Y/N
Y/N: You fucking liar.
Yang: Salem can't be killed... you all heard her too, right?
Team RWBY all angrily glare at Ozpin, whose head is still down. He looks up, with tears streaming down his face. Qrow Branwen and Y/N just looks away.
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.
Y/N: Qrow! (holds Qrow back from doing further harm)
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 Pine. He holds his cheek in pain from the effects of Qrow's punch.
Ruby: What happened?
Oscar: He's... gone.
Y/N: 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? (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?
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! (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-
Maria: (slamming her cane) No buts! I understand that you're upset. Honestly, I'm still coming to terms with the fact that this is humanity's second time around. But, if we don't move, we die. And I'll be damned if I've lived this long just to die out here in the cold!
Y/N: She's right. Come on.
Everyone grabs their belongings and whatever Dust they can carry with them. Maria sits on Bumblebee as Yang walks her bike. Ruby walks over to Oscar and hands over the handle of his cane.
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.
Ruby and Oscar look down sadly before walking to join the others.
Salem
In the Land of Darkness, five Nevermores are perched on a rocky outcropping with large purple crystals. They fly away when an airship flies by them heading towards a large purple structure in the distance. The airship lowers down to an outcropping that serves as a dock, and Hazel Rainart, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai hop out. As they proceed forward, they notice Tyrian Callows leaning against the entrance at the bottom of the stairs. His scorpion tail now has a spiked, metal tip covering it from where it was cut off.
Tyrian: (laughs) Welcome back, welcome back! I do hope you missed us as much as we missed you.
Emerald and Mercury glare at Tyrian.
Hazel: Let's go.
The three proceed forward past Tyrian.
Tyrian: Speaking of which, where is our Fall Maiden?
Emerald stops upon hearing this, prompting Tyrian to giggle, causing Emerald to growl.
Mercury: Emerald, come on.
Tyrian: (in a mocking tone) Don't tell me something happened to her? (laughs)
Emerald: (turns around and draws her weapons at Tyrian) I will cut off more than just your tail.
Tyrian: (chuckles as he slowly walks toward Emerald) Careful, little girl. Cinder isn't here to protect you anymore.
Tyrian gets close to Emerald's face, causing her to back away. Tyrian intentionally cuts his cheek with the blade of Emerald's weapon. Emerald has a disturbed expression on her face upon seeing this, and Mercury steps up to hold Emerald's shoulder and scare Tyrian away from her.
Mercury: (glaring) Back off, freak.
Tyrian: Oh, don't misunderstand, I am in mourning just as you. Because it appears you've failed our Queen, and that is a tragedy.
A moment later, Tyrian drops his sympathetic facade and starts to laugh maniacally. Mercury looks back at him in disgust while Emerald has a fearful expression on her face. The two of them and Hazel turn around to proceed up the stairs as Tyrian continues laughing.
In the meeting room, Salem opens her eyes and glares at her subordinates. Tyrian and Arthur Watts are seen fearfully sitting at the table while Hazel, Emerald and Mercury are kneeling at the other end of the room.
Salem: I would like you to explain to me... how it is you failed so spectacularly?
Hazel: The Mutant is noth-
Salem: Stop.
Hazel remains silent with a fearful expression on his face.
Salem: Let me rephrase the question - who is responsible for your defeat?
Emerald and Mercury stay kneeling as Hazel stands up to give his answer. Salem listens intently.
Hazel: I take full responsibility.
Suddenly, Salem flips the table over, knocking Tyrian off his chair. Watts hastily stands up from his seat and backs away.
Salem: (angered) But that wouldn't be fair now, would it?! We all know who's truly to blame...
Salem walks forward and menacingly holds her hand out in front of her.
Hazel: I don't-
Salem motions her hand, and a glyph with her symbol appears underneath Hazel. Multiple Grimm arms come out from it and grab Hazel, forcing him down on all fours and suffocating him.
Salem: Emerald...
Salem looks over to Emerald, who is still staring down with a fearful expression.
Salem: I want you to tell me whose fault this was.
Salem slowly walks over to Emerald as she breathes heavily.
Salem: Now.
Emerald: (closing her eyes in fear) Cinder! We failed because of Cinder...
Salem: That's right. (placing a hand on Emerald's shoulder) I want you to understand that failure. I want you to understand why Cinder must be left to toil in her isolation until she redeems herself.
Salem walks away from Emerald. Both her and Mercury look up in surprise.
Mercury: You mean-
Emerald: She's alive?
Watts: You're joking, how could you know that?
Tyrian: Are you questioning our divine savior?!
Watts: (reels back) I...
Salem looks over to Watts and glares at him.
Watts: (chuckles nervously) Of course not, forgive me.
Salem proceeds to address her subordinates.
Salem: It's important not to lose sight of what drives us: Love, justice, reverence... but the moment you put your desires before my own... they will be lost to you.
Salem releases Hazel from her grasp and walks back to the other side of the room. Hazel catches his breath.
Salem: This isn't a threat, this is simply the truth. The path to your desires is only found... through me. (turns her head to glare back at them)
Hazel stands back up, Tyrian lets out a small chuckles, and Watts straigtens his coat. Salem looks outside the window and watches the Nevermores fly before looking down.
Salem: And so we must press on. (turns around to face her subjects) The Sword under Vacuo's academy, Shade-
Hazel: Ma'am. (everyone looks at him) I have... more to report.
Salem glares at Hazel for interrupting her, and has the Grimm arms ready under him. Hazel looks down at them in fear before explaining himself.
Hazel: The Wolverine, Qrow and the children are taking the Lamp to Atlas.
Tyrian: (laughs) Not if I can help it.
Hazel: And they're being led... by Ozpin.
At this, everyone slowly looks toward Salem with fearful expressions on their faces and Mercury notices the windows starting to crack.
Tyrian: So soon?
Watts: He's the only man with a chance of getting through to Ironwood. If that happens...
Watts suddenly stops as he and everyone else notice the windows cracking. They then look at Salem, and dark smoke emanates from her.
Salem: (furious) Leave...
Tyrian: Your Grace, I can...
Salem glares at Tyrian, causing him to reel back. Emerald looks on in fear before Hazel puts a hand on her shoulder.
Hazel: Come on.
Everyone quickly proceeds to exit the room as the windows start to crack even more. Emerald takes one last look behind her as the doors close. Salem, left alone, seethes with anger before calming herself down. Everything is seemingly quiet, but then all of a sudden, Salem yells out in rage and the windows shatter violently.
Y/N
Back in the snow, Team RWBY, Qrow, Oscar and Maria proceed on the trail. The snow starts to pick up even 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?
Y/N: Everyone, quiet. Do you hear that?
Everyone stops in their tracks. A metallic squeaking can be heard. 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.
Y/N opens the door and uses his feral senses to detect any life signs. He opens his eyes.
Y/N: Nobody's here.
Weiss: (sarcastically) Oh really? I thought someone would help us fight through the snow.. Yeah, you're no help.
Y/N has his hand on the door handle, he angrily grips it, the metal bends forming the shape of his grip. He turns to Weiss.
Y/N: Do you think I want to be here? Huh?! I'm stuck here with you assholes, getting shot at. I'd rather die than having to save you all one more time.
Yang shoots him in the stomach and he is sent flying to the wall. Y/N grunts as he collapses to the ground.
Ruby, Blake and Qrow: Yang!
Yang: (angrily) What? It's not like he can die. He deserves it.
Qrow: You're out of line!
Weiss: Oh, so him murdering people isn't? Just because he raised you doesn't mean you can't hold him accountable for what he has done.
Blake: (steps away) You're not the Yang I know.
Yang: Yeah, I guess everything changed when I lost my arm saving you.
Team RWB and Oscar gasps.
Weiss: Alright, calm down Yang you're get-
Yang: Didn't I say to not tell me to calm down?!
Y/N leans on the wall to stand up. Yang reloads her gauntlet and aims at him.
Yang: Back for more?
Y/N coughs into his hand. His hand is covered in blood and he hears a faint dripping noise. Y/N looks down. His wound hasn't healed yet.
Qrow: Y/N?
Y/N collapses to the ground as Qrow and Oscar quickly rushes to him.
Qrow: (gets him up and leans him onto the wall) Hey pal, you're alright, you're alright. (notices the dead look in his eyes) C'mon, Y/N. I can't lose you.
Team RWBY stays still as Qrow helps him. The snow outside gets even wilder, making the room more colder.
Qrow: (panicking) Somebody shut the damn door!
Blake snaps out of her trance and shuts the door before going to Qrow and Y/N.
Yang: (shocked) Did.. I do that?
Blake: Nobody here shot him, Yang. Nobody! Nobody other than you.
Y/N: I'm.. h-healing b-but it ca-can't fully.. c-close. It keeps c-coming.
Qrow: What Y/N? What keeps coming?
Y/N: The pain.. T-The fucking pain.
Yang regrets her actions and goes over to them.
Qrow: (on the brink of tears) Ruby, find a bedroom. Now!
Ruby nods and searches the house, Weiss joins her. Maria stays silent.
Ruby: I found one, Uncle Qrow!
Qrow: (panicking) Alright, uh.. any blankets?
Ruby comes back with a blanket, Weiss comes back with a pillow and a cloth.
Blake touches Y/N's forehead to feel his temperature.
Blake: He's burning up.
Qrow: That's a good sign, means his mutation is fighting.. whatever's happening to him.
The three picks him up and puts him onto a couch. Maria starts the fireplace and sits down next to it.
Yang looks at Y/N as he deals with the pain. Yang tries to touch his hand but Y/N moves it away. She looks down with guilt and sadness.
Qrow: You just had to shoot him didn't you?
Yang: I-I didn't know!
Qrow scoffs and goes to the fireplace to relax. Weiss goes to find any water to help with his temperature. Ruby sits down next to Qrow.
Blake: Yang-
Yang: Just.. Leave me alone for a moment, Blake.
Blake nods and goes away. Y/N has his eyes closed and grits his teeth as he suffers tremendous pain. Yang attempts to grab his hand, this time; she catches it and holds it dearly.
Yang looks up at Y/N's face, she sees the pain that she made Y/N go through.
Cinder Fall
Cinder: Do you have my information?
Cinder meets with Lil' Miss Malachite at her tavern.
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 a familiar pink umbrella is shown to be lowered before its owner places it behind her head. A certain multi-colored girl of pink, brown and white 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 proceeds forward and continues to land blows that push Cinder back to Lil' Miss' table. Lil' Miss stops the ashtray from falling off the shaking table and holds her hand, as if to tell her two bodyguards not to intervene. Cinder pushes off of Lil' Miss' table and begins to fight back, using hand-to-hand to counter Neo's strikes.
She then kicks Neo up and the two fight on the bar counter. Neo knocks some bowls into Cinder before the latter throws the umbrella wielder off the counter. Neo lands gracefully back on the ground. The two continue trading blows until Cinder is launched towards the ceiling, she pushes off of it and Neo barely dodges the flaming fist that shatters the table below her. Cinder jumps up to the balcony railing and looks down on 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 Torchwick. 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".
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 that girl dead. (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 her 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...
Ruby Rose
A snow storm appears at Brunswick Farms, making visibility nigh 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.
Weiss: Maybe everyone left in a hurry. Before things took a turn?
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?
Ruby: Something doesn't feel right.
Blake: Let's look for some-
Suddenly, a high-pitched scream is heard.
Ruby: Weiss!
Ruby and Blake head up the stairs and run into the room Weiss were in. Qrow also arrives. They look on the bed to see a pair of decomposing corpses...
A fire is burning in the fireplace. Weiss watches it, still shaken from what she saw earlier. Blake wraps a blanket around Weiss 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)
Ruby: Okay, then, let's do something. If this place wasn't abanodoned 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.
Blake disobey Yang's request and she looks at Y/N before replying.
Yang: (annoyed) Fine, whatever gets me out of this house.
Yang Xiao Long
As Yang and Blake leave, Yang takes a last glance at Y/N before walking outside.
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... (stares at Y/N)
Ruby: He's gonna get better, Weiss.
Weiss: I-... Let's just go get some food.
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 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 two 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?
Yang: Yeah, maybe.
Yang stops and puts a hand on her forehead.
Blake: Hey, are you okay?
Yang: Yeah... I mean, no. But, I don't know. I'm just tired.
Blake: Look, what you did to Y/N-
Yang: I-I didn't know. I thought h-he would heal as always and shrug it off just like he does all the time. I lied.
Blake: Lied?
Yang: He doesn't deserve it. He doesn't deserve what happened.
Yang continues walking forward as Blake looks at her from behind.
Yang: (with a hint of sadness still in her voice) Hey.. I found something.
Yang sees a flatbed trailer next to a window. Through the window, Yang sees a figure of Adam Taurus unsheathing his sword. Yang gasps and reels back. Blake runs up to her.
Blake: What is it?
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.
Blake sees Yang's flesh hand shaking uncontrollably before she composes herself.
Yang: Do.. Do you 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.
The both of them look at Yang's prosthetic hand.
Blake: (grasping Yang's hand) Hey, I'm not leaving. And if we ever see him again, I promise I'll be there.
The two share a smile.
Blake: And I'll protect you.
At this, 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.
Ruby Rose
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. With Ozpin and..
Weiss: Oh.
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 then looks up to her left and lets out a yelp before zooming over.
Weiss: What? What is it?
Ruby: Food!
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...
In the hallway, Weiss ponders about Y/N. She can't stop thinking about his condition.
Weiss: Hey, Ruby?
Ruby: Yeah?
Weiss stares at the cans before asking her.
Weiss: Do.. Do you really think he's going to be okay?
Ruby frowns before answering.
Ruby: Y/N's a tough guy, Weiss. I'm sure he'll make it.
Weiss: I know.. But.. I don't want him to.. (looks up at Ruby) let's keep going.
Weiss continues to walk, she passes by Ruby who is confused by the sudden conversation about Y/N.
As Ruby comes in the room, Yang and Blake are already back, Qrow is drinking by Y/N's side. Weiss is setting down the canned food.
Oscar: What's this?
Ruby: Some canned food me and Weiss found. They're pretty cold.
Weiss takes her myrtenaster and makes a little flame that heats each and every one of the canned food.
Weiss: Now it's not.
Blake comes over and opens the heated cans with a can opener. She takes one and sits by the fireplace to warm up.
Weiss takes a spoon she prepared and eats a spoonful.
Weiss: This isn't bad. (takes another bite)
Yang sits down next to Y/N, causing Qrow to leave and go upstairs. Ruby sees this and grabs a can and a spoon.
Ruby: (walks over to Yang) Here. (hands her the can and the spoon) you should eat up, sis.
Yang hesitantly takes the food and tries it. She eats the food and finishes it.
Blake is with Weiss on the couch.
Blake: She's not leaving his side, isn't she?
Weiss doesn't answer, she looks on and sees his suffering.
Weiss: I can't take it anymore.
Blake: What?
Weiss stands up.
Weiss: Pyrrha told me that I needed to know what Y/N went through to get why Y/N killed people.
Ruby: Are you-?
Yang: Now that we have the relic, we can do that.
Oscar: Guys, I don't think we should be wasting our questions.
Weiss: Ozpin has no control over us this time, Oscar.
Ruby: I'll go ask Uncle Qrow.
Before Ruby could go and ask him, Qrow comes down and sits down on a chair.
Qrow: Do what you want, but this is the last time.
Oscar hesitantly gives the Relic to Weiss. Weiss smiles before summoning the Jinn.
Weiss: Jinn?
The blue colored female appears with a trail of blue smoke, She stretches her arms before speaking with her beautiful voice.
Jinn: What answers do you seek?
Weiss: We need to know the history of Y/N.
Jinn: This is a fun one.
A blue smoke rushes towards those who are interested in the story. That excludes Qrow and Y/N himself, since he's too busy suffering.
Weiss looks around, this time everything wasn't white, it was black. The black signifies that the story is a dark one. Yang doesn't look around, she pays close attention to the story that is about to be told.
Jinn: It all starts with a boy, who had a rich family.
The blue fog reveals a Manor in the middle of a forest, the Manor had dim lights on from inside the building.
Jinn: The rich family lived in Canada, an island located in the World Islands. The boy had a great time with his family, until one day.
The blue fog transitions into a scene where the boy's father is talking with another man.
Jinn: The Boy's father sold him for a circus being held in Vacuo. The boy is indeed, Y/N.
Blake gasps as she sees Young Y/N being dragged from outside his home.
Y/N: Father! Please! Someone! Help me!
His voice echoes as the fog transitions to Y/N being tortured and treated poorly.
Jinn: Much like Faunus, Mutants were being kept in cages and circuses. But Mutants were much worse. As a result of humans constantly slaughtering Mutants, humans would need to forcefully transform another human to be a Mutant, so that they can put them in circuses.
Yang watches Y/N as he is kicked down into a pit that has pipes on the walls, a man on the top closes the pit and pulls a lever. Water comes rushing in and Y/N is forced to take breaths.
The man watches from the glass top as Y/N is being trashed around by the water. The man releases Grimm leeches into the water. Ruby closes her eyes and ears.
The blue fog transitions to where Y/N is chained down.
Jinn: Eventually, the torture gave the humans what they wanted. A full born Mutant.
As Y/N is chained down, he is shown upon a group of people who is in an auction. Blake watches in horror as she sees the winner of the auction.
Jinn: Y/N was treated as an animal, no one saw the human in him.
The blue fog transitions to a circus where Y/N is forced to push a huge boulder. Suddenly, Y/N's claws popped out and he slices his chains.
He is then shot by the guards of the circus. Y/N falls down and screams in pain before realizing the pain stopped.
Jinn: Though the guards had shot him, Y/N was still alive. The Y/N in the beginning, is already gone.. and what was born of him.. Was an animal.
Y/N stands up and lunges at the guards, before Y/N could kill them, the blue fog transitions.
Jinn: After the incident, no one wanted to go to Mutant circuses, the circuses star
A teenage Y/N is seen brawling in a ring with a man twice his size.
Jinn: With no other options, Y/N had to survive and adapt in the streets. He slept in alleyways, ate rotten food and became a beggar.
Y/N is kicked out from a bar, Ruby looks on. Y/N dusts himself off. A girl approaches him and talks to him.
Girl: Hello, Do you need help?
Y/N: (walks away) I'm fine.
Girl: I can give you shelter?
Y/N turns around before a blue fog covers the surroundings. The blue fog dissipates to reveal a new manor. Y/N and the girl from earlier walk on the steps of the stairs. The two stop at the front door and the girl knocks on the door.
Jinn: It was finally time
Girl: Hello? I'm home! It's me! Rose.
Y/N: Your name is Rose?
Girl: Rose O'Hara, nice to meet you.
Y/N: That's a dumb name.
Rose: Blame my parents. (makes a silly face, getting a smile out of Y/N)
Jinn: For the next 3 years, Y/N was finally accepted by the ones he loved, he felt human again. Until Rose fell in love with her grounds-keeper's son. Victor Creed.
Y/N sees Rose and Victor playing in the field, as the two kept playing, Y/N crushes a rose in his hands. He walks away.
Jinn: It was obvious that the two were in love. But Victor had a cruel father, who would drink and beat his own son. The abuse inflicted upon Victor warped his mind, and he would make unwanted advances towards Rose.
Y/N sees Victor pushing Rose onto a tree and pinning her, he rushes at him and punches him. Rose goes to Y/N's side and hides behind him.
Victor: You! You! I'll kill you.
Victor rises and swings blindly at Y/N, it was clear that Victor was under the influence of alcohol. Y/N dodges another swing and trips him.
Y/N: Leave this place.
Victor doesn't answer, he stands up and swings, hitting Rose. This angered Y/N to a point of madness. Y/N roars before tackling Victor. Rose goes to her father.
Y/N brawls with Victor, Y/N has the upper hand. But Victor grabs a pitchfork and shoves it into Y/N's stomach. Y/N screams in pain as Victor laughs. Rose and her father arrives and her father tells Victor to leave, to which he obliged.
Rose's father helps Y/N but sees the wound has healed.
John O'Hara: You're a..
Y/N: Mutant.. Yeah.
Jinn: But later that night, Thomas the Grounds-keeper, in a drunken stupor and armed with a shotgun, invaded the O'Hara Estate with his son and attempted to take his former lover Elizabeth with him. John, Sr. attempted to stop him and Thomas shot him in the head, in cold blood.
Y/N had just entered the room when this occurred and his bone claws extended from the backs of his hands.
He attacks the intruders with uncharacteristic ferocity, killing Thomas and scarring Victor's face with three claw marks.
Jinn: Already an emotionally disturbed woman since the death of her first son, Elizabeth, completely unhinged, drove Y/N away and took her life immediately afterward with a blast from Thomas' gun.
Oscar gaps as he sees Rose's mother shoot herself. Oscar turns around to see the blue smoke transition.
Jinn: Y/N with Rose's help decides to flee the mansion after Victor tells the police that Rose was the one who killed John and Elizabeth Howlett, the duo decided to ask for the help of Rose's grandfather who gave them some money and told them to run away.
The Blue smoke transitions into where the duo found themselves in the Yukon Territories in Canada, taking refuge in a British Columbia stone quarry, under the guise of being cousins.
Jinn: Here, Y/N would become one of the most respected men by the miners for his hard work and eventually gained the nickname "Wolverine."
Jinn: As time passed, Y/N's powers grew; he became stronger, his healing factor slowly removed the traumatic memories of his childhood, he accepted his feral nature and he started to hunt with a pack of Beowolves.
Ruby watches in awe as Y/N runs with the Beowolves in the snowy area. Y/N rolls on the snow and playfully fights the Beowolves.
Jinn: During this period, Y/N developed strong feelings for Rose, but could not act on them for the sake of their guise as cousins. Smitty, who had been mentoring Y/N all these years, had also grown close to Rose and the two eventually fell in love and became engaged, much to the scorn and surprise of Y/N, who later accepted the situation for the sake of Rose's happiness.
Yang frowns as she sees Y/N watching Rose kiss Smitty from afar. Y/N leans on a tree and cries as he accepts the unbearable truth.
Jinn: But as Y/N accepted Rose's decision and made sure that both her and Smitty could leave the mine and live a peaceful life, someone from Y/N's past came back looking for revenge: Victor.
Y/N walked towards him to tell Victor to leave but was stopped by Victor punching him.
Jinn: Victor attacked Y/N and started to beat him up in front of Rose but in the midst of the fight, Y/N finally remembered who Victor was and what happened on the night Rose's father was killed.
Y/N gains a look of shock as he breaks from Victor's grasp, he punches away Victor's fists, and reveals his claws. He then defeated Victor and was about to kill him with his claws.
Jinn: Rose tries to stop but she fell and was impaled on his claws which killed her.
Y/N: (on the brink of tears) No, No. Rose.. Please.. Don't leave me... I love you.. Please..
Weiss watches the heartbreaking moment unveil in front of her. She sees Victor leave, leaving Y/N to mourn the death of his love.
Jinn: In the years that followed Rose's death, Y/N traveled all around Remnant, he became a soldier.
The blue smoke reveals Y/N taking on hundreds of men all at once with his claws. Y/N throws a guy and stabs another human in the chest before getting shot by a dust cannonball.
Jinn: A mercenary.
The blue smoke reveals Y/N siding with the Faunus on fighting against General Lagune and his army, the Faunus had hired him to be on their side.
Jinn: And most importantly, A warrior.
Y/N walks out after a nuclear bomb was shot at him, he steps out and roars.
His roar echoes as the blue smoke transitions again.
Jinn: One day, Y/N was supposed to clear out a facility from Grimm infestation. But, as he walks closer, the coordinates Y/N was supposed to go to, had no facilities in sight. It was just a forest.
Y/N looks behind him and sees Victor rush out from the trees to capture him, Y/N dodges and Victor lands to the side. A sniper shoots Y/N in the neck, pumping him full of Thorazine that made him fall and have seizures. Victor gestures to his side and soldiers came out of the woods.
Yang watches as the soldiers beat him while he was unconscious. The soldiers continued to beat him until he falls unconscious.
Jinn: It was here where Y/N was kidnapped and then transported to a facility, he went through the procedure of how he got his metal skeleton.
Blake watches as Y/N is convulsing from the pain of his nerves being burnt off and healing before burning off again.
Abraham: Increase the dosage.
Jinn: The man known only as the Professor, Dr. Abraham Cornelius Watts the great grandfather of Arthur Watts, and Dr. Carol Hines then began to examine Y/N while he floated in a containment tank.
Jinn: Y/N's skeleton, including his claws, was bonded with the indestructible metal known as Adamantium, making it unbreakable, and burying his personality beneath the most intense brainwashing he had ever undergone.
Jinn: The scientists altered his memory, to where he granted permission to undergo this procedure.
Jinn: Y/N was then put under deep hypnosis, telling him that he was not a man or an individual, and being a man disgusted him. Reduced to a near-mindless state, Y/N was forced by Weapon X to slaughter every inhabitant of the small town of Roanoke as a test.
Jinn: But Y/N proved to be too difficult for the Weapon X Program to control and, after some time, he broke free of the programming, fell into a berserker fury, and escaped the facility, killing nearly everyone except for the Professor, Dr. Cornelius, Dr. Hines, and Malcolm Colcord, who later became the Director of a new Weapon X Program.
The Blue smoke transitions to Y/N slaughtering the staff of the Weapon X Program, Y/N cuts open the metal wall and escapes into the cold winter wilderness.
Jinn: As a result of having his bones and claws laced with the adamantium, Wolverine's natural mutation which was slowly turning him feral was put into remission as the adamantium precipitated a chemical change within his body.
The Blue smoke transitions to Y/N squirming in a cave as he looks in horror at his claws. He roars as he heals his body.
Jinn: As a result of this experiment impeding his natural evolution, Wolverine's healing factor was weakened and he healed slower than before.
Jinn: Eventually, Y/N recovered from madness and became the warrior the people used to know. But then, Atlas intervened.
Abraham: The Wolverine is a madman, he has killed the soldiers of Atlas and slaughtered my entire team! He should be held responsible for the deaths he caused.
The Blue smoke transitions to Y/N running away from civilization once more.
Jinn: Angered by this statement, Y/N went after Abraham, shutting down the Weapon X program by killing it's members. But doing this, only made Abraham's statements true.
Y/N is running inside a facility, he throws a soldier through the hallway. He stops when he sees the Branwen twins.
Jinn: In the midst of ferocious fury, Y/N found the Branwen Twins. He saved the twins from the facility and turned his life around.
The Blue smoke transitions to Y/N raising the Branwen twins and founding the Branwen Tribe.
Y/N: Do you have names?
Little Qrow: No.. Not yet.
Y/N: (crouching to their level) Well, why don't we give you them?
Little Raven: Yes! Then you won't have to call us Boy and Girl anymore!
Y/N: Exactly. (raises his hand) High five, Raven.
Little Raven: Who's Raven?
Y/N: (points to her) You're Raven.
Little Raven: Raven? That's a cool name!
Little Qrow: What about me?!
Y/N looks at him and thinks.
Y/N: What's a sign of bad luck?
Little Raven: Crows!
Y/N: Then you'll be Crow, but.. With a Q to make it even more interesting.
Little Qrow: You jerk! (tackles him)
Y/N playfully falls down.
Ruby smiles as she watches the wholesomeness of the scene in front of her.
Jinn: But, as years pass. The Twins started to slip through his fingers. They became uncontrollable and hard to deal with.
Raven: Whatever, dad.
Y/N: Come back here, Raven!
Qrow: Chillax, Y/N. Let's go get a drink.
Y/N: I don't like the fact that you drink, but this time, it's an exception.
Qrow: That's what I'm talking about.
Jinn: Then, it happened. Y/N had fallen in love with a woman named Sarah Kinney the birth-mother of Laura Kinney. She lived on the other side of the world, but Y/N would go through seas of fire and mountains of obstacles just to go see her.
Jinn: But he was betrayed, Sarah was killed by the Weapon X soldiers and the child she was carrying was taken.
The blue smoke transitions to Y/N standing in the doorway, he looks at her dead lover. He roars as lightning strikes behind him.
Jinn: He was then taken by the soldiers and the Weapon X Program tortured him, and beat him. They erased his memories and gave him an artificial semblance. He is the only mutant who has a semblance.
Jinn: But, Y/N breaks out of containment and became a new version of Wolverine. He is now the man that you know of.
The scene cuts to Y/N still writhing in pain. Qrow looks at the group as they come back from memory lane.
Qrow: Had a fun trip?
Ruby stares with shock as she collapses onto the couch. Weiss drops down to the ground. Blake can barely stand and Yang walks toward Y/N. Oscar has already fainted.
Maria: My my, he must have quite a story.
Qrow: (drinks his flask) Heh, It's not for the faint of heart.
Yang puts her head onto Y/N's hand. She doesn't look at Y/N, ashamed of what she has done.
Qrow: (walks away to drink his pain away) Get some sleep.
Blake: After all that? I think I'm gonna have nightmares.
Qrow chuckles before closing his door as the scene cuts to black.
By next morning, the fire is out. Sunlight seeps through the curtained window while Team RWBY and Oscar sleep on the floor. Maria rests on the armchair, still holding the book she was reading. Qrow sleeps on the chair by the window, still barely grasping the wine bottle in his hand. Y/N hasn't slept a wink, and is still in constant pain.
A couple other wine bottles are also on the floor. The bottle slips from his hand and clatters on the floor, causing Ruby to wake with a start. She looks around before rubbing her eyes and getting on her feet. She walks over to the window and opens the curtains.
Weiss: (muttering in her sleep) Close the window!
Ruby walks over to Y/N and checks his temperature.
Ruby: He's still burning up. After all of the painkillers, he still hasn't stopped grunting. Where do we take you..?
Ruby walks over to the entrance hall and picks up the empty bottle Qrow dropped before walking over to her uncle.
Ruby: Uncle Qrow. Come on, get up. (shakes Qrow's shoulder)
Qrow: (groans) Leave me alone...
Ruby: We overslept.
Qrow, still groggy, just lightly shoves Ruby away. Ruby looks at the empty wine bottle, and after a moment, her hand starts shaking. She angrily throws it against the wall, shattering it.
Qrow: (waking up startled) What?
Qrow looks around, seeing Ruby stand before him and then to the shattered bottle.
Qrow: Oh, right. Sunrise.
Ruby's angry expression softens, and she hugs her uncle.
Ruby: You know, you can talk to me about stuff. Yang too.
Qrow: (hugging Ruby back) Let's just get him and us outta here.
Qrow gets up from the chair, with Ruby following him.
Later on, the group moves outside. Weiss is seen using Myrtenaster to weld a metal ball to a makeshift trailer hitch attached to Bumblebee. Weiss, Blake, Yang, Qrow and Oscar's pupils appear to be dilated, while Ruby's are their usual size.
Weiss: There.
Oscar and Blake can be seen sitting on the porch steps.
Oscar: Can we just go back to bed?
Blake: If we're all so tired, maybe we should make breakfast?
Oscar: You wanna make it?
Blake: Not really.
Ruby and Qrow push the flatbed trailer behind Bumblebee. Once it's in position, Ruby walks up to Yang.
Ruby: You guys got the bike ready?
Yang just gestures to it.
Qrow: Well, it's done now. So let's hook this thing up and-
Qrow rests his foot on the side of the trailer, and the tire on the opposite side goes flat. He groans in frustration before checking on the tire.
Maria: You people are just beacons for bad luck, aren't you?
Frustrated, Qrow just walks over to a nearby fence post and sits on the ground. Yang also sits on the ground by the well.
Yang: I'm starting to think the universe just doesn't want us getting to Atlas.
Ruby: (sighs) It's just a flat tire, I'm sure there's a spare.
Yang: It's not just that, it's everything. Storms, crashes, monsters... Y/N.. (sighs) I'm so tired...
Blake: Me too. It feels like we're always having to fight to get by.
Ruby: Yeah. But that's what we signed up for.
Oscar: We signed up to try and save the world, not just... delay the inevitable.
Weiss: Last night, I... (putting a hand on her arm) I couldn't stop thinking - why are we even going to Atlas?
Everyone shares troubled looks.
Ruby: Weiss, we have to.
Yang: Why? (standing back up) Ozpin hid the Relics behind giant doors under enormous schools, but... how long would it take Salem to find a lamp in the middle of nowhere?
Ruby: What? The Grimm might--
Yang: They'd find it eventually, sure, but bury it or just throw it down the well, it would take years. It might not even happen in our lifetime. But we could be done with it now.
Ruby detaches the Relic of Knowledge from her belt, glancing at it before looking up at her teammates, who appear to all have dazed looks as if they were in a trance. Ruby stares at the Relic one more time before walking over to the well.
Ruby: I am... really... (pupils become dilated) tired...
Ruby starts to have the same dazed look on her face as she holds Relic out above the pitch-black darkness of the well. However, instead of dropping it immediately, Ruby hesitates for a bit before composing herself.
She starts to pull the Relic back, but then notices a pair of glowing red eyes at the bottom of the well, startling her and snapping her out of her trance-like state and returning her pupils to their normal size. In her fright, she accidently drops the Relic into the well. Ruby helplessly watches it fall into the darkness below.
Ruby: No! No! No! I didn't mean to!
Her teammates continue to stare at her with dazed looks.
Weiss: Ruby, it's okay.
Ruby: No! No, there's something down there! I saw it, it was looking at me!
Ruby looks back inside the well, only to notice the glowing pair of red eyes are gone.
Yang: (putting a hand on her sister's shoulder) Hey, it's okay. You just said you're tired. It's probably nothing. Now let's go.
Ruby: (swatting Yang's hand off) What's wrong with you?! We can't just leave, we have to go down there! We have to get the lamp back! Oh, what was I thinking?! (facepalming)
Qrow: All we have to do is fix this trailer. Hey, farm boy, check the shed for a spare.
Ruby: I'm not leaving without the lamp!!
Her teammates continue to dazedly stare at her.
Blake: (sighs) I'll go down with you...
Weiss: We'll go down together.
Qrow: Fine! (getting up) Get the stupid lamp. Oscar, fix the stupid tire.
Qrow heads to the house, passing by Maria on the porch next to the writhing and shivering Y/N.
Maria: Where are you going?
Qrow: Where do you think? (shakes his flask and walks back into the house)
Maria just looks down.
Maria: Stupid...
Maria takes a seat on the porch steps and continues to read another volume of Bartleby's diaries.
Team RWBY hop down into the well together, into a vast underground waterway system. Ruby and Yang take out their Scrolls and turn on their flashlights.
Yang: Maybe the current carried it away.
Team RWBY proceed forward cautiously. Weiss notices more tunnel openings along the path.
Back above ground, Oscar works on fixing the tire while Maria continues to read. She turns a page, and the words "I did it! I found my solution" are visible.
Back underground, Team RWBY continue sloshing through the waterway.
Ruby: Oh, come on, where is it?
Blake: Turn off your lights and just look for the glow?
Ruby: (nervously) Okay...
Ruby and Yang turn off their flashlights, and Ruby pulls out Crescent Rose and proceeds forward with caution.
Back above, Maria continues to read, with the words "The huntsman pointed them out to me the other day." visible on the page. Maria narrows her eyes, reading more intently.
Underground, Team RWBY continue their search.
Blake: There. (points at something ahead)
Ruby looks to the direction Blake is pointing toward and notices the blue glow of the Relic of Knowledge coming from a tunnel along the path. Ruby runs forward by herself.
Above ground, Maria turns a page, revealing an illustration of a humanoid-looking Grimm with its name on the adjacent page: "The Apathy". Maria gasps and Y/N opens his eyes.
Underground, Ruby arrives at the tunnel, and finds the Relic of Knowledge on the ground. She runs over and picks it up.
Ruby: Guys, I-
Ruby then looks up behind the Relic, adopting a horrified expression on her face. Multiple humanoid-looking Grimm of different sizes are bunched together. They turn their heads toward Ruby, reaching their arms out to her. Ruby lets out a terrified scream, and her teammates snap out of their trance-like states, their pupils returning to normal.
Yang: (gasps) Ruby?!
Ruby backs away and runs out of the tunnel. Yang, Weiss and Blake see her run out and approach her.
Yang: What is it?
The rest of the team notice the skeletal Grimm slowly trudging out of the tunnel. Ruby takes out Crescent Rose and fires multiple rounds at them. One of the Grimm lets out an ear-piercing scream, causing Team RWBY to struggle to stand.
Yang: What is this...?
Blake: My weapon... feels heavy...
Maria: Run!
From behind, Team RWBY notice Maria appear.
Maria: Now!
Maria turns around and runs. Team RWBY watch the Grimm start to move toward them.
Ruby: Go, go!
Team RWBY turn around and run, catching up with Maria. They see daylight coming from the well, but more of the Grimm appear and block their path. Another ear-piercing scream is heard, affecting the five women. Ruby notices another tunnel entrance next to her.
Ruby: This way!
Team RWBY and Maria run into the tunnel. They continue to run through the complex underground passages while avoiding more of the Grimm's kind along the way. They then make their way to an underground room. However, Team RWBY and Maria notice a much larger group of the Grimm at one end of the room. They make a run toward the other way, but one of the Grimm lets out another scream, causing Team RWBY and Maria to collapse on all fours.
Yang: I can't... do this... I can't...
Maria gets back up, using her cane to support herself before collapsing again. On her fall, she feels a set of stairs in front of her.
Maria: An exit. An exit!
Ruby looks up and notices the stairs leading up to the cellar door. Ruby crawls forward to Weiss.
Ruby: Come on!
Ruby then hears a weapon drop behind her and notices Blake collapse to the ground, while the Grimm continue to inch toward her.
Ruby: Blake... get... up!
Blake: (pupils dilated) It's fine...
Blake starts get her dazed look from before. More Grimm emerge from the entrance Team RWBY and Maria came from. Ruby looks on in horror and in her desperation, crawls and attempts to reach out towards Blake, who continues to lie down motionless. The Grimm reach their hands down to the cat Faunus...
???: Hey!
The Grimm all turn to the voice, making way for Ruby and her team to also look.
Y/N: YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE!!
Y/N rushes forward slashing each and every Apathy in his way. He gets stabs by an Apathy and grunts before getting stabbed by more Apathy. Y/N, still sick, tries to pry off their hands.
Ruby sees Y/N getting thrown to the ground by the Apathy. Y/N lands a few feet from the Grimm.
She sees the Grimm slowly reach it's arms out.
Ruby: Y/N!!
Upon yelling out Y/N's name, Ruby's eyes start to glow brightly, causing the Grimm to back away in pain. Blake gasps and snaps out of her trance, her eyes back to normal. Ruby helps her up while Weiss, Yang and Maria also get back up.
Ruby: I've got her!
Maria: What just happened?
Weiss runs up the stairs and tries to get the doors open, but they do not budge.
Weiss: They're locked!
Y/N: (rushes towards them) Out of the way!
Y/N runs up the stairs. The Grimm recover from their incapacitation, and another scream is let out. Team RWBY and Maria collapse once again.
Yang: No... No...!
As the Grimm inch closer, Maria crawls toward Ruby, only able to see the world in shades of cyan.
Maria: Ruby... what color are your eyes?
Ruby: They're... silver...
Maria lets out a gasp of excitement.
Maria: You have a family? Friends?
Ruby: What?
Ruby looks up to see the Grimm getting closer, but Maria lays her head down and covers her ears. From Ruby's perspective, Maria's next words sound slightly muffled.
Maria: Don't think about them. Think about the people who love you. Focus on the thought of them, the way they make you feel. Focus!
Taking Maria's advice, Ruby closes her eyes and concentrates. While Maria speaks, Weiss tries to budge the doors open, and Yang reaches out in desperation before falling under a trance, her eyes even more blank than before.
Maria: Life... is beautiful. It is precious. And it must... be protected.
After focusing, Ruby opens her eyes, the silver gleaming. She sits up and her eyes glow brightly once more, driving the Grimm back and disintegrating them all. Maria and Ruby stare in awe while Weiss, Blake and Yang recover.
Y/N crawls up the stairs and punches the doors open with his arm. Team RWBY, Y/N and Maria run out and find themselves in the basement that Ruby and Weiss discovered the day before.
Blake: We're back in the house?
Team RWBY then look at the bar and see Qrow leaning on the counter, passed out.
Ruby: (runs over and shakes her uncle) Uncle Qrow, get up!
Qrow: (slurring his words) Hey! Get off me! What are you doing here?
Y/N: We're leaving kid, Come on!
Qrow: Y/N? You're- (gets dragged by Y/N)
Maria runs out of the room, with Blake and Yang following her. Weiss looks back towards the basement entrance.
Weiss: Not yet...
Outside, Oscar has replaced the tire for the trailer and is filling it up with air. The noise from the air machine muffles the sound of people crying out his name.
Yang: Oscar! Oscar!
Maria: Oscar!
Oscar looks behind him to see Yang, Blake and Maria run out of the house.
Yang: Oscar! We have to go, now!
Oscar looks at them bewildered.
Back inside, Weiss grabs a few of the alcoholic bottles from the shelves and throws them towards the basement, shattering them.
Y/N lets go of Qrow to help the others.
Qrow: (still slurring his words) Hey... Hey! What are you doing?!
As more of the Grimm slowly start to come out from the basement, Weiss uses Myrtenaster and a glyph to send fire toward the cellar doors. Using the spilled alcohol, she sets the Grimm on fire.
Weiss: Now we can leave!
Weiss helps Ruby grab Qrow's arms as they drag him out of the room.
Qrow: Stop it! Stop! What's wrong with you?! What's...
As Qrow looks up, he sees the Grimm on fire still walking towards them. Qrow looks on in shock as he is dragged out of the house by his niece and her friend.
Outside, everyone sits in the flatbed trailer while Yang starts up her motorcycle. She wastes no time driving away from the now burning house.
Yang continues driving Bumblebee down the snowy road with everyone sitting in the trailer being pulled behind her.
Maria: The Apathy. They're not strong or ferocious. They drain your will to go on. Bartleby's estate was hemorrhaging money towards the end. He wanted to cut costs on Huntsman protection, but in order to do that, he needed everyone calm... always.
Oscar: (reading from the book) "Managed to get two away from their pack. Hike back was miserable, but got the bastards in the cellar. Wife thinks I was out sealing the waterway entrance. I'll do it tomorrow and tell her the truth once these things take the edge off of everyone. I'm tired."
Maria: The next page proves that he did, but not before the rest of the pack followed their missing pair all the way home. My guess is they made their way beneath the estate through the water tunnels that Bartleby sealed up the next morning. Bartleby's plan worked. (takes the book from Oscar) No one was angry or sad or scared. No one was anything. And then... no one was left.
Maria takes one more look at the final page of the diary, the last words written down being "I'm tired". She then closes the book and tosses it out into the snow, the cover having "VIII" on it, while the group continues to drive down the road.
Weiss: I'm... sorry for what I said... about giving up.
Upon hearing this, Yang stops driving.
Yang: Me too. We can't quit until the lamp is safe.
Blake: It's not your fault. It was those... things.
Maria: I should have known. The signs were all there, but I'd never seen an entire settlement withered away like that. I suppose my mind just isn't what it used to be.
Y/N: Woman? How do you know so much about the Grimm? And in the tunnels, you knew exactly what to say to make Ruby... to make her eyes do that. How?
Maria: (smiles) Well, isn't it obvious, Old man? I had Silver Eyes.
To be continued...