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Chapter Text

Nimble fingers drummed rhythmically against white bone, filling the echoingly empty chamber with their monotonous tapping. Salem huffed a small sigh in her throne as she leaned her head against her hand. Despite the near infinite patience that tens of thousands of years in isolation forced her to learn, she could definitively say that waiting was the least enjoyable part of her current endeavor. On the grand eve of her impending conquest, the placid calm before the dark and violent storm that would signal the beginning of her campaign of destruction, the dark queen of the Grimm found herself so very, very bored.

Though the technology had advanced by leaps and bounds, Salem couldn’t help but feel like she’s done this all before. Oceans of Grimm would flood the bastions of humanity at her command and, while dust mages and ballistas had been replaced by huntsmen and rifles, the result would always be the same in the end. Her infinite adversary and once love would manage to rally a puzzlingly strong defense despite the limited resources at hand and the relic, the potential key to her own long-awaited demise, would be kept out of her hands. Perhaps a lighter soul, one lacking in fear or self-preservation, would teasingly call her pessimistic and they could share a thin chuckle over the comment but, alas, she was merely surrounded by sycophants, cowards, and those somehow as nihilistic as she was.

What a merry band they made.

At the thought of her… disappointing cadre of followers, Salem straightened out in her throne once more. Despite being blessedly alone for the moment, Salem refused to allow any of her people to see even a shred of her lingering humanity. Back straight, royal chin tipped upwards in mildly judgmental disdain, chalk-white hands resting comfortably on the arms of her throne, none of her co-conspirators would ever find even a single hair out of place. She couldn’t afford to simply be human; she always had to be more.

Though utterly, painfully immortal, she was certainly not invincible. Hazel himself had proven that fact countless times before the exhaustion and hopelessness finally wrapped around the man’s soul. And if Salem had stationed a few Apathy nearby to speed up the dull process of providing her latest victim with some pathetic measure of emptying catharsis well… who could really blame her. It’s not like it was an enviable position to be in, being pummeled into the ground repeatedly by expressions of violent strength in lieu of much needed therapy. As ever, dying was a bore and regenerating was a chore.

But those were human emotions, or as human as her emotions could really get, and if she were truly to be seen not as a person but as a force of nature itself then she would need the veneer of untouchability she had so carefully constructed to remain intact, no matter how exhausting it truly was at times after all these years. She still remembered the way Tyrian’s face lit up with deranged glee at seeing her imposing control over the creatures of Grimm as they liberated him from his cage. For the assassin, it was the first time beholding a goddess of destruction, but for Salem it was a role so worn the holes in the act were starting to show to anyone observant enough to look for them. It was all becoming so… rote.

Not for the first time did Salem wonder exactly where her true powers of persuasion had gone. When was her silken charisma usurped by that borderline nonchalant dismissiveness that plagued most of her interactions with living beings these days? For the infinite life of her, Salem found herself unable to pinpoint a single moment responsible for the disappearance of her old self, her personality having glided gently, gradually into the abyss along with her will to live.

A human mind wasn’t meant to last forever and she had already forgotten so much…

Unconsciously, Salem’s hand began to clench in renewed frustration against the cursed brothers who forced this hell onto her. As the dwindling ember of human irritation began to burn brighter inside of her, she found the more troubling aspects of her Grimm nature singing delightedly. Frustration became anger and anger became fury, the foreign urge to rend the world to pieces swelling within her like a gluttonous parasite before a soft whine from Monstra drew Salem’s attention to the crumbling bone beneath her fingers.

Relaxing the grip on her throne and mentally apologizing to one of her greatest creations through their mental link, Salem allowed the dull ache of guilt to curdle in her stomach. It was ridiculous really, the immortal witch of destruction lamenting the harm caused to an innocent creature in anger, and yet Salem always despised how deeply the pools of destruction had tainted her being. An act performed out of pure agonizing desperation for any respite at all from her curse only served to damn her further and, despite the power it gave, pollute her very being. The second dip that came after Ozma’s treachery only made things worse… and the third… and the fourth… and the fifth…

It wasn’t her fault that those bleak shores were so inviting when there was so little left to live for. Everyone has their vices, after all.

Sometimes, she would think on those cold nights as she languished alone, Salem almost appreciated how deeply the pool had hollowed her out inside, trading the aspects of herself she hated most for a more numb kind of power. The human parts of her were weak, foolish, and better left behind her where they could not further mar her life with thoughtless mistake born of passionate emotion. But then… Salem could almost hear the echo of four sets of tiny footsteps echoing down the hallways of her oppressive fortress and she would mourn for what was and what never should have been. Even now, behind closed eyelids, she can still see the fierce glow of destructive spellcraft, the phantom scorch of magical flame pulsing through her hand providing unwelcome accompaniment, as she recalls her greatest mistake.

She should have hesitated.

Salem didn’t cry, not anymore, – the pools had seen to that – but the thought of her daughters always brought her close. Thankfully, that contemptible swell of human sorrow would soon be submerged into a veritable sea of wrath directed towards her former love.

Only now, bored and exhausted and so sick of the many, many games they played, did Salem reconsider the state of her grudge. She had been distracted for so long by the raw emotions brought forth by the game when she should have directed her attention towards the pair that forced them to be players in the first place. The brothers who pitted husband and wife against each other, sacrificing all of humanity in the process twice over, just to prove a wretched point. She couldn’t even fault Ozma his zealotry anymore. They had each only been given a single out from their damnable circumstances and it lay beyond the corpse of the other.

If ending her life and restoring humanity to a vision of the world that met the approval of the brothers was the only way he could properly rest, perhaps she and Ozma had more in common than she thought. So maybe… it was time to change the game entirely.

Salem was well versed in spinning webs of false promises to lure in potential allies. To garner sympathy, she had penned her own little fairy tale, expressing the veiled truth of her history to a new humanity with a bleeding heart. To topple The Circle, she spun a tale of a blade that could kill a god and the prestige such a feat would bring. To hunt her adversaries, that pesky bloodline that bore the Elder Brother’s gifts, she provided instruction in the many ways of combat to a faunus eager for strength. To collect the relics, she promised so many impossible things to the group currently at her disposal.

Strangely, despite her ponderously long life, the one thing she never considered was directly telling the truth. Humanity had produced wonderful advances in technology that made spreading a message far easier than ever before. It was time, Salem supposed, to finally make use of the many lessons in modern electronics that one Arthur Watts begrudgingly bestowed upon her.

For once, a genuine smile began to stretch across her lips as she retreated to her quarters to retrieve her tragically neglected scroll, a plan taking form in her mind. The dear doctor had already done her the favor of taking control of most of the systems of Amity Colosseum, backdoor access perpetually enabled for Salem and her people, so the only thing remaining was to put her many years of oratory skills to work. The general and his gaggle of soldiers and his misbehaving children were quite naïve in their planning but they certainly had one thing correct…

It always paid to control the narrative, and that was exactly what Salem was going to do.

Chapter Text

Scroll deactivating with a soft click signaling the end of the recording, Salem couldn’t help but almost purr as she approached the tripod of nebulous Grimm flesh where she anchored the device. Her message complete, Salem allowed herself a moment to review her work, hunting through the video for even the most minute of flaws, before uploading the file straight to Amity Colosseum courtesy of Dr. Watts’ ingenuity.

Now, with her message primed to play automatically whenever Amity reached a significant altitude, Salem pondered the next few steps necessary for ensuring the execution of her latest gambit. Retrieving the doctor was first and foremost… perhaps deploying Hazel to aid in optimizing the dust engines of Amity would also be a suitable step? His expertise with the substance was undeniable despite the brutish way he used it…

Suddenly, a mote of light on the edge of her awareness snaps Salem out of her contemplative state. Allowing a satisfied smile to settle across her regal features, Salem basked in the feeling of one of the relics of creation rapidly approaching her location. It seemed that things would be progressing far more quickly than she had anticipated.

Prohibiting the swarming Grimm from attacking the vehicle carrying the relic, – and potentially her followers but they were of far less import – Salem placed a gentle palm on her osseous throne and projected a subtle command to Monstra, her darling pet, to provide landing space for the craft. Clearing the webbed material blocking the entrance to her throne and ensuring her privacy, Salem prepared to stand to receive her latest guests.

Her wait was a brief one, as only shortly after the insufferably smug visage of Cinder Fall threatened to topple her good mood. The girl was followed shortly by a markedly small woman decked in pinks and whites wearing a hat that even Salem could tell clashed horribly with her outfit. ‘This is why I solely wear black these days,’ Salem thought to herself, expression betraying none of her inner derision towards her guests, ‘it’s almost impossible to wear something that clashes with black.’

Shaking the horrid, dissociative boredom from her mind, Salem only vaguely registered Cinder’s bow and address of, “My queen.”

Biting back an exasperated sigh, Salem stood from her throne and decided to pause for a few moments to allow the young maiden to stew in her anxiety. Unfortunately, it seemed that she was indeed losing her touch – or Cinder was simply that confident in not provoking her ire this time – as her half-Grimm pawn seemed only to wait calmly. “Cinder,” Salem eventually addressed, ending the charade, “when I first chose you as my vessel for the maidens, I put my trust in you. So I trust… that you wouldn’t possibly return to me empty handed.”

“The relic of knowledge,” Cinder stated proudly as she raised the bauble of teal and gold from where it was hidden behind her. Salem allowed herself to appear mildly surprised as a light courtesy and acknowledgement of the girl’s efforts, but honestly, she had the same abilities as any Grimm including the ability to sense any relics within a certain distance of herself. Even Ozma had to have made the connection at this point and… oh, Cinder was still speaking and claiming credit for the achievement.

Salem suppressed a laugh at the sight of the expression on the face of Cinder’s companion, confusion and disbelief marring her pretty features. Through context alone, it was a simple matter to assume Cinder took credit for the other’s competence. Why, then, did the bicolored girl not speak up for herself? A mute perhaps?

For just a singular blissful moment, Salem allowed herself to contemplate the reality where she chose the girl presented to her today rather than Cinder. Not only competent but also unable to talk back, boast, or lie? It was a scenario that was utterly heavenly to imagine after enduring the weight of Cinder’s ambitions for so long. Despite the girl regaining her composure, incredulity replaced by her prior unease at being in unfamiliar territory, Salem could still see the spark of hatred and killing intent lingering in the set of her multi-colored irises and directed at her young protégé. Maybe a little coaxing if Cinder ever became too difficult to handle? Thoughts for later.

Tuning back into the conversation at the tail end of yet another spat between Tyrian and Cinder, she barely catches the end of his sentence, “… necessary sacrifice. I do hope this little one doesn’t become another.”

“Who is she?” Salem interjected, taking the opportunity presented to her. Mentally, she made a note to thank Tyrian for the ease of entry into the conversation. Sending him after some vulnerable citizens should pose a suitable gift.

“Neopolitan has some very useful abilities and has proven to be a valuable asset,” Cinder asserted, clearly quite satisfied by her latest acquisition. Judging by the return of the incredulous expression to the girl’s, Neopolitan’s, face, she certainly didn’t appreciate being talked about as if she wasn’t in the room or being described as an “asset.” How quickly Cinder had forgotten how powerless her own inability to speak made her feel; the woman truly had no empathy for others whatsoever.

‘Well, no matter.’ Salem mused. ‘Cinder has always fancied herself a leader so I’ll let her play the part for now.’

“You certainly do enjoy collecting… assets,” Salem commented.

Examining the relic in her hands, Salem prepared to dispense further orders to her followers and inform them of the change of plans. Unfortunately, to her displeasure, Cinder’s principle toady, Emerald, interrupts her before she can even get a word out. “Cinder!” She exclaimed gleefully. “You’re here! I know you’d com-”

“Quiet.” Cinder ordered scathingly.

Salem almost chuckled at the pitiful display. The poor girl was clearly head over heels for her greatest tormentor. What Cinder had ever done to earn such loyalty would forever remain an unsolved mystery to Salem but it’s not like she hadn’t acquired her own assets through… atypical means. Hazel himself could be counted among that number. Still, she couldn’t help but lament how much Cinder had lost in the aftermath of their assault on Beacon; her charisma had flown from her far faster than Salem’s own had, that was certain.

Tyrian tsked softly in the corner. “So devoted to someone so incompetent,” he chided Emerald pityingly but with an edge to his tone indicating he was trying to genuinely teach the girl in his own twisted way. “While the good doctor and I were advancing the will of our Goddess, dismembering the very body of this kingdom, you were merely atoning for past failures.”

Though Tyrian occasionally needed to be kept on a short leash, his raw enthusiasm and zealotry was such a welcome breath of fresh air to Salem. She really needed to send him on a mission that would show her appreciation. Helpless civilians weren’t enough of a prize anymore. Maybe he’d enjoy causing chaos in the faunus slums turned refuge camp?

“Polendina’s creation interfered with the transfer of the winter maiden’s power, but now I know she has it.” Cinder spat. “And once I return to Atlas, it won’t take long to finish what I started. That power will be mine.”

Already exhausted with Cinder’s single-minded desire for raw strength, Salem held up a single hand to cut her off and hopefully stave off her building migraine. “I have given no such command.”

“Ma’am!” Cinder pleaded in surprise. “Now is the time t-“

Salem cut Cinder’s protests off with a subtle display of her power, demonstrating for the hundredth time the sheer gulf in might between them as she wordlessly ordered the smoke within the tissue of Monstra’s head to dissipate revealing the floating city of Atlas before them.

“This game is not yours to win, Cinder. It’s mine. Just because you’re more valuable to me than a pawn… does not make you a player. You fancy yourself the black queen, regal and powerful upon the board, but though you move with strength your actions belong to another. Everything is already in motion, though I’ve decided to make some additions,” Salem explained to her faction.

“Changes, ma’am?” Hazel inquired, speaking up for the first time in the impromptu meeting.

“Yes.” Salem confirmed. “You see, a realization came to me as I was meditating earlier on the next move to take in this grand game and I realized that in my many thousands of years of life I seem to have gone quite insane.”

The silence the followed Salem’s proclamation was deafening and it’s almost enough to elicit a chuckle as she observed how wrong-footed her followers became with that simple statement. Her dear Tyrian was first to muster the courage to speak, unsurprisingly, “My Goddess, surely there’s nothing wrong with you at all. Your monolithic designs are always impeccably crafted to crush your opposition no matter how they may try to scuttle and flee. Not to contradict you of course, but, may I ask… what brought on such a realization?”

“You see Tyrian,” Salem began, a surprisingly indulgent smile tugging at the corners of her lips, “to you my machinations may appear to be novel, foolproof, or even inspired, but I have been doing this for a very long time and have become only inches closer to my goal. I’ve realized that the reason this endless game has spanned millennia without a victor isn’t due to the lacking quality of the pieces I’ve managed to acquire or because of superior strategy employed by my opponent. No, the relics have remained out of my reach because I’ve failed to adapt. Repetition and stagnation have become my true enemies. Wave after wave of Grimm crash and break upon the carcasses of Remnant’s brave men and women and yet nothing changes. So you see, I must have finally succumbed to insanity if I’ve become so set in my ways that I’ve begun to expect different results from the same action.” Salem let out a soft chuckle, enjoying the way her more green followers flinch back in response, “How amusingly human of me.”

“So, then… what happens now?” Hazel tentatively asked. Observing his features, Hazel appears skeptical but intrigued at the same time. He was barely invested in the outcome of a new world she had promised some of her more gullible followers, his nihilism and desire for revenge the only things cementing his loyalty, and yet he seemed almost hopeful. Tyrian beside him appeared equally as captivated by her latest decision, almost in awe of what he would consider her overwhelming wisdom and insight brought about by her impossible age.

“Hope and community have always been Ozpin’s greatest weapons against my crusade,” Salem explained, leaning into the holy imagery for Tyrian’s benefit. “It bolsters the otherwise fragile spirit of humanity and propels them forward against impossible odds. Alone, a single thread is easy to tear but woven together their strength multiplies beyond their numbers. For quite some time now, I have tried tirelessly to divide the people of Remnant and there is wisdom in that decision, but perhaps it is time to twist that unity in our favor. Each of you stand before me today for your own reasons but at the core of that decision is hope. You all seek a specific outcome to this endeavor whether that’s power, freedom, or simply destruction for it’s own sake. It is passed time I began to use the strength of that power on a larger scale.” Salem finishes before fixing her attention on a single member of her cabal, “Cinder?”

“Yes, ma’am?” The fall maiden barely managed to reply without stuttering, the entire situation having disturbed Cinder’s equilibrium.

“If I recall correctly, aside from our dear Dr. Watts, you’re the only other member of our assembled conspirators who spent a significant portion of their life in Atlas.” Salem stated, enjoying the flash of anger and distaste that flitted through her eyes at the mention of her upbringing. “How selfish would you say the average citizen is in the grand scheme of things?”

“Very, my queen.” Cinder answered without hesitation, letting the derision slip into her tone.

“Then I believe the general will soon have a full scale revolt on his hands should all go accordingly.” Salem said. “I have already laid the groundwork for the initial stages of an internal coup. Hazel. Tyrian. Your work clearing Mistral of its huntsmen without being discovered was exceptional; I require similar results from you both now. Take young Neopolitan here and Miss Sustrai as well and retrieve our good doctor from his prison. You may take the Manta that Cinder so graciously acquired for us.”

“It will be done my lady,” Tyrian promised with a bow.

Simply nodding in response, Hazel moved to follow the scorpion faunus as he prepared to leave the meeting, though Salem found it almost adorable how he laid a comforting hand on Emerald’s shoulder and subtly motioned for her to follow without a fuss. The girl looked conflicted about leaving Cinder behind, a reservation that Neopolitan apparently did not share as she bounded almost eagerly after Hazel. While it could have simply been her nerves, Salem knew that the eagerness to leave came not from fear nor from enthusiasm but from a desire to find something. Salem made a mental note to investigate her motivations more in the future but, for now, it was time to placate a pouting child.

“But-“ Cinder stammered out before quickly clamping down on the impulse.

Walking languidly over to the trembling young woman now bowing her head in submission, Salem tipped Cinder’s chin back up to look at her with a single finger. “Take heart dear girl,” Salem purred with cloying sweetness as her thumb brushed along Cinder’s scarred and covered cheek, “You’ll have all the power you’re owed in due time. Remember the patience that earned you the essence of the fall maiden in the first place and hold it tight. You need only act when I tell you to.”

“Of course…” Cinder said, choking down any retorts. “Without you I am nothing.”

Standing once more at her full height, Salem looked down at the girl in front of her. Though she had easily slotted herself in the same role Cinder’s former owner masquerading as a stepmother had, controlling the girl at a whim and making her dance to her tune, sometimes that almost instinctive submission it elicited from Cinder proved more troublesome than it was worth. It wouldn’t do for the maiden’s loyalty to decay because of a bad association. An era of new approaches was upon her so perhaps it was time to shift tactics, “Without me you would not possess the magic and might of a maiden, but if you were nothing I would have left you exactly where I found you. I push you because I expect you to rise to the potential I’ve seen within you. Do not squander it any further.”

Cinder stared at her with those molten irises blown wide, flabbergasted by the praise and admonishment leveled on her in equal measure when she had done so little to earn either. The script had been flipped and it seemed that the corrupted maiden had little idea of how to handle that. Letting herself smile only slightly in amusement, Salem dismissed her two remaining subjects with a wave of her hand, sending Mercury trudging down the hall and Cinder scurrying back to her quarters.

Sighing in contentment at the renewed silence, Salem gave a gentle command to Monstra to darken the bridge once more as she decided to make the trek to a seldom-used chamber in her mobile fortress, relic storage. It occupied an obscure part of the living castle, one her followers would not simply stumble upon by accident and could be obfuscated to look exactly like every other fleshy wall within Monstra’s interior.

Upon entering, Salem summoned her latest experiment to her side, the monstrous fusion of faunus and Grimm snapping to attention upon receipt of a command. She had so very many questions for the lamp and so few ideas for where to start with only three granted to her. As she went to hold the lamp out towards The Hound to allow her creation to catch the scent of Ozma’s latest incarnation, her hand stuttered to a stop eliciting confusion from her pet.

It was undeniable that Salem needed the lamp’s password in order to summon the spirit and gain the answers to her questions, but why did her thought process always circle back to Ozma? Hadn’t she just realized the mistake in that methodology? Didn’t she finally come to the conclusion that focusing on the speck of a man was an act of folly? So how then to get the password…

A recent encounter she had written off as a simple spot of harmless intimidation flashes through her mind. Hadn’t the Rose girl mentioned that her little gaggle of barely trained compatriots witnessed her past through the power of the lamp? That meant any one of them likely knew the password to the relic but, to Salem, the choice was obvious. She had been seeking the Rose girl for multiple reasons already, having always ordered her followers to apprehend the aspiring huntress and deliver her to Salem alive, so why not kill three birds with a single Grimm and acquire the password from her as well. It was almost too perfect really.

Though her creation tracked best through scent, its intelligence was by far its most defining trait and the one Salem designed it for in the first place. Removing her scroll from where it was kept inside of her dress, the Grimm tar parting around the device as she withdrew it, she quickly opened to one of Cinder’s old intelligence packages containing data that she ripped from Vale’s CCT tower and detailing the various students of Beacon academy. After a minor struggle finding the data she was looking for, Salem opened the profile of Ruby Rose, enlarging the image and displaying it to her Hound.

“Bring me the girl.” Salem commanded firmly. “She’s fast and slippery so break her aura first to disable her semblance. If she tries to run, don’t be afraid to damage a limb but do not kill her.”

At the Hound’s grunt of acknowledgement, she gave it a quick pat on the head before sending it on its way. Soon she would have her answers, even if one of the questions had already been used this century. Salem was nothing if not a patient woman, and she would persevere endlessly, tirelessly, as long as it took to see this through to the end. After all, it was all she was living for. She didn’t have a choice.

Chapter Text

All Ruby could hear, was the quiet hum of the Manta as it hovered over Mantle in a standard search pattern and the soft murmurs of Weiss as she discussed the most likely places Oscar could be hiding. Well that, and the way her heart hammered in her chest, each beat slamming a fresh pulse of guilt through her body. Frankly speaking, Ruby preferred the Weiss noise.

Everything had gone so horribly wrong and it could all be traced back to decisions that Ruby made with the absolute best of intentions. Not for the first time did she lament her strange position as the de facto leader amongst her friends despite being the youngest aside from the now missing Oscar. Her inexperience showed now more than ever and she cursed her own habit for emulating the behaviors of her role models when at a loss for what to do. Nothing came instinctively to her despite popular belief to the contrary. Everything Ruby had learned over her seventeen years of life came from either instruction, experimentation, or observation – Yang still brought up the time Ruby tried to sip from a passed out Qrow’s flask when she was five – so was it any surprise that her lingering idolization of Beacon’s headmaster lead her to emulate the same man her team currently hated?

It seemed like a wise decision at first, to treat Ironwood with caution given his obviously bedraggled physical state reflecting his mental one, and it certainly didn’t help that Ozpin seemed to have such unshakeable confidence in him. Ruby saw firsthand how that ended with Professor Lionheart. Telling him that Salem couldn’t be killed by any means… well she didn’t want to crush his spirits any further than they already were.

Now that singular decision had cost them their greatest ally: the man who spearheaded the evacuation of Beacon and saved so many lives, the one who thoughtfully provided Yang with a new arm after her injury, and the leader who took a look at her group and saw not a collection of children out of their depth but Huntresses and Huntsmen ready to take on the world. He had given them everything, and Ruby spat in his face.

She only hoped that Oscar didn’t have to pay the price for her snap decision.

Standing abruptly from her seat, Ruby can’t help but trudge to the Manta’s door and peer out the window down towards the worn, jagged streets of Mantle below. They were passing over the slums that housed a majority faunus population now, and Ruby found herself worrying her lip terribly as she took in the sight of the ramshackle houses, torn tents, and dilapidated structures. Though Ironwood had certainly been an ally, Ruby couldn’t imagine having as much political power as he did and allowing a populace to go that neglected. The thought didn’t ease her guilt like she hoped it would.

“Hey! I think that’s Oscar down there by that campfire,” Weiss exclaimed as she pointed out the windshield, Ruby’s head whipping around fast enough to hurt her neck as she rushed over to get a peak for herself. Sure enough, standing in front of the fire in a combat stance was a familiar tiny farm boy decked in green and brandishing a clockwork cane.

Running back to the door, heart significantly lighter than it had been, Ruby grabbed the handhold as the Manta swung around. She was practically vibrating in place by the time she could throw the door open dramatically, wiping the worry from his face in a single motion. “Hey Oscar!” Ruby shouted with a smile. “Need a lift?”

Without waiting for a response, Ruby hopped down from the ship and activated her semblance, vanishing into thousands of eye-catching carmine petals and scooping Oscar up in an instant. In her enthusiasm, Ruby sent the two of them crashing into the white walls of the ship in a flurry of red and green, both teens sprawling as they rubbed their heads from the bump. Oscar let out a light chuckle, one eye closed, as he looked at Ruby dryly, “Not that I don’t appreciate the save, but maybe take it a bit slower next time?”

Ruby pouted and then winced as her team’s resident Ice Queen playfully cuffed the side of her head. “Weiss! Uhg, sorry Oscar. I got a bit carried away I guess, ahah…” Ruby explained still rubbing her poor injured noggin.

Her teammate let out a sigh as she closed the Manta door, a small crowd having gathered below. “It’s just as well, I suppose. We don’t want to give the people here false hope or ruin their fires by bringing this hunk of metal closer to the ground and kicking up wind,” Weiss explained as she rapped her gloved fist against the wall. As the Manta began rising once more and heading towards the more commercial districts of Mantle, Weiss turned to face the group with a soft but curious smile, “So how did you end up in the slums in the first place?”

“There’s… to make a long story short, I tried to talk to the general and he shot me off of Atlas,” stated a clearly exhausted Oscar plainly, getting a gasp from Weiss and sending Ruby’s heart to her stomach once more. “I just thought that maybe I could convince him, but… I was stupid to think the general would listen. Every choice I’ve made was the wrong one. And now…” Oscar trailed off, his attention stolen by the brilliant gleam of a bonfire on the streets below and the desperate crowd huddled around its fleeting warmth. Ruby could see his lip quiver slightly before he forced himself to tear his gaze away.

“We all did what we thought was best…” Ruby offered but the platitude felt hollow even to her. “You aren’t the only one who’s made mistakes. I’m just glad you’re alright.”

“Agreed,” Weiss chimed in.

“Weiss?” Ruby questioned.

“You don’t deserve any of this Oscar, being blamed for Ozpin’s mistakes and now ours,” Weiss clarified. “It feels like all of the responsibility is being hefted onto your shoulders because of an unfortunate twist of fate. It isn’t right or fair or… I suppose what I’m trying to say is that I’m here for you and that I don’t place the blame for any of this on you, Oscar,” Weiss concluded, placing a stiff but comforting hand on Oscar’s shoulder.

Ruby couldn’t help but smile at Weiss’s display of empathy; she really had come so far since their first days at Beacon. Perhaps some part of her thawing heart understood what it was like to shoulder the blame for decisions she may have benefited from but had no true hand in. “I’m with you too, Oscar. It’s my fault that we’re in this situation, so I’m gonna do everything I can to get us out. It’s what friends do,” Ruby said with what she hoped was a reassuring grin.

“Th-Thank you… both of you-”

“Yeah, yeah… I see you… I hate to break up the group hug going on over there,” Maria interjected from the cockpit, “but we have one of the Happy Huntresses waving us down for a landing so cut it short.”

“Right,” Ruby sighed, “back to work.”

As the Manta came down for a landing behind a derelict restaurant, its four occupants rapidly disembarked with Oscar and Ruby jumping down first to help Maria and Weiss. Why the girl decided to wear any kind of heel in the tundra Ruby would never know; even back on the solid and decidedly unslippery ground of Beacon, Yang had to wrangle her for hours to slip a pair of the demon shoes on her feet. Once out of the ship, Ruby and her friends scrambled towards a beckoning Joanna and were all but tossed into the restaurant that was being used as a safe house for the huntresses.

Despite passed animosities, Ruby walked into the room to Nora trapping Oscar in a bear hug and smiles of relief on the faces of her friends. It felt good to have everyone back together again. Before she could stop it, a fond, content sigh escaped her lips, her eyes glistening with affection and unshed tears.

“When we heard you went off after Ironwood on your own we…” Blake trailed off and looked away somewhat guiltily as Ruby rubbed her eyes clear and composed herself. She had time to reminisce about brighter times once everyone was safe. She was sure it was coming soon, sure of it…

“About that, wait until you hear about what the good general decided was the best course of action,” Weiss ranted. “I don’t know what Ozpin was thinking making him an academy headmaster when his first solution to a disobedient teenager is to shoot them off of Atlas.”

“He did WHAT,” Nora screeched as she tugged Oscar closer shaking him back and forth. “That’s it! Let me at ‘im!”

“It’s a… well I guess it isn’t really a long story at all,” Oscar admitted sheepishly when he was finally able to wiggle out of the crushing embrace. “I just wish I knew where I went wrong talking with him. It seemed like I was getting through for a second and then he just… shut down. Though enough about me, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who had a rough night,” Oscar offered sparing a glance towards Penny who seemed deep in thought. His eyes widened as he finished sweeping the room, “Where’s Qrow?”

Ruby clutched her arm in her hand, relishing the tiny pinpricks of her nails against skin to ground her. “We don’t know,” She admitted. “Last we heard he was with Robyn but-“

The creak of the door takes Ruby’s attention from a sentence better left unfinished as Joanna returned to the safe house to take stock of the group. “Alright, your friend is back now. You ready to work?” Joanna gruffly challenged. Seeing no one speak up around her, Joanna let out a disappointed sigh, “The largest Grimm hoard ever seen is hovering over the tundra and out there we’ve got a city full of people with no heat, dwindling hope, and from what you’ve told us no more military protection. Just because you’re wanted doesn’t mean you can just lie low while they’re people who need help. It didn’t stop Robyn, it wouldn’t stop us, and it shouldn’t stop you.”

“How?” Ren asked in a mix of desperation and frustration, a common sentiment among the group in Ruby’s opinion. “Ironwood has put a stop to all evacuations to Atlas, he’s stopped caring about anyone not currently onboard that city. Getting them out of the city with Salem’s army surrounding us would be near impossible.”

“Everyone can be moved to the crater beneath Atlas,” Joanna explained. “It won’t be safe, but it’s warm. The people there are adaptable and aren’t reliant on the fire dust heating grid like the rest of Mantle. They won’t exactly welcome refugees but they won’t turn away people in need either and with everyone in one place we can do a better job protecting them. Once nightfall hits, the temperature is going to drop significantly but if we can get everyone in the crater beforehand they might have a chance.”

As the door closed behind Joanna, a heavy silence settled over the restaurant before Yang slowly got up from her chair and faced the team, “We need to get out there and do what we can for the people of Mantle. It’s what’s right.”

Ruby’s heart clenched at the idea of willfully abandoning so many people but the general had been right about one thing at least; there was a bigger picture to consider. They just didn’t see eye to eye on what to do about it anymore. “We have to do what we can for everyone,” Ruby insisted. “What about Amity and letting the world know about Salem? We’re less than a dozen people Yang… we can’t do this alone. We need help.”

“The Happy Huntresses are handling the evacuation but they could always use extra hands, Joanna made that pretty clear,” Blake said, her ears going flat. “My obsession with the bigger picture is one of the things that made everything go so wrong back at Beacon with the White Fang. We need to focus on the here and now. I don’t like it but when Yang and I decided to trust Robyn it was in the interest of getting everyone on the same page, to help Amity along and save Mantle at the same time, but I can’t stand around while people are hurting.”

“Yes, because your impulsive decision to help Robyn went so well for us in the long run,” Ren scoffed. “You should have at least consulted with all of us beforehand.”

“Ren you know that’s not fair,” Nora pleaded. “It was their only opportunity.”

“I…” Ren started before looking down and letting out a huff, “you’re right, we shouldn’t be fighting. In the interest of self-reflection, my decision to hyper focus on the general’s orders while ignoring the people suffering from his choices is one of the things that lead us into this mess. If the people of Mantle are in need I’ll help.”

“We can’t just ignore everything that’s not immediately within the city, not when there’s a global war pending,” Weiss argued. “Salem’s invasion is happening one way or another but at least with Amity we could prepare somewhere else and maybe even receive aid here. For all of its problems, Atlas is my family’s home and I can’t just ignore my siblings and mother.”

“Look, I get that,” Yang agreed, “but Amity isn’t even finished, that was just something Ironwood said to draw out Watts. Last I heard it was still under construction.”

Scuffing her boot against the ground as she thought, Ruby turned her attention to where Pietro was sitting silently providing support to his daughter, “Doctor, what would you need launch Amity now?”

Seemingly startled by his sudden inclusion into the conversation, Pietro stuttered as he adjusted his glasses, “Well, uhhh… we made decent progress on construction and fuel collection, all potentially manageable to supplement on the fly, but it was designed so that only clearance from General Ironwood’s terminal could activate it.”

“Well, that’s it then,” Yang concluded with a nod like it ruled out the option completely. At Ruby’s hesitance, Yang sighed into her hand, “Ruby, there is no way Ironwood will cooperate with us.”

“He… doesn’t have to though…” Ruby realized, “we just need the green light from his terminal, right?”

“You can’t seriously be planning on going back to the academy!” Yang exclaimed in disbelief and for all her frustration at her sister’s reluctance, Ruby understood. It was a massive gamble with potentially massive payouts for their group and Remnant as a whole but the risks should they fail were equally as damning.

“Actually…” Pietro piped up, his mechanical chair inching closer, “there’s more than one terminal, one in his office at the academy and, uh… one in the main Atlesian military compound at the base of the city. It might be a more dangerous venture… but it will certainly be unexpected,” the aging scientist commented with a wry chuckle. “It’s one matter entirely to sneak in but once you’re in the operations room? Hoo boy… I might need to think about this some more…”

“And that’s the easy option?” Oscar questioned with trepidation and no small amount of disbelief.

“So what you’re essentially saying is it can’t be done,” Yang once again affirmed. “Even if you could get a message out, there’s no guarantee we’d get any help. Atlas isn’t exactly a ‘friend of the world’ at the moment,” Yang snarked. “If you can’t remember, everyone still thinks they’re partially responsible for the attack on Vale. It’s pointless.”

“It’s not!” Ruby countered, voice growing heated as her frustrations mounted. “Even if no one comes to help us, Atlas is only Salem’s target right now! She’s not hiding anymore and there are at least two more relics out of her reach. Vacuo is in danger and any restoration efforts in Vale could be destroyed if she shows up on their doorstep. Once she’s finished in Atlas, they’re next,” Ruby pleaded with her sister, trying to make her understand. “We need to warn them! Warn everyone!”

Yang sighed at seeing that she wasn’t getting through to Ruby, a sigh Ruby remembered in so many lighter contexts throughout their childhood that it hurt, “When we came here we said we’d follow your lead, but… things haven’t exactly worked out.”

“Hold on, Yang! That’s not fair either,” Nora disputed. “It isn’t Ruby’s decision that made Ironwood stop trusting us; we came clean to him a while before he turned. Everything with Robyn is what made him think we were a leak and untrustworthy, not Ruby’s choices alone.”

Blake’s ears flattened in discomfort as she gripped her arm nervously, “But earlier you said-“

“I know what I said!” Nora snapped before taking a deep calming breath. “Look, nothing we’ve done is perfect but we can’t play the blame game. Not now.”

Yang, looking properly admonished, raised her head to try again. There’s an apology in her eyes but, for now, it remained unspoken, “I just-“

Ren’s hand on her shoulder stopped her mid-sentence as he approached Ruby, “There are people who need us right now. That’s something we can actually do.”

“It’s not just about Atlas or Mantle,” Nora pleaded. “Ruby’s right! It’s about all of Remnant. Vacuo, Mistral, Vale, they all need to know what’s coming so they can prepare!”

“Okay,” Jaune states, entering the conversation for the first time as he stands from the crate he was camped out on. He holds up a placating hand at both sides, straddling the invisible line that seems to have divided the room by ideology, “We can’t reach a consensus but there’s no reason we can’t go for both: get Amity up and running and evacuate Mantle.”

As much as Ruby would normally agree with Jaune’s plan due to its logic, she couldn’t fight the sinking feeling in her chest as she watched the people around her prepare to split up again. Having everyone in one place over the past few weeks had been heavenly to Ruby who was so sick and tired of losing the people close to her at every turn. Since leaving Vale, it felt like none of them every stuck together for any significant period of time and it hurt knowing that they were nowhere near as close as they used to be back at Beacon.

First everyone split up after the fall and she almost lost Blake to the white fang, Weiss to her family then bandits, and Yang to herself. At least Qrow and JNR were with her and she could actually keep an eye on them as they fell apart but it wasn’t the same. Then, after finally reuniting at Haven, they were forced apart again as their train to Argus was assaulted by Grimm. Even at Argus they were barely together for an hour before they were trying to tear each other’s heads off! Splitting up then was a horrible decision too since it forced Yang and Blake into a horrid situation where they had no choice but to take a life.

Forcing down her awareness of the way tears threateningly stung at the corners of her eyes, Ruby couldn’t help but argue her point, “But that’s how Salem got this far, by dividing us! We have to stick together!”

“No… what Salem wants is to drive us apart, turn us against each other, just like this… Jaune has a point. We can work separately while still being united,” Oscar reasoned which only furthered Ruby’s unease.

‘Sorry for wanting to know the people I love are together and protected,’ Ruby thought, biting her tongue to stop herself from arguing with someone who was only trying to help.

“Or…” Penny posited from her place away from the group, her defeated posture breaking Ruby’s heart, “let me take the relic to Salem, and maybe she will call off her attack on the kingdom.”

“I don’t think we could trust Salem to actually do that,” Oscar responded immediately, but Ruby could see the slight panic in his eyes that, just maybe, wasn’t his own. As much as it was cruel to Oscar, sometimes Ruby didn’t know how much of the original boy she met back in Mistral was still remaining; the general certainly pointed out the changes whenever he spotted them and he did so frequently. “The moment she uses the staff to create anything else, Atlas falls on top of Mantle.”

Yang scoffs slightly but it has a good-natured air about it, “No one is turning you in; I think that’s the one thing we can all agree on.”

Ruby couldn’t help but nod before accepting the reality that they were going with Jaune’s plan, “Okay. Then I guess we’re going to Atlas. Can you help us get to that terminal?” She asked Dr. Polendina.

“Well… uh, I suppose someone needs to help you bypass security a-“

“I’ll go.” Penny stated, resigned.

Panic and concern flashed across Pietro’s face as his chair moved him closer. “Penny,” he chided gently, “we can’t risk-“

“I’ll go.” She reiterated as she let her maiden powers flare brilliantly around her eyes.

“Penny, you don’t have to do this.” Ruby asserted in concern as she stepped towards her friend. “We appreciate your help but Pietro can likely get us through security with some codes and instructions that we can write down and we can figure things out from there.”

“But…”

“Do what your heart is telling you to do, not what you feel you need to do,” Ruby said gently as she helped Penny unclench one of her hands. The girl seemed surprised to discover she was so tense but thankfully relaxed at Ruby’s touch. “We’d love to have you with us but…”

“But I am the protector of Mantle,” Penny finished with a sad understanding.

Ruby smiled softly, hoping to provide some measure of comfort to her friend, “If that’s what you want to be.”

Sighing, Yang uncrossed her arms, “Do whatcha gotta do. If you’re joining us, Penny, we’ll wait about ten minutes for you to make a decision and I’m sure you could catch up to us even after that if you need more time, but I’m going out there to see what I can do.”

As Ruby’s sister began to walk out the door, Pietro called to her before tossing a set of keys her way, “Yang! Go by the pharmacy. I was developing some new tools for you all before uh… this happened, but… you’re gonna need ‘em.”

The team began dispersing into their separate groups, Ruby could see Ren and Nora having a hushed conversation and decided to stay out of it as she took stock of the… three people who were joining her, only two from her group of friends with May and her stealth semblance as a welcome addition. Sighing softly as she watched the green streaks of energy produced from Penny’s jets as they faded into the distance, Ruby lamented not having more backup but knew she made the right choice. She didn’t want to exploit her friend. She was in enough turmoil already and maybe helping people would settle something inside of her that the previous Maiden’s death had knocked loose.

A soft hand on her shoulder broke her out of her thoughts, as she looked up at Weiss’s kind but tired eyes, her teammate providing a small measure of comfort. “I’m not exactly proficient with the whole pep talk thing but this is a smaller group, probably better for a stealth mission right?” Weiss tried to reason awkwardly, getting Ruby to crack a smile as Nora joined them. “We’re still working towards the same goals.”

“I hope so,” Ruby confessed. She couldn’t help but notice Weiss staring wistfully over at Yang and Blake and though she was glad to have her friend with her, Ruby hated to see Weiss hurt like this. It was obvious to even the most socially challenged of individuals like Ruby that Yang and Blake had grown a lot closer after making it to Atlas. Ruby didn’t know if they managed to talk everything over after what happened with Adam but she hopes they didn’t just leave it to boil. Between that and their recent preference towards partnering up on missions, it was easy to feel less like a team and more like a pair of duos that occasionally worked together, and Ruby could tell it was hurting Weiss to see their friends become so insular.

The crackle of their more analogue radios suddenly focused their attention on Maria as she spoke to them through their earpieces, “I can get Pietro out to Amity to prepare, but that doesn’t answer how we’re getting all of you up to Atlas.”

Cracking a small smile for the first time since they found Oscar, Weiss presses a finger to her chin in that thoughtfully cute but regal way that has Ruby snickering, “I might actually have an idea for that. Just leave it to me.”

Chapter Text

The cacophonous murmuring of the anxious and displaced filled the square as Ruby tried to gently shoulder her way through the crowd growing at the entrance to Mantle’s crater. Weiss took the lead, the sea of pedestrians parting before her as though she were true royalty, as the small but well-rounded group approached what would hopefully be their solution to being stranded in Mantle. Eventually, the group reached a rather derelict looking fence, rusted over from the wear of a constant cycle of freezing and thawing adorned with a sign that fared no better. Ruby suppressed a giggle as Weiss fiddled fruitlessly with the gate despite the “authorized personal only” sign as if her mere presence should be enough to grant entry into the warehouse.

“Allow me, princess,” May offered with an amused grin as Weiss wrestled with the padlock and chain. Taking out a set of metal pins that Ruby didn’t recognize, May kneeled on the cold ground as she began working the bits and bobs in the mechanism of the lock.

As May worked, Ruby couldn’t help but take a last glance behind her at the massive crowd of citizens below buzzing like a kicked hive of hornets. The amount of worry, concern, scorn, stress, and fear they were collectively emitting would be like a buffet to any Grimm within miles of the crater and Ruby sincerely wished to be down there helping bring everyone into a calmer state of mind. Unfortunately the best way to do that would be to offer hope and, at the present moment, Ruby didn’t have much to give if their plan for Amity failed. It was honestly puzzling that a larger scale attack hadn’t occurred yet but perhaps Salem was consolidating the Grimm in a single place. Well there was no point in questioning it; Ruby certainly wasn’t going to take the lull for granted.

Suddenly and without warning, a cold chill trickled down her spine that was reminiscent of the moments before team RNJR was ambushed by Tyrian. Allowing one hand to hover closer to Crescent Rose, Ruby scanned the skyline as well as the crowd below but could find nothing amiss that would explain the feeling of being studied so intently. She knew Cinder was somehow in Atlas after her fall in the Haven vault failed to kill her and if anyone had the motive to hunt Ruby it would be Salem’s favorite maiden. Still… Cinder didn’t exactly do stealth or subtly anymore, not since getting magic, so it was unlikely that she was the culprit. Vowing to keep an eye out, Ruby relaxed her urge to draw her weapon and turned back towards her friends who seemed none the wiser.

One click and the dull thud of heavy metal hitting frozen earth later, and the gate was creaking open, “Alright, come on. Faster we get this done the sooner we can help the others.”

“Thanks again for coming with us,” Nora said in the sincere and earnest way that Ruby adored about her.

“Ah, don’t mention it,” May shrugged as the team marched through the gate. “When Robyn heard about Amity she wouldn’t shut up about it. This is our best chance at bringing the kingdoms together so lets do what we can to get the world talking again. Who knows, maybe we’ll even find out what happened to the others.”

Weiss turned around, now well inside the compound as she shuffled back a little towards the rest of the group, “Still, it’s very much appreciated. Aside from just having another set of hands from a capable huntress, no one in our group has a true stealth semblance so your help will be invaluable. Still, I’m sorry we pulled you away from your team for this mission.”

Giving Weiss a slight, playful slug to her arm as she approached, May just chuckled softly, “Don’t worry about them. They have your friends helping out right now, so let’s see this mystery plan of yours.”

With a soft smile, Ruby fell into step with the others, eventually hanging back as Weiss began dragging her feet. Giving the other girl a wry questioning look, Weiss flushed and eventually stuttered out as she rubbed her arm, “sh-she hits harder than Yang…” Ruby couldn’t help but snort at her friend’s embarrassment as she run up to join May and Nora who were idly discussing the game plan, leaving a flustered Weiss in the dust.

Catching up with the trio, Weiss took the lead once more as they approached the warehouse, pushing open the doors without much effort. Inside, the entire area was dominated by robots that were in the process of packaging goods and loading them inside massive transparent tubes that trailed all the way up to the city of Atlas. It was a staggering height and Ruby couldn’t help but think that Jaune was smart to stay on the ground; he’d be green and dizzy just looking up at it all.

Still, Ruby eyed the robots suspiciously and voiced her concerns to her partner, “Are you sure this is safe?”

“Of course,” Weiss stated proudly. “Snowshoe Shipping is an SDC subsidiary meaning all of the drones here report directly to the company, not the general. The pneumatic tubes allow for dust refined in the crater to be sent straight up to Atlas. We just need to find the one for the military base.”

“Gotta admit, this is a pretty impressive set up,” May complimented with a whistle. As the older woman walked around the loading area, she cracked open a crate of dust with a critical eye before closing it again, “Ever think of distributing this stuff to the people? They could really use some extra warmth right about now.”

“As far as I’m aware, my father is in prison and my younger brother doesn’t have enough authority to run the company alone. We’re essentially shut down. If you huntresses end up helping yourselves to a few crates of fire dust, I’m sure they won’t be missed,” Weiss offered as she inspected the controls.

“Aww, Nice Weiss is back,” Ruby teased as Nora laughed along, getting a pout from their friend in return.

“Goodbye Snow Queen, hello Nice Weiss!” Nora celebrated as she spun Ruby’s ruffled teammate in a circle, Weiss struggling in her grasp and ranting about needing to focus all the while. Nora suddenly goes still with a gasp, dropping Weiss from her arms in glee. "Crime Weiss..." she said almost reverently as Weiss simply scoffed and dusted herself off.

May let out a small chuckle as she sent off a message to her people before gesturing back over her shoulder at the tube system, “Fun as this is we should really get going. Quick check, do we have everything before we depart? I’m going to hazard a guess that these tubes are one way only.”

“I think we’re good to go on ammunition, at least as far as what we could scrounge up on short notice,” Ruby commented. Pulling out her scroll, Ruby flips through some items before displaying the screen to May, “Dr. Polendina’s instructions are right here as well. They’re just uh… a bit more extensive than I thought they’d be. This couuuuld take a while.”

“Well it’s not like any of us have Penny’s computational abilities so that was always going to be the case. Between you and me, I’m just glad she’s back to helping the people despite all the shit we gave her after the election party. That girl is a saint,” May admitted with a chuckled. “At least my semblance should make things easier on all of us,” May said, demonstrating her invisibility with a bow.

“Oh, I found it!” Weiss exclaimed as she inspected one of the control panels.

“Neat! So uh, how do we use this thing?” Nora asked as she leaned on the display.

Weiss hummed slightly as she approached the tube. “It should be simple. You just lie back in the tube, press launch, and AAAAHHHHHHhhhh…” Weiss screamed as an overeager Nora pressing the button to activate the pneumatic system cut off her explanation.

Ruby couldn’t help but stand there baffled with the rest of her small team as she stared at the retreating form of Weiss rapidly disappearing up the clear tube. Nora was the first who came to her senses, letting out an eager gasp before giggling in glee, “ME NEXT! ME NEXT!”

“Alright, alright, cool your jets sparky,” May laughed along. “Unfortunately, it seems like one of us will have to stay down here to operate the launch button but I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Better send you up so your friend isn’t all alone.”

“Don’t worry about the button,” Ruby said before activating her semblance, relishing the familiar feeling of weightlessness and speed enveloping her body. She dashed from one side of the room to the other before returning in less than a second before explaining; “With my semblance I can hit the button and rush to the tube before it closes.”

“If you’re sure, Ruby,” May said, placing a hand on Nora’s head to still her excited bouncing. “Come on, lets get you in the tube.”

As Nora climbed in she practically yelled out from the tube’s hatch, “launch me, launch me, launch me!” With a smile, Ruby complied with her friend’s demand sending Nora shooting up the tube towards Atlas with a cry of, “WHEEEEEEEE!”

“Did you just send her feet first?” May commented to Ruby once Nora’s excited screaming had died down.

Ruby giggled softly as May loaded herself into the tube in the proper orientation, “Well, she sent my partner up butt first so it seemed right.”

“Alright then, send me up!” May said before Ruby pressed the button like she had for Nora. No screams of joy or terror were heard but Ruby thought you’d have to be dead inside not to enjoy the ride so May was most likely just saving face.

Now alone, Ruby shook her head and did a few practices with her semblance in order to make sure she could reach the tube in time. Just as she was about to press the button, her ears were assaulted with horrid sound of screeching metal and cracking acrylic glass. After bracing herself and covering her ears, she looked up only for her eyes to blow wide as the looming shadow of the collapsing tubes to Atlas rapidly began to descend on the warehouse. Attempting to dash out the door, Ruby activated her semblance only for the first tube to tear through the shoddy roof and impact the many crates of dust below, igniting a massive explosion that soon engulfed her in the roaring magical inferno.

It took a few moments for her to shake the ringing from her ears, blink the soot from her eyes, and regain awareness, but soon the harsh orange glow of a brilliant conflagration forced her to shut them again with a wince. Letting her eyes slowly adjust to the glare and dry heat, Ruby pushed herself up into a sitting position, examining her surroundings. The tube system and warehouse were completely destroyed and she appeared to be boxed in. Several drones sparked from the damage, igniting scattered dust crystals and vials and further damaging the integrity of the building as one limped around in an eerie mimicry of what a zombie might look like, electricity arcing from the severed wires sticking out of its neck.

Forcing herself to her feet, Ruby took stock of her surroundings, making note of her massively depleted aura as she attempted to find some form of exit before the heat destroyed her protective barrier entirely. Her heart plunged into her stomach as she slowly began to approach a small object not too far away from where she landed, her cracked and broken scroll sputtering weakly as the hard light dust within fought to form the screen. Sighing, Ruby extended her arm to pick it up as metal continued to warp around her from the heat, before her skin rapidly turned to goose flesh as her back stiffened, causing her to abandon the scroll and tuck into a roll as a sharp clawed hand whistled dangerously close to her head.

Adopting her standard combat stance, Ruby drew Crescent Rose in a single fluid spin, allowing it to transform into its scythe configuration as she observed the Grimm in front of her warily. It was unlike any creature she had ever seen and yet was entirely unassuming in its design. At first it looked like an entirely ordinary Beowolf but further inspection revealed the utter lack of eyes or armored plating along the arms and legs and the boney crest behind its skull that disturbingly resembled clasped, clawed hands. On top of all of the visual differences there was one more thing that worried Ruby greatly; Beowolves weren’t nearly that fast.

Without warning, the creature sprinted forwards again, leaping into a galloping crawl that closed the distance so fast that Ruby was forced to activate her semblance to avoid its snapping jaws. Brandishing Crescent Rose, Ruby ran forward while the Grimm was correcting its forward momentum, taking a swipe with the blade of her scythe only for the snath to be caught on a warped pipe overhead. Muttering curses that would make even Qrow blush, Ruby rapidly hopped backwards, cutting through the metal of the pipe to free her blade, only for her to stumble over a discarded crate behind her and almost lose her stance.

The unhelpful voice of her uncle rang in her head nagging at her to include anti-personnel functionality in her weapon, a sword configuration like his to aid her in close quarters environments. She always thought he meant specifically for people so she would repeat time and time again that she didn’t want to be that kind of huntress, but now Ruby was genuinely wishing she had taken his advice.

Taking quick stock of her surroundings as she dodged calculated swipes of the Grimm’s claws, smoke and still smoldering dust burning at her lungs with each inhale from exertion, Ruby contemplated firing her sniper rifle at a pile of undetonated dust by the far wall just to open a mean of escape. But that would mean potentially turning an aggressive and powerful Grimm loose on the civilian population just outside and that wasn’t something she could afford. She couldn’t rely on her trump card either, the earlier explosion still ringing in her ears and the soot stinging her silver eyes and preventing her from getting a single moment to concentrate.

Her new dance partner kept her constantly moving on her feet, exhausting her near completely as her aura almost sputtered out several times from overusing her semblance, before she finally found the perfect opening. Double-checking to make sure her scythe wouldn’t get snagged on the ceiling again, Ruby dashed forward while the Grimm was recovering from a lunge that sent it careening into a section of downed shelving and spun her scythe in a downward arc to cleave off the beast’s head and right arm. Without even looking back towards her, the Grimm’s spine suddenly cracked unnervingly as its upper body shifted in an unnaturally lateral movement causing her scythe to only graze the bones of its shoulder before embedding in twisted metal and concrete.

Tugging frantically at her weapon and coughing desperately, Ruby attempted to dislodge her scythe from the wreckage but that strike had all of her strength behind it and Crescent Rose refused to budge. That horrid creaking of bone was the only warning Ruby received as the Grimm’s body returned to its proper configuration and threatened to send her through the wall with a ferocious backhand. Abandoning her weapon, Ruby wiped her brow and once more attempted to search for a breach to the outside by observing the flow of smoke while the Grimm seemed to stare her down.

Taking the opportunity Ruby shuffled backwards as the beast simply glared at her, “H-Hey there big guy, I’ve never seen one of you before. You must be one of those intelligent Grimm Dr. Oobleck told us about,” she chuckled nervously and looked around for an improvised weapon. Finding none, she fixed her attention back on the Grimm in front of her, “I don’t suppose you’d go easy on me for a bit until I learn what you can do, huh? Maybe let me get my weapon back? Hehe…”

The Grimm cocked its head curiously at her before its spine began clicking once again as it became bipedal causing Ruby’s eyes to go wide. It tilted its head slightly to the side as it leaned forward to examine her further.

“NO.”

“It was a rhetorical question…” Ruby grumbled absentmindedly at the Grimm before snapping to attention with dread pooling in her chest. “Wait… did you just… talk?”

She was given no answer as the Grimm dashed forwards once more, catching Ruby entirely off guard as it loomed above her with its rancid body of ichor and tar. In desperation, Ruby activated her semblance but was only able to move two feet away as her aura suddenly failed her from heat, damage, and fatigue. With wide-eyed terror, Ruby glanced up through her periphery just in time to see a clawed hand descend rapidly towards her body. There was an explosion of pain in the back of her skull before her world faded to black and she knew no more.

Escorting ungrateful civilians was probably the worst job of a huntress. Having to endure more racially charged comments about her status as a faunus while having to bite her tongue to keep from making Ren’s job harder was more than a challenge for the already exhausted Blake and it certainly didn’t help the job’s appeal. She was grateful to Yang for standing up for her people against that old woman’s callous comments but it would do nothing in the long run.

Blake knew well that people simply didn’t change overnight. Weiss didn’t and, though she changed in the end, it was mostly through Ruby’s and Yang’s efforts and Weiss’s conscious choice to be better than what she came from that helped her overcome her prejudiced upbringing. Three years ago, she never would have believed she’d befriend a Schnee. Staring up at the city of Atlas looming above them, Blake couldn’t help but pray for Ruby to deliver another wonder as she continued to trudge alongside the citizens on a cold and slow trek to the crater.

It certainly wasn’t an easy journey despite only encountering Grimm stragglers. Penny, the one woman army, had already split from their group to cover more ground so between Yang’s stormy mood and Ren’s short temper, it seemed like it mostly fell to an increasingly distraught Jaune to resolve the interpersonal disputes, which seemed to pop up every spare moment. Oscar, for his part, was maintaining the back of the march on his hover bike, seemingly deep in thought as he floated along behind the rest of them.

Blake… didn’t know what to do. Mending bonds and trust between people seemed so much easier back on Menagerie where she could actually understand what was running through everyone’s heads but here it seemed like everyone was perfectly content with bottling their emotions and remaining enigmas to her.

Part of her deeply wished Ruby and Weiss were here with her to help sort things out but having Ruby here might only exacerbate Yang’s mood further. She missed her friends, missed their easy comradery back at Beacon but, upon reflection, even those memories were tinted in a rosy haze, masking the many fights they shared that threatened to split their team even then. Perhaps, in a way, this was inevitable, but maybe if their leader were by their side again they’d be able to make it through just like they did back then… for the most part. Guilt wrapped tightly around Blake’s heart as she began to contemplate whether or not she made the right choice. Maybe she should’ve taken a chance…

“Crater in sight!” Came Yang’s voice from the font of the pack.

Sighing in relief as the Happy Huntress’ encampment finally came into view, Blake signaled to Jaune to stop amplifying Ren’s aura, allowing the full spectrum of emotions to return to the civilians. As their team finished escorting everyone to the crater, the huntsmen and huntresses broke off to head back to the command tent, finding Joanna and Fiona standing out front.

“So where’s this group of stragglers coming in from?” Joanna questioned gruffly, but Blake could tell she was pleased.

“Just finished sector seven,” Yang commented.

Fiona’s face seemed to light up, “You cleared seven already? That’s great! To be honest I wasn’t sure how you’d be doing without the other half of your group.”

Blake suppressed a wince as Yang’s proud expression immediately dropped into something harsh and defensive, her lips set into a scowl. “Well as you can see we’re doing just fine,” Yang stated curtly.

“Where are you putting everyone?” Oscar said and, honestly? Thank the brothers for that boy having the wisdom to change the topic.

Fiona’s own expression seemed to crumple at that, “We’re still working on getting everyone settled into building or shelters. Sharing body heat is going to massively cut down on our dust loss so the proximity is important.”

“And is that… working out for everyone?” Blake questioned with grimace before her expression turned bashful.

“There have definitely been some challenges, haha…” Fiona chuckled awkwardly. “Beggars can’t be choosers though. Still, more space is always ideal. We have a group trying to convert some of the old mine shafts into something livable but…”

“There’s a lot of people to keep warm.” Joanna finished for her. “We’ve been looting some of the SDC refineries for a plentiful source of dust. Thankfully no one’s getting arrested during the apocalypse but even if they were we’ve got the go ahead from the Schnee princess herself. We haven’t hit some of the packaging areas yet but if we get desperate enough that’s our next stop.”

“We’d be more than happy to help if needed,” Jaune offered.

“No thanks,” Joanna said. “We have some of the heartier civilians doing the actual moving while guarded by huntsmen. All of you have field experience that we need to keep ready. Just knowing those Grimm are out there circling doesn’t feel… great. We have no idea what they’re waiting for.”

Suddenly an older badger Faunus rushed up to the group and Blake caught Oscar waving at him before retracting his hand sheepishly when the man seemed not to notice, making Blake crack a smile. He approached Fiona, slightly out of breath, and said while panting, “Fi! We’ve got another fight breakin’ out.”

“Crap… Thanks Uncle, we’ll handl-“

“I’ll handle it,” Joanna cut Fiona off. “You’ve got enough on your plate.”

After a few moments of awkward silence, Yang approached the Faunus who was muttering to herself and inspecting a map of Mantle, “Soooo, anywhere we’re needed?”

“OH! Um… not right now?” Fiona replied apologetically. At Yang’s unimpressed expression she rushed to explain, “Look, the Grimm aren’t actually actively doing anything right now and we’ve had no reports of them attempting to enter the city. You’d think with all of the chaos going on there’d be enough misery to draw them in but they’re just static. It’s really creepy actually,” Fiona admitted rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. “I already have teams in every sector evacuating the people and I don’t think backup would make it go any faster. Until then you’re all essentially needed on standby in case the Grimm try breaching our perimeter.”

“That’s it?!” Yang asked incredulously. Blake’s heart started to drop as she realized she’d essentially just be standing around instead of making a meaningful difference like she had hoped. She should have taken the gamble and believed in Ruby’s ability to unite the world again…

“W-Well, kind of, yeah. You could help prep some of the tunnels if you’re really looking for something to do but other than that it’s best to keep our guards in one fortified location,” Fiona explained.

“Are you sure there aren’t any Grimm waiting along the outskirts of Mantle?” Oscar asked, joining the conversation as his demeanor shifted slightly.

“Potentially… but we can’t risk our people to investigate a hypothetical when they’re needed here,” Fiona reasoned, her tone sympathetic but firm.

“I think I know what’s causing the Grimm to act abnormally,” Yang stepped forward and Blake almost wondered in muted horror whether or not she was going to reveal Salem’s existence prematurely. Her relief was almost palpable when Yang instead said, “Some large Grimm like that big ass whale up there can command other Grimm. We saw it at Vale with a Wyvern Grimm. There might be an army assembling at our doorstep. We can scout it out and get back to you. Best case its only the flying army we have to deal with and that can be Atlas’ problem, worst case you know what we’re dealing with in advance.”

“We could do a brief perimeter search of the city,” Jaune compromised. “That way we can rush back here if we need to defend the crater but also check the outskirts for any Grimm mobilizing.”

“That sounds reasonable…” Fiona acquiesced.

“Is that really the best idea, chasing after a threat that may or may not be out there instead of addressing the thing we know we can fix right now?” Blake asked, gesturing to Atlas above them before cringing at the glare Yang threw her way. “I’m just saying that if we’re not being put to use we could be helping get Amity in the air and communications back to Remnant.”

“Amity isn’t finished,” Yang argued vehemently. “It’s just as much of a wild goose chase as a perimeter search but with a lot more risk and no chance of protecting the people who are actually vulnerable right now.”

“I get that Yang, but Ruby has done the impossible before an-“

“She’s also made poor judgment calls before,” Ren interjected. “She’s the youngest among us, its only natural, but we can’t afford to be caught up chasing delusions right now.”

“I know but-“

“So you’re just going to up and leave the people here now that you’ve ‘done your part’ is that it?” Yang challenged.

“What have I done aside from kill maybe a handful of Grimm and march alongside a convoy of people who didn’t want me there in the first place!” Blake argued back, her ears going flat in anger, not realizing how loud her voice was getting.

“I’m just gonna… yeah…” Fiona said pointing behind her before scurrying back to her tent.

Taking a deep breath, Blake composed herself as well as possible, “I just think that we could accomplish so much more by getting Amity airborne. Can’t you imagine it, the world finally able to talk again, to share information on what’s actually happening in the other kingdoms? Beyond just Ruby’s message about Salem, having Amity operational means that she can’t divide us anymore. There’d be a sense of peace, of normality, that would give hope to all of Remnant. Can’t you see that?” Blake pleaded with her friends, her partner, holding her hand out to them.

Her heart shattered when all she received were cold stares or turned heads. Looking down dejectedly, she felt the firm pressure of Jaune’s hand on her shoulder. He smiled at her tiredly, giving her arm a soft pat, “If you want to go help Ruby’s team we’ll hold down the fort here. We don’t all need to be on scouting or guard duty. Go on,” he said with a tip of his head, “make Amity fly. The people here could use a miracle.”

Blake rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as they began to mist up, “Thanks Jaune…” With on more nod from the man beside her, Blake pulled out Gambol Shroud and prepared to fire it to rope her way up the sheer face of the crater. Taking one last look at Yang behind her who was still refusing to look at her or bid her goodbye, Blake swallowed the lump in her throat and began to quickly climb her way out of the crater and over to the Snowshoe Shipping Company where Weiss had said they were headed before splitting up.

Unused to the layout of Atlas, Blake soon found herself getting lost amidst the sea of people as they moved in a herd towards the entrance to the Mantle crater. Moving against the stream as well as possible, Blake was able finally breech the crowd long enough to ask for directions. She was only three blocks away when her dreams go up in smoke.

A massive explosion soon rocks the grounds around the crater as one of the warehouses by Snowshoe Shipping is engulfed in a brilliant conflagration. Her feet pounded across the concrete faster than her heart could pound in her chest as she fought and pushed her way through the crowd gathering around the destroyed building and soaking up the heat. It took a worryingly long time to finally make it to the gate of the shipping area with many secondary explosions and the destruction of the ceiling occurring in the meantime. Firing a few of her remaining ice-dust rounds into the fires to extinguish them despite the groans and loud protests of the civilians around her at losing their source of heat, Blake scrambled to find a way inside the building despite the rubble.

Thankfully, half of the building’s roof appeared to have been blown open from the inside by the dust, jagged sheets of metal peeled back and warped by fire, giving her an easy point of entry. Waving away as much smoke as possible, Blake carefully maneuvered through the destroyed warehouse before a bright pop of crimson stole her attention. Embedded in the rubble was the unmistakable form of Crescent Rose. Though warped and blacked by the fire, the proud scythe remained in its melee configuration despite being buried deep in concrete and steel. A single earth dust round was all it took to wedge the debris wide enough for Blake to yank the weapon free, closing it into its storage configuration despite the weapon’s groans of protest.

Blake continued to scan the ruined warehouse finding no other signs of her friends. One shuffling footstep at a time, she moved across the floor until the sound of plastic and glass creaking underfoot assaulted her ears. Shifting her boot slightly to the side, her eyes grew wide as she saw Ruby’s scroll resting beneath her toes, damaged and non-functional.

She almost emptied her stomach at the small pool of blood that was beside it.

Rushing out of the warehouse and carrying her two finds, she immediately began consulting the crowd. “Did anyone see what happened here? Anyone at all!?” She cried out desperately.

“Shut up! We have enough problems here!”

“Go back to Menagerie!” One particularly acerbic voice called from the crowd before being loudly shushed by the people around them.

“Did you really have to go and douse the fire!?”

“Keep it down, we’re trying to keep our children calm,” One woman hissed at her as she passed.

Blake grit her teeth in anger before trying to force her way through the crowd again to get back to her friends and let them know what happened. On the way, she felt a firm hand wrap around her bicep causing her to whip around, Gambol Shroud drawn and pointed at whoever was keeping her from finding her friends. The man who had grabbed her held up his hands in surrender, “Sorry, sorry… woo, high stress situation right now I get it. Just, uh… I had, um… you wanted to know what happened?”

Sighing in relief, Blake sheathed her weapon, “Yes, please. Any information would be invaluable. Also… sorry for, you know, pointing a weapon at you.”

“It’s cool, it’s cool.” The main stuttered out awkwardly. “Well, I saw a group of people going into the building from a ways back and figured they were there for dust, keep everyone warm, yano? So I pushed my way through the crowd to see if I could help but all of the sudden the build went up in flames right after I got to the gate. Weirdest thing though, and you may not believe me, but before that I saw three things that were decidedly not crate shaped zoom up those big tubes to Atlas! I think they were people but everyone else says that no one would be that crazy… Anyway, I was watching the blaze when all of the sudden the ceiling is ripped apart with a loud screech and a huge winged Grimm shoots out and away with a girl in its mouth! That’s all I saw before you got here.”

Heart hammering in her chest, Blake nods gratefully, and chokes out, “Thank you.” The man nods back with a grimace before moving to turn away when suddenly Blake reaches out and stops him, “Wait. The girl, what did she look like? Was she wearing a lot of red?”

“Yeah… now that you mention it she was a pretty bright candy red almost all over. I thought it was maybe blood at first – nasty things, Grimm attacks – but it actually seemed like a large cape with how it was moving in the breeze,” The man explained.

Gulping harshly Blake nodded again before firing Gambol Shroud into the building above the assembled crowd, not willing to deal with shoving through a sea of people when her team leader’s life was potentially on the line. She made her way back to the crater as quickly as possible only to see the last streaks of light from the hover bikes fade away in the opposite direction.

Stuttering to a stop, the chaos of the outside world began to fade into a dull ringing before going almost entirely mute as she stared at the broken remains of Crescent Rose and Ruby’s scroll in her hands. Absentmindedly blinking away her tears, Blake couldn’t help but stare up at Atlas, partially obscured by the lingering smoke of a destroyed warehouse, as it hovered tauntingly out of reach. Isolated and left behind by all of her friends while Ruby was potentially in mortal danger, all Blake could do was choke out a single wretched syllable with every last ounce of terror and despair in her being,

“Shit.”

Chapter Text

Hovering just above the evacuation chaos and out of sight, the current winter maiden swept through the city like a girl possessed, determined to save everyone she could. Frigid Mantle air was something distinctly familiar to Penny Polendina as it scraped against her aura with each pulse of her jets. Her eyes scanned the ground below, examining the fleeing crowds of people for any potential conspirators that might slip amongst them in the chaos. Any stray Grimm found on her radar were quickly dispatched by one of the blades of her Floating Array allowing the people to stay none-the-wiser about the rapidly diminishing threats around them.

The evacuation proceeded as calmly as it was able given the rampant irrationality of humans except for the few jeers she occasionally received when spotted by a member of the crowd. Penny sighed softly, the derision causing a deep unknown ache in her chest that her diagnostic scans failed to eliminate. Nothing would ever stop her from wishing that her role as the Protector of Mantle had remained untarnished by that rogue, Tyrian. While she did not need the love of her people in order to sufficiently protect them, it did not stop her from feeling othered all the same. Still, the few cheers from the children as she swooped overhead brought a wane and weary smile to her face and reminded her of why she had devoted herself to those in need.

But it was still so lonely without her friends.

Despite needing time on her own to think, Penny could not help but miss the people who always brought so much joy into her life. She would regroup with them in time, but choosing between Ruby and Yang felt almost impossible as both argued their points sufficiently and with passion.

Seeing the state of the people below, Penny could not in good conscience abandon them to their fate without aid; especially not when she made a promise to them that she fully intended to keep. But Ruby was her first friend, and her plan for Amity was logical in its necessity.

Mustering her resolve, she decided to contact her father if aid was requested in preparation for Amity’s launch but otherwise she would remain Mantle’s guardian, their stalwart defender against the dark. That resolve shivered and snapped as her scroll began to ring ominously. With communications locked, the call could only have come from one person.

Landing on a nearby rooftop that provided her with a sufficient vantage over Mantle should she be needed urgently, Penny hesitantly brought her scroll into view. As expected, the familiar and once loved face of General Ironwood was displayed on her screen, her finger hovering hesitantly over the accept button. She had often seen humans taking a deep breath to settle their nerves and Penny found that doing the same had quite a satisfying affect despite her lack of need for air. With no more delay, she pressed accept.

“Hello, Penny.” The General’s voice spoke through their connection with an eerie calm that did not properly befit their dire situation. “I’m worried for your safety. Tell me where you are and I’ll have you picked up right away. Atlas needs you, Penny. Salem is here.”

Unconsciously, her fingers tightened around the casing of her scroll, the hard light dust flickering in response as the small motors of her fingers groaned in protest. Paralyzed with indecision, Penny did not know how to properly respond to the man she had once considered a dear friend and mentor and in many ways still did. Their relationship now was so complicated – just like everything lately – and Penny yearned for a return to the days before Salem’s arrival.

“Penny? Are you there?” The General said, speaking once more in that ill-affected voice.

“I am here General,” Penny confirmed.

A sigh could be heard at the other end of the call, “That’s a relief given everything that’s happened lately. Just stay there and we can begin triangulating your position unless you’re able to provide us with an LZ.”

“I do not think I will be returning to Atlas, General,” Penny spoke hesitantly. “My work as the Protector of Mantle is not finished.”

“Penny…” The General began in an almost patronizing tone that irritated Penny in an unfamiliar way, “stopping Salem should be our utmost priority. I understand your care for the people th-“

“No, General, I do not think you do, or you would not have abandoned them to their fate,” Penny stated firmly. “Atlas holds many of my friends but Mantle is my home. I will not turn my back on them.”

“Even though they turned their back on you after the rally?” The General challenged, drawing a startled gasp from Penny, his voice growing more irate. It was almost a strange relief to hear some emotion return even if that emotion was anger. With a grumble, her mentor mumbled something inaudible to the microphone before refocusing on her, “I apologize, that was tactless of me. Unfortunately, we are out of time to consider making the humane decision. Remnant is doomed if we cannot keep the staff of creation out of Salem’s hands. We must think about the future, I know you understand that so please Penny, come back to Atlas.”

“General… I fear that if we cease making the humane choice now we will never start again, we will just survive without living in order to preserve something that we should have let pass long ago,” Penny worried.

“There will be time for moralizing when the city is safe. Right now there is no tim-“

“Is a Remnant that contains only a dying Atlas one that is worth saving?” Penny pondered aloud to herself, cutting off The General with words spoken softly and burning like blasphemy as they spilled past her lips; her long held thoughts finally seeing the dawn. “Please keep this line open General. I have much to think about and may reconsider,” Penny finished before hanging up the call immediately after despite a final cry from The General for her to listen.

Beset by a sudden numbness, Penny once more resumed her scan of the city of Mantle, searching for any straggling citizens making their way towards the crater after Joanna’s announcement on the news. Almost the entire city was moving in an organic flood like blood returning to a heart as it beat in steady rhythm. Thankfully, surprisingly, worryingly, the Grimm numbered few and those that remained posed no threat to Penny’s combat systems let alone her new magical abilities.

It should have comforted her more than it did.

Eventually, Penny arrived in the final district yet to be searched, one of the derelict and war torn regions of old Mantle that was neglected with the rise of Atlas. Very few individuals remained in these regions and those that did were often divorced from the culture of the city as a whole. Passing over a columbarium that had seen far better days, Penny’s eyes were drawn to a tarnished statue that sat in the center of the abandoned building’s courtyard and depicting the soldiers of Mantle who had perished in the Great War. A phrase consisting of two words was scrawled into the metal plaque at the base that had long since lost its luster:

“Always Enduring.”

Flying closer, Penny ran the tips of her gloved fingers over the ridges of the embossed filigree on the edges of the plaque and let them catch over the deep grooves of words solemnly carved. Behind her, she could hear the chatter of a few of the remaining citizens commenting on her seemingly strange decision, but all Penny could manage was to crack a sad smile.

“Quite the thing isn’t it?” A voice called out from behind causing Penny to turn. An elderly faunus woman stood at the entry gate to the courtyard smiling softly at Penny, children clinging nervously to her arm. She began to approach and Penny found herself cocking her head curiously to the side. “My father fought in the war you know?” The woman said, filling the silence. “I was just a little girl at the time but he spoke with such enthusiasm about things being better for us after it was all over. He didn’t come back the same but then very few did,” She said sadly, shaking her head.

“I appreciate the story, ma’am but why tell me this?” Penny asked.

“Because nothing has changed. Oh sure, we got a shiny new city in the sky but it was never for us, the people who fought to make it possible, who died for a way of life we no longer think was right. But Mantle always remained strong. Do you think this is the first time that Atlas abandoned its duty to our people? To its whole kingdom, not just those among the stars?” The woman inquired firmly.

“No,” Penny could only admit.

“No,” The woman confirmed, “It was not.” After a few moments of hesitation, the elderly woman extended her hand, firm in her stance despite her small stature, and almost shaking off the young child clinging to it, “Charlotte Hartnell.”

“Penny Polendina,” Penny replied as she took the woman’s hand.

A small chuckle escaped Charlotte’s lips as she put her all into the shake, sending vibrations up Penny’s arm that made her more empathetic to the people on the receiving end of her own enthusiastic greetings, “I know who you are dear. I also know that the news was spouting nothing but drivel. You’re the only one who really bothered to come out all this way and keep us safe; you made a place that my grandkids could grow in without fear.”

“I’m sorry that it wasn’t enough,” Penny apologized.

“Nonsense,” Charlotte chided, “I may not know everything that’s going on right now but I’m sure that you did all that you could. You’re just that kind of girl. You’re the one good thing to come out of that accursed city, you know? Maybe Atlas made you, but your heart has always been Mantle strong, so follow it, even if it takes you away from us. It’ll lead you exactly where you need to go.”

Briefly, Penny was reminded of a stray thought confessed to Ruby in a rare moment of peace. Perhaps it was time to realize her own desires, to do both the things she needed to do and the things she wanted to do. Humans could accomplish such a thing so could she not do so as well? A strange pressure started to build in Penny’s chest, her eyes aching slightly for an unknown reason before she was able to shake it off, “Thank you Miss Hartnell but… why?”

“I always used to come here for a bit of solemn quiet when I needed to make a tough choice. I like to think my father was looking over me all the while, guiding me in the right direction,” She said, pointing up towards the statue at a man with large and majestic antlers at the side of the platoon. “Figured I’d keep up the tradition of dispensing advice. You’ve carried our burdens while we decried you for things that weren’t your doing. You endured. More than most, you’re a true daughter of Mantle and it is long passed time that some of us started giving back to you.”

“Thank you, Ma’am,” Penny spoke, her words more uneven than usual as she let the tight feeling in her chest dissipate once more. Putting on her signature smile, Penny placed her hands proudly on her hips, “now lets get you all to the crater! I’ll be watching over you so there is no need to worry about any Grimm!”

The children seemed to perk up at her words as their grandmother laughed fondly, “Then we’ll follow your lead, Miss Polendina.”

Escorting the family and a few of Ms. Hartnell’s neighbors was a simple matter like the rest of the missions Penny had independently conducted that day but, rather then avoiding the people entirely, she flew low and enjoyed conversation with the kind woman and enthusiastic kids. She even picked a few of the children up in her arms to let them experience flying slowly through the chilly Mantle sky.

When her group finally made it to the refugee camp, Penny lifting the elderly every so often to give their feet a rest as she flew along, she decided to remain where she was for a moment as Joanna processed the new arrivals. She did not flee to the air like a coward at the glares from some of the citizens of Mantle but instead stood tall among her people, their distrust waning as the smiles of those she touched grew. After receiving a firm clap on the back from Joanna that had the larger woman holding her hand in regret, Penny let herself smile as the whispers and jeers faded to almost nothing before rocketing off to continue her work, Mantle’s guardian rising to the sky once more.

Her scanners picked up movement in the distance before spying Yang’s convoy of citizens slowly making their way towards the crater while cloaked by Ren’s semblance. Content with the knowledge that her friends had the evacuation well in hand, Penny allowed herself to make one last pass of the city. She took note of the troubling lack of Grimm before once more landing on a nearby rooftop and activating her scroll. With a heavy but steady heart, Penny redialed The General and prepared to confront her friend.

“Penny!” General Ironwood’s voice called from the scroll. “You’ve decided to reconsider then? You’ll return to Atlas?”

“I will General,” Penny stated, “but I do have conditions.”

“Conditions?” General Ironwood repeated incredulously.

Ignoring his dismissive attitude, Penny continued on, “I will return to Atlas to open the vault in exchange for three things. You will authorize the launch of the Amity Communications Tower first and foremost. Then, you will deploy any remaining drones to defend Mantle, as you will no longer have a war to fight once you have reached the upper atmosphere. Finally, you will allow me to return to Mantle to continue serving as the protector of the people.”

“What you’re asking is absurd!” The General exclaimed. “The power of the winter maiden will never be safe unless it is kept securely aboard Atlas! On top of that you want me to launch Amity and spend my army?”

“You stand to lose nothing by activating Amity Communications Tower. The communications tower of Atlas Academy can easily be converted to act as a global communications satellite in addition to Amity, providing a much needed redundancy in the event of Salem’s further sabotage.” Penny reasoned. “In addition, if your plan is truly to be successful, you will have no further need of a mechanical army with which to defend your city.”

“… I understand your point,” Ironwood conceded, making Penny’s face light up in relief, “but you still didn’t address the need to keep the winter maiden out of Salem’s hands.”

“Unless every human in Mantle is to perish, the power of the winter maiden will never be safe as it can always pass to someone below when it comes time for me to go offline,” Penny stated solemnly. “It cannot be kept in Atlas forever.”

“The hard-light shields won’t hold forever… I still think this is a mistake but I can’t afford to wait any longer while Salem lingers at our doorstep,” Ironwood concluded with a weary sigh. “I accept your terms, Penny. You are cleared for independent entry into Atlas. I will be waiting in the vault room.”

“Thank you, General,” Penny said gratefully. “You won’t regret this.”

“I hope for all of our sakes that you’re right,” were the General’s final words before the call went dead, the General having hung up on her. Penny smiled almost fondly at the display of human pettiness and desire for the last word.

Wasting little time, Penny activated her thrusters and began her ascent towards Atlas, weaving through the familiar infrastructure as she passed. Briefly, she saw a dark blur moving quickly towards the center of the city in her periphery but, as her scanners picked up nothing amiss, she ignored the concern and maintained trajectory.

Eventually progressing through the rather obvious hole made by Oscar on his descent, Penny flew up and into the vault chamber startling an already tense Ironwood who immediately drew on her with Due Process. His eyes widened frantically before fluttering in relief as he shakily holstered his weapon, “You couldn’t have progressed through the compound normally?”

“I believe that acting with expedience is the best course of action for a situation this dire,” Penny responded, receiving only a nod from Ironwood in response.

The two stood in silence for a moment as Penny approached before a gasp escaped her lips, “General… your arm…”

“A necessary sacrifice,” General Ironwood stated as he raised his black, metallic hand to catch the ambient light of the vault. “I cannot afford to function at anything less than full capacity while we’re on the brink of a full scale invasion.”

Walking gently towards the still preoccupied General, Penny gently takes his hand in hers, cupping the digits softly as the ridges brush across her aura and inform her senses. He appears momentarily stunned as Penny curls her fingers around his own, “You never treated me as anything less than human despite my origin as a machine. I promise, this does not change who you are.”

“I deeply wish that was true, Penny,” General Ironwood uttered softly in a rare moment of vulnerability, his mechanical fingers curling painfully tight around her own.

Penny couldn’t bring herself to ask which of her two statements he was referring to.

Gathering himself with a weary sigh, the general pinched the bridge of his nose with his other arm as he removed his new appendage from Penny’s grip. “We’ve wasted enough time,” He commented sternly. “It’s time to open the vault.”

As the General began walking swiftly to the steps leading up towards the vault door, Penny hurried behind him, falling into step on his right side as she walked one half pace behind. Mustering her courage, Penny said, “Is Winter…”

“She’s alive,” The General stated without looking back. “Her injuries in the fight against Cinder Fall were severe but thanks to the efforts of both of you working together they were far from fatal. She’ll be wearing an armored mechanical brace to aid her combat capabilities for now and the tendons in her right arm are damaged but should we survive the war she will recover with sufficient physical therapy.”

“That is excellent news, General, thank yo-“

“We’re here.” General Ironwood stated as he stood in front of the vault door, cutting Penny off as she realized she had climbed the flight of stares without thinking.

“Of course…” Penny commented before examining the door curiously. “How do I… open it?”

The General turned to her, eyes wide in surprise for a moment before releasing a tired chuckle at her sheepish expression, “A fair question I suppose. Lay a hand on the door’s surface and activate a small amount of your magic. The door will open from there.”

Complying with her side of the deal, Penny pressed her hand to the door and let the power of the winter maiden pulse a vibrant green along her aura. With a flash, the magic traveling through the lines engraved in the golden entrance, the large slabs began to collapse towards the floor eventually revealing the picturesque field within. The staff, golden and resplendent and topped with the same icy blue of the lamp, floated at the end of a stone walkway and almost beckoned them forth as if restless from its long slumber.

Sighing in barely restrained relief, The General turned towards Penny and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Thank you, Penny. I firmly believe that this is what is best for Atlas and I couldn’t have done it without your help. I promise that I’ll uphold my end of our agreement but… are you sure you won’t stay on Atlas? The world is only going to become far harsher out there.”

“You misunderstand, General,” Penny calmly replied. “It is not the world that will be missing Atlas, it is Atlas that will be missing the world. Mantle is stronger than you think and I hope to prove that to you some day.”

Ironwood looked perturbed for a moment before closing his eyes and breathing deeply, “I can’t say that I understand, but I will respect your decision Penny. Now, let’s retrieve the staff.”

With a nod, Penny followed The General into the unnatural peace and warmth of the vault, allowing the temperature to caress her aura as it reminded her of the weather of Vale. General Ironwood, on the other hand, took no such time to marvel at the perfection of this space between spaces and instead marched towards the object of his search. Taking the staff in hand, The General took a deep breath in relief before raising it high as he waited.

It took almost a minute before both of them realized that nothing was happening. Ironwood’s mechanical hand clicked as he clenched his digits around the golden staff in frustration, “Why won’t the damn thing activate?!”

Tilting her head curiously, Penny approached the frustrated General as he fiddled with the staff, almost bumping into him as he distractedly marched out of the vault. Catching up to him quickly, an errant thought strayed through Penny’s mind, “Oh, perhaps it needs a password!”

“A password?” The General questioned.

“Yes! Something important should always be secured with a password, should it not?” Penny wondered.

“Right, of course,” Ironwood said almost baffled. “Oscar told me the name of the lamp of creation was Jinn… that the name is needed to call forth the spirit but I… I don’t know the name of the staff…”

“General Ironwood…?” Penny asked in concern as she approached the man, his shoulders beginning to shake.

The tremors running through his body soon reveal themselves to be produced by manic, near hysterical laughter. Fighting to compose himself as he leans against the archway of the vault, The General glanced at the staff in his hand as he choked down another laugh, muttering softly, “It’s all my fault…”

“You’re scaring me General…”

“Don’t you see though? It’s all my fault!” Ironwood exclaimed as he slammed a mechanical fist against the metal arch. “My goal was right in hand but my rashness… my foolishness… I… I shot Oscar. I should have just taken him into custody but I couldn’t afford Ozpin returning to disrupt my plans and now… I was almost there. I was almost there but now I have no password. I have the staff of creation, a tool of the brother gods themselves, but it might as well be a stick for all the good it does me without the damn password!”

“Do you… know how team RWBY acquired the password?” Penny hesitantly asked as she laid a calming hand on the General’s shoulder.

General Ironwood flinched violently at the touch before settling as his breathing began to normalize, “It was Oscar. He told the team apparently against Ozpin’s orders. He confessed to it at Schnee Manor. If I had just kept him here, Atlas would already safe but I had to go and be impulsive!”

“What happened with Oscar… why did you do it General?” Penny questioned in concern. “This is not you.”

“I couldn’t afford to allow Ozpin to plan against me at this critical stage.” General Ironwood explained. “It was his passivity and idealism that lead to Beacon’s fall, refusing to take threats seriously just because he’ll always come back. I decided he couldn’t be allowed to interfere. And I was… angry…”

“But he was not yet Ozpin,” Penny corrected, pressing her palm further into The General’s back to ground him. “He was Oscar, my friend. Our friend.”

The General’s back straightened as his breathing finally leveled out. Turning towards Penny, she was struck by the cold and empty look in The General’s eyes, his semblance beginning to work overtime to cloud his guilt despite Penny’s silent pleas to keep him present. “I’m sorry, Penny,” He eventually said in a dull monotone, “but he was Ozpin the moment the reincarnation process began. He’s inevitable, just like Salem. I’m tired of letting two ancient monsters control the board and no one else. My only regret is not learning the staff’s password first because of my hasty decision.”

Stepping back in fear and concern, Penny choked out a quiet answer, “Was Oscar really that expendable to you, just a casualty of the bigger picture? Am I? General, I do not understand what has happened to us,” Penny lamented.

Briefly, color began to return to The General’s gaze, his eyes losing their dull film so characteristic of Mettle, “NO! No, of course not. Penny, you could never be expendable. Y-“

“Because I am Penny…” She challenged, “or because I am the winter maiden.”

Taken aback for a moment, The General seemed to ponder something before his back returned to its rigid posture. “Both,” He said calmly, without an ounce of hesitation.

Deeply hurt in ways she did not know she could be wounded by a friend, Penny looked up into the General’s unforgiving gaze, “That is a very safe and cruel answer, General…”

“I’m afraid it is all I can provide at the moment while the war is at its peak,” General Ironwood stated coldly. “For now I will return the staff to the vault. As a show of good faith I will approve the launch of the Amity Communications Tower and request that you remain here for the time being until the password can be obtained. If anyone could survive that fall it would be Oz and I doubt he’d be too keen to lose another host so soon; perhaps he’s still out there. Is this acceptable?”

Thinking briefly about the kind citizens she had left behind, Penny decided to put her trust in her friends to ensure their safety. Ruby would never give up on a friend in need and The General clearly needed her help even more than Winter did. “I accept for the time being, General.”

With a nod, General Ironwood approached the elevator, waiting for the solid thunk of Penny’s boots on the steal platform before pressing the button to ascend. The ride passed in tense silence for a few moments before Penny decided to try to help her friend once more, “General?”

“I hope you haven’t changed your mind already, Penny,” The General cautioned.

“No… but perhaps this is a blessing in disguise.”

“Oh?” Ironwood questioned with an unimpressed raise of his brow. “And why would that be?”

“It takes a great deal for a city to function entirely autonomously. The controlled climate will enable us to produce sufficient food but what about power? Water? Even dust will cease operation when it enters the upper atmosphere. The relic can presumably provide the power but should we not be prepared with the adequate schematics to ensure a functioning society? Cloth, fertilizer, building material, they are all resources Atlas will lose access to without contact with the ground below. If this is to succeed, you will need to cover every potential angle,” Penny concluded.

“A dying Atlas, hmm?” Ironwood muttered.

“General?”

“I was just thinking of something you mentioned during our call… I’ll admit, there is wisdom in what you’ve said and you raise some incredibly valuable points that I did not consider. The relic provides, but encompassing the needs of an entire city in a single request? It won’t be a simple matter…” General Ironwood concluded. “I will have my top available scientists begin outlining the infrastructure for a new Atlas immediately.”

“I believe that is for the best, General,” Penny admitted, silently exhaling in relief at potentially giving her more time to ease him into a more open state of mind. She found the action surprisingly satisfying and could see why humans behaved in such a manner so frequently.

Exiting the elevator, The General barked several orders at his men to seal the hole in the bottom of the vault room before marching to his terminal within the Military Base. Penny knew that Ruby’s team was attempting to do this very thing but hopefully she would be able to save them all some time and allow them to focus on more important tasks. She just hoped that team RWN did not currently occupy the room, as their last encounter with The General was not conducive to smooth cooperation or communication. The last thing Penny wanted was for any of her friends to be imprisoned.

To her surprise and relief, no one had entered the room yet aside from the two of them. As The General entered his credentials, sending the authorization codes to Amity Colosseum, Penny waited patiently while observing the process. Delighted to see him following through on his promise, as General Ironwood stepped away from the console Penny patiently awaited his direction.

His eyes having regained some of their earlier color, General Ironwood stopped in front of Penny and addressed her, “Before we begin strategizing in earnest, I need to consult with Winter. Given your earlier concern for her, would it be safe to assume you wanted to join me?”

“Yes!” Penny exclaimed before composing herself. “I mean, I would be delighted to check on Operative Schnee’s current condition.”

Internally celebrating when The General cracked a small smile, she followed him out of the room as they began progressing through the base towards the medical bay. Their march was silent except for the stray tapping of General Ironwood on his scroll, likely sending several messages to coordinate his army and latest urban planning project. No words were needed, the white noise and bustle of the military base feeling like a second home to Penny as she allowed chatter to wash over her.

Before long they had reached the medical bay and Penny let out a startled gasp at seeing the covered body of Clover Ebi unmoving and about to be transported to the morgue, the Ace Ops gathered around him. Harriet was the first to notice her even through the glass, turning around to glance at the new comers only to glare at Penny viciously. She couldn’t help but shrink back under the scrutinizing stare and her discomfort must have shown as Harriet sighed and simply gave her a reluctant nod afterwards.

Across the hall from the assembled team, Winter was being examined by a doctor that was quickly forgotten because her friend was right there! Rushing into the room and almost barreling the doctor over in the process, an excited Penny threw her arms around Winter who gaped at Penny in turn, no doubt thinking she was with Weiss and Ruby. “I…! Penny, what are you doing here!?”

“I came back for you!” Penny exclaimed happily, holding her friend’s hand gently as she winced from the pain of the other being bent backwards by the technician. “The evacuation of Mantle to the crater is mostly complete but there was more that needed doing here.”

“She’s right of course,” General Ironwood spoke up as he entered the room, surprising Winter. “It’s likely only a temporary measure but… no one has ever seen a Grimm hoard this large before. The hard-light shields will hold but not forever and when they fall…” The General paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I feel much better knowing that my decision to trust the both of you was the right one. Thank you, Winter, Penny, for your continued service to Atlas.”

“Of course, Sir.” Winter coolly responded before her attention was taken by her scroll beeping beside her. Looking towards General Ironwood and getting a nod in response, Winter opened her scroll, reading something quickly before her eyes began to widen and her throat bobbed with a nervous swallow. Penny looked at her curiously as she turned her scroll off though all Winter did was sigh before she said, “Qrow and Robyn have recently been apprehended.”

“But they’re our friends!” Penny protested almost immediately.

“Friends that have gone rogue in the past and worked against us, kept information from us…” Winter tried explaining but Penny’s scowl must have given away her thoughts, drawing a tired sigh from the special operative. “It’s only for a short time until we can determine whether or not they’re trustworthy.”

“She’s right,” The General chimed in. “Qrow is a long time ally but he is an ally of Ozpin first and Atlas second. I worry his allegiance wouldn’t be with our current plan. Anyway, I don’t want to infringe on your reunion. I trust you’ll recover well enough, Winter?”

“I’ll be fine, Sir.”

“Then I’ll be on my way. You’re not the only one due a visit I think,” The General stated as he observed the Ace Ops mourning Clover.

As The General and doctor left the room, Winter roughly grabbed Penny’s ear and tried to tweak it only to be met with heavy resistance. Giving up on the odd method of affection, Winter grabbed Penny’s shoulders and asked, “Why did you come back? I thought you went with my sister?”

“Are you not happy to see me?” Penny asked nervously.

“No! I mea- uhg, yes I am happy to see you, Penny but I thought you understood that it was safer with your friends,” Winter explained.

“You and The General are my friends too.” Penny stated matter-of-factly. “If I have to choose between Mantle and Atlas my choice will always be both no matter how impossible the odds become!”

Winter sighed and leaned back in her bed, letting Penny hold her hand gently, “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Nope!” Penny said cheerfully. “But I know the best way to find the way forward is together. I’ll never give up on you, because that is what friends are for!”

“Yeah,” Winter smiled wanly, “that’s what friends are for.”

The sterile halls of the medical bay always helped to soothe James’s spirit despite the sterility of the walls and the many horrors contained within during times of strife. Many would simply take that slight admission as further evidence of his soullessness, more of a machine than his clockwork soldiers, but all of that frigid determination allowed him to make the difficult decisions. Even still, his empty heart couldn’t help but ache seeing Winter and Penny interacting so animatedly. He hated tainting such a beautiful friendship by asking Winter to keep Penny on Atlas by any means, even manipulation or incapacitation, should she deem it necessary.

Once the password was in hand he would let her go, James decided, but until then she couldn’t be allowed to roam. Her lack of surprise during his confession regarding Oscar was incredibly telling. Perhaps she had simply numbed her emotions on the matter but knowing Penny this was unlikely; that meant she already knew what happened in the vault only a mere handful of hours ago. Given her lack of anger or sadness, that all but confirmed Oscar’s survival, which was an excellent turn of fate for his current plans. The Ace Ops could use a mission to distract from the grief from their lost commander and reconnaissance was simple enough to not be botched by heightened emotional states.

Reaching for the door, a sudden commotion drew his attention from down the hall.

“Wait, you can’t be in here!” One of his technicians called from down the corridor.

Raising an eyebrow, James waited patiently as his two latest irritations barreled their way through his men to approach him, Harriet stepping out from the room behind him as if drawn by the noise. “This is absurd, let us through!” Councilman Sleet exclaimed.

“I told you, we need to speak to the general!” Councilwoman Camilla followed shortly on his heels.

The two approached James standing impassively in the middle of the hallway, ugly expressions directed his way but hardly able to faze him. He had stared down Salem after all. Nothing could be intimidating after that. “What in God’s name do you think you’re doing, James!?” She screeched at him, pointing a finger in his direction.

Equally as incensed, Sleet approached and Ironwood could feel Harriet’s stare on the back of his head, judging, awaiting orders. Though hardly threatened, James found his arm drifting towards Due Process as he simply watched the situation in front of him unfold in slow motion as if he were divorced from reality. Suddenly, James was possessed by the distinct desire to shoot the councilman as he approached, but he found himself surprised when he hesitated.

Though mettle was screaming at him to take the simple solution, use Occam’s razor, eliminate the problem, James allowed his mechanical fingers to extended click by click as they slowly drifted away from his holster, the servos of his new arm almost protesting the indecision. Indiscriminate use of force would only create more difficulties, which he could not justify nor tolerate at this stage. Had he captured Oscar instead of acting on rage and determination alone, he’d be one step closer to fulfilling his plan for the good of Atlas, for the good of Remnant.

So he would spare the pair of sanctimonious headaches, potentially preventing future migraines. For now he’d put the two to work. An entirely self-sufficient city needed proper infrastructure and who better to help with the plans than a pair of experienced civil servants. And they would serve. Their lives depended on it, they just didn’t know that yet.

“Operative Bree,” He eventually said, “gather operatives Zeki, Amin, and Ederne and take Councilman Sleet and Councilwomen Camilla into custody. Have them brought to meeting hall C2 where they are to be kept under armed guard at all times. Should they try to escape, they are to be executed on the spot. They will be informed of their purpose in due time.”

James could almost feel Harriet’s eyes widening in response to his orders but quickly complied despite the protests of the pair of politicians as they were cuffed and hauled away. Before the Ace Ops could turn the corner, James called out to his most loyal team, “Operatives. Thank you for your cooperation and I apologize that your time of mourning was interrupted. Once we weather this storm, Operative Ebi will receive a funeral with appropriate honors, you have my word.”

The team appeared stunned before regrouping, Elm answering for the assembled soldiers, “Thank you, sir. We won’t disappoint you.”

“See that you don’t.”

With that matter taken care of, all of the pieces at his disposal were currently in optimal use. His people would be ready. If Salem thought that Atlas had no might left to spare, she would find herself dead wrong. When the Ace Ops returned he would send them after Oscar and then he’d finally have the password. Atlas would be in the sky and this horrid nightmare would be behind them all.

It was only a matter of time.