"Salem can't be killed... you all heard her too, right?" Yang asked as she and the rest of Team RWBY all angrily glare at Ozpin, whose head is still down.
He looks up, with tears streaming down his face. Qrow just looks away "I-"
"There was so much you hadn't told us! How could you think that was okay?!" Yang demanded, enraged.
Oz doesn't say anything, he just hangs his head back down in shame. Novus, getting plenty angered himself, walks over, grabs Oz by the neck, and lifts him into the air, holding his sword across Oz's neck. Ruby put out a hand to stop him.
"Wait, don't hurt Oscar too much."
Novus looks back at Ruby for a few moments, then pulls Oz in closer and whispers in his ear "Is this all we are to you?" before dropping him on the ground.
Ozpin looks down before Ruby speaks "Professor... What is your plan to defeat Salem?".
"I... don't have one..." Ozpin said as he looked down again.
Suddenly, an enraged scream was heard before Qrow punches Ozpin in the face, sending him into a nearby tree trunk "No one wanted me... I was cursed... I gave my life to you because you gave me a place in this world... I thought I was finally doing some good...".
Ozpin spoke tearfully "But, you are!".
But Qrow did not seem to be listening "Meeting you... was the worst luck of my life...".
Oz stares back in disbelief upon hearing Qrow say that, before looking down dejected "Maybe you're right...".
Ozpin's eyes glow as control is transferred back to Oscar. He holds his cheek in pain from the effects of Qrow's punch, as well as his neck from Novus's grip.
"What happened?" Ruby asked.
"He's... gone" Oscar answered.
Yang was furious as she points at Oscar "That bastard! Tell him we're not done yet!".
"No, this is different. He's gone. It- It's like he's locked himself deep inside my head. Our head?" Oscar grunts as he holds his head in pain "I hate this! I want it to stop!".
"Oz isn't the only one who still has some explaining" Weiss added, "Julius, when were you ever going to tell us about…"
As she looked around, Julius was nowhere to be seen.
"Julius!" Ruby called out. She then notices footprints in the snow leading away from the group.
"He just left us?" Weiss asked in disbelief.
"What are we gonna do now?" Blake asked in worry as Yang growls in anger.
"Maybe its best if he left" Yang said. Ruby looks at her sister in shock "Yang, you can't possibly say that. He's our…"
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE IS ANYMORE!" Yang snapped.
"Please, just stop!" Blake pleaded. Before Yang could go further, Maria got everyone's attention.
"Enough! We need to get move on. It'll be dark before we know it, and every one of you is spewing negativity!" Maria spoke as she helps Oscar up with her cane "There's a trail over there, trails usually lead somewhere".
Yang glared at her "Lady, I don't know who you think you are but-".
Maria slams her cane in the ground "No buts! I understand that you're upset. Honestly, I'm still coming to terms with the fact that this is humanity's second time around. Not to mention that there's a hidden war going on behind our backs, but if we don't move, we die. And I'll be damned if I've lived this long just to die out here in the cold!".
Ruby was silent for a moment before she spoke "She's right. Come on".
Everyone grabs their belongings and whatever Dust they can carry with them. Maria sits on Bumblebee as Yang walks her bike. Ruby walks over to Oscar and hands over the handle of his cane.
Oscar grabs the cane "I'm just going to be another one of his lives, aren't I?".
Ruby puts her hand on his "Of course not. You're your own person".
"Don't lie to him, Ruby" Qrow said as he drinks from his flask "We're better than that...".
Ruby and Oscar look down sadly before walking to join the others.
Meanwhile, some ways down the same trail, Julius was running off on his own, walking his bike with him. Eventually, he stopped for a bit to rest by a tree. Sitting next to it, he placed his head in his hands and began to cry. For his whole life he had tried desperately to keep his origin a secret, and it all came out faster than he wanted it to.
What are you doing? Summer asked in his head.
"What do you think I'm doing?" Julius replied, "If I stayed there, they would have turned on me. They know what I am now! I'm leaving, and you can't stop me."
A few moments, later, Julius resumed his course until he came across an old farmhouse. The name "BRUNSWICK FARMS" could be seen on the gate.
This place feels abandoned, Summer observed, I can't sense anyone here.
Julius looked up at the sky "Well, it'll work to keep us out of the weather for a bit."
After parking his bike in the nearby shed, Julius walked into the house, though he had to kick open the door to get in. Sure enough, it was empty of any people, yet the house looked totally fine.
"That's weird." He thought to himself, "Maybe they moved on to a different place?"
Possibly Summer replied, but why would they leave all their stuff?
"Don't know, but it'll work as shelter for now."
Julius then lit a fire in the nearby fireplace and proceeded to lay back on one of the couches, hoping to get some rest after the events that had just unfolded.
…
In the Land of Darkness, five Nevermores are perched on a rocky outcropping with large purple crystals. They fly away when an airship flies by them heading towards a large purple structure in the distance. The airship lowers down to an outcropping that serves as a dock, and Hazel, Mercury, and Emerald hop out. As they proceed forward, they notice Tyrian leaning against the entrance at the bottom of the stairs. His scorpion tail now has a spiked, metal tip covering it from where it was cut off.
Tyrian laughs a little "Welcome back, welcome back! I do hope you missed us as much as we missed you".
Emerald and Mercury glare at Tyrian before Hazel spoke up "Let's go".
The four proceed forward past Tyrian "Speaking of which, where is our Fall Maiden?".
Emerald stops upon hearing this, prompting Tyrian to giggle, causing Emerald to growl.
" Emerald, come on" Mercury said.
"Don't tell me something happened to her?" Tyrian said in a mocking tone before he laughs.
Emerald turns around and draws her weapons at Tyrian "I will cut off more than just your tail".
Tyrian chuckles as he slowly walks toward Emerald "Careful, little girl. Cinder isn't here to protect you anymore".
Tyrian gets close to Emerald's face, causing her to back away. Tyrian intentionally cuts his cheek with the blade of Emerald's weapon before glaring at her, his eyes promising a slow death if she dared to mess with him again.
Emerald has a disturbed expression on her face upon seeing this, and Mercury steps up to hold Emerald's shoulder and scare Tyrian away from her "Back off, freak".
"Oh, don't misunderstand, I am in mourning just as you. Because it appears you've failed our Queen, and that is a tragedy" Tyrian said before looking down with a sad look on his face.
A moment later, Tyrian drops his sympathetic facade and starts to laugh maniacally. Mercury looks back at him in disgust while Emerald has a fearful expression on her face. They then turn around to proceed up the stairs as Tyrian continues laughing.
In the meeting room, Salem opens her eyes and glares at her subordinates "I would like you to explain to me... how it is you failed so spectacularly?".
Hazel looked ashamed "The Faunus Militia split our forces-".
"Stop" Salem said in a sharp tone. Hazel remains silent with a fearful expression on his face "Let me rephrase the question, who is responsible for your defeat?".
Emerald and Mercury stay kneeling as Hazel stands up to give his answer. Salem listens intently "I take full responsibility…"
Suddenly, Salem flips the table over, knocking Tyrian off his chair. Watts hastily stands up from his seat and backs away, worried about what would happen.
"But that wouldn't be fair now, would it?! We all know who's truly to blame..." Salem said in anger as she walks forward and menacingly holds her hand out in front of her.
Hazel tried to speak "I don't-".
Salem motions her hand, and a glyph with her symbol appears underneath Hazel. Multiple Geist hands come out from it and grab Hazel, forcing him down on all fours and suffocating him.
"Emerald..." Salem looks over to Emerald, who is still staring down with a fearful expression "I want you to tell me whose fault this was" Salem slowly walks over to Emerald as she breathes heavily "Now".
Emerald closed her eyes in fear "Cinder! We failed because of Cinder...".
"That's right" Salem said as she placed a hand on Emerald's shoulder "I want you to understand that failure. I want you to understand why Cinder must be left to toil in her isolation until she redeems herself".
Salem walks away from Emerald. Both her and Mercury look up in surprise.
"You mean-" Mercury began.
"She's alive?" Emerald finished the question.
"You're joking, how could you know that?" Watts asked.
Tyrian glared at him "Are you questioning our divine savior?!".
Watts reels back "I..." Salem looks over to Watts and glares at him as he chuckles nervously "Of course not, forgive me".
Salem proceeds to address her subordinates "It's important not to lose sight of what drives us: Love, justice, reverence... but the moment you put your desires before my own... they will be lost to you" Salem releases Hazel from her grasp and walks back to the other side of the room. Hazel catches his breath "This isn't a threat; this is simply the truth. The path to your desires is only found...through me".
Salem turns her head to glare back at them. Hazel stands back up, Tyrian lets out a small chuckle, and Watts straightens his coat, not wanting to further risk Salem's wrath.
Salem looks outside the window and watches the Nevermores fly before looking down "And so we must press on. The sword under Vacuo's academy, Shade-".
"Ma'am" Hazel suddenly spoke and everyone looks at him "I have... more to report" Salem glares at Hazel for interrupting her, and has the Grimm arms ready under him. Hazel looks down at them in fear before explaining himself "Qrow and the children are taking the lamp to Atlas".
Tyrian laughs "Not if I can help it".
"And they're being led... by Ozpin" Hazel finished.
At this, everyone slowly looks toward Salem with fearful expressions on their faces and Mercury notices the windows starting to crack.
"So soon?" Tyrian asked.
"Not only that" Hazel continued, "There's something worse. Somehow, Julius survived the fall at Beacon, and he's with them, along with the son of the Slayer himself."
Tyrian had never been more shocked in his life: "Impossible! How could he have survived?!"
"He's right" Mercury said, "I saw him with my own eyes. He turned the Branwen tribe against us. The son of the Slayer rescued Haven's huntsmen and led them against us and White Fang."
"The Slayer's son is obviously a massive threat, Ozpin's the only man with a chance of getting through to Ironwood, and Julius is the only one who can unleash our greatest enemy. If that happens..." Watts suddenly stops as he and everyone else notice the windows cracking. They then look to Salem, and dark smoke emanates from her.
Salem spoke in a silent yet furious tone "Leave..."
"Your Grace, I can..." Salem glares at Tyrian, causing him to reel back.
Emerald looks on in fear before Hazel puts a hand on her shoulder "Come on".
Everyone quickly proceeds to exit the room as the windows start to crack even more. Emerald takes one last look behind her as the doors close. Salem, left alone, seethes with anger before calming herself down. Everything is seemingly quiet, but then Kaa's words echo in her head "Not even you can thwart fate."
Suddenly, Salem yells out in rage and the windows shatter violently.
…
Back in the snow, Team RWBY, Novus, Qrow, Oscar and Maria proceed on the trail. The snow starts to pick up even more.
Qrow sighs "Doesn't look like this is gonna let up".
"Just wanna get this stupid Relic to Atlas" Blake said, sounding frustrated.
Weiss looks at her "Let's hope we don't have to walk all the way there".
Yang spoke to Maria, sarcastically "I thought trails led somewhere".
"Do you have nothing better to do than to harass a defenseless old lady?" Maria asked, annoyed by Yang's attitude.
"Everyone, quiet. Do you hear that?" Ruby asked.
Everyone stops in their tracks. A metallic squeaking can be heard. A large farm can be seen, one of the front gates swings back and forth with the wind. A large sign above the entrance reads "BRUNSWICK FARMS". Everyone arrives at the gate.
"Well, at least one good thing happened today" Blake said.
"It looks abandoned" Weiss pointed out.
"It's still better than this" Ruby said, motioning to the weather, "Besides, Julius might have stopped here too."
Blake became slightly hopeful at the thought, though no one noticed the slowly disappearing footprints and motorcycle tracks in the snow around them
"Come on, I think we could all use some rest" Qrow said
Everyone proceeds through the farm's gates, with Qrow being the last to enter. The snow starts to pick up even more as the gate is heard closing with a metallic clang.
…
Do you have my information?" Cinder asked as she meets with Lil' Miss Malachite at her tavern.
"Of course I do, darling. Lil' Miss always delivers." Lil' Miss answered.
Lil' Miss smiled at her before looking back at Cinder "Although, I can't promise you'll be pleased" Cinder glares at her "Word is they were seen boarding the Argus Limited a few weeks back. While that isn't exactly far from here, Argus is rarely a destination for folks. Chances are they'll be going straight to-".
"Atlas" Cinder realized as she walks away while Lil' Miss smiles at her intuitiveness.
"You know, you turned out to be quite the interesting customer... Cinder" She said and Cinder stops in her tracks upon hearing her name. She turns around to face Lil' Miss again "It's not often a single client brings me double the business" She taps her cigar into an ashtray.
A creak is heard from the walkway above, Cinder looks up to see who it is "Wait...".
A pair of high-heeled boots can be seen, and a certain pink umbrella is shown to be lowered before its owner places it behind her head. A certain multi-colored girl of pink, brown and white stares down at Cinder from her position...
"Neo?" Cinder spoke in surprise to see one of her old colleagues turned enemies.
Lil' Miss looked at her henchwoman "Maybe put away the good glasses".
Neo jumps down and lands a strike on Cinder, only for her form to suddenly shatter. Neo then reappears from another direction and knocks Cinder back.
"What are you doing?!" Cinder demanded
Neo proceeds forward and continues to land blows that push Cinder back to Lil' Miss' table. Lil' Miss stops the ashtray from falling off the shaking table and holds her hand, as if to tell her two bodyguards not to intervene. Cinder pushes off of Lil' Miss' table and begins to fight back, using hand-to-hand to counter Neo's strikes. She then kicks Neo up and the two fight on the bar counter. Neo knocks some bowls into Cinder before the latter throws the umbrella wielder off the counter. Neo lands gracefully back on the ground. The two continue trading blows until Cinder is launched towards the ceiling, she pushes off of it and Neo barely dodges the flaming fist that shatters the table below her. Cinder jumps up to the balcony railing and looks down on Neo
"That's enough, ladies!" Lil' Miss suddenly shouted and the bodyguards draw their weapons at the two combatants.
Malachite continued: "I love dinner and a show, but it's time to take it outside".
Taking the gangster's advice, Cinder is pushed through the window onto the empty street with Neo following her. Cinder lands back on her feet while Neo's form shatters again.
"Hmph, nice trick. You've gotten stronger... So have I" Cinder conjures a fireball that she launches behind her.
Neo blocks the blast with her umbrella. Her clothes are slightly torn and tattered. She steps forward and angrily glares at Cinder.
"I don't have time for your backstabbing crap, Neo" Cinder said. Neo charges forward, but Cinder conjures a pair of swords that she uses to block Neo's attacks "You're not the only one with a grudge!" One of Neo's attacks hits Cinder in the face, causing her to activate her Maiden powers, blowing Neo back a few feet "Listen!" She uses her Maiden powers to float into the air, causing Neo to look on in fear "I'm not sure what Julius has promised you, but I can give you something far greater; power like you couldn't imagine. Look at me if you want a good example."
Neo stands down, it was clear she could not win this fight. However, there might be a chance she could do to Cinder what Cinder did to Beacon; destroy her and her gang from the inside.
"Okay then... Let's talk" Cinder floats back down to the ground while Neo points at her mouth with an annoyed look on her face. Cinder shrugs "Right...".
…
Back with our heroes, a snow storm appears, making visibility very difficult.
Ruby sighs "I don't get it. The empty towns I've passed through were all damaged or unfinished. But this place looks... fine".
They arrive at the porch of a residence. Weiss is shivering as she wraps her arms around her to keep herself warm "Maybe everyone left in a hurry. Before things took a turn?".
"Wait!" Blake says, "Look!"
The group looks down to see snowy boot prints leading inside.
"Looks like we're not alone after all." Weiss said.
Ruby and Blake looked at each other; the prints did look familiar.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Blake asked.
"Only one way to find out." Ruby answered as she reached for the doorknob.
"Stay on your guard" Qrow advised, "We don't know what's in there."
"I do." Ruby replied before opening the door; sure enough, it was unlocked.
Everyone proceeds forward with their weapons drawn. They cautiously look around the place.
"Close the door already! It's cold enough in here as it is" Maria walks into the house. Afterwards, Blake and Oscar push a nearby drawer to block the door.
"I saw a chimney from the outside. Maybe we could get a fire going?" Blake suggested.
"Looks like someone already did" Qrow said, noticing the fireplace was still smoldering. Blake then hears something and looks toward the couch. She then gasps; Julius was there, still sleeping on the couch.
Yang rushes forward, her gauntlets ready, only for Blake and Ruby to stop her.
"Yang, no!" Ruby whispers.
"Guys, you saw what he is." Yang argued, "We can end it right here!"
"Yang" Blake pleaded, "don't. Please."
Yang looked at Blake; there was a fearful expression on her face and tears in her eyes. Ruby's expression had a little more determination, but it was still one of worry. After a few tense moments, Yang relented.
"I'll keep an eye on him." Maria offered. Novus stood next to her as if to say he would watch Julius well.
"I'll look for some blankets" Weiss said.
"Yang, go with her" Qrow instructed. Yang obeys, but with a scoff.
Ruby lingers by the entrance hall for the bit while the others look around. Just then, Julius slowly wakes up, stretching as he sat up, then he opened his eyes and saw everyone.
"You're awake" Maria observed, "That was sooner than I thought."
Julius jumps up, startled, and puts a hand to his gun, but Ruby puts out her hands to stop him, pleading, "Wait, we just want to talk!"
She's telling the truth, Julius Summer advised, I suggest you listen to what she has to say.
Before Julius could respond to Ruby, a scream was heard from upstairs, Julius immediately teleported up while Ruby shot up with her semblance. As the two made it up, they saw Weiss and Yang with terrified expressions as they looked in one of the bedrooms. Following their gaze, they looked to see two people in a bed…though a more accurate term would be two rotting corpses in a bed.
"What in the…" Julius said.
The others could only watch in stunned silence.
Later a fire is burning in the fireplace. Weiss watches it, still shaken from what she saw earlier. Blake wraps a blanket around Weiss before sitting on the couch Yang is on. Julius sits in the chair across from them while Novus stands in the back.
The group hears the door open and close, and Qrow walks back in brushing snow off himself "It's the same in every house".
"What?" Yang asked.
"Bodies. Every bed in every home. It's like the whole estate just went to sleep and never woke up" Qrow explained.
"Then we're not staying here, right?" Weiss asked, still shaken.
Julius shudders "I hope not."
Qrow walks over to the fireplace to warm up "We don't have a choice. Storm outside's only getting worse. We'd freeze to death before we made it anywhere".
"Well, might as well get comfortable" Maria said as she walks over to a bookshelf.
"Yeah, fat chance" Yang said in a rather distant tone.
"Okay, then, let's do something. If this place wasn't abandoned it might still have supplies we could use" Ruby said.
"Hey, yeah. Maybe even a car" Oscar added.
"Novus and I'll do another sweep of the grounds. No one else goes anywhere alone" Qrow ordered before leaving the room, Novus following behind.
"Yang and I can search the other buildings for vehicles" Blake suggested.
"Fine, whatever gets me out of this house…and away from him" Yang said, sounding annoyed and giving an angry glare at Julius, before she and Blake leaves, with Ruby moving the drawer to let them exit. Julius hung his head in shame at Yang's words.
Ruby sat next to Julius and put a comforting hand on his shoulder "Hey, don't listen to Yang; she's just a little bit shaken. We all are."
"How can you even still talk to me?" Julius demanded, "You saw what I am!"
"Yes, we did see that" Weiss added, "but you wanna know what we also saw? We saw a little boy who started to figure out the truth and ran from Salem. We saw you get torn apart by those Grimm and get miraculously saved by Qrow's team. That would never happen if you still actually followed Salem."
"Weiss is right" Ruby agreed, "but it still doesn't explain why you wouldn't tell us."
"Would you even have believed me if I did?" Julius asked. Ruby and Weiss realized he had a point.
"Besides," Julius continued, "I didn't want to get you in the crossfire between me and Salem, so the less you knew the better."
"So, you wanted to protect us?" Weiss asked.
Julius nodded, beginning to tear up "You guys, Raven, Qrow, Jaune and the others; you all were the closest thing I've ever had to a real family. I wanted to have you guys see me for who I am, not what I was. I know that sounds selfish, but…"
He didn't get to finish as Ruby pulled him in for a hug and said, "You're my brother. You're just as much family to us as we are to you. I don't care what you are; you're too good of a person to us. I love you."
Julius melted into the hug, wrapping his arm around Ruby.
"We both do" Weiss agreed, "and so does Blake."
"And Yang?" Julius asked through his now tears of joy.
Weiss got a concerned look "Well…she…"
"She tried to attack you when we found you sleeping" Maria spoke up.
"What?" Julius gasped. Ruby glared at Maria, who simply shrugged "Hey, he was gonna find out eventually."
Ruby simply sighed before returning her attention to Julius "Yang's just a bit shaken. She'll come around. I'll make sure she does."
Julius looked a bit dismayed, and said nothing.
Ruby patted his shoulder "You need some time to yourself?"
"Yeah, that would help" Julius replied after a few moments, "I need to clear my head a bit."
Ruby nodded, looking concerned before she looked at Weiss "So... want to help me look for food?".
Weiss stands up and goes with Ruby to find food.
See, that wasn't so bad Summer told him.
Yeah, Julius thought back, you were right.
You want my opinion? Summer asked.
If you insist.
Salem may have created you, but you were also made from my blood. The way I see it, you're my son, not hers.
Julius chuckled, Thanks.
Inside a pantry nearby, Ruby uses her scroll's flashlight to look around. She finds alcoholic bottles on the shelves. Weiss uses Myrtenaster to send small flames to light up the candles in the room "There".
They all around the room. Shelves are full of alcoholic bottles and a bar is seen as well.
Ruby frowns "On second thought, maybe we should keep this room closed. I'm just... Not sure how well my uncle's taking all of this".
"Oh" Weiss said.
"Come on, we'll never get to Atlas on an empty stomach!" Ruby said, trying to sound as cheerful as she could as she walks forward, though Weiss lingers and sadly looks down. Ruby then opens up another door.
"Ruby? Are we really still going to Atlas?" Weiss asked.
Ruby looked at her "Why wouldn't we be?".
"I mean... you heard what Jinn said. If there's no way for any of us to kill Salem, then what's the point in all of this?" Weiss asked.
Ruby did not like what Weiss was saying "Weiss, you can't be serious".
Weiss sighs "Sorry, I- I don't know what I'm saying, I'm just really tired and I really, really hate this place" She walks up to enter the room with Ruby "Anything in there?".
Ruby turns around and uses her flashlight to look around. She sees more alcoholic bottles arranged on a shelf on the right side of the room.
Ruby looked annoyed "More alcohol... At least we'll never have problems starting a fire".
"What's that?" Weiss asked and they notice a large, metal cellar door in the ground. Its handles are chained together "A wine cellar? Great" Ruby then looks up to her left and lets out a yelp before zooming over "What? What is it?".
"Food!" Ruby holds out a can that says "THREE BROS. BEANS: SHRIMP FLAVORED, EXTRA SODIUM".
Weiss spoke in an incredulous tone "Canned food?".
"Oh trust me, you put enough salt on anything, and it will taste juuust fine" Ruby assured.
Weiss gave her a look before shaking her head "Well, I guess it's better than nothing" The two share a smile before Weiss walks over and helps Ruby grab a few cans of food "But I still seriously hate this place...".
They then walk out of the room. Unbeknownst to them, the metal cellar door opens slightly, before shutting again with a startling bang.
Let me know what you think so far!