Here is the second half! This is where things get emotional! So, you should literally hang on to your butts this time...

Here we go!

P.S.: Kudos to Insane Dominator and Tobi Yaza for beta reading this chapter. Very much appreciated.

"Choice, Creation, Destruction, and Knowledge. Each Relic contains a specific ability; a last gift left behind by the Brothers. May not be efficient as to what I have now, but it is still very useful."

"You don't say."

"There is a catch, however. In order to obtain a Relic, one must first unlock it. But only one person is capable of pulling off such a feat; and I know who. I don't mind if you lend me a hand on unlocking the Relic of Knowledge, Spring Maiden. But, I don't think you are willing to do that for me. I have already sensed that you two are planning on taking the Relic for your own."

"You are correct."

"I do not intend on fighting you two. Know this: If you strike me now, then there will be the possibility that only one of us will make it out of here alive."

"I'll take my chances."

Blake Belladonna had done it.

After years of nihilistic hatred, years of absurd terrorism, years of uncivil violence, it would finally be put to rest: The White Fang was going back to its roots; and the feline faunus had planned it all with her family in the past few months.

It wasn't easy, though. Blake had to go through a lot to get to this point; and it all started with the Fall of Beacon. It was an incident that she truly wanted to forget, but the events that she had witnessed and taken part of still lingered in her mind...

The Grimm invading...

Beacon's tower getting destroyed...

The White Fang causing havoc on the school grounds...

The loss of her friends...

It was all too much for her. Because of those events, Blake did the one thing that she was born to do: she ran.

The days that followed changed the feline faunas. She began to be more cautious, coldhearted, and even arrogant. Looking at those days now, made Blake feel guilty and regretful; especially how she treated one of her closest friends.

That friend of hers, Sun Wukong, had followed her. He wanted to know why she left her team. In the beginning, she didn't tell him. However, she did told him where she was going; and despite telling him, Sun had already decided to stay with her.

Blake went back to her birthplace: Menagerie. There, she reunited with her parents.

But the heartwarming reunion did not last very long, as informants to the White Fang arrived at her home. It seemed that wherever she went, her past would always follow. She was, however, still happy to see her parents again. It had been a very long time since she last saw their warm faces.

It did not change the fact to where she was currently.

An incident had followed when Blake and Sun encountered a White Fang spy near their house. It sadden the feline faunas to find out who the spy was; Ilia Amitola, an old friend of hers. After Ilia injured Sun, that was when she finally told him why she left her team: Blake didn't want to put her friends in danger...

...That was what she once thought about.

Sun scolded her; because of this. He told her that pushing her friends away would only make things worse... and that was enough to help her change her ways.

During their first encounter with Ilia, they had managed to grab important intel off of her, and what they found was horrifying. The White Fang would be staging a coup d'tat on their leader and plan an attack on Haven Academy.

That was where Blake had decided.

No more running.

No more hiding.

It was time for her to finally take action and stand up for what she believed in... she was going to take back what was once hers.

And it had all led to this.

With the help of her parents, Sun, and eventually Ilia and the majority of Menagerie (the latter two was a whole other story), Blake was able to make it in time to stop the White Fang from destroying Haven. The united forces of Menagerie and the police of Mistral were now surrounding the White Fang; the bombs they placed all around the school were disarmed by Ilia.

"I told you, Adam. It's over...," Blake glared at her former comrade and now current leader of the White Fang; who had just tried to blow up the whole school with everyone in the blast radius.

She can easily tell Adam Taurus was furious. His plans were falling apart right in front of everybody; and that simply was just an embarrassment for him. He had every intent to kill her, right now...

But she was definitely not going to let that happen.

*rumble*

Out of nowhere, the ground beneath them began to shake. She and many others were able to stay on their feet, while some had toppled onto each other.

The tremor lessen and then it was gone.

Blake lowered her eyebrows; suspicious. This wasn't the first time she felt this. The tremors were ongoing; ever since she arrived. The one that had just gone off felt more violent than any of the others.

Like her, Adam too was suspicious. He swiftly turn his head back towards the closed entrance of Haven. "What's going on in there!?" Adam called out in annoyance. Blake a while back found out that he was working for someone. She didn't know who, but she can already tell that Adam's informant was not a good person.

Silence was the only answer for Adam's call; thus making the bull faunas even more annoyed.

Blake, however, was on high alert. In all her years in the White Fang,...

...she knew silence was the best type of death.

BOOM!

Suddenly, everyone outside heard an explosion rumbling inside the school.

Blake first thought that Ilia had not found all of the bombs. But then she realized that this was a different type of explosion. The sound that she felt wasn't a high pitch; the sound was much lower than that.

Then, a few moments after the loud boom was heard, everyone noticed a projectile smashing through the front doors... that was what almost everyone first thought.

But to Blake, her parents, Adam, Sun, and even Ilia, they noticed that it wasn't a projectile at all.

It was a human being.

And, it was someone that Blake had known since her first day at Beacon...

"YANG!"

Much, much earlier...

Somewhere in Atlas...

Cold.

That is the only thing a human/faunas being can feel when they step outdoors, and that is the only thing they can feel throughout every day and every night.

The kingdom of Atlas was known for their arctic, tundra landscape. With it so close to the northern pole of Remnant, from the earliest records, the landscape forced people to adapt the near sub zero temperatures; the only upside being that it kept the Grimm at bay. The people who wanted to live here, had worked through tooth and nail to survive. As a result, Atlas became the most advanced kingdom in all of Remnant.

From their sharp, militaristic skills...

To the creation of the Schnee Dust Company...

To the small difficulty of expanding their territory...

Many people called that time "a golden age of prosperity". But, to others...

" 'The coldest winter they ever knew'?" an unknown human male muttered to himself, as he continues walking through the deep snow beneath him. He then grunted, "Ironic."

Walking through the blizzard that fell over him, was a dark-skinned man with long, dark blue hair and green eyes; with the inclusion of a blue tint shining around his pupils, and a dark eyeshadow surrounding his eyes. Over him, was a high collared, black cloak that covered most of his body; with the exception of his right arm. In addition, a necklace filled with sharp red claws hang around his neck, a sash was tied around his waist, a gold ring was tighten around his upper right arm, and the only clothing that he wore was a pair of baggy pants.

The most interesting feature the man had were these light blue draconic markings that covered his pants, his cloak, and even his entire body.

Now, if anyone was near this man, they would've been wondering why he was only wearing a cloak, while instead he should be wearing a more sophisticated outfit; so he wouldn't be freezing to death. Their were two answers. The first: it wouldn't matter. Unlike most people, this man was used to the chilling temperatures; hence to why he was also not shivering.

The second: he would've killed you on instinct.

"I should be there, by now," the man sneered, as the blizzard began to get worse. It had been a few hours since he arrived in Atlas. The sun had set not too long ago and darkness had spread throughout the sky. While the arrival of the night didn't complicate things, it did however annoyed him at some level. But his Grandeur had told him to keep a low profile.

His other form would've alerted the entire kingdom.

But unlike his Grandeur, the man had little knowledge about the world of Remnant. It was only what his Grandeur told him, that he complied with his orders.

Apparently, there was an event not too long ago that had drastically affected all the kingdoms. The man did not know the full details of the incident, but what he can remember was that most of the blame was put on Atlas. This brought up tensions between the kingdoms, and because of the fear of war, Atlas had to close down their borders.

So basically, what Atlas 'did' left them in the dark.

With no way in...

...and no way out.

The man smiled; a small glimpse of his sharp teeth appearing from his lips. He found the situation amusing. With borders shut down, that meant the people had no where to run and no where to hide; thus making it a whole lot easier for the man to begin the killing spree that would soon be brought upon the people of Atlas. However, he knew that wasn't his objective today. Him killing too many humans would not sit well with his Grandeur.

The man was brought out of his thoughts when he finally noticed the dim lights in the distance. A long sigh of relief washed through his nose. "Finally," the man said, before continuing his journey. The smile that he had on his face never disappeared. "Let the carnage begin," he announced.

In silence, Acnologia praised the Mad Titan.

In Haven...

Thanos had warned them.

All the Mad Titan wanted was to unlock the Vault, take the Relic, and leave. He had zero intention on fighting anyone here.

But, that didn't mean he was prepared for it. It was only a matter of time before the violence came into fruition. He clearly saw what was coming; right when he entered this school. It may have been bad luck on his side... or it may have been bad luck on their side. He didn't really care which was which. He just wanted to get the job done.

Although, Thanos did felt pity for the two Maidens; who were in the middle of charging up to him for the first time. They didn't know what they were up against. But, as he looked into their eyes, he saw something that he had seen in many people throughout his entire lifetime: courage. They both had years of combat experience. They had faced death in more ways than they can count. They didn't care what they were facing. All they knew was that he was their enemy... and they wanted to put him down mercilessly.

The Mad Titan was disappointed. Oh, how wrong they are, he thought.

Just as the two Maidens closed in on him, Thanos uses his right arm brace to pivot Raven's ice blade. He then tilts his head to dodge her incoming body; followed by a swift punch towards Cinder's torso.

The Fall Maiden barely react in time for the incoming fist. Using evasive maneuvers, Cinder twists her makeshift doubled-edge sword in front of her; just as the Mad Titan's fist landed on the flaming surface.

Sadly, the Fall Maiden was not able to react what happen next.

The fist easily broke through the sword and landed on its mark. A decent amount of pain erupted through her body, as a decent amount of her Aura shattered from the blow.

The scary thing about it was that the Mad Titan did not have to use any of the Infinity Stones for that strike.

Raven had just landed safely on the ground behind the Titan; when she barely noticed the wind getting knock out of Cinder and landing far back at the entrance. She only had a brief moment to describe what just happen in front of her. In that moment, she quickly guessed that the Thanos was much stronger than she thought he was. It also made sense to her; the Mad Titan was not from their world, so he was bound to have such strength that was higher than theirs. This is not gonna be easy, Raven clarified.

She was right. Not known to the Maidens, this wasn't the first time that Thanos had to take on multiple enemies at once. While some were a bit challenging, the Mad Titan was able to overcame his opponents with ease. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he overcame these frauds...

As Thanos watched Cinder slowly get back up from his attack, he was able to sense the Spring Maiden's upcoming attack. He quickly turn around and notices a horizontal line of ice daggers flying towards him. With a clench of his Infinity Gauntlet, the Time Stone instantly went into effect; causing all of the ice daggers to melt. Only water was left to splash onto his armor.

The Mad Titan's revealed ability left Raven stunned for a moment. She had, once in her lifetime, seen a semblance that can control time. But the power Thanos had pulled off wasn't even close to what she remembered.

Before she could process this any further, Raven noticed Cinder using a technique she had used on her fallen ally not so long ago.

Unfortunately, Thanos was able to sense this as well. Turning his head, the Mad Titan noticed Cinder's Grimm arm rapidly stretching towards him.

To Raven, the limb was like a Griffon.

But to Thanos, it was like a turtle.

With just a turnaround, the Mad Titan easily hand-locks with Cinder's Grimm arm with his left hand.

As he did so, the Mad Titan had also knew that the Spring Maiden was not done yet. With his right arm brace, the Mad Titan once again blocked another ice sword from her; this one larger than the last one.

Now the Mad Titan was deadlocked between the Fall Maiden and the Spring Maiden. The fight had only begun; and Thanos had never moved from his original spot.

"Your efforts are futile," Thanos proclaimed with a bored look on his face. Cinder and Raven could only sneer, as they try to even the odds against him.

Their arrogance once again did not faze the Mad Titan. He could already tell they were struggling, but he knew not to conclude things too soon. There was more to it than meets the eye; as mortals would always say. He can feel the large chunk of power inside both of the Maidens that had yet to be unleashed. He knew they were holding back, and he wanted to see that power.

Although, Thanos knew that it wasn't wise to plead for such a challenge. He had to earn it, first.

As the Maidens continue to break through, the Mad Titan looks back at Cinder. "Maiden, you could've stolen the power within my gauntlet at any time now. However, that would not have been a smart decision," Thanos suddenly spoken. This made both Maidens shocked by the sudden revelation, more specifically Cinder herself. The Mad Titan was right, though. With the ability to stretch out to unnatural proportions, Cinder's Grimm arm also had the ability to absorb Aura; including a person's soul. Her arm originally was intended for stealing the rest of the Seasonal Maidens' powers.

While Cinder, and any other professional Huntsman/Huntress, had the ability to sense one's Aura, she, like Raven and the ones upstairs, was not able to sense Thanos' Aura. However, for some strange reason, she was able to sense the power within the Infinity Gauntlet. The energy that she felt was far greater than Raven's Aura alone. Earlier on, for a moment, instead of the Spring Maiden's powers, Cinder wanted to take the power of the stones for herself.

But that was when she noticed something else. Something even more deadlier than the power of the Infinity Stones: Instability.

"No other mortal can wield the power of the Infinity Stones," the Mad Titan. Just as he finished, the Space Stone suddenly activated.

Raven suddenly felt her whole body being pulled away from Thanos by an invisible force. The pull was so hard that it send her back towards the entrance to the Relic; her body slamming on the door's surface and sending her back to the ground.

The Mad Titan immediately switched to the Power Stone.

It was then that Cinder noticed her entire Grimm arm instantly glowing in a purple light. Sharp pain followed. On instinct, the Fall Maiden immediately retracted her limb from the Mad Titan, as she clenched her teeth in agony. She then looks at her Grimm arm. The glow had dispersed, but the limb itself was smoking violently.

The experience surprised her even more. One second, she was trying to get the upper hand on Thanos. The next thing she knew, her limb was on the brink of exploding off her body.

"I looked into your memories, Fall Maiden," Thanos answered Cinder's unasked question. Cinder looked back up from her arm in anger, while Raven did so too from the ground, as the Mad Titan continued looking at her with a bit of amused look on his face. "I did so when I first laid my eyes on you. You have had a horrible childhood. Like many children in this world, you had no home, no family, no food in your belly..." he then paused for a moment, as it reminded him of the other worlds he visited; something that the two Maidens would never understand. He frowns, "It was only until you met Salem that your life improved. She inspired you; thus you followed her. She taught you to be what you are today. You did what she told you to do... and look at what she turn you into."

That was when Cinder snapped.

Her good eye instantly glows in a fiery orange, as she charges at the Mad Titan at a high speed. In return, Thanos blocked the incoming blow from her makeshift blade with his left arm brace; a resulting mild shockwave forming after.

"Don't you dare insult my master," Cinder growled in fury.

Unfazed yet again, Thanos replied, "Who said I was?"

Just as he did with Raven, the Mad Titan activated the Space Stone and fiercely sent her over the bridge and towards the cavern wall.

It was only when the Spring Maiden made her next move. The Mad Titan was prepared for another strike, but was a bit taken off by her jumping over him. He looks up and notice her aiming a ice bow and arrow above him. Nevertheless, Thanos was able to dodge the incoming arrows as he jumped back from the incoming arrows; his first movement before the fight began.

The next thing he saw was an explosion erupting from where Cinder was placed in. Even though Thanos couldn't see her, he can tell she was now telekinetically throwing large pieces of rock that were blown off.

The Mad Titan can now see this fight was starting to get intense, and the surface he was on did not have a lot of space.

He had to go airborne.

Thanos then jumped off of the bridge, just before the rocks hit their mark, and sticks his limbs within the other side of the cavern. He looks back towards the Maidens, who were looking back at him in anger, "I'm ending this skirmish! Now!"

Raising his Infinity Gauntlet in the air, the Mad Titan did the next worst thing. He clenches his Gauntlet, with the Power Stone glowing in effect. The Maidens both hear a rumbling from above.

They both look up and notice the entire ceiling glowing in a purplish tint. While Raven didn't know what was going to happen, Cinder knew very well what was about to come down on them.

And so, the destruction began.

Somewhere in Vacuo...

Hot.

That is the only thing a human/faunas being can feel when they step outdoors, and that is the only thing they can feel throughout every day and every night.

The Kingdom of Vacuo was known for their sandy dunes and desolate wastelands.

It wasn't always like this, though.

In the beginning, Vacuo was an oasis. Natural resources flourished, geographical defenses kept the people safe, and their economy thrived with the largest deposit of Dust in the world. Unlike the other kingdoms, Vacuo didn't have the need to adapt. They already had everything they needed to survive.

That was until the Great War happen.

Simply put, the rest of the world found out what Vacuo had and set their eyes on claiming these resources for their own. Brutal conflict followed. Disasters came crashing down on the civilians. The whole kingdom was soon swept clean.

Now, these days, the civilians live in makeshift homes. The sad part about it was they couldn't stay forever. Fleeting resources... constant Grimm attacks... the innocent had nowhere to stay. However, a formal government was put in place after the War, but the people never truly cared for its laws. The only thing they cared about was their wellbeing.

"If you can survive there, then you're welcome here," people always said.

Survival of the fittest.

What was once a paradise, was now a dystopia.

"I now understand why my Grandeur is so upset with these lands," an unknown human male said out loud, as he continues walking through the deep sand beneath him, "It almost reminds me of home."

Walking through the sandy wind, was a man with waist-length, spiky, black hair that covered his right eye. He was wearing crimson armor with numerous metal plates; thus forming protective guards on his chest, waist, shoulders, and thighs. A metal belt, with a brown sash, was tied around his waist. Within the armor, was a blue tanned trench coat and pants, and white bandages that covered his legs. He also wears blue tanned gloves and sandals. On his back, was an orange-brown gunbai.

If anyone was near him, they would've mistaken this man as a Huntsman. Sadly, that wasn't the case.

"I am curious," the man continued, as he crossed his arms, "Why do these lands look so hopeless, while the rest of this planet is holding their own? Perhaps it is the diversity... or they just don't care. The latter seems cruel; pathetic even. I don't care what the answer is. It is not my objective," he pauses for a moment, as he narrows his eyes, "However, these worthless kingdoms still disgust me."

It was true. The way the Kingdom of Vacuo was currently working made him sick to his stomach.

But what made him feel even more disgusted was the history behind the current state of Vacuo. Greed from the other kingdoms made Vacuo fall to their knees; especially since it was during the Great War. "This planet, like many others, will always follow the path of victory and defeat. I would've enjoyed Remnant, if they haven't had their Great War. But, I know that would never be the case. War will always follow after peace. There will never be a solution... or, at least soon, there would have been. That is the reason why I follow him."

As the man finished his small monologue, he had just stopped near the edge of a sandy cliff; overlooking the once beautiful city down below. He silently looks down at the Huntsman Academy that stood very close near the downtown area of Vacuo.

"It's sad for them to endure more suffering... I'll make their deaths quick," the man said.

As he began traversing down the cliff and towards the city, it was then that Madara Uchiha silently praised the Mad Titan.

In Haven, above the Vault...

Darkness.

That's all that Yang Xiao Long saw in her unconscious state. Thankfully, she wasn't down long as to when she had her arm sliced off; and it wasn't as painful either. Never did she, or any of her friends, thought about an alien setting foot on their world and stomping the place like its their property. Well, unfortunately, it did happen to her today; and it was during the worst kind of situations too!

Of all the days she had lived in her lifetime, this was the most annoying.

Yang groaned, as her self-consciousness finally came up to her. Her vision was fuzzy, but she can clearly tell she was laying on her stomach. Her body was still sore from the impact she had made some time ago. She slowly raises her robotic arm and rubs her forehead. "What the hell...," she blurted, as she continued to feel her muscles ache.

Eventually, her vision cleared and she was able to get a good look on her surroundings. They were not looking good at all. The first thing she noticed was the bodies of her friends and enemies lying in a similar fashion as she was before.

That was when her instincts kicked in. Yang frantically looked to her left and found her younger half-sister lying next to her; her back turned towards her. "Ruby!" she shouted. Yang quickly shifted herself and crawled up beside her sister. She then rolled Ruby onto her back and pressed her forehead on her sister's chest.

A heartbeat momentarily followed.

Good. She's just unconscious, Yang thought, as she finally stood back up. With her sister now safe, Yang looked around once more. She can still remember how she was knocked out. "It must've been that Thanos guy that did this...," Yang recalled. She then felt a shiver down her spine. It was scary for her to believe that the Mad Titan was able to knock all of her friends out at once. But, there was no denying it. She saw what happen. "I hope everyone else is okay," she then muttered...

Wait.

Yang then looked to her left again and notice something odd about her other teammate. Weiss was seen lying on her back, but the weird part of her was that she wasn't bleeding anymore. In fact, there was no blood on her outfit at all; just a small tear in her clothing where she was impaled by Cinder. Yang was now confused. She knew that Jaune was healing Weiss with his recently unlocked Semblance before she was knocked out. But, she never thought that his Semblance can be this strong. Or maybe... it wasn't him?

She then notice something else, near her teammate.

Lying on the other side of the staircase, within some rubble, Yang noticed that Hazel was in a bit of a worse state than everybody else. A large tear in the chest section of his shirt was shown, along with several second-degree burn marks on his skin. She would've felt sympathy if Hazel was her friend. But, he wasn't. Still, it did worry her. Before she was knock out, Hazel had his Semblance on. With it activated, he can't feel pain. So what worried Yang was how was he able to feel pain when his Semblance was still on?

"Did Thanos do this to him?" Yang said, feeling a bit shocked, "What the heck is going on?"

*rumble*

Suddenly, Yang felt a small, violent tremor beneath her feet. The tremor caused the entire room to shake; dust from the ceiling, the walls, and the upper floor falling to the ground and cracks forming all around her. Yang was barely able to stand, as the tremor slowly quieted down.

What was that?, she thought.

*rumble*

Yang felt another tremor, this one a bit calmer. She then looks towards the opening to the Vault, as she notices a thick pillar of smoke rising from the entrance. "Thanos must be down there," she realized, "But, who's he... oh shit."

Yang remembered, that before the Mad Titan arrived, her mother, Cinder, and Vernal were down there attempting to open the door to the Relic. She can feel her fists clenching in annoyance. "This doesn't make any sense. Why is he fighting those three? Shouldn't he be helping them? Wait, what am I saying? Of course he won't. Looked what he did to Hazel," she clarified once more, looking back at the large man. "But..., why is he doing this?"

It was then that Yang remembered a key quote the Mad Titan had said before:

"Where is the Relic?"

Yang took off in a short sprint. Before she could push on though, the girl stopped and looked back at her fallen friends. What she was doing was very dangerous and very risky. She knew she couldn't take him on alone. But, she also knew that they, even her enemies, were in a tight spot right now. It was only a matter of time before Thanos could get his hands on the Relic.

And she was damn sure that's not going to happen.

So, without wasting anymore time, Yang jumped out of the frying pan...

...and into the fire.. literally.

Minutes Earlier...

When the rocks fell down, Cinder Fall and Raven Branwen made their moves.

And so did Thanos.

The Fall Maiden jumped off from the side of the cavern and landed on a stalactite, while the Spring Maiden dodged an incoming large rock and jumped onto a stalactite in front of Cinder.

Thanos jumped off from his side, as well, while also landing on his own stalactite. But he did not stayed there forever. He immediately jumped off from piece of rock to another, while dodging and parrying a vision of fire and ice arrows launched by the two Maidens. As he closed in, he began retracting his Infinity Gauntlet out for a massive blow; the Space Stone glowing in effect.

Raven quickly noticed and jumped back at the last second. However, the Space Stone was able to prevent more stalactites and other large pieces of rock from falling onto the bridge or down in the abyss.

Now, the three were all fighting out in a hovering battlefield. Everyone's reactions did not last long...

As the Mad Titan straighten himself, he sensed an incoming Cinder zooming towards him. Quickly crossing his arms over his face, he blocked the large fire sword; creating a more violent shockwave than before.

Then, as Thanos began putting more pressure on Cinder's sword, he quickly sensed Raven behind him. He retracted his left arm and blocked an incoming punch from the Spring Maiden. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to blocked Cinder's swift kick towards his chest plate.

Even though he didn't feel any pain, Thanos was sent back a few feet. He stops shortly near the edge of the stalactite and sharply looks back at the two Maidens, who were finally now holding their ground. "Not bad," the Mad Titan complimented, which the Maidens did not take, "But lets try that again."

Just as he finished, Thanos activated the Reality Stone. It was then that Cinder and Raven noticed a pair of dual swords, one forming on each hand. When the mergence completed, the Mad Titan raised his swords out towards the Maidens. They both took it as an offer to fight once more.

They accepted it.

With their own blades forming parallel to each other, Cinder and Raven both charged in; with the Mad Titan doing the same.

They both clashed in the middle of the stalactite.

However, the impact of Thanos' swords on their own was strong enough to push them back. Through their reflexes, the Maidens were able to make a safe landing and charged in again; this time with their eyes glowing to power up their attacks.

Unfortunately for them, the Mad Titan was still able to hold his ground; and that literally annoyed the two.

It was then that they decided to take a new approach.

With Cinder in the air and Raven on the ground, the two Maidens continuously spun around the Mad Titan in top speed, as they attempt to find an opening to pierce through Thanos' defenses. The Mad Titan watched casually; like it was nothing. Multiple attempts did plan out above and below, but Thanos was able to redirect their strikes.

Eventually, the Maiden's continuous assault started to annoy Thanos. Right after he redirected a slash from Cinder, the Mad Titan quickly dispersed his swords and activated the Space Stone.

The stone's power froze the Maidens in place. They were about to attempt to break free from their hold when Thanos made his next move.

Using more of the Space Stone's power, the Mad Titan violently pushed Cinder back within another midair large rock; followed by giving Raven a sucker punch to her chest, sending her off the edge of the floating surface.

Thanos knew the Fall Maiden would break out soon, so he decided to turn the odds in his favor. With the Space Stone once more, Thanos telekinetically grasped the large rock and threw it down towards the stalactite he was on. The Mad Titan jumped onto another stalactite, so he wouldn't caught in the mess.

As he watch the large rock collided with the stalactite, Thanos instantly sense an incoming Spring Maiden. With his fist ready, the Mad Titan spun around and swung his clenched Infinity Gauntlet towards Raven's powered ice-covered fist. Both fists collided, creating a small shockwave.

"You can't walk away from this, can you?" Thanos said to the Spring Maiden.

Raven just 'tsk', as she glared at him, "Does that even matter now?"

The Mad Titan lowered his eyebrows in disappointment, "You do not understand me."

"I don't want to hear another word!" Raven screamed, as she created a small dagger in her free. She then thrust it towards the Mad Titan's neck.

However, Thanos was able to intercept it with his other hand with ease; crushing the dagger and grabbing ahold of Raven's other hand. Now the two interlocked with one another. "Such arrogance," the Mad Titan stated. With a quick look on her face, Thanos was able to tell the difference between Raven and Cinder.

Cinder was sinister and nihilistic. She's a person who would destroy anything and anyone in her path to get what she wanted the most. She would always pick the right people to trust and the right people to kill. The Fall Maiden was almost like him; but her way of reaching her goals were more... forceful. But when her plans ultimately fail, or if you just push her buttons, she would lash out in rage.

Raven, however, was stone cold and introverted. She can also be sarcastic and arrogant at times. There really was no main goal for her. Whatever she saw in sight that caught her interest, she would just take it without any regrets; sort of like 'the end justifies the means'. However, there was something else about her that Thanos disapproved.

"Spring Maiden, I did not lie about looking into the Fall Maiden's memories," the Mad Titan began, "Through the Mind Stone, I saw every single moment of her life. It affected me. For someone like her to sacrifice her own humanity to deeply follow the one she trusts the most, is sad; yet also horrific... ...Yours, however, is different."

When Thanos finished, Raven felt her eyes widen once more. She quickly realized what the Mad Titan meant: not only did he looked into Cinder's memories, but he also looked into her memories, as well.

"That girl with the one arm..., the one of many that I have met above,... she's your daughter, isn't she?" Thanos solemnly stated, as he directly looks at the conflicted look on Raven's face; the glow in her eyes disappearing, "Do not mistake me, Spring Maiden. I have no intention in harming her. Frankly, I too have a daughter who feels the same way as your daughter does... They both hate us for our actions," Thanos paused for a moment, as he silently breathed out through his nose in discomfort, "Tell me,... why did you leave her? Was it because of the knowledge you had of Salem that made you want to protect her? It could be that. The missions you went on with your team were dangerous," he paused again, this time shooting a fierce glare at her, "Or maybe,... you just didn't care. You had no interest in staying with your newfound family. You just wanted to get back to the place where you belonged and pretend like those events never happen at all."

As the Mad Titan continued with his monologue, Raven felt shivers shooting down her spine. Even so, she barely fought her way through her mental state and ignored all the bad signs that she sensed from the alien's words. She didn't want to hear what he was speaking; nor she didn't care. All that she could feel was the anger surging in her body.

But what the Mad Titan said next, almost made her feel something crack inside her heart.

"You thought forgetfulness would set you free," Thanos began to finish, "You thought running away would solve your problems. You thought claiming this power was mercy... I don't see that logic, Spring Maiden... All I see... ...is a coward."

It was just then that both of them heard an explosion of flames being set off behind them. Cinder Fall had just arose from the debris; her clothing covered in dust and pebbles and a large bloodied cut shown on her left cheek.

She was furious.

Setting her eyes on the Mad Titan, Cinder screams out of rage and zooms towards Thanos at the highest speed possible.

Unfortunately yet again, the Mad Titan was still able to detect her.

Using the momentum, Thanos put pressure on Raven's hands and swung her entire body around; directly slamming Cinder's flaming body, just as she was about to catch him off guard. The Mad Titan let go of Raven, and both Maidens were sent a good distance away; stopping near the edge of the stalactite.

The impact of Cinder's body, made Raven refocus. As she did so, the Spring Maiden felt just as mad as the Fall Maiden.

Raven quickly got back on her feet, while Cinder struggled a bit to stand.

The Mad Titan watched as both Maidens' eyes glowed liked never before.

He can finally feel it.

Cinder and Raven were at their full power, and they were ready to unleash hell on Thanos. However, they were both exhausted; their auras were almost drained. Deep down, the two Maidens had finally realized that they were no match for the Mad Titan. Whatever they tried to do, Thanos would always be prepared for it.

The kick that Cinder landed on him was only a lucky shot.

Still, that didn't mean they were gonna give up. The two have come so close to their objective, that they were not willing to back down.

They were out of options, but they didn't care. All they need to do was land one final blow on the Mad Titan.

So, they charged in one last time.

And so did Thanos.

The Maidens jumped off from the surface, and so did the Mad Titan.

All pulled back their fists, as they all initiated their battle cries. Cinder and Raven both powered up their arms to their maximum potential, while Thanos didn't have the need to.

They close in...

...and they collide.

The Maidens' fists colliding with the Mad Titan's Infinity Gauntlet sent a huge shockwave throughout the Vault. All the stalactites and large rocks that hovered all around them shattered from the force of their blow; it even almost crack the entire bridge.

The shockwave ended in a matter of seconds, and all combatants fell down towards the bridge.

Raven tumbled onto the surface near the doubled-doors; her back colliding with the wall once again.

Cinder tumbled onto the surface near the entrance; her front facing away from the others, as she laid there barely conscious.

Thanos landed safely on his feet in the middle of the bridge, as the remaining pieces of the rocks fell around him.

The Mad Titan can see the Maidens' Auras shimmering away; leaving themselves vulnerable. There's no use for them to fight anymore, he thought. His battle with them was over, and he, like all the other times he fought, had merged victorious.

Now, there was only one thing left to do.

Thanos noticed Raven struggling to push herself off from the door; her legs were shaking and her breathing was hasty. The Mad Titan hummed in disappointment, as he began walking towards where she laid. He would've felt pity for the tribe leader, just as he did with Cinder. But, he knew her true nature... and that made him feel only anger.

Eventually, the Mad Titan closed the distance between him and the Spring Maiden. Raven was still sitting on the ground when he arrived; making him feel less sympathetic for her.

He then crouched down and make direct eye contact with Raven. "Had enough?" Thanos asked, with an unamused tone.

Raven could only clench her teeth, as blood dripped down on the side of her forehead. "Shut up," she snarled.

The Mad Titan was not fazed by her rotten temper. Instead, he replied, "Just as I thought. Your arrogance will get you nowhere, Spring Maiden. There will always be flaws within you; and today, those flaws have put you to where you are now."

Raven just sneered back at him.

"I am impressed, though," Thanos stated, "I never imagined our fight would last this long. You and the Fall Maiden have quite the skill. You could've used that power to help balance this world. Instead, you chose otherwise."

Raven grunted and looks away from him; clenching her teeth once more.

"It is not too late," the Mad Titan continued, making Raven look at him again, "You can still do the right thing. Remnant may have the remains of their past, but it is not forever lost. You, your tribe, and many others can still pick up the pieces and reshape it into a new reality; and to do that,... ...you must open this door for me."

Raven did not give the time for her to think up an answer. There was no need to. She already had it, before the Mad Titan had finished his words: "Never."

Thanos then frowns and lowers his eyebrows. He can tell there was no use in asking Raven to help him.

He really didn't want to do this. He thought using his power would be a waste, and that he find the Spring Maiden as an alternative. But since she was not going to open the door to the Relic, the Mad Titan had to take a matter in his own hands.

"Fine," Thanos said darkly, as he stands back up, "I'll do it myself."

The Mad Titan then activated the Reality Stone.

Raven suddenly felt a weird sensation on the door she was leaning on. She looks up and noticed the large double doors shining in a red glow. What is he.., Raven began to think.

That was when she saw it.

In an instant, the entirety of the double doors had vanished into dust; leaving the entrance to the Relic of Knowledge wide open.

The Spring Maiden couldn't comprehend what just happened in front of her. It was beyond impossible. From the knowledge she had learned from Ozpin, the only way to open a Vault's door was the power of a specific Maiden. When she claimed the power of the Spring Maiden, Raven knew that she was the only person on Remnant to open the Vault inside Haven Academy.

And Thanos had just done that with a clench of his gauntlet.

"No...," Raven breathed out, before she was grabbed by the Mad Titan and thrown down across the bridge.

Thanos then turns back at the entrance. What he saw almost astounded him. Through the once double doors, the Mad Titan noticed the scenery had changed. The area was filled in a desert landscape; with sand being blown in the air by the wind. It was almost as if he was transported to another part of the world.

Standing on a lone pillar, several feet away, was a golden lantern. Within the lantern, contained a blue-greenish fire.

Thanos knew what he looking at. It was the one thing that he needed, when he first arrived. The lantern was the Relic of Knowledge.

The Mad Titan didn't take part in walking towards the Relic. He knew he would just waste more time. So, he took a shortcut. With the Space Stone activated, Thanos carefully telekinetically lifted the Relic off from the lone pillar and gently pulled the Relic towards him.

In just a matter of seconds, the Relic was in his right hand. Deactivating the Space Stone, Thanos brought the Relic up to his face and looked closely at the fire within. He can feel the immense power warming his skin. It felt... delightful.

The Mad Titan smiles for the first time.

But, his smile only lasted for a short moment.

Thanos quickly turn around and activated the Space Stone once more; stopping a stretched out Grimm limb from attacking him. He curled his Infinity Gauntlet back towards him, as the host was violently sent off from the ground and zoomed towards him. Then, within a few inches away from each other, Thanos deactivated the stone and grabbed Cinder's neck.

"It's not wise to attack from behind," Thanos commented, as he glared at the struggling Fall Maiden.

"L-Look who's t-t-talking," Cinder choked.

The Mad Titan only deepened his glare, "I can kill you, you know."

"T-Then do it," Cinder glared back. The woman was prepared to die. Her death at the hands of Thanos would signal Salem and the rest of her subordinates. The Grimm Queen will know about a third party in the mix of her war; and with this knowledge, Salem will do whatever it takes to bring this monster down.

That is; if she did die.

At first, Thanos started to comply with her statement. But suddenly, he retracted. Unknown to Cinder, the Mad Titan began to think. Unlike Raven, Thanos saw a lot of potential within Cinder. When he looked into her memories, Thanos noticed that the woman was still young with being the current Fall Maiden; and she had yet to fully master her powers. The Mad Titan wondered, with just the right training, she could be a deadly force to be reckon with; her Grimm arm was a bonus.

This wasn't the first time he had done this, but he knew it wouldn't be the last.

"No," Thanos plainly answered, as he let go of Cinder. The Fall Maiden collapsed to the ground below him. She slowly caught her breath, as the violent chokehold she was in almost made her suffocate. Momentarily, Cinder looks back up at the Mad Titan.

That was her biggest mistake.

Just as she arched her head up, Thanos gently placed his Infinity Gauntlet on her forehead; the Mind Stone activated. Cinder instantly felt her body shaking, and her vision clouding up in a blue shimmer. Her brain was shifting out of control; making her feel lightheaded. If her body's condition was stable, Cinder would've felt this raw energy coursing through her stem cells. But since it was not, the energy she felt.. was too great.

In under a few moments, the Fall Maiden passed out.

"I have plans for you, Cinder," Thanos looked down at the unconscious woman; grinning in appreciation.

"What is the point in all this?" The Mad Titan looks back up and noticed Raven kneeling on the ground; her hands placed on the surface and her hair overshadowing her eyes. "Why would you cause all this violence; just to get what you want?" Raven said.

"I didn't cause this fight," Thanos retaliated, "You did."

"But still, what does this all mean!?" Raven finally looked up at the Mad Titan, anger flashing from the glow within her crimson colored eyes. "Why do you need the Relics so badly!?"

"I already told you," Thanos reminded her, his voice becoming a bit more forceful, "The Relics are a piece of a large puzzle that needs to be set in place. Once I complete that puzzle, I will accomplish my mission."

"...Then what is your mission?" Raven asked again. Thanos was about to remind her again, when she continued, "You said that the problem in this universe is overpopulation; due to the lack of resources! How do you plan on fixing that problem, once you have everything you need!?"

The Mad Titan silently looked on at the frustrated Spring Maiden. From the look in her eyes, Thanos could tell she was desperate for an answer. It made sense. Despite the information he had given her, Raven knew very little about Thanos.

He wanted to change that.

"By erasing half of all life," Thanos calmly replied.

"...w...what?" Raven froze in shock. She did not expect the Mad Titan to give her that answer. She thought it would be something entirely different, like double the universe's resources. But no, it wasn't that. His answer struck a rare feeling within Raven; a feeling that she hadn't felt for a very long time.

Fear.

As Raven was trying to recollect her thoughts, Thanos scooped up Cinder with his left arm and placed over his shoulder. "When I had collected all six Infinity Stones, I tried to erase half of the universe with just a snap of my fingers," he began, "I had believed, right then and there, that I had completed my mission... Sadly, that wouldn't be the case. I had only erased part of the universe. I was lost. Frustrated; even. I never imagined the universe would be a lot bigger than what I originally thought. I had no idea what to do next... Until I met someone. He showed me a way to solve this ongoing problem. There are mystical artifacts throughout this region of the universe that I need to collect." He paused for a moment, while looking at the Relic he was holding, "These Relics... they are the first of many. Once I have all these artifacts, I will finally wipe out half of all life... Then, I will rest; and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe. The hardest choices require the strongest wills."

Raven was horrified. Never did she realize that Thanos' attempt of balancing the universe was to destroy half of all life; and plus he even tried to do it once before. For the first time in her life, she didn't want to think about the people who have had to suffer their unwanted deaths...

Still, there was one thing she didn't understand.

"...You said that you need all four Relics, right?" Raven hesitantly began. Thanos looked on, as she continued, "Do you know where the others are?"

"I do," the Mad Titan simply answered.

"Then it's not gonna be as simple as here," the Spring Maiden sharply glared at him, "Ever since the Fall of Beacon, all the other kingdoms are on high alert. I even got word that Atlas had closed their borders. So, if you were to go to either Atlas or Vacuo, then you're gonna face a lot of pressure there. You may find the Relic in Vale, but you will never find the others."

Thanos was unfazed by her warning. He would've felt even more disappointing, but he recalled that Raven did not know about his ability to transport to different locations with the Space Stone. But even so, it wouldn't make sense if he told her that.

Because he had no intention in going to anywhere else.

"That won't be necessary," Thanos began, "I have already accomplished my goal here on Remnant."

Raven was taken back by his answer. "What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is, I already have all the Relics," Thanos answered, as he began walking towards her. Once again, Raven froze in shock. "You see Spring Maiden, I already have my own subordinates in Vacuo and Atlas. As we are speaking right now, they are attacking the academies. In time, they will walk out of those kingdoms with the Relics in their hands and half of the population dead... As for Vale, there is no point. Just before I entered this school, I had gotten word that Salem has the Relic of Choice. Once I am done here, my subordinates and I will will head over to the Queen's lair and take the Relic from her by force."

"Your... y-your insane," the Spring Maiden breathed out.

The Mad Titan stops in front of the kneeling Raven, who was still in deep shock. "A small price to pay for salvation," He said, frowning yet again.

As he finished, Thanos saw something new within the Maiden. Within the cowardice, scared soul was something that really deeply described the tribe leader: Isolation. He realized the real reason why Raven left her family. It was because she was so used to being with her tribe. She didn't want to get into any outside problems. She wanted to be left alone... and her leaving her daughter caused her to dig up an even deeper hole; where she would stay buried within. He knew his last line clarified what Raven really was.

Weak.

Thanos knew what needed to be done.

"There's one thing I forgot to mention about you," the Mad Titan began, "Throughout your time in your tribe, you followed a code; a set of words that helps you describe and accept the world you live in. 'The strong survive, the weak perish.'. I have heard those words from many other beings like you... But, I did not agree with them; nor do I agree with you. There are no strong individuals in the universe. It only depends on the strength they have. There are, however, a few individuals that are truly weak. Those are the people who have done something so wrong, that they can't forgive themselves for it or they simply don't take notice," Thanos paused for a moment, as he looked down at the dazed Raven, "That is what I also see in you, Spring Maiden: Weak. You are weak. You feel as if giving everything away would made you feel secure. You abandon your allies, your daughter, and even your own brother, and replaced them. How would your allies feel if you ever met them again? I believe they would feel the same way as your relatives did. You have done so many things, made many decisions, and created many problems. You were at peace before you entered Beacon. You had a team, you had friends, and most importantly, you had a family... and you threw it all away."

Silence followed.

All the words that Thanos had said left Raven in a state where she wished she would never go to.

Her heart was pounding.

Her breathing was shallow.

Her pupils dilated.

Her mouth was open.

And tears were on the brink of falling out.

The Mad Titan then said one final question: "I ask you..., what did it cost?"

"...Everything," Raven whispered, as tears finally spilled out.

Thanos frowned once again; this time not of disappointment nor pity nor sadness... but neglect. He finally understand that she was too far gone; and that there was no going back. He knew she would never change.

The Mad Titan slowly placed his Infinity Gauntlet on top of her head.

"I hope they remember you,... ...Raven."

All six Infinity Stones activated.

Raven didn't feel any pain this time. Instead, she felt this hollow feeling slowly erupting throughout in her body.

It wasn't good.. nor was it bad.

It felt... mutual.

The woman's body briefly glowed in a bright, white light.

Then it immediately dimmed.

And that's when it happen.

Her arms...

Her legs...

Her chest...

Her face...

All of it...

As if the sound of pebbles hitting the ground was heard, the woman's body starts to fade away...

Until there was nothing left, but the dust of her remains...

Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet went back to his side, as he stared down at what was left of the Spring Maiden.

There was no denying it.

Raven Branwen was gone.

BOOM!

"NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The Mad Titan quickly arched his head back up and noticed the huge flaming aura that had erupted in the entrance to the Vault... and was already heading straight towards him; with the intent to kill.

Above...

"Where's Yang?" Ruby Rose called out; looking at Oscar Pine and her uncle Qrow. The 15 year-old silver eyed huntress had just woken from unconsciousness, along with almost everyone else, when she noticed her older sister missing.

Now normally, when they had woken up, both heroes and villains would've started fighting each other again, until they were put down permanently... or at least, if you were one of the bad guys. But these were unusual times.

When both sides had woken up, they slowly started questioning each other on what just happen to them. It was crazy; no, it was actually unprecedented. They had witnessed an alien walking into Haven and showed them like he was a god. Just one move of his had knocked almost everybody's lights out.

The one thing that did worry them, was the fact that not everyone had gotten back up.

Emerald and Mercury were checking on Hazel's condition, while Jaune, Nora, and Ren were checking on Weiss' condition. Ruby was with Oscar and Qrow; talking to them about their current situation. Lionheart was still above the balcony above the Vault's entrance; frantically looking around.

Things had taken an unexpected turn. Everyone was worried about the safety of their specific friends; more so for Emerald and Mercury. Those two were horrified on how Hazel was badly burned; they even thought that he was dead. But with the faint heartbeat they heard within him, made them sigh in relief.

With Weiss, however, some people were also curious. Unlike Hazel, the former heiress' condition was perfectly normal. But, what made people curious, especially Jaune and Ruby, was how did it come to this? Before they were knocked out, Weiss was on the verge of death; and now it seemed like it didn't happen at all.

It was strange.

*rumble*

Qrow was about to answer Ruby's question, when suddenly the area began to shake.

Everybody was able to stay on their feet; as the small tremor slowly diminished.

Everyone then began to wonder where that came from, while also being cautious. Both heroes and villains slowly pulled their weapons; all sensing the atmosphere immediately shifting into a dead silence. The exception was Lionheart, who was shivering in fear and feeling a multiple tingling down his spine.

"I got a bad feeling about this," Qrow whispered.

The dusty, old man was right.

BOOM!

It all happen in an instant.

One second the floor was fine...

Until a massive hole burst from the ground. Pieces of the maroon-colored floor and multitudes of rocks flew into the air. The force of the explosion had skid anyone close to the blast radius away; their faces being covered by their arms and/or weapons, as pieces of rock had successfully landed on their bodies.

There was one other thing from the debris; and who came out horrified the little Rose.

Within the rocks and floor tiles that were being blown away was Yang. Her stomach was violently bend back, as if she was punched so hard; that it almost made her unrecognizable. Her Aura quickly shimmered away, as her hair covered her face... and the most horrifying part, was that the piece of metal that she called her arm... was gone.

Everyone can only watched in complete shock, as the young huntress continued to fly across the room.

Eventually, she hit the ground and her body bounced off. She then continued to roll and bounce away, as her body smashed through Haven's doors; thus revealing the night sky and the countless number of White Fang members.

"YANG!" Ruby screamed, as she began to use her Semblance to catch up to her fallen sister. Her uncle and her friends followed after her; with Jaune carrying Weiss. Even Emerald and Mercury were following them, who both knew that their only ally left was safe inside.

Lionheart, however, didn't followed them. When he first saw Yang bursting from the ground, he just ran back deeper inside the school.

Everyone else had made it out, all noticing the commotion that was going on outside.

The school was surrounded!

Hundreds of faunas, all holding swords and makeshift shields, were circling around the large squad of White Fang. Mistral police forces were covering the night sky; their ships hovering above the school grounds. It was a sight to see... well, it would've been.

None of the young huntsmen or huntresses were looking at all this.

Instead, they were staring at a long lost friend.

"...Blake?" Ruby stared up at her former teammate in shock, as she kneeled next to her sister.

The feline faunas stared down at her former team leader, "...Ruby?"

"Well, well,... what a surprise."

Every single person in the area looked up at the sound of the deep, powerful, sinister tone of Thanos; who was standing right where the front doors once were. While everyone that was inside the school knew who he was, everyone outside had no clue. However, literally everyone can now feel the dark, deathly, almost hypnotic, aura that surrounded the Mad Titan.

Thanos looked over at the large group of people that gazed at him. He even noticed one of the lights from the airships above was shining over him; revealing more of his appearance. All this commotion didn't surprise him one bit; he had faced a lot of huge crowds before.

However, the revelation of them being here did.

"To think that the White Fang would be here of all places... Remnant never ceases to amaze me," Thanos booming voice was heard all around, as he walked down the steps from the entrance. No one can notice the small grin appearing on his lips.

"Cinder!" Emerald called out, now noticing her fallen master resting over the Mad Titan's shoulder. She, Mercury, and her enemies couldn't believe what they were seeing.

From the looks of it, Cinder Fall, the Fall Maiden, was defeated by the hands of an alien overlord; and what was even worse,... within Thanos' right hand was the one thing that they were all fighting for from the very beginning:

The Relic of Knowledge.

Bang!

The Mad Titan quickly hold up his left arm brace to block the incoming bullet that was fired by an enraged Qrow.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY NIECE!?" Qrow screamed, aiming Ruby's Crescent Rose, "AND HOW DID YOU GET THE RELIC!?"

Ruby, herself, was now surprised. Never did she remember seeing her uncle in such an angered state. Sure; she remembered her uncle getting angry before. But not this angry! What amazed her, though, was that she didn't saw Qrow grabbing her weapon from her arms.

...It almost scared her.

"THANOS!" Qrow screamed, as the Mad Titan remained silent.

"U-U-Uncle Qrow?" Ruby stuttered.

Qrow sharply look towards his other niece and noticed the shock look on her face. For a moment, he realized what he was doing. The aged huntsman was able to calm down and hand back her younger niece's weapon. "Sorry," he muttered.

Despite the man's sudden rage, Thanos was still unfazed. It almost felt familiar to him; this wasn't the first time he heard someone speak to him like that.

"Wait a minute," both relatives looked up by the sudden voice of Mercury; who strangely felt as if he had two heads, "Where's Raven and Vernal?"

This had caught all the other young huntsmen and huntresses' attention. They were so caught up with the all these new sudden problems, that they forgot to realize that Raven nor Vernal had not come out of the Vault.

Blake was a bit curious, too. She barely remembered the time when Yang talked to her about her true mother; about how she ran away and Yang trying to look for her. Now, Yang's mother was here? What does that even suppose to mean?

"Vernal...," Thanos called out, "The girl that laid beside the Fall and Spring Maiden. She was already dead when I arrived."

Wait, what!?, Qrow suddenly realized, Is he really saying that Raven was the Spring Maiden THE WHOLE TIME!? This new revelation shocked the aged huntsman; the most out of everyone close to him. He had always thought that Raven had the Spring Maiden, but he never imagined his own sibling being the true Spring Maiden all along... ...well played, sister.

"As for Ra-"

"So, your the one who has been causing all this ruckus!" Adam suddenly interrupted the Mad Titan. Thanos shifted his eyes towards the young White Fang leader. "Judging by what these insects think of you, you must have foiled half of our plans! That is something that I will not tolerate!"

That was a big mistake on Adam's part. Not known to them, it was very rude for someone to interrupt the Mad Titan. Those who have done so were not punished severely, but they were to lose his respect.

"...I take it your the current leader of the White Fang?" Thanos eventually asked.

Adam harden his glare under his mask, "I am," the bull faunas paused, as he slowly focused on the Mad Titan's body features. Strange to him, Adam couldn't find any faunas traits on Thanos; nor did he seem to be human. "As I look at you right now, you don't seem to be Faunas or Human. What are you, and why are you doing this to my people!?"

Blake could only glare at her former comrade. It was not because of his actions, since it was already enough for her to hate him, it was the way he was acting right now. Whenever she witness Adam talk to anyone that was not Faunas, he would always treat them like garbage; like as if they weren't even born to live. It sicken her to think that her former friend would go down this path.

However, she was curious about the 'elephant in the room'. From what she heard from Ruby's uncle, this being was named Thanos. Blake never heard a name like that before... but he was in no doubt her enemy. Thanos hurt her friend and former teammate.

Speaking of Thanos, the Mad Titan was solely staring silently at Adam. When he first laid his eyes on the bull faunas, all Thanos could think of him was one word: spite. He saw the once innocent, soft, honest little boy turned into a vicious, bloodthirsty monster. He was worse than Raven; but less than Salem. But, unlike Raven, he knew it wasn't Adam's fault. The bull faunas didn't chose this path on his own. He chose it because of inspiration. The White Fang's current ways inspired him to be the type of person he was today.

Thanos would not let this stand no longer.

"Your people...?" the Mad Titan began, his tone deepening in anger, "You tell me that the destruction of civilization is the way to help your people!?"

A brief burst of wind suddenly erupted from within the Mad Titan; causing everyone to get their guard up. They have not seen Thanos this angry before; so they can already tell something was about to go down.

"What is this man?" Ghira Belladonna muttered from within the Menagerie forces.

"You think unbalancing this world would give your people freedom?" Thanos began again, "Well, you are wrong child. From what I have learned, the White Fang was originally supposed to be a Faunas civil rights group; their goal being to unite the Faunas and the Humans as equals... peacefully." The Mad Titan then slowly raises his left hand and points towards the White Fang's first leader. "That is... until you left them."

The White Fang and the allied forces all turned their heads to Blake's father. Ghira himself was shock for him to hear the Mad Titan speaking this historical information. "What was it, Belladonna? Why did you stepped down? Was it the stress; was it too much for you? ...Or maybe the faunas eventually didn't want you to be their leader anymore?" Thanos interrogated him.

At first, the chieftain of Menagerie could only gaze at the Mad Titan. He, like everyone else, wasn't sure how he had learned this vital information... except one, however.

'Ozpin' knew how Thanos knew this; he told the immortal soul this when his friends were knocked out.

"The latter," Ghira finally answered, "There was a vote. Once every three years, the White Fang would have an election to determine who would be their new leader. I was outvoted by the majority. So, I stepped down and Sienna Khan took my place."

"And now she is dead; by the hands of the group that you had formed," Thanos immediately stated.

"I never wanted this to happen!" Ghira retaliated, his eyes filled with grief.

"I know you didn't... and I envy you. You should've stayed as leader, Belladonna," Thanos said in an understandable tone. He can see it. Ghira was only trying to do the right thing for his people... the right way. The Mad Titan then shifted his eyes back to Adam. "You see child, conflict is not the answer for the Faunas; nor is it for Remnant; nor is it for the universe. The only thing that you should be fighting for is peace... and the Grimm. If you still believe that violence is the answer to all problems, then you will only cause war. The war that you will start child, may be even deadlier than the first one... Those who do survive will suffer the most."

Silence followed.

The allied forces were amazed by the Mad Titan's wisdom. Even though they stood against him, they knew his words had some positive logic. War is nothing but a term to break people; to slaughter all those who were against an idea... and those who support for it. The irony in his words was that everyone knew that today, war on Remnant was almost inevitable; ever since the Fall of Beacon.

They just hoped the tensions didn't escalate further.

"You're right," Adam eventually replied; making his brethren, even Blake, turn to him. "War is not the answer."

The White Fang members were astounded by their leader's words. When they got here, Adam was desperately planning on blowing up Haven. Now, his intentions were the complete opposite!?

But Blake and Thanos knew there was more to this.

Moments after he said this, Adam unseathe his blood red colored sword and faced it towards the Mad Titan. "But it soon will be!" he sneered.

Thanos now was disappointed in the young leader. Just like with Raven, the Mad Titan knew Adam was going to disagree with him. The White Fang's influence had pushed this child too far. There was no going back.

He never planned on doing this. He knew, that if he did, it would leave some people suffering; a strong feeling that he opposed.

But, as he said before, the hardest choices require the strongest wills.

"Then you leave me no choice," Thanos said.

With a clench of his Infinity Gauntlet, all six Infinity Stones glowed in effect.

The heroes, the villains, the White Fang, the forces of Menagerie, and the Police of Mistral all aim their weapons towards the Mad Titan; all awaiting for him to make his first move.

...they should've done so, immediately.

Fools, Thanos thought, as he brought his Infinity Gauntlet up to his face.

Snap

Everyone was now confused.

They all thought Thanos was going to attack them.

Instead, he just snapped his fingers.

Adam snickered, "That's it? That's all you got for us? Some little magic trick?"

The Mad Titan did not answer back. Instead, he said, "The fate of Remnant now hangs by a thread."

Thanos then deactivates all except the Space Stone. A blue, dark rift suddenly opens up behind him.

Everyone from outside was oblivious to what the rift really was.

But to those from inside, they knew exactly what the Mad Titan was doing...

He was getting away...

With the Relic of Knowledge in his hands...

And the Fall Maiden over his shoulder...

"It is finally now the time to snuff out the Queen of the Grimm," Thanos announced, as he then began to walk back through the rift.

"He's taking the Relic!" Jaune shouted, who was still carrying Weiss.

"And Cinder!" Emerald shouted.

All the inside forces that were still standing began to rush towards the Mad Titan.

But, they were too late.

Just as they were about to reach him, Thanos had already walked through and the rift instantly collapsed on itself.

"NO!" Oscar and 'Ozpin' shouted.

"CINDER!" Emerald screamed.

The rest of them were as horrified as they were.

The one thing that they were all fighting for was taken from them.

Thanos had escaped.

They had failed.

"Who the hell was that?" Blake turned to Sun, who had just ran up to her. "How did he knew your dad... and what was that weird lamp he was holding?"

Blake was as clueless as he was. She was shocked when Thanos talked about her father; even more so when he talked about his dad's former position... She didn't know what was going on.

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"...Something does not feel right," 'Ozpin' eventually said, who just took over Oscar's body again. All of his allies and friends turn to him and noticed the look on his face.

"Ozpin..., are.. you okay?" Nora asked him.

There was no sadness, no happiness, no anger, no fear, nothing...

'Ozpin' felt... hopeless.

What they didn't know, was that the worst had just begun.

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"...n-nora?"

The said cheery, bubbly girl turn to her longtime close friend.

Magnihild dropped from Nora's arms, as horror slowly spread across her face.

The girl stared at Ren; who was looking at his left arm.

It was disintegrating.

Ren could only look at her...

...before his entire body collapsed and fell apart.

The only thing that was left of him, were his weapons.

Nora slowly walks over and crouches down to her friend's remains. She places her hand on his ashes and feels the dead cold touch.

She slowly looks up to her friends and huffs; tears escaping from her eyes.

Her friends were much like her... horrified.

Jaune and Ruby were acting up the most.

They were experiencing it again... They lost a close friend of theirs again...

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"Oh, shit..."

Emerald looked over towards Mercury.

...and saw him collapse and fell apart.

His robotic legs were all that remained.

"..." Emerald was dead silent, as she lost another friend right before her eyes.

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Then, one by one, half of Menagerie's forces began to distintegrate. Ghira and Kali could only watch in horror as their friends and neighbors were erased from existence.

"Oh my god...," they both whispered.

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"No...," Adam looked to his left and right, as his own forces were disintegrated. "No," he repeated, as he half of his continue to be erased. He then looked at Blake; who was watching in horror like everyone else.

"No!" He instantly felt his Aura shattering; and was replaced with a very cold, numb feeling.

He knew his death was inevitable...

...and if he was going to die, then he was going to take Blake with him.

"NO!" Adam charged, his blade in his hand; ready to strike the feline faunas down with one swipe.

But, he would never make it.

Adam immediately disintegrated, just as he began running towards her; his sword sliding to a stop underneath her feet.

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Lionheart was in his office, trying to get as much luggage so he can escape from the chaos.

But as he closed a drawer within his desk...

...he noticed his hand beginning to disintegrate.

He jerked away from his desk, as the headmaster felt the cold, numb feeling running through his body.

He looked at his other hand and saw it disintegrating too.

Lionheart was a second too late to scream, as the rest of his body disappeared from existence.

But out in the corner of the room, was a Seer Grimm.

...Salem had seen everything.

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Hazel was still laying unconscious, within the debris inside Haven's lobby.

...In an instant, his body disintegrated.

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"Blake..."

The feline faunas looked over to Sun again.

Blake couldn't tell how wide her eyes were now...

"Um...," it was only thing that Sun could say, as he was looking at his disintegrating hands...

...and then back at Blake.

He then begins to limp towards his friend.

And just at the right moment...

...he lays his head on her right shoulder, as the rest of his body fades away.

"..." Blake stood still, as the reality caught up to her.

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Ruby looks at Jaune; who was now his knees, with Weiss still in his arms. She watched as tears uncontrollably spilled from his eyes.

"Jaune, be careful," Ruby blurted out.

But her words did not reach him.

"Not again..." Jaune muttered...

...before he too disintegrated with Weiss gently landing on his remains.

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"Ruby..."

The little rose then turn towards her uncle...

...who had a sad smile on his face.

"Looks like my... luck has run out," Qrow said...

...before he too fades away.

Ruby could only cover her mouth, as a silent gasp escaped her lips.

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"...r-ruby."

Ruby then looks down at her sister; who had just woken up from unconsciousness...

But, there was something else that Ruby noticed...

The 15 year-old saw little pecks of ash flying off of Yang...

"No..."

Ruby ran as fast as she could toward her dying sister...

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."

The little rose skid right next to Yang.

As she slid to a stop, Ruby tried to catch as many packs of ash as she could..

...and struggled to place them back on her sister's body.

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

"Please, don't go."

Yang's only hand touch Ruby's.

The little rose looks back down at her sister; tears erupting from her silver eyes.

Yang, in return, formed a small sad smile on her lips...

"...it's okay..."

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"...it's okay..."

That was the last thing she said...

...before Yang faded away in her sister's arms.

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Oscar silently looks down at the traumatized wilted rose.

Someone at his age; it was a rare chance for a kid to witness someone dying.

But... he was not one of those kids.

"What just happen?" Oscar overheard Ilia, as she rushed next to Blake; who was still frozen in her current position. "Blake, what the hell is going on!?"

The farmer boy knew Blake would not answer.

It was understandable.

They had all just witness the unexpected.

Raven...

Ren...

Mercury...

Adam...

Lionheart...

Hazel...

Sun...

Jaune...

Qrow...

...Yang...

They were all gone.

All of this was enough for Oscar to admit...

...this was not the miracle they needed.

(Cue "Cold" by Casey Lee Willams for the end credits)

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The dark sky was slowly brightening and changing color as the sun was rising slowly out of the horizon; the shining yellow glow glimmering on the walls of the structures surrounding the lonely courtyard.

In spite of the sounds of birds chirping and flapping their small wings in the background, and the low cold wind blowing through the air and whisking leaves off the small trees, only silence was heard within the courtyard of Haven Academy.

Kneeling on the both knees in the middle of the empty courtyard was a visibly shaken Ruby Rose.

Her fingers were digging into her stockings; her knuckles already turned blue from the sheer force.

Her lips was left agape, with no sound of her soft, sweet voice coming out of the small hole that was her mouth.

Her hair tips swiftly swaying left and right from the continuous fidgeting that coursed through her body.

Her silver eyes remained wide open, and her pupils dilated sharply, while showing no sign of blinking.

If anyone were to see the current condition that effected her body, then they can quickly relate to what she was feeling right now...

It had been almost ten hours since the decimation that was brought to the Kingdom of Mistral and to the rest of Remnant. The after effects of the worldwide catastrophe soon quickly followed. Millions of people suffered from the massive loss of human life. However, unfortunately, there were some people who had suffered even more than others.

Ruby was one of those people.

Laying around the traumatized girl were the ashes of the friends and enemies that she lost not too long ago. The cold, grey remains brushed quietly on the courtyard surface, as some of the remains still floated in the air.

This wasn't the first time that she watched one of her friends die, and back then she accepted the events that had occurred and kept moving forward; knowing that they wouldn't want to see her mourn their loss.

But what happened hours ago... was just too much for her.

Who could blame her, though?

She just lost two of the most important people in her life...

...and the dried, faint tear stains proved that.

There was, at least, some 'good news.'

Not all of her friends died. The ones that did survived left the courtyard a long while back and were currently resting inside the apartment that Ruby and the friends that she traveled with to Mistral stayed in, all coping with their own loss. Though they all wanted her to come with them, they also understood the pain the young huntress was going through at the moment. So they ultimately decided to leave her alone, until she finally had the courage to walk and speak again.

Sadly, Ruby hadn't moved a single inch since the decimation.

The little girl couldn't think straight.

She didn't know what to do.

Ever since leaving Patch, her original goal was to find the culprits that destroyed Beacon. Then it led to something even broader, when she was introduced to the Maidens and the Relics. She and everyone she knew and cared for were so close into reaching that goal.

Then all of that disappeared in a snap.

The being known as Thanos took that all away from Ruby.

If she had a choice, by now the girl would've already started looking for the Mad Titan. Unfortunately, Ruby didn't know where he was nor had the motivation to do so, especially after what Thanos did to her.

Thinking about those events would make no difference to her anymore. Ruby was already at a loss...

...and for the first time in her life, Ruby felt hopeless.

Well, that would've been the case if it weren't for the events that happened next.

The sudden sound of footsteps made the silver-eyed girl barely shift her head up for the first time, but only slightly.

She couldn't recognize who had just stopped in front of her, but a pair of metal boots and a right prosthetic arm, with its ring finger tainted dark red, entered her vision.

"We need to talk."

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Ruby Rose will return in "Anime War: Infinite"