Heart's Embers

by SugarLoaf12

It's been fifteen months hasn't it? Living from day to day, moving from place to place. Looking for the next payday, the next target... the next fight. I thought living outside their war would be easier. But sometimes knowing... is all it takes to leave you wondering "What if" I think back to why I left and I know I made the right choice... Ozpin be damned.

34. Reunion

Finally got another chapter for you guys! Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"Speech"

Thoughts

---

Chapter Thirty-Four: Reunion

"Since we're going undercover, you know what we need? Disguises! Something mysterious" Ruby said eagerly.

"First of all" Weiss muttered "General Ironwood specifically said we're not undercover. This mission is reconnaissance, not infiltration, Ruby"

"Way to take all the fun out of it" Blake whispered so only Yang could hear her, earning a short laugh from her.

"Well, yeah. But-"

"Second of all" Weiss cut her off "If anyone needs a disguise, it'd be Qrow and I. Nobody in Atlas knows who any of you are"

"That's not true!" Ruby protested "Yang was on the news!"

"For breaking someone's leg in a tournament" Blake reminded.

"All the more reason for a disguise!" Yang offered helpfully.

"See!"

"Just because people might know someone your with doesn't mean they know who you are, and it still doesn't call for you to have a disguise"

"No one is getting a disguise" Qrow called from the front of the Bullhead, just behind the pilots "We're going to identify ourselves as Huntsmen sent to reinforce Corinth from Grimm attacks"

Ruby grumbled to herself and Yang gave Qrow a disapproving look. He remembered that Ironwood had only sent them on this mission as a distraction to keep their minds off Slade, otherwise he'd have been sent alone to investigate. He knew Winter was probably going to be keeping the others occupied too in her own way, but as much as he hated to admit it, he'd be needing the distraction too.

"Fine" he sighed "Once we're finished in Corinth we can get you a disguise-"

Ruby was in front of him at blinding speed, a trail of rose petals in her wake "Can we really?" she asked excitedly.

"Maybe" he said sternly "Not because you need one"

"Because you love me" she grinned.

"Yeah, sure. Cheap love, nothing expensive. You'll have to find another uncle for that, kiddo"

She grinned "Yes!" she leapt onto him, swing around as he stumbled from her added weight "You're the best, no matter what anyone says!"

"Who's been sayin' I'm not?" he asked playfully.

"My sister" Weiss laughed "I believe the word she used was 'sot'"

"Rude"

"Because it was accurate?" Blake asked.

"Hurtful"

"Come on, Uncle Qrow. We all know you're the best, right?" Yang nudged his shoulder.

"Lies"

They shared a laugh at his expense, he couldn't help but give a light smile. His eyes rested on Yang, despite her outwardly happy demeanor, he could tell she was bothered. He knew talking about it wouldn't make anything better, considering all the unknowns about the situation. So he opted to try and direct the conversation away from anything that might remind her of Slade as best he could.

"So, Ms. Know-it-all. Do you know anything about Corinth?"

"Of course I know about Corinth" she scoffed "It's a Faunus settlement that was established away from Mantle when the Schnee Dust Company started operating there. This was back when the White Fang was actually helping Faunus and not acting like terrorists like Taurus" she explained.

"When my father was in charge" Blake added.

"Exactly! Someone with some actual sense" Weiss continued "Anyway, the Council originally didn't want to help fund the settlement effort, which is where the White Fang came in. Once the village was officially settled however, the Council threw their support behind the idea and started sending military assets and Huntsmen to defend them from Grimm attacks. Of course the real story is that Ironwood sent them against the Council's orders and only when they recieved a trade offer with them did they publicly support the idea"

"Typical" Yang scoffed "Take all the credit even when they never lifted a finger to help. Why would Ironwood let them get away with that?"

"Better to let them take the credit and continue to help than to try and get them to admit fault and risk losing their support" Blake explained.

"That's stupid"

"That's politics" Qrow drawled.

"Huh, that makes sense, I guess..." Ruby said thoughtfully, her face scrunched together.

"Still stupid"

"Still politics"

"Doesn't make what my father did any better, they never would've left if my family hadn't forced them out of their homes so they could build more factories" Weiss grimaced "Sometimes I forget all the bad things my family has done"

"Then it's a good thing you and Winter are around to clean up their mess" Qrow said with a smile.

"Someone has to" Weiss returned the smile "And now that she's been working with Blake more, I think she's finally getting past her prejudice of Faunus"

"Thankfully" Blake said in relief "I thought she was never going to stop glaring at me"

"I'm pretty sure she was too busy glaring at Slade to be-ow!" Weiss rubbed her shoulder in response to Qrow's quick nudge, he motioned toward Yang with his head "Oh..."

Yang's eyes were downcast, a deep frown set on her face "Yang?" Ruby asked concerned.

"Can we just... not talk about it right now?" she asked.

Blake placed a comforting hand on her shoulder "Sure, Yang" she assured her.

Qrow and his team remained quiet until they touched down on the edge of the village of Corinth, stepping off the Bullhead onto the small open runway. Even from their place there, they could feel something was wrong. Everyone around them seemed to be watching them carefully, not in interest, but suspicion. There was only a single Faunus who approached them, wearing the typical armor of the Atlas military. He had dark brown hair, a dark complexion and frog-like yellow eyes.

"Welcome to Corinth. Captain Evans, at your service" he saluted "I was not informed we'd be receiving reinforcements"

"General Ironwood heard of your success at repelling Grimm attacks and wanted to ensure that continued. After hearing about how many towns and bases have fallen already, well..." Qrow let the sentence hang.

The man took in the appearance of the others with him and offered a polite smile "Well, it's good to see he's taking the situation seriously. We've been taking refuges from some of the northern towns since the Grimm started getting bolder, but they seem to have figured out we won't go down so easily"

"How have you been so successful against their attacks?" Weiss asked "The village doesn't seem particularly well defended. Have you lost many in the attacks?"

He fixed her with an annoyed look "Very few. We've been lucky, I'll admit. We've had to work hard to keep these people safe. Not that a Schnee would know anything about that"

Blake stepped in before Yang could "Trust me, she's not like any of them you've dealt with before"

His expression softened slightly "Well, I'll take your word for it, but I'll believe it when I see it"

"Easy now, we're all on the same side here" Qrow assured "How often do the Grimm attack?"

"The frequency of their attacks have been increasing, but they always wait until nightfall. If you can reinforce our daytime patrols, it would take the pressure off our forces, allowing them to rest and recover more often. We've been running eighteen hour patrols since the attacks started"

"How many Huntsmen do you have on your nightly patrols?" Ruby asked.

"None" he answered with a frown "We lost our only Huntsman in the first attack. But we've been managing all the same"

"You've successfully repelled multiple attacks without a single Huntsman helping you and suffered so few casualties?" Qrow asked suspicious.

"As I said, we've been lucky" he answered quickly.

Yang snorted "Some luck"

"Why do you want us on your daytime patrols? Wouldn't we be better suited to handling any Grimm that might attack in the night?" Blake asked.

The Captain seemed to be getting nervous with all of their questions "Well, like I said, we've been undermanned... and I just figured-" he stopped, his hand moving to his earpiece "Evans here" he answered.

"Captain! We've got a problem! The Grimm haven't waited until sundown, they're moving in from the west and east sides of the village! They have soldiers with them, black armor. They're not attacking the Grimm, something's not right here. Send backup-!" the call abruptly ended with a crash, the low roar of the Grimm was the last sound heard.

Evans frowned "The Grimm haven't attacked during daylight before... and armed men working with them? He must be mistaken. The Grimm would sooner attack them than us"

"Regardless of the truth, the Grimm are attacking, they're going to need our help" Ruby surmised.

"Right, of course. I'll send everyone I can spare to reinforce the barricades, especially you. We're going to need all the help we can get"

"We won't let you down" Weiss assured.

"I'll head to the eastern barricade while you head to the west. Stick together and work as a team" Qrow ordered before rushing off.

Ruby pumped her fist "Let's go, Team RWBY-gah!" she was stopped as she rushed off with Yang holding her by the end of her cloak "Yang!"

She sighed at her sister's antics "Ruby, west would be that way" she pointed to their left.

"I-I knew that!" she stuttered out with an embarrassed blush tinting her cheeks.

"Sure you did" Weiss rolled her eyes following behind the sisters as they led the way.

The four Huntresses rushed through the village, the inhabitants all quickly making their way indoors while soldiers lined the walls and streets, ready for a fight. It didn't take them long to make it out past the wall and reach the barricade blocking the Grimm from entering between the sharp icy hills framed around it. Atlas soldiers were firing upon armed men clad in black and the encroaching Grimm horde.

"I'll take the left, Blake, take the right. Yang, I want you right up the middle" Ruby ordered quickly.

"Got it!" Yang knocked her fists together and leapt over the low wall, firing two slugs as she did.

"That leaves me to defend the position, right?" Weiss concluded.

"Just like we practiced"

"Right"

Weiss used her Semblance to summon Arma Gigas just in front of the wall, providing defense for the soldiers there. She then leapt over the wall as her friends did the same, Blake rushing toward the approaching Grimm while Ruby used her long range to her advantage, firing on the soldiers before they could get a shot off. Yang tore through the center line, smashing her fists into the Manticore, firing several slugs into it's mouth as it roared in pain.

Blake rushed the armed men taking aim at her, using Gambol Shroud's sheathe to block each shot as she fired back with her weapon's pistol form. Two of the three armed men were taken down by her shots but the last one rolled out of the way at the last second. Upon reaching him, she swept her legs for his, knocking them out from under him. While balancing herself on her right hand as her blade slid back into it's sheathe, she looped her legs around his chest as he fell, slamming him head first into the ground.

Blake used her Semblance to avoid a Sabyr leaping right for her, then impaled it through the chest using her blade. Two of the armed men came to a stop around her, sliding on their backs, each of their chest's smoking from the impact of Yang's attacks. Ruby used her Semblance and tore through the charging group of Sabyrs on the left, spinning with Crescent Rose cutting through their bodies as she slid to a stop. Twisting the blade on her scythe around, she twirled it to block several rounds from the armed woman before her, only to watch her be thrown aside by a fireball sent from Weiss.

"Nice shot!" she called back.

"Uh, guys" Blake called.

They turned toward her to see each of the men they'd defeated rising again, their bodies moving unnaturally, twisting limbs and bending their spines as they rose to their feet "What's with these guys?" Yang asked disgusted.

"Weiss! Behind you!" Ruby called.

Weiss turned just in time to see one of the black clad soldiers with a blade, swinging down at her. Before she could react, the woman dropped to the ground, a single gunshot piercing her helmet. Weiss looked onto the wall behind her to see one of the Atlas soldiers giving her a quick salute, she nodded back to him. Meanwhile her Arma Gigas swung it's blade as several airborne Grimm attempted to bypass them, breaking their assault in one fell swing.

Yang assisted Blake in taking down the armed men around her as Ruby focused on the encroaching Grimm. Despite their best efforts, they didn't stay down for long, always rising back to their feet. Weiss observed the fight between them and noticed something particularly odd about their opponents, none of them were using their Aura to defend themselves, and the only one that did never got back up from his injuries. She looked to the dead woman beside her, the hole in each side of her helmet giving her an idea.

She rushed forward using her Glyphs, spinning on her back heel as she stopped, she impaled Myrtenaster through the chin of the closest opponent. Removing the blade, she watched for several moments, looking for any sign of motion. She'd seen this one get up twice before, yet she recieved no reaction from this one. Turing on the others she struck her blade through the chest of another and then a third as she arrived beside her teammates. Both of her previous opponents stood up once more.

"They just keep getting back up, what do we do?" Blake asked.

"No, look!" Yang pointed "The first one Weiss took down isn't! Whatever is happening here, if we go for their heads, they don't get back up!"

"What like old zombie movies?" Ruby asked.

"Exactly like that!" Weiss called back.

Each of them did as instructed, Weiss using her blade to dispatch them while Blake and Ruby fired into their helmets, holes breaking open in their visors or sides of their helmets. Yang slammed her fist into the face of the last opponent, shattering the helmet around his face and throwing him to the ground. Yang shouted in disgust at what she saw before her.

"What? What is it?" Ruby asked urgently as she rushed to her sister's side only stopping when she saw it too.

Blake just stared in shock and disgust "They're... they're... d-dead"

Weiss covered her mouth with a groan "I think I'm gonna puke"

Ruby just stared in horror at the man before her, his eyes were lifeless, his skin pale, almost grey in color. It was clear that he'd been dead for awhile, the early signs of decay already setting in. Suddenly an explosion of fire and ice tore through the Grimm ranks, decimating what was left, the soldiers cheered in response as the remaining Grimm fled. Despite the victory, Ruby moved onto checking some of the other bodies, removing their helmets and coming to the same conclusion.

"They're all dead... like walking corpses" she frowned "How could anyone do this?"

"We've already seen Salem raise the dead before, but this... it's nothing like that" Blake noted.

"That explosion..." Weiss scrunched her nose "That wasn't Dust"

"Huh? How do you know?" Ruby asked.

"You mean you didn't notice? An explosion that big would use a lot of Dust, and yet I never saw a single cloud, not one spec. I can't even smell any"

"You can smell Dust?" Blake asked.

"I use it everyday, I know what it smells like when you use it. You should recognize it too, Ruby. When you sneezed during our first day at Beacon?"

"Oh yeah..." Ruby's eyes flickered with recognition "It was familiar too, like everytime you walk in a Dust shop"

"Exactly!" Weiss snapped her fingers "But do you smell anything?"

Yang shrugged "I don't smell anything but burning grass"

"Exactly my point. We should be smelling something more if that was Dust, but we get nothing"

"Maybe we should ask the soldiers" Blake suggested.

"Good idea, I'm sure they would know!" Ruby smiled.

"Just let me do the-"

Ruby zipped over to them, rose petals flowing behind her "That was awesome! How long did you have those Dust traps set?" she asked the closest soldier.

"-talking" Weiss finished with a dejected sigh.

The soldier looked nervous "Oh, we've, uh... had those out since this morning. Wanted to be sure we'd catch the Grimm by surprise, you know"

"That must be how you've been repelling them so easily, right?"

"We've been lucky"

"So we keep hearing" Yang called as she approached, leaping up to her sister "Why didn't you set them off earlier?"

"Well, you see... we, uh... didn't want you to get caught in the blast" she explained.

"That why you didn't tell us anything until after we went in? Why didn't you say anything then?" Blake inquired.

"Well, we... uh... wanted to wait, until the, uh... right moment"

"The right moment would've been-" Weiss was cut off by Qrow's voice on their earpieces.

"You kids alright over there? Do you need any backup?"

"Nope!" Ruby popped the p as she answered "Everything is all taken care of here. Got a few good shots in before the traps went off"

"Traps?" Qrow asked.

"Yeah, they had Dust traps set up for the Grimm. What about you?" Yang asked.

"Hmm... they didn't say anything about any traps over here. In fact, they've been pretty cagey about how they repelled the attack"

"You mean it was over before you got there?" Weiss asked.

"Near enough. The soldiers were all taken care of and the Grimm were at a manageable level"

"Did you... have you seen what they are?" Blake asked hesitantly.

"Well they're definitely Chimera, no doubt about that" he answered.

"Then you haven't looked under their helmets..." Yang suppressed a gag.

"Firecracker? You sound... disturbed. Is everything alright?"

"They're dead, Qrow" Weiss answered.

"Dead? Of course they're dead, that's what happens when you kill people"

"Just... take a look beneath their helmets. You'll see what we're talking about" Ruby instructed.

"Alright, but I don't really see what... oh, god..."

"Yeah..."

"That's... wow. I'm sorry you kid's had to see this"

"What happened to those reinforcements? I thought they would've been here by now" Blake asked.

"Not sure, but I did a bit of recon on my way over. Got a bird's eye view, ya know. The Grimm seem to be coming from a cave to the north, they split off and assaulted the barricades from there. Head over there and seal it so they can't come through anymore"

"Won't they just make a new one?" Yang asked.

"Maybe, but it'll buy some time before the next attack at least. I'll meet you there... there's something I have to check out"

"Everything alright, Qrow?" Ruby asked with concern.

"It's probably nothing, don't worry. I won't be long"

"Okay, we'll meet you there"

Ruby led the way making their way through the snow covered trees and coming to a stop on a ridge overlooking the cave. All around the entrance were bodies of Atlas soldiers with scorch marks on their armor, areas of depressed snow with burnt ground beneath them. Directly in front of the cave entrance stood a single woman and an injured soldier in her grip, her Grimm arm holding him by the neck.

"Do not waste time resisting, your life ended the moment you set eyes upon me, Captain" Cinder's sinister smile sent a shiver down his spine.

"Why are you doing this? Aren't you a Huntress?"

"I am no Huntress, fool!" she hissed, her right hand igniting a flame in it's palm as she tossed him to the ground "I would have made your death quick, I detest the more brutal approaches of my... associates. But you just earned your suffering"

"Hold your gloating and get it over with" he spat.

"Not until you tell me what I want to know. Where is she?"

"Who?" Cinder's Grimm claws stabbed into his chest, earning a cry of pain from him.

"You know exactly who. Tell me, and I won't head to your little town and burn it to the ground!"

"Cinder!" Ruby's voice called as her team neared the cave.

"You..." she glared.

"Looking for me?" she asked, her expression matching the Maiden's.

"No, not you" she answered as her eyes hovered over her friends "Not this time anyway"

"You're the one behind these attacks?" Blake asked.

"The Grimm?" she asked amused "No, no, no. That is all her doing, I however came here with a more important task in mind. I'm amazed just how uninformed Ironwood really is" she laughed.

"Whatever your reason, you'll find nothing here" Weiss proclaimed.

"Damn right" Yang agreed as she shifted her stance, taking a step to her left.

"You want to dance? Fine! We'll dance!" her eyes emblazoned with an orange flare, indicating her Maiden Power had activated.

Weiss, Blake, and Yang were thrown backward by a powerful blast of fire knocking into them. Ruby looked back in concern, but was relieved to see each of them caught in a Glyph safely. She turned back just in time to block an amber blade. Twisting her left arm slightly to get an advantage, she punched Cinder across the face, surprising her. While she was caught off balance, Ruby twirled around her midsection, planting her right foot onto her left knee as she prepared to strike. With an enraged cry, she tossed Ruby aside with an elbow to her chest, throwing her backward as she rolled to a stop.

"Yang, focus on sealing the cave. Or we'll have more Grimm on top of us any second" Ruby ordered.

"Right"

"Weiss!"

"Way ahead of you" she replied as she began summoning a Lancer.

Cinder grinned as she launched a second blade upward into a jutting rock, slicing clean through it and dropping it down toward an unprepared Ruby. The rock was obliterated when Yang smashed through it with her fist. She continued past them and proceeded further into the cave, Blake taking a stance between Ruby and Cinder as the former got to her feet. Cinder charged and leapt between them, blocking a strike from Gambol Shroud on her left, then swinging for Ruby, forcing her to spin her scythe to block.

Blake swung low for her left leg but missed as Cinder lifted it just in time, slapping Crescent Rose away from her as Ruby tried to strike, stumbling her slightly. Attempting to thrust her blade into Cinder's abdomen, Blake found her wrist caught it Cinder's Grimm grip, pulling her forward and then wrenching her hand backward, flipping the Faunus onto her back as Ruby performed a downward swing onto her opponent. Cinder blocked with her blade and kicked Blake's weapon away from her. Cinder swung her blade down at Ruby, forcing her to her knees to block the strike while Blake's weapon halted on it's ribbon, flailing back toward them.

Gambol Shroud severed Cinder's Shadow Hand at the wrist causing her to cry out in agony as it painfully regrew, spreading it's way further up her arm. Weiss' Lancer crashed into her, throwing her backward into the rocks behind her. A fireball erupted from the rocks and destroyed her summon, her amber eyes glaring through the darkness of the cave as she stepped back into the light.

"Yang, how's it coming in there?!" Weiss called desperately.

"Almost done!"

Cinder unleashed an inferno from her hands toward them. Ruby and Blake leapt back behind Weiss as she formed a wall of ice between them. The ice shattered from the force but managed to extinguish the flames, enveloping them in a thick cloud of mist. There was a fireball soaring straight toward Weiss, who managed to cut through it with her Myrtenaster laced with ice Dust just before Cinder's own blade came crashing down on it. Cinder attempted to twist the blade from her hand, but Weiss spun with her movement, her hands holding Myrtenaster in form with Cinder's own.

Once Weiss held her blade at a downward angle, Cinder grabbed her by the throat with her right hand and forced her against the wall. Weiss twisted her open arm around Cinder's and then twisted under it while twisting her hand the opposite direction. With her arm trapped in hers, she locked her blade into place with a one-handed horizontal slash, her grip backwards on the handle. Blake didn't waste any time upon seeing the opening, sliding behind her and kicking Cinder's knee out from under her, forcing her down onto the opposite knee.

Cinder growled and using Weiss as a pivot point, lifted herself overhead, her heel igniting and slamming down an explosive kick between them. Blake used her Semblance to avoid the blast while Weiss blocked it with a Glyph. Seconds later, Ruby slammed both heels into Cinder's abdomen, throwing her backward just as Yang reemerged from the cave interior, close-lining her with one arm by the back of the neck and then slamming her opposite fist into her chest, crashing her into the ground.

"Yang?" Ruby asked hopeful.

"Yeah, I got it!" she fired a single round into the cave mouth, seconds later a rumbling explosion tore through it, crumbling the cave around the entrance "There were only a few supports keeping the thing in one piece. Nothing a few placed punches couldn't solve"

"Is that your solution to everything?" Weiss asked.

"Hey, it worked, right?"

With a roar of rage, Cinder burst forth from the hole in the ground panting angrily "You're... different. Stronger, somehow"

"We've been practicing" Ruby smirked.

"Practice?" Cinder mocked "There is not enough practice in the world that can match my power! I beat Ozpin!" she grinned "I am far more powerful than all of you!"

"Care to test that theory?" Qrow's voice called from behind her.

Cinder turned in surprise, just in time to be knocked away by a fist to her face, throwing her through the air. She flipped to a stop, using the flames from her heels to keep her elevated "You"

"Me" Qrow smirked "You alright?" he asked turning his head towards the injured Captain.

"I'm fine" he forced out.

Cinder was infuriated at being ignored and roared, flames emerging from her mouth "You're all nothing! Mere bacteria in the presence of a goddess!"

"Oh yeah?" Ruby asked with a smirk "I've been taught how to use my eyes, wanna preview?"

Her hand covered her abdomen suddenly, wincing in pain from the action. Cinder was filled with rage, but there was also a twinge of fear in her eyes. Was she scared of her? Ruby wondered. She didn't have long to wait before Cinder answered her question herself, voice seething with hatred.

"I don't have time for the likes of you children. You're lucky she wants you alive, or you'd already be dead! The next time we meet, it will be your last!"

Cinder turned and soared away, leaving the five Huntsmen to wonder just what she was doing there. Qrow offered a hand to Evans, helping him to his feet "That was amazing. I thought I was dead for sure before you showed up"

"What exactly happened here? You said you were coming to back us up at the barricades" the older Huntsman asked.

"Scouts reported they had been coming from this cave. We would've hit it sooner, but we wanted to be sure their numbers were thinned before we made our strike. If we'd had more time, I'd have informed you about it. Besides, it seems like you all did alright"

"What did Cinder want from you?" Weiss asked.

"Not sure, she killed my men and then started asking me questions I didn't understand"

"Like what?" Blake asked.

"Like I said, they didn't make a whole lot of sense"

"I heard her ask you about someone. She wanted to know where 'she' was, and seemed to think you would know" Yang admitted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Evans gave her a look of surprise "Heard that did you?" he quickly recovered "Yeah, she asked, but never specified who 'she' was. I don't know what she wanted, but-"

"And this has nothing to with your 'Dust traps' your men conveniently didn't know anything about?" Qrow asked.

"Uh... well, I... um..." he cleared his throat "You ask a lot of questions for a group sent to reinforce our position"

"General Ironwood also wanted to know exactly how you were so successful at repelling the attacks. Said your reports were vague"

"He's hoping our strategy could help protect Atlas" he sighed "Look, I understand your position. But there's nothing I can do for you, not without jeopardizing our position here"

"If Cinder is interested in something here, your position is already jeopardized" Blake warned.

"Look, I can't just tell you our strategy. Because if you knew, it wouldn't work anymore"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang asked.

"I've already said enough as it is. I need to get back and have these wounds dressed. You want to know more? Talk to the mayor" Evans started limping his way toward town, only stopping a short distance away from them "And, hey... thank you... for saving my life"

"It's what we do" Ruby assured.

"It's not what all Huntsmen do..." he frowned before continuing on his way.

"Is it just me, or is he hiding something?" Blake asked despite already knowing the answer.

"Oh, he's definitely hiding something. The question is: What?" Weiss frowned.

Qrow grumbled to himself "Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked.

"The tactics, the way the Grimm were defeated... it all seems familiar"

"Familiar how?" Yang asked.

"I don't know, Firecracker. But something's definitely not right here"

---

Oscar Pine stood opposite Winter Schnee in the Atlas Academy training room, Team JNPR stood off to the side, each watching them with varying degrees of excitement. The Long Memory in hand, Oscar stood with his eyes shut, shifting into his combat stance. Winter prepared her blade, matching him with her own stance.

"Focus on me, ignore outside distractions. Use your Semblance, follow my emotions"

He took a deep breath "Okay... I'm ready"

"Are you?"

"Go, Oscar!" Jaune called.

"Show her who's boss, Cute-Boy-Oz!" Nora added.

Oscar's eyebrow knit together "Are they going to be doing that the whole time?"

"The point of this exercise is to hone your skills with your Semblance. In order to do that, you must learn to ignore the emotions of your allies and focus on those of your opponent. Control your own, manipulate mine"

"I know, I know, I just... can we just start already?"

Winter snorted "When ever you are ready, boy"

Oscar went straight in, thrusting for her chest. Winter sidestepped the strike and blocked the follow up by erecting her blade completely vertical.

"Is that all you've got? I expected better"

He slid the cane back toward himself and spun low, sweeping his legs for her own. She stepped back to avoid the strike, flipping her blade over in her hand, she stabbed it into the ground and knocked him back with a spinning kick to the chest. Without waiting for him to recover, she leapt forward and swung the blade with a reverse-grip, forcing him to roll back beneath the strike.

"Ooooh!" Jaune winced.

"Whaddya doin' Oscar?! You're getting beaten by a girl!"

"Thanks, Nora" he breathed out softly.

"You're being too aggressive, letting your emotions control you, instead of controlling them" Winter ducked beneath a horizontal strike and placed her back against his.

"How am I supposed to fight without being aggressive?" he asked confused as he swung over his shoulder.

Winter rolled over his opposite shoulder and kicked his left leg out from under him, forcing him to roll into the fall to get some distance between them "You've trained with Jaune more than enough to see how someone fights defensively. You are fighting blind, but your Aura and your particular Semblance grant you sight beyond your senses. Use them"

"Jaune has a shield, of course he can defend"

"A shield can bash someone's head in as easily as a blade can deflect a strike. The use of the weapon depends on the user, not just the design. Using a weapon improperly however..."

"Yeah, yeah. Just kick her butt already!" Nora shouted.

"You're not exactly helping" Oscar called finally opening his eyes as he turned toward her.

"That's the whole poooooooint" she replied in a singsong tone.

Winter unsheathed the smaller blade from her main weapon into her open hand and closed ground with Oscar. He reversed his grip on The Long Memory and blocked both of them from behind.

"I never said the match was over, Oscar. Never turn your back on an opponent" she relented her attack "And when did I say you could open your eyes?" she lectured sternly.

"Sorry, Winter..." he mumbled out as he turned to her, looking disappointed in himself.

Her expression softened slightly "Come on, kid. Let's try again" she placed her second blade back within the first.

"Right" he closed his eyes and took a deep breath "Okay..."

Oscar slid back as she struck for him, he smacked the side of his cane against the front of her knee, dropping her down onto it. Without hesitating, Winter tossed her blade into her left hand and spun with her swing, forcing Oscar to flip backward over it. She closed on him quickly and clashed with his weapon, applying pressure on the end, forcing it to lower slightly.

"Keep your weapon raised, it's easier to drop it than raise it" she warned.

Oscar flipped forward one leg at a time, forcing Winter to relinquish control and back off. Taking advantage of his position, Oscar spun and swung for her waist forcing her to flip backward over him. He turned quickly and pressed the edge of his cane into the back of her neck with a grin on his face, his eyes snapping open.

"Ha! Got you!"

"Really?" she asked over her shoulder with a smirk.

Oscar looked down to find her blade reversed under her arm, inches away from his chest. Without hesitating, he retracted the cane and used the handle to latch onto the blade, forcing it from her hand with a triumphant look.

"Now you have no weapon!"

"And yet..." she twisted on her heel, placing her right foot beneath her own blade and the other atop the edge of his cane's pommel. With a flick of her ankle, the blade shot back into her hand, his cane flipping upward into her opposite hand as it extended "...I remain far from harmless. And now I possess both weapons" she swept his legs out from under him with his own weapon.

"Ow..." Oscar gave her a sheepish look "Best two out of three?"

She chuckled lightly "Oscar, your Semblance is extremely unique. But you need to learn to focus it. Even a superior opponent wouldn't have a chance if you could read their every move with your skills" she extended her hand toward him, tucking his cane under her arm.

He accepted it gratefully "Well, yeah. But I still don't even really know how to use it"

"You know more than you think. I may not have been using my own Semblance or any Dust based attacks, but you were able to read my movements pretty well all the same. Practice could make you unbeatable"

"You think so?"

She nodded and handed his weapon back to him "I do"

"Can I stop being annoying now?!" Nora called.

"Please" Winter called back with a soft smile "You should try talking to Ren about your Semblance. As I understand it, he may be able to give you a few pointers"

"That... sounds like a really good idea, actually"

"I do have those from time to time" Oscar gave her a strange look "What? I have jokes too. I can be funny"

"Right, yeah... you just normally aren't"

Her eyebrows knit together "I hate all of you" she grumbled.

---

Qrow and Team RWBY stood inside the Corinth Mayor's office. Before them sat at a large wooden, crescent shaped desk matching the oak colored walls. There were several papers littering his desk and the floor, boxes of untouched files sitting out in the open and on the smaller table in the corner, leaving them with nowhere to sit. Evans sat in the only open chair, his midsection now covered in bandages and his armor removed, hanging on the back of the chair. Atop the desk sat a faded label that read "Mayor Liam Radcliff"

The mayor himself was a tall man, nearly towering over Qrow in front of his desk from his seated position behind it. He had a fair complexion with short slicked back hair, a line of grey shaping his brown hair, his eyes a warm blue. He wore a bright yellow suit with a white undershirt and a matching yellow tie, it was so bright as to be considered offensive to the eyes, Yang had to force her own silence so as not to laugh at the ridiculousness of his outfit. Despite being a Faunus he had no clear defining features indicating such, at least until he opened his mouth, his sharp canine-like teeth clear to all.

"So... these are the Huntsmen who reinforced our position?"

"Yes, Sir. General Ironwood sent them to assist us" Evans answered.

"So, the General finally saw fit to send someone to help. How noble of you. I'm sure it has nothing to do with our recent success against their raids, right?"

"Our numbers are stretched thin as it is. The General is trying to help everyone, but the Grimm have been trampling through towns all across the kingdom" Qrow answered politely.

"So now you come to us for help, after standing watch while the Schnee's kicked us to the curb. Forced us to build our own society in the wild" he scoffed "Typical humans. Our scouts have been watching the Grimm for months. I warned Ironwood they were growing in strength, that Huntsmen needed to come thin their numbers, but my messages went ignored"

Weiss frowned "Messages?"

"Were they part of the reports you'd sent about the attacks?" Blake inquired.

"No, they..." he scowled "Has he not even seen my messages?!" he asked enraged.

The door to the office opened with a young woman entering, her bright blonde hair stopping just at her shoulder. She wore a beautiful white flowered dress with a pair of slate glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. She had a fluffy, brown dog tail steadily swaying from beneath her dress, the end of it curling slightly around her left leg to keep it in place as she walked, only freeing itself when she came to a stop.

"Father, you promised you wouldn't get upset. They said they're here to help" she pleaded gently, her eyes filled with concern.

He sighed "Yes, yes. You're right, my dear" he cleared his throat "Apologies. This is my daughter, Catalina"

"A pleasure" she said with a quick nod to them.

"Nice to meet you" Ruby smiled.

Radcliff snorted "Look, if you really want to help, start patrolling the area. Beyond that, I don't care what Ironwood sent you for. All you'll learn is how we look after our own, something those pompous fools up in Atlas should learn" he finished with a glare directed at Weiss.

Yang was about to respond when Qrow stopped her outburst quickly "We appreciate your time, Mr. Mayor. But there's also the matter of the men who accompanied the Grimm during this attack"

"Ah, yes. Captain Evans mentioned them when he gave his report, I understand you took care of them?"

"We did, Sir" Ruby answered politely.

"Well, then I'd hope nothing more comes of the situation, but I've learned that doesn't usually happen. Do we know who sent the soldiers?"

"We have a vague idea of who's behind them, but they weren't just merely soldiers from another kingdom or criminals like the White Fang, they were corpses someone being manipulated into fighting against us"

"Corpses?"

"That's right. We don't know how or why, but if we send one of the bodies back to Atlas, they can-"

"No"

"Excuse me?"

"We can run any necessary tests here. Ironwood doesn't need to be involved. I've had enough of human interference as it is"

"Interference? We're trying to help you" Weiss argued.

"Like your father helped us when he threw us out of our homes? Blackmailed us into selling them to his company at the lowest possible price?"

"That's not-"

"I will not have anyone interfering in our community. We've managed just fine without you, I am confidant we can continue to do so. If you insist on staying, patrol the barricades. Otherwise I want you out of my village by nightfall"

"Just because you've been successful against the Grimm before, doesn't mean you're prepared for them again. They'll attack in larger numbers next time, and if they have those thugs-"

"I have made my decision" he stated firmly.

Qrow sighed "Alright, I hear you"

"Hang on!" Yang exclaimed, getting their attention "You're kicking us out? There's an army of Grimm out there! You need our help. You can't possibly think you can take all of them without reinforcements"

He glared at her "Humans, always thinking they know what's best for us" he hissed "Your kind always believes you have all the answers, that you know what's best for everyone. I have allowed your presence here as a courtesy to the Council, but they hold no authority over us. I want you out of my village. Today"

Qrow frowned "Excuse her, Mr. Mayor. We'll be sure to get out of your hair. It's obvious you have the situation under control"

"But-"

"Yang" Qrow said in a warning tone. She clenched her teeth and averted her eyes, clearly angry with the outcome.

He nodded "Good. The sooner you're gone, the better. Captain Evans. I'd like to go over our defense strategy one more time"

Evans stood from his seat "Of course, Mayor Radcliff"

"Catalina, please see our guests out" he instructed.

"It'd be my pleasure, father" she said eyeing them with disdain.

"Are we really going to just abandon them?" Blake whispered to Ruby.

"I don't know, this isn't like Qrow at all" she replied.

"Let's just go. We're just going to make him more upset by sticking around" Weiss suggested.

Catalina led them out into the hall from his office, then opened a door to the right of her, motioning for them to follow "That's not the way we came in was it?" Ruby asked.

"No it isn't" Blake answered with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Please, just follow me" Catalina instructed.

The group shared a look between them, Qrow shrugged and led them inside. It was a small conference room with a circular table in the center and chairs all around. She left the lights off and made sure to lock the doors behind her. Yang eyed her suspiciously as she shifted her stance, Ember Celica opening up as she did "Easy, Firecracker" Qrow warned.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Qrow. How can we just abandon these people so easily? I don't understand-"

"What you don't understand is that I'm in charge here, Yang. I make the calls, you follow them"

"But-"

"Please, you can't leave. We need your help" Catalina begged.

"Our help? You were just trying to kick us out two seconds ago!" Blake pointed out.

"I know, but that was just to keep up appearances with my father. He-" She seemed hesitant to answer "You're really here to help, right? That's why Ironwood sent you? Not to take advantage of us again?"

"Again?" Weiss asked "You mean when my..." she frowned "When my family's company kicked you out"

She shook her head "No, it was..." she looked around nervously "The last time a Huntress came into our town, she forced us to give her tribute in return for her protection"

Yang's eyes narrowed "Tribute? What kind of tribute?"

"Anything. Money, weapons, jewelry, food" she listed off "At first I was worried she wouldn't hold the Grimm back, but she's been keeping to her word... all the while bleeding us dry of our dwindling resources"

"Why hasn't this been reported to Ironwood?" Ruby asked "I'm sure if he knew, he'd do something about it"

"People here don't trust Ironwood, to us, he's just another human who doesn't care about us" she admitted "Even if we did trust him, she threatened to let the Grimm overwhelm us if we reported her presence to Ironwood. She wouldn't even give us her name"

"Cinder must be pretty desperate to resort to blackmail when she could easily steal what she needs" Blake concluded.

"Cinder?" Catalina asked.

"That's the name of the woman who attacked Captain Evans, and she wasn't a Huntress" Qrow explained.

"The..." Catalina shook her head quickly "Did you see her?"

"Yeah, she tried to kill us" Yang answered "She can control the Grimm, that's probably how she's been keeping them away from the town"

"Control them? But that's not-" she paused "The Huntress always fought them off on her own, she didn't just keep them from attacking"

"Then Cinder really isn't behind these attacks?"

"I... I don't know. All I know is the Huntress I speak of has been keeping to the Ruins of Asphodel to the east, in the mountains. The Grimm haven't been going over there, not until recently. She only comes down to fight off the Grimm and collect tribute from us"

"Asphodel, huh?" Qrow rubbed his chest thoughtfully "As I understand it, that ruin has been picked clean for centuries, back when the kingdom was still called Mantle. What could she possibly want there?"

"Shelter? It sounds to me this woman is on the run, not working for Ironwood" Blake suggested.

"Then... Ironwood didn't send her?" Catalina asked.

"General Ironwood hasn't sent anyone out here before us that we know of. If there's someone out here, she's taking advantage of you in return for protection. That's not how we do things" Yang argued.

"We help because it's the right thing to do, not for money or power" Weiss added.

"That's right!" Ruby nodded "Whoever this woman is, she's no Huntress"

"Then... could the Grimm be looking for her there? Are they even smart enough to look on their own?" she asked.

"Unlikely, but as we said, we know someone who can control them. It's possible she's sending them in to find this mystery woman... and if she's interested in finding her... I have an idea of who it might be" Qrow answered.

The others looked to him "The Winter Maid-mph!" Ruby's mouth was covered by Weiss and Yang quickly.

"That's classified, Ruby. We shouldn't be talking about that with just anyone" Weiss hissed.

"Classified?" Catalina asked.

"Oh nothing!" Yang waved off nervously "Don't worry about it, it's unrelated to the Grimm attacks"

Catalina huffed "Guess I'll take your word for it" she turned back to Qrow "Look, I'm not supposed to say anything to you about it. If she knew we talked to you-"

"She'd raze the town, yeah" Qrow sighed "It makes sense why everyone's been so tightlipped about how you've been so successful against the Grimm. Still, to be able to handle an entire Grimm army on her own for this long is impressive"

"Doesn't matter, we're still leaving. right, Qrow?" Yang asked with a glare.

"Oh we're leaving. That being said, we're not going back to Atlas until we know who this woman taking advantage of you has been handled"

Her eyes widened in surprise "What?"

"What? People are in danger here, Yang. We can't just turn our backs on them"

"But that's what I said before!"

"I know"

"So it's okay when you do something to piss off the Mayor, but not when I do it?"

He smirked "I told him we would leave, but I never said we'd be leaving before nightfall, or that we wouldn't finish our mission first"

"Then you always intended for us to help out?"

"Of course"

Yang smiled "Real sly, Uncle Qrow"

"We should do whatever we're going to do quickly, or we risk angering the Mayor" Ruby suggested.

"Whatever you do, don't let it get back to us, okay? I just want to make sure we don't starve before the winter is over. We can run from the Grimm, but we can't get far without any food"

Qrow nodded in understanding "I'll let Ironwood know about the shortage here, might be able to talk him into sending a shipment of supplies. Either way, we're going to have to track down that 'Huntress' hiding in the mountains. Hopefully I can sneak one of the bodies aboard our ship when we 'leave' so we can analyze it back at the Academy-"

Qrow turned to the nearby window and narrowed his eyes, a clump of snow falling from a branch visible through it "Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked.

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing" he assured her with a pat on the head "Thank you for trusting us with this. We'll do what we can to help"

"Thank you. I don't know what we would've done if you hadn't come out here. My father has been trying to get Ironwood to help us for months now"

"Yeah, that's something I'll be bringing up to the big man. If he's been ignoring this place, I want to know why"

"I wanna be there for that" Yang punched her open palm with her metal hand.

"No, the four of you are going to head out toward the ruins immediately. We don't want to give the Grimm a chance to get to her first. I'll catch up with you like usual"

"Just don't take too long this time, old man" Ruby shot back with a mischievous smile.

"Old man? I'll have you know I-ah what's the point" he waved her off "Get going already"

---

"AAAAAUUURGHH!"

"Ah, ah, ah. No falling asleep on me now" Salem wagged her finger.

Focus, don't let her win Elise's voice echoed.

Slade was chained to a table in the center of a dark circular room, only lit by the dim candles around the outer edges. To his left sat a large cage, filled to the brim with Apathy, steadily draining him of the will to keep himself awake, making each moment more difficult than the last. His eyes slowly began to close, then pain surged through his body as a stream of energy struck him in the chest, causing him to cry out in agony once again.

"I said no sleeping" she placed her hand onto his face, forcing his eye open with two fingers "Now, I want you to tell me again. Are you here to steal secrets for Ironwood? Are you trying to spy on me?"

Slade's eye was glazed over, his voice bored as he answered "Why bother? I just want to sleep"

"You can sleep all you like once you've answered my questions. Are you here to spy on me for Ironwood?"

Focus on the sound of my voice. Don't let her break you, you can do this. No, you're not spying for Ironwood

"No..." he forced out.

"Don't lie to me, I want the truth"

You're not lying, just tied. Focus, Slade. You're not lying

"I'm so tired..."

Salem hit him with another blast of energy to keep him awake "I said stop lying! Tell me what I want to know! Why are you here?!"

Yang

The word echoed in his mind as he tried to focus, but no matter how he tried, he just couldn't bring himself to care about answering her questions or even being honest. He just wanted to sleep, nothing else mattered to him. The screeching from the Grimm was drowned out by his incessant need to rest. Even his sister's voice couldn't be heard over the constant desire.

Yang

"Answer me!" Salem shouted.

Yang!

"Yang..." he finally answered.

Salem looked him in the eye, searching for any sign he was resisting the affect of the Apathy. With a satisfied nod, she released Slade from his chains. With a flick of her wrist, the cage lowered into a hole in the ground, sealing behind it. The chains binding him to the table came undone seconds later, but he remained motionless, his eyes glazed over from the Apathy. After a few moments, Salem pushed him off the side of the table. With a loud thud, he connected with the floor, springing upward as he broke from his trance.

"Woah!" he blinked twice to clear the fog from his eyes "That was horrible" he shuddered.

"Would've been easier to just let me into your brain, Slade. But I know how you like your privacy" she smiled "But at least now I know for certain you're not using me for information. No one can resist the Apathy's effects"

"No one would care to. It's kind of in the name"

She snorted "I assume I should get used to these witty remarks from now on?"

"You assume correctly"

She huffed "Well, if you're going to work for me, there are a few things you should know"

"You're no fun at parties?"

"And you're not very funny" she smirked "First off, you're going to be working very closely with Mr. Wolf. He seems to at least like you enough, and considering your last experience with Tyrian and Hazel, well..."

"I would appreciate having to endure that maniac's presence as little as possible"

"I am certain he feels the same. Regardless, you won't be hunting Huntsmen, so your combat skills won't be-" she stopped suddenly "Report"

"Uh, hello?" he waved his hand in front of her.

"Await my arrival" she looked to Slade unamused, pushing his hand away from her "Go get yourself cleaned up, then report to me. I am certain you will be kept busy"

"I was afraid you were going to say that"

Salem offered a sly smile "Make sure you don't go sightseeing. You won't like what you find"

"Afraid I might see something you don't want me to?" he asked.

"More like you'll be torn apart by the Grimm waiting for you out there" she turned on her heel and exited the room quickly.

It wasn't long before she'd arrived back in her meeting chamber and found Wolf, Hunter and Cole waiting for her. Between them sat a portly man with his hands bound behind his back, shaking in fear at the sight of her. She grinned at the sight and took in the appearance of the others. Hunter had blood covering his blade, dripping down the front to the ground and a streak of it on his left cheek, while Cole remained mostly clean, only the patches of dirt on his robes. But then there was the third, he was almost completely covered from head to toe, his arm's crossed and his foot tapping impatiently.

"I see you have finally located Mr. Sutton"

"Please, I'll give you anything you want-" a swift kick to his head silenced him.

"Speak only when spoken to, Grull" his synthesized voice hissed.

"Not that I'm complaining, but won't killing so many of his men leave us with less to gain?" Hunter asked.

"Have you not been paying attention at all, you idiot?" Cole asked.

"Huh? The heck is that supposed to mean!?"

"It means-"

"Silence" Salem interjected "The both of you may see yourselves out. Mr. Wolf and I have some business to discuss with Mr. Sutton"

"Of course" Cole gave a small bow and left without another word.

"Man, you always know how to take the fun out of everything" Hunter griped as he followed behind.

Salem waited for them to leave before looking back at her prisoner "Now, I believe you have something I want"

"Anything! I'll give you anything!"

"Good" she wore a sinister smile "I want access to the frequency you use to control your soldiers, I want them to serve me"

"Of course, I'll do it! Just promise you won't kill me" he begged.

She gave him a firm nod "You have my word"

The man was freed from his bindings and given a Scroll, after a few moments of him tapping on the screen, he handed it back "There, now all you need to do is switch their frequency to yours in person, and they'll listen to you without question"

"Good, then we don't need you anymore" Wolf removed his pistol from his shoulder and pointed it at the man.

"Wait, no. You gave your word!" he begged looking to Salem.

"And she is keeping it, I however, have given no such assurances" with a single shot, the man slumped to the ground.

Salem smiled "Just one more mess that needs to be cleaned up"

"I'll get my men to subdue Sutton's and bring them in. Once they've been integrated with our own forces, we'll be clear to move onto the next phase"

"Does that mean it works?" she asked.

"I already have some of our first prototypes in the field, Ma'am. I am certain they will prove successful"

"But you've tested them?"

"Of course, but this is a field test. Initial results indicate they're more effective with our enhancements, higher brain functions, stronger attacks, faster reaction time"

"But they will still listen to my commands?" she asked.

"As far as we can tell, it will not be an issue, but we've installed the chip just in case"

"Good, the last thing I need is more insubordination"

"You refer to Cinder?"

Salem nodded "Has Emerald reported back on her whereabouts?"

"Her last report seemed to indicate Cinder has mostly recovered from her wounds and is already on the move. She's headed north, toward Corinth"

Salem's face split into a grin "Corinth? How very interesting" she strode forward and made it to her throne, her fingers tracing the cracks in it "So it is her..."

"Ma'am" he stepped forward "I already have our prototypes on the hunt as we speak"

"Good. What about-" she paused "-Our operative?" she said carefully.

"Operational, as ordered"

"Glad to hear it. I was worried you'd been overzealous"

"I only do as the mission requires"

"Hmmm... Recall Emerald immediately, her presence will no longer be required"

"Ma'am?" he asked confused.

"Cinder knows what will happen if she goes against me now. We need to move forward to the next phase quickly. The longer we wait, the longer Ironwood has to sniff out our plan"

"Of course..." he remained unmoving as she took her place on her throne.

"Was there something else?" she asked pointedly.

"I... did he-" he stumbled over his words.

"Slade has passed my little test, yes. I have determined his sincerity and will allow him to work with us. But be sure to keep things close to the chest for now. He's proven resourceful in the past, I don't want any surprises, not now"

"I understand... but do you really think he could resist the Apathy?" he asked.

"No, but that doesn't mean I trust him. He's very good at acting a part, even when that part goes against his nature"

"What would you have me do with him?" he asked.

"For now, take him back to your base. But make sure he is never left unguarded. He is not to learn of it's location until he is deemed trustworthy"

"I understand"

---

"Argh!" Ironwood's fist came down on his desk, a resounding thud echoing through the empty room "How can he be so selfish? I send you to reinforce their position and Radcliff kicks you out after you drive back the Grimm? What is he playing at?"

Qrow sighed "His daughter has been more forthcoming. She said a Huntress came to the village and started demanding things from them in exchange for protection. Money, food, weapons, whatever she can get her hands on"

"Huntress? Did they give a name?"

"No, said she never gave it. She's worried about the town starving to death before the Grimm have the chance to do them in. If she takes all their food and hangs them out to dry..."

"They'll starve before then can reach Atlas or we can reach them" Ironwood sighed "A desperate position. I'll send a shipment of food, water, and medical supplies first thing in the morning. Along with extra security personnel to assist in the village's defense"

"Thank you. I'm sure they'll appreciate it"

"Have you been able to learn anything more about our 'Huntress'?"

Qrow shook his head "Nothing solid, but..."

"Qrow? What is it?"

"Chimera was working with the Grimm, fighting alongside them"

"Alongside them? They're able to fight with the Grimm?"

"They weren't alive, just corpses being controlled somehow. I've managed to sneak one of the bodies out from the morgue, but it won't be long until they notice. I'm sending the Bullhead back before I head out. Hopefully, they'll think we took off"

Ironwood nodded "I'll have Pietro and Penny prep the lab for analysis the moment it arrives"

"Good. Whatever is controlling those things needs to be discovered and fast. I'd recommend starting with the brain. Kids said it was the only way to stop them from getting back up"

"I'll forward the recommendation with the order. Thank you, Qrow. This is a big help"

He shook his head "Unfortunately that's all the good news I have at the moment. Cinder was here too, looking for our mystery Huntress"

"Cinder? So Salem is interested in something out there. Maybe even the same thing we are" his face became stern "I want you to find that Huntress, yesterday"

"James, we're gonna do what we can. But there's something more important-"

Ironwood pressed two fingers to his ear "Yes? Now? What does she want?

"James?"

Ironwood sighed in exasperation "Send her in, I'll see what I can do. Thank you, Penny"

"James!"

"Sorry, Qrow. I'm going to have to cut this short"

"But there's-"

"Whatever it is, it'll have to wait for now. I have a problem of my own to handle right now"

"James, R-" he was cut off when Ironwood ended the call just as his office door slid open.

"Just what game are you playing at, James? First your ridiculous embargo cripples my company, then you enlist the help of a known criminal to work for you, make him a Huntsman, and now I hear he's being branded a traitor after an attempted prison break from Tartarus?"

"Willow, always a pleasure" he drawled.

"Don't play stupid with me, James. When the Council hears about this-"

"They're the ones who voted against him, the only reason he's been branded a traitor" he cut in "However, as the attempted murder of Professor Arthur Watts and the homicide committed within Tartarus' walls on former Councilwoman Amaranth McLaren are ongoing investigations, I'm afraid you don't have the clearance to know more. Only members of the Council are allowed access to that information"

"My husband-"

"Is doing his job by keeping classified information out of your hands. Now, I've allowed you into my office today as a courtesy given our friendship. But I'm a busy man, do not barge into my Academy again without permission or I will have you thrown in a holding cell"

"You seem to be forgetting what friendship truly means, James. I have ways to get what I want in this city, and you-"

"Don't take kindly to threats. I advise you watch your tone with me, Willow"

"How dare you speak to me that way! Why I ought to-"

"Ought to what?" his eyes narrowed.

Willow growled "This isn't over, James. I know you're doing this on purpose, and when I find evidence against you, I'll take it straight to the Council!"

"Please do, I look forward to seeing what you find" he offered with a confident smile "Now, I've already indulged you long enough. I trust you can see yourself out"

"Bah" she turned on her heel "What Winter ever saw in you, I'll never know" she added just before exiting.

Ironwood sat in his office with a deep frown on his face, his iron fingers tapping the surface of it. There was a low chime from his Scroll, he brought it up and looked down at the message displayed on it's screen. He stared at it for a long time, not recognizing the source. At first glance, it was a technical report, instructions on how to manage a particular rifle, but it was accompanied by a two numbers. His Scroll should've been unreachable for something like this, no one who didn't know how to contact him directly could've sent this. After a moment he had a thought, removing a pen and paper from his desk drawer, he used the first number as a page number and the second as a line, then used the first letter of each word starting each sentence, forming a message out of them.

His lips upturned into a small smile, his fingers pressing to his ears once more "Penny, see to it Mrs. Schnee doesn't sightsee on her way out, please"

"Yes, Sir!"

He placed the Scroll back into his pocket, his smile never leaving as he opened a file on the holographic screen to his left. He struck the message through with the pen several times to make it unreadable, then tore it to shreds. Collecting the pieces in his hand, he tossed them into a bin beneath his desk. The next few minutes remained uninterrupted, his thoughts lingering on the short two-worded message he'd recieved.

I'm in

---

The sun was setting over the high mountains and the dense forest surrounding them, the snow covering both in a thick sheet of ice, the orange tint in the sky reflecting brightly "All I'm saying, is maybe you could try a new look" Weiss offered as she emerged from the broken ruins into an open area "A haircut probably wouldn't be a bad idea"

"What's wrong with my hair now?" Blake asked offended.

"Nothing!" she replied quickly "But you said you wanted to surprise Sun next time you see him, so why not something simple, like your hair?"

"But I like my hair"

"Ugh" she groaned "How can I be more clear about this? If you want to change things up, then change things up! Your hair can always grow back"

"Hey, don't look at me. I never cut my hair if I don't have to" Yang shrugged.

"Shh!" Ruby had her index finger in front of her mouth "We're trying to sneak here. Besides, Blake's hair would look amazing with a few inches cut off"

"That's what I've been saying!" Weiss exclaimed, Blake rubbed her closed eyes in mild frustration.

"Do you see anything?" Yang asked getting beside Ruby as she looked through her scope.

"Not yet, just a couple of-wait... there!" she pointed "I found the stash"

"Stash?" Blake asked.

"It's all the supplies from the town. Just like Catalina said" Weiss answered.

Yang frowned "It's all here... even the food is almost completely untouched... why would anyone need this much food for one person?"

"It doesn't make sense. It'd go bad long before they could eat all of this" Blake pointed out.

"Then why-" Ruby turned when she heard a distinctly familiar sound behind her "Grimm" she warned.

Moments later a Beowolf leapt into the open with a few following behind it. The Alpha was different than usual, it had a metal plate attached to the center of it's forehead "Briiiight Eyeeee" it hissed looking straight at Ruby.

"Uh... guys... am I crazy or did that Grimm just talk?"

"Kyyyl!" it practically screamed as it leapt toward her.

Ruby fired Crescent Rose for it's chest, but the beast embedded it's claws in the ground and pushed itself to the right out of the way. Weiss charged forward and swung at the beast only for it to catch her blade in it's teeth.

"What the?"

She was knocked aside when Blake tackled her out of the way from it's claws, seconds later Yang slammed her fist into it's face. As the Alpha was knocked back, it retaliated with it's own strike, throwing Yang with a slice of it's claws, her Aura barely managing to reflect the damage in time.

"Guys, whatever's been done to that thing has made it faster, or smarter" Weiss warned.

"Yeah, I noticed" Yang groaned.

"Then I'll just have to outsmart it" Ruby smirked as she fired into the Beowolf beside it, the head popping clean off from the blast.

Blake charged forward using her Semblance to avoid a strike for her and appearing behind it, slicing for it's knees. The beast leapt over the strike and kicked her in the face, turning just in time for Ruby's Semblance to slam right into it's chest, then slicing right through it's neck with Crescent Rose.

"Ruby, look out behind you!" Yang called.

The other Beowolves were charging only to find themselves trapped in Glyphs created by Weiss, followed by explosions tearing through them. They quickly checked the rest of the area for more Grimm but were surprised when the found none waiting for them.

"What the heck was that?" Blake asked as she approached the beast, it's head vanishing with the rest of it. Only the metal plate left behind, along with what looked to be some kind of probe on the bottom of it, a red blinking light on it.

"I don't know, but whatever this is, it can't be good. What if there's more out there?" Weiss asked.

"We need to warn Qrow, in case he runs into trouble" Ruby suggested as she removed her Scroll from her pocket.

"Right, whoever took all these supplies isn't here anymore" Yang concluded.

Ruby frowned "Qrow's out of range of our earpieces... and he's not answering his Scroll"

"That's unlike him. He's not usually happy to leave us on our own out here" Yang wore a look of concern "Can we track him?"

"Not all the way out here" Weiss answered "We could call Ironwood, see if he can locate him"

"Works for me"

"I'm on it" Ruby dialed quickly, it only took a few moments for his face to appear on the screen.

"You have fantastic timing, you just got me out of a meeting with the Council-" he stopped when he noticed her expression "What's wrong?"

"We can't get in touch with Qrow and we don't know where he is. He said he'd catch up with us, but..."

"Hmm" Ironwood frowned "I'll have Penny track his Scroll and send you the location immediately. He was trying to tell me something when we last spoke, but I was pressed for time and couldn't wait. Did you find the Huntress you were looking for?"

"Not yet, General. But we found where she's been hiding, and something worse"

"Worse?"

"There was a Grimm with this on it's head" Blake answered holding up the tech in question.

"That? Why?"

"We're not entirely sure yet, but the Grimm wearing it... talked" Ruby stated.

"Talked?" he asked shocked.

"Yes" Yang nodded "It was smarter than most Grimm, even the Alphas. It dodged our attacks and planned counterattacks too... it didn't seem to like Ruby at all"

"A byproduct of her eyes I imagine" Ironwood nodded "Alright, keep that thing on you and bring it back safely to Atlas for analysis. I'll get Penny on locating Qrow right away"

"Thank you, General" Weiss said in relief.

"No, thank you. You've all been a tremendous help, I don't know what I'd do without all of you"

"We're just happy to help"

He gave a warm smile "Then I will endeavor to help you in return as much as I can. Stay safe out there, I'll be in touch"

---

A hooded figure moved silently through the rocky path splitting the mountains, the ice made it hard to stand firmly, so the figure took careful steps through the path. Once through to the end, the figured stopped and took a moment to look around. The sun had barely a sliver left over the horizon from behind. The figure's hand drifted down to the sword attached at their hip.

"I should've expected you'd be the one to find me so quickly. Not exactly who I was hoping for though" the figured turned and removed the hood covering their face with the opposite hand "Qrow"

"Raven"

"Come to finally arrest me? Or are we past that now?"

"You mean am I here to kill you?"

Her lips upturned "You think you can?" she snorted "We were evenly matched before I became a Maiden, what makes you think you have a chance now?"

"Please, Raven. I was always better than you" he smirked.

"Tell yourself whatever lies you like, Qrow. But you won't be winning this fight. I am far more powerful than you now"

"I have questions that you're gonna answer for me"

"No, I'm not. You're not the one I want"

"Who then? Yang? Or have you grown past her too?"

Raven frowned "Do not presume to know my intentions with my daughter, and do not presume to know my feelings on the matter, Brother"

"I think you showed your feelings well enough when you dropped her in Tai's lap and let Summer do your job for you, Sister" he scathed.

"Let's get this over with, then" she unsheathed Omen.

"Don't forced my hand-"

Raven moved faster than he'd anticipated and clashed her blade with Harbinger as he stepped back and deflected the strike. He leaned back under the second swing and leapt back as she spun, a third swing forming out of the second. They traded blows back and forth, neither of them gaining the advantage for long, until Raven caught his wrist and pulled him toward her, smacking the hilt of her blade into his nose, flipping him head over heels backward. He transformed into his Corvid form and twirled around her, returning to human form as he kicked her in the back, knocking her forward, she rolled into the fall and stood upright once more.

Using her speed, she continued her onslaught, forcing Qrow onto his knees. Harbinger's blade suddenly curved as they clashed, Raven twirled Omen in her hand and knocked his weapon away from her, leaping back to get some distance. Qrow straightened the blade and thrust toward her, but she deflected as he neared, forcing his back to her. She performed a horizontal slice to his back, but he managed to duck beneath it just in time. Raven shifted to her own Corvid form to avoid his newly formed scythe from striking her behind his back. Returning to human form, she landed on the blade of his scythe and delivered a powerful kick to his side, knocking him back.

Omen was suddenly coated in ice "Enough games" she spat as her eyes emblazoned red.

"Finally getting serious then?" he stood to his feet "Fine, then I will too"

Raven spun on her heel and the ground cracked, causing her heel to get caught. She growled and created a fire blast from her heel to free herself "You and your damned Semblance"

"It does come in handy sometimes" he smirked.

Raven scoffed "It won't make a difference!" she leapt toward him with her blade primed to strike.

Ruby made her way up the ridge looking down the path down the center of the mountains "There, I see him!" she called back.

"Is he okay?" Blake called as she rushed to her side "Oh no..."

"Mom..." Yang breathed out in shock from behind her.

"They're fighting" Weiss pointed out "We need to help him, come on!"

Raven struck madly as Qrow expertly blocked or deflected each strike with his scythe. She swung for his left and her blade collided with the rock wall, the room between them barely big enough for Harbinger anymore. Raven continued to swing, her blade catching the edge of the rock wall on each side of her as she went angrily. Qrow's weapon got caught on the wall to his left, but swinging back right freed it and knocked into Omen's blade, now coated in fire. He forced her back, keeping her at arm's length with his weapon. Raven twisted her blade downward and then swung for his head. Qrow rolled beneath the strike, barely getting past her as the pathway opened up to the side of the mountain.

Raven impaled her blade into the ground as he rolled out of the way, the fire cutting through the rock with ease. He caught her next strike beneath the blade of his scythe and then smacked the handle into her face, stumbling her backward as her Aura sparked. She growled in anger as she reformed her steps, launching a fireball from her hand. Qrow caught it with the curved blade and spun around, launching it back at her. She extinguished it with the ice forming in her hand, she was impressed.

"You're better than I remember, maybe even better than me"

"Told you" he smirked.

"But your still not a Maiden"

Raven struck for his left side, forcing him to block it as his weapon shifted into it's straightened blade once more. Using this opportunity, she slammed her fist into his face, stumbling him slightly as his Aura sparked from the strike. Unrelenting, she moved for another strike catching his blade as he managed to keep the advantage in their clash. She unleashed a bolt of lightning from her right hand, knocking him on his back. Planting her hand onto the ground, she trapped him in a small hole just big enough for him, manipulating the earth beneath him.

"I told you, I'm more powerful than you"

"Stop!" Yang called as she approached with her team.

"It seems we have an interruption" she froze over the hole with ice, her eyes returning to normal as she turned toward them "So, Yang... you came after all"

"Mom... what are you doing?" she asked angrily "Let him go!"

"I am opening your eyes to the truth" she answered, her eyes lingering on Ruby "I see you brought the rest of your team with you. Reminds me of the old days"

"Before you left" Yang glared.

"Raven, please. No one else has to get hurt over this" Ruby said.

"You know, you are so much like your mother it's almost frightening... like she never left" there was a pain in her voice, the sorrow of loss heavy with each word "But you're not her, not even close. She was stronger than you"

"What do you know?! You don't even know Ruby!" Yang shouted back.

"I know her better than you think"

"By watching from afar? How's that worked for you so far?" Weiss asked.

"Running away only works for so long, Raven. At some point, someone always catches up to you" Blake warned.

"Look around you, all of you. What do you see? Beacon in flames, hundreds, thousands, millions dead! Ironwood a nervous wreck, relying on mere children to do all the work for him, and you? You all just blindly follow along"

"We follow him out of respect, and loyalty to a cause. Not out of blindness" Yang seethed "Something you'd know nothing about"

"I was loyal! Loyal to Ozpin, loyal to my team! My clan! You pretend to know me, but you know nothing!"

"How could I? You abandoned me!"

"I protected you!"

"By running away?! How the hell did that protect me from anything!"

"I know things about Salem you can't even imagine! I've seen-"

"We know everything"

Raven stopped at Ruby's words "You... what?"

"We used the lamp" Blake added "We were told everything Ozpin was hiding from us"

Raven stared in bewilderment, unable to process what she'd just heard "Everything..."

"We know Salem can't die, we know how she became what she is, what'll happen if she gets her hands on the Relics" Weiss explained.

"You asked the Relic?"

Yang smirked "Yeah, just like you said. Question everything"

Raven smiled "That makes things so much easier, Yang. Surely now you understand why I left it all behind"

"Salem wasn't the only thing you left behind" she snapped.

"Take a moment and listen to yourself, I-"

Qrow suddenly broke through the ice holding him beneath the earth, landing just behind Raven with his weapon ready "Raven" he snarled.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby smiled, relieved to see him alright.

Raven groaned "You're always getting in the way. Can't you see we'll all end up dead if we fight Salem!"

"We're dead anyway if we let her win" Qrow argued.

"Why? Because Ozpin says so?"

"Because the lamp showed us" Yang answered.

Raven seemed to stiffen "What exactly did you ask?"

"We wanted to know what Ozpin was hiding from us, so we asked... and we saw it all, just like we said... even Salem's end goal"

"Which is?"

"She wants the Relics, if she can unite them all, the Brothers will return"

Raven furrowed her brow "She hates them, why would she want to summon them back"

"Hates them? How do you know she hates them?"

"Because she told me... when I fought her"

"You... fought Salem?" Qrow asked shocked.

"I told you she couldn't be defeated... now you know why"

"Then why do all of this? Why take from these people? Why protect them from the Grimm at all if nothing matters?" Yang asked.

Raven fixed her with an annoyed look "To show you how easy it is. People will accept anything when they're afraid, it'll be no different when Salem comes. She'll just terrify everyone into submission... or kill them if they resist, just like she always has"

Ruby shook her head "No, we're stronger than that. We can do what's right to make the world better, we can stop Salem-"

"And how's that worked for you so far, hm? Beacon in flames? Atlas crumbling by the day? The dead raised from the grave to hunt you down? When will you all grow up?!"

"They already have, Raven... they just left you behind"

She growled "You don't know anything, Qrow. I'm the one who saw the truth, I'm the one who saw what happens when we resist, and I'm the one who saw what happens when she wins. Better to live the life I want than the one Ozpin wanted for me"

"Just because we're the ones fighting against her, not following your path, doesn't mean we don't understand the stakes, the risks we're taking... but giving up?" Weiss shook her head.

"It's not an option" Blake agreed.

"We can work together and stop Salem's plans, just like we stopped Cinder at Haven" Ruby tried.

Raven scoffed "Funny, I remember Haven differently" she turned to Qrow "I remember being the one to stop Cinder, I remember opening the vault and letting you take the Relic"

"Only because you were too much of a coward to keep it for yourself, knowing Salem would come for you" Yang shot back.

"Raven, please. I know we can stop Salem, but it'd be a lot easier if you were working with us" Ruby offered her hand to her.

Raven turned back to her looking down at her hand, a look of sorrow passing over her features... grief even "Your mother said the very same thing to me... just before she died"

"What?" Qrow asked in shock.

"You... you know how she died?" Ruby asked.

"I was there. I watched it happen... and I couldn't stop it... I was weak, but not anymore!" she wiped a single tear from her eye "This won't be the last time we see each other, but next time?" her expression hardened "Be prepared for a fight"

Raven transformed into Corvid form and soared away "Raven, wait!" Qrow called but chose not to chase after her.

"Ruby..." Yang put her hands on her shoulders. Her sister crashed into her, letting her tears flow freely.

"Shh... it's okay, I'm right here" Yang rubbed her back soothingly.

Qrow looked to them with a frown then followed the path Raven had gone, further into Grimm held territory. Where she knew they wouldn't be able to follow her. He sighed and turned back to them "We should get back, those villagers are gonna want to know what happened"

"They'll be wanting their stuff back too" Blake pointed out.

"That's right, we found Raven's stash of their food and equipment. Maybe we can help get it back to them?" Weiss offered.

Qrow allowed himself a small smile "I'm sure they'd appreciate it"

"Even from a Schnee?"

"Even, from a Schnee"

---

Wolf stood watching through the glass, his expression unreadable from under his helmet. Slade approached from behind, his armor pristine now, his weapon fully loaded in it's holster, his eyes wide in both shock and disgust. It was like an assembly line, two traveling right through the room before him each serving a different function.

"What. The. Hell..."

On one side of the room, there sat a pile of corpses six feet high, each body being placed on the conveyor and moved town the line, something being implanted into their head and then moved out of the room. But at the beginning of the line, followed a trail of people strapped to the line completely helpless screaming for someone, anyone to help them, but he could only hear faint shouts through the thick glass. Soon they followed behind the bodies, being implanted with a strange technology and then moved along, none of them screamed once the procedure was done, none of them showed any feeling at all in fact.

"Disgusting isn't it?" Wolf asked.

"I think I'm gonna be sick" Slade covered his mouth as he backed away.

The second conveyor in the room had Grimm being passed down it, each of varying types and sizes, all of them Alpha variants. Each of them were fitted with a metal plate relative to the size of the Grimm and then passed down the line, none of them fought the machines, simply accepting what was being done to them. Wolf turned to Slade, crossing his arms over his chest.

"This is the kind of thing Salem is capable of"

"You mean this wasn't your idea?" he asked.

"No, I'd sooner burn this place to the ground... the atrocities committed here..." he shuddered "I may no longer be capable of throwing up, but trust me, I am sickened by this as much as you are"

"Not capable?" he asked.

"The chip controls every action of the one's implanted with it, makes you follow orders you wouldn't normally, but there's a catch"

"What's that?"

"The chip only exerts control on need, if you choose to follow the orders, then you receive no... stimulation. However if you do not, the chip forces you, with varying degrees of pain involved. However the more control the chip exerts, the less effective the operative. That's why she doesn't implant them in anyone she doesn't consider expendable"

"Which doesn't include you then?"

He snorted "The chip was invented long before Salem possessed it... Chimera created it and used it on me"

"Why?" Slade asked.

"Because I was too unpredictable, and that scared them. I still only possess the original prototype, so my control is not absolute, I can worm my way around nonspecific orders or indirect requests... the others however... they don't have a choice. They either do as their told, or they're forced"

"And if someone resists beyond what control the chip can exert?"

He shook his head "Their brain fries"

"Charming"

"Not really"

"So am I next for this procedure?" he asked his hand hovering over his weapon.

"Salem has made no such demand, and considering what you have in your head. I imagine she believes you're not worth the risk of losing the information you possess"

"Lucky me"

"Indeed. The powerlessness I feel everyday is... infuriating"

"Then you don't serve Salem willingly?"

"I did at first, I wanted revenge on Chimera for what it did to me, wanted to rid the world of their filth... maybe reshape them into something better... but Salem used me just like everyone else. Just like Chimera, and just like Ironwood..."

"Ironwood?"

Wolf turned "I was a Huntsman once, worked directly for Ironwood as one of his most trusted operatives. But one little mistake was all it took to turn him against me"

"Is that how you ended up with Chimera?"

"More or less, though it was less voluntary than my employment to Salem... soured as that has become"

Slade shrugged "Why're you telling me all this?"

"Because it's all I can get to you without Salem's control forcing me not to... I want you to know the truth, about me, about Chimera... so you don't end up like me"

Slade furrowed his brow "Why?"

"Those kids... they don't deserve whatever Salem has in store for them... I want to help, but..." he looked away "I was never given a choice"

"You always have a choice, Wolf. If Salem has taken that choice from you, then take it back"

He chuckled "If only it were so easy. Oh, and please. Just call me, Sable"

"Sable? That your whole name? Sable Wolf"

"That's right. I'm sure you'll want to include that in your official report"

"Report?" Slade asked.

"I don't care if you're really here to help Salem to protect your friends or not... but I can promise you this. Whatever promise she's made you... it won't be the way you think. She'll twist it, twist you, maybe even twist them... do what you need to do, and I'll do what I can to stay out of your way"

"Hey" Slade called stopping him "You can tell Salem to stop vetting me. I am here for real, I don't need you trying to shake me up, see what falls out"

Sable laughed "You're here for real? That's your story and you're sticking to it?"

"That's the truth"

"Hmph. You play your part well, just be sure you keep it believable. She already expects duplicity. So whatever you're planning on doing... do it fast. I've already done enough to help you get here, don't waste this opportunity"

Sable left without another word, leaving him to ponder his words He sounds sincere Elise's voice assured.

Can we really be sure it's not just another of Salem's tricks?

No. But that doesn't mean we can be sure it isn't the truth either