It didn't take too much longer after Opal noticed the political signage in Atlas for the faunus trio to arrive at the city's academy. Sat atop a precisely cut plateau whose grandeur could've only been the labor of untold thousands of workers, Atlas Academy made many of the skyscrapers in the rest of the city around it seem small by comparison. One of the four great communications towers that could be found on Remnant doubled as the gargantuan greater half of the academy thanks to its scale, but three smaller towers around it and several floors beneath it bolstered the amount of room the academy had to work with. As the most well-funded and technologically advanced Huntsman Academy in the world, it certainly gave off a strong enough aura of strength from its appearance alone that the place could easily be assumed to be one of the highlights of the kingdom, even to those who'd never paid much attention to the world around them.

But for all of its impressive tech and intimidating size, Opal couldn't help but have her opinion of the place sullied by the knowledge Blake had imparted unto her on their flight there. How many faunus broke their backs due to the undoubtedly brutal workload they were given while it was under construction? Under normal circumstances, how many decades would it have taken to safely erect such a monument to mankind's power and will to protect itself from annihilation?

How many faunus died in the making of Atlas Academy?

As they landed, that final question rang so loud in the back of Opal's mind that she had to fight back the urge to hurl. She didn't want to consider the nauseating number of lives that had been lost in the process of constructing one of Remnant's four bastions of defense against the Grimm, lest she lose what little food remained in her stomach from long before she ever left Argus. Furthermore, she didn't want to boil the brutality her fellow faunus must have suffered through into another statistic. If she did that, intentionally or not, she'd be embracing just a little bit of the same attitude an upper-class Atlesian family would possess about her people's plight. She couldn't lower herself to their level for even a moment.

So instead, she put on a brave face as her queasiness subsided and marched out of the airship right alongside Blake, Lux, and their armed escort.

The rest of their journey up to where Ironwood's office would be located continued in silence. In that time, the only person Opal interacted with the entire way was Lux; but even then, their exchange only went so far as a pair of simple and tired nods at one another. Neither of them needed to speak with words to know that they'd both be much better once they were with their friends again. Even if they'd still be in the epicenter of the most impressive yet inhumane military complex of a kingdom on Remnant, they'd at least be together. They'd feel safe.

It was then that the high-speed elevator they and their accompanying personnel had been packed into started to slow down. Opal heaved a silent sigh of relief and felt the tension in her shoulders dissolve as her reunion with her friends came closer. Nevertheless, she gripped the sheath of her katana tighter to steady herself just a little bit more.

Her ears twitched as an out-of-place ding sounded in her ears, and the elevator doors slid open.

It didn't even take two seconds for Aurora and Tenebris to be the first people that turned around to face their teammates once again. Aurora's mouth fell agape in relief and she held her naginata at her side as she hastily started in Opal's direction. Tenebris looked uncharacteristically broody but heaved a sigh and slowly followed after his teammate to reunite with his brother. Blake and her teammates simultaneously moved to intercept one another whilst JNPR stayed at the end of the hall and merely watched.

Aurora arrived first, wrapping her arms around Opal in a hug the moment she'd closed the gap, her blue eyes filled with worry. "Opal. It's… good to see you again."

She returned the gesture. "Same here."

Eventually, Aurora pulled back. "If you don't mind my asking… how was it? Or, I mean, are you okay? Did they-"

"Don't worry. I'm fine," Opal reassured. "Physically, at least. We weren't hurt, just locked up in a cell. It wasn't all that easy to just sit there since we knew why we were arrested, but we got through it together."

"Well…" Aurora paused. "That's good to hear, I suppose."

"Right. I think I learned a thing or two about Atlas when we were stuck in there, too," Opal added, only to continue when Aurora gave her an odd look. "I learned that no matter what happens when we speak to Ironwood, we can't forget about what we had to go through. Not for our sakes, but for the sake of all the faunus across Atlas that are suffering because of how this kingdom was built."

Right as Aurora was about to respond, she cut herself off and stepped to the side to make room for the twins to have their reunion. Tenebris and Lux greeted each other in a strong one-armed hug, and the former patted his brother on the back once before he pulled back, his grip shifting to rest on his faunus brother's shoulder.

"How're you holding up?" Tenebris asked.

Lux shrugged. "Well enough. Still got a crick in my neck from that collar being clasped like a vice onto me, but I'll live."

"Well, I guess that's the best I could've expected to hear, so… good enough." Tenebris threw a subtle look over his brother's shoulder to the guards that had joined the rest in the hall. "I hope those bastards didn't give you any trouble on your way here. If they did, I'll give Ironwood hell – you just say the word."

"Trust me, they didn't, but speaking of Ironwood…" Lux's gaze scanned across the rest of the teammates. "What's our plan, exactly? We got out of prison on his order, sure, but that doesn't mean he's trustworthy."

"So, about that…" Ruby cut in, and all eyes in Iridescence swapped to the leader of RWBY to find her hand intertwined with Blake's. "I'm on the same page as you guys. I don't know what we should tell him. All I'm sure of is that if we're careful about what we say, we'll probably come out of this alright."

Opal nodded. "The last thing we want to do is make the general our enemy right now, so I'm on the same page as you, Ruby. I'll follow your lead."

"And we'll follow yours, Opal," Tenebris said.

All assembled teams then turned their attention back to the red-and-blue pair of honor guards that stood at the door leading to Ironwood's office and slowly advanced. One last apology to all the faunus present concerning their treatment and a final reminder to mind themselves when speaking to Ironwood later, and the door to the general's office hissed open.

Opal would be a liar if she didn't feel a little anxious as she crossed the threshold.

The very first thing Opal noticed about the atmosphere inside the mostly empty, moonlit office was how cold it felt. Not in terms of temperature, but rather the unspoken impact the words and actions taken in this singular space had on the rest of Atlas and, as a result, Remnant. Ironwood's office hadn't always belonged to him, nor the general before him, but it had always been one of the few places in the world that carried enough weight with its mere existence that those with less sturdy constitutions would break out into a cold sweat if they were brought to the place. Yet here she and all of her friends were, armed and ready to exchange words with one of – if not the most – powerful men on Remnant.

Somehow, the charismatic and empathetic Ironwood that had shown his face to the students stuck at the Amity Colosseum felt like he was a million miles away even though his body could be found standing upright just behind his desk. Opal imagined her recent treatment and the vast unknowns concerning the general had something to do with that feeling.

To her left, she noticed Weiss stand up a little straighter as her eyes immediately found her elder sister's. Winter nodded in an almost invisible way to indicate that she had indeed noticed her sister's presence among her party. Neither of the Schnees broke the silence of the room with words, but their mutual relief at seeing each other once again remained clear.

Ironwood's lips tilted up in a small smile. "To start, I'd like you all to know that I speak from my heart when I say it's so good to see all of you again. Especially after what happened at Beacon all those months ago."

Opal kept her expression neutral as she and Iridescence stopped toward the right side of the room. "No offense, sir, but… we didn't get that impression when we arrived here. We fought to protect the citizens of Mantle from the Grimm and some of us were arrested even though we only did what any other Huntsmen-in-training would have done."

"And for that, you have my sincerest apologies," Ironwood said, a hand over his heart while the other remained behind him. "I worked to become the general of Atlas to protect the people, no matter their race – not cover for my subordinates' bias. However, when a rogue airship entered our airspace, it set off some red flags. We assumed the ship was stolen."

"Stolen?" Ruby nervously echoed. "Okay yeah, it was stolen."

While Ironwood's shoulders rose and fell in a silent chuckle, Winter's air of professionalism and ease dropped like a stone. In its place, a wave of concern and faint frustration fell over her face as she marched toward her younger sister. "You stole an Atlas airship? What were you thinking?! Do you have any idea what that could've meant for you if the general decided your ship might have been a threat? You could've been shot down! How unbelievable irresponsibl-"

Her tirade was cut short as Weiss' arms wrapped around her. "I'm sorry, Winter. I didn't want us to worry you, but… we didn't have any other choice. We did what we had to do to get here."

"I…" Winter's tension shakily faded away and she hugged her sister close. "I suppose I understand. The world isn't often kind to those who are driven enough to see their missions through, no matter what."

"I'm glad you understand," Weiss expressed.

"After what you've probably been through, it's the least I could do." Winter held loosely onto her sister's arm as she stepped back to glare at the only licensed Huntsman in their party. "But I cannot believe that you allowed this to happen, Qrow."

He responded with an easy shrug. "You try to stop these kids when they have their mind set on something – see how that works out for you. But speaking of which… we have some important news for the general. Confidential stuff."

With one last nod toward Weiss, Winter ascended back up the few steps it took to return to her superior's side. "I'm going to assume that this 'confidential news' has something to do with the Winter Maiden. Or perhaps the Relics. Am I correct?"

"To answer any of your concerns before they crop up, the Winter Maiden might be elderly, but she's been stable for the past couple of weeks, and the Relic has remained secure for as long as it's been in our Vault," Ironwood elaborated.

Qrow's mouth fell agape. "You told her?"

"Qrow. Did you really think that you were the only ones who got to work on a new plan after Beacon? Ever since Ozpin's been gone, I've been alone in this, and Winter is the only person I've ever truly trusted enough to call my right hand. I entrusted her with the secret of what we're dealing with as a result, because in the scenario that I was eliminated…" Ironwood paused and blew out a breath through his nose. "If everyone was still out of contact at that time, Atlas would still need someone to protect it from her. Winter was the best option then, but now, with all of us here and the Relic of Knowledge in tow… we stand a chance."

While he gestured to the lamp on Ruby's hip, Nora narrowed her eyes at him. It didn't go unnoticed, and Ironwood regarded her in particular when he continued. "I know how this all looks. Recalling my military? The embargo? The forces in Mantle? I probably don't seem like the most trustworthy person in the world, right now."

"Then why continue to operate as you have all this time?" Blake questioned.

"Can't you see the people of Mantle are miserable because of you?" Aurora added.

Ironwood looked at them. "I created the embargo to assure that Salem wouldn't be able to infiltrate Atlas. I wanted my military here to protect the people."

Lux scoffed. "You call oppression protecting people? They all hate you."

"That's a price I'm willing to pay," Ironwood explained. He tapped a holographic button atop his desk, and the room started to change. Shutters came down over the windows, darkening the room while a circle in the center of the floor bearing Atlas' emblem began to rise, prompting RWBY to spread out. As the table slowed to its final position, Ironwood walked toward it. "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."

"Okay… what is it?" Oscar asked, uncertain.

Ironwood stopped in front of the table. "I was getting to that, but first, some history. Ozpin has indeed held back Salem for centuries, always keeping victory out of her grasp, but Ozpin also believed the best way to do so was doing it in secret. Whether or not that was the right choice isn't for me to say, but it's undeniable that we find ourselves in need of, well, a new approach."

"And what do you suggest?" Qrow questioned.

After only an instant of Ironwood regarding his friend, the general tapped another button on the table. A holographic projection of a familiar stadium with a gargantuan gravity dust crystal perpetuating its eternal flight blinked into existence right before their eyes.

"That's… Amity Colosseum," Jaune intoned.

Pyrrha gazed at the image. "Where the Vytal Festival was held."

"And the world as we knew it turned to ash in the breeze," Ironwood finished. "Indeed. When Beacon fell and everyone on Remnant lost contact with one another, I knew our current system was outdated. Regardless of its role in the creation of the situation we find ourselves in now, Amity was built to bring the nations together – and it will serve that purpose again."

He pointed at an antenna that was added to the image. "The Amity Tower project. It'll be retrofitted into a tower of its own and will replace more than only Beacon's lost tower, should this mission succeed. Our scientists believe that if we launch it into the upper atmosphere, we can reestablish the entire CCTS with one tower alone. Perfect communication, forever secured outside the clutches of Salem."

"That kind of project…" Lux looked at the colosseum, his gaze locked firmly onto the task of taking in every detail of the proposed structure before them. "It'd be one of the greatest wonders that Remnant has ever known."

"James," Qrow wearily began, "you don't need the entire military for this."

Ironwood's expression remained steadfast. "I will for this next part. When I finally tell the people that Salem is out there."

At that moment, Opal thought that the entire room suddenly felt a lot colder.

"Huh, so that's why you withdrew your troops. To handle the panic that would break out in Atlas," Qrow said.

"Yes, panic is inevitable, and panic brings Grimm. But I believe we are ready," Ironwood reassured. "Once Atlas has come to grips with the enormity of the fight ahead, I'll use Amity Tower to spread the message to all of Remnant."

"But everything will fall apart!" Weiss contested. "Grimm will be everywhere!"

"You're right, but Atlas is willing and prepared to assist," Winter countered.

Ironwood nodded. "United, we'll finally be able to push back Salem and end her tyranny for good. Keeping the truth withheld will only kill us all, in the end."

One last press of a button and the office slowly reverted to the moonlit state it had been when everyone had first entered the room. Most of those only recently informed of Ironwood's plan stood silent as they digested what had been told to them. The construction of Atlas would likely always be the greatest technological achievement mankind had ever known, yes, but the idea of a single tower being erected for eternity to supply the world limitless communication… it was a proposal that went beyond the bounds of what anyone had ever imagined before. The fact that the tower would then be used to change the face of Remnant in a much more important way with the reveal of Salem only added to the enormity of the reveal.

Should Ironwood's plan succeed, Remnant would at bare minimum be converted into the single strongest bastion of united civilization ever imagined, but should it fail… the world as they knew it would cease to exist. None of this accounted for Salem's immortality, either.

Qrow was the first to recover. "Oz spent his whole life, many lives, keeping this a secret."

"I know, but since Beacon, things have changed." Ironwood slowly started his return to the desk he'd started at. "Without him here to guide us, all I can do is use my best judgment."

"Excuse me… sir?" Oscar piped up.

Ironwood stopped. "What is it?"

"Actually… Ozpin isn't completely gone."

Qrow gestured to him. "Oscar Pine here, he's… he's the next Ozpin."

The general turned around, newfound awe and hope in his otherwise intimidating eyes. "Oz? I- I'm so glad you're here. I didn't think you'd-"

Oscar put up a hand to silence him before he came any closer. "Not quite. He's kind of, um, gone at the moment."

"That's…" Ironwood's smile faded. "That's not normal. How did he-"

"We don't know."

All eyes in the room fell on Ruby.

"We were in a train crash on our way to Argus, and ever since, well… suddenly, Oz wasn't there anymore," Ruby explained.

"That's the worst news yet." Ironwood pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation and continued his short trip back to his desk, though he passed it to instead stop at the window. "Did any of you learn anything from him about the Relics before…?"

"He told us the lamp can answer three questions, but they've all been used up already."

Opal exchanged a short, unsure look with Ruby. Green eyes met silver and the expression that Ruby returned to her told Opal clearly that she thought that this was the right call to make. Given the borderline absurdity of the plan they now found themselves privy to and its potential impact, the feline faunus was somewhat inclined to agree. At least for now.

"Right, right…" Ironwood trailed off. He turned to face everyone again, but his eyes fell one on person in particular. "But at least we have you, Oscar. You're safe here in Atlas. Maybe together we can figure out how we can bring Ozpin back."

Oscar nodded. "Thank you, sir. I mean uh, general. Ironwood?"

"Whatever you think is right," Ironwood said. "Additionally, regarding the Relic."

"Oh!" Ruby disconnected the lamp from her hip and held it with both hands. "Did you want-"

He waved a dismissive hand at her. "No, no. I believe that the lamp would probably be safer in your hands, for the time being. You can choose who carries it, but since you have all kept it safe thus far, I trust that you'll be more than capable of that task now that you're here in Atlas."

"Oh, well in that case…" Ruby extended her hands over to Oscar. "It'd probably be for the best if I didn't keep one of the four most important things in the world on my hip like a keychain."

Oscar hesitantly nodded after taking the relic into his hands. "Yeah. Probably."

"A wise decision," Ironwood observed. "At any rate… I would like to work together with you all to fight Salem and win. If you wish to stand with me."

Ruby faced her teammates with an expectant look, as if to gauge their reactions.

Weiss expressed her hopeful optimism without words.

Blake appeared fatigued, but a soft nod let her leader know she'd be okay with her decision.

Yang conveyed her skepticism much the same as her approval to whatever her sister chose to do.

RWBY's leader then returned her attention to Ironwood. "We'll do whatever we can to help."

He nodded. "Good. JNPR?"

"What do you say, guys?" Jaune asked.

Nora crossed her arms. "I don't like how the people in Mantle are being treated, but if this is our best chance to stop Salem and help the world… I'll be with you."

"Likewise," Pyrrha agreed. "We've come too far to turn back now, Jaune. I believe in the good that we could do for Remnant if we simply band together now. No matter what qualms we might have with the way things are, at the moment."

Ren nodded. "To ally with the general now is the most logical decision we can make. Remnant needs our help. We can't hope to have any true impact if we stand alone in our efforts."

"Then… I think you have our answer," Jaune said with a determined look back toward Ironwood. "We're in this together, too."

"And your assistance is highly appreciated. I'll go ahead and assume that Qrow and Oscar already stand with me, but…" Ironwood's eyes fell on the last team. "Iridescence? Will you stand with us?"

Opal only needed to look at her teammates once to come to terms with the decision she'd have to make. As expected, Lux conveyed his dedication and approval of her judgment with a glance, but Opal knew her boyfriend too well to not notice the faint echoes of frustration that remained from their time in a cell. Tenebris had always been less than successful when it came to keeping his emotions under wraps, so the similarity of his views to his twin brother's remained clear as day. Aurora was her only teammate whose face betrayed no frustration, but rather a level of concern that told Opal that her best friend only wished that her leader would make the decision that'd cause her the least grief.

With her adoptive family's faith in her and their perspectives made clear, Opal made her choice.

"No."

Shock rippled through the room.

"Guys…?" Ruby started.

Opal sighed. "At no point in the general's plan did it concern improving the lives of the faunus in any way. I know for a fact that I speak for both myself and my team when I say that none of us can turn a blind eye to the discrimination the faunus here face every day. Not now. Not when Lux, Blake and I were all detained for no reason at all while everyone else was brought here freely. I can't commit myself to one fight while ignoring another that's hit so close to home."

For a short time, no one said anything. JNPR, RWBY, Qrow, and Oscar all stared at Iridescence in awe at their first true conflict of interest in all the time they'd spent together. Winter and Ironwood peered at Opal from merely a few feet away with unreadable expressions. Opal was beginning to think that her decision would mark the sudden end of her team's involvement with the fight against Salem when Ironwood did something that shocked everyone yet again.

He chuckled. "You know, I had a plan to deal with that issue, too."

Aurora's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"As you may have gathered from what I said when all of you first entered my office, I'm not blind to the prejudice the faunus face in this kingdom. I'm not blind to the history most citizens in either Mantle or Atlas itself would ignore." Ironwood looked at Opal and bowed his head slightly in what she could only interpret as a silent apology. "I planned on explaining what that plan was at a later time, once you all had gotten some rest after your undoubtedly long and hard journey. The preparation to launch Amity Tower won't be easy, but seeing as we're seemingly stuck at an impasse… I'll elaborate now, instead."

"James…" Qrow intruded. "You don't mean-"

"I do." Ironwood continued before anyone had a chance to question their exchange. "None of you were probably made aware of this, but Ozpin had been considering for many years prior to his demise how to take a more active stance in the plight of the faunus. In response to the formation of the White Fang's original, more peaceful incarnation, this desire of his only grew all the more intense."

"Okay…" Lux eyed the general curiously. "That doesn't explain why he didn't do anything. It also doesn't explain what your plan is, now that Ozpin's gone."

"I was about to get there," Ironwood continued. "I suspect that it was the occurrence of Beacon that prevented him from enacting upon any of his plans, but… Iridescence. Have any of you ever thought about why your team was named in such an unconventional way? Team MALT would've just as easily sufficed as a team name for your group, too."

Tenebris' lip scrunched up. "I mean, yeah, but I always thought that he was just being considerate. None of us have any colors that'd suit that kind of team name, so we always went ahead and assumed he just threw out whatever he thought would work."

"Quite the contrary. If there's one thing I think we can all agree on, it's that Ozpin has lived far too long to do anything without some reason behind his actions. Before his demise, all of us who were closely connected to Ozpin were informed that he'd been waiting for a long time to bestow your team name onto a group of individuals he thought had potential," Ironwood explained. He made a broad gesture to each member of the team. "All races. All kingdoms. Their outfits, armaments, and histories indicative of global influences all coming together in a group of four hopeful Huntsmen-in-training. The students that would become Team Iridescence were meant to become a symbol of unity, but one far more alive and active than something such as Amity Colosseum could've ever hoped to be."

"How?" Opal asked. "We were never really placed in the spotlight more than a few times while we were at Beacon. Ozpin never approached us or gave us hints that he had high hopes for what our team would mean to the world."

"That's why I assumed the imminent fall of Beacon was what kept Ozpin from initiating his plans to increase your team's importance on the global stage. But that's the past. We live in the present now, and to alleviate your concerns I have an offer I'd like to extend to you."

"Well then, here we go…" Qrow whispered.

Ironwood extended a hand toward them. "Become my right-hand team. Iridescence may not have had the chance to shine as it should have back before Beacon, but now is the perfect opportunity for your team to emphasize the unity all of Remnant can share. I'm not just making this offer simply to gain your trust, either – I do see potential in your team, just as Ozpin once did."

"And in case James wasn't clear, this isn't just some recruitment drive to keep you kids on our side," Qrow added. "When Atlas sees that a team with as much going on as yours has been hand-picked by the general to fight for them, even if people don't want to accept it right away, it'll be impossible for them to deny that there are faunus out there that deserve their respect. Keep them thinking about the example you guys set long enough and you'll start a social revolution – no need for rallies or some stupid speeches."

"Sometimes it's simply the actions of an exceptional few individuals that can cause the greatest change. Team Iridescence can be the team that shakes things up for the faunus. Atlas first, then the rest of the world." Ironwood's lips tilted up in a small smile that was almost obscured by his beard. "So… what do you say now?"

"If it helps the people down in Mantle and up here in Atlas…" Opal glanced at her teammates to find each of them offering subtle nods of approval. "We'll do it."

Ironwood gave a short hum of approval. "I'd go ahead and thank you for the gesture, but I'll save that for later. I imagine that you and your team would want to see the fruits of your labor before some up-until-recently untrustworthy general showers you with praise, huh?"

"Something like that," Opal admitted.

"So…" Ruby started, clearly trying to dispel the serious air of the room. "When do we start?"

"Soon, but first… we'll probably have to get your weapons up to more acceptable, Atlesian standard," Ironwood said.

A holographic display of footage from the group's battle against the Grimm came into existence above his desk, and Winter continued the general's line of thought. "Remember, this is Atlas. As the kingdom with the most comprehensive military in the world, while you're working with us, we will provide you the best equipment our scientists can provide."

"Yes!" Nora cheered.

Ren appeared somewhat surprised. "Really? Just like that?"

Lux scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm with you. We're recruited by you guys and we get upgrades just like that? No strings attached?"

"None at all," Ironwood confirmed. "Fortunately, Pietro has recently informed me that he has some familiarity with Opal, here. Typically, our scientists would need some time to become familiar with your weapons before making any upgrades, but… we'll be able to expedite the process with Opal's help and expertise."

"If she's willing to assist," Winter added.

Instantly, Opal raised her hands defensively as everyone looked to her. "I'll do it, but I need schematics and interviews with all of you one at a time. Don't bombard me all at once, please."

'Nice job, Opal. Perfectly defused that situation.'

"Then I'll be sure to leave you to take on that task at your earliest convenience," Ironwood said calmly. "Winter will escort you all to your accommodations. I think you'll all find them to be… a cut above the dorms at Beacon. My personal thanks for your assistance in the weeks and months to come. Your belongings will be there waiting for you."

"So, you're telling me that we need to destroy our only surefire way to get out of Atlas undetected?" Emerald harshly accused. "Need I remind you that if things so south – no, even if things go right, we can't afford to take on the entire Atlas military on our way back to Salem!"

Liumang held back the urge to blow the smoke from his cigar in her face. "That's exactly what I'm saying, actually. Do you honestly think that we can leave an airship that was clearly made in Mistral on the frozen coast of Solitas for however long it takes to get this little revenge mission of yours done?"

"Then we leave someone behind to guard it," Emerald countered. "Maybe move the ship somewhere else until we get back, too."

He raised a brow at her, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets to ward off the cold of the continent a little more. "And effectively cripple our fighting strength for the rest of the time we're in Atlas. Smart strategy – if you want to end up dead. I thought you wanted this mission to work out for you."

"How long do you think they're gonna go at it?" Mercury asked, leaning against the airship.

"I've got no clue," Hazel confessed.

"I do want this mission to work out for me, but I also don't want to have an entire kingdom's military chasing us on our way out of here. By the way, this isn't just my mission. Last time I checked, you were here for revenge, too. Same as me," Emerald reminded.

Liumang looked away to blow smoke from his nose. "I'm here because I had to blow up my last hideout after some jackass decided to rat me out. This whole 'revenge' thing is just a way for me to blow off some steam while I figure out what the hell I'm gonna do after all this blows over."

"Oh, blows over?" Emerald gestured behind her. For as far as the eye could see, mountain ranges and snow filled every nook and cranny of the frozen wasteland that was Solitas. Snow fell softly all around them, but foreboding clouds in the distance foretold of an imminent snowstorm that only those with a sturdy Aura would dare walk through without careful preparation. "Like how all that is going to blow right over our heads if we choose to scuttle the ship here and travel all the way to Mantle on foot?"

"You have quite literal magic powers, princess," Liumang deadpanned. "You can't handle the cold? Make a fire. It's not my problem if you don't wanna trudge through a little snow. You wanted me to tag along for this circus ride, and I'm here. You want me to stick around? You let me blow up that airship and save us all the trouble that'll come if another Atlas air patrol comes around and sees that someone's infiltrated their borders."

Hazel appeared beside them both. "For what it's worth, I think he has a point. If Atlas is alerted that they have some foreign party in their kingdom before we even arrive, our mission is gonna become much more difficult. They'll be on high alert for weeks. Even if it'll be hell getting to Mantle on foot, it's better than running the risk of failure before we even get to where our objective is located in the first place."

Emerald gave him an incredulous look. "But-"

"Salem was generous enough to give you one shot at revenge," Hazel reminded her. "You blow this by making a bad call here, and you can say goodbye to any chance you could've had to kill those two girls that took Cinder away from you. At least on your terms."

Liumang smiled smugly to himself. "See? Hazel agrees with me, so how about you listen to the big boys and-"

Emerald pointed one finger in the general direction of his cigar, and it was frozen solid.

"Bitch."

"Fine," Emerald spat out. "Go ahead and scuttle the ship. The sooner you destroy it, the sooner we can get a move on and get through that storm up ahead."

"Yeah, sure." Liumang glared at his frozen cigar as he threw it away. "Mercury! Get the hell away from that airship. You get killed and I'm pretty sure this chick over here will try and put my head on a spike."

"Try?" Mercury started a lazy walk toward him. "She would have your head on a spike. Don't underestimate her – she was a powerhouse even before she got those magic powers of hers. And for the record, your semblance wouldn't be enough to take me out."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, pumpkin," Liumang taunted with a self-confident venom in his tone. "Good thing about Mistral's airships is that they don't have much metal involved in their construction. This thing should burn to ash after one explosion and the rest should be buried by the snowfall when we move out."

Hazel nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

'At least someone respects my brilliance.'

Liumang returned the gesture and turned his attention back to the ship. He idly rolled his neck and followed up the motion with a deep inhale. His chest expanded, and he felt his Aura dance over his lips as he prepared to unleash his semblance. One exhale preceded another inhale, and the look in Liumang's eyes sharpened as he brought his semblance to bear with a sharp whistle that cracked through the air. A condensed beam of energy flew from his lips and raced toward the airship.

It detonated at the center of the passenger bay. The ensuing explosion sent burning shrapnel flying in every direction as the midsection of the ship suffered the brunt of Liumang's wrath. At the same time, the intact front and back portions of the airship that remained fell into the snow, to be left as naught but twin piles of flame and tinder. The scent of burnt wood and smoke filled Liumang's nostrils.

He smirked to himself, satisfied. "Another job well-done."

"Congrats. Inanimate object zero, Liumang one!" Mercury declared; his sarcasm made clear by the slow clap that followed. "I really hope you have more tricks up your sleeve than just that little semblance of yours."

"I detect jealousy," Liumang taunted.

"Nah," Mercury denied. "All I'm saying is that unless you can do more than whistle some stuff into oblivion, you're probably gonna end up dying here in Atlas."

Liumang gave him a fake smile. "Oh, don't worry kiddo, I didn't become one of Mistral's most wanted because I'm a one-trick faunus. Besides, it wouldn't be fun to see me in action if you already knew everything about how I fight, now would it?"

"I'll believe it when I see it," Mercury mentioned.

Hazel turned toward the open tundra. "Now that we've got that out of the way, all that's left is to make it to Mantle and infiltrate the place. We'll probably come up with a better plan of action to take from there when we're not under threat of an incoming snowstorm."

"Leave that to me." Liumang walked in front of the muscled titan of their group, the tip of his tail trailing through the snow as he took point in front of everyone. "I haven't been away from Mistral in a while, but if Mantle's stayed as lazy as I know they've been before, there's a sewer system we can cut through right into the city. I don't think whatever metal grate they put over it should be much of an issue, between the four of us."

"And here I thought I was done with hiding in sewers…" Emerald mumbled.

"Eh, it's just another part of the criminal life you'll have to get used to if you want to get things done right," Liumang pointed out. He whipped out another cigar and lit it despite the breeze before he started in the direction of Mantle.

It took him all of three seconds to realize no one had moved to follow him, and he looked back over his shoulder when he stopped.

Emerald's wrathful glare had fallen on her scroll. "Of course they'd be here."

"Who?" Liumang questioned. "More friends of yours?"

Hazel stood beside her. "Arthur Watts and Tyrian Callows. The last two agents of Salem that aren't right in front of you. It looks like she's decided to deploy them in Atlas ahead of us."

"I see your vindictive bitch queen has a lot of faith in you."

"Her reasoning for their deployment isn't something we should be concerned about," Hazel countered. "She's been playing this worldwide game of chess against Ozpin for longer than any of us could imagine. She may have sent them here for a mission separate to ours."

"And I'd be careful what you call Salem when you're around Tyrian," Mercury casually mentioned. "He has a bit of a thing going on when it comes to her. Worships her as a goddess."

"Sounds like a fun guy," Liumang observed.

Mercury rolled his eyes. "He's a freak if you ask me."

"But aren't we all?"

Emerald stalked past him. "Enough. We should get going. Watts wants us to hurry up, and we'll have plenty of time to talk on our way into Mantle."

"Look at you, making the right call," Liumang praised. "Feel free to lead the way. Maybe remind me why the hell you were talking about the 'Winter Maiden' on our way over here, while you're at it. I thought you wanted to kill that Malachite chick."

"And Yang Xiao Long, if possible, yes." Emerald continued forward, and the three men behind her followed. "The reason I mentioned the Winter Maiden though is that she's another one of our goals, here. I could tell Salem wasn't all that thrilled about letting me go on this mission of mine to get back at those two for what they did to Cinder, but if I get another Maiden's powers on our side while we're at it…"

He took a deep drag of his cigar. "You'd successfully curry favor with your superior and play down the damage you did to your rep with her at the same time. Looks like you might have a good head on your shoulders, after all."

"I didn't survive as long as I did before Cinder found me through sheer luck," Emerald admonished. "I've just… been on edge lately."

"Your boss got killed by two teenage brats a few weeks ago. I'd be more surprised if you weren't set a little off-kilter by that," Liumang mentioned with a shrug. "Not everyone can be as awesome as me when it comes to taking some crazy shit in stride."

"Oh, so you don't have a temper?" Emerald quipped.

"Oh, I do," Liumang said darkly. "You just haven't seen it yet."

Mercury chuckled. "Another surprise waiting for us down the road?"

"Exactly," he confirmed. "Play your cards right, and that temper might be aimed at your enemies instead of one of you guys. No promises you'll ever see me pissed, but hey, gotta keep you guys on your toes around me somehow."

"I think having an explosive semblance as powerful as yours is enough to keep anyone alert around you," Hazel commented. "If they don't want to get killed, at least."

Liumang slowed to clap a hand on Hazel's shoulder. "Now you're starting to get me, big guy."

Authors Note: A shorter chapter, but I felt it was necessary to cut it off here before the whole 'Ace Ops' series of sequences rolled around. Either way, some good stuff happened here, insofar as the plot is concerned. Ironwood/Ozpin's plans for Team Iridescence are finally revealed after several months of hardship and a few hours' worth of discrimination, while the Salami Squad prepare to roll out and Liumang continues to be a vainglorious bastard I love to write.

Time shall tell what upgrades are made to Iridescence, JNPR, and RWBY's gear and what successes and failures Ironwood's right-hand team will find over the course of their stay in Atlas. Here's to a (hopefully) good rendition of Volume 7! Stay awesome, guys!