Chapter 14 – Breaking the Divide
Ozpin
Hmph… been a long time since I've seen one of your kind…
The massive Hydra splayed out its crackling wings, sharp glowing gold forks of lightning shimmered across their membranes. It shot out and smashed buildings apart, then they saw the three heads all stare down at them. The middle one growled aggressively, and then they all channelled lightning up their throats, and their eyes shone bright gold.
"Everyone to me!" Ozpin commanded. He spiralled Mihi Vindicta through his fingers and then slammed it down just as everyone rushed to his side, and from the tip of his Sceptre formed a protective bubble of magical green energy. The Three Hydras all blasted their beams of gold lightning down upon the ball of protective magic, but the shock wave of the blast shattered the entire cell block. Walls of concrete blown away by the titan's gigantic wings. Sparks and flames belched up from the rubble as it all came crashing down, windows blown apart into thousands of tiny sharp pieces.
Sparks of electricity jumped from piece to piece, then the Hydra roared with terrifying fury. The other two heads destroyed the rest of the entire prison with their lightning breath. The structure could not hold up against such a display of power, reduced to rubble in mere seconds. The Hydra Heads all roared to the sky before it opened its gigantic wings and swung them, levitating its hulking form off the ground so it could bank across the sky.
Rubble buried Ozpin and his team until a flash of green light burst from within the cracks. Rubble blasted up into the sky as Ozpin unleashed a single powerful pulse, breaking apart the rubble and freeing them from their tomb. Glynda coughed through the dust, looking up at the Hydra as it flew across the sky, blasting beams of lightning into Queen's Cove repeatedly, bringing down the cliffs in areas, sending multiple blazing buildings down into the depths.
"It will be back…" Glynda stated.
"We're seriously fighting that thing?" Bertilak questioned.
"Not unless we have to. Come on. We need to get out of here. Queen's Cove is lost." Ozpin ordered. The words stung, but he was speaking the truth. If there were any survivors left here, they were either escaping out into the wild or dying anyway. "We have to get to our Airship."
Ozpin collapsed Mihi Vindicta down into cane form and he ran ahead. Everyone followed him. They clambered up the collapsed buildings, jumping from chunk to chunk. Every now and then the shadow of the Hydra would loom overhead, getting their attention. Glynda stared at it as she climbed up the wall, and it was constantly keeping one head staring directly at them. It hadn't given up, not yet. It was waiting for the perfect time to strike.
Best way to describe how the Hydra looked, it was like three Sea Feilongs merged into one nightmarish chimera.
A terrifying monster to behold, one capable of utterly nightmarish levels of destruction.
The sound of its huge wings humming through the air sent shivers down their spines, but they kept on climbing. They had to get out of what remained of his once beautiful city. Glynda jumped up, and she immediately blasted a bolt from the Disciplinarian into the chest of a Beowulf that leapt at Maria from the upper level. The creature barked in anger as it plummeted down towards the ground, tumbling down the rubble and into the smoke below.
"Don't stop! This place isn't stable!" Ozpin called out. They all took his advice and kept on running as fast as they could. Ozpin stumbled across the crumbling terrain. Cracks burst through the surface of the path, dust pulsing up from within. He jumped and ran across the wall as the floor crumbled apart and fell between him and the others. He jumped, flipping through the air and landing on both his feet. "Glynda!"
"Done." She assured, he channelled magical energy through his cane and smashed it into the side of the wall he just ran across. It came crashing down, then Glynda swung her crop, holding the chunks of rubble in place. "Go!"
Maria rushed ahead first, running and jumping from chunks of rock to pieces of broken road. Then Carmine, easily making her way across as Glynda held it in place as best she could. Bertilak was the next, but because of his weight, that made Glynda's job harder. She could feel the power of her gravity dust wain with every step he took. Finally, it was her. She ran as fast as she could, but without the focus of the Disciplinarian; the chunks fell. Ozpin rushed ahead and reached for her.
Then Glynda gasped, feeling the rocks drop, and she plummeted down towards the bottom of the city. Maria thought fast, and she threw one of her Scythes down to her and Glynda caught onto the handle. Maria clicked the button on the hilt of her other weapon, and the gravity dust yanked its other half back to Maria, pulling Glynda up the side of the cliff with her.
Glynda jumped off just in time, rolling across the floor and panting with relief. "That was close." She chuckled. Ozpin immediately squeezed her shoulder, smiling softly at one of his closest friends.
"Come on!" Carmine yelled. She launched her Sai with her telekinesis, sending the blade straight through the throat of a Thrall. The creature was pinned to the wall, shrieking and snarling, slashing its long claw arm at her as it tried to get free. Then she grabbed the handle of her small blade and cut through the neck, so bad that its head was dangling from sinewy black flesh. She then kicked the Thrall in the gut, launching the zombie off the edge of the cliff they were on.
Bertilak leaned over the edge and his eyes widened. "We've got company!"
Ozpin looked down, seeing more Thralls climbing up the cliffs towards them, screeching at them. Then it got worse. They turned their gaze to the Hydra as it flew over the city. One of its heads was staring at them and the immense creature was now at eye level. Golden lightning channelled up its throat and into its mouth. "Go!" Ozpin yelled. They all sprinted as fast as they could as the Hydra blasted its beam of violent arcs of lightning into the clay and rock. It cracked, then burst, throwing shrapnel everywhere.
Ozpin spun around and he blasted a Time Bubble into the Hydra. The bubble was not enough to slow the entire creature down, but it was enough to keep that head at bay. The Head yanked the beast, and it smashed the giant into the side of the cliff. The impact was so hard that massive fissures spread up the side of the cliff.
The ground shook, and they all clambered up to the stairs, just narrowly making it to the very top as the floor collapsed, and more houses dropped into the city. Ozpin rolled on his back, panting with relief, then he grabbed his cane and used it to push himself back up to his feet. But this moment of respite was short-lived, for they heard the wings. The massive Hydra flew up over their heads, and the head that Ozpin froze the head of in a Time Bubble was now free.
The gigantic creature hovered over their heads, and Ozpin stood tall, seeing their airship nearby.
"Damn it… no choice now. We have to kill it." Ozpin stared at the massive creature as it charged up its lightning blast again, then they all fired down at him, but Ozpin slowed time, and sprinted out of harm's way before the bolt could hit. As he ran, it crashes down at a slower rate than before, and as it exploded, he rolled across the floor and time resumed. Electrified rock and soil blew outwards, but Glynda flicked the Disciplinarian, stopping them all, and then she launched them all up at the Hydra in the combined form of a spear.
The Hydra dodged the incoming javelin, and it flew across the sky, then descended towards them, diving like a Falcon. As it slammed into the ground with all its might, the impact caused the ground to shatter, and the cliff face nearby crumbled away and plummeted down into the ocean with a thunderous clap. Not only was its impact like that of an earthquake, but it also created a tremendous blast of crackling air, filled with electricity. The three heads hissed, and it lunged towards Ozpin, snapping its jaws viciously. Lightning drooled from its silver teeth like saliva, but Ozpin darted backwards through time, then transformed his Sceptre into Mace form, smashing it into the side of the Hydra's head. The Creature's skull crashed into the soil, ripping up the grass and dirt as it dragged the head across the floor.
Its neck raised up, and it breathed deep, building up another lightning blast. As it fired, Ozpin cast an equally powerful spell with Mihi Vindicta after swiftly transforming it back to Sceptre Form, where the beam of lightning collided into a shield of magic, absorbing the power of its energy into the head of the Sceptre. Once the Hydra's attack ceased, the tip of the sceptre shone bright green, and he smirked, sending it straight back in the form of a beam of a single beam of powerful green energy.
It burned into the hardened scales, and the Hydra roared in agony, cutting deeply through the scales and causing black smoke to bleed out. Then he carved straight through one of its wings, permanently grounding the titan. The three heads all shrieked in immense agony. The sound of their roar was sound loud. It made their ears ring, forcing them all down to one knee.
Glynda stared up at the beast. It then swung around and Ozpin gasped, smashed across the field by its long tail. The impact of such a massive tail shattered his aura instantly. He slid across the ground and groaned, before falling unconscious, releasing Mihi Vindicta.
Leaving the Relic of Knowledge vulnerable.
One head turned and stared at the Relic, sensing its nearby presence, and it hissed in curiosity. The Hydra went to turn and acquire his weapon, until Maria launched her Scythe into the side of its head, and using her Gravity dust, she yanked the skull down with the weight of Gravity Dust activating.
Another head arced over and it growled gutturally at her before blasting another beam of lightning at her. Bertilak sprinted towards the titan, jumping at the roaring Hydra's head and he smashed the mace across the side of its head. Fragments of bony armour broke off from its cheek, and the head crashed down into the ground. Maria sprinted and jumped onto the head of the one that Bertilak slammed down, and then she ran up and held out her hand, activating the link of her Scythes, and the other half pulled its head towards her. The head shrieked in anger and pain, then she ripped it from its cheek.
The Hydra Head snapped its massive jaws at her, but she jumped up in the air and connected her dual Scythes together. They both extended into a double-ended Scythe, and then she dove towards the beast. It went to blast another beam of lightning at her, one that would kill her instantly, but Bertilak jumped and launched his chained mace and it wrapped around its throat. He caught the other end and used gravity to his advantage, and the weight of the huge muscular man dragged its head away, and it fired its beam of lightning savagely up into the clouds. Maria spiralled like a circular saw, and cut clean through its neck, beheading one of the Hydra Heads.
The neck crashed down to the ground, and she stared at the neck, sighing with relief.
Thank the gods it isn't like the legend, no growing back two more heads.
The two heads stared at their fallen one, then they both growled with fury, and both fired their beams towards Maria, whose silver eyes widened as the beam came her way, until Glynda ripped soil and rock from the ground, blocking the incoming blast enough for Maria to dive out of the way. She tumbled and grunted in pain as the electricity still coursed across her body. Her aura flickered but did not break, not yet. She was not out of the fight.
Carmine stood her ground and narrowed her eyes. She let her Sai hover around her, then she sprinted at the giant. One head stared down at her, but she launched the Sai up into the eye of the Hydra. The head swung back and the Hydra Head howled to the sky, blasting a beam up into the clouds. Black smoke poured from its glowing red eye where the Sai had lodged itself into the socket. It shook its head around in pain, then Glynda ripped some soil from the ground which Carmine jumped onto, and she launched her up into the air. Sai twirled through the air and held out her hand, ripping the Sai from its skull. And she then launched it down into its jugular and caught onto the hilt as she plummeted.
She dragged the blade through its flesh, cutting a deep fissure in its neck. Black smoke billowed out from its neck, and it roared in great pain. As its head crashed down to the ground, Carmine jumped and flipped off. When the head landed, it tried to rise back up, only for Carmine to slingshot her Sai with telekinesis straight through one eye and out the other, killing it.
The final Hydra Head stared at its two fallen brothers and it snarled, immediately blasting a beam of lightning at Carmine, and dragging that beam across the ground, nearly hitting Bertilak as well. He rolled backwards and his eyes glowed red as he activated his semblance, causing the air to rise into extreme temperatures, setting the grass ablaze. He charged forward and smashed his mace into its leg, burning the flesh away. The Hydra snarled, hunching forward as the kneecap broke. Bertilak rolled aside, then Glynda raised the Disciplinarian up, levitating all the shards of broken rock and debris around them and she formed it into another huge javelin. The Hydra glared at her, eyes fierce, and it prepared to fire a beam of lightning at her.
Until Maria pulled her, lifted her head and through the sockets of her Skull Mask, bright white light blinded the last head. The Hydra roared in pain as its eyes turned to stone, then Glynda launched the Javelin straight through the Hydra's open jaws as it bellowed. The spear cut straight through and erupted out the other side, killing the Hydra for good.
The long neck and head came crashing down before Glynda, and she didn't even flinch as it landed so close to her. And finally, the gigantic monster's body crumbled away into black smoke. Maria coughed as she got back up, exhausted from the battle they just survived. Then Glynda turned to Ozpin, and she sprinted to his side, sliding across the floor and checking if he was okay. "Ozpin?" She stammered.
"He breathing?" Bertilak questioned.
"Yes… we need to get him into the Airship." Glynda explained. Carmine stood beside him, the two looked at each other and he sighed.
"We really doing this?" He asked, and Carmine stared down at the old Headmaster.
The Last Headmaster.
"What odds do we have of surviving if we do nothing?" Carmine asked him, and he looked down at the Headmaster then sighed.
"Well… I guess I haven't got any plans." He shrugged. He then crouched down and lifted Ozpin over his shoulder, carrying him to the Airship. Glynda stood up and held Mihi Vindicta in her hands, staring at it.
The fate of our Universe… could lie in this cane…
She held it tight and closed her eyes, then looked at the smoke from Queen's Cove. Hearing the last screams of desperate souls trying to escape.
And then nothing.
Glynda closed her eyes in grief for all those poor people, but she kept walking. Everyone got inside of the Airship, and it took off to leave.
Leaving Queen's Cove behind.
Overrun with Grimm, and with nobody left alive inside its crumbling walls. Down below, as they flew away, the infernal remnants of the Stanley Hotel came crashing down, sending giant plumes of smoke rising high. And finally… as the tide retreated… a massive tidal wave came crashing into the city, flooding it in water, and the ruins of those beautiful city and the statue of the King and Queen who built it…
… dragged away into the dark depths of the ocean.
It was over.
Queen's Cove was no more…
Ruby
Ruby looked at Yang and Oscar, who both nodded, then she turned to the Rebels, who were waiting for their cue.
The second she nodded, the Hellfire Tank rolled out into the street and aimed at one of the Guard Towers, firing a shell directly into it. The battle kicked off immediately, alarms started blaring and all the Acolytes of Lien soldiers were rushing to their stations. Ruby rolled out from cover and fired a shot at one of the Mechanical Soldiers, who sprinted out, nailing it in the head. The destroyed M.E.C.H tumbled across the floor, sparks bursting out of the perforated head. But soon enough, they saw why the Resistance could not penetrate their defences.
There were so many of them, and they all had the advantage.
The Hellfire Tank kept firing, but suddenly mortar fire hailed over the attackers, lighting up the area in explosions. One of the falling bombs exploded against the side of a building, bringing the floor down on the street below them. Ruby stayed behind cover, looking back to see that the Hellfire Tank was destroyed. "Damn it…" she sighed, knowing the poor soul inside was dead as well.
That was when the sky darkened, and the Three Maidens flew overhead. Cinder hovered over the street and she held out her hands, sending bolts of lightning down from above. Pyrrha hovered, and she did the same but could not keep up with the two far more superior Maidens. For the first time in a long time, Pyrrha actually felt inadequate. Her eyes burned green but she slammed down into the ground, creating an icy blast that froze multiple soldiers solid.
She flipped backwards and threw Akoúo, bouncing it off the soldiers once by one, and it returned into her hand. She raised her shield just as a Mercenary with a Missile Launcher fired it at her. The shield took the explosion for her, but the shock wave sent her flying backwards. She slid her hand across the ground, then closed her eyes, remembering what Cinder advised her.
Don't rely on the Maiden Powers too much, especially not right now. We don't have the time you need to match us, so only use it when you need to.
She was right, she still had only been the Summer Maiden for a couple of days, and whilst she had been training constantly to learn her powers, she was still extremely weak for a Maiden. But luckily, she was already one hell of a lethal Huntress before she attained Salem's Power.
The heavy bulkhead doors opened, then Cinder and Coco tried to rush in, but they were immediately fired at by the Anti-Air Defences, firing missiles and powerful machine gun rounds and even flak shots at them. They immediately descended and returned to the field. "Damn it, we can't fly in. None of us can be of much use with our powers until those guns are down." Cinder explained. Coco cracked her neck and pulled out Gianduja.
"Then we do this the old-fashioned way." Coco answered, transforming her handbag into its Minigun Form, smirking.
Cinder opened her hands and formed her two Obsidian Swords. Then everyone attacked the front of the Facility as planned, just as the defenders were unleashed from within. Juggernauts and Paladins were among them, armed to the teeth and firing a hail of bullets upon them. Weiss ducked down, taking cover behind a wall being shredded by all the gunfire. "We need to break their defences! We're never gonna get close to them."
"I have an idea." Qrow assured, he sounded like he was smirking. "Everyone stay down… I'm sure something will go wrong for them."
Ruby furrowed her brow then turned to him, only to see he was gone, and now there was a little Crow flapping towards the base and sitting atop the wall, staring down at them. Ruby just scoffed.
"Let his Bad Luck Charm do its work." Ruby agreed, shaking her head with a smile. She watched through her scope, then all the soldiers stopped firing, looking confused.
"The hell? Why are they just sitting there?" A soldier muttered.
Cinder suddenly aimed round cover after combining her swords together into her Bow, and she formed three explosive arrows and fired them. All threw nailed multiple soldiers, and when they exploded, it broke their formation, allowing Qrow to flap away.
"Wow, I was expecting it to be something crazier than that." Ruby scoffed.
"Well, it worked." Robyn shrugged, and they all sprinted out, charging towards the enemies. Penny flew forward, and she blasted a powerful beam into the chest of a Juggernaut, slamming it against the wall with substantial force. The Juggernaut fell onto one knee after hitting the wall, then stood up and opened fire, killing a couple of Rebels, but now they were all at even ground.
Penny hovered over the Acolytes, slashing them with her swords, but then a Glider shrieked behind her and fired the missiles from the vehicle. They exploded against her back and knocked her down against the floor. She grunted in pain and it screeched across the snowy floor, whilst the Glider Jockey fired his machine gun at her, but she rolled out of the way. Ruby charged forward, and she slashed straight through the middle of the Glider, cutting it clean in two. Fire erupted from inside of the hovering vehicle, then as the Jockey fell towards the ground, she grabbed him by the back of his collar and threw him against the floor so hard it knocked him unconscious.
So long as she could help it, she was not killing people mercilessly anymore.
That was not who she was, but if she was left with no choice, only then would she take lives from now on.
She would not become what the Whisperer tried to turn her into.
Never.
She spun around and ducked down as that very Juggernaut Penny attacked swung his fist at her, but Penny caught the fist and stared back at the suit of armour. Ruby jumped up and fired backwards, hooking her Scythe into the armour and slamming the Juggernaut down against the ground. She then ripped the helmet off and pulled the soldier from the suit, then Penny kicked him in the head to knock him unconscious.
Although not everyone shared this philosophy that Ruby had, and they saw Kassius sprinting into the battle with that look in his eyes. He threw Lash Equinox ahead, and the sword stabbed straight into the ribs of a soldier. He jumped and yanked the blade from his chest, then slid across the floor, firing Vulcan Nox around him at the Atlesian Knights, blowing them to pieces with repeated shots to their fragile little bodies.
He then threw another sword through the ribs of a soldier, pinning him to the wall. Qrow was the same, unleashing his inner Bandit, cutting through the Mercenaries with ease, hacking and slashing away at them all with Harbinger in its Scythe form. Blood flew around him as he carved through soldier after soldier.
But then, a Tremor Trooper landed in front of him and punched him in the chest with his massive Gauntlet. The powerful punch, amplified by the pistons, threw Qrow across the street and into the wall. He grunted in pain, then scowled with anger, rolling aside as the Tremor Trooper swung at him once more. He slashed the sword repeatedly at the Mercenary, but the Tremor Trooper blocked and dodged all the incoming blows, then punched the weapon out of his hand.
Qrow ducked down and then punched the Tremor Trooper in the stomach, forcing him back. He then punched repeatedly, beating the soldier over and over in the face, grabbing his helmet and yanking it off. The Huntsman grabbed him by his long straggly hair and smashed his knee up into his nose, breaking it instantly and splattering blood all over his trouser leg. The soldier staggered back, and then swung at him one more time, Qrow caught his arm and threw him over his shoulder, and as the soldier landed, he grabbed his sword and rammed it down his ribs with great fury, red eyes looking fierce with hate.
The Acolytes of Lien were throwing everything they had left at the Resistance, not just in terms of firepower but also in numbers. A Paladin kicked a car towards some Resistance Fighters, crushing them against a wall, and it fired relentless bullets and missiles into the attacking soldiers. But Coco stood her ground, firing a hail of bullets right back at the huge Mechanised Suit of Armour, but her bullets had little impact against that armour.
That was when her team charged out.
Yatsuhashi charged across the street towards the huge Paladin, deflecting incoming bullets as he jumped up and cut straight through the arm of the vehicle. Fox rolled up alongside it, slashing relentlessly through the armour and Velvet jumped high in the air, firing Ember Celica down at it. The Paladin recoiled back as the highly explosive Hardlight Dust missiles detonated against the armour.
Coco then floated high in the air, her eyes burning white, then she dove and formed a spear of ice, roaring with fury as she launched it straight through the suit, destroying it instantly. She landed with her fist buried in the ground, and then she lifted her head with a smirk.
The battle continued to rage at the front, but just as they thought they were making a dent…
… Ruby stared at the doors…
… and even more were coming.
"C'mon Blake… we need those doors to stay open… and those guns down…"
Blake
She could hear the chaos at the front from here, but she gathered herself and exhaled calmly, then stared ahead. She and her team had found a way inside, and were waiting for the right moment to move ahead. May was waiting for the perfect time to activate her semblance to cover them all so they could make their way to the Facility's Control Room.
"We're under attack! I repeat, we're under attack!" The Acolytes of Lien Captain roared over the intercom. Neo, Ren and Emerald were with her, Neo always with that rather deranged look in her eye. She may have been on their side, but they could tell she was not suddenly an angel. They watched as all the soldiers sprinted down the halls to get to the front so they could hold off the attackers.
May held up her fingers, silently counting down.
Three, two, one.
She activated her semblance, forming a bubble around them all, which kept them all invisible so long as they stayed inside. They all walked out and moved quietly. Neo watched the different halls, and she tapped Blake's shoulder, getting her to stop. She quickly typed on her scroll and showed it to her.
I know Acolytes of Lien base layouts, and this is already very similar. I can lead us there.
Blake stared at her for a few moments, unsure if trusting her was right, but she trusted Ruby. She sighed and nodded her head, turning to Emerald, who also nodded at her. She gestured them to follow her and they walked through the base, seeing how it looked so militarised. You could still see the old signs of the Schnee Dust Company's décor in places, but it was mostly redesigned to work as a military base now.
"How far are we from the Control Room?" Emerald whispered. Neo stopped them, then held her finger to her lips. They all stayed still, then they saw what Neo sensed, and they saw the next squad of soldiers running down the next hallway in front of them. May scowled as she watched them run past. Part of her just wanted to blow their cover and kill them, but that would ruin their chances of taking this facility.
So she stayed cool.
Neo gestured her head towards the path those soldiers had been running down, and she narrowed her pink and brown eyes. As Blake walked, in the corner of her eye, she saw someone staring directly at them. She gasped when she saw him for just a brief moment…
… it was Vir Nominis Umbra.
He was leant against the wall, softly smirking, before he slinked down the other hallway and disappearing. "Blake?" Emerald whispered.
"Umbra… he's watching us."
"What?" May questioned. "How?"
"Trust me, when you've been followed by him for as long as we have, you stop questioning how he does things. This just means he knows what we're doing… we need to be ready." Blake warned.
"Damn it… how can he already be here from Vale?" May stammered.
"He doesn't work that way." Emerald answered.
"She's right. Umbra can be in multiple places at once, although I think it is only in a spectral form. He can't hurt us when like that… but he can watch and plan. It's how he is always one step ahead of us… every single time." Blake explained, keeping her voice down as best as she could.
"You think he wants us to stop them? So he can get to the Relic?" Emerald asked.
"Probably, it'd be the smartest move. Let us do the heavy lifting so he can take the reward. Sounds like something he'd do. We need to be careful." Blake warned.
May heeded their words. At the end of the day, they knew this threat far better than she or Robyn did. They kept moving through the base, then Blake slowed down when they walked past another room… it made her blood run cold. May stopped and looked at her, seeing her eyes wide… and fists clenched.
Faunus Slave Victims…
They weren't dead, just locked in the next room, and judging by the fact they couldn't see them, this window was one-way. And they all had the brands of the S.D.C burned onto their skin in places. Men and Women… some were even children. "We've freed a lot of them, but most of them are kept here. It's one of the other reasons we had this place targeted as a priority. Too many civvies inside." May explained.
"We have to stop this." Blake stated.
"Once we get to the Control Room, we can release them." May assured, cushioning her shoulder. Blake calmed herself down, and she nodded her head.
"The Schnee Dust Company has had this coming for a long time. Time to end this once and for all." Blake stated.
"Your friend won't be a problem there, will she?" May asked. Blake stopped and stared at May.
"Weiss?" Blake questioned.
"She's a Schnee…" she admitted.
"No. Weiss despises her father more than you do. The S.D.C means nothing to her." Blake assured.
"Good… I hope so." May stated, then they kept on moving. Neo stayed at the front of the group with Ren behind them, guns at the ready, then he stopped Neo. He looked round the corner to see some Atlesian Knights stiffly walking down the halls. He was ready to shoot them, but did not want to raise the alarm.
If the alarm is raised, then the Control Room is useless to them, since it will lock down. They waited for the Droids to move off and then moved out into the hall, and they saw that the Control Room had been locked. "Shit…" May sighed. Ren looked around and he smirked.
"I got an idea, give me a second." Ren assured, he holstered Stormflower then ran forward, jumping off the wall and thrusting himself up to a vent, and he threw himself inside. He slid through the shaft and landed on the other side, seeing the Captain was still inside. He spun around and drew his gun, firing at Ren. He swiftly rushed forward and punched the gun out of his hand.
The Captain grunted, then Ren roundhouse kicked the Captain in the side of the head. The soldier tumbled across the floor, then Ren kicked him in the head with significant force. The unconscious Captain laid there, and Ren immediately unlocked the door, letting the others inside. May dropped the invisibility dome and sighed with relief. She was feeling exhausted near the end there from holding up that cloak for so long.
"Take a second, May." Blake assured, gently squeezing her shoulder.
Blake turned and walked over to the controls with Ren and Neo, and they looked over everything. "Can we do it? Shut them down from here?" Blake asked.
Neo nodded her head, fiddling with the keyboard, highlighting all the guns and then she hovered her hand over the red button to shut them all down, alongside deactivating the Mass Accelerator Cannon. She looked at Blake and she just nodded, and then Neo hit the button.
All the cannons across the wall powered down and their barrels lowered, lacking that constant hum they always had when online. They watched as the soldiers panicked, and then… the entire Resistance Force attacked at once.
Bringing in their Airforce.
Blake brought up her scroll as Neo freed the Faunus Slaves. "This is High Leader Belladonna – take caution, there are Faunus Captives inside of the facility. Be careful where you shoot." Blake advised.
"Copy that." Mazen answered. They watched as the Acolytes retreated as the enormous force of Resistance stormed forward.
Yet…
… despite watching a war unfold.
There was only one thing that was lingering in her mind.
She looked over her shoulder… feeling a chill.
What are you planning, Umbra?
What are you waiting for?
Ozpin
He stared up at the sky, seeing the flakes of snow in his mind…
He held up his hand and then sat forward, and turned to see nothing but a blizzard surrounding him. He lifted his hand to see snow… and blood dripping from his palm. He glared at the blood on his hands and he clenched his hand tightly, hearing the screams of his world collapsing all around him.
But he heard a distant voice whisper in the back of his mind.
"Ozpin…"
He turned and stared down the blizzard, seeing a mysterious figure stood in the snowstorm, not facing him with their head held low. But they turned their head slightly as they stared at him, but he could not make out their face.
"The end is near… Ozpin…"
He gasped, suddenly waking up from his dream, seeing a flashing image just as we awoke. It was that same image of the brave Huntresses and Huntsmen holding their ground at the Fountain of Beacon Academy. Surrounded by snow, ice and Grimm… whilst Vir Nominis Umbra watched with his evil smirk on his face. He looked around, seeing Glynda sat down beside him.
"Oh, thank the gods… you're okay…" she sighed. He turned to see Maria in the cockpit, and inside were Carmine and Bertilak. Both of them were tending to their weapons as they waited for him to speak.
"The Relic." He gasped, turning, but finding solace to see Mihi Vindicta was right next to him. He leant back against the crate and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry… I should have avoided that Hydra's tail."
"Don't worry about it… we handled it. These two were better than I was expecting, if I'm being honest." Glynda chuckled. Carmine raised her eyebrow.
"I can't tell if that's a compliment of an insult." She commented.
"Take it however you wish. But thank you… we need to keep this Relic safe, away from Vir Nominis Umbra." Glynda explained.
"Yeah… now we're safe… I think you owe us an explanation. What the hell is happening?" Bertilak asked them all, Maria focused on flying. She was still haunted by watching an entire city get wiped out by the Oncoming Shadow and to be washed away by a tidal wave.
With the moon completely shattered, they've notice the tides are completely random now and the waves are unpredictable. They should have expected this, having the moon completely break apart overnight was going to change a lot of things with Remnant. Out of everything with the Oncoming Shadow, they forgot to even consider the natural threats of what was happening to the world.
Ozpin sat forward and stared at them.
It took him some time, but as he filled them in on everything they needed to know, their eyes became glued to him, and they listened to every word. These two were fearless warriors. They had to be when you grew up in Vacuo, of all places. Living out there was unpredictable to put it lightly… they thought they had seen the most horrifying things.
But the things he had just told them…
The Knights of Grimm, him once being one of them, Vir Nominis Umbra, the Oncoming Shadow and the Shivering Dominion?
They were left silent and terrified of what they were up against, as Ozpin expected. Hell, he'd be terrified of someone who would hear everything he just told them and sat there smiling away, being excited to know what comes next.
"And… you really think he can be killed?" Carmine stammered.
"I know it. The bastard is afraid… whatever is in the Embered Grove for Ruby to find? It will be the key to killing him. He wouldn't be so afraid if it was anything else. Ruby Rose is our best chance at killing Vir Nominis Umbra, and she may end up having three Relics…" He explained, then he held the cane in his hands. "And through this I can monitor them… try to keep Vir Nominis Umbra's efforts divided to give them a better chance."
"So… it's a suicide mission?" Bertilak asked.
Ozpin stared at him. "Look around, Bertilak. Every second we breathe is now a suicide mission. Every emotion we feel, ever second that ticks over… these could either be the final days of Remnant… or the beginning of a new and better world. We just have to kill Vir Nominis Umbra first."
Carmine twirled her Sai around as she pondered what he had told them. "And… if we survive? If we kill him and end all of this? Well… I think that's a good enough reason to give you a pardon."
Carmine and Bertilak sighed.
"Well, like I said – I haven't got any plans for the next few days. I just hope you know what you're doing." Bertilak explained.
"So do I." Ozpin agreed, standing up and walking to the cockpit, resting his hand on the back of Maria's seat.
"So what's the plan? Where are we going?" Carmine asked.
"Argus." He answered.
"Argus? Why?" Bertilak asked.
"We lost contact from Queen's Cove immediately when the Oncoming Shadow arrived at Beacon. But we got a hail from Argus. They were still fighting. Now I know it has been a long time and Queen's Cove was completely decimated in only a few hours. But Argus is larger and has a stronger defence than Queen's Cove did. There could still be survivors, and the more people we can help get out of the cities, it gives the world a chance to rebuild afterwards. And if any military are left, if Cordovin is still alive, we can help them escape and take whatever is left to Dragonspire Keep in the Mistraalian Mountains to help defend the two Relics being protected there." Ozpin explained.
"What if he shows up? That Umbra guy?" Carmine asked.
"If he does? You run." He flatly answered. "You won't stand a chance against him."
After they just took down a Hydra… that really put things in perspective of just how powerful Vir Nominis Umbra truly was.
He was beyond anything they had ever faced before.
"We will win. We will not fail." Ozpin promised, looking out at the setting sun.
Hiding his trembling hand.
Weiss
She walked over the bodies…
Seeing the chaos of the battle as it came to an end, all the surrendering Mercenaries on their knees with their hands behind their heads. White Fang and Acolytes of the Rose patrolling the area, and Weiss looked up at the base of the massive Mass Accelerator Cannon which had been shut down.
She turned to see Ruby answering a call on her scroll. "Ortega? What's your status?" Ruby asked, and Weiss approached with Penny.
"We've got enough systems up and running to get the Drift of Wandering Star back in the air, we're still getting the shields up, and we're repairing the hull as we speak. What about your end?" Ortega asked her.
"We've… finally take the S.D.C facility… it was a hard fight, but those left have surrendered. Once those guns went down, the base was helpless. All that's left now is Jacques and the Academy." She explained.
"Good, I'll let you know the Oncoming Shadow arrive. Get that Relic out of there. We're running out of time." Ortega told her, and she nodded her head, closing her scroll and shoving it away.
The Ace Ops approached. They looked battered from the fight but were not down yet. Clover rested his Fishing Rod on his shoulder. "We're with you, Miss Rose." Clover assured.
"What's next?" Harriet asked.
"We've got two targets. Jacques Schnee and Atlas Academy. The slimy old bastard isn't gonna give up the Relic of Destruction easily. And we need to stop him by any means necessary. We can't let him slip away from us again." Ruby explained.
Marrow looked at Weiss.
"That won't be a problem, will it?" He asked her. Weiss stared at him and she narrowed her eyes.
"He murdered my mom and the man who was more of a father to me than he could ever hope to be. What do you think?" Weiss questioned, which shut Marrow up.
Ruby turned to see Blake and Yang running over to catch up with them.
"The others will catch up. They're just helping secure the area. They told us to go on ahead and see what we can see." Yang explained.
"Okay… let's keep moving." Ruby explained.
"You're in a hurry. Wanna strategise first?" Elm asked.
"You didn't see what the Oncoming Shadow did to Beacon. We don't have time, we need that Relic now." Ruby explained as they walked into the next room.
Suddenly…
… all the doors slammed shut, and the lights went dark.
"The hell?" Harriet yelled, raising her fists as she looked around. Weiss looked around, then heard something projecting… and she saw the blue glow light up the room.
"Welcome home, Weiss." Jacques Schnee greeted.
Everyone spun around and drew their weapons, but Weiss just stared him down with anger in her blue eyes. "This place is no home… not anymore, not after what you've done. The S.D.C is finished." Weiss stated as she walked forward.
Jacques held his tumbler of whiskey in his hand, smirking underneath his white moustache.
"On the contrary, my dear, we have accomplished more than I could have ever imagined…" He explained, taking a sip from his glass. "Almost… everything." He admitted.
Everyone lowered their weapons, since he was just a hologram, live recorded from the safety of Schnee Manor. "Yeah… we all saw what you accomplished at Menagerie." She snarled, remembering how he and Merlot turned that once beautiful paradise into hell on Earth. The testing ground for the Horridus Morbus Virus so that he could try to control the Grimm. "But it's not quite the same as controlling the Knights of Grimm, is it? Or Vir Nominis Umbra?"
"A significant stride, to be sure. One that sadly I now realise I could never make a reality… but with the Relic of Destruction… I can make sure he does not take me down with him." Jacques explained.
Weiss scoffed, shaking her head. "You seriously think the Relic of Destruction will be enough to kill Umbra?" Weiss questioned.
"The Relic is capable of destroying anything and everything. Vir Nominis Umbra may be powerful, yes, but he is still an entity. Just like you and me. And with the Relic I can finally create a world that will be perfect." Jacques explained, smiling.
"Perfect for you." Ruby corrected.
"Ah, Ruby Rose. As always… whenever there is trouble you are always the one sticking your nose into the muck." Jacques scoffed. She smirked at him.
"What can I say? I like to cause trouble for assholes." Ruby shrugged, crossing her arms.
"An admirable ideal, truly. But like always… it is foolishly misguided." Jacques stated, taking another sip of his whiskey.
"Like you? Thinking you have any power over Umbra? Look around, father… Vale is gone. And Atlas will soon follow. Millions will die because of your actions. Is that really helping you build your better world?" Weiss questioned. "All you have ever done is aid Umbra, and the moment you realise you've outlived your usefulness, you tucked tail and ran. It's what you have always done, and it's what you will always do."
"You think because I'm willing to use my enemy's tactics, they're no longer my enemy? I have always known what Vir Nominis Umbra was. And I was always one step ahead of him." Jacques stated, making Weiss laugh and shake her head.
"Gods… you really believe it too, don't you? You're never ahead of him. He is always ahead of everything you plan. You have played directly into his game." Weiss explained.
Jacques went quiet as he stared at her. "Give us the Relic of Destruction, and we can find out how to end this."
"I don't think so." Jacques stated.
Weiss scoffed. "You're desperate. How many people have died here in Mantle? In Atlas? If you had just stopped being selfish for one second, we could have already been prepared and killed Umbra." Weiss stated.
Maybe… I like to think we could have prevented all this if we were unified… but I don't know…
"You wouldn't listen. Even now, you're still not listening! If you had worked with me, the Schnee Dust Company could have had the resources we needed to stop Umbra. And nothing you say will ever convince me otherwise."
Blake gritted her teeth and clenched her hand into a fist.
It's pointless…
The man really has lost his mind.
He was always a terrible excuse of a human being and egotistical… but he was never insane.
Weiss just sighed and walked forward. "I've given you chance after chance to listen to reason. The Schnee Dust Company is done. And so are you."
"Once again, you let your idealistic nature hide the truth. I am no fool who does not think of all potential outcomes… and I have considered this outcome all too well. And you are powerless to stop me." Jacques explained.
"The hell are you talking about?" Weiss questioned, then suddenly the doors and window shutters opened. They found Jaune on the other side of the one they walked through. He had been trying to open it.
His eyes were wide to see the hologram of Jacques Schnee.
"Do look out the windows… I'd hate for you to miss the grand reveal." Jacques concluded as he turned and walked away, his hologram fading away just as he smirked.
"That was… ominous…" Yang commented.
"I don't like this." Blake said and Weiss tried to think, but before she could even wonder what he meant, a powerful tremor shook the entire Kingdom.
"What the hell?" Harriet stammered.
Suddenly, a deafening roar, like that of a jet, echoed across Atlas. The ground was shaking endlessly now. Cracks started to spread across the building, splitting Jaune away from Ruby. She reached out, but they had to run as their side of the building collapsed. Jaune ran as fast as he could. Everyone did, narrowly escaping that part of the S.D.C Facility that collapsed. Luckily, the Anti-Air Defences and Mass Accelerator Cannon were untouched.
Team R.W.B.Y and the Ace Ops all narrowly got away and slid across the ground, then they held on as the shaking just continued, watching as something utterly unexpected happened.
Jaune stared in disbelief.
The City of Atlas…
… was rising.
That was what all that Dust was being transported for… there were massive Gravity Dust Powered devices that were pushing Atlas up into the sky, using even more powerful thrusters to rip them out from the ground. It slowly ascended, dropping gigantic chunks of debris down onto some districts of Mantle.
Robyn watched with horror as the city rose higher and higher into the sky.
Suddenly, Jacques appeared on every screen in Mantle and Atlas, speaking to everyone. "Behold… the beauty of the most advanced Kingdom of Remnant…" Jacques spoke. "We lifted the other Kingdoms up from their squalor after the Great War, and what did they ever bring us back but problems? No longer… down below you shall all face the fate that you deserve. To be picked off by the monsters you fear… whilst Atlas… will… SURVIVE!"
Amidst the crowd watching Atlas rise all the way down in Mantle, Vir Nominis Umbra looked up at the levitating city.
And he just smirked, his eyes glowing red, before vanishing as the crowd fled from falling debris.
Up on Atlas, Team R.W.B.Y and the Ace Ops were now their only chance of getting the Relic of Destruction.
It's only them.
Weiss watched as Atlas reached the clouds, and then a massive Hardlight Dome formed around the city of Atlas, completely protecting it from the world. Ruby stood up and stared at Atlas Academy, and then she turned.
Down below, Jaune turned as well, feeling a chill on his spine.
"All forces! To the South!" He yelled.
Both Ruby and Jaune watched from the opposing cities as the sky to the south darkened… and glow bright red.
The Oncoming Shadow have arrived.
"Ruby? What do we do?" Yang stammered.
Ruby clenched her hand into a fist, staring down at the tundra… she could not see him… but she knew he was staring right back at her.
She scowled, and her silver eyes shimmered.
Down in the snow, Vir Nominis Umbra held out his hands as he called the Oncoming Shadow to Solitas, and he smirked back, staring up at the floating city.
No turning back now.
They were out of time.
Author Note - It has begun
The Oncoming Shadow have finally arrived at Solitas, and Jacques Schnee has started his plan to raise Atlas into the sky. Been waiting to reveal that twist for quite a while now believe it or not XD
Was a fun chapter, the Hydra battle was really awesome to write and it was sad to write the end of Queen's Cove. Always loved that city's aesthetic, but sadly... it never stood a chance. But now Oz and the crew are headed to Argus. Let's hope the Sleeping Angel of Remnant is still standing, unlike Queen's Cove.
Sanus is officially no more, it's only Anima and Solitas left
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter!
- Matt