It wasn't long after everyone acquired their licenses that life continued onward. Even if their newfound status as professional Huntsmen endowed them with more freedoms and authority than they'd ever possessed as mere students, that same thing didn't provide them unlimited free time. Ironwood's departure and the summary celebration everyone embraced in the barren expanse of Amity Colosseum left little time in the day for other pleasantries, and Iridescence ended up making their way back to their new accommodations around the same time their friends did. Some idle conversation preceded Tenebris and Aurora working side by side to prepare the team's dinner while Opal and Lux wandered off to enjoy some quality time, and shortly thereafter, the rise of the broken moon demanded they all get some bedrest before long.

That decision revealed itself to be a wise one, as by the time Opal had roused herself from her slumber and made herself presentable, she returned to her scroll to find Ironwood had sent out a message to his newfound allies. He wanted everyone to meet with him so that he could go over the fundamentals of what life would be like for them moving forward.

As expected, everyone took the general's request with the seriousness it deserved, and each of the three teams at Ironwood's disposal appeared at the designated time. Given their future status as Ironwood's right-hand team, Iridescence arrived first. Ruby energetically burst into the room a solid minute before the rest of RWBY second. JNPR arrived dead last thanks to the combined efforts of a half-asleep Nora needing to be half-dragged into the room by Ren while Jaune's evident lack of caffeine intake made him look like he'd been through hell even with Pyrrha there to lift his spirits. Ironwood merely watched with veiled amusement as the dozen teens – plus Oscar and Qrow – settled into their seats.

Ironwood then retrieved a small remote from his pocket, and with the press of a button, a dozen holographic screens sprung to life on the wall behind him. "Alright, everyone. Even if you all agreed to this change in lifestyle, I appreciate your punctuality Now, I know this might sound sudden to hear so soon after the acquisition of your licenses, but it's about time that you're all made aware of what'll be expected of you from here. As Huntsmen of any other kingdom, you'd retain absolute autonomy as to how you go about your duties, but as direct allies of the kingdom of Atlas, there will be certain… 'expectations' that you'll be expected to meet."

Jaune tiredly raised his hand. "I'm guessing that all that might have something to do with our last mission?"

"In part," Ironwood explained. "It should come as no surprise that our top priority for the foreseeable future will continue to be the Amity Tower project. All of you will be tasked with the protection of supply runs from Grimm and bandits alike, alongside the preservation of the site itself from those same threats, should they wander too close. Given that this task is going to be continuous effort until the project is complete, assignments related to Amity Tower will be handed out in shifts as to avoid the burden falling squarely on any one team's shoulders."

"Think of it like a standard search-and-destroy mission," Qrow commented, casually slouching into his seat off to the side. "Anyone with a license can do the job fine with a few other people tagging along with them. The only difference here is that these supply runs are infinitely more important and hush-hush than your run-of-the-mill Huntsman missions."

"Precisely. I'll leave the decision-making of who takes up the first shift of supply runs up to your team leaders, for the sake of convenience, but that isn't all we have to discuss," Ironwood said with a small gesture to his audience. "With the diversion of all construction resources – dust and otherwise – to the Amity Tower project, other areas of the kingdom are inevitably going to suffer as a result. It doesn't take a military genius to recognize that gaps are going to appear in Mantle's defenses against the Grimm. They're going to need help on the perimeter."

"Dibs," Nora declared, followed by a yawn. "If the people who're already having a rough time down in Mantle need someone to help them, then I'll be the first in line to help patrol those rickety walls they have. They deserve a little peace of mind."

"And I'll be right there with you," Ren asserted. "The defense of otherwise vulnerable settlements is something that I can assure you that we'll take with the utmost seriousness."

Ironwood gave them an approving nod. "Then I'll be sure to reserve a respectable portion of the wall for you two to defend, though you can rest assured that you won't be alone in your efforts. Other military Huntsmen and associated personnel will be right there with you in case things get too hot to handle."

Ren nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"And now that we've established the necessity of buffering the defense of Mantle's outer walls with our manpower, we can mention an equally important series of tasks." Ironwood pointed to a screen displaying the central streets of Mantle with his remote. "The prevention of an incursion from the hordes of Grimm that've miraculously made it onto the continent is all well and good, but there'll still be plenty to do in the city itself from here on out."

"Oh, like making sure some kids get to school on time?" Yang teased.

Jaune sighed. "You guys are never going to let that go, huh?"

"Never be ashamed of whatever task you find yourself fulfilling," Ironwood said, an encouraging look on his face. "Even the most insignificant missions can mean the world to those whose lives they affect; and besides, I think you'll find that everyone appreciates having Huntsmen around."

"Given the horrors of the world we live in, that doesn't come as too much of a surprise," Pyrrha thought aloud. She then turned to Jaune. "No honor lost, then. So long as we fulfill our mission to the best of our ability, your fledgling reputation will be preserved."

Jaune's shoulders slumped as he smiled slightly. "Yeah, yeah…"

"And you should all take comfort in the fact that you won't be spending all of your time on the battlefield," Ironwood continued. "Whenever your miscellaneous missions have been completed for the day, you'll be free to enjoy your time off however you see fit. Explore the kingdom, shop, train, spar, or hunt some stray Grimm for the thrill – whatever helps you take the edge off."

"But what about our missions for today?" Ruby asked.

"Besides giving you team leaders the time to discuss who's taking the first shift with the supply runs?" Ironwood said, and he let his head tilt from side to side for a moment in thought. "You can expect to have less strenuous missions assigned to you by me personally from time to time in the form of time spent in the training simulator. I didn't intend to send most of you there as your assigned task for today, but you need only ask, and I can make the necessary arrangements."

Oscar raised a brow. "Wait. You said 'most' of us? Who's going in there today?"

Ironwood looked at him. "For starters, you. While I don't know the precise details about how Ozpin's connection with your body works, the least we can do is try and shake him loose. Even if intense combat doesn't wake him up, the combat simulator will give you experience that'll prove to be invaluable when the time comes that you must defend yourself. As I understand it, Ozpin's muscle memory is slowly becoming your own, but that doesn't mean we can't expedite the process ourselves while he's still missing-in-action."

"You're right," Oscar confirmed. "That's actually how I was able to tell how much closer our souls were getting before he disappeared. Thank you for the opportunity."

"Thank you for being so cooperative," Ironwood returned. His gaze then drifted to Iridescence; whose members straightened in their seats as they recognized the action. "Now, in regard to you four? Since it's been decided that you're going to be my right-hand team, I'd like to make sure each of you will continue to be worthy of the authority that superior status will grant you in the Atlesian military. From here on out, you'll all have mandatory assignments to the most intense scenarios our combat simulator can provide. You'll become the elites among elites, so long as you persevere."

Tenebris made a flippant gesture. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Lux nodded in agreement. "Same here."

"After all that you've decided to do for us here, I'd honestly have been more surprised if you didn't have us intensify our training regimen in some way or another," Aurora mentioned.

"We won't let you down, sir," Opal declared.

"Given the reports I've received about your team's performance so far, I have no doubt about that," Ironwood reassured, and the screens behind him flickered away one by one. "And that just about covers everything I wanted to speak to you all about this morning. Does anyone have any final questions or comments before we part ways?"

Ruby raised her hand. "I do. If that's okay."

"Of course. What's on your mind?" Ironwood asked.

"Well, I was thinking about what you said earlier, about how our missions sometimes will just be to spend some time training," Ruby started. "I was wondering if I could spend the day outside of the academy to train with Maria. She knows more about my silver eyes than anyone, and if I ever want to use them like she once did, I need to learn from her."

Ironwood hummed. "So long as you take the time to coordinate with your fellow team leaders to decide who among your group will defend the first supply run to Amity Tower, I see no reason why you shouldn't be permitted to meet up with your mentor again."

"Oh! Thanks!" Ruby exclaimed.

"From all the stories Oz once told me about silver-eyed warriors in the past, I've come to believe that your eyes could be an incredible asset to our cause someday," Ironwood said. "But don't feel the need to rush. A sense of urgency is useful when it comes to training, yes, but you can't afford to let your rate of improvement suffer because you're rushing through things carelessly."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, sir."

"That's all I ask." Ironwood's eyes scanned across the room one last time to give everyone else an opportunity to speak. "Well, since it appears no one else has anything to bring up… everyone except Iridescence is free to go about their business for the day."

RWBY, JNPR, Oscar, and Qrow all rose and made their way out of the room in due time, the atmosphere of the room substantially more awake now that the matter they'd all been summoned for was out of the way. Ruby led the charge outside with her teammates struggling to keep up with their spritely leader, Qrow and Oscar made idle conversation as they sauntered away, JNPR rose last out of the three dismissed groups, which left Iridescence to exchange confused looks as they wondered what exactly Ironwood had held them behind for.

Nora was almost back into the halls of Atlas Academy before she abruptly stopped and hollered back at them. "Good luck, you guys! You're gonna need it."

And then the door almost immediately sealed itself shut before anyone could respond.

"Huh. That wasn't ominous…" Lux murmured.

"You think?" Tenebris questioned. "She could've been talking about training, and I don't think the combat simulator could make that too terrible. Even if it is top-of-the-line tech, we've gotten this far. We can handle some simulations."

"Confidence like that is exactly what you'll need where your training is concerned," Ironwood commented, "but that isn't what she was referring to; rather, she was merely hinting at a reveal I already informed your friends of prior to this meeting."

Opal's ears flicked. "Am I correct to assume that the reveal has something to do with us?"

Ironwood nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "You are. As you're all undoubtedly aware, the name 'Team Iridescence' still means little – to the kingdom of Atlas, you four are little more than footnotes from the Vytal Festival tournament. Your importance to the world has yet to be announced. I told you all to stay behind because Team Iridescence is going to be revealed to the kingdom. Imminently."

Aurora blinked. "What?"

"I figured that it'd be for the best that we don't delay your team's debut to the kingdom any longer than necessary," Ironwood said simply. "Even if all of you were locked in the combat simulator and came out as the best versions of yourselves you could be, your team would still need to prove itself to Atlas before Iridescence became a name worthy of note. Better that we get started now rather than later."

"No arguments there, but…" Lux scratched the back of his head. "It sounds to me that this big reveal is gonna have to carry some weight of its own. If we want anyone to see us as anything but some random team you decided to give an elevated status, you're going to need a strong argument for why we're relevant right out the gate."

"Especially since there's two faunus on this team," Opal mentioned, sharing a glance with her partner. "If what we experienced in Mantle was any indicator, I wouldn't put it past Atlas to dismiss us immediately as your worthless cronies once they notice my ears and Lux's eyes."

"All of those are issues I've previously taken into account," Ironwood explained. "While your exact feats down in the mines won't be shared with the public due to the inherently classified nature of what your team accomplished there, Iridescence will be sold as heroes based on your previous accomplishments instead."

"Verifiable accomplishments, I hope," Opal said.

"Certainly. Your team's assistance in the defense of Beacon is a perfect example," Ironwood elaborated. "While the entire crisis is considered a disaster for the both kingdom's reputation and economy, it's still something of a good move. So long as the focus is kept on the Atlesian lives you saved in the process instead of the disaster itself, I believe that this point will buy your team a fighting chance to earn a better reputation with the people."

"That's better than nothing," Tenebris thought aloud.

"If you're worried about if that was my only argument for your importance, don't be," Ironwood advised. "Other than the Atlesian lives that you saved at Beacon, I plan on making it clear that your team has worked with and impressed me in the past. Beyond that? I'll be sure to mention how your team fought all the way to Argus in order to gain an audience with me and help the kingdom of Atlas."

Aurora's brow furrowed slightly. "What you're saying is that your plan includes telling the entire kingdom a white lie for the sake of our team."

"Given the inherent challenges and criticism Iridescence will have to overcome to influence the kingdom, it's a necessary misdirection," Ironwood calmly defended.

"Politically speaking, it's a smart move," Lux stated. "Imagine if you were some random middle-class citizen in the kingdom. If you heard from Ironwood himself that a team of Huntsmen-in-training fought across Anima just to put your safety above theirs, until they give you a reason to doubt them, you'd probably feel pretty inclined to appreciate the sentiment."

"True…" Aurora conceded.

Ironwood looked at the blue-haired fighter. "Believe me, Aurora, political games like these are far from an enjoyable affair – for anyone – but my position as headmaster has forced me to hone my more covert talents over the years by necessity. Politics is an inescapable part of Atlesian life. For better or worse."

She nodded softly. "Right."

"So," Opal began. "You said that Iridescence is going to be revealed to the kingdom soon. When can we expect the announcement to happen, then?"

"When I chose to use the term 'imminently,' I meant it," Ironwood said with veiled amusement in his tone. "All the preparations have already been made, and a crowd has already gathered in the district directly beneath Atlas Academy. We need only head down there now."

All eyes among Iridescence widened. 'Imminent' was an understatement.

It might've snuck up on them, but the time had finally come that Team Iridescence's entire way of life would be irrevocably changed. Opal found herself in awe of that simple truth. Only a handful of minutes ago, both she and her teammates were merely another team of allies to the most powerful military leader in Atlas. Their alliance seemed as though it would deepen slowly over time before Ironwood's promises to assist them with the plight of the faunus ever came to bear, and yet the timetable for when their fight for the faunus would begin was accelerated by leaps and bounds right underneath their noses. Soon they'd be hailed by Ironwood as the up-and-coming vanguards that would simultaneously protect the kingdom and begin to incite societal change through their every success.

Despite all the insanity she'd survived in the past, the suddenness of such a change befalling Iridescence almost made Opal's head spin. Thankfully, she didn't need to spend much effort to recognize that Aurora felt similarly. Her best friend maintained an air of confidence, just as everyone on the team did, but the way she subtly bit her lip was an indicator Opal knew by heart meant that she was nervous.

Over the last few minutes, Ironwood and Iridescence had both traveled down to the base of the mountain that supported Atlas Academy. Atop a public platform not unlike what one would expect to see in an amphitheater, Ironwood was illuminated in front of his subordinates at the only podium in sight, while Iridescence remained obscured by the shadow of the academy off to the side. Thousands of middle-class citizens of the airborne metropolis served as the general's audience, while dozens of reporters and independent agents held cameras at the ready to record whatever happened next. As Ironwood poured over his notes in the short span of time they had left before his speech began, Opal focused her efforts on steadying her breath.

'Come on, this is Team Iridescence's big moment. You can't afford to make your team look like a bunch of amateurs, so put on your game face! This is going to be a huge step forward for all the faunus across the kingdom. Maybe even the world, someday.'

"Now the way I see it, this big speech can go one of two ways," Tenebris began quietly. "One is that we debut, none of us make a fool out of ourselves, and no bigots in the crowd manage to find any convenient tomatoes to throw at us."

Aurora gave him a wary look. "I'll assume that the second scenario is the exact opposite?"

"Something like that," Tenebris said confidently. "You never know how people who literally live with their heads up in the clouds are going to react to stuff."

"I'd like to say that we should lean toward cautious optimism right now," Opal argued. "It won't help our image if we all look like we don't respect or feel comfortable around the people we've sworn to protect… even if many of the people in the audience will hate us the second they spot my ears."

Lux gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Iridescence is in this together. Always have been. Always will. Besides, where would the fun be if everything went perfect? If the people in the upper city hate us right away, that just means we'll have the goal of getting them on our side to work toward."

The corner of her lip tugged up. "Good point. Even if that doesn't make what's about to happen any less insane, we'll always have tomorrow to look forward to. For now, we just have to focus our efforts on looking official for the entire kingdom."

"And overshadow our friends in the process." Aurora hummed thoughtfully. "Does anyone else wonder if RWBY and JNPR are going to be fine with this? I know they didn't protest the idea that we'd become Ironwood's field operatives, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're fine with how we'll inherently hog the people's attention."

"Eh. If any of them had a problem with what's about to happen, I like to think that we'd have been able to tell," Lux commented. "We've only spent the past who-knows-how-long with them since we got to Beacon. I'd honestly be more surprised if one of them did make a stink about all this stuff."

"We made the choice to ally with Ironwood to fight prejudice and improve the lives of the faunus here," Opal gently added. "The friendships we've made are too strong to fall apart all because some widespread recognition is about to come our way."

"Besides, Weiss and Pyrrha gave their teams way more time in the spotlight while we were still just hanging out at Beacon," Tenebris pointed out. "Now that we're licensed and embroiled in some shadow war with you-know-who, it's about time some of that spotlight lands on us."

"Maybe," Aurora conceded. "It looks like it's almost time."

Opal's attention shifted forward again. The crowd remained quiet and ready to hear whatever the headmaster of Atlas Academy had to say, cameras and scrolls prepared for the second the speech began. Ironwood himself deactivated his own tablet-sized scroll and straightened substantially. A slow inhale followed the action, and the general threw a confident look over his shoulder at the four fighters behind him.

'No turning back now…'

"Citizens of Atlas," Ironwood began. "Over the past few months, it goes without saying that our kingdom has suffered. From the necessary sacrifice of our borders being closed to the outside world, to the repeated attacks our kingdom has fought against the Grimm, Atlas has never faced such adversity ever since the years that preceded its inception. With no end to our nation's present crisis in sight, each day feels overshadowed by the underlying darkness that comes part and parcel with difficult times like these." He paused for effect, and the click of cameras filled the gap. "As the tendrils of this same darkness even managed to infiltrate Atlas Academy, I knew that something had to be done. Our kingdom needs a light. It needs a team of skilled individuals to ensure the prosperity of our people despite the difficulties we seemingly find ourselves buried by, these days. After months of careful observation of every able-bodied fighter in the kingdom, I've finally found a team that I believe will be up to the task."

Opal clasped her hands behind her back, her head held high. Tenebris mimicked the motion, a confident smirk on his face. Lux had already entered the formal stance before either of them, his eagle eyes slowly scanning across the crowd of thousands. Given her prior worries, Aurora was the last to enter a visibly prepared stance, and yet her expression turned out to become the most neutral out of anyone on Iridescence.

'Almost there…'

"The team that will be unveiled to the kingdom here is one that has repeatedly distinguished itself as one that always based itself on excellence," Ironwood continued with a small clench of his hand for emphasis. "They willingly threw themselves into the fray during the disaster that befell Vale those short few months ago, their actions ensuring the safety of dozens – if not hundreds – of Atlesian citizens' lives in our darkest hour. They performed above and beyond all recorded performance metrics in Atlas Academy's most rigorous combat simulations."

"If the mines counted as a simulation, then sure," Tenebris quietly quipped.

Opal shot him a half-annoyed glare, and the brawler quickly fell silent.

"But perhaps the most impressive actions they've taken thus far were those which even I wasn't aware of only a few short weeks ago," Ironwood asserted. "Whereas so many teams of fighters would justifiably assume that they should merely stay put and weather the storm that hovers over the world today, these individuals went against that trend. They fought across half of Sanus and the entirety of Anima to reach Argus, all for the opportunity to cross the sea and help the kingdom of Atlas. Alongside their skill in combat and dedication to the defense of others, the initiative they exhibited is what convinced me that they're the team this kingdom needs."

Several spotlights activated in unison to offer the crowd its first clear look at the four fighters that Ironwood chose to be their champions. The heat of industrial lights contrasted against the bitter cold winds of the continent, and Opal fought to keep her eyes forward as the assembled press flew into a quiet frenzy of activity at the sight of her ears. Several dozen sets of eyes behind the camera crews narrowed as they caught a glimpse of her faunus trait, and it only took a few seconds before more glanced over at Lux. Opal consciously focused her ears to ignore the unmistakable murmurs of discontent and suspicion that broke out among the audience.

Ironwood half-turned to the team, his upturned hand making a broad gesture to draw further attention to them as he did so. "Tenebris Griseo. Lux Griseo. Aurora Borealis. Opal Malachite. Together, these four make up the team of fighters that have traveled across continents to assist our kingdom. Together, they will be the people's most formidable defenders, my most effective field operatives, and perhaps the most influential team of Huntsmen that Atlas has ever seen. But what's a team without a name?" He fully faced the crowd again, his hands planted firmly on either side of the podium before him. "Say hello to Team Iridescence."

As the audience caught wind of the imminent end of Ironwood's speech, several things happened at once. The front row exploded with extended cameras and microphones as reporters bombarded the general with questions, Ironwood perfectly maintained his composure in spite of the storm, and the murmurs Opal had once successfully ignored grew substantially in volume. The din of speculative thoughts and racist comments flooded painfully into her ears, although the sheer density of so many voices filling the air at once prevented her from being able to hear much of what was being said all that clearly. Even Tenebris, Aurora, and Lux looked mildly surprised at how stirred up the crowd had become.

"While I could drag this speech on longer and give all of you time to better understand why I chose this team above all others to perform as my field operatives, we all know that actions speak louder than words," Ironwood calmly declared, his voice cutting through the excess noise with seeming ease. "Rather than simply proclaiming that Team Iridescence are the heroes this kingdom needs, I'll let their performance in the field be the means by which their worth will be judged from this point on. The people can decide for themselves if these chosen few are justified in being called the kingdom's most dedicated defenders. Thank you all for your time."

The press made one last desperate attempt to catch a statement from the general. Some members of the audience whistled in approval of their military leader while others spat insults at the man when he finally turned away. Industrial spotlights' deactivation signaled the official end to the speech, and Ironwood himself tilted his head for Iridescence to follow him offstage.

Even with thousands of eyes on him, he remained one of the most impressively calm, cool, and collected individuals Iridescence had ever seen. All members of Iridescence promptly honored his example and marched close behind Ironwood with confidence as the general himself left the scene of his speech. Opal didn't think it'd be much of a stretch to say that her team's respect for the man had redoubled after seeing him in action.

Opal found it somewhat difficult to look away from the general as they continued to the same airship that took them down from the academy. Despite the somewhat shifty missteps Ironwood had taken prior to his would-be allies' arrival in Atlas, Opal began to think that the respect he'd garnered over his military career possessed genuine substance after all.

Was he infallible? No. But he was respectable in all the right ways.

Which meant that for now, they needed only to wait and see how Iridescence would be received.

It didn't take long for Ironwood to summon them again.

Opal had only started to prepare some tea to coincide with one of her increasingly frequent early-morning meditation sessions when her scroll vibrated in her pajama pocket. She thanked herself for possessing the foresight to try and acclimate herself to the early-riser lifestyle most Atlesian military personnel would be expected to engage in and was entirely unsurprised to read that the news had already reported on the general's speech. Opal promptly roused her twin teammates from their slumber right as Aurora emerged from her room, and after hastily changing into their combat outfits, the elite team started off in the direction of the general's office.

Upon their arrival, the atmosphere permeating the room that acted as the ultimate place of authority in the Atlesian military felt entirely different from Iridescence's first real encounter with Ironwood. Warm orange glows filtered in through the windows as the sun climbed above the distant horizon, a newspaper laid folded neatly on the general's desk beside a fresh pot of coffee, and Ironwood himself was obscured by the back of his chair as he silently observed the sunrise. All elements combined and it wouldn't be wrong to suggest that the place felt almost… well, homely, right now.

Opal didn't hold out any unrealistic hopes that the view would somehow serve to foreshadow some incredible news. For all the glitz and glamour that Atlas eagerly exhibited, the kingdom's inhabitants were still far from merciful in how they made their displeasure known.

"General Ironwood, sir?" Opal spoke, her team's advance coming to a complete stop a respectable distance away from his desk. "You wanted to speak with us?"

"I did." Ironwood spun his chair around to face them. His hair was in its typical well-groomed state alongside his impeccably clean uniform, but the mug of coffee in his hand led Opal to assume he hadn't been up much longer than she had. "As I'm sure you're undoubtedly aware, I called you four here this morning to discuss how your team's reception was handled by the press, but first…"

His free hand moved to press a holographic key on his desk, and four circular gaps in the floor just in front of the long piece of furniture opened. An equal number of chairs rose from below and stopped as their supportive platforms leveled evenly with the floor.

Ironwood waved to the seats with his free hand. "Please. Take a seat. Help yourselves to some coffee too, if you need some kind of pick-me-up."

While the rest of Iridescence situated themselves, Lux became the first to take up the offer, quickly pouring himself a cup of black coffee before he sat down beside his brother. "Thank you, sir. Not quite used to the Atlesian lifestyle, just yet."

Tenebris was the next to pour himself a mug. "Same here. Even back when we were walking across Anima and time was sorta of the essence, we never really got up before dawn. It'll take us a little more time to get acclimated, but I think we'll be fine."

"That's good to hear. If you four are to act as my personal field operatives and the kingdom's heroes, it's a necessity that you can function on the same sleep schedule most other military personnel function on." Ironwood paused, slowly taking a sip from his still-steamy serving of caffeine. He then looked to Opal and Aurora. "But what about you two? How're you handling the change of pace?"

Opal shrugged. "Well enough. Given that I figured we'd have to operate on early hours for as long as we're working together, I've already been making an active effort to adjust my sleep cycle accordingly before now."

Aurora lightly shook her head when Tenebris offered her the pot before her attention returned to the general. "I've never really needed all that much sleep each night to function fine. For me, it's just a matter of setting my alarm to the right time and I'll manage without too much difficulty."

"I take it that the self-discipline you two might've learned about all your lives in Mistral has made the whole process a lot easier, huh?" Ironwood guessed.

"More or less."

"Right, right…" Ironwood trailed off. He set aside his mug after finishing his coffee, and the newspaper replaced the ceramic in his hand shortly thereafter. "And now that the pleasantries have been taken care of, it's about time that we finally address the Goliath in the room, huh?"

"Might as well." Lux lifted his mug in a mock-toast. "Here's to hoping that not everyone in the kingdom hates us right away."

"Ditto," Tenebris echoed.

As twins' mugs returned to their lips for what would probably be the final time, the corner of Opal's lip scrunched up somewhat into her cheek as she gave Ironwood a thoughtful look.

"It isn't that bad, is it?" she asked.

"Yes and no," Ironwood answered simply, lightly tossing the paper back onto his desk so that it was within arm's reach of anyone who wished to read the news themselves. "Team Iridescence's announcement was received by the public better than we could've expected, but worse than I'm sure all of us would've liked."

Aurora glanced cautiously to the general before she lifted the paper herself, eyes scanning across the page as she did so. "Well, it looks like you're right about that. Honestly, the headline 'Team Iridescence: Political Pawns or Charitable Champions?' alone doesn't really make it clear what the kingdom wants to think of us yet."

"That was my first impression, as well," Ironwood stated. "But upon further inspection, I believe that this is simply one of the few rare instances where the media's trying to stay neutral in its coverage of current events. Given my position, I have contacts everywhere across the kingdom – across Remnant – and they've told me a variety of stories about how different sections of Atlas have interpreted your debut."

Tenebris huffed. "Hundred lien says the upper-crust hates our guts."

Ironwood's head rocked slightly from side to side. "While I wouldn't say that they've had such an extreme reaction to the speech yesterday, you're partially right. All but a handful of the wealthy families here in the upper city have all turned their noses outright against the very concept of your team's existence, but I wouldn't take it personally. Even before the embargo, most of them only ever regarded my political actions with contempt."

Lux accepted the paper next. "If that's the case, then with election season in full swing, it'd only make sense for Jacque to make some kind of statement in response."

"And he did," Ironwood confirmed. "Only two hours after the announcement of your team's existence was finished, Jacque managed to put together a speech of his own wherein he politely denounced my 'creation' of Team Iridescence."

"With what I said to him after we secured the mines… that might be my fault," Opal sheepishly admitted. "I'm sorry, sir."

Ironwood's brow quirked up. "You have no reason to apologize. Jacque's not the kind of person who'd accept any actions we take as a net positive for the kingdom. For as long as our goals are in conflict with his, he'll be one of our more meddlesome political opponents. I doubt that the verbal barbs you two exchanged then were what led him to denounce your team."

Opal sighed in relief. "Understood. But what about the other parts of Atlas? Those that aren't part of the top ten percent here in the upper city?"

"You might be surprised to hear that they're perhaps one of the more moderate groups in the kingdom in how they interpreted your team's announcement," Ironwood said, his fingers lacing themselves together as his arms fell upon his desk. "There haven't been many public statements made by the Atlesian middle class, but my experience with people like them tells me that their relative silence serves a purpose. It's no secret that the civilians wealthy enough to live in Atlas itself harbor significant distaste for the faunus, but at the same time, it isn't as though they desire your team to fail. Even if its only out of self-interest, they want to see Iridescence succeed in its defense of the kingdom – whether or not they're aware of the societal implications behind your team's formation, however, remains to be seen."

"But compared to the upper crust of Atlas, it sounds like they might be more easily swayed to support us in the future," Aurora commented. "It's like you said, they might only be invested in Iridescence's announcement because they simply want to live, but that also means the victories we secure for the kingdom will strengthen their belief in us. Maybe it'll even be enough to have them see through their prejudice, if only a little bit."

"That isn't an improbable scenario. The Atlesian middle class tends to go with the flow as long as their lavish lifestyles remain more-or-less uninterrupted, so they'll probably warm up to Team Iridescence over time," Ironwood surmised. "There is one significant section of society that's rather eager to hear tell of your future achievements already, though."

Lux looked up from the newspaper. "The faunus down in the lower city."

Ironwood nodded. "While a small portion of the faunus in Mantle are somewhat wary that their de facto faunus representatives are under the bootheel of a human like me, most of them have already made their enthusiasm for what Iridescence represents known. The plentiful racists that live down in Mantle might be the most difficult demographic for your team to impress, but you can rest assured that you won't find many faunus that take issue with what your team represents. Some faunus Huntsmen might go their entire careers without recognition for their good deeds, so you can imagine how your people must've felt when they heard that the kingdom's top team not only includes two faunus, but are led by one as well."

"Looks like you were right when you said we were received better than expected, huh?" Tenebris mentioned, arms crossed while he leaned back in his seat. "I mean yeah, we've still gotta impress the people that already don't like us, and that'll be an uphill battle, but we have some support right now. Gives us a little street cred to work with, at least."

"And that newfound reputation your team has achieved just by being announced might mean more than you realize," Ironwood mentioned. "Even a few loyal supporters could mean all the difference between Iridescence becoming a forgotten headline and a frequent topic of conversation at social events in the weeks to come. The longer the kingdom pays attention to your actions, the higher the likelihood will be that the faunus' status in society might begin to change over time."

Aurora rubbed the back of her neck. "That's high praise coming from the most powerful man in the kingdom when we've only just started to help you out…"

"Think nothing of it," Ironwood dismissed easily. "It's my belief that Iridescence stands a greater chance of proving that equality is possible than any team or organization that has attempted to accomplish the same task in the past. That's the truth."

"Then what's our next move?" Opal asked.

Ironwood regarded her for a moment. "The plan moving forward is for your team to train, to protect the twin cities and the Amity Tower project, and most importantly, to keep your sanity through it all. If there's ever something that any of you need that only I can provide, then you need only ask, but for now…"

His hands slipped from atop his desk as he trailed off. Ironwood glanced at one of the innumerable drawers hidden behind his desk and bent over only slightly to retrieve what appeared to be an inconspicuous green glass bottle from within. Five small ceramic cups decorated with designs of origins anyone with half a brain could register originated from Mistral were brought up next. After only another half-second of staring at whatever beverage Ironwood had brought out, Opal and Aurora both suddenly glanced at one another in surprise.

"That's…" Aurora whispered.

"Sake, yes," Ironwood confirmed. "Warmed. Exactly as it should be."

"Okay, Vacuan ignorance time," Tenebris muttered. "What's sake again?"

"It's an alcoholic beverage from Mistral. Fermented rice wine," Lux answered.

Tenebris raised a brow. "That sounds interesting."

"But also technically illegal for us to drink," Opal warned. She then looked back at Ironwood, faintly confused as he uncorked the bottle. "None of us are old enough to drink yet."

Ironwood shrugged. He divided the stack of cups apart before he carefully started pouring the warm alcohol into each of them. "Don't be concerned about the legality. You aren't being recorded, and even if word gets out that Iridescence had a few drinks in private, it's not like I can't bend the rules in our favor."

"Is there any particular reason that you decided to offer us drinks, though?" Lux politely asked. "Not that I'm trying to question your hospitality or authority or anything, I'm just curious – this kinda came out of the blue."

"Thanks to my past experiences with some of the nobles families in Mistral, I very quickly learned that the idea of sharing drinks with others can mean as much to the people in that kingdom as blood ties." Ironwood stood and carefully lifted his cup, and Iridescence didn't hesitate for long before they followed his example. "While I don't mean this gesture to act as some unwritten oath between us, my hope is that this shared drink makes it clear my intentions, for Remnant and your team, are pure."

"You've already done so much for us in the time we've been here," Aurora praised. "While all of us might've been a little nervous about meeting you when we first arrived, personally, I've come to believe that you really do care about the world."

"Not everyone would risk their reputation and burden themselves with so much extra work just to try and inspire social change," Opal mentioned softly. "I trust you too."

Lux briefly raised his cup in agreement. "Same here. It's kind of weird to say, but you've done more to try and help the faunus in a day than it looked like anyone other than the White Fang ever even tried to accomplish."

Tenebris exhaled softly. "You haven't pulled an Ozpin, either. All this time you've been nothing but transparent about your plans whereas Ozpin kept his shadow war with Salem hidden as long as possible. Count me as another loyalist, then."

"I appreciate the praise, but don't be afraid to express any concerns you might develop in the future when we have private meetings like this," Ironwood said. "I'm not blind enough to deny that anyone can make mistakes, and that includes myself. Should the time come that any of you object to the decisions I make, speak up. I flagrantly disregarded Ozpin's advice repeatedly in Vale, and we all remember what happened as a consequence. Winter has too much faith in me to question my decisions, which means that it falls to Iridescence to assure that this kingdom never goes down a darker path than its already walked under my leadership."

Opal stood up straight. "Iridescence will do its best to justify the faith you have in us, sir."

"In some ways, you've done that already," Ironwood assured, and he extended his sake cup toward them with a smile on his face. "A toast. To the future success of Team Iridescence!"

Authors Note: Somehow this chapter was originally intended to be only one scene. The montage with Clover narration being replaced with Ironwood and the debut were both supposed to simply precede what would become the 'Sparks' of ToTI, but the events kinda grew in such a way that I didn't want to snuff it out preemptively. Given the constant developments going on for Iridescence lately, I think that this reprieve chapter was just what the doctor ordered. It establishes Iridescence's reputation, makes Ironwood even cooler, and further cements their alliance as something everyone in the main quartet are firmly willing to stand by for the foreseeable future. Only time can possibly tell what the potential ramifications of this newfound firm alliance will turn out to be.