Xellos1
"So, now it has begun. The noose now tightens around Ironwood's neck"
No last chapter was them tieing up the noose around Ironwood's neck, this is where people begin tightening it.
At the bottom it's not extra plot or a poll but, I would like everyone to read it if possible. Anyway...
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Battleship Chimera, Cell Block A
Sienna was feeling exhausted, but the small metal slab she had in her five by ten-foot cell was in no way suitable to sleep on. Tthere was no toilet in here, and she feeling nauseous, probably due to the slick paste they were serving her, meant she was constantly holding her gut in anticipation of something. Not to mention her breast felt swollen due to how cold the cell was.
"So much for no cruel and unusual treatment of prisoners." She scowled."Ironwood has Jaune and the general public doesn't know. So he has limited freedom to do whatever the hell he wants, at least until the Vytal festival ends." Fear filled her mind. "Jaune doesn't know anything. He'll just tell the same story as me and the General, of course, won't believe that." It would take a miracle to help the two of them now.
"This is Lisa Lavender with VNN here with some breaking news."
An image of Jaune appeared next to her.
"Jaune Arc recently claimed by this news station to be nothing more than a human collaborator for the White Fang has been proven to be much more than the original charges."
Roland scowled.
"What story are they going to spin now?"
"Jaune Arc of the prestigious Arc family is actually married to the Sienna Khan, High Leader of the White Fang."
Roland paused.
"W-What!?"
"A marriage certificate has been brought to our attention from the data banks in the City of Mistral."
Filling the screen was said certificate.
Certificate Of Marriage
This certifies that Jaune arc and Sienna Khan,
Where united in marriage on this day,
the twenty-seventh of March in the year 2022
Ordained by Mando Niner
"Just get that news station to shut it down, Schnee. It's spewing nonsense and must be stopped immediately!"
"Sir wouldn't you suppressing a news station play into-?" She asked.
"It's my job to protect Vale and I will do so my way. Now I want that story taken down and I want it down yesterday!"
"Yes sir, right away sir!" The image of Winter disappeared.
"Although we couldn't find the ordainer in question, it still raises the question of why such information was hidden from us by General Ironwood. However extensive investigation showed that Jaune Arc was on a team JNPR with the Mistral champion Pyrrha Nikos, someone who all but guaranteed a victory for Vale is now incapable of participating in the Vytal festival tournament. This coupled with Atlases horrific streak of losses in the past fifty-two years and the extremely vague charge of guilty by association raises more than a few eyebrows here at VNN."
"So..." Ruby looked to Weiss.
Weiss rolled her eyes. "It means that Ironwood may have done all this in an attempt to rig the tournament in his favor. Now hush!" Her eyes shot back to the screen.
Ozpin pulled out a flask he was saving for a special occasion but now seemed better than ever.
"Although the situation is still ongoing VNN will update as more information comes while looking at this story from every angle and not just the one we were handed like it was previously."
Roland came crashing through the master bedroom door and marched to the side of the bed. "Honey!"
"Mifl." Juniper mumbled.
"Sweetie you have to get up now!" Roland yanked the blanket off her.
"Ugh..." She looked up at her husband annoyed."What? Roland, it's a Saturday. Where could we possibly need to go?"
"Vale Junpier, we are going to Vale now."
"The White Fang must be behind this. They wish to undermine the trust in Vale's security." He scowled.
Beep*
Beep*
Beep*
James saw he was getting a call... from Ozpin.
He groaned it was the fifth time this afternoon. "Great. Now time for a call about harming peace, cooperation, and how it's all my fault due to me being 'overzealous'."
He finally accepted the call.
"James" Ozpin has a blank stare.
"Ozpin not now."
"James."
"Ozpin I don't have time to listen to your gloating." Ironwood stood. "I have something to take care of-"
"Sit down and SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
"James, what have you done?"
He regained himself and spoke. "I've done what is necessary to protest Vale. The job I was assigned to by the Vale council and the job you failed at."
"James I know you're trying to suppress the media."
"To keep negatively down I couldn't allow them to spin that absurd story of me rigging the Vytal festival in my favor."
"Is it really absurd James?" Ozpin asked carefully.
"Oz don't tell me you honestly believe that ridiculous tale."
"I don't, but consider this. When a politician, like you are, is accused of something what do they do?" He looked closer into the camera. "They hold a press conference and tell everyone it's wrong and why. Then the media continues like normal until they find something else to put a hashtag in front of it." He stopped to take a long sip of his flask. "However, the Councilman, Headmaster, and General of Atlas, who is accused of rigging the tournament in Vale. Doesn't do any of that, no! He suppresses the news and does everything in his power to keep any and all journalist in Vale from looking into it. Like he has something to hide! NOW TELL ME JAMES JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!"
"Ozpin I... I never thought that-"
"You weren't thinking. You probably thought about how I'm wrong and how I take way too much time to make a decision and how I never take actions to the extreme. That I should ignore how the public is sensitive to the littlest of deviations from there natural order of thing and just do my own thing. This James will not just people off in Vale. No this is gonna be global." Ozpin had enough, he hung up the call.
Ozpin finished chugging the contents of the flask and replaced it with his scroll.
"Glynda it's Ozpin. Did you see the breaking news on VNN?"
"No, I'm still trying to find Qrow's whereabouts. Why? Is there something happening?" She asked.
"James has as one would say screwed the pooch. I need you to forget Qrow and lock down Beacon. I want no non-students to enter or leave effect immediately and all off-campus students to be called back immediately. Get all Atlas students away from everyone else as possible."
"What? Ozpin what is going on?"
"Just watch the VNN latest news then do as I say! We could very well have the largest international incident in the history of international incidents!" He shouted.
Glynda was taken back by his tone.
"...I will get right on it."
Beep*
Ozpin slammed his scroll on the desk and gripped his hair in frustration.
"James you fucking idiot."
"You wanted to see me, mistress." Cinder was kneeling in front of a seer her master looking down.
She did not look pleased.
"Cinder dearest. I want to know why you're not hunting the boy?"
"I've sent members of the White Fang out to find him-"
"No!" She slammed on her table. "I want to know why you chose to disobey me and disregard my orders so casually!"
Cinder was taken back an confused. "I... I continuing on with my plan to gather the rest of the Fall Maiden's power."
"What made you believe, that you could pursue your own personal goals?"
"I am here to take the power you promise me and destroy-"
"I know why you there!" "Answer the question Cinder. My patience is not infinite."
"I was ordered to destroy Beacon and take the Maiden powers... by you. I don't understand how one buffoon could possibly be so- huk!" The Seer wrapped its tentacles around Cinder's neck.
"Cinder I'm only going to say this once so listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. The maidens fall, winter, spring, and summer will all die and come back." The pointed parts of the Seer came inching close to Cinder's eye. "The relics will remain hidden inside the vaults under the schools until I take them out and even Ozpin will always remain. If you die, well I will replace you with someone else. All that in mind, Jaune Arc and Qrow Bradwen die, they will not likely come back they will stay dead. That I cannot... will not allow to happen. So you will find Arc and Bradwen, bring them to me alive and well. Do not try me like this again." The Seer let Cinder go and Salem disappeared.
Cinder was relieved but confused. All that planning and scheming, she was willing to throw away for a drunkard and scraggly boy. What in Salem's name made them so important?
"What is happening to this school?"
Blake thought.
Ever since the VNN story and Ironwoods response to it yesterday the school has been in lockdown. The Vytal festival was still ongoing but the tournament would remain postponed until next week.
"Why did this all happen?" Ruby asked.
"I don't know Rubies, it's just something we need to work against."
"But why did Weiss need to leave?"
Weiss was taken away to a separate dorm building along with every single Atlesian in the school students of Atlas Academy or not.
"Everyone hates Ironwood now and since they can't get at him everyone is lashing out at anything Atlesian."
"But Weiss didn't do anything!" Ruby protested.
"It's just a safety precaution. Just like Professor Goodwich said."
Ruby just whined.
Yang sighed. "In Vale, it's all bad news. People were predictable in their response, constant outroar at the General for rigging the tournament and calls for Atlas to be immediately disqualified. General confusion on why Sienna Khan of all people would marry Jaune." Yang turned to Blake. "Why did they She do that anyway?"
"I never bothered to ask." Blake responded.
With the popular theory among Funaus is that she's opening up to humanity. With that would mean a step towards ending the violence. That Ironwood slapped away. Which means more hatred of Atlas from Faunus in the city.
"Vale in an uproar, the school divided, and The White Fang still quite after all this. Even if Sienna is still considered a traitor they still wouldn't pass up a golden opportunity like this."
Knock*
Knock*
Knock*
"Go away we don't want to see anyone!"
Knock*
Knock*
Knock*
"I said go! away!"
Bang*
Bang*
Bang*
"By the gods." Yang groaned.
She marched over to the door and opened it.
"Look what part of- oof!" She was pushed out of the way by someone who slammed the door and locked it. Blake and Ruby got up from their positions and face the figure with a thick black cloak.
Yang stood up. "Hey! Who do you think you are!?" She yelled.
The figure stood there before pulling off their hood revealing their face and everyone stood still.
Blond hair, blue eyes, large scar starting at his upper left cheek passing up and over his eye.
"Jaune."
"Why is Vale exploding?" Nora asked.
Pyrrha had left the dorm for a walk. It was over an hour ago so Ren and Nora were now out to find her.
"The public is mad about General Ironwood's response to the accusations against him. His response made it worse."
"Well sounds to me he's just too much of a sore loser."
"That may be the case, but it's not why we're out here. We need to find Pyrrha."
"In hindsight, we should have seen something was wrong."
"Oh!" Nora zipped under a tree. "Found here!" She held Pyrrha up by her arm.
Ren sighed before walking over.
"Pyrrha what's wrong?"
"Its Argus."
"You home city? What's wrong?"
"My fans there are literally rioting about my inability to participate in the tournament. There was even a standoff between the Atlas military and students from Sanctum Academic. Not to mention the news station from Mistral is asking what legal action I want to take." She looked on the verge of tears. "All if this going on and I can't even go back home. Atlas is doing who knows what to Jaune and Sil- Sienna."
Nora wrapped her arms around her waist giving a light hug. Ren himself closed the distance and made a group hug.
"How about we go back to the dorm and discuss this in a more comfortable environment."
"Okay." Pyrrha said weakly.
"Will nothing good come out of this?" Ren thought.
Weiss sat alone in the dorm room. She had been separated from everybody else yesterday.
For her safety they said.
"As if my teammates wouldn't be enough already." She thought.
Knock*
Knock*
Knock*
Weiss turned to the window and saw Sun of all people hanging outside. She walked over and opened it.
"Sun what are you doing here?" She eyed his outfit. "What are you wearing?"
He had a closed loose-collared black jacket with similar colored tie and dress paints all with black fingerless gloves.
"Its time for our date remember?"
Weiss did remember, but assumed it was off due to recent events.
"Sun..."
He jumped inside. "Look I've got a reservation at a nice fancy place and got this outfit all ready."
"Sun..."
"I know its what I wore during the dance but in my defense, this whole Atlas debacle happening made it impossible to get to Vale and find a new suit and this was the best I could scrape up."
"Sun..."
"If you hurry I'm sure we can get a shuttle outta Beacon-"
"Sun!" Weiss yelled making him flinch back.
"Um... is there a problem?"
"Sun no one can leave Beacon and I'm confined to this dorm room along with anyone else from Atlas. We can't leave. How would we leave?"
"Well, we could... *clears throat* shuttles still come and go just not to pick people up. We can easily sneak off on one."
"Sun... no."
"Come on Weiss! Do really want to stay here? Alone?"
"Sun we can not just leave. We would be breaking so many rules."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Weiss deadpanned at him. "W-Well first time for you... it will be a learning experience!"
She facepalmed. "Sun please."
"Weiss come on! I'll be fun!"
She looked at him and at the clear effort he put into this.
"Okay. Let get dressed first."
Sun pumped his fist. "Yes! You won't regret this!"
Please read if you can spare the time.
Chekhov's gun is a dramatic principle that states that every element in a story must be necessary, and irrelevant elements should be removed; elements should not appear to make "false promises" by never coming into play.
In chapter forty-two, Adam had foreshadowed Sienna and Jaune's marriage was going to get out in an anonymous tip.
"So human, what would you headmaster do if he finds out your married to Sienna Khan. I wonder? All he really needs is an anonymous tip..."
Then chapter forty-six was Ironwood saying he had gotten an anonymous tip from somewhere about Sienna Khan or about someone close to her to Glynda.
"I've received a lead that may help me find Sienna Khan here in Vale, or at least someone close to her." He explained.
Chapter forty-seven showed that Ironwood found a certificate of marriage.
...he looked at the image on his computer.
Certificate Of Marriage
This certifies that Jaune arc and Sienna Khan,
Where united in marriage on this day,
the twenty-seventh of March in the year 2022
Ordained by Mando Niner
Chapter fifty was him accepting it and beginning to plan for how to arrest them properly.
He tried to poke holes in everything possible, but it all held together seamlessly. The whole thing makes too much sense, it had been crafted so well it was no real wonder why Ozpin himself couldn't find anything. The contradicting information had both of them looking in the wrong direction the whole time. They would have missed it unless the anonymous tip hadn't come to his attention.
Chapter fifty-one was him in the process of inactivating his plan.
The Vytal festival, meant to encourage cooperation. Instead, it was being used to further his own ends.
Finally to end the arresting plot of the story, in chapter fifty-two Ironwood finally got them.
"We now have Sienna Khan and Jaune Arc in custody." Ironwood thought.
So my question to everyone is.
Did I use Chekhov's gun correctly when setting this up?
I mean there are plenty of people who simply forgot to did see the setup and genuinely thought what Ironwood did wasn't sensible and he just did it for the sake of being a villain. Like it was pulled outta nowhere.
How can I do better with it and what is
Chekhov's gun? I wanna improve because this it a long journey ahead of us.