In the grand probability of endless potential and opportunity, there exists a timeline where everything goes right, rather than wrong. A timeline where events play out as close to the current one, yet key subtle differences alter and change the fates of those touched. Within the endless reaches of time, space and opportunity, we find ourselves in the streets of Mantle. A blur of red is slicing and dicing through the endless waves of Grimm flooding into the area from the Wall Breach. Standing side to side with the Happy Huntresses, Adam gives a strong performance, drawing his blade Rebellion, cutting down Grimm and giving the people time to run for a shelter, blasting the four gauge bullets from the scabbard Jetstream as he keeps whatever he can from going into the city. Sadly he's only one, barely able to fight off the increasing river of empty void that he can almost see. His Aura Sense depicts the blips and pings of people and soldiers, all trying to stay alive, the world coated in red as if all is made of blood. But then there's a void. A place where the pulse he sent out is devoured by a black emptiness. The Grimm aren't just death, they are the black hole where all that makes you unique, goes to die. Adam exhaled, centering himself as he fell back with the other Happy Huntresses, guiding and goading Grimm to chase after them.

A few blocks further down the line, where the bulkhead that had ferried Ruby and the Gang is guarded by voiceless and emotionless Knights, standing and blasting on auto pilot as airborne Grimm and Sabyrs engaged and tore through them, leaving the aircraft undefended and alone. When the pack hears a sound of metal scraping against the scabbard, they turn and see a single entity, a massively powerful Aura of intense navy blue, before sixteen of them are vaporized before sword Yamato is even fully drawn. Walking and rubbing his thumb over the small yellow Dust infused ribbon of his scabbard, Vergil once more generates a storm above head in the air, causing random shots of thunder to destroy a few Teryx Grimm as Vergil boards and flies the ship back up to Atlas. While the flight control might have noticed, just like the outer Kingdom defenses being overwhelmed and attacked, Watts having messed up their sensors with his hacking skills, the Devil dressed in Blue arrives atop the floating city of Atlas while in Mantle things are getting desperate, following the canon events of Alpha Goliaths rampaging, Jaune forming a single file line, Ren masking survivors, riots attempting to break out as Atlas refuses to evacuate Mantle. As the speech is being held, Vergil arrives on the docks of the flying city. He was tracing a lead on his dead brother, a trail meant for the Ace Ops. Perhaps even the General. Regardless of who or where it leads, he begins making his way towards the Academy, where he's approached by a girl with ashen hair.

"The timeline's changed!", the angry voice in Aschen's mind was barely a whisper. Soon she'd be free of that pesky entity in her mind and finally her own person. She growled, "shut up!"

Across the room a very annoyed hat wearing pink and white dressed girl threw her a destroying glare. "Not you, I mean the witch in my head"

Neo barely reacted at that mention and simply rolled her eyes. Not believing me huh? Well it won't matter. This level of attention on the Grimm is exactly the opening we've been waiting for. She gestures for Neo to listen: "With them scrambling to deal with Watts and Tyrian, we can sneak into the Academy. You said the farm boy has the lamp right? So let's take it"

Neo jumped up and changed shape into that of Ruby, a sting of recognition hit Aschen as she recalled the girl from their meeting at Haven Academy, where Raven used her as a piece of meat. A blinding fury hit her mind before she shook her head and sighed. "No, not yet. From what Cinder told me, Salem doesn't want her dead…yet, so we're not going to kill her, yet. Not until we have our olive branch"

Neo once again didn't seem interested. Only wanting Ruby dead. Vaguely the complaining of Cinder about wanting the Winter Maiden powers was rampaging in her mind, as well as a clever idea that Aschen took to herself. Being that her and Cinder's souls were mixing, she was slowly getting more and more information that the former Fall Maiden hadn't shared. Such as the Queen piece icon. Having used the fire powers of her Maiden-ness, Aschen had crafted a black queen chess piece from sand into glass. She just needed to get this into Ironwood's office for the plan to work. And with a bit of information gathering of her own, Aschen having gotten used to sneaking in along with Neo and escaping thanks to her handy Semblance, arguably the best thing she'd gotten from her mother, Aschen now had the perfect bargaining chip.

"Out of my way girl", the Devil in Blue had hissed as Aschen had attempted to put her plan to motion. But Cinder had broken her focus.

"Do not engage with this man…", the scared girl had hissed within Gwain's mind.

"Why not? This whole queen thing was your idea", Aschen whispered mentally, wondering why out of all the things she'd seen and heard, this man was so terrifying for Cinder. However she had some notion, after all Raven loved to talk and boast, this was once the man who had taught Raven how to fight. Or rather, hone her craft after finishing at Beacon and running from her family in Patch.

"Because he's dangerous. His father was one of the last times Salem had…interest in pleasures of the flesh. I don't know exactly what happened, but Vergil and Dante are stronger than most", Cinder had explained before she drifted off to sleep again. It was getting harder and harder for her to stay awake in Aschen's mind.

"I won't waste your time…just giving you something I feel you could use", Aschen said, holding up the queen piece.

"What would I need a trinket like that for?", Vergil groaned as he kept walking, forcing the Fall Maiden to give chase. She also had been anticipating this, Aschen smirked, "Because it'll help you hurt the one who killed your brother"

There was a long silence, as Vergil's shoulders tensed and slowly turned towards her, hand on his hilt with the intent of killing her palpable in the air, yet curiosity was fighting for control. Or rather, the intent of killing her and the 'wanting to know' what she knew. And after a few seconds, wanting to know won out.

"Speak…"

"You're looking for a man named Tortuga Smaragd. He's a former Ace Ops and the most linked to the death of your brother. Information about him is in General Ironwood's files. And if you could place this in there", Aschen held up the queen piece, "I'd consider that very thankful of your time and efforts"

There was another silence, before Vergil took it and turned away from her. Aschen let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding, before she snuck off to help Neo take the Relic from farmboy.

"I don't like this plan…Hill", Adam said as he took a knee in the streets. Joanna, him and Robyn were talking about the plan to use herself as bait, Qrow and Clover would help her counter ambush Tyrian whom they were banking on coming after her. Adam didn't like the idea at all, especially since he also wanted dibs on that lunatic for personal reasons.

"I know, but I need you and Joanna to be close by and leave me alone, to sell the bait. And if something were to happen, you have your directives", Robyn smiled as she nodded and went to execute the plan. Adam lingered for a bit, before following her out the door.

Getting through the door was easy. After all, no one ever looks for the obvious threat until it's too late. Standing in the office was surreal. After all, what would they expect to say if a Faunus of his caliber stood in the very den of Atlas' core. Flipping through what little records weren't on paper was pointless. Transport logs, inventory, patrol routes, it didn't advance the goal of why he was here. No, the real information was on the computer, but he'd need access. Vergil groaned. This was usually the part where his brother would have slapped the stuff that wasn't working and it would magically work. But he wasn't a wacky woo-hoo pizza man. No he merely had to 'persuade' the system. So he took his scabbard and slapped it against the desk, sending an electrical charge through the frame and activating the screen, working like a charm and bypassing the login, thanks to glitching the system. Vergil snickered. So that's why Dante did it.

As the screen popped up, it took only a few minutes before he found what he was looking for! Status reports on all Ace Ops. Most if not all were now currently dealing with the issues in Mantle. He could see Semblance information, logs on evaluation and even personal records that weren't supposed to be checked. Until finally the name Smaragd Tortuga popped up. With a rage filled clutching of his fingers, the Devil in Blue opened the file. Hunting those that spoke out against Atlas, fanatical obsession with proving the worth of Atlas, inhumanly cruel punishment of Atlas doubters. This character was a real piece of work. Vergil's eyes then opened in anger. An entire segment detailing the 'Grimm May Cry' chaos. Apparently Tortuga went behind orders to deal with the 'laid back Grimm killer' that didn't adhere to the law. Deep in debt, barely listening to the orders of the agencies and guilds, selling off weapons to get utilities paid, ignoring eviction notices, getting in the way of Atlas military operations on a few occasions. Tortuga had taken it on himself and managed to kill Dante. It didn't detail how, but ultimately it doesn't matter. Tortuga had killed Dante, but in a strange twist and cruel irony, on the next mission he and the Ace Ops engaged in, Tortuga was mauled, torn to pieces by a pack of Sabyrs after he failed to secure the landing zone for his team. In accordance with his will, Vergil stopped reading and sighed. No one to go after now. Ironwood had used disciplinary actions, which indirectly caused Tortuga's death, Ebony and Ivory were lost since their whereabouts weren't detailed in this file, being torn to pieces by a pack of monsters like the Grimm is cruel irony enough and Vergil was running out of time. He groaned, put the Queen's piece down and then took Yamato and carved a message into the desk. As he walked towards the door and went to find a way out of there, the words were luminated by the moon in the sky. Having just missed Vergil, Ironwood entered his office, having just sustained massive injuries in a fight with Arthur Watts and Clover just confirmed they had Tyrian in custody. His smile faded as he saw the queen piece. And the words that were there with it. 'The mountain's peak looks down on the floating city'

City wide panic and here I am LOST! Wandering through the halls he had entered somehow didn't bring the Devil dressed in Blue back to where he should have gone. No instead he'd taken a terrible turn somewhere and was wondering from one corridor to the next. He had heard the alert go out for martial law and something about an arrest, but frankly Vergil wanted to get the Grimm out of here and find this white haired heir to his brother that his gakusei spoke off. Back in Mistral. Getting out there wouldn't be easy. Especially when I'm stuck in these endless hallways that all look the same! Anger drove him to draw Yamato half way from the scabbard, before half the hallway was sliced to ribbons. Behind him lay the endless wave of destroyed Knights and the poor idiotic fools who dare stand in his way. And more still were trying to block him. Deflecting their bullets with his sword was easy, a Dismal display of motivation would end their lives. Yet he felt like flexing, show exactly how outmatched these tin can soldiers were. He walked until they had surrounded him, five in total. As they raised their weapons he smirked. Let's have some fun! He drew Yamato and threw it around him, the sword spinning and slicing five as it spun like a helicopter blade, slicing clean through them Vergil spun around and forced the tip of his scabbard to pin the final one against the wall, having thrown the Scabbard and spiking the machine stuck in place. As Yamato kept spinning, he snatched it out of the air in a reverse grip, spun it around once in a backwards flourish and sheathed the blade by stepping backwards, holding the blade away and his back turned against the Knight before sheathing. As he finished the motion, all five of them sparked and exploded into piles of debris. Sheathing to do damage. A flair for the dramatic. He flicked his white hair backwards as he kept walking ahead. Until he heard a voice, his actions having drawn the attention of someone familiar.

"I think I understand. Though here I thought I was supposed to be the machine", Vergil saw the door open and came face to face with a redhead and a white haired person. A Schnee. He rolled his eyes. They were the real devils! How many Faunus had died at the hands of their unjust treatments? Vergil's white hair was flanked by two horns, more pronounced and demonic looking than even Adams had been. His cold ocean-blue eyes met with the fierce sapphires of Winter and she readied herself. He didn't even attempt to talk them down, he was in a rush to get away and this wasn't the place. He simply turned and walked away.

"Hold it! Identify yourself!", the Schnee demanded. Vergil looked over his shoulder and glared at them both, speaking in a soft but very clear tone; "If you value your life, you'll forget I was ever here"

"And let you steal the power? Not a chance!", Winter rushed forwards and stabbed at his head. But before she could land, his scabbard rammed into her abdomen, the action knocking the wind from her lungs as she staggered back, Vergil spun around and swiped her legs with the sheathed sword and kicked her back, sending Winter to skid across the floor and come to a stop a full meter away.

"Halt intruder! You are not to interfere with our business", Penny said as she stepped between Vergil and Winter, protecting her from follow up, not that Vergil wanted it.

"I care little for your fake power, Schnee. I just want to leave", he admits as he enters the room, noticing the old woman in the storage pod and no way out. He groans and turns to leave, before his body vanishes and he appears left from where he was standing, dodging Penny's blades attempting to strike.

"You will surrender for the might of Atlas", Winter said as she put her sword on the floor and caused a wave of small Nevermore summons to shoot out towards Vergil, who merely drew his sword and spun it around in front of him, generating a spinning wall of steel before him that effortlessly cleave any and all birds. Penny shot her swords out, attempting to pin and pierce, yet once again he vanished where he stood and appeared to the right of there. As if he had short range teleportation. Was that his Semblance?

"You're wasting my time", Vergil said coldly as he sprang forwards, drawing his sword and slashing at Penny, knocking her aside and getting to Winter. She parried his strike just in time, opening the hilt and ejecting her backup dagger, stabbing it at Vergil who blocked it with the scabbard. For a moment they glare at one another, Winter filled with determination not to fail, Vergil with the least amount of energy he needed to hold her back. She had potential, that's for sure. Swords linked to a thin metallic cable circle saw motion themselves at his exposed back, causing him to break the bind, slipping behind Winter and shoving her into Penny, who had to stop her attack as Winter raised her sword, before noticing her dagger was gone. Vergil stood lazily, sword sheathed, leaning on his weapon and spun the blade he disarmed off of Winter on his finger, the way sportspeople would with a ball on their index finger. He smirked at them both: "Lets have some fun"

Before both girls could react, Vergil vanished once more. Appearing behind them both where he drew his sword and slashed at them both, damaging their Aura. But only a little. Winter wanted her dagger back and rushed for it before she re-engaged, Penny following her lead as they both stabbed and slashed at the Devil in Blue. Winter's thrust missed as he dipped and wove around, almost dancing his way around her, while completely stopping and tanking each of the blades Penny was using. Pushing him slowly towards the wall. When Winter saw an opening she lunged! Thrusting her sword against his abdomen, hoping to at least strike his Aura, but a shape of blue appeared beside her and blocked the strike as it kicked her backwards. Vergil grinned, Doppelganger was such a powerful trick of his. Penny turned to face the blue shaped clone that acted independently from Vergil, fighting with the same style and weaponry, just a solid blue clone. Even the sword was cloned. Yet it was just that, a clone, and while Penny could slice it to ribbons rather swiftly, it gave Vergil the opening he needed. Winter got up and charged, Vergil vanished and appeared behind where he had stood before, furthering the distance. He drew an inch of his sword, before sheathing it again, as the air around Winter became blades. After Images of slashing steel peppered Winter, blades biting into her aura with intensity that didn't match with just how casual he had been. How powerful was this man anyway?

"You're making me feel personal feelings!", Penny said, confusing the Devil dressed in Blue. A beam of energy crashed into Vergil who took the first damage of the fight, his Aura taking a soft drop as he was flung through the air into a backflip, riding the energy and steadying himself, skidding to a halt with a groan. Not of anger or frustration, but disappointment. All that for a single dip? He sighed and took a stance; right leg forwards, left leg back a little, bent at the knees, scabbard held behind his back as he prepared to quickdraw again, the air around him vibrating as he put a little more strength into his sword. In a flash he drew and sheathed again, six sword slashes at Penny who turtled up and tanked the blows, earning a curious head tilt. Using the scabbard to bat Winter aside, she was barely worth acknowledging, predictable. Until off course a massive Manticore suddenly came charging at him. His eyes closed as he vanished from where he stood, the trick behind that being that his Doppelganger was always active, just not to be seen. He could do a lot with the clone, like swapping places. Or attack from range. After all, guns were the most cowardly and detestable show of skill. A true swordsman can flex his power and prove just how good he is, regardless of distance. As he sliced the Manticore clean in half he saw the two of them gather up energy and stare him down, seemingly pushing him away from the pod, he didn't care for the pod, he just wanted to leave. Time to finish it.

As they tried to act, a soft gentle bluish hue colored around the room, they were in range of the most devastating attack he had, but that would cost some Aura. Worth the effort, if only to get them off his back. Sure he wanted to kill someone for costing him his brother, but he wasn't a rampaging monster. No needless deaths. So before his attack turned lethal, he stopped charging and struck. He drew his sword as he stepped forwards, the moment the full length of Yamato was free, he vanished as slices and cuts appeared in the air around Winter and Penny. They couldn't move, his attack either that fast or somehow the energy in the air had slowed their reaction. Another slash came horizontal, catching both of them, the sound of steel groaning from being sliced, pain hitting both girls when Vergil appeared between where they were standing, kneeling and sheathing his sword slowly. As he put the sword in with a sharp cling, he whispered: "Slay all…"

As the cling rang out, the world returned to normal speed as Winter and Penny collapsed, pain and stinging Aura drained from the damage they had taken. Penny sank to her knee while Winter was on the floor, grasping her sword and groaning. Vergil stood up and brushed his hair back upwards. He sighed and looked at them both; before his eyes drifted towards the pod housing Fria. His attack had damaged the machinery, and she was being released. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and saw the man before her and groaned. "I…have been…waiting…for some time..I think"

Penny rushes over to help Winter get up, who flies into a panic: "What are you doing? My life is not important!"

"I disagree"

"I had a job to do…", talking to herself, Vergil saw the woman's eyes radiate power, untapped, untamed. Unhinged! He felt a shockwave of subzero cold blast out, forcing him to stab Yamato into the ground as he felt himself get blown away. He barely managed to stand the first cascading wave before the second also shot out, lifting the old fragile woman into the air. He gazed at her in wonder and shock. "What form of power is this?"

Before he could form a second thought he was tackled to the side by Winter, as Penny went to check on Fria, causing that part to sync up with canon. Leaving Winter to drive her sword into Vergil who groans in pain as his Aura, being drained from the heavy finisher use, Retribution Sever Finish, turned to face her. In a flash he drew Yamato and attacked, his speed amping ever so slightly as Doppelganger appeared and mimicked the strikes, two swords that seemed to split into four as they slashed and ate away at Winter's defenses until she was battered, bruised and had a deep laceration across her arm and chest. With a scream she sank to her knees. Vergil sighed, a hole in the wall having opened in the chaos. "Foolishness Schnee…foolishness"

Ruby and Weiss appear to look at what happened as Penny became the Winter Maiden. Seeing an opening and not wanting to shed any more blood or hardships, Vergil leaps from the opening and vanishes. His story ends in Mistral where he indeed finds the Daughter of Dante. Seeing her sister in pain, Weiss runs over, only for Winter to push her back. "What did you do…"

"I did what is right", Weiss says, looking at her sister, battered and bruised, bleeding from wounds that weren't fatal, yet.

"Orders are for you two to be arrested on sight. I will…", she averts her eyes at Ruby, who's asking Penny what happened. "She's gone…"

"No…she's a part of you now. A part that was supposed to go to me. I lived my entire career for this", Winter said, hoisting herself against the wall and looking at the three girls before her. "Now I suggest you all comply with the general's orders"

"We can't do that! Abandoning Mantle isn't right", Winter can barely contain her own heart from breaking. She had heard Weiss cry in her childhood far too many times. Because of their father laying hands on her, because their mother wasn't there to save her from the nightmares, because Winter decided to leave the house. It was indeed heartbreaking, yet she had a job to do. "Then I suggest you run"

"No you're hurt! I won't leave you like this! Not without aid and not for Ironwood to further control your life", Weiss said, tears shimmering in her eyes. It was clear to Winter that being with her friends had made her sister warm up and embrace the person she was meant to be. Yet Winter had her own destiny to follow. "You're not leaving me. I'm giving you a head start…family courtesy…"

As Winter said that, Weiss' eyes opened in shock. How could Winter do this?! So willingly follow the wrong man in life. She sighed as Winter brought her hand to her ear and called for aid: "This is special operative Schnee in urgent need of medical assistance. Send Reinforcements…over"

"I…", Weiss wanted to argue, she wanted to help her sister, to prevent the bad, talk it out. But there was no changing her steely eyed sister's mind. Not after a statement like that. She had made her choice and was following her own path. Weiss recalled the words of her sister before she left, long ago in the courtyard near the garden. She wouldn't rely on Winter anymore. Weiss steeled her heart and sighed; "We all have to make our own paths"

"Has James LOST HIS MIND!?", Qrow roared as he got up and put his hand on Harbinger, still safely tucked away on his back. Clover approached him, confidently with that same smirk he always had, expecting to just walk straight through this. Robyn also got up, defensive of the whole ordeal.

"Martial Law, abandoning Mantle..I'd say that's a 'yes'", Robyn glared at Clover as well, looking at Tyrian who was still caught and restrained. If he was to break free, things would get even more crazy.

"Only Qrow is under arrest. After everything that happened tonight, don't make me arrest you as well", That's what truly pissed off Qrow, talking like that, as if fisherman could just do whatever he wanted and have Lady Luck carry him through. He rolled his eyes and sighed. This was going to turn into…

"It's taking a while for this show to get to the good-", Qrow was so done hearing this freak talk. After trying to go after Ruby, the fight they had, he still wanted him dead. "Shut up!"

"He's right…let's get this over with", Clover spoke as he dashed forwards, dove under the fired arrow and looped his fishing line around both her wrists and pulled her down to the floor, Qrow stood up and extended Harbinger, swinging to get Clover off of Robyn. Sadly his awareness, or perhaps his luck, caused him to duck lower, as Robyn wasn't accepting that outcome of their fight, causing Qrow to swing wide. Until a heavy bang made all three Huntsmen look up at Tyrian. His eyes were crossed, a tongue lolling out of his open mouth as he had that stupid Grimm-eating grin on his face before he collapsed once more. Qrow huffed. His overswung attack had crashed into Tyrian and the 'poor' fool's Aura wasn't recovered enough to prevent the intense impact, as well as the slamming against the bulkhead wall. Whatever remained of his squishy brain was heavily concussed, knocking Callows cout completely. Robyn and Clover looked at him with eyes wide.

"What..? I did tell him to shut up…"

Robyn quickly pulled her legs in, buckled and threw Clover off as she pulled herself free and pointed her crossbow at Clover again. He just gave them both a sad glare. "I wish it hadn't come to this"

"It doesn't HAVE to be!", Qrow groaned as he raised his sword in a defensive posture. Why won't this stupid knucklehead understand that not all orders are worth upholding? If you're gonna blindly follow everyone, you're no better than a mindless machine. Even in his most loyal, Qrow never fully obeyed every order, not even Ozpin's.

"You can hug it out once he's out of commission!", Robyn ricocheted a few crossbow bolts off the walls, aiming for sensitive areas. But she missed as he leaned aside and evaded, throwing his line once more to disarm her, only for her to bat it aside. It shot off from the wall, looped around Qrow and pulled him forwards, into Robyn. Who shoved him back, causing Qrow to stumble and hit the pilot's chair. Now he didn't realize how, but that act made the pilot turn to look at what the heck was going on, only for his uniform to snag on the control stick and plummet the craft into a nosedive. Unable to straighten back out, though he surely tried, the pilot crashed and was killed upon impact. Qrow dashed for Robyn but the blow knocked him out of the aircraft.

"Anyone got the license plate of that Grimm?", Qrow groans as he wakes up in a patch of cold snow. Shaking his head and awakening to the groggy memory of what happens, the mist clears instantly as he bolts for the wreckage, searching for Robyn. Inside the damaged hull, he finds Tyrian, still tied up and out cold, the bruise of Harbinger on his head making a nasty black spot which gives Qrow some fleeting satisfaction, before he checks to see if the restraining line is secured. Thankfully it is. He hears a soft groan and rushes outside, Robyn lays amidst blackened rubble, exposed to the Solitas winds. Quickly he lifts a piece of debris and forms a windshield for her, after checking her pulse. Thankfully she's alive! A creak in the snow catches his attention and he turns, shooting from Harbinger's barrel, which deflects off of fisherman's hook. Qrow tenses, before rising slowly, defensively, please listen to reason, Qrow begs mentally as he speaks; "Robyn needs help"

"Surrender and we'll get her to Atlas, patch her up", Clover continues to advance upon Qrow unbothered. Eyes primed on the target he was meant to capture. Orders are orders.

"Never pegged you for the manipulative type. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised", Qrow changes Harbinger from sword to Scythe and begins circling around Clover, who mimics is actions, "You know I enjoyed working with you, even with that endless cynicism and sarcasm"

"I'm usually proven right..and this is no different. You special ops types all are the same", Qrow lowers his head but still keeps focus on fisherman. Raising Harbinger behind him in an offensive guard stance. "All a 'lien a dosen' mindless soldiers"

"We don't have to fight…friend", Clover said, his guard was unassuming, because he never needed it to make sense. Stupid luck. Qrow scoffs. "We're not friends, fisherman. We're the opposites of the same coin. A luck driven mindless soldier who obeys like a loyal dog. Versus the misfortune of a free thinker and actual soldier"

"If that's how you feel. It will be fun to pay you back for that punch back in the Atlas Assembly Hall", Clover said, flicking his lucky clover badge before rushing Qrow. Guess the talking is over. Time to see which one of us is the better Huntsman. Clover throws out his line but Qrow sidesteps and runs forwards, swinging Harbinger, which Clover ducks, using the momentum like before Qrow brings the handle of his weapon around and blocks the strike Clover tried to inflict at the exposed back of the older Huntsman. Clover smirks, flips his weapon around and hooks it around the handle, pulling down and bringing Qrow off balance, landing a massive punch on his left cheek. Qrow groans and turns into it, wrestling his weapon free and begins spinning it around his body axis. Swirling slashes and using the momentum to keep the attacks going, Qrow's form almost looks like it's dancing. Clover ducks, deflects and sidesteps what he can, as Qrow stops swirling, the scythe blade extending behind Clover's legs. Attempting to trip him, Qrow pulls inwards. Clover has one option, to jump it. Which is when Qrow's trap springs. Without the ability to move, having given up his footing, Qrow steps into a side kick and launches Clover over a short distance, a heavy impact on his gut. Score one to one.

Wiping his left hand over the impacted abdomen, Clover took a deep breath and threw an angry look at Qrow, before he threw the line out once more. Qrow swiped Harbinger to throw the angle off, yet it still hooked around the handle and pulled Qrow off balance as CLover rushed in, he had seen him fight humans and Grimm and knew he was going for a close quarter take down motion, same he'd seen during the Tyrian fight. Yet Tyrian went down so easily because of a combined effect of fortune probability changing for him. Because Qrow gave bad luck and Clover gave better luck to them, meaning Tyrian wasn't just fighting uphill that time. He was fighting uphill on skates. This was different. As Clover came closer, taking his line and attempting to restrain Qrow, Qrow began flourishing his scythe, forming figure eights with the shaft and making the blade a whirlwind of death and cuts. Clover ducked and stepped back, dropping the hook which caught Qrow's foot. Too late did the experienced huntsman react, being pulled down as his leg was yoinked, clover reeled the line in, turned a one-eighty and slammed Qrow into the snow. The impact wasn't painful but it was annoying to have a face full of ice cold snow. Coughing and shaking his head, Qrow felt his leg get pulled once more. Another slam was coming yet when Clover didn't look he quickly went into his bird form flew up, changed back, held Harbinger perpendicular behind his back and spun around, becoming a spinning death machine. Clover felt his line go slack and looked up, in shock his eyes widened as a literal sawblade of Scythe twirling came down on top of him. Quickly turning and diving away, he escaped that attack, yet in the followup, Qrow launched himself from his Scythe having stabbed into the floor, planted both his feet on Clover's back and kicked off, back towards Harbinger, causing Clover to eat snow.

Qrow groaned however. He had discovered that with that grappling heavy fighting style, snagging and catching his scythe, a fight would be at his disadvantage. So he twirled Harbinger overhead and returned it into a sword formation. Less area to catch me on, fisherman.

"Seems we're similarly matched", Clover said, changing his approach as well. With the sword meaning less surface to snag, it was time for the takedown portion.

"Don't flatter yourself fisherman", Qrow held his sword before him, defensive. He knew what was going to happen next.

"There's still a few things I don't get…like how you got out of the ship and took down that Teryx", Clover slowly approached, stance and guard low, for increased mobility.

"What can I say…sometimes I'm magic", Qrow said, smirking as he advanced, nonchalant, sword raised.

"I will say, it's fun to hit you. You can be quite insufferable", Clover admits, they're standing very close now, he just needed to goad Qrow into attacking so he could throw the rope around his hands and restrain him.

"Yeah…I get that a lot", Qrow groaned, before he leapt into the air and evaded the grapple, spinning around himself and slashed at fisherman's back, impacting heavily, while Clover turned around and threw his line, binding around Qrow's body as he pulled him down. Gotcha! Qrow smirked. Time to spill the secret! He vanished as a bird flew away, Clover's eyes bugged out. How did he do that!? His semblance was bad luck. Or did Qrow lie!? After flapping it's wings, the bird changed around and appeared with a slash, Clover took a dive. Slipping his foot over the snow so he could do a controlled fall and escape the attack, only for Qrow to fire his weapon, the shockwave pushing Clover deeper into the snow. Slowing his movement long enough for Qrow to land another solid blow before Clover backed away. Something wasn't right here, Clover thought. This fight was turning into a slow but steady stomp. He shook his head, grabbed the line and pushed into Qrow. Instinctively the dusty former teacher at Signal had to lock his elbows at his sides, fisherman was stronger than he anticipated, throwing the hook around Qrow trying to bind and hinder his left hand. Yet Qrow felt it come and merely let go of his sword handle with the left hand, Harbinger curved and extended into a Scythe, loosening the line and slammed the shaft into fisherman's face. Staggering him backwards, clutching his chin.

What is going on?! Most fights would have been over by now. Sure he had hit some blows and been hit by a few more. But any crook or dime a dozen petty criminals was done by now. Even other huntsmen were barely a threat. Handling missions with the Ace Ops, killing Grimm, handling investigations. Clover wasn't this helpless usually, so what in the name of Lady Fortuna was going on? He was pondering that, amping up his own Semblance more and more as the fight went, when Qrow tilts his head puzzled and smirks. A flashing bird symbol in his left eye as he rushes forwards! Thinking fast Clover throws a loop in the air close to him, ducks to the sides as the line catches and tangles both of Qrow's feet, tripping him and causing him to faceplant into the snow. Capitalizing on it, Clover crawls on top of the tripped Huntsman and begins pummeling the back of his head, anchoring himself in the snow. One blow. Second blow. Third blow. A small layer of dark red shimmering as the Aura is taking beating after beating! Lucky that trick worked with the trip trap! Smiling at his victory, Clover fails to react in time when Qrow catches a punch to the back of his head and pulls the man off of his head and lands a heavy hammer blow on top of him. Both scramble away from one another as Qrow grabs Harbinger and glares at Clover. A shimmer across both their Auras.

"Figure out why you're losing yet?", Qrow asks as he slashes the cast line a few more times. CLover's getting more and more annoyed. Because the truth is, he had a theory but wasn't willing to admit it. Taking the handle, spinning it before he threw it made it swirl around, coiled up Branwen's arm, Clover pulled, causing Harbinger to be let go by Qrow as the line pulled taunt and yoinked the sword into a spiral towards him. Ducking and evading it Clover looks back before a heavy punch connects with his gut. How am I getting so unlucky, the fisherman bemoans in thought as he clutches his gut and falls to his knees. His turquoise Aura breaking from the deep gut punch. He looks up and coughs before demanding; "How do you live like this?"

"Seems you did figure it out…", Qrow said, walking over towards his sword and putting it in the inactive mode and placing it on his back. As he does he takes the second set of cuffs and slaps them on Clover's wrists, behind his back. "You have been using your Semblance your whole life, haven't you, Fisherman? Well your good fortune is being canceled by mine the entire fight. Meaning for once you had to rely on your skill and not Lady Fortune.."

"You live like this?", Clover wondered, before sighing as his gaze drifts towards the shipwreck and sighed. "Sounds like one hell of a life"

"Why couldn't you just do the right thing?! Instead of the thing you were told!", Qrow slams his fist into the ground as he lifts Clover to his feet, cuffed hands on his back.

"Sometimes the right decisions are the hardest to make. I trust James with my life…", Clover's teal green eyes meet with the pale red ones of Qrow, his expression softening, "..but I wanted to trust you…"

"Then why didn't you!? You could have easily just ignored orders and we could have talked it out!", Qrow roars, taking Harbinger again and driving it into the snow. His frustration was so intense he didn't notice that they weren't alone anymore.

"We don't all have your cynical and sarcastic eye on life. And my name is Clover, not fisherm-"

"Oh will you two just shut up and kill each other more efficiently? Here I'll help!", Qrow didn't notice Tyrian had regained consciousness. He rushes forwards, ready to attack but Tyrian already grabbed Clover and sank his cybernetic tail into his neck, pumping a mortal dose of venom into the weakened and beaten Huntsman. "There…that's how you kill someone"

"I'll kill you!", Harbinger soars but are caught on Queen's Servant before Tyrian leaps away. Smiling ear to ear! The sound of a ship arriving heralding the sun breaking up for a red dawn. "Oh..I'm afraid our score will have to wait…you know my track record with the authorities!"

"Someone had…to take the fall…", Qrow wanted to chase after the bolting Tyrian, yet the weakened and dying voice of Clover made him stop. Letting out a primal and guttural roar of helplessness before he leans over the dying huntsman. Picking his lucky clover badge up.

"James will take the fall for this…I promise…Clover", Qrow watches as a weak but content smile crawls over fisherman's face as he looks at the breaking dawn of a new day for Atlas. As the light fades from his eyes, his voice becomes weaker as he simply speaks, nothing louder than a whisper, "good luck…"

So dies Clover Ebi with a smile on his face, a testament for how he, even in death, smiled with the devil's luck at his side. Qrow barely reacts. He had buried friends and family before. He wouldn't have tears to shed over a mindless special operative of Atlas, even one as charismatic as Clover. As he's cuffed and put on board of the bulkhead heading for Atlas Academy, he almost doesn't react to a soft hand on his shoulder. Thinking it's just his mind recalling the memory of Summer comforting him back at Beacon. Yet as he finally does turn to see, he's met with the eyes of Robyn Hill…not Summer Rose. He sighs and gently pockets the lucky clover pin.