Jason walked down into the underground cavern with his sense of smell turned off. He'd gotten a hint of something coming out of the cavern, and cut of his sense of smell.
He walked into the tunnel at the base of the stairs and saw a group of people; people who were in desperate need of a healer.
"I know you have no reason to trust me." He spoke. "But please; step into my shadow. You will appear outside. Velvet and Geoff are outside."
Velvet stepped out of Jason's shadow. "It's okay. Come with me."
The group began entering Jason's shadow slowly and in ones and twos.
Jason watched as people who had been tortured by bigots and sadists. Their wounds were horrifying. How could anyone do something like this? These people were innocent. How could anyone... why would anyone do this? He could feel his hatred for Cordovin grow as the injuries he saw only got worse.
When they were all out of the tunnel Jason let his rage pulse like the fire of a forge. He was letting his rage boil when he felt a hand on his arm.
His nose was filled with Weiss's scent... Weiss's pregnant scent.
The scent of Weiss carrying their child grounded him, and he calmed down.
"Let's go." Weiss said, as they walked deeper into the tunnel and appeared in the Maximum Security section of the prison.
Weiss stayed outside while Jason walked in to witness the horrors committed in this room.
One by one he placed the bodies into his shadow, placing them outside on the ground.
He dulled his senses so he could work without distraction. It was hard enough to look at the mutilated bodies without letting his emotions take over.
Outside
Geoff watched as, from the shadows, bodies began being laid down as respectfully as they could be.
"Le's go." He said, somberly, and he and Velvet picked up a body and moved it from the barracks to the road leading to Argus and laid it on the ground, before making a row.
The others began doing the same, handling the bodies with as much respect as they could.
Scott blipped away so he could find covers in which to create more shade for Jason as well as give the dead some respect. He came back with all the blankets and sheets from the barracks.
"Oh gods." Summer gasped, causing the others to look at the Faunus woman Jason has just laid on the ground. She had been mutilated in such a horrific manner. Her breasts had been branded and she'd been forced to endure a pain that no woman should ever have to endure.
"Why would they do that?" Emerald held a hand to her mouth.
"They were sadists." Loki bit out. "Getting off on causing the most pain imaginable. There's not much worse pain a woman could endure than having her body violated in such a horrifying way. If she had survived, then she likely would have ended her own life herself."
Tai pulled Ruby and Yang away so they wouldn't have to see what had been done to the poor woman.
Scott covered the woman with a blanket and picked her up, the tears falling down his cheeks expressing more emotion than he could have with words. He could feel the corruption crawling deeper inside him, latching onto his parents teachings and corroding them. He laid the woman down and when he looked up his eyes burned with vengeance.
Jason slowly and methodically moved through the room, giving each corpse the respect, it deserved as he placed them through his portal.
Some of the dead had been stuck in their horrific poses till Rigor Mortis set in. He pulled the limbs, forcing them into a straightened position, ignoring the disturbing cracking sounds before placing them through the shadow.
José walked over and picked up a man whose arms, legs, and neck looked weird. Their limbs sort of flopped at weird angles when he picked the Faunus up. The poor man's ears had been cut off, filling José with a feeling of dread and disgust.
He wanted to puke, but he swallowed keeping the bile from rising any farther. The last thing he needed to do was disgrace the man's body any more than it already had.
He placed the man on the ground and covered him with a blanket before picking up another body.
Loki looked at a body who wore scars along their stomach. She felt her own scars, lowering her head, and let a few tears fall for the poor person, mutilated beyond recognition.
Coral hugged Loki and held her while she cried.
Coral's stomach roared to life as fire flooded her body. What kind of monsters did this to people? Why were there so many people like this? How could this have happened?
Ruby and Oscar picked up a man's body and carried it to the others before placing it down. Ruby looked at the body and saw burns covering the body. She looked at Oscar who looked about as bad as she felt.
"I don't know." Oscar Said. "I don't have an answer for you."
"I do." Ozpin said, taking over. "People can be cruel. It doesn't matter where they come from. Not everyone can be beacons of innocence like you, or beacons of strength like Mr. Allen, or Beacons of hope like Mr. Todd."
"It's not fair." Ruby sniffed, kicking a rock away. "It's not fair that people can hurt other people like this and get away with it."
"That is the same thinking that made Mr. Todd the way he is today. We already have a Mr. Todd Miss Rose. We need someone like you. Someone who won't be corrupted by the horrors that fill Remnant."
"What if I'm tired of being a pillar of innocence?" Ruby asked bitterly.
"Then I'm afraid...that Remnant is lost. If Even our most innocent think Remnant is lost, then perhaps it truly is."
Ruby looked at the rows and rows of the dead, and her heart broke; her body filling with an intense anguish, the likes she had never felt. She fell to her knees, hitting the ground, hard. She wiped tears away as she sobbed, and felt arms encompass her.
Lia looked up when she felt agony through her Semblance.
"What's wrong?" Luka asked.
"One of the Hunters. They are in a very precarious position. They have three paths they can take."
"What paths?" Hikaru asked.
"She could reforge her will to be a Beacon of Hope, a Beacon of Destruction, or a Beacon of Unity."
"What is the best path?" Luka asked.
"If she becomes a Beacon of Hope then she will be a guiding star that will lead those around her."
"Sounds like a good deal." Hikaru said.
"The Next is a Beacon of Destruction."
"Sounds pretty self-explanatory."
"She will become a wave of devastation across the land, destroying everything in her path, killing everything in her path."
"That's not good." Luka said.
"No, but preferable to the last one."
"What's so bad about being a Beacon of Unity?" Hikaru asked.
"She will become a dictator the likes this world has ever seen."
"How could you possibly know that?" Cordovin asked.
"Through my brothers and my Bond, we Are able to use our Semblances in unexpected ways. I am able to glimpse the future with the aid of my brothers Semblance."
"That's impossible. No one can see the future."
"I said I could glimpse the future." Lia said. "I never said I could see the future."
"Then what did you see?"
"Whenever I say "Beacon of Hope" I get the image of her leading her friends, standing tall in the face of adversity."
"What about the others?"
"A storm of petals leaving a path of devastation behind her or a tyrant murdering everyone who doesn't bend the knee, with Jason as an attack dog and Weiss as a prisoner."
Cordovin gulped, as she should. Whenever Lia used her Semblance on Cordovin she saw Cordovin lying dead at a pair of booted feet with a plant growing out of her chest. She wasn't going to live much longer, and unfortunately there wasn't much Lia could do. She didn't know if Cordovin would die an ally or an enemy.
Luka and Hikaru placed hand on her shoulders, offering comfort.
She held their hands and then smiled a small smile, Ruby had made her choice.
Oscar looked at Ruby, her tear streaked face broke his heart. Even when they came back from the last timeline, she had never broken like this. This was bad, this was really, really bad.
"Ruby?" He asked.
Ruby latched onto Oscar and pulled him into her, burying her face in his shoulder.
Oscar patted her back, trying to console her.
Summer, Qrow, Yang, and Tai hurried over to Ruby and Oscar.
Summer took Ruby and ran her fingers through her hair while Qrow and Tai looked around at the corpses, feeling rage fill their stomachs. They didn't want Ruby to have to grow up this fast. They hated whoever allowed this to happen.
Jason looked around. He wiped his arm a crossed his brow, smearing blood and other fluids across his forehead. He picked up another body and placed it in his shadow.
The more bodies he put through his shadow made him more and more embittered to whoever caused this.
He grit his teeth when looked at a woman who'd been burned in a cage over a fire. Her body had given out from the pain, and she'd died. The sooner he finished the sooner they could get out of there.
He untied her from the cage and placed her through his shadow.
"Are you okay?" Weiss asked.
"Not really." Jason said. "I'm barely keeping my cool when the only thing I want to do is find the bastard that allowed this to happen and put them through all of this."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm going to drown this base when I'm done. That way I can't do it."
"Why?"
"What would torturing whoever allowed this do? What would it prove? Would it make me a better person, or would it bring me down to their level?"
"Where did this maturity come from?"
"I'm a dad now. What do I want to teach our children?"
"I love you." Weiss said. "I want to hug you, but I'll settle for an I love you for now."
"I love you too." Jason said as he picked up another corpse and placed it through his shadow. He needed to hurry and leave before his rage overcame him.
Fred, Logan, and Creed picked up two corpses and laid them down before covering them.
"How many people do you think died down there?" Creed asked.
"So far we've brought about one hundred out." Fred said. "I don't know how many people were trapped in there, so I don't know."
"Well." Coral Said. "There hasn't been a body in a few minutes. So, I think we're just about done.
They were standing around when Jason burst from Scott's shadow as water burst from the stairway.
Jason had placed the last corpse through his shadow and looked around. There was nothing that he wanted to keep. He just wanted to get out of here.
He walked to the entry way and made sure that the door was completely open before he jumped at a far wall and spun around midair before landing on the far wall and blasted himself forward with his Boosters, cracking the wall, sending a torrent of water into the brig.
He grabbed Weiss when he flew into the tunnel and disappeared into his shadow, blasting out of Scott's shadow.
"Let's go." He said, running for the landing pad and a Bullhead.
"What's wrong!?" Scott asked, as water erupted out of the walkway. "Oh. That's what's wrong."
Gale threw wind Dust into the Geyser and changed it to ice Dust... which was a mistake as ice boulders shot out of the top of the geyser.
"What the shit Gale!" Scott yelled, punching the ice blocks into the ocean which was spiraling into brig. "Oh fuck. RUN!" Scott said as he began blipping people to the Bullheads. "GO!" He shouted once he was the last person on the Bullhead.
"What about the dead!?" Oscar asked.
"Look!" Blake pointed at domes of ice and rock being created around the dead, protecting them from the water.
The group liked over to see Gale throwing as much Dust as he could and using his Semblance to change the Dust to the desired Dust.
"We need to stop the flow of water!" Weiss said.
"No, you don't." Emerick said. "Eventually the pressure will die down and it will..."
Emerick was cut off as Geoff fired six rockets into the barracks, destroying them and dropping them and the platform into the ocean, cutting off the geyser.
"Yer welcome." Geoff said smugly.
They landed the Bullheads, and headed to Argus. They had preparations to attend to.
The next morning
Jason woke up the next morning feeling more exhausted than he'd ever felt in his life, which was saying something because he was pretty much exhausted since he was growing up on the streets.
He looked over to see Weiss asleep. Her nightgown had ridden up during the night, and he fixed it before placing his hand on her stomach.
He could feel an aura coming from Weiss's stomach, proof that a soul was being created.
He got dressed and walked to the Cemetery where they had stayed up late into the night to give all the dead proper burials. When he arrived, he found that he wasn't the only one there.
"Paying your respects as well?" He asked Geoff.
"Yeah." Geoff said. "How do ya do it?"
"Do what?" Jason asked, confused.
"How do Ya walk through life wit'out giving a shite? Ye walk around wit a big ol' "feck ye" sign over ya. How do ya do it?"
"That's where you're wrong." Jason said. "It's not that I don't Care enough to care. I care too damn much."
"Oh." Geoff said. "Then, does it always feel this... this... this..."
"Claustrophobic?" Jason suggested.
"Yes!"
"Yeah."
"How do ye do it?"
"Do what?"
"Ya know. Survive."
"I didn't survive. I just stumbled through life going from day to day not caring how I got there. It wasn't until I repaired my Mindscape that I began surviving. Now I've gone from survival to trying to live my life."
"Gosh. How can ye live after everythin' Tha's happened?"
"Weiss and our unborn child. I need to be better than I was. They are the reason I'm going to be better."
"This is gonna sound weird, but why? Why not be th' bad ass tha' ye are?"
"I will be when I need to be that guy, but until then I'll be the guy that Weiss needs me to be."
"Who's tha'?"
"A loving partner and father."
"Oh." Geoff said. "I see."
"How are you and Velvet doing?"
"Atlas has been a struggle, but we're engaged."
"Congratulations."
"Thanks."
"You're Welcome. Now. Let's go. Our Fiancée's are waiting for us."
They left, heading back towards their friends.
Atlas
Harriet moved through the streets of Atlas, looking for any sign of that Faunus that bastard walked around with. She was going to make him pay by making that foo foo her bitch. She could already see the look on his face when she made that foo foo pleasure her in front of him.
She watched the Todd manor but couldn't find the bitch.
She made her way down to Mantle and found the foo foo walking into the Clinic. Harriet smiled. This is where she got her prize.
She was about to move when a bunch of filthy Faunus walked in.
"Fuck!" She swore. Wait. She could just speed inside and grab the foo foo. She was fast enough.
She was about to run in when her Scroll rang.
"This had better be good." She snarled into the device.
"What was That?" General Ironwood asked.
"Um, General! I'm sorry."
"Where are you?"
"Mantle sir."
"You're needed back at the Academy."
"I'm on my way sir." Harriet growled as she made her way to the Academy.
Argus
The group sat in the restaurant as they discussed what to do.
"We need ta get back ta Atlas." Geoff said. "Th' faster th' better."
"We just have to pack." Coral said. "We'll leave after we finish eating."
"Great. I jus' hope tha' everythin's okay. I had a bad feelin' when I was told to come do maintain on th' Mech, an' it hasn't left."
"Don't worry." Coral said. "If the others are in Atlas, then I'm sure it's fine."
"I wish I had yer confidence lass."
"Has anyone seen Jaune?" Pyrrha asked. "He wasn't in bed when I woke up this morning."
"He's at the Clinic." Loki said.
"I'll go check on him." Pyrrha left for the clinic.
Jaune wiped sleep from his eyes for, he didn't know what time it was, but he had to keep going. He couldn't let anyone else die. Not again.
"Jaune?" a familiar voice asked.
Jaune turned around to see Pyrrha. "Oh. Hey Pyrrha." He said, exhaustion seeping out of him.
Pyrrha walked into the Clinic and walked to the front desk. "Hello." She Spoke. "I'm looking for my friend."
"Is he a patient?"
"I don't think so. He brought another friend in yesterday, and I think he might have come back this morning."
"Let me check." The Receptionist said.
"That would be grand, thank you."
Pyrrha waited for the receptionist to return.
"Um... hello." Two Little Girls Said. "Are you Pyrrha Nikos: The Invincible Girl?"
"I am Pyrrha Nikos." Pyrrha said.
"Um..." could we get a picture with you?"
"Of course." Pyrrha said.
The girls had Pyrrha squat down and stood in front of her while they each took a picture, then Pyrrha took a picture with them.
"Can you sign them?" The girls held their Scrolls up to Pyrrha.
Pyrrha took each Scroll, extended it to tablet mode. "What are your names?" She asked.
The girls eyes lit up as if it was Christmas Day.
"I'm Coraline." The First Girl Said.
"And I'm Sapphire." The second Girl Said.
Pyrrha signed Coraline's Scroll first.
To: Coraline
From: Pyrrha Nikos
Pyrrha handed Coraline her Scroll back and picked up Sapphire's Scroll to Sign it.
To: Sapphire
From: Pyrrha Nikos
The girls looked at their Scroll and Beamed; smiling so big that they looked like they were going to burst out of sheer happiness.
"Thank you!" They squealed.
"You're Welcome." Pyrrha smiled.
"Thank you." A man said. "They saw you and just had to get a picture with you."
"Oh. It's no problem." Pyrrha said. "It was my pleasure."
The man ushered his daughters away.
"Daddy, daddy!" Coraline Said. "I can't wait to show papa."
"Yeah. We can show papa when we get to his room." The girls Father Said.
"Excuse me? Miss Nikos?" The receptionist asked. "Is your friend Jaune Arc?"
"Yes?" Pyrrha asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Jaune Arc came in yesterday with a Mr. Montgomery. Unfortunately, Mr. Montgomery didn't make it."
"Oh no." Pyrrha gasped. "Where is Jaune? How is he?"
"He's currently healing our patients but is refusing to sleep. We've even administered a sleeping Semblance as well as Sleeping medication, but nothing has worked."
"May I see him?"
"Of course, of course. This way." The receptionist said as she led Pyrrha back.
Pyrrha was led into a room where she saw Jaune. He looked haggard and drained.
"Jaune?" She asked.
Jaune turned around to see her. "Oh. Hey Pyrrha." He said, exhaustion seeping out of him.
"Jaune! What Are you doing? You need to sleep."
"These people need healing." Jaune said.
"There are Healers for that. Let them do their job."
"I'm not stopping them, but I need to do this."
"Why? Why you?"
"Because I wasn't able to save Montgomery!" Jaune snapped. "I wasn't able to save him."
"Oh Jaune." Pyrrha hugged him.
Jaune tried getting up to go to the next patient, but Pyrrha stopped him. "Uh, Pyrrha. I need to get to the next patient."
"No, you don't." She spoke. "We're going to Atlas."
"Not until I've healed everyone here."
"Jaune. There are three things you can do here. You can come with me, I can call Ruby or I can call Jason."
"Why?"
"You need to sleep."
"These people need healing."
"Yes! That's why they are in a HEALERS! Let the HEALERS do their jobs and heal them. Do you really think that you are better than a HEALER?"
"No, but..."
"No buts Jaune! I'm glad that you want to be a healer, but you can't do so at the risk of your own life. You need to take a break."
"I'll take a break after the..."
"Jaune?" Ruby's voice called out.
Jaune looked up to see Ruby. "Ruby? What's wrong?"
"Pyrrha text me and asked me to help you."
"What? How?"
Ruby looked at Jaune and flashed her puppy dog eyes. "Please take a break Jaune? We don't want to lose you too."
"If you don't take a break right now..." the patient Jaune was helping said. "...I'll knock your ass out myself."
"Jaune." Pyrrha said. "I know that you're struggling after losing Montgomery, but please. Stop hurting yourself."
Jaune became thoughtful and the sedatives went to work, knocking Jaune out.
Pyrrha picked up Jaune and carried him outside with Ruby on her heels. "Thank you, Ruby. You're a Life saver."
"You're Welcome." Ruby chimed.
They took Jaune back to the group.
"What happened to him?" Sun asked.
"He... had a rough day." Pyrrha said. "Are we good to go?"
"Aye. Tha' we Are." Geoff said.
"Then let's go, before he wakes up."
The group headed for the Bullheads and stepped into them.
The people of Argus met them at the landing pad to wave them off.
"Thank you." Nymphadora Nikos Said. "You helped us. You made Argus a better place."
"You're welcome." Coral said. "We were glad to be able to help."
"Come back soon." A voice called out.
Jason waved as the Bullheads rose into the air.
The crowd cheered and waved as they flew off towards Atlas.
Harriet stalked through Atlas as she seethed. General Ironwood had cost her the Faunus. She was going to have to find the Faunus.
She began running and ran through Atlas and Mantle trying to find the Faunus. She ran into the Clinic but didn't see the Faunus. She threw the clothes, food, gear, and books onto the floor before she closed the door and activated two fire Dust Crystals.
That bastard was going to learn the cost of crossing her.