Chapter 22: Escalation

July 6, 2682; 1901 Hours

Remnant, Vale

Ivan smiled beneath his Forerunner Alloy helmet, watching the APFSDS round from a Scorpion-II Tank blast a Deathstalker's bony faceplate wide open, effectively liquefying the Scorpion-Grimm's internals. He rode on the front-right tread cover of the lead Scorpion-II. The newest generation in armored warfare, the Scorpion-II Main Battle Tank, was a very different animal than the Human-Covenant War variant that had become so famous. At a cursory glance, it appeared almost identical; but it was what laid inside that truly made the difference.

The targeting systems were completely modernized, along with the main cannon. The Scorpion-II featured a 125mm smoothbore main cannon, along with a coaxial 20mm autocannon. While intended to completely replace the original M808B design, the Scorpion-II had quickly come to occupy its own class of tank, returning to the doctrine of having both heavy and medium tanks.

"Looks like our Scorpion's stinger's a bit bigger!" The tank's hull-MG gunner said. Ivan resisted the urge to throw something at the Marine for making such a Yang-tier joke.

"Hey, General?" Ivan asked, speaking into his suit's communicator. "Any word on that giant fucking dragon thing?"

"The wyvern…" Ironwood responded, correcting the SPARTAN on his fantasy creatures. "According to legend, was contained in the mountains of Vale centuries ago. Apparently, it was considered a Grimm Brood Mother."

"Pretty apt description…" Qrow commented over the radio. "Especially given the fact that the stupid thing's been shitting Grimm all over the city."

"Thing's pretty fuckin' scary." Ivan affirmed. "Damned thing's already eaten a half-dozen missiles from our fighters."

"Can't the UNSC hit it from orbit?" Winter asked.

"And risk missing such a small, quick target and hit Beacon, which happens to contain more than a few civilians and military assets?" Ivan asked. "They're telling us to either evacuate Beacon in full, or figure something out until reinforcements from Reach arrive."

"When will they be arriving?" Ironwood asked.

"Few hours." Ivan responded, the rattling of the 20mm cannon drowning out his words to his own ears. The small pack of Beowolves was simply obliterated by the quick-firing HVAP rounds. "Until then… we have what we have."

"Hopefully it's enough." Glynda said, being the realist that she was. Ivan knew full well that the UNSC was woefully outnumbered in Vale. Sure, they had firepower and orbital supremacy, but they weren't conquering a planet. Orbital bombardment of Grimm and White Fang was completely out of the question, given the very real threat of civilian casualties. The Atlesian Command Ship and the rest of their fleet was a special case, considering that it was sitting well outside the city limits when it turned its guns on the UEG. The battle, for now, was restricted to firefights and precision airstrikes.

The ground shook violently as the Scorpion-II fired another round, sending the high-explosive shell into the side of a Griffon. Once the smoke cleared, the road ahead was completely devastated, a larger building had collapsed directly into the street's center. "This is as far as the tanks are getting you, Colonel!" The armored column's commander said over the comms. "You're on foot from here."

With that, Ivan, Winter, Ironwood, Qrow, Glynda, five SPARTAN IVs, thirty ODSTs, and forty Marines all dismounted their transport Warthogs and the tread covers of the tanks. "On me!" Ivan ordered, giving a quick "Form Up" motion with his hand.

XXXXX

July 6, 2682; 1831 Hours

Remnant, Beacon (Cafeteria)

Seeing the image of her former partner before her, Blake backed up instinctively. She froze when Adam's voice rang out over the crackling fires and screaming people. "Running away again, my love? Is that what you've become? A coward?" Adam let out a sickening chuckle. "We were destined to change the world… to light the fires of a global revolution." Blake watched in horror as Adam pressed his boot down on the chest of an Atlesian student, drawing Wilt out of its sheath and preparing to stab down into the student. "Consider this the-"

Adam was cut off as Blake propelled herself forward, using her shadow as an accelerant. Gambol Shroud's blade connected with Wilt, sending sparks flying in all directions as the Dust-infused blade clashed with Blake's. Adam, while caught off guard, was easily able to hold back Blake's attempt to overpower him. He let out another spine-chilling laugh as the narrow slits of his mask seemed to glare directly through Blake's eyes. "You really should have run."

At that, Adam sent a powerful kick into Blake's stomach, knocking her off her feet. Blake quickly redirected herself as she fell, landing on her feet and staring Adam down. "I really wish you ran, sweetheart." Adam said, giving a predatory grin. "But since you're here… I'm going to make you pay for betraying our cause."

Adam quickly drew Wilt again, lunging at Blake and forcing her back. Blake held out against the superior strength of the Bull Faunus for a short time, but he eventually came to overpower her, knocking her to the ground with a quick series of jabs and feints, eventually culminating in her having her back slammed against a stone pillar, a few cracks forming in the marble. In a rather impressive display of dexterity, Adam slashed down with Wilt, severing the cable connecting Gambol Shroud's blade to the sheath. He casually kicked the severed blade aside, his grip going white-knuckled under his gloves. "This could've been our day, damnit! Can't you see that?!"

"This isn't what I wanted!" Blake shouted, her voice coming out with a slight waver. "I wanted equality, not this!" She attempted to fire a few rounds from Gambol Shroud's pistol at Adam, but he deftly intercepted the metal slugs with the flat of Wilt's blade, causing it to glow slightly brighter.

"What you want is impossible!" Adam shouted, kicking Blake right in the side of the head… hard. Blake gasped as the steel tip of Adam's boot connected with her right orbital bone, scattering stars across her vision. Adam's voice changed in a mood swing that would have given Blake whiplash, immediately going from hostile to an almost beckoning tone. "And what I want… is you, Blake."

In Blake's stunned and dazed state, she was unable to act against Adam's boot pressing down on her wrist, wrenching the pistol form of Gambol Shroud out of her grip, and kicking it aside. "All I wanted was for you to stand by me while we put a stop to the damned Humans-"

"What can you do to stop them?!" Blake shouted, catching Adam off guard. "Look out there!" Blake couldn't tell, but Adam's gaze flickered over to the shattered window for a moment, catching a glimpse of a pair of Strident-Class Frigates firing their autocannons into large clusters of Griffons and Nevermores. "What can you do to stop that?!"

Adam scoffed, looking down at the already-forming bruise on the upper cheek of his old partner. "While I'm out there, making those Humans feel the pain our people have felt for centuries… I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love."

Blake's eyes widened as she heard the all-too-familiar sound of her Blonde brawler shouting her name. From the window behind Adam, Blake could make out the long blonde mane rushing towards the cafeteria, batting a Knight aside with her sheer strength. Her eyes darted around the area, looking for Blake as she called her name. "Starting with her…" Adam finished, standing upright and smiling a broad, predatory, malicious smile. He twirled Wilt around in his hand, stabbing down directly through Blake's left side, eliciting a scream from the raven-haired Faunus girl.

Yang whipped around, spotting the coat-wearing White Fang leader, his blade running clean through Blake's side. She blinked once, not believing the sight before her. In that single blink, her eyes shifted from their normal lilac hue to a bright, menacing red. "Get away from her!" Yang shouted, deploying Ember Celica and propelling herself towards the sword-bearer with a pair of fired rounds from her gauntlets. Blake was powerless to shout for her to stop, her body seized up from having the searing blade of Wilt stabbed through her.

Adam saw the numerous, blatant openings in the Blonde's careless attack, deciding to take the path of least resistance. He pulled Wilt out of Blake's side, slashing in a diagonal towards the lunging blonde. His small grin turned to a broad smile as he saw her right arm sever from her body. He caught a quick glimpse of the deep, seared cut that his blade left across her stomach and lower ribcage, letting out a chuckle as she thudded against the marble floor of Beacon's cafeteria. "Weak…" He muttered to himself, strolling over towards the blonde.

As he turned towards the blonde, whipping the blood from his blade, Blake threw herself between him and the brawler, glaring daggers at him through amber eyes filled with unshed tears. "Why must you hurt me, Blake?" He asked, attempting to slash horizontally to sever the head of his former partner.

For the slightest fraction of a second, Adam thought himself successful, seeing her body fall separately from her head. His feeling of elation was quickly dashed as he saw the Shadow Clone fade away, finding Blake to be running from the cafeteria, blonde huntress over her shoulder. He saw the faint trickle of blood leaving the cafeteria in their wake, letting out a disappointed sigh as he pulled Blush from its place on his hip, firing a point-blank shot into the head of a charging Beowolf.

Blake couldn't be sure how long she ran for, but it felt like an eternity. The wound in her side burned like none other, and the weight of the Blonde was starting to wear on her. When she was about halfway back to the courtyard, Blake tripped over her own two feet, simply being too fatigued to move at the speeds she was used to. It was about now that she realized just how bad Yang's wounds were.

The wound across her stomach and lower ribcage was seared shut by Wilt's Dust-infused blade, but the wound on her arm was not quite so lucky. The stub of her left bicep was bleeding rapidly, and it didn't show any sign of stopping. Blake shook herself out of her stupor, the tears finally starting to fall. "No, no, no, no…" She muttered to herself, looking for something, anything, to help staunch the bleeding. In a rather stunning moment of realization, she reached up to the top of her head, quickly undoing her bow, and removing the long strand of fabric from her head. She began wrapping it around Yang's severed arm in a pressure dressing that she remembered from her days treating herself after runs with… Adam.

She pushed those thoughts aside as she finished the dressing, satisfied that the bleeding was as stopped as it would ever be. She picked Yang back up, slinging her over-shoulder as best she could, and continued back on her way towards the Courtyard.

As she neared, she saw that the ODSTs and Thorne had advanced into the Courtyard, and were ushering students towards the landing pad. One of the ODSTs spotted her, shouting out to Thorne. "Thorne, there she is!" He shouted, catching the ONI Agent's attention.

A pair of ODST Medics rushed over to her assistance, bringing her towards the archway that connected the Courtyard to the landing pad. Blake found herself laid down by the pair of trained medics, with Yang put a mere few inches from her. The Medics, seeing the severity of Yang's wounds, elected to focus most of their attention on her. Both of them pulled out Bio-foam canisters and field medical kits, and began their work. Neither of them moved to stop Blake's hand from intertwining with Yang's remaining one.

Thorne jogged over, his MJOLNIR whirring as he ran. The rest of Teams RWBY, JNPR, SSSN, and CFVY ran over as well. Surprisingly, Weiss, Ruby, Jaune, and Pyrrha were missing. Thorne noticeably paled as he looked at the scene before him, taking in a deep breath as he reached up towards the communicator in his ear. "Ivan…"

XXXXX

July 6, 2682; 1912 Hours

Remnant, Vale

Ivan wrenched a large, metallic plate off of the side of the downed Atlesian Command Ship. The white metal alloy bent under his armor's grasp rather easily. The trek through the flattened cityscape was not a pleasant one. Entire swaths of Vale's undercity were flattened by the falling Atlesian fleet, made only worse by the constant stream of Grimm. The airship's human crew appeared to be dead, with only the Knights left prowling around the crash site.

Ivan was quickly reminded that Knights were far more durable than normal humans by the hail of Pulse Rifle fire sent in his direction as he tore through a bulkhead. He quickly ducked back behind the metal plating of the airship's surprisingly thick armor while a pair of ODSTs with heavy weapons moved up. One of them carried an HMG, the other carried a grenade launcher. The ODST with the grenade launcher blind-fired a 40mm grenade around the cover of the ship's plating, the explosive projectile plinking across the metal floor of the ship. The Trooper held the trigger down on the grenade launcher for a few seconds longer than necessary.

The grenade detonated with a soft crackling noise, indicative of an EMP deploying. In perfect synchronization, the HMG-wielding ODST traded places with the grenadier, hefting his large machine gun. He stepped around the corner, hefting the massive cannon, and jammed down on the trigger. The .50 caliber API-T rounds began shredding the convulsing or confused Knight units, rendering them piles of scrap with their high fire-rate. "Clear!" The ODST shouted, slamming a new belt of ammunition into his MG.

Ivan and Winter funneled into the new entryway of the vessel, Winter nonchalantly severing the head of a surviving Knight that had hidden itself behind the bulkhead in an attempt to flank the intruders. "General, where's the control room?" Ivan asked, turning to Ironwood as he stepped through the bulkhead with two of his soldiers.

"Centered on the top deck." Ironwood said, gesturing upwards. "Deck Twelve."

"Alright, let's get moving!" Ivan motioned. "SPARTANs, on me! ODST Fireteams, secure this deck."

Wordlessly, the ODSTs set up a defensive perimeter around the newly-created entrance to the crashed airship. The SPARTANs fell in behind their commanding officer, with Winter standing beside him. Ivan motioned for Ironwood to take the lead.

As Ivan followed Ironwood through the halls of his flagship, he was plagued by thoughts of what had been happening. Seeing the giant Wyvern burst out of a mountain, eat a swarm of ARCHER Missiles, then start circling Beacon certainly gave him a fair surprise. Seeing the Atlesian airships turn their guns on the UNSC was another one. Ivan also was not expecting Ironwood to be mostly machine, but that was very far down on his list of surprises today.

Ironwood pressed a few keys on a small holographic keypad next to a door, allowing the metal bulkhead to grind open. Ivan stepped through after Ironwood, finding a sickening scene. A large collection of Atlesian naval officers were slumped around the entrance to the Bridge, bullets lodged into the backs of their heads. A few of them had their throats slit wide open. It was obviously an execution, given the uniform height of the splatters of blood against the wall.

As Ivan, Winter, and the SPARTANs funneled onto the Bridge, they were surprised to find it devoid of life, with one exception. A man that Ivan recognized instantly was pinned under a fallen beam, his left leg jammed underneath the heavy metal girder. Seeing Torchwick lying there, his leg crushed, and trying to pull himself out was almost humorous. "I've got one!" Ivan said, strolling over to Torchwick, keeping his rifle trained on him.

"Oh-oh-ho…" Torchwick began, wincing. "If it isn't the UNSC's resident boy scout. How are you, Ivan?"

Ivan simply kicked Torchwick across the head, knocking his bowler hat off. "Quiet." Ivan said. "Ironwood, disable the Knights."

"Already done." Ironwood said, pulling out a foreign scroll from the command Terminal and snapping it in half. "What are we going to do with him?"

Ivan shrugged. "I could have one of my SPARTANs amputate that leg…." Ivan began, kneeling down next to Roman and picking up his famous cane from where it lay, just out of reach of the criminal. "Drag him back to Firebase India…" Ivan rolled the weaponized cane around in his hand, glaring down at the rather passively angry Torchwick as he did so. "Ship his ass off to Earth to be tried, and probably executed before a UEG Admiralty Board…" Ivan gripped the handle of the can with one hand and the base with the other, wrenching down with the augmented strength of his armor. The metallic cane snapped under the force of the SPARTAN's grip. "Or I just kill you right fucking here."

A few of the SPARTANs seemed to nod in agreement, seeing Torchwick visibly cringe as his prized weapon was snapped like a twig. "But I'm not that kind of soldier…" Ivan said, tossing the inoperable weapon aside, sending it clattering across the ground. "You'll get your trial, you'll get your sentence, and you'll get a bullet put through your skull for what you did here." Ivan scoffed in disgust at the criminal at his feet. "What do you have to gain by attacking a UEG Heavy Cruiser, getting thousands of Atlesians killed, and at least ten thousand civilians?"

Torchwick gave a weak laugh. "It's not what I have to gain… it's that I can't afford to lose."

Before Ivan could further interrogate the pinned criminal, his communicator buzzed loudly in his helmet. "Go ahead." Ivan said, pressing a hand to the side of his helmet.

"Ivan…" Thorne began. "You need to get to Beacon immediately."

"What's going on, Thorne?" Ivan asked, his attention immediately turning towards the ONI Agent as opposed to Torchwick, who was currently being "helped" by four SPARTANs.

"Blake and Yang are wounded." Thorne began, causing Ivan's stomach to twist into a knot. "Yang's lost her right arm, Blake's suffered some flesh wounds."

"How did this happen?" Ivan demanded.

"According to Miss Belladonna… it was someone by the name of 'Adam Taurus'. She described him as a Bull Faunus, generally wears a black coat and trousers, red hair."

"Son of a bitch…" Ivan muttered, flexing his robotic arm involuntarily. The moment the physical description sank in, Ivan started burning with an intense feeling of… rage. "As if taking my arm wasn't enough, that fucker takes Yang's too?!" Ivan thought to himself, his organic hand trembling against his helmet in anger.

"And on top of that…" Thorne began, oblivious to Ivan's state of pure rage. "Ruby and Weiss ran off to get Pyrrha out of Beacon Tower… right as that giant fuckin' Wyvern thing started circling."

"I'm on the way." Ivan said, closing the communication. "Ironwood, see to it that Torchwick is brought back to the Firebase."

"Of course." Ironwood said. "Where are you going?"

"Beacon." Ivan responded, opening up a new channel. "Commander, this is SPARTAN C-124. I don't care who you have to reallocate from, I need a Pelican Transport at the Airship Crash Site immediately."

XXXXX

July 6, 2682; 1927 Hours

Remnant, Beacon (Beacon Tower)

Ruby sprinted up the Glyphs that Weiss had placed along the edifice of Beacon Tower, covering the height of the Tower rather quickly. Jaune had called Weiss after being sent to Firebase India by Pyrrha, begging her and Ruby to save her. After the Atlesian Knights suddenly collapsed, apparently being shut down remotely, their objective seemed far easier to accomplish. At least… until the Wyvern started circling Beacon Tower.

Once the massive Grimm left its perch on the Tower, Ruby started sprinting up the side, eventually coming to the edge of a window that led into Ozpin's office. She used the recoil from Crescent Rose to propel herself over the small lip that separated the Office from the neck of Beacon Tower, landing on her feet. She was greeted by a truly terrifying and surprising sight.

She saw Cinder Fall standing over Pyrrha, a strange onyx-black bow drawn back and prepared to send an arrow into Pyrrha's chest. Cinder had a strange sort of glowing aura around her eyes, along with a strange feeling of power emanating from her. Pyrrha, on the other hand, was a different story.

Pyrrha had a strange, pronged arrow lodged in the heel of her right foot, keeping her on the ground. Her shield was embedded in the wall across from Ruby, and her spear/rifle was snapped in three pieces. The Wyvern had chosen the exact same time to land on the Tower as Ruby did, causing the entire structure to shake slightly.

A strange heat built up behind Ruby's eyes, feeling almost like tears were ready to spill out in full force. "Pyrrha!" Ruby shouted, the feeling of heat bursting out from her, seeming to explode.

Cinder found herself so startled that she turned her attention away from the redhead kneeling at her feet, and saw Ruby. "What?!" Cinder shouted, immediately silenced.

Cinder's cry was the last thing Ruby heard before the entire world went white, then silence.

The whole world remained a bright, sterile white for what felt like an eternity, eventually fading into an almost comforting black. At some point during her time away from the world of the living, Ruby's ears picked up a small snipped of a sentence.

"She's okay- Bringing her to Firebase-"

XXXXX

July 7, 2682; 0348 Hours

Remnant, Vale (Firebase India)

Ivan stepped out of the rear of his Pelican dropship, sending the Forerunner Helmet back into the slipstream. There were thousands of civilians crowded around the empty space of Firebase India, many of them having nothing more than the clothes on their backs. A large group of UNSC Military Police retained order among the scared civilians, Human and Faunus alike.

While Ivan made his way towards the Command Building near the center of the firebase, a low rumbling sounded off from somewhere above him. He looked up, happy to find it not to be another massive Grimm dragon, but a large collection of UNSC Frigates and Cruisers. The reinforcements from Reach had arrived. After the Knights were shut down, most of the resistance was limited to the small pockets of White Fang and remaining Grimm. Much of the inner city had been re-secured.

Ivan's communicator beeped, reminding him that his work was still not done. He pressed the side of his ear, accepting the communication. "Go ahead."

"Colonel, I wasn't sure who to go to about this, since Agent Thorne is indisposed…" The Commander of Firebase India began, sounding rather unsure of himself. "There's an Atlesian Airship requesting permission to land here at the Firebase."

"They've got some balls…" Ivan muttered.

"This one's civilian, sir." The commander responded. "Its registry number belongs to the Schnee Dust Company."

"Motherfucker…" Ivan muttered to himself. "Permission is granted… I'd never hear the end of it if HIGHCOM got wind that I turned away Mister Schnee."

Ivan doubled back towards the large landing pad near the easternmost wall of the Firebase, where a small Atlesian Bullhead was setting down. Ivan willed his armor back into the Slipstream, choosing to look a bit less intimidating. He was left in his Gel-Layered bodysuit, with his rank pins on the shoulders.

From the Bullhead came Jacques Schnee, joined by a man in a black suit that was carrying an Atlesian Pulse Rifle. Schnee seemed surprised to see Ivan standing at the edge of the Landing Pad, his hands clasped behind his back. "Mister Schnee…" Ivan began. "Welcome to Firebase India. Might I ask what you're doing here? This is an active combat zone, not to mention the no-fly zone."

"I'm sorry for intruding, Ivan." Jacques began, stepping forward. "But I'm here to bring Weiss and Winter back to Atlas."

"Excuse me?" Ivan asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"It's obviously not safe here in Vale… I want to bring them home." Jacques explained.

"It's safer in the Kingdom that built the drones that turned their rifles on civilians?" Ivan asked, trying to make sense of what he was hearing.

"I know that it may not make much sense now, but it's for the best." Schnee explained, not doing much to ease Ivan's fears.

Winter, unsurprisingly, chose the worst possible moment to walk up next to Ivan, looking tired and ragged from near-constant fighting. "Father?" Winter asked, seeing Jacques. "What are you doing here?"

"Brining you and Weiss back to Atlas." Jacques began. "Where is your sister?"

"She's being tended to by UNSC doctors in the Infirmary here on-base." Ivan explained. "She's relatively unharmed, it's simply an examination. I'm obligated to keep her here until her examination is complete."

"I can wait." Jacques said, nodding in understanding. "Winter, I expect you to come as well."

"I have a duty to remain here, Father." Winter said, obviously irritated. "I cannot leave now."

"And why is that?" Jacques asked, looking to his eldest daughter.

"Because Atlas no longer has a military force." Throne said, climbing the steps up onto the landing pad. Thorne had a bandage covering his left orbital bone, stitches in his cheek, and a suit of MJOLNIR still covering his body. Ivan recognized Thorne's MJOLNIR instantly. It was his. It even had C-124 etched into the chestplate.

"Excuse me, what?" Jacques asked, seeing Thorne stroll over so casually.

"At the request of Admiral Bishop and the President, General Ironwood as stepped down from his position of command in the Atlesian Military." Thorne began. "As such, since the Atlesian Military effectively declared war against the UEG by opening fire on one of our cruisers, we have simply abided by the terms of the peace agreement set forth by Bishop. Atlas' military is now the UEG's for the time being, with Bishop taking direct command of all Atlesian Military assets for the foreseeable future."

"And this means?" Jacques asked.

"Have you given my offer some thought, Miss Schnee?" Thorne asked, turning to Winter.

"I did… and I'll take it." Winter said, nodding.

"What that means, Mister Schnee, is that Lieutenant Winter Schnee is now a recruit of the UNSC's SPARTAN IV Program, placing her under UEG jurisdiction."

"You can't just conscript her." Jacques countered.

"I never conscripted her." Thorne countered. "Command over the Specialists was transferred to Naval Special Warfare Command. I merely offered Winter a transfer order into the SPARTAN Corps, an offer she took."

Jacques seemed frustrated for a moment, then sighed. "Fine… but what about Weiss?"

"She's free to leave once she's cleared her examination." Thorne said, catching and ignoring a look from Ivan.

"Very well… how long should I wait?"

"Should be no more than an hour." Thorne responded.

"Alright… I'll wait here." Jacques said, nodding.

"Excellent." Thorne said, nodding. "Lieutenant, Colonel, follow me please."

Winter and Ivan followed behind Thorne as he stepped into the central command structure of the base. Thorne turned to face Ivan, who was obviously rather irritated. "What was that, Thorne?"

"That was me guaranteeing Winter staying here in Vale." Thorne said. "We have no jurisdiction over Weiss, so there's nothing we can do to stop Schnee from taking her back to Atlas. I'm sorry, Ivan… but our hands are tied here."

"Damnit…" Ivan muttered. Ivan took a deep breath. "Thorne, two questions… How are Blake and Yang?"

"Blake's already nearly fully healed from her wounds." Thorne responded. "Blade missed all vital organs, only soft tissue was damaged. Yang, on the other hand-" Thorne stopped himself. "Bad choice of words… Yang's right arm was completely severed at the bicep. Blake's pressure dressing was enough to keep her alive, but she won't be receiving a flash clone, since the Dust on that sword essentially seared the nerve endings. I would offer Cybernetics, if we didn't have about fifty thousand other people on the lists to receive limb replacements right now. Yang will have to wait."

"Alright…" Ivan said, sighing. "Some good news, at least."

"Indeed… and your other question?"

"What the hell are you doing in my armor?" Ivan asked, gesturing to his own suit of MJOLNIR, which Thorne happened to be wearing.

"I mean…" Thorne began, shrugging. "I'm not about to go out onto the battlefield in my suit, and our sizes were close enough. Not like you'd needed it anyways, with your fancy Combat Skin and all."

Ivan chuckled at that, shaking his head. "Where do you need me now, Sir?" Ivan asked.

"You and Lieutenant Schnee need to get some rest." Thorne said. "You've been going nonstop all day."

"Yes, sir." Ivan said, giving a casual salute with his right hand.

XXXXX

July 13, 2682; 1305 Hours

Remnant, Patch

Ruby groggily awoke, her head throbbing something fierce. She sat upright, surprised to find herself lying in her bed in her room, back at home on Patch. She groaned lightly as she rubbed her temples, earning a surprised gasp from the blonde man sitting on a chair across from her bed. "Ruby!" He said, running over to sit on her bed.

"Hey… dad." Ruby said, smiling weakly at her Father.

Taiyang sighed, smiling. "Thank God you're alright…" He began, placing a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "How do you feel?"

"Sore… all over." Ruby explained, wincing as she tried to move her legs.

"Not surprising…" Taiyang said. "After the UNSC and Qrow dropped you off here, based off what I heard from them, you and your team went through hell."

"Wait… Beacon! Vale! What happened?!" Ruby exclaimed, remembering why she was sore. "How long was I out?!"

"You were out for around a week." Taiyang explained, trying to formulate a good response in his head. "Vale's… doing alright. The UNSC pulled in some reinforcements and they're getting the city secured. Beacon… isn't so simple."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked

"The school was completely evacuated and everyone was pulled out."

"Wait… what about Blake, and Yang, and… Pyrrha?" Ruby asked, her breath hitching as she mention Pyrrha, remembering the position she had seen the redhead in last time she saw her.

"Pyrrha's fine, kiddo." Qrow said, stepping into the room and taking a swig from his flask. "Shaken up, and an arrow in her heel, but she's fine otherwise. Blake's recovered completely. Yang… She's alright."

"Qrow's right…" Taiyang said. "She's too strong to let this stop her."

"Hey Tai… do you mind if I talk with her for a minute?" Qrow asked.

"What, I can't stay?"

"Tai… please." Qrow pleaded.

"Fine…" Tai said, taking a moment. He stood up, heading for the door. "I'll go make some tea, Rubes."

Ruby nodded, giving her father a smile as he walked out of the room, closing the door as he walked out. Qrow smiled as he pulled up a chair, sitting next to Ruby. "Hey Kiddo… helluva thing you did back there."

XXXXX

July 13, 2682; 1341 Hours

Remnant, Patch

Ruby stepped through the room that Yang called her own. It was as characteristically messy as she remembered. There were Achieve Men posters lining the wall, stuffed critters along the shelves, a desk, and magazines scattered all around. Sitting in the bed was a very dejected looking blonde, with both gauntlets of Ember Celica sitting on her nightstand. All traces of the Blonde's normal cheerfulness were gone, replaced by sadness. "Yang…?"

After a few moments, Ruby almost turned around, assuming that Yang was lost in a daydream. But the saddened response drew her back towards her sister. "Ruby…" Yang said, turning to look at the red-headed huntress. A few lingering tears were welled up in her eyes as she looked at her younger sibling.

Ruby darted over, wrapping Yang in a tight hug, her own voice cracking. "I'm… I'm so glad you're okay."

Yang reciprocated with her one arm, hugging Ruby. "I'm… I don't know if I am okay…" Ruby pulled back slightly, giving Yang a concerned expression. "It's gone… Beacon, Vale, everything…" Yang's gaze shifted back towards her amputation.

"Where are Weiss and Blake?" Ruby asked.

"Weiss' father showed up at the Firebase… He came for her." Yang explained.

"What?" Ruby asked, surprised.

"Everyone's scared right now… nobody's sure who to trust." Yang said. "So Weiss' father took her back to Atlas, where he thinks it's safe."

"What about Blake?" Ruby asked.

"Hmm?" Came the quiet hum from behind her. Ruby turned around, surprised to see her Faunus friend standing behind her, a small plate of tea in her hands.

"Blake?" Ruby asked. "What're you doing here?"

"Dad's letting Blake stay with us." Yang said, smiling weakly towards the Faunus, who still had her bow removed.

"How could I ever leave…" Blake said, stepping over and placing the tray of tea on the nightstand, sitting on the edge of Yang's bed. "I couldn't just leave my personal space heater." Blake said, smiling slightly.

Yang smiled, being pulled into a light hug by Blake. She buried her face in the Faunus' shoulder. "Thanks, Blakey."

"What about Ivan?" Ruby asked.

"He's still here, on Patch." Blake responded. "He's helping the UNSC set up bases here on the island. Apparently, Patch is the perfect staging ground for the UNSC's mission in Vale. He stops by almost every day, mostly to check up on you, actually."

"Really?" Ruby asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"You have been out for a week." Blake responded.

Ruby nodded, seeing that Yang still had her face buried in Blake's shoulder, and her arm wrapped around her waist. Ruby took that as he cue to leave. "Yang…" She said, turning around once she reached the door. "I love you."

After a few moments, Yang responded quietly. "I love you too, Rubes."

At that, Ruby stepped out into the hallway, heading back towards her room. As she walked, she could hear Yang faintly sobbing from her own room, wrenching at her heart. Ruby simply flopped down onto her mattress, her mind wandering around the room. Any semblance of direction that she had from earlier that year was gone, replaced by… confusion. Weiss was gone, Yang was missing her arm, and Beacon was gone. After wracking her mind for a time, she eventually drifted off into a dreamless, fitful sleep.

XXXXX End of Act I XXXXX