(AN: The story will slow down a bit due to the need to handle timeskips and further development. Apologies in advance.)

Emerald sat against the rock, her good arm cuffed to a railing while her broken arm sat in a makeshift sling. Around her neck was an aura mitigator, a thin and tightly applied black collar with a small device that apparently slowed down the replenishment and application of aura. Liya was also being tended to by an Atlesian combat medic, having taken aura boosters and was resting up.

General Ironwood was barking orders through his scroll for all Atlesian ships to redirect all forces to the city of Vale. Kevin had started his assault ten minutes ago, dropping large pools of Grimm liquid in the streets, on roofs, everywhere. While much of the city was evacuated, there were still thousands dying to the Grimm spawning from everywhere. Local law enforcement and the soldiers deployed were getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of Grimm, and huntsmen like Qrow, Taiyang, Nicholas, and Goodwitch could only handle so much.

By the time reinforcements would arrive, it would probably be too late. There was no way to clean up the Grimm pools, and the wyvern would still be active, destroying parts of the city and dropping even more Grimm. And it wasn't even sure if the Atlesian airships could handle the wyvern in such a populated area.

Not to mention the Grimm were going after Amity Colosseum, which still had way too many people on it despite evacuations. The Atlesian Air Force was split between protecting the evacuation transports from both Amity and Vale, meaning there were too few dropships fighting off the Grimm in the city.

"Markus," a familiar voice called out to me.

I blinked out of my stupor to see Jaune and Pyrrha approaching. Jaune had a massive slash in his chest armor, and he was bleeding profusely on the left arm. Pyrrha was untouched - surprising no one - and was supporting the injured Arc. "Jaune, Pyrrha," I said. "Is...is your family-"

"They got out alright. They were on one of the first transports out," Jaune said. "Dad and Olivia are fighting, and-"

"They have to leave now," I said, panicked. I had been panicking for several minutes now, since the Grimm wyvern started its series of attack runs. The city was under more attack than ever, and I was certain the deaths of every civilian and soldier was on my head. "I...they need to evacuate. Vale is gone, I don't think we can-"

"Hey, it's going to be alright," Jaune quickly said. "We're stuck in Beacon, but the city's forces are still fighting. I was gonna ask if you saw RWBY anywhere."

"No," I muttered, getting up and drawing my neural Dust into a set of swords to fight with. "No, I haven't. I have to look for them. I have to make sure they're alright."

"Wait, I'll go with you-" Pyrrha was about to say when a soldier grabbed her hand, directing her and Jaune to the medics. I ran off while Pyrrha struggled, making a beeline for the cafeteria, where Blake and Adam had fought. Where Yang had lost her arm.

I had to find them before it was too late. The entire campus was nearly abandoned, bodies of a few students, and White Fang everywhere. There were no Grimm corpses, since they all disintegrate upon death, but I could tell many Grimm, hundreds, died here.

With the amount of destruction the school had endured, it was difficult to tell where everything was. But there were sounds of fighting in the distance. I began to run, faster than I ever thought I could go. Grabbing the aura boosters Ironwood gave to me earlier, I popped two more of those disgusting tasting pills and chewed, before swallowing.

I felt my aura boost once again, and I wondered if this is a drug that I'd be addicted to. I really hope that I wouldn't - it'd be a very horrible habit to get into. Reaching the mess hall, I saw exactly what I expected.

And more.

Adam Taurus fought off Ren and Weiss, deflecting and attacking them with expert swordsmanship and incredibly effective acrobatics. Yang lay on the ground, clutching her bloody right shoulder and gasping for breath. Ruby was next to Yang, hugging her and crying into her shoulder.

Yang's severed arm lay limp a few meters away. Blake was unconscious under a pile of tables, and Nora was firing grenades between Weiss and Ren whenever they both managed to get some distance from Adam. Adam just kept absorbing blow after blow with his sword, being too fast for his aura to even take a direct hit.

"Adam!" I yelled before dashing for him, swords in hand. Adam blocked immediately, sending one sword careening before locking his sword against mine, the two of us fighting for control in the few seconds of struggle.

Then I got headbutted, the bull Faunus terrorist leader forcing me back at once. He swung, and my aura was cut by around a fourth. Crashing into the tables, Ren leapt over me and swung at Adam, only to be knocked back by a blast of absorbed energy from Adam's blade. He flew back as well, but unlike me, - who landed in a heap - Ren backflipped and dashed forward once again.

Nora swung her hammer from Adam's left, going straight for the legs. Adam jumped with a grunt, before Ren kicked him into the wall while the red haired menace was still in the air. Crashing against the wall, Adam momentarily stumbled before recovering almost all at once, only for one of Weiss's gravity glyphs to pin him in place.

Ren leapt forward, ready to start a chain of attacks on Adam before he broke free, breaking Weiss's hold on him and swinging forward. As Adam intercepted Ren in the air, Nora swung for Adam, only for Adam to leap over Ren, grasping the boy's head and swinging him down hard on the ground, narrowly dodging Magnhild.

"We can't get him!" Nora cried as she swung again .

"His semblance is too much!" Weiss said as she tried to fire a salvo of ice at Adam, only for Adam to carve his way through it and run straight for her.

"Schnee!" he yelled as he readied his sword. Weiss stumbled back and braced, only for me to tackle her out of the way. Adam's sword embedded itself into the ground a millisecond after my boot was over it.

"You get away from them!" I said, getting up and keeping my body in front of Weiss. "Racist bastard."

"You," Adam said the moment he got a good look at me. He sounded surprised. Only a little.

"Yeah, what about me?" I said, my voice conveying annoyance. "Blake told us who you were. Crazy ex boyfriend, a freedom fighter turned terrorist."

"Did she now?" Adam asked. "I suppose she would say that I'm the crazy one after what she's done. But right now, that isn't what's important."

"And what is?" I asked.

Adam stood up straight, no longer hunched over in a combat pose. "Cinder told me you were important. Said you knew more than anyone else should," he said, casually walking closer to me, but not too close. "She told me you were responsible for the first attack going south."

"The Breach? It was a group effort. Ask anyone here," I said. "Your point?"

Adam chuckled before he looked down at his blade, as if inspecting it. "Tell me, do your friends know just how close you are to the enemy?" he said. "That you chose not to help them?"

I growled. "I'm not on her side. At all," I said in an agitated voice.

"And who's her?" Adam said.

"Cinder!" I said. "You know that, I know that. She infiltrated Beacon to attack it during the festival, I fought her minutes ago. I know what you're doing. You're manipulative. You twist words, actions, and you always change how things look. It's how you work. I know about what you tried to do on the train, Adam. You aren't as high and mighty as you think."

"Oh, really?" Adam said. I gritted my teeth at his tone, as if he knew exactly what I was. I hated how people mocked others, and I was getting very upset. "And how exactly would you know how I work?"

"M-Markus?" Weiss asked.

"I've done my research. And Blake told me," I said. "I don't know what Cinder told you, but I've stopped her before. The CCT is safe. and-"

"And nothing. What she said almost made me laugh," Adam said, stomping his foot as he held his blade out at me. "She said you knew what was going to happen. She said you knew her plans. And the fact you told me it was you who protected the tower proves it. But you couldn't protect the city. you let all of this happen, and you can't prove me wrong."

"Bullshit!" I barked, seeing Ren and Nora approach Adam from behind. "I had no idea she was going to do something as crazy as this!"

"Oh, but you did. That's why you were on the colosseum, like she thought you'd be. That's why you're working with the general. But in the end, everything that's happened here is on your head," Adam said.

"You're stalling," I said.

Nora leapt forward.

Ren fired.

Adam grinned. The ceiling collapsed in front of Ren and Nora, and a Bullhead appeared, hovering above the hole in the ceiling. Adam jumped up slashed his sword down into the floor, all the built up energy quickly getting discharged. He propelled himself up into the air before wall jumping and leaping into the Bullhead, which flew away the moment its ramp closed behind the White Fang leader. Things were silent around us before I recalled my Dust, running to Blake and pushing at the tables burying her. "Blake!" I yelled out, feeling the adrenaline run out as I suddenly weakened. Nevertheless, I pressed on, pulling the tables off of her. Ren came over to assist as well.

Within a few minutes, the tables on her were gone, and Blake was free to breathe. She seemed to be in good shape, with a few bruises and a depleted aura. She might have a few cracked ribs, but it was unlikely. "Blake, you're OK. Look, I-"

Blake looked up. "I...I never told you Adam and I dated. Or how...manipulative he was," she said. "I barely said anything personal about Adam at all, only missions. And...I never told you about the train."

Everything felt cold. I realized just how much I'd spilled thanks to Adam-thanks to my lack of control.

"...how did you know?"

My heart froze. "I...I kinda assumed it. I mean how he talked, the way he was-" I said.

"Markus, that...Cinder lady was here before the fight started. She said to look out for you. Said you were important. Before my..." Yang said before wincing at her bleeding stump. It was wrapped up in a piece of makeshift bandage from a cloth I didn't recognize. Getting up, she stumbled as she looked at me. "What did he mean, you knew?"

"Markus...we saw you and Cinder's team talk," Ruby said. "A-and you danced with her as well..."

This was all falling apart. "I'm not on her side, I never was, I was just-" I tried to say.

"What did that bastard mean 'you knew'?" Nora said. "He's lying, right? You couldn't have known that Beacon would be attacked. That...that thousands would die..."

That was something I couldn't dispute. I hesitated for a second before shaking my head. "I don't think we should focus on that right now. Beacon is still falling, we have to-"

"Oh my Gods..." Yang said, her eyes widening. "He was right...you did know..."

"Markus, how could you?" Weiss whispered. I wish my Faunus ears didn't pick that up, because the sheer hurt in Weiss's voice hurt a lot.

"I didn't do this-" I tried to say.

"But you stood by let it happen! That's just as bad!"

"Weiss, I fought to- Yang, please-"

"You knew!" Yang cried, tears welling up in her lilac eyes. "Everyone was in danger and you let it happen?!"

There were many flaws in what Adam had said. He didn't make much sense, and it was clear that anything he told us could be easily misinterpreted. But that didn't change the fact that I knew of the impending attack. It did not change the fact that I didn't warn the public about this - as terrible an idea as it was. It did not change the fact that I was in contact with the enemy several times.

As far as Yang knew, I was responsible for the fall of Beacon. And judging by the mixed angry and wounded looks of the girls around me, they believed so too.

Rage and reason have never been seen together, and now was no exception.

"I tried to help, I went to-" I tried to say before Yang dashed forward with an angry roar. Even with a missing arm and subjection to lots of pain, her red eyes and flaming hair did nothing to diminish her combat capability. I flew across the cafeteria and smashed into the wall. My aura flickered badly.

Then Yang, still screaming like a rage induced banshee, stormed forward and kicked me hard into the wall. Another kick. A third. A fourth. I kept trying to explain as she did so, but she refused to listen. That hardheadedness of hers was really working against me right now.

My body screamed in pain as my aura finally gave out, my ribs being subject to cracking badly, as Yang cocked Ember Celica on her left hand. She punched me in the gut once. Blood came out of my mouth as I coughed and choked for breath.

"You bastard!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. Tears of betrayal, of pain. And I didn't blame her. If only I could tell her the whole truth. That wasn't to say that I wouldn't.

But the agonizing pain and the drowning in blood was effective in blocking any words I tried to say.

"I trusted you!" Yang cried as she delivered a nasty punch to my left arm hugging my stomach. My arm fractured, and I yelled from the burning feeling.

Another punch.

My arm shattered.

"You...you traitor!" Yang screamed.

"W-wait-" I tried to croak.

Yang's gauntlet fired on the third punch, and my elbow joint exploded. I don't remember screaming quite so much when the pain hit. And it hit like a nuclear bomb, there was so much. I couldn't feel anything other than my destroyed arm. When I looked back in blurry eyes, all I could see was flashing white...and the rest of my friends looking at me with no clear desire to help.

I think it was safe to say that we weren't friends any longer. I fell to the dark seconds later, the last thing I could see was Yang walking away coldly.

Darkness was all I could feel. The pain never went away either. I tried to sit up, but there was nothing to lean on.

"This was an unfortunate turn of events."

I felt my eyes open, seeing the Brother God of Light looking down at me. "Hi," I muttered.

"Are you alright?" the God asked. I chuckled, feeling it odd for the God to ask that of me. Shouldn't gods know all things on a cosmic level or something?

"Nope. I was...betrayed," I said. "Blamed for...what I couldn't stop. I don't blame them..."

"You could not anticipate the events that played out," the God of Light said kindly. "When you wake up, I assure you your arm will no longer feel pain."

"Because it's not there anymore, right?" I said. "Shotgun to the elbow will snap it off, I think."

"Correct, child," the God of Light said. "You could never stop the fall of Beacon. It was destined to happen. One way or the other, Ozpin would lose his life of this cycle. Beacon would be destroyed, and the maiden power would be passed to Cinder Fall."

"Yeah," I mumbled. "And the city gets destroyed, the dragon kills even more - I cause more casualties in the end."

"Correct. But you forget the good your actions did," the God of Light said. "The CCT remains functional. You save Pyrrha Nikos. You will convert Emerald Sustrai, and you spared the life of Roman Torchwick."

"Wait, Roman's alive?" I asked.

"Yes. He remains locked in a secure cell in the city," the God said. "And because of your...technical passions, Atlas grows in strength and compassion. Atlas does not suffer to the collapse of the kingdom of Vale. General Ironwood will not close the borders of his kingdom, and Atlas remains open to the other kingdoms, which is a victory for the future."

"Yeah," I mumbled. "I sure don't feel like it's a victory."

The God of Light said nothing.

I woke up in a daze. I was in an infirmary, bedridden. My stump of a left arm was bandaged, and my body was covered in wrappings. I sighed at the familiar feeling of aura boosters, my body working overtime to heal my internal injuries dealt by Yang.

I winced when I felt my hand get itchy. My left nonexistent hand. I'd never experienced phantom pains before, but now I knew why people always said they were unbearable. Not only was the pain unable to go away at times, it only reminded me that a part of me was missing.

I blinked away tears as I tried to ignore my missing limb. I wanted everything to just...stop. I wanted the pain to stop, I wanted the noise to stop. I wanted to stop...living.

Before I could continue that line of morbid thinking, the door opened with a hiss. Pyrrha and Jaune entered the room, Jaune's arm in a sling. "Hey...Markus," he said.

"Hi," I said, looking away. "Why are you here?"

"We wanted to stay with you until you woke up, to make sure you're alright. Even if the others don't believe we should. So...how's the arm-" Jaune asked before wincing. I could feel that wince. "S-sorry, just...you were asleep for a really long time."

"How long?" I asked.

"...two weeks," Pyrrha said. Somehow, that wasn't surprising to me. "But...enough of that. Yang told us...something."

"Lemme guess, I was responsible for thousands of deaths, and the fall of Beacon, and the loss of the city," I said.

"Yes," Pyrrha said briefly. "Is...is it true?"

"...yes," I said. "It's true because I knew it was coming. I tried to warn Ozpin, and Ironwood, and others, and I just wanted to try and stop the attack and...I failed."

"Wait, so you...aren't a bad guy?" Jaune asked.

"No!" I said, angrily slamming my only hand on the bed railing. "I'm not, I was always on your side. I always wanted to stop them, but...but I failed. Yang's right. So many people are dead because I failed."

Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other, a bit more understanding. "Markus, it wasn't your fault. There was no way to outmaneuver Cinder," Jaune said. "She would've found another way."

"Wait, how did you-" I said.

"I told them." The three of us turned to see General Ironwood at the door of the infirmary. "They deserved to know," he said. "They deserve to know that it wasn't your fault. That you did the best you could with what you had to save people. We all did. This failure is on me, on Ozpin, on those who were in charge. Not just you, Markus."

"Yeah," Jaune said. "It was all...bad luck."

"Bad luck is an understatement," I said.

"Nevertheless, we need you now," Ironwood said. "You're recovering nicely and we have a prosthetic to your measurements having been delivered here less an hour ago."

"Wait...here? Where's here?" I asked.

"You're aboard one of my airships," Ironwood said. "We've been staying to secure the city borders and preventing the Grimm from leaving. The Grimm dragon, Kevin as you cal him, has fled when we arrived to intercept it. But the Grimm keep spawning at an enormous rate. Vale is unrecoverable."

"What about Emerald? And Torchwick?" I asked.

"Sustrai is in custody aboard the brig. As is Torchwick. I figured you might want to talk with him," Ironwood said. "We have counselors and therapists aboard if you wish to-"

"No," I said, sitting up straight. "We need to plan our next move. Where's...the others?"

"Yang, Ruby, Nora, Ren, and Liya went to Patch. Weiss was pulled back to Atlas by her father and...Blake's missing," Pyrrha said.

"From what Ironwood told us, you know where she is," Jaune said.

"She's en route to Menagerie," I said. "Sun's following her to make sure she gets there safely. Look, I'm sure you wanna know everything, and I'll tell you. Just-"

"Ironwood said...Ironwood said you weren't from this world," Pyrrha said. "He said without you, things would be different. What would be different?"

I looked away, knowing exactly what was going to happen. "You would've been selected to wield the power of the Fall Maiden," I began. "Then Cinder would kill Ozpin. You leave Jaune behind to fight Cinder and you die."

Pyrrha gasped, and Jaune felt sick, judging by how his face went pale. I chose this as a moment to continue. "Jaune blames himself for your death. He keeps a training video of you, plays it every night for over a year as a way to remember you. It tortures him, only ever thinks about how he was too weak to save you."

"No..." Pyrrha whispered.

"He almost gets himself killed several times over," I said. "He lacks self preservation, and Cinder almost kills him. Then she almost kills Weiss. But Nora and Ren are there to support him. He finally moves on, forgives himself."

"I...die?" Pyrrha whispered. "I leave Jaune behind?"

"Pyrrha, that's enough," Jaune said, moving to comfort his girlfriend. "You heard him, things are different now. We're both alive, so let's not dwell on what could have happened."

"So, you think I'm not a villain?" I asked.

"You were never a villain," Pyrrha said gently. "You may not be from here, but you clearly have a part in our lives. So...thank you for saving my life. And helping Jaune."

"We'll tell the others, tell them that you're a good guy, someone who's helped, someone-" Jaune said.

"No...you may not think I screwed up, but I...I don't think I'm ready to believe that myself," I said. "Just keep it under wraps, OK?"

Pyrrha was clearly reluctant, but Jaune nodded. "Alright. You...you'll talk when you're ready, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said before looking to General Ironwood. "If you don't mind, I think I'll try on that arm if that's alright."

"Of course," the general said. "We just need to run a few more tests before we can get you prepped for it. Miss Nikos, Mister Arc, if it's alright with you-"

"Oh! Oh, of course," Pyrrha said as she and Jaune got up.

"Pyrrha?" I said. When she turned, I smiled sadly to her. "Thanks...for believing me. Go to Patch. Go with Ruby. They need all the help they can get."

"What about you?" Jaune asked.

I looked down, clenching my fist for a few seconds. "I don't think I deserve it yet. Maybe when I'm back on my feet and ready to take on the world." The two left after promising, leaving me and General Ironwood alone in the room.

"They'll be taken to Patch. In the meantime, let's get you ready," General Ironwood said.

"Thanks, general," I said. "Where's...my stuff? Just curious."

"Your outfit was damaged beyond repair. Your wallet and scroll is fine. Your belt is damaged, though we managed to collect the neural Dust," the tin man said. "A new belt is being constructed at the moment."

"Thanks," I said, just as the doors opened, revealing doctors and nurses that came over to take tests, check my health, etcetera etcetera. Hours later, the bandages my stump around my stump were removed, and fitted with a new socket. When my new silver arm came in, I saw how much it resembled Yang's robotic arm. Only...it looked more like my arm. It was sleek, with panel lines and very smooth and articulate joints for the wrist and elbow.

Attachment of the arm was oddly satisfying, the smooth click being heard as the arm fit perfectly in the socket. I flexed my arm, rolling the wrist and stretching it. "Wow...feels pretty amazing," I said as I rubbed the wrist. It was very sleek, and had no overlapping parts - leaving no openings for fingers to get stuck in. I wonder...

"Can I pop it off?" I asked. "I'm curious if I can do the whole 'arm falls off' prank."

The general laughed. "You can detach it for maintenance, which is simple enough," he said. "Next generation Atlas technology is meant to be much more efficient and simpler to handle, after all."

"It's one of the first of a new line of huntsmen compatible prosthetics. Lightweight, durable, and easily as reactive as a normal living arm. We even used some of our neural Dust on hand to assist with the phantom pains. The pads on the hand will allow some degree of feeling into your hand. Pain doesn't register, but you can at least have some sense of normality left ," General Ironwood said, a small hint of pride hidden in his tone. I wondered if Yang's robot arm in the original show had these features, or if it only will because of the introduction of neural Dust. "You should be good to go now," the general said.

I got up as a nurse handed me a set of clothes, an Atlas emblem imprinted pair of sweatpants and a white T-shirt. "I have a plan for our next course of action," I told the general once the nurses and doctors left and closed the door behind them. "Salem's forces attack Haven next. If I recall, it's a joint attack by the Spring Maiden, Cinder's guys, and the White Fang."

"The Spring Maiden?" Ironwood said. "You know where she is?"

"No, I don't," I said. "Their tribe is always on the move, so there's no way for me to locate them."

"Tribe? Who-" Ironwood said. "Don't tell me, Raven Branwen has the Spring Maiden."

"Qrow knows too. Or at least, has a hunch. Has he not told you this?" I asked. Upon Ironwood shaking his head, I sighed. "Thought not, likely wouldn't be certain. Still, I have a plan to get to Mistral."

"And what exactly is that?" General Ironwood said. Sitting back down on the bed and setting aside my clothes, I began to explain.

Once I got dressed ten minutes later, I was led to an interrogation room, which was a cramped room with a table and three chairs, two chairs on one side. It only took a few minutes for the door to open again after I sat down on the side of the table with one chair. On the far side of the wall, next to the door, was a large one way window.

Two Atlesian soldiers brought Roman and Emerald in, sitting them down in the two remaining chairs in the room. They left, locking the door behind them. Emerald and Roman were cuffed with their aura mitigation devices on, but they still wore their normal outfits. Emerald no longer had a broken arm, so I'm guessing they let her aura heal her up before slapping that collar back on.

"So, if it isn't the little brat who got me locked up. So why am I here?" Roman asked as he tried to cross his arms, only remembering that he was cuffed and giving up seconds later.

I snuck a look at Emerald, who simply looked...downcast, before I looked back to Roman. "I've been thinking...why did Cinder recruit you?" I asked. "You're a professional thief. You're no terrorist, you aren't power hungry, and you certainly lack a motive for the murders of tens of thousands. So why are you working for her?"

"Ain't it obvious, kid?" Roman said, kicking his feet up and leaning back in his chair. "I have no intention of dying here. I never wanted this. But you don't say no to somebody like Cinder."

"I know," I said. "I know what it's like to be pulled into a shitty situation. To be forced to do something you never wanted. One day you're the boss, and another day you aren't."

"Where are you going with this, kid?" Roman asked.

"I'm here to recruit you both. We're gonna save the world from Cinder's master. I'm kinda sure Emerald knows exactly who her master is," I said. "Do you?"

Roman raised an eyebrow before lowering his feet and sitting up properly. "What makes you think you can convince me to join you?" he asked, leaning forward.

"Because Cinder has Neo under her command," I said. Roman stiffened, and his amused expression darkened at once. "Cinder convinced Neo that you were killed in the battle. She's gonna use Neo until she's no longer useful, before throwing her aside to die. Just like she did to Emerald."

"You're wrong!" Emerald cried loudly, stopping Roman before he could say something in retaliation. Emerald's voice was raspy, as if she hadn't had much water before now. "She...she won't abandon me! She knows how loyal I am, I never once backstabbed her or went behind her back...she won't leave me here to rot."

Roman and I looked at each other, before looking back to Emerald in denial. "Should I tell her or should you?" he said. He knew what Emerald was going through, I know he sees the way Emerald pined for Cinder's affection, her attention, her approval every time he saw the two interact. Sure, she did terrible things, but only because Cinder molded it into her. Because Cinder pushed Emerald to believe this was what she needed.

"Face it, kid," Roman said, taking my thoughtful silence as an approval. "She used you, like a tool. She doesn't give a damn about you or the gray half robot brat. Someone like her doesn't know how to care."

"You're wrong," Emerald repeated. "She knows I'm in trouble. She-she could be coming up with a plan to break me out! Or maybe she's on her way right now! She cares, she wouldn't-"

"But she replaced you," I said, interrupting Emerald. "She tossed you aside at the landing pads because picking you up was inconvenient at the time. She replaced you with Neo. Because her semblance is just like yours, but better."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Roman said, smirking pridefully as he looked to the wall.

"N-no!" Emerald said, refusing to - or attempting to refuse to - listen to my words. "She...she saved me from the streets! She's always treated me well-"

But I wasn't done. "She treated you like a pawn. She treated Mercury like a pawn! Do you think Cinder cares that Mercury isn't loyal to her? She picked up you, a street urchin, and Mercury, an abuse victim, because you two were vulnerable. Easy to control. Easy to manipulate. Easy to use."

"Shut up!" Emerald begged.

"You're nothing to her! You're useless to Cinder now!" I shouted, before regretting it. Raising my voice barely did any good, after all.

That was all Emerald could take before she broke. "No!" she screamed, and she lunged across the table into me. The two of us toppled to the floor, and Roman got up and backed off, his expression showing satisfaction at one of Cinder's insufferable peons finally snapping..

Emerald tried to hit me with her cuffed arms, but I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her hard, her petite body struggling to break free. The doors burst open, revealing Clover and an Atlesian soldier at the ready. Roman held his cuffed hands up, and Emerald kept screaming hoarsely, her efforts to hurt me futile.

"Just give me some time. She's had it rough," I said. Clover looked skeptical, before slowly nodding and turning back, closing the door behind him and the soldier.

Emerald slowly began to stop fighting, lying collapsed against me. Her breathing was softened, having calmed down save for the shaking of her body. I just hugged her awkwardly, letting her cry against me. I knew she wouldn't be convinced now, not even with what Cinder did being as plain as anything seen in daylight. But it was a start.

Roman blinked in confusion, before he looked back to the one way mirror, shrugging and mouthing something - most likely something along the lines of "what the fuck" to whoever was watching.

"Are you alright?" I whispered. Emerald slowly pushed herself off of me and leaned against the wall, legs curled up and head buried in her knees, hands on her ankles. I wondered if she was seeing herself back in the alleyway as a child, frightened and lost against a world out for her head. At least, that was what I could think.

"I called you here to recruit you. To fight against the real enemy," I said.

"In case you didn't remember, I have no interest in fighting. Like you said, I wanna live. I never wanted a role in this, it's bad for business and my health," Roman said.

"So are cigars, yet you probably chain smoke two packs a day," I said.

"That's cigarettes, dimwit," Emerald said, sniffling.

"I know you don't wanna fight. I don't care either way. But all I care about is getting Neo out of Cinder's hands," I said. "And the only way she'll snap out of her funk and leave Cinder is if she finds out you're alive."

"And what makes you think that'll work?" Roman asked. But I knew the answer. I did always love to read, after all.

"Because you were the first true family Neo ever had. I know both your pasts. I know you were born in an orphanage in a little village by the name of Wind Path in Mistral. You were a pickpocket. Then you became a gang member of the Spiders. Then you became your own crime lord. Until you came across a scared little girl by the name of Trivia Vanille," I said.

Roman frowned, sitting down before sighing tiredly to himself. "Damn, you know how attached we are, huh?" he said. "I didn't think we had records on that."

"You don't. But, it's the same way I know all about Emerald's origins, her tragic backstory that led her to this path in life," I said. "You both need to know the truth. About me, about this world, about the enemy, and about how all of this impacts the future."

The two were silent as I talked. I talked for hours on end, explaining every little thing I knew about their origins, how I knew them. I talked about Salem, her goals, and her methods. I talked about the gods and their existence, the world, and magic. And finally, I talked about Cinder Fall's upbringing.

They were completely silent when I finished.

"So...the only reason ol' Cindy's like this is because of being poor growing up?" Roman said. "Can't say that's surprising...and what about the whole 'from another world' schtick? Seems kind of far-fetched if you ask me."

"So is magic. So is Salem, queen of the Grimm. So are the brother gods who brought me here to fix their mistakes. I never wanted any of this, never wanted this scenario. But..." I looked down at my prosthetic arm. Roman's eyes widened, just noticing it as well - how did he not see it before, I'm wearing a short sleeved T-shirt. "We've all had to make some tough calls."

I looked back up. "I like you. You're one of the few good people this world has - yes, I mean it with a straight face. Which is why we can help each other. You come along with me to hunt down Cinder and Neo, and you and Neo get to leave this conflict forever. You get to vanish," I offered.

"Are you the one making that call?" Roman asked. I could tell he was interested in the offer, especially since all he really cared about was Neo.

"Yes, actually," I said. "Talked to the general, and he's willing to let us go, trekking through the wilderness from Vale to Anima to keep a low profile. A big family camping trip."

"Ha," Roman said. "Alright, why not?"

"You believe him?" Emerald said, incredulous.

"Nah, not really. But he's making sense. And at this point, I don't much care for rotting in prison while Neo gets herself killed," Roman said.

"And what about you?" I asked, looking at Emerald. "I'm giving you the chance to see Cinder again. None of you know where she or Neo will be, which makes me your best chance of finding them."

"Fine, I'm in," Emerald said, having perked up to the word 'Cinder' when I said it. I knew she didn't have any loyalties to anyone else but Cinder, and Roman just shook his head. "Alright then, we're onboard."

The door to the room opened, and the three of us turned in curiosity. Reese peeked her head inside. "Yo," she said. Her green hair was no longer spiky, looking much like normal hair - which covered about half of her face.

I blinked. "Reese, what're you doing here?" I said.

"I got wounded before everyone else could evacuate. So I spent about a week or so recovering on the ship while my team goes back to Haven," Reese said as she walked into the room, wearing her normal outfit with her hoverboard on her back. "So, I heard you're going on a camping trip. Mind if I come?"