"Almost!" Clark said with a grin as he dodged Ruby's scythe. The blade came down and shattered the rock floor. Clark jumped back both to avoid the spray of pebbles and a punch from Yang.

He heard Blake's finger tighten on the trigger of her weapon. A spray of bullets was released, and instead of catching them Clark simply kept light on his feet and shuffled away from each one. As he maneuvered away, he slipped out a marble-sized pellet from his gauntlet and flicked it at her at bullet speed.

She blocked it, which meant she had to stop firing.

Clark came to a stop. The three girls came together in a formation and faced him.

"Am I the only one who feels a bit humiliated?" Blake asked.

"Humiliated? Why?" Clark asked. His hands were on his hips in a casual stance while they were in combat poses.

"It's three against one and none of us have gotten a single hit on you this morning."

"You get used to it," Yang said. "It's been a while since JNPR got a strike in during one of their spars too, and recently even when it was six-on-one it felt like we've been handed any hits we got in."

Clark smiled, not answering one way or another. He'd come a long way in combat training even when keeping his speed at their level.

Yang smiled back, although her expression was much more aggressive. "You know, Clark? Sometimes you really make me bury my fist in your face."

"You're welcome to try."

"Don't get angry Yang, it makes you sloppy," Ruby warned. "Everyone fire!"

Ruby shot with her weapon still in scythe form, Blake sprayed bullets, and Yang pumped her gauntlets to shoot glowing Dust rounds at Clark.

This time he raced forward. His hands flashed around, deflecting the bullets off his gauntlets and dipping from side-to-side to avoid a few. He got a good punch in on Yang right on her torso, propelling her away while Ruby and Blake leaped in opposite directions.

Clark went after Ruby, who'd transformed into a scattering of red cloth and rose petals as she raced away. He'd agreed to limit his speed for the spar, so instead of chasing after her he just threw pellets from his gauntlets. She was faster than them though, so he had to lead his shots to where she was going to be. Two golf-ball-sized pellets hit her on the shoulder. Her aura protected her, but they'd had enough force behind them to unbalance her and make her cry out in pain.

Blake's sword came twirling in on its ribbon. Clark tipped his head to the left to dodge and knocked it aside with a palm. It clattered against the ground before she pulled it back to her.

Clark didn't move to stop it or pursue her. It was better to wait for-

"Hiyaa!"

As expected, Yang flew in with the recoil from her gauntlets. Clark decided to exchange blows with her for a little while. He was most comfortable with this, hand-to-hand. He dodged, blocked, and turned aside while elbowing her in the stomach and bruising her arms. It was fun, but Yang's irritated look indicated that it was a lot less enjoyable for her.

Close combat also restricted the others' moveset. Usually they didn't try any long-range attacks when Clark was in close quarters with one of them because they might hit each other. Yang had learned a while ago that activating her Semblance didn't increase her chances much, so Ruby would probably come in and try to land a blow.

And she did. Ruby swung wide overhead with her scythe, but Clark ducked and then knocked it aside hard. Hard enough to make her lose her balance and overextend. A solid kick sent her tumbling across the valley floor.

"Come on!" Yang shouted. She'd jumped back to avoid Ruby's scythe but now re-entered the fight with a fury.

He punched her only twice when Blake yelled. "Yang, back!"

With a grunt she retreated. A spray of bullets came in and this time Clark stood and caught them all. After a few seconds she realized that her attack wasn't doing anything, and he held up the bullets with a shake of his hand.

"Bumblebee!" Ruby yelled. She raced by and he leaned away from her, but with a clever recoil maneuver the blade came right back at him. No way to dodge, so he grabbed it instead and punched Ruby in the face.

"Gah!" Even now Clark still felt bad about punching a small girl like her, but like Qrow had said it was necessary preparation against enemies who would actively try and kill her.

Yang swept by, fists blazing. Instead of staying to fight she blasted herself away, and out of the corner of his eye Clark saw Blake swinging on her ribbon, using her weapon as a grappling hook.

Clark was familiar with all the others' fighting styles by now, but he still had yet to learn Blake's. It was a novel experience sparring someone who used a rope. He brushed aside her cleaver-like sheathe but she pulled away before he retaliated.

It wasn't hard to see that whatever bumblebee was involved Yang and Blake. They made another pass, and then he saw it. They were going to try a combo move. Blake was swinging in from his left while Yang was barreling at him from the front. Clark also noted that Ruby was off to the side ready to shoot after they went by.

With a grin he jumped up at Blake. A well-placed kick sent her careening into Yang, and they skid about twenty feet away.

"Damn it! What the hell?!" Yang shouted at her teammate once she got to her feet.

Blake was taken aback before responding. "What? He hit me into you."

"Yeah? Remember what we were supposed to do with Bumblebee to prevent that? You know, talk to each other?"

"Sorry for not warning you, but I was busy getting kicked in the side."

"Oh, an apology. That's great. I guess that's going to help us in this spar." Yang got in Blake's face, making her lean back.

"Hey! Stop it!" Ruby ordered.

Yang glared at her with red eyes. After a tense moment, she obeyed and stomped away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for things to end up like . . . well, that," Clark said to Ruby and Blake.

"It's not your fault," Ruby said. "Things between Blake and Yang have been kind of awkward for the past few weeks."

"Our relationship certainly has been strained ever since I came back," Blake said. She looked over to Yang. She was arguing with Qrow, who had jumped down from the spot where he'd been assessing them.

"No, it was strained ever since you left," Ruby said.

Something in her tone made Blake get defensive. "Ruby, you too? I've explained myself and apologized, what more can I do?"

"I know. I know and I'm glad you're back. Yang still needs time though, okay?"

Blake sighed. "Alright."

"Hey, you two," Qrow said. "Since miss Grouchy went off in a huff, you're going to have to fill her in on how you need to improve after this match. Got it?"

"Yeah, Uncle Qrow."

"Yes sir."

"Leonardo."

Clark jerked his head at the word. A woman was speaking, the sound of her voice unnatural as it echoed off a glass-like substance.

"Guys, wait," Clark held up a hand to alert them. "Lionheart, he's talking to Salem right now."

Qrow furrowed his brow and leaned forward. "Now? What are they saying?"

"Hold on, I'm listening."

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Lionheart said. Clark used his X-ray vision and saw him getting to his feet from behind his desk to greet the Seer Grimm. "Apologies, I didn't expect a meeting."

"We have discovered the location of the Spring Maiden."

"That's wonderful. Do you require my assistance in acquiring her, ma'am?"

"No. Your task will be to convince Ozpin and his underlings to leave Haven. Once you are successful, you will inform me so the Traveler and Raven Branwen can bring the Maiden to the vault and obtain the Relic."

"Raven Branwen? Why her?"

"She has been harboring the Spring Maiden ever since Ozpin lost her. Raven will be reluctant to relinquish her, and the Maiden is likely to side with her protector in the case of conflict between us. However, I expect Raven to agree to have her unlock the vault after negotiations."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"I see. I'll do my best, ma'am. However, I-I must say that it will be difficult to convince Ozpin to leave Haven."

"Failure will not be acceptable. If you must, ask Watts for assistance."

"Of course." He bowed his head and the Seer went inert. It returned to its usual position in a corner of his office.

Clark told Qrow and the three girls what Salem had ordered Lionheart to do. They returned to the dorm so they could tell Ozpin and team JNPR. Once they were all gathered in the main room, Clark informed them on what he'd just heard.

"So yeah, Raven's had the Spring Maiden this whole time," Qrow sighed. "God I hate her."

Ozpin, speaking through Oscar, agreed. "Let's set aside any frustration for now. Clark, you're sure Salem didn't give Lionheart a specific time or date?"

"I'm sure. All I got was the sense that she wanted him to get us to leave as soon as possible."

"Then we'll have to do so while making sure we don't arouse her suspicions or Lionheart's."

"Um, sir?" Ruby raised a hand. "If she's going to bring the Maiden here, shouldn't we try to stay and guard the Relic? Then Clark could separate her from them with his super-speed."

"The risk of bringing a Maiden under Salem's control so close to a Relic is too high under normal circumstances, I like the idea even less when she has someone with Clark's power on her side. No, we need to reach the Branwen tribe before her followers and either persuade Raven to place the Maiden under our protection or take her from them."

"Hold on, are you suggesting we kidnap her?" Clark asked. Checking the others' faces, he wasn't the only one uncomfortable with the proposal.

"She is too dangerous to be left in Raven's hands, much less Salem's. Cinder attempted to kill the Fall Maiden under her orders, it's almost certain that Salem will do the same with the Spring Maiden once she is no longer useful."

"So then why not say that when we convince her to come with us?"

"I plan to, but after running away and spending years with Raven she's bound to distrust me. I am not suggesting kidnapping as our first option, I'm merely telling you what you should do if she doesn't believe us about this being for her protection. It would be best if you incapacitated her before she has a chance to attack. Although if she does manage to release one, be careful. It's possible that you could withstand her elemental magic if all she does is create physical fire or lightning, but it's likely that she will be adept enough to do more. Avoid it at all costs."

Clark nodded. He didn't like it, but he could see why they might have to take the Spring Maiden.

"So who's going to go talk to Raven?" Qrow asked. "Me definitely, and Clark who'll be hidden nearby. You want to be there too Ozpin, or should I go alone?"

"If we're fortunate enough to arrive there before Salem's followers, then you and Clark should be more than enough. However, I don't expect such convenient circumstances. For all we know they could be there already in the process of negotiation."

"Then should we really be waiting here talking?" Blake said. "Maybe Clark should just go there and speed the Maiden away."

"If his double wasn't there, then that would likely be the best option. Can you guarantee that he won't be?"

"No," Blake admitted.

"Exactly, so this is what we'll do. We must all go with Clark to find the Branwen tribe. In the worst-case scenario, we will have to fight both them and Salem's followers. Clark will likely have his hands full with his double, so it will be up to the rest of us to capture the Maiden and subdue any enemies."

"Awww, are you sure we can't just leave all the work for Clark?" Yang said.

"In most cases we could, but not for this." Ozpin faced Clark. "Are you certain you can at the very least drive away your double?"

Clark grinned, concealing his uncertainty. "I admit that I don't have a good track record, but I'll manage." He would have to.

Ozpin watched him. It was far too intense a gaze to be coming from the eyes of a fourteen-year-old but to Clark it was obvious that his mannerisms belonged to a person much older than Oscar.

"When are we going?" Ruby asked.

"Perhaps tomorrow or the day after. It will depend on how soon Lionheart can come up with a reason to get us off campus."

\\\\\

"You've done really well these past few months, Clark," Greer said. He was finishing up an afternoon session with his client. Since it was a sunny day, he'd opened the blinds and allowed in plenty of sunlight while using minimal office lighting. It tended to improve most clients' moods and Clark was no exception.

"Thanks, although some of the credit definitely goes to you."

"Less than you probably think. I've honestly never had a client who recovered from their troubles as quickly as you have." Over the course of their sessions Greer had learned about the multiple issues Clark had been dealing with. He'd recovered from an eating disorder, which fortunately hadn't seemed to impact his weight or physical health in another. He'd had a healthy mourning period for his two friends as well after talking to mutual friends and family.

"Are you sure you won't be back anytime soon?" Greer asked. "You don't seem to have any serious issues now, but I'd feel more comfortable offering you more time to work on your relationship with your Semblance and the secrecy in your life."

Clark smiled. "I'd like that too, but I have a pretty important huntsman mission coming up and I probably won't return to Mistral, the city at least, for a while."

"Guess I can't argue with that then. Well, it's been nice talking to you." It truly had been. While it was important to make sure huntsmen were mentally stable, Clark had been more than just a client. Greer was going to miss him.

"It was nice meeting you too." Clark stood up from his seat and walked over. Greer went to his feet as well and they shook hands. "Goodbye, Greer."

"Bye, Clark." Greer said, and Clark left his office.

\\\\\

As usual whenever Farmer called them for a meeting, Phil and Andrea met up at the elevators to go down to the warehouse. When they got within a few blocks of the building, they were supposed to check that they weren't being followed by taking one of the three routes which hid them from spying eyes. They chose one which took them between abandoned houses and mossy rock formations

Tonight, however, was going to be different from usual. Or at least that's what Farmer had said.

"This isn't when we usually meet," Andre noted. "Have you heard about anything big happening recently?"

"No, I assumed Farmer was talking about something happening with your trial."

"I don't think so."

"Huh." What important thing did Farmer need to tell them then?

"Hey Phil."

"Yeah?"

"I know it's a long way away, but after all this is over, do you have any specific plans?"

"I'm going to keep working as a police officer. It'll be nice to be part of some legitimate law enforcement."

She laughed. "Come on, that's obvious. I mean what do you want to do besides being a policeman? Like your life plans. Do you ever think about . . . settling down? Doing that whole thing with getting married and raising a family?"

"Eventually, yeah."

She nodded, seeming to gain more confidence. "Me too. In fact, there's already a guy I'd like to ask out. Do you have anyone like that?"

"Um, no. You know I've had dates, but they never led to anything serious. Who's this guy you're thinking about? You've never told me about him."

Andrea smiled. "You're right. Maybe I'll tell you later."

They arrived at the warehouse. Inside Farmer, Sharpshooter, Knight, and Prevail were already waiting for them. They stood near a table which was bare except for a few yellow folders.

"Hello Phil, Andrea," Farmer said.

They responded by greeting him and the others.

Farmer began. "I know this is sooner than we planned to meet again, but it's important. This is going to be our last meeting."

"What?" Phil blurted out.

"Our last one? Why? Did something go wrong?" Andrea asked, also concerned.

"Not exactly. Don't worry, the Interference will survive as long as you and others stay to continue its work. You'll just have to do it without the four of us."

Phil's eyes bugged out. The Interference without Farmer? How could it even work? Farmer had gathered them and started the Interference. He was its core, its heart, and Phil wasn't just being sentimental. Neither he nor Andrea knew just how he collected the information vital to their operations.

"Will you tell us why?" Phil asked.

"Yes, but first you should take this." Farmer picked up the folders and handed them to Phil. He also gave him a flash drive. "These contain information on Dolus, the alliance, and other members of the Council. Pay special attention to Ling Ju-ahn. He seems to be trying to take advantage of Dolus' downfall to take his place on the Council."

Andrea took a folder from Phil and shuffled through some of the papers inside. She nodded, her expression determined. "Okay, we'll make sure to use this to take them down."

"Good. Now, you deserve an explanation for why I'm doing this. First, I'd like you to know who we are." Farmer removed his mask to their shocked faces. Underneath was a handsome man with black hair and blue eyes, younger than the two of them. He wasn't the only one removing his mask, the others took theirs off too. "My name is Clark Kent."

Phil recognized the other faces. They were some of the Haven students who'd helped rescue Andrea.

"I'm Ruby Rose," Sharpshooter said.

"Jaune Arc."

"Pyrrha Nikos."

"Hold on, Pyrrha Nikos is part of the Interference? Is that why you helped testify against the alliance?" Andrea asked.

Phil's eyes widened. That was a good catch.

"I would have testified even if I wasn't," Pyrrha said. "Remember, there were other students who went to court who didn't even know about the Interference."

"We're huntsmen, or more exactly, one huntsman and several students," Farmer said. "Actually, there's a good chance you might know me by another name. Do either of you recognize this symbol?" He took a strange blue crystal out of his pocket and held it up to them. It was in the shape of a pentagonal shield with the letter 'S'.

"Yeah, that's the Dart's sign," Phil said.

Farmer nodded. "That's right."

He vanished. Phil blinked, wondering what had happened until he heard Farmer's voice from behind him. "I'm the Dart."

"Wait, you mean you're the guy who was at the Vytal Festival?" Andrea asked.

"I am."

The hero of Vale! That's who had been with them this whole time? It made sense now how he had fought so effectively against the Council and crime families. Phil had seen the broadcasts of him fighting Grimm and rogue Atlas robots during the Festival.

"Now that you know who we are, I'll tell you why we're leaving," Farmer said. "Don't misunderstand, we don't want to go. If we could, we would stay and help you end corruption in Mistral. Unfortunately, as huntsmen we have other responsibilities. I can't give you details, but it involves the terrorists who attacked Vale and threats to all Kingdoms including Mistral. I hope you understand."

"Yeah, definitely," Phil said. "We trust you, Farmer."

He smiled. It was so different from what Phil had imagined. He'd thought Farmer would be an older man, maybe in his fifties, experienced and knowledgeable about Mistral and its corruption. The man looking back at him was a young adult, like a fresh college graduate.

"You can call me Clark," he said. He turned to the three behind him. "Anything you guys want to say before we go?"

"Don't give up!" Ruby said. "It has to be scary trying to fight evil without Clark on your side anymore, but you can do it. Besides, it's not like we're going to be gone forever, someday we'll be back."

Andrea's contemplative gaze broke and her head tilted up. "Is that true, Fa-Clark?"

"We probably will come back, but it won't be for a while. Don't expect us to come and save you if things get rough."

"Hey, Clark's a great guy to have on your side, but he's not absolutely necessary," Jaune said. "Phil, remember that he was busy when we had to save Andrea. We came up with that plan and carried it out on our own."

"And you did great, if I may add," Clark said.

That was right. They had done well without Farmer's supervision. Maybe this shocking news wasn't as problematic as it seemed.

"Also, if I recall correctly, the number of police officers in the Interference has expanded beyond just the two of you," Pyrrha said. "I'm sure you can attract even more to the cause, especially after they've seen how you've toppled Dolus and an entire crime syndicate."

"Yeah, I've already recruited a few more and have my eyes on some others," Phil said. Andrea had done likewise.

"See? You can handle yourselves without us," Clark said. "I have faith that you'll do the Interference proud. Although I hope you realize that you should keep our identities hidden from any new members."

"Yes. There's no way we'd betray your trust like that."

"I know. That's why we decided to reveal ourselves. This is goodbye for now, I hope I see you again soon."

The four of them left after exchanging their own goodbyes. The warehouse felt empty without them, as if their absence had its own strange physical presence.

Andrea dispelled the glum mood by walking up to Phil and taking the folders. She sat at the table and gestured to him. "Come on, we need to look over what he gave us and plan our next steps."

"Right." Phil went over. There was work to do.