116

Chapter 116:

The first sign of trouble that Mason had noticed was when the feed showing Ruby's fight against Mercury and Eira cut out. He hadn't been happy with what he'd been seeing. Mercury and Eira fought well together, especially without the benefit of any lights to see their opponent, or each other. The feed was being taken with a special night-vision camera, allowing Mason to see what was happening. Unfortunately, it looked as though the darkness was not hampering Ruby's abilities in any way either, nor was the coordination between the two assassins enough to give them a definitive advantage over her.

As such, he'd expected to see Mercury's compatriots to come to his aid. So it had been galling to see them continue to watch from the sidelines. And then Ruby had cut down both of them.

That had been when the feed had cut, leaving Mason stewing in uncertainty. The girl had walked right into the center of what she had to have known was a trap. She'd even weathered the knockout gas used on her during the car ride over. Despite that, Mason had been more than certain that the preparations he and his allies had made would be enough to deal with her. He had to wonder if something had happened to the signal at the source, or if the problem was on his end.

However, all of that became of little concern when the light streaming in from the window of his home office darkened. Mason looked up, his eyes widening behind his glasses as he saw a dark figure swooping down from above. He threw himself out of his seat, diving behind the desk as the figure slammed into and through the window, shattering it into fragments. The attacker landed, going into a roll that ate up the momentum of his previous speed, allowing him to come back to his feet.

Rain Elric's shield had separated into segments, spreading across his back so that the green-tinged membrane between them spread between his arms and legs, allowing it to function as a sort of wingsuit, the wind-Dust impregnated into the membrane enhancing his lift and allowing him to glide. Now, as he rolled back to his feet, his shield collapsed down into its regular form, before sliding into its accustomed place on his right arm.

The door to the office exploded open, a pair of armed and armored men rushing in, rifles raised. Seeing the intruder, they didn't even bother to ask for his surrender before opening fire. They went on the attack the moment they confirmed their employer wasn't in the line of fire. However, their shots pinged harmlessly off the surface of Rain's kite-shield.

Pushing forward with his right arm, Rain launched his shield, connected to the spool/gauntlet on his right arm by the blue string. The shield slammed into the guard on the right, flinging him back out the way he came, his body clipping and smashing through the edge of the doorframe on his way out. The other guard dove to the side to avoid the first attack, his rifle now aiming for Rain's unprotected body.

Rain simply pulled his arm to the left, the shield having already opened up, and spreading its membrane into its kite-mode. The kite pulled the string taut, Rain's tug sending it flying to the left, down the hallway it had flown into. As it did, it pulled the string along with it, the string cutting its way through the wall without the slightest sign of resistance, before it struck the other guard in the shoulder.

The string bit into the armor and the flesh beneath it. Less than a second later, the arm had been severed completely. The guard screamed, reeling, the rifle tumbling from his grip as his other hand went to stem the bleeding. Rain yanked back on the string, before it could continue cutting its way into the unfortunate man's torso. Pulling the string actually pulled the shield back to smash through the wall behind the guard, slamming into the back of his head and knocking him out.

The shield returning to his arm, Rain slipped it back up to his back as he rushed to catch the falling guard, his hand already reaching to a pouch on the belt at his waist. He withdrew what looked like a miniature spray-can. With his left hand, he pulled the guard's arm up, ignoring the blood spurting from the stump, while holding up the spray-can in his right, spraying a white foam over the exposed flesh. The foam immediately solidified, stopping the bleeding.

A click from behind Rain drew his attention to Mason, who'd risen up from behind the desk, pistol in hand. Mason didn't hesitate to fire a shot off at the back of Rain's head. Fortunately, all Rain had to do was duck forward, and the Dust-cartridge pinged off the upper edge of his shield. Rolling forward, Rain came back up to his feet, turning around as he did so, his shield sliding back into place on his right arm, just in time to ward off a second shot from Mason.

"I don't know who you think you are," said Mason calmly, despite being faced with such a formidable enemy, "but don't think that you can get away with assaulting a member of the Council."

"I am not worried," said Rain calmly, flashing a polite smile at Mason from behind his shield.

"Your confidence is not unwarranted," noted Mason, taking in the forms of his unconscious guards. "However, more will arrive soon. Your weapon is impressive, but is clearly suited to more-open spaces. In the cramped confines of this room, and the adjoining hallway, your movements shall be severely hampered. You cannot hope to last long."

"Assuming I need to last at all," Rain replied.

"Hmm...?" Mason tilted his head slightly.

"I figured you would have noticed already," noted Rain. "After an entrance like that, this place should be swarming with guards already. But only the two that were right outside came. I wonder what could be keeping the rest of them."

Mason's eyes widened as the impact of Rain's words sank in. It wasn't simply a matter of the guards not coming. By now, sirens and alarms should be howling across every corner of the mansion, but no such sounds reached his ears.

A few seconds later, a hissing sound, like that of miniature jet engines, filled the air. Outside the window, the orange-haired figure of Penny Polendina appeared, having deployed her wire-guided swords; which had transformed into their gun-modes, arrayed themselves into two groups of three at her waist, and were now revolving around one another, producing streams of green energy that now held Penny aloft. She quickly flew into the room, landing on the floor and deploying her Floating Array around her, the weapons transforming back into their sword-forms, their tips fixating menacingly on Mason.

"The alarms have been silenced," declared Penny. "Ciel and Piper are neutralizing the security forces."

"Good work," said Rain, earning a happy beam from Penny. "Now then...Councilman...or former-Councilman, I should say...I would ask that you surrender."

Mason blinked, his eyes taking in the two adolescents before him. "I see...I thought you looked familiar. You are members of Team Copper, from Atlas, correct?"

"Correct," replied Rain.

"Then your actions fall under the classification of foreign aggression," said Mason. "This is an act of war. You are assaulting a member of Vale's government."

"I am afraid not," declared a cold voice, coming from the smashed remains of the doorway. A few seconds later, the white-clad form of Winter Schnee marched into view. "As Mr. Elric has said, Mr. Ayers, you are no longer a member of Vale's Council."

"What?" asked Mason, blinking in confusion at the sight of Winter.

"General Ironwood took evidence of your misdeeds to the other two members of the Council," explained Winter. "After reviewing said evidence, they voted to impeach you. As such, you no longer have any protection afforded to you by your previous position. What is more, your actions fall under a direct threat to the safety of the citizens of Vale, and is therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the security coalition tasked with overseeing the Vytal Festival."

"Ridiculous!" scoffed Mason, leveling his gun at Winter. "Just what threats to the Kingdom of Vale have I committed?"

"You arranged for the kidnapping of a Valean citizen," replied Winter. "Furthermore, you abused your position to orchestrate an illicit mission with a discredited Huntsman, clearly for the purpose of provoking conflict in the settlement he was sent to."

"I was acting in the interests of Vale," countered Mason firmly. "Ruby Rose represents a clear and present threat to the safety of the Kingdom. I acted fully within my authority as a member of Vale's Council to secure her and prevent her from inflicting harm."

"And yet, there is a clear record of you ignoring the proper procedure for such things," said Winter, calmly reviewing her scroll, not even bothering to acknowledge the gun aimed her way. "You submitted no evidence, issued no warrants, employed private forces that were clearly your own, rather than using Vale's own security forces. The degree of coordination of these forces is a clear indicator that this is not the first time you have abused your position to 'eliminate' people who posed a 'threat' to the Kingdom, which you clearly determined at your sole discretion.

"What is more, in the process of arranging this latest attempt on Ms. Rose's life, you have engaged the services of recognized enemies of the Kingdom of Vale, colluding with known criminals and terrorists to further your own ends, which falls under the category of treason...Mr. Ayers."

Winter looked up, fixing the former-Councilman with an icy glare. "However, your arguments are completely pointless. We are here to take you into custody. You may attempt to argue your case at your trial. Until then, you will submit and come quietly with us. Should you refuse, then we are authorized by the remaining Council members to use force, Mr. Ayers. Now...how will you proceed?"

Mason stared at Winter, who met his gaze impassively. Finally, Mason slowly lowered his gun, placing it on the desk, before raising his hands in surrender.

"A wise decision," said Winter firmly, before nodding to Rain and Penny. "Take him into custody, if you please."

"It seems that everything worked out on Ms. Schnee's end," said Glynda, hanging up her scroll. "Mason Ayers is now in custody."

"Excellent," said Ozpin, sighing, looking at the pile of battered and unconscious soldiers, resting amidst the pieces of wrecked androids. "Now, if only we could convince the soldiers here that it is pointless to continue the fight."

"How many of these jerks are there?" Yang demanded, punching another man's light's out.

"They must be running out of members," commented Ren, dropping another with a burst from his guns.

More androids dropped down above, while more soldiers still slid down the lines that had been left by the first wave.

"This is getting ridiculous," groaned Nora, her enthusiasm flagging as she smashed an android into pieces with a single blow from her hammer.

"We won't have to wait much longer," commented Blake.

That prompted everyone to give her a confused look.

"Why?" asked Ren.

Blake gave them a small smirk. "Let's just say, I offered a certain someone an opportunity to pay these guys back for misusing the name of the White Fang."

Abruptly, the rumble of explosions from above reached their ears. "And it sounds like they're cleaning up from above."

Sure enough, the number of soldiers dropping down through the opening the students had knocked through the ceiling was beginning to trickle off, while confused and urgent shouts echoed out from above. Several of the men and women already in the room appeared to momentarily forget their mission, looking upwards uneasily.

Up above, they heard the chatter of gunfire, along with the sound of other explosions. Two more men slid down the lines, alongside a small number of androids. However, they were the last ones. A few seconds later, a trio of other figures dropped down to the floor.

"Ilia!" exclaimed Blake, watching as her friend rose up, that familiar horned mask covering her face.

Beside Ilia was an older woman, albeit not appearing too much older, dressed in a black, backless outfit, sporting tiger-stripe tattoos, and a pair of feline ears. Dropping down between them, her spread parasol slowing her fall, was the diminutive figure of Neo.

"It's the White Fang!" shouted one of the soldiers, rather unnecessarily. Immediately, the lot of them oriented their guns towards the newly arrived threat, apparently ranking them a higher priority than the students that had been mowing them down before.

The three women burst into action, rushing in three different directions, brandishing their weapons to take down the remaining soldiers and androids. Sienna Khan brandished a bladed chain, whipping it through the air around her. As one of the androids charged her, its gun-barrel fingers replaced by retractable blades, Sienna pulled the trigger of the handle at the chain's other end, launching one of the three blades at its end into the android's chest, sending it stumbling back into a pair of soldiers. A second later, the fire-Dust charge implanted in the blade exploded, taking out all three.

The spiraling blade of Ilia's weapon extended into a whip, its segments joined by cords charged with lightning-Dust, frying the circuits of the androids she struck, and sending soldiers crashing to the ground with pained shouts, their bodies spasming. A few soldiers and androids pinned her down with a hail of gunfire, which Ilia deflected by spinning her whip rapidly in front of her body.

The small figure of Neo leapt over Ilia, landing amidst the soldiers trying to gun the chameleon-faunus down, lashing out with swift kicks and equally swift strikes from her parasol. The soldiers and androids quickly tried to shift their aim, but only wound up leaving themselves open to Ilia, who resumed her attack, now that she was no longer pinned in place.

The three of them cleaned up the remaining enemies rather quickly, leaving RYNB, the newly-arrived RASP, and the two professors with nothing left to do.

The last android collapsed, sparks crackling from its joints, courtesy of the yellow gem mounted on the blade that Sienna had launched from her chain into it. Smiling, Sienna wrapped the chain around her wrist, winding its length up her forearm, before she turned and approached the party from Beacon.

"High Leader Khan," said Ozpin, inclining his head politely towards her.

"Professor," Sienna replied, a slight smirk on her face.

"I see one of my students took the liberty of notifying you about this," noted Ozpin.

"We don't take kindly to those who seek to pin the blame on the White Fang for things we haven't done," said Sienna, "or insinuating that people who aren't associated with us are, just because they happen to be faunus."

"A better attitude than Adam Taurus'," noted Ozpin.

"So I hope," said Sienna.

"We're grateful for your assistance," said Ozpin, before inclining his head towards Neo. "You as well, Ms. Politan. Did Mr. Torchwick send you?"

Neo replied with a coy smile, while Sienna provided an answer of her own. "She showed up on her own," she explained. "It appears that she's developed something of an attachment to Ilia."

Seeing Ilia's skin briefly flush pink and rose-colors, Blake couldn't quite keep an amused smirk from her face, which Ilia met by pulling off her mask to give Blake a silent glare that said quite clearly, "Not one word."

Neo merely sidled up to Ilia and gently prodded her in the side with the crook of her umbrella, prompting a surprised squeak from Ilia, before she sighed and relaxed her stance a little.

"Now then, it's probably best that you retreated for now," said Ozpin. "Our method of entry was anything but inconspicuous. The proper authorities will be here soon, and I doubt that you want the White Fang to be immediately associated with this kind of destruction."

"You're right about that," conceded Sienna.

"We will do our best to put a spin on this that will hopefully improve people's views of you," added Ozpin. "It won't be long before the public learns about what happened to Mason Ayers. Knowing that the White Fang played a role in the downfall of a corrupt Councilman would be a boon to your image."

"I would be grateful for that," said Sienna. She nodded to Ilia and Neo. "Let's go."

Neo playfully saluted the students with her umbrella, insinuating that she'd see them in class. Ilia traded a small smile with Blake, before turning away, flinching slightly when Neo took her hand. A second later, their images shattered like glass, leaving the nothing where they'd been standing before.

"They're pretty good," observed Yang.

Ruby sheathed her sword, then let out a loud sigh, flopping down on her behind. "Ugh! I'm beat! Please tell me it's over."

"It is...for now," said Ozpin, smiling at her. "Of course, we will need to make sure that Mr. Ayers does not manage to talk his way out of punishment. I doubt he'll be able to, considering the evidence we were able to accrue in such a short amount of time. Further investigation is likely to yield only further evidence of corruption."

"That's good," said Pyrrha. "But what about the others?"

Ruby and her friends glanced over to see the prone forms of Mercury and Eira. Ruby smiled to see that Jaune was already by Eira's side, kneeling down to close her wounds, the assassin looking both surprised and resigned. From what Ruby could sense, Eira had no intention of pursuing matters further. Mercury looked on with a dour expression, clearly unhappy that his brief period of freedom had been cut short...and that he'd been abandoned by his allies from Salem's faction.

That was enough to make her stomach quiver. Tyrian, Hazel, Watts, and Jester were still out there...as was their mistress, the ultimate author behind all the terrible things that her agents had been doing. There was no telling just what Salem's next move would be. Ruby could only hope that there was a way they could head it off, just as they had before.

"We will have to wait and see," said Ozpin. "There is little we know about what their current plans are, seeing as we've already put an end to Cinder's. It seems somewhat odd that they would throw in with agents of Vale's own government. But, on the other hand, it would allow them access to places they normally would not have, particularly if Mr. Ayers and the others were not aware of their true allegiance.

"For now, I suspect they will fall back and make plans for the future. I suggest you not worry overly much about that for the time being. You've all earned a rest."

Glynda nodded her agreement. "I'll call in a bullhead to take us back to Beacon."

She was about to do just that when her scroll began to ring on its own. Confused, Glynda answered the call, then listened silently as the person on the other end explained themselves. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped slightly. "Qrow...? How is he?...I see...Yes, we'll be back presently."

Glynda hung up and passed a grave look over the assembled students. "Qrow was found passed out near the tower entrance. He was gravely wounded."

"Is he gonna be okay?!" asked Yang urgently.

"He's presently being treated in the infirmary," said Glynda, letting out a sigh. "However...his Semblance is making things difficult."

"What do you mean?" asked Ruby. "What's Uncle Qrow's Semblance?"

"He doesn't like to speak about it," said Ozpin, throwing a firm look Glynda's way. "He can explain it to you himself, if he so wishes. For now, we should return to Beacon with all speed. Ms. Rose, Mr. Arc...you might just be able to provide one last bit of assistance, before the day is out."

The black form of the Seer hovered silently in the center of the metal room, its red tentacles dangling limply. It didn't even seem to register the presence of the people who stepped in through the door. Their postures and expressions ran the gamut. Tyrian was in obvious distress, whimpering and whining wordlessly, wringing his hands anxiously, hunched forward ever so slightly, eyes darting back and forth, the man unwilling to bring himself to look at the Grimm hovering before him. Behind him, the stump of his severed tail waved lamely.

Hazel's expression was also downcast. His arms were still badly bloodied and burned from the Dust he'd been using, and the other injuries he'd suffered in the battle against Ozpin and Glynda were still in the process of healing. Like Tyrian, his head was lowered, eyes shifted to the side.

Watts seemed more upbeat, though only by a few degrees. He looked calmed and at ease, but his own anxiety was betrayed by his hands reaching up to stroke his mustache, while he hummed softly to himself, as though he were mulling things over in his head.

And finally, there was Jester...who seemed completely unfazed by the whole affair, his usual grin still in place, occasionally chuckling softly to himself as he gently tapped his shoulder with the top of his marotte. "Quite the downcast lot we have here," he observed cheerfully. "You'd think you guys were heading to your execution, the way you're acting. Buck up. Her Ladyship isn't the sort to flip her lid that easily."

"And why would I do that?" asked Salem, her face swirling into view, distorted slightly by the curved surface of the Seer's black mantle.

"W-w-we..." Tyrian let out a whimper. "I...I failed you...My Goddess...I...I have nothing else to say." He sank down to his knees, staring forlornly at the floor.

"What happened?" asked Salem calmly.

"I shall explain as best I can," said Watts, stepping forward to provide a summary of what happened.

Salem listened silently. When Watts finished, she was silent for several minutes longer, apparently thinking over everything that had just been said. "So then...you mean to tell me that you failed to secure the girl...Ruby Rose."

"Correct," rumbled Hazel.

"Ah, don't be too hard on 'em," said Jester in a teasing tone. "The little one ain't half-bad. She knows her business with those swords of hers."

Tyrian snapped his head up to glare at the masked man. Even though Jester appeared to be arguing on their behalf, to Tyrian's mind, he was still offering disrespect to Salem.

"And yet, it sounds to me as though their faults have contributed directly to this sorry state of affairs," said Salem, her voice cold. "Tyrian allowed his...tendencies...to get the better of him, and forgot to exercise proper caution against an opponent who was stronger than he'd first assumed. And Hazel..."

Hazel's head dipped lower.

"Hazel forgot everything, the second he saw that Ozpin was there." Through the visual link provided by the Seer, Salem's eyes narrowed in a piercing glare. "Tyrian would have been more than able to bring down the girl himself, had you done your part in keeping the others from interfering. Yet you allowed Him to bait you, and charged in blindly. The result was that Tyrian was overwhelmed, and has now been severely injured."

"I have nothing to say," said Hazel. "I take full responsibility."

"Is that so...?" asked Salem, her voice chillier than the winds of Solitas. "Good."

Suddenly, the Seer's tentacles whipped out, reaching for Hazel with lightning speed. Several wrapped around his throat, squeezing tight, while others restrained his arms and legs. At full strength, he might have been able to pull free. But his injuries kept him from finding the power to fight off the Grimm's strangling grip.

And he would have known better than to try, even if he had the strength.

"I recall telling you that you would have the chance to get your revenge on Ozpin," said Salem, her tone calm on the surface, but practically buzzing with fury beneath that. "However, that is contingent on you doing my bidding. I have told you before...the moment you put your desires ahead of my own, they will be lost to you.

"Your hatred of Ozpin runs deep. That is good. It will give you power when you need it most. But...if you cannot properly control it, then you are a threat to your own allies...and me...and I shall deal with you myself. Am I understood?"

Hazel grunted, then coughed, struggling to force words past the Seer's strangling grip. "Y-y-y-yes," he finally managed to force out.

"Good," said Salem.

"Now now," interjected Jester in a teasing tone, "let's not get carried away. If anything, it's your own fault for nourishing his hatred too much, Salem. You've gotta remember that some situations call for a lighter touch."

He gently rested his marotte against the tentacles that extended around Hazel's neck. A second later, the appendages released their hold, allowing the man to slump tiredly to the floor. Meanwhile, Tyrian looked ready to launch himself at the clown. Watts looked likewise disconcerted, hearing their fellow minion chiding Salem, as though she were an immature child who hadn't understood the full import of her actions.

They expected anger. They expected the Seer to round on Jester next, and tear him to pieces. Instead, the Grimm oriented, turning just enough that Salem's eyes were fixed on Jester's face instead. "Will you secure the girl for me?" she asked.

"Nah," said Jester dismissively, waving a hand. His response completely infuriated Tyrian, his eyes going wide, even as he bared his teeth. He began to round on Jester, preparing to admonish him for his disrespect. Jester though, continued on as though nothing else was happening. "It ain't time for that yet. I've crossed her path a couple times now, and it's just not right. She needs to ripen a little more. Let Adam have a crack at her, first."

"How dare you...?" snarled Tyrian, his voice tight with rage, eyes bulging in their sockets as he prepared to lunge for Jester.

"Silence," said Salem, her voice calm, but cutting through Tyrian's outrage like a knife. Her gaze quickly returned to Jester. "What do you suggest then?"

"Bide our time," said Jester with a shrug. "We were gonna wait until the festival to kick off the main plan anyway. Let's just fold the rest of this into that. The girl will keep."

Salem pondered his words for a moment. "So be it."

"And there you have it then," said Jester. "Nice chatting with you."

"Watts..." Salem's eyes turned towards the scientist, who stiffened nervously.

"Y-yes, Your Grace?" he asked.

"Do something about Tyrian's tail, would you," ordered Salem. "We need him to be ready for what comes next."

"Of course, Your Grace," said Watts, bowing his head to her. "I shall take care of that immediately."

"Good," said Salem, her gaze sweeping over the entire assembly. "There is no more room for errors. Just to be sure, I have made preparations, and will take care of things myself, if I must. I would hope you would not make me resort to such methods." With that, her face faded, and the Seer was left hovering, just as silent as before.

"Well, that was fun," said Jester casually. He grinned at Watts. "Better hurry with that new tail for Tyr. I hope he used the john before he went to that fight, otherwise he's in for a rough time."

He seemed completely ignorant of the look of absolute hatred Tyrian leveled at him.

The group took their leave of the room, emerging into a hallway of gray metal. Heading down the hallway, they passed through the door and emerged onto what was unquestionably the bridge of a large airship.

"So you're finished, I see," remarked a cheerful voice from the helm. The red-coat-wearing Morgan turned to face the group, a vicious grin on her face. "What is Her Grace's wish?"

"For now, we shall fall back and continue preparations for the Vytal Festival," said Watts calmly.

Morgan's grin faltered, a look of disappointment appearing in its place. "Aww...And I was looking forward to a proper battle."

Watts coughed. "I'm aware that you are quite eager, this being your first time commanding an airship. However, I am happier knowing that you have more time for learning the particulars of aerial battle, before we commit to anything."

"Dear Arthur," said Morgan, stepping away from the helm, "words are incapable of conveying my love for that which you've gifted me. I would never risk it unnecessarily. I have learned my lesson from that last debacle, I assure you."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Watts. "While the money to fund the construction was not difficult for a man such as myself to obtain, procuring the necessary materials and arranging the construction were far more demanding tasks. If there is one thing I would count as a downside to Her Grace's position, it's that it leaves me without easy access to large-scale manufacturing facilities."

"Indeed, I understand," said Morgan, bowing her head contritely. "I can't ever apologize enough for losing the Schneller Geist. I assure you that I will make no such mistakes with your latest masterpiece."

Watts nodded. "Then see to it that you thoroughly review the simulations and procedures for air-battles. When the time comes, I am sure that you will make this vessel a match for the fleet Ironwood has brought with him for the festival."

"Gladly," said Morgan with a vicious grin.

The conversation over, she turned back to look over the console, which also allowed her to look out the bridge's forward canopy, affording her a commanding view of the black hull of the airship they presently resided in, the vessel gliding silently through the night. The very same technology that had made her previous submersible undetectable had been advanced and refined, and now served to make this one virtually invisible, whether to machines or the naked eye. On top of that, even though Ironwood's airships were a third-again as large as this one, its firepower was more than a match for them.

Thinking about the fight to come, Morgan licked her lips in anticipation. More than that, she was aware that one of the secondary objectives of this attack would be to capture one Ruby Rose, the same girl who had eluded her twice now. Morgan tingled at the idea of being able to transport her Little One back to Salem, and eagerly imagined all the fun they would have on the way.

"Well, this was a fun little interlude," commented Jester. "I'd best get back to Adam now. It won't be long before I've whipped him into fighting-shape."

He turned and casually sauntered off the bridge.

Watts and Hazel watched him go, their expressions wary. Tyrian, on the other hand, had vanished completely.

Jester headed along the hall, not particularly because he needed to use it. His destination wasn't even on this ship. But he felt like walking. Perhaps it was a premonition of what was to come that left him feeling like he should spend some more time on the vessel.

A dark figure rose up behind him, then lunged...curved blades, attached to the wrists of a pair of bracers, plunged into Jester's back. The man lurched, the bells attached to his fool's cap ringing, as though expressing their dismay at the attack that had struck him.

"Tyr...?" grunted Jester.

"You filthy heretic," snarled Tyrian, baring his teeth in a downright furious snarl. "You dare to contradict, to disobey, to defy...our Goddess! I've had my fill of your irreverence. Now you shall pay with your life!"

"She's your goddess, Tyr," said Jester dismissively, stepping away from his attacker. "I never said she was mine. We just...work together...that's all."

Tyrian blinked, his jaw falling slack. He saw that his blades hadn't made so much as a mark in the man's clothes. Jester turned on his heel, his grinning face appearing before Tyrian's.

"Ah, Tyr Tyr Tyr...you need to put a lid on that malice of yours, if yer gonna get one over on me. I could feel you coming from a mile away. I even took myself out of the sight of others, all so you could take your crack at me."

Tyrian backpedaled nervously.

"Of course," continued Jester, "even if you could catch me with my pants down, so to speak, it wouldn't do you much good...not with these toys." Reaching up, he pressed the palm of his left hand against one of the points of the pair of blades mounted on Tyrian's right wrist.

Tyrian's eyes widened in dismay as he watched the metal crumble into dust, when Jester's hand pressed up against it, the blade disintegrating as Jester's hand passed through its length. His point made, Jester pulled his hand back.

"The tawdry tools of man can't even scratch me," he said, chuckling with amusement. "How long has it been, since the last time I was last hurt by...well...anything? It's hard to recall...I have that problem a lot, you know."

He leaned in, his grin growing wider, wider than any Tyrian had ever made. "Do you know why I and your goddess get along so well...why I can say things to her that no one else can...? Well...do you?"

Tyrian found himself whimpering nervously, edging back from the man.

"It's because we're cut from the same cloth, she and I," he said, leaning in closer still. "We both know the madness that is the passage of time, the weight of memory...and the emptiness of forgetting."

Tyrian stepped back again, but found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move. His body felt as though it was locked in place, completely frozen, all while that face, with its forever-widening grin continued to inch closer.

"It's the forgetting that really gets to you, you know," continued Jester, "time passing, faces coming and going, always slipping further and farther into the past. You find yourself wondering if the people you met ever existed at all, if they were ever even real. You find yourself wondering if the things that happened ever really took place. And then it all just fades into fog, becoming nothing..."

Jester's chuckling rose in pitch. "Do you think your goddess loves you, Tyrian, that you're her special little snowflake?"

Tyrian couldn't find the wherewithal to even try and answer it.

Jester's chuckles got even higher. "Nah, you're just a bump on the road to her. I doubt you'll stick in her head for a decade, at best. She's had too many little pets like you. You're all alike in her eyes. Your kind are always the easiest to wrap around her finger, after all. I doubt she'll even bother to try."

Anger rose in Tyrian's chest, but was quickly snuffed out by the fear of that maniacal giggling and maddening grin.

"Should I tell you a story?" asked Jester, straightening up, finally relieving Tyrian of the fear of that face drawing closer. "I bet you'd like a good story, Tyr."

Tyrian's throat bobbed, but he couldn't force out a single syllable.

Jester continued on as though Tyrian had given his consent. "Once upon a time, there was a clan. Long long loooooong ago...they were nothing short of gods. They had the power to create, to destroy. With their might, they could create new life from scratch, or raise those who had died. Their power was absolute, and they ruled with complete confidence.

"Of course, with such power inevitably comes hubris. And their fall was a terrible one. You see...some of their best creations were these puppets, dolls made to fight for their amusement. However, as this clan of gods progressed, their hubris and arrogance made them turn on each other. So they began to kill one another. They killed and killed and killed and killed...until finally...they were gone...and only their puppets were left.

"Gradually, those puppets forgot where they had come from, instead coming to believe that they were the gods they had replaced. But there was a little problem you see. It turned out that these gods had been a little...sloppy...in their work, and their creations had a tiny defect. After a few generations, that defect began to kill them off...one by one.

"And then...one day, there was another of these puppets born. But he was a bit different from the rest, you see. Like his fellow puppets, he was defective, but his defect turned out to be the inverse of the rest. It seemed that, no matter what happened, he couldn't die. He sulfured blows that would fell actual gods, things that would cut those two Pretenders down like wheat. Yet, no matter what, he always survived. Ages passed, and this defective little puppet continued on...living on and on and on and on and on and on and on...

"He lived through the phases of the world. He saw the Pretenders come to remake the world in their image. He saw them abandon it. He saw humanity vanish, then return...and here he remains."

Jester stepped past Tyrian, then turned about, leaning over so that his face now hovered right next to Tyrian's, right over his shoulder.

"You have any idea what that's like, Tyr...the weight of all those years? Have you ever been so tired that you feel that you can't keep your eyes open, so very very very very tired...? And yet, if you close your eyes, nothing happens. No dreams come, you don't slip into the black abyss of insensibility. You just lay there, not falling asleep, but getting tireder and tireder."

Another chuckle tore its way out of Jester's throat. "I'm so tired, Tyr. But I can't go to sleep, you see. Instead, I just continue on..." He returned to standing in front of Tyrian, this time wasting no time in bringing his face in so that his nose was almost pressed up against Tyrian's. "After a while, I began to realize how funny it was. I used to cry, you know. First I cried tears. But when the tears run out, then comes blood...and I always thought the blood never stopped. But I was wrong. The blood stopped, and I found I couldn't shed blood or tears. Instead...all I could do was laugh."

His chuckles got louder, distorting his voice. "Ain't that a hoot, Tyr...how crazy it all is?" He cackled. "You like to laugh, right, Tyr?" He laughed a little louder and shriller. "Come on buddy, laugh it up with me!"

Tyrian couldn't help himself. A tiny giggle slipped its way out of his throat. Hearing it, Jester laughed a little louder, and Tyrian found himself giggling in kind. The giggling escalated until Tyrian was laughing openly too. Soon, the two of them were laughing together, still locked looking face to face at one another, Jester laughing with pure madness, Tyrian also laughing with madness, the madness born of fear. Tears rolled down Tyrian's face, and he felt as though he wasn't even laughing of his own volition, as though his own body was disobeying him. His body trembled with terror, but still he laughed, he laughed louder and louder, hoping to drown out the more terrifying laughter of the man in front of him.

A moment later, the door to the bridge hissed open, and Watts stepped through. "Tyrian, what on earth...?" Watts began to ask, only for his voice to trail off as he caught sight of Tyrian himself, curled up on his side, his own tail wrapping around him almost protectively, still giggling mindlessly.

The hallway was empty.

"Uncle Qrow!" shouted Ruby, bursting into the room where Qrow was being treated.

"Ms. Rose, please be careful!" protested the doctor. "This isn't someplace you can just come barging into."

"Sorry," said Ruby absently, already studying her uncle's condition.

Qrow was in sorry shape, that was for sure. Portions of his body were wrapped in bandages, covering what looked to be burns. In other places, she could see where the doctor had already stitched cuts closed. His right leg was locked out in a splint, awaiting the application of a cast. There was a mask over his face, and his body was hooked up to a monitor. A second later, the monitor sparked and fizzled out.

"Dammit!" exclaimed the doctor, nearly throwing one of his tools in frustration. "That's the third one, tonight!"

Ruby wondered if this was the complication that Glynda had been speaking about. She found herself wondering if Qrow's Semblance interfered with technology in some way...or maybe it was something broader. If it were the former, she doubted it would be such a sore point for the man, given what Ozpin had said about it. Of course, that was a secondary concern.

"What's his condition?" asked Jaune, coming to stand next to Ruby.

"Several severe lacerations," said the doctor, apparently already resigning himself to the couple's interference. He'd seen the results of Jaune and Ruby's healing skills before, so he knew they weren't simply asking out of overbearing concern. "He's also suffered severe internal injuries and third-degree burns. As you can see, his right leg was broken as well. I've been treating the internal injuries, but it gets difficult when my best tools keep locking up."

"Ruby...?" prodded Jaune, looking at her warily.

Ruby swallowed, her mouth going dry. She'd never treated injuries this extensive before. Her skills were incredibly basic after all. Jaune, of course, had even less skill and experience than her. And while he had power, that power wouldn't mean much if he couldn't use it properly. She was no Sasame, and worried that this healing might genuinely be beyond her.

"Ms. Rose, if you are going to do something, please come to a decision," pressed the doctor. "I already have my doubts about this operation, but time is critical for me to do what I can. If you cannot help, you need to say so."

"Ruby...?" Jaune pressed again.

Ruby took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'll do it," she said. "Jaune...support me."

"You got it," said Jaune.

The doctor moved out of the way, and Ruby came to stand by Qrow's side. Jaune stood directly behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. Immediately, Ruby felt the gentle flow of Jaune's Aura, streaming into hers. Her Aura multiplied in strength, the sudden infusion of strength making her field lightheaded for a second. It took just a little longer for her to get her feet back on the ground, metaphorically speaking, and get to work.

Gently, Ruby rested her hands on Qrow's body, using the first skill Sasame had taught her, sending a tiny pulse of Aura through Qrow's body. This wasn't to treat him, but to instead get a reading on his condition, an extremely delicate application of her Extension, meant to get a feel for all his ills.

Immediately, Ruby's awareness was awash in information about her uncle's condition, in far more detail than anything the doctor had said. She could feel the cuts, how deep they were, how they had bit through his muscle, severed ligaments, and even chipped bone. She could feel the trauma to his organs, some of them barely holding together with the surgical thread the doctor had used to sew them up. She could feel the fractures marring his ribs, and the clean one in his right leg. There was even bruising on his brain, and his lungs were laboring to expand and contract, needing the mask over his mouth to help him keep breathing.

There was all so much that he needed. It was all so overwhelming. Ruby briefly wondered if this flood of information and need was what Sasame experienced every time she treated a badly-injured patient, before forcing her focus back on the task at hand. Now was not the time for extraneous thoughts. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Ruby bent her will to the task of putting her uncle back together.

Start inside, then work your way out, Sasame had told her, the basic procedure for dealing with multiple injuries. The ones within the body were often the ones that could elude notice, and lead to the most severe consequences, if not properly treated. So Ruby went through Qrow's organs first.

It was tricky. The sheer volume of Aura available to her now, thanks to Jaune's support, made it difficult to keep her Flow to a delicate trickle, which she sent to brush over Qrow's organs, mingling with the Aura in those locations, gently stimulating it, urging it to bend itself towards helping Qrow heal. Through her own Aura, Ruby channeled a tiny thread of Jaune's, turning his own ability to amplify Aura into a way to make up for how little Qrow had left right now. With that, she could feel it as the flesh of his organs began to knit back together along the lines of sutures the doctor had made, the biodegradable thread dissolving as healthy flesh took its place.

Ruby went slowly and carefully, fretting over cut, puncture, and bruise. She couldn't allow herself to miss a single thing. Gradually, she worked her way outwards, reaching up into Qrow's head to alleviate the pressure on his brain, and then getting to work on his bones.

Finally, after an uncertain amount of time, Ruby finally withdrew her consciousness from Qrow's body. It had been the most difficult, detailed, and comprehensive healing she'd ever had to perform. If the doctor hadn't already performed surgery and stitched most of Qrow's insides back together, Ruby was fairly certain she wouldn't have been able to do it at all. Fortunately, the hard work had been done before her arrival, and she was able to finish up the process and eliminate any possibility of his injuries being exacerbated.

"Remarkable," mused the doctor, always fascinated to see Ruby and/or Jaune's healing skills in action.

"He should be all right now, with rest," said Ruby. "His Aura will take care of the rest."

Her vision blurred and she began to sway on her feet. She was barely conscious of Jaune sweeping her up in his arms. "That took a lot out of you," he said, smiling at her.

Jaune's amplification ability was temporary, of course. Once it wore off, Ruby's reserves were drained down near to nothing. On top of that, the mental fatigue from performing such extensive and detailed work was monumental. Ruby's head was throbbing. And, of course... "I've had a long day," she said tiredly.

"There's that too," agreed Jaune. "Let's get you to bed."

Bidding a good night to the doctor, Jaune carried Ruby back to her room, where Weiss and Pyrrha helped her get changed. Finally, Ruby climbed under the covers, dropping off into a well-deserved sleep.