The Way of the Maiden

by The Court of Talons

The world of Remnant is notable for warriors such as Huntsmen and Huntresses. It is also notable for the Mandalorians, groups of mysterious and nomadic warriors just as ruthless as the Grimm. This is the story of one particular Mandalorian, and how a chance encounter with a child leads to the adventure of a lifetime.

61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61: The Setback

Roughly three days had passed since Atlas held its election for a new member of the Council. In that time, Bail had been working tirelessly with Willow and the rest of the Council to turn things around. However, recent events in Mantle and recent decisions by Ironwood had made their efforts rather difficult.

Nobody could possibly forget the events that transpired in the warehouse where Robyn held her party. Survivors walked away with bruises and severe cuts, but many people had been killed. The police and the military were working hard to find the culprit, but the people of Atlas and Mantle had their own suspect.

Penny.

Nobody knew how or when, but a video of Penny taking part in the massacre was uploaded and sent all across the Kingdom. Of course, nobody close to Ironwood believed Penny was responsible. Pietro had managed to uncover evidence that the footage was doctored, that someone had placed Penny's combat footage in Mantle over the real perpetrator, but nobody in Mantle was willing to listen.

That was why Penny found herself confined to Pietro's lab until order was restored. Pietro and R2 were allowed to monitor her and provide comfort, but things weren't going to be the same with Penny.

In order to keep things in check, and prevent another massacre, Ironwood established a curfew and a restriction on assembly in Mantle. Enforcement of this decision was overseen by Admiral Thrawn, as well as a select few in Thrawn's ranks. Martial law wasn't in effect, but Thrawn had granted the air fleet's top officers emergency powers over Mantle in this time.

The most swift and thorough of these officers was an ambitious man named Wilhuff Tarkin, who worked with Admiral Thrawn to divide Mantle into sectors that the other officers would oversee. Thrawn and the officers were not given the authority from Ironwood to overstep civilian authority, but they worked closely with the city council and governors.

More closely than any civilian officer was comfortable with.

Results varied across the city, but no similar incidents of violence had been reported. However, there was one problem Ironwood was determined to have resolved immediately.

Namely, a problem with Robyn Hill.

Robyn was devastated by the massacre in her warehouse, but she was also more resolved than ever. The election had taught her much, mainly that she wouldn't be able to help the city through legitimate means.

Vigilantism, on the other hand, worked like a charm.

Robyn wasn't able to find out what was so important about Amity, but she was able to find out the schedules of trucks that were being sent to Amity to deliver supplies. And with the help of the Happy Huntresses, they were able to seize those supplies for themselves.

The soldiers and the officers deployed to Mantle all tried to stop these thefts, but their efforts were in vain. May's invisibility Semblance was the perfect cover to hide seized trucks, and Fiona was able to use her Semblance to store everything the trucks had within the palm of her hand. And when they had everything they needed, Robyn and the Huntresses moved across the city to deliver the supplies wherever they were needed.

Because of this, Mantle was able to begin repairing the outer wall. Some of the supplies were given to citizens who needed them, but concentration on the wall was carried out. Along with that, Atlas' suppliers felt the confidence to refuse Ironwood's requests for more supplies until the city was properly repaired.

Needless to say, Ironwood and his officers were far from happy about this.

Thrawn and Tarkin had made progress on determining a pattern of where Robyn would be delivering the supplies, as well as the location of where she was storing them. Ironwood would normally praise the officers for their efforts, but he needed Robyn to stop right now. And he needed to know who was responsible for the massacre in the warehouse.

That was why he invited Djarin, Cinder, Ozpin, and Qrow into his office to work on a plan.

"This is the worst case scenario!" Ironwood said as he stared at a screen of Robyn stealing supplies "More people are dead, Penny's been framed, and Robyn is stealing from right under our noses!"

Nobody in the room was a stranger to Ironwood yelling, so they remained patient until he calmed down. Cinder was happy that she wasn't the one being yelled at, but she still remained quiet. However, it was Clover Ebi who spoke after Ironwood was done.

"That's the second shipment for Amity that was hit today," said the leader of SCAR Squadron. "It seems election night was the last push Robyn needed to go from hometown hero to full-on vigilante."

"I'm afraid the problem is more complicated than that," said Winter. She had been released from the medical wing of the academy, after she had received minor injuries from the election night. And now, she was ready to get back to work.

Everyone was glad to see that Winter and Cinder were okay, but today was rather serious. And Ironwood sighed as he began to explain the situation while pacing around his desk.

"It seems Robyn has emboldened our suppliers in Mantle," he said. "They're refusing to sell us provisions until the city is adequately repaired. With Robyn redistributing the goods her team has stolen, the Amity Project is completely stalled."

Everyone knew that Robyn stealing supplies was a setback, but to hear that the project was on hold was terrible news.

"But we're so close!" Cinder insisted. She had been keeping track of the progress Pietro and everyone else had made with Amity, so she knew it was almost ready. "There has to be a way to finish the tower!"

"There is," said Winter, who was looking at the General. "Declaring martial law."

"..."

The silence that followed Winter's proposal told everyone that Ironwood was definitely considering the offer. He hadn't declared martial law when he and his fleet returned to Atlas, but the idea was rather tempting. Admiral Thrawn and his subordinates would be given the power they needed to bring more swift results, and Ironwood believed another incident like the one in the warehouse would be easily prevented.

But not everyone agreed with him.

"Heh, heh, heh," Cinder awkwardly chuckled. "Okay, but maybe there's a better way than scaring everyone in Mantle."

Ironwood turned to look out his window, which was a habit of his when he needed to think about important decisions and reinforce his conviction in doing what he believed was right. "What's more important?" he asked. "Establishing communications, unite the world? Or appeasing a few city blocks?"

All of Ozpin's allies were growing more uncomfortable with the idea, and Qrow took his turn to sway Ironwood away from it. "Those city blocks are preventing us from getting the comms back up," he said. "You said it yourself, James."

"Yeah," Cinder agreed. "They're not gonna budge until things get better down there. I'm not saying we can solve all of Mantle's problems, but if we help out where we can, maybe that can help. You keep talking about how we just need a little more time, but we need Mantle to give us that time."

General Ironwood turned to face Cinder and move back to his desk. "Mantle just needs to hold out a little longer until the tower is ready," he insisted. "We have all had to make sacrifices for the greater good. Mantle has had to bear a lot of the burden, yes, but-"

"They're bearing all of it," said Djarin, who was invigorated by his daughter's point and recent events. "Ignoring a large group of people is exactly how we got here in the first place. That's why the Mandalorians started a war; they were tired of being cast out into the wilderness, tired of being robbed of a home."

"Djarin's right, James," said Ozpin. "If we keep ignoring Mantle, we may have a rebellion to contend with." Ozpin pointed to the screen where Ironwood had been looking. "And from the looks of it, Ms. Hill is beginning to ignite the spark."

"..."

Between the Mandalorian war, Robyn's bold actions in Mantle, and everyone calmly pointing out the logic of the situation, Ironwood reluctantly pushed the thought of martial law aside. The last thing he wanted was a rebellion in Mantle, which would delay Amity even more. If he didn't tread carefully, another war would be imminent.

Everyone could see that General Ironwood was mostly convinced, but Winter and Clover were somewhat reluctant to abandon the idea of martial law so quickly. But Cinder was willing to share her opinion once more.

"Squeezing Mantle this way…" she began. "That kind of division plays right into Salem's hands. That's why Fauna is here framing General Ironwood. And maybe Merri's here too."

The mention of Salem's daughters brought up some very bad memories for Winter. She couldn't help but raise her hand to her artificial eye as she relived the experience of losing her original one. At the time, she didn't know how or why the Blair sisters were able to do what they did at Beacon. But after Cinder explained who and what they were, everything made sense.

Now, all she wanted was to make sure nothing like that happened again.

"Right, the reason we called you here in the first place," said Clover. This was enough to return Winter to reality, and she payed close attention to the leader of SCAR Squadron. "Who did you say you saw in the warehouse?"

"Fauna Blair," Cinder replied. "My old teammate."

"Fauna and her two sisters arrived at Beacon early last semester, and Cinder joined their ranks as a complete team of students" Ozpin explained. "But what we didn't know was that they were double agents working with Salem. They helped the Mandalorians invade Beacon."

"And now they're doing it again," said Djarin.

"I killed Flora in Vacuo, but I never saw Fauna or Merri there," Cinder declared.

"If we ever had any doubts Atlas was Salem's next target, I think those are officially out the window," said Qrow.

"But now we have a suspect," Cinder pointed out. "We can tell the people."

"That a terrorist is loose in Mantle and the military has no idea where she is," said Clover. "Might make things worse before they get better."

"With all due respect, I may have to agree with Cinder," said Winter, which surprised everyone. "The Blairs are the reason I lost my eye." Winter pointed to the small piece of metal next to her eye. "If what she told me about them is true, that they can turn into Botflies, that makes them incredibly dangerous." Winter suddenly had a bad thought. "They could be watching us through a fly on the wall."

The idea unnerved Clover and Ironwood, who were beginning to believe that Amity might be compromised already. Nevertheless, Clover stuck to his original decision. "Telling the people is one thing, but proving it is another," he said. "Nobody else but Cinder could see that girl, and election night didn't exactly paint us in a good picture."

"But we have to do something!" Cinder insisted. "Fauna's the one who's been killing those people from before! And if Merri's here too, that's twice the damage they could do! We'll be putting Mantle at risk if we don't say anything about them, or Amity, or even about-!"

"We can't share anything about that!" said General Ironwood. When Cinder remembered what she just said, she could see that she had made a mistake. Talking about Amity was strictly off limits, and now General Ironwood was about to share that.

"If we talk about Amity now, we risk Salem's forces, who we know are here, working to sabotage it," Ironwood continued. "If we tell them about Salem now, we risk falling to the Grimm before we can reunite Remnant." Ironwood stood up from his desk while slamming his palms on it. "We have to finish the tower."

"..."

The silence served as a chance for the General to make a unilateral decision. "I want Robyn Hill in custody. We can offer her a deal if she gets Mantle to cooperate."

"We'll figure it out," Clover promised.

"Anyone not assisting with Robyn needs to focus on the Blairs." Ironwood began to move towards the door of his office as he spoke. "I want to know if both of them are here, where they're hiding, what they're planning, and how exactly that video of Penny got all over my Kingdom." Ironwood turned around before he left the office. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Winter and Clover responded.

"..."

Cinder and her allies couldn't help but read into Ironwood's exact words. His stress about the situation was clear, as was his resolve. It was this resolve and the use of "my Kingdom" that unsettled everyone. Nevertheless, when Cinder recalled that she had inadvertently caused this stress, she decided to do what Ozpin had been doing.

Play things safe while hoping for the best.

"...Yes, sir," she said with a hint of timidness.

---

After the meeting in General Ironwood's office, Djarin and his allies regrouped in his room to strategize the best way to deal with Mantle's problems. Given that General Ironwood hadn't given them direction on how to deal with Robyn and Salem's daughters, it was implied that they had more free reign in this operation.

Revan and Obi-Wan had joined their friends to aid in this endeavor. They would normally be talking to Bo-Katan or defending the tundra, but now they wanted to find out what Salem was up to and stop it.

Now, they just had to see how they were going to do that.

"It's strange," said Revan, who was the first to speak after he heard what happened in Ironwood's office. "I knew Salem for many years... but I was never aware of these hybrids she made."

"Well, Professor Port told me that Botflies were a more recent discovery," Cinder pointed out. "And I heard how they called Salem their mother. I guess she wanted to protect them."

"Heh," Qrow dryly chuckled. "Guess she cares for something, after all."

"Cinder, you said you killed Flora in Vacuo," said Djarin. "And you have a lot of experience with Merri and Fauna from Beacon. Any ideas on how we can find them?"

"All I can say is that they don't like fire," Cinder pointed out. "We can use that when we do find them. But as for how, I'm not really sure."

"If it's the cold they're drawn to, perhaps the damaged part of the wall is our best chance," said Obi-Wan. "Nobody human would dare to go out into the tundra."

"James has many Huntsmen and Huntresses defending the wall," said Ozpin. "Nothing out of the ordinary has been reported so far."

"This kind of hunt will take more than just Huntsmen and Huntresses," said Djarin. "I've hunted people with bounties on their heads for years before I met you all. I can do it again."

"What do you propose, Djarin?" Revan asked calmly.

"Our best chance is to know how they think. We need to find out what they've done and why. And where they would try to do it again."

"Revan and I have made progress with Bo-Katan," said Obi-Wan. "If we were to ask her, perhaps she can shed some light on how these hybrids think and act."

"And who they're working with," said Cinder.

"..."

Everyone turned to Cinder with perplexed looks on their faces. The masks Revan and Djarin wore hid their faces, but they too were unsure as to what Cinder meant. Fortunately, the Maiden was willing to explain.

"Before she was taken where Pietro can take care of her, Penny told me she saw something weird," she said. "That there was a large person in some kind of armor attacking the people in the warehouse."

"Someone's working with those brats?" Qrow asked.

"It could be another Mandalorian," Djarin suggested. "I know your speech helped, Cinder, but I think I know a few Mandalorians who might want me dead." Djarin recalled how his last encounter with Paz Vizsla and other children of the Watch went at Haven. Paz sounded like someone who fit the description of a large man in armor.

"Hang on," said Qrow. "Clover's buddy Zuke has a Semblance that can coat himself in iron. Maybe Penny saw him trying to help and mistook him for the enemy."

"Hmm, I don't know, Qrow," said Cinder. "Penny's never made mistakes like that in the field before."

"If someone is indeed working with the Blairs, then there is much we still don't know," said Ozpin. "Djarin has the right idea. We can analyze how the Blairs might be thinking, and where they would most likely go after that. James has a copy of the police and military reports of the incident, we can look there."

"I can check out the warehouse if you want," said Qrow. He knew his ability to transform into a crow would be the perfect cover for returning to the scene of the crime. "They might have left a trail there."

"That's a good start," said Djarin. "We'll need to look at every angle for this." The Mandalorian looked over to Obi-Wan once more. "I know you said you could ask Bo-Katan, but is there a chance you could talk to Hazel too?"

"He hasn't been the easiest person to get through," Obi-Wan replied. "He's as stubborn as a rock, and still loyal to Salem."

"Even after what happened to his sister?" Cinder asked.

"Indeed. I thought mentioning Gretchen would help show him how little Salem cares, but it only made him angrier. Reaching him will be difficult."

Djarin accepted this with a nod as he fell into silence. He was still going to help his allies, but he needed to sit back and think for a moment.

"So, it's decided," said Ozpin. "We'll retrace the steps of the Blairs and their supposed ally to see where they'll strike next. Which leaves only one more matter: Robyn Hill."

"..."

There was no argument that Robyn Hill's actions were very consequential. Stealing was, of course, against the law. Furthermore, while the distribution of supplies was helping people with immediate problems, Robyn was inadvertently putting a bigger picture at risk.

And while it was difficult to imagine, everyone knew that Robyn had to be stopped.

"Clover was telling me that he and his squad might be setting up a trap for her," said Qrow. "That they'll be inside some trucks in Mantle, and give her the jump when she opens it."

"An arrest may stop the seizure of supplies, but it will most likely be temporary," said Revan. "Someone else will follow in her footsteps."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to get through to James on that," said Ozpin.

"Maybe I should talk to Winter," Cinder suggested. "She was on our side in the office, maybe she can help us work closer with Clover and the others on this."

"That could work," said Djarin, who finally broke his silence. "Okay, we should get started. Qrow, you had the right idea about going to the warehouse. We'll start there."

"I'll let you know what I find," said Qrow, who stood up and moved to the door.

Content with Qrow's willingness to start working, Djarin turned to Ozpin. "Oz, those police and military reports should help us out. If you can get them and share them with us, we could piece together what happened when the lights went out."

"I'll have to ask James for them," said Ozpin. "But I'll go right now."

Djarin nodded before he turned to the two Jedi. "Obi-Wan, Revan, you can talk to Bo-Katan. We might have to take the gloves off for Hazel."

"Leave that to me," said Revan. He was no stranger to working in ways that were unorthodox. So he would be ready to be less conventional with Hazel.

Nobody wanted it that way, but they needed all the help and information they could get.

"Cinder, talking with Winter might be a start," said Djarin. "But if you can think of a way to help find Fauna or Merri, you should go to Mantle. You're our best chance at hurting them."

Cinder understood what Djarin was saying, given her experience with Flora. And since she was more than willing to stop Flora's sisters, she agreed to her father's suggestion.

"Okay, Dad," she said. "What about you?"

"I think I know someone who can help us," the Mandalorian replied. "Whether or not he'll be willing is another thing. But I have to try."

Nobody was sure who Djarin was referring to. Cinder almost believed her father was talking about their friend Lando, but then she remembered what Djarin had said about the Dust smuggling. Regardless, Cinder simply chose to trust her father and begin her next mission.

Everyone had gone their separate ways when they left the dorm room. The only ones who were together were Revan and Obi-Wan, who took an elevator down to the holding cells of Atlas Academy.

Oddly, Djarin took another elevator to the same floor.

It was true that the Mandalorian would find his potential lead to Fauna and Merri in the brig, but he didn't want to say anything to Cinder. It wasn't that he didn't trust her with important matters and decisions, but rather that he didn't want to open any old wounds for Cinder.

And so, Djarin set off to examine the holding cells alone. It was easy for him to find his target, since the cells had a terminal to show the location and status of prisoners who were present. Once the Mandalorian knew where he needed to go, he found himself in front of a Hard-Light door with a prisoner staring back at him.

"...I need your help," the Mandalorian reluctantly said.

"..."

The prisoner was sitting on the bed of his cell, with a shadow hiding his face. He was surprised to see the Mandalorian, someone he hadn't seen in ages, pay him a visit. He didn't plan on addressing the warrior, or to move off his bed and give Djarin his attention. But when he heard a surprising demand, the prisoner stood up and let the light shine on his face.

And that face, a face with a very unsettling smile, was the face of the former Major Gideon.

"This should be interesting," the disgraced officer replied.

---

"I knew those girls. I met them after the Fall of Beacon, when we all left together."

"We understand they played a pivotal role in infiltrating Beacon, that nobody discovered it until it was too late. We think they're doing it again now."

"Salem never talked about Atlas to us. All she was focused on was the war effort in Vale and Mistral."

"..."

The former Headmaster of Haven Academy slowly nodded his head in acknowledgement; he believed what he had just heard.

Revan and Obi-Wan were speaking to Bo-Katan Kryze, just as they said they would. And just as they predicted, Bo-Katan was able to confirm that she knew Salem's daughters. She didn't know too much about them, given that they only met a few times at Salem's castle and the island of Kalevala. However, Bo-Katan was willing to share what she did know.

"The only one that sounded important is the blonde," she said to the Jedi. "Merriweather, I think."

"Why is that?" Revan asked calmly.

"Vizsla told me that she was the one who built his robot. You know, the Basilisk." Bo looked over to Obi-Wan. "I heard you met it at the Great Lake."

Obi-Wan nodded once more as he recalled an experience with a giant war machine. "Yes," he said. "It was very difficult to destroy. You said that Merriweather built it herself?"

"That's what Vizsla told me."

Obi-Wan took a moment to think about this idea. The first thought that came to mind was Salem's evolution in combat. She always relied on the Grimm and the Sith to carry out her destructive will. Now she seemed to be relying on droids as well.

Similar to how Ironwood was relying on them.

Obi-Wan's next idea was actually a connection. He was well aware of the massacre in Mantle, and how Penny had been framed for it. There was one detail that stuck out to him, how footage of Penny fighting had been doctored and used to make her look guilty.

"This 'Merriweather' seems remarkably intelligent," he said. "First espionage, then mechanical engineering. It may be possible that she possesses knowledge on creating fake video recordings."

"Then she is here," Revan concluded. "Cinder confirmed that her remaining sister is here as well." Revan looked back to Bo-Katan once more. "We need to know where they are. How they're planning to destroy Atlas."

"Don't look at me," said the Mandalorian. "I was Vizsla's second in command, not Salem's. Whatever she shared with them was beyond me."

"Please, Bo-Katan," Obi-Wan implored, despite the fact that there was logic behind what the Mandalorian said. "You must remember something. Or have any idea behind Salem's motive."

"..."

Bo-Katan normally would disregard a request like this if it came from a stranger. However, the fact that she and Obi-Wan both cared about Satine made the Mandalorian decide to grant this request.

"I learned that those girls posed as students at Beacon," she said. "That's what Vizsla told me. They might be doing something like that here. I mean, they fooled you all once."

Obi-Wan and Revan looked at each other as they considered the idea. "True," said the masked Jedi. "Ozpin believed they were normal students."

"We'll speak to Ironwood," Obi-Wan decided. "A review of new Atlesian cadets may be in order."

"There was something else too," said the imprisoned Mandalorian. "Salem made a fit about something called 'Maidens.' I don't know anything about them, but they seem important."

This was rather obvious for Obi-Wan and Revan, and they knew the Winter Maiden was in no imminent danger. "Anything else?" Obi-Wan asked.

"That attack in the warehouse you mentioned." Bo-Katan moved closer to the cell door. "There has to be only one person responsible for it."

Obi-Wan moved closer to the cell in anticipation. "Yes?"

"The same person who killed Satine. He's out to get us."

"..."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel depressed at the mention of Satine. More than anything, he wanted to find her murderer and make him face justice for his multiple crimes. But justice wasn't going to fix the guilt Obi-Wan felt in his heart.

And neither would misplaced blame.

"I am sorry, Bo-Katan," the Jedi said sincerely. "But I'm afraid you're mistaken. The possibility did come to mind, but we were both wrong. Cinder was in the warehouse, and she didn't see Anakin's lightsaber. Whoever was responsible for the attack, it wasn't someone like him or me."

"..."

Bo-Katan shared the same disappointment as Obi-Wan. However, she was having a hard time believing the claim. Though she owed her life to Cinder and her use of the Relic of Knowledge, which was in Obi-Wan's possession, Bo-Katan didn't exactly trust the Maiden.

And now, she was starting to lose trust in Obi-Wan.

"You're lying," she said. "You just want him for yourself."

Obi-Wan sensed an anger building within Bo-Katan, but he wasn't expecting an accusation like that. "No," he said. "That's not true."

"The hell it isn't." Bo-Katan began to pace around her cell. "It's been weeks now. I've been in this cell while you come and go as you please. How do I know you haven't already found him? How do I know this wasn't just a trick to get me where I am now?" The Mandalorian turned around while she scuffed. "I should have never trusted you."

"..."

In times of conflict and war, Obi-Wan was always taught to know his enemy. Not just their battle tactics, but know them inside and out. Years of training and fighting was how Obi-Wan was able to understand Bo-Katan now, to understand how betrayed and hopeless she felt.

And she had a point. Being in a cell was the right place for her, given her crimes in Vale and Mistral. For all she knew, the visits Obi-Wan and Revan paid her were just a distraction, a tool to make her believe that the fight was still at hand.

While she had good reason to believe this, what Bo-Katan didn't know was that Obi-Wan was always a man of his word. And now, he was going to show her that the faith she placed in him was not misplaced.

*BEEP*

A familiar sound made Bo-Katan turn around and see that the door to her cell had been opened. And after he assured Revan that he would be fine, Obi-Wan stepped into the cell and stared at the Mandalorian very calmly.

"Look at this face," he ordered. "Take a good, long look at this face."

"..."

Bo-Katan had no idea where this was going, and she couldn't really do anything else besides follow the order.

"Is this the face of a man who's completed his mission?" Obi-Wan asked. "Someone who did what he set out to do long ago?"

"..."

After taking time to consider the question, Bo-Katan simply shrugged. "If not, then that's the best sabacc face I've seen in my entire life," she said, wondering if Obi-Wan was hiding his true feelings and intentions behind a mask.

Obi-Wan decided to take another risk and close the door by using the Force. Once he and Bo-Katan were shut out from the rest of the world, the Jedi spoke again. "This is us," he said as he turned around again. "This is us ever since Satine died. Both of us. Equal. Powerless. Trapped."

"..."

Obi-Wan moved to the bed in the cell and sat on it. "I'm just like you, Bo-Katan. I may have been able to come and go as I wished, but ever since that night... I've created my own prison. Perhaps that's why I don't often leave the academy."

"..."

"I'd give anything to free myself. To break my chains and remember what it was that made my life worth living. I have my resolve to stop Anakin and Salem... but it's nowhere near as meaningful as being with Satine Kryze."

"..."

Obi-Wan finally looked up at Bo-Katan as he made a promise. "I imagine you feel the same way, Bo-Katan. Which is why I'm giving you my word that you will be set free to assist me the moment I find any trace or whisper of Anakin."

"..."

In her life, Bo-Katan learned that actions had a much greater impact than words ever did. However, that didn't mean that what Obi-Wan said in order to relate to her wasn't true. And he did take such a great risk to enter the same cell as a Mandalorian just so he could prove a point.

It was impressive, to say the least. Bo-Katan was sure that Obi-Wan knew how much danger he would be in by stepping inside her cell, how she could try to kill him and make her getaway. And yet, here he was; understanding just how trapped and powerless she felt as well.

It seemed she was wrong about Obi-Wan after all.

"If we're going to do this together... I'd at least like to be ready," she said calmly. Bo-Katan wasn't making a threat, but she did have a demand she deemed reasonable. "I haven't really gotten the chance to keep up with my training."

Obi-Wan nodded before he stood up and opened the door with the Force. "Revan and I are going to talk to Hazel first," he said. "Then we can talk to James about supervised training."

Bo-Katan didn't thank the Jedi for her efforts, but she nodded in acknowledgement. And with that, Obi-Wan and Revan took their leave.

"It's strange," the masked Jedi said as he walked with his friend. "There was a time where I wouldn't think twice about killing a Mandalorian like Bo-Katan."

"And now?" Obi-Wan asked inquisitively.

"Now I see that warriors like her are unique. Determined and ready, but also powerless. And lonely." Revan looked down at his hands as he thought back on a time when he was like Bo-Katan. "The Fermata Cage has that effect on all who are imprisoned in it."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. He wasn't a prisoner of that cage like Revan was, but he understood what an experience it truly was. "You seem to have more in common with Bo-Katan that you may not have believed earlier. Perhaps... that not all prisoners are unworthy of redemption."

"..."

---

"Why would I help you?"

This was the first question Gideon had asked the Mandalorian, once he finished explaining the situation. Djarin had reluctantly shared the information of the Blairs and their unknown accomplice in Mantle, and how it was obviously part of a grander plan to destroy the entire Kingdom.

That was why Djarin believed Gideon was the only person who knew how it would be done.

Gideon's question was definitely not unexpected, given the fact that he was being asked for help by one of the people responsible for putting him away. And this was a rather strange visit, the first one Djarin paid Gideon in five years.

So it made sense that the former Major would remain skeptical of the whole thing. However, Djarin was far from willing to give up.

"You're asking the wrong question," he said as he stared at the man behind the frame. "And you know it."

"...Do I?" Gideon asked with a smirk.

The Mandalorian moved closer to the cell door and continued to speak. "We both know what Salem's capable of," he said. "You know better than anyone. Controlling Grimm was impressive, but you joined her after you couldn't kill her, couldn't you?" Djarin had been told about this by Bo-Katan during the voyage to Atlas, how she and Pre Vizsla tried and failed to kill Salem. This was a way for Salem to show mankind how powerful she was, and Djarin was sure that she did the same thing to Gideon.

And he was right.

"Ah, so you finally figured that out, did you?" Gideon asked as he turned around. "Yes, I tried killing her. I shot her. Stabbed her. Hacked her apart with the Darksaber." Gideon looked back to Djarin when he mentioned the weapon. "Oh, speaking of which..." Gideon noticed that the weapon wasn't with Djarin. "Where is the Darksaber?"

"That doesn't matter," Djarin said, just to make Gideon refocus on Salem. "I'm here to talk about-"

"You lost it."

"..."

Gideon slowly but surely moved back to the cell door as he talked. "What was that like? Losing the last symbol of authority your people have? How does it feel to know you had all that power... and now you have nothing?"

"..."

"My grandfather told me how it felt, after he lost it to my father. He was the one who claimed it after the Great War, you know. When the Mand'alor was slain in battle, when peace was brought to the Kingdoms, my grandfather kept it for himself. Had such grand ambitions for Mandalore. That was how he passed it to my father, and my father passed it on to me."

"..."

"I have no regrets, mind you. However short my tenure was, it was a tenure nonetheless. I built an army, hurt Atlas at a very vulnerable time." Gideon leaned closer to the cell and grinned. "What have you done? Hm?"

"..."

Djarin could tell that this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. Based on how much he was enjoying this, the Mandalorian saw that Gideon had nothing to lose. He could go off on tangents, get under Djarin's skin, but nothing was going to change that he was still inside a cell.

Whatever happened next wasn't going to change Gideon's situation. But that didn't mean Djarin couldn't try.

"That's a question you should ask yourself, Gideon," Djarin replied, taking a page out of the Atlesian's book. "You gave up everything you had just to end up in a cell. And it's all thanks to Salem."

"..."

This time, Djarin leaned closer to the cell door to make his point. "You can stop protecting her. Your life means nothing to her."

Djarin's first statement irked Gideon, but what the Mandalorian just said made him ignore these feelings. "Are you forgetting the time I put a gun to my own head?" he asked. "My life lost its meaning ever since that brat of yours escaped my grasp."

Djarin shook his head slowly. He indeed recalled Gideon's attempt to kill himself, but the Mandalorian was able to call the former Major's bluff. "And yet, here you are," he said. "Still breathing." Djarin gestured to a pit of bedsheets on Gideon's bed. "You could have hanged yourself by your bedsheets if you really wanted to. No... No, you're itching to get out. Clawing."

Gideon had to straighten his posture before he could reply. It was true that he wished to escape his cell, to find himself on the battlefield once more, hopefully against Ironwood himself. Gideon would have seized his chance long ago, but there was no chance to be had. The best thing he could do was accept his fate.

While trying to hurt his enemies even more.

"I know I'm not going to leave this cell," said Gideon. "And why would I want to? At a time like this? James is squeezing Mantle with a broken wall. Taking supplies into the tundra, restricting assembly... Why would I want to leave now?"

Djarin was still annoyed at Gideon's apparent stubbornness, but he was surprised at his knowledge of Atlas' situation. He highly doubted that the news reached Atlas' brig, so someone must have told Gideon about this.

Maybe a fly buzzed into his ear.

"And before you ask, no, I haven't been in contact with anyone," Gideon quickly denied. "Dozens of 'political prisoners' have been brought here from Mantle whenever they break James' rules. They don't stay for too long, but they're brought here nonetheless." Gideon smiled again as he made a final point. "Seeing them all here, hearing what the guards have to say, is giving me a front row seat to James' downfall."

"..."

"So no. I won't be helping you with anything." Gideon turned heel and began to walk back to his bed. "Good day."

"..."

Djarin was always familiar with people saying "No" to him. Interrogations during bounty hunts would usually have the word "No" be the first answer. This would lead Djarin to hurting the individual, to beat or scare the information he needed out of them. He couldn't do that with Gideon, and he clearly couldn't convince him to betray Salem because she didn't care about him.

However, Djarin could see that there was one last card he could play. In fact, it had been played from the moment Djarin met Gideon. He knew just what the former officer wanted out of life right now.

"Ironwood can't figure it out," Djarin declared.

"..."

Gideon had been walking back to his bed after he dismissed Djarin, but he couldn't help but freeze the second Djarin made his point. He didn't turn around, but his stillness showed an indication of curiosity and attention.

And so, Djarin continued to feed Gideon's ego.

"He's on the edge of breaking," he continued. "He's desperate. Everywhere he looks, he sees the enemy. Because he knows he can't do this. He can't figure it out."

"..."

"That's why you should help me, Gideon. Because helping me, at a time like this, does something rare."

"..."

"It proves you're better than Ironwood."

"..."

Djarin knew that this wasn't true; he knew that the man who tried to kill him and kidnapped his daughter was in no way better than General Ironwood. It was true that Ironwood was running out of options, but everything else was mostly a lie to feed Gideon's ego.

And when the former officer finally turned around, Djarin could see that his plan was starting to work.

"...Come back later tonight," Gideon demanded. "You'll have my decision by then."

"..."

Djarin decided that was as good of an answer as he could get from Gideon, so he took his leave. As he walked, he couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions resulting from the meeting. He didn't know what to expect after seeing Gideon for the first time in years, but he could see that not much had changed.

The only thing that changed was the place of meeting, which was apparently being shared with people from Mantle.

Djarin looked left and right when he saw what appeared to be civilians in the cells he passed. He had heard that there were protests and people staying past the curfew in Mantle, but he wasn't expecting a lot of them being here. A place like this was where Gideon deserved to be, not regular citizens.

He just hoped that whatever Gideon had to offer could lead to a swift resolution.

"Hello, there."

Djarin turned around and noticed that he had passed by an elevator. And two familiar Jedi had just stepped off the elevator to apparently meet Djarin.

"Oh, there you are," the Mandalorian said as he stopped walking. "Where are you going?"

"To see Hazel Rainart," Revan replied. "We just came back from seeing Bo-Katan."

Djarin decided to join Obi-Wan and Revan, which led him to walking among the rows of cells with them. "Did she have anything useful to say?" the Mandalorian asked.

"She believes that the Blairs may have a similar strategy to infiltrating Atlas as they did Beacon," Obi-Wan explained. "I've advised Ozpin and James to check the latest arrival of cadets."

"Who were you seeing?" Revan asked. He recalled how Djarin said he knew someone who could help, but he didn't expect to find that person here.

"An ex-officer named Gideon," Djarin explained. "Our paths crossed before Cinder and I met Ozpin."

"Ah, you mean Major Gideon," Obi-Wan recalled. "Yes, I've heard of him and his insurrection."

"Salem helped with the insurrection. That's why I came to see Gideon. The war was going to come to Atlas somehow, I think Gideon knows some of the plan." Djarin remembered Gideon denying the idea, but he didn't exactly trust the man.

"Well, in case he doesn't know everything, we know someone who definitely will," said Revan, who pointed down the hall. "And he's down there."

Djarin looked to where Revan was pointing and saw a large man inside a cell. Hazel was originally in a cell close to Bo-Katan, but he had been moved to a more secure cell after an incident with his old one. Djarin didn't know exactly what happened, but he didn't want to see Hazel free anytime soon.

He was right where he belonged.

When he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching, Hazel couldn't help but look up and become disgusted with the sight of the Mandalorian and the Jedi. "You again?" he grunted. "I thought I'd finally be rid of you when I was moved here."

"I'm afraid we're far from finished with you, Hazel," said Obi-Wan. "We're here to talk about Salem."

Hazel grunted as he rolled his eyes. "If she's here, then you're already finished. There's nothing to it."

"Not quite," said Djarin. "We know her forces are in Mantle. We need to know what they're doing and who else they're working with."

Hazel didn't take much time to figure out a response he seemed fitting. "Well, you've come to the wrong place. You'll get nothing from me."

Just like Gideon, Hazel was obstinately pigheaded when it came to giving up information about Salem. Whether it was out of loyalty to the witch or contempt for Huntsmen and Huntresses, Djarin wasn't sure. However, he was willing to keep going, just like he did with Gideon.

And if his first strategy worked before, the Mandalorian believed it could work again.

"Salem doesn't care about you," Djarin began. "If she did, you wouldn't be in this cell."

Obi-Wan agreed with Djarin and decided to build on this point. "You're only helping her bring about the end," he said. "For you. For all of us."

Revan could see what Djarin and Obi-Wan were doing, but he sensed that Hazel was unaffected by these claims. His idea of persuasion was more of a risk, but Revan was confident that he could expand on it to make it work for him.

And so, he decided to give his idea a try.

"Think, Rainart," he ordered. "Think of your sister. What would she say if she saw you like this?"

It was Revan's goal to get some kind of reaction from Hazel as opposed to stubbornness and silence. He didn't care what emotions the man conveyed, but Revan could tell from looking at Hazel's face that he succeeded.

And now Hazel was ready to express one emotion he seemed to excel in expressing.

Anger.

*BAM*

Hazel threw his fists against the cell door, not caring that the Dust was starting to burn. "Don't mention her," he warned.

"Why?" Revan asked, unimpressed by the threat. "You're the one who killed her."

*BAM*

"Don't you act all high and mighty with me!" Hazel yelled. "That wasn't my fault! If she hadn't gotten in the way-!"

"She got in the way to stop you. Djarin and Ozpin told us everything."

"And you believe them? If you want to see what killing someone looks like, take a look at them!" Hazel pointed at Djarin specifically. "His kid had to save his life at Haven! She had to stop the invasion, get the Relic, and she's only a child! What kind of people hide behind the face of a child?! Building her up just to watch her die! And before she does, she'll crumble under the pressure of it all!"

Djarin took great offense to the claim and was willing to defend it. This wasn't a part of Revan's plan, but he allowed it for a brief moment, since Djarin deserved to defend himself. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said. "Cinder's stronger than either of us. And she's still alive."

"For how long?" Hazel retorted. "How long will it be until she can't live up to what you and Ozpin want? How long will it be until you give her an impossible mission just to watch her fall? How long will it be until you try to make her fight Salem?"

"..."

Djarin wanted to say more, to reinforce the belief he had in his daughter. However, such a question brought memories back to Djarin; mainly, how mildly concerned he was about Ozpin putting too much pressure on her at Beacon. This happened when Ozpin decided to make Cinder the leader of her team, on top of being the Fall Maiden. Ozpin said putting pressure on Cinder wasn't his intention, and he wasn't going to stop helping her.

But recent events made Djarin wonder just how Cinder was feeling exactly. Did she feel pressured? Was she doing too much?

"You know now," said Hazel, who was starting to see this as a victory. "So don't try to tell me that Gretchen was my fault. Don't tell me that-"

"It wasn't your fault," Revan said quickly. "It was Salem's."

"..."

Everyone turned to Revan in surprise and curiosity when they heard this claim. Hazel was expecting more hostility from the masked man, just as he received hostility from the Mandalorian. Djarin was surprised too, since he knew that Hazel was the one who landed the killing blow on Gretchen.

Obi-Wan knew this as well, just like he knew where Revan was going with this. It was easy to sense his friend's emotions; emotions which he was now using in an attempt to reach out to Hazel.

"Tell me, Rainart... has Salem ever mentioned me to you? Revan, the Butcher of Mandalore? Or perhaps Malak?"

Hazel had heard the name "Revan" when Salem was conducting her war on Vale and Mistral. He didn't know anything about Revan, just that he was an enemy of Salem. Hazel once believed Salem would send him out to kill Revan, but that didn't seem to be the case. However, he wasn't familiar with "Malak."

"What do you care?" Hazel asked.

"Before I met Salem, I had a brother," Revan explained. "His name was Alek. Strong, passionate, and loyal to a fault. We stood by each other's side for years, fighting for a future we deemed worthy. We were always together, always there for each other. A part of me once believed we would be like that forever. We almost were... until we met Salem."

"..."

Revan didn't believe he had Hazel's attention or interest, but he continued to talk. "Salem promised us much, if we agreed to be in her service. Power. Vengeance. A new vision for the world itself. Does that sound familiar?"

"..."

"In order to achieve that, she said we needed to prove ourselves. How far we were willing to go to seize power and nothing else." Revan looked down to the floor as he continued. "She turned us against one another. We became each other's worst enemy. She broke us down... and made us into what we are now."

"..."

"Salem does not care about family, Hazel. Except maybe her own. She doesn't make people stronger. She turns them against each other. She breaks bonds, makes us lesser than ourselves. And when we no longer serve her purpose... Well, I believe you've figured that out for yourself."

It didn't take a genius to see that Hazel's status as a prisoner was what Revan was referring to. Hazel couldn't deny that his freedom was taken from him, but he could deny Salem's role in his current status.

"Salem wasn't the one who took Gretchen from me," the man claimed. "Whatever Ozpin said to her made her leave and join his fight. And he wasn't enough of a man to tell her the truth. Coward."

"Maybe so," said Revan. "But did Salem do anything to convince her otherwise? To make Gretchen join her like you did?"

"..."

Revan shook his head slowly in disappointment. "Salem knew you hated Ozpin. That you still do. She didn't seek to reunite you with Gretchen; she sought to exploit your hatred, use it to carry out her will." Revan removed his lightsaber from his hilt and examined it carefully. "Like I did."

"..."

The ensuing silence and the memory of Gretchen gave Djarin a chance to build up on Revan's point. "Gretchen wanted to find you," he said. "Qrow told me what happened at Beacon. She wanted to make up for whatever happened between you two. If Salem cared, she would have brought Gretchen to you. But she didn't, did she?"

"..."

After he stood in the cell with his thoughts for a minute, Hazel finally found his voice again. "...You," he said to Revan. "You served her too?"

"I did," Revan confirmed. "A long time ago."

"And your brother? What about him?"

"...Gone."

Hazel took a moment to understand what "gone" really meant. "You... You killed him, didn't you?"

"...Yes."

Obi-Wan had been patiently silent during this conversation, but he saw something wrong with what Revan was saying. "No," he corrected. "Revan, Alek threw his own lightsaber at his chest. He killed himself."

"In an attempt to kill me," Revan countered when he turned to Obi-Wan. "I don't see the difference. My brother's contempt for me was what drove him to his death. Contempt that Salem taught him personally." Revan looked back to Hazel and finished his point. "What has she taught you, Hazel?"

"..."

Just like Djarin did with Gideon, Revan could see that his work with Hazel was done. It was clear that Hazel needed time to think about Salem's deception before he could think of helping anyone, so Revan decided to take his leave.

Obi-Wan and Djarin left as well, satisfied with Revan's efforts. It was clear that they weren't easy, given that Revan's matter with Malak was quite personal. Djarin understood matters of family, and he believed that a talk with Cinder was needed.

Obi-Wan didn't have much family left, but he understood how Revan was feeling.

"Nice job, my friend," said Obi-Wan, who put a hand on Revan's shoulder. "Nice job."

---

"So that's where we are right now. Just trying to think like Merri and Fauna think. Dad thinks that'll help us find them."

"Your father was always quite the bounty hunter, from what I've heard. His expertise should help with this."

"Definitely. But as for Robyn, we're still drawing a blank."

"..."

True to her word, Cinder had rejoined Winter Schnee after talking to her father. Now, the two girls were roaming the halls of Atlas Academy while they spoke. Cinder was glad that Winter agreed to Djarin's bounty hunting methods, and now she was hoping they could work something out with Robyn.

Unfortunately, this would be a little harder.

"I suppose martial law does pose some negative impact," said Winter. "Especially with the growing tensions between us and Mantle. But General Ironwood is starting to run out of ideas."

"Yeah, I'm starting to notice that," Cinder agreed. "But if we don't try to help Mantle, we could be facing a war on two fronts."

Winter could see where Cinder was coming from, but she couldn't offer any new ideas. "Clover and SCAR Squadron are going into Mantle soon," she said. "They're following the orders to place Robyn under arrest."

"Oh." Cinder looked towards the ground in disappointment. "That's too bad."

Winter understood Cinder's reluctance, and she tried to boot her spirits. "I wouldn't worry. When she's here, you may have the chance to talk to her again. To prove Penny's innocence at the warehouse."

"I know." Cinder nodded before she looked up again. "I just wish that-" She immediately stopped walking and became aware of her surroundings. "Wait... where are we?"

Winter moved in front of Cinder and gestured towards the walls and cameras. "The medical wing." She then moved out of the way to let a uniformed doctor walk by.

"Oh, yeah." Cinder recalled the appearance of the area, as well as the numerous soldiers and doctors that moved around the area. However, she was confused by her presence here. "What are we doing here? Wait, did something happen to Fria?"

"No, she's fine," Winter insisted. "And she's why we're here; I thought we could pay her a visit."

"Oh, okay. I guess we-" Cinder paused once more when she realized something. "Hang on, what do you mean 'we?'"

Winter simply smiled as she took the lead once again. Cinder followed while she repeated her question, but Winter remained silent. She simply walked with Winter through the familiar corridors, past the various cameras, and towards a single door down a flight of stairs.

But this wasn't the door that Cinder had entered before; this was the door to Fria's room.

"No way," Cinder said after she softly gasped. "Is that-?"

"General Ironwood gave his approval earlier," Winter confirmed. "We can meet Fria together."

Cinder couldn't help but gasp once more when she heard this confirmation and saw the door open. Ever since she saw the Winter Maiden, Cinder knew she had to meet her personally. She knew that she had to see what possible wisdom and experience she could learn from such an old Maiden, to know if the key to being a better Maiden herself was within arm's reach.

And now, Cinder was about to find out.

The first sound Cinder and Winter heard was a soft mechanical beeping. Cinder had heard this before, when she woke up from her coma and encountered Korkie Kryze in his own coma. It was a sound she never got used to, a sound that always seemed to send shivers down her spine. But when she was greeted with a smiling face, Cinder pushed her feelings aside and waited for Winter to introduce her to Fria.

"Good morning," Winter said politely. "Feeling better?"

"Yes, dear," said the old woman. She was always used to seeing Winter every time she heard the door open, but Fria welcomed a nice surprise when she saw that Winter wasn't alone today. "Oh, look. You've brought a friend. How lovely."

Cinder smiled back at the woman as she reveled in excitement. However, she stayed calm as she and Winter approached the sickly woman, careful not to excite her too much.

"Fria, this is my friend Cinder," Winter said as she gestured to her best friend. Cinder then took over as she offered a hand to Fria.

"I'm really happy to meet you, ma'am," Cinder said as she shook hands with Fria. She was careful to hide the Grimm on her other hand, which still refused to leave her side. "I've been waiting a long time to see you."

"Have you now?" Fria asked with a laugh. "I'm afraid I'm nobody special, dear. Just an old woman."

Cinder briefly shook her head before she corrected the woman. "Actually, we have something in common, you and I."

"We do?"

"..."

*WHOOSH*

Cinder decided to let her powers do the talking and let fire come to her eyes. She basked in the warmth of the flames once more, and Fria's eyes widened at what she was seeing.

"Oh, my..." the old woman began. She then decided to follow Cinder's lead and let blue flames come to her face.

*WHOOSH*

Winter silently marveled at the shared power she was witnessing. She had been told much about the Maidens from Fria and Cinder, but to see them together was an incredible honor.

And Cinder was just as honored.

"It's been so long since I've met another Maiden," Fria said as she let the fire in her eyes disappear. She knew she had to be careful with her powers at such an old age, but a little fire in the eyes never hurt her. "And if I had to guess, I would say that you're... Summer?"

"Fall, actually," Cinder politely corrected. "I'm the Fall Maiden."

"The Fall Maiden. What a delight." Fria took a good look at Cinder's face before she spoke again. "And such a young lady. How long have you been like this?"

"Five years. I heard you've been the Winter Maiden nearly all your life."

"Ah, yes." Fria thought back on the day she first inherited her powers. "I was... eight, I think. When my mother gave me the powers. I was by her side when she passed. And she gave me the chance to protect my family and myself." A tear begins to form in Fria's eye. "Oh, how I wish I could remember what she looked like."

Cinder silently acknowledged Fria's feelings with a nod before she waited for her to speak again. But when a voice refused to fill the air for ten seconds, Winter nodded to Cinder for her to continue the conversation.

"I was ten," Cinder said. "When I first got the powers."

"I see," Fria replied. "Did your mother give them to you?"

"Uh... no. I got them... I got them from a friend." Cinder recalled how she made friends with Lila in the void, just as she remembered how Lila tried to help her when she was alive. "She couldn't tell me everything, though."

"Neither could my mother. I had to figure out a lot of it on my own. I imagine you will have to do the same."

"I think I've been doing that. Ozpin and my dad helped, but I had a... Let's just say something happened to me. I had to pick myself up again."

"Oh, dear." Fria patted Cinder's hand with a soft smile. "I'm sure that must have been hard for you. But believe me when I say you're not alone." Fria leaned a little closer to Cinder. "The other Maidens are always with you."

Cinder smiled at the notion, and found it within herself to confirm this. "I... I've met them," she said. "I met all the past Maidens a while ago. Even Fall."

Fria's eyes widened once more when she realized what that meant. "You have? But that can only mean... you've been to the void."

Cinder nodded her head quickly with excitement. "Yes! Yes, I have! You know about it?"

"All the Maidens lie in their own void. I've been there a few times in my life. I... don't remember how many."

Winter had heard about Cinder's experiences in the void, as did Penny. It was on the night Cinder had arrived in Atlas, when Winter and Penny asked for more information about the Maidens. The idea of being in a sort of limbo state after she died was a little intimidating, but Winter still stood by her decision to be the next Winter Maiden.

Just as Cinder stood by her decision to try something new.

"Fria, I'm here because I wanted to ask you something," Cinder claimed. "Back in Mistral, I met the Spring Maiden in the hands of an enemy."

"An enemy?" Fria asked in surprise.

"Yes, a woman named Raven Branwen. She used the power to help Salem."

Fria's moment of joy at meeting Cinder was beginning to pass when she heard this news. "Oh, dear. It's been a long time since a Maiden strayed from the path."

"I know. But I was able to make sure Raven couldn't use its power to hurt anyone else." When Cinder heard Fria gasp, she quickly corrected herself. "I didn't kill her, but I was able to reach out to Spring. I met her in her own void, I got to meet and talk to her. And I was wondering if..." Cinder extended her hand to Fria once more. "Would you allow me the honor of trying to speak with Winter?"

"What? Cinder, I'm right here."

Cinder turned around and saw Winter Schnee was still behind her. Cinder had almost forgotten that Winter was still in the room, so it was easy to understand her mistake.

"Oh, not you, Winter," Cinder corrected herself with a laugh.

"Ah, I see," Fria said slowly. "You wish to meet the first Winter Maiden?"

"Oh..." Winter said as she fell into silence once more. After she cursed herself for forgetting that the first Winter Maiden shared her name, Winter Schnee decided to listen to the conversation again.

"Yes, I do," Cinder said. "With your permission, of course. In fact, you could probably meet Fall if you want."

"I don't think that will be necessary," said Fria. "I doubt someone at my age can learn anything new or useful as a Maiden. However, if you wish to meet Winter to learn... then the honor would be mine."

Cinder gasped when she heard what Fria said and saw her hand extend to her own. Fria then activated her powers once more, just enough to make a connection with Cinder. But Cinder didn't make the connection right away.

She honestly didn't think she would be making it this far. Meeting another Maiden like Spring was a surprise, but knowing what she was going to do was incredible for Cinder. She couldn't help but hesitate when the gravity of the situation fell upon her, since she had no idea what to expect.

This wasn't going to be like last time, when Cinder was focused on stopping Raven. This was going to be a learning experience, a chance to listen to wisdom from centuries ago. Similar to how Cinder learned the feat of lightspeed, the Fall Maiden was sure that she was going to learn something else from Winter.

When she remembered this, and began to relax once more, Cinder took Fria's hand and activated her own powers. Once the connection was fully established, everything began to grow white and bright.

Cinder was back in the void.

The first thing Cinder did when she felt herself return to this world between worlds was look around in all directions. It became a habit for Cinder to see Maidens like Fall with her, and she was hoping to see them again. But when she saw nobody around her, Cinder began to feel somewhat sad.

Even though she came to accept the void, Cinder was never used to being in it alone. Having Maidens around her made the space feel more lively, more peaceful and safe as opposed to a blank nothingness. It gave Cinder a sense of security, but she didn't feel very secure now.

"Cinder."

The young Maiden jumped at the sound of her name, but relaxed when she turned around to see a familiar woman covered in an orange glow smiling at her.

"Oh, Fall!" Cinder said as she relaxed. "I was wondering where you were."

"I was looking for my sister too," Fall said, explaining her momentary silence. "I haven't seen her yet, but I'm so proud of you for making it this far."

"Oh, thanks. Have you seen it all? I mean, us in Atlas?"

"I did. I'm sorry you have a setback. And I'm sorry about your friend Penny."

Cinder sighed after she was reminded of these unfortunate events. "Yeah... it's been hard. I mean, I want to find out how to stop Fauna and Merri, but I don't know if arresting Robyn is the best idea. Do you have any ideas? I'm all ears."

"Well, I can see that General Ironwood is a very... stubborn man. Maybe if he took some time to-" Fall stopped talking when she noticed something shining behind Cinder. "Oh, Gods. Oh, my Gods."

"Huh?" Cinder could see that her mentor's eyes were captured by something behind her, so she began to turn around again. "Fall, what are you looking-?"

"..."

There wasn't a chill in the air or freezing cold conditions, but both women were frozen when they saw what was behind Cinder.

Both of the Fall Maidens could see a soft blue light emanating a small part of the void. And in the center of that light was another woman sitting on the ground. Unlike Cinder or Fall, this woman was dressed in a blue dress with a white trim and sash. Her white hair was tired in a bun and she was currently looking at the pair with big blue eyes.

For a moment, Cinder believed that the woman looked like an older Winter Schnee. Fall, however, knew exactly who the woman was. And when she and Cinder moved closer to the woman, Fall identified her quickly.

"Winter," she said with a smile.

The first Winter Maiden returned her sister's smile as she stood up. And without hesitation, she opened her arms and soon found them around Fall. "Hello, sister," she said fondly.

Cinder stood in silence as she watched the Maidens reunite. She recalled how Fall and Spring reunited in the void, and how happy she was for that to happen. And now, Cinder was just as happy for the sisters who had spent decades apart. Fall was happy as well, and she made sure to give credit to the young woman who helped her find her sister.

"Winter, this is my current host," Fall said after she released her sister and gestured to the younger girl. "Cinder."

Winter smiled at Cinder as she kindly offered a hand of friendship to the young Maiden. "Cinder," she said as she shook hands. "I imagine someone as young as you has only recently acquired the power of the Maidens."

"Five years ago, actually," Cinder replied.

Winter's eyes briefly widened when she heard this. "I see. So, you acquired them at childhood. Just like Fria."

"That's right." Cinder looked left and right when she noticed that Fria was missing. "Uh, where is Fria?"

"Resting. I invited her to join us, but she believed you needed to speak with my sister and I alone." Winter slightly frowned when she remembered this. "Is that true?"

Cinder frowned as well when she recalled the series of events that brought her to the void. "Yeah... it's true."

Fall put a hand on Cinder's shoulder and briefly took over. "A lot's been happening all over the world," she said. "You might have heard about it while being in Atlas."

"Not exactly," Winter denied. "Ever since Fria had to move into the academy for her health, neither of us have heard a lot of news about Remnant." Winter sat down on the ground once again and invited her company to join her. "Why don't you tell me about it? Tell me how I can help."

As soon as Cinder and Fall took a seat, they granted Winter's request and told her everything. They told her about the Mandalorian war, Cinder's time in the void, meeting Spring, and coming into a tightly wound Atlas. And recent events have tied things even tighter, which threatened to snap at any moment.

Winter was greatly disturbed by what she heard. She felt especially disturbed by the woman who abused Spring and her powers, but she took solace in knowing that Fall and Cinder were able to help. Atlas, however, was a different problem.

"So that's where we are right now," said Cinder. "My friend has been framed, our enemies are working with someone to sow discontent in Mantle, and a Huntress who's just trying to help is going to be arrested. Unless I do something, things will only get worse."

"I was about to give her some advice earlier," Fall said to Winter. "But as soon as I saw you, I thought we should hear you out."

Winter slowly nodded as she processed everything her sister and her new friend had told her. It was all hard and unfortunate to hear, since Winter wished that she could be doing more to help. However, she learned a long time ago that she had done all she could and that the time for new Maidens to lend a hand would come. Winter knew how hard Fria had fought to keep peace across Remnant, and now she simply had to wait until Fria was ready to pass on the mantle to her successor.

Fortunately, this didn't stop her from giving wise advice.

"Fria's worked with General Ironwood before," she said. "She and I agreed that he can be... stubborn, for lack of a better word."

"Yeah," said Cinder. "I got that a while back. And I was reminded of that when he talked to me about what I did. You know, with sharing the news about the war."

"It's like everything just has a way to set him off," said Fall. "Even the small things like Cinder did. And she was only trying to help."

Winter nodded once again in understanding. "I know all of this may seem rather scary, Cinder. But it doesn't really sound like this is really what General Ironwood wants. He is trying to help, but with his back against the wall, he'll say anything that seems easy and makes the most sense. Perhaps you can find an alternative."

"Hm, it's not that simple," Cinder politely disagreed. "Ironwood's always been one to call for action. Just earlier today, he was thinking about marital law."

Winter slowly shook her head as she offered a different perspective. "I don't think he's calling for action. He's worried about Amity's condition. It sounds like he's calling for security. After all, the Amity project is stalled, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Well, perhaps he needs another idea. One that'll prove Amity is fully secure, as well as Atlas. James was always one to believe in himself, but he's never been one to turn down another idea he thinks is good."

Cinder and Fall could tell they had the right idea talking to Winter. The assurance and belief that another idea, one that sounded better than arresting Robyn and showing how secure Amity really was.

While Cinder and Fall didn't really have any ideas at the moment, Winter was more than willing to get them started.

"You said a Huntress named Robyn Hill is causing this setback?" Winter asked.

"That's right," said Fall. "She's trying to help Mantle, by stealing supplies from Atlas. Her heart's in the right place, but she doesn't understand the lasting effects her actions have."

"Well, why is she stealing supplies? What are they for?"

"Fixing Mantle's outer wall," Cinder explained. "There's a big hole in it that's letting Grimm enter the city, and Ironwood's too focused on Amity to fix it."

"Oh, I see. And Robyn wants to use the supplies it fix it?"

"That's right. But like Fall said, it's hurting us in the long run. And Salem's forces are in Atlas already."

Winter nodded once again before she took some time to think. This was definitely a situation where people were stuck between a rock and a hard place, where there seemed to be very little choice in the matter. Options were running out quickly, and enemies were moving about freely.

Winter decided that she couldn't help too much with the latter problem. She was the first Winter Maiden, but she was never a warrior. Violence always came across negatively to her, it always made her feel sick. She would usually push enemies away with her powers, but she understood that killing them was a last resort. Nevertheless, Winter felt she couldn't help Cinder with Salem's forces.

The problem with Robyn, however, didn't seem as hard as everyone was making it out to be.

"There may be a way you can help, Cinder," Winter finally said. "I would normally let Fria do something like this, but she's much too old to carry out such a task."

"Wait, really?" Cinder asked. "What task? What do you mean?"

Winter turned to her sister as she explained herself. "Fall, you remember how Summer inherited Father's community, don't you?"

"Oh, sure," Fall confirmed. "I told Cinder about it one time. And whenever I went back to visit, the land looked perfect."

Winter smiled as she recalled the memories of her childhood home. "Indeed it did. Summer knew how to take care of the people, but she reached out to me with a problem she had; the Grimm were always breaking down the community's walls and fences."

"Wait, really? She never told me that."

"She didn't want to burden you or Spring. I just happened to be in the area, so she asked me."

"Well, how bad was it?"

"Each side had at least two or three breaches. The townspeople were working hard to repair each one, but more just kept popping up."

Cinder understood how concerned Fall was about her childhood home. After all, losing Beacon had made Cinder feel sad and without a home. Fall may have passed on, but the love for her home refused to die.

Cinder had to know if it was okay.

"Did you fix them?" Cinder asked. "The walls?"

"We did," Winter replied calmly. She then raised her hand and let some snow come into being. "Being Maidens have their advantages after all."

"Are you saying I can use my powers to fix the wall?" Cinder asked.

"Well, yes and no." Winter moved her hand to let the snow form a small circle in the air. "We used our influence over nature to create... padding in the walls. Out of solid earth, to be exact. The ground was very thick and dense, so it was hard for the Grimm to come through the padding. It was a temporary solution, though. The Grimm wouldn't be able to come in while we fixed the holes and drove them away."

Cinder and Fall looked at each other when they heard this story. It seemed like a very easy solution, one that Cinder was surprised that she didn't think of it earlier. She was an able and willing Maiden, someone who could easily do what Winter had done. Cinder recalled how she caused a cave-in underneath Mountain Glenn to prevent the Saxon Clan from leading Grimm to Vale, which took a lot of energy.

Cinder connected to the earth to protect people. Now she could do it again.

"Now, mind you, that was just a temporary solution," Winter calmly reminded Cinder. "Without Grimm coming in, the proper repairs were done where they needed to be done. I sense the same will have to be done in Mantle, so there can be an outer wall."

"But it's just what General Ironwood needs," Cinder said. "A way to buy the time needed to finish Amity."

"And show Robyn that Atlas isn't out to get anyone," said Fall. "When they see what you can do, maybe they'll listen to you when you say Penny is innocent."

The more she thought about it, the more Cinder believed that this was a great plan. It was easy to see that Fall was right, that building a temporary wall could ease tensions and give Atlas a chance to prove its innocence. Furthermore, Cinder recalled how she, her father, and her friends managed to convince Ironwood that martial law would only cause more problems. So if he heard this better idea, along with the positive possibilities it possessed there was a chance he could agree to it.

There was actually a chance to bridge the gap the war had created.

"There may be one problem."

Cinder and Fall looked back to Winter when she said this. "I imagine that the hole in the wall is large, yes?" Winter asked. "Well, it's just that everyone noticed what Summer and I were doing to help our town. If you decide to pursue this course of action... everyone might see who you really are."

"..."

Cinder understood Winter's concern perfectly. Before the Mandalorian war had ended, Ozpin's first priority was always discretion where the Maiden powers were concerned. No matter how big or small the task was, Ozpin always made sure to keep the presence of every Maiden a secret.

But Cinder had seen the size of the hole in the wall. The plan Winter had proposed would surely cause much attention to be drawn to her and her abilities. No matter what time of day she would carry out the idea, Cinder knew her secret identity would be shared with most of Mantle; maybe even all of Atlas.

It was a very big risk. But it was one Cinder was willing to take.

"There's something I forgot to tell you," Cinder said as she stood up. "I'm not just a Maiden anymore. That night in Mistral, when the war ended, I became something bigger. I... I became the Mand'alor, the ruler of all Mandalorians. And now, I'm going to make sure another tragedy like Pre Vizsla's war is avoidable."

"..."

Winter was unaware of Mandalorian culture, but she listened as to where Cinder's declaration was going. Fall also remained silent, but she knew exactly where Cinder was going.

And she couldn't be more proud.

"In order to do that... I have to change a lot of the status quo," Cinder continued. "I'm going to change the reasons Mandalorians fight, and I'm going to change the idea that Maidens have to hide. General Ironwood wants to change that too, that's why he's making Amity into a communications tower. I'm going to have to be unorthodox if I want to protect Remnant, I have to show the world who and what I really am. And that includes being the Fall Maiden. One way or another... I have to tell them. And if fixing the wall is going to be a start, then I'll do it."

"..."

Neither of the sisters said much after they heard what Cinder said. Fall was already well aware of Cinder's ideas for change, and she supported them through and through. Winter, on the other hand, did nothing but think about everything she had just heard.

It seemed much had changed already with Remnant, ever since Fria had to step out of the spotlight. Wars starting and ending, secrets being revealed, and they all seemed to be leading up to something... big. Winter couldn't put her finger on it, but she sensed that big things were coming towards the people of Remnant. Whether they were or not, a lot was going to happen.

Winter wasn't exactly sure if she would be ready, if she were still able to walk the surface of Remnant. However, she understood that this was becoming much larger than herself. Cinder was taking a lot on her hands, all for the sake of protecting others. However she chose to take the advice she was given was entirely up to her. And so, Winter decided that all she could do was let Cinder help let this change come to pass.

After all, Winter could tell that Fall placed a lot of trust in Cinder. Winter had always trusted her older sister, so she decided to trust Cinder as well.

Whatever happened next... Cinder was ready.

---

After Cinder returned to the real world and reunited with Winter Schnee, she said her goodbye to Fria and went to find General Ironwood. Ironwood was already being debriefed by Djarin, Revan, and Obi-Wan after they talked to Bo-Katan, Gideon, and Hazel. Ozpin was looking over records of new cadets at Atlas Academy, in the case of Bo-Katan being correct about how the Blairs infiltrated Atlas.

Though there were no answers as to where they were or what they were planning just yet, Ironwood was content with the fact that his allies were trying their hardest to track down the Blairs and their possible third ally. And so, this left Ironwood to contend with Robyn Hill by sending SCAR Squadron into Mantle.

Fortunately, Cinder was able share the idea Winter gave her before Ironwood could carry out the decision.

As the first Winter Maiden believed, Ironwood was willing to listen to alternative solutions to securing Amity's status. It was obvious that Robyn wanted the wall fixed, and she wouldn't stop until the city was more secure. Cinder's solution was temporary, but everyone understood that it could buy the time they needed to finish the tower.

But while Ironwood was willing to listen, he was reluctant to agree to the plan as soon as it was proposed. He commended Cinder for her willingness to act, but he was aware of the risk it posed. Not only would Cinder's status as a Maiden be exposed to anyone who saw her fix the wall, but the Blairs could go after her next. Ironwood believed that the truth could only be exposed when Amity was finished.

However, Djarin and Ozpin were able to ease his concerns.

Both men expressed great belief and confidence in Cinder, that she could handle herself should the Blairs decide to act. On the topic of keeping secrets, Ozpin reminded Ironwood that when Amity was ready, Atlas would be the first to learn the truth about Salem. So if they learned, or at least saw things a little earlier than the rest of the world, there wouldn't be much of a risk. Amity's secret would still be kept, and everyone could see that Atlas wanted to help.

The last risk Ironwood was concerned about was whether or not this would be enough to sway Robyn's mind. He not only needed Robyn to stop, but he also needed her to return the supplies she stole. However, he was able to agree to the plan when he decided on a few precautionary measures to ensure its success.

The measures were difficult for everyone to swallow, but they agreed to Ironwood's decision and began to carry out their plan.

When night fell upon the Kingdom of Atlas, the plan began immediately. General Ironwood had dispatched a truck to Mantle, which was following the route towards the tundra, where Amity Colosseum was waiting. However, Robyn and her Happy Huntresses were also waiting. And they took the truck by surprise very easily.

Once the truck had stopped moving, courtesy of May waving it down, the rest of the Happy Huntresses moved in quickly to seize the supplies. Rather than let Fiona use her Semblance to absorb everything in the palm of her hand, Robyn decided to see what Atlas had brought Mantle tonight. And so, she opened the doors and expected to see brand new supplies for the wall.

But what she saw instead was absolutely nothing.

"What the-?" Robyn asked as she looked around. "It's empty."

Fiona and Joanna were behind Robyn, and they could see that the truck was indeed empty. Because of this, there was only one conclusion that Joanna could draw.

"It's a trap!" she yelled as grabbed her crossbow.

Robyn and Fiona quickly followed Joanna's example and readied their weapons. All three Huntresses stood with their backs together as they prepared themselves for what came next. However, to their surprise, there were no soldiers or airships coming to block their escape.

Something else was going on.

"Um... where's the trap?" Fiona asked as she waited for someone to come.

Robyn took one more look at the area before she relaxed. She looked around and listened very carefully, but there was absolutely no reason for alarm. However, there was reason for mild annoyance.

"If I didn't know any better... I'd say we've been duped," Robyn said regretfully. "They must have sent a fake truck to bait us."

"Which means the real truck is probably a million miles away," said Joanna, who followed Robyn's logic. "Ugh. That's just great."

"I don't understand," said Fiona. "They tricked us, but why didn't they trap us? We're wide open."

That was a very good question, one that Robyn wanted an answer for immediately. Fortunately, one of her friends was able to find a clue.

"Hey, Robyn," said May, who was walking over with something in her hand. "I found a note in the front seat." May handed a piece of paper to Robyn. "It's for you."

Robyn took the paper from May and looked at the front. It had her name on it, along with an arrow that pointed to the other side of the paper. And so, Robyn turned it over and read a message written for her.

"Dear Robyn," the Huntress read. "If you're reading this, then you know that the truck is empty. General Ironwood halted the delivery of more supplies to Amity tonight. You and the Happy Huntresses definitely got his attention."

"Huh," said May. "Go figure."

"Well, we don't want his attention," Joanna grumbled. "Just our fair share."

"And the hole in the wall fixed," said Fiona.

"Hold on, ladies," Robyn said. "There's more." Everyone fell into silence while Robyn continued to read. "Because of your efforts, General Ironwood is willing to give you what you want. He sent me to fix the outer wall, and it will be fixed tonight."

"Tonight?" Joanna asked with a laugh. "You're kidding me."

"I heard it's supposed to take a week to fix!" May pointed out. "How's it supposed to be fixed tonight?"

"Along with fixing the wall, I want to help you catch the real people responsible for the murders in your warehouse," Robyn continued. "So if you want the wall fixed, and if you want answers, come meet me at the broken piece of the wall. You can bring the rest of the Happy Huntresses if you want, but I need you to come. If I don't see you by midnight, General Ironwood won't let me do anything to help you. I hope to see you soon." Robyn took a closer look at the note when she saw something strange. "Look at that, it's signed by Cinder."

"Cinder?" May asked. "Mando's kid?"

"She's gonna fix the wall tonight?" Joanna asked. "As long as we're dreaming, I'd like a million Lien."

"She wants to help us after election night?" Fiona asked. "I don't get it."

Robyn took her Scroll out of her pocket and looked at the the time. "Well, we got time to figure this out," she said. "Midnight's not for another half hour."

"No offense, Robyn, but there's not much to figure out," said Joanna. "It's a trick. Probably a trap on top of that."

"I don't know, Joanna," Fiona insisted. "This could have been a trap too." She pointed at the empty truck. "We were vulnerable, but nobody came after us."

Robyn agreed with Fiona, especially about being vulnerable. "We're still vulnerable, trap or not," she said as she looked around. "Come on. Let's get off the streets and talk about it. May?"

"On it," said the blue-haired Huntress. She used her Semblance to create an invisibility field around herself and her friends, which they used to traverse the city undetected.

After they spent a few minutes walking in silence, Fiona spoke after she moved a hand away from her ear.

"Nobody's following us," she said. "I would've heard them by now."

Robyn looked down at the note May had given her after she processed Fiona's assessment. "Then all of this was just to get my attention," she said. "Our attention."

"Yeah, so they can tag us and bag us at the wall," said Joanna. "We can just go home and make sure that doesn't happen."

"..."

Joanna stopped walking when she heard her friends being silent. "Whoa, wait a sec," she said. "Are we seriously considering this?"

"It could be real," said Fiona. "The note said we had General Ironwood's attention. He could have stuffed ten Huntsmen in that truck for us, but he didn't."

"So maybe he wants us to lower our guard. Show up at the wall and get the drop on us there."

"That's kind of far-fetched. I mean, if it were Boba back there, he would have captured us without a second thought."

"No arguments there," said May, who was familiar with Boba Fett and his work. "But the last time we trusted Atlas, specifically Cinder, a dozen people paid the price. And so did we."

"..."

Everyone was still upset about the injuries and deaths at the warehouse, especially Robyn. Boba had advised her against a premature party, and she too paid the price for going along with it. More than anything, she wanted to make it up to Mantle. And that included doing whatever was necessary to fix the wall.

Cinder's offer sounded like something on a silver platter, but it also sounded too good to be true.

"You're all right, everyone," she said as she turned around. "We all know Atlas isn't doing us any favors right now. And what happened at the warehouse definitely didn't help. But they had their chance to bag us back there, and they didn't." Robyn looked at the note one more time. "Something's not adding up with all this. And I, for one, want to know what it is."

May looked at the paper again before she asked Robyn a question. "Do you trust her?" she asked. "Cinder?"

"I don't know. I want to trust her, but her being there at election night couldn't have been a coincidence. But there's one thing I think I can buy."

"What's that?" Fiona asked.

"She might know who killed all those people."

Joanna stepped up to Robyn this time. "Yeah, and so do we," she said. "I don't care what those 'officials' might say, Ironwood's robot is involved with this."

"And Cinder might know that. Or she knows something we don't. I want to know the truth, to know if Atlas is out to get all of Mantle. If getting arrested will prove that to everyone, that's a chance I'm willing to take."

"..."

Between the look on her face and the memory of that night, all of the Huntresses could see how serious Robyn was. She was always one to take risks, especially the ones that got her into trouble, that was never new. But this risk was definitely too big for Robyn to take alone. And everyone else shared her dedication to Mantle, so they were also willing to take the chance.

"Not alone, you're not," said May.

"We'll follow your lead," Fiona promised.

"No, it's okay," Robyn insisted. "You three head home, stay out of trouble."

"What, and let you have all the fun?" Joanna asked as she cracked her knuckles. "Sorry, Robyn. That's not happening any time soon."

Robyn was deeply touched by the loyalty of her friends. She could see that nothing was going to make them change their minds, so Robyn accepted the decision and took the lead.

"Then let's show Atlas our teeth," she said as she began to move forward. "We should be at the breach before midnight."

Just as Fiona promised, the Happy Huntresses followed Robyn's lead and walked towards the broken wall. They were all going willingly, but they were somewhat on edge about the premise of Cinder's offer.

So much so that they were prepared to take precautions.

"How about I call up Boba?" May asked. "An eye in the sky wouldn't hurt."

"We can't," Robyn said regretfully. "He's at the warehouse."

"Wait, the warehouse?" Fiona asked.

"What's he doing there?" Joanna asked.

"He said he wanted a look at the scene himself," Robyn claimed. "After the police looked it over. He said they might have missed something."

"I doubt it," said May. "But let Boba do Boba, I guess."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," said Joanna. "Maybe he found something to pin on Atlas."

---

The warehouse where Robyn's party had been held was closed off to the public. Between the yellow tape and the police officers being outside, everyone got the message that the warehouse was completely off limits.

The police had finished their investigation earlier in the day, and they had gathered the evidence they could. They were prepared to have the warehouse cleaned and reopened once more, but there were two more people who were ready to have a look for themselves.

Boba Fett and his partner, Fennec Shand.

Boba was rather well known in Mantle, given his efforts in thwarting a gang war that nearly tore the city apart. The deaths of May Marigold's parents had opened a power vacuum in the criminal underworld that Boba was prepared to seize, but contenders to the throne challenged him for it. But Boba, with the help of Fennec and the Huntresses, was able to suppress opposition before it destroyed Mantle. And so, his status as a major head in the criminal underworld went without question.

The only people who knew about his ties to the underworld were the Happy Huntresses. Robyn wasn't too pleased with Boba's position, since she still considered him a friend and family. She didn't want to be affiliated with criminals, but she remembered that May Marigold was the child of a major head in the underworld; one that Boba disposed of personally. And given that Boba had helped Robyn during his tenure, she learned to live with her friend's place in life.

It wasn't easy, but a steady decline in crime across Mantle helped.

Boba may have had underworld ties, but he wasn't a man without honor or an agent of chaos. And he too had a strong bond to Robyn, one that he didn't plan to jeopardize with his power.

Boba wasn't a political figure in the city, but his influence spread greatly. It was so great that the two police officers guarding the warehouse were on Boba's payroll. So when they saw a woman clad in black and a man wearing Mandalorian armor walking towards them, the officers stepped aside and allowed the duo to pass.

"Better make it quick, boss," said the first officer.

"The Atlas elite are trying to keep a closed lid on this," said the second officer.

Boba nodded to the officers before he opened the door and stepped inside, with Fennec right behind him. Once they were inside, the duo could see blood scattered all across the floor and the walls. They were indifferent to the sight of blood, and the deaths of innocent people didn't weigh on either of their consciences.

However, Boba wanted to find out why this happened in the first place.

"Looks like the cops searched this place clean," said Fennec, who looked at numbered spots on the ground and the walls. "We're probably not gonna find much."

"Maybe," said Boba. "But maybe not." When he pressed a button on his helmet and then lowered the antenna connected to it, Boba began to see things differently.

Quite literally.

The colors surrounding Boba turned from mixed to a singular blue, with white outlines on the floor and walls standing out clearly. This was a kind of vision that Boba relied on to analyze environments differently, which he used to track down people from his bounty hunting days.

And with the help of his rangefinder, Boba could scan anything he deemed out of the ordinary for additional details.

"You really don't think they did it, do you?" Fennec asked. She didn't have the resources Boba had in his armor, so Fennec followed his lead while she spoke.

"It sounds like you do," Boba countered. "Why's that?"

"The video of that robot speaks for itself. And everyone who got out of the room all said the same thing."

"I won't argue against that. But this doesn't add up." Boba lifted his rangefinder and looked at Fennec normally. "There were Atlas elite in here. Best of the best. That robot and the giant in white gear."

"I heard about him. What's your point?"

"This would have been the perfect assassination attempt on Robyn. I couldn't have planned it better myself. So why let her live? Why let Ironwood's biggest critic live when either of those two could have snapped Robyn's neck in the dark?"

"..."

The more Fennec thought about it, the more sense Boba's question made. Robyn and her Huntresses were the perfect targets when the massacre happened, whether they were armed or not. She could have been the first casualty, but she wasn't. She walked away with a few bumps and bruises while others left in bodybags.

The Atlas military was a lot of things, but Fennec knew they weren't incompetent. This wasn't an attempt on Robyn's life.

"Now that you mention it... all this sounds like someone's trying to give a message," Fennec said. "Maybe to Robyn. Or you."

"My thoughts exactly," Boba said as he lowered his rangefinder again. "Nothing happens in Mantle without me knowing about it. Unless it's directed at me."

"You thinking the Pykes? They still hate you after that war a while back."

"The Pykes can hold a grudge, but they wouldn't wait years to fight back. Besides, spice doesn't come into Mantle anymore. They gave that up after the war ended."

"Hmm... Kind of drawing a blank here, boss."

"Me too. That's why I'm not leaving until I get a clue about all this."

Fennec always admired Boba's resilience in finishing a mission. It was one of the things that made her decide to stick around with him, after he and the Happy Huntresses saved her life. She and Boba weren't as noble or heroic as the Happy Huntresses, but they always kept a close bond between themselves.

Boba and Robyn had that bond stronger than anyone.

Boba talked about it to Fennec once, but she learned that he and Robyn were friends since childhood. Jango Fett, Boba's father, lived in a part of Mantle where it almost always rained. The snow of Solitas always came to Jango's home first, so the heating system would always turn it into rain. But Boba and Robyn eventually met and became inseparable.

They became even more inseparable when Jango didn't come home from a bounty hunt.

Robyn's family wasn't exactly wealthy, but they took Boba into their home when he needed it most. And so, he grew under their roof while keeping up with the Mandalorian training his father had taught him. It was years later, and through much difficulty, that Boba finally found his father's armor and learned how he died.

Boba even watched it happen when he saw Jango's last recording.

Boba's path was practically chosen for him, and he carried on Jango's legacy through everything he did. But along the way, Boba never forgot how Robyn helped him when he needed it most. Jango was also a man of honor, and he passed these lessons on to his son. And so, whenever Robyn was in trouble, regardless of how it looked for Boba, he would always come to help when his friend needed it most.

It was a loyalty that Fennec had trouble understanding at times, given that it sometimes made Boba look weak in the eyes of other crime lords around Remnant. But she never questioned it, especially when Boba set the record straight to anyone who doubted his resolve.

This resolve was what brought Boba to the warehouse in the first place. And now it led him to finding a possible clue.

"Hmm," Boba said as he looked at the ground. "Strange."

"What?" Fennec asked when she looked where her boss was looking.

"These big footprints," he said. "They lead over there." Boba moved to a door in the warehouse, which he opened to reveal the alley between the warehouse and the building next to it.

"They look the same size as that giant in the white armor," Fennec claimed. "He could have gone out this way after the attack."

"But he didn't." Boba pointed towards the stage. "Robyn told me that he and the others went out that way."

Fennec looked at the stage and accepted Boba's word. "Maybe he moved around here in the dark?"

"Maybe..." Boba looked down and saw that the footprints led out into the alley. "But why would he go outside and come back in?"

Fennec recalled that the lights went out in the room before the attack began. "Is the fuse box out there?"

Boba didn't know the answer, but he was ready to find it. "Let's find out," he said as he stepped outside. Fennec followed close behind Boba as he moved to the fuse box, which was indeed outside the building.

"An older model," Boba surmised as he looked at the power box. Rather than a series of switches on the inside, there was a single lever that controlled all of the lights in the warehouse.

"Any fingerprints on it?" Fennec asked as she looked at the lever.

Boba's rangefinder zoomed in on the lever and he examined it carefully. "No. Anybody could have walked over and switched it off."

Fennec looked up at the walls of the warehouse and the building next to it. "No cameras. And nobody was around here to see anything." Fennec was about to say that she and Boba had hit a dead end, but one look at the barren walls had given her an idea. "You know, boss... I don't think anyone's out to get you with this."

Boba stopped looking at the fuse box and turned to his partner. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, if this was a message for you... I would think somebody would have left some kind of calling card. You know, like all those other gangs used to. Or when Robyn's supporters paint that message all over the place."

"Show Your Teeth," Boba quoted from memory. "You have a point. Maybe there's something inside we missed." He and Fennec moved inside once again, hoping to find some kind of sign that someone had marked their territory. But all they could see was red blood on the floor.

However, something else on the floor captured Fennec's eye.

"Hey," she said as she turned to a corner. "That's not blood."

"What?" Boba asked. "Where?"

Fennec pointed to the corner of the room and walked over to it. What she saw was easy to miss, since there was so much blood on the walls and floor. However, what caught Fennec's eyes was that a splatter on the corner was black instead of red.

The light, or lack thereof, had hidden its true color well. But now, Boba and Fennec could see that the black substance wasn't blood.

"What is that?" Boba asked as he examined the substance.

Fennec ran her finger against the substance, but it was too dry for it to come onto her glove. But she was close enough to smell the substance, which displeased her greatly.

"That smell..." Fennec said as she took a step back. "It's not paint or anything like that."

Boba took Fennec's word for the matter and decided to take a closer look. When he lowered his rangefinder again, he was able to scan the substance and see a message in his helmet.

"30% human blood

20% human saliva

50% unknown substance"

"Whatever it is, someone spit it out," said Boba. "Along with some blood."

"Spit it out?" Fennec asked. "Some kind of drug or drink, then?"

"A drug might make more sense. My helmet couldn't pick up-"

"..."

Fennec moved closer when she heard Boba fall into silence. "Boss?" she asked. "You okay?"

"Fennec, back up," Boba quickly ordered. "Get out of the light."

"Huh? What is it?"

"Just move! Give me some light!"

Fennec was caught off guard by Boba's sudden shift in behavior. It was both familiar and unfamiliar to her; she could easily tell that Boba seemed afraid, but she never saw him look afraid before.

But Fennec moved aside and let the room's light into the corner. Boba then turned on the light on his rangefinder to look at another part of the corner; a part where more of the unknown substance was visible.

Unlike the first piece they saw, this part of the substance was more splattered and covering a small part of the wall. However, Boba could make something out of the spatters he saw.

And he didn't like it.

"No..." Boba said. "It can't be."

"What is it?" Fennec asked.

Boba finally stood up and looked back to his colleague. "A sign."

Fennec looked back at the splatter in confusion. "Doesn't look like any gang symbol I've seen."

"It's not from a gang. It's not an intentional marking. But I recognize it." Boba raised up his rangefinder. "Fennec... I know who did this."

"Wait, you do? Who?"

Boba ignored the question and took his rifle in hand. "Go to the officers outside," he said as he began to walk away. "Tell them to spread the word that a killer's on the loose. If I'm right, this is bigger than either of us."

Fennec never questioned an order from Boba, but she couldn't help but wonder what the plan was. "Well, where are you going?" she asked as she ran up to Boba.

"To find Robyn," Boba replied with a sigh. "Of all the times she had to take a page from my book..."

Boba and Fennec exited the warehouse and found themselves walking outside. But rather than speak to the officers who let them in, Fennec made a request. "Let me come with you," she said. "I can find them easy."

"No, I'm going alone," Boba said as he readied his jetpack. "I'll be faster that way. Go."

Boba didn't wait for a response from Fennec or the officers. Instead, he took to the night sky in the hopes of finding his friend before it was too late.

*WHOOSH*

Fennec watched Boba fly into the sky without a word. She still had a lot of questions, mainly about who Boba believed was responsible for the murders in the warehouse.

And why it scared him so much.

Regardless, all Fennec could do now was share the news with the two officers near the front door. While they engaged in their conversation, Fennec and the officers failed to notice a small black bird resting on a lamppost above them. The bird was the only witness to Boba's work, since it could see the inside of the warehouse from an open window.

But now, the bird decided it had seen enough. And so, it flew into an alley and transformed into Qrow Branwen. Qrow was hoping to find clues about the Blairs' whereabouts in Mantle, but one look at Boba flying away showed that he had gotten more than he bargained for.

"Huh," Qrow thought to himself as he looked at the night sky. "That didn't look good."

---

True to her word, Cinder was indeed by the broken section of the wall. Djarin was with her, and together they planned to fix the wall and let Robyn know that she and Mantle were being deceived. Djarin knew he could help more with the latter, since Cinder had the wall covered.

But Djarin wanted to talk to her about this. Because despite Cinder's plan and confidence, he was having a bad feeling about this.

"You know, this kind of reminds of that time in Vacuo," said the Mandalorian. "When we took on the SDC."

Cinder took a moment to consider what her father was talking about. But when she remembered, Cinder began to laugh. "Oh, I remember that," she said. "Yeah, when they tried to take a village for a mine."

"And you went in, creating thunderstorms and fire... You really scared the crap out of them."

Cinder laughed once more. "Yeah, I remember. What makes you say that?"

"Well, it's just that storm was pretty big." The Mandalorian then turned to the broken piece of the wall. "And if what those Maidens said is true... this might be just as big."

Cinder turned to the wall with her father and saw what he meant. "Yeah... hard to argue with that." She then cracked her knuckles and stretched her neck. "Guess I should probably warm up, huh?"

Djarin briefly chuckled as he leaned against the wall. "I guess it wouldn't hurt." He then watched Cinder begin to stretch her arms and legs, which allowed him to continue the conversation. "But you don't have to go all out, you know. Just enough for the Grimm not to get in."

"I know," Cinder replied as she shook her arms. "But I gotta be sure Robyn and Mantle will like it. Anything less, and we might not have a deal for the supplies."

Djarin nodded, but he still had some reservations about what was going on. "Cinder... before you get into it... I want to talk to you."

"Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"You. I never got the chance to ask you how you're holding up."

Cinder stopped stretching and gave Djarin her full attention. "Huh? Holding up with what?"

Djarin sighed as he moved closer to Cinder. "With what, she says," he said sarcastically before he put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "Cinder... you've been working around the clock to help train Clover and his men, defending the mines, and your one night off nearly got you and Winter killed. And now the people who put you in a coma are back. Are you... okay?"

"..."

Djarin was right about Cinder's work. She had been so preoccupied with fighting Grimm and working with Ironwood's men that she hardly had any time for herself. The night at the warehouse was scary, and all everyone cared about was Penny being framed and finding the Blairs before it was too late.

Cinder cared about that too, very much so. But when she heard her father ask if she was okay, something she hadn't done in a while, Cinder began to feel intimidated and uneasy about the situation. She had a lot to contend with, in Atlas and the rest of the world. Things had been going wrong from left to right, which left Cinder feeling like things wouldn't go right until she set them right.

And she believed she could.

"...Yeah," Cinder said. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"..."

Djarin's parental instincts, something he had been developing for five years, were skeptical of this claim. This was demonstrated by his silence, which made Cinder feel that she needed to convince her father further.

"Dad, I'm fine," Cinder insisted. "I mean, I'm better now." Cinder pointed to the wall. "This is it! This is how we fix things in Mantle! This is what everyone's looking for, what they need me to do!"

"..."

"Yeah, this is what I have to do. What I... What I have to do."

"..."

"It just has to be me. It had to be me with training SCAR Squadron, it had to be me to meet Fria and Winter, it had to be me to convince Ironwood, it just always has to be me."

Cinder was starting to sound less enthusiastic about the wall. Every time she mentioned something she felt she had to do, Cinder came across as annoyed and tired.

"I mean, it's not just me, right?" Cinder asked as she began to pace around. "I'm not the only one who's noticed it? Everyone looking to me to do all of this? Atlas, Mantle, Mistral, Mandalore, all of it! Why can't Ozpin work his Magic, huh?! Or why can't Ironwood just open the borders to get some help?! Why do they need me all the time?!"

"..."

It seemed Hazel was right after all.

Djarin began to believe himself as a fool when he thought about it. He had seen Mandalorian Foundlings struggle to live up to the expectations older Mandalorians had placed on them. To be a Mandalorian was challenging enough, but Cinder was then expected to be a guardian of the world, a team leader, a ruler, and now the only one who could help Mantle.

Hazel was right about the pressure building up within Cinder. It was always easy for everyone to forget that she was a child, even Cinder herself seemed to forget that. But Djarin was all too familiar, ever since the day he found her. The last thing he wanted was for her to self-destruct, and recent events showed that this was becoming a reality.

Fortunately, Cinder had Djarin to make it better.

Cinder seemed to realize that when she turned around to see that he was standing behind her. She began to calm down, but she couldn't find the right words to say, to apologize for seemingly being selfish. But Djarin decided to speak the moment he gave her a hug.

"It's okay, Cinder," he said. "I understand."

Cinder was grateful for the hug, but she couldn't help but disagree. "No, Dad," she said. "I'm sorry, but you don't know what it's like to be a Maiden. Not like I do."

"...I know." Djarin let go of Cinder so he could talk to her directly. "But that doesn't mean you're alone. That's why I'm here tonight. I couldn't have done anything on election night, I'm sorry about that. But that doesn't mean I won't be there for you. I just... I just need you to know that."

Cinder nodded slowly. "I appreciate the thought, Dad. But... I don't know, I mean... I'm not sure what you can do. What I could ask you to do, about everything. And even this." Cinder took the Darksaber off her side and looked at it. "It's been weeks now, and neither of us know what's going on with the Mandalorians. Did I... Did I let them down?"

Djarin quickly took hold of Cinder's shoulders. "No," he insisted. "You've done more than anyone could have asked. So here's what I'm going to do." Djarin pointed to the wall. "When the wall's fixed, I'm going to talk to Robyn. I'm going to convince her to give us back those supplies. Then I'm going to take them all to Amity. And when it's up and running, I'm going to tell every Mandalorian that they should follow us. Not just you, but what you've stood for. They'll follow what you've done and do it ten times better. I'll make sure of it."

"..."

With every word and promise Djarin said, Cinder felt a little more weight come off her shoulders. Her earlier statement was being proved wrong, that only she had to do everything to keep things safe.

Djarin's ideas may have just been words, but Cinder knew that a true Mandalorian never broke their word. And Djarin was the truest Mandalorian the Fall Maiden had ever known. So it was clear that he was going to talk to Robyn and speak to every Mandalorian on her behalf, just so he could share the load.

And the idea of the Mandalorians following her deeds rather than her was a new and interesting idea. Cinder always believed that Mandalorians would come to her and constantly ask her what to do, which unnerved her greatly. But the idea of following her actions and deeds, which she and her father would share, was an interesting alternative.

"You'd really do that?" she asked. "Just to help me?"

"I'd do anything if it means helping you," Djarin assured his daughter.

The clan of two, more united than ever, shared a hug and felt a little better about things. The wall was still broken and the Blairs were still on the loose, but neither of those situations had the ability to take away what the clan of two planned together.

However, it seemed that it would have to wait.

"Djarin, this is Misty," a voice said on Djarin's intercom. "I got eyes on the Happy Huntresses. Right up the street."

Djarin had to let go of Cinder to answer Misty, who had accompanied him along with the rest of SCAR Squadron. Ironwood had them sent as a precaution, in case Robyn wouldn't be willing to give up the supplies. Djarin and Cinder didn't like the idea, but there wasn't much they could do about it; especially after Ironwood agreed to their plan.

"Got it," the Mandalorian replied. "We'll be ready."

Cinder immediately knew what was going on when Djarin spoke on his radio. "Are they here?" she asked.

"They're up the street." Djarin looked at the screen on his gauntlet. "With about ten minutes to spare."

"Okay, ten minutes early." Cinder began to stretch her arms once more and take deep breaths. "Okay, I better get ready."

When Djarin finally saw the Happy Huntresses, he decided to make good on his promise. "Take your time," he assured his daughter. "I'll get them warmed up." After Cinder nodded, the Mandalorian moved to meet the Happy Huntresses halfway.

Robyn and the Huntresses knew they were at great risk by being at the wall, by accepting Cinder's offer. They all had their reservations and skepticism about the idea, but they felt they had to see such a thing as a repaired wall for themselves.

Seeing Djarin, who wasn't mentioned in Cinder's letter, was a mild surprise for the Huntresses. They all became wary of the situation, despite the fact that they could see Cinder getting ready. But Robyn was able to hide her mixed emotion behind confidence and an easygoing attitude.

"Well, what do we have here?" she asked as she stopped. "Mantle's very own knight in shining armor?"

Djarin simply shrugged at the joke when he stopped walking. He couldn't see the rest of SCAR Squadron, but it was obvious that they were following Djarin's lead. But the moment they saw something they didn't like, they would be following Ironwood's orders.

So rather than indulge Robyn's easygoing attitude, the Mandalorian got straight to the point.

"You got our message," he began calmly.

"We got your kid's note," said Joanna, who looked over to the wall of metal. "Oh, look at that. There's still a big hole in the wall. Great."

The Mandalorian was no stranger to sarcasm, but he remained completely calm. "We said the wall would be fixed after you got here. Now we can start."

"Right."

Djarin finally gave in to the temptation to sigh, right before he made the Huntresses listen to reason. "Look, you got the General's attention. Now he's refusing to transport any materials we have left to the tundra. We can't work on Amity, and you can't get what you need. Everybody loses."

"..."

Robyn and her friends started to get that when they came across an empty truck. Though they didn't reveal it, they could understand the fact that their plan had been put to a halt.

But they didn't waste time revealing their skepticism about Cinder's offer.

"So how's she supposed to fix this?" May asked. "I don't see any materials or people to get the job done."

"You'll see that in a minute," Djarin promised. "And just like we said, we'll talk about what's really going on. We can't tell you everything, but we can prove that we're on the same side. That we have a common enemy."

"..."

Shared glances and rolling eyes did a good job expressing the collective annoyance of the Happy Huntresses. They came looking for a fixed wall and answers, but everyone could see that this was beginning to look like an empty promise.

But Robyn saw something else.

"So you know," she said. "You know who killed those people in the warehouse."

"...Yes," Djarin confessed. He knew he couldn't reveal everything about Salem, but revealing the fact that he and Robyn shared an enemy was close enough. "But we'll talk about that after we fix the wall."

"We're waiting," Joanna said as she crossed her arms. But Djarin wasn't quite done yet.

"Cinder will fix the wall, Robyn. Tonight. But after she does, none of you will have much use for the supplies you stole. If we fix the wall tonight... do I have your word that you'll tell us where the supplies are?"

Joanna and May laughed at the request, given that they had no intention of returning what they seized from Atlas. They were still mad at not getting any supplies tonight, and they weren't in a hurry to lose what they already had.

Robyn wasn't in a hurry to lose everything either, but it was Fiona who put things into perspective.

"Let me guess," she said sadly. "If we don't tell you, there's no deal?"

"That's right," Djarin replied. "That's the only reason General Ironwood allowed us to come here tonight. He won't let Cinder fix the wall unless he knows where his supplies are."

"..."

The choice presented to Robyn was clear, but not easy. There was still a lot of good those supplies could do for Mantle, not just for the wall. Other parts of the city needed them, and the citizens were glad that Robyn was taking such drastic measures to get them.

Losing those supplies could mean losing everything.

But Djarin seemed rather confident that Cinder could fix the wall alone. It was a strange thought, one that Robyn couldn't understand. And she needed to know why her people were killed in that warehouse, even if it meant losing her freedom.

Robyn weighed her choice carefully, and made a unique decision.

"Take my hand," she said to the Mandalorian. Robyn then extended her open palm, free of any weapons, and waited for a response. "Take my hand, or we're gone. All of us."

Djarin found that rather unlikely, but he didn't see any harm in taking Robyn's hand. Once he did, he saw a violet and harmless light surround both their hands.

"Before I make any deal, I want to know a few things," Robyn demanded.

"I can't tell you about Amity," Djarin quickly declared. "It's classified. For everyone's protection."

Suddenly, the violet light on Robyn's hand turned green. She was surprised to see this, given that she always believed the opposite.

"Everyone's protection?" Robyn wondered to herself. "How can that be true?" Robyn suddenly remembered what she was doing and resumed the conversation. "Okay, fine. But tell me this; can the wall really be repaired tonight?"

"Yes," Djarin replied. The light on his hand still remained green, so he continued to talk. "Cinder can fix it right now, only if you let us."

When Robyn saw that the light on her hand refused to change colors, to indicate that Djarin was lying, she asked another question. "And then we can talk about the warehouse?"

"Yes. After the wall is fixed, and after you tell me where the supplies are. In that order."

The light was still green, which showed that the wall was still going to be fixed. The Happy Huntresses were still surprised by this, and the light was serving as a green flag to take the deal.

But Joanna had one more question.

"What if we say 'no?'" she asked.

"..."

Djarin's silence made everyone skeptical again, and Robyn could see that it was a good question to ask. "Answer her," she demanded.

"Djarin, she can't know we're here," Clover said over the intercom.

"...Let's just say the General would be ready," Djarin replied. "And everyone loses."

Robyn was slightly annoyed by the open-ended answers, but the green light on her hand told her that Djarin was telling the truth. And she didn't want to know what Ironwood meant by being "ready."

Just like she didn't want to see the wall continue to be broken.

"...Okay," Robyn said after she let go of Djarin. "You got a deal. But fix the wall first." Robyn pointed to the large hole that was visible to everyone. "Right now."

Djarin turned around to see Cinder was waiting for his approval. Once he gave her a single nod, Cinder nodded back and walked over to the hole in the wall. The Huntresses looked at each other once more, with Joanna and May shaking their heads slowly. Fiona simply stood close to Robyn, unsure of what would happen next. Robyn wanted to share in everyone's skepticism, but her Semblance never steered her wrong before.

She had to see what would happen next.

When Cinder stopped walking, she closed her eyes and took one more deep breath. The warmth of fire came to her eyes naturally, and Cinder could feel the elements within her and around her. Rather than act immediately, Cinder rubbed her hands together as she concentrated as hard as she could.

Winter had told Cinder how she and her sister used the earth to seal the walls, what they needed to sense and how they needed to manipulate the environment. It was no easy task, and it came with a few failures along the way. But when she and her sister perfected the technique, the first Winter Maiden practiced it with Cinder before she left the void.

And now, it was time to see if that practice was worth all the effort. Cinder recalled what Djarin said about her not needing to make a perfect wall, but Cinder was determined to put everything she had in to help Mantle.

A part of herself was nervous and doubtful, given that Cinder never tried anything like this before. The incident at the tunnels of Mountain Glenn was close, but Cinder was more focused on destruction rather than creation. So now, Cinder needed to focus on creating something with the earth at her feet.

With this new objective in mind, and with a single assurance that she could do this, Cinder slammed her palms against the ground and focused.

*RUMBLE*

The ground around the wall began to shake, which made Djarin and the Happy Huntresses nearly fall over. The buildings closest to the wall also shook, which caused some of the citizens inside to believe an earthquake was happening.

They weren't entirely wrong with that assumption. Because when the ground began to quake, it soon began to rise off the ground.

*RUMBLE*

Cinder's feet were still on the ground, but she could feel that ground rising higher and higher into the air. The shaking was still happening, but that didn't break Cinder's focus. She stayed right where she was, and concentrated on the earth as hard as she could.

Eventually, Cinder began to lose her energy and became exhausted. When that happened, she couldn't help but lose her grip and footing on the earth. Fortunately, Djarin used his Semblance and jetpack to catch her and gently bring her to the ground.

Cinder opened her eyes to see her father's helmet, which made her smile. "Did... Did it work?" she asked.

Djarin couldn't help but chuckle as he helped Cinder stand upright. "See for yourself," he said as he pointed to the wall.

Cinder and the Happy Huntresses, who were recovering from the shaking, all looked to the wall and saw an unbelievable sight. There was a large piece of earth right where the hole was, blocking any kind of easy access for the Grimm to enter. The earth wasn't raised to the exact top of the metal wall, but it was clear that the hole had been vastly improved on.

And everyone was starting to see that.

"Hey! What happened to the hole?!"

Djarin and Cinder turned around to see an ordinary citizen from a building looking out his window to see that the hole in the wall was gone. Eventually, other citizens followed the man's lead and looked to see what was happening.

"The hole's gone!"

"They fixed the wall?"

"That's impossible! There was a giant hole there last I checked!"

"No, it's real! It's fixed!"

Robyn and the Huntresses were the only people who were speechless. They didn't care that the height of the earth didn't reach the top of the wall, since they were focused on the fact that the hole had been plugged up.

Joanna thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her, that she wasn't seeing what she thought she was seeing. But when she rubbed her hands against the soil, the Huntress could tell that the blockage was real.

And when she punched it, the earth was as hard as the tundra itself. As a matter of fact, the earth was the tundra. The hardened and cold tundra that served as an enemy to the people of Solitas was now its savior.

"It's rock solid," Joanna informed her leader. "This is real."

May joined her friend at the wall and felt the earth for herself. "I don't believe it," she said. "This is impossible."

Fiona joined her fellow Huntresses and felt the wall for herself. "The Grimm can't break through this," she said. "It'd take an army of Grimm to tear this thing down."

Robyn was the only one who didn't examine the wall for herself. She took the words of her friends, and turned back to the two Mandalorians.

"You... You just... The wall just..." Robyn was having a hard time finding the right words to express her surprise. She was greatly pleased to see that the wall had been fixed, and she was surprised that a fifteen year old girl had just done what she spent months trying to do. "How did you do that?"

"Don't worry about that," said Djarin. "What matters is that the wall is fixed."

"The earth I used is the actual tundra," Cinder explained. "I don't know how the metal broke, but you don't have to worry about any Grimm tearing it down."

"...Okay," Robyn said slowly, still unsure about all of this. "But how... Why did-?"

"We're doing the same thing you are," Cinder interrupted. "We're trying to help. Atlas was never out to get anybody. The people murdering civilians in Mantle are just trying to make it look that way."

Robyn was having a hard time processing all of this. But before she could ask any more questions, the Mandalorian stepped in and reminded the Huntress of their deal.

"Hold on, Cinder," he said calmly. "Robyn, we upheld our end of the bargain. Atlas needs those supplies more than you do now. Trust me."

"..."

Robyn had almost forgotten the deal she made with Djarin. Even though she knew that Djarin was telling the truth, Robyn never truly believed that the wall would be fixed tonight. It wasn't the solution she had in mind, but it was a solution nonetheless. Even though she made a deal, Robyn wasn't sure if giving up the supplies without answers was the smart choice.

"Robyn?" Joanna asked as she and the other Huntresses joined her. "What are we doing now?"

"Are we giving them the supplies?" Fiona asked.

"Hold on," May requested. "What did they say about answering our questions? Are we still doing that?"

"..."

For the first time since election night... Robyn didn't know what to do.

*WHOOSH*

The silence of both parties was broken by something above them. The Mandalorians and the Happy Huntresses were never people who lost focus easily, but the sound and sight of someone flying above them was easy to capture their attention.

Everyone was confused, but they could clearly see that the man landing between them was Boba Fett.

"Robyn!" Boba yelled after he placed his feet on the ground. "Robyn, stop! Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't do it!"

Robyn and her friends were surprised by Boba's sudden appearance, and his demand had only raised more questions than answers. "Boba?" Robyn asked as she began to process everything. "Boba, what are you-?"

"We have to get out of here!" Boba said. "Off the streets!" Boba looked back to the Happy Huntresses, who were close to Djarin and Cinder. "All of us! We need to-!" The man's panic was halted when he realized where he was, and that something was wrong. "Wait a minute, isn't this where the wall was broken?"

Everyone was taken off guard by Boba's sudden appearance, but they spared a moment to look at the wall with him. But the Happy Huntresses decided to forget about that and talk to Boba.

And the Mandalorians forgot about it when Djarin heard a voice on the intercom.

"Djarin, what's going?" Clover asked. "Why's Boba Fett here?"

"What's got him so spooked?" Cinder wondered.

Djarin didn't have any answers to both of the questions he had been asked. But he knew that there was only one way to find out. So, he turned to Cinder and gestured towards Boba and the Huntresses. Cinder understood perfectly and followed her father to get a better understanding of the conversation.

"Forget about the wall," Robyn said. "What are you doing here?"

"And why were you yelling at us?" Fiona asked. "Sounds like you saw a ghost."

"...You're not far off, Fiona," Boba replied. "I went to the warehouse where Robyn had her party. There was something there."

"Wait, you found something?" May asked. "But the police already searched, they said all they found was blood."

"That's what I found too," Boba explained. "I got a good scan, but if I had someone in Atlas look at it, they could-" Boba stopped talking when he saw that Djarin and Cinder had joined him. The Huntresses were wary of their presence, but Boba saw an opportunity. "You." He gently pushed past Fiona and May to get closer to Djarin. "You're working with Ironwood, aren't you? Could you get me to a lab? Or somebody that can look at what I found?"

"A lab?" Djarin asked. "What?"

"Boba, what is going on?" Robyn asked impatiently. "What do you need their help for?"

The tone of Robyn's voice told Boba that he hadn't done a good job explaining himself. So after he took a second to collect his thoughts, he said what he should have said when he landed.

"Robyn... I know who did it," he said. "I know who killed those people in the warehouse."

Robyn gasped at the idea, and so did her fellow Huntresses. Cinder and Djarin looked at each other and shred the same feelings of uncertainty and disbelief. They already knew that the Blairs, particularly Fauna, were responsible for the murders. They didn't have any proof, so they were surprised to hear that Boba may have found something.

"You do?" Robyn asked.

"Yes," Boba quickly confirmed. "We have to get off the streets, get somewhere safe, before he finds us." Boba then turned to the Mandalorians. "You're in danger too. He hates Mandalorians, he'll stop at nothing to kill your kind. He'll-"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a second," Cinder said. "Did you say... 'he?'" Djarin was equally confused, since he and Cinder knew about the Blairs.

Robyn was also confused, and she was ready for answers. "Boba, who?" she demanded. "Who's behind all this?"

When Boba turned around one final time, he answered everyone's questions with a single word. He once thought it was impossible, but in his mind, there was no denying that there was only one man that was capable of the events in the warehouse.

Boba hadn't said the name of the man since he formed his idea, but now, he knew he had to bring it into the open. He had to say his name.

"Durge."

---

Author's notes: hey everyone, hope you're doing good. Before I get into the comments today, allow me to address the elephant in the room.

I know that RoosterTeeth will be shutting down. I know that its IPs (RWBY included) are in the process of being sold. Nobody has bought anything yet, but the future of RWBY is uncertain. I know this came so suddenly, and I'm sure you're all sad and a little scared about what'll happen next. I'm feeling the same way, none of you are alone.

While I can't comment on RWBY's future, I can assure you that the shutdown will not impact the future of the story (or the sequel I'm planning). I have everything I need to continue it, and I will continue it. Because of your support and interest in my story, I am willing and able to keep it going. I hope this eases your worries and concerns.

If RWBY is going to end, all I can do is appreciate that it happened. It gave me the drive to be a fanfic author, and I've been having a lot of fun. For better or worse, I'm glad RWBY existed.

To The Avenging Titan, Ironwood was always one to make mountains out of molehills, and the scene you mentioned shows it. Fortunately, as you've witnessed, he's willing to listen to other ideas if he likes them. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To Don Cheeto, you'll see more of Bail later on, and I know Robyn's actions have hurt everyone in the long run (in canon). But don't worry, you'll be seeing a major change with Robyn. Hope you liked the mention of Thrawn and Tarkin here, they're both working hard to restore order to Atlas. You'll see more of them next chapter, and I think you'll like what you see. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To nandipanzee12, thank you for your kind words. I understand you're not a fan of bugs, so I'm sorry that you'll be seeing more of the Blair sisters. I'll try to leave out as much bugs as possible, if it'll make you feel better. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To Servos New Head, hope you like Ironwood's slow change of mind here. He does have a habit of making mountains out of molehills, but he's also been known to follow other ideas (mainly Ozpin in V2) when logic and reasoning are put in them. I concur about the title of the Senate, but you'll have to wait to see what I have in mind. And you'll see more of Bail Organa soon, as well as his work. And Carl Weathers' passing was truly a sad moment for all of us. He did a great job in the Mandalorian, I wish we got to see him in a Star Wars movie as well. But we can take comfort in knowing that he is in a better place now. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To CT7567Rules, yes, you've been quite busy with your work. "Remnant Unleashed" is a very good crossover with TFU, I hope my fans check it out. I'm sorry you had to hear the bad news about RWBY, I hope that doesn't impact "Remnant Unleashed." Bail won fair and square btw, no rigging involved (and he's the former Mayor of Atlas). I hope you like Robyn in this chapter, I think I'll try to go my own route with her (but I'd be happy to take a page from your book if I see the chance). I believe I introduced Cinder's Predator-like claws in Chapter 59 (when she's sparing with Winter). You might have missed that, but don't worry; you'll see them again, that's a promise. Thank you for giving me the idea, I like it a lot. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

That's all I have for now. I hope we get to see more of RWBY, and I hope you take comfort in knowing that this story will continue regardless of its state. Nothing is really going on in Star Wars news, but if you haven't, you should go see Dune Part 2. I've seen it twice already, and it's a masterpiece. If you've seen it, let me know what you think (spoiler free, if you please).

Thank you all for reading, you've been a terrific audience. Don't forget to leave a review before you go, hearing your thoughts really helps me out. And if you haven't already, please consider favoriting and following the story as well.

The Court of Talons is adjourned. See you next time!