Disclaimer: Brotherhoof12 does not own RWBY or the Spider-Man franchise.


Chapter 65: OG Siri

The chaos had finally subsided, with the Mistral Police loading the last of Adam's followers into the transports. After conversing with the Belladonnas-who invited them to visit Menagerie as honored guests- The Avengers entered the Academy. While Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Wasp were accustomed to the cavernous chamber, Black Panther and Ant-Man took a moment to take in the sights. Raven stood in the center of the spacious chasm's platform, her foot tapping impatiently on the floor.

"And down the hole Alyx jumped, never once considering how in the world she would get out again." Quoted Ant-Man as he looked over the ledge, staring into the seemingly endless darkness below.

Wasp looked in surprise at her lover and asked, "The Girl Who Fell Through The World, right? I never took you for the classical literature type."

"It's one of Cassie's favorites." He replied before admitting. "I prefer the movie, though. Much less depressing than the book."

The couple stepped back from the ledge. They joined up with their teammates, who were examining the door to the vault. Ant-Man thought aloud, "So, this is where they're holding the magic lantern? With a vault like this, it's gotta be worth all the trouble we've gone through."

"Indeed, my friend. The relic is said to be a vessel of infinite knowledge, which explains the unorthodox security measures. I am certain it will prove quite a boon to our cause." Black Panther stopped before the vault's door and swiped his claws at it.

There was not a single scratch on the door.

Black Panther inspected the door. "Fascinating. The door appears to be carved from stone, yet my claws cannot damage it."

"It must be made of Vibranium, or perhaps contains properties that can nullify it, BP." Iron Man theorized. He had scanned the door earlier, only to receive fluctuating and inconclusive readings.

He didn't like that.

The Armored Avenger called out to Raven. "Hey, Spring Crone, Are you gonna stand there and sulk or are you gonna "magic" this thing open? I wanna see what's on the other side of this so-called door to nowhere."

"Give me a minute, Shell Head." Raven irritably growled, upset by the dig at her age. "This takes a lot of concentration. Magic requires much more focus than a semblance."

The Avengers stepped aside and gave Raven the space she needed. But they didn't move too far. They didn't want to risk having her run out on them.

The bandit leader stood before the vault's entrance. After taking a deep, calming breath, she reached out with her left arm, pressing her hand against its surface.

Her red eyes snapped open, red ethereal flames igniting from her irises. A soft, rhythmic hum filled the air. The Avengers watched in awe as blue glowing vines erupted across the door's surface. The heroes held their breath, readying themselves for whatever might happen next.

Suddenly, a low, harmonic chiming was heard.

Imagine their shock when the door began to fold in on itself like paper. It almost looked like watching an origami sculpture being made in reverse.

Soon, the door had vanished completely, revealing the vault's contents. To the hero's shock, the doorway appeared to lead to what can only be described as an endless desert in the day. Which made it all the more strange as they were underground and it was nighttime, the heroes knew immediately they weren't looking at an area outside of the school.

And in the center of this unknown land was an ornate Lamp. This was their prize, the Relic of Knowledge.

Raven looked at them and said with a blasé tone, "There, it's open. Now let's grab the thing and leave."

Raven's nonchalant response did little to soothe the Avenger's nerves. Seconds passed as the team debated on their next course of action. The discussion ended when Iron Man volunteered to go through the doorway first. Repulsors at the ready, the metal hero stepped through the opening. When his metal boot met the ground, it somewhat sank into the sand. The rest of his body followed.

Iron Man glanced around, observing his new surroundings. All around him was a vast desert, barren and flat. Not a single sand dune in sight. He looked up and beheld the rich azure sky open and clear, with nary a cloud or sun in sight. Despite the picturesque landscape, there was something about this place that didn't sit right with the science hero.

In his opinion, this seemed like something out of a storybook.

"Is it safe, Iron Man?" Wasp called out to her teammate.

"The terrain seems mostly stable." Iron Man replied, much to his comrade's relief. He scooped up some sand with his hand and brought it to his visors. After a single scan, he let the sand fall from his grasp. "Scanners indicate that this is actual sand. So, we can rule out holograms."

He took a final look around, magnifying the visual range of his optics. Once finished, he reported to his team. "There also appears to be no sign of life anywhere."

"You know I've been standing right next to you this whole time, right?"

Iron Man turned to his right and saw Raven standing next to him, giving him an unimpressed stare. Without skipping a beat, the hero repeated. "Correction, there appears to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere."

Raven rolled her eyes, "Hilarious. Now, are you gonna pick up the lamp or do you want to admire the scenery some more?"

"Of course, I'm going to get the lamp. It's just, well, this seems like a lot of space for such a tiny bauble."

Iron Man approached the ornament floating in the air. Grabbing the lamp by its ring-like handle, Iron Man brought it close to his face plate and took a quick scan. Much like the vault's door, the readings came back as inconclusive. Unsatisfied with the analysis, the hero tried to scan the area around him. Once again, nothing conclusive could be found.

Nothing about this made sense.

And so, he tried to rationalize the situation.

"This doorway must be some kind of teleporter that took us to an unknown location. I've already ruled out a simulated environment, given the sand. Though further study might be needed to determine whether it's naturally formed."

"You're holding a relic created by an actual god, but you're more interested in the sand?" Raven raised an eyebrow at the armored hero.

"I don't really take stock in that superstitious nonsense." Iron Man tossed the lamp through the doorway into Black Panther's arms. "If we weren't on a mission to take this thing, I would have a field day dismantling how this place works. But since we're here," He fired his Repulsors, taking off from the ground like a rocket. "I also want to test a theory."

Alarmed by Iron Man's sudden launch, the other Avengers charged through the doorway.

"Woah," When Spider-Man entered he felt his spider-sense go off, but not to warn him of danger. It felt like his mind was buffering as if some unknown force was washing over him before fading away. "What was that?"

Joining up with Raven, they watched as their comrade climbed higher into the sky until he became a mere speck.

"What the heck is he doing?" Ant-Man worriedly asked. "He got a screw loose or is he trying to prove something?"

"Knowing him, probably both." Spider-Man said.

The Avengers watched and waited for their friend to return. Minutes passed as they waited. But they weren't going to leave anything to chance. They didn't know what to expect in this strange place.

"OH, NO, THE GROU-!"

They turned around and saw a cloud of sand erupt from the ground. Once the cloud had dissipated, they were treated to the sight of Iron Man buried in the ground, his upper body completely enveloped by the sand with his legs kicking wildly about. Concerned for their friend, Black Panther, and Spider-Man grabbed the armored hero's legs and pulled.

It didn't take much effort on their part, as Iron Man was plucked from the sand like a garden vegetable. Now sitting on his armor-plated posterior, Iron Man let out a few coughs before yelling. "Damn it, I swore this wouldn't happen again!"

"That was some fancy flying, Iron Man." Spider-Man helped his friend by wiping away some sand off his armor. "But I think you might want to work on your landing strategy. We're in a desert, not an open pool."

"No, I could have sworn I was flying up instead of down." Iron Man looked up to the endless blue sky. "One moment I was flying higher than I ever flew before and the next I was diving headfirst into the sand. Whatever this place is, it's like some kind of Mobius strip."

"That's a funny way of saying 'magic'," Raven said. "Was there anything else you saw?"

"Well, I thought I saw a giant tree before I hit the ground. But that was probably just a mirage. Second, all that Hocus Pocus-Alakazam tripe doesn't exist. As a wise man once said, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." That comment elicited an eye roll from the bandit leader. "For all I know, your Maiden powers are just an unknown form of energy that can be replicated with science."

"My magic was given to me." Raven arrogantly told the hero.

"Given or stolen?" He suggested accusingly, eliciting a glare from her.

Having said his piece, Iron Man stood up and took the lantern from Black Panther.

"But we can save science class for later. We got the relic. Let's head back topside and find Widow and Hawkeye before they slink off into the night."

And with that, Iron Man exited through the doorway. The others followed him. Spider-Man was the last to reach the doorway. But just as he was about to go through, his spider-sense tingled. Following his instinct, he looked behind him.

Just like when he entered all Spider-Man saw was endless sand, yet still his spider-sense rang in his head to let him know he was being watched.

Or it was a false alarm. His spider-sense had those sometimes.

'Iron Man said his sensors didn't pick up any signs of life, but I wonder...'

Closing his eyes and all his other four senses, Spider-Man focused on his sixth sense and extended it in hopes that there was a chance that there were any signs of life in the vicinity.

'Just a little bit further.' In his mind, Spider-Man imagines his spider-sense was like a web and stretched out as far as he could. All of a sudden there was movement at the edge of his 'web'. Focusing on where the anomaly was, Spider-Man felt the edge of his 'web' continue to shake only it didn't warn him of danger. Rather it was as if something was plucking the edge of his 'web' as if wanting to gain his attention.

Something... otherworldly.

"Spider-Man, what are you doing? You can take pictures later, we gotta go." Iron Man called out from the other side of the gate.

Whatever was tugging at his spider-sense immediately left as if never it was never there leaving Spider-Man to wonder what was setting off his sixth sense.

"Yeah, uh," Spider-Man stared at the vast landscape before walking out. "Just... had to tie my shoes is all."

'Whatever I sensed, I hope I won't ever get to meet it face to face.'


"That didn't take long."

The Avengers ignored Black Widow's partner as they exited the school. They strode toward the faunus agent and presented the relic to her.

"Nice job." Widow commended the team. "With the relic secure, our mission is complete."

"So, what happens now?" Ant-Man asked, voicing his teammate's thoughts. "You and Arrow-Guy take the Lantern and we go our separate ways?"

"That'd be a negative, Average-Sized Man. The boss needs to be debriefed on how the mission went." Said the Archer. "Also, I believe I told you my callsign is Hawkeye. Remember that, because you're not done with us just yet."

"As for what comes next, that depends on what the Director wants. I've already radioed for two transports. They should be here any second now." Black Widow informed the team, though a part of her sentence prompted surprised the heroes.

"A second transport?" Wasp questioned. "I know we're taking Hazel with us, but why would we need another one?"

"Is it for Raven?" Iron Man asked, his metallic voice sounding hopeful. "Please tell me it's for Raven."

Raven shot the armored hero an incredulous glare. She didn't appreciate all the hate being sent her way.

"No," Widow replied. "I'm afraid Ms. Branwen is still a vital mission asset. If we're staying, she stays too."

"I won't deny that you two have been an immense help, but why do we still need Deadbeat Bandit? She's already done her part." Iron Man brought up the lantern to emphasize his point. "So, if we're stuck with her, why do we need another transport?"

"The transport is for Headmaster Lionheart." Black Widow stated only to correct herself. "Actually, that would be former Headmaster now."

"So, Lionheart's already been stripped of his title?" Spider-Man asked.

"That's one way of putting it, yeah." Answered Hawkeye, his head hanging low.

The Avengers noticed the archer's downcast look. They looked to Widow, who averted her gaze from them. Tension filled the air as the agents went silent.

"He's been arrested, right?" Spider-Man asked, not liking the spy's silence. He can only guess something went wrong. "What happened?"

The two spies shared an unsure look. Black Widow was the one who chose to speak.

"We found him in his office. We tried to take him alive, but he resisted and tried to kill us. He gave us no choice." Spider-Man saw the fox faunus move her hand to her sidearm, the implication clear as day. "His aura was shattered, and he got shot in the chest. We tried to subdue him so he can get first aid, but… he chose to take his own life, instead."

Hearing this news elicited different reactions from the Avengers. Ant-Man let out a curse and shook his head, angered that Lionheart would rather kill himself than face justice. Wasp didn't voice her opinion, but the way she gripped Ant-Man's hand showed she was just as outraged. Black Panther maintained a stoic calm, but one could tell from his slightly shaking fists that he too was angry.

"Dang it," Spider-Man muttered under his breath. He didn't like the Lionheart, especially after learning of the man's crimes, but he didn't think the man would choose to take his own life. "We should have done more and secured him before stopping Adam. Maybe splitting would have been better."

The only one who wasn't torn up was Iron Man, who coldly remarked. "A gruesome end for a gruesome man."

Despite wanting to admonish Iron Man for his callous words, Spider-Man could understand why he said them. The webhead curled his fists in anger. To think he'd go that far to spare himself Salem's wrath. Lionheart had no right to end it all when he had so much to answer for!

"Is he still, you know..." Spider-Man couldn't even finish that sentence.

"We left the body in the room. We didn't want you to see it, so we called a clean-up team to take care of it." Answered Hawk Eye. "The director will handle Lionheart's burial. Speaking of the boss, he should be calling any minute now."

And right on cue, Iron Man's eyes flickered, showing Fury was calling. After tapping the side of his helmet, the armored hero brought up his armored wrist and opened a panel. A miniature projector hidden behind the panel lit up before beams of light shot out and coalesced into a humanoid form. Before long, the figure gained better resolution and definition before becoming a miniature projection of the Director.

"Avengers," Nick greeted the team. "Good work on securing the Relic of Knowledge. I also commend you all for preventing considerable collateral damage and casualties."

"Seeing as how only two of the three targets are alive, I'd hardly call this job a complete success, Fury." Iron Man told the Spymaster. "Hazel Rainart is still in our custody. We'd really appreciate it if you send some of your agents to pick him up right now. I prefer you toss him into a cell while he's still fun-sized."

"Rainart," Fury said the same slowly, as if trying to recall a forgotten memory, "I think we've got a cage strong enough to hold him. For now, I'd like to know the status of the Relic."

"Secure and very underwhelming." Iron Man reported, waving the lantern in his other hand. "You know, I was expecting this thing to look a bit more otherworldly. To me, it looks like something an art school reject would make."

"Take it up with the Brother Gods, Iron Man. Just keep in mind you're holding an item that entire armies have fought for. Have you already activated the Relic?"

"Nope, we decided to wait until you showed up."

"Wait, BP and I didn't get our- Ow!" Ant-Man felt Wasp's elbow dig into his side.

"How considerate of you. But since I'm not there physically, I recommend we convene at S.H.I.E.L.D HQ."

"HQ?" Spider-Man tilted his head, his eyes widening in excitement. "Wait, Does that mean...?"

"Avengers, It's time you visit S.H.I.E.L.D'S pride and joy. The Helicarrier." The director told them. "I'll relay the orders to your pilots. See you soon. Fury out."


After securing Hazel in his cage and loading both his and Lionheart's corpse into the cargo bay, The Avengers boarded the airship and left Haven Academy.

With Hawkeye and Black Widow piloting the airship, the team was free to talk among themselves. Raven sat in the seat farthest away from the team, though the heroes were sure to keep an eye on her. The team decided to spend the flight discussing their next course of action regarding the relic.

"So, what do you guys think we should ask the Relic when we're at S.H.I.E.L.D's base?" Ant-Man asked his friends as he inspected the lantern. "Maybe we can ask it how to kill Salem?"

"That'd be a wasted question." Iron Man said as he leaned against his seat while the Avengers flew to HQ. "Fury already told us Salem's immortal. Asking how to kill an unkillable being would be counterproductive."

"Does V.I.C have any suggestions?" Wasp asked him, curious to hear if the AI had any input.

"Well, he suggested we ask if Vampires exist."

The Avengers and Raven gave Iron Man a strange look. Iron Man told them, "Trust me, you don't want to know. But he did bring up a point about phrasing the questions."

"I concur. We must be cautious in choosing our words." Black Panther pointed out. "Any Items created by the Gods tend to operate with certain caveats. From what the director deduced from Ozpin's memories; the relic's spirit's answers are determined by how it understands the question. Context and the questioner's intent don't factor into her interpretations. So, our questions must not contain any ambiguous wording."

Taking the lamp from Ant-Man, Wasp offered her suggestion. "Maybe we can ask how this secret war ends? If we know what's going to happen, it could help us make plans."

Iron Man rejected that notion, "And who's to say those plans would lead to an undesirable outcome? For all we know, it'd be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Like BP said, we should just ask something straightforward and without any room for interpretation. If I've learned anything from living in Atlas, a good deal needs to be locked down so tight that the other person can't work around it."

Black Panther nodded, "We must also consider whether her knowledge pertains only to what has already passed. Knowledge can only be gained from experience, after all. And for all we know, the future is either beyond her sight or is constantly changing because of choices being made in the present."

"That might be the case. But if we can't ask about the future, then maybe we can ask how many supporters Salem has." Spider-Man proposed, only to backpedal that thought. "No, wait, not 'supporters', cause it might give us names of people who were forced to serve her. Maybe we should use words like 'Zealots' or 'fanatics'. Then again, she could have thousands of people under her thumb. It'd take months, maybe years, to get all of them."

"You forget that you have two spies on your team now. Spies that happened to work for a secret organization that was founded to deal with these kinds of problems." Black Widow's voice spoke through the intercom. "And while I admit knowing who supports her could help, it'll still take time to weed out Salem's followers, so I recommend not wasting such a question on a godly artifact. We'll figure something out when we get back to base."

"Are we almost there?" Spider-Man asked.

"We're nearly there, ETA six minutes."

"Well, that's great to hear." The wall-crawler remarked before asking. "Also, were you listening in on us the whole time?"

All he received from the intercom was silence. That was good an answer as any.

As his fellow Avengers continued discussing their options, Spider-Man stared at one of the airship's windows. He had been looking out the window throughout much of the trip, taking in the sights of Mistral's landscape from a thousand feet in the air. After passing over grasslands, forests, and mountains, the airship finally reached the ocean. The sight of those clear, blue waters was enough for him to keep his motion sickness in check.

He could be thinking about the amazing view, yet all Spider-Man thought about were recent events.

'Just when I thought I'd finally be going home, I'm told to travel to the middle of the ocean. Sure, when I still wanted to be a Huntsman, all I could think about was exploring Vale, not being cooped up in Ansel for the rest of my whole life. Yet here I am, wearing a brightly colored full-body suit, surrounded by people like me, going from one kingdom to another. And now I'm going to a secret base funded by the four kingdoms. And I'm not even Huntsman.'

From behind his mask, Jaune frowned as his thoughts turned to Vale.

'Yet all I'm thinking about is going back to Vale. Who knew homesickness would be hitting me this hard.'

And then he thought about a certain red reaper.

'I wonder what Ruby would think about all this? Hope she is enjoying her time with her team and family.'

Before he could think more about the silver-eyed girl, he heard Black Widow announce they were nearing their destination. She told them to look out the windows and they'll be in for a sight. The Avengers and Raven gathered around the windows. Soon, they were greeted by the sight of a large carrier ship.

The ship was big, larger than any Atlas warship, its size almost comparable to Amity Stadium. They saw that Helicarrier was built with two runways. One ran along the ship while the other was aligned diagonally. The runways were buzzing with activity, with hundreds of crewmembers on the runway, performing their assigned duties.

"Whoa." Spoke Spider-Man.

"An impressive vessel." Black Panther observed.

Ant-Man was astounded, "It's almost like a city at sea."

Wasp nodded in agreement with her beloved.

Raven said nothing, but the intrigued smirk gave her feelings away.

Iron Man however was not impressed, "Meh."

Suddenly, the cabin shook as the Airship began descending toward the diagonal runway. That was when they heard Hawkeye's voice speak over the intercom.

"Attention, passengers, this is your captain speaking." They heard the archer drawl like a stereotypical airline pilot. "We are making our final approach. For your safety, please remain in your seats with your seatbelts fastened. Please return all trays to their full upright positions. We thank you for flying Air Hawkeye and welcome to the SHIELD Helicarrier."

The airship jolted as it landed on the ship. The bay doors opened, revealing Nick Fury waiting for them along with some heavily armed guards.

"Avengers," Nick had a ghost of a smile. He dropped the smile when his eyes landed on Raven. "Raven, happy to see you're still with us."

"Well, after threatening to send me and my tribe to a maximum-security prison, how could I refuse such a generous offer to join these colorful characters."

Nick didn't speak and neither did Raven, making everyone around them stand awkwardly.

"The years haven't been kind to you. With all those lines around your eyes, I should be calling you 'Crow', rather than Raven."

"Ooh!" Spider-Man clasped a hand over his mouth.

"Snrrk!" Iron Man bit his lip to keep himself from laughing.

Wasp's eyes widened at hearing the insult to Raven's age. Ant-Man and Black Panther wisely took a step back away from Raven.

"I see your vision is still 20/20. Should I also point out the obvious that you only have one eye? Looks like the years haven't taught you to learn boundaries if the loss of depth perception is any indication."

Hawkeye, Black Widow, and the SHIELD agents behind Fury also took a step back.

The two adults stared each other down, the air was building up with tension. Everyone stood still as they anticipated fists and blades to start flying. The tension dissipated when they saw the spy and bandit smile and laugh. The heroes and agent relaxed, glad the two hadn't come to blows.

"Glad to see all these years haven't blunted your edge." Fury told the bandit leader.

"The same can be said of you, Nick." Raven said with genuine mirth.

"Um," Wasp used this moment to get in between them. "Glad your two aren't going to throw down, but we still have a prisoner we need to secure."

Wasp pointed to the medium-sized, steel-framed, thick-tempered glass box holding Hazel, who is trying to use his increased to escape. "Thanks for having this ready on the airship. But as you can see, he's starting to grow."

"Right, if you'll follow me, I can show you where our guest will stay."

"You sure it's a good idea to keep a rage monster like Hazel on a ship in the middle of the ocean?" Spider-Man asked as they followed behind Nick.

Instead of answering Spider-Man, Fury raised his right arm in the air. A nearby S.H.I.E.L.D agent wearing a bright vest and holding two flags raised her arms to signal the command deck. Seeing this, the crews on the runway started making their way below deck. Before the Avengers could ask what was happening, they felt the ship shake with a slight tremor. The ship alarms blared loudly, though they couldn't tune out the low rumbling sound polluting the air.

The Wall-Crawler walked toward the edge of the ship and saw a most shocking sight. The ship was rising from the ocean, revealing four large spinning turbines that were hidden under the waves. This massive aircraft carrier can fly!

Spider-Man considered himself lucky to be wearing a mask, as the giant turbines were making him feel queasy. The only one who noticed this was Ant-Man, who had stayed with him while their teammates followed Fury.

"I know how you're feeling! I wasn't expecting this thing to fly too!" The size-changing hero said before walking.

"Ugh," Swallowing the bile, Spider-Man took a deep breath and lifted his mask for some fresh air. "Yeah, definitely wasn't expecting it to fly."

'I was already holding my lunch from the flight here and then this happens?!' Disappointed by the fact that he would have to endure more of his motion sickness, Spider-Man soldiered on as he and Ant-Man joined up with their friends.

After traveling into the deepest part of the Helicarrier, Spider-Man finally saw where Hazel would be held. It was a giant and spacious glass prison cell, suspended over a bay door, accessible only by a short retractable bridge. In the center of the cell was the square glass box holding Hazel. The man had finally grown to a size that the box couldn't withstand. The glass box exploded, sending bits of broken glass flying in every direction.

"GRRR!" Now free from his boxed confinement, Hazel started planning his second escape attempt. He stopped when he saw his new warden pull a small remote out of his coat.

Fury pressed a button, and the bay doo underneath Hazel's glass cage opened, revealing the faraway ocean below. He saw they were very high in the air.

"I wouldn't take another step unless you plan on going to a watery grave. With how high we are, I doubt you'd survive the fall, Hazel." Nick said before putting the remote back in his coat.

"Don't think you'll get away with this. Salem has eyes everywhere and a flying metal ship is something that's hard to miss." Hazel pointed out his previous anger now gone and was replaced with a more neutral tone.

"You let me worry about that. For now, make yourself comfortable while we figure some things out."


After leaving Hazel to fume in his new prison cell, Nick Fury escorted Avengers to the Helicarrier's command bridge. Throughout the bridge, a dozen operatives manned their monitors. Of course, The more impressive sight was given by three large windows showing the clouds passing by. In the center of the room was a small platform with smaller monitors displaying different views of the ship as well as panels connected to vital systems.

The heroes and agents sat around a conference table, save for a certain teen genius.

"So, this is where the magic happens?" Iron Man remarked as he stood on the platform, watching the operatives perform their assigned tasks. Iron Man then covered half of his faceplate before putting it back down. "I'm sorry, how can you even see all this with just one eye?"

"I turn my head." Fury deadpanned.

With the meeting starting, Iron Man took his seat at the table next to Spider-Man. Fury addressed the group. "Now, after hearing the report on your first mission, I feel that congratulations are in order. Not every day you stop a terrorist organization from destroying an entire kingdom in such a short time. Though, I am disappointed we couldn't arrest Lionheart."

The Avengers lowered their heads, still upset by their failure to capture the traitorous headmaster alive. All save for Iron Man, who kept his optics on Fury. However, Raven didn't share their disappointment, given her low opinion of the late Lionheart.

"But at least we captured one of Salem's more competent followers. So, look on the bright side, Nick." Raven reminded the director.

"Hazel Rainart," Fury looked out the window. "As I recall, he had a twin sister who attended Beacon some years back, only to die young during a training mission. He must've joined Salem to get revenge against Ozpin. From what I saw in Ozpin's memories, his sister, Gretchen, willingly chose to follow Ozpin, but it seems Hazel belives she was tricked by Ozpin to side with him. So, I can't say I blame Hazel for hating the man. Still doesn't excuse him from siding with Salem, though."

After hearing Hazel's backstory, Jaune frowned under his mask. He knew what it felt like to have a Huntress for a sibling. Many of his sisters had taken the profession. But they always came back from their missions alive and unscathed. But there were some like Gretchen Rainart who weren't as fortunate.

'She knew the risks of taking the job, but I can understand why her death drove Hazel to Salem. I can't imagine what might happen if one of my sisters died.'

"If he hates Ozpin enough to side with Salem, then he's a man who can be easily swayed," Raven remarked as she passed the lamp to Spider-Man. "Working for Salem is understandable, as she is immortal. But I have a hunch Hazel's loyalty can be shifted if we offered him a better bargain."

"I might have some things that can change his tune, but I doubt he will comply so soon. For now, Salem has already lost two of her most important soldiers. She also doesn't have a relic or a Maiden. So, we need to strike while the iron is hot."

As Fury went on explaining the Avenger's next mission, Spider-Man eye's wandered to the relic.

He noticed what appeared to be a smudge of dirt on the relic.

The wallcrawler used his gloved hand to wipe off the stain. After wiping it a couple of times, he saw that the stain was still there. He tried wiping it again, adding more strength to his hand, but the stain was still there!

"Oh, come on, why won't come out?" He growled in a hushed voice. "How can something made by literal gods get a stain? For powerful beings, they are lousy carpenters. I can only imagine-"

His rant was cut short when the lamp suddenly started leaking a thick blue mist. Surprised, the wallcrawler cried in alarm, "And I guess this is happening! You guys, something's happening! This thing's leaking something and I doubt it's good for the environment!"

"Spider-Man!" Iron Man was the first to react, reaching out to help only to freeze in place.

It wasn't just him either, as everyone around Spider-Man was now still as statues.

"Oh, no, Iron Man! Guys!" Suddenly the blue mist started shooting out of the lamp, flooding the room and blinding Spider-Man.

His vision returned when the mist receded, only for it to coalesce and spin like a tornado. He watched as the smoky blue wisps coalesced and began to reshape itself. The mist eventually became a solid mass, forming itself into a humanoid shape. Finally, the newly formed figure became corporeal, and Spider-Man saw its true form.

Floating above him was a giant woman. A woman with blue skin that glowed and gave off smoke. She also had a body one would describe as generously proportioned. She did retain some modesty, as Jaune noted she was about as anatomically correct as his sister's old Debby dolls. Her attire was minimal, as it consisted of a chained headdress and some jewelry like chained cuffs and anklets. Around her waist was a belt of chains, with a veil of wisp-like smoke that resembled the skirt of a dress.

Spider-Man wondered if he had inhaled just a little too much of that smoke.

"Ah, it feels good to stretch these tired, old limbs after all these years!" The floating woman happily cheered, only to grunt when she felt something pop in her back. "Ack! Ugh, I've had that crick in my back since Fort Castle!"

She started doing a few stretches, making the spider avert his eyes from embarrassment.

"Wow, You're a whole lot of woman!" Spider-Man blurted out before remembering the situation he was in. "I mean- What did you do to my friends?!"

He winced when he realized he just asked a question.

The floating woman only smiled at Spider-Man and reclined in the air. She floated closer, but that only made Spider-Man panic, forcing him to adopt a combat stance. He lifted the lantern over his head in a threatening manner.

"Come any closer and you're gonna start house hunting!" Spider-Man paused before clutching the Relic into his chest. "No, wait, Never mind! I'm sure that's what you want, cause it'll free you and stuff! I've seen enough horror movies to know breaking something old and expensive is a bad idea!"

The woman dropped her smile and blinked in confusion, only for her smile to return after listening to Spider-Man's rant. She let out a nice and friendly laugh.

"Oh! I haven't been this amused in centuries! Thank you, young spider for being the one to release me. You have no idea how long it's been since I've had a good laugh." When she noticed the hero hadn't dropped his guard, the woman adjusted her height to stand just a head shorter than Spider-Man. "I hope this helps prove I'm not a threat to you. And before you ask, I would have you know that I will answer, and you would waste a question. I can only answer two more questions before I return to the lamp."

"Wait, seriously?" Spider-Man gasped. "Wait, Don't answer that, okay? Or that! Wait, does an order count as a question? Man, this is really confusing." He ceased his rambling when he remembered what she just said. "Wait, just two? And before you answer, know that, yes, I did waste a question, but that just makes this Relic all the lamer."

"Don't worry, I would usually answer that question, but since you've given me such good entertainment, so for you, I'll let it slide this once. I'll also tell you why I can only answer three questions. Not too long ago, someone asked if Salem could be s, and my answer was no. After answering, I returned to the lamp to wait for someone to use the other two questions before I will return to the lamp and would remain inside the Relic for 100 years for another user to ask me three questions."

"Ozpin…" Jaune silently cursed before sighing. "Can't really be mad at him, since some of us had the same question. Still, to be sealed for 100 years after answering three measly questions seems a little unfair to you."

The lamp lady smiled at Spider-Man's genuine concern for her. She knew he wasn't faking it.

"Think nothing of it, young spider. These restrictions were placed upon me by the God of Light, so humans do not constantly seek my counsel. If I had no such restrictions, I would be answering the questions of just about anybody who found my lamp. That would invite only chaos and destruction. That is why I can only answer three questions before returning to the lamp and waiting for another 100 years."

He would've said more, but then the blue-skinned floated back into the air and returned to her true size. "I have already given you a freebie by telling you who used the first question and answered your question. I need to remind you that I have limits when it comes to my purpose. My knowledge does not extend to the future, so whatever answer I give you will be based on what I presently know… and I know a lot. So, I implore you to think carefully."

'She's really emphasizing what I need to say.' Thankful for her patient attitude, Spider-Man looked at his frozen friends and then at the lady. "I'm sorry, but I won't ask any questions until you free my friends."

"I understand," She smiled approvingly. "If you cannot ask while your friends are immobile, then let me rectify that."

With a snap of her fingers, Spider-Man's friends were unfrozen. So too were Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Raven.

"Whoa, what just-" Iron Man raised his gauntlets and primed his Repulsors. "Giant blue naked lady! Why the hell is there a giant, blue, naked Lady?!"

"Whoa, blewbs!" Black Widow smacked the back of Hawkeye's head.

The rest of Spider-Man's team didn't voice their surprise, choosing instead to ready their weapons.

"WHOA-WHOA-WHOA, WAIT!" The wallcrawler placed himself between the Avengers and the relic spirit. "This is all a huge misunderstanding! The giant blewb lady isn't going to hurt us! Just calm down and listen!"

The group heeded Spider-Man's words and lowered their weapons. Jinn immediately recounted what she had just told Spider-Man. After finishing her tale, everyone was left speechless. And it didn't take long for the panic to set in.

"So, there's no way we can beat Salem?" Wasp whispered in despair. "How can we beat her when a Relic made by the Brother Gods tells us we can't?"

"There has to be a catch to this." Iron Man didn't sound convinced about what the Genie said and started ranting. "Are we really going to just take her word at face value? Come on, people! We saved two kingdoms already! TWO! Are we really going to let Blue Woman Group here dictate how this plays out? She's just a bad scroll app with terrible IOS updates."

"Uh, My name is Jinn, by the way." The spirit introduced herself, turning her head from embarrassment. "Forgive me, I've spent so many millennia answering other people's questions, but not once did they ask for my name. Though I suppose they didn't want to waste a question on something so trivial."

Jinn whispered that last part out.

"Did you forget that this is the Relic of Knowledge?" Raven was just as shaken as Wasp, though she was more enraged than sad. "All our hopes for stopping Salem were for nothing! Let's say we obtain all the Relics and hide them somewhere else, kill all her agents, and obtain the powers of the four Maidens. It won't matter, because she's immortal! She would just go into hiding and would wait for who knows how long? A decade? A century? A millennium? She'll either wait until our bones turned to dust or until the world forgot her before trying again."

"The revelation is grim, yet that is more reason to think outside the known possibility of such a future." Blank Panther argued, siding with Iron Man. He refused to believe victory was beyond their grasp and chose to believe that victory can still be within their grasp. "Perhaps we should take a step back and think about what Jinn told us. Ozpin was the one to ask the question, but we need to consider context and the words we use."

"I think we unfreeze the one person in the room who has any experience with this sort of thing." Black Widow pointed at her still-frozen boss. "Jinn freed us from our time lock, yet Fury is still in that state. You mind doing the same courtesy to our boss, please?"

"Oh? I thought you all are against Ozma, yet you would have him to partake in your discussion?" Jinn sounded surprised.

Her gift of knowledge told her this group was a third party unrelated to Salem, yet it seems she must have been wrong which was a first.

"No-no-no!" Spider-Man waved his arms to get the genie's attention. "Fury is kind of our boss who used to work with Ozma until they had this crazy soul switcheroo thing. Have you ever seen the movie, Freaky Friday?"

"Is that a question you want me to answer?" No matter how entertaining she found the Spider to be, she still had a duty to perform.

Iron Man stopped his friend from falling further into a pop-cultural rabbit hole. He looked up at Jinn and explained "What my wall-crawling friend trying to say is that Fury and Ozpin do not share a body. They had an accident with a machine that transfers aura and Fury somehow absorbed his memories. All of them."

"Ah, So that is why I sensed the old man's lingering presence on your friend. To think I have awakened in an age where humanity has created such marvelous tools." Djinn snapped her fingers again, unfreezing Fury.

Fury blinked his one eye in bewilderment. He then saw the Avengers along with a large half-naked blue lady. He let out a tired groan, "I should have seen this coming, considering I have Ozpin's memories of using the lamp. I guess the years are making it harder for me to make sense of it all."

"Really? Because I see a floating, giant, naked Na'vi is something that's hard to forget." Spider-Man flippantly retorted. "Oh, and get this, Jinn thought you were Ozpin, just because you guys had a bit of a Freaky Friday. I thought that was a good analogy, by the way."

"Regardless," Ignoring Spider-Man's rant, Nick Fury stared at Jinn and she at him. "I may have Ozpin's memories and know his secrets, but can I assure you I am not him."

"I can see that." Jinn bowed her head and looked at Spider-Man. "But let us come back to why I am here. There are only two questions left for me to answer before I return to the lamp. Please, think hard about what you want to ask and be sure to choose your words wisely."

"We will," Spider-Man then motioned for everyone to come near him and huddle up. "Ok, so, what should we ask, because I'm drawing a blank."

"Can we ask if we can beat Ozpin?" Ant-Man asked, causing everyone to stare at him like he grew a second head. "Hear me out. If people like Hazel join Salem because they hate Ozpin. Why not just take down Ozpin first? If we can take him down, then there's a chance we can beat Salem. Not to mention we can limit Ozpin's followers going to their early graves."

"I like the way you're thinking, Ant-Man, but fighting Ozpin is a useless gesture. He has lived a thousand lifetimes, long enough to correct his mistakes and maybe plan contingencies in case he was indisposed. He has connections to some influential figures in all the four kingdoms who'd doubtlessly come to his aid. That's not to mention the political quagmire and resulting power vacuum if we went against him this soon." Nick Fury sighed. "Instead of Grimm, we'll be fighting people who are convinced Ozpin's way is the only chance they have at saving Remnant. Sometimes, I think he is just as troublesome or even worse than Salem."

"Then let's steer away from dealing with Ozpin. Better to have his focus on Salem rather than us." The young Schnee put a metal digit under his plated chin. "We can think and brainstorm all we want. I say we just lock her in a box, throw away the key, bury the aforementioned box, and hide the relics where no one can find them."

"I agree with Shell head." Spoke Black Widow. "Jinn may be acting all formal and patient, but what's to say she isn't hiding something? She's probably waiting for us to slip up and make a mistake asking her something. And just be before we realize our mistake, it will have been too late, and she'll back to sleep for another 100 years."

"That can't be right, Black Widow. When you all were frozen it was just me and her. She gave me a free answer." Spider-Man corrected her. "Come one, guys, we just need one question to at least ask her. After that, we can just keep the last one for an emergency."

"What's the point? The answer will just be the same. We can't beat her, Ozpin asked Jinn and she said he can't beat her." Raven reminded them all.

"Ozpin…" A thought occurred to Spider-Man, "What if I asked her if we can defeat Salem?"

"What? How does that make any difference? Ozpin already got the answer from Jinn." Raven pointed out.

"But that's the thing. Ozpin asked if he could destroy her. BP was right, it's all about the context and wording." Spider-Man moved away from his friends and looked up at Jinn.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Said Iron Man.

"I don't," Spider-Man admitted to his friend. "But it's better than wasting time wondering about 'what ifs'."

He turned his attention back onto the spirit. "Jinn, Ozpin asked question before, but we need to know. Do the Avengers have a chance at destroy- no, defeating Salem, so she can never harm Remnant again?"

Everyone held their breath as they awaited Jinn's answer. The Genie kept her composure calm after hearing Spider-Man's question. She leaned in and looked the arachnid hero square in his eyes.

But then she smiled and gave her answer.

"Yes."


[Aurther's notes}

Welp, this arc has ended and revelations have been made.

This was a slow thing to make due to my personal job becoming more and more taxing. Though I am happy that I am able to finish this before May ended. I had help from Nacom23 who added more dialogue to this chapter, so a huge shout out to Nacoma23.

After this, I plan to have Spider-Man go deal with some minor adventures at Vale in order to build up his story, as well as set up plans for when he and the Avengers go to Atlas.

When making this chapter, Nacoma23 helped make some changes as well as told me some surprising facts. One of which was that the vaults that hold the Relics are connected to Ever After. That is cool and all, but that was news to me because when going back on official RWBY wiki sites it states that Ozpin used mysterious means to create said vaults that hold the Relics. I guess RT is updating its story lore.

Speaking about lore, it looks like Spider-Man was being watched, but is it a being from Ever After or something other than the RWBYverse?

They finally reach HQ and get to meet Jinn. Just like in the chapter, I felt that Ozpin's methods would lead to Jinn telling her that he can't defeat Salem, yet context does apply here, so that is why Spider-Man asked if 'The Avengers', a group of people, has a chance to 'defeat' Salem rather then destroy her.

Speaking about questions, I had written in a rough draft that Ozpin was the one to use the first question, but after re-reading this chapter and going through the show, I reworked it. Now, the Avengers assume that Ozpin was the one to ask first, yet I made sure that Jinn didn't correct them, as that would waste a question, so it is still a mystery.

With the news that the Avenger can defeat Salem, how will they react in the next chapter? Or better yet, will they use the last question and ask Jinn the needed steps in defeating Salem?

Either way, I hope you all liked this chapter. Please leave a comment, fav, and follow for more updates. Don't forget to check out Nacom23's stories too!


[Omake: Avengers Tryouts: Fox Alistair]

Back in the interview room, our residential crazy man known as Deadpool sat across from his latest victim, er, interviewee. The newest candidate was a young dark-skinned man with bright red hair and milky white eyes.

"Fox Alistair," Deadpool closed the folder that held Fox's history and Academy records. The merc laid the folder down, intertwined his hands in front of his face, and gave the Beacon student an intense, contemplative stare.

He wanted to look like he was seriously weighing whether Fox was Avengers material or not, just to mess with the young man.

But then he remembered Fox was blind. The Regenerating Degenerate relaxed and leaned back in his chair.

"I've gotta say, I'm impressed from what I've seen in your file. You've got a solid student record, and some successful missions under your belt. In fact, forget the interview. The only question I need to ask is when would you like to start?"

Fox's eyes blinked in surprise. "Really? I'm part of the Avengers? Just like that? All I heard was you moving some papers and adjusting your seat… because you farted." The blind Huntsman whispered that last part.

"Well, you see, Fox," Deadpool paused to let his pun sink in. Fox's unimpressed glare showed that it had.

Deadpool continued, "After learning everything I've read about you, I have to say you're just what this organization needs. You've got three unique things going for you: Your fighting style, your blindness, and your red hair. Just one quality out of those three is enough to balance out our team dynamic."

"One out of three? You're counting my hair as unique quality?" Fox incredulously asked.

"What no? Red hair? Did you forget that we're in a goshdarn anime fanfic? Technicolor hair is par for the course. No, it's your blindness!"

"My blindness? Did you even read the whole file, I'm sure it also mentioned my sem-"

"Actually, I skimmed a bit. But I'm sure I didn't skip anything important." Deadpool cut him off. "Now, if I'm being honest, the team is having a bit of an image problem. Mostly because people don't know what they really look like. Hell, a lot of people think Iron Man is a robot. We've already got our female representation in Wasp, the faunus diversity with Spider-Man, but we need someone young people can relate to. Someone like you, with your… unique circumstances."

"So, you only want me to join because of my disability? You just want me to be the Avenger's token blind guy?" Fox asked through gritting teeth, his patience now thinner than tissue paper.

"Whoa, we don't want you because of your blindness," Deadpool backpedaled from his previous words and assured the young man. "Also, Our industry doesn't really like the word 'disabled' being thrown about. We prefer the term 'Super-abled' because the Avengers-"

"Don't patronize me!" The student nearly jumped out of his chair in anger. "This is absurd! And by the way, what would be the point of having a public image if I need to keep a secret identity!"

"You can! You can!" Deadpool put his hands in front of him. "Though it will probably need to be tweaked. Maybe a splash of colors other than red and maybe a mask to hide your face. Maybe Rework the mask a bit where it has no eye holes and even has an eyeball on the chest as your symbol. To really emphasize your 'super abled' identity."

"What!?" Screamed an extremely incensed Fox. "But that doesn't make any sense! Why would I even wear something like that?"

"Fox, you need to know that nowadays words alone can't sway people's hearts, it's your appearance. As I said before, it's all about image. And the image people want is a blind guy punching things while doing cool flips."

"Oh, so it is because I'm blind!" Fox pointed accusingly at Deadpool. "And don't bother with any more lies, I don't need super hearing to know you're full of it."

"Okay, fine, you want the truth? Well, here it is. Your superpower is BORING! So, you have super hearing, big whoop! You can hear someone fart from across a crowded room. I'm sure that power would be much more useful if you were a teenage girl in high school. But that's about it! What happens when we're in the middle of a gunfight, huh?"

Deadpool covered his eyes with his gloves and imitated Fox's voice.

"Guys, watch out, I hear guns!" Deadpool then used his normal voice.

"Yeah, we hear that too, bud. Thanks! Do you see how useless that power is? Don't get me started on a weakness. Because I can tell you now, most Avenger battles will be loud!"

"I don't just hear sounds!" Fox tried to argue. "My semblance lets me hear-"

"Hear better than everyone else? Here's a news flash! Faunus can do that too! Congratulations, you have the same powers as Stevie Wonders. The disadvantage you have is that Stevie Wonders can at least give us Grammy award-hitting songs. Don't try and make it sound like you're anything special, Ben Affleck. I'm already trying to improve your image compared to that red leather-fetish weirdo. Speaking of red leather, how about instead of red, we make you wear black? Or how about a very, very dark grey? And if you really want to emphasize the super hearing, we can make the costume look like a bat! Though, if we're really going with the bat motif, we need to make sure it aligns with your backstory. Tell me, are your parents dead? If your mother's name is Martha, then know we need to make sure you have a bat motif."

"Okay, that tears it, I'm out!" Fox raised his hands up in the air.

"Whatever this is," Fox waved his hands between himself and Deadpool. "I don't want any part of it. So, you can take your Super-abled-leather-Batfleck-image dreck and shove it up your ass, because I'm going home!"

Fox bolted out of the chair and stomped his way to the door. Stunned by the stoic boy's furious tirade, Deadpool fumbled with his words before finally making a cohesive sentence.

"Well, you can kiss being part of the Avengers goodbye! Because I'll let the rest of my team know that you're not hero material."

"Yeah, go ahead and tell your non-existent teammates. I knew you were lying before you even started talking!" Fox told off the mouthy merc. "You wanna know how I knew that? Well, it's because I can hear your thoughts! Did you skim over that part!?"

The blind huntsman slammed the door on his way out. Deadpool heard Fox stomping away through the walls, as well as the colorful curses the teen belted out.

"Yeah, well, I hope you can hear this!" Deadpool raised both of his hands and flicked his middle fingers repeatedly.

Slumping over in his chair, the mercenary huffed in mild anger.

"Man, I wish Ben Affleck was Daredevil in this story. At least then I'd make fun of him directly instead of that wannabe DareDouche."

"Uhm, Excuse me," he heard a soft voice ask.

He saw the door open slightly, allowing a pair of brown rabbit ears to poke through. Soon he saw the face of one very nervous-looking Velvet Scarlatina. "Is this where the Avengers tryouts are being held?"

"Yes! Why, yes, it is!" Deadpool tossed Fox's folder into the trash. "Come on in and Take a seat. Let's see if you're Avengers material!"