Quick Note: I'm skipping over a large piece of information around the halfway point of the chapter as it's practically identical to what we learn from the RWBY season 6 episode "The Lost Fable"; if by some random chance you haven't seen that episode, I'd suggest you Google it for the plot summary at the very least. It's kind of important but I'm too lazy to write it out here.
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(Wednesday Night)
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"Hey…" Amy shook him gently. "I think somebody's trying to get in here."
Jaune snapped awake at once and focused on his hearing. Immediately he heard a faint scratching around the door, but not like someone using a key. It sounded more like a rat chewing through a wall. Ashens was already awake and crouched by the door, ready for anything.
Adrenaline began coursing through his veins as Jaune stood to his feet and carefully walked over to join her. "Any idea who it is?"
"If they didn't keep that damn shutter closed all the time, I would," the Lieutenant hissed.
["…Keep it down in there, guys. I can't turn off your microphone."]
Jaune shot a look at the speaker. He wanted to start yelling profanities at it, but held his tongue. Better to wait until the man on the other side of the door finished what he was doing since-
click Yep, they were being let out.
A head of blue hair was there to greet them as the heavy iron door cracked open. "Can you guys run silently? Right now?"
"Why the FUCK would we come with you?!" Jaune whisper-yelled.
"Because this is the one and only time we can leave that asshole with his pants around his ankles for everyone to laugh at," Neptune said with a grin. "What, did you think we LIKE that idiot?"
"Could've fooled us," Ashens snarled.
"What the hell are you guys arguing for?" Amy suddenly appeared and lightly bapped both Jaune and Ashens in the back of their heads. "The door's open, he's letting us out, I say we get out first and figure out his reasoning when we're actually safe!"
"I agree with the lady," Neptune said as he finally opened the door all the way, though slowly to avoid making the thing squeak. "Sun's got a van running right outside, since we've got another passenger and all."
"Where's Cardin?" Jaune kept whispering but looked up and down the hall as they emerged, ready and waiting for a trap.
"Sleeping like a baby in the main office," Neptune chuckled quietly. "One too many drinks out of a suspiciously fragrant bottle of champagne. He'll be out until morning unless we make too much noise."
Ashens nodded, "I'm almost impressed."
Jaune put a finger to his lips to cut off any more unnecessary conversation. Taking their steps as gently as they could (Amy had a pair of boots on that didn't quite fit, but she managed well enough), the four escapees made their way down the hall back the way Jaune and Ashens first came a few days ago. Nothing had changed. It was still a prison in all but name, though now he had to wonder what other manners of torture they'd inflicted on the other prisoners they'd held here. Ashens' list was rather long.
He made a mental note to take another look at her copy of the registry on their way back to Vale. There was something really sinister about this place. Hopefully she had enough dirt for them to bury it.
The trip to the stairs was tense but uneventful. Neptune let them out through the locked doors at the top. Jaune blinked as they went from a brightly lit hallway to almost pitch black night; most of the moon was in shadow so the only light they had to work with was dim starlight. Not even the overhead lights around the facility were on.
Neptune spoke again, still quiet but no longer whispering, "Sun and I were able to turn off the lights so we could get out of here without being followed. We're the only ones here right now aside from Laughing Boy in there."
"Do you expect us to drive all the way back home?" said Jaune.
"Not at all; the van's only to get us all to the town airfield. Cardin recently acquired a private airship courtesy of the guys who line his pockets with Lien all the time. Unfortunately he's gonna wake up in the morning to find it missing, along with his honored prisoners-"
He barely finished his sentence when a dark shape suddenly burst out of the shadows and tackled him to the ground, causing Neptune to scream in pain and hold his shoulder. Jaune automatically reached for his sidearm before he remembered he didn't have one, eyes straining to see what attacked them. Though in hindsight, it should have been obvious.
"Funny thing about alcohol…" said Cardin Winchester, "It doesn't really have much of an effect on Grimm. Neat, huh?"
Jaune finally found his target; he flared his Aura for the first time in months and ran forward, intending to throw down some hand-to-hand with his old enemy. Cardin barely noticed even when Jaune landed a full power punch on his lower back, aiming for the kidneys. He simply waved an arm to brush the man away, a move that only caught Jaune in the shoulder but somehow still knocked him back almost 10 feet.
Cardin was never this strong before. What the hell…?
"See what you're missing, Jaunny-boy?" Cardin finally turned his full attention to Jaune, letting his Grimm-yellow eyes glow brightly. "Humans are overrated. They won't be in charge of this place for much longer."
A metal pipe sat on the asphalt next to where he stumbled. Jaune got his feet back beneath himself and grabbed it in lieu of his old sword, made ready and attacked. Cardin didn't even bother blocking as Jaune let several hits land on his face and chest, each pushing the man slightly back but doing no visible damage. On the last swing, Cardin easily caught the pipe and yanked it out of Jaune's grip, then casually bent the damn thing into a pretzel and tossed it aside.
"Oh dirty words," said Jaune.
"Pretty cool, huh? Turns out volunteering for this thing comes with all kinds of benefits." He could finally see that Cardin was missing his jacket, letting his arms hang loose in the breeze. He was far and away more bulked up than Jaune had ever seen him. He flexed one arm and said, "Way I see it, once the other shoe drops and all the fighting starts, I'm making sure I'm on the winning side."
Ashens, who had been hanging back to guard Amy, said, "You sold your soul for a little more strength?!"
"Not like I was doing anything with it," Cardin shrugged.
Jaune growled, "You son of a-"
"I've had a long night, ya know… I really should just put you all back in your box," said Cardin with a look of fake concern. "I have my orders, and you all really should be made into one of us, but… fuck it. I'm hungry."
Cardin smiled. His mouth stretched further than his face should have allowed, the skin splitting and tearing along the jawline as it opened to a width impossible for humans. Rows of jagged teeth gleamed in the dim light as the creature's eyes shifted from a yellow glow to red.
Immediately Jaune felt his strength give out as he dropped to his knees, recoiling in fear. The teeth should not have been enough to scare him – plenty of Grimm had more than that – but for some reason this twisted version of his old rival was triggering every survival instinct in his brain all at once. He had to flee. He had to play dead and hope it left him alone. Fear. Terror. As the thing wearing Cardin's skin came forward to eat him alive, all Jaune could do was cower. He barely heard the whimpering of the girls off to one side, nor the visible shuddering of Neptune from behind him.
What he did hear was a gravelly voice suddenly shout, "'Ey! Get the hell outta here ya devil! Freak!"
A tall, thin man came from somewhere behind Jaune, walking forward with more than a slight wobble, finger outstretched like a scolding parent as he pointed right at the monster that used to be Cardin Winchester. He kept yelling, though his words became unintelligible after passing by.
But that wasn't the bizarre part; it was working.
As soon as the raggedy man started shouting, Cardin began wincing and recoiling backwards like the man's voice was shooting bullets. He even put his arms up to block as though he was being physically attacked. Jaune could only stare in awe as the stranger told off the monster and somehow… by the will of the gods… made it turn and flee into the night.
Right before he vanished, Jaune could've sworn Cardin turned and flipped them off. Typical.
Silence descended over the group for a few seconds as the older man turned around, saw Jaune and grinned with a line of teeth that had more than a few vacant spots. "'Ey there, good evenin'! Sam Gria, atcher service." The man bowed, wobbled some more, but stayed on his feet.
Jaune finally stood up, that insane weight of fear finally gone. "You… you're the guy from a few days ago."
"Yessir! I told ye I'd payee back, stranger! An' I ne'er forgets a good deed… *hic*"
Jaune quickly made sure the girls were alright before turning back to their savior. Neptune also found his feet and joined them, though he was holding his shoulder from where he landed. Jaune said to the newcomer, "How'd you do that, anyway?"
"Used to be a Huntsman, so I did. I repels 'em. Or somethin'." Sam Gria pulled a half-empty bottle from somewhere on his person and took a swig. "I do that with e'erybody, sure 'nuff."
"Wait a minute…" Something finally clicked in Jaune's head. That name… "Do you know a Sam Buca? He came looking for you about a week ago…"
This got Sam's full attention. "I didn't kill 'im, I swears! He's dead 'fore I e'er found 'im. Big black bastard was eatin 'im, I think. Swear to god and gout I ain't done- wait…" His eyes narrowed as he took another step forward, close enough that Jaune could smell the years that clung to him like cologne. "A week ago… he came… lookin' fer me?"
"Y-Yeah…" Jaune took a wary step back, "…and he looked alive enough to me."
Sam turned away and started mumbling a few dozen curses, taking one more swig of his drink before stowing it again.
Ashens came up gasping, hand to her chest, "What… what in blazes was… that pressure? What… did he do… to us?"
"I don't know," said Jaune as he scratched his mustache. "Cardin made it sound like he'd somehow turned into a Grimm. Or something. None of this makes sense, but I know for a fact he wasn't that powerful before. I mean, I'm not exactly in prime condition myself, but-"
"You saw his mouth too, right?" said Amy. "If he says he's a Grimm, I'd buy it. There's no way that freak was a human."
Neptune nodded, "The mouth thing was new, but that little fear effect is what he's been using to keep me and Sun under his heel. Dunno how he pulls it off but it's annoying as f-"
He was cut off by the sudden sound of an engine, followed closely by the vehicle it belonged to; Sun and his borrowed van. He pulled around the side of the building, doors already open, and shouted, "ToDAY, ladies!"
Neptune grunted with approval as he lightly slapped Jaune in the shoulder, "If we hurry we can get back to Vale in less than a day; that airship of his is plenty fast."
Jaune turned and started to call for Sam, but his breath caught when he spotted two glowing red eyes in the bushes. Cardin was watching them. Waiting. He jogged up to the older man instead and gently tapped his shoulder, "Hey you… we'd better get out of here."
Sam winced, but not at the contact. "Am I… under arrest?"
"Not at all," Jaune smiled and eyed the far bush. "But I have a feeling that if we leave you behind, we won't make it too far."
Sam followed Jaune's gaze and noticed the eyes. A moment later Cardin turned and hid again. Sam said, "Ye… I getcha. 'Sides, ya saved me life with that little meal. No sense wastin' a good deed."
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(Thursday)
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The sky outside had begun to turn pink a few days ago, and today it was almost fully red. The moon was well on its way to the eclipse point of its orbit, but it wouldn't be in the exact right position until tomorrow. Then the sky was supposed to turn a full, blood red.
Adrian couldn't help but wonder how that day would play out. Not only was the Eclipse Festival getting ready to kick off nearly halfway across the world, but Miss Rose had scheduled his personal training with Miss Schnee to begin the very next day. She was serious about getting Adrian to the level needed to replace Miss Goodwitch as her right hand man, the administrative assistant that did all of the management in the background. It was a big job, an important job, but he knew he'd feel like an impostor throughout his tenure. He was the wrong man for the job, but he didn't have the balls to tell Ruby that.
In any case, tomorrow could worry about itself. Today held more than enough problems.
Adrian Arc sat before a man he never expected to see again; Oscar Pine, former Headmaster of one of the most influential schools on Remnant. Unlike his formerly professional appearance, this version of Oscar had let himself go in nearly every way – his silvery hair was ragged and greasy, his face bore a week-old growth of gray beard, and his outfit of choice consisted of an old long-sleeve shirt and sweatpants, all a neutral gray color. The dark circles under his eyes were also new, and he had no problems guessing who was responsible for those.
Two steaming mugs of coffee waited before each of them. All around buzzed the patrons of Java Jade's, the local coffee shop, of which they were merely two; Misty remained at the Academy (much to Adrian's annoyance) due to Oscar's insistence that he meet with Adrian alone or not at all. Velvet had been remorseful when she gave her report, if only because she couldn't get him to budge on that one matter. Misty could handle herself though, especially when he knew someone like Velvet was on campus and could keep an eye on her at every opportunity. They were safe.
"So Mister Arc," said Oscar with a steady voice. "To what do I owe the honor of this… extraction?"
"I need answers."
"Those usually follow questions," said Oscar with a weary grin that fell to the floor immediately. "What could possibly draw you to me, the man who nearly ruined your life, instead of other, far more qualified individuals?"
"Tell me…" Adrian took a breath to steady his nerves, "…about the final battle of the Grimm War."
"No."
"Professor-"
"When I agreed to come out here," the graying man pointed to Adrian and spoke a little more quickly, "It was to settle our disagreements and find common ground. Velvet should have told you that. If you insist on digging up an unrelated event of the past then we have nothing more to discuss-"
"Opal and Crim are dead."
Oscar hesitated, then took a careful sip of his coffee. "I know. I heard the report."
"They died… because I made a mistake. I didn't trust them with what I knew, and it got my friend killed."
"Miss Scarlatina informed me of what you shared with her, albeit as brief as time allowed." Oscar stared into his mug and went back to his slower speech. "The Imu have gone beyond what I ever imagined."
"Then you know why I need this information."
"It is pointless. Can you not see?!" The aging man came close to slamming his mug on the table, but faltered at the last moment. All that came out was a drop. "Long have I stood against the tides of darkness, fought to preserve humanity, but I have lost. They have made me compromise my morals and attack an innocent. I can no longer help you nor anybody else."
Adrian stared at the man who he once considered the most powerful person in the kingdom, maybe the entire world. A man who now looked as though he'd fully surrendered to the darkness. "Ruby said you're about my age, but… the way you're talking…"
"I have already said too much," Oscar appeared to withdraw into himself, becoming smaller in the seat.
A long pause fell over the two men and Adrian felt tense. One wrong word now and it would all be for nothing; Oscar would get up and leave, taking the answers Adrian needed along with him. He had to be very careful.
"You said they compromised you," Adrian spoke just as slowly as his companion, hoping this wasn't the last straw. "Who? Was it one of the teachers?"
"I believe so," Oscar sighed deeply. "After that day, I have not seen or spoken with any of them. Glynda attempted to make contact and insist I fight the Council on their decision, but I cut her off. And ever since then I've… come to my senses, as it were. I can see now what they were doing to me. A subtle word here, an implied message there, and somehow they bypassed my very will in order to direct my actions like a puppet. It is… inexcusable."
"They seem to be good at that, considering what happened between me and Crimson."
"No amount of apologies can make up for what I did to you, Adrian. Or rather tried to do. I make no excuses for my actions, despite what I just said; no matter who directed my will, it was I who declared your fate. It was I who put forth my best effort to destroy you. My hand moved to sign your expulsion notice. I deserve your undying hatred-"
"No," said Adrian.
Oscar finally looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.
"I've also had a lot of time to think about things, Professor." Adrian took a slow sip of his own drink. "There's been a lot going on around here that I never saw, but only because I didn't want to see."
Oscar leaned forward and steepled his fingers. "Go on…"
Adrian cleared his throat. "Well… looking back, I can see now there were plenty of signs that something was off about Opal; the staring, the psychotic tendencies, all of it. But I ignored my better judgment when she directed my attention to Crim instead. I bought her story hook line and sinker, and it led to the destruction of my team. And then there's Cliff-"
"Miss Scarlatina mentioned that event as well," Oscar smiled again, though this time it seemed more relaxed. "I understand they're calling you God Hands now."
"Ugh… I don't know where you found that guy, but he's a legitimate moron," Adrian took another sip. "Thing is, I don't think he's all that bad of a person now. Once I finally beat him in a fight, I could see beyond the arrogant attitude and found an immature kid who only did what he was told and never thought to question it."
Oscar nodded, "I had a hunch that was the case, though the opportunity never presented itself to allow me to rectify it. I am relieved to hear that you did not pursue your grudge against him."
"It was tempting, but…" Adrian glanced down at his drink and blinked as he realized something; the brown color in the mug was almost a perfect match to the eyes of Crimson Scarlatina-Long. "Then I remembered some wise words, and they changed everything. I'm still trying to make sense of it, but I can tell that even now… Crim's still looking out for me. Fuck I miss that guy…"
Neither of them spoke again for almost a full minute. Other patrons of the cafe came and went as normal, the clinks and clatters of the various dishes echoed all around, and the aroma of roasting coffee beans engulfed the entire space. It was a pleasant atmosphere in spite of the heavy tension between the two men.
Oscar broke the silence first, his voice almost a whisper, "I… have had difficulty trusting others… for longer than you could imagine, Mister Arc."
"You'd be surprised how far my imagination can stretch, Professor Pine."
"I wonder…" Oscar slowly finished the contents of his mug, sighed and set it down. He ran a finger along the rim for a moment, his mind clearly working through things Adrian would not guess. Finally he said, "Simply telling you what occurred on that day will not suffice, I am afraid. There is far too much information, too much context, that needs to be given first. Without it you will understand nothing."
Adrian mirrored his former Headmaster's actions; he gulped down the entirety of his drink with a satisfied sigh, placed the mug down and quietly said, "If you're willing to tell me, I'm willing to listen."
"Bartholomew was right, you are a good student." Oscar took both mugs and set them at the edge of the table. Moments later, a waitress came to collect them for refills. After she'd walked away, Oscar folded his hands on the table in front of him and said, "Tell me Mister Arc… what do you know about fairy tales?"
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There were many things Misty Montana hated in this life. At the top of the list was watching her boyfriend break down and cry without being able to help him. Right underneath that was walking the halls by herself.
Not that she would ever tell him that.
Luckily for her and Beacon at large, Laz was a good replacement for Adrian. The little bundle of black fur and armored face was currently asleep in a ball in her arms, and while she was far and away an inferior bodyguard to the sarcastic giant that was her partner, Misty didn't mind it so much. Nobody messed with her while she held an Imu. And despite her initial disgust after learning the truth, Adrian's opinion of the blue-eyed creature had rubbed off on her as well – Laz had the shape of an Imu, but seemed to possess a soul of her own. Unlike those other abominations.
Man, sometimes it was a wonder how Misty liked the things at all. Now that she knew what they were, it was more than a little disgusting to remember how much she used to fawn over them. Not to mention creepy when she thought about how close she'd come to turning into one herself.
Laz yawned and stretched out her little front paws, then snuggled deeper into Misty's chest before going back to sleep.
Misty barely held back a squeal of delight.
Adrian was in town for now (and probably would be for the rest of the day), so Misty was on her own at Beacon. It sucked that she couldn't stay with him, but such is life. She'd been by his side for so long now that being apart was almost like walking around naked.
In contrast, standing next to him was like being wrapped in a warm, cozy blanket. Even more so now that she had the freedom to crawl into his lap and indulge in him the same way Laz was doing to her now, just getting drunk on his spirit, his presence. There was just something about Adrian Arc that was impossible to define. It was more than just making her 'feel good' and that was a fact; Mama always said feelings weren't to be trusted, but to listen to her soul instead. And Misty's soul knew for a fact that she belonged with Adrian. Gods be praised he finally felt the same way.
Her face grew hot as she remembered the night they spent together in Valley Glenn. Yeah… it wasn't just his soul she couldn't get enough of…
"Well, hello there~"
A jolt of panic shot through her system and almost made her run away at full speed, but it didn't last long enough for that. Misty gulped, then turned to meet the woman who called her out. A woman she was all too familiar with now. "H-Hey… Saphron, right? Or should I c-call you Miss Arc?"
The blonde woman sauntered over and smiled, though the expression didn't quite reach her blue eyes. "Saphron is fine, dear. Where's Adrian? Isn't he usually with you?"
"He's, uh… r-running an errand in town."
"No need to be so nervous, dear. I don't bite that hard.~"
"H-heh…"
When Adrian first told the team how he suspected their Imu had torn apart the family, Misty doubted every word. Now, after learning the truth about the Imu and seeing the tattered remains of Opal's skin after it was over, she'd begun to understand why a man as strong as Adrian Arc had become nervous and jumpy at every turn. They could be anyone. Everyone.
Even someone as pretty and friendly as her boyfriend's step-mom.
"I'd say Adrian's told me all about you, but he hasn't. That boy doesn't talk to me anymore."
"So I've heard."
"He's a good kid, but he tends to get carried away with his imaginings. He forgets the difference between fiction and reality."
Misty didn't reply to that. As Opal would have said, 'That sounds like something a body-snatcher would say.' In hindsight, Opal being an expert at gaslighting was frighteningly accurate. Misty had blamed herself for not realizing one of her team members wasn't what they claimed, but if Adrian was right, she would never have had a chance of seeing through the lie. The Imu were too good at what they did.
"Hmm…" Saphron eyed Misty all the way from head to toe, clearly liking what she saw. "You're cute. I knew my son had good taste."
"Umm… th-thanks?"
Saphron giggled lightly, then reached out and ran a few fingers through a loose part of Misty's hair, twirling it. "It's awful lonely in a big old school like this when I don't know anybody. Would you like to keep me company, sweetie~?"
Misty fought the urge to gag, politely stepped back and lifted a hand, "I r-really shouldn't… um… Miss Scarla- I mean, Velvet's waiting for me to get b-back, so…"
"Then how about we go find her together? Hmm… OooOOH~! By the Brothers who is this little DAR-ling~?"
Saved by the Laz once again. Misty breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she moved to let the new teacher see the sleeping Imu. "This is Laz. She's kind of the unofficial mascot of Beacon right now."
"Laz… how unbearably precious!" The older woman practically squirmed with delight. "A perfect match for such an adorable owner!"
A sudden spike of cold shot down Misty's spine. "I, uh… I'm not really her 'owner' though…"
"Oh that's no problem~!" Saphron continued gushing as she casually moved to drape her arm over Misty's shoulder, holding on. "Any friend of the Imu is a friend of mine! Oooh… I'm looking forward to spending more time together.-"
"Umm…" Misty tried to squirm free but Saphron held firm. This was getting dangerously close to assault.
Apparently she was moving around enough that Laz finally stirred and woke up. The little creature yawned then blinked up at Misty before turning to look at Saphron.
Misty expected some kind of reaction – according to Adrian, she seemed able to sense when someone wasn't human anymore – but the moment those blue jewels landed on the newcomer, Laz reacted so violently it was a wonder she didn't combust right then and there. She squealed and thrashed in Misty's arms hard enough that Saphron took a step back in worry while Misty just tried to hold on, terrified of dropping the poor thing.
Acting on her training, Misty called forth her Aura and tried to calm Laz down like she'd done in the past. She put a hand to Laz's head, focused her Aura into her palm and said, "Shhh…"
It didn't work; Laz bit down on her fingers instead, causing the smaller girl to yelp and finally drop the Imu. Laz hit the ground running and didn't stop yowling even after rounding a corner and vanishing into the school.
What the actual fuck was that?
"Oh gods, you're hurt!" Saphron quickly pulled out a pack of tissues from her pocket and held a few to Misty's bleeding hand. "Does she always do that with strangers?"
Misty winced at the contact and shook her head. "No… that was the first time… ouch." Thankfully her Aura was still in place, otherwise she'd be bawling on the ground. She kept it in her hands to jump-start the healing.
But then something strange happened.
As Saphron held her bleeding hand, a bit of Misty's Aura leaked out and transferred to the older woman. She hissed in pain and yanked her hand away, shaking it.
Misty and Saphron stared at each other for a few seconds. Gradually it sank in what just happened.
Misty said in a low voice, almost a whisper, "You're… you're an Imu-"
The switch between cheerful, flirty teacher and snarling monster was almost too fast to see, and thank the gods there was space between them or Misty would never have dodged in time; Saphron, or at least the creature that wore her face, growled and lunged forward with eyes glowing yellow. Misty ducked out of the way just before it grabbed her, rolled forward and slipped before she could find her feet again.
Saphron was already pivoting around to try again before Misty could raise her Aura shield to full power, but luckily she didn't have to.
A pair of thin but strong arms appeared out of nowhere behind Saphron, locking her arms and shoulders in a wrestling move. Two dark brown bunny ears could be seen over the woman's curly blonde hair as Velvet shouted, "Misty, run!" Saphron thrashed in her grip, kicking and snarling to try and get free as the two women took their fight to the tile floor.
The Misty from a month ago would be shocked into paralysis at the sheer absurdity of it all. The Misty of a week ago would have called her weapon locker by now and just started shooting, no questions asked.
The Misty of today, however, decided to use her brain.
Rather than flee, the redhead darted back into the fray and poured as much Aura as she could into both hands, grabbed Saphron's face for dear life and used the magic word that always calmed down the Creatures of Grimm: "Shh…"
At once the thrashing stopped. Saphron grew still in less than a second, her glowing yellow eyes fading back to blue and further, glazing over and appearing empty. She wasn't dead, but subdued. Velvet warily checked that her opponent was no longer fighting back before gingerly releasing her grip. "Was that… your Semblance?"
Misty nodded, "Never imagined it would work on one of them…"
The two women stood back up as Saphron, now revealed as a Grimm in hiding, stood motionless before them in a trance. Every so often her hands would twitch, but otherwise she remained still. Just like the other Grimm.
"Can you… could you take control of all of them? At once?" said Velvet.
"No…" Misty was breathing hard from exertion. "Just one took almost everything I had… and that twitching she's doing… I don't have full control. She's fighting it."
"Adrian is going to be pissed…"
Misty shook her head, "Something tells me he already suspected this would happen. I can probably give her one command before my influence wears off, but I'm not sure. Never tamed one this powerful before. We could finish her off right now-"
Velvet stepped forward, glaring at the comatose monster. "These things… they killed my babies…" One hand lifted as though she was going to strangle it. "I… I…"
"Velvet? Is that you?" said a new voice from down the hall. At least this time it was someone Misty was glad to see.
Velvet turned with a squeak of surprise, "Coco? What are you doing here?"
Professor Adel strutted over to them and gleefully embraced her old teammate in a hug, "I work here, numbnuts. Didn't I tell you that already?"
Velvet eventually wriggled her way out of Coco's grip and said, "I've slept since then, lay off."
"I'd rather lay on~ …um, is she alright?" Coco lowered her sunglasses and stared at the unmoving form of Saphron.
Misty nervously wrung her hands as she said, "She… um… she kinda passed out on me. Earlier. I think she might be hungry or… something…"
One of Saphron's hands twitched even harder. They needed to hurry.
"You and I will have to catch up later," said Velvet with a sly grin. She walked back over to Misty and gently took one of Saphron's arms in her own. "We're gonna go get this one something to eat. Right Misty?"
The tiny girl nodded her head with a bit too much emphasis.
Coco smirked but didn't call them out. "If you say so, Bun-Bun… but don't keep me waiting too long, kay~?" She blew the girls a kiss and turned to go.
Velvet muttered, "Cafeteria. Now." They slowly led Saphron down the hall and towards the school eatery.
Misty glanced back and blinked up at the older woman, "Why didn't you tell her? She's from your old team, right?"
"I don't trust her," Velvet snapped. "Aside from you, Adrian and Oscar, I don't trust anybody around here."
"Not even Yang?"
Velvet turned and locked her chocolate brown eyes onto Misty. There was a distinct note of anger within them, a sign that she was barely keeping her rage in check. "Yang brought that monster into my home. I will never forget that."
Misty shuddered, then nodded towards their third. "What about her?"
"I happen to know that the lunchroom has a walk-in freezer that's not being used anymore. And it locks from the outside."
"Shouldn't we just kill her?"
"Misty, we're deep behind enemy lines right now; I almost forgot that until Coco showed up. If we do anything to start a fight or draw attention to ourselves, we'll be overwhelmed in seconds… and I don't know about you, but I intend to take as many of these freaks with me as I possibly can."
"Yikes."
"And besides… I'm old now. Retired. I won't last too long once the shit hits the fan. You and Adrian are the best chance we have at coming out on top in all this, so I won't risk losing either of you. Not now, not ever."
"In that case, we should hurry; I'm worried about Laz."
…
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{Images. Sounds. Faces. All playing in her mind. All at once. Words. Things with names. Colors. Smells. All of it, too much, too loud, too fast. Mind full. Fear.}
{Blonde hair. Curly. It was her, the human woman from her dreams.}
{From her nightmares.}
("…ou guys make yourselves at ho…")
("…ink he'd be happy at Pharos, ri…")
("…at are you doing? I thought we…")
{Shadows without form or shape suddenly gained life and color. Memories playing. Dreams of what used to be. The past. Her past.}
{Back in her room. In her blanket. Taste of blood. Blood of the Misty. Bite. Panic. Sadness.}
{Trembling, terrified, unable to stop the Memories.}
{The Great Bone of knowledge had come loose, and there was no stopping it.}
{Her past had come back.}
{Adrian. Tall, kind Adrian was in there.}
{Think of Adrian. Focus. Remember.}
{Fear finally going away. Not scared anymore.}
("…ow, I know, we just gotta wa…")
("…ust like it's doing right now! Wh…")
("…is doesn't mean that I like yo…")
{Memories continue playing. She did not stop them. Could not.}
{Watch them. Understand.}
{Remember.}
{Remember.}
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"Okay, here's another one: What if they were experimenting with a virus that infects humans and turns them into human-Grimm hybrids?"
"Cardin said he 'volunteered' for it. Last I checked, diseases don't care about how you feel."
"He could have volunteered to be injected."
"If they were manufacturing a virus, they wouldn't have bothered with volunteers; they'd have just released it into the world and waited to see how many came down with it."
Jaune sat in the co-pilot's seat as the people behind him debated what was going on. He didn't participate. He couldn't. All that scientific mumbo jumbo was way over his head. Next to him, Neptune flew the aircraft with one arm while the other was in a makeshift sling – that hit from Cardin dislocated the joint. Fortunately the ship was advanced enough that one arm was enough.
"You said they gave everyone an Imu when you got there, right? Could they be the carriers?"
"If they were, they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of making sure the things liked us. And I wouldn't have been arrested for the crime of being rejected by a Grimm pupper."
"Yeah… all they had to do was make it bite you."
"Uhh… Sam'n I had one o' those things. It ne'er bit us, though it sure liked the taste of 'im."
"Sam was your friend, right? Was it trying to eat him?"
"Naw, jes lickin 'im all over. Like a doggo would."
"Must have bonded with him as the owner. They tend to do that."
"Mmmm… there's something we're still missing here… lemme read this registry again."
"How you holding up?" Jaune looked over at his former officer. "You need me to take over for a bit?"
"No thanks," said Neptune with a yawn. "It's just a little awkward. Besides, I'm kinda listening to them to keep myself awake. Uhh…" he checked the readouts for a moment, "…we'll have to stop for fuel soon, but otherwise we're making good time."
"That's what I like to hear." Jaune stretched both arms over his head, adjusting himself in the seat.
"Sorry about all the… you know…"
"I understand how coercion works," said Jaune. "If anything, I'm sorry I ever doubted you guys. I tend to forget how Cardin is when no one's looking."
"Especially now…" Neptune gave an audible shudder.
Jaune sighed as he laid his head back and relaxed, trying not to dwell on the implications of everything they'd learned in the last several days. If he did, he'd start to panic. And a panicked officer was a dead officer. He had to trust that nothing would happen to his family, despite how long they'd both been retired from Huntsmen duties. Pyrrha was still Pyrrha, after all. If anything, the fact she had a son to defend would make her even more of a force of nature. He almost pitied whatever decided to come after them to get to him.
"Whoa… do that again…"
"Hnngh."
"By the Brothers, you could grate cheese on those abs…"
"Nice, huh? I didn't used to have to flex to show them off, but whaddya gonna do?"
"You wouldn't happen to be single, would you Sun?"
"…I am one person, yes."
*sigh* "I wonder how he compares with Sarge…"
Jaune facepalmed as Neptune chuckled from beside him. What the hell was it with women and abs?
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…
The second cup of coffee was gone long before Oscar was finished talking. Adrian calmly sipped from a glass of water now. Oscar's tale took almost 30 minutes to tell, and the man didn't stop for a breath even once.
"I realize it's a lot to take in," said Oscar as he reached the end. "I'll understand if you doubt any of it-"
"I don't."
"Oh?"
"Professor, I've watched a Grimm kill and skin its owner then go around pretending it was that owner. You could tell me there's a tribe of Faunus living on the moon who want to come down to Remnant for a visit and I'd book them a hotel room, no questions asked."
For the first time he could remember, Adrian watched as Oscar Pine burst out laughing. It was a rare sight, and all the more relieving after what he'd just learned.
"So let me see if I followed everything," Adrian took another sip of water. "You and Salem are immortal…"
"In our own ways, yes," Oscar cut in.
"…But she went out of her way to take control of the Grimm, absorb the power of the God of Darkness, and try to wipe out what was left of humanity while you… fought to stop her?"
Oscar smiled, "That is the most basic version, but not inaccurate."
"What happened to the Relics you mentioned?"
"They were too dangerous to use in any capacity, so I sealed them away. Neither she nor I can reach them now."
"And Salem is really the 'Grimm Queen' you all went to go kill?"
"The short answer is yes, but as I said before… there is a lot of context I still need to fill in." Oscar took a moment to rub his eyes before continuing. "The world I originally came from, as I mentioned, was a world where magic was commonplace. It was as normal there as Dust is here and now, though much more accessible and practical. Dust is limited to the elements it contains. Magic could do damn near anything."
"Except raise the dead, apparently." Adrian crossed his arms as he considered that part of the story. "Is it wrong to think that the God of Light was kind of a hypocrite for giving Salem immortality after using 'The Balance' as an excuse to leave you dead?"
"Not at all," Oscar chuckled. "I've thought that very thing many times over the centuries. But like it or not, the consequences of his choices remain with us to this day. Whether we agree with them or not makes no difference."
"So then… was Salem trying to use the Grimm to just destroy everything? To have the planet to herself?"
"That…" Oscar took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. "If only it were so simple. You see, the curse of immortality was put upon her by the God of Light. She tried many times to use the opposite power of the God of Darkness to break it, but to no avail. She is strong with His energy, but as the Brothers are the personifications of light and darkness, their power waxes and wanes depending on daylight, weather, and other natural occurrences we cannot control."
"So she's more powerful at night?"
"Yes, but not enough that she could break the curse. There is only one instance when the power of Darkness is concentrated to such an extent that it is stronger than the Light…"
Oscar slowly pointed out the window and up, towards the sun. Or rather, the half of the sun not hiding behind the shattered moon.
Adrian blinked, "The eclipse?"
"The last one occurred during her self-imposed isolation, before I returned to life and joined her in ruling the ancient Kingdom of Sanus. While we were married in those days, she told me how in that moment, the eclipse granted more power to her than at any time before. If it had lasted longer, she knew the curse could surely have been broken."
"Was that her plan, then?" Adrian sat forward, hands on the table to steady himself. "Was she trying to alter the moon to make the eclipse happen sooner?"
"Our magic was potent, but not to that extent." Oscar took a long drink from his own glass of water and sighed. "Give me a moment to collect my thoughts, Mister Arc. There is still much to explain."
"S-Sure…"
Adrian sat back and let himself unwind, but not too far. This was a lot to unpack. Not only was his former Headmaster some kind of ancient wizard from before history, his ex-wife was the master of all Grimm and hell-bent on wiping out humanity. It had been some time since he'd thought about the news from the time of the war, but now that he did… Ozpin's name was mentioned a few times, along with the name Salem. Adrian remembered the words of Desi Currant: ("The immortal witch, Salem. Nobody ever confirmed that story, in case you were wondering.")
"You tried to warn everybody back then…"
"It did little good," Oscar sighed, his true age beginning to show in his hazel-colored eyes. "I had hoped that I could unite the Kingdoms as I did during the Great War, but civilization had moved on further than I anticipated. No one took my words to heart. After I was 'silenced' and forced to reincarnate once more, myself and team RWBY created the Grimm Queen story and set out to end the war once and for all."
"…That way the public had a narrative to work with, so no one would ask too many questions."
"Correct. I suppose this brings me back to your ultimate question: What actually happened that day?" He took another sip of water and licked his lips. Before he spoke again, Oscar pulled out his Scroll and opened the Hard Light screen, absently flipping past a few tabs. "Tell me Mister Arc… this technology is fairly standard for the modern day, yes?"
Adrian nodded, slightly worried the older man was going on a tangent. A few people in the cafe started talking quietly among themselves out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored them.
Oscar closed it again. "If you were to show this device to the men and women living several hundred years ago, earning their living through fishing and mining, working the land to survive… what do you suppose they would make of it?"
"They would… probably consider it black magic," Adrian admitted.
"Yet if I were to show you the technology of the world I was first born into, you would react in much the same way," Oscar made a sweeping gesture to the rest of the cafe. "As would everyone here. Our current technology that uses Dust would pale in comparison with the magic-infused devices of my time. They could do things that would make the technicians of Atlas die of shame."
"Hmm… I think I see where you're going with this," Adrian rubbed his chin as he put the pieces together. "Did Salem find some pieces of ancient tech and try to make them into a weapon of some kind?"
Oscar's face broke into the warmest smile Adrian had ever seen the man wear. "Well done, Adrian. That is exactly what she tried to do."
"And it was related to the eclipse?"
"Indeed." Oscar leaned back and rubbed his neck. "She built a large device using all of the lost technology she had gathered to emit a powerful energy field designed to freeze Remnant and her moon in orbit. Assuming she timed it right, this would have the added effect of permanently locking the moon in front of the sun in a full solar eclipse, thereby forever enhancing the power of the God of Darkness and granting her an unlimited source of energy. Breaking her curse would be simple after that."
Adrian's jaw hit the table. "Freeze the entire world in orbit… but that would-"
"It would mean the end of life on Remnant as we know it," Oscar said with a low voice. "Half of the world would freeze, the other half would dry up into an eternal desert, weather patterns would cease across the world, all forms of electromagnetism would run rampant… it would be the greatest catastrophe in human history, bar none. The very few who survive the initial disaster would find themselves living in a true hell."
"So the entire world suffers so she can end her own eternal life? That seems kind of harsh…"
"Salem hated humanity already. If she had to take everybody with her to finally find rest, then so be it."
Neither man spoke again for several minutes as the implications of such a plan sank in. Just out the window, Adrian noticed people hurriedly gathering in small groups but paid them no mind.
Adrian spoke first, "I think it's safe to assume you guys put a stop to it?"
"We're all still here, aren't we?" Oscar smiled again, then let it slip away as he continued his story, "After the start of the Grimm War, I knew she was up to something and moved to stop it before she went too far. At that time the next eclipse was almost a decade away, but to an immortal like her, time had lost all meaning. If she had to wipe out most of humanity early to make sure no one could interfere when the hour was finally at hand, then she would do it."
"And so she sent the Grimm to do the job."
"Most of the world's forces were occupied with the war, so I – as Oscar – accompanied team RWBY to find Salem and her device. Now, as you might expect, fighting an immortal comes with a few… unique challenges."
Adrian nodded, "I know it's not the same, but I've played a few video games with bosses that just keep getting back up no matter how many times you kill them. You only get to the next stage once you figure out the trick."
Oscar blinked. "That is… remarkably similar to what happened."
Adrian smirked, then frowned as he finally noticed that nearly everyone in sight was gathered around either a TV or a Scroll and watching something. Everyone except the two of them. Still, it wasn't everyday he could sit with a man thousands of years old telling him stories of history that literally nobody else knew, so he ignored the crowds and kept listening.
"Ironically, the 'trick' turned out to be her own device. It took me far too long to reach that conclusion, and by then the girls were already exhausted. Only I could stand against my ex-wife and hope to survive. Thankfully Ruby was just as bright that day as she ever was; after I showed her how to activate the device and change the target, she did the rest entirely on her own. I distracted Salem and held her in position until Ruby activated it, and… well…"
"You froze Salem?"
Oscar lowered his eyes. "There was no other option, Mister Arc. She could not die, and we could not stand against her forever. The fate of the world was at stake. It was the cruelest prison imaginable, but it had to be done or we were all lost."
Adrian sat back, breathless. "So… the one true immortal in all of Remnant… is locked in some kind of quantum field for all eternity?"
"I had assumed as much…" Oscar looked back up, his eyes narrow. "But considering what I've learned about the Imu, I am no longer certain of her captivity. I should have periodically checked on her, but I assumed too much…"
"Salem might be loose?"
"And angry. My wife was a woman who held onto her grudges, as I am sure I made quite clear."
"Then…" Adrian sat forward and looked around at nothing, letting his thoughts gather, "…could she have broken out of it on her own? Or did someone let her out?"
Oscar also leaned forward, "Only a few years had passed since she was sealed away. That is not enough time to gather a high enough concentration of magic for something like that. However, the chances of anyone releasing her are equally low. As I said, the ancient technology of our time was far more advanced than anything available today. Only a true genius like Ruby was capable of operating such a thing, and even then I needed to give her instructions."
"Then who? There's still something we're missing…"
All of a sudden, Adrian's Scroll began to beep and vibrate from his pocket. Oscar's did the same. Hoping this was a signal that the network was operational again, Adrian quickly pulled it out… only to sigh as it turned out to be nothing more than a special announcement set to begin at the end of a short timer.
"Elysium?" said Oscar. "I was under the impression the new Academy was still months away from opening."
Adrian looked again, actually reading the message this time:
'Special Broadcast from
Elysium Academy:
Elon Dusk to Unveil
Newest School Tonight!'
"So that's what everybody's been looking at…" Adrian checked again and sure enough, the crowds were still watching and waiting. They looked bigger, too. "Might as well take a breather, huh?"
Oscar didn't respond right away. He stared at the display with eyebrows furrowed. "Something about this feels… off."
"Whaddya mean?"
"It is too convenient. Too sudden."
"A little, yeah… ah, it's starting."
The display went to white noise for a few seconds, and Adrian could just see nearby devices showing the same. Looks like the network was still a bit on the fritz, but good enough for something like this. Everybody waited. As the seconds ticked by, the pit of Adrian's stomach began to drop. Maybe Oscar was right… this did feel weird.
And then the image appeared. A man stood before a crowd of people, all of whom waited in front of a large crystalline structure that seemed to glow from the inside. The man was obviously Elon Dusk – basically everyone knew his face – but the rest all wore fabric masks. Everybody was dressed in red and black robes, all of which bore the emblem of Ruby Rose on their chests.
He recognized the outfits from the headlines a few years ago. The Crimson Cult.
Oscar was immediately on his feet shouting, "NO! It cannot be!"
Adrian felt a chill as he examined the structure behind them. "Don't tell me that's-"
"That is Salem's device! It was him! He released her! And the eclipse is tomorrow! DUSK YOU FOOL, YOU'VE DOOMED US ALL!"
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Author's Note: I'm just gonna say it – I don't like how I handled the whole Salem Doomsday Device angle. I wrote the thing and even I think it feels a bit forced. However, that's my perspective and I'd like to know yours; could I have introduced it some other way? I mean, Remnant is kind of a tricky beast to work with in terms of plot macguffins anyway, so let me know your thoughts in the comment section if you're so inclined. I really do want to improve at this mystery story thing, and your feedback will help a lot.
Regarding the plot itself, things look like they're about to end real soon, don't they? I mean, now we have a baddie to defeat and a world to save… right? Right? ?
=^..^=