Rise of the Iron Wolves: Terramind

by Dragon Emperor0

In the world of Remnant, there exists an order of Hunters and Huntresses called the Order Of The Iron Wolves, who specialize in the old ways of fighting Grimm. Now at beacon academy one such Hunter, a Wolf Faunus named Wolfgang Amadeus Prowl, Comes to Beacon to fulfill a destiny he's been long dreading. What will happen while he's there? (NOW REWRITTEN!)

119. Vol 7 Ch 27: Allegiance Proven

Vol: 7 Chapter 27: Allegiance Proven

Jingo Jungle (Saga of Tanya the Evil)

English Lyrics: AmaLee (LeeandLie)

I will lock on love

I will lock on love

(The title Rise of the Iron Wolves: Terramind appears before switching to an image where Cabal soldiers are seen storming across a battlefield as the image slowly transforms to Penny floating in the air as the camera zooms in on her left eye)

Don't go away

There's nowhere else to run

I know that's what we want

I know it's a war we want

(Penny gives the camera a stern look as the camera focuses on her while she sings the next two lines)

So raise your guns

Come on, let's have some fun

I know that's what we want

I know it's a war we want

(Penny stands in front of Wolfgang's grave with Team RWBY, all five of them saluting as Penny sings the last two lines again)

Coming up … Coming up

The eyes that only see prey

An instinct to act on

The bloodlust and it's just

Not enough … Not enough

But that's the chain of command

And now we know we must not hide

(A darkened shot of the Hellas Basin Schnee tech lab appears with a very faint and almost transparent figure of Penny, Weiss and Winter appear in the base standing there and walking towards the screen while their designs change from Vol. 1 to current. Then show's the image of of Penny's old robot body, one of Winters old dolls and a portrait of the Schnee family before the three destroy them)

We honor the JINGOS (oh oh oh)

And the beast we unleash

To indulge in our desires

We are in the JUNGLE (oh oh oh)

With our claws – a killing spree

With our fangs – Can you keep up with me? (Ohh)

(The next images are of Deus, Ironwood and Sky, before changing to Penny and team RWBY standing in front of Rasputin, and then to a shadow shot of what looks like a Knight in robes, a girl in a dress and a giant worm. It then transitions to Penny, Winter, and Weiss's eyes switching rapidly and looking at the screen.)

I will lock on love

I will lock on love

(Bullets fly before the final shot is of Penny, Weiss and Winter standing with their backs to the camera as they stood in the melting snow of the Hellas Basin, before the image burned away.)

-Immortal Rage common room-

In the main common room of the Immortal Rage, Sky, Qrow, and Oscar, as well as Teams ARSN, JNPR and RWBY, were busy discussing recent events. Namely the last two's decision to side with the Nomad in the new 'Allegiance' debacle.

Needless to say, the former three were… less than amused. "You guys sided with the Nomad, against Ironwood… Remind me, but wasn't the whole point about revealing everything about Ozpin and Salem to him so we wouldn't be divided?" Wolfgang questioned.

"It is. We're just trying to gather as many options as possible to fight Salem." Weiss replied, trying to placate them.

"I don't like this, guys. The way things are going, we could have it where everyone is split right down the middle." Oscar said.

"And Nomad isn't exactly a guy who seems like he's willing to try and fight Salem." Qrow noted. "To be honest he reminds me a lot of how Raven was right before Team STRQ disbanded. Before Summer… well, ya know."

"Not to sound rude, but what even happened to her, anyway?" Sky asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No one really knows. Not even us." Qrow told him. "All we know is that she went to Mistral on a mission, met with Raven, then with Lionheart, and then disappeared."

"That… Sounds a little suspicious." Sky noted, sounding tense.

"Wait, didn't Jinn say that she had one of her questions used up the last time we used the lamp?" Neptune asked.

"You still remember that?" Foxxianna questioned.

"She did. Why?" Ruby asked.

"... What if that meeting with Raven and Lionheart, was to get to the lamp so she could use it?" Sun suggested. This made everyone pause and look thoughtful.

"That… Sounds like a possibility, actually." Qrow said in realization. "But what could she have asked?" He wondered.

"Not sure…" Sky said before frowning. "Wait… I think I might know." He amended.

"What?" Yang asked.

"I might be wrong, but it's possible she asked where Salem was located." The King explained.

"And what? She went after Salem by herself?" Wolfgang questioned. "Did she have a death wish?" He added, getting punched in the shoulder by Yang.

"No…" Blake said, shaking her head. "I think she just wanted to try, try and stop Salem getting to her family. Or at least try to."

"Yeah… That's definitely something she'd do." Qrow sighed. Ruby looked down sadly, wishing her mother hadn't done that.

"Hey… Where's Autumn and Emerald?" Nora asked. Everyone then noticed the lesbian couple wasn't present.

"Huh. I guess they're busy with something." Jaune shrugged.

Qrow, Sky and Oscar looked at each other. If only they knew just what was going on with those two...

(Elsewhere)

Right around the same time, Autumn and Emerald were helping the Happy Huntresses with their work around Mantle while Penny handled the Grimm and assisting Huntsmen in completing Rasputin's Escalation Protocols to clear out Hive.

The two girls were left under May's watch since Robyn was still busy with the Council. Though they stopped when Robyn called them.

"What is it, Robyn?" Autumn asked.

"Listen up you two, I need you to go to the Atlas Academy Annex and put a bug in Nomad's quarters. And then I need you to tail a few of his 'crew' members and find the tapes he's left for them." Robyn said. "The General and Council wanna hear what he's saying." She added.

"We'll swing by and pick up the bug." The Fall Maiden nodded.

"And I'll slip it past him." Emerald added.

(Later)

Later on in the Annex, Nomad was having a lunch of a 1 ½ pound bacon cheeseburger with fried onion rings on it, a large fry, and an equally large drink.

Emerald slipped on past him, using her semblance so he wouldn't see her before walking over to a bookshelf in the back of the room next to a mote bank, and stuck a bug on the underside of a middle shelf.

However as soon as she did, Teams RWBY, JNPR and ARSN started walking in, prompting her to leap up into the rafters to avoid being seen.

"Huh? Oh, kids." The ageless man greeted them as he paused his meal briefly.

"We heard you wanted to talk to us?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, I got something waiting for you up in the Derelict that I think will help you know what you're getting into." He told them before grabbing something off his work desk. "Hey ginger, catch." He said as he tossed Nora her hammer in its grenade launcher form. It looked… different.

It now looked like the drum of the grenade launcher was pulsing with Enthralled energy, making it sport the same glow as Malfeasance from the barrel. It also had a gap towards the back where excess energy poured out and it had a spine-like back cover.

"Say hello to the Witherhoard upgrade. This baby now has a perk similar to Malfeasance called Primeval's Torment. Its shots cause an Enthralled blight to affect your opponents or nearby area on contact." The man said.

"Oh ho, this is gonna come in handy." Nora grinned.

"Anyway. Just go and see what's up there and then come on back down. There's something I need to tell you when it's done." He told the group.

"Alright." Pyrrha nodded as the group left. Emerald meanwhile used her semblance on Nomad and leapt down, walking out of the room.

'This could be a problem…' She thought in concern, realizing that her friends and her in-laws being allied with the Nomad would create a rift.

(Elsewhere)

Meanwhile on the Derelict, the kids were looking around the Nomad's on ship office, which was an absolute train wreck. There was even a sleeping bag in there.

Ruby soon took note of a recorder on his desk. "As my new partners, couple things about me you should know." The recording began. "I've been pitting a lot of very bad people, against good ones."

"Well there's a surprise." Wolfgang said as they all gathered around, before getting his wolf ear pinched by Weiss. "Ow!" He yelped.

"Shh." She hissed.

"Could be trouble for the Kingdoms. And there's already been some collateral damage." The recording continued.

"I know what he's talking about. Winter mentioned that three Huntsmen ended up dead after doing a "Demo" match to test out Gambit Prime." Weiss said.

"The Council is less than pleased." Blake nodded. Nomad's recording let out a sigh before it continued.

"Hand on my heart I regret anyone taking a dirt nap on account'a me. But I didn't survive by being indecisive." The recording said. "Through every age and era Nomad's done what he had to. The Warlords and the Iron Lords taught me that the Magic the gods left us on the moon? It's no gift, it brought hell to Remnant. And when some of us begged to die, it said 'hell no'."

"Oh jeez, this is one of those rants…" Neptune groaned.

"They say the Dark Age was untold suffering. I could tell you a lot." The recording continued. "Eh maybe next time. Go find the other tapes, I made you tapes. Heh." It ended with a chuckle.

"So… Guys?" Ruby asked as she turned to her friends.

"Let's see what else he has to say." Wolfgang shrugged. The group then left, then Emerald and Autumn dropped from the ceiling.

"Okay, you've heard part of what he's saying. What's the verdict so far?" Autumn asked Ironwood, Robyn and the Council on the other end.

"The fact that he mentioned the Warlords tells a lot about how long he's been around." Robyn stated.

"We'll need the full picture to make a decision. Though it pains me to know that the kids have so little faith in me." Ironwood sighed.

"Do not beat yourself up, James. You heard what Miss Rose said when she spoke near the bug. She and her friends are simply considering all available options." Councilwoman Camilla told him.

"While they could be a bit more… Careful, I suppose, I just hope this doesn't haunt them." Slate commented.

(Elsewhere)

Back in the Annex, the kids were talking to Nomad again. "Here kids, take these." The man said as he handed them triangle shaped devices. "These will create armor pieces that'll give you an edge in Gambit Prime. You can get the armor by going into the haul and beating the Nine's challenges. Be careful though, that Emissary of theirs isn't really trustworthy."

"Uh… Noted." Yang nodded slowly. Nomad nodded before he spoke again.

"Ya know, y'all been a part of my crew for awhile now, kids. Gambit, Prime, all the good work." He said. "And against my better judgement, I trust you guys. Just a little." He added.

'Uh huh.' Wolfgang thought flatly.

"But if you're gonna keep hangin' with ol' Nomad, there's some things you gotta know. So I've prepared a little survival guide for you guys. Made by the greatest prepper there is. Heh, that's me." He told them.

"And knowing you, you've hidden said guide in various places." Blake remarked, getting a chuckle in return.

"Yeah I did. But that's the funny part, isn't it? Finding it on your own time?" The man grinned. "Now first step: Get your asses to Vale."

(Later)

-VDZ, Sanas-

The kids were in the middle of the VDZ, looking for the first tape of the Nomad's "How to be a Nomad" survival guide.

"Think I found it!" Sun called as he had Tripitaka scan an old CDC amplifier.

"The Dark Age was different times. We had no Kingdoms." The recording began. "Warlords and Iron Lords tore up the whole world trying to prove who was better. What was worth fighting for." It added.

"He makes it sound like we were doing it for petty reasons." Leopold said.

"I was busy trying not to starve. You ever get hungry till you keeled over? We did that a lot in the Dark Age. Our Ghosts would bring us back, still hungry. Really pissed me off." The recording continued.

"Yeah, I can't blame him for that one." Ruby said with a wince. Getting brought back to life hungry after dying from hunger? That would make any sane person go nuts.

"So that's why he likes food so much!" Neptune said, snapping his fingers in realization. "He's always talking about what you can do for food, and now we know why. It's because he was always hungry. Ha! Who knew?"

"Really? That's what you focus on?" Foxxianna asked flatly.

"What?" The boy asked defensively.

"This one time I found a village to hideout in. Bunch o' huts really. Good people." Nomad continued. "They gave me work, and I kept my magic a secret while I performed some minor miracles." It added. "Then the Iron Lords came to town. My ghost stayed outta sight and they were none the wiser. They cut a deal with us—as if we had a choice— paid us to let 'em hideout until some Warlords show up and ambushed 'em."

"I think I know where this is going…" Pyrrha muttered in slight worry.

"We got caught in the crossfire. My neighbor's kid told me something that still rattles around in my head to this day." The recording said. "Right as the light left her tiny eyes, she said to me: "I can't… Feel anything." Yeah, I couldn't either. That's all I got. Cut the tape." It finished.

"Were… Were the Warlords back then really that ruthless?" Yang gulped.

"Unfortunately that is true. It was Lord Rhadagast's greatest regrets that he let things get that far." Deus said.

"That is why we've been working on rectifying those wrongs." Fey nodded.

"That's really nice to hear." Weiss sighed as she leaned on Wolfgang's shoulder. As they left for the next location, Autumn and Emerald lowered down from above.

"That was… I'm not sure how to feel about that." Emerald said.

"Neither do I." Autumn nodded. "General? Robyn? What about all of you?" She asked.

"He sounds more like someone who's seen too much of the dark side of the world to me at the moment." Robyn commented.

"That seems accurate." Ironwood nodded.

"He does sound that way, doesn't he?" Camilla mused.

"Let's keep this going. I want to see where this leads." Slate said.

(Elsewhere)

-Smuggler's Cave, Mistral-

In an old Smugglers cave outside of the lower half of Mistral, the kids found the next recording embedded in an old radio box.

"Hey kids. It's me, the Nomad. And this is "How to be a Nomad" part three. Never trust your Ghost. Or in your cases, drones." It said.

"Oi!" Burn exclaimed indignantly.

"They're tools. Connections to your Aura and the Magic. Not a friend—not in any way that counts." The recording said. "You think they're saving your hide, healing you and bringing you back? They're saving their own!"

"I call bullshit on that. If that were true, Gurren wouldn't have died back when Sky left for a week to become who he is now." Ruby stated firmly.

"I don't care what your Huntsman dogma says, I don't care what your little buddies have told you. We don't know what these things are. Atlas makes them sound friendly, right?" It continued. "Well I knew some Ghosts in the Dark Age, who would kill you for a pile of lien, and spit on your grave. All so they could grow their power a little more. Make a greater connection to the Gods, whatever the hell that means."

"... I don't get it either." Yang shrugged.

"Also, AEDs aren't Ghosts, so he's wrong about them." Blake shrugged.

"Well, he did say they were prototypes of the AEDs." Foxxianna said. "Maybe there are similarities?"

"You're an idiot if you think there aren't still Ghosts like that around. Or that there aren't any drones like that." The recording resumed. "Take mine for example. Really creeps me out. Cut the tape Ghost, and don't gimme that look. You know where we stand." It finished.

"Well, somebody's holding a grudge." Jaune noted.

"Hm… I wonder if there are any fully functional Ghosts out there…" Ren mused.

"It certainly would be an interesting discovery." Pyrrha nodded.

"And creepy." Nora added, shuddering. The group left and started heading to the next location in northern Anima. Autumn and Emerald then came in soon after.

"Did you get all of that?" Autumn asked the Council.

"It's still hard to believe that the prototype AEDs used to be so unpredictable." Slate said.

"Yes. They were a rather haphazard design at the time." Camilla agreed.

"I think we can all agree there." Ironwood nodded.

"This is why I don't have a drone." Robyn nodded.

(Elsewhere)

-Emerald Forest Ruins-

The next part of the seminar was in a campsite that was in the middle of the Emerald Forest that was abandoned.

"If you're gonna hang with me, you're gonna need to know about the Shadows of Yor. They follow the edicts of a very bad man named Dredgen Yor. And what are his shadows after?" It began. "Everything the light can't provide. I used to follow them to see if they knew a way to fight the light vs light battles that raged during the Dark Age."

"He used to be one of those guys?" Wolfgang asked in mild surprise.

"But the longer I flew with them, the more I saw, they're as blind as those who followed the Gods. One albatross for another." The recording said. "I was done with em. And that title I give out, Dredgen? I did it to piss them off. Draw the shadows out where I could see them. Worked like a charm."

"Should I feel endangered?" Foxxianna asked in worry.

"Ha. I love all you young Huntsmen, you're all so forthright. So eager to please." The man said. "That make you angry? Good! Use it."

"... Endangered? No. Pissed off? That's up to you!" Yang growled as her eyes flashed red. As the recording ended, Ruby noticed something in the remnants of the campsite's fire. Squinting her eyes, she knelt down and brushed the ashes aside and found the ruined remains of a hand cannon.

"What in the world…?" She muttered as she picked it up. Stashing it away, they left for the next location, where Autumn and Emerald emerged from the forest.

"Looks like you called it, Robyn." Emerald said.

"So he must be the Dredgen that disappeared from the Shadows that Salem mentioned. Dredgen Hope." Autumn nodded.

"Dredgen Hope?" Ironwood inquired.

"That was the name he took anyway." She shrugged.

"I cannot believe this, a former Shadow, in our midst! Why weren't we made aware?!" Slate questioned.

"I had been telling you guys that since day one!" Robyn retorted.

(Elsewhere)

-Mountain Glenn-

The next location brought the kids to the top of a crumbling building in Mountain Glenn where a radio sat. "You can't be the Nomad's partners and not know about Shin Malphur. The Man With The Golden Gun is still out there. He's a hero! The stuff of legend." The recording said.

"I've heard of him. My dad said he ran into him a couple times." Sun noted.

"Naturally he's after my Ghost. He wouldn't be the first." The recording continued. "But everyone and their grandma has a Malfeasance Hand cannon by now. I think we're OK if Mr. Malphur ever shows his face."

"Forgive me if I disagree." Wolfgang muttered.

"He follows the gods like a zealot. And he ends all those who would consort with the dark because of one man that went rogue." The recording continued. "It's not his Golden Gun you should be afraid of, kids. It's his idea, that one man can decide he makes the rules, and if you cross him. He can take everything from you." It added. "Doesn't sit right with me. Never will." The recording finished.

"Ugh. I already have a bad opinion of zealots. Case in point: Tyrian." Ruby griped.

"I think it's safe to say that we don't like Shin Malphur." Jaune added.

"And how." Wolfgang nodded. The group left after that, allowing Autumn and Emerald to examine the tape.

"This Shin guy is considered an Outlaw, right?" Emerald asked. "I'd heard rumors of him back in Mistral, but I never met him."

"Here's a secret: Shin actually tried to take a shot at Sky sometime after we arrived in Atlas while no one was looking." Autumn stated, getting shocked responses.

"He actually tried to-! Is he mental?!" Robyn asked incredulously.

"He failed, make no mistake. Because of that, he's now banned from the Immortal Rage." The Fall Maiden assured.

"What in the world made him do something so stupid?" Camilla asked in disbelief.

"He's exactly what Nomad said he was: A zealot. And look at where it got him. A notorious outlaw." Slate sighed.

(Elsewhere)

-Schnee mine 777, tunnel 66-

Embedded in an old mining sensor was where the kids found the next recording. "Mighty kind of the Ironwood and the Council to let me sleep here in the Annex. Doesn't get cold down there. Much." The recording said. "Do I trust them for it? Hell no. They're getting people killed just like the Iron Lords in this war against that Salem chick. Yes, people. Like you and me."

"How'd he find out about Salem again? I don't recall if he told us." Blake wondered as she scratched her head.

"He probably listened in on us talking about her at some point." Pyrrha shrugged.

"Just because our Ghosts make us harder to kill doesn't mean we stop being that. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He continued. "And that mission statement of theirs? 'Protect the Kingdoms'? Phe. Humanity's done kids, ya can't save 'em. Even if you could wrap a force field around all of them, they'd all start dying off on their own. Every single person you save just becomes a memory! I don't need anymore of those." The man added. "You'll get there, you'll see."

"And that, everyone, is a man who's called it quits." The wolf faunus huffed.

"Is this how Salem was before she became… Whatever she is now?" Ruby gasped in shock.

"Maybe… It certainly seems that way though, doesn't it?" Jaune sighed. As they moved on, Autumn and Emerald moved in.

"Note to self. Never wish for immortality." Emerald said, shuddering.

"I second that." Autumn nodded in agreement.

"At least we're starting to understand the full story. But clearly it's biased since he's lived longer than all of us." Slate nodded.

"Is this how Oz feels...?" Ironwood questioned himself.

"There should be a few more, probably one, left. Keep going." Robyn instructed.

(Elsewhere)

-Fire Base, Hades-

In an abandoned Cabal encampment on Sorrik's Cut, the kids found the next recording. "I thought the Kingdoms made you all soft. But, there's this hardliner—A huntress named Robyn Hill." The recording said. "Pretty sure she's trying to kill me."

"Really. Can't imagine why." Wolfgang said sarcastically.

"She crashed a handoff between me and the Shadows of Yor in Midtown. My, uh, buddies took a hostage, and she and her gang took out a city block trying to get them back." The recording continued. "Some didn't make it out. Tsk. How's that for hypocrisy?" He added.

"... Okay, I know a hostage was taken and all, but did Robyn actually do that?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not sure. She really doesn't seem like the type." Nora said.

"I dunno, she can get pretty off." Yang said.

"She jumped the shark on that one. I woulda talked 'em down. No one had to get hurt. I hope Ironwood and the Council are happy, having her on their team." The recording continued. "I've heard word from Huntsman dens all over Mantle. This Robyn's been getting a crew together to look into me and the Shadows."

"I think we know who's a part of that crew…" Yang whispered to Ruby, who nodded.

"Two of them are these huntresses—Heroes of the Haven Attack, just like you—Two'a Wolfang's friends, just like you." It continued. "A Gambit regular, except they're snitches. Have been all this time. I don't mind, as long as they keep bringing in motes, we're square. You watch your back out there, partners. Your friends might not be what they seem."

"I felt that way when I found out Blake was a White Fang member." Weiss said, before feeling guilty. "I really feel guilty about it now."

"Don't worry. You learned." Blake said reassuringly. As they moved on to the last tape deeper into the base, Autumn and Emerald entered the picture.

"Robyn… Is what he said true?" Autumn asked.

"... Yeah… It is." The woman sighed. "It was years ago. I was young and reckless. I know better now." She said.

"We all make mistakes, Robyn." Ironwood said. "The important part is that you learned from it."

(Elsewhere)

Back with the others, they were listening to the last recording. "Hey! You made it to the last part of my seminar. You caught me without much to say. I already talked your ear off." It said. "But, I guess there is one thing. I want you guys to know that you're the closest thing to a wheel-horse I've had in—oh, a thousand years."

"I know he's been around a while, but has he really existed for that long?" Pyrrha wondered.

"He might have been. Maybe he was only really identified during the Dark Age? I'm not sure." Ren replied as he thought about it.

"Maybe." Jaune nodded.

"Wheel-horse?" Nora said in confusion.

"I can see you making that face like you just swallowed some Corrupted blood! "Wheel-horse" is an expression, kids. It's Dark Age for "we're tight". That's what you kids say, right?" It added.

"Uh… Okay?" Wolfgang said in a confused tone.

"So here's something I never got to say to anyone on account'a their dead or trying to kill me." He added before his voice seemed to change to something bordering on parental concern/sincerity. "Don't… Give in to hope, that gets you killed. Take every day as it is. Trade your Bullhead for a long range hauler and see the world while you can. I want the best for you kids, and you won't find that in this system. Speaking of which, that wipe that Urba did wasn't the only extinction level event to hit humanity. Ol' Nomad's seen another one coming. Everything I'm creating in the Nine's Realms is preparation. There's a few seats I'm savin, some of 'em are for you guys. If you want it."

"So he's really gearing us up for an extinction level event, huh?" Blake mused.

"Or an Exodus." Sun noted.

"That's… I'm not sure what to call it." Pyrrha added.

"Come on guys. Let's get out of here." Ruby said as they left.

"... You all heard that right?" Autumn asked the people on the other end.

"Every word. What kind of extinction event could he be preparing us for?" Slate wondered.

"Salem's victory, maybe? Or the gods judging us?" Emerald questioned.

"Those sound like probabilities, indeed." Ironwood nodded.

"This just got a lot more complicated." The Fall Maiden said.

(Later)

-Atlas Academy Annex-

"We understand each other a little better now, huh kids?" Nomad asked as the kids returned from their searches.

"I guess that's one way of putting it." Ruby shrugged.

"Yeah." Jaune nodded.

"Eh." Wolfgang shrugged.

"Just be careful out there. Seems everyone who knows me is either trying to kill me or… heh, dead. Lotta people coming for my Ghost. Y'all are sticking your necks out, being so chummy with me." The man added.

"We're aware. Just try to avoid pitting me against dangerous people. Can't endanger my little passengers." Yang told him as her left hand went to her stomach.

"Hey, don't you worry sister. When that day comes, they'll eat bullets from both of us. Trust." Nomad replied. Yang nodded in satisfaction at his words.

"I'll hold you to that." She stated.

"Speaking of, I got an upgrade for that arm of yours." He told her. The blond Queen perked up at this.

"And what kind of upgrades are we talking about here?" She asked. That was when he took the girl's robotic arm and started working on it for a few minutes before giving it back to her, revealing that it's appearance was different now.

From the elbow down, there were four wires that went to her knuckles while a fifth stopped at tbe wrist. Speaking of which around the wrist was a yellowish-green haze-like glow.

"Got this idea from the weapon of the Shadows of Yor and Dredgen Yor. The Thorn. This is the Necrotic Grip, it's perk: Grasp of the Devourer Corrupts those who you touch with it, degrading their Aura and poisoning them. You kill someone who's affected? Their energy becomes yours, and it can spread to other people near them too."

"I don't know whether to be excited or intimidated by this." Yang admitted as she looked at her new arm warily.

"Eh. That's up to you." Nomad shrugged. With that, everyone left, save for Ruby who stayed behind. "What's up Silver Eyes?" He asked, before Ruby pulled out the busted up hand cannon as he started drinking his coffee… nearly causing him to swallow it down the wrong tube when he saw it. "Where the hell did you find that?!" He coughed as he tried to clear his windpipe.

"The campsite in the Emerald Forest. What is it?" She asked.

"Sister, that's a recreated Thorn." The man told her. This made the silver eyed girl look at the ruined gun in surprise.

"Seriously? That means that camp must've belonged to a Shadow of Yor." She said in realization.

"Yeah. I'd say that's a safe bet." Nomad nodded. Ruby was silent for a minute before she looked at him again.

"Think you can fix it?" She asked. The man looked at the Thorn duplicate for a moment before shaking his head.

"Not traditionally. You'd have to put yourself through what the Shadows went through to make these." He replied. "And trust me when I say that it could break you." He added seriously.

"The rest of my friends are trying to get stronger by adding tools of the dark to their arsenal. So in order to make sure I can be as strong as they need me to be, I have to do it too" She told him resolutely. The man was silent before he let out a chuckle.

"Devoted to growing stronger alongside your companions. I always did admire that kind of spirit." The semi-immortal mused before nodding. "Alright. I'll walk you through the first step tomorrow. After the big launch of Amity Tower." He told her.

"Thank you, Nomad." Ruby smiled, before hugging him. "You really are a nice guy, you know that?" She asked. Nomad actually looked visibly surprised by the sudden hug before he returned it with a small smile.

"Thanks, sister." He said in an almost soft tone.

(Elsewhere)

Autumn and Emerald collapsed on the couch in the living room, exhausted. This disturbed Mint and Blaze from their naps, who then yawned and crawled over to them, babbling while gesturing with their little arms that they wanted into their mothers' laps.

"Heh. Hey, you two." The thief chuckled tiredly as she picked up Mint while Autumn picked up Blaze. The two nuzzled into their chests as the two women laid down on the couch together. All four of them yawned before slowly drifting off to sleep.

Sky walked into the room and saw the scene before him. He smiled at it and couldn't stop himself from envisioning what his life was going to be like with Yang, Blake and Sun in eight months. The Grimm Knight sighed happily as he placed a blanket over the family of four before walking away.

He was sure it'd be just fine.

Dragon Emperor0: Now with the Allegiance quest done, we can get to work with the visits from the Nine. Then after that, it's onto Rise of Iron. Vol. 7 is one Arc and one season from being over.

ThermalsniperN7: Right. And it looks like Ruby's gearing up to get Thorn… She's gonna be in for a very hellish ride. Everyone who's done the Thorn quest knows damn well what I'm talking about...

Dragon Emperor0: Yeah. Well, next time we'll be having Amity launch and then Jacques's big dinner party. This is going to be a serious headache for some people.

ThermalsniperN7: Oh yeah. It's not just Ironwood and the Council that have to be at the table, but also Deus and Fey along with Weiss and Blake… Okay, maybe Blake can take amusement in the fact that Jacques invited a faunus to his table.

Dragon Emperor0: Assuming Wolfgang doesn't rub it in his face first. Anyway guys. See you next time.