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The Way of the Maiden

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Chapter 64: The Counterattack
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    • Chapter 64: The Counterattack
    *WOOO*

    *WOOO*

    *WOOO*    ​

    The ear-piercing alarm echoed across all of the streets in Mantle. They weren't entirely necessary, however, since every citizen knew that they were in trouble.

    Rain had suddenly transformed to snow when all of the heat suddenly shut down. When the cold finally came in, everyone in Mantle ran for shelter and warmth. Pietro was able to open his pharmacy for people in need, even though it wasn't as warm as everyone had hoped.

    As everyone shivered from the cold, they all wondered what had happened to the heat. Ideas ranged from Atlas being affected as well, to Atlas deciding to shut it off themselves. Given Ironwood's tight grip on the city and rising tensions, the latter seemed more likely.

    Until the news set the record straight.

    The heat was off, but the city still had electricity. It was this electricity that allowed the people to turn on their televisions and turn on the Atlas Eye, one of the main news channels in the Kingdom. There, everyone could see confirmed reports that Mantle's heating grid had suffered from a tremendous explosion. Some people had heard the explosion, but most of the city was hearing this for the first time.

    The Atlas Eye then showed the damage to the heating grid, which showed that immediate repairs were impossible. Panic spread quickly and people began looking for any way to keep themselves warm. Furniture was burnt, fires were started on the streets, and Dust shops were raided for Fire Dust to add to those fires.

    The Atlesian Knights and the soldiers tried to calm down the panic, but nobody was listening to them. The only thing they did listen to, however, were the alarms that suddenly filled the area.

    Nobody in Mantle was aware with all the chaos, but the Blairs and Durge had managed to destroy the wall Cinder had worked so hard to rebuild. The Grimm were unable to break it, but a newly reconstituted Durge and a rocket launcher were able to do the trick.

    And now, the streets were covered with noise and Grimm.

    In the midst of the chaos, there were two military geniuses doing their best to regain control. In the skies, Admiral Thrawn was commanding the Atlas air fleet in destroying large and small Grimm alike. He was focusing more on the avian Grimm, since the second genius was commanding ground forces.

    And that man was Wilhuff Tarkin.

    Tarkin may have been aboard an airship like Thrawn, but the man was no coward. He had trained like the rest of his fellow officers, which helped him see the capabilities of a common soldier. That was how assessed the strengths and weaknesses of platoons under his command, just like he was now. From his ship, Tarkin relayed strategies and information to his soldiers in order to handle the current Grimm situation. His methods weren't as unique as Thrawn's, but they definitely worked.

    For better or worse.

    Tarkin mainly relied on the efforts of field commanders such as Veers and Yularen, who shared reports of victories and defeats among the Grimm, with some of his men requesting immediate backup. Tarkin accepted the defeats, given the severity of the situation. As for the people who requested backup, he simply told them to hold the line.

    In doing so, this bought the civilians and other soldiers time to act. So the man's logic was as sound as it was cruel.

    Unfortunately, both Tarkin and Thrawn knew that they couldn't keep their defenses and strategies up forever. If they were to kill more Grimm, Huntsmen and Huntresses were needed.

    Fortunately, Ironwood's best had left the Schnee manor and were heading straight for Mantle.

    SCAR Squadron had managed to find their own airships, which they used to leave Atlas with Djarin, Qrow, Cinder, Obi-Wan, Ozpin, and Revan. Penny was flying to Mantle on her own while Ironwood and Winter went to prepare Atlas for receiving refugees from the city. Willow and the Council had also offered their services, mainly with directing airships to pick up citizens who needed help.

    The plan was to evacuate as many people as possible, to clear the city of citizens so killing the Grimm would be easier. Clover hadn't announced this plan just yet, given that he was assessing the damage so far from a window in the airship. Djarin and Qrow had joined him, where they gave their own input on the situation.

    "That's a lot of Grimm," said Qrow, who looked down upon the streets of Mantle.

    "We have enough firepower of our own," said Djarin, who also looked down with Qrow. "But this is going to take a while."

    "Looks that way," said Clover, who adjusted his armor to prepare for battle. And as he looked upon the numerous monsters with his allies, an innovative idea came to Clover's mind. "Or... maybe there's a faster way."

    "..."

    The Huntsman and Mandalorian paused when they saw Clover walk away from the window and put a hand to his ear, where he spoke directly to someone special in Mantle.

    "Dr. Polendina," he said with optimism. "Brothers know you're a busy man, but can you report on that virus we got from Essen?"

    Qrow and Djarin immediately turned to each other and shared the same idea. They had forgotten all about Gideon's weapon, one that could kill Grimm upon being programmed. If it was ready, then using it now would be a strong blow to Salem.

    Unfortunately, fights like this weren't always that easy.

    "I can, Clover," the old scientist replied. He was still in Mantle, but Pietro had always been well-informed of any Atlesian project. "The good news is that Gideon was right about the time table. I got my best colleagues putting the final touches on as we speak."

    "Perfect," said Clover. "When can we use it?"

    "Well, I'm afraid that's the bad news. Finishing the one sample Gideon had is do-able, but creating more samples is harder than we thought. The notes helped, but they're incomplete. Watts always liked to store whatever he was working on in his head."

    "What if we used it right now?"

    "Then we wouldn't have enough for a second use. And I'm not even sure it's ready to encompass Mantle's range."

    Clover didn't display his disappointment to Pietro, but he couldn't help but shake his head as his idea was destroyed. "Okay," he said. "We'll just have to do this the hard way."

    "Well, good luck to you," Pietro said. "And please tell Penny to be careful."

    Clover lowered his hand and turned around, where he was met with the eyes of all his allies. Mic was piloting the airship, but Clover's soldiers were looking upon him and waiting for orders. Cinder, Djarin, and Qrow were also waiting, and their patience had paid off.

    "Bad news, team," Clover said to everyone. "Dr. Polendina told me that our secret weapon isn't ready yet. Looks like we'll be doing this the hard way."

    "Figures," Cav said as he readied a knife.

    "That's okay, boss," said Zuke. "I never had any problems with the hard way."

    "Of course not," said Aero. "That iron-hide of yours is the only thing protecting you while we're working."

    "We still have this," Misty said as he patted his armor.

    "Yeah," said Shrap. "I heard we got a stronger set after our last mission."

    "Only one way to find out," said Mic, who was still piloting the airship.

    "Well, as much as I'd love another test run..." Clover continued. "I need to stress that we are prioritizing citizen safety over killing Grimm. Got it?" Clover's team nodded, as did the rest of his company. However, Cinder didn't stop with just a nod.

    "I need to get as close to the wall as I can," she said. "The Grimm there are the only ones I have to kill so I can fix it again."

    "And that's the best place we can find Durge," said Djarin. "He broke the wall once. He won't let Cinder fix it without a fight."

    "Agreed," said Clover. "Taking down Durge is going to have to be a team effort. And I don't mean just us."

    Qrow stepped forward and delivered some good news. "The Happy Huntresses are on their way to Mantle," he said. "They also said they got backup."

    Nobody knew about the "backup" the Huntresses were talking about, but they assumed more soldiers from Atlas would be coming. "And so do we," said Clover. "As you know, Professor Ozpin decided to join us in the field. Him and his two friends."

    Cinder nudged Djarin's side and smirked. "About time," she said. "I was wondering when he would be getting out of the academy."

    "You and me both," Djarin replied with a chuckle. "We have to be careful, though. None of them are protecting the Relic right now."

    This was true. Nobody had brought the Relic of Knowledge with them to the party. In fact, with all the work and action they had seen, nobody had carried it themselves for quite some time. However, everyone was confident that the lamp was safe at Atlas Academy, inside a temporary vault Ironwood had guarded every hour of every day.

    It was better to keep it in a man-made vault rather than in public, where it would be vulnerable to the Blairs and Durge.

    "Mando's right," said Clover. "I'm normally not one to sacrifice efficiency for speed, but the sooner we evacuate Mantle, the sooner we get back to guarding the lamp." Clover looked out the window once more. "I hope our friends in the other ship understand that too."

    On the other airship Clover was referring to, its three passengers understood the need for a swift counterattack.

    And then some.

    Ozpin was currently traveling with Obi-Wan and Revan. Together, rather than discuss the situation like Clover wanted to, the Jedi were sitting together with their eyes closed and bodies completely still.

    Through this act, the minds of all three individuals were the only things that were active.

    Ozpin and his friends had decided to spend their short trip by sharing in an act of meditation. Obi-Wan had meditated many times since his departure from Mistral, but Ozpin and Revan hadn't meditated for quite some time. Their minds hadn't been at peace as of late, which was required for a task such as defending Mantle.

    Ozpin focused on the fear he could sense below him. Many people were running for their lives while others were being eaten alive. A sense of guilt naturally overcame Ozpin, which had happened many times during his war with Salem. He wished attacks like this never happened, that he had done things differently in order to prevent violence.

    But this guilt was surpassed by resolve. Now, more than ever, Ozpin was determined to help Mantle defend itself against the Grimm, and finally share the truth about their shared enemy. Nothing was going to stop him in this mission.

    Revan, despite being a Jedi, couldn't help but focus on the anger and rage each Grimm was radiating. It was everywhere, too hard for him to ignore. There had been many times in his life where he was in a similar spot, where he was surrounded by the anger and rage. It gave him power unlike anything he had felt before. He had reveled in it, whether he was surrounded by Grimm or other Sith.

    But now, all Revan wanted to do was cleanse Mantle of the anger, cleanse it of the Grimm. Only then, would the city find peace once again.

    Obi-Wan was the only one who didn't find himself focusing on Mantle. Instead, he was focusing on a rather recent event in his life.

    He and his friends left the Schnee manor after Ironwood had finally decided to reveal the truth about Salem. He had originally told Councilman Sleet and Councilwoman Camilla, while Winter talked to her mother in private. However, Obi-Wan had decided to help, and share the truth with one more person.

    Councilman Bail Organa.

    Unlike his fellow Council-members, Bail Organa was familiar with Obi-Wan Kenobi. In fact, the two of them were actually friends. They knew each other through a mutual friend, a former member of Atlesian Council: a woman named Padmé Amidala.

    Because of this mutual friend, Bail knew about the Jedi Order and its endeavors on Remnant. He wasn't familiar with Salem up until now, given that the Council had kept it secret like Ozpin did. All Bail knew was that an evil organization had once torn down the Atlesian Council and establishment, and that its efforts had found its way to Vacuo. Obi-Wan's help in handling it had led to Padmé trusting the man with her life, and eventually led to Bail meeting with him.

    They had seen each other a few times during Padmé's tenure as Councilwoman, while Bail was still the Mayor of Atlas. One of those times was when Padmé's term had suddenly ended.

    Along with her life.

    Bail didn't know all the details, but Obi-Wan was willing to share some information. Namely, that a Jedi had betrayed the Order and caused its downfall. The Huntsmen and Huntresses would be able to pick up where they left off, but the Jedi were no more.

    Along with this information, Obi-Wan asked Bail a single favor: taking in a child that had been spared from her mother's fate. She was only a baby at the time, and her name was "Leia." Bail not only took the baby because he and his wife had talked about adopting a child one day, but also in the name of his friendship with Padmé.

    But now, everything was different. Now, Bail not only knew what Ironwood was trying to fight, but also what had claimed the life of his friend in the first place.

    What had driven Anakin to madness.

    Obi-Wan believed it would be wise to keep this secret, and to keep his distance from Bail as well. But after everything that happened as of late, the time for secrecy and keeping people at distances was over. Obi-Wan had a friend in Bail, and he wasn't going to lose that again.

    And Bail wasn't going to lose his friend either. Now, they planned on working together to save Mantle.

    *BAM*​

    All three Jedi ceased their meditation when something caused the Manta to shake. "What was that?" Ozpin asked the pilot.

    "The LZ's hot, sir!" the pilot replied. "We've made contact!"

    *BAM*​

    A Grimm suddenly appeared in front of the cockpit window. Its claws pierced into the glass and metal, and its large beak was about to completely shatter the glass.

    The beast was an avian Grimm, but it wasn't a Nevermore. It lacked feathers and any other bird-like features. Instead, it sported the appearance of an underwater creature; one with multiple teeth and a spiked tail.

    A Teryx.

    "Hang on!" the pilot said as he moved the Manta's steering mechanism. The airship began to move to and fro at a very fast pace, in an attempt to shake the creature off. However, the Grimm held on very tightly, and now it struck its beak into the glass.

    *CRASH*​

    The teeth had just missed the pilot's head, but he knew another strike would likely kill him. "I can't shake it!" he yelled back to his passengers.

    Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and pushed against the Grimm. Its beak moved back from the window, but its claws ripped part of the metal structure as it moved back. Red lights began to cover the entire Manta, which were clear indicators that the ship wouldn't be staying airborne.

    It was time to leave.

    Revan moved his hand towards the side door, which opened immediately. He seized his chance to jump, which led him to landing on a building. Revan was joined by Obi-Wan, but Ozpin had to jump onto a different building due to him aiding the pilot. Rather than let him crash with the ship, Ozpin took the man and held on tight as they jumped.

    Which left the airship to crash and burn.

    *BOOM*​

    The pilot couldn't help but stare at the burning embers of his ship, knowing that he could have died a few moments ago. But when he saw a hand extend to him and pull him up, the pilot received a reminder that his fate had been averted in the nick of time.

    "Thank you," he said to Ozpin, who humbly nodded and accepted the gratitude. "I can call for a pickup."

    "That won't be necessary," said Ozpin. "My friends and I will guide one of Ms. Schnee's airships here. After Mantle's citizens join us."

    "Sounds good." The pilot reached for his side, where he had a small radio in his belt. "I can call for one when you're done here. Just say the word."

    "Understood."

    Ozpin looked down below him, where multiple Grimm were chasing innocent people. And with one small jump, where he was joined by his fellow Jedi, Ozpin began to put an end to the madness.

    Once and for all.

    "Do you see them?"

    "Yes. All of them."

    "Even Cinder?"

    "Even Cinder."

    "Good."

    Despite having her eyes closed, Fauna Blair could see just fine; she could see through various Botflies she had unleashed.

    With all the chaos and the Grimm hunting down their prey, Merri and Fauna found a more secluded part of Mantle to watch the fruits of their labor. Destroying the heating grid and wall were fun, and now they proudly watched the city fall apart.

    But both sisters were wise enough to know that nobody would let this happen.

    After waiting an appropriate amount of time, Fauna let a few of her Botflies fly away from her body and search the city for Huntsmen and Huntresses. Once she did, Fauna discovered that General Ironwood not only unleashed his special squad of soldiers, but also his powerful friends.

    The Mandalorian and the Jedi were lending their aid to the city, including Ozpin himself. Blue and purple light began to fill the streets as the Jedi looked for people to save, and the Mandalorian's transforming rifle sent bullets and electric sparks fly freely. One by one, Grimm were falling to these weapons, including a cane and a large sword that turned into a gun and scythe.

    But what Fauna decided to focus more on was a black light followed by fire.

    Armed with the Darksaber, her Maiden powers, and every defense her Beskar armor offered her, Cinder moved towards the wall as fast as she could. Her father and her friends weren't far behind, and they were following her lead. Multiple Grimm, mostly the Sabyrs, were killed in their path, but each of the heroes were more concerned with the safety of the people.

    Unfortunately for them, the people didn't feel very safe when their backs hit the wall.

    "They're trapped," Fauna said as her Botflies stared at the people. Her connection to the insects allowed Fauna to see how trapped and helpless they were when the wall blocked their path. "They're stuck between the wall and the Grimm. Like a rock and a hard place."

    "Trapped like rats," said Merri, who grinned at the news. She decided to listen to her sister, since espionage was Fauna's speciality.

    Instead, Merri settled on eating the flesh of a poor soul who met her while trying to hide.

    "They've stopped fighting," said Fauna. "They're... They're looking for us. All three of us."

    Merri looked to her left, where she saw Durge standing perfectly still while waiting for orders. "They must have seen us break the wall," she said. "But they won't find us there now." Merri was concerned, however. "Is Cinder trying to fix it again?"

    "No. The people won't let her."

    Merri turned back to her sister with a grin. "Oh... is that so?"

    "They want to be taken to Atlas. Right now." Fauna smiled when she saw something else. "They're wondering what Ironwood's doing."

    "Of course they are." Merri walked towards her sister and in a circular motion around Fauna. "They've been doubting him even before we got here. Why should tonight be any different?" Feelings such as doubt and mistrust were exactly what Merri needed the people to feel. And from the sound of it, she was succeeding.

    "They're surrounding Cinder. They won't let her get to the broken wall."

    Merri couldn't help but laugh at the news. "How predictable. Even when they get help, their fear makes them turn on each other. Mother was right about them."

    "Yes. In the end, fear always takes them." Fauna smiled as well, and shared the same feelings as her sister. Humanity was a lost cause, one that Salem could handle with ease. "What now?"

    "Keep your eye on Cinder. When she's at her most vulnerable, we'll swoop in and-"

    *BEEP*​

    A mechanical noise, one different from the blaring alarms, caught both of the sister's attention. Fauna opened her eyes to see that a blue television screen had appeared on a wall. There, a moving image of Robyn Hill was looking onto all of Mantle as she made an important statement.

    "Atlas, Mantle," she began firmly. "I know you're scared. I'm here with General Ironwood, and we have a message for you."

    The screen began to zoom out to reveal General Ironwood, who was indeed with Robyn. Not only were they together, but Robyn was holding his left hand. It was glowing green due to Robyn's Semblance, which told everyone that Ironwood was telling the truth.

    "What he has to say may sound unbelievable..." Robyn continued. "But it is all true."

    The sisters looked at each other and shared a feeling of uncertainty. They didn't know what kind of plan the duo had in mind, but the sight of Robyn and Ironwood together raised a large red flag for the terrorists.

    And when Ironwood spoke, their fears became true.

    "An ancient and terrible evil lies outside of our Kingdom. It was responsible for the destruction of Beacon, the attack on Haven, and for the recent attacks on Mantle," said the General. "This powerful force goes by the name of Salem."

    Fauna's jaw dropped at the sound of her mother's name, the truth that came from Ironwood of all people. Merri was just as surprised as her sister, but she was able to find her voice.

    "Impossible..." she said. "He's... He's doing it?"

    "Salem seeks only to divide us," Ironwood continued. "To turn us against each other. If she can incite hatred in us, then we will lure in the Grimm and destroy ourselves."

    Fauna closed her eyes once again and looked through her Botfly spies. However, she didn't like what she saw. "It's... It's all over the city," she said. "Everyone's watching it."

    "No!" Merri growled. "This isn't happening!"

    "Salem herself does not work alone," said Robyn. "Herminions have invaded our very city."

    "Merriweather and Fauna Blair," Ironwood followed. "These two are the ones responsible for the recent murders in Mantle and for sabotaging the heating grid. But we cannot let ourselves give in to fear and panic. That is what shewants! Instead, we must unite, and fight back, together. Every single one of us!"

    "No!"

    Merri angrily stormed off and violently kicked the head of the person she killed. She then took her sickle out and began to dismember the body, furious that her carefully laid plans were coming apart. Flesh and blood sprayed across the area, but the violence did nothing to settle her down.

    "The whole Kingdom knows we're here," said Fauna. "We're exposed."

    "No!" Merri turned around once more. "No, I'm not letting them win! Not when we're so close!" Merri took a breath before she spoke to her sister again. "What else can you see?"

    Fauna closed her eyes again and looked through the eyes of her Botflies again. "They're still fighting," she said. "Harder now. Those guys in white are starting to use their Semblances."

    "What about Cinder? And the wall?"

    "The people are calming down. They're letting her go."

    Merri groaned as she lamented in the newfound resolve of Mantle. "The Grimm should have destroyed our enemies, not made them friends! There has to be some way to undo all of this!"

    Fauna opened her real eyes once more when she heard Ironwood speak again. "This, my friends, is why I was forced to divert resources from Mantle," he said. "For the Amity Communication Tower."

    "The what-now?" Fauna asked.

    The camera centered on Ironwood now, where the resolute man continued his speech to the people. "Amity Tower is now completed and ready to launch. It will re-establish all global communications. Because the safety of every citizen is imperative, the council and I have decided to evacuate everyone in Mantle to Atlas. I am withdrawing all defenses from Amity in order to assist with repelling the Grimm in Mantle."

    "We must put aside our differences and band together to defeat this threat," said Robyn. "I fully support General Ironwood's plan."

    Fauna's eyes widened when she heard the news. "So that's it!" she said. "The Colosseum is a new communications tower!" Fauna turned to her sister again. "If he calls for help, if he tells the world about Mother, we'll be done for!"

    Merri looked at her sister once again, but not out of anger or frustration. The look was a very slow one; one that displayed cunning and cold calculation.

    "He won't," she said. "We won't let him."

    "What?" Fauna asked.

    "You heard him; all of Amity's defenses are down." Merri walked closer into the streets, looking in the direction of Amity. "If we can bring down a wall, bringing down a communications tower won't be hard. And with Ironwood's precious project gone, it won't be long until everyone rediscovers their fear."

    Fauna could see how such a strike could lead to chaos. That everything Ironwood said could be amounted to false hope, that he had let the people of Atlas and Mantle down. All it required was one fell swoop.

    "Okay," Fauna agreed. "But we need to keep their attention on Mantle for as long as possible. I'm not sure how much more chaos we can create after a Grimm invasion."

    Merri would normally call someone out for doubt such as this, but her sister was right. "Such a task would be easier if we had Vizsla or Saxon, you're right," she said. "We'll just have to think of something quick."

    Suddenly, the voice of Robyn Hill caught the attention of the girls. "If you've made it to your local shelter, stay put," she ordered. "Help is on the way. And for those of you in Sector Seventeen, I'll be seeing you personally."

    "..."

    When they heard that Robyn, the shining hope of Mantle itself, would be coming personally, a shared opportunity came to the sisters' minds. And when they turned back to Durge, the opportunity soon became an idea.

    Defending the town from a lethal assassin, who would have eyes on someone as important as Robyn Hill, would cause all the chaos the sisters needed.

    With the hope of the people now fully restored, cooperation soon followed. Mantle's citizens were going along with what every Atlesian official was saying, following their instructions to the letter.

    Not only did this help them get to safety, but this also helped Tarkin direct his soldiers with more ease.

    Not long after Ironwood finished his speech, Willow's first airships had been directed to Atlas. Three had found their way towards the wall, towards a street intersection, and towards Pietro's pharmacy.

    Evacuations were finally underway, which gave Cinder and her friends a chance to do what they set out to do: fix the wall.

    After they reunited, Cinder and her present allies decided they needed to stick together at the wall. Not only did Cinder need to repair it, but Djarin reminded everyone that they needed to find Durge. The initial idea was that he would prevent his daughter from fixing the wall as she did before.

    However, a search both inside and outside the damaged area failed to show any sign of the mercenary. Obi-Wan and Revan were especially surprised, given that they couldn't sense Durge's presence nearby.

    Clover reported this to General Ironwood, but he told them not to worry too much. Robyn had approached him with a plan regarding Durge, and she hoped to carry it out in Mantle. Given the severity of the situation, Ironwood decided to trust Robyn and let her carry out the plan.

    So as far as SCAR Squadron was concerned, their main objective was evacuating citizens and helping Cinder fix the wall.

    The wall was hard to rebuild at first, given that a Goliath had managed to enter through the hole and threaten the safety of the people. SCAR Squadron was able to handle it like they handled the Goliath near Essen, but Cinder needed to stop another one that came charging in. Fortunately, Penny had arrived to help, just in time for a large group of citizens to see the Protector of Mantle at work.

    Because of the combined effort of her team and friends, Cinder was finally able to recreate her earlier work and prevent more Grimm from entering.

    While they were doing all this, nobody forgot that evacuations were taking priority over killing Grimm. Fortunately, evacuations weren't much of a problem anymore. More and more airships had come, courtesy of Willow Schnee, and progress was definitely being made.

    Such progress included the seventeenth sector of Mantle, where Robyn Hill was working.

    Her team of Happy Huntresses had a head start in the evacuation, and they too had made progress with the evacuation. Robyn was meant to rendezvous with her team in her current sector, and they were on their way.

    Despite having a simplistic weapon, a crossbow that doubled as a shield, Robyn was able to hold her own remarkably well. Her aim with the crossbow was true, and the shield refused to break when it struck Grimm after Grimm.

    Success such as this, working outside the usual Atlesian command, had always played a hand in Robyn's confidence. It was true that the confidence exceeded normal boundaries at times, especially in recent events. In fact, it was partially why Robyn decided to work alone for a moment.

    It had also led her to chasing a Grimm down an alley, which she killed with ease.

    *WHOOSH*

    *SHICK*    ​

    Another bolt from Robyn's crossbow found its way to a Sabyr's torso, where it became pinned to a wall before it turned to ash. Robyn proudly reclaimed the bolt and reloaded her weapon, thinking that the situation in the sector was too easy.

    However, things became less easy when Robyn noticed that the streetlight coming into the alley had disappeared. When darkness fell upon the immediate area, Robyn quickly deduced that lamp hadn't gone out, but something was blocking it. She turned around fast to see what it was, and the answer came in the form of a large shape grabbing her throat and throwing her against the wall.

    Durge had found Robyn.

    The assassin didn't waste any time in hunting down Robyn after the Blairs ordered him to do so. After that, he was going to attack the airships Willow had sent to Mantle, to prevent anyone from escaping. He knew this task would most likely mean fighting the Jedi again, but Durge was prepared this time.

    And so was Robyn.

    "I knew... I'd find you," Robyn said with a smirk, even though the grip around her neck tightened.

    "..."

    Durge's head tilted in a sign of confusion. He believed that he was the one to have found Robyn, not the other way around. But Robyn's smile told him differently, and so did the command she yelled as loud as she could.

    "Now!"

    Durge saw that Robyn was looking up when she made this command, and he turned to see what she was looking at. When he did, the warrior got an unpleasant surprise.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Multiple blasts rang down from above and made contact with Durge. The man's armor was able to protect him, but a blast to the face caused Durge to release Robyn and cover himself. Two shields of Hard-Light Dust appeared on his arms and blocked the other blasts, which led to the assailants to regroup and make a new plan.

    This allowed Durge to see that he was faced with four men in the same green Mandalorian armor. Two of them were helping Robyn stand up, and the other two had blasters in hand while aiming them at Durge.

    Robyn's friends were clones of Boba Fett, something that Boba made for her when she visited him at Atlas Academy. Each of the clones now shared Robyn's goal of protecting Mantle, as well as stopping Durge.

    The first shots had been fired. And now, the attack of the clones had begun.

    "You all remember the plan?" Robyn asked the clones.

    "Sure do," said one clone.

    "Wear him down and wrap him up," said the second clone.

    "We'd better hurry," said the third clone.

    "The Semblance won't last too long," said the final clone.

    "Alright, then," Robyn said as she readied her weapon. "Go!"

    Robyn and the clones charge at Durge, who charged at them in turn. Durge was able to move on the offensive again, courtesy of a weapon he had fixed earlier. This weapon was a flail that Obi-Wan had previously broken, one that Durge swung with a chain at each and every person in front of him. Impact was made against Beskar and the walls, given that Robyn was able to dodge past the spiked end.

    Robyn struck at Durge with her crossbow, while each of the clones used their own weapons to attack Durge. One clone used a staff Boba always carried with him, one used a flamethrower, one used his blaster, and another used the rocket on his jetpack when he told his allies to move.

    *BOOM*​

    Everyone stopped fighting as the dust began to settle. They didn't know if the fight was over or not, so they moved carefully towards the impact area while keeping their weapons ready.

    But the weapon didn't stop an elongated arm from shooting out of the dust and hitting a clone.

    *BAM*​

    Durge emerged from the dust to reveal that part of his armor had broken. Black skin and tentacles were underneath the armor, and they were all moving to attack each of Durge's opponents.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    Durge's arms hit the walls of the alley, which caused the clones to retreat into the air. One clone grabbed Robyn's hand and tried to take her with him, but another punch caused both of them to fall.

    Durge then moved past Robyn and hit the clone with a loud roar. Once the large impact had been left, the clone suddenly disappeared.

    "Not good," said one of the clones in the air. "The Semblance is running out."

    "And Durge is only getting stronger," said another clone. "This is going to be a problem."

    "We'll need backup," said the third clone. "Maybe we can call Fennec, if she's not already dealing with Grimm."

    The first clone looked down to see that Robyn had the idea about calling for backup. Her Scroll was to her ear, but she was also busy with Durge. His flail had somehow fused with his arm, so now both objects were swinging wildly. So the clones moved down and provided Robyn with whatever cover they could give.

    With this reprieve, Robyn was able to turn back to her conversation.

    "You hear all of that, Joanna?" she asked. "I found Durge and he's putting up a fight! Please tell me you're not busy!"

    "We're almost there, Robyn!" Joanna promised. "And this is the guy we met in the sewers, right?"

    "Yeah, the one and only!" Robyn blocked the flail with her crossbow, which was acting as a shield. "And one of our clones is down! You better hurry!"

    "Got it! But one more thing; Fiona says she has a plan to stop him this time."

    Robyn could see that her plan of restraining Durge needed something better, so she was willing to take any help she could get. "Anything sounds good now!" she said. "What's the plan?"

    "We just need to get Fiona as close to him as possible. That's what she wants to do."

    "As close as possible?" Robyn looked back to Durge, who had grabbed one of Boba's clones and was squeezing tightly. "Are you sure about that?"

    "That's what she told me! Hang on, we're right up the street! She'll explain more!"

    "Okay!" Robyn ended her call and fired a bolt at Durge. When it landed directly into the helmet's eyepiece, Durge roared in pain as he stepped back. This gave Robyn a chance to join her allies and speak. "New plan, guys! The Huntresses are on their way, and Fiona needs to get up close and personal to finish this! We just gotta keep him busy!"

    "Already on it!" a clone said as he charged towards Durge once more.

    The following minute was spent in a fight to the death that caused damage for both sides. The warriors had exited the alley now, and were fighting with everything they had out in the open. Robyn and the clones were able to strike Durge and cut at his hands, but Durge simply regrew what he lost.

    Unfortunately, Robyn couldn't regrow anything when she lost two more clones. One had been hit with Durge's flail while the other was crushed when Durge charged at them.

    Robyn and the last clone were starting to lose faith, given what they had lost. Robyn's Aura was close to breaking now, and the clone didn't have any more weapons that could be used to turn the tide. But they knew there was too much on the line to give up. Whether it was for Mantle, its people, or simply each other, Robyn and the clone fired everything they had at Durge as he moved forward.

    But then, almost like magic, Durge stopped moving.

    A yellow glow appeared on the man's chest, which was starting to cover his whole body. And then, it began to disappear out of thin air. First it was his arms, then his legs, then his torso, and his entire head completely disappeared in an instant.

    And in their place, the three Happy Huntresses appeared triumphantly.

    "Ha!" May yelled with a smile. "That's what you get, freak!"

    "Nice work, Fiona," said Joanna, who offered Fiona a high five.

    Fiona didn't hit Joanna's hand, but she smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Joanna," she said as she extended her hand. "I think I should keep the big guy under wraps for now."

    Robyn and Boba's clone exchanged a glance at each other before they lowered their weapons. Robyn lowered her's first, given that she had understood what happened. "There you are," she said as she walked towards them. "So this was your plan all along, huh?"

    "Pretty much," said May. "With Durge focusing on you two, I helped Fiona and Joanna slip in without being seen." May suddenly turned invisible, courtesy of her Semblance. When she reappeared, she was bowing at Robyn with a smirk. "Then, we absorbed that bastard with Fiona's Semblance. Real handy thing, you know?"

    "Definitely," said Robyn. "Nice work, Fiona. Though I've never seen you use your Semblance on a whole person before."

    "Yeah, well... first time for everything," Fiona replied with a giggle. Robyn laughed as well, but stopped smiling when she heard Joanna.

    "Whoa, you okay, Boba?"

    Robyn turned to see what the matter was, and became just as concerned as Joanna. The final clone was starting to fade away, almost like Durge just did.

    "Well... looks like my time's up," said the clone, who turned to Robyn. "Boba's gotta use the rest of his Aura for himself."

    "No worries," Robyn said. "I know he's not a quitter." After she and the clone shared a laugh, Robyn prepared to say goodbye. "Thanks for the assist."

    "My pleasure."

    "And if you could tell Boba-"

    "Don't worry. He already knows."

    Robyn laughed once again. "Yeah, I guess so. Well, goodbye... um... clone?" Robyn began to feel awkward about this goodbye. "Crap. I guess I should have given you a name or something."

    The clone simply shrugged as more of its body began to disappear. "It's fine," he said. Boba never named any of his clones when he used them, so the clone wasn't offended. "We'll work it out next time."

    "Yeah. Next time for sure."

    "..."

    The next few moments were spent in silence, with Robyn and the final clone waving at each other before he disappeared. It was sad to see him go, but Robyn took comfort that Boba was taking care of himself while helping her defend the city. She also took comfort in the fact that she worked with someone like Boba.

    Robyn never realized it before, but the clones Boba made seemed to have their own personalities rather than a perfect copy. And that felt good.

    "Good luck, Boba," Robyn said as the clone vanished. "And thanks again."

    "Ah!"

    Robyn turned around when she heard one of her friends yell. There, she could see Fiona kneeling on the ground with May and Joanna over her.

    "Whoa, take it easy, Fi!" May said as she helped her friend on her feet. Joanna helped as well, and all three women looked up when they saw Robyn approach them.

    "I'm okay!" Fiona said before Robyn could ask. "I just..." Fiona groaned as she grabbed her right arm in pain. She tried to work through it, but it was too much to ignore.

    And Robyn didn't need her Semblance to know that Fiona was lying.

    "Fiona never had to absorb a person before," said Joanna. "It's gotta be a strain for her."

    "Then we need to get that bastard out," said Robyn. "And fast." She immediately turned around and put two fingers to her ear. "Clover, this is Robyn. Can you hear me?"

    Robyn was speaking through a communication device Ironwood gifted to her, since she would need it for calling Willow's airships. But it was also tapped into the channel for Huntsmen, Huntresses, and soldiers like Clover. And as luck would have it, the leader of the team was able to respond.

    "Robyn?" he asked on the other end. "How'd you get this channel?"

    "General Ironwood," Robyn quickly replied. "No time to explain, just listen. My friends and I were able to capture Durge."

    "You were? Wow, good job! How'd you pull it off?"

    "With Fiona's Semblance." Robyn turned around to see her friend squirming in pain. "But Durge is putting up a fight. She needs to bring him out, preferably in a prison cell."

    Clover was aware of Fiona's Semblance, though he never heard of the young Faunus trying to use it on a person before. Its results seemed to be pain, which needed to be alleviated immediately.

    "Okay, I'll come with an airship to your coordinates," said Clover. "ETA is two minutes."

    Robyn lowered her hand and looked to Fiona. "Can you keep it up for two minutes?" she asked. "And a trip up to Atlas?"

    Fiona was struggling and sweating through the pain, but her determination refused to break. "For you?" she asked with a smile. "I'll do it all night."

    Robyn returned the smile and laughed with her friends. That was the kind of spirit they needed at a time like this. "We'll be waiting, Clover," she said. "Though coming a little faster will help."

    "Well, it's your lucky night," said Clover. "I'm on an airship right now. ETA should be thirty seconds now." The soldier's Semblance proved to be a very valuable asset at the moment.

    Robyn sighed in relief and smiled once more. "You're a lifesaver, Clover."

    "Think nothing of it, Robyn. Oh, while I have you, where are the Blairs?"

    Robyn looked from left to right, but failed to see any sign of the sisters. "I don't know," she said. "Only Durge came after me."

    "Huh. We didn't see them at the wall either. Well, I guess we'll have to keep an eye out for them. They can't be too far."

    True to their word, the Blairs had found themselves at Amity Colosseum. Stealing an airship turned out to be easier than they thought, and finding the isolated structure was just as easy.

    After the airship landed at a familiar hanger, the sisters walked out and began to familiarize themselves with Amity. They had been to the colosseum before during the Vytal Festival, while they were pretending to be Huntress-in-training.

    Merri was paying more attention to a large bag she had brought from the sewers. Fauna, on the other hand, was more concerned with how Amity had changed since the last time she had seen it.

    "My, my, look at this," Fauna said as she walked across the halls and spread her arms. "They really did a number on this place since last time, huh?"

    "They did," Merri replied as she looked at the loose wiring and exposed circuitry. "They really lost their taste for elegance since Beacon." Merri kicked a piece of sheet metal on the floor to emphasize her point.

    "Yeah, well, I guess they didn't lose their brains with that." Fauna had stepped into the arena, where she saw more equipment being prepared. "This place looks like it'll do what the General said."

    Merri studied the components and machinery very carefully. A lot of work had definitely been put into Amity, but there was something that seemed off to her.

    "Maybe..." she said to her sister. "Or maybe not."

    Fauna finally stopped taking in the sights of the arena and turned to her sister. "What do you mean?" she asked. "You saw that giant antenna on top. This thing's definitely a new communication tower."

    "That's what it's supposed to do," said Merri. "But it's not ready." Merri took out a Scroll she had in her pocket and looked at a set of blueprints. "Watts showed me how the communication towers are supposed to work. Each of them have a giant core for creating the signal needed to communicate." Merri began to take gentle steps on the arena. "If this is like the CCT, that core should be right... here."

    Fauna looked where Merri was standing, right in the center of the arena. And when she saw nothing like what her sister described, Fauna understood that something was wrong.

    "Did they build it somewhere beneath us?" she asked. "Under the arena, maybe?"

    "No, it has to be close to the antenna," Merri replied. "Otherwise, it won't work." Merri suddenly dropped her bag and gasped. "It... won't work."

    Fauna moved closer to her sister. "Merri, what are you saying?"

    "I'm saying... this tower isn't finished."

    "..."

    *SLAM*

    *SLAM*

    *SLAM*

    *SLAM*    ​

    Merri and Fauna turned in every direction when they heard multiple doors close around them. There was no way out for them, and there was only one person who was in control.

    "Merriweather and Fauna Blair."

    *CHOOM*​

    A familiar voice and lights shining on them made the sisters turn towards the top of the arena, where General Ironwood was waiting in the announcer's booth.

    "Welcome," Ironwood said when he got the attention of his enemies.

    Merri and Fauna walked closer towards the booth and stared directly at the General. They had figured out they walked directly into a trap, but they couldn't help but state the obvious through their anger.

    "You absolute bastard," Merri said through grit teeth. "You didn't finish the tower. You baited us."

    "It wasn't my idea," said Ironwood. "But yes. I did."

    Fauna was just as angry as her sister, but she hid her emotions through a grin and laughter as she scanned the area. "Well, bravo," she said. "If I had to guess... I'd say this was Cinder's idea. So where is our Fall Maiden?"

    Ironwood had actually gotten the idea to lure the Blairs by Admiral Thrawn. They both knew the Blairs would try to sabotage Amity if the truth was revealed. But setting up a trap was something nobody would expect. It was a foolproof strategy, one that Ironwood had to commend Thrawn for.

    The rest, however, was up to him.

    "Cinder's busy fixing the damage done in Mantle," Ironwood replied. "Needless to say, you've both caused me enough trouble for one night. So if I were you, I would do exactly as you're told."

    "Really?" Merri asked after she got a hold of herself. "And why would we do that?"

    "Because..." Ironwood lifted his arm and revealed that he was holding a Scroll. "I'm the only one who can get you out of here alive."

    *BEEP*​

    With the push of a button, the arena came to life. Namely, the ground began to move and lights began to spin in each section. Merri and Fauna remembered that this would happen when a new combat match would begin; a new arena would spawn at random and give the fighters a challenging environment.

    Only this time, nothing was random.

    Each of the spinning lights stopped on a red picture. And one by one, each section of the arena was replaced by a hot and fiery landscape. A fire-ridden field, a geyser-covered wasteland, magma by a small volcano, and a burning building were all the sisters could see around them.

    They were trapped.

    "Cinder told me that you don't like fire," said Ironwood. "And I think geysers produce enough heat to kill those Botflies that make up your bodies. So if either of you want to leave here, I suggest you surrender."

    "..."

    The Blairs knew their situation was dire. With the doors closed and each area covered with heat and fire, they couldn't walk out of Amity. They would try flying, but the rising heat coming from each environment would make the task difficult.

    But the sisters didn't despair. They could admit that Ironwood had tricked and trapped them, but that didn't necessarily mean they were defenseless. Merri remembered that she had a large bag with her, so she moved towards it while Fauna captured the General's attention.

    "Very impressive, General," the girl said. "In fact, this is so impressive, I think you should come down and see it for yourself."

    "I'm fine where I am, thank you," Ironwood sarcastically replied. "Now, your surrender wasn't a request."

    Fauna looked back to her sister, who gave a small nod as she reached into the bag. "Neither was my offer."

    Merri's bag was filled with various items, from technical equipment she used to hack Penny's combat footage to other necessities she needed for her visit to Atlas. One them was something she had actually gifted to Durge, something she got from a Mandalorian.

    And when she stood up, Merri revealed that object to be a locked and loaded rocket launcher. One that was aiming directly at the announcer booth.

    "Fire in the hole!" Merri yelled with a laugh.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Despite her stature, Merri had been able to lift and fire the large weapon. Ironwood would normally be safe from a projectile like this, but one of the things his scientists needed to remove from the colosseum was the shield that separated the arena from the rest of the area. It was a small thing, but Ironwood had been told its removal would be necessary to make Amity work.

    Unfortunately, it had led Ironwood to being the target of a dangerous weapon. Naturally, he turned around to run to safety. But he was too late.

    *BOOM*​

    Merri had aimed the weapon in just the right spot. Rather than directly at the booth, the rocket had hit the bottom part to make the small section fall. And the resulting explosion had launched Ironwood from the booth right onto the arena.

    His Aura protected him from lethal wounds, but Ironwood had found himself right where the Blairs wanted him. The General had found himself on the burning plains, so he quickly stood up and shook the fire and ash off his chest. And his attention was captured by a small yell.

    "Get the Scroll!"

    Ironwood realized that he had dropped his Scroll when he fell, and he could see that it was resting where the metal met the grass. Fauna lunged for it while Merri began to reload the weapon, but Ironwood was fast enough to retrieve it.

    Once he had it, Ironwood drew his revolver and fired at the sisters.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Neither Merri or Fauna moved out of the way. However, the bullets did nothing to hurt either of them. This was a trick Merri and Fauna learned long ago, how to shape their bodies to let weapons and bullets move through them without harm. Pre Vizsla's Semblance allowed for the same thing, but the sisters could do it naturally.

    This didn't bode well with Ironwood, since his only means of defense was rendered useless.

    "Your bullets can't hurt us, old man," said Merri, who pointed her rocket launcher at Ironwood once more. "But this can certainly hurt you."

    *WHOOSH*​

    Ironwood moved quickly once again, and he was able to avoid the rocket this time.

    *BOOM*​

    The rocket hit the wall behind Ironwood, which left Merri needing to reload once again. Ironwood had moved to the environment next to him, which was the burning building. Unlike the burning plains, no fire was at his feet or around his body. But the fire behind him prevented the Blairs from trying to lunge at him again, which gave Ironwood an advantage.

    Unfortunately, Ironwood was unable to strike back. His guns were unable to hit his enemies, and relying on hand-to-hand combat would likely end with the same result.

    The battle had quickly become a stalemate, but not one that Ironwood couldn't change.

    Without a second thought, Ironwood pressed his earpiece and spoke as clearly and quickly as he could. "This is General Ironwood requesting immediate assistance at Amity Colosseum," he said. "If anyone can hear me, I need immediate reinforcements at Amity-"

    Ironwood stopped talking when he saw that Merri had loaded yet another rocket into her weapon. She too was aware of the stalemate, given that she and her sister couldn't risk moving onto a burning platform. And she knew that Ironwood was able to dodge remarkably well. However, she had seen the golden opportunity before her; something that would turn the tide of the battle in her favor.

    Merri saw something else she could shoot.

    *WHOOSH*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Rather than the General, Merri aimed her weapon above Ironwood's head and fired. She and Ironwood followed the rocket to see that it had made a direct hit against the burning building. And now, part of it was starting to break apart and fall.

    Ironwood ran once more, but the falling bricks left him trapped under a pile of rubble. His legs hadn't been broken, but they were trapped under enough rock to make moving difficult. And between the Blairs turning into Botflies and charging at him, Ironwood wasn't going to have a chance to free himself.

    The General's mechanical limbs and remaining Aura prevented him from being eaten by the swarm of Botflies, but neither would last very long. His left arm was still free and he swung at the Botflies, but they didn't stop their assault. In fact, Fauna even began to take physical form so she could laugh at the man.

    It was at this moment that Ironwood knew desperate times called for desperate measures.

    Not only was he close to the main arena, but Ironwood was also close to the biome filled with magma. The substance was hot enough to burn anything, including a Grimm. If Ironwood could reach out and throw it at the girls, it could potentially make them withdraw.

    However, the act would come at a sacrifice. The hand that was closest to the magma was his left one, the natural one that was untouched by metal. His Aura had just shattered, which left Ironwood without any protection from the Botflies or the magma.

    Ironwood could kill himself in his efforts to save himself.

    Ironwood was reluctant to cause himself a burning pain, but he remembered the bigger picture. If he failed now, there would be nothing left for the Blairs to sabotage Amity. There would be nothing to use to help the world prepare for Salem. If Amity was lost, then Salem's victory was all but assured.

    And so, Ironwood made a decision. He decided that he would sacrifice whatever was necessary to stopping Salem. And if that meant losing a hand or an arm, then the sacrifice was worth it.

    *SSSS*​

    "AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

    Ironwood screamed in agony has his fingers touched the surface of the magma. But despite the pain, despite the feeling of flesh being burned, Ironwood moved his hand deeper and deeper into the material.

    Until he had just enough to throw at the Botflies.

    *SSSS*​

    "AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

    This time, it was the Blairs that screamed from the pain. The magma had managed to do what Ironwood had intended; it managed to burn enough Botflies to cause the Blairs pain. And now, they couldn't help but take physical form once again to assess the damage.

    Merri was missing part of her face while Fauna was missing some of her torso, but both girls had survived. And now, they weren't going to let Ironwood do the same trick twice.

    "You stupid man-thing!" Fauna yelled as she grabbed her sickle. Before Ironwood could attempt to throw more magma, Fauna stuck the weapon in Ironwood's burnt arm, preventing it from moving again.

    Merri was groaning and seething from the pain, but her survival and Ironwood's current predicament made her confident in victory. "Is that... the best you can do... General?" Merri said as she moved towards him. She began to spin her sickle in her hand as she took more steps. "And to think... you were going... to reunite the world."

    "..."

    Merri raised her sickle high as she prepared to swing down. "You're just a bad joke... General. One that... stopped being funny years ago."

    Ironwood couldn't help but lament on his failure. His attempt to kill the sisters was useful, but not useful enough to stop them. And now, his efforts to protect Atlas and Remnant were becoming undone with every second.

    He tried so hard... but it seemed to only result in a sickle about to be embedded in his head.

    *CRASH*​

    The sisters looked up when they heard the sound of broken glass. Some of it had fallen onto the arena, so the combatants shielded themselves as best as they could.

    Merri and Fauna had managed to shield their faces, which left their bodies vulnerable to another attack.

    *WHOOSH*​

    The feeling of heat and something burning scared the sisters enough to make them look and see what was happening. Once they did, Merri and Fauna could see that they were right to be scared.

    Hovering on the arena was Cinder, who had just used her Maiden powers to create a ring of fire around the Blairs. Ironwood had the right idea with the biomes, but Cinder was able to take it even further when she was done in Mantle. The wall had been sealed and the evacuations were being continued without interruption, which gave Cinder time to respond to Ironwood's call for help.

    With a little lightspeed and fire, Cinder had managed to save Ironwood and Amity.

    "Hey, girls," Cinder said with a grin. "Miss me?"

    "..."

    This was the second time Merri and Fauna had found themselves in a trap. Only this time, it was a trap that held no hope of escape. Neither of them could reach out to grab something or turn into a mass of flies so close to fire like this.

    Instead, Merri could only say one thing to her new captor.

    "I hate you."

    Reports of the Blairs being captured and Durge being trapped reached everyone in perfect timing. The Grimm had finally been controlled enough in order to begin evacuations up to Atlas, where Willow had planned to house as many refugees as she could. Other refugees were to be sent across the city of Atlas, safe from any harm.

    Or so they thought.

    Not long after they captured the Blairs, Ironwood and Cinder brought them and their bag of tricks to Atlas Academy. The academy had proven strong enough to hold Bo-Katan and Hazel Rainart, so the duo were sure that the holding cells would be a perfect place to put them.

    They were proven right, but they soon learned that strength did not always produce safety. A shocking discovery at the academy's top floor had caught both Cinder and Ironwood by complete surprise.

    Ironwood immediately called for his allies to rejoin him, which was surprising. Qrow had decided to help Clover with Robyn and her friends, but everyone else made their way back. Ozpin and his Jedi friends tried to make sense of why Ironwood would call when evacuations were underway, but SCAR Squadron simply stated they had orders to follow.

    Djarin wasn't a soldier, but he shared SCAR Squadron's opinion. Ironwood had called everyone, but Cinder called her father personally. She didn't explain what was wrong, but Cinder told her father that she was scared. And that was enough for Djarin to drop what he was doing and teleport to Atlas.

    Once he arrived, the Mandalorian saw that Cinder had every right to be scared.

    Djarin had arrived at the top floor of the academy, where General Ironwood's office was located. There, he was greeted by the sight of dead bodies littered across the entire area. Soldiers, both armored and uniformed, had been ruthlessly killed without hesitation or remorse. And instead of an alarm, all Djarin could hear was the flickering of lights and electric sparks scattering across the walls and floor.

    The academy had been attacked.

    Djarin found Cinder quickly, given that he ran across the area to see if she was alright. Fortunately, Cinder and Ironwood had arrived after the multiple assassinations had been carried out. However, this didn't answer the question of how someone could kill this many people without raising an alarm or being caught.

    Though he didn't say it, Ironwood thought his allies would help him find an answer. But when they saw the carnage, Ozpin and his present company were just as surprised as Ironwood was.

    "By the Force," Revan said as he looked upon the carnage.

    "What the hell?" Zuke asked as he tried making his way across the floor. "Who did this?"

    "How did they do this?" Mic asked as he looked at the monitor on his arm. "The alarms haven't been raised."

    "We thought you could tell us," said Djarin, who walked up to everyone with Cinder in tow. "Cinder and Ironwood found all this when they got back."

    The mention of Ironwood's name sparked Cav's attention, who was already angry with the bloodshed in the academy. "The General!" he said as he turned to his fellow soldiers. "We have to find the General! Move!"

    Before Cinder could say that Ironwood was already in his office, every soldier ran towards the office in a heartbeat.

    "General Ironwood!" Shrap yelled as he ran into the office.

    "..."

    Everyone else stepped inside, where they could see more bodies on the floor and Ironwood's desk. Ironwood was sitting at his desk, staring out into the night sky with his bandaged arm in a sling. But its tranquility didn't provide the General any comfort as he turned around to see his companions. Like him, they were all scared and confused as to how this happened.

    But Ironwood was starting to get an idea.

    "We have made a critical error," Ironwood began. "Never, in all my life, have I seen a break-in like this."

    "..."

    Ozpin and Obi-Wan could somewhat relate to the nature of this disaster. Beacon and Haven had also been attacked, but not in a situation such as this. Where someone had arrived, killed multiple soldiers, and escaped without raising any alarms.

    "We stopped Durge," Ironwood continued. "We stopped the Blairs, but someone was here. They killed all these men near my office, to tell me that-" Ironwood's idea finally came to fruition when he believed that the attack was a message for him. "What if Mantle was just a distraction?! What if it was just to draw us away from the academy to, to-?"

    "James," Ozpin said to get Ironwood's attention. He too was afraid, but Ozpin couldn't deny that things were better than before. "It's going to be okay. We have Salem's assailants, and Mantle's on our side. With them, we can-"

    "How do we know that wasn't part of their plan?" Ironwood asked Ozpin. "How do we know they didn't want us to bring people into Atlas by the thousands?"

    SCAR Squadron could see where Ironwood was coming from, and Aero found his next statement to be the most logical one. "In trying to save everyone, we left ourselves most vulnerable," he declared.

    Ironwood knew this better than anyone, which left the man frustrated knowing that he had played into his enemy's hands. "Salem has been one step ahead of us... this entire time!"

    *BAM*​

    Ironwood struck his desk with his metal hand in a fit of rage, which was completely warranted at the time. Salem was indeed ahead of Atlas, and things were falling apart. However, the strike not only left a dent in Ironwood's desk, but it also revealed a clue about the attack.

    One of the bodies was on Ironwood's desk, and it had slid off the surface when Ironwood struck it. The body naturally fell to the floor, which revealed a deep and rather fresh cut on its torso.

    One that Revan knew too well.

    "That... That wound," he said as he studied the body. "It's a lightsaber wound."

    Obi-Wan was never one to jump to conclusions, tonight was an exception. There was a disturbance in the Force, one that he sensed upon arriving at the academy. Its familiarity gave way to one possible answer that Obi-Wan had to share.

    "Anakin."

    SCAR Squadron didn't have too much knowledge regarding Anakin, but Obi-Wan's friends knew exactly what was going on.

    "He's here?" Djarin asked. "He's been here this whole time?"

    "No, he must have just arrived," said Obi-Wan. "Anakin was never one for patience."

    "Obi-Wan... he's not the same person you know," Ozpin sadly reminded his friend.

    "..."

    Ironwood didn't take this news very well. "If he's here... then for all we know, more of Salem's followers are here too," he said.

    "Sir, this isn't over yet," said Cinder, who hoped that the victories in Mantle and Amity would be enough to convince Ironwood. "We're with you."

    "..."

    The goal of the Blairs' actions in Mantle was to create fear. To snuff out any sign of hope or unity and place fear in its stead. They did it by killing people on the streets, killing people at Robyn's rally, destroying the heating grid, and unleashing Grimm throughout the entire city. For they knew fear would lead to not only a loss of hope, but division amongst the strongest of bonds.

    And despite their ultimate failure, the actions of the Blairs and their unknown partner had led to the most important man in Atlas feeling fear. Because of this, he was unraveling like the Blairs wanted. And now, in his fear and loss of hope, General Ironwood began to divide himself from his friends.

    "Are you with me?" Ironwood asked, making direct eye-contact with Cinder.

    "..."

    The question and Ironwood's glare were enough to make Cinder back away. Her friends were behind her, but the confusion they shared didn't give Cinder the backup she needed. SCAR Squadron was also confused, given that they hadn't seen any indication of betrayal from their allies.

    "Sir?" Mic asked for insight.

    General Ironwood moved forward without breaking his glare, but he turned towards Ozpin this time. "I did everything you said," he began. "I told the Council the truth. I told Robyn the truth." Ironwood shifted his head towards the ground, where multiple bodies were resting. "Now look at this."

    "..."

    Ozpin couldn't help but gasp when he heard this. He regretted the deaths just as much as Ironwood, but what his friend was implying didn't sit well with Ozpin.

    "What?" he asked. "What are you saying?"

    "I'm saying you forgot what I told you," Ironwood continued. "The very first night you came here. I told you that this ismy school. My Kingdom. And yet you've done nothing but ignore everything I've said. Ignore every decision I've made to help us win."

    Every word that came out of Ironwood's mouth sounded more and more accusatory. And it wasn't sitting well with Ozpin or any of his friends.

    "The hell does that mean?" Djarin asked as he moved to Ozpin's side.

    *CREAK*​

    The bag Merri had brought to Amity, the one Ironwood had confiscated, suddenly began to move. However, everyone was too angry and focused on the General to notice it.

    "It's time for us to think about the future," said Ironwood. "That you should have let me handle the decisions we've had to make."

    "No, screw that," Djarin said as he stepped forward. "Are you trying to say that this is our fault?"

    "Things were under control until you questioned everything I've done." Ironwood turned to the rest of Djarin's allies. "All of you have done nothing but criticize my work!"

    *CREAK*​

    The bag continued to move, but nobody noticed once again.

    Cinder joined her father by his side and continued his argument. "We were trying to help!" she said. "We were trying to keep Mantle safe and prevent another war from starting!"

    "We had it under control!" Ironwood argued. "Until Salem's agents followed you here!" Fear had started to give way to paranoia for Ironwood, and he couldn't help but point it towards the objects of his rage.

    "The same agents that took advantage of the situation you created!" Revan shouted, feeling the same anger as his friends. "Things would have been worse if we hadn't come here!"

    "Things would have been perfect if all you did was listen!" Ironwood countered, right before something finally snapped.

    *SNAP*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    The bag Merri was carrying suddenly opened by itself, due to something flying out and floating in the air. Everyone soon forgot about their argument as they looked to see that Merri's bag was not only carrying a rocket launcher, but a Grimm as well.

    The Grimm everyone was staring at and pointing their weapons at was a rare one, but familiar to Cinder. It was like a black jellyfish, a Grimm that Cinder had seen the day she was kidnapped by the Saxon Clan. She never knew what it was called, but she had learned a lot about it that day.

    Namely, that it worked as a communication device. And the person on the other end definitely had a message.

    "General Ironwood," a cold and calculated voice said from the Grimm.

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*    ​

    The glass head of the Grimm began to crack, which appeared to cause the Grimm pain. Its tentacles began to clench as it made sounds a Grimm would make. But when the cracking stopped, the tentacles and red smoke within the head disappeared as the Grimm fell dead to the floor.

    And in its place, black smoke arose and displayed the image of Salem herself.

    "The brave Huntsmen and Huntresses bested my daughters," Salem said in a mocking tone. "Congratulations."

    "..."

    Despite knowing who she was, tonight was the first time General Ironwood and his allies had seen Salem up close and personal. It shook them to their cores, especially Ironwood. His revolver was drawn, but the fear on his face made it clear that Ironwood was afraid.

    His allies were afraid too, but Cinder and her friends had plenty of experience with Salem personally. Cinder, Djarin, and Obi-Wan met her only once, but Ozpin and Revan had seen her countless times. They all knew to expect deception and arrogance, so they stood in strong opposition of the witch and her plans.

    "Durge was stopped as well," said Obi-Wan, who felt he had something to say. "And we'll stop Anakin, and whoever else you plan to send here."

    Salem was well aware that Anakin was still free, and she prided the fact that he hadn't been stopped yet. She also took pride in what she said next.

    "Poor Jedi," Salem mocked once again. "Their goal was never victory. It was merely to set the stage."

    "...For what?" asked Ironwood.

    Salem's apparition slowly turned towards the General with a sinister smile. "For me," she declared.

    "..."

    With her plan now revealed, everyone knew that being afraid of Salem was inevitable. If she was truly coming to Atlas, then they had a serious problem. And with every word she spoke as she moved closer to Ironwood, fear began to grow with every second.

    "Time isn't on your side, James," she said. "It's always been on mine."

    "..."

    "The people of Atlas have suffered enough. Surrender the staff and the lamp to me, and they needn't suffer any further."

    Ironwood began to lower his gun as he wiped away the fear on his face. He knew that this wasn't a time to show weakness, to play into Salem's hand once again. He needed to look at her dead in the eyes, reveal no further emotion, and give his answer.

    "That's... not going to happen," he said as he stared at the apparition.

    "..."

    This obviously wasn't the answer Salem wanted, but that didn't stop her from leaning down and trying again.

    "Simply accept the futility of your situation," she calmly demanded while smiling in an almost merciful manner. "And this can all be over."

    "..."

    Ironwood wasn't going to falter from his position, and he certainly wasn't going to change his mind. However, it seemed clear that he couldn't get under Salem's skin like he had hoped.

    But somebody else could.

    "We know what you're trying to do," said Cinder, who tried to get Salem's attention. "The lamp showed us."

    "..."

    The statement was enough for Salem to drop her façade and raise herself upright. As she turned around, the witch continued to let the Mandalorian speak, to see what else the lamp had shown her.

    "It showed us everything," Cinder continued, even while Salem was floating towards her. "We've seen you can't be killed. We've seen what you want when the Relics come together. But it won't work."

    "..."

    Salem had expected defiance and words of determination from her enemies. She had grown both accustomed and tired of it, since she heard the same excuses before. However, this was the first time Salem had heard that her plan wouldn't work. It was fair to say that her curiosity had been piqued, so she listened in silence.

    "The Gods might kill us," Cinder continued. "But not you. You never learned your lesson, and genocide won't change that. It won't break your curse. And who knows? They might even work with us, when we see we're all united against you."

    "..."

    "Your plan's destined to fail, Salem. It's as simple as that."

    "..."

    Djarin and his friends were proud of Cinder for taking a stance such as this. It made them look to Salem with the same determination, the same resolve to stop her before it was too late.

    And yet, while her curiosity was satisfied, Salem hadn't changed her mind.

    "Dear girl," Salem said with a smile and a tilt of her head. "How will I know for certain... if I don't try?"

    "..."

    With her course set in stone, Salem decided that she could do more to get under Cinder's skin. "It was Watts and his experiments that taught me that. You remember... don't you, Cinder?"

    "..."

    At that moment, Cinder's feelings couldn't help but betray her. She indeed had memories of Watts, and none of them were pleasant. The ones that were the worst were when Cinder had become a lab rat, a source of blood to be studied over and over again.

    It seemed the world had become Salem's lab rat. And that shook Cinder to her core.

    "There's something I remember," said Djarin, who moved to Cinder's side and grasped her shoulder. "I stopped your 'experiments' before. And I'll do it again." Djarin turned to Cinder and nodded. "For you." After Cinder smiled and nodded in gratitude, Djarin turned back to Salem once more. "For all of us."

    "..."

    Salem had heard such promises before, and they had all amounted to nothing. These promises were no different in her mind, so they didn't stop her from saying one more thing.

    "We shall see, Mandalorian," Salem concluded. "We shall see."

    "..."

    And with that, Salem's apparition had disappeared.

    Djarin took a moment to see if Cinder was okay. Her experiences with Watts and Salem had stayed with her for years, and the clan of two hated it when that time was brought up. But Cinder didn't seem too downtrodden, now that she had her father.

    And Djarin soon realized that it wasn't just Cinder who had been affected by Salem's appearance.

    "That's Salem?" Aero asked. "That's who we're up against?"

    "And she's apparently on her way," said Misty, who shared his teammate's concern.

    "But we'd be alerted if any forces had approached the Kingdom!" Zuke protested. "We have long-range proximity alarms all along the coast, and-!"

    "They're offline," said Mic, who had checked the alarms on his gauntlet. "With all of the chaos, we never noticed."

    "Someone shut them down!" said Shrap. "Merri must have done it before she went to Amity!"

    "Or they've already been destroyed," said Ironwood, who walked towards his window and stared into the night sky.

    "...What?" Cav asked. "All of them?"

    "..."

    Cav was right to ask such a question. The alarms across the coast were large in number, and had been made to assess the size and strength of any invading force. Navigating past them, let alone destroying them, would be no easy task.

    So if they were all gone... how big of a force was heading their way?

    "It's okay."

    Everyone turned to Cinder, who had found a light in the darkness. "No, it's okay," she insisted. "Merri and Fauna didn't sabotage Amity. We can use it!" Cinder turned towards Ironwood. "We can make a call before Salem even gets here!"

    "..."

    Cinder had been smiling as she explained her idea to the General, but his lack of movement was causing that smile to disappear. Something was clearly wrong, but Cinder didn't know what it was.

    "General... I was there," Cinder insisted. "The tower is still up, we still finished it. We can use it!"

    "..."

    Another streak of silence finally made Cinder see what was wrong. "We... We did finish it... right?"

    "..."

    Ironwood didn't say a word, but the silence was a telltale sign that Cinder was wrong. The Fall Maiden was devastated by the news, and she wasn't the only one.

    "James," said Ozpin. "Did you just say that? To the whole Kingdom? Just to lure out the Blairs?"

    "..."

    Under normal circumstances, Ozpin would expect to be called a hypocrite for making a statement like that. After all, he had lied plenty of times prior to the battle at Haven. However, his new perspective had led Ozpin to realize his mistakes and decide not to repeat them. He had hoped his new-found honesty would be shared amongst his allies, given that lying had caused enough problems.

    However, Ironwood had decided to do more than just lie to the Kingdom Atlas.

    "I've also sent Winter to claim the power of the Winter Maiden," the General reported.

    Cinder gasped when she heard this. "What?" she asked. "But... that would mean..."

    Cinder's experience with losing part of her power helped her see what that meant. Djarin and Ozpin also knew that nobody could survive when the power was transferred from one person to another. Cinder's case of having part of her powers was special, but not this time.

    If Fria was going to give her powers to Winter... she was going to die.

    "When I realized we'd been compromised, I knew we couldn't wait any longer," Ironwood said to justify his decision. "The staff and the lamp have to be locked away."

    "The lamp?" Obi-Wan asked. "But we've kept it safe for this long."

    "Even before the Blairs revealed themselves," said Revan. It was the goal of both Jedi to prevent the untimely death of Fria, who they believed still had time before she needed to transfer her powers.

    But Ironwood disagreed.

    "The timeline has changed," the General responded as he turned around. "And so, we must change accordingly."

    "What are our orders, sir?" Cav asked.

    "We are going to take our plan for Amity Tower and apply it to the city of Atlas."

    "What?!" Djarin asked, who shared the same shock as his friends and daughter.

    Ironwood nodded and gestured towards Ozpin. "It was Oz's plan, in a former life," he said as he turned to his friend. "But you never took it far enough."

    Ozpin remembered the day he had Atlas lifted into the clouds, but he thought Atlas was high enough off the ground. If it were to go any higher, the people would have their heads in the clouds without keeping their feet on the ground.

    "James, what are you saying?" Ozpin asked.

    "If we harness the power of the staff, and raise ourselves high into the atmosphere, the city's artificial climate will keep citizens and food supplies unharmed," Ironwood replied. "Always out of reach of whatever Salem may try to send our way."

    SCAR Squadron listened carefully to this plan, and found themselves ready to carry it out. However, their friends couldn't say the same thing.

    "James... Mantle is still being evacuated," said Obi-Wan. "If you move the city... they'll die."

    "Yes," Ironwood said without batting an eye. "They will."

    "..."

    Revan found himself to be angry with this statement. Such little disregard for life sounded exactly like Salem's teachings. But Ironwood's fear of Salem taking the Relics was too strong of a driving force to be broken.

    "We can't allow Salem to capture the Relics," Ironwood continued. "This is our best chance at getting the staff, the lamp, and two Maidens as far away from her as possible."

    Cinder shuddered at Ironwood's mention of her. She had no intention of leaving Mantle, or leaving Remnant for that matter. She wanted to stay, to hold her ground like she did in Mantle.

    "But... But we have an opportunity to reunite the world!" Cinder protested. "We still have time to finish the tower! Maybe even call for help! The Mandalorians that want to follow me can-"

    "Sometimes, doing the right thing means making tough decisions," Ironwood said to Cinder. Despite his neutral appearance, Ironwood knew abandoning Mantle was a hard choice to make. He had spent time thinking about, but he found himself willing to carry out this plan.

    But nobody else was.

    "You're right," said Djarin. "And I think the right thing to do is finally take this fight to Salem. To stop holding her back or running."

    "I agree," said Revan. "She won't stop until she is stopped."

    "Agreed," said Obi-Wan.

    "It's time to stop hiding and running," said Ozpin. "And start fighting."

    "That's right," said Cinder. "And that's what we have to do. All of us."

    "..."

    The silence in the room was deafening, a force that sent shivers up Cinder's spine. Once again, the lack of speech from Ironwood was a telltale sign of his unwillingness to go against his plan. Cinder hoped that SCAR Squadron would agree with her, but they had their own opinions on the matter.

    "We ran ourselves ragged trying to save Mantle tonight," said Shrap. "We try that again against an even larger force-"

    "We know the fight won't be easy," said Obi-Wan. "But it's not something we can turn away from."

    "You can't focus on one single fight while trying to win a war," said Misty.

    "And we can't ignore the people who need us in Atlas too," said Aero, who turned to Djarin. "I told you about my daughter. She's not ready to go against something like this."

    Ozpin turned back to Ironwood. "James, think of the Council," he said. "They're on our side in this. If we suggest moving the city, they'll be against you again."

    "I know," said Ironwood. "That's why I'm declaring martial law."

    Ozpin fell silent when he heard this, but not everyone else.

    "What about Robyn?" Revan asked. "She's helped us before! Are we supposed to abandon her as well?"

    "Okay, that's it," said Zuke, who was also running out of patience. "Are you loyal to us or not?"

    "I'm loyal to my people!" said Cinder. "The Mandalorians who trusted me to lead them! I can't just abandon them like this! I can't abandon anyone like this! In Mantle or anywhere else on Remnant!"

    "Cinder's right," said Djarin, who felt a renewed sense of patriotism and loyalty to his kin from Cinder's words. "We have to stay. We have to help Remnant."

    "We are helping who we can," said Ironwood, was staring directly at Cinder. "And you're standing in our way."

    "..."

    Merri and Fauna didn't know it, but they had just secured their greatest victory. Fear had driven Ironwood to give in to his worst thoughts and feelings. All of his exhaustion and closed-mindedness had led him to shut out the only friends he had left on Remnant, to make him decide to only listen to himself. Whatever happened next, it was going to be on Ironwood's terms.

    Or so he thought.

    Cinder knew that she would be going against Ironwood, someone with nearly unlimited power in Atlas. And yet, she took a single step forward and made her point clear.

    "I'm not leaving."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, after an unstoppable force met an immovable object, Ironwood made his decision. "Arrest them," he said to his soldiers.

    "What?!" Djarin and Cinder said as they turned around. Sure enough, SCAR Squadron was moving closer to them while holding handcuffs and the same bolas they used the night the clan of two came to Atlas. They were also moving upon Ozpin, Obi-Wan, and Revan as they began to follow their orders.

    After all, that was what a soldier did.

    "Come on, kid," said Cav. "Come quietly, and we'll talk this out."

    "Don't do anything you'll regret later," Misty requested.

    Djarin immediately moved in front of Cinder to protect her. He couldn't do anything for the rest of his friends since they were boxed in, but he could at least teleport his daughter to safety.

    "Cinder, grab my hand," the Mandalorian said as he extended his hand to daughter. But she didn't take it.

    "It's okay, Dad," Cinder began.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Everyone in the room could see Cinder's eyes begin to burn, and tell them that SCAR Squadron was completely outmatched.

    "I got this."

    Ironwood gasped as he took a step forward in an attempt to stop Cinder. "No!" he said, but he was too late.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Rather than a burst of flame, a freezing wind moved across the room and directly at SCAR Squadron. They were not only pushed against the wall by the wind, but they were also held in place by strong and unbreakable ice. As soon as the wind disappeared, everyone could see the soldiers try to move and break the ice. But their actions were all in vain; each of the soldiers was now a prisoner.

    Except one.

    General Ironwood had been spared from the attack, even though he ordered the arrests. However, Cinder hoped that sparing Ironwood would make him come back to his senses, to start communicating again. Unfortunately, by the look on his face, it was going to take a lot more to help Ironwood.

    "Step aside, Cinder," Ironwood ordered.

    "No," Cinder responded.

    "I said move."

    "No! We can't give everything up like this!"

    Ironwood leaned closer to Cinder, unaffected by her stubbornness. "I will sacrifice... whatever it takes... to stopping her," he insisted.

    Cinder's eyes fell towards the gun in Ironwood's hand, which had a finger dangerously close to the trigger. "Does that include us?" Cinder asked. "Does that include me?"

    "..."

    Cinder knew, now more than ever, what kind of conundrum she had found herself in. Both she and Ironwood believed that what they were doing was right, and from a certain point of view, this was true.

    Ironwood was right that raising Atlas would prevent Salem acquiring the staff, and Cinder was right that abandoning Remnant would lead the planet to ruin.

    Despite the rationale behind both plans, there were certainly drawbacks. Cinder understood that while she couldn't reach the Relic, that wouldn't stop Salem from trying to do so. She could send a thousand Grimm to do so, or even seize one of the other Relics to make her mission easier.

    Cinder also understood that by arguing with Ironwood, that she was wasting precious time. She was giving Salem the advantage by being stubborn and unmoving, even though her friends stood by her. However, that didn't mean she didn't have an idea on how to end the conflict, to truly take the fight to Salem.

    And that didn't mean she wasn't alone.

    "No. It doesn't."

    Cinder turned around to see that her father had joined her once again, and he was standing between her and Ironwood. "Sacrificing Cinder isn't your choice to make," he said. "Whether Salem's coming or not."

    Ozpin stepped forward next, and stood at Cinder's left. "Nobody's sacrificing anything," he said. "There's been enough sacrificing already."

    Obi-Wan moved forward next. "We can stand together," he said. "Rather than die alone."

    Revan stepped forward next, but took a more practical approach than his allies. "Try and stop us if you will, General," he said. "But your current condition won't make a fight end in your favor."

    "..."

    Ironwood looked at his arm and the five people in front of him. He was angry that he was being denied his own way of handling things once again, that he was being denied Atlas' key to salvation. However, this anger didn't overcome his sense of logic.

    Ironwood knew he couldn't win a fight against all of them. He couldn't even win a fight against the Fall Maiden. Not yet, at least. So instead of fighting, and instead of giving in, Ironwood delivered an ultimatum.

    "You won't help me?" he asked. "Fine."

    "..."

    Rather than fight, Ironwood holstered his weapon and moved away from the group. "If you want to stay on Remnant, so be it. Use one of my airships if you have to, but I want you out of the city when I'm done with my surgery." Ironwood had made an appointment to replace his burnt arm with a prosthetic one, and now he was leaving the room to do so.

    It was a big risk he was taking, leaving the allies he believed to be insubordinate alone. But he had one more point to make.

    "If I find out you're still here... I can't be held responsible for what comes next."

    "..."

    Ironwood had drawn the line as he left the room. Whether Cinder and her friends were staying or not, it was clear that Ironwood's intention was to follow his own path from here on out.

    Ozpin almost went after Ironwood to try and make him change his mind, but he decided against the endeavor. After all, he and his friends had bigger things to worry about.

    "We don't have much time," he said to everyone. "Salem is on her way."

    "What do we do?" Obi-Wan asked. "Try to stop James?"

    "That would be unwise," said Revan. "He still has his army against five of us. And, well..." Revan pointed to SCAR Squadron, who were still frozen against the wall.

    The soldiers were silent, given that they were still trying to break the strong ice holding them against the wall. But they heard what Ironwood said; once they found a way out, they would make sure the group left the city.

    "We won't have much if we leave," said Djarin. "We came here to see if we could join Atlas' army with the Mandalorians. That idea's not going to work anymore."

    "No, it won't," said Cinder. "But... we can still take the fight to Salem. That's something else we decided. We can do that today... if we act fast."

    "..."

    Despite her argument with Ironwood and her stubborn refusal to leave, Cinder had managed to get some better or worse, Atlas wasn't going anywhere just yet. For better or worse, Cinder was going to be taking the fight to Salem. This was, after all, one of the ideas she proposed to her father when they were in Mistral.

    She just didn't think it would come so soon.

    But the Fall Maiden had an idea on how to take the fight to Salem. However, she needed the right help to do so.

    With a wave of her hand, Cinder made the ice around SCAR Squadron disappear. They all fell to the ground with ease, and none of them were physically injured.

    Their spirits, however, weren't in good shape.

    Needless to say, SCAR Squadron was angry and scared. They knew a large force of Grimm, led by an invincible woman, was soon coming right on their doorstep. They didn't have the confidence that they could face such a horde and win, but it didn't seem they would be staying to fight when the horde arrived.

    Their biggest worry right now was making their former allies leave.

    Before anyone could attack or apprehend them, SCAR Squadron was forced to listen to what Cinder had to say next. "If we were willing to leave the city, just like General Ironwood ordered, would you be willing to help make us leave faster?" she asked. "By helping us with a few things?"

    "..."

    "If you help us with these things, we won't try and stop Ironwood from making us leave. And if we do them, it could even help Atlas stay without being harmed."

    "..."

    The offer was a strange one, but not something the team was unwilling to consider. They were going to make sure that Cinder and her friends would leave Atlas, but they weren't expecting them to ask for their help.

    The idea of Atlas potentially staying sounded like a bluff, a way for Cinder to stay longer than she had to. However, the recent experience of being stuck to a wall told the members that Cinder could do much worse with her Maiden powers if she chose to.

    Leaving without resisting sounded like a much better offer.

    "Okay, kid," said Cav, who had a large chip on his shoulder after the incident. "If you're so smart... what do you expect us to do now? How do you expect to save Atlas?"

    "..."

    Even though it had happened multiple times, Cinder wasn't always comfortable when the spotlight was cast on her. But at the same time, Cinder knew she couldn't give up now. She had just put so much on the line, too much to walk away from. She needed to think, she needed to act, and more than ever, she needed to start fighting.

    "If you're all willing to help," Cinder said as she looked at every ally before her. "I have an idea we can use."

    Ironwood didn't know what was happening in his office, but he didn't care.

    As he walked through the halls, towards the medical wing of Atlas Academy, the General was preparing to fulfill his promise to Cinder and her friends.

    One way or another, Ironwood planned to go through with raising Atlas. He didn't call off any evacuations just yet, since he was preparing to send out an arrest order for everyone. If they were still in the city by the time his operation was over, Ironwood would send the order throughout all of Atlas and have them detained.

    This, in Ironwood's mind, was their last chance to do the right thing.

    Ironwood stopped walking and put away his Scroll when he saw a door in front of him. This was the room he scheduled his surgery for, where he would get his new limb replacement.

    After that, his plan would be executed.

    Ironwood knocked on the door gently three times before he heard a voice on the other side. "Come in," the voice said calmly.

    When the door opened, Ironwood could see a typical operating room, one containing medical tools, a patient's bed, and a doctor who was washing his hands. The surgeon's back was turned to the General, so they couldn't see each other's faces. But the doctor had been expecting Ironwood, so he addressed his new patient.

    "Have a seat," the doctor said as he continued to wash his hands. "I'll be right with you."

    Ironwood moved towards the bed and sat down. He couldn't help but groan once more, from both the pain in his arm and the memory of his allies acting against him.

    "Is that from the pain?" the doctor asked. He had finished washing his hands, and now was putting on two gloves.

    "Some of it," Ironwood replied. "But the rest..." The General grasped his forehead in frustration and concern. "You wouldn't have anything for settling nerves, would you?"

    "My assistant is coming with a sedative. She'll be here soon." The doctor moved towards his set of tools. "No need to be nervous, General. This is a routine limb replacement."

    Ironwood was referring more to Salem's incoming threat and Cinder's refusal to leave Remnant with Atlas. Whatever happened next was up to Cinder, and Ironwoodstill believed what she was doing was a mistake.

    But he was unable to stop her.

    "Yes, I know," Ironwood replied. "I was... referring to something else."

    "Were you, now?" the doctor said as he looked over his equipment. "Rough day at work, I suppose?"

    "That's an understatement." Ironwood decided to lay down on the bed, giving in to his physical and mental exhaustion. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, but... the people I trusted to help me are making a big mistake right now."

    "Really?"

    "I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen. They didn't trust me." Ironwood felt strange telling a doctor of all people about his problems, but he felt like he needed someone to talk to. "What am I supposed to do now? Am I supposed to try again?" Ironwood turned to the doctor. "Are they expecting me to work with them now? To trust them?"

    The doctor picked up a small saw and chose it as his first utensil. "Well, I don't think I know these people personally," he said. "Though I can safely say that trusting people who are acting against you isn't the smartest idea."

    "My thoughts exactly," Ironwood replied without turning away from the doctor. "But on the other hand... I'm not even sure who I'm supposed to trust."

    The doctor hummed as he tested the saw in his hand. Once he saw that it was working properly, he decided to end the conversation in a way he deemed appropriate. "If you're looking for someone to trust, James, I do have one piece advice for you."

    "..."

    Without hesitation, the doctor turned around and gave Ironwood a shocking surprise. Rather than the face of a stranger, Ironwood could see that he was looking at the face of someone familiar. Someone from his past.

    The doctor was Arthur Watts.

    "Always trust your doctors!" the mad scientist said with a mischievous grin. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

    Ironwood gasped as he practically leapt off the bed. "You!" he said in shock and fury. "You can't be-!"

    *SHICK*​

    "Aah!"

    With his good hand, Ironwood reached his neck when he felt a stabbing pain there. His hand grasped a needle, one that he pulled out and discovered to have fully injected him with something.

    And the person who injected him was Merri.

    "Uh, uh, uh, General," the hybrid said as she shook her finger back and forth. Merri was wearing the same grin as Watts, and she was enjoying this moment very much. "You already booked an appointment. You don't want to pay a cancelation fee, now do you?"

    "..."

    General Ironwood had no idea how Merri and Watts had escaped. He had no idea if anyone else in his holding cells had escaped. But it didn't matter now. Just like he did at Amity, Ironwood believed he was the only one who could do something about it. He was the only one who could stop Watts and Merri before they hurt anyone else.

    But when he tried, Ironwood fell to his knees and watched everything start to grow black.

    "He'll be out soon, Doctor," Merri said as she looked upon the man who nearly got the better of her. "I took the best sedative I could find."

    "Thank you, my dear," Watts said as he moved towards Ironwood. "We'd better get him back on the bed."

    Merri moved to help Watts with the task, which was no easy process. Between his natural strength and cybernetics, Ironwood was a very heavy man. And he was till trying to fight the effects of the sedative. However, he ultimately found himself back on the bed with Watts staring at him.

    "Five years, James," Watts said menacingly. "I wasted five years of my life, hoping and praying that I'd get to see that look on your face. To see what you look like at your lowest moment." Watts studied Ironwood's face, a mixture of anger and despair. "You know what I think about it?"

    "..."

    Ironwood couldn't answer the question, since he was moments away from losing consciousness. Right before he did, the General heard Watts say one final thing.

    "It was worth every day."

    Watts and Merri laughed once more when Ironwood finally lost consciousness. Once he did, Watts knew that the General belonged to him now. That he could do whatever he pleased.

    And he was more than ready to do so.

    "Lock the door, Merriweather," Watts ordered. "We can't take any chances. Not now." Merri agreed with Watts and moved to lock the door. Once she did, the young girl gave Watts her attention. "When did you say your mother would arrive?"

    "She's on her way now," Merri replied. "With any luck, she'll be here by dawn."

    Watts turned to the unconscious man on the bed. "Between your sister seizing the Winter Maiden and Hazel seeking out Ozpin, we have plenty of time to work."

    Merri moved away from the door and put a hand on Watts' shoulder. "Careful, Arthur," she advised. "We still have Cinder and Amity to deal with. If that tower is finished, all will be lost."

    Watts had heard about Amity Tower, as well as the threat it posed to his master's plan. However, he wasn't too concerned. "Not to worry," he said as he looked upon Ironwood once more. "With Ironwood here, we can have our cake... and eat it too."

    "..."

    Merri watched as Watts moved towards Ironwood's left side, where his bandaged arm was resting. "I taught you well in the field of engineering, my dear," Watts continued. "Tell me, did I ever have the pleasure of teaching you anything about surgery?"

    Between Watts having no intention of doing anything else before finishing with Ironwood and Merri's trust in the man, the young hybrid decided to let her mentor carry out his work. "No, Doctor," she said. "You haven't."

    Watts grinned once more as he picked up the saw on his table. "In that case..."

    *WHIR*​

    "Watch and learn."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 65: The Bait
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 65: The Bait​
    "How you doing, Fi?"

    "I'm okay."

    "You sure? You're looking pretty pale."

    "I'm fine. Really."

    "Hold on, Fiona. We're almost there."

    At the moment, the Happy Huntresses were on an Atlesian airship with Qrow and Clover. Moments ago, the Huntresses were able to capture Durge via Fiona's absorption Semblance. However, holding a living person like Durge was proving itself to be strenuous on the young Huntress. Her spirit was very strong, even though her Aura was fading fast.

    And so, the pilot of the airship made his way to Atlas Academy as fast as he could. The ship was very close now, so Qrow and Clover focused on a different situation. They had learned that Qrow's friends and Clover's team had been suddenly called back to the academy, even though evacuations in Mantle were still underway.

    Qrow and Clover hoped they would get answers as they got closer to the academy. But they were wrong.

    "General Ironwood isn't responding," said Clover. He had tried communicating with his superior via radio, but all Clover got as a response was silence.

    "Yeah, Oz isn't either," said Qrow. He had tried calling and texting Ozpin, but the Huntsman never got a response. "I have a bad feeling about this."

    "Me too." Clover looked back towards the Happy Huntresses, who were still helping Fiona. Not wanting to add to their worries, Clover took Qrow to a more secluded part of the airship to talk more. "But I don't understand. We have Durge, and General Ironwood said he and Cinder got the Blairs."

    Qrow also didn't understand, which only added to the bad feeling he had. "Could they have escaped? Maybe turned into Botflies and flew away?"

    "Maybe. Or maybe... they did more damage than we thought."

    "..."

    Qrow hadn't known Clover for very long, but it was easy to tell how optimistic the leader of SCAR Squadron was. Every day in the field, Clover always looked towards the bright side and held his team together. So to see the shift in thinking wasn't something Qrow was used to.

    He could tell that whatever was going on... it wasn't good.

    "We're here. And so is our rendezvous."

    Qrow and Clover turned towards the front of the airship when the pilot spoke to them. Atlas Academy was directly in front of them, and a team of Atlesian Huntsmen were directly below them. Clover had managed to call a team primarily known for containment, given that they needed to drop off a prisoner. The team was armed to the teeth, covered in armor similar to SCAR Squadron, and they had brought a glass cell to hold Durge in once Fiona let him go.

    Clover and Qrow were the first to step out of the landed airship, where they were joined by the containment unit. Robyn followed with her Happy Huntresses, and was greeted by the Huntsmen readying their weapons.

    Which were all trained at Fiona.

    "Whoa, take it easy," Robyn told the Huntsmen. "Fiona's not the enemy."

    "Just a precaution, ma'am," said one of the Huntsmen. "We have to follow protocol."

    Robyn didn't like the sight of her friend on the receiving end of weapons, but there was little she could do at the moment. Fortunately, she received comfort from Qrow.

    "Don't worry," he said. "We won't let Fiona get hurt."

    "..."

    Robyn had no choice but to trust the Huntsman, and he hadn't let her down since they met. They hadn't worked together too closely, but Robyn knew Qrow was trying to help. After all, he tried to warn her about the Botflies in the sewers.

    So Robyn decided to trust Qrow and prepare for Fiona to release Durge.

    "Is... Is everyone ready?" Fiona asked the Huntsmen.

    "Waiting on you," said one of the Huntsmen, who was still ready with his weapon.

    Qrow readied his sword as well, and nodded to the Huntresses by Fiona. He knew that all hands on deck would be required against Durge, so having everyone armed would be for the best. Robyn was the first to ready her crossbow, and her team followed suit. Fiona was satisfied with the sight, so she decided to stop delaying the inevitable.

    "Okay..." she said as she moved her hand to the open cage. "On three."

    "..."

    None of the Huntsmen or Huntresses spoke, but they agreed to Fiona's plan. With that, Fiona closed her eyes and focused as hard as she could.

    "One... two... three!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    When a small hole opened on Fiona's hand, a bright light and a small shockwave emerged and knocked the young Huntress back. Everyone around her couldn't help but fall as well, but they stood up quickly when they saw what happened.

    Durge was free, and he intended to keep his freedom.

    "He's out!" the leader of the containment team said as he charged towards the cage. "Lock him up!"

    Everyone charged towards the cage and pushed on Durge with all their might. Robyn and the Huntresses made sure that Fiona was okay, but all she cared about was capturing Durge. So the Happy Huntresses lended their strength to the men and pushed with all their might.

    Durge was inside the glass cage, but he wasn't letting anyone close the door. He quickly recognized that he was trading one cell for another, but he was aware of it this time. So, he kept one hand on the door and the other on the frame to prevent the door from closing. He pushed against the force of his enemies with everything he had, only to discover that they were equal in strength.

    "Push!" Clover yelled. "Keep pushing!"

    The containment team could see that sheer strength wasn't going to keep Durge contained. "Prods!" the leader called out. "Get the prods!"

    Two members of the team quickly took out electrical batons and stabbed them at Durge's torso. The armor gave Durge some protection, but the electricity that hurt him made him angry. So he released the door frame and grabbed one of the Huntsmen and squeezed tightly, which caused the man to scream.

    "This isn't working!" said Robyn, who was right next to Qrow. "What do we do?!"

    Qrow began to think of a plan, but only recalled how his last fight with Durge ended. However, he also remembered how Obi-Wan explained Durge's apparent demise. His limbs had been lost, but they had somehow been reattached to his body. Qrow had his doubts about this story, even though he knew Obi-Wan wasn't one to usually lie.

    So, albeit reluctantly, Qrow decided to put a drastic plan into action.

    "Follow my lead!" Qrow said as he readied Harbinger. "Go for his other arm!"

    Robyn had no idea what Qrow was planning, but she followed his lead. First, the duo jumped over the containment team and towards the cage. Then, they raised their weapons with a yell and moved them downwards at an impeccable speed. Robyn's unique crossbow wasn't only good for shielding, but its sharp edges made it a good tool for cutting.

    And soon, Qrow and Robyn found themselves cutting parts of Durge's arms off his body.

    *SLASH*

    *SLASH*

    *ROAR*    ​

    Durge let out a roar of pain as he felt his hand and arm leave his body. He was forced backwards from the strikes, and found him on the other side of the cage. Qrow and Robyn were surprised to see that their attack had worked, as well as the fact that Obi-Wan's story was true.

    But that didn't stop them from seizing their opportunity.

    "Close it!" Robyn yelled. "Close it now!"

    The containment team quickly moved towards the door and slammed it shut before Durge hit it with his whole body. The door locked as soon as it closed, which left the assassin in an airtight security cell. His hand and arm were being rejoined to his body, courtesy of the black tentacles reaching out and taking them, so he was able to hit the glass with his hands.

    The containment team didn't worry about their safety, given that stronger Grimm had tried breaking glass like this before. However, they were more focused on the fact that Durge's insides were seemingly Grimm and that he could regenerate lost limbs.

    "Holy shit," said one member.

    "That thing's not human," said another team member.

    Clover was just as surprised as his fellow Huntsmen, but he was first to regain his senses. "That's why we can't let him roam free," he said as he pointed towards the academy. "Better get him inside."

    The team agreed and began to move Durge into more secure containment. In the meantime, the Happy Huntresses once again checked on Fiona's status. The color to her face was beginning to return, and her body didn't feel the same strain as it did before.

    "Did... Did we get him?" Fiona asked her friends.

    "Yeah, Fi," said May. "We got him."

    "He's going nowhere," Joanna promised.

    Robyn smiled as she offered a hand to Fiona. "Great job, Fiona," she said as she helped her teammate up. "Great job."

    Qrow could see that Fiona was much better, and that she was back on her feet. So he decided to share the news with the closest person to him. "Fiona's okay," Qrow reported to Clover. "Do they still have him?"

    "They have him," Clover said as he watched Durge being taken away. "That makes one less thing to worry about."

    Qrow sighed in relief as he shared Clover's mild optimism. "Yeah. Let's hope the next one goes as smoothly."

    Clover nodded to Qrow, right before he saw Fiona being helped by May and Joanna. They were all following Robyn on the airship, where she hoped to continue her work.

    "Take us back to Mantle," Robyn ordered the pilot. "We still have people to evacuate."

    The pilot prepared to take off, but paused when he saw Clover and Qrow stand on the outside. "You all pulled a pretty big weight tonight," Qrow said to the Huntresses. "You should stay here and rest."

    "Especially you, Fiona," said Clover. "No offense, but you look like you've seen better days."

    "Believe me, I have," Fiona replied, which earned a laugh from her team. "But I have family in Mantle's crater. I need to make sure they get out okay before I rest."

    "Same goes for us," said Joanna. "But on a city-wide scale."

    "You coming?" May asked. "We haven't seen too much of you in action tonight." May was well aware of the work both Huntsmen performed, but she was itching to see it first-hand.

    "Don't worry, you will," said Qrow. "But we have to check up on a few things here before we go back."

    "Suit yourself," said Robyn. "And Clover... thanks." Robyn extended a hand of friendship towards Clover, something she hadn't done since the Kingdom's borders closed.

    Clover shook the hand and shared the sentiments Robyn had. Tonight was a night where the forces of Mantle and Atlas finally banded together against a common threat. And with the rest of the world following, unity seemed closer by the minute.

    "Glad to be of service," said Clover.

    Qrow offered a nod and smile to Robyn as he said a temporary goodbye. "We'll see each other soon," he promised.

    Robyn offered a smile as well, and followed it with a wink to Qrow. "I'll be waiting."

    "..."

    The airship finally took off, and the Happy Huntresses once again left for Mantle. They were oblivious to the problems in Atlas, so they left hopeful and ready to defend their city and its people once more. Hope like theirs was definitely needed, and it would serve the citizens greatly.

    It would have served Clover too, if he hadn't finally received a communication on his radio.

    "This is Clover," he said when a voice came to his ear. The man became silent for a few seconds as he listened, but the silence was soon broken. "Understood. We're on our way."

    "Was that James?" Qrow asked when Clover lowered his hand.

    "No. That was Cav. He says we need to talk."

    Rather than Ironwood's office, Qrow and Clover were directed to Pietro's lab. Despite being told where to go, Clover had yet to understand what was going on. Cav wasn't very specific when he radioed Clover, he only told him where to go.

    Qrow hoped this would mean getting to talk to Ozpin again, despite the fact that there was still no reply on his Scroll. Soon enough, he and Clover reached the closed door to Pietro's lab. However, rather than opening it, both Huntsmen couldn't help but listen to a rather loud conversation on the other side of the door.

    "If you're going to do that, then there won't be anything stopping the General's plan!"

    "There won't be a need for that plan! Not when the danger will be leaving!"

    "So you just want to take the one thing we've been trying to work on for months? That's crazy!"

    "Ironwood wasn't going to use it anyway! Not if he was going to follow through with his plan!"

    "Well, he will! And if you're still here, we can't help you!"

    After they shared an equally confused glance at each other, Qrow and Clover finally opened the door to Pietro's lab to find all their friends inside. SCAR Squadron was on the opposite side of a table where Cinder and the rest of Qrow's friends were standing.

    Their argument had been paused by the presence of two allies, but it hadn't been resolved yet.

    "What's going on here?" Clover asked, breaking the silence.

    "She's crazy!" Shrap responded as he pointed to Cinder. "That's what's going on here!"

    "Don't call her that!" Djarin warned the soldier.

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Qrow said as he stepped forward. "Let's all calm down here. Oz, you wanna fill us in here?"

    Ozpin took the opportunity Qrow gave him in a heartbeat. "We have a situation, Qrow," he said. "Salem's decided to stop hiding. She's on her way to Atlas."

    "What?!"

    "She's coming here?" Clover asked. Like Qrow, he was unable to fathom such an idea. But the atmosphere in the room told the duo that this matter was very serious.

    "She is," Ozpin confirmed. "But we have a plan."

    "The General has a plan," Zuke corrected. "Clover, General Ironwood's decided to take our plan for Amity and apply it to the city of Atlas. He's going to use the Staff to raise Atlas even higher."

    "What?!" Qrow repeated. "Has James lost his mind?!"

    "Quite the opposite, actually," said Mic. "I've been running the calculations and simulations of a higher Atlas. We'll still retain our breathable atmosphere, climate, and food supplies. Not to mention that we'll reach a level no Grimm could attain-"

    "So that's it?" Qrow stepped forward and slammed his open palms on the table. "We just turn our tails and run away? Leave Mantle and the rest of Remnant to fend for themselves?"

    "You can't focus on one fight to win a war," said Misty. "And we're saving who we can."

    "Isn't that right, boss?" Aero asked as he turned to Clover.

    "..."

    Everyone fell silent as they turned to Clover. Qrow turned to Clover as well, and expected his fellow Huntsman to bring order among his team. He expected Clover to recall what they said to Robyn and her team, about returning to Mantle and continuing the evacuation.

    However, Clover wasn't quite remembering this. Instead, he focused on something else.

    "Cav..." Clover addressed his teammate. "General Ironwood wants to do this?"

    "Yes, sir," Cav replied as he pointed to Qrow's friends. "And he wants them gone."

    "Gone? What do you mean 'gone?'"

    "They made it clear they're not gonna help us. So the General wants them to leave the city by the time he's out of surgery for his arm."

    "And that's what we want to do!" said Cinder. "We are leaving the city."

    "We are?" Qrow asked. He was still angry about Ironwood wanting to leave Remnant to fend for itself, as well as Clover for apparently leaning more towards the General's plan. But the idea of leaving the city itself was strange, as well as the fact that the rest of his friends were in agreement.

    "We are, indeed," said Obi-Wan. "We have a plan."

    Djarin nodded to Qrow before he looked to his daughter. "Go ahead, Cinder," he said when he saw that everyone had calmed down.

    "Okay," said Cinder. She approached the table and looked directly at the two Huntsmen who weren't yet aware of her plan. "I know how bad Salem coming to Atlas is. We all know that she could destroy the city, depending on how many Grimm she sends our way."

    "Right..." said Clover. He wasn't convinced of straying from Ironwood's path, but he could agree with Cinder here.

    "But Salem doesn't care about Atlas," Cinder continued. "She doesn't care about any of the people standing in her way. Except two."

    "Two?" Qrow asked. "Who?"

    "Me and the Winter Maiden."

    "..."

    Qrow and Clover were starting to see where Cinder was going with this. Salem needed the Winter Maiden to get the Staff, and she still didn't have the Relic Cinder was supposed to unlock for her. Without either of them, the Vaults would be impenetrable.

    And Cinder, along with her friends, knew this well.

    "Let me get this straight," said Clover. "You want to take the Maiden away from Atlas?"

    "It's a decent plan," said Djarin. "If the Winter Maiden isn't here, Salem can't get the Relic she wants."

    "She'll have nothing to gain with invading a Kingdom without a Maiden," said Revan.

    Cav and the rest of SCAR Squadron had disagreed with this plan prior to Clover's arrival. And they still disagreed now. "But what about the Fall of Beacon?" Cav asked. "She didn't get whatever Relic is there and she still invaded."

    "But she got me," said Cinder. "She got part of the Fall Maiden's power through Aurora. If I had died in Vacuo, she would have gotten all of it. We can't allow that to happen here."

    Qrow recalled Cinder's loss at Beacon, and followed the logic of preventing Salem from acquiring another Maiden. Clover could understand it too, but he still didn't see eye-to-eye with Cinder.

    "Cinder, I don't know Salem like you do," he began. "But it sounds like she won't let a Maiden out of her grasp. She'll throw everything she has to get her back."

    "Exactly," Cinder replied. "She'll do nothing but chase us. And leave Atlas alone."

    "If Salem is willing to risk coming out into the open, that means she's leaving nothing to chance," Ozpin agreed. "She'll follow the Winter Maiden herself. And the rest of us who leave with her."

    "Even if she were to leave a contingent of Grimm in her stead, Atlas has all the resources they need to eliminate them," said Obi-Wan. "Without their master directing them, the Grimm won't reach their true potential."

    With every word he heard, Qrow found himself more agreeable to this course of action as opposed to Ironwood's. It would still mean that he would have to leave Atlas, but it would be better than leaving the entire world to fend for itself. "Okay," he said. "So how are we getting the Maidens out of here? With an airship?"

    "Not quite," said Djarin. "That was only half the plan."

    "Right," said Cinder, who pressed a button on the side of the table. "Here's the other half."

    The table projected a holographic image of Amity Colosseum. The simulation was that of a completed tower, one that was capable of broadcasting a communication signal across the entire world. However, contrary to what Ironwood said in his message, Amity wasn't completed yet. Cinder was quite aware of this, but Amity was a vital part to her plan.

    "Amity?" Clover asked. "You want to bring the Maiden there?"

    "Yes," said Cinder. "We can use its flight controls to steer Amity away from Atlas. Salem will know what to look for and where it's going."

    "I don't get it," said Qrow. "We don't really need a big tower to get out of the city."

    "We will," said Ozpin. "Once we tell the world about Salem."

    "..."

    It was easy to tell that Cinder and her friends had taken a page out of Ironwood's book. Telling the world about Salem was the original plan, but time had run out now. In his current state, it was easy for Ironwood to abandon Amity and focus on the next best thing.

    Clover was inclined to agree, due to one large factor.

    "Mic, I thought the tower wasn't finished," Clover said to the team's technician.

    "It isn't," Mic replied. "Which is why I've argued against this course of action. Even if General Ironwood cleared Amity for launch, Amity isn't capable of broadcasting any kind of message."

    "Actually, it is."

    Everyone turned to another part of the room to see Pietro Polendina with R2-D2 by his side. He wasn't present for the majority of the conversation, but he had a very good reason for his absence. "It took some time, and a lot of help from my friend here," Polendina said as he turned to R2. "But the core communication system is finally complete. I have an airship and a team of Knights taking it to Amity as we speak. The installation won't take long."

    *WOO*

    *WEE*    ​

    "...Okay," Mic relented. "But Amity still needs authorization and a necessary height to launch and broadcast."

    "I can handle the authorization," Pietro replied. "Cinder told me she can take care of Amity's necessary range from broadcasting."

    Qrow didn't know how Cinder planned to help Amity reach the altitude it needed to send a message, but he still liked this plan. "Well, I guess we have Amity all set," he said. "But how are we supposed to lure Salem to it?"

    "And what do you expect to happen after that?" Clover asked.

    "What we expect is what we originally came here to do," said Revan. "Take this fight to Salem."

    "When we tell the world about Salem, we'll challenge her to come after us," Djarin continued. "When she sees the Fall and Winter Maidens, she won't deny the challenge."

    Cinder took the Darksaber off her side and activated it. "And we'll use my status as Mand'alor to tell the Mandalorians to join us," said Cinder. "When Salem catches up, she'll have an army of Mandalorians waiting for her."

    Qrow recalled the reason for coming to Atlas: creating an army to fight against Salem. The Darksaber and Amity could provide such an army, and Salem right on their tail would definitely lead to the confrontation.

    But there was just one problem.

    "Cinder... I've been spying on Salem for a long time," said Qrow. "If she's on her way now, I can't even imagine how many Grimm she has with her. I don't know if an army will be enough to stop all of them."

    "Exactly," said Zuke. "With a group even smaller than the entire Atlas military, she doesn't stand a chance."

    "Our best chance of survival is the General's plan," said Mic. "And prevent Salem from acquiring the Relic."

    Cinder heard the criticism towards her plan, and knew it was very valid. Even Ozpin pointed out that Salem's forces would most likely be larger than the force of Mandalorians under Cinder's command. However, when she remembered one more thing, Cinder decided that she wanted to use her plan.

    And share it with the others.

    "The Mandalorians might not be enough..." she confirmed. "But the virus will be."

    The last part of the plan had managed to capture Clover's attention. "Gideon's virus?" he asked. "But it's not finished. Dr. Polendina said so."

    "It's not ready yet," Pietro confirmed. "But with Amity about to be finished, I can bring the virus and my equipment to the tower easily. Between leaving Atlas and finding a place for the Mandalorians to meet, I should have enough time to finish the virus."

    "Once it's ready, we'll spread it across the Grimm," said Djarin. "Leaving Salem defenseless and the Mandalorians unharmed."

    "..."

    Qrow and Clover knew that this was the end of Cinder's plan. Using Amity to rally an army and Gideon's bioweapon to kill Salem's Grimm was a well-thought strategy, but it was certainly risky. Leaving Atlas with Amity was one thing, but to leave with the Winter Maiden was another. Not only did it put Ironwood's plan into jeopardy, but it also left Atlas without its last line of defense. Both Huntsmen knew a Kingdom needed one Maiden, so to leave Atlas without the Winter Maiden was certainly risky.

    Despite the shared agreement on risk, Qrow and Clover disagreed on Cinder's plan as a whole.

    "I'm in," said Qrow. "Let's finish this."

    "Wait a minute," said Clover. "What does the General say about this?"

    "Technically, he hasn't said anything," said Ozpin. "James left before we created this plan."

    "But his plan for raising Amity is still in effect," said Shrap. "Which is why they can't leave without the Maiden."

    "But we're still leaving," said Djarin. "You don't have to worry about that."

    "Wait a minute," said Clover. "Where's the Maiden now?"

    "General Ironwood sent Cadet Schnee to retrieve the powers," Misty answered.

    "And Penny's with her," said Pietro. "I just finished describing our plan to Penny. The rest... is up to Winter now."

    Just as Pietro said, Winter and Penny had been told everything. Their journey to the Winter Maiden had been cut short by Pietro's call, where he explained the entire situation. Winter and Penny found themselves very displeased with what was happening. While they shared the same concern about Salem making her way to Atlas, Winter and Penny couldn't help but disagree about the ideas proposed by Cinder and Ironwood.

    "Cinder... what are you doing?" Winter asked herself when Pietro finished talking. She had heard about Cinder's plan, but acting against the General sounded like a bad idea to her.

    However, not everyone agreed with her.

    "The General is leaving Mantle to perish?" asked Penny, who was unable to believe what she had heard.

    Winter didn't pay much heed to Penny's disbelief, but she gave her an answer. "He's saving Remnant," she said with a sigh. "We can't let the Relics fall to Salem." Winter began to walk down the hall once more, but Penny didn't follow.

    "But all those people we just protected, they won't survive."

    Winter kept walking, but she looked over her shoulder to talk to Penny. "We don't have time to-"

    "That doesn't bother you?"

    "..."

    Winter finally stopped walking and listened to what Penny was saying. "What about your mother?" she asked. "What would she say about leaving?"

    "..."

    Winter recalled how she made amends with her mother, even though they shared a different opinion about Ironwood. This opinion would certainly lead to confrontation, if she found out that Atlas was to be raised far above Remnant in order to survive.

    And it was hard not to think how it would affect the rest of her family.

    But Winter was able to collect her thoughts and share her point of view. "My personal feelings don't matter," she said after she turned around. "We have orders. I'm to retrieve the power of the Winter Maiden so we can access the Relic. You're here to ensure my safety. Now come on. We've already lost enough time."

    Despite the fact that she remembered her orders, Penny still disagreed with Ironwood's course of action. "It should matter," she protested.

    Winter knew she didn't have time to argue further, but she had to convince Penny to keep moving forward. "Penny," she said as she walked towards her friend. "The General is making hard choices so we don't have to. For the good ofall, not just a few."

    Winter took Penny's hands as she explained herself, in an attempt to further empathize with her. Penny was listening to everything Winter believed, but there was still one thing that Penny felt differently about.

    "What about Cinder's plan?" she asked. "Luring Salem away seems to be a more logical course of action."

    Winter sighed again, and tried to reinforce her idea. "Penny-"

    "She is making a hard choice too. She wants to protect everyone here by sacrificing herself. Won't she need our help?"

    "..."

    Winter had to admit that Cinder's choice didn't sound easy. She would be leaving as well, but she would intentionally have Salem following her. Clearly, chances of survival were very slim.

    But Cinder was willing to take this chance if it meant Salem would leave Atlas alone.

    "I... I don't know," Winter finally confessed. The plan certainly had merit, but Winter didn't know if she should be acting against her orders. "Perhaps we should focus on what's in front of us. We may have some clarity once this is over."

    This wasn't the answer Penny was looking for, but Winter's request made sense. Things were very uncertain at the moment, since there were two conflicting plans. Focusing on the task at hand was a better idea than standing around and debating further.

    And there was indeed a chance for clarity and a defined course of action later.

    "...Understood," Penny relented.

    "Here we go. This'll hold him."

    "Yeah. A lot better than this cage will."

    The containment team that assisted the Happy Huntresses had finally made their way to the academy's brig. Since the attack in Ironwood's office was discovered, the brig had become a place of maximum security. A headcount was still being made to determine if anyone had escaped, but now a new prisoner would be added to the roster.

    Right next to Bo-Katan Kryze.

    Bo-Katan had been observant about the increased security, even though no alarm had been raised. She hadn't heard anything from anyone, not even Obi-Wan. The Jedi was a frequent visitor to her cell, where he would share news and the day's events. Bo-Katan had not heard either today, which was a rather large red flag.

    As was her apparent company.

    "Look alive, Mando," said one of the Huntsmen. "You got a neighbor."

    Bo-Katan looked to her right to see Durge being transferred from his glass cage to a cell with Hard-Light Dust. Despite the protection the Dust offered, Bo-Katan was not at ease.

    "Whoa!" she said as she backed away from Durge. "Who the hell is this?!"

    "Someone who's caused us enough trouble in Mantle," the second Huntsman replied. "Now he's right where he belongs."

    Bo-Katan would normally fear no man, but the sight of Durge in his armor unsettled her. "You're just leaving him here? Look at him!"

    "Aw, what's the matter?" the third member of the team asked. "I thought Mandalorians weren't scared of anything."

    Bo-Katan ignored the wound to her pride and the laughter of the Huntsmen. "Well, why's he still wearing that armor, then? If you're so brave, take it like you took my armor."

    "..."

    The Huntsmen had seen and felt what Durge was capable of. Needless to say, none of them were keen on getting close to the man. Bo-Katan hadn't seen such things, so she took pride in pointing out a flaw in the apparent heroes.

    "Relax," said the leader of the team. "We took his weapons, and that Dust isn't going off anytime soon. Well take care of him later."

    "Sure you will," Bo-Katan thought as she watched the Huntsmen leave. When they were gone, most likely to assist with the unknown situation, Bo-Katan moved back to her bed and laid down. "Idiots."

    "..."

    The feeling that she was being watched slowly took over Bo-Katan. Curious to see if she was indeed being watched, the Mandalorian took time to analyze her surroundings. As a result, Bo-Katan caught Durge staring right at her.

    "What?" Bo-Katan asked as she sat upright. "What are you looking at?"

    "..."

    Silence served as a response, which only made Durge more intimidating. That, and the fact that he appeared to be studying the Mandalorian closely. Bo-Katan didn't like that, but she was able to see an opportunity before her.

    "So they wouldn't take off your armor, huh?" she asked as she stood up. "What's so special about you, then?"

    "..."

    "Hm. Alright, fine." Bo-Katan looked at the moving soldiers by the cells. Clearly, despite the capture of Durge, there was still some kind of situation. "I guess I'll figure it out sooner or later."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan was being facetious when she made this claim. She didn't think the emergency would mostly apply to her, even though she hadn't heard from Obi-Wan. However, her assessment of the situation had proven itself to be right the second Bo-Katan heard noises.

    "Aah!"

    *SLASH*

    *HISS*    ​

    A yell and the sound of something being cut caught Bo-Katan's attention easily. The noises came in the direction of where the last two soldiers had walked, so Bo-Katan assumed that the sounds came from them. She pressed against the front of her cell in an attempt to see what was going on, but it was hard to see anything at first.

    A moment later, Bo-Katan saw a figure walking down the hall where the soldiers once walked. The figure was the shape of a person, but any defining features were shrouded by a black cloak the person was wearing. A black hood was covering their face, so Bo-Katan couldn't see who they were.

    But the sight was rather... familiar.

    Suddenly, the person raised their right hand from their torso. In an instant, they closed their fist and continued walking away.

    *CRASH*

    *SHOOM*    ​

    The sound of something breaking and emitting sparks made Bo-Katan jump back from her cell door. She then watched as the Hard-Light Dust flickered and disappeared. Not only was her cell door gone, but the entirely of her cage was gone when the panel on the side had been crushed.

    Bo-Katan was free.

    All of the cells around her had disappeared, though they didn't house many prisoners. After observing this, Bo-Katan seized the chance at freedom and jumped out of her cage. But rather than run away to avoid any guards, Bo-Katan found herself following the figure that had apparently aided her release.

    They weren't hard to find, since they were still walking down the hall.

    "Hey!" Bo-Katan yelled to the stranger. "Come back here!"

    "..."

    The stranger slightly turned their head back, but moved it back as they continued to walk down the hall. Bo-Katan began to give chase, since the stranger seemed very familiar. She had an idea as to who they were, but would only draw a conclusion once she saw their face.

    However, a large hand grabbing her shoulder prevented Bo-Katan from achieving her goal.

    Like the others, Durge's cell had been destroyed from the stranger's action. He walked freely once again, free to do what he did best. The soldiers who were guarding the brig were now dead, as Durge could see from the trail the stranger left behind. So Durge turned his eye to Bo-Katan, who he just learned was a Mandalorian.

    It would take some time to track down the one who helped capture him... but Durge would take great pleasure in killing another Mandalorian.

    *BUZZ*

    *BUZZ*    ​

    "Play nice, you two."

    The sound of buzzing and a familiar voice caused Durge to turn around rather than break Bo-Katan's skull. When he turned around, Durge saw a large mass of flies taking form into Fauna Blair. Bo-Katan could see this as well, and she approached the young girl after Durge released her.

    "You," Bo-Katan said after she familiarized herself with Fauna. She had seen Fauna and her sisters in Salem's castle before, and she recalled how Obi-Wan believed she was here with Merri. Now it seemed the idea was true. "So... you did get into Atlas."

    "It wasn't hard," Fauna replied with a laugh. She then let a few Botflies off her body to demonstrate her ability to change form. "After all, what's so suspicious about a few flies in a place as dirty as Mantle?"

    "..."

    From the way she was speaking, it was easy to believe that Fauna was not aware of Bo-Katan's shift in allegiance. While she held no absolute loyalty to Obi-Wan or the new Mand'alor, Bo-Katan would never again serve Salem in any capacity. However, to use an opportunity such as this, to find out what Fauna and her sister were planning, was hard to give up.

    "So... what's going on?" Bo-Katan asked cautiously as she pointed down the hall. "Who was that?"

    "Oh, just someone we thought was dead," said Fauna. "He freed my sister and the rest of us to cause enough chaos to distract the soldiers while he looks for something."

    "What's he looking for?"

    "I don't know. I'm not even sure if he's still with us."

    Bo-Katan looked down the hall once more and considered the idea of following whoever that man was. Now that she knew that it was a man, Bo-Katan's suspicions about him grew much stronger.

    She believed that he was the one who killed Satine.

    As much as she wanted to follow him, Bo-Katan doubted that slipping past Fauna and Durge would be easy. For now, she had to play along. "So... what's the plan?" she asked.

    "My sister is taking care of the General," Fauna reported. "Durge and I will be going after the Maiden they have here. While you..."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan couldn't help but grow unsettled by the pause. It was almost as if Fauna was still wondering if she could trust her, if she was still on their side. The Mandalorian considered fight or flight, but Durge and her lack of weapons would make both rather impossible. She had little choice but to wait and see what Fauna would decide.

    Fortunately, Bo-Katan's patience paid off rather quickly.

    "You find Ozpin," Fauna decided. "And the lamp."

    Bo-Katan took comfort in knowing that she would be far away from Fauna as possible during this task. It would give her the time to think about what to do next. She thought the solitude would help with this choice, but Fauna's next statement made that idea impossible.

    "Yeah, that's good," the hybrid decided. "You two will be perfect for that."

    "...Two?" Bo-Katan asked.

    Just then, heavy footsteps came from the direction Fauna Blair originally came from. There, Bo-Katan could see that Hazel Rainart had been released as well. As he stopped walking, Hazel cracked his knuckles and neck to signify that he was ready for a fight.

    Bo-Katan understood this well, and knew that things had become more complicated.

    "There you are," Fauna said with a smile. "Now, you two will find Ozpin while I go find the Maiden. The flies I sent out will show me where to go." Fauna began to walk down the hall with Durge, where she turned around to say one more thing. "Happy hunting."

    "..."

    With Fauna gone, Hazel took a moment to look upon his new partner. He hadn't seen nor heard from Bo-Katan since the failed attack on Haven. Much had changed since then, where the Huntsmen and Huntresses managed to restore peace for a short time. The tables seemed to have turned now, and Hazel knew what was expected of him.

    He was to hunt down Ozpin. Dead or alive.

    "Let's go," Hazel said without paying too much attention to Bo-Katan. This gave the Mandalorian a chance to think about what to do next. She didn't plan on finding Ozpin, but she knew she needed a plan. Fauna and Durge were gone now, so Bo-Katan didn't have to worry about them. If she could slip past Hazel, then she could think of what to do next later down the line.

    All she needed was a chance to be alone.

    "Are you coming?"

    Bo-Katan looked towards Hazel, who was waiting for her to join him. Slipping past the large man was out of the question now, but finding solitude was still possible.

    "Yeah," Bo-Katan replied. "My, uh... My armor's locked up." The Mandalorian pointed down the hall in the opposite direction. "I can't leave without it."

    "..."

    "..."

    The silence was deafening, but the look Hazel was giving Bo-Katan spoke volumes. The man seemed to see through the Mandalorian, whether it was due to her stumbling or any other kind of hint she indirectly gave. Whatever the cause, Hazel seemed to know that Bo-Katan had other ideas besides looking for her armor.

    And yet, Hazel didn't seem to be bothered by this idea. The look he was giving Bo-Katan was not only one of skepticism, but also understanding. He didn't seem offended by her soon to be desertion. It was almost as if he knew that Salem's cause was something Bo-Katan no longer wished to be part of.

    With that in mind, for some unknown reason... Bo-Katan got the impression that the same could be said of Hazel.

    "...Good luck," the man replied as he disappeared from sight.

    "..."

    When Hazel left, Bo-Katan stopped focusing on Salem and more on herself. She looked around the area for something she could use, anything that would aid her in whatever came next.

    The only resource, it seemed, was an alarm button on the wall.

    Bo-Katan knew that the alarm hadn't been set when she and everyone else had been freed. If the alarm sounded now, it would bring the necessary reinforcements to the brig and potentially hold everyone at bay. Bo-Katan understood this, but weighed her options carefully before she did anything drastic. On one hand, if they discovered her treachery, Salem's allies would hunt Bo-Katan down and kill her. Without her armor, she would be as good as dead.

    But on the other hand, if Fauna got her hands on the Maiden and relic... the world would be one step closer to ending. Just as Salem wanted, she would be one step closer to destroying everything, to killing everyone on Remnant. Bo-Katan didn't care too much for the Kingdoms, but Mandalore was a different story.

    Bo-Katan didn't trust Cinder, not entirely. Her idea of peace sounded like Satine's idea, to be more passive and turn over a new leaf that went against their ancestors. And yet, Bo-Katan couldn't deny that Cinder had won the loyalty of the Mandalorians. Whatever happened to Cinder would put every Mandalorian at risk.

    Bo-Katan had already betrayed her people at Haven. She had no intention of doing it again.

    "...I'm going to regret this," Bo-Katan begrudgingly decided as she pressed the button.

    *WOOO*

    *WOOO*    ​

    After they were finished explaining their plan, Cinder and her friends prepared to put it into action. Their first step was to deliver the final piece of Amity's new communication system to the tower. Given their orders from Ironwood, SCAR Squadron decided to keep a close eye on the apparent traitors. Rather than leave them to their own devices, SCAR Squadron wanted to make sure they wouldn't try anything else.

    And that they would leave without a fight.

    Pietro was still at the academy, where he was working to give Amity the authorization it needed to launch. Despite being told to leave by Ironwood, Ozpin decided to stay with Pietro. His story was that he planned to speak to Ironwood when his surgery was over, to share the plan Cinder made.

    On the other hand, Djarin had actually asked Ozpin to stay with Pietro. After talking to SCAR Squadron, the Mandalorian knew the soldiers had no intention of letting them leave with the Winter Maiden. So Djarin had talked to Ozpin privately, where he explained his idea for "Plan B."

    And so, Ozpin stayed with Pietro to assist however he could. In the meantime, the core piece of the communication tower was being put into place. Given its large size, Obi-Wan and Revan used the Force together in order to place it down as gently as they could.

    "The core is in place, Doctor Polendina," said Obi-Wan, who was talking on a Scroll.

    "And fully secured," said Revan, who was also speaking with Pietro.

    "Excellent work," said Pietro, who was pressing keys on a computer. He was in a very private terminal room in Atlas, which he still had access to. While Ironwood's own computer could give Amity the permission to launch, Pietro used a different terminal since he didn't have the General's credentials. "I'm almost finished up here. Is the Dust on your end ready?"

    "Yes," said Revan. "Everything below us is wired to detonate once the countdown begins." Revan was referring to all of the Dust inside and outside the mine Ironwood used for Amity. While the communication systems were ready, Amity needed an extra push in order to reach the altitude it needed to broadcast a signal.

    In this case, the push would come from a massive explosion of Dust.

    "Djarin and Cinder finished running the diagnostics you instructed," said Obi-Wan. "The tower should be capable of remaining afloat once we reach the new altitude."

    "Perfect," said Pietro. "We can begin the countdown when we're all on Amity together."

    "I'm not sure when I will be leaving," said Ozpin, who was with Pietro in the computer room. "James hasn't returned my calls. And we haven't heard from Ms. Polendina regarding the Maiden just yet."

    Revan turned towards SCAR Squadron, who were still watching them. "I don't believe James has contacted his soldiers either," he said. "Which means we still have time to prepare."

    "That is true, Revan, but it has been a rather long time. If we don't hear anything soon, I will try to find him."

    "Is that wise?" said Obi-Wan. "It seems more than likely he will act on the threat he made if he sees one of us."

    "Yes, but something is not right, Obi-Wan. I can feel it."

    *WOOO*

    *WOOO*    ​

    Ozpin and Pietro turned around when they heard what sounded like an alarm. The screen on the Scroll suddenly turned black, which left Obi-Wan and Revan concerned.

    "Ozpin?" Revan asked. "Ozpin!"

    "..."

    Obi-Wan and Revan were ready to tell everyone that something was wrong at Atlas Academy. However, SCAR Squadron seemed aware of this too.

    "Do you see that?" Mic asked his commanding officer while showing him a video on his console.

    "I do," Clover confirmed. "Alright, team! We're moving out!"

    As soon as they heard that, Cinder and all her allies knew that something was wrong. They all moved towards SCAR Squadron quickly to see what new problem had occurred.

    "What's going on?" Djarin asked.

    "Our prisoners escaped," said Misty. "They're running loose in the academy."

    "What?" Cinder asked. "Which prisoners?"

    "All of them," said Mic. "Someone helped them escape."

    Everyone looked at each other in shock at the alarming news. Things were going well a few minutes ago, and now something as terrible as a prison breakout threw it all into jeopardy.

    "Our security team's been able to handle the common lowlifes that escaped," said Aero. "But it looks like the Blairs, Durge, and Rainart are unaccounted for."

    Cinder turned to her father when she heard this. "That's all of Salem's people," she said. This was obvious, but questions about the nature of the escape came to mind. "Could they have planned this?"

    "We separated them all," Djarin recounted. "Planning this wouldn't be easy."

    "It doesn't matter how they escaped," said Zuke. "What matters is that they're running free and nobody is there to stop them."

    "Okay," said Qrow. "You guys go. We'll guard the tower while-"

    "Don't even think about it," said Cav. He stepped towards the group while he pointed at the door. "You're coming with us."

    Everyone immediately disagreed with this course of action. They all remembered that SCAR Squadron wanted to keep their eyes on them, but this is where they had to draw the line.

    "But if they leave the academy, they'll come straight for Amity!" said Cinder. "We won't be able to work with our plan!"

    "All the more reason to follow the General's plan," said Shrap. "We're doing this whether you like it or not."

    "So you just want to abandon the world when we have a chance to move the Grimm away from here?" Obi-Wan asked. "In what way is that wise?"

    "What if you fail?" Misty asked. "What if you lure her away but you don't stop her?"

    "She'll just come right back here," said Zuke. "We won't stand a chance."

    "But what if we succeed?" Revan asked. "How will we be able to tell you the world is safe when you're all millions of miles off the ground?"

    "It's doesn't matter," said Aero. "We have our orders, and we're-"

    "Well, screw your orders!" said Qrow, who had run out of patience with the team. "You can do the right thing instead of the thing that you're told! What's stopping you, huh?!"

    "..."

    Qrow honestly believed that he had made a point. By following Cinder's plan, the people of Atlas and Mantle would have normal and safe lives without having to worry about Salem. In his mind, this was certainly the right thing to do when compared to fleeing and leaving people behind.

    But Clover thought differently.

    "Sometimes the right decision is the hardest to make," he said as he moved in front of Qrow. "I trust James with my life. We all do." Clover looked back to his team and saw them all nod in agreement. Once he did, Clover looked back to Qrow once again. "I want to trust you too."

    "..."

    Clover sighed as he looked towards Cinder and let Qrow think about that idea. "Cinder, while I have to say your plan has merit, we're out of time to execute it. We have to go."

    This was the first time that someone from Atlas said that they liked Cinder's plan. But it broke Cinder's heart when she heard that the final member of Ironwood's most trusted team had decided against the course of action.

    "But we can stay!" Cinder protested. "You're the best Huntsmen in Atlas, you can-!"

    "Cinder, you don't understand," Clover continued. "This isn't a situation where everyone wins. I wish it was, but it isn't."

    "..."

    "We need to choose. We can go back to help Atlas Academy together... or we can bring you in ourselves."

    "..."

    "It's your choice, Cinder. All you have to do is choose."

    "..."

    Clover tried to make the choice as easy and clear as he could. He wanted to make Cinder know that she still had a chance to do things the right way, to go with the General's plan.

    But Cinder knew the choice was far from easy.

    To abandon countless people was something that Cinder could never agree to, wherever they came from. But with the situation at Atlas Academy growing dire, something had to be done right away. And while SCAR Squadron was going to handle it, they wanted to make sure Cinder and her friends didn't do anything drastic.

    She could either stay with them... or fight her way out.

    *BOOM*​

    The silence was broken by what sounded like an explosion. Everyone turned to a corridor that led to the exit, where the sound most likely came from.

    "What was that?" Aero asked.

    "I don't know," said Zuke. "I think we're under attack."

    Cinder immediately offered a theory when Zuke mentioned an attack. "It's them!" she said. "They found us!"

    Clover wasn't sure if this was the case, that the prisoners had left Atlas and came to Amity. But given Merri and Fauna's recent attack, it would make sense for them to come back here. "We'd better check it out," Clover said as he took hold of his weapon. "Move out, team."

    Each member of SCAR Squadron moved towards the corridor to find the source of the explosion. Misty was the last to leave, since he planned to keep an eye on Cinder's group if he could.

    Cinder began to join the team of soldiers, but Djarin took her shoulder to stop her. "Wait," he said. "We should stay and protect the core."

    "Yes," said Obi-Wan. "If we lose that, we lose the tower's purpose."

    "..."

    Cinder decided that her father and Obi-Wan were right, so she moved back with them and allowed SCAR Squadron to deal with the threat themselves.

    Clover and SCAR Squadron didn't find anything at first. There didn't seem to be any smoldering remains or anything broken from an explosion. But the answer to the question came from Mic, who had looked through the security cameras and made a startling discovery.

    "Clover," he said to his leader. "I think that explosion was our airship." Mic walked over to Clover and showed him the screen on his arm. "Look."

    Clover looked at Mic's screen with everyone else, and they saw the smoldering remains of the Manta they used to get to Amity. Close to it, however, was another airship that appeared to be longer than a Manta. It was a gray one that seemed to fit only one person, with its wings on the front rather than the sides.

    "I know that ship," Clover said. "That's General Ironwood's personal airship."

    "The General?" Aero asked. "He's here?"

    "Why did he destroy our ship?" Shrap asked. "Did he not know we're here?"

    "I don't know," said Clover. "But we can explain once James is-"

    "Shh."

    Everyone turned to Misty, who had a single finger raised towards his team. Clover wasn't usually interrupted by someone on his team, but Misty had a good reason to silence his leader.

    "Do you hear that?" he asked as he listened carefully.

    "..."

    Misty's teammates fell into silence as they attempted to hear what he was hearing. And sure enough, a noise reached their ears and caused them to do nothing but listen.

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*    ​

    A strange mechanical noise was filling the empty hall, which caused everyone to look around and determine its source. But when they saw nothing, uncertainty and questions began to fill the air.

    "The hell is that?" Cav asked.

    "Where's that coming from?" Shrap wondered.

    "Is that the core of the tower?" Zuke asked. "The one they installed?"

    "It couldn't be," Aero replied. "It doesn't make a noise like that."

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*    ​

    As he listened closely, Mic began to work on a theory he had. "It sounds like... something walking," he said. "Like an Atlesian Knight."

    "But there aren't any Knights here," Aero pointed out.

    "It's close," said Misty, who continued to scan the area. "But where?"

    "Dammit, it's all around us!" said Cav, who was starting to grow uneasy.

    "Calm down, everyone," said Clover. He could sense the unease growing amongst everyone, but he remained calm as he tried to find the source of the noise.

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*    ​

    The noise was growing louder, and it indeed seemed that it was coming from multiple places. However, nobody could see anything coming towards them. Clover couldn't accept such a situation, so he tried to think of a way to find his potential friend or foe. Fortunately, he was able to remember something important.

    "Mic, you said you had a motion tracker on your computer, right?" Clover asked his teammate.

    "That's right!" Mic said after a small gasp. He quickly looked to his computer screen and opened a motion tracker he installed recently. "Okay, everyone get behind me."

    Everyone obeyed and found themselves behind the brains of their team. Mic had a clear environment now, which he used to scan for anything coming his way. There was nothing in front of him, so he turned his body towards another corridor adjacent to the one he was in.

    "I got something," he said to his team. "Fifteen meters that way."

    Everyone behind Mic spread out and readied themselves for whatever was coming their way. Their weapons and blasters were armed and ready, and they were all pointed down the corridor Mic was scanning.

    "Ten meters," the computer specialist said.

    "Everyone get ready," said Clover, who held his weapon in hand.

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*    ​

    "Nine meters," Mic reported.

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*    ​

    "Eight."

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*    ​

    "Seven."

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*    ​

    "Six."

    Cav stopped looking down the hall when he heard this. "What?" he asked. "But that's right in our sight!"

    Everyone could see that six meters was directly in their line of sight. However, there was nothing in front of them that was visible.

    "Are you reading it wrong?" Misty asked.

    "It's reading right," Mic insisted. "Five meters."

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*

    *WHIR*

    *CREAK*    ​

    "What the hell?" Zuke asked. "Where is it?!"

    "There's nothing here, Mic!" Shrap yelled.

    "I know!" said Mic, who was growing frustrated himself. "I don't understand!"

    "Did we miss something?" Aero asked. "Something behind the walls?" Aero knew the kind of engineering work that was put into Amity, that entire walls had to be removed for new equipment.

    "These walls are solid," said Cav. "Nothing can get in there."

    "Something beneath us, then?" Misty asked. "On the lower floors of the tower?"

    "This sensor doesn't work underground," Mic replied. "It's detecting something in front of us."

    Clover didn't know what to think. Between not being able to see anybody in front of him and the fact that they weren't hiding in the walls or beneath the floor, Clover didn't know where to look. He almost considered the idea that someone was using a Semblance to hide from him and his team. And he was about to order everyone to shoot in the direction the unknown contact was coming from.

    Until he looked up at the ceiling.

    The rest of SCAR Squadron noticed what Clover was doing. The ceiling of the corridor could be opened, and there was a space for someone to walk through. Between that and the noise coming from all directions, it seemed to be the only spot where the contact could be.

    "Oh, hell," Shrap said before he turned to the large man beside him. "Zuke, give me a boost."

    As Zuke kneeled to give his teammate a boost to the ceiling, Shrap readied a flamethrower he was carrying and turned on a flashlight on the side of his helmet. Zuke then lifted Shrap up to the ceiling, where he opened a panel and prepared to move his head inside.

    This plan was cut short, however, when a metal claw with six prongs grabbed Sharp by the head and pulled him into the ceiling.

    *CRUNCH*​

    "AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Shrap yelled with a mixture of pain and fear as the claw crushed his helmet and pulled him upwards.

    "Shrap!" Zuke yelled as he tried to grab his friend. He had lost his grip when the claw grabbed Shrap, and Zuke desperately tried to reclaim it. But Shrap inadvertently released flames from his weapon and prevented Zuke from getting a grip.

    Between nearly being burned and seeing his teammate disappear, Zuke was at a loss for words. Clover, on the other hand, had the right words for his team.

    "Open fire!"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Multiple blasts shot into the ceiling and began to obliterate it. The importance of the equipment there didn't concern anyone, since their contact was clearly hostile. The firing went on for ten seconds before Clover ordered them to stop and look at the aftermath.

    "What the hell was that?!" Aero yelled.

    "And where's Shrap?!" Cav asked as he looked at the ceiling. "Is he still up there?!"

    *CREAK*

    *CRASH*    ​

    A falling piece of the ceiling answered Cav's question. A metal plate had fallen from the blaster fire, and it was accompanied by the limp body of Shrap. His armor had been partially scorched by the blaster fire, but his body had been well protected.

    But his neck had been broken, no doubt from the claw that grabbed his head.

    Everyone gasped at the sight of their dead comrade. Zuke felt personally responsible for not being able to catch him, but Clover also took responsibility. As team leader, he was responsible for the wellbeing of his teammates and friends.

    He couldn't save Shrap, but he could save everyone else.

    "Fall back," Clover said as he began to regain his bearings. "Fall back! Get to the arena!"

    Everyone followed the order without question. As they ran, they expected to be chased and hunted down by whatever had taken Shrap. Fortunately for them, SCAR Squadron found themselves back in the arena. There, they found Cinder and her friends waiting for them.

    "What happened?" Djarin asked. "We heard gunshots."

    "Where's Shrap?" asked Qrow, who noticed that one of the soldiers was missing. When he didn't get an answer, Qrow stepped towards the group and asked again. "Hey, what happened to-?"

    "Get back!" said Zuke, who pointed his gun directly at Qrow. "Get the hell back!"

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

    Qrow stepped back as fast as he could while he thrusted his hands in the air. He didn't know that something had scared Zuke, which wasn't normal for the large man. In fact, it wasn't normal for any members of SCAR Squadron to be scared.

    And yet, their body language made it look like they had seen a ghost.

    "You!" Cav said as he began to regain himself. "Were you all here?! Did you leave the area?!"

    "What?" Qrow asked. "What are you-?"

    "Answer me!" Cav took out one of his knives from his chest plate and moved closer to Qrow. "Where were you?!"

    Qrow and his friends were alarmed by Cav's accusation and threat. Djarin, Cinder, and the two Jedi all moved closer to Qrow to help, to try and calm Cav down before he hurt Qrow. But Clover beat them to the punch and pulled Cav away.

    "Cav, stop!" he said. "It wasn't them! It couldn't be!"

    "How do you know?!" Cav asked, growing more paranoid by the second. "I saw them move that core, they could have pulled Shrap into the ceiling!"

    "Didn't you see the claw? We're not alone here! Stand down until we know what we're dealing with!"

    Before Cav could reply, Cinder got everyone's attention after she burst into flames. Once she had everyone's attention, Cinder let the fire dissipate and asked the question on everyone's minds.

    "What is going on?!"

    "..."

    After everyone calmed down, including Cinder, Clover took it upon himself to explain what had happened. "Shrap," he began. "He... He's gone."

    Cinder's friends looked at one another in confusion as they heard this. "Gone?" Obi-Wan asked. "Gone how?"

    "Something... Something grabbed him. Pulled him into the ceiling."

    "And broke his neck," Zuke said angrily. "He's dead."

    Cinder and her friends gasped when they heard this. The news of someone dying was serious, but unfortunately not unheard of.

    "Something?" Revan repeated. "A Grimm?"

    "Or one of the Blairs?" Cinder asked.

    "We don't know!" Zuke yelled. "We don't know what it was!"

    "All we saw was this... this claw," said Aero. "It grabbed Shrap and pulled him up."

    "Wait!" said Mic, who began to type on his computer. "Maybe we can find out!" Mic began to walk around the area as he typed, which distanced himself from his friends. "If it's a Grimm, we might be able to find that claw in the academy's database. Then, we'll know what we're dealing with, and-"

    "Mic, look out!" Cinder yelled as she pointed above the soldier.

    Mic stopped typing and looked in the direction Cinder was pointing in. "Huh?"

    *CRASH*​

    "..."

    The warning had come too late.

    As Mic was explaining himself, Cinder saw something falling from the highest point of the room. She couldn't describe what it was, since its speed made it look like a white blur. Her first idea was a piece of equipment falling from above. But when she saw what it was that had landed on Mic, Cinder knew she was wrong.

    What fell on the soldier was much worse.

    Standing above the broken corpse of Mic was a figure, one that was standing up slowly and revealing a massive height. Its body was covered in what appeared to be a white hospital robe, and its face was covered by a white mask that made the figure appear more animal than man.

    The robe opened violently to reveal a mixture of machine and man. Its torso appeared to be human, with a thin metal plate covering a white shirt that was splattered in blood. Its arms and legs, however, were entirely mechanical. Not only did it have arms with six fingers on its hands, but it also had two long and curved legs with the same claws that had grabbed Shrap.

    Whatever this... thing was, it was no Grimm. And not only did it kill two of Clover's teammates: it was ready to kill again.

    The mechanical abomination suddenly pulled out two swords from the robe it was wearing. They were similar to Penny's swords, but they had a dull gray color rather than her green mixed with black and gold. The swords appeared to be prototypes, which could normally be found in a lab. With these swords, the monster launched itself towards Cinder and prepared to strike.

    "No!" Djarin yelled as he teleported to Cinder's side and pushed her out of the way. With his electric staff in hand, Djarin blocked the swords. He then blocked the fast strikes the creature delivered as best he could, though he began to falter.

    Obi-Wan and Revan activated their lightsabers and rushed to aid Djarin, where they also blocked the swords. After Qrow helped Cinder get up, they used Harbinger and the Darksaber to help their friends, where she was met by the same speed they were all trying to counter. Given that their lightsabers couldn't break the swords, it was clear that they were made out of Beskar.

    But that wasn't the only surprise.

    The torso of the creature began to spin at an alarming speed, which seemed completely impossible. Its legs remained stationary, but the spinning torso managed to spin the blades faster than before and put everyone on the defensive once more.

    The creature began to walk towards Djarin, who received the most strikes from the swords. Eventually, the swords caused his staff to break in half, which left him vulnerable to attack.

    Cinder, Qrow, Revan, and Obi-Wan managed to catch up to the creature once again, where they stopped him from hurting Djarin. But not only was the creature able to block the strikes, it was also able to move the swords to its clawed feet while it stood on its hands.

    It was unbelievable to watch, but SCAR Squadron couldn't deny what was happening. After they went to see if they could help Mic, they all turned to watch the fight going on.

    "What is that thing?!" Misty asked.

    "How is it doing that?!" Aero asked.

    Cav was growing angrier by the second, since two of his teammates had just died in front of him. "Who cares what it is?!" he said furiously. "Just kill it already!" Cav turned to Zuke, who had a large gun on his back. "Zuke, use your rocket launcher!"

    Zuke remembered his weapon and took it without question. Clover was about to protest that the rocket would hit everyone else, but Zuke's yell came first.

    "Fire in the hole!"

    *WHOOSH*​

    The warning was enough for Cinder and her friends to get out of the way. The Jedi jumped while Qrow turned into his avian form, while Djarin grabbed Cinder and teleported away via his Semblance. However, the creature had jumped as well, and missed the resulting explosion.

    The creature was now against a wall, where it stared at SCAR Squadron with vile intentions. Forgetting about its previous opponents, the creature launched itself off the wall and landed close to SCAR Squadron.

    *CRASH*​

    A cloud of dust and the force from the landing had knocked most of the team back. Zuke had managed to catch himself by turning his body into metal while Cav struck his knives into the ground. With his weapons now in hand, Cav charged at the monster and prepared for a close duel.

    As it did with Cinder and her friends, the mechanical creature was able to block Cav's knives with its swords. But Cav didn't give up; instead, he sliced at the creature's torso, hoping to break the thin plate that protected its chest. But it seemed that too was made of Beskar, and Cav could only scratch it.

    When Cav realized this, the soldier decided to try and strike at the mechanical hands. He had stabbed circuitry to disrupt electronics before, which was something he trained Mic to avoid. So he swung his left knife at the creature's hand, hoping to disarm it.

    However, the creature sensed the attack and created a perfect defense. Rather than letting Cav hit metal, the creature released its weapon and let Cav strike thin air. Because Cav couldn't stop the momentum, he overreached himself and had to catch himself before falling.

    This gave the creature the perfect chance to strike at Cav's knee, hitting a place where the plastoid material didn't cover.

    *SWISH*

    *SHICK*    ​

    "AAAAAHHH!" Cav yelled as he fell. He had been so used to his armor protecting him rather than his Aura that he failed to activate his Aura to block the strike. Now, a deep and life-threatening cut on his leg forced the man to kneel and attempt to heal himself.

    But the creature didn't give him a chance. Instead, with its other sword, the creature swung at Cav's neck and decapitated the soldier.

    *SHICK*​

    "Cav!" Clover yelled. Having lost a third member of his team, Clover finally gave in to anger and threw his fishing rod towards the creature. He had managed to make the wire wrap around the creature's torso, which made escape infeasible. Clover then pulled on the line to make his enemy come towards him, but the creature's claws sunk into the ground and refused to move.

    Instead, it pulled on Clover's weapon and made Clover come with it.

    Because of the speed, Clover couldn't help but move with his weapon. He didn't cross the entire distance to reach the creature, since he rolled on the ground after he lost his grip. The creature seized on the opportunity and rushed towards Clover, breaking the metal wire in the process.

    *SNAP*​

    Before Clover could get back up, he found himself pinned underneath the same clawed foot that killed Shrap. Instead of killing him quickly, the creature ripped off Clover's helmet and looked upon the fear on his face. Clover was indeed afraid, given that he had just watched three of his friends die. And now, all he could do was hope that his Semblance would bring some good fortune; that he would receive the help he desperately needed to survive. He was even willing to accept help from Cinder and her friends, even though tensions between them were high.

    But as he remained pinned on the ground, Clover didn't find himself getting what he wanted at first. However, in a strange way, he did get what he needed. Namely, he received the identity of his attacker.

    The mechanical creature was close to Clover's face now, and he could finally make close eye contact with it. Like its torso, the eyes staring back at Clover seemed to be human. They weren't artificial eyes like Penny's, and there appeared to be human grunts underneath the helmet.

    There were two things that stood out to Clover, however. First, the eyes beneath the mask had tears in them. Secondly, the eyes staring at Clover were blue.

    Not just any blue... but the same blue of General Ironwood's eyes.

    "...James?"

    *WHOOSH*​

    Clover's luck had finally paid off. Cinder and Djarin both unleashed fire upon the cyborg, which caused it to jump off Clover to avoid the flames. Djarin then teleported himself to Clover and helped him up.

    "We got him on the run!" Cinder said as she watched the cyborg move backwards.

    "I have a shot!" said Misty, who was pointing his rifle right at his enemy's head. "Let's end this!"

    As soon as Clover heard this, he did something that nobody expected. "No, wait!" he said as he grabbed the rifle.

    *BANG*​

    Clover had managed to push the rifle upwards, which caused Misty to fire a round at the ceiling of Amity rather than the cyborg. Everybody around Clover saw what he had done, yet nobody believed it.

    "Hey!" Misty said as he watched his shot miss. "What are you doing?!"

    "Are you nuts?!" Zuke asked.

    "What was that?!" Aero asked. "We had it!"

    Cinder and her friends joined with SCAR Squadron and prepared to attack once again. "Don't worry!" Cinder said as her eyes began to burn. "I can hit it from here with-"

    "No!" said Clover. "We can't hurt him!"

    "Him?" Revan asked.

    Clover knew what he said, and there was no taking it back now. Despite the questions he had and the impossibility it possessed, Clover had to speak the truth.

    "I... I saw its eyes," he said. "That thing, it's... it's the General."

    "What?!"

    Just as he expected, nobody could believe what Clover had said. They couldn't believe that a merciless killing machine was in fact General Ironwood, someone who worked with SCAR Squadron closely. It was true that his frustrations ran deep, but there was no way they could lead to murder.

    That was what they thought, until Obi-Wan used the Force.

    "I... I can sense him," the Jedi Master said. "He's right. It's James."

    Cinder looked at the cyborg once more and shook her head. "But... it can't be," she said.

    "It is," said Revan, who mimicked Obi-Wan's technique. "I sense it too."

    The realization and confirmation awoke many feelings within the team of warriors. Shock, disbelief, and anger were the most prominent, which led Qrow to take action. "James!" he yelled. "James, what are you doing?! Don't you recognize your friends?!"

    As soon as Qrow made this appeal, a sadistic and almost mechanical laughter filled the area. The sound was coming from Ironwood's direction, but he didn't appear to be laughing. Suddenly, the helmet Ironwood was wearing directed a light from the eyepieces. Similar to the new Scrolls Atlas developed, the light began to create a large and moving image.

    One that showed Arthur Watts sitting at a computer and smiling.

    "I believe the question you should be asking, gentlemen... is if you recognize your enemy!" Arthur said from his current position.

    Qrow had never met the doctor, but Djarin recognized him in a heartbeat. "Watts?" he asked in disbelief. Much time had passed since the last time they saw each other, but Djarin never forgot a face.

    "Ah, so you do remember my name," Watts replied with a chuckle. "A pity I can't remember yours, Mandalorian." Watts began to press keys on the computer, which was followed by Ironwood spinning his swords once again. And after a few more touches, General Ironwood charged towards the group once more.

    Watts was still at the academy, where he was joined by Merri. Together, they watched General Ironwood attack his friends while they laughed their heads off. Between this laughter and the continued typing on whatever computer Watts was using, Clover could see what was happening.

    Somehow... Watts had taken control of the General.

    "No..." Clover said as he realized what was happening. "Watts! What have you done, you maniac?!"

    "Maniac?" Watts replied sarcastically. "Would a maniac have crafted James here into the perfect weapon? Upgraded his cybernetics to respond five times faster than normal limbs? It wasn't hard, thanks to my lovely assistant."

    Merri moved closer to the screen as she laughed. "He's right, you know," she said proudly. "I bet you already knew that, didn't you, Cinder?"

    "..."

    Ironwood's head turned towards Cinder, who was just as dumbfounded as her friends. But now that she was making eye contact with Merri, all she could feel as her powers built up was anger.

    "We both know Ironwood was already going crazy," Merri said as she rubbed her victory in Cinder's face. "With a little surgery and reprogramming, he got that push he needed." Merri moved towards a button that made Ironwood charge once more, where he made contact with the Darksaber and an angry Cinder.

    "You're welcome."

    Winter and Penny had arrived in Fria's hospital room, where they began to work carefully. The room had a bed, paintings, and a small counter that made it look like a kitchen, but there were two more objects inside.

    Towards the right of the bed, there were two pods that were large enough to fit a person inside. A long time ago, they were created by Atlas and Ozpin for the Maidens. Their purpose was the transfer of power, where one Maiden would go into a pod and give her powers to another young woman in the second pod. The second pod was meant for transference, while the first pod was for... euthanasia.

    Cinder had seen similar pods at Beacon before, and Ozpin knew he had to divulge their purpose to the Fall Maiden. The truth scared her, since she was only a child at the time, but Ozpin explained that they were only to be used in emergencies. Namely, when a Maiden was either too old or too injured to use the powers again.

    Fria had fallen into the first category, since Ironwood had decided he needed the Winter Maiden now. While he and Winter regretted the fact that Fria would need to be euthanized, they were prepared to carry out the decision.

    And yet, Winter was having similar thoughts Cinder had the day she learned about the machines.

    "I hope it will painless for her," Winter said as she looked upon the pods.

    Penny was still helping Winter, and she was looking at the pods diagnostics on her Scroll. "You said your personal feelings do not matter," she responded. Despite helping Winter, Penny couldn't help but feel bitter towards Ironwood's plan and carrying out the task of ending Fria's life.

    Winter understood, so she explained herself more as she looked at the machines. "They won't change my actions. What I'm committed to. The power of the Winter Maiden and the Relic must be kept from our enemies. Even if it means she dies."

    "..."

    As Penny thought about this, Winter walked towards the machines and gave her something else to think about. "But, yes, Penny, we must still acknowledge our personal feelings. Wrestle with them. It ensures us that we're on the right path. It's what makes us human."

    "..."

    Penny focused on the last part of that sentence. This was perhaps the first time someone had called her "human," despite her true nature. And she had done nothing but wrestle with her feelings towards this mission. If what Winter was saying was true, then she was becoming more human every day.

    Because of this, Penny had one more personal feeling to acknowledge.

    "Will this help Cinder's plan?" Penny asked. "If we pursue her course of action?"

    Winter had to admit that Penny asked a good question, since they still hadn't heard anything from Ironwood or Cinder. "It may," Winter replied. "If she still wants to lure herself and the Winter Maiden away... then this may help with-"

    "Winter! Winter, are you there?!"

    A voice in her earpiece made Winter lose focus on Penny. She recognized the voice to be Cinder's, and recalled how she gave her friend her communication channel when they were in the village of Essen. Between not knowing about the future of Atlas and Cinder's voice sounding frantic, Winter acknowledged the call and put two fingers to her earpiece.

    "Cinder?" Winter asked. "What are you doing?"

    "Winter, listen to me!" Cinder implored. "Watts did something to General Ironwood! He's trying to kill us and bring down Amity!"

    "What?"

    Winter didn't believe what she heard. She knew the General had a different idea about Amity, but the idea of him trying to kill Cinder sounded absurd. Winter was sure that Ironwood would never do something like that, but Cinder was insistent.

    "We need help!" Cinder replied without explaining more.

    Penny had also lost focus on Fria, since Winter had said Cinder's name. "Is that Cinder?" she asked. "What is going on?"

    Despite the fact that Winter was skeptical about Ironwood being involved, she was willing to help her friend. "Hold on, Cinder," Winter said before she turned to Penny. "There's some kind of trouble at Amity."

    "Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

    "I don't know, she... she said the General might be involved." Winter turned towards the pods, where Firs was still resting. "I should have everything under control here. Can you help Cinder?"

    "I-"

    *BOOM*​

    The sound of an explosion made Winter and Penny turn towards the exit of the room. The room began to shake, which demonstrated how close the explosion was.

    "What was that?" Winter asked.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Two more explosions and the continued shaking of the room made Winter decided to go and investigate. Cinder was still talking to Winter, but Winter couldn't answer. Instead, she looked down the hall to see red lights and destroyed Atlesian Knights.

    And a familiar young girl at the end of the hall.

    Fauna Blair smiled as she looked upon Winter. Knowing that her search was over, Fauna snapped her fingers to have Durge join her. Once he did, the assassin raised a rocket launcher towards the scared human and prepared to fire.

    Winter rushed back into the room and locked the door, but another explosion destroyed the door and knocked her back.

    *BOOM*​

    When the dust settled, Fauna stepped in first and examined the area. She took note of the Winter Maiden in the pod, but her focus was on Winter and Penny. "Hmm..." Fauna hummed gleefully. "Both of Ironwood's puppets. Lucky me."

    Winter got off the ground quickly and drew her sword to the hybrid. "Fauna Blair," she said, correctly identifying the creature before her.

    Penny also remembered Fauna, along with what she did. "You were responsible for what happened at Beacon," she said. "For what happened to me."

    "Oh, don't blame me," Fauna retorted. "It's not my fault the Mandalorians wanted your Beskar." Fauna pulled out her sickle and stepped aside for Durge to step in. "Now stand aside or my friend here will make sure there's nothing left to salvage this time." Durge cracked his knuckles and neck as he prepared to fight Penny. "What do you think of that?"

    "..."

    Penny took a moment to think about it. She was afraid of being torn apart once more, and the man before her was certainly capable of doing so. "I think..." she began as she dwelled on her fear. This didn't last long, however, when she looked upon Winter's determined face. Knowing that she wouldn't be alone this time, Penny activated her swords and took a fighting stance before her enemies.

    "It gives me personal feelings."

    "Say that again, Qrow? What's going on?"

    "James is being controlled by Watts! I don't know how he did it, but he's making James attack us! We need help!"

    Like Winter, Ozpin received a call from Amity. He and Pietro were previously investigating the cause of alarms being raised, where they learned about a prison breakout. The Atlesian security forces were able to track down the less dangerous prisoners, but Pietro noted that the higher profile prisoners, Salem's forces, were missing.

    And security footage showed who was responsible for their release.

    Ozpin's plan was to try and find whoever had been freed, but this plan was put on hold when he received a troubling call from Qrow. Pietro could hear the whole thing, and he looked at the security cameras to find Watts' cell.

    He found it, but there was nobody inside.

    "My Gods, he's right," Pietro said in shock. "Arthur's been freed!"

    Ozpin acknowledged this and began to take the threat very seriously. However, he was able to think of a plan quickly. Thankfully, it was a continuation of his old plan.

    "Qrow, Dr. Polendina and I will find Arthur Watts," Ozpin said into his Scroll. "Whatever he's doing to James, we'll stop it."

    "Do whatever you gotta do, Oz!" Qrow acknowledged from Amity. "None of us wanna hurt him, but James isn't giving us a lot of options!"

    The call ended abruptly, no doubt from Qrow needing to get back in the fight. Ozpin understood this, so he focused on the task he had given himself. It was rather fortunate that his present company was a scientist, someone who had a better understanding of this kind of problem than he did.

    "Doctor," Ozpin began as calmly as he could. "How bad is this?"

    Pietro sighed as he shook his head. "It's not just bad," the old man replied. "It's unthinkable. Quite literally, in fact. I've never heard of anyone attempting to hack into prosthetic limbs before." Pietro then remembered two things. "But if anyone can do that, it would have to be Arthur. And the General's prosthetics are... unique, as you may have seen."

    "I have. Is there a way to undo what's been done to James?"

    "Undo? I would have to think about that some more. But we can definitely stop it, if Watts is controlling James remotely. We just have to find him."

    "Indeed. Where do you think he would be?"

    Pietro knew that Watts could be anywhere in the academy by now. He wouldn't risk being mobile, since the academy's computer systems were the best in the Kingdom. However, there were thousands of systems within the school. Finding one that Watts had commandeered would be difficult.

    Unless he had the right help.

    Pietro quickly extended a screen on his chair and began to type quickly. "I'm telling R2 to scan our network," he said. "Arthur may have covered his tracks, so finding unauthorized access might be hard. So R2 will be looking for any logins that happened within the past hour. With any luck, there won't be too many with the chaos in Mantle going on."

    "How long will that take?" Ozpin asked.

    "Not long, I hope. But we should make our way back to the rest of the academy." Pietro took a look around to see where they were. "I don't believe we'll find any computers Arthur would need here."

    When Ozpin remembered that he and Pietro were close to the brig, he agreed. "Very well. But... I'm afraid we are in a hurry."

    "..."

    Whike they were looking for prisoners, Ozpin and Pietro had chosen to walk slowly and carefully through the halls. Not only did they want to tread lightly in case they were attacked, but Pietro was still in his chair. He hadn't been able to walk by himself without assistance for some time, but the chair was able to help with that. However, this situation didn't exactly call for walking.

    "Ah," Pietro said as he understood what Ozpin meant. "Don't worry, I'll take care of that." After pressing a few buttons on his armrest, a seatbelt emerged that buckled Pietro in. He then slid a single finger across the screen and stopped. "There. I'll be able to keep up now."

    Ozpin wasn't sure what Pietro had done, but he was sure that the scientist knew what he was doing. "Very well. Let us proceed."

    Ozpin took off running quickly, where he was soon joined by Pietro. The mechanical chair was running now, courtesy of Pietro changing the speed that it could move. Now Pietro could keep up with Ozpin, while being safe and sound in his chair.

    Now there was one more thing to handle.

    "I don't have Watts' location yet, Professor!" Pietro said. "Where are we going?"

    "Back to your lab!" Ozpin said. "There's something there that we may be able to use to help James."

    "I'll look, but I can't guarantee-"

    *CLICK*​

    "Don't. Move."

    "..."

    Ozpin and Pietro had been stopped by the sound of a gun and a woman's voice from behind them. They didn't turn around at the risk of being shot, but Ozpin was able to determine the identity of the woman.

    "Hello, Bo-Katan," he said calmly.

    "..."

    The woman with the gun was indeed Bo-Katan, who had managed to find her Mandalorian armor locked away. None of it had been damaged or smelted down, which Bo-Katan was deeply thankful for. Despite this, Bo-Katan wasn't very trusting of anyone at the moment. Especially someone who was complacent in her imprisonment.

    "I can assure you, I mean you no harm," said Ozpin. He remained as still as a statue, while Pietro followed his lead.

    "Why else would you be down here?" Bo-Katan asked. "I'm willing to bet it's not a social call."

    "Indeed. But if the security footage Dr. Polendina found is true, then we have you to thank for the alarms."

    "..."

    Ozpin had a good feeling that reminding Bo-Katan of her innocence, something he saw for himself, would help establish some trust. "May I turn around?" he asked.

    "...Slowly," Bo-Katan decided.

    Ozpin did as he was told and found himself facing Bo-Katan's blue and white Mandalorian helmet. The sight didn't intimidate him, he only continued his efforts to win trust. "I also saw you with Salem's allies," Ozpin claimed. "We can help each other, Bo-Katan."

    "The only way you can help me is by pointing me in the right direction of the one who freed me," the Mandalorian retorted. "I know who he is. And what he did to me."

    "As do I. But you won't found him here."

    "..."

    Ozpin and Pietro had a feeling that Bo-Katan's silence was an indicator that she was skeptical of this claim. Fortunately, Pietro had a way to prove that Ozpin was telling the truth.

    "It's true," he said as calmly as he could. "I've been keeping my eye on the security cameras. We were able to trace the man's steps. But after a while, he vanished."

    Bo-Katan finally lowered her gun in frustration. "Damn it," she said. "How does he keep doing this?"

    "He's very well trained," said Ozpin. He continued to remain as still as he could, refusing to betray Bo-Katan's trust. "But after everything you've learned, everything you heard... I believe you know where your sister's killer will be going."

    A small glimmer of hope came to Bo-Katan. It seemed rather obvious, and she felt foolish for not realizing it earlier. However, Bo-Katan was able to understand where her enemy was going.

    "Kenobi," she said. "He's going after him."

    "Yes," said Ozpin. "But he's in another kind trouble now. One that we can stop if we act now."

    Bo-Katan felt that she had taken one step forward, but now she felt like she took two steps back. Nevertheless, she knew she had to press on. "...Fine. But I'm taking my shot when I see it."

    "It will be yours."

    Pietro suddenly interrupted the moment when he saw a message from R2. "Yes!" he said. "We have a lead!"

    "A lead on what?" Bo-Katan asked. She recalled hearing that her sister's murderer was gone, so now she was wondering if that was true.

    "We'll explain on the way," Ozpin promised. "Lead the way, Dr. Polendina."

    Pietro obeyed without question and moved quickly through the halls. With that, Bo-Katan followed Ozpin's lead and found herself running through the halls. "This better be worth it," she thought to herself.

    Despite the best efforts of Ozpin and Pietro, things at Amity were changing from bad to worse.

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    The Huntsmen, the Mandalorians, and the Jedi were doing their best to detain Ironwood without hurting him. But everything Watts had done had made the General hold his own.

    To say that Watts had outdone himself with Ironwood's transformation would be an understatement. Despite his imprisonment, Watts had been given the chance to continue his work in robotics and computers in exchange for better living conditions. Because of this trade, Watts had many lethal upgrades to prosthetics that were meant for soldiers. He had attached these upgrades to Ironwood when the General was sedated, and Watts' natural programming skills allowed him remote control over everything. He even crafted a helmet that prevented Ironwood from speaking.

    The only thing that Watts refused to change was Ironwood's eyes. The helmet gave his head protection for a longer duel, and Ironwood could see everything that Watts was making him do.

    And he loathed every second of it.

    Ironwood had unwillingly killed serval of his men, and now he was hurting his closest friends. He hoped that one strike and one bullet would end it all, whether it was his cybernetics or his life.

    But Watts' work was too good. It was so good that Ironwood was even able to keep up with Cinder's Maiden powers. He ran fast enough to dodge fire, the claws on his feet dug into ice that was supposed to make him slip, and the wind hardly affected him.

    Ironwood was even able to block the Darksaber with the prototype swords and kick Cinder.

    *BAM*​

    "Oof!" Cinder grunted as she slid back. She hadn't been defeated yet, but she knew she would need help. "He's too fast!"

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Aero and Misty were doing their best to shoot Ironwood, but every shot they fired missed. "No kidding!" said Misty.

    Qrow had changed from a bird to his human form when he saw what his friend was doing. "He's going for the core!" he said as he watched Ironwood run and jump towards Amity's crucial component. He had the two prototype swords in hand, and he was ready to destroy the core.

    But Obi-Wan was able to stop that by Force-pushing Ironwood into a wall.

    *CRASH*​

    The collision was stronger than Obi-Wan had anticipated, since Ironwood went through the wall. "Forgive me, James," he said regretfully.

    "I'll get him!" said Zuke. He charged at Ironwood and turned his entire body into metal. Rather than use a gun, Zuke knew he could use his body as a weapon. And right before Ironwood could get up, Zuke tackled the cyborg and held on tight.

    *BAM*​

    "I got him!" Zuke said as he wrapped his arms around Ironwood's torso. "Sorry, sir! But this is for your own good!"

    As he felt Zuke's iron-like grip around his body, Ironwood became grateful. He finally believed that his nightmare was over, and that his best team of Huntsmen had finally stopped his rampage. He knew his faith in SCAR Squadron was not misplaced, and now he was ready to do whatever was necessary to go back to normal.

    "Oh, dear," said Watts, who was still watching the whole thing. "We can't have that, now can we?"

    *CRACKLE*

    *CRACKLE*    ​

    Ironwood and Zuke looked down towards the cybernetic leg to see that it was holding an exposed wire. Since the leg was able to act like a hand, Watts could make Ironwood hold the wire easily and move it towards Zuke.

    "Wha-?"

    *ZAP*​

    "GUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

    Zuke's metal body had left himself vulnerable to electric and lethal shocks, which caused him to let go of Ironwood and howl in pain. The last thing he did was fall to the floor, dead as a doornail.

    *THUD*​

    "No!" Clover yelled as he watched yet another one of his teammates fall.

    Revan shared Clover's pain, and now he was ready to finish this duel once and for all. "Obi-Wan, with me!" he yelled as he rushed towards Ironwood with his purple lightsaber. Purple and blue soon clashed with the metal, once Watts made Ironwood let go of the wire and stand upright.

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    As the lightsabers made contact with the Beskar, Watts quickly pressed the buttons on his keyboard and made Ironwood keep up. "You're wasting your time, gentlemen," he said. "Unlike flesh and bone, metal and wire don't tire easily. And I can type on this keyboard all night."

    Obi-Wan and Revan were indeed getting tired from their efforts and injuries sustained. However, their spirits did not falter. "Artificial enhancements are no substitute for the human soul," said Revan. "Or the Force!"

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    As luck would have it, Watts faltered and found himself between a rock and a hard place. With the Force and their combined strength, Obi-Wan and Revan were able to lock blades with the prototype swords and make Ironwood stop moving them.

    Watts was having trouble on his end pushing back, and he could even see that Ironwood's body was straining against the weight. He considered the idea of kicking them, but Watts knew that would raise Ironwood's chances of falling under the weight.

    Djarin could see what was happening, so he called to his allies. "They got him!" he said. "Now's our chance!" Everyone behind him all rushed towards Obi-Wan and Revan to help them.

    "It's over, Watts," said Obi-Wan. "You can't escape us now."

    Watts knew that Ironwood was outnumbered, but he wasn't giving up just yet. "Well played," he said. "You truly know the value of teamwork, my friend. You know... my father always said that four hands work faster than two. I see you know how to use that expression."

    "..."

    "And so do I."

    With the single push of a computer key, everything turned into chaos.

    *CLICK*

    *CLICK*    ​

    Like magic, Ironwood's new mechanical arms split into two. Instead of two arms like every human and Faunus had, Ironwood was now sporting four arms with three fingers on each hand. The upper arms were still holding their own against the two lightsabers, but the lower arms had just pulled out two more prototype swords.

    And Watts utilized them without mercy.

    *SHICK*

    *SHICK*    ​

    Before they could block the swords or take their Aura back from their weapons, Obi-Wan and Revan received very palpable hits from Ironwood. They were forced to drop their weapons and fall to the ground, which left everyone else exposed.

    "Oh, no," said Clover. "Get back! Everyone get back!"

    Everyone heard the command, but they were too late to follow it. Ironwood moved quickly across the area, where he first made contact with Qrow. The Huntsman tried to block the four swords with Harbinger, but Watts was able to land yet another palpable hit.

    *SHICK*​

    Qrow's Aura was able to protect him from lethal damage, but the four swords still hurt him. Djarin tried using the staff Ironwood broke as electric batons, but they were no match for the four swords.

    *SHICK*​

    Beskar scratched on Beskar as the swords hit Djarin's armor. When this didn't hurt him, Watts settled on Ironwood grabbing Djarin by the leg and throwing him into a wall.

    *CRASH*​

    Clover tried to form his remaining teammates into a joint attack, but he couldn't join them when Ironwood threw one of the swords to Clover.

    *CRACK*​

    The sword had broken a piece of Clover's armor, but Clover's Semblance allowed it to hit his shoulder rather than his head or chest. However, the force behind the throw had made Clover travel with the sword, and he soon found himself pinned to the wall.

    Misty and Aero found themselves facing their enemy alone. Misty used his Semblance to travel to a higher vantage point while Aero used his Semblance to slow down the General. He knew that Cinder had failed to use ice to slow Ironwood down before, but Aero was desperate.

    Cold breath emerged from Aero's helmet and moved towards Ironwood, which began to create a strong frost around the metal. Misty planned to shoot the frozen Ironwood with a strong blast from his rifle, in the hope of breaking the limbs or taking him out of commission.

    Watts saw that the frost was having an effect on Ironwood, even though he had built the cybernetics to survive in any environment. But the frost had given him an idea; a way to lure his enemies even closer and finish them off.

    Rather than attack once more, Watts made Ironwood lean excessively forward towards the cold wind. The helmet he was wearing had a lot of frost and ice on it, which almost made it look frozen. Just as Watts hoped, Misty recognized the opportunity before him and took aim at the helmet. It was a risky shot, but the reward was too great to pass up.

    *BANG*

    *CRACK*    ​

    "GUUUUHHHHHH!"

    "..."

    With the helmet now destroyed, and Ironwood breathing heavily, a moment of reprieve had come for everyone. Cinder was helping her father and Qrow get back up, so they all saw what happened. Obi-Wan and Revan had healed their wounds, and they also saw that Ironwood's helmet had been destroyed.

    And from the look of it, Ironwood was free.

    "General," Aero said as he watched Ironwood breathe in and out. The limbs had stopped moving as well, which gave the indication that Watts couldn't control him anymore. "Misty, give me a hand!"

    Misty flew back to the ground and rushed to General Ironwood's side. He and Aero grabbed Ironwood's arms before he could fall, and they began to carry him.

    "We got you, sir," said Misty.

    "It's alright, everyone!" Aero yelled to the group. "We have him!"

    When they saw what was happening, everyone became relieved. Not only was Ironwood still alive, but he was finally released from Watts' control. Now they could focus on healing and helping each other once more. Obi-Wan and Revan helped with this by carefully removing the sword in Clover's shoulder.

    Peace had come to Amity, but not everyone could enjoy it. Ironwood remembered everything that happened to him and everything he did for Watts. His guilt was undeniable; killing his own men was not only an act of murder, but an act of treason. If one of Ironwood's men had committed treason, Ironwood would either have them arrested or shot.

    But for he himself to commit such an act was different. For the first time in a long time... Ironwood didn't know what to do.

    "Misty... Aero," Ironwood uttered, finally being able to speak once again. "I-"

    "Don't talk, sir," said Misty. "Save your strength."

    "We'll get you out of here," said Aero. "We'll take you to a doctor, someone who can get you back to normal."

    "..."

    Ironwood took comfort in the loyalty of his men. That, and the fact that he couldn't feel Watts moving his arms and legs anymore. With a little luck, things would be back to the way they were.

    *REE*​

    A high-pitched noise emerged from one of Amity's screens. Together, everyone looked at the screen to see Watts and Merri once more.

    "Ah, there we are," said Watts, who had effortlessly hacked into the cameras of Amity Colosseum. "Now, where were we?"

    Ironwood felt his arms move once more, which caught Aero and Misty by complete surprise. Because of this, Watts was able to dispose of the soldiers by snapping their necks quickly.

    *SNAP*

    *CRACK*    ​

    "NO!" Ironwood yelled as he watched two more of his soldiers die. Cinder and her friends were just as surprised and remorseful, though Watts' next statement prevented them from saying anything about it.

    "Oh, dear," said Watts. "Did you think the helmet was James' control module?" Watts and Merri laughed once again as Ironwood took out his four swords once more.

    "Let's finish them quickly," said Merri. "We still have two Relics to find."

    "As you wish."

    Ironwood began to charge at the group once again. His helmet wasn't preventing him from speaking this time, so he was able to yell clearly to his remaining friends.

    "Look out!"

    *BAM*​

    Thankfully, Ironwood's swords hit the ground instead of any more of his friends. Everyone had gotten out of the way quickly. Cinder found herself to be closest to Ironwood, who Merri wanted to finish while she had the chance.

    Cinder quickly held the Darksaber in her hand and blocked one of the swords. Unlike this time, she could speak to the General and try to help him.

    "General Ironwood!" Cinder said to his face. "Help us!"

    "Cinder!" Ironwood said in return. "Get away from me! As far as you can!" Ironwood couldn't help but swing more swords at Cinder, just like he couldn't stop the tears falling down his cheeks. "I can't control myself!"

    Djarin joined the fight with his daughter, and found himself blocking a sword with what was left of his staff. "We can't leave, James!" he said. "And we can't leave you behind either!"

    "You have to!" Ironwood cried. "I've killed enough of my men, I can't kill you too!"

    Qrow jumped in and blocked another sword before it could hit Djarin. "Don't worry about us!" he said. "We've never gone down easy before!"

    Obi-Wan and Revan joined the fight as well, and used the Force to make Ironwood back away from his unwitting opponents. "And we can help you!" Obi-Wan said as he held Ironwood in place. "Perhaps those limbs can break if-!"

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    Ironwood threw his swords at both Jedi to prevent them from doing anything else. Obi-Wan and Revan dodged the blades, but let go of Ironwood and gave Watts a chance to move away from the Jedi. After seeing what they could do, Watts believed moving away from the Jedi was better than letting them use the Force to crush the limbs he could control.

    To put Ironwood at a distance, Watts directed Ironwood to climb towards the ceiling of Amity, which was no easy feat. Djarin, Qrow, and Cinder were the only ones who possessed flight, so they took off after Ironwood while Obi-Wan and Revan helped Clover.

    Ironwood was standing upside down on the ceiling of Amity. The first person he met up there was Cinder, who was the first to catch up to him.

    "Stay away from me!" Ironwood warned. "I don't want to kill anybody else, Cinder!"

    "But Obi-Wan was right!" Cinder replied. "There has to be some way to stop whatever Watts is doing to you!"

    "Cinder's right!" said Djarin, who kept his distance from Ironwood. "We saw the metal around your chest! Maybe that's the cause!"

    "It isn't!" Ironwood replied. "I can still feel whatever's left of my left arm and leg! The flesh isn't controlling it!"

    "So think harder!" said Qrow. He couldn't float in the air like Djarin or Cinder, so she stabbed Harbinger into the metal part of the ceiling. "Come on, James! Don't tell us your stubbornness finally met its match!" The last statement was a mixture of pleading and humor, since Qrow had seen a lot of the General's stubborn nature.

    Oddly, it was this statement that caused two things. Not only did Ironwood begin to think harder, but Watts also made his puppet move to attack Qrow. He couldn't allow threats to his project to exist, so Watts tried to kill Qrow. Thankfully, Qrow was able to turn back into a bird and fly away from the danger.

    Cinder and Djarin also flew away to put themselves at a distance from Ironwood's swords. They didn't know how long they could keep this up, but Ironwood showed them they didn't have to.

    "My neural interface," he realized. None of his friends heard him, so he spoke louder. "My neural interface! On my forehead!" Ironwood was referring to the metal piece on the right side of his forehead. It controlled the metal half of his body, the one he received after the incident in Nevarro.

    Since Ironwood still had that metal half of his torso, there was a good chance it controlled his new limbs.

    "That's it!" said Djarin. He didn't know much about Atlesian prosthetics, but Djarin had a feeling Ironwood was right. "How do we break it?"

    Ironwood looked to the Fall Maiden before him. "Use your powers, Cinder!" he said. "A strong electric shock should take it out of commission!"

    Cinder was capable of generating electricity, but she was reluctant. "But... But it might kill you!" she said.

    Ironwood was well aware of the risk, but anything was better than living like he was. "Cinder, please!" he begged. "I can't live like this!"

    Djarin understood Cinder's reluctance, but he knew this was the only way. "Cinder, it'll be alright!" he said. "If anyone can do this, it's you!"

    "..."

    Ironwood lunged at Cinder this time, but the Maiden was able to back away. And Ironwood was still able to speak, so he used the little freedom he had to display the trust he had in her.

    "He's right, Cinder!" Ironwood said. "You can do this! And I promise it'll be alright! I swear to the Gods it'll be alright! Just help me! Please!"

    "..."

    Cinder knew that her plan for leaving Atlas with Amity would draw skepticism, but she hated this idea more than anything. Ever since she inadvertently hurt her father, Cinder swore that she would never use her powers on an ally or innocent person. She didn't want to break that promise with Ironwood, or anyone for that matter.

    And yet, Cinder understood that striking Ironwood down was the only way to make him stop.

    "...I'm sorry," she said as lightning erupted from her hand.

    *ZAP*​

    The pain was hard to endure, since Ironwood refused to engage his Aura. He had burned before, but burning via electricity was entirely different. Ironwood didn't expect the lightning to travel across his whole body, and he wished that it would end soon. But the General didn't do anything to make it stop.

    Not when it was working.

    *CRACK*

    *CRACK*    ​

    Ironwood could feel the neural interface to the metal on his body begin to crack. The lack of helmet and Aura left this piece of circuitry exposed, and it was indeed the receiver of Watts' commands. Without it, Ironwood would be free.

    "No!" Watts yelled as he saw red warning lights on his screen.

    *CRACK*

    *SNAP*    ​

    Cinder stopped the lightning when she saw Ironwood's neural interface finally shatter. Just as he hoped, Ironwood was no longer under Watts' control. He couldn't move his arms or legs, but neither could the mad scientist.

    General Ironwood was free.

    This freedom, unfortunately, came with unconscious and an inability to remain on the ceiling. Gravity sent the General towards the ground, much too fast for Djarin and Cinder to move.

    "Quick, catch him!" Djarin yelled as he moved downwards.

    Obi-Wan quickly reached his hand towards the ceiling and used the Force. This allowed him to catch Ironwood with ease and gently guide him to the ground. "I have him!" he said to his friends.

    As Ironwood's body touched the ground, everyone in the room rushed towards him to see the aftermath. Given his unconscious state, everyone believed they were safe from another attack at Ironwood's unwitting hands.

    And despite being attacked and nearly killed, it was Clover who worried the most about Ironwood. As soon as he was in the area, Clover reached down and checked the General's neck. After placing two fingers and waiting for a few seconds, Clover moved to the other side and repeated the motion. He wasn't a medic, but Clover was able to report Ironwood's status.

    "He's still alive."

    Cinder let out a sigh of relief when she heard this. Between the electricity and the fall, Cinder was expecting Ironwood to be either dead or on Death's doorstep. To hear the opposite was a godsend, one that felt better with Djarin's encouragement.

    "It's okay, Cinder," he said. "It'll be okay."

    "..."

    The duel was over and the General was saved, but Clover knew that nothing about this was okay. His leader, the man he looked up to the most, had become a puppet in Salem's game. Not only that, but Ironwood had been tortured and been set out to destroy what he had created.

    Because of that, Clover's entire team had been killed. And there was only one person responsible.

    "You," Clover said as he turned to the giant screen. "You... are going to pay." Clover stood up and pointed directly at Watts. "For everyone you just killed!"

    "..."

    Everyone understood how Clover felt. Qrow empathized with Clover greatly, since he knew what it was like to lose a teammate. For Clover to lose his whole team was worse, but Qrow could still relate to Clover.

    So he took pleasure in seeing Watts look frustrated.

    "Oh, bloody Hell," said Watts. "This has been a disaster."

    "Don't beat yourself up, Doctor," Merri said with a grin. "We still have our contingency."

    "Ah, yes! Here we are."

    *BEEP*

    *CREAK*    ​

    After Watts pressed another key, everyone heard the metal plate on Ironwood's chest open. There, they could see a red light begin to flash repeatedly. Watts couldn't control Ironwood anymore, but the bomb in his chest was still able to work as intended.

    And now, it was about to make a large explosion.

    "Say farewell to each other," Watts gloated. "While you still can."

    "STOP!"

    "..."

    Watts and Merri were forced to turn around when they heard the sound of an intruder. When they did, they found themselves face-to-face with Ozpin, Pietro, and Bo-Katan. Pietro knew he wouldn't be of much help, so he allowed Ozpin and Bo-Katan to take the lead with their respective weapons.

    Merri snarled at Ozpin, who she hated just as much as her mother did. Before she could attempt to attack, however, Watts signaled for Merri to move back while he attempted to take control of the situation.

    "Ah, as I live and breathe," the doctor mockingly said. "Professor Ozpin, in the flesh. Or may I call you 'Ozma?'"

    Ozpin paid no attention to the fact that Watts knew his true name and focused on what was important. "Release the General," Ozpin demanded. "Now."

    Watts didn't take the order seriously, since he believed that he had already won. Instead, he sneered at Pietro. "And Pietro, my old friend. Looking fatter than ever." Watts pointed at the mechanical chair. "What is that supposed to be? A walking wheelchair? Bloody Hell, you stupid old man. What's next, shoes that make you dance?"

    Pietro was a more humble man than Watts, but he didn't take kindly to being insulted. "I wouldn't act so high and mighty, Arthur," he warned. "I found you, didn't I?"

    "Hardly a surprise, Pietro. I was bound to be found sooner or later. But I'm afraid you arrived too late."

    Everyone at Amity could see and hear what was happening. They knew it was a two way communication, so they decided to use the chance they had. "Oz!" Qrow called out. "If you can hear me, James is down!"

    "And there's a flashing red light on his chest!" Djarin called out. "Watts rigged the prosthetics to explode!"

    Ozpin heard this loud and clear, which made him tempted to attack Watts with everything he had. But between a hybrid being able to transform into flesh-eating flies at will and the fact that Watts knew how the bomb worked, Ozpin held back his strength for the moment.

    Bo-Katan also held back her strength, but not without warning.

    "Turn off whatever bomb you have up there," she said. "Or you're about to take a deep breath through your forehead."

    "I don't think so," Watts replied with a grin. His body began to shine in a green color, indicating that he had a fully charged Aura. "I'm well protected." He then moved his hand over a single button on the keypad he had been using. "And if you shoot me, my hand slips over this button. After that-"

    "You can say goodbye to your science project," Merri said with a grin. "And your precious Maiden." Merri let a few Botflies fly off her body to remind everyone of her ability to change forms.

    Like Watts, Merri believed that she had won this duel. That the fall of Amity would be the prelude to the fall of Atlas. And with the Winter Maiden in their possession, Merri was confident that this battle would be over before it even begun.

    But Ozpin was never one to give up easily.

    "Dr. Polendina, Ms. Kryze... I suggest you both leave," Ozpin said as he extended his cane closer to Watts and Merri. "As for you two, I suggest you step away from that computer."

    Watts laughed as he rolled his eyes. "Do you think I'm stupid?" Watts asked. "You don't have any cards to play."

    "I'm afraid you're wrong, Dr. Watts. You're looking at my last card right now." Ozpin gestured towards his cane, which made Watts laugh again.

    "Ha, ha, ha! How so?"

    "Do you think you're the only one with a bomb?"

    "..."

    Once he had Watts' attention, Ozpin turned to his allies again. "Get out," he said. "Right now."

    Bo-Katan looked to Ozpin and his cane, but saw no sight of a bomb. "Wait, are you serious?" she asked.

    "Of course he isn't," said Merri. "Lying is second nature to Ozpin. Trust me, there isn't an honest bone in his body."

    Ozpin knew that he had lied many times in his life, but he previously decided that the lies would finally end. And now, with his friends and enemies watching, Ozpin revealed a secret that he had been hiding for a long time.

    "My cane has been building up kinetic energy for thousands of years," Ozpin explained. "With the single touch of a switch, I can release that energy here and now. Just enough to remove Dr. Watts and Ms. Blair from the room."

    Watts looked to the cane again and considered the possibility. He knew that Ozpin had Magic like Salem did, but he still refused to believe such a story. "You're bluffing," he said.

    *CLICK*

    *REE*    ​

    As soon as Ozpin moved the lever on his cane, a yellow light appeared near the handle. The light began to expand into an orb, which caught everyone in the room off guard. Bo-Katan and Pietro immediately moved out of the way while Watts and Merri looked upon the cane in horror and disbelief.

    "Now, Dr. Watts... disarm the bomb," Ozpin demanded once more.

    "..."

    Merri and Watts looked to each other and shared the same idea. Watts was confident that his Aura could protect him from gunfire, but Magical bombs were an entirely different matter. And Merri didn't have an Aura of her own; she could steal one with the Beetle Salem gave her, but there wasn't an opportunity to do that now.

    And so, the choice was made.

    "...Very well," Watts said as he turned to his computer. He pressed a few buttons on the keyboard, which led to Ozpin looking at the screen before him.

    "Qrow, can you hear me?" the Huntsman asked apprehensively. He was unsure what buttons Watts had pressed, if he had activated the bomb or not.

    "Loud and clear, Oz," said Qrow. "Looks like we're in the clear."

    Ozpin sighed in relief and turned back to Watts. "I have everything under control here. It would be best to get James back to the academy."

    "I'm afraid we're rather stranded," said Obi-Wan. "James brought an airship to destroy the one we arrived in, but it appears to only fit one passenger."

    "I can use my Semblance to get him out of here," said Djarin. "Then I'll come back in the Crest." Djarin had found some time to fix his own airship, and now it was ready to fly again.

    "Wait a minute," said Cinder. "Ozpin, do you see Fauna with Merri?"

    Ozpin took a brief look around the room and only saw the two people before him. "She's not here, Cinder," he said regretfully.

    "Where's your sister?" Bo-Katan asked.

    "Figure it out," Merri spat at the Mandalorian. Despite the fact that two guns were pointed at her, Merri wasn't afraid. She could make the blasts move through her by forming holes in her body.

    But Bo-Katan had another idea.

    "You know I have a flamethrower built into my armor, right?" the Mandalorian asked. "Rumor has it you don't like fire too much."

    "..."

    With that in mind, Merri relented while also proclaiming victory. "She's getting the Winter Maiden," she said. "With Durge. You're already too late."

    Ozpin gasped when he heard this, and so did Pietro. "Penny's down there!" he said. "We have to do something!"

    "I'll come back to Atlas with Dad!" said Cinder, who heard the whole thing. "I'll find them and stop Fauna!"

    "Not alone, you're not," said Djarin. "As soon as we take care of James, I'm going with you."

    "We'll handle these two," said Ozpin. "And meet you back at Amity."

    During the conflict at Amity, another one in Atlas Academy was brewing.

    Winter and Penny were doing everything in their power to defend Fria from Fauna and Durge. Unfortunately, neither of their enemies were making that easy.

    Penny was locked in combat against Durge, who held his own against the swords that Penny threw his way. The swords were sharp enough to stab Durge, cut pieces of his armor, and even cut off his limbs. But Durge, like always, regenerated his limbs and struck back hard.

    All Penny did was reveal the disgusting features of Durge's body, which were far from human. Whatever Salem did to the assassin, Durge had become more Grimm now than man.

    Winter was having problems herself. Even though she was still a cadet, Winter remembered her combat training and defended herself from Fauna's sickle. However, it was hard for her to protect herself from the Botflies.

    No matter how many times Winter swung her sword and used her Semblance, Fauna found herself free from harm.

    After trading more blows with each other, the battle for the Winter Maiden somehow found its way outside. A corner of the room exploded, which caused everyone to fall. Penny and Fauna were capable of flight, and Durge was able to use a jetpack he wore to catch himself. Winter, on the other hand, found herself relying on her Semblance to summon a means of flight.

    It was rather fortunate that Winter helped Cinder kill a few Manticores in Essen. Because Winter was able to use it to fly back to the fight.

    The opponents switched as the battle took to the skies. While Winter believed her Manticore could handle Durge, Penny decided to fire lasers from her swords at Fauna. Fauna was once again able to use her Botflies to move past the projectiles, but it was harder to do with hot lasers.

    When one laser scorched her cheek, Fauna lost her patience and gave Durge an order.

    "Let the Schnee fall!" she demanded.

    Upon hearing this, Durge made one of his arms stretch far and hit the Manticore. The punch was strong enough to make the summoned Grimm disappear, which left Winter with the need to create another one.

    Before she could, however, Durge struck Winter with his flail and shattered her Aura.

    *BAM*​

    Penny saw what had happened, and immediately dived to save Winter as a response. This gave Fauna and Durge the chance they needed to re-enter the hospital room, where the Winter Maiden was waiting for them.

    Luckily, Penny was able to catch Winter quickly and fly back towards the hospital room. Despite the fact that she had been saved, Winter didn't understand what Penny had done.

    "What are you doing?!" Winter asked. "My life doesn't matter!"

    "I disagree," Penny firmly replied.

    "..."

    Penny truly believed that all life was precious, but Winter knew that Fria was in danger.

    Fauna and Durge found themselves back in the hospital room, where Fria was resting in her pod. Rather than ripping the door off and grabbing her, Fauna ordered Durge to jam the door shut with all his strength. Fauna planned to bring Fria to Salem personally, since her Grimm DNA made it impossible for her to seize Maiden powers for herself.

    The plan was sound, but Fria had woken up from all the commotion. She was confused to see a young woman standing before her, but she soon became terrified when she saw an armored creature hoisting her pod off the ground. This fear soon turned into resolve, since Fria realized what was happening.

    Despite her poor physical and mental state... Fria still had a job to do.

    *WHOOSH*​

    The entire room was engulfed in a cold and blue tornado, which froze everything around it. Winter and Penny were outside the room, but they could see the tornado in all its glory for themselves.

    "What is that?" Penny asked.

    Winter knew exactly what it was. Based on stories she heard from Fria and Cinder, Winter knew what she was witnessing. "That's the power of a Fully-Realized Maiden," she said.

    "..."

    After they processed the miracle, Winter remembered that Fauna and Durge were still in the room. Not wanting them to take the Maiden, Winter rushed over to a hole the tornado made and tried to move inside. But when the wind froze her fingers, Winter was forced to move aside and grab her fingers.

    "It's too cold," Winter reported. "We have to do something!"

    "..."

    Penny didn't need too much time to think. After she looked upon her own fingers, which didn't react to the cold the same way Winter's did, Penny leapt into the hole despite Winter's protest.

    It was difficult to move through the powerful and freezing winds, but Penny found herself in the center of the vortex. There, she saw Fria floating in the air with burning blue eyes. She had forgotten where she was or what had happened, but Fria's instincts told her that she needed to use her powers to their greatest extent.

    Until a soft hand on her ankle and a small voice made her relax.

    "Are you okay?" Penny asked calmly.

    After the fire around her eyes faded away, Fria calmly replied to the girl before her. "I had a job to do," she said. "I was supposed to protect the power of the Maiden until I was ready. I worry I may have lost track of time. But you can tell James that I'm ready now."

    Penny could hear the peace within Fria's voice, but she didn't like what she heard. "Ma'am, if you do that-"

    "I'll be gone."

    "..."

    Fria looked upon Penny and smiled. "I know I have a hard time remembering, but I remember that."

    "..."

    Fria's whirlwind finally disappeared after she made that last statement. As she lowered herself to the ground from exhaustion, Penny moved to help her down. Fria hadn't remembered the last time someone like Penny survived her elemental blast and showed this much concern for her wellbeing. This led the woman to become curious about her new acquaintance.

    "What's your name?" Fria asked.

    "It's Penny, ma'am," the young girl replied.

    "Penny..." Fria had no recollection of meeting the girl, but she had a good feeling about her. She knew Winter very well, but Fria saw something in Penny that she didn't quite see in Winter. "Are you the one?"

    "..."

    Penny hadn't intended for Fria to think this way. She knew that Winter was the intended recipient of Fria's powers, and she didn't want them. However, there was something preventing Penny from confessing the truth.

    "I..."

    "..."

    Whether it was her desire to feel more human or her wish to see Cinder's plan through, Penny still couldn't find the words to say to Fria.

    "I... I-"

    *CRASH*​

    A new hole formed in the hospital room, courtesy of Durge's strength. He and Fauna had managed to escape the room before it froze over, and had just found their way back inside. When Fauna saw what was happening between Penny and Fria, she was ready to prevent it.

    "Don't even think about it!" Fauna said as she took her weapon. "She's mine!"

    The hybrid flew towards Penny to stop her, but Winter entered the room and kept Fauna at bay. She had swung her sword enough times to make the girl turn into a swarm of flies, which needed to reconstitute themselves back into a person. In turn, this gave Winter a chance to see that Fria was on the verge of death.

    "No," she said sadly.

    Unfortunately for Winter, the distraction gave Durge the chance to grab Winter by the leg and make her his next victim.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    Durge violently swung Winter's entire body against the hardened ice, causing multiple bruises and broken bones. Winter felt her left arm and ribs break, which was too much pain for her to bear. Durge then lifted Winter's body above his head, and threw her towards his extended knee with a battle cry.

    *ROAR*

    *CRACK*    ​

    "AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUHHHH!"

    Durge dropped the broken girl without hesitation and looked upon her without sympathy. Fauna also looked upon Winter without any kind of remorse. Instead, all she felt was hunger.

    "Perfect," she said as she licked her lips. "Now, I'll finish what my sisters began with your eye." Fauna leaned closer and closer to Winter with an open jaw and multiple flies moving off her body.

    She was forced to stop, however, when a single snowflake caught her eye.

    Fauna and Durge turned to see more snowflakes moving in the room. All them began to move quickly and surround Penny. When she looked upon her enemies with a determined glare, green fire emanated from Penny's eyes and demonstrated the power of the new Winter Maiden.

    One that Durge was about to break in the same manner he broke Winter.

    "Winter!"

    Everyone in the room looked towards the hole Durge made to see two Mandalorians staring down at them. After Djarin and Cinder brought Clover and Ironwood back to Atlas, the clan of two searched for Penny and Winter to help them. There, they found Fauna and Durge among a dead Fria, an injured Winter, and a new Penny.

    But it was the sight of her badly hurt friend that made Cinder angry. Between nearly losing Ironwood and arriving very late, Cinder had enough of Salem's forces getting the upper hand. Now, she was determined to make sure that they wouldn't have it again anytime soon.

    And the best way to do that was for Cinder to let her eyes burn and let fire out at her enemies.

    When Fauna realized what was happening, anger turned to fear as she stared upon the fire starting. With her only route of escape now blocked, the only thing Fauna could do was face her destiny.

    And her doom.

    "No!" Fauna yelled as she raised her arms.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Two bursts of flame moved from Cinder's hands and made contact with both Fauna and Durge. Cinder was able to control the direction of the fire, so her friends would be safe from harm. Because of this, Fauna and Durge were burning fast and painfully.

    "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

    *ROAR*​

    Djarin took note of Fauna's scream and Durge's roar. He wasn't surprised about Fauna's pain, since Flora had died in a similar manner. He was, however, surprised to see Durge appear to be in pain. Djarin couldn't remember Durge making a sound like he was making when they met in Mantle's sewers. But now, as Cinder made her fire even hotter, Durge was in agonizing pain.

    This was the first time Cinder had actually met Durge, and now she was holding him back without a problem. It was impressive, and it reinforced Djarin's idea that victory in this war wasn't possible without his daughter.

    The idea only got stronger when Fauna's flies had been completely destroyed and Durge had melted away.

    Cinder had to kneel when she stopped using her powers. The last time she used fire to this extent was in the Emerald Forest, where she burned large Grimm until they were nothing but ash. Ozpin had recalled that Cinder's fire was strong enough to melt bone; and now it was enough to melt Durge into a puddle that he couldn't reconstitute himself.

    The feat required much of Cinder's energy, but her work was clearly rewarded.

    "I'm... I'm okay," Cinder said to her father. "Check... Check on Winter."

    Djarin obeyed and found himself next to a broken and beaten Winter. The Mandalorian carefully moved her so she could sit up, which was rather painful to do. While Winter was doing this, Cinder found enough energy to move to Penny, who was kneeling beside Fria.

    "Are you alright?" Cinder asked. Penny, what happened?"

    "She's... gone," Penny sadly replied.

    "No," said Winter, who shifted her body as easily as she could to get a look at Penny. "She's a part of you, now."

    "..."

    Djarin and Cinder understood that Penny was the Winter Maiden now. Naturally, their plan to go to Amity came to mind, but they weren't going to do a thing until Winter was taken care of.

    "I suggest..." Winter began as she moved back against the wall. "That you all comply with the General's orders."

    Djarin and Cinder remembered that Winter had no idea what had happened on Amity, how the situation had changed. "Winter... Ironwood's hurt," Djarin explained. "Really bad. I... I don't think he's ready to give any more orders right now."

    "..."

    Winter recalled the call for help Cinder made earlier. She still didn't know what to make of it, but she believed Djarin when he said that Ironwood was hurt. And so, she made another choice.

    "Then... I suggest you leave," Winter decided. "Take Penny. Follow your plan."

    "No, you're hurt!" Cinder protested. "We're not leaving you like this!"

    "Don't worry about me!" Winter recalled how someone worrying for her almost cost her Fria, and she wasn't going to let that happen again. And so, she raised her hand to her ear and pressed her radio. "This is Cadet Schnee in need of immediate medical assistance. Over."

    "..."

    Winter lowered her hand and looked upon her friends with pity. "I'm sorry... I won't be there," she said. "When you face Salem."

    Cinder quickly shook her head as she approached her friend. "Don't be sorry," she said. "We can still do this. We'll send our message. We'll save Atlas."

    "...I know."

    "..."

    With that, the clan of two took Penny with them towards the academy's landing pads. They had found the Razor Crest, which Djarin used to take them all back to Amity. Along the way, Cinder couldn't help but feel guilty about everything that happened. Losing SCAR Squadron, hurting Ironwood, and leaving Winter in critical condition all haunted the Fall Maiden and left her second guessing herself. Cinder didn't know how far she would have to go to see her plan through, to keep doing "the right thing."

    Unfortunately for her, Cinder discovered that someone else had been lost when she returned to Amity.

    Earlier​

    As Ozpin promised, he was in the process of returning Merri and Watts to their cells. Bo-Katan kept her flamethrower pointed at Merri while Ozpin kept a firm grip on Watts' shoulder. Pietro had managed to find a cell that was fully operational and big enough for the two prisoners, which was where everyone was going.

    However, during the confrontation and journey, the three allies failed to notice that they had been followed by one more unaccounted prisoner.

    Hazel Rainart, who still held a grudge against Ozpin.

    *BAM*​

    Ozpin was taken by complete surprise after Hazel emerged from an adjacent hallway. The large man had disposed of Atlesian guards the same way he did with Ozpin: by combining his fists and hitting them by the back of their heads.

    Because of this attack, Ozpin let go of Watts as he dropped his cane. Bo-Katan and Pietro saw this and tried to act, but Hazel simply pushed past the scientist and punched Bo-Katan right in her face. He didn't hold a grudge against her at first, but Hazel knew his escape had been delayed by Bo-Katan activating the alarm. Now, he wasn't going to repeat the same mistake he made.

    Watts and Merri acted quickly with the chance Hazel gave them. While Hazel moved back towards Ozpin, Watts grabbed Ozpin's cane and one of Bo-Katan's guns. With Ozpin's secret weapon now secured, Watts pointed the pistol right at Pietro. Merri, on the other hand, flew behind Bo-Katan and moved her sickle against the Mandalorian's neck while holding her tightly.

    As he was hoisted off the ground by an angry Hazel, Ozpin knew that he had been beaten. Without his cane, he had no leverage or easy way to beat his opponents. The Force was still with him, but Ozpin couldn't act quickly enough to save both Bo-Katan and Pietro.

    And so, Ozpin did something risky.

    "Wait!" Ozpin begged as he looked upon Watts and Merri. "Don't kill them!"

    Watts and Merri looked back to Ozpin and laughed. "Oh, it's too late for threats now," Watts said as he held on to the cane tightly. "I'll be keeping this, if you don't mind."

    "Shall I kill him?" Hazel asked as he tightened his grip on Ozpin.

    "Keep him alive, Hazel," Merri ordered. "I think Mother will be     delighted to see him again." Merri moved her sickle against Bo-Katan's neck. "This one, on the other hand, isn't going anywhere."

    "And neither are you, Pietro," said Watts, who readied the pistol to fire a blast directly at Pietro's chest.

    "Wait!" Ozpin begged again. "Do whatever you want with me, but let them live! I can... I can make it worth your while."

    "..."

    Salem had taught Merri to always expect lies from Ozpin. Trickery and deceit from him had already observed, so Merri believed her mother. However, Salem never told Merri to expect bargaining from him. He would always do what he could to save the lives of others, but bargaining was something new.

    "...How so?" Merri asked curiously.

    Ozpin took a deep breath as he took a risk. "Spare their lives... and I will give you the Relic of Knowledge."

    "..."

    Everyone was surprised by such an offer. Pietro and Bo-Katan knew about the Relic, as well as the danger it posed if it was in Salem's hands. They immediately protested against the idea, as well as Watts.

    "You want to surrender the Relic?" Watts asked skeptically. "For this old fart? And a Mandalorian who changes sides quickly?"

    "I do," Ozpin said. "As well as the friends I have who are helping James."

    "Ah, them. Well, I'm sure you have your reasons for saving them, but I'm not-"

    "Show me," said Merri.

    "..."

    Watts immediately became silent when Merri made this demand. She was still holding Bo-Katan hostage, but Merri couldn't help but consider the idea. The battle at Haven Academy had been a loss for Salem, which came at the cost of the Relic and the Mandalorians. The chance to seize this Relic and make that battle obsolete was too good to pass up.

    Just like it was almost too good to be true.

    "Show me the Relic," Merri repeated. "And I     may let your friends live."

    "...Very well," said Ozpin.

    "..."

    Pietro and Bo-Katan protested more, but they were powerless as Ozpin led everyone back to Pietro's lab. There, along with R2 and the image of Amity Colosseum, Merri found the lamp right where Ozpin had said.

    "Go get it," said Watts, who pushed on Pietro's back with his gun. He suspected a trap in the room, even though he too could see the lamp. These fears, however, were cast aside when Pietro took the lamp off his desk and held it tightly.

    "Here it is," the scientist reluctantly reported. "The lamp."

    "Excellent," said Watts, who took the lamp without question. "Now, I don't believe you or the Mandalorian are of anymore use to us, Pietro."

    "Wait!" Ozpin protested. He tried to fight against Hazel's grasp, but he couldn't break it. "I'm the only one who knows how to use it! Kill them and you'll get     nothing from me!"

    "..."

    Hazel and Watts turned to Merri as she pondered the idea. Both men understood that Merri was Salem's envoy, and that her word was law. So the fate of Ozpin's friends was up to Merri.

    As much as she wanted to torture Ozpin with the death of friends, Merri knew that her enemy was right. Like her mother, Merri possessed no understanding on how to use the lamp. It seemed that not only did she have to keep Ozpin alive, but she had to keep his friends alive in order to learn the truth.

    "...Let them go," Merri reluctantly decided as she released Bo-Katan. "But Ozpin comes with us."

    "As you wish," said Hazel, who kept his grip on Ozpin's shoulder.

    Watts groaned as he lowered the gun he was holding. "You're lucky, Pietro," said Watts. He began to leave the area with Merri and Hazel, where they would steal an airship and rendezvous with Salem. "But don't worry. We'll meet again."

    "..."

    Present​

    "You mean... he's gone?"

    "I'm afraid so, my dear."

    "..."

    Pietro had just finished telling the story of how he and Bo-Katan were separated from Ozpin. A moment was shared between the group as they mourned the loss of Ozpin. They knew he wasn't dead, but if he was going to be taken to Salem... then he soon would be.

    "Dammit, Oz," said Qrow.

    "May the Force be with him," said Obi-Wan.

    There was much sadness to be had aboard Amity Colosseum, but Djarin was able to find a glimmer of hope. "Wait, did you say the Relic was in your lab?" he asked Pietro.

    "Yes, that's right," said Pietro.

    "Why does that matter?" Bo-Katan asked.

    Djarin took a look at everyone around him before he gave a reply. It wasn't the answer they were looking for, but they had no choice but to accept it.

    "I'll be right back."

    *WHOOSH*​

    The Mandalorian suddenly disappeared via his Semblance, leaving a dazed and confused group. "Where's he going?" Qrow asked.

    "Oh, wait a minute," said Pietro. "I think I know what's going on. If Ozpin took the Relic from my lab..." Pietro began to laugh as he remembered something he previously forgotten. "Oh, that's it! That's it!"

    "It?" Revan asked. "What do you mean?"

    "I'll explain later, once he gets back." Pietro turned to Cinder with a smile. "But first, I want to thank you, Cinder. Thank you for bringing my daughter here." Pietro looked over to Penny, who was standing far from the group and looking at her hands. Rather than share in the conversation, Penny was by herself and processing the fact that she was the Winter Maiden. "How is she doing? After all that?"

    "..."

    Pietro didn't have much of a chance to talk to Penny during their reunion. But he knew that she was the Winter Maiden now, which was rather a lot to handle. Pietro believed that Cinder being with Penny would help him understand, to know what was going through Penny's head.

    Unfortunately, Pietro made an error in judgment.

    "...Why are you asking me?" Cinder bluntly asked as she looked crossly at Pietro.

    Everyone was taken aback by the answer. They suddenly noticed that Cinder had been unusually quiet during their conversation, and now they could see why.

    She was angry.

    "Um..." Pietro stuttered, hoping to clear the air. "I was just-"

    "Because I made this plan?" Cinder asked as she balled her fists. "Because I'm just... supposed to have something to say?"

    "..."

    "Well, I don't."

    Cinder's words and the look on her face made everyone greatly concerned, and Pietro fell into silence. Even Penny had stopped worrying about herself as she listened to Cinder. None of them understood what had set the young girl into such a state, and Qrow decided to take over for Djarin.

    "Cinder... what's the matter?" he asked. "Why are you-?"

    "What's the matter?" Cinder asked. "What's the matter?! Open your eyes, Qrow! Look around!" Cinder spread her arms into the arena she was standing in, which was littered with scratched metal and the bodies of SCAR Squadron. "Everyone here is dead! Ironwood is barely alive, my best friend is in the ICU, and Ozpin is gone! All because we were here instead of the academy!"

    Everyone now understood that Cinder was upset with the deaths, injuries, and losses that were inflicted upon them. Things may have been different if they stayed at the academy, but Qrow knew he couldn't focus on what could have been done differently.

    If he did, it would drive him insane.

    "Kid, look," Qrow said calmly. "I know this sucks, I hate this too. But it's not our fault, we were-"

    "I know it's not our fault!" Cinder said. "Because it's my fault! I disobeyed Ironwood! I made the plan to run away with Amity! I left Winter and Ironwood at the academy for Salem!"

    "Cinder, that's not-"

    "We can't do this! We're not even supposed to be here! We... We..."

    "..."

    Cinder's tirade caused her to fall to the ground. Her heart began to beat out of control and she began to have trouble breathing. The deaths and losses she was so fixated on had led the way to a panic attack, one that was hurting her both physically and mentally.

    One that needed a parent's touch to heal.

    *WHOOSH*​

    As promised, Djarin had returned to Amity. He had used the last of his Semblance now, which he didn't need for now. The Mandalorian expected to see everyone as they previously were, but seeing them huddled around a kneeling and heavy-breathing Cinder caused great alarm within him.

    "Cinder?" Djarin asked. "Cinder!" The Mandalorian rushed over to his daughter's side and kneeled next to her. "What happened?"

    "She got upset about Oz," Qrow explained. "Then she just fell over."

    "I think she might be having a panic attack," said Pietro. His experience as a doctor taught the man much besides limb replacement and technology. And Cinder's behavior had symptoms of a panic attack.

    Djarin didn't know what the cure was for such a thing, but that didn't stop him from hugging Cinder and speaking to her. "Cinder, breathe," he said calmly. "It's okay. I'm here."

    "..."

    The hug from her father helped Cinder return back to reality. Her chest didn't hurt as much as it did, but she was still upset about everything. "It's not okay," she insisted as tears came to her eyes. "This is all my fault."

    "No, that's not true. We're on our way to saving Atlas and Mantle."

    "But if we did what Ironwood wanted... none of this wouldn't have happened. They'd all still be here. Winter and Ozpin... they're gone because of me."

    Djarin rubbed the back of Cinder's head to emphasize his comforting touch. "I'm sorry about Winter, Cinder. But Fauna and Durge were responsible. And Winter didn't blame you for that."

    "...Neither do I," said Penny, who moved towards Cinder as well. "Winter and I defended Fria with everything we had. And you saved us both." Penny also hugged Cinder, hoping that what she said would make her feel better.

    "But... But what about Ozpin?" Cinder asked. "He's gone because we were here."

    "No, Cinder," Djarin said. "I didn't get it at first either, but Ozpin knew what he was doing."

    "What do you mean?"

    Djarin reached behind his back and removed something from his waist. When he showed it to Cinder, the Maiden gasped along with everyone else who saw the object.

    It was the Relic of Knowledge.

    "Wh... What?" Cinder asked as she stared at the lamp.

    "It's okay, Cinder," Djarin insisted. "Look."

    Djarin moved it closer so Cinder could take it, which she did. As she felt the golden metal, saw the glowing blue light, and heard the sound of a heartbeat resonating from within, Cinder knew that it was the same lamp she took from Mistral to Atlas.

    She was holding the Relic of Knowledge.

    "I... I don't understand," Cinder finally said. "If this is the Relic, then... Ozpin has-"

    "He has a fake," said Djarin. "He has Plan B."

    "Plan... Plan B?" Cinder had heard Djarin talk about it with Ozpin, but she didn't know all the details of their contingency plan. "Wait, you planned on Ozpin getting taken away?"

    "No. That part... That part he did himself." Djarin helped Cinder off the ground and turned to everyone else. "I knew that if Ironwood woke up before we finished Amity, he wouldn't let us take the Winter Maiden. So Ozpin and I talked to Dr. Polendina about a second plan."

    "Professor Ozpin asked me to make a replica of the Relic of Knoweldge," Pietro explained, having remembered the plan in full. "Using the real lamp and the same technology Cinder used to make her brand, I was able to make a perfect replica for us to take instead of the Maiden."

    "The plan was to show the fake lamp in our message so Salem would follow us," Djarin continued. "While the real lamp would stay guarded in Atlas. But Ozpin must have changed his mind. He must have taken the replica to-"

    "To sell the lie," said Cinder. "When she finds out she has a fake Relic... she'll follow us for sure."

    "Wait, so we had a fake Relic to use for backup?" Qrow asked.

    "That's right," said Djarin. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. But it was hard with SCAR Squadron constantly watching us. It's a miracle I was able to get Ozpin and Dr. Polendina alone."

    "He's not wrong," said Pietro. "We were being watched like hawks."

    Everyone hummed and nodded in agreement. SCAR Squadron hadn't given them the privacy they needed, but nobody was going to speak badly of them now.

    Not when the majority of the team had died. And certainly not when the real Relic of Knowledge was safe and sound.

    Cinder sighed in relief as she finished processing everything. "Okay," she said. "Okay, this is good. Salem doesn't have any Relics." She was still sad about the deaths and injuries, but it was good to know that Salem didn't have any Relics.

    "But she has Oz," said Qrow. "We gotta do something about that."

    "We can't," said Bo-Katan. "He already told us what to do; get the hell out of here."

    Qrow snapped his head towards Bo-Katan in anger. "Oh, yeah?! Well, why don't you go ahead and do that if you're ready to bail?!"

    Bo-Katan readied herself for battle when she saw Qrow walk towards her, but relaxed when Obi-Wan and Revan stopped him.

    "No, Qrow!" said Revan. "Bo-Katan is right. We have to go."

    "Ozpin wouldn't surrender himself to Salem if he didn't want to give us a head start," said Obi-Wan. "We'll find a chance to rescue Ozpin, I promise. But it's not now."

    "..."

    Nobody else could say it, but they knew Obi-Wan was right. With Salem on her way, and with both Maidens on board, the noble team of warriors had everything they needed to complete their mission. Going after Ozpin would not only delay the mission, but it would also be a death trap.

    It was time to leave.

    And so, Cinder and her friends made the necessary preparations to leave Atlas. After double-checking the explosives in the Dust mine and taking enough ammunition to sustain their weapons, Amity's new crew was ready to take their leave.

    Qrow was the only one who didn't work on Amity. Instead, he returned to Atlas one more time to check on Ironwood. There, Qrow saw that General had been under the care of more benevolent doctors, who were doing everything they could to help.

    Qrow learned that Ironwood wouldn't exactly stand in their way to launching Amity now. And from the looks of it, neither would Clover.

    The leader of the now defunct SCAR Squadron was outside Ironwood's hospital room. As he waited, Clover mourned the loss of his team with a heavy heart and a frail mind. He kept playing the situation over and over in his head, wondering what he could have done differently. Thoughts ranged from either being by the General's side before Watts operated on him to being more trusting and accepting of Cinder's plan.

    When he saw Qrow, the latter came to Clover's mind the strongest. He could tell that Qrow had plans to leave, that he was going to follow Cinder's plan with the rest of his friends. If this meeting had happened earlier, Clover would follow protocol and have Qrow arrested. But now, after everything, Clover's heart just wasn't in it.

    He was, however, able to say one more thing to Qrow.

    "Good luck."

    "..."

    With that, Qrow took his leave. He returned to Amity by sunrise, where everything and everyone was ready. Everyone was rather nervous, since a Relic and the Winter Maiden would be leaving with them. But nothing could stop them from moving forward. Soon, a message to the world would come. Soon, the world would know of the Relics, the Maidens, and about Salem. Soon... the battle for Remnant's future would begin.

    Right now, it started with a bang.

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    The explosives everyone had placed in the Dust mine exploded, which gave Amity the propulsion it needed to achieve a great height. The thrusters and stabilizers Amity now possessed allowed the tower to soar higher than it ever did before.

    Not only did Amity have the altitude to send a message, but it was also able to receive messages as well.

    "We've got multiple hostiles on radar. Is anyone else seeing this?"

    "These readings can't be right."

    The signal from two pilots had just reached Amity, which caused everyone great concern. They all rushed over to a window, where they could see what the pilots were describing.

    Many of the night's clouds were disappearing, but there was another cloud that refused to move. Not only did it refuse to move, but the cloud also had red bolts of lightning appear within it.

    Soon enough, the head a large Grimm emerged from the cloud.

    Nobody had ever seen the creature before. It looked like a black whale, one that could actually fly. Nobody knew what it was, but they all knew it was a Grimm. They all knew that Salem had arrived.

    And now, it was up to them to save Atlas.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 66: The Journey
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 66: The Journey
    ​
    When the black cloud of Grimm made its way to Atlas, all who saw it were consumed by fear. The Atlesian airships that were in the sky had the choice of fight or flight, with some doing both. A few Mantas were ordered to fly inside and see what they could see. But when they entered, they never came out.

    And so, it was Admiral Thrawn who ordered the withdrawal of the Mantas. Admiral Tarkin's initial order for surveillance was a logical one, but both officers could see that nothing could withstand the storm. So they ordered that no airship would enter the cloud again, that they would keep their distance and stay close to Atlas.

    But there was one airship that chose to fly directly into the cloud.

    Unlike the other airships, this one didn't have a crew that was entirely Atlesian. The only Atlesian on board was Arthur Watts, who found himself in the company of Hazel Rainart and Merriweather Blair. Together, they escaped Atlas with ease while carrying very important cargo.

    The Relic of Knowledge and Professor Ozpin.

    Not only was the trio lucky to have their cargo, but they were lucky that one of the flying Grimm within the cloud didn't attack them. The Grimm could sense Merri on board, and knew not to attack. Because of this immunity, Merri was able to fly the airship towards her mother's location.

    In this case, Salem was aboard a massive whale-like Grimm.




    Merri could sense the disbelief between Hazel and Watts as they stared upon the beast. Merri could also sense a twinge of fear from Hazel, which was odd for him. However, she focused on Watts when the doctor asked a question.

    "What is that?" he asked in astonishment.

    "Mother calls it 'Monstra,'" Merri explained. "Obviously, nobody's ever seen a Grimm like it before. Because of that, we have the advantage. How can they kill what they don't understand?"

    Watts couldn't agree more with the sentiment. Just one look at the beast made it clear that Atlas would have to expend a lot of resources to kill such a Grimm. And with the flying Grimm accompanying it, the fight wouldn't be an easy one for Atlas.

    For the first time in years, Watts was excited to see where things would go.

    The airship found a place to land inside the Monstra, almost like it was expecting someone to arrive. Once Merri landed, she and her companions traveled within the creature through stairs and doors. Watts was preoccupied with examining every aspect of the Grimm while Hazel was carrying an unconscious Ozpin on his shoulder. Merri was carrying the lamp by her side, which she planned to show Salem when they were reunited.

    This chance came when the trio found themselves in a large room with a throne in the center. They could see someone sitting in the throne, a lone woman with pale skin and red veins across her hands. Neither Hazel nor Watts had seen her in quite some time, so they decided to remain silent and let Merri speak first.

    "Mother," Merri said with a bowed head.

    Salem rose off her throne and walked towards Merri. She took note of the two men in her presence, but decided to deal with them later. Right now, and for a very good reason, Salem shifted her attention to her daughter.

    "Merriweather," she said with open arms. "Welcome."




    Merri saw Salem's open arms and instinctively walked towards them, soon finding herself wrapped in a hug. It wasn't often Salem would use such displays of affection, but Merri returned the hug nonetheless. Once the moment had passed, Salem decided to address the Goliath in the room.




    "You brought friends," she said calmly. "Old friends." Watts bowed his head first before Hazel did, which Salem expected. "I trust you returned with something more."

    "Some thing, Mother," Merri replied as she removed the lamp from her side. Salem was at a loss for words when she saw the golden object, since she was now one step closer to her goal. She hadn't seen it up close before, but Salem knew it was one of the four Relics she was seeking. Once she took it, Salem heard her daughter say something else. "And some one."

    *THUMP*​

    Hazel dropped his prisoner to the ground. Ozpin hadn't been awoken from his fall, so Salem could see that her old enemy was completely helpless and within her grasp.

    "The Relic and Ozma, all in one fell swoop," Salem whispered before she turned to her daughter. "Well done, Merriweather." Merri bowed once again in gratitude, which left Salem to address the two men. "Hazel. Arthur. I must admit, I'm surprised to see you. Alive."

    "..."

    Salem was specifically looking at Hazel when she said her final word. She had believed that Hazel perished at Haven, since her attempt to contact him had been unsuccessful. Hazel had chosen to ignore her calls, since he was mourning the loss of his sister. Despite the fact that he was sober, Hazel still mourned Gretchen's loss greatly. And he didn't believe Salem would understand such a thing. Explaining it would only result in dire consequences.

    Fortunately, Hazel was saved by a misunderstanding from Watts.

    "My absence wasn't a voluntary one, ma'am," he said, believing that Salem was disappointed in him. "But I am happy to be back in your... powerful presence. And is that a new dress?"

    Salem was indeed wearing a different set of clothes, one that made her all the more intimidating. But she paid no attention to her change of wardrobe, since she had more pressing matters at hand.

    "You may save your flattery, Arthur," Salem insisted. "I am aware of your capture and lengthy imprisonment." Salem smiled softly at the scientist. "And you are always welcome in my presence. As long as you are still willing to assist me in my endeavors."

    "Oh, willing and ready, ma'am," Watts insisted. "Merriweather and I even found a chance to get under General Ironwood's skin. Literally."

    Salem turned to Merri once again, who nodded immediately. "Let's just say he has a new look, Mother," the hybrid explained. "I have much more to tell if you'd like to hear."

    "I will," Salem promised. "In fact, I think a conversation is warranted." Salem looked to Hazel and pointed towards another door inside the Monstra. "Take him away, Hazel. I will speak with you later."

    "..."

    Hazel was aware of Salem's power and capabilities, which taught him to never be on her bad side. Not wanting to be on it any longer, Hazel did as he was told and left with Ozpin. Watts was alone now, but not for long.

    "I brought along a few of Merriweather's projects, Arthur," Salem informed the scientist as she pointed to a different door. "I believe you'll find them interesting. And in need of an extra set of hands."

    Understanding that Salem wanted to be alone with Merri, Watts took his leave and prepared to work once again. His work with Ironwood left him with a desire to continue, so Watts did exactly that.




    Merri was alone with Salem now, but she wasn't afraid. She had much to report, both good and bad, but Merri didn't sense any danger with her mother. So she took the liberty to speak. "The Kingdom is on the verge of breaking, Mother," she said. "Before we took him, General Ironwood halted all evacuations from Mantle to Atlas. Now, the Kingdom is just a sitting duck. Waiting for you."

    Salem listened to what Merri was saying, but she didn't share the same level of enthusiasm. "Yes," she said calmly as she moved back to her throne. "Atlas awaits us. But tell me, Merriweather... do you know where your sister is?"

    "Fauna? I left her with your creation. They went to find the Winter Maiden and-" Merri stopped explaining when she noticed that she was alone. "Wait... she's not here?"

    Salem paused for a moment before she turned around. "No... she isn't."

    "..."

    Under normal circumstances, Merri would assume that Fauna had been delayed. In this case, that she was still in Atlas with Durge. But Salem's tone and the expression on her face said differently. Merri hadn't heard such a tone or seen such a face for some time, not since she and Fauna left the Land of Darkness for Atlas.

    That time... Salem had reported the loss of Flora.

    "...No," Merri uttered as she put the pieces together. "No, no, no."

    Salem inhaled as she called on all her willpower to not allow any more emotion to come over. Once such feelings disappeared, Salem finally confirmed the truth. "Yes," she said. "Your sister... is gone."

    Merri nearly fell to the floor when she heard this, but she caught herself on her mother's throne and begsn to process everything. "I... I don't understand," she said. "How? When?"

    "Very recently," Salem explained. "It seems Fauna... met the same fate as Flora."

    "But... that's impossible! Durge was supposed to protect her!"

    "He too has fallen. My creation has failed us both."

    Just like before, Merri was saddened by the loss of her sister. While she mourned Flora greatly, Merri was much closer to Fauna than anyone. So the second loss in her family left her with rage that could not be quenched easily.

    And there was one person she could take it out on.

    "I'll tear him apart," Merri said as she looked in the direction where Hazel took Ozpin. With a twirl of her sickle, Merri began to walk down the hall and towards her enemy. "Then he'll die over and over-!"

    "No, Merriweather," Salem said as she caught her daughter by the arm. "Ozma must live."

    "..."

    While watching him die had pleased her before, Salem knew that she couldn't truly kill Ozpin. She knew about his curse all too well, that he would reincarnate into the body of a like-minded soul. Killing him now would be akin to letting him escape.

    Right now, Ozpin was right where Salem wanted him.

    "I have questions for him," Salem included. "Allow me to ask them first. When he refuses, he will be yours to... persuade."

    "..."

    As Salem mourned the loss of her daughter and reveled in what she believed to be a victory, Ozpin's allies had found that their plan was working. Not long ago, they had managed to send Amity high into the air in order to transmit a message. The tower was also floating away from Atlas, where Salem and her army of Grimm were waiting. Soon, the entire world would know who and what was responsible for the war, what would happen if they didn't band together and stop Salem once and for all.

    There was just one problem.

    "What do you mean we can't send a message now?" asked Cinder. "We're high enough, aren't we?"

    "Amity is at the altitude we need to broadcast, that's true," said Pietro. "But we're rather close to Atlas."




    "Too close," said Revan. "We all saw the beast Salem brought to the Kingdom. We have no idea what it's capable of."




    "Revan's right, Cinder," said Obi-Wan. "If we transmit a message now, Salem will come after us now. When she does, we have no idea how fast she can catch up to us in that thing."

    Cinder heard what the adults were saying, but she didn't like it. It was true that she had no idea how fast the giant Grimm could travel, and that there was still a lot of ground to cover. However, with every moment they spent without sending a message, Cinder and her friends risked Atlas being invaded.

    "Well, how far do we need to go?" Cinder asked.

    "It's hard to say," said Obi-Wan. "We're not even sure where we're going."

    "We were hoping to decide now," said Revan, who gestured behind Cinder. "With the others, of course."

    Cinder turned around to see her father and Qrow had arrived with Bo-Katan, Penny, and R2. They used their flying abilities, through technology and Magic alike, to check the outside infrastructure of Amity. Pietro wanted to run a full diagnostic on the outside, to see if the altitude was affecting the structure in any way. Fortunately, everything outside of Amity was perfectly normal.

    Now, they could work together on the inside. However, not everyone was ready to do so.

    "Then I guess you should all get started," Cinder said with a sigh. "I need some time to think, anyway."

    With that, Cinder began to walk away in annoyance and slight depression. Penny and Qrow were about to go after her, to convince her that they needed her help, but Djarin stopped them. "Let her go," he requested calmly. "She's... still processing everything."

    "..."

    Like Cinder, everyone was unhappy about recent events. First, it was losing SCAR Squadron, a team that they closely worked with for weeks. Then, it was finding out the murderer was Ironwood, who had been tore apart and rebuilt by Watts to do his bidding. And after Ironwood had been taken out of commission by Cinder, they lost Ozpin after he helped save them. Finally, Salem had arrived on Atlas' doorstep with an army of Grimm.

    None of the events had stopped their plan, however. Djarin and his allies had been able to complete Amity's communication systems, launch the tower high into the air, and begin to move it away from Atlas. But Cinder took the hardships of their mission the most, since she felt personally responsible for everything that went wrong. Her justification for this was that it was her plan, that she put the most thought and initiative into it.

    It had worked, but at a great cost.

    Everyone else was sad about what happened, but they were able to keep moving forward. They understood that Cinder needed more time, so they left her alone as they decided the next steps of their plan.

    "Mr. Revan is right," said Pietro, who respected Djarin's wish to leave Cinder alone. "We have the whole world before us, and I'm not quite sure where to go." Pietro pressed a button to display a map of Remnant for all to see. There, they would determine where to take Amity.

    "Okay..." said Djarin, who looked at the map. "How far can we go?"

    Pietro moved his chair aside for R2 to move forward. Once he did, R2 ejected his scomp link and ejected it into the computer. "R2's been running the calculations after we assessed our fuel supply," Pietro explained. "We should be able to travel anywhere within... here."

    The map of Remnant began to show a green circle that started from Amity's current position. The circle began to expand across the oceans and land until it stopped after a few seconds. The circle meant to serve as a radius for where Amity could travel and stay afloat. It wasn't too much, but it was enough to get far from Atlas.

    *BOO*

    *WOO*

    *WEE*

    *WEE*    ​

    Penny looked at R2 and nodded. "R2 says we can travel anywhere inside the circle," she said as she moved towards her father. "He also says the very north of Anima is within range. We may be able to contact the military presence in Argus."

    "Bad idea," said Qrow. "There's a lot of people in Argus too. If we go there, we'd be risking all of their lives."

    "Qrow's right," said Obi-Wan. "We should find someplace isolated. Far from any kind of civilization."

    In a move that surprised everyone, Bo-Katan stepped forward and offered an idea. "What if we didn't use Amity?" she asked. "When we reach our limit, let's travel by airship." She pointed to a specific island on the map. "Mandalore isn't too far from the radius here."

    "We can't abandon Amity," said Revan. Despite his changed view of Mandalorians, Revan knew that going anywhere beyond the radius R2 calculated was a bad idea. "Our high vantage point gives us the advantage for observing Salem's numbers. As well as utilizing Gideon's virus."


    "I'm still working on it, but we're hoping to use Amity to disperse it among the Grimm," said Pietro. "Without Amity, we won't be able to spread it among Salem's entire force."

    Everyone found themselves in agreement for not going anywhere near civilization and not abandoning Amity. The ideas Penny and Bo-Katan proposed had merit, but nothing about this mission could be left to chance. Nobody could be hurt and nothing could be destroyed.

    Wherever they would go, they had to be alone and within the radius.

    "How about Vytal?" Djarin asked as he pointed at the map.

    "..."

    Everyone looked at the map to see that the island of Vytal was within the radius of Amity's limit. The island was significant not only because that was where the four Kingdoms ended the Great War, but also because Djarin recalled seeing Mandalorians there before. Vytal was uninhabited, so it was the perfect place for Death Watch to hide. And now, Djarin believed it would be the perfect place for the Mandalorians to make their stand.

    And everyone agreed.

    "It's rather far from any civilized area," said Obi-Wan.

    "Yeah," said Qrow. "And it's a big place. There'd be room for all of us."

    "We can assume that there will be a single front of conflict," said Revan. "Given that Salem will be coming down from Atlas with us."

    Nobody seemed to object after this deliberation, so Pietro turned to his creation once more. "We have our heading, my friend," he said to R2. "Take us to Vytal."

    *WOO*

    *WEE*    ​

    R2 moved his scomp link on the terminal he was plugged in to. Everyone felt the entire tower shift in direction, just barely. It was enough for Amity to be taken in a brand new direction. Soon, Amity would be at the island of Vytal.

    Soon, the world would make its stand.

    After what seemed like an eternity, Professor Ozpin's eyes began to open. The first thing he could see was a stone floor, right before his vision became completely clear. Once it did, Ozpin could see that the room he was in was abnormally red, like the walls were bleeding and oozing instead of being painted or covered.

    The next thing Ozpin noticed was that he was dangling off the ground. His hands were bound in rope that were on a hook. The Force and his remaining Magic would most likely help him, but Ozpin stopped thinking about freedom when he sensed a presence in the room. His eyes fell onto a shadow in the area, where he could see someone staring at him while practicing Magic. The Magic was a shadowy image of laughing children, something Ozpin had seen before. But the laughter was interrupted by an unpleasant sound.

    "My long lost Ozma," said an ominous and familiar voice. "Found at last."

    "..."

    It had been a long time since he heard that voice, but Ozpin knew who it belonged to. And judging from the environment he was in, Ozpin knew exactly where he was.

    In trouble.

    Salem stepped out of the shadows and towards the hanging man, who watched him struggle to break free from his bonds. She savored the moment with pride, seeing that her enemy had been reduced to such a state. She was confident that he wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon, so she walked towards him and continued to speak.

    "This host isn't too different from your last one, if I recall correctly," she said, referring to the body Ozma's soul had taken over. "It's been... how many years since we saw each other like this, face to face?"

    "..."

    Salem stopped in front of Ozpin and examined him carefully. "And nothing to say?"

    Ozpin knew that he couldn't remain silent forever, especially in front of Salem. And so, reluctantly, Ozpin spoke to her for the first time in years. "I'm sorry the reunion isn't living up to your expectations," he said nonchalantly.

    "..."

    "..."

    The apology proved itself to be an unwise choice for Ozpin. Salem's anger manifested itself instantly in the form of a scowl and painfully grabbing Ozpin's chin. Ozpin grunted for a moment, but he resisted the pain as Salem spoke again.

    "No, you're not," she said. "But you will be."

    "..."

    After a moment of inflicting more pain, Salem released Ozpin and sighed. "But I shouldn't be too angry, should I?" Salem asked. "After all, it seems I have you to thank for gifting me the Relic of Knowledge. Have you finally come to your senses?"

    "..."

    Ozpin recalled the circumstances of his arrival to Salem. He remembered that before being rendered unconscious, Ozpin surrendered himself and the Relic of Knowledge to save the lives of Bo-Katan and Obi-Wan.

    At least, he surrendered himself and what his captorsbelieved was the Relic of Knowledge.

    Ozpin and Djarin had worked with Pietro to create a false Relic, a replica they originally planned to take to Amity and trick Salem into following them. It seemed Salem had indeed been tricked, but the plan had changed. Ozpin knew that his friends would need time to adapt and take Amity as far as they could, before Salem could follow.

    Ozpin had no choice but to assume that he was still in Solitas, and that Salem was staying put. He also had no choice but to stall, to give his friends the time he needed. It would most likely be painful, both physically and mentally, but Ozpin carried out the task he assigned himself.

    "I was doing what I believed was right," Ozpin insisted. "And that was saving my friends. Surely, you can agree that saving someone is right."

    "..."

    The last statement struck a nerve with Salem, since she had been saved by Ozpin a long time ago. But she didn't show her rage once again, for the sake of controlling the conversation. "The world was a different place back then," she said. "Look how it is now. Ruined. Divided. You must see that, yes?"

    "There is much you still have to see," Ozpin argued. "Orrefuse to see. Did your pawns tell you that James has united Atlas against you? That he told everyone of your existence and they're ready to fight together?"

    Salem hadn't been told about this, but she didn't seem worried. "I've destroyed united forces before. Tell me, does Obi-Wan Kenobi still remember Coruscant? How your precious Jedi fell? And you weren't there?"

    "..."

    Now Salem had struck a nerve with Ozpin. It was true that he was absent on Coruscant when it fell, when countless of his friends and descendants perished with numerous Sith. He regretted the loss of Coruscant just like he regretted the Fall of Beacon. But Ozpin hadn't given up since then, and he wasn't going to give up now.

    "But enough of the past," Salem said as she began to pace around the hanging Ozpin. "I have questions for you."

    "..."

    "The Beacon Relic. My forces have been unable to locate the Relic beneath the school. Now, if I know my Ozma, I would say he has used some means of deception to hide its location differently than the others." Salem stopped by Ozpin's right side and smiled. "Am I correct?"

    "..."

    Salem was indeed correct, that Ozpin had used a different method to hide the location of the Relic of Choice. And he kept this secret close to heart, so close that hardly anybody within his circle of trust knew about. He never explained why he chose a different method to hide the Relic, but Ozpin wasn't going to explain to Salem of all people.

    "You are," Ozpin said. "But that's all I'm willing to say about it."

    Salem paused for a moment as she thought about this. Obviously, she would have to try much harder than this to get the information she wanted. However, she had an idea how to get said information.

    "Very well," Salem said as she moved from Ozpin's side. "How about something easier, then?" Salem stopped walking and slightly turned around. "The password for the lamp?"

    "..."

    Ozpin took comfort that Salem was still under the illusion that she had the real Relic of Knowledge. He knew he couldn't keep her fooled forever, but Ozpin also knew he had to keep her distracted for as long as he could.

    And so, Ozpin took a calculated risk and answered Salem.

    "I'm afraid you're too late," Ozpin said. "The lamp is all out of questions."

    "..."

    Despite this being the truth, given that Cinder used the last of the three questions at Haven, Ozpin had a feeling Salem wouldn't believe him. He had, after all, lied and kept secrets from her before. He was even doing so now, by refusing to say that the lamp she had was a fake.

    Salem's next action proved that Ozpin was right in his assessment of the situation. At first, she simply turned around and hummed at the idea. But after a moment, Salem reached out with a single hand and moved two fingers close to her thumb.

    *WHOOSH*​

    Ozpin felt an invisible force around his throat, growing tighter and tighter by the second. Breathing was made infeasible now, which caused Ozpin to choke. Though his ability to reincarnate prevented him from truly dying, Ozpin could still feel pain that would soon become fatal.

    Like the Jedi and Sith, Salem could use the Force. She mainly relied on her Grimm and Magic for power, but the Force wasn't foreign to her. She had taught several others like Revan how to use it in a more darker manner, which led to her creation of the Sith.

    And when she looked upon Ozpin gasping for air in pain, Salem was very pleased.

    Eventually, Salem released Ozpin and walked towards him once more. Despite the intense hatred she harbored for him, Salem needed Ozpin alive for answers and to prevent him from reincarnating. "The lies come out of you so easily," she said as she smiled and rubbed his cheek, cherishing her prize. "You haven't changed at all."

    Ozpin needed a few more seconds before he could breathe normally and speak. "Neither... have you," he said regretfully. Time had done nothing to change Salem since their first battle.

    Salem hummed at the idea before she turned around and moved to the door. "You are going to tell me what you know. I don't care how or when, but either way... I'll finally have the Relic."

    Ozpin's throat had recovered from the attack, which helped him become defiant towards Salem once again. "I won't tell you anything."

    Salem turned around and hummed at Ozpin once again. Despite her confidence in acquiring what she sought, Salem knew that Ozpin was no longer in a mood to talk to her. Fortuantely, she had other methods of interorgation.

    One of them had even volunteered to help.

    *SHICK*​

    The door behind Salem opened to reveal Merri, who had been patiently waiting for her mother to summon her inside. She had volunteered to assit her mother with Ozpin, and was glad that she found the chance. Without a word, Merri lunged into the room and stabbed Ozpin with her sickle.

    *SHICK*

    *CRUNCH*    ​

    "AAAH!" Ozpin screamed as he felt the weapon being violently ripped out of his wound.

    "That... was for all the trouble you caused us in Atlas," said Merri. "Everything else... will be for my sister."

    While Ozpin was doing his best not to crumble under pressure, the crew of Amity Colosseum had charted their course. The tower was now on its way to the island of Vytal, where Mandalorians could gather their strength and prepare for war with Salem.

    Soon, Remnant would make its stand against Salem.

    In the meantime, everyone got to work. Pietro continued his studies with Gideon's virus, hoping to have it ready before arriving in Vytal. R2 was in charge of piloting the tower, while Penny assisted him however she could. Obi-Wan and Revan decided to meditate on the battle ahead, as well as Ozpin's absence. Qrow found himself missing Ozpin, feeling that he could really use his friend's wisdom. So the Jedi invited him to meditate, to clear his mind of doubt and worry.

    Djarin initially wanted to look for Cinder, but Bo-Katan stopped him to ask for advice. Unlike the clan of two, Bo-Katan's departure from the Mandalorians wasn't on the best of terms. She was sure there were others who saw her as a traitor, given her work with Salem.

    A part of Bo-Katan even believed they were right.

    Djarin swore that he would speak on Bo-Katan's behalf, and that Vytal would give her the chance to redeem herself. It wouldn't be easy, but redemption never was. To help her on this path, Djarin reminded Bo-Katan that she was overdue for training. So the Mandalorians engaged in a sparing match to hone their skills further.

    This decision was rather wise, since Cinder was still not ready to talk to anyone.

    The Fall Maiden had found a good place in the entirety of Amity for privacy, but not as good for reflection. She was the room where Aurora and the Blairs held her hostage while they ruined the Vytal Festival. Cinder had been tricked by the people she called her friends and brought her here to seize her powers.

    Cinder had learned to forgive herself for what happened back then, but everything that happened in Atlas had shaken this faith. Cinder couldn't help but think that she let the Kingdom down. Now, more than ever, the people of Atlas and Mantle needed help. And in their time of need, they had been robbed of a General, an elite group of Huntsmen, and a Maiden.

    All because of her idea.

    Even though she had been avoiding everyone around her, Cinder needed someone to talk to. She needed someone to listen to her, someone to open up to. The first person she thought of was her father, but Cinder didn't know if he would understand. He had helped her already, by showing her the real of Relic of Knowledge, which she now possessed.

    Cinder considered asking the lamp if things would be better with her plan, but she knew Jinn was incapable of telling the future. And she had used the last question at Haven. So now, she was doomed to morbidly reflect on her sorrows and nothing else.

    Until now.

    "Hello, Cinder."

    The young girl turned around to see that not only did she have company, but the entire area had become white. She didn't notice at first, since she had her eyes closed during her reflection, but now Cinder was aware of what was going on. Rather than Amity Colosseum, Cinder was in the void of the Fall Maiden.

    And it was the first Fall Maiden that spoke to her.

    "Oh," Cinder said without much care. "Hi, Fall."

    The glowing woman moved closer to Cinder and sat down. Normally, Fall would politely ask if she could join Cinder, but Fall knew she needed someone to talk to. "I saw what happened at Atlas," she said. "I'm sorry about your friends."

    "..."

    Being reminded of the people who were hurt and dead didn't help Cinder feel any better. So Fall decided to offer her ears instead of her voice. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. "I'm just going to listen, I promise."

    "..."

    Cinder knew she couldn't stay silent forever. So with a deep sigh, Cinder reluctantly opened up to Fall by asking a question. "Be honest with me," she said. "Am I... in over my head?"

    "What?" Fall was expecting Cinder to talk about her friends, so the question was confusing. "Why do you say that?"

    "Just answer the question." Cinder turned towards Fall to meet her face-to-face. "Am I in over my head?"

    "...No. No, I don't think so."

    Cinder turned away from Fall in frustration. "It sure feels like it."

    Fall pitied Cinder for feeling this way, and came to the conclusion that the setbacks to her plan were to blame. She understood that Cinder was the one who made that plan, and that she had no idea people would die as a result of the plan. It still worked, but Cinder refused to forget what it cost her.

    "Cinder... I know it's hard," Fall began. "I know you tried your best. I wish this wasn't true, but no plan is perfect-"

    "I was just trying to protect Atlas," Cinder interrupted. "I didn't want to see its people live in fear while being trapped in the sky. And I didn't want Mantle to be abandoned."

    "..."

    Cinder suddenly stood up and began to pace. "And now look at this. Penny and I abandoned Atlas after Salem came. Now they have no Maiden and no General to help them. When they learn what happened, they'll say I did this. That I got SCAR Squadron killed and ran off! And they're right! I did them killed, it's all my fault!" Cinder turned to Fall again. "So I'm asking you again, Fall, for the love of the Gods, am I in over my head?"

    "..."

    Fall couldn't remember the last time she was at a loss for words. It was true that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, but Cinder had to learn that the hard way. And it only got worse when Cinder remembered that she left Atlas to fend for itself against Salem.

    However, Cinder didn't seem to remember that the plan was to lure Salem away from the Kingdom. Fall believed that was a very good idea, and she was hoping she could remind Cinder of that. But the loss of SCAR Squadron and the injuries Ironwood and Winter sustained were too much for Cinder to think about anything else. Fall knew what that was like, since she and her replacements had seen it countless times. But Fall didn't have much experience with this kind of problem; such a thing would be more suited for Ozpin.

    "I can take it from here, Fall."

    Cinder couldn't help but lose focus on herself when she and Fall heard a new voice. They both turned to see that another woman had joined them, someone who was familiar to both of them. She wasn't glowing like Fall, but she was recognizable by her blonde hair and amber eyes; it was Cinder's predecessor.

    "Lila?" Cinder asked. She was rather surprised to see Lila Birch, since she hadn't seen her since she left the void.

    "Hey, kiddo," Lila said calmly. "Like Fall was saying, I'm sorry about what happened in Atlas. I know you were just trying to help." Lila put a hand on Cinder's shoulder for comfort. "And I know how you feel."

    Cinder initially shook off the attempt for comfort, given that she didn't think anyone understood how she felt. "I don't think so," she said.

    "Believe me, Cinder. I've been where you are. Remember what I told you about my predecessor?"

    "..."

    This wasn't the first time that Lila could relate to Cinder. During her previous time in the void, Cinder learned that Lila had lost a Huntress that she was very close to. That Huntress was actually the Fall Maiden before her, someone who lost her life while Lila was at her side. Cinder had only heard part of the story, and now Lila decided to share the whole thing.

    "Way back when, I was with my mentor and a few other Huntsmen on a mission," Lila began. "We were doing reconnaissance during a Search and Destroy, and most of our resources had been depleted from the Grimm. So we went on our way back to camp to rest and restock our inventory." Lila moved her hand to form a very thin gap between her finger and thumb. "We were this close to camp when we got a distress signal in some uncharted territory. One of our teammates was hurt."

    "..."

    Lila could see that she had Cinder's undivided attention, so she continued sharing her story. "Everyone was saying that it was too risky to go back, that we didn't have the supplies or Aura to keep fighting. But I disagreed. So, I took the initiative and went looking for him. And soon enough, we all went out."

    "..."

    Lila couldn't help but pause for a moment as she reflected on her past. Cinder could tell that the story had a dark turn, but a part of her remained hopeful about it. "Were you able to find him?" she asked.

    Lila looked down to the invisible ground in shame. "We... found the body," she replied. "And a group of Alpha Grimm waiting to ambush us."

    "..."

    Cinder recalled learning about something like this during her time at Beacon. It was a rare experience, but Alpha Grimm were known to leave their packs and join forces to take down the best Huntsmen and Huntresses. Rather than lead their forces, the Alphas would lean on each other's strength and knowledge to kill their enemies. The attack was as effective as it was rare.

    And according to Lila, the attack she saw was just as effective.

    "They attacked us as soon as we arrived, and the majority of the team got killed," Lila explained. "My mentor was hurt bad, but she got me out of there before she succumbed to her wounds." Lila sighed as she remembered watching her friend and teacher die. "Ozpin helped me with the Maiden powers, but I was scolded countless times by everyone else who knew what happened. Through all the ridicule, I could never blame them for hating what I did. The only person I did blame... was me."

    "..."

    The story was not only a sad one, but it was a very similar one to what happened in Amity. Cinder pitied Lila greatly as she imagined the scolding and ridicule from a noble action. It seemed similar to what Cinder was expecting to receive when people beyond Amity learned what happened.

    "I... I'm sorry," Cinder said, offering her condolences.

    "It's okay, Cinder," Lila insisted. "When I wasn't hating myself, I was replaying the situation in my head. Thinking about what I could have done differently. But it never changed anything." Lila put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "That's when I realized, with some help from Ozpin, that I couldn't keep blaming myself for what happened. Eventually, I learned that I couldn't blame myself for acting the way did. My actions were a result of a dire situation that I had no control over. And the same goes for you."

    Cinder wasn't expecting the story to relate to her, but Lila's wisdom began to make her think. She remembered that she too had faced a dire situation in Atlas, that Salem was coming to destroy the Kingdom. Cinder had no control over that; all she could do was what she thought was best.

    And her predecessor reminded her of that.

    "What you did may not make sense to everyone in Atlas," said Lila. "I know it didn't make sense to Ironwood. But it made sense to you, and everyone around you. That's all that matters."

    Cinder understood where Lila was coming from, but she didn't exactly agree with that sentiment. "But I left the whole Kingdom for Salem," she said. "If Atlas survives, if Ironwood survives, nobody will let me forget about that. Nobody will let me forget about my mistakes."

    "Your mistakes don't define you, Cinder," Lila insisted. She then lifted her hand off Cinder's shoulder and pointed at her. "Don't let anyone tell you differently."

    "She's right, Cinder," said Fall. Cinder had almost forgotten that Fall was still with her, but that didn't stop her from listening to the Maiden's wisdom. "The people who won't let you forget them just want to see you fail and live in misery."

    "And if there ever is someone like that, don't let them win," Lila implored. "You need to stand up and prove them wrong. Only then will you be able to find peace."

    "..."

    After Cinder took it all in, she saw the wisdom in what Fall and Lila were saying. The weight of losing SCAR Squadron and Ozpin was heavy, but it wasn't one that the Maidens were unfamiliar with. Though she didn't share a story like Lila's, Fall most certainly had mistakes and errors on her path to becoming a Maiden. But rather than let it define them or hold them back, the Maidens accepted their errors and kept moving forward.

    Cinder learned this lesson before when she unlocked her chakras, and she just learned it again.

    "I learned to accept my mistakes," said Lila. "It's time you do the same."

    After a long period of being silent while listening, Cinder nodded and gave her friend an answer. "I don't think I can do it right away," she said. "But I'll try." Cinder allowed a small but grateful smile to appear on her face. "Thanks, Lila."

    "Anytime, kiddo," Lila replied.

    While Cinder was receiving comfort and advice, Ozpin was receiving nothing but torture.

    Merri had done her job well, and with much pleasure. Her sickle and mouth were covered in Ozpin's blood, and there was much to be had. Merri didn't have as much experience with torture as Salem did, but that didn't stop her from improvising. It didn't stop her from tearing flesh and reaching bone when Ozpin's Aura couldn't heal him anymore. Merri had made Ozpin hurt in ways he hadn't felt in years.

    But the one thing Merri couldn't do was make Ozpin talk.

    The memory of Cinder's plan and his desire to see it through gave Ozpin the willpower to remain silent about the fake Relic. He also kept silent about Amity's purpose, since the whole world would be seeing it soon.

    He hoped.

    Merri soon found herself frustrated with Ozpin's silence. It had reached the point where she had to resist the temptation to kill him. Like her mother, Merri knew that Ozpin would reincarnate in another body and never truly be gone. Because of this, Merri decided to leave Ozpin's cell and think of another way to gain what she was seeking.

    "Alone at last," Ozpin thought to himself as the door to the cell closed behind Merri. The lack of pain and Merri's frustrated groans finally made Ozpin hear himself think once more, and he had a lot to think about. "But it won't last long."

    "..."

    The silence and solitude were Ozpin's only friends in the giant Grimm. But this wasn't the first time Ozpin had made friends with these concepts, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Rather than wallow in self-pity or focus on the pain, Ozpin used the chance Merri gave him to try and think of a way out of the room.

    "The Force should give me everything I need," Ozpin surmised. "I can release these bonds, heal myself as much as I can, and open the door. Then, I'll face whatever and whoever is..."

    Ozpin couldn't help but take pause in his plan. It was a very good one, since the Force was his greatest ally. However, something was telling Ozpin that he couldn't leave just yet.

    "No. I can do all of that... but I can't risk jeopardizing our plan simply to save myself. I must stay the course. I owe Cinder that much."

    With a heavy heart, Ozpin refused to free himself and open the door. Instead, he healed his wounds as well as he could with Force healing. It was a technique discovered many years ago, one that required both strength and willpower. While it was very beneficial and effective, Ozpin had seen the consequences of prolonged use. Such consequences would usually result from one person healing another rather than oneself, but Ozpin didn't take any chances with his own life.

    Not more than he had done already.

    "If Cinder had delivered a message, Salem would be here by now," Ozpin concluded. "Fuming with anger, demanding to know where the real Relic is. And she'll still keep me alive, to reveal how I can open the lamp." With his life in relative safety, Ozpin focused on why a message hadn't been made yet. "Cinder made the right choice not to deliver a message yet. Depending on where we are, Salem could close in on Amity before the day is done. Cinder and the others need space and time. And I have to give it to them. But how?"

    "..."

    This wasn't the first time that Ozpin didn't know what to do. The last time he felt this way was quite recently, when his lies and secrets were revealed at Haven. Fortunately, it was this reminder of Haven that started to give him an idea.

    The victory at Haven was a difficult time for Ozpin, since he had to watch as all his secrets were divulged to his disapproval. However, the victory couod be contributed to Salem's secrets being revealed as well. Despite their differences, Ozpin and Salem had kept their past a secret from those they worked with. After all, the Mandalorians that followed her were surprised to see that Salem wanted to destroy the world rather than recreate it.

    Ozpin was willing to believe that people like Watts and Hazel were also left in the dark. And given Hazel's untimely departure from Haven, Salem's true purpose was still unknown to him.

    Because Salem had them focusing on dividing the world rather than asking questions.

    "Salem knows she can't face the whole world at once," Ozpin reminded himself. "She has her followers work their way in, sabotaging us from the inside ...I should do the same."

    *SHICK*​

    As Ozpin realzied that he had been presented with an opportunity, the door to his cell opened once again. Rather than Merri, however, Ozpin was greeted by yet another opportunity. Unlike someone who was truly devoted to Salem, Ozpin was in the presence of someone who was starting to falter.

    "Hello, Hazel," the injured Ozpin said to his new interrogator. "You look unwell."

    Hazel looked upon Ozpin in anger, just as he did the oast several times they met. But unlike those times, the cause of the anger wasn't Gretchen. Rather, Hazel had just arrived after having a "conversation" with Salem.

    Needless to say, Salem was very displeased with Hazel leaving as he did. After the loss of the Mandalorians, Salem was in need of people who would serve her without question. She had no tolerance for desertion, even before the Mandalorians left. So Salem was... disappointed to learn that Hazel had remained out of contact before he had been captured by the Huntsmen.

    To keep the hulk of a man in place, Salem reminded Hazel of everything she was capable of. And now, between Gretchen and avoiding Salem's wrath, Hazel had all the motivation he needed to get answers from Ozpin.

    *BAM*​

    Hazel threw a punch at Ozpin and made the Headmaster bleed. "And how do you look?" he asked as he watched Ozpin swing from side to side. "Just tell us how this damned Lamp works."

    "Look at yourself, Hazel," Ozpin implored as he saw the cuts and brusies on his adversary's body. "Why do you follow her?"

    *BAM*​

    This time, Hazel kicked Ozpin and made the man swing around again. And yet, Ozpin refused to give up. "I know... I know how you must see me," he said, understanding how Salem got into his head. "But her? Look at what she does. How is she the answer? Why not stop her?!"

    "..."

    When Hazel stopped and turned away, he understood that hurting Ozpin wouldn't make him stop talking nonsense. So, he begrudgingly indulged him instead. "Salem can't be stopped. She's a force of nature. I've seen it first hand. But you…"

    *SNAP*​

    Hazel broke a piece of bone off of one of several spikes in the room. Since the room was part of a living Grimm, there was nothing but bones and black ooze all around the area. Hazel paid no heed to being inside a living creature as he sharpened the bone in his hand.

    "You send children to their deaths for a cause that you know has no victory, no end!"

    "..."

    Ozpin now understood that Hazel wasn't exactly loyal to Salem. But rather, in his mind, thst he chose the lesser of two evils. Namely, that fighting alongside Grimm was better than sending students to fight evil. Ozpin understood this easily, since many students, along with Huntsmen and Huntresses, died at Beacon and Haven.

    Ozpin could acknowledge this tragedy, just like he understood how he could use it against Hazel. What he planned next was risky, it was perhaps even more unsafe than tricking Salem. But Ozpin needed to knock some sense into Hazel, even if it meant it would hurt.

    "...Is that how you justified what happened to Gretchen?" Ozpin asked.

    With a yell, Hazel lost all control of himself and stabbed Ozpin with the bone. Ozpin couldn't help but scream from the pain, though the Force and his Aura were working to heal it. "She was there because of you!" Hazel said as he twisted the knife in his hand. "It should have been you who died that night instead of her! You did it before, you could have done it again!"

    Ozpin was coughing up blood at this point, and the pain was terrible to endure. But once again, he didn't give up. Though he did give in to something, it wasn't about giving up.

    Instead, Ozpin gave in to Hazel's way of thinking.

    "You think... I don't know?" Ozpin grunted. "You think... I would have chosen myself to die... if I knew what was going to happen?"

    "..."

    This was the first time Hazel actually heard Ozpin admit that he was right. That he actually agreed with the fact that Gretchen wasn't supposed to die, that it should have been him instead. The surprise overcame Hazel and made him freeze, which also made him listen to Ozpin.

    "I didn't want her to be there," Ozpin admitted. "I didn't demand her to join me, I didn't even ask. But I couldn't stop her from making her choice... no matter how badly I wanted to."

    "..."

    Hazel let go of the bone he was holding and stepped back. "So... you admit it," he said. "Are you expecting mercy?"

    "No," Ozpin denied. "I'm expecting you to remember."

    "Remember what?"

    "Everything Revan said while you were in Atlas. Djarin, too. That Salem expects her servants to abandon everything they hold dear to them. That they turn their backs on their families. Like you and Gretchen."

    "..."

    "Salem expected you to fight her. Worse, even... break her heart." Ozpin shook his head as he paused. "She did it with Revan and his brother. Tell me... does that sound like anyone who cares who or what you may be fighting for?"

    "..."

    Hazel recalled what he was told by Revan and Djarin. About Gretchen and the brother that Revan had killed. It caused him to think about a lot that day, but his mind just as easily gave in to the dark temptation thst brought him to Salem in the first place. And now, it was that temptation that made him find a worrhy response for Ozpin.

    "You want to know what I'm fighting for?" Hazel asked. "Why I follow Salem?"

    "..."

    "We share a vision. She's gonna create a new world order, no Kingdoms..." Hazel leaned closer to Ozpin. "And no Huntsmen Academies."

    "..."

    Ozpin had been willing to listen to Hazel, but now he couldn't help but chuckle at the idea. "New world order," he repeated. "No. When Salem gets all four Relics, there will be no world left at all. Don't you get it? She's been alive longer than you can comprehend. All she craves now is release. Death."

    *BAM*​

    "Stop lying!" Hazel said after he punched Ozpin once again. "Salem can't be killed. When she came for me, I killed her over and over again. The longest she was gone was only a few hours, before she put herself back together. When I couldn't lift my arms anymore, she showed me that, through her, I could have the vengeance I needed."

    By the time Ozpin stopped moving around, he was able to speak again. "Oh, Hazel, don't you see? That is why she came for you. Because she could make you believe that this is what you needed."

    "This is what you deserve!"

    "Yes! But the people of Atlas? Remnant? You haven't done what you've done for justice. You've done it for yourself. Because she pushed you to think it would help you."

    "..."

    "Well, has it?"

    While her conversation with Fall and Lila helped Cinder find a renewed purpose, the Fall Maiden's confidence was still at a low. Between that and feeling dissatisfied in her solitude, Cinder decided to find someone in Amity to talk to.

    Once she did, Cinder discovered that nobody else seemed to be as sad as her. They were all staying active while preparing for the road ahead, either by sparring or working on Amity. Penny was doing both, since she was communicating with R2 and practicing the power of the Winter Maiden.

    Cinder had almost forgotten about Penny obtaining the power of a Maiden. She remembered the first day and night she had the Fall Maiden's powers, how she saved Djarin and nearly hit him with fire. That was a very confusing and mind-shattering time for Cinder, which made the young girl realize that Penny was probably going through something similar.

    She was about to see if this was true, but another voice stopped the Fall Maiden in her tracks.

    "Cinder!"

    The Fall Maiden turned at the sound of her name to see Djarin had teleported next to her. He was previously sparring with Bo-Katan, but his daughter's presence made Djarin seize the opportunity to potentially help her.

    "Oh!" Cinder said as she stood in her father's presence. "Hi, Dad."

    "Hey," Djarin said as his surprise of seeing Cinder disappeared. "How... How are you doing?"

    Cinder rubbed her arm as she remembered that she didn't leave everyone on the best of terms. "Okay... sort of."

    "..."

    Cinder sighed as she read the room. "Dad, can we talk?" she requested. "Just you and me?"

    "Of course," Djarin said before he looked in Bo-Katan's direction. The Mandalorian nodded slowly, understanding that further sparring would have to wait.

    With that, the duo found themselves in the vastly empty seats of Amity Colosseum. Not all of them had been removed during construction, so they served as the perfect place for Djarin and Cinder to speak in private. They hadn't done so for a while, but Cinder's earlier panic attack told Djarin that they needed a private moment between father and daughter.

    "Sorry about before," Cinder timidly apologized. "I just... My head wasn't really in the right place."

    "It's okay," Djarin insisted. "I understand."

    "..."

    Cinder was glad to hear that her father wasn't upset about her anxiety, especially since it occurred at the wrong time. However, she was somewhat doubtful that he understood everything that she was thinking. Fortunately for her, Djarin was able to relate to her problem.

    "I know losing people is hard," Djarin said with sympathy. "I've seen people come and go more times than I can count. And it's okay to grieve them when you can. But doing it alone can't achieve anything." Djarin pointed to Cinder's necklace. "We're a clan, remember? One member can't do what an entire tribe can do."

    Cinder remembered that she was a part of a clan of two. She used to believe that the title was just a formality, but being with Djarin and learning about teamwork from Ozpin taught Cinder that she couldn't always rely on just herself. Help from her friends and family was always valued.

    Which was what Cinder needed now.

    "Thanks, Dad," Cinder began. "But... I don't think I'm really... grieving, right now. I mean, maybe I was before. I just wasn't doing it right."

    Djarin slowly nodded before he replied. "Well, how are you feeling now?" he asked.

    "Right now... I'm a little..." Cinder's body tensed up before she gave a proper answer. "I think I'm confused."

    "Confused?" Djarin didn't expect to hear that, since their course of action and plan seemed clear. "About what?"

    "Well..." Cinder turned to Djarin and gave him another answer. "I'm just not sure... why you all still believe in me. After what happened with Oz and Ironwood."

    Djarin also regretted the loss of Ozpin and Ironwood, but that didn't affect the resolve he had for fighting. "Cinder, that wasn't your fault," the Mandalorian insisted. "Watts was bound to do something when he was free."

    "I know." Cinder was starting to understand that she couldn't blame herself, just like Lila had said. However, that didn't answer her question. "But the plan I made didn't go the way I wanted. Doesn't that bother you?" Cinder pointed at her friends below. "Doesn't that bother anyone?"

    "Of course it does. I wish Ozpin was here. But he did the right thing tricking Salem." Djarin pointed to Cinder's waist, where the Relic of Knowledge was resting. "He was right to leave us with that too."

    Cinder stared at the Relic and nodded. "Yeah, this'll definitely help. But I don't think you understand what I'm asking." Cinder stood up and moved in front of her father. "After everything that happened, everything that went wrong... why do you still want to do this? Why do you still believe in me?"

    "..."

    Djarin was starting to understand what Cinder was asking. The attack had shaken her faith in herself, but Cinder needed to understand that the faith from everyone else hadn't faltered. In order to do that, Djarin had to remind her how this faith came to be in the first place.

    "Cinder," Djarin began as he stood up. "You're forgetting about everything that happened before Amity. Hours ago, you were helping us defend the Kingdom. You didn't let anything Salem threw in your way stop you before. You were on a path that I chose to follow. That I want to follow."

    This was the kind of support Cinder was looking for, but she still had doubts. "Because I have this?" she asked as she reached for her waist. Rather than the lamp, Cinder rubbed her hand on the Darksaber. She knew possession of it solidified her rule over Mandalore, and she believed that people were following her because of this title.

    She was wrong.

    "No," Djarin insisted. "Because of what you've done. What you plan to do." Djarin pointed at Cinder's chest as he explained himself. "You won that thing, remember? And after that, you ended the war Vizsla started. Before that, you spent five years honing your Maiden and Mandalorian skills until they made you into who you are today." Djarin slightly moved his hand to emphasize his point. "You did all of that, Cinder. And now, we're using the chance you gave us to do what you would do. That's why we still believe in you."

    With every word Djarin spoke, Cinder rediscovered her confidence bit by bit. It wasn't as strong as it was back in Atlas, but it was much stronger than it was a few minutes ago. Cinder learned it was always good to believe in oneself, but she also learned that support like this was always a blessing.

    Her confidence and faith in herself was almost restored, but Cinder had just one more question.

    "Thanks, Dad," Cinder said. "Just one more thing."

    "..."

    Cinder took her father's silence as a willingness to hear her out, so she asked her question. "Back at Beacon, you said that if there was any hope of us winning against Salem, it's with me. Is that still true? I mean, after we found out she's immortal?"

    Djarin understood Cinder's skepticism, especially since Salem was cursed with eternal life. "Yes," Djarin said. "It's still true, Cinder."

    "How come?"

    Djarin decided to sit down again as he explained himself. "It's like I said, Cinder. Everything you did, with us and by yourself, made me believe in you. And... there's something else too." Djarin had to prepare himself for what he was about to say, since it wasn't something he shared with Cinder before. "Do you remember when I told you about Clan Tenau? The first day I met them?"

    "...Yeah," Cinder replied after a moment of thinking. "I was at Haven when you met them, but you told me about that day."

    "Well, there was something I didn't mention. I didn't think it was important until now, but... When I met Mi Tenau, she said-"

    *WOOO*

    *WOOO*    ​

    An alarm and red lights caught the attention of the clan of two. Seeing that their conversation would have to wait, Djarin took Cinder's shoulder and teleported himself to the arena where everyone else was hovering around Pietro.

    "What's going on?" Qrow asked.

    "Is there a malfunction?" Revan asked.

    "No, fortunately," said Pietro, who was staring and typing on a computer screen. "But the tower's proximity alerts went off." He then looked to everyone around him. "Something's closing in on us."

    Cinder gasped as fear found its way into her mind. "Salem," she assumed. "She's coming after us."

    This was a logical thing to assume, given that Salem's arrival would be inevitable. But nobody had expected it to come so soon, given that they hadn't sent their message yet. The idea they all shared was that Ozpin's deception had been uncovered, and that Salem had learned where the real lamp was going.

    But before he jumped to any conclusions, Pietro decided to see what Amity was up against.

    "R2, plug into the cameras," Pietro calmly ordered. "Let's see what's on our tail."

    *WOO*

    *WEE*    ​

    R2 extended his scomp link and turned into multiple times until he was connected to the several cameras Amity had installed. His head turned around and projected a holographic image of the outside for his friends, which led to a surprising revelation.

    "There's... no Grimm," Djarin said as he stared at the image.

    R2 began showing different images from different cameras, but nobody could see any Grimm following them. "Perhaps the cameras are improperly aligned," said Penny. "Or malfunctioning. We did not finish everything we hoped to achieve for the tower."

    "No," said Obi-Wan. "Something's out there." The Jedi Master turned towards the window of Amity. "I can feel it."

    "..."

    Only Revan could share the feeling Obi-Wan had, but it was Qrow who discovered that something was different. "Wait, what's that?" he asked as he pointed to the screen. He didn't see a Grimm, but Qrow was able to make out something small approaching from the south.

    "Zoom in, R2," Pietro ordered when he saw the same thing Qrow did. The droid obeyed and the image became clearer. There, everyone could see that it wasn't a Grimm following them, but an airship.

    "It's a Atlesian Manta," said Penny. "This far from the Kingdom?" Amity had left a short while ago, but it had already put itself at a far distance from Atlas.

    "What's it doing out here?" Cinder asked. "Who's piloting it?"

    "Let's find out," said Bo-Katan, who moved towards a radio in the tower. She was able to find a signal where any ship would be able to hear her. "Incoming craft, identify yourself."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan was answered with silence, as was the rest of Amity's crew. They all turned to the camera again, where the lone airship was growing closer.

    "It's coming in fast," Djarin observed.

    "Yeah..." Qrow agreed. "Too fast."

    Everyone in the room shared Qrow's bad feeling. A lone airship closing in on them, after all their previous trouble with Atlesian personnel, was raising some red flags for them. Bo-Katan was prepared to send out another message to the airship, threatening retaliatory action if the pilot didn't identify themselves. Amity didn't have any weapons installed, but Bo-Katan had a feeling her bluff would work. She needed to know what kind of intentions the airship had.

    The pilot answered this not with words, but by launching a missile directly at the tower.

    *BOOM*​

    The tower shook from the explosion and knocked everyone over. Pietro's chair prevented him from falling with his friends, but the missile concerned him greatly. "We're under attack!" he said as he assessed the tower's structure.

    Everyone stood back up and regrouped by Pietro. After seeing they were all okay, the crew assessed the situation as best as they could.

    "They're trying to kill us!" said Qrow.

    "What's our damage, Doctor?" Obi-Wan asked.

    Pietro quickly looked at the computer screen in front of him. "That missile hit the side," he said as he looked at a flashing red light. "But we seem to be okay."

    "That won't stop them from trying again," said Revan.

    Djarin agreed and prepared to strategize. "Does the tower have any defenses?"

    "Just a Hard-Light shield around the critical systems," Pietro reported.

    "Not good enough." Djarin began to run towards the exit of the arena.

    "Wait, what are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked.

    Djarin turned around briefly to answer, and then kept running. "Getting involved!"

    Cinder had a good idea where her father was going. And though they didn't exactly finish their conversation, Cinder wasn't going to let Djarin get involved with this alone. "Wait for me!" she said as she took off after him.

    Soon enough, Djarin and Cinder found themselves at the Razor Crest. It had been a while since they flew it together, but the clan of two manned their stations and let the ship fly out of Amity's hanger.

    "Dr. Polendina, this is Mando," Djarin said as the Razor Crest exited the tower. "Cinder and I are going to try and get this ship out of the sky. Keep an eye on the cameras for it."

    "Especially if it's close to the hanger," Cinder said as she looked at the radio. "Whoever this is, they might try to come in the same way we came out."

    "Understood," said Pietro. "All I ask is that you keep that pilot aeay from the gravity pads and thrusters. If we lose those, we lose the enitre tower."

    "Keep those Hard-Light shields up for as long as you can," Djarin advised. "This won't be easy."

    "Mando, it's making another pass!" Qrow said from his poistion. "It's coming right for us!"

    Cinder looked out the windshield to see if she could find the airship. "There it is!" she said as she pointed forwards.

    "I see him," Djarin said as he readied the ship's weapons. "Here we go."

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    The primary cannons fired directly at the Atlesian ariship, moving at a rate much faster than each ship was currently moving. However, the Manta moved across the air and performed multiple spins as it dodged each of the blasts Djarin had fired. A couple of the projectiles scorched the hull, but the Manta was unharmed.

    Despite his disappointment, Djarin knew that such a result wasn't uncommon. He had been in a similar situation before, where either he or his enemy would have to duck and weave past projectiles in order to stay alive.

    That was what Djarin had to do when the ship returned fire.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    "Hang on!" Djarin said as he moved the Razor Crest. Cinder did as she was told and felt the ship move all around her. It was a little disorienting for inexperienced pilots and crew, but Cinder had been on the Razor Crest enough times to be used to such a feeling.

    With the clan of two distracted, the Manta fired two more missiles at Amity. While one hit close to the too of the tower, another hit the Hard-Light shield that Pietro had mentioned.

    "Djarin, Cinder!" Bo-Katan said through the radio. "That one was a little too close for comfort! You gotta take that ship out!"

    "Already on it!" Cinder replied, since she was already aware of the situation. But now, she had an idea on how to make due on that promise. "Homing missile time?"

    "Homing missile time," Djarin agreed. This was a special kind of missile Djarin saved for emergencies, and this was certainly one of those times. "I'm almost locked on."

    Cinder moved towards the controls of the ship. She and Djarin had done this plenty of times before, so their teammwork was impeccable. And now, this time would be no different.

    They hoped.

    "Fire... now!" Djarin ordered when he had his target locked.

    *BEEP*

    *WHOOSH*

    *WHOOSH*    ​

    Two homing missiles ejected from the ship and flew nuat as fast as the bullets and blasts the two ships fired at each other. And sure enough, they locked on to the enemy Manta and made their presence known. As a result, the airship lost focus on Amity and flew away with the missiles following.

    "We got him now," Cinder said confidently.

    Djarin would normally say that the fight wasn't over yet, but he was glad to see Cinder's confidence grow again. Growing confident himself, the Mandalorian focused back on Amity rather than the airship. "We have him running from homing missiles," he said into the radio. "What's your status?"

    "Hanging in there," Pietro responded. "R2 says that Amity's scratches won't affect broadcasting or flying. Though the structural integrity might be a bit damaged."

    "Don't worry," Cinder said. "It'll be over soon."

    Djarin turned back to the windshield to see if the fight was indeed over. The enemy airship was still flying, but the homing missiles were closing in fast. The clan of two expected the ship to blow up at any moment, or the pilot to try and delay the inevitable.

    The answer seemed to be the former, but in an unorthodox manner.

    Rather than return fire, the airship began to spin at a very fast rate. As a response, the homing missiles began to spin as well. Since they were locked on to specific parts of the airship, the missiles were forced to spin while their target was spinning as well. It wasn't much to consider at first, since the movements were apparently prolonging the inevitable. However, the missiles were moving closer and closer to the airship. As a result of this and the spinning, the missiles moved closer to each other as well.

    Right until they made contact with each other.

    *BOOM*​

    A single explosion emerged from the two missiles touching each other, destorying them while the spinning airship was unharmed. Once the damage was done, the airship stopped spinning and moved back towards Amity.

    Djarin and Cinder were at a loss for words when they saw what happened. Their confidence in the homing missiles was compeltely shattered, as well as their ability to take the airship down easily.

    Neither of them had ever seen such a tactic.

    Everyone on Amity also saw what had happened with the airship and missiles. Like Djarin and Cinder, they had never seen such a bold tactic done to evade missiles.

    "That should not be possible," said Penny. "No Atlesian air-pilot has displayed such reckless tactics before."

    "I'm starting to think that's not an Atlesian pilot," said Qrow. He couldn't think of anyone in Ironwood's army who would perform feats such as that. And like everyone else on board, they agreed.

    "It can't be one of Salem's people," said Bo-Katan. "I heard the kid could fly a little, but nothing like that."

    "If not one of Salem's, then who?" Pietro asked.

    "I think I know," said Obi-Wan. "But may the Force be with us if I'm right."

    "..."

    The two Jedi had been quiet up until now, but they sensed something strange the minute the airship began to spin. Like their friends, Obi-Wan and Revan knew that this wasn't an Atlesian pilot.

    The Force was with them.

    Obi-Wan moved to the radio as fast as he could and spoke quickly. "Djarin, Cinder, you must break off pursuit," he warned. "Don't go any closer to that ship."

    "What?" Cinder asked. "But it's heading for Amity again! We have to stop it!"

    "Cinder, you don't stand a chance! That's not any simple pilot! It's... It's Anakin."

    Everyone paused when they heard this. They were all surprised to hear that Obi-Wan's former apprentice was once again causing them trouble, but it made perfect sense to Revan. It also made sense to Bo-Katan, who still harbored great resentment towards the man who killed her sister.

    "This makes no sense," said Djarin. "If that's Anakin, what's he doing all the way out here? What does he want?"

    "Me," Obi-Wan replied. "He must have sensed my departure from Atlas, after he freed Bo-Katan and several prisoners."

    "So now he's trying to take Amity down with you," said Cinder.

    "No," said Revan. "If Anakin wanted the tower destroyed, he would have done so by now."

    "Revan's right," said Obi-Wan. "Anakin was always a great pilot. And he's taken on bigger things than Amity."

    "So what do we do?" Qrow asked. "How do we stop him?"

    "Perhaps I can help," Penny insisted. "I can fly, and I have the Maiden powers. Perhaps they can stop-"

    "Penny, no!" Pietro protested. "You're needed here, on Amity!"

    "But, Dad, I can-"

    "No, Penny," Obi-Wan insisted. "Dr. Polendina is right. Anakin won't let up his attacks until he gets what he wants."

    "So what do we do?" Qrow repeated.

    "...Give him what he wants."

    "..."

    Everyone understood that Obi-Wan was suggesting that he offer himself up as bait. They all had their own reservations and reluctance against such a plan, but Obi-Wan knew it had to be done.

    "Those islands, there," Obi-Wan said as he pointed to the map R2 had created earlier. "They're behind Amity now. If I take an airship there, Anakin will follow me

    "Obi-Wan, wait!" Cinder implored. "We already lost Ozpin, we can't lose you too!"

    "You won't lose me, Cinder. I'll handle Anakin and meet you at Vytal."

    "Not alone, you're not," said Revan. "We can face him together."

    "No, Revan," Obi-Wan protested calmly. "This is my fight. Yours lies with Salem." Both Jedi knew this to be true, so no more protest came from Revan.

    "But you're still not going alone," Bo-Katan protested. "We had a deal, remember?"

    Obi-Wan was still reluctant to take anyone with him, but he recalled the deal he originally made with Bo-Katan. He could see that all of her waiting was finally aboit to pay off, whether he liked it or not. "Very well," he conceded. "We go together."

    Rather than second thoughts, Bo-Katan offered a chuckle to her ally. "A Jedi and a Mandalorian working together. It really is the end of the world."

    "I brought a protoype airship I've been working on," said Pietro. "You're welcome to use it. I'm afriad there's only one seat."

    "Let me land the Crest," Djarin offered. "Its weapons should help you."

    "Save its stength for Salem, my friend," Obi-Wan insisted. "I don't think a lack of an extra seat will stop Bo-Katan."

    "I've been through worse," said Bo-Katan. "One seat or no seat, I'm still going."

    Obi-Wan accepted this and began to make his way towards the hanger. But before he left, he remembered what Cinder said about losing him. Obi-Wan had sensed Cinder's depression while they were flying away from Atlas, as well as her need for reassurance.

    So before he left completely, Obi-Wan said one more thing to his friends.

    "When she returns... tell Cinder that the Force will be with her," he requested. "Always."

    "So long as this world turns... you shall walk its face."

    "..."

    Ozpin was still hanging above the ground in his cell, but he wasnt being tortured anymore. Instead, he was explaining to Hazel what both he and Salem were hiding. Ozpin was done hiding secrets, and he hoped revealing Salem's deception would be the final step to convice Hazel that he was on the wrong side.

    "That was the curse cast upon her," Ozpin explained. "But if Salem can divide Humanity beyond repair, and bring all four Relics together, she believes that maybe her curse will be broken. The Gods will rule against us and destroy Remnant, once and for all."

    "..."

    Hazel had been listening to Ozpin for a while now. Ever since he started to hold back his attacks, Hazel couldn't help but listen to what Ozpin had to say. And though he didn't like to admit it, Hazel's role in his sister's death influenced his decision to sit back and listen. But after Ozpin finished recounting his tale, Hazel had decided to finally stop listening.

    "Nice story," he said. "But you don't have anything to back it up. Or make me trust you."

    As Hazel approached closer, Ozpin knew that he had failed. Ironically, the truth hadn't exactly won Hazel trust. And now, it seemed that he was going to pick up where he left off.

    Under normal circumstances, Ozpin would try to think of a new plan. Perhaps even try using the Force and fighting his way out. However, Ozpin knew that he had been on the right track; he just hadn't taken it far enough. Telling the truth worked with Ironwood, and it could work with Hazel too.

    So Ozpin took a calculated risk and spoke more of the truth.

    "The lamp is a fake," he said.

    "Huh?" Hazel said with a surprised expression.

    Once he saw that he had Hazel's attention, Ozpin continued speaking. "Dr. Polendina created a fake lamp based on the real one. It's with Cinder and my friends. And like I told her... it can't answer any more questions."

    "..."

    Ozpin didn't know what he should expect from taking such a risk. The most likely result of revealing this secret prematurely would either be Hazel running off to tell Salem the truth or Hazel demanding to know more. The result turned out to be the latter, since Hazel moved forward again and hoisted Ozpin by the collar.

    "After all that... you're just going to tell Salem you tricked her?" Hazel angrily asked. He too had been tricked, and he was already in a bad spot with Salem. The last thing he wanted was for his situation to become worse.

    "No," Ozpin denied. "I'm telling you that I tricked Salem. I'm warning you ahead of time, before you find yourself in the same conflict as her."

    "..."

    Hazel began to lower Ozpin back towards the ground as he thiught about what the prisoner had said. If the lamp he brought was indeed a fake, Hazel knew Salem wouldn't take that very well. And from the way Ozpin had put it, she was about to be in a bad situation.

    But the strange part was, Hazel understood that Ozpin was apparently trying to warn him. To tell him that there was trouble ahead, and that he could save himself. The word "conflict" told Hazel that there would be a battle soon, and that Ozpin didn't want Hazel to be a part of it.

    Ironically, Hazel also understood that there was much he still didn't understand. If the Relic was a fake, why would Ozpin risk himself to Salem? Why create a fake in the first place? And most of all, why did Ozpin spend so much time and energy being honest when he could have lied just as easily?

    Little did Hazel know... all of his questions would be answered soon.

    Back on Amity, everyone was preparing for the big moment. Despite not being as far from Atlas as they intially hoped, Anakin's attack told the tower's crew knew that they had to send a message here and now. Amity was still moving at a consistent pace, so the risk of Salem catching up quickly was very slim.

    So now, everyone on board was ready to send their message.

    "There we go," said Pietro, who finished pressing keys on his computer. "Qrow, your Scroll is linked with Amity's broadcasting system. It was orginally designed to broadcast a pre-recorded video, but we should be able to livestream now."

    Qrow had volunteered to record the message on his Scroll, which was now plugged into the central core of Amity. Now that he was ready, Qrow was aiming his Scroll directly at the person who was going to create the message.

    Cinder.

    Despite her earlier pause in confidence and losing two more of her allies, Cinder knew that only she could say the words Amity was designed to spread. With her powers, the Relic, and her status as Mand'alor, Cinder knew that being in front of the camera would get the results she and her friends needed.

    Namely, having the Mandalorians converge at the island of Vytal.

    Cinder hadn't exactly prepared a complete speech, but she had her armor on and a good feeling about everything she wanted to say. And now, after saving Amity once again, Cinder understood that she had to say something. Otherwise the whole world would be left at Salem's mercy completely unprepared.

    It was either now... or never.

    "Are you okay, Cinder?"

    The Fall Maiden turned to see her father standing next to her. He too remembered the conversation he had with Cinder, and Djarin felt bad that he didn't get a chance to finish it. There were still some things he needed to say, and there was something he wanted to do to make up for it.

    "I can do this for you," Djarin insisted. "If you're not feeling up to it, I'll show them the Relic. And say everything you wanted to say."

    Cinder would have taken this offer earlier, if she didn't have her talk with Djarin or the previous Fall Maidens. Even the wisdom of Obi-Wan had helped Cinder feel better, and remind herself that they hadn't left Atlas for no reason. The future of Remnant depended on this very moment.

    And Cinder couldn't forgive herself if she simply sat it out.

    "Thanks, Dad," said Cinder. "But I got this one."

    "Are you sure?" Djarin asked. He trusted his daughter, but Djarin didn't want Cinder to feel worse than she was feeling before.

    "Yeah, I'm feeling better. And I'm okay with this."

    Djarin nodded in understanding. "Alright. But before you go, I know we didn't finish our talk. We can talk later, whenever you're ready."

    "Yeah, definitely." The conversation had done wonders for Cinder, and the last thing she wanted was to stop. So she was grateful for the promise, and looked forward to the much needed conversation when the time called for it.

    But it seemed that time would have to wait. Right now, it was time to begin recording.

    "Okay, everyone," Pietro said to get everyone's attention. "Qrow and I are just about done on our end. Mando, do you think you could help us?"

    After Cinder nodded, Djarin approahced the scientist and his friend. "Everything okay?" he said.

    "Perfectly fine," said Pietro. "We just need you to do somethting when we start recording."

    "We can get Cinder's message with this," said Qrow, who gently shook his Scroll. "We just need to make sure we'll be live when we do it."

    Pietro pointed to a spot behind him. "We need you to look at whatever screen or Scroll you might have when we start. This message should be heard on every device on the planet. When we know we're live, Cinder will start her message."

    Djarin nodded in understanding. He knew that he needed to be a test subject; one that had to be out of camera-range. "My gauntlet works like a Scroll," he said. "It should be able to pick up the signal once it starts. If it doesn't, I'll let you know."

    "Spendid." Pietro turned to Cinder. "We're all set to record, Cinder. Are you ready to start?"

    Cinder took a breath as she recited her few speaking points in her mind. Once she did, Cinder exhaled and gave Pietro a thumbs up. "Ready, Doctor," she said. She then gave another thumbs up to her father, who returned the gesture in kind.

    Revan, Penny, and R2 understood that the message would be starting soon. So, like Djarin, they all moved away from the camera and gave Cinder the stage. R2 and Penny moved to Pietro so they could help him while Revan stood beside Djarin.

    "She will succeed," Revan promised the Mandalorian. "The Force is with her."

    "... Right," said Djarin. He didn't believe in everything the Jedi preached about the Force, but Djarin appreciated the support. "Thank you."

    Qrow had his camera pointed directly at Cinder, and he too offered her a thumbs up. "Knock 'em dead, kid," he encouraged. Cinder chuckled at the sentiment, and took one more breath as she composed herself.

    "Here we go," said Pietro. "We'll be live in ten seconds." He was pressing keys once again on the console, but his work was just about over. "Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One."

    *REEEEE*​

    With the press of a button, everything changed.

    As everyone hoped, the screen on Djarin's gauntlet changed. Rather than a plain blue screen, the Mandalorian could see multiple colored lines that would normally appear during a broadcast test. In fact, Djarin could see a message that read "Atlas Emergency Broadcast System." But Djarin knew that this wasn't any test.

    Amity was working.

    The screen changed one more time; this time, it was a moving image of Cinder. When Djarin saw this, he nodded to Pietro and Qrow. Qrow then turned to Cinder and nodded, indicating that she was live. With that, Cinder cleared her throat and spoke from her heart.

    "Um... hello, everyone," Cinder began. She hoped such a greeting would help warm everyone up to what they were seeing. But after a moment, Cinder decided to skip formalities and be serious. "My name is Cinder. I'm a Mandalorian."

    "..."

    Cinder looked to her father, who nodded once again. He could still see her meesage on his gauntlet, so he nodded slowly to let Cinder know that everything was fine.

    "And if we've done everything right, then I'm talking to all of Remnant right now," Cinder continued. "Dr. Polendina can explain more later, but right now you all need to know that the Kingdom of Atlas is under attack."

    "..."

    "Things are dire, and we need help. But please, try not to panic. This isn't some new enemy or invading Kingdom. This is a force we've faced before, for centuries… Salem."

    "..."

    Everyone behind Cinder took a moment to realize that the secret was officially out. Now the whole world knew that Salem existed and that she was a threst to the world. It was strange to think, but letting it out felt like a weight disappearing off their shoulders.

    Cinder felt it as well, and it gave her the confidence to keep going.

    "The Mandalorians, the Atlesian insurgency, even the Grimm themselves have all been controlled and manipulated by her, in order to tear down the Huntsman Academies. And to..."

    "..."

    "And to obtain something long forgotten by the people."

    Cinder closed her eyes for a moment and took another breath. She knew what she had to do, but it wasn't going to be easy. What she had to do could easily be passed as a Semblance, but Cinder hoped everything she did would prove otherwise.

    When she opened her eyes, Cinder felt fire on her eyes. The familair burn served as an indicator of what she possessed, as did the snow in her left hand and the electircity in her right hand.

    "What you're seeing isn't a Semblance," Cinder said into the camera. "It's not special effects, or CGI, or any kind of trick. Five years ago, I was given what's known as the power of the Fall Maiden. It's a gift used by countless others before me, to protect the world from Salem." When Cinder looked past the camera, she came upon the next part of the plan and a way to show that she wasn't lying. "And I haven't used this power alone."

    Cinder extended her hand towards Penny, who was previously watching the message with Pietro and R2. She immediately understood that Cinder wanted her to show the world, and Salem, the power of the Winter Maiden. Penny was still coming to terms with what she had become, but she wasn't going to turn down Cinder's offer.

    As she walked forward, Pietro couldn't help but stop her. He didn't think it was a good idea for Penny to be using a power she didn't understand just yet. But when Penny made her eyes burn, just lime Cinder, Pietro understood that Penny needed to show the world what she had become. And so, Pietro watched as Cinder and his own daughter addressed the world as Maidens.

    "Like me, Penny Polendina has obtained the power of the Maidens," Cinder continued. "The Winter Maiden. And those who came before us were tasked with protecting the one thing, the only thing, that Salem wants from each Huntsman Academy." Cinder then lifted the golden lamp off her side to reveal the secret of the Relics. "I know it doesn't look like much, but a Relic like this can do more than you know. And in Salem's hands... it can do a lot worse."

    "..."

    This was true, given what all four Relics could do once they were joined together. But Cinder didn't think the world was ready to hear that just yet. After all, Cinder was positive that the rest of the world couldn't believe any of this.

    "I know the idea of the Maidens and Relics seems… well… crazy," Cinder admitted. "And I wish I could say that I'm making all this up. But I promise Professor Goodwitch of Beacon and Headmaster Theodore of Shade can verify all of this. They might even be able to help organize a way to fight back."

    Everyone watching the speech credited Cinder for mentioning Glynda and Theodore. Surely, they could help answer questions and calm the chaos resulting from this speech.

    Atlas, however, was a different story.

    "But sadly... General Ironwood can't help us," Cinder regretfully reported. She clenched her fists as she reclaled his injuries and SCAR Squadron's deaths, but Cinder didn't blame herself anymore. "His life now hangs in the balance, until this battle is over. And it can be over."

    "..."

    "We didn't have time to prepare for Salem. But now you do! Build up whatever defenses against the Grimm you can. Leave Salem to me and my friends. But most of all... leave her to Mandalore."

    "..."

    Cinder placed the Relic back on her side and removed the Darksaber. Once she activated it and showed it to the camera, Cinder spoke again. "Thr Kingdom of Mistral saw me hold this weapon, after the Mandalorian War ended at Haven. They know that whoever wields it leads however many Mandalorians are left in the world. In Mistral, I swore that I would use it, and my title, for peace. And that peace is almost upon us. Until we finish this fight now."

    "..."

    "And so... this message is for all the Mandalorians that survived Haven. That trusted me to act in their stead." Cinder raised the Darksaber higher as she spoke. "Join me. Join us. Let any sign of division and disrepair be forgotten as we face our shared enemy. Let Salem and the world see a noble, durable, and united Mandalore."

    "..."

    Everyone looking at Cinder smiled wider as they heard this. Djarin was even swelling with pride, just like all the other times Cinder proved herself worthy as a Maiden, a Mandalorian, and especially as Mand'alor. And now, to top it all off, Cinder ended her speech with a proposal.

    "And Salem, wherever you're watching this," Cinder continued. "If you want what we have, Relic and Maiden alike... I'll be waiting for you on the island on Vytal. Bring your followers. Bring your Grimm. And face Mandalore like a true warrior. If you can."

    Cinder couldn't see it, but her plan had worked perfectly.

    Just as she said in her message, Cinder had reached across all of Remnant. From the highest point of Atlas to the smallest house in Vacuo, every person with a Scroll or close to a television set had heard Cinder's message. They heard about the Relics, the Maidens, but most of all, they heard abour Salem and her plan to destroy everyone.

    Even Salem herself heard this.

    Merri had a Scroll with her, and it had picked up the signal that Cinder's message was on. As soon as she saw it, Merri rushed to her mother so they could watch it together in her throne room. There, they heard Cinder reveal Salem's exisitence to the entire world and challenge her at the island of Vytal.

    As well as the fact that Cinder possessed both the Winter Maiden and the Relic of Knowledge.

    When she saw this, Salem immediately rushed to find where she placed the lamp. It was originally in a secure place where an alarm would sound if it was removed, but Salem removed the lamp and deactivated the alarm so she could look at it. She removed it quickly and looked for any signs that it was either real or fake, which weren't apparent at first.

    But when she noticed that she inadvertently broke some of the blue glass on the sides, Salem knew that she had been tricked.

    Not long after that, all of Salem's followers were summoned to her throne room. They all found themselves kneeling before her, and Hazel was even holding Ozpin to the ground with him. Salem would normally feel proud when she saw her followers kneeling, but all she could feel now was anger.

    Anger that was properly expressed in two words.

    "You... fools!" Salem yelled as she threw the "lamp" towards the ground.

    *CRASH*​

    Everyone jumped when they saw the object break into dozens of pieces. Like Salem, they now knew they had been tricked as well. Merri took this offense greatly, since she was the one who allowed Ozpin to lead her astray.

    "Forgive me, Mother!" Merri begged as she lowered her head and pointed at Ozpin. "He tricked me!"

    "Of course he tricked you!" Salem rose from her throne and looked directly at Ozpin. "Because that's all you're good for, isn't it, Ozma?" Salem moved her hand like she did in Ozpin's cell, but a red sigil and black arms appeared beneath the man and pinned him closer to the ground. "Lies, trickery, deceit... there isn't a sincere bone in your body, is there?"

    "..."

    It was hard for Ozpin to speak since he was being pressed to the floor. But he understood that Salem was trying to get under his skin, that she was trying to use his past lies and habit for keeping secrets against him. But Ozpin was a different person now, and he wasn't going to let his past mistakes haunt him.

    Just lime he wasn't going to dignify Salem's accusation with a response.

    When Salem realized this, she sat back on her throne and stated the nature of her situation. "The lamp can easily be found again," she said, assuring her followers that it was still within their grasp. "But without the Winter Maiden, we cannot open the Vault. Invading Atlas no longer has any value."

    Despite being in pain, Ozpin couldn't help but rejoice at the sound of Salem's assessment. Taking the Maiden and rendering an invasion useless was one of the main objectives of using Amity. Cinder not only spread her voice across the world, but she also delayed Salem's plans for Atlas.

    But not everyone liked that.

    "But Mother, Fauna and I worked tirelessly to bring the Kingdom to its knees!" Merri protested. "If we don't launch the invasion, we'll be playing right into his hands!" The hybrid pointed at Ozpin to emphasize her point, but Salem paid no heed.

    "You mean play into his hands again," Salem corrected Merri. The young girl fell silent as she acknowledged her role in the situation.

    "If I may, Your Grace," Watts said as he cautiously lifted his head. "Merriweather does have a point. Ironwood is completely helpless after what we did. Without the snake's head, the rest of the body is vulnerable. Whatever invasion you had in mind... you won't get another chance like this."

    "..."

    Salem was still angry at her disciples for being tricked, but she had to take Watts' point into consideration. She had sent her daughters to prepare Atlas for her arrival, which they did. And with General Ironwood in critical condition, the city of Atlas would theoretically have a much harder time defending itself.

    Merri and Watts were right about the reward of Atlas, but the risk outweighed they reward. Salem had spent much time creating the Monstra and rallying her Grimm forces. Surely, a lot of resources would be lost during an invasion. Holding a Kingdom hostage while waiting to acquire the Winter Maiden would be very dififcult. Not only did the whole world know about her now, but Salem had already learned that acquiring the power of a Maiden was no easy task.

    The loss of two of her daughters taught this to Salem.

    "You speak true, Arthur," Salem began. "But we cannot risk losing what I have built to simply wait for the Winter Maiden to reappear."

    "Then send me," Merri implored. "Send me after Cinder and Ironwood's puppet. Let me redeem myself by bringing them before you."

    "No." Salem was still disappointed in her daughter, but she wasn't refusing her request out of malice. "If there is one thing we learned from Flora and Fauna, it's that taking a Maiden or her powers has proven more... difficult than I initially beleived."

    "..."

    Like Salem, Merri's emotions didn't overcome her sense of logic. She knew that Salem was right, that Flora and Fauna both served as examples for trying to seize Maiden powers. So, she reached the same conclusion as her mother.

    "We have no choice but to follow the Maidens," said Salem. "If Cinder wishes to see me at Vytal, then so be it."

    Salem closed her eyes and concentrated on the throne she was sitting on. Suddenly, the throne began to eminate a red light that spread across the veins on the floor. Nobody knew it right away, but Salem was preparing to move the Monstra away from Atlas. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but Salem knew she had to gain the lamp and the Winter Maiden before she could do anything else.

    But more than that... Salem took great offense to Cinder's challenge. Besides Ozpin, it had been a long time since someone had challenged her directly. And while she didn't have anything to prove to the Fall Maiden, Salem knew that answering this challenge would rid a powerful thorn in her side.

    Now, more than ever, Cinder and her friends had to be stopped.

    "Take Ozma back to his cell, Hazel," Salem ordered as the black arms beneath the prisoner disappeared. "But before you go, Ozma... I suppose it's fair to admit that you've won this battle."

    "..."

    "But this war is mine to win."

    With a wave of her hand, Salem commanded Ozpin to be taken away. Hazel obeyed, but not without reconsidering the position he was now in. Everything Ozpin told him was true, and Hazel recalled what Ozpin had said about an incoming conflict.

    It seemed... he had a lot to think about now.

    Salem and Hazel were both left to their thoughts, which caused them to miss Ozpin smiling. He too noticed that his efforts had resulted in a victory, that the Kingdom of Atlas was now safe. And now, the rest of the plan was in motion.

    Though Salem's last words were somewhat intimidating, Ozpin had no fear for the future.

    "We'll see, Salem," Ozpin promised. "We'll see."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 67: The Islands
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 67: The Islands​

    Today was a dark day in Atlesian history. Quite literally.

    Resting right on the doorstep of the Kingdom, in a black cloud that spawned red lightning, was a massive army of Grimm. News cameras and security cameras alike all captured the numerous flying creatures in the cloud, along with a new kind of Grimm nobody had ever seen before. It was, without a doubt, the largest Grimm horde Remnant had ever known.

    Needless to say, just about every person in the Kingdom was afraid. They were afraid because the military airships sent into the cloud had all been destroyed. They were afraid because some of the Grimm even went for airships that were originally used for evacuation.

    They were afraid... because they were doomed.

    Because news of Ironwood's condition spread quickly across the military chain of command, Thrawn and Tarkin found themselves handing the situations on the ground and in the air. Thrawn withdrew all of the airships away from the cloud and closer to the city, while Tarkin ordered no more evacuations to take place until the situation had become stabilized.

    There was some protest about the decision, but those who saw evacuation ships being destroyed knew that going to Atlas was out of the question. But rather than wait for the military to stabilize the situation, Robyn and her Huntresses began plans to move people towards Mantle's crater. It wasn't the safest place, but it was warm enough to serve as a replacement for the destroyed heating grid. And the wall Cinder had fixed before her disappearance served as a barrier for the more common Grimm, which made movement throughout the city easier.

    Through it all, through all the fear and uncertainty, everyone shared a single thought. A single question that had been unanswered the second the reality of the situation came to them.

    Where was General Ironwood?

    As it turned out, General Ironwood was still in Atlas. Not too long ago, the General's life had been turned upside down thanks to the combined efforts of Arthur Watts and Merriweather Blair. After Ironwood had been sedated, Watts used his genius and sadistic mind to turn the General into something else; into a walking weapon that obeyed only Watts' commands.

    The design was cruel, and its nearly limitless power made the General unable to control his movements. He couldn't prevent Watts from making him kill and maim his own men, with prototype swords and unnatural strength. The plan was as sinister as it was grievous.

    And the General had become his own worst enemy.

    Thankfully, Ironwood's few remaining allies were able to take him out of commission. Ironwood was then rushed to proper medical care, where his wounds had been treated. His life had been spared, though he had been left physically impaired. All of the unnatural limbs had been removed, though adding new ones would take time since the control module on Ironwood's head had been destroyed.

    Despite not being able to move off his bed, Ironwood was happy to be free of any foreign control. And some time away from cybernetics would do his heart and mind some good.

    Clover Ebi, the only surviving member of SCAR Squadron, had been alerted to Ironwood's revival. He quickly reported for duty in the medical room, despite the fact that he would be acting alone. His first order of business was explaining what had happened after the battle at Amity.

    "They took the tower not long after you arrived here," Clover relayed. "I know we had our orders, that I should have done more to stop them. But after everything... my heart just wasn't in it." Clover lowered his head in regret, since he knew better than to let his emotions cloud his judgment. "I'm sorry."

    "..."

    Ironwood also knew better than to let his judgements be made by emotion alone. And under normal circumstances, he would have undoubtedly reminded Clover of this while berating him for acting against orders. But like Clover, Ironwood's own heart wasn't prepared for anything other than rest and recovery.

    Both of which Clover also needed after nearly being killed.

    "I... I understand," Ironwood said with a cough. "What about... Penny? And Dr. Polendina?"

    "They're gone too," Clover replied. "We saw through the footage that Penny and Winter defended Fria from Durge and Fauna Blair. When the power passed to Penny, she left with Cinder."

    Ironwood was surprised to learn that Penny, despite her robotic nature, was capable of taking the power of a Maiden. He had many questions and theories about this, mainly that her possession of an Aura played into this. But those questions had to wait.

    "Where's Winter?" Ironwood asked.

    "She's here too," said Clover. "Durge didn't hold back against her. But because of her and Penny, the Maiden is out of Salem's reach."

    Ironwood suddenly remembered what Salem had told him in his office. "She... She's on her way here!"

    Clover sighed as he nodded. "Yes, sir. She is here. Just outside the city."

    "How... How many Grimm did she bring?"

    Clover shook his head. "We can't make out a number."

    "..."

    Ironwood felt like his heart had dropped into his stomach. Now, he felt the same way the people of Atlas and Mantle felt. Without the Maiden, without the ability to make Atlas move high out of Salem's reach, the entire Kingdom was doomed. Ironwood knew that ships and an army didn't matter anymore; not against someone who couldn't be killed.

    Not even he was up to the task of saving everyone. Without his arms or legs, which would take much time to repair, Ironwood was unable to fight. Along with that, Ironwood couldn't think clearly enough to form a decent strategy. All he could do was remain in his bed and wait for the end to come. Weapons, soldiers, Ironwood even believed that a miracle wouldn't save anyone now.

    He was wrong.

    *REEEE*​

    Suddenly, the television screen in the room turned around to show colored lines and a message that read "Atlas Emergency Broadcast System." Clover and Ironwood were confused by the appearance of this, since neither of them had turned the screen on. Before either of them could ask what was going on, an explanation came in the form of Cinder.

    "Um... hello, everyone," Cinder began. Her voice and demeanor were timid at first, given the imposing weight of her mission. However, she was able to shake off the weight and speak clearly for everyone to hear. "My name is Cinder. I'm a Mandalorian."

    Cinder went on to say that she was talking to all of Remnant, just as Ironwood initially planned. She also exposed Salem's existence, which was also just as Ironwood planned. He now knew that Amity was working as intended, that the world had been reunited once again.

    Though he initially believed that it would be his voice that spread across Remnant, Ironwood had no qualms against Cinder spreading the word.

    Eventually, Cinder went into detail about the plan that Clover had heard before she left. That along with her father and friends, Cinder was in possession of the Winter Maiden and the Relic of Knowledge. Along with that, Cinder went on to challenge Salem to a fight. That is, if she wanted two Maidens and a Relic, then Cinder would be waiting for Salem on the island of Vytal.

    Where hopefully, the Mandalorian people would join her.

    "Was that it?" Ironwood asked. "The message?"

    "I think so," said Clover, who was just as surprised as the General. "I mean... it had to be."

    Ironwood understood that what he saw had to be Cinder's message. That she had not only made acquiring the Staff of Creation impossible for Salem, but Cinder had also painted a target on her back for Salem.

    Which meant that if she followed it... Salem would leave Atlas alone.

    "Clover, take me to a window," Ironwood ordered. "With a perfect view of Salem's forces."

    Clover was once again surprised, but this surprise led to protest rather than agreement. "But, sir," he said. "Your condition-"

    "Never mind that. Take me to a window."

    "..."

    Clover knew that he had already disobeyed one of Ironwood's orders. Surely, ignoring another would be an unwise choice. So, reluctantly, Clover found a wheelchair and used it to take General Ironwood back to his office. He knew it had the perfect view of the Kingdom, especially the dark cloud.

    Many soldiers and officers saw the state that their leader was in as Ironwood was pushed down the halls. Some turned away, some froze in place, while only a select few remembered their instinct to salute.

    Ironwood couldn't offer a salute in return, so he simply looked down and pretended that he was alone.

    Fortunately, the shame and humiliation was brief. Ironwood found himself back in his office, where he could get a clear view of Salem's giant Grimm within the cloud. He could only see a few more flying Grimm, but Ironwood was sure that the horde within the cloud was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before.

    Just as he was sure that the horde wasn't moving.

    "Clover, establish contact with the air fleet," Ironwood commanded. "Ask them if they're tracking any movement from the horde."

    "Yes, sir," Clover replied before he turned on his radio. "This is Clover Ebi to the Chimera. Come in, Chimera."

    "..."

    "General Ironwood wants an update on any possible movement from the Grimm horde."

    "..."

    "Understood." Clover turned off his radio and looked to the General. "No movement, sir. The enemy is docile."

    "..."

    Ironwood looked towards the window once more to think. He didn't count the minutes since Cinder had made her broadcast, and he didn't think that Salem possessed any kind of technology herself. But if Watts was with her, then Salem would have surely seen the message. She would understand that she could go after Cinder herself or stay her current course.

    And given that the cloud wasn't moving, it seemed the latter was more likely.

    "She could be debating it, sir," said Clover, who understood what the General was thinking. "Cinder's message finished rather recently."

    Ironwood couldn't move his wheelchair himself, but he was able to look towards Clover again. "Or she's already made up her mind," he said.

    "..."

    Ironwood lowered his head in shame once more. "How did this all go wrong?" he asked himself. "We had everything we needed, and we did everything we set out to do. It may not have been me, but Cinder was able to reveal Salem's existence. Was it all for nothing?"

    "..."

    "Or was it destined to fail to begin with?"

    "..."

    Clover didn't know how to respond. While he understood Ironwood's orders regarding Cinder and her friends, he also understood that what they did was their plan to begin with. Using Amity to reestablish connection with the world and sharing Salem's existence was their goal, and it had been accomplished.

    But nothing had changed.

    Atlas was in no way prepared to help, and panic would soon spread. The world was doomed, and James Ironwood was doomed with it.

    Perhaps... he had been doomed to begin with.

    *BEEP*​

    Clover put a hand to his ear when he heard his radio. "This is Ebi," he said before listening to a message.

    "..."

    "Can you confirm?"

    "..."

    Clover quickly turned to Ironwood when he lowered his hand. "Sir... the Chimera says the cloud is moving," he reported.

    Ironwood stopped feeling sorry for himself when he heard this. "Moving?" he asked as he turned to the window again. "Where?"

    Clover moved next to Ironwood and tried to get a better look. "They said it was a part of it that..." Clover quickly pointed in one direction. "There! Look!"

    Clover and Ironwood looked to see that part of the cloud was indeed moving. As it turned out, the movement was a result of the Monstra within it moving as well.

    It wasn't just moving, however; the beast was making a very wide turn away from the Kingdom. It was no longer staring at the city with ill-intent, but now it was looking towards the tundra. Then, it began to slowly but surely move across the tundra, taking the cloud and other Grimm with it.

    "They're... They're leaving, sir," said Clover, though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

    Ironwood couldn't believe it either, even though Watts' "operation" hadn't affected his eyes. One moment, Salem was ready to strike Atlas with everything she had. And now, she had been led away by a powerful and intelligent child.

    Whether she was ready or not, Cinder was going to be fighting for the world's very survival now. Though there was no way to know the outcome of the battle, Ironwood knew that Cinder had accomplished something very tremendous in Atlas.

    She had given the Kingdom hope.

    She had given him hope.

    "Solus."

    *CLASH*​

    "T'ad."

    *CLASH*​

    "Ehn. Solus."

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    "Ehn. Cuir."

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    "Rest."

    Cinder did as she was told and lowered the Darksaber. She was sweating and catching her breath, just like all the other times she sparred with her father.

    And just like all those times, it was worthwhile.

    After she delivered her message through Amity's new communication systems, Cinder decided to ready herself for combat. Djarin became her sparring partner, content to see that Cinder had left her previous doubt and depression behind.

    Qrow also helped Cinder spar, though he didn't exactly understand the Mando'a Djarin was instructing Cinder with. He didn't mind, however, since the battle ahead of him would be unlike anything he had ever experienced. In that case, he would have to be expecting the unexpected.

    The rest of Amity's crew were keeping themselves occupied. Revan meditated in solitude, hoping to establish contact with either Obi-Wan or Ozpin. His efforts hadn't been successful yet, but he kept trying.

    Pietro was busy focusing on Gideon's virus. Watts' notes and previous experiments helped with the process, but Pietro had a few drawbacks. Namely, that he could only create a virus to be used once. And programming it to target only Grimm would take much time.

    Penny and R2 were in charge of piloting Amity. The task was rather simple, and they would be close to Vytal soon. Their only setback was that they couldn't keep Amity afloat at the initial altitude. Anakin's attacks left part of the tower in a delicate state, which needed a lower altitude to be stabilized. So the only thing the world could hear was Cinder's message, and nothing more.

    Penny and Pietro knew the tower could be fixed later, and nobody needed to see the battle on Vytal for themselves. So a lower altitude was a small price to pay, even though it meant the Kingdoms couldn't communicate just yet.

    Communication within the tower, however, was much easier.

    During her rest, Cinder decided to talk with everyone. Her initial time on Amity was filled with severe doubt and lamentation, both of which Cinder tried to handle on her own. But after talking to the previous Fall Maidens and her father, Cinder felt better about herself and became more open once more.

    Because of this, Cinder felt that there was someone on board who also needed to open up to others.

    "Hey, Penny," Cinder said when she approached her friend. "Got a second?"

    "I have plenty of seconds," Penny innocently replied. "We can convert them into minutes and hours, depending on how long you wish to spend them."

    Cinder briefly chuckled at the literal interpretation of her request. "Don't worry, this won't take long." She then patted R2's head before she asked another question. "You okay if I talk to your copilot, little guy?"

    *WOO*

    *WOO*

    *WEE*

    *WEE*

    *ROO*    ​

    Penny interpreted the language with ease. "He says he will be fine," she said before she stepped aside with Cinder. "You wish to speak with me?"

    "Yeah," Cinder replied. "I'm sorry I was... upset. You know, before we left Atlas."

    Penny nodded slowly as she recalled the circumstances behind Cinder's previous behavior. "I understand why you may have felt so. I was also unhappy learning what had happened to the General. And the rest of Task Force 99."

    Cinder couldn't help but sigh at the memory of the team. "Me too. But I'm feeling a little better now. And I realized I didn't get the chance to see how you were holding up. Mainly with... you know..."

    *WHOOSH*​

    Cinder allowed her eyes to burn to show Penny what she was talking about. Given her own experiences with the powers, Cinder believed that Penny was having a difficult time with the powers of the Winter Maiden being thrust upon her.

    And judging by Penny's reaction, Cinder's hunch was correct.

    "Oh..." Penny said when she saw Cinder's eyes. "I see." Penny took a step back and let the power of the Winter Maiden come to her. Like Cinder, Penny's eyes formed flames the same color as her own eyes; she was even able to form small winds with snowflakes on her hands.

    Cinder observed the power of the Winter Maiden with ease and understanding. "Good job," she said in support. "You have a good grasp on the power. Better than I did the first day I got mine." Cinder recalled destroying the door to Pietro's cabin by accident, which demonstrated her need to learn and train with her powers. "And you're... okay with it?"

    Penny lowered her hands and let the fire on her face disappear. "Well... no," she admitted. "Primarily because I took the power when Winter couldn't. I was not chosen like she was." Penny looked at her hands again. "I should not have them."

    Cinder put a hand on Penny's shoulder and spoke words of comfort. "Penny, I know how you feel. My powers were thrust upon me too. I've had them for years, and I still don't think I did anything to earn them. But that doesn't mean you can't be a good Maiden." Cinder smiled at Penny. "You can still be a good Maiden. I know you can."

    "..."

    Despite Cinder's sincerity, Penny still had her own reservations against her new nature. "I was the protector of Mantle, but now, I am much more than that. And I wish I was not."

    "..."

    Cinder didn't think there was much she could do to fix that. She remembered learning the responsibility she had as the Fall Maiden, and it nearly made her want to quit. But Cinder kept moving forward, which was what Penny needed to do now.

    "I know, Penny," Cinder insisted. "I'm sorry you can't change that."

    "..."

    "I can't say that this will be any easier for you. I can't say that you'll even like it. But back when I was in your spot, I didn't have any other Maidens to lean on for support. Ozpin helped out a lot, but it wasn't like having someone like me to help." Cinder smiled again as she made a promise. "But I'm here for you, Penny. Anytime you need a pointer, a lesson, or even help on the battlefield, I'll be there for you. You won't be alone again."

    "..."

    Like magic, Penny finally began to smile. Cinder had made her a similar promise at Beacon, and she had yet to break it. She also realized that she didn't believe anybody would be able to help her with her powers, just like she realized how wrong she was. Having Cinder by her side would certainly help in this battle and for battles to come.

    Penny found herself hugging Cinder, happy that she wouldn't be alone again. Cinder returned the hug and shared the same feeling, since she hadn't been around other Maidens for a while. Knowing that she wouldn't be alone either was very comforting, and she was glad to have extended that comfort to Penny.

    *WOO*

    *WEE*    ​

    R2 made a noise that called Penny back to the console. Penny immediately rejoined him and saw what he was seeing through a camera.

    "Affirmative!" Penny replied after she looked at the screen. She then turned around and cleared her throat. Once she did, Penny's voice amplified throughout the entire arena, almost like she was speaking through a bullhorn. "ATTENTION, EVERYONE. THE ISLAND OF VYTAL IS WITHIN OUR SIGHT. I REPEAT, WE ARE APPROACHING VYTAL."

    Everyone stopped what they were doing and approached the console Penny and R2 were standing at. They couldn't see the island through the arena's windows, but the camera screens Penny and R2 had showed them that Vytal was within sight.

    With that, Cinder and her friends were one step closer to victory.

    While one transport could see its destination, another was preparing for a landing.

    As he said on Amity, Obi-Wan was flying towards a chain of islands so Anakin Skywalker could follow him. Unlike Vytal, the islands were small and far from any kind of civilization. And instead of luscious green under a blue sky, the islands were covered in rocks, lava, and found themselves under a sky of ash.

    Obi-Wan couldn't see Anakin when he entered the blackened sky, but he could feel his presence. It was close, but not too close. The Jedi knew this would give him time to prepare, so he flew the airship towards one particular island rather than the closest one.

    The airship landed at a spot that was rather out of place. Instead of the magma or a spot covered with igneous rocks, Obi-Wan landed the ship at a small compound that was artificially made. It was run down and very unsafe, but Obi-Wan knew he was at the place where he wanted to be.

    It was a place he and Anakin knew well, along with a select few of the Jedi. There was one particular Jedi that Obi-Wan wished was here as well. Someone who may have had a better chance at bringing Anakin back to the light.

    "What is this place?"

    Obi-Wan stopped focusing on the past and turned around. Right behind him, Bo-Katan had landed gently because of her jetpack. She was originally riding on the hull of the airship Obi-Wan was flying, though the process wasn't very comfortable. But once they were close to the ground, Bo-Katan leapt off and flew the rest of the way herself.

    Though she had no idea where she was.

    "Mustafar," said Obi-Wan, answering the Mandalorian's question. "It's a chain of volcanic islands, as you've noticed."

    Bo-Katan looked around at the pouring lava and volcanic ash in the sky. "Right," she said before she looked at the landing pad and compound. "So what's a small building doing all the way out here? Is it some kind of base?"

    "Something like that."

    Obi-Wan walked towards the compound and waved his hand. The doors before him opened slowly, but they opened nonetheless. He and Bo-Katan could see that the place had fallen into complete disrepair. Rusted metal was everywhere, there were two broken robots on the ground, and a huge chunk of the compound was missing; it seemed that the lava was responsible for that.

    "So this is our plan?" Bo-Katan asked as she moved away from the damaged portion of the compound. "We wait for him to show up and ambush him?"

    "Precisely," the Jedi replied. "All we have to do is wait."

    Bo-Katan wasn't a very patient woman, but she had other doubts about this plan. "And you're sure he'll come here? This island looks like a deathtrap enough."

    "Indeed. But I suppose you could say being here makes us easier to find."

    Bo-Katan turned around and put the pieces of Obi-Wan's somewhat vague answers together. "So he's been here too," she said. "He knows this place."

    "Yes," Obi-Wan confessed. "Many years ago, Anakin and another Jedi came here on a rescue mission." Obi-Wan easily sensed skepticism from this claim, given that Anakin didn't seem very interested in noble causes anymore. "He was a different man back then. Brave. Compassionate. Headstrong." Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile as he made a final point. "He never admitted it, but the Jedi who joined him here always brought out the best in him."

    Bo-Katan was still skeptical of this, but she decided to entertain the thought. "Okay... who was he rescuing, then?"

    "A group of young children. They were kidnapped from our home and brought here."

    "Who kidnapped them?"

    "A bounty hunter. Working on behalf of someone else. Anakin tracked the children here, but couldn't risk discovering the identity of the one behind the operation. Not when the children's lives were at stake."

    "..."

    "I came here later with other Jedi, and we stopped the base from being completely destroyed. We looked for clues, but all we could determine was that someone wanted to study the children. Whoever it was had hidden their tracks well."

    Bo-Katan pointed towards the broken wall. "Looks like the lava helped with that."

    "It did, yes. As far as I know, the identity of the captor remains a mystery."

    Bo-Katan decided to accept this answer and think about it. She normally wouldn't be asking so many questions, but the Mandalorian knew that she needed to understand her enemy. She had only seen Anakin twice, and both times left her with more questions than answers.

    Unfortunately, the same could be said about Obi-Wan's answers.

    If even half of what the Jedi said was true, then Anakin Skywalker was a very different person than he was now. Compassion had been replaced with cruelty, and heroism had been replaced with villainy. And every action carried out by Anakin all screamed of rage and vengeance.

    Bo-Katan wanted to know what horrible wrong, if any, had been done to Anakin in order to set him on such a path. Had he been betrayed? Or perhaps he lost someone close to him?

    And if either of them were true… what was it about Obi-Wan that made Anakin hold him responsible?

    Despite not having these answers, Bo-Katan knew that she could never ask Obi-Wan for the truth. Because from the look on his face and the tone of his voice… the pain he carried wasn't something he was ready to let out anytime soon. It seemed that some mysteries, like the one within the compound, were better left unsolved.

    So Bo-Katan decided to leave things as they were and move to the corner of the room. "Now we wait," she said to herself as she anticipated the moment Anakin would arrive.

    Not long after Obi-Wan landed on Mustafar, Amity Colosseum had found itself hovering over the island of Vytal. Everyone was happy to have arrived, that their plan was working as intended. They had a clear view through the cameras and windows now, which allowed them to see clear skies and untouched ground below them. All in all, Vytal appeared to be perfectly normal.

    But Huntsmen and Huntresses, along with Mandalorians, knew that appearances could be deceiving.

    Djarin and Cinder volunteered to scout ahead, to make sure that there were no Grimm Salem could use or people that would get caught in the crossfire. Qrow also volunteered, saying that he could get a larger view of the island as a bird. Everyone else would stay behind, with Penny and R2 keeping an eye on potential new arrivals.

    Grimm and Mandalorian alike.

    And so, Djarin and Cinder found themselves on the ground while Qrow was in the air. As he walked through the woods and leveled plains, Djarin recalled the time he had come to Vytal with Glynda. They had come to seek out Death Watch, the people responsible for the deaths of her friends and teammates at Beacon. Thanks to Djarin's aid, Glynda was able to find the justice she sought out to deliver and the inner peace she had craved for years.

    Djarin especially remembered that the voyage was a test of trust, since Glynda didn't trust him right away. And now, Cinder was the one who seemed to be concerned about trust.

    "Shouldn't they have been here by now?" Cinder asked as she walked with her father. "The Mandalorians?" She was asking this after failing to see anything or anyone out of the ordinary, save for a few wildlife creatures. The lack of Mandalorians left her concerned, since she had called them to Vytal in the first place.

    "It took us a while to get here," Djarin insisted. "They'll need time too, especially since they're all over the world."

    "Yeah, but I sent my message a while ago. I just-"

    "Cinder, they'll be here. I know they will."

    "..."

    If there was a feeling as strong as Djarin's love for his daughter, it was his faith in his own people. Despite being exiled from the Children of the Watch, Djarin knew the Mandalorians would never refuse a call to war such as this. Gar Saxon was able to find Mandalorian allies in his war while Djarin found allies in Clan Vizsla and Clan Tenau. No true Mandalorian was known to abandon or avoid a fight, no matter which side they found themselves on.

    And Djarin believed that today wouldn't be any different.

    Cinder knew it would be close to impossible to convince her father otherwise, given how strong his faith was. So she decided to talk about something else that concerned her. "Hey, Dad?" she said calmly. "What was that you were saying earlier?"

    Djarin stopped walking and turned around. "What's that?" he asked.

    "Back on Amity, you were saying something about Clan Tenau. Right before Anakin started shooting at us. What was that about?"

    "Oh, that." Djarin had forgotten about that conversation after Obi-Wan left with Bo-Katan. Now that he remembered it, Djarin knew it was a conversation he wanted to finish. "I was talking about the first day I met Clan Tenau. When I met Mi Tenau."

    "Yeah, that day." Cinder had been told about it, but she hadn't been told anything about any mention of her. "So, what happened?"

    "Back then, I was unsure about having the Darksaber. I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it, not when there was so much more going on for us. So I went to Clan Tenau for advice."

    Cinder remembered that she had just met Ozpin and started training with her powers when Djarin met Clan Tenau. And yet, she still didn't remember anything else of importance, especially with the Darksaber. "What'd Mi say?"

    "Well, she said that I was just the sword's protector. That it was meant for someone else down the line."

    "..."

    Cinder looked at the hilt on her waist and knew her father was right. The doubt she had on Amity was gone, and she knew that she was the rightful leader of Mandalore.

    For now.

    "But there was something else she said," Djarin continued. "Something about… someone who had the power to stop the Dark Queen."

    "..."

    Cinder obviously knew who this "Dark Queen" was, but she didn't interrupt her father.

    "She said that the vanquished would have to surrender to the Mand'alor," Djarin continued. "Because they had a power the Dark Queen didn't know about. Something the Mand'alor had."

    This time, Cinder had to interrupt. "Wait, you think that'sme?" she asked. "But… I don't have any hidden power. Everyone knows about my Maiden powers."

    "I know. I didn't understand everything either. But, yes. I think… I know that Mi was talking about you."

    Cinder tried to understand what Mi was talking about, and how it related to her. But like she said, Cinder didn't have any hidden power that Salem didn't know about. All she had were her Maiden powers, armor, and the Darksaber. And she was sure that Salem would see all three when she came to Vytal.

    Cinder wasn't calling Djarin a liar, but all of this just… didn't make sense.

    "If that's true, then what do you think this 'hidden power' is?" she asked. "I don't really have anything up my sleeve." Cinder suddenly took off her glove and showed the Beetle latched onto it. "Well, except for this stupid thing." The Grimm began to hiss as it moved, which annoyed Cinder greatly.

    "Well, I don't think Salem knows about that," Djarin joked. "But… maybe Mi wasn't being literal. Maybe she was talking about that." Djarin pointed to the sky, right where Amity was resting.

    Cinder turned to look at Amity and got the same idea. "Oh, yeah! We still have that virus. If we can launch it, Salem's going down for sure."

    "Definitely. But I was talking about what you did. The message you gave to Remnant."

    Cinder looked back to Djarin. "Really? How come?"

    "I know we didn't see anyone watching it… but we know that message was to give people hope. To let everyone know that Salem wasn't what she made herself out to be. Oz tricked her, after all. And your message was the icing on the cake."

    Cinder laughed at the metaphor, since it wasn't like Djarin to use metaphors. "Yeah, I guess it was. And you have a point." Cinder laughed again as she made a joke of her own. "But you're right; I could always use a hidden power."

    "Hey, now," Djarin said with light-hearted banter. "Don't get too cocky just because…" Djarin became serious when he saw something behind Cinder. "Wait. Over there."

    Cinder turned around to see grassy plains in a clear area. However, there were multiple shapes on the far side of the area; shapes that didn't look like they belonged.

    Djarin quickly took his rifle in hand while Cinder activated her Maiden powers. She could create a fireball or a storm of wind to deal with whatever was out there, but she waited until her father gave the order. Cinder couldn't see what it was, but Djarin had a clear view of the shapes with his helmet and scope.

    Because of this, Djarin saw how his faith had been rewarded.

    "It's Clan Vizsla," he said with optimism. "And Clan Tenau."

    Relief and joy was shared between the clan of two, and they greeted their allies with open arms. The leaders explained that they had heard Cinder's message from Mistral and Vale, and they had to make sure both Kingdoms would be safe in their absence. Just as Djarin believed, neither clan was going to stay away from the fight. And they owed the clan of two their lives, which they planned to give for the safety of Mandalore and Remnant alike.

    And judging by the several airships that Qrow could see, more Mandalorians were on their way.

    Several clans of warriors had come to Vytal, following the command of the Mand'alor. Clan Eldar, Clan Bralor, Clan Wren, and even clans that previously joined Gar Saxon all answered the call to war. Word of Salem's existence, curse, and goal had all spread after the victory of Haven, just as Cinder hoped it would. Now every Mandalorian knew the danger Salem was capable of.

    More than that, they knew that Salem had to be stopped.

    And so, the Mandalorians came one at a time to Vytal. More would be coming, but Cinder was just happy to see that her message hadn't gone unanswered. Everyone else shared her positivity, even those who were at the tower. Penny and R2 helped keep an eye on the cameras to see when more Mandalorians were incoming, while Pietro continued to work on the virus they needed.

    Revan was almost ready to join Djarin and Cinder on the ground, but not until he was done with his current task.

    For what seemed like an eternity, Revan had been trying to contact Ozpin through the Force. He had previously tried it with Obi-Wan, but Obi-Wan chose not to reply. He wasn't doing this with cruel intention, but rather he had to focus on Anakin's incoming presence. And so, Revan tried with all his might to contact Ozpin.

    "Ozpin," Revan meditated. "Hear me, Ozpin."

    "..."

    Unfortunately, all of Revan's efforts had proven unsuccessful. He had only been met with silence time and again, which frustrated Revan to no end. This wasn't the first time he had tried to contact someone through the Force, it was child's play once someone had enough practice. But for the life of him, Revan couldn't seem to reach Ozpin.

    The only reasons for this would be that Ozpin was either ignoring him or that he had died. Both options seemed unlikely, since Ozpin would take any chance of escape whenever he could.

    That, and he was incapable of truly dying.

    "Why, Ozpin? Why?" Revan asked himself. "Why aren't you answering?" Revan tightened his fists in frustration, unable to believe that Ozpin was dead or ignoring him. "Wedid it! We summoned an army strong enough to oppose Salem! And it's still growing! You must know, Ozpin! You must! What is it that resists you from speaking to me?! What is keeping you from seizing your chance for help?! What power does Salem have that's keeping you-?!"

    Revan interrupted his own tirade when he answered his own question. He hadn't thought of it by now, but Salem was indeed involved. And whether Ozpin knew or not, the chance of a power over him was very strong.

    Strong enough to deafen Revan's cries.

    "Of course," Revan said out loud. "She's shielding him."

    "..."

    It all made sense now. Ozpin being caught in his enemy's grasp; there was no way that Salem would allow any means of escape. She too had knowledge about the Force, and she knew how to use it against people. Shielding someone from the sight of a Force-user would be easy for her, especially within a cloud of Grimm.

    Revan now understood why he had failed, but his frustration remained. Ozpin had no way of knowing that the plan worked, that his sacrifice wasn't in vain. Along with that, Revan had no way of knowing if Salem had actually taken the bait. That she had accepted Cinder's challenge and was coming to end this fight.

    Things were dire and uncertain, but hope still remained within Revan. He refused to give up, not until he could know for certain what was happening with Ozpin and Salem. Because of this willpower and unwavering determination, Revan was able to come up with an idea. It was rather risky, and he normally wouldn't do this without informing his colleagues, but Revan believed it was the only way to get answers.

    With that, Revan closed his eyes and concentrated once again. The feeling of the Force came with ease, and Revan knew he was capable of reaching out once more. But rather than Ozpin, Revan reached out to someone he was sure could hear him.

    "Salem."

    "..."

    "Hear me, Salem."

    "..."

    Revan had done this a few times during his tenure as a Sith Lord, and promised to never do so again when he found his way out of the darkness. But Revan had broken this promise, though he wished he hadn't. He reminded himself that this was for knowledge, and nothing else. Nothing would turn him back to the dark side, even though Salem had tempted many men and women stronger than Revan.

    And now, it seemed she was going to try again.

    "Why, hello, Revan."

    After a chill down his spine disappeared, Revan opened his eyes. The area around him wasn't dark, but it was obscure enough to make finding any detail impossible. The only detail that mattered now was Salem, who Revan could see sitting upon a throne of bone and Grimm.

    She had answered his call. And like Revan, Salem was going to use this opportunity in full.

    "It's been a long time," Salem said as she rested on her throne. "I never thought I would see the day you would speak with me again."

    "Nor did I," Revan reluctantly admitted. "But you made it necessary by shielding Ozpin from us."

    Salem hummed in amusement. "I knew somebody would try to contact him. Though I must admit, I was expecting Kenobi." Salem stopped smiling as she asked her question. "Why are you here?"

    Revan knew he couldn't be direct in this conversation. If he demanded answers, Salem would either sever contact or turn the tables on him. Both options would make this risk less calculated and make Revan more vulnerable, so he had to choose his words very carefully.

    And he did.

    "I could ask the same of you," Revan began. "I can't remember the last time you left the wastelands you call home."

    "True, I had my reasons for leaving," Salem recalled. "I'm sure you remember them. You were with Ironwood as well, and those Mandalorians you befriended."

    "Yes, well… it was never like you to handle matters yourself. It seems you're running out of allies."

    Salem recalled the loss of her second daughter, which upset her greatly. But she didn't let this feeling show, or how Revan had almost gotten under her skin. Instead, she decided to get under his.

    "Take that ridiculous thing off," Salem ordered as she pointed at Revan's mask. "I can hardly hear you with it on."

    "..."

    Revan rarely showed his face to others. He could almost say that he had that in common with Djarin. He wore his mask to not only intimidate his enemies, but also to conceal whatever emotion he was feeling so it wouldn't betray him. But now, Revan's mind was clear of any emotion that could be used against him.

    And so, he entertained Salem by removing his mask.

    "Ah, there you are," Salem said as she stared at the familiar face. "Looking younger than ever. After so many years."

    "..."

    Salem knew that Revan had outlived his friends and family, save for his brother. He still missed them all, but Revan refused to show any emotion towards this mockery. "Again, I could say the same to you," he replied.

    Salem hummed at the idea before she focused on the conversation at hand. "As happy as I am to see your face again, Revan, you avoided my question; why are you here? I would have thought our last encounter would leave such communication… unwarranted."

    "Oh, it did," Revan assured the witch. "But given recent events between Ozpin and Cinder… I couldn't resist seeing the look on your face after being deceived."

    Salem was still angry about being tricked, but she once again hid her emotions well. "Your friends were clever, I will give them that. But cleverness won't save them. No matter where they go or how many are with them, know that I am always right behind them."

    "..."

    Though the threat was vague and generic, Revan took Salem's words as a victory. He now had reason to believe that Salem was on her way to Vytal, that she had taken the bait. And though he couldn't say for certain, Revan believed that Ozpin was still alive.

    But Salem wasn't done yet.

    "So tell the Mand'alor that she may prepare her people," Salem continued. "Build whatever monuments to a so-called 'free world.' But take heed, Revan… there will be no victory in strength."

    "..."

    Oddly enough, this was something that Revan agreed with. "Yes," he said calmly. "Victory in strength alone is impossible. I learned that after I abandoned your ways." The Sith always valued strength and power, to the point where it blinded them greatly. "But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten." Revan immediately thought of Cinder when he pondered the idea of victory. "Things that require a smaller, more honest soul."

    Salem couldn't help but reveal one emotion through small laughter. "You sound like my Ozma. Oh, my dear Revan, you have been naïve."

    Revan ignored Salem's continued laughter as he placed his mask back on his face. "I suppose we'll find out, sooner or later."

    "We will, Revan. We will."

    Immediately after he broke contact with Salem, Revan found Djarin and Cinder quickly. He assured them that Salem was coming, and that Ozpin was still alive. While they were shocked to hear that Revan had taken a bold risk, the clan of two accepted the result after seeing their plan was still on track.

    However, this placed a large constraint on time. Djarin and Cinder knew they had to prepare the initial defenses as well as prepare Amity for delivering the virus. The latter proved to be more problematic, since Pietro was still working on its synthesis. On the other hand, the Mandalorians who arrived had begun digging trenches and preparing the large-scale weapons they had brought.

    The large-scale weapons lacked quantity, since the clans were saving them for emergencies. But everyone knew mortars, rockets, and even a Basilisk droid that was salvaged from the recent war would give them a chance. Some of the airships didn't have many weapons, but several Mandalorians said they would ride in the ships and shoot at whatever Grimm came their way.

    Along with that, the initial positions and fallback positions were established. It seemed obvious that Salem would approach the island in the same direction Amity had traveled, so the initial positions were set on Vytal's beach. More defensive positions were established on the island, where the Mandalorians could fall back if the situation called for it.

    In the meantime, Amity would serve as the eyes in the sky. The tower could see for miles and miles, so it could see when Salem would be coming. Nobody on the tower could see her yet, but it could see another airship incoming. Alarm wasn't raised when the airship came closer, since Mandalorian arrivals were sporadic. This arrival was no different, but everyone was rather surprised to see which clan it was.

    Stepping outside the airship was the Children of the Watch. And they were accompanied by Greef Karga and Cara Dune.

    "Ah, there they are!" Greef exclaimed with a smile as he saw Djarin and Cinder. "Our man and lady of the hour!"

    Djarin and Cinder were at a loss for words at the sight of their old friends, people they hadn't seen in what felt like ages. Nevertheless, they shook hands with the ecstatic duo and welcomed them with open arms.

    "This… is quite a surprise," said Djarin, who finally found his voice.

    "You're telling me," Greef joked. "I may have turned over a new leaf and all, but I guess you can't take the hunt out of an old man like me. Besides…" Greef removed a blaster he had on his side. "All my trophies from Nevarro were getting rusty."

    Cinder was just as surprised as her father, but she had a bad feeling about this. "Greef, you shouldn't be here," she said. "It's not safe."

    "Aw, don't worry about me, kid," Greef said assuredly. "I've got a few kicks left in me."

    "Are you sure you don't want us to stay?" Cara joked. "I don't know what we're gonna do with all the free weapons we brought with us."

    "..."

    Djarin and Cinder were never greedy people, but they couldn't resist the urge to see what kind of supplies Greef and Cara brought that they desperately needed. They watched multiple Mandalorians that Djarin knew well bring out crate after crate of weapons, both short-scale and large-scale alike. From rocket launchers to shotguns, the latter of which Djarin considered for his own arsenal, everything Nevarro brought was greatly appreciated by the clan of two.

    There was one thing, however, that Cinder didn't like seeing.

    "Dad, look," Cinder said as she tapped Djarin's shoulder.

    Djarin followed the command to see that two Mandalorians were approaching him and Cinder. Both of them were familiar to him, though he wouldn't exactly call them welcome guests. The first Mandalorian was a large man in blue armor, Paz Vizsla. Djarin hadn't seen him since Haven, and previously assumed that he was dead.

    Clearly, he was wrong.

    The second was the Armorer, the leader of the tribe. The last time Djarin saw her, she had exiled him due to her belief that Djarin's actions had left the tribe in danger. From a certain point of view, this was true; Djarin's exile began after Revan infiltrated Nevarro.

    Needless to say, Djarin was having mixed feelings about seeing the two of them. Even though it was easy for him to assume that Paz had learned the truth about Salem, Djarin hadn't forgiven him for all the times they found themselves at odds.

    Not to mention that Paz Vizsla was the one who led several Mandalorians astray from Nevarro.

    Djarin instinctively moved in front of Cinder, putting himself in front of Paz Vizsla in case anything bad happened. "...What do I call you?" Djarin asked, wondering if he was supposed to call the man friend or foe.

    The answer, it seemed, was very unexpected.

    "...Fool," Paz replied meekly. "Traitor. Unworthy." He then lowered his head in shame. "Whatever you and the Mand'alor deem to be fair."

    "..."

    Djarin and Cinder couldn't help but think about how rare it was to see a man like Paz Vizsla become so humble and speechless. Cinder met him a few times, but she had been told about numerous disagreements Paz had with her father. Even after the conflict had passed, Paz was known to hold a grudge against Djarin.

    The clan of two thought it would be a cold day in Hell before the man before them would admit his wrongdoings and place himself at their mercy. And to prove they weren't hearing things, Paz spoke some more.

    "I was there when Jinn revealed the truth," Paz confessed. "Just outside the school. I saw how all of Saxon's and Vizsla's deeds came from one who would see our clan… our world… be destroyed with everyone still on it."

    "..."

    Djarin had no memory of seeing Paz be close enough to hear Jinn's story, but he didn't interrupt the man.

    "We were blinded by our pride and vanity," Paz continued before he lowered his head even further. "I was blinded by my pride and vanity."

    "..."

    Paz then lifted his head to look at Djarin. "I did not come here to expect forgiveness. I came at the behest of our Mand'alor." Paz gestured to Cinder to emphasize his point. "If not for her or you, then for the sake of the Foundling in my care."

    "..."

    This was the first time that Djarin had learned about a Foundling being cared for by Paz. A sarcastic part of him would almost say that he was sorry for the child; after all, Djarin wouldn't want to be raised by someone like Paz.

    And yet, there was a tone within Paz's voice that made Djarin believe him. That deep down, aside from the rivalry he had with Djarin, Paz wanted to do what was best for the Foundling. Djarin had a good idea as to why he felt this way, and decided to press further.

    "The Foundling," he said calmly. "What do you call them?"

    "Mercury is his name," Paz replied. "But now, I also call him… son."

    Djarin nodded when his suspicion became true. "Now you see," he said as gestured to Cinder. "Now you see why I left. Why you saw me in a different way. I changed for the sake of my daughter. My profession, my methods… even my beliefs." Djarin then offered a hand to Paz, something he thought he would never do before. "We must be better. For our children's sakes."

    "..."

    Paz contemplated the idea of shaking Djarin's hand. Like Djarin, Paz never thought he would do something like this. That he would stay on his stubborn path and his faith in the Way of the Mandalore. However, as Djarin said, things were different between them now. Not only did they share the identity of Mandalorians, but they were also parental figures to certain children. Ever since he decided to take this role, Paz wanted to do what was best for Mercury.

    Now he understood that Djarin had always wanted to do the same with his daughter. Paz had come to respect this, which led to him shaking hands with his former rival. "For our children's sakes," he repeated.

    With this peace being established, there was just one more matter to attend to.

    "Hold on," said Cinder, who moved next to her father and pointed at the Armorer. "I want to talk to you." Her tone was rather hostile, since she had her own reservations against the latest arrival.

    "I wish to speak with you as well," said the Armorer, who maintained her calm and neutral composure. She then moved towards the airship she had arrived in. "Follow me."

    "..."

    Cinder was unsure about following the Armorer anywhere, especially when she didn't make any attempt at an apology like Paz did. Djarin was also unsure, but he remembered all the times he spoke to the Armorer in private. She was a very withdrawn person, so speaking with her alone wasn't uncommon. He would respect Cinder's decision, but Djarin gestured towards the airship to show his belief that Cinder would be safe.

    And so, Cinder followed the Armorer inside to see that her back was turned. It looked like she was about to reach for something against the wall, but she stopped when she noticed that Cinder had joined her. Despite having reservations against the Armorer, Cinder began to put her Mandalorian helmet on to show respect for the belief many Mandalorians had.

    "Leave your helmet off," the Armorer said calmly.

    Cinder was surprised to hear this command. Especially for the Armorer of all people. "Leave it off?" she repeated, believing that she misheard the Armorer. "But…"

    "Do you respect my station?"

    "..."

    Cinder decided to leave her helmet off, but made sure to make her stance clear. "I have to admit, my respect was… shaken. After you exiled my father."

    While this wasn't the answer the Armorer wanted to hear, she seemed to understand it. "Perhaps I will have the chance to earn it once again." The Armorer began to move towards the wall. "Allow me to begin by presenting you with this gift."

    The Armorer began to move something large off the wall. Rather than dragging on the floor, the object was hovering with the help of Gravity Dust. When the Armorer moved it into the light, Cinder could see that it was a kind of box made of metal. There were multiple flashing buttons on the sides, but the front was decorated with art and the image of a Mandalorian helmet in the center. There was also a small opening near the top, which had a red light inside.

    The opening was big enough for a person's eyes to see through; just like the box was big enough to fit a person inside.

    Cinder was impressed by the artwork on the front, but she couldn't help but stare at the object in confusion. "What is it?" she asked.

    "It is a Mandalorian vault," the Armorer explained. "From a nearly forgotten era. Many others like it were designed to hold enemies of great power during the Great War. Those even with the greatest of Auras and Semblances did not find escape when they were locked inside."

    Cinder understood that the object was a piece of Mandalorian history, which captured her immediate interest. "It's… incredible," she said as she examined the box. "How does it work?"

    "The sarcophagus is a sensory deprivation tank," the Armorer continued. "It contains numerous restraints inside, completely removing its prisoner from the outside world." The Armorer turned to Cinder once more. "I crafted this relic for you to use against Salem. I know you are allowing her to come here. But she must not be allowed to leave."

    "..."

    Cinder realized that her plan didn't exactly include a way to prevent Salem from escaping after defeat. She didn't curse herself for not thinking about this; not when she had this gift from the Armorer. Djarin had once mentioned that they could try to imprison Salem in a vault, and now it seemed possible with this vault.

    "Thank you," Cinder said respectfully. "We'll be sure to put it to good use."

    "Indeed," said the Armorer. "Now… about your father."

    "..."

    Cinder was not only appreciative of the vault, but also that the Armorer hadn't forgotten about Djarin. She expected the conversation to be tense, but Cinder knew that she had to stand her ground and stand by her father.

    And that was exactly what she did.

    "I forgave him," she said as she gestured to the Darksaber. "Whatever he was accused of that deserved exile, I used my station as Mand'alor to pardon him. As far as anyone's concerned, he's an honest to Gods Mandalorian."

    "..."

    The Armorer had talked about respecting one's station just moments ago, and she knew there was nothing she could do to question Cinder's station as Mand'alor. So she respected it as she continued to speak.

    "Our people have strayed from the Way," the Armorer began. "And it is not enough for a few to walk it. We must walk it together."

    "..."

    Despite Djarin's own views against the Way of the Mandalore, Cinder could see where the Armorer was coming from. That the Mandalorians had to act together or die. "...This is the Way," Cinder replied.

    "We must walk the Way together. All Mandalorians."

    "...I agree. That's why I called them here."

    The Armorer walked closer to Cinder as she continued. "I recall your message. I also recall the day Din Djarin shared a story. How he and you worked together to kill a Mythosaur."

    "..."

    Cinder recalled the day as well. When they were hiding from bounty hunters, Djarin and Cinder rested at the village of Kuroyuri in Mistral. There, they defended the town against a Mythosaur. Or as most people called it, a Nuckelavee.

    "I was taught that the Mythosaur existed only in legends now," said the Armorer. "And yet… you saw it. And defeated it. I did not believe it before, not until you reacted to your father's exile. Everything you have done, everything you plan to do… it is a sign that the next age is upon us. Mandalore must all come together. You have walked both worlds. You are the one who can unite us."

    Back on Mustafar, things were relatively the same. Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan were still within the compound, waiting for Anakin to arrive. While he had yet to join them, Anakin was definitely close. Obi-Wan couldn't pinpoint his exact location, but the disturbance he felt in the Force was strong enough to indicate Anakin's presence on Mustafar.

    To prepare himself, Obi-Wan began to meditate. He sensed Revan's attempts to contact him, but Obi-Wan ignored them in favor of a mediation practice he learned from his master. Qui-Gon Jinn had meditated with him plenty of times before, usually repeating the mantra of the Jedi Order to clear his mind. It always helped Obi-Wan relax, even when faced with impending doom.

    "There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force."

    Obi-Wan repeated this mantra several times, but this was perhaps the first time he didn't find himself comforted or at peace. He couldn't help but reflect on the loss of Qui-Gon Jinn, or the last request he had.

    "He is the Chosen One... he will... bring balance... Train him."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan always had faith in his master, but fate had proven Qui-Gon wrong about Anakin. His descent into darkness and every deed he carried out since then had proven that Anakin was far from being the Chosen One.

    And it was Obi-Wan's training that made Anakin into what he was.

    Now, more than ever, Obi-Wan knew that he had to stop his former Padawan. No matter the cost, Anakin couldn't be allowed to leave Mustafar. The task wouldn't be easy, but Obi-Wan knew he had to accomplish it.

    Even if it cost him his life, Obi-Wan would do what he had to do. But he didn't want it to cost the life of someone else.

    Bo-Katan was still in the compound, practicing hand-to-hand combat while making sure her armor had everything she needed. She too wanted to see this mission accomplished, but Obi-Wan sensed the desire for vengeance within her. Though he understood these feelings, Obi-Wan had learned that vengeance was never favorable.

    Nor would it change anything.

    Though he didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with her, Obi-Wan didn't want to see Bo-Katan fall at the hands of Anakin. Obi-Wan knew that the blame would fall onto him just as much as it would fall on Anakin; it had happened to Satine, after all.

    And so, as calmly and as rationally as he could, Obi-Wan gave the Mandalorian a chance to save herself.

    "As much as you believe the opposite… this is not your fight," Obi-Wan professed. "Anakin's actions fall onto me, and I am responsible. You owe me no loyalty or assistance. If you wish to leave, now is the time to do so."

    "..."

    "But there is no shame or disgrace in saving yourself. Only in retreat."

    "..."

    Rather than be stubborn or make an attempt to shut Obi-Wan out, Bo-Katan took a moment to think about the offer. She understood the chance Obi-Wan was giving her, that he wished to see her live. It was a very noble offer, one that she wasn't used to. It was also sincere, which led to Bo-Katan respecting Obi-Wan more than she did yesterday.

    And with that, Bo-Katan made her choice.

    "Let me say something," she requested. "Before you try making me leave, let me just say one thing."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan was in no position to refuse a simple request, so he listened carefully as Bo-Katan swallowed much of her pride.

    "You… are better than me," Bo-Katan said. "In a lot of ways. You're respectful, wise… and loyal to a fault. Honestly… all of that is probably what made Satine feel the way she felt for you."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan was humbled by these words, especially the mention of Satine. He still missed her, but he took comfort in knowing that her feelings weren't misplaced.

    "But there's something else about you," Bo-Katan continued. "Something that you don't have. I can see it in your eyes." Bo-Katan made eye-contact with Obi-Wan as she made her point. "You don't have the killer instinct I have. Like it or not, that makes you a liability."

    "..."

    Under normal circumstances, Obi-Wan would consider himself lucky for not having something such as killer instinct. The Jedi always used the Force for defense and knowledge, never attack.

    Let alone killing.

    And yet, Obi-Wan could see where Bo-Katan was coming from. However, he still had reason to protest. "I have killed before," he confessed, referring to the assassin that killed Qui-Gon Jinn. "I'm not proud of it… but I admit the deed."

    "Was it instinctual?" Bo-Katan argued. "Or just by impulse?"

    "..."

    The silence gave the Mandalorian the answer she needed. "I have that instinct," Bo-Katan proclaimed. "I can use it against Anakin, whether you like it or not. So I'm staying. And that's it."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan knew Bo-Katan was right. Killing his master's murderer was by impulse, not instinct. Bo-Katan was a Mandalorian; someone capable of taking lives without hesitation or second thought. Obi-Wan had to respect that, and allow Bo-Katan to stay and help.

    And so, Obi-Wan accepted Bo-Katan's choice and welcomed her presence.

    *CREAK*​

    A low but audible noise caught the attention of both warriors. It sounded like something around them had moved, but they didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

    *CREAK*​

    The noise returned, and the duo realized that the ground beneath them had started to move. The metal around them was moving, which was a cause for alarm.

    *CREAK*

    *CRUNCH*    ​

    The ground began to move quickly now, as if the entire compound was starting to move at a downwards angle. Multiple pieces of scrap metal began to roll towards the broken wall, where they all fell into the lava below.

    "The compound's coming apart!" Bo-Katan observed while holding on to a more stable piece. "It can't stand the environment anymore!"

    "It's not just the environment," said Obi-Wan, who was also holding on for support. What was happening wasn't exactly natural, the base wasn't just sliding off the side due to exposure. Obi-Wan could tell that someone was using the Force to hasten the building's destruction. "It's Anakin!"

    *CRUNCH*

    *CRUNCH*    ​

    Before either warrior could leave, the compound lost all its support and began falling into the lake of fire below. Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan were thrown around from the fall, and each of them knew that they had to find an exit immediately. Bo-Katan was able to use her jetpack to fly out of a crumbling wall, though crashing debris prevented the jetpack from reaching its full potential.

    Obi-Wan saw that Bo-Katan would be unable to return, so he relied on his own landing strategy to escape. Using the Force, Obi-Wan guided pieces of the small building to fall at specific spots in the lava. Before they could be completely destroyed, Obi-Wan used his enhanced speed to jump on every piece. With the bridge he had made, Obi-Wan was able to find a patch of land safe for him to rest before he sought out his ally.

    "Bo-Katan!" Obi-Wan called out. When he failed to see or hear the Mandalorian, Obi-Wan called out again. "Bo-Katan!"

    "..."

    "Did you bring her here to destroy me?"

    Obi-Wan turned around quickly when he heard a voice. Unlike Bo-Katan's, the voice was male and almost unfamiliar to Obi-Wan. But he knew who was speaking to him the second he turned around.

    Standing a few feet away from Obi-Wan was a figure in a black cloak. The cloak covered the man's face and torso, though this was only temporary since the man removed it. When the cloak fell, the man revealed himself to be wearing a dark tunic and a black glove covering his right hand. His head bore dark hair, and his face bore a scar along with unsettling yellow eyes.

    Upon looking into those unnatural eyes, Obi-Wan believed himself to be looking at a complete stranger. But nothing could hide the fact that Anakin Skywalker had finally found his prey.

    And Obi-Wan had found the chance to right his wrongs.

    "I will do what I must," Obi-Wan replied as he removed his lightsaber from his belt.

    "You will try," Anakin mocked as he took his own lightsaber in hand.

    *CLASH*​

    On Vytal, much progress had been made. Only a few more clans were expected, and the Mandalorians were armed and ready. Everyone was preparing themselves for the oncoming conflict, either with their guns or sparring practice; Cinder had even found the time to go over the basics of Maiden powers with Penny.

    Djarin had spent time practicing as well, but most of his time was spent with Qrow and his old friend Sun Jabbid. Together, the trio was watching the ocean for the arrival of more clans.

    Or Salem.

    "Are we missing anyone else?" Qrow asked, unsure how many Mandalorians clans there were.

    "Paz said he was expecting Clan Kryze to come from Kalevala," Sun replied. "We have yet to see them."

    "They'll be here," said Djarin. "I'm sure of it."

    Qrow turned around to look at the fruits of everyone's labor. "Even if they don't show up, we got a good thing going here," he said. "I don't think I've ever seen this many Mandos in one place."

    "Nor have I," said Sun. "Save for the reclamation of Beacon, that is. But this is much better."

    "Right," said Djarin. "Nobody's trying to kill each other here."

    "Yeah," said Qrow. "Call me crazy, but I'm actually feeling a little optimistic about things."

    Djarin turned to Qrow in mild surprise. "That's a first."

    "I know. Go figure."

    "I think you may be right to feel optimistic," said Sun. "We have the right tools. We have a plan. This won't be easy… but I see no reason to believe this won't end in our favor."

    "As long as Cinder's still with us, we'll be fine," said Djarin. "We'll have everything we need."

    A few moments later, the trio found themselves back with the other Mandalorians. They had been called by the tribe leaders, specifically by Cinder and the Armorer. She felt rather out of place being among so many people, so she remained silent and let Cinder take the lead.

    "Thank you all for coming here," Cinder began. "I wish it was under better circumstances, but your presence honors me."

    "..."

    "I won't lie to any of you. The enemy we share, the Grimm she uses… this fight won't be the easiest thing to do. We're about to be facing a force nobody has fought directly for centuries."

    "..."

    Even though she couldn't see everyone's faces, Cinder took comfort in the fact that nobody was trying to leave or flee. This gave her the confidence to keep talking.

    "Even if we get scared, even if not everyone walks away… we can't give up," Cinder continued. "We can't afford to give up. Because we have too much to lose."

    "..."

    "I know you feel the world cast you out, that there are people who think we don't belong here. But this is still our world. We have our homes, we have our families." Cinder looked at Djarin when she mentioned family and one more thing. "We have each other."

    "..."

    "Before today, we were the furthest thing from being united. We all have our own beliefs and cultures, and I wouldn't dare asking you to forget about them in the name of unity. All I ask is that you remember we're stronger when we're together. That was how Mandalore helped win the Great War. And that's how it'll help us win today."

    The Armorer found her chance to speak next when Cinder mentioned the idea of unity. "Cinder walks both worlds," she said. "And she has brought all tribes together. It is time to retake our world."

    "..."

    The Mandalorians around Cinder refused to move or speak, which showed that they were still listening. She was grateful for the Armorer's input, but she decided to expand on it a little more.

    'Thank you,' she began. "I actually like to think of them as 'ways.' Some of us have walked the Way of the Mandalore, and some of us have walked our own way." Cinder looked at Djarin again and smiled. "My dad actually calls our way 'The Way of the Maiden.' Mostly because of this."

    *WHOOSH*​

    Cinder displayed her powers for everyone to see. They had seen it in her message, but the Mandalorians were still surprised to see this. Cinder understood this, so she only let her eyes burn as she made her final point.

    "It took me a while to walk it completely," she said. "But I was able to do a whole lot with it, from Vale to Atlas. And it's what helped me bring all of us together."

    The Armorer spoke again, displaying the change of heart she had before. "Then it is a way that deserves to be walked," she said in support.

    Djarin and Cinder were very proud and relieved to hear this. They were even more proud when they heard several things from the Mandalorians before them.

    "Clan Vizsla is with you."

    "Clan Tenau is with you."

    "Clan Eldar is with you."

    "Clan Bralor is with you."

    "Clan Carid is with you."

    "Clan Wren is with you."

    As more and more clans voiced their support, Cinder became more humbled and proud by the second. While it was true that the weight of leading these Mandalorians was heavy, knowing that she could rely on them to lend her their strength was comforting. Cinder knew Djarin was always ready to share his strength, and that he wasn't going anywhere.

    And neither were any of the friends that she had made.

    Now, more than ever, Cinder was ready. She was ready as a Fall Maiden, a Mandalorian, and now as a Mand'alor. She knew that nothing was going to stop her from using all three titles to defend her people and the world. And now, she was going to start by defeating Salem and freeing the world of her grasp.

    Which was closer than anyone had anticipated.

    "Look!" a Mandalorian said as he pointed to the sky. "Up there!"

    Everyone looked where the Mandalorian was pointing. There, they saw another airship coming close to the island. Unlike the other airships, however, this one was coming towards the ground very fast and with fire on its tail.

    It was coming in for a very rough landing.

    *CRASH*​

    After the airship hit the ground and skidded to a halt, Cinder flew over to it and searched for survivors. The other Mandalorians soon joined her, where they saw her cut the door open with the Darksaber and take a step back. The Mandalorians all prepared themselves for something else unexpected, since they didn't know what was inside the ship.

    But Paz Vizsla saw a reason for everyone to relax when he saw two Mandalorians exit the ship.

    "Stand down!" he ordered as he lowered his own weapon. "Stand down, it's Clan Kryze!"

    Everyone lowered their weapons and watched Koska Reeves and Hatch Woves remove their helmets and breathe deeply. They were bleeding from their foreheads, since the crash had taken its toll on them.

    "Are you okay?" Cinder asked.

    "What happened?" Djarin asked.

    After she got back on her feet, Koska began to explain everything. "We… We heard your message," she said. "We were making our way to Vytal from Kalevala. When… When they got us."

    "We were caught in a black cloud," said Hatch. "The Grimm inside nearly tore us apart."

    "We had three other airships behind us," said a third Mandalorian that exited the ship. "Are they here?"

    "..."

    The silence and lack of other airships told Clan Kryze that Koska, Hatch, and the other Mandalorians inside their ship were the only survivors. This was easy to notice, along with a black cloud in the distance.

    One that was coming closer and closer at an alarming rate.

    "This is it!" Cinder yelled. "Don't panic! Everyone get into position!"

    Every Mandalorian, along with the friends they brought, followed the order and scattered into the initial defense positions. Their jetpacks and Semblances helped them get where they needed to be faster, which allowed them to point every gun and weapon they had at the cloud.

    However, the cloud soon became a secondary concern for the army of Mandalorians. Because the lead creature of the horde, the Monstra, shot out of the cloud like a rocket and moved quickly to the ground.

    *THOOM*​

    The landing made the ground shake in every direction, which made everybody fall to their knees. As they got back up, they found themselves relieved that they escaped their initial defenses on the beach. If they had, they would have been crushed in an instant.

    This relief, however, passed when they saw the Monstra themselves.

    "Look at the size of that thing!"

    "By the Gods."

    "I've never seen a Grimm like that."

    Cinder sensed the distress among her people, but she remained firm as she stood her ground. "Stay together!" she said. "We expected this! Now we have to be ready for anything!"

    Djarin readied his rifle as he landed next to Cinder. "We're with you," he said as he also stood his ground. "And we're ready."

    Cinder accepted this with a firm nod before she placed her helmet on her head. She then looked upon the Monstra with her fellow Mandalorians, who had regained their courage and stared down their enemy with intent to kill.

    Inside the Monstra, Salem and her followers looked back at the army before them. Salem found this attempt to be pitiful right from the start, between the inferior defenses they possessed and the fact that they were horribly outnumbered. To prove the latter, Salem commanded the Monstra to release a wave of Grimm water onto the beach, which spawned dozens of Grimm in all shapes and sizes.

    Salem had her army. And soon, she would have her Relic and Maidens.

    "It's time."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 68: The Battle New
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 68: The Battle​

    The moment everyone had been dreading had finally arrived.

    Salem, after being denied victory at Haven and Atlas, had brought all of the Grimm at her disposal to the island of Vytal. There, several clans of Mandalorians stood united and in complete defiance of Salem's will were waiting for her. They had planned for this battle, and now it had finally arrived.

    Now, Remnant's fate was about to be determined. Would the unity of Mandalore be enough to stop Salem where she stood? Or would Salem seal the world's fate in the blood of Mandalore?

    Nobody knew for certain... but there was only one way to find out.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BOOM*

    *ROAR*

    *WHOOSH*

    *ROAR*    ​

    The shores of Vytal were all engulfed in brutal combat. Grimm would emerge from the pools of tar the Monstra would create and meet the Mandalorians head on. Fortunately, the Mandalorians were armed to the teeth with unique and powerful weapons. Double-barreled shotguns that would also fire a hook on a chain, under-barrel grenade launchers, chainguns, and even weapons that were known to suit Huntsmen and Huntresses. One of them was a fully automatic rifle that doubled as a shotgun, with a uniquely curved magazine by the shoulder-rest.

    Among these unique weapons, the one common arsenal ever Mandalorian had besides their armor was the modified Dust rounds most of the weapons possessed. And they were all doing a number on the Grimm.

    But the greatest asset the Mandalorians had was their leader, who was also the Fall Maiden.

    *WHOOSH*

    *BOOM*

    *WHOOSH*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Where most Grimm had been met with rockets, bullets, and blasts, Cinder made sure the creatures were met with fire, lightning, and every other elemental power she was capable of using. Because of this, the shores of Vytal were covered in ash that were once Salem's minions.

    At the same time, Cinder was saving everyone she could. Some Mandalorians had come under duress from being overrun by Grimm of all sizes. Given that the initial defenses were taken by Salem's Monstra in an instant, Cinder knew that they couldn't lose any more positions.

    Or any of the Mandalorians defending them.

    *WHOOSH*

    *SHICK*    ​

    When she killed the Beowolves and Sabyrs with her powers and the Darksaber, Cinder would say the same thing to each Mandalorian she saved. "Don't give up!" she yelled. "Salem can't keep making more Grimm forever! We can do this!"

    This was something Cinder genuinely believed. But it was her father that believed a little more.

    Djarin was working closely with his friends; Qrow, Cara, Greef, and Revan. Like Cinder, Djarin helped defend his fellow warriors with his sniper rifle, the one that could transform into an electric staff. Not only could he shoot every Grimm he saw from miles away, but he could also see the new waves of incoming Grimm from the Monstra. According to his count, Salem was on her seventh wave of Grimm-water. It was true that she needed to exhaust the Mandalorians, but a seventh wave showed that the loss of Grimm was high.

    The battle of Vytal had become a battle of attrition. One side needed to exhaust the other to claim victory, to deplete them of either warriors or resources to win. The battle had claimed numerous Grimm and a few Mandalorians, but the victor was hard to determine at this moment. It had been nearly an hour of fighting, but there was much more to be had.

    And neither would rest until this battle had been won. No matter the cost.

    Along with the battle of Vytal, there was a smaller conflict with just as much importance.

    Rather than join his friends and allies, Obi-Wan was forced to leave Amity Colosseum to pursue a foe of his own. With Bo-Katan at his side, Obi-Wan flew to the volcanic island chain of Mustafar. There, he hoped to find Anakin Skywalker, his former apprentice, and put a stop to his dark deeds.

    Bo-Katan had vanished after Obi-Wan's first plan went awry. But Anakin was right in front of him, ready to shed blood.

    *WHOOSH*

    *HISS*    ​

    Anakin jumped into the air and activated his lightsaber, which shined blood-red. His Aura had become just as corrupted as Anakin was, which pained Obi-Wan to no end. But this pain didn't stop Obi-Wan from activating his blue lightsaber and defending himself.

    *CLASH*​

    Obi-Wan blocked the red blade, but it was no easy feat. Anakin had grown stronger during his absence, and the first strike almost made Obi-Wan lose his grip. And the fact that Anakin somehow had both his hands, despite one of them being lost on Coruscant, seemed to make him all the stronger.

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    With each quick and powerful strike Anakin sent his way, Obi-Wan blocked it as he walked backwards. He was forced to do so since he needed to readjust his grip and stance due to Anakin's strikes. But when he felt a strong heat on his back, Obi-Wan knew that he had come too close to the lava to keep moving backwards. Instead, he jumped just as soon as Anakin delivered a lunge with his lightsaber. Rather than block the weapon, Obi-Wan dodged it and jumped above Anakin to bring him closer to the lava this time.

    However, this proved to be a fatal mistake when Obi-Wan felt a strong force around his neck.

    It was a common practice with the Sith to choke the life out of their enemy with the Force, which was something Obi-Wan had once experienced. However, the grip around his neck was definitely from a hand. More than that, it was a dark hand that came from an elongated arm with talons for fingers.

    And it extended from Anakin.

    The fallen Jedi revealed what Salem had done to him, besides keeping him locked within the Fermata Cage. Along with retained youth, Anakin had gained the arm of a Geist to make up for the hand he lost on Coruscant. While he couldn't use his Aura to heal any wounds on the hand, Anakin could still use the Force with it. But now, he was choosing to choke Obi-Wan and crush his throat.

    Anakin moved closer and caught Obi-Wan's lightsaber before it could cut his new arm. He then applied more pressure to make Obi-Wan move towards the ground in pain. Everything was beginning to grow dark, but Obi-Wan fought the temptation to black out.

    Because of this, Obi-Wan finally had a good look at Anakin's face. He still looked like the young boy Obi-Wan trained for years, but behind the face was someone entirely different. Evil, inside and out. Fortunately, this evil wasn't going to be the last thing Obi-Wan would ever see.

    *BAM*​

    A kick to his back made Anakin let go of both Obi-Wan and his lightsaber. As Obi-Wan breathed once more, he was welcomed by the sight of Bo-Katan extending a hand to him.

    "Miss me?" she asked as she helped Obi-Wan stand.

    "More than you know," the Jedi insisted as he stood up.

    Bo-Katan knew that a time for talking would come later, since she saw Anakin stand back up as well. After she pushed Obi-Wan out of the way, Bo-Katan took her blasters in hand and delivered the second strikes of vengeance towards her enemy.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Unlike before, Anakin was ready to defend himself against these attacks. With his left hand, Anakin used the Force to stop the yellow blasts in their tracks. And with his new right hand, Anakin pushed forward and sent the blasts back at Bo-Katan. The Beskar armor saved her life, but she fell backwards when her head and chest were hit.

    Obi-Wan took Bo-Katan's place in battle, this time relying on hand-to-hand combat. Anakin had also been trained in this form of battle, so he was able to keep up with Obi-Wan's punches and kicks. But after Obi-Wan kicked him to knock him down, Anakin was forced to rely on his lightsaber when Obi-Wan retrieved his own and sent it down.

    *CLASH*​

    After he was able to push Obi-Wan away, Anakin stood up and observed his new enemies preparing to work together. Bo-Katan had recovered from the minor attack, and now she was ready to strike back.

    "Strike from above," Obi-Wan advised. "I'll keep him busy on the ground."

    "On your mark," said Bo-Katan, who agreed to the plan.

    After Anakin spun his lightsaber around his body two times, Obi-Wan took his own and made his stand against Anakin. The fight had proven to be much harder than he was expecting, but it had only just begun.

    And soon, it would end.

    "Now!"

    Back on Vytal, the battle for Remnant's future was still underway. Neither side had been exhausted yet, so there was no victory to be declared. However, that didn't stop each side knowing that they couldn't keep this up forever.

    Salem, while possessing the largest Grimm anyone had ever seen, couldn't keep making more creatures forever. And Cinder, while having a strong ratio of one Mandalorian for ten Grimm, knew that ammunition would eventually be exhausted.

    This led to both leaders coming to the same conclusion. This battle needed something large to turn the tide. Not just a fighting force, but a very palpable hit that would be the true definition of one side's strength.

    Cinder not only knew that she and the Mandalorians needed this, but she knew exactly where to find it: Amity.

    And so, Cinder moved for cover behind a rock to establish contact with her friends in the tower. "Dr. Polendina, this is Cinder!" she said. "We're holding the Grimm off down here, but we need that virus! How soon can it be deployed?"

    "Almost ready up here, Cinder!" Pietro reported. "The final synthesis is underway, and Penny's just about done with our makeshift launch tubes!"

    Pietro was referring to the fact that Penny was cutting several pieces of Amity's exterior to make holes. From these holes, the virus would be launched and sent across the island, as long as the winds didn't blow them in the opposite direction.

    "We have the sample Mr. Djarin and Mr. Branwen brought for us, Cinder!" Penny reported. "My father's sample is being matched with it now!"

    When the battle started, Djarin and Qrow captured a Beowolf and sent it to Amity so Pietro could use it as a specimen for the virus. As Gideon claimed, the virus would be capable of analyzing a specific entity and targeting entities with similar genetic makeups. Nobody had studied the genetic makeup of Grimm before, but the Beowolf had served as a good candidate for the virus' synthesis. Soon, all would be ready.

    "That's great!" said Cinder. "Do we have a timeframe?"

    "Just a few more minutes," Pietro reported. "But there's something else; Watts' sample only makes the virus good for one synthesis. When this is done, we'll only have one virus ready for use."

    Cinder knew that her plans were bound to have some setbacks and need to improvise, but the virus was the key weapon against Salem. Without it, all would be lost. "Is that a problem?" she asked, praying that there would be some workaround.

    "I can finish the virus," Pietro promised. "But all I wish to say is that we'll only have one shot with it. Once it's deployed, there won't be any second chances."

    Cinder understood that the stakes had been raised, but nothing had been truly lost. "Okay. I guess all we have to do is make the shot count."

    *ROAR*​

    Cinder had been so distracted by her conversation with Pietro that she didn't notice a pack of Ursai coming towards her. Fortunately, a series of blasts and bullets showed Cinder that she had nothing to worry about.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    When the Ursai were killed, and after the Ursa Major exploded, Cinder turned to see that her father and several Children of the Watch had joined her.

    "Be careful, Cinder," Djarin said after he helped her on her feet. "If I hadn't been here-"

    "I know," Cinder quickly replied. "Sorry, but I was talking to Dr. Polendina. He says we'll only get one shot at Salem with the virus."

    "It's true," Pietro said on Djarin's radio. "I was only able to synthesize one batch of the virus. We'll only have one chance to hit Salem where it hurts."

    Djarin understood what Cinder meant by making the shot count. But he knew that it would take more than luck to make the virus run its course. If anything, along with the wind being in their favor, Amity would need to get as close as possible to the Monstra.

    Djarin put a hand to his radio again and spoke to another ally. "Qrow, you got a look at this creature from above," he said. "Is it capable of making attacks from above as well as its mouth?"

    "Didn't look like it!" Qrow insisted as he fought Grimm with Cara and Greef. "But I don't know if it'll be able to get off the ground again!"

    "Copy." Djarin switched channels again as he looked up. "Do you think you can move Amity right above the creature?"

    "Steering won't be a problem for R2," said Pietro. "But we have a few other Grimm in the air that might get in our way."

    Djarin and Cinder looked to see that several Tempest-Grimm, creatures that looked like giant Seers, were still in the air. It seemed that they were guarding the Monstra, as well as their master inside. It was a strategic move from Salem, one that had to be removed from the equation.

    "Then we'll have to clear you a path," said Cinder. "My powers should help, but I'm gonna need some backup."

    "I still have my ship," said Djarin. "It should be small enough to avoid getting through those tentacles."

    "I can help as well!" said Penny. "I'll join Cinder when I'm done here and-!"

    "Penny, we are not having this conversation again!" Pietro insisted. "I'm your father and I'm telling you that you belong on Amity."

    Penny was disappointed by this answer. Not only did she feel that her work on Amity was done, but Penny also believed that the people below her needed help now more than ever. Fortunately, Cinder agreed.

    "No, that'd be great!" said Cinder. "If we have two Maidens out here, we'll get you that opening easily!"

    "But Penny's only had her powers for a short time!" Pietro insisted. "She has to stay on the tower!"

    *BEEP*​

    Rather than argue any further, Pietro turned off his radio to make his decision final. But neither Djarin nor Cinder were convinced with how the discussion ended.

    "He doesn't understand," said Cinder. "We need more than one Maiden to do this."

    Djarin easily agreed; relying on just one Maiden would only lead to disaster. "If he keeps holding her back, we won't be able to win," he said. "We need to convince him to let her go."

    Cinder believed she could convince Pietro to do this, that she could show him how hard things on the ground were compared to being up in Amity. But before she could announce this plan, Qrow spoke on the radio again to voice a concern.

    "Guys, I thought we were waiting to move Amity!" he said. "What's going on?!"

    Confused by the question, Djarin and Cinder looked up towards Amity and saw that it was indeed moving towards the Monstra. The Tempest-Grimm hadn't moved at all, but Amity was heading straight towards the Monstra.

    "What is he doing?!" Djarin asked. "He's going to get himself killed!"

    Cinder was also surprised by the act, but she had an idea what was going on. Pietro was trying to prove that Penny didn't need to fight alongside everyone, that he could end the fight here and now.

    But he was gravely mistaken. And if he moved any closer before the Tempest-Grimm were destroyed, all would be lost.

    "We have to stop him!" Cinder said as she began to take flight. "Can you keep the Tempests busy?"

    "On it!" Djarin said before he teleported away. With that, Cinder flew as fast as she could to Amity, killing avian Grimm while praying that she wouldn't be too late to save the tower.

    While there was still a chance to save Amity, Cinder was unable to stop Salem or Merri seeing that the tower was moving. They were inside the Monstra, observing the Grimm do their work while more tar-like liquid was being sent out. And through the eyes of the Monstra, they could see something was amiss.

    "Where's that tower going?" Merri asked as she pointed towards it.

    Salem, despite still being disappointed with Merri's inability to uncover Ozpin's trick with the lamp, looked where her daughter and saw the same thing. Like Merri, Salem was curious as to where the tower was going.

    "Merriweather," Salem began as she stared at the object. "That was the tower Ironwood built to contact the world, yes? The one that Cinder used?"

    "Yes, Mother," Merri replied. "Fauna and I heard about it while we were in Mantle. And we saw it for ourselves." Merri turned back to her mother and proposed an explanation. "Are they trying to escape?"

    "..."

    Salem considered the idea of a cowardly retreat by whoever was in the tower, but one look at the battlefield changed her mind. The situation on the ground was still a stalemate, as neither side had gained a breakthrough. Casualties mounted on both sides, but the battle was hardly won. And despite the Tempests blocking its path, Amity was moving closer towards the Monstra.

    This move wasn't a retreat. It was strategic.

    "There's something about that tower," Salem realized. "Something more than simple communication." Salem had been outsmarted enough for one day, and she wasn't going to be fooled once more. "Merriweather, you can make amends for your mistake in Atlas. Take Hazel and find out what they're doing up there."

    "Yes, Mother," Merri replied hastily. She too was disappointed by Ozpin tricking her, so the thought of making amends was promising. "And if I find something that favors the enemy?"

    "Destroy it."

    On Mustafar, the battle was hardly a stalemate.

    Anakin, despite being armed with a lightsaber and the Force, was facing a war on two fronts. On the first was Obi-Wan, who's recent experiences in combat and years of training were helping him hold his own. On the second was Bo-Katan, whose determination was as strong and as impenetrable as her Beskar armor. The red lightsaber had no effect on either opponent, which made Anakin even angrier.

    Obi-Wan sensed this anger, and recognized it as well. Anakin was always more or less a slow learner at the Jedi Temple, given that he was more… emotional than the other Padawans. Years and age hadn't seemed to quell his anger or impulsive behavior, which gave some comfort to Obi-Wan. If he and Bo-Katan could just hold on for a little while, then Anakin would make another mistake. A single opening was all the Jedi Master needed to end this duel.

    Unfortunately, this perception would soon prove to be Obi-Wan's first mistake.

    While time did nothing to change Anakin's anger, it had certainly changed his intelligence. Between being trapped at the Land of Darkness and learning the secrets of the dark side, Anakin eventually learned the wisdom of not facing an enemy head-on. Thanks to Salem, Anakin understood how a united enemy was a dangerous one. If he was to stand a chance and hope of emerging victorious, he needed to separate Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan.

    At first, Anakin used the Force to push both his enemies away. This was an easy thing to recover from, so Anakin wasn't surprised to see the warriors stand up as soon as they had been knocked down. But rather than attack again, Anakin moved backwards until he fell off the edge he was standing on.

    Confused, Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan rushed towards the edge to try and find their foe. Save for ash and hot air in their faces, all the duo could see was a river of lava at the bottom of the cliff.

    "What was that?" Bo-Katan asked. "Did he just… give up?"

    Despite the situation looking like a retreat, Obi-Wan knew that one could never be too sure about such things. And he knew Anakin wasn't someone to run away from a fight.

    As it turned out, Anakin hadn't given up. When Obi-Wan saw molten rock and magma hurtling towards him, he saw that Anakin had elected to choose a different weapon.

    "Look out!" Obi-Wan yelled as he pushed Bo-Katan aside.

    *BAM*​

    The rocks and lava were melting the ground beneath their feet, but the two warriors remained unharmed. After Bo-Katan moved as far away from the lava as she could, she peered down the cliff's edge again to see where the projectiles had come from. And as she suspected, Anakin had found a large rock on the lava-stream to stand on while he attacked from a distance.

    "Coward," Bo-Katan said before she leapt off the ledge.

    "No, wait!" Obi-Wan urged the Mandalorian. He was about to jump after her, but more lava from Anakin prevented him from moving with ease.

    Bo-Katan's jetpack was still damaged from Anakin destroying the compound, but it was able to keep her afloat. Bo-Katan didn't care about her jetpack, however, since her enemy was right within her grasp.

    The Mandalorian had waited for this moment for far too long. She unleashed multiple blasts from her guns and every other kind of weapon her armor had in store as she furiously attacked Anakin. When those failed, due to Anakin's speed and lightsaber, Bo-Katan met him head-on with a knife in her gauntlet and a Hard-Light shield.

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    Anakin was impressed by the Mandalorian's offensive capabilities, but her justified anger was making her reckless. Anakin's was angry too, given that Bo-Katan was in his way to Obi-Wan, but he wasn't as reckless as Bo-Katan was. Her pursuit of vengeance had made her sloppy and predictable, just as Anakin had once been as a Jedi Padawan.

    In fact, there had been dozens of times where Anakin had lost control of his emotions as he trained with Obi-Wan. This was how Obi-Wan would usually win during their sparring, where Anakin would either be humbled or on the ground with a blue light shining on his face. The latter was usually another lesson for Anakin, that a real duel would end much differently.

    Today, that seemed to be the case.

    After being on the defensive long enough, Anakin ironically found himself using the memories of being a Jedi to knock Bo-Katan to her feet. A distracting strike to her head and a swipe to her feet made Bo-Katan lose her balance, just like Anakin had done several times.

    Bo-Katan was about to use her jetpack to reorient herself, since this was a common recovery for an attack such as this. However, Anakin was much faster to use his new arm to tear her Beskar chest plate off and stab her with his lightsaber.

    *SSSSS*​

    At that moment, Bo-Katan forgot about vengeance. She forgot about fighting for Satine, for her friends, for her new Mand'alor, and just about everything else in the world. Instead, as she struggled long and hard to breathe, all Bo-Katan could focus on was the pain.

    For a small wound, it felt like everything inside Bo-Katan was burning up. It was almost like her whole body was on fire and beginning to melt. Even her own blood was boiling from the intense heat and energy. Bo-Katan had heard that lightsabers were actually Aura, but now she learned the true power of Aura as it burned her alive.

    "Noooo!"

    The yell came from Obi-Wan, who had finally managed to find his way off the cliff. It wasn't easy, given that he had to navigate past the melting projectiles Anakin threw and find a strong rock on the lava-stream. But sadly, just like with Satine, Obi-Wan had arrived too late.

    Despite the fact that Bo-Katan was still alive, just barely, Obi-Wan had Anakin's complete and undivided attention. Since his new arm had worked the first time, Anakin saw no problem in extending it beyond physical limitations once again. But unlike Bo-Katan, Obi-Wan could see the arm coming from a mile away.

    Which was how he was able to slice it with ease.

    *SLASH*​

    "Aaaaah!" Anakin yelled as he fell to his knees. His arm was beginning to turn to ash like a dead Grimm normally would, which gave Obi-Wan the chance to jump towards the other rock in an effort to help Bo-Katan.

    However, Anakin struck back with his other arm and pushed Obi-Wan away. His intention was to drown his former master in lava, but Obi-Wan had luckily landed another surface of hardened magma. And to further add to Anakin's anger, the stub where his Grimm arm used to be was painfully changing and growing as a new arm took its place. The young Sith had learned this would happen, to prevent the loss of his arm once again, but he had no idea that the regeneration would be a terrible thing to endure.

    It was yet another pain that Anakin had to endure because of Obi-Wan.

    With his new arm and untamed anger, Anakin abandoned the rock that Bo-Katan was laying on in favor of another surface that was closer to Obi-Wan. As for Obi-Wan, he realized that this was the second time that Anakin's blade had struck down someone close to him. After he promised himself that there wouldn't be a third, Obi-Wan twirled his lightsaber in his hand and steeled himself for what came next.

    "This is the end for you, my master," Anakin promised before he began to strike.

    "Have you lost your mind?! Turn us around!"

    "We're all done here! We're finally ready to launch the virus! It's now or never!"

    "Open your eyes! You're taking us straight towards Salem's defenses!"

    "It's the only way!"

    Despite his argument falling onto Revan's deaf ears, Pietro refused to change his course. With R2's help, Pietro had begun to move Amity Colosseum towards the Monstra. Gideon's virus had finally been synthesized, and the tower would be able to deploy the virus as a large spray. With enough precision and a lot of luck, the battle of Vytal would end swiftly.

    However, Pietro was neglecting the former. Rather than wait for the right moment, Pietro was moving Amity in order to launch the bioweapon right now. The only problem was that Salem still had many Grimm in the sky to protect her Monstra. Nevermores and winged Beringels were among them, but the largest and most challenging were the Tempests.

    *BAM*

    *BAM*    ​

    The tentacles of the Tempests had just struck Amity while Pietro was arguing with Revan, who had been trying to change the scientist's mind without resorting to violence. But now, violence was needed to stop the winged Beringels who were breaking the glass.

    Revan found himself working with Penny, who was reluctantly following her father's lead. It didn't take a genius to see that his course of action, while reckless, was an attempt to not involve her in the fight below. Pietro's disagreement with Cinder and Djarin made it clear that he was being protective of his own daughter.

    Or rather, overprotective.

    Now, Pietro's desperate attempts to keep Penny safe had put everyone else in danger. Revan stepped in to kill the Bereingels with his lightsaber and the Force, while Penny relied on her own weapons to do the same. But when a high-pitched robotic yell came to her ears, Penny knew she needed a new approach to save one of her closest friends.

    "R2!" Penny shouted when she saw a Bereingel grab the small droid. Rather than rely on her swords, Penny used the power of the Winter Maiden to send sharp icicles at the Beringel.

    *SHICK*

    *SHICK*    ​

    The Grimm's death eased Penny's fear, as well as helping her father's second creation back on its legs. "R2, are you okay?" Penny asked.

    *WOO*

    *WEE*    ​

    Penny couldn't help but giggle at the droid's cheerful response and the spinning head. And not only did R2 prove that he was unharmed, but he soon proved himself to be brave and useful in a fight when another Beringel attempted to ambush Penny. When he saw the beast, R2 acted quickly and dosed the Grimm in a brown liquid; one that caught on fire when R2 ejected a small flamethrower.

    *WHOOSH*​

    While Penny and R2 worked, Revan turned his eyes outside of Amity. The tentacles of the Tempests had dented the sides, and catastrophe would follow if they caught the tower in their long grasp. Fortunately, the Tempests were more preoccupied with the Razor Crest and its heavy arsenal. Djarin originally planned to handle the Grimm alone, as Cinder requested, but other Mandalorians joined him in the ships they originally came to Vytal in. The ships were small enough to avoid the grasp of the tentacles, which made them perfect to attack the large glass heads.

    Revan believed his use of the Force could aid the Mandalorians, but he didn't want to leave Amity behind. Penny was a capable warrior, but Revan didn't want to leave Pietro to make another error in judgement. Fortunately, Revan could see that someone had come to help.

    *WHOOSH*​

    The fiery flames of the Fall Maiden had come to Amity, and Revan was greeted by Cinder. "Are you alright?" she asked as she floated in place. "What's going on?"

    "Dr. Polendina falsely believed he could protect his daughter by charging these beasts," Revan impatiently replied. "We have to move Amity away!"

    Cinder understood the situation perfectly; she had seen Pietro be overprotective of Penny before. "We will," she declared. "I can help Dad with the Tempests, you try finding Dr. Polendina."

    "He won't listen to me," Revan replied. "You can bring him under control. Leave these Grimm to me." Before Cinder could object, Revan leapt out the broken window and dived towards the first Nevermore he saw. Finding one wasn't hard, but keeping his grip while it tried to shake him off proved to be a challenge. But Revan didn't release his grip on the Nevermore's coarse hair as he forcibly guided it towards the Tempests.

    Cinder had to admit that she was impressed by Revan's feat. But she put these feelings aside as she entered the tower and found Pietro assessing the damage to the tower. "Dr. Polendina!" she called out. "How are we looking?"

    "We're stabilized!" Pietro replied. "We took a few hits, but nothing was lost!"

    "Okay, good!" Cinder moved closer to Pietro and grabbed his chair. "Now get this tower out of here! It's too early!"

    "Already on it!" Pietro was typing on his keyboard since R2 was temporarily unable to help. But Amity Colosseum was moving out of the Tempests' reach. Unfortunately, this meant deploying the virus close to the Monstra was delayed. It could still spread across the ground, but chances of the Monstra being unaffected were slim.

    Fortunately, the Mandalorians and Revan had managed to destroy one of them. With enough time and help, the others could be destroyed as well.

    "This is our chance," said Cinder, who could see the falling Grimm from Amity's cameras. "If we take out those other Tempests, we can move closer again."

    "It'll be possible," said Pietro. "But if you mean you and me, I won't be able to do much good. Aside from the dispersal units, Amity doesn't have any weapons."

    "I know. That's why me and Penny are going to handle the rest." Cinder knew that Pietro was ready to argue against this plan, just like he did earlier. But Cinder wasn't going to change her mind, given how much the bigger picture mattered. So she started her argument before Pietro could start his. "With all due respect, you worrying about Penny is causing more trouble than we can afford. Please, let me take Penny before Salem tries anything."

    While Pietro took responsibility for his actions, he still couldn't find it within himself to agree to the plan. Along with his paternal instincts, his sense of logic was telling the old man that Penny's new status as a Maiden couldn't handle the massive horde of Grimm outside. Even worse, Pietro was unsure if he would be able to fix her like last time.

    And yet, Cinder wasn't going to accept any other answer. Her father and her people needed her, just as much as they needed Penny. In her mind, acting now was the best option.

    Unfortunately, the moment passed when an explosion shook the entire tower.

    *BOOM*​

    Cinder and Pietro almost fell over when they felt the ground shake. Cinder immediately believed that something had hit them, but Pietro realized that the explosion had come from the inside. He turned around fast to see a large hole in the ground, where a small Atlesian airship was emerging. On top of that airship was Hazel Rainart with two Dust crystals in his arms. After he leapt to the floor and plunged two more crystals into his body, the airship door opened and revealed Merri as the pilot.

    "There you are, Cinder," Merri said as she exited the ship. "I hope we didn't break anything important."

    Before Cinder could process that she had crossed paths with her friend-turned-enemy once again, she could feel the tower begin to shake for a moment as the screen in front of Pietro began to flash red.

    "Uh-oh," Merri tauntingly said. "I guess we did."

    Cinder couldn't help but growl in anger as the plan of attack began to unravel. Merri had done a number on Amity by blowing up the floor, and there was no possibility that she would willingly stop there. So in order to make sure that she did stop, and to quell her own anger, Cinder took flight and charged at Merri with the intent to kill.

    Unfortunately, Merri had Hazel to protect her.

    *BAM*

    *BOOM*    ​

    Cinder was knocked back by a powerful punch Hazel delivered, one that was reinforced by the Dust in his arms. It was this strike that made her Aura finally break after so much combat, but Cinder still had her armor. And fortunately for her, she had Penny as well.

    Despite her father's wishes, Penny finally involved herself in the battle when she saw Cinder get hurt. She charged towards Hazel with her swords and swung them as hard as she could, though Hazel was unharmed. He had no worry of pain, since his Semblance blocked it out entirely. It was this Semblance that allowed him to hold his own against both Maidens, even after they bombarded him with fire and ice.

    Unfortunately, the Maidens' focus on Hazel left Merri to do as she pleased.

    This was the second time Merri had been on Amity, and now she could see how it was capable of sending a message to all over the world. Though she didn't know the exact details, Pietro's reckless attempt to end the battle gave Merri the clue that the tower would once again serve purpose for the people of Remnant.

    But now, Merri planned for this time to be the last time she would step on Amity.

    "Ah," Merri said as she eyed the scientist she previously met in Atlas. "There you are."

    While Cinder and Penny were valiantly fighting to protect Amity from the new threat, Pietro was doing his best to analyze and fix the damage to the tower. Between the Grimm and Merri's brazen entrance, Amity had taken several hits. And Pietro was typing on a screen very quickly, all in order to keep the tower afloat.

    Until his chair began to walk away from the main console.

    "What the-?" Pietro asked as he noticed his chair moving. He hadn't pressed any buttons to make it move, but the chair was indeed moving. Pietro's first response was to try and move the chair back to the original position, but none of the commands appeared to be working.

    Pietro then realized something was seriously wrong when the chair violently threw its owner off the seat.

    As Pietro rolled on the ground in pain, Merri laughed as she twirled her finger. She was wearing a large ring, a gift from Watts that allowed anything to be hacked remotely. While it worked better when it was pressed against a computer, the lack of security or firewalls on the chair made it easy for Merri to control.

    With the scientist out of the way, Merri's plan was to take control of Amity next. Once she hacked into the console, Merri would send the tower crashing into Vytal below. And if the possibility existed, she would send it crashing onto the army of Mandalorians who dared oppose her and Salem.

    Before she carried out this plan, however, Merri noticed Pietro trying to crawl back to the console. After he regained his bearings, and after a horrible fit of coughing, Pietro only needed a few seconds to realize what Merri was planning. And despite his old age and injuries, Pietro made every attempt to crawl back towards the console and prevent any further interference.

    "Oh, this is just sad," the hybrid sadistically said as she walked towards Pietro. "Here, let me help you on your way."

    *BAM*

    *CRASH*    ​

    Despite Pietro being a rather large man, Merri's kick to his gut was strong enough to make him roll once more. His pain was very extreme, given his old age and the fact that he collided into a very important item.

    After Pietro crashed into a crate, several small canisters fell from the box and rolled on the floor. One of the canisters stopped at Merri's feet, which made her pause. Being a scientist like Watts, Merri was usually curious about all kinds of technology and engineering. This time was no different, given that the canister was emitting a soft blue glow due to a blue vapor inside.

    "What have we here?" Merri wondered as she examined the canister. "Some of that rare Cobalt Dust Atlas has been hoarding?"

    It was a logical assumption, but Pietro knew that Merri's hypothesis was wrong. Not only that, but it had given the old man an idea of his own. He knew that canister, and others like it, would save his life against a Grimm like Merri. Quickly thinking of a plan, Pietro wasted no time in putting it into action.

    "Please, be careful!" Pietro begged. "We're almost out of fuel as it is! Without it, the tower will fall and kill everyone below!"

    Now, as Pietro had hoped, Merri's curiosity was growing stronger by the second. "Hmm… everyone, now?" she asked as she kneeled down to the old man. "So those big purple circles are just stabilizers, then?" Merri showed Pietro the canister. "This is your precious fuel?"

    "..."

    Merri laughed again when she saw the look on Pietro's face. "Then I guess we don't want anything bad happening to this. Not unless we want this tower to kill everyone down there." Just as she said that, Merri released her grip on the canister and let it fall. "Oops."

    *CRASH*

    *SSSS*    ​

    When the canister fell on the ground, the blue vapor inside began to spread out. It flew directly at Merri and Pietro, since they were close to the ground to begin with. Merri declared victory in this act, given her belief that the following destruction of more canisters would cause Amity to crash and kill the Mandalorians opposing Salem. This feeling and her new plan caused her to laugh out loud, without restraint or hesitation.

    This laughter, however, was soon replaced with coughing. And an itching, burning feeling Merri could feel on herself.

    Merri stood upright once more and looked at herself. While she continued to cough, Merri noticed that her hands and arms were beginning to blister and bleed black blood. She could also feel her face starting to burn as some of her blonde hair began to fall off. Along with that, her throat was beginning to burn. Something was seriously wrong, and a renewed expression of confidence on Pietro's face said more than words ever could.

    She had been tricked. And now she was paying the price.

    While Merri felt like she was burning, Hazel began to feel freezing. He had been fighting Cinder and Penny long enough for the Dust in his arms to run out of energy. Cinder had been told by her father that Hazel would use more Dust and grow stronger when he had the chance, just like he did at Haven.

    In order to stop this, Cinder first used her control over wind to knock Hazel into an upper part of Amity. With his back now against the wall, Hazel then came into contact with a burst of ice from Cinder. Penny helped Cinder with this, given that ice was her strongest element at the moment. And soon enough, Hazel became imprisoned in a large and powerful block of ice.

    "Cinder!" Penny called out when she looked down. "My father!"

    Cinder looked away from Hazel and his icy prison to see Pietro with Merri. Between the blue vapor and Merri screaming as she attacked Pietro, Cinder knew that the chance to stop Merri as well as Hazel had arrived.

    "Come on!" Cinder said as she flew downwards. "I see what he's doing, we can help!"

    Penny followed Cinder's lead, leaving Hazel to stay still in the ice. He wasn't very concerned about his status, however. This wouldn't be the first time someone attempted to imprison him in ice. The only difference is that Cinder and Penny used Magic instead of Ice Dust, which Hazel could escape from easily. He was confident he could break out of the prison, he just needed more time than usual.

    Cinder and Penny unwittingly gave him all the time he needed once they reached the floor. When they saw a broken canister of the virus, a small portion of the single batch Pietro had made, the two girls knew exactly what he was doing. Deciding to take it a step further, Cinder broke another canister of virus on the ground, which caused more gas to spread across the area.

    Cinder, Penny, Pietro, and Merri had their vision obscured by the vapor, but Merri was the only one who felt pain. As she did moments ago, Merri could feel her flesh burning as the gas covered her completely. She made an attempt to fly away via Botflies, but the insects fell to the ground the second they separated from Merri.

    Merri began to scream like a banshee as she realized what was happening. She was incredibly afraid at the sight of her own undoing, but decided to take someone else with her. The hybrid quickly took out her sickle and began to swing it around and around, but all she hit was the air and the gas.

    And none of these strikes changed her fate.

    Eventually, the blue vapor began to clear out. After she brushed the gas away with her hand, Cinder coins herself to be the first to regain her sight. As a result, Cinder could see a black puddle of ash on the ground before her. Given the familiar sight of disintegration, Cinder had no doubt in her mind that a Grimm had just died.

    And that Grimm was Merri, Salem's final daughter.

    "Well…" she said as she continued to move the gas away from her face. "Now we know the virus works."

    Penny was the second to regain her sight, as well as the second person to see the puddle where Merri had once stood. But her focus was on Pietro, who was coughing and moving back to his chair. "Dad!" Penny said as she helped him up. "Are you okay?"

    Pietro needed a few more seconds to breathe properly, and then he answered his daughter. "Much better, dear," he said as he relaxed in his chair and patted his daughter's arm.

    Cinder's attention turned towards the window when she noticed something in the corner of her eye. "So are we, Doctor," she said as she stared outside. "Look!"

    Penny and Pietro joined Cinder at the window to see a rather welcoming sight. Thanks to the combined efforts of Djarin, Revan, and the Mandalorians, Salem's large Tempests were falling towards the ground. While Cinder had been focused on defending Amity, the warriors had managed to circumnavigate past the storm of tentacles and get close to the Tempests' weak spots. Revan had spent enough time with Grimm to know where that was, and Djarin unleashed every projectile he had in the Razor Crest to destroy them.

    And now, the effort had finally paid off.

    "The Tempests are gone!" said Penny. "Salem's creature is vulnerable!"

    Just then, a familiar voice sounded from Amity's intercom. "You're all clear, Cinder!" said Djarin. "We can finish this!"

    "He's right!" said Cinder. "Now's our chance! Let's do it!"

    The two Maidens began loading the glass canisters into a series of dispersal devices that Amity was armed with. As they did, however, Penny and Cinder had forgotten that they had left Hazel in his prison of ice. He had seen the whole thing, he saw how the combined efforts of the scientist and the Maidens had killed Salem's last daughter. He was at a loss for words at the sight, though he couldn't help but reflect on Ozpin's warnings when they last spoke.

    Back then, Hazel had argued that Ozpin was sending children to their deaths against an invincible force; a force that not even he could destroy. However, his resolve had been shaken when he saw what the gas had done to Merri. If Cinder could unleash more of the gas, then victory was indeed possible.

    But Hazel cast this doubt aside when he remembered what happened the last time he went against Salem. Though he hadn't necessarily betrayed her, abandonment was certainly justification for Salem punishing him. If he simply allowed Cinder to unleash the gas, if Salem lost her army of Grimm, then Hazel would undoubtedly pay with his life. So he focused on freeing himself once again, planning to break whatever he needed in order to stop the plan.

    But a low yet noticeable shaking in the tower made Hazel realize that perhaps he didn't need to act after all.

    "What was that?" Cinder asked after she regained her footing.

    *WOO*

    *WEE*    ​

    Noises from R2 and Pietro turning to his computer made the Maidens realize that their situation didn't sound good. Unfortunately, Pietro confirmed this suspicion when he spoke.

    "Oh, dear," he lamented. "The stabilizer was damaged. We missed our window."

    "What?" Cinder asked in dismay. "No! We're still in the air, aren't we? We can still use the virus!"

    "Not at this declining height. We needed a certain altitude to cover the entire area. If we keep moving down at this rate, our aim will be off. And we'll likely be touching down just north of…"

    After another rumble shook the area, everyone understood what was happening. The virus wouldn't be able to meet its entire target; it would only reach a few Grimm, if everyone was lucky. The window of opportunity was gone, and so was the hope everyone above and below held in their hearts.

    Except one.

    "I can fix it."

    Cinder, R2, and Pietro turned to see Penny looking at them with a smile on her face. "What?" Cinder asked. "How?"

    "We're not that far from our targeted altitude," said Penny. "I can try and hold Amity in place until-"

    "Absolutely not!" Pietro immediately declined, causing Penny to frown. "You're in no condition to do something like this." Fighting Hazel had taken a lot of energy out of Penny, as it did Cinder. "Even the temperature out there could-"

    "No, she's right," Cinder argued. "We need this tower more than anything. Amity's the only way we can save the world-"

    "I don't care about the world! I care about my daughter!"

    "..."

    The yell and Pietro hitting his chair gave everyone in the area pause. Even Hazel, who had finally broken free from his temporary prison, put his plans and thoughts aside when he heard and witnessed Pietro's profession of love and concern towards his daughter.

    "I lost you before," Pietro recalled. "Are you asking me to go through that again?"

    "..."

    "No. No. I want the chance to watch you live your life."

    "..."

    Hazel had once said something similar to Gretchen, each and every time she defended her desire to become a Huntress. At that moment, Hazel couldn't help but sympathize with Pietro, who only wanted to see his family safe from harm. Even now, on the very precipice of doom, Pietro's only concern was Penny. Hazel's only concern had once been Gretchen, but she was gone now.

    As he watched and listened to the old man talk, Hazel couldn't help but wonder what Gretchen would say at a time like this. His first idea was something about Ozpin, that she would follow his way of thinking. However, as he listened to what Penny said next, Hazel suddenly realized that he was wrong.

    "But, Dad… I am trying to," Penny insisted as she gently lifted Pietro's head.

    "..."

    Such simple words as Penny's were not only enough for Pietro to see the error of his ways, but they were enough for Hazel to do the same. As he stared upon Penny kissing her father goodbye and gently patting the droid she loved like a brother, Hazel saw a reflection of himself and Gretchen. Despite being told by her several times, today was the first day that Hazel realized that Gretchen had simply been living her life. Neither Gretchen nor Penny had mentioned anything about Ozpin or the Huntsmen Academies; just a simple wish of living life. And Hazel's greatest crime was robbing her of that chance.

    But not this time.

    Hazel, like Pietro and Cinder, watched Penny fly out of the tower where she would soon find herself at the damaged stabilizer. And eventually, despite everything, the tower began to rise again. With her own strength and the power of the Winter Maiden, Penny was able to make Amity literally rise to the occasion as her friends and family watched and prayed.

    Then, almost like magic, their prayers were answered. The console that previously showed damage to Amity was now showing everyone that the tower had reached its previous altitude. The plan of attack was ready to commence.

    "Yes!" Pietro said with pride as R2 celebrated with joyful noises.

    "She did it!" said Cinder, who had no doubt that Penny was proving herself to be a worthy Maiden.

    Together, Cinder and Pietro pressed the button that would allow the virus to be dispersed. And once again, fortune favored the duo as the machines within Amity did their task. The windows outside were covered with a blue vapor that moved downwards, where it would soon be met by the unsuspecting Grimm.

    Cinder, Pietro, and R2 were all ready to see the fruits of their labor, which was why they began to move towards the first window they saw. Cinder stopped, however, when she finally remembered Hazel. But to her surprise, Hazel was nowhere to be seen. Not in his prison and not anywhere near the console or the new dispersal systems. It was almost as if he vanished like a ghost.

    Cinder's suspicions were raised, but she would never understand how her friend had managed to touch the hearts of two men; especially one whose heart had grown cold over the years. Now, it had become as warm as Pietro's, and even as warm as Cinder's when she heard what Pietro said next.

    "Cinder, look! It's working!"

    By the time Amity had delivered what Cinder hoped to be the finishing blow to Salem, Obi-Wan was trying to deliver his to Anakin.

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*

    *CLASH*    ​

    The former friends had been delivering strike after strike as they floated on the river of lava. Their Auras were starting to fade as their natural platforms were dissolving away, but neither combatant was willing to give up. While Obi-Wan was determined to stop Anakin's evil from spreading, Anakin was ready to kill the single person he held responsible for so much pain and suffering.

    When Obi-Wan jumped onto Anakin's platform, saving himself from falling in the process, the Jedi began to think of a different strategy. Neither he or Anakin could keep up a lightsaber duel forever, but neither of them showed any sign of breaking. And judging by Anakin's earlier use of the Force, a way that went against everything the Jedi stood for, there was no way Anakin would be holding back once the Aura in his lightsaber broke.

    One simple push with the Force would be enough for Obi-Wan to fall in the lava. And a single thrust from the unnatural Grimm arm would be enough to stab him in several places. Anakin had several opportunities to finish the fight for good, he just didn't know it yet. But once he realized it, the duel would be over.

    Once again, Obi-Wan couldn't help but lament on his failure. He couldn't protect Satine, he couldn't protect Bo-Katan, and now he couldn't protect himself. But once he realized this, Obi-Wan remembered what Bo-Katan had said about killer instinct. Obi-Wan didn't possess it, but it could save him now. If he could find it within himself to find it, to dig deep within his mind and soul, then there was a small chance Obi-Wan could succeed.

    Just as Cinder sought to rid the world of Salem's evil, Obi-Wan knew he could rid the world of Anakin's evil as well. A sacrifice of morality had to be made, and all Obi-Wan needed to do was give in to the temptation every Jedi swore against.

    The choice was simple, but not an easy one. And yet, Obi-Wan took a giant leap towards it by leaping off the stone on the riverbed. After he landed on solid ground, Obi-Wan let the morals and values of the Jedi guide him one more time.

    "It's over, Anakin!" Obi-Wan declared, gesturing to the hill he found himself on. "I have the high ground!"

    "..."

    Anakin found this claim to be a strange one at first, but then he noticed that his natural platform was sinking into the lava. The lower it moved, the more danger he was in. But Anakin didn't fear any danger. His confidence was just as strong as his anger, along with his arrogance.

    "You underestimate my power!" the young Sith declared.

    Obi-Wan couldn't predict Anakin's every move, but he knew the first thing he would do was jump off the sinking platform. Obi-Wan needed to make his choice here and now, if he wished to survive. However, when he sensed a presence behind him, Obi-Wan knew that he wouldn't be alone. He almost didn't believe what he sensed, but Obi-Wan welcomed it all the same.

    Between Anakin's anger and the presence Obi-Wan sensed behind him, the Jedi knew his enemy's next move would be a failure. "Don't try it!" he warned, giving Anakin one more chance to do the right thing.

    But instead of taking it, Anakin leapt off his platform with killer intent. His descent was just as fast as his jump, and his lightsaber was pointed directly at Obi-Wan's chest. Obi-Wan saw this, and his next move came as carefully as it did quickly.

    Instead of blocking the strike, Obi-Wan used the Force to dodge to the side as fast as he could. In his place, there was a wounded yet still alive Bo-Katan, who was aiming her gauntlet as carefully as she could. Anakin was fast, but Bo-Katan's aim was faster and true.

    "Gotcha," Bo-Katan said as she activated the weapon inside her gauntlet.

    *BANG*

    *BANG*    ​

    Two yellow blasts flew from Bo-Karan's gauntlet and made their way to Anakin. He was forced to block both strikes when he saw them, which resulted in Anakin landing on the ground rather than stab anyone.

    Because of this distraction, Obi-Wan was able to swing his lightsaber at an unsuspecting and unprepared Anakin.

    *SLASH*

    *SLASH*

    *SLASH*    ​

    "AAAAAAHHHHH!"

    Obi-Wan's single swing hadn't killed Anakin, but it had mercilessly removed his left arm and both his legs from the rest of his body. Unable to stand, Anakin fell to the ground and slid down the hill in defeat. He didn't fall into the lava, so his life had been momentarily spared.

    Obi-Wan was surprised and unable to believe what he had just done. But as he finally turned off his lightsaber and let his Aura return to him, Obi-Wan knew the battle was over. He would never be proud of it, but he knew Anakin wouldn't hurt anyone else ever again.

    A grunt from Bo-Katan made Obi-Wan remember he wasn't alone. He immediately rushed to her side and kneeled down, praising the Force that he wasn't too late after all. "Hold on," he said as he gently took hold of the Mandalorian. "I have you."

    While she was grateful for the assistance, Bo-Katan wasn't concerned about herself. "Did… Did we get him?" she asked, hoping that the remaining strength she used to find the duo wasn't wasted.

    Obi-Wan turned back to Anakin, who was desperately trying to grab hold of something. His new arm was long and strong, but the rocks on the ground made getting a grip rather difficult. And Obi-Wan pushed the arm aside with the Force for good measure, right before he looked back to Bo-Katan. "Yes," he honestly replied. "It's over. We did it."

    Bo-Katan almost didn't believe that she had won, but sounds of pain that weren't her own made her realize that Obi-Wan was telling the truth. While she never considered herself a sadist, Bo-Katan was pleased by the sounds of pain. "The pain…" she said. "That's… from Satine. And… And whoever else… he killed… just to hurt you."

    Obi-Wan still didn't consider himself to be filled with vengeance, but he could sense that Bo-Katan had finally made peace with the passing of her sister. While he wished it was under different circumstances, letting go of pain such as this was beneficial to the soul.

    But right now, it was Bo-Katan's body that needed to heal.

    "Save your strength," Obi-Wan ordered after Bo-Katan struggled with her wounds. "I'll get you out of here."

    Bo-Katan groaned again, much harder than she did before. The inside of her body still felt like it was on fire, even though Anakin had stabbed her long ago. Not even her Aura could heal the wound, even if it had regenerated. In addition to that, everything around the Mandalorian was beginning to go dark.

    This was the end.

    "No…" Bo-Katan declined. "No, you're not. We both knew… this was a one-way trip… for someone like me."

    Obi-Wan was appalled by such a claim; one that he immediately disagreed with. "What?" he asked. "No, that's not true! I can help you, I will help you!"

    "You already did." Bo-Katan gestured towards Anakin, who was still trying to crawl up the small hill. "All I wanted… was to stop him. Thank you… for helping me."

    Obi-Wan was also grateful for Bo-Katan's help, and he desperately wanted to repay her. "Yes, it's over. But that doesn't mean it's the end! We can leave this place and begin anew! You can begin anew!"

    "Trust me… you're the only one who cares."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan turned to the sky as she made her final lamentation. "Have you ever… heard the phrase… a man out of time?" she asked. "I didn't get it… at first. But when I tried… being like my ancestors… being the kind of Mandalorian… before the war… I get it now."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan took a deep and weakened breath before she continued. "The world… isn't like… what it used to be. No matter… how hard… I wanted it to be. I was trying… to make Mandalore… something it wasn't. Trying to… repeat a history… nobody else wanted."

    "..."

    "The kid… our Mand'alor… she's making it… something else. Something new. Something that… everyone else… is ready to follow." Bo-Katan breathed again before she finished her thought. "But I'm not. I… never was. I was always… a Mandalorian… out of time."

    "..."

    Bo-Katan looked back to Obi-Wan, who had been listening carefully to the lamentation. "Now… do you understand?" Bo-Katan asked, hoping that she had reached him.

    The Jedi Master was sad and reluctant to simply let Bo-Katan die, but he nodded all the same. "Yes," he said. "I do understand. But, Bo-Katan, please try to understand… I have a responsibility. To try and save life wherever I can. To honor it." This was the way of the Jedi, a way that Obi-Wan hoped Bo-Katan could respect.

    Oddly enough, Bo-Katan respected it. She took Obi-Wan's hand in hers, and made one final declaration. "You already did," she said. "You honored… my life… and our agreement. Up until the end. And now… I have the honor… of dying… a warrior's death. To join… my ancestors. And joining… the woman… we both loved."

    "..."

    "I'll tell her… you're on your way. I'll make sure… she's waiting… for you."

    "..."

    Obi-Wan's choice was far from an easy one. Between the Jedi teachings and his own moral thinking, Obi-Wan hated the idea of doing nothing while someone was dying in his arms. He knew he could do something to help, to ease her pain or get her to Vytal as quickly as possible. He was even tempted to use Force Healing, the controversial practice that Revan had mentioned not long ago.

    But on the other hand… Obi-Wan didn't know if he had the right to interfere. Bo-Katan was at peace with herself and the world, and she was honoring her own customs and graduations by dying in battle. Did he have the right to strip the Mandalorian of what the perceived to be honor? Would saving a life now be disrespectful to the Way of the Mandalore, a way that Cinder hoped to reform and renew?

    Sadly, the loosening grip on his hand told Obi-Wan that the choice was no longer his. Bo-Katan's body had fallen limp and her eyes had closed one final time. But just as she described, Bo-Katan was ready to go. There was no more pain, no more suffering, and no more remorse from the last of the old Mandalorians.

    Instead, there was only the one thing all Jedi strived for: peace.

    Obi-Wan understood that better than anyone as he gently laid Bo-Katan's body down. But rather than peace as well, he was filled with sadness, remorse, and anger.

    And that anger was directed at Anakin.

    With tears in his eyes, Obi-Wan turned towards the broken and beaten man beneath his feet and unleashed his emotions with words instead of violence. "You were the Chosen One!" Obi-Wan lamented as he watched Anakin try to ascend. "It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"

    "..."

    Anakin's only response was groaning as he kept trying to crawl upwards. But his new arm was no help to him now, and neither was Obi-Wan. Deciding that he was done on the island of Mustafar, Obi-Wan retrieved two things before he began his departure.

    The first was Anakin's lightsaber, which had been exhausted of Aura and separated from Anakin. The second was Bo-Katan's body, which Obi-Wan planned to bury as soon as he had the chance. He didn't interfere with her warrior's death, but he could at least put her to rest.

    "I HATE YOU!"

    "..."

    Obi-Wan knew this all too well, that he had earned Anakin's pure and utter loathing. There was no way either of them could rectify what had been broken now, whether it was Anakin's body or their past relationship. Even still, Obi-Wan turned around to say one more thing, hoping that Anakin could believe its sincerity.

    "You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you."

    "..."

    Anakin's only response was screaming, but not out of hate or fury. Because he was unable to stop himself from sliding downhill, Anakin was unlucky enough to have his broken knees touch the lava. The intense heat quickly set fire to Anakin's clothes, which burned his flesh and moved towards his head.

    Obi-Wan couldn't help but look away when he heard the screams and smelled the burning fire. Even though Anakin had committed multiple wrongdoings, the sight of someone burning was as ungodly as it was painful.

    And it sounded very painful.

    Eventually, Obi-Wan left Anakin to burn. He knew that he had to get to Vytal now, to help out as best as he could. All he hoped was that Anakin's suffering would end as quickly as it came. But little did anyone know that the flames which consumed Anakin's body were not nearly as strong as the fire that burned within him.

    On Vytal, the battle appeared to be over. Thanks to the combined efforts on the ground and in the air, Salem's forces were all dissolving into ash. The area was completely covered in blue vapor, but no human or Faunus was harmed by the virus' effects.

    If anything, the virus had caused a celebration to be had. The Mandalorians who saw the virus first hand could see that the Grimm were being destroyed as planned, that the battle was practically over. Everyone couldn't help but shout and cheer at the results, since the bioweapon had proven itself to be the bane of the Grimm. One by one, the beasts were all falling to the ground and breathing their last breaths. Everything touched by Grimm had started to keel over and die.

    Except for one.

    Like her creations, Salem had fallen susceptible to the virus when the Monstra breathed it in. With each large breath it took, the blue gas found itself a new place to travel and infect. Not only did the Monstra become infected, but Salem soon joined it the minute she realized something was wrong.

    Like her daughter, Salem felt her flesh burn as she choked on the virus. It was extremely painful, but as Hazel predicted, not enough to make her die. It was Watts who, despite appearing unaffected, was able to decide that the Grimm were under attack by a virus.

    Naturally, Salem demanded Watts work on a cure or countermeasure for this affliction. Despite being unable to die, Salem could see that her forces were being destroyed by this plague. Rage soon came into being when Watts said that fighting the bioweapon was impossible, given that he had no tools or understanding of the virus' effects.

    Though he was sure that it was based off a project he worked for Gideon, Watts was unable to combat the completed product.

    As a response to what she perceived to be incompetence, Salem literally threw Watts aside as she ran deeper into the Monstra, hoping to avoid more gas.

    *COUGH*

    *COUGH*    ​

    Salem was still coughing and bleeding after she inhaled the gas, but still she was unable to die. The virus was indeed affecting the Grimm within her body, but Salem's immortality had remained unaffected. However, the process of breathing the constant gas while being healed repeatedly was incredibly painful. All of Salem's cells were being destroyed and recreated on a loop.

    It was like she was being born over and over again.

    Unable to withstand the pain and the loss of all her forces, Salem fled even deeper into the Monstra. She was too weak to fight back against the incoming Mandalorians, and too weak to make an attempt to escape. With Watts unable to help and with the loss of her third and final daughter, Salem had nobody to rely on in her time of need.

    But she did have contingencies.

    Salem was making her way through the dying Monstra not to escape, but to find a separate area that nobody else knew about. In this area, Salem had a Grimm that she created personally. It was a very unique Grimm, like the Monstra. Nobody had seen anything like it before, and Salem was intending to unleash it as a spy and soldier on the front lines. But things had changed now, and Salem had another use for it. Because despite it being a Grimm, there was something underneath the now-decaying skin and bones that Salem needed. She never thought she would do what she was about to do, but Salem was prepared to win.

    No matter the cost.

    "I was wise… to bring you here," Salem said as she lifted the creature's head.

    *WHOOSH*​
    Hey everyone, so sorry this chapter came so late. I had severe burnout and writer's block, it wasn't fun. But I'm back, and this story will be wrapped up very soon. Stay tuned!
     
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