A/N: WANING! THIS CHAPTER MAY HAVE SOME THEMES OF ASSISTED SUICIDE! READER HAS BEEN WARNED!

*(Y/N) POV*

After calming down Ruby, I leave her be with her thoughts. That would be better for her. I love her, but she needs to grasp the true picture of our world, especially after I told her the truth about my and grandma Maria's trips all around Amina's continent

*Flashback*

After finishing singing for Ruby, I breathe in and out.

(Y/N): "Petals..."

Ruby: "Hmm?" she looks at me

(Y/N): "Remember what I and Ryze... did at Haven?" Ruby stays silent for a while, her gaze looks away from me

Ruby: "I'd rather not remember this. You and Ryze... without any hesitation..." I sigh

(Y/N): "Ruby... I wanted to tell you that, even since we got to Argus. Lionheart was not my first victim..."

Ruby: "What...? You mean-" I cut her off

(Y/N): "I killed people before. I've killed ever since I was twelve. Remember when I told you Anima is a dangerous land?" she nods "It's even more dangerous than you thought. I know from experience, those bandits will do anything to rob you. With grandma being grandma, I had to protect myself and her. One day, bandits ambushed us on our way back to Mistral. I had no choice, but to kill them. Blood and heads were flying around, I was angry, I killed them with no emotion. It was me and grandma or them" I get my head down "If you want, you can ask any questions. I will answer them honestly"

Ruby: "Why didn't you told me?"I sighed

(Y/N): "Ruby, have you ever considered killing someone?" she looks disturbed for a while before thinking "I knew it" I chuckle "Your dream was to become a Huntress. Yang and Tai must've told you it's a dreamy job where you only kill Grimm" I look at her "Ruby, we're Huntsman now. There will come a time where you need to kill someone. Because it would be either your life or theirs" Ruby looks disturbed by the thought of taking someone's life "That reaction. That is the exact reason why I haven't told you. I didn't want to ruin how you picture this line of work, I didn't want to crush your dreams"

Ruby: "...How many did you kill?"

(Y/N): "I don't know. It's not like I have a kill count in my scroll or anything" I shrug

Ruby: "You're talking like it's not a big deal to you!" she shouts angry

(Y/N): "Because it's not. If something tries to kill you, you try to kill it back before it could do it. Ruby, do you know how many people are after our heads? Cinder, Salem, Ironwood, and if somehow they survived, we have the Torchwick's goon, Neo, and Tick. If we don't kill them, they will kill us-"

Ruby: "Maybe we could-"

(Y/N): "No, Ruby! There is no saving for them!" Ruby flinches while I breathe in and out "I know, Ryze told me that Yang and Blake had a similar idea, but there is no talking them out of this. Salem was doing this for centuries. Cinder is evil to the bone, and only if we kill her, Relic of Choice at Beacon would be truly safe. Ironwood-" I sigh "James lets his Semblance take control. It allows him to go through the hard decisions, strengthening his resolve and is always on, like Qrow's bad luck. That's why he won't listen to anyone now" I stand up and make my way out of the room "I understand if you feel hurt that I haven't told you. Heck, we're engaged and we should tell each other everything. If you want to talk with me, I will be upstairs with my mom and Penny" I close the door, leaving Ruby alone

*Ruby POV*

I observe as (Y/N) leaves with the feeling of worry in my chest

Ruby: "Cookie, what happened to you...?" I look at my left hand with my engagement ring "I only wish you told me"

*Flashback ends, (Y/N) POV*

I made my way upstairs to Weiss' room and knocked on it. I open them up to see Blake and Sam helping Klein with Nora, while mom tends to Penny

(Y/N): "How's she, Sam?"

Sam: "Week, but she got her consciousness back" I made my way to where Nora lies

(Y/N): "How are you feeling Nora?" I ask concerned. She weekly turns to me

Nora: "Like a thunderbolt hit me right in the face" I chuckle and smile

(Y/N): "Good to see you're alright Nora. But do that again, and I will add lemon juice to your pancakes"

Nora: "You wouldn't do that (Y/N)" she smiles "How's Penny? And..." she looks around "Where's Ruby?"

Sam: "You found her, boss?"

(Y/N): "Yes. Although, I don't think she wants to see me right now. I told her everything" Sam gets surprised

Sam: "Geez... I hope she will understand"

Nora: "Understand what?"

Blake: "I don't think it's a good-" I cut her off

(Y/N): "She deserves to know about our past too, Blake. In short, we, that is me and my team, killed people before Lionheart" Sam picks up

Sam: "I was a prisoner in my house. I never had anything to say about my life. That started after my and Ryze's mother went crazy about our dad cheating on her, which never happened. She went into antidepressants, didn't sleep all night, observing if dad didn't move. Finally, one day, dad was late from work in the lab. She threw a fit that he probably fucks every girl and then started to beat him up. It went for about half a year when dad said he had enough. He took Ryze with him and they moved to Vacuo, as far as possible from her. He went back to Vale for me, only for our mother to throw another fit, saying 'My precious Samuel will stay with me, away from your bad influence', got him kicked from the house he built with his own hands and snapped any contact with dad. When I said I wanted to become a Huntsman, she beat me too and locked me in my room. One day I escaped, leaving it all behind me together with a couple of bodies of security guards. Since then I lived in the dorms of Signal Academy until I graduated. I met with my mother, she swore she went to therapy and she really tries to be a better person, but what's done is done. I gave her another chance, and she really changed, but Ryze and Dad still hate her. That's my story"

(Y/N): "Um... man, no one here wants to hear your life story, but just want to know your first kill. Well... I killed bandits in Anima if anyone is interested. That's all"

Nora: "I never thought you guys are like that... not until (Y/N) snapped in Oniyuri"

(Y/N): "Well, if someone tries to kill you, kill it back" I turn to mom "How's she, mom?" mom finishes scanning Penny

Mom: "I think I found the problem"

(Y/N): "What problem?"

Mom: "Someone implemented a virus into Penny's systems" Just then, Ruby enters the room

(Y/N): "You okay, Rub-" she cut me off

Ruby: "I don't want to talk about what you told me just yet. We have bigger matters at our hands" she looks at Penny "Elly, you said something about a virus, right?" Mom nods

Mom: "Not any virus. It was made by Arthur Watts. Only he could bypass my security check. He created a virus that would infect Penny and control her with a precise set of commands. And it appears those commands are to open the vault and then... self-terminate" Ruby knees by Penny's side and takes her hand, while the rest of us are shocked "After scanning her, I found out that she's missing one of her swords. She communicates with her swords through a special system in her programming that allows her to move them as she does. Sort of like controlling them with her mind, if you will. However, the communications for such a process operates on a two-way streak"

(Y/N): "Wait for a second... When I and Penny were fighting Ace Ops, Harriet took one of Penny's swords, and then they... ran away. That's why!"

Mom: "After the whole incident with Jacques, James took Watts in custody... Goddammit, James! You fucking idiot! He made Watts work with him, create that virus and then control Penny to open up the vault and take the relic. I can't believe he is such a braindead! Watts hates him with passion. There's no way he would just do as Ironwood asks, not without... without a way to use his situation to his advantage"

Sam:" Just like in Mantle. Ironwood has no idea that Watts played him for the fool he is. And now, Penny is paying the price" Ruby looks at my mom

Ruby: "But, if you figured out the problem, then can you fix it, right?" Mom shakes her head

Mom: "Not here and not under these conditions. I know Penny's blueprints like the back of my hand, but I don't have the equipment required to fix her. One is in the pharmacy and the second is in the (L/N) mansion. Both of those places are heavily patrolled by Atlassian Guards. There is no chance I can sneak around and take what I need without either getting shot or getting into custody. I'm sorry Ruby"

(Y/N): "Just do whatever you can mom. At least we know what's wrong with her"

Blake: "Okay, so what do we do now?" I sigh

(Y/N): "Whitley and Weiss managed to get the SDC ships to go down to the crater and evacuate people from there. That's one problem out of our heads. There is still that Whale Grimm and the war going on the side skirts of Atlas, but something has to come to an end. Either Salem wins or James. Third, we have the Mantle group, with which there is no contact since we split up, and we can't break Qrow and Robyn out in this mess, or take Ironwood down. Not without more casualties than we actually have right now" I walk to the window and cross my arms "We just need to-" Weiss enters the room with some tea for everyone, but then suddenly, a blinding flash of light crashes through the window, causing Weiss to drop the tea and everyone to shield their eyes

*3rd POV*

The flash of light was an explosion that Oscar set off at the Monstra. The blast was so large and powerful that it killed the Monstra, and took out a large number of smaller Grimm through the kingdom. When the light fades, all that is left is the remains of the Monstra as it begins to disintegrate into dust. After the initial explosion, Neo is seen leaving the battlefield, with the relic of knowledge in her possession, revealing she stole it. She makes it to the city without anyone noticing... Well, almost anyone

???: "Well, who do we have here?" Neo looks back to see Tick walking towards her, looking around at the mess created by the explosion "I for sure wasn't expecting it to explode like that" She turns to see Neo holding the Relic. Neo gets defensive

Tick: "Don't you worry, sugarcube. I ain't gonna kill you and snitch it. Now, I assume you have a reason not to get this spangle back to that fire bitch or Salem'' Neo nods "You want Grimm Reaper's precious flower, Ruby, right?" Tick smirks "Well then, with Salem out of the way... for a while anyway, I think we've earned ourselves some time to have a little fun" She stops opposite Neo "You want Ruby Rose. I want Grimm Reaper. And for certain, whenever she goes, he's close. So, what do you say?" She extends an arm to shake, but Neo looks at it with a frown, before changing into (Y/N) "Sorry, sugarcube, Grimm Reaper is mine. You got his little bitch, I got him. Either that or nothing" Neo then thinks, before smirking and shaking Tick's hand "Now then, I think we can use this trinket on you to make Cinderella take us to them. When Salem gets back, Cinder will need something to keep her in her good graces, or else she's finished. And you have that little something" Neo smirks again, as they walk away from the explosion site

*Ryze POV, near ground Zero*

We managed to find Oscar and Jaune heals him up with his aura boost. We look around until Yang gets a call from her scroll. I get near her to see Weiss, Blake, and Ruby on the other end

Yang: "...Blake? Guys?"

Blake: "Yang! Oh, thank goodness you guys are okay. Where are you? We've been trying to contact you"

Ryze: "Yeah, we're all good here. How about you guys? Are you alright?"

Blake: "We're... alive. Though, it might be better if we talked face to face on that matter. Are you guys up in Atlas?"

Ryze: "Yup. We're here. Long story"

Blake: "Okay, that's okay. It helps, actually" I look back to see Emerald, sitting on the ground

Oscar: "What do we do about her?" Emerald sits on the ground, holding ashes in her hands

Emerald:"...Hazel" she starts crying

Weiss: "...I'm sending you a map" soon I and Yang receive a map on our scrolls "You're in the agricultural area. Just head to this access point to reach the red line subway tunnel. After that, just follow the route I've sent you and it'll take you straight to us. We're hiding out at my family's manor. We'll wait for you there"

Ryze: "Roger, Ice Queen. We'll be there soon" I wave as Weiss rolls her eyes and we end up the call

Yang looks back and sees Oscar nod his head to Emerald and quickly doesn't like what he's implying

A few minutes later, we made our way through one of the subway tunnels, following instructions from the map. Jaune lights the way with the flashlight on his scroll, but we still have our weapons out. Some of them are aimed at Emerald, mine, and Yang's included. Jaune and Ren have their weapons out for Grimm, and Mako is holding Emerald's hands behind her back, with his fists ready, and Yang holds Emerald's pistols

Yang: "You have got to be joking. You want us to bring HER to where the others are? To work with her?!"

Oscar: "I'm just saying that it makes the most sense. We're all Salem's enemies now, and that includes her. Salem will try to kill her the second she gets the chance, just like with us"

Ryze: "Oh, and we're supposed to just forget the fact that she helped Cinder and Salem kill so many people back in Vale during the Fall? How she screwed with Yang's match and got Team RWBY disqualified and got Penny killed for the first time in her match against Pyrrha. You weren't there, Oscar. You have no idea what happened there and what this bitch helped happen!"

Oscar: "But-"

Emerald: "No, I'm with the mohawk here. You don't like me. I don't like you. So, how about we go our separate ways and never see each other again?" Mako tightens his grip on her arms

Mako: "Oh, please. Do you really think we will let you walk free after everything you did? Plus that little trap at Haven, in which you tried to kill us with Cinder. No way you're going anywhere"

Ren: "We can't let all of our actions stem from fear. If she can help us, I think we should consider it"

Yang: "SHE is part of the reason that Mako lost his eye and I lost my arm! I'm not just going to... forgive her for that. Everything that happened to us at Beacon. She lied to us, tricked us. She cannot be trusted"

Oscar: "You don't have to forgive her, or trust her right away. You all have every reason to feel that way. Just... give her a second chance. We've already gotten a lot of help from someone... we don't really trust right now"

Ren: "You mean Ozpin?" This got our attention "I had a feeling"

Nearly everyone: "Wait, what?!"

Mako: "Ozpin is back?!"

Oscar: "Look, I know how you all feel about him right now, but he saved my life. When we were tortured, he took it... so I wouldn't have to" he takes out his cane "He entrusted me with this. And the massive amount of power he had stored within it. Kinetic energy that he had stored up lifetime after lifetime in the cane he built"

Jaune: "So, that's how you did that back there? You released all of that stored up energy?"

Oscar: "No, not all of it, but most of it. We have to be careful with how we use the rest" he holsters his cane "He trusted my judgment and it saved us. I want to reciprocate that trust, there's a lot to sort out, but Oz really does want to help us" he leave us to think about that

'Oz is back... I regret that punch... He hid stuff from us, okay, but he had his reasons, just like we had our reasons to not tell Ironwood about Salem. Guess in the end we're the same type of people'

Ryze: "Osca-" just as I was about to say anything, we hear a baby crying up ahead. We move towards the sound of the cries and find a large number of people taking shelter at one of the subway stations beneath Atlas. We turn our lights out

Jaune: "All of Atlas is down here"

We walk through the area, feeling of worry and concern for everyone here gets to us. As we walk, Emerald gets a good, hard look at the fear in their eyes, the doubt that they'll survive the coming storm as the war for Atlas continues above them

Mako: "Looks different than Atlas you know, doesn't it?" he gets Emerald's attention "The despair you helped create, the chaos, the dread. The lives you helped to ruin. Looks different from the first hand than from the shadows, huh?" he looks over her shoulder, with anger behind his eyes "Maybe this experience will show you what kind of evil you helped" We continue to walk through, and continue on our way to where the others are. Oscar looks at Emerald

Oscar: "I've seen what you can do Emerald. However, this fight ends, we could really use someone like you"

We continue walking as I step to Oscar side

Ryze: "Oscar"

Oscar: "Hmm?"

Ryze: "If Oz can hear me, then I want him to know I'm sorry for that punch. I let it get better of me, and-"

Oscar: "Don't worry. He says he forgives you and is happy to see you changed your mind, Ryze" This makes me at ease, as we continue our walk

*(Y/N) POV, Schnee mansion*

We sit in the main hall, waiting for the rest of our group to arrive. I and Ruby at the bottom step, as she still refuses to say anything to me. I sigh

(Y/N): "Ruby..."

Ruby: "I told you, I don't wanna talk right now"

(Y/N): "I'm sorry I killed those people. Are you happy now?" Ruby huffs

Ruby: "I'm not angry you killed them. I'm angry you never told me. We're fiances for Oum's sake! How can I spend the rest of my life by your side if you decide to hide things from me?!" I sigh

(Y/N): "You know... you're right. I think I rushed you with it. I should have told you before we came to Atlas, then you would be sure what you're stepping into. If you want, we can canc-"

Ruby: "No"

(Y/N): "Huh?"

Ruby: "No. We won't cancel our engagement. I just want you to tell me everything from now. Let it be small things or big things. That's all" she softly smiles at me, as I return it

(Y/N): "Heh. Sure thing Ruby" she pecks my cheek

Ruby: "Good. Now" she gets near my ear "You better don't tell Yang I said swore words. She will lecture me about it and I don't want to hear it"

(Y/N): "Yup. After you, I will get punched for teaching you swearing. That's a promise" I whisper back. Then, we hear a knocking on the doors.

We stand up and Ruby opens the front doors, with us right behind her. On the other side stands Yang with the rest of the Mantle group. Yang smiles at Ruby, who jumps into her arms and they spin around. Tears of joy fall from Ruby's eyes as Yang smiles down at her

Yang: "I missed you too"

They separate to allow Yang to hug Weiss while Ruby greets Jaune and Ren. After Yang broke the hug with Weiss, she gets to me

(Y/N): "Heh, you guys made it here safe and sound" she hugs me, and I hug her back

Yang: "Yup" She looks over at the fallen statue of Arma Gigas "I see you guys weren't bored either"

(Y/N): "Hehe, a long story" we break the embrace. Yang went to hug Sam, and finally to hug Blake. I walk outside with Sam, greeting the rest of our team. I, Sam, Ryze, and Mako get into a massive bro hug

Sam: "Good to see you guys are alright"

Ryze: "Well, we had some adventures" We break the hug, while Mako looks back at Blake, who fidgets shyly and blushes, her cat ears folded down. Ryze pokes his side "Go to your lady, Mako" Mako nods and gets in front of Blake

Mako: "Hey" he smiles at her and brings her head up with a hand on her jaw, "I told you I will be back" Blake gets some tears of joy in her eyes, as she smiles at him back

Blake: "Yeah... you did..." They then get their faces close and kiss like no tomorrow. Letting the two lovebirds do their thing, I turn to greet Jaune and Ren. After that, we enter the manor

Ren: "Where's Nora?" Weiss walks ahead and escorts him and Jaune to their injured teammate. I and Ruby turn to Oscar

Ruby: "Oscar, you-" she stops... noticing Emerald standing behind Oscar. We are shocked, but immediately we get to our weapons, ready to fight her

Oscar: "No, she's okay. She's with us" He gets between us and Emerald

(Y/N): "Care to say that again?"

Oscar: "Emerald helped me escape and get to the others, and then she helped us get out of the Monstra and away from Salem. It wasn't just her either. Hazel... Hazel freed me and got me and Emerald out. He fought against Salem to buy us time to escape... And he gave his life while doing so" Emerald glances away. The rest is still hesitant, but take their hands off their weapon. I, however, walk up to Emerald and grab her by the collar with a flaming arm and pull her close

Oscar: "(Y/N), wait!"

(Y/N): "Shut up Oscar!" I snap at him while staring down at Emerald, who's looking scared "The only reason you're not six feet under right now and here is because you helped Oscar and my teammates. One wrong step and..." I throw a flame at the tree nearby "You will end up like that weed. Are we clear?" Emerald gulps, nods, and I drop her down. Oscar is about to say something, but we hear a beeping noise. Ruby pulls out her scroll and finds May on the other end, already back at the crater

May: "Kids, the cargo ships you sent. They're here, but... but they didn't come alone!"

Ruby: "May, what are you talking about?"

May: "Oh, gods... RUN! Everyone, into the mines!" she shouts before we hear an explosion and then we lose the connection

Mako: "What was that?" He gets near us, with some lipstick mark on his cheek, but we decided not to ask. Just then, an alarm goes off and everyone checks their scroll.

???: "This is an emergency CCT broadcast," a female robotic voice says before Ruby makes a large screen from her scroll so everyone can see. It shows the SDC cargo ships on their way to the crater... only to get shot down by Atlas military airships. The screen then shows IRonwood standing under one light in a dark room

Ironwood: "I have always promised to protect this kingdom. It's technology, its future, from those who would see it destroyed. Our enemy is crippled, but one individual still denies Atlas its salvation. The Protector of Mantle" we show angry or worried looks "Penny, wherever you and your friends are, I need you all to listen. I know how much Mantle means to you. So, I'm going to give you a choice. You can bring yourself to Atlas Academy and do your duty; help me save as much of Atlas as possible, and Mantle will be left to fend for itself. Or... you can all watch as I destroy it" Girls gasp in horror "I have ONE bomb. That's all it will take. If there is no Mantle, then there is no reason for you not to work with me. Neither of us wanted it to come to that... but one of us is willing to do it. If anyone tries anything other than what I've ordered, Mantle... is gone. You have one hour to respond. I hope you will live to the title I gave you" the message ends. As I growl angry and form my hand into a fist

Ruby: "(Y/N)" I ignite myself

(Y/N): "He's gone too far... No matter how or when... I am going to kill Ironwood..."

Ruby: "You need to calm down, Cookie" I breathe in and out, stopping the flames "Good, now go outside and calm fully. We should discuss what to do now"

I walk outside the manor, with Ryze behind me. After he closed the doors he gets next to me

Ryze: "So, what exactly is going on in your mind (L/N)? How do you even want to kill Irondick?"

(Y/N): "The same way we killed Lionheart"

Ryze: "It won't be that easy, you know? He has his guards and robots, while Lionheart was in open" we walk around until he pokes my side. I turn to him as he offers me a cigarette from a pack

(Y/N): "I told you to not fuck with this stuff. Why do you even have this?"

Ryze: "Stress relief. Come on, one wouldn't hurt anyone" Being in my stage of mind, I accept. I get one into my mouth. Ryze was about to give me a lighter until I used a small fire from my fingers to lit "I forgot, you're a living lighter" I get my fingers near him, allowing him to light his cigarette as we take a puff

(Y/N): "*cough* Shit, I'm not used"

Ryze: "You will. Sooner or later. It's like with killing"

(Y/N): "Yeah. Another thing my old man told me to get used to in this job" I sigh "I told Ruby about it, and she wasn't too happy"

Ryze: "You did? Man, I thought that Sam would be the last. With all the story of how our mother was a psychotic bitch"

(Y/N): "Heh. He told girls too. I think Weiss knows already and I think she understands because she had nearly the same fate" I take another puff "Although Ruby wasn't angry at me killing people, she was angry I didn't tell her. Woman" I sigh

Ryze: "Well, not like Yang wasn't surprised when I told her. She was" he sighs "Well, what happened here?"

(Y/N): "We got the clearance for Amity and got ambushed by Ace Ops. They took one of Penny's swords and Nora overused her Semblance to open the doors under high voltage. Later we let Penny go to Amity where I assume you know what happened"

Ryze: "Yeah, I felt Penny fighting with someone. Cinder"

(Y/N): "Yup. We got Klein to tend to Nora, and then Penny has fallen from the sky. We got her inside, I called my mom to check on her while Klein took care of Nora's injuries. Then this weird, dog-like Grimm gets here. It was talking and-"

Ryze: "Wait? You say dog Grimm which talks?" I nod "It was the same Grimm that kidnapped Oscar"

(Y/N): "Oscar got kidnapped by a Grimm? What the heck?"

Ryze: "It took him to that whale. And while we were going after it, Ren threw a fit that we should let Ironwood go with his plan. Then we got arrested by Ace Ops, but Jaune got an idea to go search for Oscar first before they got the bomb. We got inside, and while searching for Oscar, we found Emerald. I wanted to ghost that bitch, but Ren stopped me and Mako. Later we fought against Salem, and you already know Hazel sacrificed himself to help us"

(Y/N): "Well, getting back to that Grimm. Salem used a silver-eyed Faunus as a core to it" This shocked Ryze

Ryze: "So you're saying, that she wants you and Ruby-"

(Y/N): "Yup"

Ryze: "But... Ruby's mom had silver eyes. I saw the photos Tai was showing me. Doesn't that mean-"

(Y/N): "Listen, I don't want to be a pessimist, but it's what most probably happened to Summer. That's why they haven't found her body or anything. Just don't get the topic back near Ruby. I had to calm her down for thirty minutes afterward" We put our cigarettes down and walked back inside. We made our way to the dining room, where nearly everyone is. Ruby, Yang, Blake, and Mako are sitting at the table, while Sam and Emerald are leaning against the walls with crossed arms. Weiss is walking around the table, and Oscar is staring out the windows. We get to our places. Ryze is leaning next to Sam while I take a seat next to Yang. We start discussing James' ultimatum

Mako: "Okay, so Irondong wants Penny, or else he'll do the bomb down on Mantle, killing thousands of innocent people, and basically doing Salem's dirty work for her"

Yang: "But, how do we stop him?" Blake's cat ears fold down

Blake: "Qrow and Robyn are still in his custody, and May told us that Atlas security drones are watching the crater. So, they're trapped too" Ryze groans

Ryze: "They wouldn't be trapped in the first place if this fucktard Ironwood hadn't shot down those ships Weiss and her brother sent out. This idiot is just like a child, doing anything to get whatever he wants"

Oscar: "That's not our only concern. Salem is out of the way, but she won't stay out of the way for long. Once she puts herself back together, she'll move again"

Ruby: "So then, it's impossible"

Emerald: "See" she gets our attention "If 'Miss Hero' with all the answers doesn't have one, then we have ours"

Weiss: "Shut up!"

Yang: "Okay then, why don't you just leave?!"

Ryze: "I second that" he gets from the wall and joins Yang as they approach Emerald.

Oscar: "Can we please just give each other a chance?" he stops them "Emerald's not with Salem anymore. And... Ozpin is back" Ruby rests her head on the table, groaning and making Blake feel worried about her

Mako: "So, he finally decided to show up after practically abandoning us back in Anima"

Sam: "He couldn't have shown up earlier when things went to Hell?! I mean, he was the only one who could get some sense into Ironwood's tin head!" Oscar sighs

Oscar: "All of this doubt, and worry, and distrust; it's not going to solve anything-"

Ruby: "Then nothing has changed!" she slams her hands on the table "We're in the same place we were yesterday! Arguing over what to do while the kingdom waits to die" She gets out of her seat. Yang approaches her in an attempt to comfort her, but Ruby brushes her off and runs out of the room. Worried for her sister, Yang runs after her. Mako sighs

Mako: "I should go check on how's Nora feeling" He gets up and leaves the room

(Y/N): "And I think mom would need some help with Penny. Be right back" I leave after Mako and get upstairs. I knock on the doors to where we took Penny and enter "Everything alright here?"

Mom: "Yup" she then groans "Come on Arthur, I'm better at computers than you. Just how strong did you get this virus" she then sighs "While Watts was always a self-centered, egotistical bastard, he was highly intelligent; I'll give him that. While it's easy to see that this virus is his handiwork, there's no way for me to cut it off here. Firstly, I'd need to cut out from the source. Unfortunately, the source is coming from one of Penny's blades, and that is most likely locked up in the Atlas military command center. After your last trip there, security will no doubt be doubled from what it was before. There's no way we'll be able to get in there anytime soon"

(Y/N): "So, nothing we can do, we're sitting ducks"

Mom: "I'm afraid that's the case, (Y/N). The most I've been able to do is isolate the virus and keep it from spreading throughout all of her systems, but that is only a temporary measure. Worse, for the sections already infected, I can't fix them. Not like this" she sighs again "No matter how hard I try, I can't save her now" She sniffs and takes Penny's hand in hers "I'm sorry sweetie, but you need to overcome it by yourself"

(Y/N): "Mom..."

Mom: "I will be fine, (Y/N). But James will pay for messing with my kids. Go try helping Ruby. I heard her crying downstairs. I will try to isolate the virus more, maybe creating a way for Penny to fight it" I nod, and walk out spotting Mako near the doors to Weiss' room. I walk to him

(Y/N): "So?"

Mako: "Everything is good, Jaune even tried to boost her Aura, but those marks won't disappear. They're permanent"

(Y/N): "Well shit... Come on, we need to get to the rest and continue thinking. There must be a way to stop James"

We walk down to the main room, finding Yang and Ruby there, sitting on the stairs and hugging each other

(Y/N): "You're feeling okay, Ruby?" we sit behind them as they separate

Ruby: "I've been... I've been better"

Mako: "Rosie, you're not the only one who feels that way. This whole mess has taken its toll on all of us. The losses we've had to endure, the suffering we've gone through because of Salem and her machinations. But, that's precisely what she wants. For us to give up. Because if we do, she wins"

(Y/N): "Ruby, it told you back before we got to Mistral. I will fight to the last drop of my blood and my dying breath to stop her because I refuse to simply lie down and die like some dog. I can't let it all be for nothing. Things didn't go our way. In case you hadn't noticed, this isn't the first time they hadn't gone our way. The Fall, the train crash. Perfect examples. We got the cards and we just need to play them the best we can, and hope for the best but also be ready for the worst"

I get in front of Ruby and kneel, taking her hands in mine

(Y/N): "Ruby, I know you think about that dog Grimm, about Summer and I know things are hard right now. They'll likely get more difficult down the road. While I may not know what awaits us down that road, I know YOU. You are like the flower of life in the field of death, always blooming beautifully and brightly. You never wilt, you never give up. And I know you won't now. I wouldn't have pledged my life to you if I believed you would"

This makes Ruby blush and Yang gets an uncomfortable look on her face

(Y/N): "It's alright, Yang. Geez, I thought that Ruby would be uncomfortable in this types of situations, not her older, teasing sister" I smirk at Yang

Mako: "You're not alone in this Ruby. There's no point in bearing the world's problem on your shoulders alone. You have your wounds, but they healed, like everything else. For a while, I thought I only had my parents, but then I met Alice and I found the strength to keep moving forward because her good is the most important to me. I decided to become a Huntsman thanks to that. That led to me meeting all of you guys, to find my first real friends, my first real love, to keep going. We're not done yet. We're not even close to giving up" Ruby wipes her tears away, as does Yang

Ruby: "You know, sometimes I wonder if you shouldn't be in charge with all these speeches of yours, Cookie" I chuckle

(Y/N): "Yeah, they're nothing compared to yours, Little Rose. Besides, I'm at my best destroying and burning things, while you're at your best while you create. And the best thing you create is hope. You got it extra for everyone in our teams" Yang coughs into her hand

Yang: "*cough* Get a room *cough*" Ruby blushes and punches Yang's arm while I just smirk at the blonde.

(Y/N): "Heh, you want to be an aunt that fast, Yang?"

Ruby: "(Y/N)!" she gets as red as a tomato

Yang: "No thanks. I will wait till you two get married. Then I want nephews and nieces" she smirks "I will squeeze their cute little cheeks" she coos, making Ruby even more embarrassed as she puts her hood on

Ruby: "Yang, shut up! We use protection!" I widen my eyes, as Ruby covers her mouth, earning a laugh from Yang and Mako

Yang: "Good thing I taught you to be safe and everything"

(Y/N): "Okay, we should get off my and Ruby's private life. At least we try to be quiet, not like someone, huh, Yang?"

Ruby: "Yeah" she gets her hood off "We heard you and Ryze back at Mako's house. You think why we were all sleep-deprived the next day"

Mako: "You two fuck like rabbits!" now is Yang's turn to be a little embarrassed

Yang: "Okay, I can say we went kinda too overboard. But man, it was the best night of my life" We laugh, although our fun was ruined by a loud crash. We look back the stairs to see Jaune running down

Jaune: "Come on, hurry!" he runs past us, making us follow him outside. We look up to see Aunt Willow, Whitley, Klein, and my mom watch from a balcony as Penny appears on the ground, her eyes red once again. She gets up

Penny: "I can no longer be delayed" she prepares to take flight. Ruby uses her Semblance to appear in front of Penny

Ruby: "Penny, please!" Penny's body fidgets

Penny: "I-I must... Open the vault" she fights the virus while holding her head. "I... I do not... I do not want" the rest of our group comes out "Ruby... Stop me!" Ruby wraps her arms around her, but then Penny's eyes turn red again. "I must open the vault... And self-terminate," Penny then takes flight with Ruby still holding on.

However, Blake throws her chain-scythe, wrapping around Penny's right arm, Ren fires his pistol blades to wrap around her left and Sam uses his vines around Penny's waist and they hold her down. We help them and begin to pull her back down. I and Mako grab Penny's legs to bring her to the ground and Weiss and Ryze use their Semblances to pin her to the ground

Ryze: "We'll hold her down!"

Nora: "But, what do we do?!"

Just then, Penny's Maiden powers flare-up, releasing a shockwave that knocks away Weiss and Ryze's Semblances. Penny starts to hover again, but Mako's body turn to steel to hold her down

Penny: "Argh, I must... open the vault... and self-terminate!" She still tries to fight the virus. Emerald fires off her chains, hooking onto Penny's shoulders

Emerald: "Get her down, now!" Jaune moves to amplify Weiss's aura, allowing her gravity glyph to bring Penny back down as her powers dissipate

Ruby: "Penny, please! Tell us how we can help you!" she holds Penny close

Penny: "... Kill me" she states, much to everyone's shock "Kill me... please. Kill me... and I can make sure that the power goes to you" she looks at Ruby

(Y/N): "Don't give me this bullcrap, Carrot Top! We're no killing you, no fucking way! We... we lost you once, sis. We're not going to lose you a second time!"

A/N: It will not age well, I can guarantee you

Penny: "(Y/N), please, do it. I can't... I can't fight anymore"

Nora: "Yes you can! It's just a part of you, remember? If you were only a machine, you never could have fought back for this long"

Ruby: "She's right... She's right! Jaune, boost her aura!"

Jaune runs over and amplifies Penny's aura. After a few tense moments, the virus' effects fade and Penny returns to normal. Penny calms down and nods, much to their relief and joy. Ruby and Nora hug Penny, while we kneel or sit around them, happy that Penny is out of danger

Jaune: "Did... Did I stop the virus?" Penny looks at her hands and eventually frowns

Penny: "No... It's still there, but-" Ruby holds her hand

Ruby: "But you've got an Aura, Penny, a soul. That's who you are, our friend, not a machine" they hug again

Emerald: "I think you're wrong by the way" we look back at Emerald "I highly doubt you're in the same place you started" she puts her pistols away. "I mean, yeah, you guys have been getting your asses kicked. Some of that... my fault, but like, you're at WAR. You're gonna take some losses, you're gonna take some damage from time to time. It's just, I mean... Look, I'm just saying that I'm going to be super pissed you guys finally decide to give up right after I switch sides" Oscar smiles

Oscar: "Switch sides, huh?" Emerald realizes what she said but then frowns when we start laughing at her expense. I sigh

(Y/N): "Yeah, sure. If Whitley can change and not end up like Jackass, who says that Em can't. Just remember, I have my eye on you. One wrong step and you will end up as a shish kebab"

Emerald: "Well, sorry. Whatever" Oscar walks up and helps her up. Later he turns to the group

A/N: I'm sorry Vera I pushed you to edit this. 'Ostar' xD

E/N: Hi, I'm Veronica and I'm currently strangling Punkie for that, continue with the story, readers. Nothing special here

Oscar: "If you all wouldn't mind. I really think Ozpin has something to say to you all"

Most of the group looks upset at the mention of Oz. Then they look at me and Ruby. Ruby nods to me

(Y/N): "Oh come on! You just forgive a mass murderer and former Cinder's lackey! If old man Oz has something to say, then let him say it" Oscar gives control to Ozpin and he turns to me

Ozpin: "Thank you (Y/N)" I nod and he turns to the rest of our group "I was recently... reminded... of an old fairy tale. A young girl flees the consequences of a choice. To a magical place. But, having never learned from her initial failure, she only succeeds in spreading it... I've failed ALL of you. I should've trusted you with the truth, and I shouldn't have fled the moment you all learned it"

Yang: "It was... really rough, but-"

Mako: "Recent events have shown us what happens when we don't use trust appropriately"

Sam: "Withholding trust is a mistake, but... blindly giving it is a mistake as well. It all depends on who you're giving that trust to, and how they use it"

Weiss: "Trust is... a risk"

Ryze: "Trust is something that can't be taken, or given, lightly"

(Y/N): "Trust must be earned. But, trust must be tempered with caution. After what has happened, I think we understand why you did what you did, Oz. I can't speak about other teams, but us four forgive you" Oz smiles

Ozpin: "And I hope not only (Y/N) and his team will give me a chance to earn that trust back" Ruby looks around, and eventually nods, prompting the others to nod with her. Ozpin smiles and Emerald joins Ruby. However, Penny suddenly holds her chest in pain

Penny: "I can still feel it fighting me. Trying to take over again"

Jaune: " I can't just keep amplifying her aura forever"

Mako: "And we're running out of time. Ironwood's deadline will be here soon" Nora holds Penny

Nora: "Guys, she has to go to the vault"

While everyone frowns, Ruby starts to smile

Ruby: "That's actually a risk... we hadn't considered" I smirk and chuckle

(Y/N): "I can see it in your eyes, Ruby. You're thinking one of those crazy ideas of yours again, aren't ya?" I ruffle Ruby's hair "Well, what do you have in mind, Petals?" I smile at her

*3rd POV*

In another part of Atlas, Cinder and Watts are in one alley, but look back when Tick and Neo appear, with Neo aiming her umbrella at Cinder

Tick: "I think you owe us something, Cindy. How about this, sugar cube: one relic for two heads?" she smirks

A/N: "And here we are, another chapter done. We are really close to the finale right now, as it should be in one chapter, about 10-12 k words. After that, I will get back to my two other books and maybe start a third one. Well, the groups are reunited, some things happened. And hey! Your favorite psycho crocodile Faunus is back and is stronger than ever! Feel free to comment and vote. Stay safe and I will see you in the next chapter!

Punkie out!

RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and was created by Monty Oum

OCs belongs to me

(Y/N) belongs to you (and to Ruby)