3rd Person POV:
Snow continues to fall as Team RWBY, Y/N, Qrow, and Maria all look at Ozpin, who's still looking down tears streaming down his face.
Yang: Salem can't be killed...you all heard her too, right?
Ozpin: I--
Yang: (enraged) There was so much you hadn't told us! How could you think that was okay?!
Ozpin doesn't say anything, he just hangs his head back down in shame.
Ruby: Professor... (Ozpin looks up at her) What is your plan to defeat Salem?
Ozpin: I... don't have one...
Suddenly, Qrow punches Ozpin in the face, sending him into a nearby tree trunk.
Qrow: No one wanted me... I was cursed... I gave my life to you because you gave me a place in this world... I thought I was finally doing some good...
Ozpin: (tearfully) But, you are!
Qrow: Meeting you... was the worst luck of my life...
Ozpin stares back in disbelief upon hearing Qrow say that, before looking down dejected.
Ozpin: Maybe you're right...
Ozpin's eyes glow as control is transferred back to Oscar, who then holds his cheek in pain from the effects of Qrow's punch.
Ruby: What happened?
Oscar: He's... gone.
Yang: That bastard! Tell him we're not done yet!
Oscar: No, this is different. He's gone. It--It's like he's locked himself deep inside my head. Our head?
Oscar: (grunts as he holds his head in pain) I hate this! I want it to stop!
Weiss: He just left us?
Blake: What are we gonna do now?
Y/N: ....
Yang growls in anger.
Maria: Enough! We need to get move on. It'll be dark before we know it, and every one of you is spewing negativity!
Maria: (helps Oscar up with her cane) There's a trail over there, trails usually lead somewhere.
Yang: Lady, I don't know who you think you are but--
Y/N: Yang. (Yang turns to her) She's right we can't stay here.
Yang: But Y/N--
Y/N: I'm upset with him too, but if we don't move now we'll either die by the Grimm or freeze to death.
Yang: (scoffs) Fine.
Maria: Glad to see some of you are able to keep a level head through all this.
Ruby: (to everyone) She's right. We need to go.
Everyone grabs their belongings and whatever Dust they can carry with them. Maria sits on Bumblebee as Yang walks her bike. Ruby and Y/N walk over to Oscar and hands over the handle of his cane.
Y/N: You okay?
Oscar: (grabbing the cane) I'm just going to be another one of his lives, aren't I?
Ruby: (puts her hand on his) Of course not. You're your own person.
Qrow: Don't lie to him, Ruby. (drinks from his flask) We're better than that.
Y/N, Ruby, and Oscar look down sadly before walking to join the others.
They all proceed down the trail as the snow starts to pick up more.
Qrow: (sighs) Doesn't look like this is gonna let up.
Blake: Just wanna get this stupid Relic to Atlas.
Weiss: Let's hope we don't have to walk all the way there.
Yang: (to Maria, sarcastically) I thought trails led somewhere.
Maria: Do you have nothing better to do than to harass a defenseless old lady?
Ruby: Everyone, quiet. Do you hear that?
Everyone stops in their tracks as metallic squeaking can be heard in their approach.
A large farm can be seen, one of the front gates swings back and forth with the wind. A large sign above the entrance reads "BRUNSWICK FARMS". Everyone arrives at the gate.
Blake: Well, at least one good thing happened today.
Weiss: It looks abandoned.
Ruby: It's still better than this.
Qrow: Come on, I think we could all use some rest.
Everyone proceeds through the farm's gates, with Qrow being the last to enter. The snow starts to pick up even more as the gate is heard closing with a metallic clang.
Cinder can be seen entering a tavern as she meets with Lil' Miss Malachite.
Cinder: Do you have my information?
Lil' Miss: Of course I do, darling. Lil' Miss always delivers. Although, I can't promise you'll be pleased.
Cinder glares at her.
Lil' Miss: Word is they were seen boarding the Argus Limited a few weeks back. While that isn't exactly far from here, Argus is rarely a destination for folks. Chances are they'll be going straight to--
Cinder: Atlas.
Cinder walks away while Lil' Miss smiles at her intuitiveness.
Lil' Miss: You know, you turned out to be quite the interesting customer... Cinder.
Cinder stops in her tracks upon hearing her name. She turns around to face Lil' Miss again.
Lil' Miss: It's not often a single client brings me double the business. (taps her cigarette holder into an ashtray)
A creak is heard from the walkway above, Cinder looks up to see who it is.
Cinder: Wait...
A pair of high-heeled boots are shown, and Hush is shown to be lowered before its owner places it behind her head. Neo stares down at Cinder from her position...
Cinder: Neo?
Lil' Miss: (to her henchwoman) Maybe put away the good glasses.
Neo jumps down and lands a strike on Cinder, only for her form to suddenly shatter. Neo then reappears from another direction and knocks Cinder back.
Cinder: What are you doing?!
Neo then proceeds to push Cinder back with a flurry of blows, forcing her back to Lil' Miss' table. Cinder launches off of the table and retaliates with a flurry of swipes from her hands, forcing Neo to tuck her parasol behind her and dodge every strike.
As Cinder misses several kicks, she manages to strike Neo in the chin through a handstand kick with both feet, where Cinder leaps onto the bar's counter, as Neo floats there with her parasol opened to resume the fight.
Neo sends some bowls flying into Cinder, followed by her unleashing a combo of kicks and umbrella strikes while dodging Cinder's kicks and swipes.
Cinder sees an opening to grab Neo in the middle of another kick, and proceeds to catch her, throwing the multicolored girl off the bar, but Neo uses her parasol to float to the ground.
Cinder then leaps off a chair to deliver two airborne leaping kicks, both of which miss, followed by a series of punches and kicks, all of which are blocked by Neo and her umbrella.
However, Cinder jumps off Neo, uses the roof as a second launching point and sends herself towards her opponent, barely missing a strike with her flaming fist, shattering a table with the blow. Cinder proceeds to jump onto the balcony and look down at Neo.
Lil' Miss: That's enough, ladies! (the bodyguards draw their weapons at the two combatants) I love dinner and a show, but it's time to take it outside.
Taking the gangster's advice, Cinder is pushed through the window onto the empty street with Neo following her. Cinder lands back on her feet while Neo's form shatters again.
Cinder: Hmph, nice trick. (stands straight up to look around for Neo) You've gotten stronger... So have I.
Cinder conjures a fireball that she launches behind her. Neo blocks the blast with her umbrella. Her clothes are slightly torn and tattered and she wears the hat that once belonged to Roman.
She steps forward and angrily glares at Cinder.
Cinder: I don't have time for your misplaced blame, girl. I didn't kill your boss. If you want revenge, take it up with "Little Red and Wolfy".
Neo charges forward. Cinder conjures swords and uses them to block Neo's attacks.
Cinder: You're not the only one with a grudge against Ruby!
One of Neo's attacks hits Cinder in the face, causing her to activate her Maiden powers, blowing Neo back a few feet.
Cinder: Listen! We both want those girls dead.
Cinder: (uses her Maiden powers to float into the air, causing Neo to look on in fear) So quit wasting your time fighting me and let's discuss how we kill them together.
Neo stands down.
Cinder: Okay then... Let's talk.
Cinder floats back down to the ground while Neo points at her mouth with an annoyed look on her face.
Cinder: (shrugs) Right...
A snow storm appears at Brunswick Farms, making visibility incredible difficult. A wind howling is heard.
Ruby: (sighs) I don't get it. The empty towns I've passed through were all damaged or unfinished. But this place looks... fine.
Team RWBY, Y/N, Qrow, Oscar, and Maria arrive at the porch of a residence. Weiss is shivering as she wraps her arms around her to keep herself warm until Y/N takes off her jacket and heads it to her.
Weiss: Won't you be cold?
Y/N responds by using her Aura showing that it's still plentiful despite the long trip.
Weiss: Maybe everyone left in a hurry. Before things took a turn?
Qrow tries to open the door, only to notice it was locked.
Qrow: Hmm. Stay on guard.
Qrow kicks the door open, everyone proceeds forward with their weapons drawn. They cautiously look around the place.
Maria: Close the door already! It's cold enough in here as it is.
Maria walks into the house. Afterwards, Blake and Oscar push a nearby drawer to block the door.
Blake: I saw a chimney from the outside. Maybe we could get a fire going?
Y/N: I got it.
Y/N: (Maria, a little help?)
Yuzu: (It's no problem master)
Y/N then borrows the power from her familiar before walking over to the fireplace and starts a strong flame.
Weiss: I'll look for some blankets.
Qrow: Yang, go with her.
Ruby lingers by the entrance hall for the bit while the others look around. Oscar can be heard opening a door.
Oscar: Looks like a study. Or, a library?
Ruby walks forward to notice a group of pictures on the wall of the family that owns Brunswick Farms. Blake walks up next to her.
Blake: What do you think?
Y/N: (pointing at the small ginger haired boy in the photo) Is that?
Ruby: Something doesn't feel right.
Blake: Let's look for some--
Suddenly, a high-pitched scream is heard.
Ruby & Y/N: Weiss!
Ruby, Y/N, and Blake head up the stairs and run into the room Yang and Weiss were in. Qrow also arrives. They look on the bed to see a pair of decomposing corpses...
The fire continues to burn as Weiss, who is still shaken up from what she saw clings to Y/N as the two watch the fire until Blake wraps a blanket on the two girls before sitting on the couch Yang is on.
The group hears the door open and close, and Qrow walks back in brushing snow off himself.
Qrow: It's the same in every house.
Yang: What?
Qrow: Bodies. Every bed in every home. It's like the whole estate just went to sleep and never woke up.
Weiss: Then we're not staying here, right?
Qrow: (walks over to the fireplace to warm up) We don't have a choice. Storm outside's only getting worse. We'd freeze to death before we made it anywhere.
Maria: Well, might as well get comfortable. (walks over to a bookshelf)
Yang: Yeah, fat chance.
Ruby: Okay, then, let's do something. If this place wasn't abandoned it might still have supplies we could use.
Oscar: Hey, yeah. Maybe even a car.
Qrow: I'll do another sweep of the grounds. No one else goes anywhere alone.
Blake: Yang and I can search the other buildings for vehicles.
Y/N: I'll go too.
Yang: (annoyed) Fine, whatever gets me out of this house.
The three girls leave, with Ruby moving the drawer to let them exit. Afterwards, Ruby looks over to see Weiss at the doorway to the living room with a melancholic look on her face.
Ruby: Food always makes me feel better. (chuckles nervously) Just saying.
Weiss: Right...
Ruby and Weiss leave the room, leaving Oscar and Maria alone together.
Maria: I'll tell you what. You keep that fire fed...(finds a book with an "I" on the cover) ... and I'll find us a story to read before bed.
Maria sits back down on the couch and begins reading while Oscar sighs.
Outside, Blake, Y/N, and Yang walk through the snowstorm toward a nearby shed. They enter it and find rows of shelves full of supplies on it and a tractor.
Blake: (looking at the tractor) Something tells me that's not street legal.
The three of them continue walking through the shed.
Yang: What do you think happened here?
Blake: There's that well in the square. Maybe water contamination?
Y/N: It feels like something more than that maybe a type of Grimm.
Yang: Yeah, maybe.
Yang stops and puts a hand on her forehead.
Y/N: Yang?
Blake: Hey, are you okay?
Yang: Yeah... I mean, no. But, I don't know. I'm just tired.
Blake: Yeah.
Yang continues walking forward.
Yang: Hey, I found something.
Yang sees a flatbed trailer next to a window. Through the window, Yang sees a figure of Adam unsheathing his sword. Yang gasps and reels back as Y/N and Blake run up to her.
Y/N: Yang, are you okay?
Blake: What did you see?
Yang: I...
Yang looks back outside and sees a tree in the place where Adam stood.
Yang: (sighs) I was just seeing things. I'm sorry. I still get flashes from that night.
The two girls see Yang's hand shaking as Y/N notices Yang reaching for her old pistol before she grabs her flesh arm causing Yang to calm down.
Y/N: It's okay.
Yang: R-Right. D-Do you two think Adam's still out there?
Blake: I don't know. If he went back to the White Fang there would have been serious consequences. But, he never really liked people telling him what to do.
Blake: Adam's strong, but his real power comes from control. He used to get in my head, make me feel small. But now I see he just wanted to pull me down to his size.
Y/N: When I first saw him, he just seemed like a hot headed person bent on revenge. I think he's still holding on to that hatred and refuses to let it go.
Blake: (grasping Yang's hand) Hey, I'm not leaving. And if we ever see him again, I promise I'll be there.
Y/N: Me too.
The three share a smile.
Blake: And I'll protect you.
Y/N looks down at her words as Yang's eyes widen and her expression turns into a frown.
Yang: What?
Blake: (oblivious) What?
Awkward silence.
Yang: (pulling her hand away) Forget it. Let's just head back.
Blake: But what about--
Yang: We're fine. We can hook that flatbed up to Bumblebee in the morning. Should carry everyone. Mission accomplished.
Yang walks away while Blake looks down sadly.
Blake: (to Y/N) What did I say wrong?
Y/N: I can't say until she's ready to explain herself.
Blake: Okay.
The two follow after her until Blake speaks up.
Blake: Y/N?
Y/N: Hmm?
Blake: Back when we were back at the woods, when we learned what happened...How are you able to keep yourself calm and collected like this?
Y/N: It's *sigh* complicated. I feel angry at Ozpin just like all of you but I can't bring myself to hate him.
Blake: Why?
Y/N: Even though he lied to us and this isn't the first time humanity was formed, I can't help but feel sorry for Ozpin and Salem.
Y/N: Due to Salem's selfish desire to be with him, Humanity paid the price and when they got back together it ended with Salem killing him and her own children.
Y/N: I'm upset that he lied to us but part of me understands why he did.
Blake: You can... understand him?
Y/N: Just imagine it Blake, Over and over again Ozpin fought for others, over and over again he was betrayed, over and over again he tried to help fix the messes humanity made.
Y/N: Living a life like that...I can't understand how he can even keep himself sane after living through all those lives.
Y/N: (sighs) Blake. I don't think Ozpin is a bad person, but he's someone that's experienced Hell and he's trying to escape it while trying to help others.
Y/N: He's just a regular person like you and me, so if he comes back I'll see him as just that...a person.
She walks off while Blake contemplates her words before joining her.
Back inside, Ruby uses her scroll's flashlight to look around. She finds alcholic bottles on the shelves. Weiss uses Myrtenaster to send small flames to light up the candles in the room.
Weiss: There.
The two look around the room. Shelves are full of alcoholic bottles and a bar is seen as well.
Ruby: On second thought, maybe we should keep this room closed.
Weiss: Huh?
Ruby: I'm just... Not sure how well my uncle's taking all of this.
Weiss: Oh.
An awkward silence passes between them.
Ruby: Come on, we'll never get to Atlas on an empty stomach!
Ruby walks forward, though Weiss lingers and sadly looks down. Ruby then opens up another door.
Weiss: Ruby? Are we really still going to Atlas?
Ruby: Why wouldn't we be?
Weiss: I mean... you heard what Jinn said. If there's no way to kill Salem, then what's the point in all of this?
Ruby: Weiss, you can't be serious.
Weiss: (sighs) Sorry, I- I don't know what I'm saying, I'm just really tired and I really, really hate this place. (walks up to enter the room with Ruby) Anything in there?
Ruby turns around and uses her flashlight to look around. She sees more alcoholic bottles arranged on a shelf on the right side of the room.
Ruby: (annoyed) More alcohol... At least we'll never have problems starting a fire.
Weiss: What's that?
The two notice a large, metal cellar door in the ground. Its handles are chained together.
Weiss: A wine cellar? Great.
Ruby holds out a can that says "THREE BROS. BEANS: SHRIMP FLAVORED, EXTRA SODIUM".
Weiss: (incredulous) Canned food?
Ruby: Oh trust me, you put enough salt on anything, and it will taste juuust fine.
Weiss: Well, I guess it's better than nothing.
The two share a smile. Weiss walks over and helps Ruby grab a few cans of food.
Weiss: But I still seriously hate this place...
The two then walk out of the room. Unbeknownst to them, the metal cellar door opens slightly, before shutting again with a startling bang...
Chapter End