Cover Art by CHE3ZY

I bring you the latest chapter. I please ask that you all vote for your favorite OC on my profile and please like and share this fic. Furthermore, please let me know what you think in the reviews section. I can't improve as a writer without feedback :)

Vale:

James had finished blowing the head clean off of an Ursa with his prized weapon, Due Process. The general blew the smoke emanating from the muzzle away before he holstered his weapon. Ironwood surveyed the scene before him with an emotionless gaze. What was once a lively city had been reduced to the ruins of a warzone. He would never forgive himself for this failure.

If there was a single consolation to all this, it was that the tide of battle had turned in their favor. The rogue robots had shut down, the White Fang had retreated, and the Grimm had been reduced to isolated pockets that would be easy for strike teams to go in and deal with. The amount of White Fang prisoners was few, most opted to fight to the death rather than surrender. James would have a lot of work to do regarding the detainment of the terrorists.

The moment of relative peace didn't last long, though, as James could hear the sounds of approaching footsteps. He turned and saw Glynda making her way over to him with Qrow and Theodore not far behind her. James relaxed his posture.

"We've cleared our sectors of most threats," said Theodore, "still a few stragglers here and there."

Qrow nodded.

"Gotta admit, Jimmy," said the alcoholic Huntsman, "your soldiers do some pretty good work."

James felt his very soul ache at those words. Not because of his soldiers, but because his robot drones, that comprised a significant portion of his army, had gone rogue and wrought death and destruction. He would need to re-evaluate everything once he returned to Atlas.

BOOM!

The collective heads of the followers of Ozpin swerved to see what happened. In the distance, they witnessed a fiery explosion enveloping the CCT tower of Beacon Academy. The explosion was nothing compared to what had destroyed the Wyvern, but it was still very significant.

Glynda covered her mouth in shock.

"No…" she gasped.

James' eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me," said the general as he turned and walked away from the group.

"Where are you going, James?" Asked Theodore.

James furiously typed away on his scroll as he continued to walk, not bothering to answer.

"JAMES?!" Yelled Glynda, who looked furious.

James put his scroll away before he looked over his shoulder.

"Sorry," he said, "but there's something I need to take care of. I'll be back."

Qrow stared at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

"What the hell are you talking about? This fight isn't finished, Jimmy."

"Who said I wasn't going to finish it?" Asked the general.

Before anyone could offer a rebuttal, an Atlas drop ship flew overhead before it circled around and landed a few meters from James. A soldier opened the cargo door and gave a respectful salute to the general, who returned it. Not wasting time, James boarded the transport shuttle and left his colleagues watching with mild confusion.

As the bullhead sped off James turned his attention to the pilots in the cockpit.

"Radio for the Albatross. It's time."

The aircraft commander nodded.

"You got it sir."

Outskirts of Vale:

Rahm stuck to the shadows, remaining as silent as a phantom. The super soldier observed as the wounded pawn of Salem forced herself to keep moving, completely unaware of his presence. It would have been far too easy to kill her now. When he found her, she had already been making her way off Beacon's grounds at a steady jogging pace, but it was clear she was in serious need of medical attention. Rahm didn't know what could have caused such injuries, but he saw a massive white light that came from the top of the tower. He figured Ruby's eyes had been the cause of the light, but how that could have affected Cinder was beyond his knowledge.

The white light of silver eyes was magical in nature, but all available information suggested that they only affected Grimm. In any case, that was a mystery for another day. They had bigger problems to deal with, and as much as Rahm wanted to kill her, he had his orders.

Terre told him to tail her and not engage her and said nothing else. They'd been pressed for time, but Rahm knew his brother far too well. He had a plan, and it was for Cinder Fall to lead them back to the witch, whose whereabouts were still a mystery. Based on both Jai's assessment of her during their last engagement and Roman Torchwick's refusal to divulge information during his interrogation sessions, he doubted Cinder would have talked. Right now they had her right where they wanted her.

With her remaining hand, Cinder reached for what appeared to be a small radio from her breast pocket.

"Emerald! Mercury!" Her voice echoed the great pain she was in.

Rahm was listening carefully from the darkness. Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai were her accomplices. Zero-One-One made a note of that for later.

"Cinder! Where are you?" Came the voice of Emerald over the radio.

The Fall Maiden let out a pained groan before she replied.

"East of Beacon; meet at the rendezvous point," Cinder shut the radio off, silencing all communications.

She didn't have the energy to talk; she was too focused on not passing out. The Fall Maiden continued forward, completely unaware that she was the prey, and that the hunter was watching her.

Beacon Academy:

Terre followed the orange blip on his helmet's HUD as he ran through the ruins of Beacon Academy. From his quick scan of the ruins, the White Fang had cleared out and all students and civilians had been evacuated to the safe zone. The Grimm still needed to be fully eradicated, but that was a problem for another time.

The Huntsmen of Vale and the soldiers of Atlas would reclaim the lost areas from the Grimm with time, but right now he and his brothers had a pawn to follow.

Terre's HUD flashed as it alerted him to an incoming transmission.

"Zero-Six-Nine," the general's voice echoed over the secure commlink, "do you read?"

Terre continued to run off in the direction that he last spotted Rahm as he responded.

"Here, sir," he replied.

"Good to hear your voice," said Ironwood, "looks like comms within our forces have been re-established. What's the sitrep?" Asked the general.

"Sir, per my orders, Zero-One-One is currently following the witch's agent, Cinder Fall from what we could discern, and I'm in pursuit. Zero-Three-Seven isn't far behind me."

"Copy," replied the general, "I take it you're letting the pawn lead you to the prize?"

"Affirmative sir."

"Good work. In that case, I need you and Zero-Three-Seven to stay where you are. I'll come to you. I have something that you men are going to need."

"Understood sir."

Terre stopped in his tracks and did as the general instructed. It wasn't long before Jai joined him. Terre noticed the blood on Jai's uniform. He knew it wasn't his.

"How is Pyrrha?"

"She'll make it."

"That's good news," replied Terre, "did Ruby's condition change?"

"No, she's still unconscious. Weiss is keeping an eye on her."

"Good," Terre's eyes hardened, "then that means we've only got only one job left to do."

It wasn't long before a bullhead arrived overhead and landed and then opened its doors. General Ironwood stepped out looking a bit worse for wear. The two super soldiers quickly came to attention as the general approached.

"At ease men," the general said. "Is Zero-One-One still in pursuit?"

"Yes sir," replied Jai, "his beacon is still transmitting."

"Good. Then we're not too late. I brought something that you're going to need to kill that witch when you find her."

Ironwood turned around and looked up, waving as he did so. The two super soldiers looked up and noticed an aircraft that they had not noticed before. It was eerily silent as it descended. The black aircraft did not have any vertical or horizontal stabilizers and it did not have any markings on it. The aircraft landed before its engines shut down. The cargo door to the aircraft opened and the two pilots exited the aircraft, saluting the general as they ran to the bullhead that had been carrying the general. Jai looked at the general with a raised eyebrow.

"What's this?" Jai asked.

James gave a small smirk.

"A product of over a decade of research and development," replied the general, "Dr. Haze insisted that you three be the ones to field test this one. Say hello to the X-64, codenamed 'Albatross.' It's undoubtedly the most advanced aircraft in the world. Its stealth technology is decades ahead of even the most advanced Atlas tech."

The two super soldiers observed the aircraft for a moment before turning their attention back to General Ironwood.

"I had its development accelerated ever since I informed you of your assignment to Beacon. I had a feeling that we'd need it for when we found Salem's pawn. I've taken the liberty of having the Albatross loaded up with everything you'll need. Weapons, ammunition, Dust, food, water, and most importantly your armor. As of right now, the Ghost Protocol has been enacted. Your mission at Beacon Academy is done. Do whatever it takes to kill her and end this; make sure that the lives lost today are avenged."

The two Guardians responded with a firm 'Yes sir!'

"This is the moment that you men have trained for. If anyone can stop her it's you three. Good luck."

"Thank you, sir," replied Terre before he and Jai ran to the stealth ship.

It didn't take long before the Albatross was in the air again and speeding off to its destination.

Vale:

She didn't stop running, she didn't look back, and she didn't dare to look back. Blake tenderly held her bandaged wound over her abdomen as she ran as fast as she could in her current state. If only Faline could see her right now.

She was right.

She was a coward at her very core and on top of that she was weak. She thought she was done running away, but the events earlier in the night proved otherwise.

Adam had found her again.

She stood her ground and fought him, but he was too strong for her. Had she been stronger, Yang wouldn't have paid such a steep price. Her partner, the closest friend she made at Beacon, suffered for her past mistakes. Blake tried so hard to start fresh at Beacon and have a new chance at life, but it just wasn't in the cards.

I never should have come here. Look at what my past has done to my friends.

The cat faunus held back her tears. She couldn't cry now. She didn't deserve to cry and let the emotional pain out. She deserved to suffer for the pain she caused her friends.

Blake stopped at the edge of the rooftop before looking out towards the port of Vale. Behind her, she could still hear the sounds of distant explosions and gunfire. The battle for Vale wasn't over, but she couldn't stay here any longer. She needed to leave. Where she would go was something she had yet to figure out, but anywhere but here was a start.

Blake continued to refuse to look back as she leaped off the ledge and made her way to the docks.

I'm so sorry.

Outskirts of Vale:

"What the hell did that girl do to her?" Mercury looked down at the heavily wounded woman in his arms as he ran.

"How the hell should I know, Mercury?!"

Emerald looked mildly panicked. Cinder had contacted them and urged them to meet her at the rendezvous point. The two underlings managed to escape Beacon undetected. When they met up with Cinder, they were grossly unprepared for what they saw. Cinder's left eye was charred, and her left arm looked as though it was completely mangled. The woman was barely conscious and looked as if she was hanging onto life by a thread.

Cinder gave them the single order of getting her back to Salem. The Fall Maiden threw herself into the arms of Mercury and let herself drift off into unconsciousness as the exhaustion set in. She wouldn't be able to get back to Salem on her own, and luckily, she had her two underlings to look after her.

The two were currently running as fast as they could. They needed to get Cinder to Watts as soon as possible if she was going to survive.

"How much further until we reach the bullhead?" Asked Mercury.

"A few minutes," replied Emerald, "it's close by."

Their eyes scanned the dark area around them heavily as they ran to ensure they weren't being followed. The night was eerily quiet, the only sound that could be heard came from their footsteps and breathing. They continued running through the forest, completely unaware of a silent figure in the trees above them.

Vale:

The harsh, sterile scent of the hospital filled Sun's nostrils as he paced back and forth in the dimly lit corridor outside the emergency room. Each footstep echoed in his mind, a metronome to his growing unease. Though he'd sustained minor injuries and was still in some pain, he ignored it. He had been waiting here for what felt like an eternity, the minutes stretching into agonizing hours. His friend, Neptune, was inside the ER, locked in a life-and-death battle with fate itself. His fists clenched and unclenched as he tried to quell the rising anxiety. Sun's normally jovial demeanor had been replaced by a somber stillness, his usual carefree grin was absent from his face.

He had accompanied Neptune here, not willing to let his best friend face this alone. The severity of the situation was etched in the grim expressions of the medical team. Sun's thoughts raced, trying to recall the moments leading up to this, trying to figure out what he could have done differently to prevent this. They had faced many challenges together, but this was different. This was a fight against time, and Sun was powerless to do anything but wait. The hospital's cold, unforgiving walls seemed to close in on him, intensifying his sense of isolation.

The soft hum of machinery from the nearby rooms and the distant chatter of hospital staff were a stark contrast to the turmoil within him. Sun's heart leaped into his throat as the double doors to the ER swung open. A doctor, dressed in teal scrubs and a weary expression, stepped into the corridor. Sun's eyes locked onto the doctor, searching for any sign, any glimmer of hope.

"Are you here for Neptune Vasilias?" the doctor asked, his voice carrying the weight of a thousand stories he had witnessed.

Sun's voice was hoarse as he replied.

"Yeah, that's my friend. How's he doing?"

The doctor hesitated, his gaze meeting Sun's with a mix of empathy and regret.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "we did everything we could, but we couldn't save him. Neptune didn't make it."

Time stood still as the words reverberated in Sun's ears. The world around him blurred into insignificance. The only sound he registered was the pounding of his own heart, a steady, mournful rhythm. Neptune, his ever-confident friend, was gone. The doctor continued speaking, but Sun barely heard the words. He sank into a nearby chair, his legs suddenly too weak to support him. The tears welled up, and he clenched his fists, trying to contain his grief. The world had lost a bright, enthusiastic soul, and Sun had lost a friend who had been with him through thick and thin.

"I know this is incredibly difficult," the doctor said, his voice gentle and understanding. "If there's anything you need or any questions you have, please don't hesitate to ask."

Sun shook his head, unable to form coherent thoughts. He felt a crushing weight on his chest, an emptiness that seemed impossible to fill. Memories of their adventures, their shared laughter, and the unbreakable bond they had forged flashed through his mind. The doctor gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and slowly walked away, leaving Sun alone with his grief. The corridor felt colder, darker, and lonelier than ever before.

He had lost a part of himself, and the world he knew had become a bleaker place. Sun lowered his head, tears streaming down his face. He knew that Neptune would want him to remember the good times, the laughs, and the shared victories. But at that moment, the pain was too raw, too overwhelming. All Sun could do was mourn the loss of his friend, a loss that had cut deeper than any wound.

Outskirts of Vale:

Rahm looked on from his hiding place as Mercury and Emerald helped Cinder aboard a Bullhead. Their airship was parked in a small clearing in the forest. The pawns of Salem hadn't suspected anything, and the super soldier was effectively a ghost to them. As Mercury and Emerald boarded the airship, Rahm took the opportunity to get closer.

Sticking to the shadows, the Guardian navigated the darkness with ease. His movements were as quiet as snowflakes falling to the ground. Once he was in a good position, he retrieved a tracking device from a compartment on his belt.

With a precise throw, the Guardian tagged the airship with the device just as its engines fired up. Rahm stayed low to the ground to minimize his profile.

The airship lifted off the ground and within a few moments, the Bullhead was gone, leaving Rahm alone in the darkness.

The Guardian didn't get much time with his thoughts as his HUD flashed, alerting him to an incoming transmission.

"Zero-Six-Niner to Zero-One-One, do you read?"

Beneath his helmet, the Guardian of Alpha Squadron gave a small smirk.

"Go for Zero-One-One."

"What's your status? What's the status of the witch's pawns?" Asked Zero-Six-Nine.

"I'm green, boss. They've exfiled via airship, but I managed to tag it before it took off."

"Copy. The Ghost Protocol has been enacted. Zero-Three-Seven and I are inbound to your position. ETA, sixty seconds."

"Zero-One-One copies all."

The transmission went silent, and the Guardian proceeded to patiently wait. He glanced at his watch, observing the seconds passing by. True to his brother's word, no more than sixty seconds passed when he heard an aircraft approaching. He didn't hear the typical roar common to most aircraft engines, though. He heard a very light spool of engines, that was eerily quiet.

The Guardian looked up and had to take a second look as he saw a black ship seemingly materialize out of thin air. He watched with curiosity as it descended into the clearing.

Once it touched down, Rahm ran forward to the ship as the cargo door opened. Rahm couldn't help but smirk underneath his helmet at what he saw standing in the doorway.

There, waiting for him stood Jai in his grey WRAITH armor. His unique helmet with the blue T-shaped visor was looking right at him.

"I take it this is the Albatross' field test?" Asked Rahm as he stopped in front of the cargo door.

Jai examined him for a second before he replied.

"Were you not glued to those aerospace magazines and always inquiring about the latest aircraft in the research and development phase, I would have asked how you knew what this bird was called."

Zero-One-One shrugged.

"What can I say? It's a hobby."

Zero-Three-Seven nodded.

"Get in and suit up. We've got a job to finish."

Rahm didn't need to be told twice as he hopped in the ship, the doors closing behind him. With Rahm aboard, the Albatross lifted off the ground before speeding off in pursuit of the witch's pawns.

The Next Morning at Beacon Academy:

Pyrrha had to take a moment to sort out the mental stress and focus on handling the pain she felt. It had been the longest, most painful twelve hours of her life. She'd been in and out of consciousness during her stay in the hospital. Her memory was in a complete fog as she struggled to stay awake and return to full consciousness. The drugs she received kept her in a drowsy state, but she didn't want to slip back into sleep. She thought back to everything that transpired.

It had all happened so fast. She was destined to be the Fall Maiden, and it was her duty to stop Cinder, but she ended up beaten to near death. Cinder had, sadistically, shot an arrow into each of her ankles and had shot another one into her ribs. Had Ruby not arrived when she did and distracted her then Cinder would have certainly shot her in a potentially fatal area. The next thing Pyrrha remembered was a brilliant white light enveloping the entire area and then the sounds of Cinder screaming in pain. She didn't know exactly what happened, but she did remember the arrival of the two Atlas soldiers. And had those soldiers not arrived when they did to evacuate them to safety then she would have bled out and died on top of the tower.

She'd begged one of them to search for team PGRT and to bring Jai back to her. Looking back on it, Pyrrha had to admit that she'd gotten quite emotional in that moment. The Invincible Girl couldn't help but blush at the thought. She still felt conflicted internally regarding her feelings. She didn't know what to think of either Jai or Jaune.

She was currently lying in a hospital bed. On either side of her were Ruby and Yang, both of whom were still unconscious. Pyrrha winced at the sight of the stump that remained in place of the blonde's arm. She still hadn't gotten used to the sight. If anyone had gotten the worst of it, it was Yang. Pyrrha couldn't help but shed a few tears for the blonde firecracker.

Pyrrha's ankles were broken but she would regain her full mobility in a matter of months. Yang, however, would not be able to recover from that injury without an advanced prosthetic. Pyrrha adjusted herself in bed but winced in pain as her abdomen wound flared in pain. She held the wound and steadied her breathing to get the pain under control. The door to the room opened to allow Weiss, Ren, Nora, and Jaune to enter. The redhead smiled at the sight of her friends.

"Weiss, Jaune, Nora, Ren" she smiled warmly at them.

"Pyrrha! We're so glad you're ok!" Jaune gave her a gentle hug. They separated after a few moments only for Nora to immediately envelope the invincible girl in a bone-crushing hug that caused Pyrrha to yelp in genuine pain. Nora immediately let go and covered her mouth in shock.

"I'm so sorry Pyrrha! I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine Nora," she said, "it just hurts all over still." The redhead looked at her teammates and Weiss, all of whom looked happy and yet sad at the same time. She needed to know what was happening.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Several things actually," replied Weiss. "Blake disappeared last night. No one knows where she is and on top of that no one has heard back from Terre, Jai, and Rahm."

Pyrrha was no fool. Out of all her friends there, Weiss looked the worst. The poor girl was worried.

"Ren, Nora, and I went looking for Blake, but we couldn't find her," said Jaune. "The medics said that she disappeared after they patched her up. During our search, we looked for the big guys too, but the trail went cold."

"On the bright side of things, the three of you are going to be okay," said Ren.

Pyrrha glanced at the unconscious forms of Yang and Ruby and frowned.

"That's…good," she replied. She needed to keep it together. Four of their friends were missing. She needed to stay calm.

A knock on the door got their attention. In the entrance to the hospital room stood Professor Goodwitch, General Ironwood, and Qrow, the uncle of Ruby and Yang.

"Is this a bad time?" Qrow asked as he took a drink from his flask.

Qrow looked like he hadn't slept all night and Glynda and James didn't look any better.

Weiss glared at him. She was still angry at how he made a fool of himself and her sister in front of the students at Beacon.

"It's as good as ever," replied Ren.

The three Huntsmen walked in. Glynda's facial expression did not show signs of optimism.

"I believed it best to tell you all this sooner rather than later. I am sorry to say this, but I do not have good news for you all. As you may or may not know, Professor Ozpin was killed last night and so I speak to you now as the Headmistress of Beacon Academy. Blake Belladonna is confirmed to have gone missing last night. The team that was sent after her has concluded that her trail has gone cold," she said.

Out of the conscious students, Weiss took the news the worst. Blake was her teammate and despite the rough start to their friendship, they became close as time went on.

"Why would she leave?!" Weiss yelled in anger.

"Not sure kid, but at this point there's nothing we can do about it," replied Qrow.

"I'm afraid the news does not get better." Everyone turned to look at Professor Goodwitch. "Neptune Vasilias and team CRDL are dead. Mr. Vasilias died on the operating table and team CRDL died against rogue Atlesian Paladins."

The five students' mouths were hanging open. Weiss knew that team CRDL had died, but the news about Neptune caught her off guard. She had hoped to get him to the medics as quickly as possible, but it was clear that she was too late. Neptune was dead, and despite her dislike of the boy's playboy personality, she didn't wish such a fate on him. Weiss found herself shaking only to be calmed by a hug from Nora.

Glynda cleared her throat, her demeanor somber, and her eyes reflected the sorrow that seemed to fill the room.

"I apologize, my students," she said, "but General Ironwood has something to say."

The students fell into a heavy silence as they recognized that something far more terrible was unfolding. Glynda cast a sympathetic glance toward General Ironwood before taking a step back. Ironwood, standing at the center of the room, cut an imposing figure. His usually stern expression now bore a hint of deep sorrow. With the weight of his revelation pressing down upon him, he cleared his throat, preparing to address the students.

"I know this is a difficult time for you all," Ironwood began, his voice steady but laced with empathy. "I do not wish to be the bearer of bad news, but it is only appropriate that you all hear this directly from me."

The room was heavy with anticipation, and the students leaned forward, their expressions a mix of apprehension and dread. They knew this was something significant and troubling.

"Last night," General Ironwood continued, his gaze scanning the crowd of anxious students, "my scout teams searched every corner of Vale and Beacon Academy for missing students. With a heavy heart, I regret to inform you that they confirmed that Terre Verte, Jai Gris, and Rahm Tangerin were killed in action last night. The coroner's report has listed the Grimm as the cause of death."

His words hit the students like a physical blow. The room fell into a profound silence, interrupted only by hushed, collective gasps of disbelief. The shocking news rippled through the crowd, and the emotional weight of the moment was palpable. Tears welled up in the eyes of Weiss, Pyrrha, and Nora. Anguished whispers began to emerge, as their hearts grappled with the reality that their friends were truly gone.

"Rahm…"

"Jai…"

Weiss and Pyrrha whispered those names under their breaths, their voices heavy with grief as they clung to the memories of their fallen comrades. The room remained in a collective daze, unable to fully comprehend the magnitude of the loss they had just been confronted with.

Glynda felt her heart ache as she watched the young students process the devastating news. Qrow frowned, choosing to remain silent. The initial shock was slowly giving way to a flood of sorrow and disbelief. Glynda stepped forward, a motherly presence amid the emotional tempest, her eyes filled with compassion as she looked around the room. She saw the tears streaming down the girls' cheeks, their faces etched with profound grief. Jaune was on the verge of breaking down while Ren kept it together.

The students exchanged wordless, comforting glances, their shared sorrow forging a silent bond. Weiss and Pyrrha looked to be the worst off. They clung to each other, their sobs reverberating through the room, as they mourned the loss of their close friends, maybe even more.

General Ironwood remained at the front of the room; his head slightly bowed as he observed the reactions of the students. Only one thing was on his mind.

I'm sorry, but they're needed elsewhere now.

Somewhere Over the Ocean:

"I have to say," said Rahm, "this bird doesn't look anything like its initial specs suggested."

Rahm was dressed in his WRAITH armor, inspecting the different systems of the ship from the pilot's seat. Terre sat in the co-pilot's chair while Jai stood behind them. They felt a certain relief being able to wear their armor again. They'd gone nearly ten months without wearing their armor and during that time they always felt a certain degree of awkwardness. The suits felt like a second skin to them.

Terre shrugged. "I'm inclined to believe that magazine's article about this ship was mere speculation."

"It makes sense," replied Rahm, "I skimmed this thing's manual, and a lot of the stuff is years ahead of anything the Schnee Dust Company is developing."

Rahm wasn't wrong. The kind of equipment the ship had was stuff that the general populace wouldn't know about for another decade or so. The ship was not only faster than anything in the fleet, but it was quiet too. The ship's sleek aerodynamic design rendered it invisible to enemy radar and on top of that it utilized photo-reflective panels that were similar to their WRAITH suits to render the ship invisible to the untrained eye. The weapons were contained within internal storage compartments to keep the ship's minimal radar cross-section intact, and the weapons were something else entirely. It was equipped for both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat.

Rahm noticed how Jai and Terre seemed disinterested in the ship's specifications. He was willing to bet that Penny would have found it interesting. The Guardian couldn't help but let his eyes drift down for a moment as he thought about their little sister. What made it worse was that they weren't there for her. It was their job to protect her, and they failed. Although they'd been sent to eliminate the Wyvern, they still didn't care. Penny's safety was their responsibility. It wasn't Ciel's. It was theirs.

Rahm focused his attention back to the small airship in the distance. Part of him wanted to shoot Cinder and her pawns out of the sky right now as a distraction from Penny, but doing so would keep them from the grand prize.

Salem.

Soon, though, both she and Cinder would no longer matter. Soon it would all be over.

The Ghost Protocol has been enacted, which means the boys are now dead in the eyes of the main cast. The next chapter the boys will be going after the main prize that they've trained their whole lives for. The witch hunt will commence. Join the Guardians of the Bad Batch as they confront their greatest challenge yet. If you all are wondering about Pyrrha, Weiss, and Ruby well don't worry. That will be explained in greater detail. It was pretty obvious that Ruby was a bit infatuated with Terre. Weiss held Rahm in the highest of respect and viewed him as an exemplary role model. Pyrrha has been on the fence with her feelings between Jaune and Jai. Neptune is dead. I will go further into Sun and his team soon. Please let me know what you all thought of this one. Volume 3 is relatively near its end. I would say about 3-4 chapters left roughly. Until next time.

-Dude64