Chapter 30: Thermonuclear Detonation
Yang, Ren, Jaune, and Alto panted for breath as they hid behind a large bony structure. They looked back at Atlas, seeing the Military holding the Grimm back. Another bombing run had finished, and they heard news of the General ordering a Rolling Thunder, something they wanted to avoid at all costs. The blonde brawler took a deep breath, brushing her hair out of her eyes as she looked back.
"Well, that was harrowing."
"We're not in the clear yet," Jaune said, hands on his hips as he looked around. "We still have to search this whole thing and find Oscar before the Ace-Ops blow us to Kingdom Come."
"How are we gonna do that? This thing is humungous." Alto asked. Yang crossed her arms, scanning her surroundings.
"She's right, finding Oscar will be like searching for a needle in a… giant whale. Why did the General think this was a good idea?"
"I… I might be able to help." Ren spoke, earning curious looks from his friends. "I can sense people's emotions. I think. It happened on Winter's ship, if I focus my Aura, I can keep it up."
"Huh… that's new," she mumbled, glancing away. "Maybe one of them is Oscar?"
He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples as he focused his aura. He could sense everything around him. He picked up on four signature aura signatures, all of them being diverse. One was blue, signifying fear, the other was red, fury, though they also had green surrounding them, one was yellow, symbolizing pain and the final one was violet, a color he was seeing for the first time.
"I can sort of tell where they are, but not who. They're more or less in the same general area though. Further in. I can lead." he said, stepping forward, drawing StormFlower. Alto shared a look with Jaune and Yang but said nothing as she deployed Akuo, holding Milo tightly in her grasp.
Jaune tapped the record function on his scroll, attaching it to his sword, recording everything he saw. The long fleshy corridors were sending shivers down his spine. Everywhere he looked, the flesh pulsed, looked slick with some viscous liquid he didn't even want to touch. Yang kept her fists raised, ready to fight.
"Hey Ren, let me amplify your aura, it might increase your radius."
"Good idea, thanks." he politely replied, earning a nod from his friend. He placed his hand on his shoulder, activating his semblance. The group quietly moved on, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves.
Further in, Oscar lay, holding his ribs tightly. He was breathing raggedly, his aura slowly repairing the damage that had been done to him. There was a smear of blood on the floor beside him, which he had been staring at for a few moments. He let out a shaky breath as he shifted to his back, staring at the ceiling.
"She brushed off her bumps and bruises, for nothing hurt worse than the loneliness in her chest," he said softly.
"I recognize that. The Girl Who Fell Through The World."
Oscar chuckled, shaking his head. "I shouldn't be surprised you're so familiar with fairytales."
"I've lived through my share of them. How are you holding up?" he asked, concerned for his host. He let out a sigh, clutching his chest.
"I thought the idea of falling through Remnant into a new world was exciting. I never understood why she was so sad when she finally made it back home," he admitted, staring up at the ceiling, a frown on his lips. "Now though… it makes more sense."
"Alyx wasn't the same girl anymore."
"Hm… yeah."
Oscar let out a pained groan as he curled back up, holding back his tears. "I think this plan to divide might have run its course. It's time we start thinking about a way out. Not having our cane certainly limits our options so…"
"No… I don't like what happens when we use magic. Every time we use it, I can feel us merging faster. I'm… not ready for that." he said, clenching his eyes tightly. Ozma let out a sigh.
"I don't blame you. Honestly, I think you are doing just fine on your own."
"I just hope what I told him makes him think things over. If not… We'll have to rely on Trivia to bail us out."
"About that… this plan you formulated with Levi, Weiss, and Trivia… I can't say that I approve of it but… are you sure it'll work? Do you trust her?" he asked, earning a nod from the boy.
"With my life. She can't act because of where we are, but she's been keeping an eye on the both of us for a while now. I can tell." he admitted.
The fleshy membrane opened up, revealing none other than Hazel. Oscar tried backing away, only to find himself being hauled up. "Come on, we're going for a walk."
xxx
Down in the trenches, several soldiers were standing with their backs to the walls. They had their weapons tightly in their grasp. Winter had her back turned to all of them, listening to a call from the General. All around them, rockets and plasma bullets flew, striking the Grimm threatening to enter Lower Atlas. The Special Operative sighed, turning around to face the group.
"Listen up soldiers. We're keeping this LZ clear for the payload we're going to put inside that thing. If we cannot hold this line, it will continue to spit out Grimm. And if it does that, we lose the city. We cannot let that happen, is that understood?"
"YES MA'AM!" they all retorted.
Neon and Flynt stood beside each other, fearful looks on their faces. Ivory and Kobalt were standing across from them, ready to fight. The girl nervously turned to her partner, giving him a firm look. "You wouldn't happen to know a tune for this, huh?"
"I don't know that anybody does," he replied, lowering his trumpet. They looked up, just in time to see Vine and the Ace-Ops leaping over the trench, followed by several other men. He paused, glancing down at Winter.
"Another wave is inbound, keep them back!"
"Move, Move, Move!" Winter cried, using her semblance to jump out of the trench. The soldiers started climbing up, joining the fray. Marrow lowered his rifle as he watched them go, shaking his head.
"Goddamn it, they're just kids!"
"You can hash out your issues later. Right now, just kill Grimm." Elm berated, launching herself up with the aid of her hammer. He sighed, climbing over the trench. He held his rifle tightly in his grasp, running forward.
xxx
"I swear to god, I better get an endless supply of ice cream after all of this shit." Trivia thought to herself. She moved silently, shimmying against the wall. The sickly mucus stuck to her back as she moved. She so desperately wanted to run, but she knew she couldn't.
Ever since her Semblance had evolved back in Haven, she had been able to blend into things. She could be the metaphorical fly on the wall, and she hoped eventually, the literal one as well. She had learned quite a lot about Salem's minions. Mercury acted tough, but was nothing more than a resentful person, aimlessly moving through life. He was bitter about never recovering his Semblance, so he always trained to get his fury out.
Hazel wanted revenge on Ozpin for the death of his sister. In a way, she understood where he was coming from. After all, she had wanted to kill Ruby for the same thing, she still wanted to kill Cinder for it. But she knew revenge wouldn't bring her loved ones back. She made peace with that and moved forward. It was clear that Hazel never would.
The final person in the group was Emerald herself. She tried carrying herself with pride but was a scared little girl on the inside. The number of times she heard her holding back tears of literal fear made her heart hurt. She should hate this woman, along with Mercury, after all, they lead the attack on Beacon Academy. The attack that led to Roman's death. But she knew who was responsible for that. Whatever had happened after returning from Amity Colosseum had changed her. She could tell. She wasn't following Cinder anymore, she was looking for an exit strategy and she wasn't confident she'd find one. Trivia genuinely felt bad, but she wasn't going to risk her ass for her.
The disguised woman stopped at the edge of a corridor, holding her breath for a moment. A Seer drifted past the corner, heading down the path she had come down. She had no idea how it didn't sense it, but she didn't care. She moved away from it, moving faster than before. She finally reached the place she was after, slowly making her way inside.
"Finally." she thought, as she stared at the Relic of Knowledge. The lamp was suspended above a pedestal, its glow illuminating the room. She was about to reach for it, only to hear footfalls beyond the door. She darted back, pressing herself against the wall.
Hazel entered the room, throwing Oscar to the floor. The boy scrambled forward a bit, coughing loudly as he looked back at the man. "Why did you bring me here?"
"I've been thinking about what you said. If it's a lie and I took that lie to Salem, the punishment would fall on my head before yours," he said, walking around the boy. "If what you said is true and I use the password myself, well, I don't know what happens when this thing activates."
The man crossed his arms, gesturing to the lamp with his head. "So, let's see if you're bluffing."
"You… want me to summon her?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Either way, it'll tell me what I need to know."
The fleshy membrane opened up, causing the two to look back. Emerald stepped into the room, looking around for a moment. She quirked a brow, shifting her crimson-eyed gaze toward friend. "What are you doing?"
The man didn't say a word, standing beside her as he stared at the lamp. "Let's find out."
Oscar debated his next actions for a moment, clutching his side tightly. He forced himself to stand up, taking a deep breath as he faced the lamp.
"Jinn."
Time seemed to stop as the room filled with a glowing deep blue mist. The bubbling Grimm pool froze in place, causing Hazel to activate his protective shield, firmly staring at the glowing lamp. The magic being that rested within let out a sigh, stretching her body like a cat as she stared at the trio.
"Why, hello again, old man. Did you have a question for me?" she calmly asked, giving him a smile. He gestured for Hazel to go ahead, only for the man to stare, mouth agape as he tried to process what he was seeing. He finally closed it, looking away from the genie.
"I think all my questions are answered now."
Jinn adopted a look of amusement, finger beneath her chin as she looked at the man, curiosity filling her mind. Oscar cleared his throat, grabbing his attention. "What are you going to do?"
He was silent for a moment, turning toward the door. "What Gretchen would have done. And that starts with getting you away from here. Both of you."
Emerald's eyes widened a bit, her expression dropping. She realized what this implied. If Hazel helped the two of them escape then… "Hazel, you can't do anything crazy. You know Salem would kill you."
"She'll kill you too, the second you stop being useful to her, you'll die. You've seen what she's done with Cinder. She's setting her up so that Cadence can take her powers. She's through with her, and once she's through with Mercury and with you, well…" he paused, sighing. "I've had my fair share of bloodshed, my hands are dirty. Yours aren't, so you need to get away."
"What are you saying? I helped destroy Beacon, my hands are as bloody as anyone else's!"
"Cinder destroyed Beacon, you just aided her. She's killed people outright, Mercury has as well, and you know Tyrian. Emerald, this life isn't for you. You feel indebted to Cinder for pulling you off the streets, and for giving you the home your parents never gave you. But she doesn't give a shit about you, she never has."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a firm look. "You still have a chance to do some good with your life. You've seen what Salem can do, you know how dangerous she is. I'll help you and the kid get out of here, and once you do, you run, as far as you can."
"There's no running from Salem, she'll find us wherever we go," Oscar said, making the man frown.
"Then I hope you are ready to fight for your freedom with your life. It's the only choice you've got," he replied. Oscar nodded, approaching the man.
"I'm going to need something before I go."
"Sorry for intruding, but-" Jinn interjected, making them look at her. "Just to be clear, do none of you have a burning question for me?"
"No, but we'll be bringing you with us," Oscar replied.
"The moment we move that thing, this place goes on high alert. It's better to get you out of here first,"
"But.."
"I'll come back for it. Not like she knows the password anyway," Hazel said, giving him a smirk. He and Emerald turned to leave, with Oscar giving Jinn another longing look. She rolled her eyes but gestured for him to go. She disappeared moments later, the room returning to normal.
It was quiet for a few moments, the room remaining still. Trivia pushed herself away from the wall, blinking repeatedly as she dropped her transformation, her body glowing pink. She glanced over her shoulder for a second before snagging the lamp from its pedestal, a grin on her face.
xxx
It had been deathly quiet for a while now. Jaune and Yang's group hadn't seen a single soul as they headed deeper into Monstra. They had tried reporting to Ironwood, but for some reason, their signal was cut off. Jaune had managed to set a single video out but hadn't gotten a reply. It had been a brief window, they were worried the General would drop that bomb on them.
The blond knight sputtered a bit, aura shimmering a bit. He took a deep breath, refocusing his semblance. He gave Ren a forced smile. "Sorry."
He gestured for them to stop, hiding in a small alcove away from the main path. Alto held her rifle tightly in her grasp, keeping a keen eye out for any movement. Jaune rested against the wall, brushing the sweat from his brow.
"I should be apologizing to you. I'm masking and tracking at the same time."
"Don't worry, take a minute, we'll keep watch," Yang said, rolling her shoulders.
"No, we don't know how much longer we have. Why don't you give masking a break, Give me directions and I'll scout ahead."
"Thanks. We should be heading straight for a while."
Jaune bumped Ren's fist, taking off ahead of them. He gave the group a wave as he raced off, making Ren sigh. Yang couldn't help but smile, hands on her hips. "Well, it's good that you guys are friends again."
"It's alright to be afraid, you know. You don't have to always hide it with a joke."
Yang stiffened a bit, rubbing her neck in embarrassment. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who's scared."
"You wanna talk scared? I'm terrified." Alto said, lowering her rifle. "If I was wearing my Shitting pants, I would have already soiled them."
"What?"
Alto's ears wiggled a bit. "You know, your shitting pants. You always gotta wear your shitting pants when you are doing something scary. Just in case you shit your pants."
Ren let out a laugh, muffling it with his hand. "You really know how to cheer someone up, huh?"
His laughter subsided, a look of regret flashing onto his face. "I'm sorry. What I said to you back there, it was wrong. You aren't Pyrrha's replacement, you are so much more than that. You are young and headstrong, but you've got a good head on your shoulders. You aren't afraid to fight for what's right. Wear that shield with honor, Alto, you've earned it."
"Thank you, Ren," she said, holding back tears. "I'm so happy to be a part of your team, and your friend. I'm just… so tired of being scared."
"I'm scared too."
He briefly glanced over his shoulder at where Jaune had gone, chuckling. "Jaune though? There's no fear at all. I can see it. He believes we're going to get this done."
"Then I do too. I've put my trust in him before and so has Ruby," she said firmly. At the mention of her sister, she deflated a bit. "I just hope things are going better for her, and everyone else."
The sound of running filled their ears, causing them to tense up. Jaune shot forward, face pale as he grabbed onto the corner, pulling Yang and Alto back to the alcove. "Mask us Ren, now!"
He bowed his head, watching as their bodies became colorless. Yang peered around them, stiffening a bit when she saw the Seer slowly hovering toward them. Alto raised Milo to her shoulder, finger curled around the trigger. Yang held her hand over it, shaking her head as she kept her eyes on it. Ren breathed raggedly, his aura shimmering a bit.
"I can't… hold it," he said softly, His aura shattered, Ren dropped to his knees panting. As his aura disappeared, the Seer stopped, letting out a clicking sound as it started to turn back. Its tentacles started moving, a slow-rising hiss coming from it.
xxx
"You sure he'll be okay on his own?" Hazel asked, earning a shrug from Emerald.
"I don't know, we just need to get… wait-" she stopped, holding her hand out. Just over the bend, Salem could be seen walking toward them. She immediately pulled Hazel back, bowing her head to the woman. She gave them a smile, clasping her hands together.
"Ah, Hazel. Have you gotten what we need yet?"
Quick on his feet, "Hazel" shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. No matter what I try, he doesn't speak a word."
She narrowed her eyes a bit, looking the man over. Before she could speak, a loud screech echoed through the corridors, followed by a gunshot. "The Seers, it seems we have guests."
Salem stopped in her tracks, her lip curling a bit as her expression of calm shifted to one of sheer fury, turning to Hazel and Emerald. "The Lamp! Find them!"
They watched as she darted away, body contorting in an unnatural way as she did. Hazel let out a sigh, only for Emerald to pull on his hand. "Come on, while she's distracted."
"But the lamp-"
"Do you wanna die?" she hissed, glaring into his eyes. "No? Then shut up and follow me."
At the same time, Yang, Jaune, and Alto finished the small group of Seer Grimm off, staying close to each other, Ren remaining in the center while his aura recovered. The blonde brawler cocked her gauntlets, looking around the corridor. "Now what?"
"We go with the Sunny Dragon Strategy," Jaune replied, causing her to tilt her head in confusion.
"Which is?"
"Charge blindly into danger and shoot everything in sight!" Alto said cheerfully, pumping her fist into the air.
"Personally, I would have just gone with keep moving forward, but that works too," Ren said, chuckling. "Alright, forward! No matter what!"
The four Huntsmen darted forward, weapons at the ready, willing to face down whatever happened to cross their path.
Outside of the massive whale, the Atlas military had done their best to thin out the waves. An entire squadron had retreated due to running out of ammo, while hundreds of others had been killed or injured. Marrow was leaning against a metal wall, panting for breath as he glanced around the corner. He put a hand over his mouth as he saw a Beowulf decapitate a soldier, squeamishly looking away.
"Oh Gods… what the hell am I doing here?" he thought to himself. He spotted the kids from before, keeping back some Manticores. Neon swung her nunchucks outward, freezing a few Grimm in place, letting Flynt and his Quartet to deal with them. One of the Manticores dove down, tearing the copies apart.
Marrow darted forward, almost on instinct as he threw his boomerang, killing the leader of the Manticores, an Alpha that had been responsible for killing several men. He turned to the others, snapping his fingers, anger flowing through him. "Stay!"
Harriet dashed forward, punching the Grimm to oblivion. She remained kneeling down, hand on her comm. "How much longer for the payload?"
"It's approaching the LZ now!" Winter responded, causing Marrow to grit his teeth.
"Those kids aren't out yet! We can't drop that load until they're out of there!"
"We gave them a window, we have no other choice. It's either their lives or the lives of every Atlesian beyond that wall." Ironwood said firmly.
"Are you kidding me? Didn't you say you were thankful to have them back? Didn't you feel bad about what you did before? Now you wanna abandon them?!"
"Marrow, we do not have another choice. You know as well as I do that we gave them a window."
He clenched his fist tightly, looking back at the Monster. "Then I hope you can tell your sister and her teammates about how you were okay blowing their friends apart. I hope you can look Ruby in the eyes and tell her the only other family member she has here in Atlas is dead."
"Marrow!" Harriet shouted, glaring at him. "You have got to get a grip! This is a life or death situation here!"
"I do have a grip, goddamn it. But I am not going to stand here and watch more innocents die because no one wants to wait!" he screamed back, dashing toward a nearby group of Grimm. He threw his boomerang at them, slicing them all apart. "Dammit Juan, hurry up, we don't have much time!"
Yang blasted apart another Seer, running around a corner. Ren flanked her left while Jaune raced on ahead, sword and shield in his grasp. Alto covered their rear, looking back every few seconds to make sure they weren't being followed. They turned into another corridor, Yang sliding to a stop as she spotted two familiar people a few feet from them.
"You?"
Emerald drew her weapons, aiming them at Yang. Jaune stood in front of her, glaring at the green-haired woman, keeping his sword raised. Hazel moved forward, stepping between them, waving his hands. "Whoa whoa, wait!"
His body shimmered for a moment, the illusion dropping. Rather than Hazel, the one who stood between them was Oscar. Before he could say another word, Alto darted toward him, practically shoving Milo into Ren's grasp. She grabbed him in a bone-crushing hug, burying his face in her chest. "Oh, Ozzy! I'm so sorry!"
She peppered his face with kisses, looking over him for a moment, ears soaked with tears. "Look at how they've left you, all battered and bruised! Tell me who did it so I can kick their ass!"
"I'm afraid the one who did that is far too much for you to handle." he groaned, clutching his chest tightly, cheeks flushed. He looked relieved at the others, sharing a brief hug with Jaune and Yang. "I'm happy to see you guys."
"So are we, I apologize. I couldn't do anything against that Hound. We chased after it, but I had no choice but to let you go, or else we would have all died," Ren said firmly.
"Don't worry about it, we were taken off guard."
Jaune lowered his guard a bit, glancing at Emerald. "So, what's going on here?"
Oscar sighed. "It's a long story."
"You're gonna have to summarize it then, why should we trust you?" Yang snapped, fists balled as she glared at Emerald, who shifted her aim back at Yang. Ren placed a hand on Yang's shoulder, making her look at him.
"Because she's scared… just like us."
Emerald rolled her eyes, brushing past them. "Or maybe it's because I know the way out. Anybody coming?"
Oscar followed after her, a look of worry on his face as he kept pace with her. Alto stared between the two, eyes narrowing as she took a hold of Oscar's hand, squeezing it tightly. Jaune, Yang, and Ren shared a look, remaining silent as they joined the three.
xxx
Winter calmly stepped aboard the ship, staring at the massive bomb that had been strapped into place. It was a large, cylindrical device, glowing with Hard-Light energy. She could sense the dust encased within, wondering what this thing was even capable of. A soldier held a scroll to her and she looked at it, narrowing her eyes for a moment before whipping around, facing the group of men and women before her.
"This is it, everyone. We're going to clear a path straight to that monster. We get the payload aboard, we set the timer and then we're out."
They all saluted, getting back to clearing the waves of Grimm. Marrow stepped inside the ship, a pleading look on his face. "Winter, they might still be alive in there."
She gave him a cold emotionless look. "We gave them their window, and it's closed. We can't wait any longer."
"Think about this! It's one thing to tell your sister about her friends, but what if she was in there? Would you still drop this thing?"
The white-haired woman tried to keep her emotions in check but failed to contain them. She placed a hand on Marrow's face, taking him by surprise with her anguish. "I have to, Marrow. Because that's my duty, now you do yours."
Whatever thoughts he had left escaped him as he turned away. She was right, they all knew the risks when they signed up for this. He stared up at the massive whale, silently cursing the witch who brought it to his kingdom.
xxx
"We're almost out!" Oscar announced as the group raced through Monstra. They had made it to the landing bay, looking out into Atlas's Agricultural District. It looked vastly different than before, filled with holes, downed ships, deceased soldiers, and Grimm.
Just before they made it out, Monstra started to shake, causing them to stop. Jaune looked around, eyes wide with fear. "What is that?"
"It's her." Emerald squeaked, her legs knees buckling in fear. An explosive screech came from deep within Monstra, causing them to block their ears. The wall behind them exploded, sending them all flying back.
Salem stepped out through the smoke, her eyes darting to Oscar, who shakily moved away from her. She noticed the others with him, slowly picking themselves up. Alto's heels dug into the ground as she scrambled to back away, the woman staring straight into her soul. Salem looked away, staring directly at Emerald. She let out a fearful cry as she scrambled to her feet, trying to make her escape, only for Salem to grab her, her body stretching abnormally as she did so.
"You really have been honing that semblance of yours."
A bullet whizzed by her head, causing her to look toward the source. She blasted Ren with magic, causing him to duck to the left. Jaune stood in front of him, shield deployed. He didn't stand a chance as the pair were blasted back into the wall. Yang let out a furious scream, throwing several punches at the woman. She peppered her body with sticky bombs, jumping away as they detonated. Chunks of white flesh and blood exploded outward, and for a second, Yang grew confident.
In the blink of an eye, all of her pieces returned to her, pulling themselves back into place. Salem grasped her jaw, popping it into place as she spat on the ground. She fully faced the brawler, flinging an adhesive substance at her gauntlets, making Yang pull back against it. Salem squeezed Yang's prosthetic arm, the metal beginning to creak as she looked her straight in the eye.
"Let them go!"
Salem turned to face Oscar, her emotionless mask returning. She released her hold on Yang, summoning several shadowy arms, pulling her to the floor. Alto screamed in fear as the arms wrapped around her, keeping her bound. Ren and Jaune struggled against their bindings, hands digging into the ground as they tried and failed to free themselves. With a flick of her finger, she pulled Emerald closer, holding a swirling ball of magic in the palm of her hand.
"What did you do with the Lamp?"
"Nothing." she squeaked, only to look away the second Salem brought the magic closer to her face. She tightly shut her eyes, streams of tears running down her face.
"It's missing," she hissed. The magic was so close Emerald could feel its residual heat. "Where is it?"
"I didn't do anything with it!"
The dark queen let out a frustrated sigh, turning to Oscar. "Where is it?"
When he didn't reply, she moved her hand, the shadowy claws binding him with his arms above his head. She slowly approached him, a look of disapproval on her face. "Look at how you've diminished. How you've lessened yourself, and for what?
She waved at the people around them. "These children? This ruined world?"
The woman turned away from him for a moment, only to grab his face, digging her nails into his skin. Alto flailed around in her bindings, her screams being muffled by the blackened hand wrapped around her mouth. "Why. Do. You. Keep. Coming. Back?!"
"WHY DO YOU?"
The woman's gaze shifted towards Yang. She walked around Oscar, staring at her with a look of disdain, lips curved into a deep frown.
"All of this endless death-" she continued, struggling against her bindings. "-All because something bad happened to you, once upon a time?"
She stood above the blonde, who only glared at her. "Nobody gets a fairytale ending! Everything I've lost, every person we've lost, it's all because of you!"
"And who is it that I've taken from you?" she asked in a scornful tone, causing Yang to tear up.
"My mom! Summer Rose!"
The white-haired witch chuckled, tilting her head. "Oh… her again," she replied, amused at this surprising revelation.
"Your Grace."
"Ah, Hazel. I found our guests," she said, standing next to Emerald, holding a ball of magic to her face. She tried getting away but was unable to due to her bindings. "This one was helping them."
The man looked at Emerald, an unreadable look on his face. She was sobbing now, not bothering to hide her sheer terror. The arms binding Oscar retreated, dropping him to the floor as the witch turned her back to him. "Take Oscar back to his chamber. I have work to do with this one."
"Yes, of course."
He walked toward the fallen boy, his friends still struggling against their bindings. Emerald tried backing away from Salem, who had a look of glee on her face. He picked Oscar up by his arm, the boy closing his eyes tightly, almost expecting another punch. He shoved something in his grasp, taking him by surprise.
"No more Grechens, boy."
He dropped Oscar, turning to Salem, ripping his jacket off. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, pulling out the Dust Crystals he kept within. Just as Salem was going to thrust her magic into Emerald's face, the man ran forward, throwing a rock-infused punch at the witch, sending her flying. She righted herself, summoning a tornado of wind beneath her feet, glaring at the man.
"Go, NOW!" he shouted, stabbing the crystals into his body. His veins pulsed with elemental energy, his voice becoming deeper as he shouted at the witch. The sigils that had been binding everyone had disappeared, allowing them to move.
Emerald stopped, Ren, Jaune, Alto, and Yang brushing past her. Her lip quivered as she looked at the only other friend she had in her life. "Hazel."
He gave her a firm nod, his body swirling with fire, rock, and lightning. She turned away from him, darting off of Monstra. Salem loomed over him, emotionless as the muscular man glared back at her. She levitated above him, a look of displeasure on her face.
"So you've decided against vengeance for your sister, after all of this time."
He adopted a boxer's stands, igniting his fists. "I'm doing what Gretchen would have done!"
Without missing a beat, the man darted forward, using Lightning Dust to speed himself up. He ducked and weaved through Salem's magical blasts, throwing a barrage of fireballs at her. She destroyed them with a swipe of her hand, wind exploding in all directions. He formed a swirl of wind underfoot, launching himself toward the woman, landing a stone-powered strike to her jaw, sending her flying down.
He growled, forming a massive ball of earth, fire, lightning, and gravity in his grasp, throwing it with all his strength at Salem, knocking her to the ground. He landed hard on her body, punching her face. With every strike, her face caved in, sending blood and bone matter in all directions. Despite her face being gone, Salem still moved her hand, directing one of her sigils toward the man, pulling him off of herself.
Emerald stood by, watching the fight with a fearful expression on her face. She felt a tug on her hand, noticing Jaune had grabbed it. "Come on, we need to get out!"
She was moving on autopilot, finally being out of Monstra for the first time since she had left Evernight Castle. Jaune did a headcount, his eyes widening when he looked back. "Wait, Oscar!"
He noticed he had remained where he was, holding his cane tightly in his grasp. He turned to her, a solemn look on his face. "She'll only come after us."
"Oscar don't! Please we can think about something!" Alto cried, reaching for him, only for Yang and Ren to hold her back. "OSCAR!"
Still restrained, Hazel struggled against his bindings as Salem reformed in front of him. She set her jaw in place, pulling her hand back, swirling magic. He squeezed the Hard-Light crystal in his grasp, forming a shield in front of himself to parry the attack. She blasted him away, sending him flying onto the nearby wall. Before he could react, she was by his side, grabbing the back of his head in her grasp.
She repeatedly slammed his head into the ground, stunning the man with each strike. He could feel his aura falling with every strike, brain-rattling in his skull. He grabbed her wrist, squeezing it tightly in a vain attempt to get her to let go. Oscar took a deep breath, squeezing the handle of the Long Memory, the gears beginning to turn. He felt his magic beginning to swirl around him, ruffling his clothes and hair. Salem slowly turned to him, darting forward at a breakneck speed.
Hazel sprung forward, arms wrapped tightly around her body. She growled and snarled like a caged animal as she tried to break free. Her hand glowed as she directed her sigils around the man, wrapping them around his neck. He bit down on a fire crystal, setting it ablaze, making the woman scream in fury.
"Do it!" he shouted, the shadowy hands wrapping tightly around his head. Oscar bowed his head, realizing what the man was implying. The man's words filled his mind, a tear falling down his face.
"No more Gretchens."
xxx
Though part of Schnee Manor's kitchen was in disarray, it was still serviceable. The large cooking area had been unaffected by the invasion of Centinels that had attacked Sonata earlier that night. By now, the sun was beginning to rise over the Kingdom of Atlas, after its most harrowing night yet. But that didn't deter the group from going about their business as best as they could.
Since they had been expecting hundreds of people, they had set out to at least prepare something for them all. Of course, given what had happened and the fact that they didn't have that many hands, it was hard to prepare food. Regardless, Sonata tried her best, using the cooking skills she had perfected while in Beacon Academy to at least make some hot soup. The perfect cure after spending the night out in the cold.
"You know something, I'm jealous of this kitchen." She said, setting her knife down. She had finished chopping some carrots, setting them in the bowl beside her to give them a rinse. "It is way bigger than the one at my house."
"Here I thought you didn't care about material things, given your upbringing," Levi said, making her roll her eyes.
"Oh I don't, but this kitchen has everything! As someone who enjoys cooking from time to time, this place is heaven!" she said cheerfully, only to jump when one of the back shelves collapsed, sending various pots and pants tumbling to the floor. "Well, it was, before those Grimm attacked."
"You were seriously able to take care of those Grimm all by yourself?" Whitley asked, a look of curiosity on his face. He had joined them in the kitchen, since Stella was handling the programming of the Droids, he had time on his hands.
"Yep, I got a lot of training in hand to hand. You can take down just about anything with a well-timed strike in the right spot. Helps if you have something sharp to stab them with, but a knife alone often isn't enough." she said, tossing some potato peels into the trash. "Older Grimm have thick bone plating around their vulnerable parts, it makes it harder to land a precise strike."
"Mhmm, you've got to break away the bone and expose the flesh. But if you don't get a chance at that, relying on your Dust will be key. Why, there was this one time right after initiation, where the four of us, Cadence, Aria, Sona, and I, headed to this temple south of Vale City. There was a Death Stalker in the area, and we thought we could take it, boy were we wrong."
"I remember that. Aria wanted to 'show us how it was done' and ended up being flung back into a tree. Cadence had to tie its pincers up while you deflected its stinger. In the end, I shattered its head plating with a strong kick and we used its stinger against it. Aria was pissed for a week."
The pair laughed at the memory, remembering the pout she had on the ship back home. Levi sighed after a moment, staring at his reflection on the knife. "I see her sometimes. Thought I had said goodbye to her back in Mistral but… she gave me the kick in the ass I needed earlier."
"I did too, for a little while," Sonata said, staring at her mechanical hand. "It was before my surgery when I was getting my new ocular implant. It was new wave technology and they needed a test subject. Most of my organs were synthetic already so I said, fuck it, what's one more, right? I saw her right before I went under. She had a smile on her face, telling me I'd be alright."
"Are you?" Whitley asked, sounding concerned. She looked away for a moment, returning to the giant pots of soup she had been tending to.
"Physically? Yeah, I'm an adult so I can keep my current organs for a while. Half of my body is cybernetic so it doesn't need maintenance and the like. Eventually, I'll need replacements, but that's par for the course. Emotionally and Mentally? I'm a little fried."
She bowed her head slightly, staring at the bubbling liquid. "I lead an expedition into some abandoned mines at the edge of Atlas. My first day back, I lost seven recruits. The whole thing was filled with Centinels and I was rusty. I trained my ass off in the hologram simulator, making sure that never happened again. I've dealt with murders from time to time, thieves, Grimm attacks, an entire village being wiped off the map. I had to arrest my own father and now this war… if I make it out alive after all of this and turn out normal, well… that'll be a miracle."
"Hm… Normal. I forgot what normal even is." Levi added, leaning back against his seat. "I yearn for the days when I was at Signal, reading math books, being made fun of. At least the big bad then was middle school bullying. But now, well… seems like those days are distant. Thoughts of vengeance, these feelings of fury and discontent. I wonder if that's what they felt, 80 years ago, during the Great War."
"Levi I-" Whitley glanced away for a moment, frowning. "About before, how I spoke to you, treated you, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say the things I said or act the way I did. I was just… a spoiled kid, and tonight gave me a dose of reality."
"Don't beat yourself up over it, the best thing about us all is we have the capacity to change. Now that you understand what's at stake, I do hope you'll fight for it," he said, giving the boy a smile. "Spend time with your mom, help her recover, and keep her safe. I'll take care of your sister."
"You know I'm not a helpless damsel, right?" Weiss asked as she entered the kitchen. She had a look of annoyance on her face. "I can protect myself."
"Ooh… the big tough and scary princess has what it takes to keep the big baddies away," he mockingly taunted, holding his hands up. She glared at him, making him shudder. "I'm sorry, Snowflake, I won't say that again."
"Man, she's got him whipped."
"I'll say," Whitley muttered, holding back a smirk. He grabbed the knife, proceeded to keep chopping vegetables.
"Nora woke up again, feeling a lot better. The medicine that Klein gave her earlier worked its magic. Seems like she's going to make a full recovery, but those scars on her skin worry me. I don't think those will go away," she said, grabbing a bowl from the cupboards. "She doesn't seem too bothered by them, says it makes her look rugged."
"Same old Nora," Levi said, frowning. "She'll be okay… what about Penny?"
"Unconscious, Stella managed to put her in sleep mode so she could regenerate her aura. We don't know when that virus will kick in again. There's no way to restrain her and we don't want to shut her down. We're not sure what'll happen to her Maiden Powers if that happens, plus, that's just not right."
"Penny will be fine, she's been through a lot," Sonata said, smiling. "I remember when we first met, back when her 2.0 body had been finished. She was so confused, asking what happened to Pyrrha and who won the Vytal Tournament. Ironwood was the one to break everything down to her, had to show her video too. Even knowing what happened, she put a smile on her face and got to work. I don't think they ever told her Pyrrha was… you know."
"Probably for the best, if she found out a friend of hers had been killed well, I don't know how she'd react. She's so pure and gentle, a true maiden if I ever saw one. She deserves to live in a kind and happy world, where she can grow and prosper." Levi said, squeezing his knife tightly. "Instead all she has to look forward to is death and suffering."
"Haah!"
The trio jumped a bit, staring at Whitley who was holding his finger tightly. The knife he had been using clattered to the floor, a slight drop of blood on it. "Dammit, that hurt like hell."
"Let me see it," Weiss said, taking a hold of his hand. It wasn't too big of a cut, but it was bleeding a lot. She ran it under some water, grabbing a napkin from nearby. "Here, use that to staunch the bleeding, we've got some bandages around here somewhere."
"Actually, I have a better idea. Weiss, why don't you unlock his aura?"
"My aura?" he questioned, taken aback by Levi's statement. The young miqo'te gave him a nod.
"Yeah. Aura is the manifestation of our souls, sometimes, we unlock it under emotional duress, other times, it just kicks on in our sleep. Aura is there to heal our wounds, even minor cuts like that will seal themselves up almost instantly. You could benefit from it, and who knows? Maybe in the future, you'll unlock your Semblance and be a kick-ass fighter like Weiss and Winter."
"I don't know about that… all I know is business, I doubt I'll ever be in a fight."
"You don't know that for sure, Whitley. I said that to myself too and look where I am. You don't necessarily have to follow my footsteps. But it would be ideal if you at least had an aura to shield you. We thought the Grimm wouldn't push this far in and they did, I'd feel much better knowing you at least had it unlocked."
He looked away for a moment as if pondering his options. Finally, he nodded, standing firm before his sister. "Okay, I'll do it. Just as long as it doesn't hurt."
"It won't just give me your hand," his sister said, holding her own out. Whitley shakily placed it in her grasp, feeling her squeezing it softly.
"For it is in dreaming that we shape reality. Through this, we reshape reality so that we may see true beauty, and accept the burden placed on our shoulders. So that we may guide those to their wayward home. To see the light through kindness and gentleness, I release your soul and by my hand, guide thee."
Whitley felt something warm washing over him, covering his entire body. He looked at his hand, seeing it swirling with energy. The cut on his finger glowed brightly as it sealed itself up, being completely gone. The blue glow slowly disappeared, making him look back at Weiss, who had a look of pride on her face. "You've got that same look I did when Winter unlocked mine."
"I don't know what to say, it feels weird but… I like it." he said, opening and closing his hand. His brows furrowed as he stared at the scar on her face. "Wait, if aura seals small wounds like this, then why didn't it heal your scar?"
"Oh, that…" she mumbled, looking away.
"Our aura can help us heal from a lot of wounds, some more than others. But mine was… more than just superficial. I fought hard to prove myself to Father, to tell him and let him know that I was going to become a Huntress. So I deliberately didn't let my aura heal it, I wanted a reminder of that defiance. My scar reminds me of that fight, the day where I chose my path. I've had to do a lot of things, some that I didn't like, to get where I am. But I wouldn't trade any of it for the world, because I am where I am meant to be. This scar is part of who I am."
"Some wounds are a lot deeper than others too, and can be tied to our emotions. Aura is a manifestation of that. Some scars are just so emotionally powerful that they just refuse to heal." Levi said, placing a hand on my chest. "But we carry them with pride because it's a reminder of a tough battle."
"I see… I think I understand. I'm not sure if I'll become a Huntsman or anything but… the least I can do is learn some self-defense." he said, crossing his arms. "I'm not using a sword though."
"Whitley, would you mind coming with me for a moment? There's something I'd like to give you." Willow said, briefly entering the kitchen. Though he looked slightly disappointed, Weiss pushed him forward.
"Go on, it's rude to keep a lady waiting."
"Yeah yeah," he said, joining his mother. As he left, Levi could hear him excitedly telling her about how his aura had been unlocked. His demeanor had changed entirely as if the bratty child he had met before was completely gone.
"Are you okay, Weiss? I know unlocking someone's aura takes a lot out of you."
"I'm fine, a little woozy but it'll pass," she said, leaning back against the counter. "I'm glad I remembered that little chant Winter used on me. I never thought I'd be the one to unlock it for him."
"You're a good sister, unlocking someone's aura is a deeply personal moment," Sonata said, earning a chuckle from Levi, who tossed some carrots into his mouth.
"I unlocked mine after being forced to fight. My mom used the old "Learn by doing" method instead of unlocking it for me." he replied, sighing. "That certainly gave me emotional trauma growing up."
"That's one way to do things, I guess," she said with an eye roll. "Anyway, I've let myself get distracted. Nora needs something to eat and she's gonna yell at me if I keep her waiting. You mind helping me, darling?"
Levi nodded, looking around for a pot to boil some water for tea. Sonata placed a hand on her hip, smiling at the pair. "You make a good couple."
"I'm happy you think so, Sona. I never thought I'd get the chance to be with Weiss Schnee of all people, but I'm happy we met. We've been through a lot, honestly, I don't think there's anyone else for me." the faunus said, making Weiss blush.
"I uh… t-thanks."
"How bashful."
"Sona, focus on cooking, would you?"
The woman giggled but returned to what she was doing. The pair left the kitchen shortly after, quietly strolling through the empty mansion. After The Grimm had been destroyed, none of them kept appearing. The Hound had been drawing them in, and with its death, it thankfully stopped. Ruby had been by herself since it had been killed, and Blake had decided to take a nap, having had her aura broken by the monster Grimm she had fought off. He looked at the destroyed statue longingly, frowning.
"Don't look at it, Kitten, it just brings down the mood."
"I know, I'm just thinking about that man… I hope his family managed to get away," he said, ears folding down. "What am I saying, of course, they didn't."
Weiss led him away as swiftly as she could, being careful not to spill the soup and tea she was carrying. Levi opened the bedroom door, allowing her to enter ahead of him. His face shifted toward the window, his ears standing up as he heard something in the distance. The window exploded with a swirling glowing light, so blinding that it caused him to shield his eyes. The entire kingdom shook from the shockwave, causing him to stumble. He was left speechless, mouth agape as the brilliant light died down.
xxx
"Sir, I'm afraid Arthur Watts is nowhere within the compound. It seems he manages to escape with the assistance of Cinder Fall. We still have Jacques Schnee and Ivy Brown in custody, however."
"I don't give a damn about those two! What about Qrow and Robyn? Are they alright?" The General snapped a tone of worry in his voice.
"We're not sure, their bodies weren't under the debris. We are monitoring every exit, we do believe they might be trying to leave the Academy."
"Don't do anything to apprehend them, they are free to leave… I just…" he paused, sighing audibly. "You're doing a good job, keep it up."
A pair of cries echoed through his office, causing him to turn around. Before he could respond, his face exploded with pain. He clutched his face tightly, his eyes widening in shock. "Qrow, wait-"
"Shut up!" the man growled, throwing another right cross at his face. He continued hitting him, the General doing nothing to stop him. "You bastard, it's because of you that Tyrian escaped! It's because of you that Clover is dead! All we were trying to do was help and this is how you repay us?!"
"Qrow stop!" Robyn screamed, causing the man to glare at her. "Beating the living shit out of him is not how we do things!"
"He needs to pay for what he did, Robyn! He's wearing that uniform thinking he can lead Atlas to a better future. But look at what he caused. His actions left thousands stranded in Mantle, his paranoia led Atlas to be weak when it needed to be at its strongest! His decisions have led to the war happening outside!"
"And I admitted my mistakes!" Ironwood shouted, wiping his lip. "Believe me, if there is anyone that regrets his actions in this Academy, it's me. I was going down a dark path that would have led to Atlas's downfall. But the people around me helped me see reason. It was Ruby who gave me hope, and it was Levi who assured me there still was a way to save everyone. But you cannot blame me for being scared… I-"
He looked away, sighing. "Salem taunted us, she was there every step of the way. She flew here on a giant whale, attacked the Kingdom, and landed right at our doorstep. So many people have been killed and we haven't even put a dent in her army. They keep coming and coming! I've tried everything and we just… we're running out of options. The science team put together a bomb and they're gonna drop it off."
"Do you think that'll be enough? That thing is massive." Robyn asked, staring out at Atlas, spotting Monstra at the edge of the Kingdom.
"From the outside, no, but from the inside, we might have a short. However, things have turned from bad to worse. Oscar was kidnapped by Salem, I haven't been in contact with Jaune, Yang, Ren, and Alto, who volunteered to go inside to rescue him."
"THEY WHAT?" Qrow shouted, slamming his fist on the desk. "You let them go in there by themselves?"
"We couldn't let Oscar die in there, Qrow and Salem has the Lamp. They went in to get both and get out. Winter hasn't messaged me back."
"But… if they're still in there and that bomb goes off…" Robyn mumbled, gasping audibly. "James, you can't let that happen! You need to let them get out of there first!"
"I'm not going to, I want them to get out of there safe and sound." the man said, glancing back at the window. His hand moved to his ear, closing his eyes. "Winter, what's the status on that-"
Monstra gave an almost pained wail as it exploded, a massive swirl of blinding light shot out, enveloping the entire kingdom in light. The earth beneath them seemed to shake from the shockwave. The flying Grimm in the vicinity disintegrated, nearby buildings shook, some collapsing from the shockwave.
Down in the Agricultural District, mere seconds before, Winter and the Ace-Ops had been moving their bomb to position, only to be blasted back by the force of magic. From the top of a building, Cadence had been watching out into the city, a grin on her face as her army of Grimm tore apart the people who hadn't found a safe place to hide. She turned her head back to Monstra, only to scream in shock and surprise as it exploded. She fell to her butt as the shockwave pushed her off her feet, leaving her stunned. All around her, the Lancers, Teryx, Beringals, and Manticores burst into ash and dust, some slamming into buildings while others fell out of the sky.
As the light died down, the aftereffects of the massive explosion were revealed. Monstra's corpse was slowly disappearing, fading to ash. Its massive ribs stuck out of the side of its corpse, looking like the jaws of a monster erupting from beneath its body. Winter shook her head, unable to hear anything as she looked around, her face dropping at what she saw in front of her.
"Is… is everyone alright?"
"No injuries here," Vine said, stretching his arms.
"What? I can't hear anything!" Elm shouted, cupping a hand over her ear. Harriet brushed the ashes off herself, looking around the battlefield. Other soldiers had been knocked back, some unconscious, a few of them being blown back, and several of them had been mangled by the shockwave. She shuddered, looking away.
"They… they were still in there!"
Marrow darted forward, scrambling over the large chunks of flesh that had been blown off the whale. He stared at its remains, body shaking as reality set in. "Jaun… and the others… they're all.."
"Winter… speak to me. What happened… did they…"
Marrow turned to face the woman, who looked away from him. "I'm sorry sir, but we didn't confirm if they escaped. It seems that Arc, Xiao-Long, Blaze, Ren, and Pine are… Missing in Action."
She heard a deep shaky sigh in her ear. "Return to Atlas Academy, we must regroup."
"Yes sir," she replied, adopting a firm look. "Alright, load this thing back up, we aren't going to be needing it. Everyone retreat, we'll… pick up our dead when we're sure this thing isn't going to keep spewing Grimm."
The Ace-Ops, minus Marrow, went to work, pulling the bomb back toward their drop ship. Marrow teared up as he looked back to the whale, gritting his teeth as he held back his tears.
Location: Mid-City, Atlas
"Did… anyone respond?" Arthur asked, a grim look on his face as he tore his eyes away from Monstra's corpse. Cinder lowered her scroll, shaking her head.
"No."
The doctor sucked his teeth, sighing. "Well, she'll be back. In the interim, we need a plan."
"Plan?" Cinder asked, glancing at the man. "The Plan hasn't changed, I'm going to rip the Maiden power out of Penny Polendina because you are going to bring her to me."
"I beg your pardon?" he scoffed, turning to face her.
"You said in your message that you have control over Penny."
"No, I said I had Penny under control," he said with an air quote, looking away from the woman with an annoyed look. "Not that I could telepathically force her to do whatever I want."
"What?" she hissed, only for the man to scoff at her idiocy.
"Me and Stella Silverstein were forced at Gunpoint to create a bug, but I hijacked it," he said. When Cinder's expression didn't change, he continued. "I implanted a virus in her, you dimwit. She's on a set path now. At least, she should be,"
He turned around, narrowing his eyes in thought. "As much as I hate to admit it, there seems to be some part of her capable of resisting. Regardless, it's only a matter of time before her mechanical body succumbs to the virus. She'll open the vault, then she'll destroy herself and our little Penny problem will be resolved."
The man let out a scream of surprise as Cinder's shadowy hand grabbed a hold of him, lifting him off the ground. "What do you mean she'll destroy herself? How am I supposed to take her power if she's dead?!"
"You know, it's impressive that you haven't realized this but I don't work for you!" he said, only to yelp as her arm extended, pushing him over the edge of the building, holding him up. "What… What are you doing? You can't threaten me like everyone else!"
"You think you are so clever don't you, Arthur?"
"Salem sent you to bring me back-"
"Salem isn't here right now," she interjected, her hand swirling with flames. "But I think we can still come up with a plan while she's pulling herself together. First, I'm going to watch you plummet to an unremarkable end. And then I'm going to burn a path straight to the vault, where I will wait for that magical puppet and tear her to pieces, and take what is mine."
Cinder was taken aback when Arthur started laughing, letting go of her arm as he looked at her. "Oh… oh of course you will, because that's just what you do, isn't it?"
She tilted her head, eye narrowing. "And how has that worked out for you, hm? You stormed into Fria's room, thinking you could take on Ironwood's top fighter and war machine. But you couldn't. And now that war machine is the Winter Maiden! Oh and let's not forget your deal with Raven Branwen, get all of your enemies in a single room for a shot at revenge. If only someone could have warned you against such a miserable idea. Oh wait, I did, but all you had to do was your job!"
Magic swirled around them, but the man pushed on, without fear on his face. "You think you're entitled to everything just because you suffered, but suffering isn't enough! You can't just be strong, you have to be smart! You can't just be deserving, you have to be worthy, but all you have ever been is a bloody migraine!"
The man found himself rolling across the rooftop, clutching his arm in pain. He stared up at Cinder, who was left stunned at his words. Her magic slowly died down as she walked toward the edge of the building, and sat down. She stared out into the distance, a single tear rolling down her face. Arthur sighed with relief, feeling something vibrate in his pocket. He reached into it, smirking as he read the message.
"Are you alone?"- Odette
Location: Agricultural District: Atlas
Yang groaned as she sat up, shaking her head. She looked around herself, seeing broken and destroyed Atlas Mechs and Droids scattered all over the place. She spotted Alto nearby, rubbing her ears, tears rolling down her cheeks. Jaune and Ren were already standing, the former kneeling next to Oscar who was looking around fearfully. Yang heard her scroll going off and reached for it, taking the incoming call.
"Blake?" she asked, earning a gasp from her partner.
"Yang! Are you okay? Where are you? Guys, I got through to Yang!"
The blonde woman giggled, rolling her shoulders. "Yeah, we're fine. Is everyone there alright?"
"We're alive, We've had one bastard of a night but hell at this point all of us have. Where are you right now?"
"You'll never guess," she said, holding her scroll up to show the remains of Monstra's corpse. At the same time, Oscar was pulling himself to his feet, his eyes falling on Emerald.
"What do we do about her?"
"She can come with us. It'll be hard but she clearly doesn't want to stick around here," Jaune said. He heard the woman call Hazel's name, but it was obvious the man was no longer with them. "We forgave Trivia for what she did, I'm sure eventually, we can forgive her."
"I'll need more than an "I'm sorry" from her. She helped Cinder destroy Beacon, she caused the death of my sister." Alto said, glaring at the woman. Oscar placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head.
"We need to work together as a united front. All of us are on the same page now," he said, making her sigh.
"Fine… I'll do it for you, Ozzy," she said, kissing his cheek. She hugged him tightly, sniffling quietly. "Oh, my sweet Oscar, you have no idea how fucking worried I've been."
"Alright, I'm sending you a map. You're in the Agricultural District. Just head to this access point and reach the Red Line subway tunnel. Then follow the route I've drawn for you. It's risky to fly back with all the Grimm still around the city."
"I figured, we'll see you soon, Weiss," Yang said, pocketing her scroll. She walked over to where Emerald was kneeling, standing over her. She looked at her, her expression softening a bit. "I'm… sorry for your loss. I don't know what kind of relationship you two had but… losing people always sucks. He did what he did to make sure all of us and more importantly, you, made it out alive."
"I know, it's just… fuck, I wanted us to get out of here together. But Salem… that…" she said, brushing away her tears. "I didn't have a reason to fight her before, but now I do. She's going to pay for what she forced Hazel to do. She and Cinder both! I should have never trusted her!"
"Revenge is never a good idea, Emerald, my friend Levi is a testament to that," Ren said, holding his hand out to her. "Come on, we need to get out of here. We don't know how long it'll take for her to come back."
She nodded, pausing for a moment. She reached behind her back, handing her guns to Yang, who looked at her oddly. "Take them, I have to earn your trust. If I don't have anything to attack you with then I won't have a reason to. Not that I do, given what you've done for me."
She shrugged, taking her guns. They started the long walk back toward Atlas City, hoping they didn't run into any enemies on their way there. As they were passing by a destroyed ship, they heard a whistle, causing them to stop and look around. Leaning against the ship was a familiar woman, spinning the Relic of Knowledge around her finger.
"Trivia!" Alto cried, running toward the woman. She caught her in a hug, spinning her around for a moment. "I'm so glad to see you!"
She merely tipped her hat, bashfully waving at her friends. Yang shook her head. "Somehow, I had a feeling you survived that."
"Wait wait wait… Neo is working with you?" Emerald asked. The ice cream-themed woman merely smirked, giving Emerald a wink. "I knew it, I suspected you were a turncoat the second I saw you."
"She earned our trust, but it took a very long time for that. She is one of us now, and hopefully, in the future, we'll trust you as much as we trust her." Oscar said confidently. "Now, let's go, we've wasted far too much time."
The group once again continued onward, trying to get away from the disintegrated monster as fast as possible. Though there were no signs of Salem putting herself together yet, they knew it wouldn't be long before she had. Atlas was on the clock and they knew it.
A/N: The name of this chapter is basically poking a laugh at the fact that Oscar nuked that giant whale. That's basically what it was lol. I don't have much to say about that. I did say I was going to post something new in September, but I did have some time to edit this so I decided to post it. As of now, only 4 chapters remain for this current arc, so yeah. It's been a long ride. Let's hope it doesn't take another two years to continue hahaa. See ya~
Oh and to answer the question posed by my latest reviewer. Yes, I am pairing Blake and Jaune together, at some point. K thx bye