A Bit of Ex-wife's Past

After talking with the three spies, Ozpin thought of something unbelievable as he remembered they came from Haven Academy. It was within the possibility that the Haven Academy's headmaster, Leonardo Lionheart, had already betrayed them.

Ozpin quickly called in Leonardo to find out the truth.

Ozpin's actions didn't go unnoticed by everyone in the room as Zack thought of calling his old Pops as he might recognize these three as he knows that guy has traveled a lot.

Zack's call came through first.

"Hey, Pops, we just captured three potential spies within the academy with the coverslips of being from Haven Academy students, do you know these three?" Zack asked straight to the point as he pointed the camera towards Cinder's group.

"Huh, you called me in the middle of the night so just- wait a minute… that grey-haired guy and the green-haired girl, I recognize those two! They were with this black-haired chick that attacked Amber when I was sent to assist her," Qrow's voice rang out as Ozpin, Glynda, and James narrowed their eyes at these three.

Before Zack could say anything else, Ozpin's call came through as they saw a middle-aged man with a mane of tan/grey hair and a beard. He had a tanned complexion with brown eyebrows and dark brown eyes.

"Ozpin my friend, what is up with this late-night call?" Leonardo asked curiously.

"Leo… I have to ask you, are these kids you see before you are really from your academy?" Ozpin asked slowly as he pointed the camera on them.

Everyone in the room grew quiet as even Qrow on the phone was waiting for his answer. Cinder and her group were staring straight at Leonardo as if to warn him of their master's wrath.

Leonardo who saw their stares flinched slightly as he reaffirms his allegiance with her. But he didn't know, the rest in the room were already suspecting him.

"Yes, yes they are, now why are my students tied up in a chair Ozpin?" Leonardo answered much to Ozpin's disappointment.

They all answered him with a sigh much to Leonardo's anxiousness.

"Leo... tell me you didn't…" James said as he faced his old friend.

"...Huh, I don't know what you're talking about, now release my students as I still have more important things to do, goodnight," Leonardo hastily said as he ended the call without explaining anything but he didn't know that his reaction just now, gave them the confirmation they needed.

Ozpin, Glynda, and James stood in shock as they all thought one the academy had already fallen to the Queen's control.

Zack ended his call on his Pops as he was already coming towards their location.

Zack approached Cinder and her group as the three others in the room were still in shock.

"What? You all heard what our headmaster said, untie us now, clearly, you are all mistaking us for someone else's," Cinder tried to reason her way out of this as they needed to retreat immediately after this.

"Y-yeah, that's right!" Emerald said as she and Mercury nodded in agreement as they never thought that their plan was already shot the moment they just started.

Zack faced them then he looked directly at their eyes as the greenish-blue cat-like eyes were glowing as he was staring at them.

"Fang caught you trying to break into the security room and you think we got the wrong one? We also found this nasty virus on your scroll while you were out," Zack calmly stated that shut them up.

"I'm gonna ask one more time, who are you working for and what are you trying to do with this virus?" Zack asked as the rest still haven't told him about the existence of Salem.

"And I'm going to say one more time that we don't know what you are talking about, I suggest you people release us right now because if this thing were made public, we can do a lot of damage towards your reputations," Emerald replied while acting like a scared girl.

"You think just because of that, we're gonna let you go, last time, tell us what we wanna know," Zack said as he narrowed his eyes while kneeling on one knee in front of them.

"Hah! You don't scare us Fair! We know that you're just a big softie," Mercury mocked him in his assumed bluff.

Cinder and Emerald didn't say anything but looked at him like a moron desperately trying to scare them.

The rest watched on as they were curious about what Zack would say.

"...Glynda, can you do me a favor, and please leave the room for a moment," Zack suddenly said much to Glynda's curiosity but as she trusted him fully, she nodded and walked out from the room.

As soon as Glynda made it out, Zack looked at them again.

"You know there is a book named "The Man With Two Souls", an interesting concept right," Zack muttered as lowered his head while he remembered that these three could've harmed one of his friends or loved ones if he didn't catch them earlier.

*Thump*

Everyone in the room curiously looked at Zack when suddenly the air changed around him, they all felt chill instinctively like there was something terrible coming. The three, who were tied up, and Ozpin were shocked as they felt the same intensity as Salem when she was angry about something.

"Two souls fighting for the control of one body, interesting right... but what if it was ~true~" Zack's voice changed at the end.

"~Do you think... you could still trick us with this feeble excuse…~" Sephiroth's voice rang out much to the shock of everyone who was hearing it. They all felt that something changed in Zack.

"~I won't be as merciful as Zack to you all... pests, he always tried his best in taking someone alive if he could but… I'm not him,~" Sephiroth said as Zack's hair started to turn into silver and his image started to flicker until a man with long silver hair replaced him in his place.

Sephiroth's shadow extended but this time, it covered the whole room in darkness as minions started to appear in front of them including Fang and Ted but the most shocking was beneath Cinder and her group, where giant fangs started protruding as well above them.

By now Cinder and her group were trembling as they realized that they were inside of the maw of a beast.

"~Now, give me a reason why I shouldn't just let Smaug close its mouth right now~" Sephiroth compelled them but Cinder resolutely stared at him even though she was still trembling.

"~Oho, where did you find this strength… it seems there is something inside you but is it only half, such a shame but since I'm on limited time,~" Sephiroth grinned at them as he motioned Smaug to close its mouth.

As the mouth was about to close, Ozpin and James were about to interfere but they were being stared down menacingly by Fang and Ted like they were daring the both of them to interfere.

"W-w-wait!! I-I'll speak!!!" A voice rang out as Smaug's mouth stopped and opened again but this time Ozpin and James could see a tongue wrapped around them.

All three of them were trembling right now as they all just foresaw their deaths a moment ago if it weren't for Mercury screaming, they would've died there.

"I-I'll speak, I'll speak!! It was her majesty, Queen Salem sent us!!" Mercury said hastily much to Emerald and Cinder's annoyance.

The rest narrowed their eyes in recognition of that name.

"Hmph, you girls should thank him, but remember, the next time I resurfaced again, I would kill you all if I see you,~" Sephiroth grinned more as his minions went back to his shadow and darkness receded as his image flickered and Zack was back in his place.

They all noticed him standing in front of them with the silver in his hair receding towards its tips.

"Phew, that was exhausting," Zack said as he stretched his body then let Glynda back inside.

Glynda saw that everyone is still shaken up by something except for Zack as he placed his hand on his chin.

"Queen you say, I remember back when I went to the Land of Darkness that title came up once or twice, Gramps… you know who this Salem is, don't you?" Zack asked as he noticed Ozpin grew more serious and a bit more… anxious.

"Yes, yes I do, let's talk about later what happened earlier with Zack as we have a more pressing matter if they were really sent by Salem," Ozpin replied as James nodded.

James called some of his men to escort the three spies toward their cell blocks but before James' men took hold Zack's Fang came out and knocked out the three again.

They looked curiously at Zack in question.

"Fang notified me earlier that Mercury has prosthetic legs as his weapons, Emerald has a semblance that could create hallucinations, and Cinder can somehow conjure fireballs out of nothing, so suggest you all keep them under before putting them in a more specialized prison," Zack explained as he let Fang was escort James' men.

Everyone couldn't help to agree with his word when they heard it.

As soon they were all alone, Ozpin reluctantly explained his past with Salem to Zack, James, and Glynda. Needless to say, it was hard to believe but they were forced to believe in it as Qrow came in his crow form, changed back in front of them, and supported Ozpin on his explanation.

Everyone slowly took this in as Zack yawned suddenly which got the rest's attention.

"So basically, this Queen Salem was your immortal ex-wife that was cursed by the two brother gods to roam Remnant until its end and you, Gramps, is a multi-reincarnated soul from a long time ago, the same age as Salem, that was also caused by the two brother gods. Coincidentally these so-called gods left Remnant because of Salem's doing. Then, you got back with Salem, had four daughters, and you imbued them with magical powers that can be passed on to certain females that they thought of before dying. Eventually, you guys broke up again as Salem got crazier and crazier until she killed you. You tried hiding but somehow she always finds you and kills everyone you know off. Now you founded this academy to train huntsmen like us to try and defeat someone you couldn't," Zack said it all one breath as they couldn't help nod in agreement.

"Oh, now, this Cinder is the one who attacked and took half of the Fall maiden's power which is currently on stasis. You all feared that if she dies the other half of her power will go to Cinder right?" Zack asked all of them as apparently, they all knew about the maidens but not Salem and Ozpin's history.

"That's right, you're getting better brat," Qrow answered as everyone was a bit in awe at Zack right now because he could remain his cool after learning all that.

"Hmm… and lastly these so-called relics are imbued with magic that could be only accessed by its the corresponding maidens, and if these relics were bought together, it can summon back the two brother gods and make their final judgment on humanity, did I get all of it?" Zack asked calmly.

"Yes, All of these relics are deep within every academy for safety but if Leo already betrayed us, we have to assume that Salem already got one of the relics," Ozpin replied as he nodded at them.

"Don't worry I already made the call to the council of Leo's betrayal, hopefully, they believe it," James commented to the side.

"Does this Salem have any weakness at all, sir?" Glynda asked her boss.

"None that I could think of, as far as I know, she couldn't be killed, I tried," Ozpin said with a heavy tone.

"..."

Everyone couldn't help a bit demoralized as they thought they were all just fighting a winless fight.

"So what if it's hopeless, if it were me, I still wouldn't give up," Zack suddenly said as he got their attention.

"Someone told me, if you wanna be a hero, you gotta have dreams… and honor. We might not defeat her now, but that doesn't mean we can't in the future. If you tried it alone then we'll all have to just try it together this time, so cheer up Gramps!" Zack cheerfully said as he gave Ozpin a thumbs up and an honest smile.

"...Heh, together huh, maybe," Ozpin lowly muttered as they all couldn't help be thankful for Zack's positivity at times like this.

"Hah, would you see that, the brat is finally maturing, looks like I did good in raising him," Qrow interjected as it got a few laughs and a slight twitch from Zack in annoyance.