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Argus was beautiful. The Mistrali architecture blended and contrasted nicely with that of its Atlesian half. We rode a tram through the city streets and felt the quiet security of the place. There was a humble peace here, one the Black-Out day panic hadn't touched.
I sighed.
It was nice. The environment was relaxing.
Especially after the train ride had turned stressful for me.
My Jaune's semblance was like Blake's Adam's. That meant something. They were similar. They had to be. That's how semblances worked. They were about the soul and that meant Jaune's soul, his very essence, was like Adam's.
That was scary. I'd heard of Adam by now and seen the harm he brought my sister. He'd planned to bomb Haven. He'd set the Grimm loose at Beacon.
Jaune had once described using the Grimm as a weapon as a genius move. Was the difference between him and Adam smaller than I thought? The way Blake told it, it was possible. It was possible enough to make me doubt my own memory of things.
Like when Jaune had killed for the first time. A beat of blue light and the other man fell into two halves. Or even the second time, too. He was drenched in blood. He'd been so casual about it, he was even joking around a little. It made me wonder if it was the second time or just the second time I knew about.
However, Blake's Adam was an obsessive creature, that was the portrait she painted of him, and maybe Jaune was too, but obsessive was the polar opposite of traitorous. It didn't match up. If Jaune was like Adam, he should have been killing for our cause, not turning on us. That's what didn't add up about it. It's why even with Blake's story I was willing to stick to my guns, so to speak.
And Jaune was obsessive.
He was crazy about Cinder and getting his revenge. The only thing that held him back from jumping her at Haven was me and his similar obsession for me.
Salem did something to Jaune. She must have. It was the only way Blake's story lined up. It was the only way Jaune's personality matched his actions. No matter what he was offered he would have said 'no.' He would never turn on us intentionally. Something else must be at work.
I brushed my hair back and rubbed the smooth handle of Crescent Rose. I listened to our cart troll along, bumping against the smooth road.
Jaune was out there. He was waiting for me to save him. There was nothing in this world to stop me from worrying about him. He was somewhere, maybe bringing the relic to Salem. Soon he'd be even further in her clutches and here I was going away more and more.
I missed the sound of his voice, the deep baritone. I missed his arms around me. I missed his plans, his mind. I missed his aura, a comfort that nothing else could replicate and replace. Nothing else delivered on that.
We moved towards the military base, a distant part of the city. A reminder of Atlas's strength but far enough away to keep it out of the denizen's minds. They didn't need to be reminded constantly about war and the power of the gunships. Just the occasional touch would do to secure the place mentally.
We approached the gates to the place. Two guards in Atlesian drab met us at the entrance through the bars.
"Hey, we need to secure passage to Atlas." I began. "Can you help us?"
"I know Ironwood, we work together," my uncle said.
"Impossible. Besides-"
"The borders are closed," one guard continued.
"No one in or out of Atlas."
"Come on, you didn't even hear us out." Yang shook the bars.
"Our orders are clear."
"The Mistral-Atlas borders are closed."
"Please have a good day."
"But-" Yang began.
"A good day," They said in unison.
"Hey if you don't want to believe that I'm friends with Ironwood-"
"-General Ironwood."
"Right. General Ironwood." Qrow continued. "But look we've got Weiss Schnee with us and we're trying to get her home safely."
They cocked their heads and said together. "Approach."
Weiss gave us all a helpless look. Blake managed an encouraging nod.
They examined Weiss for a long pause. Making sure she was indeed Weiss, probably. She was Weiss so they leaned back and shared a glance.
"Very well-"
"-You may speak with our commanding officer."
"We will fetch her at once."
They marched away in synchronization. With a "Hup-hup-hup-hup-" never let it be said that they didn't take their jobs seriously.
"They were kind of-" Blake began.
"Super weird?" I finished. "Uh-yeah."
"Keep it together. This may be our best shot at getting into Atlas."
"Ms. Schnee, you remember the code phrase you're supposed to give James when you see him?" Ozpin asked.
Weiss nodded.
"Very good. Qrow is correct. You stand the best chance of passing a message along to him. It is likely the rest of us will have to remain here. We will see about finding lodging after meeting with this officer."
"Introducing-" we tried back to the young men working the gate. "Special Operative Caroline Cordovin!"
They stood aside to reveal a short elderly woman with a metallic glint in her eye.
"Hello Operative Cordovin. I'm Weiss Schnee." Weiss gave a little curtsey as she introduced herself.
"Indeed? I've seen the special report informing us to keep an eye out for you. Plus you look ever so much like your sister. We're both Special Operatives so I know her."
"Is that so…" Weiss trailed. "It is imperative that I speak with General Ironwood and secure passage for myself and my companions into Atlas."
"If I may ask, why must you speak to the general?"
"I have a special message for him. His ears only."
"I see… well I'd be happy to secure your transit into Atlas. I've even been ordered to do so given the opportunity but I have no orders for anyone else. I'm afraid your companions will have to stay here until I receive directions to the contrary."
"Very well. If I could just speak to Ironwood I'm sure that he would allow them special passage."
"Unfortunately communication between here and Atlas is limited. He trusts me to run things as I see fit." She looked over the back of her fingernails as she humble-bragged.
"Just me, then. How soon can you have an airship ready?"
Caroline nodded to her men and they opened the gate for Weiss. They closed it behind her and I watched her go on, alone. My heart ached for her but we knew it might come to this. It would be fine. Just for a few days.
I was still worried about her. I knew how much she would hate being alone but she was a big girl. She could tough it out. Besides, the fate of the world was at stake. I'd see her again.
"Well that's settled," I said. "For now at least."
"Come on kids, let's find a place to spend the night." My uncle turned on mechanical legs and strode down the street.
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We marched through the city, searching for an inn we could stay the night at. We rounded a corner and that's when they jumped us.
They came down off the roof in unbelievable unity. Three girls, in masks and balckware came out of the night.
I spun Crescent Rose into it's full form before me. Just in time to block the slash of a knife in my direction. She backed away and fired a gun at me twice. Dagger and gun, she somersaulted through the air at me. She fired the pistol in my face and lashed out with the knife at the last second.
"Where's the relic?" She demanded. Her voice was soft and urgent. She couldn't have been much older than me. She was probably a shade younger, in fact. That or she was incredibly lithe. I struck out at her with Crescent Rose but she-she sort of ate the attack against her body. Her aura flashed with red and blue flames. She grunted with it, a sort of moan.
I fired a shot into her body and she rolled with it. Purple aura flaring over the site of the attack.
She lashed out at me with her knife, trying to slash me. She did a rolling side-flip with it, bringing it around her body and trying to cut me. She tried to breach my range but I disappeared and reappeared a few steps back.
They attacked all of us together. One had a sword with two parallel blades. The last had a set of gauntlets with knives attached to the tips.
They were fast, strong, and skilled, flipping over us and taking us by surprise. My uncle rotated his weapon into play and clashed with the sword user who flipped between him and Oscar. The last engaged Blake and Yang simultaneously.
They all had blonde hair tied up and their masks revealed blue eyes like crystal.
It all seemed incredibly familiar.
I lashed out again and she ate my attack with her aura once more. The blue and red flames wreathed her and burnt at me. It made me take a step back and yelp with pain.
She sort of floated in place as she took two shots at me with her pistol. Her other hand came up to stabilize with the knife underneath.
She lashed out with the knife as she got closer and I had to say she was good at getting into my guard with her narrow flips and small attacks.
She came up to me and did a sort of kick flip right in my face that nearly connected with my chin. She jumped and kicked at me again with her narrow feet and forced me backwards away from the lashing limbs.
I hit her with the back end of Crescent Rose, knocking her to the asphalt, but she just jumped back to her feet. She jabbed at me two times with her knife, ultra fast, and shot at me again.
I slashed, twirling Crescent Rose at her and bringing my body with it in a whirlwind of attacks. She flipped end over end away from me and I realized she was trying to draw me away from my friends and I held firm. I took a few potshots at her but was careful shooting in the middle of a city. A missed shot could kill a bystander easily.
But then a ghostly specter of red and blue appeared around her body. It lashed out in time with her kicks against me, increasing the force and bashing me back. It had strength beyond her small body. It flared blue and red around her. It didn't seem to keep her safe from harm.
She flipped at me, knife in hand and a crescent of red followed it as the specter which hovered over her, lashed out, overlapping her attack with it's own claws. Instead the monstrous ghost was augmenting her attacks. It was nearly eight feet tall and was a menace of red and blue light.
The girl with the sword flared purple with soft lightning as well and her speed seemed to increase as she flipped through the air, lashing out against Oscar with her blade before leaping back to deal my uncle a blow. She twirled in the air with grace.
She caught Oscar's cane between the blades of her sword. She swung it away and Oscar's cane went clattering down the street. The girl with the sword jumped and slammed both feet into Qrow's chest and knocked him to his knees. He was still unsteady on his new legs.
Blake and Yang seemed to have the situation under control the most. They dealt their attacker a rapid team attack that slammed her against a brick wall. Yang's fists were bared and at the ready. Blake vanished into shadow and let Yang hit through where she used to be to knock her against the wall again.
Yang lashed out with her fist and the girl only narrowly ducked under it. Blake slashed at where she was going and caught the girl on the side. It knocked her to the ground.
Blake tossed Yang the ribbon of Gambol Shroud and together they clotheslined the girl.
The lead girl jumped and lashed out at me with her legs and the hovering ghost attacked in time with her. Increasing her strength immensely. Hovering behind her and beating against my defenses in perfect time with the girl in front of me, the specter was hard to keep track of and I swept my blade through it and it did nothing.
"Where is the relic!?"
"We don't have the relic!" I shouted. She knocked me off my feet and down to the ground. The disembodied pressure of the specter floating behind her disappeared as she went to help her fallen compatriot.
"Blake, look out!" I called.
The girl I'd been fighting dealt her a staggering blow with the spirit in tow. It must have been her semblance, that glowing specter that reinforced her attacks.
She rocked Blake back and slammed her against a wall.
"They don't have it on them, sister." The girl with the fisticuffs said as she was pulled to her feet by the girl with the dagger and gun. "The relic isn't here."
The girl with the dagger and gun growled. She took shots at us while they backed off. Using team attacks and surprising maneuverability to cover one another as they made their way back to the roof tops. They hopped off the walls of one building like ninjas and made their way to the top.
The girl with the dagger and gun stretched a hand down and hauled the girl with the double sword over and onto the roof. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they were gone.
I rushed over to Qrow and Oscar.
"Are you two alright?"
"We're fine. Who were those girls?" Qrow breathed.
"I don't know."
"They looked a little familiar, though." Blake said, she held her hands on her thighs and panted.
"They were looking for the relic." Oscar said. "She kept asking us where it was, over and over again."
"Do you think they worked for Salem?" Yang asked.
"I've never seen or heard of agents who match their description before." Oscar said in an Ozpin like voice. "But it is possible. Perhaps even likely."
The police arrived to the sound of gunshots and we gave them our story. How we were attacked and the real culprits escaped into the night. We spent the evening down at the police station repeating our story over and over again to the local authorities.
"What did they mean by 'relic?'" I was asked by a local cop.
I had to tell him I had no idea. I hated lying like that but what choice did I have?
"They weren't making any sense, officers," Yang said. "They sounded hysterical."
"And what are you trying to do in town?"
"We delivered Weiss Schnee to the Argus military base. Maybe that's what all this is about." I lied.
"If I call up Caroline Cordovin will she corroborate that story?"
"She should. She took Weiss from us. I have no idea why she wouldn't." Qrow muttered.
"And where are you ladies and gents staying in town, in case we have more questions and need to get ahold of you?"
"We're not staying anywhere yet. We were looking for a place when we were attacked." Blake explained. It felt like she was saying that for the dozenth time.
"Why don't you give me your scroll numbers? Then we'll let you go on free."
We handed over our numbers and were let out into the very late night.
"Aw man, we're never going to find a place to stay now." I said.
"We should just be glad everyone made it out of that fight okay." Blake murmured. "It was a good thing they were so focused on the relic. They operated like a strike squad. In and out with a non-combat objective."
"But that doesn't make any sense. Why would Salem be trying to take the relic from us. She should know we don't have it." Yang said.
"Unless she doesn't," I said.
"What's that mean?" Yang asked.
"I'm not sure. But it should be a good thing. It means she doesn't know where the relic is."
"You mean she doesn't know where Jaune is? How could she not?" Blake asked.
"It is curious." Oscar or maybe Ozpin put his hands on his cane and leaned on it. "Enemy disorientation is a good thing. I should like to capitalize on it but I'm unsure how. We are missing many details that would set this all straight."
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-WG