After a long slumber, Artyom found his mind awakened and was met by a Dark One standing over him. "Do you mind telling me what's going on?" He asked the intelligent creature.
We saved you…
The Ranger remembered that moment, the woman who insulted him by using his memory of his mother as an appearance. He didn't know what these creatures did, but he prefered that they gave the usual impression their kind was known for, fear. Yet, he began to think about that moment the Dark Ones considered redeeming a man like him. "So what is going to happen now?"
We cannot stay… this world… cannot sustain… us… and protect you…
"Why would you need to protect me?" He wondered.
Danger… monsters without life…
They were referring to the Grimm; however, Artyom knew people like Winter could fight them. Then he thought about the fate of the Dark Ones, they were born the moment humanity killed itself. Their kind couldn't last in the world of Remnant, for they were meant to thrive in the world known as the Dead City of Moscow. That place, it wasn't meant for humanity, not anymore. The Dark Ones were the homo novus, a new man to a new world at the expense of humanity.
Ever since their destruction, Artyom couldn't forget that argument between Sukhoi and Hunter about dealing with the Dark Ones. Once upon a time, it was his home, but no one could live on the surface ever again. This was their inheritance, this world belonged to them. Humanity had to die, otherwise their grip on what was once their world will extinguish their last breath. However, Remnant was surviving and thriving. A new world with people he could resonate with. A world where humanity could live on, but leave its home behind. Such a place where even the Dark Ones couldn't go to.
Artyom… are you going to speak…
The young man nodded his head. "Yes. I know you're worried about me if I choose this world over my own." Artyom answered. "I think I can handle it."
We could… protect you…
"At the cost of your own? No, I will not have that. I think humanity and the Dark Ones can't simply accept being in your company. How can you protect me when this place will not help you?"
We could try…
"It's not enough. A simple misunderstanding between our races made me attempt a genocide on your kind and did it successfully. Mankind is lashing out at the fact that the world we once hand is given over to you. The surface is your home, because this isn't our world anymore."
You're wrong… we can survive… together…
"Then you don't know humanity long enough." Artyom replied. "The world we gave you was one we caused. You are a walking reminder of our race's greatest stupidity. I'm sorry, but I think it's time that we left or we continue to live with our mausoleum, the Metro. It's now your world, you can thrive in it while we continue to die out."
How can you accept this new world… you may not thrive in it… simply live…
"I think that is what we're looking for. A place we cannot deny. What happens when we send stalkers and they return empty-handed? What happens when my race starts murdering itself for scraps of a world we've destroyed? You know what I've seen at the frontlines, we do it for nonsensical reasons because we have nothing else to believe."
You will not exist alongside us…
"No, we cannot. We just to accept that we're a dying race."
We understand… farewell Artyom… live well…
Ever since his failure to continue the momentum during the attack on Beacon, Adam Taurus found himself confronted by the digital form of the White Fang's greatest leader, Sienna Khan. The faunus woman expressed her disappointment upon her face while she sat upon her throne. "Adam Taurus of the White Fang, why did you attack Beacon Academy?" She demanded respectfully.
The bull-headed faunus clenched his fist. "I was bringing the message of the White Fang to the Kingdom of Vale. This needed to happen."
"Needed to happen?! You attacked one of the greatest institutions of Remnant, where both humans and faunus attended." Sienna replied in anger. "We want humanity to see the White Fang as powerful and respectable organization, but what you did has made humanity justify their campaign against us, the faunus. Even these foreigners from another world think so little about us."
Adam stared at his superior. "Give me another chance, humanity may fear us like before."
"We do not need them to fear us, but make them see us as equals. What you are doing is crossing the line. Not only did your Vale contingent attack the students, but also those Russians that have made their way on the news."
"What of them?" He asked. "What do they know of the hatred and racism we face? They know nothing about us! What makes it worse is that they don't even have any faunus in their world."
"That does not give you the right to attack them!" Sienna shouted back. "They have no experience with the faunus and outright killing them forces them to harbor hatred for our kind. All of this for what? To serve a small group of humans that I know so little about?"
"You've heard of them?"
"Yes. It's not hard to ignore the rumors of having human contacts assisting you in your operations."
"They are a means to justify the end result."
"And what kind of result are you suggesting?"
"Faunus supremacy." Adam answered. "The faunus are better than humans in every way. Why should we deny this fact? They need to understand that the faunus are here to stay, why not show them?"
"This discussion has continued long enough, Adam Taurus." Sienna stated. "This cannot go on. I am sacking you from your position from the Vale Branch."
"You're demoting me?" The young man asked. "For doing what our organization does best?"
"You're hurting the image of the White Fang for what it represents and the faunus bystanders who suffer for your actions."
"They will be martyrs for the cause, Sienna."
The woman would have none of it as she shook her head in disappointment with his answer. "If you cannot recognize the consequences for your actions then you do not deserve to lead. That is all. Consider this a warning. You may be popular amongst our ranks, but I will not allow certain lines to be crossed."
The connection to the leader of the White Fang disappeared, leaving a black screen for Adam Taurus to see a mirror of himself. He had gone so far to strike fear into the hearts of mankind. Those people needed to know their rightful place on Remnant, but this woman frustrated him. Out of anger, his fist smashed into the screen, leaving a large dent into the screen. "She doesn't understand what I am doing." He quietly whispered to himself.
Then he glanced over at the television screen.
"Great, I need to get a new one, again."
Specialist Schnee, now the current Fall Maiden, watched Artyom recovering from his injuries during the night of the attack. The surgery to remove the bullet and other metals out of his head was successful and relieving to know. All he needed to do was rest and let the doctors fix the rest of his body. He endured so much pain for her that he nearly died against that girl and those two other hunters-in-training.
Thinking about it, she was relieved to know that those two survivors were brought to justice by Vale. With the knowledge that they forged their way into the institution, it was a relief to know they weren't actual students she fought against.
She could hear the clicking of her sister's shoes making contact with the floor. When she arrived beside her, Weiss took a quick glance at Artyom's cot before turning her full attention onto her sister. "Is he going to be okay?"
Winter smiled at her baby sister's concern. "Yes. The doctor told me he was lucky to survive a bullet to the head and the beating he received from the two children who infiltrated Beacon." She answered. "What brings you here? I thought you were going to class with your team."
"I was." Weiss replied. "...but father arrived and wants me to leave. It's for my own safety, he says. However, you and I both know what he means."
"Indeed. Do you plan to go?"
"I never gave the answer since he's talking with someone named Colonel Miller."
"Yes, he's Artyom's superior." Winter replied. "What was so special about it?"
"Apparently they got into an argument about how Artyom is a fool about getting into a fight when you were the one that saved him."
"I'll have a talk with father. Do you mind if you keep an eye on my friend?"
"Of course, but I do have something to mention." She answered. "If father learned about your close relationship with him, you know how he'll talk."
"Never worry, dear sister. I think I'll confront him about the matter sooner or later."
As the specialist departed from her sister, she began to make her way to the waiting room. However, she could hear the yelling between Colonel Miller and the head of the Schnee Dust Company. "That young man you trust so much made himself a buffoon while helping my daughter." She heard her father begin. "You should be thankful that it is I who is paying for his medical bill."
Winter could see the anger in the colonel's eyes. "Were it not for him, your daughter would be dead."
"Yet, she is alive while he's the patient. I look down on an organization whose personnel couldn't even stop the attackers without any help." Mr. Schnee replied.
Despite their 'intimate' conversation, Winter interrupted it. "Father what are you doing here?"
Turning around, he expressed a satisfied smile at her. "Winter, it's good to know you are alive and well. I must say, why do you hang around the man with such incompetence."
Before Miller could say anything, she cut him off. "He's not incompetent, father. Artyom is very brave for someone to fight hunters-in-training without an aura."
"Yes, but I believe he can pay for those medical bills himself. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Perhaps, if he had any money himself."
"If the stories are true about this Artyom fellow, he should be able to take care of himself." Her father reasoned. "I'd rather not have the money I gave to you to be wasted on such a man."
"You think I'm wasting my Lien trying to save a life?" Winter wondered.
"Yes. I think it's time he can take care of himself. Those machines keeping him alive, monitoring his lifesigns are very expensive. I think it could be… invested elsewhere." He answered.
The reaction that transpired surprised the specialist. "You bastard!" Miller shouted as he descended his entire arm onto the CEO of the SDC. With a single punch, Mr. Schnee found himself on the ground with blood seeping out of his nose.
"Do you know who you struck?" He demanded.
Colonel Miller squatted before the man with stone-cold expression on his face. "I don't give a fuck. You threaten one of my men's lives with your damn money. If there is one rule you should understand, don't fuck with Rangers."
Behind the colonel, two security officers stormed into the room. "What's going on here?!" One of them demanded.
The colonel stood up and walked past them. "I was just about to leave." He replied.
As Mr. Schnee was helped up off the ground, Winter looked to the security personnel and earned their attention. "Excuse me, but could you please help my father."
"Yes ma'am." One of the security officers said before the duo walked up to help the head of the SDC out of the room.
Once the waiting room was empty, Winter walked back to where she was watching Artyom behind the glass. When she arrived there, Weiss walked up to her. "What was that commotion about?" She wondered.
The specialist expressed her smile. "The colonel struck our father and both were brought out of the hospital. They shouldn't disturb us for some time."
"Well, I think Artyom's awake if you're curious to know."
Looking through the window, Winter saw the Russian's eyes open as he turned his head looking around in the room.
"I better make sure he doesn't do something stupid in there. Why don't you head over to Beacon while you're at it?"
"Are you sure?" Weiss wondered. "I doubt father will approve."
"When does father approve of what we like to do?"
"Point taken, I'll be off to Beacon. Goodbye, Winter."
"Likewise, Weiss." When her baby sister left her alone, she walked through the door and smiled at the curious Artyom laying in bed. "Good morning, Artyom. I hope you had a good night rest."
He looked up at her and sat his head back in relief. "Why do I feel like I just had a bottle of vodka and had a hangover? I don't drink, but it feels like that."
"They had to put plenty of drugs to keep you away from the pain."
He chuckled. "I had my morphine."
"They didn't want you feeling it during the surgery."
"That's perhaps a good thing. Now when do I get out?"
"Depends on what the doctor says about your injuries." Winter answered. "You might need a couple of days to recover."
"Of course, but how long do you think?"
"Perhaps two."
Relief was on his face. "That sounds good."
"You were close to death."
"Not my first time." Artyom replied. "I've faced worse."
"If you want to keep me around, then don't make a habit out of it." Winter stated.
"It's good to see you, Winter."
"Likewise."
"What happened while I was unconscious?" He asked.
Ever since those events, everything changed for the specialist. She wasn't the one protecting, but was the one who needed protection. Headmaster Ozpin and General Ironwood would see to that. "I became the Fall Maiden."
His head nodded, acknowledging the situation. "How do you feel about it?"
"Out of pragmatic reason, I could se-"
"I want your opinion on what you think of… all of this…" Artyom stated. "Not Ozpin's, not Ironwood's, yours."
The specialist placed her hands behind her back and fiddled with her thumbs. "I'm honestly scared. I'm given a power that was supposed to be myth and legend, but I'm now somebody who could change Remnant for good or for bad."
"It reminds me of our journey to Polis, don't you remember. You wanted answers and I was scared of my journey to meet with the Rangers."
She smiled at the thought. He was recalling their first time they walked the tunnels of the Metro. "I don't see how this relates to me."
"Winter, if there is something I've learned on my journey after you departed from my company, we may not like the idea of handling something that we should never handle in the first place. However, someone has to carry the burden for if not us, then who?" He replied. "I never wanted to become the Savior of the Metro neither a Polis Ranger of the Spartan. Yet, here I am because I believed there are some things that has to be done."
"I can see where you're going with this. Still, I just don't feel comfortable taking on a role I didn't want in the first place."
"That makes two of us."
Winter smiled at the thought she could relate to someone about such matters. "You should get some more rest, it might help out."
"I would, but I want to make some tea."
"Why would you ever want to make tea in a hospital?"
"I don't know about you, but it makes me sleep well." Artyom answered. "Want to help me out?"
"Yes. I think I could."
Author's Note: Going to be awhile, but I have one more chapter before I complete this fic.
demonic hellfire: Yes.
TMDF-Artyom: The Dark Ones didn't kill her, they sent her to a place where the dead don't rest.
BlitzkriegHOSS: Some things.
ODSTFRymann: Thanks.
Gamerman22: That doesn't mean Salem cannot reply in same force.
Psihopatul: Yes.
The Many: Reminds me about how someone was asking for a permanent death. "You want a permanent death, HERE!"
TheShadowOfZama: The Dark Ones didn't simply best her, but they removed her grip on Artyom's soul. Although this is spoiler territory, this will be the last time the Dark Ones will appear. For they are the new man of a new world that was created at the destruction of mankind. Despite losing her apprentice, Salem still has a council filled with an assortment of characters.