"So why does this place have a dungeon?"

Blake posed the question as she descended along steep flight of stairs set in dusty white stone, to the man floating along beside her, the tips of his curled shoes drifting just an inch or two above each step. He sighed and dragged a dark finger along the dusty white wall, which was lit with burning torches in brackets mounted to the stone.

"Kami asked me the same thing on his first day. The space used to serve as a temporary holding cell for anything that the guardian at the time considered a threat to the world at large. Since the foes of this world grew so powerful however, it's become rather redundant over the years. I don't even bother to clean it anymore." Blakes ears drooped slightly in her confusion, she wanted to ask who this 'Kami' was, but she felt a funny sort of tension around the question. Every time Mr. Popo mentioned the name his face seemed to droop, and Blake sensed that the name brought back painful memories. But Popo continued and Blake felt herself relax slightly at his light tone.
"He was guardian of the earth for a time. One of the greats. He would never allow us to use this place. He claimed that evil had no place inhabiting this sacred environment."

"So, why are we using it now?" Blake asked pointedly, noticing a dim stone doorway some ways off in the distance, at the bottom of the stairs. Popo waited a few seconds before answering her, and he sounded worried when he spoke.

"This isn't the time for delicate action... I dare not allow Buu to fight, I know I can't stop him if he gets out of control. The guardian of the earth's duties normally fell to the champions of this world, to Goku and Vegeta. But…" Popo trailed off as the pair reached the door to the next room. It was a darker shade of wood than the other doors in the lookout and looked much older with big black bolts and hinges, making it look hundreds of years old. She knew what he was talking about, the two Saiyan's had obviously been a comfort to the caretaker, and now they were both indisposed. One had been killed against all odds, and the other appeared angry enough to strangle Yang, and in his state was more of a danger to the world than a safeguard. Worse, Blake had no idea where Goku had vanished to, nor what he intended to do now he was the last of his kind. There wasn't much they could do to console him, or to elevate the feeling of guilt pounding in the faunus' throat. She knew that it was her fault for getting these people involved in her battles, if they had never met, odds are they would still be safe and happy on that little plot of land back in Veil...

Mr. Popo placed his hand dramatically on the door to the dungeon and looked Blake right in the face. "Alright, remember: our objective is to uncover the end goal of these two, and whoever it is they work for. I've uh…'had words' with the male, but all I could extract was his name. 'Tyrian.'" Blake nodded, thinking she had heard the name before. Adam had spoken about him, a faunus so murderous that even the white fang refused to approach him. "But the other has been quite stubborn, she won't tell me anything." Popo continued, sliding his hand around the jet-black doorknob." I don't even know her name..."

"Its Illia" Blake said automatically. She didn't understand Popo's look of surprise at first, but then quickened to clarify why she knew the prisoner's identity. "Oh- we are…well we used to be friends. We worked together to fight for Faunus rights a couple of years ago."

Popo looked comprehendingly at the young woman before him, and then the short man's face suddenly split into a satisfied smile. "Oh, well in that case this will be much more straight forward. You can get more out of her than I can, and I'll continue trying to reason with the scorpion fellow." And without another word to her, the tiny man popped the door open casually and drifted serenely inside, leaving the cat eared woman with a stricken expression.

Blake hesitated. While he was right in that it made sense for her to question Illia, there was a certain awkwardness about it. How was she supposed to talk to another member of the white fang after she herself had defected, after she had pulverised the fanatical leader that she knew very well Illia was loyal to? 'Perhaps best to leave that little detail out of it' she thought, foreseeing the consequent lecture about how much of a traitor she was, and deciding that she could do without it. Blake was in no mood for the usual White fang justifications for violence and cruelty. There were more important things at stake, and Illia would understand if she explained. Under all those lies and half-truths, Illia had a judicious head on her shoulders. The fate of Remnant would matter more to her than principle. Her expression determined; Blake followed Mr. Popo through the door.

Darkness stretched out before them, the light from the hallway barely making it a metre inside. While Popo seemed a little discomforted by this, Blake could see plain as day, as could all the other people in that room. It was not decorated in any way to dissuade the atmosphere of hopelessness that only a dungeon could emit. Chains hung from the walls, beaten into the stone walls with heavy iron pegs, holding the two prisoners on separate granite grey walls. One of these walls had a set of iron bars making a small perimeter of the man who had his arms, legs, neck and tail bound in irons. Tyrian looked peaceful, almost childish when left to himself, but on seeing Popo and Blake again, his yellow eyes lit with malice, and his long tongue ran a circuit over his pale lips. On the other wall, Illia sat with a single shackle around her ankle. Her arms were folded, and her eyes were closed, she had been near sleep before now, but awoke like Tyrian to the presence of company.

She looked from the dark faced caretaker to the black-haired huntress and paused on the latter. Her face was vacant, her expression unreadable before narrowing her gaze to form a scowl. Blake had expected a bit more fire from Illia, so she counted her blessings, nodded to Popo, and moved closer to her old partner. There was a low shelf held to the wall with yet another twin set of iron pegs, that Illia was sitting on. Blake sat down next to her, assuming it was for sleeping, and looked at the prisoner before her, who spoke without making eye contact.

"What?"

"H-hi…" Blake muttered nervously. It was hard to be casual in this place, especially when the sounds of Popo wrapping on the cage with his fist. Illia still directed her gaze at the wall opposite Blake, her expression harder than ever. Shuffling her feet, searching for the right words, she struck out again.

"He…he hasn't hurt you, has he?" Blake asked, her voice soft and sounding genuinely concerned, so much so that Illia turned to face her, the light from the open door making her eyes glint. Her expression soured as she spotted Popo over Blakes shoulder. He was holding out his hand to Tyrians tail, some kind of heat emanating from it and asking him simple questions like 'who are you?' and 'what was your purpose here?' Despite cowering from the heat, understandable given what the poor bastard had withstood so far, Tyrian never broke eye contact with his interrogator or stopped talking, if you could even call mingled threats and giggling 'talking.'

"I've survived worse" Said Illia carelessly, and Blake exhaled for the first time since entering the room, she had been worried that Illia would be mistreated, which would have only made reasoning with her more difficult. Illia could hold onto anything if she felt she was the victim.

"Okay, so…how's-how's everything?" Blake said tentatively, trying to keep her tone as "I'm definitely not interrogating you" as possible. Her face fell as Illia's scowl snapped back towards her. 'Here we go' thought Blake wearily.

"You know damned well how 'it's going', or at least what we are trying to achieve ultimately. The humans in Veil are being slaughtered and the white fang gains more ground every day. Once we confirm our victory then the rest of Remnant is next." Illia gave a small little pant as she finished, speaking of her ambitions always did get her heart pumping, and with a cold little smirk, she added "And by 'we' I mean me and Adam obviously."

Blake rolled her eyes, so that was it. Illia had been smitten with Adam for as long as she could remember, but Blake had always been the object of his desires. But her absence had left that position open and look who slipped right on into it and was clearly pleased about it. Blakes resignation towards her old partner mingled sympathy, as she knew this was all in her head. Adam was a manipulator and knowing him he probably fed Illia lines about being Blakes replacement just to get as much information out of her as possible. Blake closed her eyes and shifted her sitting position slightly, so she and Illia were level. She opened them and the young cat woman had never looked more seriously at Illia in their entire friendship.

"Yeah, I know about all that. I mean what's going on with Salem. I know Adams been working wi-"

Illia jumped up, making the chain around her ankle rattle violently despite its heavy weight. Her face was so pale in the darkness, it was like a full moon in the night sky. For a moment she just stood, staring at Blake with her mouth open, but when the words did come, they sounded both of sudden outrage, and sudden fear.

"How do you know about that!? He only told me that! When did you…"?

"So, Adam's keeping secrets from the recruits, is he?" Blake cut across, her voice dripping with distain. Illia stopped talking at once. "So much for keeping no secrets from the Faunus. Anyway, I found out from that kid with professor Ozpin's voice. He says Salem recruited Adam and by extension the rest of the white fang about six months ago. That true?"

Illia wasn't looking at Blake anymore, she was looking at the dirty stone floor, her face rapidly changing colour. "Yes." She croaked. Blake nodded and continued. "I need to know what she's planning to do Illia. Things have changed."

"What do you mean 'changed'!?" Illia started shouting, and Popo looked up from his own fruitless attempt to coax information out of the scorpion man. Blake gave him a significant look, and he turned away quickly. Maybe it was the semi darkness, but Blakes eyes appeared bright and complimentary. This had the effect of giving her already serious demeanour a fiery, passionate edge.

"It's changed because we know what's going on now. We know that the relics aren't the most powerful objects that she's looking for. You know what I mean?" Said Blake. Illia's furious gaze broke on the words and she faltered, returning her vision to the ground. She said nothing.

"Come on Illia." Said Blake coaxingly, but keeping that palpable sense of urgency in her tone. She paused and then added with a shade of a smile "For old times' sake?"

Slowly, resisting every urge she had, the swirly haired woman raised her head until her gaze was level with Blakes chest. She took a deep breath and looked into the huntress' eyes. "She…she hasn't told us anything about other relics. The only thing that's changed is our order to hunt down that old guy."

Blake frowned at this, what did Salem want with Goku? She asked how Illia even found out about him." Hazal told me." She explained, Blake let her continue even though she didn't know who 'Hazal' was. "Salem…did something to him. He can hear her voice in his head. Something about a creature of grimm in his body." She shivered a little at the thought but then managed a small smile. "She would have given me one, but Adam said none of the White fang would be implanted like that."
'Typical, Adam wouldn't accept the help of a human. Even a monster like that.' Blake thought to herself, so as not to get Illia ranting again. "our last order before that pink freak attacked us was to track down some old guy named Goku."

"Well you're gonna have a hard time finding him." Said Blake. "We have no idea where he went, and besides Salem's little tentacle monster got flash fried by someone weaker than him. I doubt She'll still be looking." Illia scowled.

"Salem doesn't work like that. If you pose a threat to her plans, you're only safe if your recruited or dead. He turned down her proposal to join us and thus he paid the price. Salem lost the battle but intends to win the war."

Blake thought back to Goku's battle with the pedestal thing. He had been stabbed in multiple places during that fight. She had also remembered what Yang had mentioned about Vegeta being controlled inside the Hyperbolic time chamber. She looked at Illia, and it was like they were of one mind for a split second, as realisation struck Blake.

"He's got a Grimm in him too?!" She shouted, jumping to her feet. Illia looked impassive, careless.

"Not yet. It needs to grow a little. But eventually he will. Your freakshows are being picked off one by one. You don't stand a chan-"

"Wait! If Goku has one of those things inside him, does that mean Salem can track him?!"

Illia nodded, still wearing that unreadable expression. "My guess is Hazal's gathering all the White Fang soldiers he can together to march on his location. I doubt he'll last long against Hazal and the whole White Fang."

Blake felt a presence by her left shoulder, and she saw Popo standing next to her. Clearly, he had given up reasoning with Tyrian. Given his shocked and worried expression, Blake surmised that he had been listening and was up to speed. She looked down at Illia with despair.

"If you're telling the truth, and he really has gone after Goku… then Hazal is dead, and the White Fang is finished."

The rain that had seemed to fall away during her plummeting descent fell in great droplets onto Ruby's pale fingers with redoubled chill. She was shaking but not from the cold or the wet, and her clothes were sullied by more than just the smell of rainwater. Two pools of red were forming below a pair of bodies, one at the heels of Ruby herself, and a second around the prone remains of Mercury's body. His hands were loose and relaxed, even though his face still held the look of mild surprise that had preceded his mutilation. The young huntress's own expression was blank, she seemed to have left all her senses at the top of the building she had just swan dived off of. However, reality began to set in before those silver eyes that cut through the dark, as they grew wide and terrified at the shredded remains. A light pressure on her shoulder broke the trance, and Ruby's heartbeat quickened as Weiss stared to speak.

"H-how?" She asked, her voice shaking almost as much as the girl whose shoulder her hand rested upon. "How…how is it him?" Silence followed these words, only the sound of the rain was stirring, Weiss took her hand off Ruby and moved to stand next to her, overlooking the body. Her expensive heels were soaked and covered in red stains, but she wasn't concerned. She looked from Mercury to Ruby, as though hoping one of them would suggest what to do next. But of course, she only expected anything from Ruby, and it didn't seem forth coming. The Heiress had seen that goofy face in all kinds of situations: happy, sad, scary, hopeless. But never this, not this horrified contemplation of her own actions, looking at her hands as if she were some kind of monster. She took a raspy breath, very uneven and jittery like she was winded, and to Weiss' very strange relief, she said something that only she could possibly say at a time like this.

"Where'd the monkey go?"

Weiss did not answer, but gently took Ruby's hand. It was clear to her that this was a much bigger deal for her than it was for Weiss. She had taken lives out of self-defence before, but this was obviously not the case for Ruby. She squeezed the shaking fingers and said in as soft a voice as she could muster while correcting somebody. "It wasn't a monkey; it was an ape. Monkeys have tails."

Ruby felt herself nod, quite conscious of the numbness in her legs. A shiver was travelling up her spine, she could feel it coming. Her throat constricted, her eyes burned, she felt like she was going to retch. It came and hit her all at once in that single moment, the fact of what she had done and what it made her.

The silence persisted a short while longer, Weiss realised that the blood leaking from Ruby's clothes was getting on her shoes and stepped away. She had been wondering how best to deal with that problem, but nature appeared to be doing them a solid. In the back of her mind Weiss knew that their job wasn't done, but she didn't feel comfortable leaving Ruby alone outside. She looked up at the tall capsule corp building, its faded broken-down neon sign slightly distorted by the rainfall, it looked less inviting by the second, but it was the only place where the radar could be. For all she knew more danger could be coming and she wasn't sure Ruby could defend against them in her currant state. The amount of whatever she was feeling might draw in grimm.

"Ruby, I think we should-"

"Let go of me. Get off. You're hurting me!" A sudden cry of pain and distress broke Weiss off and she spun around to face the open front door. A scuffle could be made out in the near darkness and pounding rain. The shadows of two people met Weiss' widening eyes, one tall and bulky, the other small and skinny, and she was the one who was kicking and shrieking. The large figure seemed to be dragging the other, who from the sound of it was a woman. Thunder rumbled and a sudden flash of lightning threw the girls face into focus. It was Emerald, and someone was dragging her by the hair. She struggled and squirmed and gnashed her teeth, a tuft of her green hair clamped in an iron grip. The figure dragging Emerald forward moved quickly, but every now and then, he stumbled seemingly on his own feet. Weiss knew in an instant what the cause was, for she more than anybody could recognise the untidy step of a drunk person. But how strong was he? Emerald was no weakling, and what was he doing in this city? More importantly, was he friend or foe?

As lightning ripped the sky once again, the figure was unveiled for a single moment, bathed in light. Weiss recognised and at the same time did not recognise. The eyes were black, and the hair was dark, but the rain was causing it to droop, casting his eyes into shadow. She saw those sharp handsome features and remembered his smile, but it was frightening to see him with those same teeth bared, almost in a leer. She remembered his strength, but she couldn't for some reason ever imagine him using it to hurt someone so clearly inferior to him physically. He was tough but no bully, and certainly not a drinker. But the way Goku looked at her sent an odd shiver down the heiress' spine that had nothing to do with cold. Weiss walked a little closer to the pair, away from Ruby but that was fine, she hadn't moved and wasn't going anywhere. Goku staggered until he was about two metres away. Then he stopped and raised his head slowly to look at her. He looked terrible. There were bags and dark circles under his eyes, and he was clearly unshaven. There was an eerie disconnect between his face and his posture, he was slouched and sleepy looking, but his eyes were darting from Weiss to Ruby, to the red pool that was Mercury's leftovers. He wasn't emanating that frightening aura like back at the lookout, but as for his affecting the weather, that was a bit unclear. There was no way of telling if this storm was natural because Goku's expression was just as vicious as before.

Finally acknowledging Emerald, Goku raised her up by the hair and threw her to the ground in front of him. "Looking for this?" He said, in a surprisingly clear voice, Weiss expected something more slurred. Emerald just collapsed on the floor breathing heavily. She wasn't hurt to a significant degree, but she was nursing her head with one arm and massaging her neck with the other. Weiss didn't really know how to react.

"Well ye…but how did you know we were here?" Weiss interrupted herself, just as she did however, Ruby spoke for the first time since Goku had appeared.

"Weiss."

"Where did you find her? She vanished when I fought her." Weiss continued, ignoring Ruby, who piped up again a bit more urgently.

"Weiss!"

"Not now Ruby! What happened to you? You look awful, where did you storm off t-"

"WEISS, WE'VE GOT COMPANY!" Ruby bellowed and just as Weiss turned to see the moving grey mass of white fang soldiers emerging from the streets opposite, Goku began to speak.

"I sensed them coming. They're here for me."

Weiss wasn't listening though, she had started rushing back to where Ruby was, and was thankful to see her holding the crescent rose. Raising her own weapon, the two huntresses stared down the hoard of angry faunus that were amassing a kind of no man's land between themselves and their human targets. But amidst their furious shouts and passionate yells, a single voice could be heard ringing out, with neither passion nor anger. This was a cry of complete anguish.

"MERCURY!" Weiss felt something push past her as this voice tore across the divide and ended where the prone body of the cyborg remained motionless. Emerald placed her hands at his fatal wound, as if it wouldn't be real. But raising her hands now stained red, it seemed to click in her mind. She began to shake like Ruby had done. Then she took hold of his head and began to cry. Grief racked sobs emanated across the now silent city. Whether the Faunus were being silent out of confusion, horror, curiosity or respect for the dead, Weiss never found out. At that moment, a loud deep voice barked orders to the troops, overriding Emeralds sobs.

"The Saiyan is our target! Take him, kill the rest!"

Like that, the spell was broken. The army roared and began to advance, storming over the divide and raising swords and guns as they came. Weiss prepared to let loose an ice beam, she wasn't sure how many it would take out, but she wasn't sure if her training would allow taking on an entire army, or how much ruby would be able to help after her taxing fight. Although as the tsunami of people approached, she chanced a glance at her teammate, and she wasn't sweating, she wasn't even looking at the ensuing threat. She was looking at Emerald, with a soft expression. She did blink in confusion when the blinding white light flew past her ear. In an instant it was over, and Weiss only saw the aftermath, but she could infer from what she was seeing. The light was now replaced with smoking debris right through the centre of the crowd. The white fang members who were standing there were nowhere to be seen, while those either side of the beams path were prone and clearly wounded. As the smoke cleared away, Weiss squinted and saw a tall figure near the back of the crowd, directly in the path of where the beam had been headed. Goku's outstretched hand passed her, followed by the rest of him. The old Saiyan continued until he was in front of all three of them, staring down that other figure.

"Come and get me yourself, if you think you're tough enough!"