Chapter 27 – The Stars…

Killian

His head was in his hands, and sweat was leaking from his skin.

He looked sick, pale skinned and heavy bags under his eyes. He had become used to a lack of sleep because of his line of work, but this was new. He was literally getting zero hours of sleep every single night. He felt like he was losing his mind. And in front of him was the reason – a confirmed report from one of their Spies in Vacuo.

Identification Confirmed – Terra Cotta-Arc

He knew for certain she was not just caught up in this whole thing now; she was actively involved. She was trying to take him down with Robyn and Eryka's help. His heart was pounding, and his mind was filled with fearful thoughts.

What do I do? She's my sister… I… damn it…

I don't know what to do…

He pressed his hands against his temples, then he suddenly let out a roar of rage, grabbing his glass and throwing it against the wall. It shattered into many sharp shards, clattering on the floor. He paced back and forth… then heard his sinister laugh. He stopped and his onyx eyes widened, turning to see the holographic live feed of Arthur Watts. He had his arms behind his back as he stood there, looking directly at him.

"The hell do you want?" Killian questioned.

"I need to know what you intend on doing, my dear friend. You heard what the Spy informed us of. Terra Cotta is working against you. Helping the very people who intend to bring about our downfall." Watts explained.

"Don't… don't you dare…" Killian snarled.

"Have you forgotten what happened the last time you attempted to get the job done bloodlessly?" Watts inquired.

"This is my fucking sister. I will not murder her." Killian growled, Watts sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Foster Sister. She is not your blood. But she will help reveal the truth to the world, of what we did to the U.G.R. Now, of course, we can easily quell such an uprising that will be caused, but by killing her, you will save millions more. Is her life truly worth all theirs?" Watts inquired.

"Oh… forgive me for not being such a heartless bastard that won't murder the people he loves!" Killian argued.

"Heartless? Come now… you presided over the deaths of thousands. Children included… don't talk to me about being heartless. We do what we have to do to ensure the survival of Remnant. The people don't have to like it, but they do have to accept it. You have the chance here to stop so many needless deaths, but sacrificing one." Watts explained.

Killian pressed his hands against the table and bowed his head. "She made her choices, she's a grown woman. She knew the risks when she joined Robyn Hill on her suicidal mission."

Killian tensed his hands, then the hologram of Watts stood beside his shoulder. "Of course… you must understand, I am offering you the kindest end for her. Because if you don't do this… I will send Tyrian. And we all know what he likes to do to his victims." Watts threatened. Smirking sinisterly, Killian glared at him, gritting his teeth.

"You've got some nerve. To threaten me… but lacking the bravery to do it in person?" Killian snarled.

"This was no threat – but simply the truth. Make your choice, Killian. You either kill her quickly, or Tyrian slaughters her. The choice is all yours." Watts stated as he walked away. But his hologram stopped before leaving. "Oh… and Killian?"

"What?" He barked.

"A brief word of advice. Do not trust your friend, Dutch." He warned. Killian raised his brow.

"The hell do you mean?" Killian questioned.

"I know you're growing suspicious of where his loyalties lie. I've read your reports, and he is constantly questioning your decisions. And always vanishing for hours on end. I think it would be wise to wonder if maybe the rat could be a lot closer to home than you realise. I may be wrong… but I may not be. Keep a watchful eye on him…" Watts informed, before his hologram disappeared.

He left Killian alone in his office once more. He tensed and closed his hands into fists, staring at the photograph of Terra again.

What do I do?

I can't let Tyrian hurt her…

And she won't listen to me…

Damn it… I've set this course… I have to see it through… somehow…

Ruby

Free… she was finally free…

Penny was still quite exhausted from the entire ordeal, but… she was finally free from the Black Queen virus. She could not feel the sickness within her anymore. Ruby still held her close, cradling her gently in her arms, whilst Cinder was sitting down nearby. Her mind still lingered on the Noctis Putrida, which was rotting her away from the inside. She breathed in and out slowly, hiding how much of struggle it was becoming to simply breathe these days.

Pyrrha had stood up beside Pietro, seeing what he could uncover from the data caches stored in the Black Queen Virus. Ruby gently stroked Penny's hair as they sat together. Penny smiled, feeling like she was at home in Ruby's arms. "How do you feel?" Ruby asked her.

"Um… strange… like a part of me is gone." Penny admitted. Pietro chuckled. His chair turned to face her. He had been worrying about her for about twenty minutes straight. He finally calmed down after Pyrrha reminded him about the Black Queen on the hard drives.

"Don't worry sweetheart, that's an expected feeling to have. It was like removing a parasite from you. Many people who suffer from experiences like that say the same thing. The Black Queen had been in your systems for so long that you became used to it being there." Pietro explained. "But it will pass, I promise."

Penny smiled as she warmly leant against Ruby. "And he can't do it again?" Ruby asked.

"No, he created a back door in her systems, but by ripping the virus out, we essentially caused his system to collapse. He won't be able to hurt her again." Pietro assured, his certainty brought them both relief. End of the day, he was one of the greatest minds in all of Remnant. Ruby gently kissed her cheek, pressing her cheek close to hers, which made Penny relax.

Pietro's heart warmed to see Penny with someone she loved unconditionally. He'd always have time for Ruby. He heard so many excited stories from Penny about her back when she went to Beacon. Always describing her like some kind of angel who just fell from the heavens and wanted to be her friend. Ruby made her smile constantly, gave her experiences nobody else could ever hope to give her.

He would never forget that.

He turned back to his computers, examining the Black Queen Virus, finding so many defences in there, but his hardware and software were perfectly designed, countering every attack the virus made and keeping it from escaping into any other networks. It was essentially a prison for Viruses., there was no escaping for it. He kept on picking it to pieces with his different programs.

"So, can we actually get the actual footage from that night? From this version of the Virus?" Pyrrha asked.

"It sounds strange, I know. But… yes, precisely. I will give it to Arthur. It may be designed for cruel… but I am kinda proud. This is by far the most impressive and advanced Offensive Virus I have ever seen. As his teacher, I am impressed he created such a weapon. I just wished he could have used his talents for better efforts… he was always obsessed with Weapon Development. No wonder Ironwood took a shine to his efforts." He sighed.

"The General?" Pyrrha asked.

"That's right, for a while he worked for him. Helped design the Paladins, many weapons. It all ended when he came up with something new. One of my other inventions was the original version of Grave Dust. Back then I was engineering it to be used for hospitals, able to stabilise even the worst injuries in seconds. But he stole it from me and reverse engineered it to make it become a weapon. That was when he went into hiding after the Black Gallows came after him." Pietro explained.

And in that same moment, that was the day when Killian had been infected by the Grave Dust.

"I guess this must feel like some kind of divine payback, huh? Reverse Engineering his own virus to work against him." Pyrrha assumed.

"Yes… you could say that." He chuckled.

He continued to mine through all the data it had consumed. "Back to what I was saying though – the way this thing works is kinda like a hivemind. There are many programmes, but they are all linked. Similar to how Penny's original swords worked, they all communicate with one another. Its firewalls are extremely advanced, and it deletes individual programmes from its host before it can be extracted. As you saw, it tried to do that when we attempted to extract it from Penny, which would have killed her. But we have it and my hard drives are preventing its self deletion, allowing me to edit it at my leisure. And due to it all being linked, all you need is to access a single programme, and you can change all of them at once." Pietro explained.

"It's amazing nobody else has got their hands on it before now." Pyrrha scoffed.

"Like I said, I'm the only person with the hardware, software and knowledge to combat his creations. I taught him." Pietro stated. Pyrrha looked at the hard drives and she could feel the heat coming off them. Despite being trapped, it was still giving the drives some hell.

"It won't kill your systems, will it?" She asked.

"Eventually, yes, but I've designed these to withstand its efforts. Once I have it under my control, it will stop trying to attack them." Pietro stated. Cinder stood up and approached.

"I remember seeing how it worked back when I was a kid. It dumps heaps of garbage data into systems, doesn't it? Causes them to overload?" Cinder asked.

"Precisely. A genius yet simple method of killing machines. The garbage data shuts the defences down, so to speak, and allows the virus to take control. Luckily for me, it has nothing to control, just walls upon walls of defences. It will take it a full day to crack through my firewalls." He chuckled with a smile. "I'll only need a few more minutes to crack through."

Cinder coughed again, feeling her lungs and throat burning. She turned away as she coughed, but luckily, it was not another attack. Not like the one she had in the street.. Some blood landed on her hand, but she wiped it down her trouser leg to hide it. "You okay?" Pyrrha asked. She didn't see the blood, but the cough alone was enough for the kind Pyrrha Nikos to be concerned.

"Ah, I'm fine don't worry about it." Cinder assured.

"Are you sure? I mean, do you want a drink? It's been a long road to get here." Pyrrha asked.

"I said don't worry about it." Cinder snapped back, which made Pyrrha stop, and she got silent. Cinder saw the look that Pietro was giving her, and she sighed. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Pyrrha assured.

Pietro turned back to the screen, and he gasped, clapping his hands together. "Ha! Gotcha! You nasty piece of work!" Pietro cheered, which made both Ruby and Penny come back to reality.

"Wow, that was quicker than I was expecting." Ruby chuckled.

"They didn't call me Foxy Pietro for nothing!" Pietro laughed.

"Foxy Pietro?" Cinder commented.

"Hey now, I may be old but I still got my looks." He chuckled, making the ladies laugh. "Now then… let's see what's hiding here."

He sifting through all the data, and their eyes widened. "How long has he been using this for?" Penny gasped.

"Far too long…" Pietro answered. He went through the dates and found the exact day the massacre happened. This was the largest… and most disturbing… of all the files that he found. Because there were just… so many files of footage stores here, of people being murdered during the Inhumane Necessity. Even footage of children being killed, all of this footage was hidden from the world, so then the Children of Salem could write whatever fiction they wanted to convince the people.

But he found it, the footage from the Foundations of Sovereignty.

And he started playing the footage.

"The punishment for this criminal's actions will be carried out by the morn. Treason will always be punished accordingly, and this man was responsible for the deaths of so many children. He will pay for what he has done." Said Vance Ackerman.

Killian… was laughing… almost maniacally.

He laughed as he threw his head back, wiping a tear from his eye as he stood before them. "Well… looks like he finally lost it." Edward chuckled.

"Took him longer than I thought it would." Iso shrugged his shoulders, hardly even interested in the ordeal.

"You know… for a damn long time… I thought that I was on the right side. That, helping you, the Government? That all of you genuinely wanted what was best for Remnant – but everything that has happened? It's just dawned on me… just how much of a damn fool I was." Killian laughed, staring at the Councillors who stared back at him.

"What are you talking about, sir?" Vance questioned as he stared at him.

"You… ALL OF YOU!" He roared, gesturing to every single person in the room. "You all sit up here on your safe floating island… this so-called safe haven… looking down on the world as it suffers the problems you don't even have to worry about. I have seen things… done things… for the people of Remnant that you could never imagine. All for the fools who stand before you, blaming me for their own actions!" He laughed, pointing at them.

Killian looked at them all and he sighed. "Do you know what I am really on trial for? I am on trial for being a fool." He chuckled.

"No sir, you are on trial for treason, nothing more than that." Iso reminded.

"Oh… yes I am… I have never realised how much of a fool I am until this moment! Every single person you have commanded me to kill, or arrest, every dark deed I have been forced to carry out? I did it all for you! Did it for the people of Remnant, Humanity and Faunuskind alike! Because I wanted to make sure you could all live… in harmony. Without ever having to see the terrifying things that lurk out there in the darkness." Killian explained to them all. "And here I stand… on trial… for protecting you all. And all of you… stare at me… insult me… for saving you." He laughed.

He turned and stared back at the Councillors. "Yes… I carried out my actions at Beacon four years ago… I shan't deny it. But do not pretend to act like you were not the ones who ordered me to do it in the first place." Killian snarled, and Watts smirked, genuinely proud to see Killian let out his dark side at long last.

"Your impotence will be your undoing, Killian." Jacques warned.

"Ha… ain't that the truth… I'm afraid I have been undone for quite a long time." Killian laughed. "And yet… I have never seen things more clearly than I do right now." He said.

His eyes glanced at the corner.

Killian stared back at the Councillors.

"You see… the thing is, dear Councillors of the Unified Governments of Remnant?" He spoke as he stood before them all. "This whole thing? This hasn't been my trial… not really." His eyes hardened, and he scowled. "It's yours."

Suddenly the lights flashed red, and the enormous screen behind them crackled and the chillingly familiar Black Queen symbol that infected the C.C.T Network four years ago reappeared before them. They turned around and gasped when the Atlesian Knights all flashed red and aimed their guns at everyone… except for the five people who were behind this attack, alongside the Black Gallows soldiers who barred up the doors into this room.

Walking through the crowd was Watts, who slowly clapped his hands as he emerged, deactivating the restraints that held Killian where he was standing. He patted him on the shoulder. "Well played, Killian, well played. Haven't watched a show that good in a damn long time." Watts chuckled, and Willow's eyes widened in the crowd.

Jacques stared at them with shocked eyes as well. "Arthur…" Jacques gasped, staring at him as he stood in the centre of the room. Tyrian threw off the cloak, giggling as he extended the Queen's Servants. Hazel revealed himself. Like Frankenstein's Monster, he towered above them all, forged from the parts of dead warriors. Adam also emerged with Wilt and Blush drawn, staring at all the Humans in here, an insane look present in his eyes.

"Your arrogance is so predictable…" Watts said as he stared at the Councillors. "Your defences were child's play. You never thought that someone could just walk in here with two serial killers and a beast… so you didn't even bother to upgrade your security systems after my death? So you just took my dear friend Nathan here, brought him right into your caught, which brought us directly to the source of Remnant's so-called leadership?" Watts laughed as the Grave Dust swirled around his palm.

"Oh, the poetry of it all… how arrogance can topple even the mightiest of giants." Watts stated, walking forward.

Watts stared at the Councillors, smirking underneath his moustache. "Ah… Brother in Law… it has been a very long time, hasn't it?" He asked him, before turning to Willow Schnee. "And my sweet Sister… my, my, this is like a cliché family reunion." Watts laughed as he walked around the room.

"What the hell are you doing here, Arthur?" Jacques questioned.

"Oh, me?" Watts asked, as he held his hands to his chest with a chuckle. "Oh, I am here to offer you a chance… one chance… no more. I was never one for second chances, after all."

"The hell does that mean?" Jacques questioned, staring the Doctor down.

"You see… you and my sister? You robbed me of what belonged to me. Just as you have robbed the fine folk of Remnant with your Dust Trade… time and time again… cruelly treating the Faunus like second-class citizens… or even worse… like slaves." Watts explained.

"You have a criminal's grasp at sophistry, Arthur, I've done no such thing." Jacques weakly defended himself.

"You kill, I kill. You rob, I rob." Watts gestured towards him. "The only difference between us, Jacques, is that I have the decency to choose whom I kill and rob, whereas you destroy everything in your path. I guess that makes you a perfect fit for a Councillor of the Unified Governments of Remnant." Watts chuckled as he stared him down.

"I've heard just about enough." Jacques snarled.

"Tell you what? How about this? You give me what is rightfully mine – the Heirdom to the Schnee Dust Company and you have a taste of life on the streets? I'll let you live." Watts shrugged his shoulders. The Councillors – bar Alyx Tanner – laughed at his demands.

"I'll do no such thing!" Jacques laughed.

"You sure?" Watts grinned. "Good… that's good… I prefer it this way." Watts replied. He swiftly drew his Ornate Revolver and fired it straight into Jacques' gut. Blood splattered up his white suit, and he stumbled to his knees.

Gunfire roared, and he turned to the Children of Salem. "This is it, Brothers! Get your blades, get your fists out, get your guns! It's time… kill them all." Watts scowled at them and Tyrian laughed maniacally as he threw himself into the defenceless crowd, slashing into their screaming bodies.

Killian stood tall…

… and he smirked.

Pietro ended the recording there. All of them were silent in horror. They knew that the Children of Salem were responsible, but to actually see the event? The evidence to back it up? It was nothing short of horrifying. There was more footage, but they saw what they needed to see. "That… that's gotta be enough, right? It incriminates all of them." Ruby asked.

"Oh, it will definitely be enough." Pietro assured. "Damn it, Arthur…" He sighed, filled with disappointment and shame for his former student.

"Are you okay?" Penny softly asked, touching her dad's hand.

"Yes… I just… wish he could have done better things. He could have done such great things with his intellect. Instead, he used it to commit one of the worst atrocities in the history of Remnant." He sighed, Ruby paced around the room.

"So we can use that against them… it could turn people against Salem. Against the Black Gallows." Ruby explained.

"Civilians won't stand a chance against them, Ruby. It may be best to hold this back until we know how to kill the bitch." Cinder stated.

"Yeah, I know, but… it's a start?" Ruby said.

"Yeah… it's a start. But we still have the Black Gallows to worry about." Cinder sighed, Pietro's eyes lit up with inspiration.

"Maybe not…" He spoke up.

"Hmm?" Penny responded.

"I can do more than just unlock its files… I have already taken control of the Virus, I can make it do whatever I want. I can even modify it." Pietro started rambling.

"What are you talking about, Professor?" Pyrrha asked.

"The Black Gallows' strength is that their technology is far more advanced than any other Kingdom's, and their systems are protected by an uncrackable mainframe that nobody can pierce. Designed by none other than Arthur Watts." Pietro explained.

"Okay…" Pyrrha replied as she followed him as he walked around the room tweaking the computers.

"I can reverse engineer this virus to turn it into essentially a nuclear weapon. Everything the Black Gallows uses is connected to that network. From weapons to armour, to vehicles and even their facilities. We can upload the virus into their mainframe and it will tear their network apart, destroying everything connected to it. It will literally destroy the Black Gallows in one fell swoop. We can turn their ultimate defence into the cause of their destruction. Because by the time they realise the Virus is uploaded into their mainframe, they won't be able to break through it in time to stop it." Pietro explained. Their eyes were wide with disbelief.

Pietro pressed his hands against his table. "I've never had the means of being able to design such a weapon to take them down before. I have tried, but nothing ever worked. But this virus is more advanced than any I have seen, and is designed by the same man. I can use it to examine their mainframe and find the weaknesses for it to get in."

"Where is the Mainframe?" Cinder asked.

"The Shadow of Broken Promises." He answered.

"Killian's Flagship?" Ruby gasped.

"That's right. I have wanted to take those bastards down ever since the Inhumane Necessity, and I have studied their systems. Everything points back to that ship. All this time people have been searching for a secret base, they've been looking in the wrong place. It's been in the sky the whole time." Pietro explained.

"Heh… that's why Killian had us imprisoned in it. The Ship is a Prison Ship." Ruby realised.

"Precisely." Pietro answered. "If someone uploads the virus into the ship, it will attack their systems, destroying their entire fleet, destroying their weapons and armour… it will literally wipe them out. The only downside here is… it will also erase all their data stored on the network. All their technological advancements will be lost, and any further evidence will be taken with it. I can save this footage, but everything else will be gone. Alongside this virus."

"So it's a Kill Switch?" Cinder asked.

"Basically… many people will die, no question. Black Gallows personnel, soldiers… anyone connected to the network in major ways, like extreme cybernetics or androids. All will be killed." He stated, Ruby sighed.

"There're always consequences…" Ruby sighed. "But the Black Gallows must be destroyed. We can't allow them to continue oppressing people after Salem is dead."

She looked at Pietro and nodded. "Do it."

"When I have finished repurposing the Black Queen, I will deliver it personally to Robyn Hill." Pietro assured.

"How will you find her?" Cinder asked.

"Worry not, Miss Fall. I have my ways." He winked. They turned when they heard a Black Gallows Spokesperson down the street calling for the execution of two Huntresses. It just proved to their point that they had to be destroyed.

"We can't stay here any longer. I don't want to risk them finding you." Ruby said to him. He smiled and nodded his head.

"I understand." He assured, then turned to Penny. "Be careful sweetpea…" He gently hugged her.

"We'll see each other again real soon. I promise." Penny said with a smile.

As they left, Pietro stopped Cinder from leaving at the end. He looked up at her and whispered. "You'll need to tell them soon, Cinder… while you still can." Pietro informed Cinder said nothing, she just nodded and walked out of his pharmacy.

He cleared his throat, then began working on his lethal weapon.

A weapon that could end the Black Gallows once and for all.

As they pulled up their hoods and departed from his pharmacy, Pyrrha looked at them all. "Look… we need to get out of Vale and find a secluded place." Pyrrha explained.

"What do you mean?" Penny inquired.

"We need to ask Jinn a question. An important one." Pyrrha informed.

"What question?" Ruby asked.

Pyrrha looked at her.

"The same one Watts asked her – How do we kill Salem?"

Blake

It had been so long since she felt the comforts of home, to where it actually felt strange to be here.

The smells were just like she remembered and she could even hear the wind chimes in the garden outside that she loved so dearly. But she could simply feel Yang's anxiety from the mere sound of those things. Ghira's voice was always such a welcome sound. And Kali's voice always calmed her. "We have missed you so much sweetheart… I… I'm so sorry about your eyes." Ghira gently said to Blake, holding her hand.

"Yeah… you can blame Adam for that… it happened when Beacon was destroyed." Blake explained. "Weiss was the reason I got out of there."

Ghira and Kali turned to Weiss. Kali, without question, just hugged Weiss. The Former Heiress yelped, blue eyes wide as she squeezed her tight. "Thank you… thank you so much." Kali struggled to find the words and sounded like she was on the brink of crying again.

"I-It's okay…" Weiss struggled, barely able to breathe through Kali's intense hug.

"Ha-Ha-Ha!" Ghira guffawed, his booming laugh always made Blake giggle. "And I thought I was the one who gave the tightest hugs!"

Kali released her and Weiss could finally breathe again. "Truly… thank you…" Kali said again.

"She's family to me… I could never leave her." Weiss smiled at Blake.

"And Sun?" Ghira asked her. Blake just lowered her head with grief.

"He…"

"No…" Ghira sighed. "I was finally starting to like him too."

"He died protecting me from Adam… I didn't see it happen, but…" Blake couldn't keep going, and her parents did not want her to. It was a painful memory to go through again.

"It was a bad day." Weiss agreed. "I lost my boyfriend that night too."

"I'm so sorry, Weiss… and for your family, too. I heard they lost their lives that night too." Kali sweetly said, but she shook her head.

"You don't have to be. I'm not blind to what the Schnee Dust Company has done to the Faunus. What my father did…" Weiss explained, her hands rested upon her knees. "I know it sounds cold, but I haven't really thought about them. I think about my mom sometimes… and Whitley, but… I didn't have enough positive memories of either to mourn over."

Kali gently squeezed her shoulder. "It's good to see you too, Yang. It's been a very long time." Ghira chuckled.

"Yeah, damn long time." Yang chuckled.

"The same goes for you two." He said as he looked at Ren and Nora. Then Kali's eyes lit up.

"Are you expecting?" She asked.

"Yep…" Nora sweetly confirmed as Ren gently caressed her slight bump.

"And forgive me, but I don't believe we've met." Ghira said to Oscar, which made him chuckle.

"No forgiveness necessary. I'm Oscar Pine, I met your daughter and her friends six years ago." Oscar answered.

"He was one of the people who saved us and looked after us for the past six years. Kept me alive after I lost my eyes. Him, Vernal… a little girl called Amber – and Cinder Fall." Ghira nearly choked on his tea when she said that.

"I'm sorry, what?" He gasped.

"I know, it's crazy to imagine, but… she really has changed. She saved us when an abductor was chasing us and took the two of us in. She nearly didn't, but changed her mind. We helped maintain a farm she bought… it was a pleasant life." Blake explained with a smile.

"I guess some people can change." Kali chuckled.

"Not all though… Adam showed up a few months ago and was the reason we went on the run. He's… really lost his mind. Worse than before." Blake explained, which was shocking to imagine.

"If I ever see that bastard… I'll rip him apart." Ghira growled with fury.

"Spare some for your wife." Kali agreed, which surprised Blake. Normally, Kali was always so calm. "He hurt my baby girl."

"It's been a long road, but despite everything that's happened… we're still kicking." Yang shrugged with a smile.

The conversation was cut short when they heard a heavy knock on the door. They all turned, and Ghira stood up with a slight grumble. Blake hadn't even noticed his age showing, but the others had noticed his greying hair. Yet despite that, he still looked exactly how he did six years ago.

Yet Kali looked no different.

It was like she reached the age of twenty-five and stopped ageing there.

He opened the door and saw one of the Menagerie Guards stood there, Sabyr by the looks of him. He was a Beaver Faunus who had a small mohawk, scars on his face and sharp incisor teeth. "Apologies, Chieftain Belladonna. It's happened again."

"Another?" He sighed.

"The Feral Ones." He said. Blake turned her head swiftly the second she heard the name.

"Hold on, honey…" Kali stopped her from going any further.

"The Feral Ones? What are they doing here? We saw them beating someone up in the street." Blake asked.

"They… like to make examples out of people. They seem to worship Salem like some kind of goddess. They've murdered and strung up people who disagree with them. In horrible ways…" Kali explained.

She felt sick to imagine such violence here in Menagerie… this place was supposed to be peaceful.

"Please… cut the body down and cover it up. Find the man's family and inform them so they can give him a proper burial." Ghira said, and Sabyr nodded his head. Ghira closed the door and pinched his brow.

"Feral Bastards…" Ghira growled.

"Dad?" Blake asked, but he just sat down, rubbing his tired eyes.

"It's happening more and more…"

"Mom told me… how often is this happening?" She asked.

"It used to be every few weeks. Now it's happening every day. And that man they killed was a great man, always cared for people. Gave to the homeless, was so generous. And they killed him for that kindness, because it isn't what they want him to do." Ghira explained, shaking his head. "Salem is just an excuse for them now."

"We have to stop this." Blake said.

"You don't think I've tried?" Ghira asked, then he calmed himself down. "I'm sorry… I mean… we have tried. We tried fighting them but they just kept on coming, more and more. There are so many on Menagerie now that they are gaining more power than I have. And I'm the Chieftain of Menagerie." He explained.

"What about Sienna Khan?" Oscar asked.

"Sienna Khan?" He asked him.

"Well… I guess it's prime time we get to the reason we came here." Oscar began. "We're planning to kill Salem. We already have a team out there trying to recruit reinforcements elsewhere. Another is actively trying to retrieve the Relic of Creation and keep it out of Salem's hands. We're here trying to find Sienna Khan and what remains of the White Fang." Oscar explained. "We need help. We won't be able to kill Salem and the Black Gallows, especially with the Feral Ones on their side."

"Then I'm afraid it was a wasted journey. The White Fang is gone." Ghira answered.

"We know the Feral Ones decimated the Fang, but Sienna has gotta still be out there. We heard she was here in Menagerie." Blake explained.

"She is, and I know where she is. But believe me, it's a waste of time. She has no White Fang anymore. Ilia left, and so did the rest of her forces. She lives alone in the desert, and kills anyone who even dares get close to where she lives." Ghira explained.

"It's true… even I tried to see her, but she took a shot at me. Most likely a warning shot, but she still fired. She just wants to be left alone." Kali stated, looking saddened by that truth.

"We came all this way… we can't just give up?" Oscar asked.

"What about Ilia? She'd never join the Feral Ones. She loved the White Fang with all her heart." Blake asked.

"She lives here in Menagerie. I've spoken to her many times. I can call her to come by tomorrow, if you like. Hell, she'd be happy to see you." Ghira said as he smiled. "But like I said… the White Fang is no more." Ghira stated.

"There have to be people who want to fight back. The Feral Ones are a disgrace to the Faunus. Salem has turned our people into monsters… if Sienna is out there… if we can get to her and convince her… maybe she can give people the courage to return." Blake suggested.

"It's risky. It's been six years. That's a long time." Ghira stated.

"It's less risky than going after Salem without some kind of backup." Blake added.

Ghira nodded, then turned to the setting sun. "It's getting late. How about you all stay for the night? I can call Ilia in the morning." Ghira said, and Blake smiled, nodding her head.

Please Sienna…

… we need you…

… now more than ever.

Dutch

The Black Gallows Airship soared across the deserts of Vacuo. Their spies noticed their targets arriving pretty much immediately.

Dutch had no idea that he was not the only one headed for Vacuo, and that Killian was not very far behind him.

He was sitting inside the Wasp with his rifle on his lap, cleaning the grime off it. It was always one of the most important jobs a soldier could have.

Keep your gun clean. If it jams up, you're a dead man.

It was a simple but effective rule, plus Dutch had seen that mistake kill far too many soldiers. One time he saw a soldier who couldn't get the lever to move on his gun, and he stood up for a second to get it in the light, and a bullet blew the side of his head open. With Dutch were the Ace Ops, all of them preparing for the mission.

Marrow always looked nervous about… well… pretty much everything. He couldn't blame him after all. He was only a kid when all of this happened. He didn't want to die, so he joined the Black Gallows. Who could blame him?

Hopefully, he can work up the courage to do the right thing, eventually.

He glanced subtly at Clover, who had his hands held together and his eyes closed, tapping his foot against the metal floor. Dutch saw that Clover's mental state was like most Stockholm Troopers, in a severe condition due to what he went through after being captured by the Black Gallows.

Elm groaned, rolling her eyes. "Dude, will you cut it out? That tapping is driving me nuts."

Clover looked like he was about to explode, but Dutch spoke up before he would try to fight her. "He's claustrophobic. Prolonged time in the Black Cells tends to do that to people." He bluntly answered. Now Clover's ire was directed towards him and he swiftly stood up and glared down at him.

"Wanna rethink that?" Clover barked, but Dutch just calmly stared right back. Clover was a madman, no question – but he wasn't always. He used to be a very nice guy, nauseatingly loyal to the bone, but he wasn't bad. That was what Black Cells did to people. It corrupted them, that long in total darkness and silence? It drove some people mad – but it was never about rehabilitating people. The process was about inducing a form of Stockholm Syndrome, where they would see the Black Gallows are their family, or at the very least, become completely loyal to them.

Clover already had the personality of someone who would become loyal to a cause, so cementing that was easy.

Killian didn't need him to be sane, just another soldier.

Dutch hated the practice. It was morally wrong in so many ways, but he had to play the part like always. So he said only words to get Clover to back down. "Step back."

Clover growled, but he backed off. That loyal dog personality was always still there, no matter how savage the Black Cell turned him into. He sat down and continued to tap his foot up and down, and Elm just learned to live with it.

He continued to clean his rifle, turning when he heard the soft conversation beside him, between Vine and Marrow. He noticed Harriet never really spoke to anybody. Elm was essentially in the middle. She was nice to Marrow, but her loyalty to the Gallows was pretty obvious.

He couldn't help but wonder which sides they would pick if the Black Gallows falls.

Clover and Harriet would definitely fall with it. Marrow would hopefully turn against it. Elm could be persuaded. She wasn't a fool and would most likely know that fighting for a sinking ship would be a stupid idea.

But Vine… he was the one person he just couldn't figure out.

He always said that he served Remnant, not the Black Gallows. So perhaps that when push comes to shove, he would turn on the Black Gallows if he saw them being detrimental to the survival of Remnant and its people.

He listened in on the conversation between Marrow and Vine.

"How are you feeling?" Vine inquired.

"Nervous, I'll admit. I always feel nervous before a mission." He admitted, Elm chuckled.

"Oh, that feeling never goes away kiddo." Elm assured.

"Even for you?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, absolutely. You never know how the mission is gonna go until it starts. It's always that wait before that's the worst. Once I'm in there though? It's all simple, just get the job done." Elm explained, shrugging her shoulders with a smile. Elm turned to Dutch. "You feel me?"

"Nail on the head." He agreed.

"What about you, Harriet?" Marrow curiously asked.

"Eh." Harriet shrugged, as conversational as ever. "I guess, I dunno I always just prefer to focus on the job at hand."

Clover didn't even join in with the conversation – fitting, to be honest. "The thing is, the job isn't your life. Remember that, you don't want the fight to be all there is in your life." Vine said to Marrow.

Harriet lifted her head when he said that. "Where the hell do your loyalties lie, Vine?" She questioned. He turned and stared at her.

"The fact you doubt my loyalties based on excellent advice says a lot, Harriet." Vine chuckled. "And you know where my loyalties lie – I serve Remnant and its people."

There it is.

He always says that…

Never that he is loyal to the Black Gallows or Salem…

… just Remnant and its People.

"He's right." Dutch spoke up. "And the Black Gallows protect the people. That should be what all of us should be loyal to." Dutch explained, which got Vine's attention.

That shut Harriet up, and he just patted Marrow on the shoulder. "Ace Ops, we're coming in for a landing." The pilot informed. The Wasp descended and landed upon the pad in the City of Vacuo. They all stood up and exited the vehicle, but as Dutch walked out, Vine stopped him.

"Yes, Vine?" Dutch asked.

"Far be it from me for questioning you, sir – but I know a lie when I hear one." Vine stated Dutch knew what he was on about, but felt it would safer to be cautious.

"I'm sorry?" Dutch asked.

"What you said about the Black Gallows… I think you and I both know what you said is not true." Vine stated.

Well, well… maybe he's the most trustworthy of the lot…

… but the others are there… so I'll stick to my persona for now…

"I guess it depends on your point of view." Dutch answered. He could tell Vine was examining everything he said and most likely could tell he was covering for something. Yet Vine did not disclose it to the others. Instead, he said this.

"I don't want those who still have a chance of living to die." He said, looking at both Elm and Marrow.

More Marrow than Elm.

"And neither do you." Vine concluded, walking past him. Dutch stood there and exhaled, holstering his rifle onto the back of his armour and following them.

Things aren't gonna be the same after this…

… when we find Robyn… my cover will be blown.

Because I will not betray her.

I just can't help but wonder who will be by my side when I reveal myself.

Blake

Midnight in Menagerie…

… it was always such a gorgeous sight to behold. Infinite stars seemed to just stretch across the sky. Blake laid on the grass of her garden, and despite being blind, she still instinctively stared up at the sky. She exhaled, enjoying the sensation of the cool air against her skin. Then she heard footsteps nervously approaching.

"You can't sneak up on me, Yang." Blake reminded, then she heard her laugh.

"How d'you know it was me?" Yang gasped.

"Well… stealth was hardly ever your forte." Blake teased.

"True that." Yang agreed. She looked up at the stunning sky, then down at the equally stunning Blake Belladonna. "Wanna have some company?"

"Sure. Couldn't sleep, anyway. I just… can't stop thinking." She sighed.

"I guess some things never change." Yang chuckled, which made Blake laugh too.

"Also true." Blake laughed.

"Gods… it's beautiful out here." Yang said as she stared up at the sky.

"Yeah… as a kid, I always liked to come out here to look at the stars. One time, when I took Sun here to see my parents, we stargazed together." Blake began. Yang looked at her as she spoke. "He didn't know the first thing about stars, the dork. But… he still loved hearing me talk about them. The constellations." Blake explained.

Yang smiled, and she looked at the stars, too. "I wish I could see them." She sighed.

"Well… I don't know much about stars." Yang shrugged as she rested her arms behind her head. Blake looked at Yang.

"Do you… wanna?" Blake asked, and Yang smiled.

"Hell yeah." Yang replied. "Let's see… oh, I think I can make one out. Looks like a bird." Yang called out.

"Ah, the Falconess' Respite. I love that one, it's a story about a Huntress who used to hunt Grimm with an Eagle."

"Like Eryka?"

"Yep, the Grimm never stood a chance against the two of them. They were always unstoppable together… but one day her eagle was killed during a fight. It broke her heart… but she saw the stars in the shape and she believed it was her Eagle. Still watching over her even now. And she always said she felt like she could fly when she had that belief in her head, like nothing could ever defeat her." Blake described, she always had such a beautiful voice, she made any story sound amazing whenever she spoke.

Yang just… couldn't stop staring at her.

But she snapped out of it and chuckled nervously. "Wow… let's hope that never happens to Eryka then. She loves Dulcis." She chuckled.

"Yeah, he's cool too." Blake added.

"So cool." Yang agreed, which made them both giggle.

"Alriiight… let's see. Ooh, I think I see a fish. Space Fishy." Yang joked.

"Heh, that's funnier than the story. It comes from the story of a lost angler. It was the story of how Menagerie was discovered. He was lost out in the sea and used the stars to find his way there." Blake explained.

"Wait… where does the fish come into it?" Yang asked.

"I think that was just what he wanted for dinner that night." Blake joked. "What other ones can you see?"

"Hmm… oh! I think I see a sword." Yang described.

"Ooh, spooky."

"Oh awesome, gimme the deets."

"Well… it's about the moon. It's the story of how a sword was used to destroy the moon, it's said that the Eclipse turned all the Grimm into unstoppable monsters. No matter how many strikes it took, nothing could ever kill one, so they used the sword to destroy the moon, so that it could never form an Eclipse again. The scariest part is that some people talk about that story like it was actually true." Blake explained.

"Damn… let's hope then it's just a silly story." Yang chuckled.

"Yeah…" Blake then went quiet. Yang turned to her, rolling onto her side.

"Hey, you okay?" Yang asked her, and Blake just smiled.

"Yeah… yeah… I just… thank you." Blake softly said to her. "I'm so sorry for how I treated you when we saw each other again. I wasn't fair… and now you're always so kind to me… you always have been…"

"Blake…"

"No, I… I'm sorry." Blake whispered.

"You don't have to apologise for anything. It's my fault everything that happened six years ago happened. If I knew what my semblance was capable of…" Yang softly said, then she felt the warm pressure of Blake's hand touching hers. She looked at her hand and then at Blake. She smiled at Yang.

The two gazed at each other for a few moments.

Then Blake pulled away slowly, looking away from Yang. "I'm sorry…" she said, before she got up and walked away. Yang reached out to her but sighed.

It was nice while it lasted.

All Yang wanted was for Blake to be happy.

At least for a while, she was.

Salem

"Oh, Adam…" Salem spoke.

She stood by his cell with her arms crossed, listening to his pathetic whimpering. He hugged his knees and rocked back and forth in the dark corner. "Please… please forgive me…" He begged, but Salem just coldly laughed, grasping onto the bars of the door, staring in at him with a small smile on her face.

"Why?" she asked him. Her voice made his hairs stand on end and skin prickle.

"I… I understand now… I do!" He begged her.

"You see, I don't know if you do. You said those words to me before, and yet you still disobeyed me. I told you to leave the girl alone, yet time after time, you refuse to complete your mission because of your sick obsession with her." Salem snarled, eyes glowing faintly at him.

"I was a fool… a fool! Please… please no more…" He snivelled.

Salem turned her gaze down the hall of her prison, seeing someone sprinting, screaming in agony and terror. He ran, but an Abductor grabbed him by the ankle. "No! PLEASE! LET ME GO! PLEAAAASE! AAAAAAAAAH!" the man shrieked, with a voice that was eerily too familiar to some. But the screams just became muffled when he was dragged back into the cell to be tortured more and more.

Salem smiled sinisterly and turned back to Adam.

"How do I know that this is not another one of your games?" She asked him.

"I… I promise you… I will never disobey you… I will never fail you…" He begged, and she smirked.

"Well, that's already a lie. You have yet to actually succeed for me." Salem scoffed, about to walk away.

"NO PLEASE! OKAY! OKAY! I WON'T GO NEAR BLAKE BELLADONNA AGAIN!" He screamed. She stopped and narrowed her red eyes. Then she slowly turned around.

"Is that so?" Salem asked gently.

"Y-Yes… I… I will not go after her… I swear…" he trembled.

Salem smirked and unexpectedly opened the cell door. He looked at her fearfully, but she gestured her finger, ushering him towards her. He crawled before her, grovelling at her feet. "Thank you… thank you…" he cried.

But Salem suddenly grabbed him by the horn, glaring hauntingly down at him, eyes flushed red with glowing fury. "This… is your last chance. Disobey me again – and I promise you… you will beg me to kill you." She turned as she saw Jaune, a Seer and one of her Praetorian Knights, approach. "I can always use a new Praetorian Knight." She whispered, and that made him feel sick with fear.

"Now go… clean yourself up and be ready." Salem commanded. He staggered back up to his feet, limping down the hall to where his dorm was. Jaune watched him pass, and he just turned back to Salem, resting his hands upon his pommel.

"Doctor Arthur Watts has a message for you." Jaune informed.

"Ah, the good doctor…" Salem softly said, approaching the Seer. The black smoke within its glass dome swirled and formed into his face. He bowed his head and spoke plainly, as always.

"Your grace."

"Arthur. What news do you bring?" Salem asked.

"I wish I had better to bring you. We had Team C.P.P.R in custody with the Relic of Knowledge, but just as we were going to deliver them aboard the Gyrfalcon, they escaped." He informed, Salem stared at him and she narrowed her eyes.

"How tragic…" Salem softly said. "Well, what are you waiting for? Find them and bring them to me."

"At once, your grace. They can't have gone far." He assured, then his face faded away. Salem remained skeptical of his words.

"Shall I head out to retrieve the Relic, your grace?" Jaune inquired. Salem smiled, gently caressing his cheek before resting her hand on his shoulder.

"All in due time, my dear. All in due time." She promised, before she walked away, smirking as she held her hands together as she walked.

Jaune looked down the hall where he heard the screams, and he approached the door…

… and he felt like he recognised their voices.

Author Note - Lots of stuff happened here, but hoo boy I can't wait for the stuff that is gonna go down soon

Salem is terrifying, but as we saw this means that Adam is finally coming back into the fight. The question is, has the bastard actually learned his lesson or is he gonna suffer the consequences for another failure? Blake and Yang had some really touching moments in this chapter, they're so wholesome I love them. But Blake's still got some trauma going on there, which she is gonna need some help dealing with.

And now Team C.P.P.R are going to ask another Question. Gonna have some crazy reveals there :D But also, they have the footage - AND a weapon that could defeat the Black Gallows. Just uploading the thing will be the hardest part.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

- Matt