Pietro Polendina is putting the finishing touches on part of the Amity Communications Tower when he receives communication from Penny Polendina.
Penny: Dad?
Pietro: Penny?
Penny is sitting in front of a bomb inside the Schnee Dust mine.
Penny: This does not seem like a very good idea.
She looks down at the bomb, and her sensors tell her that it is a danger.
Pietro: There is a difference between a good idea and our best idea. Sadly, we don’t have time for much else.
Penny touches the bomb’s interface, arming it. Meanwhile, Pietro rides the elevating center floor of the Amity Colosseum downward.
Pietro: We have enough systems up and running to broadcast our message and keep Amity in atmospheric orbit. But our thrusters just aren’t capable of reaching our target altitude on their own.
On the lowest level of the colosseum’s arena, Maria Calavera is piloting a mech and using it to carry a large machine.
Maria: Ha, fortunately, we’re sitting on a couple hundred tons of thrust.
Maria walks the mech to the center of the platform and puts the machine down.
Pietro: Once we passed into broadcast range, we’ll activate stabilizers, re-establish global communications, and boost the message we’ve recorded out into the rest of the world. After that, we just have to pilot Amity away from all this mess.
Penny arms another bomb in the mines and flies up to a tunnel where yet another bomb is sitting.
Penny: But what if no one is able to come and help Atlas? If I stay behind, I could maybe--
Pietro: Penny, we are not having this conversation again. I’m your father and I’m telling you that you belong on Amity.
Pietro and Maria are riding the platform back up.
Penny: (disappointed) Yes, sir.
Maria: Don’t you think Penny has had enough people telling her what to do?
Pietro: (sighs) Prepare for launch, please. I’m moving us into position.
Penny flies out of the Dust mine and up to Amity Tower. Once she arrives, she sits on the edge of the platform, while Pietro works on a computer projected by the machine that Maria placed.
Pietro: All systems are ready. Penny?
Penny looks at him and then gets up and walks over.
Pietro: Amity is requesting launch access… now.
Penny looks at the screen, which says “Connecting…” She looks down, waiting. Pietro and Maria look at Penny, and after a few moments, her eyes glow slightly. The tower’s stabilizers activate, glowing purple, and Pietro and Maria celebrate.
Pietro: Oh yes, it worked!
Penny smiles, but then lowers her head. Pietro places his hand on her arm to comfort her, and she looks at him and smiles. He then begins typing on the computer again.
Pietro: Oh, I didn’t have time to install seat belts, so I’d advise you to hang on.
Pietro taps a button on his walking chair, and parts of the chair’s legs begin glowing purple. Maria laughs and walks away. The bombs in the Dust mine begin counting down from thirty seconds, and Penny begins helping Maria get back inside the mech.
The two are soon distracted by a loud thud, followed by a fireball flying up through the air. Penny flies over to the edge of the platform and looks down to see a huge hole where the fireball melted through from outside the colosseum. An airship levitates up from the smoke, and atop the airship stands Cinder Fall with flames coming from her hands.
Cinder: (excited) And where do you think you’re going?
Penny looks back at Pietro, who looks scared.
Pietro: Penny, no!
Against her father’s wishes, Penny flies down and floats above the arena to face Cinder, drawing Floating Array. Cinder hops down from the airship with a grin, while Emerald Sustrai and Neopolitan exit the airship. The countdown on the bombs reaches zero, and the bombs explode, setting off a chain reaction of Dust eruptions. As the colorful explosions intensify, four jets on Amity Tower activate. The combined force causes the tower to begin flying into the air, which slams Penny into the floor. Cinder drops to one knee and steadies herself with her hands.
In Atlas Academy, James Ironwood, Vine Zeki, Marrow Amin, Elm Ederne and Harriet Bree are gathered around the table in Ironwood’s office. A hologram screen is showing a map of Solitas, on which the locations of the Kingdom of Atlas, Amity Tower, and Monstra are marked. A new screen appears, displaying the words “Sensory Alert”, while an alarm plays. Yet another screen appears, showing footage of Amity Tower beginning its take-off.
Ironwood: It’s time.
He walks away.
In Amity Tower, Emerald has been forced to the floor by the tower’s ascent. She looks at Cinder, who is focused on Penny.
Cinder: I was hoping your friends would be here. But it looks like they left you to do all the work.
Cinder begins spawning dozens of glowing hot glass swords on the floor around herself.
Cinder: (laughs) You’re just a tool to be used!
Penny: You do not know what you are talking about.
The tower finishes ascending, and its jets turn off. Cinder grins and thrusts her hands forward, making the glass swords launch themselves at Penny. Quickly, Penny uses the jets in her feet to get up and move backward, then arranges her swords in a circle in front of her and spins them to deflect and shatter the glass swords.
One of the glass swords manages to make it through, stabbing into the wall next to Penny’s head and causing her to gasp. She becomes worried but continues spinning her swords. Piloting the mech, Maria hops in between Cinder and Penny, using the mech’s arms to block the remaining glass swords. The mech stands tall and begins walking toward Cinder.
Maria: Get away from her, you bi--
Cinder’s airship suddenly slams into Maria’s mech, knocking it away.
Cinder and Penny look at each other and then begin flying toward each other. However, Penny dodges Cinder and continues past Maria, who is wrestling with the airship. Cinder chases Penny out of the arena, and Emerald turns her attention to the battle between Maria in the mech and Neo in the ship.
Maria: Stupid, clunky machine!
Maria manages to slam the airship down onto the floor, and Neo reverses the ship until it breaks free from the mech’s grip and floats away. Maria looks around, only to find the airship seems to have disappeared.
Maria notices Emerald using her Semblance on her to hide the ship from her vision. The ship once again slams into the mech and keeps going until the mech is slammed into a wall. Neo parks the airship and gets out.
Maria opens the cockpit of the now damaged mech and begins climbing out, only to see Neo standing in front of her. In the distance, Emerald calls out to Neo.
Emerald: Let’s go!
Emerald hurries out of the arena, but Neo only spares her a glance before looking back down at Maria.
Maria: And what do you want?
Neo leans down to Maria and uses her Semblance to make herself look identical to Ruby Rose. She then grabs Maria and tosses her out of the mech. Maria rolls and gets to her feet, sliding to a stop with a confident grin. On the platform above, Pietro watches as Maria begins dodging Neo’s attacks. He hurries back to the computer to check on the tower’s status.
Pietro: Please, please, please!
The screen displays an image of Amity Tower above a green dotted line labeled “Broadcast Range”. The top of the screen says “Broadcast Signal Range Achieved”.
Pietro: Yes!
However, as the tower’s stabilizers activate, the text on the screen changes to “Warning! Stabilizer Fail”, with a diagram and multiple windows appearing. The screen then changes again to display Amity Tower dipping below the now yellow dotted line.
The top of the screen says “Broadcast Signal Lost In -” with a countdown timer for three minutes. The hole that Cinder burned into the colosseum is directly next to one of the stabilizers, causing it to malfunction and struggle to remain active.
Pietro: We’re… drifting?
Pietro begins typing on the computer.
Penny flies around the outside of the colosseum. Cinder sends flame arcs at her, and Penny fires lasers in response. Cinder tries to slash at her with swords, but Penny blocks and flies up above the colosseum. There, Cinder sends more flame arcs at Penny, one of which makes contact. Penny uses one of her swords and its wire to swing herself around the roof of the colosseum.
Cinder combines her swords into a bow, firing a few glass arrows. The arrows miss Penny, but they sink into the colosseum’s roof and explode.
Concerned about the tower, Penny flies away. At first, Cinder gives chase, throwing fireballs and becoming frustrated when Penny continuously dodges them. However, she soon gets an idea and stops in her tracks.
Noticing this, Penny looks back at her, using her eyes’ zoom function to see what she is doing. Cinder smirks at her over her shoulder and then flies back to Amity Tower, and Penny flies after her.
Inside the arena, Neo repeatedly swings her parasol at Maria, who laughs and blocks every attack with her cane. Neo hooks her parasol’s handle on the cane and uses it to throw Maria. Much to Neo’s surprise, Maria changes her cane into its sickle form, hooks it on the parasol’s handle, and pulls herself forward to land a kick on Neo’s head. Maria then hops off of Neo’s head, and Neo begins to fall over but catches herself. Neo charges Maria and leaps at her, but Maria blocks the parasol with the top of her sickle and then folds the sickle’s blade down to ram the head of it into Neo’s face. She then unfolds the sickle to hook it onto the parasol and pull, knocking Neo down.
Cinder begins shooting flames at the metal beams supporting the communications platform, successfully melting three of them before she hears Penny calling out.
Penny: No!
Cinder smiles when she sees Penny flying toward her, dodges when Penny fires a laser at her, and sends a fireball in return. The two hover above the platform.
Penny: Why are you doing this? Why serve someone like Salem?
Cinder: (smiling) I don’t serve anyone. And you wouldn’t either, if you were built that way.
Penny: That is not… (glancing at Pietro) I choose to fight for people who care about me.
The melted beams begin to give out, causing the platform to slowly sag. Penny stabs her nine swords into the floor and uses the strings to pull the platform up. Using her Maiden powers, Penny begins shooting ice magic at two of the beams, attempting to cool the metal back down. She looks down at Pietro, then at Cinder, who flies over, wraps her legs around Penny’s waist, and begins trying to grab her with her Grimm arm.
Penny grabs the Grimm arm’s wrist and screams in terror, struggling against Cinder. The ice on one of the beams begins breaking off, and Penny shoots ice magic at it again. Cinder grabs the hand that Penny is using to hold her Grimm arm and applies intense heat that instantly causes Penny’s hand to glow white hot. Penny loses her grip from the pain, and Cinder immediately grabs her face with her Grimm hand, which muffles Penny’s screams. The Grimm arm begins glowing bright green.
Penny attempts to fly away but is still tethered to the platform by her swords. She swings herself and Cinder beneath the platform and continues struggling, while Emerald runs back into the arena. Penny creates eight jagged ice swords and uses them to push Cinder off of her, but Cinder’s Grimm arm stretches and holds onto Penny’s face. As Cinder moves back toward her, Penny puts her feet up in the way and uses her jets to kick off from her, sending Cinder flying backward to slam against a wall. The ice swords follow Cinder, and one pins her cape to the wall.
Emerald: Cinder!
Penny lands on the floor of the arena, near Maria, distracting the latter. Cinder pulls the ice sword from her cape and then looks at Emerald, with the two exchanging a smile.
Neo takes the opportunity to knock Maria down. She then walks toward Maria, drawing the sword from her parasol, only for Penny to shoot her with a large laser with all nine of her swords, slamming her into the airship hard enough to break her Aura.
Penny flies up into the air to once again face Cinder, who creates a glowing hot glass spear. Suddenly, Penny is surrounded by copies of Cinder, all wielding the same spear, thanks to Emerald inflicting her with hallucinations.
Penny levitates her swords behind her and forms a storm cloud above herself. The Cinders point their spears at her and then charge her, while lightning strikes Penny’s swords. Penny activates her vision system’s heat signature mode, allowing her to identify which Cinder is real. She gathers her charged swords and uses them to fire a powerful laser at Cinder, destroying the spear and causing Cinder to scream out in pain. Emerald rushes to Cinder’s aid.
Emerald: Cinder! No no no! No!
Emerald kneels beside Cinder, who is lying unconscious on the floor. She rolls Cinder onto her back to check on her, while Penny levitates near them. Emerald turns and fires her gun toward Penny, but the bullet flies straight past Penny and hits the machine on the raised platform, barely missing Pietro. Penny watches the bullet, then turns to Emerald and points her swords at her, angered.
Emerald: I know I can’t beat you.
The anger leaves Penny’s face. Her Maiden eye flares disappear, and she frowns.
Emerald: But I can fill that thing full of holes before you take me down.
Emerald sheds a single tear. In response, Penny lowers her swords and relaxes her posture. The colosseum shakes and rumbles, and Penny looks around. She watches Emerald hurriedly carry Cinder away and then flies away. Emerald gets into the airship, setting Cinder beside her, while Neo starts the ship. Emerald worriedly pets Cinder’s head, then looks at Neo, who looks annoyed.
Emerald: Get us out of here. Hurry.
Neo’s look of annoyance turns to one of anger, and she flies the ship out of the colosseum.
Penny flies back up to the platform, carrying Maria. She sets Maria down.
Penny: Dad! Are you okay?
She runs over to Pietro and kneels in front of him. The computer screen says “Broadcast Signal Lost”.
Pietro: The stabilizer was damaged. We’ve missed our window.
Penny gets up and runs over to the computer, typing on the keyboard.
Pietro: At this rate, we’re likely to drift until touching down just north of--
The colosseum rumbles again.
Penny: I can fix this.
Maria: What?
Penny: Our message is only a few minutes long.
Penny turns to them and continues talking with a smile.
Penny: I can try and hold Amity in place until--
Pietro: Absolutely not!
Penny frowns in disappointment.
Pietro: You’re in no condition to do something like this. Even just the temperature out there could--
Penny: It is our only option.
Maria: She is right, Pietro. We have to remember the big picture--
Pietro becomes frustrated, interrupting Maria.
Pietro: I don’t care about the big picture! I care about my daughter!
He slams his fist down onto the arm of his chair. He lowers his head and takes off his hat as he speaks.
Pietro: I lost you before. Are you asking me to go through that again? No. No. I want the chance to watch you live your life.
Penny walks over and gently lifts his head so he will look at her.
Penny: But dad… I am trying to.
He takes her hand into both of his and then takes a moment to emotionally gather himself, nodding.
Pietro: Right.
She gently kisses the top of his head. He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes, while Maria walks over to stand beside him, smiling at Penny. Maria puts her hand on his arm while he puts his glasses back on, and Penny flies outside through an opening in the roof. Penny takes a few moments to look down at Atlas, then up at a borealis in the sky, smiling to herself.
Penny flies down to the damaged stabilizer and begins pushing on it, using the jets in her feet. Pietro watches the computer screen as the image of Amity slowly rises up through the red dotted line representing the broadcast range.
Pietro: Come on, Penny.
Penny activates her Maiden powers, and the jet she is producing increases greatly in size and changes from green to cyan. The computer plays a noise as the tower reaches broadcast range, causing Pietro and Maria to celebrate.
Maria: Yes! Atta girl!
A window labeled “User input needed to continue” appears on the screen, asking “Initiate Broadcast Operational Sequence?” with buttons for “Yes” and “Cancel”. Pietro brings his fist down onto the keyboard.
All of the screens in the Atlas military base suddenly display a broadcast color pattern with the text “Atlas Emergency Broadcast System” displayed across the top, emitting a long tone.
A large screen on a building in Mantle flickers on, displaying the same image for a moment before switching to a pre-recorded video of Ruby, with Blake Belladonna’s voice coming from off-camera. Drunk Mann and Drinking Buddy look at the screen and then at each other.
Blake: Okay, go ahead.
Ruby: Um, uh. Hi. My name is Ruby Rose. I’m a Huntress. And if we’ve done everything right, then I’m talking to all of Remnant right now. Dr. Polendina can explain more later, but right now you all need to know that the Kingdom of Atlas is under attack.
The video is broadcast to TVs and Scrolls all over Remnant. People in Mistral Central Station begin watching it, as do Saphron and Terra. Adrian grins and waves his hands at the image of Ruby.
Ruby: Things are dire, and we need help. But please, try not to panic. This isn’t some new enemy or invading Kingdom. This is a force we’ve faced before, for centuries… Salem.
Whitley Schnee is watching sadly from Jacques Schnee’s office, resting his arms on the desk with his chin in his arms. He tenses and lowers his gaze when Ruby states that they need help.
In the Mantle crater, refugees and Fiona’s uncle are gathered together, watching. Pyrrha is seen dealing with people who were seem to be fighting, she wraps a bandage on the wound and she looks to the side, hearing the message. In Vacuo, Neptune Vasilias and Sun Wukong are watching on their Scrolls, and they look at each other.
Neptune: Dude.
Ruby: The White Fang, Atlesian drones, even the Grimm themselves have all been controlled and manipulated by her, in order to tear down the Huntsman Academies.
In Menagerie, Ilia Amitola is sitting on a roof, watching on her Scroll, when Ghira Belladonna calls her. Joanna Greenleaf watches among citizens in Mantle, standing behind Drunk Mann and Drinking Buddy.
Penny turns and presses her back to the stabilizer, using her hands to produce two more jets and continue pushing on the colosseum.
Ruby: I know the idea of the Maidens and Relics seems… well… crazy, but I promise Professor Goodwitch of Beacon and Headmaster Theodore of Shade can verify all of this.
Shopkeep is standing in From Dust Till Dawn, and he looks over at Glynda, who happens to be in his shop. She looks stunned.
Ruby: They might even be able to help organize a way to fight back. But sadly, General Ironwood can no longer be trusted.
Ironwood and the Ace Operatives are watching from Pietro’s Atlas laboratory, and Harriet quickly mutes the TV when Ruby says that Ironwood cannot be trusted. Marrow was smiling until the TV was muted. Ironwood walks over to the desk where Arthur Watts has dismantled part of Penny’s sword and is working away at the inside.
Ironwood: It seems Polendina’s proxy trick worked.
Watts: And that’s good news for us.
Watts uses tweezers to remove a chip that has Penny’s emblem on it.
Watts: Penny’s blades operate on the same principle as Amity in the launch terminal. In order for her to control them all, they need to communicate with one another.
In the throne room inside Monstra, Tyrian Callows is sitting beside the throne, watching the broadcast on his Scroll with a scowl. Salem places her hand on his head with a smile, and he smiles and looks at her.
Ruby: We didn’t have time to prepare for Salem. But now you do! Just because she can’t be destroyed, doesn’t mean she can’t be beaten. If she really was unstoppable, she wouldn’t have acted with such caution until now.
Ruby, Blake, and Weiss Schnee are sitting against the bed in Weiss’ bedroom, watching the broadcast on Blake’s Scroll while Nora Valkyrie lay unconscious in the bed, covered in bandages. Raven sits on a chair near the fireplace, drinking a cup of tea, her sword leans on her chair. She looks at Y/N who is looking out the window, staring at Atlas, worried for Qrow.
Ruby: She knows we’re a threat. So even if we-- even if Atlas falls, you can’t give up.
Watts uses tweezers to pick up a chip with his emblem on it and shows it to Ironwood, who nods. He then places the chip into Penny’s sword, and the lighting inside the sword changes from green to red.
Penny gasps as her eyes flicker red for a moment. She then cries out and grips her head. Her jets stop working, and she falls for a few seconds, before activating her jets again and flying back up to push on the stabilizer.
Pietro: Penny! What’s going on out there?
Penny: I… (grunts) I do not know!
Taiyang Xiao Long is watching the broadcast from his living room in Patch.
Ruby: (smiling hopefully) I hope Amity Tower will help bring us all together. Because in the end, that’s how we’ll win--
The broadcast is suddenly cut off, and the screen reverts to the Atlas Emergency Broadcast System screen. Tai reaches out for a moment.
Tai: No! No, come back!
Tai lowers his head into his hands, and Zwei whimpers, lays down, and rests his head on Tai’s leg.
Pietro: Penny, you’ve done enough, sweetheart. Get back inside! We can ride out on Amity together.
Penny struggles, her eyes flickering between red and their normal green color.
Penny: No! I-- I have to go! The Vault! No! (panicked) Dad!
Penny looks up at the tower, and her eyes become dull and lifeless. Her body goes limp, and she begins falling.
Pietro: Penny! What is happening!?
As she falls through the atmosphere, Penny becomes engulfed in flames.
Pietro: Please, baby, say something.
After a moment, the light returns to Penny’s eyes, and she then closes them.
Penny: I love you.
The radio communications between Penny and Pietro fill with static.
Pietro: Penny!
Pietro coughs and lowers his head into his hands, crying. Maria rests her hand on his back, trying to comfort him.
Pietro: Penny.
Harriet: Global comms just went back down.
Ironwood is looking at his Scroll, with which he attempted to call Penny. The screen says that it could not complete the call.
Ironwood: And Penny isn’t responding. (turning to Watts) What did you do?
Watts plays with Penny’s sword as he speaks, before turning to Ironwood.
Watts: Exactly what you asked. It’s possible Penny’s systems are merely rebooting. As for the tower, well, perhaps Pietro isn’t the genius you thought--
Ironwood angrily throws his Scroll at Watts, who swats it away. The Scroll, now broken, lands on the desk.
Ironwood: (sighs) We’re not waiting. You’re going to find her.
Ironwood turns to address Winter Schnee who has approached the desk.
Ironwood: Winter.
Winter stares at Penny’s sword, giving Ironwood a delayed response.
Winter: Sir?
Ironwood: Until Penny either responds or is standing in front of that Vault, we can not assume her status. Take the Ace Ops. I want constant updates.
Winter, Marrow, Elm and Vine salute him and then begin leaving the room. Watts picks up his tool kit and then begins rolling his chair along the desk, turning off the monitors. Ironwood heads for the exit while addressing Harriet.
Ironwood: Get him back to his cell.
Harriet: With pleasure.
Watts picks up Ironwood’s broken Scroll and holds it behind his back as he stands up and faces Harriet.
In the tundra outpost, Yang Xiao Long, Lie Ren, Laura Kinney, Deadpool, and Jaune Arc are looking at their Scrolls.
Yang: That was the broadcast. Why did we lose signal?
Deadpool: You know that almost made me tear up.
They hear a loud noise in the distance and are soon after running through the snow in pursuit of rumbling sounds.
Laura: There’s another one. I think it’s just up ahead.
They suddenly stop and stare at something with wide eyes. With Deadpool overreacting and putting two palms on each cheeks in a surprised manner.
Ren: What… is this?
The ground has broken open, and black liquid is flowing inside the crack. The ground rumbles, and Laura takes a step forward. A piece of dirt with a small bush on it breaks off beneath her foot, and Yang reaches out in case she falls. The dirt and bush fall into the liquid and instantly dissolve. Soon after, a Sabyr head floats to the surface.
Deadpool: (looking at the river) That's one big flow of cranberry sauce. Hey, does anyone have bread?
Yang: It’s Grimm. A river of Grimm…
The group look where the liquid is heading, while Monstra hovers in the distance in the opposite direction. They see that the river is snaking its way across the tundra toward Mantle.
Laura: ...heading straight for the Kingdom.
The scene fades to black before transitioning into another segment.
Years ago, in her childhood, Cinder Fall scrubbed the floor of an orphanage in Mistral and was bullied by other children. She attempted to fight back but was tossed aside. One day, a woman known as the Madame came and adopted her.
Madame: I’ll take her.
Some time later, Cinder found herself standing in front of the Glass Unicorn hotel in the City of Atlas. She peered up at the building and looked around at bystanders down the street.
Madame: Come now.
Madame opened the front door of the hotel, and Cinder followed her through the lobby, taking in the sights of the high-class establishment. Madame led her through a door behind the front desk, into an employee room, where she cleared her throat to get Cinder’s attention. Nearby stood the Madame’s daughters. Cinder was quickly distracted by a basket of freshly-baked rolls.
Madame: You’re to make sure the laundry is folded, the dishes are spotless, and the floors are clean enough to eat off of.
Madame began walking away, but Cinder reached toward her.
Cinder: F-food?
Cinder’s new step sisters gasped in surprise. The straight-haired one raised an eyebrow at her, and the curly-haired one giggled. Despite the step sisters judgmental reactions, Madame picked up a roll and tossed it onto the floor in front of Cinder.
Madame: Now hurry and get to your chores. The floor looks filthy.
Madame exited the room with a smirk as Cinder dropped to her knees and picked up the roll. The step sisters soon followed their mother, laughing to each other.
Time went by, with Cinder spending her life working in the hotel, cleaning, delivering food to guests’ rooms, decorating cakes, doing the laundry, unclogging toilets and dusting the glass Grimm statues. She had also begun wearing a metal necklace with a yellow crystal laid in the pendant.
One day, she tried to eat a strawberry from a cake but was stopped by the curly-haired step sister who then let the straight-haired step-sister eat the strawberry. Cinder later ate leftover toast crusts from a guest’s discarded tray.
A day came where Cinder tripped in the lobby while carrying a tray of dirty dishes, some of which broke upon hitting the floor. A man sitting on a chair looked on as the step-sisters laughed and Madame looked angrily at Cinder.
The man shows his face as the lights lit up his facial features. It was Y/N, he was staying at the hotel in Atlas while also having a relationship with the Atlesian Scientist, Sarah Kinney, the birth mother of Laura Kinney.
Later, Cinder angrily scrubbed the carpet of one of the second floor walkways. While taking a moment’s break, she heard people talking in the lobby and looked through the gaps in the railing to see Y/N showing off his metal claws.
Then, he retracts his claws and pulls out his short-sword, made by the young Raven Branwen, who's signature is etched into the hilt.
Random person: This one's cool as well! Did you make it yourself?
Y/N: Well, my daughter made it. This type of talent at her age is rare these days.
She watched in admiration until a squishing noise distracted her. When she turned her head to look, she found the step sisters had approached her with muddy shoes, leaving large clumps of mud in their wake. The straight-haired step sister stomped her left foot onto the floor and ground the mud into the carpet.
Step Sister: You missed a spot.
The step sisters began laughing, and Cinder gripped the wet scrub brush tightly. Steam began to come from the brush as her palm glowed hot. Cinder angrily threw down the brush, creating a cloud of steam that caught everyone’s attention. Shortly after, Madame took Cinder to the employee area and began using a remote to make the necklace electrocute Cinder, who cried out in pain.
Madame: Now that wasn’t very ladylike, was it? I suggest you remember your place.
Cinder sat on her hands and knees, panting.
Madame: Say it!
Madame pressed the button, electrocuting Cinder again. Once the electricity stopped, Cinder hanged her head.
Cinder: Without you, I am nothing.
One night, there was a commotion as Cinder crawled through the vents.
Y/N: Alright, Someone took my damn sword. If you ain't gonna help, I suggest you go the fuck away.
Step Sister: I apologize for the inconvenience. We’ll help you look for it.
Cinder came out of a vent in the abandoned storage room that served as her bedroom, carrying a bundle of fabric. She laid the bundle onto the blanket with which she slept on the floor and then unwrapped the bundle to reveal Y/N’s missing sword. She picked up the sword, smiling to herself, only to be frightened by a voice behind her.
Y/N: Now that’s not yours, is it?
Cinder turned and threw the sword at Y/N, who deflected it easily into a wooden beam with his right claws.
Y/N: I’m not here to hurt you. All I want is my daughter's sword back.
He retracts his claws. She ran forward and grabbed the sword before swinging the sword at him, but he caught it in his hand, the sword would've cut through his hand if it wasn't for his metal skeleton. He pries off her hands and lets the sword drop to the ground.
Y/N: I’ve seen you around, it’s safe to say you’re not getting the most fair treatment. Yeah, I can’t really blame you for what you’re thinking.
Cinder: You don’t know what I’m--
Y/N: Hurting them isn’t going to make your life any better. You can run, but you’re going to be running for the rest of your life. Or you could find another way to handle it. Like I did.
Cinder hanged her head as she began to cry.
Cinder: Like you? You can do whatever you want, go wherever you want.
Y/N: Right, how old are you?
Cinder: Ten.
Y/N: And you want to be like me? Trust me, being a mercenary or an Assassin wouldn't be fun. But you could be a Huntress? You want that?
Cinder nodded.
Y/N: Then we’ve got about seven years.
Y/N picks up the sword.
Cinder: For what?
He then tosses it to her.
Y/N: To train you for the Huntsman exam. Consider this a favor.
Years went by with Y/N coming and going from the hotel, training Cinder in hand-to-hand and dual wielding at night. Cinder continued working at the hotel and endured being electrocuted by Madame for even the smallest of things. Eventually, the time came where Y/N gave Cinder one of his swords.
Cinder: I've wondered on how you teach so well.
Y/N: Well, I don't- but, I suppose raising two degenerate children and running a Bandit Tribe has its benefits.
Y/N looks at her before going to his bag and pulling out a retractable sword, the bottom of the handle has the symbol of a W, standing as the signature for the Wolverine. He then hands the sword to her, to which she takes.
Y/N: Just a few more years and you won’t need your guardian’s permission. You’ll be free.
Time went by, and at around 11:39 one night, the step sisters ran to their mother. The curly-haired one grinned excitedly while the straight-haired one spoke.
Step Sister: Mom, come quick, we found something. It’s Cinder! She has a weapon!
Madame followed the step sisters to Cinder’s room. At about 11:57, Y/N has a cigar in his mouth as he entered the hotel to find that no one was at the front desk.
Y/N: Hello? Anyone? (looks disgusted before pulling out the cigar and putting it off by using his hand to stomp the burning end) Fucking Atlesian cigars, and they call this kingdom elite?
A door leading into the employee part of the hotel was still open, and he heard a noise from somewhere within.
He hurried through the door and made his way to Cinder’s room to find the step sisters dead on the floor, just as the 12:00 bell began to ring. Cinder had lifted Madame into the air by her neck and was strangling her, while Madame continuously electrocuted her harshly enough for the necklace’s pendant to float.
Cinder: You’re right. Without you I am nothing. But because of you, I am everything.
Cinder tightened her grip, finishing off Madame. She dropped the corpse on the floor. As the shot blurs out the corpse of the woman, it focuses on Y/N's shocked face.
Y/N: Cinder.
Cinder looked at Y/N with a wide-eyed broken smile.
Cinder: I won’t have to run now.
He looked at her, saddened.
Y/N: That’s all you’ll ever do.
Y/N drew his claws. Cinder’s wide-eyed smile turned to a look of disbelief and betrayal, before finally shifting to anger.
Cinder charged forward, beginning the fight. The two traded blows and blocked and dodged attacks. Cinder hopped onto Y/N’s back and brings the sword to his throat, Y/N then grabs the sword to stop it. Cinder used her Semblance to super heat the metal on his neck, causing him pain. He headbutts her off his back and threw her at a shelf, knocking down a small bag, which she picked up.
Y/N: I regret the day that I tossed you my daughter's sword.
Cinder: Well you won't be regretting it anymore soon.
Y/N is shocked before an angry expression appears on his face.
Cinder ran toward him, with Y/N standing his ground. She then threw the bag at him, creating a cloud of powder, which allowed her to steal Raven's sword from Y/N's back. Both now dual wielding, the two continued fighting. Y/N broke Cinder’s Aura.
Believing Cinder to be unconscious, Y/N sheathes his claws, walked over to her and reached his hand out. She then suddenly picked the swords back up and stabbed them straight through him.
Y/N is shocked before he snaps the blades in half, leaving the two ends in his body. He stumbles backwards before pulling them off. Cinder stands up and breaks the window, she climbs to the outside before looking back at Y/N, shedding a single tear as she stares at Y/N's angered and disappointed face.
She runs off into the night as Y/N does nothing and looks up at the shattered moon. He grabs the other half of Raven's sword, his own sword is stolen by Cinder, giving her a weapon to defend herself with.
Y/N grabs the broken blade of Raven's sword and walks out with the two broken parts. As he walks out, blood drips from his fist as his grip tightens on the blade of Raven's sword. He knows full-well that he could've changed this outcome, but by doing that, she would have been tortured for the rest of her life.
He walks to lobby and opens the door, he looks from across his shoulder before walking out and slamming the door shut.
In present day, Cinder wakes on a bed somewhere within Monstra and sits up. Emerald Sustrai hurries over, kneels in front of her and takes Cinder’s Grimm hand into hers.
Emerald: You’re awake. I was so worried. How are you feeling?
Cinder: You… You brought me back here.
Cinder pulls her hand away and looks to the side, upset.
Cinder: We failed.
Emerald: Cinder, you were hurt. I was just trying to help.
They hear Mercury Black’s voice as he enters the room.
Mercury: I think she’s had enough help. Besides, she went against our queen. I’d be careful who you back.
Emerald: Cinder’s hunch was right. If we’d had support then maybe we would’ve--
Mercury: Would you stop trying to protect her already? She doesn’t care about you.
Cinder becomes annoyed, and her eye manifests the Maiden flame.
Cinder: Both of you, get out. I’ll let you know when you’re needed next.
Emerald sadly looks away from Cinder, then looks at Mercury as he starts speaking.
Mercury: Yeah about that, Salem’s got other plans for me. I’m not gonna be taking orders from you anymore.
Cinder’s Maiden eye flame disappears and she looks surprised and saddened.
Mercury: She wants everyone on the bridge. Something big is about to happen.
Emerald looks at Cinder while Mercury heads for the door. Emerald then sighs, gets up and follows Mercury. On their way out the door, Mercury is smirking and Emerald is sad.
In the torture room, Oscar Pine is left alone.
Ozpin: (in Oscar's mind) I’d like to express again that this is my burden to bear, not yours. His grudge is with me.
Oscar: No, it’ll be even worse. He’s holding back with me. I can tell.
Oscar is now bruised, has a black eye and has blood smudged under his nose and by the corner of his mouth.
Ozpin: I understand. I do. But you’ve done so much already. The least I can do is give you a break and try to get us out of here.
Oscar: We can’t leave yet. This is our chance.
Ozpin: Hmm, maybe you’ve taken one too many hits.
Oscar: Salem, she knows she can’t take on the whole world at once. So she doesn’t. She has her followers work their way in sabotaging us from the inside out.
Both: Maybe we should do the same.
Ozpin: We certainly are similar, you and I. Maybe we have been presented with an opportunity.
The membrane door squelches open, and Hazel Rainart enters the room.
Oscar: Great.
Ozpin: Oscar, please.
Hazel picks up Oscar and slams him against a bone spike.
Hazel: You don’t need to fight this war, kid. Tell me what I need and we can be done.
Ozpin: Hello Hazel.
Oscar’s eyes glow yellow momentarily, revealing that Ozpin has taken control. Hazel quickly becomes angered.
Hazel: Coward! All this time, it could have been you, but you let him suffer.
Hazel tosses Ozpin to the floor.
Hazel: Now tell us how this damned Lamp works. The boy has suffered enough.
Ozpin stands up.
Ozpin: Why do you follow her?
Hazel walks over and kicks Ozpin hard enough to knock him down.
Ozpin: I know… (coughs) I know how you see me. But her? Look at what she does. How is she the answer? Why not stop her!?
Hazel stops and looks away. He then walks across the room to a bone spike.
Hazel: Salem can’t be stopped. She’s a force of nature. I’ve seen it first hand. But you…
Hazel breaks the tip of the bone spike off and starts walking toward Ozpin, sharpening the spike on the metal plate on the back of his hand.
Hazel: You send children to their deaths for a cause that you know has no victory, no end.
Ozpin: Someone has to try. Salem isn’t a force of nature because Salem can be fought! Unless she brings the Relics together. If that happens--
Ozpin is interrupted by Salem, who is standing in the doorway.
Salem: Ozma. You have wonderful timing. The show is about to begin.
A short time later, Salem is sitting on her throne with The Sabretooth next to it. Lined up kneeling in front of her are Oscar, Hazel, Tyrian, Cinder and Mercury. Kneeling off to the side are Emerald and Neopolitan. Salem stands up and walks over in front of Cinder, before moving to stand in front of Tyrian.
Salem: We have good news. Tyrian has heard from our dear colleague Watts. Although he remains in captivity, it seems that he has worked with Ironwood to gain some control over the puppet masquerading as the Winter Maiden. I suppose he remains useful after all.
She gently sets her hand on Tyrian’s head, as he holds up a Scroll. She then turns her attention to Cinder, losing her smile.
Salem: Speaking of which… Cinder.
Cinder’s Shadow Hand begins hissing and smoking, and she grunts and cries out in pain, trying to hold the writhing arm still.
Salem: You chose to disobey my specific instructions just to fail again.
Emerald watches wide-eyed, and Cinder has flashbacks to the times she was electrocuted by Madame.
Salem: And I’ve realized, it’s all my fault.
The pain stops, and Cinder looks up in fear as Salem walks over to stand in front of her.
Salem: You’ve fought your whole life unwaveringly for what you want and here I am holding you back instead of lifting you up.
Salem holds her hand out, and Cinder hesitantly rests her Grimm hand in it. The Sabretooth goes to Neo and then Emerald, sniffing them.
Salem: You deserve so much more than I’ve given you. Go to Atlas, recover Watts. He can lead you to the girl.
The Sabretooth approaches Cinder and sniffs her, and Cinder looks at it, tensing her shoulders up.
Salem: Whether you or my Sabretooth get to her first, you will finally have the Winter Maiden’s power, and I will have my Staff.
The Sabretooth begins to morph as black liquid drops from its body, it roars as its body begins to shrink in size and the black from its body drop to the ground in big chunks. The chunks slap the ground before turning into black liquid and dissipating.
As the black chunks fall off, a naked man is seen crouching before standing up, his body is well-built, his hands crack as they stretch, his sharp fingernails suddenly popping out before returning to its normal position.
The man has very long blonde hair and he slicks them back, making his hair look better. He has a beard, a mutton chop beard. And he also has thick eyebrows that are long.
The man turns around and speaks.
Victor: My name's Victor Creed. (smirking) Nice to meet you.
Salem giggles before introducing.
Salem: I suppose you should know who I am, Sabretooth?
Victor nods as Salem puts a coat on him, covering his naked body.
Victor: Yes, of course.
Ozpin: You’ll only be helping her bring about the end, for all of you!
Hazel slams Ozpin against the ground and then holds him up as Salem approaches. She leans to his face, smiling.
Salem: You’re too late.
An airship is flying through the air somewhere above the tundra. Inside, Elm Ederne and Vine Zeki discuss Penny, while Winter Schnee listens from one of the pilot’s seats.
Elm: Did the hack just not work? How do we even know we can trust Watts?
Vine: We have confirmed visual of her leaving Amity. She appeared to be malfunctioning.
Elm: This is why I don’t trust technology. Now we’re wasting our time searching for broken junk.
Winter becomes annoyed and turns in her seat to look at them.
Winter: Enough! You’re Atlas elite, act like it.
Marrow Amin, who is piloting the ship, puts his finger to the communicator in his ear. He then addresses Winter.
Marrow: Um, ma’am, we’re picking up an open comms broadcast.
Winter: Play it.
Marrow presses a button. There is static as the console plays a communication from Jaune Arc.
Jaune: It’s headed straight for Mantle. I repeat, a large mass of Grimm is headed straight for Mantle. Please, anyone.
Winter and Marrow look concerned, while Elm, Vine and Harriet Bree walk forward with interest. Soon after, the airship lands in the tundra in front of Jaune, Laura, Deadpool, Yang, and Ren, who are riding the now repaired HVB Rhino hoverbike. Winter and Harriet hop out of the airship, while Jaune and Ren get off the bike.
Yang: (sarcastically) Great, you guys.
Jaune: Did you hear our message? It’s right there. We need to hurry.
Jaune gestures to the river of Grimm Liquid to his right. Harriet looks at Winter, then at Jaune.
Harriet: Where’s Penny?
Laura: Are you serious right now!? There are people in danger.
Harriet: There are people in danger because you kids are acting selfish and--
The ground suddenly begins shaking with a series of earthquakes, which frighten people in Mantle and in the Mantle crater. The fear draws attention from Grimm.
Suddenly, the Grimm river forms a geyser that shoots up high enough to hit the City of Atlas. The geyser continues until it forces its way through the city’s Hard-Light shield. Centinels spawn from the liquid. The Ace Operatives, Winter, Jaune, Yang and Ren look on wide-eyed, while Weiss, Ruby, Blake, May Marigold and James Ironwood watch in horror through a broadcast. Y/N and Raven turn heads towards the broadcast.
The Centinels begin burrowing into the earth, while a military airship tries to shoot them. The Grimm then make their way through the ground and dislodge two of the shield’s pylons, causing them to fall to the ground beneath Atlas. With the two pylons gone, the entire shield is disabled.
Inside Monstra, Salem smiles, and her eyes glow.
Salem: It’s time.
Monstra flies over to the City of Atlas and crash lands on one of its farms. The whale opens its mouth, and Grimm Liquid comes flooding out. A variety of Grimm spawn, including Manticores, Teryxes, Megoliaths, Boarbatusks, Apathy, Ursai, Beowolves and winged Beringels.