The next morning, Onyx and Ruby walked through the courtyard, their minds still weighed down by everything they had learned the previous night. Onyx's sharp amethyst eyes flicked around, scanning the students as they passed, ever vigilant. He wasn't paranoid—just prepared. Salem was on the move. That meant her agents were already here.
He just didn't know who they were yet.
At least, not until now.
As they turned a corner, Onyx's wolf ears twitched. A familiar scent drifted through the air, sending an immediate spark of recognition through him. His movements stilled. His body tensed.
That scent.
It was faint but unmistakable. The same scent he had caught when they fought the mysterious intruder who had hacked the CCT.
And it was coming from them.
Cinder Fall.
Flanked by Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black, she carried herself with effortless grace, wearing her usual composed smirk as they walked toward him and Ruby. But beneath that exterior, Onyx sensed something else—something hidden behind her golden eyes.
She was trying too hard to look relaxed.
She knew.
And she was panicking.
Onyx didn't hesitate.
In an instant, he attacked.
His hand moved faster than anyone could react, darkness erupting from his palm, forming a jagged blade of pure shadow as he lunged straight for Cinder's throat.
The air shattered with the force of his movement.
Cinder barely dodged in time, her smirk vanishing as she leapt backward, her feet skidding across the marble floor.
Emerald and Mercury immediately sprang into action.
"The hell?!" Mercury shouted, his leg snapping up in a blur, intercepting Onyx's follow-up strike. Sparks flew as Onyx's blade clashed against Mercury's reinforced boot.
Emerald reached for her weapons, her eyes wide. "Professor Thorn?! What are you doing?!"
Cinder's mind raced. How? How does he know?!
Ruby was just as shocked. "Onyx?! What are you doing?!"
Onyx didn't take his eyes off Cinder. His voice was cold.
"Her scent."
Ruby blinked. "What?"
Onyx tightened his grip on his blade, his gaze burning into Cinder's.
"It's the same one we fought."
Ruby's breath hitched. Her silver eyes flicked to Cinder.
The realization clicked.
Cinder froze.
And then Ruby attacked too.
Silver flashed as Crescent Rose swung toward Cinder's head.
Cinder barely dodged, her heart pounding as she twisted away, her smirk long gone.
Emerald's eyes widened. "Ruby, what are you doing?!"
Ruby's stance was sharp, her scythe gleaming in the light. "Onyx doesn't make mistakes like this." Her voice was low, dangerous. "And I trust him."
Cinder clenched her fists. Damn it.
She forced herself to keep up the act, even as her mind screamed at her to run.
"Professor Thorn, I have no idea what you're talking about." Cinder raised her hands slightly, trying to feign innocence. "Are you seriously attacking students without cause?"
Onyx didn't budge. His instincts were never wrong.
And her scent was all the proof he needed.
She was the enemy.
Cinder's golden eyes narrowed as Onyx advanced.
Emerald and Mercury immediately stepped in front of her, weapons raised.
"Professor or not," Mercury growled, "you don't get to attack us for no reason."
Onyx ignored him. His eyes glowed—a deep, piercing amethyst.
Then came the snarls.
Darkness twisted and writhed behind him as Beowolves emerged, their claws scraping against the floor, their eyes glowing the same shade as Onyx's.
Cinder went rigid.
Damn it.
The Beowolves sniffed the air—and immediately snapped their heads toward Cinder.
Then, without hesitation—they attacked.
Cinder's eyes widened. She threw herself backward as the first Beowolf's claws slashed where she had just been standing.
"Cinder!" Emerald yelped, firing her guns at the incoming Grimm.
Mercury reacted instantly, launching himself forward, his greaves striking one of the Beowolves in the head and sending it crashing into a wall.
But the rest of the pack didn't slow.
They were locked onto Cinder.
They remembered her scent.
And they wanted blood.
The courtyard erupted into chaos. Students screamed and scrambled for cover as Onyx's summoned Beowolves lunged at Cinder, claws slashing and jaws snapping. The air was thick with the scent of battle—ozone from gunfire, the sharp tang of steel, and the faint embers of Cinder's smoldering rage.
Cinder's golden eyes darted between the attacking Grimm and the advancing Onyx. She couldn't afford to reveal her Maiden powers—not here, not now. But without them…
She gritted her teeth. Damn it.
A Beowolf lunged. Cinder dodged sideways, barely avoiding its claws, but before she could counter, another one came at her from behind. She had no choice—her foot skidded backward, and with a flick of her wrist, a blade of fire erupted from her palm.
A quick slash—one of the Beowolves howled as it disintegrated into smoke. But there were more.
They won't stop.
They know what she is.
"Emerald! Mercury!" Cinder barked, twisting out of the way as another Beowolf's claws raked through the air where her throat had been.
Emerald's guns flashed, green illusionary energy bursting forth, but Onyx was already moving. He flickered through the shadows, reappearing behind Emerald before she could react.
His voice was a whisper of ice.
"You're with her, aren't you?"
Emerald barely had time to react before Onyx's hand snapped forward, gripping her wrist like a vice. She gasped in pain as an unnatural cold seeped into her bones, darkness crawling up her arm.
Mercury's eyes widened. "Emerald!"
THUNK!
His foot lashed out, catching Onyx in the ribs, forcing him to release Emerald. The impact barely phased him. Onyx slid back a few feet before coming to a sharp stop, his amethyst eyes locked onto Mercury.
Mercury moved into a stance, smirking despite the tension. "Damn, Professor. I knew you were strong, but this? We're students, you know."
Onyx exhaled slowly, raising his blade of shadow. His voice was low.
"You lost the right to that title the moment you sided with her."
Ruby dashed into the fray, Crescent Rose a silver blur as she swung at Cinder. Cinder deflected the scythe with her dual swords, sparks flying. She tried to keep her usual smirk, but Ruby was relentless, her strikes faster, sharper, fueled by Onyx's certainty.
For the first time in years, Cinder felt like she was on the backfoot.
Emerald grimaced, aiming her weapons at Onyx. She needed time to create an illusion, something to buy them an escape—
But Onyx vanished.
A flicker of darkness—then he was right behind her once again.
Emerald spun—too late. Onyx's hand closed around her throat.
She gasped, eyes wide, her weapons clattering to the floor.
"Emerald!" Mercury moved—
But Onyx's Beowolves snarled, blocking his path.
Onyx's grip was firm, but not suffocating. His expression was unreadable.
"You don't believe in her, do you?" Onyx murmured.
Emerald froze.
Something about his voice—it wasn't a question.
It was a statement.
Her heart pounded against her ribs. She tried to push his hand away, but he didn't budge.
"You can still walk away," Onyx said. "This is your last chance."
Emerald gritted her teeth. Why did it feel like he could see through her?
Cinder's voice cut through the moment. "Let. Her. Go."
A wave of searing heat blasted through the air. Onyx barely had time to react before a spear of fire shot toward him.
He released Emerald and twisted sideways, dodging just in time. The fire grazed his coat, embers sizzling against the fabric.
Cinder stood tall, her golden eyes burning. The momentary panic was gone—now, she was furious.
She knew she couldn't win this fight. Not without revealing too much.
But she could still leave a scar.
"Mercury," she ordered.
Mercury didn't hesitate. His metallic leg pistons hissed—then he launched himself at Onyx with explosive speed.
Onyx barely blocked the first strike—Mercury's greaves slammed into his forearm, sending a shockwave through the air. The force sent him sliding back, his boots skidding across the marble floor.
Mercury grinned. "You're good, but—"
He twisted midair, his other leg snapping forward.
"—you're not fast enough!"
Onyx's hand shot out, catching Mercury's ankle.
The grin vanished.
Mercury had less than a second to react before Onyx swung him like a wrecking ball—straight into the ground.
BOOM!
The marble courtyard shattered beneath the impact. Mercury coughed, eyes wide in shock. He tried to move—
But a clawed shadow wrapped around his throat, pinning him down.
Onyx stood over him, amethyst eyes glowing. His voice was cold.
"This fight is over."
Cinder clenched her fists. They had to get out of here.
She raised her hands—fire surging to life—
Then—
"ENOUGH."
The voice echoed like thunder.
A sudden force slammed into the battlefield, an invisible weight crashing down on everyone present. The Grimm snarled and vanished into shadows. The tension in the air was suffocating.
Onyx turned his head—
Ozpin.
He stood at the entrance of the courtyard, cane in hand, his expression unreadable. Beside him, Glynda Goodwitch's riding crop hummed with energy, her emerald eyes blazing with fury with Qrow right behind her.
Cinder took the chance.
A wall of fire erupted between them.
By the time it died down—Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury were gone.
Silence followed.
The embers of Cinder's flames flickered weakly before dying out, leaving behind scorch marks and the acrid scent of burnt stone. Smoke still curled lazily into the sky, a ghostly reminder of the battle that had just transpired.
The gathered students and faculty stood frozen in stunned silence. Eyes darted between the lingering destruction, the dissipating heat, and the two figures standing in the center—Onyx and Ruby.
Then, with deliberate calm, Ozpin stepped forward, adjusting his glasses. His expression was unreadable, yet there was a quiet expectation in his gaze.
"Professor Thorn," he said, voice even but firm. "What's going on here?"
Onyx didn't answer immediately. His amethyst eyes, sharp and calculating, remained fixed on the last wisps of smoke drifting into the night sky. Only after a long moment did he finally turn his gaze to Ozpin.
"I'll explain in your office."
The words were simple. Controlled.
But before Ozpin could respond—
"Oh, hell no. You're not going anywhere."
A voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Onyx turned just in time to see Yang striding toward him, fists clenched so tightly they trembled. Her golden eyes blazed with fury, and the heat around her seemed to rise.
"You and Ruby have been acting weird ever since the dance," she snapped, her voice borderline accusatory. "Then, you suddenly decide to attack Cinder? Out of nowhere?"
Her boots slammed against the ground as she marched right up to him, ignoring the tension crackling in the air.
"We deserve an explanation—all of us."
The rest of Team RWBY, and JNPR nodded in agreement.
"She's right," Weiss said, arms crossed, her expression sharp as ice. "We're not just going to let this go."
Jaune, his brows furrowed, took a cautious step forward. "You expect us to believe you just happened to go after her?"
Pyrrha, ever composed, locked eyes with Onyx, her gaze filled with quiet intensity. "If there's something happening—something dangerous—we should know."
Blake's ears twitched, arms folded. "We're not just your students, Onyx. You can't keep sheltering us. We're fighters. We're your friends."
Even Ren and Nora, normally silent or playful, looked serious.
The weight of their words hung in the air.
Onyx sighed. He lifted a hand, pressing his fingers to his temple as if warding off a headache.
"This isn't as simple as you all think."
"Then make it simple!"
Yang's voice boomed, her aura flaring dangerously. Her fists lit up with golden flames, heat rolling off her in waves.
"Because I swear, Onyx—if you brush us off again—
"Enough."
A single word. Calm, yet absolute.
The sheer weight of Ozpin's authority silenced even Yang.
Her aura flickered as she clenched her jaw, shoulders rising and falling with each angry breath.
Ozpin lowered his hand, turning his piercing gaze back to Onyx. "I will hear your explanation in my office. After that, we will decide what information is to be shared."
Yang looked like she wanted to argue—but before she could, Qrow placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Kid," he muttered, voice low, "trust me on this. Let them talk first."
Yang let out a frustrated growl, her fists unclenching.
Onyx's gaze flicked toward Ruby, who had been silent this entire time.
She stood stiffly at his side, fingers curling and uncurling at her sides. She wanted to tell them. She really did. But could they handle it?
Onyx exhaled slowly. Then, he turned away from the group, his voice low and unreadable.
"Let's go."