Shine and the three kids were making their way through the whale shaped grimm with disgust.

Yang and Ren were scared, Jaune was too focused on the situation to be scared...plus Shine helped.

She was muttering a song as they went, not very loud, but he caught a few words here and there.

"You are my strong tower, shelter over me, beautiful and mighty, everlasting king. You are my strong tower, fortress when I'm weak, your name is true and holy, and your face is all I seek."

"Do you think Oscar is all right?" Jaune asked her.

"Well, he's alive," Shine said. "That's all I can tell you."

Then they rounded a corner and saw Oscar standing there, and Emerald.

They'd just seen Salem, but she'd heard intruders and rushed off, now they were really hurrying.

Oscar almost didn't register it, he was just focused on walking.

"Oscar?" Yang said.

"Guys?" Oscar said.

"Oh my gosh," Shine's eyes got huge when she saw the state he was in. She went full mom mode.

"What did they do to you?" she rushed up and took a close look at his face. "Oh my...you poor baby..." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay? How are you even walking..."

Emerald stared at her weirdly.

"Who the h-- is this?" she said. "And you...I thought I sensed some weak minds."

"You," Yang lifted her gun at Emerald, who took a step back.

"No, it's okay, she's with us," Oscar said. "She helped me escaped." he winced. "And...I'm okay, Miss Lik-- I mean Shine. I mean, I don't think anything is broken...badly..."

"Badly?" Shine said, "I'm going to cry...."

She gingerly put an arm around him. "I'd hug you real tight but I don't want to hurt you...you know how worried I've been? At least I knew you had to be alive..though...Did Wally find you yet?"

"Yeah, but he's looking for Hazel. Hazel is coming with us, but we have to hurry, because the lamp is going to be gone," Oscar said.

"Oh." Shine said. "'Kay."

"Wait a minute, Hazel is joining us?" Ren responded. "I'm not so sure about that, or her," he looked at Emerald warily.

"Come on," Oscar said. "It's all okay, I'll explain later."

"You're going to have to try to summarize," Yang frowned. "Because I'm not bringing her with us."

"Yang Xiao Long," Shine said in the tone she'd have heard her mother use if she had grown up with her at all. "Put the gauntlet down right now before I slice off the tip of your gun."

"But she's--" Yang looked at Shine angrily.

"I don't care, Oscar says it's all right then, then it's all right," Shine pointed. "Let's get out of here before Salem finds us. I can feel her close by." She shuddered.

"Thanks Shine," Oscar thought.

"Okay...fine, but you will explain later," Jaune said.

"Hey, at least I know the way out," Emerald said. "Are you coming?" She started walking.

Shine could see how nervous she was just from her position and voice.

"What happened to her?" She asked. "What did Salem do?"

"I think it was more hearing about it," Oscar said. "I told them the truth...They want out."

"What?" Yang shot him a look of disbelief. "Are you stupid, you did that?"

"Oscar, you genius!" Shine clapped her hands together. "Of course...oh my gosh I'm so proud of you--I mean I'm livid at Salem and I'm upset because you're beat up, but like, the other part is pride. I couldn't have planned this better if I asked for it to be gift wrapped...I mean...except the part where you got hurt."

"I don't mind that part, if it works out, it was worth it," Oscar managed. "I mean, to make an omelet, you break a few eggs right? I just broke a few ribs..." [Give crumbling cube credit for the idea for this joke]

"Not funny," Shine said, "gosh you sound like Wally."

"Maybe both of you have rubbed off on me then," Oscar winced. "I kind of got the idea from you."

"That's so sweet," Shine said.

"Ew, stop being sappy," Yang said. "It's really weird. It's not like you're his mom."

"I wish if I was a mom that my kid would be ss smart as Oscar is," Shine shot back. "What's it to you if I like him? Is it hurting you?"

"Okay we don't need to fight," Jaune said.

"You're right Jaune," Shine shrugged. "That's stupid at a time like this. Sorry... can you boost Oscar's aura?"

"I think it'll have to wait," Oscar said.

"It's okay, I can do it while we walk," Jaune said. "And you're not gonna make it like that."

He held out his hands.

Emerald looked back at him nervously.

They made it almost out of the mouth of the whale...before...

Salem suddenly appeared almost out of nowhere, some gross crevice probably.

She eyed them all with hatred.

Emerald, understandably freaked out, tried to run, and Salem grabbed her with black goo.

"You really have been honing that semblance of yours," she said in her ear.

Emerald began breathing hard.

The others tried to shoot at her and black hands rose up out of the ground and grabbed them, even Oscar.

Shine was the only one they didn't grab, some reached for her, but her aura shimmered and they pulled back.

She drew her sword.

"Let the girl go," she said.

Wally came rushing in with Hazel.

"Hey good news--" he stopped.

Hazel punched him suddenly and he hit the ground hard.

Shine gasped.

"This one tried to stop me," Hazel said to Salem. "I see you caught the others."

"Yes," Salem said. "The lamp is gone..."

She glanced at Shine.

Black hands came out of the ground and grabbed Wally before he could get up.

"Babe," Shine hissed. "Don't let those things touch you, make them back off."

"Ouch..." Wally groaned . "I don't know how..."

He sounded kind of freaked out actually.

Shine was surprised. Why didn't he just try to vibrate out of them...

Then she noticed the magic circles under them.

Oh...this could be a problem.

Salem pushed Emerald into the wall where more arms grabbed her.

"What did you do with the lamp?" she asked, holding up her hand. Black magic formed in it.

Shine looked at it and knew it was evil.

"N-Nothing..." Emerald swallowed.

"It's missing," Salem leaned closer.

Shine wasn't bothered by Salem so much as she wasn't sure she could take her if Hazel was backing her up. He was just brute force, she wouldn't have an easy time against him...and this whale was like a life sucking death trap of magical and profane powers...

She glanced at Hazel...and then she thought she read his expression...oh...he was bluffing...trying to buy the kids' time.

"I didn't do anything with it..." Emerald said, trying to lean away from Salem.

"Where is it?" Salem turned to look at the others. The arms pushed Oscar up off the floor.

Shien took this chance to make a sign to Hazel like "you?"

He shook his head.

Shine mentally ran through who could have taken it...Only Tyrian or Neo or Mercury... Why would any of them bother?

Mercury maybe?

Then Hazel shook his head like he didn't know the answer.

Shine pursed her lips...okay then it didn't matter. They just had to get out of here instead.

But if she struck at the wrong moment here, Salem might hurt one of the kids. Why wasn't Wally breaking free?"

She motioned at him to fight the claw things, but he looked at her nervously like he didn't understand.

Or was he just...terrified?

Shine looked at Salem then at him.

Was Wally actually...afraid of her? [Only Shine would find that idea surprising, right?]

True, she radiated evil...but Shine felt no fear.

Salem sidled up to Oscar. "Look how you've diminished, how you've lessened yourself, and for what?"

She didn't seem to notice that Shine was not being held down...or she thought Hazel had her and it didn't matter. She clearly focused on Ozpin more.

"These children? This ruined world?" Salem went on.

She has no idea what ruined worlds are like, Shine thought to herself. She should see Apokalips sometime. What a mess...Lashina would have laughed at this version of a ruined world...that made her feel sad for a moment.

Suddenly, Salem grabbed Oscar's face in a vice grip.

"Why do you keep coming back?" She said.

That was enough for Shine, rage filled her.

But rage always made Shine act with authority, not reckless charges.

"That's enough!" She said, so loudly that Emerald flinched.

Hazel had been waiting for the right moment to do something, and now he thought Shine had lost it. He didn't even know who she was.

Salem turned, ever so condescendingly, towards Shine.

"Excuse me?" she said, in a warning tone. Like "You want to run that by me again, b---?"

"I said enough!" Shine said firmly. "Let the boy go. Now. Witch."

"Who...are you?" Salem said.

Then she looked at Wally. "Wait...I know you," her voice went to angry. "You were there in that office! To think you actually walked right up to me."

Wally's eyes got wide.

The black arms suddenly pushed him up, and Salem walked up to him. "I remember what you said," she said. "For that I should tear you heart out of your chest while all these children watch."

Emerald looked sick.

"Stop it!" Yang yelled at her. "What is wrong with you? Something bad happened to you once, and now you have to take it all from everyone else? No one gets a happy ending? Everything I've lost, everyone I've lost, is because of you!"

Salem glanced at her. "And who is it I've taken from you, girl?"

Shine wondered why she even cared. But Yang was only encouraging her.

"My mom, Summer Rose," Yang said.

Ouch...good thing Raven wasn't there to hear that.

"Her again?" Salem said coyly.

Hazel began to move.

"I'll deal with you shortly girl," Salem remembered Wally now. "But first," she turned back to him. "Hazel take the prisoner back to his cell."

Oscar gulped.

"If you lay one finger on him," Shine spoke. "I will personally cut the grimm parts out of you."

Salem stopped, and looked at her. "What was that?"

Shine held out her sword. "Maybe you haven't been paying attention, Salem, but I'm not actually tied down here. You want to torment these people? You'll have to go through me first."

Salem seemed to be trying to figure out why Shine wasn't afraid of her.

"If you insist," she said.

She raised her hand and black energy shot at Shine.

"No!" Wally, Oscar, and Jaune all yelled, and even Yang winced.

Emerald just closed her eyes.

Shine watched the magic come at her and held up her sword.

She murmured a few words of prayer even as it hit.

The magic vanished without leaving so much as a scratch.

Hazel was just picking Oscar up but even he stopped to stare.

Salem narrowed her eyes at Shine. "What...are you?" She said. "You have magic?"

"No," Shine said. "What I have is better than magic. Let them all go and maybe I'll tell you about it."

Salem frowned. "Or I could just kill them!" She said savagely.

The hands on the kids tightened then. Except Oscar who was free already.

Hazel frowned at him. "No more Gretchens," he said in a low voice.

Then he threw him down.

Emerald was crying silently in fear.

Salem, as if to spite both Shine and the others, ran a hand over her face. "Maybe I'll deal with this one first," she said. "You can't save them all, girl."

Wally realized that he should be trying to escape. He started struggling against the arms--one dug into his skin instead.

He winced.

Salem suddenly raised her hand and shot magic at him instead.

Probably she had just been distracting Shine with Emerald.

Wally couldn't dodge--

The magic hit him.

It didn't affect him quite the same as it did to Oscar--that is, he felt it less outside, but it still felt like fire went all over him and jarred his entire nervous system.

His aura appeared though and deflected some of it.

He gasped from the impact, but other than that, he didn't look injured.

Salem was puzzled by this. "What--"

But she made her mistake there.

Shine charged her while she was busy staring at Wally.

Salem turned in time to get a sword stabbed right into her torso.

Everyone gasped.

Salem also gasped, but her eyes flashed red and she grabbed the blade of Shine's sword with a sort of a glee, as if to tear it out, just she had in the past with other weapons.

But to her surprise, Shine just smiled at her and pushed harder.

Her sword stuck into the wall next to Emerald.

The whole wall of the whale thing suddenly shuddered, and began to peel away from the blade.

Salem pulled at it and found her hands had cuts in them. Then she started smoking...

The claw hands released the others abruptly.

"Go," Hazel said. "I'll stall her."

Emerald looked stunned, but Shine yanked her away from the wall before Salem could reach her, and shoved her towards the door.

Oscar, Yang, Jaune, and Ren all stumbled up and hightailed for the entrance.

Wally got up shakily.

"Shine?" he called.

Salem finally pulled the sword out with difficulty and held it up, then she dropped it like it burned.

Shine turned and it reappeared in her hand.

"That was for Wally," she said.

Salem tried to lash out at her and Shine used her sword to hit her aside.

Salem landed on the ground, to her surprise.

"And that was for Oscar," Shine said.

She looked at Hazel. "But I can't fight her for long."

"Go," Hazel said. "Get the kids out of here."

Shine nodded.

They looked at Salem, who was already getting up.

"A word of wisdom, Salem," she said. "If you don't like the gods you have, think about pissing off the one who's better than them at His job. Maybe death isn't worth it huh? If we meet again, maybe I'll offer you a deal, but right now, I'm getting these people out of your clutches. Think about it."

She ran up to Wally, who was staring at her in amazement, and grabbed his arm. "Babe, we have to run, this whole thing is--" she stabbed her sword top into the whale floor.

The grimm flesh under her began to disintegrate.

"Going to die," she said.

Hazel put dust in his arms and charged Salem while she was still distracted.

He got in a few hits before she retaliated with magic.

Oscar had hesitated, then he took out his cane.

"She'll just come after us," he said to the others.

Shine helped Wally out.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"I have a way to stop her, at least for a while," Oscar said.

Shine nodded. "I should have weakened her for a bit anyway, now is the time to use it."

"Yeah but Hazel..." Oscar said.

Wally looked back. "Just tell me when, I'll grab him just before you do it," he said. "It's fine, I can do it before you even blink."

"You sure you can?" Jaune said.

"He can't be heavier than a gorilla, I've got this," Wally said, though he looked a little spooked.

Shine nodded. "All right, then Oscar, give the signal, the rest of you, get out of the way.

She shooed them and they ran across the whale.

"What the h-- was that you did?" Emerald asked Shine.

"Not much, this wasn't my fight," Shine looked back. "Lucky for her..."

She seemed angry still.

"Whoa..." Jaune was stunned.

Oscar ran back inside.

Hazel was holding his own, but for how long?

Oscar held up his cane. He looked. Wally was waiting, he nodded.

Oscar looked back.

Hazel set Salem on fire while he held her in place.

"Do it!" he said.

Oscar released energy from his cane.

Now in less time than he had to even see it, suddenly he was yanked out of place and then he was outside and Hazel was there too, still on fire, but he looked stunned.

Then the whale exploded.

It was so fast, no one else would have even seen them move, it would have looked like they just were there and then they weren't.

But there was blazing light that could be seen even from Atlas and Mantle also, and in the airships, everyone looked up to see the Zeppelin was now ashes...Salem was nowhere in sight.

Oscar choked on the smoke.

Then he sank to his knees. "That actually worked..." he said.

"That was close," Ozpin said. "No magic means we'd have been toast if Mr. West hadn't saved us, you should have let me---"

"It's fine, we're fine," Oscar said.

"Hazel?" Emerald glanced at him. "You're not dead. [Yay!]

But he was on fire 🔥.

"Oh I got that," Wally put it out making a fan with his hands.

Hazel still had burns, but other that that, he wasn't injured

"What did you do?" he said. "I thought I was dead for sure."

"No man, it's cool," Wally said. "No reason to die today, right?"

"Yeah, no one had to die today," Shine said, with a knowing look.

Hazel glanced at them funny. "Who are you two?"

"Yeah, who are you two?" Emerald said.

"They're friends of mine..." Oscar tried to get up and then fell back over.

"Honey, we have to get him out of here," Shine said. "And we have to go, Winter will be back soon and she'll arrest us, but right now no one would see if we slipped away."

"Okay," Wally picked Oscar up gently. "Hang in there little dude, we'll get you to...hey where are we going?"

"Weiss' house," Shine said.

"What about...them?" Oscar gestured towards Emerald and Hazel.

The others looked at them warily.

"They can come," Shine said. "They can't stay here, that's for sure. But I'm not sure I can portal after such a magical outburst."

"We can go to the subway," Jaune said. "For now, like everyone else. No one will notice us. Can you help us get there really fast, Mr. West?"

"Sure," Wally said. "Come on," He charged ahead and they all followed.

Emerald and Hazel hung back a little.

"It's all right," Shine held out her hand. "I promise not to let any of them hurt you two."

"I'm not asking to just join them," Hazel said.

"Yeah," Emerald said.

"Then you can stay here and wait for Salem to come back and kill you," Shine crossed her arms. "It's her or us right now, Atlas won't take you in."

They looked at each other.

"Okay, for now," Hazel said.

"Fine," Emerald said.

"It's Shine by the way," Shine said, as they hurried to catch up with the others.

"Hazel--" Hazel began.

"I know who you are," Shine said. "Both of you. Where's Mercury?"

"He's...not here," Emerald said.

"Good, or he'd been trapped inside that," Shine said. "But if he's not here, where is he? Atlas?"

"Vacuo," Hazel said.

"Oh..." Shine said.

"With Tyrian," Emerald said.

"Oohh." Shine made a face. "Poor kid. That's a fate almost worse than death."

"We'll worry about him, later," Hazel said.

* * *

The Ace Ops thought that the others probably died in that explosion...and Winter was horrified.

Marrow shot her a reproachful glance also, he'd been against blowing them up. [🤔😑😱👏💥🤷‍♀️]

Winter had even stalled on the bomb a little, unable to decide if it was justifiable or not...but now it looked as if that was for nothing.

Pyrrha was going to be heartbroken...

* * *

Pyrrha and Weiss watched the news broadcast showed what happened in abject horror.

"Tell me they weren't still in there," Weiss said. "Like...Shine or Wally got them out right?"

"But they aren't here..." Pyrrha looked around, sounding like a ghost. "Weiss...what if something went wrong...what if..."

"Don't say it, Pyrrha! They have to be okay!" Weiss said. "It can't just be that easy! And Winter wouldn't have done that."

"That didn't look like a regular bomb..." Pyrrha was puzzled by that part. "But who knows..." She buried her face in her hands.

Weiss shook her head. "It...can't be..."

"Guys, did you see that light?" Ruby came in. "Did you check the news? What's going on?"

"I..." Weiss looked at them blankly.

"What?" Ruby said.

Pyrrha started crying.

"What's wrong?" Ruby looked spooked now.

"It...we..." Weiss faltered. "There was...but it wasn't..."

"What?" Blake came in also.

* * *

The subway wasn't that far away.

Once they got in there, Wally slowed down and the others could finally catch their breath.

And Oscar to try to persaude the others to let Emerald and Hazel stay.

They weren't having much of it.

"She's part of the reason I have this," Yang lifted her arm.

"Actually, she's not," Shine was not in the mood for Yang's crap. "That was all Adam, that wasn't part of the plan Emerald was in on, he was just out for Blake."

Yang glared at her.

"And he's dead already, so why do you need more revenge?" Shine said.

"She still helped," Yang said.

"Yeah, but he'd probably have done that with or without the invasion," Shine said. "If it makes you feel better."

It didn't.

"I'm not saying you have to forgive her," Oscar said. "Just give her another chance maybe."

"Oscar that is forgiving," Wally said cheerfully.

"No, I'm with Blondie," Emerald said. "I don't like you, you don't like me, so how about I just leave, and you never have to see me again, or Hazel."

Hazel didn't argue.

"No, there's no way we're letting you just leave," Jaune said angrily. "Not after what you did."

"Guys, come on," Oscar said. "We're already gotten a lot of help today from someone we don't exactly trust right now?"

"Ozpin?" Ren guessed.

"How did you know?" Oscar said.

"I had a feeling," Ren said. "And it makes sense, with the cane and all."

Shine looked at Oscar. "So we're talking about that?"

"I guess," he said.

"Wait, you knew?" Yang looked at Shine.

"I've been able to hear Ozpin the whole time," Shine said. "I always knew."

"And you chose not mention that?" Yang said.

"Yes, because you were being a brat about him," Shine said. "And Oscar didn't need to get punched again, thank you very much. Also it's not my job to force Ozpin to talk to you, he's a person too. So back off."

Her eyes flashed gold.

If she hadn't just stabbed Salem, Yang might not have been so intimidated by her, but... she shut up.

Emerald thought Shine was scary.

"You've got some power there " Hazel looked at her. "I've never seen anyone stab Salem that easily and get away with it. What's your semblance?"

"Nevermind that," Shine said. "Oscar had a point he was trying to make."

"Can we just be open minded?" Oscar said.

"Anyone who thinks they have more of a reason to resent Emerald or Hazel than Oscar does right now, you can just raise your hand," Shine said. "I mean, look at him."

Jaune looked up. "He's alive," he said.

"Jaune, do you really want to play that card?" Shine asked seriously. "The past is dead, let it go."

"You want to bring them back, you don't think that will bother her?" Jaune said.

"If I know her, not nearly as much as leaving them to die would," Shine said warmly.

"Are you talking about...?" Emerald looked up. "I thought I saw...Nikos, alive, earlier today..."

Silence.

"Did you tell anyone?" Yang suddenly grabbed Emerald by her arm, scaring her.

"That's enough," Hazel grabbed Yang.

"All of you knock it off," Shine said. "Do not make me separate you by force."

They let go.

"Here's how this is going to work," Shine said, with a nod at Oscar. "Those of you who spent all day looking for Oscar while he was busy overturning the ideals of Salem by the power of his will alone, will kindly defer to his opinion, and show him that he is a respected and valuable member of your team who you owe big right now. Those of you who are being allowed by Oscar to have a chance of escaping from the insane headcase you were working for up till today, will kindly refrain from being aggressive to his trusted teammates. And the next person I see get violent with someone else will fight me personally, is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am," Jaune said meekly.

"Yes," Ren said.

"Got it," Emerald said, looking down.

"Whatever," Yang huffed.

"Shine," Wally said. "Maybe I should go look for Qrow. You guys can get Oscar home...now that we're all on Atlas, I can get into the school no problem and get back to you guys, I won't need to worry about flying."

"You're sure?" Shine said.

"We need him," Wally said. "Someone has to find out what's going on with him. It's okay, I think I have an idea for how to get in and out."

"Okay..." Shine said. "But I need a moment first. Hazel would you mind taking him?"

"Sure," Hazel took him, gently enough for all the manhandling he'd done earlier.

The others weren't sure they'd have let Hazel carry him but they were all tired.

Emerald followed them ahead, looking around the people hiding in the subway, with some guilt.

Oscar took a moment to tell her and Hazel that, he'd seen what they could do...and if the considered staying, they could really use their help.

* * *

"Wally," Shine pulled him back. "What's going on? I feel like you're running off really quickly, considering what just happened. I'm worried about Qrow, but...are you avoiding me?"

"Why would I do that?" Wally wasn't making eye contact.

"Don't lie to me," Shine said, frimly. "What's going on?"

Wally sighed, but he knew Shine would get it out of him sooner or later, she could be really persistent.

"I...just...didn't want to have to explain why I froze up back there," he said.

"Oh..." Shine said.

A pause.

"You don't want to talk about it?"

"Not really!" Wally was mad, but not at her. "I mean...what's there to say? I totally locked up...I don't think I've done that on the job since like...ever, and I just...I don't know what it was, but...she...just..."

"She scares you," Shine said slowly.

Wally hung his head. "Yeah...go ahead, say that it's stupid. Nothing to be afraid of right?" He sighed. "I should have had your back, but I...lost it...I can't believe I did that..."

Shine slowly put a hand on his face, startling him.

"I know how important it is to you to be the hero," she said slowly. "I can't...change that for you, but, it's...not like we never get scared."

"But you didn't," Wally said.

He turned away. "It's...humiliating...Especially in front of you, to just...go dark like that."

Shine shook her head.

"Maybe Salem doesn't scare me," she said. "But...fear? It's different for everyone, and unpredictable. I still get scared, just...by different stuff, stuff that's nothing to you, and I feel stupid then...but you've never shamed me for that. Why would I shame you for it?"

"Because you don't think we should be afraid of her."

"No...but that doesn't mean we won't be," Shine said. "I was too busy worrying what she might do to all of you to think about myself, maybe if I hadn't been, who knows...but I know you. You would still have gone into action if she was really going to harm one of us...just for a moment, it threw you off, that's all...But she seemed to know you...from before..."

"Yeah..." Wally said, glanced up finally. "I might have accidentally said something to make her mad when she ghost-called us in the office."

Shine shrugged. "I see...look, Wally, I've been fighting things like her, or worse, most of my life. It used to terrify me, but it's just...I'm used to it now. You aren't. I think that's the only difference. Sure it's a bit uncomfortable at first, but trust me, it goes away. You can't beat yourself up over it, she has magical aura to make her more intimidating, it worked on everyone else...are you okay by the way? She hit you."

"I think so," Wally said. "It didn't do that much...the really creepy part...it's just..she's. .. it's like she knows how to freak you out just by looking at you."

"She's had thousands of years to practice that," Shine said. "She was crap at it at first, I bet. But it's no matter, I stabbed her good for you, didn't I? Not that it'll do much to her, I suppose, but it sure was satisfying to freak her out for once."

She made a face. "But I didn't like it either, she feels too real."

"She is real," Wally said.

Shine laughed lightly. Then she came up and hugged him. "You know it's all right, if, once in a while, I can protect you too," she said. "You always pull me out of danger, I kind of like to feel useful sometimes."

"You? Feel useful?" Wally scoffed. "Like that's even a problem..."

"It can be," Shine said. "You could let me have this one you know, you get to be the superhero all the time and save people. If the Big Bad Salem is freaking you out, I'm happy to sass her."

"That's not really making me feel like more of a man," Wally said.

Shine looked up. "It's okay sometimes to feel like a little kid, once in a while," she said. "We all are, after all...compared to God, so...it's fine to need to be saved. It's weird if that never happens. I don't trust someone who has no fear at all of anything. You want to be like Tyrian?"

"Ew no!" Wally said.

"There, then being disgusted by her is probably a good sign," Shine said. "I don't know how to make you feel okay with this, all right? But don't come at me with thinking that I'm going to be all judgy. Even if I thought you were being dumb, I wouldn't say so to your face."

"Thanks," Wally said, dryly.

"Especially since it's such a cute face," Shine tapped him.

"Okay, now you're just trying to sweet talk me," Wally said.

"Is it working?" Shine said.

"Uh...yeah..." Wally admitted. "At least a little...maybe you should lay it on thicker--"

Shine rolled her eyes. "Okay I think you're fine."

"Dang right I am," Wally said.

Shine sighed. "And that wasn't that funny." 🤦‍♀️

"Just trying to lighten the mood," Wally said. "By the way, you were totally boss back there. I think you scared the henchmen while you were scaring Salem."

"I don't think I scared her but she'll be scratching her head about it for a while," Shine said. "I could have done more, seeing Oscar's condition..."

She frowned.

"Easy there Tiger, save some of it for Ironwood," Wally said.

"After that? Ironwood can go screw himself, he can't touch that," Shine said.

"Are you serious?" Wally said. "He was going to bomb the place."

"Right...hmm. Now he has a bomb he no longer needs," Shine mused. "I hope that he puts it somewhere safe."

Of course right then, the others saw on their scrolls that Ironwood had another idea.

He was instead going to bomb Mantle if they didn't hand over the Winter Maiden.

He addressed the whole thing to Penny, who he clearly believed still knew where she was, because she had been with her...but he meant team RWBY also.

"Now do I go kick his butt?" Wally asked.

"Go get Qrow," Shine said. "Then we can worry about him. We can't just move a thing like that either, it could blow up. Plus he'd just make another one. We'd better get back to the house. Here:" She handed him the new scroll. "This has our numbers in it, from Peitro. Call us if you get Qrow and Robyn out of jail. I'll let you know if we come up with a plan."

"Right," Wally said. "Good luck!"

He kissed her and ran off.

"Ew," Emerald said.

"Oh, shut up," Shine said. "You're just jealous. Anyway, let's hurry and get back to the others."