Oscar, Ruby, and Theo heard from the others that the airship had gone down...but they decided to go to Beacon anyway. Oscar thought that Shine would have portaled everyone off and straight there if she had to.

He forgot that Cinder probably couldn't have used the portals.

* * *

Wally and Cinder just ended up at Beacon, like Shine predicted.

Wally blow-dried them both, to Cinder's annoyance, as it made her feel stiff.

She was mad anyway.

"Ugh, I can't believe that happened again!" she fumed.

"You know, you've really gotta get that anger thing under control," Wally mused.

"Shut up, you imbecile," Cinder said. "We should just go get the Relic now and get out of here before something else happens."

"Can't do that without Shine," Wally said.

"Why is she the only one who can do that?"

"I dunno, we have different gifts," Wally said.

"Why are you so useless?" Cinder turned her back.

"I just saved your life," Wally said. He frowned. "But I guess you're above gratitude, huh?"

"We both know that you and Likstar only did that because you need me," Cinder said. "Or you'd have let me drown or get eaten."

She scowled at the stone streets.

"Do you really think that?" Wally asked, shaking his head. "You still don't get it. If we wanted that, we could have let Victoria kill you, or the others. We could have got your dumb powers anytime we wanted. Heck, I'm not sure we even need to kill you. Maybe we could just take them."

Cinder glanced back--which was hard for her to do with one eye.

"This whole set up?" Wally gestured around. "Shine is trying to save you. You're kind of dumb, you know that?"

"Why?" Cinder said. "She hates me."

That almost sounded like a real question.

"Shine doesn't hate anyone," Wally said. "She's cool like that. And I try not to either. Hate just eats you up from inside. It hasn't done you any favors, has it? It's hard to go around saving people if you're busy hating them. Hard to do anything you enjoy, really."

"I don't need to hear this." Cinder frowned.

"I think you do." Wally folded his arms. "I think you've needed to hear that forever. I don't know your story--Shine told me a little--but I think it's a real shame."

"I don't want your pity," Cinder said.

"I wasn't offering it," Wally said.

Cinder realized even he had an edge.

"I really don't feel sorry for you," Wally said. "I just think it's a shame that people dedicate their time to hurting other people. I've met a lot of people like you, actually. We call them supervillains where I come from. My friends and I all figured that the power we have is to help other people with. Why else should anyone be stronger than anyone else? But people like you just try to get on top, and when you can't, you blame us for stopping you. You're not that hard for me to figure out. I could meet a dozen of you at home in one week and think nothing of it."

Cinder didn't know how to take that.

"So?" she said.

"So, we still save them," Wally said. "Because people are people. Good or not. That's our philosophy. It's not up to us to judge them. Let people without powers and temptations like us do that. I can't say I've never thought about using my power for stuff I shouldn't, like you...but I think I wouldn't be happy if I did. I'd be all alone, at the top, with no one to make it interesting. That's not worth anything."

He frowned at her. "I know you think I'm an idiot. Most people do...But you know what? I don't care that much. Because I've always been happier just caring about people and trying to make their lives better, and letting them do the same for me if they want, than I've ever seen anyone who's like you be. In fact, the only time I ever saw one of those guys happy was when they were doing some good to others."

He rubbed his head. "Shine thinks that everyone should get a second chance, and that everyone is capable of good. I agree with her. That's...actually kind of what brought us together, I think. But you know, the reality is we can't save everyone. And some people never change. So you know, you can just ignore us and do what you want to do, and we'll get it because we've seen it before. A bunch of times. But I don't think you should just get to walk away from this without having to admit that we were really trying to help you. You don't have to thank us, but at least own up to it. That's something. Even if you think we're stupid. But don't go saying it was just to use you. That's just insulting."

Cinder didn't know what to say--sure, she wanted to insult him, but she didn't understand him that well.

What was wrong with these people?

"You're just like those children," she said, "misguided, thinking you can save the world."

"Well, who wouldn't save the world if they could? We all live here," Wally replied.

Cinder didn't care for his simple way of looking at it.

"But the world will be reborn," she said.

"Someday, sure," Wally said. "But do you really think burning it down is the way that'll happen? I mean, maybe...but even if you had all the Relics and all the powers, I don't think you could recreate the world. I don't think you know how to. I've heard how the Relics work--they're way too limited...so what if you just damaged it beyond repair? You kind of remind me of Luthor a little...but he never understood what life is really about."

[You know, there was one Superman movie I liked, All-Star Superman, where Luthor succeeds in killing Superman but also experiences what it's like to have his powers for one day. In the best scene of the movie, Luthor has a moment of understanding what everything was all about, that is was all connected.

Superman then depowers him. And Luthor says, "I could have saved the world."

And Superman replies that he could have too.

After that, Luthor accepts his own death, because he knows he ultimately failed, and decides to just give the world another chance to have a Superman.]

"I don't know who that is," Cinder said.

"Doesn't matter," Wally shrugged. "Look...Cinder, why do you do this? Why do you have to be the most powerful?"

He said it so normally that it made her want to scream.

"I don't have to explain myself to you!" she said.

"No, you don't," Wally agreed. "I was just asking. Usually you guys like to monologue. But hey, I've always been willing to hear people out. I figure it's only fair. A lot of bad guys are just hurting a lot under the surface. They don't know how to deal with life or with being freaks of nature, so they hurt people to feel important. Some of them never give that up, but others, they realize that they don't have to be alone, and that's enough for them."

"I assure you that's not enough for me."

"Shame. We could have been friends if it was."

"Friends?" Cinder scoffed. "That would never happen. I don't want friends anyway--that's banal."

"Easy to say if you've never had any." Wally got her back so hard she wasn't ready for it. "But maybe if you had, you'd feel different."

"Oh, ask your woman--I'm not capable of love," Cinder said sardonically. "And I don't want to be. Love is just a weakness."

"How do you know that? Have you ever felt it?"

"I've seen it. It makes you hold back when you could win," Cinder said.

Wally gave her a long look. "But what if it takes more strength to hold back sometimes? What if it takes more power to give ourselves up for someone than to kill them? What if that's true courage?"

Cinder just gave him a strange look.

"I don't mean to get all sappy," Wally said, "but I guess it's in the book. Greater love has no one than they lay down their life for their friends. I know a lot of people who'd do that without a second thought. I'm really lucky. I've realized that since I came here..."

"You wouldn't give up your life for these people," Cinder said. "I'm not entirely oblivious--they don't like you that much."

She said this to hurt him.

"They'd probably leave you to die if it came down to it," she added. "All your efforts go for nothing. It's pointless to try to be the hero. They don't respect you. They'd follow you more if you used power."

"What if I don't want respect at the price of pushing people around?"

"Then you're a fool," Cinder said.

"Why?" Wally said. "Why is it foolish to just decide you don't want to get something in that way? It's not that important to me to be respected. I get that it bothers some people when they aren't, but I figure it's other people's problem if they don't respect me. I should just respect myself and be better than that."

"Your girlfriend throws her weight around," Cinder said.

"Well, Cindy--" Wally appeared behind her, holding a rock up.

Cinder whirled around, stunned.

"I could do that." Wally tossed the rock up and down very quickly, like he was paddleboarding. "But I figure it's not that important. I just want to help people. Sure, I want other things too. I think we all want to be appreciated...but I can be that without hurting people. I've seen it. I mean, you're looking at a guy who has his own Day back in his home city, and a museum. So I don't really need anything else, I figure. Better than that, I have people who really care about me, who know I'm not perfect, and they don't care. The best thing is when you know people who could crush you like a bug if they wanted to, but they never would, because they like you. It's a real power trip."

Cinder gaped at him.

Wally handed her the rock. "Or you can have people fear you. And you might get what you want... but you'll never get any more than that. People who love you always go above and beyond what you expect or want from them. Fear just gets you the bare minimum. I guess if that's enough for you, but I want more than that. And maybe you're right, maybe the people here don't like us... but I have friends who do like me, I have Shine, and I have faith too. So even if everyone else hates us, someone is always on my side. So... honestly? I really, really don't care that much. Actually, it's been kind of nice to be away from the hero worship for a while. It gets old sometimes. And I've had to earn the respect of people here instead of just getting it for having powers and one-liners. I kind of like that. It's been nice to see I can do that without being the cool hero. So I'm not complaining."

Cinder frowned at him.

"Well, this got heavy," Wally noted. "We should probably find Glynda, because I think the ocean broke my phone--I mean scroll. Unless you have one."

"I have one, but if you think for one second I'm going to--" Cinder began.

"Right, you don't have anyone's number," Wally cut her off. "Let's just go. Oh, try not to look too suspicious, all right? That outfit is kind of not subtle..."

"Shut up!" Cinder said. "And don't think you've convinced me, by the way."

"I wasn't really thinking that," Wally said. "But thanks for making sure I didn't get the wrong idea. I'd hate to be disappointed later."

He took off--way too fast.

"Oops." He slowed down. "Right..."

Cinder irritatedly hurried to catch up. It bothered her that he was that much faster.

Also that she'd had so little to say to him to counter his babble... Why did she never have an answer?

He infuriated her just as much as Shine did, because if he was less offensive, he wasn't any more worried about her powers, and she knew that attacking him wouldn't scare him at all.

She didn't have that much time to worry about it though, because finding Glynda proved to be easy. Getting Glynda not to kill Cinder on sight, on the other hand--

"You!" was her first word after greeting Wally and then noticing Cinder behind him.

"Wait!" Wally held up his hands.

"Out of my way." Glynda pushed her glasses up and shoved Wally aside with her free hand and held up her riding crop with the other.

Cinder, who could feel that her magic wasn't anywhere near enough yet to handle Glynda, backed up.

"You have some nerve just showing up here," Glynda said.

"Glynda, I brought her here," Wally said. "She's with us."

"Excuse me?" Glynda said in utter disbelief.

"Not really with you--" began Cinder.

"Don't help," Wally cut her off. "Look, Miss Goodtree--"

"Goodwitch," Glynda corrected.

"Right, like The Wizard of Oz..." Wally shook his head. "This is all part of our plan."

"And what plan is that?" Glynda asked. "This woman is a menace and the current Fall Maiden. I know you know about that."

"Yeah, exactly," Wally said.

"She killed Ozpin," Glynda said.

"To be fair, she's only the latest in a long line of people who've done that," Wally said. "And she knew he'd come back, so not as murder-y as it sounds."

"That justifies nothing," Glynda said. "She also killed Amber."

"Yeah, I know all that," Wally said. "Look, can we just talk about this? Somewhere less...likely for people to come?"

"The school is still being repaired," Glynda said. "But I suppose the dining area is mostly back together. If the police see her here, she's going to be arrested immediately. You'd better have a very good explanation for this."

"Heh..." Wally had no idea how he was going to explain without Shine.

* * *

The plane reached Vale in pretty good time and so far without any interruption.

"I was sure we'd run into Grimm on the way," Oscar said.

"Don't jinx us," Theo said.

"Wow..." Ruby looked out the window. "The last time I saw Beacon from this far away, I was landing there for school. Was that really a year ago?"

"I hadn't seen the damage in person," Theo said. "But doesn't look quite as bad as on TV. I guess Goodwitch made more progress since then."

"Well, yeah," Oscar said. "Shine and Wally took care of the Wyvern that Ruby left on the tower."

"Hey, I mostly killed it," Ruby said. "They just finished it."

"I know," Oscar said.

He felt Ozpin stir... Maybe he was getting his strength back.

He gripped his staff/spear. He hoped Ozpin didn't make him have a fit in front of Glynda--his shared memory of her was that she was pretty terrifying.

So this was where Ruby grew up, huh? Or almost... before he'd even been a part of the team... It was so different seeing it in person--how damaged it looked. And this was after months of repairs.

But notably there were hardly any Grimm around--at least in the kingdom.

But...

"Picking up some bogeys," the pilot announced.

"Uh oh." Theo looked out the back window. "I hope it's not more bugs."

Oscar looked too and frowned.

"No, it's not bugs."

In fact, it wasn't that many Grimm at all.

But they were very fast.

They looked like big bats, almost, but faster, wings with sharp edges, not unlike the dragon Grimm.

And like the Wyvern, they flew over Beacon and Vale and dropped black goo.

"Oh no," Ruby said.

She put a hand to her eyes. "I can stop them. Open the door."

"What?" The pilot said.

"Just do it!" Ruby and Theo both yelled.

The pilot opened the door.

"Circle around," Theo said.

The pilot muttered some choice words but did so.

Once Ruby had a clear view of them, she closed her eyes. She thought of how much she wanted to protect Oscar and Theo and Vale. This was her home, after all.

It wasn't that hard. By now she was used to it.

She opened her eyes, and white light blasted out at a huge radius.

All the Grimm in sight evaporated...which was all the Grimm, as it turned out.

"Whoa!" The pilot must not have heard of Ruby yet. "How did you do that?"

"Nevermind that, just land, you idiot," Theo said. "That was probably just the first wave. We need to do what we came to."

Thankfully, when the pilot said he had Headmaster Theo on board, they let him in. Vale and Vacuo had been on better terms since the war, and Vale probably was hoping he was here to help.

They landed.

"Shine's not picking up," Oscar said, as they got off the plane. "In fact none of them have. I don't know who went with them, but I tried Jaune and Pyrrha."

"Let's just head for Beacon," Ruby said. "I'm sure they went to find Professor Goodwitch, since they know her."

"Oh, she's fun," Theo said.

Ruby winced. "I hope she's not really mad. I haven't seen her since Beacon fell."

[Hard to believe none of the main cast except Qrow was included when Shine went to Beacon in this story. Go figure.]

It was a bit of a walk to Beacon, but Ruby sped them there with her Semblance, no problem.

Not a moment too soon either.

But when they came to the door, they saw huntsmen outside--one of the black things that the Grimm had dropped was out here... They were all over, but they hadn't turned into walking Grimm like the Wyvern's had.

"Huh, why isn't it moving?" Oscar asked.

The object was just sitting there. It looked like a big seed pod.

"Well, we can't trust it." One of the Vale huntsmen was saying, "Let's just destroy it now."

"I've never seen a Grimm that looked like that," Theo said.

The huntsmen stuck fire dust in it and blew it up--or at least that's what they intended to do.

But instead of dissipating, the seed-pod-shaped thing suddenly shot up into what looked uncommonly like a mushroom or toadstool, with a cap.

"What...?" Ruby paused before going up Beacon's courtyard.

The top of the toadstool exploded, and black dust flew out.

"Get inside," Theo said at once.

"What?" Ruby said again.

"Do it, now. Use your Semblance," Theo said.

He pulled an electric fan out of his belt.

[While cliché, I guess it makes sense he'd have that with Vara's sensitivity to heat.]

Ruby took Oscar by the hand and burst into rose petals.

She dashed them into the door of the school, which wasn't that far away, and then she stopped.

Oscar was a little dizzy, but when his vision stopped spinning, he and Ruby saw the black spores were landing on the huntsmen...and everyone else.

They suddenly began to scream.

The dust was sizzling on the skin, even going through their Aura and eating away at it, it looked like. And red, irritated marks were appearing where it did that.

Theo blew it away from himself and started to run, but the dust spread faster.

"Ruby...?" Oscar said.

"I...it...it looks like it's infecting them," Ruby said oddly, "like a parasite...oh..." She covered her mouth and looked ill.

The spores were moving toward them.

"The door!" Theo yelled, seeing them. "Shut it, you morons!"

"But you--" Ruby said.

"Too late," Theo said. The spores went over his head. He pulled out his poncho and put it on. "Just shut it or you'll be next."

Ruby bit her lip and slammed the door shut.

"It's...another attack," Oscar said. "Just like the other ones... What is this, a plague?--"

Suddenly he remembered that he'd read about plagues in the book. Yes...10 of them.

Wasn't one of them flies? And frogs? Yeah...and a river...and...one of them was boils.

Oscar had never seen a boil, but he'd read the description in the footnote of a what a boil was...and it didn't sound nice at all.

"Ruby, it's a plague," he said.

"A plague?"

"Yeah, you know, like a bunch of bugs, or vermin, or a disease?" Oscar said.

"I know what a plague is Oscar, but Salem doesn't just make plagues," Ruby said. "Does she?"

"Well...it sure seems like it," Oscar said. "Shine and Wally would know what to do. Where are they?"

"Oscar?" Wally came out of the room that Ruby knew to be the dining room.

Cinder and Glynda were after him.

"Wally!" Oscar said.

"We heard screaming," Glynda said. "What's going on out there?" Her scroll suddenly buzzed. "Hang on..." She answered it.

"What? Pods?... And did they dissolve?... No? What?!"

She looked up.

"The pods have poison spores inside them," Oscar said. "Tell them not to blow them up! Now!"

"Who are you?" Glynda said.

"That's Ozpin, you idiot," Cinder said.

"That's Ozpin?" Glynda squinted at him. "What...? Nevermind." She held up her scroll. "Tell everyone not to blow up the pods. They're some kind of micro Grimm that're causing the injuries--well, if it was obvious, then why did you do it to begin with?! Yes, tell the council that! I'm occupied at the moment."

She hung up. "What is this?"

"The plagues," Oscar said.

"It is," Wally said. "I saw it in Haven. Salem's mocking us."

"You? Why are you so important?" Glynda said. "You're powerful, but I've never heard of you."

"Awful, isn't it," Cinder said, "when someone you didn't think of comes to power?"

"I don't remember asking you," Glynda said.

"Ignore her for now," Wally said. "Where did those things come from?"

"Grimm dropped them," Ruby said. "I destroyed the Grimm, but I didn't destroy the pods. Do you think I can, or would it just spread them more?"

"Well, don't try it yet," Wally said. "I'm not sure what would happen. This is pretty sick though. What is the stuff doing?"

"Mr. West, I read this list," Oscar said. "In that book that starts with the Ex? Exeunt--"

"Exodus," Wally corrected. "A mouthful I know, but you should try saying Thessalonians 5 times fast. I can't remember half the time--right, I haven't read that in a while. I'm still new to this, but wasn't one of them, like, a disease?"

"Yes, something called a boil," Oscar said. "I think that's what this is... Salem is imitating it, isn't she? Wasn't it the frogs and the flies and the river--?"

"And the gnats," Wally said.

"Gnats?" Ruby said.

"The things that knocked our airship down on the way here," Wally said.

"Do you mean to tell me that Salem is copying something she read in that stupid book?" Cinder said. "Why doesn't she just kill you?"

"Because she wants you, Cinder," Wally said. "She's gotta know you're with us by now. Maybe she thinks we captured you. She's trying to get us to crack."

https://youtu.be/ATJwk3Fu1VE

[Confession, I got the idea for this arc and the plague theme from seeing that this AMV existed, and it is as baller as all the other ones by Apotheosis. And the cover isn't bad either.]

Cinder frowned. "But she could kill me also."

"Yeah, funny how she didn't think of that," Wally said. "Oscar, Ruby, what are you doing here?"

"Professor Theodore is outside," Ruby said. "He's been hit. We have to help him. You can do something, right?"

"I don't know, but I can try," Wally said. "Just sit tight."

He rushed out the door--but some of the black stuff got in when he opened the door.

They rushed into the dining room and shut the door, stopping it from hitting them.

"Why are you here?" Cinder wasn't happy to see Ruby.

"Not for you," Ruby said, with a look they didn't quite understand. "I came to help with the Grimm--and I wasn't wrong. We weren't a second too soon!"

"I'm here to help," Oscar said. "I know where to find it."

Cinder narrowed her one eye. "And you're just going to tell me? And here I thought Ozpin was against the idea."

"He is," Oscar said. "But I'm going to do it anyway. I know that their plan is going to work."

He succeeded in striking Cinder mute for the moment.

"What plan?" Glynda said. "Mr. West was just going to tell me, though he said the rest of your team has yet to show up. I would like to know where they are."

"We don't know," Ruby said. "We thought they'd beat us here."

"The plane went down in the bay..." Cinder for once spoke without sounding smug. "They went down with it. Likstar was going to use her doorways to get them out. But they haven't shown up."

"You didn't do something to her, did you?" Oscar glanced at her. "With magic?"

"I didn't do a d--- thing," Cinder said. "I can't!"

She was pissed about that.

"Yeah, okay," Oscar said. "I believe you actually, because you need her alive for us to even trust you. Even you wouldn't be that foolish."

Cinder glared at him.

"I'm still not clear on this," Glynda said. "Ozpin, if that's you, what is going on? I haven't seen you since Beacon. I heard you were back, but you're a child."

"Ozpin isn't available right now," Oscar said. "I'm Oscar Pine."

He held out a hand.

Glynda did not take it. "I want to speak to Ozpin, if you don't mind."

"Hey!" Ruby exclaimed. "Oscar is just as capable as Ozpin--"

"It's all right, Ruby," Oscar said. "Ozpin was her boss. I think it makes sense she wants to talk to him, but like I said, he's not available." He didn't seem impudent, but he did look determined.

Glynda narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, is he going to be at any point?" she asked.

"I don't know," Oscar said. "But I can fill you in. I've been searching his memories. I don't know how long we have before he tries to--before he puts his oar in, so I'd like to explain first. You have the key to the Vault, right?"

"I..." Glynda glanced at Cinder. "Yes, I have a copy. But the elevator is broken. Ever since Miss Nikos used it."

"You didn't fix it?" Ruby said.

"I thought it was best if it was as hard as possible for anyone to get down there," Glynda said.

"Figures," Cinder said. "I had quite a time even getting to the basement when I was here a couple weeks ago."

It had been less time than that, actually, but Cinder had lost track with all the business of the last week and a half.

"You were here?" Glynda said, darkly. "But of course you were. The Grimm have been all over the place. We didn't have a moment's rest until the Wyvern was destroyed, and then they still came to the school, but it was more manageable this time. And now they're here again. If you think for one moment I intend to let you anywhere near that doo--"

"Miss Goodwitch," Oscar said, just like Ozpin would have, though he didn't know it, "the reason we're here is to save Beacon."

Glynda stopped. "What?"

"We worked it out." Oscar really meant Shine had, but he thought saying only one person might make Glynda less confident in them. "Salem will get tired of looking for the Relic like this, and she'll give us an ultimatum... The plague out there is probably the start of it, but she's trying to send the message that if we don't give up the Relic, she'll destroy Beacon again...and this time it won't leave anything standing. We both know Beacon can't survive that twice. So we're going to take the Relic out now and take it away, and maybe she'll leave Beacon alone for now."

"She won't do that," Glynda said.

"We have a plan." Ruby tried to sound confident. "And we need Cinder for it."

"I'm sorry, but if you had this wretch the whole time, why didn't one of you kill her and take the powers?" Glynda said.

Cinder glared at her.

Oscar stared at Glynda.

Funny, he'd heard this idea from his team, but it had made sense to him then, since they all hated Cinder--but he didn't know Glynda that well, and hearing her say it so quickly, so easily, and knowing that they'd done the same to Amber, rather callously, it just...hit different.

And it made him angry. The same anger he'd heard in Shine and Wally when they reacted to the idea in horror.

"I can't believe Ozpin hires people who have such a disdain for people's lives, even if they're enemies," he said warmly, and even though he looked young, somehow he didn't sound young. "I didn't think that's what we were about, taking life for power, but I guess you guys do things like that. Well, at least that makes it even more clear why I needed to come here now, before it was too late."

Glynda looked stunned that this 15-year old (Oscar had had his birthday since leaving home) was speaking to her this way.

Cinder was shocked that someone who she considered to be the same as Ozpin was so openly disagreeing with his ideas. She'd taken Amber's life with no remorse, and why should she feel bad? Ozpin had been willing to do the same thing. In fact, his hypocrisy was part of why she was so smug about the whole thing. There was no difference between Ozpin and Salem.

But this was different. This wasn't something she could just explain...

Ruby smiled at Oscar, and then she nodded. "We're not doing that," she said firmly.

"You of all people should know she's dangerous," Glynda said, meaningfully.

Meaning of course that Cinder had killed Pyrrha in front of Ruby.

Ruby knew what she meant...

She looked down for a moment. But then she looked up.

"It's doesn't matter what I feel," she said. "It's wrong."

Cinder gaped at Ruby also.

"Does Ozpin agree with this?" Glynda said.

Oscar could feel Ozpin's willpower inside him, trying to break out and say that, no, he didn't agree.

It almost choked him.

To her horror, Cinder suddenly seemed like she was feeling pain also.

"What...?" She put a hand to her chest. "What is this? What's happening?"

"Oh no, it's happening again," Ruby said.

Oscar knew that if he had a fit in front of Glynda, she'd never buy that this was something they needed to do. She'd side with Ozpin for sure.

It would be a disaster if he lost control.

Hello...he thought, upwards, I need help.

Forcing himself not to cry out in pain at Ozpin pushing, he said firmly, "Ozpin and I are still joined, so if I'm telling you this is what we're going to do, you can believe it."

Suddenly, his Aura flared just like before, like a Semblance...

In fact, this time, he was sure he could tell it felt different, more intentional.

Ozpin's force became weaker for the moment.

Glynda didn't know why that happened.

"What is this?" she said.

"That's Oscar's power," Ruby said. "Still trying to work out what exactly it is... but it's something."

Brilliant there, Ruby, Cinder thought.

But she felt different.

What was this? This was new. Oscar could stop this now? What happened on that train?

Before anyone could get too excited, however, Glynda suddenly looked at the door. "Oh no, back up!"

The black spores had seeped under the crack after all.

They came toward them like they had a mind of their own.

Oscar's Aura flashed into view again, and so did Ruby's.

Glynda used things in the room to deflect it away from her.

Cinder tried to put up a magic shield, but hers flickered--and they seemed to phase through it anyway.

The spores landed on her, and she started to scream.

She fell to the floor.