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.

50. The Truth

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Hey guys! Sorry about the wait. As soon as I was finished with my break from writing, I got horribly sick and wasn't able to write much at all. Thankfully I'm all better now and managed to get this done for you guys! Hope you all like it!

"Speech"

Thoughts

"Telepathic Speech"

Overlapping Speech

---

Chapter Fifty: The Truth

The sun sat high over the kingdom of Mantle, a thick sheet of snow covering the ground and the trees just outside the city. Ships soared to and from the city, carrying all sorts of goods and necessary materials for the reconstruction efforts. There was a collection of trees separating the tundra from the nearby mountain, the only sound to be heard was the chirping of the birds nesting within them. Suddenly, an explosion tore through the air, scattering the birds, a large pink cloud left in the wake of the explosion. From the cloud of smoke, Slade flipped back through the air, sliding to a stop on his heels a short distance away. He had let his goatee grow out into a full beard, and now possessed a second holster beneath his coat on the same side of his chest as Defiance on his hip. Before he had a chance to move, a gunshot rang out nearby, he shifted away just in time to avoid a strike for his chest from Crescent Rose. He sidestepped a punch from an incoming Yang, narrowly avoiding her fist as she fired Ember Celica. Ruby swung her scythe overhead for Slade, only for him to catch the weapon in his hand, stopping it mid-swing. Yang fired both her weapons downward, propelling herself into a flip over his head, leaving Blake open to strike with her blade. At the same time, Weiss leapt overhead onto a Glyph, using it to propel herself down into a strike for Slade's back. Forcing Ruby's weapon down into the ground, he balanced himself on one hand, avoiding Weiss' attack from above and Blake's from below. However, before he could counter, Ruby flipped back into a kick to his chin, sending him flying back through the air, losing his grip on Crescent Rose. As he flew through the air, he caught sight of one of Nora's grenades soaring toward him.

Can't a guy catch a break?

Flipping back with the momentum of Ruby's strike, he narrowly avoided it, landing on the side of a tree. He leapt off as Ren fired from cover, forcing him to flip through the air and twist acrobatically to avoid each round. Slade fired back with his gauntlets, forcing Ren to take cover behind the tree once more. Jaune approached from behind, swinging his blade for Slade, who narrowly managed to stay ahead of the strike. Catching Jaune by his wrist, he kicked for his chest, only to meet his shield instead. Raising his heel and hooking his foot over the top of the shield, he pulled himself up over Jaune, delivering a kick to the back of his head, stumbling him onto his chest. He flipped back into the air over Nora as she charged with Magnhild, swinging horizontally for his back. Several shards of ice were launched toward him midair, while Oscar leapt into the air after him. Slade quickly used Defiance to shoot the shards of ice out of the air as Oscar struck. The Long Memory thrust for his chest, forcing him to shift around it in the air. Planting his open hand onto Oscar's shoulder, Slade flipped himself over onto his feet, ready to defend himself. The two exchanged blows at incredible speed, neither managing to land a hit on the other. Slade kicked for Oscar's head, only for the back of his wrist to block the strike, whilst Slade caught Oscar's armed hand by the wrist. Ren moved to strike Slade's opposite leg with StormFlower, only for Slade to leap overhead, soaring clear of them both. His eyes widened in shock as he caught sight of a black Glyph beneath him, looking up, he saw Nora leaping into a powerful strike from above, grinning as she descended toward him. Grabbing his opposite pistol, he quickly fired to his right, sending him flying out of reach of the Glyph as it activated, as well as Nora as she struck, almost completely destroying the ground beneath her.

Slade landed a short distance from Nora, however, Weiss offered him no reprieve. She lunged toward him, thrusting her blade for his chest, only for him to duck beneath it. He kneed her in the abdomen, stumbling her back a few steps, then spun into a powerful kick across her face, sending her flying back through the air. Gambol Shroud wrapped around his leg, yanking him off his feet. While he was vulnerable, Ren fired at Slade. His wrist blade shot out on his right gauntlet, embedding in the snow as he planted the heel of his free leg onto the ribbon of Gambol Shroud, stopping himself from being dragged on his back. With his free arm, he blocked several rounds from Ren just in time for Yang and Jaune to approach from both sides. Slade spun on his hands, freeing his leg just in time to get on one knee just in time to use his arms to block Yang's metal fist, sliding back from the force of her strike. Slade ducked beneath Crocea Mors as it swung for his head. Planting his hands onto the ground once more, he twisted into a powerful kick to Jaune's chest, who managed to block his strike with his shield. Jaune cried out in surprise when Slade grabbed him by his ankle and yanked him off his feet. Slade shifted his head out of the way of a round fired from Yang, twisting into a strike for her head, forcing her to block with her left arm. Before she could strike with her prosthetic, he caught it by the wrist, forcing it up away from him. He kicked for her head, forcing her to shift out of the way, then countered with her own to his right side. Slade grunted from the pain, then slammed his heel into her abdomen, throwing her back a short distance. Ren stowed StormFlower, leaping into a descending kick for Slade, only for him to sidestep the strike. He struck for Slade with a palm strike for his face, only for Slade to deflect the strike with his forearm, then dropped back onto his hands to avoid a rising kick to his chin. Slade flipped off his hands onto his feet to avoid a sweeping kick for his legs. Ren flipped into a spinning kick, only for his heel to be caught in Slade's grip. Twisting in his grip, he kicked with his opposite leg, forcing him to duck back away from him. At that moment, several shards of ice struck him in the back, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Qrow!" Slade called "I could use-" he spun, throwing Ren away from him "I could use some damn help here!" he shouted at the man resting on a nearby tree branch.

"What's the matter?" he stretched his arms out with a yawn "You're doin' just fine, kid" he replied leaning against the tree.

Oscar rushed Slade, striking with blinding speed, managing to land a few strikes before he could block or avoid them. With a final powerful strike, he was thrown backward, sliding to a stop on one hand and flipping back onto his heels. Ruby moved at blinding speed, striking for his chest, he barely managed to avoid the strike, just as Weiss, Blake, Nora, and Yang moved in from each side. Slade thrust his hands out on each side of him, using his Semblance to throw each of them back several feet. He dropped onto one knee, panting for breath, with RWBY and JNPR taking positions opposite him, ready to continue their fight.

"You're getting slow, old man" Ruby taunted.

"Right... eight against one... perfectly fair fight" he got back to his feet.

"You're the one who taught us" Yang shrugged.

"Something I'm regretting right about now" he rolled his shoulders.

"What, are you guys done already?" Qrow asked with disappointment.

"Would be going a lot better if you got your lazy ass down here!" Slade called.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to test them all together, not me" he shrugged.

"Qrow!" he shouted back in annoyance.

"Fine, fine" he waved off, dropping down to their level.

"Oh boy" Jaune breathed out.

"It's about to get fun now" Nora grinned.

"I'm afraid not" called a familiar voice.

"Winter?" Weiss asked surprised as she strode over to them.

She now wore a white collared undershirt with a dark blue necktie that connected to her brooch and a girdle underneath the lapels of her coat. She wore matching navy blue gloves, pants, and boots with red lining and silver steel heel plating, along with a Dust pouch around her waist. Her new coat was white with navy blue cuffs, red accents, and the Schnee family emblem on her shoulders. Opposite her blade, she had a holster now, with the white pistol of Due Process secure within it.

"What're you doing here? You never come out to practice anymore" Blake pointed out.

"Has something happened?" Oscar asked concerned.

"In a manner of speaking" Winter replied "There's been a development"

"Development?" Qrow asked "Mantle, is it-"

"Not here" she sighed "We've finally managed to establish communications beyond Argus... and I got a call"

"From who?" Slade asked.

"Taiyang Xiao Long"

"Dad?" Ruby asked surprised.

Winter nodded "He seemed... disturbed"

"Well? What did he say?" Yang asked insistently.

"He was vague, said he needed to speak to the two of you... in person" she turned to Qrow "He asked for you too"

He furrowed his brow "Me? Why?"

"As I said, he was vague. But he said it had to do with your old team, STRQ"

Qrow blinked "STRQ? Why would he want to talk about our old team? It's been years since... you know..."

She took his hand in hers "I know. But this seems important"

"It'd have to be, if he wants me there too"

She released his hand, folding both hands behind her back "Transcripts have been written up for each of you, with the exception of Slade and Neopolitan. Your Huntsmen licenses have been downgraded back to student licenses for the duration of the mission" they each reviewed their licenses as she explained "You ship out to Vacuo tomorrow morning to begin classes at Shade academy"

"But our Dad-" Ruby started.

"Wishes to see you in person, I am aware. Do not be concerned, a second ship shall take you both, along with Qrow, back to Patch to speak with him. After that, you're to report to Vacuo to join with the rest of your teams. Theodore will be informed of your absence due to a family matter"

Ruby let out a breath of relief "okay... that's good"

Winter offered a small smile "Report to Pietro, he'll be upgrading your equipment for tomorrow based on your specifications. Make sure you're dressed accordingly in the morning, Vacuo's heat is just as dangerous as the wildlife"

"And the residents" Slade grumbled.

Qrow chuckled "You can say that again"

---

"This is completely pointless" Neptune groaned in annoyance.

Sun sputtered "This is not pointless"

"Sun, we are in the middle of nowhere, hoping that we find something, anything, that might tell us where Carmine Esclados might have been before she escaped" he grumbled.

"Look, everyone else has been trying to figure out where she went in the city, but we already know she isn't in the city, right?"

"No, we know that you think she isn't in the city. But you're only basing that on the fact that Team CFVY hasn't found any evidence that she is in the city. That's not the same as knowing she isn't there"

"But I'm right, and you know it" Sun nudged him with his elbow.

Neptune sighed "No, I don't"

"Come on, Neptune. We're-woah" he put his hand out to stop his teammate "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Neptune followed his eyes, his own scrunching to see further ahead.

Not far from them, Grimm were in a single file line, moving the opposite direction from Vacuo "Where are they going?" he asked curiously.

"Away from the city... but that doesn't make any sense, Grimm don't run from people"

"They hunt them" he turned his head to look at Sun "If they follow negative emotions, they might just be leading us to our suspect"

Sun grinned "Told you I was right"

"Yeah, well, don't let it go to your head. If that's possible" Neptune readied Tri-Hard.

"Wouldn't count on it"

The two carefully followed the trail of Grimm at a safe distance in relative silence. After a short time, they found the entrance to a cave mined into the ground, the Grimm entered the cave, leaving no easy way inside without fighting their way through them. After a quick search, they found a vent leading inside the cave, now known to be an abandoned mine. They both carefully entered the mine to find it was completely depleted, not one Dust crystal to be found within. The tunnels led into a large room with man-made platforms and a structure that served as the foreman's office with the glass shattered. Metal girders were placed throughout the mine with supports to hold them, emergency lights lining the tunnels, each with broken bulbs. The two of them snuck in, surprised to see no sign of Grimm within the cavern. Moving to the foreman's office, they climbed atop the structure, Sun hung his head down to see inside the office and saw two figures inside.

"No way..."

One was a young woman with long auburn hair that went down to her back with a single silver streak. She had golden eyes, freckles and a black stylish tattoo on the right side of her torso, running down to her leg. She was wore a dark navy cropped long-sleeved shirt with a metal chainmail top attached and a silver shoulder cape with crimson trim. She also wore torn crimson booty shorts that matched her tattered scarf and thigh high black leather boots with folded over tips and small lace detailing. In addition, she wore goggles on the top of her head, a black belt with sheaths for her Sai weapons, a single belt on the right sleeve and her left leg. She also had worn bandages wrapped around her wrists. The other was a tall, broad muscular man with a green mohawk and matching goatee. He wore a brown hooded cloak and a green chest plate over a black tunic. He had a long scar along his right forearm. He also had a large rusty chained mace, black in color with one of the links in the chain not matching the rest, clearly being used as a replacement.

"What is it? What do you see?" Neptune whispered.

He moved back up to look at him "Carmine Esclados"

Neptune groaned "I am never going to hear the end of this" he moved to look in beside Sun.

"I told you she was here"

"Who's that with her?"

"Him?" his tail moved beside his head, wrapped around his Scroll "That's Bertilak, the guy who used to work with her" he took a picture of the two of them together.

"Used to work with? They seem pretty chummy to me" he pointed out.

"Well, he did say he was gonna hunt her down" he shrugged.

"But they're not fighting, they're talking"

Bertilak huffed in frustration "What're we supposed to just wait here forever for him?"

"Quiet down, Bertilak. He told us to wait, so we wait"

He scowled "Can't believe I'm working with you again"

"Vacuo's future is more important than our... disagreement"

"That's about the only thing we agree on"

Sun furrowed his brow "That's weird"

"What is?"

"He wanted to kill her last time I saw him, and CFVY said he didn't care about politics"

"Which makes his renewed involvement with the Crown especially strange" Neptune frowned "Who else are they waiting for?"

"Not sure, the twins were both killed. Everyone else involved is still in jail... everyone except these two"

"Then who could they be talking about?"

"Us" several overlapping voices, both male and female, answered from behind them.

"What-" Sun started.

Before they could react, they were engulfed in Grimm fluid, encasing their entire bodies. The substance solidified nearly instantly, dragging them down into the office through the shattered window. Carmine and Bertilak both turned in surprise to see the intruders, reaching for their weapons instinctively. Upon noticing their condition, they relaxed, but remained on edge. From within their cocoons, Grimm fluid seeped out, eventually coalescing on the ground in front of them. The hardened substance around their heads quickly transitioned to liquid once more, revealing their faces to the two rogue Huntsmen. The fluid in front of them rose up, slowly taking a more humanoid form. It was indistinct and unnatural, but clearly human all the same. It's shoulders were almost sharpened to a point, and only a pair of pearlescent green eyes inspecting them with curiosity were clearly visible to them. It moved close and inhaled deeply through it's nose.

"Fascinating" the creature turned it's attention to Sun "Your Semblance smells delightful. Yours on the other hand" it's head turned to Neptune "Paltry"

"Y-your voice... it sounds almost like Jax and Gillian... W-what the hell are you?" Sun demanded.

"Now, now, we can't just skip to the end of the book now, can we? Tell us, what brings two young students such as yourselves all the way out here? Shouldn't you be in class?" it inquired.

"Must've gotten lost" Neptune replied.

"Have you?" It's hand reached up, wrapping it's fingers around his throat.

It's Aura shimmered, matching the color of it's eyes before shifting to silver. It enveloped Neptune, his blue Aura flickered, shifting to the same silver as his captor "What're you doing?! Let him go! Right now!" Sun demanded.

"Silence" the Grimm fluid covered Sun's mouth before hardening "What brought you both here?" the creature's Aura changed from silver to it's original green before fading.

"We were searching for Carmine Esclados" Neptune answered.

It laughed, releasing him "Congratulations, you've found her" gesturing to the woman behind it.

"You were looking for me?" Carmine asked surprised.

"Why?"

"Someone killed Gillian and Jax Asturias and took them from their prison cells. Our team and CFVY are investigating to find out who"

Bertilak snorted "Those brats again?"

Carmine scowled "Adel"

"Well, if you're looking for their murderer. You've found us" it grinned, removing the gag over Sun's mouth.

"You... what you just did to Neptune... that was Jax... his Semblance, you-"

"Stole it? No, we share. We are Jax now, and he is us"

"What does that even mean? You're talking in circles"

It chuckled "Only to the ignorant" it grabbed him by the neck, shattering the cocoon around him and lifting him into the air "Professor Theodore has proven he is capable of dealing with threats to his kingdom. But now, WE have arrived"

"What... are you?"

"Certitude" it answered "We have a message for your headmaster"

As with Neptune, it's Aura glistened and changed from green to silver, with Sun's following suit from yellow to silver. Once it was finished and their Aura's faded, he released both of them, dropping them to the ground with the cocoon around Neptune crumbling.

"Vasilias, return to the academy, tell your friends what you found. But not us, we want to surprise the headmaster. Flee from here as if your life depends on it, because it does" it instructed.

Neptune quickly got to his feet and rushed out as if he was being chased. As he made it back to the entrance to the cavern, Grimm began pouring in from the opposite entrance, forcing him to flee from them. The creature watched with glee, a hissing laugh escaping it's lips. As if it were a shadow on the wall, it shifted around the room, inspecting Sun carefully. It dropped to ear level, whispering a few simple words to the young Faunus.

"Now, tell us everything you know about these friends of yours"

---

The city of Mantle's reconstruction had progressed considerably since the battle ended. The city within the dome was already fully repaired, and outside the dome the city had already begun to expand to accommodate the new residents from the fallen city of Atlas, as well as the refugees from across the kingdom. The academy had been rebuilt within the crater, much smaller in scale from the preceding facility, but impressive all the same. Much of it was still under construction, but the main courtyard was complete with a statue in the center. Slade stood before the statue, gazing up at it. There were two figures on the statue, one depicting the late General James Ironwood, pointing one pistol of Due Process defiantly towards the former position of Atlas while the other rested at his side. The second figure depicted Sable Wolf holding his pistols over his chest. There was a plaque at the base of the statue that read "More men than machines"

"Winter's doing a damn good job. She and her father have been doing wonders for Mantle, even got Radcliff to join the council. As for the others, they're strong now, James. They really kicked my ass today" he chuckled "You'd be proud of them" he stared up at the statue's face "We're finally heading to Vacuo, most of us anyway. We've just got one stop to make, Yang's dad, he... says he's got something they need to hear. I, uh..."

Slade was silent for a moment, a forlorn look in his eyes "There's something I have to do, and I need to do it before we get to Vacuo. I know how important stopping Salem is, but we need to know what those visions mean. We need to know what the brothers were so afraid of, what they told Raven, we need answers... I'm just not sure how to-"

"Should've known I'd find you here" Oscar called from behind him.

He turned his head enough to look at him "I just... needed some air"

Oscar leaned on his cane as he walked, moving to stand beside Slade "I understand, time doesn't seem to be on our side, does it?"

He sighed "It never is. I..." he stopped, unsure of what his next words should be.

Oscar tilted his head "You always come out here when you want to be alone" he looked up at the statue.

"Neither of us could sleep much. Not with Salem's shadow looming over us. We would spar, play chess, or just talk. Afterward, we found sleeping much easier" he explained.

Oscar nodded in understanding "That's how you two got so close, he was like a mentor to you"

"As much as Qrow ever was. I know he can't hear me, but... talking to him helps settle my nerves"

"Which is why you come here, to try to be closer to him" Oscar smirked "You're even starting to look like him" he motioned to his own chin with his hand.

Slade scoffed "What? Don't like the beard?" he asked.

He laughed "No, no, it... suits you, actually. But..." Oscar frowned "Slade, if you need to talk, we're here for you, all of us"

"I know, Oscar. I appreciate it, really. I just..."

"Need to speak, not discuss" Oscar sighed "I get it. Especially when you have someone else in your head, like we do"

He nodded "It's easier to voice my own thoughts without someone else's getting in the way"

Oscar sighed "Much as I understand the desire, I think you'd find it more cathartic to speak to someone else. Qrow for instance, or Yang? You are in a relationship now, after all"

"I know, and I should be spending more time with her than I am here. And yet..."

Oscar frowned "You can't bring yourself to tell her what you want to say" Slade remained silent, as if he hadn't heard the statement, but Oscar knows he did.

They both remained in silence for a time, staring into the stone face of their now deceased friend. Elise stepped into view, looking at Slade with a deep frown, she looked ashamed, but did not speak. Slade nodded to her, then turned fully to Oscar "There is something I need to talk about"

Oscar raised an eyebrow "What is it?"

"Not with you, Oscar... with Oz"

He blinked in surprise "With Ozpin?"

He nodded "I need to speak with him, please"

Oscar took a deep breath "Okay"

His eyes glistened for a fraction of a second, he sighed "I... I owe you so much more than an apology, Slade"

"You don't owe me anything, Oz"

"Slade, I lied to you about your Sister, about Salem, I lied about so much-"

"With good reason" he crossed his arms "I understand why you chose to keep things from me, from everyone. Maybe it wasn't the right call, but I can understand it"

Ozpin smiled "That... means more to me than you know"

He grunted "I didn't ask Oscar to bring you out so we could apologize to each other about the past. I think we can both agree to move past it"

"No, I suppose not. What exactly did you wish to speak about?"

"The visions I've had, thanks to Elise. Something is supposedly killing Remnant, something we can't find or let Salem know exists. At least, as far as we understand"

"I recall. Your dream about Raven and the God of Darkness... you've seen more since then?"

He shrugged "Nothing concrete. The God of Darkness was the only real confirmation we have. We can't exactly bring Raven in for interrogation without knowing where she is. But Elise seems to think it's in a forest"

Ozpin rubbed his chin thoughtfully "That doesn't exactly narrow it down"

"We can narrow it further... with the Relic of Knowledge"

"Jinn. You want to ask the last question"

He shook his head "Elise doesn't think we need to speak with Jinn at all. She believes she can use her connection to your magic to use it to track this thing, whatever it is, down. And if she can do that..."

"Then so can I... and Salem" he sighed "Which we can't allow to happen"

He nodded "Whatever that thing is, whatever it's doing to Remnant... there's no telling what she could do with it"

Ozpin nodded "And you're telling me this now, because you plan on hunting this thing down"

"Yeah, before we head to Vacuo. Problem is, I don't imagine Winter will go for it"

"Not if you go alone. But given the situation, I think we should do this together. Oscar seems to agree"

"Then I can count on your help?"

"Not just mine, I'm sure some of the others would be happy to accompany us"

"I know, and as much as I would appreciate their help, we need them in Vacuo. There's no telling when Salem might strike"

"Then we limit ourselves to a small team. The others go to Shade, just as planned"

"With the Relic... I'm going to have to get it out of the vault"

Ozpin chuckled "Winter will certainly take issue with that part of the plan"

"I know, which is why I need help convincing her"

"Convincing me of what?" Winter asked from beside them.

"Winter! How nice of you to drop by" Slade offered with a forced smile.

Ozpin shook his head with an amused smile "General Schnee" he greeted with a firm nod.

"Professor Ozpin" she nodded back "What is it exactly that I require convincing of?" she inquired.

"The lamp" Slade answered "We need to take it out of the vault... and use it to track down whatever the God of Darkness warned of"

Winter frowned "Jinn?"

"Unnecessary. We're going to use the Relic itself to track the source of... whatever it is" Ozpin answered.

She furrowed her brow "You plan on using the Relic without using the Relic?"

"If Elise is to be believed, yes. Oz and I intend to find whatever it is that the God of Darkness was worried about"

"Alone?" she asked "Not a chance"

"As I suspected" Ozpin smiled at her "We'll take a small team with us. However, the rest of them need to head to Vacuo and start searching for any signs of Salem or her followers"

Winter narrowed her eyes "Agreed. You two are to accompany Ruby, Yang, and Qrow to Patch. Then the five of you will conduct your search and report your findings directly to me. Then you're to regroup with the others in Vacuo. After you've returned the Relic to the vault"

Slade smiled "Solid plan. Just one problem, isn't Qrow meant to introduce them to Theo? Make sure they don't say anything they aren't supposed to?"

She smiled back "Allow me to handle that"

---

The kingdom of Mantle slept the night away, with the moon illuminating the domed city below. Within the city, Teams RWBY and JNPR were fast asleep in their beds. One of the buildings near what used to be the crater was used to house the students and staff of the academy while it was being rebuilt. As they young Huntsmen slept, the door to RWBY's room opened silently, a single set of footsteps making their way inside.

"Good morning, Team RWBY!" Penny shouted, startling them awake.

Yang groaned "Penny..." she stretched her one remaining arm.

"Do you have... any idea what time it is?" Weiss asked through a yawn.

"Of course I do!" she answered brightly "It's time for you to wake up and get dressed!"

"The sun isn't even up, Penny" Ruby grumbled.

"General Schnee sent me to wake you"

"Winter did?" Blake asked with her eyes still closed.

"I did" she stepped inside the room with a tray in her hands, four mugs of steaming hot coffee atop it "And I brought help"

"Coffee!" Weiss practically lunged for the first mug.

Winter pulled the tray away "Hot coffee, drink it slowly" she warned in a pointed tone.

Just the smell of coffee had Yang and Blake out of bed quickly, both of them taking the offered mugs from Winter. Ruby sat up in her bed, tossing her legs over the side and got to her feet. Rubbing her eyelids, she took the coffee mug from Winter and sipped it, then immediately recoiled in disgust "Blech!"

Winter frowned "What's the matter?"

"Ruby only likes coffee with cream and five sugars" Yang mumbled.

"Five?!" Winter exclaimed in shock "What are you trying to be a diabetic before your thirty?"

Penny giggled "Excellent joke, Ma'am"

"I wasn't... ugh... nevermind" Winter rubbed her eyelids "Penny, could you please bring more sugar for Ruby" she asked exasperated.

Penny saluted "Right away, General!" she bolted out the door.

Blake shook her head "She's been doing that ever since Ironwood..." she frowned "You know"

"Unfortunately" Winter sighed "I told her she doesn't have to act like that when we're alone or among friends. But she insists anyway" she added with a shake of her head.

"Whyyyyyyyyyy" they could hear Nora whine from down the hall.

Winter smiled in amusement "Seems Team JNPR is awake now"

"What're we up so early for?" Wiess asked.

"Did you forget already? I told you, you're to depart for Vacuo first thing in the morning"

"We didn't think you meant before the sun came up" Blake replied rubbing her eyes.

Winter snorted "Don't bother changing, report to the common area for your briefing in five" she turned the serving tray downward and tucked it under her arm as she left.

"Can't wait" Yang grumbled.

It didn't take them long to make their way out to the common area where Qrow and Winter were waiting for them. There were several chairs for them to sit in, with Qrow sitting in the back, feet resting on the chair in front of him as he snored away with Oscar sitting to his right. Ruby took the seat next to him and elbowed him, startling him awake.

"What, what, what?" he asked rapid-fire "Ruby? What'd you do that for?" he whined as the others took their places.

"You're supposed to be awake for briefings, you can't hear them if you're asleep" she answered matter of factly.

He groaned "Now you sound like the ice queen"

"Hey!" Weiss glared at him.

"Not you, the other one"

"Heard that, Branwen"

He sighed "Course you did" he rubbed his eyelids "I need more sleep"

"You can get plenty on the ride to Patch!" Penny exclaimed with excitement.

"Yeah, yeah" he waved her off.

"Coffee?" Ruby asked hopefully.

"Just the way you like it!" she handed her a fresh cup and took the old one from her.

Ruby sipped from it, and let out a content sigh "Perfect"

"I'm glad you approve" Penny began drinking the cup she'd taken from Ruby.

She quirked her eyebrow "Do you even need to drink coffee to be awake?" she asked.

"I do not!" she answered with a bright smile, taking a seat beside Ruby.

"Well, at least someone can stay-" she noticed Qrow was snoring once more, one leg propped up on the chair in front of him "-awake" she finished deflated.

Oscar rolled his eyes "We can always catch him up on the ride"

"I guess" Ruby shrugged.

Weiss, Blake, and Yang had already taken their seats with Jaune, Nora, and Ren tiredly making their way over with their own steaming mugs of coffee. Winter stood with her hands folded behind her back, waiting patiently for the last few to arrive. Pietro walked in a moment later with two large cases in hand, struggling to get them to the table behind Winter. Penny shot up and quickly began helping him get them onto the table. As soon as she was finished, she zipped back to the seat beside Ruby. Slade and Neo entered from the same direction as Pietro, confusing the others. From his belt hung the Relic of Knowledge, with Jinn safely locked inside.

They moved to take their seats "Wake up, bird boy" Slade kicked Qrow's foot off the chair beside Yang, startling him awake once more, earning a silent laugh from Neo.

"You... are... the worst" Qrow grumbled.

"You'll get over it" he took the open seat beside the beautiful blonde "Morning gorgeous" he planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

Yang smiled "Morning"

"Damn, you look tired" he whispered.

"If the sun is asleep, why can't I be?" she took notice of the Relic "Slade, why do you have that?"

"Well-"

"Now that we're all here..." Winter called.

"later"

"As all of you know, you're headed to Vacuo to attend classes at Shade academy under the headmaster, Theodore. Your top priority is discovering anything you can about Salem's plan there, and report back to me. Our military will be ready to respond to any threat at a moment's notice. However, it is imperative Theodore never learns of your mission, nor the truth about Salem's immortality. Not until we can verify he is in stable condition. While you are posing as students, Slade and Neopolitan will be conducting their own investigation outside of the usual channels. You're not to make contact with them unless absolutely necessary"

Pietro stepped forward "I have installed the alterations to your weapons and equipment as you requested to your exact specifications. In your rooms, you will also find the outfits you requested for your trip to Vacuo. While you are in Vacuo, you will not have access to any Dust from Mantle, you will be on your own when it comes to your equipment. Keep that in mind as you perform your duties"

"Just another day at the office" Qrow muttered.

"However, there has been a slight change of plan" Winter announced "Ruby, Yang, and Qrow must attend to a personal matter back home. Slade, Oscar, and Penny will be joining them"

"Huh?" Ruby wondered aloud.

"Elise Stroud believes something is destroying Remnant and wants to use one of the Relics to find it. Her status as a Maiden grants her a unique connection to Ozpin's magic. Thus, Slade and Oscar will be going with the three of you. As Penny is not accompanying you to Vacuo, she will be joining you until you've located the threat. After you've resolved the situation with Taiyang, you will identify the threat, and destroy it if possible. Afterwards, Penny will bring the Relic back to me so we can secure it while you report to Vacuo as originally planned"

Yang leaned her head onto Slade's shoulder, closing her eyes as she dozed off "That's... totally... fine..." she mumbled out.

"Penny and I will be ready to assist when the time comes. That is all" she cleared her throat "Now, come get your equipment and change into your new clothes. You depart in an hour"

"Hey, you've gotta get up, Yang" Slade whispered.

"Mmm... nope. Don't wanna" he kissed the top of her head, then hoisted her up with an arm around her waist "Okay, fine" she whined.

"Attagirl"

The group all approached one after the other to the table where Pietro waited for them, first up was Jaune "Mr. Arc" he greeted with a smile "I added the Dust capabilities to your shield, Gravity and Hard-Light just as you requested"

Jaune accepted his weapon from him opening it into shield form. The emblem in the center shined blue as a Hard-Light barrier erected from the sides "Woah... thanks, Doctor" he replied as he stowed his weapon.

"You're very welcome. Ah, Mr. Ren" he fetched StormFlower "I increased the maneuverability of your blades and added the cables you requested. I also gave it a bit more kick, should hit a bit harder than it used to"

Ren offered an appreciative smile "Thank you, Sir"

"Of course!" he excitedly fetched Magnhild "Now, Ms. Valkyrie, you should find your weapon a bit lighter than before, but just as durable. I also increased the potential output of electrical currents to further enhance your Semblance as requested"

She grinned "I can't wait to try it out" she turned towards her friends "How about now? Anyone wanna let me hit 'em with my baby?" she asked excitedly.

Winter shook her head at her antics "Why don't you save it for Vacuo, Nora"

"Oh, you're so right! More of a surprise that way!"

"That's... just what I was thinking" Winter lied.

"Ms. Rose!" Pietro fetched Crescent Rose "As requested, your scythe can now rotate 180°, increasing your range of attack. Just use this trigger right here" he pointed to the trigger in question.

She grinned, hugging her weapon to her chest affectionately "Aw, did you miss me? I missed you!"

"Uh..." Pietro looked to Yang for help.

She rolled her eyes "C'mon, Rubes. Why don't you sweet talk your baby later"

Ruby blushed with embarrassment "Uh, right... sorry" she whispered the final word as she zipped past.

Pietro cleared his throat "You have my gratitude, Ms. Xiao Long. Now..." he fetched Ember Celica "I must say, your idea was inspired! The ability to dispense adhesive explosives for you to detonate at will. Pretty high yield too. Don't be too close when you set them off, understood?"

Yang flexed her prosthetic after attaching it to what remained of her arm "Loud and clear" she smirked.

"I took the liberty of making a few adjustments to make it as close to your own weapon as possible without reducing mobility" he smiled "I'd say I did a damn good job"

"To think you did all this overnight. You're amazing, Doctor" Blake praised.

"I do my best work with a short deadline" he chuckled "As for you, Ms. Belladonna. I know you didn't ask for anything, but I had a few ideas. When you combine your blade with your sheathe, if you angle the hilt down, the top will open, becoming a rifle" he showed her how to operate it "That will add extra firepower to each round, which you can combine with the Dust I supplied for you"

She smiled "You're too kind, Doctor. You're a miracle worker"

"The more options you have in a fight, the safer you'll be. I'd hate to see any of you get hurt"

"Thank you. I'll be careful"

He nodded "Good" he turned to Weiss "Ms. Schnee, the alterations you asked for were difficult to install, but I managed. There's a second port for your Dust, in order to combine them together, or use two different types in conjunction"

She accepted her blade from him "Perfect. The possible combinations I could perform with this" she stowed it on her hip "You've done a wonderful job"

"You're too kind, Ms. Schnee" he moved over to the table and grabbed the final weapon "Mr. Stroud"

"Doc" Slade greeted.

"Your gauntlets, as requested. I condensed them into a pair of wristlets and armlets that will expand to cover your forearms, connecting together into gauntlets as they did before. Your wrist blades are now more durable and capable of utilizing Fire Dust to enhance cutting power. Your cables can also now utilize Lightning Dust as well, as per your request"

Slade equipped his new weapons with a smile "Damn fine work, Doc" he patted him on the back.

"It was nothing. Oh! I have one last thing!"

"For me?" he asked surprised.

"No, not you. Ms. Neopolitan" he answered.

She blinked in surprise, and pointed to herself "Uh, I don't think she asked for anything for her weapon"

"No, she did not. However, I had an idea" he collected a black choker necklace with a pink gemstone in the center "I made this just for you"

She tentatively accepted it, quirking her eyebrow at him "Why?" Slade asked her silent question.

"Well, as you know, you're the only one who can properly communicate with her. As the rest of us don't know sign language. Inside that gemstone is an artificial larynx, the very same design I used in Penny's construction. It's meant to mimic your own voice"

She eyed the necklace with a frown "She's never had a voice, Doc. She was born mute"

"I'm well aware" he cleared his throat "Understand, no one is going to force you to use it if you feel uncomfortable. But it might make communicating with others easier. All you need to do, is think it, and you'll say it"

She let out a silent sigh, placing the necklace on. She took a deep breath "Well?" she asked, the gemstone glowing as she spoke. Her voice was warm, soft, playful even.

"It works" Slade replied "And now we all know what you sound like"

Neo glared "I don't like this"

"Well, Ms. Neopolitan, you can always turn it off by pressing on the stone in the center" Pietro explained.

Neo immediately pressed down on it, then waited a moment "Much better" she signed to Slade.

"Doesn't bother me. I can understand you either way" he signed back.

"That's not fair, Slade's cheating" Ruby whined.

Neo smiled at Pietro and signed "Thank you"

"She says 'Thank you'"

"You're very welcome" he smiled back "I hope you find it useful"

Slade watched as she walked off back to her room, Yang snuck up behind him and whispered "$30 says she's using that more than she does sign language before we're finished in Vacuo"

He smirked "Make it $50 and you're on"

---

"Where are they?" Coco hissed.

"Relax, Coco. They'll be here... probably" Scarlet replied with a shrug.

Team CFVY and the other half of Team SSSN were eating together in the lower courtyard of Shade before their next class. They were meant to meet after Weapons Training to discuss their findings. Unfortunately, Sun and Neptune didn't show, for class, or the meeting in the courtyard. The group was nervous of getting into trouble with their Professors, but most were trying to hide it. Though some were having less success than others, namely, Coco Adel.

"They were supposed to be back by morning. Professor Sunnybrook may have been fooled by your excuse but Professor Rumpole won't be" she argued.

"Your team are going to be in big trouble if she finds out they're not sick in your dorm" Velvet agreed.

"They'll be back" Sage replied.

"But if they're not, how long until the Headmaster hears about what we've been doing?" Yatsuhashi asked quietly.

"We're not in trouble yet, let's all just calm down" Fox offered.

Coco removed her sunglasses "If they aren't back in the next ten minutes-"

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" Neptune's voice called loudly as he rushed in "We've got a problem!"

"Neptune!" Velvet called in surprise.

"What happened to you?!" Scarlet asked.

"Where have you been?!" Coco demanded.

"Where's Sun? Is he okay?" Velvet questioned.

"That's-"

"EVERYONE CALM DOWN!" Fox asserted "You're making a scene, keep this quiet before we all get into deep trouble"

"Sorry, Fox" Velvet's ears drooped.

Neptune took a deep breath "Sun and I found Carmine"

Coco's eyes widened "You what?! Where?"

"Outside the city, in an abandoned Dust mine. It was completely depleted, and Bertilak was there with her" Neptune answered.

"Were they fighting?" Sage asked.

"No. They're working together, I don't know for who... they caught us. I barely got away from the Grimm in the mine" he explained.

"And Sun?" Scarlet asked.

"He-"

"Mr. Vasilias" a stern voice called from behind them.

They all turned wide-eyed "Professor Rumpole" he replied "How nice to see you..."

"You missed class this morning. Stomach bug, as I hear it"

"I, uh... got better?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him "CFVY, SSSN, Headmaster's office. Now" she turned away from them.

Coco placed her sunglasses back on "That's not good"

"You think?" Fox asked.

"Now" her stern voice called.

The two teams silently followed behind Rumpole, making their way through the academy until they reached the doors leading to Theodore's office. Pushing them open, they saw the headmaster at the top of the stairs, leaning against his desk. His arms were crossed over his chest with his legs crossed, one finger tapping on his forearm. Rumpole led them up the stairs, then turned back to the students, taking her place beside Theodore with a stern expression.

"Do you think I am blind? Stupid? Incompetent?" Theodore asked.

"No... sir" Coco answered nervously.

"Then you must think you're all very careful to believe I wouldn't figure out what you've been doing"

"Headmaster, we didn't intend-" Yatsuhashi started.

"To get caught? Yes, that I am well aware of. I have half a mind to-" he stopped suddenly, blinking in surprise "Where is Mr. Wukong?"

"Sick in SSSN's dorm, according to Rowena" Rumpole answered "Except their dorm is empty, and he is nowhere to be found anywhere on campus"

Theodore nodded, his eyes flicking back to the students before him "Where?"

"We... don't know" Scarlet answered nervously.

"You don't know?" he stood straight, rubbing his eyelids "Why is it when I specifically instruct you not to do something, your two teams always get involved?" he asked with exasperation.

"Involved in what?" Velvet asked.

"Don't play stupid with me, Scarlatina!" he snapped "I told you to stay out of this, to let us handle the Asturias situation"

"And we have" Coco lied.

"That's why you've been asking around town? Searching for any connection to their deaths? That's why you involved Team SSSN?"

"Well, you never actually told us not to tell anyone about what happened" Theodore narrowed his eyes at her "But, I can see that you're unhappy. Loud and clear" she gave a two fingered salute, he rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Vasilias, where is Mr. Wukong?" Rumpole asked more insistently.

Neptune swallowed nervously "I don't know"

"You don't know?" Theodore asked incredulously.

"I know where I last saw him, but I don't know where he is now" Neptune elaborated.

"Tell me everything that happened"

"We... we were looking for Carmine Esclados outside the city. There were dozens of Grimm headed away from the city, we followed and they led us right to her. She was inside an abandoned mine... with Bertilak Celadon"

"If I recall, he was planning on hunting her down to exact vengeance, according to your team leader, that is" Theodore recounted, moving behind his desk.

"That's what I thought too, but they weren't at each other's throats. I think they're working together again"

"Why? Gillian and Jax Asturias are deceased. What reason could draw them together?" Rumpole asked.

He shrugged "I don't know. They spotted us eavesdropping and attacked. The Grimm swooped in, and I barely got away. I don't know what happened to Sun... he might've been captured"

Theodore sighed "Damn it..." he slammed his hands onto the desk "The Asturias twins dead, Esclados and Celadon in cahoots, and with her in the mix..."

"Her?" Scarlet asked.

"The Big One..."

"That phrase again" Coco mused "Headmaster, don't you think it's time you tell us what you mean by that?"

"Absolutely not. You're students, you're not ready to-" Rumpole began.

"We're already involved, Professor. One of our friends is missing, possibly captured, and you're still hiding things from us" Velvet argued.

"The situation is more complicated than you know" Theodore replied.

"Yeah, we're aware of that. I thought 'The Big One' was code for an attack on Shade. Like the White Fang's attack on Beacon. But if that were the case, the Crown's attack would've been 'The Big One' right?" Coco deduced.

"Who, or what, is 'The Big One' Headmaster?" Fox asked.

"The Big One is... is... Atlas?" Theodore almost asked as he stepped away from his desk.

"Headmaster?" Sage called as he moved past them.

As Theodore stepped outside the office onto the balcony, he watched an Atlesian airship swoop down to the front of the academy. Students scrambled outside to take a look, many curious at the sight of the airship, while others were shouting at and throwing anything they could at the ship. It landed in front of the school, carefully touching down.

Theodore pointed back to the students "Stay here. We're not finished with this discussion"

"Headmaster!" Rumpole called after him as he leapt over the railing.

The door to the ship opened to let out the occupants "Well, I can see what Slade meant about the heat" Jaune huffed.

Jaune's hair was cut short, styled into an upswept and spiky style. He now wore a high collar black shirt under his chest piece, that was now crafted into a cuirass reaching down to his waist. He now had broader shoulder pads and a girdle around his waist with armor on each side. He traded out his old boots for a new pair black boots and brown pants along with armored kneepads, connected to a set of armored greaves.

"Good thing you got that haircut, it'll make you less susceptible to heatstroke" Weiss noted with a smirk.

Weiss had let her hair down, cutting it shorter than it had been previously, stopping at the center of her back, and her bangs framed her face closely. She wore a pale blue sleeveless, backless dress with crossed straps connecting at the collar with a ruby in the center and a diamond shaped window in a pale blue trim. She also wore a deep blue shrug with a raised collar over her dress with sleeves that bore the Schnee emblem on each of them, fastened by the same ruby connecting her dress straps. She also wore a light blue corset styled belt with a medium sized pouches attached to each, containing the Dust she required for combat. She wore long, pale blue wedge-heel boots with white frill detailing at the top in the front, alongside grayish blue coloring on the toes and navy blue wedged heels. In addition, she wore a pair of ruby earrings that matched her icicle-shaped tiara with a diamond-shaped ruby in the center.

"You're one to talk. How can you even wear that in a desert?" Blake asked.

She wore a black sleeveless crop top with a silver zipper in the center along with matching pants and black wedged boots that reached her calves with silver zippers on the side. Over it, she wore white belt straps with gold and grey buckles with a white pouch on each hip. She wore a short white jacket with purple detailing on the chest, sleeves, sides and collar alongside dark purple detailing on the back along with a pair of black fingerless gloves with purple palms.

"With grace" Weiss answered with a playful bow.

Nora giggled from behind them "It's because she's cold blooded" she stifled a laugh, earning a glare from Weiss.

"Oh ha-ha"

Nora had cut her hair back to the length she had it during her time at Beacon. She now wore a long pink and white sleeveless coat with light blue lapels and white collar belted closed by a black belt with a pouch on the left side over a black short dress. The front of the coat had two heart shape cutouts near the bottom. On the upper back of her coat was a small pair of decorative metal wings with a magnet in the middle that Magnhild was attached to. She also had long detached white sleeves with black fingerless gloves, white stockings with light blue socks and black boots with silver heels, sole and toe plates. In addition, she wore matching metal bands on her upper arms with her emblem on them alongside silver metal bands around her thighs.

"It looks like we've got company" Ren frowned "He doesn't look happy"

Ren's hair was styled back into a braid, and he wore a sleeveless turtleneck dark green top. He had a black half of a jacket arm guard combination on his right arm with his father's dagger attached to it and black leather boots along with his usual tan pants, retaining his gradient pink to black detached sleeves ending in metal armbands.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Theodore shouted as he stormed over.

"Uh... we're here for class?" Jaune offered hesitantly.

"Class?" Theodore asked "You're here to attend my school? Why am I only just hearing of this now?" he demanded.

"Because you weren't taking my calls, Theodore" a voice called from behind them.

He looked up into the ship with a scowl "Winter Schnee"

She stepped out of the ship a stack of files tucked beneath her arm, marching past the others and stopping in front of him "You're looking well" she offered.

"As are you. Recent promotion?" he asked gesturing to her new attire.

"Something like that" her gaze shifted to the onlooking students "We need to speak. Privately"

The two silently stared each other down, the tension between them palpable. Winter's open hand moved to her blade, wrapping her fingers around the handle. Theodore clenched his fists, neither of them willing to give ground to the other. His eyes flicked to the others around him, the young students looking nervously at them. Finally, his posture relaxed, and he let out a sigh.

"Very well. My office" he jabbed his thumb back toward the academy.

Winter nodded, releasing her grip on her blade "Lead the way"

---

Taiyang sat at the empty table in his kitchen, a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. He stared down into it, absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the mug. Zwei rubbed against his leg, panting happily as he looked up at the blonde man. Tai reached down, petting him gently. The sound of a roaring engine and rushing wind took him by surprise. He quickly stood and made his way to the door, opening it to find an Atlesian airship maneuvering around to land beside the cabin. The doors opened and he felt an all too familiar weight crash into him.

"Dad!" Ruby practically shouted with excitement.

He smiled, wrapping his arms around his daughter "Hey, Ruby" he let out a breath of relief "It's good to see you" he pulled her back, holding her by the shoulders "Let me get a look at you"

Her outfit was mostly the same, with only a few alterations, such as moving her emblem back to her belt and was now wearing a pair of black bracers with large brown buckled straps around the wrist as well as black fingerless gloves. Zwei barked excitedly at her side, pawing at her leg.

"Zwei!" she scooped the dog into her arms, hugging him tightly to her chest.

"Puppy!" Penny zipped over, gently petting the adorable creature in Ruby's arms.

"Wanna hold him?" she asked.

"Can I?" she asked excitedly, accepting him from her.

Tai chuckled "You must be Penny"

"That's correct! Salutations!" she saluted, Zwei still firmly in her opposite hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you"

"The pleasure is mine, Sir" she replied as she returned her attention back to the dog, Ruby joining her.

Tai smiled "My little girl, all grown up now and still acting like a little girl" he smiled with pride.

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" Yang called as she dropped out of the ship with Qrow following right behind her.

"Ruby's the youngest, and therefore, the favorite. You'll get used to it one day, Firecracker" Qrow chuckled with a playful nudge.

Yang's hair was tied in a ponytail, reaching down to her waist. She wore dark brown one-legged pants with the left leg reaching her ankle while the right side stopped at the middle of her thigh. She also wore a single yellow thigh length stocking on her right leg with two belts, both holding a piece of lilac pleated material under a brown section of fabric. She wore a light beige jacket with the sleeves rolled up to her biceps with her emblem on the left side of the jacket. She wore a pair of armored boots and a pair of brown fingerless gloves. Qrow on the other hand remained in his same old outfit. She ran over to Tai and leapt into a hug, spinning him around with her momentum.

Taiyang laughed as he set her back down "There's my Sunny Little Dragon"

Yang scoffed, flexing her arm with a bright smile "Not so little anymore"

"Been working out, have you?" Tai asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What can I say? I'm a fan of pumping iron" she pumped her metal fist for emphasis.

"Well, guess I better keep my iron you" Tai pointed with a wink.

She put her arm to her forehead and feigned being faint "Oh, the iron-y"

"Can't we just iron things out already?" Slade asked as he made his way over to the happy family.

"Nice one" she nudged him playfully.

Tai fixed him with a stern glare, looking him up head to toe. Slade had ditched his trench coat for a long-sleeved black buttoned jacket with a thin hood over a grey collared shirt with a matching belt around his waist, and his usual mask down around his neck. He had black pants with a pair of black boots with black armor reaching from his toes up to his calves. His armored gauntlets were missing, replaced by black metal bracelets around his forearms and wrists. He now wore a pair of black gloves to replace his gauntlets. On his right hip was the holster containing Defiance, with a matching holster beneath his coat on the right side of his chest, containing Due Process. The two men stared silently at each other, neither making the first move.

"Well... this is... tense" Oscar muttered to Ruby as he moved to stand next to her.

Yang grimaced "No kidding"

"Stroud" Tai greeted.

"Mr. Xiao Long" he responded politely.

"Dad" Yang warned with an annoyed look.

His eyes flicked to her, then quickly back to him "Been awhile"

"It has. It's nice to formally meet you" he extended his hand to him.

"You shot me"

His hand dropped back to his side "Saved your life too, if you recall"

"After you shot me" he corrected.

He shrugged "You look fine to me"

"He must've had a good reason" Penny called.

"Excuse me?" he asked surprised.

"Everytime Slade does something that seems bad, he always has a good reason. Right, Slade?" she asked cheerfully.

"Uh... yeah... course I did"

"Is that right?" Tai raised his eyebrow.

"Dad" Yang hissed.

Taiyang's frown broke into a smile, crushing him in a tight embrace, surprising the young man. The others let out breaths of relief "Thank you"

"Sir?" Slade asked surprised.

"Uh, Dad?" Yang tilted her head in confusion.

"What an atypical reaction! Does your Dad always hug people when he's mad?" Penny whispered.

"Not... usually" Yang answered in confusion.

"How abnormal..." she mused.

He released him from the embrace with a bright smile "The way the new general tells it, you're one of the only reasons my girls came back to me"

"I, uh... well" he cleared his throat "Winter is nice to say that. But I didn't do it alone-"

He clasped his hand onto his shoulder "There's no need for modesty, kid. You did a damn good job, and you managed to turn a bunch of kids into proper Huntsmen"

"With help" Qrow grumbled.

Tai smirked at his teammate "Naturally. All the same, I hear you're a model Huntsman"

Slade allowed himself a small smile "Your words, not mine"

"There's something else you should know about him, Dad" Yang said as she moved to step beside him.

"And that is?" She placed her hand in Slade's, squeezing it for comfort, nervous about their silent confession to her father. Ruby looked between them nervously as her father's eyes were transfixed on their joined hands. However, he didn't seem upset or uncomfortable. In fact, his smile only widened at the sight before him "I was wondering if you'd be brave enough to admit it to me"

"You know?" Yang asked.

"A guy gives me a call for help to build you a motorcycle for my daughter's birthday? I wasn't born yesterday, Yang"

Yang snorted "We, uh... weren't together then"

"Well, yeah, he hadn't given you the bike yet" he chuckled.

"That's not what I-"

Qrow interrupted them with a loud cough into his hand "Tai, this is Oscar. Oz's next host"

Taiyang looked down at the boy beside Ruby "I see... and how far along is he?"

Oscar frowned "Ozpin and I haven't completely merged yet, but we're getting closer everyday"

He nodded in understanding "It's nice to meet you, Oscar"

"And you, sir" he answered in kind.

"Dad" Ruby called.

"Hm?" he turned to his youngest daughter "What is it?"

"You told Winter you needed to see us, that you had something you wanted to tell us"

"Both of us" Yang added.

"In person" Qrow finished.

Taiyang frowned "We... should talk inside. You'll need to be sitting down for this" he motioned for them to follow, heading back inside.

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing" Qrow muttered.

Upon entering Slade looked around the room, inspecting the interior of the cabin "Welcome to our home" Yang gestured widely around her.

He smiled "Thanks. It... it's..."

She frowned "What is it? What's wrong?"

Penny rushed over, placing the back of her hand to his forehead "He isn't suffering from a fever"

Slade waved her off "I'm not sick, Penny. Nothing is wrong. It's just... it reminds me of... home"

"Oh..." Penny awkwardly inched away from him.

Elise stepped into view "Put another chair where that dog bed is, and yeah... just like home. More green than our place was, but still..."

Yang squeezed his hand to try and comfort him "I'm sorry, Slade"

He kissed her on the cheek "Don't be, they're good memories" she blushed, smiling at him.

Tai stood in front of his chair, watching them with a small smile on his face "Well, if you two lovebirds are finished" he sat down.

Slade and Yang quickly moved to the couch, blushing with embarrassment, with Ruby joining them closest to Tai. Oscar moved to stand to Tai's right and Qrow leaned against the back of the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. Penny put her back to the wall of the staircase leading upstairs. Tai leaned forward, rubbing his hands together nervously as he thought of where to start. Qrow's eyes narrowed at his teammate, his grip on his forearm tightening anxiously. Tai cleared his throat, finding his voice once more.

"Anybody want anything to drink? Eat? I don't know the last time you ate-"

"Dad" Yang interjected "You said it was important" she insisted.

"It is, I, uh... I'm just not sure where to start" he admitted.

"The beginning" Qrow replied impatiently "You said this is a family matter. Is this about what I think it is?"

Tai exhaled "Raven came to see me"

"She what?!" he stood up straight.

"Raven Branwen?" Penny asked.

"Mom... came to see you?" Yang asked surprised "When?" Slade squeezed her hand for comfort.

"More importantly, why?" Oscar asked.

"About two months ago, she was injured. Told me you kicked her ass" he smirked at Yang.

Slade snorted "Those were her exact words?"

He chuckled "Not exactly, no. Still, she... she told me something that you deserve to know"

"About what?" Ruby asked.

"Your mom... and what really happened to her"

Tears welled up in Ruby's eyes "Mom...?"

Yang wrapped one arm around Ruby's shoulder "Back in Atlas, she said she watched her die. Was that true?"

He nodded "She was there when Summer died, and she had asked Raven to keep it from us, all of us"

"Why?" Qrow asked.

"Salem..." Ruby breathed out.

"You guessed it" he sighed "The night she left, she told me she had a mission from Ozpin. That was nothing out of the usual, until I found out you knew nothing about it" he turned his head toward Oscar.

His eyes glistened for a moment "I remember, she lied and then vanished. And somehow, Raven was involved"

"Why would she do that?" Penny asked perplexed "Why lie to her family?"

Tai looked back to his daughters "For them"

---

The doors to Theodore's office slammed open, with Theodore leading Winter, JNPR, and half of team RWBY into the room with an annoyed expression on his face. Team CFVY and SSSN split to let the headmaster pass them. Professor Rumpole had her arms crossed. They stared in shock when they saw their old classmates, who smiled and waved to them. Blake looked between the members of Team SSSN with a frown, not finding the one she was looking for. Velvet pointed to her own ears looking to Blake, who offered a small shrug in response. Theodore moved behind his desk and Winter dropped the files right on top, then folded her hands behind her back.

"Their transcripts"

He picked up the stack and thrust them into Rumpole's hands "There's eight files. I only see five" he replied as she started sorting through them.

"Correct. Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, and Oscar Pine are attending to a family matter with Qrow. Once they've finished, they will be arriving to attend classes with the rest of their team"

"Pine?" Theodore asked "I recognize the other members of Team RWBY, but Oscar Pine is new to me"

"Yes, that is..." she turned to look at CFVY and SSSN "One of the things I needed to speak to you about. Privately"

Theodore grunted "Ms. Adel"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Your team is dismissed from classes for today, why don't you show your former classmates around. We'll have dorms set up for them by tonight" he instructed "SSSN, go with them. I will finish reprimanding you later, with a suitable punishment ready for you"

"Right..." Coco winced at the thought of what their punishment could be.

"I'll begin their enrollments immediately" Rumpole announced.

"RWBY and JNPR" he took a deep breath, gesturing widely around the room "Welcome to Shade" he smiled brightly, the first one they'd seen from him.

"Thank you, Professor-" Weiss started.

"Headmaster" Theodore corrected, stepping around the front of his desk.

"Uh... sure. Headmaster. Thank you" she finished.

"Go on!" he shooed them out quickly "See what our school has to offer" his smile widened.

"Come on, we have a lot to catch up on" Jaune offered.

"You're not kidding" Neptune grinned "It's good to see you guys!" he replied as they moved down the stairs.

They waited until the students departed and the doors fully closed behind them. The moment those doors closed, Theodore's smile faltered. He moved back behind his desk, placing his hands onto it and glaring up at Winter.

"James can't even bother coming himself. He sends you in his place-"

"I was not sent by anyone, Theodore" she hissed.

He furrowed his brow "Then why are you here?"

"Like I said, you weren't answering my calls. I needed you to accept their transcripts so they could finish their training to become Huntsmen"

"Atlas not good enough for them?" he asked.

"Atlas is gone"

Theodore and Rumpole blinked in surprise "Gone?" they asked in unison.

She nodded "General Ironwood's embargo wasn't such a bad plan after all"

Theodore sat down in his chair, folding his hands in front of him "Tell me everything"

She nodded "You know about Haven?"

"I know what Sun Wukong told me and from the reports from Mistral" he answered "The White Fang tried to destroy the academy. I take it she was involved?"

She nodded "Cinder Fall claimed the power of the Fall Maiden when Beacon fell at her hands. She recruited the Spring Maiden, Raven Branwen, to secure the Relic of Knowledge from Haven"

"Raven is the Spring Maiden?" Theodore asked in shock.

"Among other things. She opened the vault, but Cinder didn't get the Relic, Raven double crossed her. Yang secured the Relic, and they brought it to Atlas for safe keeping. Of course, with the embargo in place, they needed to get creative. When they turned up in a stolen airship, it raised some red flags"

"Like when your ship appeared outside our academy?" Rumpole asked with a knowing look.

Winter smiled in amusement "Precisely. They brought the General and I up to speed and we began preparations for an attack. We enrolled them as students at the academy to improve their skills while we investigated any further leads We discovered someone working with us was working for Salem, worse, with the White Fang out of commission, she enlisted the help of Chimera"

"Chimera? I thought they were a myth" Theodore noted.

"As did we. However, we found proof they exist in the form of Sable Wolf"

"Wolf? He died years ago"

"He was dead" Winter confirmed "However, Chimera used advanced technology to bring him back in the form of a mechanical body with an Aura. Similar to our own Penny Project by Dr. Polendina. We also learned that Salem possesses the ability to raise the dead, though how she does this is unknown. Hunter Thombs and Cole Larson were resurrected and let loose against us"

"She can raise the dead..." Theodore shuddered.

"However she performs the resurrections, they must take a lot of preparation. Thus far we've only confirmed three resurrections, though the third is unidentified at this time"

Theodore nodded in understanding "Sable Wolf, Hunter Thombs, Cole Larson... who else?"

"Tyrian Callows, Hazel Rainart, Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai, and our very own Arthur Watts"

"Watts? One of your professors works for Salem?" Rumpole asked in shock.

"Affirmative, he was the mole. Before he was executed by Ironwood"

Theodore let out a sigh of relief "And the others?"

"Cole Larson was returned to the grave, and we're fairly certain that Hunter Thombs was as well, but cannot confirm at this time. Sable Wolf defected and sacrificed himself in the line of duty. Cinder Fall and Tyrian Callows fought in the battle, but their fates are unconfirmed. Mercury Black and Hazel Rainart remain at large, and if intel is to be believed, Emerald Sustrai is no longer working for Salem, however-"

"Let me guess, that cannot be confirmed?" Theodore asked.

She sighed "Not at this time, Theodore"

He nodded "Thought not" he got to his feet and began pacing behind his desk "What else?"

"We managed to locate and destroy Chimera's main base of operations. Unfortunately, however, not before they developed a microchip capable of controlling the mind of those implanted with them. The very reason Sable worked for Salem at all. With it, they were able to force even corpses to fight for them. They also developed technology capable of enhancing the mental capacity of the Grimm. It made them far more dangerous than usual"

"Similar to Dr. Merlot in Vale" Rumpole noted.

"Indeed. They attacked Mantle and Atlas simultaneously, from within and without. We barely managed to defeat her forces. General Ironwood had a plan to use the Relic of Creation to save Atlas, at the expense of Mantle. Only problem was, Atlas would've been destroyed in the process, though he didn't want to believe it. Thankfully, he saw reason and chose to instead evacuate the city to Mantle and use it to save everyone instead, sacrificing Atlas in the process"

"James sacrificed Atlas?" Theodore asked in disbelief "He believed without Atlas, Remnant couldn't survive facing Salem... I've never known anything that can change that man's mind"

She smiled thinking of Slade "He had help. Regardless, we managed to destroy Salem's airship, a hybrid between one of our own and a gargantuan Grimm the likes of which we'd never seen. But Salem wouldn't let us go without a fight..." her smile vanished.

Theodore noticed her change in demeanor "What happened?"

"General Ironwood... he's..." she took a deep breath "He's gone"

"Oh, dear" Rumpole gasped.

Theodore dropped into his chair in disbelief, eyes wide, staring through Winter "James... is dead..."

"He sacrificed himself so that the kingdom would survive. He wanted Atlas to change, back into Mantle"

"If James is dead... then that means..."

"That I am in charge of Mantle now, yes. I am now the Headmaster of Atlas academy. We chose to keep the academy name the same to remember the city that was sacrificed for our kingdom. Ironwood wanted us to unite Remnant, not under our rule, but as a single kingdom. In the spirit of that cooperation, I am offering any and all support you require, military or otherwise"

Theodore glared "I don't want your army in my kingdom"

She nodded "Understood"

He furrowed his brow "You're not going to try to change my mind?"

"I will not force my help. All the same, my offer stands, indefinitely"

Rumpole cleared her throat "That's very kind of you, Ma'am"

Theodore hummed in agreement "What did your students do during the battle?"

"None of them were forced to fight, but the students I've brought to you... they're the only reason Mantle is still standing. Without them, Salem would've defeated us. You'd be surprised just how capable they've become in such a short time"

"And Oscar Pine?" he asked curiously.

She smiled "Oz"

His eyes widened "No... already?"

She nodded "He found Qrow in Mistral, he's been working with them ever since"

"I see..." he rubbed his chin thoughtfully "Anything else?"

"Just one thing... intel suggests Shade is Salem's next target"

"I knew it... The Big One is coming..."

She turned to leave "I'll be a call away. We can't afford to let even one Relic fall into Salem's hands"

He nodded "On that, we can agree... I'll think about it, Winter"

"Don't think too long, or you might not live long enough to regret it" she descended the stairs.

Theodore's eyes flicked to Rumpole "Alert Grimm Watch to keep an eye out for large groupings of Grimm, she could be amassing her army already. And keep a close eye on our new arrivals, Winter might be genuine in her offer for aid... but I think she's playing a different hand"

"Right away, Headmaster"

"I want written reports from each of them about what happened since Beacon fell. If their are any inconsistencies, I want to know about it"

"Of course"

Teams CFVY and SSSN led RWBY and JNPR out of the office, the doors closing behind them "What was that about?" Nora asked.

"The headmaster isn't fond of Atlas, especially since the embargo" Velvet answered as they walked.

"Don't take it personally, but he's probably going to be keeping a close eye on you. I know I am" Neptune added with a wink to Weiss.

She rolled her eyes with a lighthearted smile "I'm used to people not trusting me. Comes with being a Schnee I guess"

"You're among friends now" Yatsuhashi assured.

"But I wouldn't expect that to change, especially for you Weiss. Vacuans aren't exactly big fans of the other kingdoms" Scarlett explained.

"Especially Atlas" Sage added.

"So we've heard" Ren replied.

"Winter made sure we were properly prepared" Jaune assured.

"All the same... it's good to see all of you" Coco smiled.

"It's good to see you guys too-" Weiss started.

"Where's Sun?" Blake interrupted, losing her patience.

"He-" Neptune started.

"Not here" Fox interjected, stopping him.

"Then where?" Weiss asked.

"Anywhere. Just not out loud" Fox answered with his Semblance.

"Uh, what is that? Fox?" Weiss asked.

"Echo! Echo! Aw, doesn't work" Nora pouted.

"We can all hear you, Nora" Ren informed her.

"Ren? You're here too? Why are you in my head?"

"It's Fox's Semblance" Coco answered.

"He's telepathic and likes-" Velvet started.

"This isn't important, where is Sun?" Blake asked impatiently.

"He's... missing" Yatsuhashi answered.

"Missing?! What do you mean missing?!" she demanded.

"A lot has happened, Blake. We're lucky Shade isn't like Beacon right now" Fox explained.

"There was an attack? Already?" Weiss asked.

"Already? You were expecting an attack?" Neptune asked.

"Beacon, Haven, Atlas. Every academy has been attacked, we assumed Shade would be next" Ren answered.

"Atlas was attacked too?" Scarlett asked in shock.

"The city is gone, destroyed in the attack. But Mantle is still standing, and the kingdom didn't fall" Jaune explained.

"Who was it? The White Fang again?" Velvet asked.

"No, they called themselves Chimera. They attacked with the Grimm and Ironwood sacrificed the city of Atlas to save the kingdom. We only just got everyone out in time" Weiss explained.

"Ironwood, he's... gone now" Nora added mournfully.

"Gone? He's dead?" Coco asked surprised.

"He died saving our lives" Weiss answered.

"What happened here?" Jaune asked.

"The Crown, they wanted to restore the former monarchy of Vacuo. They were led by the twins, Jax and Gillian Asturias" Velvet explained.

"Jax's Semblance allowed him to control the minds of anyone with a powerful Semblance. Took a lot of work to bring them down" Coco explained.

"Two of them escaped, Carmine Esclados and Bertilak Celadon, they were partners and the first hint to learning about the Crown back in Feldspar" Velvet continued.

"We were under the impression Bertilak was hunting her down himself after Carmine blamed him for their failure. But it seems that isn't the case" Fox added.

"Sun and I found them in a mine outside the city. They're working together for someone, but we don't know who" Neptune informed them.

"And the twins?" Nora asked.

"Dead" Yatsuhashi answered.

"Dead?" Jaune asked surprised.

"That's what we were investigating for the headmaster. Jax and Gillian were killed in prison, their bodies vanished with no sign of anyone breaking in or out" Velvet answered.

"So it was an inside job" Weiss deduced.

"We thought so too, but there was no evidence to suggest anyone inside the prison was responsible... and the bodies turned up in the headmaster's office the same night" Fox explained.

"Which is when CFVY brought us in to help the investigation" Scarlett informed them.

"Against the headmaster's orders" Sage added.

"There was something about the wounds on their chests, it looked almost like it was made of... Grimm" Coco recalled.

"Grimm?" Blake asked, sharing a nervous glance with the others.

"Yeah... I've never seen anything like it" she grimaced at the memory.

"Neptune, you said Carmine and Bertilak were working for someone, did they say anything to give you a clue as to who that could be?" Jaune asked.

He shook his head "We heard them say something about waiting for HIM, but never heard a name. They spotted us eavesdropping before we could learn more and attacked. The Grimm swooped in and I barely got away, no idea what happened to Sun" he explained.

"You LEFT him there?" Blake asked incredulously.

"Not by choice?! He said he'd be right behind me!" Neptune argued.

"And you didn't go back for him? Call for backup? Anything!" Blake was shouting in her head.

"I-"

"QUIET!" Coco silenced the two "We can't change what happened, we need to focus on finding Sun"

"Which we're definitely not doing at all, as far as our teachers know" Scarlett assured.

"That's what you're being punished for, isn't it?" Nora asked.

"Unfortunately" Sage replied.

"Neptune, you said they were waiting for a him, not a her?" Weiss asked "Are you sure that's what you heard?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what they said" he assured.

"Her? Why do you think it's a her?" Yatsuhashi asked.

"Do you remember the team that beat you during the Vytal Festival?" Ren asked.

"How could we forget? It was embarrassing being shown up by those punks from Haven" Coco answered.

"They weren't from Haven" Blake revealed.

Scarlett blinked in surprise "What?"

"If they weren't from Haven, where were they from?" Velvet asked.

"Nowhere, they weren't students. Their transcripts from Haven were all forged" Ren answered.

"They were working with the White Fang, they orchestrated the attack on Beacon, on Haven, and they were working with Chimera to plan the attack on Atlas" Weiss explained.

"Do they have a leader?" Sage asked.

"Cinder Fall, she's the one who killed Pyrrha. If anyone is working with what's left of the Crown to attack Vacuo, it'd be her. Maybe she's using Mercury as a go between?" Jaune suggested.

"Her... the headmaster has mentioned a woman before, keeps calling her 'The Big One'. He's afraid she's coming after Shade. Do you think he knows about Cinder?" Velvet asked.

"Ozpin, Lionheart, and Ironwood knew about her. Wouldn't be a surprise if he knows too" Nora replied.

"Either way, he wouldn't want us knowing. We need to keep this between us for now, until we have something concrete to report" Weiss explained.

"He definitely doesn't want us to know, but he's going to be keeping an eye on us after our latest stunt" Coco replied.

"We know how to be discreet-" Blake started.

"General!" Jaune cut in, alerting them to Winter's presence, prompting the others to face her.

She smiled at them "Easy, Arc. I'm just here to bid you farewell for now, especially to my sister" she explained.

Weiss smiled "The headmaster not letting you stick around?"

Winter scoffed "No. Not that I expected him to" she sighed "I brought him up to speed on the situation in Mantle, briefed him on the attack details. Unfortunately, I have business to take care of back home. But if you need anything, I am only a call away"

"I know" she hugged Winter.

Her sister stiffened for a moment, but relented quickly, returning the embrace "Be careful" she whispered.

"We will be" she assured.

"I know you will..." she released her sister "And make sure you keep in touch with father and Whitley. They're sure to worry"

"Of course"

"Very well" she cleared her throat "Arc, Ren, Valkyrie, Belladonna. Good luck with your classes, stay out of trouble"

"We will" Ren replied.

"Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on them" Neptune assured, pointing his index fingers toward her with a wink. Winter grimaced, and left without a word "She seems nice"

"Flirt at your own risk" Weiss warned.

"Protective of your sister, Weiss?" he asked.

"I wasn't warning you about what I was gonna do. She's more than capable of kicking your ass herself. Besides, she's a general now, and the headmaster of Atlas academy" Weiss smirked "Means she's got an army of soldiers and Huntsmen to send after you if you piss her off"

Neptune laughed nervously "I... see your point" the others laughed at his discomfort.

---

That's all for now guys! I'm already getting right to work on the next chapter, so it won't be too long this time before the next one is out! Especially since I won't be sick for several weeks this time around. Merry Christmas to all of you! Hope you all enjoy the holiday season!