Author's Notes

The rat lives! That's right, due to a computer breakdown, posting was shut down for nearly a month. At least it was the month when FFN completely crapped out, so I didn't lose as much. Anyhoo, all of my files were saved to the cloud, so there's no loss of data, just time. Under normal circumstances, I'd post a bunch of backlogged chapters to make up for the loss, but since we're so close to the end of TES (and RWBY But Worse is so tiny as it is), I'm worried that I'd be down to one fic. I always want to be posting at least two at any given time, so I can advertise my upcoming replacement project in more than one place. Said replacement fic was almost finished when my computer died (22/25 chapters with a full outline for what's going to happen) but I couldn't write due to the computer issues, so I need time to finish it.

Chapter 89: The Empty Seat

In which Ruby takes her place at the council, Weiss and Dove feel the love, and Jaune finally reaches his goal.

All of the wooden chairs around the weird table were vacant, save for the one Salem herself occupied. The back support on them was super strange, as though it had been organically grown rather than carved from a real tree. Ruby felt as uncomfortable choosing and sitting down in one of the empty seats as she did on the bullhead to Beacon. In many ways, the role she had then was quite similar to what Salem was asking of her now. She was a woefully underprepared child plunged into depths beyond what she'd ever prepared for, accepting the job only because she'd always regret it if she didn't. She'd gone to Beacon because she had so much power to help people, and being a huntress was the best way to apply it. Now, she was a maiden, and Salem apparently needed her help to circumvent the end of the world.

Penny stood nearby, smiling cheerfully, but Ruby barely noticed her. Her sole focus was on the dark woman at the head of the table.

At last, she found her voice and spoke. "You worked with evil men and women."

Just a simple accusation to start them off. Ruby had seen that whole vision, but that didn't mean she was suddenly siding with the Grimm and their leader. Salem had a lot of explaining to do if she intended to ask that of Ruby.

"Only because I had no other option," said the witch. She placed a hand to her breast. "Most upstanding citizens of the four kingdoms tend to side against the Grimm monstrosity with looks so chilling she could freeze Vacuo. As such, I must survive on the dregs of society. Outcasts like Tyrian and Watts leave me just as disturbed as you, but the alternative is letting Ozma get his hands on the relics."

"And this Ozma guy…he's Professor Ozpin?"

"As per his naming as champion by the younger brother, he reincarnates into likeminded souls, gradually subsuming them into his collective consciousness. He most recent host was your headmaster, true. I know not if he has or has not yet been reborn."

"You do all this, and the stakes are just one man's life." Ruby frowned. "You've endangered an awful lot of people just to protect your boyfriend from gods, lady."

"My true motives are selfish, doubtless, but do you really want to permanently summon the Brothers back to Remnant, child? After they wiped out humanity while merely roughhousing last time?"

"No," breathed Ruby. "No, I don't."

Regardless of what the Salem and Ozpin were or weren't, that much she knew for sure. The God of Darkness may have been the kinder of the two, based on what Ruby had seen, but he was still negligent to the point that he protected Salem at the cost of the rest of the world. And Light…

"They can't return. They're evil."

"Then help me," Salem urged, leaning in towards Ruby from her seat at the head of the table. "I traded my entire council save for Kraken and Penny to bring you to my side. Please, I urge you not to make their sacrifice in vain."

"You…You tried to kill Weiss," accused Ruby, finding her voice once more.

"I tried to stop the senseless slaughter of an entire city. How exactly do you think your dear uncle gave Gretchen Rainart the location of the White Fang safehouse of contraband war machines, girl? The Schnee parents were tragic casualties, to be sure, but had I not interfered, the death toll would've been catastrophically worse. You were there; you saw what the White Fang intended. Two for two hundred thousand? I consider that a fair trade."

Trading some lives to safeguard others, counting them against one another as though they were tokens to barter…that was an awful lot like the way Blake phrased things.

"You tried. To kill. Weiss," repeated Ruby, firmer and emboldened by Salem's audacious justification.

Salem slowly raised her hands in the air at her sides, palms up. "And did she die? I think not. I interrupted Belladonna's mission to kill her by sending Pyrrha Nikos their way. By ensuring the former Spring maiden would die, I foiled the White Fang plot."

"Pyrrha did died," Ruby said flatly. "Because of you."

Salem's expression dropped, and the defensiveness in it waned. "I know, and for that I am so, so sorry. But I cannot see the future. Had you been in my position, do you believe you could have saved everyone? It was an impossible task, and I could only do my best."

"Your best got people killed," said Ruby. Her voice rose to a shout, and she rose from her seat in anger. "Pyrrha–"

"Pyrrha Nikos! Russel Thrush! Jaune Arc!" Salem abruptly stood as well, and the castle walls moaned. Her hands slammed into the table with a thunderous thud, as magic rippled within the wood and air. "You think I don't care about them? You think me cruel and soulless, my heart as dark as the blood in my veins? You assume me without kindness simply because of my appearance, because I look the way you expect evil to appear? You have no right! I've fought Ozma for centuries, millennia even. I've sent all my horsemen, those akin to my own children, to their deaths! If I could lay down my life to stop him, I gladly would, but that is not to be! The only reason you can peacefully live your life without a cruel pair of apathetic gods flying about the night sky wreaking havoc on this land is me! Now, will you join this fight, or have I wasted my time?!"

The reverberant wailing stopped coming from the walls as Salem's unexpected outburst concluded. To Ruby's ear, Salem had sounded sincere and also quite personally affronted, as though Ruby's judgment was disgraceful.

But was it? Salem was…

…a Grimm…

From the moment she'd laid eyes on her, it had seemed so obvious that Salem was the villain. After all, why wouldn't the ruler of all Grimm be evil and callous? But Jinn's vision had made it clear as crystal that this was not the case. She held back the Grimm, she held back Ozpin, she even held back the gods. As much as she may have schemed with their lives, that Grimm in Forever Fall had protected Weiss and fed Uncle Qrow the White Fang's secrets. Tyrian had used nonlethal methods to detain her, the Nuckelavee protected villages, Penny had limited her force in Haven…as of yet, no one had died by Salem's hand or those of her peons. Empirically, she wasn't evil. So why…why was Ruby so opposed to trusting Salem?

Ruby had to admit, the ghostly pale skin and blackened veins didn't help her case. She looked so much like a Grimm in human form that Ruby still had to actively hold back her reflexes and not use her silver eyes.

The vision was so much more than seeing Salem's history. Ruby remembered the events as though she had lived through them. Ozma's death brough salty tears to her eyes. She'd flinched when the God of Light had harpooned Salem and dragged her out of the pools of darkness. Bearing witness to the horsemen coming to life filled her with the deepest of pride. She didn't just know Salem's history; in that brief flash, spanning less than a second in the real world's time, she'd been Salem. And Salem wasn't lying.

But it was about more than just the veracity of her claims. Even if everything she said was true…even though everything she said was true, Salem had played games with hunters' lives, and people were dead as a result of it. Ruby had spent her entire childhood fighting the Grimm, and it would take more than a sob story to make her pull a complete one-eighty.

Ruby eyed Salem suspiciously. "I still don't know…"

"I think I understand, Friend Ruby."

"Penny?"

The gynoid stepped forward, bowing her head to Salem respectfully before speaking. "I experienced a similar period of denial when I was made aware of Salem's true intentions. I had no one to guide me through my emotions, so the confusion and uncertainty lasted for an eternity, almost 4 femtoseconds. Fortunately, I ran a system diagnostic and discovered the source of my discomfort."

"What was it?" Ruby asked eagerly.

"I felt like admitting Ozma is the true enemy would retroactively make me an evildoer for being on the wrong side of the war. My father and I served General Ironwood for many collective years, and by extension, we served Ozpin. If Salem was right all along, then everything I'd done to aid Ozpin in acquiring the relics was pushing the world one step closer to annihilation. This made me feel…bad. I worried that I would become a bad person if it were true. Friend Ruby, this is not the case. The truth is the truth, regardless of whether we can admit it to ourselves. Furthermore, I did not know what I was truly doing in that time, and so I should not feel guilt over my misdeeds. Lamenting past regrets serves no purpose. We are huntresses; we protect Remnant, regardless of how it may make us feel or what it may mean for who we are. You have impeded Salem's efforts at many turns, and you may be similarly worried that joining her now would force you to confront the fact that you did so. Please, please, please, Friend Ruby, do not make the wrong choice now because you are afraid of guilt."

Ruby let Penny's words sink in.

"Ok," she said. "How can I help?"

Weiss threw her head over her shoulder, sparing a quick glance in the direction of the castle. "Do you know if we got away?"

Dove shook his head. "No."

"W-What?"

"I cannot see, so I cannot determine the outcome of our flight. Perhaps the dragon is chasing us from a distance beyond my semblance. Thus, no. I am uncertain that we have successfully escaped as of yet."

Weiss looked behind her from the pilot's seat of the bullhead. "I saw it go down…"

"As a horseman, it had aura. It will have survived such a fall. It shall return and likely kill us both."

"Jeez, Dove. What's eating you?" Weiss couldn't recall him ever having been so testy. Even in Beacon, he'd only been standoffish in his rather unique manner of talking. The way he responded instantly and spoke plainly belied some unseen anger that Weiss, for the life of her, couldn't place. They'd just narrowly skirted death – why wasn't he pleased?

"Branwen is dead," Dove said calmly.

"Raven? She's fine, back in Mistral–"

"R…R…Ruby Branwen. We abandoned her to fall at the hands of Salem."

"She's going to meet us in Haven–"

He scoffed. "Are you truly so daft?"

Weiss thought of the moment when Ruby had told her to run. Her empty silver eyes had a steely look in them. At the time, Weiss had assumed it to be determination. Looking back, it may have been closer to resignation.

She still wasn't convinced, though. "Ruby wouldn't lie to me."

"Like your best friend Polendina wouldn't lie to you? Like your true love Belladonna wouldn't lie to you?" He folded his arms and slumped back in his seat bitterly. "Face it, Schnee. You're as gullible as they come."

Weiss bit down on her tongue. Dove really knew how to push her buttons, that was for sure. Still, he was probably just distraught after such a violent encounter with Salem. Weiss tried her best not to hold his cynicism against him.

"Have a little faith in my leader, okay?"

"What faith can I have in your leader after she just damned mine to death?"

"Your lea…oh." Weiss had entirely forgotten that the dragon abducted Jaune along with Dove and Ruby. "M–Maybe she'll go back for him."

It was a flimsy excuse, and she knew it.

Dove wasn't kind enough to let it go. "You speak like an imbecile. Branwen was not even thinking of Arc, nor did she even bother to mention finding him in her supposed escape plan. She had no escape plan, Schnee. She said what you needed to hear to drag me out of there and leave her behind."

Tears welled up in Weiss' eyes. "Why? There's space for all of us on the ship."

"She's holding back Salem."

"Ruby's…no. Let's turn back. We there's still time to–"

"Negative. The dragon is likely back on its feet by now, or wings, rather. Turning back is as good as jumping out of this airship and lowering our auras."

"So what, you just want to leave our leaders there?"

He shook his head. "No. But that is what I will do."

"If we go in low and stealthy, stay close to the ground–"

Dove sat up in the copilot's seat and slammed his fist down onto the instrument panel. "For the Brothers' sake, Schnee! She's already dead! Arc just came back, and he too is dead! And, most likely, we're dead! Stop living in a fucking fantasy world and face facts! This isn't a fairytale where everyone lives happily ever after, this is real life!"

He fell back to his seat defeatedly and let out a long sigh.

"I would've thought you learned that lesson when you murdered your own partner."

In a better world, Weiss would've reminded herself that Dove was only acting so short with her because he was upset at Ruby's stupidly self-sacrificing plan. In a better world, Weiss would've kept her calm like Schnees were supposed to. In a better world, Weiss wouldn't have risen to the bait.

This was not a better world.

"I'm not the only one who killed my partner."

Dove's tone fell low. "What did you just say?"

"Russel was burned alive that night, all because you insisted he rush into danger's path. I was there, you know, fighting alongside him." Weiss didn't just twist the knife; she pushed it through and grabbed it out the other side. "Where were you, his very own partner? Oh, that's right. You were stuck in traffic."

The two of them pointedly looked away from one another,

"Gods damn you, Schnee."

"Piss off, Dove."

I've been wondering… is there any chance that the pools of darkness will affect your immortality?

"No, not at all. 'Twas the God of Darkness who gave me this gift. Darkness keeps me alive, so it won't kill me. Jaune…I've been thinking about what happens after we make Salem mor–"

Oz, look! The pools!

After all these grueling months of journeying, warring, and bleeding to get here, Jaune had finally reached his destination. There were three pools in view, each bubbling and frothing turbulently in the shadow of Salem's tall castle. Though the dark liquid looked ominous, it held the key that would prevent humanity from falling to the Grimm. Ironic indeed that it was also their source…

"Jaune…"

Jaune cupped his hands to his mouth.

"SALEM!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Jaune! What do you think you're doing?!"

My semblance is close range. We need a way to get her to come out.

"SALEM!" he cried once more. "I WANT TO TALK TO YOU!"

"Beware the Grimm!"

Oz was right. As he shouted, the Grimm began to circle around him, forming a rudimentary perimeter. Whether it was strategy, fear, or mindless wandering that kept them from coming closer, he knew not.

But it didn't matter.

If she wanted me dead, she would've let the Grimm kill me. I wouldn't have been able to hold them off for ten seconds. For whatever reason, she needs us alive.

"There's no way she knows that's we're an 'us,' Jaune. If she did, you wouldn't still be alive."

But we are, so she hasn't figured it out yet. As long as I'm just Jaune Arc, lovable but slightly derpy dork from Beacon, I'm no true threat to her. It's the gun you don't see coming that stabs you in the back.

"I…what?"

"SALEM? WHY DON'T YOU COME ON OUT?"

"She won't come out. Salem is a ruthless, false-hearted killer with no allegiance to anyone but herself. I'd bet she only brought you here alive to torture information out of the man who led a White Fang armada against her lackeys in Haven."

Jaune knelt before the Grimm pools and peered into their depths, wondering if this was the pool into which Salem had thrown herself when it all began. If she didn't come out to recapture him for whatever malevolent purpose she had in mind for him, he'd have to seek her out and lure her back to the Grimm pools.

"Jaune?"

The blond huntsman rose back up to his feet.

What is it, Oz?

"T-That wasn't me."

"We have three relics, but our task is harder than theirs. We must obtain the relics and hold them…indefinitely. They simply need to hold all four relics at the same time, and we lose forever."

"They've never had them all?"

"No. If they had, it would've already been over. Ozma now keeps them locked away in his vaults to prevent me from stealing them, but the keys aren't as secure as he would've liked. Blake Belladonna wasn't the only maiden I ever convinced to work for me. All the relics have changed hands many a time of the course of the eternity that Ozma and I have been opposing one another."

That meant that Ozpin had some ways of stealing them back from Salem's grasp. Salem must've spent untold eternities putting up all sorts of defenses to keep them out of his hands once she acquired the relics, but he was getting through regardless. If he got lucky just once…

Shaking her head to push those dark thoughts out of her mind. Ruby latched on to the positive side of things. "You said we have three? Out of four?"

Salem nodded, patting a hand against the sword at her hip. "It is best to keep them separate. Penny holds the crown of choice, as is her right. She obtained it."

Ruby visually searched the gynoid for a relic but couldn't find any. "I give. Where is she keeping it?"

Penny giggled. She rotated her waist while clasping her hands behind her back. "I'll never tell."

"It's best that the relics are kept divided and the knowledge of their location compartmentalized. If one of us is captured, our enemies will only get a single one of them. The sword of destruction is mine. That leaves the lamp of knowledge."

"So, who gets it?"

No one answered.

"You guys? Who's gonna hold onto the lamp? I don't think the dragon could hold it in his big claws…"

Both of the women looked at Ruby like she was a child. So many people always did that…it so wasn't fair! Okay, yeah, to be fair, she actually was a child, but Penny was only two or something, right? Ruby never condescended or talked down to her like she was a toddler!

"Seriously, you guys? Where's it going? Do you have, like, some other henchmen to hold onto it?"

"Friend Ruby…the relics are kept by those who earn them," explained Penny. "That is Queen Salem's law."

It sank in after a second. "M-Me? You're giving it to–"

"SALEM!"

A sharp cry came from outside the castle. It sounded far away, but the shattered windows ensured it was not faint to the occupants within. Ruby stood up and turned toward the source of the sound on instinct.

"That was Jaune!"

Salem cocked her head. "Jaune…?"

Penny frowned. "Apologies, my queen, but I forgot to mention: Jaune Arc lives. He was among those taken by accident when Kraken brought Ruby here, alongside the other boy."

Salem's face brightened. "Ah, that is truly excellent news. I'm glad to hear that his blood is not on my hands."

"SALEM! I WANT TO TALK TO YOU!"

Ruby paused for a second. "Hey, the lamp with Jinn in it…that's mine now, right?"

"Yes." Salem handed the relic to Ruby. "By right of conquest, you have earned this relic. Defend it from all those who would use it for evil. Like Ozma. Actually, pretty much just Ozma, he's the only person you need to protect it from."

"So, just to be clear, I'm allowed to use it, right?"

Salem nodded. "You may."

"Great! Perfect!"

This would change everything! Ruby accepted the relic back and shrank it down to fit on her waist. She wasn't going to blow her last question without first getting the gang together, but she was fairly certain that Jaune would understand from a verbal explanation instead of a magical one. Then, they could ride the dragon…err, ride Kraken back to Haven where the gang was. Ruby would use her last wish to have Jinn tell everyone why Professor Ozpin was a big ugly jerk and why he shouldn't be given the MacGuffins, and they'd all throw down their weapons and stop fighting, and everyone would love her, and–

"SALEM? WHY DON'T YOU COME ON OUT?"

Salem waved an arm, and the glass and metal frame of a nearby window peeled open like the budding petals of a flower. She smiled. "You may want to go answer the door before you start planning out world domination, girl."

The ease with which Salem saw through Ruby's plans made her deflate slightly. "Sorry. I got a little too excited. I'll be right back."

"Jaune! You're here!"

Ruby appeared in front of him with her semblance, smiling giddily.

Jaune ran over to the short brunette and hugged her tightly. "Ruby! Oh, I'm so glad you're alright!" He was so relieved to see her safe and sound that he had to force himself to let go of her. Gripping her shoulders, he asked "How did you get away from Salem?"

"Well, there's a funny story there. You see, it turns out that she's actually really friendly! You know, as Queens of the Grimm go. I'll start at the beginning. There was a girl in a castle and a brave knight and–"

"I know. I know it all, Ruby. He told me."

"Wha…who told you?" Ruby asked, hiccupping out a quick laugh by accident.

"Professor Ozpin."

"You mean Ozma?"

Before Jaune could say anything else to Ruby, a feeling of dread that had not originated from his own soul washed over him.

"Oh no. Miss Rose…no."

What?

"Salem's gotten to her."

Ruby? She'd never side with the Grimm. I know her, Oz. It's Ruby – she's the most incorruptible kid I know.

"Just wait and see."

Oz retreated back into a far corner of Jaune's mind, content to watch the events unfold. Jaune could feel the old man's certainty in his mind, and it was unsettling. Sure, Oz had been in the wrong before ethically, but rarely was his intuition faulty.

I trust Ruby – more than Ozpin. She'd never betray me. She'll explain it all, Jaune thought to himself.

"Ruby, where did you hear that name?" he asked, hoping to clear everything up.

"Ozma? So, I asked the relic…well, technically Salem asked the relic to explain who she was."

He halted, trying to follow the chain of logic. "And this made you trust her?"

"Yeah. I mean, the question was specifically phrased to explain why I should trust her. She asked 'Why should Ruby Rose trust me?' Jinn told me how Ozma saved Salem and died, and how Salem petitioned the gods to bring him back, and how they said no and fought, and–"

Jaune felt his stomach lurch. He had been right – Ruby was incorruptible and would never betray him – but that didn't mean she couldn't be fooled if shown an incomplete picture of the full situation. The relic of knowledge told nothing but the truth, but it didn't have to tell the whole truth if the question was phrased with loopholes and prudent wording. Ruby was a naïve, innocent little girl. If Salem summoned Jinn and used her to selectively reveal information that painted her in a good light, Ruby might just be the only person on Remnant trusting enough to believe her.

"I told you."

N-No, you're wrong. She hasn't betrayed us. She's just been tricked. As soon as I find a way to tell her the actual truth, she'll–

It was then that Jaune noticed a tiny lamp dangling from Ruby's waist.

"Ruby…is that the relic?"

"Hmm?" Ruby jangled the relic from its clamp on her waist. "Oh, yeah. Salem said I could hold onto it."

Ruby couldn't discern Jaune's facial expressions with her maiden powers, but she could hear his breathing intensify as soon as he noticed the relic.

"Ruby, you have to give it to me!"

"No, first I have to tell you all about how Salem's the good guy! It's Ozma who's the evil one!"

"Salem's the evil one, Ruby," Jaune said angrily. "She's the one who sent Blake to kill you and your friends! Pyrrha's dead because of her!" He sighed. "Look, I'm not mad at you. It's obvious you don't have the full picture. Just give me the relic and Jinn will tell you what actually happened."

This conversation wasn't going the way Ruby had planned. Jaune had always been close to the headmaster, but he had never seemed so fanatically loyal to the man that he wouldn't even listen to her.

"I can't. I still need the last question to convince Weiss and Yang and–"

"NO! No, if you use up the last question, we'll have no way to prove to people why Salem needs to be stopped."

Ruby placed her hands on her hips indignantly. "And just why does she need to be stopped, huh? She's kept the relics from coming together for centuries, Jaune."

"Dust, do I really need to explain to you why the Queen of the Grimm is evil?" Jaune placed his hands on his hair and tugged on it. "Have you even seen her? She's a monster!"

The words Salem had said to Nora's great-great-great-great granddad of whatever came back to Ruby, about no one believing Salem based on her grotesque outward appearance. He won't even hear her out because he sees her as a Grimm. Dust, I was the same way, wasn't I? We've been so ingrained to see the Grimm as soulless demons that we won't even hear out an innocent woman just because she has the same color palette. I wonder if Ozma became headmaster of Beacon because he wanted to be in a position to radicalize children like Jaune to his cause.

Wait. Jaune had wielded magic…and he'd just said…he was saying…

"Jaune, how exactly do you know about Ozma and Salem?" A chill ran down her spine. "Are you…are you…still you?"

I'm sorry, Ruby.

"Aim for the upper temple. She'll go unconscious instantly, and it'll be painless."

Veneficus swung. Poor, trusting Ruby hadn't had her aura up around her dear companion. It only took one hit.

Jaune reached for the relic.

"Friend Jaune!"

At the sound of Penny's voice, he looked up. There she was, hovering towards Jaune, Ruby, and the Grimm pool beside them. Something seemed off about her – she was a bit twitchier than usual.

"Leave the girl alone."

The dragon lumbered into view from behind the castle, his gills flaring violently as he spoke.

"The rest of the Grimm around us…they're getting angry, my boy."

It's okay, Oz. They don't matter anymore.

Jaune couldn't restrain the raw grin that broke out on his lips when Salem came into view, stepping on hands made of Grimm that extended all the way back to the castle. His entire life and hundreds of Ozpin's had all been leading up to this moment. Anticipation and fear mixed within his veins to the point that when he looked down at his hands, his fingertips were actually trembling.

"We'll only get one shot at this."

I'll make it count.

Jaune walked forward and lowered himself into the pools of darkness.

Omake

Chapter89!Ruby to Chapter1!Ruby: I help people by joining the Queen of the Grimm. You help people by going to school. We are not the same.

Omake 2

Salem: My council is not actually completely empty just yet.

Ruby: Oh? Who's left?

Salem: Allow me to introduce you to my most trusted allies…

King Taijitu: *enters room*

Deathstalker: *enters room*

Salem: …Snake Gyllenhall and Jaune D. Stalkefeller (from Chapters 5 and 53).

Ruby: Wut.

Salem: You may recognize them. I sent them to Beacon to make contact with Blake and aid her when she was an infiltrator, but they were intercepted by some orange-haired huntress girl first. Both barely made it out with their lives. Also, both were secretly also horsemen all along.

Nora, miles away: I sense a disturbance in the force. My pets…they live!

Next Chapter: Fade to Black – Thing have been going a little too well. Let's fix that.

Author's Notes

In Chapter 40, I said, 'Jaune will not kill Salem and save the world.' Well, if he does kill Salem, it won't save the world, so technically I didn't lie. I promised you all that Jaune was not a self-insert with overpowered superpowers that can kill the main villain, and that was true.

Jaune will not kill the main villain. Jaune himself IS the main villain.

.

Boom.

.

I'm sure there are other fics with Jaune as the villain, but where are they? I don't see 'em!

I think that people might be able to see the direction in which Dove's tale is heading. He was a good boy while he lasted, but getting extra screentime as a Cardinal comes with a price.

Once again, posit any questions you wish, but please avoid direct spoilers in the reviews.

Happy rats, and don't do crime!