Atlas News: Ironwood and Ace-Ops missing!
It's been days now and the people are now wondering WHERE General Ironwood alongside those with him have gone.
To answer these questions, countless have demanded answers from the Council and what they know. Eventually it was revealed that the general had gone on a trip to a part in Solitas for investigation with the Ace-Ops, beloved scientist Pitro Polendia and Mantle Protector Project PENNY. Yet the trip has gone awry as while many soldiers and scientist have returned from the depths of Solitas, those mentioned have gone missing.
Those in Atlas are now worried and those in Mantle fearing for their lives with one of their protectors gone. However, in Mantle the Happy Huntresses have stepped with the leader of the group stepping in and declared to use this time not fear, but untie.
Elections for the new council are coming in, while the embargo has been called off and supplies are being sent to Mantle for repairs. While many are still suspicious and worried for the mysterious absence of those missing, Atlas and Mantle still stand.
"Well. That can't be good." It's been a while since the events of the train. Since the battle with the Grimm and Ganeesh, and sending him flying while the train continued on its way. Could have been worse had the Grimm stitch around, but thankfully they chased after that loser robot making their trip easier. Especially thanks to Ren and Jaune's combined efforts to keep the people calm.
However, like always it felt as if there was one problem traded in for another. After arriving at the station and headed towards Jaune's sister's home to relax for the next few days, they all saw the news.
Ironwood and others missing.
"This isn't good." Oscar, or now Ozpin in this case, spoke after responding to Qrow's words. Everybody else is watching. "To think that James is missing. This bodes…unwell."
"You think it was her?" Jaune then asked aloud, with everybody else there with them. Team RWBY and JN_R, as they knew of what was at stake. Particularly of the true threat on Remnant, and the one Cinder Fall followed. "Salem."
"...Most likely yes." Ozpin answered back with a grave tone. "While the news hasn't told us everything, from what we know Ironwood and those he trusts went to investigate some disturbance outside the city."
"The general and my sister would never do something like that if it wasn't important." Weiss aid while also with a tinge of fear in her voice. Blake comforting her by patting her back, knowing she was like this because her sister was on the team. Now missing as well.
"Yeah. I mean, Jimmy's a real downer but he does things personally if he thinks there's some kind of danger to his city." Qrow didn't hold the best view on ironwood, not one bit. But he knew the man at the least took threats to Atlas seriously. "Whatever this disturbance was, must have been serious to get him to leave the desk and take the best of the best with him."
News was tough to spread around these days, especially with the CCT's down. However, that didn't mean it was impossible and Argus held an Atlas military force meaning while very difficult, they had the technology needed get some news from Atlas. Something this city found out and spread on Argus as the people learned what was going on there.
"No doubt about it, this must be Salem's doing." Ozpin said as he turned towards the others. Not looking happy. "While this is just conjecture, Salem undoubtedly must have done something to grab the general's attention. And when she had the chance," Ozpin looked back at the television where one can see the words missing on it. "Most likely dealt with him."
"You mean, dead?" Ren said emotionlessly, but his fists tightened while Weiss looking very pale.
"Wait. Maybe she just captured them." Jaune tried to say his thoughts with Yang also joining in, for Weiss's sake.
"Yeah. It said they were missing. That means no body was found," Probably. "Meaning they just might be…trapped."
"Until we get there, we can still hope." Ruby also said to Weiss, who while still fearful looked a bit better and calmed down.
"Right…Of course…" Winter was strong and had some of the best working with her. There's no way she would die so easily. Once she stopped appearing pale, Ruby smiled. Glad that even for just a moment, her partner was doing better. Ruby then looked back at the screen, as she narrowed her eyes on one name. Pietro Polendia.
Polendia. Penny. She then sighed. It was probably a coincidence, after all, Penny's gone. Memories of their time together coming up a bit along with the sad ones. Not that it stopped the memories from flowing into her. To ignore those feelings for now, Ruby looked at the screen showing who was missing, particularly someone called the Protector of Mantle.
'I wonder who that is?'
"Anyway," Qrow then spoke aloud as he turned to Ozpin. "So what does this mean for us? I mean, I thought once we got here we would take a ride and go to Atlas for that." That being the Relic of Knowledge. Even if it had no more questions like Ozpin said, it was still dangerous to just hold around haphazardly.
Salem simply grabbing it would mean she's finally a step closer towards her goal. Even worse, with the Spring Maiden gone and still unknown, they couldn't just put it back in the first place. As such, the plan was to go to Atlas and leave it there within the Vault holding the Staff of Creation. But with Ironwood gone, the only man in Atlas who knew of the truth of the world and access to much resources and information, is now gone.
"I don't suppose we can just go to Atlas and tell someone about Salem?" Nora asked, wondering if they can include someone else.
"No way." Qrow muttered. "We can't just pick any random doe or jane out in the open. That'd be crazy."
"But we need someone we can trust to put the Relic in Atlas's Vault." Blake added her argument in. "I mean, you guys already said having it out in the open is bad, and sooner or later Salem will send someone after us. Like Ganeesh, only more subtle."
While Ganeesh did mention not working with anybody, he knew about the Relic, what it can do. He had to be working with Salem, or at best, had been involved with her and decided to take the Relic himself. Worry entering everyone as up until now they dealt with Ganeesh like so, and drove him back twice. However, that strength of his was real, and that wasn't even mentioning the fact that he's very persistent.
"I suppose we can still go to Atlas still." Ozpin then said as he narrowed down the options they had. "But perhaps a change in destination would be better."
"Vacuo?" Qrow guessed with Ozpin nodding.
"Oh yeah." Yang then realized what they meant. "Shades Headmaster works with you. And as far as we know, he should be safe."
"Meaning we can put the Relic in the Summer Vault." Ren agreed with this plan. Granted, they'd need a way to get over there because of one small problem. "We just need a ride that can travel all the way to the desert."
"Not to mention get some new outfits!" Nora grinned with Yang also smiling. "We can't go in the deserts looking like this!"
"Hell yeah." Yanga greed. "We need something for the heat."
"In that case, I'm already prepared." Jaune smirked a little. "I happen to have outfits for hot places over there."
"And we might even see some old friends." Ruby then said with realization. Recalling how some students of Vale went to Shade after the Fall of Beacon. "Like Velvet and her team. Or maybe even Sun!"
"He did mention he would go back to see his team." Blake said with a slight smile. "Would be nice to see old friends again."
"It would!" Nora laughed with the others also smiling, with Qrow as well.
"What do you think Ozpin." As for Oscar, he then spoke to Ozpin. While not in control of his body, he could still speak with Ozpin simply in agreement.
"It wouldn't be bad." He spoke mentally to his next reincarnation. "Atlas may be compromised, so going to another academy would be for the best. Still…" That would also mean not seeing what happened to James and the others. For all the man's actions in using might first and foremost, he had good intentions in the end. But now there was a good chance he was gone.
"You really think he's dead?" Oscar asked with Ozpin uncertain. He wanted to believe James was alive and those with him. However, Salem was making her move, and she likely had a hand in this. She most likely did something to grab James's attention, then dealt with him like so. And while the possibility of him being alive is still there, there was also no reason to think so.
"At best," Ozpin said to Oscar. "Maybe this wasn't Salem and James is just lost." While Argus did receive some news of what was going on in Atlas, it wasn't like they got everything. So there just may be a chance that James really was alive, and the news received is outdated information. Maybe when the trip to secure the Relic is done, Atlas can be the next destination. "But for now," Ozpin relented his hold on Oscar. "Go and enjoy yourself."
"Heh. I will." Oscar whispered as he saw the others talking rather excitedly about going to Vacuo to meet friends and getting new clothes. Even Qrow joined in wondering what the bars over there had. Vacuo was a place none of them have ever been before, and naturally everyone needed things before they went.
"Come on guys!" Jaune then smiled as he began heading towards the door. "Let's go to the stores and get what we need."
A resounding 'Yeah' could then be heard as everyone exited the house. Once they got their clothes and the supplies needed for Vacuo, they would try and see to get a ride to the kingdom itself. Granted, it won't be easy and far from fun seeing as the kingdoms are rather divided at the moment. And yet not once did that stop them from having some fun to brighten their days.
"Oh, hello there." Were upon stepping outside and locking the doors, they saw none other than the old woman they met on the train with the cybernetic eyes. "Fancy seeing you folks here again."
"Ragh!" Ganeesh was angry, and more than upset. Not once, but twice. Twice! He had been beaten back. Twice his prize away from him. TWICE he lost!
After spending a few hours fuming, breaking trees, punching stone and tearing Grimm apart, eventually Ganeesh managed to calm down a bit. Sighing, he then looked up at the broken moon. While there was still rage in his eyes, it was subdued as he began thinking on what to do next. To calmly access the situation, and figure out where his targets were.
Thankfully, he memorized an up-to-date map when he was in that castle, and knew the nearest place here is a station to Argus. He already knew where it was, and if he ran he could make it there pretty easily though will be slowed down by attacking Grimm. He then cursed a bit as his mind went to those people. Angry that he lost to them, but now that he was calmed down, he reassessed the situation and knew why.
"It has been a while since I fought." For so many years he simply lived in his cave, hoarding his treasure, polishing it, and counting them. Only leaving on occasion to gather cleaning supplies by entering a town and then stealing their stuff unseen. The only things he's fought were just Grimm and nothing more. So while it was hateful to admit it, Ganesh realized he was rusty with his skill.
It was no wonder they ran circles around him. Where they had trained and were experienced in fighting, he has lost most of his ability to fight and while he has killed things before, they served in no way to increase his ability. A Grimm didn't gain skill by killing running people every day. It gained skill by being beaten, surviving, and then learning.
'Well, this time I'll be ready.' Ganeesh thought as he made a nasty smug grin. He might be rusty, but his body hasn't failed him and he was still in his prime. Right now, those fools were in Argus. They probably thought they were safe and thought they were no longer in any danger.
He'll prove them wrong.
If they thought they saw the last of him, they were in for a rude surprise. But first, he needed a way to get to them without anybody distracting him. Knowing that once he entered a city, no doubt officers and guards will probably get in his way since Argus is a city and had a military force. While he didn't know everything about this world, the journals and books he found and read in the castle gave him a decent amount of information.
'So how to deal with them?' Ganesh thought, wanting revenge but not with a bunch of meat bags getting in his way. Ganesh then saw some Grimm nearby, stalking towards him. A wicked idea came to mind, and that wickedness attracted the Grimm more as he then began running towards Argus while thinking of many negative thoughts. He will not be coming alone.
"Hm." It was days away before the battle of Nowhere, and plans were already being made. Preparation done while observing all that was going on. While normally busy, that didn't mean the Fallen, Sammael, didn't have free time. Time that he was using for searching a specific someone. "So he really isn't here."
Ganesh. The greedy fool he sent for the investigation of the influx of Grimm in Japan. Sammael has done quite a bit for his battles and plans, but he always kept eyes on loose ends like Ganeesh. Now he was gone, specifically, the little transmitter he placed on him long ago, no longer sending a signal.
Sammael made it so that it didn't age, and Ganeesh wasn't smart enough to realize he was being tagged and removed it. Meaning…he must be out of range. But that transmitter could send its signal almost anywhere on the planet, meaning Ganeesh would have to be in space for it to cease. Interesting/
Sammael then summoned some papers. He had spies all over the world. In this case, he had a spy in the military in Japan. Not one who was high-ranking and could get the truly satisfying secrets of the government, but enough to get some details here and there. This spy in particular was part of the investigation of the Grimm influx and would send reports to Sammael for a little coin. Ah, how man easily gave into greed.
Moving on, the spy gave him report how the Grimm seemed to be coming through a portal of sorts to the Darklands. Impossible. While Sammael can be forgiven for not sensing the energy of a portal in Japan, but in his own lands would be an insult. Meaning the portal didn't connect to his territory, but maybe somewhere else similar.,
'And yet the Hound was the one to burst from it, and it's not mine. But the new Fallen.' Where thanks to Edel, he learned they weren't even from his world at all. Which meant…that portal actually led to another world. One with Grimm.
"Another planet with Grimm. Hm, that can be useful." Not to mention learn if there's anything of interest in this other world where this new Fallen and her allies came from. To think he actually managed to miss this kind of opportunity, and only knew now thanks to his little spy giving him the clues and hints to connect the answer he didn't know was there.
This also explained why he could no longer sense Ganeesh. He was in another world entirely, and according to this report the portal in Japan mysteriously vanished. Thinking about it, Sammael did sense divine energy some time ago. But he thought nothing of it then, yet it seems now he knew what that divine energy was for.
'It's a shame, but I'm too busy to deal with this personally myself.' Sammael thought, as getting Heart was more important. 'But…Maybe I can get someone else to do it.'
Even though this portal was closed, it can be reopened if someone had the right energy or used a whole lot of energy to get it back open. What was once open can be opened again, and just needed the right nudge. That, and as if he'd allow Ganeesh to get off scot free.
With this in mind, Sammael began pondering who to send to Japan to see if they can get that portal open again so he himself can investigate when everything here was done. He found the right person later.
Where back, and we feature what's been going on in Remnant. Mainly, the RWBY gang learn that Ironwood is missing, and that changes things. Particularly, where to go as Vacuo is on their sights. But it seems Ganeesh is onto them, and this time, he plans to play it smart.
We then go to GrimmFall where Sammael, thanks to a no-name spy, learns about the existence of Remnant to a degree. And if possible, wants to see if this other world can be of use to him. That can't be good.