Ruby gazes out the window of the police airship as it flies over Mantle, then turns and looks at her friends. Nora chews at the bolas restraining her wrists, while everyone else sits silently, the only sounds being Nora's growling and the muffled chattering of the guards piloting the ship.
"Where do you think they're taking us?" Ruby asked.
"I'm gonna go with jail" Qrow answered.
"I still can't believe that fishing pole guy took us out like it was nothing" Jaune said.
"Welcome to Atlas. Those were Ironwood's Ace Operatives" Weiss said.
An unfamiliar man sitting with the group finally speaks up "Hmm? You guys had a run-in with the Ace-Ops? Ironwood must really have a bone to pick with you".
Weiss rolled her eyes "They're not that big of a deal".
"Not that big of a deal!? The Ace-Ops are the elite-of-elite military Huntsmen and Ironwood's personal attack dogs" The man said.
Nora cleared her throat before looking back at the man "So they got you too, huh?".
"Pfft! I wouldn't let myself get caught by them. I'm here because I've been speaking out against Atlas' exploitation of Mantle, and General Ironwood is trying to silence me" The man answered.
"You threw a brick at our ship!" One of the soldiers said.
Julius stifled a laugh "Damn, you just got exposed." Hector had to stifle a laugh as well.
The man spoke proudly "It's worth it if it gets people talking about our cause!".
The pilot sighs in annoyance as Blake spoke "Our cause?".
"Yes, the fight for better conditions in Mantle! Lead by the charismatic, talented, lovely Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses!" The man began as the pilot presses a button, causing the window between the cab and the back of the ship to begin slowly closing. The noticed this, stands up and begins frantically shouting to the window so the guards can hear him "They were all top Atlas Academy graduates, who could've signed up for the military, but Robyn and the Huntresses chose to stay in Mantle. She's gunning for a seat on the kingdom's council, and when she gets it, she's gonna put an end to Ironwood's tyranny!".
"Happy… Huntresses?" Oscar asked.
Yang almost looked amused "Is that their real name?".
"Eh, not as intimidating as I had hoped." Hector remarked.
"Don't you think tyranny is a little dramatic?" Weiss asked.
The man turns around to respond and looks surprised upon realizing who had just spoken "Easy to say for a Schnee heiress, living comfortably up in Atlas".
Weiss sighed sadly "Not anymore".
The airship finally makes it up to the City of Atlas, and Ruby looks out at the city in awe, while Nora is once again chewing her restraints.
"Whoa, it's gorgeous up here!" Ruby's comment causes, Julius, Jaune and Nora to leave their seats and look out the window with her.
Julius whistled in admiration "You said it."
"Don't let that fool you" Weiss said.
"Hm?" The man stands from his seat and looks outside "This isn't the police station".
"It's… Atlas Academy" Qrow said.
The ship docks on a landing pad in front of Atlas Academy and is met by a pair of guards, who open the ship's rear double doors to let Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Julius, Hcctor, Novus, Oscar and Qrow exit. Ruby gazes up at the towering academy while more guards line up along the path leading to the building.
"I guess we will be seeing the General. For better or worse" Ruby said as the group heads up to the school.
"So, what do we do?" Ren asked as they were riding a rising elevator inside the academy with their wrists still restrained, accompanied by guards.
"I don't know yet. But we should be careful with what we say" Ruby said making one of the guards looks over his shoulder at them.
Blake spoke quietly "We'll follow your lead, Ruby".
Ruby smiles but then starts to look worried again. The elevator beeps as it arrives at its destination, and the guards escort the group out into a hallway and down a flight of stairs. They arrive in a room just as Ironwood walks through, speaking to someone else.
"I swear if I have to sit through one more council meeting like that…" He turns toward a small flight of stairs on his way to his office, accompanied by Winter, Novus, Roman, Hayden, and Penny.
The latter notices the group and stops with a gasp "Yay, you're here".
Her celebratory greeting catches the attention of the others, causing them to stop and look.
Roman smirks "Well, look who it is. I see you have your hands 'tied up' with a few things."
Julius and Hector give him unamused looks.
"That's not funny" Hector said.
Roman chuckled "It's a little funny."
Weiss steps out from behind Ruby and approaches them "Winter".
Winter gasps lightly in surprise, and the sisters' reunion is quickly interrupted by Nora leaning in and holding up her bound wrists, grinning and waving her fingers "Anyone wanna give us a hand with these?".
Winter takes a moment to collect herself, returning to her usual stern demeanor and addressing the guards "You have ten seconds to take those off before I start hurting you".
The Guards looked at each other in confusion. Finally understanding the situation, the guards frantically begin removing the boluses from everyone's arms, while Ironwood watches with a smile.
"Please, come in" The group follows Ironwood and the others into Ironwood's office "It is so good to see all of you".
Yang massaged her wrist "Our reception didn't really convey that".
Ironwood sighs "I sincerely regret how you were treated by my team" Qrow rolls his eyes with a small huff. Ironwood walks behind his desk to sit down, and Hayden, Penny, and Winter take positions standing at either side of the desk and Novus and Roman stand with their team "When a rogue airship entered our airspace, it raised some… red flags. We assumed the ship was stolen".
"Stolen?" Ruby laughs awkwardly, before taking an apologetic tone "Okay, yeah, it was stolen".
Ironwood's eyes widen in surprise. He then smiles, and his shoulders move a tiny bit with a silent chuckle. Winter, meanwhile, finds no humor in the situation and begins scolding Weiss.
"You stole an Atlas airship?" Weiss watches with a frown as Winter approaches her "What were you thinking!? You might've been shot down! How unbelievably irresponsib-".
Weiss surprises and interrupts Winter by hugging her "I'm sorry I worried you. But we did what we had to do".
"I…" Winter sighs and hugs back, calming down "I suppose I understand".
Winter then turns her head to glare at Qrow "But I cannot believe that you allowed this to happen, Qrow".
"You try stopping these kids when they have their mind set on something. Speaking of which… We have some important information for you that's… confidential" Qrow said as Winter returns to her position beside Ironwood's desk.
Penny moves beside Ironwood "Oh, is it about the Relics?".
Winter moved to Ironwood's other side "Or perhaps the Winter Maiden? Or even the Doom Slayer?".
Qrow looked surprised "You told them?"
Ironwood stands from his desk and retrieves the Relic of Knowledge from a drawer, making it grow to its normal size as he holds it up "Did you really think you were the only one who got to work on a new plan after Beacon? With Ozpin gone, I needed my own team of people I could trust. So yes, Hayden and I told them. The Ace-Ops too. Which is why I'm so glad you're here… with this. Until now, I believed it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, has kept victory out of her claws, but she will keep returning stronger and stronger… unless we destroy her. And we all know there's only one way to do that."
Hayden finished the sentence "We must release Sentinel Prime."
Ironwood places the Relic atop his desk, while Ruby looks deep in thought "But… what about the Atlas Relic?".
"You mean the Staff of Creation?" Ironwood asked.
"It's safe inside the Vault!" Penny answered for him.
"And the Winter Maiden?" Qrow asked.
"She is secure and in stable condition" Winter answered.
Yang looked suspicious "Stable condition? What does that-".
Qrow quickly stops her before she could make the wrong assumptions "She's, uh, not exactly a spring chicken".
"I know how this all looks. Recalling my military? The embargo? I probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now" Ironwood said.
"Then why continue it?" Blake asked.
"The people of Mantle are hurting!" Nora added.
"I needed to ensure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas. And I wanted my military here, protecting my people" Ironwood answered.
"But it's not protecting them! It's making everyone hate you" Yang pointed out.
"It's a price I'm willing to pay" Ironwood reaches over to a glowing panel of buttons on his desk and taps a button that resembles a table emitting light from its surface "Just as you all have been entrusted with the knowledge of Salem's existence, I need you all to trust me. I have a plan" Shutters come down outside the windows, darkening the room. A circle in the center of the floor bearing Atlas' emblem begins to rise up, prompting Ruby and Oscar to step off of it. As Ironwood talks and makes his way over to it, the circle continues to rise and transforms into a table "Ozpin believed the best way to fight Salem was to do so in secret. Whether that was the right choice or not isn't for me to say. But we find ourselves in a position of needing, well, a new approach".
"And what do you suggest?" Qrow asked.
Ironwood brings out a tiny remote and presses a button, activating a hologram display of Amity Colosseum, which hovers above the table.
"That's… Amity Colosseum" Jaune said.
"Where the Vytal Festival is held?" Oscar asked.
"Indeed. When Beacon fell and everyone on Remnant lost contact with one another, I knew our current system was outdated. Amity was built to bring the nations together, and it will serve that purpose once again" Ironwood explained as he presses the button again, and the hologram Amity Colosseum gains an antenna atop it. Everyone stares at the hologram and look at each other.
"Isn't it great? We're not going to just replace Beacon Tower. Building a new tower on top of Amity Colosseum will re-establish global communications!" Penny said happily.
"By launching the tower high into the atmosphere, our scientists believe we can create a sort of… satellite out of reach of the Grimm and capable of maintaining global communications even if we were to lose another tower" Winter said.
"That is great" Ruby admitted.
Julius nodded, liking where this was going "It's a bit crazy, but it just might work."
"James... you don't need the entire military for this" Qrow pointed out.
"I will for the next part, where I finally tell the people about Salem" Ironwood said, surprising everyone in the room.
"Huh, so that's why you withdrew your troops, to handle the panic that would break out in Atlas" Qrow realized.
"Yes, panic is inevitable, and panic brings Grimm. But I believe we are ready. Once Atlas has come to grips with the fight ahead, I'll use Amity Tower to spread the message to all of Remnant" Ironwood said.
"I too have a plan" Hayden said "It turns out that I have access to a Night Sentinel portal, one that could potentially bring the Slayer back to Remnant. The only problem is that we still need a source of magic strong enough to break through Salem's barrier, which I now realize may be you four" he gestured to Team JRHD, "You are meant to be his harbingers, so we will need to access the portal deep in a Sentinel Tomb. Unfortunately, it is currently overrun by an outside force; we will need to clear it if we are to get to it."
Hector cracked his knuckles "Piece of cake."
"But everything will fall apart. Grimm will be everywhere!" Weiss said, worried about what would certainly happen if the truth came out.
"You're right, but Atlas is willing and prepared to assist" Winter assured.
"Plus, we should not underestimate Novus here" Hayden advised, "He's inherited some of his father's power. Not all of it, mind you, but just enough to make him a legitimate problem for the Grimm."
"Trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all" Ironwood presses a button on his remote, and the hologram disappears, the table transforms and recedes into the floor and the shutters pull away from the windows.
"Oz spent his whole life, many lives, keeping this secret" Qrow reminded.
"I know. But since Beacon, things have changed" Ironwood begins heading back to his desk "Without him here to guide us, all I can do is use my best judgment" Behind him, Oscar shifts uncomfortably. As if sensing something, Ironwood stops and looks back "What is it?".
"Actually, Oz isn't completely gone" Oscar answered.
"Uh, Oscar here is… is the next Ozpin" Qrow explained.
"Oz?" Smiling, Ironwood quickly and eagerly approaches Oscar, who looks nervous "I'm so glad you're here. I didn't think you-".
Oscar puts his hands up and interrupts Ironwood, as the latter crouches to Oscar's level "Not quite. He's kind of, um, gone... at the moment".
Ironwood's smile fades, and he lowers his head "That's not normal. How did he-".
"We don't know" Ironwood, Qrow and Oscar look at Ruby "We were in a train crash, and ever since, well… suddenly, Oz wasn't there anymore".
"That's the worst news yet" Ironwood rose to his feet "Did you learn anything from him about the Relics before…?".
"He told us the lamp can answer three questions. But all the questions were used up already" Ruby answered.
What on earth are you lying to him for, Ruby? Summer wondered aloud in Julius's head. Julius was plenty confused himself.
"Right, right" Ironwood walks back behind his desk and stares out the window "Ozpin told us that too, once upon a time. At least we have you, Oscar. You're safe here in Atlas. Maybe together we can figure out how to bring Ozpin back".
Oscar grins "Thank you, sir" He then stands at attention "I mean, uh, general. Uh, Ironwood?".
Ironwood picks up the Relic of Knowledge, walks over to Ruby and offers it to her, surprising her "You're giving it back to me?".
"After what happened with the Ace-Ops, I don't want you to think I'm keeping anything from you, especially something as important as this. For the time being, I think it's safest with the people who brought it here" Ironwood said as he hands her the Relic.
"Um, thank you" Ruby shrinks the Relic and hooks it onto her belt, exchanging a look with Oscar.
"We must work together if we're to fight Salem and win. Now, if you're all on board…" Ironwood said.
Ruby thinks it over for a few seconds, then looks at Ironwood "Tell us how we can help".
Ironwood smiled "Good, because getting the Amity Tower ready to launch won't be easy. But first, I think we need to get those weapons of yours up to our standards".
A hologram screen appears, showing footage of Blake drawing her broken katana before their fight against the Sabyrs in Mantle as well as Julius, still with his eyepatch and arm bandage. The two react with embarrassment.
"Remember, this is Atlas. While assisting the military, we will provide you with the best equipment our scientists can devise" Winter said before looking at Julius, "I'll personally see to it you get a new arm and eye. Your sword could use a repair as well if I remember correctly."
Julius bring out the shattered hilt of his sword, Hell's Bane, and sighs, "I mean, if you can fix it, that would be great."
Winter nodded "Consider it done."
Upon exiting Ironwood's office, the group encounters the Ace-Ops once more.
One of the members, a dog faunus, was speaking "So, that was the second time I got banned. Then there was the third time when-".
"Alright, cut the chatter" The smaller girl, Harriet, said. Katrina stood next to her, waving excitedly when she saw the gang approach.
As Ruby and her friends walk down the stairs, the Ace-Ops approached them with the leader speaking "I'd like to sincerely apologize for the miscommunication down in Mantle. We didn't intend to-".
Suddenly, Elm pushes her way past her teammates and begins frantically shaking Ruby's hand, accidentally flailing her about in the air "I feel so bad, honestly! If we had known who you were, we'd be laughing over a hot meal right now and-".
Partway through her second sentence, Elm drops the now-dizzy Ruby on the floor "I understand. You were just following orders".
Ruby gets to her feet, groaning, only to be spun around by Weiss "I mean, you could have asked us some questions first".
"Questions are for the weak. But we're all on the same team now. Not that I'm happy about it" The faunus said, and soon realizes that his tail is wagging. He reaches back and grabs it, much to the Harriet and Katrina's amusement.
"We just wanted to say we're sorry. And that we're looking forward to working with you on our next mission. You might be students, but you've been fighting just as hard as we have, if not harder" Clover said.
"Exactly why I'm looking forward to seeing what you kids can do" Harriet said with a smirk.
"Not everything's a competition, Hare" Vine said, earning a disappointed look from Harriet.
Katrina playfully nudges Harriet "Cheer up, I'm always down for a good face off."
Harriet chuckled "I think you'll find I've gotten a bit tougher than before, Kat."
Katrina narrows her eyes "Oh, really?"
Penny enters the room and slides in front of Ruby, throwing her hands up in excitement "C'mon! Let me show you around campus".
She enthusiastically marches away, with Ruby and friends following her. Elsewhere in the school, Penny leads everyone through various hallways, while the group becomes more and more tired as the tour goes on.
"So that way's the cafeteria, and that way is the training rooms. Oh, and over there are the classrooms!" She explained with no sign of being tired.
Ruby stretches, yawning loudly. The group comes to a stop, with everyone looking exhausted. Nora leans against Ren, asleep on her feet "This all looks great, Penny. But where are we staying?" Ruby asks.
Penny turns around "Remember, you're in Atlas now. As the most well-funded school on Remnant, every teen at Atlas Academy gets their own room! And if that wasn't enough-".
"So we're staying in the dorms?" Ren finished for her.
"It'll be just like Beacon again!" Penny said with an excited dance and hop.
Nora collapses to the floor.
Julius stretches his arms "I mean, as long as we sleep somewhere comfy, I don't really care at this point."
Hector yawns "Agreed."
Penny then showed them to their rooms, where they each wished each other good night and went in. Before going in, however, Novus turns back to Penny, removes his helmet, and smiles.
"You have no idea how happy I am to see you again" he said.
Penny smiled back "Well, I certainly missed you too, Damian."
The two shared a brief kiss before Penny had to leave due to a summons from Hayden. Once she left, Novus entered the room where the rest of JRHD was staying and crashed on the open bed, feeling the most peaceful he had ever felt in almost a year…
…
Meanwhile, Watts could be seen walking into a hidden laboratory. Inside, he was greeted by a thin, pale woman with white hair.
"Dr. Watts." The woman said in greeting.
Watts nodded in return "Our mistress desires to learn of our progress, Dr Pierce."
Pierce nodded and led him through a hallway full of massive glass containers filled with liquid as well as a hellish array of creatures all fused with machinery in an almost unholy union.
"Our cyber initiative goes on schedule." Pierce explained.
"And for our two…special projects?" Watts asked.
The two glanced to an area farther down the hallway where two dormant figures could be seen restrained in different containment cells; one larger and slightly armored, while the other is more cybernetic and had a double chainsaw for one of its hands.
"The cyberdemon will need a bit more time" Pierce said, "But our hunter is ready to deploy."
Watts smirked "Excellent, but we mustn't send it yet; only for when things get particularly dicey."
Pierce smiled "Understood."
Watts reveled in the idea of what these new creations would bring about for Atlas.