Chapter 46: Dark Awakening

Things were silent, the echo's of war filled the air. Grimm were pouring out of the Monstra like wild fire, all was seeming to be hopeless for them. The bomb was still going to be set to blow the Grimm sky high, or so it would seem.

Scarlet tossed the scroll down as she snickered, her body started to pulse showing her skeleton. Oscar noticed this as did the others. Including Ozpin, who took control of Oscar for this moment in particular.

"You're dying." Ozpin said as he looked at Scarlet. "If you keep this up, you will eventually die before anyone else does. Before you can achieve what your goal is, it's not too late to change."

Scarlet glared at him as she scoffed. "Me? Be a good guy please, I rather barf and puke on your grave." Her body pulsed again as she grins. "But that doesn't matter much to me, you and everyone else are just cattle."

"Cattle?" Jaune asked as he gulps. "W-We're being kept alive, just to be food!"

Scarlet walked over to Jaune as she slid her Grimm hand down his face. "You cattle have such soft skin...and a fine taste as well." She leans forward and licks the side of his face next. "But, seeing as I have more important task to do, I'll savor each one of you one...by one." She turned to look at Watts. "I want you to release all the Grimm, show humanity their doom."

"Of course." Watts said as he walked off.

Draken glared at Scarlet as he spits on her face. "You're just a coward hiding behind Salem's shadow, you think you can get away with killing everyone. But you don't realize that you're just a pawn to Salem's game."

Scarlet growled as she slashed at Draken's face cutting his cheek open. "Quiet boy, or you'll be the first to die." She turned around and went towards Neo, she kissed the mute on the lips as she pulled away. "I have a special task for you."

Neo tilts her head as she blushed a little, she was curious on what Scarlet wanted her to do.

"I want you to get the lamp...take it someplace safe, I have a sneaky suspicion that someone or something is going to end up blowing the Monstra sky high." Scarlet said as she saw Neo nodding her head, once she saw her leave the room. Scarlet turned around to look at the four captives, she pulled out Oscar's pocket watch as it was ticking. "Now then, as for you lot..lets see how long it takes for Ruby and co to show up, and how long it takes for a Nevermore to take the bomb Winter Schnee has."

"W-Wait, you're joking right?" Jaune asked. "What makes you think they're coming here?"

Scarlet snickered as she crossed her arms. "You truly are dumbfounded Jaune..." She took her musket and shot Jaune's knees. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to ask so many questions?"

Jaune bit his lip trying to hold back the scream of pain. "You...you don't know nothing about me."

Scarlet slapped Jaune across the face. "Shut your damn mouth, you bastard." She looked over to Oscar and then over to Ren and Draken, her body pulsed once more as she walked over to Oscar. "Tell me something Ozpin...why is it that you always come back?"

"And why is it that you never stay dead?" Oscar asked who switched back. "Ozpin won't answer any of your questions."

"Is that so?" Scarlet asked as she smirked.

~~~

More Grimm were swarming out from the Monstra as a Nevermore flew over head and swooped down at Winter and the others. Winter tried to slice the Grimm's wing off but missed, the Nevermore snatched up the bomb and flew away with it.

"Dammit." Winter said as she glanced ahead. "There's no end to them."

"General Schnee." Neon said. "What do we do now?" She glanced around hoping someone shot the Nevermore down. "What are we going to tell Ironwood?"

Winter was silent as she looked at the others. "We have to wait for them now, to see if they can save their friends."

The Nevermore flew over Atlas carrying the bomb and was making it's way to a general area to drop it at. Watts watched from a distance as he could see NWBR coming from the Schnee Manor. "Well well, looks like she was right. They are coming after all, but they don't know half of the pain they'll be going through."

Hazel walked the halls of the Monstra/Hideout as he could hear the sounds of screaming coming from the holding cell area. He walked over as he was about to open the door, Oscar came flying out hitting the wall.

"Tch, you little shit." Scarlet said as she walked out of the room and grabbed Oscar by the neck. "You think you're special because you of Oma's soul being inside you!" She lifted him up chocking him. "I'll kill you, right here and now!" Her body pulsed again.

"Put him down." Hazel said. "We need him alive."

"Piss off." Scarlet said glaring at Hazel, she could see Oscar's face turning purple as she started to laugh. "Yes! Die!" She was about to snap his neck but sensed Salem coming.

Hazel punched Scarlet in the lower jaw sending her flying, but as soon as Salem came around the corner. She had caught Scarlet in the nick of time, she glanced at her daughter and then at Hazel and Oscar. "What is the meaning of this?"

"She was going to kill him." Hazel said.

Oscar was rubbing his throat as he coughed and gagged.

Salem looked at Scarlet. "Is this true?"

"It is." Scarlet said as her body pulsed more. "I want to kill him, and the other three." She stood up and glared at Hazel.

"So be it." Salem said. "We already have the password to the lamp, we don't need to keep prisoners alive any more..not that it would matter, once we have the staff that is." She walked off leaving the area.

Oscar looks at Scarlet once more. "It's not to late...to change, you can end this all...you can kill your mother and end this war..."

Scarlet threw her arm forward as her Grimm hand pierced Oscar in the chest, grabbing onto his heart and yanking it out. "Burn in hell you fuck." She squished Oscar's beating heart in her hand as she turned to look at Hazel. "If you get in my way one more time, you're hella dead."

~~~

Salem stood there looking out at the chaos, she could tell something was up. She quickly turned around and used her magic stopping Scarlet in her tracks. "My...who would've thought, my own flesh and blood would turn the tables on me of all people, you're not getting soft are you? Or is it that you seek something more?"

Scarlet hissed as she glowed with the Fall Maiden powers. "I'm aware Hazel was the only one to best you in combat, but that doesn't mean I can't try myself." She shot a fire blast at her mother as it had hit her square in the face, which caused her to be dropped onto the floor.

Salem's face regenerated as she didn't look to pleased, she dashed forward and grabbed Scarlet by the neck. "I know what it is, you seek more power...yet you choose to fight your mother for it..and let me guess, Hazel is going to escape with the others as well..correct?"

Scarlet tried to move, but the death glare from Salem burned into her soul. Her inner Grimm was obeying her, but refused to move. As for the other half of her body, Scarlet raised her hand up and scratched Salem's face, right across the eyes.

Salem had let go of Scarlet as she backed up. "Your attacks are having no effect on me, you're going to be in my shadow for eternity." The scratches on her face closed up, but she started to get shot at.

Scarlet snickered. "Is that so?" She was firing dust crystal's at Salem, she had stolen them from Hazel and had them loaded into her Flintlock and Musket.

Salem was full of holes, as her black inky blood spilled out of them. Scarlet started to walk closer to her as she kept firing, eventually running out of dust crystal's. She charged at Salem and tackled her to the floor, she started to bash her head onto the floor repeatedly.

Salem moved her hands and shot Scarlet with her magic again, sending her flying into the ceiling. Scarlet hit hard as she cried out in pain, she fell to the floor as she crashed. Salem loomed over her after she had gotten up. "Know your place, you won't be able to match me child."

Scarlet's eyes glowed as she looked up at her. "That's where you're wrong." She blasted another fire blast at Salem, sliding away from her. She stopped time as she got behind her mother as she wrapped her arms and legs around her, she blinked allowing time to resume. "This is where I become the new ruler of Remanent."

Salem turned her head. "What are you talking about?"

Scarlet's body pulsed again. "DINNER TIME!!!" She opened her mouth widely as her jaw stretched and took Salem's head in, she started to swallow Salem.

Emerald heard the yell as she made her way to the area, she stopped when she saw Scarlet devouring Salem whole. "Holy....shit."

Scarlet slurped up the remainder of Salem, as the cloth of her dress disappeared into Scarlet's mouth. Emerald was speechless and horrified, Scarlet felt her body taking in Salem's soul and magic. She then exploded with power as it irrupted within the Monstra, causing it to die from the inside out. This created a massive explosion, which was like a nuke that would deafen people nearby. The entire city of Atlas and Mantle were covered in a thick misty fog, as ash rained from the sky.

The shock wave was so massive it knocked NRBW over on their asses. Within the crater that was made from it, Emerald. Hazel, Draken, Jaune and Ren were covered in ashes. There was no trace of Cinder, Tyrian or Mercury. But above them was Scarlet, floating there. Her eyes took in the now waste land that was a battlefield, her hair was no longer Scarlet red, it was long and silver, flowing in the wind. She clinched her fist tightly as she landed in the center of what used to be the battlefield.

A/N:[I can't take credit for Draken's character, credit goes to my friend on Discord]