Tanith found it hard to pity the woman as she struggled with the mech, the mech designed to deal with shit like this, the mech she decided she needed to use in some weird dick measuring contest with children… That sounded better before she thought it.

"This is your fault! Do you hear me?!" Cordovin screeched.

"Pathetic" Tanith muttered as she made sure the Manta wasn't about to fall to the ground and blow up in a cartoon mushroom cloud.

"Ruby!"

She glanced over to see Yang and Blake running from the tree line, looking very ragged.

"Yang! Blake! Are you okay?" Ruby called out as the group turned to them.

"What happened?" Blake asked as she looked wide eyed at the mech, Cordovin still struggling uselessly. A roar tore through the air around them, the ground seeming to shake with the noise.

"Was that a giant Grimm?" Yang asked

"Yes... and we just ruined the only thing capable of stopping it..." Weiss said deathly serious in such a way that made Tanith roll her eyes.

"Okay doom and gloom, Cordovin chose that her ego was more important then protecting the people, she made the big posturing show, creating the negativity needed to attract this Grimm. We at best performed theft and self defence, she should've scrambled the fucking fighters" during her rant the rest of the group climbed onto the Manta and the mech had stopped struggling, going still. "Also, if some people had done their part of the plan we wouldn't be in this mess" Tanith muttered quietly.

She took the Manta to the air as behind her she heard someone gagging, the someone being Blake who asked "what is that smell"

"Sorry!" Tanith called back, taking her hands off the still bloody joystick and shaking them "got a bit cooked"

"Oh god, this is all my fault. I'm so sorry..." Blake murmured, Tanith hearing her collapse into a seat.

"Don't be. This isn't on you" Yang said softly.

While Tanith was happy those two seemed to be getting along swimmingly, it didn't change her feelings that someone had fucked up somewhere. She narrowed her eyes on the swarm of flying Grimm and Manta aircraft exchanging attacks. In the centre of it all a massive Leviathan marched forward. She was familiar with this species of Grimm, she remembered the drills they had done in school in case of a Leviathan attack. It screeched and then dived to become a shadow in the ocean.

"I suppose I have to be the bad guy and say it, getting the lamp to Atlas is still our top priority, and right now we have the perfect opportunity to head straight for it. We may not get another chance like this" Maria said.

Tanith shook her head as she began preparing the Manta for combat "oh Maria, you still have no understanding of these kids morals"

"No way!"

"We can't leave, not like this"

"It's like you said, a Huntress is supposed to protect others to the bitter end"

"Jesus kids" Tanith muttered under her breath "alright people, as much as I love all this 'yay power of friendship!' stuff, we have a swarm of Grimm to fly through. I'm open to suggestion beyond 'fly good'"

"Jaune, can you and Ren be ready to mask our ship?" Tanith glanced to see that Ruby was standing between the pilots seats, hands on each of them as they approached the battle.

"I think we can manage" Ren agreed

The Leviathan resurfaced and roared again, it's approach to Argus forcing it to shallower waters. Tanith fiddled with the radio and it crackled as she tuned into the military signal.

"Argus Base, this is Manta 3-4! Leviathan has hit the shallows and resurfaced! We need those shields up now, over!" spoke a random Manta pilot, as if it wasn't obvious.

Massive pylons raised from the ocean, powering up and massive blue barriers erecting themselves between the Grimm and the city.

"Target stopped! Engaging, over!" spoke a new Manta pilot.

"That's not going to hold for long" Elster spoke.

"Why not?" Asked Oscar.

"Because Leviathan Grimm can-"

Some explosion detonated on the Leviathan but did little as it opened its mouth and a beam of energy shot from its mouth, following the barrier and moving toward the pylon. More explosions later and the Grimm marched through the destroyed barrier.

"Well, that lasted a good… minute" Tanith muttered.

"It tore straight through...!" Oscar gasped.

"All squadrons, fall back to evacuation procedures. Disengage Leviathan! I repeat, disengage! Over!"

"No, wait!" Ruby shouted, grabbing the radio.

"Ruby!" Tanith hissed, not interested in attracting the Atlas military's attention.

"We can stop it!" Ruby shouted back.

"Who is this? Identify yourself!" the radio barked.

"I'm a Huntress. My team and I are heading to the Leviathan and can weaken it for you to attack!" Ruby said confidently. A sentiment clearly not carried by anyone else in the Manta judging by all the faces of disbelief and shock. She rose an eyebrow, looking to Elster to see that even she was looking at Ruby with a raised eyebrow and a clearly concerned expression, at that point Tanith decided to be shocked too.

"We can?" Jaune asked.

"I can" Ruby said confidently.

"Ruby, when I said 'trial by fire'-"

"I did it at Beacon and at the farm" Ruby said confidently and that's when Tanith looked away and nervously bit her lip because she remembered the farm and she remembered what that had done to her.

"You really think you can do it now?" Weiss asked sceptically and Tanith had to agree.

"I don't have a choice" Ruby said gravely and Tanith had to remind herself that this was a sixteen year old speaking.

"Manta 5-1, your ship is currently flagged as hostile. You will receive no support, over"

Tanith smirked and snatched the radio from a scowling Ruby who gave her a questioning look, she winked back as she flicked some radio switches.

"Just to confirm control, on the open channel for all to hear" she drawled "you're refusing huntsman aid?"

"uh… well…" was the awkward reply.

"What?!" shouted a new voice followed by a cacophony of other protests as control desperately tried to regain… well control.

The dashboard blipped and she pressed the button, the radio changing to a new channel.

"This is Manta 5-4. Fuck that shit, you have our unofficial support Manta 5-1, over" said a new male voice followed by a chorus of others.

Tanith looked to Ruby and handed the radio back, Ruby looking at her in surprise for a moment before then beaming back.

"We're going to hit it when it's stalled at the next barrier, can you keep the Grimm off us?" at a quick prompting from Tanith "over"

"Roger that, say, you sound a little young to be a huntress. Over"

Tanith took the radio back "rude to ask a ladies age Manta 5-4. Over"

She turned the radio off and placed it back in the holder, the Grimm and Manta fight that was between them and the Leviathan growing closer and closer.

"Ren! Jaune! Your up!" Ruby called to the back before then turning forward and putting a hand on Tanith's shoulder "and you're up as well"

Tanith just nodded as the control and her clothes drained of colour, she pushed the throttle as they headed into the chaos "everyone hold on tight". Flying through the chaos should have been simple, a simple weave and dodge that Tanith had learned to do countless times.

However, Tanith understood that very few things are ever so simple. She cursed violently as she hastily swerved in the opposite direction, narrowly avoiding a missile. The missiles target dodge and the Manticore shot a retaliation fireball that Tanith ducked the Manta under, choosing a low approach for the Leviathan marching on the second barrier.

"We're going to be cutting it close" she informed as they began to climb again, soon coming up to be circling the Leviathan.

"Okay, now we need to-"

"Fuck" Tanith quickly pulled away as a beam blasted past, destroying the secondary shield protecting Argus. The grey hue around them also disappeared, Ren and Jaune both collapsing.

"Damn it!"

"I'm out!"

Tanith scrunched her mouth up before bringing the weapons back online.

"We need to stop it!" Blake called out

The Leviathan began to march forward again and Tanith locked on, launching four missiles forward, they streaked through the air before impacting the Grimm's head, knocking it aside and make the Grimm pause before turning to eye them. Then it's mouth opened and a beam shot out again, Tanith narrowly avoiding as it streamed by.

Apparently they weren't that interesting however as the massive Grimm looked away and began to march toward the unprotected city.

"Weiss!" Ruby suddenly shouted "can you summon the queen again? I have a plan!" she turned to Tanith "I need the Atlas forces to keep its attention off me"

"Roger that" Tanith picked the radio up "alright boys, we have a new job for ya. Over"

Moments later and the plan was implemented as Ruby left on the back of Weiss's summon, at the same time several Manta craft broke away from the fight to swerve round and make a b-line for the Grimm, several missiles firing and impacting its back in rapid succession. The beast stumbled and then turned, opening its mouth and sending a wide arc of its energy beam streaking through the sky.

Tanith winced as one of the Manta's was clipped, the wing being cut off as it plummeted to the ocean below. Pink explosions landed on the Grimm's skin and it turned again to face the as Nora shouted "Eyes on us, ugly!"

"Wait" Tanith suddenly murmured as she looked over the people in the craft "who has the relic?"

"Ruby" Elster supplied before then frowning "oh"

"Someone get Ruby's attention so she can get the relic back here!" Tanith shouted as she ducked under another beam.

"Ruby! Ruby you have to hurry! Ruby?" Yang tried before scowling "I think she turned it off!"

"Idiot" Tanith muttered "We need to-"

The Grimm turned it attention away from the Manta's pelting it and turned to the small white summon hovering directly in front of it.

"Why'd it turn away?!" Yang shouted in alarm "get us to Ruby!"

"Hold on to your pants people!" she called as she made the Manta dive at the same moment as the Grimm reared back, its great maw opening ready to devour the summon and the girl riding it.

And then there was an explosion of white light that rapidly began to expand, washing over the Grimm and continuing outwards. Tanith had just enough time to transfer control to Maria as the light hit the Manta and she felt a searing pain in her head. She hissed or possibly screamed, she couldn't quite tell with the ringing, placing her hands to her eyes and rode out the pain which faded slower than it came.

She felt physically weak by the end, groggily opening her eyes to see Elster's concerned face, things were being said and she saw Elster's mouth moving but no words she understood being said. Elster left her line of sight and she was lifted, arms under her own lifting her from the chair and dragging her away from the cockpit.

She saw more concerned faces of people as she was placed in a seat, Elster kneeling in front of her and beginning to look her over. Tanith found her too heavy and let it drift to rest on the metal wall behind her, in front her eyes found the massive form of the Leviathan, its mindless eyes staring.

Staring at her.

It felt like time slowed as the beast's head moved fractionally in her direction.

"I feel you, dust-user" A voice spoke in her mind, deep and filled with bass and somehow exactly how she imagined the creature to sound "I hear your tiny little heart beating within your chest, such a curious organ. So small but so powerful as to keep your body alive, I'm sure I'd have my own mighty heart if my kind had need of such a thing"

No organs? She was sure she'd seen Grimm organs before. Tanith felt her brow crease, not sure why she zoned her thoughts in on that particular thought as a deep chuckle reverberated through her mind "Fake, I assure you. Merely to give the illusion of inner function when no such function exists"

Tanith narrowed her eyes, taking in the Grimm's form and noting it was partially enclosed in stone before seeing the Atlas mech, a massive drill extended but slowly spinning, inching toward the Grimm locked within stone at a snails pace. How was any of this happening? Was she in some sort of hallucination? Moving herself was like moving through treacle, raising a hand slowly before watching as Elster grabbed it and began to examine it in slow motion.

"I assure you, this is all very real" a deep chuckle again, condescending "not that anyone will believe you"

How?

"Ah, you're a quick one for your species aren't you? When you come to be my size and my age" she swore the Grimms mouth quirked up slightly at that "you develop some tricks"

Your about to die

"Not die, merely go to the next stage. All this, everything you see is simply temporary"

Why?

"Why what? Why do this? Why act like a mindless beast? Why am I talking to you?" A deep sigh "In order. You dust-users operate under the assumption that there is something more at the end, something greater, a reword even, correct?"

Eh, I'm not sold

"Still, you live assuming there is purpose. It is the same for me and my kind, but our Goddess is very real indeed. Her will is our purpose, if I am to die then so be it, as long as I followed the Goddess's commands I served my purpose within this life. Just like you and your fellow dust-users, you serve imaginary idols and tales and when you die you are happy you served some greater purpose when unlike us you served non but to hinder the true Goddess"

So… the Grimm are like a bunch of cultists?

A deep growl "cult implies our beliefs aren't real. But you of all other dust-users should know that our Goddess is very real, after all she has touched you, has she not? Though I see her presence within you has greatly diminished. To answer your second question, acting like a mindless beast causes you to be underestimated, even at my size and power such a thing is useful. Others of your kind see your size and immediately underestimate you, you should try using that, though I'm afraid others of my kind won't be as hesitant… or polite as myself"

So… why are you talking to me?

"Because, I serve the Goddess, and you have been touched by her. There is yet still time for you to turn your ways, to repent and serve the Goddess"

Heh, yeah, little shit like me? What use am I to her?

"Like you are, not much more then simply a siphon of negativity for her own power. But if you let yourself succumb? Become one with her?"

Images flashed into her head. Herself, covered in black skin with white armour plating and red eyes. Her form crackling with red arcs of electricity as she floated into the air, fire swirling around herself. Behind her Salem watched with a smirk and a proud look in her eyes as Tanith's now black hair whipped around her.

Movement in the real world caught her eye and knocked the vison away, Elster's concerned face, biting her lip nervously as she looked at Tanith hands.

So what, your some kind of preacher?

"Nothing so nagging" The creature replied "I simply wish to see my Goddess succeed, and with you at her side she'd be unstoppable"

You sound pretty nagging

A weary sigh echoed through her head "let it not be said that I didn't at least try. Think upon it, you could do good"

I think I'd rather try and fit a Bullhead up my ass.

She smirked and slowly raised her left hand, flipping the bird at the massive Grimm

Go fuck yourself

Another weary sigh "disappointing"

Time began to play at it's normal rate, Tanith watching as the drill was imbedded in the Grimm and it gave one last roar before evaporating. Tanith turned her eyes toward Elster who was again, looking at her concerned.

"-anith, Tanith can you hear me?"

Tanith wasn't trusting her voice so she just nodded minutely, her body feeling heavy as her eyelids drooped.

"Good, that's good. I'm going to apply some salve to your hands and re-wrap them in bandages okay?"

Tanith just nodded her head again before then hissing and grunting as something was applied that made her hands sting as if she was being burned again.

"Fuck… bitch" she managed to weakly croak.

"I know, I know. Just rest for now okay? You deserve it"

Tanith succumbed to sleep halfway through the sentence.

~§~

Elster shoved her worry and nerves down as Tanith's head lolled forward, eye closed. She took solace in the still steady breathing of her girlfriends' chest. To say she'd not panicked when Tanith screamed and slumped in her seat, groaning in pain as the flash faded. She'd seen the distant look in Tanith's eyes as she pulled her from the front seat to get her into the back, saw the way her lips moved with words she wasn't saying, the raise of her arm to flip the bird at nothing.

But she pushed all that aside to make sure that Tanith was okay. That meant fixing her hands first up as she applied the salve to Tanith's other burned hand. The damage wasn't anything serious, it would hurt for a bit and would likely require a week or two to heal completely, but it was likely that she'd get better care in Atlas anyway.

She couldn't hep as she raised her hand and brushed a lock from Tanith's face before standing, reminded of her own aches and her low aura. She turned as boots hit the metal floor and saw Ruby quickly waling over, concern on her face.

"What happened?" she asked

"We know she has a bad reaction to your eyes, when it hit she was quick to transfer control to Maria, was out of it from then on"

Ruby bit her lip and took another nervous step forward "I'm so sorry, this is all my f-"

Elster placed a hand on the girls shoulder and gave her a smile "Hey, don't beat yourself up. You made the best of a shit situation. And given your here and we're not being swarmed by Atlas forces I assume you somehow pulled it all off"

Ruby perked up and turned to the rest of the group "that's right! Cordovin is letting us go"

"You mean that old bat decided to loosen up!?" Maria exclaimed in shock "was she crying? Did she blub like a baby and admit defeat?"

Ruby ignored the comment "Let's get to Atlas before she changes her mind"

~§~

A large man, a scowl on his features as he looked at his arm, once whole, now replaced with Grimm hide and muscle. A woman of white skin, smiling behind him as he destroyed an illusion, an illusion of a woman with feathers in her hair.

"Again" the man grunted

Mint hair and teeth biting into lip before again the woman with feathered hair appeared, wounded and backing away from the large man with wide eyes and pathetic whimpers.

Again, the man punched and clawed until the illusion was no more.

"Again" the man grunted

Woman of white skin raised her hand and mint hair paused, looking to her while large man panted heavily.

"I think that's enough" woman of white skin said with a voice of seductive velvet "I think your more then ready… don't you think Hazel?"

Tanith blinked herself to awareness, the interior of the Manta before her. She blearily looked around with a slowness that came from the ache of her body. The rest of the group were scattered about, some on the remaining chairs and some on the floor. A warm body was next to her and she could tell from the darkness outside that it was night.

She looked to her left and saw the familiar dark skin on the hand nearest her and she smiled slightly. She looked at her own hands, saw the bandages wrapped around them and felt the dull pain that was coming from them nowhere near as bad as it had been.

She reached over to her left and grasped the familiar hand, giving it a squeeze as she felt herself awaken further and further to actually make out who was around her.

"Hey there sleepyhead" Elster's familiar voice murmured in her ear, Tanith closing her eyes as she let the voice wash over her "how're you feeling?"

"Like I was shot with a bunch of electricity then shot with a bunch of magic" she murmured back and heard Elster chuckle.

"That's cause you were" lips pressing against her ear "how about now though?"

"Well your definitely making me feel better, otherwise everything just hurts"

"Could say I have an aura about me"

Tanith rolled her eyes and elbowed the chuckling woman next to her, opening her eyes and sitting up straighter "moment ruined"

"We should have just enough fuel to make it" Maria's voice reached her ears and she turned to look at the front of the Manta.

Tanith grunted then- after an embarrassing second where she flopped back into her seat after the seat belt held- was up and slowly walking to the cockpit, haring the tail end of a conversation as Ruby puled away from hugging Qrow. Then Ruby turned and spotted her hobbling and smiled again, walking up to her.

"Tanith! Are you okay, you sure you should be walking around?"

"I was brought on for one specific thing, like hell am I going to slack at it" She grunted back, smiling at Ruby before then squinting "Wait a fucking" she grabbed Ruby's shoulders and compared herself before scowling "You've grown taller then me you bitch"

Ruby chuckled and rubbed the back of her head "sorry"

"Now Ruby" Elster admonished from behind Tanith (and no Tanith totally didn't jump because she 100% knew that Elster was there dammit) "don't apologise for Tanith's… short comings"

"Huh!" Yang gasped, perking up.

"No" breathed Ruby in quiet horror.

"I'm going to commit a crime" Tanith chimed, a sweet smile on her face and murder in her eyes.

Elster shrugged "long as I get a kiss later"

"You'd be so lucky" muttered Tanith as she stepped passed Ruby and into the cockpit "what's the damage report look like Maria?"

"What?"

"Damage report" Tanith rose an eyebrow "you have actually done a damage report right?"

"I've been rather more concerned with flying young madam"

Tanith rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh as she poked Qrow "move". Qrow did so with only a grunt of complaint and Tanith slipped in, typing in a command into the console. After a few minutes of searching and queries a female synthetic voice announced "Autopilot engaged"

"Oh" Maria said as she let her hands fall from the joystick.

"Mhmm" Tanith hummed before speaking clearly "Query, damage report"

"Damage report: Exterior hull plating at 67% integrity, wind resistance at 13%. 31 Air-to-Air missiles remaining. Starboard jet at critical function point, recommend emergency landing"

Tanith tapped up a map display, seeing they were now only a few klicks from Atlas "don't think we want to be walking through a Grimm infested icy tundra. Okay. Query, how long until starboard jet malfunctions?"

"Processing… estimated time of failure in thirty-two minutes"

Tanith heard the conversation in the back peter off at that comment and she scrunched her mouth to the side.

"Query, estimated time of arrival in Atlas?" then she saw it out of the corner of her eye "cancel that query, hey kiddos back there, you ain't seen Atlas before? Come get a load of this shit"

She heard footsteps, saw red out of the corner of her eye

"Is it weird that I'm sorta nervous?" Ruby asked.

"No, I'll believe we've made it to Atlas when I see it"

The clouds parted and Weiss spoke the words that Tanith had been about to say "Well... believe it"

As loathed as Tanith was to admit it, the floating city of Atlas was definitely beautiful. Though the city of Mantel directly below was its polar opposite, smoke stacks and dingy yellow lights and red brick buildings compared to Atlas's opulent white buildings and blue twinkling lights.

Though what drew her eye was the entire gathering of the Atlas air fleet, rows of Frigates hung suspended in the air, faces outwards over the tundra of Solitas.

"Wow!" Nora exclaimed in excitement.

"You know, you make the trip up to Atlas over and over, but you never get used to that view" Maria spoke before Tanith heard a sparking and Maria's exclamation of "Oh, come on!"

Tanith narrowed her eyes slightly, fingers unconsciously curling around the Manta's joystick. She saw Weiss out the corner of her eye looking just as concerned, and Ruby looking between them.

"Guys, what is it?"

Tanith saw that everyone else was looking up now.

"That's the entire fucking fleet" Tanith muttered, feeling a hand on her shoulder she turned to see Elster there, looking at the fleet above.

"The Atlas air fleet... I knew all of our ships were called back, but..."

"They're set up like they're expecting an attack..." Qrow muttered in confusion.

The radio crackled.

"Manta 5-1, welcome home..."