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Got another chapter for you guys, relatively on schedule too! Been an unfortunately hectic month. I'll be taking a week off from writing and working to refocus before jumping back into the next chapter. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
"Speech"
Thoughts
"Telepathic Speech"
Overlapping Speech
Chapter Forty-Nine: The Next Step
The Atlesian tundra was littered with scattered packs of Grimm, most having fled further into the wild with the destruction of Salem's gargantuan ship, which continued to slowly fade away, the flames that once engulfed it having long since been snuffed out by the chilling cold. The sun sat high in the sky, illuminating the liberated kingdom. The storm Salem had ushered to their doorstep had dissipated over the course of several hours. Within the city of Mantle, people had begun to leave the protective dome around the city, doing their best to clear rubble, salvaging anything they could in their devoted efforts to rebuild. Further in, at the center of the crater, Ruby and her friends all congregated in various places around the large tent, with a table at the center. She sat in a chair at the center herself, with Weiss, and Blake on either side of her, and Winter on the opposite side from her. Jaune stood beside Winter with Qrow resting against the table, arms crossed over his chest. Ren and Nora stood at the head of the table, with Oscar opposite them, and Penny looking out through the tent flaps to the others hard at work outside. Slade laid on his back in the corner with one arm behind his head, and one leg bent at the knee. Neo sat beside him on a small box, legs crossed and fingers interlaced on her thigh. Yang slowly paced back and forth behind the rest of her team, a bored look on her face.
Winter sighed in relief "Then she's gone?"
Ren nodded "We searched up and down that wreckage, we found no sign of Salem"
"Or anyone else" Blake added.
"Which means we can't yet confirm the status of Hunter Thombs, Cinder Fall, or that other woman who attacked Slade" Penny spoke with a frown.
"The only thing we can confirm, is that Sable fully intended to die when he faced Hunter, and swore to bring him down with him" Jaune pointed out.
"We've all seen what he was capable of here in Mantle. I for one, don't doubt for a second that he got the job done. Hunter must be gone" Nora declared.
"Sable got to die the man he wanted to be, and not the man Salem turned him into. We should all be so lucky" Qrow declared.
Weiss looked away "He wasn't the only one..." Slade's hand closed into a fist at her words.
"Ironwood died a hero, sacrificing his life, so we wouldn't have to... and saved the entire kingdom in the process" Oscar offered.
Ruby shook her head "We won, we actually stopped Salem from destroying the kingdom and getting the Relics. We accomplished exactly what we set out to do. We should be celebrating! But... losing Ironwood... it makes the whole thing feel... I don't know..." she started.
"Hollow" Yang finished.
"Yeah..." she hung her head.
"The General stopped Salem, saved all of us" Yang sighed "But she won't be gone for long"
Oscar nodded "Salem will return, and when she does, she won't hold back. Not this time" he warned.
"You call that holding back?" Nora asked with a grimace.
"She could've destroyed Atlas and Mantle both, but instead, gave us time to regroup, offered us a chance to surrender the Relics" Blake pointed out.
"Right, I'm sure she won't make that call again. Next time, she'll hit us with everything she has" Weiss added.
"Which means we need to do the same" Jaune declared.
"That's assuming we know her next move" Qrow replied.
"Well, she won't come back here right away. She can't get past the shield we made with the Staff" Yang offered.
"Mistral is out of the question too, the Lamp is here now" Ruby added.
"With Beacon destroyed, is it possible she's turned her attention back to finding the Relic hidden there?" Ren inquired.
"That's assuming she can find it" Blake answered.
"She's going after Vacuo" Slade rose to his feet "Emerald confirmed it herself while she was still in custody"
"She did?" Winter asked surprised "I don't remember that in your report from her interrogation"
"That's because she didn't tell me during her interrogation. She told me after I stopped James from killing her, after he gunned down Watts" he replied.
"Can't say he didn't deserve that" Yang muttered.
"Vacuo does seem the most likely target" Oscar agreed with Slade.
"How can we be sure?" Qrow asked.
"I didn't get the impression she was lying, and she didn't have to tell me. I think she was telling the truth"
"It makes sense, the Relic of Destruction is being held beneath Shade Academy, right? What else could get rid of something the Staff created?" Weiss deduced.
"Which she can't get into without the Summer Maiden" Jaune added.
"Who is currently in Slade's head" Blake added.
"Then, she can't access the vault even if she conquers Shade, not while Slade remains here" Penny pointed out.
"She wouldn't have to" Slade replied.
Winter nodded, folding her hands in front of her "She could hold the entire kingdom hostage to force us to take action. Besides, I'd rather have him nearby, in case we need to relocate the Relic from Shade"
"So, we what? Ship off to Vacuo to stop Salem? Just like that?" Yang asked.
"No, we take our time. Recuperate, rebuild, resupply, recruit. We're in no condition to help Vacuo currently if we can't even help ourselves" Winter answered.
"Salem isn't going to just wait around while we-" Ruby started to argue.
"And neither are we" Qrow interrupted "Not even Salem can take down an entire kingdom overnight. Not even one like Vacuo"
"What's that mean?" Jaune asked confused.
"Vacuo isn't like the other kingdoms. They've got an elected council like all the rest, but the government is entirely a formality" Weiss explained.
"Their influence is... negligible" Winter added.
Slade sighed "Not to mention the people there don't really like the other kingdoms, they all but hate Atlas"
"They're not exactly a prime example of law and order either" Qrow agreed.
"Nevertheless, we shall endeavor to prepare a proper military response to the threat Salem poses" Winter assured "Hopefully Theodore proves amicable"
"He can't be any worse than Lionheart" Yang remarked.
"We won't have to worry about him working with Salem, that's true. But Theo can be a bit..." Qrow thought about his words carefully.
"Unpredictable" Slade finished.
"Excessive, is the word I would use" Winter replied.
"Both" Oscar agreed, his eyes shimmered as he switched to Ozpin.
"Theodore is a bit of a character. Eccentric, youthful, and a bit of a showboat. Still, he is loyal to a fault, even more so than James ever was. He'll do almost anything if it means protecting his students, and is far more cautious than even I. Thus, he and James almost never saw eye-to-eye" Ozpin explained.
"Which means he won't like the entire Atlas military showing up on his doorstep. Regardless of Salem's presence" Weiss deduced.
"To put it mildly" Winter affirmed "Vacuo itself is a powder keg in the best of times. If Salem has people on the inside, then we'll need some of our own"
"I happen to know a guy" Blake smiled.
"Sun?" Ruby asked, earning a nod from her.
"No offense, Blake... but he's not exactly discreet" Jaune reminded.
"Which is exactly why he's the best person to get information from" Ren pointed out.
"Exactly!" Nora clapped her hands together "Besides! No one said we have to tell him everything, right?"
"I think the less Theo knows about what's happened here in Atlas, the better" Slade agreed.
"Why?" Yang wondered.
"Theo and I... let's just say we weren't on good terms last time I saw him. It's one of the reasons I kept out of Vacuo as much as I could after I left Beacon"
"Geez, did anyone like you, Slade?" she nudged him playfully.
"Rude" he nudged her back with a small smile "As a matter of fact, James happened to like me alot, even before I left Beacon. We just pretended to hate each other"
"That's not what it looked like when you got here" she smirked.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever" he waved her off.
"Fortunately, we won't have to deal with Professor Theodore directly. Not until we've got eyes on the situation at Shade. We've recieved no intel since the embargo" Penny explained.
"Worse, Vacuo cut off all communication with Atlas once Beacon fell. That cannot be a coincidence" Ozpin concluded.
"Well, then we have a perfect way into Shade" Ruby chimed in "We'll just start attending classes like everyone else!"
Winter rubbed her chin thoughtfully "Not a bad idea. Your teams can begin classes and filter in with the rest of the student body. As long as Theodore is unaware of your status as Huntsmen, you'll fly under his radar"
"All while Team SSSN brings us up to speed with everything" Weiss replied.
"Sounds like a plan to me" Jaune agreed.
Neo got to her feet, moving over to Slade, she gestured between the two of them and made an X with her hands "Neo is right, Theo isn't going to like either of us being there. We'll need to work from outside the school" Slade explained.
"That'll work just fine. I can act as a go between to keep both groups up to speed with the other. Slade and Neo can investigate the underbelly of Vacuo while we scope out the surface level" Qrow suggested.
Yang crinkled her nose "Temporarily, of course" Winter assured.
"Better be" she muttered.
"As for myself and Penny, we'll remain here until our forces are ready to move. We'll make our way to Vacuo, but remain outside the border, until we're needed" Winter explained.
"Which will minimize the risk of anyone working for Salem infiltrating our forces" Penny added.
"Right, with Emerald still out there, not to mention if Chimera still exists anymore" Blake nodded "We can't take any chances"
"Which is exactly why we won't be bringing along any Knights. Arthur may have been the only one capable of compromising them here in Atlas, but the same may not be true in Vacuo"
"If we're headed to the desert, we'll need more appropriate clothes" Ren concluded.
"Not a bad idea. We're not exactly dressed for a sandstorm, or that damn heat" Slade agreed.
"Agreed. We should also consider improving our weaponry. With our successes and failures against Salem here, I am sure each of us can come up with something to increase our effectiveness in battle" Ozpin suggested.
Oscar's eyes flashed as he returned to control "There's more to consider of course, Team SSSN will want to know everything that's occurred since we parted ways. We'll have to consider what we want to tell them, and how much"
"Which leads to the next important question... how much do we tell Theodore?" Winter asked.
The group fell silent, none of them knowing exactly the right answer. Yang looked around at everyone incredulously. She looked back to Slade, hoping at least he'd be on the same page as her. Unfortunately, the silent shrug he provided in response did not reassure her. She stepped around her teammates, slamming her hands onto the table.
"Is this even a question? We tell him everything, right?" she tried.
"Yang-" Slade started.
"Right?!" she asserted more forcefully.
Winter sighed "While I agree that we shouldn't lie to Theodore directly, there are subjects that I believe should be handled carefully"
"Like Salem's immortality" Qrow agreed.
"It might be best to ease him in. Ironwood was not immune to succumbing to his fear of Salem, especially knowing she cannot be killed" Winter added.
"But how can he prepare properly if he doesn't have all the facts?" Yang asked.
"Much as I hate to admit it, Yang... they're right. We knew Ironwood, we knew Winter. We trusted them because of that familiarity" Ren offered.
"Ren is right. We don't know Professor Theodore, not personally" Blake agreed.
"We shouldn't tell him everything right out of the gate, he could do something rash" Weiss added.
"Then what should we tell him?" Ruby asked.
Winter stood from her place "He'll probably interrogate you about what happened in Mistral and here in Atlas. Tell him everything he wants to know, don't leave out a single detail. But, omit the details around Salem's immortality and your status as licensed Huntsmen"
"And Neo and I. We don't want to get on his bad side just yet" Slade reminded.
"What if he already knows about you because of Sun?" Blake asked.
"Simple, say we parted ways after Argus. Just don't get specific"
Yang crossed her arms over her chest "I don't like this. Lying isn't going to help get him to trust us"
"I agree, we need him on our side. If he thinks we're lying to him..." Oscar let the sentence hang.
"Theodore already doesn't trust Ironwood's judgement. The only person he trusts more than Professor Rumpole, is Professor Ozpin. If he learns that he lied to him about Salem, withheld vital intel, he'll likely do something... unwise. Moreover, if he learns Ironwood placed his trust in you, made you Huntsmen, he'll scrutinize your every move, even more so than usual" Winter explained.
"Winter is right, Theo is even more afraid of Salem than James ever was. Meet him, talk with him. Decide for yourselves if you believe he should know the truth. Once we've got a proper grasp of the situation in Vacuo, then we can put it to a vote"
"Why not put it to a vote now?" Yang asked.
Winter sighed "If that is really what you want, then we will"
Yang smiled "Good, all in favor of telling him everything?" she held up her own hand. Oscar was the only other one to put his hand up "Really? Just Oscar?" she looked to Ruby, who frowned in response. Her head turned to Slade "Come on, back me up on this"
Slade sighed "You know I am behind you 100%, Yang... but I really don't think telling him everything is the right move"
"You ran away from Ozpin because he wouldn't tell you the truth. And now you want to lie to someone else?"
"Slade barely wanted to be with us before Jinn told us everything. But after, he was among the few of us who believed even more fervently that we needed to push on, to resist Salem. Him and Ruby both" Oscar added.
"Theo isn't Ruby, and he isn't Slade" Qrow argued "You don't know him like we do"
"And how can you be sure? You didn't think much of Ironwood either when we first got here, but he proved himself" Yang debated.
"After he nearly destroyed the whole kingdom. We can't afford another situation like that. I vote we don't tell Theo anything about Salem being immortal. Not until we've saved Vacuo" he asserted.
Winter nodded "I agree. That's two votes against, and two votes for... how do the rest of you feel?"
Neo signed to Slade quickly, he nodded "Neo and I vote against, we need to keep a lid on things, at least for the time being"
Jaune sighed "I don't like the idea of keeping things from people on our side, but Ironwood almost cost us Mantle and Atlas because he was so afraid of losing. I don't think we can take that chance now"
Ren nodded "I agree"
Nora frowned "I don't like it... lying to everyone doesn't feel right. I say we tell the truth"
"Lying is wrong, I vote we tell the truth too!" Penny affirmed with determination.
"Two more against, two for" Winter turned to the rest of Yang's team "What do you think?"
"The headmaster isn't the only one we'd be keeping things from, right? We'd have to keep it from Sun, from Neptune, everyone" Blake remarked.
"That's right" Qrow nodded.
"Then I vote with Yang and Oscar. I don't like the idea of keeping things from our friends, not when they could be placing their lives in danger with us"
Weiss nodded "I'm with Blake. We tell them the truth"
Winter sighed "Well, Ruby, looks like you'll have the deciding vote"
"What about Ozpin? What does he think?" Ruby asked.
Oscar shook his head "He said this has to be our decision, and that he'll do whatever we think is best"
Ruby frowned "I... I..." she looked up at Yang "I don't know what the right call is..."
"Mom didn't know the truth about Salem, maybe if she did, maybe she'd still be here"
"You don't know that" Qrow argued.
"Exactly, we don't, and neither did she"
"Raven knows, and look at what she's done in the name of survival" Winter pointed out.
"Theo isn't Raven, they're not cut from the same cloth" Slade argued.
"I'm not insinuating that, only suggesting his capacity for rash decisions"
"Ironwood made rash decisions too, ones that nearly cost us everything. But his loyalty to us, to his kingdom, convinced him to change course, and confront his greatest fear. Losing Atlas. But he turned his fear into strength, by moving forward, capitalizing on the kingdom changing back to Mantle, to accept its failures and overcome them. It was not his ultimate sacrifice that made him a hero, it was his choice to sacrifice his pride for the good of the kingdom" Oscar explained.
"Theodore could do worse, and we might not survive the repercussions this time, and if we fall, Vacuo may well follow" Ren replied.
"Ruby... do you want to tell Theodore, or keep the truth to ourselves?" Winter asked one final time.
"I... I want to tell him the truth" Yang let out a breath of relief "But..." all eyes were on her once more "We can't afford to go through it all again, not now. We can't fight amongst ourselves again, not until Salem has been handled"
"Then... against?" Winter asked.
"I vote we keep the truth to ourselves, at least for awhile. We shouldn't make any major decisions until we get to Vacuo anyway. We don't know him, and he doesn't know us. Let's change that before we determine if his heart is in the right place"
Winter nodded "Then we will"
"Guess it's decided then. Like it or not" Weiss frowned.
"For now, we'll focus on Mantle's recovery, and prepare to aid Vacuo. We'll need to reestablish communications with the other kingdoms. When the time comes, one of our ships will take you to Vacuo to begin your classes... and your mission" Winter explained.
Slade placed his hands on his hips "In the meantime, I'm gonna train you guys harder than ever. We got lucky this time. Next time, we can't leave it up to chance"
"That's right, we're gonna make sure you're in top shape when you get to Shade" Qrow smirked.
Elise moved into Slade's view, leaning on the table with her arms crossed over her chest. She didn't speak, but he understood what she wanted. What he had promised her before the battle for Atlas had begun. To use the Lamp to hunt for the source of whatever it was she and the Gods had sensed on Remnant. For now, he would focus on training them, but he needed to speak with Ozpin about that, more than that, he would need to uphold his promise to his sister. With no words between them, she simply offered him a nod, then moved back out of sight, his attention returning to those around him.
"I just hope my mom doesn't follow us to Vacuo" Yang sighed.
"You think she's still watching us?" Ruby asked.
"She tried to kidnap me during our first battle in Atlas. I barely managed to stop her"
Qrow blinked "You fought Raven?" he asked in shock.
"And won?" Slade added, matching his tone.
"Barely, she wasn't going all out or anything. But she did use the Maiden's power" Yang answered.
"Firecracker... I knew you were tough, but... damn, I didn't know you were that tough" Qrow smiled with pride.
Yang smiled back "Worried I can take you now, old man?"
Qrow's smile dropped "I hate you" he groaned out, earning a laugh from the others.
In the Land of Darkness, Grimm fled from the castle Salem called home, bolts of black lightning and roaring violet flames stretched out from the top of the structure, destroying many rocky outcroppings and the large purple crystals accompanying them. Within the castle, Cinder Fall sat alone in the large purple crystal table, gazing into her reflection, unable to take her eye off the Grimm features that had now spread to one side of her neck. The castle shook as Salem continued to unleash her power upon the land in blind fury. Her attention was drawn from the table when a dark corridor opened at the head of the table, with Hazel exiting, a body bag under each arm, with Mercury and Tyrian following close behind. The corridor vanished, leaving a hooded woman behind, having come through last. Cinder glared at Mercury as he silently took his place in Watts old chair.
"Ooo!" Tyrian grinned at the sight of her "Someone looks like they've had a very bad day" he pointed out mockingly as he took his seat beside her.
Cinder growled "Shut. Up" she demanded.
"Oh? Still prickly as ever, Cinder. Why I-" Tyrian stopped short, his expression becoming fearful as a dark corridor opened over Salem's chair, quickly vanishing to reveal her presence.
Black smoke billowed from her shoulders still, as she took her seat at the head of the table. Though she was now among the group, she remained silent, her mind clearly focused elsewhere. Hazel took his place beside Mercury, placing the two body bags down onto the ground on each side of him. The hooded woman took her position beside Salem in silence, folding her hands in front of her. Mercury smirked over at the others, confident in his standing as a true member of her inner circle now.
"So, Tyrian isn't the only failure here now" he jabbed, earning a glare from him and Cinder both.
"Don't act high and mighty, they weren't the only ones that failed" Hazel pointed out.
"Hey, who's side are you on?" Mercury cried indignantly.
"Neither, I'm pointing out a fact" he answered matter of factly.
Cinder snorted "Poor Mercury, trying to fit in with the big kids. Only to be reminded he's but a child"
"I-" Mercury and Cinder suddenly stopped, both of them unable to find their voice.
"Do you find your squabbling amusing?" Salem's scathing tone cut through their argument, her hand raised toward them.
Hazel crossed his arms over his chest "I take it things didn't go according to plan in Atlas?" he asked carefully.
"It..." Salem exhaled, the smoke from her shoulders dissipating "It unfortunately, did not"
Tyrian swallowed fearfully "W-what happened?" he prodded.
Salem took a deep breath "Ruby Rose, and her band of aspirant Huntsmen defeated me"
Their eyes widened in shock at the prospect "They... defeated you?" Mercury asked.
She nodded "Despite my immunity to death, I am not all powerful, Mercury. You see, I, like Cinder, am susceptible to the power Ms. Rose possesses. The boy hosting Ozma is more clever than I gave him credit for as well. He kept me occupied while the others sabotaged my vessel. They destroyed the engines, and used Ms. Rose's power on the heart of the creature to destroy it"
Tyrian looked around "I notice the other one isn't with us. Has he fallen as well?"
Salem sighed "Hunter Thombs and Sable Wolf are dead, permanently this time"
"Two in one day, how unfortunate" Hazel frowned.
"Three" Salem corrected.
"Three?" Mercury asked.
"Emerald Sustrai has betrayed us. She is the main reason for my failure in Atlas..."
"She did what?!" Mercury asked in shock.
"She isn't the only one, Neopolitan has sided with Ms. Rose as well. With the demise of Arthur Watts, Atlas has proven more trouble than it was worth, and has cost us dearly"
"Is Emerald working with them too?" Mercury asked.
"That, I do not know. She revealed my intention to target Shade Academy, as well as sneaking Sable aboard my vessel. The Staff and the Lamp, are now utterly beyond my reach... for now"
"For now?" Cinder asked "How do you intend to claim them if none of us can get inside?"
"Tyrian can, though he is unlikely to get near them with so many brave souls defending the Relics. Fortunately, that is not our only avenue. The Relic of Destruction shall provide a way. However, we were not the only ones to take losses today"
"What do you mean?" Tyrian asked with excitement.
"General James Ironwood... he sacrificed himself to stop me. He succeeded, even at the cost of his own life"
"Well, I guess the professor did get what he wanted in the end" Tyrian mocked with a grin.
"Watts' desire to kill Ironwood was unfortunately unrealized before his death" Salem replied "However, James Ironwood is worthy of respect. Not many men can face their failures so bravely, despite his demise. Which leads us to our next step"
"Which is?" Mercury asked.
Salem's eyes shifted over to Hazel and Mercury, narrowing "I believe I requested a meeting with twins Jax and Gillian Asturias. Yet you bring me corpses... tell me, how did you come to fail so incredibly"
Hazel stood from his place, lifting each body bag onto the table with little effort. He then unzipped them both, revealing the bodies inside to Salem. She stood from her place, inspecting them with great interest. Her hand moved to the wound on Gillian's chest, a strikingly familiar sensation coursing through her as her fingertips drew near. The moment they touched Gillian's skin, she swore she could feel a pair of eyes watching her, something filtering through her mind. Recoiling from the corpse in front of her, she wore a deep frown, inspecting the veins surrounding the wound, identical to those she possessed herself. Her gaze shifted back to Hazel, returning to her seat.
"You discovered them in this state?" she asked.
"I did, with a message written on the walls of their cells" he showed her the photo on his Scroll.
"Fascinating..." she folded her hands onto her lap "Any indication to the one responsible for this?"
"None. Whoever it was broke in without leaving a trace, and escaped just the same"
"The same way we do..." Salem mulled the thought over in her head "An alarming yet compelling enigma to unravel. Mercury, you are to investigate this on your own, find the perpetrator"
"How?" he asked "I'm not even sure where to start"
"The Asturias twins didn't work alone, there are others who were incarcerated with them. Question them, see if they know anything about what was done to their leaders. In the meantime, Hazel, you are to hunt down Carmine Esclados. She remains loyal to the Crown, use that loyalty to ensure her cooperation with us"
He nodded "As you wish"
"Tyrian, start picking off Huntsmen that draw too far from the safety of Vacuo's walls. Students or otherwise"
Tyrian grinned, giggling with manic excitement, clapping his hands together "Right away"
"Cinder, you're to start gathering the Grimm throughout Vacuo. I want them ready to attack the city at a moments notice"
She frowned "What about Emerald?"
"What about her? If she doesn't want to be part of the new world Salem is creating, that is her problem, not ours" Mercury claimed, earning a low growl from Cinder.
Salem's eyes narrowed "If she has aligned herself with Ms. Rose, then her time will come eventually. If she has not, and simply betrayed us... then she is inconsequential, for now. Vacuo is our priority"
"I... understand"
"You had better" Salem addressed the group now "Beacon, Haven, Atlas, three academies, three Relics, three Maidens... and still we have nothing to show for it. I will not tolerate failure this time, I will show no mercy. I expect the same from each of you... Shade Academy will fall. As for those two..." her gaze shifted to the bodies "I have at least one more use for them"
Taiyang was stunned, hands shaking on the table top as he processed the information Raven had revealed to him. Sensing his discomfort, Zwei laid across his shoes in an effort to comfort him. Across from him, his former teammate and partner watched him with a sympathetic look, her hands fidgeting in her lap as she waited for a response, for anything really. His hands closed into fists, glaring across the table at her now, reacting exactly how she expected.
"All this time... you knew... you knew what happened... and you didn't say anything..."
"She swore me to secrecy, even in the event things went wrong" Raven replied.
"Why? Why would she do that? Why not tell me? Tell Qrow? Tell Oz?" he asked distraught.
"She knew you'd only want to help... and she understood what Yang... what both your daughters needed. Ozpin would've tried to stop her, you and Qrow would've gone with her. If you had died too, they'd have been alone. Losing one parent was bad enough, but both of them?"
Taiyang turned his head away, resting his hand over his mouth "Summer..." a single tear rolled down his cheek.
"I'm sorry I kept this from you for so long, Tai... I... I wanted to tell you so many times. You deserved to know, and I couldn't keep it to myself anymore, not after everything that has happened"
"She's not coming..." he muttered.
"Tai?" she asked in confusion.
"You told Qrow that Summer was gone, that's how he knew... how long has he known?" Tai demanded.
"He doesn't know. I only told him that Summer had disappeared... I didn't tell him why"
He relaxed a bit "Ruby and Yang?"
She shook her head "Don't know anything more than he does now... I thought they deserved to know the truth, from someone they trusted... not me"
He nodded slowly "I understand..."
"If they survive what's happening in Atlas, then Salem is going to target them like she targeted Summer. We... they, need to be ready"
"They are ready... more than we ever were"
"Maybe you're right... I just don't know anymore..." Raven slowly got to her feet "The only thing I can do now... is hope Summer was right"
He slid his chair back from the table, rising to his feet "Raven, you don't have to be alone. You can work with us, fight Salem too. She isn't unstoppable"
Raven shook her head "I can't, Tai... not anymore, not again. I... I just can't" she turned away from him, making her way to the door.
"You're just gonna run away again? Abandon our little girl, again?" he called after her.
Raven stopped at the door "Tai... when I left, it wasn't because I didn't want Yang, or because I was afraid of being a mother... I just knew you wouldn't come with me... and if I took her, you'd never stop looking for us. None of you would"
He blinked in surprise "Raven... you..."
"I left Yang with you... so she could be happy, so she could have a real family... and I've watched over her ever since. But I couldn't stay one of Ozpin's pawns, I wanted to live my life for me... not for him"
Tai sighed "That's just it, Raven... it was never about us"
She scoffed, turning her head back to him "Summer already tried to guilt me with abandoning innocents, save your breath"
He shook his head "No, that's not what I meant. The minute we found out about Yang, everything we did was for her, not for us. Leaving her, no matter what your reasons, wasn't for her, it was for you. That's your true failing"
She frowned "I... I can't be what she needs me to be"
"All she ever needed from you, was for you to be her mother, Raven"
"Then I failed her before she even knew me" Raven turned on her heel, hand reaching for the doorknob.
"Wait" she stopped, her hand now in his "Thank you"
She turned her head toward him "For what?"
"For telling me the truth, for watching over Yang, even if it wasn't for the right reasons... but most of all... for doing the right thing in Haven"
"Tai..." she breathed out, her heart beating faster at their close proximity. They drew closer, she could feel his breath on her face. Before she could do anything more, she pulled herself away "I should go"
Taiyang cleared his throat "Right, of course" he rubbed the back of his head, blushing with embarrassment.
She rolled her eyes, a small smile gracing her lips. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek "Take care of yourself, Tai"
He smiled back "You too, Raven. I mean it"
Zwei rubbed against her legs, barking happily. Raven bent down to his level, gently petting the top of his head "I know"
Without standing up, she transformed into Corvid form, taking off away from the cabin. Taiyang watched her soar away in silence, with Zwei barking after her.
The shattered moon illuminated the city of Vacuo, with only a few torches serving as an alternative source of light from the moon above. At the center of the city, Shade Academy was silent, all of the students and staff having turned in for the night, most of them anyway. The academy itself was packed vertically with classrooms and other spaces in three tiers, as well as the office of the headmaster at the top, which housed the CCT transmitter. Theodore's office was a large space, led by two large doors at the bottom of a set of stairs in the center of the room. Theodore's desk sat opposite the stairs, situated in the corner of the office, giving him a clear view of every angle. Each side of the office was exposed by a doorway, leading to a balcony overlooking the campus. The center of the ceiling was raised, with a dozen glassless windows allowing the moonlight in, with the CCT transmitter safely at the top. On the walls closest to Theodore's desk held several portraits, one with Ozpin and himself shaking hands, another with Qrow Branwen, a young girl in a checkered dress with a pet dog in her arms, as well as the various Shade Academy staff members.
Theodore himself paced behind his desk, his blue eyes scanning over a report on his Scroll. He had dark, close cut hair that was almost shaved off, and a blue and white checkered vest showing off his wiry frame, thin but with sharp lines of muscle, like he had been chiseled from stone. He wore a dark blue cape that stopped just above the back of his knees, attached onto his shoulders with a silver clasp on each side of his chest, along with a red tassel strung from each clasp across his torso, with the ends hanging off his left clasp, each capped with a pointed silver ornament. He also had a silver belt with a round buckle, matching boots, and bright white slacks with deep side pockets. Theodore wore red fingerless gloves which were decorated with Dust crystals. The white shirt beneath his vest had its sleeves rolled up to show off his muscles as well, and darker complexion. Beside him stood a woman with a deep tan, standing at about four feet, with golden eyes and sandy brown hair reaching her ankles in a long braid bound by a golden cord. She had a wide, squarish frame that exaggerated her lack of height, along with fine features. She wore brown pants with a loose dark green tunic, cinched with a brown leather belt at her waist. She also wore a long, sleeveless, dark brown coat with glittering flecks and a silky, gold lining. The outside was coarse, looking both rusty and gaudy. The doors to the office opened, with four students marching up the stairs, stopping in front of his desk.
The first was a young woman with fair skin, short dark brown hair with matching eyes. She had wavy locks on one side of her face, dyed with a gradient that starts as dark brown and transitioned to caramel. Her clothes consisted of a long, cocoa colored shirt with an upturned layered frill collar and a black single strapped corset loose around her waist. She wore black trousers with golden lining around the pockets and ribbons attached to the back of a golden zipper seam around her knees. A black belt with golden studded belt was hidden behind a larger cocoa colored belt with gun cartridges on the left side and a large golden crosshair buckle, as well as a large piece of black fabric attaching to her belt on her right side. She wore a pair of dark black, boots with large heels and golden buckles. She also possessed a number of accessories, such as a bracelet with black roses as decoration, black gloves with the index finger exposed, three beaded necklaces, and a scarf tied around her collar. She wore a black beret with cocoa brown trim and a pair of black, wire-rimmed aviator sunglasses. She had a black handbag with gold studs, held by a bandolier strap. Beside her stood a boy with dark skin and dark, messy copper hair with a long fringe and cowlick. He wore a sleeveless, orange zipper vest with black lining and a high collar, along with a pair of black jeans, and brown laced shoes. His eyes were pure white, due to his blindness. His arms were covered in scars and he had a vertical scar on his lip. He also wore a pair of long black gloves and had several pouches attached to his belt. He had a pair of bronze bladed gauntlets.
Towering over them was a man with shaved black hair and tanned skin. He wore a long, short-sleeved robe, which covered one shoulder, a black muscle shirt underneath. The robe was fastened at the waist by a leather armored belt with two pouches on it. He also wore brown pants and black and green boots. His left arm bore a five layered pauldron extending past his shoulder. He wore a pair of bracers as well as a pair of black gloves with green plates on the back. His large blade was affixed to his back with a padded brown strap slung over his shoulder. Finally, at the end stood a girl with long brown hair, brown eyes, as well as a pair of brown rabbit ears atop her head. She wore a cropped brown jacket with a thin gold zipper and heart symbol stitched together in four places on the right of her chest over a thin black top and tight brown spandex compression shorts that reached her upper thighs with decorated metal trim. She also wore black tights with golden metal flats, along with a pair of gold spaulders, cuffs, and a belt each with decorative patterns, and a box attached to the back of her belt.
Theodore clapped his hands together loudly a single time "Team CFVY! How wonderful to see you're all back safe and unharmed"
"Did you find anything? Something local authorities might've missed?" Rumpole asked.
Coco lowered her sunglasses enough for her eyes to be visible "Nothing" she answered.
"Nothing?" Theodore asked surprised "Surely you don't expect me to believe you didn't find a single clue?"
She sighed "There was nothing to be found. In fact, if it wasn't for the message on the wall and the missing prisoners, I wouldn't be convinced anything was wrong at all" she explained with frustration.
"There wasn't any sign of a break in, or a break out. The cells were undamaged, there was no signs of resistance, and even the guard didn't know they were even missing until this morning" Velvet added.
"Then where did they go?" Theodore asked "The two most dangerous criminals in Vacuo cannot just disappear overnight! It's impossible! Even for them!" he practically shouted.
Coco pushed her sunglasses back up with one finger "The only thing I can think of, is if someone was let in... or let themselves in" she deduced.
Rumpole rubbed her chin thoughtfully "Or out... perhaps Mr. Asturias used his Semblance to trick the guard into letting them escape"
"We thought of that. Yatsuhashi used his Semblance on the guard to make sure he wasn't being controlled" Velvet replied.
"He was not" was his simple answer.
"What of Esclados? Could she have broken them out?" Theodore became more frantic as he spoke.
"It's possible. We couldn't confirm her status after defeating the Crown" Coco answered "I don't believe it is likely, though. She's too flashy not to leave any trace behind"
"The twins wouldn't leave the rest of the Crown behind either, not if they want another shot at Shade" Fox declared, speaking for the first time.
"I agree" Rumpole sighed "Which leaves one startling possibility..." she turned apprehensively toward Theodore.
Theodore had finally stopped moving for the first time since they'd entered his office "The big one..." he breathed out.
"Sir, you've used that term before. What does it mean? What is 'the big one'?" Velvet asked.
"It means-"
"Headmaster!" Rumpole interjected "Now is not the time" she insisted, eyes flicking to the students discreetly.
He grumbled "You're right, you're right" his hands balled into fists "Team CFVY, I want all of you to continue with your classes as normal for now. I'll have some Huntsmen look into this and see if they can turn anything up. If I learn anything about Jax or Gillian, you'll be the first to know"
Coco nodded "Thank you, Headmaster"
He nodded back "Now get some sleep, all of you" he waved them out "Classes still start bright and early" he added in a cheerful tone.
"But-" Velvet started to protest.
"Goodnight students" Theodore interrupted, leaving no room for argument.
The team turned away, heading back down the stairs out of the office. Though they appeared to be walking in complete silence, they were actually conversing between themselves without uttering a single word, thanks to Fox's Semblance.
"The Headmaster is hiding something from us" Yatsuhashi concluded.
"The big one" Fox parroted "What do you think he means by that?"
"Last time he mentioned it, it was in relation to Beacon. It's gotta be code for an attack on Shade, right?" Velvet asked.
"I thought so too, but if he was referring to an unknown threat like the White Fang's attack on Beacon and Haven, then the Crown would've been that threat, right?" Coco debated.
"Sun mentioned the White Fang weren't working alone in Haven" Yatsuhashi pointed out.
"Which means they probably weren't at Beacon either" Fox concluded.
"What if the Crown was just a prelude to something bigger?" Coco asked.
"What do you think we should do?" Velvet asked.
"We should tell SSSN, between the eight of us, we might be able to uncover something the locales missed" Coco suggested.
"I'm surprised you'd suggest bringing them in right away, Coco. Why not bring in the whole Brigade?" Fox asked.
"Not until we know something for sure. If we get in trouble with the Headmaster, we know what we're getting into. And honestly, Sun is going to find out what we're doing whether we want him to or not. And that means the others will too" Coco explained.
"Right, better not to get all former Beacon students in trouble over nothing" Velvet agreed.
"And when we find out whatever it is that the Headmaster is hiding from us, then we can take it the rest-" Coco was interrupted by a shrill scream "What the hell was that?"
The four of them bolted back to Theodore's office, barging through the doors and rushing to the top of the stairs with their weapons at the ready. Before them, Rumpole had her mouth covered with both hands, eyes wide in shock and horror at the sight before her. Theodore was stationary for the first time, kneeling down over the corpses of the Asturias twins. Velvet gagged at the sight, covering her mouth in disgust, getting behind Yatsuhashi, who grimaced uncomfortably. Coco removed her shades, kneeling down opposite the headmaster, inspecting the bodies as well.
"They just dropped in from above..." Theodore looked to the windows above them.
"Fox, can you sense anyone nearby?" Coco asked.
He shook his head "No one who isn't supposed to be here"
"Whoever it was, they must've got out fast" Yatsuhashi offered.
"Those wounds on their chest..." Rumpole breathed out.
"What could've done that?" Coco asked.
"Nothing natural, certainly not Dust" Theodore answered, getting to his feet with a sigh "Contact Grimm Watch, I want a report on Grimm activity in the surrounding areas immediately"
"Of course" Rumpole removed her Scroll and got straight to work.
"Headmaster, let us help" Coco implored as she placed her shades on her face.
"No" he turned to her "Not now. You and your team have done quite enough for now, and you have enough to worry about in class tomorrow, don't you?"
"We-"
"That you have" he answered without waiting for a response "Now, off to bed with you" he motioned for them to leave.
Not wishing to test the patience of their headmaster, the group begrudgingly left his office "It's decided. First thing after classes, we're looking into this immediately" Coco declared.
Theodore watched the group leave, remaining silent until they were out of earshot "Headmaster?" Rumpole called.
"She did this..." he turned back to his desk "We need to-What the-?" he stopped midstep, looking down in surprise at a small droplet of a black tar-like substance.
"That's..." her eyes widened.
Before another word could pass between them, the substance sprang to life, racing up the wall toward the rooftop. Theodore leapt after it, bouncing from one wall to the other until he flipped through the window, landing on the roof beside the CCT transmitter. Before him was a puddle of substance with a pair of pearlescent green eyes gleaming back at him from within it. In the blink of an eye, the puddle seemed to fold in on itself and vanish into the very ground he stood upon. Theodore stared perplexed at what he had just witness. Something was watching them, all of them, and if he didn't find out what, he was certain that it would become a very big problem for him, and his students too.
Several days had passed since the Battle for Atlas had officially ended. With the casualties properly accounted for, Mantle held a mass funeral for all those who fell during the course of the battle. Each of their names were etched into a monument made out of the marble that once composed the academy in Atlas. Dozens of photographs were strung about the monument, each of those who had their names etched in marble. At the center of the photographs, was one of Ironwood, cut out from the one Ruby and her friends all had from the day they were made Huntsmen. The entire kingdom was in attendance, a line formed at the center for each of them to pay their respects and mourn those they lost. When the time had come for Slade to pay his respects, he searched the monument for names he was familiar with. Rawlings, the councilor Watts had murdered, as well as Sable Wolf and James Ironwood. He thought it fitting that Sable earned a place on the monument, given all the man had done to protect the kingdom. Instead of filtering back in with the others once he had finished, he peeled off, making his way out of the crowd. Yang took notice of him leaving and made to head after him, only for Qrow's hand on her shoulder to hold her in place.
"Give him some space, firecracker. He needs some time to clear his head" he whispered.
"But-" Yang stopped, the sad look in his eye convincing her "Alright, I get it"
"Everything that we are disappears when we die... even when we die a noble death. The only thing left, is our impact on people. Family, friends, even strangers" Oscar remarked.
"Still... I can't believe he's gone..." Ruby had tears forming in her eyes.
"He's dead. That's true, but he didn't die for nothing. He died for us, all of us, in the end, he believed in us, instead of only himself" Winter explained.
"He left the kingdom in our hands" Weiss declared.
"More that than, the whole world" Blake added.
Yang nodded "We won't let him down, we can't let him down"
Winter looked after Slade with sympathy, before returning her attention back to the service. She understood exactly how he was feeling. She had been trained all her life to ignore her emotions, that they would interfere with an assignment, to cloud her judgement. In the end, she supposed there was some truth to it. After all, it was fear, Ironwood's fear that very nearly cost them everything. However, it was also his courage, his desire to protect the ones he cared about, that was the true reason they had defeated Salem. In the end, it was the very emotions she'd been trained to suppress that won the day. Ironwood had left her with one final lesson, a lesson that she would hold onto for the rest of her life. Loyalty is important, but only when it is tempered by reason. Blind loyalty is dangerous, but so is trust, but without either of them, they'd be nothing. No matter what would come, from this day forth, Winter was determined to be the leader Ironwood wanted to be, and to be the friend he struggled to be. Several hours passed before the service finally ended, but Winter left a bit earlier than the others, following after Slade. She found him sitting on the sidewalk outside the crater, a zippo lighter in his hand. He flipped it open, then closed it with a flick of his wrist, only to open it once more with a flick of his thumb. He did this in silence as she approached him from behind.
"He's gone, Slade" she said with finality.
He could hear the sorrow in her words, though he couldn't see her face. The shattered moon was barely visible through the protective dome around the city that was completely apathetic to the pain they felt, to the losses they suffered. Winter approached him slowly, placing her hand onto his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.
"I know..." came his delayed response "I'm proud of him... but right now, I'd much rather him be here in front of me, so I could yell at him for being an idiot" she squeezed his shoulder, taking a seat beside him.
"When I first met him, he made me feel like he was invincible. He made me feel like I was invincible. He told me we would be the ones to protect Remnant from the Grimm, that Atlas would save the world. In a way, he might be right, but not the way he thought... certainly not in the way I thought"
Slade nodded in understanding "Too many good people have died because of her, he's just added to the list" he let out a deep sigh "He trusted me... and I failed him"
"Slade" her voice was stern, taking his hand in hers comfortingly "You didn't fail him, you saved him from himself, and he chose to take that life and use it to ensure we all got to live" her voice quivered.
"Winter... I've lost so many friends. It doesn't getting any easier, I just... I don't know if I can do it again"
"You haven't lost us yet, and you still have your sister too, like it or not" she smiled "Those kids, they'd be lost without you, without us. You know that... hell, I'd be lost without you, or dead, or worse. You have done so much more than anyone could've expected, and you've surpassed his expectations too"
"I feel like I'm just lying to them, pretending to be strong when I'm struggling to stay afloat"
"We aren't unassailable, but we can inspire hope in others, just the way he did, at the end. He accomplished the impossible"
"Stopping Salem?" Slade asked.
She shook her head with a small smile "He brought all of us together. We may not all have started in Atlas as I did, and he wasn't the driving force that brought you all here like Ruby. But he kept us together, turned us into a team, instead of a set of individuals. But most of all, he helped turn this team into a family... just like you have"
He squeezed her hand appreciatively, smiling back at her "Thank you, Winter"
She nodded "You're very welcome. But there is one more thing" she reached into her coat, producing a small box.
"What is it?" Slade asked, shoving his lighter in his pocket.
"A gift" she opened the top of the box.
"That's... those are..." Slade breathed out in shock.
Inside the box was Due Process, pristine as if they were brand new "General Ironwood's, yes" she replied.
"Winter, I... I can't accept. You were his right hand, he trusted you more than anyone. If anyone deserves to have them, it's you"
"He'd have wanted you to have them, Slade" she tilted her head toward her blade "They're more your style than mine anyway"
Slade looked to her in disbelief, then back down to the weapons in the box. He lifted the black pistol from it, opening the cylinder to find Gravity Dust rounds inside, as it had been during Ironwood's final battle. He placed it inside his coat, inspecting the white pistol, the cylinder was full of a variety of rounds, much like Defiance already was. Closing it back up, he flipped the gun over, the handle pointed toward her. She blinked in surprise, her gaze shifting back up to his face before speaking.
"Slade, they're for you"
He smirked "Three is a bit much for me. Besides, white really isn't my color" he placed it into her open hand, closing her fingers around it, then gently pushed it toward her.
"I..." she smiled "Thank you, Slade. You're too kind"
"General, do you have a moment?" Pietro called as he approached.
Winter turned her head, almost expecting him to be standing beside her "Ah, yes. That would be me now. Right" she sighed in exasperation "Yes, what is it?"
"I need you to sign off on the enlistment forms of the new recruits. We've got plenty of volunteers after what's happened here"
Winter rubbed her forehead with one hand "Sometimes I think Ironwood got himself killed just to escape the endless paperwork"
Slade laughed, watching her walk off with Pietro, her expression becoming more exasperated as he spoke. He felt a pair of eyes on him and turned his head in their direction. He saw Yang shifting from one foot to the next nervously. She stopped immediately when she noticed he was looking at her, then gave a small wave. He couldn't help but roll his eyes, making his way over to her.
"I couldn't help but overhear-well... I didn't. I could've, but I didn't" she corrected quickly "You're good now?" she asked optimistically.
Slade chuckled "Yes, I'm good now"
"And we... we're good?" she pointed between the two of them.
He took her hands in his "Of course we are... even if you're mad at me for voting against telling Theo the truth"
She blinked "Oh, that? No, no, we're good, really" she cleared her throat "Honestly, that was the last thing on my mind"
"Oh?" he cocked his eyebrow "And just what was going on in that beautiful head of yours?"
She blushed "Well... you and I are, you know, together now, right?"
"I think I remember something like that, yeah. What about it?"
"Well, we haven't really gone on a real date, you know? I don't count the dance at Weiss' house either"
"I suppose we haven't" he brushed a lock of her hair out of her face "Did you have something particular in mind?"
"I thought you and I could take Bumblebee for a spin, and uh... uh... come up with something else to do?"
He chuckled "You're adorable when you're flustered"
"Shut up" she punched him in the arm "At least I'm trying here"
"I have a better idea, you're a real spur of the moment kind of girl, right?"
"Uh, yeah... I guess you could say that"
"Then why don't we take Bumblebee out into the tundra and find something exciting to do?"
She deflated "Your idea just sounds like my idea..."
"Nah, my idea is better"
She rolled her eyes "Gods, you can be a pain in the ass sometimes"
"And you love it"
She smiled "Maybe a little. Who'd have thought that wandering off with a stranger would turn out so well?"
"One you met at a rundown bar in Mistral at that"
She laughed "Not the best start to a romance story is it?"
"Was it the alcohol or the cheap cigars that drew you in?"
"To be honest, it was the barfight" she smirked.
He placed his hand over his chest "Ah, a woman after my own heart"
"That's not all I'm after" she pressed her lips to his, both embracing as they responded to the movements of their partner, only separating to catch their breath "Those are pretty nice too"
"Good to know that at least one person is a fan of my sharp tongue"
"You did make a compelling argument"
"That's my line"
"What're you gonna do about it, Slade" she replied, hoping to elicit a reaction from him.
"I'm more of an actions over words, type of guy" he kissed her knuckles "Let's go grab Bumblebee and find somewhere for me to show you"
She grinned "I like where this is going"
That's all this time! Hope you guys liked it, next chapter should be coming around the same time next month if all goes well. Thank you guys for sticking with me for as long as you have, and for anyone who's a bit newer to following this story, I hope you're all enjoying it just as much! As always, I love to hear any feedback you guys have for me! Until next time!