the scene opened up with the Atlas snowscape
ATLAS: 14:30, 5/4/2024 came the block text as the camera glided around. It zoomed in on a mountain base. BASE ECHO ALPHA. Came the block text as the scene cut to a man wrapped in a white military coat and heavy wraps shambling forward. Several dozen men and children followed him as they. Some soldiers with long rifles stood at the base walls, motioning for the refugees to enter. A single soldier met the group on the ground floor. "General, is this…?" he said, his voice worn with grief.
"All that is left." a familiar voice said, but it was cracked. Broken. In anguish. The soldier looked in shock and dismay.
"This is all that is left? of … of Atlas?" the soldier coked out. A solemn nod answered him.
"Wha-what?" Winter said as James swallowed. No, no. Atlas can't fall. Not like this. There are so few.
Cinder just smiled cruelly at the knowledge that Atlas had fallen. Salem's plan was coming into fruition
"At least we took a whole damn lot of them with it." one of the soldiers in the group said. The group was escorted into the compound, where they discarded their heavy clothes. The first man, addressed as General, revealed himself to be Jaune Arc. tired eyes and the start of a beard from not shaving were evident on his face. "General Arc, the War Room has asked for a council." a soldier said, giving a salute.
"The dolt's a GENERAL?!" Weiss asked incredulously. James only blinked.
"What happened to me?" he asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.
Orb was silent for a moment before speaking, in a careful measured tone. "You sacrificed yourself in the first siege of Atlas. Before your heroic death, you passed your position to Jaune Arc in the midst of the worst Grimm invasion in the History of the world." Orb said. "Jaune went on to be the best general anyone could ask for in the worst conditions possible."
Ozpin gulped, before asking "as in recorded history, or…?"
"In History. Ever." Orb responded as Ozpin gave a silent prayer.
"Thank you. Alert them that I will be there soon." Jaune said as he paced in measured steps to a Ward labeled R&D, which had been turned into both a research and development lab, but it was mostly additional hospital space. A greying man met him at the door as several soldiers saluted, or tried to in their injured states. "At ease. Don't salute me, Men. not when you are like this." Jaune said to the men before addressing the researcher. "How goes it?"
"Incredibly good. The body is done, all we need is the core AI." The scientist said, dragging the commander to a glass plated cylinder. Inside was a relatively older version of Penny, with parts of skin missing that revealed the metal skeleton and workings of the Robot.
"Penny?" Ruby asked, looking at her mortified friend. James and Winter were also in a similar state.
"Different universe, remember?" Ironwood tried to cover, but was doing so badly. Ruby gave him a look before dropping it.
"Penny... " jaune swallowed, putting a hand lightly to the glass. "How long before she's out?"
"By the end of week. I am assuming you have the Core AI?"
Jaune nodded before marching to the War Room. several men and women were at the table, including Sebastian Cortez and Sun Wukong
"Hey, Look! It's me!" Sun said, pointing to the fur wrapped blonde monkey sitting glumly over a map of the world.
"Yeah, we know. We know." Blake rolled her eyes.
"General." Sebastian greeted curtly.
"Cortez, Wukong. What are we looking at? It does not look good." Jaune said, greeting the men at the table.
"We… I hate to say it, but these are the last days of man. Armies of grimm march through all of Vale and Minstral. Vaulco's situation remains unchanged, with the last survivors making it to Echo Beta just last week." Jaune winced, remembering the first extraction of Vaulco, trying to save some of those people from the incoming grimm. A scene of Jaune commanding a small boat loaded with people like sardines with a storm behind him came to the screen. It faded with the voice returning. "And Atlas has fallen. We are facing the Doomsday, General." Jaune nodded, fully aware of the situation
"Is… is this the end of man?" Penny asked Orb, looking at him. He bobbed up and down, signifying yes. Ironwood gulped, not daring to tear his eyes away from the screen. He prayed that some small miracle would happen. Most everyone was shocked at the end of the world as they knew it. Except Cinder, who was chuckling evilly, convinced that she must have gotten the power she craved.
"What would you have me do? We have no choices left. Salem must fall somehow, lest Humanity be doomed." Sun said, looking at the map. Jaune looked him in the eye. "Well then. If humanity is truly doomed, let us make such an end of it." he smiled
Tai and Ironwood looked at eachother, knowing what he ment. "No. no, no nono." Ghira muttered, clasping his hands together.
A scene cut saw Jaune and the scientist standing in front of Penny. "General, the AI Core?" he asked meekly. Jaune pulled a datastick off his necklace, giving the AI to the doctor. A quick upload later and the cylinder was opened up as Penny came back to life.
"Friend Jaune? Where am I? What happened? Last I remember was…. Was…``Penny said, frowning. "Where is my father?"
Jaune gulped, not meeting the android in the eye. "Penny… your father is dead. General Ironwood died in the first siege of Atlas." Jaune managed to say.
Ironwood closed his eyes, trying to not dwell on it. Ozpin just pushed a cup of coffee into the generals hand, giving him a comforting smile
"No…" Penny shook her head, not wanting to accept what she knew deep down was true.
"I'm sorry."
A scene cut showed Jaune standing in a separate room, trying to hype himself up. "General, it's time." Came a soldier from the doorway. Jaune nodded, taking a deep breath in. He walked out onto a stage with a single podium. Taking his position behind it, he took a deep breath in.
"Oh no. The dolt's going to give a speech." weiss sighed, prepping for the worst. Ruby just glared at her. "I wish you would stop saying such mean things about Jaune." she muttered to her partner.
"Men." he breathed out, his voice commanding, deep and resonating like a great bell. "I will not lie to you. We are approaching the end of times. Salem has unleashed her final assault, a force bred to wipe man from the face of this world." murmurs spread through the group of soldiers. "We are facing the Doom Days of our kind. The very maw of hell has open its jaw to beckon us in." Jaunes voice was even and measured. "But it would be far to easy to roll over and die like a dog." he said, emotion, anger snapping in his voice. "We have reached the end of the line, Boys! And we shall not go silently into that grey night!" at this point, he was practically yelling. " If Salem thinks that we will just up and die, she's about to get a surprise! Because we will not go quietly!" At this, the soldiers were starting to cheer at the end of each sentence. " We will not go without fire and flame! We will not go alone! We will not! Look around you, to the left and right of you!" at this, the soldiers looked beside them. "These are your brothers in such troubling times! These are your brothers and sisters on the field of battle! Defend them with your life!"
"He's… He's amazing." Ghira said, in awe of his ability to stir the crowd. "Just look at the way he speaks to them."
Ironwood could only look at his successor in pride. Mercury just smiled, already feeling inspired at the speech.
"For our brothers and sisters have already fallen! Forget not what they sacrificed so that we could stand here today! Flesh and bone, Soul and blood they gave for you! It is time to repay them in full! For it is today, my wolves, it is today. For Rise wolves of the North! Rise above what you once were! Rise above what you will ever be again! Rise now, Rise for fury!" a scene cut to soldiers marching past an armory, grabbing rifles and ammo belts as they passed the armorer. "Rise for wrath!" another scene cut a small navy sailing towards the frozen beach of Mantle, jaunes voice echoing via Radio. "Rise for Ruin!" a scene cut to soldiers marching into dropships. "Rise for Death!" a army of grimm marching across the snow plains of Mantle. "Rise for bone!" An obelisk with names carved into it was shown on the screen. "Rise for blood!" The scene showed a large group of refugees huddled underground was shown. "Rise for a red Dawn!" The sun was rising, painting the sky red as the scene ended.
"Whoo. Kid knows how to give a speech." Roman said, still coming off the pure emotion of the speech.
"He is quite the orator." Winter said as Ironwood did his best to remain composed.
"Yes. Most all versions of Jaune are rather impressive when it comes to that. I am preparing another scene, if you are ready?" Orb said, pulling a bit of fire that orbited around him.
"Yes, please. Give us a moment." Kali smiled, munching on a piece of fish.