Ruby was looking at the coffin that was just finished, Ruby saw her sister’s damaged body “Diane could you put her body back in one piece. She deserves to buried whole.”

Diane nodded as she reattached the two halves her sister’s body and then placed it in the coffin. Diane dissapeared with the coffin, Ozpin jumped at her entrance. Diane frowned “I’m afraid we couldn’t save the elder sister. It was too late by the time we arrived, also all communications are jammed within the town so we will be out of contact until we figure this out.”

Ozpin sighed “I will inform Taiyang, he would be furious. After what happened to Summer and then there’s Qrow.”

Diane frowned “I will protect Ruby, she will return in one piece. I can assure you of that.” Diane teleported back to Glennford.

Ruby lifted her scythe “There must be some clues around here about how these Grimm came to be!” Diane joined Ruby with Sunset and Cardin standing next to Pyrrha and Jaune. Blake and Weiss were standing next to Rainbow.

Twenty of the mutated Beowulves run towards them, Ruby rushed forward cutting the first Beowulf down the middle with a single swing of her scythe. She grabbed the paw of a secondand tossed it into another with little effort. Diane rushed up and obliterated one who snuck up behind with her own punch, Sunset cut another into pieces while Weiss and Blake tore one apart with multiple quick attacks to it’s unarmoured parts.

Pyrrha, Jaune and Cardin aggressively battered another Beowulf. Ruby caught the one that she launched with a single uppercut destroying it. Rainbow meanwhile baited those that were no being attacked with barrages of long range gun fire. Soon all twenty mutated Beowolves were dust in the wind. Rainbow blinked “Ruby how are you so strong?”

Ruby growled “It doesn’t matter, look at that.”

Weiss grimaced as she saw the mark “Merlot Industries, it shut down after the attack on Mountain Glenn. They were working on genetic engineering when their main facility was lost alongside Mountain Glenn, a few rumours suggested they were experimenting on Grimm in hope of using them as weapons.”

Ruby growled “Then we go there next, maybe there will be more clues about all of this there.”

Sunset frowned “Isn’t the city overrun with Grimm, maybe we should returned to Beacon and think of our next move.”

Ruby growled “I’m not going back until I figure this out!”

Diane sighed “Ruby, calm down. We will go to Mountain Glenn because we need to investigate further but don’t act rash, your anger is getting the better of you. I promise we will find who caused all of this.”

Ruby sighed “Sorry everyone, I’m just so angry. I just wish to break something, to cause damage to everything around me.”

Blake sighed as she approached “I understand how you feel and if you ever wish to talk about just ask. I was so bitter about how Faunus were treated that I lashed out violently.”

The group of nine headed toward Mountain Glenn, Diane frowned as she got a call on her scroll once they left the town. Ozpin frowned “What did you find in the town?”

Diane grimaced “Merlot Industries, I suspect that someone is running their endeavours again.
The Grimm had green crystals on their back and were tough enough to give Team RPJRY a lot of trouble.”

Ruby frowned “Three Beowulves were stronger than five of us, we need to get to Mountain Glenn and figure out what is causing this. What do you know about Merlot Industries?”

Ozpin frowned “Their leader Merlot wanted to use Grimm to benefit humanity and the company started experimenting on them. We have no reason to believe he is alive.”

Sunset frowned “But what if he did, his company may have even been the ones attracting Grimm to Mountain Glenn and he knew this would happen escaping while using his experiments to keep the Grimm away.”

Weiss frowned “We will figure it out when we get there but let’s not many hasty assumptions.”

Ozpin nodded “If you can contact me when you find something then do so, there may be more transmission jamming systems out there.”

Diane nodded “Will do.” Given the closeness of the town, it was not long before they arrived at Mountain Glenn. Diane frowned as she saw a woman with deathly pale white skin, her red irises surrounded her sclera as well as several veins like lines running across her body. Diane frowned “You are the self-proclaimed Dark Queen, Salem and archenemy of Ozpin. You seek dominance over the world don’t you.”

Salem nodded “Correct, you are well informed and your power I must admit is far greater than mine. Still I am not here for my feud with Ozpin right now, I am here for the fact someone is experimenting with the Grimm which concerns all of us.”

Rainbow growled “Why should we trust her!”

Ruby shook her head “I don’t care about her, she is not important to me. I wish to find the one responsible for the Grimm that killed my sister and if that means working the Dark Queen over there then so be it.”

Everyone paused at the declaration save Salem who eyed Ruby for a moment before looking to a ruined Merlot Industries building in the distance “The Grimm around here have been avoiding that area, I assume that is where they have been disappearing from.”

Diane grimaced as they walked through the ruined city “Well let's find out who has been experimenting on the Grimm, I have my suspicions on who it is.”

Salem frowned “Do tell, who would be really so arrogant as to think he could improve the Grimm by experimenting on them.”

Ruby growled “His name is Merlot and I will make sure he faces justice! Now can you to stop wasting time with idle chatter so we can get in there!”

Salem raised an eyebrow “She doesn’t seem to show us much respect does she? You should really change that.

Diane ignored Salem as they walked past ruined buildings and hordes of Grimm who were more than content to ignore then due to Salem’s presence. They entered the building only for the ground to collapse beneath them from a series of explosive charges, Salem groaned as she stood up “Fuck me” she then stood up before looking at the group who were slightly stunned at her speech “sorry I usually keep my composure better than but I am a little bit” her eyes narrowed as a fearsome scowl passed over her face “absolutely livid.”

Ruby growled “I fucking hear you, who puts fucking explosives in the entrance to their own fucking facility!”

Diane stood up “One who had another exit somewhere else that only he could access. Now let’s get moving before…”

Several creeps with crystal on their back exploded, luckily for the group Diane put up a magical barrier. Sunset’s eyes widened “Those Grimm just exploded.”

Rainbow frowned “It seems there is an underground tunnel which could have used an an escape when the Grimm attacked. Maybe we’ll find the source of these Grimm.”

They walked through the deep underground caverns, tracks that were designed for trains to travel on. Ruby was looking forward with col determination, Diane and Salem were keeping a close eye on any potential entry ways. It felt like hours since they had seen sunlight, Sunset frowned “Doesn’t it feel much more humid down here then when we arrived.”

Salem nodded “We are currently under the ocean, in fact we have been under the ocean for quite at least a few hours. We should all take a short rest before moving further.”

Blake raised an eyebrow “Why, we could still keep going.”

Salem frowned “Other than me, Diane and Ruby you all are showing sign of exhaustion.” Cardin and Weiss were breathing quite heavily, Rainbow and Sunset’s fur were dripping with sweat. Pyrrha and Jaune were both slightly winded, Blake herself was even starting to feel it somewhat.”

Sunset panted a bit “We need some rest.”

Diane frowned “I was hoping to find a spot out of the way first but if we keep going we might run into more Grimm that will strike us when we are weak. They have already proved they are smarter than the standard Grimm.”

Cardin frowned as he looked at Salem “So how did you come up with this hatred for Ozpin?”

Salem sighed “I might as well tell you the truth. I was a woman in a tower locked in a tower and the man who Ozpin once was Ozma rescued me from the tower.” She let out a bitter chuckle “We fell in love and were going to explore the world together.”

Rainbow snarled “I have a hard time believing that a witch like you could ever feel love!”

Ruby smacked her angrily “Shut up and let her speak! We should hear her side of the story!”

Salem nodded before continuing “He fell ill and died. I was so desperate to have him back, that I went to the God of Light, once he refused I tricked the God of Darkness until they realised my deception and made me immortal so I would never see Ozma again as punishment. Thus I used my immortality to get the people of the world to declare war on the gods and they wiped out all of that version of Humanity, those blessed with Humanity.”

Blake frowned “How does this relate to Ozpin?”

Salem frowned “The gods brought him back and created the relics when they abandoned humanity. The Crown of Choice, the Lamp of Knowledge, the Staff of Creation and the Sword of Destruction, he was tasked with protecting the Relics. We both tried to allow our lives to return to normal and even had four kids, eventually our differing views tore us apart. Our kids were caught in the crossfire and Ozma reincarnated again. He has opposed me in many different bodies preventing me from getting the Relics.”

Weiss frowned “Let me guess Ozpin is the current incarnation of Ozma.”

Salem nodded “Yes, now you all seem rested enough let’s continue.”

Diane frowned “Thanks for your honesty, now let’s find out who created these Grimm.”

It was not long before they arrive at a strange facility, as Ruby punches down the door. On a screen an old man with one robotic eye and a robotic arm greeted them “Intruders, I am Dr Merlot and you will soon face the might of my upgraded Grimm!” Ruby growled as she rushed ahead, only Diane and Salem able to keep up with her.

Author's Note

Do you like how I did Salem?