The grimm in the containment unit had grown to multiple times its previous size. What was once a spear of bone and ichor had instead become a tangled mass of black swimming and writhing in the confined space. Lumps upon the surface of the material suggested that it wasn't done growing- it looked as though something could burst forth from within it at any second and potentially threaten to breach its container. Qrow Branwen came into view behind Glynda Goodwitch in the panel showcasing a room within Beacon Academy, and the man looked displeased.

"What the hell do you mean you've got ideas on how to use it? There is no 'using' grimm for our benefit. I don't think we should even be researching it, given the risk… and we sure as hell shouldn't be keeping it in the same room where the Lamp is. What guarantee is there that Salem isn't using that thing to listen in on us right now? Or even watch this meeting in its entirety? Burn that thing before we go any further."

"In all honesty, I don't disagree," General Ironwood replied. "That line of thinking is precisely why we're addressing this issue first… though I think it fair to hear from anyone else who wants to weigh in on the idea of picking apart the grimm to learn what we can from it."

"Hey, Emerald here," the woman announced as she raised a hand. "I was… for those who don't know, I spent a lot of time on Salem's side. A lot of time in her citadel, specifically, and most of that was around grimm. I can confirm that even if you don't see ears, or eyes, or anything that looks like them… they're there. She can spy on us through that thing. If it wasn't behind what I hope isn't just simple glass, she could probably make it explode with some kind of tentacle and try to choke out anyone in the room. Whatever was proposed in terms of research, scrap it. It's not worth the risk unless you've got an entire team and a kill switch ready to go. Don't underestimate that thing."

"…idea," Harriet said suddenly. "We destroy it… but we destroy it multiple ways. Divide it up. Monitor what's effective, what's not. I agree that researching it in a conventional sense is a bad idea, no matter what kind of advantages it could give us… but researching how best to destroy it couldn't hurt."

"Pietro?" General Ironwood asked as he looked over to the man.

"I'm not opposed," the scientist said with a slow nod. "Figuring out how to safely divide it up without giving it opportunity to escape or grow could be an issue, but I'll think of something."

"And I'll help," Cinnamon offered from the other side of the room. "I've spent a fair bit of time around grimm at this point, too. When I'm not dealing with the situation surrounding potential rebellion, I'll consider it a side project."

"Then I think there's only one thing left to add," General Ironwood declared. "When you move to destroy it- you do it all at once. Rapid-fire tests. Don't give it a chance to multiply, don't drag it out- one big experiment, and whatever data we get, we get. No unauthorized experimentation or additional tests."

Pietro kept his eyes on General Ironwood as the demand was made… but the other man was instead looking at Penny as he spoke.

"…agreed," Dr. Polendina said. "I'll take it to the lab and start drafting a plan right away."

"And I'll go with him," Elm offered. "Just in case that… thing tries to break out."

"Good luck," General Ironwood offered as the pair left the room with the container. "That's one issue sorted."

"The Relics," Sun spoke up as he shifted in his place upon the couch. "I really, really think we need to make a call on the Lamp as soon as possible, and preferably, use it before this meeting ends. Every second we leave a question on the table is another one that Salem could potentially ask hers and gain an advantage… and it sounds like she wants to know the location of Summer Rose more than anything."

"Summer Rose?" Alice asked suddenly. "Ain't she that dead cunt what was leadin' that one team of hunters outta Sanus?"

There was a long pause as no one was quite sure what to say, and everyone in Qrow's summer home looked to Yang. The blonde had her eyes firmly on the screen, her expression unreadable as she spoke up.

"…yeah. One of that 'dead cunt's' daughters here," Yang said icily, though she tried to keep her voice as neutral as possible. "It's looking like there's a chance she's not as dead as we thought, and she might even be the Summer Maiden."

"…ah," Alice said as she sucked in a breath through her teeth and offered a sheepish little wave. "Sorry, wasn't aware. I'm sure she's lovely."

"…and who are you?" General Ironwood asked. "Where are all of you?"

"Aurora's Cradle," Winter answered before Alice could stop her. "A pirate haven somewhere on the coast."

"Alice?" Lil' Miss Malacite asked as she caught sight of the other woman for seemingly the first time. "You're involved in all this now?"

"That I am," the woman answered. "And while I would've liked to have kept our whereabouts secret, I guess I deserved that one. We're on board to help out. I've been told what the Lamp does and the deal with the Maidens by some of yours, Jimmy. Using it to find Summer, if she's alive, seems like a fair idea to me. Sorry, blondie…"

"No harm done," Yang said, though she was still a bit tense. "At least you agree that we should be trying to find her…"

"And here is where the fundamental disagreement begins," General Ironwood warned as he let out a sigh. "We're flying blind with Ozpin, who, for all his faults, seemed to have some grasp on this overall war effort. I'd like to think that if we still had access to him at the moment, he would have an idea as to what to ask the Lamp…"

"Yeah, about that…" Sun began, already feeling the pressure as he prepared to speak up. "Ozpin, uh… he tried to get into my head, the other night. I was… 'chosen', if you want to call it that, to be the next host after Oscar."

Another pause ruled the room for a moment as Alice turned to Ilia and asked the faunus a question out of their camera's frame. Finally, Neptune spoke up, looking concerned.

"…so… you like, have him in your head…?"

"…no," Sun answered, looking down at the table rather than the scroll upon it. "We fought, and I kinda… killed him. In my mind. I fought him off, and now I have no idea where he's at, or if he's even coming back."

"What?" Glyna asked sharply, her expression full of alarm. "Why would you ever fight h-"

"Because he's a parasite," Blake jumped in, her temper flaring. "You weren't there to see what he was doing to Sun. Ozpin was going to replace him if he didn't just offer up his mind!"

"And from what we heard afterward, he did replace Oscar," Jaune chimed in. "That poor kid never stood a chance, and the second he stood up to Ozpin, he was erased."

"It wasn't because he stood up to Ozpin," Sun corrected with a sideways glance at Jaune. "It was because he asked Ozpin to show him everything about the war, Salem, the Relics… and that knowledge destroyed him…"

"Then even more reason to ask about Summer, rather than anything else," Amaya pointed out.

"…who told you that?" Weiss asked. "Sun? Who informed you that Oscar couldn't handle such knowledge? Ozpin himself?"

"It was… yeah," Sun admitted, realizing where the line of questioning was going. "Ozpin did…"

"The why are you accepting it as fact?" Weiss asked. "With how shady he had been acting, and what he attempted to do to you… why trust his words at face value? Why believe that he didn't just 'erase' Oscar of his own will, if Oscar was really erased at all? That knowledge about Salem or the Relics… I believe it would be more valuable to us than simply knowing where Summer is."

Sudden panic set in on Yang's face, and she sat up a bit straighter as Marrow weighed in.

"Honestly… taking the personal component of Summer out of this, which I know affects a lot of you, I'm inclined to agree. Knowing how or why Salem's immortality functions and how to counteract it… what else really matters moving forward? Whether it's Summer or not, we don't have access to the Summer Maiden and her Vault, and neither does Salem. That puts us at a stalemate… unless Salem moves to try to wipe us out without the Relics, which going by what happened in Mantle, might be on the table. Atlas is safe, but Remnant isn't. We can't leave the rest of the planet hanging."

"Right, but Salem must want to know about Summer for a reason," Yang insisted. "If we have that knowledge and she doesn't, we could…"

"Yang," Raven began as she stared at her daughter through the screen, "how much of this is because she practically raised you in my absence? How much of it is because of losing Ruby? I want to find Summer, too, but these two have a point. Finding Summer might help. Knowing what we're up against in terms of Salem's capabilities, one way or another, will help. Maybe we need to just let this line of questioning die and try to find her another way. That Lamp is our only chance at finding out the mystery behind Salem. Summer could be found through other means, it will just be more difficult."

"Wait, this has nothing to do with that!" Sun answered as Yang looked away. "It was my idea to push for using the Lamp to find Summer, and everyone here with me agreed on it. Don't pin this on Yang being emotional, or n-"

"…she might be right," Yang admitted as she continued to stare at the floor. "I hate it, but she might be right on this one. I… can't pretend like I'm immune to the personal side of this…"

"But that doesn't mean we should just give up," Jaune pressed, looking equally worried as Sun.

Glynda cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses.

"I say we put it to a vote… but after speaking to the spirit of the Lamp itself. She has parameters. Guidelines. Restrictions. I know some of them and can get us the information we need to make an informed decision."

"If that is so," General Ironwood began as he moved behind the desk and lifted the Relic from beneath the table to set it atop the surface. "Then let's do this and make a final decision. Jinn…?"

Immediately, a wisp of blue smoke pocked with shimmering glitter wove its way through the air, spiraling upward over General Ironwood's desk. After only a few seconds of the material rising, it coalesced into what could only be described as an otherworldly, giant being in the shape of a human woman. Her naked flesh was a pale, glowing blue, and her eyes were a slightly darker shade. Golden chains and adornments were draped about her body, and her long azure hair drifted about as if being buffeted by an unseen wind.

"James Ironwood," the spirit mused, her voice echoing through Qrow's house as though she was somehow there. "You have summoned me, and one question remains in this era. I was not expecting quite such an audience…"

"Don't ask any sort of question," Glynda suggested. "She's bound to answer whether she wants to or not… though also apparently willing to talk around things to an extent."

"Quite so," Jinn let on as she allowed herself a smile. "I will work with you as best I can within my capabilities. You all seem almost… worried."

"I just want to make sure that I understand what's about to happen," General Ironwood let on. "I'm working under the assumption that once I ask a question, it'll be answered, and that's it."

"In a sense," Jinn agreed as she folded a hand beneath her chin. "All who can hear my voice will bear witness to a thorough answer. I will tell you- show you all I know."

"Show…" Sun began, only to stop himself from asking at the last second. "…cool."

"Before any of that," General Ironwood jumped in, "I want to see a show of hands- all those in favor of asking about Salem's potential weaknesses or the nature of her immortality, make yourselves known."

Sun watched as nearly everyone in the office raised their hands, as did a few within the monitors.

"An interesting proposition," Jinn commented. "Though such a question is rather… straightforward. I do not know how helpful you would find the answer…"

General Ironwood blinked, making eye contact with the ethereal being.

"Are you trying to warn me away fr-"

Sun's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. Without a second thought, he leaned forward on the couch and raised his voice.

"Jinn! I want to know about the origins and true nature of the Relics! Where are they from and what do they do once united!?"

Everyone froze, their eyes upon the guardian of the lamp as she raised a hand. With a snap, everything went white.

Author's Note:

Did Sun save them from disaster… or cause one? Answers next week…

-RD