♫ Back to the wall and there's nowhere to go ♫

♫ Hopeless and desperate, all paths adverse ♫

♫ Things looking bleak, and they're bound to get worse ♫

♫ Helpless and doomed, and there's no way to win ♫

♫ Goals unachievable, faith running thin ♫

♫ Lost and forlorn, impossible odds ♫

♫ That's when you'll learn you've been messing with gods! ♫

♫ Send in your grimm, tear off my limb ♫

♫ Strike me with bolts of lightning ♫

♫ I won't die ♫

♫ The battle seems unwinnable, but all we need's a miracle ♫

♫ We're going up we'll never be denied! ♫

♫ Can't wish away the dismal days ♫

♫ Can't bring back what is gone ♫

♫ Won't waste more tears on yesteryears ♫

♫ Instead we'll carry on ♫

♫ We'll win, we're sure we will endure ♫

♫ And though our goal is far ♫

♫ We'll be the ones to touch the sun ♫

♫ The Triumph will be ours! ♫

Things aren't looking good, Oz.

Ever the optimist.

While I would not say our current predicament is… ideal

I think we can both agree that the situation could be much worse.

Humanity is a resilient force.

Oz...

Pro Huntsmen like that don't just bite it all at once.

Salem's powerful.

It seems like her reach is growing by the day.

What does that say about humanity?

That there are indeed a misguided few who have filled their hearts with malice.

It doesn't take a great number of people to cause harm

But I still believe there are far more people in this world willing to prevent it.

Um

Excuse me?

Ah, Miss Rose.

Join us.

We were just about to gather everyone to discuss our next steps.

Oh, uh, great.

Something on your mind kiddo?

Uh, it's…

If it's okay to ask.

Of course.

Well, uh…

We've been talking about the Relic at Haven...

and the Spring Maiden, but…

...what about the Fall Maiden?

Cinder?

Does that mean…

Salem has the Beacon Relic?

Very astute, Miss Rose.

I was wondering who would be the first to ask.

No.

Thankfully she does not.

It's true that the Relic at Haven is very much at risk,

and for now, that should remain our primary focus.

Let's just say I made finding the Relic at Beacon a… bit more challenging than at the other schools.

That's good to hear.

It is.

But let's not forget the challenges that still lie before us.

Now is there anything else we can help you with?

Well, I did have one more question

No, my cane is not a Relic.

I have no more questions.

Yes, while this cane is indeed very precious to me,

it is also just that -

precious to me.

While I admit it still has a few more tricks up its sleeve,

I can firmly say that being a Relic isn't one of them.

Now why don't you run and get the other students?

Yeah?

Okay…

Yeah, we'll be there.

Who was it?

It was Leo.

Says he had a breakthrough with the council.

Thinks he might be able to get together a small raiding party for the bandits.

He wants us to meet up at the school tomorrow night to walk us through it.

Really?

Oh that's great!

I'll go get the others.

That sounds drastically different from your original conversation, does it not?

It does.

Interesting…

Things aren't looking good, Oz.

I know...

I still have questions for you.

You're not alone in that.

You know, I never expected you would be the one to have the guts to betray Oz.

Which makes me wonder,

what does she have on you?

I'm helping her for the same reason you are.

I'm afraid.

We…

We can't stop her…

No one can…

That's why I tried to leave when I did.

I'm not afraid, I'm smart.

You can call it whatever you want,

it doesn't really matter.

We're here…

helping her.

I've crossed a line…

I've done things that Ozpin will never forgive, and he shouldn't!

I don't know where I go from here.

Man up!

You did what you had to do to survive.

There is no shame in that.

Who are you trying to convince?

Do you have a better idea?

Quiet now…

Ma'am, no!

Did you come in here to hide?

I told you,

I didn't want this.

But you're still here!

I don't have a choice!

Of course you do!

Just… stay out of my way.

Why do you feel like we have to hurt people to get our way?!

Because it works!

That doesn't make it right!

Stop lecturing me!

Why couldn't you just leave?!

Because I run away too much.

Sorry, dad.

Quit taking potshots and fight me like you mean it!

You used to see things the way I did!

The way Adam did!

If no one's going to do anything to stop the humans that attack us,

then the only choice we have left…

…is to attack back!

You're wrong.

here's always another choice.

Ilia…

Please.

You're a good person but you're making all the wrong decisions!

SHUT UP!

Is this really what your parents would've wanted?!

I don't know what else to do!

I don't know what else to do…

Blake!

Dad!

Ilia!

What are you doing?!

Fight!

BROTHER!!!

Go help Blake!

On it!

Stop!

Please…

Go!

Mom!

What have you done?

You ruined everything!

EVERYTHIIIING!!!

Back! Everyone, stay back!

We've got people inside doing their best.

Look!

Get in there! Search for any stragglers!

We came as soon as we got the call.

And Fennec?

Was it worth it?

Blake!

Humans didn't do this.

We did this.

Faunus.

We did this to ourselves.

We are just as capable of hate and violence as the humans,

but I don't think any of us would jump at the chance to point that out.

So why are we letting Adam do it for us?!

By doing nothing and staying silent, we let others speak and act in our place.

And if we're not proud of the choices they make,

then we have no one to blame but ourselves.

This is the message that Adam Taurus will bring to the world if no one stops him.

But we can stop him!

You have to understand that all of you are looking for simple answers to a very complicated problem.

And I can't give that to you.

I don't know how to make hate go away.

I don't.

But I know that this kind of violence is not the solution.

I understand

that to ask you to leave your homes and protect Haven Academy is asking you to put your lives at risk.

But that's what's at stake.

So I'm going,

and I'll stand by myself if I have to.

I'll stand with you!

If...

If you'd have me.

Isn't that the White Fang girl?

I thought she hated the Belladonnas.

You're not going anywhere!

Let her come.

You're just going to forgive her?

After everything she did?!

I am.

What does she think she's doing?

She's learned a lesson that evaded me until I was much older:

That there is strength in forgiveness.

I'll go!

I'll go too!

I'll stand with you! I'll go!! Yeah!! Me too! Let's go! Yeah, let's go!!

Looks like we've got work to do.

Thank you.

You stabbed me!

I...

Ow!

There.

Let's just call it even.

We have about two weeks before Adam's attack on Haven.

We're going to need shields, training, whatever we can do to protect as many people as possible.

We'll need transportation too.

For everyone.

I think I know a ship captain who owes us a favor.