The meeting hall in the ramshackle town of Styx was completely silent after Glynda finished recounting what had been seen in the vision. Even the various monitoring equipment set up around the room was quiet, save for a steady electrical buzz emanating from the computers and security camera feeds projected upon various screens. Nora, Ren, Roman, Qrow, Mercury, Velvet, and Yatsuhashi were in attendance, along with the remaining professors from Beacon Academy. Even those who had seen Jinn's vision weren't sure what to say in response to Glynda's summary as the magnitude of the knowledge they had gained sank in. There were no easy answers, though they had been given several. Most in attendance couldn't even begin to fathom what questions those answers belonged to, and so, they stood, sat, or leaned in silence as they waited for someone to kick off the inevitable conversation to follow.
"This… all of this complicates things," Ren finally offered, turning his head to look at Nora.
"Does it?" the redhead asked. She was seated at one of the many tables in the room, her arms folded across her chest as she glared at her partner. "So Salem lost her daughters. We've lost everything because of her. If anything, this tells us that Salem's strongest potential allies are gone, and that Ozpin probably can't be trusted if he ever surfaces again. Seems to me like all of this knowledge makes this war easier."
Professor Oobleck cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses before giving the huntress a curt nod.
"Perhaps, in some ways, Miss Valkyrie is correct. However, it does all make Salem's current motivations and end goal more mysterious. For what reason would she be trying to collect the Relics if her old enemy is trapped within them? She was unable to truly kill the God of Light however many hundreds or thousands of years ago, with her daughters and their natural magic aiding her. Why try to unleash him again now?"
"…so she can die," Qrow proposed. "Truly, finally die, and probably take all of Remnant with her. Alternatively… she knows something we don't. Maybe in her current form, she can kill the God of Light. Maybe she figured something out, or has allies we don't know about, or… maybe she's fine with either of those outcomes, at this point. That's all I can really think of. Either way… not good."
"Not good at all," Glynda agreed as she let out a sigh and shook her head. "We now know what we're dealing with in Salem, but I'm not sure how helpful that knowledge really is. If nothing else, we know why the Relics must be kept apart, and in a pinch… we know what might set Salem off if we can use that to our advantage."
Roman snorted, offering Glyda a smirk.
"We might be able to bait her into attacking us, if we hit a nerve hard enough. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to give much of a shit about her daughters dying in front of her, at least not in the vision itself. But Ozpin… he might be the key to pissing her off. Tactically, of course."
"Tactically," Nora repeated, mirroring his smirk before turning her attention to Mercury. "One way or another, I want to be there at the forefront when she's taken down. Speaking of Salem's hang-ups, how much of this did you already know?"
Mercury shook his head as all eyes fell on him. He sat alone quite literally chained to a filing cabinet in the corner, with Yatsuhashi standing guard in front of him.
"…I think you all overestimate just how much Emerald and I mattered to Salem. Sure, she gave us some important assignments, but we were entirely expendable. It didn't matter if we lived or died, just that we got whatever she wanted done."
"Just like her daughters…" Ren considered.
A sudden crackle from the main display screen mounted on the center of a wall within the meeting room caused most in attendance to jump in surprise. Upon the previously black screen was a simple message of INCOMING CALL in large orange letters, followed by a seemingly random string of numbers. Glynda hesitated a moment before walking over to the attached keyboard and accepting the request. The monitor failed to produce any image, instead just showcasing a wavelength that jumped and jittered in time with the familiar voice that echoed throughout the room.
"Who am I speaking to?"
Glynda's shoulders tensed at the sound- it was familiar, yet she couldn't place exactly who it was. There was an odd gurgle accompanying the mystery woman's words, as though she was speaking through a thin layer of phlegm. Even so, Glynda couldn't help but feel as though the conversation about to ensue was a pivotal one for all of Sanus, and so, she answered.
"Glynda Goodwitch," the woman answered. "Headmistress of Beacon Academy. And you are?"
"Call me Astrid," the voice answered. "You're exactly who I was hoping for. I want to discuss terms."
Qrow gave Glynda a look of shock, which the woman returned. The veteran hunter merely mouthed the words 'what the fuck?' at her rather than saying them aloud, but he was hardly the only one to react. Nora stood bolt upright, her expression turning furious as Ren went pale. The other professors seemed to be in various states of confusion, while Mercury just narrowed his eyes and leaned forward slightly to listen better.
"…terms?" Glynda asked, doing her best not to let her nervousness filter through into her voice. "Terms for what?"
Roman walked forward slowly but with purpose, holding out his scroll for Glynda to read from. Upon the screen was a simple message.
She has no way of possibly knowing that we know who she is. Don't fuck this up or let on that we do.
"The terms of your surrender," Astrid answered. "I am a representative of Salem, taking over her efforts within Sanus. There has been enough life lost on both sides, has there not? I'm here to put an end to the bloodshed. Salem's attacks in your country, as well as in Solitas, have ended in failure for us. She has been slain multiple times, and her anger is rising. I seek to save you from it and offer you a peaceful future under our watch. All you need to do is meet with me in person, and we can work something out. Don't be unreasonable."
"…you just admitted that your side's efforts have all ended in failure," Glynda pointed out as she folded her arms across her chest and began to pace. "Somehow, I don't think Salem would appreciate you admitting such a thing. It also doesn't really give you a leg to stand on when it comes to negotiations… so why should I even consider surrendering to you?"
"Doesn't it?" Astrid asked, her voice full of amusement. "No, Salem wouldn't be happy that I'm being so blunt, but… I don't particularly care. You see, the thing about grimm is… we never truly die, Glynda. Surely, you would be aware of that, given your position as an educator of hunters? You may dissipate a beowulf or incinerate a geist, but in time… its essence will return to fight again, in a new form. Salem can't die. Neither can I. No matter how many times you manage to put one of us down, we'll never stop coming for you. Can you say the same?"
"She's… grimm?" Nora whispered to Ren. "Like Salem herself…"
"Assuming she is who she says she is," Ren whispered back. "This is… suspiciously timed…"
"I cannot," Glynda answered. "And yet, Remnant is now connected. Our resistance is strengthening. You say Salem cannot die… but I have no reason to believe that such a thing is true. I have no intention of surrendering Beacon, or Sanus as a whole, Astrid. If and when we meet, it will be on a battlefield. I'm not about to negotiate with a monster."
"How… boring," Astrid replied, letting out a gurgling sigh. "You're not alone right now, are you?"
Glynda cast a sideways glance to the other adults in the room. She didn't find the answer she was looking for on any of their faces. With a quick swallow, Glynda furrowed her brows and made a decision.
"…I am not, no. Several of the other faculty members are here with me, alongside a few students."
"Putting on a brave face, then. I see how it is," Astrid replied, her voice sounding almost sweet. "You know, I really do think I could make you see reason if we met in person. One-on-one. That being said, I did ask you to be reasonable, and you have no reason to trust me. I'll lead by example."
"Get to the point," Glynda snapped. "What are you playing at?"
"I'm playing at a compromise. Follow the rules, and this will work out for both of us. I know what Salem wants. You don't. Work with me to get it, and you and yours will be spared. Meet me in person, Glynda. Bring friends- maybe some of the ones with you right now. I don't mind. I'll be coming alone."
"I haven't agreed to anything," Glynda reminded, exasperated. "And I told you I have students with me. You expect me to meet you in secret, negotiate a surrender that they now know about, and then play it off as if it's in their best interest? You're not making any sense."
"What if it is?" Astrid proposed, the playfulness in her voice disappearing entirely. "What if some battles aren't meant to be won, no matter how much you believe in what you're fighting for? What if, sometimes, everything someone's ever cared about is ripped away from them in a second because they doggedly followed the status quo into a losing fight, never stopping to think if there was another way? I've been there, Glynda. I wouldn't expect you to understand. None of you could ever understand. I'm trying to prevent something like that from happening to you, your students, and their families. Is that really an offer you'd turn aside without consideration?"
Had James Ironwood managed to ask his question to the lamp, Glynda would have told Astrid to 'fuck off' immediately without a second thought. Knowing what she knew, however, the woman was given pause by Astrid's words. Though it was obvious that the apparently resurrected Maiden was dancing around the issue and toying with her up until that moment, Glynda was no longer certain that the game was still ongoing. Something in Astrid's voice had changed- granted, it had been changing throughout the entire conversation, trying to elicit some response or another from Glynda. But for once, the headmistress picked up on some sincerity within the creature's tone. It was probably a trap- a mistake to engage… but if nothing else, it was a trap that she could walk into with backup.
"…name a place and time," Glynda said solemnly. "I'll… we can at least talk, face to face, but don't get your hopes up. Beacon Academy won't just roll over on command."
"I don't expect you to. The mall, where some of yours ran into an associate of mine not long ago. I'll meet you in the parking lot at 11 tonight. Thank you, Glynda. May cooler heads prevail. And… I'm sorry."
"For what?" Glynda asked as she touched a pair of fingers to her temple. "If you somehow manage to make this monitor remotely explode for a cliché end-of-call attack, I'm going to be very upset with you."
"Not quite. I'm sorry that it has to be this way, between us. This isn't how I would've handled things if it was up to me."
"How would you h-…" Glynda trailed off as the call disconnected, leaving her hanging. "…of course. Wonderful. Well… let's figure out who's coming with me, and how to approach this. If nothing else, I'd like to confirm that it is the same Astrid I saw and try to feel out her intentions."
"We have another problem," Mercury chimed in as he held up his scroll to Glynda. "Hazel just contacted me out of nowhere. He wants to meet up. Says he's done with Salem and thinks the two of us should join you."
Glynda took the scroll and read the message, confirming its contents matched what Mercury had said. With a frazzled sigh, she pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.
"…let's form two squads, then. It's going to be a long night…"
Author's Note:
And for my next trick, the Beacon characters will have something to do other than make out and mope again!
Can we go a single chapter without a call being made? Who knows…
-RD