Raven and Qrow vanished into the sky after their talk with Sienna Khan. Their mission clear. Deliver word of Menagerie's dire situation to Headmaster Ozpin and then see if they could gather a force to clear Menagerie off Grimm.

Jaune stood silently, watching the horizon where they had disappeared.

Every second they delayed, the Grimm grew stronger.

The group needed a plan, but more than that, they needed hope.

Yang and Ruby lingered near the edge of the camp, casting glances at Autumn. Jaune had explained who she was — though the explanation was hardly satisfying. A woman draped in a red cloak, bearing silver eyes and the weapon of the long-lost Summer Rose, stood calmly among them. Yet, she wasn't Summer. That much was clear. Maybe. And yet... the resemblance was impossible to ignore.

Ruby's eyes were full of unspoken questions, but she swallowed them. Yang, more guarded, crossed her arms, watching Autumn with sharp eyes.

A while ago, when Blake had gathered the team, they revealed their true forms since trust had become a necessity. The disguises were gone. Their wolf faunus ears had vanished, their natural appearances returned. It didn't bother most of them, but Weiss could sense the lingering discomfort in the air. Especially when it came to her being a Schnee. The faunus here didn't like the Schnee, especially the ones who were former White Fang members just a month ago who lost everything to the SDC.

Because of this Pyrrha silently kept close to Weiss like a quiet shadow at her side. Old prejudices died hard and Pyrrha wasn't going to risk it.

Meanwhile, Nora was latched onto Juniper's neck, arms wrapped tightly around the golden jackalope. She had declared, loudly and without contest, that Juniper was now Team JNPR's official mascot.

"It's destiny!" Nora had proclaimed, clinging to the creature with childlike joy.

Jaune had opened his mouth to object, but caught himself. Arguing would be useless. Juniper, for her part, didn't seem to mind the attention, calmly nibbling on a leaf while Nora nuzzled into her fur.

Ren gave Jaune a knowing glance. "Best not to fight it."

Jaune sighed, defeated. "Fine. Just… be gentle with her, alright?"

Nora beamed, patting Juniper affectionately. "Of course! She's family now."

Despite the looming threat, the moment brought a small sliver of comfort.

But it didn't last long.

There was still too much at stake.

Autumn, who had been quietly listening to Jaune explain their next move, gracefully approached Ruby.

Her silver eyes were soft, her expression serene.

"Are you ready?" Autumn asked, her voice as gentle as a breeze.

Ruby tensed. Autumn's presence unsettled her, yet it wasn't fear that made her uneasy — it was recognition. This woman wasn't her mother, yet she wore a familiar appearance and held that familiar weapon.

"I am," Ruby said, though her voice wavered slightly.

Jaune whistled, the sharp sound carrying through the air. Juniper's ears perked up, and the jackalope turned towards him, Nora still draped over her.

"You'll get more time with her later," Ren said calmly, pulling Nora off Juniper.

Nora pouted but reluctantly let go, giving Juniper one last squeeze before stepping back.

Jaune smirked. "Be kind to her, okay? Don't overdo it."

"I won't! Wait, so that means you agree as long as I don't overdo it — yay!" Nora cheered, bouncing in place.

Jaune shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. But the levity quickly faded as he turned serious once more.

"We need to go."

Autumn, with the grace of a leaf on the wind, mounted Juniper.

In a blink, both vanished from sight, disappearing into the forest.

"Let's get to the airship," Blake said, as she boarded the airship.

The airship groaned as it sliced through the sky, the craft holding steady as it neared one of the surviving settlements while under the masking from Ren's Semblance. The closer they got, the heavier the air became.

Smoke, ash, and the eerie presence of Grimm lingering in the air.

The settlement below was a husk of what it once was. Buildings lay in ruin, streets were scarred by battle, and the ever-present howl of Grimm echoed in the distance.

They landed silently, their weapons at the ready ready.

To their astonishment, Autumn was already there, standing calmly beside Juniper, who pawed the ground. She turned to face them, her silver eyes reflecting the smoldering horizon.

"Okay, so what did you want to show?" Weiss narrowed her eyes. "What did you mean by silver eyes?"

Autumn didn't answer immediately. Her gaze flicked to Jaune.

Without hesitation, Jaune raised his hand, drawing upon his Semblance. He amplified the team's aura, weaving it together into a beacon of power. It surged through them, strengthening their aura and Semblances.

Weiss's eyes widened in panic. "Jaune! You're giving away our position!"

Around them, the air seemed to vibrate. Grimm cries echoed closer.

Their were weapons were drawn, tense fingers gripping hilts and triggers.

But Autumn remained unbothered as she faced them with Sundered Rose on her shoulder.

"The Silver-Eyed Warriors," she began, her voice calm despite the impending danger, "were protectors. Guardians against the dark. Their power comes from a desire to preserve life."

Weiss scoffed. "That's just a legend right?"

Autumn smirked. "Oh? You're quick to dismiss legends after drinking magical potions, changing your appearance, and meeting a golden jackalope."

Weiss opened her mouth, then closed it, glaring at Autumn.

Autumn's attention shifted to the sky. Grimm of all kinds from Nevermores and Lancers descended upon them, their black forms blotting out the light.

Ruby's grip tightened on Crescent Rose. Nora crouched, sparks crackling from her hammer. Even Pyrrha, composed as she was, readied her shield.

Autumn didn't move.

Then, with a slow turn, she raised her silver eyes to the incoming swarm.

A flash.

It was subtle, like the blink of a camera. But in that instant, the sky rippled. The Grimm screamed, not in fury, but in agony. As their forms were scorched by an invisible force that turned then into solid. They dropped from the sky as fragile stones, breaking apart before they even touched the ground.

Silence followed.

Everyone stared, wide-eyed.

Yang's mouth hung open. Ruby was frozen. Weiss blinked, unsure if she had actually seen what she thought she had.

"...What did you do?" Weiss finally asked, breathless.

Autumn slowly lowered her gaze, the faintest smile on her lips. "I reminded them what they are."

Ruby exhaled shakily. "Silver Eyes…"

Autumn nodded. "A gift… and a burden."

Jaune clenched his jaw. "I think you've seen why we need Autumn here.. For now... let's move."

They pressed forward into the ruined settlement, each step heavier than the last. Pyrrha's shield gleamed in the fading light, Ren's movements silent but watchful, and Nora, despite her usual energy, moved with rare focus, seeing the tragic state of the settlement.

Autumn followed behind, Juniper at her side.

Jaune took the lead and seeing there was no Grimm, turned to everyone..

"We clear the area. Let's move to the next place."

The next location had the smell of ash and the acrid scent of burning wood as well. Their boots crunched over shattered stone and splintered wood. The remnants of the village of Kahakai stretched around them — what was once a thriving coastal village had been reduced to husks of stilt houses, half-submerged in waters.

Ruby kept close to Yang, Crescent Rose gripped tightly in her hands. Weiss and Pyrrha flanked Blake, their eyes wary. Ren and Nora moved as one, scanning for movement. Jaune led them, Crocea Mors resting on his shoulder, his eyes sharp, yet distant.

Above them, perched gracefully on Juniper's back, Autumn watched in silence. Her silver eyes flickered as if seeing beyond the destruction, past the lingering smoke.

Ruby found herself staring again, but this time with awe. That cloak, that stance — it wasn't just the look. It was how Autumn moved, how she carried herself with quiet strength that made her seemed... strong. Overwhelmingly without effort.

Unable to hold back any longer, Ruby's voice trembled. "Can you really do that again? That thing you did to the Grimm? Can I do that?"

Autumn turned slightly, meeting Ruby's silver gaze. There was something almost maternal in her smile.

"You can," she answered softly. "All Silver-Eyed Warriors can."

The words carried weight. Weiss stiffened but said nothing. Yang's eyes narrowed slightly.

It was then that Autumn shifted slightly in Juniper's back, her hand casually gripping the haft of Sundered Rose. In a single, fluid motion, she raised the weapon and fired. A sharp, echoing crack split the air as the bullet found its mark — burying itself in the skull of a Beowolf that had stalked them from the shadows.

Autumn didn't stop there. Her body dissolved into a swirling shower of multi-colored rose petals, vanishing from sight.

Jaune's eyes flicked to the trees. "Heads up."

A flash of multi-colored light illuminated the treetops.

Grimm howled in agony as they were lifted into the air, suspended for a brief, weightless moment before being disintegrated in an explosion of dark mist.

Autumn reappeared in the middle of the clearing, brushing dirt off her cloak, the multi-colored rose petals vanishing.

Nora whistled. "Okay, that's cheating."

Yang stared, eyes wide. "She fights… like crazy."

"She's fast," Blake's ears twitched, complimenting.

Jaune looks somewhat unimpressed as if he had seen it for too many times. "She's clearing the area too quickly."

Weiss turned sharply to him. "I thought that was the point."

"Yeah," Jaune said quietly. "But if we wipe them out too fast, we draw attention. They'll notice this place was cleared, and they'll come in force."

Pyrrha nodded slowly. "Grimm don't think, but whoever's controlling them does. "

"At this case, we still should be fine, Jaune" Autumn calmly approached, wiping the barrel of her weapon.

Jaune glanced at her, then at the settlement. Kahakai was quiet now. Too quiet.

Nora hefted her hammer across her shoulder. "What's the plan now, oh fearless leader?"

Jaune let out a slow breath. "This place is our beachhead. Sienna Khan said it was the best spot for an army landing, and she's right. "

Weiss crossed her arms as she looked at the large open space just outside of the village.. "Atlas won't commit troops here without a guarantee."

Blake's voice was soft, but steady. "Do we even want Atlas here?"

All eyes turned to her.

Blake looked down, brushing dust off her cloak. "You know what Atlas is like. What the Schnee Dust Company is like. I… I don't want their help. But I don't know if we have another choice."

Weiss's eyes softened slightly. "The question would be if they even would come."

Jaune stayed silent, staring off toward the distant ocean.

Autumn tilted her head. "Do you think they'll come, Jaune?"

He didn't answer immediately. "If Ozpin and Ironwood understand the threat, they might."

Autumn's silver eyes caught his. "They might hesitate even with those recordings"

Jaune's grip on his sword tightened. "Maybe."

Ren spoke quietly. "And if they do send help, will it even matter? Grimm still owns the skies and the waters."

Jaune slowly turned to him. "That's why we need to clear these areas and if possible cut off the head."

Blake's expression hardened. "Adam."

Yang clenched her fists. "And Merlot too."

Jaune nodded. "If we kill Adam Taurus, we break their command structure. And if we find Merlot… we stop whatever experiments he's running. Though, the question is, are they even here in Menagerie anymore?"

Autumn smiled faintly. "Simple, isn't it? Just kill the leaders."

Weiss scoffed. "It's never that simple. "

Autumn's smile didn't falter. "It never is. But that doesn't make it wrong. That's why for now we are clearing these places."

Jaune looked back at the smoldering ruins. "This place is done. We need to move to the next time."

Nora cracked her knuckles and the perched Magnhild on her shoulder again. "Where to?"

Blake then spoke. "There's an underground tunnel network here too. It connects several settlements. We can use that to go the next settlement undetected. There might be people there so it might be worth the try."

"Safe?" Pyrrha asked.

Blake's eyes darkened. "Safer than here."

Jaune nodded. "Then that's our next move."

Autumn mounted Juniper again, her cloak rippling. "Lead the way."

The tunnels were cold, damp, and suffocating silent. The walls of ancient stone were cracked and overgrown with roots, the air thick with dust and the faint stench of decay.

Ruby walked close to Blake, Crescent Rose humming softly in her hands.

"This feels… wrong," Ruby whispered.

Blake nodded. "These tunnels were built to hide. But we're not the only ones who know about them anymore."

The group moved carefully, every footstep echoing too loudly. Jaune led, sword ready, Autumn at his flank. Juniper had gone somewhere after they found the tunnel. Jaune guessed she retreated to the Everafter or were hiding in the forest nearby.

Ren's voice was soft. "Jaune."

Jaune slowed. "Yeah?"

"There's something ahead."

Jaune tensed. He signaled for the group to halt.

Footsteps. Slow, heavy. Not Grimm. Something else.

From the shadows, a figure emerged.

It was humanoid, but wrong. Its skin was pale and stretched thin, patches of crystalline growth erupting from its back. Its eyes glowed faintly, and its mouth hung open in a silent scream.

Jaune's stomach turned.

"What… is that?" Weiss whispered.

Blake's breath caught. "They're… Faunus."

Yang's face paled. "No…"

Autumn's expression darkened. "They're Hounds."

The creature tilted its head, twitching unnaturally.

Jaune's voice was cold. "Weapons up."

The thing screeched — a sound too human, too broken.

Jaune's eyes narrowed and was about to charge it.

But Autumn, however, moved like a crimson blur, faster than any of them could fully process. In the blink of an eye, she was upon the creature.

Her hand snapped forward, gripping the Hound's thin, pallid neck with inhuman strength. The creature writhed, its crystalline growths pulsing faintly, its glowing eyes wide with a grotesque mockery of life. Without hesitation, Autumn slammed it upward with a sickening crunch, shattering the ancient stone ceiling of the tunnel. Dust and fragments rained down as the creature's limbs spasmed.

Then, coldly and methodically, she brought down Sundered Rose in a brutal, sweeping arc. The blade sliced clean through the Hound's neck, severing its head in a shower of bloody mist and shards of broken crystal.

The body crumpled to the ground, convulsing briefly before quieting down, blood pooling around the body.

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Ruby stared, wide-eyed and pale. Yang's fists trembled at her sides. Blake took an instinctive step back, her breathing shallow.

Even Jaune, who had seen more than his share of brutality, tightened his grip on his sword and shook his head. Pyrrha's brows knit together in quiet unease. Nora's expression was unreadable, her usual spark dimmed. Ren simply watched, calm but wary.

Autumn slowly straightened, flicking the blood off Sundered Rose before transforming it to its rifle form. She seemed perfectly composed, as if what she had done was no more than swatting a fly. She turned back to face them, eyes half-lidded and cool.

"Oh," she said softly, brushing some of the blood from her cloak. "I suppose that was… excessive for you kids."

Her voice was calm, but there was something cold beneath it.

No one spoke.

Autumn tilted her head slightly, as if genuinely considering their shocked expressions. Then she offered a thin, almost practiced smile. "My apologies."

But it wasn't sincere. Not really.

Weiss took an uneasy step forward. "That… that wasn't necessary. We could have—"

"No." Autumn's voice cut her off, sharp as steel. "It was. If one turns into Grimm, all you need to do is grant them mercy. This is mercy, as much as I hate it to say it."

Weiss flinched at the coldness in her tone.

Autumn's silver eyes swept over them, briefly softening, though not by much. "That wasn't a person anymore. Whatever they were, it's gone. All that's left is… that." She gestured to the corpse.

Blake looked away, swallowing hard.

Pyrrha spoke carefully. "You didn't even hesitate."

Autumn's smile didn't reach her eyes. "I learned a long time ago that hesitation leads to loss. And I have nothing left to lose. Well, there is now, but, let's move on okay?"

Her words lingered like frost in the air.

Jaune's jaw tightened. "Autumn…"

She met his eyes. "I understand, but they need to learn this if they want to face the people controlling these creatures. It's no time for ideals, Jauney."

Jaune glanced at the place where the Hound had been left behind. He understood. More than anyone, he understood. Yet even he was unsettled by the ferocity she had shown.

Ruby, finding her voice, asked quietly, "You said… you lost everything. To the Grimm?"

Autumn's eyes flickered. She inhaled slowly, then exhaled. "Yes."

Her tone was final, leaving no room for further questioning.

Yang's voice was quieter than usual. "Who were they?"

Autumn turned slightly, her gaze fixed on the dark tunnel ahead. "It doesn't matter right now."

She started forward, her cloak trailing behind her.

Jaune caught up to her, matching her pace. "That was… cold. Even for you."

Autumn's grip tightened on Sundered Rose. "Perhaps."

Jaune's eyes darkened. "Master has his share of brutality too, you know?"

Autumn nodded. "Indeed, he has. In a way, you are quite cruel yourself, dragging your somewhat idealistic friends to this kind of mess."

Jaune paused, not having an answer to that.

Behind them, the rest of the group remained still for a moment.

Weiss broke the silence. "She's dangerous."

"She's fighting for us," Pyrrha said.

Ruby bit her lip. Yang narrowed her eyes, fists still clenched.

Blake sadly watched Autumn's retreating figure. "She's not wrong. We tried to save them… but removing the Grimm from them, killed them. I'll have someone take care of that Hound..."

"You should," Pyrrha quietly nodded, "Still seeing that... it doesn't make it easier."

Ren's voice was steady. "No. It doesn't. They were... a person once."

Nora, for once, didn't say anything.

They moved forward, following Jaune and Autumn deeper into the tunnels and into the next settlement.

The Grimm were merciless, yes. But so, it seemed, was their new ally.