This chapter didn't come nearly as easily as I had hoped it would, mainly because this is the part of my outline that goes 'and then Cardin does a thing, maybe?' Let's just say things get spicy at the end when I asked myself how the heck can I end this chapter. Definitely not in my outline, but a welcome addition to the story.

Chapter Fifty-One: Where Secrets Dwell

It was just past five in the morning when Cardin bolted out of bed and ate a hasty breakfast. He flew down to Vale, and, blending in with the morning rush hour foot traffic and listless crowds of refugees, snuck his way to Junior's night club.

A wall of goons maintained an orderly perimeter around the premises. When Cardin approached them, the guards leveled guns at him, but one, recognizing him, ordered the others to stand down.

Inside, there were beds arranged all around the floor. Well-dressed people slept, stretched, and ate light meals of fruit and cereal under the watchful eyes of the Malachite twins. They watched the goons and each other out of the corner of their eyes, held sacks of baubles and trifling valuables furtively to their chests, and ate as though they feared someone else would snatch the food from their mouths.

As Cardin swept his gaze across the premises, he spotted Mercury, leaning against the back wall, watching the front door. Watching him. Cardin took a deep breath and nodded. Mercury nodded back and kept watching.

Junior, behind the bar, counted out a stack of lien cards. He looked up and saw Cardin approach him. He frowned and spread out the pile, showing Cardin how much he had on him.

"Looks like you've found an impressive line of work," Cardin said as he took a seat.

As Junior poured him a drink, he slyly smiled and gestured at the guests. "The hotels are packed, so I thought I could get some beds in here. It's amazing how valuable four walls and a roof have gotten recently."

"That's assuming you get to live to spend your lien cards." Cardin shrugged and added, "Or that there's any stores standing once Cinder's done with the place."

Junior's eyes narrowed. "You know what she's planning."

"I have a vague idea. Long story short, the shit's going to hit the fan in three days."

"That soon, huh? I figured they'd wait for the food to run out."

Cardin took a sip of his drink, a clear, smooth whisky with a firm kick. "Whatever's happening, it's going to happen at my coronation. It'll be in the Argent Concert Hall. They brought in some heavily guarded crates that went missing from their warehouses."

"Which means they're stashed somewhere nearby." Junior scratched his chin. "I could send some men out there, sniff around, see what they find."

"They'll have Huntsmen or White Fang guarding them," Cardin said. "Either way, I don't think your guys would make it back from that."

"The girls, maybe…" He pointed up at the Malachite twins. Noticing the attention on them, Miltia and Melanie grinned and waved down at him. Miltia offered him a flirtatious wink.

"Maybe, but I'd rather not get you involved right away. I have someone else that can look into it."

"Well then, what did you come here for?"

Cardin took a grocery bag bulging with lien cards out of his pocket, rivaling Junior's stack in size, but far exceeding it with higher denominations of currency. Keeping his voice low, he said, "Get these guys armed to the teeth, and turn this place into a bunker. All I ask from you is that you let me retreat here once Vale turns into a warzone."

"How bad will it be?"

"Grimm in the city bad," Cardin answered. "White Fang too."

Junior growled. "My boys can deal with some masked freaks, but the Grimm are another story."

"You don't have to kill them, just keep them out. Let the Huntsmen take care of that."

"Yeah, just keep them out." He snickered and glanced over at Mercury. "Is he going to be a problem?"

"Probably not. If Cinder was going to do anything, she'd have done it before I got here. It's obvious you're the only person I can turn to."

Junior glowered and said in a sarcastic tone, "Well, that's reassuring." He sifted through Cardin's sack and said, "I've got a few sources left, should be able to get my hands on some nice hardware. Not much I can do with the place with just two days, but the basement should do the trick."

Cardin looked back at Mercury. He didn't seem to be listening in on their conversation, but his eyes never strayed away from them. "Could you pour me a soda?" he asked Junior.

Junior looked over at Cinder's spy and mixed up a non-alcoholic beverage. "Be careful. He knocked out one of my men before he could blink."

Mercury drew back as Cardin approached him, but he took the offered drink without a word. He sipped, grimacing at the bitter flavor of tonic and lime.

"Did you ever discuss a payment plan?"

Mercury shrugged. "Not much point with what she's planning. I'm getting paid in survival."

"Doesn't seem like much of a point to that either. She'll throw you away the moment she's done with you."

Neither one spoke for a few minutes. Several of Junior's guests gave them calculating stares, but when Cardin turned, showing the mace on his hip, they scurried away.

"Isn't this when you ask me to team up with you?" Mercury asked. Ice clinked as he slurped up the last of his tonic.

"Also pointless. Not much I can offer you when I'm on a sinking ship myself."

Mercury shook the glass, studying the ice cubes as they shifted around. "That might not be entirely true."

Cardin's ears perked up. "Are you sure you should be telling me anything?"

Mercury turned out his pockets, revealing that he didn't have a Scroll on him. "There's one person that Cinder's still looking for, a woman named Amber."

The name was unfamiliar to him. Frowning to himself, he asked, "What does she want with her?"

"To steal the rest of her power. She only got half of it, the first time."

Cardin remembered the Aura transfer machine that had occupied so much of his speculation around Cinder. Questions raced through his mind, had she gotten her hands on the device a first time, before it was moved to Vale, what was so important about Amber's Semblance, and where were Ironwood and Ozpin hiding her? He felt tempted to ask Mercury for more information, but he was uncomfortably aware of the listless crowd huddled under blankets behind him.

"What does she want with her power, then?"

Mercury shrugged. "She never told me what specifically, but that Amber chick was something else. We ambushed her, and she would've killed us all if Cinder hadn't put an arrow through her chest."

Cardin fumbled for another question, but Mercury darted a glance at the door and said, "I better get going." He handed Cardin his empty glass and grinned uneasily. "If Cinder asks me to kill you, it's nothing personal."

Mind spinning from the new information he had acquired, Cardin left Mercury's glass on the counter and strode out of the nightclub. As he walked back to the Bullhead, he considered his options. Ozpin clearly didn't trust him, but Ironwood might give him some answers. With that thought in mind, he flagged a Bullhead and asked it to take him to the Defender.

Winter greeted him when the Bullhead touched down. With a polite nod of her head, she said, "Ironwood is in a meeting at the moment, but he should be available in about thirty minutes. I will conduct you to a waiting room in the meantime." She consulted one of the guards on duty and added, "I could offer you breakfast, if you haven't eaten yet."

Cardin's stomach rumbled, not satisfied by the early morning toast he had scarfed down, but that thirty-minute wait was suspiciously familiar.

"It's urgent. I've uncovered more information on Cinder's plans, and we have to act quickly."

Winter stood straighter and took out her Scroll. "I am authorized to mobilize our forces on the General's behalf. Tell me the situation, and I will act on it."

Cardin glanced around the Defender's docks. He had hoped to pry his answers out of Ironwood, but Winter might be an easier nut to crack.

"We should talk in private. Is there somewhere close?"

Without another word, Winter led him to the same waiting area that the Beacon students were taken to after the staged kidnapping of Weiss. Cardin took a seat, and Winter sat in front of him.

"What do you know about Amber?"

Winter looked at him in confusion. "Nothing. What is it?"

Cardin grimaced. If even Winter didn't know, Ozpin had to be the one keeping the secret. "If you don't know, then there's nothing you can do." After a pause, he added, "Ironwood should know."

Winter bit her lip as she studied her Scroll. "I'll contact him. Give me one moment."

Winter left the room to make the call. When she came back in, she shook her head.

"He says that it can wait."

Cardin bit back a curse. He thought over what could possibly convince Ironwood to see him alone and came up with an idea.

"Could you do me a favor? Just ask him why Ozpin doesn't trust him to talk with me alone."

Winter's eyes widened a fraction. She nodded and left the room again. This time, when she came in, she nodded.

"Ironwood will see you now. Let's go."

Cardin took deep breaths, trying to settle his nerves as they approached the General's office. Ironwood had a chess board laid out, the pieces arranged in a late-game configuration, a handful of moves away from a checkmate. An extra office chair, from one of the break rooms, stood out in stark contrast to the spartan, yet classy furniture in Ironwood's office.

"Winter, thank you. Please make sure we are not disturbed."

Winter grimaced and went towards the door. In that troubled expression, Cardin saw an opportunity to earn a favor from her.

"Isn't Winter your second in command?"

Winter paused, one hand on the doorknob. Ironwood studied him carefully before answering, "Yes, she is."

"Meaning that if anything were to happen to you, she would be in command of Atlas' troops?"

Both Ironwood and Winter regarded him with suspicion. Cardin felt his heart race as the silence stretched out.

"That is correct," the General said.

"Then," Cardin said quickly, "Why are you keeping her out of the loop? Wouldn't you want her to know what's really going on if something happens to you?"

Winter's eyes widened with surprise, and her gaze darted to Ironwood with ill-concealed excitement. Ironwood frowned and looked down at his desk.

"Ozpin said the risk was too great. The more people that know a secret, the harder it is to keep."

"I suppose that's why he never told you about Ruby."

The General scowled but hid his anger as quickly as it came. "It's not my secret to tell. I promised him that I would not tell anyone without his express permission, and I will not break his trust."

"What trust? He won't even let you talk to me without him being in the same room." He gestured at the chess board. "Or were you playing chess against yourself for your own amusement?"

Ironwood gave a start as he looked down at the board. "This was an old game, from last time."

"Then why do you have an extra chair in here?"

Ironwood's gaze went to the office chair. With a chuckle, he said, "I guess you saw through that."

"Was pretty obvious the first time." Cardin crossed his arms and sat down. "So, are you going to let Ozpin make all your decisions for you, or are you going to do what you think is right?"

Ironwood sighed and leaned forwards, hands at his chin as he stared pensively at the chess board. "Ozpin has always struck me as too cautious. I sense that we're nearing the end of the game, and if it wasn't for you, Cinder would have already assaulted Vale. I can't imagine she will wait much longer before making her next move.

"We have until the coronation," Cardin said bluntly. He brought up copies of his father's documents on his Scroll. "Right after the Festival, Cinder had lots of unspecified cargo moved under heavy guard into the city and a public venue booked without the reason given."

At the word 'coronation', Ironwood glanced up with a concerned expression. "Forgive me, Cardin, I had heard about what happened. You have my condolences."

Cardin dismissed the well-wishes with a wave of his hand. "The point is, Cinder's going to have a lot of people bottled up in one place, and whatever she does there will tip the negativity in Vale over the edge."

Ironwood studied the shipping manifest on Cardin's Scroll. "If you could provide me with copies, I will look into this cargo."

Cardin took back his Scroll. "Not a good idea. It would not look good if your troops were caught sneaking around Vale's warehouses. I have a different idea for that."

"Well, if you're sure, then I will trust you to handle it." Ironwood leaned forward and nudged the chess board aside. "So, how much do you know about Amber?"

Cardin glanced at Winter, who was listening attentively. He gave her a small nod and said, "I know that Cinder attacked Amber and stole half of her Semblance. Amber is somewhere in Vale, probably at Beacon, along with the device that can transfer a person's Aura to a different host."

Ironwood relaxed slightly as Winter tensed up. "I see," the General said. "And may I ask where you got this information?"

Cardin debated telling him about Mercury, but he didn't want to arouse any suspicion by telling him he was in contact with one of Cinder's close associates. "I know someone who specializes in information. I paid him a visit this morning."

The sudden, knowing smile on Ironwood's face confirmed that he knew about Junior. Winter looked back and for the between them, a question on the tip of her tongue. Ironwood noticed her expression and nodded towards her. Relaxing in her chair, Winter asked, "Who is Amber?"

"More importantly," Cardin added, "What is her Semblance?"

Ironwood tapped his fingers on his desk, struggling with an internal debate that played out on his facial features. Cardin watched with growing anticipation as Ironwood's expression slowly softened.

"The best answer to both of those questions is to tell you the whole story. You may recognize it as a fairy tale, but believe me when I say that every word of it is true."

As Ironwood related the tale of the four Maidens, Winter gasped in recognition, but Cardin hadn't heard any of it before. However, once Ironwood got started naming the four Maidens, Cardin experienced a troubling revelation.

"Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall," Cardin said breathlessly. "Just like in that nightmare."

Ironwood intently studied him. "You didn't know, then?"

"And the Relics?" Cardin said, too distracted to acknowledge Ironwood's question. "Do those exist too?"

Winter's brow furrowed in confusion. "What Relics?"

Before Ironwood could explain them, Cardin recited what Cinder had told him of each of them – Knowledge, Creation, Destruction, and Choice. Ironwood confirmed everything he had seen in the Seer's vision.

"You used the Staff of Creation to make Penny."

Ironwood nodded.

"And those safeguards you mentioned, each Relic is locked in a vault that only the Maidens can open."

"Precisely."

"So, once Cinder collects the last half of the Fall Maiden's power, she'll have the Relic of Choice. What does that do?"

"Ozpin never told me. He only told me how to use the Relic of Creation, in the event of an emergency."

He felt his chest tighten as he thought about the rest of that nightmare, of the pale, monstrous figure at the other end of the table, smiling at him as she toyed with him like a fly writhing between her fingers.

"And Salem?" Cardin asked, voice hoarse. "Is she real too?"

Winter had an expression of horror spreading across her face as Ironwood rubbed his temples with his gloved hands.

"Salem is real," Ironwood said. "I haven't seen her myself. I only know what Ozpin has told me, and even that isn't much. All I know is it would take the combined power of the four Relics to defeat her once and for all."

"Then why haven't we done that already?" Winter asked.

Ironwood frowned and let out a sigh. "Ozpin says that we aren't ready for it, though he won't tell me what we can do to prepare ourselves."

"Probably has something to do with the Brothers," Cardin said. "Bringing together the four Relics will summon them back to our world, and they can undo the immortality they gave Salem."

Ironwood froze, going stiff enough in the shoulders to make the stitching in his jacket creak. "Did you hear that from the Seer as well?"

Cardin nodded. "Salem mentioned it."

Ironwood ground his teeth. "Why couldn't he have mentioned that either?"

In the silence that followed, Ozpin opened the door. He held a steaming pot of coffee in one hand and twirled his cane in the other. "Such knowledge puts all of Remnant in danger."

The Headmaster's eyes darted between Cardin and Winter, taking them both in with a stern frown. "So, I see you decided to start without me," Ozpin said. He set the pot and three cups on the table. With a sharp look at Ironwood, he asked, "How much did you tell them?"

"Everything I know," Ironwood calmly replied. "Circumstances have changed, Ozpin. We can no longer afford to keep our allies in the dark while we try to manage things quietly." He gestured at Cardin and added, "We have three days until his coronation, which will be made public, and Cinder's bringing in some dangerous cargo. It would seem she plans to strike then."

Without offering any to the others, Ozpin poured himself a cup of coffee and savored a sip. He leaned against the back wall and propped himself up with his cane. "I've already sent Qrow out to investigate."

With a scowl, Ironwood asked, "And how long have you known this, exactly?"

Ozpin checked his Scroll. "About twelve hours ago."

"And you neglected to tell me this as well."

With a shrug, Ozpin said, "What would you have done about it? Send your troops to investigate? Vale's people have a poor enough opinion of Atlas military as is."

"I could have just sent Winter," Ironwood countered.

"Ah, yes, Qrow and Winter working on an investigation together, what could possibly go wrong? Fact is, James, this is the very reason why I am reluctant to trust you with any information. Lately, you've had a bad habit of acting without consulting me first."

"What, you think I need your supervision?" Ironwood asked, anger heating his voice. He stood up and slammed his hands on the desk, knocking over a few slender bishops. "This is war, Ozpin, and in war, sometimes, you have to let your commanders call the shots. You can't oversee every little detail, you can't perfectly coordinate all your soldiers. If you insist on making sure we don't do anything without your approval, you're going to leave us all tied up when we need to act the most."

Ozpin quietly sipped his coffee as he listened to Ironwood's tirade. Once the General sat back down, Ozpin said, "And what, exactly, do you think you've accomplished so far? You brought your army here without my permission, and so far, all it has done is erode the relationship between our nations. You used the Relic of Creation and brought the very thing it made to my kingdom without my knowing, let alone my permission, and signed it up for the Vytal Festival."

"The Dukes said–"

"Of course the Dukes said it would be alright!" Ozpin snapped. "How many times have I told you not to treat with them without consulting me?"

"But–"

"If you want me to trust you," Ozpin said coldly, "Start by trusting me first."

Ozpin set his mug on Ironwood's desk and turned to Cardin. "Let's go."

Cardin looked at Ironwood and Winter, suddenly nervous by the cold fury in Ozpin's expression. When he stood, Winter and Ironwood exchanged a silent look, and Winter rose with him.

"I can escort you back to Beacon."

"That won't be necessary."

Ozpin opened the door. After exchanging worried glances with Winter and Ironwood, Cardin followed his Headmaster. A shiver ran up his back as he left the threshold of Ironwood's office.

Once they got in the Bullhead, Cardin sat rigidly in his seat, worried by the tense silence as Ozpin studied him with the thoroughness of a medical examiner, turning each of his internal organs in his hands.

Once they got back to Beacon, Ozpin led him to the elevator to his office. Before they entered, Ozpin swung his cane behind them, checking for any unseen followers. Instead of pressing any of the buttons, Ozpin slid aside a hidden panel, pressed his eye to a screen, and typed in a long code. The elevator lurched, and they shot down with palpable lift from the reduced gravity.

"Where are we going?" Cardin asked, finally unable to stand the silence.

"To see Amber."

The elevator opened far beneath the school, in an spacious stone room lined with pillars. At the far end of the hall, two glass tanks had cables and metal tubes connecting them, controlled by a separate panel. The one on the right was empty, but the left held a gaunt, brown-haired woman with familiar scars.

"Wait, are those…?"

"From a Scarab," Ozpin confirmed. "It would appear that was what Cinder had used to extract her Aura, likely modified by Salem for that purpose."

"Wait," Cardin asked, with equal measures of giddiness and disgust welling up in him at the same time. "She has one of those things inside of her?"

"Possibly," Ozpin said, "But we have no way of confirming that. For all we know, the Scarab was used as an intermediary, giving Cinder Amber's Aura."

"But if she does have the Scarab in her," Cardin said, "All we need to do is have Ruby use her powers on her."

Ozpin swung his cane and tapped its end on the floor. The chamber resounded with the echo of metal striking stone. "That's far too risky."

"As risky as letting Salem have the Fall Maiden?"

"Even if Cinder fully becomes the Fall Maiden, she will not find the Relic of Choice. I've seen to that. Ruby, however, may be humanity's last hope, and I won't let you, or anyone else, interfere with that."

Ozpin turned to face Cardin, his cane held in front of him like a sword. His expression was calm, almost pleasant, as he strode towards him. Cardin's eyes widened in horror, and his heart galloped in his chest as he realized why Ozpin had brought him miles underground, to a room whose very existence was known only to a select few.

"Killing me won't stop Cinder's plans," Cardin said, voice trembling as he fought to keep his fear in check. "She'll just arrange another big public event."

"It will buy us some time to find whatever Cinder has hidden."

Cardin backed away, but the Headmaster picked up his pace. "Ever since that Seer got me, you haven't trusted me. You know I don't have a Scarab or anything, and you know they're trying to kill me. So why? Why didn't you trust me?"

"Do you know how many associates I've had over the years that have been taken by a Seer? More than a few. Once in a while, some will make a 'miraculous escape', returning with their wits intact. So far, every single person I've ever met that left unscathed from being touched by a Seer betrayed me, betrayed humanity." Ozpin's smile widened as he stopped within cane's reach of Cardin. "Why should I believe that you, a mere student, somehow escaped a fate that had claimed some of humanity's greatest heroes?"

Cardin fumbled for words, but nothing came out as he stared Ozpin in the face, paralyzed by his cold, aloof expression and flinty green eyes.

"Even if you are innocent, as you claim, I cannot take that chance. Goodbye, Cardin."

Before the blow fell, an unnerving tingling sensation came from Cardin's back. White light filled the room. Pale wings fluttered around him as a flock of glowing Nevermore billowed around him, darting towards Ozpin.

One of the spectral birds landed on his shoulder. In Winter's voice, it shouted, "Run! These won't last long."

Cardin hadn't made it ten strides before a pulse of green energy slammed the birds back, smashing them to motes of light against the stone walls. Ozpin leapt forward, propelled by another surge of energy. As his cane swung at Cardin's neck, more light poured from Cardin's back, materializing into a long, glowing sword. More apparitions poured out from the glyph Winter had stuck on Cardin's back as he fled the Headmaster.

The elevator stood open before him, tantalizingly close. With his Semblance, Caridn made himself lighter, springing forward the final distance and slamming against the back wall. Sweat dripped down his face and his breathing came in shallow gasps as his fingers groped for the up button.

Ozpin plowed his way through a sea of glowing shapes, parrying an impossible number of blows at once with graceful sweeps of his cane. As he saw the doors closing, Ozpin leapt up, flying through a cloud of white Nevermore. His cane darted forward just as the doors slid shut, but the cane shoved its way through the metal, prying the doors open. As Ozpin wedged his cane further past the doors, the elevator slid up, pulling the cane out inch by inch as it hurtled up the shaft. The cane crunched against the bottom of the elevator as it got clipped by the wall atop the bottom floor, and with the squeal of metal, it tore free.

Cardin sank to the floor, gasping for breath as he watched strata of rock zip past through the hole in the doors. By the time he made it to the top, he was able to stand again, albeit on shaky legs. Winter and Ironwood were waiting for him at the elevator's entrance.

"Thanks for the save," Cardin said as he wobbled out of the elevator.

Ironwood took him by the arm. "After what happened with the Seer, Ozpin thought about killing you. I tried telling him it was a mistake, but I suppose he doesn't trust my judgement."

Winter nodded and pointed towards the docks. "We have quarters prepared on board the Defender. You are welcome to stay as long as you would like."

Cardin looked back at the elevator doors, scratched and dented by Ozpin's cane. "It might end poorly if people think I'm in your pocket. I don't think Ozpin will try anything now, not with witnesses."

"As long as you're sure," Ironwood said. "Keep me informed and let me know if there's anything I can do."

Cardin, haunted by a new betrayal, slept fitfully in Gideon's room that night.