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Chapter 41: Aces in the Hole

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Deep within the Atlas Academy, a group of four elite Huntsmen drank their sorrows away in the Military cantina. Another group of similarly elite Huntsmen sat at a table next to them and stared in mild bewilderment. Special Operative Winter Schnee stood in the corner by herself, after having been dismissed from General Ironwood's office. The imposing man could be cryptic at times and his apparent paranoia was starting to show.

"Are we like, sure… Like totally sure… That Jaune Arc is on our side?", a woman with a fancy hat asked.

"Yes, Risha, Jaune is on our side. As he has always been. Shame about old Tassiter, but he did have it coming…", a man in velvet robes mused as he sipped his wine.

"I believe he is still good inside. My niece still follows him and she is as wise as she is strong.", an orange-haired barbarian announced.

"Meh. I could care less. My dad is having a fit right now. He's miffed that Hyperion gets to be its own kingdom.", a green-dressed woman mused as she wove some vines through her fingertips with her Semblance.

"Wait… Who are you again?", Winter asked, butting into the others' conversation.

"We're Team Vermillion. I'm Clarkson McDiarmid, the green one is Liana Merlot, the one with the silly hat is Risha and the oaf in the corner is Tonar Valkyrie. We're the OG team of Atlesian elites. We predate those kindergartners over there, The Ace Holes.", McDiarmid announced as he motioned to Clover Ebi and his teammates.

"Kindergartners!? Who are you to call us that?", Harriet argued.

"We're older than you and more experienced than you. For some reason we teach at the Academy instead of going off and fighting Grimm and hoodlums. Maybe it's the experience. Or perhaps it's the value.", Risha said apathetically.

"I beg to differ. We have been handpicked by General Ironwood himself. We are the best of the best!", Clover argued back, having a few more drinks than he should have.

"Kiddo, did you fight in the Great War? Did you fight off the Faunus during the uprising? Have you done anything other than kill a few Grimm and arrest a few drunkards? I watched my best friend get split open by an angry Faunus Supremacist. Men are more violent than the beasts you've encountered. When you've watched your best friend choke on his own blood and die beside you, then you have permission to speak freely.", McDiarmid lectured.

"We fought alongside General Ironwood before he was even a General. Back then, he was just Officer Ironwood, another foot soldier just like the others that perished in a pointless battle. He was lucky. Maybe.", Liana mused, the older woman took another sip of her emerald wine.

"We fought wars. You have not even fought a battle yet.", Tonar stated.

"I bet you want to know what I did, right? I'm a gunner. I was the one in the gunship firing the 90mm gun into wooden canoes. I was the one following orders. I was the one who killed civilians and terrorists. Could I tell the difference? No, but orders were orders. I did as I was told. Have you had to kill someone yet? Pull the trigger and hope you're right? Tell me, I'm dying to know…", Risha mused, staring at Clover Ebi with penetrating eyes.

"I… I see. You are correct. We are the Elite Huntsmen, but you are the Elite Soldiers. You protected the Kingdom when it needed it. We are to be your successors if another war happens. I understand.", Clover mused.

"Now you're getting it, kiddo. I just hope you're ready to kill when you have to. There are some battles where you just can't take a prisoner and there are some people that need to die. When you're alone on the battlefield and have a prisoner of war and a war criminal between you, I hope you know which one is on your side and which one isn't. It might just save your life.", McDiarmid mused, remembering something long passed.

"I… I will use my best judgement.", Clover reiterated.

"Not judgement and not your Semblance either. Use your instincts.", Liana added.

"I will… You've given me a lot to consider. Would you like another round of Atlas' finest?", Clover said.

"If you're buying, then of course!", Team VRML announced.

Winter Schnee just sighed and went along with it. She ordered her usual and sat down next to the two teams of Huntsmen. New School and Old School, two sides of a coin and perhaps in the future, Clover wouldn't have to live through what McDiarmid had. It was hopeful, but the Schnee Operative knew that wasn't how this was going to end.

X

A strangely dressed man in a dimly lit room tapped upon the face of an even stranger creature. A globe-like body and several tentacle-like appendages twitched as an image appeared on the 'face' of the creature. A very pale woman stared back in mild amusement.

"Heeeeyyyy, Arden. What's going on?", the woman asked, her voice cold but somewhat amused.

"Hello again, my dear. I simply must tell you, it is so nice of a night in Atlas. Perhaps you should join me. These cold nights make me long for your warm embrace…", Arden mused.

"Are… Are you asking me out? Are you asking me out on a date!? Do you know how long it's been since someone asked me out on a date!? How long it's been since someone made me feel human again!?", the woman on the other side exclaimed.

"I am. We shall see the sights of Atlas. It really is nice city, although its leadership seems lost. I ask you, my queen, join me in Atlas. We shall have a pretty tea-party beneath the stars!", Arden mused.

"I- Well… This is so sudden! I must get dressed for the occasion! Give me a few, I'll be right over. Formal or… Casual?", the woman asked.

"Casual. Very. And please, do not bring any of your 'pets'. This is a time for two consenting adults to indulge themselves. I await your arrival, as always.", Arden concluded.

The pale woman on the other end of the call appeared to fist-pump in joy for a moment before the call cut off. Arden was doing his duty. For queen and country.

X

In a purple and oddly happy land, a pale skinned woman threw outfit after outfit out of her wardrobe. She was frantic for some reason and couldn't use her gift of Magic for this one specific occasion. She did use her Magic to hide some hideous black veins running over her face and body, but she still didn't have a nice casual outfit to wear! It had been centuries since she'd been out in public and she needed to look her best! She rummaged for a few more moments before deciding to head to Vale, there were some nice clothing shops back there. She'd heard of a 'Neopolitan' collection and if she could actually die, would die for the chance to wear one of those outfits. She called up Ooblecker, a rideshare service.

"Hello? This is Carmine Sandiego. I live in the Blighted Crucible… Yes I know nobody lives there, I do! I need a ride to Vale! …Okay, my card number is…", the woman spoke into her brand-new Scroll, a fun device that her new beloved had gifted her so that they didn't need to use Spooky-Phone Grimm anymore.

The Ooblecker driver was very surprised when he picked up his passenger, but said nothing as she tipped him more than he made in an entire year. He smiled and flew his airship towards Vale.

X

In a fancy boutique in Vale, Roman Torchwick pranced around his new muse. A woman with strikingly pale skin had just walked into his shop. She had expressed desire for a fancy casual outfit. He didn't recognize her at all, but she seemed to recognize him for some reason.

"So, you've got a fashion collection now. How has that been for you? Have you taken any inspirations? You got a long life of crime behind you. What made you change?", the woman asked.

"Ahh… Well. I met an old friend in the most unusual of places. He was a very unkind man who hurt a lot of people. One day, he told me that he'd seen the light. He'd looked into the darkness and it looked back into him. He saw that if he continued on his path, he'd be nothing more than a rat trapped in a cage. I took his words to heart and decided to go straight. It has been nothing but success for me. Why lie, cheat and steal when I can simply show the world my vision through legitimate means? I am a kindred spirit, the same as you.", Torchwick rambled.

"Like me? Why do you think I'm a kindred spirit?", the woman asked.

"I can see it in your eyes. I'm good at reading people. You have power, but you cannot flaunt it for some reason. You miss someone dearly, but you've found someone new who makes you feel just the same as you once did. A new start. A new you. Look inside, my dear. What do you want? And how badly do you want it? Nothing comes for free… How much are you willing to sacrifice for what you want?", Torchwick mused.

Salem sat in the boutique for a while. She took in what Torchwick was saying. For a long time, she really did want the world to burn, but only because Ozma existed in it and he had betrayed her. For millennia passed, she had wanted to burn down what he had created. One day she met a man who wanted the same thing, but on a more local sense. He was once like she was, revered as a priest and holy to all. Cast out and stripped of their name. She had found him at last, her true love. Perhaps he didn't know what she was before, but that didn't matter anymore, she had changed and he only knew what she was like now after everything that had happened. They were so similar, yet different. It had been years since she was asked on a date and she really wanted to impress her date.

A cold black heart began to warm again. A coal began to burn. A voice lost in the dark and a light in the haze. A flame that had burned so bright, but had faded away. The faint blaze of a candle in a pouring rain. It hurt so much the first time she'd died. But now she'd get to see shooting stars again. She'd be alongside someone like her. It had been so long and she wanted this. Even with broken wings, she'd still fly high. She just needed to keep moving forwards. Don't stop and stay locked in the past. Keep moving forwards, forever and always, as it was always meant to be.

X

A pale woman, now dressed in a pink and black t-shirt and a pair of black skinny-jeans walked through the newly rebuilt Vale City. Her t-shirt had a pair of pink stripes down the left side and her new pants had some edgy spikes around the pockets and some scruffy rips around the knees. This was apparently what went for 'casual' in the current fashion. Her silvery-white hair was fluffy and styled loosely, no longer held in some kind of hideous headgear. Her bright red eyes looked around the city center and focused on Beacon Academy for a moment.

The school, with its tall tower brought back a painful memory from a time long passed. It reminded her of a man she once loved who had shown her the world outside of her prison. And he was the one who made that brand new world her new prison. Rage flared for a second and she could feel the subtle pulsations of ten thousand Grimm outside the city walls. It would just be one flick of her wrist and the masses of destruction would come to her call. She stopped and thought for a moment, yes destroying Vale would be really easy, but it really wouldn't be very productive right now. Despite all of her rage, Salem was still the little girl trapped in her Tower. She sighed and glanced towards the airship docks. Arden was waiting for her in Atlas.

Arden, and all of his dark glory. Salem had met the bizarre man several decades ago. He had popped up on her radar as a 'being of incredible Aura' and she had planned to have him captured and dragged to her castle. He would've made a powerful ally or enemy. Nonetheless, her attempts at capturing him had failed as he was not to be underestimated. A series of curses and blessings had transformed the once-holy man into what he was now, a nearly immortal humanoid natural disaster. A king of madness in a world that no longer wanted him. A soul similar to her own. And soon the King of the Mad came to her castle willingly and all was as it should have been from the start.

Salem stopped musing for a moment and narrowly missed walking into a streetlamp. She was lost in her memories again. Pain, rage and sadness were all that she'd ever known for so long. But now, something had changed. Why was she doing this again? Why did she love Ozma? Oh, right. Ozma had freed her from the tower… But then he went and regenerated into some kind of idiot, pissed off the gods, and then got cursed into living the same life over and over ad nauseum until the gods brought out their get-along shirt to force the two of them into working together and… wait, this was starting to sound ridiculous. She had defied the gods! Why was she just now, going to begin to collect their relics and call them back? Forget it, forget about it all. She just wanted to be human again and finally get to die. No, she wanted to be human again and wanted to be loved. That was it. That was always what she wanted. And then another streetlamp popped up out of nowhere and lightly tapped her on the head. Salem fell to the ground in surprise.

A blonde-haired woman in formal garb helped the pale woman up off the ground. She had a stern look and by her looks, was probably a professor in the academy.

"Are you alright? You walked straight into that streetlamp. There are a lot of those in Vale. Who are you?", the blonde-haired woman asked.

"I… I'm Ssssssssssssally… Sally Fields. I'm a transfer student.", Salem lied.

"Right. Sally Fields. Hmm... Welcome to Vale, the Vytal Festival starts soon, you'd best be headed to the exchange-students' dormitories. You wouldn't want to miss out on the qualifying rounds would you?", the blonde-haired woman stated. A nametag noted her name as 'Goodwitch'.

Salem just nodded, walked around the streetlamps and continued to head towards the airship docks. The Vytal Festival sounded like fun, but would draw too much attention to her right now. The absolute last thing she wanted was to be disturbed on her date night and getting on top of the Amity Arena and shouting her name across the world was probably a really bad idea.

X

The night was still cold in Atlas. Inside a large office in Atlas Academy, things had suddenly gotten a lot hotter. Ozcar Pin barely had enough time to react before he was forcibly pinned to the wall by an angry cyborg.

"You lied to me! You started this whole mess! Salem cannot die! How are we supposed to fight against what cannot be killed!? If I had my way and had done what I had planned, Atlas itself would've fallen! I would've single-handedly killed my entire kingdom under the belief… A belief that you had convinced me of… That would've caused mass panic and a war of attrition ultimately ending with the death of everyone on the continent. There is no way we're prepared to fight Salem. We have no means of killing her. We don't know if she can be reasoned with. And she controls the Grimm. We are so utterly fucked… I don't even think executing you or even court-marshalling you is an appropriate punishment. You simply existing is enough of a punishment.", Ironwood raged before falling silent and distant.

"You… James, I did what I thought was best. I tried. I protected the world from her. The people needn't know what we're up against. The only way to defeat her is to assemble the Relics and call the gods back. They are the only ones that can undo the curse upon Salem and myself.", Ozcar Pin mused.

"But then again, Oz. The gods could come back and destroy us all. If what the Relic said was true, then the gods are looking for us to be united as one. We are not. We are not prepared…", Ironwood sighed.

"James, what do we do now?", Qrow asked.

"You go and help the Ace Ops. Gather some resources for Mantle. There's a Dust mine I had been excavating for the Amity Arena project. We need to protect the people right now. I need to think about this for a while…", Ironwood sighed before walking out of his own office and down the hallway leaving Team RWBY and JNPR aghast.

X

Deep within the Atlas Academy, several elite Huntsmen drank to better times in a Military Cantina. Their rowdy banter ground to a halt as the door flew open and a disheveled and bleary eyed General Ironwood stumbled into the bar. The cyborg just took a barstool and sat down, oblivious to his own Ace Operatives in a very inebriated state and grabbed the nearest alcohol bottle. He uncorked the bottle and rather than pour it into a glass like the decorated General he was, he began to pour the contents of the bottle directly down his own throat. The Ace Ops slowly and silently left the Cantina and left Ironwood all to himself. They had never seen their fearless leader quite like this, but whatever had happened upstairs in the office had taken its toll on his sanity.

Team VRML followed the Ace Ops out of the bar. McDiarmid was about to say something to Ironwood, but noticed the cyborg grabbing another bottle and decided now was not the best time. Ironwood almost never drank and now he was downing ethanol like a top-fuel dragster. He was either trying to power up his cybernetic engines or he was trying to forget something, it didn't matter which one was true, though. Liana Merlot quietly shut the Cantina's door and followed her teammates away from Atlas Academy. Something horrible had happened.

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Several hours later, Team JNPR and RWBY were walking through the halls of Atlas Academy. Rather than the overly cheerful robotic Penny guiding them around the place, Winter Schnee had been chosen for the task. Pennyopolis was too busy assisting Ironwood, Qrow and Ozpin alongside the Ace Ops with the monumental task of trying to figure out what their options were right now. Winter Schnee was cold and apathetic as usual.

"….And over there are the restrooms. They're shared by all the other recruits on this level. There will be a line. Down there, under the big banners is the mess hall… The menu changes daily, but I'd avoid the spaghetti with vodka sauce, they put too much vodka in the sauce… You rooms are down here. They are military standard. RWBY in this one and JNPR in the one across. I have some important tasks to take care of. Don't start any trouble.", Winter explained with exasperation. She walked off on her own soon after and left the eight teenagers alone in the hallway.

"Weiss, your sister is mean.", Ruby noted.

"She's just doing her job. Let's get some rest. I'm sure we all need it after today's events.", Weiss noted.

"Meh. It could've gone worse. Jaune spilled the beans and Ironwood didn't seem too disappointed… It's a win for me!", Yang mused.

"I can only wonder what Ironwood has planned for us. He knows about Salem's true nature now. We'll just have to wait for our assignment with the Ace Ops tomorrow.", Blake added.

Team RWBY headed off into their own room while JNPR headed into theirs. Ren and Pyrrha both had a few things on their minds that needed to be cleared with the team. Once safely inside with the door shut, Ren broke the silence.

"Jaune, what are we doing here? Are we really doing what's best right now? We told Ironwood Ozpin's secret. Even though he didn't show much emotion, I'm sure he's even more paranoid right now.", Ren mused.

"Would you have it any other way, kiddo? What, are we supposed to lie to the General of the largest military force on the planet? How did you see that turning out when he finally realized what we're up against? He'd probably go completely nuts and shoot Ozpin or something. Maybe even try to isolate Atlas from Mantle!", Jaune spitballed, he wasn't wrong.

"Still. It's even more obvious we don't really have a plan other than 'Get the Relics' and 'Keep the Relics for ourselves'. We have two of them, if your father actually managed to weaponize one. Where is Atlas' relic? Where is Vale's? How do we keep them from Ozpin and Salem?", Ren asked.

"Easy. The Vault of the Emperor. We get the Relics and stuff them into the Vault inside Helios. My father has a key of sorts to seal it all up. It can only be charged by a Maiden and can only open it once every several hundred years. We charge up the key, seal in the Relics, and then break the key into pieces and hide them away. Oh, and if you're worried about someone breaking into the Vault… My father rigged the whole thing to be jettisoned into low orbit. Nobody is going to find those things when we're all done.", Handsome Jaune announced.

"What about your diamond pony in the Vault, Jaune?", Nora asked.

"I'll get Butt-Stallion out before we shoot the Vault into orbit.", Jaune concluded.

"What about Salem and Ozpin?", Pyrrha asked, seemingly distant for some reason.

"Oh, pumpkin. Don't worry about Ozzy and Sally. Once the Relics are all gone, they won't have anything to fight over anymore. If Ozzy Ozpin gets them, he calls the Gods back and they smite us all. If Sally gets them, she calls the Gods back and they smite us all. Without the Relics at all, what are they going to do? Kiss and make up? They'll just be the same old sexually-frustrated couple they've always been, just without the Ace in the Hole. Besides, if Salem actually wanted to find Ozpin, she has a whole closet filled with Grimm that have eyes. Why hasn't she found him yet? I don't think that's what she's after…", Jaune rambled.

"Perhaps, Jaune. Perhaps you're right. We'll get the Relics and seal them up. Hide them where they can never be found again. And then Salem and Ozpin will have nothing to control the world with anymore. They do have eternity together to figure out how to live with each-other. It is sorta weird they haven't come to some kind of agreement, though.", Pyrrha mused.

"Okay, then. That's still the plan… We will still help Ironwood, though. The people of Mantle need more protection and resources…", Ren added.

"Of course. We're still playing the game, Ren! Keep your best cards close to heart and your worst out in the open.", Jaune said.

"What about Team RWBY?", Nora added.

"Ehh, they're not really the Heroes of this story are they? I mean, have you seen Blake and Yang together? I think they've got something else going on. Ruby and Weiss don't seem to care too much. Nothing really bad has happened to them. It's all just fun and action and epic fights for them. Maybe some deep seated family issues too, for drama. It would probably take Yang getting killed or Weiss getting impaled for something to change lil' Ruby's mindset.", Jaune mused, he wasn't wrong.

"Shh! Jaune, don't curse us!", Nora exclaimed.

"Ehh, kiddo, I'm just speculating! We've been enormously successful! And I can reverse time. We'll always be winning! Let's get some rest. The Ace Holes have some kind of mission for us in the morning.", Jaune concluded.

Team JNPR settled down for the night. The plan Jaune had concocted back in Haven was still on. Keep the Relics for themselves and screw destiny. Ozma and Salem could deal with the punishment of simply existing together for all eternity as it was cursed upon them. The world would continue to turn with or without them.

X

Far below, on the streets of Mantle, Rhames Greyblood walked the alleyways. His team had apparently gone to Helios and returned. They had holed up in a local tavern with Team ATAK. Rhames no longer carried the Relic of Knowledge with him; he had given it to Yang back in Atlas. He wasn't really a part of this whole thing with Oz and Salem. He was still a mercenary and Huntsmen. He sighed and continued through the narrow streets.

"Oh, the prodigal son! How nice to see you again!", a voice announced from the shadows.

"Oh hey, dad. You're dressed rather fancy tonight. Wait… Why are you in Atlas?", Rhames asked.

"Oh, I've got a date tonight. A very important date. And my date is very late as it would seem.", Arden Greyblood mused, he tipped a tall pinstriped top-hat to his son. A small golden crown was perched at the top of his hat. He now wore a bizarre mixture of his usual outfit and a pinstriped suit.

"Yeesh. That outfit, though. If I say your name three times, does it summon you?", Rhames joked.

"Aha… Funny, son. Very. Perhaps. I am simply having a little bit of fun, seeing the world before I head back to the Violet Crown. It's been so long since I've been out…", Arden mused.

"Yeah, I get that. I never saw myself in Atlas, honestly. It's so cold up here! I miss the endless sandbox of Vacuo, believe it or not…", Rhames mused.

"Well, son. Stay safe. The winds of change blow over this kingdom. A man of tin shall lose his mind if you're not too careful. Oh, and do be nice to your stepmother, she's had a very hard life…", Arden concluded.

"I will…" Rhames turned away for a moment. "Wait… Stepmother?"

Arden Greyblood had disappeared again.

"Dammit, Dad! You're worse than Raven Branwen!", Rhames cursed. He sighed and continued onward towards the small tavern where his team was staying. He had a lot of interesting things to tell them.

Chapter End. Woo.