After this season, I am tempted to just free write this so that I do not have to wait so long for new volumes, plus I feel as though I am going to write a much different ending than what they have set up so far… Let me know what you think.
As Ruby gazed out the window of the police airship as it flew over Mantle, she then turned and looked at her friends and girlfriend. As Nora Valkyrie chewed on the bolas restraining her wrists, everyone else sat silently, the only sounds being Nora's growling and the muffled chattering of the guards piloting the ship.
"Where do you think they're taking us," Ruby asked.
"I'm gonna go with jail."
"But what about Satoshi and Ryuki," Tatsumi asked.
"Who knows…" Satoshi said.
"I still can't believe that fishing pole guy took us out like it was nothing."
"Welcome to Atlas. Those were Ironwood's Ace Operatives," Weiss said.
An unfamiliar man sitting with the group finally spoke up.
"Hmm? You guys had a run-in with the Ace-Ops? Ironwood must really have a bone to pick with you."
"They're not that big of a deal," Weiss said.
"Not that big of a deal!? The Ace-Ops are the elite-of-elite military Huntsmen and Ironwood's personal attack dogs."
"So they got you too, huh?"
"Pfft! I wouldn't let myself get caught by them. I'm here because I've been speaking out against Atlas' exploitation of Mantle, and General Ironwood is trying to silence me."
"You threw a brick at our ship!"
"It's worth it if it gets people talking about our cause," The man yelled proudly.
The pilot only sighed in annoyance.
"Our cause," Blake asked.
"Yes, the fight for better conditions in Mantle! Led by the charismatic, talented, lovely Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses! They were all top Atlas Academy graduates, who could've signed up for the military, but Robyn and the Huntresses chose to stay in Mantle. She's gunning for a seat on the kingdom's council, and when she gets it, she's gonna put an end to Ironwood's tyranny!"
"Is this guy a little… loopy," Tatsumi asked, getting a quick elbow from Sydney to shut him up.
"Happy… Huntresses?"
"Is that their real name," Yang asked.
"Don't you think 'tyranny's' a little dramatic?"
The man turned around to respond and looks surprised upon realizing who had just spoken.
"Easy to say for a Schnee heiress, living comfortably up in Atlas."
Weiss sighed, "Not anymore."
The airship finally made it up to the City of Atlas. Ruby looked out at the city in awe, while Nora is once again chewing her restraints.
"Whoa, it's gorgeous up here! Ryuki, come see this!"
Ryuki scooted next to Ruby and looked out, delivering a small, "Ahhh…"
The couple's reaction caused Jaune and Nora to leave their seats and look out the window with her.
"Don't let that fool you," Weiss said.
"Hm," The man hummed as he looked outside, "This isn't the police station."
"It's… Atlas Academy," Qrow said.
The ship docked on a landing pad in front of Atlas Academy and is met by a pair of guards, who open the ship's rear double doors to let Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Oscar and Qrow exit. Ruby gazes up at the towering academy while more guards line up along the path leading to the building.
"I guess we will be seeing the General. For better or worse," Ruby said.
The group walked up to the school while Forest watched in confusion and curiosity from the airship.
"So, what do we do," Ren asked as they walked towards the elevators.
"I don't know yet. But we should be careful with what we say," Ruby said.
One of the guards looks over his shoulder at them before the groups were shoved into the elevator. As it ascended, Blake leaned in and whispered, "We'll follow your lead, Ruby."
Ruby smiled for a moment but then started to look worried again. The elevator beeped as it arrived at its destination, and the guards escort the group out into a hallway and down a flight of stairs. They arrive in a room just as Ironwood walks through, speaking to someone else.
"I swear if I have to sit through one more council meeting like that…" He said as he turned toward a small flight of stairs on his way to his office, accompanied by Winter and Penny. The latter notices the group and stops with a gasp.
"Yay, you're here," Penny's celebratory greeting caught Ironwood and Winter's attention, causing them to stop and look. Weiss steps out from behind Ruby and approaches them.
"Winter," Weiss said.
Winter gasped lightly in surprise, and the sisters' reunion is quickly interrupted by Nora leaning in and holding up her bound wrists, grinning and waving her fingers.
"So… anyone wanna give us a hand with these?"
Winter takes a moment to collect herself, returning to her usual stern demeanor and addressing the guards.
"You have ten seconds to take those off before I start hurting you," Winter said.
"Huh," The guards seemed confused, but then they began removing the bolases from everyone's arms, while Ironwood watches with a smile.
The bolases fell to the floor, giving off a purple glow and retracting the ropes before emitting a beep noise.
"Please, come with me."
The group followed Ironwood, Winter and Penny into Ironwood's office.
"It is so good to see all of you… and for some of you, it is quite the surprise," Ironwood said as he stared at Satoshi.
"Our reception didn't really convey that," Yang said.
"I sincerely regret how you were treated by my team," Ironwood said.
Qrow rolls his eyes with a small huff. Ironwood walks behind his desk to sit down, and Penny and Winter take positions standing at either side of the desk.
"When a rogue airship entered our airspace, it raised some… red flags. We assumed the ship was stolen."
"Stolen," Ruby laughs awkwardly, before taking an apologetic tone, "Okay, yeah, it was stolen."
Ironwood's eyes widen in surprise. He then smiles, and his shoulders move a tiny bit with a silent chuckle. Winter, meanwhile, finds no humor in the situation and begins scolding Weiss.
"You stole an Atlas airship?"
Weiss watches with a frown as Winter approaches her.
"What were you thinking!? You might've been shot down! How unbelievably irresponsib—" But her anger was silenced as Weiss surprised Winter by hugging her.
"I'm sorry I worried you. But we did what we had to do."
"I…" Winter sighs and hugging back, calming down, "I suppose I understand."
She then turns her head to glare at Qrow.
"But I cannot believe that you allowed this to happen, Qrow."
"You try stopping these kids when they have their mind set on something. Speaking of which…" Qrow said as he looked at Ironwood, "We have some important information for you that's… confidential."
"Oh, is it about the Relics," Penny asked.
"Or perhaps the Winter Maiden," Winter asked.
Qrow was shocked, "You told them?"
Ironwood stands from his desk and retrieves the Relic of Knowledge from a drawer, making it grow to its normal size as he holds it up, "Did you really think you were the only one who got to work on a new plan after Beacon? WIth Ozpin gone, I needed my own team of people I could trust. So yes, I told them. The Ace-Ops too. Which is why I'm so glad you're here… with this. Until now, I believed it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, has kept victory out of her claws, but she will keep returning stronger and stronger… unless we destroy her."
Ironwood placed the Relic atop his desk, while Ruby looks deep in thought, "But… what about the Atlas Relic?"
"You mean the Staff of Creation," Ironwood asked.
"It's safe inside the Vault," Penny said.
"And the Winter Maiden," Qrow asked.
"She is secure and in stable condition," Winter said.
"Stable condition? What does that—"
"She's, uh, not exactly a spring chicken," Qrow said.
"I know how this all looks. Recalling my military? The embargo? I probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now."
"Then why continue it," Blake asked.
"The people of Mantle are hurting," Nora asked.
"I needed to ensure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas. And I wanted my military here, protecting my people," Ironwood explained.
"But it's not protecting them! It's making everyone hate you."
"It's a price I'm willing to pay," Ironwood said as he reaches over to a glowing panel of buttons on his desk and taps a button that resembles a table emitting light from its surface, "Just as you all have been entrusted with the knowledge of Salem's existence, I need you all to trust me. I have a plan."
The shutters come down outside the windows, darkening the room. A circle in the center of the floor bearing Atlas' emblem begins to rise up, prompting Ruby and Oscar to step off of it. As Ironwood talks and makes his way over to it, the circle continues to rise and transforms into a table.
"Ozpin believed the best way to fight Salem was to do so in secret. Whether that was the right choice or not isn't for me to say. But we find ourselves in a position of needing, well, a new approach."
"And what do you suggest?"
Ironwood brought out a tiny remote and presses a button, activating a hologram display of Amity Colosseum, which hovers above the table.
"That's… Amity Colosseum," Jaune said.
"Where the Vytal Festival is held?"
Satoshi placed a hand on his chest, feeling the phantom pain of the arrow the killed him… temporarily.
"Indeed. When Beacon fell and everyone on Remnant lost contact with one another, I knew our current system was outdated. Amity was built to bring the nations together, and it will serve that purpose once again."
Ironwood presses the button again, and the hologram Amity Colosseum gains an antenna atop it. Ruby and her friends stare at the hologram and look at each other.
"Isn't it great? We're not going to just replace Beacon Tower. Building a new tower on top of Amity Colosseum will re-establish global communications," Penny said.
"By launching the tower high into the atmosphere, our scientists believe we can create a sort of… satellite out of reach of the Grimm and capable of maintaining global communications even if we were to lose another tower," Winter said.
"That is great," Ruby said.
"James... you don't need the entire military for this," Qrow said.
"I will for the next part, where I finally tell the people about Salem."
"Huh, so that's why you withdrew your troops, to handle the panic that would break out in Atlas."
"Yes, panic is inevitable, and panic brings Grimm. But I believe we are ready. Once Atlas has come to grips with the fight ahead, I'll use Amity Tower to spread the message to all of Remnant."
"But everything will fall apart. Grimm will be everywhere," Weiss said.
"You're right, but Atlas is willing and prepared to assist," Winter said.
"Trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all," Ironwood said as he pressed one last button on his remote, and the hologram disappears, the table transforms and recedes into the floor and the shutters pull away from the windows.
"Oz spent his whole life, many lives, keeping this secret."
"I know. But since Beacon, things have changed," Ironwood said as he begins heading back to his desk, Without him here to guide us, all I can do is use my best judgment."
Behind him, Oscar shifts uncomfortably. As if sensing something, Ironwood stops and looks back.
"What is it?"
"Actually, Oz isn't completely gone," Oscar said.
"Uh, Oscar here is… the next Ozpin."
"Oz," Ironwood smiled before he quickly and eagerly approached Oscar, who looked nervous, "I'm so glad you're here. I didn't think you—"
Oscar puts his hands up and interrupts Ironwood, as the latter crouches to Oscar's level.
"Not quite… He's kind of, um, gone... at the moment."
Ironwood's smile fades, and he lowers his head, "That's not normal. How did he—"
"We don't know."
Everyone looked at Ruby as she began talking, "We were in a train crash, and ever since, well… suddenly, Oz wasn't there anymore."
"That's the worst news yet… Did you learn anything from him about the Relics before…?"
"He told us the lamp can answer three questions. But all the questions were used up already."
"Right, right…" Ironwood walks back behind his desk and stares out the window, "Ozpin told us that too, once upon a time. At least we have you, Oscar. You're safe here in Atlas. Maybe together we can figure out how to bring Ozpin back."
"Thank you, sir… I mean, uh, general. Uh, Ironwood," Oscar smiled awkwardly.
Ironwood picks up the Relic of Knowledge, walks over to Ruby and offers it to her.
"You're giving it back to me?"
"After what happened with the Ace-Ops, I don't want you to think I'm keeping anything from you, especially something as important as this. For the time being, I think it's safest with the people who brought it here."
"Um, thank you." Ruby says as she shrinks the Relic and hooks it onto her belt, exchanging a look with Oscar.
"We must work together if we're to fight Salem and win. Now, if you're all on board…"
Ruby steps up and says, "Tell us how we can help."
"Good, because getting the Amity Tower ready to launch won't be easy. But first, I think we need to get those weapons of yours up to our standards."
A hologram screen appears, showing footage of Blake drawing her broken katana before their fight against the Sabyrs in Mantle. Blake reacts with embarrassment.
"Remember, this is Atlas. While assisting the military, we will provide you with the best equipment our scientists can devise."
Tatsumi gasped, "I can have a sword that shoots swords?"
"Shut up Tats, don't be stupid," Sydney said, "What about a gun that fires a grappling hook?"
Ryuki pulled out her bow and saw the wear and tear of her bow was in need of repairs.
As the group began to leave, Ironwood said, "Wait… Satoshi, Ryuki, I wish to speak with you."
Ryuki and Qrow stayed behind while the others continued on.
"What?"
"Please sit," The General said.
Satoshi and his sister did so and sat down, facing the general.
"I hope that there are no… grudges you may have against me for what happened at the festival…"
"Why are you asking me this? I am the one who should be asking you. I killed your men."
"Yes… it is unfortunate that they lost their lives, but as I was watching the recordings of that day, I noticed that something activated on the nape of your neck."
"Whatever it is caused me to change…"
"I was ordered to bring you in that day… but it appears that you are still viewed by the media as deceased. I would like to keep it that way from certain individuals. Agreed?"
Satoshi nodded, "Agreed."
The general and the siblings then proceeded out of the office and towards the stairs when Ironwood saw Qrow.
"Qrow."
As those two had their conversation, Ryuki and Satoshi joined the others as Penny the whole group through various hallways, while the group becomes more and more tired as the tour goes on.
"So that way's the cafeteria, and that way is the training rooms. Oh, and over there are the classrooms!"
The group progressively got more and more exhausted. Nora fell asleep, Sydney was on Tatsumi's back as he carried her, and Satoshi was yawning quite loudly.
"This all looks great, Penny. But where are we staying," Ruby said.
"Remember, you're in Atlas now. As the most well-funded school on Remnant, every teen at Atlas Academy gets their own room! And if that wasn't enough—" Penny said.
"So… we're staying in the dorms," Ren said.
"It'll be just like Beacon again," Penny said.
"I don't think that is something that should be compared to…" Satoshi yawned as Nora collapses to the floor.
Alright, let me know what you think. I apologize if this is bad, but again let me know.
