Chapter 66: Finally Quiet
Yang
Bang!
Time seemed to slow down for Yang as the bullet shot towards her from the concealed weapon in Ironwood's finger. Like a mosquito trapped in amber, the Bullet seemed to float there in front of her face waiting to move forward and tear her brain apart. It actually took Yang a second to realize that time hadn't slowed down and to notice the Glyph that had caught the bullet mere millimeters from her face. The Glyph was dark black and as Yang looked to her left she saw Weiss' hand extended towards the floating Schnee symbol.
With a twist of her wrist, the bullet compressed and crumbled into snowflakes under the Glyph's power. Yang looked to Weiss and saw a fury on her that she'd never seen before. Weiss glared at the General and with a snap of her fingers, the Glyph burst, and the bullet snowflakes fell to the ground.
Weiss
Weiss allowed herself a second to glare at the dumbfounded general before she moved. She grabbed him by the front of his jacket and threw him. She threw him hard, the power enhanced by her aura, and the gravity glyph she'd affixed to the grand window behind him. The General moved like a bullet himself and smashed right into the window. The dust enhanced glass cracked in a spider-web of fractures as he struck. It looked like a snowflake.
How fitting
Weiss stalked towards the downed General that last image of him firing a gun at the auraless retreating yang playing over and over again in her mind as she summoned a glyph blade and armor to her off-hand.
"That was attempted Murder General" Weiss hissed through clenched teeth. "The attempted murder of Yang xiao Long. Violating Atlas code 54.056"
"She-" he began struggling to pick himself up. Weiss interrupted him.
"You also ordered the unlawful arrests of at least 4 sovereign citizens while in Vale airspace violating Atlas code 854.712" Weiss glared down at him. "You also tampered with evidence of at least 6 different cases violating Atlas code 786.003. And you call yourself just."
Ironwood stared up in pure defiance of her. "All I've done, I've done for Atlas!"
It was the weak defense of the politician. I've destroyed your rights for my great work but don't worry I'm doing this for your own good. Weiss wanted to vomit as she looked down at this up jumped peasant.
"ATLAS!" Weiss took in a deep breath, the room despite the fire was frigid cold and she inhaled that winter breeze. The chill made her think of winter and the snow, which gave her strength. "I hate my father but he was right about one thing"
A summoning Circle appeared between Weiss and team RWBY. From it emerged a Beowulf with Boarbatusk tusks and spikes all along its back, it was bulky and bit and made a sound that resembled wind chimes. Weiss barely noticed it as summoning circles appeared and disappeared along the wall. Her own glyph armor grew jagged and sharper.
"The Schnees are Atlas, not the military. The Schnees are atlas, we are the Winter"Weiss glared down at the general thinking not just of her pathetic father's words but of her grandfather. She could see him now, Nicholas Schnee sat by the fire telling her of the winters he survived and the cold in their blood. Their father had latched onto it but her grandfather had shown her the true might of the words, their semblance was hereditary because they were meant to be an eternal thing in Atlas and remnant, as eternal as the changing of the seasons. "And winter is eternal and ever apart of Atlas and yet you've stripped me from my home."
Ironwood sprung up as fast as he could, his metal fist punching towards her face. He'd intended to catch Weiss off guard and land a solid blow. Weiss was not such an amateur to fall for a simple surprise attack. Her gauntleted arm caught the metal fist and she held it tight. Weiss glared into the General and the general tried to pull the hand back as quickly as he could, but it would not move. The cold made it stick.
Hoarfrost spread down the metal of the hand and when the General breathed it came out in a white mist. Weiss started to twist and the metal shattered like thin ice right at the Elbow. She looked at the Hand in her grasp then dropped it to the ground in disinterest. The whole room looked to the hoarfrost covered limb on the ground. Even the general glanced at it.
Weiss tilted her head, he shouted and lashed out at her with the stump, she blocked and hammered him right in the chest with her glyph metal hand. He flew back and smashed again into the glass, shards fell out of it and a cold wind howled around them.
"You spent so much time focused on catching Yang you missed a person who truly hated your guts Ironwood," Weiss said reaching down towards the General, her armored hand wrapping around his throat and lifting him up in the air. She squeezed, it was easy to build up the pressure on his throat."ME!"
Weiss thought of the lost friends, the constant surveillance, the shouting of Traitor, the separation between her and her sister. Finally, she thought of her home that was now forbidden to her by military decree. But it was the true last straw that set her Ire ablaze "And then you try to kill the woman I love in front of me."
The Chimera creature behind her snarled and stalked around the room, keeping all back from her, it grew in size in line with her fury. It's moving and the windchimes in its snarl were all that was heard in the room. All were quiet as the temperature dropped like a rock and frost began coating all surfaces. This was the fury of winter itself.
"You took so much from me," Weiss said through hissing teeth to the General.
And he wanted to take so much more. Weiss thought to herself, her mind lingering on the files he'd freely given her and the damage she could do just like Yang. but she also thought about the bullet she barely caught that almost killed Yang and the anger flared.
Yang
She's going to kill him. Yang realized feeling the fury waft off of Weiss, it brought the chill with it, Yang looked to her team next to her and saw some with chattering teeth.
We need to stop this. Yang thought until the monster that Weiss had summoned from the void snapped at her and continued its stalking around the room. It was grotesque and cruel-looking, and yet the features weren't spread out everywhere like a hoof in a wrong place or a tusk coming from an eye. No, the creature was built symmetrically with an almost artistic balance to its form.
Even in her rage, Weiss had a balance to her work. The creature's jaws opened and it snarled at everyone causing the wind to pick up along with it. Jaune put himself between Pyrrha and the creature, Blake and Penny stepped in front of Ruby. Raven, like Yang, seemed more interested in what Weiss was doing rather than the monster.
Yang took a step back and put her weight on her back foot. Raven was now stood next to her.
"You're going to interfere," Raven said it not like a question just a statement.
"I am" Yang whispered back seeing Weiss' hand tighten further on the general's throat.
"You don't have too" Raven countered just as quietly. Yang looked up at her mother and saw that this was an opportunity to openly defy her. It was another test of strength. Yang turned back to Weiss.
"Yes I do" she pushed off her back foot with an explosive force and vaulted over the table so fast she barely touched it. The chimera snarled and swiped its claws at her face, she ducked beneath the first strike. But the monster was fast and its jaws closed in towards her face. It was then that a red blade slashed the monster across it's open maw. It whined, stumbled back, and jumped towards Raven Branwen.
Thanks, mom. Yang thought before the cold hit her like a wave. The temperature seemed to decrease exponentially the closer she got to Weiss. The General was shivering in Weiss' grasp and his lips had turned blue. Yang wondered if hypothermia would get him before the strangulation did.
Yang was struggling against the cold as well, so she did what she could and let her semblance bloom. The room was instantly warmer around her and she saw Weiss' grip loosen on the General's throat. Weiss could feel the heat on her back as the rays of Yang's semblance touched her. She took in a deep breath and slowly turned towards Yang her own face edged with frost and the tears on her face freezing into ice pebbles.
Yang just extended her hand and smiled at Weiss. Weiss' lip quivered though it wasn't moved by the cold but by emotion.
"He was going to kill you" Weiss cried through the frozen tears, she dropped the General who hit the ground shivering and coughing. "he's lied about you for years and was going to kill you for NO REASON. You were leaving and he was going to KILL YOU!"
"I know," Yang said calmly her hand still extended towards Weiss. "please come, just come with me Weiss"
"He could've left this path a while ago Yang!" Weiss yelled back. "He could've stopped it, YOU could've stopped running… this didn't need to get this far!"
"It doesn't need to go further Weiss," Yang said calmly still extending her flaming hand towards her. "I made this mistake, come with me, Weiss."
The Atlessian looked at the hand then down at the General. She stared pure hatred into the General and thought of his crimes for which he was unapologetic, his rampant hypocrisy. Weiss stabbed Myrtenaster down through his severed metal hand and spat on the ground, the spittle shattered when it struck metal. Weiss looked from the broken icey spit them back to the general.
"Know that is in what regard you are held by Weiss Schnee," She said before banishing her summons and firmly grasping Yang's hand. Yang pulled her into the warmest most comforting embrace Weiss hand ever had and she hugged Yang back, it felt perfect and the chill within her dissipated.
Weiss did not break the embrace as Yang led her around the desk, she only looked up when she saw the blood-red portal rippling in mid-air itself. Yang broke the Embrace and gestured for everyone to step through while her mother stood by the gate. Everyone hesitated at first, with Pyrrha being the most frightened, muttering something about seeing it before and insects. Eventually, Jaune calmed her down and stepped through the portal with her. Ruby, Penny and Blake brought up the rear.
Yang tapped Weiss' back and motioned towards the portal.
"Lady's first." Weiss lightly punched Yang's shoulder, Yang grinned and Weiss took her chance, she leaned up on tippy-toes towards Yang's face and puckered her lips. She closed her eyes, felt herself so close, could feel Yang's heat when a finger stopped her lips and her eyes opened.
Did I misread this? Did I do it wrong? Did I? She questioned herself until she saw Yang's shining mischievous face.
"After" was all she said and Weiss grinned back at that promise. She stepped through the portal.
Raven
So much like her father. Raven thought as she saw Yang's little display there. Yang faced the General, and tapped the desk, he looked up and it was clear his anger had not dissipated. She bared her teeth at him.
"Going to kill me now that you don't have witnesses?" he asked. Yang smiled and spun the Ember Celica shell on the desk.
"I don't need to." She said more to herself than to him before exiting through the portal. Raven stared at the General and thought he looked so defenseless in that moment, the most powerful man on all of Remnant frozen and missing a limb.
"What a strange end," she said aloud before turning to leave the General to himself and the fate Yang had carved out for him. She entered her own portal.
Ruby
Ruby stepped through the portal and felt its bizarre feeling wash over her as she did, it was almost cloying, and she felt something try to hold onto her from within. She shook that feeling away when she exited to the other side and saw where she was. It was a beautiful box canyon with great green trees everywhere with the coziest little cottage, this side of Patch in the middle of it.
Ruby had no idea what she'd expected, maybe a great big castle or perhaps a repurposed military outpost. Not an adorable home away from home.
If this is on the run maybe I should consider it. Ruby thought half-joking, eyeing the gorgeous landscape around her. Maybe Yang's picked up dad's carpentry skills.
As Ruby stepped towards the cabin she felt her feet give out from under her again and once more Penny caught her and lifted her up. The Robit girl smiled at her and Ruby smiled back holding the redhead close.
"Thank you, Ruby," Penny said as Ruby buried herself into Penny's flowing locks of hair. "I… feel intensely strong emotions… about you… I'm not sure what they are or how to feel about what I feel… it is most upsetting"
Ruby's heart skipped a beat at those words, and she held the woman tighter. "I feel the same way, Penny. We'll… We'll work through it together."
Penny smiled and helped Ruby onto surer footing. Ruby calmly squeezed her shoulder and centered her breathing. It was time for Ruby to stand on her own two feet. It took a second but soon she'd got her balance back and was waiting for the Aura overexertion to pass. She looked at her group just to check to see how they all were.
Blake was resting with one hand against a tree, her other over her racing heart. Jaune was sat down next to Pyrrha who still had the shakes, but she was smiling as she looked at him with her one good eye. Raven had buried her sword in the ground and was tearing off the rest of her jacket leaving only her bindings and mask on above her waist. Then Ruby's remaining eye fell on her sister and partner.
Weiss was in Yang's arms weeping and blubbering into the larger woman's chest. It was a surreal experience seeing Weiss so vulnerable. Yang, on the other hand, was back in her old form, her hand was atop Weiss' head giving her reassuring pats, while her other arm held her close. While Weiss babbled on Yang was speaking in a calm and soothing voice.
Giving Penny a look that assured the robit girl that she was okay to walk by herself she approached her sister and partner. Weiss' ramblings stopped and she wiped the tears from her eyes when she saw Ruby approach. Ruby was limping from exhaustion but she was able to muscle through it to stand right in front of her sister.
Weiss took a step back cautiously, while Yang seemed apprehensive at Ruby's approach. Her sister's eye kept darting back to the bandage that now covered the side of Ruby's face that once had an Eye in it. Ruby stared back at her, keeping her face as implacable as possible. That was until her emotions reached their peak.
She threw herself at Yang and wrapped her arms around her sister and cried aloud. Yang stood in total shock as to what was going on and Ruby could feel how tense she was under her grip.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you" Ruby buried her head into her sister's hair, it smelled of blood and ashes but for Ruby, it was the best scent in the world and it was good to hold Yang in her arms again and tell her it was going to be alright. "Thank you for not killing him"
Yang had no hesitation now and wrapped her sister in her arms and spun around like they did as children. There was so much they had to work through, so much trauma, but Ruby for once just wanted to let go and to be with her sister again. She thought of the old fights they had when Ruby had been younger and how they would end with Yang holding her close, them both crying and her spinning her just like this. It felt good
"I don't want you to be a murderer," Ruby said as she reveled in their movement.
The spinning stopped, and the dream was over. Yang's grip on her sister slackened and when Ruby looked up from Yang's mane she saw the outpouring of tears in her sister's eyes. Her lip was quivering and she was shaking as she held her sister. Ruby's mouth held agape as she looked upon her sister.
"I kuh-khu-k-killed muh-mercury" Yang said stuttering a bit, before looking away from Ruby, Ruby Grabbed her chin and pulled her gaze back. Weiss moved in and held Yang's shoulder comforting.
"Yang, breath," the Heiress said it in a calm tone that Ruby had heard a thousand times before, Weiss only used that tone when she tried to draw Ruby out of her own panic attacks. Yang did calm down under Weiss' soothing word, though it was clear that she was still disturbed by her action
"You had that grim-" Ruby began
"I didn't Ruby," Yang interrupted wiping the tears away. "I thought I killed you and he mocked you and I killed him"
That pulled the floor out from under Ruby and she felt her stomach bottom out. This was a lot to take in, that her sister was a … murderer. She started to take a step back but stopped herself. She saw what Mercury had done, had tried to do and she knew what sort of person he worked for. That didn't justify murder, but she knew if she separated from her sister now, they might never be able to connect again. So, Ruby stepped forward and held her weeping sister close.
"That's not good Yang…" Ruby said holding her sister feeling the strength leave her. She was here for her but she would not condone that. "not good"
The old thoughts and doubts that she'd repressed for a moment returned to her as she remembered the ruined body of Mercury Black and her own missing eye. The circumstances were extenuating but that did not make the damage mysteriously disappear. Yang's grip slackened and Weiss moved into the hug. It was then that Ruby's eye found Raven Branwen, staring back at her.
I need to speak with her. Ruby thought before breaking from the hug with Yang and Weiss. Weiss took over and Yang watched her sister.
Ruby marched with purpose as she approached the elder Branwen. Raven for her part did not take a step back, did not flinch she didn't even reach for her sword that she'd buried in the ground. Instead, she simply lifted her Grimm mask off and set it atop her sword's pommel. She seemed unmoved and implacable as Ruby stood in front of her.
"You've got a lot to answer for," Ruby said up to the Grimm-woman.
"Do I?"Raven responded though her voice sounded, to Ruby's ears at least, bored. Her face had this look of dull interest at Ruby as if she were some strangely colored mushroom that caught the eye. Honestly, it set Ruby off.
"Of course, you do!" Ruby spat back. "You think it's OK how you weren't there for Yang's childhood, how you left my father all alone with a child to raise?"
"Ruby" Yang started to interject but Ruby raised up a hand. Raven's eyes shot to Yang and Yang took a step back from her family.
"You think you can do that kind of damage to her and that you can be forgiven for all that you've done?" Ruby was unsure if she hated this woman, she'd seen the pain that Yang had felt when she found out about her mom. Yang tried to hide it and for a while retreated into herself a bit like dad, it took almost dying to pull her out of it. Yang wasn't the only sibling who took exception to her sister being hurt.
"And you shot her" Raven answered back. Ruby felt the guilt punch her in the gut while it appeared her words had little to no effect on the older huntress.
"…it was an accident…" her response was meek and she knew it.
"Fate forced your hand into a place you wish it hadn't," Raven answered. "And yet you hunted her after, stalked her, and pursued her along with the rest of the jackals."
"At least I didn't turn her into a Grimm" Ruby recovered and retorted. She wasn't going to be cowed by this woman. She gestured to the mask. "What the hell is that thing, why on remnant did you think that was a good thing for Yang to have? It's dangerous and it screwed with Yang's mind!"
Ruby could almost sense a wave of strange anger coming off the Grimm mask Raven had left on her Pommel, she glared her silver eye right back at it.
"And this violent philosophy that you've put in her head… it's hurt her." Ruby touched her eye. "She killed Mercury and half-blinded me because of YOU!"
Still, Raven's face was unbothered. She still seemed bored as she processed all that Ruby said, but as Ruby looked up at her she thought she saw something. It was hiding inside Raven's eyes a tiny glimmer of interest, that made her dull outward appearance seem like a front. No that wasn't it, it made it look like a blind for an ambush.
She is a predator. Ruby thought as she saw that glimmer. The Grimm in the helmet seemed a lesser beast compared to the woman who wore it.
"Yang harming you was a fluke," Raven said, jostling Ruby from her musings. "She'd been working flat out for a number of weeks at that point, Neo informed me of the experimental Grimm agitators; very rare tech. And you have silver eyes. That flash damaged the mask put it on the defensive, and with the Grimm, the best defense is a brutal aggressive offense. I doubt it'll occur once more."
Ruby felt a pit open up in her stomach at those words. She felt like she was talking to a crazed person here. But when she looked at Raven she could see the sanity clear on her face.
"So there's no guilt in you over what's happened to Yang," Ruby asked feeling both defeated and dejected at her inability to reach this woman.
It was then that the older huntress closed her eyes and let out a breath, her aura fell and her posture relaxed. It was so fluid that Ruby couldn't help but think of a snake shedding its skin.
"There is little I regret about what I've done with Yang…" Raven said once she'd relaxed, and her eyes opened, showing less conflict on her face. "but I'm treating this conversation like a duel."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked a bit stunned by the change
"You attack, I parry, riposte. Back and forth, habit." Raven said waving her hand back and forth to simulate their conversation. "I was like that with Yang's father… your father I mean."
"Ummm it's… it's alright." Ruby looked into her face that predatory look was hidden once again but Ruby wasn't certain it was gone.
Or ever could truly be gone. She thought to herself.
"You said there is little you regret regarding Raising Yang." Ruby folded her arms and wondered if checking on crescent Rose would set Raven off. "You don't regret how she killed someone. How your raising her brought her to that?"
"No" Raven answered bluntly, her gaze heading to Yang she smiled at her like a proud mother. "I taught Yang how to survive on the run, she was a great learner…" She looked back at Ruby. "I morn Yang's emotions but I shall never mourn that creature's death. I regret…"
She took in a deep breath as if admitting these words would bring some amount of harm to her.
"I regret" she finally spoke and Ruby thought she saw her eyes water. "That I did not divert Yang from the mission to kill Ironwood sooner."
Ruby's eyes widened, so did everyone's in the clearing. Yang smiled a bit while the rest were overcome with shock. Yang wiped tears from her eye and laughed with joy through the tears.
"I thought y-y-y-yuh-you'd be disappointed" Yang stuttered through her weeping.
"Never Yang" Raven said. "I shouldn't have let it get that far… forgive me"
Yang tried to speak her lip quivering before quitting on trying and simply giving her mom the nod of approval. Raven smiled slightly before returning to Ruby.
"You wanted a regret that is one of the few I've had about Raising Yang" Raven answered, Ruby could tell that she had a biting retort within her mind ready to unleash, but she held it back. Ruby appreciated that restraint.
"Well… you did keep her…" Ruby struggled with what to say, 'out of trouble' was damn wrong, 'safe' was incorrect. "Alive these past few years. And She is strong, probably one of the smartest huntresses I've ever tussled with."
Raven gave Ruby a slight bow of the head for the acknowledgment. Ruby bowed a bit back. Raven turned and recovered her items and started to walk towards the cabin.
"I had to make up for leaving" she answered. "A second regret. But not one of my choice."
Ruby followed after her to maintain the conversation and eye contact. Qrow always taught her you can tell a lot about a person by how they look you in the eye.
"It killed me to leave, Summer" Raven said not looking at Ruby as she walked. "I never wanted to go, I loved her so much, my sunny little dragon."
There was real emotion on Raven's face, an emotion that threatened to spill out. Ruby could almost picture this woman holding Baby Yang swaddled in her arms.
"If you loved her this much, maybe you should've stayed," Ruby answered. Raven brought her hand to her chin in thought at that.
"That is quite the selfless thing to say, ," Raven said.
"What?" Ruby said shocked.
"If I had stayed, would you have been born?" Raven spoke and Ruby felt a chill run through her. Being dead was one thing but never existing was another. She turned back and saw Yang's smiling face with Weiss holding her up. The Sunrays streaming through her hair.
"You say a lotta things for your family," Ruby said. "I would take that pain away from Yang if I could."
"You sound just like your mother," Raven said with a hint of nostalgia in her voice. Ruby smiled at that and thought of white petals floating in the air.
Ruby was about to thank Raven when the doors to the cabin flew open. Roman Torchwick and Neo stepped out into the air. Ruby froze and she took on a low stance.
"Welcome back Dragon ladies," Roman said in his low mocking tone then his eyes fell on the crowd that had come with Yang and Raven. "And Guests"
"Roman" Raven replied back nodding. He rested his hand on his hip looking over the crowd, missing Ruby with his gaze.
"Yah no you coulda warned me, we'd be having more sucker- I mean guests in our home. I mean this ain't one of 'those' types of parties" he gestured to his throat and made a pantomime of cutting it when his eyes finally found Ruby. "is it…"
His face fell seeing Ruby and he gripped his cane so tightly Ruby could hear the metal protest.
"Little red!" Roman shouted pointing his cane gun in Ruby's face.
"Torchwick!" Ruby responded in kind whipping out Crescent Rose and pointing it right at the Criminal who kicked off her early career. They stared each other down as fire and brimstone fell from the sky (in their minds) and the wind picked up just perfectly.
Then Yang limped between both of them to Neo who she gently patted on the head before heading inside.
"Fight later food and rest now Roman" Yang groaned as she opened the cabin door inward.
"But!" Ruby protested as Yang gave her a look that told her she needed to put her book away and go to bed.
"Ruby!" Yang cut her whining off, putting on her most intimidating Mom voice she could. "Neo will kick your ass before Roman has a chance to fire."
"Hey!" Roman responded indignantly which Yang waved off heading into the Cabin followed by her mother.
Neo silently laughed and poked both Ruby and Torchwick's barrels downward. Then with an exaggerated flourish, Neo bowed deeply and gestured 'welcome' to all the guests before her.
Roman's showmanship seems to have spread. Ruby thought.
"Later red!" Roman promised, pointing at her. Ruby pointed back.
"Just give me a time, criminal" Roman waved that threat away and entered the house grumbling to himself.
Once inside Ruby saw just how nice the cabin was, from the outside it looked cozy but from the inside, she could tell this was where Yang lived. Exotic carpets were draped all over the floor with a largish TV on one wall, little knick-knacks were everywhere giving the place a very lived in feel. A well-worn table was placed near a window letting in sunlight. Yang threw herself down on the couch in clear exhaustion and Ruby could tell by the divot on the couch it was something she often did.
Roman went into a kitchen and Raven retreated to a room, Penny stood at attention by the front door, Blake slumped over in a nearby chair. Weiss fell into the couch next to Yang and Neo leered at her from a stool by the kitchen.
That might lead to conflict. Ruby thought seeing how Neo looked at both Weiss AND Yang! That woman is a trouble maker.
Jaune went up to Raven and started asking about available beds. Pyrrha was clinging to his side which look awkward considering how tall she'd grown in the last two years.
A bed sounds nice. Ruby thought setting herself down in a big cushiony love seat with an ottoman at its feet. So nice
And for the first time in a while Ruby Rose relaxed and blissfully fell unconscious.
Ironwood
Ironwood was still leaning against the fractured window when Ceil entered the room. She was looking at a scroll held open in her hand as she walked in and had an air of nonchalance to her movement. It took her a second to notice.
"Excuse me sir but the council wishes to… speak to… you" Her voice drifted off as she took notice, her mouth hanging agape as she looked at the Frozen shelves, the burning books, the broken computer, and the wounded General. Her eyes moved Rapidly as she struggled to make note of every broken thing in the room.
Ironwood on the other hand gazed at where that portal had been, it had long since sealed itself and vanished. The general wondered if Raven could split that portal back open and reach out towards him once again. He'd need better defenses.
"Ceil," he said struggling to stand up. The Atlas specialist shook as she looked at him. His clothes a mess and his mechanical hand frozen to the ground. He extended his remaining hand. "The report?"
"You're injured, General." She said handing him the scroll.
"I've been in a fight for my life this last half-hour" the general answered back. "Where was everyone?"
"A fight sir?" Ceil looked confused, "we didn't see anything over the surveillance."
Ironwood sighed and set the scroll on the desk, right next to the shotgun shell.
"We need to scrub the system." The General said activating the scroll and flipping through the contacts. "We've had a major breach of security."
"Yes sir, how bad?" Ceil asked, pulling out a medkit, the general waved her away, the council took precedence.
"Change Arthur Watt's status from dead to traitor" Ironwood added as Ceil left the room. She nodded and gave him a salute like a loyal specialist.
I'll adjust Penny and Pyrrha's files myself. The general thought shifting the scroll to projector mode and summoning his colleagues.
"General we've been presented with a problem" Sleet began, next to him were other council members Camilla and Leo lionheart, Ozpin's section still said 'waiting'. Ironwood did not look forward to when he'd joined the call.
"I intend to deal with it right away" the General began images of Yang Xiao Long still vivid in his mind.
She was so close. He thought opening his mouth to add something further.
"No, you shall not," Madam Camilla interrupted him, both Leo and Sleet nodded in agreement. "You see that broadcast spread over remnant," He'd been hoping that hadn't been the case, the panic must be insane.
Leo looked particularly annoyed and more than a bit guilty.
"A gesture is required general," Madam Camilla went on. "and we must pull back from the affairs of our neighbors… for now."
Ironwood squeezed his remaining fist so tightly her worried that he'd break it. He'd spent so much time and effort getting Atlas bases in key locations and putting the right loyal people in those places. Seeing it just ordered back on such a casual whim boiled his blood.
They don't know about her. Ironwood thought hiding his glare and rage behind an implacable mask. They can be forgiven for their foolishness. Adapt and work from Atlas.
"Yes…" he said through gritted teeth. Leo shook his head and squinted at the screen.
"James your video just rendered… good lords what happened to you," Leo shouted, while the rest of the council seemed unphased.
"You seem in quite the disarray," Sleet noted as if Ironwood had worn a gaudy tie to an event.
"Assassination attempt," Ironwood answered just as dully. "I shall deal with it myself."
"It shall be dealt with once you've returned… and we've had a talk." Madam Camilla said, her words as cold as Atlas Ice.
"We'd also like to discuss some of the things it appears you've kept from Us" Sleet added on, before canceling the video call.
Ironwood stood alone in the empty room now holding his metallic stump of an arm and his mind made adjustments to his grand plan. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat back down at his desk. When his eyes reopened, he saw the shotgun shell on this white pristine desk. He could not tear his eyes away from it. His hand extended and he gave the shell a spin.
"Well played…" he muttered to no one but himself. This game had ended for him but there were many more to come.
Author's notes
Well, that was a fun thing to write. Be warned I think next chapter might be a smidge late. We're nearing the end I'm afraid as fun as this ride has been, but as always leave a review and please spread this around, I read them all and appreciate it.
