Here we are at Chapter 101. Let's see how Velvet handles her meeting with Ironwood after their last meeting back in Beacon. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 101. Enjoy.
Chapter 101: Game Plan
As their airship flies up into the sky, Velvet and her friends lament the situation they are currently in. Velvet looks around, seeing her friends either sad, worried, or trying to rip the cuffs off with their teeth (primarily Nora on that one).
"So, where do you think they're taking us?" Ruby asks.
"I'm gonna take a guess and say... prison," Qrow replies.
"I don't get it. We were helping people down in Mantle. Why arrest us?" Yang asks.
"That's just how the Atlas military works. If you're not one of them, then you're not allowed to do the right thing as a huntsmen or huntress basically," Qrow says.
"Who were those guys anyway? They took us down in seconds," Jaune asks.
"Those were Ironwood's Ace Ops," Weiss answers.
Just then, another guy with brown hair in a short ponytail and a beard looks their way, "You guys ran into the Ace Ops? Heh, Ironwood must really have a bone to pick with you guys," the man says.
"What? They get you too?" Velvet asks.
"Hmph. I'd never let myself get caught by those guys. Ironwood's personal attack dogs. I'm here because I've been speaking out against his exploitation of Mantle," the man says.
"You threw a brick at our ship," the pilot up front says.
"It's worth it if it gets people talking about our cause!" the man says.
"What cause?" Blake asks.
"The fight to gain better conditions for Mantle. Lead by the brave, talented, intelligent, lovely Robyn Hill and her happy huntresses!" the man cheers, causing the pilot to shake his head and hit a button to raise the window. "She's running for a seat on the council, and when she wins, she'll put a stop to Ironwood's nefarious schemes!" the man yells.
Velvet sighs, "Great. More drama," she mutters.
Velvet then turns around to activate her Maiden powers to burn the handcuffs off, but Ruby notices and stops her.
"What are you doing?" Ruby whispers.
"Getting us out of here. What does it look like?" Velvet replies.
"Look, I know this is bad, but if we break out like this, we'll be fugitives and then we'll definitely never see Ironwood. Just calm down and let's wait and see how this goes. Please, Velvet," Ruby pleads.
Velvet stares at her for a moment before deactivating her power and sighs, "Fine. But the second I see a jail cell, I've going Lord of Calamity on their asses," Velvet whispers back.
Ruby smiles, "I'd figured that's as much as I'd get from you. Thanks Velvet," Ruby says and kisses her cheek, which helps Velvet calm down even more.
Just then, they see their airship penetrate the layer of clouds above Mantle and get a closer look at the kingdom of Atlas. Of course, their attention quickly turns to the largest, and tallest, building in the center of the kingdom.
"Is that..." Yang trails off.
"Yep. That's Atlas Academy. It also serves as the command base for the Atlas military since Ironwood is also the headmaster there," Weiss explains.
"It's awesome," Ruby mutters in awe.
"I don't get it. I thought they were taking us to the jail, not to the school," the man mutters.
The airship lands on one of the landing pads in front of the school. Two Atlas soldiers open up the doors, giving the group a better look at the large staircase at the front of the school, leading all the way to the main entrance.
"Looks like we'll be seeing the General after all," Ruby notes.
"Get moving," one of the soldiers tells them.
The group step out of the airship, leaving the man with the ponytail as the doors close on him. The airship then takes off for another destination.
"What do we do?" Blake asks as they walk up the stairs.
"We need to play this right. We need to know what's been going on around here. So for now, let's just be careful about what we say when we see the General. Okay?" Ruby says.
"We'll follow your lead, Sis," Yang says.
"Hey, keep quiet!" one of the soldiers orders them and aims his rifle at Ruby.
That was the last mistake this guy makes. The second he pointed that rifle at Ruby, Velvet growls and flips into the air, throwing a roundhouse kick to the soldier's face and sends him flying. The other guard tries to shoot his rifle at her, but Velvet activates her foot blades and swings them around, slicing the rifle in half. She follows it up by activating her demon claw which breaks her free from her cuffs and clamps it down on the man's skull, suffocating him until he passes out and she drops his body.
"Velvet, what are you doing?!" Qrow yells.
"No way in Hell am I just gonna stand by and let some punk point a rifle at Ruby and get away with it," Velvet argues.
"But what if more soldiers come and find us?" Jaune asks.
"Then we'd better get moving to Ironwood before that happens. Come on," Velvet says as she uses her demon claw to free everyone from their cuffs.
They walk into the main school building and make their way through the school towards a pair of elevators. Of course, there are more guards waiting for them and as soon as they see a group of unknown individuals approaching them, they aim their rifles at them. Velvet just smirks and raises her demon claw. Up on another floor, Ironwood and Winter are walking through a hallway, readying their weapons.
"How did a group of intruders already make their way into the school?" Ironwood asks.
"I don't know sir. But we already have security teams meeting us by the elevators. Reports claim that's where they're coming from. Security cameras have been destroyed apparently, so we don't know who it is. Rest assured, we'll be ready when they arrive," Winter explains.
They come to the elevators with several soldiers joining them. They ready their weapons and watch as the elevator opens up. However, Ironwood and Winter are shocked when they see Velvet walk out of the elevator first, followed by the rest of her group.
"...Velvet Crowe?" Ironwood mutters.
"You're here!" Penny suddenly cheers from out of nowhere.
"Sir, should we fire?" one soldier asks.
"No. Stand down. Lower your weapons now!" Ironwood orders them, and they do so.
Weiss walks up, "Winter," she looks at her sister.
"Weiss? What... What is this?" Winter asks.
"I think we have some things to discuss, Ironwood. Sorry about the mess. Your soldiers didn't give us much choice before down in Mantle, and then one of them pointed his rifle at Ruby's head. You should know that I don't take to kindly to that sort of thing," Velvet says.
"I see..." Ironwood mutters. After ordering away his men to tend to the injured and to clean up the mess, he leads Velvet's group into his office. "It is so good to see all of you again. Even you, Velvet Crowe. After the Fall of Beacon, you disappeared. Some thought you were dead, but we could never find your body," he says.
"I had some business to take care of before I could come back, only to find my team separated, so I went looking for Ruby. Took me a while, but I found her soon enough, "Velvet says.
"Regardless, I am glad that you're all here in Atlas now," Ironwood says.
"Our little welcome down in Mantle didn't give us that impression," Yang notes.
Ironwood sighs, "I'm sincerely sorry about how you were treated by my men. That was never my intention. It's just that when an unauthorized ship enters our airspace and lands somewhere in Mantle and not at one of the designated hangers, it raised some red flags... We assumed the ship was stolen," Ironwood explains.
"Well... Yeah, we stole it," Velvet admits without a care in the world.
Ironwood smirks a bit, but Winter gets angry, "You STOLE an Atlas airship?!" she questions Weiss. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?! You could have been shot down! What could have possibly made you-," Winter berates her until Weiss surprisingly hugs her older sister which calms her down.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, but we did what we had to do," Weiss explains.
Winter concedes and returns the hug, "I... suppose you did. Can I blame your significant other for coming up with such a dangerous idea?" she asks as she eyes Yang, who waves with a nervous laugh.
"No, this was more of a group effort," Weiss smiles as she steps back.
"Alright, with that out of the way. We need to talk to you about some things that are... classified," Qrow says.
"Oh, is it about the Relic?" Penny asks.
"Or the Winter Maiden?" Winter adds, both taking Ironwood's sides.
"You... You told them?" Qrow asks, stunned as are the rest of them.
Ironwood smirks before pulling out the Relic of Knowledge from his desk drawer, "Did you really think you were the only ones who came up with a plan after Beacon? After Beacon fell and Ozpin was gone, I needed a team of my own. People I know I could trust. So yes, I told them. The Ace Ops as well. That's why I'm so glad that you're all here... with this. For a long time, I thought it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Ozpin has held her back time and time again, but she will always return, stronger and stronger... Unless we destroy her," Ironwood declares.
"Okay, aside from that, what about the Relic here in Atlas?" Velvet asks.
"Aw, the Staff of Creation. It's safely locked away inside the vault beneath the school," Ironwood says.
"What about the Winter Maiden?" Ren asks.
"She's secure. And in stable condition," Winter replies.
"Stable?" Yang asks.
"The Winter Maiden is old, Yang. A lot older than me," Qrow leaves it at that.
"We've got high-level security protecting both of them. Listen, I know that may not seem very well in your eyes. Having my forces recalled, the Dust embargo, the closing of borders. I know it must not look well right now. You may even have a hard time trusting me right now," Ironwood says.
"We've been down in Mantle. We've seen the sorry state it's in. The people there are either suffering or angry, and that's drawing in the Grimm," Velvet notes.
"I know. I needed to ensure that Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas like how her forces did in Beacon, and I needed my forces here to protect my people," Ironwood explains.
"But they don't feel protected. They feel threatened and like your oppressing them. It's making everyone hate you," Yang points out.
Ironwood sighs, "It's the price I'm willing to pay," he says and then hits a button on his desk, darkening the windows behind him to conceal the room. "Just you all have been entrusted with the knowledge of Salem's existence. I need you all to trust me. I have a plan," he says, and then the center of the floor lifts up, causing the group to step aside while Ironwood walks over to the newly formed table. "Ozpin believed that 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 the position of needing... a new approach," he explains.
"What new approach?" Velvet asks.
Ironwood brings out a small remote and hits a switch, bringing up a hologram of Amnity Arena.
"That's... Amnity Coliseum," Jaune says.
"Where the Vytal Festival is held?' Oscar asks.
"Indeed. When Beacon fell, and everyone lost contact with one another, I knew that our current system was outdated. Amnity was built to bring the nations together. And it will serve that purpose once again," Ironwood explains, hits a switch, and then the image of a tower appears on top of the coliseum.
"Isn't that-," Ruby begins.
"Isn't it great. We're not just going to replace Beacon tower. Building a new tower on top of Amnity Arena will allow us to reestablish global communications with the rest of the world," Penny interrupts him.
"By launching the tower high into the atmosphere, our scientists believe we can create a sort of... satellite. Out of Salem's reach and capable of maintaining global communications even if we were to lose another tower," Winter adds.
"That... is great," Ruby says.
"James, I admit, this is a pretty good idea you got here, but you don't need your whole army for something like this," Qrow notes.
"I will for the next part of the plan... where I finally tell the people about Salem," Ironwood confesses, shocking them.
Qrow grunts in realization, "So that's why you withdrew your troops. To handle the panic that will break out in Atlas," he says.
"Yes. Panic is inevitable. And panic will bring the Grimm. But, I believe we are ready. Once Atlas has come to grips with the fight ahead, I will use Amnity tower to spread the message to ALL of Remnant," Ironwood says.
"But everything will fall apart. The Grimm will be everywhere," Weiss says.
"You're right, but Atlas is willing and ready to assist," Winter says.
"I highly doubt that will work so easily," Velvet notes mentally.
"I know that this situation isn't ideal. It won't be easy, but if we just keep hiding the truth from the rest of the world like we did before, we will all eventually die, and Salem will win. We need to stop her, and the only way we can do that is together," Ironwood says and shuts off the hologram and opens up the windows.
"Throughout Ozpin's life, all of his lives, he's kept this secret from the rest of the world," Qrow notes.
"I know... But ever since Beacon fell, things have changed. Without Ozpin here to guide us, all I can do is rely on my best judgment," Ironwood replies as he returns to his desk. However, he notices how everyone became silent at the mention of Ozpin. "...What is it?" he asks.
"Um well, Ozpin isn't exactly... gone," Oscar begins.
"Oscar's the newest incarnation of Ozpin," Velvet finishes.
Ironwood stares at the farm boy, surprised by this revelation, "Oz? I'm so glad you're here! I never thought-," Ironwood begins as he approaches Oscar.
"-Not quite... He's kind of... gone at the moment. I haven't been able to speak with him for a while," Oscar stops him.
Ironwood loses his smile, "That's not normal. How did he-," he begins to ask.
"We're not sure...There was a train crash and when we all came to, Ozpin was just... gone. We've been on our own without his help ever since," Ruby lies.
"That's unsettling. Did he tell you anything about the relics before he left?" Ironwood asks.
"He said that the lamp can answer three questions every one hundred years, but all the questions had already been used up this era," Ruby replies.
"I see," Ironwood says and returns to his desk. "He told us that once before. Well, be that as it may, at least you're here Oscar. You'll be safe in Atlas. Maybe together, we can find a way to bring Ozpin back," Ironwood says.
"Um, thank you sir... Uh General... Ironwood?" Oscar says, unsure of what to call him.
Ironwood smiles and walks to Ruby to hand her the lamp.
"You're giving it back to me?" Ruby asks.
"After what happened with the Ace Ops, I don't want you to think that I'm keeping things 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 says and returns the lamp to Ruby.
Ruby puts the lamp on her belt, "Thank you, General," she says.
"With the Winter Maiden, and two of the Relics firmly in our possession, I'd say this is a good start to fighting back against Salem," Ironwood notes.
"Not one Maiden..." Velvet says and then activates her Maiden powers; the energy flowing from her eyes. "We have two."
"You're... a Maiden?" Winter asks.
"The Fall Maiden," Velvet replies.
"But how? I thought Cinder Fall had that power," Winter asks.
"My semblance allows me to absorb the strength of others, including their aura. The power of a Maiden is not omnipotent. It moves from one host to the next. At the battle for Haven, I was able to use my semblance to absorb the Fall Maiden's power from Cinder... and then I killed her. So now I am the Fall Maiden. I didn't want this power, but at least it's better than leaving it in the hands of Salem, wouldn't you agree?" Velvet explains.
Ironwood recomposes himself, "I see. Today is truly a good day, I suppose. The Fall Maiden is needed to open the vault at Beacon. Ozpin took extra precautions to hide the vault and the Relic there, so odds are that Salem hasn't found it yet. But now without the power of the Fall Maiden in her possession, Salem can't claim the Relic there. Taking out Cinder and claiming the Fall Maiden's power is a victory for our side. Thank you, Velvet," Ironwood says. Velvet just shrugs her shoulders. "We must work together if we are to stop Salem. If you're all on board..." Ironwood trails off.
"What do you want us to do?" Ruby asks.
"Getting the Amnity tower operational will take some time. But first, I think it's about time we get those weapons of yours up to Atlas standards," Ironwood says, pulling up an image of Blake's broken blade.
"Don't forget: you're in Atlas now. While assisting the military, we will provide you with the best equipment our scientists can devise," Winter informs them.
"Ooh, we're getting weapon upgrades," Ruby mutters with stars in her eyes, making Velvet rolls her eyes with a smile.
And with that, the meeting ends and the group leave Ironwood's office, only to find the Ace Ops waiting for them in the room outside the office. The leader of the Ace Ops steps up to them.
"I'd like to sincerely apologize for the miscommunications down in Mantle. We didn't intend to-," the leader says as he steps, only for the larger female to push by him and step up.
"I feel SO bad! Honestly. If we had known who you were, we'd be laughing over a hot meal right now!" she says as she violently shakes Ruby's hand before dropping her onto the floor.
Ruby stumbles onto her feet, "It's okay. You were just following orders," she says, feeling dizzy.
Velvet steadies Ruby, "You didn't think to ask us questions first?" Velvet notes dryly.
"Please, questions are for the weak, and besides we're all on the same team now. Not that I'm particularly happy about it," the Faunus guy says, but his tail starts wagging for everyone to see, betraying his true feelings, and he grabs it to stop it.
"We just wanted to say that we're sorry, and that we're all looking forward to working with you on our next mission. I'm the leader. The name's Clover. This is Harriet, Elm, Vine, Marrow, and Melina. A pleasure to meet you all," Clover says.
Melina steps up to Velvet, "No hard feelings, right?" she asks in a flirting manner as she offers a hand to Velvet.
Ruby narrows her eyes at the woman while Velvet just stares at her, "Whatever," she replies.
"Come on guys, I'll show you to the dorms. You'll be sleeping there. It'll be just like Beacon again!" Penny cheers and walks off with the group in tow.
As they're walking, Velvet glances back at Melina, who smirks in response. Velvet only narrows her eyes as she turns back.
"Great. Another problem to deal with," Velvet notes mentally, groaning.
And that's the chapter. Just so you know, the OC ops member, Melina; her name can mean 'honey' sometimes, so her color is yellow basically. You'll see her semblance in the Dust mine mission. Anyway, Velvet and her friends make it to Atlas and meet with Ironwood to form a new plan, but will that plan go so well in the future? Until then, please Read and Review.