None of the Ace-Ops spoke. Elm sat hunched in the copilot's seat, her hands covering her face, her muscular frame shaking with silent sobs. Next to her, Marrow kept his eyes on the horizon, but he was biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. It mingled with the tears streaming down his cheeks.

Harriet still stood at the port window, her hands pressed to the glass. Her eyes were fixed on the smoking, burning wreck of Mantle below- and the mostly-submerged Atlas, in the crater behind it.

The cockpit door behind them hissed open, and Robyn entered. Elm turned toward her, taking a slow, shuddering breath. "How... how is he doing?"

The Huntress's violet eyes narrowed. "I think you know the answer to that question." Elm flinched. "We could have saved so much more, so many more, if the rest of you had come to your senses-"

"Leave her alone." Marrow wiped his eyes as he glanced over his shoulder. "We were part of a team trained to act together, as a single unit. That was all we had to fall back on, after Clover died. You really think Elm or... or Vine, would have broken ranks, without..." His voice trailed off, but his eyes flicked briefly, resentfully, toward Harriet. She didn't turn. "Besides, it would have taken all four of us, just to match Ironwood. I only survived because Winter saved my ass, before he could put a cap in my skull."

Robyn shot a glare at Harriet's back, but her expression softened slightly as she glanced back at Elm. "...Sorry." She strode forward, her hand gesturing at the comm switch. "Have we had any transmissions from Vacuo? If Amity Tower is still up and running-"

Elm shook her head. "Amity started drifting out of position, just after Watts hacked Penny." She winced. "General Ironwood stopped monitoring it after that. All our long-range frequency scanners were knocked out, either during the initial invasion, or when Atlas fell. We have no idea if Amity has touched down, or where. Even if it's still active, it wouldn't do us much good now. There aren't any supplies on the Colosseum, apart from unrefined Dust reserves-"

"Doesn't matter, as long as we have scanners on this ship." Robyn cut her off. "All we have to do is find it. Ruby and Dr. Polendina got Amity to work once; we can as well. The tower was designed to be self-sustaining in its' signal at the right altitude, yes? We just get it back up there, and we have the means to reach the civilians in Vacuo, and the rest of my team."

"There's no telling where Amity landed, and we don't have the fuel reserves for an endless search- especially now." Marrow gestured through the windscreen. Dark grey clouds were rolling across the horizon, a silvery carpet of snow drifting below them. "We need to find shelter, before that reaches us. There are still untouched military outposts beyond Mantle's walls, that we could use, before we return to the city."

Robyn gave him an incredulous look. "You lost me at 'return to the city.' Are you insane? All that wreckage is either burning, flooded, frozen or crawling with leftover Grimm. We have no idea what's happened to our people, in Vacuo; Qrow couldn't get Team R.W.B.Y. to respond, and now we've lost communications altogether. Amity might be the only way we can figure out what's going on. We need to reach the survivors as soon as possible, and for that we need information-"

"We need supplies, first." Elm wiped her eyes. "And there are a lot of damaged warships, left in the tundra. We... we need to make sure, no one was left behind. Civilian, or soldier-"

"The soldiers aren't my concern." Robyn's expression hardened. "They signed up for this war; the civilians didn't."

Marrow shot Robyn a look. "Hey, Elm has a point. It was one of those soldiers, who just saved the five of us... and, anyone who might be left in the Crater."

Harriet's fist suddenly slammed against the windowpane, causing all of them to glance up, but she didn't turn. After a moment, her hand slid limply down the glass, but her frame was still rigid, her shoulders trembling.

Robyn's tone was regretful, but her eyes were cold. "Vine saved us all, yes... but he wouldn't have had to, if it weren't for her stupidity." She glared at Harriet's back again. "The pocket dimension probably isn't an option now that both cities are destroyed, and we don't have the means to carry large numbers of survivors on one Manta. We have no idea where Penny is, so we can't count on the Winter Maiden's powers to help us or our allies in Vacuo. Besides, you said it yourself: we're low on fuel. Even if we weren't, we'd never be able to search all of Atlas and Mantle for survivors, before most of them died anyway. If they didn't have the sense to leave during the evacuation, they've missed their chance. It's ruthless, but it's the truth." Her hands glowed green with Aura. "If you want to freeze looking for the handful of fanatics you consider your true countrymen, be my guest. But you can do it using one of the downed Mantas, not this one." She flexed her left wrist, and the hawk-shaped crossbow strapped to her gauntlet unfolded. "I'm not going to be held back, from the people who actually need my help."

Marrow's expression was torn, but he tightened his grip on the joysticks. "Easy, Robyn. This isn't Mantle, you're not in charge here."

"No, it isn't Mantle, because Mantle was never the city that Ironwood condemned to die." Robyn snapped. "It's the people who lived there, the people who've just been transported halfway across the world with no supplies, and no protection besides my Huntresses-"

"Oh, come on." Marrow shook his head. "You really think I was the only member of the Atlesian Military who jumped ship, once the portals opened and Atlas started falling? The Army saw what was happening, just like everyone else. At least some of them must have joined the evacuation; they'll provide some protection to the civilians. Besides, even if we could make contact with Vacuo, Shade's Huntsmen will probably find the refugees by the time they get our message." He glanced out the cockpit at the growing snowstorm. "But for anyone left here, civil or military, there's no help coming. No one but us. During your election campaign, you kept saying, 'No one left behind.' What happened to your pledge, to serve the people of Mantle and Atlas?"

Robyn's eyes narrowed again. "What happened to your oath, to defend the citizens of this Kingdom? Or was your oath personally to Ironwood, and nothing else? Is that who you're hoping to rescue, even after he tried to kill you?"

Marrow pressed the autopilot switch, spun his seat around and stood up, glaring at her. "I deserted Ironwood, in his presence, after he threatened to nuke Mantle." His tail arched behind his back, aggressively. "You know, you're awfully ungrateful, considering I saved you and Qrow twice in the hanger-"

"Too little, too late." Robyn extended the bladed wings of her crossbow. "Either you help us scan for Amity, or you find yourselves another ship."

"Just what do you think we'd accomplish, even if we managed to find Amity?" Marrow scoffed, his hand straying toward the boomerang-shaped assault rifle strapped over his shoulder. "We've had our asses handed to us since we lost Clover, and you and Qrow spent the entire invasion in the brig. You think three has-beens, a trainwreck and a politician-turned-vigilante are going to re-activate the Colosseum, when Dr. Polendina barely managed it? I'm not taking this ship anywhere, until we've conducted a ground search."

Robyn raised her arm, but Elm stepped between her and Marrow, the head of her war hammer thudding against the floor. "Put those away, both of you." Her voice was hard, despite the grief lining her face. "No matter what happens... I'm not losing another teammate today." She glanced from Robyn to Marrow. "Keep this up, and the surviving Grimm will decide what happens to us, next... And then Vine will have died, for nothing."

Marrow's tail slowly drooped between his legs. Robyn's expression didn't change, but she lowered her crossbow.

"Never thought I'd say this... but, I agree with Sledge over there." Qrow's raspy voice came suddenly from behind them. "You do have a bad habit of starting fights in aircraft, Robyn."

The veteran Huntsman loped slowly into the cockpit as Robyn, Elm and Marrow turned toward him. His face was haggard and lined with pain, his crimson eyes unnaturally bright. He dropped the severed gravity bolas at Elm's feet. "That wasn't necessary, by the way."

Elm gave him a bewildered expression. "You were trying to jump out the cargo bay. I think suicidal impulses warrant a little restraint-"

"I wasn't suicidal." Qrow snapped. His other hand opened, revealing a bloodstained green-and-silver badge shaped like a four-leaf clover. "Between this, and my corvid form, falls aren't exactly dangerous to me, anymore. I wasn't trying to kill myself... just anyone, who gets between me and my family." He closed his fist, and his other hand came to rest on Harbinger, hanging at the back of his belt. "I don't know if they made it out of the pocket dimension to Vacuo, if they're still trapped inside, or if Salem's forces have them. And I don't care. I'm going to find them, whatever it takes. You lot can do what you like."

Robyn's expression softened, but her mouth formed a thin line. "How do you think Ruby and Yang would react, to that kind of thinking? When you and I were in prison, our friends and family didn't come rushing to our rescue, because they knew what we were fighting for. They knew there was a bigger picture, more important objectives, more vulnerable people to protect-"

"I'm not searching for them because they're children." Qrow's red-rimmed eyes flared as he met her gaze. "Yes, they're my family, I know I'm biased. But they're also the only ones who managed to protect anyone, to accomplish anything, since Salem attacked Atlas. They're just kids, but they're a hundred times better at this than you or me. Because they know how to lead, how too bring people together. They know how to think outside the box, see things we don't. They've made mistakes, yes- some pretty serious ones, which I admit, I helped them make- but they've learned from them, instead of repeating or giving up. And if we don't bring them back, so they can accomplish the bigger picture, Salem's as good as won already."

Robyn put her hand on his shoulder. "I know you've lost a lot in the last few days, Qrow." She glanced around at the others. "We all have. But you have to be ready for the possibility that-"

"They're not gone." Qrow slammed his fist against the hull. "And, even if they are..." He closed his eyes and shook his head, breath hissing slowly between his teeth. "...I may have a way to reach them. To reach Yang, at least, and if I find her, I find Ruby. But I have something I need to check in Atlas Academy, first." He glanced past Robyn at Marrow. "You mind dropping me off over the CCT tower? Or what's left of it, at least."

The dog Faunus looked incredulous. "You're going there alone? The spire might not be submerged, but the rest of the Academy's already underwater. Brothers know how many Grimm might still be there."

"That's why I need to check it now, before it freezes completely. If there's a chance that the portals are still open-"

"You can't go there alone." Elm gave him a concerned look. "You're not thinking clearly, Qrow. We need to re-supply at an outpost, before we search Atlas and Mantle. You go there on your own now, in the middle of a blizzard, you'll have no backup if you're trapped or cornered by Grimm-"

"I'll go with him." Harriet's voice suddenly came from the port side of the cockpit. All four sets of eyes turned slowly towards her, but she didn't meet any of them as she finally turned around. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but dry, staring at her feet. "I... I'll make sure he gets out of there, alive." Her hands wrung together, fingers meshing so tightly her knuckles turned red. "Between my Semblance, and my knowledge of the Academy's geography, I can get him wherever he needs to go faster, anyway."

Qrow stared at her for a long moment, then shrugged. "Fine by me. The rest of you, get your supplies and see if you can get another Manta up and running."

Robyn's eyes flicked warily between Qrow and Harriet, but she finally took a deep breath and nodded. "...We're essentially facing the same objectives, now, that we were at the start of Salem's invasion: searching for stragglers to evacuate, and finding and re-activating Amity Tower. Team R.W.B.Y. and my Huntresses were able to divide and accomplish both, for different purposes. I suppose... I should learn from their example." She glanced at Marrow and Elm. "Truce, until we have another airship?"

Marrow shrugged, cocking an eyebrow skeptically. "Fair enough. I was out of my depth before; I guess that hasn't changed." He returned to the pilot's seat. 'I'll see if I can find us a supply outpost, before the blizzard reaches the Crater."

Elm nodded, then went to join Harriet, who had already turned back to the viewport. She put a hand on her teammate's shoulder, but the shorter woman didn't react.

Robyn didn't take her hand off Qrow's shoulder. "I still don't like the idea of you going in there, with just her as backup." She shot another glare at Harriet's back.

Qrow glanced the same way, shaking his head. "It wouldn't have stopped me, even if she hadn't volunteered. I'm used to working alone, anyway." He glanced at the badge in his hand again. "A bit of Clover's Semblance must have stuck to that thing, after he died; I wouldn't have been able to stop the bomb from falling, otherwise. But I don't know how many times this thing will save me... or anyone else who's with me." He pocketed the badge, then met Robyn's eyes. "You gave me hope, talked me down from a dark place while we were in prison, Robyn. Not many people have been able to do that for me, before. And I don't like risking them getting hurt, because of me." His pained expression hardened as the ruins of Atlas came into view through the canopy. "But if I'm alone... that's the only time, my Semblance comes in handy, if I'm facing an enemy. And if any Grimm find me, while I'm down there... Brothers help them."