A/N: The Argus Limited is about to have a rough day. Get ready for a beast of a chapter- this is so long y'all. You have no idea how painful it was to write. I think I'm still super scarred from fight scenes after writing the Haven battle.

Let me know what you think!

What We Call Home

The moment they stepped into the Cotta-Arc household, two faces honed in on their entry with nothing but subdued fear in their eyes. Saphron stood, crossing her arms and walking over to greet them. "Hey, where were you?" she cried, reaching up to cup Jaune's cheeks. Forcefully, she moved his face around, clearly checking for any sign of injury.

"I'm okay, Saph, let me go!" Jaune mumbled, uncomfortable with being manhandled. He grimaced, trying to pull away, but she was too firm in her hold as she continued making sure he was alright.

Nora grinned wryly, leaning around Jaune to wave to Terra. "Hiya," she called. "I'm sorry we're late."

"We were worried, you know," Terra said, bouncing a confused, sleepy Adrian on her knee. "We got your message that you'd be staying out tonight, but when Jaune wasn't here either, we couldn't sleep."

"We thought something might've happened," Saphron said, finally letting go of Jaune. The tall boy shook his head and massaged his cheeks, pouting in annoyance at the bright red marks her grip had left on his skin.

Nora chuckled, biting back her guilt. "Did Jaune not tell you he was going, too?"

"No," Terra sighed, pushing her red frames farther up her nose. The woman flashed a smile at Adrian, the little boy looking up at his mom happily. She continued, "We thought you two encountered trouble so Jaune went to help."

"That's not exactly wrong-" Ren murmured.

Nora quickly silenced him by jabbing her elbow into his gut. When he was sufficiently keeled over, she grinned brightly. "Don't worry! There was no fight or anything. Ren and I just got a little lost while on an errand, so Jaune came to save us!"

That explanation seemed to ease both Terra and Saphron, the two women trading relieved glances before gesturing towards the kitchen. "Have you eaten yet?"

Ren shook his head. "We hope the stew was good."

"It was, but we saved some for you!" Saphron explained, quickly ushering Jaune over to the kitchen. "C'mon, it's late. You need to eat and go to bed."

With little else to do, the trio obeyed, sitting with Saphron, Terra and a now-asleep Adrian while they ate reheated stew. It was still delicious, yes; but the sight of Saphron doting worriedly over Jaune, checking in with him every few minutes with concern and doting affection painted clearly upon her brow, made Nora's gut clench.

She didn't eat much that night.

Ren noticed, even if the others didn't. Once she had slid into bed, letting her quiet sigh reverberate through the empty room, Ren slipped inside, perching upon the edge of her mattress. "You okay?" he said quietly.

Nora sat up and sighed, leaning forward and resting her forehead against Ren's arm. "It just sort of hit me again, Ren," she said after a moment. "Jaune… Jaune's really loved, huh."

Ren's hand came up to stroke her hair. "Yeah," he replied.

"…Pyrrha would've been just as worried about us."

"Yeah."

Nora took in a deep breath, then leaned back, giving Ren a doleful smile. "I just wish we had had a chance to worry her like that, y'know?"

The saddened affection in Ren's eyes made her want to melt. "I know." But there was little else to do other than try and rest up as much as they could. Ren left her with a loving smile, allowing Nora to curl up in her bed and attempt to sleep.

It was likely the sheer anticipation and fear of coming face-to-face with her former captors, but Nora's sleep was anything but restful. On and on throughout the night, she opened her eyes only to find darkness still flooding her bedroom with no figures leering over her, no one nearby to threaten her safety. However, that constant fear and discomfort was the perfect fuel for Nora; she awoke with nothing but resolve and drive in her heart. They were going to finish things off for once and for all.

Soon, all of Nora's nights were be dreamless; at least, they would be free of any nightmares about Sotz. They were going to destroy everything he had done. Nora was almost free.

After getting ready for the day, she double-checked her own ammunitions, holstered Magnhild, and made her way downstairs to find Jaune and Ren sitting in the living room already. "Are you ready to go?" she said brightly.

Ren's face was serene as he nodded in response. Jaune, on the other hand, looked absolutely green. "Guys, I can't believe we're doing this," he moaned, clutching his stomach. "I'm going to be sick."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again," Nora replied. "Aim it at the enemy."

Jaune groaned, but Crocea Mors was at his hip, the young man ready to set forth as well. So, the trio stepped out into Argus' residential district.

Caelus had been right about lighting up a storm; the sky was already a dark, blustering grey, the clear makings of a thunderstorm brewing along the coast.

The mere thought of storm-diving with Caelus made her want to sing.

They had a few hours to kill before Howl expected them at the base, so Nora relished in dragging Ren and Jaune to the marketplace to try out different street vendors. Ren was happy to oblige her, a strange sense of resigned peace settling over him at what they had to do that day. Jaune was growing paler by the second, the mere sight of food eventually making him throw up in the bushes on the way to the tram.

Nora patted his back as he heaved the meager contents of his stomach into a poor shrub. "You really just couldn't hold it until we were in battle, huh?"

Jaune growled bloody murder. "I swear to god Nora, that's so gross-" But despite her silliness, Jaune didn't escalate things further. The hand on his back was shaking, and when he finally stood and washed out his mouth with his canteen and took a step back, he quietly held open his arms and smiled at her.

Nora took him up on the offer in an instant, crushing him in a hug. It only lasted a few seconds, though; immediately, Jaune croaked, "Nora, that's too much, I'm gonna-" and then he spun on his heel, vomiting again.

Ren, who had been buying tickets for their journey, watched the entire exchange, utterly unimpressed. Nora shrugged. "I mean- I guess we can report to Team RWBY that Vomit Boy is still alive and kicking?"

Jaune almost wailed as they finally dragged him onto the tram.

Once they were seated in the old apartment complex, Nora couldn't help but whistle at how tidy the place had become. It seemed that they were already preparing to pull out of Argus as their base was already half-empty. "Where'd you keep all the Dust?" she asked innocently, pointing at the empty corner formerly filled to the brim with Dust crates.

Kalian winked wickedly at her. "It's a secret, punk."

Howl began laying out his plans. They were fairly straightforward; Nora and Ren would be used as bait. Based on their intel, Sotz had a habit of never appearing on the frontlines unless absolutely necessary, so the duo would be in charge of taking down the fodder sent their way. They would have to hold their ground, but once his followers had finally dwindled down enough for Sotz and Nick to step out, Kalian and the rest would ambush them.

"All of you are going after just the two of them?!" Jaune cried in alarm. "Wait, don't Nora and Ren need backup?"

Carob shook his head wearily. "It's not just those two, kid," he explained wearily. Opening up his Scroll, he pulled up a few photographs and held it out for the trio to see. The images were blurry, clearly taken in rapid succession with little chance to capture a clear shot. However, Nora could clearly see glistening claws, mottled green skin, and something akin to multiple mouths on some sort of hulking creature.

Jaune looked just as green as the monster onscreen. "What the heck…?"

Howl murmured, "They apparently have found a lackey with a transformational Semblance. He turns into that monster. Greg couldn't take it out, so we're going to need to be prepared."

Oliver winced, looking down at the ground, avoiding Nora's heartbroken, empathetic gaze.

"So," Howl continued, "We will likely need all of us to take them out. We have followers spread throughout the city- they've been hiding out, waiting for us to disseminate the plans remotely- who will aid us. If you're ever overwhelmed, let us know on the comms, and we shall provide backup either ourselves or by sending over troops."

"I'll provide intel and, if you need me to, sniping," Oliver said, plastering a wan smile on his full lips. Turning to Carob, "We found a good spot for it, right?"

Carob nodded, fixing the boy's hat more securely down onto his head. "Yeah." Pointing to the map Howl had acquired of the area, he easily pointed out a building set in the corner of the field displayed. "This building is a warehouse with small offices on the upper floors. Oliver will stake out in the corner office." Shifting his attention to Jaune, he added, "And you're helping him."

Jaune spluttered, "But- wait, what am I doing?"

Caelus grinned, slinging an arm around Jaune's shoulder playfully. "You've got an amplification Semblance, ya?" he said. "You'll help support Oliver."

Nora sat on the edge of her seat. "Wait, Oliver, what's your Semblance? You hadn't awakened it when we last saw you."

"And since when did you learn to use rifles?" Ren added.

Oliver grinned, proudly posing. "I have extreme perception! And Dad taught me how last year. He said I was a natural."

"He can easily see without other equipment across incredible distances," Howl explained smoothly. "This in turn aids his sharpshooting skills and use as an informant."

"So," Jaune murmured, "I just have to help amplify his Aura?" When Howl nodded, a quick wave of relief passed over his face. However, that quickly faded as he shook his head. "No. I need to help Ren and Nora-"

"Jaune," Nora hummed, squeezing his arm gently, "we'll be fine. Besides, if we've got communications open, you can tell us where to go based on what Oliver sees from your viewpoint, right?"

Jaune pouted, but reluctantly, he nodded, accepting his role. "I'll make sure you're okay," he promised.

Ren sighed, standing up from the wobbly seat he had occupied and crouching next to the map. "Where exactly is this taking place? Where are he and his gang operating out of?" he asked.

Howl quickly pulled up a larger map of Argus and pointed at the actual location situated southwest of the city. The closest built-up area was the train station. "The old train yard," Kalian explained. "There's tons of cargo carriages and shipping crates unused there. Currently, the maintenance line is only being used by the Argus Limited- or at least," and he flashed a toothy grin at Nora and Ren, "the remains of it."

Ren flushed while Nora shrugged. "We didn't have a choice, okay," she said plainly.

Howl said, "You'll be attacking from the northeastern entrance, just past the station. Try to avoid attracting attention when you get there- we cannot risk alerting the Atlesian Military until later. We will be attacking from the southern forest. There's a wall there, but easy to scale since we have the equipment for it. If anything goes wrong, meet us in the southwestern quadrant of the train yard."

With that, the plan was set. Nora smiled, watching as the meeting ended and every member of the Embers stood simultaneously. Caelus walked over to one of the boxes in the back of the room, quickly retrieving a large paintbrush and a can.

Everyone was dressed in drab, grey attire, completely unlike their normal, more colourful selves. Nora could only grin and bounce in anticipation as each person marked their clothes with a splash of bright orange paint- just like Carob's sleeve.

"Protect the Embers," Kalian called.

"Protect the Embers," they all chorused.

She reached out for the paintbrush as well, but Caelus shook his head. "Nuh-uh-uh," he scolded lightly. "You've got to stay unmarked. Can't have the troops associating you with us early, after all."

Nora pouted, but nodded, acquiescing. Kalian ruffled her hair, murmuring, "I'm pretty sure this does the trick, though." She rolled her eyes in response, but even Ren and Jaune smiled at his comment, so she took it in stride.

She could not tell whether it was excitement or nerves causing her to bounce in such a jittery fashion, but either way, the sun was setting and she and Ren had a job to do. And so, they set forth, Kalian acting as their guide to the drop-off point. Along the way, Nora could barely bite back her glee as she saw numerous people in the crowd dressed in dark clothing, all with bright streaks of orange paint glistening somewhere on their attire. The Embers were truly uniting.

It almost felt like Nora and Ren had never left the Embers- this felt practiced, right.

However, everything was different now. Some of Nora's enthusiasm died as Oliver tugged Jaune's sleeve, the teen hugging a trombone-case-turned-rifle-carrier to his chest clumsily. "This is where we go, Jaune," Oliver said, pointing to a back alleyway that veered off. "We'll find the building this way."

Biting a trembling lip, Jaune held out his arms. Nora and Ren both instantly walked forward, wrapping the boy in a comforting hug. "Be safe, okay?" Jaune whimpered. "You need to be safe."

"We'll do our best," Nora smiled. Turning to Ren, she added, "Right?"

Ren's eyes softened. "We always have," he said fondly. Nora flushed at the words, stolen from her own lips only a few months before.

As the two young men jogged their way down the road, Kalian tapped Nora's shoulder. It was just the three of them now, standing a few blocks down from the train station, and just a bit further from the site of the attack. Spinning around, she murmured, "Hey, Kal. What's up?"

The redhead sighed, pushing his long hair out of his eyes. "Look, Ren, Nora," he began awkwardly, "I…" He paused, then sighed again, silently steeling himself for whatever he was about to say. "I want you to know that if things get bad, we'll protect you."

Nora laughed, but her heart was warm. "We're practically Huntsmen now, y'know," she teased. "Aren't you too worried?"

But Kalian's face remained somber, a soft smile in his face as he placed his hands on Nora and Ren's shoulders. "You say that now," he grumbled embarrassedly, "but… you know you're like… our kids, right? Like, Oliver is Greg's kid. You're ours." He flashed a clumsy grin. "And nothing will change that, even after this mission. Even with your own mission, whatever-the-hell it's about." After a moment, he added, "We're not going to let you see those bastards, okay? We'll take them down. You've just got to keep their lackeys busy."

The look in his eyes made Nora's knees weak. It was the same look that Saphron had worn whenever she looked at Jaune, the same warmth and kindness and doting affection. Before he could say another word, Nora wrapped him in a tight hug. "Thanks, Kalian," she murmured. "We love you, too."

"It'll be hard saying goodbye again after this is done," Ren admitted.

Kalian rolled his eyes, pushing Nora off of him and fixing her hair idly. "Look, you brats will find yourselves in trouble no matter what," he griped. "If you bring your bullshit back to Anima, though, let us know."

Nora stared at him, deadpan. "Oh, as if we're gonna be able to contact you."

He chuckled half-heartedly. "I mean… you can try?"

Nora punched him lightly in the shoulder, but a message in their earpieces ended their play quickly. "You have ten minutes to get into position," Howl said smoothly into their communications line.

Sobering up, Nora bumped her fist against Kalian's, and Ren did the same. "See you on the other side," she said.

Kalian smirked, confidence oozing out from every pore. "Don't wet yourself when you see blood, Lil' Valkyrie," he said mockingly.

She stuck her tongue out at him, then grabbed Ren's arm and tugged him along.

It only took a few minutes to arrive at their destination. Nora spotted two guards waiting on the inner entrance of the train yard, but no one else was there; these guards were not part of the Atlesian Military, however, lacking their uniformity and class. Little more than thugs, it was clear they belonged to Sotz's crew.

"Everyone's in position," Oliver said over their earpieces.

Nora grinned, pointing at the two guards. "Let's take them out?" Ren nodded, and within less than a minute, the two guards were unconscious, their bodies dragged away and hidden behind some empty shipping containers.

Yet, no one else appeared. Even as Nora and Ren took to walking down the main path of the train yard, no longer bothering to keep to the shadows, they didn't see a single soul; there was naught but icy ground, fallen pine needles, and stacks of wooden slats and empty crates lining the rows of empty shipping crates and discontinued train carriages.

"Ren," she murmured, her grip tightening on Magnhild's handle, "shouldn't they have spotted us by now?"

Ren's expression was steely as he reached up, turning on his comms to ask, "Oliver, Jaune. Do you see anyone in our vicinity?"

No response.

Nora frowned, pausing in her tracks. "What? Why aren't they responding?"

Ren grimaced and tried again. "Oliver and Jaune, where are you?"

No response.

Nora held her breath. On her Scroll, it said that the transmission was going through, so what was happening with the two boys? In the quiet, she was able to hear a high-pitched, slightly static-filled tone. "Is it jammed?" she breathed.

The boy knelt down, taking a moment to listen in as well. Soon, however, he looked up at her, muttering, "I think it is. Something's wrong."

Quickly, the two of them attempted calling the others, but no one picked up. It was as if all feeds were blocked, leaving only static in their wake from the moment they entered into the yard. Nora laughed weakly. "Do ya think it's because of the storm?" she whispered.

Ren glowered at the sky, all ominous clouds and dimmed visibility- the yard was illuminated by large spotlights for now, but should there be a power outage, they'd be done. "I wish."

The pair quickly accepted the fact that they were on their own. They'd gone through sketchier missions. It would be alright… right?

It only took a few more minutes of walking through the eerily-still area to finally find another human being- two humans, to be precise. Nora regretted going to the train yard with every fiber of her being as those humans stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Her vision tunneled, knees going weak. The first figure was Nick; she had known, somewhere in her mind, that she would see him again. The other person, though?

She knew him too well.

Fifty metres away stood the figure that had come to haunt her memories once more over the past few months, after having been free of his image for so long. A lean, lanky man stepped out into the center of the road, one hand propped upon his hips, a coy smile on his face. His pale, strawberry blond hair was limp and greasy, hanging matted around his shoulders. That same garish scar that she remembered, covering his entire eye and mouth, was still just as gruesome and twisted as ever, contrasting against pale, gaunt skin; however, now, that scar ran all the way down the side of his body, all across both of his arms, almost all of his visible flesh mottled and fire-bitten.

Nora suddenly felt as green as Jaune. She was going to be sick. They had done that to him, hadn't they?

The man opened his eyes, just as golden and pervasive as ever, and she almost did retch, clutching onto her stomach automatically. Those eyes- how long had they haunted her?

They're always- she took a step- fucking- she took another step- golden.

Ren stood close enough to her to feel his heat. She took in a deep breath, allowing herself to tear her eyes away from their enemy and instead look up at Ren. He was beautiful, silhouetted by the powerful floodlight filling the yard. He was by her side.

And he wasn't crying. They weren't children anymore.

She wasn't a child anymore, able to be chained up and used.

Nick bellowed, "I told ya the brats were here."

Sotz looked at Nora and Ren impassively, his smile as impersonal as if it were the first day they'd met. Then, his face lilted upwards, his eyes widening, honing in on the duo. His smile crept wider, wider, wider- teeth bared and fangs exposed, he grinned, pulling out his twin daggers slowly.

Nora felt sick.

"You're all grown up," Sotz called.

Her mind flashed back to that poster she had seen so many weeks earlier on the Huntsmen's board; how could she have just assumed a monster like this had died?

"You're so big now," he said, walking forward slowly, sensually. Daggers reflected the floodlights filling the area, the man catching them easily as he flipped the blades over and over again.

"Ren," Nora whimpered before she could stop herself.

Ren whispered, "It's okay." He sounded close to tears.

This man was nowhere near as terrifying as the Nuckelavee, and yet… how was she feeling even more helpless in front of him that that monster?

It was a silly question. She knew why- Sotz was a monster by intent. The Nuckelavee had always meant death. This man had always been nothing more than pain.

Suddenly, Sotz paused, eyes dragging slowly up and down Nora's figure. He raised one thin brow, a smirk growing on his face. "You grew up well, little girl," he cooed. "If only you had stayed longer so I could enjoy it."

Ren stepped forward with a snarl, and Nora had to hold him back. "Wait," she whispered. For what, she didn't know- this wasn't supposed to be happening. Her rational mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. They were supposed to be the distractions, nothing more. They were supposed to just take down the fodder.

So why were Sotz and Nick waiting for them?

"What," Nick cackled, slapping his belly in satisfaction, "can't hear your little friends? I thought you'd like the jammer."

Howl, please tell us what to do, she screamed internally, clutching onto her hammer for dear life.

Suddenly, the communication line roared back to life. It flooded immediately with the sounds of gunshots and screaming pain, clashing steel and exploding Dust. Nora winced, immediately lowering the volume in her headset. "What's going on?" she cried.

A myriad of voices stepped on each other's words, blocking out the numerous cries that screeched in. The only command that broke through was this: "Bring them to the south end!"

Nora and Ren looked each other in the eyes. "Ready?" she whispered.

He smiled, as tender as ever to her before steeling himself. "Let's go."

And so, the chase began.

Nora's legs pumped faster than she had ever run in her left, adrenaline screaming through her veins. The static in the comms quickly melded into the background, her pounding heart blocking out all other sound.

Nick and Sotz immediately gave chase, their leering calls triggering memories she had long-since repressed. Throughout it all, no other words came into her earpiece.

How are they here?! she screamed silently, dodging Sotz's bullets. How did they know what we were-

Her heart sank. Howl disseminated their orders at a distance- if there was a rat-

"Nora, distract them!" Ren commanded. Wordlessly, she stopped in her tracks, spinning around and firing a barrage of Dust grenades at the duo chasing them. Ren used that momentary distraction to run across the duo, slicing with his blades wherever he could find purchase. Nora grinned and continued to run as both men howled in pain.

A part of Nora's mind paused. This feels almost like initiation. That thought almost sent her into a fit of hysterical giggles, laughter barely stifled down. I can't believe I'm missing being chased by a giant Nevermore and Deathstalker, though.

She chewed her lip anxiously, ducking into one long, open train carriage. Running along the center aisle, she grimaced and grabbed onto a nearby seat as the entire train seemed to rock in place, eventually tipping clean over to one side as the earth itself rolled in waves underneath the chocks themselves. Oh gods, they planned this- they wanted to lure me and Ren out alone so they could pick off the others afterwards-

As she smashed one of the windows of the passenger car and climbed out before the train car could tip over entirely, a loud, piercing, inhuman roar filled the air, easily drowning out the sound of gunfire erupting from the Embers' location, locking her in place.

Ren was by her side in an instant, brushing glass off of her and dragging her forwards. "Keep going," he breathed, already panting.

"What the heck was that sound?" she cried, glancing around fervently. The sound had come from the south end of the facility- where the others had been expecting to ambush Sotz and Nick. The roar ripped through the air once again, sending chills down her spine.

"I don't know," Ren muttered. "We'll find out."

Suddenly, a body crashed through a pile of crates in front of her. Booming footsteps dented metal as Nick kicked his way in front of them, his long jacket billowing behind him. He tucked his hands into his pockets, casual as ever. The large man was blocking their path. "Found ya," he laughed.

Nora and Ren both frantically looked around. There were no platforms to jump onto in their immediate area- they somehow needed to outrun him.

Nick guffawed, grinning maliciously. "C'm'here, kiddos. Let's play."

Nora chewed her lip, stepped on Magnhild, and fired herself up into the air to avoid the spray of torn-up earth that Nick shot her way. He continued to barrage her with an assault of earth and clay, shaking the very ground beneath her feet any time she alighted back down. Ren tried to distract him every once in a while, but the game of cat and mouse they played was exhausting, quickly wearing Ren down before Nora.

Sotz was nowhere to be seen, likely hiding until Nick was defeated. Coward. She needed to get Nick airborne- in the air, he'd be useless. Spinning in the air, she grit her teeth and fired another shot on Magnhild, propelling her back crashing to the ground.

Seeing her coming from a mile away, Nick easily sidestepped her, expecting her to try and strike him. "You've gotta be faster than that, girlie," he hooted, body glowing again as he charged up his Semblance.

However, she didn't try and strike him on the way down. Instead, she simply landed with knees bent, tensed and ready to lunge forward. His eyes widened in panic as she shot forward on the ground before his Semblance was ready to fire, pressing the electrical trigger on the handle to shock her muscles; with the extra strength, she easily skidded forward the moment she touched down, swinging her hammer and sending Nick flying upward. "Ren, go!" she cried.

Ren didn't miss a beat, jumping towards her and firing up at Nick's body, pummelling his body and keeping it airborne. The large man's Aura was protecting him against Ren's bullets, but it didn't matter; that moment of reprieve gave Nora enough time to leap high into the air again, flip midair, and slam her hammer down onto Nick's rotund belly.

The man nearly vomited mid-flight as he crashed into a pile of wooden timber slats, stacked high and teetering. Wood and dust shattered underneath his body. Nora landed, readying herself for the man to climb out of the timber pile.

Before she could engage, the communication feeds in her earpiece sparked back to life for just a moment. It was Jaune, the boy screaming through static-filled connections, "Nora, Ren, move!"

Wordlessly, she grabbed Ren by the arm and bolted away. As they ran, she looked back at the upper window of the nearby warehouse where Oliver and Jaune had been staking out- to her surprise, she saw not a glint of a scope, but instead a steadily-glowing figure, shining white through the haze.

Jaune's amplifying Oliver's Semblance, she realized numbly.

That understanding was only supported with a single shot came from the building, sparking a red line across the sky until it landed in the pile of slats. A strangled scream erupted from the wood as the whole thing combusted, the bullet laden with fire-Dust hitting its mark perfectly. Nick's screams of anguish echoed through the entire lane as the structure collapsed on top of him, the smell of ash and smoke and burning flesh quickly souring Nora's stomach, turning her insides out.

Nick didn't emerge from the fire.

In his wake, two blades emerged, aimed straight for Nora's face. She dodged with a quick fire from her hammer, quickly righting herself and circling Sotz, the man mimicking her with a crazed edge in his eye. Ren quickly joined her, standing on the other side of Sotz so that the lanky man was in the middle.

Carefully, Nora looked over their options. Oh, Jaune, we could really do with a strategy right now, she moaned silently. As it was, the feed in her ear was back to pure static, so she was on her own.

No, she thought suddenly, pausing in her tracks. Ren's here.

Ren would always be there. We can do this.

Their opponent noticed her lull, crouching low and flipping his daggers in his hands quietly. "You know, little girl, I don't like having to find new men," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear. "Nick was a bastard, but a useful one. You want to tell me where I'll find a replacement?"

"That freak is dead," she replied coldly. "You will be too, soon."

"You think you can hurt me?!" Sotz leaned his head back and roared with laughter, cackles sending a terrifying chill down Nora's spine. "You think that you can hurt me?!" And then, he struck.

His movements were just as nimble as Nora remembered, his blades naught but a blur of steel in the air as he danced, quickly overwhelming her. She couldn't fight him off, only managing to land a few blows in while focusing on avoiding his offense. Ren attempted to stand between them, but the boy was quickly batted away, Sotz's emaciated form still somehow stronger.

Nora quickly took in her surroundings. They were almost at the south end of the train yard. "Ren!" she cried, meeting his gaze. Everyone's waiting.

"Got it!" he called, leaping on top of a nearby platform to get to the top of a train carriage. Nora followed suit, jumping into the air, stepping on Magnhild's hammerhead, and firing herself off into the clearing. Sotz was not giving up on his chase; out of the corner of her eye, Nora could see his daggers dancing, reflecting the light of the fire that raged on behind them.

Nora shuddered instinctively, remember all of those times those blades had hurt her. The image from her nightmares, from her memories, of those blades right in front of her own eyes, cutting into her skin-

She shook her head, landing lithely on the ground without losing her speed. Her dead sprint continued, footsteps echoing noisily atop empty cargo holds.

Eventually, they were close enough to the rest of the combat that the sounds of battle echoed through to them. They must've sent their men after everyone else, and came to hunt me and Ren down personally, she thought, grinding her teeth in frustration. Please, let everyone be okay. Her guardians had always been incredibly strong, but sheer numbers could overwhelm anyone, and she wasn't sure how many of the Embers' own followers remained. We need to finish up and help them.

But only a few hundred feet away from the others was a large clearing, and soon, she had to stand on even ground with Sotz. The moment she and Ren were back onto the ground, the exchange of blows began. She pivoted on the spot, bringing her hammer down on the spot where Sotz would be landing. The man managed to dodge her by a hairsbreadth, but Ren was right there to kick him aside, sending him crashing into the side of a steel crate. Without losing speed, Nora leapt forward and caught the man unawares, sending the pointed side of her hammer straight into his side. Golden eyes grew wide in shock and pain, and Sotz's body flew into the center of the clearing.

Ren was immediately upon him, stepping on his chest to hold him down, StormFlower's barrels pointed at Sotz's face unforgivingly. His shoulders were heaving, clothes and skin soaked with sweat from the heat and exertion, his hair clinging to his face, giving him a wild, manic look as he watched their opponent carefully.

Sotz looked to be faring far worse, his nose clearly broken and struggling to mend itself. His breaths came out gasping and laboured as Ren applied pressure, and the ugly, terrible burn that covered his eye and extended down his chest seemed to be glowing red, scar tissue wrinkled; a truly wretched image.

Nora jogged over to Ren, shifting Magnhild back into a grenade launcher and pointing it at the man lying on his back. "Ren, are you okay?" she cried, longing to reach out and check him over for wounds. However, she wouldn't risk it- not with Sotz right there.

Ren nodded. "You?"

"I'm fine," she said tightly. She was glad that she had always had far greater stamina than Ren; being able to keep her breaths even and controlled, her voice calm and collected despite her weariness, felt like a display of power in front of Sotz. She was the stronger one.

Yet, Sotz's twisted smile only grew. "You think you've won?" he laughed incredulously. His voice was raw, broken and guttural and cracking, but the confidence in his eyes remained. "Oh, children, didn't I teach you to not be so naïve?"

Nora saw it too late. "Ren, move!" she screamed.

But Sotz had already begun to glow that pale, unnatural rose gold, his Semblance drawing his Aura to his face as he unhinged his jaw, dropped it wide open, and began to scream.

Nora immediately fell to her knees, covering her ears and relaxing her jaw so that the pulsing sound wouldn't shatter her teeth. The sound of Sotz's voice, amplified by his Aura, was enough to render his prey immobile. She hated it- hated seeing the unnatural, cavernous opening of his mouth, hated seeing the manic joy in his eyes, hated hearing that high, screeching tone ring loud and true and strong enough to render anyone in the vicinity immobile. Cries of pain and screams of fear immediately began resonating from the nearby battlefield, the sounds of clashing steel replaced with the pathetic sobs of terrified soldiers.

Nora felt her entire body growing numb, weak. This was the sound that had rendered her motionless so many times before. I'm stronger than you, she insisted silently.

She was close enough to him. She just needed to shut him up.

So, with one quick motion, she let out a scream of pain as she dropped her hands from her ears, feeling pain strike through her skull like a piercing lance. She shoved Ren out of the way and pressed Magnhild's trigger, watching as the hammerhead extended and slammed right into Sotz's jaw, forcing his mouth shut.

The sense of relief in the air was palpable the moment the sound came to a stop. She gasped, crying despite herself as her Aura frantically worked to heal her damaged eardrums- it was invasive and noisy, like a million bugs crawling around in her skull. The image itself made her gag. Still, she dragged herself up to her feet, watching her opponent drag himself up, too. She knew he couldn't use his Semblance again right away- it used far too much energy- so for now, all he had were his blades and whatever scraps of power he still held.

Then, they were facing one another, and Nora froze.

Sotz… had he always been this tiny?

He was barely taller than her. The battle and chase had destroyed his clothing; through the gaps, she could see ribs jutting through pale, scarred skin, the mottled flesh running all the way across his chest and stomach. Those scars hadn't been made by the Branwens when he had left; they looked old, but not that old. No wonder he can't forget us. We destroyed him.

But this waif of a man, all snarling teeth and heaving breaths and pure, unadulterated hatred in bloodshot golden eyes was nothing more than a wretch, a mere ghost of the demon that had haunted her for so many years. Or maybe that was all he had ever been.

That thought struck her like a dagger in the heart. Why had she been so afraid of this for so long? He still killed Snow and Star and Cara, she reminded herself, slowly straightening herself up. He hurt everyone.

He had hurt Nora, too. And if she hadn't run away with Ren when she had, who knows what would've happened?

But did that mean she couldn't win?

She didn't realize she was hyperventilating slightly until a wash of calm rolled over her in the form of pink light. Gasping for mouthfuls of air, as smoky and ashen and charged as the sky was amidst the brewing storm up above, she turned to give Ren a shaky smile. "Thanks, Ren," she whispered.

He cupped her cheek for a moment, his Semblance easing the paranoia and fear that had wedged itself into her mind as her Aura finished healing up her ears. "I'm here," he whispered.

"You brats," Sotz hissed, readying himself to strike.

Nora nodded towards Ren. We have to take him to the others, she said silently. That was where they intended to fight him. They need him there for their plan.

Ren seemed to be thinking the same thing. In a heartbeat, the two were back upright, sprinting away from their assailant who trailed them mercilessly. They wove through empty carriages and crates and storage boxes, heavy footfalls echoing across metal casings.

Eventually, they reached the assigned clearing. Sotz launched himself at them, almost feral in his desperate, haggard assault. Nora didn't fear anymore, though- she was stronger than him. He was weak.

No longer was she a little girl to hold hostage in order to use Ren. She would win.

The battle raged on. The Embers' lower-ranking members fought valiantly against whatever few troops remained, but it grew clearer by the second that Kalian and Caelus had already taken care of the majority of Sotz's followers. The ones still standing looked terrified, with half of them breaking into dead sprints and trying to escape, half of them falling to their knees and surrendering.

As more and more people fell, a sudden crash echoed through the yard, drawing everyone's attention. A giant, lumbering, monstrous creature was splayed flat on its back, bleeding profusely from jagged wounds and neat slices marring its entirely pulsating, murky green body. Nora watched the creature roar in pain, horrified as she took it in; it wasn't a Grimm, so what the hell was it?!

The moment she saw Carob and Howl leap out into the clearing after it, Howl's boot-knife and Carob's double-tipped staff dripping with blood, she knew what it was. The monster began to glow with a muddy green Aura, the light flashing all over the creature's body until suddenly it wasn't there anymore. In its place was yet another corpse.

She deftly dodged Sotz's knife and firing a grenade into his chest, sending him flying straight into Ren's blades. It gave her enough time to glance over at Oliver and Jaune, the former's rifle scope shining in the firelight.

You're free now, Oliver.

Nora looked away from the monster- no, the lackey's- pitiful form, turning her attention back onto Sotz. The Embers didn't show mercy- not when people like Sotz existed.

Once the last few stragglers were picked off, the train yard was filled with bodies. She swallowed thickly, quietly thanking the heavens that they had had the common sense to leave Jaune up away from the combat with Oliver. He wasn't built for this kind of carnage, no matter how much he grew stronger. He wasn't made for it.

She continued to attack Sotz relentlessly with Ren. It was only a matter of time before their victory. Their enemy's options were running out, Nora knew. His Aura danced pathetically upon his skin for just a few moments before fizzling out completely. He needed to run, or he would die.

Sotz's split lips and bloody nose were bleeding all over his mouth, teeth shining red, a bloodthirsty light in his eyes as he turned to look at Nora. "I'm going to get you," he spat, blood and spittle flying, lit up in the air by the distant fire raging which had long-since consumed Nick. "You filthy-"

Before he could utter another word, his eyes went wide, standing out starkly against his horrible scars. Amidst the steadily-increasing wind and the sound of combat all around them, Nora almost missed the quiet sounds of a few rounds shot behind her. Looking back, she froze, seeing Ren holding out StormFlower, barrels smoking slightly as Sotz toppled to the ground, clutching his knees.

She gulped. Sotz screamed in pain- however, without his Semblance, it was just pathetic, a broken, mauled creature with shattered kneecaps. Ren muttered, jaw clenched tight, nostrils flared and eyes watery with unshed, bitter tears, "Don't you ever threaten her again."

Nora couldn't look away. Ren looked like a hulking beast when compared to Sotz's tiny, shattered form.

Suddenly, Caelus was by her side. He was bloody and battered, a complete turnaround to the confident figure she had said goodbye to barely two hours before. An almost sadistic smile shone on his face as he looked at Sotz's broken figure, but when he turned to Nora, his gaze softened. "It's time. You ready, Lil' Valkyrie?"

She finally tore her gaze away from Ren. Nodding determinedly, she asked, "What do you need?"

Caelus' canines flashed evilly, smile shining bright against his dark skin. "Easy." He pointed to the sky, then began to glow, his Aura manifesting around him, floating towards the sky. The storm clouds had grown thick above them, towering cumulonimbus columns dark and heavy, wind currents stirring the air mercilessly. In one hand, Caelus pulled out a round of lightning-Dust- the trigger. He held the other hand out to Nora. "Time to storm-dive, Nora."

She knew what he wanted. Finally. She grinned back on instinct, taking hold of his hand. The moment she did so, he raised the Dust cartridge and crushed it in his hands, allowing the lightning-Dust to float into the air, sprinkling down around him.

The sky parted with a force so violent, a heat so indescribable, that Nora wanted to scream. Her words died in her mouth as her vision went white, the deafening sound of a following thunderclap almost shattering her eardrums a second later. The force of the lightning bolt struck Caelus immediately, the electricity conducting through his body, his Semblance- and straight into her.

She loved being supercharged like this. When was the last time she had felt a real lightning both burning her from the inside out, lighting this kind of fire within her?

The moment she could hear again, she flexed her muscles and roared with the strength imbued within her. On cue, Kalian bellowed, "Get him into the train, Nora!"

Nora wrapped her fingers around Magnhild's handle, pressing the electrocuting trigger out of curiosity. She didn't even feel the electricity generating within the hammer; it paled in comparison to nature itself.

Sotz was desperately tottering to his knees, his expression of pain shifting into one of pure horror. "No," he wheezed, "don't-"

Don't ever try and touch me again. She grinned, swung back her hammer, and slammed it into his stomach with every ounce of strength she had in her refueled body. The blow landed so hard onto his hapless form that the crunch of his bones almost rivaled the sound of the thunder booming overhead. In an instant, he was flung across the yard, body crashing into the Argus Limited, rocking the entire train upon impact.

"He's down!" Howl boomed across the yard.

Nora didn't know what hit her, a sudden blur of red and fire wrapping around her. The moment that warmth touched her, however, she immediately relaxed and complied, allowing herself to be flung bodily over Kalian's shoulder as he sprinted out of the area. When the world stopped spinning, she glanced around, catching sight of Carob hoisting Jaune like a discus out of the window and tossing him with all his strength into the distance. Howl was scooping up Oliver, the teen letting himself get carried in the man's arms as Howl bolted across the rooftop of the warehouse. Caelus and Ren were running side by side right behind her and Kalian.

Suddenly, Howl dropped Oliver down, the boy immediately falling into the prone position and holding his rifle at the ready. "Take the fucking shot, kid!" Kalian screamed.

Nora blinked, and then, the sky seemed to split wide open. A furious clap of sound rang through the air, the static raising the hairs on her arms. Nora almost grit her teeth until Kalian whispered, "Relax. I've got you."

She obeyed, holstering Magnhild clumsily and wrapping her arms around his neck. She was a Huntress, yes; but she knew that Kalian would always protect her. So, she tucked face against his collarbone and sucked in a breath, waiting for the impact.

And when the explosion hit, and she felt Kalian be flung off his feet, she felt herself drift in and out of consciousness, the force too much to bear.

The next thing she knew, she was dropped on the ground, with Ren and a whimpering Jaune next to her. "Pretend like you know nothing," Howl reminded them. "We've disabled surveillance in this sector for thirty more minutes. Get back to a main street, slip into the crowd, and disappear."

Nora shakily raised her hand in a salute, head ringing. "Yessir," she coughed out. That's why you didn't let us mark ourselves, huh?

Ren was coughing from the dust and ash filling the air from the train yard. A pathetic lump was growing on Jaune's forehead where he'd landed after his unceremonious flight at the hands of Carob. Otherwise, however, everyone seemed alright.

Howl nodded, a proud glint in his eyes. "It's done. We'll comb the wreckage with the fire is out."

"You set up bombs?" Ren breathed, absolutely flabbergasted.

Kalian shrugged, brushing her sweat-streaked hair out of her face. "We had a lot of extra Dust," he said nonchalantly. "Will neither confirm nor deny."

After a moment, Jaune finally managed to catch his breath. "Protect the Embers?" Jaune offered sheepishly, looking to the other two for backup.

Nora and Ren both laughed, reaching out to hug Jaune in their exhaustion.

Howl smiled. "Be careful." And just like the wind, he was gone, nothing more than a silhouette running on the rooftops. Kalian soon followed, a wicked grin disappearing into the shadows of Argus before they could blink.

Staggering to her feet, Nora strained to pull Jaune and Ren up as well. In the distance, she could see the remains of the train yard at the bottom of the hill; nothing but charred ash remained inside the skeletal husk of the Argus Limited. "Well," Nora murmured, looking up dazedly at the plume of smoke filling the sky and blending in with the thundering rainclouds, "we're not going back to Mistral anytime soon on that."

The rain had begun to fall. She didn't mind. After the sweat and heat and exhaustion; after the fire and fury and fear, the rain washed away the grime on her face, pouring down in a painful torrent.

Jaune muttered, "No one has an umbrella, right?"

She didn't trust herself to speak. So, she smiled.

And with that, Nora, Ren and Jaune began to totter away towards civilization, too exhausted to even think of what had just come to pass. They could dwell on it later. For now, all Nora had to do was put one foot in front of the other and relish in the fact that finally, she had won.