After the opening, it is daytime at the Branwen Tribe camp. Raven Branwen sits alone in her tent sharpening Omen. Suddenly, Vernal enters.
Vernal gathers her breath before speaking.
"Raven, we have a problem."
Raven looks up, rubbing her bruised face, remembering the last problem.
"What is it?"
Vernal sounds nervous.
"Salem's found us."
Raven's eyes widen briefly.
Raven then nods.
"Salem... okay."
Vernal then gives her the rest of the information.
"Four of her followers are waiting to speak with you."
Raven sighs, standing up.
"Right. We planned for this... Bring me my helmet. Having the first thing they see being my bruised face would not project strength."
Outside of her tent, Cinder Fall, Arthur Watts, Emerald Sustrai, and Mercury Black all stand and wait while the bandits surround them, eyeing them carefully. Raven steps out of her tent with her mask on as she addresses her bandits.
Raven puts on her authoritative voice.
"I don't recall inviting so many guests into our home. Either I'm losing my memory..."
She raises her voice in energy and volume.
"...or you've all lost your spines!"
Cinder's sultry voice speaks out, showing that she had recovered.
"Don't be too upset with them, Raven. Your men simply recognized the power of a Maiden when they saw it."
She smirks as her eye glows and trails fire.
"Which is why we'd like to have a word with you."
Raven turns, addressing the bandits.
"Leave us. Pack your things, then break down camp. We're moving."
The bandits all leave to do so.
Watts smirks.
"Little late to run and hide. You've been on our master's list for some time, so you must understand that we cannot allow you to slip away."
Raven stares at him through her Grimm Mask.
"I know all about your master, but I don't believe we've met."
Mercury speaks out of turn and punches above his weight class.
"We're the guys you should be afraid of."
Raven snorts.
"I doubt anyone should be afraid of you."
She adds something else, thinking only to herself.
"I've seen people who I'm scared of, and you fall so far short of him you two bit assassin."
Mercury's anger got the better of him.
"Oh yeah? Tell that to--"
Cinder turns to Mercury, annoyed.
"Quiet."
Mercury relents.
Raven nods imperiously.
"That's what I thought."
Cinder wants to move the discussion along.
"I'm Cinder Fall. This is my associate, Arthur Watts, and my disciples, Emerald and Mercury."
Raven once again snorted.
"Two children you've tricked into following you, a disgraced Atlesian scientist, and a Fall Maiden with a surname so appropriate, she probably picked it herself. Something tells me you've got more than a slight case of egomania, is that about right?"
Mercury and Emerald exchange a brief look, while Watts clears his throat.
"Technically, I was also a doctor, but I must say, the rest was spot on."
Cinder sneers at Watts before turning to Raven.
"Aren't you perceptive."
Raven nods her head as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"It's what's kept me alive."
Cinder just plows ahead, trying to assert her own reality over Raven's.
"I'm afraid the only reason you're still alive is because you have something our master wants. Of course, if I'm wrong…"
Cinder activates her Maiden power again and holds out a small flame in her right hand, grinning evilly.
Raven calls out for her right hand woman.
"Vernal!"
Vernal steps out of Raven's tent and walks up next to her.
Cinder looks at Vernal skeptically.
"So, this is the long lost Spring Maiden. Prove it."
Raven and Vernal share a glance with each other, with Raven nodding. Vernal sighs and closes her eyes. She holds her hands out and suddenly, the wind starts to pick up gradually. The blue sky turns to gray as clouds cover it. Leaves blow in the wind. Watts, Mercury and Emerald cover their faces as thunder is heard, while Cinder smiles in amazement as she watches the Spring Maiden unleash her power. Vernal then lowers her hands and opens her eyes as her powers settle.
Raven starts off the conversation once more from a definite position of power.
"Vernal has done well under my guidance. I'd take that into consideration before you try anything."
Watts and Mercury brush themselves off as Cinder speaks.
"Raven, I won't underestimate you, so please don't insult my intelligence. There is a slim chance you and your Maiden could escape today, but if you know our master as well as you claim to, then you know you could never truly escape her. But we come bearing an olive branch."
Watts turns the conversation, walking up to Raven.
"The Maidens are merely a means to an end. Salem's true desires are the Relics locked inside the Huntsman Academies. Come with us. Allow Vernal here to unlock the Relic of Knowledge, and all previous acts of defiance against Salem will be forgiven."
He continues, whispering up to Raven's face.
"It's the best deal either of you are going to get."
Watts walks away from them to rejoin his group.
Raven looks at them skeptically.
"You talk as if walking straight into Haven will be easy."
Cinder enters the conversation once again.
"That's because it will be. Headmaster Lionheart is loyal to Salem. And now, all we need is the key to the vault."
She pauses.
"You're not the only one to turn your back against Oz, Raven."
Raven panics a little, but shows strength by gripping the hilt of her sword.
"I'm not helping Salem, I'm not helping Oz! I don't want a part in any of this!"
Cinder retorts dryly.
"That ship sailed when you chose to harbor a Maiden. But if you come with us to Haven, we'll leave you, your tribe, and your little secret to live out the rest of your lives squabbling in the wilderness. We just... need... the Relic."
Raven tries to buy herself time.
"I need time to think this over."
Watts steps forward once more.
"You don't have time. In two days, Haven Academy will be destroyed by the White Fang. You're going to choose now."
Raven chuckles.
"Backed me into a corner, huh?"
Cinder asks ominously.
"So, are you with us, or against us?"
After a tense moment, Raven removes her grip from her hilt and takes her mask off. The assembled minions of Salem are surprised by the massive ugly looking bruise on Raven's face.
Raven begins to address them imperiously.
"Agreements like these are built on trust. And forgive me for saying, but I don't trust a single one of you. You're going to need to give me more. Not only that, but I have it on good authority, you can't even hold up your end of the deal. I don't know you people, and you cannot even kill one boy. He's the one who gave me this by the way. If you think I should be afraid of you and your little posse Cinder, you must have forgotten when he shamed and burnt the Maiden...with control of fire. Not only did you manage to lose him...he somehow managed to get special powers and control of other elements too. So you'll have to excuse me if you think I should just go with your word on this one."
Watts sputters as Raven lays a smackdown on Cinder and Jack's bad history with failure. He would be laughing if this weren't necessary for Salem's plan. So he puts on his serious face and points out something.
"You are in a poor position to negotiate."
Raven thinks about things for a bit.
"I want my brother dead."
Her unexpected declaration momentarily stuns the four.
Cinder asks slowly.
"Qrow?"
Raven nods her head to the affirmative.
"That's right. He knows I have Spring. And if I help you get your Relic, he's going to become a problem. Him and that Titan he has as a pupil. I have enough problems to deal with. Qrow doesn't trust me, but he does trust Ozpin's other lieutenants. If Leo really is loyal to you, then you can order him to invite Qrow into an ambush. He arrives at Haven, we take him down, you get your Relic, and we all leave happy. But...can you take out The Titan of Beacon this time?"
Cinder smirked evilly.
"Now this is a proposition I can get behind."
Watts holds his hands up, trying to slow the conversation.
"Alright ladies, let's pause for a moment. We have one objective - retrieving the Relic of Knowledge. Now Qrow Branwen and Y/N Lennox may be on our list of individuals we would very much like dead, but they're not going to go down without a fight, and they're not going to fight quietly. Our advantage here is just as you said - we walk straight into Haven, no resistance, no one the wiser. A battle with your brother and his pupil throws that all out the window."
Raven scoffs.
"He's good, but not that good. All of us against him? It'll be over in a heartbeat. My only concern is Y/N. I've faced both him...and his Spectre. He holds more power than the Spring Maiden...he gave the Fall Maiden a thrashing, and he escaped from your clutches once before...only to become more powerful."
Emerald speaks out, her concern on someone a little more...on the small side.
"But it's not just him. He has the students with him. He has Ruby!"
Cinder growls at the one who gave her the cars she has today.
"He certainly does. And as for the Titan...let's just say we have...an associate for that."
Watts sees where this is going and is having none of it.
"If we leave that school a bloody mess, we will draw the attention of the authorities! The Kingdom will be on high alert, and the White Fang's attack will be ruined!"
Cinder finds a logical way to have her cake and eat it too.
"Then we wait. We wait until the full moon. Leo invites Qrow and his little fighters to Haven the same night Hazel and Adam arrive with the White Fang. As soon as the battle is won, the White Fang demolishes Haven, and any evidence we may have left behind is lost along with the school."
Raven lays out her last condition.
'Then, Salem leaves my people alone. For good."
Cinder nods.
"You have yourself a deal."
Cinder holds her hand out to shake with Raven's, but Watts suddenly grabs her wrist. He pulls her to the side and starts to have a low conversation with her.
"Wait. Don't think I don't see what you're after. If this falls to pieces over your grudge with a child, I will not be taking the blame."
Cinder responds quickly, glaring at him.
"Then what are you worried about?"
Cinder activates her Maiden powers and burns Watts' hand, causing him to remove his grip and hold his hand in pain.
Cinder speaks out louder.
"Fly back home and tinker with your machines."
She holds her hand out again in front of Raven.
"And tell Salem she'll get what she wants - and more. Well that...and ask her to send the Grimm Reaper."
She turns back to Raven.
"That's the...associate who will be taking care of your Titan issues."
Raven stands still for a moment, glaring at Cinder's hand in front of her, but then offers her own hand out and shakes it with the Fall Maiden, sealing the deal.
Back in Menagerie, gunfire can be heard from within the Belladonna Family Home, as well as sounds of fighting grunts and efforts. Ghira Belladonna is leaping around the entry hall and uses his claws to hang from one of the pillars, before pouncing on a White Fang soldier and clawing him down. A female White Fang soldier charges at him with a spear, but Ghira grabs it, lifting her off the ground, and tossing her into Fennec Albain. Corsac Albain holds out his weapon, which starts to glow red as Ghira prepares to launch the spear at him. A fireball is launched from Corsac's weapon as Ghira throws the spear. The two attacks manage to hit their targets, with Ghira's Aura shimmering from the fireball and Corsac getting pinned to the wall by his hood.
Fennec calls out in panic.
"Brother!"
Fennec gets back up and activates his weapon, which glows white as a wind gust is conjured from it. Ghira brings his arms to his face to block the attack, and his feet drag backwards a couple of feet as a result. A White Fang soldier with an assault rifle is hiding behind a pillar and takes the opportunity in an attempt to attack Ghira. Suddenly, Sun Wukong bursts in from the window behind him and knocks him down. Corsac discards his hood and joins his brother as they prepare to launch a combination attack with their weapons. A stream of wind and fire whirls toward Sun, but he blocks the attack by twirling Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang. He then calls out to someone.
"Hurry!"
Gambol Shroud is seen being loaded with a new cartridge, getting the attention of Corsac and Fennec. Blake Belladonna jumps down from the terrace above them, dodging a fireball and a wind attack in the process. She does a three-point landing in front of them. The brothers attempt to stab Blake, but she uses her ice Dust-enhanced Semblance to trap their hands and weapons. She leaps away from them to join her father and Sun.
Blake calls out to the most imposing man in the room, worry in her voice.
"Dad! Where's mom?"
Ghira seems just as worried.
"I'm not sure, I got ambushed right away."
Blake begins to lay out a plan.
"Once we take down Corsac and Fennec--"
Ghira interrupts her while shaking his head.
"No, go now."
Blake tries to protest.
"But--"
Ghira interrupts her once more.
"Your friend keeps assuring me that he isn't a complete waste of space! Let's see him prove it."
Sun looks at Blake and gives her a thumbs up.
"We got this, Blake. I've wanted to sock these creeps since the day we met! Plus...you have him on your side...or more specifically...on your hip."
Corsac uses the fire Dust in his weapon to begin melting Blake's ice clone.
Ghira is confused by that last sentence, but realizes what Sun said first.
"You'll have to get in line. Blake, go!"
Blake does so and leaves the room. Corsac and Fennec free themselves, and prepare to fight.
Sun looks at Ghira and gives him a thumbs up.
"I won't let you down, sir!"
Ghira growls. He still hasn't gotten to the bottom of whatever bothers Blake about this boy.
"Shut up."
Sun just goes along with it.
"You got it!"
The both of them proceed forward.
Back at the Branwen Tribe camp, Raven sits on her bed leaning her forehead to her hand. She hears someone enter her tent.
Raven knows without looking up who it is.
"Yes, Vernal?"
Vernal replies.
"I followed them as you asked."
Raven continues to pack.
"Did they spot you?"
Vernal scoffs, those people may be powerful, but they were also arrogant and ignorant.
"Of course not. They have a ship two klicks west of here, looks like they're staying there for the night."
Raven nods.
"Thank you, Vernal." She pauses, finally looking up.
"Anything else?"
Vernal seems conflicted.
"Do you... actually believe they'll let us go once they have the Relic?"
Raven shakes her head fervently.
"Of course not. They'll never leave us alone. Once our purpose has come and gone, we'll be discarded. Salem only uses people until they are no longer useful. If we want to have any chance of defending ourselves against her, then we need this Relic."
She stands up from her bed.
"If Qrow and those brats want to follow Ozpin, then let them. When the chaos reaches its peak, we'll grab the Relic and make our escape."
Vernal goes to her next point.
"And the fact that your daughter will be a part of all that?"
Raven hesitates ever so slightly.
"Doesn't matter. I warned her. She made her choice."
She approaches the exit of her tent.
"This path won't be easy for us either, but we must do what's right for the tribe."
Vernal nods, almost bowing.
"I know. I'll do whatever it takes."
Raven is satisfied.
"Good."
Vernal speaks up one more time.
"Do you think they have the means to beat him?"
Raven pauses heavily this time.
"If not, then we and Salem are both doomed."
Raven exits the tent. Vernal walks out to see where she has gone and notices a cawing black bird and the sound of Raven's portal activating. The scene transitions to the exterior of the Mistral Home. The sound of Raven's portal is heard closing as her bird form flies in. Qrow is seen drinking from his flask while sitting on a bed, and he hears the sound of Raven cawing, seeing her through the window. Oscar Pine walks up to his doorway.
Oscar calls out to the red eyed drunk.
"Hey, Qrow?"
Qrow turns his attention to him.
Oscar continues now that he has Qrow's attention.
"Oz needs to talk to you."
Qrow stands up and follows Oscar out of the room, looking over his shoulder at the window.
Back at the Belladonna home, Blake bursts into the forked hallway. She hears the sounds of fighting to her right and proceeds down the left hallway. The scene transitions to show Ilia Amitola crouched on a balcony railing in a large room. She is donning her Grimm mask and hears the muffled sounds of fighting going on around the building. She then hears the door open and sees someone walk in on the floor below her. Blake takes a defensive stance as she notices her former friend standing up on the railing above her. The two reach for their weapons, with Blake gripping Gambol Shroud first. Ilia proceeds to grab Lightning Lash's hilt. The two glare at each other before the view cuts to black.
A/n: I know this one is a tiny bit short, but nothing much happens in this chapter, so I'm not really surprised it came out on the lower end of my word limit (that I arbitrarily set for myself between 3k-5k words lol) at 3k words.