Chapter Thirty-Seven: Vengeance
The ghostly visage of Salem had yet to take her eyes from Ruby. Her teammates closed ranks around her, moving to her sides and her back. Yang was first to protect her, Weiss next to move to her side with hand on the hilt of her sword, and Blake to draw her hand behind Ruby's wrist, should she need someone to hold and anchor to. None of them took further action; they would not show Salem anymore fear than they had already.
"You're the one who sent the message," Salem observed. "The brave Huntress who bested Arthur Watts."
She turned her gaze to Watts and Tyrian: unconscious, restrained. "Arthur had promised when he rose the communications tower he would poison all your minds with fear… but you gave them something so much worse: a false hope that they could survive what comes for them."
"We didn't just stop them," Ruby assured her, "We'll stop Cinder too, and anyone else you try to send."
Salem halfheartedly chuckled. "Dear girl, their goal was never victory: it was merely to set the stage."
"Set the stage… for what?" Weiss inquired.
"For me," Salem bluntly replied. "Time is not on your side… but it's always been on mine."
Salem's gaze moved past Ruby and her teammates, past Watts and Tyrian, to Pietro and Maria in the cockpit. "The Grimm Reaper can attest to that, can't she?"
Maria was uncharacteristically silent. Ruby didn't turn her head to check; she didn't want to remove her eyes from Salem, even if it was merely an apparition.
"You have all placed yourselves in my path," Salem observed. "So brave. So foolish.
"I will offer you a very uncomplicated choice," Salem continued. "Surrender the Staff and the Lamp to me, and be spared. My Grimm will come no further, Atlas will not be consumed, and no one else will suffer and die in this pointless struggle."
"That's not going to happen," Ruby defiantly told her.
Salem turned her gaze away from Maria back to the latest silver-eyed warrior to oppose her. Quite possibly the last in all the world…
"I offer you time," Salem noted. "I offer you freedom, however fleeting. You would delude yourselves with hope, with some vague promise that you can prevent the inevitable. You will abandon your defense or you will fall before my might." Salem softened her tone, leaning in closer, forming a small, condescending smile. "Accept the futility of your situation… and this can all be over."
Blake fixed her grip on the back of Ruby's wrist, sliding her fingers behind her leader's glove. Just in case Ruby didn't want Salem to see when she needed something to squeeze.
Ruby affectionately took hold, but kept her eyes firmly on Salem. "We've seen what you're capable of: the lamp showed us. It showed us everything."
This aroused Salem's curiosity, her smiling fading away. Now she was intently focused; finally actually listening to Ruby rather than perpetually talking over her.
"We've seen that you can't be killed," Ruby conceded. "But we've also seen you fail."
The gods granted her all her magical powers. Even wielding the might of every nation in the known world, she could not destroy her makers. Turning humanity against their masters only saw the gods lay waste to their disobedient children.
Salem was immortal, yes, but her children had not been. She had to watch the only lives she loved more than her own turn to ash when she and Ozma did battle. She had to live the rest of her life without love or companionship, only ever able to savor the shadows of a life she would never know again.
"We don't have to kill you to stop you," Ruby firmly asserted. "And we will stop you."
Salem gave the girl more time, in case there was anything else for her to say. She waited for Ruby Rose to yield the floor back to her.
She knew of a pain just as great as her own. And one Ruby Rose had not had thousands of years to internalize, to strengthen herself. The loss was still a corrosion on her soul Salem could exploit.
And exploit she did. "Your mother said those words to me…"
At last, the silver-eyed warrior was taken by surprise. "My… mother?"
Salem had already wounded her; now she would salt that wound. "She was wrong too."
Ruby Rose tried to reply. She tried to fight against the pain of her own memory.
She had not lived long enough to hold against it. The waves wore her down rather than broke against her. Her silver eyes lit up with energy as her emotions twisted; ate at her.
Salem commanded an army of Grimm and was one of very few wielding magics older than the world. She'd never known any weapon greater than her own voice and her own commanding presence.
The silver-eyed warrior fell to her knees, sobbing. She released her grip on her friend's hand and reached both hands up to cradle either side of her head, her silver eyes still flashing intermittently. Yang rushed immediately to her sister's side, kneeling right beside her, moving to embrace her, urging her sister to fall and rest her head in the blonde woman's lap.
Salem lingered a moment longer, watching the girl cry. That those she inspired, those she summoned to battle should see her now…
Salem turned her gaze back to the Grimm Reaper, still seated at the helm of the ship. So many loose ends dealt with at once.
The queen faded, the Seer finally expiring, its black smoke dissipating in the air. Ruby's teammates fell around her, but could do little more than watch their leader break down further, waiting for her to work through it.
They had seen her doubt, seen her stumble, seen her afraid. But how many of them would ever have expected to see Ruby Rose brought low merely by words?
Salem's offer had been rejected. Now they had only to wait for her forces to descend… once their leader could stand again.
Neo's eyes were obscured by flame. What had once been orange Aura faded in color, turning to a softer pink. What had once been Cinder Fall was supplanted wholly by its new wielder, attuning ancient magics to a different soul. What piece of Neo's former master resided in her soul now, Oscar could only speculate. He had known many Maidens in his service, none of whom told him of being bothered by the ghosts of their predecessors.
Neo was even less likely to feel guilt than most. Killing the Maiden had been her explicit goal.
Raven Branwen… Oscar only heard secondhand, listening to Yang, ruminating with Ozpin about his own speculation. She may well have always intended to take the power when the Spring Maiden joined her camp, but she pounced on an opportunity earlier than planned. From Raven's point of view, the only reason to feel any regret was knowing her betrayal had come too soon.
Raven's attention was firmly on Neo. She'd recognized the shorter woman… Oscar did not ask how. So long as the two weren't crossing swords, he had some small chance to defuse the tension. Dangerous as it was to approach a Maiden unused to her powers… at a time when his own Aura had already been depleted.
He didn't know if Neo had harmed Fria and Winter. He wanted to believe otherwise, but asked himself why he wanted to think that; if he'd be so trusting of her if they lacked their… shared history.
Still, Oscar waved his left hand to Raven, patting the empty air, urging her to calm. Oscar stepped towards Neo, noting how strange it was to see both her eyes in the same color, at least outside of-
He scolded himself for being distracted. There was something he needed to know, but before he could ask the questions, something he needed to offer. He'd gone through a similar feeling once, of powers he couldn't control coursing through his body, tempting him with easy solutions to his myriad problems. He knew where such promises led.
Oscar walked slowly towards Neo, extending his hands. He would not be armed, make no apparent threat; offer her nothing but understanding. He wanted to believe that she wouldn't harm him -anymore than she had already for the sake of her deception- and that under the thirst for vengeance, beneath the raging flames of ancient power… there was still a lonely girl who had only ever missed the one person to show her kindness and support.
Oscar placed his hand on her shoulder. Neo's Aura flared about, cold radiating up from her palms. Elements she'd never wielded -powers she couldn't fully comprehend- all right below the surface and seeking their way out.
He considered how best to address her: loud enough to be heard over the Aura constantly wafting from her eyes, softly enough to cause no agitation. "Neo," he began, "Are you all right?"
No, that was the wrong question. She would not acclimate so quickly. She'd never known such power before.
And therein lay the key. This was the first time she'd ever experienced the Maiden's magic…
Neo had to raise her head only slightly to look up at him. A reminder that Oscar could feel tall; perhaps add some air of authority to guiding her. For once, his height wouldn't be a hindrance.
His first thought was to lie: to tell her that he knew he could believe in her. Oscar wanted to believe that was Ozpin's influence, and he was not yet so far gone to heed the wizard's advice. Instead he focused on what he knew… and what he himself had most wanted to hear when he made a difficult decision.
"Thank you," Oscar decided upon. "You saved my life… and you made the right choice."
Neo continued to look at him. Her expression was muted, her gaze unreadable behind the flame.
Oscar stayed firm. To the extent Neo trusted anyone, he wanted her to have some measure of faith in him. He wanted to believe that bond had been a factor in her deciding her course.
"Concentrate," Oscar urged her. "It's part of you now: just like your Semblance, just like your training." He thought on what he knew to say, searching Ozpin's recollection for the way he'd crafted the spell, once, hundreds of years ago while living as a hermit, before being found by four sisters on a journey so early in their lives…
Oscar lifted his free hand from his side and pointed towards the top of Neo's head, towards the black derby hat sliding down her bangs. "Just a part. Just one more thing you'll carry with you forever…"
A moment's pause. He heard Neo draw breath somewhere amidst the wafting flames.
Slowly, the pink fire lifted from her eyes, exposing them once again: two colors, switching back and forth with her every blink. Magic she would need time and effort to learn to wield, but also magic she knew herself not beholden to, nor enslaved by.
Neo turned her gaze towards Raven. Raven's own dark red Aura slowly faded from her eyes, though she kept a firm grip to the hilt of Omen. Neo had killed Cinder through use of misdirection and a clever disguise, not any magic. She was not so keen to greet the new Maiden with open arms.
Neo -though wary of Raven- took her eyes off the woman still standing to the one lying dead on the ground. She rolled Cinder onto her side, holding her chin and keeping attention upon her. The black Grimm arm had all but faded in smog, revealing the exposed bone of her shoulder: how much of her body had already been consumed in her desperate pursuit of power.
Oscar walked over to stand beside Neo, looking down at the corpse of the woman who'd killed Professor Ozpin. He searched for some… catharsis, some satisfaction, but Ozpin betrayed nothing. Either he was still concealing a few things from Oscar, or he was not so petty as to savor the fruit of paying Cinder her receipt.
Oscar had never known her: only witnessed her brutal assaults on Weiss, Jaune, and Ruby, and through Ozpin witnessed her callous murder of a defenseless woman to seize the ancient magic. He could not say he pitied her the fate Cinder Fall had earned, but he did wonder what had led her so far astray…
He turned his attention back to Neo. She had her vengeance now too… what did she feel? Satisfied? Or as empty as Oscar did now?
Raven cleared her throat, drawing both of their attention. Once she had both their eyes on her, Raven finally lowered her sword and inquired: "So… what now?"
Ruby spent a long time with her head in her sister's lap. Even when Pietro managed to break Watts' encryption, even when Maria got the ship in the air and began the flight back to Atlas, she could not bring herself to rise. Yang ran her fingers through Ruby's hair, deliberately using her left hand, to be as comforting as possible for her sister.
Weiss was the first to step away and let Ruby process whatever torture Salem had put her through. She moved to the cockpit to sit beside Maria, directing her back to the courtyard of the Schnee manor, to regroup with General Ironwood and the council first and foremost. After that… the monsters who caused this would need to be imprisoned, the military regrouped… she didn't want to comprehend how many logistical challenges still remained.
The Grimm retreated from Mantle. At first she'd thought they were fortunate, but after hearing Salem announce her intent…
They'd held a kingdom, despite the military being actively disoriented. If evacuations were completed, they'd be able to fend off the Grimm from Atlas with the full might of the Atlesian air fleet -presumably without Watts' machinations to hinder them- and fight from a more defensible position.
But still, they'd fight. When they were already exhausted, wounded, demoralized… some more than others.
She turned her eyes back to Ruby, still lying with her head in her sister's lap. Weiss wondered how comforting it might be to do the same.
But Winter had an important task to perform; an even greater burden to carry. When Salem inevitably came for the relic -either with her Grimm force or another infiltration from her followers- it would be Winter safeguarding the staff, ensuring the future of her kingdom, perhaps even the entire world.
Weiss looked out the window towards the city in the sky. Ruby's message went out. She wanted to believe help was on the way and their kingdom would have allies in facing the coming storm. She wanted to believe that General Ironwood's isolationist policies, her father's greed and corruption, the general population's haughty, arrogant dismissal of those who lived below them… she wanted to believe that others in the world might've been able to see past that.
She glanced back at Blake, who took her hand and stood firmly at her side. A Faunus woman with every reason to hate a Schnee, now as close to her as family. Surely there were others in the world who would believe that such unity was still possible. Even in Atlas.
She steeled herself as they approached her family manor. If Ruby remained… incapacitated, she would take the lead and inform the general of everything. She was the one who used Amity tower to broadcast, and could convey what Salem threatened them with more articulately than the others.
She could wear a brave face. She'd done so for a very long time.
Oscar took the lead stepping into Patient Room 920. He wanted to reaffirm that both Maidens at his back would sense no mistrust from him… mistrust had been what bound Cinder and Neo's alliance from the start, and keeping secrets had driven Raven away once before. Their alliance was… tenuous, perhaps, fragile. But for the moment, at least, Raven Branwen and Neopolitan were with him.
Raven was carrying Cinder's body: she was the only one among them strong enough to do so. Proof to their remaining ally that her decision to believe Oscar had not been misplaced.
She stepped out from the chamber, her eyes still affected by the leak of newfound power. Her Aura manifested with a dark blue tint, encircling her eyes. Oscar did his utmost to maintain eye contact, though it was a bit further to look. In her heels, she was even taller than Raven.
"Hello, Winter," Oscar greeted.
Winter's gaze immediately flitted between Neo and Raven. "You seem to have attracted another undesirable…"
"You're welcome," Raven grunted.
Oscar gestured to Cinder. "Neo did as she promised. The threat to the Winter Maiden has been neutralized."
Winter's gaze shifted again to his two allies. "...has it?"
He could not fault Winter her mistrust. He was the closest one she counted to an ally, and Winter barely knew him. She must've felt very alone and unsupported then.
Oscar tried once more to find common ground. He stepped past her, demonstrating clearly his willingness to show his back to three very powerful, very deadly women. Oscar turned his attention to the second chamber, peering inside to the old, frail woman, her eyes firmly shut.
Oscar turned his attention back to Winter. "Fria…?"
Winter shook her head. "I heard her when the process started. I… didn't want it to be painful for her. I wished it could've gone differently."
When Ozpin used a variant of this machine to siphon Amber's power to Pyrrha Nikos, the young woman in her prime also cried out in pain. James had kept Winter at Fria's side knowing she'd been close to the end…
"I'm sorry for the loss of your friend," Oscar informed her.
Winter shook her head, tufts of Aura lifting up past her head and dissipating in the air. "She did her duty. She kept her promise."
That was the reassurance Winter needed. Neo may have needed to be reminded of her own individuality and the legacy she carried, but Winter Schnee had needed to become part of a greater whole. She'd rejected her own family name in favor of service to the kingdom: this task would be no different to her.
"Yes, she did," Oscar agreed, before turning his attention to Raven and Neo. "These two could've avoided this fight. I don't think even James would fault them had they decided not to help… given our history." He leveled his index finger at Cinder Fall's body. "The only immediate threat to the kingdom is gone, and it is entirely possible we are both alive thanks to them."
Winter turned her attention back to Raven and Neo. Oscar knew it would be hard for her to reconcile: to try and look past the actions of a bandit and a saboteur, anathema to her firm belief in duty. He could only hope James -or even Jacques- had instilled in her a sense of pragmatism.
"...I'll let the General decide what's to be done with them," Winter finally decided. "I need to report to him, now that this is done."
"I'm sure Ironwood will be thrilled to see us," Raven dryly observed.
Oscar gestured to Cinder's body: she'd come bearing a gift. Raven subtly nodded.
Neo was harder to read. Oscar could see her eyes again, but she betrayed nothing. She may have been willing to play along, but she was still very much on her guard. Winter hadn't exactly retracted her promise to arrest the woman who'd killed her comrades…
...but Winter had relaxed her own guard enough the Aura wisped away from her face. Oscar could see her blue eyes: the same color as Weiss.
Oscar turned to his Scroll. She was the first person he'd need to call: to show her that her faith in him, her willingness to share such a secret… it may have been the choice on which the fate of their entire kingdom turned.
Ruby's breathing finally found a steady rhythm again. Yang's hand had never left the top of her sister's head, still caressing after several minutes. When Ruby lifted up from her lap, Yang still held onto her sister's hair with a loose grip. "How are you feeling?"
Ruby shook her head. Not just yet.
Yang understood, releasing Ruby's red locks. Ruby rose to her feet, taking a moment to compose herself while Blake and Yang followed her, the three moving to the cockpit.
Maria -never one for tact- turned back to briefly address Ruby. "Full hearts now, kid. No doubt those Atlesian elites will want to talk to you about that little show you put on."
Weiss -better suited for diplomacy than their polite- interjected. "I'm sure I can answer any questions General Ironwood has."
Ruby again shook her head. "...I'm okay." She glanced back at Yang and reiterated: "I'm okay."
Yang knew better, but didn't press her. Blake could actively hear Ruby's discord, but betrayed only the twitch of her ears. Weiss stood up from her seat and rejoined the ranks of her team. A unified front would do a lot to disguise Ruby being… unnerved.
They looked out the windows of the craft to the Schnee manor. Another ship had parked in the courtyard, familiar faces slowly disembarking: Jaune, Nora, Ren… they made it back from the surface. Qrow was already there to meet them, taking a moment to greet the trio before waving Maria in to land.
The very instant Ruby stepped outside she was tackled to the ground by an enthusiastic Penny. Though she couldn't hope to share her friend's good humor, Ruby could fake it well enough. She could certainly make the effort to return a hug, if only halfheartedly.
Penny made the rounds to each of Team RWBY, before turning her attention to Pietro, excitedly chatting him up. Pietro beamed as his daughter informed him of her battle with a Megoliath, and Weiss breathed a sigh of relief that Penny had managed in her and Ruby's absence.
While Ruby once again picked herself up, Yang and Blake moved to collect Watts and Tyrian from the back. Qrow headed over to join them, sparing no shortage of venom for the scorpion Faunus in particular. One more thing he and Yang had in common now.
Ruby stepped towards Jaune, Ren, and Nora. More hugs to give out, another chance to wear a brave face… but they could all take solace in seeing each other alive and well. They only had so long to savor the reunion, however: Ironwood was still waiting for them inside the manor with the rest of the council.
Well, the rest of the council, save one. Weiss watched her father escorted down his very own front steps, two Atlesian soldiers holding either arm, his wrists bound in stasis cuffs. Jacques was incandescent, thrashing in the soldiers' grip: "How dare you! This is highly unnecessary! I will not stand for this: don't touch me like that!"
Weiss never thought she'd see the day. She certainly never believed she'd cause it. But it seemed even men as rich and powerful as Jacques Schnee could not elude their due comeuppance forever.
"I'll be reporting this rough treatment!" Jacques snapped. "What is your name and badge number?!"
Weiss only wished she'd been the one to arrest him herself. Still, seeing him forced to make his perp walk made for a solid consolation prize.
That was, until she stepped inside the grand entrance and found her mother watching it all, wine glass predictably in hand, trying to dull her senses. Whatever quiet satisfaction she may have gleamed from seeing Jacques brought low, she still couldn't manage it without her little helper.
Whitley was sitting on the staircase, watching his father dragged out the door. Weiss paused a moment when their eyes met.
She took hold of Ruby's shoulder to get her attention, knowing her partner may still have been on autopilot. "I'll be right behind you. I won't be long."
Weiss stepped forward, past her mother still searching for the bottom of her glass. Willow had been the one to remind her of her brother, to remember that he had to endure their father too… but unlike Weiss, had no older sister to bond with and latch onto. Once Weiss followed Winter out the door, all Whitley had to turn to was Jacques, a man whose love would always be conditional… and Whitley would seek it out just the same, because it was his only chance for acknowledgement in their lonely, empty house.
Weiss stood at the base of the stairs, waiting for some response from her brother. She had reached out to him almost as an afterthought, and wasn't entirely sure if she'd have bothered to see him if he hadn't been right in front of her. She warned him of her plans for their father, but that may not have helped all that much when the result was still Jacques being carted out the door by the authorities. The only person who even pretended to care for him had been taken away, and it was his big sister who tipped them off.
Whitley finally rose to his feet, reaching down to smooth out his vest. Still concerned about appearances, even when only his mother and sister were present to see him… maybe a video of recorded footage from inside his own house had left him guarded. Maybe he simply defaulted to the usual rules Jacques imposed on his children, even in his absence.
"Was this what you wanted, Weiss?" Whitley inquired.
Weiss took a moment to think on it. She certainly didn't regret exposing her father's duplicity. She didn't mind that her family name would be dragged through the mud. She didn't doubt her choice at the time.
More than anything else, though… "That man in the video -Watts- he was going to use the tower for something much worse. He would've had Atlas declare war on the rest of Remnant if I didn't have something to play over it."
"You told me you were going to expose father," Whitley murmured. "You didn't say anything about a tower, or the CCT… or Watts."
So he got her text. "I wanted to present the evidence to the council first. I wouldn't have broadcast it to the rest of the public if I had something else I could've used to cover Watts' message instead."
"Really?" Whitley inquired.
It was no surprise he found it hard to believe. He knew that Weiss hadn't only wanted to see justice done. Vengeance beckoned her too… and she could mask the target of opportunity with a greater good.
"...I did want the rest of the world to know," Weiss conceded. "But I would've waited."
Whitley turned away from her and headed back up the stairs. Weiss tried to be patient with him: he hadn't lashed out, hadn't defended their father… merely gone off to sulk. Not so different to what Blake once did when she and Weiss had a disagreement where they both had a very personal stake.
Giving them time apart and time to think actually made them closer. Weiss wasn't sure she had time to play the therapist and talk over everything… but she did hope that watching him ascend the staircase wouldn't be the last she'd see of him. She just expected it'd be the last she saw of him tonight.
When she passed by her mother to regroup with her friends, Willow had set her wine glass aside. She wanted to be as lucid as possible, even if she could only manage half a smile.
Yang and Blake had been dragging behind: Weiss reached Ruby at the dining room door before their teammates regrouped. She glanced at Ruby, leaning against the wall. "You ready?"
Ruby glanced around at her team. "Yeah. Yeah, let's do this."
Pietro scratched his chin, looking down at his former colleague lying unconscious in the courtyard. "Arthur… I knew you wouldn't always put that mind to the best use, but this is a step further than I expected of you."
Maria scoffed. "The man said he wanted to piss off Ironwood, so I'd say… mission accomplished. Hope it was worth it."
Qrow's attention was on Tyrian, even though the scorpion had yet to move in his presence. His nieces had made the mistake of giving a scorpion a ride, but Qrow knew how that tale ended… so long as the Faunus was breathing, he was a threat.
But -evidently- not the only threat. While his attention was still fixated on Tyrian, a gust of wind caught his attention… wind filtering in from a portal opened at his back.
"Raven," he breathed. Yang had said her mother came by to help her deal with Tyrian, but he hadn't actually expected her to make an appearance after that…
But she wasn't the only one to emerge from the portal. Raven was just the first, accompanied by a slew of faces Qrow hadn't expected to see congregate: Winter Schnee -carrying the body of Cinder Fall on her shoulder-, Oscar, and the Neopolitan girl all emerging from the portal.
Jaune, Nora, and Ren instantly moved to Qrow's side. Penny followed shortly after, levitating into the air and readying her swords. Neo's eyes lit up with pink-hued flame as the four drew closer.
Oscar swiftly moved between the two groups. "It's alright guys: it's over." He glanced back at Neo: "It's… it's good. We're all good."
Winter set Cinder's body on the ground. Jaune fixated his gaze upon it, disbelieving. Pyrrha's killer, finally robbed of her sadistic smile...
"I need to report to the General," Winter stated. No doubt she was quite happy to have a reason to leave the tense standoff.
Nora flitted her gaze between Neo and Raven. First the girl who disguised herself as Nora, then the one who allied with Cinder and fought against them at Haven… how did Oscar keep attracting these people?
But his words seemed to have an effect on Neopolitan. The strange fire faded from her eyes. She surveyed the others in the courtyard, doing a headcount. If nothing else, she probably found the numbers too heavily weighted against her to pick a fight.
Oscar glanced at Nora, his attention quickly drawn to the new scars visible on her arms and neck. He moved over to her, but Nora quickly put up her hand. "Go. General will need to talk to you too."
Oscar clearly wanted to say more: that much she could clearly read on his face. But he did ultimately defer, following Winter into the mansion.
Jaune continued to stare at Cinder's corpse. Nora turned her attention back to Neopolitan, now whimsically tilting her parasol back and forth in her hand. Raven turned her attention back to Qrow and tried to clear the air. "So… how was your day?"
When Oscar and Winter arrived, Ruby was already explaining the situation to them, standing at the head of the table, flanked by her teammates. General Ironwood had taken Jacques' seat on the opposite end, now flanked by Sleet and Camilla… quick to realign themselves after their brief alliance with Jacques had led them to this.
"Salem appeared through the Seer," Ruby explained. "She told us that Watts was just a distraction: he was only there to throw you off-balance before the rest of her Grimm arrived."
"More Grimm are coming?" Camilla asked.
"Yes," Ruby affirmed. "I… I don't think she was trying to bluff."
Ironwood nodded. "Salem doesn't bluff."
Winter and Oscar's arrival turned a few heads. Weiss moved over to embrace her sister, who returned the affection only briefly before moving along the table to join with the general and the rest of the council… leaving Weiss to shift her attention to Oscar, wondering if she should offer him some similar acknowledgement… but ultimately, giving Oscar only a faint nod before turning her attention to the general.
"We're still fighting off Watts' encryptions," Ironwood explained. "We've managed to restore communications to most of our ships, but several of the evacuation vessels were fully automated and we're still trying to get them back into position. There's still a lot of people down in Mantle we need to bring up."
"The heating grid is still down as well," Sleet noted. "If we can't evacuate them, a lot of people are going to freeze down there."
"Let them have access to Dust if they need something to heat their homes," Camilla suggested. "I'm sure former Councilman Schnee will have no objection…"
None they could hear, anyway. Ironwood turned his attention to Winter, solemnly inquiring: "...is it done?"
Winter nodded. "Yes, sir."
Ironwood turned his gaze back to Ruby. "Did you receive any response to your message before Amity lost propulsion?" Ruby shook her head. Ironwood reached up to scratch his bearded chin, deep in thought. "I see."
Sleet quickly moved to interject into the quiet. "General… given what we've learned about Jacques Schnee, I think it prudent to quickly revoke our prior orders and restore all necessary military authority for you to deal with this matter."
Camilla wasn't quite as quick to curry favor, but acceded. "Yes. These are clearly extraordinary circumstances."
It put them right back into the same gridlock they'd faced before: their two votes against Ironwood's twin seats as academy headmaster and military commander. They'd gained a measure of autonomy from him, but now that their kingdom was under threat, they were quick to surrender that small freedom.
"My forces were exhausted fighting the Grimm already," Ironwood noted. "Once they've completed as much of the evacuation as possible, I'll order them to fall back to Atlas and prepare. If Salem is going to directly assault the kingdom, she must've prepared a force sufficient to do that, even if Watts failed."
"...what do you mean?" Yang inquired.
"The timeline has changed," Ironwood continued. "And so we must change accordingly."
"You have new orders, sir?" Winter asked.
Oscar looked across the table at him. He felt… contortion. Some painful mix of disappointment… and guilt.
"Oz?" Oscar breathed.
Nothing.
"We're going to take our plan for Amity and apply it to the city of Atlas," Ironwood replied.
"...what?" Ruby wondered, confused.
"It was Oz's plan in a former life," Ironwood explained, briefly turning his gaze to Oscar. "But he didn't take it far enough. Once we've evacuated as many as possible, we harness the power of the staff and raise ourselves into the atmosphere. We reestablish communications with the rest of the world, Salem arrives and finds no prize for her force to conquer. The city's artificial climate will keep citizens and food supplies unharmed. Our soldiers have time to recover and rebuild and eventually reengage without putting citizens at risk."
"But… what if she arrives before you finish evacuating everyone?" Blake asked, aghast. "You'd leave those people on the ground to die."
Another uncomfortable silence hung in the room. All eyes were on the general, once again in sole command, unhindered by council politics, holding the weight of the world on his own.
Oscar wanted him to remember he wasn't alone. They'd all stood beside him and pledged their support when all seemed lost. Pragmatic as the decision may have seemed, surely Ironwood still believed that they could hold back their enemies -even hold back Salem- long enough if they remained united.
But he knew the weight of the world. He knew what Ironwood's answer would be: Ozpin had been willing to make the same mistake, and find solace in minimizing losses rather than preventing them entirely. When one had the power over life and death, the voices of detractors only rang so loud.
"Yes…" Ironwood solemnly affirmed. "I would."
Team RWBY exchanged glances. Weiss turned her attention to her sister, standing unflinchingly at the general's side. Surely she would try to persuade him otherwise, try to temper his pragmatism… but she never said a word.
"We can't allow Salem to capture the relics," Ironwood firmly stated. "We secure her minions, then we get the Staff, the Lamp, and the Maidens as far away from her as possible." He was resolved now, standing up from his seat, though he took the time to humor the skeptical children before him. "Sometimes, doing the right thing means making tough decisions."
Team RWBY searched the room. The councilors didn't say a word. Weiss desperately searched Winter's face for some... dissent, some private disapproval. Winter's professionalism made her difficult to read -even to her sister- and she could only hope Winter wouldn't simply go along.
"Oz?" Oscar quietly inquired.
Nothing.
Eyes scoured the room. Team RWBY hoped the adults, their military commander and benefactor, the elected councilors, their family, or the boy with the immortal wizard would offer them some reassurance this drastic step wasn't about to be taken. They may have had their own doubts, but no one said a word.
Blake had her opinions on the matter: she'd already spoken out of turn. Yang was chomping at the bit to give Ironwood her opinion. Weiss was still desperately hoping her sister would object first, but was steeling herself to support one of her teammates if they gave the matter their voice.
Ruby had been brutally mocked by Salem for her defiance: broken only by the ancient witch's words. Her confidence had been shaken, and she'd already been wounded and exhausted in the fight with her minions and a (presumably) smaller force of Grimm.
She'd also asked the world for their help. If they came to Atlas' defense -if they trusted her- and found nothing but a mass of Grimm and a city too far away to help them, and any of them were left to Salem and the Grimm because of what she said-
She knew her course. And if no one else would tell Ironwood this difficult truth...
"You're right," Ruby agreed. "It does."