Original concept by Korra
Written by MechaG11

Part Two: Remnant Divided Arc
-Chapter 13: New Allies, a New Enemy

Raven pondered her options. The famed Amazon warrior she had heard broad rumors of now stood before all of her tribe. The Amazon had no back-up from what she could see, at least not from where they were standing. It was possible that the Regime had troops hidden nearby, or merely on its way here. If this "hero" was as strong as rumors claim, she'd be more than capable of stalling. What Raven couldn't figure out was the motive for coming here. Was the Regime on a warpath against anyone they considered a problem in Mistral? Or were they perhaps after the Relic? No, there was no way that they knew. Securing the Spring Maiden shouldn't be known to anyone outside of the tribe. The enemy assuming they had the Maiden would be one hell of a guess, at least Raven thought so. Still, she had to figure out what to do, right here and now.

Raven steps forward with a steadfast posture, fitting of her station in the tribe. "You say you offer diplomacy, but that implies you want something. What business could the Regime possibly have with my tribe?" Raven questions the Amazon.

"The General claims you once worked alongside him and his allies." Wonder Woman asserts. "Ironwood merely wishes to extend his hand in cooperation."

"I left that life behind," Raven says. "The General knows that much already. So what is he really after?"

"I have spoken no falsehoods," Wonder Woman claims. "Though your question piques my interest…"

"My answer is no. If you don't have another reason to be here, I suggest you leave." Raven informs Wonder Woman. She's trying to end this as quickly as she can without pushing her position too hard, but the fear of realizing she may have already slipped up begins to creep in.

Wonder Woman squints at Raven, suppressing the urge to scold her for daring to presume she had any control over where she comes and goes. She sheathes her sword and reaches around herself, producing a glistening gold rope. "The Lasso of Truth compels those bound to its hold to speak only the truth. If you've truly nothing to hide, you will no object to my brief questioning." she states. "Simply put your hand to it and be subjected to its power."

Raven grits her teeth slightly. Was this some form of semblance disguised as a parlor trick? If what the Amazon was saying is true, her possession of both the Relic of Knowledge and the Spring Maiden would be known. Could she chance that? Would fighting off Wonder Woman, or the Regime, be worth the losses the tribe would suffer in the process? No, in the long run the tribe couldn't fight off Salem. Only the Maiden and Relic could. She couldn't let the General get his hands on it after everything she did to acquire it. She had to find a way out of this, but how?

"Do you consent to my questioning?" Wonder Woman asks.

Raven stares for a moment, and then begins walking towards Wonder Woman. The Amazon patiently waits for Raven to close the distance. The two stand face to face, and Raven lifts her arm forward to offer it. Wonder Woman nods, and adjusts a loose end of the lasso to entangle Raven's arm. The golden rope wraps around Raven's arm once, twice…until Raven's hand opens up. Wonder Woman takes notice of this, before feeling Raven grab and yank the lasso. Wonder Woman is pulled forward and met by Raven's other fists connecting with her face. The Amazon was caught off guard, but this wasn't enough to stagger her fully. She prevents Raven from wresting the lasso from her hands, and then pulls against her opponent with her own superior strength. Raven is jerked forward, not fully prepared for the sheer arm strength that Wonder Woman employed. A few quick spins and maneuvers later, and Raven finds herself on the ground and entangled in the lasso's grasp. Wonder Woman presses her foot down on Raven's back, firmly holding her in place. Raven winces from the force being applied to her body. If Wonder Woman was pushing down any harder, the pressure would severely strain her aura for sure, maybe even break a few bones. It was no wonder rumors claimed the heroes were no mere huntsmen.

"The Lasso compels you," Wonder Woman proclaims. "What secrets would your tribe conceal from the Regime?!" she questions.

Raven feels an intense warmth radiate from the rope constricting her body. She struggles, but feels her lips begin to move involuntarily. "The Relic of Knowledge…and the Spring Maiden!" she exclaims. "W-what?!" she then utters in disbelief. Vernal goes wide-eyed, unsure if what she just witnessed was even real. They were forced to accept that the lasso's powers were as Wonder Woman claims. Raven begins to squirm, before a black and red mass completely envelopes her. Wonder Woman feels the weight give beneath her foot, before turning to see Raven emerge from another black-crimson mass appearing near Vernal.

"A handy trick…" Wonder Woman admits. "It will not prevent me from learning what I wish to know now. Everything involving this Relic and so-called Maiden." she says. She gazes at Raven, and then shifts to Vernal. "Your leader escaped the lasso, but will you manage the same?" she asks. Vernal steps back, realizing that she was the next target. That brief retreating step was all Wonder Woman needed to confirm her odds of succeeding. She will simply question Raven's companion instead, or perhaps even the whole camp if need be.

Raven draws her sword and realizes that Wonder Woman has her gaze fixed on Vernal. Wonder Woman became a blur, a speed Raven nearly struggled to match in her reaction. "Vernal!" she exclaims before dashing to intercept Wonder Woman's approach. The sharp clink of the two warriors' colliding blades rang out before Vernal. Raven managed to stop Wonder Woman's strike, but feels her confidence shift as the Amazon smirks. The Amazon begins to lean, applying more weight into Raven's blade. Her push slowly overpowers the tribe leader to the point of pushing her back, feet now dragging in the soil below. Raven yells in retaliation as she shoves Wonder Woman's sword away. What came after was a desperate and rapid assault on the Amazon. Raven couldn't overpower Wonder Woman, but sought to exploit some other weakness. As much as she tried, she felt the futility slowly settle in. Wonder Woman was not only meeting every strike with an expert performance in defense, but seemed to be enjoying their bout. This battle-hardened woman lived in battle, she enjoyed every second of it. Raven couldn't help but feel like she was a new toy being played when it came to fighting such a seasoned warrior.

Thanks to an expertly executed kick by Wonder Woman, Raven is sent flying into her tent and crashing through its contents. Seeing this, Vernal and the other Branwen Tribe members shout as they try to assault the Amazon from all sides. It was an effort swiftly made futile as Wonder Woman thrust her shield into the ground, and then bashed her gauntlet into it. The resulting metallic clang produced a pulsating shockwave that sent the surrounding men off of the ground and shooting away in all directions. Vernal is sent back as well, grunting as she makes contact with the floor. The girl leans up, trying to recover, but feels a warm object coiling around her leg. Vernal is suddenly snagged by her shin and dragged along the floor towards Wonder Woman. She tries to cut away at the rope using her bladed weapons, but realizes that the material was all but impervious to her attacks. In a last ditch effort, she begins to blast away at Wonder Woman with both of her weapons in gun form. Wonder Woman deflects each shot with the gauntlet on her free arm. Wonder Woman's wrist lined up with every shot, as if her arm was automatically moving to meet each projectile. Vernal keeps blasting, hoping at least one shot will slip through the Amazon's defense. She is now a mere meter away from Wonder Woman, pulling triggers that fail to expend any more ammo. Wonder Woman simply stares at her, before suddenly lifting the lasso on Vernal's leg and forcing her to hang upside down from it.

"Your tribe tests my patience." Wonder Woman says to Vernal. "Is this secret truly worth the cost of your life in battle?"

Vernal answers without resisting the lasso. "I would die for Raven."

"Then let us test what she would do for you." Wonder Woman suggests. Fear sets into Vernal's eyes, and she turns her head to look in Raven's direction.

Raven emerges from the debris of her tent, and looks up to see Vernal hoisted by the leg by Wonder Woman's lasso. Wonder Woman quickly draws more rope of the lasso and coils it around Vernal's midsection, pulling it tightly. Vernal shouts "Raven, just go-!"

Wonder Woman tightens the lasso's bond with her strength, and causes severe pain to the girl. Vernal lets out an agonizing groan of pain, which turn into yells and screams. Wonder Woman eases the bond, leaving Vernal panting. "Is your secret worth her life?" Wonder Woman asks Raven. "If you are truly as ruthless as they say, surely her loss will mean little to you."

"Damn it." Raven curses under her breath. "What kind of a hero are you?!" she yells.

"One who would easily exterminate vermin, much like that of this tribe." Wonder Woman answers. "As I recall it was you who chose violence over diplomacy in this matter. An unwise choice against an Amazon."

Raven grips her sword nervously. She's at a loss for whether she should flee or attempt to salvage the situation, but the latter becomes less and less likely with every second that passes. "As if you left us with much of an option."

Wonder Woman tilts her head. "You judge me so prematurely, Raven Branwen. Very well then, I shall extend to you one last offer: Resist as you continue to do, and I will slay your tribe as justice demands. Cooperate with me, and I will spare their lives. For what little worth that may be..."

Raven is given pause, hesitant to leave herself and the tribe at the mercy of Atlas, or this Regime. She wonders though, if the Amazon was as diplomatic as she claims, perhaps there was another way. "If we cooperate, will my tribe be granted amnesty from the Regime?" Raven asks.

Wonder Woman looks at Raven curiously. "An interesting proposal…" she says. "The Regime does require more warriors." she explains.

Raven mentally scoffs at the idea. Her tribe would be dogs of the Regime at that point, but it was the only way for them to survive. Still, one more thing burned in the back of her mind. She steps forward. "We'll cooperate with you, but first answer this…" Wonder Woman watches Raven as she nears them, lowering Vernal to the ground in the process. The Amazon didn't lack anything in confidence to loosen her hold over her prisoner in front of her opponent. Raven looks directly at Wonder Woman, now close enough to speak face to face. "Can the Heroes and the Regime stop Salem?"

Glynda walks past some of the backrooms of the hideout, peering through the rooms to find Oscar. The young boy sits alone, fidgeting with a small capsule of some sort. Glynda enters the room. "Oscar?" she asks.

Oscar answers without turning to look at her. "Let me guess, you want to talk to Ozpin? Seems like that's all I'm ever needed for now." he laments with a dejected tone.

"Yes…" Glynda answers. Before anything could be done, she adds "But it can wait." While she had business with Ozpin, she has worked in her teaching career long enough to know when a student needed help, academically or emotionally.

"You don't mean that." Oscar says. "Maybe it's my fate to be some kind of…human telephone for someone else." he ponders.

Glynda takes a seat near Oscar. "You are still your own person, with your own choices, Oscar."

"How can I know that?" he asks her. "My life used to be so simple, then one day some kind of…wizard headmaster decides to live in my head. Now I'm a wanted criminal? Pulled into a war I have nothing to do with?!" he questions. "How is any of this fair?!"

Glynda looks down. "It's not." she admits. "You're right in that there are some things we ultimately can't change or have control over." she agrees. "But there are always things we can do to make our situations better." she explains.

"Like what?" Oscar asks, unable to see the point of her words.

Glynda puts her hand to her chin. "Well, for one, I was a professor at Beacon. I could teach you things you may wish to know or learn." She answers. "We're trapped in a war, but I can teach you how to fight."

"Won't Ozpin just fight for me?" Oscar asks.

Glynda shakes her head. "As you are, Ozpin won't always have control to bail you out of a situation. And besides…" Glynda leans in as if to whisper a secret. "I know how to do things that Ozpin doesn't." she tells him in slightly cheeky manner.

Oscar looks to the side for a moment and smirks. "He says that he 'doubts that."'

Glynda sits up in her chair. "Well, the only way to really know would be to take up my suggestion. Perhaps you can both learn something." she says, her following laugh causing him to do the same.

Oscar looks at the capsule in his hand. "I never got the chance to learn things like this…maybe it will be fun." he muses.

"I'll be here to assist you with that if you wish." Glynda says cheerily. She gets up to leave, but turns towards Oscar at the doorway before departing. "Now, I suggest you put that vial of gravity dust down." she advises, before turning away and walking out of the room. "One wrong move and you might find yourself intimately acquainted with the furniture."

Oscar flinches, freezing up. He turns to look at his hand and then carefully sets the capsule down on a side desk.

It was not hard for Blake to recall the numerous amount of times she had gone on stealth runs, alone or otherwise. It didn't matter if it was in the wilds or in an urban environment. She could make her way around long distances, infiltrating secure areas without anyone noticing. Yet this night, somehow, Blake found she was learning new things on her city run with Batman. The man sported full body armor, and could knock out anyone with a single punch, yet somehow moved with both silence and haste. It made her wonder if she should start rethinking her choices in personal combat gear. Much like his technique and body, Batman's equipment was optimized for everything he did. She figures there's no reason not to do the same now that she's seen the results. Who knows, maybe her father would finally stop bothering her about getting some abdominal armor.

The pair scales an Atlesian tower, overlooking the Regime's Valian base of operations. Blake would normally have some trouble with the usual rooftop surveillance, especially when they were this close, but Batman managed to show her ways around the defenses that were simultaneously unorthodox and clever. That being said, she may have to work on her grip strength if she ever had to rely on hanging off of a ledge again. It was handy to get around roofs or other flat surfaces, but it could be hell on the hands. One attempt to avoid detection across a roof this way had her joints aching a bit by the end. Bothersome for now, but she'll likely build a resistance to it over time.

Batman stops near the dish sticking out of the tower roof, crouching and placing a device on it. Blake looks the dish up and down curiously. "What's this thing?" she asks him.

Batman produces a handheld device, and some sort of smaller machine paired with it. "The control tower for Atlas' androids," he says. After managing to open a panel at the base of the dish's structure, he improvises a way to attach the smaller machine to the dish's internals "It'll take time, but I'll need to hack into their system if we're going to get the intel we're looking for," he explains.

"So…" Blake says awkwardly. "What should I do?"

"You're going to keep watch," Batman explains. "Programming language in Remnant is slightly different from what I'm familiar with on my world. As small a difference as it is, it'll take time to hack into this. Luckily I've had some time to practice on smaller systems here to become more familiar with it."

"Uh huh…" Blake says. Knowing little in this field, she doesn't have anything significant to contribute to the conversation. "At least you're thorough?"

"Just focus on keeping watch." Batman suggests. "And try not to fall asleep from boredom."

Blake couldn't tell if he was trying to tell a joke, or was giving a legitimate warning. Either way, she had a job to do. She finds a spot not too far from Batman, and surveys the surrounding area from above while hidden in darkness. Circumstances aside, Blake couldn't help but admire the view from here. The lights of the city illuminate the buildings in a way that had its own appeal when compared to the day. Boredom does set in eventually, so to occupy herself she decides to study guard postings, their patrol routes, and shift changes. While she was just trying to stave off the boredom, knowing this kind of information would undoubtedly become useful for getting in and out of this place. At some point she begins to mentally simulate alternate infiltration and escape paths in her head. It was a useful exercise, but also fun in its own little way.

Blake traces another route in her mind, eyeing the pathways below and imagining where she'd take cover to avoid detection. She could lay still behind the wall or crate, the guard unknowingly passing by her as she stood completely still in the darkness. She'd sneak away as soon he left, she'd turn the corner and- Her silent amusement stops as she spots two familiar faces below, Ruby and Weiss. Blake's train of thought is replaced by a near blankness. It had been some time after the attack at Beacon since she'd seen her friends. She leans in and peers at the two below. She couldn't make out expressions, but their posture seemed positive enough despite their situation. Weiss gives some kind of parting gesture, much more friendly than she's used to seeing the heiress give, and to Ruby none the less. Maybe being by themselves eased Weiss' usual prickliness, or maybe…they needed each other. Blake wasn't sure if that was her actual hypothesis, or simply her projecting her own wants onto them. One thing was for sure though: she misses them. She wonders if she would have froze during an escape like she did when spotting them just now. Would she talk to them? Would she run away without a word? Blake feels her fingers curl into a fist, quietly cursing the way things are now. She would change everything if she could.

Batman turns his focus away from his hacking device. "We've been followed." he says, shifting into a more defensive stance.

Blake pulls away from the edge, now alert. Batman's gaze turns towards the edge of the roof, and Blake looks towards the same spot. The two wait in complete silence, before a faint noise slowly creeps in. A howl…no, a heaving?

A hand grabs the edge of the roof. A second hand in a red fingerless glove and brace reach upwards, the owner of it pulling himself onto the roof. He pants in great breaths. "Hahh…haa…whew! I don't know how you guys do that with your hands." Sun says exhaustedly.

"Sun?!" Blake whispers.

Batman eases up. "Friend of yours?" he asks.

"What are you even doing here?!" she whispers at Sun aggressively.

Sun catches his breath, before lowering his voice. "I saw you guys scaling the roof all sneaky-like and decided to follow you." he answers as if it were no big deal.

"Do you realize what would have happened if you got caught?!" Blake scolds quietly.

Sun rubs the back of his head, feeling awkward. "Well, I got all the way up here and I didn't. So it all worked out in the end, right?" he poses, causing Blake to grimace at him.

"Scaling the tower without tripping any of their alarm systems…" Batman says. "Reckless, but impressive."

Blake turns over to Batman, noticing a knowing look on his face. "No." Blake tells him sternly.

"We need all the help we can get." Batman reminds her.

"Did someone say 'help'? I can help!" Sun adds, ironically convincing Blake of the opposite in this conversation.

"Sun, I-" Blake says before sighing. Her voice becomes softer. "I'm glad to see you, but this isn't like fighting the White Fang. If you get caught by the Regime, we'll-"

"What, die?" Sun interrupts. "They couldn't even catch me even if they tried!"

"Blake is right." Batman says. "The Regime isn't something to take lightly. If we're not careful, we'll be stamped out."

"So I'll just do what I do except…sneakier." Sun says, gesturing his fingers in a tip-toeing motion.

Batman turns to Blake. "If we can't stop the Regime before their reach becomes global, it won't be long until this conflict comes to everyone." he warns.

Sun slides towards the two. "So…I'll be fighting them ether way!" he says a bit too cheerily. Batman and Blake stare at Sun wordlessly. Seconds pass before the awkwardness settles in. "I'll…just be quiet now." Sun says, before retreating a couple steps.

Batman turns to Blake once more. "I need to finish my work. You two can stand guard." he says before returning to the base of the dish and accessing the hacking device.

Blake turns away and sits near the edge of the roof again. Sun takes the spot next to her. "So who's tall, dark, and mysterious over there?" he says, gesturing his thumb towards Batman.

"It's…a long story." Blake says.

"And what's with the costume?" Sun asks.

"That…I don't actually know." Blake admits.

Sun whispers: "Should we tell him it might be offensive to some people?"

Blake looks at Batman before turning back to Sun. "I don't think he'd stop wearing it, even if we did tell him."

"Sounds like kind of a weirdo, but hey, I won't judge!" Sun whispers. "...okay, maybe I'll judge a little."

"I might not have Faunus ears, but I can hear you both just fine." Batman states, startling the other two.

"Oh! Sorry, uh- Sir!" Sun whispers with an awkward smile.

Hal Jordan's yellow ring shines a beam like a spotlight across the vast blackness of space. He flies around the nearby space surrounding Remnant, using the scanner on his ring. It's then that he feels a flowing sensation with a slight pull to it. He aims his ring towards the source of the pull, and uses the scanner to pinpoint it. He comes across what looks like a black tear in space. "Bingo." he says to himself. He thoroughly scans it with a beam of light, before retracting it back into the ring. "Analyze." he tells the computer on his ring. It beeps twice, heeding his command and beginning its analysis.

Hal takes a moment to allow the ring to finish its work, and turns around to see Remnant's shattered moon. A celestial body sustaining damage like this wasn't something new to him, at least in his line of work. Still, it's a sight that never stops being worthy of awe while being equally unsettling. "I'd hate to see what caused that." he comments to himself. His rings beeps once more, indicating a completed analysis. He peers down and looks into it. "Just as I thought." Hal says.

Back on the planet's surface, Ironwood receives a message within the Regime headquarters in Vale. He and Superman step forward to answer the call, prompting a live audio feed from Hal to appear. "We're reading you loud and clear, Hal." Ironwood answers.

"I did some scanning in open space around Remnant. Looks like my hunch was correct." Hal informs them. "There's an inter-dimensional rift in the space above Vale. If I could hazard a guess, I say it might be connected to our home universe."

"An inter-dimensional-rift…?" Ironwood repeats. The fact that Yellow Lantern was able to travel into space so easily was a feat of its own, especially when compared to humanity's history with space travel on Remnant, but now even more concepts beyond their previous assumptions of space and time were unfolding quicker than he could prepare for.

"That could explain how Batman got here." Superman theorizes. Something Ironwood takes immediate note of. If their two universes were connected, local threats might not be the only problem awaiting in their future.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Hal replies. "If you ask me, I think it's why I haven't felt completely disconnected to the Yellow Entity once we entered Remnant. No way to tell if it's an actual door or one-way path though."

Superman thinks for a moment. "Flash's death…is that why you went looking for this?"

"Right on the money." Hal confirms. "Barry was acting just fine when we were in Vale, but something was going on with him the closer we got to Haven in the airships. I'm willing to bet his connection to the Speedforce grew weaker the further and further away we got from the rift."

"The Flash lost his powers then?" Ironwood asks.

Superman nods. "Someone like Adam Taurus wouldn't be a match for Barry. Being far enough from this rift would explain how Barry lost to him."

Ironwood shakes his head, and then thinks for a moment. "Does this situation pose a threat to any of your other powers?" he asks.

"My powers are tied to an energy source native to our universe." Hal replies. "Finite for now, but Diana should be fine. Superman too since there's plenty of yellow sun to go around here."

"That's fortunate to hear." Ironwood says. "We'll have to conduct further scans lat-"

"WHOA!" Hal shouts over the live feed.

"Hal! What happened?!" Superman asks urgently.

"Something just blew past me!" Hal replies, "Pursuing now!" Up in space Hal chases the blazing, comet-like object as it dives towards Remnant. The object suddenly curves in trajectory. "It just took a sharp turn! This thing's no meteorite!" Hal continues the chase, entering and soaring past the atmosphere.

Down below, Ironwood sends a base-wide communication to the Regime headquarters. "All personnel on alert! Take cover and defensive positions! This is not a drill!" he shouts before repeating the message over the intercom. The troops at the base scramble, taking positions or fleeing into the safety of the nearby buildings. The comet-like object descends towards the base before finally crashing into a squad of Atlesian Knights.

Hal stops in the air, floating above the debris cloud that was kicked up from the impact. Everyone in the area is still, waiting in cautious anticipation for what threat might reveal itself. The cloud slowly clears, and Hal sees an Atlesian Knight shifting and shaking on the concrete floor.

The android comes to a stand, looking bulkier and heavily modified. It looks up at Hal. "Well, didn't think I'd see your mug again." It says with a voice that sounded sounds human with a robotic filter.

Hal squints curiously. "Vic?" he questions.

"In the flesh." he says. "Well…close to it."

Regime troops surround and aim their weapons at the android, forming a perimeter.

"Stand down, everyone!" Hal says with his hand up. "This is a friend."

Hal flies down to greet Vic. Superman quickly finds his way there, and General Ironwood eventually catching up on foot.

"Will anyone care to explain what this is?" Ironwood asks as he approaches.

Superman turns to the General and smiles. "General Ironwood, I'd like you to meet a friend: Victor Stone."

Vic walks up to Ironwood, extending his robotic hand. "Call me Cyborg." he says.

Ironwood looks at Cyborg, and then gladly extends his own robotic arm. The two metal palms clink together as they shake hands.

"Heh, that's a strong grip you got there, General." Cyborg comments.

"I could say the same about you. " Ironwood replies. "Any friend of Superman's is a friend of mine."

Hal puts his hands up in gesture. "So, care to explain how exactly you got here?" Hal asks.

Ironwood interrupts the two with a gesture of his hands to stop. "Not here." he says. Ironwood turns to his troops. "Kindly call in a repair crew and clean this mess." he orders, gesturing to the impact zone and minor debris dust. The General then heads back into the headquarters with Superman, Yellow Lantern, and the newly recruited Cyborg.

Once inside, away from listening ears, Ironwood stands before the three Regime heroes. "Apologies for the secrecy, but the truth of your existence is…sensitive information here." he explains. "I hope you'll understand. If you will, I'm sure we'd all like to hear your story." he tells Cyborg.

Cyborg looks to everyone else. "When you guys made the jump to this place, I got left behind. Went into hiding and did some investigating to find out where you'd all gone. That's when I found the rift." he explains. "Uploaded some personality backup data into a cybernetic probe of my design, sent it through the rift, and now I'm here. Well, as 'here' as a robotic back-up can be." Cyborg looks at Ironwood. "Hope you don't mind that I borrowed one of your bots." he says, somewhat apologetically.

"I'm sure you'll put it to better use." Ironwood says.

"So, where is here, exactly?" Cyborg asks.

Ironwood steps forward. "The world of Remnant," he explains. "From what I understand, it's much different from your home universe."

"Please, monsters and super-powered people?" Hal says. "I'd say it's pretty similar, if being superhuman was more of a standardized demographic."

"You and I might need to compare statistics." Cyborg differs. With as many superhumans they knew from their world, it might as well have been a standard within the population.

Elsewhere in Vale, Blake and Sun leap across rooftops alongside Batman before they notice him stop and listen to something intently over his earpiece. With their communication tower bugged, Batman makes use of his listening piece. The two Faunus exchange glances, and then turn back to Batman. "Uh, everything okay?" Sun asks.

Batman doesn't answer for a moment, before returning his attention to the two. "Some commotion happening within the Regime…something we could use to our advantage."

Emerald walks alone on what seems like an endless stretch of road, her red scarf flapping as a gust breezes by. She grasps the base of the scarf, securing it in case the wind decides to carry it off, but it holds fast around her. It was a small thing, but Emerald found some reassurance in its ability to stay with her despite the gust. It was as if a part of Cinder herself were choosing to accompany her, no matter what might come their way. Emerald sighs, reminiscing about her beloved mentor.

A distant noise pulls her out of lingering thoughts and into reality, causing her to perk up and scan her surroundings. She spots smoke in the distance rising from behind the tree line. It was likely a settlement along this road, she figured. She knew there were people foolish enough to establish smaller communities outside the safety of a kingdoms' walls. Maybe they were suffering a grimm attack, or even the occasional raid from a gang of bandits feeling particularly brave or desperate today. Either way, it wasn't her problem. She was going to steer clear of whatever commotion was happening ahead.

Emerald walks on, the minutes passing and the smoke still high in the air. Sure enough she spots a diversion branching off from the main road, likely the side path leading up to the settlement. She ignores it and keeps walking onwards. After traveling a few meters though, she hears a noise from the nearby forest lining the road. Emerald adjusts her stance, readying herself for a possible attack. A distraught woman emerges from the forest, somewhat dirtied with ash. She was quite young looking, maybe not much older than Emerald herself by a couple years. The woman collapses to her knees, weeping and coughing. She looks up at Emerald, and sees the weapons on her person.

"Thank the gods, a Huntress!' the young woman cries out. She stands and stumbles over to Emerald, latching onto her. Emerald puts her hands out, pushing the woman away slightly so they aren't too close. "You have to help me!" the woman pleads. "I don't know what's happening to me!"

"Lady, I-" Emerald complains, before her eyes go wide. She looks upon the young woman's face, watching as a flaming aura blazes from the woman's eyes. It couldn't be…

"Everyone…everyone is dead." the woman laments through her sobbing.

Emerald looks at the woman, and her face of shock becomes a smile. "It's okay. It's okay." Emerald says in a reassuring tone, no longer pushing away and choosing to embrace the woman. Emerald allows the woman to fall to her knees, all while lowering herself to the same level. "Shhh." Emerald says. "Just…focus on me. Just me." Emerald advises.

The young woman looks to Emerald, eyes leveled, allowing her to guide her in a moment of vulnerability.

"That's it." Emerald says, praising the distraught woman's compliance. "Just breathe." Emerald suggests.

The young woman closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to ease herself. Her attempt at peace is severed by a sharp pain through her abdomen, and she looks down to find Emerald's green blade impaled through her midsection. Emerald is quick to grab the woman by the head, pulling her face to her own and solidifying direct eye contact.

"Just me." Emerald repeats, holding an unyielding gaze with the woman until the victim vacates her last breath. The young woman trembles before falling limp. The deed was done, opportunity seized. Emerald yanks her blade out of the woman's now empty husk of a body, shaking the blood off of her weapon and tucking it away.

Suddenly, Emerald begins to glow, accompanied by a radiating warmth she feels all across her body. It burns bright for all but a moment, before she feels it settle into her very being. This power, the same power that burned brightly in Cinder, now burns within her. It was her key to revenge, a tool she could use to scorch a path forward. She saw it as nothing else but a gift from her late mentor, a passing of the torch. She would take some time to learn and wield it, to mould its power into her own. All as Cinder had done before her. Emerald's resolve was now stronger than ever, and like her mentor she would use it to take everything she wanted. It was the power to take revenge as she so desired. It was a powerful coincidence, one she dared to perceive as destiny. To wield what was once Cinder's was enough to make her believe in such things now.

End of Chapter 13