The Burning Rose

by King of the unknowns

In an alternate universe, Summer lives and finds Cinder in Atlas. She decided to bring her back to Patch. Due to her traumatic past, Cinder is hesitant to trust the family, but after a close brush with death, she opens up to them and is eventually adopted by the loving family. After a few years of training, she heads off to Beacon to train to become a huntress!

62. Darkness emerge, the light snuffed out

Neck deep in darkness and pain he was born
Knowing that all that awaits him in the light is persecution and scorn
In the dead of night he hunts the gods who bring pain and sorrow
All hoping to create a new tomorrow
So a warning to all those who think fate is their's to bend
When the witching hour comes, your fairytale will END.

---

Isaac Howard stood in the Vale cemetery, his silhouette bathed in shadow as the sun hadn't even risen yet. There, at the gravestone of his son, lay two beautiful bouquets of flowers. One for each of the two people who had gathered there.

Howard stood there, staring at the name engraved on the stone as he contemplated the events of a few months ago in silence.

After his defeat at the hands of Summer and Silver's daughters, he had felt a weight had been lifted from his chest. A weight he had always carried, yet never addressed out of fear what he'd find there. As if the lose had reassured him of the hope that the future might hold.

For all his kind words, a part of him still feared that their generation would inherit the failures of his. That the mistakes of the past would be doomed to repeat themselves once again as the huntsmen and huntresses who were supposed to protect humanity stood back and let corruption spread unchecked in exchange for a large paycheck. That those people in power would use their authority to beat them down until they were too broken to stand. That Ozpin would successfully brainwash yet another set of kids to become his pawns in a game of politics and control. One that seemed to serve no purpose beyond his own agenda, whatever it may be.

And while the latter was still up in the air, given the response he had gotten from Amber, he had hoped she wouldn't lead her team down that misguided path.

He let out a quiet chuckle as he stared down at the grave, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"You know, you'd be happy to know the next generation is so strong. They are truly the future you always wanted. People acting with honor and mercy, not violence and greed." He said as he knelt, brushing some of the dust of the headstone. "I'm sure you're already laughing yourself silly after watching our battle. You definitely wouldn't understand all the strategy stuff, but watching your old man getting beat by a bunch of kids is just the kind of stupid humor that made Adelaide fall for you."

He paused here for a second, a shadow crossing his face.

"You were her light, you know that right?" He said somberly. "With you gone, she started a dark path, one you wouldn't approve of. I know there's a good reason behind her actions, but I can't help but feel most of it is motivated by you. Protecting the peace you so wanted to see, no matter the cost. I'm afraid one day, she'll go too far and be unable to face you in the afterlife. I couldn't stand that. So please, try to understand her position. She's just-."

"Isaac."

The old man stopped mid sentence, looking up to see his daughter-in-law standing over him, a soft look in her eyes.

"Time to go." She said gently, offering her hand if he needed help standing. "We'll be back later tonight, I promise. But it's time."

"Alright?" He asked, receiving a nod in response.

"We need to secure the perimeter. And make sure there's no funny business. And given that I still can't get a hold of Igor and most of my old, trusted dogs are…well, dead, I'm going to have to trust it with some of my newer members. Which is something I don't want to do." Adelaide exhaustedly exhaled. "I wish we could stay longer, but duty calls. And like it or not, we must answer."

Howard let out a tired sigh, but took her hand anyway, letting her pull him up.

"Right." He grunted, eyes still fixed on the grave. "We'll be back soon. Rest well until then, Todd."

A gentle wind blew through the trees, causing some of the flowers to lose some petals that got caught in the breeze, scattering them across the graveyard, making even the old headstones look just a little more loved.

And with one final forlorn look, the two made their way back to the parking lot and into the waiting limousine.

"Take us to Beacon, don't stop for anything." Adelaide ordered the driver as the car took off, a perception of both security guards and Seraphim following them. As for the front, a complete huntsmen escort cleared the path while checking for any threats to the business man's life. Many of them were people whose careers had been all but made by the old huntsman and were more than willing to help guard the 'wrongfully accused' man.

In response to the massive news over his arrest, the people of Vale had rallied a protest against Ozpin and Beacon academy, claiming that he had orchestrated the whole thing as Howard was very open to his opinions on the headmaster's practices. Something that was only amplified when word got out about the school's team's massive misconduct during a professional job.

Many were practically jumping at the opportunity to join the Seraphim now and new recruits were at an all time high. It had gotten so bad, Adelaide herself was struggling to properly sort her own troops! She had not only managed to replace her lost captains but also practically doubled the gang's strength!

However, now they were on their way to do something the world jeopardized the massive support the Seraphim's were getting.

Today, they met with Ozpin and General Ironwood to discuss the Eternal Dynasty issue.

"Big day, huh?" Adelaide said, crossing her legs as she stared out the window. "I never thought we'd be talking things out with the man who won Atlas during the war. It almost feels surreal."

Howard let out a laugh as he leaned back in his seat, eyes shining with pride.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet. As a professional skater, I would have thought you'd be used to being on thin ice." He joked before lowering his head with a half hearted smile. "I know it's not the outcome you wanted, but this way, we don't need to worry about the singer or trying to recover him. And with Atlas handling them, we can focus on more immediate threats like the current atmosphere of the kingdom or even the headmaster himself. Like it or not, this is a big win for everyone involved. And we really need a win after the Music Fest fiasco."

"I don't trust him." Adelaide said dismissively, not turning away. "You saw that machine of his. A device capable of sucking a soul out of someone's body? You can't honestly expect that he gave the okay on that just for his little stringless puppet. He's up to something, something big. And if we can't find out what, Vale is in hot water."

Howard let out a sigh at her response. Adelaide always seemed to try to take everything on her shoulders, no matter what that form took. However, because of her more…brash personality, she tends to make a lot of enemies, some unnecessary so. He wished she could just relax and let herself be just a parent, not a leader as well.

"Adelaide. I know things are hard right now, but trust me when I say you need to rest." He said, finally drawing her attention away from the window. "I know you're scared. We all are, but remember, the future isn't just yours alone. The children of Beacon have proven themselves more than capable, wouldn't you say? After all, outfoxing you and defeating me isn't something most would be able to accomplish, especially given their age. I'd say you can afford to relax a little bit."

At his words, Adelaide let out her own quiet chuckle. "You're not wrong, those kids were something." She replied, a small smile on her face. "Summer got one amazing kid right there, Silver too. But they still have a long way to go before they are ready to face the horrors of this world. They still don't really understand what war is like. Or who their true opponent is. Besides, wasn't it you who said us adults should be the ones to make the world a better place so kids wouldn't have to? I think I'm more than justified in my wanting to continue further down my chosen path."

Now it was Howard's turn to shift his attention away from the conversation, his gaze moving to his hands resting in his lap.

"A world where the sacrifice of innocences isn't needed." He murmured, echoing Amber's words and making Adelaide sit up straighter. "At the time, I didn't think it was possible. I truly believed that it was nothing more than the wishful thinking of a young girl who had yet to learn the hardship of the world. But they proved me wrong when they utterly defeated me. That is a feat no mere child could pull off. And so, perhaps…"

Slowly, the old man looked up, his eyes now locking with his daughter's. A new fire now burning within them, one filled with hope instead of despair.

"Perhaps it's been us who have been wrong all this-."

Bang!

Howard was cut off by the limousine jolting to the side as a massive eighteen wheeler plowed into its side from a alleyway, immediately pushing it over into the other lane smashing through the divide, causing both sides of the vehicle to cave inwards, filling the air with the sound of scraping metal as it torn into the interior of the car.

The sudden force being applied to the moving vehicle ripped right through the limo's tires as they spun helplessly in place, trying to make the car move forward against the incredible pressure ramming into its side.

The force of the crash caused Howard and Adelaide both let out a scream of surprise as they were thrown against the window of the car, banging their head violently against the metal as they were driven across the road by the truck, smashing through trees, fire hydrants, and light posts as it floored the gas seeming unable to stop.

Half dazed, Howard raised his hand, intending to throw the truck back with his semblance, but before he could, both the limousine and the truck rammed through another barricade launching them over a small cliff and into the air right above Fairytale park.

The two vehicles sailed through the air before crashing down with a deafening screech onto the park below. The truck immediately capsized on its side, trapping the driver's door against the ground and sending cracks spider webbing across the windshield. Meanwhile, the limousine was sent rolling across the ground, metal pieces being ripped off and sent flying into the air before it hit a tree, stopping it right side up, both sides entirely mangled.

Immediately the park was filled with cries of surprise and rage as the members of the Enlightened Seraphim and huntsmen who were guarding the two scrambled out of the vehicle and down the cliff, surrounding the truck while others ran to check the limo to make sure their leader was alright.

Though that was quickly answered as the doors to the car were violently thrown off their hinges and Adelaide stumbled out, Howard leaning on her for support.

"You okay, dad?" Adelaide asked as she walked him over to a bench, easing him down onto the seat.

"Bastard gave me whiplash." The old man grumbled as he was set down, rubbing his throbbing neck. "That crash had done a number on me. If it wasn't for my aura, I probably would have broken his neck. Wish I could say the same for our driver. Poor bastard hadn't had huntsman training. And there's way anyone could have survived without it. "

Looking back at the mangled car, a snarl escaped Adelaide's lips. immediately she was back on her feet, turning to the upturn truck. "Yeah well, you should see what the other guy is about to look like when I'm done with him." She snapped as she power walked toward the object of her fury.

And by the time Adelaide had gotten to the truck, many of her gang members had already begun making very detailed threats to what was going to happen to the driver, some going so far as to even climb up to the passenger side door and begin trying to pry it open with a crowbar.

Effortlessly, the leader of the Seraphim jumped up, landing next to those members, waving them away as her blades came down over her wrists. Immediately, she drove them into the door of the truck where she used her semblance to freeze both the hinges and the lock. Then, with a single heave, she ripped the door off the now brittle metal holding it to the vehicle.

However, instead of seeing a passed out, terrified, unconscious, or dead driver, she saw something that caught her completely off guard.

Inside was what looked like some kind of metal framework set up to the steering wheel used to hold the truck steady in its course. What's more, a piston had been set above the gas to allow it to go full throttle with a single push. A blinking light with an antenna told Adelaide that it had been made to go off remotely, so that someone could use it without being in the vehicle.

But that was all the time she had to observe as the next second, she noticed something else. A wire bound around the door, impossible to see through the spiderweb cracks that covered every inch of glass in the truck, had snapped when she ripped the it off, setting off a chain reaction of other wires in the car, all of them leading to a single point yet bound around one another, set up so that even if one got destroyed in the crash, it couldn't cause the desired effect this one specific wire was pulled.

And as her eyes followed the now severed wire, she had just enough time to see the pin of a grenade that was tapped to a barrel of fire dust pop off.

The next second, Adelaide, as well as her most loyal gang members were engulfed in a massive fire explosion that formed a mushroom cloud of heat, flames, and smoke. Completely killing any who didn't have aura to protect them severely wounding those who did.

As for the woman herself, she had managed to protect herself somewhat by creating a wall of ice around her. Unfortunately, the entire back of the truck had been loaded with as much fire dust as it could carry making the blast much too strong to block, so she was still thrown backwards. The shockwave sending her sailing helplessly through the air before crashing right through the statue at the center of the park, shattering her aura leaving her with no protection as she hit the ground and rolled several more feet before coming to a stop, completely unconscious as blood dripped from her head.

"Adelaide!" Howard screamed, leaping to his feet to run to his daughter. However, before he could, a sudden shiver ran up his spine as a powerful aura rippling with malice and fury washed over him. It was overwhelming, like being under an ocean of pure evil that one could drown within seconds, filling one's lungs with pure, unadulterated hate. It was all encompassing, as if it was infecting the very air itself, devouring any hope one might be able to muster, filling it with the absolute dread of knowing that death was inevitable.

A bead of cold sweat ran down Howard's borrow. Slowly, he turned toward the source of this hate, from just behind the remains of the exploded, now burning truck.

The fire around him was rapidly spreading around the park, but was still at its most intense around the first explosion. And what he saw made his blood run cold.

There, calmly stepping through the smoke and flames was a man clad in black. In his hand he held a sword that looked like a cross between a katana and a broadsword, barring symbols of old world science, alchemy. He wore a dark kevlar vest that also had symbols, those he didn't recognize but could tell they were from a time long past. A time where the rules of law had yet to exist.

A shawl was draped around his shoulders. its raggedness highlighted by the fire that danced around him, furiously lapping at his body only to fall off him as if a mass of people reaching out, their fingers grazing against something they couldn't truly touch.

His hands had claws which were curved at the ends, indicating they were meant for climbing and not combat, but the numerous grenades that hung about his weight more than made up for that. And that was to say nothing of the raw crystal that hung next to them. Even from this distance Howard could see they were pure cut and fine, the kind you could only find in high end stores in Atlas. Or, which Adelaide had stolen and stored in her hideouts before they went missing when a certain notorious figure had attacked them, killing every single person who might have been there at the time.

And as the man emerged completely from the fire, even though he was now just a silhouette in front of the raging flames, his face hidden behind a modified gas mask, the old huntsman knew exactly who stood before him.

"Isaac Howard, the man with a hundred sins hidden beneath the surface. The time of judgment has come." The Phantom rasped, his voice deep and hard, yet slightly metallic, as if being altered by something within the mask itself. "Fate has deemed it's time you pay your dues and for the numerous crimes you have committed. Only a death for a cause that will undo all your years of work is a punishment befitting of the crime, wouldn't you agree?"

Howard let out a snarl as he straightened up, calmly turning his whole body to face the Phantom.

"Hmph. That's a bit of a hypocritical statement." He said darkly, malice crystal clear in his tone. "Killing gang members and criminals is one thing, but you have killed innocent families just because they had a couple bad eggs who joined the Seraphim. That's hardly the work of a hero. Tell me Phantom, what punishment awaits you when it's your time to be judged?"

Slowly, yet without a single wasted movement, the Phantom leveled his blade at the bane of Atlas, his emotionless mask combined with his intense hatred that filled aura making him feel inhuman, divine even.

"My punishment has already been served." He said calmly, unfazed by the actuation thrown his way. "A life of innocence ripped away, a lost loved one who died with me that day. Burned for a crime I did not commit. Now the world shall know what happens when one crawls back from that pit."

The old man raised an eyebrow at the poem, his confusion rising even more at what this madman was babbling on about.

"If you have something to say, then say it plainly." He snarled, hands balling into fists as he took a step back, widening his stance. "I assume you're telling me this for a reason or are you just trying to bore me to death? If it's the former, then hurry up and spit it out. And if it's the latter. Well, I hate to break it to you, but I own a company. So it's going to take a lot more than just maniac spewing nonsense to make my crack."

A short silence followed this exchange as the two held each other's gaze, daring them to make the first move. The air between them was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. If there had been any other members of the Seraphim around, they would have scrambled away in fear of the intense aura both combatants were given off.

Then, after a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the silence was broken by the younger of the two.

"I never asked for this fate." The Phantom answered, his tone emotionless and cold. "I was set on this path by others, others not unlike yourself. People who push the weight and responsibility of the world onto the innocent so they can continue living in the past. People who think that they can gorge themselves on the riches of the world that they steal from the mouths of the less fortunate. And of course, people who believe that they have the right to honor those they murdered, or justify their murder behind pretty words and empty demonstrations of generosity. To me, those are the ones who truly deserve a fate far worse than death. For they who think themselves gods invincible, should be brought low by a demon of their own making."

Slowly, the masked man turned his gaze up toward the moon. Calmly, he reached up with her free hand, the shattered orb's center appearing to rest in his palm.

Then he tighten his hand into a fist, blocking the light from reaching his eyes.

"It was for this reason, to punish the sinners that hide from the light, that fate chose me to be the enactor of its will. For I, who has seen both the horrors and beauties of the world, bathing in the splendor of both, can bring the great change necessary to save this wretched world." He snarled, voice suddenly changing to one of aggression and strength, completely different from the raspy monotone it normally was. This one was filled with emotion, but not something simple like rage or anger. No, it was filled with pure, uncontrollable loathing. Not at Howard, at something else, something much, much bigger.

And while Howard didn't know what it was, this conversation had made one thing very clear.

"You're insane." The old man grunted, carefully taking a step to the side, putting the Phantom right between himself and the burning car wreck. "I thought you were some kind of ex-spy, or one of Ozpin's pawns, but now I see you're just like Igor. A madman can't comprehend what's right from what's wrong, nor is interested in trying. You're just a freak who doesn't care about anything or anyone as long as you get your erotic high from killing."

The Phantom remained quiet as he turned back to the old man, his face remaining completely unreadable due to his mask as he stared down his opponent.

"No." He said after a long pause, his voice once again a quiet rasp. "What I do is the purest form of evil. And I'm well aware of that. And that's why I've told you all of this, because I want to know something from the perspective of a man so drenched in self-righteous belief, he threw away his entire future for the sake of the long dead past."

Calmly, the Phantom raised his free hand and pointed at Howard's chest, his voice steady and unwavering as he asked one, single question.

"A king who rules during times of war finds his health starting to fade before he can ensure the peace and prosperity of his kingdom. Luckily, he has three daughters, each with their own ideology." He said, his conviction holding clear in his voice. "One believe that peace can be attained by setting down one's hatred and weapons and making a treaty with their enemies. They believe that the only way is to put aside the past and move forward into the future together. A peace filled with trust and compassion. A peace that relies on the fragile kindness and limited compassion that we so rarely share, and as a result, one that's fleeting and fragile, one that is destined to only create more war. The second believes that the only way to achieve peace is by conquest. Completely crushing the old enemy until there's nothing left to remember them by and thus, building peace for her people alone on the blood and bones of the fallen enemies. A peace that will drag the war out for many generations to come. As for the last, she believes that true peace can only be achieved by burning both kingdoms to the ground and starting both anew from the ground up. A peace built on neither and yet both compassion and strength. One that forces the people of both kingdoms to set aside their anger in order to rebuild. A peace built on necessity, not trust nor violence, but mutually assured destruction without cooperation. A peace that may result in more death in the here and now, but ultimately one that can never be broken."

The Phantom paused for a second here, his gaze still fixed on Howard, making sure the old man was listening before he continued.

"Only one can inherit the throne and by proxy, the future of the world. Which one should he choose? Which peace should he allow to become reality?"

Howard's eyes narrowed at the question as he slowly pieces together what deeper meaning, though it was pretty obvious to him what he meant.

"You offer me a paradox." He grunted, calmly raising his hand, palm facing the Phantom. "Regardless of what I choose, war will persist. End of story. In this theoretical version of the world, there is no future, no hope. All things will simply be, with no free will or way to diverge from a predetermined path. Though I suppose that's a fitting riddle coming from a man claiming to be the champion of fate."

With a quiet chuckle, Howard gaze fell to the floor for a few seconds, his voice barely above a whisper. "I've done a lot of things in my life I've come to regret. If I could truly live in that world that those two girls see, I have no doubt what my answer would be. But here, in this reality, I know there's only one way to truly save what matters most. And so, if I had to pick-."

Suddenly, Howard's boomerang shot from the trunk of the crashed car, flying toward its master aiming to cut through the Phantom as it sped toward him from behind.

But despite coming at a ridiculously high speed and from his blind spot, the Phantom, without even looking behind him, calmly sidestepped the attack as if it were nothing, his shawl barely rustling from the wind as it shot past him and into the hands of his opponent who ripped it apart as he ran at him.

"The peace built upon the grave of the enemy!" Howard bellowed, his own blue aura igniting, casting his shadow over the Phantom. The air becoming crushingly heavy, the very sky seeming to darker from his presence alone as the entire area became filled with his killer intent, one that felt like a title wave about to crash over a city, with the inhabitants being powerless to stop it.

Yet despite this, the Phantom remained unfazed, his gaze fixed on his opponent as he too took a step forward, his sword positioned between them as if a barrier to stop the flood of aura and rage as it barreled down towards him.

"An interesting choice." He said, locking eyes with the old man, completely calm despite the speed he was moving. "I respect your decision. But as for me, I chose the third princess. For in order to create something new, first there must be the destruction of the old. And for this horrible, wretched world to truly evolve, the past must cease to exist!"

And with that, he seized his sword with both hands and swung it against the old man, immediately clashing with his tonfa releasing a powerful shockwave that caused the surrounding flames to bend away as the old man was brought to a stop with a shocking amount of strength.

However, this victory would be short-lived as the second, a powerful burst of positive magnetism blew him back, sending him sailing high into the air.

Acting immediately, Howard slammed his two weapons together, changing them back into boomerang form and hurling it towards his helpless, mid air opponent, aiming to cut him in half.

But the Phantom seemed like he was expecting that. Spinning mid air, he swung his blade in an arc through the air above him, its glass center glowing blue, leaving traces of residue hanging in the air before he squeezed the trigger on his weapon.

Immediately, a slide of ice appeared above him, giving him footing that he used to leap off of, flying straight down toward his now unarmed opponent.

A deafening clang echoed through the air as Howard raised his hand, using his metal glove to block the blade and keeping the Phantom hanging in the air where he immediately swiped at him with his free hand, punching with a straight right like a boxer!

Yet, the Phantom simply moved his head, letting the glove graze against his mask but ultimately miss its mark, leaving the old man in a very compromising position.

Moving with intent, the fate being lunged forward, dragging his sword across his arm with blade aimed right for his opponent's eye. However, he was brought to a jilting halt as his metal weapon became stuck to a single point, as if glued there by an unseen, irresistible force. The magnetic poles in both metallic weapons.

"Now I've got you!" Howard roared, immediately throwing a barrage of punches at the man perched on his arm, swinging fast and hard, trying to land a clean hit, one that would give him an opening for more.

Right hook, straight, right cross, two more straights, followed by an uppercut. And combo with speed and power with each multi directional attack, aimed with precision and prediction with all of the years of experience behind the old man.

But to his surprise, the Phantom, even with his limited movement from his trapped sword, effortlessly dodged each and every punch, all without appearing to be fazed or even bothered by the attacks! Almost like he knew what Howard's plan was.

Confusion struck the old man as he continued his barrage. How the hell was this brat reading him so easily? Sure, he was just punching at him, not doing much to create an opening, but those blows were fast! And to be able to read him so perfectly that he couldn't even put a scratch on his mask was absurd! Only someone with expansive experience in hand-to-hand combat should be able to do that. And off the top of his head, only Qrow had that-!

Suddenly, the Phantom's boot slammed into the old man's face, making him take a staggering step backward, stunned from the blow, throwing his arm up in front of his face to shield it from any more attacks.

Which was a good thing as the next second, another powerful kick landed against his arm, aimed to land in the exact same spot as the previous one. Then another, quickly followed by another, and of course, another.

Looking past his guard, Howard saw the Phantom practically breakdancing on his sword, throwing bone shattering kick after kick at the old man's face, trying to sneak his way through his guard to land a decisive blow.

And he was freaking fast!

Despite him pounding away at Howard's defending arm and being perched on his other, the old man couldn't see any opening to throw him off or use that momentum against him! Each kick was so fast and powerful, by the time he had finished absorbing the pressure, the Phantom had repositioned and was halfway through his next kick, keeping the large man on the defensive.

And with this kind of pounding, it was only a matter of time before something would give.

"Annoying brat!" Howard roared, biting the bullet and throwing arm out, trying to swat the Phantom away and disarm him at the same time with his powerful counter.

But the Phantom, almost as if he expected that, cartwheeled backwards, dodging the attack and landing on the hilt of his sword in a one handed handstand where his pulled the trigger on his blade, immediately realizing a powerful jolt of lightning dust from his blade and into the metal gauntlet.

"Aahhhh-!" Howard screamed as the electricity shot through his entire body, but even that was shot lived as the next instant, he was struck in the side of the head as the Phantom swung his own body like a club, hitting him with both feet causing the larger man to stumble back, freeing the blade as he lost focus for an instant.

And that instant was all he needed, leaping into the air, the Phantom swung his sword, releasing an energy wave charged with electricity from his blade that raced towards his opponent with blinding speed, forcing him to throw himself out of the way to avoid getting hit.

But this was far from over.

As Howard looked up from his roll, his mouth went dry as he saw his opponent discharging those same energy waves repeatedly, rapidly firing them to blanket the enter area around him in an attempt to pin him down. Something that didn't sound too appealing to the old man.

Activating his semblance, Howard shot back, weaving in and out of the annoyingly accurate attacks his opponent sent his way as he recalled his boomerang to his side.

Fine, if hand-to-hand wasn't going to work, he'd crush this parasite with the full might of his semblance!

Dodging around one of his attacks, the old man saw his opening and hurled his weapon at the Phantom, forcing him to jump to avoid it, putting him high in the air once again giving Howard the advantage.

Immediately, he swung one of his arms at his opponent as he caught his boomerang with the other. His semblance effortlessly ripping the remains of his limousine off the ground and catapulting it toward the airborn man.

Seeing this, the Phantom spun, repositioning himself upright as he gripped his sword with both hands before he cut the car in half with a single swing! The two pieces flying past him leaving the man completely unharmed.

But the moment the car was sliced, the Phantom found Howard right behind it, his arms raised and guarded by his bladed tonfas.

"Got you!" The bellowed, swinging both weapons down onto the Phantom's head, barely giving him enough time to throw his blade up between as a feeble line of defense that did nothing when the attacks clashed, knocking his guard down, slamming into both shoulders and sending the man crashing back down to earth with so much force, the point of impact caused a huge pile of dirt and debris to be launched into the air, completely obscuring the current state of his opponent.

But Howard knew better than to let him catch his breath.

Activating his semblance once again, the old man rocketed himself toward the ground, feet firmly pressed together to crush the masked man beneath him.

This was it! If this connected, the battle would be over! And the kingdom would have one less scumbag, maniac in it. All he needed to do was crush his opponent's spine and take that miserable head off his shou-.

Suddenly, Howard felt several small items colliding the bottom of his boots. Confused, he looked down to see what was hitting him and immediately felt his heart leap into his throat.

No less than ten grenades were stuck to his magnetized boots, their metal casing sticking to him like they were held there by tape. And each and every one had their pin pulled.

"!" Acting immediately, Howard magnetized the metal object to push them away, at the same time, he clasped his hands as if in prayer, activating his Planetary Shield, creating a powerful magnetic barrier around him that distorted even the light around him, rendering the attack useless.

And as the explosives went off, the shockwave they generated didn't even move the man. And while he had been forced to cancel his finishing attack, he was far from don-.

Suddenly, an energy blast shot from the smoke, one wrapped in flames and fired towards him at high speeds, slamming into his shield before harmlessly breaking apart into sparks that fluttered down around him.

"Pointless. This shield had been used to deflect a Leviathan class Grimm. A weak little dust attack like that won't even register." He snarled as more energy blasts shot towards him, shattering against his barrier on impact as he fell.

"Hmph. Fool." Howard thought as he looked down, the smoke clearing to reveal his target rapidly swinging his sword, discharging a barrage of dust waves towards him. "I know what you're plotting, you're trying to make me use up all my aura so I can't use this ability anymore. Well too bad! Once activated, I barely need to expend a drop of my aura to keep it in place. All you're doing is wasting your dust. And once you're out, I'll crush you!"

With that, the old man touched down on the ground, embers floating down all around him, not a scratch on Howard to show for the relentless attacks. Attacks which the Phantom stopped as his opponent reached the ground.

Calmly, the masked man pulled the hilt of his blade, releasing a chamber hidden in guard. Contained within were several glass vials, each one filled with different kinds of dust, fire, ice, electricity, and another one Howard didn't recognize.

But one thing he did notice was that the fire one was dangerously low, almost empty in fact. That must be the secret to his attacks, his blade could somehow stitch dust together and discharge it in a waveform at rapid speeds. But doing so cost him, each attack seemed to consume a sizeable amount of dust and reloading with raw dust in the middle of battle was extremely risky, something no self respecting huntsman would try without knowing full well they could get away with it.

After staring at his remaining ammunition for a second, he wordlessly clicked it back into his guard, sealing it back up as his gaze shifted back to his opponent, who locked eyes with him. There, they stood for a few seconds until the older one finally broke the silence.

"Not enough to continue fighting? Well too bad, I'm not letting you reload." He said, slamming his weapons together back into boomerang form. "Still, I'm curious. Where did you learn to use dust like that? I've never seen anything like it since the war against the monarchy. High ranking nobles used similar weapons and tactics as a symbol of their status, even though they used far too much dust to be properly effective. But it seems yours is far more advanced, with newer technology that actually makes it a viable weapon. Who taught you to use something like?"

The Phantom stared at the old man for a few seconds, then calmly lowered his blade, taking a step back for seemingly no reason.

"Why tell you anything?" The fate bringer asked. "After all, you'll be dead in the next few minutes."

At this challenge, Howard planted his feet, piling his arms back as if to throw his boomerang at his opponent once again, this time magnetically binding it to the wrecked truck behind the Phantom, immediately causing it to go flying toward him from his blind spot at shocking speeds. A move that if done right, would not only wind him, but drag him right into the old man's waiting blow, a move that would finish this fight imm-.

Suddenly, Howard's eye was drawn to his shoulder as one of the falling embers landed on it, the smell of chemicals on it. And as the old man looked down at it, he once again felt his heart leap into his throat.

This wasn't an ember at all! It was finally crushed dust that somehow hadn't been burned up when discharged. And if it was, the sparks that the truck he was pulling towards both of them would immediately ignite them and then-!

But before he could even try to stop his attack, the Phantom clicked the trigger on his sword and immediately, Howard vanished in a massive explosion that scorched not only half the entire park, but also several buildings that surrounded it! Sending dust and debris raining down on them alongside the ashes and embers from the heat. Leaving nothing but ashes in their wake.

Yet the masked man wasn't down just yet.

Backflipping into the air and landing on the truck, he planted his feet on the vehicle and let it carry him toward the fiery explosion, sailing head first into the fire and right to his opponent, who had been sent flying into the air from the blast.

Shifting to his ice dust, the Phantom released it into the air from the top of his blade, then with the pull of a trigger, freezing it and creating a massive spike jetting out from the vehicle, yet not attached to it. So when it slammed into the magnetic field the old man had set up, instead of stopping like the truck, it continued, slamming into the old man's gut at the same speed, shattering the ice and sending him flying into the ledge that enclosed the park, causing a part of the wall to completely collapse on top of him!

Landing on all fours, the Phantom looked up at the rubble, seeing a flickering blue light beneath the stone, then the old man shot out, propelling himself at top speed toward his opponent, arms raised to shield himself from any ranged attack the masked man might throw.

Or most attacks anyway.

Changing the blade to discharge electric dust, the Phantom released an energy wave at the advancing old man, firing him to jerk to the side to avoid getting hit and prompting a barrage of unnaturally accurate energy waves to completely block the path between the two men making it impossible to advance without getting hit.

But that didn't stop Howard, clamping his hands together, he once again activated his shield, causing the dust to harmlessly break apart on contact, letting him close the distance between them in a heartbeat.

Acting immediately, The Phantom swung his blade, still empowered by dust down on the man, aiming to force him back with a sharp blow to the neck. But the old man countered by releasing a powerful shockwave, knocking the masked man's blade skyward and blasting him off balance.

Seeing his opening, Howard swung low, his tonfa aimed to slash his opponent's chest just below the rib. But right before he made contact, the Phantom somehow managed to get his footing and shifted his weight, leaping over the blade and spinning mid air where he immediately lashed out with his blade, aiming to take the old man's eyes with his sword.

But Howard had expected this. Reacting immediately, he threw his spare tonfa up, blocking the attack and magnetizing it in the same instant, sticking the blade to his weapon.

"Got you!" The old man bellowed, his leg lashing out and kicking his opponent in the chest, knocking him back a few feet, forcing him not only to let go of his weapon, but also dig his claws into the ground to stop himself from flying back further.

As the Phantom came to a stop, he looked up at his opponent as he slowly advanced towards him, his blade still stuck firmly to his tonfa, meaning it wasn't coming off anytime soon.

"It's over." Howard said, stopping a few feet away from the Phantom. "You fought well. But unfortunately fate isn't something for you to decide. Fate is but a single stone with writing upon it. And as such, time and experience can wash that away, make it decay as we grow and learn. Nothing is predetermined, and if it was, then you can simply change it as you see fit. To cling to fate as if it were a life line is for the weak and insecure, the kinds of people who need to believe in their own greatness, people like you."

Calmly, Howard leveled his blade at the masked man, his eyes narrowed to slits as he spoke in a powerful commanding tone.

"I've seen people like you before. I know your story. You started small, dreaming of being something more. But when you learned how harsh reality can be, you broke under its weight, gave up on yourself and turned to vigilante justice to try to make something of yourself. But you won't."

Howard thrust his blade at his opponent, calmly proclaiming his victory over the now unarmed man.

"People like you will always be small. Never amounting to anything beyond a few simple, short lived accomplishments. You will never rise above a footnote in history, a minor inconvenience in the ever expansive world, not even being a ripple in a massive lake that fades with time. You shall be forgotten king before your empire of sand comes crumbling down on you. That is, well, as you would say, your fate."

A heavy silence fell between the two men, the Phantom's face unreadable as it hid behind his mask, nor did he have any visible tension on any part of his body as he rose to his feet, leaving his body language devoid of any emotions or tells at all. Making him feel almost inhuman

Then, he calmly took a step back, raising both arms to his sides immediately putting the old man on the defensive. He didn't know what this brat was planning, but there was something…off about him. He couldn't place what, but there was just something that almost felt like he could see into his soul. An unsettling feeling to say the least.

"If that is the case, then come here and end me." The Phantom said, his gaze fixed on Howard. "I shall put my faith in the hands of fate and let it be the ultimate abettor of what is to come. And if it is my fate to die here and now, so be it."

Howard raised an eyebrow at the masked man. His body tense as he kept his gaze fixed on him. Then, he lowered his head and let out a sigh

"So be it." He said, shifting into a more offensive stance. "If you're willing to put your faith in some made up concept, I won't bother trying to change your mind. Just remember, this was your decision, a decision that has now cost you your life!"

With that, Howard charged at the masked man, his footsteps shaking the very earth with each step he took. Running at frightening speed, closing the distance between them in an instant, immediately pulling back his fist to land a crushing blow!

And as their eyes locked, the Phantom murmured something softly, something that if he hadn't been right on top of him, Howard would have definitely missed. But he did, and while the words were neither threatening nor profound, they were words that would stick with him for the rest of his life.

"I believe in destiny."

The next instant, Howard's fist came crashing down. The hand alone carrying enough power to crush bone with a single touch. Enhancing this already impressive power was the sheer speed at which he threw it, fast enough that it could put professional boxers to shame. A feat that not even Qrow could compete with. It was an overwhelming attack in every aspect, something that was more than capable of putting even fully auraed huntsmen in the hospital for a good few days!

But the Phantom. The Phantom, moving with almost bored grace, gilded right out of the way of the attack, the blade of the tonfa barely even scratching him as he dodged to the side, with almost-. No. With complete perfect timing.

Howard, caught completely off guard, stumbled slightly from not having anything to push into like he had expected. But quickly regained his footing, not letting his opponent capitalize on the opening.

Refusing to give up, the old man launched into a barrage of lightning fast punches, each one with equal amounts of strength and speed to the last. Each one not thrown randomly or carelessly, but targeted, and thrown in combinations that would make the next one incredibly awkward and difficult to dodge.

But to the old man's complete surprise, not only did the Phantom dodge every single one of his attacks, he did so just as perfectly as the first, almost seemingly gliding effortlessly out of the way, leaving no opening for him to capitalize on!

"Impossible! It can't be!" Howard thought as all his relentless attacks flew harmlessly past the Phantom, the only indication it had even happened was the shawl he wore swaying slightly from the wind his punch generated as the old man tried desperately to analyze him.

"This can't be. How is he dodging all of this? To be able to predict a barrage like this would take decades of experience in hand to hand combat. No way this kid, who can't be even in his forty, could have that level of experience! Yet somehow he's dodging them better than most pro huntsmen. Somehow, someway, this kid is predicting me better than people with three times his experience. Could…could he be-?"

Howard was cut off as his opponent took advantage of his distraction by summersault kicking him in the chin, staggering the old man, giving the Phantom an opening to shoot forward, slamming his elbow into the old man's stomach, right below his ribs.

Winded, Howard stumbled back, stunned from the fast, yet shockingly power blows. And this opening was exactly what his opponent had wanted.

Lunging forward, the Phantom grabbed his sword and pulled the trigger on it. Immediately releasing a power burst of electricity from the blade that travel from the metal tonfa right into the old man, making him cry out in pain, the concentration on his semblance breaking for an instant letting the masked man kick him away, freeing his sword and knocking his opponent several feet back, slamming back into the stone wall that surrounded the park.

After a few seconds, Howard slowly staggered to his feet. His mouth opened as he gasped for breath, each one coming out ragged and uneven. Clearly he was exhausted from both the car crash and this level of battle, leaving him in a more vulnerable state with every passing moment.

However, Howard's gaze remained strong, completely fixed in his opponent as he took in all he had learned in their exchanges. And the more he thought about it, the more obvious something was wrong here.

The Phantom was good, too good. No way this was some random brute who learned how to fight on the streets, nor was it some rich, spoiled brat who only trained in a safe environment and never seen real combat. No, these were the moves of someone who had not only been trained, but also learned from facing down death over and over again until he had gone numb to it.

But that was impossible. Going off his height and strength, he was in his mid thirties at the latest. His body wasn't slowing down or showing any signs of age, meaning he was young, most likely in his prime, yet somehow strong enough to hold his own at a level of combat he had no business fighting at.

On top of that, the way he fought, going all out without any resistance showed how resilient his body was. Which meant he also hadn't suffered some kind of critical wound or regular injury, the kind that was indicative of abuse as a child. So he hadn't been trained as some kind of child soldier either.

So what was his trick? Sure, he knew that the Phantom had probably done his research, but to have a counter to every one of his moves ready to go with such practiced ease? No way he was such a skill strategist to pull something like that off. If so, he wouldn't even need to show his face or even fight in general. He could have just used poison or something that kept him safely out of the spotlight as well as any fights that might cause him grievous injury.

So what was he do-?

"Are you almost done strategizing yet?"

Howard was ripped from his thoughts as the Phantom leveled his blade at the old man's face, his gaze fixed on him with equal intensity.

"Your mind is like an open book to me. All your thoughts stink of repetition. How is he doing it? What is he up to? How is he reading my moves? I've heard it all before and let me tell you, I'm getting sick of it." The Phantom made a threatening thrust with his blade towards his opponent. "Let me assure you, you will never be able to figure it out, and even if you do, you'll never find a counter. My semblance is the ultimate gift from fate, one that makes certain its will is carried out, no matter how untouchable my opponent is. So if you want to understand my power, here's the only thing you need to know."

Calmly, the Phantom took a step forward, leveling his sword at the old man's face with the blade aimed straight down the middle.

"No matter how hard you fight or how much you struggle, fate has finally caught up with you. Now, it's time to pay your compensation for your sins. Repentance is here, and justice is nigh. Tonight is the time when you reap the fate you have sown, a fate that has been a long time coming, Bane of Atlas." With that, he took a step toward the cornered, exhausted old man. His form illuminated by the fire before him casting a large, wide shadow that completely swallowed his opponent, making the large man appear small in comparison.

And as the Phantom advanced, Howard bit the inside of his lip as his grip tightened on his blade. He had switched positions in an instant, all while making it look effortless. The old man couldn't remember the last time he fought someone this strong. Regardless of where his power came from, or how he had gotten it, it clearly was in a completely different league than he first imagined. He had no choice now, if he wanted to win, he'd have to throw caution to the wind and finish this in a single clean blow!

Planting his feet, Howard slammed his Tonfa together back into boomerang form, deactivating his aura cloak to ensure he had enough to pull of his next move before hurling high into the sky, far above the battlefield where it not only couldn't be touched and could circle around the entire park.

Following the weapon with his head, the Phantom seemed a bit confused at first. But that quickly passed as he felt his blade give a powerful tug towards the boomerang, almost dragging the man off his feet in its attempt to join the weapon above them.

But while the masked man was able to keep his weapon anchored to the ground, it was far from the only piece of metal in the area.

Immediately, the convoy of cars started to rise off the ground, being joined not only by the wrecked truck, but also street lights, drinking fountains, fire hydrants, and even the Phantom's own grenades. All were pulled effortlessly up into the sky forming a mass of metal that completely blotted out the shattered moon.

"It's over!" The old man bellowed as the Phantom staggered, trying to pull his own weapon back down. "I don't know who or what you are, but your end is finally here! I cannot let something like you continue to roam free and unchecked! You must die for not only the sake of Vale, but the rest of the world at large! Something like you can't be allowed to exist! So die, and take that dangerous ideology with you! Your journey ends here!"

With that, Howard brought the mass of metal down on the Phantom, the objects heating up as they descended with blinding speed toward the masked man from all sides at once, leaving him with no way to escape even if they weren't being drawn directly to him.

And as these projectiles shot toward him, Howard let out a breath he had been holding. Finally, this nightmare was ove-.

Suddenly, the Phantom shot forward, gripping his blade with both hands, turning the base of the handle until the guard bore the alchemical symbol for gold before pulling the trigger on his blade. And then, everything changed.

Suddenly, what looked like blue light shot from his blade, almost appearing like flames from the hilt that shot down the weapon, completely wrapping itself around the blade, changing it from a pure black blade into what looked like a raging blue inferno, several inches longer as the energy expanded out on either side.

Digging his feet into the ground, The Phantom wrenched his blade down, out of the magnetic field, somehow freeing it from Howard's entrapment! Then, he swung it wide over his head, swinging it in a huge arc with the trigger still held down.

Immediately, that light shot off the blade, forming powerful energy waves in rapid succession that shot into the air, forming a whirlwind of that energy that completely disintegrated the metal as they clashed, leaving no trace of it behind!

The energy spiraled endlessly from the blades as the Phantom spun it, tearing the metal shrapnel to pieces as it entered the twisted. The flames-. No, no they weren't flames but rather a form of what the old man could only describe as fluctuating, hard light dust. Almost like a liquid and gas put together that formed an unbreachable wall that no ordinary metal could get through. Something that he was confident no one had ever seen before.

And as the…soft light dust twister came to an end, he saw all the metal he had sent toward the Phantom had been turned to dust by the masked man's counter attack.

Howard stood there, mouth hanging open as he watched his most powerful attack torn to pieces like it was nothing. How? How had he done that?! He had brought low entire fortresses and leviathan class Grimm alike with that move, with the only people to ever survive it doing so only because of a one time event that they didn't even seem to know or understand.

Yet somehow, some way, this man had somehow attacked head on and won. A feat not only unheard of, but using a method Howard didn't even understand. Was that his semblance? No. No way he had that much aura to burn. But then what? He had never seen a move like that before and he had no clue what it was! How had he disabled his magnetism? What was that energy he had used to shoot down his attack? And even now, as he lowered his blade, it was still wrapped in that same energy. Meaning he hadn't even needed to use it all up!

"You done staring?" The Phantom asked, snapped Howard out of his thoughts. "I didn't want to use that attack. But I guess that's a testament to your skill. Getting a good look at the ultimate move of the Bane of Atlas was truly an honor."

Calmly, he raised his sword, still wrapped in that strange energy, up to his face, blade diagonal to his face, stopping just below his eyes.

"Now, it's my turn. Allow me to repay the favor by showing you mine." He breathed, seizing the sword with both hands. "I hope you're ready. My blade, Absolute Finality, is very heavy like this, so I won't be able to stop it even if I wanted to."

Eyes widening, Howard acted immediately, recalling his boomerang and raising it as a shield and filling it with all his remaining aura as the Phantom swung his sword at him, the same energy discharging another powerful energy wave at him before dissipating from the blade, steam pouring out of the guard. Whatever this power was, must take a toll on the weapon. So if he could just survive this hit, he could-!

But that was as far as he got as before the energy wave crashed into him, immediately ripping right through his remaining aura, tearing it to pieces along with his boomerang letting the attack slam into his chest, knocking him back as it tore him open.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Howard screamed as he the pushed back by the energy wave, blood and flesh flying out from the point of impact. This wasn't an wave of concentrated energy! It was a super high dense energy mass that's putter shell was cycling through an internal power source with the focus being any form of resistance it met on its path!

In less technical terms, it was an energy chainsaw! One that once striking an object, would focus its power there, landing a couple million hits in less then a second effectively tearing whatever it was to pieces. And right now, that was his chest and ribs!

But despite realizing this, the old man was powerless to do anything to stop it. He was out of aura and could do nothing but let the attack carry him into the cliff side of the park, smashing into it once again as the broken halves of his boomerang fell to the ground several feet away, blood dripping from the part he was still holding.

Looking down, Howard let out a wheeze as he surveyed the damage, his own stomach dropping when he saw the hole in his chest that the blade had torn open. Blood was leaking onto the ground, already forming a pool where he sat, staring at his own disjointed and splayed ribs.

The repeated hits hadn't made a clean cut, but instead mauled him, turning the skin on his chest into the after mass of a document that had gone through a paper shredder, only actually sticking to his body inside of falling into a trash can like the office machine. Blood had also been thrown out when he was hit, staining his shirt and pants with blood and leaving bits of flesh that had escaped the grinding laying on the ground below his traveled path. The ribbons of flesh the attack had left meant that there was no easy way to treat or seal the wound.

Coughing, Howard tried to ride to his feet, only for the burning in his chest and the rapidly disappearing feeling in his limbs resulting in him falling back to the ground, propped up only by the wall at his back.

"Stay down." The Phantom said, making the old man look up to see him advancing toward him, calmly reloading the fire dust vile in his guard. "An injury like that, even a hospital won't be able to save you. Moving will only hasten your demise, and I still have use for you."

With that, the Phantom pulled the trigger on his sword, immediately making the blade glow red and releasing steam as the heat turned the blade white hot from the dust that flowed through it.

Coming to a stop right in front of the old man, the masked man stabbed the blade into the ground next to him as he crouched down next to the old man, fishing around in one of his pouches.

"Y-you won't get away with this." Howard wheezed, his hands pressed against the huge gash on his chest in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. "After all the big moves we used, it's only a matter of time before the police and media show up. And with less than an hour before dawn, no way you'll be able to escape unnotic-. Cough! Cough!"

Howard was forced to break off as his coughed up blood which dribbled down his mouth and into his beard, his own lungs lacking the strength to throw it into his lap.

But despite Howard's accurate threat, the Phantom didn't seem perturbed, slowly pulling out what looked like a brass-knuckle and sliding it onto his hand before pressing it against his blade, heating the object.

"W-what are you doing?" The old man gasped, his hand weakly trying to push himself up to no avail. "You've won. No hospital can heal this. Shouldn't you be trying to get out before anyone shows up? The longer you linger, the more likely someone find-. Gah!"

Howard was cut off by the Phantom grabbing him by his throat, holding him in place as he removed the brass knuckles from the blade, raising to the old man's face, causing him to flinch as he felt the heat radiating from it scotch his face.

"I'm counting on it." The fate bringer said, then his fist shot forward, slamming the white hot metal against the old man's face, immediately filling the air with the smell of burning flesh, as well as the screams of the old man as he held it in place, burning the metal into his face ensuring it would leave a clear and visible scar.

And after only a few minutes of agonizing torture, the Phantom pulled back, leaving a lifeless corpse where the old man had once been, his final moments being pure agony as he was forced to bare the weight of his sins.

Justice had finally been served. And now, he could finally begin phase two.

---

Later at Beacon Academy.

Cinder stifled a yawn as she and the rest of her team made their way toward the breakfast hall, half listening to the conversation between Amber and Adam.

"I'm telling you, there's no historic facts to back up those claims." Amber said with an unusual amount of aggression. "Six hundred men couldn't have held back an army of that size without the use of aura and dust, both of which weren't used at that point."

"And I'm telling you that just because it wasn't recorded doesn't mean they didn't have access to aura." Adam retaliated. "I get that back then, people with aura were burned at the stake, but some people had to have known about it and just hide it really well. That's why it's not recorded, because they were too scared of being called a witch to tell anyone."

The two of them were arguing about a movie where six hundred men fought against an army of a few thousands, somehow managed to hold them back despite all odds. And during the credits, it was stated that the movie was based on a historical event, which is what caused the argument last night and carried into this morning.

And while yes, arguing about how accurate it was could be called childish, the dark haired girl was just happy to see her leader finally seeming to recover after their first mission.

Ever since the tournament, Amber seemed to be doing much better. Professor Goodwitch had pulled her off the suicide watch and her therapist had even dialed back the dosage on her antidepressants. Combine that with the sheer volume of catch up work they had been swamped with acting as a very effective (if not somewhat annoying.) distraction, she definitely seemed to be on the up and up.

Overall, the past few weeks had been pretty slow for the school, relaxing even. (Minus the catchup work.) and while Cinder was definitely itching to get back into action now that Amber had her weapon back, a part of her would miss being able to just mess around and staying up late to watch dumb movies and argue about them in the morning.

As they walked into the grand hall, they grabbed their food and made their way to one of the tables in the corner of the room, away from everyone else where they sat down and began eating.

"So, seeing as this semester is drawing to a close, anything we should do before being sent back out on missions?" Eric asked as Adam turned to one of the large tv that was hung from the ceiling and began checking the daily news. "Amber has her weapon back and now that she's finally gotten used to it, I was thinking we could go celebrate it by ordering pizza or something. I don't think we've had that since we first formed our team."

Smiling at the suggestion, said girl nodded in agreement.

"Not a bad idea." She said cheerfully. "I've been wanting to go down to the city for a few days now anyway. There's a really rare book I've been wanting to hunt down and I've just completed a three page list of places I might be able to find it!"

At this, Cinder let out a chuckle, leaning back as she turned her attention to her partner.

"I'm probably going to regret asking this, but what is it about?" She said, speaking up slightly as the chatter in the room started to get louder for some reason. "Let me guess, it's an autobiography from some famous philosopher or something. That sounds right up your alley and the only reason you're this excited to go back into the main city."

Amber laughed, though her team had a hard time hearing her as the chatter was getting even louder. As well as some annoying people turning up the volume of their Scrolls which was playing some kind of real time news story.

"Actually, it's the last remaining record of a lost kingdom that almost conquered the world." Amber said. "I think I told you about this one before, but a long time ago, there was a king and queen who sought to unite the world under their banner. According to legend, they were so skilled people practically worsened them as gods as their semblances were so versatile that it almost looked like magic!"

"Wow! That's pretty impressive!" Eric said, the entire team now having to speak pretty loudly to drown out the background noise. "I'm guessing this was before semblances were discovered, right?! I'm not too familiar with that time period and this story is kinda ringing a bell!"

"Yeah, it was during what humanity dubbed the first age." Amber replied, though her team could barely hear her. "Apparently, they—and because of that—-but nobody knows exactly what hap-!"

At this point, the noise in the room was so loud, they couldn't even make out what their leader was saying. The cacophony of sound as multiple news outlets and archers all talking at once turned what should have been a peaceful conversation into an increasing annoyance.

"Just a minute." Cinder said loudly and forcefully as she stood up and began scanning the room for the trolls who were making the ruckus. Fully intending to make them stop by force if need be. Honestly, she was kinda surprised nobody else already had.

But as she looked over the room, she was surprised to see it wasn't a single table like she had been expecting, but the entire room as people's attention were fixed toward the ceiling as they talked loudly amongst themselves, none of them even seeming to notice that they were causing a scene.

"The hell?" Cinder breathed out. "What's going on here? Why's everyone acting like zombies? It's like they're being possessed by something. What's-?" But then she noticed Adam's uncharacteristic silence, making her turn to follow his gaze along with the other two members of her team.

"-attack at Fairytale park continues to baffle both investigators and media alike. As while multiple bodies were found, there's still no answer who or why someone would go to these lengths for just a few gang members." The reporter on the tv said into her microphone. "However, as more evidence surfaces, we will be right here to update you in real time about what is going on in your city. But for now, back to you Lisia."

The screen cut to a new anchor, thanking the reporter on the ground before he started talking about speculation on who it might have been giving the damage, making a point to name a few well known huntsmen.

"Someone picked a fight with the Seraphim? Seriously?" Cinder said as she leaned back in her seat. "Welp, they'll be dead by this time tomorrow. Don't they know Adelaide is out of jail and back in action? I already feel sorry for whoever earned her wrath. That bitch is crazy."

"You can say that again." Eric agreed. "After the warehouse being raided by Atlas, and now this. She's going to be pissed. And I'm sure we all remember how dangerous she is when she's upset."

The team shared a light laugh at the joke before returning to their normal, uninterrupted conversation. Taking about the historical significance of the movie as the din around them started to quiet, returning to the normal school atmosphere they had missed so much.

Well, everyone except one.

Despite the more relaxed talk from her teammates, Amber found herself getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. First the warehouse, then an attack on her members, all relatively close together. That seemed too convenient to be a coincidence. No way a raid by Atlas followed almost immediately by an attack on their members was pure change. Someone must have planned both incidents in coordination with each other to achieve some kind of end goal, one that clearly didn't involve the Seraphim.

But who would be stupid enough to go after the Seraphim twice? Atlas had bigger problems than a gang in another kingdom and she doubted it was the White Fang. Was it the Eternal Dynasty then? Getting back at them for trying to go after them? No, that didn't make sense. After all, there was no way they could sneak into the kingdom without triggering an alarm. And even if they could, they had no idea of Howard's plans. They wouldn't risk an assault like this on a hunch.

But before she could dwell on it, the screen suddenly cut back to the park, this time with the reporter pointing up at something that was dangling from one of the nearby buildings. Though it was so dark out Amber couldn't make out what it was.

"-there's something up there, see? There's something dangling from the building! Dave! Get the floodlights! We need to light this up' " The reporter said, pointing frantically at it. On the edge of the screen, you could see other media crews had also noticed and were pointing cameras at it too. In the background, you could even hear the sounds of light being set up, as well as the police seemingly asking the media to leave.

As this was going on, Amber found herself raising to her feet, gaze glued to the darkened object. She couldn't place why, but it looked vaguely familiar to her, though she couldn't remember where she had seen it before.

"Amber, you okay?" Cinder asked, raising with her partner, gently laying a hand on her shoulder. And while she did reach up and place her own hand on top of the dark haired girl's, it did little to combat the feeling of dread growing in the pit of her stomach.

She didn't know why, but every instinct inside her was screaming at her to look away, to rush down to the city and shut off the entire broadcast. To do something to stop whatever horror was about to be revealed, as if it would somehow undo the deed that had already been done.

But she didn't. And so, when the flood light turned, illuminating the ghastly sight before, Amber felt her heart stop as all the wind from her lungs left her as if she had been hit by a truck.

There, hanging by his neck, was Isaac Howard's lifeless body. His chest had been split open, revealing his bare ribs and organs beneath, as well as the scarring on the bone itself. As a result of this damage, blood completely covered his lap before it dropped down to the ground, forming a small pool beneath him that survived almost as an indication of how long he had been there.

Behind him, hanging with their hairs tied together, was Adelaide's severed head. Blood had stopped flowing from the wound on her neck and now only a few still wet drops were dripping down from a small portion of her spine that was hanging out of her neck.

But Amber's eyes didn't linger on either for more than a second as her gaze was immediately drawn to Howard's face, where it stuck in pure shock on the injury stretched his entire face, from one eye to the other.

His flesh had been badly seared, the skin burned so badly that it had turned black on the inside with a much lighter, reddish color that surrounded it in a pattern that must have come from a branding iron. Whoever had done this had clearly wanted to send some kind of message, as the symbol that was at the center was burned onto his skin with almost artistic precision.

Due to the camera work and tv quality, the dark skinned girl couldn't make it out right away. But as the camera zoomed in and the video feed stabilized, she could see it with all the clarity she ever needed.

There, seared onto his flesh, were the large, distinct letters, S.D.C.

Time seemed to stop for Amber as she stared up at the screen, barely able to comprehend what she was seeing. Her entire body going numb from shock and horror. All around her, she could hear the collective gasp of the other students in the room, feel the tension that had been building ever since the end of Music Fest disappear as it seemed to practically rip from the bottle containing it and fly into the sky with a deafening, yet completely silent roar.

This wasn't happening. It couldn't! Surely this was all a dream she'd wake from to find the reassuring presence of the uneasy, but slowly calming peace that had been the past norm.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eric drop his plate as his hands shot up, covering his mouth to stifle his hasp, eyes wide as he stared at the tv. The usual calm and joking demeanor was replaced with one of shock and horror.

Next to him, Adam was standing, staring as well. A glass of water slipping from his hand and hitting the floor with a crash that seemed almost muffled by the sheer shock of the collective, something that no dream could ever hope to emulate.

As it hit her, Amber realized she could feel her own heart hammering painfully against her chest, practically trying to shatter her ribs with each pound, defiantly proving to her that this was reality. Not a dream or hallucination, just pure, unconditional reality.

And as that harsh fact hit her, so to did the gravity of what it meant, and the consequences of what it meant.

Immediately, she felt her strength leave her legs as her heartbeats became unbearably painful, forcing the young girl to drop to her knees, hands pressed above her chest as her breathing became fast and erratic.

Frantically clutching at her chest, her nails began to tear into her own skin, drawing blood to the surface as she frantically tried to reach her heart and force it to slow. Her eyes were popping out of her head yet she couldn't see anything around her as darkness threatened to swallow her whole. Bile rose in her stomach and a dull ringing filled her ears, drowning out everything else around her. At this point, she could probably be trampled by a stampede of Grimm and wouldn't notice.

And as Amber was going through her panic attack, threatening to hyperventilate. Cinder found herself unable to tear her gaze away from the tv, her own stomach rejecting her freshly eaten breakfast.

How had this happened?! Sure, she didn't like Howard or Adelaide, but to be tortured then killed? For their bodies to be strung up like this? This was a line too far! Nobody, no matter how deprived, should be treated like this after death, not even those two.

Taking a step back, Cinder found herself shaking, and oblivious to her surroundings as she accidently knocked her chair over, her hand fumbling for the table as she tried to steady herself and stay upright. Her mind struggled just to keep up.

Howard was dead, and by Atlas' hand no less! Was this an act of retaliation for them stealing whatever that machine was? But if so, why use the S.D.C. logo? It's wasn't like that asshole of a CEO was on the council or anything. So why-?

"Hey! The hell you doing!?"

The sound of a familiar voice broke Cinder out of her daze. At the same time, the camera was ripped off the body to show Qrow storming toward the reporters, hand outstretched to grab the equipment from them.

"Shut that off this instant!" He yelled, as some of the behind the scenes tenchitions came into frame trying to stop him, only to be effortlessly pushed past before he reached the camera, where he began trying to wrestle the it away from the reporters. "I said shut that off now!"

In the background, the dark haired girl could hear some protests from the reporters as the video began to shake violently, most likely them trying to fight off the huntsman from handling their equipment. Using words like, "I have my rights!" Or "this is assault! You have no right!" As well as many threats of suing among other curse's and name calling.

But it wasn't enough. Soon, the video feed showed the grass among several pairs of boots, including Qrow's, one of which was already raised up, ready to come back down, completely shutting off the video, leaving a screen of static.

Left with no more feed, the students of Beacon exchanged looks, unsure of what to do or to say after that. Many were still stunned after what they had just witnessed.

But the familiar face and voice had snapped Cinder out of her daze, giving her something to focus on beyond her shock and disbelief. Something that allowed her to act, for as much as she didn't like her uncle, his intervention had stirred an old memory inside her, one of immediate urgency.

Breaking away from her team, Cinder raced across the dinning hall and to one of the windows facing out to the city. Throwing it open, the girl shoved her head out, eyes closed, hands behind her ears, pushing them towards the cliff, listening intensely for a sound she had never heard before, but still dreaded all the same.

She stood there for a few seconds, listening, praying not to hear what she was listening for. Hoping with all her heart the military could act fast enough to prevent the coming disaster, even though deep down, she knew it was entirely unlikely.

And after only a few seconds, she heard it.

Quiet and distant at first, but quickly picking up speed as more and more joined in. Sirens from down in the city, blaring so loudly you couldn't miss it even from all the way up here. Each one, screaming in sync with each other, playing a melody of terror and death for everyone who heard it.

And then, the PA system of the school came to life, blasting Professor Goodwitch's voice through the entire school.

"Attention all students! We are in a state of emergency! Report to the docks with your weapons and combat gear!" She screamed, panic hiding at the edge of her normally calm voice. "This is not a drill! Grimm have breached the walls and are currently swarming the outer districts of the city with more on the way! Report to your the outer wall immediately!"

---

Back in the city, the sun had risen above the skyline, casting an orange light across the streets that were filled with panicking people driving or running away from the wall and toward the emergency shelters, trampling anyone who had the misfortune to fall in their way.

Behind them, Griffins could be seen circling in the sky, dive bombing the crowds to pull one of them away where they would be either dropped to their death, or eaten alive on a rooftop, screaming as their body was slowly ripped to pieces.

In the distance, a Nevermore fought a group of huntsmen next to a shopping mall, with another reportedly swooping down at the refugee camp set up on the outskirts of the city. The Atlesian refugees being torn to pieces as they had no protection beyond a lone huntress and nowhere to flee besides a lone soup kitchen.

Emergency services swarmed the streets, trying to rescue as many people as they could. With ambulances and fire trucks carrying the injured while the few brave policemen who had shown up opened fire on Beowolf and Boarbatusks. Their bullets bouncing off their thick, armored hide as they quickly tore them to pieces.

And as this chaos rained down on the city, the Phantom observed it all from atop a nearby church, looking down at the people as they ran or fought for their lives.

"The pieces are almost in place." He thought. "Just a few more days and everything will be in place. Then I can finally cut ties with that lying bastard. And then, I can actually focus on my real goals."

Calmly, he shifted his gaze down to a metal Beacon badge in his hand, one he had taken from the Seraphim warehouse when he attacked them. An indication that they had graduated from the academy with high honors before living a life of self-righteous atrocities. Slowly, a look of utter contempt appeared on his face as he stared at the piece of metal looking in his hand. A shameful display of who was allowed to hold the title of protectors of both humanity and Faunus kind.

"This is the beginning of the end, old man." He snarled at the badge, his hand tightening its grip, casually the metal to start to bend. "You've underestimated me, and now you're paying the price. Soon, your time will be over. Fate will judge you for your sins, and what it shall deem an appropriate punishment simply isn't enough for a monster like you. And when that times comes, you'd better be ready because-,"

With that, he crushed the badge to dust, letting small bits of twisted metal slip between his fingertips and onto the ground as he uttered a single declaration.

"This is my story now, and a fiend like you has no place in it!"