Ruby stepped forward, swung around her scythe and posed for the crowd of faunes.
"Are you with me?" Asked Roman.
"Why should we trust you?" A single faunes shouted up.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Why would I help the same upper-class snobs that want me in jail?" Roman quickly replied before heading down from the stage with Ruby behind him, walking towards the White Fang commander and saying, "I have a plan for tomorrow night, I suggest we head towards the war room."
Midnight that night, Weiss touched on all her contacts.
"I can't believe him! He just used Blake's death as a political tool." Weiss said as she sat in her seat at the communications center.
"That's terrible, how has no one caught onto this?" Said her sister, Winter Schnee, "What do you need to stop them?"
"I need you to issue a transport of Atlesian Knights to Vale's southport, I need backup." Weiss said while messaging Pyrrha, "I need your help at the southport, we're gonna fix this, bring the rest of JNPR."
Yang walked back to her room to find no one there, her sisters homework still sitting on her makeshift bed. Blake's bed was still missing a mattress, as it had been torn apart during Romans attack, and no one wanted to move her things. She sat down on Weiss's bed and picked up a photo she kept of the Schnee family. Yang immediately began crying, the salt flavored water dripping from her eyes and falling onto the photograph.
She began to talk to herself, "Why did you do it Yang? It took the world crashing down for you two to find each other, and then you added to the landslide…" As she ended her statement and sniffled in an attempt to stifle the tears. The sound of rain was soon heard hitting the unfinished repairs to the room, the boarded up window failing to keep the water out, and the thunder following suite being easily audible. She placed the photo on the side of the bed and rolled into it, crying into the pillow as she drifted to sleep.
Her dream was a unique one however as the walls began to shift and the shadows of the corners rolled themselves up into figures. They said terrible things to her, claiming she killed her team and murdered all her friends, that she was just a loyal pet, bidding time so it could blame it's owner for it's sins. She was in turmoil, screaming for it to stop inside her dream, she merely mumbled the word "no" outside of it. The world was swallowed in darkness, and she fell to true, deep sleep.
"We need to get these soldiers into position now. Where should we put them?" Weiss said to JNPR as they helped her unload the Atlesian Knights from the boat.
"We should put them somewhere hidden before the battle breaks out." Said Pyrrha, trying to give some tactical advice.
"Based on the area's they'll most likely be coming from, we can expect the fight to be throughout the city, rather than any one location." Juane said.
Len put the last one down and shrugged in agreeance. Nora then drew a mustache on one and shouted, "This one is Frank!" only to be shushed by the rest of the group. Right around then the rain started, and with it, thunder, Nora becoming ecstatic and running around in it. "It's like a wonderful watery wonderland, anything can happen now." Nora said with enthusiasm.
The group soon found themselves split into groups while placing Atlesian knights around the Dust shops and other stores in association with the Shnee family trade. Communicating over messages, they talked casually, trying to distract themselves from what was going on, from their fears. Only yesterday they were students, yet today, the become rebellious soldiers, attempting to keep the peace in a city they called home. Even Nora, though she would never show it, was dissapointed in recent events.
Glynda walked to the window in Ozpin's office, "Ozpin, do you believe that we can do it? That we can bring order to Vale this way?"
"Of course we can, it's simply a matter of when, not if." Ozpin said as he spun in his chair to face her, "Between Yang and the support of Ms. Schnee for our new uniforms, losing isn't an option anymore."
"What if Ruby Rose is amongst their forces?" Glynda brought up to her employer.
"Then we'll swat her down first, spare the young girl the sight of her allies dying." Ozpin said with little actual conscience.
"I fear what she can accomplish when given an army." Glynda added in response, "After all, you yourself stated how good of a leader she was."
"She's not in the state of mind to give commands." Ozpin said turned and placed a hand on Glynda's shoulder and a finger on her lips, "Relax, I have this handled, soon we can forget about all this and sleep comfortably knowing that the world is in peace and Vale will no longer be threatened by terrorism." A moment later they embraced, believing that what they were doing was the only way to make the world better. They walked to Ozpin's room and retired for the night.
- That Morning
Ozpin woke up early with Glynda, the students being handed their new uniforms. The many hunters and huntresses were soon gathered and deployed into key defence positions sprouting from Beacon academy itself, forming with these positions a series of thirteen rings each one spread further than the last, amongst them were normal police, Vale kingdom National Guard and Citizens believing in the cause there to support the defense zones. The rain never let up though, nor did the thunder, the weather setting a mood of melancholy among the troops, what would have been both a diverse and formidable army was burdened down to a mediocre, yet still massive, force. At the same time, Faunes and other rebels in disguise were working backroom deals, peddling weapons and gathering momentum for the cause, making sure that in the end, the people would have them in mind.
Weiss and team JNPR were also doing things, trying to take hold of supply zones through trust and persuasion. Weiss trying to get a hold of Ironwood, as to gain his help in bringing peace to Vale. Roman was designing along with Ruby and the general as well, trying to find a weakness in the thirteen rings, then they found one.
"Here, right here. They have turrets here instead of troops." Ruby said to the general with assurance.
"What makes you think that's a better idea?" The general answered.
"We can easily have our more subtle troops slide past the turrets and cut down their dust supply, it would reduce the staying power of the Beacon force as well, the more dust we get a hold of or destroy the better." Roman stated in defense of Ruby.
The general glared at Roman, and was about to continue before he was interrupted by, "And the wood, and the roof tops seem oddly baren based on the earlier reports, we could send our strike teams over head."
The general responds with a growl, "I get it, what should we do with the Paladins, or the Bullheads then miss Champion!?"
Ruby starts to falter at the intimidation when Roman steps in, "What she means to say Sir Taurus is that you should send the Bullheads to occupy and capture the Beacon Airships and the Paladins should be used to hold the lines as we take territory."
The general stops and sits down, "That does sound like a good plan, I concede. What if the have plans against us though?"
Ruby speaks up again, "We can't plan every move, the best plan we have has already been formed, at this point all we can do is secure our resources and trust in ourselves."
The general looked to Ruby, "What platoon are you attaching yourself too?"
Ruby got up and turned to leave, "I'll be on the invasion force for the Bullheads. Call me when we're ready."
Roman got up after her and grinned, "I'll be going driving a Paladin, holding the line."
"Understood, accomplish your missions, at all costs." The general then turns away from them in his chair. "Ms. Rose, you better protect her." He said to know one in particular.
Ruby walked into the barrack room holding the platoon she was supposed to be working with, the whole troop all suited up in their armor and polishing their weapons of choice.
"My name is Ruby Rose, I am your champion, and will be attaching to your unit in order to accomplish my mission." Ruby said as she walked up to the group.
The lieutenant running the platoon got up and made her way to Ruby and put out her hand, "Welcome… Friend, please, make yourself at home, this may be our last dinner together."
Ruby shook her hand, stopping for a moment and looking up in an attempt to look through the mask, "You're, I think I know y-"
"We should get to that meal soon, you're letting the pre-war jitters get to you." The woman interrupted. They both sat down with the rest of their troop before beginning their meal, all of them briefly forgetting the weight of the uniforms they wore, all except for the lieutenant, who wore her helmet the entire meal, never letting her guard down, never forgetting her purpose.
Yang sat in the lunch hall, eating a similar meal, trying to visualize the battlefield, hoping that if something comes up on the airships that she can respond in time, trying to prepare herself mentally for the most stressful thing she would ever do. She finished her steak, and her soup, but she felt hungry still, but putting it aside to stay swift for the fight.
She eventually left and began walking out to the Airship marked 'Alpha-01' at the cliff dock.
"All people, head toward your posts, the strike begins soon, I repeat, head toward your posts, the strike begins soon." was heard on the loudspeakers throughout campus.
And so Yang entered the Airship to get ready for the inevitable.
Weiss finally got a hold of the Ironwood, "What is it that you need Ms. Schnee?"
"I'll be as direct as possible, I need an army." Said Weiss.
"You need what!?" Ironwood shouted in surprise.
Weiss gave a looked away then back again, "It's a long story, but an important one."
A/N: I apologize for the wait, school started, and if I hadn't mentioned before, my Beta ditched me, if anyone would like to take that position, PM me.