Roman had his scroll out, whereas his attention was on patrolling the city's Armory. They split the Torchwick's best fighters between him and Neo. The final round of the Vital festival had finished. The sound of Pyrrha's victory resounded through his scroll, then the arrogant bluster. Oscar said Adam would be making his move now. It took the cane wielding midget too long to trust them and reveal his time-traveling nature.

His uncle's large hand weighed heavily on his shoulder. Junior growled, "Right human's are weak because he beat an already beaten robot. Oh shit, the invincible girl!"

Roman's heart dropped. The screen centered on Red. She flinched on impact with Adam. Her features smoothed and eyes glowed fiercely. She said something, but it was lost to mic inside Adam's mask.

His uncle chuckled, "Well, son, you picked a spirited one."

Attempting to sound dismissive, "Call Oscar. He's with Neo." he cringed at how tight his throat was with fear. He took a steadying breath. They trusted each other to prioritize Vale. He chose to protect its infrastructure, and she moved to defend lives.

After a pause, "Kid, my scroll is stuck on what Adam shows us."

The air roared, then sudden pressured heat against his skin. Stone shards flew at him, dissolving against his Aura. Roman belatedly realized the roar was an explosion. "The city wall!" yelling at his goons, "The White Fang can't have these weapons." Pocketing his scroll. Whatever Emerald did in the CCT tower prevented his scroll from doing anything other than watch the destruction from playing on its screen. His little army knew to protect any potential entrance first. If the White Fang blew up the armory walls, the weapons inside would be destroyed

He just hoped they cared.

The young criminal hooked and caned those that dared get too close to city property. Finally, Junior shouted, "These animals aren't even Aura unlocked!"

Roman leaning on his cane, slapping a bat-woman who had the audacity to approach him. "Their leader is too weak to even give his soldiers their best chance." Even so, from his scroll, he could hear the destruction throughout the city.

Junior's large hand cracking open a skull, "There are still too many of them. Like rodents, they have the numbers."

"Uncle, we've talked about this. Yes, we're fighting them, that doesn't mean you get to be racist."

Wiping brain matter on his pants, "Then don't invite me when you kids host a family dinner." Then, swinging his bazooka, knocking several Faunus away from the building. "We can't hold out. Fall back to the inn."

After stabbing a man in the eye, Roman snapped, "They'll be even more deadly when they have the weapons!"

His uncle's heavy hand on his shoulder, "Son, you need to get to Neo. Leave the Armory to me."

Shooting through the chest of an angry Faunus, Roman looked up into a pair of gray and blue eyes. "I-" Turning away and adopting his sardonic affect, "Now my Torchwick-lings, we have an appointment to keep at the Autumn Blossom."

Junior loaded his bazooka with too much fire Dust as he ran inside the building. Roman maintained a swift gait and could not find his swagger through the blast that tore down the Armory and seared everything inside.

XXX

Ruby bit her lip, letting Weiss lean and pant on her heavily. "Weiss, you need to conserve your Aura. It's yellow." Her blondest friend nodded, and Ruby resumed watching Grimm ash fill the air.

Yang looked skyward, "You know JNPR is probably trailing us."

Weiss pivoted away to skewer a spider Grimm through the stomach, adding more miasma to the sky.

Ruby, "It's not like we can wait for them. We press on." her heart was in tatters. What the White Fang didn't kill, the Grimm did. Citizens, children were screaming in terror. Yet, she pulled together the shattered pieces of her heart and prioritized her dear friend.

Startled out of her thoughts by Weiss's scream, "BLAKE!"

Ice princess broke from them into an abandoned building. There, that man perched on top dropped down, his sword aimed at her overly focused friend. Ruby launched herself, Crescent Rose deflected the blade. Adam Taurus gilded backward, feet skimming the pavement. Ruby heard the familiar discharge of glyphs, time dilation. Slowing the blood flow while speeding up the clotting. She knew Yang was still somewhat obscured by ash. Adam's focus was on the little reaper and heiress.

Ruby spun her scythe into rifle mode, "Gambol Shroud doesn't belong at your hip Taurus." shooting him.

A flick of his hand, the sword absorbed the bullet, "Better on someone she loves rather than a human."

"She ran from you!" Blonde shot out from the darkness. Yang snatched Adam by the neck, flinging him into a wall. He twisted, so his sword took the impact on the hard surface.

Ruby widened her stance, "Don't hit the blade, Yang. There is a reason he used that rather than his Aura to take the blow."

Yang's eyes red, "he's dead."

The younger sister gave a curt nod, "We fight him like we're teaming up against Dad."

Yang's lips curled ferally. Adam flipping his grip, swiping laterally. Yang ducking the blade, fist impacted his ribs. Ruby slipped in behind, bringing her blade upwards. Effortlessly he wove between the two and for all their attempt to avoid impacting his weapon. It was unavoidable.

Suddenly the tip of Crescent Rose hooked onto the strap of gambol shroud. He grabbed its hilt, turning it free of her. Then, snarling, "I have enough."

Ruby paused and wondered enough for what?

Adam jumped away, eyes resting on Yang, waiting. "You know what I'm going to do for Blake? I'm going to make her mine. I'll make sure her whole family sees that."

Ruby recoiled slightly, and Yang screamed, charging forward.

A bright red flash.

Yang fell, an arc of blood trailing after her.

Ruby, "Yang!" grabbing her ammunition belt to make a tourniquet for what remained of her sister's arm. Adam whipped his sword through the air, splattering blood onto the small girl. Her focus narrowed, her belt wasn't made for an arm. Ruby tightened her grip.

"W-Weiss." Blake's frail voice made Ruby's eyes shoot up. The teammate they tried to rescue clutched Adam's blade and blood ran down Blake's arm.

So much blood.

Pouring out of Weiss's heart. Ruby could not save Weiss, but she had to protect Blake. Her hand stayed tight on Yang's tourniquet.

Adam lifted Blake tenderly into his arms. Whispering, "This war I wage for love."

She had to protect and the pressure built behind her eyes. She could hear battle cries. Nora wasn't close enough. Ruby had to protect what was left of her team. Silver flooded everything around her. Whatever Grimm creatures it touched turned to dust.

Jaune's fingers tightened around Yang's tourniquet as everything went dark.

XXX

Oscar clutched his chest gasping for air. Again, the familiar white-hot pain lanced through his skull. Last time it woke him in the middle of a nap of a sweltering Mistral midday. Now Grimm fell into ash, darkening the sky, and it was pale in the knowledge that Ozpin died.

He could not save him.

However, he could comfort the disoriented Wizard adjusting to new neural pathways. Neo's palm pressed to his chest, bringing him back to her.

Amethyst reloads her crossbow, "Take a breather, child you're useless if you pass out."

Oscar shook his head, "No, its… Ozpin is dead."

Neo gasped, hearing how fragile he sounded. Amethyst nodded solemnly, not questioning how he knew, while she shot another Grimm in the eye. Oscar stepped forward and faltered to his knees. Ozpin spinning chaotically in his mind. He held his hand up, "It's okay Neo, inheriting magic is always like this. Even for someone who has been through it a few times." The first time it took him days to adjust to Ozpin, mere hours to adjust to Salem's fresh hell of magic, he hoped to be back on his feet soon.

He heard the sharp click of shoes and being lifted to his feet. Then, glancing up, he saw that Roman held him up with one arm, his cane raised and firing at a Grimm. The thief's voice pitched high, "We were hit with the White Fang, and you with Grimm."

Amethyst, "Junior?" She gripped Roman's arm.

Clearing his throat and his voice deepened, "He was in the explosion, he destroyed the armory."

Neo spun her umbrella and deftly cut through a Beowulf. Her eyes watered, Oscar tried to move towards her, and Roman caught him.

"Concussion, short stuff?"

Oscar shook his head and wincing, "Magic stuff. I need to get to Glynda and James." He felt the tension within the criminals.

Roman, "Matron, get Oscar to Glynda." he voice deep and authoritative, leaving no room to debate.

"Of course." Oscar wondered if she really would help with how dry her voice was. Her voice turned to awe, "What is that?"

Oscar standing on his own, leaning heavily on Thorn, his cane. Peering through the Grimm soaked sky. "That is a Wyvern." his face pinched at their confusion, "It's a dragon."

Amethyst clutching her weapon, "In Vale. How do we protect what we've built?"

"We don't Ru-" The image chaotically rolled in his mind of Ruby gathering her ammunition to chase Blake as Ozpin and Pyrrha ran past with their own mission. "Ruby won't be near the tower this time. So we have to fight it." Oscar stumbled, he needed the world to stop spinning. His magic now was Vale's best chance.

"You don't do anything. Matron will get you to Glynda." Roman pulls his bangs back, "How does my silver eye work, Oscar?"

"You have to consider what you desire to protect. Silver eye's power is rooted in protecting life."

Roman nodded tenderly, resting his hand on Neo's cheek, "That simple then? You go with Oscar, sis."

She punched him in the arm. He chuckled, "Go then kiss your magic-addled husband before going off to fight a dragon."

Amethyst screeched, "Who's husband!"