Chapter 30: A Tryst in the Mist

Evernight Castle was quiet. After Salem's outburst, the entire continent had seemingly gone quiet. It had been several days since then, and only a few things had changed. For one, Hazel had been told to recount every single detail about what happened in Haven Academy. Emerald had been worried she wouldn't see the man again, but after a while, he returned to them, frightened but seemingly alright. She hadn't left Mercury's side since then. She didn't always get along with the silver-haired young man, but it was better to be with a friendly face than someone else. She didn't exactly trust Dr. Watts, and she most certainly didn't want to be next to Tyrian.

She looked up from her scroll, having gotten tired of reading the same books she had downloaded on them. Mercury was training, throwing several jabs and kicks at the air and reacting as if someone was fighting back. Shadowboxing, she heard it was called. She had been meaning to train herself, but after everything that had happened, she didn't know if she could even hold her guns without them falling to the floor.

She chewed her bottom lip, looking up at her friend. "I hate being kept in the dark like this…"

"Yep, same here. Cinder was a pain in the ass, but at least she kept us filled in," Mercury said, throwing a volley of punches forward. He bounced in place, shaking the pain from his muscles. "Makes me wonder how she's doing if she truly is alive."

"Hmm… can I ask you something?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're gonna."

Emerald stayed silent for a moment, looking at her feet. "Why did you come with us? The night that Cinder and I found you?"

Mercury lowered his arms, glancing over his shoulder at the green-haired girl. He gave her a shrug. "Dunno, just made sense to me."

"It made sense!?" she questioned, brow quirked. She saw him straightening up a bit, anger flashing across his face.

"All my life my father trained me to be a killer, an assassin like him. And then, moments after I killed him, you two showed up looking for my exact skills. Just felt like it was meant to be."

"That's it?"

"Hey, what's your problem?" the silver-haired boy snapped, glaring down at the woman.

"I mean, there has to be something you want from all this, right? Joining Cinder, joining Salem? Doing all of this knowing she wants to end humanity. It has to be something, power, magic… come on, be honest."

"I am being honest. Salem's promised us everything. We win this thing for her, and we'll be the top dogs in her new world. What more could you want?"

Emerald hugged her arms, her fingernails digging into her flesh. The slight pain reminded her a bit of Cinder, and how she used to hit her every time she did something wrong. She took a deep breath, slowly exhaling through her nose. "It's just… Cinder was the only family I ever had. She cared about me, taught me things… But without her here, I dunno if what we're doing-"

"Wake up already…"

She looked up, eyes wide as Mercury looked down on her. "Cinder doesn't give a shit about you. She doesn't give a shit about me, and she most certainly doesn't give a shit about the plan. All she wants is power. All she has ever wanted was power. I mean look at what happened in Haven. The bitch has Ruby in her sights, has the power to kill her, but all she does is taunt her. And then she gets all pissed off when her plans go awry."

"You don't know what you are talking about!"

"And you're in denial, Em. If you're gonna start having a crisis of identity or some crap… keep me the hell out of it," he said. She growled under her breath, springing to her feet, throwing a punch at his face. He swiped his arm, easily deflecting the attack. He dodged and blocked all of her hits, looking into her eyes, a scowl on his face. "I'm sorry that you didn't have a mommy that loved you. But I had a father who hated me!"

He shoved her back, making her go on the defensive. He slowly approached her, his fingers cracking as he tightened his fists. "He never went easy on me! Every day of training was a beating. And when I finally unlocked my Semblance, the son of a bitch stole it with his!"

She cried a bit as he threw a punch at her, breaking her guard. She cried in pain, her aura flashing a bit as it took the powerful hit. "This is a crutch!" "This makes you weak!" He told me I could have it back when I was strong. So I got strong, but I never got it back! I've had to work harder than anyone to get where I am. You may not like it here without Cinder, but I think I'm right where I am supposed to be!"

Emerald cried in pain as she took his fist to the face, leaving her stunned. She clutched her cheek, glaring at him. The silver-haired man was about to continue his fight when they heard a soft laugh from the shadows. Mercury turned around, keeping his fists raised as Tyrian left the shadows, his new mechanical tail glowing brightly.

"Oh yes, the world is mean, and I'm a big bad man just like the others, pfft hahahahaha!"

"How long have you been standing there?!" the young man shouted, causing the murderer's laughter to stop.

"All you've ever learned was pain and violence, and now you're too afraid to leave it. Such a tragedy!"

"You don't know me!" Mercury shouted, throwing a kick at the man, who easily dodged it. He returned his kick with one of his own, knocking him to the ground. He kept his foot secure on his chest, holding his stinger right at his face, a dribble of violet venom leaking from it.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Emerald cried, causing the man to hold his hand out, silencing her.

"Shh, shh, shh, shh. I want to tell you both a little secret, your question is all wrong!" he said, a maniacal laugh erupting from his throat.

"What?"

"What do you want from this?" Children, please, if you're not loving what you are doing, then you are in the wrong field!" Tyrian said, earning a firm look from Emerald.

"So what… are you saying we should just leave?"

He gasped, shaking his head. "Oh no, no, no, no, no! You can't do that!"

"Then what did you come here for? Just to watch us fight? To point and laugh?" Mercury asked, standing back up. He brushed the dirt from his shirt, keeping his stance firm just in case.

"To say farewell." the scorpion faunus said, grinning. "There's… been a change in plans. Her Grace must act swiftly if we are to prevail. If General Ironwood comes to his senses and calls upon aid from Vacuo, all may be lost to us. And so, the good doctor and I are being sent to Atlas… to prepare."

Emerald and Mercury shared a look, faces devoid of emotion as they looked back at the crazed killer. "Prepare for what?"

"Tyrian!"

They jumped a bit at the firmness of Arthur's voice, as he stood at the end of the hall, glaring at the man. "Stop wasting time with the children. We need to go."

"Be right there!" he said cheerfully, as he turned to the kids. "Do what makes you happy, children… please… I'm begging you." he finished with an evil smile. He walked off, his body rocking with each step he took.

"Do what makes me happy, huh?" Emerald muttered to herself.

"What are you thinking?"

The green-eyed girl looked away from her friend, arms crossed as she walked toward the nearby windows. "Well, you said this is where you want to be, and clearly you seem happy here. But I'm no one without Cinder. So I'll do what makes me happy."

"Are you sure about that? You know if you do anything against Her Grace, she's going to kill you."

A look of fear washed over her face as she looked down. Her jaw dropped a bit as she looked down at the bubbling Grimm pools, seeing Salem standing next to one. She saw her tossing something… or rather someone into one of them. She swallowed the lump in her throat, her body shaking like a leaf.

"Em? What the hell has gotten into you-" Mercury paused, seeing what she was looking at. "What… what the hell is she doing?"

"You ever hear the phrase, "If you can't have someone do something for you, you gotta do it yourself?" I believe this is Salem deciding enough if enough." Hazel said as he joined the pair, staring down at the Grimm pools. "It's… horrible."

"Horrible doesn't begin to describe it. Is she throwing people down there?"

"You bet she is!"

The three turned around, seeing a hooded person standing behind them. The hood shielded her face almost entirely, her outfit being partially exposed. She was wearing a sleeveless, bright pink shirt with glittering diamonds emblazoned around the hem. She was wearing a pair of tight-fitting shorts, with some matching leggings and knee-high leather boots. Emerald noticed her right arm was black in color, her fingernails being sharpened into claws. Her left leg was the same, as was her upper chest and neck, up to her cheek.

"You must be… Cinder's replacement?"

"That's right, I've been healing in a special pod that Dr. Watts made for me. Honestly, I'm surprised to even be alive after what happened. Her Grace has already given me a mission. That's to find Cinder and well…" her lips curved into a smile. "Commandeer her Maiden Powers."

"Commandeer? You're going to kill her for her powers, aren't you?" Mercury asked.

"I am, what's it to you? She was deemed a failure by Salem and as her replacement, I must get that power back. After all, not only did she fail to retrieve the Relic of Choice, but she also failed to get the Relic of Knowledge and kill Spring. I was meant to search for Summer, but it seems the bitch who has her powers narrowly avoided death." she said, picking at her nails. "The good professor did such a good job defending her students… well, not all her students."

"You speak about killing Cinder so casually, you know she isn't going to go down without a fight," Emerald said.

"Oh, I know that sweetie, I know that. But I do know how she works, and I know something else that she doesn't," she said, smiling. "The Winter Maiden is being kept by General Ironwood in a secure place within Atlas Academy. She's already nearing her death. All I have to do is get in, snag that power, retrieve the Relic of Creation and use it to kill Cinder. It's rather simple, really."

"So… I take it you'll be leaving with Dr. Watts and Tyrian for Atlas then?" Hazel asked, his gruff voice sounding tired. The young woman shook her head.

"Oh, of course not. No! I will be heading to Mantle, yes, but I've got a few other things to procure first. For one, I have to get my weapon back. Sadly that is buried six feet down in a cemetery somewhere in Vale. So until I retrieve it, I won't be seeing any action." she said, almost giggling as she turned away. "By the way, Emerald, if you keep glaring at me, I'll have to remove your eyes. I'm quite the sexy gal but I don't swing that way. I like dick just as much as most women. You best look the other way, unless you want me to deal with you."

"You touch a hair on her head and I'll snap your neck like a twig," Mercury said, making the girl laugh.

"Oh, sweetheart, please, been there done that. I've had more bones snapped in my body than you can ever imagine. Thankfully, I'm still as flexible as I used to be. Maybe when I come back from Vale I can show you just how flexible I can be." she said, licking her lips. "I'll punch that V-card of yours and send you to the moon. Your little bitch there can watch if she likes. Hell, I might let her get a finger in if she behaves herself."

"That's quite enough, Odette," Salem said, making the girl frown. "I am allowing you to head to Vale to gather what you need. Make sure you reinforce our numbers there. Last I checked, the Beacon huntsmen were beginning to slay the monsters I sent. I need that place subjugated at all times."

"Yes ma'am. Consider it done," she said cheerfully. She walked past her toward the door, looking back at Emerald and Mercury, giving the latter a wink, licking her lips as she headed off.

"Where did you get her?" Emerald asked, causing Salem to look at her.

"She was brought to me, a survivor from a vicious Grimm attack. I couldn't let her go to waste, so I put her in a healing pod. When Cinder failed me, I decided to turn her into her replacement. I hope you weren't too attached to her, dear Emerald. Because if you were…" the woman paused, sliding her finger across Emerald's jaw, the young woman quaking in fear. "Well, let's just say it'll go worse for you than it will for her."

Salem looked around the room, meeting eyes with Hazel and Mercury. "The three of you shall remain here, by my side. It will take a few months to prepare for our subjugation of Atlas. If Odette is successful, perhaps we'll be able to retrieve what we need without too many casualties. Though sending a message to General Ironwood is more ideal."

"What about Ozpin, ma'am?" Hazel asked, earning a smile from the dark queen.

"I shall leave him to you. When you capture him, you will bring him to me, and we shall get what we need from him. You shall be in charge of… extracting… information from him. However, you wish. That is satisfactory, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Salem nodded, turning to leave. She paused for a moment, glancing at Mercury. "Mercury, once we make land in Atlas, you and Tyrian will be reassigned to Vacuo. Take this time to prepare yourself for when that comes. We need to secure the Relic of Destruction as soon as we can, so finding Summer takes priority."

"Of course," he said. Salem finally took her leave, making the tension in the room finally melt away. Emerald felt tears rolling down her cheeks, her legs shaking a bit in fear.

"I gotta get out of here,"

"Good luck with that. Once you join Salem's side, the only way you'll leave is in a pinewood box," Hazel mumbled, walking away. Mercury sighed, shaking his head as he himself left the room, leaving Emerald to her own devices.


Location: Argus, Kingdom of Mistral

It was perhaps by luck that he managed to make it to Argus without much trouble. Sneaking aboard a military vehicle wasn't hard when all of the guards were dead. That however made things a bit more challenging for him. People would be on the lookout for a murderer. Thankfully, he hadn't shown his face, and even if he did those that saw it wouldn't have lived long enough to report it. Still, certain things needed to be done with a bit of tact.

He had made it to the city regardless of his hardships. This was where she was, the woman who had ruined his life. Who had sent him on course with failure, to the end of the White Fang and then some. Adam visualized her death countless times in his mind. How was it that someone he had grown fond of, had trained and mentored in the ways of the White Fang had turned on him so drastically? How could someone he had spent so much time with suddenly decide it was best to abandon him mid-mission? For a dumb dream? To blend in with the humans?

Just thinking about her made the bile rise to his throat. He should have done her in when he attacked Beacon Academy. Had that blonde bimbo not interfered, he likely would have. She was another target. Another friend of Blake's that needed to pay for the consequences of her actions.

Oh, he would make her hurt. He would take everything from her, and make her feel the pain he had felt. Only then would he grant her the sweet release of death. That was what she deserved for deserting him.

His ear suddenly perked up, causing him to partially draw his blade. He had been walking through the lesser-visited parts of Argus. The slums, for lack of a better term. Atlas may have built the city and made it look glorious, but poverty existed all over Remnant, and Argus was no different. It was perhaps why he found refuge there, in the place least likely for him to be found. When the one behind him didn't stop, he ended up throwing a slash at them. Steel clashed with glass, sending a shockwave of fire and aura in all directions. His eyes widened a bit as he stepped back, keeping his blade tightly grasped in his hand.

"I wasn't expecting to run into you here. Last time we saw each other, you were planning on bringing down Haven Academy."

"So were you. And where did that get you? Run through by the former High-Leader? I'm surprised to see you still breathing," the woman mused, her amber-colored eye flashing with mirth. She tugged on her black cloak, adjusting it over her shoulders, the short-sleeved shirt and shorts combo she was wearing caught the attention of a few citizens, especially since it was blistering cold out for those without an aura. "Oh don't give me that face. I'm not here to taunt you, I'm here to propose something to you."

"Tch… another proposal? Why should I bother accepting? The last two proposals you set for me ended in failure, to me. We brought down Beacon Academy, but to what end? We tried to blow up Haven Academy and ended up causing the death of the White Fang. All of my brothers were arrested, and those that weren't are being hunted down like mangy mutts. Meeting you was the worst luck of my life. So tell me, Cinder. Why the hell should I accept any offer you make?" Adam snapped, his voice laced with venom. Cinder merely smiled, a hand on her hip.

"I know you are here for her, for Belladonna. She and her friends made it here this morning. I've been scoping the place out in order to begin my new relocation plan. You see, I ended up costing something very dear for my master. And in order to have her on my side, I must get the Relic of Creation housed in Atlas Academy. But the closure of borders has made that a… tad hard to achieve,"

"And this concerns me because?"

"It concerns you because the Relic of Knowledge is in the possession of Belladonna's friend, Ruby. And if they made it to Atlas, it will be lost. Not only that but Belladonna too. She'll be under the protection of General Ironwood. Do you truly believe you'll be able to kill her then?"

The bull faunus remained silent as he pondered her words. Cinder slowly stepped forward, walking around him, her glimmering eye peering into his own. "This is your last chance to make something of yourself. You no longer have the White Fang to your beck and call, and you don't have many options. But if you accept what I am offering, I promise to give you everything you want and more."

"What do you believe it is I want?"

"Belladonna's head on a platter, for one. It is the simplest thing to guess, after everything she did to you, that is a given. But you want something else. You want power. You want the humans of Remnant to fear you, to fear the faunus. We both know you being High-Leader wasn't what you wanted. You wanted to send a message to the people. To the world. We can do that."

Adam remained silent, lowering his sword slightly. "How do you propose we do that then?"

"It's very simple. Atlas is the richest nation in Remnant and the youngest. But it is also the most vulnerable. It is their own hubris that will end up being their downfall. You forget Belladonna happens to be friends with one of the Schnee children. Now, imagine what would happen should you capture her and bring her to Atlas?" Cinder said, making the man press his lips into a thin line. "Imagine what would happen if you force her to give you company codes, entrances, files, documents, passwords? Anything and everything revolving around the very company that enslaved you. That branded you like the animal they thought you were."

He breathed deeply, nostrils flaring a bit with each word she spoke. "Imagine how wonderful it will feel to run a sword through her, live on Atlas Television. Imagine how wonderful it will feel when you take the Schnee Family and finally get your revenge. You can take the young boy and slaughter him the way they slaughtered the children of your tribes. You can take the mother and sterilize her like they sterilized the women, your people! You can make a mockery of the Atlas Army by turning Ironwood's right-hand woman, the first Schnee Heiress into your plaything. And finally, when Atlas sees just how fearsome you can be, you kill Jacques Schnee and hang his head on a pike!"

Adam felt himself smirking, as he pictured the Schnee patriarch's head in his hand, his body drowning in a pool of blood. He could almost see the chaos in Atlas. The fear it could cause, the destruction, the Grimm. It was all so glorious.

"Murdering the Schnees is but one part, destroying the SDC is the main objective. But gaining access to Atlas Military information is the next. The Atlas Military happens to be the biggest partner of the SDC. You bring down both, and I can swoop in, take the Winter Maiden's powers and claim the Relic of Creation as mine. Even better, you can go ahead and slaughter all the Atlas Elites with the very weaponry they designed to protect them. Atlas will fall by your hand, that will send a message to the entire world, wouldn't you agree?"

"That… would be ideal. But it would be a little hard to pull off, don't you think?"

"That depends, really. The Argus base has closed all traffic to Atlas, which means Belladonna's friends will get desperate enough to even attempt the theft of an airship. In which case, they'd have to take that down." Cinder said, pointing toward the distant relay tower. "That tower houses the base's radar and sonar. In order for them to take a ship and have it not show up on the radar, that tower will have to be sabotaged. That's where you come in. You attack whoever goes there and take them hostage. Threaten their life, but get Schnee in your hands. Then we make haste to Atlas ourselves."

Adam narrowed his eyes a bit, chewing the inside of his lip. He didn't know why, but there was something off about Cinder. Why would she randomly propose something this outlandish to him? Sure, it made sense given the fact that the Schnees were a major target for him. But this seemed almost random, desperate even. He straightened up, looking directly into Cinder's eyes through his mask.

"What's your angle? You want the Relic of Creation, yes. But why choose me?"

"Why choose you? Because you are down on your luck, not to mention you wouldn't dare backstab me." Cinder said, flicking her cloak over her shoulder. "I made a similar deal with Neopolitan, Roman Torchwick's former right hand. But she demanded a little too much from me. She wants the power of the Winter Maiden and that… that just doesn't fly with me. It's bad enough Terra Athan took Summer, I can't lose WInter too."

"You speak as if Athan yet lives."

"She does." the Fall Maiden said, her eye flashing with magical power, the flames burning around her. "Somehow, someway, she managed to live through her wounds. I wasn't there to deal a finishing blow. She seemed to have disappeared, and no one knows where she might be. But I will reclaim that power soon. It's quite obvious she intends to backstab me at some point. So I will lead her on until I can get what I want."

"The Relic of Knowledge? Interesting. Neopolitan is hanging out with Belladonna's team, and that miqo'te faunus. They're buddy-buddy in fact. You've fooled her into thinking you are on her side, got her to betray them all for the Relic? My, you are more devious than you let on."

"Of course I am, I didn't get this far faking it. Sadly, I am on my own for the time being, though I am planning on traveling to Atlas with Neopolitan. To set things up. My Master's next target is the Relic of Destruction in Vacuo. So while she's focused on that, we'll destroy Atlas and present the Staff to her. You get everything you want, and I get everything I want. That'll be the official end of our partnership. What do you say? Do you wanna go along with my crazy plan?" she asked, holding her hand out to Adam.

He looked away for a moment, pausing to sheathe his sword. "Were you a normal woman, I'd have sliced your head clean off your shoulders. But I must admit, you are just as spiteful as I am. I take it you still wish to murder Ruby Rose?"

"You assume correctly, that was never off the table."

"Then allow me to present her eyes to you, along with her sister's head. I'll take Schnee for myself, along with Belladonna. You can do whatever you want with the others." he said, shaking the woman's hand. "Now then, you can make anything you'd like out of glass, correct?"

"That's right. What do you have in mind?" Cinder asked, a small smile flashing onto her face. Adam let out a chuckle, licking his lips.

"Oh, I have several ideas. I'll run them by you and you pick the one that you believe will suit us best,"


Location: Cotta-Arc Residence, Argus

Levi didn't like tension. It was usually what led to making mistakes, huge mistakes that could end up damaging relationships. When Neo had told him the truth of who she was and what she had done, he had snapped. It was like a fire of fury had been lit inside him. But the immense regret he felt afterward surpassed his hatred. That was why he was standing next to Oscar when they decided to tell Jaune and the others the truth, behind Ozpin and behind Salem. The fact that she couldn't die, and the entire truth behind the Summer Maiden and his silver eyes. He could tell the blond teenager wasn't focused on Levi's part of the story, he was more focused on Salem, as well he should. After all, that woman was responsible for everything that had been going on in their lives.

He barely reacted when Jaune's arm snapped to the nearby wall, the plaster cracking from the strength of his punch. He felt Ruby jump in surprise, while the others looked indifferent with his reaction. They had all gone through the same thing. His shoulders shook, hair covering his face.

"Everything we did was for nothing?"

"Jaune, that isn't true," Blake said softly, making him glare at her.

"Really? Cuz it sure sounds like it," Nora said, a similar look on her face. Ren was seemingly the calmest of the group, but even they could see the fire in his eyes.

"I um…"

"If Salem can't be killed, then how are we supposed to win this?" Ren asked, eyes shifting around the group. "We have a plan, right?"

At their silence, Jaune scoffed, arms crossed as he looked away dejectedly. "Wow… great plan everyone,"

Oscar chewed his lip, wringing his hands together. He looked up, meeting the look of disappointment on Alto's face. She looked let down, her hand gripped her bicep, ears flat against her scalp. "Okay, look. None of this is great, we know. But we're not the bad guys here."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Huh?"

"He's in your head, isn't he? Did you already know about this?" Jaune asked as he stalked toward him. Levi held his arm out, standing between the armored teenager and Oscar.

"Oscar didn't know any of this. He found out the same way we did, by asking Jinn a question. Ozpin was fighting us the entire way, trying to convince us that we didn't need to know the truth. He fought him off. He told us Jinn's name." he said.

"So he did know things!"

"He didn't know any of it, weren't you listening?" Weiss cried, making the blond knight look at her.

"I want to believe him but…" Alto paused, frowning. "My sister went to Beacon because she wanted to avoid being part of our clan. I followed in her footsteps because I wanted to make a difference in the world. But knowing that Salem can't die… it means that my sister's death was in vain. The lives of the others were in vain, thousands of people have died, and we can't even do anything to her."

"I get how that feels, Alto. Salem slaughtered my race, I may very well be the last miqo'te in Remnant. I'm scared, you have no idea how scared I am. But we can't keep stewing in our own fear forever. We have a duty to uphold, and it goes beyond being a huntsman or a huntress. We signed up for the job, so we have to deal with the consequences of that choice."

"Dealing with the consequences? You call trusting a liar 'dealing with the consequences?" Jaune snapped, brushing past Levi, slamming Oscar into the wall. "It's because of you that we're in this mess. It's because of you that we're so fucked! It's because of you that Pyrrha is dead!"

"Jaune!"

At the sound of Ruby's voice, the knight released his hold on the young boy. He slid down to the floor, his eyes widened and filled with fear. Jaune took a deep breath, turning toward the stairs. He disappeared beyond them, the sound of a door slamming echoing through the house.

"Is he going to be okay?" Yang asked.

"I don't know!" Nora cried as she got up, following after her leader. Ren followed suit, his hand grasping the banister as he stepped upstairs.

"I think it would be for the best if we had some time to ourselves," he said simply.

"We could all use a little bit of space," Blake muttered, her head hanging low.

"I'm… gonna go for a walk, call me if you need anything, okay?" Alto said softly, grabbing her scroll from the wireless charger. She grabbed her parka and slipped it on, making sure Milo and Akouo were with her. Levi rubbed his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose.

"This is shit…. everything is shit."

"Not everything is shit. It could be worse, we could have all died back at the farm," Neo's scroll said, a hopeful smile on her face. "If we can survive something like that, we can survive anything. All we need to do is… regroup."

"I doubt regrouping will do anything, we still have Cinder to deal with and getting to Argus. We're fucking stuck here and there ain't shit we can do about it." Yang said with a frown. "On top of that, our uncle thinks it's a wonderful idea to go get shitfaced while we still got shit to do."

"Let's just take some time to get our thoughts in order, figure out what we're going to do," Weiss said, glancing at her scroll for the time. "Blake, Levi, wasn't that movie you wanted to see tonight? Maybe you two could go out, clear your minds for a bit."

"That would be wonderful, maybe we'll get inspired by a raunchy scene or two," Blake said jokingly, making Levi roll his eyes.

"It won't be so bad, believe me. We've been through worse, all we have to do is breathe, let things settle. Once Jaune is calmed down, we can talk like civil human beings and professional huntsmen and huntresses." Levi said, holding his hand out to Oscar, who gently took it into his own, helping himself up. "Don't let what he said get to you, okay? He needed a target and found you to be the easiest one. It isn't your fault, even if you have Ozpin in your head. Maybe he'll be inspired to return by all this."

"I sure hope so, though him being gone entirely would be welcome too," he said with a shrug, stepping into the kitchen.

"I'm gonna go check my make-up real quick, we can head out in a few minutes, alright Levi?" the cat faunus asked, earning a thumbs up from him. She headed upstairs toward the bathroom, while he leaned against the wall, fiddling on his scroll.

"So, are you and Blake gonna get busy in the movie theater bathroom?" Yang asked, brows wiggling a bit.

"Pfft, no. Just because we're going to see a movie with some raunchy scenes doesn't mean we're gonna wanna have a quickie in a bathroom. Contrary to popular belief, I am a gentleman." he said, looking up from his scroll. "Besides, I'm a senseless virgin, you actually think I'll get lucky in a bathroom of all things?"

"You never know, you seem to have a lot in common with Blake. She could use a good guy like you."

"Yang, can you stop playing matchmaker? We have serious things to think about, things that don't involve… whatever Blake and Levi have." Ruby said, cheeks flushing. She reached into her pocket for her scroll, searching for her uncle's contact. "I'm gonna call Uncle Qrow, see if we can find him."

"I think I'll check my weapon and dust supply over. Neo, would you mind keeping me a bit of company?" Weiss asked, earning a nod from the silent girl. She gave Levi a wink, before leaving with Weiss. That of course left Yang with nothing better to do than grab the television remote.

"I hope we don't get stuck here like we did in Mistral. That's the last thing any one of us needs,"

"Yeah… ain't that the truth," Levi muttered, his eyes focusing on the digital tickets he had purchased for Tryst in the Mist. He was beginning to wonder if his choice to head to Atlas was even a good one. But he was in too deep, there was no going back now, for better or for worse.

xxx

The trolley ride to the uptown was spent in silence. Blake didn't really want to talk and Levi didn't have anything to talk about. Nothing that revolved around their current situation of course. It was already awkward enough for him, especially with all of the teasing comments Yang made while her partner was in the bathroom fixing her makeup. Blake for her part looked gorgeous, as she always did, but he was saddened to see her wearing her bow. He figured it was to blend in, especially since so many humans would be sitting around. After what happened aboard the Argus Limited, it was clear she wanted a calm and peaceful night, with no fights. If that meant hiding her ears, then she would do just that.

Levi wasn't foreign to the concept of a date. He had gone on one with Velvet after all, but she had been far too clingy for his tastes. He knew that Blake was accompanying him as a platonic friend, two teenagers who wanted to see their raunchy book translated into film. But he did have thoughts about… less than savory things. Things that would make an Atlas Elite glow fifty shades of red and then some.

He just didn't want to mess anything up. He knew this wasn't an actual date, but his mind was racing. How was it that with so many things that were going on around him, he was thinking about something stupid like this? His mother would likely be laughing at him for his nervousness. In fact, she'd likely be in Yang's corner with all the teasing, and that embarrassed him even more.

"You don't have to be nervous, you know."

"Huh?"

Blake rolled her eyes, her bow twitching a bit as she leaned back, settling into her seat. "You're wigging out, aren't you? First real date that isn't a date?"

"I mean… I just…" he paused, taking a deep breath. "Look, I know this isn't a real date. This is just two friends going out to see a movie. I can't help but think about things, and how different they might be. My mother would be ecstatic, even if we're just going out as friends. So much has happened recently, and now with what we learned… I just want to do normal things."

He looked up at the shattered moon, the mystique of why it had shattered had long left him. The bitter truth only made him look away from the beautiful celestial object. "I'm turning 20 soon. I was hoping to be a third-year at Beacon by now, thinking about graduation and what I wanted to do with my life. Where to take jobs, how far I can take my career. Maybe find a good woman and settle down. But now… the future is uncertain, and I couldn't be more scared."

"I know the feeling. I'm a year younger than you and I've had my fair share of experiences. Being a part of the White Fang since the age of five, leaving my mentor behind when I saw the monster he became. Making friends at Beacon, watching it be destroyed, stopping the battle at Haven and now… all of this." she said, glancing at some children across the street. They were laughing happily, playing with some toys their parents had gotten them. "This world is a mess, a beautiful mess, but a mess all the same. I once thought I had what it took to change it. Now, not so much."

"What do you think we should do? I still want to be a huntsman but… knowing that our mission is pointless, that Salem can't die. It makes me question everything. I want to do something about it, but I also want to enjoy my life. I… want to go back… to before Beacon, to before we knew about Salem." Levi said, his frown growing by the second as he spoke. "But then that means I wouldn't have any friends. I'd be that stupid loner at the back of the cafeteria, nose buried in arithmetic books, watching the world change around me."

"Do you believe in destiny?" the raven-haired girl asked, causing him to look in her direction. She had a firm look on her face, awaiting his answer. He gave her a nod, holding her gaze as she spoke. "Then you are exactly where you are meant to be. Shit happens, sure, but there's no going back now. You're sort of stuck with us."

"Heh… I suppose you're right. No use complaining about things we can't change. We can always picture ourselves living a different life. But at the end of the day, that's just a bitter delusion. We just gotta wake up and face reality,"

Blake smiled, standing up from her seat. She slipped her arm through his, much to his surprise. "If it makes you feel better, we can treat this as a date. A one-time thing, of course. I'm interested in someone else, but dates do bring joy and spice into your life. And depending on if the movie is good, I might let you get a kiss in."

"Now you're just teasing me," he said, ears flat against his head. "I blame Yang,"

"So do I," she said, the pair bursting into laughter.

"Let's just enjoy the movie and forget about all this shit for a day," he said, just as the trolley stopped, right in front of the theater. He stepped off first, taking Blake's hand into his own, leading her toward the building. "We have about half an hour before it starts. We can check out the arcade and see if we can get some prizes or something,"

"If there's a cute penguin plush then it's mine, got it?"

"Yes ma'am," Levi replied, giving her a salute. He opened the door, gesturing for her to head inside before him. He suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his eye, a black and red blur of movement, that seemingly blended into the crowd around him. He shook his head, his hand sliding down toward Overture.

"Levi?"

His ears folded a bit as he looked back at Blake, who was giving a look of concern. He shook his head, forcing a smile onto her face. "I thought I saw something,"

"I've been filled in," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know you see Cadence sometimes. You aren't alone, I see Adam sometimes. It's… weird how the mind can craft things that aren't there to confuse us and make us doubt ourselves. It's all a figment of your imagination. Let's not waste tonight worrying, okay?"

He gave her a nod, briefly glancing out the door. He shook his head, following her inside. Argus Theater was among the prettiest he had seen, looking almost like something out of the early 40s. The carpets were a plush red color, covering the entirety of the main lobby. There was a set of ticket counters near the other end of the lobby, the arcade being to the very right. The center featured an information desk, while a large set of stairs lead up to the second-floor screening rooms.

The entire building was filled with life, as parents scurried to get their kids in or out of the arcade, couples walked around with large bowls of popcorn and snacks, and others chased each other with weird toys from the prize counter. Levi felt himself reaching for his hood, bringing it over his head, having spotted almost no faunus inside the building. Blake gave him a small smile as she retook his hand, leading him toward the ticket counter.

"Good evening, welcome to Argus Theater. Is there anything I can do for you?" the clerk at the ticket counter asked. Levi fished his scroll from his pocket, showing him the tickets. He looked at them, a small smirk appearing on his face. "Ah, I see you've chosen the naughty screening. Wish I had a cute girl to watch that with,"

"Ahuh, right," Levi said, clearing his throat. "These were bought by accident, we're avid readers of the book and just wanted to see how it translates to film. That's all,"

"Right, sure. That's what they all say, you got lucky with the pretty girl man. Just have fun!" the clerk said cheerfully, scanning the tickets. Blake didn't seem too interested in what he was saying. Once done, the clerk handed them a slip with the theater number, along with some black bracelets. "Just show those to the ticket girl and she'll tell you what theater to head into."

"Thanks," Levi said, pulling Blake along. Once they had left the ticket counter, they let out a sigh of relief. "How embarrassing,"

"You're telling me. I'm the one he thinks you're going to bone in the bathroom," she said. Though her tone sounded annoyed, she had a look of amusement on her face. "I did promise to buy the snacks. But our showing doesn't start for another half hour. So, wanna see if we can snag that penguin plushie?"

"Yes," he replied, allowing himself to be guided toward the arcade.

The pair were honestly surprised to see how big it was. It reminded Levi of the one in downtown Vale, with all the hip new video games along with some of the retro stuff. He could see a pair of girls killing it on the Dance Dance Revolution machine, while a few others were playing some shooting games with some fake plastic guns. He looked around for a moment, spotting the token exchange machine. After getting some tokens, the pair looked around for a claw machine, spotting one in the mass of people and game boxes.

"Just so you know, I kind of suck at these things," the young man said, finding a machine with some penguins inside. They were all of various colors, red, blue, and green being the most common, along with black. But he did spot a pink and white one that looked really cute. He slid the coins in, hand wrapped around the stick. "Which one do you want?"

"The pink one, it's the one that stands out the most,"

"Aye, that's the one I was going for. Stand back and watch me lose," he said, giving the girl a grin. She rolled her eyes, her gaze focused on the claw.

The metal claw wrapped around the penguin's head, lifting it up slightly only for it to snap off. Levi grumbled a bit as he waited for it to return home. Once his credits were active, he went for it again. He failed a second time, causing him to slide more tokens into the machine. He tried again, and again, but after five tries, he was beginning to get annoyed.

"You know, you don't have to get me anything. The plush is cute, sure, but if it costs you your sanity, I don't want it."

"Don't worry about it, I've loosened it up. I can get it," he said, giving her a wink. He returned his eyes back to the machine, waiting for the right position to lower the claw. Finally, he pressed the button, causing it to slowly fall down. This time it wrapped around the front of the penguin, gingerly lifting it up. He watched with a bated breath as it was brought to the drop bin. "Ha, told you!"

He pulled it out of the prize box, handing it to Blake, who was quick to wrap her arms around it. "For you, milady,"

"None of that gentlemen crap. I know I told you we could treat this as a date, but you look better acting like yourself," Blake said. She looked around for a moment, grabbing a hold of his hand. "Fancy some singing?"

"Huh?" he mumbled, allowing himself to be dragged to the karaoke machine. "Oh… no Blake, I can't."

"Why not? You're a wonderful singer, plus look at the top prize," she said, pointing to the sign at the top of the box. If the singer scored high enough points, they'd be able to cash out some tickets, which could then be used to buy a brand new iScroll 12, the latest model of scroll from Atlas. "Your scroll is looking a little old, wouldn't it be a good idea to upgrade?"

"I suppose… it's just so embarrassing, you know? I don't mind singing for my friends but… in public?"

"So says the man who wanted to sing in all of Team Acapella's performances," she said, bumping him with her hip. "Come on, sing me something. Just pretend no one else is here, no one but you and me."

He sighed, as he slid his last tokens into the machine, grabbing a hold of the microphone. "I'm doing this just for you, Blake. No one else. But this stays between us, Ruby can't find out, Yang can't find out, and Neo can't find out. Most importantly, Weiss can't find out. Got it?"

"Sure. But why did you single Weiss out of all of our friends?"

"Don't worry about it," he said with a shrug, sifting through the available songs.

He smiled a bit when he found one of his favorite ones, and selected it, taking a deep breath as the music began, the melody boomed through the speakers, causing several people to look in that direction. All of them grew curious, while others were waiting to hear Levi's horrible singing.

"Tell me my hero what do we need

To end it all, yeah and to never let us bleed

So hit me on the ground without a sound

Bring it on now till the day we take the lead

In the middle of the fake game, the same proclaims

Made by the liars from the lost age

Try to believe to know what you are

But you are not sure which side you're on from the start

Take a look, all the junk we made

The last corner you'll take will never lead you to the pearly gates

What else did we betray

Turn into a machine

We just gave it away to fit into the scene

Are you losing your way or are you lost?

Where are you going?

Tell me my hero where you're going

What do I need to end my war

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Shinji yorokobi kanae wakachiai

Subete o sute ima tachimukau

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground."

Levi exhaled softly as he tapped his foot, keeping his rhythm with the song. He noticed his points had surpassed ten thousand already, having hit all of the notes perfectly. He spared a glance at Blake who just smiled, hugging her plush tightly. He smiled back, turning back to the screen as the cue for the second verse began.

"Demolition of the world we know

The natural selection that was all ineluctable

Now you see what a beautiful view

When everything is in the right place

Nothing's left to improve

What else did we betray?

Turn into a machine

We just gave it away to fit into the scene

Are you losing your way or are you lost?

Where are you going?

Tell me my hero where you're going

What do I need to end my war?

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Ikaru uragiri itami aragai

Nageki keshitemo sono saki wa nai

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground,"

By now a larger crowd had gathered around the teenager, making him even more nervous than before. He bounced a bit in place, trying to shake his nervousness as the major solo of the song kicked in. By now he didn't really care about his points. He just wanted the song to end. He bit his lip as he waited for his cue, taking another deep breath.

"Say, can't you see, we all know the wanted to see

Tomorrow

Say, can't you see, no one ever wanted to live in

Sorrow

Say, can't you see, we all know we wanted to be…"

He grabbed the mic stand, pretending it was a bass guitar as he tapped his fingers across it, giving Blake a wink as he held it close to his lips.

"Tell me my hero where you're going

What do I need to end my war?

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Shinji yorokobi kanae meguriai

Kitto mata itsuka sou kimi ni au

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Shinji yorokobi kanae meguriai

Kitto mata itsuka sou kimi ni au

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground

Hit me on the ground,

Hit me on the ground!"

The song ended, letting the young man finally breathe as the machine calculated the last of his points. He surpassed the high score that had been set before, the numbers continuing to climb and climb until he hit 103,495 points. A loud fanfare boomed from the speakers, the words "New High Score" flashing onto the screen. The gathered crowd broke into applause, making Levi blush even redder than he already was.

"I was expecting you to pass the high score, not to shatter it into oblivion. You have enough points for two of those things," Blake said, having collected all of the prize tickets on a card. "Let's go redeem them, we only have a few minutes before the movie begins, and I want to make sure we get good seats and have good snacks."

"You're still paying, right?" he asked, giving her a cheeky grin.

"Of course I am, I did promise you didn't I?" she asked, gesturing for him to follow. He got some congratulatory comments from a few crowd goers, making him smile a bit. He glanced back, eyes widening a bit. He rubbed them with the back of his hand, but when he did, the person he had seen was gone.

"Something wrong, Levi?"

"N-no, not really,"

She really didn't like the look on his face, but she decided to ignore it. She was having fun, she didn't want to worry. But something told her things weren't gonna end well for them, a gut feeling perhaps. Those usually made her instincts flare-up. She remained silent as they headed to the prize counter, keen on collecting his prizes.

xxx

Levi tried his hardest to enjoy the film, he truly did. But there was something nagging at his mind and he didn't know what it was. Perhaps it was that shadow he kept seeing that made the hairs on his neck stand on end. Or perhaps it was the fact that the theater he and Blake were in was half full, and most of the people there were couples that were making out, getting frisky, or in the case of the people directly behind them, getting it on. He tried his hardest to ignore it, but with his hearing as sensitive as it was, and his sense of smell being better than a normal human's, it was hard for him to turn a blind eye.

"This is actually terrible," he thought, his eyes glued to the screen. He didn't want to look in any other direction for fear of seeing something he shouldn't. "The movie was magnificently filmed, but why in the love of the Gods are people getting busy here?"

"I'm out of soda," Blake said, shaking her cup a bit. "Can I have a sip of yours?"

"Huh?" he asked, shaking his head a bit. He glanced at his date, who was glancing at his cup. He gave her a nod. "Help yourself."

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"I'm trying to enjoy the movie, really. But everyone around us is just…"

"Haah… faster dammit, I'm almost there!" a woman cried, the faint sound of slapping skin filling their ears. Blake's cheeks tinged crimson.

"Oh god, I was so engrossed in the movie I didn't notice," she said.

"Do you want a refill? I can get one for you," he said, slowly getting out of his seat. He fumbled a bit, trying to readjust himself. Blake noticed this and quickly looked away, holding her cup up.

"Dr. Piper Cherry, and get me some chocolates would you? Also if you need to go to the bathroom and… you know, I understand. Just wash your hands before grabbing my cup."

"Gross! Blake what the hell?!"

"Sorry," she said softly. He would have flicked her ears had they not been hidden beneath her bow. He rattled the ice in her cup as he walked out of the theater, taking a deep breath of the mostly fresh air. The scent of freshly popped popcorn and movie theater butter was a wonderful change to the scent of sweat and bodily fluids.

He walked up the corridor, dodging a few people who were walking back to their respective theaters with snacks or from the bathroom. It didn't take him long to make it back to the concession stand, scanning the bracelet he had been given so he could get access to the soda fountain.

"So, how's the movie? You and your girl slip in yet?" the ticket clerk from before asked, making the miqo'te faunus glower at him. "Oh, is she a prude or something?"

"No, she isn't. We came to see this movie as platonic friends, and even if we were dating, I wouldn't try to fuck her in a movie theater with twenty other couples doing the same. If I wanted to take part in an orgy, I would go to Mistral's redlight district." he said, as he topped off Blake's cup, taking a sip from the soda. "Mind hooking me up with some of those chocolates? I wanna distract myself with a bit of sugar."

"Yeah, sure thing." the clerk said, accepting the lien that Levi had slid to him. He handed him some of the chocolates that were in the showcase. "Hey man, sorry. So many couples have come to that showing recently, I figured you were like the others."

"Don't worry about it man, believe me, had it been any other day of the week with any other girl, I likely would be like those people in there. But I respect my friend. Even if she wanted to do something, I'd say no. As thrilling as it would be to get it in at a movie theater of all things,"

"I hope you enjoy the rest of the movie then, and who knows? Maybe things will change. Maybe they'll change when you head home," the clerk said, making Levi laugh.

"Yeah, sure. When pigs fly,"

As Levi turned to leave, he ended up bumping into someone, dropping his chocolates to the ground. He grumbled a few swears, kneeling down to pick them up. "Hey, sorry for bumping into you man, I didn't see you."

He slowly rose to his face, his face growing pale when he saw who he had bumped into. The man didn't say anything, his lips curving into a bit of a smile.

"It's no trouble at all. I hope you enjoy the movie… oh and tell Blake I send my regards,"

Levi shook a bit as he walked off, trying to act as normal as possible, going as far as taking a gulp of Blake's drink. He glanced over his shoulder, but Adam was gone. It didn't take him long to reach the theater he and Blake had been in. He dropped the cup and chocolates from his hand, sprinting toward their seats. He made it to where Blake was, causing her to jump a bit in surprise.

"Levi? Why are you running?"

"We need to go, now," he said, grabbing ahold of her hand, pulling her to her feet.

"What? Why? It's getting to the best part!" Blake said, looking back at the screen, cheeks flushing a bit as she saw the main characters engaging in sexual intercourse. The pair could hear the intense moans coming from the other moviegoers and other embarrassed people likely dragged there by their best female friends. "We waited how long for this and now you wanna bail?"

"He's here."

"Huh?"

"Adam… he's here, and he's looking for you," he said, his voice filled with seriousness and fear. Blake glanced over her shoulder, looking around in the darkness, seeing nothing. She reached over her shoulder for Gambol Shroud, feeling the cool metal of her weapon in her hand.

Levi wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her toward the fire exit, not caring if the alarms were tripped or not. He looked around for a moment before pushing the door open, setting off the alarms. He pushed Blake through the doors, sprinting away from the building just as fast as possible.

"We need to get back to Saphron's."

"It's too far from here, the trolley is too slow and I doubt we'll be able to hail a cab," Levi said. He looked around for a moment, spotting a few people on some motorbikes, Kawasashi dirt bikes, which were rather faster for a small and light vehicle. He nodded to himself, pulling Blake with him. "Do you know how to drive a motorcycle?"

"Yang taught me while we were in Beacon, I wanted to get my license. I know how to drive cars too if you were curious. Why?"

He waited for the people on the bikes to head inside, gesturing for Blake to follow. He grabbed onto the green bike and shifted it to neutral, pushing it up the street. Once they were away from the house, he pulled the Kickstarter out and started pushing it down, pressing the engine start button. He was glad whoever owned it had been dumb enough to leave the keys in the ignition.

"So, this is where you decided to go? I'm disappointed in you Blake." the voice of Adam said, causing the woman to turn around. He stood several meters away from them, a frown on his face as he held his hand on his sword. "You started wearing the bow again, here I thought you were proud of your heritage."

"I am proud, Adam. But after the shitty few weeks, me and my friends have had, I just wanted to blend in and enjoy a movie. But apparently, I can't even do that without you following me," she said, preparing to draw her weapon.

"Come on dammit, start!" Levi hissed, as he finally got the bike to turn over. He revved the engine a few times, grinning. "Yes! Get out of here Blake, I'll hold him off!"

He reached for Overture, drawing it from his holster. He flicked his wrist, the ejected shell casing clattered to the ground, rolling into a nearby drain. Adam smirked, partially drawing his sword.

"You actually think you have what it takes to bring me down? I'd like to see you try,"

"Levi you can't, he's going to kill you!" Blake said.

"Get out of here goddamn it! Get back home, tell the girls he's here, I'll buy you some time!" he said, channeling his aura to his feet, a vermillion glyph flashing into existence. He willed it to explode, sending himself flying forward, just as Adam drew his sword.

Much to his surprise, Levi ended up creating a second glyph, flinging himself over the flaming slash he had thrown. He aimed Overture down, firing an energy round directly at his head. Adam was quicker, deflecting the attack while absorbing the recoil. Levi landed roughly on the ground, dodging the volley of quick but powerful slashes Adam was throwing at him.

Blake grit her teeth, letting go of the brakes, zooming away from the fight. Adam turned around, darting after her as she picked up speed, almost grabbing onto the bike, only for Levi to match his pace, tackling him to the ground. The two locked in another volley of wild sword strikes, parrying and returning blow after blow, sparks raining from their clashes.

"I'm going to make sure you never lay a hand on her again!" Levi cried, pushing Adam's katana away. The older, more experienced faunus let out a laugh, his eyes glowing beneath his mask.

"Oh you poor confused child, getting involved in matters that don't pertain to you. You are going to rue the day you crossed swords with me,"

The two men stared silently at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, after a moment of silence, both men dashed forward, swinging their swords with great strength, the shockwave of their clash shattering the windows of the nearby buildings.


A/N: It's about to go down... and by down, I mean a double post because I feel generous. I am running on Genshin Impact hype and Vanilla Coke at the moment lol. The song used in this chapter is called My Hero by Man with a Mission. I feel like this song encompasses who Levi is and how confused he is at the moment. I dunno, I didn't really think too hard about it when I picked it, haha. After this double post I will be taking a posting break to focus on other things, but do know that the finale for this story is close at hand. There are only two more chapters after this double post, and I'll likely be posting them both on the same day, though I could wait a week or two just for fun, but I dunno lol. Ah well... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See ya!