The interior of the mall was dimly lit, with only a select few emergency lights still providing enough visibility for navigation inside of the space. Glynda had the distinct feeling that Astrid absolutely did not need them, but she wasn't about to complain. Everything seemed just as Roman had described to her after his initial expedition to the abandoned building- empty. Lifeless. Dead. Oddly enough, though, Glynda found the place to be almost peaceful in its sterility. It somehow felt like the mall was removed from the rest of the world and separate from the ongoing war. There was no better place for some sort of discussion between the two sides… provided civility and neutrality actually did manage to hold.

Glynda wasn't betting on it.

"So…" Roman began, cutting through the silence. "I can't help but wonder if anyone can hear us in here."

"You're coming through clearly," Sun answered. "We can catch up with anyone who lost signal later."

Glynda nodded softly to herself, not realizing what Roman was doing by asking the question until the faunus answered for her.

"…what's that supposed to mean?" Astrid asked from ahead of the hunters, looking over her shoulder as she walked. "You don't trust that this is a private meeting, do you? I can't exactly show you that there aren't grimm here. Do you want to tour every single storefront, kiosk, and supply closet? This is as much for me to get away from Salem as you, you know."

"We know that Salem sometimes communicates across long distances using… orbs?" Glynda tried, not feeling particularly confident in her description. "Odd, floating grimm that look almost like an eye with tendrils. They would be easy enough to hide…"

"Seers," Astrid replied as she turned her attention back to the space ahead of them. "A fair point… but again. I cannot prove that something isn't here. You people are absolutely exhausting…"

"This war is exhausting," Roman pointed out. "We wouldn't be walking on eggshells and looking over our shoulders constantly if your side hadn't tried to take over Remnant out of nowhere. We're only just getting caught up on all the shit Ozpin hid from us and the fact that you even exist."

"That sounds entirely like your fault for trusting him when he continued acting so mysterious and above it all," Astrid pointed out as she turned past a dried-up central fountain within the cavernous main atrium of the mall. "And we aren't trying to take over. Not entirely."

Glynda blinked and stiffened as she followed along.

"…then what are you trying to do?"

"End this," Astrid said simply. "At least, that's what I'm trying to do. As for Salem… only she can say."

"You expect us to believe you don't know?" Roman asked. "Bullshit."

"You expect me to just outright tell you, even if I do?" Astrid retorted. "That may or may not be bullshit, but you're definitely a stupid asshole either way. Use your brain, idiot."

"…you know, if we weren't trying to kill each other, I think I'd kinda like you," Roman admitted with a smirk. "Almost a shame we never met when I was working for Cinder."

"The feeling's mutual, even if you ask annoying questions," Astrid let on as she led the group to the entrance of a small winery storefront. "Speaking of stupid assholes, I have no love for Cinder. She's a failed experiment and unworthy of the title of Maiden. Last I heard, she's being sent to Vacuo to make an attempt at getting the Sword of Destruction from Shade Academy. Pass that information along, if you'd like. It won't do you much good."

"Why not?" Glynda probed as she took a moment to look over the darkened wine racks and oak barrels stacked to the ceiling against the far wall behind a counter. The central floor of the establishment had several white metal tables and accompanying chairs, giving off the feeling of a small indoor café. "That seems like useful tactical knowledge…"

"It is, but holding Vacuo, or winning it over on our end, won't matter in the long run," Astrid said with a sigh. "Not now, anyway, and I doubt Cinder is capable of taking the Academy to begin with. Shade won't fall as easily as Beacon."

Glynda took a sharp inhale as she walked over to a wine rack, intentionally facing away from the others. The woman took a moment to try to bite her tongue and rethink what exactly she wanted to say in response for the insult.

"…Beacon still stands."

Glyna could feel eyes on her back as she stared furiously at the label of a nearby bottle. Even so, Astrid's neutral tone caught her by surprise almost as much as her words.

"…so it does. My apologies. I didn't mean anything by that."

"A grimm apologizing," Roman pointed out as he deposited himself in one of the chairs and crossed one leg over the other. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"This is meant to be 'friendly', isn't it?" Astrid asked rhetorically. "And… you brought my spear with you?"

"I thought you had forgotten it," Glynda answered as she turned around and laid the implement atop the nearest tabletop.

"I left it intentionally to appear less threatening," Astrid explained as she moved closer to the counter, her eyes on the wine racks as she walked. "Purely symbolic, as I don't exactly need it, but… you two are interesting, all the same. It feels like you want so badly to believe that I'm trustworthy and truly interested in another option other than fighting to the death over centuries-old Relics that mean nothing to you… and yet, you think it's too good to be true. I feel much the same way."

"She's trying to distract you," James said suddenly, causing Glynda to jump slightly at the sudden voice in her ear. "Double down on why stalling progress in Vacuo is so unimportant to her. She wouldn't just give up that information without intent, and someone tried to keep Sun out of Vacuo by posing as the headmaster of Shade. It seems likely that it could've been her, and she's playing you."

"We do, yes, but… it's difficult," Glynda admitted, doing her best to try to make the transition sound natural. "You speak and act so cryptically that we can't help but stay on guard, no matter what small things we do to show you that we're interested. It doesn't help that your motivations remain a total mystery, especially in regard to telling us about Cinder. Why doesn't it matter if we manage to fight her off in Vacuo, or even kill her? Wouldn't that put you in danger with Salem?"

"I thought that would be obvious," Astrid answered as she found a bottle to her liking and pulled it down from the waiting rack. "Nothing we do matters unless we have all four Relics, and without knowing where the Crown of Choice is within Beacon… taking Vacuo would just lead to more losses on both sides. Better to leave things at a draw if possible, at least for now. I'm telling you so that whatever little posse you sent down there knows what they're up against."

"…telling us about Salem's plans for Vacuo will lead to more losses on your side," Roman pointed out. "That still makes no sense, unless it's meant to be part of whatever trade between us you've been alluding to. Trying to sweeten the pot by offering the possibility that we kill Cinder so we'll go along with your plan is for Sanus?"

"In part," Astrid admitted with a smirk. "Though there's also the fact that I don't give a damn if Cinder dies out there, and if she does, that will just progress things closer to the final phase of the war effort. The Maidens have to die in order for Salem to achieve her goal, so whether that happens now or later matters little."

Glynda moved to sit at the table with Roman as she watched Astrid gather a set of glasses from the counter. The grimm woman didn't seem at all bothered by what she had said, and Glynda found that somehow more unnerving.

"…wouldn't that mean that… you would also…?"

"Such a tragedy," Astrid deadpanned as she made her way toward the table. "Why do you care?"

"Why don't you?" Roman asked. "You're willing to die for Salem?"

Astrid didn't answer immediately as she set down the trio of glasses and uncorked the wine with a hooked talon. The bottle was an expensive one, not that it mattered much in their circumstances. Only the sound of pouring liquid filled the otherwise quiet shop until all three glasses had a generous amount of wine in them. Astrid met Glynda's eyes as she set down the bottle gently.

"I'm willing to die to finally have peace."

Roman cast Glynda an uncertain glance, though she didn't return it. The woman found that her hand was slightly trembling as she reached out and took her glass.

"I… think all of us directly involved in the fight would say the same," the headmistress admitted. "But… you don't think there's any other way? No resolution that could involve you continuing to live? Salem doesn't need to be the victor."

"I don't," Astrid answered immediately as she swirled her glass. "And if there is another way… I don't care. There's no point in exploring my options or doing anything beyond siding with whoever has the best chance at finally bringing an end to all of this, and that's clearly Salem. There is nothing left on Remnant that I care about anymore. I'm tired, Glynda. I want this done and over with as quickly as possible. If you all manage to live through it, then… good for you. Whatever. I'm more than happy to take my leave."

"…her sisters," Sun said quietly. "That has to be it. Without them, she feels l-"

"Don't," James warned. "Don't bring them up or let on that we know. There's no guarantee that that's what this is about, and we can still play that card at a pivotal moment if need be. Whether or not she has a death wish is none of our concern."

"That's cold," Ilia chimed in. "Cold, but practical. He's right…"

Glynda pulled a face, watching as Astrid drained most of her glass in a single go. She, too, took a sip of the wine, though she made sure not to overindulge.

"…we also want this to end as quickly as it can," Glynda said softly. "That being said, we won't stop fighting to save ourselves, no matter the odds. Surely, you can understand that?"

"Of course I do," Astrid acknowledged. "And for that reason, I'm going to offer to buy you time… provided you'll do something for me. Salem achieving her goals doesn't necessarily mean the end of the world, or your deaths. It might- it probably would- but if you cooperate, that isn't set in stone. I need that crown, and then, the sword. I brought you two here to negotiate a ceasefire across all of Sanus. Agree to get me that crown, and I'll pull every grimm out of the country, today. It's that simple."

"Bullshit," Roman declared without a second thought. "How do we know you even have that authority? And what about Tyrian and Hazel?"

"You don't, yet again," Astrid answered with a roll of her eyes. "I can rein in Tyrian, and Hazel… Hazel won't be a problem anymore."

Glynda narrowed her eyes as she took another sip of wine. She hated that it was both quite good and doing its part to de-escalate the tension in the room even slightly.

"Even if that's true… we don't know where the crown is. Only Ozpin did, so far as I know. I've been looking for information as to its whereabouts for our own purposes and I've found nothing. You're setting us up for failure."

"I'm lighting a fire under your ass," Astrid corrected. "So long as you agree to make an effort, I'm going to call off all of the grimm here after I leave and give you 60 days to either procure the crown or at least figure out its location. Do that, and all of Sanus will remain untouched. Fail, and a full-scale invasion begins until Beacon, Vale, and everything else around is a smoldering heap. It really is that simple."

"And if we tell you to go fuck yourself?" Roman asked. "I'm guessing the invasion starts right now, and you've got your grimm set up in key locations just waiting to make it happen?"

"Something like that," Astrid agreed before draining the rest of her glass. "Don't be stupid. I can only hold Salem off for so long before she decides that what I'm doing here isn't worth her time. She has no idea I'm taking this road with you, and she doesn't need to know, either, until it's already done. After her stunning failure up in Solitas, I've been given total control over the invasion here. I can stave her off for two months and insist that I have a plan."

"…and yet, we could easily just spend those 60 days preparing for your assault and not do a damned thing to get you that crown," Glynda considered as she tapped her nails on the tabletop. "Surely you're not that stupid to trust that we'll actually be looking without some collateral in the interim."

"Honestly… I'd be surprised if that isn't how this ends," Astrid admitted. "But even so, I'm giving you a chance to prove me wrong. Do your part, and your odds of survival in the aftermath increase. That should be all the reason you need to play ball. Turn against me, and you're just starting a disadvantageous fight that could be postponed and afford you at least some time with those you care about, should you choose to not even attempt to find the crown. When the clock runs out… you won't be able to resist us any longer. I'm doing you a favor. Take the deal, Glynda. Give yourself some room to breathe, and me an opportunity to focus on other things than fighting for a while. We could both use the reprieve, could we not? What's it going to be?"

Glynda watched as a hand was extended across the table. It took only seconds for her to reach out and accept it.

Author's Note:

Deadline established…

-RD