The gang piled back into Blake's car, Ruby taking the wheel and peeling out of her driveway and onto the streets once more. "Ruby, where are we going? Who was that?" Blake inquired.

"We have to go get Weiss! Whoever that was, she just painted a target on all of us, said she's gonna pick us all off." Ruby replied.

"I'd like to see her try, we're handing the government it's ass back in fancy, bite-size pieces. What chance does she stand?" Yang pondered.

"I don't know but she's got a lot of balls for making the first move like that. Let's hope Weiss is still okay."

"But you said she's coming after all of us. She killed Thatch and Francois, she's got Weiss, what about me and Yang?"

"I suggest you two watch your backs. She knows where we live, who we associate with, and what we're up to."

"So the fuck what, so does the government, Ruby, and I don't see them being taken this seriously!"

"That's because they aren't as quick to mobilize as one person, Yang. Don't get cocky now, just because she's one person doesn't mean she won't pose a problem."

"Who the fuck is this bitch, anyway?"

"Maria Gaia, apparently."

Yang fell silent for a moment, facing ahead as she sternly replied, "Step on it. This chick is no joke."

"You know her?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, her sister is a high-ranking general in the Atlesian army. She's trained heavily in everything an Atlesian soldier would be. She was one of the best soldiers, 'til she dropped out and showed up in Vale the same time I did. Her dealing was pretty small, I never fucked with her because of what I'd heard and how little power she held, and she likely did for the same reasons about me. Now, it looks like it's finally on. Good, just another bit of competition to wipe out. She's fucking ruthless, Ruby, our loved ones are as good as dead."

"What?! What does that mean?" Blake pleaded.

"It means your aunt's dead, Weiss' dead, and...and..."

"Yang?" Ruby asked.

"I'll deal with that later. For now, let's just make sure I'm wrong for once and Weiss is alright."

The Buffalo pulled up the steep street to Weiss' house, smoke billowing into the sky from the home. Ruby was out the door before the car even parked, sprinting across the street and up the stairs to the engulfed house. As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she dissipated into a flurry of rose petals, forming a small red, corkscrewing flash that slammed into the door, throwing it off its hinges. Ruby was immediately swallowed by the smoke and fire, using her forearm to block her mouth, the smoke burning her eyes and heat the rest of her. "WEISS! Where are you?!"

Ruby stumbled into her room through memory, barely able to see. Succumbing to the smoke, heat, and lack of vision, Ruby fell to her hands and knees, gaining some relief from smoke and her vision being affected. She felt around for any sign of her friend, touching only shag carpet as she waded past the sea of flames. Finally, a figure lay in her path, the unmistakable white of Weiss' dress sticking out even in the darkness.

Yang and Blake stood in worry outside the inferno, Yang ready to charge in at any second while Blake began to dial for emergency services. Yang snatched the scroll out of Blake's hands, the faunus demanding, "What are you doing? We need firefighters here now!"

"Have you lost your mind?! We bring the authorities around, they start asking questions or, worse, they recognize us and we're fucked." Yang rebuffed.

Blake grabbed her scroll, grudgingly putting it back in her pocket as Yang gasped. Exiting the flames was Ruby, soot covering her face, arms, and blacking out her feet, the fringes of her heart pants singed up to her shins. Weiss, still tied up, lie motionless in her arms, miraculously unscathed by smoke or flame. She seemed almost asleep for how serene she looked. Blake and Yang looked on with awe as Ruby approached them, muttering, "Get in the car, we can't be seen around here."

Without protest they entered the car, Ruby laying Weiss in the back seat alongside her as she ripped the tape from her mouth, spurring the heiress awake from the pain. "Ouch! What the..." Weiss began, freezing as she sat up and saw her comrades staring at her.

"You alright?" Blake asked as she U-turned down the street.

"No," Weiss glumly replied, Ruby undoing the bindings on her arms, "This is terrible. Father knows I'm with you and who you all are, for that matter. This just got so much worse."

Blake's scroll rang out, making the occupants all jump in surprise, the owner answering, "Hello?"

"Blake Belladonna, is it?" the woman asked.

"Who is this?"

"I've just been recently acquainted with your bosses, Ruby and Weiss. They're both nice people, assuming you saved Weiss. You did, right?"

"Yes. What do you want?"

"Good! And a girl who cuts to the chase, I see why your bosses chose you. Anyhow, I'm just taking a road trip right now but you may want to make sure your home is in order now. And if Ruby's there, tell her Ozpin just couldn't make it to the hospital."

"What have you done?!"

"She'll have to see Ozpin for herself, I left him in an alley near Mount Zonah Medical Center. Let's hope the doctors, a concerned onlooker, or a hungry bum don't ruin the surprise for you. As for you, Blake, you'll just have to see the fireworks for yourself. And tell Yang I'll be in touch with her soon enough." Maria taunted, the call going dead.

"What'd she say?" Ruby asked.

"She said Ozpin is in an alley near Zonah hospital. I'll drop you off but I have to get home fast, she's done something."

"I don't understand, how is she doing all of this so quickly. The government never gave us this much trouble." Weiss pondered.

"She's a one woman army, trust me. I've heard a lot about this chick, her company is small but her network is huge. If you think only people like the White Fang or those Chinese can call in favors, think again. She's probably had eyes on us since I killed Pyrrha." Yang speculated.

"Why'd you kill her? What possible reason could you have to kill someone with ties to someone like this?!" Ruby demanded.

"It was all because of fucking you, Ruby! I saw that news report when you guys hit that dust store, I knew you were the one using that same shitty movie quote, and everything I thought I knew was a lie from then on. I simply used that rage as a means to take out my competition in one fell swoop, and I nearly did. I was going for her next but the deal with the Chinese sidetracked me."

"Well, thanks, sis, this chick as all the dirt she needs on us and she's doing a damn good job. We're down two men already, two good men. Now she's taking out allies and our family, Yang, she said she would!"

"All I knew was those two bitches hated each other. How was I supposed to know that cunt Maria was gonna turn on me? On all of us? Huh, how, Ruby? You tell me since you know everything, like keeping your family together."

"Hey, fuck you, at least I have one, you soulless..."

"Enough! This is exactly what she and the rest of them want us to do. You two, stop fighting, Blake, are we almost there?" Weiss demanded.

"Just up around the corner," Blake said, the group stopping at a red light, the faunus' eyes wandering across the street until she uttered, "Oh, my God..."

Directly to her right was a dead-end alleyway after about twenty yards. A dumpster obscured the view of the left side halfway down the alley but directly opposite it was a white-haired man in a black suit, blood gathering around his body. Without a word, Ruby was out of the car and sprinting to her overseer, turning back and shouting, "Go on without me, I have to deal with this."

Weiss was about to voice her qualms before the light changed green, Blake punching it down the street for her home so far away.

As Ruby got closer, her she began to notice the extent of Ozpin's injuries. He was sitting in most of his body's blood, his skin alabaster from the exsanguination, and head stooped over. Most disturbing was his wound. A clean slit straight across the abdomen, his intestines crudely pulled out of the wound and most lying in a pile before his lap, trailing back into is stomach by the strand connecting to his stomach. Miraculously, he was still breathing, though shallow and wheezing. The sounds of feet slapping against concrete forced him to turn to face his guest, a smirk crossing his face as he saw it was Ruby. "Ah...good to see you...Miss Rose." he struggled.

Ruby knelt down beside Ozpin, settling down in a blood-free patch near him as she said, "Ozpin! Oh, thank God, you're still alive. Hang on, I'll go get help."

"There's no use, Ruby. Look at me. You know as well as I do that this is it for me."

Ozpin went into a violent coughing fit, blood splattering onto his hand and more seeping down his chin. "Let me guess, Maria did this to you?"

"I never caught her name but I assume you're further ahead than I am," Ozpin paused, catching his breath, "She jumped me when I was getting coffee from my favorite vendor, took me down this alley, and split me open with her sword. She wanted me to tell you that I was your most powerful ally and that you're now as good as dead. Even if she doesn't get her hands on you..."

Ruby hung her head, shaking as tears streamed down her face. "You're right," she sobbed, "You're the only reason I'm still alive. What am I going to do? Ozpin...I'm scared. She knows were I live, where they all live. No one I know is safe."

Ozpin let out a small chuckle, patting her on the head with his free, bloodless hand as he comforted, "You never needed me, Ruby, it's the opposite. You made my career, as horrible as having to shoot my own student was. All I did was collect checks and send you money. No one was going to touch you until you got back in the game. Now...look at you," Ozpin broke out coughing once more, apologizing, "Sorry, I just hope I won't cut this speech too short. You've depleted the funding for the fight against you..."

"I didn't do that." Ruby smirked.

"You're a bad liar, you know that, right? You've taken away countless arms and denied them reinforcements by sinking that plane. You've taken it to the government, Ruby. In just a week, you've taken a clear-cut operation and made it a living Hell for those trying to kill you."

"But look where it's gotten me, where it's gotten you. Maria put a target on the heads of our allies, our friends, our family, Ozpin. This is the only person who's made me fear for my life since I got here."

"Did you think the government wouldn't do the same, Ruby? They're at war with you, they don't care who it hurts so long as they're close to you."

"That doesn't help, Ozzy."

"Really? They won't fight fair, they'll take your loved ones, why not do the same?"

The realization began to dawn on Ruby as she rose her head, Ozpin continuing, "You know where they live, where they conduct their business, and who they associate with. Take the fight back to them, Ruby."

"I will, Ozzy. Thanks for everything, old man. Sorry for giving you a hard time all these years."

"Oh...now you're...sorry," Ozpin panted, struggling to breathe, "Heh...that's funny. Only when someone's dying...do you let your thoughts be known."

"You were like a dad to me, Ozpin, I haven't seen mine in over ten years. I guess that's why I was a bit of a..."

"Bitch?"

"Yeah...a bitch to you."

"No worries," Ozpin laughed weakly, "I'd always wanted a family but my wife left me and work married me. I would be lying if I say I didn't look onto you like a daughter, Ruby."

"It's my dream to have kids one day, too."

"Do it for me, Ruby. And, when you do, could you video tape it?"

"Shut up, Ozpin." Ruby laughed.

Her smile faded as his hand touched her cheek, Ruby holding it there as she said, "I'll make sure she and everyone else pays for this, Ozpin."

"Don't just talk revenge in my final moments, Ruby. What about the good old days back in Atlas?"

"Yeah, you teaching us about Grimm that year in middle school was the best of my education."

"You said you were going to kill every last Grimm. Just like your mother and father before you."

"I bawled that night after you told me Grimm are almost extinct, left only in the farthest corners of the world away from man."

"I'd call you a psychopath if you already didn't know it."

"And I'd call you an ass if you already didn't know it."

The two exchanged a laugh, Ozpin giving off a very feeble cough as he spoke, taking in his last breaths with each pause, "Well...it's been fun...Ruby. These past fifteen...or so...years I've known you...have been the most interesting...of my life. I wouldn't change a thing...if I could go back. Goodbye...my child..."

"Ozpin? Ozpin? Ozpin?!" Ruby screamed, the hand at her cheek falling to the ground and his head lolling to his chest.

The Buffalo came to a screeching halt outside Blake's house, Sun strolling down the street as he shouted, "Hey, pussy, that was some party last night, huh? I see you brought your friends, who's Snow White?"

"Sun, get back from my house!" Blake ordered.

"Whoa, so that's how it's gonna be, huh? Shit, I thought we were cool after last night but, now, goddamn!"

"Sun, no you don't understand, someone's..."

Blake was cut off my her scolding aunt, hands on her hips as she interjected, "Blake, where have you been!? I've been worried sick about you all afternoon, running of with that insane anti-feminist. Now, you and Sun?"

"It's not what you think, Aunt Glynda!"

"Oh, so what is it then, Blake?" Sun asked, crossing his arms.

"Look, Aunt Glynda just get away from the house, now!"

"I will do no such thing in the face of such an anti-feminine environment. This house is my bastion of womanhood and you could not pry me from it even if you tried."

"Aunt Glynda!" Blake screamed.

The bickering ended as the house erupted in a fiery blast, engulfing Glynda in its wake. Those far away ducked for cover wherever they could as wooden shrapnel fell from the skies. Blake rose up from behind her car, hysterically screaming, "AUNT GLYNDA!" over and over.

All that was visible through the haze of fire and smoke was the porch, until a figure slowly approached their vision. The silhouette broke through and revealed it was Glynda, or what was left of her. Her entire right side of her skull was charred black, exposing her teeth in her jaw, no hair to be found on her head, and her eye an unblinking red mass. She convulsed as she staggered on, from pain and chock, breathing in deep, guttural rasps. Her left leg dragged behind her, impaled through the calf on a 2x4 splinter. Her useless right arm hung at her side, bisected at the forearm. Blake's horror could not petrify her for long as she darted for her aunt, catching her as she fell into the faunus. Blake now realized her back was peppered with even more glass and wood, her blouse staining with blood. "Aunt Glynda...I'm so sorry..." Blake sobbed falling to her knees with her aunt.

Her aunt began to garble incomprehensibly, "Bl-Bluh-Blaaaaake..."

Her horrid noises ended as she let loose her last breath, Blake embracing her corpse as Sun put his arms around her. "Blake?"

"Get away from us!" she snapped, scaring Sun back to his feet and away from her.

As Blake grieved over her aunt, Sun heard the slam of a door and saw Yang starting her truck, running to her as he inquired, "Hey, where the fuck you goin'?"

"There's someone who's been fucking with us all day and ruining our shit. Now I have to make sure mine is in order." Yang answered taking off from the scene.

Yang had just made it out of Blake's neighborhood and made her way towards the interstate as her scroll rang, seeing Junior's name on it, "Normally, I'd berate that little fucker, but something tells me he isn't the one calling. You have impeccable timing, you know that?"

"My, you catch on quickly, Yang. I've been waiting so long to meet you. Unfortunately, my schedule today only allowed for me to make my presence known to you all today. I'll be on my way once my work here is done."

"So you're in my trailer, huh? If I've told those idiots to make a last stand once, I've told them a thousand times."

"Well, fortunately, you won't have to remind them a thousand and one times."

"You realize you've fucked with the wrong people, Maria. You don't think I won't come and find you. And when I do..."

"I'm actually looking forward to it, I've opened up my schedule around this event. Just drop by anytime and we can conduct our business like civilized adults."

"So, give it to me straight, Maria, what pretentious bullshit are you going to go on about?"

"Yang, I'm afraid this call is cutting into my schedule, I'm late for another meeting with the White Fang soon..."

Yang slammed her hands on the steering wheel, screaming into the scroll, "Oh, cut the bullshit already!"

"Oh, what the hell! I'm certain I can make a bit more of a window for the person getting me involved in this. In fact, I'm feeling generous, Yang. I'll do you a courtesy I didn't give the others. I'll give you a choice."

"Alright, what is it?"

"As someone who works in the field, you must have a very nice crystal set-up. You're powerful competition, Yang, and I want that lab. Tell me where it is and I'll let your friends here go."

"And I'm guaranteed you don't kill those two if I do?"

"Normally our word means nothing in this business, Yang, but I'll scrounge up what little humanity I have left and give you my personal guarantee, or your money back."

"You're really starting to piss me off."

"And I didn't earlier?"

"Oh, I'm fucking furious, believe me! But I have multiple different levels of anger, and you're starting out in about tier three right now."

"I hope it's near the top, I've always liked being the number one at anything. Well, except to Pyrrha Nikkos, she was the real number one who relegated me to the shithole that is second place. In everything, I couldn't compete, even when the crystal started to steal her mind. Now, I see a much more feasible way of taking first prize, Yang. And that's you."

Yang laughed harshly at her words, continuing, "You don't know who you're dealing with."

"And you haven't seen the half of what I'm capable of, so let's call it even and get back on subject. Where is that lab?"

"Fine, you got me by short hairs. It's in my garage. Now let those idiots go."

"Really? Well, there's no point in me taking your home from you, too. Plus, if I can be perfectly honest, you live in shit, Yang. Even my worst lab is a spa compared to this place. I don't need this lab but I will destroy it. And, unfortunately, you can't take my word as a promise anymore."

"WHAT?! You BITCH!"

"I'm sorry, Yang, but I just have no use for this place. And since I can't take it, I'll just make sure you can't use it."

"I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

"Maybe, Yang, but it certainly won't be today. Wow, why do I feel so generous!? I'll even let you talk to the girl, Melanie, right?"

"You fucking touch them and I'll..."

"I've done more than touch them, Yang. One's got a stab in the back and they currently are soaking in gasoline, like the rest of your house. Say your last goodbyes." Maria instructed, ripping the tape from Melanie's mouth, making her yelp in pain.

Maria set the phone on the side of Melanie's head, she and Junior tied in fetal positions at the wrists and ankles. "Uh...Yang...this gas is making me dizzy. Are you gonna make it?"

"I'm sorry, Mel, I let you down."

"That's okay, boss. At least we're finally taking one for the team, right?"

"Oh...yeah," Yang teared up, "I'll make sure she pays for how she hurt you both."

"I know you will, boss. Hey, thanks for the trip to the city, that was so much fun! I'm just sad I didn't get to see my sister."

"Don't worry, you'll see her soon."

"Really? Is she comin' too?"

"Yeah, Mel, yeah."

"You sound sad, Yang, you need another hug?"

"Another time, Mel, right now I just wanna talk."

"You mean girl talk," Melanie beamed, pausing before continuing, "Hey, that lady at the door just lit a match. Don't she know nothin', you can't do that near gas..."

Suddenly, a roar overcame the speaker, Melanie's horrific, agonized screams bellowed out of the scroll. Yang was powerless, steering onto the exit ramp and holding the screaming phone to her ear. Finally, the call ended, most likely from the damage to the scroll. Yang could see the smoke billowing into the sky from the overpass, speeding off towards it. Finally, she found herself at the husk that was once her home, the framework and foundation collapsing into a pile of embers and dust. Yang exited her car, falling to her knees as she crossed through the gate, finding two, charred corpses in fetal positions amongst the ash. Her face was cold and detached as she sat there for several minutes, just staring at the bodies. A look of life finally came over her, that of worry as she turned and ran to her truck, slamming herself in and peeling out as she headed down the street a and took a hard right.

Nearing the cookhouse, she could already see the carnage. Bodies lain out everywhere, blood streaking out from under them, and lowriders parked all around. She pulled up into the dirt opposite the building, leaping out of her truck and sprinting into dank, rotten building. "Chef! CHEF!" she cried as she entered.

She lept over the counter, another body behind it as she ran to the back and up the stairs. At the top was yet another body, leaning up against the wall with blood drenching its chest. As she rounded the corner, she found a bald man with a goatee sitting at a table, blood streaking his yellow hazmat-like suit and glasses. His eyes were shut but they swung open as he drew a shotgun from under the table tossing it aside as he panted, "Oh...it's you."

"Chef, are you alright?!"

"Yeah...I'm fine." he grunted as he stood up from the chair.

His lie was revealed as he stood, bullet holes in his shoulder, forearm, shin, knee, and one in his stomach still bleeding. His eyes rolled into the back of his head from the exertion, collapsing to his side and sending his glasses skidding across the floor. Yang ran to his side and rolled him onto his back, trying to shake him awake, "Chef! Will, don't you die on me, damn you!"

Yang conjured up what she had seen on tv and in movies when it came to CPR, pressing down on his chest with both hands in a poor display. She cupped the back of his head and pressed her lips to his, blowing air fruitlessly into his mouth. His hands slowly rose and wrapped around her back, holding her as their lips locked. Yang pulled away in shock, a smile crossing the cook's face as he said, "I've wanted to do that for so long."

"Chef, what happened? Did Maria do this?"

"What? No. The White Fang showed up and tried to take the place. I got 'em though, boss."

"Please, don't call me boss."

"Then don't call me cook." he replied with a crooked smile.

Yang bowed her head and laughed at him, Will continuing, "Why'd you bring up Maria?"

Yang slowly rose her head to face Will, sighing before answering, "She's after us, Will. Me, Weiss, Ruby, and Blake. She killed those two guys that helped us take that bank, burned down Weiss' house, blew up Blake's and her aunt, and..."

"What?"

"Mel and Junior are gone, so is my house."

Will slowly sat up with much strain, embracing the cold brawler as he said, "I'm so sorry, Yang."

"Why are you sorry, you got shot all over holding this place for me?"

"Because I wasn't there to stop it," Will began, his voice growing more hushed as he continued, "And I'm sorry I never got to tell you how I felt."

Will's grip on Yang loosened until he collapsed back onto the floor, eyes shut. Tears once more rolled into Yang's eyes, pleading, "Will? Will?! WILL!?"

She picked the man up and embraced his corpse, crying into his chest. Her weeping stopped as she felt his chest expand and his heart beat on her brow. He still lived. Not wasting any time, Yang slung Will over her shoulder and sprinted down the stairs. She ran into the street and past her truck, heading for the county hospital just a few streets down. Yang rounded the building, plowing past people on a handicap ramp and burst into the building, screaming, "HELP! He's been shot!"

Instantly, nurses and staff descended on her, taking Will off her shoulder, revealing the blood that had seeped over the left side of her body. They gingerly stretched him out on a gurney, securing an air mask to his face and checking for vitals by hand. "We got a pulse but it's weak. Get him to the ER, stat!" a black man in scrubs ordered.

With that, a pair of nurses in face masks whisked him off down the hall and past a set of double doors. The metal doors swung on their hinges a few times, giving Yang a few last brief glimpses at Will. "Ma'am, are you alright?" the doctor asked.

Yang remained deadpan and emotionless, turning and ignoring the man as she made her way to the exit. "Ma'am, are you alright?! You may be in shock."

Yang froze in place, looking over her shoulder and staring the doctor down for some time, turning away and answering, "Just make sure he's alright, got it?"

"I'll do my best, ma'am. You may have gotten him here just in time."

Yang stood for a few more moments, leaving the hospital and freezing as she left. On the road running adjacent to the clinic, a purple RH8 had stopped in the middle of the road. It had tinted windows but she could feel the eyes from within watching her. After a prolonged standoff, Yang could only take a step more before the car's engine roared to life and it peeled off down the road, the roar of its engine echoing from the distance.

Hey, folks, DAM here, and we finally got through five updates of GTA: Vale, at long last! I hope you guys enjoyed the ride, this has been the most fun I've had writing in a while, probably because I haven't written in so long, but that's beside the point. Thank you all for those taking interest in this story and showing your support. As of right now, GTA: Vale has over twice as many views as Death Battle, and is the first story to overtake it as my most popular in a very long time since it took the torch from Deadliest Warrior. The month is still young, though, and I have to get back to Death Battle, so who knows how long this will last. Regardless, you guys really like this and I'm very appreciative of the growing attention you're giving this.

Speaking of Death Battle, that's where my next batch of updates is going. Now, since I've updated it twice out of schedule, which I'm sticking to religiously, and I know some of you really want more than just three fights, I'll bump it up to eight since that will keep the 5-5-5 system in order and you guys get some more Death Battle before we shift back to Vale between Worlds for five updates.

Like I said, you guys are all awesome and I'm grateful for anyone who takes time out of their day to read my crap. And sorry for posting AN's at the end of these stories, I'll try my best to leave those at the end of DB when necessary. Don't forget to leave a little love here, on my other stuff, and with my friends, and don't forget to cite your DAM sources.