As anticipated, the discussion taking place within Schnee Manor's dining hall only became exponentially worse over time. Without the authority to justifiably intervene, Opal was rendered little more than a helpless observer as Ironwood's every attempt to defend himself either fell flat or was otherwise dismantled by the joint alliance of Sleet, Camilla, and Jacque across the table. Repeated reminders about the necessity of discretion were dismissed, historical examples of similar military protocols were wrongly denied as falsehoods, and without the time to formulate responses that pointed out the blatant wrongness in these counterarguments, the assembled council representatives' onslaught continued uninhibited. General Ironwood, for the first time in his entire military career since Beacon fell, was completely and utterly on the defensive.
Opal could hardly qualify how she presently felt as simply 'on-edge;' after all, being forced to watch the only politician who'd ever explicitly expressed the desire to improve the lives of the faunus in Atlas get harassed for almost half an hour now wasn't exactly a relaxing experience. Through sheer force of will and a reminder that an emotional outburst from her might damn her superior worse than Winter's recently might have, Opal contained herself. As long as this farce of a 'discussion' continued, she'd remain tense and displeased, but these same instinctive responses would lay hidden beneath an unbreakable stoic mask.
When she made this conscious commitment to subdue herself, Opal recognized that she couldn't have been more thankful for the time she spent meditating alongside Jaune and Ren. Never before would she have thought meditating on-and-off with them for weeks within the combat simulator would pay off – not this tremendously, anyway. Without any end to the verbal assault Ironwood was being subjected to, every second she could maintain her composure right along with him mattered immeasurably.
"General, since the day you were appointed as Headmaster of Atlas Academy, there have been citizens who remain skeptical of one man holding two council seats," Camilla reminded.
"Yes, which is why we have checks and balances," Ironwood retorted.
"We're supposed to, but lately you've been running roughshod all over them, making unilateral decisions without us," Sleet harshly accused.
"Councilman, I never intended-"
"What people intend and what they do aren't always the same, general," Sleet interrupted.
Before either party continued the conversation any further, Sleet and Ironwood shared a mutual contest of wills whilst staring firmly at one another. Meanwhile, behind Jacque, the dining room doors hastily opened to reveal one of the newly appointed councilman's innumerable servants entering the room. The rabbit-eared faunus bent over and whispered into Jacque's ears, though Opal appeared the only individual seated that noticed the exchange that ensued. Jacque's expression slowly transitioned from cold satisfaction at Ironwood's suffering into one tainted by both concern and unease. Opal then trained her ears on the quiet conversation.
"Hm? What? For how long?" Jacque whispered.
His servant's response came too quietly for their fellow faunus to discern.
"My authorization? Check it again!" Jacque quietly seethed.
Opal's lips pressed into a line. 'This cannot be good.'
"Councilman Schnee…?" Sleet tiredly asked.
Jacque tensed, his response as awkward as his ensuing hand-gestures. "Um, yes! I, uh… agree with everything, everything that was just said. No further questions."
Robyn rolled her eyes, quickly disregarding the businessman's behavior in favor of fixing her attention firmly on her military rival. "I'm not quite done yet. You're afraid of something, general. Aren't you?"
"I think that's pretty obvious, Miss Hill," Ironwood responded. "I'm trying to prevent Atlas from becoming another complete disaster zone like Beacon. Another potential one, like Haven."
"Yet you don't trust your own council to help you? Operating in secret?" Robyn questioned. "These are the actions of somebody who's hiding something."
"I'm not hiding anything," Ironwood stated.
"Let's put that to the test, then," Robyn said.
'Here we go again…'
While Opal internally groaned about the implications of the position Ironwood had been deftly cornered into by his most obtuse opponent, Robyn stood and started towards the general, an utterly satisfied and self-assured look on her face.
"You're all aware of my semblance. Let's settle this here and now, General Ironwood," Robyn stated. When Ironwood only glared at her hand when she extended it, she continued, even more arrogantly self-assured than before. "Here and now."
Ironwood's subdued glare transitioned from her hand onto Robyn's face. His hand moved-
Yet once again, the doors behind Jacque flew open.
"Objection!"
Everyone's eyes landed upon the source of the intrusion. Robyn's facial features contorted from pleasure into painful frustration when she identified the newcomer for herself; meanwhile, Opal couldn't have been more relieved when she did the same. Weiss Schnee had arrived, and with her, brought another brief glimmer of hope into her allies' hearts with her mere presence.
"You all have the wrong man on trial," Weiss proclaimed. She walked further inside the room, confidently stopping right next to her father, who grew froze in place in response. "I know who's been framing Ironwood and who rigged the election. My father does, too. He's been working with him."
"I'm sorry?" Camilla asked. "What evidence have you brought to make these claims?"
"Allow me to show you," Weiss said.
"Please do," Winter intoned.
Weiss nodded. Placing her scroll on the table, she tapped the screen, and a rectangular hologram projected an image that laid paused on some recording of Jacque and an unfamiliar bronze-skinned, formalwear-clad, mustachioed figure inside the former's presumed office. Opal's eyes narrowed as she attempted to recognize the other man inside the room, but another participant in the conversation continued before she could.
"That's…" Camilla shook her head. "Arthur Watts."
Sleet stood. "That's impossible! Dr. Watts was eliminated as a threat against the kingdom after his rogue experimentation was deemed too outlandish for an independent agent to have entirely under their possession. He's supposed to have been killed."
Jacque smiled nervously. "W-well, we all know that surveillance footage can be extremely misleading, a-and-"
"Play it," Ironwood ordered, his tone lethally cold.
Seemingly eager to oblige, Weiss threw Jacque a disgusted look and delayed no further in pressing one final button. From the instant the video resumed, Jacque's brow became decorated with beads of nervous sweat, his hands fidgeting in place as his own masterfully crafted political battlefield was turned against him.
"That bastard is costing me more money every day with this damned embargo," Jacque lamented, whiskey in hand. "Every employee in Mantle would be laid off in an instant if their votes weren't so damned important!"
"What if I said you could have your cake and eat it, too?" Watts offered.
"What'd you have in mind?" Jacque asked, offering another glass to his guest as Watts himself sat down.
"James Ironwood never appreciated my genius." Watts accepted the glass. "After everything my inventiveness provided for him and this kingdom, he still disgraced me. My only desire is to simply return the favor."
Back in reality, Sleet sat down in solemn recognition of the video's implications; meanwhile, Ironwood rose from his own and slowly started across the room in Jacque's direction.
"What's in it for me?" Jacque inquired.
"A seat on the council," Watts answered. "All I'll need in return will simply be your private login credentials for the Atlas network."
Opal's frown grew increasingly deeper. Winter shook her head disappointedly.
"You promise to make Ironwood's life a waking nightmare, and I will guarantee your victory at the polls by giving the voters down in Mantle a stealthy little… 'digital push,' if you will," Watts explained.
Robyn angrily gripped the chair nearest to her position.
"I always understood you were a good scientist, Arthur… but I never knew you were such a good salesman, too!" Jacque praised, raising his glass. "Here's to an adventurous, productive partnership between the elites!"
"I couldn't have said it better myself…" Watts agreed, accepting the toast.
"That's enough," Ironwood said.
Given Weiss' proximity to the scroll itself, the video was paused not long after the nefarious pair began cackling with satisfaction at their proposed scheme. Upon Ironwood's arrival at the other end of the table, Weiss retrieved her scroll and stepped back to make room for the general, who stopped just beyond arm's reach of Jacque himself.
"That! That is…" Jacque stood abruptly; his hands placed placatingly up before him while his stressed expression only dug his grave even deeper. "I can explain that! That is simply fake news, I'm afraid."
"Jacque," Sleet hissed. "Take your seat."
"That wasn't my best convincing effort anyway," Jacque admitted, and without hesitation, he turned tail and darted toward the dining-room door.
Ironwood sighed. "Opal. You have the honors."
Opal stood. "With pleasure, sir."
Whereas Jacque's escape attempt carried him toward the exit like the wind, Opal's semblance let her strike like lightning. Jacque didn't even reach the door handle before being brutally tackled from behind. Once his face landed firmly against the polished floor, Opal firmly pulled Jacque's hands behind his back with completely cathartic efficiency.
"Damn! Get off of me, you filthy-" Jacque growled.
"Jacque Schnee, you're under arrest," Opal forcefully interrupted, and she unceremoniously heaved the businessman back onto his feet. "Anything you say can and will undoubtedly be used against you during your future trial."
Ironwood took another two steps forward, staring deeply into the ex-politician's eyes alongside everyone else in the room. Jacque smiled nervously underneath the general's piercing gaze, and even more sweat appeared around his temples. Impending justice had finally arrived at Jacque's front doorstep.
"It's about time that the law caught up with you, Jacque," Opal said.
"You took the words right out of my mouth, Opal," Ironwood mentioned. "Bring Jacque into the middle of the room so that he can't go anywhere. With everything we've just learned, there's a great deal we have to discuss."
After the shutdown of the atmospheric heating system, Watts didn't have any grand designs that needed implementation immediately thereafter. Because of this, Watts simply wandered Mantle and its increasingly snow-frosted streets instead of risking discovery unnecessarily by making additional actions against the kingdom. There, he witnessed two vastly different reactions to his latest justified atrocity.
Simpleminded, weak-willed individuals acted as one could've expected. Dozens who were caught on the streets before the atmospheric heating system's abrupt secession of function ran as quickly indoors as they could, praying to hold onto what vestiges of warmth remained in Mantle for as long as possible. Many huddled together for additional protection from the weather as they scurried into whatever buildings still left their doors unlocked during this crisis.
Various others, those without anger management skills, reacted in a manner much more satisfying for anyone allied with Salem to see transpire. They broke into dust shops whilst exclaiming profanities and insults toward Atlas alike, looting whatever crystals they could acquire to generate self-sustaining fires that'd only delay the inevitable. In truth, they were doing more harm than good for their health long-term in so doing.
Dichotomous or not, the civilians' overall behavior brought some sick, satisfying warmth into being inside Watts' heart. Yet another reminder that the same people whose prosperity his inventions had assured almost entirely consisted of utter imbeciles.
Among these two broad-stroke reactions, he also bore witness to several other snapshots of life within the half-frozen cityscape that anyone with empathy would've found horrifying.
A mother stripped down to a simple long-sleeved shirt and pants after sacrificing her coat to better protect her child sprinting toward whatever safety she could find.
Able-bodied adults who were already shivering assisting those elderly who hadn't already become half-frozen by the cold indoors before it was too late.
From there, the list went on, and yet… there was peculiar comradery going on among the common people, too.
Homeless faunus and humans banding together in indignation against their self-perceived oppressors, either openly forming alliances to loot additional dust shops or simply preserve themselves indoors as long as possible against the cold. Had Watts not paid close attention to Ironwood's declaration of 'Team Iridescence' as the unspoken unifier between Remnant's two races, the sight would've been downright confusing to witness within the kingdom infamous for its racism against the faunus. Undoubtedly, Iridescence had performed their duty with excellence if the common people were outright working together instead of tearing themselves apart in an impromptu race war amidst a crisis like this.
Nevertheless, their racial tensions' dissolution didn't alleviate their 'justified' anger aimed at their Atlesian masters, evidenced by the comments Watts heard frequently thrown around during his casual stroll around the lower city.
"Atlas killed the heat on purpose!"
"They'll do anything to control us!"
"Faunus, human? It doesn't matter! They see everyone here as their slaves!"
"Damn right!"
Watts smiled simply to himself as he turned another corner, and the latest living congregation of negativity's collective noises faded into obscurity. More chaotic scenes played out before him as he wandered the streets for what felt like forever, but in reality, might've only been a handful of minutes. Before long, Watts wandered through an alleyway his subconscious found somewhat familiar, but his conscious couldn't quite peg the origins of; at least, not until he stopped around the alleyway's exit. Across the street stood a small building, its green plus-sign and sloped metal canopy almost homely despite the dreary atmosphere of the city in which it presided. Outside were two individuals ushering civilians inside, though Watts only recognized the darker-skinned one between them.
Beneath his notice, Watts had stumbled across Pietro Polendina's quaint charity shop situated within the kingdom's lower city. Watts silently stared at his old colleague, carefully making sure his presence would remain undetected within the shadows this particular alleyway provided.
Then someone landed behind him.
"For someone without the comprehensive skillset it takes for assassination missions, you're quite difficult to find!" Tyrian claimed, his metallic tail's slow chittering as he slowly, purposefully wrapped it back around his waist.
"When wandering cities as widespread as the four kingdoms' capitals, it isn't as arduous an experience to completely disappear as most would believe," Watts responded evenly, his eyes never once leaving Pietro. "Considering the inordinate amount of time I spent making schematics for this kingdom's current city plans, it'd be disgraceful if I couldn't disappear wherever I wish within Mantle."
"An incredibly fair argument," Tyrian complimented, appearing beside his ally. "Yet also one that lacks any undertones of belittlement. What, feeling regretful about your sins after all that's transpired here?"
"Not in the slightest," Watts grumbled. "I'm simply surprised that my wanderings brought me here, of all places."
Tyrian followed his line of sight, smirking slightly upon confirming his comrade's focus laid strictly upon the only two individuals that remained outside the clinic. "Pietro Polendina, and if memory serves, an elderly Grimm Reaper. One an old friend and coworker, another someone you may have once seen as a hero, but now an ancient adversary."
"Indeed…" Watts responded distantly.
"Did you wish for their elimination too?" Tyrian offered. "Between the obese one's reliance on that chair and the Grimm Reaper's prime being long since passed, it wouldn't be much trouble, and it'd cause a lovely ruckus on top of everything else, yes?"
"No." Watts blinked, then sighed softly. "No, that isn't necessary. On the slim chance that Ironwood's lackeys are around, we needn't risk revealing ourselves despite the immense strategic opportunity we're currently presented. Pietro's no military strategist, and as you said, the Grimm Reaper no longer poses any considerable threat."
"Then why wander over here? Nostalgia?" Tyrian teased.
"Surprisingly, yes."
Tyrian paused. "Oh?"
"Despite my misgivings about my colleagues' pursuits of foolish projects and excessive charity work, I never once found myself denying their individual merits," Watts explained. "Pietro was the brightest among my colleagues. An amazingly intelligent individual whose heart doomed him to the mediocrity he's mired within now – he may boast the title of Atlas' brightest mind, but everyone aware of my existence knows that his intellect pales when compared to mine."
"Yet you claim he's no threat to our plans?" Tyrian questioned.
Watts nodded. "Indeed. While his actions are often guided by his heart, Pietro's disability mixed with his consistent dismissal of military escorts around the twin cities while we worked together always indicated his lackluster understanding of the world around him. Unless he somehow finds the will within him to truly act, he'll never so much as raise a finger against those who would otherwise harm him."
"Ah. Pacifistic, then," Tyrian noted, clasping his hands behind his back.
"Not necessarily," Watts reminded. "Remember, Pietro was the individual whose contributions to the P.E.N.N.Y project were second only to my own. If his ideology was one incompatible with the creation of weapons for use in warfare and defense against the Grimm, he'd have never acquired the reputation he possesses now. Nevertheless, my statement stands – he isn't any notable threat to our mission. Pietro's simply a kindhearted fool and little more."
"That remorseful look in your eye convinces me that there might be slightly more to your perspective on him than that," Tyrian said ominously.
"Then convince yourself otherwise," Watts said bluntly, and turning around, he brushed some snow off his shoulder before starting away from the clinic. "Remorse is an emotion that nobody has conscious control over, but it's one that can be quelled through reason. It doesn't matter if Pietro dies by my hands, yours, or some ferocious Grimm's – all that does is that my heart has hardened against that potential reality. Perhaps once we were on relatively friendly terms, but that time has passed. Whatever happens to him upon our mission's completion matters little."
"Good," Tyrian praised, silently reappearing beside him. "This way I needn't worry about ending you myself for potential treachery, and instead can enjoy watching all this beautiful, chaotic artistry unfold!"
"Your opinions of what qualifies as 'artistry' desperately need reevaluation, Tyrian," Watts deadpanned.
"Hmph! Liumang would beg to differ," Tyrian retorted. "From first impressions alone, I'm positively certain he's enjoying the show, too!"
Since Ironwood's instructions left his lips, the morally justifiable and serious atmosphere that hovered over the dining room didn't fade whatsoever. Jacque was swiftly maneuvered into a chair away from any available windows and doors which was then thereby pressed up against the middle of the room's expansive wall. Meanwhile, Opal found herself standing nearby the ex-councilman alongside Ironwood, Winter, Robyn, Sleet, and Camilla, while RWBY and Oscar remained respectably far enough away to avoid any accidental intrusions on their parts. JNPR and Iridescence were posted at either end of the dining room, making sure nobody entered or exited without their approval. Evidently, Aurora had only recently changed back into her combat gear, but Opal hadn't the time nor the inclination to inquire into that matter.
Especially not when the proverbial dust devil himself was imminently being interrogated for his crimes against humanity. After decades upon decades of exploitation of her people, Jacque's comeuppance was finally at hand. Opal mentally reminded herself to offer Weiss her gratitude whenever the opportunity arrived that she could do so.
"I know you'd stoop low to get what you wanted, Jacque," Ironwood said lowly, his hands balled into fists. "But this?"
"This is all a tremendous leap, James," Jacque argued.
"No, it's quite simple really, now that I know Arthur Watts is alive," Ironwood explained. "Working with a madman like Tyrian Callows, it would be simple for someone like him to coordinate an unthinkably heinous act like the one that transpired in that warehouse. Watts designed Mantle's entire security network, among many other subsystems this kingdom relies upon today. He used that familiarity to hack into the systems required to make sure nobody at that victory party could see what actually happened. With their coordination, it's no wonder they managed to maneuver Iridescence into a situation where only they would take the blame."
Opal suppressed the disgusted noise that would've otherwise rumbled from her throat, had there been no need for formality during this interrogation. While her teammates remained quiet, her acute sense of hearing detected the frustrated hum Tenebris quietly released.
"They managed all that… while helping you steal the election," Ironwood accused. Upon his stepping closer, Jacque's recently recovered composure cracked into uncharacteristic nervousness, and the general's gaze hardened. "And once you became a Councilman, your newly granted clearance gave him a backdoor into Atlas' updated secure network. Yet you never even considered that possibility."
"The people that died that night, their blood is on your hands," Robyn seethed.
"Jacque Schnee must be tried, not only for treason, but as an accessory to mass murder!" Sleet harshly claimed.
"These are outrageous accusations!" Jacque denied. "I only ever intended to win the election; I had no involvement with-"
"Only!?" Robyn shouted, and the room fell quiet. "You lead the most powerful megacorporation on Remnant and you're telling me you lacked the foresight to tell that allying with gods-damned Arthur Watts would become dangerous!?"
Somehow, Jacque appeared to shrink in on himself. Opal watched in amazement as Robyn tried and failed to suppress her rage, only to instead stalk toward the would-be politician who'd stolen the election right from under her feet. Ironwood stepped away from Jacque's seat slightly.
"Dozens of people have died because of you!" Robyn declared. "My Happy Huntresses nearly mauled Iridescence, I almost went ahead and murdered Opal Malachite, another one of Mantle's heroes, because of you!"
"Robyn." Opal extended her hand before Robyn could reach her target. When Robyn tore her furious glare away from Jacque to meet Opal's firm expression, she continued. "This time, we're on the same page, but Jacque won't get away with these crimes. Not this time."
When the arm that had blocked her advance finally fell, Robyn growled and slammed her fist frustratedly into the back of another nearby chair, but stepped away from her previous vengeful advance, nevertheless.
Camilla sighed. "What else will he be capable of with the access Jacque's provided?"
"Given his skillset, and sufficient time…" Ironwood shook his head. "Whatever he wants."
Before that terrible truth's implications could even begin to sink in, several scrolls buzzed and pinged throughout the room simultaneously. Jacque remained frozen in place, his gaze unfocused on the floor beneath him while Camilla, Sleet, Ironwood, and Opal retrieved their scrolls. Opal couldn't speak for anyone else, but her heart sank before she even read the message that had most assuredly been sent to everyone else.
It was an emergency alert.
"Opal?" Aurora asked, suddenly halfway between the door and Opal's present position. "Keep everybody in the loop, alright? What's going on?"
"Mantle's atmospheric heating system…" Opal swallowed. "It's completely offline."
Aurora's mouth fell agape with silent horror.
"Shit," Tenebris cursed. "Already those bastards are making their moves…"
"This isn't like a Grimm invasion," Lux whispered, though his voice grew more audible over time. "Mantle, Atlas, this whole kingdom has precautions and contingency plans for situations like those, but the complete shutdown of the heating system…?"
"It's never happened once in the kingdom's entire history," Aurora uttered.
"You have to believe me! I-I-I didn't know he was planning this!" Jacque claimed.
"Jacque," Winter bit out, glaring daggers at him. "You are going to shut your mouth right now and get the heating system online again."
"I… I've been previously informed that we can't get into the system," Jacque confessed. "It's… it's been blocked off."
Ironwood closed the message. Running a hand through his hair before it transitioned over his chin, covering the worried frown upon his lips, he shook his head. Without any further delay, his fingers moved quickly across the digital surface of his device in what anyone around him could only assume was a hasty investigation of the situation. Meanwhile, Lux moved from his post near the door over to a nearby window. If Opal knew her partner as well as she thought, she fully knew his eagle eyes were grimly training themselves on the lower city itself.
"Without heat down there… civilians won't last long," Lux nervously noted. "Even those who're wearing heavy thermal insulation don't have more than eight hours tops before the cold gets through to them without any other sources of warmth. Wasteful utilization of publicly available dust supplies will extend that window towards an entire day, tops, if they use it wisely, but… that probably won't be the case. Panic isn't known for letting people make the wisest decisions for their own survival."
"It's that bad…?" Ruby asked concernedly.
"People like us take our unlocked auras for granted…" Tenebris mentioned, leaning against the wall nearest his assigned door.
Aurora emptily walked up beside Lux, intense emotion barely hidden behind her eyes. "There are millions of people down there. Mothers. Fathers. Children. Families…"
"Alright, since he's using Jacque's credentials… we can follow that activity on the network," Ironwood observed aloud, drawing potentially unwanted attention back his direction while his fingers blitzed their way around his scroll's screen. "If he's found his way into the Amity system…"
Among everyone, Robyn focused her attention on Ironwood the firmest. Unsure of where her old adversary's opinions lay after Jacque's treasonous activity was laid bare, Opal's previous tension renewed itself. Whatever happened next with Robyn herself, it could either improve or worsen this potentially cataclysmic situation dramatically.
"No, the secret's safe," Ironwood discerned. "For now. If Watts learns about it, though… she learns about it."
"Can't we block his access?" Weiss questioned.
"Too late," Ironwood countered. "He's already beginning to revoke our executive privileges."
"Well, what about tracing him?" Jaune suggested from afar. "Find out where he's hiding?"
"Watts isn't foolish enough to stay still for long," Ironwood reminded. "He'll remain mobile as long as he's within our borders. We need his access point. We need to bring him out into the open, somehow."
"Alright, so let me get this straight…" Robyn started, her brow furrowed.
Suddenly realizing his audience's ability to overhear his thought processes, Ironwood cursed himself beneath his breath. Everyone's eyes slowly fell upon Mantle's hometown hero in short order after Ironwood himself turned and accomplished the same task. Opal intently trained her gaze upon Robyn, and judging by the shuffle of fabric behind her, even Lux's attention had been torn away from the lower city now.
"How do a disgraced scientist and disappeared serial killer find each other, general?" Robyn firmly questioned while walking toward him. "Why would they target you? And why are you working so hard to hide the Amity Communications Tower from them?"
Ironwood, Iridescence, and everybody else fell so silent that someone could've heard a pin clatter onto the pristine tile floors beneath them. Opal felt herself break into a cold sweat as a million thoughts ran through her head simultaneously after Robyn finished speaking, though only Ironwood transformed his justified confusion into words.
"You know?"
Sirens' cyclical screams thoroughly filled the air throughout the kingdom's lower city while thousands of disgruntled, angry citizens burned whatever they could acquire to prevent their untimely deaths. Emerald, Mercury, Liumang, and Hazel all found themselves observing these events from above, within an abandoned penthouse apartment that had long since suffered a terrific decline into disrepair over the years. There, from their high-rise vantage point near the perimeter of Mantle's decrepit outer wall, almost nothing concerning the events now unfolding right before their eyes escaped their view. Unbeknownst to his allies, Liumang himself watched with more rapt attention than the rest of them combined.
Hundreds of Manta aircraft flew across the city in perfect formation – a true representation of the military might Solitas' resident kingdom possessed. Their current target?
An unyielding army of Grimm numbering in the thousands that rapidly approached Mantle with every passing second. Even Liumang was momentarily taken aback by the sheer quantity and diversity of species that were on their approach, tonight.
Among the infernal black-bodied tide, the vanguards of the assault could only be classified as walking giants. Megoliaths that maintained a striking resemblance to the Goliaths found inside Vale's borders led the charge, each with size comparable to large houses and armed with four giant white tusks, bone-white masks, and thick hides that remained impenetrable to all but the most skilled fighters' refined skills. Around their feet were all manner of smaller terrestrial Grimm, while Manticores and even some Sphinx took to the skies above them – though their speed paled in comparison to another species that Liumang hadn't seen in ages.
Teryx. Dozens upon dozens of the raptor-like beasts flew through the air with equal speed to their aircraft opponents to interfere with the anticipated defense, claws tearing through careless pilots' metal aircraft like paper with their terrific hooked claws. Translucent red wings with visible veins provided them an increasingly intimidating image whenever they were silhouetted by the full moon overhead, and the bone-like spines along their necks and tails assured that not even experienced Huntsmen would attempt to attack them from behind without caution. Indeed, they were among those skybound Grimm that were often classified as airborne apex predators.
Those tight formations of aircraft that made it through the Teryxes' interceptive assault bombarded the vulnerable terrestrial Grimm with practiced efficiency, kicking up debris into an inscrutable smokescreen that obscured their defensive efforts' outcome until it eventually subsided. Aside from the absence of some impatient Sabyrs, most of the Grimm racing toward Mantle's outer wall suffered little loss, having allowed their Megoliath allies to easily endure through the bombardment on their behalf.
It was then that the heavy fortifications located around the breach in Mantle's wall opened fire, with Atlesian Knights, infantry, and advanced rapid-fire weaponry being utilized to dissuade the invasion from coming any closer. Hardly thirty seconds passed between when some Alpha Sabyrs started mauling their way through that same defensive line that the Megoliaths' crashing through the already-broken wall effectively opened the floodgates. All the Atlesian military was capable of now was damage control.
Thus, an enormous invasion comparable to that which nearly brought Vale unto complete ruin had begun once again. It was anyone's bet whether the world-renowned Atlesian military would triumph over civilization's time-tested adversaries.
Liumang removed the cigar from his mouth momentarily, releasing a smoky exhale before he decided to speak. "Y'know, this seems about right."
"This seems like wasteful slaughter," Hazel grumbled.
"If you think this is wasteful, you haven't lost jack before," Liumang muttered.
Hazel gave a sidelong look. "I've lost much."
"Oh?" Liumang asked, his characteristic snark missing from his tone. "Dunno what you've lost, Hazel, but you can't even compare whatever you've lost with what I have."
Hazel's lips pressed into a line. "That's debatable. My twin sister died because Ozpin sent her, a teenage girl, out on a mission she wasn't ready for. Forgive me if I'm skeptical."
"Your sister?" Liumang snickered. "Even more reason that I'm right, then. Sounds like your sister got herself killed because she decided she wanted to become a Huntress. If she was smart, she'd have known the mortality rates for that job are astronomically high anyway."
Despite the immense tension that appeared between his crossed arms, Hazel remained quiet and focused his indignation into a frustrated glare aimed at Mantle's chaotic streets. Mercury pushed off from the isolated metal pillar he'd been leaning up against, evidently lacking enough wisdom to mind his own business right about now.
"Listen, Liumang, everyone's got their own sob story," Mercury started dismissively. "If you wanna make us think that you're the biggest victim here, you better actually give us details that'll make us, y'know, care."
Liumang threw him a silent, death glare. "Or I could blow you into smithereens right here and now because you don't understand your goddamned place. This was your warning. Don't push your luck another time."
Mercury scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right…"
"Enough," Emerald intruded, advancing between the two men. "With what's happening down there, this might finally be our opportunity to actually do something again, and this mission isn't being ruined because you two decided to kill each other."
"Smart call," Liumang praised flatly, watching intently as his younger male ally walked toward the other end of the penthouse. "What makes you think we're finally being given free rein again, though?"
"Simple. We know our allies well," Hazel offered. "This situation is exactly what Watts would create as the ultimate endgame for his mission, regardless of whatever the details might've originally included."
Liumang grumbled. "Arthur better have some extra tricks up his sleeves, though. Atlas would've fallen decades ago if one nasty invasion of Grimm could overcome their entire military. Besides, they also have Iridescence, RWBY, and JNPR working with them now, too."
"Watts wouldn't underestimate General Ironwood's prowess, strategic or otherwise," Hazel calmly countered. "Whether this latest invasion is just another part of his plan or his genuine end goal for Mantle… that's still unclear."
"Ya think?" Mercury threw in from afar.
"Either way, this situation's intense enough that we can agree that our mission might be getting started soon, then," Emerald pointed out.
"True," Liumang agreed, pausing for another drag from his cigar. "Don't care whoever here I might team up with whenever that time comes, but it'll be damn cathartic to crush some heads again after all this time."
"Now that is something I agree with," Mercury stated.
Inwardly, Liumang smirked. 'Well, would you look at that…? Maybe Mercury's got some good sense inside that thick skull, after all.'
Within the dining room, Robyn Hill had recently moved to converse face-to-face with Ironwood himself. Despite every instinct that would've once urged her to prevent Robyn from approaching her superior whatsoever, Opal's hand remained relaxed around her weapon's sheath. Her mind remained racing about the possibilities concerning how Robyn knew about Amity Tower, but right now, there were more pressing matters that demanded her attention. Given that Ironwood hadn't queried much further about Robyn's suspicious, sudden understanding of Amity's recent renovations, Opal was inclined to believe the general shared her current mindset.
"I once thought that you were hiding something to protect yourself, but now, it's clear that there's something much bigger going on here," Robyn clarified, gesturing almost pleadingly with her hands while she continued. "Now I think everything you've done is to protect something else entirely. Us, Atlas, maybe even the world… and you're afraid of what might happen if you tell the truth."
Opal wasn't given sufficient time to catch her superior's reaction to those words, as her scroll buzzed within her pocket, indicating another notification. Reading through the urgent messages various military officers had sent, she felt another round of nervousness radiate throughout her body once again.
"General," Opal hastily intruded. "Mantle's being hit by another invasion of Grimm, larger than any recorded before in recent history. First reports indicate the air fleet's doing everything they can to keep the larger Grimm away, but several Megoliaths and hundreds of smaller species have already made it inside the lower city – they can't eliminate them without risking civilian casualties."
His expression falling, Ironwood's hand found itself upon his jaw, and he started walking past his faunus subordinate. "This… this is what I was afraid would happen."
"Sir, they need ground support immediately," Opal gently urged.
"What we need is to start evacuating Mantle," Robyn argued. "If it's already completely overrun, it's not going to be safe anywhere. Mobilize the fleet, use them to-"
"If I move the fleet, then Atlas itself is vulnerable!" Ironwood exclaimed. Sighing emphatically, he placed his right hand against the nearby wall, leaning over defeatedly while his other hand covered his face. "I... I tried keeping the kingdom safe. Now we're losing everything."
Oscar then approached Ironwood; his right hand absentmindedly placed atop the relic he'd been charged with protecting. "General? Earlier, you asked for my advice."
Ironwood sighed softly. "I wanted Ozpin's advice."
"And his advice probably would've been to keep your secrets," Oscar admitted. "When we first arrived here though, you already knew that wasn't the right course. You had another plan."
"It's time to give up on that plan," Ironwood stated, straightening upright again. "It's all falling apart, now."
"But the panic you're worried about? It's already happening across the kingdom. Those secrets you've been keeping? They're about to be revealed anyway," Oscar pressed. "It's time."
Ironwood turned around, now regarding Ozpin's would-be successor with an almost unreadable look on his face. Opal initially hypothesized that her superior was halfway between continued dismay and hesitant optimism, then, but Ironwood's response didn't come quite quickly enough.
"Tell the truth," Oscar urged.
Once again, Ironwood hesitated to respond, yet his expression shifted into an increasingly readable state of acceptance of Oscar's advice. After months upon months of his keeping the world's shadow war against Salem secret, Opal could tell Ironwood was finally on the cusp of another lifechanging change in his approach to Remnant's eternal crisis.
Then, while her tension slowly dissipated, she noticed another individual seemingly assimilate that same nervousness into their being. Opal glanced away from Ironwood to locate the source, thereby finding Ruby's eyes darting around the room in such a manner that suggested a million thoughts were running through her head simultaneously. It took only an instant for Opal to discern the cause behind her reaction.
'The truth…'
"If General Ironwood's going to tell the truth…" Ruby paused, now looking determinedly between her teammates, allies, and Oscar. "Then we should all do the same."
Ironwood's brow furrowed. "…what?"
"I'm afraid that we haven't been completely forthright with you, either," Oscar supplied.
"There are some things that we think you should know, sir," Ruby elaborated. "Things that we should've told you when we first arrived here."
Ironwood glanced between the two youngest teens present, seemingly analyzing them before his focus shifted again. "Robyn? Councilman Sleet? Councilwoman Camilla? There's plenty that you're all about to be informed about, but if it isn't beyond my authority, I'd like to request you all leave momentarily."
Sleet shared a glance with his fellow council member. "If whatever you have to tell us is important enough that even you are acting this way, then we'll oblige."
"Robyn?" Ironwood began. "Before you go, don't think that your involvement in all this will end after my conversation with the council is finished. I'd like to coordinate and strategize with you about Mantle, if possible."
"If you think whatever discussion you're about to have with your allies here will help the kingdom too, then just this once… I'll listen," Robyn confessed, and she started following after the aforementioned council members shortly thereafter.
"Winter?" Ironwood continued. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd like to request that you call the Atlesian police department and escort Jacque into his new home, for the time being."
"With pleasure," Winter said. "Come on, Jacque."
Jacque grimaced while he was yanked back onto his feet but otherwise said nothing as his eldest daughter led him outside the dining room. Once everybody outside the three-team alliance had exited the room, Opal could've sworn the room temperature dropped several degrees. Ironwood hardened his gaze against the dining room's doors as they closed before training his attention back upon his allies. His request for them was simple, yet decisive.
"Alright. Let's make this quick."
Throughout the entire exposition concerning Remnant's storied history, from Ozpin's origins to his intrinsically intertwined history with Salem, to the latter's state of complete immortality, the world-renowned General Ironwood sat down and listened in complete silence. Details that amounted to hundreds and thousands of years of historical facts that Ozpin had once hidden from everybody had become knowledge that the most powerful military leader on Remnant now possessed, and yet his expression didn't budge whatsoever. Despite the many misconceptions he might've possessed about Salem's true nature all this time, he maintained the most thoughtful and well-composed face anybody in the room had ever seen on his face.
Opal couldn't decide whether she should've been completely intimidated by the almost uncharacteristic calmness Ironwood displayed during that time, but eventually, that mask was weathered away entirely.
"All this time…" Ironwood quietly began. "All this time, I'd always that that she was simply some unholy hybridization of human and Grimm from centuries ago, yet… everything makes sense, now."
"General Ironwood…?" Ruby said. Given that she had spearheaded the explanation about the history everybody had kept hidden from Ironwood all this time, Opal couldn't blame the girl for the caution that laced her tone. "Are you…?"
"And she can't be killed…" Ironwood continued, seeming unable to notice any intrusions upon his spoken thought process. "Ozpin was hiding all of this from those who trusted him the most."
Oscar stepped forward. "To keep your hope alive."
"And you all waited this long to tell me this…?" Ironwood questioned.
"We did," Ruby confessed. "I think everybody here's sorry that we kept this away from you all this time, too. We didn't know who we could trust, at first, and we figured you should know now before you made any… sacrifices."
"Understood." Ironwood inhaled deeply. "We've delayed too long already, though. We can all analyze what this means for our plans later, when the kingdom isn't about to become another textbook Mountain Glenn incident. Right now, we have bigger issues. RWBY, JNPR, Qrow? Winter's probably already requested transports for everybody that'll take those that board down into the lower city – join the defense efforts immediately."
"Oh!" Ruby blinked twice. "R-right! RWBY, let's head out!"
"Don't have to tell me twice, James," Qrow said, jogging after his adoptive niece.
"You heard him! It's time that we save some lives!" Jaune declared, eagerly leading his team toward the dining room's doors. "This won't turn into another Beacon!"
"Spoken like a true leader, Jaune," Pyrrha praised.
"Oscar?" Ironwood continued. "We can't let the lamp fall into enemy hands. Head back into the academy and remain ready for anything. I'll have a security detail assigned to your apartment, but every able-bodied soldier participating in Mantle's defense counts."
"Right," Oscar agreed. "It'll stay safe with me."
"Good," Ironwood said. "Iridescence? Stick here for a while longer. You can catch up and help with the defense later – there's something we need to discuss, now."
"What about Tyrian and Watts, though?" Oscar questioned, nearing the door.
"Leave them to me," Ironwood said simply. "I have some ideas."
Oscar nodded. "Sounds fair enough. Good luck!"
When the door naturally sealed itself shut, Ironwood's eyes drifted away from the expensively carved wood back to his right-hand fighters. An air of deathly seriousness falling over the eerily empty room matched the cold look that appeared upon the general's face, which culminated into Iridescence expending an inordinate amount of effort to maintain their composure before their superior.
"Opal. Lux. Aurora. Tenebris. There's only one question that I have for you," Ironwood quietly prefaced. "Were you aware of all of this from the outset?"
Opal didn't need a sixth sense to detect how nervous that question made her teammates, though as Team Iridescence's leader, she answered as succinctly as possible. Whatever consequences befell her response, she'd willingly endure with whatever dignity she could maintain, as any able-bodied leader should.
"We did."
Ironwood's intertwined hands tightened. "Why, then, didn't you inform me?"
"As Ruby's allies and friends, we simply wanted her to decide when the time was right to finally inform you about everything we kept secret," Opal explained. "It wasn't our choice to keep you completely in the dark, either."
"No, it wasn't, was it…?" Ironwood murmured, some of his underlying indignation about his most trusted allies' duplicity fading away. "Ruby was responsible, for that…"
When her superior fell silent again, Opal used this opportunity to glance back over her shoulder. Lux exchanged one of his trademarked concerned looks with her that conveyed his worry about their sudden interrogation, though a subtle nod from his girlfriend dissolved that concern into something less severe. Tenebris didn't let much emotion show on his face, while Aurora only barely looked like she was managing to subdue the guilt she must've been feeling right now from bleeding into visibility. Opal returned her gaze to her superior.
Iridescence had landed itself in hot water, but they'd survive this intense encounter largely unscathed. There wasn't another potential outcome Opal allowed herself to dignify with any undue acknowledgment.
"What was your stance on all this?" Ironwood asked. "With Salem."
"Obviously, we didn't come up with any simple solutions after learning what you just did," Opal started. "But we always saw merit in your decisions, sir. Even if we understood that your plan isn't the perfect solution that'll finally end her, we knew that yours was the best course of action that anyone could've possessed, when we first arrived."
"When we first learned about Salem, we probably felt the exact same way you probably do right now," Lux proposed. "That day, when we found out everything we were fighting for looked like it was for nothing…"
"It almost crushed us, yeah," Tenebris finished.
"Combined with the fact we took shelter on an abandoned farm that had Apathy living underneath it, it wasn't easy for anybody to move past what we learned, but…" Aurora provided the general an earnest expression. "We did. I think everybody here understood that no matter how impossible the situation might seem, we couldn't just give up, then. Not when the entire world felt like it was resting on our shoulders."
"Resting on your shoulders, huh?" Ironwood echoed. "That is something I'm sure we can both agree with certainty isn't exactly a pleasant pressure to endure."
Opal nodded. "Absolutely."
Ironwood blinked deliberately. "One final question, then. Where exactly does your team's loyalties lie? What, when the cards are down, will you align yourselves with?"
"With the greater good, sir," Opal answered. "Whatever will save the most lives will always be our highest priority."
"Iridescence really isn't composed of blind followers, huh?" Ironwood observed, one breath punching out through his nostrils.
"It's like what you once told us, sir," Opal reminded. "We weren't ever supposed to be."
"Rightly so, too." Ironwood stood, clasping his hands behind his back. "Then with that, you're free to join the defense. Send the council, plus Robyn, back inside. There's much that needs explaining, and not much time left to work with."
Iridescence responded in unison. "Yes, sir!"
"Oh, and Opal?" Ironwood said, stopping her short before she could follow her teammates back into the hallway. "No more surprises, alright?"
"You won't have any others coming from us, sir," Opal reassured.
When she informed the three authority figures to rejoin her superior inside the dining room, and she entered another brisk jog that perfectly matched the pace of her teammates beside her, Opal felt determination flare up inside her chest. Another crisis the likes of which nobody had seen since Beacon's nigh-complete annihilation was what Iridescence was about to leap straight into, but she remained confident that they'd triumph over this invasion. They'd become smarter, grown stronger, achieved greater experience than ever before, and this time, their allied teams and the entire Atlesian military would be fighting right there with them.
It was about time that this catastrophe was finally stopped dead in its tracks.
Authors Note: Yep. Not much to say here since this chapter was so by-the-books, save for some brief mentions about three scenes. The villains' POVs were unexpectedly fun to explore since there's so little to go off insofar as Watts is concerned, Liumang's backstory is indeed something that might just be brought up again someday, and Ironwood's pseudo-interrogation of Team Iridescence, I thought, was the best manner by which that situation coulda played out. Despite these past few chapters' being so canon-like, the divergence is pretty much gonna start next chapter. All the anti-invasion action will be somewhat different than canon's execution immediately after this, and then the narrative finally makes its big turn with the whole 'Gravity' episode thing. Hopefully, it'll be pleasantly surprising where the finale of V7 leads, given that ToTI's planned divergence from the end of this volume onwards.