Chapter 19: The Rescue

"And how goes your latest project?"

"Nearly finished. Just a few finishing touches, and it'll be ready just in time for the festival."

"Wonderful. I must say, you've outdone yourself with this project."

"The city of Atlas gave us the inspiration. Now, with the contributions and resources of all four Kingdoms, this Vytal Festival can-"

"Excuse me, sir."

General Ironwood looked up from his computer screen to see a uniformed officer at his door. And he wasn't very pleased with the interruption. "Private, I'm in the middle of a meeting," he said.

"I apologize for the interruption, but I have some news."

"Can't it wait until I'm finished here?"

"I'm afraid not, sir. A ship was cleared to land two minutes ago, and two men in Mandalorian armor are asking to speak with you. They have something they think you need."

Ironwood stood up and looked to his computer. "Would you mind if-?"

"Of course not, James," a voice on the screen said.

Ironwood first gathered a group of armed soldiers outside to come into his office in case things went sour. He had a good idea as to who one of the Mandalorians was, but decided not to take any chances. "Send them in," Ironwood ordered.

The door opened to reveal two men in Mandalorian armor, one of them carrying a handcuffed Watts. The sight of the Mandalorians caused the soldiers in the room to raise their weapons. But the General wasn't alarmed, as he recognized the one holding Watts.

"Mando," Ironwood greeted. "This... is a surprise."

"I'm surprised to be here myself," the Mandalorian replied. "But as you can see, I have a good reason for being here."

"Are you armed?"

"Only with my armor."

"...Stand down," Ironwood ordered. All the soldiers lowered their weapons, and the warriors walked towards the desk. Ironwood walked away from the screen and towards Djarin. He then turned to Watts. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Let's just say he was in the area," Djarin said.

Ironwood turned to his guards. "Take the doctor away."

Watts was grabbed by his arms and dragged out of the office. "Oh, I can't believe you captured me," he said with dry sarcasm. "You've truly shown me the error of my ways, James." The General rolled his eyes at the comment, then walked back to his computer.

"You did the Kingdom of Atlas a service, Mandalorian." Ironwood opened a drawer in his desk. "And you've certainly made my life a lot easier. I'm sure you're here about the-"

"I know about Watts' reward," Djarin cut him off. "But I'm not interested in money. I need your help."

Ironwood closed the drawer and looked back. "...While I am grateful for what you've done, I don't normally lend my help in matters that don't concern Atlas."

Boba turned to Djarin. "You heard him," he said. "We're not getting his help."

Djarin looked back to Boba. "I'm not leaving this to chance." Djarin turned to Ironwood again. "General, this is about Atlas. I know where Gideon is, I need your help to stop him."

Ironwood wasn't expecting to hear that, and the first thing that came to mind was joy. "You... You do?" He immediately walked over to Djarin. "This is a silver bullet. I don't care how you did it, but if you tell me where he is, I can-"

He immediately stopped talking as a question asked itself: why did the Mandalorian come here? If he knew where Gideon was and wanted to go after him, the Mandalorian didn't seem like the man who asked help easily.

It was then he saw the Mandalorian was missing something.

"The little girl you've been traveling with. He has her, doesn't he?"

Djarin nodded. "I can't stop the insurrection alone," he confessed. "I need your help."

"Where is he?"

"His ship is near Argus."

"One moment." Ironwood walked over to his desk and looked at the computer screen. "I apologize, I'll have to call you back."

"I understand."

The man on the other end watched his screen turn off as the call ended. He took a sip from a mug on his table before pulling out his Scroll. Dialing a number, the man pressed the Scroll on his ear.

"Hello?" a woman's voice answered.

"It's me," the man said. "Are you still on your mission in Mistral?"

"I just finished it. Why, is everything okay?"

"I have a feeling James might need your help. How close are you to Argus?"

The talk with General Ironwood went rather well. He promised to lend the Mandalorian whatever ships he could provide and the military base at Argus would be put on high alert. However, their preparations would take an hour to mobilize, and a half hour to reach Argus. Djarin knew he had gained an advantage, but he had a bad feeling that time was running out for Cinder.

So, he decided to seek out more aid. And he had a good feeling on where to find some.

Boba left the Slave I in Atlas as Djarin used his Semblance to take himself and Boba to Mandalore. They appeared in front of the crater Bo-Katan showed him, where the Heiress and Koska Reeves were watching Atlesian drones and automated vehicles perform arduous construction. In fact, Clan Kryze had made significant progress on their domed city while Djarin was in Mistral. The outer lining had been finished, now they could focus on the plating and the buildings inside.

Koska Reeves saw the duo approaching them and was about to attack. But her leader saw them as well and put an arm in front of her. They remained stationary as Djarin approached her. "You've made progress," he noted.

"It wasn't hard," she remarked. "The ships we captured gave more material." Bo-Katan began to walk back to the construction site. But Djarin wasn't finished with her.

"I need your help."

Bo-Katan continued to walk. "Not all Mandalorians are bounty hunters. Some of us serve a higher purpose."

"...They took the child."

Bo-Katan stopped and looked back. "Who?"

"Major Gideon."

Bo-Katan turned away. "You'll never find him."

Koska silently agreed and walked back to her leader. Djarin was about to protest again before Boba spoke up. "We don't need these two," he said. "Let's get outta here."

Bo-Katan and Koska immediately looked back to the source of that voice. "You are not a Mandalorian," said Bo-Katan.

Boba looked back towards the woman. "Never said I was."

Koska joined in her leader's banter. "I didn't know sidekicks were allowed to talk."

Boba would normally take offense at being called a "sidekick" of all things, but he merely chuckled. "Well, it certainly takes one to know one." Koska dropped all sense of humor and moved closer to the bounty hunter. "Careful, little one."

"You'll be talking from a hospital bed."

Bo-Katan knew when to stop pointless insulting. So, she put a hand on Koska's shoulder. "Alright, easy," she ordered. "Save it for the outsiders."

Djarin was also tired of the senseless fighting. So, he decided to get back to his point. "We know where he is," he said.

When he first arrived, Bo-Katan thought Djarin was wasting her time. But the mere mention of Gideon's location had captured her undivided attention. "You can bring me to Major Gideon?"

"The Major has an Atlesian airship," said Djarin. "One of a kind, a prototype designed by the kingdom's best scientists. It could be helpful in your effort to rebuild Mandalore."

Further negotiations were interrupted by Boba, who immediately became disgusted with the idea Djarin proposed. "You gotta be kidding me," he said to Djarin, ignoring the fact the other Mandalorians were right in front of him. "That's why they're here? This place is just an ash pit."

Bo-Katan stopped thinking about Major Gideon and looked back at Boba. If looks could kill, the bounty hunter would be dead the second her eyes locked on to him. "You are a disgrace to your armor," she said, every word laced with anger and disgust.

The mere mention of his armor and the idea of disrespecting it made Boba lose even more of his patience. "This armor belonged to my father."

"Yes, I know. He disgraced it as well."

Boba immediately moved closer to Bo-Katan, invading any sense of personal space. "Careful, princess."

Bo-Katan smirked before she continued, feeling a sense of pride from the fact she touched a nerve. "I've heard of you, Boba Fett. And your father. I knew he was a man who gave up everything he was taught just to make easy money." She looked at his armor up and down. "And it seems the apple didn't fall far from the tree."

Boba's hands transformed into fists. "...Let's see what else the two of us had in common."

Rather than Bo-Katan taking the challenge, Koska sent a fist towards Boba. He immediately dodged the attack and grabbed her other fist. Boba successfully threw Koska into a metal beam. Once she hit it, Koska felt a wire wrap around her left arm. Boba's goal was to pull her into another attack, but the Mandalorian held her ground, refusing to be pulled from her spot.

Instead, she used her other arm to pull Boba towards her. Koska was then able to send a knee into his gut, one that was protected by his armor and Aura. So, Koska used her jetpack to fly off the ground. She threw Boba into a pile of spare parts, and turned on her flamethrower once she touched the ground. Boba was quick enough to turn his flamethrower on as well, and the jets of fire met each other, neither one reaching any further.

"Enough! Both of you!"

Bo-Katan and Djarin knew their fight would end one way or another, so they didn't bother to interfere. But now, Bo-Katan had run out of patience, she wanted to get back to the topic of Gideon. But she had one more thing to say. "If we had shown half that spine during the War, we would've never lost our home." The woman always took Mandalore's defeat to heart, and used it as an example in times of defeat and strength, which was why she spoke as if she actually lived through each battle.

As the fires died down, Bo-Katan turned back to Djarin, explaining that she would help him. In return, she wanted both the ship and for Djarin to reconsider joining her. "Fair enough," he simply replied.

"One more thing," she said. "Gideon has a weapon that once belonged to the Mandalorians. I'm sure you've heard of it."

Djarin took a moment to think, and then remembered what Cinder asked him once they left Mandalore. "You're saying Major Gideon has the Darksaber?"

"We've seen him with it," said Koska. "Once before meeting you, again when we went to Vale. He and his men took us by surprise... not all of us made it back."

Bo-Katan remembered their mission after Djarin left. Their plan was to infiltrate a small base with something she needed. She told Djarin that it would keep any enemies away from Mandalore, so taking the base was necessary. However, the base was "honored" by a surprise visit from Gideon. Once the trio was discovered, Axe sacrificed himself to buy Bo-Katan and Koska time to escape. Now, they had their chance for vengeance.

"I will kill the Major and take what's mine," Bo-Katan promised. "With the Darksaber in my hand, the Mandalorians will finally be within my reach."

Djarin wasn't entirely sure how he liked the idea of Bo-Katan controlling the Mandalorians. But he had a more pressing matter at the moment. "Help me rescue Cinder and you can have whatever you want. She is my only priority."

After Djarin took everyone back to Atlas, they made a plan. Using the ship Watts was taken in, Djarin, Bo-Katan, Koska, and the Happy Huntresses would go to Gideon's ship. Boba and Fennec would stay on the Slave I, and they would make their arrival look like an escape from an attacking ship. Once they landed inside, they would kill everyone they saw and rescue Cinder.

At the moment, everyone was speaking with General Ironwood through the ship's computer. Bo-Katan didn't like the idea of working with Atlas, and she wasn't sure if he had any idea of her thievery, but it was a necessary evil.

"This is Major Gideon's airship," said Ironwood. The screen was showing an image of an airship with the title Bismarck on the top left corner. "It's a prototype, one that can hold a crew of several hundred."

"It shouldn't hold that many," Bo-Katan said to everyone. "Word is they've been losing soldiers because of Atlas and Huntsmen."

"Your assessment is misleading."

Everyone turned back to the screen as a new voice entered the conversation. Ironwood looked to his left and whispered to someone who wasn't on the screen. After a few more seconds, the General nodded and moved aside, letting a Mandalorian in black and white armor step into view.

"Who are you?" Djarin asked.

"A member of Clan Vizsla," the Mandalorian answered. "A clan who Gideon enslaved using the Darksaber. We were at Nevarro when the child was taken. I've been tracking you since you left... I want to help."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"This isn't subterfuge. I assure you."

Before Djarin could protest, Bo-Katan moved closer to him. "Let him speak," she ordered. Djarin said nothing, giving the Mandalorian a chance to speak.

"My people are the ones who kidnapped the child. We, Clan Saxon, and Gideon's insurrectionists comprise the ship's crew."

"Where are they holding Cinder?" Djarin asked.

"The brig is in the lowest level of the ship. She's the only one being held under armed guard."

"Very well," said Bo-Katan. "We split into two parties."

"I go alone," Djarin protested.

"Fine." Bo-Katan looked to the others in the ship. "Phase one, our ship issues a distress call. Two, we emergency land at the mouth of the fighter launch tube, cutting off any potential interceptors. Koska, the Huntresses, and myself disembark with maximum initiative. Once we've neutralized the launch bay, we make our way through these tandem decks in a penetration maneuver."

"And me?"

"We'll be misdirection. Once we draw a crowd, you slip through the shadows, get the kid."

"May can use her Semblance to help us travel faster," said Robyn. "It'll give us the element of surprise with other Mandalorians."

"We'll need it to get to the bridge in one piece," Bo-Katan agreed.

"That's where we'll meet," said Djarin.

Bo-Katan agreed, but pointed out one last thing. "Major Gideon is mine. Got it?"

General Ironwood reappeared on the screen before Djarin could answer her. "He's an ex-Atlesian officer. We need him alive."

She turned back to the screen. "I don't care what happens to him as long as he surrenders to me."

Ironwood nodded. "I'll go make the final preparations. Good luck."

Djarin turned off the screen, leaving General Ironwood alone with the Vizsla Mandalorian. "My men will be ready soon," he said. "Come with us, I promise we can help your people."

"I can't," said the Mandalorian. "You do not know about my clan, but we are duty-bound to follow whoever wields the Darksaber." The Mandalorian removed his helmet and dropped it on the floor. "By helping you, I broke my oath. There is only one punishment for an action such as this."

"Wait, you can't-"

"I must." The Mandalorian walked towards the door, and a uniformed officer with brown hair and a mustache entered as soon as he was about to walk out. Before he did, the Mandalorian turned back to the General. "You have all you need. Now, go. Stop Gideon. Save my people." He left without another word.

The officer turned to Ironwood. "General, our men are-"

*BANG*

Both men turned to the door, but neither moved. Instead, Ironwood sighed and turned to the guards in his office. He gestured to the door and the guards ran outside. Ironwood turned back to the officer. "I'm sorry, Yularen," he apologized. "Did you need something?"

"I thought you should know our forces are ready," the one named "Yularen" said. "I know you were concerned about who could lead them, and I may have a solution."

"So do I. That blue skin of his may scare a few people, but his record has been nothing but spectacular. He's been toying with politics but I think he's up for the challenge. What's yours?"

Yularen smiled. "Well, sir. It seems great minds do think alike."

Major Gideon was standing on the bridge of his ship, staring out into the ocean. At first glance, someone would assume he was just enjoying the view, but Gideon had other things on his mind. He was mentally preparing himself for the upcoming battle.

From what Saxon told him, the Children of the Watch were one of the most complex groups of Mandalorians Remnant had ever known. They were predictable, always more focused on their own survival rather than the external affairs of the kingdoms.

But then again, this Mandalorian was far from predictable. Gideon knew his main priority would be to keep moving at all times, so that nobody could find him with the child. But he rarely stood his ground to fight, or even search for a fight. Given the fact that's what he was doing at this moment, Gideon was doing his best to predict the Mandalorian's next move.

He would be coming to the Bismarck, no doubt. But how?

He always traveled alone, save for the child. But would that change now?

He decided to put the entire ship on alert. His soldiers were patrolling every inch of the ship, but he kept his Mandalorians hidden for now. Once he saw how his enemy would attack, that's when they would be deployed. And once he, and any other friends he brought, were dealt with, he would use the Darksaber to take his head. Right in front of the child.

"Sir, we're receiving a distress call from an airship."

The Major turned to his communications officer, who was playing the call she was receiving on her computer.

"This is Manta 2743. Requesting emergency docking. Repeat, requesting emergency docking. We are under attack."

"Copy, 2743," said the officer. "Request received."

Gideon recognized the ship, and he knew something was wrong. He had personally ordered that Manta to retrieve Doctor Watts from Mistral. And he didn't send a female pilot. "Launch our fighters," he ordered.

"Stay clear of launch tube. Deploying fighter squad."

After a few seconds, Gideon saw a Manta deploy and fly in front of the ship. Just as it did, two more ships came into view. He could see one was the smaller Manta he sent earlier, and the other appeared to be a Bullhead with faded paint. The small Manta flew right past the one that exited from the ship and was coming close to the launch tube.

The communications officer began to panic. "Request denied!" she yelled. "Please clear launch tube until fighters deploy!"

"Negative! Negative! We are under attack!"

Gideon was starting to recognize the voice. That, and given the fact the Manta was charging into the launch tube, he knew what was going on.

Bo-Katan had returned. And this time, she wouldn't be leaving without her prize.

The communications officer tried to reason with her once again, but it was impossible. The ship was dangerously close to the launch tube, and another Manta was preparing to launch.

*CRASH*

"...Open a visual on the launch tube," Gideon ordered.

The communications officer said nothing as a blue screen appeared on the bridge's window. The screen showed a fire from the ship, and several soldiers on the ground. But everyone in the room also saw a soldier hit the ground, as if something hit his face. But there was nothing there.

After the same thing happened to another soldier, Gideon knew what to do next. "...Sound the alarm."

The chaos the Huntresses and Bo-Katan caused before disappearing helped Djarin slip away unnoticed. At the moment, he was looking for an elevator that would hopefully take him to the Bismarck's brig. He found one at the end of the hall. And he immediately ran up to it.

But just as he did, he noticed a door beginning to open. The door revealed a dozen Saxon Mandalorians equipping their armor and readying their weapons. And unfortunately for Djarin, they all saw him approach.

"There he is!" a woman shouted and pointed. Everyone in the room looked over and stared at Djarin.

"No, no!" Djarin screamed. He ran to the door control panel.

"STOP HIM!"

Every Saxon Mandalorian ran to the door. But Djarin was faster than them all, and he managed to close and lock the metal door. The Mandalorians on the other side began to beat the glass in an effort to break it, but it would take a while since it was bulletproof. And the small size of the room made shooting a rocket from their jetpacks dangerous.

"That was close," Djarin thought to himself. "Let's hope that-"

"RRRRAAAAAHHH!"

A scream and a body falling on top of his caused the Mandalorian to fall on his back. For a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of a woman's face. But the glimpse disappeared when the woman started scratching with sharp finger nails at his throat. At first, the nails managed to cut his flesh. But then, Djarin quickly engaged his Aura so the nails wouldn't get his throat. He then raised his arm to turn on his flamethrower. The flames escaped his gauntlet for a moment, but the woman's knee pinned his arm before it could do anything else. The same happened to his other arm, keeping Djarin on the floor.

The woman stopped scratching when she saw his Aura block out the pain. So, she quickly grabbed his throat and squeezed. The Mandalorian began to choke and gasp for air, moving his head to get the woman off him. But as he did, he realized who the woman actually was. It was the Faunus who wanted Cinder's power. Aurora.

"I... have come too far... to be stopped by some human... pretending to be that brat's dad!" Aurora yelled as she applied more pressure.

Djarin was losing air fast, and he was about to lose consciousness. But then, he remembered something else that he had, something that wasn't pinned to the ground: his jetpack.

He activated it and it sent him flying into the door. Aurora lost her grip and fell off him. Djarin stood up and grabbed his throat, taking deep breaths and reorienting himself. Aurora stood up and started running, with a knife in her hand. Djarin ducked when she attacked, the knife scratched the glass instead. Aurora quickly brought the blade down, but Djarin's Beskar protected his shoulder.

He retaliated with a headbutt, his helmet dealing more damage to the Faunus' face than a normal headbutt would. He immediately sent a kick to her knee, causing Aurora to kneel. Djarin then sent a harsh slap to her cheek, and Aurora fell to the ground. She looked up to see Djarin grab her shirt's collar and move her closer to his helmet. "That... was for Cinder," he said. "Everything else... will be for me."

"Don't... count on it," said the Faunus.

Aurora had managed to pick up the knife she dropped. But rather than trying to stab Djarin again, Aurora threw it at the door, and it hit the control panel. Once it did, the door opened, letting all the Mandalorians on the other side free.

"No!" Djarin yelled as the Mandalorians came rushing towards him. He dropped Aurora and pushed his arm out. A whole salvo of whistling birds flew to the Mandalorians. While some not wearing their armor were killed, the other Mandalorians managed to avoid the projectiles. Once they did, a few of them grabbed Djarin and threw him into the room. They immediately began kicking him while he was down and hitting his body with the ends of their weapons.

Aurora was about to join in, but a voice in her ear stopped her. "Aurora, the intruders are coming to the bridge. Join Gar Saxon and eliminate them."

The Faunus put a finger on her earpiece. "I'm on my way," she said firmly. But before she left, Aurora closed the door and locked it. The Mandalorians turned around and looked at her. "Just to make sure he won't leave while I'm gone," she said. "Keep him alive, the kid's going to watch him die."

A Mandalorian on the other side smirked. "Exactly how alive are we talking?" she asked.

Aurora smiled at the question. "Surprise me."

The Happy Huntresses and the Kryze Mandalorians were close to the Bismarck's bridge. At first, they slipped past everyone with May's Semblance. But when her Aura broke, they took care of the soldiers the only way they knew how.

All that stood in their way were insurrection soldiers, whose armor couldn't afford much protection from Bo-Katan's pistols. The ones that remained were quickly dealt hand-to-hand attacks by the Huntresses.

"We're almost to the bridge," said Robyn. "You think they would have put up more of a fight."

"I don't care how long this takes," said Bo-Katan. "All that matters is Gideon." She began to walk closer to the closed door, much faster than the others.

"Whoa, hold on." Fiona stopped in front of her. "We can't just go in guns blazing. Don't Mandalorians have a plan of attack?"

"I do have a plan." Bo-Katan moved aside, but looked back at the Huntresses. "Attack." She continued to walk, Koska joining her.

"Oh, I like her," Robyn said. She joined the Mandalorians while Joanna walked up to Fiona.

"Relax, Fiona," she said. "This be over before you can say-"

"Sleep."

When everyone heard the new voice and a crash, they turned around to see a Faunus pointing two fingers at Fiona and Joanna, who were on the ground. And next to the Faunus was a red Mandalorian, with a white orb in his hand.

"Well," he said, pointing to Bo-Katan. "You must be Mandalore's Heiress." The Mandalorian stopped talking as if he was giving Bo-Katan a chance to respond. But before she did, the Mandalorian shot his hand and the orb at Bo-Katan. Koska pushed her to the ground, and the orb flew past her. But before it was destroyed, the orb shot a bolt of electricity at Koska, making contact with her gauntlet. The Beskar began to disintegrate and Koksa could feel her arm burn. She quickly engaged her Aura to deal with the pain.

Bo-Katan stood and observed her enemy. "Gar Saxon," she said.

Saxon lowered his hand and pulled out a rifle. "Your 'rule' is at an end, Kryze. And it wasn't short enough." He shot two blasts of modified Electricity Dust at Bo-Katan. She took to the air and fired back.

Aurora ran to the remaining Huntresses, throwing small daggers at the duo. Robyn turned her weapon into a shield and blocked the daggers while May used her staff to do the same. Aurora then leapt into the air, sending a larger knife down on Robyn's shield.

May swung her staff at the Faunus, but she simply grabbed it and kicked her gut. The kick knocked the wind out of May, her Aura couldn't protect her at the moment.

Robyn swung her shield at Aurora, and it made contact with her face. Knocking her backwards, Robyn watched as her opponent picked up Joanna's staff. She swung the weapon, but May deflected the attack. They locked staffs as Robyn ran towards them.

Saxon was still firing his rifle at the Mandalorians and he was still in the air. The hall to the bridge was large, giving him plenty of room to fly. Bo-Katan's shots merely bounced off his armor, she wasn't able to get a hit on his exposed body parts.

Koska had just finished recovering from Saxon's attack, but she was still feeling some pain in her arm. She couldn't offer much assistance to Bo-Katan in terms of fighting, but she suddenly had an idea.

Saxon continued to fly and shoot at Bo-Katan, and only stopped when one shot hit her helmet. She became distracted, and Saxon moved closer and grabbed her throat. He began sending knees into her gut, then kicked her exposed leg. She kneeled to the ground and Saxon grabbed her throat again.

Bo-Katan looked behind Saxon, and realized an opportunity had just come to her. She pushed him off her, and extended a knife on her gauntlet. She swung the blade at her opponent's chest, sending him backwards. She began to swing her blade with fury, causing Saxon to take to the air.

He suddenly started to laugh. "You'll have to do better than-"

*SPLAT*

Saxon felt his legs and back stick to something. He tried to move his head, but his helmet was also stuck. "Wait, what the-?"

"Nice work, Koska," said Bo-Katan.

Koska came out from behind the web she just created. She had always been able to use her Faunus trait to get out of a sticky situation, as well as place her enemies into one. "You ready?" she asked as she joined her leader.

"When you are."

Koska and Bo-Katan activated their jetpacks, setting them to ramming speed. Once they did, they both sent a strong kick into Saxon's chest, which caused the web to break and the Mandalorian to crash into the ship's bridge. Bo-Katan and Koska followed him inside.

Aurora was still using the staff she stole to fight the other Huntresses. But she knew she couldn't keep the fight up much longer, the use of her Semblance and Aura for defense caused her Aura to be close to breaking. But she suddenly had an idea.

Pushing May away from her, Aurora picked Fiona off the ground and put a knife on her throat.

"Let her go!" Robyn yelled.

"Try anything and she dies," Aurora said to the shocked Huntresses.

May was the first to react by pointing the end of her staff at the Faunus. "Okay, fine," she said. "Just don't hurt her."

"That's it," said Aurora. "Nice and slow."

May formed a smile, as Aurora just failed her test. It seemed she didn't know how their staffs actually worked.

Which gave May the element of surprise.

She used it wisely, sending a bolt into Aurora's Faunus ear.

"AAAAUGH!" she screamed as she dropped Fiona and her knife. Aurora immediately began to pull the bolt out of her ear. "FUCK!"

Fiona and Joanna immediately woke up, their sleep had just ended. "Glad you two could join us," Robyn joked.

Seeing that she was now even more outnumbered and her Aura was broken, Aurora made a choice.

She ran out the door she came in.

Joanna was about to charge after her, but Robyn's arm stopped her. "Let her go," she said. "The others might need help in the bridge."

The Happy Huntresses ran to the door, weapons ready for another fight. But once they saw the various bodies on the ground, all dead from blasts in their armor, they knew another fight was out of the question. Now they had to deal with an angry Mandalorian.

"Where's Gideon?" Bo-Katan asked, looking around the room again. The Happy Huntresses looked around too, but couldn't find any living insurrectionist. It seemed Major Gideon wasn't on the bridge.

"May, get on one of the computers," Robyn ordered. "Maybe we can find him on the security cameras."

May ran over to a computer and started looking through various cameras. But all she could see were empty hallways and dead soldiers. "This ship could have hundreds of cameras," she said. "Where would he go?"

"If he's smart, he'll find a ship and fly as far away from here as possible," Joanna offered.

"The Major's a lot of things, but he's not someone who would run away from a fight," said Bo-Katan, who was looking at the security cameras as well. "Hold on. He might try to do that. But there's something on the ship he needs first."

"Not something," said Fiona said. "Someone."

"He's going after the child," said Koska. "Find the cameras in the brig."

"I'm looking." May started going through each camera, slightly increasing the speed she was clicking earlier. After a few seconds, she suddenly stopped. "Wait, what the-?"

"You found him?" Bo-Katan asked.

"No, but I found something."

Everyone moved to the monitor again, and saw what May was seeing. She was looking at a room of Mandalorians, all huddled in a large circle. And in the middle of that circle was another Mandalorian, fighting against each one. A very familiar Mandalorian.

"Oh, my God," Fiona said. "They're killing Mando."

"He's still fighting," said Joanna.

"He won't last long," said Robyn. "Not against that many." She readied her weapon and moved to the door. "I'll be back."

"Robyn you can't go!" Robyn turned to see Fiona looking at the monitor. "This is from the ship's airlock, on the other end of the ship. You'll never make it in time."

"Dammit!" Robyn slammed her hand on another screen. "I hate not being able to-! Wait a minute." She looked back at May. "Where is he?"

"It looks like some kind of airlock." May pointed to the screen. "See? There's a door here that can take the Mandalorians into the air."

Robyn looked closer at the room, but noticed something was off. The room had two doors, but it also had fans, a gated floor, and holes on the ceiling. "Not into the air, May. Into the ocean."

May looked closer, and was starting to get the same idea as Robyn. "Into the ocean... the ship is sitting on. And if Mando can still use his Semblance-"

"Flood the room," Bo-Katan ordered the two.

The task was easy. The doors were already locked, and all May had to do was click on the word "Flood" on the screen. It was risky, but they knew Mando would die if they didn't do something.

As soon as May clicked the word, a light flashed and an alarm sounded in the airlock. Everyone stopped fighting and looked around. They suddenly began to panic once the room began to fill with water. Everyone started to rush for both doors, banging on them with their weapons and trying to get them open.

But Djarin simply took time to catch his breath... and teleported.

The sight made every Huntress sigh in relief. "Oh, thank the Gods," said Robyn.

"Let's never do that again," said May.

"Keep looking for Gideon."

"That... might be a problem."

Bo-Katan looked back at the screen and saw what May was talking about. More Mandalorians were running towards the bridge, all armed with rifles and pistols.

"Looks like we'll be a little busy," said Robyn.

Everyone else simply loaded their weapons and pointed them at the door.

Djarin had reached the lower level of the ship, the trip in the elevator gave him time to recover from the beating he got from the Saxon Mandalorians.

It wasn't hard to find which cell Cinder was in, given the fact that only one cell had two guards in front of it. Pulling out his blaster, Djarin fired a shot at the first one's neck, and he fell in an instant. The other turned around and fired his rifle, but the bullets merely bounced off his armor. Djarin took this chance to shoot again, and the blast penetrated the soldier's armor.

With that, Djarin moved to the door controls and pressed a white button that turned green once the door opened. It opened slowly, and Djarin could feel his spirits begin to lift at the thought of reuniting with Cinder.

He then felt his heart fall into his stomach at the sight of Gideon holding a black blade over an unconscious Cinder.

"Drop the gun," he ordered. "Slowly."

"..."

The sight before him enraged the Mandalorian, but he couldn't risk anything happening to Cinder. So, he slowly put his pistol on the floor.

"Now kick it over to me."

Djarin complied again, pleasing the Major. "Very nice."

Now it was time for the Mandalorian to give orders. "Give me the kid," he demanded.

"The kid is just fine where she is."

Gideon didn't care too much about Cinder at the moment, he was surprised this Mandalorian didn't challenge him for the Darksaber. Perhaps he didn't know what it was? Well, Gideon decided to refresh the Mandalorian's memory.

"Mesmerizing, isn't it? I almost lost it to Bo-Katan." The Major turned back to Djarin. "Yes. I know you've been traveling with Bo-Katan. A friendly piece of advice, assume that I know everything. Like the fact that your wrist launcher has fired its one and only salvo."

Djarin had no time for this, he wanted to get to the point. "Where is this going?"

"This is where it's going. I'm guessing that Bo-Katan and her boarding party have arrived at the bridge, seeking me or, more accurately, this." Gideon looked at the blade again, entranced by its unique properties. "But I'm not there. And I imagine that they've killed everyone on the bridge, being the murderous savages that they are. And now, they're beginning to panic. You see, she wants this. Do you know why? Because it brings power. Whoever wields this sword-"

"Has the right to lay claim to the Mandalorian throne," Djarin finished. He knew the story, he knew what Gideon holding the Darksaber meant. Bo-Katan was determined to take it from him, but Djarin could care less. "You keep it. I just want the kid."

Gideon was astonished to hear this. Mandalorians like Bo-Katan and the ones from Clan Vizsla would kill for the Darksaber. But then again, Din Djarin was no ordinary Mandalorian. So, Gideon knew what to do next.

He deactivated the Darksaber's blade.

"Very well." The Major moved aside. "I've already got what I want from her. Her blood. All I wanted was to study her blood. This child is extremely gifted… and has been blessed with rare properties that have the potential to bring order back to Atlas."

"..."

The idea of Gideon stealing Cinder's blood caused Djarin's anger to return to him, but he kept his composure.

"I see your bond with her," Gideon continued. "Take her, but you will leave my ship immediately and we will go our separate ways." He moved aside, leaving Djarin to walk over to Cinder. She was sleeping on some kind of metal table, her wrists and legs bound by metal restraints. Djarin saw where the restraints were connected to, and was ready to remove them.

The Mandalorian knew today's efforts would be a risk, but he didn't care. The gamble Djarin took today seemed to be well rewarded. But the thing he forgot about gambling was... knowing when your enemy is bluffing.

Gideon used his bluff well, and now he was ready to use the Darksaber to go in for the kill. He activated and swung the blade at the Mandalorian, and it crashed into his jetpack. Unfortunately for Gideon, the blade couldn't cut through Beskar. But when Djarin recovered, Gideon kept trying to kill the Mandalorian. He kept swinging the blade, and they made contact with Djarin's gauntlets. The only thing Gideon could do was send Djarin out of the cell and into the hall.

Djarin's gauntlets protected himself from the Major's attacks, he knew the Darksaber couldn't cut through pure Beskar. But now, he needed to go on the offensive. Fortunately, he came prepared. Reaching behind his cape, Djarin pulled out Cinder's scorched swords, he had been carrying them ever since he left Nevarro. He planned to return them to their rightful owner once he rescued her. Now, he was about to put them to use.

Gideon swung his blade again, but Djarin used the first Beskar blade to stop it from moving. He quickly swung the second at the Major's chest, but he was able to move away from the swing. The sword hit the wall, but Djarin was quick to recompose himself. Gideon swung his weapon again, and Djarin crossed the blades in an "X" to block the attack. Gideon pressed harder, causing the blades to burn even more.

So Djarin sent a kick to Gideon's gut, which was blocked by a black Aura. The kick caused the Atlesian to stumble and Djarin to fire a wire at Gideon's hand. But the Major simply cut it with the Darksaber, freeing himself in an instant. The wire shot back to Djarin, and he blocked more strikes from Gideon.

Suddenly, the Mandalorian disappeared. Gideon was in the middle of a swing, and couldn't stop himself from cutting the thin air. Djarin appeared behind him and slashed both swords twice at Gideon's back, which was once again blocked by his Aura.

The Major turned around when Djarin tried to attack a third time. This time, Gideon engaged his Aura and caught one blade in his right hand. His Aura protected his hand, and Gideon was free to send the Darksaber at Djarin's chest. The blade hit just below the Mandalorian's chestplate, at an exposed part. The Mandalorian's Aura deflected the attack, but it broke just as the Darksaber left.

The attack made him fall to the ground, leaving an opening for Gideon to stab him in the stomach. Which was exactly the Major's plan.

Fortunately for Djarin, he still had his flamethrower. Once it activated, the flames engulfed the front of Gideon's body. He was forced to engage his Aura and back away until the flames died down. Once they did, his Aura broke as well. But he wasn't finished just yet.

In another attempt at an exposed part of Djarin's body, Gideon raised the Darksaber and aimed for the Mandalorian's neck. But Djarin raised his gauntlet, blocking the attack. Dropping the sword, Djarin immediately grabbed Gideon's hand and squeezed.

Gideon felt the Darksaber leave his grasp and a punch to his face. He fell against the wall and could only watch helplessly as the Mandalorian raised the Beskar blades. Djarin brought them down, but they didn't make contact with Gideon's flesh. Instead, Djarin stabbed one blade into the wall, close to Gideon's neck. He stabbed the other one on the other side of Gideon's neck, leaving the Atlesian trapped between two blades inches from his neck. And the blades were pinned in the wall so that removing them wouldn't be easy. Gideon knew what this meant.

"You're sparing me," Gideon said. Djarin's silence was all the confirmation he needed. "This should be interesting."

The Mandalorian turned back to the Darksaber and picked it up. Just as he was about to turn it on and go back to Gideon, he could hear a soft mumbling from the other room. Immediately remembering Cinder, the Mandalorian ran back into the room and saw the young girl begin to wake up. Using the Darksaber to cut her restraints loose, Djarin slightly picked her up. Her eyes were still closed, she seemed to be disoriented. "Cinder?" Djarin quickly asked. She didn't respond. "Cinder?" he asked again.

This time, the girl began to open her eyes. They were only half open when she recognized the black visor staring back at her.

"No, no!"

Cinder backed into the corner of the wall as fear and panic took over. She had been in the presence of the Saxon Mandalorians long enough, and she didn't want them to touch or hurt her again.

The sight of Cinder screaming and flailing her arms nearly broke his heart, but that didn't stop Djarin from completing his mission. "Cinder, wait!" he said as he grabbed her arms. "No, no, no, stop! It's me! It's me!" Once he had both her arms, Djarin gestured to the pauldron on his shoulder. "It's me. It's Mando."

"..."

The child looked at the pauldron on the Mandalorian's shoulder. When she saw the image of a Rinocer and the rest of the silver armor, Cinder realized that the Mandalorian was indeed her guardian and friend. Once she did, Cinder felt herself fly off the table and wrap her arms around her knight in shining armor. "You found me," she said, relieved her nightmare was finally over. "I knew you would."

Djarin hugged her back, his nightmare had finished as well. "I'm sorry it took me so long," he apologized.

Cinder began to cry.

"Mando," she choked out. "I... thought you were..." She held him tighter, unable to hide her fear anymore. "I... I was... so scared!"

Djarin said nothing, he simply held her tight as she let it all out. He didn't care how long he needed to stay in that spot; he was just happy to be able to hold Cinder again.

"We're taking heavy hits down here!"

"Just hold on, we'll be there in two minutes!"

"Not enough time!"

The Happy Huntresses and Kryze Mandalorians had been trying to keep their hold on the ship's bridge, but the numerous Vizsla and few Saxon Mandalorians were making that difficult. Their Beskar protected them from bolts and blasts, they could only be hurt from melee attacks. But the Huntresses were tired and the few Kryze Mandalorians could only do so much. Bo-Katan managed to get in touch with the Atlesian military, but they were too far away to help at the moment.

All fighting stopped at the sound of a door opening. Inside stepped Djarin and Cinder, pointing their blades at a handcuffed Major Gideon.

"Wait. Is he-?"

"He is!"

The sight of a Mandalorian holding the Darksaber made the Vizsla Mandalorians move away from the Happy Huntresses and kneel. Gideon was thrown to the floor. "What happened?" Bo-Katan asked.

"He brought him in alive," said Robyn. "And now... Atlas is gonna have to double the payment."

"That could do a lot of good for Mantle," said Fiona.

Major Gideon chuckled hearing this. "That's not what she's talking about," he said. Gideon turned to Bo-Katan. "Why don't you kill him now and take it?"

"..."

Gideon turned back to Djarin. "It's yours now," he said.

All eyes moved to the floor as Gideon spoke to the Mandalorian. "What is?" Djarin asked.

"The Darksaber," Cinder answered. "Mando... it belongs to you."

"..."

Djarin was so focused on Cinder at the moment that he forgot about his duel. She was right. He beat Gideon, he won the Darksaber.

He had every right to it.

He earned it.

But then he remembered the deal he made with Bo-Katan. So, Djarin simply turned the weapon off and handed it to her. "Now, it belongs to her."

"She... can't take it," said Gideon. "It must be won in battle. Come now, you know the rules. In order for her to wield the Darksaber, she would need to defeat you in combat."

Djarin turned back to Bo-Katan. "I yield," he stated. "It's yours."

"Oh, no. It doesn't work that way. The Darksaber doesn't have power. The story does. Without that blade, she's a pretender to the throne."

"...He's right," said Bo-Katan.

"Come on, just take it."

"..."

Bo-Katan stared at Djarin.

Djarin didn't put his arm down.

Cinder prepared to defend Djarin.

Gideon smiled at the silent confrontation.

*THUD*

The bridge began to shake as something hit the ship. Everyone lost their balance and a few people fell. Koska immediately put a finger on her helmet. "What are you people doing?!" she yelled. "We have the ship under control, hold your fire!"

"Ma'am, we haven't fired anything!" a soldier on the other line said.

"Then what just hit us?" Bo-Katan asked.

Something else just hit the ship and now everyone fell over. An alarm began to sound. Koska ran to a flashing computer where a phrase kept appearing on the screen.

WARNING: UNDERWATER ACTIVITY DETECTED

"You're about to face one of the largest Grimm known to man," said Gideon, who was smirking at everyone, his eyes landed on Djarin's pauldron. "The Rinocer is an impressive kill. But let's see how you do against a Leviathan."

Just as he said that, the ocean in front of the ship erupted, revealing a large, aquatic Grimm. Letting out a loud roar, the Leviathan began its attack.

"Our coordinates match the location of the ship. Do we have a visual?"

"Sir, we received confirmation the ship is no longer under control of the insurrection."

"Excellent. Prepare a boarding party."

"...Sir, we have a visual on the ship. But it's being attacked by a Leviathan."

The captain of the Atlesian airship walked over to the window to see Gideon's ship being attacked by a Leviathan.

"Dear God," the captain said under his breath. He quickly turned back to his crew. "These coordinates put that Grimm dangerously close to Argus. Prepare our weapons and aim them at the Leviathan."

"Sir, one of the ships that arrived before us already tried that," said one of the officers. "The Leviathan almost killed them with a blast from its throat."

The communications officer spoke up. "Captain, we're receiving an order from the fleet's Admiral. He wants us to redirect our fire on the Bismarck."

"Is he mad?" the captain asked. "Gideon's still on that ship, and so are the allies we sent earlier."

"He's aware," the officer responded. "And with all due respect, the Admiral made a point. The Leviathan has its current attention on the Bismarck. It'll be destroyed for sure. So if we destroy it first, the resulting explosion will take the Leviathan with it."

"...Alright. Do what he says."

"Yes, sir. We'll be ready in..." The officer's attention was drawn from the weapons system to a small airship flying towards the Leviathan. From the ship's identification, it seemed to be coming from Argus. "Sir, I'm seeing what looks like a Manta coming from Argus. It's heading towards the Bismarck."

"What?" The captain immediately walked over to the monitor and saw the same sight as the officer. "Establish contact."

"Yes, sir." The officer pressed a button on his computer. "Incoming craft, identify yourself."

"I'm a Huntress," a female voice responded. "I can weaken the Leviathan for you to attack."

"Ma'am, we've been ordered to destroy the ship the Leviathan is attacking. If you go in, you won't receive any support."

"I understand. I'll be one minute."

The communication cut out and the Manta moved closer to the ship, circling the Leviathan.

"We can't wait any longer," said the captain. "Are the ship's weapons ready?"

"Yes sir," said another officer. "We'll be ready to fire in three, two-WHOA!"

A blinding light found its way into the ship, catching every officer inside the bridge by complete surprise. It left as quickly as it came.

"What... was that?" the captain asked.

"Sir... I think you'll wanna see this," said an officer in front of the window. The captain walked over to the officer and looked out the window. His jaw dropped when he saw the Leviathan. Only, it wasn't the Grimm that bothered him.

It was the fact the Grimm had been turned to stone.

"Sir... what just happened?"

"I think... I think someone up there likes us," the captain said as he stared up into the clouds.

The communications officer looked back to the captain. "Sir, we're receiving new orders from the Admiral! He wants us to fire on the Leviathan!"

The captain looked over his crew, who were all dumbfounded by the phenomenon that just transpired.

"Are we deaf?! Fire all our weapons on the Leviathan! NOW!"

Everyone looked back to their terminals, complying with the captain's orders. Once their weapons, and those of their fellow ships, were activated, the Leviathan turned to dust.

"What the hell was that?"

"The Grimm, it's... gone."

Everyone inside the bridge of the Bismarck looked outside to see the Leviathan be reduced to dust. The sight caught everyone off guard, but Cinder was the first to smile at the miracle that saved them all.

Major Gideon was the first one to feel fear.

He believed the Levithan would kill everyone on the ship except for him, for he knew Salem could make it so. But once his last hope was destroyed before his eyes, the reality of the situation came crashing down on him.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't go down without a fight. He had picked up a gun when he was on the ground, and now he was ready to put it to use.

First, he pointed the weapon at Bo-Katan and fired. The shots caught her off guard, but her armor protected her from the attack.

So Gideon went for the next best thing. If he couldn't have the Fall Maiden... nobody could.

Cinder was knocked to the ground from the Grimm's attack on the ship, and she was looking up at Gideon's weapon.

As soon as he pulled the trigger, Gideon watched as the Mandalorian dived in the way, his armor protecting him and Cinder. The last bullet he fired found its way through Djarin's arm, his Aura had broken from his duel. He grunted in pain as it went through.

Everyone in the ship, Huntress and Mandalorian, watched as Gideon placed the gun under his chin, preparing to end it all.

A Vizsla Mandalorian stopped him by sending a punch to Gideon's face, knocking him unconscious. As he watched the Major fall to the ground, the freed Mandalorian turned to his brothers and sisters. "Aid our Mand'alor," he ordered.

Bo-Katan silently fumed in anger as the Mandalorians walked over to Djarin and helped him stand. She had come so close to victory, yet now she had been pushed past the brink of defeat.

"I'm alright," said Djarin, who got off the ground. "Is Cinder-?"

"I'm okay," she answered. "Thanks to you."

A group of Mantas arrived at the Bismarck, escorting the detained Saxon Mandalorians and the remaining insurrectionists off the ship.

Djarin carried Cinder inside a Manta alone. He continued to hold the young girl close to him, not caring about the pain in his arm. Once the ship took to the air, she sat down as they made their way to Argus.

"Did we do it?" Cinder asked as she looked back at the giant airship.

"We did," Djarin replied, following her gaze. "Watts, Gideon, the insurrection..." Djarin turned back to the young girl. "It's finished."

Cinder looked back to him and smiled. "It's finished," she repeated. Her smile vanished as she looked behind the Mandalorian. Djarin saw the change in her attitude and turned around as well. Sitting behind them was a figure in a hooded white cloak. The figure stood up and removed the hood, revealing a woman with black hair that ended with red tips, and large silver eyes staring at them.

Cinder moved behind Djarin as he readied himself for another fight. But he had a feeling that wasn't going to happen. Looking into the woman's eyes gave him a strange sense of calmness, that no harm would come to any person in her way. "Are you a Huntress?" he asked for reassurance.

"I am," the woman replied. She took out her Scroll and showed the duo her Huntress license.

Name: Rose, Summer

Place of Issue: Vale

Authority: Beacon Academy

The last phrase stuck out to Djarin. Beacon Academy was the place Hera told him to find Ozma. Or rather, Ozpin. Looking back at Cinder, then back at Summer, Djarin spoke again. "That school. That's where she needs to go." He pointed back at the license.

Summer looked back at the place of authority and wondered why a child of all people had to go to Beacon. Maybe it had something to do with why she was called here.

"Mystery after mystery," Summer told herself as she put away her Scroll. She didn't bother asking why the child needed to go to a Huntsmen Academy. With a smile and an extended hand, Summer spoke to Cinder instead. "If that's the case, you can come with me," she kindly offered.

Cinder didn't move, she stayed right behind the Mandalorian. "She... doesn't want to go with you," said Djarin.

Summer lowered her hand and looked back at the Mandalorian. "She really trusts you," she said.

"...Always," Cinder whispered.

"I don't know much of your kind... but I know a fight is never far behind you," Summer said to the Mandalorian. "I would give my life to protect the child, if she decided to let me take her to Beacon. Before you go... can you promise me you'd do the same?"

Djarin showed the Huntress his bleeding arm. "If it means she'll be safe, I'm not afraid to die."

"He's risked his life for me before," Cinder spoke up. "I'll be okay."

Summer smiled at the young girl. "You'll be safe at Beacon." She looked back at the Mandalorian. "Good luck."

The airship landed and Summer walked away. Djarin and Cinder walked out the other side, towards the Atlesian base to get some well needed rest.

Author's notes: hey everyone. Sorry this chapter took so long, things have been busy as always. But not only with my personal life, I managed to post my new story. But don't worry, that won't stop me from writing this one. So if you haven't already, feel free to check it out.

To Mandalorian00, another happy letter. Only this time, it seems you have a contender. A comment by The Super Guest seems to have challenged you. How will this go down? But in all seriousness, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To The Avenging Titan, glad you liked my take on May's backstory. As for karma, you'll have to wait and see. Yes, Hera was inspired by the Greek goddess (I always had a thing for Greek mythology). And Din used the second question, the first is still a mystery. And yes, Aurora is taking Cinder's place as the vessel for the Maidens. As for the blood transfusion, I will explain this more next chapter. Hope you liked this one!

To RedRat8, I understand. I wasn't expecting everyone to like it, and I respect your opinion. But I'm glad you were able to enjoy the rest of the chapter. And I hope you enjoyed this one.

To D.N Works, Djarin's world indeed got bigger. My answer is kind of spoilery, I'm sorry I can't answer it right now. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To The Super Guest, you dare to challenge the Council of Mandalore? I have to warn you, if you continue this, there's no going back. But in all seriousness, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To The Newbie Guest, I'm glad you liked my idea of Djarin's arrival. I understand what you're saying, and I hope part of this chapter helped shake that feeling. But in my defense, I don't think Lionheart was a very good fighter. Also, Hera's situation is sad, you're right. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To joeyginise, thank you for saying all of that. I was afraid of what some people would say about May's backstory, but I'm glad you liked it. I share your view, her reasoning lacked some depth. I'm also not trans, and I'm glad you not only liked my idea, but I'm also glad you helped me see Gender Dysphoria from your perspective. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter.

To GojiraFan455515, oh wow! I hope you had a Happy Birthday! Thank you for reading, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To ARC-5597, glad you enjoyed the chapter. I see the similarities, but I took inspiration from something else. But I'm glad you saw the similarities and enjoyed the chapter. Hope your enjoyed this one.

To I Fredric I, no worries. Glad you got time to read it. I'm glad you liked my idea with Djarin and Lionheart, you summed it up pretty good. I'm glad you liked my story of Boba and the Happy Huntresses, specifically May. Thank you for everything else you said, reading everything you said put a smile on my face. I understand you're not a fan of Attack on Titan, but feel free to check the story out if you want. Hope you liked this chapter.

To Rook435, glad you liked everything. You summed up my thoughts and ideas pretty good. That quote you asked about is actually from RWBY Volume 8, May said it when talking to the protagonists.

To TwinkieMain, for real? Wow, I wasn't expecting anyone to binge read this. Glad you like the story, and I hope you liked this chapter.

Thank you all for reading and commenting. If you haven't already, please leave a review. I wanna hear what you have to say. Also, please consider favoriting and following this story, let me know if I'm doing good. That's all I have for now, see you next chapter!