Ch. 11 – Know Thy Enemy
"So what…" Sun was asking, as they were all crammed in Jacque's office, except for Klein. "We got some shape-shifter spy, stirring up all the bad news and playing you two?" They understood the double meaning of the last part.
"They played all of us." Qrow said. "What's more, is we can't even be sure, who else was with us, when we went t' check on the relic." he pointed out.
"I…" Yang started, but stopped and Qrow looked at her with some suspicion.
"Ye got somethin', Firecracker? Then spill." he told her.
"She's been very eager to accompany us to the facility." Winter eyed her with even more suspicion. "Maybe it wasn't her, we were with, at all. Maybe, this isn't her, either." She put a hand on the handle of her sword and many got alarmed, none more so than Blake and Yang herself. "You kept insisting we should have the meeting at the facility, also. While the reason you gave was sound, now it seems there was an ulterior motive behind it."
"No, wait!" Blake stepped up. "It's not what you think." she held up her hands.
"Then explain." Ironwood told them and Yang sighed.
"It's the relic. From Haven." she started.
"What about it?" Qrow prompted her to go on.
"Since we left, I…I starting hearing stuff. And I realized they were thoughts. Other people's thoughts." she said and eyes went wide. "I didn't know why it was happening, but then I started to figure I can hear what people were thinking, around me. And if they were close to the relic, I could hear more and...I could even see…their memories" she explained, looking at Qrow, at the last part, who appeared nervous, wondering about what she might have seen.
"Is that why you wanted to have the meeting with Miss Schnee at the facility, close to the relic?" Ironwood asked.
"Yeah. And I was still too late. I could hear those mercs thinking about the hit and that they were gonna start, but they already shot one of us, before I could tell everyone." Yang looked at Winter, who let go of her sword. "But, that's not all…" she continued. "There was someone else, there." she said.
…
"Do we really have to wait until night?" Emerald was impatiently talking to Watts on their comm.
"Unless you can approach the General and lead him to the facility, with everyone else around, we must wait for the right opportunity." Watts replied, still drilling towards their goal. "And we mustn't cause complete panic, just yet. When the people of Atlas lay their heads to rest, tonight, they will wake to a war they won't be able to flee from and their streets will be the battlefield that will keep them from leaving, until it will all crumble under them, maximizing casualties." he put his fingers together, in front of himself, with a sinister gleam in his eyes and the hint of a satisfied smile. "Almost poetic." he added.
"Don't you have, like, a rule, or something, that kinda tells you to do the opposite of that, Doc?" Mercury referred to the Hippocratic Oath and Hazel was not present. Otherwise he may have had reservations about needless deaths or he just might have accepted them, if it was to please Salem.
"I neve'h had." Watts stated with the same malice.
"And wh-a-a-a-at am I supposed to do wiiiith this guy?" They heard Emerald ask, referring to Adam, through interference.
"What's wrong with him?" Watts asked, raising a brow.
"He's creeping me out." Emerald was looking at Adam. "He hasn't even moved since he got her. He just stands there like a statue." Emerald described.
"Well, go shoplifting if it helps pass the time. Just leave him there and go get anoth'ah haircut." Watts threw her options, not caring either way. "Find a nice face-mask." he added.
"Why would I need a…?" Emerald realized what he was teasing her with and with an angry growl severed the connection, as Watts smirked.
"So, how long until this thing gets there?" Mercury asked, bored.
"We should be in range by nightfall." Watts said.
"Huh? So that's why we're waiting? You could've just told her that." he said, somewhat annoyed that he liked messing with both of them and Watts kept quietly smiling to himself in amusement. In the alley Emerald shut her eyes and leaned against the wall, reminding herself why she was doing all of it. For who.
…
Cinder was lying on the same crystalline table, heaving so slowly her chest was barely moving from it. Salem walked around her, the only one in the room with her, apart from the one Seer, in a dark corner. She regarded her with lack of empathy and her tone showed disappointment as she spoke to her.
"The only reason I cannot punish you more…is the same reason why you remain an important part of my plan, despite your failure. The power you hold would only diminish, if I were to change you more than I already have." she said, trailing a finger along Cinder's Grimm-like arm. "If I were to enslave your mind, it would, at best, keep you from being driven by your pride and your petty quest to avenge yourself. At worst, it would weaken your ability to control the Maiden's power." she stopped, standing behind her head. "I cannot afford such trade-off." she added, as Cinder lay unresponsive, but then a whimper escaped her lips, indicating she heard Salem's words and the latter had a small smile.
…
"So, after we've been down there and even after the fight, I couldn't figure out what was going on, until you told me what happened with you guys, just know." Yang was saying. "And who was doing it." she added, narrowing her eyes. "I'd still have no clue, if we hadn't seen…Salem, at Haven, like we did." Almost all of them looked confounded.
"But, that was…" Blake realized.
"An illusion created by Emerald." Ozpin stated, piecing it together.
"You mean the girl who pretended to be a student from Haven at the Vytal Festival?" Ironwood asked.
"She's gotta be here!" Yang exclaimed. "And I'm pretty sure she's the one who got me disqualified, too!" Yang raised her voice. "She made me break Mercury's leg, after our fight. And she probably made Pyrrha…" she turned to Ruby, who knew what she was going to say and she looked at the ground, overcome with grief and Yang did not want to say anything more.
"What?" Ironwood looked between them and Jaune stepped forward.
"She had to be the one who made Pyrrha…use too much force…against Penny." he explained, putting it together, also.
"It…it wasn't Pyrrha's fault." Ruby's voice broke as she told Ironwood. "She didn't mean…" She looked at the ground, again. "To do it." she said, as she was hurting and Weiss lightly took her hand in hers.
"That…explains a lot." Ironwood stated. "Doctor Polendina will be interested to know, also." he added and Ruby stared up at him at the mention of the person who was Penny's creator and father.
"That girl..." Willow started. "I was surprised you could hide her existence so well. What was not a surprise, is how easy it was for them to make the public distrust both the military and academies. Outside of Atlas, anyway." she pointed out. "The rank and file, here, along with the public quickly cease to worry, as long as they feel safe behind the walls."
"So we have witnessed." Ghira said. "The students at the academy were the only ones who truly felt the weight of having to expect an attack at every moment. Of course, now, after there's been an actual attack, people are taking it seriously. But, then…it is what the enemy wants."
"Emerald undoubtedly started the more detailed accounts of the attack, making the information spread much faster and purposefully created an image that tells the people of Atlas their military cannot keep them safe, any longer." Ozpin deduced.
"Aren't there, like, cameras, everywhere?" Neptune asked. "How did she get around those?"
"We tried to review the footage." Ironwood said. "There were a few minutes, where we found interference, with a large number of devices. After closer inspection, we noticed those few minutes contained looped footage that no one had noticed, right away. In other words, we were hacked, again, in addition to being infiltrated and having the media manipulated."
"This is really startin' t' feel like Beacon!" Qrow exclaimed, turning his back as he went to the drinking cabinet to refill his empty flask. "It's even worse!" he added, yanking it open.
"Qrow…" Ozpin wanted to calm him down.
"Look, Oz…" he pulled a bottle off from the shelf, slamming it shut with an elbow. "I'm tryin' not t' lose it, here. If not fer myself, than fer the kids." he gestured with the bottle. "But, the only damn thing we got goin' for us, right now, is that no one knows where the Winter Maiden is, so, at least, that vault is safe." he told him. "I got no idea how they wanna get t' the other, but one girl's already got the whole city worked up and has been blind-sidin' us this whole time!" he stopped, slammed the bottle on the desk and started working on it with a corkscrew he produced from a pocketknife, which was him trying to calm himself and Ozpin could see that. He quietly sighed, collecting his thoughts to also calm himself.
"The relic…" Ironwood spoke and Ozpin looked at him. "Is this its power, then?" Ironwood gestured at Yang, who also looked at him, expectantly, along with the rest.
"It is one aspect of it, apparently." Ozpin said.
"Apparently?" Ironwood repeated, narrowing his eyes.
"You mean you didn't know?" Yang asked.
"The Relic of Knowledge affects every person that comes into direct contact with it differently. As it has in the past." Qrow briefly stopped, at that. "For some it grants…encyclopedic knowledge of everything there is in the world. For others, perfect recall of their life's events. Eidetic or photographic memory. Or faster processing, enabling them to take in amounts of information that would otherwise be impossible for their minds. In Miz Xiao Long's case, she temporarily gained the ability to gleam knowledge from the minds of others, it seems." he explained.
"So, it's not permanent." Ironwood noted and Yang sighed in relief.
"That's good." she said and Qrow resumed what he was doing.
"Do all relics bestow a person with abilities that are related to their four gifts?" Ghira asked.
"Yes. Indeed." Ozpin nodded. "And the Relic of Choice is the most powerful of them all."
"Is that why…you told me you made that one harder to find?" Ruby asked as Qrow opened the bottle.
"The ability to choose was the last of the gifts the Gods have granted to mankind, for a reason. Destruction, creation and knowledge, separately and even together, were not as dangerous as having dominion over the minds of every living being. For without freewill, just one may rule all others. Everyone's knowledge could become their knowledge. And their ability to create or to destroy would also be at the disposal of the one who could control their will." Ozpin explained, as Qrow finished filling his flask and took a swig from the bottle itself.
"Then…" Ghira started. "I assume whoever could control the will of others, could have them lead the way to the other relics, as well." Qrow turned back to the conversation he had been listening to.
"Exactly." Ozpin said. "Which is why Salem sought to obtain the relic at Beacon, first. It would have made finding and obtaining the other relics much easier."
"Wouldn't the relic of knowledge, random as its effect may be, also give her the means for that?" Winter asked.
"It could. However…once the relic grants a person an ability, its power is depleted and it has to replenish before it can do so, again. It could take decades, if not more, ensuring that their power cannot be abused." Ozpin said.
"So, even if Salem did get it…" Jaune started.
"It would be useless to her, at least, for a while." Ghira finished.
"Not exactly a relief." Winter commented.
"Does Salem know what the relic can do?" Jaune asked.
"She…may suspect, yes." Ozpin replied, uncertain.
"If she believes it can give her certain knowledge, she may be trying to substitute the Relic of Choice." Willow spoke, looking at Ozpin, meaningfully, who seemed to catch whatever message she was sending. Weiss caught their silent exchange.
"How long have you known about all of this?" Weiss asked her mother, who hesitated, as Qrow and Ironwood were both looking at her, expectantly, as well.
"My whole adult life." she told her and Weiss looked at her in shock, as did Winter. "I'm a poor example of a mother. And an even poorer example of a Schnee."
"Willow…" Ozpin tried to stop her from berating herself.
"With all that I know and with all that I can do, I let myself waste the last decade of my life, wallowing in a shadow of myself. I have abandoned all of my duties. There is no excuse for that. No matter what my marriage was like." Willow said.
"Phh…"Qrow unscrewed his flask. "These kids are all keepin' it t'gether better than us adults." he took a swig and nodded at Ghira. "Eh, except fer him. He's takin' it like a champ. Heh." he added and Ghira's eyes briefly widened. And Qrow looked at Ozpin. "You don't count." he dismissively told him and Ozpin raised a brow. "You had thousands of years t' get it down."
"You assume that means it was in any way easier for me." Ozpin started. "I have spent entire life-times…" he emphasized. "Either secluding myself to try and shut the world out or I looked…" His eyes intentionally lingered on Qrow's flask, before he looked up at him. "For other means, to do the same, from the moment a new life began, until its end. And then in the next."
"That's…hard to believe." Ironwood said, as surprised as most of them.
"Only because many of you held me in high regards, based on the single life-time you've known me." Ozpin replied. "In many others, you…" he paused. "Well…I would've been one of the drunken souls Qrow had found with his fist, in a bar." He wound back to Qrow, as his comment made him open up about it as he never have before.
"You could've told me that." Qrow muttered.
"I may have." Ozpin said and Qrow looked surprised, as he could not recall. "You probably did not remember, afterwards." Ozpin was suggesting he simply drank too much, one time he told him and did not have any memory of it. Qrow let out an annoyed sigh and put his flask away. Ozpin turned to Ironwood. "I realize you are looking to me for answers, James. However, I cannot tell you how we should proceed, except to state the obvious. That we must simply remain vigilant and be prepared, when the enemy attacks, again. Emerald's presence certainly complicates matters, as we cannot completely trust our senses, especially in a fight. Though, I suspect her ability may be limited to a handful or perhaps a dozen individuals, at best."
"How d'you figure that?" Qrow asked.
"She could've easily distracted us at the facility, giving the mercenaries an opportunity to disable us. Yet, she could only focus her semblance enough to cover her escape. And as Miz Xiao Long has told us, some of the attackers could clearly see her leave the building and the area, judging by their thoughts, which means they were not affected by her illusion. It is safe to assume she can only maintain it over a number of minds, at once."
"That is quite a dangerous ability." Willow commented.
"She could've assassinated us, in the facility or you in your office." Winter told Ironwood. "The only reason she hadn't, is because it would have exposed her presence, before she could get the relic." she immediately concluded. "But, then what could they be possibly waiting for?" she asked, frustrated. "How are they planning to gain access, now, that we're on high alert? There must be something we're missing." she thought out loud, looking in front of herself and missed the small shake of his head Qrow gave to Ironwood, silently telling him not to say anything about the dust veins and the explosives, as it would have riled up everyone in their group.
"Or maybe they're really just stumped." Sun tried to stay positive about it. "And they just don't know what to do? So…kinda like us." he shrugged.
"As unsatisfying as a lack of action is, we can only wait for them to make the next move." Ozpin said. "It is inviting danger. But, we must react, when they do. And we must not use all of our energy worrying. Otherwise, they will win, before they even make their move." Yang sighed at that.
"Yeah, we know. You keep saying that!" she said. "It doesn't make it any easier for us not worry about it all the time."
"Really? You were doing an excellent job of not worrying, as you made a mess in the dining room." Willow stated. Yang blinked and stared at her comment, as did all who took part in it.
"Hey, we were just trying to have some…" Yang paused and Willow raised a brow, prompting her to finish. "Fun." she dropped her hands, realizing she was merely pointing out what they have been doing was coping and Yang folded her arms with a small frown.
"You guys had another food-fight and we missed it?" Sun asked in surprise, disappointed.
"Kind of." Blake had a small smile.
"Today has been especially trying. Mentally, at least." Ozpin said. "It is important you found a release."
"Yeah. But, we're right back where we started." Yang said. "It's like rollercoaster." she muttered.
"Quite." Ozpin agreed with a small smile, glancing at Ruby and the Schnees, as they, in particular, had an emotionally exhausting day, which was not even over.
"If all we can do is wait, then perhaps it is best done as we have done it thus far." Ghira said. "However, if this Emerald is capable of hiding in plain sight, we have to be careful not to discuss anything sensitive out in the open, anymore. We cannot know if we are being overheard."
"If she really is unable to affect larger groups of people…" Winter started. "Then maybe it would be worth circulating a physical description or an image of her, if we have one. That way, if she attempts to linger near us, someone outside of our group may recognize her, even if we are under her illusion."
"It could make it more difficult for her to gather further intelligence." Ironwood said. "If she doesn't already have all that she needs." he narrowed his eyes. "I'll issue the release of her information, except for her ability. If our soldiers knew, then everyone would start second-guessing everything they see around them. They might even turn on one another." he said and looked at Ozpin who nodded in agreement that it would have only added tension they needed to avoid. "I'll go back to my office and get it out to every unit, as soon as possible."
"Great!" Yang exclaimed. "We'll finish our lunch, then." she said.
"You mean the one that was all over the floor and walls?" Winter asked.
"Yeah. That one." Yang smiled, folding her arms and Winter gave her a deadpan look, not amused.
"Maybe we can have one, as well." Willow said to Weiss, who looked up at her. "Like we used to." she added and Weiss smiled.
"So…are we invited or…?" Neptune awkwardly asked, in all of team SSSN's name. Weiss looked at him, then up at her mother with a smile and a small nod. Winter started towards the door.
"I'll tell Klein and the kitchen staff their trials are not over." she said.
"Wait!" Yang called after her. "We'll go with you." she said with some seriousness that Winter found odd. "I mean, we're going there, anyway." Yang added.
"Oh, I have to go to the restroom!" Ruby exclaimed and nearly bolted for the door, taking a long step.
"Ruby, wait!" Weiss stopped her. "I'll…go with you. You shouldn't go alone." she told her, with worry and Ruby gave her a confused look.
"It's okay." Ilia walked up to Ruby. "I'll go with her."
"Me three!" Nora zipped over, on Ilia's other side, fidgeting.
"Good idea." Ozpin spoke. "No one should be left by themselves." he said and his comment made Winter look at Yang in surprise, realizing what she was doing and the latter averted her eyes with a shrug. "Though, I suspect the reason behind Emerald's non-lethality, so far, may be that she's simply incapable of crossing that line, herself, despite what her actions have led to." he pointed out. Winter gave Yang an appreciative half-nod, before opening the door to leave and they followed her.
"We're doing the whole buddy-system, then?" Sun asked.
"Makes sense." Ghira stated.
"Dad, are you coming with us?" Blake stopped and turned from the doorway to ask.
"Oh. If…I may." Ghira looked at Willow, as if he was asking her permission.
"Of course." she replied, slightly raising her brow at his mild-mannered attitude, finding it somewhat amusing, given his imposing appearance.
"Come on, boys!" Yang called to team SSSN, Jaune and Ren and they followed them with Ghira, as Willow and Weiss also left, with Ilia, Ruby and Nora exiting before them. Only Qrow, Ozpin and Ironwood remained, who waited until everyone else left, before he turned to Ozpin.
"I have to tell you something else." he added and glanced at Qrow, who narrowed his eyes, guessing what it was, but thought it was his call.
"James, put it behind you." Ozpin told him, assuming he wanted to discuss what happened at Beacon and that he felt guilty. Ironwood looked at him in surprise. "You're not the first friend to blame themselves for mistakes that were done. What happened to me was evitable. And I knew it myself."
"It's…not just about Beacon. I feel like I've already made another mistake." Ironwood said and Ozpin had to wonder what that was, noticing his second silent exchange with Qrow.
"Very well. Then let us go to your office, in the meantime." Ozpin said, not wanting to keep him from the task he set for himself.
Weiss was walking with her mother and looking ahead of them at Ruby, as the latter hurried alongside Nora and Ilia. She turned her head and noticed Weiss was watching her and she smiled, before she heard Winter stop and point her, Nora and Ilia in the direction of the nearest restroom, down the hallway they were passing. Winter then moved on with Yang, Blake and the rest, towards the dining room and Weiss turned to look down the hallway, seeing Ruby, once more, as they passed, to see her safely go inside the restroom. Willow noted her younger daughter's worriedness.
"Your friend…is really something special." she commented and Weiss stared up at her in surprise, then thought to herself for a second, before she replied.
"Yes." she quietly agreed. "She is." Casting her eyes at the ground, with a small smile. Willow lightly raised a brow at her, then looked ahead of them, with the hint of a smile.
…
Ruby, Nora and Ilia were walking back towards the dining room, passing along the atrium, again.
"So…" Ruby shyly started. "Blake…told me you…um…" she carefully approached the topic and Ilia slowly looked at her, seeing she was awkwardly fiddling with her fingers.
"You mean that I have…that I had…" Ilia corrected herself. "Feelings for her?" Helping the conversation along, not as nervous about it as she previously was.
"Yeah." Ruby rubbed briefly scratched the side of her head, brushing her hair back.
"What about it?" Ilia tried to somewhat casually urge her to ask, seeing Ruby was just curious.
"I…was just wondering…I mean…I never thought about…these things." Ruby said. "Dating." she shrugged. "And things." she added.
"You mean just relationships?" Ilia asked in surprise. "How come?"
"I dunno." Ruby shook her head. "I'm…kind of a dork." she shrugged. "I always thought about adventures. And cool weapons. Fighting monsters. But…never really about…boy stuff. Or girl stuff!" she emphasized. "I didn't even know that was a thing, until Blake talked about you." she admitted, quietly, at the end. And Ilia was even more surprised.
"That's…u-understandable, I guess." Ilia did not want to make her feel naïve, in any way. "So…what about it? You said you were wondering about something." Ilia reminded Ruby of her question.
"Just…how it feels…maybe…I think." Ruby was still embarrassed to even ask.
"Well, it…feels the same, I guess. Doesn't matter if the other person's a guy or…a girl. The feeling is...the feeling." she shrugged, wanting to avoid the more obvious word for it, as she did not want to assume anything or potentially confuse Ruby. The latter seemed to be mulling it over. "You never really…saw…it?" Ilia specifically referred to two people of the same gender. "Anywhere?"
"I…kinda lived on an island, before I went to Beacon." she tried to make it sound funny, smiling.
"Oh…" Ilia understood it was for most of her life, then. "That, uh, sounds…"
"Boooring!" Nora interjected, from Ruby's other side.
"Yup." Ruby agreed, looking at the ground.
"I dunno." Ilia mused. "Kinda wish my life had been that…boring." And not spent hiding in plain sight. Hearing and seeing her kind being shunned and discriminated against. Then losing her parents, who slaved away their whole life.
"S-sorreey." Nora awkwardly apologized, remembering what they knew of Ilia's past.
"It's okay." Ilia said. "After all…we started from way different places and still…we all ended up here." Ilia chose to see the silver-lining and the higher calling that brought them all together.
…
In the dining room, a third table was placed together with the previous ones, making just enough space for everyone to sit. Willow sat at one end, with her daughters on either side of her. Winter on the inside, with Jaune, Ren, an empty chair for Nora, followed by Yang and Blake, with Ghira at the other end. Weiss sat on the outside, adjacent from her mother, with an empty chair for Ruby, followed by Neptune, Sage, Scarlett and Sun. The missing three girls came in, drawing some attention and Weiss immediately waved Ruby to her side, who happily plopped down next to her smiling friend. Nora was between Ren and Jaune, in the next second, rubbing her palms together as she grinned at the dishes in front of her, as if she had not eaten enough already. Ilia stopped, looked around, noticing there were no free chairs and sighed. Yang put an arm around Blake and pulled her in, closer to her.
"You can fit in here." she grinned as Blake smiled for her to join them.
"Or here!" Neptune shoved Sage, Scarlet and Sun to the side, like a domino, giving her a dashing smile.
"Uh…" Ilia did not look particularly comfortable with either options, for obvious reasons, even though she already put herself past her feelings for Blake.
"Dude!" Sun exclaimed and shoved them right back in their places, moving further in with his chair and Ghira moved slightly off to the left to make more room on the corner for her. "There you go." Sun said, as a staff member immediately brought an empty plate and bowl, with cutlery to the spot, while another one placed a chair for her that Ilia slowly slid in to sit on. Ruby looked at the dishes, uncertain.
"Would you like me to fill you a plate?" Weiss asked, with more than simple courtesy in her voice.
"I don't think I can eat much more." Ruby quietly replied, indicating she was nearly full.
"Oh…I guess you don't have enough room for dessert, then." Weiss coyly smiled, as Ruby made a worried face, then pressed it close to hers.
"I do! I do!" Weiss did not even lean away from Ruby and let out a small giggle, unsurprised at her change of mind and excitement.
"Behave." Weiss reached across, in front of her, with her right index-finger, putting it to Ruby's nose, who briefly went cross-eyed, before sitting straight, obeying her. Winter smiled at their behavior and glanced at her mother, who coincidentally looked at her, at the same time, with the same expression, then both of them looked back to Weiss and Ruby.
"Hey, are you okay, Ilia?" Blake quietly asked, not wanting the whole table to hear, as they were carrying on their own conversations. She could see Ilia was unaccustomed to such a setting. Or rather, it has been a while since she sat together with so many people, after her school years.
"Yeah. I just think maybe we should get back to the academy. After this, I mean." she quickly clarified. "To be ready." she added.
"Someone wants to get back to the buffet." Sun lightly elbowed her with a smirk and Ilia threw him a glare from embarrassment and they could see it was also the reason.
"I wouldn't mind that, myself." Scarlet actually spoke, his light voice and accent new to some.
"Oh, yeah? Seen someone ya like, huh?" Sun elbowed him, as well.
"Maybe." Scarlet averted his eyes with a small grin.
"Lotta well-dressed dudes, in that place." Sun commented and Scarlet smiled to himself. Yang, Ilia and Ghira were the only ones, within earshot, who looked surprised. Blake merely smiled.
"Hey…" Jaune whispered Ren. "Where do you think all the Grimm you sensed under the academy, go?"
"I'm not sure." Ren pondered it, unable to tell if they even went anywhere, in the first place. "I can't tell if they moved on or…if they're just…weren't moving." Ren described as the Geists still under the center of the capital, within its sewers and sublevels, were motionlessly lying in wait, as the same eerie glow from the Seer aboard the drill-sub, seemed to be instructing them.
…
In Ironwood's office, a dead silence followed after he finished explaining the security measures around the vault he built to eventually house something as important as a relic. And in the event it should fall enemy hands, described the drastic protocols that would ensure it would not stay with them. Ozpin sat across from him, in a chair, in front of his desk, as Qrow stood by the window, his head turned towards Ozpin, as they both waited for his response. He took a slow, deep breath and exhaled.
"These…predictions…" he started, looking at the ground. "How wide a destruction do they tell of?" He did not look up, even after he asked and Qrow turned towards Ironwood, still not in the clear on that. Ironwood briefly hesitated, but knew he could not avoid giving a straight answer. Nor did he want to lie to Ozpin about the potential danger.
"If every charge is detonated, the chain-reaction could reach the center of the capital." Qrow's eyes widened. "Here." Ironwood added.
"Then it would appear the same measures that pose the greatest threat to the safety of Atlas and its people, are also keeping our enemy from making their move." Ozpin concluded and they looked at him in surprise, having expected a much more severe reaction, even given his personality. "Unless…" Ozpin continued. "They plan on extracting the Relic of Knowledge, either without triggering an explosion or worse. Using it, in the hopes it will be strong enough to also uncover the vault beneath the academy."
"So the relics cannot be destroyed, then?" Ironwood asked, shocked, as it meant his measures could not keep it permanently out of their enemy's reach.
"I'm not sure." Ozpin replied. "I'd wager the Gods have made them so they could not be destroyed by any means humanity could devise. After all, they embody the power of the Gods themselves."
"But, what good it would do t' 'em, if they'd tear open the ground t' the vault, fer all t' see?" Qrow asked. "They'd still need the Maiden t' open it. Not t' mention all the news it would make. Everyone would see it and start askin' questions. The military would camp out there! They wouldn't get near!"
"Not necessarily." Ozpin stated. "While Salem may not care what the public could learn, as it would only turn them mistrustful, thus add more negativity, the vault itself is…also unlike any of the others."
"What do you mean?" Ironwood asked. "I oversaw the reconstruction of the elevator and saw the doors. There isn't anything unusual about them, apart from the fact that they will only open to the power of the Winter Maiden, I suppose." he said. It was Ozpin who fell silent for a moment.
"What you saw, James, were not the real doors." Ozpin told him and he stared at him. "It was merely…a front to convince everyone not intimately tied to the vault and its anti-chamber that they were already inside of it, so they would remain unaware of the real entrance that is behind them."
"But, that ain't much of a cover." Qrow thought. "Anyone can just bang on it until it opens, then. And why wouldn't the people ask anythin' about it?"
"Because even if they made it inside…" Ozpin started. "They could be convinced it was merely an ordinary vault meant to-…" Qrow scroll rang, stopping Ozpin and Qrow answered it.
"Yeah?" Qrow listened for a while. Suddenly his eyes widened and he sighed. "Hh, look, kiddo, I…" he apologetically started but was cut off and kept listening to, who Ozpin, at least, assumed was Ruby. "Heh. I imagine she does. Wouldn't mind knowin' about that myself." he glanced at Ozpin, who raised a brow. "Ye'r on yer way here, then? All o' ya?" he asked and listened again, but Ozpin raised a hand. "Hold on a sec…" Qrow told her and lowered the phone.
"Tell them to meet us at the entrance." Ozpin told Qrow, who raised a brow, but got back to Ruby.
"Hey, so Oz says we should meet in front o' the academy." Qrow said and waited. "Yeah, all of us." he said, then listened. "Okay, kiddo." he said and hung up.
"Miz Rose?" Ozpin asked.
"She said the Princess' got some question 'bout you and her mother that she wants some answer for. Her mom told her they should talk t' you, instead." he gestured at him with the scroll in his hand. "So, ye'r not getting' outta that." he said with some amusement. "And the kid knows I'm still holdin' out on her, since I first told 'em 'bout some o' the stuff, but said she's not gotta get on me fer that, right now."
"I suspect it's more about her mother and her heritage than anything else. And how much she knew about it all." Ozpin guessed.
"Yeah." Qrow agreed, putting his scroll away.
"Are we taking them to the vault, below the academy, then?" Ironwood asked.
"Yes." Ozpin replied. "I promised them they will be given answers, when they ask them. And I will not keep the truth from them, simply because I deem them unprepared for it. Lying, even by omission, may be protecting them. But, they've made me realize it can also cause a strife that must not exist between us. I'm…trying to honor that trust."
"Well, the Firecracker was definitely keepin' some things t' herself." Qrow noted. "How much d'you think she heard with the relic?"
"Considering she hadn't physically threatened either of us, she may not have learned anything that could have angered her." Ozpin said.
"And you think whatever you'll tell 'em in the vault, won't?" Qrow asked.
"Not either of your nieces, at least." Ozpin said and Qrow gave him a small glare.
…
Emerald sat with her back against a concrete wall, out of sight of every patrol, after she and Adam moved back to be close to the facility, again. The latter stood a few paces from her, guarding them, as she finished listening to Watts and all the interference.
"I don't supp…ose you could ha-a-a-andle all of theeeeeir minds, to accompany them down there and even if you can, you could nnnnot make it there on time." Watts was telling her, having listened in what was said in Ironwood's office. "You might-t-t-t as well stay put." he finished and severed the connection. Emerald stared ahead of her, recalling her conversation with Salem.
[Flashback]
"…if that is the case…" Salem was saying to her. "And the Relic of Knowledge cannot be utilized, then you must find a way to unearth the entrance to the vault under Atlas. Threaten its safety, in any way and…the one who is bound to it will be drawn out of hiding to protect it." She predicted the Winter Maiden would surface should the vault be endangered.
"B-but…what if she doesn't? W-what if she's not even in Atlas?" Emerald asked, fearfully. Not daring to question her thinking in any way.
"Every Maiden, so far, has always remained near the vault their power unlocks. Within the same kingdom, at least. If a vault is attacked, its Maiden will come to its defense." Salem replied.
"But without Cinder…we can't get her power." Emerald pointed out.
"We need only to learn their identity. Once the Relic of Knowledge is ours, we may bide our time and take the power when it is no longer wielded by an experienced Maiden. Just as we did the last time. And I certainly have more than enough time to wait, unlike my dear Ozpin, who must…grow into his shoes, first. Mwhahaha." Salem laughed to herself and it was an unusual, also unnerving sight.
[End of Flashback]
Emerald leaned back, closing her eyes. After a few seconds, she opened them to look at the statue that was Adam and rolled her eyes, before closing them again.
…
"So, why are we suddenly going down there?" Jaune asked, as Ironwood was leading them towards another heavily reinforced and guarded elevator.
"Mr. Ren sensing the Grimm underground, earlier today and a more recent information, has given me reason to make sure the entrance to the vault remains intact and undiscovered. Incidentally it will also provide some of you with answers that have only been partly answered, so far." He looked at Weiss, at the end, who turned to her mother. Willow did not say a word, though and Weiss guessed she did not need to. Whatever Ozpin was about to show them would probably explain it all, she thought.
"I will take half of us down, first." Ironwood said, as they could not all fit into the elevator. "Then I'll come back for the rest." He used a code and a number of different scanners, again, to authorize the full use of the elevator that was then capable of going past every sublevel, to one that was not indicated anywhere, far deeper than any of the other facilities were. Team RWBY, Ozpin, Qrow and the other Schnees were the first to go down with Ironwood, followed by the rest. They were standing in three rows, with Ironwood at the panel, next to Qrow and Winter. Behind them were Willow, Weiss and Ruby. Then Oscar, Yang and Blake.
"This is a little crammed." Yang commented as they began the long descent. They just barely fit into the elevator, with no room to move, whatsoever. "On the bright side, there's no way Emerald can squeeze her way in without any of us feeling an extra body, here."
"Unless, she already took one o' ya out and is pretendin' t' be them." Qrow muttered.
"Qrow…!" Ozpin exclaimed, wanting him to stop. Ruby started frisking a surprised Weiss, all the way to her face and hair and she twirled her pony-tail at the end to make sure it was not an illusion of her that Emerald could have been casting around herself.
"You're you." Ruby smiled. Weiss blinked at her, weirdly.
"And you're you." she said with a smile. Yang smirked, giving both of Blake's cat-ears a scratch and she gave her a weak smile, lightly blushing at the feeling. Winter elbowed Qrow, surprising him.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"Just making sure." Winter told him with some coyness. Qrow lightly stepped on her foot, in return.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, keeping most of it in, then glared at him, as he smugly smiled to himself. Ironwood sighed to himself as Ozpin smiled at their antics, even in such a serious situation.
They finally made it to the bottom and exited to an entirely unremarkable chamber, where the walls were the rocks on which the academy and the capital stood, forming a short, narrow path to a pair of large metallic doors. Ironwood went back up for the others and left them to wait.
In the second group, Nora was clinging to Ren, making more room for the others, as Ghira looked very much uncomfortable taking up so much space with his robust form.
"Well, this is familiar." Jaune quietly said to himself as they descended for a long time and Ironwood looked at him in surprise, from the corner of his eyes, but did not ask him anything. He suspected that he had seen the vault under Beacon.
"This doesn't look like the one in Haven." Yang said to Ozpin. "There's nothing here." Disappointed.
"As I have already explained to James and Qrow, where we are, now, is not the vault's true anti-chamber. The doors are merely a decoy, if you will, to prevent anyone from seeing what lies beyond."
"Well, what lies beyond, then?" Yang asked, somewhat annoyed, as the others arrived in the elevator.
"It will become clear, once it is opened." Ozpin stated and walked to the large double-doors. There was a circular hole, the size of a small ball, in both halves, and a third one in the middle. Ozpin took his cane off its belt and inserted the spherical end of it into the first hole, on the left, then twisted it. It engaged a mechanism the sounds of which can be heard coming alive and he moved to the right, repeating the process, as even more noises followed. Finally he stood in the middle. Taking a deep breath, he opened the final lock and after a few seconds of heavy parts sliding everywhere inside the thick metal construct, it opened, to the inside.
As everyone stood on the threshold, their eyes widened, not just in awe from the gently falling snow and the serene, wintry conditions inside the anti-chamber that was overgrown with the fauna of the tundra, but Winter and Weiss' eyes, in particular, stared in shock as they traveled high above to the true door of the vault, where no stairs reached, on which they recognized the snowflake that was their family's crest.
