You know, circumstances behind our self-quarantining aside, it's been quite a blast for me. Finished up reading some books I've had little time to read normally, which felt grand. But more importantly, it gave me plenty of time to play Doom Eternal, heh!
On that particular note, I beat it! On Hurt Me Plenty, that is, ha ha. And man, let me just say that Doom was a pretty brutal game! As I stated last time, FPS games aren't my usual cup of tea so I was pretty much guaranteed to struggle right off the bat, but damn those demons were utterly relentless, especially in the last few missions! But when I beat the game, it felt amazing as all hell, pun intended.
Now I'm just abusing the hell out of the cheat codes, ha ha. Well, no, not really actually, just a few, mainly the Sentinel Armor, the Infinite Lives and occasional permanent Onslaught. However, as I'm now playing through the whole game again on Nightmare, I'm restricting myself to just using Infinite Lives and Sentinel Armor to get through it… and holy hell, if not for the latter cheat, I'd be dying in every encounter! Definitely lives up to its name as Nightmare! If not for the Infinite Lives cheat, there'd be no telling how long it'd take me to clear the game again!
But I'm learning still and am getting a bit better, so there's that, heh. But sheesh, even with Sentinel Armor, those attacks of the demons are no joke! Makes me shudder at how tough Ultra-Nightmare will be if I ever play it…
Well, that all said, I do hope you all are staying safe at your homes or at work, assuming the quarantining hasn't impacted your work schedules like it has mine. Hopefully, within the next several weeks, something of note will happen.
Now, onto the chapter!
Chapter 36
Ozpin swatted aside a shot fired by the grey-haired young man before pivoting to avoid the chain thrown his way by the teal-haired girl.
At first, he'd had the three intruders completely on the ropes but after the woman, their leader from the looks of it, had managed to drive him back a bit with a sudden burst of flames, it'd given them the opening they needed to regroup and properly fight back.
And they were demonstrating considerable skill, with the teens proving themselves more experienced and skilled than most second and third year trainees. As for the woman, she was above even them in skill and power, made especially evident by her usage of the part of the Fall Maiden power she'd stolen. She was clearly here to finish the job.
"What's the matter? Not used to being on the ropes?" the boy cockily mocked as he dashed towards him and performed a few feints before finally unleashing several swift kicks.
Ozpin didn't deign it necessary to respond. He'd long since grown immune to being affected by such battle banter.
And he was hardly be put on the ropes – he'd merely been analyzing their respective combat styles as well as their teamwork.
Sure enough, the other two members of this trio – clearly the ones who'd gone up against Amber – sprung into action, the Half-Maiden quickly circling around him with the intent on attacking from behind while the girl leapt back and opened fire at him from his other side.
He didn't even bother looking her way as he deflected her shots whilst turning to avoid a swing launched at him from behind by the Half-Maiden.
However, as he dodged, he watched in mild confusion as the woman's attack instead ended up striking the boy – and with the boy's very form seemingly vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Ah, he thought dryly, that's what is going on.
Putting on a burst of speed, he backed off and swung at a spot of seemingly open air – only for his cane to end up clashing with a leg that couldn't be seen.
As the boy's form faded into sight, Ozpin noticed the look of surprise on his face along with the girl making a sound of genuine surprise.
Having clearly not expected him to respond to his attack, the boy's attacking leg was completely forced back and Ozpin thrust his cane right into the boy's crotch, making him cry out rather shrilly. Then, he swept his cane and knocked his other leg out from under him before delivering a kick of his own to the boy's side.
The boy went sailing across the massive chamber and crashed into a pillar with enough force to partially break it and he went tumbling to the side.
The boy was neutralized now, if only for a time and now he turned his attention to the other two, having had plenty of time now to learn the ins and outs of their fighting styles.
"You bastard!" the girl cried out. Her red eyes glared at him hatefully before her own form faded from view along with that of the other woman.
Ozpin inwardly sighed. Did they really think that he'd not go for low blows or something? He may consider himself to be a civilized man, but when out on the battlefield, there was rarely if ever a time for politeness. If hitting someone in the privates was going to accomplish the goal of beating them, then that is exactly what he'd do.
Additionally…
"It's pointless," he said to a seemingly empty chamber now as he stood there. Then, he suddenly skipped forward a few feet, avoiding an attack that would've struck his back had he not dodged. "…Just give up. If you do, I can at least try to keep things civil."
There was no response, at least not verbally. There was, however, a response nonetheless and he turned and maneuvered his cane to deflect a few shots fired at him.
Said shots were clearly meant to distract him and he ruined whatever strategy the two had just come up with by using his current semblance to put on a burst of speed so great that he traveled a solid twenty meters in the time it took either of them to move even a few feet.
He then rushed forward and ducked on instinct, avoiding another attack – a burst of flames – that had been fired at his head. Stepping a foot or so to his left, he promptly reached out with his right hand and grabbed something – or rather, someone – right out of seeming nothingness.
It was the woman and she had all of a split second to comprehend her position before he choke-slammed her hard into the ground.
The concrete cracked and cratered, him having not been particularly gentle, he couldn't afford to be. And as much aura as the woman likely had, there was only so much injury and pain it could prevent from this.
Sure enough, the woman groaned in pain but even then tried to counter. Under far different circumstances, her willingness to continue on would be admirable, really.
But in light of the situation, Ozpin was far from admiring.
With nary an ounce of hesitation, he jabbed his cane right into her left eye, hard enough to get past her aura.
The scream the woman let out was truly something. He didn't let it go on for long though and he stomped on her face, knocking her out.
"Cinder!" the now sole remaining girl cried out as her concentration slipped and her form became visible. From the looks of it, she'd been about to run and swing at him just prior to what had happened right now. She then looked at him in utter shock, even fear. "H-How did you…?!"
Ozpin didn't bother responding. His earlier warning/call for their surrender had been the only words needed as far as he was concerned.
But really now, did they think he wouldn't recognize an illusion type semblance when he saw it in action? It was hardly as unique as many would likely think. Why, even as far back as his original life as Ozma, the more esoteric abilities were far from uncommon, though most of the people he'd personally known back then had preferred manipulation of the elements or even pure energy to fight.
Of course, from the looks of it, it would seem only the woman he'd just knocked out was the only one who might truly know of him from Salem.
Still, this girl and that boy had knowingly aided her in the attack on Amber and in whatever other plans she has. Thus, he wasn't about to show them any more mercy than he'd shown the woman.
In any case, the girl seemed to have regained her wits. Or rather, it would seem whatever feelings she held for the woman had gotten the better of her, for her shock gave way to anger and she went on the offensive, closing what distance remained between them to unleash a torrent of attacks. It was a true flurry of kicks and swings with those blades of hers.
Again, against most of the students here at Beacon, such an assault may prove difficult to deal with, but to a lot of the higher year students, it'd be hardly difficult for them to avoid. Thus, to one such as him, it was laughably easy to dodge and deflect each attack with only the slightest bit of movement involved.
It wasn't until she tried using her semblance in the middle of her attacks to throw him off that the headmaster finally took action.
Just as he felt that ever so slight niggling feeling in his mind that indicated the usage of an illusion being cast upon him, he made his move.
The girl had backed off and fired one of her blades at him. He moved to the side and lifted his cane before twirling it. It got entangled in the chain that connected the blade to the girl's gun and he gave a hard tug.
To his slight surprise, rather than drag the girl towards him, she let go of her weapon at the last possible instance… but it still took her off guard enough to make her stumble forward and he capitalized on this with nary a sound made.
Rushing forward, he slammed a knee into her midsection, knocking all the air out of her and then followed this up with a swing of his cane into her throat. It caught her at an angle, hitting that spot just under her chin and where her neck began, further obscuring her ability to breathe.
Lifting her right off the ground before suddenly slamming her back down, making sure the back of her head struck the floor first, Ozpin watched dispassionately as the girl lost consciousness.
Just like that, the battle was over. It'd only lasted as long as it did because that woman had been able to make that opening in the first place.
The chamber was once again as silent as it usually is, eerily so.
Feeling uneasy, Ozpin quickly rushed over to the section where Amber was kept, not caring that he was leaving those three unwatched – he knew for a fact they were out cold and would remain like that for a few hours at least.
He let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as he reached Amber and saw she was still there and in the same state as always, though that really wasn't much of a consolation in hindsight.
Confirming the relative safety of the Fall Maiden, he got on his scroll and called Glynda, who'd remained behind to help coordinate efforts out there in the field.
"Glynda, could you please meet me down in the chambers when you have the time? We've had an attempted attack on our guest."
Just like that, he'd very quickly gotten her attention, having no doubt thrown her off completely. "…What happened? No, never mind, that can wait for later. I take it you've neutralized the threat?" she asked.
"Yes, the trio here have been incapacitated. If you could be so kind as to bring restraints for them, that'd be appreciated. We'll need to question them later once they're secured and awaken from their nap. How goes efforts out there too?"
"From the looks of it, progress is finally being made – the forces already on the scene have subdued the White Fang outside city hall and the bullhead had been shot down by an Atlas bullhead too. But city hall itself… it's been brought down," Glynda reported.
Ozpin went still at that. "…What of the council and everyone else there?"
"We don't know yet – it just collapsed not even a minute ago. Our students and faculty are still helping officers and the other huntsmen take care of things outside. As for James and his forces, they've started to push back the Grimm for good. Things are calming down bit by bit, however."
Ozpin silently sighed. He felt so very tired all of a sudden. "I see. I'll stay here with our intruders until you can come secure them. Until then, keep me posted of any other changes."
Glynda gave a quiet yet resolute affirmative before ending the call.
The headmaster then went back out to the other chamber and located the three combatants. Unceremoniously dragging them closer to Amber's chamber so that he could keep a watchful eye over all of them, he now stood vigilantly nearby, cane resting atop the floor and his hands atop the cane.
He stared at the three intently.
There's no way Salem would've only sent three people of such mediocre ability to obtain Amber. The woman he once called the love of his life may be a minimalist of sorts but really, that just meant she preferred quality over quantity.
And going by all he's learned from JNPR's mission to Sol and Qrow's troubles out there in Mistral, there were for sure at least two others in service to the aptly labeled Queen.
Just what were they – Hazel and Tyrian – up to right now? And were there just a few more out there serving Salem?
He had no way to know.
But one thing he did know for certain was this: now more than ever was the time to finally get active. It matter not that he's yet to grasp all of Salem's new cards – if this kept up then there'd be no telling when he'll truly slip up and cost the kingdom gravely.
It was time to finally change up the rules of this 'game.'
Blake groaned in pain as she kicked off the rubble that had quite literally buried her. She wasn't the only one buried, however, and she was quick to ignore the pain as best she could to begin throwing aside the other rubble around to look for her mom.
"Mom…? Mom!" she cried out as she dug desperately.
"…Over… here!" her mother called out.
Blake rushed over to the sound of her voice just in time to see more rubble be shoved aside to see some of her parents' guards pulling themselves and her mother free. They were bloodied and battered, but overall in one piece still.
Blake let out a sigh of relief so great that she visibly deflated… but only for a brief second.
As she rushed up to her mother, she looked around, praying for the safety of the others.
And as if to answer her prayers, a lot of the rubble suddenly levitated directly up – and the familiar glyphs of her white-haired teammate could be seen.
"Oh… I can't believe I'm saying this… but I believe I need a vacation," muttered a very tired and dirty Weiss, her normally pristine clothes and hair covered in dirt and just a bit of blood. She didn't look too injured too.
And out from this rubble emerged a comically groaning Ruby, who was quick to inspect Crescent Rose to see if her 'precious baby' was still in one piece. Additionally, the council members along with a number of the huntsmen could be seen emerging from this too relatively unscathed, the latter bunch much more so than the former due to their aura and natural hardiness.
But there were still just a few people missing, Blake thought in worry.
Where was her dad? Yang?
…And was Adam and his forces still standing too?
With her mother safe and sound, relatively speaking, Blake turned to her and the child and mother looked one another in the eyes, communicating without actually saying a single thing. Her mother smiled and nodded. 'Don't worry about me,' her eyes seemed to say.
Nodding, Blake went on the move, heading for where she'd last seen her father. One of the guards joined her and together the two of them started to tiredly push aside debris to see if they could locate the man.
At first, all they located were some of the White Fang, those that had come with Adam. Some of them were still alive, but far from unscathed. And others… Blake tried not to retch; it would seem their auras had been run down enough that the collapse of city hall had just gone and…
Despite having seen more than her fair share of bloodshed, the sight of the dead still left her more than queasy… and the mere thought her father might be among them only made her insides churn that much more.
"Dad? Dad! If you can hear me, then please-!"
"I'm – right – here!" a hurt but still strong voice called out as a bunch of debris burst upwards, causing her and the others nearby to shield themselves for a quick second.
Blake's heart lifted as she lowered her arms and spotted her dad – only for it to then drop as she spotted him holding someone in his arms.
Yang.
And she wasn't looking so good.
Having been one of the closest to Adam at the time he'd unleashed his final attack, she'd taken part of the brunt of the attack.
And there, along her torso was a truly nasty gash that was bleeding out more than a bit.
"Y-Yang!" Ruby cried out upon seeing her sister. Weiss could be heard gasping as well as she turned in their direction too.
"She needs medical attention now." Her father uttered this gravely, even as he slowly and painfully lumbered forth, a sign that he'd been hurt too.
Thankfully, it would seem that the fighting outside had settled down a fair bit, for numerous voices could be heard nearby and getting closer, clearly that of friendlies.
But would Yang last long enough to get that attention? Blake didn't know, but she didn't waste any time trying to find something, anything, with which to place over her partner to staunch the bleeding.
"W-What about-?" Blake tried to ask as she and her friends immediately fretted over Yang.
Her father shook his head. "If Adam is still buried under the rubble, then only time will tell if he's alive."
That the young man hadn't burst forth to try one final time at attacking any of them so far seemed like a good sign as far as Blake was currently concerned… but even so, she tried to keep her guard, as beaten and haggard as she was feeling right now.
As people finally began to move all around them and the general chaos seemed to genuinely die down, Blake could only focus alongside her teammates on Yang.
Whatever would happen from here on out regarding her personal situation, she didn't know nor care. As long as her parents and partner turned out okay, that'll be more than enough for her.
Watts grunted in a rather ungentlemanly fashion as he looked over the new facts.
Slowly yet surely, the forces of Beacon and Atlas along with the other authorities out there had started to reverse the situation; the Grimm were being crushed and the remainder of their forces driven off while the White Fang out there around the collapsed city hall were finally being subdued and none too gently, it must be said.
But more than that, the tracker he'd placed in Cinder's scroll had been lost. Given how durable the scrolls he'd procured for himself and his allies were, it must have been damaged during whatever scuffle the young and arrogant woman had gotten into.
And given just what exactly the woman's mission had been, the disgraced scientist was willing to bet all the dirty lien he had that Ozpin himself had been the one to stonewall the woman and her two bratty subordinates… and that was one foe he highly doubted Cinder could overcome, especially with only half of the Fall Maiden power.
"Looks like Salem's expectations for you have been gravely misplaced," he commented aloud.
Oh well, he thought, it wasn't as if he'd had much faith in Cinder's abilities to start with. Oh, sure, she'd had the potential to be something of note, but her ambitions and arrogance had far outweighed her current abilities and said potential. Her impatience had always been one of her more notable faults too.
The chances of Ozpin and his forces interrogating her were so high that it was inevitable, really. Whether Cinder would eventually cave or not, however… well, she was stubborn, he'll give her that much. There was a possibility she could hold out.
Not that it mattered – even if they could extract from her the extent of Salem's plans, it wasn't as if she or even him knew the full extent of their dark mistress' machinations. And no matter what info they could possibly force out of Cinder, there's no amount of preparations they could make to stop him once he gets his hands on the prototype James had taken from him, much less Hazel or the sheer amount of Grimm Salem will eventually throw Vale's way.
Really, it was also inevitable that the kingdom would fall. At best, Ozpin and his side would only be able to ensure the survival of a relative few and nothing more.
Still, the current situation was enough to ruin his good mood somewhat. For as much chaos as Cinder and the White Fang had caused, it would ultimately achieve nothing of note. He may have gathered valuable data from the battle between Hazel and Jaune Arc, but that'd really been the only thing of note.
Sensing that nothing else could be gained, he fiddled with his rings and brought back online all the cameras and comms that he'd shut down earlier. At this point, it didn't matter if a few more people would've died or not had he just kept the comms systems down longer. All of it wouldn't matter once Salem herself made her move.
As he did this, he opted to look through the cameras around city hall.
Doing this, he got to spot an all too familiar figure slinking away, slowly but gradually picking up the pace.
His lips twitched upwards in mild amusement.
"What a resilient individual you are, Taurus," Watts mumbled as he spotted the limping figure of Adam Taurus retreat from the collapsed city hall. Looks like his personal attack upon the council had really gone south, seeing as he and only a scant few other White Fang members were now retreating.
Yet another overly ambitious and arrogant fool, Taurus was.
…
…For a moment, Watts debated that perhaps the rogue White Fang member could prove somewhat more useful than Cinder had. If nothing else, Adam Taurus was quicker to act than Cinder, who'd let things sit too long before finally doing something of note…
…But no. As he'd just pointed out if only to himself, the bull Faunus was far too much like Cinder for his liking, too arrogant and too ambitious for someone of his ability to truly accomplish anything of note. In all likelihood, he would probably just be a liability at best, a true hindrance at worst.
And as useful as his attack had been in giving him and Hazel the opening needed to go after Jaune Arc, the chances of such usefulness ever occurring again was close to none.
He highly doubted the man could ever regroup in time to prove to be a hindrance, no matter how minor, to Salem's plans… but better to dispose of the trash now rather than later, he supposed.
He called Hazel's scroll.
And when the man gruffly answered, his voice still rather distorted – how odd, Watts thought, normally by now the Dust injections start to wear off for his large comrade – the former Atlas scientist got right to the point.
"I know you're in the middle of heading out, but can you make just a quick stop first?"
Adam grimaced as he kept on moving, with only a few of his men remaining by his side, those that had proven just tough enough to survive his final blow and had crawled out alongside him before the others no doubt got up too.
It hurt like hell, both physically and psychologically, to know that his assault had ultimately been for nothing. Though there was a possibility that at least some of the council members could've died in his final attack, he wasn't feeling too certain of it.
And for sure, Blake likely survived. While hardly the toughest person he knew, she was resilient in her own way.
"Damn it all…!" he growled out.
All of those men and women that had accompanied him for this assault… most of them now either dead during the chaos of battle or otherwise incapacitated and now within custody.
Oh, he didn't doubt this would still send the message he wished to send, that humanity should certainly not underestimate the might of the White Fang nor the lengths they'd go to achieve their goals… but it would lack the bite he'd been hoping to give it by failing to kill Blake and the entire council.
And there was also no doubt now that once word of this got to Sienna that she would no longer hesitate at all in going after him. Of course, his actions here would also inspire the true patriots among the White Fang that now was the time to finally rise up and join him, but that'd only result in a civil war, a war that would only distract them all from what actually had to be done.
Somehow, he must deal with this. He had to or else the cause he'd given everything for would end up getting put on the backburner of all things while the White Fang tried to sort itself out.
But the only way he could think of to do that… would be to depose of Sienna.
…
…
…That he was even entertaining such a thing honestly made him sick. Much like with Blake, Sienna was someone he had a lot of history with. When he'd killed to defend the group back then, when Ghira had still been with them, she'd defended him against Ghira's accusations and had praised his decisiveness and willingness to do what had to truly be done to ensure Faunus equality.
He and her had gone through a lot together and despite the eventual split between them, he did consider her to be a sister-in-arms.
…But.
Even as he and his remaining forces limped among the shadows, he closed his eyes for a moment.
But even when considering the bond he and Sienna had, the cause came before all else. No personal friendship mattered more than doing what was right for their entire race.
…Very well then, he thought tiredly. Sienna must go, for the good of the White Fang and even all Faunuskind-.
He suddenly came to a stop and his remaining men, as battered as they were, were just as quick to do the same.
Adam, having been holding his blade all this time, held it up defensively and his forces raised their weapons as well.
They were not alone.
Their nearly-perfect night vision worked just as well with shadows and they watched as a behemoth of a man suddenly rounded a corner and approached them.
Judging by the state of his plain clothes, he'd been in one hell of a fight and yet he sported no injuries of any kind, none that were visible anyways.
He gazed at them with intense hazel eyes, his muscles bristling with every step he took. There was also a visible crackling sound seemingly emanating from him and this sound was accompanied by a flash of actual lightning that danced along his massive form.
The hairs on the back of Adam's neck raised. This man was dangerous, incredibly so.
But even then, he didn't back down. "I don't know who you are, human, but back off." As dirtied, bloodied and battered as he was, he took up an aggressive stance. Part of his mask had been destroyed, revealing the horrible scar on his face that served as reminder every second of every day about humanity's unjust cruelty. "Move or I will cut you down."
The man said nothing but did come to a stop just several feet away. He focused his gaze specifically on Adam now and seemed to look into the very depths of his soul.
To Adam's surprise, the man then sighed. "…I see. Yet another fool." The man closed his eyes now, but only for a split second. "Very well. I'll put the lot of you out of your misery."
At those words, Adam bristled and prepared to move – only for the man to move far more quickly than anyone had a right to.
The last thing Adam saw was a massive fist coated with lightning and fire heading right for him-.
-And then, all the man knew was absolute darkness…. Followed by nothing at all.
After a few minutes, the storm that had been conjured above him finally died down, giving Jaune a chance to finally assess the situation in a relatively calm fashion.
First, he assessed his current condition. The most immediate thing he picked up on was his state of wear or rather his near lack of wear – his long sleeve shirt had been completely burnt away along with his shoes and socks and part of his pants. That his modesty was even remotely protected at all could be considered a genuine miracle.
That aside, he hadn't emerged unscathed from the battle, much less this storm the man had conjured up at the last possible moment. Though his wounds were already beginning to heal, there was no mistaking just how severe the bruises and burns were, to say nothing of his damaged organs and fractured bones. But again, they were healing already. It'd likely be an hour or so before he was back to peak strength.
In any case though…
"…He took off," Jaune murmured almost bitterly, feeling let down for the first time in a very long time, a sign that he wasn't quite as affected by his semblance's mental pollution as he was before. This fact was truly a mind-boggling one and one that he very much welcomed.
Alas, he had no time to dwell on what exactly this could mean nor bask in his emerging 'freedom,' not when a man that powerful and skilled had gotten away.
And of course…
He immediately dashed out into the open and looked upwards and then towards the direction city hall lied in. Even from here, he could tell something had gone down, perhaps quite literally at that too. But the number of Grimm roaring out there and up above were far fewer in number than before, meaning the Atlas fleet was succeeding in driving them off.
But what of everyone over near city hall? At that though, Jaune sheathed his blade and began to rush back there as quickly as it could.
Despite the distance between his current location and city hall, to say nothing of all the freeways and buildings in between here and there, he still moved with absurd speed, leaping and twirling and twisting with the grace of a true acrobat as he essentially parkoured his way there in the span of a minute tops.
And what he saw was enough to make him come to a halt.
City hall had been brought down, reduced to nothing more than rubble. The fighting may have stopped and ambulances may now be everywhere in the area, but that really only made him more nervous than not.
"Jaune!"
The blond, having proceeded to stumble out into the open in the midst of his shock, turned to see Pyrrha dashing up to him now.
She looked him up and down and her eyes widened in horror, no doubt being able to tell that he hadn't exactly had an easy time of things either. "A-Are you…?"
"I'll be fine," he quickly responded, placating her immediately. "Unfortunately, the guy – the same one who'd launched the attack on Sol – had gotten away again… Pyrrha, what happened here? Where are the others?"
Pyrrha looked more than a little alarmed at what he'd just said, but much like him, she opted to stay focused on the matter at hand. "Nora and Ren are okay, they're just helping some of the others shift through all the rubble to make sure no one else had been crushed underneath. I'd been helping out too until I spotted you. As for team RWBY…"
He didn't like the way she trailed off. "Pyrrha, what happened?"
She closed her eyes for a minute before opening them and responding. "The White Fang had attacked – bullhead and all. And from what I've heard, Adam Taurus himself had led an attack on city hall. He along with a few others had managed to escape after collapsing city hall. For the most part, RWBY and the council along with all the others in there had gotten out in one piece… but Yang, having been closest to ground zero, suffered a large gash on her torso. They just took her away in an ambulance."
At that, Jaune's heart felt so very heavy. Arrogant as this may sound, had he been here, things could've turned out differently… but what was done was done. The simple fact was that he hadn't been here thanks to the efforts of that woman and that man. His friends along with all the other authorities here had to take care of things.
"Any idea if she'll be okay?" he asked.
"From what the paramedics said, she'll live, but they'd have to work quickly or else all the blood loss could quickly change that… the others… they've gone with her and they're very much shook up."
Jaune nodded gravely. Made sense. Still, the fact that Yang will pull through did put him at ease. That alone counted for a lot…
…But still, not enough.
He patted Pyrrha on the shoulder. "…You're okay?"
The redhead nodded slowly. "Physically, yes, just a little banged up. But…" she trailed off yet again, but she didn't have to say anything else.
Jaune understood.
Gently, he turned her around and coaxed her forward. He naturally followed beside her. As they walked, not a single person here gave them even a single glance, not even at his current state. They all had far more important things to focus on.
"…Let's do our part," he quietly said.
Pyrrha nodded.
And just like that, the two partners went back to lending their aid to the clean-up and rescue efforts.
As they linked up with Nora and Ren and wordlessly got back to work, Jaune's thoughts quickly turned to all the craziness that had just occurred between him and that still unnamed man.
He'd mentioned Salem, the same name Blake had overheard between the headmaster and general Ironwood.
At that connection, Jaune narrowed his eyes.
He wasn't sure what sort of connection there was between all this, but in light of all that's been happening over the past few weeks, he couldn't not pursue this anymore.
Once everything has calmed down a bit, he'll approach the headmaster by himself… and the two of them were going to have a long talk.
"…Yeah," Qrow muttered numbly in response. "Yeah, I got it. We'll be heading your way soon, Oz."
He then ended the call and practically dropped his scroll onto the ground.
And what a call that had been.
Some odd hours ago, the White Fang had attacked Vale city hall of all places… and his nieces and their friends had been smack dab in the middle of it. Yang had even gotten a pretty severe injury during it.
And what had he been doing these past several days? Helping his 'dear sister' and the surviving members of the tribe bury their dead and relocate whatever supplies and other shit they had to somewhere else.
Letting out a long sigh, he picked his scroll back up and tucked it away properly.
"Trouble back at Beacon?" his sister, who now approached him, asked.
"Like you wouldn't believe," he mumbled in response as he turned around to face her. "You and your crew finally all set up?"
He was tempted to bring up what exactly had happened there, bring up all the details Oz had been quick to obtain, including what had happened to Yang… but considering the talks he and Raven had been having ever since he's come her way, he doubted it was going to amount to much other than yet another needless argument.
Instead, he decided to tell her of the other thing Oz told him. "Someone tried taking a shot at Amber. If not for Oz, they likely would've succeeded in finishing her off."
Raven huffed. "So… looks like Ozpin's little stronghold isn't holding up too well against Salem anymore, huh?"
If that was meant to be a jab against Oz, Qrow wasn't having it. "And just one of her cronies came damn close to taking us all out too," he retorted bluntly, getting her to scowl at the fresh memory. "I can't say exactly how things had gone before, but it looks like Salem's not really pulling her punches anymore. You ready to finally take us back to Beacon?"
With her semblance and the fact she had a bond with Ozpin, Raven could the two of them to him in mere seconds. The only reason why she hasn't yet was, again, because she'd wanted to make sure the surviving members of the tribe were settled into their new base of operations first.
'Family first,' basically, which disgusted Qrow a whole hell of a lot, but he wasn't about to open up that can of worms again.
Raven sighed. "Not like we've much choice, do we?" It was rhetorical, her comment just now. As such, Qrow didn't respond and she instead turned a bit to face the others. "Vernal, for now, hold the fort down… and if that crazy bastard comes around, just… just run."
At that, her second in command – Vernal – grimaced but nodded. "…Alright. How long do you think you'll be?"
"Can't say just yet. Whenever Ozpin and I hash out the details of our… alliance, I'll be back. But we end up doing afterwards is something the two of us are going to have to talk out."
Vernal grunted. "I know we can't exactly back out now, Raven… but I'm still not sure about our involvement here."
"You and me both…" Raven replied before turning to him again. "You ready, Qrow?"
He motioned with his hands. "After you, sis," he drawled.
She huffed but obliged. Drawing her blade, she cut at the air and the red portal that her semblance manifested as made its appearance.
Then, in unison, the Branwen siblings stepped through it.
Little did they know, they had a watcher… and said watcher was none too pleased.
Tyrian hissed as he witnessed Qrow and Raven Branwen step through the portal the latter had made. The bandit leader's semblance was not unknown to him nor his fellow acolytes of her grace, but to see it in action was another thing.
Really now, the Faunus thought, what an aggravating ability.
Alas, now wasn't the time to interfere yet again, not according to Watts. True to the former scientist's request, he'd merely stalked after the Branwen siblings and the survivors of that pathetic bandit tribe after catching up with them… and what had followed had been nothing more than the pinnacle of tedium.
There was only so much entertainment value to be found in watching two grown adults bicker whilst moving things to and from one location to another. That they'd made this back-and-froth trip just a few times to ensure all salvageable supplies were seen to and their dead were buried really only made it that much more dull for the scorpion Faunus.
He'd been more than a little tempted to add to the number of dead they'd had to bury… but again, Watts' words echoed in his mind.
In due time, it would be her grace's opportunity to make her own move… and once she stepped out of the shadows she willingly cast herself in, she shall be making a grand statement indeed to Ozpin and his useless cohorts.
Thus, he had no choice but to allow the Branwens to make their exit from this backwater place. For he knew that if they did indeed intend to stick close to Ozpin and the others on his side, then that would only save her grace a fair bit of time looking for them all.
For once she puts her plan truly into motion, all of Vale will fall before her and her enemies will all be wiped out in one fell swoop.
This much did put him in a considerably better mood, enough to restore a huge smile to his face as he slinked off, leaving the relatively few bandits left to their own devise.
Considering his task now completed, Tyrian withdrew his scroll and began to call Watts to give him this critical update.
All the while, he kept himself amused with thoughts of all the screams that would soon sound throughout the kingdom of Vale.
Later that night as he camped out once more, Tyrian slept very well.
Off in a land warped beyond recognition, where the grounds have showed no signs of plant growth for centuries and where the very air itself appeared to be a mixture of varying shades of crimson red and purple, as if long since tainted by some dark higher power, there was a castle.
It was massive and dark and foreboding, its gothic design evoking a dread greater than the surroundings it was based in. Considering said surroundings consisted entirely of Grimm of all sizes and shapes milling about endlessly, that was saying something.
Like any other castle out there, it had a conference room as well as a throne room… and it was in the latter that one individual could be found resting in.
The woman was quite tall and dressed primarily in black yet with some bits of red here and there. Though modest in design, it fit her form quite well. It wouldn't entirely be wrong to say she possessed a beautiful figure.
However, whatever beauty this woman could be said to possessed was offset horribly by a number of things – deathly white hair and skin with a number of veins visible along her hands and forearms, blacker than night itself. Her eyes were a blood red and the sclera a contrasting pitch black. Some of these black veins also marred her otherwise regal features as well.
The contrast between these traits she possessed made for a dichotomy far more painful and terrifying to look upon than anything else in the world.
She looked human and once upon a time, she had been human. Not anymore.
And just moments ago, this woman had been resting peacefully, dreaming even.
But as her senses, which extended beyond the physical, picked something up, she'd awoken in a literal instant.
And now this woman – Salem – sat upon her throne with an almost thoughtful expression. She hummed as she mulled over what she'd sensed – two great powers clashing against one another.
One such power she hadn't recognized at all, though the fact it was equal to that of a Maiden was certainly worthy of note.
But the other power… though it hadn't felt completely familiar, she recognized his power when it was at work.
Just how was such a thing possible, she wondered? Honestly, not even her in all her many years of experience, could quite figure out how such thing could come to be.
In any case, her dreams, which could sometimes show her glimpses of the recent going-ons out there in the world of Remnant, had shown her two great powers clashing in what appeared to be Vale itself.
While not yet approaching the level of power she possessed or even that of Ozma's former might, she could tell that both powers had held that potential to do so…
…And one of those powers was on her side of all things.
She hummed again. "Well now," she spoke, if only to herself. "…It would seem you were a greater find than even I'd thought possible before, Hazel."
Now she recognized the latter power, the one that bore a meager portion of his power. How very interesting.
Smiling slightly, her very presence now began to darken the room. This was not intentional, rather it was just in response to her very existence as her emotions flared ever so slightly.
It would seem now that rather than be just another pawn, Hazel could instead serve as her knight. Not that such a change would alter the general course of her plans much, but it could make things go just a little easier if she did things right.
And nothing would delight her more than to see Ozma's current life end in nothing more than pure despair.
This time, for good, she'll win… and she'll make sure that the man she'd once considered the love of her life will pester her no longer.
Just a bit shorter than a number of the previous chapters, but with reason – this chapter was more of a fallout chapter than anything else and really not much has to be immediately said on this front. Of course, the next chapter or two will further expand on all the changes that this recent incident will bring about, so do look forward to that.
And now Salem has finally made an official appearance! Hope the description I gave her did decently in describing just how unnatural an existence she's become. And also expect her to start being more active now.
As for her narration about Hazel, well, that's just something I'll be keeping under wraps a little while longer. But do feel free to guess at the details, heh.
On another note, Ozpin - as you can see, he pretty much schooled Cinder, Mercury and Emerald, which really is what should've happened in canon. I mean, Maiden power aside, Ozpin has way more experience than Cinder when it comes to combat. And given just how many lives he's lived through combating Salem and who knows who/what else, I highly doubt he'd stick to fighting 'cleanly.' Now, I'm not saying he's going to be fighting dirty all the time, but if he sees an opening, he's going to take it and he's not going to care much if he has to get really rough to take advantage of it. So, yeah. Hope you like how I wrote him.
Oh, and as for his comments about magic being able to do more than just elemental manipulation, well, it's hinting towards some other stuff in the future, heh. Hope you'll look forward to what I mean.
Again, stay safe out there, everyone. Until next time!