Chapter 33: In the Shadow of Atlas
Location: Atlas Academy Hangar
It was a race against the clock as the final ships were being loaded. Several of them had already taken off, heading into the distance. Qrow and Robyn were working together with the Ace-Operatives, their former feelings towards each other quashed in their joint role of saving Atlas. Harriet was racing around, carrying as many boxes as she could and stuffing them in the cargo holds of the available ships. As she raced forward, a loud explosion filled her ears, the shockwave sending her flying. The entire landmass seemed to tip forward, sending one of the unpiloted ships forward and careening out of the hangar.
"No!" She cried, about to run to it only for Robyn to grab her arm.
"Forget it, you try to go after that thing and you'll die alongside it!" she said, looking around. As the landmass seemed to stabilize, the last few remaining ships took off. "Qrow, how are we looking back there?"
"This one is almost packed, we managed to get as many supplies as we could inside it. We even have that payload that went unused. It'll be useful for us once we reach Vacuo." he said, giving the others a nod. "I think it's time we left."
"General Ironwood this is Marrow reporting in. Every available ship has been filled as much as possible with everything you requested, sir. The Atlas Air Force has received their new mission objective, the Prydwen II has already begun its course for Vacuo."
"Excellent work, I couldn't be any prouder of you, of all of you. I know you all questioned your mission objectives and didn't agree with every one of my orders. Just know that you have done your nation a great service, and you will keep doing it a service, even in Vacuo." the man replied.
"Sir, this is Harriet, there are two ships left. Have all of the students and staff evacuated yet? If so I can pick you up. We don't have much time until-"
"I won't be going, Harriet. Not until everyone has left."
"What? But sir." Elm said, her eyes widening in shock.
"We have more than enough time to get you, sir. Please, join us." Marrow pleaded. The man, however, didn't waver.
"I cannot. Please, leave the Academy before it becomes too late. Atlas has lost a lot of altitude already. It won't be long before it touches down, and that will be the death of all of us."
Vine, ever the peaceful one of the group, sighed audibly. "Understood, sir. We will follow your orders until the final moment. Let us go, everyone."
"But we can't just leave him here! He's the General!" Harriet snapped angrily, about to take off only for Marrow to point at her.
"Stay!" he cried, making her freeze in place. She tried to break out of his hold, her eyes sparking a bit. "We can't go, Harriet. It hurts, but we have our roles to play. Elm, grab her."
The muscular woman sighed, grabbing her friend, hauling her as if she were a bag of cement. They climbed aboard the ship, containing the unused payload. Marrow glanced at Qrow and Robyn, giving them a nod. "Keep in contact."
"We'll be flying right behind you, don't worry, kid," Qrow said, glancing at Robyn, who gave the young man a thumbs up. She grabbed Qrow's arm, pulling him along.
"Let's go, we don't have much time."
Qrow looked over his shoulder for a moment, his heart beating hard in his chest. "I hope you girls will be alright. Don't let me down."
xxx
"Goddamn it!" Cadence shouted, clawing at the useless vehicle in front of her. "We can't let it end this way!"
"I think this is a sign, Cadence. Your plan was bound to fail, did you actually think the General wouldn't have a contingency plan? There is nothing left for you to do. Except to admit the defeat. Whatever you wanted, you aren't getting it." Octavia said, earning a glare from her sister.
"No! I refuse to return to Mother empty-handed! You don't know how much I've given up, you don't know how hard I have worked. For someone like you who doesn't give a shit about anyone, it doesn't matter, but to me it does! She's the reason I am here, she's the reason I am alive! And I am not going to fail her! I won't become like Cinder, I won't!"
The older woman just stared at her sister, clawing away at the Atlas Manta before them. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked around at the city of Atlas, completely dead and abandoned. The cars had all tipped to the side, falling towards the nearest buildings as the landmass was off-kilter. The explosion from earlier had only exacerbated to the list. Even standing was hard for them. They didn't have much time.
"We have to go, Cadence. Atlas is falling and the second it hits the ground, we're going to be killed. And I don't know about you, but I am not going to die here." she said, picking a random direction.
"And where do you think you are going? To Vacuo? The second you step out into that desert, you are going to be shot."
"Perhaps, but it's way better than staying here," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Besides, your enemies are going to be using those portals too, and they have the Relics. Cinder wants them too, right? That means she'll be lying in wait. Consider this the final favor I'll do for you, sis, because after this, I want nothing to do with you."
Cadence remained silent, following after her sister. They needed to find a portal as soon as possible, they didn't have much time until Salem returned. And she didn't want to be on her bad side when that happened.
xxx
Valentine kicked the door in, almost making it fly off of its hinges as he entered the apartment. He looked around for a moment, finding his way into Hobbs' bedroom. He opened the closet door, looking around, finding some boxes at the very corner. He pulled them out, tearing them open and digging through them. He haphazardly threw things around, not caring about making a mess. He finally found what he was looking for, an old photo album. Nodding to himself, he grabbed a discarded backpack and threw it inside, along with some other things from Hobbs' childhood. He swept through the house, taking every photograph he could, not wanting to leave anything behind.
"Valentine, can you hear me?"
"Huh? Chief Roth, is that you?"
"It's me, kid. Where the hell are you? The last ship from Mantle just showed up and you weren't on it. Did you already go through the portal?"
"Portal, what portal?" the black-haired man said, standing up straight.
"Didn't you get the message? Atlas is falling, everyone is evacuating through magical portals. We're going to Vacuo, Metera already went through, along with that bar owner and those twins." the man said. Valentine darted toward the window, which was still broken, and peered outside, seeing Atlas slowly drifting down.
"What the fuck…?"
"Kid, if you want to make it out of Solitas alive, I advise you to find your way to a portal immediately. There are some all throughout Mantle. Hurry it up, we can't wait at the stadium any longer."
"Sir, the final ship has been evacuated, we need to go!"
Valentine bit his lower lip, taking a deep breath, nostrils flaring as he did so. "Chief, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'm close to Midtown, there's bound to be a portal there. I'll meet you and the others in Vacuo City, alright? Don't let Metera come back here. Just tell her I already made it through."
"I can't do that, you know she isn't going to believe me."
"Well then drag her by her ears if you have to! Whatever you do, don't let her come back to Mantle. The last thing I need is for her to die because of my own sentimentality. I'll be fine." he said, ending the call.
He paused for a moment, grabbing a few other things from around the apartment, zipping up the backpack. He slipped his arms through the straps, securely clipping them across his chest. He raced out of the apartment, ignoring all of the opened doors and abandoned suitcases left behind by the citizens of Mantle. Finally making it outside, he paused to look at Atlas, seeing just how much closer it had gotten.
"Holy fuck." he mumbled as he climbed onto his hoverbike. He kickstarted it, planting his foot on the ground as he revved the engine, spinning the vehicle around. He drove at top speed, ignoring the blinding cold wind in his eyes as he looked around. "My grandfather was here when he saw Atlas rise, I never thought I'd be alive to see it fall."
He buried those thoughts in the back of his mind as he made a mad dash for the Crater, hoping there would be a portal there for him to use.
xxx
Levi blinked a few times, his vision focusing as he landed on the solid gold path beneath him. Looking around, he saw the other long pathways leading down to the center. All around, he could see a darkened void, with glittering lights that resembled stars. Hundreds of people were walking through the portals, all being funneled toward the giant one smack in the center.
"This way, keep going! The large portal down there leads to Vacuo, and watch your step!" Nora cried, waving her hand as she urged people on.
"Come on people, keep it moving. Keep your belongings close and help each other out. Don't be scared, nothing bad will happen to you." Jaune mirrored, a cheerful tone in his voice as he helped the people along.
"Man, about time you two got here," Yang said, hand on her hip as she gave Weiss and Levi a smirk. "Sneaking a quick one in the empty vault?"
"A quick one? Get real Yang, as if me and Weiss would be that disrespectful during a life or death situation." the miqo'te faunus said, giving his friend a glare. Weiss coughed into her fist, ignoring the blush on her cheeks.
"What we need to focus on is getting out of here. We need to escort Penny all the way to Vacuo and make sure this all goes without a hitch," she said, taking the lead. They soon joined the other members of their team, nervously pressing ahead.
"Hey, hey! No pushing! We can't help you if you fall down there!" the familiar voice of Johanna called out. Ruby looked at the path directly to their right, spotting May and Fiona as well. The blue-haired woman gave them a wave, a thankful smile on her face.
"I knew you wouldn't let us down!"
The group made it to the central platform, stopping for a brief moment. Hundreds of citizens had been moving through it, all of them making their way toward Vacuo. Levi looked on ahead, catching sight of Emerald, Oscar, Alto, and Ren, who had been encouraging people to join them. He also noticed Trivia on a nearby path, alongside Stella who were both directing the Cadets from Atlas Academy forward. She briefly turned to him, giving him a thumbs up before patting the Relic of Knowledge, making an Okay sign with her hand. He sighed with relief, his heart beating wildly in his chest.
"Seems like everything is going well."
"Still, I would have assumed there'd be more people," Weiss replied, looking worried. She looked around, trying to spot her family, but she hadn't seen them.
"Our job is getting Penny and the Staff to Vacuo. Until then, we'll have to trust the others. I'm sure they can handle it." Ruby said, a firm look on her face. She placed a hand on Penny's shoulder, giving her a nod. "Let's go, Penny."
At the same time, Oscar looked away from the massive crowd forming behind them, giving his friends a nod. "Alright, we should end up just outside the city limits of Vacuo's Kingdom Capital. Enough space for all of the refugees but still within the range of the CCT."
"Alright. I'll focus on masking emotions for as long as I can. Call for help as soon as we cross." Ren said.
"Let's just hope nothing bad happens," Alto said, drawing Milo from her back, deploying Akuo. The foursome darted through the portal, being pulled forward by an unshakable force.
Sand crunched beneath their feet, causing them to dig their heels in as they stopped themselves. Alto cringed at the sand, using her shield as a means to block it, but it was flying in all directions, making it a useless endeavor. It didn't take them long to realize they had popped into Vacuo in the middle of a sandstorm. Emerald blocked her eyes with her hands, spitting the sand out of her mouth.
"You have got to be kidding me."
"Which way is the city?" Ren asked.
"It… has to be somewhere!" Oscar said, trying to look ahead. The storm was preventing him from seeing anything. Even Alto struggled to see, her ears folding down to prevent sand from flying into them.
"Make the call, someone should pick up and give us directions!" she said, glancing at her teammates. Emerald reached into her bra for her scroll, flicking it open. She tapped the outgoing call button, only to see a message she had been dreading.
"Guys, the sandstorm isn't just killing visibility." she said, holding the device out, reading "No Signal"
The portal behind them rumbled as the first group of citizens started walking through. All of them immediately blanched at the sand, covering themselves with their clothing as best as they could. One man stepped forward, staring at the four of them.
"Where the hell are we?"
Grim looks flashed across their faces as Ren stepped forward to speak. "Welcome to Vacuo!"
xxx
"Head down and follow everyone else to the exit!" Nora called out, gesturing to the path ahead. As the path she was on finally cleared, she used her weapon to zoom toward the nearest portal, stepping through it to assist with the evacuation.
A hooded woman smirked, watching the orange-haired huntress zooming away. She smirked, forming a ball of flames within her grasp, channeling her magic to the center of the platform she stood at. With a snap, the power detonated, sending several people over the edge, their screams filling the air as they fell, disappearing in bright wisps of golden light.
Levi's head snapped around, locking eyes with the hooded figure, his heart dropping to his stomach when he realized who it was. He pushed Penny forward, drawing his weapon. "RUN!"
He took aim, firing at Cinder, the woman blocking the bullet entirely. She shot forward, dodging each of his shots. Flicking his wrist, he extended his estoc, swirling with ice as he took a swing, blocking the attack. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang stood around him, their weapons at the ready as the Fall Maiden landed before them.
"You know, I had thought you would come up with a bold plan, but I wasn't expecting this. You've surprised me. But no amount of planning could delay the inevitable. We are fated to fight, and I am fated to kill you all."
"Oh yeah? Something tells me we'll break that fate." Weiss hissed, angling her sword, cylinder spinning, resting on ice dust. Yang cocked her gauntlets, preparing herself to fight.
Cinder meanwhile smiled, flames swirling around her. She snapped her fingers, forming hundreds of knives, sending them flying at them. Yang and Blake darted away, while Weiss used one of her glyphs to deflect it. Ruby dashed toward Levi, petals swirling around the pair as she threw the miqo'te forward. He let out a cry, shooting himself forward with a vermillion glyph, thrusting his sword at Cinder's shoulder, making her scream in pain.
He threw a punch at her face, leaving her stunned for a moment before pressing Overture's barrel to her chin. She formed a sword in her grasp, swinging it just in time to redirect his attack, sending him flying back. She turned back, deflecting each of Yang's punches, smirking as she grabbed her mechanical arm, blasting her back with a fireball.
"Your mother fights better than you, Blondie. I'm going to take great pleasure in killing you, especially for what she did to me back at Haven."
"You should have stayed dead, you fucking bitch!" Yang screamed, blasting herself forward. She punched Cinder hard across the face, sending her flying back. Easily catching herself, she took a deep breath, shooting a stream of fire at the blonde, who had no choice but to cross her arms, blocking the attack.
Cinder let out a scream, a pillar of fire swirling around them, blasting them all back. Ruby was the only one left unaffected. She flipped her scythe around, teeth grit as her Silver Eyes flashed brightly. Cinder only smirked, snapping her fingers, Ruby felt the ground beneath her heating up, causing her to dart to the right at the last moment, avoiding the explosion underfoot. She fell forward, crying in pain.
"I've been waiting for this moment for such a long time. I finally get my revenge on you, Ruby, for what you did to me at Beacon!" she shouted, forming a giant ball of fire in her palm. She pulled her arm back, blasting it forward. Ruby closed her eyes, waiting for the strike that never came. She looked up, eyes widening when she saw Trivia standing in front of her, parasol unfurled.
As the smoke died down, she lowered Hush, glaring at Cinder. The Fall Maiden growled, clenching her hand tightly. "I knew you were a turncoat. I should have killed you the moment I could."
Trivia didn't say a word, rather she raised her left hand up, her middle finger raised. She darted forward, Hush's blade sparking as she dragged it across the ground. She swung it rapidly at the Fall Maiden, who used her twin swords to block and deflect each hit. She spun around, thrusting it forward, only for Trivia to unfurl her parasol, blocking the attack entirely. She drew her blade, thrusting it at Cinder's neck, the woman deflecting it, leaving herself up. She ducked down, just in time for Levi to swing his sword.
"Girls, go!" he shouted over his shoulder. He summoned a Green glyph, shooting thick thorn vines at Cinder, tying her body up. He swung her around with all her strength, throwing her off the platform.
That didn't stop her, flames shot from her feet as she zoomed forward, aiming her swords at Levi. She crossed them, slicing at him, only for him to shatter into a million pieces. She turned around, anger flashing on her face.
"Neo, you stupid little bitch!" she screamed. Her eyes landed on a large group of people, smirking as she channeled her magic below them, blasting them off the platform. "I'll keep doing it, I'll kill everyone here!"
A violet glyph appeared beside her, pulling her in its direction, but she easily cut through it. She looked down, seeing Levi aiming his rifle at her. She flew toward him, sword outstretched. He once again shattered on contact, making the woman scream in fury.
She looked around, noticing Team RWBY near the central platform. She laughed, shooting forward at full speed, Ruby in her sights. She turned around, letting out a scream of surprise. Time seemed to slow down as she tried to move away, legs shaking as she did so. She heard her name being called, her body being pushed out of the way, a flash of yellow filling her eyes.
The silver-eyed girl hit the ground hard, stunned for a moment. She let out a scream as she saw her sister flying back, aura sparkling as she hit the edge of the platform, falling off of it. She struggled to move, reaching her hand for her. Blake drew Gambol Shroud, throwing it full force at the blonde. It spun forward, only to run short.
"Yang!" she screamed, dropping to her knees. She pounded her fist on the ground, screaming her partner's name. Weiss could only stare in disbelief, kneeling down next to Blake, tears falling down her face.
"Yang…?" Ruby mumbled, disbelief flashing across her face.
Levi's ears folded back, sheer anger filling his body as he ran forward, blasting himself toward Cinder. He brought his sword down on her back, sending her tumbling to the ground. He flipped his gun around, blasting himself into a death spiral with an energy bullet, sword glowing with Hard-Light. Cinder merely grinned as she blocked the attack.
"Fool, your friends shall be your downfall. That is why I don't make personal connections! All of you are going to meet the same fate!" she cried, pushing him back, crying in pain as Blake slashed her arm. She growled, swinging her glass sword at her throat, the feline-faunus avoiding it entirely.
Trivia came in, slamming Hush into her face, stunning her for a moment. She thrust the parasol repeatedly into her chest, strike after strike, the Fall Maiden could do nothing to avoid it. She flipped out of the way, avoiding all of the glass swords aimed at her. Cinder swept her off her feet, a wall of flames cutting the others off.
"Out of everyone here, you are the one that I'm going to take the most pleasure in killing. Stupid foolish little mute, thinking you can just switch sides. You are nothing more than a louse, a dreg from society that takes pleasure in killing. I'm going to send you to Roman, girl, and make sure you regret ever crossing paths with me." she said, thrusting her sword downward. Trivia's body shattered, causing her to turn around, taking a punch to the face.
Having grown angry, Cinder slammed her flaming fist into Trivia's body, shattering her aura with ease. She threw a right hook, stunning her before following it with a kick. She kicked Hush off the edge of the platform, the mute woman reaching for it. Cinder kicked her ribs, forcing her onto her back as she stared down at her.
"I'll be taking this." she replied, grabbing the Relic of Knowledge from Trivia's waist, looking it over for a moment. "You should never have betrayed me, girl. This is the fate of someone as useless as you."
"Leave her alone!"
Cinder gasped, flipping out of the way in time to avoid Penny's strike. The Winter Maiden rolled across the ground, throwing a kick to the woman's sternum, sending her flying off the platform. "Why did you have to come back?!"
"Penny no!" Weiss shouted, her hand outstretched in vain. Penny ignored her, throwing another blast of magic at the Fall Maiden.
"Why didn't you just learn your lesson?"
Cinder righted herself from the blast, summoning a sword into her hand, brushing her nose. She clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Oh, Penny…"
The orange-haired girl spun her arms around, attempting to summon her Floating Array, only to realize it was gone. She gasped, her eyes widening as she saw the Fall Maiden flying toward her like a rocket.
"I did."
She screamed from the blast of magic, which sent her flying back. The Staff of Creation flew off of her back, clattering across the platform. Cinder moved toward it, only for Blake to stop her, sending a gravity-infused slash at her. Levi darted forward, leaping into a dodge roll as he grabbed the Staff, running up the path.
"Grrr!" Cinder growled, her eye widening in realization. She looked around, noticing Ruby helping Trivia down the path. She merely smirked, forming a swirl of fire beneath their feet. Levi turned around, eyes widening when he saw what she was doing.
Trivia noticed it as well, letting out a gasp. She pushed Ruby back, just as the flames detonated. The mute woman was knocked unconscious from the blast, sent tumbling into the void below. Levi drew his weapon, forming several glyphs beneath her in an attempt to catch her.
"Trivia!"
The glyphs shattered from her weight, each one fading into light wisps as she disappeared into the voice. Levi remained silent as he stared at the spot where his partner had been mere moments ago. He forced himself to stand up, panting raggedly as he stared at Cinder.
"Oh… I'm sowwy… did I kill your little friend?" the woman taunted, a smile on her face. "You people are all the same, giving into your petty sentiments. It won't be long before you all join her."
The snap of a bowstring echoed through the platforms, a glowing pink arrow sailed forward like a rocket. It struck Cinder in the back, sending her crashing toward the ground. Levi took his chance, his eyes glowing brightly as he stared directly at the woman. Cinder looked up, weakly covering her face as the Silver Light struck her.
She howled in agony, rolling around the platform clutching her Grimm arm. She forced herself to stand, fire flying from her mouth as she clutched her hand, smoke coming from it. "I'm going to kill you!"
A figure moved behind the woman, moving through the panicking crowd. As Cinder's hand swirled with magic, the figure drew their weapon. Pain exploded from Cinder's chest, causing her to gasp. She looked down in confusion, seeing a blood-covered blade coming out of her chest. She tried to breathe, but found herself unable to. She clutched the blade with her hand, only for it to be pulled free from her.
"Word of advice, honey…" the pink-haired girl said, leaning into her ear. "Always watch your back."
She grabbed her face with her clawed hand, digging her nails into Cinder's flesh, the woman screaming as her aura was sucked out of her. She struggled to fight, more blood pouring out of her wound. She felt her vision beginning to blacken, tears falling down her face.
"No… no! I don't want to die, I don't want to die!" she thought to herself. She thought back to Salem, the only woman that ever cared about her. She thought back to Mercury and Emerald, the people she once deemed close friends.
She didn't want to die without seeing them one more time. Her body grew weak, as the last of her life force was ripped out of her. Cinder gave one final feeble cry, before falling still. Cadence threw her deceased body to the ground, staring at it with a smile.
"Well… that was a lot easier than I thought it would be," she said, bending down to grab the Relic of Knowledge. Her ear perked up as she heard several footsteps around her. She glanced over her shoulder, meeting eyes with Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Levi, their weapons aimed at her. She merely smiled. "Hello, friends!"
"Give us the lamp." Ruby hissed, her hands shaking. "Now."
"Oh Ruby, that's not going to be possible. Consider yourself lucky, I don't give a damn about you like this bitch did," she said, kicking Cinder's corpse. "The only thing I care about is the Relics. So, hand over the Staff and you get to live. Hell, I'll do you a courtesy, I'll let you all leave and then I'll return to Atlas and watch it crumble away to nothing."
"How about no? I am sick and tired of you bastards ruining people's lives. Cinder may be dead, but that doesn't mean we're rid of every thorn in our side. I'm going to kill you for what she did to Yang and Trivia!" Blake growled through gnashed teeth, eyes puffy from crying.
She let out a sigh. "You had to make things harder on me, didn't you?"
"Cadence, I know you and I had our differences in the past, but come on. You know what Salem is like, you've seen what she's done. Think about this. Please, just hand over the Relic. I know there's still goodness in your heart somewhere." Levi said, holding his hand out. The pink-haired woman merely smirked.
"If you want it, then you'll have to take it…" she paused, angling her weapon. "But you already knew that."
Levi sighed, tightening his grasp on his weapon. "I had a feeling you'd say that."
Location: Skies Above Atlas
"But we can't just go, leaving the General behind is not the right call!" Harriet shouted angrily.
"That is no longer our call to make. We received stern orders from him, Harriet. We need to prioritize our objectives and head to Vacuo." Vine said, causing her to glare at him.
"Do you hear yourself? We can't just abandon our commanding officer, not after everything we've been through! How do you expect me to abandon the only home I've ever known, leave behind the closest person to a Father I have had, and watch my home fall out of the sky? Hm?"
"Harriet please, you need to look at the bigger picture!"
"No, I am done looking at the bigger picture. Ever since those kids got here, things went to shit. Atlas is falling because of them. Clover is dead because of them! I tolerated them because the General did, but I am sick of it!" she shouted, using her semblance to get into the cockpit.
"Gah, Harriet, what the hell?!" Marrow shouted, as he was pulled out of the seat. She pushed him out of the cockpit, closing the door. She took over the controls, turning the ship around.
"Hey, what the hell is going on? Why are you turning around?" the voice of Qrow said. She turned the communicator off, her eyes locked on Atlas Academy.
"We need to get in there!" Marrow cried, turning to Elm. "Use your hammer, break down the door!"
"But… if I do that, we could damage the ship."
"If we don't, all of us are going to die!" the dog faunus cried back. A beep filled the hold, Harriet's voice coming through.
"Don't try to fight me, you guys. I am doing what's right. We can't leave Atlas without the General. It's about loyalty! Clover understood that. He wouldn't leave a man behind!"
"Harriet, listen to us. General Ironwood is ensuring everyone leaves Atlas safely. The Staff has been used, Atlas will fall, but its people will be safe. What would be the point of risking our lives if it means failing the mission?" Vine questioned, causing the woman to shout.
"I don't give a shit, we are not leaving without the General!" she shouted, turning the communicator off.
Back at Atlas Central Command, Arthur finished examining all of the surveillance feeds. He found the feed to Harriet's ship, having heard the Ace-Ops conversation. He merely smirked as he tapped on the Cargo-Ships remote controls.
"Well James, I do hope you enjoy this little show. So many people have died because of you, what's a few more? Seeing your prized fighters die in vain will certainly cheer you up." he said, typing a password into his console. He engaged the ship's auto-pilot, setting a new course.
He noticed something else coming from the ship, an odd signal he couldn't discern. He looked into it, chuckling when he realized what it was. "So, your science team made a new explosive, eh? Let's see how much damage this puppy can do."
With a single keystroke, he armed the bomb, setting a timer for 1 minute. He leaned back in his chair, leaning back and waiting to see the fireworks.
xxx
"I repeat, is anybody receiving these messages? Can anyone report on the status of the evacuation?" Winter asked, staring at her scroll as she walked across the vault.
"Have we lost contact with everyone?" Ironwood asked, causing the woman to sigh.
"It seems Kingdom Wide Communications have been cut off. I can't get in contact with anyone. Stella has managed to evacuate all of the students and staff from the Academy. The ships have left. I think it's time we leave too."
James shook his head, hands behind his back. "I will remain, you go on ahead, meet up with your sister. Have your Father and Ivy Brown been rescued?"
"Yes, before the CCT went down, I received confirmation that they had gone through the portal," she said, stopping in front of the General. "Are you sure about this, sir?"
"I am. Don't worry, once I've eased my own worries, I will join you and everyone else in Vacuo. I'll be fine." he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Now go, the others are waiting for you."
Winter nodded, heading toward the steps. She paused briefly to look at the General, who just gave her a nod. With a sigh, she made it to the portal, stepping through it.
Location: Vacuo
As more citizens kept pouring through the portal, Ren continued extending his Semblance. He was kneeling down, panting as he kept focusing. Alto looked around, taking a mental note of everyone that had come through. She had lost track of how many people had passed after the first thousand or so. She just hoped everyone was steadily traveling through.
Ren let out a cry, his aura shattering moments after. Within seconds, color returned to the frightened Atlesians, as their emotions were now exposed. He wiped the sweat from his brow, panting hard. "I'm spent."
Emerald looked toward the portal, her eyes falling on Oscar shortly after. "Where's Penny? Couldn't she just blast away this sandstorm?"
His eyes widened as he turned around. "Wait, Penny should have been here by now. Something's wrong."
As he ran forward, he tried re-entering the portal, only to bounce off of it, landing on his backside. "What the… Why can't I-"
"Oh no," Ozpin said in his mind, causing the boy to frown.
"What?"
"That Ambrosius. Remember what I told you? He is very precise when it comes to things. If the wording wasn't properly given then…"
"We're stuck here."
"What? What do you mean we're stuck here?" Alto asked, making Oscar look at her.
"Ruby, Weiss, and Levi were the ones who made the plans and schematics to show the spirit of the Staff. I remember Weiss saying everyone would have a one-way ticket to Vacuo. If Ambrosius took that literally, then once you make it through-"
"You can't go back," Emerald said, eyes widening in realization. A sudden loud screech echoed through the storm, causing everyone to jump. The Four Huntsmen looked past the crowd, eyes widening as they saw a horde of Grimm racing toward them. They had no choice but to draw their weapons.
Location: The Lanes Between
The new Fall Maiden activated her powers, swinging her whip sword at Levi, Weiss, Ruby, and Blake, causing them to back away. Penny flew down, throwing a punch at her face, which she easily dodged, grabbing Penny's wrist. She flung her back, sending her twirling through the air. Penny righted herself, summoning a crystalline copy of Floating Array, firing the blades at the girl who swung her blooded sword, grinning at the Winter Maiden.
"You don't have to fight me if you don't want to, Penny! I don't give a shit about your powers! All I need is the Staff! Don't make me kill your friends for it!"
Penny narrowed her eyes as she recalled her Array, flying toward the Fall Maiden. At the same time, Jaune and Nora, who had met up with Sonata and the last of Atlas Academy's cadets, watched on in shock. The blonde knight shook his head, turning to the two.
"Priority number one."
Nora gave her leader a nod, darting down the path. Sonata waited on bated breath, her hand moving toward Carolloo. "I'm sorry, Jaune, Cadence was my teammate. I have to deal with her."
"I understand, good luck." he merely said, running ahead. The sky-haired special operative ran forward, ducking through the crowd heading in the opposite direction as she moved toward the central panel.
At the same time, Metera took aim, firing an arrow at Cadence, who dodged it with ease, turning to see where it had come from. She smirked, sending a beam of fire at the woman, who jumped off of the glowing path, floating away from the flames. She turned around in mid-air, firing a trio of arrows, Gravity, Fire, and Ice, all of them exploding in front of her, sending her careening back. Penny took her shot, slamming her glowing foot into Cadence's back, sending her rolling across one of the platforms.
"Girls, we need to go," Levi said, urging Weiss, Ruby, and Blake on.
"But she has the lamp, after all of this, we can't just let her have it," Ruby said, handing him the Staff of Creation. "Go, take Weiss and Blake to Vacuo, I'll deal with Cadence."
"Ruby no!" Weiss cried, her hand barely missing her cloak as she used her Semblance to fly away. "Blake, we can't just let her fight on her own!"
"I don't intend to. Send me up there!"
"Blake, listen, I know you are angry right now, I am too but we have to think clearly. We need to prioritize the Staff." Levi said, only for Blake to shout at him.
"Fuck the Staff! You wouldn't be saying that if it was Weiss who had been shot off the platform, would you?"
"Don't forget about Trivia either, both of them are gone and there is nothing we can do about it. But we have a duty to the people of Atlas! As much…" he looked away, holding back the urge to cry as he thought about his friends. "As much as it hurts, we have to go."
"We can't leave, not without Ruby and Penny," Weiss said firmly. He stared into her eyes, knowing she wasn't going to waver in her resolve. He growled angrily, drawing Overture from his holster.
"Alright," he muttered, stepping back. He focused his aura, forming a vermillion glyph beneath Blake. "Ready?"
"Ready!"
"Go!"
The glyph exploded beneath her, shooting her toward Cadence. Penny backed away, just as Blake drew her sword, landing a hard blow on Cadence's face. A white glyph appeared beneath her feet, catching her before she fell. She threw Gambol Shroud at the falling Maiden, wrapping it around her body.
"Ruby!"
The crimson-clad girl spun Crescent Rose around, blasting herself forward with Gravity Dust. She used her Semblance to shoot herself forward, spinning around with great speed. Cadence growled as she created a wave of fire around herself, sending the blast forward at Ruby.
"I will not let you take this from me!" she screamed.
Ruby dug her heels into the ground, forcing herself to dodge the attack. Cadence swung her bladed whip at her, wrapping it around her scythe, pulling it from her hand. With a blast of flames, she sent it flying over the edge of the platform, causing Ruby to shout. "No!"
The pink-haired girl smirked as she flicked her wrist, pulling her arm back to whip the silver-eyed girl, only for an arrow to stab in the ground in front of her. It exploded, sending her flying back a few feet. Metera landed in front of the Ruby, separating her bow into her signature blades.
"You okay, kid?"
"I'm fine, Teri. Get away from her, she's dangerous."
"That isn't going to stop me. She needs to pay for what Cinder did to those innocent people earlier, and since she's dead, this bitch has to collect." the Erune woman said, darting forward, trading blows with the pink-haired girl. She summoned a second sword, swinging both to and fro, matching Metera strike for strike, sparks raining around them.
Ruby forced herself to her feet, looking around for a moment. Cadence managed to knock Metera back, allowing her to run straight toward Ruby, a crazed look on her face. She could only watch as the woman shortened the distance between them. Suddenly, Ruby found herself being flung away, a familiar buzz filling her ears. Weiss sighed, glaring at her best friend.
"Focus, Ruby. We need to do this for Yang and Trivia."
"I know, but I lost Crescent Rose, I have nothing to fight with!" she exclaimed.
"Heh… you have everything to fight with. Cadence is just as susceptible to your Silver Eyes as Cinder was. All you have to do is wait for the right moment and blast her to smithereens. I know you can do it." she replied, giving her friend a grin.
She let out a cry as a blast of fire struck her back, destroying her Queen Lancer. The pair fell to the ground, their auras flashing from the heavy hit. Cadence walked forward, grinning as her eyes became surrounded by flames.
"Ah… I love having Magic! It's no wonder Cinder loved having these powers. I can feel it flowing through me, it's just so fun! I wonder what would happen if I vaporized someone with them. Why don't we find out together eh?"
"Haah!"
Cadence cried in surprise from the kick. Her eyes widened when she saw a flaming knife aimed at her. She ducked back, dodging to the left and right. She was swept off her feet, her attacker lunging forward. The pinkette rolled away, using her magic to fly off the ground. Sonata was quick to recover, dodging the hundreds of knives aimed at her.
"Wasn't expecting you."
Sonata flipped her knife around, the weapon morphing into her signature piccolo. She blew into it, the electricity-infused sound waves striking the Fall Maiden. She cried in pain as the electricity flowed through her body, causing her to seize in pain. Levi took his chance, launching himself toward the woman, slamming the Staff of Creation into her head with all of his strength. Weiss caught him in a black glyph, preventing him from falling. The Fall Maiden growled as she clutched her forehead, blood pouring down her face.
Suddenly, Penny flew down from above, aiming her swords at the woman, who shot herself into the air with a blast of flames. The two engaged in another flurry of strikes, throwing fire and ice at each other as the people below continued racing towards Vacuo.
"Are you two alright?" Levi asked, worry spreading across his face.
"Our aura took a heavy hit, but we'll be okay," Weiss reassured, glancing at Sonata. "You shouldn't be here."
"It's my duty, Weiss. She was my friend in the past, it's only right that I deal with her." she returned, only for Levi to shake his head.
"No, you head to Vacuo. We'll deal with this, we can't take any risks and we can't endanger anyone else. Remember our priority, saving the people of Atlas." he said.
"But-"
"Now, Sona." he snapped, glaring at her. She bowed her head, following the crowd toward the exit. Levi's ears wiggled as he heard a familiar weapon discharging, he looked back, seeing Gambol Shroud wrapping around Cadence's waist. With a growl, Blake pulled her down, slamming her into the platform, her pink aura sparking a bit. "Blake!"
Cadence held her hand out, heating the spot beneath the cat-faunus's feet, causing it to detonate. Ruby sailed forward, grabbing her friend before she fell. Blake thought quickly, firing Gambol Shroud back at the platform, snagging it with ease. As the pair swung around, a fireball collided with the ribbon, burning it straight through. The two girls gasped, the momentum of their swing flinging them into the void.
"No!" Penny shouted, eyes brimmed with tears as she saw her friends disappear. Cadence rose to her feet, about to attack the Winter Maiden when she was struck in the chest. She growled, glaring at Weiss who held Gambol Shroud in her grasp, aiming it at her.
"Get away from her!"
Levi fell to his knees, heart beating hard in his chest as his vision swirled with tears. He tightened his hold on the Staff of Creation, slamming his mechanical fist on the ground. "Why? Why did she have to come back, Gods, why?" he shouted in his mind.
"Levi? Darling, we need to get out of here." Metera said, kneeling down next to the boy. He didn't say a word, shoving the Staff of Creation into her hands.
"Go, and don't look back," he replied, forcing himself to his feet. He loaded several rounds into Overture, squeezing it tightly in his hand.
"You'll die if you fight her, Levi! She's too strong for you!"
"I don't care. She killed my friends, I am not going to make the mistake of leaving her alive. Never again." he hissed, blasting himself toward the Fall Maiden. Metera looked at the staff in her grasp, dashing toward the central portal.
At the same time, Jaune and Nora had made it to the end, watching as the last few stragglers made it through. He turned to face his friend, giving her a nod. "Johanna, May, Sona, any other Huntsmen that made it through, you bring them back, okay?"
"Right," she said, clasping hands with her leader. She darted through the portal, disappearing from sight. Jaune drew Crocea Mors, racing back into the fray.
Location: Skies Above Atlas
"It won't respond, nothing will respond!" Harriet cried, slamming her fists into the panel. "Dammit, this is all my fault."
"No, it isn't. It's clear someone is controlling our ship from Central Command. It doesn't matter now." Elm said, pressing the hatch button, as it opened, the wind whipped around them. She held her hand to her communicator. "Robyn, we need to abandon ship, line yourself up with us."
"There's no time to make it out of the blast range," Harriet said, staring as the counter slowly ticked down. "We're all gonna die, and it's because of me."
"Don't say that, Harriet. You meant well, you care about the General and don't want to leave him behind. All of us understand that." Marrow said, giving the woman a hug. Qrow leaped on board, shifting from his bird form into his human form, landing beside the group.
"What's going on?"
"Someone locked the autopilot controls and remotely activated this bomb. I'm afraid we won't have enough time to escape the blast radius." Vine replied, a frown on his face.
"Well we gotta try at least." the man said, glancing down as Robyn's ship came into view. "Come on!"
Marrow was the first to jump, landing safely on the roof of Robyn's ship. He turned back to the others, urging them on. "You guys come on! We don't have much time!"
Vine narrowed his eyes for a moment as he stared at the counter, which only had 20 seconds left. He knew there would be no escape for them. He nodded to himself, using his semblance to grab both Harriet and Elm, setting them aboard Robyn's ship. He remained behind, staring at the payload with a sorrowful look.
"No, Vine you can't!" Elm screamed, holding her arm out. Realizing what he was doing, Harriet shouted his name.
"Vine!"
"I must, if it means saving my friends, I am willing to lay down my life," he said. Harriet tried jumping back aboard, but Elm held her back. Marrow watched, bowing his head for a moment before standing firm, hand raised to his forehead in a salute.
"So long, brother."
Vine merely bowed his head, placing his hands together as he activated his semblance. Thick, lime-green vines wrapped themselves around the ship as the ticking continued. Everyone raced inside Robyn's ship, the woman pushing the engines to full speed as soon as they had made it inside. The timer finally hit zero and exploded, the blast being contained by Vine's aura. In a split second, his vines burst into sparkling wisps fading from existence, nothing being left behind. Harriet screamed his name as Elm held her in her arms.
xxx
Arthur merely smirked, though he didn't succeed in destroying the Ace-Ops, he managed to give himself a show. As Atlas continued its descent toward Mantle, he decided it was time to start planning his exit strategy. Cinder had yet to return, and he hadn't been able to contact Cadence either. He noticed a few Mantas had been left behind in a hangar. As he rose to his feet, he noticed something in the corner of his eye, his gaze falling on it. He sat back down as he opened the file, seeing some very peculiar schematics.
"Oh… James you naughty dog, you were planning to do this with the Staff, weren't you? Well… who am I to throw away such an ingenious plan?" he said with a grin.
Location: The Lanes Between
"You know, this would have gone a lot easier if you didn't fight so hard," Cadence said, lowering her sword, still stained with Cinder's blood. "Why do you do it? You know the world is screwed, Ozpin lied to you all, to me. He was training us to die, all with a smile on his face."
"You wouldn't understand," Jaune replied, drawing his sword. "People like you are just weak-minded, we are so much better than that. We know this world is broken, but we have hope that we can fix it."
"No matter how hopeless things can be, I know there is light at the end of the tunnel. That is something my friends taught me." Penny added, levitating off the platform, her crystal swords glowing with her magic. "Step aside, because we are not backing down."
Cadence smirked, rolling her shoulders. She shot herself forward, throwing a punch right at Penny, sending her flying back. She used her flames to fling herself into a backflip, slamming her foot on the ground, fire erupting from the platform. Jaune used his shield to block it, destroying the flames with a blast of gravity dust. He swung his sword to and fro, his attacks being deflected by the Fall Maiden. She flicked her wrist, wrapping her whip around his leg, pulling him off his feet.
Weiss and Levi ran at her, swords sparking with electrical energy. Cadence merely smirked, shooting herself into the air the second they swung, narrowly missing her. The Fall Maiden held her hand out, flames swirling from her fingertips as she summoned several orbs of fire around them. Her ear perked up as the buzzing of energy moved behind her. Penny let out a cry as she fired one of her swords at the woman, the blade narrowly missing her face by a couple inches. Cadence turned around, swinging her sword in time to clash with the Winter Maiden, who pushed her back to the ground with ease.
Twin Glyphs flashed around her, firing a myriad of stone and ice shards at her, causing her to sweep her arm, a wave of fire destroying them. Levi grit his teeth as he raised his sword, fingers glowing brightly. A clock face appeared underfoot, and with a flick, he sent the glowing orbs out at his friends, making them move faster.
"Ah! You've learned some new tricks, haven't you, Levi? Perhaps if you had been there Aria wouldn't be dead!" the woman said, grinning as she angled her sword, parrying each one of his attacks. He thrust his estoc forward but was knocked back, taking a sidekick to the chest.
The pinkette howled in pain, glaring at Weiss who fired two shots at her, each one being blocked. She shot herself forward, swinging Brilliant Diamond at the former heiress. She crossed Myrtenaster and Gambol Shroud, catching the blade. She planted her feet on the ground, pushing back against the woman, whose feet burst into flames.
"Come on, Schnee, you are the strongest person in your team, you survived! Why don't you fight like a woman?!"
"Leave her alone!" Penny screamed, shooting her array down. Cadence forced herself back, dodging all of the swords, each of them exploding in a blast of ice. The Fall Maiden growled, flying back toward Penny, the pair locking into a fight once more.
Jaune helped Weiss to her feet, the girl clutching her side tightly. "I'm okay, Jaune. We need to get out of here."
"Go, I'll hold her back," he replied, holding his shield protectively. Levi stood near the edge, shooting his rifle at Cadence, the woman blocking every shot while fighting Penny.
The Fall Maiden let out a scream as Penny's frozen fist struck the Grimm side of her face. Her eyes flared with magic as she grabbed the orange-haired woman, swinging her down with all of her strength. She cried in pain as she rolled across the platform. Cadence summoned her full power, sending a blast of fire at the Winter Maiden.
"Penny!" Levi cried, watching his friend roll across the platform, her body shimmering as her aura broke. She lay unmoving near the portal to Vacuo, her maiden powers fully fading. Cadence grinned, holding back the urge to laugh.
"What's wrong Levi? Suddenly grow a heart? Why do you care about her more than your partner? Hm? You never cared about me, did you? That's why you abandoned me, isn't it?"
Levi growled, shooting himself forward, estoc glowing with Hard-Light. He swung Overture hard, clashing with Brilliant Diamond. The pair swung at each other, spinning around in a wild dance as they parried and countered each other's attacks. Blades met in the center, both pushing back with all of their strength, butting heads as they glared into each other's eyes. The Pinkette activated her Semblance, balancing herself perfectly as she channeled magic through her weapon, knocking Levi back.
The man didn't relent, catching himself with a glyph before swinging Overture hard, the recoil of his energy round adding an extra boost. Sparks rained between them as the miqo'te pushed forward, relentlessly swinging his weapon. Cadence merely growled, eyes flaring as she took another swing, only to miss as the silver-eyed man recalled his estoc. He merely smirked, pulling the trigger. The combustion bullet exploded on contact, the recoil sending him back a few feet.
Cadence burst through the smoke, catching Levi by surprise as she grabbed him by his shirt, throwing him off the platform. Weiss swung Myrtenaster, catching her boyfriend with a black glyph, her hand shaking as she held him in place. The pink-haired woman merely smirked at the pair.
She looked around for a moment, trying to find the Staff of Creation, finally spotting Metera, who was nearing the exit. She shot herself forward, hand outstretched as her flames enveloped her body. Levi followed her with his eyes, realizing where she was going.
"Teri, watch out!"
The erune woman turned at the last moment, jumping back to avoid the flaming rocket. Cadence slid across her, blocking the exit with a blast of fire, aiming her sword at her. "And where do you think you're going with that Staff, eh?"
She lowered the Staff, the weapon extending as she tightened her grip on it. "This thing can make anything I want, right? What do you think would happen if I do that?"
"You'd be sending yourself to hell, the moment you create something new, these paths disappear. You'd be condemning yourself and your friends to hell. Not me, I'm fast enough to get out of here. And look where I am, next to the door to Vacuo. Now what would you think would happen if I made it out of here with all of those scared people, hm?" she replied, smirking as she reached into her pocket. "I still have this, you know. I can bring endless waves of Grimm, and kill every single person you kids spent saving."
She stepped forward, her eyes glowing. "So hand it over. Unless you want to die."
Hundreds of screeches filled her ears, causing Metera to leap to the right. Cadence let out a scream as a flock of glowing nevermores struck her body, each bursting with a blast of ice. She opened her eyes, just in time to see a sword being swung at her. She jumped back, blasting herself into the air with her powers.
"Are you alright, Metera?" Winter asked, earning a nod from the erune. "Good, I'll hold her back, you focus on saving Penny."
Her mount let out a growl, flapping its wings as it flew forward, the woman swinging her blade at Cadence, who let out a furious scream. "Where do you all keep coming from?!"
Metera placed the Staff of Creation behind her back, running back toward Penny, just as Jaune, Weiss, and Levi made it to her side. She was unconscious but alive. The brown-haired woman grabbed a hold of her arm, pulling her up to her feet. "We need to get her out of here."
"You guys go, I'll watch your backs," Levi said, loading the last of his bullets into Overture. He looked up at the sky, a look of worry on his face as he saw Winter and Cadence's fight. Glancing over his shoulder, he met the worried look on his girlfriend's face. He gestured for her to go, taking a deep calming breath.
The Fall Maiden shouted, sending a wave of flaming blades downward, a large Glyph blocking them. She shot herself down, slamming her first through the glyph, landing an uppercut on Winter, sending her flying off of her Manticore. The woman reacted quickly, catching herself with a black glyph. She prepared to summon her Manticore again, only for her Glyph to burst, sending her tumbling down.
Levi reacted quickly, catching her with a Vermillion glyph, shooting Winter back toward Cadence. She pulled her sword back, landing a powerful hard-light-infused slash across her chest, launching the Fall Maiden back down toward the ground. She caught herself, heels digging into the ground. Cadence panted, clutching her hand tightly.
The lanes suddenly shook as a powerful howl echoed through each portal. Levi's face went pale, ears folding down when he realized what that was. Cadence smiled, a bright toothy grin as she raised her arms high in the air.
"Mother is back! Mother is back! She's going to kill you all!" she said, giggling like a maniac. Her face became serious as she drew her sword. She caught something in the corner of her eye, her head slowly turning back. Levi followed her gaze, his hand flying to his mouth.
She turned around, grinning as she held her hand out. Levi's heart beat hard in his chest as he turned to face his friends, calling Weiss's name. The woman turned back, her eyes widening as she urged Jaune and Metera on. The Erune reacted quickly, shoving the Staff of Creation into Jaune's hands, pushing them forward with the aid of her semblance, causing them to float a bit. The ground beneath her feet exploded, sending her flying off the platform.
Metera reacted quickly, drawing her bowstring back, firing a hook arrow at the platform, only for it to be struck with a ball of fire, destroying it before it made contact. Levi clenched his fists tightly, his anger rising.
"So many people, so many of my friends. I am not going to let her keep killing them!" he screamed in his mind. A surge of power flowed through him, a brilliant light poured from underneath him, causing him to look down. A familiar-looking glyph appeared beneath his feet, square in shape, the outer and inner rings spinning in opposite directions, filled with runes he didn't recognize.
Flashes to the fight with Adam filled his mind, making him realize what this was. He focused on Weiss, Jaune, and Penny, bending his knees. At the same time, Cadence was flying forward at full speed, flames shooting from her mouth as she aimed her flaming hand at the trio, her eyes locked with the Relic of Creation. She blasted herself forward with one last burst, pushing Jaune and Penny forward, finally grabbing the Staff of Creation. Weiss grabbed a hold of it, wrestling with the woman who pulled it with her full strength.
Levi closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he activated his glyph, flashing across the golden lanes. He appeared next to Weiss, pushing her out of the way, just as the ground beneath them detonated. His aura shimmered, breaking as he was shot back. Everything seemed to move slow for him as he blinked, seeing Cadence standing over the edge, a smirk on her face. He merely chuckled to himself, raising his mechanical hand.
Hanging around his middle finger was the Relic of Knowledge, which he managed to snag. Cadence looked at her hip, realizing he had taken it but it was too late. He disappeared into the void. She panted hard, rage filling her body as she turned to Weiss, kicking her in the chest.
"Stupid little bitch! I won't be able to get my fury out on that animal but I will with you!" she shouted, raising the staff above her head. Weiss swung Gambol Shroud, parrying the attack, the weapon flying out of her hand and into the void. A wave of nevermores struck Cadence, sending her back.
"Weiss, get up! Get out of here!" Winter shouted, flying forward. She felt the ground around her, realizing Myrtenaster was gone. Her eyes landed on Overture, which was precariously close to falling. She moved toward it, grabbing it in her grasp, her eyes filling with tears.
"Weiss!" Jaune cried, a look of desperation on his face as he stood by the portal. She forced herself to stand, panting a bit as she moved forward.
The sound of metal clattering to the ground filled her ears, causing her to turn her head. The Staff of Creation had fallen nearby. She looked at the Relic, cursing it for everything that was going on. But she knew she couldn't abandon it. She ignored Jaune's cries as she slowly moved toward it, grabbing it from the ground.
"Go, Jaune. I'll be okay," she said through her tears.
The blond knight looked away, stepping through the portal, leaving her behind. Weiss brushed her tears away, holding the Staff of Creation tightly in her grasp as she raised Overture, waiting for the right moment. She pulled her arm to swing Brilliant Diamond at Winter, a crazed look on her face. Weiss pulled the trigger, the hard-light bullet tearing her Grimm arm apart. She howled in pain, her sword clattering away into the void.
"YOU!" she screamed, her eyes flaring as flames erupted from the corners of her mouth. Weiss merely waited, forming a crimson glyph beneath her feet, blasting herself forward like Levi always did, estoc extending.
"Weiss no!" Winter shouted, her cry falling on deaf ears. She pulled the trigger, sending herself into a spiral, striking Cadence in the chest, sending her tumbling down. She caught herself with a glyph, a smirk on her face only for it to shatter. She fell on the ground hard, her aura finally breaking as the Staff of Creation flew from her grasp.
Cadence walked forward, kicking the Staff into her grasp, spinning it around as it extended. "Say hi to my partner for me."
She swung the staff with all her strength, sending her flying off the platform. Winter screamed her sister's name, hand outstretched in a vain attempt to grab her, but it was too late. She balled her fist tightly, head snapping back at the Fall Maiden who only watched with a grin on her face.
"I gave them a choice, and they chose poorly. I do pity you, Winter Schnee. Perhaps now you'll reconsider interfering with Salem and her plans." she said.
"No… this has only strengthened my resolve. You are going to pay! For everything you've done! All of you!" she snarled, directing her Manticore toward the exit, tears streaming down her face. Cadence merely rolled her eyes.
"Fools, all of them," she mumbled, flying toward the nearest portal. Within seconds, the lanes between started shimmering, each portal disappearing into a sparkling trail of dust, disappearing as if they had never existed.
xxx
"This is General Ironwood, what's the status of the evacuation?" the man said, speaking into his radio. "Can anyone respond?"
He turned back, seeing the portal in front of the vault shimmering, disappearing into nothingness. His eyes widened in shock. "No… that wasn't supposed to happen until everyone was through!"
The General raced forward, activating the lift leading back to Atlas Academy. As he raced through the empty corridors, he felt the landmass beginning to tilt back, not slowing in its final descent to the land below. He grabbed onto the railing as he raced toward Central Command, hoping everyone managed to get out. The second he stepped through the doors, he slowed to a stop, breath catching his throat.
"Ah, James, good of you to come. Here I thought you would have left with everyone else." Arthur said, leaning against the console. Cadence stepped forward, holding the Staff of Creation in her grasp, a smirk on her face.
"You tried so hard to defend this nation, and now look at it, completely empty and devoid of life. But don't worry, the Doctor reassured me that he's got big plans for Atlas," she said, resting the staff on her shoulder.
"What… did you do? Where's Penny?" Ironwood asked.
"Ah her… well she's alive and in Vacuo, can't say the same about those Huntsmen of yours. Cinder sent half of them flying and the rest were dealt with by me. But don't worry, I'm sure they've all met up in hell by now." she said, rolling her eyes. "Shame though, they put up such a good fight for this thing, and honestly, it looks kind of tacky."
"Yet it holds great power. Do not treat it as if it were a mere toy, Odette." Arthur replied, crossing his arms. Ironwood let out a shudder as he looked to his feet, seeing thin wisps of smoke moving throughout the room. Cadence let out a grin, bowing her head slightly.
"Welcome back, Mother."
Salem finally finished putting herself back together, stepping out of the smoke. She glanced at Arthur and Cadence, her eyes briefly shifting toward General Ironwood. She merely nodded, clasping her hands together. "Where is Cinder?"
"Dead, I took her powers from her, just as you requested, Mother. Sadly, I wasn't able to recover the Relic of Knowledge. That mute woman Cinder brought along was the one who stole it. I fought back with every bit of my strength, but I wasn't able to get my hands on it. They're all gone, and they took the Relic with them."
She presented the Staff of Creation to the woman, who merely examined it, looking it over with a small smile. "In the pursuit of a new world, no cost is too great. You've done well, Cadence, far better than I expected from Cinder."
"But I lost the Relic of Knowledge, and the Winter Maiden made it to Vacuo," she said, bowing her head. "I failed you, Mother. I should be punished for not getting everything back for you."
"Do not worry, something tells me the Relic of Knowledge shall return to Remnant. All we must do is bide our time. Our work here is done."
"Madam, if I may," Arthur interjected, causing Salem to face him. "I found some rather interesting plans in the mainframe, an idea that Dear old General Ironwood planned for this Kingdom. With your permission, I would like to use the Staff."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Well, that message that was sent out rallied the troops against us. We'll be facing three Kingdoms worth of trained Huntsman and Huntresses. Security around the Sword of Destruction will increase. We don't have Summer either. If we are to face Vacuo and its full might, then we should answer in kind." the man said, gesturing to the schematics behind himself. Salem looked at them for a moment, smiling.
"I see… that would be ideal for us."
"Replace what we have lost. The Kingdom of Atlas was meant to embolden humanity, it is the pinnacle of human progress. And it shall fulfill its duty. If we want our enemies to bend to our will, then we must show them we mean business. Why let such an asset like this one go to waste?"
"Mmhehehehe… Oh, Doctor, you are such a devious person." Cadence said. Ironwood grit his teeth, his hand moving toward Due Process.
"I won't let you do that, Arthur. You will not turn my Kingdom into your fortress."
"I'm afraid you will, James. You have no choice in the matter, even if you fight with your full strength, you will die." the man chortled, turning away from him. "You risked everything to save this Kingdom and it wasn't enough. Mantle turned against you, Jacques traded away his access, and your trusted allies undermined you and brought Atlas to its knees. I knew Atlas would fall, but I wasn't expecting it to fall in such a spectacular fashion."
"Cadence, do be a dear and rid us of the General. I believe I have some planning to do, for us to regain our strength." Salem said, disappearing in a thin veil of shadow. Cadence smirked, her eyes glowing with the Fall Maiden's magic.
xxx
Winter fell to her knees the moment she stepped through the portal. It shimmered behind her, causing it to disappear. The crowd of scared Atlesians in front of her looked on, as the woman brushed away her tears. Forcing herself to stand, she looked at Penny, who had a worried look on her face.
"Did they…?"
She shook her head. Penny bowed her head, a surge of emotions flowing through her. She felt pain, hurt, anger, sorrow. The warmth she had in her heart had disappeared, changing into something she didn't understand. The screams of the frightened people behind her caused her to look back, her eyes flaring as she shot into the sky.
"Penny, wait, you're still hurt!" Jaune shouted, but it didn't matter. She held her arms out, summoning thousands of crystalline swords, and with a scream of anguish, she fired them down, destroying every single Grimm she could.
Winter steeled her nerves, glancing at Willow, Whitley, and Klein, all who had looks of confusion on their faces. She merely looked away from them. "I'm sorry."
Drawing her sword, she darted forward, prepared to assist in the safety of Atlas's citizens. She wasn't going to let anyone else die under her watch.
xxx
Down in the streets below, Valentine pushed his hoverbike to the limits. He finally made it into the Crater, spotting a shimmering portal. He jumped off of his bike, running at full speed toward it, holding onto his backpack. Just as he was about to reach it, it disappeared, causing him to move straight through it.
"No….no!" he shouted, looking around. "There has to be another one!"
A loud groaning filled his ears, causing him to look up. Atlas was falling faster than before, the bottom side mere thousands of feet from making an impact with Mantle. He reached into his pocket for his scroll, opening it, staring at the background image of himself and Metera. He closed his eyes, holding it tightly against his chest.
"Teri… I'm so sorry. I love you so much, I was an idiot for not leaving with you." he thought to himself, as he waited for the end.
Just as the landmass was about to make contact with the ground, it slowed to a stop. Valentine opened his eyes, gasping as he saw a swirl of golden light enveloping the entire continent. Several objects seemed to appear out of thin air, affixing themselves to the edges of the kingdom, a bright golden light shimmered beneath it, taking the shape of what he could only describe as a large rocket. A whirring noise filled his ears as the massive chunk of land slowly began levitating.
The pneumatic tubes still attached to it all burst, hissing loudly as they fell down in heaps, destroying the nearby buildings. The bottom of the Kingdom made contact with a few buildings, knocking them over in its wake. Valentine could only watch as the giant mass continued moving, tearing apart the largest buildings of the city, the final one being the Mantle Tribune building, which collapsed almost instantly.
The wind picked up, making him shiver. It was a cold day in Mantle, and without the Heating Grid, all of the rain had turned to snow. The streets were barren and devoid of life. The flashing lights of the street lights slowly began shutting off, as the power was cut off entirely. The young detective could only look up in shock and awe at what he was seeing. His entire life, he had lived in the Shadow of Atlas, the powerful and mighty kingdom always providing for them. He descended from people who worked to build Atlas and make it the Kingdom that it was today.
And he was the first one in his family to see it fall. In the Shadow of Atlas, he felt safe and assured, even if he knew the people up top didn't quite care for the people below. Now, he stood in the Crater left behind after it rose into the sky over 50 years ago. The Shadow was long gone, and for the first time in 50 years, the city of Mantle saw the sun, no longer being in the shadow cast by the world's greatest Kingdom.
No longer in the shadow of Atlas, the sole survivor stood, watching as the landmass that once hovered above him, ever so slowly, drifted away from sight.
Salem finally reached General Ironwood's office, looking around with a smile on her face. She took notice of all the trophies, accolades, and pictures. One caught her attention, a picture of all the Headmasters of Remnant. She moved toward it, staring at Ozpin. She held her hand out, sending a swirling flame to the photograph, burning it to a crisp. She slowly walked toward the back of the office, sitting down in Ironwood's seat. Spinning around, she pressed the button on the armrest, causing all of the shudders to open. She stared out at the Kingdom of Atlas below her, her sights set on the distant Kingdom of Vacuo. She leaned back in her seat, relishing in her victory.
"Are you sure you want to come out of hiding?"
"I have to, Rae, we don't have a choice anymore. I don't know how things are in Atlas but after that message… I'm not feeling too hopeful."
"That's obvious… The thing is, you aren't exactly you anymore. That dusty old wizard can't reverse the effects of his gift to you." the raven-haired woman said, crossing her arms as she looked her friend over.
"I don't need Ozpin to fix me for me to do something with myself. I've recovered all of my strength since the Fall. Everything else is superficial. I have to head to Vacuo and protect the Sword."
Raven frowned, shaking her head. "Protect the Sword… you think taking it for yourself is a wise idea? Theodore isn't going to let you get away with that."
"I slayed the Summer Maiden without hesitation, I doubt he'll stop me. I have magic, he doesn't," she replied, looking away from her friend. "If you don't want to help me anymore, that's fine. But remember, Salem's lackey will eventually come for you too, she wants what you have after all."
"I'm not going to let her get anywhere near me ever again," the Spring Maiden said, eyes flaring brightly with her magic. "You want to head to Vacuo? That's fine, I'll get you there, but if you die that is on you. You don't have 9 lives anymore, Y'mhitra, don't forget that."
"Heh, just open the portal."
Raven drew Omen, launching the portal forward. She gestured for her friend to head in first, the figure pulling their hood over their head. Raven looked around for a moment before slipping through the portal, which closed shortly before she disappeared through it.
xxx(End of Part 2)xxx
A/N: Fuck Cinder. The fact that CRWBY kept her alive this long has seriously pissed me off. She's such a bad villain that it makes me laugh every time she gets hit in the face. Salem winning this time around made me chuckle too, because they failed catastrophically. It was something I needed to change. Sure, Salem has the Staff, but Levi still has the lamp, and more importantly, he has that wish. That wish is going to be their salvation. That being said, this time around Penny doesn't die, hurray! Another thing that pissed me the fuck off was making her human only for her to die, it was fucking stupid, so that had to go. Yeah, we don't get Winter Maiden Winter, but it's an alright trade-off for the time being. I want to flesh Penny out now that she's human, and I can't do that if she's dead. So she didn't die, and Jaune also didn't fall. He now has to live knowing he wasn't able to save more of his friends, so that's gonna mess with his mind.
The events of Volume 9 need a lot of fixing, especially since Neo isn't an enemy anymore. I've been thinking of several things to make that volume work, keep the core themes, and improve the Ever After, because this place is supposed to be like Wonderland and it doesn't really feel like it. Now, we have Fall Maiden Cadence, and that's gonna be fun. She's a lot more sadistic than Cinder was, and she actually gets things done! So that's fun.
I snuck a reference in there too, hopefully, people will get it, and if not... well I'll tell you when I next update, in like a year or so lol. I'm gonna miss these authors' notes, and reading Adam Taurus's cringey messages. I've been entertained these last couple of weeks, I'll admit. Let's see, plans for the future... well, I can't really say anything, but with Volume 10 still not being greenlit, to my knowledge, that means I get to put my writing chops to use! Original Vacuo Arc incoming! With Jacques Schnee being alive this time around, we get to see the effects of the SDC in Vacuo, and we'll get to see his family turn on him too because he's a douche and he deserves nothing. Fun times are inbound for our jolly dusty snowman. Finally, we have the ending. Salem turning the Kingdom of Atlas into her personal Airship, Ironwood being alive, and Arthur being in command of the Staff. It's gonna be fun. I wish Arthur hadn't been killed off because he was the best villain in the series.
Well uh... that's about it really. I don't have much else to say except man, the Atlas Arc has been one hell of a ride, probably my favorite work so far and my favorite arc in the series, barring some of the crappier episodes and crappy writing. It is what it is, but it has come to end end. ETA on Part 3: Soon?
I'd like to thank everyone who read this and stuck along for this long. I'd like to thank those who followed me, my sister for proofreading this, and Adam Taurus for being the biggest clown on this side of the world. Congratulations, you got your wish, Blake isn't gonna be paired with Jaune anymore. I made an executive decision, she's gonna be paired with someone else, and I'm sure you'll love it very much. So thank you for annoying me. She isn't going to be with Yang, by the way, just throwing that out there. JustAPerson, thank you as well, your replies were entertaining too. Thank you to Kem for reading as well and leaving reviews! I appreciate it. Without further ado, this is where I sign off for a while. Thank you all! When we come back, we'll hit a million words! I'm excited. See ya!
Fuck Cinder