Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Gus Gungus]

“I don’t know that is literally why I’m asking you!”

"Mhhhhhh..." He uttered, taking his longest pause yet. It ended with a flash of teeth, spirited and mysterious, and he gave up with a helpless shrug. "Beats me! Sounds pretty unlikely."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Mhhhhhh..." He uttered, taking his longest pause yet. It ended with a flash of teeth, spirited and mysterious, and gave up with a helpless shrug. "Beats me! Sounds pretty unlikely."​

"...Fine. Fine, Uncle Qrow." That was all she said back before she just fell silent, waiting for the elevator to reach ground level and the door to open up. Right now she really didn't want to play whatever game this was supposed to be.​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Which is why I want all eight of you to go with a few of these doppelgangers, to safeguard that relic." Salem paused, a studying look given to the group at large. "Now I'm well aware that is a great deal of knowledge to be given to you all, and that you likely have many questions. I will do what I can to answer."

Roman listened intently, finally glad to be free of that damn hospital. Felt great to be back in his old digs and strutting around with Melodic Cudgel. But as Salem continued to go on and on, Roman resisted the urge to spin his index finger around to signal that their headmistress had lost her marbles.

...But it did make sense. Kinda.

Cinder was a good fighter. Even better than him and as an eighteen year old, a part of him felt a bit silly admitting that of a fifteen year old. Didn't feel as bad though knowing that the kid had some kind of superpowers. Once Salem had finished, Roman grumbled under his breath.

"can't believe the maiden can only be a woman, what a bunch of..."

HE wanted to be able to do the cool stuff Cinder had done!

~~~

Tyrian's reaction was equally as comical.

This was obviously a big shocker but oh man was it so cool!

His teammate, who Tyrian always liked to give a hard time due to being the 'baby of the bunch', was a Maiden as Salem described it? The potential for their sparring matches just skyrocketed!

Noting Roman's disaapointment that only women could seemingly wield the power, Tyrian scoffed it off.

"Maiden powers or not, she's still Cinder!" Thrusting his fist up into the air, Tyrian huffed. "Which means I'll travel to the ends of the world if it means helping her and these dopples out!"

"...We're just going to Haven."

"TO HAVEN IT IS THEN!"
​

"I already knew most of this, of course, save the specifics of Haven. Does Headmaster Lionheart know he has a ticking time bomb on his school?"

Leaning down towards Neo, Roman whispered.

"Leave it to the brainiac to get the lead on all this before anyone else. Sheesh."
​

"Or is he going to be as surprised as Beacon was when the forces of darkness spill upon it in a rancid landslide in a bid to take it?"

"What a delightfully detailed description of what occured!"

"Okay, uh, yeah, I'd rather have a bit more of a headsup before we run into those guys again."​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Now I'm well aware that is a great deal of knowledge to be given to you all, and that you likely have many questions. I will do what I can to answer."
​

Neopolitan definitely had questions. Salem had just shoved so much through her ears directly into her brain in such blunt fashion that she initially thought this was some sort of joke, until Watts breezed on ahead like it was business as usual. Headmistress salem, playing a joke on them? Extremely unlikely, but not impossible. She had a mischevious streak to her underneath her wise mother visage, A bit of jokester in her. Hell, they'd been launched into their initiations via giant springboards, like some old cartoon.

But Watts being in on the joke? Indulging in a humor in any way more advanced than biting sarcasm or being a rude bitch?

No way

So yea, Neo definitely had questions. She had dozens of them. So many things made some semblance of sense now, except they'd been explained by shotgunning her thoughts full of so many more unanswered questions, like 'fixing' a papercut by hitting the patient upside the head with a baseball bat so they were unconscious. She had so, so many questions.

She just had to hope the others here had all the same questions :' )

Leaning down towards Neo, Roman whispered.

"Leave it to the brainiac to get the lead on all this before anyone else. Sheesh."

She rolled her eyes and nodded in agreement with Roman. Leave it to Watts to showcase a level of confident arrogance that even Neo 'wink at Pyrrha Nikos in the middle of a fight to the death' Politan would find annoying.

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...Fine. Fine, Uncle Qrow." That was all she said back before she just fell silent, waiting for the elevator to reach ground level and the door to open up. Right now she really didn't want to play whatever game this was supposed to be.

A slightly alarmed look fell over his face as his teasing led to that rather than the high-pitched outburst he was angling for, and he pushed off the back wall to step up next to her with a lot more uncertainty in his features than before. Well, apparently he completely underestimated his own niece's emotional investment in that particular aspect of his life. Nice. How did he even break this now?

"Uh... it was water."

He shifted his feet, adjusting his sleeve with sheepishness completely ill-suited to Ruby's slick as hell uncle.

"I filled it up at a fountain and splashed some bourbon on my collar before we went up there. Still not entirely sure I trust anyone in that room, and it seemed like they had certain... expectations about me. My inclination was to let 'em."

He gave a heavy sigh, tearing his eyes away from his niece and sticking a hand in his pocket. He didn't seem to like this game anymore either.

"I meant it when I said I was done, kiddo. Guess I assumed that much was never in doubt. My mistake."

He was content to ride the rest of this one out in silence.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

When all the members of both team WTCH and MTEN were in front of her, Salem got right to it. "Okay. I'm sure some, if not all of you, are wondering exactly why I've summoned you all here. Your team-" Her eyes rested on Watts. "-has been the most involved in situations they should not have necessarily been involved with." She commented with a light, almost mischievous grin edging up at the corner of her mouth before she looked towards Mercury. "And your team might as well have been connected at the hip with theirs. It is for these reasons I called you all here. As I'm sure you are all aware, during the attack on Beacon, a strange mystery revealed itself. Doubles, dopplegangers, counterparts, duplicates...whatever you wish to call them, several people with familiar faces and unfamiliar demeanors were present. A few of them were unable to tell me how they had found themselves here, reliving this event. Yes, I say reliving because as it turns out, not only have they ended up in a world that differs from theirs in certain ways but time itself has turned back for them. They have knowledge of events that have yet to come. Now...they were unable to tell us how or why they ended up this way...for the simple truth is that they don't know." Salem looked across all 8 of her students.

"However, there is a solution. But before we could get to that, there are some things you need to know. Have you all heard the story of the Four Seasons? A reclusive woman, who refuses to leave her home, is visited by four traveling sisters. The first understands her reclusive nature and urges her to use her time in solitude to reflect and meditate. The second brings her fruits and flowers, tending to her crops and revitalizing her garden. The third warms the woman's heart, convincing her to step outside and embrace the world around her. And the fourth and final sister begs her to look at all that she has, and be thankful. In return for their kindness, the woman grants the maidens incredible powers, so that they may continue to help others all over the world. They graciously accept, and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant 'til the end of days. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall; the four maidens. A fairy tale read at the bedside of many children." The headmistress rose out of her chair, stepping around her desk.

"In truth, it isn't just a story. It's truth. Four maidens do exist in this world, gifted with extraordinary magic. And we have one here, in this very room." Salem came to a stop right in front of Cinder, looking down at her. "Some of you were there to bear witness to how she threw herself at Nora Valkyrie. That display was unleashed in a moment of extreme emotional turmoil. With the proper training, she could do much more. That said, the powers themselves aren't the main topic of concern." Salem stepped back, looking over them all again.

"Each of the four Academies have a vault, concealed under the schools. These four vaults correspond to one of the four maidens, and within each vault there is a door that only that maiden can open. This is the reason why those behind the attack did what they did. They wanted to secure the power of the maiden and open the door, for there is an object of great power beyond it. A relic. They wanted that above all else. All of this, the maidens, the vaults, the relics...they are secrets most of humanity is ignorant to. We are letting all of you in on this secret out of necessity." Judging from her expression, it was not an action she relished.

"The relic at Haven is the only thing I can think of that can shed light on the mystery of the doppelgangers, and how they may return home. But if the relic is retrieved, it won't be hidden behind an impregnable vault any longer. It'll be in the open, at risk. As we can all attest to from the recent assault, our enemies will go to extreme lengths to secure these relics." Salem lowered herself back into her chair.

"Which is why I want all eight of you to go with a few of these doppelgangers, to safeguard that relic." Salem paused, a studying look given to the group at large. "Now I'm well aware that is a great deal of knowledge to be given to you all, and that you likely have many questions. I will do what I can to answer."

"..." Cinder looked towards Watts with a faintly amused look. So much for convincing.

"..."

There was a knock on his door and Arthur poked his head in, tone blithe.

"Tyrian, you're awake. Good, we've an important meeting to attend, time for you to stop lounging over one stab wound. Chop chop!"



When Cinder glanced to Arthur, he seemed very intent on studying his nails, giving his hand a few quick flexes before it returned to its usual home behind his back as he glanced around at the others present and shrugged, seemingly completely unbowed by the weighty knowledge that had just been dumped on their shoulders.

"I already knew most of this, of course, save the specifics of Haven. Does Headmaster Lionheart know he has a ticking time bomb on his school?" he asked, tone wholly polite as he addressed their most inimitable headmistress even if the words didn't quite meet that standard. "Or is he going to be as surprised as Beacon was when the forces of darkness spill upon it in a rancid landslide in a bid to take their relic?"

"..."

Roman listened intently, finally glad to be free of that damn hospital. Felt great to be back in his old digs and strutting around with Melodic Cudgel. But as Salem continued to go on and on, Roman resisted the urge to spin his index finger around to signal that their headmistress had lost her marbles.

...But it did make sense. Kinda.

Cinder was a good fighter. Even better than him and as an eighteen year old, a part of him felt a bit silly admitting that of a fifteen year old. Didn't feel as bad though knowing that the kid had some kind of superpowers. Once Salem had finished, Roman grumbled under his breath.

"can't believe the maiden can only be a woman, what a bunch of..."

HE wanted to be able to do the cool stuff Cinder had done!

~~~

Tyrian's reaction was equally as comical.

This was obviously a big shocker but oh man was it so cool!

His teammate, who Tyrian always liked to give a hard time due to being the 'baby of the bunch', was a Maiden as Salem described it? The potential for their sparring matches just skyrocketed!

Noting Roman's disaapointment that only women could seemingly wield the power, Tyrian scoffed it off.

"Maiden powers or not, she's still Cinder!" Thrusting his fist up into the air, Tyrian huffed. "Which means I'll travel to the ends of the world if it means helping her and these dopples out!"

"...We're just going to Haven."

"TO HAVEN IT IS THEN!"


Leaning down towards Neo, Roman whispered.

"Leave it to the brainiac to get the lead on all this before anyone else. Sheesh."


"What a delightfully detailed description of what occured!"

"Okay, uh, yeah, I'd rather have a bit more of a headsup before we run into those guys again."

"..."

Neopolitan definitely had questions. Salem had just shoved so much through her ears directly into her brain in such blunt fashion that she initially thought this was some sort of joke, until Watts breezed on ahead like it was business as usual. Headmistress salem, playing a joke on them? Extremely unlikely, but not impossible. She had a mischevious streak to her underneath her wise mother visage, A bit of jokester in her. Hell, they'd been launched into their initiations via giant springboards, like some old cartoon.

But Watts being in on the joke? Indulging in a humor in any way more advanced than biting sarcasm or being a rude bitch?

No way

So yea, Neo definitely had questions. She had dozens of them. So many things made some semblance of sense now, except they'd been explained by shotgunning her thoughts full of so many more unanswered questions, like 'fixing' a papercut by hitting the patient upside the head with a baseball bat so they were unconscious. She had so, so many questions.

She just had to hope the others here had all the same questions :' )



She rolled her eyes and nodded in agreement with Roman. Leave it to Watts to showcase a level of confident arrogance that even Neo 'wink at Pyrrha Nikos in the middle of a fight to the death' Politan would find annoying.

"..."

"You guys are punking me."

Throughout Salem's lengthy exposition, Mercury kept looking at his teammates. At first with the same confused, nay, baffled fascination as the rest of them, but at a certain point it became expectant, like he was waiting for the curtain to rise.

This was taking way too long. A+ for effort, big fat F on the comedic timing. Emerald's eyes were much rounder than his at the series of revelations, and his words jerked her from whatever kind of stupor she'd been frozen in, following his gaze to the others like she was hoping his theory to be true.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

A slightly alarmed look fell over his face as his teasing led to that rather than the high-pitched outburst he was angling for, and he pushed off the back wall to step up next to her with a lot more uncertainty in his features than before. Well, apparently he completely underestimated his own niece's emotional investment in that particular aspect of his life. Nice. How did he even break this now?

"Uh... it was water."

He shifted his feet, adjusting his sleeve with sheepishness completely ill-suited to Ruby's slick as hell uncle.

"I filled it up at a fountain and splashed some bourbon on my collar before we went up there. Still not entirely sure I trust anyone in that room, and it seemed like they had certain... expectations about me. My inclination was to let 'em."

He gave a heavy sigh, tearing his eyes away from his niece and sticking a hand in his pocket. He didn't seem to like this game anymore either.

"I meant it when I said I was done, kiddo. Guess I assumed that much was never in doubt. My mistake."

He was content to ride the rest of this one out in silence.​

In the quiet, with nothing else to focus on, Ruby's thoughts on her counterpart being out there somewhere only got worse. She was doing who knows wh-- Ruby's eyes widened at that revelation, turning her head to look at her uncle. "It was..." She started to repeat, only cutting herself off when that really sank in. "Oh. Oh." Immediately her expression sank, feeling immensely guilty that she had ever doubted him in the first place.

"Uncle Qrow.....I...I'm sorry. I wish you'd told me it was just an act up there before I...smacked the flask out of your hands. To call you out like that in front of..." She shook her head. She could only imagine what he must have felt like then or even now. The way her uncle was acting at the moment was so uncharacteristic of him that it boggled the mind. That just made it feel worse. In the silence she stepped in closer to wrap her arms around him. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't--shouldn't have doubted you. Your commitment." Giving up drinking after so long...it must have been hard enough to deal with by itself. Nevermind when your own family questioned your dedication to that.

​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...You have such a strong contempt for me. It's so thick it's almost suffocating. Why? Blake and the others joined us and I never saw you among us." Ruby hadn't appreciated her captor's comments but the anger radiating off Eve was so palpable, a comment had to be made or else it'd keep gnawing at her. "Is your dream different from theirs?"

"Because I've met humans like you. And I didn't enjoy the experience."

That was as much as the little butcher was going to get, Eve experienced enough at interrogation to know when a prisoner was trying to shift the tides. Her mention of Blake elicited a sharp turn of the faunus's head, removing neither hand from hip or eyes from Ozpin's killer as she took to pacing once more, slow and purposeful.

"So you do know her. Fine. I don't need to know who your associates are. Just tell me everything about her involvement in this, what they have on her, and one of your predictions might actually come true." She let the edge of malice creep back into her tone, as honed and sharpened as Wilt's. "Otherwise... I'm getting tired of you, and you've given me nothing. I'll let you die here, starving. And your dream for the world won't ever become reality... Not that you'll live to see."​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Because I've met humans like you. And I didn't enjoy the experience."

"..."

Ruby went silent at that. It may have seemed silly for her to get offended over something like this. But whether it was Eve or her own doppleganger calling her out. She hated it. Every. Time.

She wasn't a monster. In her heart of hearts she truly believed what she was doing was right.

Saying she was sorry or that she wasn't like the other humans wouldn't change anything. It'd probably only make her angrier.

But she truly didn't hate Eve, Blake, or their kind. No matter what anyone else said.
​

"So you do know her. Fine. I don't need to know who your associates are. Just tell me everything about her involvement in this, what they have on her, and one of your predictions might actually come true." She let the edge of malice creep back into her tone, as honed and sharpened as Wilt's. "Otherwise... I'm getting tired of you, and you've given me nothing. I'll let you die here, starving. And your dream for the world won't ever come true... Not that you'll live to see."

"I don't know what you think this is. There's nothing 'on' her. The Shadow Fang agreed to help and thus so did she. She wasn't forced or blackmailed if that's what you're getting at."

Ruby realized that the power situation was reversed here. The Red Masque was seen as a terror. Instead, she was sitting here chained up to a pole like a disobedient dog who was down an arm. But she wouldn't sit here and let her badmouth him and his intentions. It was absolutely humiliating and every second of it enraged her.

Then at the rest of the questions, Ruby writhed against her restraints, growling.

"Who's to say you won't just kill me once I give you what you want?"
​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"I already knew most of this, of course, save the specifics of Haven. Does Headmaster Lionheart know he has a ticking time bomb on his school?" he asked, tone wholly polite as he addressed their most inimitable headmistress even if the words didn't quite meet that standard. "Or is he going to be as surprised as Beacon was when the forces of darkness spill upon it in a rancid landslide in a bid to take their relic?"

"Of course he does. I sent messages to all the other headmasters, save Ironwood for obvious reasons, after the attack here, advising them to be more wary and on guard. Though I doubt they need the reminder. When they got the news of what happened here, I'm confident they took steps to be more alert without any advice. They're not fools. Lionheart especially. I have a contact over there in Mistral, one that has served with me far longer than any other. Between her and Lionheart, they should be prepared." ​

Tyrian's reaction was equally as comical.

…Very well then, moving on...​

"You guys are punking me."

Throughout Salem's lengthy exposition, Mercury kept looking at his teammates. At first with the same confused, nay, baffled fascination as the rest of them, but at a certain point it became expectant, like he was waiting for the curtain to rise.

This was taking way too long. A+ for effort, big fat F on the comedic timing. Emerald's eyes were much rounder than his at the series of revelations, and his words jerked her from whatever kind of stupor she'd been frozen in, following his gaze to the others like she was hoping his theory to be true.

"No, Mercury Black, I most assuredly am not 'punking' you. But if it is proof you require..." Salem gestured to one of the elevators currently not in use. "The vault is below us as we speak, underneath the tower. Want to see? Or does anyone else want to, for that matter?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

In the quiet, with nothing else to focus on, Ruby's thoughts on her counterpart being out there somewhere only got worse. She was doing who knows wh-- Ruby's eyes widened at that revelation, turning her head to look at her uncle. "It was..." She started to repeat, only cutting herself off when that really sank in. "Oh. Oh." Immediately her expression sank, feeling immensely guilty that she had ever doubted him in the first place.

"Uncle Qrow.....I...I'm sorry. I wish you'd told me it was just an act up there before I...smacked the flask out of your hands. To call you out like that in front of..." She shook her head. She could only imagine what he must have felt like then or even now. The way her uncle was acting at the moment was so uncharacteristic of him that it boggled the mind. That just made it feel worse. In the silence she stepped in closer to wrap her arms around him. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't--shouldn't have doubted you. Your commitment." Giving up drinking after so long...it must have been hard enough to deal with by itself. Nevermind when your own family questioned your dedication to that.​

"No, it's-" He hunched up a little at the embrace—not because it was unwelcome, but because that really wasn't the reaction he'd been trying to provoke. The knot of guilt in his stomach was folding over to form a second layer of guilt, a fabled guilt lasagna. As mentioned, though, it wasn't unwelcome, so he scooped his arms around her in turn and let his chin sit on her head as he tried to organise his thoughts into words. "I thought it'd be funny when I broke the news. Must be better at pretending than I thought... maybe a little too good."

He gave another grave sigh, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

"Guess I got so used to the idea of staying clean in my head, I started taking it for granted. It... it was a rotten joke, Ruby. I see that now. Although I do still think Yang would've laughed. Gonna have to insist you let me be the sorry one... this time."

He let some of the playful bite reenter his voice, giving both her shoulders a squeeze and pulling back to look her over in a new light.

"So... my niece's a narc now, huh?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"I thought it'd be funny when I broke the news. Must be better at pretending than I thought... maybe a little too good."

He gave another grave sigh, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

"Guess I got so used to the idea of staying clean in my head, I started taking it for granted. It... it was a rotten joke, Ruby. I see that now. Although I do still think Yang would've laughed. Gonna have to insist you let me be the sorry one... this time."

"You definitely fooled me." Ruby replied, relaxing significantly when he returned the hug. All felt better in the world of this elevator interior.​

"So... my niece's a narc now, huh?"

"Deputized by General Ironwood himself." She returned in that same playful way, complete with smile.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"I don't know what you think this is. There's nothing 'on' her. The Shadow Fang agreed to help and thus so did she. She wasn't forced or blackmailed if that's what you're getting at."

Ruby realized that the power situation was reversed here. The Red Masque was seen as a terror. Instead, she was sitting here chained up to a pole like a disobedient dog who was down an arm. But she wouldn't sit here and let her badmouth him and his intentions. It was absolutely humiliating and every second of it enraged her.

Then at the rest of the questions, Ruby writhed against her restraints, growling.

"Who's to say you won't just kill me once I give you what you want?"

"I don't buy that! There has to be something!" Eve growled, whipping Wilt's edge up to grace Ruby's throat with its edge again, but it was the hint of emotion near-buried under the frustration and aggression in the faunus's voice that was probably more worthy of notice; desperation, a primal need for it not to be true.

It only took her a second to calm, her breath exhaled in a frustrated huff as she raised a hand to caress the side of her head as if the headache underneath was legendary. When she addressed Ruby again, she sounded almost distracted.

"No one. I haven't made any promises, and I'm not going to. It's what it is. My deal or a slow death. Think carefully."​

 

[MidwayLives]

"I don't buy that! There has to be something!" Eve growled, whipping Wilt's edge up to grace Ruby's throat with its edge again, but it was the hint of emotion near-buried under the frustration and aggression in the faunus's voice that was probably more worthy of notice; desperation, a primal need for it not to be true.

Ruby lashed out against her restraints, her eyes narrowed in anger.

"YOU'RE WRONG! MY FRIEND WOULD NEVER FORCE ANYONE!!!"

She'd told Eve she wouldn't kill her. The more and more she continued to imply things about him and the methods he'd use to get help angered her, so, SO much! Writhing in her restraints, she growled. She'd break her own arms if it meant getting out of here and showing Eve that she was wrong about him! Blake didn't like her and that hurt her feelings, more than her reputation as Ozpin's right hand would allow her to express. But she knew that despite Blake and the rest of the Shadow Fang troops keeping her at arm's length, she hadn't seen one of them complain about it. They'd agreed to help and so they had.

He'd never force anyone to do anything! She'd joined up with him and she still believed they were friends!

Someday...Someday, someone would come for her! Eve would see that she was wrong about him and all that she'd implied!
​

"No one. I haven't made any promises, and I'm not going to. It's what it is. My deal or a slow death. Think carefully."

Ruby exhaled but the seething showed how upset Eve's comments had made her.

"Kill me and live in denial that Blake could have possibly decided to help us without having her arm twisted! You angry...jerk!" For all that she was and all that she'd done, insults still weren't exactly Ruby's forte.

"Or calm down and listen...I'm not gonna pretend I know what your connection to Blake is. I don't care what it is. But if she was compromised, who's to say everyone else in the Shadow Fang wasn't?? Don't you see how crazy that sounds??"

Ruby bashed her head against the pillar she'd been chained to try and calm herself. It got her mind more focused on the immediate pain so it definitely helped in that regard.

"You've kept me locked up in here, I don't have a damn clue what even HAPPENED to Blake! Do you?"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"No, Mercury Black, I most assuredly am not 'punking' you. But if it is proof you require..." Salem gestured to one of the elevators currently not in use. "The vault is below us as we speak, underneath the tower. Want to see? Or does anyone else want to, for that matter?"

Mercury... actually just nodded, like that wasn't anything outside the parameters of the answer he'd been expecting. "Figured it was worth a shot, maybe I'd get a bite before I deleted my old reality forever. Okay, well. Consider it gone. One sec please."

He sidled over to Watts, slid a way-too-familiar-for-the-relationship-they-had arm over his shoulder and leaned in to talk business.

"Trade you Neo and Emerald for your god button. She likes hanging with us more anyway."

He left him to think on that with a friendly pat on the cheek before returning to his team's side in a confident strut, where Emerald still looked shellshocked. He put his hand up eagerly for the round of questions, deciding to play this like it was just another lecture and he the complacent ace student.

"Who exactly is the bad guy in all this, Prof? 'Our enemies' this, 'the attack' that... You wouldn't be trying to skimp us on details, right? No way is this a Valkyrie-Shadow Fang grade operation anymore, if everything you just said is true."

Watts read his books. Mercury read people.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Ruby lashed out against her restraints, her eyes narrowed in anger.

"YOU'RE WRONG! MY FRIEND WOULD NEVER FORCE ANYONE!!!"

She'd told Eve she wouldn't kill her. The more and more she continued to imply things about him and the methods he'd use to get help angered her, so, SO much! Writhing in her restraints, she growled. She'd break her own arms if it meant getting out of here and showing Eve that she was wrong about him! Blake didn't like her and that hurt her feelings, more than her reputation as Ozpin's right hand would allow her to express. But she knew that despite Blake and the rest of the Shadow Fang troops keeping her at arm's length, she hadn't seen one of them complain about it. They'd agreed to help and so they had.

He'd never force anyone to do anything! She'd joined up with him and she still believed they were friends!

Someday...Someday, someone would come for her! Eve would see that she was wrong about him and all that she'd implied!


Ruby exhaled but the seething showed how upset Eve's comments had made her.

"Kill me and live in denial that Blake could have possibly decided to help us without having her arm twisted! You angry...jerk!" For all that she was and all that she'd done, insults still weren't exactly Ruby's forte.

"Or calm down and listen...I'm not gonna pretend I know what your connection to Blake is. I don't care what it is. But if she was compromised, who's to say everyone else in the Shadow Fang wasn't?? Don't you see how crazy that sounds??"

Ruby bashed her head against the pillar she'd been chained to try and calm herself. It got her mind more focused on the immediate pain so it definitely helped in that regard.

"You've kept me locked up in here, I don't have a damn clue what even HAPPENED to Blake! Do you?"

Eve... lowered the tip of her sword slightly as the Red Masque thrashed, roared, and did damage to herself all in the name of her elusive 'friend', nose wrinkling in scorn, disgust, and the faintest flicker of wariness as her brain worked to process what it was seeing.

"...Someone has you barking like a dog. You're trained." She stated, her words and fury tempered by a newfound sense of clarity. This... was not an asset suitable for interrogation. Trying to break through brainwashing that way was likely just to lead to a mental snap.

"...I do." She eventually replied, reassuming her menacing bearing without much effort, though there was a less intense, threatening pressure to the way she prowled around the room before she came to a halt entirely.

"How about information for information, then? Tell me about this... friend of yours. And I'll tell you what happened to Blake."​

 

[MidwayLives]

Eve... lowered the tip of her sword slightly as the Red Masque thrashed, roared, and did damage to herself all in the name of her elusive 'friend', nose wrinkling in scorn, disgust, and the faintest flicker of wariness as her brain worked to process what it was seeing.

"...Someone has you barking like a dog. You're trained." She stated, her words and fury tempered by a newfound sense of clarity. This... was not an asset suitable for interrogation. Trying to break through brainwashing that way was likely just to lead to a mental snap.

"...You're just like the other me. You all think that I'm his pawn, a minion who follows him blindly. But he's the only one who ever gave my life any meaning..."

Ruby didn't get angry this time. Just abject...sadness if nothing else.

Why couldn't anyone see things the way she did? Why wouldn't they at least TRY?

Her other self hadn't hesitated in trying to stop her. She forced her to tear her arm off like an animal.

To run away, crying and cradling her bloody stump.

How was she evil and they just?
​

"...I do." She eventually replied, reassuming her menacing bearing without much effort, though there was a less intense, threatening pressure to the way she prowled around the room before she came to a halt entirely.

"..."

When they first met, the interaction hadn't exactly been positive.

Ruby had approached her with one of her masks strapped on. Similar to a gas mask in appearance, Ruby made the masks in her spare time. It helped get her mind off things/exercise creativity. Her steel toed boots were laced up to the top and black leather gloves hid away her prosthetic hand. As Ozpin's right hand, she had a certain image to keep up. Hoisting Crescent Rose over her shoulder, Ruby looked over her taller 'coworker'

She looked...cool.

Ruby didn't like to remember how the attempt at a hand shake went.

But no matter what challenge came or what task was put upon her, Blake did it without question. Ruby didn't wish anything bad upon her.

She'd do anything to save those who'd help Ozpin and her reach their dream.

"....Okay."
​

"How about information for information, then? Tell me about this... friend of yours. And I'll tell you what happened to Blake."

Ruby's face seemed to brighten up at the chance to being able to talk about her friend.

"....His name is Ozpin and he has plans for this world. He...well, both of us...Want to recreate it. Want to make it a world where people don't have to be afraid. Where they don't have to worry about things like conflict, suffering, why do you think the Shadow Fang signed up with us? He's the best chance they have at getting the respect from humanity that they desire!" Ruby looked over at her stump.

"....And to prevent incidents like mine."

Struggling against her restraints again, Ruby groaned.

"It...It wouldn't be right if I told you anymore! I'd be putting everyone else working with us at risk! Tell me if Blake's ok!!!"
​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Who exactly is the bad guy in all this, Prof? 'Our enemies' this, 'the attack' that... You wouldn't be trying to skimp us on details, right? No way is this a Valkyrie-Shadow Fang grade operation anymore, if everything you just said is true."

Watts read his books. Mercury read people.

"Very astute of you, Mercury. No, I was not trying to hide details like that from you. I was simply attempting to not overwhelm any of you with too much information at once. You are quite right, this goes beyond the machinations of the likes of Nora Valkyrie or the Shadow Fang. No, the true enemy, the one actually pulling the strings...he is known to a select chosen few as Ozpin. He...well. Let's just say the creatures of grimm are not simply just mindless beasts, ruled only by wild instinct. In some ways, they can be considered an army, and as with any army? They have a leader." Salem stared pointedly at Mercury before letting her attentive gaze shift down to the rest of them in turn.

"What we know about him beyond that is..." She fell silent, thinking back to the moment almost a week ago now, in the midst of the attack.​

"Trust's a funny word. They know about the two of you yet? What the Brothers did to you both? Do they know he can't be killed? ...You might wanna find a way to break the news before they figure it out for themselves. 'Cause that's the day you really lose, not tonight."

He came from a time where he knew what would follow. His version of that attack had gone so much worse, from what she gathered. And still, he said the loss of that night was nothing compared to what could...no, what would come to pass. She could only imagine what that meant. Salem let out a quiet sigh, thinking it over for a few more seconds before she continued.

"...he can't be killed. Not for long, that is. If anyone actually managed to accomplish that deed? His spirit would latch onto another's. Forcibly dominate their will. Bury that person's very identity so deep down that any trace of the person they were would be near impossible to see, leaving him with a hollowed out body that he would use for his own dark purposes. He would inevitably return with a new name, a new face." By this point Salem had turned away from them all. She was standing by the window, staring out onto the horizon with a pensive look.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Ruby's face seemed to brighten up at the chance to being able to talk about her friend.

"....His name is Ozpin and he has plans for this world. He...well, both of us...Want to recreate it. Want to make it a world where people don't have to be afraid. Where they don't have to worry about things like conflict, suffering, why do you think the Shadow Fang signed up with us? He's the best chance they have at getting the respect from humanity that they desire!" Ruby looked over at her stump.

"....And to prevent incidents like mine."

Struggling against her restraints again, Ruby groaned.

"It...It wouldn't be right if I told you anymore! I'd be putting everyone else working with us at risk! Tell me if Blake's ok!!!"

Eve's face was every bit as quiet and still as her mask as she watched Ozpin's acolyte describe her associate, the shadow across her features only seeming to grow in depth and severity. What the hell had been done to this kid?

"Someone sold you something. You don't build a better world off the backs of Grimm. And whatever Blake and her followers may think, they respect her a hell of a lot less than humanity does."

Finished with this conversation, she turned and started walking away. She had as much information as she was going to get.

"I'll have them bring you some food."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Very astute of you, Mercury. No, I was not trying to hide details like that from you. I was simply attempting to not overwhelm any of you with too much information at once.

"It didn't work."

He came from a time where he knew what would follow. His version of that attack had gone so much worse, from what she gathered. And still, he said the loss of that night was nothing compared to what could...no, what would come to pass. She could only imagine what that meant. Salem let out a quiet sigh, thinking it over for a few more seconds before she continued.

"...he can't be killed. Not for long, that is. If anyone actually managed to accomplish that deed? His spirit would latch onto another's. Forcibly dominate their will. Bury that person's very identity so deep down that any trace of the person they were would be near impossible to see, leaving him with a hollowed out body that he would use for his own dark purposes. He would inevitably return with a new name, a new face." By this point Salem had turned away from them all. She was standing by the window, staring out onto the horizon with a pensive look.

Mercury had been taking the information pretty well up to this point, actually an open-minded person for such a sarcastic ass. The world they lived in was a strange one of Grimm and semblances. He'd seen some weird stuff in his lifetime already, and he didn't expect it to change. He had been raised to be intuitive and adaptable, to go with the flow and never get too caught up in the ramifications or implications of things.

When Salem broke that piece of the news, though, even if only for a second, the always-game look on his face dropped. In that brief instant, he shot the rest of his peers a look, one that was wide-eyed and incredulous, lips parted in a disconcerted grimace, because that didn't conform to any conventions of the world, couldn't be reconciled with any ancient tales about magic and gods.

That was just something out of a horror story.

"...So how do we win?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...So how do we win?"

"I...….don't know if we ever can." Salem admitted. "Many people in this kingdom and beyond look at me as the benevolent headmistress of Beacon Academy, as someone with unparalleled wisdom. Someone they could turn to with nearly any question imaginable and get an answer of brilliant insight. But for all of that...I've been in conflict with him for a long time. For all that time and supposed wisdom, I have only managed to keep myself and him locked in a stalemate. Doing what I can to keep the maidens and the relics out of his reach. That is part of the reason the huntsman academies were founded, to ensure the relics would always be guarded by skilled warriors." She glanced over at Glynda. This was new information to her as well, but thanks to discipline or composure, Glynda was taking it remarkably well. Somehow she doubted Raven would have taken it anywhere near as well.

"...…" All this was news to Cinder as well. For all the information she'd been given...an immortal person who ruled over the grimm had not been among that. That she didn't know if he could truly be beaten. Her eyes flashed with anger and she stomped over towards Salem. "When were you planning to tell me that?" The fall maiden demanded.

"I--"

"All the times you summoned me up here, or down in the vault...all the things you told me. But this, this is what you keep from me? You wanted me to keep everything you told me a secret from my team. You said you trusted me to be strong enough to bear that burden, but you didn't trust me with the whole truth."

"Cinder, please. I did plan to tell you. When the time was right, when you were ready."

"Well that makes me feel a whole lot better. Apparently I only had to lose an eye before I was ready." Cinder bitterly growled, a narrowed eye scrutinizing Salem for a short time before she turned around in a huff and stomped out of the office.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Mercury... actually just nodded, like that wasn't anything outside the parameters of the answer he'd been expecting. "Figured it was worth a shot, maybe I'd get a bite before I deleted my old reality forever. Okay, well. Consider it gone. One sec please."

He sidled over to Watts, slid a way-too-familiar-for-the-relationship-they-had arm over his shoulder and leaned in to talk business.

"Trade you Neo and Emerald for your god button. She likes hanging with us more anyway."

He left him to think on that with a friendly pat on the cheek before returning to his team's side in a confident strut, where Emerald still looked shellshocked.

By the time Mercury's arm settled around his shoulder Arthur was already removing it, gripping Mercury's sleeve between two fingers like it was a particularly gross napkin to pull back around over his head. " No. Don't touch me." he said in a tone that was somehow both disgusted and unruffled, at least until he had to shy away from the cheek pats like a five year old accosted by their grandmother. He rolled his eyes and straightened his shoulders once more as he listened to the continued conversation. Despite how ridiculous all of this was, he felt like he had gotten a handle on it. Like the worst was out of the way in terms of wild, confusing news.

"Very astute of you, Mercury. No, I was not trying to hide details like that from you. I was simply attempting to not overwhelm any of you with too much information at once. You are quite right, this goes beyond the machinations of the likes of Nora Valkyrie or the Shadow Fang. No, the true enemy, the one actually pulling the strings...he is known to a select chosen few as Ozpin. He...well. Let's just say the creatures of grimm are not simply just mindless beasts, ruled only by wild instinct. In some ways, they can be considered an army, and as with any army? They have a leader." Salem stared pointedly at Mercury before letting her attentive gaze shift down to the rest of them in turn.

"What we know about him beyond that is..." She fell silent, thinking back to the moment almost a week ago now, in the midst of the attack.



He came from a time where he knew what would follow. His version of that attack had gone so much worse, from what she gathered. And still, he said the loss of that night was nothing compared to what could...no, what would come to pass. She could only imagine what that meant. Salem let out a quiet sigh, thinking it over for a few more seconds before she continued.

"...he can't be killed. Not for long, that is. If anyone actually managed to accomplish that deed? His spirit would latch onto another's. Forcibly dominate their will. Bury that person's very identity so deep down that any trace of the person they were would be near impossible to see, leaving him with a hollowed out body that he would use for his own dark purposes. He would inevitably return with a new name, a new face." By this point Salem had turned away from them all. She was standing by the window, staring out onto the horizon with a pensive look.​

"....what."

Arthur's confidence finally cracked in an incredulous snap, the weight of that last truth finally enough to force him to his knees in his mind. His shoulders stayed straight, but his dull amusement at the proceedings had given away to a cold, anxious anger as he glared at Salem. "So what, then? We're just the latest generation of hunters to put through the meat grinder? Less noble warriors, more stepping stones to keep humanity's head afloat another few years as the water keep rising? What is..." His eyes narrowed slightly as his thoughts caught up to his anger.

Salem had called them here to retrieve Haven's relic. That relic could apparently answer any questions. Salem herself, the apparently ancient being, said that she couldn't fathom why these doubles were here, yet she seemed confident the relic could answer their questions. If it could figure out such a mystery, then if there was a way to defeat this 'Ozpin'... it had to know that as well, right? Was he supposed to believe that Salem hadn't ever had the same thought? No. Even entertaining that notion was ridiculous. Unless she somehow put this relic in a vault without ever seeing it herself, she had her chance to make her questions. Which, he continued to theorize, meant she knew if he could be beaten, and that meant one of two things:

Either he would never be beaten, and this whole conflict was as futile as attempting to stop the heat death of the universe...

...Or Salem already had her path to victory. And it was one she was unwilling to share with them, presumably because that path laid over their corpses.

...

For the first time in his life, Arthur Watts had a mystery that he wasn't sure he wanted to solve. He grit his teeth as he warred with himself over voicing these concerns or not, for once deeply aware that it his questions had answers that could hurt the people around him.

"...…" All this was news to Cinder as well. For all the information she'd been given...an immortal person who ruled over the grimm had not been among that. That she didn't know if he could truly be beaten. Her eyes flashed with anger and she stomped over towards Salem. "When were you planning to tell me that?" The fall maiden demanded.

"I--"

"All the times you summoned me up here, or down in the vault...all the things you told me. But this, this is what you keep from me? You wanted me to keep everything you told me a secret from my team. You said you trusted me to be strong enough to bear that burden, but you didn't trust me with the whole truth."

"Cinder, please. I did plan to tell you. When the time was right, when you were ready."

"Well that makes me feel a whole lot better. Apparently I only had to lose an eye before I was ready." Cinder bitterly growled, a narrowed eye scrutinizing Salem for a short time before she turned around in a huff and stomped out of the office.

Cinder provided him with his choice as she stormed out. He turned slightly to watch her go, before he returned his gaze to Salem with a curt, ice cold frown.

"...I'll talk to her. You'll have your chess pieces for Haven. Just ensure there isn't anything else you wish to share before we leave, headmistress, or who knows what poor choices we may be forced to make?"

He gave a stiff nod of the head, and turned to follow his partner out.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Neopolitan, on the other hand, took this all surprisingly well.

Maybe it was because she wasn't as smart as Mercury or Arthur or whoever else was freaking out, and there was something big picture wise that she just wasn't understanding. Yet it sounded like this had been the way the world was since way, way before any of them were born. Being worried that you weren't gonna be able to permanently defeat some mysterious unkillable god man who'd been slap fighting with another ancient being since before you were born seemed about as sensible as being worried that cancer wasn't gonna get cured in their lifetime. It was a fact of life; a really shitty, unfortunate fact of life, but not one that just rendered everything else about their lives obsolete or unimportant. How was knowing that some shadowy mastermind was making the grimm all that worse than what she'd thought minutes ago; that they were just a mindless part of the world, no different than hurricanes or earthquakes or any other sort of natural disaster?

...in fact, the more she thought about it... Her eyes fell downwards, and her hands unconsciously balled up into fists at her side.

Mount Glenn hadn't been a tragedy with no perpetrator. Her parents hadn't been victims of their own bad life choices. If the grimm had a master...

'...then he's the reason my family's dead. That Roman's family is dead.'

And Salem was giving Neo a chance to hit back. To get a pound of flesh back, an eye for an eye, from the monsters that tried so hard to ruin her life. To give the anger inside her direction. Neo's shoulders had started to shiver in anger as the full ramifications of all of this hit her, but despite the fury in her eyes she wore a vicious grin when she finally looked up.

granted some of her enthusiasm was dented with a wince as Cinder and Watts stalked out, but she still shot Salem a thumbs up to show that she was entirely on board with whatever she needed Neo to do!

 

[MidwayLives]

Eve's face was every bit as quiet and still as her mask as she watched Ozpin's acolyte describe her associate, the shadow across her features only seeming to grow in depth and severity. What the hell had been done to this kid?

"Someone sold you something. You don't build a better world off the backs of Grimm. And whatever Blake and her followers may think, they respect her a hell of a lot less than humanity does."

Ruby didn't say anything.

The disappointment that Eve continued to deny the good intentions Ozpin and her had said enough.
​

Finished with this conversation, she turned and started walking away. She had as much information as she was going to get.

"I'll have them bring you some food."

"..."

Ruby's only hand balled up into a fist at that. She'd told Eve what she thought she wanted to hear and she still didn't have any idea on what had happened to Blake. Was she okay? Was she alive?

Was she...?

No. Ruby had a feeling this one would have simply run her through the sword if that'd been the case.

Instead, she was left to linger in this desolate room for even longer. Even the promise of food didn't appease her. What was she? A pet who performed when asked and got treats as a reward?

She was no one's pet.

It was at this moment she swore to herself.

That once she got free, the White Fang would pay for this.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Cinder provided him with his choice as she stormed out. He turned slightly to watch her go, before he returned his gaze to Salem with a curt, ice cold frown.

"...I'll talk to her. You'll have your chess pieces for Haven. Just ensure there isn't anything else you wish to share before we leave, headmistress, or who knows what poor choices we may be forced to make?"

He gave a stiff nod of the head, and turned to follow his partner out.

"...…..Watts." She stated when she heard someone following her, able to tell it was him just from the sound of how he walked. Her back was to him as she sat on the topmost step of the stairway leading all the way down the tower. "Looks like it isn't as you imagined, they don't want to stick me in some hole and throw away the key." Cinder remarked, the bitter tone of voice making it clear that she wasn't sure what they actually wanted was much of an improvement. Not with the revelation of what they were actually up against. A soul that transcends death like that...she was angry at Salem for not sharing that...but she also pitied the headmistress.

For months Cinder had been holding onto the knowledge of the maidens and the relics. Keeping it secret as they asked her to, and that was hard enough for her to do. Salem...she had this whole truth. She had to keep it a secret from like...99% of humanity and faunus alike. Cinder didn't know if the select few that had stood with Salem for years to safeguard the world from this Ozpin...did they know about his immortality? Even if they did...everyone else didn't. They had to be able to stand there and watch as innumerable amounts of huntsman and huntresses fought against an enemy they couldn't truly beat. Not while this leader of Grimm lived. A threat they were ignorant of.

Cinder couldn't understand how Salem endured that burden, or how she hadn't snapped from the pressure.

"Arthur, I..." She trailed off. She was at a loss for words.​