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"Why are we in the forest, Specialist Schnee?" Winter sighed at the innocent voice, ducking under a branch as they made their way through the forest and towards Beacon Academy and quite desperately away from the escape pod she'd stolen to get off the ship, "I am detecting transmissions from the Atlesian Battleship 'Frosted Forward' saying that the Grimm are becoming very active and requesting support. Should we not-"

"General Ironwood is violating international law and treaties, Penny." She finally snapped and answered, looking over her shoulder and whispering hotly at the small android following dutifully behind her. "If I don't find some way to put a stop to this, it could mean another Great War. You know what that would entail?"

"My memory storage centers do not hold information on 'the Great War' other than the fact that it was a large scale historical conflict." Penny informed her in that chipper, bright voice, smiling all the while. "I am afraid that without context in which to view them, what information I do have is not sufficient to make a judgement of this situation based on that one."

"Wait, they didn't give you the information?" Winter asked, mildly afronted at the idea. Penny nodded to confirm, along with a cute 'mhm', and Winter sighed, "Why wouldn't they give you basic information like that? How do they expect a military AI to function without knowledge on how the military functions?"

"I feel the need to point out that I am, in fact, programmed to operate within military units, as well as to know and recognize all forms of Atlesian military technology and rank. So I do, actually, know how to function as a unit inside the Atlesian military structure. I simply do not know as of now international matters." Penny shrugged, smiling innocently with her hands clasped behind her, and Winter sighed aggravatedly. Hearing this, Penny seemed to panic slightly, "I-I'm sorry if I offended you, Specialist Schnee! I didn't mean to, I promise, I just meant to-"

"It's fine, Penny." Winter cut her off sharply, feeling a touch of guilt when the android seemed to actually pout. Sighing and berating herself all the while, she added, "I just… Thought you would have it programmed into you. It was my mistake, not yours. I apologize."

"I still do not know why we are in the forest and not supporting Atlesian forces against the Grimm." Penny added quietly, clearly afraid of upsetting Winter any more than she probably believed she had.

"Jaune Arc." Winter answered simply, "He is probably why the Grimm are attacking above us, and I am hopeful that I can prevent this becoming an all out war. Or, well, a Grimm Incursion event unlike one we have ever seen in our lives, at least. So just… Be patient, until we're somewhere safer, and I promise I will explain everything to you. Alright?"

"Of course, Specialist. But I have one other question."

"What is it?" She sighed, pausing for a moment to look around the forest as they went and continuing on.

Penny at least had the good sense, or was just too polite not to do otherwise, to not speak too loudly or when Winter periodically stopped to scan the area around them habitually. Winter was fully aware Penny came with an internal radar system that was pinging around them constantly in search of Grimm, but old habits die hard was a saying for more than a few reasons.

When Winter had finished and they were moving, Penny finally asked, "Does this make us friends?"

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Jaune fell to a knee as a shear wall of emotions slammed into him as suddenly and violently as the bombardment had smashed his ship and thrown it to the forest, the smoke from the fires visible already like a column of pitch that seemed to be pouring from the sky itself and to the ground. Hundreds of small craft swarmed around it, fighting the fires before they could grow and come against the walls where they could choke out the defenders on high and panic the citizens below, as well as the Grimm that had been attracted by the light and sound, and then the panic of the responders and their confusion.

And past it all, drifting towards Beacon itself, Ironwood's battleship lumbered silently through the air.

Slowly, Jaune turned to Ozpin, and the small face of the boy he now dwelt in seemed to tense, but for all the noise Jaune couldn't hear the man's thoughts to know if he was tense because of what happened or if he knew something about it and was afraid of Jaune for that. "Mister Arc, please listen to me very carefully. I had no idea James was willing to do something like this. I swear it to you on the honor of Beacon Academy itself."

"Ozpin…" A hand snapped to his sword's grip and he leapt from the ground, drawing the sword and screaming accusations as he went. He planted his feet on the desk and raised the sword, Glynda's crop coming out at his side too slowly before he was yanked back bodily by thick, black tendrils tipped in white points snared around his arm, straining to hold him back. "You did this, Ozpin! It has to be you! He only listens to you, you lying son-of-a-"

"I did not do this, Mister Arc!" Ozpin shouted, Glynda moving to step between them protectively and raising her riding crop at the Seer. Ozpin saw this and made a sour face, grabbing her wrist and wrenching it away from the creature, "No! No fighting here, none of us are enemies!"

"We are now!" Jaune screamed, turning when he couldn't free himself from Salem's tendrils and snarling at Cinder, "Cinder, destroy them! I'm ordering you to wipe them out of existence! Do you under- Hurk!"

He gagged as a tendril wrapped around his throat and yanked back, forcing his eyes to stare into the warm glow of the Seer, and then… Quiet. Silence, for a moment of sheer bliss, in a darkness that surrounded him in comforting suffocation, an odd combination that he missed as light broke across his consciousness once more and he slid from the Seer's grasp, dropping the sword with a heavy metal clang as he fell to his hands and knees, panting as a strange barrier seemed to almost mute the 'noise' around him, turning the deafening and maddening cacophony into little more than a dull throb in his mind.

"Salem, what did you…" He rose, everyone staring at him in a mixture of confusion and - on Cinder's part - pain, almost, like she was fighting something he couldn't place right now in the fog of his mind, the numbness that had replaced the pain of before. It was still painful to be sure, but manageable in a much larger fashion than before. "My Semblance. I can't… I can't feel it like before. How…?"

"I am happy to explain." Salem informed him simply in an amused, and oddly strained, tone as the Seer fell in behind him and distinctly away from Glynda's hot glare and ready weapon, eyes flicking between the Grimm and Cinder who stood before Jaune with her twin swords in hand and ready, trembling in her grip. "But perhaps you should relent your order to Cinder, before her mind breaks again."

"Cinder?" He spared the woman's back a glance, her arms trembling almost so violently that he wondered how she kept the swords in her hands from shaking apart. Blinking away the fog, he grimaced and said, "Cinder, stand down. I'm sorry."

"Master…" She gasped, dropping the weapons as they dissolved and sinking to her knees, shoulders heaving as she sucked in a breath she'd been holding for the entire time, afraid to even pay enough of her attention to breathing and break her fragile hold on her body. "I-I'm sorry, I couldn't do anything but… But my body, trying to obey even order I knew you would hate, but I-"

"You did what I would have wanted." He reassure her, laying a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly. Turning, he stepped towards Pyrrha, kneeling on the floor with Neo in her arms and her shield covering the small woman. "Pyrrha."

She she hesitated a moment, but moved the shield aside when he gave her a look and he, smiling apologetically, he laid a hand on Neo's forehead and said, the storm of emotion and noise slowly overcoming whatever Salem had done and threatening to hurl him into insanity again, "I'm sorry, but I can't handle all of this and cope with your… With our emotions. Sleep."

She flinched, body stiffening for a moment, before her eyes fluttered and she curled up in Pyrrha's arms comfortably, falling into a dreamless sleep at his bidding. He gave Pyrrha another look, hard and afraid and needful, and she nodded understandingly, "With my life, my Theros, I shall guard her while she sleeps. I swear it to you."

He nodded and rose, turning to Salem with less suspicion and more curiosity than one might expect, "What did you do to me?"

"My Seers can numb Aura and Semblances both with but a touch and a gaze into their orb's light, assuming I am willing to invest enough of my own power into the act and the Seer itself." She answered honestly, "A… Sort of hypnosis, you could say, tricking them into disabling their natural abilities. Yours will return in a moment, the effect is short lived. But now the danger has passed, so you can lower your...Weapon, I suppose you'd insist that fetishised instrument be called."

"If you like, I can very easily show you exactly why it is called a weapon." Goodwitch snapped back, eyes narrow and suspicious. Of what, Jaune couldn't tell yet, his Semblance trickling back to him slowly if steadily. "I don't know what you offered Jaune to get him on your side, but-"

"I am on no one's side." Jaune interrupted, returning his sword to its sheath with a heavy thunk and glaring at the woman hotly. "Salem's help comes for her own reasons, not out of some deal with me. I came here to end Ironwood's hunting me, and instead he destroyed my ship and killed my friend, Roman."

"I understand that, Mister Arc, but-"

"Pyrrha, Cinder, I want you two to go and get a Bullhead into Vale ready." He ordered the two women, Cinder rising on somewhat shaky legs that steadied as he dolled out orders, "I don't care what you have to do short of killing someone, but get it together and do so quietly. We'll hide in Vale until we find a better way out."

"You don't have to steal anything, Mister Arc." Ozpin said, sighing somewhat irritably at being interrupted. Turning to Goodwitch, he added, "Go with them, please. Get everything arranged so that James, the fool that he is, doesn't shoot them out of the sky and make the possible war concrete between our Kingdoms."

"You wish to be left alone with that Ozpin?" She asked, sounded frightened, offended, and angry at both all at once and flicking her crop at Salem's Seer. "Simply speaking to James should be more than enough to end this, Ozpin. He is a reasonable man."

"Quite reasonable." Salem observed with an amused, if disbelieving, tone, "So reasonable, in fact, that he would never consider attacking a barely armed, unwarned air-ship in a protected area without at least some form of authorization or permission. Ozpin, did he ask you if he could destroy a ship in your airspace?"

"As much as agreeing with Salem makes my stomach turn…" Ozpin admitted, looking pained at the admission in a way Jaune had never seen with eyes pinched and nose scrunched like he'd caught a distinctly offensive scent, "She's… unfortunately correct. James has displayed a kind of irrational reaction that tells me he is quite beyond reasoning with."

"But-"

"Miss Goodwitch, please." Ozpin snapped in a rare show of impatience and anger, looking up at the woman for all that it mattered in how cowed she was by the glare. "James has made his bed and will lie in it, but I do not intend on joining him in that."

"Very well." Glynda murmured weakly, looking distraught but defeated as she moved around the desk. "If you young ladies and your…" She made a sour face at Neo, curled in Pyrrha's arms like a child, "Companion would simply come with me, I will see transport arranged to Vale." "I just hope you know what you're doing, Ozpin."

"Master?" Cinder asked tiredly, still recovering from the mental strain of trying to refuse one of his orders. Something that he was fairly sure should be impossible, not that he was complaining. He spared her a glance, and she grimaced, "Forgive the forwardness,but I don't think you should stay here alone." Not with him and without us to protect you."

"I won't be alone, Cinder." Jaune assured her simply, smiling bitterly and sparing Ozpin a glance. "Salem will be right here."

"Jaune, I must-"

"Mister Arc, I will not tolerate-"

Flexing his Aura, and letting the anger and emotion flood into it experimentally along with the hope that he could replicate what he'd done earlier, he sent a weak blast of wind out from the whipping Aura as it surged out and away from him in every direction. Surprise echoed from everyone in the room and they staggered away, and then Jaune spoke, "Ozpin, one of my closest friends was just murdered by one of your closest friends. So if me keeping the only one between you two and Salem that I trust in any way in the room bothers you, then I will happily leave."

"That…" Ozpin sighed, nodding after a second, "Very well, Mister Arc. I will extend you the trust required to have that in the room. It is the least I can do, given everything that has happened. Miss Goodwitch, please take your leave. When you have finished with these women, please see to the student body as well." "Gods know they'll need to be handled with care as well, given the firestorm they an no doubt see."

Sitting in a chair across from Ozpin with Salem's Seer looming over his shoulder once they had gone, Jaune smiled thinly under narrowed, angry eyes and met Ozpin's gaze, "Now, I want you to do me a favor, and call Ironwood. I have something to tell him. Something important."

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Ruby skidded to a stop at the window outside Port's lecture, staring out at the plumes of smoke rising into the air with a look of mixed curiosity and fear, layered under a kind of concern that had her eyebrows meeting above her nose. She looked from the smoke and the busy swarm of rescue and response vehicles swarming towards and around it and then to the only two things that could have shot it down. Vale's wall-mounted defences, and the massive Atlesian ship lumbering by the wreckage with the tell-tale dot of its dorsal and ventral heavy cannons shifting back into resting positions.

Ruby liked weapons, and she knew that those weren't going to be used against Grimm swarming the area. Those guns were for other ships like itself, capable of punching through armor and decks beyond easily. Which meant that if they were moving it was after shooting at something.

But why?

"Ruby Rose, why would you run off and leave me like that?" Weiss asked aggravatedly, pushing aside one of the dozens of other students crowding to see what was happening and questioning it. Ruby pushed against a large man's back so Weiss could slide into the small space next to her, and the Schnee heiress' eyes met with the column of smoke and fire and then narrowed, "Did you see anything?"

"It...It looked like their heavy cannons were moving back into resting positions. On the battleship, I mean." Weiss' eyes widened in shock at the words, or the meaning behind them more accurately, and Ruby panicked, waving her hands frantically and forcing a smile, "B-But, I mean, I only just started studying that stuff a couple weeks back,and you know how bad I am at studying, Weiss. So, you know, I might be wrong or-or maybe I saw something different."

"Ruby, when it comes to studying weapons, you are among the most studious people I know." Weiss chided gently, eying the battleship in concern. "But… Why would they do that? So close to Vale and Beacon, the commander has to know this will rouse the Grimm."

"What if they did know?" Ruby asked, Weiss humming curiously and tilting her head towards her for more. "What if… What if they attacked that ship and shot it down, and knew it would rile the Grimm up? What would that mean?"

"That would mean the commander of the ship valued destroying that ship more than protecting Vale or Beacon." Weiss answered, frowning and taking Ruby's hand to pull her from the window. "Let's find Ren and Nora. I have a feeling a certain scraggly blonde is involved in this somehow."

Shoving their way through the chattering, nervous crowd and towards the cafeteria to look for their errant team mates.

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"Ship destruction confirmed, General." An officer told him, standing just behind him and holding up a small tablet. "Cockpit is determined to be crushed and the front eighty percent of the ship has been burned, crushed, or was struck by our rounds. Projected destruction of the ship is total by all implication."

"Chances of survivors in the forward half of the ship?" Ironwood asked quietly, looking at the pillar of inky smoke and roiling fire below it as his ship cruised by slowly towards Beacon. The officer shook his head and he sighed tiredly, "Good. One less problem to fear then, I suppose. How is Vale's response handling the fire and the Grimm?"

"The fire is apparently contained, sir." The officer responded, hesitating a moment on the next line of the report. "But… Sir, the Grimm are withdrawing from the area, avoiding all contact save when they are directly attacked."

"Withdrawing...?" James repeated curiously, looking surprised and turning to gaze at Beacon with his mouth gaping. After a moment, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched, mouth closing in a hard frown, almost whispering, "Beacon… He's at Beacon, and withdrawing the Grimm from the area. But why?"

"Sir?" The officer asked quietly, confused, "Did you say-"

"Order all our forces to board ships and return to Atlas, or to Atlesian fortifications. Pending further orders, they are to maintain defensive patterns and do nothing else. No other orders are to override this and all requests from Vale are to be ignored or refused." Ironwood turned to look down at the officer, eyebrow raised, "Until I decide those further orders, XO has the bridge. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir!" The officer replied, saluting while Ironwood stepped past and headed towards the door.

"Sir?" A communications officer called, James hesitating in the doorway and looking over his shoulder. "Incoming transmission from Beacon Academy, Sir. Identifying the Headmaster's Office of Beacon Academy as the origin. No encryptions or security measures beyond the norm detected, Sir."

"Forward it to my personal quarters and put it on temporary hold, with an explanation attached." He ordered, the soldier nodding and moving to follow the commands as Ironwood stepped out of the command bridge and the doors clicked closed behind him.

All the way to his quarters, he never regarded or responded to the Atlesians around him, nor did his frown ever vanish as he went. What could happen next, he wondered?

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Winter moved through Beacon's halls with clear purpose written across her features, shoulders back and eyes forward. Students and staff barely paid her mind, likely assuming she was here on Atlesian business as she had so often done so in the past and moving aside often without any real thought or delay. Beyond looking curiously at Penny,of course, the young android following closely behind her and staring at everything like a child might look at a candy store's stock.

Which given her actual age rather than her apparent age, Winter felt comfortable with he comparison.

For the tenth time in her trek through the halls, she flicked open her Scroll and checked again to see if Weiss had returned her query about her location. Sensing her concern when she, admittedly a bit more forcefully than needed, Penny quietly asked, "Still nothing?"

"Hm?" Winter hummed, sounding surprised for a moment when Penny spoke. It was hard for the Schnee to see Penny as a person yet, given her knowledge of the true nature of the android, and talking to her felt… Odd. "No, Penny. Still no answer, as of yet, but I'm not worried about Weiss."

"You seem worried." Penny observed quietly, Winter sighing and already tired of the android's questioning.

"Not for that reason, Penny." She assured the small android quietly, more than conscious when an Atlesian soldier hurried by to another task she couldn't hope to know. But he didn't even angle his helmet towards her enough to fully register her, so she felt safe and continued, "Weiss is safe, I just… Want to get to her. For reassurance, purely."

"Okay." Penny chirped brightly, belying the worried thoughts spiking through her. Winter had been so nice to her, and she was scared, and Penny didn't like that. At all.

Reaching out into the ether, it was fairly easy to latch onto Beacon's wireless internet services as she walked through its halls. From there, it was an easy internet search - with no more of a foot print than a Scroll's own to show for it - for Winter Schnee. A moment later, ignoring the tabloids and military reports that spawned almost immediately, she amended it to 'Winter Schnee Sister' and found her name.

Weiss Schnee.

From there a simple image search brought her to, interestingly enough, Beacon's own records of student admission. Beacon required photo identification records to register, and a picture of Weiss' face from the front and side both were on public record. So downloading a simple screen capture to her own database was less than a chore. What came next was significantly more difficult, however, and moderately harder to hide as well.

Harder, not impossible and especially not for Penny of all military autonomous, artificial intelligences around on Remnant. That there were only two did not detract from her pride in that either.

Receding from the internet she instead tapped int Beacon's own security systems, purely on surface levels of course. Any real resistance was met with her ceasing her activities and moving on, purely to avoid leaving behind any evidence of her passage. Using the picture as a reference alongside the data she had also copied on Weiss' height, body descriptions and more, she flicked between the low-security cameras quickly until she found the smaller Schnee in the cafeteria of all places, seemingly arguing with several people who were likely her team members. Penny wasn't sure, and she wasn't willing to risk exposure any further for an answer she'd get inside a few minutes regardless.

"Weiss Schnee is in the cafeteria, Miss Winter." Penny offered happily, practically trembling in excitement at being able to help the tall woman. Winter stopped suddenly enough that Penny almost ran into her and turned, looking down at her with narrow, nervous eyes, and she added, "I accessed information on the public domain and used Beacon's cameras to find her. Should I… not have?"

"I… No. No you should not have." Winter groaned, looking around nervously and trying hard to hide that fact under a veneer of calm, "Did anyone detect you?"

"No, I covered my tracks easily and without incident." She smiled brightly up at the tall Schnee, "I am programmed with basic infiltration routines and hacking is one of them. I am sister tracking ready!"

"Quite." Winter sighed, resting a hand on Penny's head gently and almost affectionately, clearly tired for just a moment before it was gone. "Don't do it again, you understand? Without consulting me, anyways."

"I understand." She answered quietly, blinking innocently up at Winter in confusion. Whatever the case here, Penny understood at least that communicating was required, even if why she should delay their progress went over her head. "Would you like me to lead you to her, then?"

"Yes." Winter answered crisply, turning and gesturing for Penny to lead the way, "We'll find my sister and get both her and her friends to Vale. Appropriating a Bullhead should be nothing more than a chore."

Hopefully they could find Jaune somewhere along the way and, from there, find some kind of way to a peace.

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Ten minutes after Ozpin finally dialed in the number for the Atlesian general, a holographic display of the man's head and shoulder appearing in the center of the room and dominating it. The man first looked to Ozpin and then Jaune, before his eyes settled on the Seer grimly and he frowned. "I see my concerns were correct. Jaune is there, and that creature is with him. Are you alright, old friend?"

"Just fine, James." Ozpin answered dryly, while Jaune simply stared James down, eyes hard and bitter. "Unlike Jaune's own friends, I feel the need to point out. One of whom you struck down within my air space, in violation of numerous treaties against such an action. Surely, you must be aware of that." "You aren't that far gone…"

"What if there is war?" Jaune heard Oscar whimper, barely audible beyond the blood roaring in Jaune's ears and Ozpin's own thoughts. "My family, Ozpin, we have to warn them. We can't just leave them out there in the middle of nowhere."

"If that should come to pass, I will bring them here, to safety. I promise, Oscar."

"Please, Ozpin." James dismissed readily, waving a hand at the mere notion of what Ozpin was saying. "I know for a fact that the only person aboard that ship was Roman Torchwick. No one will shed tears over his loss." He spared Jaune a glance, and the Seer over his shoulder, and added, "Well, no one worth consideration, at least."

"Do not antagonize Mister Arc or his, erm, guest." Ozpin cut in, at least half-heartedly defending Jaune. "They, unlike yourself, have not violated international law or treaty and attacked a civilian ship in my air space." Ozpin spared the blonde a glance and grimaced, "At least not recently…"

Jaune kept his peace, not responding and simply waiting to see what the two men would say. As much to gauge James himself as to gauge Ozpin, and make decision regarding him. If Ozpin didn't need to be his enemy, Jaune wouldn't start a fight with him, but that required information.

Which meant listening, at least for now. Jaune had to see what the man would say. He had to at least give him the right to apologize.

"One of them is the Queen of the damned Grimm and the other is her servant, as was the pilot of the damned ship. I do not recognize anyone working with Salem or for her as a civilian at any time whatsoever." James asserted simply and calmly, looking straight at Jaune. "Without exception, they have chosen their side of this war. And as it is the side actively vying for the utter annihilation of all Humanity I will never feel guilt over their deaths."

"Except they weren't on her side, James." Ozpin sighed, shaking his young head tiredly, "They came here to explain that. To show me, personally, that Jaune meant no harm and wanted nothing more than to be left alone by you. And then you killed one of them in my air space who was under my protection." "Don't be so foolish, old friend."

"Winter was confronted by the Grimm when she went to apprehend him." James argued simply, shrugging, "If he doesn't serve her, why would she aid him the way she did? He is quite obviously hers. And his fellows along with him."

"Were that only the case." Salem said wistfully, actually sighing as Ironwood stiffly looked to the Seer curiously. "Jaune is unfortunately quite independant, and bit bit too pure-hearted as well, to stand behind me or beneath me."

"Regardless, Ozpin, did you call for anything substantive?" Ironwood finally asked, clearly dismissive of anything Salem had to say. Which Jaune felt was rather typical, Ironwood was nothing if not a stubborn ass. He spared a meaningful glance to Jaune and the Seer alike and added, "Or is there something… Else you needed to contact me for?"

"What?" Ozpin asked, lost for a moment before he blinked and shook his head suddenly, "No! No, James, I called because you blew a civilian ship out of the air in my air-space, without requesting my permission. With or without Mister Arc's presence I would have-"

"I already told you, Ozpin, that I do not recognize that ship as anything other than an enemy entity invading safe aor-spaces." James interrupted, sounding bored and tired, and all-together uncaring about what he'd done. It made Jaune's blood boil, listening to it, "If you want, then petition the Atlesian Council. I assure you, however, that it will result in nothing."

"Because you hold two seats." "It always comes to this, in the end." Ozpin sighed, shaking his head and letting his eyes close in exasperation at the sheer stubbornness James was showing. "James, old friend, I am sorry, but I can't abide this reckless stubbornness any longer. Nothing binds you, now." "Not even rule of law, which you once espoused as the only honorable way forward in life."

"Abide?" The old Atlesian coughed a short, harsh laugh, sounding genuinely amused rather than mocking, "Ozpin, I'm not your servant. You don't abide anything I do or any way I act. I am the General of the Atlesian Military and the Headmaster of Atlas Academy, as well as two times a Council Seat holder for that. I may act as I see fit, and work with you not for you."

"You risk war!" Ozpin finally snapped, small body shaking in sudden anger as Oscar's own emotions filtered into Ozpin like water from the ocean and a river colliding and churning. "For petty pride and assumptions you risk war between our Kingdoms! And worse, you risk driving the one you fear so badly straight to Salem's arms!"

"Ozpin, I-"

"No, James." Ozpin cut across him coldly, looking to Jaune and sighing. "The die is cast, and it is cast by you and shall be dealt with by you alone, old friend… Brothers forgive me. Glynda forgive me." "I no longer stand beside you, James. You are not the man I once knew, and I will not abide your thirst for conflict or your aggression any longer. Whatever comes for you, it comes for you without my aid."

"That…" For once, the Atlesian career officer seemed at a loss, eyes wide in shock and mouth gaping. He blinked twice and then spoke, "Ozpin, I never intended to offend you. You have to understand that I always acted in the best interests of Remnant itself. You must know this to be true, surely."

"You acted in your opinion, nothing more." Ozpin dismissed, looking at Jaune and sighing. "Mister Arc, say what you wish. I won't be one who gets in your way, regardless of where you go from here, so long as you don't seek to destroy what I hold truly precious." "Even if this is the cost, I will pay it."

"Salem. Do you know what I want?" He asked her simply, the Seer regarding him silently. Sighing, he answered the question himself turning to look out at Vale and the fire that raged in the forest still with a grim, sad expression, "I want peace between the Kingdoms. I don't want a war. I've thought about it alot. War, peace, the greater good, the Kingdoms… Even family, as crazy as it sounds when that includes Neo and Roman."

"Worthy things to think on." Ozpin offered hopefully, smiling when Jaune regarded him, hoping beyond hope that Jaune meant what Ozpin thought he did. "Even given the current situation, if not especially given it, that you would think about such things speaks to your intelligence." "And character, hopefully."

The smile fell and fear spiked when Jaune grimaced and looked back to the Atlesian, while Ozpin was faced with what jaune did mean.

"But now, what I want more than anything is revenge." Ozpin's shoulders stiffened and Jaune ignored him, looking at James and rising instead, "You took Roman from me, for no reason other than what you assumed I would do or say and don't even bother pretending to apologize or feel sympathy... You murdered him, and I will get justice for it. So I want you to listen, and listen well, Ironwood. Wherever you go, whatever you put between me and you…"

He drew his leaf-bladed sword and held it up so Ironwood could see it, "I will come for you. I will throw aside whatever you protect yourself with and I will bury this sword in your chest. Justice can go to hell right along with you until this is done with."

"You think you can threaten me? I've a Kingdom of resources at my disposal, alliances and treaties, and men and women who will gladly stand before you." James said quietly, not blustering but simply asking in a low, deep tone that echoed of surprise.

"I am promising you." Jaune corrected simply, lowering the sword and making a sour face while he gave Salem a reluctant yet resigned and meaningful look, "Not threatening, promising. Your fleet, your Kingdom walls, nothing will get in my way. Regardless of what deals I have to make."

"You know what I will demand. To face a Kingdom is not something I would have dared before, so you know the price I will exact at the end of things." Salem said simply, the blonde nodding understandingly while Ozpin's face fell and Jaune felt his sudden sorrow spike out of him. "If you agree to give it to me, then my Grimm and your revenge will be yours."

"This conflict with Ozpin ends too." He demanded quietly, Salem humming her understanding. Sighing, Jaune nodded, turning to meet Ironwood's eyes again and smiling in a way that would have made Neo proud. "Then you'll have what you want, Salem. And I will have what I want, more than almost anything now."

Ironwood ended the call suddenly and Jaune turned, smiling after a few minutes passed as the Atlesian ship turned sharply and headed away from Beacon and vale. Hovering next to him, Salem asked why he was smiling, and he answered simply.

"Because I saw Ironwood's face, and I know what he felt." He said, turning to look up at her, "Fear."

"And what will you do now, Mister Arc." Ozpin asked, rising with fear and nerves alike emanating from him. "I won't fight you, so long as you do nothing that harms the Kingdoms themselves directly."

"Good." Jaune answered coldly, turning to the Seer and sighing, "On the coast of your continent, you said before that you had great, Grimm dragons that protected it from Atlesian expeditions. How many do you have?"

Salem laughed, bright and harsh, Jaune simply smiled a thin and bitter smile as his eyes closed in resignation and acceptance alike, and Ozpin sighed and murmured a prayer to the Brothers and beyond.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Lord Red Knight :

Yus~

Gizmo Gear :

Yup, Roman.

The Impossible Muffin :

Everyone needs a good amount of irony in their diet.

Blasing Fire :

Yeah, it's very much a situation of everyone making assumptions and being a bit selfish. James needs to calm his tits and stop jumping the shark, not that he gets another chance now.

Dandaman :

Well. About that.

Zenith tempest :

Possibly.