RWBY: See You on the Other Side

Vol. Five Epilogue: AWOL

~First Person~

It was mid-morning in Mistral and I was in a Mistral Airship on my way to a location that was of major interest. The reason? That USB Dad gave me was actually a digital dossier of a location about ten miles away from Mistral called "Forward Base Hitachi." Yeah. With me I had my equipment as well as that Titan Battery I yoinked. Also, Nora was with me given how she was the only one willing to come with and actually able to come with me. Why?

Well, Ruby was hospitalized due to her aura practically being none existent after Last Night. Weiss, need I even say? Blake was dealing with legal stuff with Mistral Council due to suddenly showing up in masse with Faunus as well as her wanting to give the press something to write about. Yang...was complicated. She was a bit out it and I have reason to believe it has to do with the fact she may have fully encountered her mom. Oscar was hospitalized thanks to the same reason as Ruby. Qrow thanks too was in on the fun due to getting folded like an omelette. Jaune was resting after all the aura he used and Ren was hospitalized too. Damn. We got really lucky...

However, even with the victory we had? I still couldn't shake last night's final encounter I had with someone...And I don't mean Dad...

...

"I'll catch up in a bit! I'm going after that ass-heardt!"

As I stood on the balcony in the Grand Hall, I would yell out to the others as they got helped seay by official paramedics and what not. In response, I only got a thumbs up from them thanks to the exhaustion we all were going through. The only reason I was soldiering on was for one, I am a Pilot. Can't doubt or run from the fact any longer. And two, Lionheardt needed to answer for what he had done.

So, I now found myself jogging forward with the letting Navy revolver I got from Spry in a temporary replacement for my Wingman. As I made my way slowly through the hall that I had gone down with RNJR and Qrow when we first arrived, I was skeptical to all Hell given how silent it was. Even with the sound of the Airships outside and everything, it felt like I was gonna get jumped by some outer space zombie parasite. Slowly making my way up to the main door to Lionheardt's office, I began to hear a squelching sound that made me cringe heavily. Yep. Just fucking nuke Mistral while I can.

Still, I pushed on. Grasping the handle of the door, I took a deep breath before flinging the door open and-Jesus fuck! On the floor in front of Lionheardt desk was Lionheardt himself but, it was just his corpse. A corpse that was being stabbed repeatedly by a spherical looking floating Grimm with barbed tendrils. One that seemed to shiver before it turned to me. Nope! I was about to unload the entire cylinder into the damn thing when I heard the voice of a female.

"Interesting...If it isn't the prodigal son. Hello, Aviator."

Having a shiver run right up my spine, the way this woman said my nickname made me freeze up as the orb Grimm turned fully to show a clear crystal ball-esque image of a deathly pale woman with blackened veins running along her face. Her eyes were completely black and her irises were crimson red like...a...Grimm...

"...Salem, I presume?"

"My, I can't help but feel honored to know that you instantly knew my name~"

Rolling my eyes, I went to just drop the fucking thing, again, when she spoke out.

"Your father failed to kill you. Shame, really. I was actually quite fond of him, even if he was a machine playing the part of a human mind. Tell me, how did it feel to kill him?"

I was about to answer her fully when I thought for a split second. Instead...?

"I felt nothing. Look, if you're gonna taunt me like he and Cinder did? I might as well end this demonic facetime call."