oscar was struggling to stay upright, a thin smile crossing over her lips at the sight, "But, just like my trinket, I want you to watch as Remnant burns." She informed Oscar coldly, waving her free hand in the air.

Purple-black miasma suddenly formed a tight circle around Oscar, the fourteen-year-old glancing from it to Salem to Cinder and Clover warily. "This cage of sorts should do to keep you contained for what's to come." The pale woman said, satisfaction dripping from her voice as she moved away from Oscar's containment closer to Clover.

Oscar followed her movement, hazel eyes growing wide again as the freckled teen focused on the other Inheritor's Grimm form, "Clover, it's Oscar!" He called out, "Can you still understand me?"

The pleading tone in the boy's terrified voice caused Clover to flinch slightly, though that was the only movement that came at all readily to him.

Cinder scoffed and let out a derisive laugh, crossing her arms over her chest, "It's pointless." She informed the distraught Oscar smugly, "In his current Grimm form, Captain Ebi is completely in Salem's thrall."

"N—no..." Oscar trailed off, his shoulders slumping and his gaze painfully sad as he regarded how impassively Clover seemed to be reacting to everything.

Clover wanted to turn away, to do something to deny what was being said, but he could only remain there, stock still and frozen, as Salem came closer, "Yes," she murmured in response to Cinder's remark and Oscar's disbelief, stroking the side of Clover's masked face as one might a beloved pet, "My lucky charm has already proven his worth."

"So tell me, Jimmy," Qrow began as he stood in front of Ironwood's cell, hands clenched into fists at his sides as his light red eyes narrowed at his former friend, "Was it all worth it, in the end?"

Ironwood remained staunchly silent in response to Qrow's question, and that just caused the dark-haired Huntsman's anger over everything that had happened recently to boil over. He took a step closer to the cell door, "Atlas could well be attacked at any moment," he seethed, "And your actions drove Clover and Oscar straight into Salem's waiting hands!"

Steel blue eyes regarded the Huntsman sternly then as Ironwood straightened his posture infuriatingly more, "I did what I thought was necessary, Qrow." He said at length, "Clover would do the same."

He grit his teeth, "Don't you dare say his name, James!" Qrow all but spit out as he stepped closer to the door then. A large part of him was sorely tempted to open the lock and punch the overly stubborn General King as hard as he could right in the face.

But before he could act on that fairly destructive impulse, the faraway din of alarms sounded in the city beyond them. Both men started at the noise, especially when it was followed by the building shaking rather violently.

A burst of rose petals suddenly blew into the room, Ruby materializing from them not a second later, "Uncle Qrow!" She called out upon seeing him, silver eyes wide, "That giant Nevermore from before is attacking Atlas, and we're pretty sure the tracking signal Sarge put on Oscar is coming from it!"

Qrow's eyes widened at the announcement. That meant that the boy was somehow inside the monstrous Grimm. Wherever Oscar was, the odds were good that Clover, along with Cinder and Salem, were there too.

"It looks like they've brought the fight straight to us!" Yang exclaimed as she joined her uncle and little sister, slamming her metallic fist into her hand for added measure, "Good! I'm glad we're getting the chance to finally duke it out."

"And we can save Oscar and Clover too!" Ruby added hopefully, the pair of siblings already headed towards the door leading back outside.

Qrow didn't need to be told twice, his footsteps loudly clanging on the ground in his ears as he moved to join his nieces, Harbinger already out at the ready.

"Qrow."

He only paused briefly at Ironwood's calling of his name. There was a rather plaintive look on the bearded man's face. "Gotta hurry if we want to protect Atlas, James." Qrow muttered.

Ironwood sighed, "I know. But please, if you can," he said resignedly, "Save Clover as well."

Light red eyes narrowed at the request even as Qrow nodded, "I'm sure as hell not bringing him back here to you though." He informed Ironwood flatly before running once more to join his family in exiting the building.

The sight that greeted him outside was of the gigantic Nevermore from earlier in Mantle landing gracefully on the normally pristine streets of Atlas. As it lifted its wings into the air, hordes of Grimm seemed to suddenly materialize from the shadows of its wingspan.

"'Bout time you made it!" Robyn Hill called out from where she was standing just a few meters away with Winter, Sarge, and Lopez, "That thing seems to be housing quite a lot of Grimm."

"And no doubt Oscar and Captain Ebi too, if my tracking device is working up to snuff!" The older man in red stated proudly, his shotgun already aimed and firing at a swiftly approaching Sabyr.

The former Charon agents had already leapt into the fray: Washington using his string semblance to hold several of the Grimm in place while Carolina sped around them dealing finishing blows with her fists and legs as Pyrrha used her polarity to throw debris into the mix as well. Caboose, Doc, and Neopolitan were on the outskirts dealing with the few Grimm that still hadn't turned to dust thanks to the combined assault.

"You guys go!" Pyrrha called out over her shoulder to the others, "We can handle the ones that show up out here!"

Simmons frowned at his sister's insistence, "But—!" He began, but was cut off when Jaune gripped the redhead's shoulder to smile encouragingly: "They've got this."

Pyrrha smiled towards Jaune, nodding.

"Además, ellos no estarán solos. {Besides, they won't be alone.}" Lopez chimed in, grabbing a gigantic piece of debris and tossing it as though it weighed nothing directly into a waiting Ursa, "Tendremos sus espaldas. {We'll have their backs.}"

Sarge fired his weapon into the Ursa before it recovered, a bolt from Robyn's crossbow embedding in its mask just as Winter's sword provided the finishing blow, the small group of four already turning their attention to their next targets. "Go now, while we can provide an opening!" The older Schnee sibling called out over her shoulder, and the others didn't need to be told twice.

With only a quick glance at each other, Tucker stopping only quickly enough to say to Washington and the others, "You assholes better not die, you hear?!" just as Donut and Weiss both called out, "Be careful!"

...The others nodded their heads in quick agreement and began swiftly making their way to the Nevermore. This was their only chance, after all. They couldn't afford to waste it.

Clover's tail flopped uselessly on the ground once more as he tried to pull himself away from the throne to approach Oscar, but to no avail. Cinder laughed mockingly at the sight, a cruel gleam in her visible eye, "I was right in thinking you made a good pet, Captain Ebi." She taunted.

Oscar merely watched the exchange with pity swirling in his hazel eyes as he reached out a hand, fingertips just holding back from touching the miasma surrounding him, "Clover." He began, trying to desperately talk to the former Ace Ops captain.

As much as he wanted to respond, Clover could only slap his tail uselessly on the darkened ground once more. From her throne, Salem watched the attempt with mild interest before she turned her attention back to her captive audience, "Do I have to remind you again that trinkets do not speak, dear?" She asked just as the Nevermore flying overhead suddenly let out a garbled cry of distress.

Cinder stood at attention, flames dancing above her hand, "We have company." She stated, not a minute before a ball of light suddenly erupted in the air overhead.

Clover recognized the telltale signs of Vanessa Kimball's scattershot semblance as the gigantic energy sphere she'd fired into the air broke into a myriad of pieces that streaked downwards towards her intended targets.

Salem remained seated calmly on her throne, a shield blocking the blasts from hitting her as Cinder leapt out of the way with a muffled curse. Clover tried moving, but his body wouldn't respond as quickly to his thoughts in this form, and he was still chained to Salem's side besides. All he could really do was brace himself as the blows descended...

Only for him to be caught off-guard by the Nevermore swooping down at the last second to shield him for some reason, the large creature letting out a pained cry as the concussive blasts made impact. The blows against the Nevermore were joined with needles from Simmons' weapon and bullets from StormFlower, along with fiery hits from Ember Celica and the blades from Gambol Shroud. The avian Grimm cried out and staggered from the assault as Clover watched on, shocked that it had shielded him in the first place.

"Kiddo!"

Qrow Branwen's voice reached Clover's ears not a moment later as the dark-haired Huntsman used the scythe form of Harbinger to cut through the cage of miasma keeping Oscar hostage. He gripped his adopted son by the shoulders, looking him up and down worriedly as the rest of the group approached, "You okay?"

Oscar swallowed dryly and nodded in response, clearly in a state of shock.

Qrow's light red eyes began scanning the darkened space, "Where's Clover?" He asked, his tone almost desperate.

Hazel eyes lingered on Clover's monstrous Grimm form then, and Clover wanted nothing more than to shrink in on himself in shame as the fourteen-year-old shakily pointed at him, "He's...he's right there." Oscar finally answered. Clover couldn't bring himself to look up at Qrow's shocked and disbelieving expression then as both Cinder and Salem's taunting laughter filled the air.

Author's Notes: Just two more chapters to go! :D Friendly comments are always appreciated.