There's not much to be said about this chapter. The time has come, after all.

I'd like to thank Bookah for pointing out errors in my chapters that I miss. Sometimes I get so into writing the chapters I end up missing mistakes as I go back and change things around.

Jamiesboy- Yeah, I'm not going to lie, I really love writing this story when I'm in a good mood and it's an amazing stress reliever when I'm upset. It's really a win-win for everyone (as long as you actually like the story.)

Just a warning to everyone. After this, the events of Volume 4 might be stretched out a bit. Everything starts to go off the rails here and the Battle of Beacon itself might go on for 4-5 chapters. It's going to be a long one.

Chapter 33: Battle of Beacon: Retaliation and Resurgence

Bastion, Citadel Command Center/Aurelius' Office

Janus slowly walked around the large, ring-shaped room near the top of the Tower, glancing at monitors and projections from a few Speakers. He stopped to look at one showing the Amity Colosseum Arena, looking at the lined-up students. "Artemis, is there any sign of trouble?" There was a pause before he got a response.

"We found a group of about ten White Fang hiding in an alleyway. They thought they were being smart, but they're nothing more than the first casualties of this battle."

"Excellent, remember, we need to weaken them as much as possible without revealing ourselves." Janus glanced over at the other two Prefects. "Odin, are the defensive batteries ready?"

Odin glanced over at the Imperator before speaking up. "They are all online and ready. Hopefully we won't need them." Janus nodded before looking at Athena.

"Does Aurelius have the capacity to activate the override put into the CCT Tower's communications system?"

Athena nodded. "He does. Ironwood and Ozpin are both prepared in the event we need to subvert an attempt to sow distrust between Vale and Atlas."

Janus glanced back at the monitor, looking at Penny. "Loki, I know you're normally fond of mischief, but we need this to go over perfectly, do you understand?" Janus felt a frustrated sigh through the communication.

"Fine, but only because I'm going to enjoy what comes after…" Janus nodded as he returned to pacing the room. Until they knew what to expect, it was his duty to coordinate the defense from Bastion. He would not fail his duties.

Beacon Academy, Ozpin's Office, With Ozpin, Aurelius, and Adrienne

Ozpin looked down at the screen as Ironwood spoke up. "All of my men on the ground have been informed to stay alert and Winter is leading a small detachment that's being left on standby in the event something unexpected happens. We've also equipped a number of soldiers from each squad with flash bangs. Once the battle starts, we're going to cut all lights in areas they're likely to attack and my men will switch to using night vision goggles. Hopefully, that'll give us enough of an advantage to disrupt the White Fang's initial assault once their eyes adjust and we start using the grenades. Is Miss Nikos on board with us?"

Ozpin nodded. "Yes, we've made her aware of the situation and informed her to be alert in case Cinder or one of her subordinates attempts to alter her perception of reality. Aurelius has also informed me that he already has a small detachment of Sentinels wandering through the streets hunting down White Fang forces preemptively. If what he's saying is true, several groups have already been found. It should give us an advantage fairly quickly."

Ironwood let out a sigh. "Ozpin, I don't like this. Everything's been too quiet since Roman Torchwick was captured. I've put the crew of the Aurora on high alert and put in a call for reinforcements that should be arriving within an hour or two, just in case."

Aurelius hummed quietly. "That may be wise. I find it doubtful that we know their entire plan, but it would be wise to ensure we have considered all possibilities." Aurelius glanced at the orange-clad woman behind him. "Adrienne, I want you to be prepared to lend assistance once everything starts. You have free reign to decide where you go and when, understood?"

Adrienne nodded, a smile on her face. "Of course. Failure isn't an option after all." Ozpin switched off the screen before the two Roses turned to leave, moving to their positions for this.

Amity Colosseum Stands

Ruby let out a sigh as she glanced around the stands, waiting for the match to start. Weiss had informed her of what was going to happen and the red-cloaked girl had to admit she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Her eyes stopped as she saw Emerald sitting on the opposite side, tapping Weiss' hand to get her attention. "Emerald's here, I'm guessing she's the one with the illusionary semblance," Ruby whispered, causing Weiss to nod as she clenched her fist. As Ruby glanced around, she saw Mercury slip down a corridor, glancing around subtly as he did so. "Mercury's up to something, do you mind coming with me?" Weiss glanced over before standing up.

"Sure. It's best to be safe in case he has backup," the heiress said, causing Ruby to smile as she stood up, right arm still hidden. The duo walked over before they realized the hallway contained a maintenance access point.

Ruby glanced at Weiss. "You think he's setting something up to hijack the signal?"

Weiss hummed before nodding. "Probably. He's most likely making sure that my sister and the rest of the Atlesian military didn't get rid of Cinder's only way to make her plan move forward." Ruby nodded before opening the door, the two of them stepping into the hallway.

Mercury let out a frustrated sigh as he stepped out of a side room. "I don't get why this is my job, it's not like Emerald couldn't do this before the match-"

"You know, you really shouldn't be back here Mercury…" Ruby said, causing the boy to turn and glare at her before smirking.

"I could say the same for you, furball," he said as he took a few steps back, the two girls keeping pace with him. "How's the arm? It's going to be hard to be a Huntress with a weapon like your when you can only use one hand. Maybe you should ask the Ice Queen there if she's looking for a pet." Weiss clenched her fists, trying to resist the urge to strangle the boy before Port's voice rang out over the loudspeakers.

"It looks like our first contender is… Pen-"

"Penny Polendina from Atlas," Ruby said, making Weiss glance at her as the wolf tapped her chin with her left hand. "Hey Weiss, what do you think are the odds the other one's Pyrrha?"

Weiss saw Mercury freeze up out of the corner of her eye, causing her to smile slightly before shrugging. "Pretty good I'd say. In fact, you might even say that Mercury, Emerald, and Cinder made it a… certainty." Mercury growled as Pyrrha's name was announced before Ruby spoke up.

"Too bad Penny's not really out there, right?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I saw her out in the Arena!" Mercury said, moving to subtly pull out his Scroll before a knife stabbed into it, almost cutting off one of the boy's fingers. He glanced up to see Ruby grinning at him, arm outstretched from the throw.

"That's not really important right now. What is important is we can't have you letting Cinder, Emerald, or the White Fang know we know what's going on until it's too late…" Ruby rolled her shoulder as she pushed her cloak back, causing Mercury to growl at the sight of her mended arm as she unfolded Crescent Rose. "Weiss, go tell Blake and Yang that the White Fang are going to be making their move some time in the next half hour. Tell as many teams as possible to get their weapons ready. I'll keep Mercury distracted." Weiss looked at Ruby hesitantly before sighing.

"Alright, just be careful, okay? We don't know what's going to happen today."

Ruby nodded, smiling at the heiress. "I'll be careful, promise." Ruby waited until she heard the door close behind her before she sighed, muttering quietly to herself before her eyes shone brightly. "There's no sniper to help you today, Mercury, and I'm not going to be holding back this time." Mercury watched as the wolf's cloak burst into a cloud of rose petals, swirling around her. He grinned, cracking his neck as he charged at her, only for her to sidestep and deliver a slash at his stomach, flinging him into a nearby wall. She hummed for a moment before Mercury stood back up, using a blast from his boots to surge forward, a kick aimed at her head.

Ruby ducked under the kick before hooking the smaller, rear blade of her scythe onto his foot, roughly yanking him back around and flinging him further down the hallway. She gave Crescent Rose a twirl as she calmly walked towards him. He quickly spun off the ground, aiming a kick for her shoulder before a blast of wind knocked him away. Ruby let out a sigh as the cloud of petals reformed around her. "This is going to be boring isn't it…"

Arena, with Pyrrha and Penny/Loki

Pyrrha glanced across the arena at the figure in front of her. Loki, in the guise of Penny, smiled. "Sal-u-tations Pyrrha Nikos!" Loki said in a perfect imitation of Penny's voice. "It's an honor to finally meet you!"

Pyrrha smiled back. "It's my pleasure to meet you as well… Penny." Loki nodded.

"This is going to be so much fun!" the disguised Prefect said. Pyrrha quickly pulled out her sword and shield, getting ready for the fight.

"Begin!" Oobleck said as Loki deployed Penny's blades, quickly mimicking the gestures needed to control the blades as they twirled around before flying at Pyrrha. The girl quickly ran forward, dodging most before using her shield to deflect the last one. The Prefect grinned and recalled them, spinning the blades around his body before using them to engage Pyrrha in melee combat.

In the stands, with Ironwood

"My word! What a tremendous display by Miss Polendina!" Port said over the speakers, causing Ironwood to grunt.

"Aurelius said this "Loki" was one of his elite automatons. Considering that he's able to perfectly replicate Penny's every movement, I think I can see why…" Ironwood glanced away as he noticed Weiss stop in front of the members of team JNPR in the stands, whispering something to Jaune before the boy pulled his team up and out of the stadium. As Weiss moved on to the next team, Ironwood smiled subtly before getting up. "I should get ready as well…"

Arena, with Pyrrha and Loki

Loki sent Penny's blades at Pyrrha a second time, causing the girl to jump into the air to dodge. She landed on one briefly before jumping down, swinging her spear at Loki as he brought a blade up to block. He spun the blades around, intending to hit Pyrrha with an upwards slash before she backflipped away, causing Loki to do the same to get some distance. He grabbed two of the blades and charged at Pyrrha, each swing causing the blades floating around him to move with him. Pyrrha readied her shield as her spear returned to its sword form, frowning as they started to warp briefly. She glanced at Loki, making a subtle gesture that caused the Prefect to frown, nodding slightly. "Janus, she's falling under the effects of an illusion. It's beginning."

"Understood. Artemis, Vulcan, we are now on full alert. In exactly seven minutes, you may engage any White Fang agents freely. I will be passing this information along to Ironwood, Ozpin, and Aurelius shortly," Janus responded, causing Loki to hum.

With Ruby

Ruby spun her scythe in front of her, blocking a barrage of fire from Mercury before charging forward, Crescent Rose's blade bathed in lightning. Mercury managed to dodge the first swing before being struck by the second, causing him to fall to the ground as electricity surged through him. "You… honestly didn't expect me to be this challenging, did you?" Ruby asked, disappointment clear on her face before her Scroll rang. She pulled it out of her pocket, glancing at the number before she answered. "Hello?"

"Ruby, Loki's informed me that Emerald's starting to affect Pyrrha's mind. Whatever they have planned, it's going to start soon. We need everyone in position immediately." Aurelius said on the other side, causing Ruby to sigh.

"Okay, I'm on my way," she said before hanging up, glancing at Mercury. "I don't really have time to find someone to arrest you and I need to get going, so…" Ruby brought the base of her scythe down on Mercury's head, knocking him out as her cloak reformed. She let out a grunt as she picked him up, quickly dragging him over to a nearby pipe before pulling some cable out of her pouch, tying his hands together around it. She got up and burst into rose petals, speeding down the hallway back to the Arena.

With Pyrrha and Loki

Pyrrha deflected a pair of blades before making a slash at Loki's chest and face, causing the disguised Prefect to stagger back. The girl smiled, pleased to finally be on the offensive before moving behind him, knocking him into the air with a swing. Loki recalled Penny's blades, grabbing two of them to block Pyrrha's attack before landing on the ground, frowning slightly. "Let's see, if memory serves these are also energy weapons… Let's try that," Loki thought, making the blades turn into beam weapons with a quick gesture. The blades hovered around him, firing blasts of energy at Pyrrha as she dodged, rolling out of the way as Loki casually sent a blade flying at her, firing a blast before it returned to a blade form to try and slash the girl.

Pyrrha dodged underneath it, blocking blade strikes and evading energy blasts as Loki became bolder in his manipulation of the blades. Eventually Pyrrha charged forward, stabbing the Prefect with her sword and knocking him back. Loki got up with a frown. "They have a bit of recoil to them, maybe if I…" Loki quickly converted all the blades into beam weapons before pointing them all at the ground behind him, using the blasts to propel him at Pyrrha, knocking her off her feet. As the girl got up, Loki used Penny's blades to knock Pyrrha's shield and sword away before recalling all the blades, having them hover in the air behind him.

Pyrrha blinked in a daze as the blades multiplied. "Calm down Pyrrha, it's just an illusion… It's not real," she quickly told herself. Loki frowned, sending the blades at the girl but ensuring they were going slow enough to stop. He went wide-eyed as Pyrrha let out a strong burst with her semblance, sending the blades flying back at him. He quickly severed the cables connecting him to the blades with a thought before jumping out of the way, only for one of the cables to wrap around his arm and tear it off.

"Well, this is new…" he said bluntly, causing Pyrrha to snap out of her daze.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" she stopped as she heard sounds of shock and dismay go through the crowd. She looked on quietly before glancing at Loki. "Are you able to fix that? The damage isn't… permanent, is it?"

Loki sighed. "Since my form is more flexible than the other automatons, I can easily fix it on my own. The others would need assistance." Loki froze for a moment before glancing at the screen as the image of a black queen on a red background appeared.

"This is not a tragedy," Cinder started. "This was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our academies' headmasters wield more power than most armies and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, maimed by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl?" Loki frowned in annoyance. "I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference."

"And why, I ask you, would she do this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I see neither. Perhaps Ozpin doesn't truly believe that Atlas didn't have anything to do with the disaster from two days ago, when one of Beacon's most promising students was nearly murdered and will probably never be able to do the things she's spent years of her life working towards. Perhaps he felt defeating Atlas in the tournament would help people forget his near-failure to protect Vale when the Grimm almost invaded its streets. Or, perhaps, this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces and orders assassinations of those that threaten him… Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is… equally undesirable. Our kingdoms are at the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So I ask you, when the first shots are fired… who do you think you can trust?" The screen was overtaken by static before it was replaced by an image split into thirds, with the Valian Crest in the bottom left, Atlesian Crest in the bottom right, and a blue version of the Rose family Crest in the top. Ozpin and Ironwood appeared in front of their respective nation's Crests, while an image of the Arena appeared in the third as a tempest of blue rose petals encircled it.

"Who indeed…" Aurelius' voice intoned. "Do you trust those who have tried for almost 80 years to protect the kingdoms? The ones who have given their lives for those too weak to defend themselves? Or do you trust a woman you've never met, someone who has managed to steal control over Amity Colosseum's broadcast just moments after this accident occurred? Someone who hacked into a system that was sabotaged just two days ago in an assassination attempt? No…" The cloud of petals shrank down as they reformed into Aurelius as he gazed around the arena, taking in the shocked expressions. "There is only one thing that she has spoken that is true. This was not an accident."

Ozpin spoke up. "I believe that General Ironwood would never do something as horrific as order the assassination of anyone, let alone a young girl that he himself respects and trusts. Not only that, but Qrow Branwen, Ruby's father, has chosen to put the same faith in Ironwood. If what this woman said was true… Why would we do that?"

Ironwood nodded before he continued. "Penny Pelondina was never designed to be an instrument of war. She was designed with free will to make her own decisions and wanted to become a Huntress."

Aurelius spoke up, turning to face Loki. "That reminds me. Loki, pull yourself together, you're making the situation worse by staring at your own severed arm. I built you to be able to put yourself back together so get to it." Loki blinked as he grabbed his arm, returning to his normal form as he reattached it. A rift opened up nearby before the real Penny stepped out, Loki walking through it afterwards before it sealed. "There are times when the leaders of the four kingdoms don't tell you the truth, but they do this to prevent you from panicking. The truth is, the man that tried to kill Ruby Rose was not an Atlesian soldier. He was hired by the woman who was speaking earlier… to make you distrust Atlas. And even with all the preparations she made, she still failed." Ruby stepped out into the Arena, waving to the crowd with her right hand, smiling as they realized she had recovered. "She has someone that works for her who is able to alter the minds of those around her, make her see things that aren't there, and this person did this to Pyrrha, forcing her to act in ways she never would normally."

"And, as Ironwood said, Penny Pelondina was never built to be a machine of war." Aurelius glanced at the meek girl behind him. "She was created by an old man. A man that spent his life creating the machines that keep the kingdoms safe, a man that sacrificed his chance at happiness to ensure the survival of others using his intellect. And when he stopped and realized he wanted a legacy beyond that of mindless machines built for battle, he was forced to live with a harsh truth: while he was focused on his work, he became old. Too old to have a hope of finding love and starting a family before he died. He used his knowledge and, with Ironwood's support and the sacrifice of a dying woman, created Penny to be his legacy. Can any of us look inside ourselves and honestly say we would deny a man with a heart that big his one selfish request in life?" Aurelius waited, glancing around as the crowd looked down. "No… I didn't think so."

"I'm certain many of you are asking who I am that would dare appear here and tell everyone why they are wrong to doubt each other. If you must know, I have many names and many titles. I am Aurelius, the Blue Rose, founder of the oldest family in all of Remnant, Dust Sage, and member of Sanctuary's Second Triumvirate. For the last two thousand years, since the fall of my homeland, I have lived amongst you, watching the world develop as I was reborn again and again. And what I've seen has been… disappointing." He glared at the camera before he continued. "As my family sacrificed to protect the people of Remnant, humanity has grown to forget where we all came from, what we all endured, human or faunus. The alienation of my family, the mistreatment of the faunus in general, and the uncaring response people gave to the Rose Hunts until humanity was threatened by them."

"Even now, the faunus are treated as less than people by many of you while the governments of some kingdoms try desperately to make them equals. It is because of this that the White Fang exist and because of this that they have turned into the criminals and terrorists they are today. This is just one example of the mistrust that threatens to tear our world apart, the type of mistrust that has been exploited by an enemy my family has spent centuries fighting in the shadows… And yet, there is still hope for true peace." The screen shifted to show a group of Atlesian soldiers and s few Huntsmen fighting a pack of Grimm. "Even now, Valian Huntsmen fight alongside Atlesian soldiers to defend this kingdom and its people from the White Fang, the Grimm, and my family's greatest enemy. Have faith in them, because they are an example that the world can still be saved. And they don't fight alone. Look skyward, people of Vale, and see what those who threaten you face if they wish to succeed." A loud rumble filled the air as the storm dissipated, the screen showing a massive structure floating above Beacon, dwarfing both Amity Colosseum and the city of Vale, lightning arcing around it. "Behold the Bastion, Sanctuary's crowning achievement and a symbol of a new era, an era of peace and cooperation. While the Rose family may have been abandoned, we will not abandon our duty to the people of Remnant. Sanctuary is resurgent and we stand united alongside Atlas and Vale in this fight. So long as one Rose remains standing, Vale will not fall. This is my promise to you all, and to the world at large." The screen flickered over to two scenes from Vale's streets.

Vale Residential District

A group of White Fang members started moving through the streets, opening fire into croud of screaming civilians. The leader, a snake faunus, laughed maniacally before an arrow struck him in the side of the head. The rest of the group jumped, turning to face a nearby alleyway as Artemis stepped out, a group of five Sentinels creeping out behind her, bows ready. "Who the hell are you?" a deer faunus said, pointing a gun at Artemis.

The Praetor scoffed before she answered. "Who am I? If my name truly means anything to you, I am Artemis, Queen of the Hunt. With this attack, my Hunt begins and since you dare to attack the innocent…" Artemis quickly notched two arrows as she aimed her bow into the group of White Fang members. "You all… are my prey!" Artemis snarled, letting the arrows fly and taking out two of the faunus before she and the Sentinels dissolved into thin air, arrows pelting the group.

Vale Commercial District

A large group of White Fang members moved silently towards the city wall, creeping past a massive statue with a shield and sword. As they reached the wall, one of them knelt down, pulling a set of explosives out of a bag. "C'mon, we need to punch a hole in the wall for the Grimm to get in."

"And why would you expect me to allow you to do that?" a voice called out from behind them in a deep rumble, causing them to turn around, paling at the sight in front of them. Standing in front of them was a massive Goliath, tall enough that the tallest member of the group only reached its knee. It stabbed its sword into the ground, glaring down at them with an enraged mask in place of its face.

"W-what the hell is this thing?!" One of them said, only for the monstrosity to grab him lifting him up in front of its face.

"I am Vulcan, Lord of Infernos. By order of Aurelius, I shall stop any who dare threaten the people of Vale. That includes you, worm!" Vulcan let out a roar as he slammed the poor faunus into the wall with a sickening crunch, the limp body dropping to the ground before he lifted his sword, taking a swing at the group and knocking half of them off the ground with ease before he continued his onslaught.

Bastion, Citadel Command Center

"It appears we have Nevermore and Griffons approaching Vale." Odin said in annoyance. "I'm activating the defensive weapons now…" Down below, bursts of Burn and Frost energy flew through the air, exploding and knocking them out of the sky.

Janus hummed, glancing at a screen displaying a courtyard in Vale. A large rift opened up before a large group of Sentinels and Champions charged out, splitting up into smaller squads. "Reinforcements are being deployed to assist in perimeter defense. Prepare the Rocs for deployment of additional forces." A nearby Sentinel nodded, moving toward the doorway. Janus put his hands behind his back, watching bursts of Burn, Frost, and Shock energy fly through the sky on the screens. The Battle of Beacon had begun… And the White Fang had no idea what they were walking into.

This is the first chapter of the Battle of Beacon done. I hope you enjoyed it. To give an idea of what's going on, three of the six Praetors/Centurions (Artemis, Vulcan, and Loki) are currently rampaging through the White Fang's ranks or getting ready to do so. A number of subtle changes include Ironwood's plan to cut power to the city during the fight. This might sound like another "Battle of Fort Castle" issue where the White Fang will have an advantage over the Atlesian military, but there's one thing to remember. They have better night vision, but it means they're also more vulnerable to bright flashes of light in the dark than humans are. Not only that, but the ones with ears as their trait (or one of their traits if they have more than one) would be more susceptible to loud, high-pitched noises. Ironwood, therefore, decided to exploit the early warning to equip his troops (with flash bangs and night-vision equipment) explicitly to turn the two most common advantages the faunus have over humans against them. Once the White Fang lost the element of surprise, the Battle of Beacon became a head-on battle, something Atlas is much better trained and equipped to deal with than the surprise attack from canon.

Let me know what you think of this in a review.