A.N. I am happy to see the response that this is getting. This one is another interlude to end off the Arc. I hope this will answer some of questions I noticed people asking. Big thanks to Dragon of Hope over on Spacebattles.

XxXxX

It was a tense gathering in Ozpin's office. Everyone was on edge from the reports Glynda and Qrow delivered.

"Alright, Qrow did you notice any weakness of this, simulacrum?" Ozpin asked, hoping to alleviate everyone's worries.

"Definitely. It didn't possess an Aura, it was still damn tough, but not as hard as a Goliath. But it felt like I was trying to cut through a damn Bullhead." Qrow answered, reeking of alcohol.

"On the other hand, it appears as if it possesses a ranged capability not unlike one of my battleships." Added James "Not to mention, it appears Salem managed to discover a way to resurrect the dead, given that she possessed Silver Eyes. Ozpin, if she can do that, she can use every single Huntsman and Huntress we have ever lost against us. We need a plan to deal with this."

Ozpin sighed, 'It was a terrible thing to lose such a young prodigy, and then to see her turned against her own family. Salem has to be stopped, no matter the cost, if she is willing to stoop to using the dead.' However, it was Glynda who interrupted his thoughts.

"Qrow, I know it must have been terrible fighting that thing pretending to be your niece, but there is something about what you said that doesn't match up."

"And what would that be, because I am all ears about hearing how what I saw was wrong."

"If the crime at the docks and your fight are indeed from the same individual, then why don't you have anything worse than a strained leg? The one who started the altercation ripped a man in half and caused enough destruction to total a section of the docks and kill over 30 aura users."

Qrow rolled his eyes before responding. "I saw plenty of those type of Grimm there, it could have been one of them."

"And yet, the eye witness reports of the description of the perpetrator are the same as the one you described. Something isn't matching up, Qrow, and you would've noticed if you weren't drunk when you were fighting."

"Oh, how could I forget, miss Investigator Goodwitch, top of her division until her partner got slaughtered by a pack of Beowolves, please tell me how you would have been dealing with things in my position huh? Because that damn thing was wearing my Nieces face like it was a costume."

Glynda had frozen halfway through Qrow's response. She whipped out her crop and was beginning to channel her semblance when Ozpin interrupted.

"Qrow, that is enough. Glynda, please calm down and continue when you are ready."

Glynda took a moment before she lowered her weapon and continued again.

"It doesn't make any sense. Whatever the thing that tore up the docks was, it destroyed and killed with impunity and had the firepower of a ship. You may be one of our best Qrow, but you aren't bullet proof, especially with that semblance of yours. The thing you fought, whatever it really was, didn't immediately start attacking you. It may have more of a mind then any of the other grimm. We may be able to reason with it!"

"That doesn't change the threat they pose! It doesn't matter if they have a shred of their old personality, they are still following Salem's orders! We need a plan, I am not going to be the General who allowed Atlas and the other Kingdoms to fall!"

Ozpin looked towards the hologram of James, looking over the rest of the group, before his eyes fell on him again. "James, tensions are clearly high, I think we should possibly reconvene tomorrow. It has been a long night for all of us.

James returned the look Ozpin was giving him for a moment before breaking eye contact. "Fine. I will present some options tomorrow. Good night." And with that, the hologram flickered before disappearing entirely. Ozpin looked back to Qrow and Glynda, who were both staring at the spot where the hologram disappeared. Qrow was the first to speak up.

"I am going to go, talk to Tai. Someone's gotta tell him. I'll be back tomorrow." Immediately after finishing his sentence, Qrow got into the elevator and headed down.

Ozpin looked at Glynda, who was gripping her crop with a white knuckled grip. "Glynda." He called, causing her to turn to face him and loosening her grip. "How is team PWYN (Periwinkle)."

"Well sir…"

XxXxX

Yang Xiao Long, as she was doing so often nowadays, was in Vale. It had been three months since they declared Ruby deceased. But Yang refused to believe it. People had managed to come back after being missing for years. Her dad and team had told her that she was hoping for something that wasn't there. That Ruby had been separated from Crescent Rose, and that even if she had managed to get away, she wouldn't live long separated from her weapon. But she didn't believe them. They didn't know Ruby like she did. She was fast, she was smart, she wouldn't just die like that. Yang arrived at Junior's bar, intent on getting information. She laughed bitterly. This is where she was when Ruby went missing. Maybe this time it would help find her sister.

As Yang walked to the bar, the gang members gave her a large berth. She approached the bar and flagged down a tired looking Junior.

"Hey. You know why I am here."

Junior sighed as he put down the mug he was cleaning and moved to where Yang was.

"Look, Blondie, I don't know how many times I need to tell you the same story. I get it, it is hard losing family like that. But coming back every other night and asking me isn't going to change the answer."

Yang growled as she slammed her hand down on the counter.

"She's not dead damnit! People can always remember things after a while, your guy might have gotten something wrong, like he did when he waited a week to give the actual story to the cops."

Junior sighed, having dealt with her coming in again and again for the last three months.

"And we dealt with that. Kid, I know I have shown you where they found her weapon. With that much blood around, there is no way she would have lived long after."

"She had Aura, it might have helped her hold on. She could have just gone into shock and been picked up by one of the boats heading out."

Junior prepared to call the girl's team to come and pick her up when one his guys came running in through the front doors.

"Boss! You have to hear about this."

Both Yang and Junior turned to look at the man. He ran up to the counter and placed down a photo. When Junior grabbed it and looked, he was shocked in what he saw. An entire section of the docks blown to bits and littered with splotches of red. He turned back to the man. "Well, what's the story behind this?"

"You know the bits of the docks we recommended Torchwick to use? That's them. Apparently, some White Fang had found something and tried to fight, and they lost, bad. 30 of the local chapter are dead."

Junior was more than a bit shocked to hear this. After the cops had caught Roman, the Fang had practically disappeared from the city. He hadn't even heard of them holding a rally in the last month. To hear that almost half of them had died was a shock.

"Any idea what messed them up that badly?"

Another photo quickly was slid down. Before Junior could grab it, Yang had picked it up. It was blurry and grainy, clear taken with a scroll. But in it was one thing that shook Yang to her core. A figure, clearly hooded was facing the camera. Nothing could be made out from under the hood except for a pair of gleaming silver eyes. Yang began shaking as she was looking at the photo. Junior began moving closer to see what was up before Yang's head shot up. Her eyes, now blazing red, were focused on the man who had come in.

"Where did you get this?"

"Well…"

XxXxX

Alright, this should finish off the first Arc. The next arc starts next week. Once again, any and all commentary would be appreciated. Thank you for continuing to read An Abyssal Fate.