Cinder wakes on a bed somewhere within Monstra and sits up. Emerald hurries over, kneels in front of her, and takes Cinder's Grimm hand into hers, "You're awake. I was so worried. How are you feeling?"

"You... You brought me back here." Cinder pulls her hand away and looks to the side, upset, "We failed."
"Cinder, you were hurt. I was just trying to help."
"I think she's had enough help."

Mercury enters the room, "Besides, she went against our queen. I'd be careful who you back."

"Cinder's hunch was right. If we'd had support, then maybe we would've-"
"Would you stop trying to protect her already? She doesn't care about you." Cinder becomes annoyed, and her eye manifests the Maiden flame, "Both of you, get out. I'll let you know when you're needed next."

Emerald sadly looks away from Cinder, then looks at Mercury as he starts speaking, "Yeah, about that, Salem's got other plans for me. I'm not gonna be taking orders from you anymore." Cinder's Maiden eye flame disappears and with a surprised look.

"She wants everyone on the bridge. Something big is about to happen."

Emerald looks at Cinder while Mercury heads for the door. Emerald then sighs, gets up, and follows Mercury. On their way out the door, Mercury is smirking, and Emerald is sad.

In the torture room, Oscar is left alone, "I'd like to express again that this is my burden to bear, not yours. His grudge is with me."

"No, it'll be even worse. He's holding back with me. I can tell." Oscar is now bruised, has a black eye, and has blood smudged under his nose and by the corner of his mouth, "I understand. I do. But you've done so much already. The least I can do is give you a break and try to get us out of here."

"We can't leave yet. This is our chance."

"Hmm, maybe you've taken one too many hits."
"Salem, she knows she can't take on the whole world at once. So she doesn't. She has her followers work their way in sabotaging us from the inside out."

"Maybe we should do the same."

"We certainly are similar, you and I. Maybe we have been presented with an opportunity."

The membrane door squelches open, and Hazel enters the room, "Great."

"Oscar, please." Hazel picks up Oscar and slams him against a bone spike, "You don't need to fight this war, kid. Tell me what I need, and we can be done."

"Hello, Hazel." Oscar's eyes glow yellow momentarily, revealing that Ozpin has taken control. Hazel quickly becomes angered, "Coward! All this time, it could have been you, but you let him suffer."

Hazel tosses Ozpin to the floor, "Now tell us how this damned Lamp works. The boy has suffered enough."

Ozpin stands up, "Why do you follow her?"

Hazel walks over and kicks Ozpin hard enough to knock him down, "I know... I know how you see me. But her? Look at what she does. How is she the answer? Why not stop her!? Saint gave you her hands.

Hazel stops and looks away. He then walks across the room to a bone spike, "Salem can't be stopped. She's a force of nature. I've seen it first hand. But you..."

Hazel breaks the tip of the bone spike off and starts walking toward Ozpin, sharpening the spike on the metal plate on the back of his hand.

"You send children to their deaths for a cause that you know has no victory, no end! Saint might have offered me her hand; however she's nothing like a Saintess."

"Someone has to try! Salem isn't a force of nature because Salem can be fought! Saint is her match unless Salem brings the Relics together. If that happens-"

Ozpin is interrupted by Salem, who is standing in the doorway with Suneel standing behind her, "Ozma. You have wonderful timing. The show is about to begin."

A short time later, Salem is sitting on her throne with The Hound next to it. Lined up kneeling in front of her are Oscar, Hazel, Tyrian Callows, Cinder, Mercury, and Suneel. Kneeling off to the side are Emerald and Neo. Salem stands up and walks over in front of Cinder, before moving to stand in front of Tyrian, "We have good news. Tyrian has heard from our dear colleague Watts. Although he remains in captivity, it seems that he has worked with Ironwood to gain some control over the puppet masquerading as the Winter Maiden. I suppose he remains useful after all."

She gently sets her hand on Tyrian's head, as he holds up a Scroll. She then turns her attention to Cinder, losing her smile, "Speaking of which... Cinder."

Cinder's Shadow Hand begins hissing and smoking, and she grunts and cries out in pain, trying to hold the writhing arm still, "You chose to disobey my specific instructions just to fail again."

Emerald watches wide-eyed, and Cinder has flashbacks to the times she was electrocuted, "And I've realized, it's all my fault." The pain stops, and Cinder looks up in fear as Salem walks over to stand in front of her.

"You've fought your whole life unwaveringly for what you want and here I am holding you back instead of lifting you up." Salem holds her hand out, and Cinder hesitantly rests her Grimm hand in it. The Hound goes to Neo and then Emerald, sniffing them.

"You deserve so much more than I've given you. Go to Atlas, recover Watts. He can lead you to the girl."

The Hound approaches Cinder and sniffs her, and Cinder looks at it, tensing her shoulders up. "Whether you or my Hound get to her first, you will finally have the Winter Maiden's power, and I will have my Staff."

"You'll only be helping her bring about the end, for all of you!"

Hazel slams Ozpin against the ground and then holds him up as Salem approaches. She leans to his face, smiling, "You're too late."

With you and Ironwood, you were now sitting on a chair as Ironwood stood in front of you. Silence filled the room as you place your face in your hands, "What?"

"He's dead; he was injured during what had happened to Clover. I didn't let you see him because of his injuries and the reason your Ajin wasn't able to find him." Your eyes flickered gold and purple; you couldn't comprehend what he was telling you, "No, I don't believe you." You stand up, slamming your fist on the desk.

"Then I shall return this to you." Ironwood walks in front of you, holding Qrow's ring.

"Where did you get that?" Your eyes returned to their original color, Ironwood sighs. "I knew how much Qrow meant to you. But now your plans have to change, aside from those children, we are what you have left." Ironwood places the ring in your hand; you stare at the ring. Ironwood places his hand on your cheek, "I will be in the control room if you need me."

Ironwood exits the room, with your tears hitting the ground, "Ajin? Ajin!" Ajin appears in front of you, "Did you find him?" Ajin began wiping your tears, "No, Saint."

"I should have sent you with him! I should have stayed! Oscar was taken by something horrifying. I lost Clover! Now Qrow?!" You look at your hands, seeing his ring, suddenly you began to hallucinate, seeing blood staining your hands, "There's so much blood." Ajin takes hold of your hands, "There is no blood, Saint. If you find his body, you can bring him back."

"I can bring him back." You put on Qrow's ring, the markings on your hands began to spread, "I'll bring him back."

An airship is flying through the air somewhere above the tundra. Inside, Elm and Vine discuss Penny while Winter listens from one of the pilot's seats, "Did the hack just not work? How do we even know we can trust Watts?"

"We have confirmed visual of her leaving Amity. She appeared to be malfunctioning."
"This is why I don't trust technology! Now we're wasting our time searching for broken junk!"

Winter becomes annoyed and turns in her seat to look at them, "Enough! You're Atlas elite; act like it."

Marrow, who is piloting the ship, puts his finger to the communicator in his ear. He then addresses Winter, "Um, ma'am, we're picking up an open comms broadcast."
"Play it." Marrow presses a button. There is static as the console plays a communication from Jaune, "It's headed straight for Mantle! I repeat, a large mass of Grimm is headed straight for Mantle! Please, anyone!"

Winter and Marrow look concerned, while Elm, Vine, and Harriet walk forward with interest. Soon after, the airship lands in the tundra in front of Jaune, Yang, and Ren, who are riding the now repaired hoverbike. Winter and Harriet hop out of the airship, while Jaune and Ren get off the bike, "Great, you guys."

"Did you hear our message? It's right there. We need to hurry."

Jaune gestures to the river of Grimm Liquid to his right. Harriet looks at Winter, then at Jaune, "Where's Penny?"
"Are you serious right now!? There are people in danger."
"There are people in danger because you kids are acting selfish and-"

The ground suddenly begins shaking with a series of earthquakes, which frighten people in Mantle and in the Mantle crater. The fear draws attention from Grimm.

The Grimm river forms a geyser that shoots up high enough to hit the City of Atlas. The geyser continues until it forces its way through the city's Hard-Light shield. Centinels spawn from the liquid. The Ace Ops, Winter, Jaune, Yang, and Ren look on wide-eyed, while Weiss, Ruby, Blake, May, and Ironwood watch in horror through a broadcast. The Centinels begin burrowing into the earth, while a military airship tries to shoot them. The Grimm then make their way through the ground and dislodge two of the shield's towers, causing them to fall to the ground beneath Atlas. With the two towers gone, the entire shield is disabled.

Inside Monstra, Salem smiles, and her eyes glow, "It's time."

Ironwood steps back, "(Y/n). I need soldiers out on the front now! You two follow me." Ironwood points at two women near the door and leaves out of the room to find small puddles of black substance on the floor. "Are those from the Lieutenant?" One of them asks. Ironwood and the soldiers follow the puddles until they see you down the hall looking outside. They go down the glass hallway until they look at what you were looking at. "When Winter returns, I will be fighting too. You are not to tell me no."

Monstra flies over to the City of Atlas and crashes lands on one of its farms. The whale opens its mouth, and Grimm Liquid comes flooding out. A variety of Grimm spawn, including Manticores, Teryxes, Megoliaths, Boarbatusks, Apathy, Ursai, Beowolves, and winged Beringels.