Beginning of the End

Alien noises and voices are heard, echoing, through a tunnel.

"I want to be strong." Cinder said.

"A beautiful ring...for a beautiful woman." The salesman said, right after a sharp sound goes off.

"I'm sorry?" A woman asked.

"I want to be feared." Cinder said.

"What!?" The salesman exclaimed, suddenly surprised at the sound of running footsteps are heard. "Impossible! What did...!?"

"She went that way!" A man said, angrily.

"I want to be powerful." Cinder said.

"Someone, call the police!" A woman said, terrified.

"How'd she do that!?" A salesman exclaimed.

Cinder Fall is smirking, with shorter hair and a metal version of her dual swords with arrows on her back, "How did you do that?"

Abandoned alleyway...

The person Cinder is talking to cornered against a wall, is Emerald Sustrai. Emerald has a ponytail instead of her usual locks and is wearing a different outfit, missing her usual white top and arm accessories. Some of the clothes' colors – gloves, pants, even her guns – are switched for different hues. She glares at this stranger while glancing around, backing away slowly and not answering. Without warning, she attempts to get her revolvers from their holsters.

"Don't." Cinder said, as Emerald grimaces before Cinder continues. "Unless, of course, you want them to hear you."

There is a sound of footsteps running past while Cinder speaks.

"What do you want?" Emerald asked, letting go of the grips, as a nearby voice asks, "Where did she go?"

"I've already told you. And I don't like repeating myself." Cinder said, stepping forward slowly, glass anklet shifting with her footsteps.

"I didn't do anything! Just leave me alone!"

"I know my fair share of liars and thieves. Stealing is an art of patience, coordination, and in a pinch, sleight of hand. But you didn't steal the ring in your pocket." Cinder said, as Emerald looks shocked and checks the pocket where her prize is. "You took it right before the jeweller's eyes." She crosses her arms. "And he smiled."

"Who are you?" Emerald asked, and her surprised look turns to suspicion once more.

Cinder keeps on smiling and the voices return as monstrous growling is heard nearby, "You will question everything you know."

"This is impossible."

There is a sound similar to something vanishing in a puff of smoke, and the growling instantly stops.

"I wish to take on an apprentice." Cinder said.

"He lives in the mountains with his son." A large man said.

"Follow me, and you'll never be hungry again."

"Thank you…" Emerald said.

Burning house...

Mercury Black is bruised and has a bloodied face. He is missing his armor and sash, and his knees are bandaged and stained with blood. There is light from a burning house dancing to his back as he stands before a confident Cinder and wary Emerald.

"What are you looking at!?" Mercury exclaimed.

"I'm looking for Marcus Black." Cinder said.

Mercury spits blood on the ground as he gestures back at the burning house and the white-haired man lying face down behind him, "There you go."

"That's...the assassin?" Emerald asked, getting up from her stance.

"And you're his son." Cinder said, calmly looking up at Mercury. "We saw your fight from the treeline." Mercury doesn't acknowledge this, merely wiping his lips of blood, but Cinder grins now. "He's taught you well."

"Guess so." Mercury said.

"What's your name?"

"Mercury."

"Mercury...tell me, are you anything like your father?" Cinder asked, nodding in approval, smiling.

"So what's in it for me?"

"We don't need him! Everything was going fine!" Emerald said, and she cries out in pain when Cinder slaps her.

"Do not mistake your place." Cinder said.

"My dad always said…" Mercury said. "'If you need to know a city, ask the rats.'"

"Well, hello, gorgeous." Roman said, chuckling darkly.

"So, let me get this straight…" Adam said.

Tent...

Cinder is standing respectfully in the center of a tent, Emerald and Mercury sitting on their knees behind her. Two members of the White Fang armed with a rifle and sword are to one side, and the Lieutenant leaning up against the other, as a man steps into view before a map of Remnant.

"You could've gone to anyone for help. You could've made a deal with a gang leader, paid off some Huntsmen that have strayed from their...righteous path...but instead, you choose to seek an audience with me." Adam said.

"You're the one we need. Your skill, your ability to lead those beneath you. You're an exceptionally valuable man, Adam. And we've put a lot of thought into…" Cinder said.

Adam interrupts Cinder, stepping forward with his finger raised, "Then you're clearly not thinking straight! If you truly understood me, you would know coming here was a mistake. The White Fang is not an organization for hire. We're a force of revolution!"

He makes a fist with his last word, and Emerald shares a look with Mercury, eyebrows raised.

"I believe our plan will be beneficial for all parties involved." Cinder said, unintimidated as Adam continues pacing around the tent. "I have...an associate in Vale. He and I are working on a revolution of our own. But we can't do it without your forces. We need…"

"What you need...is to leave." Adam said, forcibly and he hoisted up his weapon, Wilt and Blush. "You're asking my men to die for your cause...a human cause." He puts a hand to the hilt of his sword. "That is not an idea I am willing to entertain."

Cinder scowls in obvious displeasure, but makes herself bow to the White Fang leader, "Very well."

The three leave the tent and go off into the nearby woods.

Woods...

Adam is stepping out to look at them from behind his mask.

"What was that about?" Blake asked, stepping up behind him, hand on her side.

"Nothing." Adam said, walking away. "We need to finish preparing. The train will be here at dawn."

Blake follows her mentor.

Inn…

"So now what?" Mercury asked.

"There's another task we must attend to." Cinder said.

"Excuse me, but I'm looking for a friend of mine." Emerald said.

"Ah, yes. She was just here yesterday." The innkeeper said.

"Remember the plan. Exactly as discussed. Not a foot out of place." Cinder daid.

Forest...

There's an overcast view of a forest, a single path with a wooden fence to either side cutting through the green. From the trees comes a lone white horse trotting along slowly, a green-cloaked rider with golden armor and her hood up on its back. The animal comes forward as the sharp sound is heard once more, and the two stop when they come across the scene of a young green-haired girl curled up and crying next to a felled bicycle.

Despite the fact that another camera angle shows only a fully-grown Emerald standing there, the rider dismounts from her steed and slowly approaches the child, who looks up as the mysterious stranger kneels down to her level and smirks. The girl flinches in fright when the woman reaches into her clothes and pulls out an apple, not realizing she's only offering it to empty air.

Emerald stands only a few feet away from the oblivious heroine, scrunching her face up in determination and readying to attack by grabbing her weapons and sliding a foot back. The kicked-up dust manages to be seen behind the girl even when the one who kicked it doesn't, and the woman gasps as the image of the child happily reaching for the apple suddenly disappears.

Dropping the fruit and leaping back quickly as the horse turns to run away, Amber ditches the cloak and pulls out her weapon, expanding the double crystal-headed staff to full length. She sees Emerald running towards her, guns blazing green shots, each of which are deflected against the Maiden's hand. Amber twirls the spear around her body, kicking up the winds and blasting it towards her opponent, forcing Emerald to slide back.

Just as she does this, Mercury comes up from the side and jumps over the fence, landing on her staff as she forces him and a returning Emerald back with another gale. Mercury simply leaps on a post and launches himself at her, forcing Amber to unleash a stream of fire from the red crystal on him, but her attacker merely curls up and lets his legs take the brunt of the damage, flames burning away the orange pants as the complex machinery and lit-up metal making up the robotic prosthetics underneath is revealed.

With his artificial limbs, he continues to come forward through the fire and kick Amber on her back, only for Emerald to land on her from above, cracking the very ground underneath. She and Mercury jump back and get ready to fight again when Amber gets up, head bowed until she looks up with orange energy pouring from her eyes. The winds erupt from the Maiden, swirling around and making her enemies cover their faces from the force, when she lifts off the ground and spreads her arms to the sky, lightning now rumbling in the clouds for her to aim at the two, who barely get out of the way in time.

Calling upon more of the storm, Mercury and Emerald continue to dodge each bolt as Cinder steps into view a ways back from the fight. The two ambushers fire on Amber, but the invisible shield now covers her whole body, taking each shot as she reaches to her side and clenches a fist, making the leaves rise into the air and come to her. With a raised arm, the leaves turn from green to frozen ice, and she rains the newly-sharpened projectiles down on her foes, who are unable to avoid the attack.

Amber continues this assault until she senses Cinder running towards her from behind, face set in determination, and summons a fireball to launch at her third adversary, who manages to leap over the attack. Cinder slides across the ground, kicking up dirt. Cinder faces her palm to the dirt, the yellow fabric on her sleeve glowing, and coalesces the dirt into several glass shards, which she aims at the floating Maiden. Amber is knocked back from the damage, face down in the dirt, until she looks up with normal eyes just when the sharp sound is heard again. She first sees the area empty, but Emerald flickers into view for a moment, and Amber slowly realizes what's happening as Mercury also shifts into her frame of vision, with Cinder coming forward in spurts, swords raised.

She attempts to slice Amber with the two blades, only for the Maiden to deflect each hit and kick the assailant away just as Mercury and Emerald come forward in her stead. The two miss their initial attacks and get kicked for their efforts, but Mercury lands a blow on her only for Amber to rush at him, not noticing Cinder connect her swords together into their bow shape and notching three arrows. Amber manages to punch Emerald and kick Mercury away right before turning around and seeing Cinder launch the arrows at the ground around her, which erupt in a high whistling noise and a burning explosion from each projectile. She feels the full force of it all, her Aura disappearing entirely from the damage.

The screen is white for a moment before Cinder appears with her partners behind her, slowly approaching their target as she gets up from her hands and knees. She swipes at the three with a gust of wind that blows them all away, but Mercury races back towards her until he's blasted back by a bolt of lightning from the now burning-eyed Maiden. She suddenly turns back and sends a fireball at Emerald, only for it to disappear and the real thief to be revealed on the other side, also getting a blast of flame.

With all three of her opponents down, Amber grabs her staff from the ground and uses it as support to walk over to Emerald, wincing and clutching her side all the while. Emerald only has time to look up in fear before Amber glowers and raises her weapon to finish the fight... just when a quick whooshing noise ends with a sudden thump right as she gasps in pain.

Eyes wide, Amber collapses forward, an arrow sticking out from her back while Cinder lowers the bow and smiles once more. She drops her weapon and calmly comes forward, taking out a white glove as Mercury and Emerald force their defeated foe to her knees. Amber and Cinder meet eye-to-eye before the villainess lifts up her now gloved hand, the back of it marked with the red symbol of an open eye in a compass shape, broken on one side by five diamond shapes. Cinder reaches down, palm towards Amber when the white suddenly opens a small red portal, out from which a Grimm bug comes out.

"Please don't…" Amber said, begging in a whisper, with her pupils contracted.

The creature spits out a web of black, attaching to Amber's face in a familiar pattern. When she looks up, screaming, her one free eye is blazing, a final blast of wind erupting from her as the glow fades into the inky strands, up through the glove, and into Cinder's body. Her own victorious eyes light up with power, a shower of sparks surrounding her and black-and-red circle appearing under their feet. Amber closes her eye...

Then without warning, footsteps are seen racing towards the ritual, and Cinder only has a moment to look up and see Qrow Branwen swinging Harbinger down on them, severing the web and making the three leap back. The Huntsman grabs the unconscious Maiden before she hits the ground, and Cinder watches to her hand as the glove burns away into nothingness, leaving only a tattoo of high heels between her exposed shoulder blades.

Cinder looks up with a grin, right eye now brimming with golden energy, as she gets up from her position and raises her arms, embers circling around her. Qrow can only see her shimmering face for a second before the ground under him starts to glow, and he gets himself and Amber out of the way just as it explodes. He looks back and finds that the three are gone, then turns his worried gaze to the marked and comatose face of Amber when the scene fades to black.

"The Huntsman severed the connection before it was complete." Cinder said, pausing for a moment to think. "Yes. It's...an emptiness. It burns. Like hunger. I like it. Yes. I will claim what is ours. Thank you."

White Fang camp…

Adam and the Lieutenant in a different tent around a table with maps, masks, and vials of Dust all around.

"We'll find her, sir." The Lieutenant said, holding a hand up to his chest. I swear on my life."

"Forget it. It's time I returned to Mistral and…" Adam said, sharply.

His sentence is cut short with the sounds of groans, explosions, and crashing are heard outside the tent flaps. The two come out of the tent, blade and chainsaw raised.

"What is this!?" Adam exclaimed.

Cinder with her swords drawn amid the still-smoking battlefield, with White Fang soldiers laying all around and her subordinates kneeling on the ground with cases in front of them. "We could've gone to anyone for help."

She discards her weapons and strides towards the two.

"But we chose you, Adam Taurus." Cinder said, while a wall of flames abruptly starts at their feet as she raises her hand. "Our plan will be beneficial for both of us." The designs on her sleeve are glowing. "Or one of us." Emerald opens her case to reveal Dust crystals and collector canisters inside, while Mercury shows the neatly-arranged stacks of Lien in his. "So, which will it be?"

Adam slowly straightens up while Cinder lowers her arm, clothes going back to their regular colors as she smiles.

Amity Colosseum...

"Yang Xiao Long wins!" Oobleck said, happily.

Mercury's picture on the board crossed out with Yang's beside it.

"Yeah, you did it, sis!" Ruby said, from off in the crowds.

"Way to go, Yang!" Blake said, giving a standing ovation as Weiss Schnee pumps her fists.

"That was the most awesome fight ever!" Jared said, snacking on popcorn chicken. "You were amazing out there Yang!"

Yang is wiping her brow with an arm as she addresses the hunched-over Mercury, "Better luck next time."

She starts walking to the exit, getting pretty far away before Mercury seems to get up outside her peripheral vision.

"There's not going to be a next time, Blondie!" Mercury said, murderously angry.

A sharp sound is heard in the sudden silence as Yang turns around just in time to see Mercury leap forward with a kick to his unsuspecting victim. Yang scowls as she just manages to both bring her gauntlet down on and shoot his leg before he hits her. The second she does so, there is a sound of something breaking. The audience gasps in shock, and Mercury reels back from the pain.

"Yang!" Jared said, at a loss for words. "I forgot that…"

"My word!" Oobleck said, getting up from his chair.

"Cut the cameras!" Port said, looking at someone offscreen.

"That is gonna attract a lot of Grimm." Jared said, sadly.

The looks of surprise, horror, and hatred at Yang cut to a view of Mountain Glenn, where two Goliaths near a ruined hamburger joint and a pack of Beowolves up in the construction beams of an unfinished building all look towards the Colosseum floating near Beacon.

"My leg, MY LEG!" Mercury said, still grasping his injured body part, rocking back and forth.

"That's what you get, you little…" Yang said, trash talking. "Huh?"

Yang stops just as she notices the Atlesian Knight-200 droids and two Soldiers circling the Huntress-in-training and raising their guns to her.

"Yang Xiao Long, stand down!" A soldier said.

"What!? Why!?" Yang exclaimed, not having a clue as to what's going on.

"Mercury!" Emerald said, as she rushes over to her partner's side, comforting him.

"Why'd she do that!? WHY'D SHE ATTACK ME!?" Mercury exclaimed, crying hysterically.

Mercury is still cradling his injured limb, Emerald kneeling beside him and Yang in the center of a ring of security, all with rifles aimed at her.

"Please, somebody help him!" Emerald yelled, distressed as the paramedics come over with a stretcher, lowering it to Mercury. "Can you do something!?"

There is a rip in the leg of Mercury's pants, and skin and blood are visible through the rip.

"We need to get this boy to a hospital. Grab a blanket." A paramedic said, exchanging a glance with his coworker.

They get Mercury on the stretcher and rush him off, Emerald following right behind. Yang looks on with a horrified expression, her lilac eyes now almost colorless.

"You don't understand!" Yang said, looking at the guards, then she pointed a finger at Mercury. "He attacked me, I swear!"

"Stow it! You've already caused enough of a scene!" An Atlas Security Guard said, as he and the rest of the guards lifted their guns higher in response.

"Human Nature and the Family of Blood, how could I forget that I did those adventures too?" Jared asked, looking back at Ruby.

Meanwhile, Emerald runs alongside the two paramedics as they come across an open door with a woman in the same outfit inside.

"Here! We've got an ambulance ready to go!" A woman said, gesturing the paramedics to stop.

Ambulance...

Later, the back door closes on the emergency airship they loaded Mercury in.

"Hope they'll be okay. That girl won't leave his side." A paramedic said, sighing, before talking with the other paramedic.

"We'll take good care of both of them." Cinder said, nodding under the white cap with a red cross she's wearing.

The transport flies away from the Colosseum, and Mercury is lying on a cargo box in the back, still moaning and crying beside Emerald sitting next to him.

"Oh doc, tell me, will I ever walk again?" Mercury asked, and he receives a punch in the arm from Emerald, looking at her as he rubs the sore spot he actually got hurt from. "Ow! What's your deal!?"

"Ugh, headache. One mind I can handle, but two is a stretch." Emerald said, groaning suddenly as she puts a hand up to her forehead.

"Well, you all performed marvelously, driver included." Cinder said, calling back to them from the co-pilot's seat.

The 'driver', wearing a similar uniform as Cinder, blinks her magenta eyes back to their usual brown and pink shades and nods in silent gratitude.

"So, you think it worked?" Mercury asked, as the airship continues to fly away.

Amity Colosseum…

"Jared, why did Yang do that?" Ruby asked, looking at Jared.

"I don't know, it's been a few months since I was last here." Jared said, placing his hand on top of Ruby's.

"Homura time scooped you." Blake said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah. She did."

"But why here? Why now?" Weiss asked.

"How am I supposed to know?"

"You usually do."

"Right. Like I have a watch that lets me turn into aliens."

"Are you okay with leaving us frozen in time now and again?" Ruby asked.

"No." Jared said, squeezing Ruby's hand.

Warehouse...

The projected screen in the warehouse switches off entirely.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Mercury said, at a table with his mechanical leg on a table, a screwdriver in hand as he works on it.

"Shut up!" Emerald said, angrily.

"Is this how you treat a patient?" Mercury asked, and Emerald reaches over and twists the screwdriver in his leg, causing him to wince. "Ah, too tight!"

"Enough. Our Mercury put on a wonderful show. He was quite brave." Cinder said.

"These things aren't exactly cheap, you know." Mercury said, looking at Emerald as he resumes fixing his parts.

"So, what's next?" Emerald asked, looking at Cinder.

"You and I will ensure that our next matchup goes just as smoothly." Cinder said, grinning with her arms crossed, when Emerald and Mercury turned to look at her.

"What about me?" Mercury asked, as Cinder turns to leave and Emerald follows.

"You get to lay low until the end. We wouldn't want people to see you on your feet and have this all be for naught, now would we?"

"Can do."

He goes back to screwing his limbs back to perfection, smiling, and the blue area under his artificial knee lights up.