"Ruby, are you sure they are at Higanbana?" Jaune questioned.

"If they aren't, then we'll keep searching." Ruby said grimly. "Fortunately, Geotagging has ensured that I am correct. The photos I recieved were tagged at Higanbana."

Despair filling his heart, Jaune couldn't bear to comprehend the fact he was the sole survivor from team JNPR. And all for naught! Jaune thought furiously. He thought back to the night that Beacon fell. How Pyrrha had sealed her own fate by returning to the tower. Jaune berated himself heavily for that night; a night where his strength failed. It was the reason why Jaune did what he did, trained the way he did. To pay off a debt that could never be forgiven in his mind. Frustratingly enough, he still had not unlocked his semblance, which was a huge defaciet towards his contributions.

Ruby could barely think, only focus on the task at hand. Her, and her friends had come so far, suffered so much, lost so many. It broke Ruby's heart beyond imagination when she saw the broken bodies of Ren and Nora. Far off in the horizen, she could see the sturdy walls of Higanbana. Concentrating on her aura, she awakened her semblance, picked up Jaune, and sprinted towards their destination as fast as her semblance could take her. They were at Higanbana within minutes. It didn't take long until they came across the carnage. The soldiers that had been accompanying them lay strewn across the courtyard, their faces twisted in horrific ways. Amidst it all, lay two of both Jaune and Ruby's closest friends, Ren and Nora.

Jaune ran over to Ren, and fell to his knees, overcome with sorrow. He wept bitterly, and uncontrollably. It was then, that Jaune suffered a wound that mentally tore him in to pieces. Ruby came to stand next to him, and knelt down without saying a word. Jaune slowly closed Ren's eyes for the last time, and picked up his limp, lifeless body. Laying him next to Nora, he began to inspect their wounds, noting the fatal hits each had taken. Ren's throat was hoplessly sliced, there was nothing short of a miracle that could ressurect him now. As for Nora, he felt skeptical that anyone could survive an impalement like that which she suffered. Jaune heard the clicking of Gun. Jaune whirled around, and activated his aura in the nick of time to prevent a bullet from penetrating his skull. It bounced off, harmless, and fell to the ground with a light clang. Scanning the hillsides that surrounded them, he was able to pick out Pyrrha, who's red clothing stuck out like a spot light illuminating the night.

"Ruby, we've got company!" He said, voice shaking. "It's her."

"On it!" She replied, scaling the nearest rooftop. Switching her Scythe to a form that was predominantly used for shooting, she too, located the rogue Huntress.

"I've got eyes on! Call for backup from Ironwood!" She shouted.

Jaune simply nodded in response, and pulled out his scroll, and dialed the General's number.

θ

Cinder, as wild as her plan was, could benefit her in a multitude of ways. She had hoped that Ruby would rush out to Higanbana, after recieving the chilling photos. Pyrrha's attempts to regain control were weakening by the day. Soon, I'll triumph over her resolve completely, and she will resign to a life of slavery Then, I'll gather more and burn their precious academies to the ground in front of their eyes. She thought sadistically. It's only a matter of time before I mold her into Remnant's greatest nightmare! Making note that Jaune was contacting someone, she moved in closer to the city walls, to mask her position from Ruby. Cinder didn't want to kill Ruby yet, there was much she wished to repay her for. Transforming Milo to it's Xiphos form, she steeled herself for the imminent battle.

Ω

"Sir, we've recieved word from the support Sniper Team Romeo, target has escaped; Alpha team and the hunter and huntress have been confirmed to have been Killed in action. It appears our target was more prepared than we thought." Winter said icily.

Ironwood slammed his fist on the table.

"Oum damnit!" He exclaimed. "Have we heard anything from Qrow?" He asked.

"Nothing since the bar fight Sir." She replied.

Ironwood clenched his fists in pure fury

"Winter, I want you to organize scout patrols. Send them around across the continents!"

"It will be done at once Sir!" Winter responded.

"Excellent. See that it happen this instant."

Winter gave a quick salute, before leaving the room briskly.

Ironwood sat back down. He had more than enough to deal with. Jaques being an utter ass, the disappearance of two of Remnant's greatest defenders, and now, the hopeless slaughter of hunstman in training. Ozpin would return, Ironwood was sure of that much, but he could only wonder what had happened to Qrow in the time he had disappeared. He had gone off the radar like a master criminal could. Ironwood sighed, the world of Remnant was slowly, but surely teetering towards a time of anarchy. It's only a matter of time before Salem finds the Winter maiden, and then, I'll be next. He thought darkly. Ironwood was fairly surprised when he recieved a call on his scroll; Not many people ever did that. Glancing down, he noticed he was recieving a call from Jaune Arc. Answering, he put the scroll next to his ear, and was immediately tense in the next second. The news he had delivered was not pleasing, not one bit. Jaune, along with Ruby, had stumbled upon Pyrrha, and were requesting immediate backup. He left the room in a rush, gathering Winter and her squadron, and commandered a bullhead. You know what they say: If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Ironwood thought to himself. He would settle this issue once and for all.

ฯ

"Yang, I need you to focus! Stop using your anger, and start using your head!" TaiYang exclaimed.

Yang, in a sparring match with her father, had lost. Again. This was the third time in a row, and she was feeling quite furious at her inability to beat her own father.

"I am using my head!" She said hotly.

"Obviously not enough!" Her father said sardonically.

Never before had Yang been shown up so easily by someone else, save Neo and Adam.

Crouching down next to Yang, TaiYang looked deep into her lilac eyes, and said "Do you understand how you lost your arm in the first place?" He began quietly.

At Yang's refusal to respond, he continued. "You lost your arm because you were acting foolishly on emotions!"

"I was protecting my teammate!" Yang exploded in defense.

"You let your emotions control you! Just like you are right now!" He yelled, his voice growing in volume. "I bet you are feeling the same way right now as you did when you found Blake the night Beacon fell at the docks!"

Yang winced and looked away, his words were the exact truth, and they hurt more than any wound that could be inflicted upon her.

"All I wanted to do was ensure her safety." Yang said blithely.

"You sprinted in before you had a plan, let alone, comprehend the threat!" TaiYang countered. "People will respect you for that, but what good will that do when you end up in the exact same situation as them? What happens when your friends can not return the favor immediately after?" TaiYang let his words sink in.

"I - I don't know..." Yang trailed off and looked away from her father.

Seeing Yang's obvious state of sorrow and anger, TaiYang told her to rest up, and clear her mind, then return. She accepted without a word, and slunk off to their house, feeling dejected.

She slammed her door shut, and fell down on her bed, anger clouding her mind. She wanted to put her fist through the wall, so badly, and she almost gave in to her desire. The echoing of her father's words through her mind made stopped just short of carrying through. Sitting back down on her bed, she contemplated all that she had been through. Junior's club, Signal and Beacon Academy, the formation of new friendships, and the destruction of the place she once called 'home.' It was days like this, that Yang wondered how Ruby maintained a bright, and cheerful outlook on life, when all around her, the world she had known had come toppling down on top of her.

Yang knew that Ruby and Pyrrha were both close friends, each one looking out for each other. To watch Pyrrha be slain in front of her, and then return from the dead under the guise of a friend, then turn against her... Yang could only imagine the hurt, and betrayal she felt, despite how well she could mask it. Yang knew she needed to reconvene with Ruby as soon as she could. Only, her preparation was going poorly. Glancing outside of her window, she saw the sun descending through the skies. It blazed a fiery orange, turning the horizon the same colour. It was breathtaking, and beautiful beyond description. A calm sense of peace and serenity washed over Yang, clearing her mind of her doubts and worries. Shortly after, determination surged through her, lending her a new found strength. She gathered herself, and set out to her yard to train with her father again.

"Back for more already?" He said incredulously.

"Yep." Was the one word response given.

"I knew you wo-" Tai could not finish his sentence before he was forced to duck under a lightning fast lunge from Yang.

He took a step back, steadied himself and said "Now that's more like it!"

Yang narrowed her eyes. She knew very well her Father outclassed her, a full head on assault would yield nothing good. She approached her father slowly, arms up and ready. He mirrored the pose, and both stalked around each other, daring the other to make the first move. Tai grew bored of the circling, and thrust his foot out in a wide, sweeping arc, forcing Yang backwards. He followed up with a right hook when he noticed Yang charging at him with full force. She ducked under the attack, and delivered a solid uppercut to his jaw. Staggering backwards, it took Tai a moment to recoordinate his movements, just in time to dodge Yang's next attack, a swift jab. Tai managed to parry the attack, and countered with a right overhand, followed by him thrusting his knee into her abdomen.

She cried out in pain, and backstepped to create some distance. Yang gathered herself, and sprinted at Tai once more. She made sure that she broadcasted her intent to cross, and when Tai arose to counter the punch, she feined the hit, and nailed him in the stomach with a solid punch before she swept his feet out from underneath him with a deft kick. Tai was breathless, but amped up nonetheless. It had been a long time since he had a fight this exhiliarating. Jumping back up to his feet, he sidestepped another jab from Yang, in a matador fashion. Thrusting his elbow backward, he hit her sqaure in the spine, which forced her to collapse on her stomach.

Pinning both of Yang's arms behind her back, he said "Concede!" Yang only squirmed underneath him in response.

Allowing her muscles to relax, she casted a guise that she had given up, and when she felt her father's grip loosen, she slipped out of his grip entirely. Tai tried to regain it, but was left clutching at nothing but air. A kick to his jaw sent Tai a few feet up in the air before he landed on his back, gasping for air. Yang slowly came up to him, and planted her foot on his chest, pinning him to the ground. Despite, his best efforts, he was unable to free himself, and was forced to concede. A wide grin split his face, and he said breathlessly "Well done. You are ~cough~ ready now. Now, if you would please remove your foot, I'm ~cough~ suffocating here."

Arthur Watts was a cunnning man. Designer of the virus that ultimately lead to the fall of Beacon, infiltrator of Mistral Academy, and loyal servant to Salem, he was quite a decorated man in his own right. Walking around in the streets of Mistral was not something that he preferred, he would much rather be concocting another scheme. Mercury Black, the subordinate to Cinder, had called him to a meeting, saying "There are important matters we must discuss. Meet me in the third alley down from the bar, at Midnight exactly three days from now." Probably an assignment from Salem. Glancing at his watch, it showed the time was 11:59 PM. Making sure that no one was watching him, he ducked into the alley he was instructed to go to. It was not long before he found Mercury, who was leaning against the alley wall. Mercury gruffly greeted Arthur before handing him a file labled: "Operation Thunder and Lightning." The title peaked Arthur's interest, and he could not resist asking what was contained in the file.

"Operation Thunder and Lightning: The plans to wipe out the entire Branwen Tribe." Was the response he recieved. A wicked grin spread upon Arthur's face.

"When do we begin?"