Hey guys, sorry it took me a bit longer to get this out than I originally wanted (What else is new right?) unfortunately just a few days after I posted the last chapter, a close friend of mine passed away in a car accident. He wasn't particularly close with any of his family members so I and a couple other friends ended up handling the funeral arrangements and such. Because of this I have decided to take a week or two off from writing to keep my head clear and focused once I have had proper time to grieve. Don't you worry though, I will be getting more chapters done as soon as August comes around! Thank you guys so much for your patience and understanding, and thank you for reading this far. I hope you have a wonderful week!
That's enough out of me! Read on!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
"Speech"
Thoughts
Chapter Fifteen: Clandestine
At the Atlesian Military Base, various soldiers and guards worked away all around. Weiss walked with Cordovin and Saphron, who was holding her son Adrian in her arm. They were escorted by the two Nubuck Guards. Weiss dragged a large luggage case behind her.
"Ah, I was relieved to hear that you came to your senses, Miss Schnee. Many of us were devastated when we heard you would be attending... Beacon Academy" she said the name with disdain "Knowing that you'll be returning to Atlas just warms my old heart"
"It was... time to get my act together and go back to my roots" Weiss pretended to agree with her.
"Oh, I can't wait to see you follow in your sister's footsteps" Cordovin said enthusiastically.
Weiss wore unenthusiastic smile "Absolutely"
"I'm sending two of my best guards to personally escort you. Make sure General Ironwood hears that part" she winked and walked away.
"Allow me to assist you with your bag" the first guard hupped over to pick up Weiss' luggage "My, what a heavy bag!"
Weiss kept her grip on her luggage "That's alright!"
"Nonsense!" the guard insisted.
"Allow me to assist as well!" the second suggested.
"I can take care of it by myself!"
As Cordovin walked away, she overheard Weiss and the Nubuck Guards conversation. She stops in her tracks and gained a suspicious look on her face. Saphron noticed this and quickly sprung her distraction.
Saphron whispered to Adrian "Just like we practiced"
Adrian nodded at his mother. The baby then let out a loud wail that could be heard throughout the base. Adrian "cried" as he fussed in his mother's arms.
"Oh no! Look at that, he's just going to miss you so much! You should hurry on out of here!" Saphron said gaining the attention of the guards.
"A crying child?"
"We must console it!"
The two guards hupped over to Adrian as they performed weird poses to amuse him. Cordovin continued walking with an unamused look on her face. While they were distracted, Weiss quickly got onto the airship with the luggage behind her.
"That was close" she breathed out.
Ruby came through over her earpiece "Is everything okay?"
Maria spoke from inside Weiss' luggage "Call me heavy... It's all muscle! I'll show them a thing or two about heavy!"
"We're on board" she answered.
"Alright, we'll all watch our Scrolls. The second Weiss is out of range of the comm tower, that'll mean she's out of range of the radar too" Ruby instructed.
"And that's when Blake steps in. We're almost at the drop off" Yang finished for her sister.
Elsewhere, just outside of Argus Yang drove Bumblebee with Blake sitting behind her. Blake had her Scroll out receiving instructions from Terra.
"Okay, remember: one, the radar box is separate from the rest of the communications equipment. So if you disconnect it properly, it won't take out comms for the rest of the city. Two, this conversation never happened" she instructed.
"Don't worry, this isn't the first time I've disabled Atlas security" Blake assured her.
Terra stared back with an unamused look "Never. Happened"
Yang arrived at the drop off point, Blake dismounted the bike and proceeded forward. "You sure I shouldn't come with?"
"More intruders means we're more likely to be seen. Besides, stealth isn't exactly your, um..." Yang stared back at Blake with her arms crossed "I mean, you're great! And I'll hurry back"
Yang softened her expression "Go" Blake smiled back at her before heading off.
"Heading in on foot. Won't be long" Blake reported over her earpiece.
"Yes! It's all going to plan!" Jaune shouted excitedly. He looked to Ren and Nora, who just stared at him with neutral looks. Jaune cleared his throat "I mean, uh... roger" Ren and Nora exchanged a brief glance while rolling their eyes at their leader.
Oscar noticed Ruby looking over with concern to Qrow, who was leaning against a tree with an uneasy look on his face "Hey, this is gonna work" he assured her.
"Yeah" Ruby smiled nervously back at him.
On the airship, Weiss sat in a passenger seat. She looked down at her Scroll, her friends' signals slowly going out of range. Upon seeing this, Weiss made her move. She got up and headed toward the cockpit.
"Miss Schnee! For your own safety, we must request-" Weiss activated a Glyph "What?!"
"Traitor!" The guards grunted painfully.
The two guards were ejected out of the airship, tied together by a black Glyph as a parachute slowed their descent "This parachute won't excuse you of your treachery!" The Glyph deactivated, causing one of the guards to hang onto the other guard for dear life.
Back on the airship, Weiss walked over to the controls with Maria taking the pilot's seat "And you're sure you can fly this?"
"Missy, I was the Grimm Reaper! What part of 'best Huntress of her generation' don't you understand?"
"Right, but your eyes..."
Maria chuckled as she notices a small device plugged in the controls. She took out the device and plugs it into her goggles. Text on one of the screens read "Transmitting sensory array data" as Maria's prosthetic eyes grew wide "You were saying?"
"That you said your eyes were in desperate need of repair!"
Maria holding a finger out at Weiss "Bup bup bup"
"But-"
"Bup!" Weiss ultimately relented, but put on her seatbelt quickly.
Ruby watched her Scroll as Weiss' signal disappeared "Alright guys, this is it" she placed her fingers to her ear "Blake, you're up" she received no response "Blake?" Ruby looked back to her friends in worry.
Yang sat on the ground next to Bumblebee as Ruby spoke over her comm "Yang, what's going on?"
Yang got up and looked over to the relay tower "I don't know" Yang looked to her Scroll and saw Weiss' signal coming back on.
"Manta 5-1, this is Argus Base. We see you circled back. What's your status, over" asked one of the terminal soldiers at the base.
"Why can they see us?" Weiss asked confused.
"Somebody dropped the ball. Don't worry, I've worked with Atlas forces before. I know their jargon" Maria picked up the radio.
Maria cleared her throat "Argus Base, this is Manta 5-1. Feel free to gaff off. Thought we were going to scrub due to FOD, but we're back up and green across the board, over"
"Manta 5-1, return to base immediately, or you will be treated as hostile, over"
"I thought you said you knew their jargon!"
"Jargon was fine, but our pilots aren't elderly women"
"Huh, well they got me there! Ooh, my mind really is going! Why would you kids let me fly this thing?"
Cordovin's voice came through the radio "Calavera! You and those insolent children are up to something, aren't you?! You thought you could undermine my authority? If you don't return my ship this INSTANT, I will make an example out of you. I will show you the true might of Atlas!" Cordovin heard a crunching sound through her end of the radio.
"You hear that, Cordo?" Cordovin's expression slowly turned enraged.
Maria munched on cashews with her mouth open "That's the sound of me not caring!" she laughed maniacally.
Weiss put her fingers to her ear "Ruby, we're in trouble. Cordo's onto us, and Maria isn't helping!"
"Maybe we should fly over to help Yang and Blake first?" Nora suggested.
"No, stick to the plan" Slade ordered "If we deviate too much, we'll never get to Atlas. Besides, Blake and Yang can handle themselves. Weiss and Maria need us here"
"Damn it! Cordo's gonna scramble her fighters. We've got maybe ninety seconds before they're in the air, and all over Weiss and Maria. This is all my fault..." Qrow groaned.
"What are you talking about? Your Semblance?" Jaune asked confused.
"Every choice I've ever made has led me here, and I've dragged you along with me. Oz, myself, the others... We're responsible for the mess the world's in now. I shouldn't have come, shouldn't have let any of you come... What was I thinking?!"
Slade groaned "Qrow, you're not the cause for everyone's problems. Just because you cause bad luck doesn't mean you're the cause of all bad luck" Slade explained.
"But-"
"We're all in this together, and we're all going to do the best we can. That's all anyone can do. And I know it's what you've always aimed for. We would've come whether or not you'd let us, so stop talking like we're your responsibility! We're not! But we could still use Qrow Branwen on our side" Ruby explained passionately.
Qrow pondered his niece's words "Hm... How did you grow up so fast?" he smiled at her.
"I had good role models" she answered smiling back at him.
"How sweet" Slade rolled his eyes "We do still have issues right now, if you two don't mind, we now have to come up with a plan for all the fighter pilots that'll be coming at us in a few minutes-"
"Guys? She's not sending fighters" Weiss reported. The group looked over to the Argus base. Suddenly, the mountain at the base retracts, revealing a colossal mech that overlooked the city of Argus.
"Clearly the people have forgotten that they live in peace thanks to the awesome might of Atlas!" Cordovin spoke through the colossal mech.
"Is Cordovin... piloting that?" Weiss asked surprised.
"Consider this a reminder!" Cordovin charged up the mech's arm cannon, which let out an electric burst that fired at the ship Weiss and Maria were piloting. The controls went critical as Maria's eyes spun.
"Are you okay?"
"I am, but she's clearly lost her mind!" Maria shouted.
"And that was merely a warning shot! All Atlas personnel standby, and watch how your leader maintains order!" Ruby and her group looked over to see Weiss and Maria fly in, with Cordovin in her mech following close behind. "It's time you asked yourselves, children... Do you truly wish to defy me?"
"Hurry back, Weiss. I need you on the ground if we're gonna take this thing down"
"You're joking, right? You want to fight this thing?!" Weiss asked in shock.
"We've fought giant monsters before. This is just a tiny old lady... with one very big robot.
"That thing is big" Slade agreed crossing his arms over his chest.
"Slade!" Nora shouted excitedly "You can stop that thing with your Semblance!"
"What!? No! I've never... I can't... I've never even tried on something that big before! I might be able to stop one of it's arms or something if I give it my all, but there's no way I'm gonna be able to immobilize that thing on my own!"
"What if I used my Semblance in conjunction with yours?" Jaune asked hopefully.
"It doesn't work like that! My Semblance doesn't work the same as Ren's, you can't just amplify it and hope it works better. I could tear myself apart trying to do that"
"Well then, let's not do that" Ruby chuckled nervously.
"Yes, let's please not kill me" Slade sweatdropped "We're gonna have to stop this thing somehow though"
"You little spider-roaches thought you could creep your way to Atlas?! Well, let's see how your resolve holds out against the might of the Atlesian Military!" Cordovin prepared to take down the airship with a missile that emerged from a slot on the arm cannon. The missile fired and tracked the airship, but suddenly, it detonated harmlessly behind it. Cordovin turned to see Ruby with her Crescent Rose. Ruby lowered her weapon and glared at Cordovin while the others got ready to fight. Cordovin growled "SO BE IT!" Cordovin prepared to shoot the missile at Ruby and the others.
"Dive!" Weiss unbuckled her seatbelt and rushed from her seat while Maria dives for the landing. As Maria headed to the others, Weiss approached the airship door with Myrtenaster in her hand. She jumped off and raised her weapon creating a rock wall and protecting the group from Cordovin's Ice Dust attack.
"That was close" Oscar sighed in relief.
"We need to figure out how to stop Cordovin and protect the airship until we do" Ruby pointed out.
"Let's give her more targets to focus on" Jaune suggested.
"You mean us, don't you?" Nora asked.
"Look at that thing. It's not designed for small enemies. It's probably meant for giant Grimm that come in from deeper waters. We can turn our size into an advantage. We just have to be smart"
"I like this plan already" Slade smirked.
"Maria, can you keep the ship out of harm's way?"
"They can take my driver's license, but I won't let them take this ship!"
Ren deadpanned "Very reassuring"
"I'll be more useful if I go with her. From up high, I can try to spot a weakness" Oscar offered.
"Well, he's not the only one who can grab a bird's eye view" Qrow smiled at the group.
Slade chuckled "Glad to have you working with us, Bird boy"
"I will hit you" Qrow warned.
"You said you needed me on the ground?" Weiss asked.
"Not exactly" Ruby nervously smiled.
As the team strategized, Cordovin kept an eye on their location keenly, her eyes widened as the group split. Jaune, Nora and Ren ran down the left path along the cliff, Maria flew the airship to the right, and Ruby and Qrow flew straight up into the air using her Semblance and his Corvid form, respectively. Ruby reformed from her Semblance and fired Crescent Rose, cracking the mech's windshield and causing Cordovin to growl. She fired a volley of missiles to Ruby's location. Ruby landed on a tree branch and used her Semblance to dodge the missiles. She eventually reformed and ran and jump along the missiles before freefalling down to the ocean. An incoming wave was frozen by Weiss as Ruby slid along it.
"Let's go!"
Weiss also slid off the frozen wave before using Myrtenaster to freeze small patches of ice for her and Ruby to leap on toward the mech. Slade used his Semblance to force the water into almost solid form as he ran along it, returning each patch of water to return to it's original form once his boot stopped making contact before doing the same for his next step. As Cordovin kept her attention on them, her mech was suddenly struck by a volley of pink grenades.
"Hey! Over here!" Jaune called.
"What?!" Cordovin looked over to Jaune's group as they kept running.
"And you said it wasn't beach season!" Nora shouted to Ren excitedly. The three took cover behind a boulder for each of them. Nora fired off more grenades from Magnhild, but suddenly, a hexagonal shield pattern appeared protecting Cordovin's mech, doing no damage to her.
Cordovin laughed "Surely you knew Atlas was the father of Hard Light Dust, or do lesser kingdoms simply lack proper education?" Cordovin charged up her mech's arm cannon again, this time firing Earth Dust, forcing Jaune's team to abandon their cover.
"Cordo just activated shields!" Jaune shouted.
"I saw that. We need to find whatever's generating it" Oscar noted.
"You know, in video games, the weak spot's usually on the back of the giant boss!" Ruby pointed out.
"Ruby, this isn't a game!" Weiss chastised.
"I'm just trying to- LOOK OUT!"
Cordovin's mech stomped into the ocean. Unbeknownst to her, Qrow flew around in his Corvid form. "You are ants! You are lower than ants! as Qrow flew through the clouds, he transformed back into his human form and took out Harbinger's scythe form. He propelled himself forward and grapples onto the giant mech "Ah! What was that?!"
"Until the shield's down, we're gonna have to get up close and personal with this thing" Qrow fired at the scratch he just made. Suddenly, he noticed the mech's giant hand start to reach for him. Qrow dodged out of the way, transforming back into his Corvid form.
"That's easier said than done!" Ren shouted.
"Not for all of us!" Slade grinned leaping up onto the mech's leg using his wrist blades to hang onto it. Slade launched himself upward, using his momentum to climb the mech easily.
"Well he doesn't seem to be having a problem!" Nora laughed.
"Weiss and I are on it!" Ruby shouted back to Ren.
Ruby and Weiss landed on a patch of ice on the ocean together "Hold on!" Weiss stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground, creating an ice attack that knocked Cordovin's mech off balance for a bit. Cordovin let out a frustrated cry. As the airship flew by, Oscar realized something.
"Wait, that's it. When she-" Suddenly, Cordovin aimed her cannon at Ruby and Weiss. Oscar gasped "RUBY, MOVE!"
Cordovin fired a volley of missiles at Ruby and Weiss, creating a large plume of water. From it, Weiss and Ruby emerged unharmed as they rode Weiss's Queen Lancer. Ruby leapt off and used Crescent Rose to propel herself onto Cordovin's mech, embedding the scythe's blade into it. The force of Ruby's strike knocked the mech back into the cliffside, the tremors being felt by the citizens in Argus. Cordovin let out an enraged scream.
"Go!" Jaune shouted.
Ren leapt onto the mech's arm and ran along it, while also using the blades of StormFlower to hang on. Jaune used the twohanded form of Crocea Mors to slash at the mech's hip joint, while Nora used the hammer form of Magnhild to smash at the arm cannon. Slade stood himself up on Cordovin's arm, leaping onto the windshield, he began firing Defiance into it.
"Oh, Cordovin!" he called as he started to pass through it with his Semblance.
Cordovin managed to stand the mech back up, causing Ruby to be lowered down into her view on the windshield and Slade to lose his concentration, causing him to fall back through the mech's windshield toward the water below. Ruby hung onto Crescent Rose as she nervously smiled and waved at Cordovin.
"Get off of me!" Cordovin tried to grab Ruby with the mech's left hand, forcing Ruby to let go as she used her Semblance to fly downward. Luckily, Weiss flew by on her Queen Lancer and caught Ruby and Slade.
"Heh" she looked to her teammate gratefully.
"What if I hadn't caught you?"
"I knew you would" she grins widely.
"Ow" Slade groaned from beneath Ruby.
Weiss just groaned. As they flew around the mech, Ren lowered himself down along the mech's back. He noticed a panel with a humming machine sound coming from it. Ren uses one of his blades to pry the panel off, but almost fell as the mech kept moving around. Fortunately, Qrow appeared and caught his wrist.
"Gotcha. What'd ya find?" Qrow tossed Ren back up as the both of them look at the panel he just opened. They found a whirring machine with the label "Authorized personnel only, Shield generator" written on top of it "Well, alright then"
Qrow and Ren drew their weapons and shot at the machinery, disabling the mech's shields. Cordovin watched her screen as the shields reduced to zero "No, no, no, no!" Cordovin then felt a tremor as Nora fired a volley of grenades at her.
"You get back here with my man!"
"Her what?" Slade asked surprised as he sat up.
As Nora continued firing at Cordovin, Weiss, Slade and Ruby flew by to Ren and Qrow "Jump on!" Weiss called. The two men did as they were told. Nora continued to fire until she ran out of ammo. Suddenly, Jaune noticed Cordovin lifting up the mech's arm, he rushed over to Nora.
"I've had enough of you ingrates!" Cordovin slammed the mech's arm into both Jaune and Nora, knocking them back and breaking their Auras. The two struggled to get back up.
"No!" Ren called concerned.
Suddenly, Weiss gasped as Cordovin fired the mech cannon at her group at point blank range, destroying the Queen Lancer and knocking herself, Ren, Qrow, Slade and Ruby back over to the cliff. Ruby used her Semblance to fly back over to the cliff, but falls short. Ruby embedded the blade of Crescent Rose into the cliffside and held on for dear life. Slade soared overhead, going right over the trees past where anyone could see him anymore.
"Slade!" Ruby yelled concerned.
"I can't see where he landed!" Oscar shouted worriedly.
Ruby noticed Cordovin approaching her "This is what happens when you think you know better than those rightfully in charge!"
From the airship, Oscar noticed Ruby in trouble and rushed over to Maria "We gotta do something!"
Maria flicked some switches on the controls and flew back over to the mech. Just as Cordovin was about to fire her arm cannon at Ruby, Maria flew by and fires a missile. Suddenly, the mech grabbed the missile with its hand, causing Cordovin to turn the mech around to Maria's direction.
"Calavera" she growled. Everyone watched helplessly as Cordovin fired the missile toward the airship's direction. The missile exploded in front of the airship, causing it to rattle "You just couldn't keep this rivalry between us, could you, Calavera?! You had to rope in children to fail with you!"
"Can you do anything besides run?!" Adam shouted chasing after Blake through the forest.
Adam leapt onto a tree trunk and pushed off of it as he continues to pursue Blake, who continued leaping from branch to branch. Adam fired Wilt and it crashed into Blake's kusarigama just as she was about to grapple onto another tree. Due to her loss of momentum, Adam managed to catch up and slash at her, but he merely just slashed Blake's trench coat off. Blake then kicks off Adam, knocking him back. As Blake landed back on the ground, she fires at Adam, who blocked some of her shots but couldn't manage to keep up with them all, grunting in pain from each shot striking him. The two then leapt out of the forest and found themselves on a natural stone bridge in front of a waterfall.
The two then clashed again, with Blake evading Adam's attacks with her own Semblance. Blake managed to catch Adam's sword with her own sheath, leaving Adam to defend himself with Blush. Eventually, Adam caught Blake's wrist and blocks her katana with Blush.
"I wouldn't have to be doing this if you just behaved!" he shouted enraged. Suddenly, Adam grabbed his sword and flung away Blake's sheath, before knocking her in the side of her head with the hilt of his blade. Blake was knocked back several feet, rolling on her side "But you're selfish!" Adam knocks Blake back again "You're a coward!" she was thrown yet again.
"You're delusional!" Blake shot back from her place on the ground.
Adam then pointed his sword at Blake's abdominal scar. Adam used his Semblance, which caused Blake's katana blade to break in half. The broken weapon clattered a few feet away from Blake.
Adam then stopped to remove the blindfold from his eyes "People hurt me long before we met... All sorts of people in all sorts of ways" Blake looked away sadly "but no one hurt me quite like you"
Blake looked back up to Adam as she saw his own eyes. His right eye a healthy blue, his left eye scarred permanently with a brand labeled "SDC" leaving his sclera red and the pupil white "You didn't leave scars, you just left me alone" Blake's ears perked up when she heard a motorcycle drawing close "So... tell me, Blake... how does it feel to be alone?"
Blake paid him no mind as she heard it closer now, Adam raised his blade and let out a furious shout, stabbing Blake in the abdomen. She suddenly disappeared, another Semblance clone. Adam looked behind him as Blake picked up her sheathe "I'm not alone"
Yang drove over the cliff above them, hurling Bumblebee into Adam, knocking him down as it fell into the river below. Yang landed a few feet away from Blake, staring down Adam "You" he growled.
She fired a single shot, forcing him to block it with his blade. She activate the shotgun in her prosthetic arm "Yang!" Blake called before stumbling to her knee, holding her stomach in pain.
"It's okay. Catch your breath for a second. I can hold him off"
"She's right, Blake. It's okay, we have... unfinished business"
They stared each other down, Adam making the first move. He delivered a series of quick slashes and arcs with his Semblance that knocked Yang back a short distance as she blocked. She started to strike back, managing to land some strikes on him he was unable to block. She knocked him back a good distance before firing at him, he blocked and absorbed the rounds with his blade. Adam then quickly ran circles around her, letting out another Semblance strike that slid her back a short distance.
"His Semblance is like yours! He absorbs energy through his sword, stores it up and then sends it back when he's ready" Blake warned.
"He gets to dish out damage without having to feel it?" she sighed "That's just cheap"
The two proceeded to trade blows again, Yang landed a series of punches and kicks on Adam as she dodged each of his strikes. He managed to send her back when she struck his sword. Yang rolled to a stop next to Blake and the two shared a glance with each other. He let out an enraged growl, his Semblance enveloping him in a powerful burst of energy.
"Yang!" Blake cried in concern.
Adam shouted as he let out a devastating attack, enveloping Yang in a cloud of smoke as it exploded around her. When it cleared, Yang stood with her prosthetic arm, three small scratches adorning it, her foot barely hanging off the edge of the bridge. She lowered her arm with a glare "Leave. Us. Alone. This is your last chance"
Adam stared back at the two, gripping the hilt of his blade, Yang's left arm trembled slightly "Heh, do you really believe that? Or are you just trying to scare me away so you won't have to die trying to protect her?"
Yang, angered, prepared to fight him again, despite her trembling hand. Blake took her hand in her own "She's not protecting me, Adam. And I'm not protecting her. We're protecting each other"
Adam glared back at the two of them angrily, the two friends standing in solidarity "You knew you couldn't win two-on-one at Haven. What makes you so sure you can win now?" Adam asked confidently.
"I don't have a choice. I have people who actually care about me, and I promised I'd never leave them again. So I'm not dying now" Yang smiled at her friend's words before glaring back at Adam.
"You know, she made a promise to me once. That she'd always be at my side. Heh, and look how well she's kept it"
"Did she make that promise to you? Or to the person you were pretending to be?" Yang asked cocking her eyebrow.
She was met with silence "So I just wasn't good enough for you?"
"You know it's so much more than that" Blake replied.
"I know you've made your choice... and I've made mine"
Adam growled in anger as he prepared to unleash all of his stored up energy with his Semblance, slashing downward with an enraged roar, Blake and Yang closed their eyes anticipating their demise. They waited for what seemed like forever but nothing ever came, opening their eyes the saw Adam still glowing with his Semblance, he appeared to be frozen in place, struggling to move. Adam's head turned slightly to his right to find Slade standing there with his hand outstretched toward him, on his knees in pain.
"Hello there" he greeted with a cocky smirk.
"Slade!" Blake and Yang called in shock "What're you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be with Ruby?"
"I was, until Cordovin's stupid machine threw me all the way out here. I hadn't heard from you and was worried so I came as fast as I could. Besides, They can handle Cordovin just fine"
"You..." Adam growled "I should've killed you long ago"
Slade cocked his head to the side "Who're you again?" he asked pretending not to know him, angering Adam in response. Slade released Adam from his Semblance allowing him to use his own Semblance to attack Slade with all the energy he had stored. As the strike came soaring toward him, Slade outstretched his hand to clash with the arc of energy making it dissipate as it made contact "You're so predictable" he chuckled painfully.
"You filth" Adam growled as Slade slowly made his way over to Blake and Yang.
"You up for this, Slade?" Yang asked concerned.
"Always" he smirked "I've been itching for a chance to teach Taurus a lesson. Particularly, don't send goons to take down someone he's too scared to face himself"
"You think I'm afraid of you?" Adam asked with a laugh "Where'd you ever get an idea like that?"
"You could've killed me back when Cinder murdered her father but you didn't, I refused to be apart of something like that and you just stood there and watched me leave. Then you send your thugs to kill me for the next few months instead of doing it yourself. That's the mark of a coward"
"Yet I am prepared to face you and your friends here and now?"
"When I am injured sure, if I was fit as a fiddle you'd be running just like you did back at Haven. The difference here is you think you have the advantage, but you're sorely mistaken.
Adam laughed "We'll just see about that. Can't go any worse than our last battle, right?"
Slade glared "Bring it on, coward"
The four combatants then took defensive stances, albeit Slade a bit strained as they resume their battle. Blake, Yang and Slade rush forward together. The three of them worked together to strike at Adam with a series of back and forth blows and slashes. Blake grabs the bottom portion of her broken Gambol Shroud katana and threw it at Adam, but he deflects it back at her. Yang noticed this and grabbed the pistol and used the ribbon to swing Blake around. Blake used her sheathe to clash with Adam's sword, but he sent her flying back. Blake's back hit the cliffside of the waterfall, depleting her Aura. She nearly fell off the ledge and hung on for dear life.
"Blake!" Yang calls after her.
Slade clashed his wrist blade's with Adam's own sword but was pushed back, Adam kicked him in the chest causing Slade to stumble with a painful cry "You're in no condition to fight, Slade" he smirked.
Yang then turned and angrily glares at Adam, he took notice and shifted his attention to her "Moment of truth, Yang. Do you think you're faster than you were at Beacon?" Yang gasped and trembled slightly, he chuckled "Me neither" Adam rushed forward forcing Yang to dodge his attacks, but she was knocked to the ground by a strike to her head "Your Aura's bound to be running low.
Yang panted for breath as Adam angrily grunted at her. Meanwhile, Blake struggled to climb up "Hit me already!" Adam yelled angrily slicing his blade toward Yang.
Yang dodged the strike, then flipped back over the second "What does she even see in you?!" he shouted as Slade struggled to his knees "You're just a coward like her!"
Adam unleashed an attack with his Semblance toward Yang. However, at the last second, Yang's eyes flashed red. The attack struck Yang, creating a cloud of dust. Adam rushes forward and swung his blade down. When the dust cleared, Adam looked in shock as Yang had caught his sword with her prosthetic hand. Her hair burning bright, activating her Semblance.
"Gotcha"
That's my girl Slade smirked.
Yang then cocked her left arm's Ember Celica. She pulled Adam toward her and punched him hard enough to disarm him and send him flying back. The force of the attack depleting Adam's Aura. He got to his feet to fight again, only to realize Wilt was missing, Yang held it in her hand. She panted as her own Aura depleted "I may not be faster... but I'm smarter" she threw it over the bridge.
"No!"
Adam failed to reach the blade in time as he watched it fall, Blake uppercut him as she jumped back onto the bridge. Adam stumbled backwards, noticing Gambol Shroud's katana on the ground. He and Blake raced to get to it first, but Blake grabbed it before he could. Yang grabbed the broken blade of Blake's weapon as Slade caught Adam in his Semblance, freezing him in place. Both girls impaled Adam from the front and back, each with a piece of Blake's weapon simultaneously. Adam looked down at his bleeding chest as he twitched.
"Oh..." Blake and Yang pulled their blades out and Slade released his hold on Adam, the Faunus stumbling forward to his knees. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped forward, falling over the side of the bridge, his body striking the cliffside with a sickening crack, before vanishing into the water below.
"Adam Taurus... is finally dead" Slade sighed, collapsing onto his hands.
Blake started to sob and fell to her knees, breaking down into tears. Yang enveloped her in a reassuring embrace, Blake returning it "I... I'm not going to break my promise, I swear"
"I know you won't" she assured.
Slade rolled onto his back in pain as he struggled to catch his breath "We showed him didn't we!" he laughed painfully before coughing up a bit of blood, his vest turning slightly darker as his blood dampened it.
"Slade!" Yang and Blake quickly snapped out of their trance, rushing over to see if their friend was alright.
"Don't worry about me" he coughed out "I'll be fine, it's just a scratch" he assured them.
"We'll let Jaune be the judge of that" Yang pulled him to his feet, slinging his arm over her shoulder as Blake did the same on his opposite side.
"Let's get you back to Ruby and find you some help" Blake added determined.
"Hey, I'm just glad you're both alright. You had me worried when you both dropped out of contact like that"
They both remained silent for a bit as they focused on getting him back to the group, the occasional groan from Slade being the only sound between them "Thank you" Blake finally broke the silence.
"For what?" he asked confused.
"You didn't have to come for us back there, you could've gone back to Ruby and helped with Cordovin. But you decided we needed you, and turns out we did"
"If you hadn't shown up back there, we might not both have come out of that in one piece" Yang agreed with a small smile.
"You both would've been fine" he waved off weakly "I just made your job a little easier is all. Hell, aside from freezing him I really didn't even do much"
"You made him exhaust his Semblance on you instead of us, which is probably why you're even in this condition to begin with" Blake chastised "But you also watched our backs amidst the fight. I'd say you helped plenty" Blake had a genuine smile on her face "I can't say I expected you to take to helping me so easily, you're a better person than you give yourself credit for"
"Eh" Slade relented "Maybe I helped you out a bit more than I originally thought, but let's not overdo it" he chuckled, wincing in pain "Taurus caused us all a bit of trouble after all. If I had only stayed with Ozpin a year ago you might've never lost your arm" Slade looked up remorsefully at her "You might've never gotten injured" he added looking to Blake, referring to the scar on her abdomen "Pyrrha might never have died... there's a lot of things that could've been better had I stuck around"
"If you had, you might be dead instead" Yang pointed out "There's no point regretting the past, Slade. All we can do, is do better in the future" she smiled.
"Yeah... maybe you're right" he smiled lightly back at her.
Ruby was still holding onto Crescent Rose for dear life. Oscar noticed this from the airship "Ruby!" Ruby eventually made her way back up to the top of the cliff by using Crescent Rose's blade to climb back up. She regrouped with Weiss, Ren, and Qrow "Ruby, can you hear me? Are you guys okay?" Oscar asked over his earpiece.
"Are we okay?!" Ruby asked indignantly.
"I know, we were supposed to lay low, but listen! I think I finally found a weakness!"
"Well, we're all ears" Nora groaned approaching Ruby, carrying Jaune on her shoulder
"Guys!" Ren called in relief as he rushed over to his teammates.
"The cylinder on Cordo's cannon rotates and locks in a giant Dust cartridge everytime she changes attack styles" Oscar explained.
"We noticed" Weiss sighed.
"Right, but her missile launcher doesn't lock in, it pops out! Without her shields, one well-placed shot could detonate the missiles while they're still in the launcher!" he continued.
"We could destroy the entire cannon... Oscar, that's brilliant!" Jaune shouted excitedly.
"Can you... make that kind of shot?" Nora asked concerned.
"We'll only get one chance before she catches on. I'd have to be practically staring down the barrel of her cannon" Ruby answered.
"Well, I've got a way to guarantee that" Ruby announced as she descended over Ruby's group, stopping with the hatch doors open, Ruby rushed inside.
"Ruby, what are you doing?!" Qrow shouted.
The airship took off, the others only able to watch it head to Cordo's mech. Inside the mech, one of the screens had a popup reading "ARGUS BASE INCOMING CALL" Cordovin noticed, but was distracted by Maria's taunting "Hey, Cordo! I've got one missile left and I know exactly where I'm gonna stick it!"
She chuckled "One missile you say? That's a shame, Maria. Because I have plenty!" her launcher emerged from the mech's arm cannon while Maria soared toward her.
"ARE YOU TWO CRAZY?!" Oscar shouted in terror.
"Sometimes the best approach is simply the most direct!" Maria laughed.
As the airship moved closer, Ruby got into position and aimed at Cordovin's mech cannon. Cordovin gasped as she pulls up a screen, noticing Ruby and catching on to her plan "You!" she pulled the trigger, but the launcher retracted back into the arm as the round deflected "You thought you could fool me?!" she readied the arm cannon, this time with Lighting Dust"
"Pull up!" Oscar yelled.
Maria pulled up, but still got partially caught in the blast. The rest of the group on the cliff moved out of the way, the airship surging with electricity and Maria screaming in pain as her prosthetics closed "I can't see! My eyes!"
Maria pulls up the airship, but it still gets partially caught in the blast. The rest of the group on the cliff move out of the way. The airship is affected by the electricity, and Maria screams in pain as her prosthetic eyes close shut "I can't see! My eyes!"
"No, no, no!" Ruby shut her eyes.
"Take control!" Maria shouted.
Oscar grabbed the joystick as he barely gained control of the airship "We're gonna crash! We're gonna CRASH!"
The rest of them emerged from the smoke on the cliffside, coughing "Look!" The group watched as the airship crash landed into the forest. Weiss gasped with worry as Qrow rushed over, transforming into his Corvid form and soaring over to the crash site.
At the crash site, the engines shut down "We're... we're still in one piece!" Oscar shouted in relief, he stopped when he heard the sound of Cordovin's mech stomping closer.
Ruby stumbled out of the airship, collapsing on her knees. Cordovin laughed "Very clever, but even the smartest apes can't compete with the intellect of man"
Ruby used Crescent Rose to stand herself backup. She looked over to the airship to see Maria repairing her prosthetic eyes as Oscar watched in concern.
"Come on, come on!" Maria cried desperately.
Ruby looked to Cordovin with determination burning in her eyes and stepped forward. Qrow appeared, taking his niece's hand "Ruby, stop!"
She looked back at him, her gaze never dropping, he gasped at the sight of her "I need you to trust me" Qrow closed his eyes, ultimately relenting as she pulled her hand away.
She walks to the edge of the cliff and stands face to face with Cordovin's mech "Surrender for your crimes, and accept your punishment"
"No!" she shouted back defiantly, earning a shocked gasp from Cordovin "We're going to Atlas. Bigger people than you have tried to stop us and failed, but we're supposed to be on the same side! We're supposed to use our power to protect people, but you just use yours to look down on everyone! We didn't want to steal from you, we did it because you gave us no other choice! Now I'm giving you one last chance to stand down and hear us out"
Cordovin pondered her words for a moment "I've heard enough" she aimed her cannon at Ruby.
The others all rushed over in panic as Oscar reached out to her "Ruby!"
Qrow wore a look of horror as Cordovin fired, but Ruby had used her Semblance and flew right into the cannon "WHAT?!" Cordovin screeched.
"She's NUTS!" Nora shouted in shock.
"The missile launcher springs out... but the raw Dust gets locked in!" Jaune noted in understanding of her plan.
Inside the arm cannon, Ruby planted Crescent Rose into the ground and took aim at the buildup of Dust. She fired and uses her Semblance to quickly get out of the arm cannon. Suddenly, the arm cannon explodes, covering it in ice and stone "What?! No! NO!"
Ruby's Aura depleted and she fell unconscious, her descent slowed by black Glyphs from Weiss, and Qrow managed to catch her in his arms. Weiss collapsed from exhaustion as Jaune, Ren, and Nora rushed over "Ruby? Ruby!" he shook her desperately.
Ruby opened her eyes and smiled at her uncle "Told ya"
The Atlesian airship's engines roared to life as it hovered lightly above the ground, Maria managed to fix her eyes "Oh, don't tell me I missed it!"
Cordovin struggled to pick up the mech's arm cannon "No! No, no, no, NO! You! You're never getting to Atlas! Do you hear me?! NEVER!" she pressed a button on the controls "All forces converge on my position and eliminate these pests at once!"
"Crap!" Oscar shouted in surprise.
"Everyone on board! We're making a run for it!" Maria called out.
"What about Yang and Blake?" Jaune asked.
"Slade's still missing too!" Nora pointed out.
"We can't leave them!" Qrow agreed with determination.
Back in the mech, one of the screens read "ARGUS BASE CHANNEL OPEN"
"Ma'am, we've been trying to reach you! Argus is in danger!"
Cordovin's expression widened in horror "What?!"
In the distance, a towering Grimm trudged through the water toward Argus. It let out a terrifying roar, a massive legion of Manticores and Sphinxes in the air above the city of Argus "It's a Leviathan! It began its approach during your battle! We need you!"
Ruby looked back to her friends in horror, who all shred equally concerned expressions. They looked to Cordovin's mech, still struggling to lift up its arm cannon. Multiple Mantas engaged in dogfights against Manticores and Sphinxes above the ocean. The Leviathan itself slowly trudged through the water approaching the city. Some aircrafts attempted a gun run on the towering Grimm, but it simply dove below the ocean and swam.
"All units, be advised: Leviathan-class Grimm has submerged but is still on approach. Preparing hard-light shields, over!" the Air-Control officer reported.
Ruby and her friends overheard the radio chatter with looks of horror on their faces. Cordovin continued to struggle getting the Colossus' arm cannon out of the water with it being covered in Ice and Earth Dust.
"We're getting slammed by hostiles out here! Where is Cordovin?!" asked one of the pilots, struggling to keep up with the Grimm.
"This is your fault! Do you hear me?!" Cordovin yelled enraged.
"Ruby!" Yang called rejoining the group with Blake and Slade, the latter of which being carried by the two girls.
"Yang! Blake! Are you okay?" Ruby asked before noticing Slade's condition "What happened?"
"Don't worry about me" Slade coughed painfully "I'll be... fine" he panted catching his breath.
"You don't look fine" Weiss grimaced.
Yang and Blake notice the disabled mech "What happened here?" Blake asked in shock.
The group then heard the Leviathan roaring "Was that a giant Grimm?" Yang asked.
"Yes... and we just ruined the only thing capable of stopping it" Weiss answered.
The group wasted no time boarding the aircraft, Slade was laid down on his back through his pained groans in the center of the aircraft. It took off, Ruby watched Cordovin with pity as she continued to struggle "This is your fault! YOUR FAULT! This is..." she cried with despair.
"Ma'am, what's your status? We need an answer, over!" an Atlas soldier yelled urgently.
"Your fault" Cordovin looked down sadly.
"I'm so sorry" Blake shook her head in shame.
"Don't be. This isn't on you" Yang assured her.
"But-"
"You're safe, that's all that matters" Ruby offered supportively. Blake smiled at her leader and the two hugged. Ruby looks to Yang and the two shared a smile.
"I suppose I have to be the bad guy and say it, getting the lamp to Atlas is still our top priority, and right now we have the perfect opportunity to head straight for it. We may not get another chance like this" Maria explained.
"No way!" Yang yelled.
"We can't leave, not like this" Weiss agreed.
"It's like you said, a Huntress is supposed to protect others to the bitter end" Blake used her own words against her.
"Damn right" Slade choked out as Jaune got to work on healing him with his Semblance.
"Keep still" Jaune instructed, Nora held Slade in place as he squirmed underneath him, a pained expression on his face.
Maria looked to Ruby, who just shrugged with a smile. Maria smiled back and continued to fly "We need to head for the Leviathan. Jaune, can you and Ren be ready to mask our ship?" Ruby asked.
"I'm not even close to done healing Slade yet!" Jaune answered concerned "In his condition, he's never-" Slade shrugged him off.
"Don't let those people die on my account" Slade said with determination.
"I'm not gonna stop healing you-" Slade glared up at Jaune "Unless you look at me like that" he chuckled nervously.
"I think we can manage" Ren answered with a smirk.
"Got a few ideas?" Jaune asked joining his teammate.
"I've got one" she answered.
"Eyes up, everybody. It's back" Qrow warned.
The Leviathan resurfaced, letting out another terrifying roar "Argus Base, this is Manta 3-4! Leviathan has hit the shallows and resurfaced! We need those shields up now, over!"
From the city, a large crowd gathered as they watched in fear. Terra made her way through the crowd, reuniting with her wife and son, looking out at the Leviathan. The Leviathan approached as the Hard Light Dust barrier erected halting it's progress "Target stopped! Engaging, over!" a pair of Manta aircraft fired shots at the Leviathan, it suddenly unleashed an energy beam from it's mouth. The beam struck one of the pylons powering the barrier, destroying it.
Ruby and her friends watched in horror from their aircraft as it roared triumphantly "It tore straight through!" Oscar yelled in shock.
"All squadrons, fall back to evacuation procedures. Disengage Leviathan! I repeat, disengage! Over!" Air-Control commanded.
"No, wait!" Ruby ran up to the radio.
"Ruby!" Qrow called in surprise.
"We can stop it!" she shouted into the radio.
"Who is this? Identify yourself!"
"I'm a Huntress. My team and I are heading to the Leviathan and can weaken it for you to attack!"
Everyone looked at Ruby in shock "We can?" Jaune asked.
"I can" she answered.
"Ruby, when I said "trial by fire" I-" Maria tried.
"I did it at Beacon and at the farm" she argued.
"You really think you can do it now?" Weiss asked concerned.
"I don't have a choice"
"Manta 5-1, your ship is currently flagged as hostile. You will receive no support, over"
"Fine, we'll do it alone if we have to" Ruby answered.
"When I find out which one of you just decided to hang us out to dry, I am personally going to FLAY YOU WITH-" Slade's threat was cut off on the radio as Ruby released the "Talk" button. From her mech, Cordovin overheard Ruby's radio chatter.
"We can hit it while it's stopped at the next barrier. Ren, you're up!" Ruby ordered.
Ren and Jaune combined their Semblances, masking the airship as it weaved between the dogfights between Grimm and Atlas forces. The Leviathan made it's way to the next barrier and charged it's energy beam again "We're too late! Pull up!" Qrow yelled.
Maria pulled them up out of the way as the Leviathan fired, destroying the next barrier and toppling a cupola off one of the building in Argus. Ren and Jaune collapsed, their Auras drained "Dam it!" Jaune punched the wall of the aircraft.
"That's all I've got!" Ren gasped exhaustedly.
"It's on the move again! We need to stop it!" Weiss pointed out.
"What do we do?" Yang asked hoping someone had an idea.
Ruby thought for a moment, looking to Weiss with an idea "You'll need to get in close to do any lasting damage to that thing, Ruby" Slade groaned out, propping himself against the nearby wall.
The Leviathan continued to advance to Argus, but suddenly the aircraft opened it's hatch doors "Eyes on us, ugly!" Nora yelled as she and Yang fired down at it.
"Is it working?" Blake asked.
"Unfortunately, yes! Hang on!" Maria shouted.
Blake ran over to Weiss, who was maintaining a Glyph she activated. Ruby was riding on the back of Weiss's Queen Lancer "Okay, okay, you can do this... You have to do this!" she convinced herself aloud.
Eventually, Ruby stopped in front of the Leviathan. She closes her eyes and began to concentrate, the noises all around her slowly muting out "Ruby? Ruby, hurry, something-" Yang yelled through her earpiece.
Ruby removed her earpiece and tossed it into the water below. She closed her eyes again to concentrate, she thought back to various memories. Her father and sister, Zwei first arrived to their dorm, their food fight at Beacon, getting noodles after their victory in the tournament. She thought of Penny, then Jaune, Nora, Ren... Pyrrha... she frowned as bad memories started to flood her mind. The night Jaune trained alone with a recording of Pyrrha, when she saw Yang and Blake wounded as Beacon was evacuated, when Yang sank into depression over the loss of her arm. Ruby whimpered upon remembering the deaths of both Pyrrha and Penny. Ruby snapped her eyes open and looked up at the Leviathan standing face to face with her.
"What?" she asked in shock.
"Why'd it turn away?!" Yang asked fearing for her sister.
Ruby looked down to the Relic on her belt, which attracted the Leviathan's attention "No, no, no, no!" it opened it's maw and lunged toward Ruby "JINN!" she shouted while reeling back.
Time came to an abrupt halt, everything slowing down even as Yang called to her sister "Ruby!"
She breathed out a sigh of relief as she heard the rattling chains of Jinn "I'm sorry... I don't have a question for you. I just... I just needed a little more time"
Jinn looked at her sternly "I know... and while you don't seek knowledge, just this once, I shall give it freely. I will not allow you to use me without a question again" she smiled "Even if this was clever"
Ruby nodded, then turned back to the Leviathan, closing her eyes to concentrate as time slowly started to go back to normal. She thought back to her team decorating their dorm room, when Weiss gave her coffee, when Blake cheered for Weiss in Port's class, when Yang was training her before leaving for Beacon, when they celebrated their victory after saving Vale. She smiled as she thought back to the Beacon Dance and Jaune in a dress, to Qrow's arrival at Beacon, to Oscar, Slade, Maria, Penny... and finally, she thought back to her mother. Her white cloak blowing in the wind as she overlooks a cliff at sunset, she turned with a warm smile to offer, her own Silver Eyes reflecting back to her daughter's
"Now, Ruby!" Slade's voice faintly graced her ears as he used his Semblance to hold the Leviathan's head in place with what strength he had left.
"Slade!" Yang called in shock "What're you doing?"
"Buying her... more time" he strained out.
Ruby's eyes shined brilliantly, the brightest it'd ever been. A massive white light engulfed the area, turning the Leviathan to stone. The citizens of Argus and the Atlas military cheered as the Grimm threat had been nullified. Ruby's friends gave proud smiles and Maria breathed a sigh of relief. Slade collapsed from exhaustion, breathing heavily as he struggled to catch his breath. The light retracted back into Ruby's eyes, and she turned around to look at the city of Argus still standing. Suddenly, she heard the stone crackling behind her. The Leviathan's head managed to move and tried to aim for Ruby.
Ruby's own eyes then shine bright, the brightest it has ever been. A massive white light engulfs the area, turning the Leviathan to stone. The citizens of Argus and the Atlas military cheer as the Grimm threat has been nullified. Ruby's friends give proud smiles and Maria breathes a sigh of relief. Slade collapses in exhaustion, breathing heavily as he struggled to catch his breath. The light retracts back into Ruby's eyes, and she turns around to look at the city of Argus still standing. Suddenly, Ruby hears a stone crackling behind her. The Leviathan's head manages to move and tries to aim at Ruby.
"No" she gasped.
"I'll take it from here!"
Cordovin showed up in the Colossus, it's arm cannon now detached. Everyone looked on in shock, without the weight of the cannon, it rushed toward the Leviathan "After all, I was sworn to protect the people!" it's left hand transformed into a giant drill, Cordovin used it the destroy the Leviathan, causing it to dissipate as it cried out in anguish.
The people of Argus cheered while the Arc family looked on with stupefied expressions. The Colossus approached Ruby, it's cockpit opening up. Cordovin stood in a stern military manner "Thank you. And... I'm sorry" Ruby apologized.
"The Atlas military can handle the stragglers" she noted.
"What, uh... What are you saying?" Ruby asked confused.
Cordovin smiled "I'm saying I don't think anyone would notice if one more ship went missing in my lengthy report" Ruby smiled back at Cordovin, the mech turned back to the city and ran off to join the fight against the remaining Grimm.
Jaune rushed over to Slade using his Semblance to help him recover "Damn it, Slade! You could've hurt yourself or worse! Overexerting yourself like that was crazy!"
"Ruby needed... more time" he panted out "Did you... think I... was just... gonna lay... her and... let her... fight... all on her... own?"
"I don't know if I've got enough left in me to fully heal your wounds" Jaune sighed.
"Can I help?" Yang asked kneeling in front of him holding up her hands up "Maybe you could use my Aura instead of yours?"
"I don't think it quite works that way, Yang" Jaune shook his head "But thank you, I'm sure he appreciates it just as much as I do-" Jaune stopped short when he noticed Slade had passed out from exhaustion.
"He did overdo it a bit" Weiss laughed.
"You can say that again" Blake sighed with a small smile.
Yang smiled down at Slade gratefully as she thought back to him rushing to their side, even in his injured state. Leaning down she kissed his forehead "Thank you" she whispered, getting to her feet and joining her teammates in welcoming Ruby back aboard the aircraft.
The airship soared through the night sky "We should have just enough fuel to make it" Maria told them as she piloted the aircraft.
"Thanks, Miss Calavera" Ruby called over to her.
"Hey, Ruby. You did great out there today, kid. Just don't go giving me heart attacks like that again" Qrow moved to take a drink from his flask, but ultimately decided not to.
Ruby hugged her uncle "I love you too" he smiled at his niece as she walked away to join her friends.
"You weren't half bad yourself today, Qrow" Maria assured him.
Qrow smiled before sighing "I feel like they did all the heavy lifting" he admitted.
"But you were there to help when they asked for it, and you were there to catch them when they fell. Literally, if I recall" she laughed.
"Thanks. You know, it was pretty incredible getting to see the Grimm Reaper in action"
"Ha, you should have seen me when I was your age!" Qrow smiled as the two of them looked out the cockpit's window to the night sky.
In the back of the aircraft, Weiss, Blake and Yang sat together "I'm sorry you went through that nightmare. But, I'm glad Yang was there for you in time" Weiss smiled at Blake.
Blake and Yang smiled before the latter took the Faunus' hand "We were there for each other"
"Took the words right out of my mouth" Nora smiled at them.
"Ahem" Slade cleared his throat having recently become conscious again.
"Oh yeah, Slade showed up too" Yang laughed "Would've been in trouble if he hadn't been there. Even if it was stupid of him!" she called over mockingly.
"Sure, make fun of the injured guy who saved your life. That's gonna get ya far in life" he smirked back at her.
Everyone then looked to Ruby "Hey, stop it!"
"You petrified a Leviathan... after diving down the barrel of a cannon!" Ren shouted still amazed.
Ruby laughed "Don't act like you all haven't done crazy stuff before! I mean, Oscar made a successful crash landing! He's a fourteen year old farm hand!" Ruby pointed out.
"That was seriously impressive" Jaune agreed.
"We'd have been stranded without you" Blake added gratefully.
"I... thanks, but... I've been meaning to tell you guys... I didn't land the ship on my own" Oscar admitted thinking back to when the airship was about to crash land.
"We're gonna crash! We're gonna CRASH!"
Stay calm, it's going to be okay
"Ozpin took control?!" Nora asked shocked.
"No, he guided me... And then he was gone again" he explained.
"So he's still kicking around in there" Slade chuckled actually somewhat relieved to hear it.
"Does that mean he's been watching us this whole time?" Yang asked.
"I don't know, but... it at least means he was looking out for us" Oscar pointed out.
Everyone pondered this revelation before Qrow broke the silence "Hey, if you've never seen Atlas in person before, you don't wanna miss this"
Ruby and her friends walked up to the cockpit window "Is it weird that I'm sorta nervous?"
"No, I'll believe we've made it to Atlas when I see it" Yang answered her sister.
"Well... believe it" Weiss smiled at her friends.
The airship came out of the clouds, and the floating city of Atlas cam into view "Wow!" Nora looked out in awe of the sight in front of her eyes.
"You know, you make the trip up to Atlas over and over, but you never get used to that view" Maria's prosthetic eyes started to act up again "Oh, come on!"
"It's quite something" Slade agreed struggling to his feet.
Weiss leans forward and wore a nervous look on her face. Ruby took notice "Weiss, what is it?" she asked concerned.
Everyone looked up, and noticed above the city of Atlas many Airships "The Atlas air fleet... I knew all of our ships were called back, but..."
"They're set up like they're expecting an attack" Qrow finished.
Suddenly, the radio crackled on "Manta 5-1, this is Atlas Air Control. You're scheduled to be escorting the Schnee heiress, please confirm"
"I've got this-" Maria reached for the radio only for Weiss to slap her hand away "Ow!"
"You really want to go through that again?" she asked annoyed.
"Well... no..."
"Manta 5-1, please respond" the radio spoke again.
"Someone's gotta say something" Qrow sighed.
"Allow me" Slade held his hand out for the radio. Qrow looked a bit reluctant but handed it to him nonetheless.
"Atlas Air Control, this is Manta 5-1. That is a negative on the previous objective, it was logged as a cover for a classified operation. We're currently delivering precious cargo to General James Ironwood with priority one clearance, clearance code Delta-One-Zero-One-Foxtrot . We were derailed aboard the Argus Limited and would very much like to get some much needed rest upon completion of said delivery. We're requesting permission to dock with the General's personal carrier or landing pad if he's topside, over" Slade reported with ease.
There was several moments of silence from the other end of the radio "You could've just said yes and we would've landed" Qrow sighed.
"This will get us to Ironwood faster" Slade replied.
"Acknowledged, Manta 5-1. Welcome home" the radio reported.
Slade smirked "See what I mean?"
"Manta 5-1, please land at the coordinates being sent to you at this trajectory" Air Control ordered.
"Well... looks like you did it" Qrow chuckled.
"How'd you know that would work?" Yang asked curiously.
"I'm not an elderly woman and I know how to talk to Atlas Military, I've had brushes with them in the past. Access codes always help too"
"I'm impressed" Nora laughed "Who knew Slade could sweettalk Atlas!"
"I wouldn't go that far" Slade sat back down careful not to reopen his wounds with a slight groan "Let's just get this thing landed Calavera, I don't like being in the sky anymore than I have to be"
In the Land of Darkness, Mercury was looking out the window in the meeting room. Emerald entered the room silently "Mercury, I wanted to-" she stopped upon noticing Mercury's face, an expression of horror as he looked out the window. Emerald followed his gaze "What is she doing?"
A Beringel crawled out of one of the black, tar-like pits, with Salem standing close by. She then used her magic as Nevermore wings suddenly sprouted from the back of the creature. It adjusted to it's new appendages before flying up to join many other Beringels also grafted with wings. Emerald and Mercury continued to watch in horror.
"There's an old saying" Hazel called as he took his place beside them "If you want something done right... do it yourself"
Salem looked up at the Grimm army she had gathered, before turning around and using her magic on the pools again, engulfing herself in the process "What could she possibly need all these Grimm for?" Mercury asked confused "She's got plenty of them as it is"
"Salem is planning on showing no mercy to Atlas this time around. The attacks on Argus and Haven were thwarted by Ozpin's group. With Slade having also joined up with them, she's fully prepared to leave the city in ruins like she did with Vale" Hazel explained.
"Doesn't she want Slade to join us?" Emerald asked curiously "How's he gonna do that if he's dead?"
"Slade has had many chances to join our ranks and has denied all of them. If he chooses to remain with Ozpin then he will die with Ozpin" he answered coldly as he turned to leave the room. Mercury and Emerald continued to watch Salem in horror until they could no longer, quickly leaving the room to avoid seeing her horrid creations.
That's all for now guys! I know two weeks seems like a bit of a wait, but I promise, August 1st you're gonna have chapter 16 sitting in your hands... or lap... or whatever it is you read this on I suppose... the point is you'll have it! Thanks again for reading. I appreciate it!