Chapter 1: Every Rose has its Thorns

A/N [This chapter will be told from Salem's perspective.]

It wasn't long before I was notified that Beacon had fallen...the plan worked out well, however. I was waiting for Cinder and them to return from the Fall of Beacon. With the relic and the info on Ozpin's death, I sat in my throne room waiting patiently. Until I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." I said as I turned my attention to look at the door rather than looking out the window at the Grimm pits.

The door opened as a man walked in, Doctor Merlot. A rather interesting person, he had experimented on the Grimm. Mutating them, I wondered why he had showed up and why Dr. Watts had given him the permission to come without my knowledge. But alas I had let it slide, I had no plans on throwing Dr. Watts out.

"Why are you here Merlot?" I asked looking at the mad doctor seeing a small glimmer in his robotic eye. "Speak."

Merlot had bowed down on one knee as he glanced up at me with the look of hope and intelligence, he had a small grin on his face. "Salem..I bring you hope to make things yours, and all I request is you hear my plan out."

I cocked an eyebrow up as I stood up from the chair. "Go on...I'm all ears, what plan do you have in mind?"

Merlot slowly stood up as he slid a briefcase over to me on the table. "Project Scarlet...you're aware of my work with the creatures of Grimm...however, this project is more from mutation." He walked over to where I was standing at as he watched me open the briefcase. "All I need is your approval of this project...and then things will fall into place."

My eyes examined what was inside the briefcase, a small grin had sneaked it's way onto my face as I had noticed a recent photo of a young huntress. Ruby Rose, the silver eyed warrior. I glanced at Merlot for a short moment before taking the photo out. "And do tell what this project has to do with her? I'm interested.."

"Ah, yes..I'm glad you asked." Merlot said as he took a seat. "Project Scarlet requires a DNA sample from her. As well as you of course and Cinder Fall." He turned his head to look at me. "Cloning, the perfect clone to combat against the goodie goodies who have destroyed my lab..."

Rubbing my chin with a delightful grin I put the picture back into the brief case as I took out two vile jars, glancing at them before pricking my finger allowing my blood to drop into one of the vile jars. "You have my full attention now, a clone of Ruby Rose...yes...a new beginning. Very well Merlot, I will see that you are given what you are needed to complete Project Scarlet. As for Cinder's DNA. She has yet to return from the Fall of Beacon."

Merlot grinned widely as he watched me put my vile jar of blood back into the briefcase. "There is no need to worry about Ms. Fall...I was there during the Grimm invasion. However, I will return there to get the sample I need from her and see what there is from Ruby." He closed the briefcase as he stood up before picking it up. "I also request a new lab...unless Watts will let me use his lab."

"Of course, I will see to it." I said as I walked over to the door. "Don't fail me Merlot, I have high hopes for Project Scarlet...however, don't be startled if your project goes wrong and stabs you in the back." I turned to look at him before snapping my fingers. A Seer Grimm had appeared next to Merlot. "We'll keep in touch..."

Merlot would nod as he walked over to the door and walked out, the Seer followed him as he had stopped by Watt's lab to gather the tools he needed. He stopped before turning his head to look at me once more. "I will add a bit of Grimm to the project as well...making the experiment capable of transforming into a half Grimm hybrid." He had then walked off leaving as the Seer followed behind.

~~~

Time had passed as I too had a Seer to get a viewing of the current situation Merlot was doing in the ruins of Beacon. I had noticed he was indeed near Cinder seeing that she was indeed unconscious. She had seem to be missing something from her, I wondered if this was due to the silver eyes..it didn't matter as I watched Merlot extract some of her blood into the other vile jar.

"Merlot, bring her back with you once you're done." I said as I watched him turn his head to look at the Seer. "It seems I have a bit of work to do on her."

"Understood." Merlot said as he scanned the area for any traces of anything left behind from Ruby, any thing that could've proven useful. A piece of hair, blood. Tears, anything that may help. "Bingo." He had found a piece of Ruby's hair stuck to a metal pole that was. He yanked it from the sharpened pole as he put it into another vile jar. "Close enough, I should get going before any remaining professors notice.

I watched through the Seer as Merlot picked up Cinder, but noticed Emerald and Mercury were still there looking for her. I watched for a moment before looking away from the Seer, all that was left was to wait for them to return.

It wasn't long before Merlot had returned with the Seer, Cinder, Emerald and Mercury. I watched them enter the throne room, Cinder was in bad shape which had given me an idea of how I could fix her, I glanced over to Merlot whom had left shortly after to begin on Project Scarlet. Emerald had walked over to me with Cinder's unconscious body, Mercury had helped out as they placed Cinder down.

"Leave us." I said as I stood up and walked over to Cinder. "I will get her back to shape, but I cannot proceed with you two here."

"I uh...right." Emerald said as she slowly walked out.

Mercury only shrugged as he walked out as well, the door closed behind them as I glanced to Cinder before working my magic on her. Merlot was in Watt's lab as he had everything he needed to proceed with Project Scarlet, Watts would help Merlot from time to time on the project. I had fully finished what I had planned to do with Cinder as she now had a Grimm arm. Her face was also scarred, I knew it would take time for her to recover and it would take time for Project Scarlet to be complete. But time is all that I had now, to wait and eventually send out my followers to hunt down the Maidens and relics.

Emerald peeked into Watt's lab as she was curious on what was going on, and why Merlot was with them. Mercury leaned against the wall as he had his arms crossed clearly annoyed with what Emerald was doing, he rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Stop being so curious, you know it would only get you caught or killed." Mercury said as he glares at her. "Why does it matter if Merlot's here? We've known what he does, he mutated the Grimm that was given to him by Salem. It's not like he's going to make replacements for us, our loyalty to Salem is enough to be trusted, look at what happened to Roman, he died by a Grimm and Neo ran off. Be glad she doesn't throw us out."

Emerald turned her head to look at Mercury as she shook her head in annoyance, she walked away from Watt's lab and down the hall. "I'm just worried."

"Worried or not, your curiosity will get you killed." Mercury said

Emerald wasn't listening anymore as she continued down the hall, she was going to get to the bottom of what Merlot was doing and why Salem let a slimy snake like him do what he wanted.

~~~

As days and hours passed. A small fetus had formed in the cloning chamber, as for Cinder she was slowly recovering but Watts was indeed checking in on Cinder while I myself had checked in on Project Scarlet while Merlot was making sure it was going as planned. I had a idea that would surely work, I left the lab as I went to seek out Dr. Watts for the time being.

"Arthur Watts." I said as I had found him where Cinder was at. "I have a job for you to do, if you don't mind."

Watts cocks an eyebrow up as he looked at me. "What is it?"

"I want you to make a weapon for when Project Scarlet has been completed. A weapon they can use when in battle....a scythe perhaps, something that can be work to be like every other weapon." I said as I walked over to him. "Your ideas of what type gun it can turn into can be your idea Watts. All I ask is that you do this one simple job before Project Scarlet is complete."

"Of course...I shall do it right away." Watts said. "Hmm, but do tell me what you think of it once I'm done. I'll be so disappointed if it wasn't to your...standards." He left to get started on the weapon that was requested.

I walked back to my throne room as I looked out the window waiting for everything to be done and eventually have a meeting with everyone about what had went on at Beacon.