The Belladonna Cycle

by Vanitus Omnipotent

A simple exam in the Emerald Forest. That was the original plan...until Blake discovered a ring that changed all that. Now, she has the power to summon alternative versions of herself to Remnant, but with very little knowledge of how to use it and how to get it off...well, will she stay sane by the end of her four year semester?

5. Chapter 5- Seeing Through a Mirror

The screen began to illuminate the movie cinema as the title 'The Belladonna Cycle' appeared in the center of the screen in dark purple and white font, dark purple curtains parting to the sides as all was quiet and peaceful in the theater.

Well...until the silhouette of Blake Belladonna took notice of...

"I'll hold it!"

"No I will!"

"No me!"

"Back off!"

"It's mine!"

Her five chibi alters pulling aggressively on a large white rectangular poster with the words 'Author: Rassilon001' and 'Various Vytal Ventures: Chapter 12- Good and Evil' written on it with black marker, which made Blake facepalm at the chibi's immaturity.

"I'll hold the poster!"

"No I will!"

"No me!"

"Me!"

"Me!"

"Ahem!" Blake frowned while causing the chibis to stop what they were doing and looked at her in confusion. "What are you girls doing?"

"Oh, well-"

"I wanted to introduce the cameo!" the third chibi huffed in annoyance. "But they wanted to do it as well!"

"Ugh." Blake grumbled while rubbing her temples with a heavy sigh. "How about you five share the introduction? Mmm? That would make things easier for you, right?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...oh." the leader chibi said sheepishly as a black and silver book sporting a purple flower emblem along the spine appeared right behind them on the projector screen.

Blake shook her head while internally facepalming a little, all the while the chibis nodded to each other and turned towards the screen, their hands holding the poster in a more calmer manner. 'They are like me but...also act like toddlers...ugh. My sanity is slipping every time they do something like this.'

"Today's showing will feature a Blake from Various Vytal Ventures: Chapter 12- Good and Evil, by the Author: Rassilon001." the chibis all said at once, freaking the original Blake a little. "All Blakes from other authors that feature as cameos in the 'movie' are all canon to their respective stories and/or timelines unless specifically mentioned otherwise due to the author's direct request. This means that if a Blake cameo which is either an offshoot of the original story or are 'non-canon' versions/spinoffs of said timeline were featured in the 'movie' then that particular factoid will be mentioned in their bios at the end of the viewing to prevent confusion and misinformation."

"...um, that felt...weird." Blake said as the projector screen showed the book quickly opening in front of her as it revealed its contents to the world itself. "And kinda...meta."

The chibis turned to her and shrugged. "To a certain point of view."

'...I need a drink after this. Maybe something with caffeine to make me forget about...whatever that was.' she thought with a heavy sigh. 'But...please don't let them be cosmic horrors! Please!'

The Belladonna Cycle: Chapter Four, Seeing Through a Mirror.

Xxxxxxx

-Remnant, Sanus, Vale, Beacon Academy, Team RWBY's Temporary HQ/Room-

"Ugh..." Blake groaned while still in her bed, her yukata still on her person, as she felt her entire body aching with pain, unable to move even her pinky fingers an inch off the sheets. "Can't...feel...anything."

The sunlight outside her window bombarded her eyes with its rays, forcing her to blink as she recalled yesterday's most tiring experience.

That being the introduction of Specialist Blake, or as she has been dubbed by her team, Captain Wrecking Claws.

Ever since she popped up and destroyed, with some contribution from her team, her room and caused them to be in debt to the academy for the next year or more, she...she had made it worse. Her arms were Grimm incarnate, unable to touch anything without it breaking upon contact.

Millions of lien...added to their debt in the span of a single day, was all the legacy she left as she faded back to her own world.

Which left all of Team RWBY with cleaning up HER mess. And yet, it was the 'B' of Team RWBY that had the worst of it, as she did most of the running, hunting and prevention of her alternative selve's accidental reign of destruction for that amount of time.

And here she was, in bed, unable to move as her own team were currently out training without her.

"...this sucks." she muttered out loud while looking at the bottom of Yang's bed. "I can't feel my body, at all." 'And all because a version of me can't control her own strength. Ugh...and here I wanted to just read a book today, maybe even finish Professor Peach's take-'home' quiz.'

As the cat faunus stared at the light brown wood with boredom, the gears in her mind started to turn, the only thing she could do at the moment, and started to think back on the events leading up to her current situation.

From flying on the back of a robotic version of herself to having her core beliefs questioned by an anti faunus version of herself, all these appearances for the last week or so...were all started by a single ring that she had no idea how to use or even understand.

It's glistening ruby...so mesmerizing, even in her state, almost tempting her to crack its secrets. But…

"I can't." she muttered before closing her eyes, hoping a nap would help her body heal. 'I just...need to rest. I just...need to think of...sky fish...zzzz.'

(Three hours later)

"Zzzzzzzzz." The faunus snored while dreaming of fish, her lips forming a smile as her ears twitched every so often. "Zzzzzzzz."

(Inside dream)

"Come back Sky Fish!" Blake yelled, her body currently a large whale-like creature with octopus legs and her normal head inside its whale mouth, as she swam across an undersea version of Vale and followed a large school of fish with tiny wings.

All of which had the head of Weiss, Yang and Ruby for some reason.

"I want to eat you!"

"Fish fish fish fish fish fish fish fish." The 'Sky Fish' said in unison while their noodle-like tails splashed the water and caused tiny Pyrrha's to form from them.

"Hello again!" They said at once before exploding into sushi, which Blake consumed without hesitation.

"Fish! So much fish! I must HAVE FISH!" She yelled before noticing a human sized Jaune with no clothes on and a long lobster tail for legs moving towards her. "Oh Arc Lobster, want to join me for fish?"

"No, I'm here to say this." He said while Blake raised an eyebrow. "And please don't slap me when you leave here ok?"

"Slap you? What are you-"

"Thanks. Anyway." He said before his head transformed into a foghorn and a loud buzzing sound rang in the faunus's ears. "BBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!"

(Outside the dream)

"GAH!" The faunus screamed in disbelief as she opened her eyes and stood on all fours, her ears puffed up as she was on high alert.

Only to discover that there were no lobster people, no fish, and she wasn't a whale monster.

Just a cat faunus that just woke up from….a very weird acid trip of a dream.

"...next time, I'm skipping the sushi before bed." 'And for a week at most….maybe four days. Yes, four days sounds about right.'

As she slowly calmed down, she looked upon her ring and felt a little compelled to use it, to at least have some fun.

But then again, she just wanted to relax, to finally feel calm and stoic like before this madness began.

"...if I summoned another me, it might end badly for me." She muttered while imagining a version of herself, a massive lizard with her head on the neck, destroying Vale with a laser beam attack, making her shiver in fear. "Yeah, not taking the risk."

(A few minutes later)

"Not doing it." She muttered while reading her book, titled 'To Dance the Dance of Love', in her bed. 'Mmm, good description for that position.'

(A few more minutes later)

"Still not doing it." Blake said while doing some stretches, the sound of joints popping ringing in her ears. "Not going to-"

POP!

"Ooooh yes~!" She moaned while feeling some of her joints popping in the right spots. "That felt goooooooooood~ Nya~"

(Five minutes later)

"Not happening." Blake said with a frown while putting on Weiss' clothes, for fun.

RIP!

Only for the dress' chestline to rip due to her more….bountiful chest.

"...oh no." She muttered before quickly grabbing for her clothes on the ground.

RIP!

Only for her rear end to tear the skirt in half, exposing her stolen white panties.

"SHIT!"

(Two minutes later)

SLAM!

"There." Blake said with a sigh as she slammed the nearby desk drawer close. "She won't find it in there. Now….to find out how much that dress is." 'And see if I can't just steal another if Schnee-Bay doesn't show any results at a fair price.'

As she calmed her nerves and looked at the ground, she saw the ring and…..

Felt the urge to rub with it.

"No, I must resist! I must...resist!" She thought as her left hand began to instinctively rub the ring.

Siiisiiisiiisis.

Which caused the ring's runes glowing bright purple and its circular 'touch screen' to use up from its sides as the unknown symbols glowing brightly in the midday atmosphere.

"GAH! Fine!" She snapped while looking through the symbols in frustrated defeat. "One summon, that's it!" 'I hate my curiosity sometimes. If I ever become a Curious Cat, whatever that is, I want someone to punch me in the face, HARD!'

Yet as the faunus looked upon the 'touch screen' she felt drawn to a particular symbol that made her...oddly nostalgic.

A simple beast's head with three lines running down its side and with the letters 'BB' etched on its neck as a small ball of fire was in between its jaws.

'It feels odd, it's White Fang's logo but it also feels less like the new symbol and more like the old one. Although the fireball is new.' She thought with interest as she moved her finger towards the symbol. 'Maybe it's a version of me that reformed the White Fang? That would be nice to see….or it could be me leading a cult. Oh gods. That's actually terrifying.'

Boop.

The ring glowing with bright purple electricity as Blake covered her ears.

ZAP!

BOOM!

Just as a bolt of lightning was released from the ring and hit the nearby rug, a thick cloud of smoke formed from the blast zone as the faunus' ears rang from the close proximity.

'I'm never used to that! OW!' She thought in pain as the smoke cloud faded away.

"What in the? Why does it smell….like a filthy human?" a cold and disgusted voice said as Blake blinked and felt a chill running down her spine.

'That tone. That mannerism….oh no.' She thought before her eyes widened in shock.

For in the center of the room was a tall fair skinned young woman with long wavy black hair that went to her shoulders, a dark gray metal mask with four small rectangular slits near the eyes and four fang-like ends near the cheeks, two black cat ears, a D cup chest and wide ass, wearing a dark crimson sleeveless overcoat with white lining and a long ankle length tailcoat, a black long sleeved roble with a black hoodie over her head, light gray bandaged fingerless gloves that was held together near the middle finger, a light gray obi, a dark gray circular metal plate on her back, gray pants, black high heeled boots with dark gray straps, and holding a thick black sheath-like blade with a sharp cleaver-like edge, a red pistol-like handle attached to the hilt, a raised spike at the end and a long red elastic ribbon attached at the hilt, in her left hand, whose expression was filled with disgust and anger at her sudden appearance in these room.

And on her left breast...was the White Fang emblem, which was infused with black silk instead of the normal red silk.

'A Royal Guard?! I...I became a Royal Guard?!' Blake thought in shock as her counterpart looked around the room in disgust. 'And why am I sounding like Adam!?'

"..." she looked towards 'Blake's' direction and froze in shock, taking her mask off to reveal her amber eyes for a brief second as she rubbed them with both hands. 'What in hell!?'

'This isn't going to end well...at all.'

"Just...who are you!?"

"Blake Belladonna."

"But that's MY name!"

"Um...I might want to explain this before you um...start attacking me."

"I'm not going to attack you, you're a faunus, a sister that stole my face and appearance, but a faunus nonetheless." she said while gagging a little. "Although why are you living with humans?"

"..." 'Oh boy, this won't end well at all.'

(One LONG explanation later)

"..."

"So that's the story."

"...wow. Just wow, I have a different me acting like a wallflower human lover! Gods, I chose the right path when I was reassigned to the Mistrali Sect." 'Blake' said with a frown. "So what? You run away because of a few human lives? What a joke!"

'Gods, this is just like talking to Adam, if he was a woman and acted like an angry sister then an insane mass murderer.'

"Plus becoming a Huntress? Really? We are already skilled, why join the humans for 'retraining'? Ugh, you know what? I'm not going to even talk to you, you're just a worse version of me, a highly respected and powerful Royal Guard of the White Fang." she huffed in arrogance before looking at Weiss' bed and began rummaging around for something. "Schnees, why did you HAVE to live with a Schnee! They are monsters!"

"Weiss already knows about our heritage. She's not a monster."

'Choosing to ignore that.' She thought before finding a white Scroll under a pillow and grinned maniacally. "Oh ho ho, what do we have here~?"

"What are you doing?" 'And why does she have mother's devious smirk? Oh no...she has mother's DEVIOUS smirk!'

Ping.

"Huh, does not use a password or facial recognition, is she THAT laxed?" 'Blake' chuckled before looking through the Scroll's contact list. "Well shame on her, because my master plan is realized!"

'Oh gods. She's going to...'

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"Hello? Sister dear?' said a young boy's voice from the other end of the call as 'Blake' smirked with glee. "What do you want?"

"Is this the Schnee Dust Company's main office?"

"NO, this is the Schnee estate. You know this sister."

"Ah, and here I thought you were a girl. Such a squeaky voice."

"Wait what!?"

"Is your refrigerator running?"

"Yes, and don't change the subject! How is my voice squeaky!?" the voice yelled in, to Blake's ears, a loud squeaky voice that seemed to be breaking slightly.

"Well you better go get it, mouse for brains! Hahahahahaha!"

"WHAT!? YOU LITTLE-"

Click.

'Yep. She's prank calling the Schnees...not the most evil thing I'd do in that situation but it's better than somehow blowing up the school.' Blake thought while seeing her counterpart cackling like a saturday morning villain, complete with an evil grin. 'Although, somehow, Weiss is going to get the brunt of my 'evil counterparts' prank call...although given she was kinda a jerk to Ruby, it might be funny in a way...no, it wouldn't. Right?'

"Gods, that was fun!" she smirked before pressing the caller ID for 'Willow Schnee'. "Now, let's have some fun with the drunk."

'Wait, oh no!' Blake thought as her counterpart smirked with glee.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"Hello? Weiss dear?" said a tired and almost dazed sounding woman's voice from the other end of the call as Blake quickly grabbed the Scroll from 'Blake's' hand.

"Um, sorry. Um, I'm Blake, Weiss' friend." the faunus said with a smile, although her counterpart tried to grab the Scroll out of her hands but failed. "She kinda buttdialed you by mistake and-"

"Oh. You must be the one Weiss told me about." the woman said with a happy tone, confusing the normal variant a little.

"Eh?"

"The one named Rose. She always wrote letters to Winter about how you act like a child but also had a cute butt." she said while Blake's jaw dropped in shock. "Don't tell her I said that. I thank you for keeping an eye on her, her father...really doesn't like interacting with his children, same with me to a lesser extent, so seeing my daughter having a friend just makes me feel at ease."

"Um…ah…mmm." 'What's going on here!?'

"Anyway, thank you for calling. I had...nothing really to do here, at all. It was a nice change of pace really. Just keep my daughter safe and maybe I'll sneak you into the inheritance upon my death, Jacques doesn't need the money so why not give it to you." she said while the two 'Blakes' stared at each other in shock. "Also please don't ravage my daughter, at all. She might have a crush on you Miss Rose but I will not have her learning about sex until BOTH of you are twenty seven and married. Anyway, goodbye."

Click.

"..."

"...ok. That was...weird." the alternative Blake said in disbelief before taking the Scroll and started looking through the contact list. "Anyway! Let's do more pranks!"

"No!"

"Too late fool!" she cackled before hitting the contact ID for 'Shitty Dad'.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"Sorry. The number you are calling is unavailable. Please leave a message after the beep or call your local CCT Systems Operator."

BEEEP!

"Hey Shit Face!" 'Blake' yelled while her counterpart looked on in confusion. "I know you've been scamming your employees out of their raises and health benefits! If you don't want me to fucking sue you, you WILL send me a billion lien! All paper! To the location of this Scroll! If you don't, I'LL LEAK EVERYHING TO THE CCT! Your files, your passwords, EVERYTHING! Oh and don't get me started on your numerous physical and abuse charges on your own family! I have all the video feed of those times you 'proved' you 'manhood'! So GET TO IT NOW OR I'LL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL!"

Click.

"...was that true?"

"Duh, yes." 'Blake' deadpanned before pulling out a VBZ shockdrive into the Scroll and began tampering with it, revealing that she's turning Weiss' Scroll into a miniature 'time bomb' of private data and confidential video feed from the SDC itself. "That monster is an asshole, so I'm making up for YOUR inactions by sending MY monster's evils to the Atlas Military. I hate all humans but considering we BOTH hate Jacquse Schnee, this will just help put him away for a long time."

"That's...actually a noble thing to do." Blake said with a pleasantly surprised smile on her face. "I guess she isn't evil at all.'

Only for that smile to fade away as her counterpart started to call another person in Weiss' contact list.

This time for a 'Winter Schnee'.

Ring.

"Hello? Weiss? Are you in need of assistance?" said a stern but almost soft woman's voice from the other end of the call as 'Blake' snickered to herself.

"You smell of poopoo peepee!"

"...what?"

"You heard me! You smell of POO. POO. PEE! PEE! HAHAHAHA!" 'Blake' cackled as her 'normal' counterpart stared at her in horror and mild disgust at her choice of words. "Toilet face! HAHAHAHAHA!"

"WEISS!? Where di-"

"I'm sleeping with fifty guys! All at once!"

'Nevermind, she's COMPLETELY EVIL!' Blake thought while hearing the sound of shattering glass in the background.

"WHAT-"

Click.

"You disgust me."

"Meh. It's not for everyone." 'Blake' said with a smirk. "Besides, it's fun ruining the Schnees like that."

"They will find out you know!"

"I'm not from this weird world. Plus I have a voice modular on my collar, they won't find out and the stupid Schnee will be blamed for it, ha!"

"...you are evil."

"No, I'm Blake." she retorted with a grin before calling a random number on the Scroll. "Now no talking, I'm busy."

'Ring...please let her return home, I REALLY don't like her at all!'

(A few minutes later)

"Hahahahahahaha! Man, pranking the asshole elites of Atlas is fun! Especially the Marigolds, those guys are shitheads worthy of making them think their bank accounts were being hacked by the SDC! Oooh, the lawsuits will be LEGENDARY!" 'Blake' cackled with glee as her counterpart was busy reading a book, having decided to let her do her own thing and wait until the time limit was up.

'Mmm, now that is an odachi~'

"...meh." 'Blake' said before throwing the Scroll on the bed with a bored look on her face. "I'm done now."

"That was fast. Almost cat-like."

She turned towards her 'pathetic' counterpart in shock. "Did you use a slur on me!?"

"No, we are both cat faunus. We get bored easily." she said while rolling her eyes, making the alternative counterpart glare at her from behind her mask. "It's a normal fact of life."

"..."

"Cat-"

"Don't even finish that line." she frowned before noticing that her arms were flickering in and out of reality, followed by tiny sparks of purple lightning forming near her fingertips, making her eyes widen in surprise. "Wait? What's going on!?"

"You're going home, duh."

"...oh. Oh. I get it." 'Blake' said as her entire body started to fade away like mist, making her shrug before smirking a little, catching her counterpart off guard. "Well, fine by me. It's not like I want to tell you about the upcoming Dust heist that's going down today."

"Wait, what did you say?"

"Yeah, there's a heist going down in Vale, at the Sacred Jewel Co Factory. All White Fang, all for the Dust."

"But that factory isn't a Dust provider."

"Well it is now, so chop chop." 'Blake' said as her form fading away into nothingness. "Do your hero work, ignoramus!" 'And leave me alone to burn Vale to the ground with my new flame powers! Muahahahaha!'

The faunus frowned as her ring's gemstone turned pure black on its left side, which she ignored as she started to get dressed into her usual attire. 'I need to get there, RIGHT NOW!'

(Later on)

-Downtown Vale, Industrial District, Sacred Jewel Co Factory-

"This is the place." Blake muttered while currently hiding in one of the alleyways near the factory, the place having been closed for renovations since last year, something to do with wanting to 'look fancy', as she poked her head from behind a corner. "Now, where are those trucks that the other me was talking about?"

As she looked around for any signs of her former allies, well more like former family business in a way, Blake felt her mind racing with increasingly dangerous situations that the White Fang would do to this one pottery factory and its employees.

Rob them out of everything?

Murder them out of 'mercy'?

Blow up the building!?

'Gods, if I don't stop them then Vale is going to fall to a riot, or worse, a revolution.' she thought to herself while imagining Adam standing on a pile of corpses with a smirk. 'A bloody one no less. Ok. You're here with no backup, your team is training elsewhere and have no idea where you are, and the headmaster hasn't found out I flew an airship without any supervision or permission from him or the staff. You are heavily outmatched and might die if any high ranking members show up, like that one with the chainsaw...yep. I'm screwed. I'm good but not THAT good!'

That's when an idea struck her like lightning...why not use her ring to even the odds a little. Yes, she might get someone like the kid version of herself, but she might also get someone like her robotic counterpart or even her cyborg self.

Plus...this was kinda important, given this WAS an anti White Fang 'sting' operation, unofficially that is, and she needed to save the employees too.

Although...was it worth it?

'This is the White Fang we're talking about! They aren't from father's time, they are mad! I mean yes fear can help on occasion but Adam is taking things WAY too far! He needs to be stopped! And this ring might help, even if for an hour maximum...might want to figure out how to increase the length.' she thought while rubbing the ring with her left hand.

Siiisiiisiiisis.

As the ring's runes glowing bright purple and a circular 'touch screen' rising up from its sides, the unknown symbols started to glow bright despite the afternoon sunlight dimming them slightly, Blake looked at the symbols in a rapid motion, hoping to find a suitable version of herself before the heist started.

'Come on, come on! Give me something good! Anything!' she thought before stopping on a rather...interesting symbol that made her body stiffen in...fear.

That symbol being a muzzled beast-like head with three claw marks over its eye and a large eight sided gemstone that surrounded the head like a cage as the words 'Umbra Pax' were branded to the creature's neck, that seemed to 'stare' right into the Belladonna's soul with malice.

'...why does that symbol make my blood run cold?' Blake thought before shaking her head and touched the symbol with her left index finger. 'No, steady yourself Blake. It's just a symbol. Besides, whoever appears in my world might be nice, helpful even...I hope.'

Boop.

The ring glowed with bright purple electricity as Blake felt the hairs on her neck stand on end, something that hasn't happened before...

Not since the train.

Not since leaving Adam Taurus.

'Just what's making me feel so...terrified?'

ZAP!

BOOM!

Which released a bolt of lightning from the ring as it hit the nearby sidewalk, a thick cloud of smoke billowing outwards from the blast zone as it dissipated into nothingness.

However, as the smoke cleared away, Blake could feel something was off, her blood freezing like ice, her heart pumping like a freight train's wheels, her eyes dilating inwards as a figure became visible from the fading cloud.

'W-What's...going on?' she thought as her hands started to shake, her mind instinctively trying to get her to flee, to run.

To survive.

Low guttural growls emanate from the blast zone as a tall fair skinned young woman with long wavy black hair that was tied into an interlocking braided ponytail and went down to her ass, a thick ivory face mask with deep red flame-like markings along the eyes that went from her eyes to her upper nose as thin gold filled cracks lined the sides and lower left eye socket, two black cat ears with deep vertical scars going down the insides and a single hole on the right ear's tip, a D cup chest and wide ass, a thick horizontal scar over her lips with several dull pinkish cream colored third degree burns around the lower chin and nose, wearing a bright silver brigandine with a thick white fur collar and a dark purple panther-like face emblazoned on the chest, a thick ebony collar with platinum spikes around the sides as a long silver chain was hooked to the front and went down to her feet, a black ruby surrounded by a horizontal 'eye'-like symbol in its center etched into the collar's center, bright platinum rectangular pauldrons that went down to her elbows and had six purple spikes going down the sides, silver vambrace with two purple spikes near the elbows thick platinum gauntlets with long violet claw-like nails at the ends, silver faulds with onyx lines going near the sides, platinum culets, a long black metallic belt around her waist with two metallic silver circles on each hip, slim platinum cuisses with thick white fur around the hips, slim platinum greaves with purple spikes near the lower knees, silver three clawed sabaton-like boots, stood there...seemingly waiting for something as her near emotionless face seemed to mask...a sense of dread and terror.

Something akin to a Grimm, no...not a Grimm. The Grimm were made to feel rage and hate.

This was different...it was...almost like this lone faunus was...

A monster.

Blake felt her heart stop for a moment as she saw a thick gray sheath-like blade with a sharp cleaver-like edge, a black pistol-like handle attached to the hilt, a raised spike at the end and a long black elastic ribbon attached at the hilt, in her left hand as an engraving marked 'Beast #50012: Handler Weiss Schnee' was plastered along the left side of the blade in dull gold foil, on the woman's left hip, causing her to realize the horrible truth.

This was another version of her...

One that was twisted beyond imagination.

"...mmm?" the faunus hummed while looking around, seemingly confused by her surroundings.

'Just...how did she become...THIS!? Why is she making me want to scream!?' Blake thought in terror while looking at her ring and tried rubbing it again, only for it to not work. 'Come on! COME ON! UNDO THIS! BEFORE SHE-'

"Where is your handler?"

"Um...what?" she squeaked in fear.

"Your handler. Where is your handler?" the 'other Blake' said with a dark guttural growl, akin to a predatory animal.

"...the faunus don't need handlers." Blake said while trying to sound brave, despite feeling the copy's dark 'aura' permeating every fiber of her body like fishing hooks. "It's illegal to do that here...and um...we have rights." 'Resist the urge to SCREAM!'

"..."

'Why is she staring at me!?'

"..."

'SAY SOMETHING!'

"...heh. So, beasts don't need handlers here?" she asked as her tone seemed...relieved for some reason, almost...happy. "At all?"

Blake nodded before seeing her counterpart's lips slowly form a twisted grin, a dark chuckle forming from her throat as she began to laugh...one that made her ears puff up in terror and droop downwards in fear.

"Hahahahaha...hahahahaha. Hahahahahahaha! Mahahaahaha!" 'Blake' cackled with malicious glee as she reached for her mask with her right hand, revealing her dull amber eyes with five thick claw-like scars going over them and thin second degree burn marks on the forehead and upper right eye, in the process, terrifying her counterpart in the process. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FINALLY! I'M FREE!"

"Um..." 'Did I just miss something? No really, what's going on with this...darker version of me!?'

"No more Schnees! No more Red Queen! No more serving humans!" She laughed while grinning like a snarling panther. "I am free to do whatever I want! To BE my own monster! To DO ANYTHING!"

'What is she talking about-'

SWISH!

'Shit!' Blake thought as the woman's blade slashed at her neck, only for the faunus to dodge and jump backwards towards the other end of the alleyway.

"And my first action is to kill you, imposter!" she growled while putting her mask back on her face and changed towards Blake like a wild animal.

"I'm not an imposter! Just stop and let's talk about this!" Blake said while dodging the sword attacks with her speed, occasionally using her semblance to block the strike at the cost of her clone's decapitation.

"Talk is meaningless!" 'Blake' growled while getting annoyed at her imposter's similar speed and acrobatic skills. "You will die!" 'She is like...her. Running away, abandoning me! Kill her. KILL HER! KILL KALI! KILL HER!'

'Shit shit shit!' the cat faunus thought before looking at her ring and got an idea. "Hey! You said you were free right? To do anything you want?"

"Grrrrr! Stop talking and fight me!"

"Nope." she said while steeling herself and giving her copy her best 'serious' glare as she stopped dodging, her copy's blade poised to cut her head off her body. "I'm not going to waste my time on someone that's just going to disappear later." 'Please let this work!'

Time slowed in Blake's eyes as the blade arched towards her neck, inching closer and closer before...

It stopped…right near her throat, the sharpened point aimed to impale the windpipe, as the alternative copy stared at Blake with confusion, seemingly fazed by her words.

"...what? Disappear?"

"Yes, you're only here for a short time, then you return home." Blake said sternly. "And I have the only means to send you home."

"All the more reason to kill you!"

"It won't work." she said while pointing to her ring. "This thing is indestructible and if you attack me, then it will...well, I don't know what it will do. But it might leave you trapped here forever."

"I don't see a problem with that."

"Well...if you stay here, things will not make sense to you. I mean, the faunus here are strange to you, right?"

"..." 'She is right, then again, that sounds like a paradise to me.'

"Plus I have plans right now, the White Fang-"

"White Fang?"

"An organization of terrorists-"

"You mean the weak and freedom loving Black Claw? What about them?" 'Blake' scowled while her counterpart blinked in confusion.

'Eh? Black Claw, freedom loving? Are we talking about the SAME organization...wait. I think I get it now, she...is a being from a reverse world. I'm the...oh no.' she thought with a gulp before shaking her head. "Um, yeah I'm trying to stop them from doing a heist. And I have to do it before Ozpin-"

"What!?" the dark copy yelled in disbelief. "The Wizard LIVES!?"

'...why do I feel like asking her 'who the Wizard is' will just make my head spin?' she thought as the blade pulled away from her neck.

"Grrrrrr. Fuck, just...fuck." 'Blake' growled while walking away from her copy, her mind racing with several questions that pertained to 'The Wizard'.

How did he survive?

Why does he have a copy of her in his services?

Why are the faunus walking about under his watchful eyes?

And did she somehow enter the afterlife?!

'How...just how is this possible? Unless...I'm in some weak reality where The Wizard never put those anti faunus laws into place?' she thought while looking at her counterpart with a frown. 'And maybe one where...she never left me? Bah, no. She would always walk out on the family, that fact never changes. But...this imposter might be part of The Wizard's Huntsmen, and if I kill her then he might find out and then execute me. Mmmm...better play along, until I learn more of this backwards world.'

'Please don't attack me again! I really don't want to die from the hands of an insane version of myself!' Blake thought before seeing her counterpart placing her weapon on her left hip.

"...this White Fang, what are they planning?"

"...um…"

"Speak now, or I will rip your throat out."

"It's a long story." 'And one that I feel might make things worse...well, better answer her or she MIGHT answer that threat...ugh, I'm going to regret this!'

(One explanation later)

"..."

"And that's how the White Fang became a terrorist organization." Blake said while scoping out the White Fang from behind a corner, her counterpart right behind her and seemingly listening to her long explanation. "And now I must stop them from...whatever they are doing with the Dust."

"..."

'Where are they?' she thought to herself before noticing several white trucks driving towards the factory's gates, all of them unlicensed and seemingly not caring for any traffic laws as they destroyed the gates at high speeds.

VOOOOOM!

SIIIISH!

"They're here." Blake said while pulling out her weapons. "We storm the place and-"

"Kill them, I got it." the dark faunus said before running towards the factory, blade in hand, making her 'weak' counterpart's eyes widen in horror.

"Wait, don't! We're supposed to knock them out!" she yelled while running after her copy. "Stop! Desist!"

(Elsewhere)

-Main Hall-

Within the dark gray hall, the White Fang members walked around the large marble fountain and towards the twin stairways, their target right beyond the light brown doors at its top and lower sides.

Their mission? Locate the Dust smuggled into the factory's pottery crates, load them into the tricks and return them to the Valeian Sect's HQ for processing.

A clear cut and dry mission...yet they all felt their hairs on their neck stiffen for some reason, their minds seemingly sensing danger for some odd reason.

And they didn't like it, at all.

"You feel that?" said a short female faunus with blonde bunny ears while looking at her counterpart, a taller male faunus with a long white dog tail, her ears standing on end from fear.

"Yes Amy, I do." he said while his fellow squad, about twenty to thirty in numbers for this particular operation, looked around, guns at the ready for the potential attack. "It's like someone's watching us."

"Security?"

"No, they are off at some pottery convention in Lower Cairn, this is something else." he said while trying to steady himself. "It's like a Grimm staring down your very soul."

"Grimm? There aren't any for miles."

"Quiet." hushed a tall male faunus with hornet mandibles as he saw a figure moving towards the glass doors. "We have company, take aim."

SMASH!

SHATTER!

Glass shattered upon the ground as an armored faunus charged at the hornet faunus, blades drawn for battle as she quickly stabbed him through his neck and heart, killing him instantly.

The squad of faunus stared with wide eyes as they realized something that made their blood run old.

It was one of their own, the traitor Blake Belladonna.

But...she wasn't the nervous loner they knew a few months ago, but...an armored monster.

And she was out for their blood.

"It's the traitor! Kill her!" yelled one of the faunus before getting their head sliced in half, the body falling to the ground as the other White Fang 'goons' began to take aim and fire in 'Blake's' direction.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

Bullets flew towards 'Blake', only for a stone statue of herself to appear from nowhere as the real 'Blake' appeared behind a few of the faunus and began firing bullets into their bodies, turning them into a gorey bodybag of steel and Dust shards.

"Oh this makes me feel alive!" 'Blake' smirked before grabbing one of the White Fang members and threw them into the air, her weapon transforming into a kusarigama and stabbed the terrorist in the neck as she used the added 'weight' as a bludgeoning weapon against her foes. "Come and face me Black Claw imposters! Show me that bloodlust that makes you predators in the faunus ranks! SHOW ME YOUR KILLING INSTINCT!"

"AH!"

"AH!"

"KEEP FIRE-AAAH!"

As the carnage continued, broken bodies and severed limbs flying across the room as the fountain's contents was dyed crimson red, many of the White Fang fled into the deeper parts of the factory, running up or through the doors for shelter from this 'mad' faunus.

But some, unfortunately, chose to use the upper levels as cover while they tried to snipe 'Blake' from above.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

"Cowards." she growled before seeing an exposed gas line right above the faunus on the second floor and took aim with her pistol. "Weak spineless cowards!"

BAM!

KABOOOOM!

"GAH!"

Fire erupted across the second floor, setting ablaze the stairs, the faunus and everything in between as 'Blake' ran towards the inferno, ignoring the loud fire alarms and red tinted lights as she used her cat-like agility and semblance to jump from the ground floor to the railing and onto the second floor in a few steps...although the clones she created were caught in the inferno in her stead.

Clack!

Clack!

Clack!

"No, no no no no!" Blake screamed in horror as she ran into the building, the flames moving towards the mutilated bodies, her eyes filled with shock as she looked around for her evil copy. "This was supposed to be bloodless! This was supposed to end with them being jailed!" 'Oh gods! Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods!'

BAM!

Her ears perked up as the flashes of gunfire illuminated from the first floor's doors, causing the faunus to run towards the left foot and kick it down with her left foot, revealing a massive assembly plant with a second metal balcony overlooking the floor below.

BAM!

BAM!

"AH!"

"YOU MONSTER-GAH!"

SLASH!

"AHH-" one of the faunus screamed before 'Blake' stabbed his fave with her blade, followed by his companion's neck as the remaining White Fang members, about three or four, tried to run towards the exit door on the other side of the railings.

"I need to stop her, before she kills them." Blake muttered before using her weapon's kusarigama form to grab hold of the platform's railings and swung upwards with a running momentum.

"AHHHH!" one of the faunus, a rat faunus with buck teeth, screamed as he ran past his fellow 'brothers' and 'sisters', his instincts telling him to get out of this slaughterhouse to warn the rest of the sect, no, the ENTIRE ORGANIZATION. 'I JUST WANTED TO STEAL DUST! WHY THIS!?'

BAM!

BAM!

"AH!"

"AH!"

'Shit shit shit shit shit shit!' he thought before seeing the other side of the walkway, his hopes slowly manifesting within his heart as he reached outwards to the doorknob with his left arm. 'I can do it! I can get out of here alive! I can live!'

SWIIP!

SQUISH!

"AH!" He screamed as a black blade stabbed him in his right side, piercing his lung and making him cough blood before he was suddenly pulled backwards towards the 'monster' known as 'Blake Belladonna'.

CLANK!

"Better than the Black Claw in only one regard, you don't act like sheep and let me kill you." 'Blake' said with a slightly disappointed tone in her voice, her mask staring right at the faunus's face as her bloodlust-like 'aura' didn't seem to fade at all. "You fight back."

"Ga..a..ga..ha..."

"But only for a brief moment, then it's running away. No drive to slay, no instinctual ambition, just fear. You are no better than the humans." she said while moving her left foot near the faunus' head with the intent to cave in his skull. "At least this won't be a total loss. I've been holding in a lot of rage for the last two years. So, goodbye, would-be beast."

The faunus' eyes dilated inwards as the foot moved to strike him down.

BAM!

BAM!

Only for several bullets to hit 'Blake's' back, forcing her to turn around and stare down her 'weak' counterpart with annoyance.

"No more." The cat faunus frowned while aiming her pistol at her copy's head. "No more death."

"...no." she said while pulling her blade out of the faunus' body, causing him to gasp in pain as she pointed her weapons at Blake. "I won't, after all, you wanted to stop these...sheep in wolves' clothing. I just sped the process a little."

"This was a STING operation, not a MASSACRE!"

"It got results right?" she said in a mocking tone. "Then again, The Wizard of this place must be stupid to let a sheep like you become a Huntsman. Scared to put down your foe, fearful of their safety even after learning of their natures, running from what needs to be done. If I was in your shoes, the 'White Fang' would be a distant memory, just like you if you get in my way."

"I can't do that, especially after seeing your 'results' first hand. Now drop the weapon or I will fire." 'Please let the time limit end! PLEASE!'

"Sorry, but I'm not giving up my chance to live in paradise." she smirked before noticing that her arms were flickering in and out of reality, her eyes widening behind her mask as tiny sparks of purple lightning formed near her fingertips and weapons. "What? No! I won't return to my cage!"

'Thank the gods!' she thought as her evil counterpart's body started to fade away like mist, only to see 'Blake' growling right at her. 'Oh no.'

"YOU!" 'Blake' roared before charging towards her counterpart in fury. "YOU DID THIS!"

As the only daughter of the Belladonna family raised her blade up to parry the oncoming attack, the evil faunus' blade turned into nothingness, passing through her head as, with a snarl on her face, 'Blake' fading away into nothingness and allowed the ruby encrusted ring to turn pure black and signify the end of this...nightmare.

Yet her relief was short lived as she saw the rat faunus gasping for air and ran towards him, looking him over in an effort to somehow keep him from dying from blood loss.

"Ah..ah..a.h..ah ah..."

"Don't move, I'll get you out of here." 'Gods, this...this isn't good. His aura was shattered from Gambol Shroud, no, the other me's weapon. The wound...I should've just left the ring alone. I...I should've stayed away.'

"Ah..a...h..ah..ah...God...of...Animals? Is..." he coughed as blood leaked from his lips and his breathing was getting harder and harder to maintain.

"I'm not-" Blake said before seeing the man's hopeful look, despite the fact he was dying, and caught herself, putting on a brave face and smiled down at him. "Yes. It is I."

"Ah..a..h...my lord...h..ave I done well?"

"..."

"I..know…I sinned...but..my last act was just..." the rat faunus said while Blake tried to hold back tears forming in her eyes, to keep the illusion alive. "To...warn...my siblings...my...family..."

'I see. He was...doing the right thing. Warning the rest of the sect, warning him.' she thought while the man coughed in pain, his eyes slowly growing lackluster and dull.

"P...Please...let me...onto th..e..boat to...para..dise...let..me see m..y…daughter again."

Blake's eyes widened in shock before calming down, realizing that this man chose this life out of either revenge or justice for his child.

A noble goal...unlike herself.

"Ah..ah..ah..a..."

"...my son." Blake said as a lone tear ran down her left cheek. "The boat waits for thee."

The faunus coughed in pain before slowly closing his eyes, his breathing becoming faint even to Blake's sensitive ears. "T...ha..nk...o...u...my..l..o...d..."

Blake felt the man's body becoming limp as she slowly stood up and walked towards the exit, her mind filled with guilt.

Guilt for allowing for the deaths of 'innocent' faunus.

Guilt for allowing that...monster walk free in this world, even for a brief moment.

Guilt...that she failed to realize her counterpart's evil nature beforehand.

Yet...this experience opened her eyes to the truth. That had she given into the darker nature of her former beliefs, had she followed the path of the hateful beast and casted aside her 'humanity'...she might've turned out like her copy.

She might've become like Adam.

'I...I must not give into hate, or to the ideologies of the current White Fang. I need to be better.' she thought as she opened the door, just as flames slowly moved towards her direction from the walls and platform. 'I must connect with others...open my heart to my team.'

Crackle.

Crackle.

Crackle.

'I must be better.' she thought to herself as she closed the door behind her. 'I must never summon that beast ever again. I must…'

Creak.

Clank!

'Be better.' she thought to herself as the screen faded to red, flames licking the screen for a faint moment before all went dark.

Xxxxxxx

Name/Designation Title: Blake Belladonna (White Fang Blake Belladonna- WFBRWBY)

Age: 17

Affiliation: Evil

Dimension: 675409- 65 WFBBRWBY

Abilities: Enhanced speed, agility, reflexes, jumping power and endurance, White Fang training and knowledge, night vision, blade, gun and kusarigama handling and knowledge, VBCS (Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe)/Gambol Shroud training and handling, espionage skills and knowledge, Dust knowledge and handling, White Fang Royal Guard training and knowledge, staff handling and knowledge, Fall Maiden powers, high insanity.

Semblance(s): Shadow

Bio: In this timeline, Sienna Khan, seeing the potential of Blake Belladonna, decided to reassign her from the Vale Sect of the White Fang to the Mistral Sect, which resulted in the faunus never leaving the White Fang or even forming Team RWBY, but instead fully embracing her anti human mindset and thus...devolved into a ruthless killer. Over time, Blake would rise in the ranks of the White Fang, eliminating both humans and traitors to the White Fang's ideologies, to become a Royal Guard that answered only to the High Leader herself. However...her rise to the top of the White Fang 'food chain' had the unfortunate side effect of making her paranoid and mentally unstable, being unable to comprehend the notion of 'shades of gray' nor tolerating anyone that she considers 'trash', resulting in her growing more monstrous over time to the point of cutting random people if they even look at her funny, although for some reason, despite having an animosity to the Schnee family, she would childishly prank-call them non-stop during her spare time, always lasting forty eight hours or more and on untraceable disposable Scrolls. Yet this instability would eventually lead to a complete mental breakdown when Adam Taurus arrived from the Vale Sect for an audience with Sienna Khan, with the human Cinder Fall right next to him, and asking for their assistance in a plan to destroy Vale for the sake of 'freedom', causing her to lash out and kill both of them in an almost feral rage, gaining the power of the Fall Maiden as a result. Using this new power, despite being fragmented, Blake would hunt down and burn the entire Vale Sect and their associates for their 'treachery', even if they weren't aligned or knew about Cinder's plan to begin with...resulting in the capital city of Vale to be burnt to the ground and, unfortunately for her part, cause the White Fang to see her as a loose cannon. Thus, the organization would send assassins to kill this 'monster' before she stuck them down with 'righteous' lightning from the sky...yet she would take no heed of this 'cowardly' act, for she was now the most powerful faunus on the planet and she shall turn the world into a faunus paradise...for her and her alone.

[ERROR!]

[ERROR!]

[WARNING! DATA CORRUPTED! ACTIVATING PARCAE PROTOCOL!]

Xxxxxxx

…..quiet, pure quiet. All around the darkened void was darkness….a deep umbra which had no end.

ZAP!

ZOOOP!

But lo, in a flash of purple energy, the world became bathed in light, blanketing the screen with a sinister radiance in the process.

(Elsewhere)

-Dimension: 70229871266- 12 UP/RRWBY, Remnant, Sanus, Emerald/Corundum Empire, Vale, Beacon Castle, East Wing, The 'Monochrome' Room-

Darkness dominated the blood red room as small dull red flames shone on the walls from their wax candle bases, the small windowless area feeling claustrophobic by design while the sides of the room were...decorated in vastly different styles, despite the almost prison-like atmosphere.

The left side was barren, devoid of furniture sans a small wooden dummy in the far corner along with a 'nest' of newspapers and straw.

The right side, in contrast, was covered from floor to ceiling with black wooden furniture, long dull white silk see through curtains, giant circular pillows made of soft cotton, a black mahogany dresser with snowflake-like designs, and a table with various Dust, weapon parts and accounting books strung across the surface in an almost haphazard fashion.

Same room, different living situations, all blanketed with a dark foreboding calm akin to an ancient tomb.

Zap!

WOOOSH!

Smoke filled the room as purple lightning fired near the walls, just as the Knight of Shadow materialized from oblivion.

Her eyes darted, her breath heavy with adrenaline, her blades still flesh with blood as her hands trembled, her anger…unbound.

"No...no!" She snapped while raising her blades and cut the nearby dummy in half, it's severed torso falling to the ground as the faunus roared with pure animalistic hate.

For she had gained the taste of freedom, had the chance to face strong warriors in combat, and would've slain her weaker self for the thrill of it.

But now, she was back in her cage!

And she was pissed beyond description.

"NO! NO! NO NO NO NO! NO!" she roared with fury as she began to break everything in the room with her weapons, eyes bloodshot and filled with unsatisfied rage. "I HAD IT! I HAD MY CHANCE! I HAD A CHANCE TO CONQUER! I HAD A CHANCE TO LIVE!" 'FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!'

CRASH!

SWASH!

BAM!

CLANK!

"I ALMOST HAD MY FREEDOM! FUCK YOU WHITE FANG! FUCK YOU WEAK COPYCAT! FUCK YOU ALL TO DEATH!" She roared while tearing through silk and wood with her weapons, her rage amplified to unnatural levels as her bloodlust simmered a little, although not enough to stop her rampage. 'I WILL KILL YOU! THAT I PROMISE!'

Creak.

Blake stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes as she heard the door open right behind her, causing her to slowly turn towards the light with deep heavy breaths of restraint rage. 'Her.'

"What in-what did you do you filthy beast!?" yelled a tall semi slim pale skinned young woman with long white hair that went across her right side and down to her chest, a bright blue left eye, a milky white right eye with a thick vertical scar that ran down to her lower cheek and was coated in semi healed scabs near the upper eyebrow, a B cup chest and small ass, a vantablack tiara in the shape of a snowflake and seveal crystal white Dust shards encrusted on it, wearing a long sleeved vantablack skin tight dress that went down to her hips sporting crystal white lining and a copper green ruby surrounded by a horizontal 'eye'-like symbol in its center on her back, a copper green metallic choker with a bright white diamond in the center of it, vantablack cuirass with bright crystal white quartzite gemstones encrusted along the sides and with copper green lining, vantablack revebraces with copper green lining, vantablack vambraces with copper green lining, a large thick copper green gauntlet that covered her entire right arm and was lined with crystal white Dust shards, a long vantablack opera glove on the left hand with long crystal white nails at the ends, vantablack hip length silk stockings, vantablack greaves with copper green lining, vantablack high heeled stiletto-like sabatons with crystal white lining at the tips, and had a large thick arm length silver lance-like glaive with a curved vantablack blade at the end along with a large barrel-like opening at the back end, attached to her left arm by metal clamps, as she looked on in anger. "How DARE you destroy MY room! I thought I 'disciplined' you out of that phase ages ago! Oh I'm going to enjoy breaking y-"

But as the Schnee was about to continue her tirade, her eyes locked onto Blake's...and saw a blazing rage deep within the amber pools...an almost primal rage that she had never seen before, not even when she sent her 'pet' against her fellow faunus during the Atlas Crisis a year back.

Hotter than a bonfire and sharper than a titanium blade...

SWISH!

CRASH!

And currently right in front of her, the blackened weapons of slaughter pinning her to a wall in a scissor grip around her neck, as her 'pet' looked, no, was ready to decapitate her in an instant if she even twitched.

"Shut. Up." she growled while the Schnee's eyes dilated inwards with fear. "I am sick of your shrill annoying voice."

"Wha-"

"I said shut up." she growled while pushing the blades closer to her neck. "Now you listen to me for once. I don't care if I am your pet, the weapon used to kill the weak. I don't care if you still blame me for that broken arm that the General gave you in that battle or how you use your gauntlet to hide it in paranoia. But I have limits on how much I can stomach your existence."

'W-What is going on?! Why is she turning against me!? The faunus aren't supposed to TURN against their handlers!'

"You, Weiss Schnee, are a cowardly sadist that takes the credit from others and kills for the sake of power and control. You have murdered for the position of Team Ruby's 'members', poisoned your own family to gain access to the Dust mines, and have stolen and bribed others into following you." Blake said coldly. "All the accomplishments you flaunt, all the tactics you 'devise', all the intel you 'acquired' for the Wizard's ears, all the kills you made on the field. All of it was mine. I was the one that located Torchwick's location, I was the one that found Adam Taurus, I was the one that severed the Zealots' Fire Dust core from its body and detonated it during the Atlas Crisis, and it was I that coached you in devising strategies to eliminate the remaining Black Claw survivors still in Vale. I played the role of pet because I was obliged to. It was my place to serve the strong, yet you aren't strong. You are a parasite, just like your grandfather. You, Weiss Schnee, the Knight of Frost, are NOTHING without me."

The Schnee tried to let out a retort, but found her voice was hoarse and unable to do anything except squeak in fear.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" the faunus said with a growl. "Scared? You should be, for the faunus are more deadly than any Grimm, we are beasts and like all beasts, we only submit to the strong and devour the weak. I am not my cowardly father, I am stronger than him in every way and you, fearful purebred, are weak without me."

SCISSH!

The blades drew closer to Weiss' neck as Blake narrowed her eyes.

"Now, I will let you live, keep the facade of you 'owning' me. But." she growled while removing the blades from the Schnee's neck and placed her mask back on her face. "If you ever try to push my patience even more, I will make sure that the scar over your eye is a little deeper than before."

Weiss gulped in fear as her 'pet' threw her chain at her knees.

"Now." the faunus said calmly, almost 'normal'-like in the human's ears. "What has happened in my absence?"

"A...A...Absence? Y-You were only gone for five minutes." she said while trying to regain her confidence, but failed a little bit as her voice cracked slightly. "I only just returned from the Red Queen's throne room, looking for you. The other Knights are waiting for us-I mean you."

Blake nodded before walking towards the door, her 'handler' slowly picking herself up and taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "I see. Then let us see our competition." 'So my trip to that other world was only a short time here. If only I had more time, then I would've taken over that backwater...no, that world is long gone now. Not even worth the trip. For now, I return to the role of pet, not the role of conqueror...for now.'

'...that little beast!' Weiss thought in rage as she followed behind her pet, her right hand gripping tightly on the chains as her good eye twitched with agitation. 'She dares turn me into a blubbering fool! Oh! I will make her pay, mark my words, I will see her GUTTED LIKE A FISH FOR THIS AFFRONT! A SCHNEE ALWAYS GETS HER DUE!'

(Later)

Red candle light stained the blackened halls of obsidian, chunks of metal and wood splintered from their foundations in a few places from physical and fire related damages, as the handler and her pet walked towards the spiraling stairway towards their intended destination.

The Beacon Spire, resting place of the empire's tyrant and seat of power in this land of suffering and woe.

Yet, as both walked with relative quickness down the hall, the sound of cracking joints was picked up by the faunus' sensitive ears, making her frown a little.

CRACK!

POP!

CRACK!

"Can you stop?" Weiss frowned in her usual calm tone, one lined with a hint of fear, on her faunus' intended part, and of agitation. "That habit of yours is seriously beneath a Knight of Blood."

"Ha, try having a fucking lump of metal griding on your hip twenty four seven, then we can SEE you adopt this habit faster then me breaking every Atlasian Knave thrown my way. Oh wait." a voice said from behind an iron pillar, tone filled with smugness and aggression. "That might be too much for you, given you and the beast here tried and failed to kill Ironwood during the invasion."

"Xiao Long, knock it off and show yourself. We have a meeting to attend to and I do NOT want the queen to get restless."

The voice growled a deep guttural roar akin to a sleeping dragon as a tall fair skinned young woman with short bright blonde hair that went to her chin and had dark purple tips, red eyes, a F cup chest and wide ass, wearing a sleeveless gray t-shirt with dark purple lining around the collar, an amber cuirass that exposed her midcliff and had a black ruby surrounded by a horizontal 'eye'-like symbol in its center on the right breast, an amber burgonet with dark purple flame-like protrusions going down the top of the skull, a triangular amber bevor with dark purple lining, a long dark purple scarf that went down towards her hips like a cape with dark gold lining at the ends, dark purple revebraces, dark gold bands around the wrists, a gray flame-like shirt-like lame that went down to her lower thighs, a dark purple pants that was missing a legging on the right side, a dark purple metallic right leg with amber lining on the foot and sides along with small spikes on the sides, a single dark purple draconic skull-like right foot sporting amber lining on the fangs, skull, curved elk-like horns and heel, an amber chausses with dark purple lining on the left leg and a dark purple sabaton with three clawed talons at the toes, walked out from behind the pillar, her eyes turning a glowing lilac hue. "She is not my queen, nor is she my sister. Not after what she did to me."

"Yet you choose to stay loyal to her."

"...for now. But one day, she'll pay for using me for her little coup. I can deal with her being a psycho and the one that killed her own mother to GET her cape of all things, but...she will NOT treat me like a pawn! I am the Knight of the Sun! I'm a fucking storm upon Remnant, NOT a soldier with no brains!"

"Says the one with blond hair."

"I. AM. NOT. A BIMBO!" Yang growled as lilac 'flames' covered her body, her teammate pointing their glaive right at her face. "Oh? You want to go!? DO YOU!?"

"I will if you keep getting at my face, peasant."

"Better than a heiress to nothing!"

"I am STILL an heiress! The General might've taken my mines by force, BUT I STILL HAVE THE LIEN! I'M the HEIRESS for the ENTIRE empire's Dust supply chain and I will not have you MOCK me like this you brutish savage!"

"Finally a reaction, and here I thought you were all ice cold? Looks like I'm better in the emotion department then YOU!"

Blake stared blankly at the two fighting 'teammates' as they continued to yell at each other, sizing the other for possible weaknesses before clashing like feral animals, a normal tactic the late emperor taught his Huntsmen in order to assert domination upon the enemy, be it external or internal.

Pathetic.

Nothing but brute force, no tactics or strategy. It's a wonder how they, or any team, could survive without the levelheaded leaders like the late Coco Adel, the true leader behind Team Juniper, Pyrrha Nikos, and even the wimp Cardin Winchester, who got himself overwhelmed along with his team and were sliced to ribbons by energy blades.

A shame their weapons and armor were used to smelt the Knights of Blood's weapons and armor, then again, they weren't even worthy of a tombstone. Their pacifism was a weakness to the empire and weakness had to be purged, no matter the cost.

Her father being one of them...the cowardly tyrant, the beast that allowed The Wizard's ideologies to flourish on the prison island of Menagerie before being deposed by Sienna Khan...and the would-be hero Adam Taurus.

The mention of his name made Blake gag as he recalled her past with him, how she tried to follow him after her mother's abandonment…but his ideas and thoughts on the treatment of the faunus wasn't for her. He wanted equality through peace, she wanted domination through power, it was like water and oil. It would never mix, and as such, she left the Black Claw and pledged her loyalty to the empire and...to the Schnee.

Her aside, the ideologies of domination won in the end, as it should. Peace was always weak in the face of power, and she was power incarnate. She was a beast, not a human. Humanity is weak, the faunus are weak.

The beasts are strong and so was she.

'Bickering fools. Such weakness is proof that humanity shall destroy itself.' she thought before seeing Yang staring at her, her eyes now in their original red hue. 'This one is nothing but brawn, easy to dispatch. But for now, play the part.' "...what?"

"You have...a strange aura around you. Like you're different somehow." she said with a raised eyebrow, making Weiss flinch a little. "But I can't put my finger on it."

"I-It's nothing Xiao Long!" Weiss interrupted while pulling on Blake's chain as she walked towards the stairs. "Let's get moving! The queen is waiting!"

Yang frowned while slowly following the two members of Team Ruby, her movements slow and deliberate as she caught an eyeful of their asses, something she appreciated in a woman. 'Mmmm. Must be Weiss' training...or perhaps that beast has liquid courage? I better keep an eye on her, she might help in my own plans...and if she doesn't, I can always use her for some 'fun' before I punch her face off permanently.'

(A few minutes later)

Clank.

Clank.

POP!

"Can you stop that!?" Weiss snapped at the blonde brawler as she looked ready to punch her, despite not being as strong as the red eyed woman at all. "It's wearing down my patience!"

"No."

She narrowed her eyes before the group of three stopped in front of two massive double doors composed of thick titanium laced steel and bright yellow Electric Dust, its front decorated with the facade of a elk horned humanoid with clawed arms and a row of dagger-like teeth carved into it by long deceased artisans. "Let's just get this over with." 'Before I stab her in the throat.'

"For once, we agree on something." Yang said before kicking the doors with her prosthetic leg.

BAM!

CRASH!

Bright light filled the dilly lit halls was the three 'knights' walked into the throne room, its circular walls lined with dull green bullet proof glass that were semi melted in some areas as ten large red flags decorated with a black ruby surrounded by a horizontal 'eye'-like symbol in its center hung over the glass floor, revealing several silver gears and cogs in the process as flocks of crows flew outside in a murderous frenzy, still agitated from both the large stack of corpses on the castle ground and the sudden attack on their nests by the invasion last year.

Yet...no one was sitting on the golden throne, its armrests, which were decorated with carved Wyvern-like arms, devoid of its current owner.

"Eh? Where-"

"She must be busy elsewhere." Weiss interrupted her blonde 'companion' as she felt something...amiss in the room, as if someone was watching her. 'Such sacred space. The Wizard's personal sanctuary from the world...and now we stand in its glory, under the yoke of its new queen. By the gods, I still can't get over the fact this place is now open to all. The head executioner, Goodwitch, would never allow this to happen...but her words mean little to the living, the dead don't talk after all.'

"So ya dragged me here and the queen doesn't bother to show up? What a fucking letdown!"

'They are here, that priestess' perfume reeks of jasmine and nightshade.' Blake thought while recognizing the 'threats' in the room...but chose not to inform her 'handler' out of spite.

"I'm out of-"

"Leaving so soon?" spoke a seductive voice from behind the throne as Weiss' eyes widened in realization. "And here I thought you were the one that enjoyed long waits? I guess the invasion shattered that habit, didn't it?"

"Nikos." Weiss growled in frustration. "How did you get here so fast?"

"I'm always on time, unlike you." the voice chuckled. "And my new position allows me to accurately predict everything in this world."

"Bullshit, just because you're the 'Priestess of Light' doesn't mean you have his eyes." Yang frowned. "Now show yourself!"

Clack.

Clank.

Clank.

"Very well." the voice said while moving in front of the throne, revealing themselves as a tall fair skinned young woman with long crimson red hair that went down to her feet in a curled ponytail and was covered in slim dark gold armor plating, dull emerald eyes, a D cup chest and wide ass, a thin dark gold circular headband-like crown with five curved antler-like horns around the sides and a sickly green see-through silk veil that went down her face and towards her chest and back, wearing a long sleeved see-through black form fitting bodystocking with gold lining on the sides and an exposed opening near the bottom of her hips, a sickly green short sleeved hauberk with a black ruby surrounded by a horizontal 'eye'-like symbol in its center stitched onto the chest, small circular dark gold gardbrace with sickly green spikes lining the upper shoulders, dark gold couters, thin black bands with thin gold lines running down the outer and inner sides, thick dark gold greaves that went to her lower hips and had sickly green spikes on the sides, thick dark gold cuisses with sickly green spines running down the knees, a thick ankle length dark gold high heeled hoof-like sabatons with sickly green lining around the 'hoofs' and sides, and holding a massive dark gold twelve segmented javelin with a sickly green curved point at the top and a large cannon muzzle under the blade, in her left hand as she used it like a pole for her to lean seductively on at her leisure, whose unnautrally calm smiles unnerved both human and faunus alike, her odd coloration almost masking her true nature with its 'brightness'. "The instrument of my lord's light will shine upon your mortal eyes. Bask in his glory and tremble from his power incarnate."

Blake narrowed her eyes behind her mask, knowing full well of the woman's intentions, more than anyone else in the entire empire.

This woman, one that could tempt an army into submission with a flick of her wrist and a shake of her hips, was a fraud. She wore the clothes and presented herself as the God of Light's messenger of Remnant, but just like her perfume, it stank of treachery and deceit.

Ever since she survived the invasion and suffered an injury, one that forced her to place armor all over her legs, from a renegade Huntsmen that, somehow, killed The Wizard, she has been attempting to gain power from the population by playing on their need for salvation and hopelessness. Thus, she 'converted' to the Church of Light, a religion that worships the ignorant but powerful god of light, and claimed to have gained the ability to 'speak' with the deity.

And the sheep believed her, the Knights of Blood that served her believed her. All in a span of a year, she has gained support from half the population of the empire, possibly beyond, and only the queen could challenge her might in the political circles.

A threat to her plans…to the empire…and to all that dares cross her path.

"The day that happens is the day I get a metal arm." Yang deadpanned. "Which is never!"

"Mmmm, a shame. You seem the type to buckle under authority, especially from on high." she said coyly as smirked at the enraged blonde. "Just like your mother."

KAKINK!

"YOU!" Yang roared as golden gauntlets formed over her hands and she raced towards Pyrrha with the intent to kill. "BITCH!"

The scantily clad woman looked at the rushing form of Yang, her smirk never fading as the Y of Team Ruby inched dangerously close to her face.

Clank!

Clank!

Clank!

BAM!

CLANG!

Yang's eyes widened as her right fist collided with a massive slab of metal, forcing her to jump back in shock. "Wait...is that-"

"Yes, it's him." Pyrrha said with a chuckle. "He just got out of the hospital a while back and now, mmmm, he's much more alluring~ Right, Jaune?"

CRACK!

Bits of glass cracked as the figure, revealed to be a tall fair skinned young man with a small blonde beard under the chin, thin second degree burns on his neck and palms, wearing a long sleeved crimson tunic, a black brigandine with crimson lining and sporting a blood red full moon emblem in its center, a large red metallic sheath attached to his back by a magnetic plate, a black helmet with spiked dark silver wing-like designs on the sides that covered his entire head sans his lower chin, a black face plate with two red triangular slit-like eyes and several red 'teeth' near the 'jaw', a wide red cape that went down to his feet with a black ruby surrounded by a horizontal 'eye'-like symbol in its center, black diamond shaped pauldrons that went down to the elbows and were lined with five red thick curved spikes, black rerebraces, black elbow length gauntlets that exposed his palms, a red metallic belt, black shorts with red lining, black greaves that were lined with red curved spikes, crimson red leggings, black cuisses, black three clawed sabatons with red talon-like points, and holding a massive black lined three pronged tipped claymore with a crimson hilt in his right arm, slammed his weapon upon the floor in a show of force, making Weiss a little unnerved by his reapperance.

"I-I thought he was dead." Weiss muttered while feeling intimidated by the man's full armored visage, a far cry from his original armor set from before the Atlas Crisis.

"It was exaggerated." Jaune said with a dark yet highly aggressive tone that bordered upon arrogance. "As was everything else."

"I don't care HOW you survived that bitch's escape, but you won't stop me from giving that so-called 'priestess' a HOLE FOR A FACE!"

"Try it. I will not allow anyone to harm the Priestess of Light, not even you."

"THEN FACE MY FISTS!"

Jaune stood his ground as Yang ran towards him, her fists ready to collide with his armored form like a wild animal, only to snap his fingers. "Restrain, ten times the pressure."

ZAP!

WOOOOOSH!

"Eh-"

CRASH!

"GAH!" Yang cried out in pain as she found herself pinned to the wall by a small dark chrome cylindrical 'headed' hammer with a curve broken heart shaped ax head on the top, a pistol trigger embedded within the hilt itself and a circular magnetic plate at the hilt's end, as dark blue lightning pulsated across its surface and kept her in place by a unknown force. "W-What the-"

"Wait, that weapon..." Weiss muttered in shock, who didn't expect such a small weapon to pack a punch strong enough to pin Yang to a wall for more than a few seconds, as Blake turned her gaze towards one of the nearby pillars. "It's-"

'So, the Knight of Thunder is here. Didn't expect her to be here.' the faunus thought while looking back at Jaune. 'Nor did I expect Jaune to be the Knight of Vengeance. They must've been hiding in the background after the Atlas Crisis, waiting for the heat to die down. Mmm, a shame Lie Ren died in that struggle, he was a loose cannon that could've been swayed to my goals. He was a battle junkie after all.'

"Nora. Come." Jaune interrupted the Schnee as a figure lazily walked out from behind a pillar towards his left side.

That figure being a short fair skinned young woman with long straight orange hair that went down to her hips, dark jade eyes with dark blue eyeshadow, a E cup chest and wide ass, a thick horizontal semi red scar over her nose, wearing a short sleeved dark blue tank top with white fur on the shoulders and collar, an exposed pink bra underneath the tank top, a dark gray plackart with white fur on the sides and a black ruby surrounded by a horizontal 'eye'-like symbol in its center on her stomach, massive blackish gray gauntlets that extended towards her shoulders and was lined with dark gold lightning bolt-like spikes jutting from the sides and knuckles, a wide dark chrome metallic belt with a diamond shaped magnetic plate on the left hip, dark blue pants with a single dark green and magenta cloth tied around the left knee and dark gray high heeled sabaton-like boots with white fur around the ankles, whose gauntlets and belt glowed with dark blue energy as her expression was almost emotionless and dim compared to her fellow humans.

"..."

"GAH! Let me go so I can KILL YOU!" Yang roared with fury as she tried to pull the hammer off her stomach, only to yelp in pain from the lightning against the surface of her metal gauntlets and 'weak' flesh.

"No. Consider this a warning, Xiao Long." Jaune frowned as he turned to Nora. "Twenty times the pressure.

"Whatever." she said in a despondency tone before clenching her left hand slightly, causing the hammer to dig deeper into Yang's stomach, the faint sounds of cracking bones audible to Blake's ears.

"GAH!"

'Bioelectric hammer powered by her gauntlets and belt. Mmmm, Pyrrha must've stolen some technology from Atlas to make that a reality. Although given the robots left behind and the high number of scrap metal scattered across the city, it's not a pipedream by any stretch of the imagination.' she thought before noticing some red rose petals appearing behind her.

WOOOOSH!

Followed by a storm of pedals that rushed past the Knights of Blood and right towards the throne.

'It's her.'

WOOOOOOSH!

And lo, as the storm of petals collide with its intended destination, the sea of red instantly vanished, revealing to the stunned combatants, a short fair skinned young girl with long dark onyx hair sporting light blue tips that went over her right eye, dull silver eyes, a C cup chest and small ass, wearing a dark crimson sleeveless form fitting silk bliaut with dull red lining that trailed down to her legs and covered her entire arms sans the hands, thin light blue laces near the cuffs, dull blue Dustweave lining around the sides of the skirt and sleeves in the shape of a Wyvern, a small crimson red cuirass with dark blue lining, small gemstone-like dull red pauldrons with dark blue lining, dull red rerebraces, dull red vambraces, dark red high heeled shoes with a dark blue heel, and leaning against a massive bright red ornate metallic staff with a red ruby surrounded by a horizontal 'eye'-like symbol in its center and a giant curved scythe blade on the left side, in her right hand as she sat on her throne with a a narrowed brow and scowl plastered upon her face.

This was the leader of Team Ruby, the slayer of millions, the butcher of innocence and the mastermind of the Ozpinian Dynasty's downfall.

'The Red Queen.' Blake thought with a frown, her 'companions' having various emotions upon her 'unexpected' arrival.

For the Schnee, it was fear and meekness...despite knowing the girl for over two years.

The blonde brawler, surprise and rage.

The so-called priestess, ambition and false devotion.

The dark knight, anger with a hint of fear.

And the hammer wielder, nothing, not even fear...just nothing but outward apathy.

'A thief that stole an empire, fitting for someone like her.' Blake thought while the sensation of envy crept into her heart, feeling like a child shouldn't govern a nation...only her and her alone. 'Had I learned of her plans, I'd have slain her and present her corpse to The Wizard for devotion, even the 'gift' of freedom. Heh, hindsight, a bitch.'

"What is this?" The Red Queen asked with a confused yet agitated tone.

"Nothing, my queen." Pyrrha said with a bow. "The Knight of the Sun just attacked me for no reason and my knight and warrior were protecting my wellbeing."

"Bullsh-GAH!"

"It seems to me that her own wellbeing is threatened as well. Release her." The Red Queen said while giving a nasty glare at Jaune. "And make sure not to damage any more of my Knights, they are needed for the future, not for target practice."

"Yes my queen. Nora, release."

"Fine...whatever." she said flatly before pulling her arm back, grabbing the hammer by the hilt in the process as Yang gasped for air on the ground.

"Ah..ah…ah…fuck…" 'That felt like getting hit by a small mountain!'

"Pick her up, and kneel." The Red Queen said coldly as Weiss quickly ran over to Yang, who pushed her away to stumble forwards to the throne, only to kneel in submission along with her fellow Knights.

Eyes like a wolf stared down at the kneeling 'servants' as the newly crowned queen looked upon them with agitation, knowing full well that this behavior would be a possibility and a consequence from The Wizard's brutal training tactics.

Something that she would redirect from each other to her enemies.

"My Knights, rise." The Red Queen said while tapping the sides of her staff with her fingers. "This meeting will be short and to the point. Starting today, you shall be free to locate and acquire resources needed for our retaliation. For too long have we, the Emerald Empire, allowed outsiders to rule free from our laws and unification. To allow the seeds of chaos and destruction upon the world that, as of now, has brought down the empire and nearly set us on the path of refugees. We must strike back against the Atlas Confederacy and all that follow their example before the world turns against us."

"Yes, we must bring them the gift of vengeance." Pyrrha said with a nod. "The God of Light demands justice upon the heretics that stuck down The Wizard, his favorite child."

'More filth.' Blake thought as she kept her eyes on the glass floor, listening in on her 'queen's' desire for a scapegoat. 'More lies to fuel the masses. Such is the Red Queen, a liar and a thief, undeserving of her throne.'

"My Knight of Blood, raised Huntsmen blessed by the queen. You are to scour the world, hunt down all that stand in my way, and deliver judgment to all that participated in the Atlas Crisis." The Red Queen said while looking at Jaune. "Knight of Vengeance, you and the Knight of Light shall leave for the Mistrali Union, rid it of the Arachnid Corp's influence and establish my will upon it."

"Yes, my queen." Both said at once as the silver eyed killer stared at Nora.

"Knight of Thunder, head to the Vaucoian Republic and locate any information pertaining to The Helm. Find them and eliminate them quickly, lest they resurge in another one of the Kingdoms and preach the message of 'peace' and 'unity'."

"...whatever."

"Knight of Frost." The Red Queen said to the nervous Schnee, making Blake smirk a little at her cowardness. "Return to Atlas, kill the General and all that serve him. I know you, a former Atlasian, can handle a simple job like this."

"Y-Yes my queen, I won't fail!"

"I know you won't." she said before looking at her own sister, a small smirk of satisfact plastered on her face. "Knight of the Sun, head to Anima as well. Hunt down the Branwen Clan's leader."

"..."

"Oh? Too scared to touch her? Heh, her genes run though you a little too much, dear sister." she smirked while Yang grinded her teeth in fury. "I can always ask someone else to do it, mmm, maybe that Neptu-"

"I. Can. Handle. Her." Yang growled while holding back the urge to assault her queen in public, knowing that such a thing would cause her to forfeit her life. "A weakling like her is child's play."

"We will see." The Red Queen said with a hint of sarcasm before looking at Blake, her eyes raised as if sensing...a change in the faunus' demeanor. "Knight of Shadow, Beast #50012. Before I grant you this mission, might I ask you a question?"

"As you desire, I will follow." the faunus said while feeling her blood run cold from her 'ID number' being spoken out loud.

"Do you desire freedom?"

"..."

"Don't worry, I won't be mad. Just speak honestly to me."

"...not often, but sometimes my queen." Blake lied as she recalled her servitude to Weiss, how it was aggravating but necessary to rise in the ranks of the Huntsmen and become more than a common slave in the empire like so many of her weaker kin have become by their own hands.

"My queen? What are-" Weiss said in confusion before The Red Queen raised her hand up, silencing her instantly.

"Then, my Knight of Shadow, I will allow your freedom in exchange for one tiny little favor." she said win an almost sing song tone. "You must kill Sienna Khan and end the Black Claw, permanently."

"But she's-"

"Always on the run, I know. Just find her and bring me her head, and I shall give you citizenship and for all that propagate from your bloodline."

"I must insist you change your mind!" Weiss protested in disbelief. "This beast is MY property! I have placed full legal custody over her! And I even have the beast's paperwork-"

SIIIIISH!

CLANK!

"AH!" she cried out as she got pinned to a nearby wall by the Red Queen's staff, its scythe blade stuck in between her left armpit as it seemed to extend from the throne all the way to the hallway outside.

"My word is law, Weiss Schnee." The Red Queen frowned in anger, her eyes glowing a faint silver hue. "It's best if you remember that."

"Y-Yes my queen. I-I'm sorry!" 'Shit! I spoke out without thinking! Shit shit shit!'

"..."

SIIISH!

CRANK!

Weiss panted in fear as the staff retracted back towards the throne, her heart unable to stop beating irregularly as the Red Queen slammed her staff on the glass.

"Now, you have your missions, all of which are integral to our survival against the other Kingdoms. If you fail, then the Corundum Empire shall fall to invaders, preying on our weaknesses." she said coldly before waving her hand at them. "Now shoo. I have things to do, things that are none of your concerns, my Knights of Blood, my Huntsmen reborn."

The Knights bowed, sans Weiss who was trying to regain her bearings, as they walked towards the door, only for the Red Queen to call out to them.

"Oh and if you meet Oobleck and Port, tell them that I require their presence. Posthaste."

'Them, the only living members of The Wizard's court.' Blake thought to herself while looking at her 'queen', feeling only envy towards the woman that she once called 'leader'. 'Corpse makers. Madmen that survived death and now embraces it for the Red Queen's personal projects, one of which is to turn the dead of the Atlas Crisis into her personal undead army. Doomed to fail, just like the dead.'

As the faunus turned her head back from the queen's gaze and walked out of the room, the Red Queen smirked and began squishing Blake's head with her fingers.

'Seeds of disunity, oh so easy to grow into loyal pawns. Heh heh, squish squish~'

(A little later)

Clank.

Clank.

Clank.

The faunus, currently away from her 'handler' in 'secret', walked down the dimly lit hallways in quiet solidarity, wanting nothing more than to process the events in that 'otherworld' to herself.

A world where the faunus were equal, somewhat brave and where all was calm and peaceful. A world flipped upside down to her own perception of reality.

And the source of it? Herself.

A weaker version of herself, one that 'called' upon her to eliminate her enemies yet chastised her methods for 'ethical' reasons. Weak thoughts for a weak being, yet...she couldn't deal the final blow upon her, nor the first blow either.

For she had that ring. That one insignificant looking ring that, according to her other self, was the only thing capable of sending her back into the grips of servitude.

The only thing keeping her from being free of her weak 'handler' and from the Red Queen's 'weak' rule.

But now, she was 'home'...away from the potential conquest she desired, and now tasked to hunt down the woman that removed her father's influence from the Black Claw...her organization by right by blood, in order to be 'freed'.

No...not free, just given more shackles.

A beast must not be caged, lest they bite back. Words her father taught her many years ago, words that haunt her even as she played the role of 'pet' to an inept human with no plans of her own sans the desire to look the part and plagiarize the ideas of others.

Yet as she contemplated raiding the other Knight's rooms for supplies for her future mission, her ears picked up the distinct sound of…

Smacking lips.

Curiosity entered her mind as she walked towards the source, making sure not to alert anyone to her presence in the process.

"Mmmm~"

"Mmmah~"

"Mmmm~"

"Oh mmmm~"

The faunus carefully looked behind a corner, where the Knights of Vengeance and Light were making out near one of the empty torture chamber doors, oblivious to the world as Blake narrowed her eyes at this display of passion.

'The Priestess of Light and her Knight, bah. A sight I loathed since meeting them during The Wizard's reign, especially after seeing her use her body to seduce and murder her many 'lovers' in the past. This one is no different.'

"Mmmm, my. Your kissing skills are getting better, almost like before." Pyrrha hummed with a smirk as Jaune moved back, which caused Blake to notice something that nearly made her gag.

His helmet and face plate were removed from his face, revealing a dark red mass of flesh and burns with two exposed holes in the center of it, bloodshot red eyes with singed hair that seemed to flake off every few minutes, exposed white bone near the upper forehead, jawline and 'nose', a lipless mouth full of white teeth, exposed holes near the sides of the head where the ear should've been, an exposed tongue and tiny strand of black hair near the top of his head, that seemed vaguely humanoid.

"You say that all the time." he said coldly while Pyrrha rubbed her hand against his lower chin.

"True, but it's true. Ever since that woman melted your face, it seems like you just...got better. A little more serious even." she smirked. "Like you became a different guy within a year."

"That bitch opened my eyes to the truth, I was sloppy." he growled while narrowing his eyes. "Weak. Humiliation does wonders to a man's confidence, and now I will make sure that no one dares humiliate me like that ever again."

"Mmm~ Such confidence is becoming of you, my knight~"

He leaned in to kiss her once more, only to have his 'lips' pushed away by her right index finger.

"But do you have loyalty as well as confidence?" she said with a frown. "How do I know you won't reveal our plans to the Red Queen?"

"I won't." he growled. "I am no snitch, nor am I loyal to that brat. She's the reason why my FACE!"

SLAM!

BAM!

"Is like this!" Jaune snapped as his right arm slammed against the wall next to him, leaving a deep indent within the steel itself. "She orchestrated the Atlas Crisis, made us look like fools and then, in private after her coronation, told us ALL about it like it was some kind of game! She even laughed at me when I was screaming in pain THROUGH MY BANDAGES!"

"I hold no loyalty to her either. She used my talents against The Wizard, against me. She nearly got me into a wheelchair by dragging that traitor here, right before the big Vytal Blood Games!" she frowned while Jaune nodded. "I ran through that tournament five years in a row and she made that reality a dream when she postponed it indefinitely!"

"Be glad that she hasn't abolished the annual Graduation Deathmatch."

"True, but it's still not the same. The Vytal Blood Games and the Huntsmen Death Games were a staple under The Wizard's rule and now, just because she stole his throne, she has the legal power to ban them for 'military numbers bolstering' or such crap." Pyrrha growled while leaning against her weapon for support. "The only real blessing in this dark time is my 'ascension' to priestesshood."

"And you make a fine Priestess of Light, although I still think red would fit you better then that shade of green."

She smirked and placed her left hand on her hip. "Red is fine, but I always favored copper green. It matches my semblance and let's face it, dull red just doesn't give off the same flair as bright green now does it?"

"Mmmm." he huffed while Pyrrha picked up on his frustrations.

"Envious, dear knight?"

"...perhaps, after all I am just one of many lovers you had in the past, each one failing you one way or another." he growled while clenching his fists tightly, something Pyrrha found amusing. "You only kept me around for lust's sake."

"Back then yes, but now." she chuckled while using her semblance to make Jaune's armor move towards her and right near her face. "I think I hit the jackpot, Jaune Arc."

"...do not refer to me as an Arc." he frowned while moving away from the priestess. "The day I killed my family was the day I left that life behind me."

"Didn't you have a sister still running around? A Saphron Arc?"

"Oh yes, her." he scowled. "Saphron Terra-Cotta Arc, that manipulative slut that swore vengeance on me for killing her 'property'. She will be dealt with in time, same with everyone that participated in the Atlas Crisis, including that fire spitting whore!"

"Don't worry, we will find her once we make it to Anima. There are a lot of poor 'innocent' souls in need of salvation from the Arachnid Corp's 'evil' actions. And who knows, we might take it over once we convert them into our personal army." Pyrrha smirked while Jaune placed his helmet back on his head. "If they try anything, well, we can always do it…your way~"

"Perhaps. Now, let's find Nora before she starts growing roots somewhere." Jaune said with a low growl. "The last time we lost track of her, she started growing moss."

"Yes, let's find her, my knight." she said before both walked away, failing to notice the eavesdropping faunus or her smirking face, filled with devious plans.

'Mmm, potential allies or potential enemies. Who's to say, but this will prove useful in the future.' she thought before turning around and towards a window, where the entire courtyard and beyond could be seen in its majestic entirety. 'One where I rule this world, not the Red Queen. I deserve it, for I am royalty. A beast without a crown.'

Looking down upon the obsidian clad courtyard, where a statue of the former leader stood proud in its black iron frame above a circle of red lit towers, the faunus noticed the Knight of Thunder sitting at the foot of the statue's feet, seemingly fixated on the cloth tied to her belt.

'Hopeless romantic. I know that deep down, despite looking to all the world like a machine with several screws loose, you do have a weak heart.' Blake thought with a sadistic smirk as Nora rubbed the cloth between her fingertips. 'Slow in mind, it took you ten months to realize your 'partner's' death and even longer to process it, and what did the rest of the world see? A single tar, nothing more. A single tear of weakness.'

As the hammer user kept on looking at her cherished cloth with forlorn sadness, Blake's mind shifted focus from her own world to that strange 'backwards' world and how her own counterpart's version of the Black Claw…

As the perfect marriage of her father's original vision and the current order, but with none of the perceived cowardness or sheep-like mentality that either side had, especially after some of these 'White Fang' members charged right at her with no hesitation. A far cry from what a normal faunus would do...which was run like a scared pet.

They were strong, not weak.

They were the army she needed to reshape the world in her image.

And that...actually sparked an idea.

Why not make her own army? Why not just return to the prison island Menagerie and transform it into a Kingdom that could rival the Corundum Empire?

The Red Queen, despite taking over, only gained the throne by chance. She was inexperienced and childish, the rule over her Knights was flimsy at best and her army of the dead is still in the developmental state. If she were to create an army of beasts, ones without fear or submission, then perhaps the Corundum Empire will fall and the Beasteal Empire will reign supreme?

No...the Nightshade Empire.

"Yes. Nightshade Empire, nice ring to it." she muttered before turning her head back towards the red lit halls, not noticing that a blue eyed crow was watching her from within a flock of ravens. "Mmm, yes. Yes. Perfect name. I must say, my weak counterpart, you really did give me a perfect opportunity for faunus victory in my world. So, I begrudgingly thank you."

Turning away from the window, the crow cawed once before flying away, the camera panning away to reveal the massive four towered obsidian castle, it's red lit flames dull compared to the crimson background as towers of rusted metal and rotting flesh soared over the courtyard like grotesque effigies to death itself.

[Although it won't save you once I find a way back to that backwards paradise.]

(Elsewhere)

-Ketumati, Brilliant Dawn Castle-

The sun shone above the land as, from every corner of the near endless flatlands, the ground was covered in lush green grasses and flowering trees, the sound of birds and buzzing insects permeating the skies while herds of animals grazed in every direction.

And in the distance, settled around one of the savanna's many large lakes, was a large white marble castle with a single large tower coated in thin layers of gold and green, its shining splendor a beacon of hope in this land of everlasting peace.

Yet as the camera zoomed closer to the gilded structure, passing several Grimm, each one seemingly healthy that were clad in white with black bone-like armor along with blue eyes and markings, in the process, it was revealed that the castle wasn't on solid ground...

But was floating over the lake itself by way of six large propeller blades, their purple Gravity Dust and copper composition being a stark contrast compared to the castle's exterior.

Through golden gates and down deep green hallways, each one dotted with reflective glass and metal surfaces, sunlight shone through the castle and gave it an almost ethereal glow in some places as some of the Grimm were busy maintaining it, using brooms to sweep the floors or their various arms/tails/other appendages to prevent dust and grime from settling into this enlightened castle.

However, within a dark gray room, almost akin to a hospital room with its bright yellow and light blue twin sized beds and various cabinets full of medicine and other tools of medical salvation, the camera zoomed closer to the beds as two figures sat on them, their vision obscured by a thick white curtain.

The first figure was a tall fair skinned man with short red hair sporting a longer bang that went over his left eye, dark green eyes, thin black eyeliner on his right eye, wearing a long sleeved white suit with light blue lining, a light blue tie, a gold octagon shaped badge with spider sporting a double sided scale on its abdomen and the letters 'AC' etched under its fangs on his left breast, long blue pants, blue socks, white shoes, and had a semi crooked black cane with a light blue end on his lap, who seemed to be sighing to himself in relief.

And the second figure was a short pale skinned young girl with long semi curled pink and brown hair that went down to her waist, a bright silver left eye and a dull brown right eye, a C cup chest and small ass, wearing a white short sleeved dress with pink cuffs and a small pleated skirt that went down to her hips, a wide gold necklace around her neck with a large emerald gemstone encrusted in the center, a gold octagon shaped badge with spider sporting a double sided scale on its abdomen and the letters 'AC' etched under its fangs on her right breast, long black opera gloves, a large black bow wrapped around her waist and covers her entire back, white hip length shorts, lower hip length black stockings with several heart-shaped emblems stitched on the sides and pink low heeled shoes with a small ice cream cone-like tip near the toes, who was munching on a bowl of rainbow and strawberry ice cream without a care in the world.

"I'm telling you Trivia, I was extremely surprised that the crazy blue demon and her brutish sister didn't pick up on your semblance at all. Didn't even think that I, Roman Torchwick and masterful agent of the Arachnid Corp, was just a Grimm in disguise." he said with a smirk. "Either she was too preoccupied with her own megalomaniacal plans to check or those handheld Aura Generators somehow made her dumber."

The shorter girl nodded while taking a bite of the strawberry ice cream.

"Though, I'm still trying to wrap my head upon one thing. How did you escape your own execution?" he said while pointing at Trivia's silhouette. "You were held within The Wizard's most secure dungeon, tortured by three of the most vilest humans on the planet and felt aura dampening pills by that monster Thumbelina Peach for twenty four hours before the execution, so how did they NOT see you slipping on the Aura Generator or even the aura supplement pills?"

She stared at the curtain before pushing it away and flicked her right wrist a little, causing a trail of pink to form around her face and spell the words 'I escaped because of The Order's very careful eyes. They always keep an eye on their allies.' in perfect script.

"Ah, but still. You were in shackles, just how did you get it on your wrist?"

'The Sage undid the shackles. Led me out as well.'

"Eh? Her? That's...in her character, she's always helping others, even if it would get her captured by the Emerald Empire's grasp."

'It's the Corrodium Empire now, dum dum.'

"Corrodium Empire? Sounds silly, but on brand with the blue monster's narcissism."

Trivia nodded while taking another bite of her ice cream, not noticing the door opening until a set of footsteps was heard and she turned to look at the source of the footsteps.

"Ah, wake and well. That's great." said a tall fair skinned young man with short semi spiked silver hair, bright chrome gray eyes, wearing a pure white long sleeved robe with a neck length high collar that covered his entire body and went down to the feet and white gloves with a single gold winged sandals emblem on the palms, as they walked into the room with a smile. "I was worried that the injuries to your ribs worsened during your stay here."

"Mercury! So you survived the invasion as well?" Roman said with a smile as the hooded teen walked towards his bed. "And no, my ribs are just fine now. I can breathe again, although I'm still surprised that the Grimm can heal injuries with just their blood."

"They are life bringers, it's their job to keep nature in perfect balance, and that includes healing." the teen said with a smirk. "If they didn't then nature would be out of whack and just chaotic. Think mountains that grow in seconds instead of years, water becoming sentient and acidic, animals evolving without end, plants walking like people, fungus overtaking the planet, the air turning into a solid, the ground shaking every minute, or even worse, lava becoming explosive."

"Eeesh. Real end of the world stuff kid, but then again from what your boss told me, that was the original plan of the God of Light, to just 'see what happens' like a brat." Roman said with a shiver, something mimicked by his partner Trivia. "At least the moon is safe from all that, like it won't suddenly gain a face and hit the planet, right?"

"..."

"Right?"

"..."

"R-Right?"

"...anyway." Mercury said sheepishly as Roman's eyes widened in horror. "I came here to check up on you two, especially you, Trivia. I heard about the injuries...and the wounds from Peach's handiwork."

The shorter girl looked at Mercury with a sad face, flickers of pink glass appearing over her body and face, revealing several bruises, second degree burns and a single black eye around her right eye, in the process before returning to 'normal'.

"I see...I'm sorry. I could've help but-"

"We know, you were undercover. It would've suicide if you just broke character during that time."

"Still, I could have done something." he muttered while looking to his right. "I already let my father die from those bastard Huntsmen when he chose not to join them. He was a pacifist and a loving father, why should he leave that behind to become one of them?"

"Kid, word of advice. Don't think too hard about the past, it only makes you hurt more. I mean look at me, orphaned at a young age and grew up on the streets but I used my skills to become an Arachnid Corp agent, the best one the Mistrali Union has ever seen. I don't let my past control me, I control it." he said with a kind smile as Mercury nodded. "Although I did have some good fashion too...like my hat."

"You mean this one?" the robed figure said while extending his left sleeve out and placed a white bowler hat with a light blue band and a light blue feather tucked on the right side, onto his lap.

"Yes! But how!? I thought that blonde monster destroyed it!"

"No. I found it while scouting Vale a few hours before the Red Queen's coronation. It was hiding behind a trashcat so I cleaned it for you." Mercury said with a half smile, only to look down with a forlorn expression. "I'm sorry Roman, but I couldn't find Melanie or Miltia's bodies. They...They must've been taken afterwards for her experiments, same with the Xiong Clan's bodies."

"I figured that, still. They went down fighting and their mother would be proud that they died to protect the last embers of freedom in this world." Roman said sadly while putting the hat on his head. "But I will miss them. They were nice kids, despite being clingy and thinking I'm their uncle figure."

Trivia smiled while using her semblance to form the words 'You were their Uncle Wick, their light in the dark'.

"Yeah, that sounds about right, Trivia."

Knock knock.

The three freedom fighters turned towards the door, where a tall tan skinned woman with extremely long mint green hair that was tied into a thin ponytail which went down to her hips and was held together by a long dark green band, deep sapphire blue eyes, a E cup chest and wide ass, sea green nails, wearing a long sleeved green tube top with white lining, a dark green tank top with a white diamond emblem on the back, green scale-like armor plating on the sleeves, tank top and shorts, white fingerless gloves, a white leather belt around her hips with twin green sickles attached to the sides, black hip length shorts with white lining, white lower hip length stockings with black diamond emblems on the knees and white low heeled boot with steel tipped points at the ends, stood against the doorframe with a serious look on her face.

"Merc. It's time to meet with the others, you can chat with them later."

"Right, coming Em. Sorry Roman, Trivia, but duty calls." he said while walking towards the door.

"Relax, we aren't going anywhere." the red haired man chuckled as Trivia went back to eating her ice cream. "And Trivia, you should stop eating all of that. It will go all the way down to your gut one day."

She narrowed her eyes before throwing a pillow at him.

"I'm just saying." he said with a smirk as the shorter girl stuck out her tongue at him. 'Why must she be adorable?'

(Later)

"So run it by me again." Mercury playfully said to his partner as they walked down the shining hallways towards their destination, the blue eyed girl rolling her eyes at him in a similarly playful manner. "We were able to defeat that insane robotic monster by what?"

"Getting her to attack an unstable wall and let gravity take over."

"Oh yes, now I remember. Man, I didn't expect it to go down that 'easily'."

"It also helps that it exploded after you shot it in the head, as it was crawling towards us." she deadpanned playfully.

"Hey, we got out of there before it exploded right?" he smirked. "So in a way, we got out of that with a couple bruises and broken bones. I call that a win."

'Tell that to me, I almost lost an arm to that machine.' Emerald thought before the two partners turned a corner.

Only to nearly collide with a tall fair skinned woman with long ashen black hair that went down to her shoulders and parted over the shoulder blades, an amber left eye, a bright blue 'glass'-like right eye with thin blue lines around the lower eyelid, semi healed second degree burns on the forehead, a E cup chest and wide ass, a white heart-like tattoo on her left shoulder, a chalk white scaled human-like right arm with thick black circular scales going down from the shoulder to the palm and semi short bright blue nails, small silver dot earrings on her earlobes, wearing a sleeveless light blue dress that went down to her hips sporting silver lining on the collar and upper chest, a light blue glove with silver lining that went to her elbow, a silver butterfly shaped ring on her middle finger, a exposed opening on the right side of the dress' right hip that sported two silver-colored interwoven rope straps that connected the front half of her thigh to the back half, a small white silver framed hexagon gemstone with pure white feathers attached to the top that was wrapped on the upper left thigh, white stockings with silver treads and crystal white glass-like high heeled shoes, whose seemed to be surprised by the two partner's arrival.

"Oh Cinder, I see you walking on your own again." Emerald said with a smile. "So...can you speak? Are your vocal cords ok?"

"Yes." she said with a hoarse tone. "Not well though. Hurts."

"Well, don't strain yourself." Mercury said with a worried tone. "Talk when you need to. We can do the talking for you."

Cinder nodded while Emerald looked at her right arm with mixed emotions, ranging from guilt to curiosity.

"...did it hurt? The arm I mean?"

She nodded while staring at her arm, her human fingers gently caressing the cold scaly skin with morbid sadness.

"Well yeah, it was grafted into her body." Mercury said with a half joking tone. "Thankfully the Grimm were very generous and allowed the procedure to take place in the first place. Still, an Empathy Grimm being converted into a Lux Arm? It's almost unheard of, especially for surgery on a human."

"True, but it's still...a surprise that the arm actually accepted you. Most Grimm to human surgeries lead to...explosive results." Emerald said with a shiver. "Professor Merlot even tried to prevent such surgeries in the Emerald Empire from happening before The Wizard banished him for 'heresy' aka being the only ethical person in his court of sociopaths."

"...it. Knows." Cinder said while her right arm instantly bulked up in muscle mass, the scales extended outwards and transformed into a large circular shield with a single white heart-like emblem in the center, as she stared at it with a frown. "My. Desire...to protect. For...just-GAH!"

"Cinder!" Both teens yelled in shocked concern as they kept Cinder from falling on her knees, blood dripping from her lips as her arm returned to normal.

"GAH AH AH GAH!"

"Please don't do that again!"

"You only JUST got out of the surgery a week ago! You need to take it easy!"

"GAH AH AH Ah...gah..ah..." She groaned while blood dripped onto the ground, causing a white orb-like creature with blue tentacles and an oversized mop, to float over to them with an 'annoyed' form of body language. "Ah...gah..."

"Let's just get to the meeting. Everyone must be bored of waiting for the one that helped stop The Wizard." Mercury said with a smile as her and Emerald carefully led their leader down the hall.

"Sorry about that." Emerald said while turning back to the entity. "Didn't mean to ruin the floor."

It 'stared' at her, pointed a tentacle at her and then itself in a 'I'm watching you' motion before using the mop to clean the rather large blood splatter.

'Oracles are so grumpy.'

(Elsewhere)

-Solitas, Atlas Confederacy, Atlas, Iapetus Castle, Throne Room-

Darkness filled the windowless room, the sound of sloshing liquid and grinding gears ever present within this near empty room as in the center of the room was a dark blue light that shone like a lure in the deepests trenches of the sea floor.

Squish.

Squish.

Oozing, bubbling, viscus. Unnatural liquid flowed from the tubes on the ground and walls as it glowed with a dull navy blue hue, revealing a single dark blue metallic throne in the center of the room.

Zzzuip.

A single square Hard Light Dust composed screen appeared over the table as it revealed a large glass-like jar, filled with the strange liquid inside it, right in the middle of the throne as its liquid bubbled like boiling water.

Yet within this jar was a pale rotting marble skinned semi burn head with short dull gray hair on the right side, pale bluish gray eyes with thick dull red veins running down the sides and towards his neck stump and transparent tubes on the sides of the neck and back of the skull that went through the throne's seat and into the darkness around it.

This was the General, the supreme power of the Atlas Confederacy and its most ruthless leader, James Ironwood.

And he was currently without a body, all thanks to a certain murderous Schnee and a bloodthirsty faunus.

"Production Lines 4 though 90 are stable. Conversion Rooms at maximum capacity. Atlasian Knave updations are on schedule, estimated time of Atlasian Knave phasing, three months." he said out loud, his voice almost synthetic and mechanical, while looking over the various files and diagrams on the screen, with the upper left diagram showing the blueprints of a normal white 'Knave', skull visor and all, along with the image of a robotic black and red machine with sickly Grimm-like attachments. "Production line for the Atlasian Heretic line set back by said amount of time...no thanks to those Huntsmen. There weren't supposed to be THAT many during the invasion, only three or four, NOT the entire Huntsmen MILITARY FORCE!"

Gritted teeth and narrowed brows formed on his face as he recalled the events that led up to this moment.

A simple day on his throne, ruined by an intruder in blue, who granted him the security codes for Vale's entire security grid...the most impregnable in Remnant, in exchange for her safe escort out of Atlasian space. It was such a simple deal, almost a boon as he had a personal gripe with The Wizard himself.

To the straight forward man known as Ironwood, the two leaders of their respective empires were similar but drastically different in their ideologies and goals.

The Wizard ruled through fear and false promises, The General ruled through force and unified conversion.

The Wizard used propaganda to keep the population placated, The General used superior technology to make the people support his every action.

The Wizard chose to expand slowly, The General chose to do rapid fire expansion.

The Wizard allowed infighting within his own military to prevent coups from forming, The General took away free will to unify the Atlas Confederacy.

The Wizard chose to hide away and project a holographic face to his subjects, The General chose to stand with his subjects out of confidence and bravery.

The Wizard was afraid of losing power, The General wasn't afraid of such matters.

The Wizard was a coward, The General wasn't.

Such matters of ideology and action dictated their life choices, and in the end, while he was trapped within a jar of bullet proof glass, The Wizard was dead and burned by...The Order's lapdog.

The Order...an organization led by a mirror demon striving for peace, no, anarchy. The demon wants to turn the world upside down. It wanted to turn the people into freedom loving extremists that follow no sense of reason, just like the weak God of Darkness. The world didn't need freedom, it needed control, and he was the one that could bring total control over this planet.

Yet, despite his hatred for her allegiance, he knew that the woman had the right idea, the world didn't need The Wizard anymore and, begrudgingly, he thought highly of her skills and power. A shame that she was a traitor to the Atlas Confederacy, having killed his right hand man, Lieutenant Rhodes, in order to save her now deceased adopted family from a routine culture purging operation upon the Diamond Dragon Hotel...Cinder Fall would've made a good enforcer if he hadn't started the Atlasian Serfdom Program upon the entire population after that event.

"Mmmm. Better call Doctor Polendina, get him to create another PENNY Assassin Drone, one that can't be hacked by that blue menace." he said with a frown as he recalled how the intruder stole the first prototype after it escorted them outside Atlasian space, much to his anger. "I will not let her trick me again, not after nearly sending me to MY DEATH!"

Zzzuip!

"General. Supplies for Project Blasphemer are ready ahead of schedule and will be delivered to Dock 51 by midnight." spoke a feminine yet emotionless voice from the second screen as the image of a black helmet-like head with a single red visor that only extended towards their left eye, leaving a single patch of tanned skin, a tuft of light blond hair and a single dull violet eye sporting a small beauty mark under the lower eyelid, was shown right behind an endless maze of converbelts and grinding gears...the sounds of screams echoing from the screen itself. "Atlasian Serfs 15.000 through 90.000 Units have been converted from the Valeian Incursion and are ready for deployment."

"Good, continue your work Unit 30.000, or should I say, former Lieutenant Robyn Hill?" he said with a mocking tone. "Report to me once Units 91.000 through 200.000 are ready, we need all the manpower for the war at hand."

"Yes, General."

Zoop.

"The blue menace, that so-called 'Red Queen', ruined my plans, nearly destroyed my military and forced me to live in a tank. She made me a pawn for her rise to power, made the Atlas Confederation look like a joke to the world and she expected me to just die at the hands of a treacherous Schnee and a beast! No." he growled while dark red lines formed around his sides, the throne quickly breaking apart and metamorphosing into a large hulking form as the light began to turn on within the throne room. "I will not falter, I will never die until I rule over Remnant with an iron fist! And all that wronged me, all that FORCED me into a JAR shall PERISH! My wrath shall be legendary! I shall scorch the iron towers of Beacon Castle into slag! I will rip The Red Queen's head from her body with my own hands! I will WIPE THE CORRODIUM EMPIRE FROM THE FACE OF REMNANT!"

CRACK!

CLANK!

CRASH!

With a sudden loud 'BOOM!', the camera panned away, revealing a massive four story tall dark gold automaton-like machine with five razor clawed hands and feet, six large arms with several large arm cannons fused to the wrists, a long serpentine tail with ten large spikes at the tip, sharp spines around the shoulders and knees, thick dark red lines going around the arms and chest, curved metal horns on the sides of the neck and a black staff-like emblem under the neck, in placed of the throne as the head of Ironwood himself smirked with maniacal rage.

"The Atlasian Zealot failed, but this model, the Atlasian Gigantus-620, shall remedy that. My mind with its unholy strength and multiple weapons shall crush The Red Queen!" he cackled while each of the arms' many hands shifted and transformed into a long jagged spear, a pair of twin axes, a eight barreled gatling gun, a spiked chain flail and a large black claymore, each one glowing with dark red energy. "She will PAY FOR MAKING ME HER PAWN! WAR SHALL COME AND I SHALL BE VICTORIOUS!"

SIISH!

CLANK!

A dark gold fanged skull-like visor slid over the jar, glowing bright red as the screen faded to black, the sound of cackling ever present within the darkness.

(Elsewhere)

-Anima, Mistrali Uniron, Ghibli Castle, Inner Chambers-

CREAK!

Clank.

Clank.

The copper doors slowly closed behind the two figures, both clad in shadows from the room itself, as they entered into a large gold foiled chamber with a dark green rectangular waterbed, several rows of bookcases filled with untitled books, statues of serpentine dragons on the walls and ceiling, an ashwood table near the bed and a single rectangular red rug.

The two figures clapped their hands in unison, causing a bright light to illuminate the room from the ceiling as they just...stood there in the middle of the room.

The first figure was covered from head to toe in a white cloak with black lining while vaguely looking feminine.

The second figure was a tall tan skinned man with short gray hair that went to his neck, light brown eyes, thick pale white scars over his eyes, arms, neck and hands, long sharp gray claws, a large vertical scar over his entire left eye, a clipped right ear with a single white metal plate with the letters 'Beast #77923. Handler: Heather Shields' stamped on it, wearing a short sleeved gray greatcoat with black crosses on the cuffs, a large gray collar around his neck, a black dress shirt, a white tie, light gray pants and dull brown loafers, who seemed to be slightly paranoia but with a hidden 'fire' within his eyes that could burn like an inferno if unleashed.

"..."

"Beast. Prepare my bath." the robed figure said while the taller man shook his head.

"You don't have to play the role now. No one's here." he said with a gruff tone as the robe figure nodded and started to shrink and transform into an Oracle Grimm, its many tentacles slithering on the ground as the faunus sighed in relief. "Ugh, sometimes I wonder why I have to deal with a Grimm, especially one that never learned to mimic their victims well." 'Especially Heather. God, that woman was a monster, and that's saying something from me, the one that used kids as living weapons in the old days.'

As the Grimm floated around the room, minding its business, the faunus walked towards the table and opened up its single drawer, pulling out a single small silver hand mirror with a gold eye symbol on the front with his left hand.

'The sins of the past. So many decisions were made to make the union happy...all made by her, and all I was to her was a pet to belittle and steal from. Her plans were my plans, her crimes were mine as well, all to 'strengthen' the union. No...it was to keep The Wizard and The General from conquering us, from becoming a slave to their madness.' he thought to himself while his tail twitched slightly. 'I was...am a monster. But I'm no longer her monster, I am a monster to another.'

Ping.

Ping.

He blinked as he heard a small pinging sound, only to realize it was coming from the hand mirror and saw its surface shimmering a little bit as a light blue eye symbol formed from the reflective glass. "Oh, let me guess? Another meeting?"

"Yes, unfortunately this meeting is for everyone, including you, Leonardo Lionheart." spoke a calm yet forlorn feminine voice from within the mirror.

"Mmmm. I don't think I can go, given I was recently brought into The Order. Many of your members see me as a 'Wizard's serf', and rightly so...given my numerous crimes against life itself."

"Yet you gave life a chance. Your gifts saved the lives of many during the Atlas Crisis."

"True. I did give them Aura Generators, prototypes to be exact. But that was only due to the fact that The Wizard's ambitions would spell the end of the Mistrali Union, not because of my 'inherent goodness'. I run the risk of being discovered by the population, especially after they realize that Union Leader Heather was replaced with an Oracle Grimm."

"They won't find out. You must trust the Grimm, they know what they are doing, as I know that you, my dear Leonardo, are important for the future. Your actions in the present will prevent the hammer of tyranny from bringing all sentient life to the brink of blind obedience and the end of free will. You shall redeem yourself in the eyes of the God of Darkness, to break the curse of 'doing everything wrong', The Order shall redeem this broken Remnant and you shall be a part of a brighter future for all."

"...I get it. My actions spoke louder than my past actions. Fine, I'll come, but don't expect me to tell you that 'I told you so' when they start accusing me of somehow giving The Red Queen secret knowledge or that bull."

"Then I shall open a portal to Brilliant Dawn Castle. Best of luck, my Redeemer."

Siish.

The eye vanished from the mirror's surface before it grew in size and turned into a large metallic portal that glowed with gold energy.

'I never get used to that, at all.' he thought to himself before walking through the portal, the Oracle Grimm floating towards a bookshelf and started reading one of the untitled books while the portal instantly changed back into its mirror form and landed safely on the table.

"..." 'Trek of Star. Good.'

(Elsewhere)

-Ketumati, Brilliant Dawn Castle, Grand Hall-

Zooop!

As the faunus walked out of the portal, which vanished instantly afterwards, his eyes dilated a little bit, readjusting his vision before taking a look at his surroundings.

For lo, the shining gold room, filled with large oval shaped glass-less windows, was magnificent yet painful to look at for a few seconds as all around the round silver and gold tiled room were overgrown flora that trailed downwards from the dark blue organic mushroom-like chandelier towards the ground.

Flowing brooks snaked around pillars of marble as in the center of the room was a large circular wooden table with several brown oak chairs lining the sides like miniature pillars, each one decorated with a single gold foiled eye emblem on the back.

'Still magnificent. A nice change of pace from Mistral.' Leonardo thought to himself while looking upon the large glistening orb of water and reflective sea glass in the center of the table. 'Out of the two, she is a much better decorator. But...where are the others?'

Clank.

Clank.

Clank.

The faunus turned around to his left and saw a tall tan skinned man with short black hair with gray highlights on his left side, sea green eyes, small rectangular glasses with an orange frame, thin eyebrows, wearing a long sleeved white overcoat with orange lining, an orange shirt, a white bowtie, a dull blue undercoat, thick white gloves with ten orange rings on each finger, a semi loose brown belt that hung down a little under his hips, white pants and dull blue flip flops, walking towards him from a nearby tunnel-like entrance, his expression humble and somewhat relaxed compared to the lion faunus himself. "Ah, Arthur Watts. Greatest mind of our generation."

"I'm...not that great." he said with a nervous chuckle. "My smarts led to the Atlas Confederacy to adopt forced cyberization. A dark age in human reason and understanding."

"No, it was Polindina that perverted your visions, not you."

"Still, it was my fault that he learned of my Atlasian Knave series, and the Atlasian Zealot, and the Atlasian Gigantus-620 blueprints, and Atlasian Heretic series, and PENNY Assassin Drone line-"

"Arthur, you're rambling again."

The Atlasian sighed while shaking his head. "Sorry, but it was my ignorance to his twisted nature that led to Atlas turning into a technocracy, one that turns innocent people into thoughtless drones."

"Yet you are trying to atone for it, like me." Leonardo said with a smile. "A noble goal that will pay off in the end."

"I hope so, I really do." Arthur said before noticing a figure walking towards them, deliberately slow for some reason. "Oh, Tyrian. Back from your travels?"

The figure, revealed to be a tall fair skinned man with short brown hair that went only to his upper ears, copper eyes with dark circles around them, large white semi curved pincer-like arms with tiny pencil thin hairs on the sides, wearing a long sleeved black jacket with magenta cuffs, a large hood that covered his entire head, a five long white belts that were interlocked and wrapped around his waist like a tail, black pants with magenta lining and white low heeled boots, nodded while his pincers opened and shut with prolonged slowness.

"So I take it that the remaining Mistrali Union warriors chose not to switch sides?"

"Unfortunately." he said with a depressed tone. "They wouldn't listen to a faunus, much less one that escaped captivity. They were knocked out and tied to some trees when I came here."

"You should just kill them." Leonardo sighed. "It will prevent them from taking vengeance on you."

"I'm a pacifist. I'm not a killer."

"Which led to your handler's death."

"I told him running into a losing battle with the Vacuoian Republic was a bad idea, but he just ran in and died. I...I ran after that, death is too much for my heart." he said while looking away. "It's...cowardly, but I just didn't want to die."

"Running away isn't a crime." spoke a dark gruff voice from behind one of the pillars as a very tall tan skinned man with long dark brown hair that went to his chest, dark hazel eyes, a small pointed beard, an 'X' shaped scar over his right eye that was semi infected, wearing a short sleeved white military coat with red lining, a white undershirt, large dark gray gauntlets that went to his shoulders and hand numerous holes lining them, a red leather belt, white military pants with two red pouches on his hips, black boots with red fronts, walked from behind it, his face stuck in a permanent frown as he crossed his arms. "It's a tactical maneuver, one that will lead to the end of the war."

"Hazel, this isn't a war, it's a liberation movement." Leonardo frowned. "We've discussed this before."

"I chose to ignore those words." he said bluntly. "War against The Wizard and his kin is inevitable, we must not paint this conflict into a foolish 'peace movement'. Words will not defeat our common enemy."

"T-True." Arthur said with a nod, although he felt terrified by the taller man's mere presence. "The conflict is a war. B-But it will liberate everyone from his clutches."

"Although we still have The Red Queen to deal with." Tyrian said sadly. "She's not as bad as him but..."

"With the God of Light's twisted gift, she is a living weapon." Hazel frowned. "A volatile monster that will see us buried six feet under if we do nothing."

"Which is why we banded together in the first place." spoke a calm feminine voice as the four men turned towards their right, revealing a tall tan skinned woman with long straight wavy black hair that went down to her hips, amber eyes, thin blue stripes on the cheeks, palms, lower forehead and feet, a F cup chest and wide ass, a long dark brown cat-like tail with blue stripes running down to its tip, a large sapphire gemstone on her forehead, long blue nails, wearing a bright blue long sleeved kimono that went down to her legs, wide sleeves with gold lining, a silver magatama bead necklace, a gold obi that wrapped around her waist and went down to her knees, a calm noble onyx beast-like head emblem with three olive branches in its jaw on her left shoulder, a gold tail ring with a pointed arrowhead attached to the tail's end and light gray double wedged geta, walking towards them with a semi laxed expression on her face. "The Black Claw will not allow another heir to The Wizard's throne to subjugate the world, not after she made a mockery of us all."

"I still think including your tainted organization is a bad idea." Hazel remarked with a sneer, making the woman narrow her eyes in anger. "Ghira Belladonna used your hired goons to kill and pillage like common jackals. What's the difference between your 'noble' group and his?"

"What I do is for the freedom and dignity of the faunus, to rise above our natures to become a better species, one that can break the curse of The Wizard and his generational propaganda and laws." she said with a frown. "For we are a better Black Claw, one that wiped our hands from HIS sins! We aren't monsters, we are heroes."

"To who? The people that throw garbage at you or the faunus that run away from you out of 'fear' of freedom? Face it Sienna Khan, the faunus WANT to be sheep, not wolves."

She narrowed her eyes at the taller man and made ready to unleash her weapon, if a calm yet stern voice didn't break the tension like a knife.

"Now calm down, you lot." yelled a short semi muscular fair skinned woman with long blonde hair that tied into a shoulder length ponytail by a magenta band, lavender eyes, a H cup chest and large ass, a small beauty mark under the right eye, a thick light red burn mark over her left eye, wearing a bright magenta long sleeved jacket with gray buttons and lining, a gold octagon shaped badge with spider sporting a double sided scale on its abdomen and the letters 'AC' etched under its fangs on her right breast, white fingerless gloves with gray metal plates on the knuckles, a magenta leather belt with a gray spider-like buckle, magenta pants and black boots, as she walked into the room with a stern look on her face that seemed to mask feeling of sadness from within her eyes. "We are on the same side, so either calm down or I'll put you two in a cell for a week."

"..."

"..." Hazel frowned as Sienna moved her hands away from her weapon, the taller man glaring down at the much shorter woman with disdain. "One day the ideals of the Arachnid Corp will fail, and so will you, Captain Malachite."

"Perhaps, not today? Not even close, former criminal Hazel Rainart." She said with a cold smirk before seeing the taller man strut over to the table, making her calm down a little. "Sometimes I wonder what side he's truly on."

"His own." Leonardo sighed as Arthur took a deep sigh of relief. "He only joined The Order to take revenge on The Wizard for killing his sister. Although I do recall he wanted to kill her in the first place, so your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, it's better than just nothing."

"...I'm sorry about your loss." Tyrian said with a forlorn tone, his gaze unable to properly look at the woman's face out of shame. "I know how much you cared for them."

"...I know, but they died fighting for a better tomorrow. I'm proud of them." She said with a heavy sigh. "Besides, they knew the risks beforehand. It was their choice." 'No matter how much I wanted to stop them, smother them and keep them safe….but that's not good parenting, that's just being selfish.'

'It seems almost everyone is here.' Leonardo thought while the other four people walked to their respective chairs, Sienna nodded to him with a smile as she sat far away from Hazel's location. 'It almost seems like a dream that I can set besides great leaders and activists of the people, sans Hazel that is. But...where are the other five? I know Emerald and Mercury will be late due to hunting down Cinder, especially in her current condition. But what about the other two?'

The sound of high pitched yipping entered the faunus' ears as he turned to his left again and saw a massive white furred wolf-like creature with thin black bone plates on the shoulders and paws, blue eyes and marking on the jawline and tail, and black tufts of fur running down the spine, running into the room and suddenly stopping right near him, its long black tongue extended outwards as it panted heavily from the apparent run.

But, to the faunus' surprise, right on top of the creature's back was a tall fair skinned man with short smooth white hair that went down to his shoulders, blue eyes, a small clean shaven mustache, wearing a long sleeved gray jacket that went down to his feet, a short sleeved blue undershirt, a light blue hexagon on the cuffs, white pants and gray loafers, who seemed to be in a very good mood as he held onto the 'wolf's' shoulders like a small child on a furry horse...if it was the size of a small rhino that is.

"Arf. Arf. Arf." The 'wolf' barked while its tail waggled from side to side like a puppy, the white haired man jumping off its back and began to scratch its chin in a loving manner.

"Good boy. Good boy." he said with a smile as the large beast rolled on its back and allowed him to start rubbing its exposed belly. "You love this don't you? Yes you do, yes you do. Aw. Good boy."

"Professor Merlot. Stop petting the Beowolf, it's not a pet." Leonardo deadpanned as the newly named Merlot sighed and moved back, allowing the Grimm to leave with a disappointed look on its face.

"The Grimm, contrary to what people like The Wizard have told, aren't monsters but intelligent bringers of life that have been placed here to keep the universe from going into a chaotic mess. They have the responsibility to keep nature in check, be it trimming trees from an overgrown forest, tearing down mountains that have grown too high, consuming sand from arid deserts and, to the humans and faunus of this world, culling their numbers if they get too high." he said in a calm yet sad tone. "The Grimm aren't evil in their goals, it is us that are evil."

"As I told you before, the Grimm destroys civilizations and your fellow humans. That has some malicious intentions, don't you think?"

"No. They aren't destroyers, they are builders. My research proved it years ago, before The Wizard banished me for my ethical concerns." he sighed. "It's The Wizard and his goals of conquest that are the true evil of this world, a cancer that must be remedied before everything falls to chaos."

"By making the Grimm into pets?"

"No. My goals are for the Grimm to work alongside us as equals. We might be created with a single flaw, but we can change that by working to better ourselves. And that is the core of my studies, one that shall-"

"Benefit the world, you told me this last time." Leonardo interrupted while the professor rubbed his eyes a little with his left hand.

"Well...it's good to remind others sometimes." he said before walking towards the table.

'Sometimes I wonder if he likes to 'remind' others out of genuine need to teach or because he likes his own voice too much?'

Zoop!

Turning his head to the right, he saw a light blue portal form out of nothing as a tall fair skinned woman with short semi messy black hair that was tied into a bun in the back, lilac eyes, a F cup chest and wide ass, wearing a long blue kāṣāya with saffron lining that went down to her feet and was wrapped over her entire body sans her exposed braless chest, a white whimple that wrapped around the sides of her head and hung over the top of her chest sans the nipples, a white samakalika around her hips, white heeled sandals, and holding a tall metallic white khakkhara with an eye-like hoop on the top, six large rings, and a curved blue blade attached to the hoop's tip, in her right hand, walked out with a concerned look plastered on her face.

"Raven. This is a pleasant surprise."

"Leonardo, I...I have word about The Red Queen's plans." she said while gripping her khakkhara tightly in her hand. "And her Knights."

"Mmm, how serious?"

"...really bad. Like another Grand Conflict in the works."

The faunus' eyes widened as Raven walked towards the table, only for him to follow after her in the process.

The orb of water shimmered in the sunlight as the assembled individuals sat in their respective seats, soon followed by Mercury, Emerald and Cinder, who were busy making sure their leader wasn't going to fall over, as they sat in their seats, leaving four extra chairs empty.

Siiiiiisssh.

The reflective sea glass slowly condensed into a miniature ball before its surface began to project an image into the clear water's surface like a microscope.

And within his ball of water was a tall fair skinned woman with long straight pale platinum silver hair that went down to her hips and had two small buns on the sides of her head, two long thick locks that trailed down the right side of her face, light blue eyes with thin gold veins going down the sides, an E cup chest and large ass, thin gold veins running down her hands, short light purple nails, a light blue sapphire gemstone on her forehead, gold earrings in the shape of a raindrop, wearing a long sleeved light purple one piece dress that went down to her ankles and had silver lining, a light purple overbust corset with silver lining, a raised triangular gold halter-top collar with a blue octagon crystal on the clavicle, a long light purple cloak that went down to her feet sporting silver lining and a single hood near the neck, gold bracers, two silver rings on her index fingers, a gold sash, a long light purple low-waisted skirt with silver lining and gold straight lines near the hem, a silver pentagon emblem with closed eye-like symbols in the center on her shoulders and blue heeled flats, whose calm benevolent smile helped create a sense of ease amongst the gathered individuals as she looked at each one with a motherly kindness.

"Welcome, all of you." she said with a smile. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience but I had to call you for this emergency meeting."

"It's fine." Tyrian said meekly. "I had nothing to do...especially after my last mission."

"So what is it?" Hazel frowned. "Another attack from the Atlas Confederacy? The Mad King finally wants to take back The Helm? If so, he will learn the strength of The Order."

"No, no. Nothing like that. Theodore is still barking like a dog in his throne room and hasn't made any attempts to locate Jax or his allies here in Ketumati. Not that he could find it, or know of its existence at all." she said with a chuckle. "No...it's something that both me and the Branwen Clan have feared would happen."

"What?"

"The Red Queen made her move." Raven said while looking at the taller man. "She has just ordered the Knights of Blood to split off across the world."

"What!?" Emerald yelled in disbelief. "But that can't be, they haven't left Vale since the Vytal Crisis. They are supposed to be in hiding!"

"Well they aren't now." Sienna frowned. "Where did The Red Queen send them?"

"...she sent the Knight of Frost to Atlas to kill the General, the Knights of Light and Vengeance to Mistral to hunt down the Arachnid Corp, the Knight of Thunder to Vauco in search of The Helm, the Knight of Shadows to kill you Sienna and eliminate the Black Claw." she said before looking at her feet. "...and the Knight of the Sun...Yang...she is going to kill me."

"...that bitch." Mercury frowned. "She knows The Order, played all of us like fools and now."

"She. Destroys...us." Cinder said with a frown. "Tools. Discarded."

"A grave danger." Merlot said with a frown while Arthur gulped. "If she eliminates any of us, then Remnant will sink into chaos, the Grimm will be leaderless and then will be easy pickings for destruction. Oh...and then the end will come."

"Not yet." Captain Malachite said with a stern frown. "The Red Queen might've used us but she isn't The Wizard. She has no idea of the secrets he kept, even from his own subjects."

"You don't mean."

"The relics." Leonardo frowned while taking a heavy sigh of frustration. "Yes, The Wizard's stolen loot. The Order's property by right of divinity. Shapers of the world. Many names for four relics hidden across the planet after the Grand Conflict ended. If The Red Queen ever learned of them, then she would become a goddess of conquest, one that would make the tyrant God of Light tremble in fear."

"Or just destroy us all. That god is less benevolent than his own younger brother." Tyrian said with a depressed tone. "And given The Wizard stole them and hid them when Salem's all seeing eyes can't find them...we are doomed."

"Not exactly." Emerald said while all eyes turned in her direction. "There is a way to access them...but."

"But what?" Sienna asked while Hazel shook his head.

"It's obvious, the bunkers holding the relics need the cursed powers of the Maidens to open them. And we don't have them." Hazel scowled while Raven flinched a little. "And even if we had them, they were made BY The Wizard to create super soldiers for his armies before they were killed at the Grand Conflict's conclusion and their mummified bodies buried under Beacon Castle in an effort to make it 'impregnable'. Fat lot that did for him given the Atlas Crisis but the bodies are still there."

"...not all of them." Raven said as her eyes glowed a sickly red color, shocking everyone sans Salem and Cinder's group. "I left Team Swarts many years ago after I found the mummy of the Spring Maiden. This power...is a curse, always trying to make me destroy for the sake of destruction, but I have control over it." 'Even if I abandoned my own child to gain control of it...a regret I carry even now.'

"And you haven't told us until JUST now!? Why!?" Hazel snapped in disbelief.

"I told her." Salem said with a frown. "It was to protect her and Vernal from The Wizard's influence. When he was in power, he could feel if the Maiden power was active, thus it was necessary for her to not use it until he was defeated."

"So it was true, Vernal is dead." Merlot said with a sad smile. "I thought she was alive somewhere in Sanus."

"Unfortunately, she needed to maintain the illusion to free Trivia from electrocution." Mercury said while the orb's reflective surface changed to show the head of a lightly tan skinned woman with long dark brown hair that went down to her shoulders and were braided into two ponytails tipped with green bands, light blue eyes, and a single horizontal scar going from her upper right forehead to her lower chin, whose expression was filled with joy and kindness, for a brief second before Salem reappeared. "Emerald's powers, even boosted by the Aura Generators, can't affect people's minds unless standing absolutely still and...she had to make eye contact with all of them."

"There was no time to help her without The Wizard or one of his Huntsmen spotting us." Emerald said while gripping the arms of her chair. "We had to save Trivia or Vernal...and we chose the former."

"...she agreed to it." Raven said while her eyes returned to normal. "It was her choice to replace Agent Trivia in that cell. She wanted to die to save one honest soul in that castle of debauchery...and she wouldn't have it any other way."

The room became deadly quiet, the sound of rushing water echoing in their ears before Arthur turned to Cinder.

"I...I understand it might be a little bold of me, sorry in advance, but...what was your mission in Vale? Besides killing The Wizard I mean."

"..."

"If you don't want to talk about it-"

"Fall." Cinder said while her good eye turned a dark orange color for a brief second, a trail of blood dripped down the eye and hit the floor below. "Maiden. Wizard...tried to...turn Nikos...into one. Last attempt...stopped it. Lost. Arm...eye...to...GAH!"

"Don't talk anymore!" Emerald yelled with concern as her leader began coughing up blood. "Your vocal cords need to heal!"

"GAH ah ah ah GAH!"

"Great, we have two Maidens, one that is too weak to fight back." Hazel said without any sense of empathy. "And the other one is a matriarch of a peacekeeping clan that hates violence. Our chances at a total victory are slimmer than when the Black Claw joined."

"Hazel." Salem said with a stern tone. "The Black Claw are our oldest allies, my trusted confidants for years. I will not allow you to mock them in my presence."

He rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling in a disrespectful manner.

"Salem, if you don't mind me asking." said Captain Malachite while looking at the orb. "I understand that we have two Maidens that can unlock The Wizard's bunkers but at the moment, we don't have the manpower or the element of surprise to go on the offensive. The Knights of Blood will be hunting us down and Atlas will be launching a counter strike against The Red Queen soon. So...how are we supposed to combat two destructive empires AND keep ourselves safe at the same time?"

"..." Salem sighed while looking at her fellow equals with a sad but hopeful smile. "Wars aren't won by brute force or by surrendering oneself to defeat, but by strategy and tactics. The Order, while not the most powerful organization in Remnant, is the most influential and can outthink and outmaneuver any foe that tries to wipe us off the face of this planet. I might not have the ability to interact with the world from within this dimension of reflection, but my eyes are everywhere, in every metal, glass, water source, weapon or fingernail. There is no place I can not see, and that is the gift I give to you all. Knowledge, foresight, the ability to be one step ahead of the enemy."

"That still doesn't help. We don't have the muscle to back it up." Sienna said with a frown. "Even with all the planning in the world, we can't stop them if we can't defend ourselves. The Tyrant Ghira and his fall from power is one example of planning without personal power for yourself."

"Although he was a scrawny guy." Mercury said while trying to lighten the mood, only for Sienna to give him a death glare. "Right, dumb comment. Shutting up now."

"Power isn't everything." Arthur said with a sheepish smile. "Look at the General, he went into Vale and still lost, despite...taking a lot of the population for Atlasian Serf programing...and nearly killed Emerald and Mercury with the PENNY Assassin Drone...and has enough Serfs to create more weapons-"

"Arthur, you're doing it again."

"Sorry, my bad."

"It is fine, just try to make sure it's underwraps." Salem said before looking at The Order members as a map of Remnant appeared on the orb's reflection. "Leonardo, you and Captain Malachite are going to return to Mistral, your mission is to get the city prepared for the Knights of Light and Vengeance's arrival. If they reach the walls and turn the population into their willing slaves, I want you to evacuate all Arachnid Corp members from the city and bring them to Ketumati. They are the last line of law and order in this world, we must not lose them to The Red Queen's madness."

The two Mistrali Union citizens nodded while understanding the urgency in Salem's words.

"Hazel, you are going to the Vaucoian Republic to stop the Knight of Thunder before she makes contact with the Mad King."

"Heh, as long as I get to kill the Mad King, so be it." Hazel said with a smirk, making Salem sigh a little at his bloodlust.

"Arthur, you and Agents Roman and Trivia are going to the Atlas Confederacy to intercept the Knight of Frost before she and The General come to blows."

"A-Are you sure? I'm...kinda...banished from Atlas. That and Doctor Polindina will turn me into an Atlasian Serf if he finds me anywhere near Atlas." the former Atlasian stuttered in fear.

"You are one of the few people on the planet that has been inside Atlas and lived. You will be safe, the Arachnid Corps always protect their escorts." She said with a smile as Arthur nodded, meekly and with uncertainty, as the silver haired woman looked at Raven and Merlot. "Professor Merlot, Raven. You are to return to Genesis Island, you two need to protect the Grimm breeding ground before The Red Queen and the General discover the island."

"At once, besides, the little ones need to be protected." Merlot said with worry as Raven nodded, but knew what Salem was trying to say.

That she needed to hide from her own murderous daughter's wrath.

'I wish I could just talk with her, help her become a better person...but...I'm nothing but a fool. A hopeful fool.'

"Sienna, you and Tryian are to return to Menagerie, organize a counter strike against the Knight of Shadows. If needed, you must evacuate the Black Claw here."

"I can take down a traitor like her."

"Not when she is determined to turn the island into a new Kingdom, one to rival the Corrodium Empire. She will not rest until you are killed and the faunus turned into bloodthirsty warriors, you must stop her before that dream becomes real."

The tiger faunus sighed as her tail twitched a little, the pacifistic scorpion faunus taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"I hate fighting...really I do. But...if she won't listen to reason, then I must defend the island. For the honor of The Order, and to the will of freedom's call." he said while snapping his pincer hands once.

"Cinder, you, Emerald and Mercury are to meet Velvet and Yatsuhashi in Sanus to intercept the Knight of the Sun before she finds Raven." Salem said while Cinder nodded, although Emerald and Mercury looked at each other with worried looks. "Is something wrong Emerald?"

"Are you sure they can be trusted? They were members of Team Coffie, the most triggerhappy and sadistic Huntsmen Team in Sanus."

"I do. They suffered at the hands of their team and were desperate enough to be together that they used the Atlas Crisis to kill them and run. All they want is freedom, and I offered them freedom here in Ketumati." the silver haired woman smiled. "They were the ones that offered their services to me, not the other way around. Plus...they are an adorable couple."

'Gods, she's going into doting grandmother mode.' the three saboteurs thought in embarrassment as Salem recomposed herself with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Anyway, you three can trust them."

"Wait." Leonardo said with a raised eyebrow. "What about the Red Queen? She will learn about her Knight's defeats eventually. Plus there is the threat that Oobleck's and Port's experiments will work, which will lead to the end of The Order if left unchecked."

"I didn't forget that." Salem said while looking at a nearby pillar. "I just left this last strategy for last. You can come out now."

Clunk.

Clunk.

Clunk.

The members of The Order quickly turned towards their left as a figure walked out from behind a pillar, revealing themselves as a tall slim marble white scaled humanoid with a obsidian glass-like domed 'shell' covering the entire head, long dark blue curved black horns that pointed downwards towards its shoulders, large white feathered wings that went down to their knees, white fur on the legs, large black bone-like plates going down the shoulder blades and sides, thin blue markings on the head, arms, legs, and horns, long five clawed black fingers that extended down to their knees, a long black snake-like tail with a hooded blue eyed cobra's head at the end and large black three clawed feet, which looked almost…

Like a human Grimm hybrid.

"What...is that?" Hazel said with a raised eyebrow.

"This, Hazel, is our trump card. The product of a successful transfusion of one of our members, a Sphinx, a Beowolf, a Sea Feilong and a Life Bringer Grimm's donated parts." Salem said while Merlot felt a little sad that The Order's leader allowed this to happen on his watch. "While...I hate the idea of fusing Grimm with a sentient life form, especially if they asked for it, it was necessary...for his survival."

"His?"

"Yes, his."

SQUISH!

The 'Grimm's' 'domed' head quickled reseeded into its skull as a fair skinned face with short crimson red hair with dull white streaks on the left side, semi grayish blue eyes with thick lines under the lower eyes and dull lazuli blue veins on the sides, a small red goatee and dark gray blotches over the right eye and lower jaw, emerged from it and stared at the surprised assembly with a smile.

"Wait, THAT'S ADAM!?" Emerald yelled while pointing at him in shock. "But he's-"

"Death. I was." Adam said sadly while Mercury and Cinder felt like they just saw a ghost. "But Trivia was able to get my head here to Ketumari before her capture. She checked it into a window, as Salem told me, and was placed into one of the watering holes, its healing properties keeping me alive for a year as the Grimm gave their body parts to me to...grant me a humanoid form again."

"But...why? Why didn't anyone tell us, tell me!?" Sienna yelled in disbelief as Salem sighed.

"I didn't want to worry you. Not after his death." Salem said while looking to her left, feeling ashamed at the moment. "It's...hard to lose a loved one, but I didn't want...you know, to see-"

"To see him as a corpse!?"

"Sienna." Captain Malachite said calmly. "She was just trying to help, in her own way. I asked the same thing when I learned my daughters died, but we both knew that the Knight of the Sun wouldn't leave the heads intact...and I didn't want their sacrifice to be meaningless."

"...still."

"I chose this." Adam said with a smile. "When Salem told me of my new form, she gave me the choice between returning to death's embrace or living with the burden...the heavy burden to stop Blake's madness. The Belladonna line led to death and tragedy, Blake...my partner and student, followed that path of subjugation and death. I thought I could make her see the truth, that she could be the hero that Remnant needs, the one to fill her heart with the love she craved since birth...but I was wrong, she wants only total power, by any means necessary."

"Adam."

"I will put an end to both her and the Red Queen, so that both humans and the faunus can know true peace at last. I will not allow the two to be lionized as false saviors, not now, not ever." he said before looking at Salem, his face slowly getting covered by black 'tar' until it returned to its 'domed' shape. "Your orders ma'am?"

Salem sighed as she looked upon the assembly with a heavy heart, knowing that the odds were stacked against The Order, that they would face the dangers of the world and could do nothing but watch on from her mirror prison.

And, her biggest regret...

She knew that The Wizard wasn't defeated by Cinder.

She knew his secrets, his plans, and...his single truth.

He. Can. Not. Die.

'I am sorry, but...I can't reveal this fact. If I do...then all hope will be lost, and hope needs to remain in this broken world.' she thought to herself as the screen faded to black.

(Elsewhere)

-Anima, Brunswick Village-

"AHHHHHH!"

"RUN!"

"AAH-"

SQUISH!

Blood fell upon the snow covered ground as the entire wooden village was burning away in an inferno, bloody and mangled corpses lining the streets without rhyme or reason, just pure carnage.

Yet, heading towards the town square, was a terrified man holding the stump that used to me his right arm in extreme pain and fear plastered all over his face, eyes bloodshot as he tried to run away from the village that he once called home.

"Ah ah ah, I need to get away. Need to flee!" he panted heavily while looking around in terror, not noticing a figure leaping towards him from the raging inferno itself. "Need to hi-AAAH!"

CRASH!

SQUISH!

"AAAAHHH!" He screamed as the figure pinned the man down on the snow, his eyes dilating inwards before his throat was ripped out, ending his life quickly as blood oozed onto the ground like a miniature waterfall.

"Grrrrr." growled a short tan skinned young boy with long wild dark brown hair that went down to his shoulders and were coated in a layer of dirt, crusted blood and grime, bloodshot hazel eyes with a single red iris, filed fang-like teeth akin to a crocodile's, long jagged claw-like nails, wearing a black short sleeved shirt with dark green cuffs, long thick blood stained bandages all over his face, hands, neck and torso that extended all the way to his feet, five blood red leather belts that wrapped around his waist and over his shoulders, ripped gray pant that exposed his knees and heavily scarred thighs and red boots, as he looked down at the corpse and smirked with glee before starting to consume it like a wild animal.

CRUNCH!

SQUISH!

RRIIIP!

CRUNCH!

As the murderous teen continued to feast on the still warm corpse, the heat around him made the teen feel...alive, the sounds of ripping flesh was akin to an orchestra in his ears.

Zooop!

Suddenly...the world went silent as he became paralyzed, unable to move while his eyes changed from its usual color...to a dark gold hue.

'Mmm. So this is what human flesh tastes like, disgusting.' said a harsh masculine voice from out of nowhere, making the teen's heart beat faster in shock. 'And they say I'm cruel. At least I let my prisoners face death with some dignity, you? You just add salt to the wound Oscar Pines.'

'Who?'

'Oh right, you're not familiar with my voice. Understandable given you never left your little farm until just recently, ahem. I am Ozpin, The Wizard of the Emerald Empire, Conqueror of the Great Conflict and the one that will bring order to this world of madness.' the voice said in a calm but almost cruel tone. 'And I have come to you out of necessity, not desire. You, Mr Pines, are not the vessel I seek.'

'What?'

'Right, you have no intelligence whatsoever. I guess all those blows to the head from your aunt's rake did contribute to your unintelligent cannibal spree. Ahem, you will do, until I find someone more...suitable for my superior form.' the voice said as Oscar felt his entire body burn, his mind throbbing in pain as his hair began to change from dark brown to a faded silver color. 'Count yourself luck, most of my vessels don't last this long during the conversion process.'

'AAAHHH! W-What are you doing!? TO ME!?'

'Nothing much, just taking your body, memories, powers and semblance for my own. I do this with all my vessels, it helps me maintain my power over the empire. But I was sluggish with my last host and neglected to train it for combat situations, a minor fault that will not be repeated.' the voice said before humming to himself, apathetic to the teen's internal screams of pain. 'Oh relax Mr Pines, this will be all over soon and then you will be nothing but a memory...scratch that, less than a memory. Don't worry, I will use your semblance better than you did. I mean, the power to ignite oxygen by whistling? You use it to scare your prey, I however have bigger plans for it.'

'AAAAAHHHH-' Oscar screamed before his mind went blank, his form going limp for a few seconds before raising his head up...

Revealing his dark gold eyes to the world as he smirked with satisfaction.

"Mmmm." he said while pulling a chunk of flesh out of his teeth and threw it to the side. "A cannibal. The God of Light must love putting me in weird places, like my last body. The son of a lowly carpenter with a desire for squishing people with spring loaded plates...meh, as long as I have his intelligence, I'm fine with anything that vessel did before I procured it.'

Looking upon the now deserted village, the now silver haired man shook his head before taking the dead man's long sleeved jacket and placed it over his shirt.

"Not red as I usually like them but this will do for now." he muttered before walking off, letting the flames consume the corpse as he thought back to his last moments.

Where he was burned to a near crisp by the 'traitor' Cinder Fall and beheaded by his most promising Huntsmen, Ruby Rose.

Ruby Rose.

Cold, calculating, power hungry. All the things he saw when he approached her two years ago, her scythe stained with gore from her own father, Taiyang Xiao Long. he had no personal interest in the man, he was a weakling, even when under his command, and the world didn't need weakness. But...what interested him that day was her Silver Eyes, the power of death.

A weapon made by the God of Light to ruin his weak brother's plans and to finally kill his weak wife if she ever escaped her prison. A kindred spirit in a way.

But their ideologies were different, almost alien to the other.

He desired total control over all. She wanted power to make herself feel important, the result of a broken family.

Her father broke her out of the realm of fantasy and 'hope'.

Her uncle, before his death by his sister's hands, fed the child the 'truth' of this world and made an effort to break her 'honest soul'.

Her aunt left, all because she wanted to 'purify' herself and save everyone. Ha, all she did was retreat from the world as her own daughter and niece became the strongest Huntsmen of their generation.

Her mother, cruel ender of life she was, left her to fend for herself, to see her cry made her happy, seeing the girl happy made her mad.

In the end, a 'weak' soul was replaced with a heartless soul. A fine accomplishment in his opinion.

But that was where the trouble started, for when she entered his services and proved herself the strongest at her initiation, she did everything in her power to find his weaknesses.

Minor at first, such as putting laxatives in his morning coffee or disabling his security systems. One of the many reasons he decided to install a Hard Light Dust powered holographic projector to show his face in public and why he stayed in his throne room half the time.

However, it started to escalate, soon turning into the Atlas Crisis that claimed his last body and left him in the middle of nowhere.

And her last words to him? 'I'm the Queen now.'

"Queen? She is too young and foolish to be one." he muttered with a frown. "She knows not the beast you provoked that day. Nor do you know how serious I can get when I feel like it."

As the possessed teenager walked towards the village gates, the metal sign reading 'Brunswick Village: The Happiest Place On Remnant' slowly melting away from the intense heat, he started to do what he always did in times like this.

Plan the downfall of his enemies, ruin their lives and make them regret crossing him.

He has done this with The Order many times, so a simple usurper like Ruby Rose wouldn't be too hard.

"First things first, get the Maiden powers back. Once that's done, reacquire my property and slay her. And then, I shall wipe away the new and replace it with MY empire." he said with a cold tainted smile. "But if all else fails, I'll just destroy the planet. It's not like I care for anyone living here, I just wanted order, at any cost. After all."

Burning fire raced across the burning timbers, creating an inferno that reached the sky as Ozpin, The Wizard of the Emerald Empire, chuckled darkly to himself.

"What Ozma the Wizard can't have, I take." he chuckled as the screen faded to black, the faint silver colored words 'Good and Evil' appeared on the screen for a brief moment before all was consumed by umbra.

Xxxxxxxx

[REBOOTING...DATA RECOVERED.]

Name/Designation Title: Beast #50012/Knight of Shadow/Blake Belladonna (Umbra Pax/Rassilonverse Blake Belladonna- UPBBRWBY)

Age: 19

Affiliation: Evil

Dimension: 70229871266- 12 UP/RBBRWBY

Abilities: Enhanced speed, agility, reflexes, jumping power and endurance, night vision, blade, gun and kusarigama handling and knowledge, Black Claw training and knowledge (formerly), VBCS (Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe)/Gambol Shroud training and handling, espionage skills and knowledge, Huntress skills and knowledge, Dust knowledge and handling, thick armor (smelted from fallen Atlasian Knave and Huntsman weapons/armors), extreme bloodlust, Corundum Empire Military knowledge and handling (restricted to faunus 'recruits' due to her faunus nature and her handler's interference), limited knowledge of 'canon' reality (accidentally from a 'temporal abduction event').

Semblance(s): Shadow

Bio: In this timeline, situated between the RWBYverse and Ruinverse's many boundaries and nicknamed by outsiders as the Good and Evil Universe or by others as the Rassilonverse, the entirety of that reality is inverted since its creation, starting when the malevolent God of Light created the world and used his powers to ruin the laws of nature, making life grow out of control and nature to become tainted with hatred. Yet his counterpart, the benevolent God of Darkness, saw the horror that was introduced to this world and created the Grimm as natural antibodies and protectors of nature against his brother's machinations, which ended in a truce that formed the first humanity...but feeling like he should get the last laugh, the God of Light imbued humanity with the ability to 'never do anything right' out of spite. As such, all subsequent humans and their faunus offshoots would be unable to learn to do anything else but fight with each other and commit acts of evil, with very few actually having good intentions. Yet, the God of Light wasn't happy and wanted to ruin the truce, thus he waited for something to respark the war against his brother, which came in the form of Salem, who lost her husband Ozma, to a plague after he killed her father and forced her into marriage, and wanted to bring him back from the dead out of misplaced kindness. Knowing the God of Darkness would help her out of true kindness, she asked him to bring him back but before he could, the God of Light turned Ozma into an immortal spirit and cursed Salem with immortality out of spite. Seeing that the truce was broken and understanding the horrors that Ozma would bring to the world, the God of Darkness obliterated the first humanity and left Salem with four relics he fashioned from his own body so to help her in case his brother attempted to restart civilizations...which he did and once Ozma returned to the mortal plane and possessed his first host, he 'acted' like a changed man and ruled with Salem for many years as gods before Salem discovered him using her daughters as tools to get the relics, their deaths by his hands motivating her to attempt to stop him, only to be trapped by Ozma into the surfaces of all reflections, known as the parallel dimension of Mirrorverse, unable to escape and interact with others except through reflections. Now unimpeded by his 'wife', Ozma began to influence the world, creating the Emerald Empire and, through the use of the Grand Conflict, reformatted all the kingdoms into four new empires, the Atlas Confederacy, the Mistrali Union, and the Vaucoian Republic, with him becoming the leader of the empire he formed, The Wizard. Using his manipulation and fear mongering, he created a paramilitary system called the Huntsmen to enforce his wills on the population, put into place laws that hindered/indoctrinated the faunus into an inferior lesser class species though his many incarnations, and, having hid the relics in secret bunkers across the world, ruled over the world unimpeded. Many units or Teams exist such as Team Juniper and Team Ruby, all of them inverses of their proper counterparts, with one example being Blake Belladonna, the disgraced daughter of Ghria Belladonna, the tyrant coward of the Black Claw that was replaced by Sienna Khan as leader and cast out for his murderous actions, a subservient of Weiss Schnee, the only heir of the Schnee Dust Company after she killed her family with poison at age ten, that strives for power and only masks her endless lust for power under a veil of obedience. Hateful of others due to being abandoned by her mother at a young age and wanting nothing more than to be loved deep down, she chose to be the servant of a human as a way to kill anyone she wanted, even her own allies when told. Yet this dark reality wasn't without its heroes as Salem, through her connection to the reflective surfaces and the aid of the Grimm, she gathered like minded people that hated Ozma for his actions and created The Order to defeat him and reclaim the relics, helping the reformed Black Claw in their freedom fighter crusade, helping Professor Merlot in his ethical study of the Grimm for the sake of the world, providing the defunct Vacuoian peacekeeping organization, The Helm, sanctuary on the Ketumati continent, home of the Grimm and The Order, after their banishment by the mad king Theodore, and giving the Arachnid Corp, an organization of police lawmakers from Mistral, the funds and Dust needed to combat the Huntsmen. But The Order's goal of killing Ozma was taken advantage of by Ruby Rose, who manipulated the Atlas Confederacy, The Order, and Arachnid Corp members Roman Torchwick and Trivia Vanille into sparking a war that led to Ozpin's 'death', allowing her to become the Emerald Empire, now Corrodium Empire's, new Queen. During her reign, she reformed the Huntsmen from a police force to an armored military with her team acting as advisors and Team Juniper, both of which were called the Knights of Blood, as her new enforcers to help win a retaliatory strike against the Atlas Confederacy. However, unbeknownst to anyone involved, Raven Branwen, leader of the Branwen Clan, a peaceful society of forest rangers that helped the less fortunate and key players in The Order, was able to help Trivia escape her death by having Vernal take her place as Emerald used her semblance, powered up by Aura Generators supplied by the renegade Leonardo Lionheart and the Branwen Clan, to fool her executioners, who in turn faked Roman's death and escaped along with Mercury and his team. Having failed to stop Ruby's rise to power, Salem decided to send a Grimm hybrid to the capital to kill her before she learned of the relics, which was Adam, who was fused with various Grimm parts to save his life after getting killed by Blake, his former student. War is on the horizon as Team Ruby strikes out on their own, with Weiss attempting to assassinate Ironwood, who survived but was forced to become a head in a jar attached to a fully experimental Atlasian Gigantus-620's mainframe, Yang looking for her mother to end her 'weak' existence, and Blake reclaiming Menagerie as her own Kingdom...all the while Ozma, having taken the body of serial killer Oscar Pines, is hunting the relics to regain his power and kill his usurper, planning to destroy the world if he fails to do so out of spite. A world where the world is flipped on its axis, one doomed to either orderly destruction or chaotic freedom...but perhaps, in the distant future, an honest soul would arise to stop the war before it starts? Either way, the reign of the Umbra Pax is inevitable and so is its destiny...to fail at the most opportune moments, to fail to truly rise from their darker natures and their desire to conquer all. All shall fail the test dictated by divinity...or perhaps not? Who is to say, in this realm of Good and Evil.