It's been several months since you first arrived in Menagerie. Classes at Beacon were to resume soon. During these past months you've grown closer to Blake. She alone knows you completely, better than you know yourself. You'd grown quite fond of the life you'd been living as of late. The warm weather of the island passed the days in a comfortable and lazy fashion. It was nice to be able to relax. For all your life you'd been moving, one mission after the next, but now you could finally stop and just enjoy life. Enjoy love. Unfortunately, there's a saying, the calm comes before the storm, and you knew the storm was brewing, and boy would the winds blow. The first droplet of rain fell that afternoon. It was announced on the international news that Beacon would be delaying its reopening for another three months. Sitting with Blake in your arms as you watched the news, you listened in anticipation as Lisa Lavender announced the decision of the headmaster.

After that it started raining harder. Over the next few days you and Blake kept a close eye on the international goings on around Remnant. To most it seemed that the world was running smoothly, but with the information you had you and Blake could spot patterns most others would not. General James Ironwood was visiting Beacon to see how the reconstruction was going. Blake however, said that in all the recent news footage Beacon looked completely repaired. There was an increase in Atlas militarization and reports of Vale forces having a scuffle with a Bandit tribe in the east. The first clap of thunder echoed throughout the Belladonna household as a knock on the door. Rising from the breakfast table, Ghira went to answer.

"Blake! (F/N)!" He called from the entrance.

"What is it Dad?" Blake called as the two of you made your way to the front doors.

Ghira stood framed in the doorway blocking the visitors from sight. You however could smell who they were instantly. "Friends of yours?" He asks as he steps aside.

"Blake!" Ruby shouts, tackling your girlfriend into a hug.

"Ruby?" Blake asks. "Weiss? Yang?" The two other girls step into the house. "What are you all doing here?"

"We came to get you of course." Yang laughs.

"Get us?" You ask. "What do you mean?"

"Blake." Yang grins. "How long has (F/N) been here?"

"Yang!" Blake yells, her cheeks turning red.

"Hurry up girls. We don't have a lot of time." A fourth voice says.

You hadn't noticed this newcomer earlier, having been so preoccupied on the presence of the rest of Team RWBY. Now that your attention had been brought to him, the air suddenly smelled of alcohol.

"Right, sorry Uncle Qrow." Ruby says embarrassedly.

"Wait, what did Yang mean when she said, 'come to get us'?" Blake asks.

"We'll explain on the bullhead." Weiss says.

"Blake?" Ghira asks. "What's going on?"

Ruby and Yang's uncle, Qrow, was it? Qrow takes a swig from a flask and cuts through the chatter. "Listen, Chief Belladonna, we need to talk. Why don't the girls catch up while we have a chat."

"Umm? Okay?" Ghira says hesitantly.

"Do you have a wife? She'll probably want to hear this too."

As Qrow explains the situation to Ghira and Kali, the reunited Team RWBY sits in the living room as Ruby, Yang, and Weiss fill you in on the situation at hand.

"Ozpin called all of us." Ruby says.

"Well, he called our Uncle Qrow and General Ironwood." Yang clarifies.

"Right." Ruby agree. "Well, Ozpin got in touch with us and told us it's time."

"Time for what?" Blake asks.

"Remember at the end of last semester when he said, 'this war is far from over'?" Weiss asks to which both you and Blake nod. "Well, Ironwood and Qrow said we're nearing the end game and that it was time to prepare for battle."

"Battle?" Blake says. "Does Ozpin expect us to fight in this 'war' of his?"

"I don't think so." Ruby says. "I think he just wants to explain the situation, and to give us a chance to fight, if we want to."

"Yes, that seems about right." You say. "Did he say what this end game would entail?"

"We didn't get any specifics, but it sounds like it's something big." Yang answers.

As Team RWBY shifts their conversation into casual chit chat, you pull out your scroll and send a quick message.

Time Skip:

Agreeing to go hear what Ozpin has to say, you and Blake bid farewell to Blake's parents. There was much hugging and crying involved amongst the parents. You stood awkwardly off to the side as Blake was crushed by her mother and father. You laughed at Blake's failed attempts to escape but were surprised when Kali grabbed you and pulled you into the group hug as well. This led to Ruby thinking it was some... thing, and what was meant to be a tender moment between a family turned into a massive group hug, Ruby even dragging her uncle into the pile. It wasn't long before the six of you were sitting on a bullhead headed for Beacon Academy in Vale.

"How long will this flight take?" You ask, nauseated. Being in a great big metal coffin travelling at high velocities wasn't mixing well with your enhanced senses.

"This here is Atlas military grade." Qrow says, taking another long sip from his seemingly bottomless flask. "Travels three times faster than your average bullhead. General Tinman also pulled a few strings and cleared all other flights in our path to give us a straight shot to Vale. Shouldn't take more than three hours to get there."

"Great." You say, doing you best to prevent yourself from hurling.

Team RWBY laughs at your discomfort. "Well (F/N)." Ruby says in her usual chipper voice. "We can use this time to get to know you better."

"What?" You ask, trying not to keep your mouth open for longer than you have to.

"Let's be honest." Weiss says. "You weren't exactly a bundle of joy when we first met you."

"Yeah." Yang agrees. "The only one of us that knows you is Blake."

You sit in stunned disbelief at the girls' persistence. "You're going to force me to be your friend, aren't you?"

"Yup." Ruby says.

Time Skip:

A little under three hours later and the bullhead is setting down at the main courtyard at Beacon Academy. Stepping off the ship in relief, you stumble around on the solid ground as you regain your bearings. Not only did you have to deal with an overwhelming sense of being nauseas for three hours, but Team RWBY berated you with questions the entire flight. As the bullhead takes flight and heads back to Vale you hear the familiar sound of Professor Ozpin approaching, his cane hitting the ground with every second step.

"Mr. Taurus. Ms. Belladonna. I'm glad to see you accepted my invitation." He says. "Thank you for bringing them Qrow."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. This place got anything to drink?"

"Alright Ozpin, what's this about?" You ask.

"I wish this reunion were under happier circumstances Mr. Taurus, but unfortunately that is not the case. However, we are still waiting on the arrival of a few more people. I will explain everything later this evening. For now," he turns to address all of Team RWBY, "your friends eagerly await your return."

"Our friends?" Yang asks in confusion.

"Yes. As I said, they've been looking forward to seeing you since they arrived. You will find your old rooms have already been set up for you. Qrow?" With that the two adults walk off towards Beacon tower.

"What did he mean our friends?" Yang asks as the five of you ride the elevator up.

"I don't know." Ruby shrugs, stepping off the elevator. "Maybe someone from..."

"Well! You're a sight for sore eyes!" A piercing voice calls through the halls. "Hey you guys!" The voice calls. "Look who finally decided to show up."

There's a rumble of footsteps as three other individuals run out into the hall.

"Ruby! Weiss, Blake, Yang!" Jaune Arc shouts in surprise. "And, umm... I don't remember your name."

"It's (F/N)." Ren says.

"How have you all been?" Pyrrha asks.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you in forever!" Nora shouts.

The nine of you being catching up, discussing what you've all been up to over the extended summer. You haven't bothered to enter a room, remaining in the hallway, as the rooms weren't exactly built to accommodate nine people. You don't remember who suggested it, but the nine of you begin to take your conversation on the move, taking the stairs down to the ground floor and walking around the large campus, passing by the statue in the courtyard and the cafeteria, finally settling down around a large table in the library.

Several hours pass before your attention is caught by the sound of an approaching bullhead. By the time you get to your feet the rest of the group has heard it too. Rushing outside you notice Ozpin already waiting as not one, but two separate bullheads land to release their passengers. Off the ship to the right steps a particular blonde-haired Faunus whom you recognize by the scent of cologne and hairspray, Sun Wukong. With him are three other young men you recognize to be his team from the Vytal Tournament, Neptune Vasilias, Scarlet David, and Sage Ayana.

"Sun?" Blake asks in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here for the fight of course." He says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Ozpin told us what was going down and after what happened last semester we had to come help out."

"Wow, that's uh, I don't know what to say." Blake says, stunned.

"How about 'Hey Sun, good to see you.'?"

"Right, of course, it's good to see you Sun."

"So, how have you been?" He asks in a tone you're not too comfortable with.

Clearing your throat, you step forward.

"Oh, right. Sun, you remember (F/N), my boyfriend." She puts heavy emphasis on the last word.

"Right, yeah, of course." You can feel his cockiness leave him. "How you doin' man?"

He extends his hand. Considering him for a moment, you take his hand and shake it. "Good. And you?"

"What, were you not going to say high?" Another voice calls, this one female with an accent.

"Velvet!" Blake squeels, running forwards to pull her friend into a big hug.

The rest of Team CFVY makes their way over to greet Blake. You turn your head towards Yatsuhashi, his gaze meeting your scarred white eyes. The two of you simply nod in greeting.

"I'm glad to see everyone reconnecting, and I hate to ruin the moment, but we have little time." Ozpin says to the group. "Please, if you would all follow me."

Ozpin leads the four teams to the top of the CCT where his office resides. You notice that it has been refurbished since the last time you visited. While his grand polished wooden desk remains as it ever was, there now lies a large circular table in the middle of the room, eliciting a faint hum. Once everyone has entered you take a moment to notice all the people standing in the large circular room. Standing by Ozpin's desk are Professor's Goodwitch, Port, and Oobleck, talking about the reconstruction of Vale. Off to the side and leaning against the window is Ruby and Yang's Uncle Qrow still drinking from his flask. In a slurred voice, he communicates with another man.

"Give it a rest Tai." He hiccups. "I'm a better fighter when I'm drunk anyways."

The man known as Tai simply sighs.

Teams RWBY, JNPR, SSSN, and CFVY all disperse throughout the room, Ruby and Yang headed over to their uncle and the other man who turns out to be their father. As you continue to wait for Ozpin to bring everyone to attention you feel your scroll vibrate. Tracing your fingers along the bumps that appear across the screen, you read the message and send a reply, then drafting a second one to send later. Ozpin clears his throat as you replace your scroll in your pocket.

"We're just waiting on General Ironwood to arrive with his, er, associates, before we begin."

Just as he says this the elevator doors open, and General Ironwood steps out, accompanied by Weiss' older sister, Winter. Behind them, hidden from view is another familiar aura.

"Ruby!" The voice shouts. The owner runs across the room the room and tackles Ruby into a hug, knocking both of them to the floor. Several people laugh.

"P-Penny?" Ruby coughs as the mechanical girl crushes her. "Penny what are you doing here?" She asks as the two stand up.

"I'm here to fight!" She says. "I'm combat ready!"

"Everyone, please be quiet." Ozpin says. "Gather round the table."

Everyone does as he says. The room is silent except for the hum coming from the table which grows higher pitched as the large hologram turns on.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've assembled you here." He says. Several of the younger members nod. "Simply put, Remnant needs your assistance. As I'm sure you're all aware, Beacon was attacked several months ago by a group of outside forces."

Ozpin continues his speech, explaining how the actions of the group were the result of one individual known as Salem. He then continues to explain what she's after, regaling the group with the story of the four maidens and how he was the wizard in the legend and that Miss Pyrrha Nikos currently possesses the powers of the Fall Maiden. Many in the circle snicker at his claims, until he has Pyrrha demonstrate her abilities.

"Since the attack on Beacon I have been working with Miss Nikos and Miss Rose to teach them how to harness their unique abilities. They aren't completely masters of their power, but if all goes well, it will be enough."

Unbeknownst to anyone else you have your scroll out and are sending the information Ozpin relays to the person on the other end of your scroll.

"Now, let's get down to why you're here. It has come to my attention that this war with Salem has reached a point where one of us must fall at the hands of the other. Over the summer I've sent scouts, including Qrow and Dr. Oobleck out into the world in an attempt to locate Salem's position. I'm pleased to say that several weeks ago, they were successful in their mission. This..." He enlarges a hologram on the table, "is where Salem and her forces are hiding. Located in the far northern region of Atlas, no one has located her yet due to the extreme cold of the area. It would appear however, that continuing past the blizzards and frozen wasteland lies a large crag, like a scar on the planet. Here, the weather conditions are far more mild, however the surrounding terrain presents a different set of problems."

"How so?" Tai asks.

"Grimm." Qrow responds darkly. "Hundreds of them, maybe thousands. Somehow, Salem controls them, and she has an army of them surrounding the five mile radius around her castle."

"To be more precise," Oobleck adds, "the Grimm seem to form here. As in, this is the birth place of the creatures."

"What do you mean?" You ask.

"Pull up video footage, file MCA-020830." You can't see what's happening, but there's a collective gasp from around the table. "As you can see, the Grimm seem to simply, spawn, from these puddles of darkness. As far as we know, there is no way to seal them."

"Once we've gotten past the army of Grimm, we have to deal with the issue of Salem's fortress." Qrow continues. "We weren't able to gather much information on the layout of the inside, for obvious reasons."

"Know that Salem and the Grimm are not the only things we're up against." Ozpin says. "Salem also has a small group of individuals who follow her cause." He presses a few buttons on the screen and you assume he pulls up another image. "This is Dr. Arthur Watts. Once a brilliant scientist, he was disgraced and had his license removed when it was discovered he was conducting Human-Grimm experimentation. He is responsible for the computer virus which hacked Atlas' fire walls and took control of the Atlesian Knights." Ironwood growls at this. "Next is Tyrian Callows. A Faunus. He is completely loyal to Salem, he sees her as a Goddess."

"As you can guess," Goodwitch says, "he has a very fragile psychosis. He is completely and utterly insane. If you come across him, make sure not to get hit by his scorpion tail, as its venom will quickly render you defenseless."

"Cinder Falls was the one responsible for the attack on Beacon. However, she is no longer a problem. General Ironwood has seen to that personally." Ozpin's voice has an angry edge at that last sentence. Ironwood seems unphased. "Finally, and most dangerously, is Hazel Rainart. Rainart's semblance allows him to ignore all pain. While usually a calm and collected individual, if you upset him there is a good chance you will not survive. Leave him to either Professor Goodwitch, General Ironwood, Qrow, or myself."

Clearing the screens, Ozpin returns to the map of Salem's fortress and the surrounding area. "The plan," he says, "is to infiltrate the surrounding area. We will divide into teams and strike, simultaneously, at these locations. Hopefully our actions will get the attention of Salem and her forces, drawing them out into the battlefield." You turn the volume up on your scroll, so your recipient can hear better. "This will allow a team of myself, Miss Nikos, Miss Rose, and several other individuals to sneak into the palace and, using our combined power, defeat Salem. Please know, you are not being forced into this. If you choose to come along and fight in this war it will be of your own free will. No one will think any less of you if you choose not to come."

No one makes a move to leave. It seems Ozpin chose his army well.

"Just so we're clear," Ironwood says, "we will have no back up. The people in this room are the only thing standing between Salem and all of Remnant."

"Umm, General Ironwood, sir?" Ruby asks shyly, sticking her hand up as if she's in class. "What do you mean we won't have any back up? Aren't you the head of the Atlas military?"

"You are correct Miss Rose." He says. "However, I cannot provide any of our mechanical forces. If Watts could hack into our systems once he could do it again, and that's a risk we can't take. Because Atlas is the closest Kingdom to Salem and her forces, they will likely be her first target should we fail. For that reason, I can't afford to take any more troops with me other than Winter Schnee. The Kingdom has to be defended if this doesn't go our way."

"And," Qrow interjects, "my chat with my sister didn't exactly go our way. Raven doesn't want anything to do with this. So she picked up the bandit clan and moved someplace else we can't find her."

"So, it's just us against thousands of Grimm and four super powerful crazies?" Sun asks.

"Yes Mr. Wukong, that is correct." Ozpin says.

"General," Weiss says, "surely you could afford to bring some of your men with us. I mean..."

"Weiss." Winter cuts across in her sharp tone. "The Kingdom comes first. We have to do this. Just us."

"Schnee's right." Ironwood nods. "It's just us. No army."

"Actually General," you say, "I think you'll find you're mistaken on that last note." Sending the message, you drafted earlier over your scroll, you tell your friend to make their entrance. "This is your army."

Out of the elevator steps Sienna Khan, Jonathan Kaa, and Avery Dodgson.

"Where's Gruff?" You ask out of the corner of your mouth.

"We had a, 'falling out'. He preferred to serve your brother, so we tossed him under the bridge in a manner of speaking."

"What is this?" Ironwood asks.

Sienna steps forwards to address the General. "My name is Sienna Khan, High Leader of the White Fang."

"Are you out of your mind (F/N)?" Ironwood raises his voice at you. "Or did you forget the White Fang helped attack Beacon."

"No General, I have not forgotten."

"General." Kaa says. "The White Fang has recently split into two factions. Those who would kill to send our message have decided to follow the leadership of Mr. Adam Taurus. But know that not all of us are monsters. It seems that Mr. Adam Taurus has been under Salem's thumb for quite some time now however, and we do not appreciate how the two of them have presented the Faunus to the world."

Ironwood looks to Ozpin for help, but Ozpin merely peers over his spectacles at the three new people standing in his office. "How much help can you offer?"

"Our n-n-number may h-have dwindled substantially." Dodgson says. "The y-youthful m-m-majority of the White Fang h-having l-l-left to join A-Adam T-T-Taurus. But d-don't forget the White F-F-F-Fang is an extremely l-large organization s-spanning the entire g-g-globe. We w-w-would b-be h-h-happy to provide a-as many as we h-have l-l-l-left within our r-ranks. "

"Have you forgotten their criminals?" Ironwood shouts.

"Oh, get over it." Sienna Khan snarls.

"You said as many as you have left." Qrow says. "How many is that?"

"Around a full ancient Atlas Legion." Sienna responds.

"Five thousand?" Ironwood asks in shock.

"Give or take a few hundred." Sienna confirms.

The table is silent, people looking across the map at one another.

"I'm over it." Qrow says.