Heart's Embers

by SugarLoaf12

It's been fifteen months hasn't it? Living from day to day, moving from place to place. Looking for the next payday, the next target... the next fight. I thought living outside their war would be easier. But sometimes knowing... is all it takes to leave you wondering "What if" I think back to why I left and I know I made the right choice... Ozpin be damned.

44. Limits

Hey guys! Finally managed to get around to finishing this chapter up, took a bit longer than I'd hoped, but I just wasn't happy with how one of the scenes felt. Now I've got everything squared away, hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"Speech"

Thoughts

Overlapping Speech

---

Chapter Forty-Four: Limits

Former Mayor Liam Radcliff stood at the edge of a makeshift tent with his arms crossed, one foot tapping impatiently. He wasn't against helping the others in the crater of course, but with all the Grimm about, he just wasn't comfortable being separated from his daughter for too long. Thankfully, before he could get the notion to start searching for her himself, he caught sight of her making her way back to him.

"Finally, I was about to send out a search party" he joked.

"And said what? Look for the tail?" she asked with a wag of said tail and a smirk on her face.

"Something like that" he chuckled "So, everyone all fed and satisfied?"

"More like terrified" she answered honestly "It was less tense when we knew those Grimm were coming for us, the waiting is testing everyone's nerves"

He nodded in understanding "We're lucky any Huntsmen decided to stay back at all from what I hear. I don't know what James is doing, but he's leaving us undefended"

"Probably trying to deal with that" Catalina pointed up toward the gargantuan Grimm outside the city "I've never even heard of something like it before"

"Nor have I" he frowned "Makes you wonder what else we don't know about the Grimm"

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully "Could he be right?" she breathed out.

"He?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"This guy I met while handing out food, name was Sable. He said the Grimm were waiting for something, but I don't know what it could be"

He shrugged "I've no idea, but we should-" he stopped when he caught sight of Penny descending with a boy in his arms "Catalina" he pointed.

"What the hell?" she wondered.

Penny landed abruptly not far from them "I need a doctor! Anyone here a doctor?" she called with urgency, several onlookers wore expressions of horror at the sight of the blood.

"What happened?" Radcliff asked as he and his daughter quickly approached.

"He's been poisoned"

"Poisoned? By what?" Catalina asked surprised.

"Chlorotoxin" she answered.

"Huh?"

"Scorpion venom" she clarified "From a Faunus"

"Why would-"

"Not now! I need a doctor, he's losing too much blood!"

"Bring him here!" Radcliff motioned for her to follow, heading right back to his tent "Catalina! Table!" he called with authority.

"Y-yes, I'm on it!" she quickly pushed two crates they'd been using as seats to form a makeshift table.

"Lay him down there!" he pointed, quickly grabbing any cloth he could find around them.

Penny quickly got him onto the table and got to work getting his coat and blood stained undershirt off "I need bandages"

"Bandages?! We don't have anything like that here. We weren't exactly-" Catalina started.

"Then get something, anything! We need to stop the bleeding!"

"Catalina, go get towels, shirts, anything clean!" her father ordered as he used the clean rags he found, pressing them to his chest.

"Okay, okay, I'll look!" she bolted out of the tent.

"Your name is Penny, right?"

"Yes, Sir"

"Okay, Penny. Do you think you can get him stable?"

"I-I don't know, he's already bled through these!" she replied, her voice shaking with panic as she removed the rags from the wound.

Radcliff quickly removed his yellow suit jacket and bunched it into a ball, pressing it to the boy's chest "We have to stitch it closed, do you know how deep it is?"

"One moment" her eyes shifted bright green, scanning over him "Not too deep, if we can keep the wound clean and stitch it up, the venom will be the only threat to his life. It's already causing his blood to clot"

"That's good, right?"

"No, it's clotting before it can reach the wound, it'll block his blood vessels, we need to keep this wound dressed"

"Why hasn't the wound healed with his Aura?"

"The man who attacked him disrupted his Aura with his Semblance. It should stabilize soon, but we need to keep him from bleeding out in the meantime"

"Okay... we'll need antibiotics, painkillers, antiseptic, not to mention antivenom for this particular brand of venom, if we can even manage that"

"With the amount in his system, he's got a few days before he's beyond help. Assuming we can keep his bleeding under control"

"It's got to stop eventually"

"It's slowed a bit already-"

Catalina burst back in with a few clean towels "Here, I found these!"

Radcliff took them from her and used them to replace his suit jacket, tossing it to the ground "Great work"

"Are there any doctors here in the crater?" Penny asked urgently.

"I-I don't know, ours went up with one of the last transports" Catalina answered.

"Then I need to find out, but I've got friends who'll be coming down those tethers up to Atlas any minute now. Can you go there and bring them here?" she asked, getting to her feet.

"I can do that, the warehouse isn't far from here" she rushed off without another word.

"I'll stay with the boy" Radcliff offered.

"Thank you, I'll be back soon" Penny assured as she followed behind Catalina.

Jaune slid out of the tether to the others waiting for him in the Dust packing warehouse "Well... that was...oh, boy" he covered his mouth as he turned an unnatural shade of green.

"Hang in there, Vomit Boy" Nora laughed out.

A moment later the tether sealed "What the-?" Blake asked in surprise.

"What just happened?" Ren added.

"Qrow and Ruby are still up there!" Weiss coughed into her hand "We need to-" she was interrupted by another coughing fit.

"Easy, Weiss" Blake tried to calm her.

Their attention was suddenly turned to the tether when they heard an announcement over the PA system "Tethers destabilized, connection terminated"

"Destabilized?" Ren wondered.

"You think it was those soldiers?" Jaune asked.

"Who knows, it coulda been-ah!" Nora stopped abruptly with a yelp when she head something bang against the metal seal on the tether.

"Hey! Get me out of here!" Qrow's voice called.

Weiss lifted her blade and with the use of Fire Dust, sliced through the tether a few feet away from the end, giving Qrow more than enough room to get out. She then fell into another fit of coughs into her open palm, dropping to her knees. Blake rushed to her side, keeping her upright as Qrow crawled out of the tether.

"Tyrian is up there with Ruby!" he said urgently "We need to get back up there!" he started to move to head outside, then teetered to his left and fell onto his side "Dammit!" he started to force himself up again.

"Qrow, you need to take a minute-" Ren tried.

"There's no time! I need to-Gah!" he cried out, his hand reaching up to his chest wound.

Jaune moved to his side and got him to his feet "Come on, we'll go find Penny, she'll be able to reach Ruby up there faster than you can, and you're in no condition to keep fighting"

Qrow's labored breathing was his only answer as he struggled to remain conscious. Ren moved to the opposite side of Jaune and helped him carry Qrow as Nora did the same with Blake to help with Weiss. Upon exiting the building, they found themselves not far from the crater. Blake moved two fingers to her earpiece as she spoke.

"Penny, can you still hear us?"

"I hear you, Oscar and I are in the crater. Where are you?"

"Not far" Ren answered "We took the tethers down, but Tyrian detached them before Ruby could join us, she's trapped up there"

"What?! I need to get over there now!"

"Hurry, Ruby won't be able to handle him on her own"

"There you are!" called a familiar voice.

"Catalina?" Blake asked surprised.

"Ms. Belladonna, Ms. Schnee, and Mr. Branwen!" she smiled "You're hurt!" her expression dropped at the sight of their injuries.

"Nothing too bad, but they'll need some time to rest" Ren assured as they saw Penny soaring off in the distance.

"Come with me, I'll bring you to where my father is, he's with the boy"

"Oscar? Take us there, quickly" Jaune replied.

"I'm heading up now" Penny assured "I'll report back once I've found-Ruby!" she called, her tone changing abruptly.

"Penny, what's happening?" Blake asked as they followed behind Catalina.

"She's... she's fine, just... well... I'll let you see for yourselves when she gets here"

"That's a little cryptic" Weiss forced out.

"At least we know she's okay" Blake offered.

"That's something" Jaune agreed.

It didn't take them long to reach the crater, the civilians watched them with mixed expressions of curiosity and apprehension. Catalina showed them to a tent nearby, Oscar laid unconscious with Radcliff on his knees beside him, hands on the boy's chest. He turned toward them as they entered, his hands never leaving Oscar's wound.

"Ah, you again" he called with a small smile "Good to see you're all okay, more or less"

"You as well, Sir" Ren nodded.

"You have somewhere we can lay them down?" Jaune asked.

Radcliff motioned with his head "Bedrolls in the corner, roll 'em out"

Jaune left Qrow with Ren as he got both the bedrolls, laying them out for both their injured friends "Thank you, Sir"

"Hey, I owe you guys as it is, much as I hate to admit it. They need medical attention?"

"They got looked at up in Atlas, but they probably reopened their wounds"

"Well, hopefully your friend can find a doctor soon, what the hell is going on up there?"

"Uh, well..." Blake stammered "Things have gotten a bit... out of hand"

"That's putting it lightly" Nora muttered.

"Yeah, I've looked outside" Radcliff replied with a light chuckle "Can I assume James has a plan?"

"Eh, yeah... about that..."

"What? What's wrong?"

"We-"

Ruby zipped in the tent, rose petals flowing in the air behind her "How is he? Is Oscar going to be okay? Where-" Ruby asked speaking a mile-a-minute.

"Ruby!" Blake crashed into her, wrapping her arms around her "What happened to you? Qrow told us you were trapped with Tyrian"

"Ruby?" Qrow stirred from his place on the ground.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, I-Oh..." Ruby untangled herself from Blake. Ruby zipped over to the opposite side of Oscar from Radcliff "What can I do to help?"

Radcliff looked at her, recognizing the desperation in her eyes "Press down on this, keep firm pressure on the wound"

"Ruby... how did you... get away?" Qrow forced out as she did as instructed, sitting up enough to look at her.

"I... had help"

"Help? From... who...?" Qrow's eyes widened when he saw the girl entering the tent.

Nora tackled her to the ground without warning "Don't move!" the girl beneath her held her hands up in surrender.

Blake, Jaune and Ren prepared their weapons, just in case "Wait!" Ruby shouted, removing her hands from Oscar "She saved me!"

Radcliff grabbed her hands and pressed them back down onto Oscar's chest "Hey, focus!"

"Oh, shoot, sorry" she returned her attention to Oscar.

"She helped before, only for a shot at you herself" Weiss grumbled, sitting up.

Penny grabbed Nora by the shoulder and moved her off Neo "None of that matters right now! She's not a doctor, but she knows how to close a wound!"

Neo got to her feet, brushing herself off "What the hell does that matter if she's not going to help us?!" Nora practically shouted back.

"I-"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" Catalina shouted, silencing everyone "If she can help this boy, then we need her. We don't know where we'll find another doctor down here, and who knows what the hell is going on up in Atlas"

"We can't trust her! She-" Jaune started, only stopping when Neo moved past him.

She got onto her knees and placed two fingers to Oscar's neck, her face scrunched up, her hand moving to his forehead, placing the back of her hand to it. After a moment, she dug into her pockets, removing a small pump and a miniature liquor bottle. She removed the blade from the end of Hush, causing everyone to take defensive stances, excluding Ruby and Penny. She turned to Ruby and handed the blade to her, she was reluctant to remove her hands from Oscar, but relented soon after, gingerly accepting the blade from her. Neo made a motion as if striking a match with her hands.

"You want me to start a fire?" Neo nodded, then pointed to the blade and then to Oscar "Uh... what?"

Neo rolled her eyes with a silent groan of exasperation. Quickly hopping to her feet, her Semblance changed her appearance to match Yang's with her own Semblance leaving her hair ablaze. Neo pointed to the blade with one hand and then to her now blonde hair with the other. Ruby looked between them for a second before her eyes snapped open wide.

"Heat the blade! Like what you did with Slade?"

Neo snapped her fingers and pointed to Oscar's wound emphatically. Ruby zipped out of the tent without a second thought. Neo changed back to her original appearance and got straight to work on Oscar. She uncapped the bottle of alcohol and pointed to Radcliff then to Oscar. He nodded and moved to hold him down by his shoulders, Jaune went to question her, but before he could she had already started pouring the alcohol onto the wound. Oscar cried out in pain and jolted up, only stopped by Radcliff holding him in place. Neo took the pump from before and started using it to clear the blood from the wound as best she could, giving herself a clear view of it.

"I put it in one of the fires outside-" she started to explain, but stopped when Neo took the blade from her.

"We'll help hold him down" Jaune offered as he and Ren moved into place beside her and Radcliff.

Neo nodded, then held the blade over the open wound. She counted to three on her hands, preparing them for what was coming, then pressed down on the wound with the heated part of the blade. Oscar writhed in agony on the makeshift table, the others doing their best to hold him in place. Blake and Ruby both started helping, all of them watching him with concern. Penny scanned over the wound as Neo continued to keep pressure on it with the heated tool. After another painful moment, she removed the blade. Penny inspected it for a moment, then smiled.

"The wound is safely closed"

"That... that was horrible" Weiss stated with a grimace.

Oscar panted from exhaustion on the table, Ruby never released her hold on him, even when the others did. She looked to Neo "Is he going to be okay?" she asked timidly.

Neo wiped off her hands with a clean rag as much as she was able, doing her best to keep her hands clean. She got to her feet, removing the notepad from her pocket with a pen. She silently wrote for a moment, turning the pad over to Ruby so she could read what she wrote. She looked it over, reading it aloud as she did so the others could hear.

"I stopped the bleeding, the wound will heal on it's own soon enough. He needs to rest, sleep will let him heal"

Catalina sighed in relief "That's a relief"

"Thank you, for saving him. I don't know what we'd do if..." Ruby didn't finish her statement. Neo frowned, then turned the pad away, writing another line of text before flipping it back over to Ruby "He's stable, not healed. What caused this wound?"

"Tyrian did, poisoned him too" Nora answered.

Neo paled, then went back to writing "That makes his treatment more complicated. The venom in his system will kill him if we leave it untreated"

"Then what can we do?" Blake asked with worry.

Neo flipped the pad to the next page and wrote out a list of comprised on painkillers, antibiotics, blood thinners, as well as medical equipment. She handed it to Ruby, who paled at the list in front of her, reading it aloud to the others, most of them not knowing what the equipment was, save for Penny who had seen them multiple times due to her father.

"I don't know where we can even get this stuff. There should be a clinic somewhere in the city, but with those Grimm around, it'd be too dangerous to send anyone out for it" Catalina explained.

"We could go" Blake offered.

"If we can guarantee where it is, we could find it no problem" Jaune agreed.

"I know where, wouldn't take us long to find" Penny replied.

"With all the fighting here in Mantle, it's possible that any recoverable medical supplies were destroyed. Even if you find some things, there's no guarantee you can find it all" Radcliff warned.

"Not unless we went to Atlas, we know Dr. Polendina would be able to help" Weiss offered.

"Getting back there is gonna be a problem by itself, let alone getting out with what we need for Oscar" Nora argued.

"Oscar's been poisoned. We need an antivenom no matter what, which means we'll need more than what we can find here. Either way, we'll have to get back to Atlas if we want to help Oscar" Qrow supplied "Neo can't make antivenom from nothing"

"You think we should just hand him back to Ironwood?" Ruby wondered.

"I'm not suggesting that... we don't know what he'll do" Qrow answered quickly.

"What do you mean? General Ironwood is protecting us, isn't he?" Catalina asked confused "You're making it sound like he's trying to kill you"

"That's... complicated" Blake answered.

"Because?" Radcliff asked with concern "What's going on up there?"

"Ironwood is abandoning Mantle" Weiss answered rather bluntly.

"WHAT?!" they both shouted.

"Well, there's more to it than that. But, uh, yeah, he's not sending help" Ruby replied awkwardly.

"What the hell is he thinking?! Has he lost his mind?!" Radcliff cried.

"He's just leaving us to die?!" Catalina asked in a panic.

"No! He's... he doesn't want to! It's not like that, not exactly" Ruby tried.

Neo rolled her eyes, writing on her pad silently for a moment as the group argued all around her, shaking her head. Once she was finished, she tore the paper off the pad and handed it to Ruby, who was still trying to placate the two Faunus. Ruby looked down at the paper in confusion, then she looked back at Neo, who nodded back to her. Her eyes lit up, turning to the others.

"I won't stand for this! I'm not-"

"Hey" she tried to interrupt.

"-going to just lay down and die because James-"

"Hey!" she called louder.

"-is too much of a coward to-"

"HEY!" she shouted.

Everyone turned to her, Radcliff going silent "Yes, Ruby?" Jaune asked.

"Neo says she can get us into Atlas... she stole an airship from Mistral with Cinder. We can use that to get in there with her Semblance"

"Atlas is in complete lockdown, even if we look the part we'd never reach the academy before they shot us down" Ren argued.

"Not if we get back into the system" Penny offered "Those Mantas Chimera used to attack the city ran on the same security codes, likely from Professor Watts. We can use one of the onboard computers to connect us to the system"

"Wouldn't Ironwood have changed those codes?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, but I know my father, I can crack his codes fairly quickly. All I need is a direct connection, that computer can grant me access again"

"Which will tell us exactly where we need to be and where to go!" Ruby smiled with excitement.

"I already know where to go, but if we need Neo with us to get inside, she can't be here looking after Oscar"

Catalina had a look of realization cross her features "Wait... but you guys are some of the only Huntsmen down here, what if those Grimm come back?"

"We can't fight all those Grimm ourselves even if we stay. None of it will matter if Ironwood's plan is put in place" Ren answered.

"Plan?" Radcliff asked.

"He's... gonna use what's keeping Atlas afloat to create a barrier around the city" Qrow answered.

"Then... Atlas is going to fall onto Mantle... he's completely lost it"

"He's just scared and desperate, that Grimm out there is bigger than anything we've ever seen" Ruby argued.

"That thing looks even more unnatural than the Grimm usually do, what is this Chimera group exactly?" Radcliff asked.

"They're-" she started.

"Anarchists, like the White Fang, but worse" Weiss quickly interrupted "They're going to destroy the whole kingdom"

"They won't have to, if James has his way"

"That's why we need Oscar, he's possibly the only one who can help us save Atlas AND Mantle" Ruby explained.

"Him?" Catalina asked surprised "He's just a kid"

Qrow got to his feet "Not exactly, but we don't have time to explain. If we're going to stop... Chimera, we need to act fast" he replied carefully.

"Then we need to all be in our best condition" Jaune turned to Neo with a begrudged look "Can you take a look at Weiss and Qrow, make sure they're alright. We might need their help before long"

Neo nodded, turning her attention to a reluctant Weiss "Then I'll get one of the onboard computers from the downed Mantas here in Mantle. The rest of you could search a local pharmacy to see if you can find anything we can use to help Oscar in the short term" Penny suggested.

"I don't suppose you found a doctor out there" Radcliff hoped.

"No, Sir. Just a pharmacist. He'd know all about the medication we'd need, but nothing that would be helpful for Oscar in his current condition. Seems all the real doctors went up to Atlas already, just our luck"

"That's alright, we've got a plan... or most of a plan" Ruby offered optimistically "Do you know where we can find a pharmacy?"

Penny brought up a holographic display of Mantle, projecting from her eyes "Let me show you"

---

Within the gargantuan Grimm outside of Atlas, a large throne made of crystalized Grimm sludge sat at the center of a room mirroring the bridge of an Atlas airship, with crimson holographic displays instead of the usual cyan and walls made of thick red membranes resembling Grimm wings. In front of the crystalized throne was holographic screens showing camera feeds from around the creature, and beyond them was a massive glass windshield allowing the occupants to see the outside world. On the throne sat Salem, her right hand tapping her index finger against the arm of the throne impatiently, her left gripping the opposite in irritation. Her expression masked her mood, her eyes cold and devoid of emotion. Her finger stopped tapping when a dark corridor opened to her right, Hunter came tumbling out, rolling to a stop on his knees, catching himself on one hand with a pained groan.

Salem's lips dropped into a frown "Hunter" she drawled "I did not expect you to return so quickly, nor in such a swift manner. You appear to have misplaced your weapon"

Hunter forced himself to his feet "Those damn kids were-urk!" he was suddenly forced back onto his knees painfully, catching himself on his hands.

Salem had one finger pointed out toward him, exerting her will with little effort "I do not recall granting you permission to engage anyone. I requested intel, and you've yet to provide it to me. You're aware of the price of failure... so I am confident you wouldn't risk my wrath over petty vengeance again, would you?"

"N-n-no, o-of course not" he stuttered out, his throat constricting.

Her finger lowered, releasing him "Speak then"

He cleared his throat, not wishing to anger her further "They were leaving the academy, headed to Mantle. I don't know why, but Ozpin was with them, Tyrian and I engaged them-" he stopped when he saw her gaze narrow slightly. He swallowed before continuing "-Ozpin was poisoned, I don't know his present condition, but I can only assume Ironwood's doctor is taking care of him"

Salem's eyes flicked to the city outside "Those tethers connecting Mantle to Atlas are missing, he separated them... but sent those children down to reinforce their position there" she rubbed her chin thoughtfully "They've stopped evacuations as well, meaning they know about the risk posed to their people. Unless..."

"What is it?" Hunter inquired.

"What if he knows our plans? Could one of the others broken?" she stood from her seat "Did you manage to locate Neopolitan?"

"No, she seems to be keeping a low profile, assuming she hasn't already been caught or killed... although..."

"Speak your mind"

"I didn't see blondie with them, Slade and the Winter Maiden either. Branwen and the Schnee brat were injured though"

"Injured?"

"Yes, they didn't seem to be in the condition to be fighting"

"Yet they traveled outside the academy, possibly down to Mantle... why? Has Ironwood turned on them as planned?"

"He saved the silver-eyed girl from me, I nearly had her, if he hadn't interfered-"

"Stop" Salem commanded "Did they say anything, anything that could've indicated division between them?"

"Nothing I heard, you think they're at odds?"

"Ironwood's conviction makes him unable to accept defeat, perhaps Ms. Rose believes the battle is unwinnable and fled, or perhaps the General thinks he can use the Relics to stop me. Hmm..." she started to pace in front of her chair "Ozma would never abandon these people, was he headed to Mantle with them in a futile endeavor to rescue them?"

"Seemed like it, he jumped in during the fighting so I can't be sure. But it was definitely him, not the kid"

"Then he must've planned something, something that could cost us the battle"

"You really think he has something that good up his sleeve? He lost Beacon, and that was his home turf, even with Ironwood's help-"

"Ironwood's involvement is the only reason Beacon fell, not despite it. We lost the support of the White Fang in Mistral because of Cinder's gluttonous desire for power. I cannot risk blindly stumbling into a trap, not at this stage, not with two Relics and the girl so close at hand"

Hunter swallowed nervously "Then... what do you plan to do?" Salem silently returned to her chair, pressing her index fingers together, eyebrows knitting as she formulated her next move, whispering lower than he could hear.

"If Tyrian lives, then Arthur, Emerald, and Cinder may yet live as well... that could be where Ironwood or Ozma extracting intel to counteract us. If they restored that damned signal, then those in Mantle would prove no threat to them, but they haven't continued evacuations. They cut Mantle off from Atlas, yet reinforced their position there... what could their goal be there? None of these decisions make sense without context"

Hunter didn't dare repeat his question, knowing she'd heard him, and her foul mood encouraging him to remain silent. Salem leaned back into her throne, hands now resting on the arms "I believe it is time to gather some intel of my own and to make their position clear to them"

"How do you intend to do that?"

Salem closed her eyes, black smoke emanating from her body "Personally" she answered.

---

Winter paced back and forth in Ironwood's office, there was a white tarp in front of the shattered window, keeping the wind outside from entering. Jacques stood with his hands folded in front of him, an apprehensive expression on his face as he watched her. Her hands were folded behind her back, unable to keep the scowl on her face from remaining. He sighed and raised one hand toward her as he spoke.

"You've done everything you can, Winter"

"It's not enough" she snapped.

"You didn't choose for her, Weiss can make her own decisions. You'll find her"

Winter groaned in frustration ""I've exhausted every resource to find even the slightest hint as to where she went but there is nothing to be found! How am I supposed to help her if I can't even find her?"

"Winter..."

She sighed "I've tried increasing patrols, tripled security at every checkpoint, what else I can do!"

"She might've went down to Mantle. If so, then there isn't much you can do. She'll either turn up back here, or she'll stay down there. You could always send a few soldiers down to see if they can find her"

"Or go myself" she frowned.

"Or... that"

"It'd mean going against the General's orders. You didn't hear that"

"Hear what? We were discussing patrol routes"

Winter smiled, rolling her eyes at him "Weiss would do it for me"

Jacques chuckled "I don't doubt it, considering how quickly she smuggled herself to Mistral to find you"

Winter smiled "Yeah, she's always been courageous. I'm just worried she doesn't know what she's getting herself into"

"What do you think? Is James right?"

"About Salem? Definitely. About abandoning Mantle? I... don't know"

"Neither am I"

"I'm worried about him, he's declared martial law, alienated his friends, even gone so far as to throw them into cells. I'm beginning to wonder if it was really Emerald's Semblance that made him shoot Slade, or if it was just his paranoia"

"I understand. He didn't even approach me before declaring martial law, guess he figured he held majority vote over me since he holds two seats on the Council. I'm beginning to think he might be willing to do anything in the name of 'protecting Atlas'. I'm concerned he may do something drastic, the last thing we need is more extreme judgment calls"

"Isn't that the problem?" Ironwood's voice called, shocking them both.

"General!" Winter saluted.

"At ease, Specialist" he entered the office, wearing a new pristine uniform as he moved toward his desk "We need to be more progressive in our efforts, not regressive. Salem will not wait for us to be ready, and we have wasted enough time as it is. We need to produce results yesterday"

"With all due respect, Sir... what do you expect us to do? Without the power of the Winter Maiden, we can't open the vault and use the Relics. Perhaps it is time to consider other options"

Ironwood never turned back to face her "There are no other options, Winter. We either stop Salem, or we die, that's it. I need Ruby and the rest of them all back here, now"

"She's done everything you've asked and more, James. I think it's obvious that they left the city-" Jacques tried to argue.

Ironwood turned on his heel "If they have left the city, then we draw them back" he replied tightening his hand into a fist "If not, then we draw them out, now" he finished pointing to the ground.

"And how do you propose we do that, Sir?"

Ironwood opened his mouth to answer, stopping only when he heard a crisp knock on the door "Enter"

Pietro entered the room "General, you wanted to know when he was awake"

"Already?" he asked surprised "I expected at least another day. Send him in"

Slade entered with his hands bound tightly by a bolas, he looked at the grim expressions around the room "Damn, who died?" he deadpanned.

"Slade" Ironwood smiled "It's good to see you up and walking"

He scoffed "Yeah, I can tell" he held up his bound hands "Can I lose these now?"

Ironwood moved toward him "That depends, are you willing to work with me? Or are we going to have a problem?"

"I suppose that depends on the situation we find ourselves in. Since we don't have much time to waste, wanna run me through our options?"

Ironwood moved to sit at his desk, folding his hands in front of him on the desk "I tried speaking with Yang, she's being uncooperative, not that I really expected any differently"

"And you haven't questioned the others?"

"No, I figured it was better to leave them for now. The longer they're in those cells, the more likely they're to believe Salem has abandoned them"

"That's the wrong play. Watts and Cinder won't budge, they both hate you more than they fear Salem, Cinder especially hates me now that she's lost her power. Emerald might be the best option we have, but without Oscar's Semblance, it'll be difficult to know for certain"

Ironwood sighed "How do you propose we do that?"

"Split them up, interrogate them individually. Both you and Winter know Watts best, better one of you gets him. Emerald is the most likely to break, and Cinder doesn't want anything but her power back, putting me in the room with her might make her rabid, I'm not sure if that would make her more likely to talk or less"

Winter hummed in agreement "He's not wrong, Arthur could tell us alot. That girl, Emerald, she's been huddled in the corner of her cell since she was apprehended. As for Cinder, her own ego could be enough to get her talking"

"Or the chance to have her power returned" Jacques suggested "People like that are always willing to sacrifice anything for power"

"Talking from experience?" Pietro asked with a playful glint in his eye.

"More or less" Jacques chuckled.

"Then that's where we'll start. If we can get viable intel from them, then we can use that against Salem" Ironwood declared.

Slade wore a small smile "Glad we agree"

"Then you're with me?"

"I... I need to see Yang"

Ironwood sighed "If you think I have hurt her-"

"That's not why, James. I just... she needs to know, to see me, that I'm okay"

"I..."

Winter stepped forward "Sir, I don't see any potential risk to allowing her to know he's recovered"

Ironwood took a deep breath, exhaling before replying "I will take you to see Yang, I only ask you watch what you say around the other prisoners. Better not to give Salem any chance of learning our strategy"

"So Yang's a prisoner now?" he asked narrowing his eyes.

"Slade, please, we don't have time for this"

"I agree, which is why I think we need to get that counter signal online immediately, once I've done so, the chips inside those remaining in Mantle will be harmless. Then there is no reason for all this discord" Pietro explained, stepping between them.

Ironwood groaned "Pietro..."

"James, please. Penny would never abandon those people, and I think she's right, Ruby too! We should try to do everything we can to try and save them"

"We can't, if we bring any of those people up here, we'd only be risking ourselves and everyone else already safe here-"

"Then let me finish reestablishing the counter signal! If I can just get that working again-"

"We may not have time, I know you want to help them, I do too... but we can't assume we'll be able to. Even if you had the signal up now, the amount of people left to evacuate would take far too long, Salem would destroy us before we even had a chance to use the Relics"

"Then maybe we should open the vault now" Slade suggested.

"What?!" Jacques bellowed "If you do that, then you could be dooming Mantle to destruction!"

"Assuming Ozpin is telling the truth" Winter added.

"Which we can't know for certain" Ironwood declared.

"And if he is? Then they all die, or we all die, either way that's a huge risk" Jacques supplied.

"We know the countersignal works, we know Ruby's team will work with us if we can just-"

"WE CAN'T!" Ironwood bellowed, smashing both fists onto the desk, shocking the others "If we waste too much time, Salem could attack before we're ready. If we don't do something, we'll be overwhelmed, she outnumbers us, and we don't have the skill or manpower to fight off an army that big. We HAVE to use the Relics, and we have to do it as soon as possible!" he shouted.

"General-" Winter started as the dark clouds outside the city quickly shifted within the city limits.

"I will not hear any arguments! We have a plan-"

"James-" Jacques started, the clouds stopping just before the glass.

"NO! I am tired of people constantly getting in the way of what needs to be done!" the clouds parted as a ghostly figure emerged "I AM THE ONLY ONE-" he stopped when he felt a sickening feeling overtake him.

Ironwood turned and saw the tarp fling off the shattered window, forcing him to duck beneath it. Winter dropped into a defensive stance as she held her blade aloft, Jacques and Pietro getting behind her with looks of horror on their face, shaking in fear. Slade used his Semblance to remove his hands from the bolas, opening it and preparing to use it on the intruder. Ironwood straightened, facing the figure, eyes widening at the sight. He drew one pistol and got to his feet, taking an instinctive step back away, gun trembling in his hand. The entire room could now feel the despair that seemed to emanate from the figure's very being.

"Your squabbling is rather entertaining. It's a wonder Humanity hasn't destroyed itself by now" Salem's impassive voice called as she hovered into the room.

Slade threw the bolas into her, tying around her midsection, trapping her hands "You've caused this squabbling" Slade shot back once she was bound.

Her eyes darted over to him "Slade Stroud, funny, you're supposed to be dead" her heels touched the ground as she lowered to stand.

"Wouldn't be the first time someone's tried to kill me. You're gonna have to do better than that"

"It would seem so, and I had such high hopes for Emerald"

"You should be used to disappointment by now, since you lose so often"

"Maybe you shouldn't be antagonizing her, Slade. She could kill us without a second thought" Winter whispered.

"If she was going to kill us, she already would've. She's not one to waste time"

"That doesn't mean we should-"

Winter was cut off when Ironwood fired several rounds into Salem's chest. She groaned painfully from each strike, but remained composed. After a moment, each wound healed, dropping each round to the ground with a light clink. She smiled, her gaze shifting from one person to the next, gauging their reactions.

"Ow"

"You're really here... not just a mirage this time"

She chuckled darkly "No, General, I am truly here" with a wave of two of her fingers, his weapon was thrown across the room "Don't fret, I haven't come to kill you, not yet anyway" she waved two fingers on each hand upward, snapping the bolas apart.

"Then what are you here for?" he demanded.

"I've come to congratulate you, it isn't often that my plans go so poorly. I had hoped to at least have destroyed Mantle by the time I arrived, yet it stands mostly undamaged"

"How thoughtful of you" Slade grumbled.

"What surprises me, is your decision to divide your forces instead of consolidating your strength here in Atlas"

Ironwood took a deep breath "So, you know where they are?"

"I do, and I am impressed by the fortitude you and these children have displayed despite my presence, as well as, well..." she gestured out the window "That. You must be rather confident in your stratagem, General. Sending Oz down to lead your forces in Mantle while you remain here in Atlas, bold"

"But?" Winter asked.

"But, I wonder who leads them now, considering the condition Tyrian left him in. The girl?" her smile widened sickeningly "I can assure you, no plan you have will be enough to stop my forces, neither here, nor down in Mantle"

"We stopped your goons, Tyrian, Watts, Cinder, Emerald, even Cole and Sable. We'll stop you too, just give it time" Slade replied defiantly.

"Time, that is something you have in short supply. I however, have all the time in the world"

"Yet you waste it posturing" Ironwood growled "Just get to the point"

Her smile never wavered "You misunderstand, I haven't come to gloat or posture, I have come to offer you an opportunity. You see, I never intended to destroy Atlas, not until the Relics were in my possession of course. But you have shown me how resilient you all are. Jacques Schnee for instance, was supposed to be dead as payment for Willow Schnee's assistance, with her dead, his life holds no value to me anymore, much less his death"

"You don't care if I die anymore?" Jacques asked not sure if he could trust her.

"I wouldn't even gain personal satisfaction from it, keep your pathetic life as long as you wish"

"You... don't want to kill us?" Ironwood asked surprised.

"I gain nothing from your deaths, though Slade has more than earned my ire. I could easily destroy Atlas and Mantle both with the forces I have brought with me, but more senseless death gains us both nothing. I am willing to overlook past transgressions"

"In exchange for what?"

"You surrender Ruby Rose to me, along with the Lamp and the Staff. I will leave, and you will never see me again"

"We can't give you the Staff, anything created with it would cause the pervious creation to cease. Atlas would fall" Winter argued.

Salem considered her words for a moment "I see... very well. Then you will be given time to evacuate your people from Atlas and Mantle to somewhere safer, I hear Argus is lovely this time of year"

"And if we don't?" Pietro asked.

Salem's eyes darted to him "Then I will destroy you, slaughter your people, force open the vault, and claim my prize myself"

"Ruby is just a child... why do you want her?" Ironwood inquired.

"Why I desire her is of no business of yours. Give me the girl and the Relics, and all of this can end. You need not fear me any longer..."

"Even if I thought you'd honor that deal, I wouldn't take it" Ironwood declared "Ruby Rose is under my protection, and no harm shall come to her, not while I have any say in the matter"

"I am trying to be reasonable, General"

"Invading my kingdom, destroying my cities, killing my people, threatening children with death. I don't consider that reasonable"

"Sending Tyrian and Sable after the girl instead of myself was reasonable, despite my desire to kill you only increasing every second, I am choosing to be patient with you, do not exhaust it. Your vain resistance will only get more people killed, neither of us want that"

"Then I suppose tricking all those people into attacking the Gods for a chance at immortality was just you being reasonable, right?" Slade snarked.

Salem's smile finally dropped "Slade-" Winter quietly hissed.

"Sure, you can't die, bummer. We've beaten you before, you failed to destroy Haven, you failed to stop us from getting the Lamp back from you, even after everything you did in Vale, the Beacon Relic still remains out of your reach. You've failed to kill me at least half a dozen times, you couldn't stop Yang and I from expelling you from my mind, hell, you can't even capture one little girl. What exactly is there for us to be scared of you for? Specifically, I mean"

Salem silently turned to face Slade her piercing gaze making his entire being scream at him to run, to get away from her as fast as he could. He had to fight his natural instinct just to stay where he was, his defiance only proving to anger Salem further. She closed the distance between them slowly, she leaned down until she was inches from his face, her crimson eyes reflecting his own from their proximity. His hands closed into fists, trying to stop their trembling.

"I am certain your family thought they could stop me too, and look how that turned out"

Slade scowled "Don't think mocking what I have lost will change anything, I'm never going to stop fighting you. I cannot afford to lose"

"Do you think you're making a difference? That your resistance means anything? You know I have existed long before any of you, that I have been fighting this war longer than you can imagine. You know I am the end, for you, for your friends, for everyone you have ever known. And I am offering you an escape from such a fate. Your self righteous defiance is pathetic"

"James already gave you our answer, now either kill us or get the hell out of here"

Salem took a slow, deep breath, holding it for a moment before exhaling "Two days"

"Excuse me?" Ironwood asked.

"You have two days to reconsider my offer. If Ruby Rose and both Relics aren't in my hands by then, well... things will just have to become more difficult" she turned away from them, heading toward the window "If I see any attempt to continue evacuating Mantle in the meantime, I will burn Atlas to the ground"

Without another word, she soared out of the window back toward the massive Grimm waiting for her. The dark clouds around the academy moved with her, leaving them with clear skies once more. Ironwood moved to recover his pistol silently, deliberately not looking at any of them. Once he held it in his hand once more, his head raised slowly to look at them with a hardened glare.

"Sir?" Winter asked concerned.

He approached Slade with another bolas "I'm going to take you to see Yang, once you've finished we'll begin interrogations... assuming you're with us, of course"

Slade held his arms up for him to bind him "To be determined. Just know, I will do whatever is best for Yang, whatever that might mean"

He nodded "If you side with Ruby, you won't be leaving that cellblock" he explained as he bound him.

"I understand" he replied with a nod back.

"Pietro, get to work restoring the counter signal for Chimera's control chip. If there is the slightest chance we can help the people down in Mantle, we need to be ready before the next forty eight hours is up"

"Right away, General" he replied, quickly making his way out.

"Jacques, put out a citywide alert, all evacuees are to remain in their shelters until the Grimm have been dealt with. Assure them that the culprits behind the attacks in the city have been dealt with. We don't need more fear attracting the Grimm before we're ready"

"I-I'll do my best"

"What about Salem's warning? If we evacuate Mantle, she'll attack"

"The Lamp will help us when the time comes, assuming she is telling the truth on our timeline. Either way, I'm going to take you to the vault when we're ready to open it. We'll do what is necessary to save who we can. If what we learn suggests we can't use the Staff, then we rethink our plan"

"And if I can't open the vault?" Slade asked.

Ironwood sighed "Then we do it Ruby's way, we fight with everything we have"

"I understand"

"Good, hopefully by then we'll have heard something from Ruby's team. If not, we'll have to think of something to draw them back here, at the very least to discuss our options"

"Thank you, James"

"Let's go"

Winter stopped Slade before he could leave with a hand on his shoulder "I found this on you while you were in the infirmary" she stuffed a folded piece of paper into his hand "Didn't want this to get confiscated before you woke" she whispered.

Slade gave a subtle nod, pocketing the paper for a moment as he followed behind Ironwood. Jacques and Winter said their farewells before leaving down different halls. Slade walked in silence as he waited for Winter to catch up to them, once she had he discretely took out the paper and looked it over. His eyes widened slightly.

Slade, I've been thinking about everything a lot lately, everything you've told me since we reunited here in Atlas. I want to thank you for what you've done for me, for fighting for me even when it would've been easy not to. I know that I can never forgive Roman's killer for taking him from me, he was wonderful, he understood me like no one else ever has, and I know I'll never be able to love anyone like I loved him again. I remember his smile, his stupid jokes, and the way he made me feel everyday. Everytime I look at Ruby, all I can see is her knocking me from the top of the airship, I can still hear him calling out to me as I fell. I don't know if I can forgive her, even though I am grateful to her, grateful she helped you, that she fought for you, that she reached out her hand to me, despite knowing what I wanted to do to her. I know that you're trying your best, and that you want to help me. I've decided that I am going to try too, because I am tired of feeling like this. When I met Salem, I finally understood how Roman must've felt, the fear of losing me. All I wanted to do in that moment was tear her apart, but I know I would only die trying. I am tired of hate, tired of being angry, and I believe you when you say Ruby didn't kill Roman. So I am choosing to believe that Cinder is the one responsible, that Salem is the true culprit for what happened to him. I know what I am about to do is probably the dumbest thing I've ever done, might even get me killed. But I need you to know that you're one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and that you'll always be like family to me. That's why I need to do this, because I don't know if I can forgive myself if I don't try. Guess I'm just following your lead for once and doing something stupid. If we never see each other again, I need you to know that I am sorry for what I've put you through. I know you'll do the right thing, no matter what. Thank you, for everything.

-Neo

Slade quickly folded it back up and stuffed it into one of his pocket. Winter gave him a sidelong glance, offering a subtle nod. Slade didn't know how to feel, he was relieved Neo was renouncing her vendetta against Ruby, but the mention of doing something stupid made him wonder if she was going to strike at Salem directly, or if she planned to break into the academy to confront Cinder. Either way, he wasn't sure she'd make it out, but he did know if she tried the latter, he'd do whatever he could to help her.

---

Ruby shifted Crescent Rose around the corner of the building she was hiding behind, checking through the scope to see if the street was clear. Despite it being in ruins with damage clear on the street and buildings, she didn't spot a single Grimm or Chimeran soldier. At the end of the street, she caught sight of a sign that read 'pharmacy' and knew they were in the right place. Lowering her weapon, she turned back to the others behind her.

"Looks clear"

"Did you see what we're looking for?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, pharmacy is at the end of the street, just like Penny said"

"At least something is going our way today" Nora grumbled.

"Assuming this goes smoothly" Blake replied.

Ren nodded "We deserve a smooth run after everything we've been through these past few days"

They all kept their weapons ready, moving down the street toward the building. Each of them checked a different building, making sure there were no surprises waiting for them through the windows or hiding in a nearby alley. Once they determined it was safe, they would move onto the next, working their way down the road. Nora finally broke the silence about halfway to the pharmacy.

"So, what're we gonna do about her?"

"About who?" Ruby asked.

"Neo, you don't really trust her, do you? She tried to kill you, multiple times!"

"Nora's not wrong, can we afford to let out guard down around someone like her?" Ren agreed.

"After what just happened with Ironwood, we can't be sure it's not another one of Salem's tricks" Jaune added.

"You think Salem would've sent Neo to stop Tyrian from capturing me? Or save Oscar's life when she knows Ozpin is in there?" Ruby asked slightly annoyed.

"She... has a point" Blake agreed.

"So, what? We just trust her blindly?" Nora asked angrily.

"No, of course not" Ruby turned toward her with a shake of her head "But that doesn't mean we can treat her like the enemy anymore, not if she's being genuine"

"How do we know? It's not like she's a big talker"

"Why don't you try asking her?" Ruby suggested.

"Yeah, that'll be a short conversation" Nora replied, rolling her eyes.

"All I am saying, is we give her a chance. If for no other reason than Slade trusts her"

"That-"

"We can argue about this all day long, but it's not going to get us any closer to helping Oscar, Weiss, or Qrow. We're wasting enough time as it is and we're out of options, Salem could attack Atlas any minute. We need to focus" Blake reminded them.

"Blake's right, we get this done, then we figure out how to help these people here in Mantle" Jaune agreed.

"That's another thing! How're we even going to do that?! Has anyone even considered that Ironwood might be right? Like it or not, we can't help these people if Salem is just going to kill them anyway" Nora argued.

"At least we're not giving up, something is better than nothing" Blake replied.

"Oh, yeah, cause everything has been going so well since we-"

"STOP!" Ruby shouted, silencing the group. They all stared at her in surprise, not used to seeing her angry "Maybe Ironwood is right, maybe we can't save these people, maybe we can't trust Neo, and maybe I'm just being childish trying to do it all. But we agreed to do this, so we have got to stop fighting and work together! It's the only reason-"

Blake silenced Ruby with a hand over her moth "Shh, listen" her ears perked up, trying to locate the sound she was hearing. They all kept quiet, doing their best to locate the source of the sound.

"I don't hear anything"

Blake laid on her chest and put her ear to the ground, trying to locate the source of what she was hearing. Her eyes widened, jumping up to her feet, she pointed to the closest alley "Get down, now!" she whispered with urgency.

Everyone did as she instructed without a word, all of them packing into the alleyway, getting behind anything they could. Blake signaled for them to be quiet with one finger to her lips, ears perking up as she continued to listen. They all waited in silence, the ground rumbled lightly, indicating something was getting closer. Now they could all hear it too, the same thing Blake had heard prior. Dozens of Grimm started to pack onto the street, low growls and snarls reached their ears as they watched.

"Salem's not keeping them outside the city anymore..." Ruby whispered in horror.

One of the Sabyrs stopped, sniffing the air inquisitively, catching a whiff of their fear. The creature turned and started toward the alleyway, drawing the attention of several nearby Grimm. Ren used his Semblance to try and hide them, but the Grimm seemed to be undeterred. Each of them readied their weapons, none of them too keen on fighting their way through a hoard of Grimm this big. They knew it was unlikely to go well for them, there was just far too many Grimm. Jaune raised his blade over his head, ready to bring it down onto the first Grimm he saw as they neared them. Just before he could strike, the wall extended out across the alley in a cascade of pink particles, blocking them from the Grimm. The Sabyr stopped just short of the wall, letting out a low snarl before turning away, the others following behind it. Ruby turned to see their savior standing behind Jaune with her hand against the wall with a smirk on her face.

"Neo..." Ruby recieved a nod of acknowledgement back from her "That's the second time you've saved me today"

Neo gave a half bow with a flourish of her hand "Thanks, Neo. You're a lifesaver" Blake smiled.

"That's an understatement" Jaune agreed.

Ren released his Semblance, sighing "Not to seem ungrateful, but aren't you supposed to be back in the crater with the others?"

Neo shrugged, holding up a prewritten page of her notepad "Your friends are both fine and resting. I had to redo your uncle's sutures, but otherwise he should recover soon enough" it explained.

"So you just thought you'd come here, as if we needed someone we don't trust helping" Nora grumbled.

Neo frowned, then scribbled out a response "I don't mean to be a bother, but I figured it'd be easier to find what you need if you had someone who knew what to look for"

Ruby got to her feet "She's right, like it or not, she can help us. The quicker we get in and out of the pharmacy, the faster we can get started on a plan to stop Salem"

"Yeah, well, can she help us get through those Grimm?" Nora countered.

"We're going to have to sit here and wait them out otherwise, unless anyone thinks we can fight through all of them" Blake replied.

Neo tapped Hush against the manhole cover beneath her with a quirked eyebrow. Ruby smiled "That's a great idea!" she put two fingers to her earpiece "Penny, we've got a problem"

"What is it?" she asked concerned.

"Grimm are moving back into the city, headed towards the crater. The pharmacy is at the end of the street, but we can't get to it through all of these guys. Can we get there through the sewer system?" she asked.

"Hmmm, it looks like there should be a few entrances nearby, including the alley behind the pharmacy. Can you reach one of them?"

"Already have, we just need to get to the pharmacy. Stay safe"

"You too. I finally found an intact computer aboard one of the downed Manta ships, just need another minute to get it out without damaging it. I'll start tracking the Grimm once I've finished"

Ruby placed her hand onto the manhole cover, a pulse of force rippled through it from her Aura, snapping the metal locking mechanism in it. Ren hooked the end of the blades of StormFlower onto it and pried it open "We're in. Stay in contact" Jaune replied.

"I will"

They all dropped in one after the other with Neo being the last to join them, closing the manhole so no Grimm would follow them "Alright, now we just have to get to the pharmacy" Ruby breathed out, using the flashlight on her scroll to see.

There was practically no lighting beneath the streets of Mantle, only the sound of rushing water could be heard in the distance. Something struck Ruby as odd, several of the passageways were hastily barricaded, leaving only the path behind them and the opposite direction toward the pharmacy clear. Ren and Blake seemed to pick up on this as well, while Nora was too focused on watching Neo suspiciously. Jaune seemed to be distracted, listening to see if he could hear any Grimm nearby.

"Anybody else think coming down here might've been a bad idea?" Blake asked.

Neo stepped past them and pointed a ways down the tunnel "Let's just get this done" Jaune said through a sigh of frustration.

The others followed behind Neo, most of them wary and mistrusting of her as they approached the exit they sought. Ruby stopped in place, getting the impression they were being watched. Turning on her heel, she held her Scroll up to see if there was anything behind her, only finding an empty tunnel before her. She turned her head back to her friends to find they were getting ahead of her now and decided it was better to catch up than fall behind. Turning back as she lowered her Scroll, she found a stranger staring back at her. Ruby jumped with a surprised yelp, Crescent Rose transforming into scythe form in one hand as her Scroll clattered to the ground. The others all turned back to her to find a woman standing a bit taller than Ruby standing at the end of the dark tunnel, just barely in sight, her identity was concealed by the same black cloak Hunter wore but with heeled boots and sharper shoulders than his own.

"Who're you?!" Ruby called out as the others moved beside her with their weapons up, ready for a fight.

The woman stared at them silently, then turned on her heel and bolted down the tunnel away from them without a word "Wait!" Jaune called as he tried to give chase, only to be stopped by Nora and Ren.

"Don't just go running after her" Nora chastised.

"We need to stick together, and right now the important thing is getting medical supplies for Oscar"

Ruby didn't like it much either, but she lowered her weapon and turned back toward Neo "Do you know who that was?"

She shook her head "Well isn't that convenient" Nora grumbled.

Neo gave a silent huff "Give it a rest, will you?" Blake called in annoyance.

"Fine..."

They moved to the ladder leading up and started the climb, single file, with Ruby taking the lead. She unlocked the cover and shifted it out of the way silently. Poking her head up, she could see that the Grimm were still in the street, moving toward the crater. She motioned for everyone to stay where they were, whispering down instructions to them

"We shouldn't all clump together, it's not a very big shop. Only a few of us should go, the rest can stay here and keep an eye out. We might need to use this as our escape route"

"Sounds like a good idea, who do you want to go with you?" Jaune asked.

"Ren can hide us from the Grimm with his Semblance, and Neo knows what we're looking for, the three of us can handle it"

"You want to take her with you and leave the rest of us back here?! That's insane! What if she tries to kill you?" Nora hissed.

"I admit, it's a strong possibility" Ren agreed "This could all have been a trick to separate us, make it easy to take you down when you're not expecting it"

Neo rolled her eyes, she pointed to herself and then up at the manhole cover. She then pointed at Ruby and Ren, then back to the ground, indicating they would stay behind "You want to go alone?" Blake asked surprised.

Neo nodded "I'm not sending anyone alone, it's too dangerous" Ruby argued "We stick to the first plan, Ren and Neo will come with me and we'll meet back here as soon as we have the meds we need"

Nora huffed "Fine, but I still don't like it"

"Well, then it's a good thing you don't have to" Ruby called back.

Ren gave Nora's hand a tight squeeze "I'll be okay, we'll be right back, safe and sound"

She squeezed back "You'd better" she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then let him go.

Ruby, Neo and Ren all moved outside, sneaking carefully into the backdoor of the pharmacy, using Ren's Semblance to conceal themselves. Once inside, they peered through the door closest to them to see into the customer area. They found shelves knocked over, shattered glass from the windows covering the floor, and a counter blocking access to the pharmacy. Neo pointed to the next door over, leading into the area behind the counter, blocked by a metal gate over it. Ruby nodded and moved to the door, preparing to kick it open, but Neo quickly stopped her with a frantic look on her face, earning a confused look on her face.

"Ruby, look" Ren pointed to the sign above the door "It's got an alarm. If we just break in, the Grimm will be on us before we can get what we need"

Ruby exhaled in relief "Nice catch, Neo. Thanks" she recieved a nod back from the silent girl.

Neo reached into her sleeve and removed a bobby pin, then got straight to work lockpicking the door. A moment later, the door opened, but she remained in her place. She inspected the doorway for any signs of a tripwire or sensor for the alarm, finding it at chest level. She motioned for Ruby and Ren to remain behind, carefully entering, not setting off the alarm. With the blade of Hush, she popped open the sensor and cut one of the wires within, disabling it and the alarm in the process. She then motioned for Ruby and Ren to follow behind her.

"Great work, now we just need to grab what we need and get out" Ren declared.

Neo nodded, directing him to one of the shelves and then quickly darting to one of her own, only taking a moment to read some of the bottles and boxes before taking what she needed. Ren and Ruby took slightly longer to find what they needed from the list they had, but nonetheless found it. While Ren continued searching with the list, Ruby moved to the counter and knelt down, taking a bottle of antibiotics, reading the label carefully. Before she could decide if they were the right meds, she heard metal gate pull open. Turning her head toward it, she found a man she immediately recognized from Corinth standing on the opposite side of the counter with a rifle pointed her way.

"Captain Evans?" she asked in surprise.

"Stand, slowly" he ordered quietly. Ruby did as he instructed, holding her hands up in surrender "Don't yell, or scream. Don't try anything, I'm not looking to hurt you. Not unless I have to, Ms. Rose"

She frowned "What do you want?" she asked as her eyes searched for Ren and Neo.

"You" he answered as he stepped onto the counter, crossing over to her left.

"What?" she asked surprised.

"You and your friends made a lot of noise back at the crater, what with all the injured you had with you. It wasn't hard to sneak away and follow you here"

"How'd you get past the Grimm without making any noise?" she asked.

"Same way I got in here without you noticing. I stuck to the rooftops" he approached her, holding the barrel up to her "I know you're not alone, but I'm not here for your friends, and I'm not really looking for a fight. But I have my orders"

"You're with Chimera, aren't you?"

"Yeah, one of the few not a mindless drone. I can still make my own choices, mostly"

Ren came around behind him with his weapons ready "Then choose to surrender, neither of us want the Grimm coming in here"

"You're right, I don't" he turned his weapon on Ren "But pointing those at me isn't the best way to convince me to put mine down"

"We need this medicine for our friends, and we're not going to let you stop us from helping them" Ruby declared.

"Hey, I'm not heartless. Your friend here can take what you came here for back to the crater and help the others. But either way, you're coming with me. So, here's how this is going to go: You're going to put down your guns and let me leave with the girl, understand?"

"That's not happening" Ren argued.

"It is happening, the only thing that changes is whether or not you become a Grimm's dinner or not"

"You said you can make your own choices, then why work for Chimera?" Ruby asked.

"Been working for them long before you came along, kids. That woman, the one Sable's been working with, it's not worth getting on her bad side"

"She's going to destroy Atlas, she already destroyed your home! How can you just ignore that?!" Ruby demanded, letting her anger get the better of her.

"I'm not ignoring it, I'm just choosing survival over death"

Ruby's eyes widened "Does Salem know Ironwood's abandoning Mantle?"

He shrugged "Hell if I know, I don't get to talk to her in person, fortunately. But I know he ordered all the Huntsmen back to Atlas, the fact that some stayed behind, means something big is happening. That look in your eyes is all the confirmation I need to know I'm on the winning side. Nothing else would've made someone like Ironwood admit defeat, tuck tail and run"

"He's not running, he's just scared" she argued.

"Call it whatever you like, I don't really care. Now, this debate is over" his finger shifted to the trigger "I'm going to count to three, and you'd better drop those weapons by then, or I swear-"

Neo swung around the shelf behind him by her hands, kicking him in the chest and throwing him into the next shelf over, knocking it down and him along with it. He kicked her legs out from under her as she landed, dropping her onto her chest. She pushed herself up, only for him to slam his fist into her face, stumbling her. He grabbed her by the arm, slamming her into the counter, pinning her there.

"Neo!" Ruby moved to grab him, only to receive an elbow to the face for her trouble, knocking her over.

Ren sliced his blades across Evans' back, choosing not to draw in the Grimm with gunfire. Using this moment of distraction, Neo flipped forward, one leg after the other until she was standing on the counter, forcing herself from his grip. Spinning on her heel, she kicked him across the face, stumbling him back as he grabbed his face in pain. Ren moved to strike again, only to be slammed against the wall, one of his pistols falling to the ground. Evans held his armed hand by his wrist and pinned him to the wall with his arm on his neck. Ren tried to turn the blade of StormFlower toward his throat, but Evans was able to overpower him, forcing the weapon from his grasp.

"You've made a big damn mistake!" Evans cried, then slammed him into the counter.

Ruby was on her feet moments later, kicking StormFlower into the air with her heel, then spun into a kick to send it flying straight into Evans' leg, causing him to groan in pain. He turned just in time to dodge a strike for his face from Hush, releasing Ren from his grasp. He slid back away from her as she kicked for his abdomen. Swinging his arm for her head, his fist met with her closed parasol, then found the handle slamming into his gut. He choked out a cry of pain as she then kicked him in the face, then slammed him down into the ground with a kick onto the back of his head. He pushed off the ground, flipping back to a standing position as he avoided a kick from the now recovered Ren. Swinging his fist down at him, he was stopped by Crescent Rose blocking the strike.

Ren slammed his heel into his foot, then spun into a kick for his chest in unison with Ruby, sending him flying over the counter, flipping into the landing and sliding to a stop with a pained groan. He looked up just in time to catch Neo's attack, but was shocked when she shattered like glass on impact. The real Neo slid on the ground toward him, kicking the blade in his leg, pushing it further through his leg, causing him to cry out in pain. He removed the blade from his leg and sliced it for Neo's throat. She flipped forward on her hands, one heel after the other to avoid the strike, her legs coming down on him as she struck, ending up in a split. Pushing herself up on one hand, she swung her leg up into a kick for his face, forcing him back, only to be slammed into the nearby shattered window by Ruby as she smashed into his chest using her Semblance, throwing StormFlower from his hand.

"Damn it, look at what you've done now!" he cried as the Grimm started taking notice of them.

Ren leapt over the counter as a Beowolf grabbed Evans and snatched him up, the man crying out in fear and pain as he was yanked out onto the street. His hand caught Ruby by the silver rose shaped buckle on her shoulder, pulling it free as he was peeled from her. Ruby reached out, desperately trying to get her emblem back from him.

"No!" she shouted.

"Ruby, look out!" Ren called as he managed to recover his pistol.

Ruby was caught in one of the Grimm's grasp by her hood, unable to get free. Before she could even think to attack, Neo sliced off the offending hand, freeing her. Evans was pulled into the street, his shouting and cursing only getting louder as he desperately fought them off.

"We need to go, now!" Ren called out.

"I can't! He's got my-" Ruby tried.

"We've got what we need, just-woah!" the door beside Ren snapped off the hinges from the force of the Grimm smashing against it violently.

Neo pulled on Ruby's arm, pointing to the access ladder Evans must've used to get in "The roof! Hurry!" Ruby shouted.

"What's going on in there?!" Nora's voice asked with slight panic, having heard the commotion.

"Later! We're on our way out!" Ren answered as he started climbing the ladder.

Ruby went up next, using her Semblance to reach the ladder and get up it as quickly as possible, with Neo not far behind. Ren looked down to see Neo climbing, only for a Sabyr to grab her by the leg with it's jaws, pulling her off the ladder to the floor. It struck for her neck, the silent girl unable to cry out as it's teeth pierced her arm raised defensively. Ren's expression hardened, even as she looked up at him with a desperate look in her eyes, mouthing the words to him as she tried to plead for help. The Sabyr slumped to the ground as a gunshot rang out around them, Ruby stared down at her with Crescent Rose in her hand, aimed down at the Sabyr she'd just killed. She fired two more rounds, taking down two more Grimm in the process as Neo got to her feet and climbed up the ladder. Ren looked down at her in shame as Ruby glared at him. Before either of them could say a word, they caught sight of a Megoliath storming down the road.

"Let's go!" Ruby cried as Neo made it onto the roof.

The three of them made their way safely down from the roof to the sewer entrance, dropping back in after closing it behind them "Ren! You're okay!" Nora grabbed him into a hug.

"Barely" Ruby grumbled.

"What happened in there?" Blake asked.

"We-" Ren was cut off by a right hook from Neo, stumbling him back.

Nora got between them in a second with Magnhild pulled back to swing "Nora, stop!" Ren called, surprising her.

"She just attacked you?! The hell do you mean?!"

"He earned that" Ruby replied, getting between them.

"What?"

"Neo was trapped, under a Sabyr. Ren saw her, and he didn't help, just stared at her, left her to fend for herself. I had to save her, just like she saved me. I understand not trusting her, after what's happened between us. But we don't leave people to die, not people who're helping us"

"I... I know" Ren sighed "I didn't mean to freeze like that, I just... couldn't stop thinking about how she tried to kill you, how she helped the people who killed Pyrrha. Hell, she even helped bring Cinder here to Atlas"

"And she is making up for that now, at the very least she seems to be trying to" Jaune argued.

"How can we just be expected to forget everything she's done? She's a criminal, a terrorist, at the very least an accessory to murder" Nora argued.

"So was I" Blake replied.

Nora's glare softened "Blake, that's not, I didn't mean-"

"It's hard enough to trust people as it is right now" Ren interjected "That guy back there was proof of that"

"What guy?" Blake asked.

"Captain Evans, that guy from Corinth, apparently he worked for Chimera" Ruby answered.

"Worked? Then he's...?"

"Dead? Yeah, probably" she sighed "Grimm got to him as we fought, didn't see what happened, but chances are, he didn't make it out of that"

"Ouch..." Nora grimaced.

"Look, we can either stand around here arguing, or we can get this stuff back to the people who need it" Ruby left no room for argument in her tone "Penny, how is it looking up there?"

"Aside from all the commotion at the pharmacy? Looks like the Grimm aren't moving in towards the crater just yet. They're probably just a fear tactic on Salem's part, or trying to keep us from scrounging up anymore supplies in the city, keep Mantle desperate"

"Is there anywhere we can come out of the sewer system without them right on top of us?" Jaune asked.

"There's an outlet not far from the crater, you should be able to make it out there. I'll meet you there, sending the map you'll need now"

Ruby's Scroll chimed "Thanks, Penny. See you there" she pulled up the map on her screen "Looks pretty straight forward"

"Then let's get out of here. I don't like being down here with all those Grimm on top of us" Blake shuddered at the thought.

"Yeah, me neither" Jaune agreed.

The group walked in uncomfortable silence, with Blake taking up the rear to make sure they weren't followed and Ruby leading them through the sewer. It still struck her as odd that the other passageways were blocked, she wondered why, but they did give it too much thought until the sound of an ear-piercing screech tore through the tunnel. They all stopped, listening to try and locate the source of the sound.

"I don't suppose that was just the wind" Jaune muttered, trying to stay positive.

A second screech echoed around them moments later "We need to keep moving. Faster we're out of here, the better" Ren suggested.

Neo ran ahead of them, shaking her head and waving her arms frantically "What is it now?" Nora groaned in exasperation.

Neo made a circular motion with her hand and then pointed to the floor "What?" Ruby asked, not understanding.

She made a motion like putting a hood on, then pointed to the barricades, then to the floor. She motioned to the group as a whole with one hand, then ran her finger across her throat "Look, we don't have time for this" Nora replied "Can you be a little clearer?"

Neo rolled her eyes in annoyance, then used her Semblance to change into the hooded figure they saw before, then pointed to the barricades "We know that she's still probably down here, we still have to leave. Besides, there's plenty of us and just one of her" Jaune replied.

Neo's shoulders drooped as she changed back into her usual appearance, she took her notepad out with a look of annoyance, quickly scribbling out what she was trying to communicate to them with a shaky hand. She thrust the notepad to Ruby, taking her hand and pointing her Scroll to the pad so she could read the message. Ruby's eyes widened in realization, two fingers moved to her earpiece as she released her hold on the notepad.

"Penny, we need another way out of the sewer, now" she said urgently.

"What's wrong? Is something-"

"Now, Penny" she replied a bit more forcefully.

"Okay, okay... take your next right and then take your third left. That should take you toward the crater and away from the tunnel you're in now. I can meet you at that outlet too"

"Thanks, Penny. See you there" she replied "Let's go, now"

"Ruby, what's going on?" Blake asked with concern.

Ruby took the notepad from Neo and held it up to the others, using her Scroll to make the words visible "We're walking into an ambush"

"Ambush?" Ren asked concerned "How do you know?"

Ruby pointed to the barricades "Anybody else wondering who made those and why? Civilians sure didn't, they were evacuated to the crater"

"And the military wouldn't have either, they were too focused on shoring up defenses" Ren deduced.

"They were probably just trying to stop any Grimm from coming in through the sewer system, duh. Not hard to crack this one guys" Nora argued.

"No, they closed all the outlets around the city perimeter. They would've blocked this entire tunnel, not just the side passages" Jaune replied.

"Oh, yeah... I guess they did" she relented.

"The only reason you'd block those passages... is if you were corralling something..."

"But why? It's not like Salem could've known we'd be down here... right?" Blake asked with worry clear in her tone.

"She couldn't have possibly set a trap for us in here so quickly. How would she have even known we were in here? Not even Ironwood knows" Ren replied.

"Maybe because the one who did this is still down here" Ruby stated gravely "That woman in the hood, she could've done all this, but that still doesn't explain why" Ruby frowned "Let's just follow Penny's directions out of this tunnel, we don't want to be here any longer than we have to be"

They all had their weapons up now, their pace increased as they moved down the tunnel. They reached the corner with the passage Penny had told them about, Ruby stopped abruptly, covering the light on her Scroll, frantically turning it off. The others stopped behind her, eyes wide when they noticed what she had stumbled upon, the light from outside barely illuminating the inky skin of the Grimm in front of her, only it's ribcage visible to them. Ruby was mere inches away from one of the Apathy, it's low-hanging jaw shifting into view. Ruby looked beyond it and found dozens of shuffling silhouettes in the darkness, just enough to tell her there were far too many for them to fight. She motioned with her hand for them to back away, slowly moving back. Her Scroll chimed as they shifted away, causing them to freeze in place.

The large group of Grimm snapped their heads toward them, shuffling toward them with their arms outstretched, groaning at them. Neo kicked off the wall into a spinning kick into the skull of the one closest to them, sending it flying into a few of the others, knocking them over. Blake swept the legs out from a second, knocking it onto it's side. Before any of them could deliver a finishing blow, an ear-piercing screech tore through the air, causing them all to slump, drained of energy. The Apathy all turned toward them, now aware of their presence and started shuffling toward them. Ruby's eyes engulfed in a wave of bright light, disintegrating over a dozen of them in an instant and revitalizing herself as well as her friends.

"Back! Back!" she shouted as they rushed away from them.

Nora pulled Magnhild back and slammed it into the barricade blocking a nearby passageway, shattering it apart as she fired the weapon. With the passage clear, they all rushed in one after the other, until they were out of sight, but they didn't stop there. They weaved from passage to passage, desperate to get away from the Grimm now pursuing them. Ruby stopped them by rushing past with her Semblance, then pointed to a sloped passage away from them. They all slid down the passage, tucking behind a nearby wall as they did. Ren used his Semblance to hide them, while Neo used her own Semblance to close off the passage with a half wall.

Moments later, the Apathy trudged along down the passage, moving past the false wall Neo had created as they groaned and a few shrieks escaped them. There seemed to be no end of them, dozens of them making their way past them. Amongst them stood the hooded figure from earlier, she seemed to be looking for them, but was unable to catch sight of them. After a moment of searching, she stopped, her head looking directly at the passage they were hiding in.

"No, no, no, no" Ruby whispered frantically.

All of the Apathy stopped in place and turned their heads the same way she was now looking. Just as they were about to move toward them, a series of gunshots rang out in the distance. The hooded woman's head snapped toward the sound, quickly marching off toward the source of the sound without a word, the rest of the Grimm following behind her. After a few moments of terrifying silence, Ruby counted down on her fingers from three. At once, they all bolted back the way they'd come, away from the Grimm making their way back toward the crater as quickly as they could.

Penny saw them as they reached the exit, a look of concern on her face from the fearful expressions on their faces "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nora!" Ruby called.

"On it!" she fired Magnhild into the ceiling of the tunnel a few feet before the outlet, collapsing it so the Grimm couldn't follow.

"Ruby? Guys? What happened?" Penny asked a bit more urgently.

The group panted, struggling to catch their breath "Apathy, everywhere" she answered "Almost got trapped in there with them"

"Oh no! Are you all alright?"

"We're fine, Penny. They were just... unnerving" Blake answered.

"But why would there be so many in the sewers?" she asked.

"One of Salem's goons in the hoods" Jaune answered "They blocked most of the side passages"

"They were moving towards the crater. If Salem sent them there, they'd leave everyone defenseless for that army of Grimm" Ren deduced.

"How horrible" Penny grimaced.

"Wouldn't have been so bad if someone didn't send us a message while we were in there" Nora muttered exasperatedly.

"Who did that?" Penny asked.

"You mean it wasn't you?" Blake asked surprised.

"No, I didn't send anything after that map of the sewers"

Ruby looked at her Scroll and her eyes widened slightly "Oh"

"What is it?"

"I... I'm not sure"

"What'd they say?" Nora asked.

"Here" Ruby turned toward them so everyone could see it.

Ruby, we need to talk

"Well, are you going to message back?" Jaune asked.

"Who is it?" Blake asked simultaneously.

"Should we risk replying?" Ren wondered.

"We need all the help we can get" Ruby replied "But we can't afford to fall into a trap, if Ironwood wants to catch us, he could be using this as his way to draw us back"

"Well, yeah. But we also need medicine from Atlas to help Oscar, if we don't, he'll die" Nora argued.

"Then we have to risk it, and prepare for betrayal, just in case" Ruby determined.

Who is this?

The Scroll chimed once again quickly, faster than they expected No names. General Ironwood can't find out about this

You wanted to talk?

I do. Salem came and talked to us, in person

Their eyes widened "She was there? In Atlas?!" she asked in shock.

"What happened? Ask what happened" Jaune prodded.

Was anyone hurt? What happened?

She didn't attack, just made some demands and a few threats. She wants you Ruby, and the Relics. She's promised to abandon Atlas if we hand you both over.

You expect me to surrender? Is that what the General wants?

No, Ironwood refused the offer. Believe what you will about him, but he would never betray his friends to Salem. No, he's planning on using the Lamp to ask the final question. I was hoping Professor Ozpin had a plan or maybe a full explanation regarding the Staff.

So you want to use the Relics?

I want to save Atlas, and I don't want to have to abandon Mantle to do it unless there is no other choice. I am worried that the Lamp might give an answer that won't satisfy the General. It's important we all work together to solve this and stop Salem, but I can't be sure he'll listen to reason right now.

How long do we have?

Forty seven hours. If we haven't given you and the Relics over by then, she'll destroy Atlas and Mantle.

Then why can't we evacuate Mantle? That gives us plenty of time to figure this out, to get the signal to disable Chimera's chips. Ironwood's entire reason for dividing our forces changes, right?

No, Salem warned that if we try to save the people in Mantle, she'll call off the deal and attack immediately. We can't afford to risk that. We're trying to get the signal back up, but Ironwood isn't going to wait if the Staff can solve our problems.

And if it can't?

He said we'll do things your way, but he might just use the Staff anyway. He's been acting irrationally lately, and I am concerned he is not seeing clearly.

Well Salem isn't waiting, she's got the Grimm moving back into Mantle, they're surrounding the crater now. She's got one of her guys leading Apathy through the sewers to the crater as well. We might not have that much time to act.

What does Professor Ozpin think?

We don't know, Oscar's been unconscious ever since Tyrian poisoned him.

I feared as much, what's his condition?

He's alive, but the poison is going to kill him if we don't get him help. We need medical supplies from Atlas, as soon as possible.

Well... I can manage that. All we'd have to do is get you here.

We have a plan for that.

You do? How?

Neo.

---

The sound of Cinder's claws scraping against the metal ground echoed throughout the cellblock. She sat against the Hard-Light barrier, a resigned look on her face as she continued the motion with her hand. Emerald was laying on her cot, but hadn't managed to get to sleep because of Cinder's scraping. Watts sat against the wall with his fingers in his ears, humming lightly to drown out the noise. Yang on the other hand laid on her side with one ear pressed to the pillow of her cot and her one hand covering her opposite ear, gritting her teeth in annoyance. If she had to stay in this cell with them so close, she was sure she'd go insane before long.

The sound of the entry door opening caught her attention, the scraping sound coming to a sudden halt. Yang groaned, knowing it was Ironwood or one of his soldiers coming in, probably just to feed them again. She wasn't entirely sure how long she'd been in the cell at this point. She heard the footsteps come to a sudden stop in front of her cell, the barrier lowering a second later. The sound of something softly falling to the ground assured her of her assumption, just another food delivery.

"So he didn't die after all. Pity" Watts drawled.

"You..." Cinder snarled.

Those comments brought Yang's attention to the door immediately "In, now" Ironwood ordered.

"Alright, alright, you don't have to be so pushy" Slade's voice answered.

Yang shot up in her chair, eyes wide in shock at the sight of him before her. Tears started flowing down her cheeks, the sight of him up and walking sending a wave of relief to wash over her "Slade!" she called with clear joy.

Slade smiled at her as he turned to see her "Hey, Yang. It's so good to-oof!"

Yang's remaining arm wrapped around him as she engulfed him into a hug "I'm so glad you're okay!"

He returned the hug "Hey, of course I'm alright"

She pulled back, looking at his face, her hand reaching up and caressing his cheek "You're really here. This isn't one of Emerald's illusions?"

"Why don't I show you?" Slade pulled her into a deep kiss, she was very receptive, moving in rhythm with him.

"Ugh" Watts grimaced "Young love, delightful" Emerald couldn't help but allow herself a small smile, the guilt she'd been feeling washing away.

The two pulled apart, panting for breath "You really must've missed me" she giggled.

"Maybe a little" he chuckled.

Ironwood picked up the bolas from the ground as the barrier raised once more "I'll be back in fifteen minutes. I want your answer by then" he called before turning away from them "Winter, interrogation"

"Yes, Sir" she called from the entrance to the cellblock.

"Oh, joy. Now we get to play twenty questions" Watts groaned.

"On your feet, all of you" Winter called with authority.

Yang scrunched her face "What was that about? Answer to what?" she asked him.

Slade sighed "I still haven't given him a direct answer about whether I agree with his plan or Ruby's. I needed to see you first"

Yang nodded in understanding "I don't know what he told you, but..." she lowered her voice to a whisper "He's going to get us all killed"

"Yeah, I got the impression that's how you and Ruby felt"

"You don't?"

"I think the Lamp would answer our concerns easily, if Ironwood is wrong, then we do things Ruby's way, easy solution"

"And if he's not wrong? Or worse, he tries to go through with it anyway?"

"You know I wouldn't let that happen, and if he is right, then we just do what is necessary"

"But... what about if it comes down to Atlas at Mantle's expense?"

"You know I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're safe, Yang"

She smiled "You always know just what to say to make everything better"

He returned the smile "I don't suppose you have a plan for getting out of here"

"If I did, do you really think I'd still be stuck in here with these assholes?"

Slade chuckled "No, I guess not"

"What did Ironwood tell you?"

"That Oz doesn't think his plan is going to work. That Ruby and the others escaped, might've headed down to Mantle. I'm not nearly as worried about that as I am about what Salem told us"

"Wait, told you?" she asked surprised.

"Yeah, she came here in person, just after I woke up"

"What happened? Is everyone okay?"

"She didn't hurt anyone. Though, she made plenty of demands. She wants Ruby, and the Relics. She's given us forty eight hours to get them for her. Then she leaves us alone"

"What did Ironwood say?"

"He refused, of course. He knows handing over the Relics isn't an option. Even if it were, he'd never hand Ruby over to her"

"You sure about that? He shot you, arrested us both, and he wants Ruby and the others too. Anyone who won't do what he says is fair game for him"

"Yeah, I know" Slade sighed, sitting onto the cot.

She rested on it beside him "I'm just glad you're alive. I was so scared when he shot you, when you... I just..."

"I know" he embraced her "It's okay, Yang. I'm fine, and I'm here"

She kissed his shoulder "What're we gonna do?"

"Ruby has gotta have a plan, right? Maybe Oz knows how we can beat this thing? Stop Salem from destroying everything?"

"If they do, I don't know about them. I've been stuck in here"

"You don't know anything? You've got no way out of here?"

"I already told you I didn't. I wish I did, really... I'm worried about Ruby. If she made it down to Mantle, then I don't know what she's going to do... if Ironwood uses the Relic-"

"Atlas falls, yeah. He told me that's what Oz said" Slade sighed "Guess we're back to square one" he added as he stood.

"Exactly, and I can't do anything in this cell. I don't suppose Elise can help?" she asked.

"Not unless you want to put me back in the hospital or risk killing me"

"What?" she blinked in confusion.

"Apparently my body rejects her Aura when she takes control, makes each subsequent attempt that much more dangerous for me... which makes the fact that she stole the Winter Maiden's power from Winter all the more confusing"

"She took Winter's power? Why? Did she know it was dangerous for you?"

"She did... but she also said it was the only way to save Atlas. Though she's been incredibly vague on that front"

Yang huffed "You know, your sister and Ozpin are two peas in a pod"

"Believe me, I know" he sighed "I... I think I have my answer for James"

"James? You know, you and Ironwood have become awful casual when it comes to addressing each other"

"Yeah... I know"

She got to her feet and intertwined their fingers "Slade, we need to figure some way out of here"

He sighed "There is no way out from these cells, not from the inside"

"Huh?"

The entry door opened before he could answer, Ironwood and Winter moving to the cell with his hands crossed behind his back "Emerald awaits interrogation, as do Arthur and Cinder. Have you come to a decision?"

"I have" Slade answered, removing his hand from Yang's.

"Slade?" she asked in surprise.

"I'm with you, James. Completely"

Ironwood smiled "Glad to hear it" he lowered the barrier "Now, let's-"

"You son of a bitch!" Yang cried, slamming her fist into Slade's face, knocking him onto his side, her eyes flashing red.

Ironwood drew his pistol and aimed it right toward her "Yang, stand down"

"What? You wanna shoot me now too?!"

"Easy, easy!" Slade called as he got to his feet, his arms up between them to try and keep them from attacking each other.

"You're working with Ironwood! He's gonna get us all killed!" she shouted.

"Yang, I know you're upset right now. But I am trying to help"

"Who?! What if Ruby is still down there when he uses the Relic? She'll die!"

"He won't, he's given me his word. And I am choosing to trust him"

"Oh, yeah, because he's been so good about keeping his word to you so far!"

"That's..." he sighed "I'm trying to do the right thing here, Yang. I've run away before, I'm done running"

"Ruby isn't running! She's just not giving up!"

"She's not going to listen to reason, Slade. We're wasting valuable time"

"Look, I know you're not happy with this. I can't say that I am either, but this is where we're at"

She punched him once more, harder than she had the first time, knocking him back onto his side. Ironwood moved to intervene, but was stopped by a raised hand from Slade "Why, Slade? Why? You're supposed to be our friend!"

"I am your friend, I-"

"Bullshit! Friends don't stab each other in the back!" she cried, tears falling down her cheeks.

Slade sighed "I already told you before, Yang. If it means keeping you safe, I would always choose you. I warned you that this would happen, but you wouldn't listen... and I couldn't say no anymore"

"What's the point of living if everyone that matters is dead?!"

Slade frowned "You tell me"

She wiped her eyes, clearing them of tears "Slade... please..."

"You still have your father, Yang... and if I can save Ruby, Qrow, and everyone else? I will"

"And what if you can't?"

"It's like you said, Yang. I can't do anything stuck in a cell" her eyes widened but she remained silent. He exhaled slowly.

"Slade-" Ironwood started as he raised the Hard Light barrier.

"Let's just go" he cut him off, not wishing to talk for the moment.

Ironwood nodded, reaching into his coat pocket "Alright then. I believe this belongs to you" he offered as they exited.

Slade accepted his Scroll back from him "Thanks"

Ironwood frowned "She'll come around, Slade. We'll make sure they all make it through this"

He nodded "Yeah..." he raised his head to see Winter marching toward them.

"I take it he's onboard, General?" she inquired.

"He is, we'll stick to the original plan"

"Understood, Sir"

Ironwood nodded "Then let's get to it"

Winter stepped aside to let him pass. The three of them walked in silence until they reached the interrogation rooms. Ironwood instructed them, but Slade didn't hear a word, his mind was too focused on what Yang had said to him, on the stinging pain he still felt on his cheek, on the aching in his chest, his hands tightened into fists.

"Slade!" Ironwood called.

He snapped back to reality "Sir?"

Ironwood sighed "Are you sure you are ready for this? You seem distracted"

"I'm fine, sorry"

"You don't have to be" Ironwood placed a comforting hand on his shoulder "You care about Yang, Ruby, the others... it must be difficult choosing to side against them, especially with everything you've all been through"

"It... is"

"And I appreciate your trust, Slade. But I need you focused, are you up to this? Winter or I can handle-"

"No, James. I'll be fine... I can handle this"

Ironwood smiled, nodding "Good" his hands folded behind his back "Use whatever means necessary to get what we need from them. I want answers"

"Yes, Sir" they replied in unison.

He nodded "We'll reconvene back in my office to discuss our findings. Don't lower your guard around them for even a second, especially you, Slade. Emerald's Semblance has caused enough trouble as it is"

"I'll be careful"

"Glad to hear it" Ironwood turned away without another word and entered the room where he had Cinder waiting for him.

Slade moved to the door but was suddenly pinned to the wall by Winter's arm across his chest "Winter, what the hell?" he asked incredulously.

Winter narrowed her eyes at him "You're behind this plan? Behind the General?" she asked in a demanding tone.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. Or do you think the bruises from Yang are just for show?"

She didn't relent "You're behind him completely? This isn't another one of your lies? I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder, wondering when you're going to spring your trap and undermine Ironwood?"

"You won't"

She leaned closer "Look me in the eye and tell me you're with us, with your whole being"

Slade glared at her "I'm with you, with my whole being"

Winter searched his eyes for any sign of deceit until she was satisfied with his answer "Okay" she released him "Sorry"

"Don't be, I understand. Thins are tense right now, it's difficult to know who to trust"

She nodded "It is" she looked away "Even Weiss is..." she cleared her throat "We should get to work"

"Right..."

Slade opened the door to his interrogation room and found Emerald waiting in her chair with her arms bound to the table in front of her. Her eyes darted over to him, then back to the table in front of her. Slade took a deep breath, closing the door behind him. Silently, he moved to sit across from her, both of them now staring the other down. After a long uncomfortable silence, Slade was the first one to break it.

"Hello"

"..."

"Not much of a conversationalist I see"

"..."

Slade chuckled "I get it, you're hungry, right? I know I get pretty grumpy when I've got the munchies too. And Yang? Whoo, you wouldn't believe the-"

"Do you always talk this much?" Emerald asked in annoyance.

"She speaks!" he waved his hands in mock astonishment "And no, not usually. I'd prefer you did the talking, Emerald"

"I've got nothing to say, not to you"

Slade shrugged "You'd prefer James or Winter? You can talk to me or you can talk to them, and I can assure you my disposition is much sunnier"

"You think I'm afraid of you? Of them?" she scoffed "You're more delusional than I thought"

He folded his hands in front of him "And what is it exactly that makes me so delusional? Enlighten me"

"You really think you can stop Salem, that you can win this fight, this war between her and Ozpin"

"We've lost before, sure. But so has she, she's not invincible"

"She is invincible, you've seen that first hand"

"Well, yes, she can't die, sure. But she still makes mistakes, just like anyone else"

"And your mistake is thinking you can win"

"Maybe, but it's better than rolling over. At least, I like to think so"

"What does it matter if you're dead? She'll kill you for what you've done... you could've just stayed out of it, out of her way, but you fought back, in Mistral, in Mantle, now Atlas... why?"

"Well... there was a certain fierce blonde who convinced me" he smirked "Might've had something to do with it"

"So you're risking everything you have for her? For one girl?" she groaned "You can't be serious"

"Hey, you asked" he laughed "She may have been the reason I came back in Mistral, but she isn't the only reason I decided to stick around. Besides, those kids have started to grow on me"

"Aren't you afraid?" she asked timidly.

"Oh, yeah, terrified" he answered honestly "I mean, you've met Salem. What rational being wouldn't be mortified by the prospect of being in the same room with her, let alone fighting her?"

"But you still fight her?"

Slade sighed "Emerald, I don't know much about you. I don't know what you've been through, if you've lost anyone the way that I have, or if you even want to do what you do, to work for Salem. All I really know, is Cinder picked you up somewhere along the way... and I recognize that" he pointed to her.

"Recognize what?" she asked in confusion.

"Fear... the fear of being alone" her eyes widened "I know Salem terrifies you, and I know you're more scared of her than you are of any of us... and that you're more loyal to Cinder than you are to Salem"

"H-how... why do you know that?"

"Your eyes" He answered.

"My eyes?" she asked in surprise.

"I've seen that same look in the mirror every morning for years, and it's only gotten worse overtime. You see, when you have something you devote your entire being to, and then lose it... it breaks a part of you. I loved my family more than anything, I chose to dedicate my life to becoming a Huntsman because of them, even after they were gone. And when I lost my team, my... new family, all I had left was that... Oz... and Qrow..."

"Yeah... is that why you left?"

"It was... see, when you lose people, it's losing a part of you that you didn't even know you could lose. People always understand, of course, but then they stop understanding, they expect you to just grow up, toughen up, move on, move past the pain, ignore it even... they don't get that you can't ignore it. That it's a part of you now, a part of you that you get to live with everyday for the rest of your life"

"So you ran away"

"Wouldn't you do the same if you found out the only reason you lost anyone was because one of the people you trusted most was lying to you, was keeping secrets from you, secrets that got everyone you loved killed? Yeah, I ran... and I think you wanna run too"

She scrunched her brow at him "What the hell makes you say that?"

"You're loyal to Cinder, but she doesn't care about anything but power. She doesn't care what happens to anyone, as long as she gets what she wants, even when what she wants isn't what Salem wants. Her lust for power is stronger than her fear of Salem"

Emerald jumped in her chair when she heard a gunshot ring out, followed by a muffled scream of pain "Cinder?" she breathed.

Slade sighed "Guess James lost his patience, started with the hardball tactics" he shrugged "I could move to that too, but I don't think you're going to need the help, will you?"

"You think I'm gonna just tell you what you want to know?"

"I think you understand me better than you think, and I understand you better than you might think"

"You don't know anything about me!"

"You were alone, weren't you? Cinder found you, gave you something to cling onto... without that what do you have?"

"I... I..."

"See, I didn't have anything either, after Oz... I wandered, ran with Roman and Neo for awhile, until they started to get caught up in Salem's game. But it wasn't until I found Yang that I was finally pulled back from the darkness I found myself in, just like Cinder did for you. But there is only one difference, Cinder doesn't care about you-"

"You're wrong!"

"Am I? What was her reaction to you trying to kill me? Hm?"

"That... that wasn't... I... she-"

"She bust out the welcome wagon? Bake you a cake and say congratulations? Pat on the back at least? I don't think so"

"She... she was angry... so angry... Salem told me to... to use my Semblance, ordered me to trick Ironwood. But... she was so mad at me..."

"Like I said, she only cares about power, Emerald. The only way you matter to her, is if you can get her what she wants. After that, you're just in the way. She's done it before, Roman wouldn't be dead right now if she actually gave a damn about anyone, about those useful to her"

"But... she... she..."

Slade sighed, standing from his place "Emerald, listen to me. I need intel on Salem's movements to stop her from destroying Atlas and killing the most important person in the world to me. I give you my word you won't be harmed, and Salem will never know"

"She'll kill me... I can't..."

"She'll kill you anyway" he replied, leaning onto the table.

"You don't know that"

"I do" he stood to full height "Do you know what the Lamp does? Why it's called the Relic of Knowledge?"

"Uh... not really..."

He nodded "Neither does Salem, not really. She didn't even know the first rule about the Staff of Creation. Salem isn't like Ozpin, she doesn't know what the Relics are capable of like he does. But she wants them anyway, don't you wonder why that is?"

"I... guess I haven't really thought about it like that... because they're powerful?" she wondered aloud.

"More powerful than Salem is already?" he shrugged "No real way to know that for sure, right? So, why put so much effort into getting them for herself?"

Emerald's gaze hardened "Why?"

"Because she wants to destroy Remnant"

Emerald blinked "Destroy it? You mean, the world as we know it, right? I mean, she doesn't actually-"

"Want to destroy the planet? Yeah, she does" he placed his hands onto the table.

"How could you know that for sure? Because Ozpin told you?"

"Ozpin didn't want us to know, he tried to keep it a secret from us. The Lamp answers questions, Emerald. Any question, it knows everything... and Ruby asked what Ozpin was hiding from us"

"W-what did it tell you?"

"That Salem can't be killed, that if the four Relics are brought together while Remnant is divided, that the planet will be destroyed... that's why she wants the Relics, so she can die"

Her eyes widened in shock "That... no, that can't be... she wouldn't... I mean... why would she-"

"She's been living for thousands of years in constant pain, Emerald. Wouldn't you want to die too in her place?"

"I..."

"Emerald... please, give me something, anything"

"She'll kill me... I can't..."

"Salem might kill you anyway, she's already infused that Grimm fluid into you before, why not go all the way and just bring you back like those husks of Hunter and Cole-?"

"No!" she cried out desperately "I... I don't want to be like that. I'll... I'll tell you what I know... just... just promise you won't let her get to me, that you'll protect me from her"

Slade frowned "If you're honest with me, you have my word. Salem won't lay a finger on you, but if you're lying... you already know"

She nodded "Okay, okay" she took a deep breath before continuing "The plan was to turn Ruby against Ironwood by tricking him into killing you. Salem was going to use the division between you two to capture Ruby and secure the Relics. Atlas would fall and no one would be left"

"Then why did she offer Ironwood a deal? Why give us time to regroup?"

Emerald shrugged "I don't know, she never mentioned any deals. But she had backup plans, if Sable failed to destroy Mantle, she's got one of those hooded freaks leading the Grimm into the sewers to attack the refugees trapped in Mantle. That massive Grimm ship she's in is supposed to attack Atlas in case Cinder failed to secure the Relics herself by the time she arrived"

Slade rubbed his chin in thought "She knows I'm not dead, and if what Winter said is true, she can feel the power of the Maidens, meaning she knows Elise took the Fall and Winter Maiden's power... the real question is, why not just attack now? Why give us time to make a plan... unless she didn't plan for this particular outcome"

Emerald nodded "She was sure killing you would cause Ironwood to lose it, for the others to not trust him. But you survived, and that means she knows Ruby is still with you guys"

Slade nodded along with her explanation "Meaning she needs time to make a new plan of attack, to move her pieces into place... she doesn't think she can win a test of strength, but why? She could destroy us with a wave of her hand..."

She's not giving you time to consider her offer! She wants time to ensure her victory! Elise added.

Slade groaned "Then we're just wasting time with these interrogations. We need to-" he cut himself off so as not to reveal their situation to Emerald "Thank you, you might've just saved a lot of lives, including your own"

She sighed in relief "Then, you believe me?"

"I do" he unhooked her bolas from the table "Let's get you back to your cell. Once the battle is over, we'll discuss our options for you. You have my word"

"You'll keep Ironwood from executing me?" she asked.

"No one will lay a finger on you, so long as everything you've told me is true"

Slade and Emerald walked in relative silence back to the cellblock, he looked over to Yang's cell to find her glaring at him silently from her place on her cot. He sighed with a light shake of his head. He opened the cell and removed the bolas from Emerald, allowing her to step inside on her own. Once inside, she turned back to him and tilted her head questioningly.

"How do you know I'm not using my Semblance to make you think I'm in my cell?" she asked curiously.

Slade smirked "Because I've been using my Semblance this whole time to keep track of you. If you even moved the wrong way, I would've been aware of it"

She nodded "So that's why you were the one to interrogate me"

He smiled "Always thinking ahead, Emerald"

She returned the smile as the Hard Light barrier rose once more "Thank you"

"You're welcome"

Slade turned to leave, stopping long enough to offer another passing glance at Yang, before sighing and moving on. He removed his Scroll from his pocket and navigated to his contacts, selecting Ruby's from the list. His finger hovered over the message button as he exited the room, the door sliding closed behind him. The two sat in silence in the cellblock for a moment, only the dull hum of the Hard Light barriers filling the silent void between them. Emerald kept glancing over at Yang, but never said anything, which did not go unnoticed by the very agitated blonde, who did not appreciate the attention.

"What?" she finally snapped.

"N-nothing" she stuttered out.

"Then stop looking at me. It's pissing me off" she grumbled.

"I just... wanted to say... I think he's really trying"

"Excuse me?" she asked confused.

"Slade, I mean... I think he's trying to do the right thing"

"By stabbing us all in the back?" she scoffed "Bullshit"

"Well, he could've taken Ironwood's approach to interrogating me, shot me, hit me until I broke... but he didn't... he just... treated me like a person... like I mattered"

Yang scrunched her brow "He did?" she asked surprised.

"Yeah... he told me about why he came back in Mistral, why he stuck around, that the Lamp showed you all the truth about Salem... about how much you mean to him"

"Yeah, I'm really feeling the love over here"

"You're the most important thing in the world to him, Yang... you know that, don't you?"

Yang's eyes widened slightly "He... did he tell you that?" she asked timidly.

"He didn't have to... it was obvious, from the way he talked about you, the look in his eyes when he mentioned your name... you're really lucky, you know"

She snorted "Yeah, you'll have to excuse me if I don't feel so lucky sitting over here in my prison cell"

"I don't mean that. I just mean, because you have someone who cares about you that much. Who cares about you enough to do what they think is best for you, even if it means you hate him for it"

Yang looked down at the ground in front of her, pulling her knees into her chest on her cot with her one arm "I... I don't hate him... I'm just... sad..."

Emerald nodded "Maybe... you should tell him that"

"I... I don't-"

Winter interrupted them as she entered with Watts in her grip "That's enough out of you, traitor" she opened his cell and tossed him in as soon as the bolas was undone.

He laughed as he stumbled in "What's the matter, Specialist? Too soon? Oh, I'm sure your sister will forgive you-"

"Shut up!" Yang shouted "Don't you dare talk about Weiss!"

"Aw, now the poor blonde is all upset" he drawled as the barrier rose.

"One more word, Arthur, and I'll have you muzzled" Winter warned.

Arthur held his hands up in surrender, then motioned that he was zipping his lips and throwing away the key. Winter just shook her head and made her way back out of the cellblock, leaving the three of them in silence. Yang couldn't stop thinking about what Emerald had said, was she being too hard on Slade? Was he really just trying to make the best of a tough situation? She wasn't sure anymore, all she was sure of, is she couldn't shake the elation she felt about the prospect of Slade caring for her more than anything else. That thought alone would keep her going for the rest of the day alone...

---

Ruby entered Radcliff's tent, holding the flap up for the others entering behind her. She noticed Oscar's skin was much paler than it had been before they'd left. Catalina was no longer present, but Radcliff remained beside the boy. She noticed Weiss and Qrow were both on their feet now too, their attention turning to the entrance of the tent.

"Hey, Pipsqueak" Qrow called "How'd you do?"

She smiled "We got what we need"

"But we still can't make an antivenom for Oscar without going back to Atlas" Ren added as Neo got straight to work administering treatment to the boy in question.

"Then you'll need our help" Weiss deduced.

"Well, yeah, but I don't know if you're in any condition to fight right now"

"Then I'll just have to fix that" Jaune replied "I've recovered enough Aura to be able to work on you both and still be in fighting shape"

"Good, then you can hopefully get this mess sorted out with James. We won't be able to hold out against all those Grimm if they decide to attack" Radcliff grumbled.

"Yeah, about that..." Nora rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"What?" Weiss asked "What happened?"

Penny frowned "The Grimm are moving back into the city, they're surrounding the crater"

"Then we're running out of time. We need to move on Atlas as soon as possible" Qrow concluded.

Catalina entered "Oh, you guys are back! Thank goodness you're all okay"

"Any luck?" Radcliff asked.

"Nope, it's like he just disappeared"

"Who?" Ruby asked.

"Someone she met, said she thought he might've been a retired Huntsman or something" he answered.

"If the Grimm are moving back in, did you run into any trouble-" Qrow stopped when he noticed something wrong with Ruby's attire "Wait, Ruby, what happened to your buckle?"

Ruby frowned "I lost it. While we were in the pharmacy, Captain Evans confronted us, tried to capture me for... Chimera" she finished after a short pause.

"C-Captain Evans?!" Catalina asked shocked.

"Why would he do that? He's been nothing but trustworthy and loyal to Corinth and it's people for years!"

"Apparently he's been working for Chimera since the beginning. At least, if he is to be believed" Blake replied.

"What... what happened to him?" Catalina asked carefully.

"He's gone" Ren answered quickly "He was pulled out by the Grimm, we never saw what happened to him, but it's unlikely anyone got out of that"

"Evans... all this time..." Radcliff muttered in disbelief.

"That's not all" Jaune crossed his arms over his chest "There was a woman in the sewers with us, when we used them to escape the Grimm. The side passages were all barricaded so she could corral dozens of the Apathy to the crater"

"Another one of Chimera's plans?" Catalina asked.

"Yeah, the Apathy would render us unable to fight back while the rest of the Grimm tore us apart. We sealed the passage we left through, but we almost didn't make it out at all. Those Grimm were distracted by someone else, Evans maybe" Ruby explained.

"Either way, it doesn't really matter. We need a plan to deal with them and the other Grimm, or to move these people to Atlas fast enough to stop the Grimm from destroying both cities at once" Nora deduced.

"That's an improbable solution. Only one of Ironwood's airships would be big enough to take all of these people at once, but that would leave Atlas vulnerable to attack. The only way I can think of to ensure Atlas doesn't fall, is to abandon Mantle" Penny explained.

"What?!" Weiss asked incredulously.

"Given the data I have now, there is no other way, not without surrendering Ruby and the Relics, and that's only if the deal is honored" she replied "I don't like it, but I'm not sure we have any other options right now, no good ones anyway"

"Then how do we do this? How do we help Oscar and defend Mantle without putting Atlas at risk?" Jaune asked.

"One thing at a time. We have a plan for getting into Atlas, but once we're there we can't be sure we'll be able to help Oscar without a fight... unless..." she looked to Neo, then to Penny "That's it!" she grinned.

"What is?" Penny asked.

"Penny, can you mimic my voice?" she asked.

"Like this?" Penny asked sounding exactly like her.

"Perfect!" she turned to Neo "Now you!"

Neo blinked, then pointed to herself "Her? She can't speak" Nora pointed out.

"No, not speak, just look like me" she clarified.

Neo nodded, her appearance changing to match Ruby's own "Whaddya thinkin', kiddo?" Qrow asked.

"If Neo uses her Semblance on Penny, she can make her look like me and she can sound like me. Then we just have to make Ironwood believe we're being genuine in wanting to help him. In the meantime, we break Yang out, and get the medicine we need for Oscar. Then all we need to do is get back out with it and back to Mantle with the supplies"

"You wanna surrender Penny to Ironwood while he thinks she is you?" Blake asked in surprise.

"That's... that's... a horrible idea... such a bad idea, that it might actually work" Weiss added in support.

"You'll need the rest of us up there too, in case it comes down to a fight" Nora surmised.

"No, we need a few to stay behind, the people here need to see their protectors" Radcliff explained.

"There's no way Ironwood will allow any of you to go up there without arresting you" Ren argued.

"But we're not the only ones who disagree with Ironwood" Qrow replied "We've still got some friends up there, and I bet they'd be willing to help if it means saving Oscar"

Ruby nodded "In fact, one of them already contacted us" she explained holding up her Scroll.

"Who?"

"Wouldn't say a name, didn't want to alert Ironwood, just in case. But It's gotta be Slade, right? If he's awake, there's no way he would stand for Yang being in a cell, but he knows breaking her out alone would be next to impossible" Blake answered.

"So, what's the whole plan?" Penny asked for clarification.

"We call Ironwood, offer me in exchange for treatment for Oscar. Of course it's not really me, it's Penny in disguise while the real me sits in the ship with the rest of you, ready to spring into action the minute something goes wrong. In the meantime, Slade releases Yang from the cellblock and brings her to meet up in the infirmary. Qrow, you'll cause a distraction with one of their airships so we can get away disguising the ship with Neo's Semblance"

"Then I get away" Qrow smirked "Hard to catch a bird, right? Nice going, kid"

"I agree, the plan is sound" Radcliff nodded.

"What about us? Who'll be staying behind?" Catalina asked.

"Jaune, Nora, and Ren will stay back and keep an eye on things here. If something happens, we'll be back as soon as we can. Then we can come up with a plan to stop the Grimm here and in Atlas" Ruby explained.

Jaune nodded "Then I'd better get to work"

"Quick as you can, Jaune. We need them both in fighting shape. I'm gonna contact our 'mysterious friend' and make sure he's ready... then I need to make an uncomfortable call with Ironwood"

"Fun" Nora drawled.

"Look it's gotta be done, and we can't all-" Ruby stopped when the tent flap opened, Captain Evans crashing to the ground a moment later.

"Uh... what?" Weiss blinked in surprise.

"Evans?" Catalina called softly.

Neo moved carefully over to him, checking for a pulse. His body was covered in scratches and tears made by the Grimm, his armor in tatters. His hands were closed around something over the center of his chest. Once she'd finished checking him over, Neo looked to Radcliff and shook her head, indicating he had passed on already.

"He's dead? If he's dead, then how did he get here?" Qrow asked.

Ren and Blake looked outside the tent quickly, their eyes scanning the crowd, only to find no one seemed to notice anything off "How could someone sneak through this many people with a body and no one see anything?" she asked.

"It is strange" Ren agreed.

Neo pulled a cloth from Evans' hands, unwrapping it and turning toward Ruby with a smile "What is it?" she asked. She gasped when she saw it, her lost buckle "I... how..."

"Seems you have a bit of a guardian angel" Radcliff gestured to Evans, noticing the bullet wounds in his chest, his arms having covered them prior.

"Bullet rounds... who could've done that?" Weiss asked.

"I don't know, but I hope Radcliff is right. It'd be nice to have someone on our side for a change" Qrow replied.

Ruby replaced the buckle on her and smiled "Whoever it is, I think we can count on them to watch our backs down here. We should keep an eye out for them, just in case"

"Will do" Jaune assured.

---

That's all for now! Hopefully the next chapter won't take me as long, but we've just entered our busy season at work, so I know time is going to be tight. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time!