Chapter 60

A gunshot blasted away the railing on which the raven stood, sending it up into the air. It fluttered away, swooping down to a stop behind the terrified Lionheart, and a white masked woman stepped out slowly from behind him. She swayed her hips languidly, tilting her head ever so slightly at the group before her as she unmistakably smirked behind her headpiece. Qrow kept his sword leveled with the woman, and she pulled her helmet off with a shake of her head.

'If you're going to shoot me, shoot me. That was insulting.'

'What are you doing here?' Qrow growled, his grip tightening on his blade. Jaye leveled a hand to the swords at his waist, inching his feet apart as he braced for an ensuing fight. Raven paced down the stairs quietly, chuckling at the group.

'I could ask you the same thing.' She said, a strange glint in her eye. Jaye narrowed his eyes at the woman, feeling a ripple of unease run through his body. He recognized that look; the look of someone not quite right in the head, yet somehow entirely in control. That made them far more dangerous than any madman in the world, and he inched his sword out of its sheath. Raven trailed to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. 'You've been scheming little brother; planning to attack your own sister.'

'What have you done!' Qrow whirled on the lion faunus, his eyes widening in disbelief. He growled audibly, and the terrified faunus flinched away from him. The lion faunus raised a hand in a feeble defence, searching desperately for words, but Raven cut in before he could manage more than a squeak.

'Leo did what any sane person would do in his position.' She said, resting a hand on her mask now tied to her belt. 'He looked at all the information he had in front of him, assessed the situation, and made a choice.' She placed a cursory hand on her hip, her gaze falling to the blonde girl standing defiantly in front of her. 'And it seems you all have too.'

'You have the Spring Maiden.' Qrow spat, more of a declaration than a question, and Raven narrowed her eyes at the surly man.

'I do.'

'Then hand her over and let's work together!' Qrow sheathed his blade, holding his hands out to his sister. 'We can beat Salem!'

'All that time spent spying for Ozpin and you still have no idea what you're dealing with.' She hissed. 'There is no beating Salem!'

'You're wrong.' A quivering voice creeped out from the group, and Raven turned her eyes to the source. Ruby clenched her fists defiantly, glaring down the woman. 'We've done things most people would call impossible, and I know the only reason we were able to do it is because we didn't do it alone!' She waved a hand at the group behind her. 'We had people to teach us, people to help us! We had each other! Work with us! At least I know we'll have a better chance if we try together!' Raven narrowed her eyes at the girl's words, but she forged ahead unabashed, reaching a hand out to the woman. 'Please.'

'You sound just like your mother.' Raven's face curled in disgust as her hand went to her sword. Jaye darted in front of the girl immediately, crouching into a quickdraw stance as Raven slashed her blade into the air. A glowing red portal opened, and a fireball cast itself out of the rip in space. Jaye drew his blade, slashing through the flames and gasping in surprise as his blade was deflected by the sheer force of the blow. Blasted off his feet, he crashed into the much smaller girl, sending them both skidding across the floor. Yang rushed immediately to her sister's side, shouting her name, and the boy growled in response as he flipped to his feet. He snarled at the sultry voice that spoke from the flowing mass, returning his Katana to its sheath and taking a stance once more.

'Hello boys and girls.' A red dress billowed about the figure as she raised a hand in casual greeting. Ruby raised her fists in response to the woman.

'Cinder.' She said, eyes widening at the others that stepped out from behind her. Jaye grimaced at the new addition; a short haired girl with two chakrams hanging from her waist. Mercury smirked his careless smirk, raising a hand at the girls.

'C'mon guys, is that any way to greet your old friends?' He said, and Yang stepped forwards angrily. Qrow threw a hand out to the girl.

'Everybody stay calm.' He commanded, turning his attention to the heavy doors as they were cast open. Oscar made a sound of despair, clutching his staff closer to his chest.

'The White Fang is prepping demolition and securing the school grounds. No one's getting in.' Hazel shook his head at the group, and Jaye raised an eyebrow at him. 'And no one's getting out.'

'This was all just a trap?' Weiss glared at Raven accusatorily, and Ren sighed disappointedly.

'It appears so.' He said, and Qrow balled his hands into fists.

'Raven… tell me. How long have you been with them?' He growled, and Cinder let out a sarcastic coo.

'Aww don't take it personally little bird. Your sister was a recent addition.' She gave him a consoling look that made Jaye's blood boil. 'The lion on the other hand…' She smirked. 'Entrance into the Vytal festival was a real treat, but Leonardo's been sending Salem all sorts of information for a very, very long time.' She turned to smile condescendingly at the faunus. 'Isn't that right professor?'

'Stop it…' Leo breathed defeatedly, and Qrow let his hands fall to his sides.

'It was you.' He breathed, and the lion faunus could hardly bring himself to look the raven-haired man in the eye. 'You sit on the Mistral Council. You had information on every huntsman and huntress in the Kingdom, and you gave it all to her!'

'I…'

'I couldn't find any of them, because you let her kill them!' Qrow dragged his blade out from behind his waist, and Cinder let out a gentle laugh that was somehow harsher than the biting cold of winter.

'Aww now, don't beat yourself up about it Lionhart; I'm sure Tyrian and Hazel would have found them on their own eventually.'

'What is wrong with you?' Jaune's eyes were glued to the floor even as he spoke, chest heaving as he fought to keep his breath steady. 'How can you be so broken inside to take so many lives, then come here and rub it in our faces like it's something to be proud of!' The tears ran freely down his cheeks as he finally met Cinder's gaze, glaring her down with a fury beyond anything they'd seen so far. 'All with that damned smile on your face!'

The clicks of weapons being drawn resounded through the hall, and Qrow thrust his arms out between them.

'Everybody. Stay. Calm.' He said, eyes darting around the room as he searched for a way out of the dire situation. The smile dropped off Cinder's face, and it was clear she wasn't quite as amused anymore.

'I'm going to make you pay for what you did, do you hear me?!' Jaune cried, hands creeping to his blade, and Cinder raised an eyebrow at him. 'Well?! Say something!'

'Who are you again?'

Jaye's eyes shot to the boy immediately, sensing that something very rash and very stupid was about to happen, and sure enough Jaune charged the woman without a hint of a plan. He swung his combined blade at her, turning his whole body into the blow, and Cinder stopped it with a single hand. Her blade glittered obsidian, a wide smile creased across her face, and Ruby let out a gasp.

'Jaune!' She dashed towards the two, launching herself off the ground with Crescent Rose. A kusarigama wrapped itself around her waist, dragging the girl to the ground with a resounding crash.

'You're not getting near her.' Emerald smirked, swearing loudly as she found herself whipped off her feet. Clutching the end of her chain, Jaye tossed it onto her as he dashed for the blonde currently engaged in combat with the red-clothed woman.

'Take out the heiress Vernal.' Raven said, and the short-haired woman nodded, drawing her chakrams from her waist. 'Don't bother wasting your power, she's not worth it.'

Raven drew her glittering red blade with a shout, crossing swords with Qrow as he charged her. He heaved in anger as he pressured his blade against hers, growling in her face.

'Running away was one thing, but this? You've crossed the line!' Qrow growled, and Raven smirked as she backed slowly away.

'Sorry brother. Sometimes family disappoints you like that.' She growled, pushing back against the much larger blade. Qrow leaned into his sword.

'We're not family anymore.'

'Were we ever?'

'I thought so.' Qrow hissed, grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. 'But I guess I was wrong.'

Jaye shoved Jaune aside with a shoulder, drawing his Katana in a lightning-fast draw slash to deflect Cinder's glittering blade. Cinder made a sound of distaste as she flicked her blade behind her, narrowing her eyes at the boy.

'Funny, I thought the top Faction assassin would have more sense than to start a battle he couldn't win.' She sighed, shaking her head at the boy. 'I'm disappointed in you Jaye bird.'

'Everyone's got a nickname for me now. Why does everyone insist on adding syllables to my name? Jaye is much easier to say.' The boy spun his katana fluidly, grasping the handle with both hands and raising his arms into a heavy stance. Cinder raised an eyebrow at him. 'It's stupid and illogical. But then again, it's more than I'd expect from the likes of you.'

'Laughable insult. Tell me child, have you never engaged in a battle of words before?'

'I usually let the blades do the talking.'

'Then we should honor tradition, should we not?' Cinder shot forwards, smashing her blade into his. Jaye gave an annoyed grumble, heaving her back and swearing audibly at the woman as she smiled her mad smile in his face.

'Crazy ass bitch.' He swore, flurrying her with blows from all directions. Cinder clicked her tongue at the onslaught, backing away rapidly as Jaye continued to blitz her relentlessly. She retreated out of his reach, deflecting shards of ice as she stepped away. Jaye raised an eyebrow at her, spinning his frosty blade.

'Different from fighting your average bandit, isn't it?' He goaded, drawing his wakizashi. He noticed her eyes darting between the two weapons in his hands and spun his wakizashi into a reverse grip as he approached the woman. Jaune raised his heavy sword behind the boy, and Jaye took a stance at the Maiden. 'Don't think you'll escape this one unscathed.'

Cinder raised an eyebrow at the boy, and he felt the air grow warm around him. He let out a curse as her sword erupted in flame, and he focused his aura into a cold wind surrounding his body. Cinder made a sound of annoyance at him, and the boy let out an icy breath.

'To think you'd have to use your maiden powers against little old me, I'm whelmed.' Jaye smirked, dashing towards the woman in a blink and wedging his blades against hers. Jaune dashed around from the side, screaming a war cry as he brought his blade on the woman. Cinder slipped to the side, throwing back with a flurry of fire magic as she did so. Jaye raised an ice wall, swearing as it melted practically instantly and pushing Jaune out of the way. He backflipped over the fireball, feeling the flames graze his boots. 'Guess that shows just how much I outclass you without your cheap powers.' He laughed, jerking his wakizashi at the blond boy beside him. 'Tell me, could you even stand up to him without your maiden boosted stats?'

Cinder laughed a maniacal laugh, and Jaye felt the air around him rise several degrees more. He responded in kind, breathing slowly to steady his aura and body temperature as the ice-cold wind blew around him. Jaune backed away from the two, taking a middle ground between the intense heat and cold as he stared down the woman. Jaye spun his sword down, preparing to charge, but stopped short as a scream erupted from across the room. Weiss fell to the ground, her breaths coming out in desperate heaves as her aura gave out. Jaune turned his terrified eyes to the girl, watching as Vernal advanced on the heiress. Cinder laughed her cruel laugh once more.

'Are you going to let her die too?' She smirked, and Jaune screamed his rage at the woman.

'Stop messing with me!' He screamed, his stance and breathing in a mess. Jaye fought back the urge to swear at the impulsive boy, feeling a shiver run down his spine, and grimaced as the smile spread further across Cinder's face.

'If that's what you want.' She chuckled condescendingly, raising her sword at the two boys. The sound of glass shattering resounded through the hall as it erupted into flames, and Jaye dropped the temperature around him to match. Cinder flicked the blade of flames behind her, launching herself forward towards the boys with a nearly crazed laugh. Ruby, distracted by the intense temperatures, turned to see the clash. She cried out in fear, and Jaye was momentarily blinded by the intense light that erupted from the girl. He'd seen it once before, at the Fall of Beacon from the tower, and in his slightly hazy brain he thought to himself "oh that explains it" before hitting the ground in a roll. He stopped on his feet, shaking his head to clear the stars behind his eyes, distracted by Ruby's cry of pain as Emerald hit her from behind. Cinder dropped to her knees, clutching her arm as she heaved in pain.

Jaune, having managed to shield his eyes from the intense flash, turned his attention back to the panting woman. Raising his sword in response, he stabbed the heavy blade at her head, missing by a hair's breadth as Cinder threw herself to the side. The furious woman dragged herself to her feet, eyes blazing as her maiden powers activated in full blast, and Jaye tried in vain to blink the white out of his eyes. He heard Jaune gasp for air, sheathing his wakizashi and rubbing at his still blinded eyes.

'Jaune! Are you okay!' He yelled, raising his sword as he fought to see in front of him, ears perking up as Cinder's angry outburst rang out amongst all the fighting.

'Did you actually think you had a chance against me?! You?!' Cinder heaved in anger, finally managing to reel herself in with a blink. 'You're just a failure with a death wish.'

Jaune pushed himself off the floor, and Cinder shoved him back down with disdain. He glared up at the woman defiantly, balling his hands into fists. 'If I die buying them time, then it's worth it. They're the ones that matter.'

'You think so?' Cinder turned her eyes towards the now vulnerable and exhausted heiress, crouching on her knees as she tried to collect herself. Waving her hand daintily in the air, a lance of fire appeared in her grasp. Jaye shook his head, finally clearing his vision, only to see too late the lance soaring through the air. Time seemed to slow to a still as it fell, and the boy unleashed a desperate shard of ice at the weapon.

The two projectiles sailed towards each other, the ice just barely grazing the lance shaft, and Jaye felt despair spread through his body as the spear continued to fall. Weiss gasped in shock as pain flooded through her, her eyes falling down to the blade now impaled through her side. Her trembling hands reached uncomprehendingly towards the wound, finally falling limp as the lance crumbled to ash. Screaming in rage, Jaye made a futile dash for the gravely wounded girl as she fell to the floor.

'WEISS!'

Chapter 60 end.