AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall!

It's been…a very long time since this has been updated, hasn't it? Almost six whole months, if I recall correctly. I can't exactly say much, other than sorry, so…sorry about that! I won't even waste any time with an excuse (primarily because I honestly have none to speak of), so instead let's get right into the chapter, shall we?

So with that in mind, without any further ado, I present chapter 16 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

James Raau

'Hm…not here…not there…how about here?'

James was looking for Robert, wherever the man had decided to run off to after taking one general Ironwood to David's hangar and sending him on his way.

The various files he had collected were kept neatly tucked away inside his red coat, full of the various notes he had written down on Cinder's pawns.

More importantly, however, they contained his final recommendations regarding their recruitment.

All of them had passed, if only barely. Then again, he couldn't exactly blame them for that. Life hadn't dealt them a particularly kind hand, after all, and it was almost a miracle that some of them were even able to function at all.

They all looked largely fine on the surface, which was true, at least to an extent. Of course, looking behind the exterior revealed a much different story.

Mercury Black, the son of an assassin, raised on a foundation of fear and distrust. Killing was the only pleasure he was ever allowed, and he was all too eager to take it, desperate for something that could offer him a measure of comfort, if only in brief, fleeting moments.

Eventually, he murdered his own father once he finally had enough of the older man's drunken rages, putting the skills that the man had taught him to good use.

Then Cinder found him, his father's corpse lying coldly on the ground mere feet away from him as their home went up in flames.

Ever the survivalist, he wasn't going to defy the woman that could quite literally incinerate him with a thought: all he asked in return for his service was a chance to satisfy his sick pleasures. She had been all too happy to give it to him, and it wasn't long before he found himself living a life soaked with the blood of the innocent.

If he had ever known pleasure in anything other than killing once, he certainly didn't anymore.

At least, that's how it used to be, until just recently.

Whatever the Presence had done to him when it brought him in, it just might have pushed him close enough to the edge of realization, close enough to see just how far he'd fallen.

At least now, he would get a chance to something better with himself.

Raau could only hope that he'd take it.

The same could be said for his partner, in truth. Even more so for her case, in fact.

Emerald Sustrai, a lost rat that made her home in the forgotten alleys and streets of Vale, plucked away from her old life and into a living hell that saw only starving, sleepless nights. Day in and day out, survival was a matter of if she could steal her next meal, by any means necessary. It wasn't always through stealing, either. At least those men had been kind to her, compared to what most could expect, anyways.

She was desperate, always searching for something, anything that would get her out of this, and she didn't care for the cost.

Well, at least not until it was too late to repay it.

Cinder didn't exactly give her a fair trade, after all, and there was no such thing as backing out of a deal with a dangerous woman like her.

"Don't think. Obey."

Three words was all it took.

Someway, somehow, she had convinced herself that giving up everything to Cinder was more than worth the prospect of escaping the hell that was her life on the streets.

He couldn't exactly blame her for doing so, of course, but the thought still left a sour taste in James' mouth.

A life like that, one where your every action (or at least every meaningful one) was no longer your own, did nothing but send a chilling rage over him. He unconsciously clenched his fist at the mere thought of it.

Life was a beautiful thing, and James wouldn't give it up for anything else. He had seen how no one life was ever truly the same, how everyone had their own choices to make, their own actions to take. Behind every soul laid a story, some wonderful, some tragic, some in between. He had read many of these stories, and he drew only one clear conclusion from this experience.

Each person was truly their own individual, and there was a subtle, yet welcoming comfort in that fact. The human mind, for all its faults and failings, held something truly fascinating in its uniqueness. He didn't bother to learn the more…physical nature of such a statement (something like that was much better suited for David's particular set of skills), but he knew full well about it on a much deeper level, one that went beyond the neural synapses and pathways.

No two souls he had ever seen were truly alike: each was a wonderful cacophony of hopes, dreams, fears, concerns, and so on. All of that was bound together by one thing, and one thing only: individuality.

To see it all taken away, to see the one great thing that all humans had ripped away in such a manner…well.

James wasn't typically one to let his own personal issues cloud his judgement, but this was truly something else. It was a good thing that Cinder wasn't herself when she had done this, or else she might have been looking at a very…unpleasant side of him that he generally kept tightly locked away in the back of his mind by now.

He sighed tiredly.

No one was to blame here, and he knew that fact all too well. There would be no target, no thing to pin all the guilt on, at least not yet: the King was seeing to finding the real culprits behind all of this, and James was certain that it would only be a matter of time.

Until then, however, all they could do was pick up the pieces and hope to rebuild.

At least they were making progress, however marginal it might have been.

James picked up his pace, working his way through the corridors. Still no sign of Robert, of course.

Instead, however, he found himself staring face-to-face (well, mask) with one Dr. David Ryder, who was just making his way out of the room they were keeping Cinder in, his attention focused on the scroll tablet in his gloved hands.

"David."

The doctor's glowing eye blinked once before he responded in his usual monotone voice.

"James…are you looking for Robert?"

He nodded, pulling out the files he kept under his coat and gesturing to them as he did so.

"He'll be needing these reports as soon as possible, as boring as they might be."

An electronic clicking noise came from the masked doctor, which was the closest thing to a chuckle one could ever get out of him, at least in James' experience.

"Dust knows he hates going through them…he was never one to prefer a desk job."

James chuckled at that, a light smirk playing across his features.

"Well, I like to think that none of us signed on to this just to file some paperwork. We have plenty of bigger things to worry about than that, you know."

David nodded in agreement, his attention returning briefly to the tablet in his hands before he responded.

"That we do, James...that we do."

He took a look behind him over his shoulder, and by some random stroke of luck, he caught a glimpse of Robert just rounding the corner before vanishing from sight again.

Quickly muttering a hurried goodbye to the masked doctor, James took off with a renewed pace, trying to catch up with Robert in the corridors before he vanished into thin air again.

It wasn't long before he caught up, the man in question taking a brief moment to look behind his shoulder and noticing James walking up to him as a result.

Turning around to face him, Robert spoke in an expectant tone.

"James, do you have something for me?"

Quickly pulling out the files from his coat and holding them out for the man to take, he answered in a somewhat…bemused tone.

"You're a really hard man to find sometimes, you know that, Robert?"

The doctor merely responded with a quiet chuckle as he took the offered files in his hands.

"I've been told that before, James. And no, it doesn't bother me in the slightest."

Robert eyed the reports carefully, his gaze reading every line with utmost care and precision as he quickly worked his way through each page, turning his attention on James once he was finished.

"So…you think they're ready for what's to come, correct?"

James fell silent for a moment, a contemplative look cross his features, an answer coming out not long after.

"I do. I'm not saying they're perfect, far from it, really…"

That was an understatement, to say the least. From what he had seen of them, they were all in need of some serious help, most of it on a level they didn't even know they needed it on.

"…but I fully believe that they can help us just as much as we can help them."

James wasn't going to give up on them if he could help it. That went against everything he stood for, and he'd be damned before he let them give up on themselves, as well.

Robert gave a satisfied nod, deferring to his colleague's judgement.

"If you say so, James. I'll get this sorted out as soon as possible."

The doctor gave a slight chuckle.

"Oh, and thanks for taking care of this for me."

James laughed in response, a smirk playing across his features.

"Thanks for doing your work for you? Sure."

Robert's expression lowered a bit at that.

"Sorry about that. I'll try to make it up to you later, alright?"

James waved the offer off, more than understanding of Robert's reasons for doing so.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you had more than enough trouble with Mr. Torchwick and Ms. Neo…speaking of which, how did that go?"

A sigh escaped the doctor's lips, the man muttering something to himself with a tired expression on his features.

"…mostly well…and I emphasize mostly."

James already knew what that meant, unfortunately. He gave a sigh of his own, asking a question he already knew the answer to.

"More work for us, am I right?"

Robert didn't respond, a contemplative look on his features. That was more than enough for James to know that now wasn't exactly a good time.

"Well, if you ever need me for anything, Robert, you know where to look."

With that, James took his leave, turning around and heading back towards the cell block, Robert giving an absentminded goodbye as he continued on with whatever he was doing.

He made his way through the corridors quickly, his pace hurried and his thoughts focused elsewhere.

After all, he had a promise to a certain green-haired thief to keep.

Salem

"…so what brings you here, Richard?"

The man responded curtly.

"I have held to my end of our little arrangement, Salem. I expect the same from you."

She nodded, the circumstances surrounding their bargain coming back to her in her mind.

Richard Fall, a mysterious man with no past, or at least that's what he liked to pass himself off as these days: she knew plenty about the man behind the myth.

His rather…sordid history mattered little to her, of course. She was no stranger to performing horrors that could drive men mad.

One day, he had come to her with an offer, an offer that she was all too eager to accept.

He would help her in bringing Alerak, Kordor, and Ariak into her plans, and she would help him find something that he was looking for.

What it was, she didn't know yet, but she was certain that it wasn't going to be a simple affair. Nothing ever was with a man like him.

His assistance had proven valuable nonetheless, of course. Whatever risks there were in fulfilling her own end of their bargain, the benefits she stood to gain from having him were far more valuable.

Whatever else could be said about him, he knew much about the Grimm, among other dark secrets that some would say were best left unknown, some of which even she knew little about.

She'd have to tread carefully around him, like always. Everyone had their own agendas, herself included, and their cooperation was more or less a case of both sides simply using each other for their own ends. She could only hope that she had gotten more out of their deal in the end than he did.

In any case, his help has been indispensable in tracking down the primals, as well as in gathering every piece of information she could about them. Without him, they would have eluded her reach for far longer than they did, and she just hated it when potential threats were out of her sights, a place where they could undermine her without her even noticing.

There was no way she'd let that continue. She had spent far too long building up to see all her efforts be torn down for being careless.

Her gaze turned to Richard, his amber eyes looking at her expectantly.

"You will get what you want in due time, Richard. All I ask is that you be just a little more…patient."

He growled slightly, an annoyed response coming out not long after.

"Fine."

She chuckled lightly, knowing full well that he wouldn't try anything too out of turn with her: her help was far more vital to him than his was to her, after all.

"Come now, Richard…just think of this as a…extension of our partnership, at least for a little while."

He didn't sound very amused when he responded, and his expression spoke of nothing but silent contempt and frustration.

"Just don't forget what you promised me, Salem."

Oh, she wouldn't…especially not when she took it from him when his guard was lowered. People like him, they always had that tendency to revel in their victories at the worst of times…the perfect moment for their downfall to come.

"Of course not, Richard. You have my word…"

He huffed in annoyance, mumbling something to himself before asking her something else.

"So, what now?"

She hummed thoughtfully, pondering just what their next course of action should be…no need to remain idle, after all.

Her thoughts turned to the primals she had just met with earlier…wondering what uses she could have for them.

An idea flashed in her mind, one that brought a dark smile on her features.

Vale was almost certainly left in a rather…precarious position after the Grimm invasion it had endured. An opportunity like this was not the sort of thing that would evade her eyes, let alone those of the primals.

Kordor, ever driven in his bloodlust, would almost certainly push for a renewed effort against the weakened kingdom, a major victory for Grimm everywhere should such an effort succeed…and the fall of one kingdom would mean dealing a crippling blow to the remaining three.

Alerak wouldn't allow any overt actions, but even he couldn't let an opportunity like this escape his grasp. That left the question of just what he would do instead.

Whatever they had planned, she was certain that it would spell the end of a kingdom, should it be left unanswered.

She chuckled darkly to herself: she cared little for their petty games, in all honesty…they would all burn one way or another when all was said and done. Who was she to care about who went first?

On the other hand, she certainly wasn't going to let an opportunity like this slip her grasp...not a chance.

Why not let them fight each other, weaken each other? Any strength they lost fighting amongst themselves was strength they wouldn't bring to bear against her, and she saw no reason to make things harder for herself.

She smiled, a dark thought occurring to her: she knew just how to make that happen. Moreover, she knew just the right person to do it…

"Richard, can I ask a favor of you?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, a calculating look in his cold amber eyes. He spoke in a measured tone.

"What is it, Salem?"

She chose her next few words carefully: no need to let Richard think that she needed his help. Such would weaken her position against him, and she certainly couldn't let him think that he had the upper hand in their little game here.

"You are aware of the situation in Vale, yes?"

He answered plainly, his eyes focused on directly on her as they looked for any signs of deceit, which they both knew were at play here.

"I am. Why do you ask?"

She chuckled internally to herself, a dangerous, yet barely visible glint behind her crimson red eyes.

"Then you know just as well as I do that the primals aren't going to let them recover…they will strike now, when their defenses are weakest, and there has been no better opportunity than this one for centuries."

His expression didn't change in the slightest as he responded.

"Get to the point, Salem. What makes you think that I would care about any of this? The kingdoms…they can all burn, as far as I'm concerned."

No more beating around the bush, she supposed. She didn't care for these word games all that much, anyways.

"Very well, Richard...I want you to call in the favors that I know you have with Atlas and bring their full military might to defending Vale."

Simple and direct…the way she preferred to do these sort of things, in all honesty. A pity she couldn't do it this way more often.

He narrowed his eyes dangerously at her, his amber eyes betraying only the slightest hint of cold rage, buried beneath his veneer of calm calculation.

"So…you would have them weaken themselves against each other, correct?"

She only nodded quietly as he continued on.

"Fair enough, I suppose…but what makes you think I would ever want to help you in this?"

Oh, bother…she knew what was coming next.

"What could I possibly stand to gain from this?"

And there it was. Nothing was free on this world…and Richard wanted his fair payment for services rendered. She could always give him something, of course…it wasn't like he would be keeping it for very long, anyways.

She almost sighed… how troublesome. Necessary, admittedly, but oh so troublesome.

"I could give you many things, Richard…all I ask is that you do this for me in return."

His eyes went back to their cold calm, most likely from pondering his options at this point. He spoke quickly, never taking his eyes off of her as he did so.

"That something I was looking for earlier? That will only be the first…and you, Salem, will lend me your help the entire way through…"

His eyes narrowed, a hint of annoyance in them.

"It is only fair, you understand."

Outwardly, she gave him only a dark grin in response, her eyes as cool and calm as an Atlesian winter, a façade she had practiced for decades.

Internally, however, she was feeling rather…annoyed, in truth. The price she paid for a favor, she supposed. The thought didn't make her feel any better, really, though it did calm her ever so slightly, at least enough that she could keep from chuckling outwardly at the offer.

Still, she supposed it wasn't too problematic…if nothing else, it meant that she could see just what he had in mind for whatever he was looking for, and react accordingly. Whatever it was, it would be much more prudent to keep in close and in her sights than out of it.

She bowed her head slightly, her words honeyed and carefully chosen.

"I understand completely, Richard…if that is what you wish, then you will have it."

Indeed he would…if only for a moment. She wasn't going to let him keep it for any longer than absolutely necessary before she claimed it for herself.

He kept his eye on her for a moment before nodding in acceptance, though there were still clear signs of suspicion in his eyes.

"Very well then, Salem. I'll see what I can do with your…request."

She bowed her head respectfully, just low enough that he couldn't see the dark smile that was playing across her features.

"That is all I can ask of you, Richard...I'm sure you won't…disappoint."

She put the barest hint of threat in her tones behind that last word, something that she was certain that Richard caught on to, at least from the way his eyes narrowed at her as she said that. He didn't seem to pay it any further concern, though, merely giving a barely audible sigh before responding.

"Well, if that's all you have for me, Salem, then it looks like we're done here."

She gave no further response, merely nodding her head to confirm. With that, he turned around and began walking back into the thick forest he came from, wordlessly slipping away into the night.

She chuckled quietly to herself once she was certain he was gone: that had gone better than she could have hoped for, in all honesty. While she was none too thrilled about the prospect of having to work with Richard beyond what they had initially agreed upon, it would've been far worse for her to simply leave him be once their little agreement had run its course. This way, she could keep him in her sights, and she always preferred a known threat to an unknown threat.

Besides, she was quite certain that she would be getting far more out of this deal than he ever would…especially with the favor he was doing her.

Whatever the primals were planning to do with Vale, she was more than certain that her own plans were more than flexible enough to turn this development to her advantage. The Grimm would attack Vale, Richard would bring in Atlas to defend the kingdom…and both would come out the losers when all was done.

Already, the events were playing out in her mind…it wouldn't be long before the weakened kingdom bore witness to a conflict that made the battles of the Great War look downright paltry in comparison.

She smiled as she gazed up at the stars, anticipation building inside her as she took in the glowing lights amidst the endless expanse of darkness. Even with her decades of practice waiting for her plans to bear fruit, she couldn't help but let her excitement show itself...

After all, in a few days, she was almost certainly in for quite a spectacle.

Robert Thalon

Robert made his way through the corridors, the file that James had handed him earlier tucked safely away in his coat pocket for later reading.

That would come later, of course. For the moment, he had other matters to attend to. The small briefcase he was carrying in one of his hands was testament to that.

As he walked towards his destination, his thoughts turned towards the rather…enlightening discussion he had with the general earlier.

Richard Fall…Onyx Blackwell…whatever else that vile man preferred to call himself these days, all that truly mattered was that he was, first and foremost, still alive, and almost equally as important, just as dangerous as he was before, if not even more so.

The Ascension Initiative was proof enough of that: whatever Richard had intended to gain from that failed project, he had gained it with near flawless ease, considering how well he had played the Atlesian council and military for utter fools. Even the few people that could've put a stop to him at the time, such as the good general, were left in no position to do so in the first place for one reason or another (a convenient advantage that Richard had created for himself, no doubt).

Regardless, that still left the question of exactly what Richard had even sought to gain from his involvement in the project in the first place, to say nothing of what he could've done with it in the years following the project's untimely end.

Robert had his suspicions from the moment he first heard of the project's particular area of research, and everything General Ironwood told him had all but confirmed it.

Dust augmentation…a very dangerous practice that, to some, was better left outlawed and forgotten in the name of safety. Of course, such concerns mattered little to the countless enterprising individuals, Richard included, that sought to unlock the secrets of Dust on the human (or Faunus) body. Robert was quite aware of how even he himself skirted a very fine line in his own work, though he did his best to steer away from the more…questionable aspects of his particular field of research.

A man like Richard, on the other hand, had significantly less self-restraint (and moral compunctions).

Even now, he was still pursuing his accursed quest of immortality…his involvement in the Ascension Initiative likely intended to be nothing more than another stepping stone on a very long and bloody road with no destination.

At least, not one that a man like him could ever hope to achieve…Robert himself still had only a faint idea of how his particular Dust serum worked for him, and him alone. Richard's horrific experiments trying to recreate it were proof enough that something like this was better left untouched.

His belief to the contrary was a mistake unto its own, one that only led to yet more mistakes, each proving more horrific than the last. Robert shuddered at the thought of what else that man could have done in all the years since that fateful day they had buried him under his own laboratory and left him to rot.

Robert had seen his fair share of sleepless nights before, all of them courtesy of his disgraced protégé and the atrocities he had committed.

To think that Robert once called a man like that a friend…the mere thought disgusted him to no end.

He shook the thought off, continuing his trudging pace through the corridors before coming upon a largely non-descript door, save for a red line painted across the center, marking the room behind it as what could be considered the closest thing this facility had to a guest room (in actuality, it was more or less a converted prison cell with slightly better furnishings…David always did prefer function over form, or in this case, efficiency over comfort.).

Walking through it, he entered a simple room, furnished modestly to accommodate two occupants, one of whom was lying down on a bed, the other sitting down on a chair next to a table, his eyes focused squarely on the door and, by extension, Robert.

Torchwick eyed the doctor with a barely visible hint of suspicion in his eyes, clearly still distrusting of him. Robert couldn't blame him, of course: no reason to trust a man that barely a few hours ago was threatening his daughter, only to change his mind after said daughter had been assaulted by some…thing.

Not exactly the best way to make a friend, to say the least.

Torchwick stood up from his chair, walking over with Melodic Cudgel in hand. Robert took special notice that he had specifically put himself between his daughter and the man that he still didn't trust in the slightest (for good reason, of course: it had been barely more than a few hours or so since their rather…tense meeting, after all).

"Dr. Thalon...if you're here for Neo again, then you should just go right back the way you came and leave her be."

There was the barest hint of threat behind his tone, practically daring for the doctor to try something, anything with his daughter to see what happens. A noble gesture, truly it was, but it was also as noble as it was unnecessary.

"Torchwick, I can assure you, I'm not here to do what you think I'm going to do, so you should really just let me do my job here."

Torchwick didn't seem all that re-assured by the response, at least based off the still suspicious look he had in his eyes. Nonetheless, he still backed down ever so slightly, at least enough that Robert was fairly certain that he wouldn't try anything…regrettable.

Wasting no time, Robert set down the small briefcase he had been carrying on the table in the room, opening it to reveal a single empty vial, along with a small needle attached to a tube and various other miscellaneous items associated with drawing blood. All Robert needed was a blood sample from her, nothing more.

Hopefully, Torchwick would allow him at least that much.

Robert turned his gaze to him expectantly, and the man only gave a silent nod in response. Going off the rather tense expression on his face, however, this was likely the only thing he would allow him to do with her. Such suited Robert just fine, in truth.

By this point, Neo had gotten up from the bed, sitting upright over the edge and looking over at the both of them curiously. Torchwick motioned her to come over, and she did so without a word. As she took her seat, there was a slight look of surprise in her eyes when she took notice of what had been laid out on the table in front of her.

As such, she turned to her adoptive father with a questioning look, but at that moment, he was looking Robert dead in the eyes, speaking with only the slightest hint of suspicion laced into his words.

"I'm only going to let you do this once, doctor, then you're going to leave her alone. Also, you only get to do this if she allows it."

Both of them turned their gaze on her, and she took a moment to just stare at the two of them before she nodded her head slightly, no small amount of uncertainty still present in her eyes as she rolled up the sleeve over her right arm and held it out on the table.

Robert, for his part, was grateful for their…well, not quite trust, exactly, but something to that effect as he began his work, taking her arm to feel for the vein, finding it not long after.

Rubbing an alcohol wipe over the area to disinfect it, he then took out the needle from its casing and held it steadily over the vein, looking over to Neo for a moment to see if she was still willing for him to do this. She looked over and nodded, taking a deep breath and bracing for what was to come.

Satisfied, he pushed the needle in, and the blood began feeding in through the tube and into the vial not a moment after it went in.

As he waited for the vial to fill, he looked over at her again, and he saw several things about the way she looked now. He noticed the slightly nervous way she took in her breaths, the way her body had tensed up involuntarily from anxiety, and most importantly, the look of uneasiness in her eyes (both of which had gone almost white in color the moment the needle went in).

This must have been bringing up some rather…unpleasant memories for her, if Robert were to take a guess. He didn't like doing this any more than she did, in all honesty, especially not if it was having such negative effects on her, but it couldn't be helped: he needed a way to see just what Richard had done to her all those years ago, and her own recollections of the experience wouldn't be clear for a while yet.

Besides that, if Robert knew Richard (and he liked to think that he did), then her blood would almost certainly be carrying whatever Dust serums and formulas he had pumped into her during the project, and knowledge like that was invaluable.

The vial had filled up by now, and Robert promptly pulled out the needle, capping it quickly and turning his attention to sealing the puncture site, applying a ball of cotton over it along with a bandage to keep it in place. With that done, Robert took the filled vial and put it back in the briefcase and began cleaning up everything else.

Neo let out an audible sigh of relief now that the experience was over, the previous tension in her body loosening and her eyes going back to their normal pink and brown color. Torchwick took this opportunity to lead her back to the bed, and she seemed rather quick to lay down in it, falling asleep not long after she put her head down.

Finished with clean-up, Robert closed the briefcase and started making his way out of the room, stopping when Torchwick spoke up.

"What are you going to do with that?"

As he said that, he pointed a finger at the briefcase in Robert's hand, or more likely, the contents inside of it. Robert responded simply.

"I'm going to find out what Richard did with her. Is there a problem with that?"

Torchwick shook his head.

"No, but I'm going to ask you to tell me everything you find out from that."

Robert raised an eyebrow at that statement, responding questioningly.

"And why would you want that?"

The look in Roman's eyes darkened, an angered look on his features as he spoke.

"So I can know exactly what I need to punish this 'Richard' character for. No one hurts my daughter and gets away with it. No one."

Well, at least the two of them had an intense hatred for one Richard Fall in common. Robert could respect that, if nothing else.

"I'll be sure to tell you, then. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

With that, Robert made his way out of the room, walking back through the corridors of the facility, his thoughts silent all the way back to the lab where he was going to take a look at the blood sample he had just taken.

Stepping into the room, Robert took a seat down in front of a blood scanner, taking the vial out of the briefcase and placing it in for a thorough analysis. In mere moments, the scan had finished, the results displayed on a terminal screen right next to the scanner. Thus began the most difficult part in all of this: interpreting all the data the scan had collected.

Robert sighed as he began sifting through all the various data points, marking down everything that seemed abnormal, which, in this case, appeared to be virtually everything.

Red blood cell counts…white blood cell counts…platelet counts…all wrong in one way or another. Not in dangerous amounts by any means, but just high or low enough to be of note.

'This can't be right…'

Going over the data once again to make sure he wasn't making any errors, Robert took a look at the full breakdown of the blood sample, and his eyes widened ever so slightly once he saw what was in her blood (or rather, what Richard had pumped into her blood).

There was Dust of all types coursing throughout her, no doubt about that. Richard had clearly done so for all test subjects of the Ascension Initiative, but Neo, on the other hand, seemed to have something...different injected into her on top of that, and Robert could have sworn he recognized the particular formula of the Dust serum that Richard had used.

'Can it be…?'

Robert's eyes widened when he made the connection. There were some slight modifications here and there, but he had no doubt it in his mind that this was the same serum that Richard had developed for himself all those years ago in his bid for immortality. Given the effects the failed serum had on its previous test subject, Robert wasn't very keen on entertaining the possibilities of what it had done to Neo.

At least, for the most part, she seemed to have turned out alright, so he could take a minor comfort in that fact. Still, he had to wonder just how much it could have affected her, and he made a mental note to himself to run further tests on this matter, once time permitted for such.

Saving all the data the scan had collected to his personal storage, he shut down the terminal and scanner, getting up from his seat and promptly leaving the room after he had done so.

As he walked back through the corridors, his thoughts turned to just what these recent findings meant. Richard had clearly been making use of his old serum again, and Robert was almost certain that he had made at least some progress with it in the intervening years.

The question, then, became just how far along he had gotten by the time he tried his latest version of it on Neo, and based off what data the scan had collected, he hadn't made much progress since the last time. On the other hand, that had been nearly twenty years ago, and such provided Richard a rather large time frame to have improved upon his formula again.

Robert shuddered at the idea of it. Neo served as nothing more than a test bed to him, a lab rat that he could test his latest bid for immortality on without a second a thought. Almost subconsciously, Robert's fist clenched in rage at his disgraced protégé's callousness.

Wherever he was hiding, Robert would find that man, and he would put an end to him for good, and this time, he would be very thorough in the effort: no need to give Richard yet another chance to seemingly come back from the dead like last time.

Right now, however, Robert had other matters to attend to, and he'd have to revisit this issue at a later point in time.

He pulled out the files that James had given him earlier from his coat pocket, glancing over them again as he made his way through the corridors.

He had a very…special report to give, after all.

Raven Branwen

Raven stirred from her sleep…yet as she opened her eyes, she woke up not to her modest home nestled away in the woods, but to an infinite, pitch black void. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a barren expanse of darkness, light having no hold in this place…

She looked around, trying to gain her bearings, but doing so proved difficult in the absolute emptiness.

'Where…?'

Before she could even finish that thought, she heard a voice in the corner of her mind, one that grated against her ears while causing her to feel a gnawing pain against the back of her head. It sounded…cheerful, almost like that of a young child...

'Hiya, Raven! My name's *BZZZZT*. Welcome to your mind! It sure is nice in here…a little moody, though.'

A buzzing static sound ringed in her eardrums, loud enough that she had to physically cover her ears for a brief moment before it stopped. Her eyes snapped shut almost involuntarily when she heard the sound, and when she opened them again, she saw a very…odd looking man in front of her, one that wore a completely white outfit, going from the stark white shoes covering his feet to the wide brimmed, white hat covering the top of his head.

Most striking of all, however, was the crooked way his smile grew across his expression, along with the unnaturally joyful look in his eyes. Put together, they created a rather…unsettling image, one that only marginally lost out to some of the things Raven had seen in her service to the Primals.

Wondering just what this…thing (the word "man" seemed to be a stretch of the term, in all honesty) was, she spoke carefully, her words echoing across the empty void of her mind.

"What…what are you…?"

The stranger tilted his head quizzically, a perplexed look on his expression.

'Me? I'm *BZZZZT*, didn't you hear? Daddy sent me here, you know…I think you and him even talked for a bit a little while ago, actually…'

He shrugged, an uncaring look on his features.

'Anyways, he wanted me to come here to do…this!'

With a quick snap of his fingers, the stranger disappeared without a trace, the empty black void shifting and transforming at the same time, emptiness taking shape in ways that defied any and all logic or reason.

Looking at the rapidly forming environment around her, Raven took particular notice of the fact that the entire thing seemed…familiar, for some reason.

A large, empty clearing, one surrounded by a thick forest of dark oak trees, only a scant few pale rays of moonlight escaping past the canopy of leaves to dimly illuminate the forest below. The occasional rustling in the bushes around her could be heard, a clear sign of the ever continuing hunt for elusive prey by hungry predators. All of it put amidst the backdrop of the midnight sky, just barely visible past the tree line.

Something about it all just felt so familiar to her…

Then she heard footsteps coming from behind her, ones that seemed entirely out of place amidst the dull din of the forest.

Turning to face the rogue sound, her eyes widened not a moment after she saw a very familiar looking figure just past the tree line…

Raven knew exactly where she was now.

The same voice from earlier chimed in, causing a dull buzzing sensation from the back of her mind as she looked squarely at her former team leader.

'Do you remember her, Raven?'

He gave her a howling laugh, blissfully joyful, yet clearly filled with thinly veiled cruelty.

'I'm sure she remembers you!'

Coming out of the forest, silver eyes focused squarely in front of her and a brilliant white cloak billowing behind her, was Summer Rose.

She could hardly believe her eyes. Summer had been dead and buried for years…Raven had personally seen to that, as much as it pained her to even think of it.

"S-Summer? What-"

Before she could finish, Summer cut in, a look containing a mixture of both sadness and anger in her eyes.

"Raven…don't. Please…just don't. You'll only make this hurt more for both of us."

The familiar words echoed in Raven's mind: that was exactly what Summer said the first time. Summer drew her staff from beneath her cloak, a single, razor sharp blade protruding out from either end, the one at the top pointing forwards and the other backwards. She held it in a practiced combat stance, her hood drawn back so that it gave a full view of her face, framed by her long black hair with red highlights tracing down here and there.

And as if her body had suddenly gained a mind of its own, Raven involuntarily gave the exact same response she gave the first time.

"Summer…don't make me do this…"

The tiny, barely noticeable pleading tone in her voice didn't even come close to reflecting how desperately Raven wanted to avoid fighting – killing - Summer again. All her hopes were dashed in an instant the moment Summer responded, her silver eyes unwavering. If there was still any doubt in her mind about this, her expression certainly didn't show any of it.

"You know I can't let you keep up with this, Raven."

Raven could barely keep her voice level, absolutely refusing to let this encounter end the same way it did the last time. She couldn't bear to do that again.

"I…I know, but-"

And of course, fate was all too happy to remind her of how little it cared for her wishes as Summer cut her off abruptly.

"No, Raven. Don't lie to me."

Summer had a stern, disappointed look on her expression, and it sent a throbbing pain throughout Raven's chest. To have her old team leader be so thoroughly angered, saddened, and above all, disappointed in her, to see that look in her eyes…it hurt more than any blade, bullet, or claw ever could.

"I'm not! I…I…"

Raven paused mid-sentence, unable to speak.

Why couldn't she find the words? Even if she couldn't do it the last time, that had happened nearly 10 years ago. Surely, after all these long, long years, she had discovered at least some reason for doing this, right?

Right?

Her mouth moved, desperately trying to mutter something, anything, but no sounds came out. Summer shook her head sadly, her eyes betraying nothing but disappointment.

"This isn't the Raven I told Yang about. Yang's mother, her real mother…she's long gone now, isn't she?"

Raven tensed up almost immediately at the mention of her daughter. Yang was everything to her…or at least, that's what she kept telling herself as doubt clouded her thoughts.

Was she really a good mother for leaving her little angel at a time when she needed her most? Even if she had her reasons (she wasn't even sure if they were good reasons anymore), was it truly the right thing to do?

Was this what was best for Yang?

She couldn't come up with an answer, and it terrified her.

Raven stood there, stock still and with an uncertain look in her eyes, clearly visible even behind the mask she wore. Summer sighed, resigned to her task, as much as it pained her to do it.

"If it helps you feel better, Raven…I'm sorry it had to come to this." She paused, adding another statement to that. "And I'll make sure to take good care of Yang for you."

"Summer…" Raven sighed, her hand moving to hover over her sword, resigned to having to face Summer again. She could only hope that it would end better than last time.

It had to.

In the back of her mind, she felt an…unusual numbness, almost as if she was losing control of herself for just the briefest of moments.

'Almost as if…'

She quickly pushed that thought aside. No need for distractions at a time like this. Besides, something like that wasn't going to happen…not here, of all places.

Both of them took a deep, shuddering breath to steady themselves; neither of them wanted this, truly, they didn't.

Even so, however, neither of them were going to back down.

Readying her bladed staff, Summer launched herself forwards in an instant, the forward facing blade of her staff aimed directly for Raven's head in order to make this as quick and painless as possible. On pure reflex (at least, Raven hoped it was nothing more than reflex…she didn't even want to think about the alternative), she brought her own blade out of its sheathe and parried the strike, sending Summer back with a rapid follow-up slash.

Not letting up in her assault, she continued on with a series of rapid swings and stabs, all aimed only at Summer's non-vital areas and meant solely to disable her at the very most. However, Summer deflected every attack with ease, proceeding to take advantage of an opening in Raven's guard as she overextended herself while going for another (non-lethal) swing at Summer's midsection.

Just before Raven's blade could make contact, Summer swung her staff to bring the rear facing blade for a slash at Raven's exposed arm. Honed reflexes along with flaring her Aura kept Raven from taking any particularly severe injuries when Summer's blade hit its mark, though she still came out with a minor cut across her forearm by the end of it.

It would only be the first of many, however.

Their battle went on for what felt like hours, both of them taking as many wounds as they were inflicting. The forest clearing they were fighting in had taken a noticeable amount of damage, a number of trees felled as a result of a missed swing from either one of them.

Both of them leaped back, landing on opposite sides just at the edge of the (now expanded) tree line. Both of them were breathing heavily, clearly winded from the prolonged fighting. Taking advantage of this momentary pause, Raven sheathed her sword (though she kept her hand over the hilt, ready to draw it a moment's notice) and took a moment to catch her breath, taking stock of the situation all the while.

Raven, for her part, had several cuts and gashes here and there across her body, an even mixture of both minor and major injuries, though most of the latter were kept relatively sealed by her Aura, which was beginning to run dangerously low, however. She couldn't keep this battle going for long at this rate, and she knew it.

Summer was in much the same condition, a number of noticeable tears in the fabric of her otherwise pristine cloak marking the toll that the battle was taking on her, to say nothing of a rather large cut that went across the length of her back, a result of her being just a second too late to avoid Raven's blade coming at her from behind. Even so, however, the look in her eyes betrayed nothing but solemn determination, her gaze never wavering and her form as flawless as ever.

With but a second's warning, she launched herself forwards again, more than ready to resume her battle with Raven. Drawing her blade in an instant, Raven met the attack head on, and their battled continued once more.

All the while, Raven remained adamant in keeping this from ending in Summer's death like it did the last time, never once going for any lethal attacks, even when the opportunity presented itself. However, amidst the near constant clanging of blade against blade, Raven could feel the same cold numbness she felt from earlier returning, stronger this time, and she dreaded it with all her being.

Her arm moved on its own for a moment, her blade aimed almost perfectly for a devastating (and more than likely lethal) swing against Summer's abdomen. With all the will she could muster, she forced her rogue arm back under her control, just in time to keep the attack from fully connecting, scoring a minor slash instead.

Just a split second later, Raven brought her blade up to parry a strike aimed directly for her head, locking their blades together as they made contact and pushing with all her might to send Summer flying back as far away from her as possible.

Leaping back almost immediately afterwards, she hid in the trees surrounding the area, hoping, praying that it would buy her enough time to regain a measure of control over herself, though she doubted Summer would be fooled for long.

Time running short, Raven clutched her blade tightly in her hand, trying to keep it under her own will. Such did little to help, however…her body was rapidly refusing to obey her commands, gradually acting more and more like it had a mind of its own.

She felt...wrong, like she was well and truly losing all control over herself as a cold numbness washed over her.

The voice chimed in as she felt her body beginning to move for itself.

'Ooh…I didn't know you had one of those on you, Raven…let's have some fun with it, shall we?'

With every word he spoke into her mind, Raven could feel herself gradually sink deeper and deeper into the numbness, all control over herself lost as her body sought out its target of its own accord.

Not a moment too soon, actually, as in that short time, Summer had found Raven's hiding spot and was mere milliseconds away from landing what would have likely been a killing blow before her rogue body brought her sword out of its sheathe to block the attack, the two blades locking as they clashed.

Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, and while Summer's still had the same look they always had throughout the battle, Raven's had changed almost completely.

Her eyes were glowing an angry red, clearly visible even behind her mask. Fury was evident in them, any and all traces of hesitation from before gone completely as they glared hatefully at her.

"Raven…?"

Summer noticed the sudden change almost immediately, even in that short moment. As she looked at her former teammate, possessed by a force far beyond comprehension, her eyes had an expression of disbelief in them for just a brief second before being replaced with what looked like cold fury.

She leapt back, her eyes flaring a bright white for just the briefest of moments as she stared down the possessed Branwen with a look that spoke of nothing but pure revulsion.

"You're not Raven…not anymore, anyways…"

The voice laughed cruelly.

'Oh, this is just so much fun! MORE!'

Almost like it was answering the sadistic man's demand for more, Raven's body swung her sword, the action causing the red Dust blade to send a wave of fire directly at Summer, who evaded the attack with ease. However, the wave continued to surge forward, striking the surrounding forest and setting it ablaze, a hungry inferno erupting in mere seconds afterwards as it spread all throughout, eager to consume all in its path…

The two of them included.

Even so, neither of them were backing down; both merely standing in the clearing as the forest burned to ash around them, staring each other down.

The look in Summer's eyes spoke only of pure defiance, causing an angered, guttural (and wholly involuntary) growl escaping Raven's mouth as a number of Dust blades flew out of their sheathes, Raven's semblance levitating them into the air as they hovered ponderously, waiting for the moment to strike. The glow in Raven's eyes intensified, a bright crimson aura enveloping her entire body with unending fury.

Summer was undeterred, and her eyes flared a shimmering white as she was enveloped in a brilliant white cloak of pure light. The blades of her double-edged scythe glowed, concentrating the light around them as Summer launched herself forwards with blinding speed, Raven's body doing the same to meet her assault head-on, every floating Dust blade rushing forwards and attacking from all directions.

Raven was left completely helpless, little more than a prisoner within her own body as it fought on like a possessed machine. All she could now was watch, hoping against hope that she could find a way to free herself before it was too late.

'Enjoying the show, Raven? I know I am!'

Sadistic glee permeated every word as he watched on along with her, taking his sick pleasure in watching the two of them fight on, the clearing showing little more than a blur of motion as the two of them seemingly fought faster than the eye could see.

A rapid slash, countered with a parry, followed up by a stab, met by a swing…over and over again in an ever dangerous dance of blades. Slowly, but surely, the battle was starting to take its toll, both sides gradually taking more and more wounds, even as they continued to clash relentlessly against each other with all the strength they could muster.

Raven could already tell her body was winning, a machine that would not stop for anything until its foe lay dead at their feet, something that she just couldn't allow. Not again.

Never again.

With all the will that she could manage, she sought to wrest control of her body back from whatever unseen force had taken it from her.

'What are you doing, Raven? I thought this was supposed to be fun!'

The voice sounded almost annoyed, if its tone was anything to go by. Some part of Raven took satisfaction in paying back the unholy abomination that had tormented her mind so.

It was only a small part, however, the rest of her mind focused squarely on taking her body back, even if only for just the briefest of moments in order to give Summer an opening.

A glimmer of hope flashed in her mind as she felt the barest hint of control over her body returning to her. She kept her arms still as best she could, her floating swords stopping dead in their tracks, frozen in mid-air. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest, all of them practically demanding that she let them free, something she had no intention of doing, no matter how painful the effort was for her to do so.

Summer didn't waste even a moment, seeking to take this opportunity to end the fight with one final, well placed slash of her scythe blade. Just one last clean hit, and this nightmare would be finished…

Raven closed her eyes, taking the barest hint of solace she could amidst the burning pain of arresting her possessed body's movements. A single thought played across her mind as she waited for the end.

'It's over…'

Then she heard the voice laughing.

It was a sickening sound that grated harshly against her ears. Something about it just felt…wrong. A chill went down Raven's spine as it spoke, tone filled with equal measures of cruelty and amusement.

'Oh, Raven…it's cute and all that you think you're the one in control here, but…'

Every word crashed against her ears and sent a white-hot lance of pain directly into her very being, and she could practically feel her mind slipping away with every syllable uttered.

Not a second later, she lost all control, her enraged body free once more and bursting into motion the moment Raven's hold over it shattered.

'…you're not.'

Summer had left herself open in her haste, all Raven's blades pointed to the opening in her guard. Meanwhile, Raven's hand went to her sword, eager to finish this fight once and for all…

As futile as it might have seemed, Raven refused to let this happen, hoping with all her being for a miracle to happen.

'No! I won't! Not again!'

And yet, she could do nothing but hope, the rest of her body already making its choice.

There would be no miracles today.

'Who ever said you had a choice, Raven? I sure didn't.'

In all the span of a second, Raven's sword erupted from its sheathe and slashed, just as all her floating swords surged forwards with murderous intent.

There was a sickening sound of metal piercing flesh in the air, just as Raven could feel something warm splash against her.

'NO!'

Another second, and Summer's impaled body sailed past her, tumbling against some empty brush before skidding to a halt and not moving an inch from then on. Her once beautiful white cloak had been stained a dark crimson, the stains on it slowly yet surely expanding as a small pool formed beneath where she laid. All light from before had withered away into nothing, all traces of life leaving her for good.

Raven could only gaze in horror at what she had done.

Or rather, what she done again.

Some part of her wanted to convince the rest of her that it wasn't her fault this time. This was a dream. The voice had said so. This had to have been its doing. It just had to.

Of course, if was only a small part, a lonely voice of reason lost amidst a sea of pain and anguish.

In that moment, whatever unseen force that saw it fit to play the role of puppeteer of her body must have decided to cut the strings, Raven faintly feeling control over herself returning again. Hopefully for good this time.

Every part of her felt numb, and all she did was sink to her knees, still gazing at the broken remains of her former team leader.

She could barely hear the buzzing static sound in her ear, just like she could barely recognize the world shifting itself around her, her eyes still focused squarely on Summer. The empty void had returned, but she hardly noticed it.

'Well, that was definitely a fun time…right, Raven?'

Summer's body quite literally melted away into nothing, a puddle of black tar amidst an endless expanse of nothingness. Not long after, it reformed into something else, the white man from before returning with the most unholy of grins on his face.

He cackled cruelly.

'And here I thought this was going to be boring…'

Raven looked up, her mask coming off as dozens of blades flew out of her sheathe, encircling the man in an instant as she gave him a piercing look that spoke of nothing but pure, unending hatred.

"Why?"

Just one solitary word had been uttered from her mouth, trembling in barely contained fury, yet it had been laced with nothing but pure venom. If the man had been fazed even in the slightest, he certainly didn't show it.

'Why what, hm?'

Rage built inside her, her blood threatening to boil over as Raven teetered on the edge of her breaking point. Her floating blades edged ever closer as her hand hovered over her sword, readied to carve him in two at a moment's notice.

"WHY!?"

She was practically roaring at him, her tone enraged enough to terrify even a Grimm into submission.

And yet, the only response that elicited was a quizzical tilt of his head and a curious look in his empty white eyes. He spoke, confusion evident in his words.

'Daddy told me to have some fun…what's so wrong with that?'

Raven couldn't even believe her ears anymore. This…this thing thought to make her relive what was easily the worst experience of her life, then think to call it fun? To wonder what was wrong with that?

Oh, how wrong it was.

Every blade that hovered around him sailed forwards, rocketing into him as they went clean through his body. In an instant, she pulled her sword out and rammed it through whatever might have passed for his heart, her blade hitting its mark dead on.

His body had become more of a pin-cushion now, dozens of Dust blades of various colors impaling him all over, along with Raven's own sword piercing clean through the place where his heart (if he even had one, anyways) would have been.

And yet, all he did was laugh, thoroughly amused.

'Oh, come on…can't we talk about this? Like normal people? That's what Daddy would do…'

She forced all her blades further into his body, but such did practically nothing to stop a manic grin from forming across his face. Something seemed…different about it from before, however.

'When will you ever learn, Raven?'

Even his voice sounded different now, almost as if someone new was speaking this time.

She didn't have much more than a few seconds to ponder on this thought, however, as his body soon faded away into nothing, her blades that had been impaling it previously now clattering harmlessly to the ground as she held her sword with a look of disbelief in her eyes. Not a moment later, he reappeared in front of her, just as she felt her body refuse to move once again.

He grinned as he loomed over her, hundreds of tiny mouths forming all across his body, each and every one of them mirroring the sadistic smirk that was on his face.

'There we go…that's much better. Now, then…how about we start over? I'm *BZZZZT*. You?'

The static returned, blanking the name out in her mind. He chuckled, the mouths that covered him now starting to sink back into his body, and she now noticed that his eyes had taken a pitch black color, a stark contrast to the empty white that used to be there.

Something told her that this wasn't the same man from before.

'Don't answer that…I already know who you are, Raven. Daddy told me to find you. And you were really hard to find…'

He shrugged, a nonchalant look in his now black eyes.

'But anyways…here we are. Just you and me, in the middle of your own dream.'

He chuckled to himself, a mixture of wry amusement and what seemed to be genuine mirth in it.

'Well, it's really more of a nightmare, if we want to get technical…but that's beside the point.'

A shadow crossed his face, and whatever traces of the depraved child from before had clearly departed, and all that was left now was something far more sinister.

'Daddy had a message for you. The…other me wanted to have a bit of fun before we gave it to you, so I let him indulge. Just a little, anyways…he had plenty more planned for you, trust me.'

The very thought that she would have to go through something like that again…it sent a deep chill down Raven's spine. Twice was already more than enough for just as many lifetimes. She dreaded the idea of going through more. The man shook his head, sighing.

'In any case…no more beating around the bush. Daddy's probably getting impatient right about now, if he's finished with his business, anyways…'

He took a moment to clear his throat (well, that was the assumption; for all she knew, he didn't even have one to clear in the first place).

'Think on your choices, Raven. Maybe you should remind yourself who's making them…it's certainly not you.'

His head tilted, a ponderous look in his black eyes.

'Huh. It seemed a lot longer when we were practicing…go figure.'

He shrugged, the thought passing by just as quickly as it came.

'Well, anyways…that's all of our business with you wrapped up…for now, anyways.'

He started walking off into the empty void, his body slowly yet surely fading away into nothingness. He waved behind himself casually, sparing her one final word before he left.

'Ciao.'

And with that, he disappeared entirely, leaving Raven all alone in the emptiness as her body started to listen to her again. She looked around, only to find nothing but nothing in front of her. Some part of her considered walking around for a bit, half expecting, half hoping to find something out there. It wasn't like she had anything else to do, after all.

It lasted only for a short while, however, as she soon found herself back in her bed, her eyes bursting open as her nightmare finally ended.

Pulling herself upright in her bed, she took a quick glance around her modest home, and judging from the faint morning rays of sunlight that were just beginning to peek in through her windows, she had slept through most of the night.

A slight frown played across her features at the thought: her nightmare had lasted only a few hours at most in actuality…yet it felt like it had been ages when she had still been trapped inside with that…thing that liked to play itself off as a man.

Speaking of which…

She kept herself tucked under the covers, her mind focused elsewhere for the moment.

'Think on your choices, Raven. Maybe you should remind yourself who's making them…it's certainly not you.'

She felt a slight urge to shudder come across her, almost as if an icy breeze had blown past her, as odd as that sounded. Chalking it up to lingering nerves, she shook her head, trying to clear her mind as she pondered on the message she had been given.

What could that possibly mean?

Everything she had ever done…every choice she had ever made…it was all of her own will.

And she always told herself that all of it was for her vision of a better future.

Yang's better future.

All of it was for her.

She had decided that from the moment her little miracle was born all those years ago.

She spared a glance at the small photo of her beloved daughter that she kept on the nightstand next to her bed. Yang had been only an infant, barely a few minutes old at most when that photo had been taken. Raven held her newborn daughter in her arms, a warm, genuine smile on her face as she looked into those bright iliac eyes that simply stared back with the wonder that only a child could ever truly have. Taiyang stood next to her, similarly looking at his daughter and wife with a beaming smile on his face, joy written everywhere across his features.

A pang of wistfulness struck her as she recalled those happier times. That had been years ago, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't occasionally wonder what it would've been like if she had stayed.

Perhaps things would've been different.

Perhaps she wouldn't find herself here, hidden away in the wilderness while her daughter and husband moved on with their lives without her.

Perhaps Summer would still be alive.

She shook her head to dispel those thoughts from her mind, as much as she wanted to divulge in them for just that little bit longer. She couldn't afford to doubt herself, not anymore, anyways. It was too late for that now, and it had been for years.

Still…she couldn't help but feel a small tug at the back of her mind, the pain of the nightmare before still fresh in her memory, the still form of her former team leader flashing in her eyes for the briefest of seconds before she blinked, both to dispel the image from her sight and fight back the urge to let her eyes tear up.

It was just a small tug, barely noticeable at best, yet something about it just simply refused go away, no matter how much she tried otherwise.

Then she heard a knock on her door, snapping her out of her thoughtful trance as she made to pull herself out of the bed. Vaguely, she recalled that Dragan had yet to come back from when he had left several hours ago, and seeing as he hadn't ushered himself into her home last night, she could only assume that this was him right now. Still, she took her sword and kept it close at hand, just in case it wasn't. After all, caution was always a necessity, even in a place as remote as this.

As she made her way over to the door, her mind couldn't help but drift back to all that had lead up to this, as well as if all of it was truly worth it. Doubt had no place on this path she had taken, she would always tell herself that back then, but in light of all that had been happening recently…she wasn't so certain anymore.

Even now, the tug had become ever so slightly stronger in her mind, and something about that sent a cold chill down Raven's spine.

Another set of light tapping against the doorframe. It was just that little bit quicker, just that little bit more forceful, though not terribly so as to suggest any significant impatience.

A small frown forming across her face, Raven pushed any further thought of it away and buried it deep inside herself as she opened the door, a slight sigh coming out of her as she did so.

James Ironwood

James steered the gunship through the morning skies as he saw Vale approaching off the horizon, the faint outline of the city's skyline becoming more and more defined as he flew closer and closer with every passing second.

He had been in the air for most of the night, though at least he had kept the autopilot active to steer the ship's course for him during the more uneventful portion of the flight. Taking that time he had been given, he spent most of it looking through the scroll Dr. Thalon had provided him.

What he had found on it had been quite…intriguing, to say the least.

Their group had existed for centuries…all of them being just as old. How this was done, it didn't say, and such drew a furrowed brow from the general, his ever inquisitive mind pondering the answers to the questions this had raised.

To think there were ways to cheat death and prolong life like this…well, it certainly raised a number of unsettling possibilities, none of which James wished to delve further into, at least not at the moment. That could be dealt with at a later time…

After all, there was no shortage of other trials that humanity would have to endure in the coming days…everything he had read made it abundantly clear and in no uncertain terms that dark times were already looming over the horizon, things that made people like Cinder look positively tame by comparison just waiting for their chance to strike out against an unsuspecting world.

Of course, it would certainly have helped him if he knew exactly what any of these things were, but all of that had been hidden under the cover of the ever so often used heading of "Classified". The general had sighed when he saw that, all too familiar with such things as "need-to-know basis" that were practically omnipresent in this shadowed world of intrigue that they all took part in, whether willingly or unwillingly.

Clearly, he didn't need to know. A part of him was frustrated with being kept out of the loop on something as vital as this, another part drawing a parallel with Ozpin had how he done much the same for years with practically everyone he ever met, no single person ever quite seeing the full picture the same way he could.

James himself was no stranger to keeping his own secrets, however, so he couldn't truly fault any of them for wanting to hold their cards close to their chests as they played this little game of schemes and plans. He would be lying if he said that he wouldn't have done the same were he in their positions.

Regardless, it was clear that there was much more going on here than what he had been led to believe… dark days were fast approaching, and no one could quite tell what they would bring, or for that matter, who would remain by the time it was all over.

To think that abominations like the Grimm would be the least of their worries in due time…the thought was chilling, and for very good reason. They were already hard pressed as it was just against scattered hordes of Grimm…if they had to face things even worse than that?

Well, the future certainly didn't look all that bright from where James was standing.

Quite frankly, if James had read all of this not more than a few years ago, he would've immediately written it all off as nothing more than pure fairy tales…the depraved fiction of a rambling madman, not even worthy of attention, let alone acceptance and validation.

Of course, now he knew better than to think that.

Ozpin had opened his eyes to certain truths…and now they could see things that they didn't before. These days, he found himself questioning what he had once accepted as facts, paying more thought than he cared to admit to what he had once dismissed as delusions, never truly knowing what to believe…not anymore, anyways.

Even so, he had no doubt he was being only told a fraction of the full story, and a small part of him couldn't help but recall how Ozpin wasn't all that different, even after he had let James in on the truth behind the maidens and their powers.

A hint of resentment sparked within him at the thought of that.

How could he be expected to face what he didn't understand? Stand firm against a force he couldn't prepare for? Win against what he didn't know?

He needed to know, and yet, more often than not, he would just be left out in the dark, without explanation. Was he just not important enough to know these things?

A frown played across his features, but he didn't feed this dark feeling any further thought. He shook his head, pushing it away and dispelling the distraction from his mind.

Right now, his attention was needed in Vale, which was still recovering from the devastating Grimm invasion (the likes of which hadn't been matched for decades, no less) last night.

As he flew his way into the city proper, the general briefly mused on how he hadn't been stopped or even contacted yet as he approached. An unidentified ship like his flying in should've been noticed by at least someone by now.

He supposed that they must have been spread too thin to spare anyone for what they likely assumed to be a friendly. He couldn't exactly blame them; the situation in the city was likely still in shambles, especially in the outlying districts where the fighting had been at its worst, and they would no doubt have needed everyone they could spare to maintain at least a degree of order, if only just to keep panic from breaking out and attracting yet more Grimm.

A glance over the cockpit's window and into the city below made it quite clear that recovery efforts were already in full swing, rubble being cleared away, wounded being tended to, and the like. Overall, things seemed relatively well in hand, at least for the moment.

Of course, he knew that could all change at the drop of a hat, and he knew even better that it was merely a matter of when, not if. He could only hope that such a time was a far ways off. Almost jokingly, he half expected to hear news of another Grimm horde approaching the city by the time he landed.

He certainly hoped that wasn't actually the case. That would've been just…cruel, to put it mildly.

Only one way to find out, he supposed. He spotted a relatively clear space not far away from the city center, bringing the gunship down and landing not too long after.

Getting out, he made his way into the city center, which was practically alive with a flurry of activity, whether that be from the countless people scurrying about to complete whatever tasks they had been given, the numerous vehicles coming and going out of the plaza as they ferried supplies and sometimes people to and from the area, or just the general din that made it difficult to be heard without shouting, it wouldn't have been a stretch to say that this was most likely where the bulk of the reconstruction efforts were being coordinated.

Several large tents had been erected about the plaza, most of them acting as makeshift infirmaries, others as storage, and others still as general housing for the countless people that had just lost their homes not more than a few hours ago (and he was keenly aware of how more seemed to just continue arriving by either bullhead or other transports, despite how the tents were practically overflowing already).

One particular tent that was close to the center of the plaza, he noticed, didn't have quite as many people going in and out of it, the few that did almost always being people directly involved with the recovery effort (typically medics, aid workers, and the sort), and they would more often than not come back out with no shortage of new orders that they quickly relayed to the others to be carried out with all due haste.

That was most likely where everything was being directed from, and he wasted no time in making his way inside.

Upon entering, he almost immediately took notice of how obviously overwhelmed everyone inside seemed to look, frantically darting about and around their makeshift desks (in reality, just about any somewhat flat surfaces they could find), all of which were overflowing with half read reports and hastily written orders. The sound of ringing scrolls and shouting could always be heard, not a single moment of quiet being permitted to exist. Needless to say, everyone seemed quite…tense, to put it lightly.

And at the center of it all was Glynda, ever the picture of serene calm, even amidst this sea of confusion and chaos. Her bright emerald eyes were as focused as ever, and every word she spoke was obeyed to the letter. Currently, she was speaking into a scroll, probably talking to a subordinate elsewhere in the city. In her other hand was the scroll tablet that never seemed to be far away from her, her eyes scanning over what looked to be a map of the city, several areas marked in a distinctive red.

"I need more teams in the outer districts, where most of the fighting was. Relocate the teams at the inner sections of the city; they'll be more useful elsewhere. I need this done immediately."

She spoke calmly, yet firmly, and her tone left no room for argument, only obedience, something which the other person on the line seemed more than willing to provide, seeing as she hung up on the scroll after just a moment's delay.

Before she could turn to whichever new task demanded her attention, her eyes fell on the general, widening ever so slightly in shock.

"James? Where-"

James cut in before she could finish.

"Glynda, what's the current situation in the city?"

There was a look in her eyes, one that made it seem like she wanted to protest, to know just what happened to him last night after his ship was sent to the deep. Fair enough, he supposed, though they would have time to catch up later.

Thankfully, it was only a short moment before the look left her eyes, and she answered calmly.

"Well, to start, the Grimm have been driven off, for the most part, but they've left more than enough damage behind. Damage that we have to address immediately, before they regroup and take advantage of the city's weakened defenses."

A few taps on her scroll tablet, and the map of Vale on the screen showed various areas highlighted in a number of varying colors, most likely based off the extent of damages done. She motioned for James to take a look, the general complying as he made his way beside her to look over her shoulder.

"I have teams spread throughout the city, all of them tending to the injured, clearing out any rubble, repairing what they can, and the like. I've focused most of them on the outer districts, seeing as those areas saw the worst of the fighting. Still, even with a rather…generous amount of volunteers, we're spread far too thin."

She frowned slightly, obviously none too pleased with the situation. The general's expression mirrored her own, his mind already made well aware of how short on manpower they were for these efforts. They would just have to make do with what they had as best they could and hope for the best, he supposed.

"Where's Ozpin?"

James would need to see him. If not because of what had happened last night at the fatal match that had started all of this, then at least so they could work together on the rebuilding of the city. Maybe he could make amends in the process. Just maybe.

Then he noticed the rather…uncertain look in Glynda's eyes, though she tried averting her gaze.

"I'm…not sure. No one's seen him since last night. Not since when the attack first started."

That certainly didn't sound like Beacon's headmaster. He could be somewhat evasive in speaking, but he wasn't that way in presence. Not usually, anyways.

"Where was he last seen?"

"He was headed towards the academy's basement when I last saw him, but I already had Qrow search there from top to bottom, and he didn't find anything."

James frowned, not quite sure what to make of this. If Ozpin had just suddenly vanished…it wasn't exactly a comforting thought.

"I can't spare anyone to look for him right now, and I won't be able to for some time yet…"

Letting out a sigh, a tired look crossed Glynda's expression, exhaustion finally starting to take its toll on her. The general could already tell she was feeling the weight of the world on her, but it was only now that she was finally letting her weariness show. James gave her a sympathetic smile.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?"

Glynda looked him in the eyes, and that was all he needed to know the answer. She could hide many things about how she was feeling from him, but her eyes were always the one place where he could see everything for what it really was.

"Of course I am…that's what a friend does when they go missing, don't they?"

There was something in the way her voice shook for just the briefest of moments…a weakness, almost, one that he felt just didn't belong there. Not for a woman like Glynda.

James put a comforting hand to the shoulder, and she just barely tensed up at the touch before relaxing.

"He'll be fine. We both know Oz can take care of himself. Right now, we have more important matters to attend to."

He motioned all around them, indicating the much more pressing issues at hand that they had to face, Ozpin or no. Moreover, he wouldn't want them distracting themselves with his safety over that of the city.

James saw the hint of worry in Glynda's eyes disappear, replaced by a renewed resolve, one that brought a small smile to the general's face. A smile of her own crossed her expression, sounding far more like her normal self again.

"I know he'll be fine…he's far too stubborn for his own good."

He chuckled lightly, agreeing wholeheartedly with the remark.

"That he is…"

She responded with a lighthearted chuckle of her own, shaking her head a little before the moment passed, their short moment together starting to reach its end as the reality around them settled back in.

"Well, James, this has been a wonderful little break, but I believe it's time we went back to work. I'm sure you're more than willing to lend a hand, yes?"

He nodded, already taking a look at what could be done to make their efforts run smoother, eyes parsing over the reports and maps that had been laid out across Glynda's desk in the center of the tent. She took out her scroll and made a call, stepping off to the side for a bit to give the general a few moments to gain his bearings on what he was reading.

Not very long after, he then he picked up on a very familiar scent of alcohol in the air.

"Ahem."

Turning to where the voice had come from, James looked up to see Qrow, standing just a few steps away from the entrance to the tent, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Hey, Jimmy. Where have you been?"

Well, at least he's willing to talk, James supposed. He could never be too sure what a man like Qrow was thinking, especially not if there was still any lingering hostilities from before.

"Qrow. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just looking around for some answers…"

His red eyes narrowed, not quite suspiciously, but most definitely with something more than simple curiosity.

"…like what you've been doing all night. Especially since your ship's a couple thousand feet under by now."

The general sighed, motioning for Qrow to follow him outside the tent, vaguely spotting Glynda retaking a spot behind her desk out of the corner of his eye as the two of them left. Stopping just outside, Qrow spoke up.

"Alright, Jimmy…now that we've got a little more privacy…you ready to do some explaining? Because that would be just-"

"Get to the point, Qrow."

A hard look crossed the veteran huntsman's red eyes, narrowing in suspicion for just the briefest of moments before Qrow sighed.

"Alright, alright…"

He took a quick sip of his hip flask, then he spoke in a mostly calm, if somewhat measured tone.

"Your fleet gets blown to hell, you disappear for the whole night, but here you are, like nothing happened. Flying in on an unmarked gunship, actually…you seeing the jumps in logic that I'm seeing, Jimmy?"

Upon reflection, there did seem to be a few rather significant holes in that story. James nodded his head, causing Qrow to chuckle as he took another swig.

"Well, then…I'm sure you'd just love to fill in some of the gaps for me, wouldn't you?"

The general nodded, conceding the point that a few explanations were probably in order. Maybe not the whole truth, not yet, but at least a few partial truths to keep him placated.

"To start, I can't remember very much of what happened after the crash, and I don't know how long it was before I woke up. However…"

That much was true, a least. Qrow raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Yeah? Go on."

"…however, when I did wake up, I was inside a prison of some kind."

Also mostly true. Mostly, anyways.

Despite the gracious hospitality that he was offered by the two doctors, he was still very much trapped inside the room, and he most likely wouldn't have made it out if they didn't want him to.

Qrow frowned, crossing his arms.

"And I'm going to assume you took care of it, seeing as you're right here?"

The general nodded, slowly and carefully so as not to give any wrong impressions.

"You could say that..."

In a fashion, he supposed.

"And the gunship you found fits in…where, exactly?"

Well, it was a stretch, but…

"They already had several prepared for take-off. I took one of them and flew back."

Qrow narrowed his eyes. For a moment, James almost thought he didn't believe him, and he wouldn't have been surprised if that were the case, to be frank.

"This is after you 'took care' of these guys, so that's not going to be a problem down the line for us, is it?"

James shook his head.

"No. They won't be."

'Not for us, at least', he thought. He could tell that they had for more power and influence than they let on, and he preferred that they turn it against other targets, not on them.

Qrow gave the general one last look, which was as unreadable as ever. James couldn't quite tell if his story was believed or not, but judging from the way Qrow sighed and took a sip from his hip flask, he could at least tell that he was willing to drop the subject for the moment.

That suited the general just fine, as he had a question of his own to ask, anyways.

"Glynda told me she sent you to look for Ozpin. What did you find?"

Qrow shook his head, a shadow crossing his features.

"Nothing…it's like Oz just up and disappeared. Couldn't find Amber, either, even under the little safe room we kept in the last chamber. All that was left was some ashes. I'm sure you can guess what that means."

James understood all too well, and he didn't like what it meant.

"Cinder…"

He muttered under his breath, but Qrow heard it just fine. He nodded his head gravely.

"Looks like our worst case scenario's already happened…and right now, we have no idea where she is," His expression became deathly serious, "or where she could strike next."

The general didn't like to entertain the thought that Cinder was potentially at large, waiting for a new opportunity to strike. Even if he knew that something worse than her would come in due time, a threat was still a threat, no matter how comparatively small or large. He sighed, contemplating how he'd have to respond to this while still keeping his secrets intact. He spoke in a measured, cautious tone.

"We'll have to keep our eyes out for her and her associates. Until then, our focus will have to be on rebuilding Vale."

Qrow nodded in agreement.

"Yeah…I'll try to keep my ear to the ground and see if I can hear anything. 'Till then, though…things are going to be a bit dicey…"

He shrugged, taking another sip of his flask.

"But anyways…I've got clean-up duty to take care of…"

He chuckled, an amused grin cracking across his expression. He waved behind him as he started to walk off.

"See you 'round, Jimmy. I'll keep in touch…"

And with that, he left, disappearing amidst the crowds gathered in the city center, probably to take care of other business (no doubt Glynda had given him something to do elsewhere in the city).

In any case, they both had their own jobs to do, and the general wasn't one to tarry for long. Sparing one final glance around the central plaza, he then made his way back into the tent and set to work on rebuilding the city.

Alerak, the Hallowed Defiler

Alerak had busied himself throughout the night searching for their fellow primal, his vision switching between all his Nevermores that were scouring the surface of Remnant, only to find nothing. Something about it proved quite…perplexing.

Borr was never one for subtlety, not at all. Alerak doubted that the impetuous fool even had the slightest idea what the term even meant, and yet, someway, somehow, he had managed to avoid Alerak's notice, at least for the moment.

Unless the untold millennia of slumber had well and truly changed him into a complete opposite of his normal self, he doubted that Borr was doing this on his own. The question, then, was who?

The still fresh news of Kazok's return rang in Alerak's ever calculating mind, and he pondered the possibility of the ram primal's involvement in all of this.

It certainly wouldn't be out of the question: nothing could ever truly be ruled out when Kazok was involved, but this certainly didn't bear any of his usual trademarks…

Perhaps, for once, the Wicked Tongue had nothing to do with it. There was always a first time for everything.

He could only hope that it was true: Kazok was not something to be trifled with, no matter how friendly and harmless he liked to portray himself as.

Of course, if he didn't have any involvement here, that drew him back to the question of how Borr could possibly have hidden himself for this long.

Another primal, perhaps? They were not the only ones awake now, by any means, and in a world as unfamiliar as this one, even creatures as mighty as the Primal Grimm were better off fighting with each other rather than against each other. Well, that's what Alerak believed, at least.

He continued his search, yet his mind drifted elsewhere. Even after all these years since his awakening, he still found himself contemplating the primals' place in this strange new world that thought to defy them…

There was no such thing as a Grimm that valued weakness. Any that said otherwise were sadly mistaken.

The Grimm wars of old had paid tribute to that fact quite clearly…peace had no place in a world of bloody evolution. Hundreds of primals, all vying for their place in a world that cared little for the petty squabbles of the ones that lived on it. Alliances of convenience, bargains of power, opportunistic betrayals…all of it and more were the tools of the day, weapons as dangerous as any claw or talon, ones that all of them used to assert their power.

To a Grimm, there was no such thing as unity…only utter dominance. Strength was the only true rule that all of them obeyed. All else was secondary, distractions at best, complete wastes of time at worst.

Old hatreds died hard, and some never died at all.

At least, that's what it was like in the old times. Now, on the other hand…well. That was a much different story.

Time had moved on, and they had slept all of those millennia away.

Times had changed, and the Grimm would have to change with them.

They would change, or they would face the same fate as An'Trok. Of that, Alerak was certain.

If only he could make them see that...perhaps Kazok, raving madman he was, had been on to something all those years ago, and as much as Alerak was loathe to even entertain the thought of it, he had no illusions about the primals' place in the world of Remnant.

Their rule had been unquestioned, unchallenged for the longest of times…yet now, they found themselves in a world that could fight back, and if An'Trok's recent untimely demise was anything to go by…it could win.

Such a thought left the Hallowed Defiler's cautious mind in an uneasy silence. He thought of how they would rectify this, how they would remind the world of the might of the Grimm…and every time, his thoughts would inevitably circle back to something unheard of in all of the Grimm's long, bloody history of war and betrayals…unification.

And every time, he always asked the same question, but his answer was never the same.

Could it be done?

Once upon a time, he would've shouted "never" without a second thought, deeming it to be mere delusional fantasies and nothing more…he had changed so much since then. Perhaps the long years of sleep had changed him more than he cared to admit.

He had woken up to find the world he once knew gone…he knew that things would never be the same the moment he first laid his eyes on all the humans had built in their absence. Entire kingdoms of them, left to roam free as they pleased, only barely checked by the scattered, mindless hordes of Grimm that remained?

Such a thing would never have been dreamed of, let alone seen in the world that Alerak knew. The world that all of them knew. A new, unfamiliar world had come in and taken its place…and they would have to change in turn. There was no other way.

They couldn't waste their time on their petty squabbles any longer. The Grimm were a shadow of what they once were, and it would take all of them to change that. And if some of them didn't see it that way?

Then Alerak would open their eyes.

He would make them see the truth.

He would drag them to their promised glory, kicking and screaming, if he had to.

He would remind all of Remnant why the Grimm had earned their right to rule, and nothing would stop him from doing this.

He wouldn't allow it.

But that would be in the future…and there would be much planning to do before it would all come together into fruition. Until then, he would watch and wait, biding his time, as he always did. Humanity could enjoy its place on Remnant, for now…it wouldn't last much longer, anyways.

Turning his attention away from the far future, he returned his focus to the task at hand.

Borr had been quite elusive, but little could hide from Alerak's gaze for long. His vision went across all his Nevermores, searching for any signs of the missing primal.

It wasn't long before he found something of interest.

A Nevermore in the lower parts of the northern continent had spotted a burning village in the mountains, the raging fires clear as day against the snowy peaks.

The flames were fresh, still hungry as they consumed everything in their path. Grimm were swarming the area, though they were merely feral strays that had been attracted by the panic of the villagers, all of whom were scrambling away in all directions, the chaos and confusion only drawing more Grimm to their locations.

Alerak paid them no further mind, already knowing their inevitable fates. Prey surrounded by predators had very short lives.

He possessed the Nevermore that had been showing all of this to him, using its body to fly in for a closer look. As he approached, he could feel…something. He couldn't quite describe the feeling, but it was more than enough to let him know that there was something more going on here.

Circling the area, he did what he could to pinpoint just where the unusual feeling was coming from, flying over towards that direction once he did so.

As he approached, the feeling started to become clearer, more defined, and it wasn't very long before he recognized it for what it was…

It seemed that Borr was nearby.

He didn't need to look any further, now that he knew the primal was in the area. All he needed to do now was to reach out with his mind, assuming Borr was willing to listen, anyways. He was rather…temperamental, to say the least.

"Borr…I know you're here."

Alerak waited for a few moments, circling overhead as he awaited a response, only to hear nothing. Somewhat irritably, he spoke again.

"We have a request of you, Borr. Answer our call."

His call for a response was met with only more silence. Alerak was an ever patient Grimm, but even he knew when his time was being wasted, and he rarely appreciated it.

"Speak. That is no longer a request, but a demand."

Silence.

Alerak sighed exasperatedly; it seemed Borr was in no talking mood…not yet, anyways.

He could change that quite easily, in that case.

"I'm certain you remember An'Trok, don't you?"

The Great Carrion had always had a somewhat…checkered history with Borr, allies at times, enemies at others. It was difficult to tell where the two stood with each other, at times…and Alerak was certain it would at least get a rise out of him.

"…what about him, Alerak?"

There it was. Now they were getting somewhere. He just needed a few more words, and that would be it.

"He's dead, Borr."

There was a long silence, almost as if Borr was well and truly stunned by the news. Or perhaps he was carefully choosing his next words. It was difficult to tell, and the unnaturally calm edge to his tone when he did respond didn't make it any easier.

"…who?"

A question. Simple enough to answer.

And if Alerak was reading the intentions behind it correctly, it was even simpler to make it work for their plans.

"The humans."

A lie, in truth…something far worse than the humans had laid the Great Carrion to rest, but Borr had no need to know that.

There was a scoff, almost like he was in outright disbelief that the humans could possibly put a primal down, even now.

"You lie, Alerak…An'Trok was many things, but he was never one to allow weaklings such as the humans to get the best of him."

Alerak chuckled quietly to himself. Borr could believe what he wished…it didn't matter so long as he did what they wanted.

"Believe what you will…it doesn't change what happened. He is gone, and his death leaves a void that must be filled. And that, Borr, is where you come in."

The primal growled, the scowl evident on his expression, even if they were only communicating telepathically.

"Another of your schemes, I'm sure…just what do you have in mind?"

Alerak grinned darkly, not that Borr would see it, though.

"Revenge, of course…"

He spoke in a tone that conveyed both subtle manipulation and genuine conviction; as much as he knew he was only using An'Trok's passing as a motivator to coax Borr into their plan…a part of him still saw the Great Carrion's demise as an affront to the Grimm as a whole, and he was loathe to let it go unanswered…

"Enough! Get to the point, Alerak, or this conversation is over!"

Defiance…how droll. At least Borr had grown something resembling a backbone after all these years, if nothing else. He used to be much more…submissive when faced with his elders.

"Of course, of course…all I ask is that you make your way to us, and we can discuss the matter further…"

Borr took another long moment's pause, clearly putting some serious thought into this offer.

"Just think…An'Trok would be most disappointed if his murderers were left unpunished…"

Alerak left just the barest hint of disappointment in his tone, emphasizing the point that he knew would get a rise out Borr.

"Do not utter his name again, Alerak! I will come…but not for his sake."

And there it was…played like a fiddle.

All too easy.

"As you wish, Borr…you know where to find us."

The primal grunted in minor annoyance, likely recalling old memories of the days past.

"Hmph. The usual location, I assume?"

They kept several arranged meeting places around Remnant…most of them still quite far removed from any prying eyes. There was a perfect one just along the northern coasts of the central continent of Remnant…right where Borr would come if he were crossing in from the north.

"The same…I'm certain you remember Kordor, correct?"

Alerak knew full well the question would bring up some rather…unpleasant memories from the Grimm wars of old. The wolf primal was rarely one to spare any of his victims, and Borr was one of the unlucky few to have routinely faced him and lived…mostly because the old wolf couldn't be bothered to finish the job.

"Of course I remember the old wolf…does he still bark at the moon during midnight?"

Well, at least he hid his fear well, though Alerak could still hear faint traces of it in his tone. It seemed even after all these years, some things just never changed…

"I believe he prefers to call it howling…"

Borr scoffed at that, clearly not amused.

"Bah. He can call it whatever he wishes. I'll be seeing him soon, anyways."

Very soon…that would certainly be an interesting thing to watch. It would also give the old wolf something moderately exciting to do as well, so what wasn't there to be gained from this?

"That you will…don't keep us waiting."

Borr's tone sounded almost dismissive as he spoke, practically dripping with an arrogance that hadn't been there before.

"I'll try to be punctual, then…"

And with that, he could feel Borr's mind closing off, evidently no longer interested in their conversation.

To his credit, the fool had at least learned to maintain a degree of calm…his younger self was far more impetuous. Even so, all that really meant was that what was once a reckless idiot had merely turned into an arrogant idiot. Of course, that served Alerak's purposes just fine…

All he needed was a pawn to manipulate…and Borr was one of the best, in that regard. Far too much for his own good, for that matter.

In any case, they had their pawn now…all they needed to do with him was point him in the right direction, and let the sparks fly.

All in due time, of course. A few days, perhaps, depending on how quickly Borr planned on moving.

Alerak would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't feeling even the smallest bit of anticipation for what was to come…

The beginnings of a wicked grin grew on his expression, hidden beneath the veil of shadows that blanketed his body.

He just loved it when a plan came together.

AN: Well, things certainly happened…good things, bad things, and everything in between. Let's recap it, shall we?

Let's start with the scenes featuring our two favorite doctors. Their purpose was to put a bit of expansion on the characters of James (Raau) and Robert. The main point I try to emphasize here is that both of them have their own respective motivations that are distinct from one another. After all, it'd be quite a problem if they ultimately boiled down to the same character motivations, except with different names. Aside from characterization purposes, their scenes also served as backstory expansion, expounding a little on the stories of several of our characters beyond what happens to them in this story, with particular emphasis on Richard, Mercury, Emerald, and Neo.

Going on to Salem and Richard…the scene similarly expands on their characters, while still driving the plot forwards in its own way. One thing I like to focus on in this fic is the numerous schemes and plans (from both the villains and heroes) that work their influence in the story, sometimes even running against each other, something that can be seen in Salem having Richard bringing in some more Atlesian reinforcements for Vale, knowing that Alerak wasn't going to leave the city untouched in its vulnerable state. All of this while they are ostensibly still allies, if only ones of convenience. No honor among thieves, you could say. Even if the 'thieves' part really doesn't apply here.

Moving on to Raven's scene, some points I wish to emphasize:

In regard to Summer's weapon, I spent the better part of an hour figuring out what I wanted for her, to be honest. Ultimately, I thought about how to parallel her with her daughter (biological, as in Ruby), and that led to the idea of what was effectively a double bladed scythe (for reference on the general look of it, think the double bladed scythes used by Dark Templars from Starcraft 2), which stands in direct comparison to Crescent Rose, yet still distinguishes itself in its own way. That may or may not be good reasoning, but it's my reasoning, and I'm sticking with it, for better or for worse.

As for John, we got to see a very interesting side of him that not too many are people get to see. We're all more than used to the child-like John by now, but this is where we start to see the child exterior crack away, revealing a much more sinister being. As for which side of John is his true self and which is just a mask he wears, well…I think I'll leave that up in the air, at least for the moment. One fun little thought I'll leave you all to toy with, however…if this was some of the nastier things that John can do, how much worse can his Daddy be?

Overall, the real purpose of the scene was to expand on Raven's character, especially in regards to the internal conflict that will play a key role in how she acts in this story. After all, she is technically working for the Grimm, and while she's convinced the councils really do need to go down, there's still that seed of doubt that occasionally sprouts itself in her mind.

Next up is James' (Ironwood) scene. The primary purpose of that is to show how bogged down the situation in Vale really is. There's no shortage of rebuilding to do, and time most definitely isn't on their side, not with the beginnings of another invasion already coming into play. They could be getting more help in due time, though…just like Qrow said, things are going to be a bit dicey for awhile.

Last up is Alerak and Borr…even more schemes and plans. And character building, of course. You can't miss that, right? Alerak, at his core, boils down to a Grimm that wants all Grimm to rule the world of Remnant, and is more than willing to use any methods he deems necessary to reach that goal…including using his fellow Grimm, just like how he is now manipulating Borr into attacking Vale. Speaking of Borr, he's a far cry from what he was back during the time period I refer to as the Grimm wars…clearly, the years he had spent sleeping had a few effects on how he turned out once he woke up. But the real question, of course, is who was hiding him from Alerak throughout the night? Good question, and I'll just have to let you guys ponder the answer for a little while…it'll be a fun time. I think.

But anyhow, that's chapter 16 in a nutshell. Again, sorry for the almost 6 month wait. I'll try, and I emphasize try to get chapter 17 out before RWBY Volume 4 comes out (also, yay for volume 4). It's not a promise, but I'll definitely try my hardest to keep it.

Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you guys enjoyed it. If you are so inclined, please don't hesitate to leave a review stating what you thought or to send any questions you may have my way. Thanks again, and stay safe.