AN: Hoo boy. Sorry this took so long to get out, but I ran into a bit of writer's block while writing this. Plus, I started writing that new story I mentioned in the update from last time. I want to thank all of you for being patient. But I need to be honest with all of you.

I'm starting to feel a little burned out with this story. I guess writing for three years consistently will do that for you. That basically means that after I'm done with Volume 6, I'm likely going to take a break for a couple months on this story and focus a lot of attention on the new FF7 crossover. I'm going to need plenty of time to plan things out for Volume 7 and beyond anyway.

So, with that out of the way, onwards!

Chapter 128

Yang and Uncle Qrow sat in silence in their prison cell, the two of them being the only two that were brought further into the base's prison area.

Yang supposed she couldn't blame them for the extra security. After all, she and her uncle had attacked.

They knew this was their own fault, but neither of them wanted to admit it.

In addition to being brought into the higher security area, Yang and her uncle had been strapped into full-body straitjackets, just like the one Ruby had been put in back when Ironwood arrested her at Beacon. Their arms were trapped against their chests, as if they were hugging themselves, and the straps had been done up on their legs. They had only been spared the collars being tightened around their mouths, not that either of them really felt like talking.

Yang knew she shouldn't have done that, but when Cordovin had talked about Mom like that, she just totally lost it.

And now, thanks to her and her Uncle, they had probably blown their chance to get into Atlas entirely, or at the very least getting in on their own terms.

Yang let out a deep sigh.

She could only hope that the others would be allowed to plead their case.

Her head perked up when she heard the cell door opening, only to be shocked and appalled by what she saw.

Blake and Tifa were marched into the maximum security cell with them, the two Faunus women strapped into those same straitjackets.

Evidently, Cordovin wasn't as kind to the two of them, since their collars were tightened over their mouths, preventing them from talking.

Blake and Tifa were marched over to benches in the cell, and the leg straps were done up, and the guard stepped back.

"Hey!" Yang yelled. "What the fuck are they doing here?"

"Being locked up," the guard said. "What does it look like?"

"Those two didn't have anything to do with us attacking Cordovin," Uncle Qrow said. "Why are they in the maximum security wing with us?"

"It's standard procedure for any Faunus we arrest," the guard said.

"What?" Yang asked with an angry growl.

"You never know when one these animals could be White Fang," the guard said with a smirk.

"You racist piece of-!" Yang yelled, her vision turning red. At the same time as she felt her Semblance kick in with her anger, her body was wracked with pain, as an electric shock coursed through her body.

"Yang!" Uncle Qrow yelled in concern, Blake and Tifa giving her scared looks.

Finally, the electricity stopped, and Yang slumped in her seat, panting in pain.

"What the hell was that?" Uncle Qrow asked, glaring angrily at the guard.

"New security measure from General Ironwood," the guard said. "As soon as that jacket you're wearing detects your Aura flare up… Zap!"

"…Bastard…" Yang said.

"Yeah, well, you're the criminal," the guard, turning to leave the cell. "If you're smart, then maybe that little shock therapy will teach you to behave yourselves."

The guard walked out of the cell, activating the hard light wall that served as a door.

"Well, this is a fine mess," Weiss said, the entire group besides Yang, Uncle Qrow, Blake, and Tifa locked in cells, taking up almost the entire cell block. "Are we still sure that going to Atlas is a good idea?"

"We might still be able to get there," Jaune said.

"Yeah, as prisoners," Cloud said. "Good luck talking to General Ironwood at that point."

"Well, can't Ruby and Riku just use their magic key thingies to unlock our cells?" Nora asked.

"We could," Riku said.

"I don't think we should, though," Ruby said. "Not yet at least."

"Uh, why not?" Jaune asked.

"Because there might still be a chance that we can talk to Cordovin and convince her to let us go to Atlas," Ruby said.

"I wouldn't get my hopes up," Miss Calavera said. "Cordo has always been the most stubborn old hag in the world."

"Well, I think it's a worth a shot," Oscar said. "Getting her to let us into Atlas is probably going to go a lot better than breaking out of here and becoming fugitives. I'm pretty sure we'll never get in to see General Ironwood if that happens."

"Good point," Weiss said.

"Why are we still letting him offer up ideas?" Ren asked, surprising everyone.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nora asked angrily.

"Part of the reason we're in this mess is because Ozpin suggested going to Atlas," Ren said. "And after everything we've learned, why do you still trust him?"

"Oscar isn't Ozpin," Nora said. "And last time I checked, we all agreed to go to Atlas."

"How do we know that he isn't Ozpin?" Ren asked. "How do we know Oscar even actually exists? For all we know, Ozpin has been manipulating us this whole time."

"Ren, you can't really believe that," Jaune said.

"Why not?" Ren snapped. "You were the first one to suggest that!"

"Ren, that isn't fair," Weiss said.

"No, he's right, I did suggest it," Jaune said. "But you know what? I was shocked and upset, and I never should have said it. I already apologized to him."

"But what if you were right?" Ren asked.

"What do you have against Oscar?" Ruby asked.

"I don't have anything against Oscar," Ren said.

"Really?" Riku asked. "I know I'm new here, but I could've sworn you hated him. I've only ever seen you give him dirty looks. I just assumed that was normal for you. Has it not always been like that?"

"No, it hasn't," Jaune said. "Actually, I think it started…"

"It started after we saved Oscar and Nora from Midas," Weiss said. "After Nora kissed him."

"Is that really it?" Oscar asked. "All of this is because you're jealous?"

"I am not jealous," Ren said sharply.

"Really?" Nora asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow at him. "You really expect us to believe that?"

"I…I just…" Ren said, before sighing deeply. "It was always just the two of us. Having you was always the one thing I could count on, and then he showed up and ruined everything. I just…I don't want to lose you."

"If you didn't want to lose me, then you shouldn't have acted like such a huge jerk," Nora said. "Oscar and I fist got together while you were busy being pissy about Sephiroth. All my life, everyone treated me like a nuisance. But not you. Suddenly, it felt like everything I did annoyed you. I felt like I was losing you, and you have no idea how lonely I felt."

"Nora…" Ruby said sadly, while Ren just listened with wide eyes.

"But when I felt like I had lost the only person in this world that ever truly cared about me, Oscar was there," Nora continued, looking fondly at the farmboy. "He made me feel wanted, accepted… loved."

"…I'm sorry," Ren said.

"I know you are," Nora said. "I just want you to know that I still value your friendship. I just—"

"All right, you maggots," Cordovin's voice said, surprising the group and interrupting the conversation. "The one called Jaune Arc has a visitor."

"Huh?" Jaune asked, as the others turned and saw Cordovin walking towards their cells, accompanied by a young woman with long red hair carrying a blond-haired baby boy in her arms. "Pyrrha? Acchilles?"

"Jaune! Everyone!" Pyrrha said in relief. "Thank goodness you're okay."

"Ordinarily, I would not allow for prisoners to receive visitors, but after Miss Nikos explained that you were the father of her child, I felt compelled to comply," Cordovin said. "Far be it for me to deny a child's right to see its parent."

"What happened to all of you?" Pyrrha asked.

Yang gave a few experimental tugs on her straitjacket, but as she suspected, there wasn't an inch of slack in any of the myriad straps. She glanced over at Blake, who simply shook her head, as if she was telling her not to bother. Yang sighed heavily, slumping her shoulders in defeat.

"I'm sorry, guys," Yang said. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't lost my cool… again… and attacked Cordovin, we wouldn't be in this mess." Blake and Tifa gave her comforting looks, which Yang interpreted as meaning that they didn't blame her, but the two of them being in a position where they couldn't even say anything to her didn't make her feel any better. She noticed Tifa glancing next to her, before her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Yang followed her gaze, and saw that Uncle Qrow seemed to be trembling.

"Uncle Qrow?" Yang asked.

"W-What?" he asked, his voice shaky and weak.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he grunted. Yang shared a skeptical look with the other women in their cell.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "You don't seem fine at all. You're shaking. And you're starting to look a little green."

"I said I'm fine," he said.

"And I don't believe you!" Yang yelled, starting to get angry. "What's wrong?"

"…I…I just…" he said. "I really need a drink."

"Really?" Yang asked. "All of this because you want a drink? I can't believe—"

"No," Uncle Qrow said. "I need a drink."

"Need?" Yang asked, before her eyes widened in realization.

It had been hours since he had last had a drop of alcohol.

He wasn't thirsty, he was going through withdrawal.

"Hey!" Yang called out. "Hey, guard! My uncle needs help!"

"Shut up in there!" the guard yelled back.

"No, seriously!" Yang yelled. "He needs help! I think he's going through alcohol withdrawal!"

"What, do you want us to get him a shot of whiskey?" the guard asked sarcastically. "Yeah, I'll get right on that."

"No, not a drink, but can't you get him some medical attention or something?"

"No," the guard said. "He's a Huntsman, he can suck it up."

"Come on, please!" Yang pleaded. "He's in a lot of pain!"

"Alright, listen," the guard said. "I already asked you to keep it down, so if you can't listen to me, then I'll just have to muzzle you like your friends."

"Just listen—"

"Yang," Uncle Qrow said, interrupting her. "Just let it go. I'll fight through it."

"But—"

"Just drop it."

Yang looked at Blake and Tifa, and despite also looking very concerned about Uncle Qrow, they were nodding at her, indicating that she should just listen to him for now to avoid any retaliation.

"…Fine," she said reluctantly, slumping back down on her bench.

"Well, I'm glad all of you are okay," Pyrrha said after having heard what had happened when the group arrived at the base. "What are you going to do now?"

"Now, they are going to remain here as prisoners until we are able to transfer them to a more secure facility in Atlas," Cordovin said.

"Please, we just wanted to talk to General Ironwood," Ruby said. "We have something really important to deliver to him. My sister and uncle didn't mean to attack you. But the general needs to know what we have."

"Girl, you are delusional if you believe I would allow a group of miscreants such as yourself anywhere near the general," Cordovin said.

"Well, if you weren't busy being your usual unpleasant self, then maybe they wouldn't have attacked you," Miss Calavera said.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Cordovin asked.

Ruby sighed deeply. "The woman that you called scum, Aqua Branwen, was our mom, and Uncle Qrow's wife. Hearing you talk like that about her made them snap. I'm sure they're sorry, but you really shouldn't have talked about our mom like that."

"Oh, so that vile kidnapper was your mother?" Cordovin asked derisively. "Even more of a reason to lock you up and throw away the key."

"Aqua didn't kidnap me," Weiss said. "She helped me escape Atlas, but General Ironwood wanted something from her, so he lied and told everyone that she kidnapped me to force her to come back to Atlas."

"How dare you?!" Cordovin yelled. "Even you, Miss Schnee, would dare accuse the great General Ironwood of such treachery! General Ironwood would never lie about something like that! Clearly, your experiences have done damage to your mental state. Clearly, we must return you to Atlas and your family as fast as possible."

"I'm not leaving without my friends," Weiss said. "I just told you that I wanted to escape from my family."

"I don't understand," Cordovin said.

"What's not to understand?" Weiss asked. "Why would I want to stay in Atlas when everyone there is like you?"

Cordovin gasped, and stared in silence for a few seconds.

"Why you—" Cordovin said, before a black from appeared at her feet, surprising her. Ruby's eyes widened as she saw several Shadows appearing in the hallway.

"Heartless!" Ruby shouted, summoning her Keyblades and using them to open her prison cell. Riku did the same with his own weapon, and the two Keybearers ran into the hallway, slashing at Shadows as they went.

"How did you..?" Cordovin asked.

"Get back!" Ruby yelled. "We'll handle them!"

Yang looked at her uncle in concern again. His shaking had only gotten worse, and he looked like he was doing everything he could to hold back vomit. She took a hesitant look at the hard light Dust that served as the main door.

She really didn't want to make that guard angry, but at the same time, Uncle Qrow really needed help.

"…Fuck it," Yang said to herself. "Hey!" she called out, but instead of hearing an answer from the guard, she heard a squelching sound, and saw the guard fall to the ground with a bloody slash across his chest. "What?"

The hard light Dust wall deactivated, and a man in a long black coat with his hood up walked in, carrying a blood-red katana. Blake's eyes widened at seeing his weapon. He sheathed his sword, and used his now-free hand to lower his hood.

Yang's eyes widened in absolute terror.

She recognized the red hair. The horns.

He was wearing a black blindfold instead of his mask, but there was no mistaking this man.

Adam Taurus.

AN: So a lot of you brought up the fact that Cordovin went overboard by arresting everyone when just Yang and Qrow attacked her, but I would just like to remind everyone that she's the same woman that hopped in a giant mech to fight a bunch of teenagers and their chaperone when it would have been far more efficient to just scramble the jets to go after them. She's not a rational thinker at all. She's basically what Ironwood would become if in addition to being a hardcore fascist, he also felt like he had something to prove.

So, now Adam is here, and Cinder's group still has to deal with the Tainted Will.

I want to remind everyone that this story has a Tv Tropes page!

As always, thank you very much for reading, and I'll see you all next time!