Ok, so just a few things to start off here.

Firstly, and most importantly, my workplace finally called me back and my furlough is now over and done with for the foreseeable future. Thus, I'm back at work and while it's nice to be back and see how everyone else that was recalled is doing, it's quite something to come back after all this time off. But I'll get back into the groove of things quickly enough. That said, as I am now working more hours than before, future updates may possibly be affected since I start very early in the morning, meaning I'll really need to be sleeping much more often and earlier now to avoid being a zombie. Just want to let you guys know.

Secondly and much less importantly… Bahlavan. For those who don't know of him, he's a character from that Avesta web novel that I've been mentioning here and there in the ANs of past chapters. For the longest time, I couldn't help but picture him as a taller/buffer version of Fafnir Dainsleif from Silverio Trinity, just with appropriately different clothes and hairstyle. But after his official design got released recently, well, my (as well as several other fans that I'm aware of) impression of it hasn't been too receptive – he just looks so out of place compared to the rest of the cast. Looking at his design, I feel the artist (G Yuusuke) was told to combine a DBZ character with the Arabian Nights aesthetic found from that Magi manga. In and of itself, not a bad design per say, just not one that meshes well with the general aesthetic of the other characters. But that's just me.

Honestly, I don't even know why this is sticking with me so much – normally I'm not the type to get uppity at all about whatever authors/artists do with their works, but Bahlavan's design is just making me do double takes here, heh. Still love his personality though – he's a very straight forward character.

Ah well, it's nothing major at all. I'll get used to it. Anyways, just thought it was worth sharing for some reason.

Anyways, onto the chapter!

P.S. As always, please see the ending AN for some additional info.

Chapter 51

Night came and went by quickly after that. Weiss returned to her dorm quite late, looking considerably better than before, but still clearly reeling. Out of respect, Jaune and his team had taken their leave and had tried to get to bed early so that they were well rested for the next day.

And now, here was the next day.

It was just barely past dawn when Jaune awoke instantly. Without any delay, he got up, changed, grabbed his weapons and took his leave as silently as he could.

Today was to be the day he and Hazel settle this for good, he thought as he left. It pained him greatly to not tell his friends of his frankly absurd idea here, but he felt it was for the best – telling them would only make them want to join him and to hell with any objections he'd have to it. Their friendship was truly a treasure to him, a treasure whose value cannot possibly be measured, but alas bringing them along would only put them at an absurdly high risk of dying. And even if he brought this up and backed it up with all the evidence he could think of, he knew it wouldn't deter them that much hence his sneaking out like this.

Still didn't make him feel any less shitty doing it, but here he was.

However, as he traversed his way out of the dorms and started heading for the forest that separated Beacon from Vale – taking a bullhead wouldn't be possibly so he instead intended to rush at full speed on foot – he came to a stop as someone stood in his direct path.

"Mr. Arc," professor Goodwitch said from where she stood, the woman's arms folded under her bust.

"Professor," he greeted, not quite able to hide his surprise. "Is there something…?"

The older blonde nodded and it was then that Jaune noticed something different about the woman. Though still as stern as ever, there was a certain relief to be found in her features, as if something good had happened recently to somewhat offset the tragedies from yesterday.

"There is." Her response was very brief and brokered no arguments. "Would you mind following me to the headmaster's office? There are things that need to be discussed… and Ozpin would appreciate it greatly if you didn't just go running off to confront your… nemesis."

Jaune's face flushed slightly. Had he really been that predictable?

That said, he schooled his expression quickly enough and mulled it over. On the one hand, delaying any action that could potentially slow the horde would be incredibly risky but on the other hand, the headmaster and the others in the know are his allies and should be much more knowledgeable than him on certain things. Perhaps they've learned some new and very pertinent information between yesterday and now.

And information can always make a difference…

"Of course," he replied.

Professor Goodwitch nodded and started to walk off. Jaune was quick to follow her and together they strode forth in complete silence towards the headmaster's tower. As tempted as he was to break said silence and ask the combat professor what exactly was going on, the blond teen refrained from doing so, figuring he'll find out in just a few minutes anyways.

Sure enough, as they arrived just outside of Ozpin's office, the teen could practically sense several presences within there, which got him to blink in mild surprise.

"Ah, Mr. Arc. Perfect timing," the headmaster greeted when he walked in just several seconds later, the other professor having opened the doors for him and her just now. "Good to know we'd been in time to stop you from marching right out to where Hazel may be."

Once again, Jaune's face flushed a little. "Just how…?"

"I've been up all night, Mr. Arc," the headmaster said with just a small smile. "And as busy a night as I've had, I'd still had time to check the cameras and spot you exiting the dorms. Glynda, thank you for stopping him in time."

The woman merely nodded and walked off to the side and then motioned for him to step up.

Jaune slowly did so as he took in the others in the room. Ruby's and Yang's uncle, Qrow, was here… and looking more than a little scuffed up. A woman that looked like a grown-up version of Yang just with black hair, red eyes, and a different outfit was seated nearby and it was clear she'd seen better days too. The Atlas general was here as well, standing near the headmaster and looking as if the two of them had just been in a deep discussion with one another over something.

But the one who really grabbed Jaune's attention was a young woman he'd never seen before. She looked tired, was the first thing he noted… in addition to some scarring across her face that looked almost similar to his own, just a bit more spread out whereas his was deeper. But more than that, he could actually feel a power practically radiating from her as well as from the other unknown woman here… a power that now felt rather familiar to him courtesy of the power he'd felt Hazel radiate during their second fight.

However, whereas Hazel's power had felt incredibly intense and ever growing, ever darkening, the power these two women contained felt… well, it felt lighter somehow. Much more contained.

Could they be…?

"That's right," the headmaster said, seemingly reading his mind. "These are two of the Maidens that I've once spoken of to you and your friends, Mr. Arc. Amber, Raven, this is Jaune Arc, one of our newest additions to our little circle."

"Nice to meet you," Jaune said cordially. Normally, he'd go and shake their hands, but the scarred woman – Amber, he presumed based on how the headmaster had motioned to her when first saying those names – looked far too tired to even lift her arm right now and he wasn't about to make her waste what little energy she had left on such a thing. As for the other woman, well, she didn't look like the handshaking type.

"Likewise," the woman – Amber – replied with just a small smile from where she sat.

As for the other woman, Raven, she looked him up and down for a second before speaking. "Ozpin, you've truly gotten desperate if you're willing now to recruit kids to your insane shadow war."

From nearby, Qrow rolled his eyes. "Oh, lay off, Raven. No need to be so grumpy just because you got your ass kicked."

"Like you're one to talk…" Raven grumbled back.

"Not a reason to start being bitchy though."

"Will you two just cut it out?" the Atlas general snapped at them.

Jaune watched in silence as this happens. Seems like while something good has happened, the pressure was still clearly getting to them all if their snappishness was this bad. Understandable.

"Mr. Arc," the headmaster spoke, getting his attention. "While your intent to take the fight to Hazel and delay the horde is admirable, I ask that you reconsider – we've come by some new and very pressing information thanks to both Qrow and Raven here."

"Hazel pumped himself full of more Dust," Qrow immediately said as his name got mentioned, the man looking at Jaune intensely. "Triggered some kind… well, some kind of transformation. The guy quite literally turned into a monster of some kind, kid, and I really cannot stress enough how much stronger he is now. Raven and I had to bust our asses hard just to survive and the only reason we're still breathing and in one piece is because that bastard was still obviously getting used to his new form and all."

"A… monster…" Jaune repeated. Could it be that was why he'd felt something so terribly wrong last night? Had he somehow sensed this shift or something? Well, regardless of how he'd instinctively felt something off, this knowledge was good to know. "I see… so, he really has decided to throw away his humanity…"

"To put it lightly, yeah," Qrow continued. "Initially, my sister and I had intended to attack him and maybe score some good hits, good enough to make him rest up for a little longer and thus delay the horde. But as you can guess, that didn't happen. He's just way more powerful now than he ever was before and the last time you two squared off, you were about breaking even, right? Now, I know you're stronger than before, but now? If you'd gone out there by yourself, I'm not sure how good your odds would've been, kid."

Jaune grimaced. Looks like his idea had been a bust then from the start. Still, there had to be something that could be done.

As he dwelt on this new information, Raven looked at him and then at Qrow. "Seriously? This teen actually went up against Hazel before?"

"Twice, actually," Jaune replied immediately, grabbing the woman's attention. "The first time around, he'd held the advantage but during our second fight, we'd been about even for the most part. Near the end of our battle, it did feel as though I might've held the power advantage."

His calm tone as he spoke got the woman to clearly reevaluate whatever opinion – clearly not a good one – she'd formed about him and she fell silent.

"Combined with the events of yesterday…" general Ironwood then said as he stepped forward. "It goes without saying that we're as close to defeat as could be." The general sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. He must be incredibly stressed out. "Dozens dead in Vale courtesy of Tyrian Callows, the news getting out to the public despite our efforts to cover it up for a while, the return of Arthur Watts of all people and the subsequent attempt on his part to crash my fleet in Vale airspace, the protests and riots now occurring because of all that… we're really being pushed to the limit here. The only two upsides to all this is that Tyrian is dead and…" He looked to Amber.

"…And that Amber is now awake," professor Goodwitch spoke. "Though we've told you and your friends much of what we know, there were still a few things we've been leaving out. Amber is one such secret we've kept until now from you. She was attacked quite some time back and a portion of the Fall Maiden power she held was stolen by Cinder Fall, an act that had put Amber here into a coma. And following the latter's sudden death, the power she'd stolen was returned to Amber, whose recovery we've been overseeing here in secret within Beacon."

"And just yesterday, I managed to finally wake up," Amber suddenly spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention. The young woman's tone was surprisingly strong despite how tired she looked and she even managed a small smile. "And boy oh boy, I'd had a lot to catch up on once I was up and about."

"I… see." That was all Jaune could say for the time being, at least in response to the info dump he was receiving here. "Are you… are you okay now? Sorry if this sounds rude, but you look like you should still be resting up elsewhere and not here sitting in on all this."

Amber waved off his concerns but there was a look of gratitude on her face for his concern. "I should be, yes… but unfortunately this doesn't seem like a time for me to keep on sleeping away." Her expression then grew quite fierce. "For a long time, I've just been wandering the lands, all to avoid capture from Salem's forces. I'd thought so long as I just kept moving, I'd be okay. Now look at just how wrong I'd been on that front. But even then, things could've still been so much worse… thanks for stepping in back then, Qrow."

"Just wish I could've gotten there sooner…" the man mumbled regretfully.

Amber continued, though not before shooting Qrow a forgiving look. "In any case, I'm just tired of running away. Plus, I'm just itching for some payback now. And with the one who did this to me dead, that means Salem's remaining forces and the crazy Grimm lady herself are the only ones left for me to vent on."

Jaune could see fire in her eyes – literally, her eyes were practically aflame as a result of her fully restored Maiden power. Revenge wasn't something he was really into, a result of his still somewhat warped nature, but it was something he could definitely understand. Thus, all he could do was nod.

"But will you be able to fight after all the time you've spent comatose? What about muscle atrophy?" Jaune asked before pausing. "Not that it looks like your body has suffered much from the coma…" he muttered as he looked her over in the simple medical gown she wore. It may cover up much of her body, but from what he could see of her limbs, they seemed healthy enough.

Amber chuckled. "Didn't take you for the type to ogle a woman so openly."

"I-I… that is…" He looked away, embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't mean-."

Amber laughed tiredly. "No, it's fine. I just needed to crack a joke really quick. Just needed to raise the mood a bit – we sure could use it…"

The others there seemed to find a bit of amusement from their brief interaction, showing that her joke and his reaction had worked well enough. Nonetheless, they all clearly remained on task.

"Throughout her time spent comatose, we've taken steps to ensure muscle atrophy is kept to as bare a minimum as possible," the headmaster spoke as he leaned forward, placing his hands atop his desk. "We've been quite successful at that, thankfully. All that's really needed is for her to continue regaining her stamina, sharpen her moves a little and I do believe she'll be ready to be out in the field again – assuming, of course, that is what you wish, Amber."

Amber nodded. "You know I do, Ozpin."

The man nodded back. "Good. Now, aside from all this, the real reason I've called you here is because I'd like you to confront Hazel just as you intended, merely under different circumstances."

Different circumstances…? Ah. Jaune understood now.

He looked silently towards Amber and Raven. His gaze didn't go unnoticed by the others, but they remained silent as he naturally put things together from the obvious hint the headmaster had just provided here.

"You want me, Amber and Raven here to confront Hazel," he stated, his hands balling into fists as he already anticipated the battle to come.

"Correct," spoke the headmaster. "I know Qrow and Raven had just stated how much more powerful the man had become, but as I'm sure you've surmised, we've not many options available to us now. We've been trying to bolster our defenses as much as possible already, but the protests have been making that difficult."

"Additionally, there is still Watts to deal with too," the general of Atlas added, practically growling out those words in a mixture of disbelief and anger. "Which means we need to take things a little slower than we should be since if we try to rush too much, he'd no doubt use that chance to try a scheme similar to yesterday."

"Any idea on how to prepare for that?" Jaune asked, curious.

"Nothing concrete, unfortunately. My technicians have gotten a 'feel' as they've put it for how he does things when hacking so they'll notice the very first sign of trouble there, but that's really it. However, as you and your team made clear in your debriefing yesterday, him hacking us is not the only thing to worry about."

Indeed, Jaune thought as he recalled how the battle with this Arthur Watts had gone. He could only hope that all the info he and his friends had provided yesterday will allow others to better counter the man's abilities if or when it came down to it.

"In any case, you will be leaving Watts to us, assuming he's still somewhere within Vale, which we're certain he still is," spoke the headmaster now. "For now, just try to rest up, Mr. Arc. I know that's not exactly something you like to hear, but first Amber here needs to regain more of her strength. As much as she's been looked over this past night, she still needs to recover. But once she does, you will be informed and the three of you will go out to intercept Hazel and his horde."

Jaune grimaced. He understood, but still, as the headmaster just stated, being told to effectively remain on standby for now wasn't a pleasant thing to hear. The only thing that kept him from arguing back is that it would take time for Hazel and the Grimm horde to make their way towards Vale, meaning until then, their highest priority was taking care of Watts and shoring up their defenses as much as possible.

"Hey," Amber said gently as she forced herself to stand, much to the other's surprise. When she slowly stumbled her way over to Jaune, professor Goodwitch and general Ironwood damn near rushed forward to help support her. However, she waved them off and continued her approach until she placed a hand on Jaune's left shoulder. "Don't worry. I hate that feeling of doing nothing just as much as you do. So just you watch – I'll be back near my usual self soon enough and we'll stroll on out there to show them we're not to be messed with."

Jaune blinked twice in surprise at the young woman's words, but then started to chuckle as his surprise and subsequently his worries slowly dissipated. "Alright… I'll hold you to that."

"And I'll hold you to being ready by then," Amber shot back cheekily. "Because when it's time to get going, I'm not going to be waiting for you to catch up."

"I still think this is stupid as hell…" mumbled Raven from nearby.

"Well, if you can think of a better idea, then let's hear it, sis," Qrow shot back.

Ah, right, Jaune realized in that moment. If this Raven is Qrow's sister then what does that make her to Ruby and Yang, he wondered? He'd have to ask later since the woman herself didn't seem to be in a good enough mood to talk about things like that. Understandable though since she had just barely escaped death yesterday.

Bidding some quick goodbyes to them all a moment later, Jaune prepared to leave – only to pause when the headmaster suddenly called out to him just as he was near the door.

"Ah, one last thing, Mr. Arc," he spoke. "While I understand not wanting to bring your friends along when they're clearly not at a level to combat Hazel, do at least keep them in the loop about what is going on and what you're to do… after all… as torn up as you'd be if they followed you into battle and died, they'd be just as torn up if you went off and suffered a similar fate without telling them anything at all."

That got a serious wince out of Jaune and he bowed his head. The headmaster had a damn good point and the feeling of guilt he'd had earlier returned with a vengeance. "I will, sir."

With nothing else left to say, he promptly opened the door and left.

As he watched the young but powerful teen leave, Ozpin inwardly sighed. He was truly grateful to have caught the teen in time before he'd gone off to do something like that. It was truly admirable but also insanely risky. While there is always the possibility of Mr. Arc actually succeeding at defeating Hazel and delaying the horde, that didn't mean they should eagerly go along with it, not when Mr. Arc was swiftly proving himself to be an essential part of their available manpower.

"So… that's the kid, huh?" Raven suddenly said from where she sat. "…I'll admit, he does have this air of power and skill about him, but to the extent you've all practically been gushing about? I'm not seeing it."

"For whatever my words mean to you, sis," Qrow began. "That kid is packing a lot more power than you'd think. Just wait until you see him glare or some shit – you'll feel it then."

Raven remained unconvinced, but Ozpin paid her reaction no mind. It was true that Mr. Arc's power wasn't exactly common nor was it something that could be sensed so easily.

In any case, however…

"Regardless of how you feel about his combat strength," the ancient wizard began. "I do expect you to be able to work alongside him when the time comes."

"Expect…?" Raven growled. "If it wasn't for the fact this is Salem's forces we're talking about here, I'd be long gone. Expecting me to do your dirty work like before is the last thing you should be doing."

"Be that as it may, now isn't the time for such what-ifs," Ozpin retorted calmly. "And before you go on once again about Hazel's new level of power, I'm aware that not even the combined might of you three may be enough to truly defeat him. Nonetheless, you must try. If you don't, Vale may very well fall and with it, Salem is that much closer to gathering all the Relics."

Raven grumbled under her breathe and turned away. She was acting very much like a petulant child, but Ozpin honestly had no issue with that, not when he could see she was still clearly rattled by what had happened just yesterday. Raven had been a highly skilled and dangerous warrior for as long as he could remember. Her obtaining the Spring Maiden power and mastering it had only added that much more to her high level of battle power. Thus, there were very few who could be said to rival her, be it in raw power or in terms of technique.

That's why the sudden attack Tyrian had launched on her tribe a while back had been such a big shocker for her, why that had forced her to team up with him – though she'd never come out and say it, that had left her well and truly unsettled, her fear of Salem and her forces that much more solidified. And now after being so close to death at the hands of a former man who was now a genuine monster working under Salem, well, the bandit leader wasn't exactly handling her being kicked down the figurative food chain very well.

He understood this and even empathized with her – over the course of his many reincarnations, he's lost a great deal of his former power. While he could be considered one of the strongest and most skilled huntsmen alive right now, that was only in accordance to the standards long since developed by this second version of humanity. In comparison to his original self as Ozma, he was fodder. And with Salem being comparable to his prime and with the woman having had all these centuries to grow and adapt as needed, he was hardly in that good of a position.

Alas, while he could truly understand Raven's fears, the others here really couldn't.

"Oh, will you get over yourself?" Amber suddenly huffed out. "I swear, for someone who boasts of being strong, you're pretty damn weak from a psychological perspective. Seriously, just one or two upsets and your spirit crumbles into dust."

Raven glared at Amber harshly, her eyes now glowing with the Maiden power. "Big talk coming from the woman who just got out of a coma… care to be back in one?"

Amber glared right back, her own Maiden power making itself evident. There was literal lightning crackling between the two Maidens. "If you think you can manage it, then come try doing it. I'll admit that I may have begged to be spared when that Cinder bitch and her cronies had had me all worn down, but at least I gave the very best I got before reaching that point."

"Both of you, that's enough," Glynda spoke firmly, now stepping in. With just a wave of her riding crop, she used her semblance to force the seats the Maidens were in to move further away from one another, breaking the glaring contest between them. "Now really isn't the time for this pettiness. And Raven? As hurt as you are from the battle with Hazel, Amber had been in a coma for a very long time and is physically weakened. If you're trying to restore your wounded pride here, attacking her when she's still in such a weakened state isn't going to do you any good."

Glynda's words, blunt but logical, were enough to make Raven grimace and look away. A second later, Raven then got up and started to slowly draw her blade. "…I'll be heading back to the tribe for now. Whenever this idiot is ready to go, just let me know and I'll return. But I'll say this again – if you think me, this dumbass and that blond kid will have an actual chance at even slowing Hazel, you're even more insane than I thought you were."

"Noted," Ozpin dryly responded as Raven then left through the portal that she'd opened halfway through her parting remark.

"For as much as you aggravate me, Qrow," James suddenly said. "I'm actually glad you're not as bad as your sister."

"You and me both, Jimmy," Qrow drawled.

"If we manage to make it through all this, I'm going to beat her black and blue," Amber then said, her harsh tone actually getting a grunt of approval out of Qrow.

"Now… all that aside," Ozpin said, trying to get things back on task. "How are things going on your end, James?"

Following him getting Amber out of her chamber last night, he'd wasted no time calling on Glynda and James and Qrow to let them know of her awakening and getting the Fall Maiden looked over extensively over the course of the night. After that had been done, they'd all spent a great deal of time catching Amber up to speed on everything that's happened ever since she'd been put into that coma and had done their best to answer any questions the young woman had naturally had about everything. After that had been done, the remainder of their time had been spent trying to figure out a way to deal with the now transformed Hazel and the Grimm horde and not long after they'd come up with their current idea was when he'd spotted Mr. Arc on the cameras clearly intending on leaving campus grounds.

Thus, they'd had very little time to get caught up on other pressing matters other than a few details here and there. Therefore, now was the time to talk shop.

James let out a deep sigh. "For starters, the ship Watts had taken over personally is as close to being grounded as it could possibly be without being fully destroyed. It had suffered a lot of damage due to its sudden crash and scrapping against the other ship and the battle team JNPR had had with Watts hadn't done it any favors either. Though it is still capable of flight, that's about it. We could try to repair it and while that is possible, the amount of time it would take just isn't feasible. We're better off just treating it as if it'd been fully grounded. As for the other ship, the one it had crashed into, the damage is much less extensive, at least where it counts. It'll still fly and be able to act in accordance with the other ships out there, we'd just need to make sure that particular side is watched like a hawk – it wouldn't take much at all for some Grimm to tear right through the weakened structures and invade the ship." He let out another sigh and massaged his temple. "All in all, the fleet is down one ship and the second one, while still afloat, is just one bad screw up away from joining the first one. While there are still plenty of ships left, we needed every bit of manpower and resources left to combat this horde… that aside, though… the crew aboard it…"

Ozpin bowed his head as his longtime friend trailed off. More than the loss of a ship, the complete annihilation of the crew that had been aboard it was clearly hitting the Atlas general much harder.

Qrow, in the midst of taking a swig from his flask, paused in his actions before slowly and wordlessly offering it to James. The Atlas general looked at the offered flask for a brief moment before accepting it. Taking a quick drink, he passed it back to Qrow and nodded in thanks.

"…I've already started the process of getting back in contact with Atlas, let their families know what had happened," he said quietly. "Additionally, I've been requesting some additional support – more ships and the like."

"And the council knows of this? Approves of this?" Glynda asked, somewhat amazed. The council in Atlas, while a reasonable bunch, still had to worry about their kingdom first and foremost. They didn't know of Salem's existence and while a Grimm horde was certainly worrisome in its own right, they wouldn't be approving things like this so quickly.

James shook his head. "Remember, I've two seats among the council," he started. "I merely forced it through. I'll get reamed for suddenly moving more of our forces over here like this, but I'll gladly get chewed out by the council so long as it means Salem's forces are defeated here. In any case, the ships should be arriving within a few days, hopefully before the horde gets near Vale."

"But what about this Watts guy you've talked about?" Amber suddenly asked. "What about the crazy things he's been pulling?" She asked this with widened eyes, clearly recalling what details they themselves have learned from JNPR of how their fight with the supposedly dead man had played out.

"I honestly don't know," the general replied. "Aside from what I've mentioned earlier about my technicians now being on the lookout for any sudden oddities in our systems, there's not really much that can be done. That he was able to hack all the ships here and keep them on their collision courses even though hall the technicians were doing what they could to fight back says a lot about how much control he has over this new ability of his. As for this odd space he can create and manipulate as he pleases… that in particular is something I can't think of a way to counter. The only thing we know about it is that it can be cracked due to apparently being made out of aura, but I've no clue on how to target what is essentially space itself…"

"Just how did this bastard even get like this?" Qrow chipped in as he leaned forward in his seat. "I mean, it's pretty clear now that he faked his death, but just how the hell did he suddenly get these crazy new abilities? He couldn't have had them for long though or else he'd have gunned for your and Atlas way before this, right?"

James nodded, but otherwise didn't say anything.

Ozpin chose that moment to speak up. "Perhaps… it has something to do with that device that was stolen from your flagship," he guessed. "You did say this Eternal Motor was a very powerful piece of technology, one that Arthur Watts himself had invented. He must have been the one to steal it and perhaps found a way to harness it."

His friend grunted. "Yeah, I've been thinking about that too… but even if that is the case, just how would that device even grant him this kind of power? Even remembering what it's supposed to do, just how does that translate to these new powers of his?"

Ozpin hummed. "Well, how that's being done exactly isn't quite relevant," he began. "What matters is that this Eternal Motor is very likely the source of his newfound strength. Considering what you told us about him before, he must have implanted it in himself. So, with that being the likely scenario, we'd have to figure out a way to remove it from him or at least shut it down some other way."

James folded his arms across his chest and mulled it over. "…I'll make some calls. Maybe doctor Polendina can provide some insight on how to better combat Watts now. Though their specialties may not exactly be the same, the good doctor is knowledgeable when it comes to numerous fields of study, including the ones Watts specialized in. Even if Watts is unrivalled in those particular fields, hopefully the doctor can at least figure out some things that can be used…" He started to make his way towards the office's sole entrance and exit. "I'll be taking my leave, Oz. I really do need to get on this. Qrow, Glynda, Amber… until next time."

They all bid him a quick goodbye and stayed silent as the Atlas general quickly walked off.

"Whelp, seems like you've things well in hand," Qrow drawled out. "…think now that you can maybe get me a new weapon? We all know I can't go punching my way through the horde if and when it arrives here."

"I'm sure we've some spare weapons that'll be to your liking," Ozpin replied with just a small smile on his face. Though the alcoholic huntsman was just as unsettled by how yesterday had gone, he still clearly had that annoying but also endearing spunk to him. Qrow wasn't out of the fight just yet. "Glynda, if you'd please…?"

Glynda nodded. "Come along then, Qrow. We can check out our storage unit, see what we have."

"Great. But if there's only some dinky spears or daggers available, I think I'll just tough it out as a weaponless huntsman," Qrow lightly quipped as he got out of his seat with a pained grimace. His torso was still obviously hurting from the sole attack he'd taken from Hazel.

Glynda just rolled her eyes and started to lead him away, though not before shooting Amber a brief look of concern before actually leaving with Qrow on her tail.

Now it was just him and Amber all alone.

"So tell me," Ozpin began gently. "Just what are your thoughts on all this? Do be truthful."

The somewhat tough and chipper façade Amber had been putting on until now slowly crumbled, though not completely. "It's… definitely something," she mumbled from where she sat. She let out a light sigh. "Honestly, a part of me wonders if maybe it would've been best had that Cinder woman actually stolen the entirety of the Maiden power from me… would've probably spared me from this insane situation."

Ozpin sat back down in his own chair after having been standing this whole time. He said nothing in immediate response to Amber's words but did acknowledge them with just a small nod. He didn't judge her for feeling the way she does. After all, being dragged into this war between him and Salem… it wasn't something just anyone could deal with, especially not when they had the additional pressure of being given the power of a Maiden. Simply being involved at all would've painted a target on her back, but as the Fall Maiden, well, that target was a hell of a lot bigger and that much more of a priority. Not just for Salem but also for any others who learned of the Maidens' existences and sought their power.

"I truly am sorry for how things have played out, Amber," Ozpin said quietly, fatigue hitting him. "One would think that with how long I've lived that I'd learn to not make so many mistakes… alas, it never does become easier to make proper judgement calls."

"…You did what you could," Amber replied. "Not like the usual rules of engagement or whatever really apply to someone like Salem and whoever she manages to rope into working under her. Hell, sometimes it feels like the people she does 'recruit' are even crazier than her in one form or another, even more vicious or cruel… that's just how life goes, I guess."

On that, Ozpin could definitely agree. The world was far from a just and moral place. Nonetheless, he still had faith that one day things may truly change for the better. That day was certainly far off, but it's not as though change ever came along that quickly.

"Well, let us hope there still exists a chance of turning things around," Ozpin then said. "Although the odds have never quite been this stacked against us before, there are certain differences on our side that weren't present before either."

"Ah… you mean that Jaune guy," Amber responded, her lowered head perking up so that she now looked at the man. "Hmm, you know, though that Raven bitch may not be able to see it… I can. His strength… something about his very presence felt pretty different from the standard, if that makes any sense."

The corners of Ozpin's mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly. "Indeed. I do wish I knew just what the source of his ever-growing strength is, though… it can't simply be due to a semblance," he murmured as he dwelt on Mr. Arc, whose power he felt had grown considerably since the last time they'd spoken in person. But in all honesty, that was a mystery that can wait for later. What mattered now is that Mr. Arc, wildcard that he is, is on their side and was more than willing to combat Hazel still even after knowing how the man had literally transformed.

Ozpin could only pray that Jaune Arc's might combined with that of Raven's and Amber's here will be enough to make up this difference though…

"Hmm, yeah I can see why you'd think his strength may not just come from his semblance alone," Amber said as if reading his mind somewhat. "But hey, as long as it's not something that'll self-destruct on him, I say it doesn't really matter what his power source really is."

Ozpin chuckled a little. Amber was practically echoing his thoughts just now in a more casual wording. Amazing how alike the woman seemed to be to him sometimes. "Agreed. Now then… I do believe it's about time you go back to your new room, get some rest. You're going to need it – starting tomorrow, we'll be starting your impromptu physical therapy."

Amber grimaced but nodded. Due to how soon she and the others would need to be mobilized, she needs to start recovering as quickly as possible. Of course, making a full recovery in such a short amount of time simply wasn't possible, but at least she'd be able to get a feel for how rusty she is and react accordingly. Thankfully, usage of her Maiden power doesn't really require her to do much moving around if she really wished it, so there was at least that.

Getting out of his chair and quickly circling around his desk, Ozpin helped Amber out of her chair and over to her wheelchair which had been practically hidden in the corner of the room. Though it wasn't as if she was incapable of walking on her own, her stamina was still far too low to let her roam back to her room, especially not unguarded.

After helping her into it, Ozpin took the liberty of wheeling her out of his office, though not before one final exchange.

"Ah but do try to keep your teasing of Mr. Arc to a minimum, alright? I'd very much not like the teen to risk losing focus now of all times just because of that."

"I make no promises."

Watts let out a groan as some ships flew overhead at a very low altitude. It was clear they were on the lookout for him and he'd very much like avoiding being found just yet. While his confidence in his virtual space still remained unbroken, his confrontation with Jaune Arc and his team had left him aware of its flaws and he's since then had to reassess his new approach to things.

Opting to remain hidden for the time being, he stuck to the forest. The bullhead he'd flown out on having been abandoned as soon as he'd landed, he'd wasted no time using his virtual space to deconstruct the aircraft as to avoid having the Atlas fleet pinpoint his exact whereabouts so quickly. Alas, even though he'd done so, the fleet had clearly made note of which direction he'd gone flying off in yesterday and were doing their best to map out his possible routes from that information.

He had to admit, they were surprisingly efficient at that.

Oh well, not that it was too big an issue per say, it's just that he'd prefer to avoid getting drawn into another battle so soon, not when there were still things for him to mull over and test out. Having artillery fired at him would obviously disrupt his thoughts and he especially didn't wish to test how quickly he could react to having cannon fire directed his way at such frightening speeds.

The man had done his best to stay as low to the ground as possible and avoid travelling through areas where the trees were too spaced out to provide cover from the air. Though that was something he could easily solve with his newfound power, he didn't dare risk using his virtual space being seen lest the Atlas bullheads being sent out to cover this area spot him.

So great was his desire to avoid combat for the time being that he soon found himself traveling further and further away from where the fleet is stationed at in between Vale and Beacon. At the pace he was currently setting for himself, it wouldn't be much longer until he's practically out of the kingdom entirely… and currently he couldn't figure out if leaving the kingdom outright was a good or a bad thing.

On the one hand, coming to and leaving Vale soon often felt rather pointless in and of itself, not to mention a time waster. On the other hand, getting out of Vale would ensure the Atlas bullheads would no longer follow him since James would no doubt want to keep all his forces within the kingdom to act as a proper defense for when the Grimm horde arrives. Plus, he would then have the time needed to properly sort through all the information he's gathered from his recent escapade and make the appropriate changes to his strategy.

But he'd have to make his choice fast here, he realized. By his own estimations, Hazel must no doubt be leading the Grimm horde here to Vale with Salem and her own forces likely following along right this instant. It'd be a mere matter of days or so before Hazel and his forces struck Vale and though there was a certain understanding between him and Hazel over their respective 'prey,' Salem's plan naturally took precedence which meant that if James and his Atlas fleet dared to bar Salem's progress, then Hazel wouldn't hesitate to trample them all underfoot by himself.

And as fun as it'd be to imagine James' reaction to Hazel's own absurd power, it just wouldn't be the same as imagining that man giving into despair before him instead. After all, he did have a bone to pick with the Atlas general and revenge by proxy just wasn't going to cut it.

So, his choices were as followed:

He could leave Vale and thereby get the Atlas bullheads off his tail, which would give him the time needed to improve himself further so that the setback from yesterday didn't happen again… but at the risk of Hazel and Salem beating him to the punch and wiping out the Atlas forces before he could return to find James.

Or, he could choose to remain here in Vale, stay relatively close to his chosen target and thereby have plenty of time to track James down and break him. But doing so means risking discovery and being put through a series of battles that would no doubt delay him anyways, not to mention the possibility of him not being able to make the proper adjustments needed to himself in peace.

"Hmm, quite a dilemma I'm in," he muttered as he kept on walking in a somewhat lowered posture, doing his best to avoid leaving any tracks just in case there were ground units out here looking for him too.

He was genuinely feeling stumped here; both options had their pros and cons.

Hmm, but wait, perhaps he was letting himself get too caught up with just these two options – what's to say he couldn't just figure out a third option for him to take here?

In which case… should he just go link up with Hazel? While his personal goal of crushing James has yet to be fulfilled, his goals in accordance to Salem's plan have been achieved. Thus, for all intents and purposes, his primary role in this scenario have been fulfilled, leaving him free to act as he pleases at this point so long as nothing he does risks jeopardizing the plan overall, which seemed rather impossible considering how much and intense the negativity Vale was emitting is right now.

Pausing in his traversing, Watts rubbed his chin, finding this idea to have considerable merit. If he heads back to Hazel's side, he could effectively steamroll his way to James with complete ease thanks to a combination of his own abilities, Hazel's monstrous might, and the ridiculous number of Grimm that would be besieging the kingdom at the time. All he'd have to do is clear a way forward and then take it as quickly as possible before Hazel or the Grimm could get anywhere near James' flagship, which is where the insufferable general would no doubt be in once all the fighting goes down. And surely, with Hazel's own grudges to settle with both Ozpin and Jaune Arc alike, the man would at least be willing to help him out in this endeavor, even if only by avoiding targeting the general's location for a while.

Ah, the wonders of having allies, Watts thought as this idea's merits grew rapidly more enticing the more he dwelled on it.

Very well then, that's exactly what he'll be doing.

But first, he would have to get out of here, of course.

Humming, Watts assessed his circumstances with a new outlook on it. Since linking up with Hazel was now his priority, that meant he'd have to leave the kingdom, a kingdom where the Atlas forces stationed here would not dare to travel too far away from in case of any other sudden incidents.

In which case… he didn't have to worry too much about keeping a low profile any longer.

Smirking, Watts activated his virtual space. It rapidly expanded to its new maximum diameter, easily encompassing everything within a solid kilometer of himself now.

It went without saying that the Atlas bullheads still in the area didn't miss the sudden green 'tint' that his virtual space was providing to the surrounding area.

However, before these bullheads could even start to fully relay the current situation to the others, Watts immediately warped the very space they were about to travel through, their flight paths leading them right through his virtual space. An instant later, they went crashing at full speed directly into the ground, the man having effectively performed the same warping effect he'd used on himself during the fight yesterday, just on a greater scale.

As the bullheads crashed, he forced the insides of the aircrafts to explode. It took some insane timing on his part due to the whole coordinates thing he had to consider when using his virtual space, but he was able to make it work. The result was the bullheads bursting on impact into veritable balls of fire that shook everything for a solid mile.

Oh, there was no doubt that'd get the others' attention, he realized, but the suddenness of this should still take them aback by a bit. In which case, this was his window of opportunity.

Despite the explosions he'd induced within the bullheads, Watts had made sure to strip apart some aspects of the aircrafts themselves before they were destroyed by said explosions. He then promptly and swiftly began to fuse these salvaged parts together along with the frame he was able to immediately concoct out of thin air, forming his own personal aircraft, yet a new testament to his power and what he could be capable of given even more time to adapt and grow.

His newly made aircraft was much like the one he'd used to sneak aboard James' flagship in the first place, small and sleek in design. He wasted no time getting in it, keeping his virtual space active still in order to fully finish making the new aircraft functional.

Holding his breath for a moment in anticipation, he willed the sleek aircraft to come online – and when it did, he let out a little cheer, his relief damn near immeasurable as he deactivated his virtual space.

Watts gunned it to top speed as quickly as he could, staying as low as possible to the ground as he now headed off to the northwest. Though it would be a little cumbersome having to circle around and head south once he's out of Vale's airspace, the former Atlas scientist was confident he'd be able to meet up with Hazel well before the man and his Grimm horde reach Vale's southern walls.

Smiling deviously as he flew off into the distance, Watts eagerly awaited what was to come.

Yeah, not exactly as exciting a chapter as the last few, I know, but a necessary one nonetheless. The battle between Hazel and Jaune isn't about to happen just yet – but it is coming up soon. As is Salem's eventual arrival.

And as you can see, Amber is finally in the picture and ready for some action. Of course, as made clear throughout the chapter, she's been comatose for quite some time and while she'd been spared muscular atrophy, that doesn't mean she'll be able to go around fighting like she did against Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald. However, as we all well know, the Maiden power is quite a convenient power what with being able to generate lightning storms and the like, so it's not as if she'll be defenseless despite the lack of time she has when it comes to prepping herself.

Also, as you too just read, Raven's part in this fic isn't quite done yet either. She'll finally be given a proper chance to shine unlike the past two times she'd been in action. I may not exactly like her personality and all, but she is nonetheless an effective combatant and I plan to make full use of that trait soon enough.

Concerning Jaune, it may seem like he'd backed down a bit too quickly from chasing after Hazel, but as I hope I implied, he hadn't quite been thinking straight. Additionally, he's well aware of how powerful the Maidens can be thanks to what Ozpin had told him and his friends. Naturally, he'd be nuts to just turn down support like that. But don't think Amber's and Raven's involvement will end up downplaying his own eventual clash with Hazel – I've plans there and their efforts will not be changing what I've planned.

As for Watts… well, you'll see, heh. Oh, but for anyone now really concerned about him being too OP or wondering why he just didn't do something similar to what he just did in the recent battle, do keep in mind that he's somewhat like Jaune and Hazel - always improving and rapidly so in regards to his new abilities. Plus, his situation in the forest just now was a hell of a lot less stressful than fighting off JNPR whilst simultaneously controlling so many ships. Basically, he has the time and ability now to think things out and make it happen.

Until next time, everyone. Take care!