Before we start this chapter, I'd like to apologize to Starburst2879 for not putting a warning in about just how the dance scene might be frustrating to White Rose shippers. I meant for it to be both heartwarming and a bit frustrating, but not that much.

Chapter 22: Activation and the Hunt Begins

Citadel Council Chamber, Bastion

Greene flinched as the massive armored fist struck the table, the Templar roaring in rage and the air around him shimmering slightly from the heat. The normal Templar helmet was replaced by a helm with a serious, somewhat intimidating facial expression. "Sanctuary is in ruins and you'd rather spend time playing in the mountains? We don't have time for this, Artemis!" the Templar growled out in a deep rumble. A Prefect next to him let out a sigh, glancing to the side through the single eyehole in his helm. Another Prefect, with a more feminine design and a regal faceplate tapped her spear against the floor in frustration.

The Prefect sitting across from him, another feminine design with a calm woman's face, casually checked her bow as she spoke up. "We both know the Grimm are too big a threat, if we're going to rebuild-" Aurelius quickly stepped into the room with Janus and Adrienne behind him, along with another Prefect with a face plate displaying a mischievous, if not psychotic grin.

"We're not rebuilding Sanctuary right now, Artemis," Aurelius muttered before sitting down, Adrienne taking a seat as Janus stood behind him. The Blue Rose let out a sigh as the last Prefect sat down, resting his feet against the table. "Loki, this is serious, stop messing around." The Prefect let out a sigh before sitting normally as Aurelius glanced at the Templar. "Vulcan, I know you're angry about the destruction to Sanctuary, but we can't do much here right now. Salem has survived and one of the Maidens was recently attacked." The temperature in the room dropped back to normal as Vulcan, Loki, and Artemis all glanced at the Rose before the one-eyed Prefect spoke up.

"So, the greatest threat to civilization is acting outside Draconys. I suppose that means we're moving to act instead of sitting here repairing empty cities." The Prefect glared at Vulcan before Aurelius spoke up.

"That would be correct, Odin. We need every advantage we have, including Bastion… And the Aegis." The Prefect nodded silently, grabbing the spear next to him before the other silent Prefect stood up, grabbing her spear and shield.

"Athena and I will ensure the defenses are operational then. By your leave," Odin stated before spinning around, Athena behind him.

Aurelius hummed quietly before glancing at Vulcan. "We're going to be activating the Spire. Are all the Gravity crystals linked up?" The Templar scoffed before stepping away from the table.

"Of course they are! Everything in the Bastion is ready once power starts flowing!" Aurelius nodded and stood up, walking out of the room. Greene looked around meekly before following the remaining occupants out, watching as the group approached a large doorway leading to the heart of the Citadel's central tower.

Once the door opened, she paled. Standing in front of her was a massive Dust crystal sitting in the middle of a pit, a number of bridges leading up to it on the level they were standing on. As she looked up, the fox faunus saw that the crystal continued up, similar supports and bridges at each level, beyond the point where she could see past them. "H-how big is this?"

Aurelius sighed. "Large enough that if the SDC broke it apart and sold it as normal Dust, they could shut down mining operations for at least a decade and still turn a profit." As Aurelius stepped forward onto the central platform encircling the crystal, he reached out to touch it, letting out a heavy sigh as it started to hum, a gentle glow coming from it. The room lit up as lines of Dust carved into the surfaces started to shine and a barrier shimmered into existence above the low barrier surrounding the pit to prevent anyone from falling to their deaths. A few platforms drifted out from several levels, starting to move downward before landing in slots around the level they were on.

As Aurelius stepped back, he quickly leaned against his staff, causing Greene to look at Adrienne. "I-is he okay?"

Adrienne nodded, frowning. "He can charge an Animus crystal outside the normal method, but it drains him. Something this big… Even his strength probably wouldn't charge it very much." After a moment the floor started to shake under them for a moment as a rumbling roar came from down near the bottom of the pit. Janus stepped over to a nearby panel as Dust particles flowed over it.

"The Bastion has detached from the construction platform and is currently gaining altitude," he said before running his hand along the screen created by the Dust. "We are moving. I calculate that we will arrive over the kingdom of Vale in… Five days. Activating the storm shroud… The Bastion is now hidden from sight."

Aurelius nodded before standing up. "This isn't an elegant solution, but it is the most efficient way to prepare for what will most likely come. Once we enter the borders of the… Kingdom of Vale, we'll deploy in a Roc to prevent anyone from thinking we found much of use." Greene let out a relieved sigh. The expedition was over and her team could finally leave this accursed land.

Beacon Academy, Ozpin's Office

Ozpin let out a sigh as Ironwood leaned forward on the desk. "They were here, Ozpin! They were here in the CCT Tower!"

"Thank you, James. We're very much aware of that," Glynda said, crossing her arms.

"Fantastic! You're aware of it. Now, are we going to actually do something about it or are we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us while letting a group of children run around doing a soldier's job?!" Before Ironwood could continue, a beeping sounded from Ozpin's desk. The headmaster hit a button and the elevator door opened before Ruby and Weiss stepped out.

"You wanted to see us, Professor Ozpin?" Ruby asked nervously.

"Ruby, Weiss, thank you for coming. How are you feeling?" Ozpin asked.

The pair glanced at each other before Weiss sighed. "I'm certain we would be feeling better if that woman from before hadn't gotten away… Or if we knew what she was doing here."

Ruby looked away. "I know I'd feel better if I actually managed to catch someone for once…"

"Ruby, Weiss…" Ironwood stepped forward, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "I feel it's appropriate to let you two know that I think what you did last night was exactly what being a Huntress is all about. You recognized a threat, you took action, and you did the very best you could…" He turned to walk back to Ozpin's desk, muttering under his breath. "Even if children shouldn't have anything to do with this." Ruby narrowed her eyes, but chose to say nothing.

"Now then, the general has already informed us of the events that transpired last night… But now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add." Ozpin started before Goodwitch continued.

"Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar at all?" Ruby and Weiss glanced at each other in confusion while Ironwood swore silently.

"W-what do you mean? I already told General Ironwood who I thought it was," Ruby said, causing Ozpin and Glynda to look at the man before Ozpin spoke up.

"Care to explain, James?"

Ironwood looked at him in disbelief. "You really trust a child's word over mine, Ozpin? If she did tell me anything, why would I keep it secret from you?"

Ruby decided to speak up. "Maybe because you think the soldiers that got knocked out last night could do a better job than a child." Before Ironwood could react, Ozpin spoke up again.

"That's enough. The reason isn't important. What is important is what you saw, Ruby."

Ruby took a deep breath. "The woman we found up here, she used Dust to create shards of glass or… something. Not only that but she had the same glyphs or runes on her when she did that as the woman that was helping Torchwick." Ozpin and Glynda looked at each other before Ironwood spoke up.

"Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique. It could've been anyeone."

Ruby growled slightly. "How about embedding Dust into skin so that it lined up with the runes on the clothing? Do most people do that?" Ironwood opened his mouth to respond before Ozpin spoke up.

"It is possible that the Dust was planted into her skin and that it just shone through her clothing perhaps. Regardless, we have no way to correctly link the two together."

Ruby tapped her chin for a moment before speaking up. "W-well, there's that girl from Mistral, Cinder. She does sound like the person from the recordings I gave you, Professor Ozpin." Ironwood scoffed suddenly.

"You mean the low-quality sound files you gave us? Maybe your semblance makes it sound like it's her, but it doesn't sound anything like her from what I can tell."

Ozpin let out a sigh as he held his face in his hands. "Why do Ruby and James insist on this nonsense? Like father, like daughter I suppose…"

"It doesn't matter," Weiss said, putting a hand on her partner's shoulder. "I got a look at her, and even with the mask she still had the same hair color, hair style, eye color, and build as Cinder does."

Before the argument continued, Ozpin stood up. "That's enough! While I'm willing to admit that Ruby and Weiss might be correct, we have to consider the fact that it was someone else, especially since Ms. Fall was seen in the ballroom during the time this incident occurred."

"But-" Weiss started before Ruby put a hand on her shoulder, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"He's right Weiss. I mean, I've seen pictures of my mom and we look exactly the same." Weiss deflated slightly but nodded.

Ozpin spoke up. "Ruby, Weiss. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but there isn't much we can do to prove that it was Cinder without tipping her off. Go, spend some time with your team, you have a busy day ahead of you. Just… please try to be discrete about this. The fewer people that are aware, the better it is" The two nodded quietly before leaving.

Ironwood growled. "Now that that's out of the way, can we get back to the claim that the White Fang are operating somewhere to the southeast of the city? We should send as many troops as we can, find out exactly what's going on and eradicate any forces that stand in our way."

Glynda tightened her grip on the riding crop. "Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado? You treat every situation like it's a contest of-"

"You know…" Ozpin said suddenly. "During the golden age of Sanctuary, the numerous defenders had a rule when chasing down a rumor about a nest of Grimm. In order to prevent the elder, more cautious Grimm from getting the pack to escape and hide as an army approached, they would send a small party ahead to first determine if the pack's nest was even in the area in the first place. Then, if need be, they would send more detachments a few at a time to encircle the Grimm before the main force would sweep in. If the pack tried to flee, the smaller parties would intercept them and occupy them long enough for the rest of the force to sweep in, while fighting the main body of the group let the smaller parties move in to attack from behind."

Ironwood looked at the headmaster suspiciously. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting we continue as planned. The most likely place for the White Fang to be hiding is Mountain Glenn, so we should send a small team there, one that isn't going to immediately draw alarm, so that if the base is in that area the White Fang won't immediately destroy any documents or other useful information that could lead us to their true goal." Ozpin glanced at Glynda. "Add a mission to the roster for today, a search and destroy mission in Quadrant 5, and assign it to team RWBY ahead of time. Knowing them, they'll try to take the mission anyways."

Ironwood stepped forward. "Ozpin, you can't be serious!"

"I am serious James. Ruby's dual semblances mean she'd be the best chance we have outside full military assault to locate the base and is our best hope of getting information intact outside a team of fully trained Huntsmen." Ironwood sighed and walked out, clenching his fists as he did so.

"If you honestly think these children can do what the entire Atlesian military can't, you're in for a rude awakening, Ozpin…"

Team RWBY's Dorm Room

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh as she sat on her bed. "I don't understand how someone could be that stubborn!"

Ruby spoke up sadly. "I'm pretty sure he's angry that his troops couldn't do anything and he's taking it out on us because he doesn't like the idea a few girls could do more than trained soldiers."

Yang looked over the edge of her bed before holding up a cylindrical package, waving it for Ruby to see. "I know what'll cheer you up! Dad sent this to us, I thought I'd wait until you got back to open it." Yang quickly popped the lid off and shook the package, causing the fur-covered contents to drop into Blake's lap.

Blake watched apprehensively as it quickly took on the form of a small corgi, letting out a shriek as it jumped to lick her face before shoving it off her. "Get that away from me!"

Ruby quickly ran over and grabbed the whimpering dog, tail wagging. "Zwei! Don't worry buddy, I'll keep you safe from the mean ol' grumpy cat!" Zwei barked happily and licked Ruby's face, causing the girl to giggle. "I missed you too Zwei!"

Weiss bit her lip, trying desperately to resist the urge to squeal and tackle her secret crush and the puppy to the ground. "Oh god, this is too adorable!"

Blake shouted across the room in dismay. "He sent a dog in the mail?!"

Yang smiled meekly. "Sorry Blake, I didn't know what was in there, I swear! He does shit like this all the time, I should really expect it!"

Weiss finally lost the fight and let out a squeal as she moved over to her partner. "Ruby, your dog is so cute!" She quickly started scratching behind his ears, causing his eyes to close. Glynda's voice over the PA system caught the group's attention.

"Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheater for your mission assignments."

"We can't leave him here for a week, can we?" Weiss asked, slightly disappointed before Ruby spoke up.

"Well, I mean if we find a mission where his nose could come in handy, we might be able to take him with us."

Yang grinned while Blake whimpered. "Great idea sis! Let's go!"

Amphitheater, after Ozpin's speech

Ruby smiled as she looked at her team. "This is perfect, all we need to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast."

Weiss nodded. "I think there was one on the board that might work." They walked over and Ruby took a look at the board.

"Search and Destroy, Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out." She went to tap the board to selected it when a message popped up. "Wait, "this mission has already been assigned to team RWBY?" I didn't even enter anything yet!"

"That's because you didn't need to," Ozpin said behind them. "After all, I suspected you would continue your search regardless and we needed a team we could trust to take the mission. I felt that out of everyone here, you had the best chance of success."

Ruby looked at her team before turning to Ozpin with a smile. "We won't let you down, professor! Thank you!"

"Don't thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far, but you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times and do exactly what he says. He will be leading you on this mission and he can have you sent back to Beacon if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory. I doubt he will, but it would be unfortunate if that came to pass. Good luck." The members of Team RWBY glanced at each other as Ozpin left, uncertain how to feel about that.

Beacon Docks, the next day

The members of Team RWBY let out a sigh as they found themselves in front of Oobleck as he started rambling on. "I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary girls, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you we will not be establishing a single base of operations…" He took a breath at the end. "Now then, any questions?"

Ruby meekly raised her hand. "U-um, would it be okay for me to bring Zwei along?" Ruby nervously held the dog out before continuing. "His nose is as good as mine, so it might help to have him along in case we have to split up, right?"

Oobleck looked at her for a moment before turning around. "Very well! Hurry up girls, we're already three minutes behind schedule!" He quickly blinked toward the bullhead.

"Hey guys! Where are you going?" Team RWBY turned around to see JNPR walk up behind them, Nora standing in front of the group. Ruby smirked when she noticed how close Jaune and Pyrrha were standing before she answered.

"Oh, just outside the kingdom."

Nora perked up. "Hey! So are we!"

Pyrrha put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village."

Ren spoke up. "We set out tomorrow." Sun and Neptune walked up behind the group.

"Then you can party with us tonight!" Neptune said. "We're shadowing a crime specialist! All inner-city detective stuff."

Sun quickly chimed in. "We normally go to the city with you guys," he pointed at Team RWBY before continuing. "Which means stuff's always exploding and junk. Soo, we thought this would be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's, y'know, normal."

Ruby was about to speak up when Oobleck shouted from the bullhead. "Four minutes ladies!" Team RWBY sighed and started walking toward the bullhead, not willing to make the doctor wait any longer.

I'm going to cut the chapter short here. We have a few characters to discuss, mainly Ironwood and the rest of Sanctuary's top-ranking officers. I haven't put much thought into Greene's character yet other than her being a skeptic that's found herself way in over her head, but I might add more depth to that soon.

First up is Ironwood. As I said before, I'm not entirely sure if he's just an incompetent leader, a glory hound that's determined to prove the Atlesian military is the most skilled and powerful force on Remnant, a traitor to Ozpin's group, or a combination of the three. For the time being, the latter two can act more or less the same way (Ironwood's refusal to share Ruby's discovery with Ozpin could either be him hoping the lack of information humiliates Ozpin while allowing him to improve his reputation and that of Atlas or trying to help protect one of his real allies for instance) and gives me a bit of breathing room to decide. Let me know what you think about each option in a review. Other than that, his preference for large, dramatic shows of power or equally blunt solutions as the first response to problems puts him in stark contrast to Aurelius, who prefers more refined, cautious, and controlled solutions as all but the last resort, and even then Aurelius still prefers a more artistic approach.

As this chapter shows, the Prefects and Templars can have either male or female designs and personalities. Of the new ones revealed in this chapter, we have the Templar Vulcan, as well as the Prefects Odin, Loki, Athena, and Artemis. Like Janus, each one has a rank and a title (in the case of Janus, it would be "Master of the Void" for his use of portals) which will be given below. Since I forgot to mention it, the "face" Janus has is that of an older man with a neutral expression.

Vulcan, the Architect and Forge Master, is the only Templar to hold the rank of Praetor. He holds mastery over fire, which he uses to fulfill his responsibility of assisting in crafting Sanctuary's tools of war and buildings. While he was built for carnage and destruction, he has developed an obsession with engineering, going so far as to have his own artistic vision, and despises the idea of leaving something in ruin. His proud and stubborn nature puts him at odds with the rest of the Praetors, however. He's also the only one on the list to have two "faces," one of which has a calm, yet serious expression, while the other has an expression of pure rage.

Artemis, Queen of the Hunt, is one of two female Prefects on the War Council and holds the rank of Praetor. She was designed mainly to lead the most skilled of the Sentinel constructs on hunting expeditions deep into the wilderness and held mastery over light and darkness, allowing her to shroud herself from sight. This ability is unique in that it can "spread" temporarily to the automatons under her command, allowing them to do the same to a limited degree. Of the members of the War Council, she's one of the two most skilled at reconnaissance, second only to Loki in intelligence gathering and completely unmatched in guerilla warfare. She has a calm expression. Besides her minor rivalry with Loki, she also often competes with Odin for the title of best marksman and often argues with Vulcan due to her preference for subtly over his insistence on brute force.

Loki, Master of Illusions and Mad Specter, a Prefect with the rank of Centurion that serves as the Council's master spy under Artemis. Unlike a human or faunus, his mastery over illusions and shapeshifting comes without the usual downsides of such a semblance, but he has a mischievous streak and often prefers to work alone. His shapeshifting allows him to, naturally, take on any form he wants, even going so far as impersonating someone. This makes him excellent at infiltration, but he isn't as good at direct combat as Artemis, leaving him to rely on his abilities more than the others. His face, which features a large smile, is one of the most unnerving features on any of the Prefects, as are the horns that curve from the top of his helmet around to his chin. He has the least professional attitude of all the Centurions and Praetors shown, often angering them either because he doesn't really care or because it amuses him.

After that, we have Odin, known as the All-Seeing. While a design flaw left him with only one eye, he quickly revealed that it did nothing to interfere with his combat abilities, allowing him to quickly achieve the rank of Praetor. He gains his title from the fact that he can "gaze" on any point within ten miles of Sanctuary's outer wall from the base of the Citadel Spire. Due to this and his near-perfect aim, he was often called on to test all weapon systems designed by the sages of Sanctuary to ensure they were precise to his extreme standards. Most noteworthy of all, in the absence of a member of the Triumvirate, Janus, or a high-ranking member of the Rose family or the Order of the Blue Rose, Odin is responsible for commanding the Bastion's defenses and garrison. Beyond that, he's also responsible for the operation of the Aegis, Bastion's most powerful defense system. His insistence on precision puts him at odds with the undisciplined Loki and the aggressive, blunt Vulcan. Odin's face has a calm, sagely expression.

Athena, the Warrior-Scholar, is another female Prefect and holds the rank of Centurion under Odin's command. Her primary duty is mostly to assist in regulating power flow from the Spire to major systems and back, making sure the energy is where it's needed the most. Outside Odin, she's also the only one allowed to interact with the Aegis without authorization. Of the members of the War Council, she's also the most intelligent, often assisting in creating strategies or reconfiguring Bastion's inner workings to make adjustments for newer technology. In the event anything were to be added to Bastion that might not be perfectly compatible, it would be Athena's job to ensure it works flawlessly. In combat, she tends to rely on a shield and spear, with her skill making her one of the best at commanding Sanctuary's Champions. Beyond that, she has a degree of mastery over electricity, allowing her to draw Shock-elemental energy from any location in the Bastion due to the Dust lattices that cover every surface. Her face has a thoughtful expression.