Cinder came to her senses and found herself in one of the same nullifying tanks that Raven had been kept in--having no idea where she was or how she got there.

She struggled to break the glass--and found her magic had no effect on it, nor did her Semblance.

"Where is this?" she yelled. "I demand to know!"

"At least Raven was more dignified." Victoria stepped into view, holding one of her remotes.

"Who...are you?" Cinder drew a complete blank.

"How rude of me," Victoria said. "Not properly introducing myself after abducting someone. Hmm...you can call me Aekil."

Cinder frowned at her, then rubbed her head.

"Mercury..." she muttered. "What have you done to me?"

"You'll find you can't escape that." Victoria tapped the glass right in front of her, as if taunting her. "Magic proof. Aura proof. And it's not easy to break with brute force either. You just better give up now."

"No!" Cinder tried yet again, a storm gathering inside the tank.

This yielded the same results as before, only Victoria also laughed at her

Cinder--who was a coward at heart--began to be afraid.

"Who are you?..." she said in a different tone.

"Cinder Fall." Victoria held up some papers. "You used to work as a maid, right? Didn't have a last name. I guess Raven was right--you did pick it yourself. It's hard to get dirt on people like you. That's why I always say not to underestimate nobodies. But you were suspected in the murder of a higher class family... A little psycho, aren't you?"

[She should talk.]

"What did you want from me?" Cinder asked nervously.

"Only your power," Victoria said distastefully. "I don't work with the likes of you. I've stooped far enough already for this project. [You don't say?] Now, I don't really consider you a human being, with that appendage of yours, but I'm contractually obligated to inform you that most of what I'm about to do to you is not harmful. Anything that is, consider it repayment for Beacon, Atlas, and Haven."

Cinder frowned at her.

"And don't worry about being lonely," Victoria said. "You're going to have some company real soon. Not that you'll enjoy it."

"Company? Who else?" Cinder could only assume she was after more of Salem's forces.

"You'll know it," Victoria said. "I intend to get all the Maiden powers if I can...and I want you to have to watch while what you've worked so hard for slips away."

She leaned in a little and gave Cinder a look that scared even that witch.

"I want you to fully know what it's like to get what you care for ripped away from you, and only then are we going to put you out of your misery. No one will miss you."

Cinder glared at her and made a sound of anger. "I'll kill you!"

Impervious to that, Victoria flipped some dial.

A feeling like fire and pebbles pelted all over Cinder for a few seconds.

She gasped.

Victoria turned the dial off. "I don't really like to inflict injury on people, but in your case it's a public service," she said. "None of your lip. You can make this easy or hard on yourself, Fall, but either way, I will get what I want. Now, let's see how that arm of yours works."

She adjusted the cage so that the clamps of before grabbed the Grimm arm--and somehow they kept it in place, though Cinder was trying to break free.

"Grimm are a little harder to control than humans," Victoria mused aloud. "But I have learned a few things in the last several years."

"Mother?" a boy's voice said.

"I said not to come in here," Victoria turned and said sharply.

Kip, unrecognized by Cinder, appeared, looking nervous.

"What are you doing to that woman?" he asked.

"That is not a woman." Victoria pointed at Cinder. "That is a monster. Don't you pity her, son. I taught you better than that. Look at what she's done to herself--I'm going to put it back to rights."

"Is it going to hurt?" Kip asked.

"No more than necessary--if she behaves." Victoria muttered the last part.

"Are you going to drink your magic juice again?" Kip asked with a straight face.

"I don't think I'll need to," Victoria said. "Go play in the outer rooms--and don't you go into the tunnels. I told you, it's not safe in there."

"I miss my cats," Kip said.

"I'll go get them when things have settled down. They'll be all right. I don't want to hear another complaint about it," Victoria said. "Go on now. You're too young to be in here."

"Not that young," Kip muttered.

"What was that?" Victoria said.

"Nothing." He left.

"What was that?" Cinder asked.

"As if I'd tell you," Victoria said. "Grimm shouldn't talk, don't you think, Fall?"

Cinder raised an eyebrow.

[You know, I wish I could say I felt sorry for Cinder--but I don't. Only that this is kind of grotesque no matter who it's directed at.]

* * *

Shine pulled Wally aside after she'd talked to the kids.

[Yes, we're caught up now. Sorry for the confusion.]

"Mercury wasn't around yesterday," she said. "One of the keys was missing. I think we both know it was him."

"You think he let Cinder into this school?" Wally asked.

"Or Tyrian...or something else," Shine said.

"I knew he was off," Wally said, but then, "Still, he's a kid... What if they made him do it?"

"They might have," Shine said. "We can't be as harsh on him as the older ones. They know what they are, but he's...well, he's an easy target. I have not told the others that I'm sure it was him--or any of our other suspicions about him. I don't want them to overreact. But we have to do something."

"I hate to kick him out," Wally said. "But do we know if he's been spying on us the whole time, or if this could have just been a held at gunpoint sort of moment? Cinder's pretty scary. Callows is worse."

"To him, they might be equal," Shine said. "We have to ask him about it but maybe privately first--we'll tell the others depending on what he said. We did push to let him join. But it will crush Emerald if he was a spy the whole time."

"So you want to handle this alone?" Wally asked.

"You and I. The others had better not be around, if he freaks out," Shine said. 

But this problem was solved for them unexpectedly by Robyn getting word from her Huntresses that there was some kind of problem going on with the Ace Ops and some Vacuo huntsmen at the edge of the kingdom.

"Great, we needed this," Robyn said, rolling her eyes. "Well, Wags says they can handle it, but it's drawing Grimm... And those CD stations you put up? Some idiot unplugged them and stole some of the equipment."

"Vacuo..." Qrow commented.

"We'll have to go sort this out," Winter said. "The Ace Ops report to me."

"I don't know if we need you to do that," Robyn said. "I mean...remember...you're kind of a target? Anyway you might just get the others riled up more. Qrow, you know these people, right? Maybe we could go talk some sense into them."

"Ugh..." Qrow looked very enthusiastic about it.

"Oh, come on, pal." Robyn leaned on his shoulder playfully. "Just like old times? Remember...getting arrested?"

Winter looked annoyed.

"This is no joking matter, Miss Hill," she said.

"You should go, Qrow," Raven said, sounding amused. "With your luck, maybe you'll start a riot."

"Oh, shut up," Robyn said. "You should be more supportive."

"Supportive?" Raven said like it was funny. "Of Qrow?"

Well, that ticked Qrow off.

"Fine, I'll help," he said. "But if we have to beat some sense into them, I warned you."

"Great, I'll tell them help is on the way!" Robyn said cheerfully.

She walked away.

"Isn't she cute?" Raven said dryly. She mimicked Robyn's peppy tone. "Help is on the way! I'm a Happy Huntress!"

"I like Robyn," Tai spoke up. "She's sweet. It's nice to have a positive role model around for the girls."

"She's a criminal," Winter said.

"Yeah, but...for good reason," Tai said.

"Your entire family is making more and more sense every day," Winter muttered.

"At least Robyn is trying to help," Qrow said. "What are you doing, sis?"

"Trying to stay alive, Qrow, which is helpful," Raven said. "At least you haven't been kidnapped."

"You walked into it," Qrow said.

"Okay, let's not start this," Tai interrupted. "What's the agenda for today? I could go help you guys straighten it out."

"Sure," Qrow said.

"We should bring the girls. They should do something productive instead of slacking off going to night clubs." Tai hadn't been too happy to hear that Ruby had done that--Yang, he expected it from.

"Ah, Dad," Ruby commented from where she was trying to dunk an oversized cookie into milk, "it was no big deal."

"You're too young to do that," Tai said.

"She can fight monsters, but apparently a club is too dangerous," Raven said.

"Weiss is the one you should be worried about," Yang said. "She had guys on her tail all night."

"I did not!" Weiss said.

"But seriously, that guy was into you," Neptune said, not helping anything. "I could tell."

"Shut up," Weiss said, but she sounded flattered.

"Guy?" Winter said warily.

"You know, Winter, we should spend some time together," Weiss changed the subject, "since you're not going out on the field. And I don't really want to help break up a...whatever it is. I've had enough of ruffians."

"Could have fooled me," Neptune said.

"Keep talking." Yang made a fist at him.

"You started it," he said.

"Well, I suppose," Winter allowed. "But I think we should talk about last night."

"You should talk about it," Yang said meaningfully. She'd seen Winter with the cape.

Winter frowned at her.

"Yay, go team," Mercury muttered. "Everyone's got stuff to do except me."

"It's okay. I have a job for you," Shine said before anyone else could speak.

Mercury was a bit caught off guard.

Even more so when Shine and Wally both sat him down in one of the study rooms upstairs.

"What is this, an interrogation?" he asked.

"He catches on fast." Wally was eating chips.

Shine leaned on the back of a chair.

"Mercury, what have you been doing?" she asked somberly.

He raised an eyebrow.

"We know it was you, kid," Wally said, between bites. "You let whoever it was into the school last night."

Mercury had a feeling of being busted.

But he tried to act calm. "That's a pretty big assumption to make without proof."

"Do we need proof?" Shine asked. "We can call Robyn back in here if you want. Then you'd have to sing like a canary."

Mercury scowled.

"Before we go to someone else with it," Shine said. "I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself. If you say you were forced, we can be more lenient."

Mercury tilted his head.

"Why wouldn't he just say that anyway then?" Wally asked.

"I'm pretty good at knowing when people are lying." Shine folded her hands under her chin. "And we can confirm it later. How bad do you want this to be?"

"I can't believe you're just accusing me of this," Mercury said, "without any real proof. I should be the one asking you what happened."

They exchanged a look.

"Besides, if Cinder was here, she'd have gone for the Maidens," Mercury said. "So that's crazy."

"Not if she knew to look under the school." Shine caught him so easily. "Which is where they went. I assume she'd want the Summer Maiden first, you know, since Salem wants the Sword. Watts wanted revenge on Cinder--he's probably in on this, right?"

Mercury began to look more nervous, despite his best efforts.

"Nailed it," Shine said to Wally.

"You think you're right," Mercury said. "So why did you bring me in her? To kill me? Blackmail me? Lock me up?"

"I want to know what you did to Cinder," Shine said. "I'm betting it was her. The evidence supports that more than Tyrian. I know she didn't catch Vara. So what happened?"

Mercury realized that Shine had always said she didn't care that much if they went after Cinder--maybe he could play this off the right way.

"Well...you got me," he said, holding up his hands. "Watts and I were both a little pissed off at Cinder after Atlas. I mean, she tried to kill Em and him, both. So we might have set up a little trap to let the crazy scientist woman capture her. That way, I figure, it doesn't hurt us any if she transfers the power to literally anyone but Cinder."

Wally couldn't tell if he was bluffing or not.

Shine studied him.

"And that's all?" she asked.

"Yeah," Mercury said. "I didn't take her to the Summer Maiden."

That was true.

Shine pursed her lips.

"I didn't think you cared about Cinder," Mercury said. "So what if we set her up? One less problem."

"Mercury, have you considered what Victoria might do with those powers if she succeeds?" Shine said.

"I figure it's better than Cinder." Mercury honestly thought that was true.

"There are worse things than a power-hungry idiot," Shine said. "A power-hungry genius is one of them."

"Yeah, whatever," Mercury said. "Cinder won't escape her for a while. Isn't that better for you?"

"A moment," Shine said.

She and Wally stepped out.

"Is he legit?" Wally asked.

"No," Shine said. "He's probably not wrong about Cinder, but Watts would never let Vara slip away. He knows Salem will not be forgiving without the Relic. And depriving her of Cinder would only anger her further."

"Oh, right," Wally said. "Wow, you're good at this." He patted Shine's hair.

"He can't think we're this stupid..." Shine mused. "Unless he's just stalling."

"Okay...but hear me out--Cinder being captured could be a good thing for now," Wally said, "as long as Kanap doesn't succeed."

"We don't know how much she learned after last time," Shine said. "She must be hiding in the maze if I couldn't find her. I hate to say it...but we might have to find Cinder... Ugh." She made a face.

"I know she's the worst," Wally said, "but...there has to be a better way to get rid of her than letting her become a human guinea pig--I mean, some human dignity at least."

"I suppose Mercury would probably know where she is," Shine said resolutely.

She opened the door--Mercury was nowhere in sight.

"Mercury?" 

She stepped in.

"Where is he?" Wally followed her.

"This feels like a trick." Shine turned in time to see Mercury behind the door--but then he threw something on the floor, and it exploded into light--and zapped them.

Shine had never had her Aura attacked--at least Remnant style--and wasn't sure right off what the feeling of her whole soul going empty was... It was possible it didn't affect her quite the same way as anyone else.

Wally felt like he went numb.

"Sorry, suckers," Mercury said. "But I can't risk you figuring it out now."

He took out his scroll.

"Hey...we might have a change of plans," he said.

Shine was still conscious, even if she was immobilized, and she gave him a reproachful look.

Mercury turned away. "I might need some help bringing them in... Where's the kid?"

* * *

Winter and Weiss were having tea at one of only two tea shops in Vacuo--at least that wasn't privately owned for elite people--not that many of those.

"Well, this is nice." Weiss was hoping Winter had forgotten about the club.

Ruby and Blake had gone with them for extra security, per the rules, but it was a pretty open establishment, so doubtful anyone would attack them.

Ruby was bored already and on her scroll with Oscar talking about the weapon upgrade he wanted to ask Pietro for today.

"I think it's really cool, but if you had a gun, it would be even better," she was arguing. "What? No! It's not too much! It's essential!... Oh...yeah, that could work."

"Ruby, should I just leave you alone with your scroll?" Blake asked, sipping her tea and flipping the menu over.

"Huh?" Ruby wasn't listening to her.

Weiss sighed. "Well, some things never change."

"Indeed...however, at least her enthusiasm is turning a useful direction," Winter said. "Now...about last night. What happened?"

"It was nothing, really." Weiss wasn't making eye contact. "Just a little hustle at the bar."

"Bar?!"

"No, I was just getting juice," Weiss said hastily. "But the bartender was being a real pig--and someone else stepped in. I thought they were going to make it worse, but then--"

She stopped and looked at the corner.

Meridian was sitting at one table with another guy who was probably his teammate, making a tower out of teacakes.

Meridian looked up and saw her looking, then winked 😉.

Weiss reddened.

"What?" Winter turned to look.

"Nothing," Weiss said. "I just...thought I saw something weird over there, but it's just a bird. Anyway, uh...maybe we should move tables? It's kind of hot."

"Yes...even with these umbrellas, it's stifling," Winter said.

"Maybe you should change your wardrobe more," Weiss said.

Winter had only made slight adjustments to her uniform.

"I still need to look the part," Winter said...but not as firmly as usual. 

"But still..." Weiss said. "Maybe we can find more shade on the other side of the building."

Meridian got up.

"You look. I'm going to use the restroom real quick." Weiss stood up.

"Weiss, why are you nervous?" Winter didn't miss it.

"Uh...I don't want Ruby to embarrass me," Weiss lied. "That's all...I mean..."

Ruby had stood up and was saying loudly, "No, no, if you do that it will throw off the sights! Tell him that's a very bad idea! Does he even use weapons? Put him on!"

"I see," Winter said. "Well, we could find a quieter spot."

She stood up and picked up their menus.

Weiss headed for the inside.

She didn't really want to use the bathroom in a public place in this kingdom--gross.

Meridian followed her.

"Trying to give me the slip, Schnee?" he asked.

"What are you doing here?!" Weiss hissed. "Are you stalking me?"

"Why on Remnant would I do that?" Meridian said. "You're a scary Snow Tiger, remember? I come here all the time. It's close to the school. Must be fate."

"I don't believe in fate," Weiss said. "Well, leave me alone! My sister already found out I was out way too late last night, and she's going to kill me if she sees you!"

"Why? Am I special?" Meridian said.

"No! You dolt, the others already gave her the wrong idea," Weiss said. "Now just don't talk to me!"

She turned to walk away.

Meridian suddenly grabbed her and yanked her back, covering her mouth.

Weiss squirmed and swung at him.

"Shh," he said. "Someone's watching us."

"Mmm?" Weiss said.

Meridian let her go. "I thought that person looked a little suspicious already, but I'm sure of it now, they moved this way when you did."

The bathroom was on the north side of the shop, by the trash cans, but in view of some of the tables even so.

Someone had moved from the corner where Weiss and Winter were, to a table nearer the bathrooms, though they were looking at their scroll.

"You make friends fast," Meridian said.

"I have no idea who that is," Weiss said.

"This is Vacuo, lass--it could be anyone who needed a quick bob," he said.

"Are you sure they're following me?" Weiss said.

"Trust me, you learn to spot it after a while," Meridian said, fingering his weapon. "You'd best slip out the back."

"But Winter--" Weiss began.

"The older you? I'll get her," Meridian said. "Were those other two girls your friends also?"

"Yes, Ruby and Blake."

"All right, I'll let Hamish know." Meridian tapped something on his scroll. "Now, don't walk out in a hurry, just go out the bathroom window."

"Window?" Weiss said.

"They all have one. Natural light is cheaper than dust," Meridian said. "They're usually loose from people making quick getaways. We'll meet you outside."

"Okay..." Weiss said nervously.

"And don't talk to anyone if you don't know them," Meridian added. "Never know, could be a whole bunch of people hired."

Not comforting.

Weiss wondered why she was trusting this guy, but she also couldn't afford to think he was wrong and get jumped by some hooligans, so she went in the bathroom.

It was darker in there, though light did come in through a dirty window.

"This place is filthy," Weiss said, climbing on the counter disgustedly and using her sword to pry open the window. "I cannot believe how undignified this is..."

* * *

Winter waited for Weiss to come join her, and she didn't.

Getting up, she went towards the counter.

Some red-haired kid met her there.

"Schnee?" he said.

"Yes..." She narrowed her eyes.

"Don't look behind you," the kid said in a low voice. "Someone's tailing you and your sister."

"Excuse me?" Winter frowned.

"I already told her to get out, but it's going to look weird if you follow her," he said. "I figure a fancy chick like you can pull this off--go to the kitchen and complain about the food."

"What?" Winter said.

"Just do it, there's another door back there. Cooks always have another escape route to slip trash out of," the kid said. "Make a big huff about the tea, then leave. Weiss is outside...at least she better be by now."

"Do I know you?" Winter said.

"Name's Meridian. I'm a friend." He winked. "Now get going--oh, better go try the tea first."

"I don't know why I should rely on you," Winter said.

"I guess you shouldn't," Meridian said. "Take your chances then, lady. It's your funeral."

Winter frowned. "If I find this was an attempt to steal from us, I will hang you by your own belt."

"I guess the claws run in the family," Meridian winced. "She was right--you are scarier than the blonde, loud one."

He had to mean Yang--wait...was he the person they'd mentioned?

Winter was even more wary, but she decided to look for Weiss instead of having it out with this kid.

She did as he said.

* * *

"Excuse me?" A tough-looking kid approached Blake and Ruby. "My partner says you two need to get out of here."

"What?" Blake's ears went back.

Was this about her being a Faunus? But Vacuo wasn't known for racism.

"Sun's girlfriend, right?" The guy frowned at her. "Cat ears...I remember."

"Sun?" Blake said.

"Old friend of ours," the guy said. "Trust me. If he says there's trouble, I buy it. He's never been wrong."

Blake looked at Ruby, who'd only half listened to that.

"Ruby, I think we should go," she said in a low voice.

Ruby looked up. "Oh...hang on, Oscar--" She put the scroll to her shoulder. "Why?"

"Trouble," Blake said.

Ruby knew by now not to question it.

"Okay." She got up.

They followed the guy out of the tea shop.

Unfortunately, they were jumped immediately.

The guy, Hamish, picked up a club off his back and swung at the attackers, who were wearing camouflage colors.

They had dust sewn in their clothes also, which they used to cast ice and fire at the three.

Blake used her semblance to evade getting stuck, but they caught Ruby by the end of her cape in the last second.

"Hey, let go!" She tugged at it.

Blake turned back. "Let her go!" She fired her gun at the attackers.

Hamish tried to club the ice to break Ruby free, but one of them threw something at him that exploded into something like a concussion bomb.

Hamish fell back, eyes rolled back in his head.

Blake's four ears were ringing, and she felt dizzy and nauseous.

"We don't need her," one of them said, sounding muffled.

Blake stumbled back, trying to run, and one of them hit her with a stick. She fell over.

* * *

Weiss heard some kind of fight happening, and, forgetting Meridian's warning, rushed back towards the shop in time to see some people putting Ruby into a large covered crate on wheels.

"Hey!" she cried, holding out her sword.

They looked at her.

"Jackpot," one said.

"Sorry, girlie," said another.

Weiss began to summon something, but then something hit her in the back.

She groaned as her Aura seemed to break instantly. The summoning vanished.

"That b---h was right, this does make our job a snap," said one of the thugs. They were all masked.

"Like robbing a half dead sheep," said another, kicking Weiss to the ground and pulling her arms back before she could do anything--not that she could do anything.

Then they put something over her face so she couldn't scream.

"Hey!" Meridian had followed her in time.

They looked up at him and then one threw something that exploded into smoke, blinding him.

Meridian jumped into the fray anyway but started choking on it.

"The frick is this...?" He felt lightheaded.

Winter came out right then.

"What happened?" She looked at the smoke, then she summoned wind and blew it away.

Meridian continued to cough.

"Feels like gas---" he said, leaning back.

"Where's Weiss?" Winter demanded.

"Some--" Meridian used some choice words. "--got her and I think one of the other chicks too. They ran off... Smoke... Didn't see which way they went."

"They can't be far." Winter rose into the air.

"Wait, lady, it's not a good idea to go after them alone--" Meridian coughed.

"Call for help, but I can't lose them," Winter insisted. She spotted some shady figures going along one street and flew that way.

Meridian eyed Hamish and Blake, who were both out cold, and shook his head.

"Call for help...from who..?" he muttered. "Wait...Theo."

[Fingers crossed that's a good idea.]

* * *

Winter landed in time to head off the ruffians.

They looked at her.

"I'm going to give you one warning." Winter held out her sword, eyes glowing. "Release them."

"What's that?" One of the guys sounded scared.

"Stick to the plan," another one hissed.

He held up a switch. "I wouldn't do anything--if I press this button, the whole cart explodes with your sister and her little friend in it."

Winter frowned.

Take the switch, then? She could do that.

"Who sent you?" She tried to distract them.

"That's not something we're going to answer," said one.

"I thought we didn't know who it was," said one who was not the brightest bulb 💡 in the shack.

"Shut up," the others hissed. "Money is money."

Winter narrowed her eyes. "Do you know who I am?"

"Judging by that fancy uniform, you're Atlas," said one. "That's all we need to know. Jude?"

One of them shot something at Winter's feet. It exploded into smoke.

Winter covered her mouth and nose with one hand.

She started to sweep it away, and instead it exploded into electricity.

With her new Aura, this was not enough to fry her, but it did startle her enough to make her jump back, and one of the thugs had slipped around her while she was distracted and proceeded to shoot her with a dart.

Winter put her hand to her neck.

"I love these new toys," Jude said. "I hope we get to keep them. Night, night, Atlas."

Winter's vision went black.

* * *

Raven was sitting on the wall of Shade when Theo came out.

"Branwen," he said.

"Theo." Raven had not talked to him much since the big reveal, with good reason.

"We've got a problem," Theo said. "One of my old students just called me, said that the Schnee girl and your niece just got jumped by some hired thugs, but they had weapons that were way too good for street scum of Vacuo to have."

"Kanap." Raven stood up.

"I can't believe Vic would do this twice without telling me," Theo said. "She's up to something new, or it's not her and someone else found her hideout after you all trashed it. Either way, this is not good. I know this student--he's tough, but he sounded like he was immobilized on the call. If they went for Rose and Schnee, then they might go for--"

"Yang," Raven said.

"Yeah, but let's not rush in blind," Theo said. "I'm trying to get a hold of Qrow, but service is always spotty that far out in the kingdom. You could get there faster--do not fly too close to the ground. Anyone could be looking for us."

Raven frowned at him.

"How do I know you didn't set this up?" she said.

"Because it doesn't get me anything if I did," Theo said. "Vara's out. I have no reason to set this up. You'd all suspect me anyway. Maybe that's what they want. Something about this isn't right, though. Vic wouldn't make this move out of nowhere."

"Newsflash, Theo--she's crazy," Raven said. "I should know. You haven't seen her real side if you really think she wouldn't do this."

"If that's true, we're in trouble," Theo said. "Get Qrow. By the way, your livewire friend? I can't find her inside. Did she go out?"

"She wasn't going out, the last I heard..." Raven said. "Everyone was in groups who left the school... Belladonna went with Rose and Schnee. Where is she?"

"No clue," Theo said. "But your kid went with Qrow. He'll know something is up if you show up there. Use your head though."

Raven gave a scornful look, then she turned into a bird.

This was her first time doing this actually since getting captured--she'd had little reason to--and it wasn't the most pleasant thing to remember Victoria's forcing her to do it.

As she flew over Vacuo--she was surprised to see another winged figure flying.

She flew closer.

It was Kip... He looked agitated.

"It's not right," he was saying, when she got close. "It's not right. It's not right. But should I really...?"

He noticed Raven suddenly and turned around.

"Corvus Corax!" he said. "Not native to the desert of Vacuo--I deduce that this is, in fact, the magical variety..."

Kid wasn't stupid.

Raven cawed at him rudely.

"Flying in this kind of heat is not advised," Kip said. "But I had to get some air... However, for small, cooler climate species, it would perhaps be unwise to expose them to too much sun."

Raven didn't think ravens really did that badly in heat.

"Goodbye," Kip said.

He took off.

Raven flew after him.

Kip looked back. "Not hostile!" he cried. "Clear air space!"

Did this kid talk in only weird expressions?

Then something very weird happened--Raven turned back into a human--200 feet in the air.

"What the--?" She fell.

She tried to summon her magical powers---and that didn't work. Fire blazed in her eyes and then went out again.

"May Day!" Kip called. "May Day!"

He dove after her and caught her by her arm about 50 feet up.

"Weight...not...geared...for extra...human..." he strained. "Not designed to carry without special boosters--"

"Then activate them!" Raven looked down. 

"Low on dust fuel," Kip said. "If I activate them now, we won't make it to the ground--alive."

"Low on dust fuel?"

"I was supposed to be home by now..." he said sheepishly. "But if I lower us in intervals..."

He let them fall 15 feet and then stopped.

Then another 15 feet...

About 20 feet high still, his wings made a weird clanking sound, and they fell the rest of the way.

Kip tried to veer to the side and managed to tail spin into a shop awning and then hit the ground.

Raven hit a roof and then fell off of it, groaning.

Thanks to Aura, she wasn't dead, but that had hurt. Her Aura shimmered.

"Damage...negligible..." Kip groaned, picking himself up. "Pain...not so much."

"Little brat." Raven didn't even bother to acknowledge that he'd just saved her life...sort of.

She tried to push herself up.

Kip came up and held out a hand. "Damage assessment?"

"Get away from me." Raven swung at him. "Once was enough. Are you looking for Yang?"

"Angry Girl?" Kip said. "No...no...but Mother is looking for you." He looked guilty after saying that. "I wasn't supposed to inform you..."

"If she's stupid, she'll find me." Raven clenched her fist. "Where is she hiding out, boy? Speak up."

"Information not available..." Kip muttered. "Dangerous."

"You want to see dangerous?" Raven tried again to summon her powers...fire came into her hand.

"Magic?" Kip said, panicking. "No! Danger! You shouldn't use magic unsupervised!"

He pulled out something and pointed it at her.

The magic disappeared.

Raven frowned. "You idiot!" she said. "What have you done?"

"Neutralize..." Kip sounded nervous.

"Fine, we'll do this the hard way." Raven put her hand to her sword.

"Kip?" Mercury came around a corner, holding some kind of tracker. "There you are, you giant idiot. Your mother is--" He paused and looked at Raven.

She looked at him, then she swore. "I knew it--I knew you were dirty."

"No magic?" Mercury looked at her. "Well, isn't this convenient."

"Lay one hand on me, Black, and it'll be the last thing you'll ever do." Raven held out her sword to him.

"Wait, don't hurt him!" Kip grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me, you fool. Don't you see he's trying to--" Raven got no further than that. Mercury kicked her in the head, and she was KO-ed.

"Hey!" Kip said.

"What, she said not to lay a hand on her." Mercury brushed himself off. "So I didn't. Don't you do a thing, or I'm telling your mom you were out."

Kip winced.

[Low blow, Merc.]

https://youtu.be/sMzcjKa8zKQ

[Bastille--Icarus. Song is a reference to Kip crashing, since he is based on Icarus. Also Mercury's whole state.

This is the end of the arc.]