Another seemingly eternal night reigned over everyone who'd attended the victory party. Panic even more intense incentivized another invasion of Grimm more plentiful in number than those spawned by the riots Jacque's SDC shutdown caused only recently. After hours upon hours of combat and coordination with the military, independent Huntsmen, and local police personnel, the latest Mantle crisis was quelled, and the kingdom of Atlas was left forever changed. Hardly even an hour after 'peace' was reinstated across the lower city, Mantle's treatment under the militaristic leadership of General Ironwood became undeniably harsher. In what could be argued as an attempt at preventative care, Ironwood had implemented a ban on mass assembly of any variety for an as-of-yet indefinite period, with the lower city's curfew being constricted into even earlier hours as well. Given the already icy relationship between Ironwood and Mantle at present, these decisions made the political situation within the lower city even more tense than it'd ever been before.

It certainly didn't help that Iridescence had landed themselves in extremely hot water, too. While their staunchest advocates protested the idea that Iridescence would've been dispatched for what was essentially an attempted public assassination, many in Mantle were asking rather difficult questions regarding the famous team's autonomy. They were wondering why Iridescence, the team that Ironwood claimed was meant to embody unity among the kingdoms, was entirely under the general's control. Having never considered the question herself, Opal couldn't imagine she'd arrive at any satisfactory answers, even if she were in the right mindset to ruminate upon those inquiries all by herself.

Having one's cybernetic eye removed wasn't exactly an extremely pleasant sensation, after all – certainly not when the reason behind its temporary removal was so that its short-term memory programs could be adequately scrubbed for some proper recording of what transpired at Robyn's victory party. Whatever video evidence Opal's cybernetic eye yielded would undoubtedly prove everyone involved in the incident innocent, but the fact remained that Iridescence's reputation had been catastrophically damaged. Opal would've spent some time meditating, coming up with ideas about what actions Iridescence could possibly take to recover the widespread trust the kingdom's citizens once possessed for them, but more imminent matters demanded her attention right now. Namely, the meeting Ironwood had initiated between himself, Qrow, Winter, and everyone else involved with the victory party massacre.

"This is the worst-case scenario!" Ironwood shouted, mercilessly slamming his fist onto his desk while the holographic screen released a quiet ping of some notification. "More people are dead, Iridescence has been framed, and somehow, Jacque Schnee is sitting on the council! Meanwhile, Robyn's already stolen her second dust shipment today after everything that's transpired."

While Ironwood exasperatedly dragged his hands down his face, Opal's ears wilted. "I'm sorry, sir. Iridescence shouldn't have failed to prevent the situation from becoming as catastrophic as it did last night. I take full responsibility for our failure."

"Understand, I don't blame Iridescence for what happened," Ironwood explained. "Under your leadership, your team executed all the right decisions given the circumstances. It was the attack's unforeseen nature and unpredictability of everything involved with the incident that caused your failure. Iridescence has been framed, yes, but we should have concrete evidence proving your innocence imminently."

"Somehow, I don't think that'll appease the people," Aurora mentioned hesitantly. "Evidence proving that Iridescence didn't attempt an assassination against Robyn Hill is one thing, but the number of civilians who were slaughtered right beneath our noses is another entirely. Between the Happy Huntresses and Iridescence, I can't imagine the people would blame Robyn's team for letting that massacre happen."

"Sadly, that's an accurate reading of the situation," Ironwood agreed. "Nevertheless, we'll just have to hold out hope that the evidence we retrieve will have some significant impact… or your team's entire purpose would've been for naught. If the people do accept our argument, then at least your reputation can be rebuilt."

"I'm afraid that the situation is somewhat more complex than merely proving Iridescence's innocence, either," Winter elaborated, hands clasped behind her back. "Robyn's blatant vigilantism has already emboldened our suppliers within the lower city."

Ironwood started pacing along the broad windowed portion of the room. "They're refusing to sell the military provisions until the city has been adequately repaired. With Robyn redistributing the goods her team has stolen… the Amity project is completely stalled."

"But we're so close!" Ruby argued, stepping forward when the general stopped, firmly staring beyond the window. "There has to be some way we can finish the tower, right?"

"There is," Winter stated. "Declaring martial law."

Ruby's eyes widened in recognition of the implications, while Nora's entire body language shifted into shocked horror simultaneously. Iridescence's assembled members shared knowing glances mostly aimed at their leader, while everyone else fixed their attention solely on the general himself. Ironwood's back remained turned to them, though his reflection in the polished glass made it abundantly clear he hadn't discarded the idea outright.

"You aren't actually considering that, are you?" Nora questioned.

"What's more important? Establishing communications again, uniting the world?" Ironwood proposed. "Or appeasing some rebellious city blocks?"

"Don't make this sound trivial when you know it isn't," Nora began, intense emotion infecting her voice. "You keep talking about how we just need a little more time, but you're not the one having to struggle. You aren't the one that's down there begging for scraps because you don't know when you'll have the money for another meal… you haven't lived like the people you're supposed to be protecting."

Ironwood turned around, now facing her. "We have all had to make tremendous sacrifices for the greater good, Nora. Mantle's had to bear much of the burden, yes, but-"

"They're bearing all of that burden!" Nora interrupted, angrily stalking forward into the exact center of the room. "The longer this waiting game goes on, the harder each day gets for people down there and now you're planning to send in more soldiers?!"

Suddenly, Opal found one hand delicately wrapped around Emerald's sheath.

"Nora, that's enough-" Ren began.

"No! Ironwood, you can't just force people to fall in line!" Nora shouted. "If you force people into submission, all you'll be doing is trading in these problems for just another invasion from the Grimm!"

Eyes narrowed, Ironwood stepped forward and stared intently into Nora's angry expression. Not another soul dared to interrupt the cold silence that momentarily reigned throughout the general's office, but eventually, Ironwood's pensive expression faded away into something unmistakably solemn. Lowering himself into his chair for the first time the entire meeting, his face silently came to rest within his hands.

"Please, General Ironwood." Ruby walked forward, placing her hand gently atop Nora's shoulder when she arrived beside her. "Squeezing Mantle this way… that kind of division plays right into Salem's hands."

"That's probably exactly why Tyrian's here framing him…" Lux thought aloud. "Because he knows that General Ironwood would react this way."

"Right, which brings this conversation into the reason we called you here in the first place. Opal. Are you sure this was the man you saw?" Winter approached the feline faunus in question and brought out her scroll. It projected a screen that displayed a file entitled 'Tyrian Callows,' which contained everything from the man's mugshot to an extensive assorted list of other slaughters he'd committed previously.

"One-hundred percent," Opal confirmed.

Winter nodded. "For those unaware, Tyrian Callows was accused of murders across the entirety of Anima's landmass. A homicidal maniac who escaped justice when his prison transport was attacked by Grimm. After that, he was never seen again."

"Until now," Tenebris muttered.

"If we ever had any doubts Atlas was Salem's next target, I think those are officially out the window," Qrow mentioned.

"But now we have a suspect," Ruby argued. "We can tell the people!"

"That a long-lost serial killer is loose in Mantle and that the military has no clues as to his current whereabouts?" Winter questioned knowingly. "The ramifications would incur yet another invasion of Grimm comparable to the one last night. Think your suggestions through."

"I'm so sick of secrets!" Nora asserted. "If we just told everyone about Amity, about Salem-"

"We can't!" Ironwood barked. "If we talk about Amity Tower now, we risk Salem's forces, who we know are here, working to sabotage it. If we inform everyone about Salem now, we risk the kingdom's collapse before we can reunite Remnant." He quickly stood. "We have to finish the tower. We need Robyn Hill in military custody, effective immediately. We'll offer her freedom on the condition that she gets Mantle to cooperate again."

Opal ignored the uneasy looks she received from Ruby and Nora when she immediately nodded her approval. "Not the most moral option, but we don't have many remaining anyway. We'll figure it out, sir."

"Anyone who isn't assisting with Robyn should focus strictly on Tyrian," Ironwood continued, walking toward the door with his hands clasped firmly behind him. "I want to know who he's working with, where he's hiding, and what exactly his plans are for my kingdom. Do I make myself clear?"

Iridescence responded in unison. "Yes, sir."

Once the door sealed itself shut behind Ironwood, Opal turned toward everyone. "Alright. Time to coordinate, then. Ren, Nora – if you guys wouldn't mind, grab Jaune and tell him to meet with me over in my team's apartment. Iridescence? Head home and prepare for whatever plans we'll wind up making however you can."

"I'm guessing you'll be taking Ruby with you, then?" Qrow asked, mainly watching the majority of their assembled allies depart with unspoken goodbyes. "Since intel-gathering was kinda my specialty back when Oz was around, I'll work with the police down below. Maybe we'll finally figure out what the hell's been going on down there."

"Sounds good," Opal approved. "Winter?"

"I'll accompany him." Winter tilted her head toward the door, at which point her experienced compatriot started away from the office. "Nobody knows the kingdom better than an Atlesian officer like myself, and my presence should expedite the process of making the police down below somewhat more cooperative. Our investigation will yield results."

"You sure you don't have paperwork calling your name up here?" Qrow asked, standing in the doorframe.

"If there's something that demands my attention, we can always call for an airship to pick me up," Winter explained. "Before any potential interruptions occur, though, we shouldn't delay our flight into the lower city any longer. Time is of the essence."

"No arguments there," Qrow agreed.

When the final two fighters' departure was complete, only the two team leaders who'd been involved in the meeting remained. Now with far fewer eyes focused on her than before, Opal exhaled deeply in relief. She would've started making her way outside, toward the elevators that'd take them back down to the academy's residential levels, if not Ruby's familiarly youthful voice making her stop short.

"Opal?"

"Yeah?"

"You…" Ruby paused; her expression conflicted. "You seemed awfully prepared to follow Ironwood's orders back there, and… don't you realize that what he wants us to do isn't right? I mean, he's asking us to capture someone who's just trying to help Mantle and force her onto our side. That's… wrong."

Opal's shoulders slouched. "You aren't wrong."

"What?" Ruby asked.

"Listen, Ruby, we both know that no one among our group doesn't realize what a drastic course of action he's having us take, and I won't pretend that this mission's gonna be an easy, either – on anyone involved," Opal explained. "But we don't have any other options. Either Ironwood declares martial law, or we try everything possible to make sure Amity Tower's completed. I think we can both agree this is the lesser of two evils."

"That doesn't change how quick you agreed with Ironwood's plan in the first place," Ruby protested. "You're his right-hand team's leader. You could've asked him to come up with another plan, right?"

"What else would you recommend, Ruby?" Opal asked incredulously. "After what happened last night, Robyn's never going to willingly cooperate with our interests unless she doesn't have any other options."

"True," Ruby murmured.

"Listen, if you're worried about my behavior, don't be," Opal reassured. "If there's one thing you should know about me after all this time, it's that I'll never throw anyone under the airbus. Not if there are any other options available. Sure, Ironwood might not mince words when he's frustrated, but he's also had the weight of the world on his shoulders for months since before we even arrived. It'd be more unsettling if he wasn't frustrated with situations like these."

"Right," Ruby agreed. "But didn't we have that pressure on us, too? After Beacon?"

"Not like him, Ruby. Not like him." Opal started leading them outside before her friend could continue her line of inquiry. "Now let's get moving. Jaune's probably been told about everything that happened with Ironwood by now, and we have some plans to make."

Operation Hill.

RWBY, JNPR, and Iridescence joint forces' plans for their potential capture of the ex-political candidate were simple but effective. Their twelve total participants in the operation would split into uniform groups of two, preferably with individuals who their fighting styles intrinsically synergized with. The six assembled teams would then hide in the back of the same armored vehicles that'd been used for supply runs out in the tundra, with their automated robotic drivers taking several different paths leading outside the city in the hopes that Robyn's team would take the bait. This avenue of attack might've lacked nuance, but neither Ruby nor Jaune proclaimed any doubts as to the efficiency and tactical soundness of Opal's ideas; as such, it didn't take that much longer for everyone to pair off and return to the lower city.

Thus, Yang found herself alongside the same person whom she'd first partnered up with what felt like a lifetime ago during initiation at Beacon – Blake Belladonna. Blotted out by distant mountains and Atlas' gargantuan earthbound tethers overhead, sundown had already long since arrived upon Mantle, leaving the pair almost entirely alone with their thoughts. Almost.

"Looks like we're approaching fifty-first," Yang notified.

"Gotcha. Thanks for the help again, guys," Opal returned through the scroll. "Since we're all split between different trucks right now, everyone's gotta be prepared for anything. If yours is hit, hold out against or chase after Robyn and everyone else will provide you reinforcements asap. Going radio silent. Good luck!"

Only when Opal ended their call did Yang finally deactivate her scroll, replacing it within the interior pocket of her aviator jacket. She sighed and looked beside her, where she found Blake's device still open as she perused the miscellaneous official files attached to Robyn's extensive dossier. Her feline ears remained upright and alert, but the tension in her best friend's body language made it abundantly clear she too possessed no small number of her own withdrawals about their mission here. Yang couldn't exactly blame her.

"Do you…" Yang exhaled loudly. "Do you think we should've told Ironwood about Salem, before he wound up putting so much on the line for Amity?"

"Sounds like you do," Blake responded.

"Pretty much," Yang confessed. Sliding down from the mountain of empty supply crates she'd perched herself atop, she landed on the metal floor of the van beside Blake. "Listen, I trust Ruby, but I really think Ironwood deserves to know what he's stepping into. We all did."

Blake remained quiet, her gaze thoughtfully leaning further away from her scroll while her feline ears folded over somewhat. It didn't take Yang long to discern what that change in her demeanor indicated.

"You don't agree."

"Well, look around," Blake began, collapsing her scroll. "This embargo, the military presence, the restrictions on assembly. Ironwood's more than a little prone to overreacting with situations like these."

"Yeah, hard to argue with that," Yang agreed. "Still, he didn't have many good options."

"I'm not sure there are any good options left for us anymore," Blake argued, throwing a sidelong look her direction. "Keeping secrets, restricting basic freedoms? It makes you wonder what exactly we'll end up doing while fighting for what's right."

Vivid memories of Adam's disturbingly fresh blood spilling onto her hands immediately came to mind, and Yang forcefully suppressed the instinctual urge to shudder. Repression of traumatizing memories like those wasn't healthy, but then again, neither were the various other life-and-death situations their group had been thrown into repeatedly the last few months.

"Blake," Yang uttered. "If you're thinking about Adam… we had no other options. Opal was dead set on holding him off, we weren't about to abandon each other, and… it's not like either of us were thinking that clearly, toward the end. Not when our lives were on the line."

Blake looked down. "I know, but ever since we ended Adam, I've wanted to make absolutely sure that we don't have to take another life ever again. This mission might not include plans to kill Robyn, but let me tell you, ambushing someone who's just trying to help those who've been suffering all this time isn't an option I'm thrilled about choosing."

Yang frowned. "Then… maybe we shouldn't."

Immediately, Blake's ears stood upright again. They shared an unspoken conversation through merely some mutually thoughtful expressions aimed at one another, and their next course of action was quickly decided upon from there.

It was time that they made their own decisions about the kingdom's future.

While their armored truck bounced slightly along Mantle's more uneven, poorly maintained roads, Lux found himself distracted. His hopefully winning hand of cards was held close to his chest with one hand, while his attention remained more rigidly attached to the two-dimensional map on his scroll. Eagle eyes darted around the simplified grid-like maze of streets, sewers, and various abandoned subterranean tunnels with ruthless efficiency until Lux located his target – another moving red dot only a short distance away from their vehicle. In quiet recognition of the blip's meaning, Lux hummed thoughtfully.

"Lux, you gonna play or what?" Tenebris asked.

"Our route's ended up bringing us pretty close to Yang and Blake's truck," Lux observed. "If Robyn does take the bait, we could probably reach them on foot faster than in this truck. There are too many alleyways she could run into that we couldn't follow her through if we stayed inside here."

"Buddy, that isn't an answer," Tenebris commented, smiling amusedly when his brother merely returned an annoyed roll of his eyes. "And that ain't a good poker face, either."

"Like I've ever needed one?" Lux retorted. Collapsing his scroll, he leaned forward and glanced over to the stack of lien that had accumulated as their games progressed. "You should know that by heart, at this point. Back home you were always the brawny brawler, I was the brainy trickster – oh, and inventor of our gear, too."

"Gonna lord that over me forever, eh?" Tenebris asked.

"Ohhh yeah," Lux confirmed.

"Even though Opal and Pietro were the ones who overhauled our gear after Ironwood gave the go-ahead?" Tenebris pressed.

"Yep," Lux chirped. "Someone laid the groundwork for all that overhauling, and that someone just so happened to be yours truly – therefore, the credit's all mine."

"Don't let Opal catch you making comments like that," Tenebris joked.

"Never," Lux agreed. "Remember that one time she challenged me to see who would disassemble and reassemble their weapons fastest? I learned my lesson that day – never challenge an experienced weapons-forging prodigy like Opal at her own game. Especially not when you're staying in her clan's household."

"Definitely. You ready for the final play, though?" Tenebris asked, raising his cards.

Lux nodded confidently. "This one's for all the money… four of a kind."

Grinning, his opponent slapped down his superior hand. "Royal flush."

"What the hell?!" Lux exclaimed; disbelief abundantly clear on his face while his brother swiftly began counting his earnings.

"You're getting rusty," Tenebris taunted.

"Bullshit!" Lux protested, his indignant tone more playful than genuinely enraged. "You must've cheated while I wasn't looking. There's no other explanation how you could've won there."

"Pfft," Tenebris puffed. "Oh yeah, cheating? With your eyes? And my literally no sleeves to hide cards inside? Hate to say it man, but it looks like your good luck's finally run out. Only took six games…"

Lux waved dismissively. "Either way, I'll need more practice if we ever head home again someday. Can't afford to make everyone and their mother realize that the vainglorious Lux Griseo's gotten shitty at his own games, y'know?"

"You could always play against Qrow," Tenebris suggested. "Remember, Opal did tell us that he's been trying to teach Ruby cards lately, so I'm sure he could hold his own."

"Oh, I remember alright," Lux reassured. "And I'm totally conning her."

Tenebris laughed shortly. "You're such an ass…"

"It's educational!" Lux defended playfully. "How else will she learn that she needs to figure out how she can avoid getting scammed by every Vacuan con artist around?"

"Good point," Tenebris admitted. "You know, I'm kinda glad we paired off for this mission together. It feels like the good old days, where it was just us two trying to make money wherever we could. It's nice… even if these games weren't high-stakes or anything."

Lux relaxed into the side of their truck. "Definitely."

"So…" Tenebris continued, now shuffling their deck again with surprising skill despite his armored gloves. "Think that Robyn's ever gonna take the bait?"

"Hopefully," Lux said, shrugging as their cargo clattered around slightly while the truck passed over additional uneven roads. "General Ironwood didn't give an impossible deadline for when he wants her in custody, so we'll have some other attempts if this one doesn't work."

"That's merciful enough," Tenebris commented. "Y'know, its moments like these that give me yet another reason to be glad we're allied with Ironwood instead of Robyn."

"What, because we probably won't get arrested by the military ever again?" Lux responded, absentmindedly taking his quarterstaff into hand before inspecting it for signs of wear. "Or because the alternative would essentially mark us as foreign invaders aligning ourselves with who's been classified as a domestic terrorist by the military?"

"Both," Tenebris readily answered. "Iridescence was making big strides with everyone across the kingdom before last night. Robyn's been stirring up distrust in the military since before Beacon fell, before the embargo. Now she's stopping us from fixing the CCT, which could reunite the world, and for what? What's she assuming Ironwood's doing with Amity? Turning it into some superweapon?"

"No clue," Lux confessed. Satisfied with his inspection yielding not even the slightest speck of dirt across his weapon's length, his gaze returned to his brother. "What I do know is that she's too dangerous to everything we hope to accomplish without forcibly stopping her sooner rather than later. Ironwood's a little eager about capturing her, sure, but I don't think anyone could call him an absolute tyrant. Not yet."

Tenebris replaced the deck onto their makeshift table, though didn't begin dealing cards. "Pretty much anyone would probably act irrationally after spending months nonstop dealing with people who're constantly out to ruin your plans. Jacque, Robyn, Salem's forces, worries about traitors on the inside…? Everyone has their breaking point, and the fact Ironwood hasn't reached his yet despite dealing with all that's insane."

Lux nodded. "Ironwood's trying his hardest, that's for sure."

"After everything?" Tenebris began. "Even Ozpin couldn't say that."

"Damn straight," Lux agreed. "Kinda sucks that it's taken centuries, maybe millennia, for someone in his little circle to finally do something for the faunus. Ironwood's worked with us for what now, weeks? There's already talks everywhere in Mantle about unionization and peaceful protests whenever the ban on assembly's lifted, all centered around fighting for faunus equality, and almost all claiming inspiration from our team."

"Sometimes I wish Ozpin would stop hiding behind Oscar's brain and own up, but…" Tenebris shook his head frustratedly. "Then his condescending holier-than-thou attitude would probably come back all over again. Unless he's finally learned his lesson, which is… really doubtful for an immortal being who's played with people's lives nonstop."

"Yeah. Probably," Lux admitted, lightly massaging his neck. "We can always hold out hope, though. Beggars can't be choosers, and you can't have enough allies when you're dealing with worldwide mega-threats like her. Even the entire kingdom's military doesn't feel like it'd be enough sometimes, right?"

"Right." Tenebris sighed deeply. "Man, this shadow war sucks. We have the world's strongest mobile military basically at our disposal… and Remnant's still in jeopardy. Makes you wonder about if winning's even possible."

"It is," Lux stated. "We just have to choose our decisions wisely and stall Salem wherever we can while before we eventually figure things out."

"You make it sound simple/" Tenebris smirked, then chuckled. "Count me in."

"That's the spirit," Lux said, smiling.

Right before his hand reached the cards that'd let him initiate another round, their scrolls released simultaneous alerts. Lux whipped his out first, and the blip nearest to their vehicle had suddenly been replaced with the unmistakable emblem of their mission's target.

Robyn was within their grasp.

Tenebris and Lux both exploded from their truck the second it stopped, armed and ready for whatever encounter might follow when they arrived at their allies' position. Lux blasted himself atop the rooftops nearest to their position with his semblance while Tenebris initiated his rocket launcher's thruster functionality to help him keep up whilst keeping an ear out for his brother's commands at what direction they should take next. While they worked their way through the urban jungle that was the residential district their route had taken them, Tenebris felt his muscles tense with eager preparedness. While he didn't doubt Blake and Yang's combat capabilities, nor would he assume that the woman who'd graduated from Atlas Academy with top marks would be so easily captured.

'The sooner we get there, the better…'

"Lux!" Tenebris shouted upward. "How much longer until we can intercept?!"

"Only a little further!" Lux returned, another whirlwind effectively catapulting him onto another rooftop across the street. "Just through this alleyway! Their scrolls' signals say they'll be there!"

"Got it!"

With another prolonged expulsion of propulsion from his weapon, Tenebris ignored the complete bewilderment he would've otherwise felt in recognition of the lifelessness exhibited all across the city's streets. Artificial lighting faded almost entirely when he entered yet another alleyway, though the broken moonlight overhead illuminated his path sufficiently enough for him to continue his pursuit, faunus night vision be damned. Distant sounds of shotgun shells and pistol fire cutting off abruptly made Tenebris assume the worst, and his sprint redoubled in terms of the amount of effort he exerted. The silence became deafening.

'Come on, come on…!'

Hastily turning around the corner, Tenebris deactivated Boomstick's thruster, pivoted mightily on his heel while hefting his weapon away from its magnetic seal, and was about to throw his weapon directly into the fray-

Then Yang and Blake both crashed almost directly into him, which forced him to desperately stop his heavy weapon's momentum just before it would've crashed directly into one of his friends' faces. They looked unharmed, but there was something else that kept him from being put completely at ease…

"Where's Robyn?"

"Wait, didn't she retreat through this way?" Yang's raised fists dropped in surprise.

"Neither of you guys saw her?" Blake asked.

"No, we didn't," Tenebris answered. "We thought you two were still fighting her. She stopped your truck, didn't she?"

"She did," Blake answered.

"We fought her, too," Yang reassured. "We could've captured her if she didn't catch onto our plan right away. She told Joanna and May to scatter the second she caught onto trouble, and she was constantly trying to escape when she realized backup was probably on its way."

Tenebris swore underneath his breath. "Robyn escaped, then. Lux!"

Lux leaped down from overhead, landing crouched before he stood upright again and shook his head. "Nothing. If Robyn's anywhere in this district, there's absolutely no way the four of us could be enough to track her down. Too many places she could hide. Game over."

"There's always next time though, right?" Blake suggested.

"Right," Yang quickly agreed. "Next time for sure."

"Good attitude, but we'll probably have to shake things up whenever we try this again. Robyn's gonna be wary about ambushing conveniently unguarded supply trucks now that this attempt's over and done with." Lux sighed, retrieving his scroll. "Opal should learn about this first. The mission will probably be called over for the night until we can come up with another plan."

Tenebris nodded. "Alright. Yang, Blake? We should probably head skyward again. No point in us hanging around any longer than we gotta, right?"

Blake and Yang shared an unknowable look between themselves, then nodded. Tenebris turned away from the pair and followed his brother on their slow departure back onto Mantle's streets, where their truck would inevitably arrive to pick them up. Re-holstering Boomstick onto its magnetic seal whilst doing so, Tenebris tried his damnedest to ignore the sensation of an emotion he didn't expect to feel with their mission's completion.

Suspicion.

Specifically, suspicion brought about by his female allies' somewhat hurried explanation of the situation upon his arrival. Tenebris' subconscious would've led him to assume that they were hiding something, but another reassured him that the sensation was merely another side-effect of the dreary environment that was Mantle, these days. After all, RWBY's fighters would never hide something from their closest friends – not when it was this important.

That was the assumption, at least.

Somewhat deeper underground than perhaps even the elderly Winter Maiden's isolated hospital room, Ironwood found himself within the vault – or perhaps more accurately, looking straight at its distant golden door.

Accessible only through an elevator that responded almost exclusively to his personal scroll's passive signal, the chamber within which Ironwood and Oscar were presently located was undeniably massive. Larger than most auditoriums but several dozen times emptier, that elevator released its passengers onto a somewhat narrow walkway that expanded into a larger metal platform further down the line. Alongside the platform rested large, pale blue, crystalline structures attached to perpetually floating metallic blocks, whereas the edges of the platform's main area were decorated with four white pedestals decorated with marble columns. Each marble column was crowned with bowls that facilitated the endless burning of tantalizingly blue flames – and then there was the vault door itself.

Situated across from the main metal platform was another crystalline structure with a small white platform that contained the chamber door, which was placed at a considerably higher elevation than the main platform itself. Given the large gap of open-air between the metal platform and the door, several long white planks levitated in circles around the chamber at various heights. Until the time would come that they'd assemble and escort someone into the vault once again, their entire existence was expressed through an eternally silent vigil.

When first introduced to this place, the larger-than-life nature of it all made even the young General Ironwood feel smaller than he could've ever imagined. Ever since the catastrophic failures that occurred overseas, however, the place provided him the perfect contemplative sanctuary whenever he needed an escape. It reminded him exactly what needed his protection from their ageless adversary, and the inescapable reality that was Salem's eternal onslaught against the world.

"As you might've guessed, it's right behind that door," Ironwood began, the long silence that had reigned between them finally broken.

"The Staff of Creation," Oscar recalled.

"Exactly right," Ironwood said. "You know, I hoped bringing you down here might jog some memories. Bring Ozpin another reminder about what matters most and maybe bring him back in the process. After all, it was his, or rather, your idea that we should use the staff to lift Atlas off the ground."

"Wait," Oscar intoned. "I thought that gravity dust kept Atlas afloat?"

"Eh, that's the public story," Ironwood dismissed. He then looked over his shoulder at Ozpin's latest host. "Speaking of which, how much do you know about it, exactly?"

"Not much," Oscar confessed. "Being raised as a farmhand out in Anima's countryside never really left much time for paying attention to technology. Everything that I do know was all random guesswork – that what keeps Atlas afloat is some top-secret device, or that it's another massive dust crystal like the one that keeps Amity in the air. Nothing concrete."

"Well, you're on the right track, but first…" Ironwood returned his gaze to the vault door. "Are you aware of the relics' nature? That they all have their own separate spirits?"

"No, I didn't," Oscar said, walking up next to him. "I'm assuming that they aren't exactly like the lamp's, either."

"They aren't," Ironwood confirmed with a nod. "Each relic has its spirit, and those spirits each have personalities that affect their usage. The lamp's is blasé, borderline flirtatious, but is also extremely cooperative. Similar statements can't be made about all the other relics."

"That doesn't bode well," Oscar commented, "but this is all gonna eventually tie back into the Staff of Creation, huh?"

"Soon. First, you'll need context about the staff's exact capabilities," Ironwood explained as the vault's planks completed another revolution around their sacred door. "Simply put, it effectively grants the staff's wielder the capability to create almost anything. Dust crystals of infinite size, hybridized animals, pocket dimensions, even otherwise impossible machines are all things that the Relic of Creation can bring into reality."

"That sounds… incredible," Oscar intoned.

Ironwood nodded. "Even before I became as experienced with this shadow war as I am now, I'd always thought the same thing. Gravity dust does keep Atlas afloat, yes, but it's only through the relic of creation that the sophisticated technology came into being that the city's airtime became logically sustainable. Without the staff, Atlas would've burned through every last bit of anti-gravity propulsion its gravity dust network could've provided within the first year. This sheer power is also the same reason that it was sealed away once Atlas was airborne – to prevent its misuse, just like with the other relics."

Oscar hummed thoughtfully. "You mentioned that each relic has its own spirit. This might be weird to ask, but… what did the staff's spirit think about being sealed away?"

Ironwood's breath punched from his lips. "Trust me, you needn't worry. Odin probably thought of being sealed away as an utter relief, after everything."

"Odin?" Oscar echoed.

"That's the spirit's name," Ironwood explained. "Before you ask the obvious question, though, it'd probably make much more sense why Odin would interpret being sealed away as cathartic once I mention something else. Every relic does have its limitations, yes, but the Staff of Creation's is unique in that its restrictions result from its spirit's personality. Whereas Jinn's usually rather cooperative and flirtatious, Odin's cooperation is something that must be earned through extreme respect being aimed toward his craftsmanship. Excessive use of Odin's abilities might be interpreted by him as disrespect, which could easily result in him sealing himself away for an extended duration, or simply refusing to work with certain individuals entirely. Compared to the other three spirits, he's easily the grumpiest."

"Even so…" Oscar's brow furrowed. "Hasn't the relic been used even once, since Atlas was brought into the air? That power… it could change the world, even if it were kept hidden."

"Which was exactly why it's being kept hidden, like the others," Ironwood calmly countered, glancing down at the teenager. "Though it isn't exactly like Odin would cooperate with me even if we did bring him out, for whatever reason."

"Why's that?" Oscar asked.

Ironwood smirked mirthlessly. "Because of the answer to your previous question. It was used again, shortly after the upper city became airborne. It was also the only time Oz ever decided to retrieve it across all my years working with him. That singular use saved my life… and also earned me Odin's disdain."

"What?"

"Have you ever wondered how the world-renowned General Ironwood became the half-cyborg fighter you see today?" Ironwood began. "Odin had everything to do with that. Shortly before it was officially announced that I'd become the kingdom's next general, another routine mission of mine turned into a potentially catastrophic disaster that turned 'Ironwood' into a household name fit for the history books. Do you remember it?"

"No," Oscar hesitantly answered. "Unfortunately, I don't."

"Hm. I don't blame you. Ozpin probably didn't divulge the details of that incident with you for some reason or another, but to make a long story short…" Ironwood paused, inhaling deeply as the memories came flooding back. "I was sent out alongside an Atlesian airship to protect an upstart city in Mistral located just south of Wind Path. There were reports of somewhat high Grimm numbers, but it wasn't anything we wouldn't have been able to handle… then everything went sideways. Grimm came in greater numbers than what was expected, we were forced to evacuate the entire city, and while I remained on the ground to defend the handful of stragglers that remained… it became too much."

"You were overwhelmed," Oscar inferred.

Ironwood's silence became the only confirmation they needed. "Aside from some minor wounds on my subordinates' parts, I was the only casualty. Brought back on life support but with little time to spare, Ozpin himself visited me, and we decided to make our gamble. Fria was contacted, and the relic became mine to request assistance from. Odin did miraculously manage to save my life, but… it was too much. Odin became frustrated that in such a relatively short amount of time after my processor requested that he raise Atlas that another would-be general demanded that he save his life. These days, its almost certain that he'd refuse to work with any military personnel that are near my caliber."

"But it isn't like everything's lost," Oscar reassured. "You're alive, and with the relic still secure, it's not impossible that we could find someone else that Odin will cooperate with if we ever need his help again. We still have options… though that story does explain why we can't request that Odin create another impossibly perfect gravity dust machine right now."

Despite himself, Ironwood chuckled. "You know, it wasn't an exaggeration when I mentioned that the staff's spirit is the grumpiest. Of course, you're still right about us having options. That's exactly why we're using old-fashioned dust propulsion to thrust Amity into the atmosphere. It'll be difficult, but with Jacque's old mine under our control, it shouldn't be long before we have enough to make it happen."

Oscar shook his head lightly. "It feels strange, knowing that another part of me helped come up with all this."

Ironwood tilted his head from side to side. "You'll get used to it, though. If Ozpin's experience was any indicator, eventually, you won't even know who's who anymore."

"R-Right…" Oscar murmured.

"We didn't always see eye-to-eye, but…" Ironwood sighed. "For once, I wish that Ozpin was around, so that he could offer his thoughts about everything that's going on here."

"Well, I can tell you what I think," Oscar offered, one hand over his heart while looking directly at the general's face. "This path you're headed down? Where you're the only one with the answers, where you do the thing you think is right no matter what? It's never going to take you anywhere good."

Silently, Ironwood turned on his heel, proceeding to walk back toward the elevator. Oscar's position as the next reincarnation of Ozpin was undeniable, but that didn't mean his wisdom was anywhere near his predecessor's quite yet. Oscar carried himself with more confidence than when he'd first arrived in the kingdom, but he was still inexperienced in this eternal war.

"We have to stop Salem," Ironwood stated. "Nothing matters more."

"Some things matter more, I think," Oscar responded.

Ironwood stopped. Despite his misgivings, Oscar's soul was still intrinsically fused with his wise, old, honorable predecessor's. Oscar himself deserved the respect that came with his position. It'd be foolish if his words were not afforded the same treatment.

"Keeping our humanity," Oscar elaborated. "That's what makes us different from her."

Completing his journey, Ironwood stopped before the elevator's control panel and tapped the screen. "Sometimes I worry that's her greatest advantage. Without humanity, does she still feel fear? Does she ever hesitate? When Salem hit Beacon, even with all my ships, all of my soldiers… we were no match for her. I've never felt more helpless."

Before he knew it, reality faded away. Within his freshest traumatic memories, the control panel before him belonged not to an elevator, but his flagship, adorned with the ominous black queen chess piece indicative of Salem's inescapable presence. Red lights flickered on and off in the corners of his vision, and machines whirred while the sounds of battle consumed all.

'The way she told me she was there…'

An unexpected chill ran down his spine, and the distinct ding of the elevator's arrival brought his consciousness back to the conversation at hand.

"It's okay to be afraid," Oscar soothed. "You just can't let that fear control you."

"I am not going to become the next Lionheart," Ironwood firmly stated as he once again turned to face Oscar. "Do you believe in me?"

Oscar didn't immediately respond, instead walking closer to the elevator to buy himself a little more time. "I do believe in you, but not only you. I think the best thing you could do right now is sit down and talk with the people you're most afraid to."

Ironwood chuckled. "Now you're starting to sound like him."

Without any pointless exchanges being shared after that, the pair walked inside the elevator and stood in companionable silence while they ascended back toward Atlas Academy's top level. For the briefest of moments, Ironwood even considered his conversation with Oscar beneath the academy rather productive. Even if Ozpin hadn't shown back up, like he would've hoped, there was something to be said about the value in helping Oscar adjust into his newfound position through conversations as important as the one they'd just shared.

This positive streak was almost immediately dashed once the elevator doors opened. Winter was pacing back and forth in the distinct way she always did whenever she was rather stressed, and the envelope half-hidden behind her back didn't exactly scream 'good news' either. Once she noticed them out of her periphery, she stopped.

"Winter, what is it?" Ironwood prompted.

She didn't respond. Instead, she merely rigidly handed her superior the envelope, its wax seal securing the mood's swift transition into one of painfully intense dread. It appeared as though the newly-appointed Councilman Schnee wasn't about to waste any time. Ironwood didn't delay, quickly opening and reading through the letter in short order as his eyes slowly widened.

He looked at his subordinate. Winter was probably thinking the same thing as him, right now.

"What's going on?" Oscar asked.

"It looks like you're getting your wish," Ironwood informed.

"My father's first act," Winter clarified. "Everyone's been invited to dinner where the general will be defending his seats on the kingdom's council."

Oscar sighed. "There's no rest for the wicked, huh?"

"I'm afraid not," Ironwood commented. "Winter, are you aware if Iridescence's joint mission with their friends in the lower city has been completed yet?"

Winter nodded. "Recently, yes. Why?"

"Because if I'm there, Iridescence should be there," Ironwood explained as he retrieved his scroll. "Teams RWBY and JNPR will be invited along too, of course, and details about if their mission was successful or not can be divulged while we're all en-route. It's time that we see what political maneuvers Jacque's really capable of."

'For everyone's sakes, let's hope they're not intelligent ones.'

Authors Note: Ayyy, Ironwood's cool again! Not only insofar as his understanding of his right-hand team's unique circumstances, but with his profound patience for Oscar's (in some ways) naïve and sometimes-useless opinions. More on that later, but first… let's talk about the most naïve character of them all… Ruby. Not too much to elaborate upon here other than 'hey, it sure would be nice if her naivety was shown and not merely told,' but I will reveal that this pseudo-rift between her and Opal might play a role when you-kinda-know-what goes down later on.

In other news, Yang & Blake essentially betray Opal almost sacrificing herself for the latter's life through following their same sequence of events as in canon. Again, Team RWBY ain't the infallible bastions of moral goodness in ToTI that they're often portrayed as through canon events, and my hope is that when all this comes to a head, how everyone on Iridescence reacts would appear somewhat logical. Oh, and I don't regret giving Lux n' Tenebris an entire scene where they're just shooting the shit in the slightest – I love those guys, and their dynamic is too good not to emphasize, considering that they haven't had much time alone together in ToTI thus far.

Now for the 'more on that later' segment – thanks to my good friend ResoundingDeluge, I became inspired to create my own hot take on how the relics should be portrayed. In truth, I didn't intend to include spirits within each one, but… again, he inspired me, and boy oh boy am I excited to share the other spirits with you guys whenever it makes sense story-wise. Their capabilities will make the canon Relic of Batteries look pathetic by comparison! Odin will make sure of that.