So, Coronavirus. Directly, it hasn't affected me much. I'm deemed important enough that I have to keep coming into work. Problem is, my two coworkers on shift are on quarantine, as is a small chunk of the plant I work for. Long story short, I'm shouldering a lot of work at the moment, as I've been alone on shift in my department all week, worked both days this weekend, and will continue to be alone all of next week. Not exactly the most conducive environment to write in. Good news is, my company's offering a slight bonus for coming in during these troubled times, so I'll be rolling in fat stacks before long.

As far as this story goes, I'm almost certain next chapter will be the last. Two chapters at most. More details down the line as I finish this story, but the end is nigh. Fitting, given the state of affairs in the world.

Also, the story has finally passed 100 favorites! Thank you everyone for your support, reviews, and all that.

To RayDjok, as amusing a scene that would be, I'm pretty sure Cardin would spontaneously combust into a tiny pile of ash if he so much as waved that thing near Cinder.

To AxDevilman, that ship scene pretty much happened on its own. I figured it'd be too easy for Ruby to make it go poof with her eyes, so from there, I thought through what other way they could take down the giant Grimm dragon. Writing from the hip like that's one of my favorite ways of fleshing out a story's finer details.

Chapter Sixty: Bargaining Chips

By the time Beacon came into view, Cardin was shivering from the cold air rushing by. From his vantage point, he saw the students huddled in the cafeteria, wrists and ankles bound, watched over by a burly, dark-skinned man. Ozpin's office looked as though it had been blown apart, and giant clock gears were scattered across the campus grounds. One gear had lodged itself halfway through the roof of a dorm building.

As he descended towards the Bullhead docks, he saw two figures waiting for him, both chillingly recognizable even from afar. Cinder had her bow loosely held in one hand, and the other had a shimmering ball of fire dancing across her fingertips. Watts watched him descend with a bemused expression, one hand on the pistol at his waist. Cardin looked around for Emerald and hoped her absence wasn't just an illusion.

The Nevermore unceremoniously dumped Cardin off its back and set the arm on top of him. Watts said dryly, "I thought the Seer told them to bring him intact."

Cinder cocked her head. "Looks like they found him that way. Well, no matter. It's not as though he needs that arm to tell us what we need to know."

With that tidbit of information, Cardin's mind raced. Given what he knew of Salem, she had to be after either the Maiden or the Relic, and either way, he needed to convince her he had access to that information when he had no idea where to turn. He had to find a way to stall for time before she figured out he was useless to her.

"Do you really have time to stand around talking with me?" Cardin asked. "The tide of the battle is turning against you."

"Really now? Last I checked, the Grimm have complete control over the city."

"I retook the CCT, and your pet dragon's gone. It won't be long before Ironwood kills your little horde."

"True, and I am very disappointed with you." Brilliant light flared out from both her eyes. "However, I already have the main prize. I just wanted to get one last souvenir before I leave."

"My death?" Cardin clenched his jaw to keep his fear from betraying him.

"That would be nice, but no. There's something far more valuable than your pitiful life that's rightfully mine."

"Having trouble finding the Relic?" he asked, gambling on his hunch. "I expected as much."

Cinder's eyes smoldered, and thunder boomed out of an empty sky. "It won't be long before I find it. Ozpin wouldn't have left it out of reach."

"And you're hoping I know where it is?" Cardin grinned, keeping his fear bottled up. He felt ready to collapse, his legs shaking from a mixture of fatigue and dread. "I'm not surprised that it's taken you so long to figure it out. I might tell you where he moved it if you ask nicely."

Cinder raised an eyebrow at him. "Ozpin would have never trusted you with the Relic's location. However, he did trust Ironwood." She brought up her bow and nocked a glass arrow. The air shimmered around the point from all the heat it gave off. "Call Ironwood and ask him where it is, and I'll let you live until we cross paths again."

"And if he doesn't know?"

Cinder glared at him. "You better pray he does."

Cardin dug out the fragments of his Scroll and spilled them into the pavement. "My Scroll didn't survive the crash, but if you could get me a Bullhead, I could ask him in person."

Watts smirked and held up an intact Scroll. "You can borrow mine. I had taken the liberty of registering it under your number, so Ironwood won't be any the wiser. Only the call function is enabled on this device, in case you had any idea of sending him a picture of us."

"We only got local calls up and running anyways, the data's still out."

Cardin held the Scroll in one hand and fiddled with the buttons, deliberately being clumsy as he typed Ironwood's number. Factoring in the flight on the Nevermore and how long it would take for Jaune to find help, Cardin estimated he had another ten minutes of stalling to do, minimum. He resisted the urge to look behind him for any sign of color approaching the school.

After the third failed dial, Watts took the Scroll from him. Cinder lowered her bow, but she kept the arrow on the string, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

Ironwood picked up on the first ring. His voice came through loud enough for Cinder to eavesdrop. "Cardin, I saw what happened. Are you able to confirm the Wyvern's death?"

"I saw it vanish with my own eyes. Our Bullhead was completely wrecked, and our team is scattered, but to my knowledge, everyone is still alive. I saw Jaune earlier, and I think Ruby and Weiss weren't far away as well."

"Why didn't the Silver Eyes take care of it?"

Cardin glanced at Cinder before he could stop himself. Cinder showed no trace of emotion at his slip-up, but Watts seemed intrigued.

"We don't know. It failed to activate."

"Disappointing. We'll have to work on that. I told Ozpin she needed practice, but he insisted on keeping it as secret as possible."

Muttered conversations came through the other side, and Ironwood gave orders to his men. Cardin waited patiently for the general to continue the conversation.

"How soon can you descend to reinforce the Huntsmen?"

"Nevermore numbers are dropping, but we're running low on ammunition. At best, we'll be able to assist with troop deployment and small arms resupply. There's a couple hundred Knights on board, along with a dozen field-ready Paladins."

"It will do. Have you given orders to the Huntsmen at the walls?"

"They are aware of the chain of command and will hold position for now."

Watts frowned as Cardin drew out the conversation. He started towards Cardin, but Cinder blocked him with an outstretched arm.

Watts' feet scraping against the pavement must have carried over Cardin's Scroll, as Ironwood suddenly paused. "Why do you have me on speaker?"

Cinder raised her bow. Cardin calmly said, "I only have one arm. I kept it on speaker so I can have my mace ready."

"Warn me next time," Ironwood scolded him. "We can't risk being overheard."

Cardin looked up at Cinder and Watts. He mimed tapping on a watch, and she raised the bow once more.

"Speaking of overhearing things, I heard Watts say something about securing a Relic and leveling the city with it while I was at the CCT."

Ironwood breathed in sharply. There was a click as he transferred over to his personal scroll. "Any details?"

"No. I don't know where he or Cinder is, same for Emerald and Neo. All I know is we're screwed if they get their hands on it."

Ironwood growled. "I know. Problem is, I have no idea where Ozpin put it. He took it out of its sanctuary after Amber was attacked. He told me that much, but he said it was better that only he knew."

The bowstring went taut with an audible groan. Cardin swallowed and said, "We can't confront Cinder directly, not after she killed Ozpin, so our only chance is getting it before she does. Surely you have some idea where it might be."

"I don't, which is probably for the best. If I can't find it, I can't imagine Cinder getting her hands on it either."

"What about Qrow or Goodwitch?" Cardin asked. "One of them probably knows. Have you been able to contact either of them?"

"Qrow's gone silent, and Goodwitch was captured by Cinder, last I heard from a couple of Beacon students that fled the campus. We'll have to trust that Ozpin had planned for his death."

Cardin looked through the cafeteria windows, but he saw no sign of the professor. Now he risked a glance back, but no reinforcements came for him.

"I suppose so. Oh, by the way, I hereby name you steward of Vale, until such time the kingdom can find a new ruler. Cinder and Watts are at Beacon, and I'll be dead shortly."

"Wait, Cardin, what's going on?"

The arrow flew. Its point grazed Cardin's cheek, drawing a line of fire where it broke the skin. The Scroll flattered on the pavement. Smoke curled up around his left eye as the torn flesh smoldered.

A second arrow assembled itself between Cinder's fingers, and she aimed it at Cardin's heart. At Watts' urging, Cardin backed away, and the former scientist took the call.

"Hello James," he said. "How's the arm doing?"

"Watts," Ironwood snapped. "What is the meaning of this?"

"It would appear that the newly crowned king of Vale wasn't able to get you to spill. Now, I know you're not stupid enough to trade the Relic of Choice for Cardin's life, so I'll spare us both the bother of trying. Instead, I'll offer up the lives of everyone in Vale, with King Cardin thrown into the bargain for good measure. Oh, and before you answer, you might want to know that this is being broadcast live across the world. You might have gotten the CCT back under your control, but I still have my ways. So, choose wisely, general."

Watts grinned and twirled his mustache as he listened to the muted clamor on the other end of the line. After a minute, Ironwood said, "I don't see how you are in any position to make that threat."

"Care for a demonstration? If I recall, the north-side shelter is the smallest of the five. Let's start with that one."

There was a distant boom. Even from Beacon, Cardin could hear the roads of triumph as the Grimm raced into the shelter. Up in the sky, the Defender barreled through the cloud of Nevermore, taking scratches as it went, and dropped soldiers around the breached shelter.

"Next one will be on the south side," Watts warned. "I don't think you'd make it to that one in time to save anyone."

"Damn you, Watts. Why are you doing this?"

"Why, James?" Watts laughed hysterically. "After all you've done, you have the audacity to ask me why? I would have revolutionized your military. I would have given you the firepower to bring the Grimm to their knees. I gave you a fully detailed, itemized, expense calculated, and schedule predicted plan to exterminate every single Grimm on the planet, and instead, you decided to fund the man that wanted to give robots feelings. You spat on my genius, James, so I found someone who appreciates a man of true intellect. Oh, don't get me wrong, the whole 'kill all of mankind' schtick doesn't really interest me, but if it means I get to see the look on your face as everything you care about crumbles around you, I'll kill every last person on the planet myself."

"That's what this is about?" Ironwood roared. "The weapons you proposed would have caused hundreds of civilian casualties if deployed anywhere near a settlement. Doctor Polendina prioritized the safety and wellbeing of our citizens, which is why I chose to fund his project. I told you all this, yet you chose to take it as a personal insult. That's behavior more fitting for a child than a scientist of your caliber."

Watts stared at the Scroll in disbelief. Then he chuckled. "James, are you trying to stall for time? I have to say, that was a good effort. I almost started arguing with you." He thumbed through options on the Scroll and sighed. "You have three minutes before I blow another one. I'll be nice and pop the east one first, give you a fighting chance to protect that one, while you make up your mind."

Ironwood growled. "I can't give you something I don't have."

"Then in that case, why waste time? Maybe I should just blow them all at once."

After a pause, Ironwood said, "Ten minutes. I'll need to contact Qrow, and that'll take time."

"Six, and I'll blow two if you fail." Watts hung up and tossed the Scroll in the air. "Ah, I wish I could've seen his face." He turned to Cinder and asked, "You're going to let me have him, right?"

"Of course. Salem always keeps her bargains, and so do I."

"Good." Watts pointed up at the Defender. "How exactly are we going to get him down?"

Her eyes flashed with brilliant power. "I'm sure I'll think of something."

Watts frowned at her. "Kill him, and I'll kill you instead."

Cinder smiled back at him. "You can try."

Cardin looked back again, but there was still no sign of help. As tempted as he was to stay silent and hope that they forgot about him, silence would only serve to make him look afraid. In a bored tone, he asked, "What happens now?"

"For you?" Cinder asked. She waved to a nearby Beowolf and said, "Put him with the others."

His arm was nearly ripped out of its socket as the Beowolf dragged him to the cafeteria. He stumbled along, struggling to keep his feet under him. With a violent tug, the Beowolf sent him flying towards the cafeteria doors. Cardin slammed head-first into the wall, bruising his cheek as the last of his Aura shattered into fitful sparks.

The man standing at the door steadied him with a firm, but gentle hand. His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched as he saw the stump that was Cardin's arm.

"Did they do that?" he growled, gesturing towards Cinder and Watts.

Cardin shook his head. "Bullhead crash."

The man's eyebrows rose. "The one that took out the Wyvern?" He sighed and opened the door for him. "Another one brainwashed by Ozpin, I see. Take a good, long look at your life and wonder if it's worth throwing away for his cause."

Cardin turned back to him, intrigued by the man's attitude. "I'd rather serve Ozpin than Salem any day. With him, at least I'd have a chance at staying alive."

At the mention of Salem, the man's focus snapped on him. He studied him carefully and asked, "Supposing Salem does die, what would Ozpin do next?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like Salem, Ozpin is immortal. He is inhuman. However, unlike Salem, he isn't ostensibly evil. Ozpin has held positions of power throughout human history, shaping our politics and culture to his desires. What would happen to us, as the ages wore on without Salem to keep him occupied?" His face hardened. "I've seen what happens to the people around him. He uses them like pieces on a game board. What kind of game do you think he'll play when he's the only player left?"

"Then we would just have to kill him too."

The man smiled at him. "You understand, don't you? You understand why I'm doing this."

"To kill Ozpin first, right?" Cardin looked back outside, at Cinder and Watts chatting amiably with each other, framed by the broken city in the background. "I don't think we can kill Salem without Ozpin's help."

"I agree," the man said sadly. "But I would rather die a swift death than a slow one." He held out a hand. "The name's Hazel."

He glanced back at the students bundled up on the floor. They were all watching him. "Cardin," he said, leaving the hand where it was. "I better get to the others."

Hazel nodded. "I don't think tying you will be necessary, but if you try to run, I will have to kill you."

Muttering followed him as he trudged past bundled-up students. Towards the back were the professors. Port looked as though someone had tried to pound his face into hamburger, and Oobleck had an odd, ring-shaped burn, as though someone had wrapped a white-hot wire around his neck. Goodwitch had fared worse than both of them, sporting burn marks on her arms where lightning had struck her, and more bruises and burns besides. Half her hair had been scorched off, and burned skin was already puckering up around her right eye. She squinted up at him, having trouble seeing without her glasses.

"Greetings, your majesty," Goodwitch said as Cardin took a seat in front of her. "I would bow, but my legs are currently tied up."

"Sarcasm, at a time like this?" Cardin asked.

"I was being serious. You did declare yourself king of Vale over every Scroll in the city."

"Which I might add," Oobleck said, coughing as he strained his throat, "Makes for a fascinating historical precedent."

Goodwitch scowled at him. "We can sort that out later. For now, we need to know what's going on."

Cardin told them about the Wyvern takedown and what Cinder was after. Goodwitch grimaced and glanced at the other professors as he mentioned the Relic, but the displeasure turned to horror when he said Watts had mentioned it live across the whole world.

"Are they planning to start a manhunt for the other Relics?" Goodwitch asked.

"I think so. Ironwood should have played dumb, but I don't think it would've helped."

Goodwitch groaned and leaned back against an overturned table. Oobleck, meanwhile, was frowning and muttering to himself. "I know I heard about a Relic before, but for the life of me I can't remember where."

Another boom rumbled through the cafeteria. Every head in the room turned east towards the sound with quiet dread.

"Bastards," Goodwitch spat. "How many are they going to kill?"

"Everyone, if we don't figure out a way to stop them."

"There's nothing we can do," Goodwitch said. "Everyone here is out of Aura, and even if they were able to fight, that man at the door took on Port and every student here by himself."

"He infused his body with Dust crystals," Port said. He held up a bloody handkerchief to his nose. "Lightning element, made him very fast and let him shock everyone. Wish we had Nora here."

"Watts is able to create force fields," Oobleck said, touching his neck, "For which he has found surprising applications. The size seems limited, and it cannot be easily broken."

Goodwitch gestured at her burns. "Cinder did this before she got the other half of Amber's power. Even Ozpin couldn't stop her."

"Which means we need to get word to Ironwood," Cardin said. "Did they take all your Scrolls?"

"Unfortunately." Goodwitch pressed the bridge of her nose, a habit rendered pointless by her lack of glasses. "We've gotten a bit of Aura back, but not nearly enough to try to escape. He's watching us too closely."

Cardin perked up at the mention of her Aura. "Any chance you could use your Semblance?"

"For something small, maybe."

Cardin dug out the pieces of his Scroll, taking care to avoid Hazel's watchful gaze. Goodwitch smiled as she saw what his pocket contained.

"They never bothered to take mine. Here's hoping we can still get a signal."

Oobleck and Port shuffled next to Cardin, forming a wall to hide Goodwitch's work. The professor ran her had over the fragments, imbuing them with a soft purple glow. They wriggled as she strained herself, inching closer together. As pieces touched, they melded back together, first the delicate internal components, then the outer casing. Goodwitch sagged forward once it was complete. Sweat dripped from her face, and she panted with exhaustion.

"Say hi to James for me," Goodwitch said before she passed out.

Cardin called Ironwood. It took a few rings for him to pick up, and when the general answered, his voice was quiet and furtive. "Are you alone this time?"

"Goodwitch fixed my Scroll. I'm currently in Beacon's cafeteria with the students and staff. They have someone watching over us, his name's Hazel and he infuses his body with Dust. Cinder and Watts are still here, outside."

"Ozpin warned me about him. I'll pass it on to the Specialists. What else can you tell me?"

"Not much. Doesn't look like they killed anyone here, but everyone's injured and exhausted. Are you sending help?"

"I heard from Clover. He is en route to the school with Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune."

"Make sure they sneak in. Jaune can help us use other Semblances."

"I'll pass that on."

Cardin glanced nervously behind him. Hazel noticed and started walking towards them. "Any luck reaching Qrow?"

"I think he destroyed his Scroll so he can't be trapped. I can only hope he's still fighting."

"Right. Gotta go, don't call back."

Cardin hung up and hastily shoved the Scroll into his pocket. Hazel loomed over him.

"Is she alright?" he asked.

Cardin swallowed. "I don't know. She suddenly said she was feeling dizzy and passed out."

Hazel took off his jacket and dropped it on the floor. "Use that for a pillow. I'll get some water."

He returned moments later with a paper cup and set it next to her. After pressing his fingers to her forehead, he said, "Temperature's fine. Seems like severe Aura strain. Make sure she doesn't move much until she recovers."

Cardin felt him relax, as nothing in Hazel's expression indicated he had noticed anything. As Hazel left, he said, "Watts is still monitoring all CCT traffic. Keep that in mind if you would like to minimize civilian casualties." Cardin felt a chill creep down his spine and his fingers clenched around the Scroll in his pocket.

Oobleck studied their captor as he left. "An odd fellow, definitely not of like minds with the other terrorists. Perhaps we could use that."

Professor Port puffed out his chest. "A man like that is resolute. He won't be swayed by anything. It shines through in the way he fights."

Cardin examined the Scroll in his hand, wondering if they hadn't taken it on purpose. Had they known Goodwitch could fix it? Had they expected him to try to contact Qrow, or had they wanted to see if Ironwood would let anything else slip? What were they planning?

"So, Cardin?" Oobleck asked. "Would you mind telling us what the Relic of Choice is? I swear I've heard of it before, but it isn't in any historical text I can remember off the top of my head."

Cardin glanced around, making sure no one else was near enough to eavesdrop. He didn't stop with the Relics but recounted everything about Salem and the Maidens.

As Cardin described what he saw of the Grimmlands, Oobleck straightened and his head snapped up. "That vision you described, after the Seer touched you." The professor's shoulders slumped. "That's why he brushed it off. Ozpin didn't trust me to know all that."

Port gave Oobleck a hearty slap on the shoulder. "Hey now, he didn't tell me either, which is a great shame, because I could have taken care of this shady Salem character a long time ago. We'll have to give him a stern talking to in the afterlife."

They were interrupted by the sound of heels clicking on the stone floor. Cinder and Watts walked towards Cardin, watched with open fear and hostility by the beaten students. Hazel followed behind, watching her with a wary frown.

Cardin refused to turn and face her. She kicked him in the back, doubling him over. "Get up."

With only one arm to support himself, Cardin stood awkwardly. He stared directly at her despite every instinct screaming at him to avert his eyes. "Ironwood's not cooperating?"

"I'm afraid not, which means I only have one other use for you."

Hazel shoved past Watts and stood in front of Cardin. "We had a deal, Cinder. Didn't you say you always keep those?"

"I promised to minimize civilian casualties and let the students of Beacon live. Cardin is neither student nor civilian. He is the King of Vale. You agreed that all of Vale's politicians could be dealt with as I please."

Hazel looked back at him and growled. "He's just a kid!"

"Don't make the mistake of thinking he's innocent. Everyone who can survive in this kingdom's politics is either a parasite or a predator. Now stand aside, Hazel."

Cinder and Hazel stared at each other. For a tense moment, Cardin had the warm, fragile hope that Hazel would fight back, but the burly man nodded and stepped aside. Cinder hooked her fingers underneath Cardin's collar. Her nails dug into his neck as she dragged him out the room.