A/N: Hello all! I hope you enjoy this chapter. There were some fair questions asked and most I feel it might disservice the story to answer here. I can speak on whether there's going to be any Lancaster representation. While I do intend to explore the pairing, I won't say as to whether it'll be the final goal. I've always felt like Ruby may be an ace, but it's really hard to say.

Since the start of the show, Ruby was thrust into a world of teens two years her senior. When you're fifteen, that age gap feels bigger than some of us might remember. On top of that, she has been stuck in a position of leadership. A role that often requires personal sacrifice to fill. Ruby has just never had the time to explore that part herself. With this story exploring Yang taking on the greater role of responsibility, Ruby will lose much of the pressure that has been driving her forward and she'll have the emotional and mental space to explore herself beyond her immediate duty.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should state that this will be a more minor side plot. Which is why I felt it important to explain myself here rather than in the story itself.

With that out of the way, onward to the plot!

Beta'd by my lovely wife

Chapter 2

The soft hum of the elevator climbing upwards filled my ears as I stared out across the early morning view of Atlas. The sun was just beginning to peak over the distant horizon, its light reflecting gently off the endless white plains. The city itself was just as beautiful during the day as it had been last night. Though, from my vantage, those massive skyscrapers seemed more like pebbles on the shore of a white sea.

I swirled the coffee I held and started to brush away a loose bang. Warmth filled my cheeks as I remembered that I had left my prosthetic with the rest of my team. They had decided to go ahead and get started on our repairs and upgrades. Blake had mentioned some interesting ideas for upgrades herself. Excitement bubbled at the thoughts of what the Atlas coats might come up with.

Speaking of Atlas coats, waking up to a visit from the Ace-Ops wasn't exactly something I had expected. The request to meet with Ironwood was even less expected.

A soft chime announced my arrival at the General's office floor. As I exited the elevator, I was greeted with the sight of an unfamiliar dark skinned woman. She stood by the entrance of the circular room, just out of the elevator hall. She was just a couple inches shorter than me, even in heels. Her brown hair was put up in a tight bun and she was dressed in a black pencil skirt with a simple white blouse. As I approached, I noticed a larger Scroll model cradled in her arm. I could vaguely make out what looked to be notes and schedules.

She greeted me with a bright smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Xiao Long. My name is Stephanie Santiago. I'm General Ironwood's personal secretary." Her eyes flicked towards my missing arm, but she made no other mention.

I returned her smile with a pleasant one of my own. "The pleasure is mine, Ms. Santiago. Please, just call me Yang. Is the General busy?"

She shook her head and motioned for me to follow. "Not at all. As a matter of fact, he keeps to a tight schedule." I bet he does. The man has two council seats and is running both an army and a school. "It's a pleasure to see that you're quite punctual. Hopefully that continues, if we find ourselves working more closely together."

My eyebrow lifted at the statement. "What would the General want that would have us working closely?"

She waved the question away with a dismissive hand. "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. It's not my place to say." As she finished speaking we arrived at Ironwood's office.

She opened the door and ushered me in. "Sir, Yang is here for your eight o'clock appointment." With a click, the door was pulled shut behind me.

I looked around the room. It was the same as last night, except the windows were shuttered and the hidden table was out. Hardlight screens were floating around the edges of the table, the General seemed to be looking across them with a small measure of anxiety. The Lamp caught my eye, still hovering of his desk.

He pulled his gaze away from the screens as the door closed. His eyebrows raised, momentarily taken aback by my missing prosthetic, but he recovered quickly. "Good morning Ms. Xia- Yang. Did you rest well?"

I took a sip of my steaming coffee before answering, "Good morning, General. I slept better last night than I have for the past year." I met his eyes with a knowing smile. "I try to be a woman of my word."

He returned with a small smile of his own. "So, I hear. My apologies if Harriet insulted you last night."

I shrugged and let out a chuckle. "Nah. She had the right to ask. I'd do the same thing in her position."

"It is important to have people you can trust on the battlefield." Ironwood's voice was soft and he seemed to be looking at me as if it was the first time we'd met. "I would like to offer a formal apology. For the Vytal Festival fiasco that is. I know now that you thought it was in self defense."

My coffee had suddenly become very interesting. I swirled the cup, watching the gentle whirlpool of liquid. Regret, anger, and many other feelings followed the swirling pattern in my chest. With a steadying breath, I met Ironwood's eyes. "To be fair, no one could've known. I appreciate the thought, but you did what you had to do. I understand."

A thin smile pulled at his lips and he nodded. "I thought you would. I didn't ask you up here just for that though." He reached into a pocket and the screens swapped to a single larger one. It was a news piece about Ironwood and his reputation. He walked next to me as we watch the broadcast in silence.

It looked like Mantle was very upset with Ironwood. The embargo had hit many of the less fortunate very hard. Civil unrest was growing worse and worse. There were also rumors about dissonant whispers from Atlesian upper crust. One Jacques Schnee in particular. He was apparently very upset about his bottom line not being as high as he liked.

"Before last night, this wouldn't be an issue." Ironwood crossed his arms. "I don't need people to like me. I'm a military man first and the public opinion doesn't often affect my job. I like the simplicity of pointing the gun and pulling a trigger."

I think I know where this is leading. "But knowing that we can't just kill Salem complicates matters right?" I set my freshly emptied cup on the table. "Hearing the news of an ancient enemy that we can band together and beat, isn't quite the same as hearing, 'We're facing an ancient enemy that we can fight but not kill.'"

"Precisely. Which is why the growing unrest has suddenly become a major concern. If we don't calm the people, I fear that the situation will soon spiral quickly out of control."

"Riots and panic will bring Grimm. The more Grimm the worse the panic gets. I see the problem." I looked over at Ironwood, who appeared lost in thought.

"It's not just about the Grimm," Ironwood admitted after a moment of silence. An image of Amity replaced the video feed. "We have to focus as many resources on getting Amity active as humanly possible. I would've sacrificed much for this. The new issue is that our only real hope might be the Gods." We both looked towards the lamp. "If we have to unite humanity, the unrest is even more worrisome. We can't let ourselves be torn apart by Salem."

I leaned on the table and watched him pace. There was another long moment of silence. "So... Why am I here?"

Ironwood stopped pacing and looked at me. His gaze was studious as he placed both hands on the table. We stared at each other for a long moment. The General finally spoke up. "Because I need your help."

"I'm not exactly sure how I can help with this, General. I punch things... really hard. I'm just handy like that."

We shared a strained chuckle over the poor joke. Ironwood took a moment to compose himself before expanding on his statement, "I'm offering the opportunity for you to do more than that. You present a unique opportunity to Atlas, Yang."

"What do you mean? I'm just some girl from Vale."

Ironwood's smirk was mildly annoying. "I would disagree." He walked around the table before placing a gloved hand on my shoulder. "I see a hero. You stood and sacrificed more than most at Beacon. You fought again at Haven, and once more at Argus. Each time, you risked life and limb to protect others. Even now, you're still fighting."

"That's just my job as a Huntress." The words came out very matter-of-fact. "If I stood by and did nothing, it would be the same as helping the bad guys." I looked at my hand and rolled my fingers into a fist. "I have people that I want to protect too much to just stand by and watch."

"I know." Ironwood spoke with determination. "That's why I need to ask this of you." I met his blue eyes with a steady gaze. "There are others on your team that might technically be more prepared for this job, but they have other issues that complicates things."

"There's more to it. If it's something they could do better, then you would ask them... Regardless of other issues."

Ironwood's shoulders heaved with small noise of amusement. A spark of mirth shone in his eye. "That's exactly why I need you for this." The mirth is replaced with a more serious expression, his lips pressed thin. "I respect you, Yang. We're both familiar with doing what needs to be done, with making sacrifices. And perhaps more importantly, you're willing to question those in power. To hold them accountable."

"What about Winter or Penny, even your Ace-Ops." I crossed my arms and held his gaze. "They don't question your decisions?"

"No one from Atlas will." Ironwood shrugged, like it was a simple fact. "I trust Winter and the Ace-Ops, don't get me wrong, and they trust me. That's the problem though, not even the council has put up much of a fight over all the decisions I've made." He motioned towards me with an open palm. "You all trusted me with the truth, but you are willing to argue with me. I need someone with that kind of attitude."

"I mean, the only people you've trusted are in your military. If I've picked up anything about military life, its that you don't question orders. Just do what your told right?"

He let out a sigh and I followed him as he walked towards his desk. "That's the way it's supposed to be, at least. I've had a few people rock the boat over the years, but recently... Everyone is too scared to do anything, to even sneeze wrong." He turned his eyes back to me as he took his seat. "It's easier for people to put everything on someone else and continue living their lives. So that's what they're doing. Hoping I'll just solve all of their problems."

"But it hasn't been working." I leaned against the table, directly in front of his desk.

"And now people are getting upset. That's precisely the problem."

"So what's this mystery job you want me to take? How do you expect me to solve the issue?"

He opened a drawer and pulled something out. He placed it on his desk as I walked up the few steps to see. There are two Scrolls, one looked like the latest model released. It was a smaller version of the one Stephanie had. It was the length of my palm and had a small screen on one end with a yellow button on the other. The rest of the casing was white with black accents.

The other looked much different, I hadn't seen anything about it in ads or otherwise. It was slightly bigger than the other and was dark black with silver accents. The power button resting in the center.

"This one-" He motioned towards the white Scroll "-has everything transferred from your current scroll. You're team will be receiving theirs by now as well. However, yours is already prepared with your new Huntress license." I activated the scroll and the hardlight screen appeared. As it did, my Huntress license stared back at me. I felt my heart leap. I'd dreamed of this moment for years.

"As you can see, you'll be operating with Class C restrictions. After the fight with Adam, I have no doubts as to your skill. Not to mention the work you did in Menagerie." Surprised, I looked up to meet amused eyes. "Atlas is a military nation, we have eyes everywhere. Imagine my surprise when I received reports about the, and I quote, 'Phoenix of Menagerie'."

I let out a long groan. "Please, please tell me you're joking. They do not call me that."

Ironwood outright laughed at my suffering. I was tempted to hit him. "Rumor has it that you..." He paused long enough to open a document on the floating display. "Ah, here we go, this one's my favorite by the way. It seems that you transformed into a ball of fire, fell from the sky, and killed a dragon with one attack."

My face was on fire as I hid behind my coffee. "That... Okay, listen. It didn't happen exactly like that, okay? And it was a Sea Feilong, a young one. Sun and Blake killed one too... and it was apparently bigger! Why am I famous all of a sudden?"

"I think a big part of it was that you're a human. A random human huntress, protecting a ship full of faunus. Not to mention all of the work you did while in Menagerie, while, might I add, remaining fairly well hidden." Ironwood closed the document and leaned back.

"Back to the more pressing subject, your new license. I was planning to unveil this in a small celebration after your mission tomorrow. The rest of your team will be receiving their licenses as well, as long as they perform well. I would ask that you save the surprise for them." I nodded. I could feel my lips pulled into a large grin.

He laid a hand over the black Scroll. "Before we talk about this one. You need to know what I'm asking of you." He watched me with an intense, piercing gaze. I held his eyes with a raised eyebrow.

Seemingly satisfied he started speaking, "I want you to lead a new coalition. Publicly this will be announced as a new initiative to improve conditions in Mantle, as well as ease tensions between the lower city and Atlas. I will be a public sponsor and you will be meeting with the rest of the council to convince them to support you as well. Ideally, I want this to be as neutral an initiative as possible."

Concern and confusion replaced the excitement I had felt. "Publicly... What's the actual goal?" I questioned, caution dripping from my words.

Another pause. "This may grow beyond Atlas, or even Mantle. The world is a very bad way, Yang. Beacon is gone. Mistral no longer has a headmaster, and most all of its Huntsmen are gone. The work the new White Fang is doing, it's helping, but it's not enough. Vacuo... well, it's still Vacuo." The General shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "We need to bring the world together, to combat Salem. With Oz missing, we need to do something else."

I stepped away from the desk. Frustration was building in my chest. "What about Winter or your other people?"

"I can't spare them." He said with a small shrug. "But more than that, no one would trust them. It would be the same as if I led it. People don't trust me very much right now, or Atlas. So, this would need to be someone that isn't affiliated with Atlas. So far you meet all of the requirements."

I cursed under my breath and began pacing across the room. "What about the rest of us? Dad, Qrow, the rest of our team?"

"As much as I like Qrow, we both know he isn't suited for bringing people together. Taiyang hasn't done much in the past years. It's not that I don't trust him, but I don't know him, nor do the people. As for the rest of them, I think you can tell me why they wouldn't be suited."

He wasn't wrong of course. Weiss would've been first choice, but the Schnee name carried too much bad blood. Blake would be another choice, but... she was a faunus. The thought left a sour taste in my mouth. Nora was a good warrior, but I couldn't see her being a good diplomat. Ren... I just couldn't see him taking the lead.

"What about Ruby and Jaune?" I paused my pacing to look at the General. "They're experienced leaders, and have good hearts. They'd be top picks for this."

Ironwood leaned forward with an intense expression. "When it comes to Mr. Arc, Ozpin informed me that he had faked his transcripts to get into school." I would have been more shocked, if it didn't make so much sense. "Regardless of his recent actions, which are truly impressive, I can't put him in this position. As to your sister, I believe she would best be served on the battlefield. She has experience, but I'm told she can be almost naively moralistic."

"Damn it General." I glared at him as I spoke the curse. "This isn't fair."

"Just call me James." His smile wasn't a happy one. We both knew what my answer would be.

"Okay, well... Damn it, James." I stalked back up to the desk and leaned over it with palm slapping on to the surface. I stare into his hardened eyes. "You're asking a lot of me. I've trained to be a Huntress, not a politician."

Ironw- James nodded with a sympathetic smile and said, "I know. That's just another reason why it has to be you. The world doesn't need a politician, it needs action. Besides, you won't be alone."

He pressed a button and floating dossiers of my group appeared over the table. "You're friends are all invaluable resources. Blake was raised by the chieftain of Menagerie and once leader of the peaceful White Fang. Weiss had been groomed for this her entire life, and the Schnee name isn't popular, but it is powerful. Qrow is a well connected spy. Strong allies straight from the start."

"What about the others, what is your plan for them?" I questioned. My fingers drummed lightly on the cold metal of the desk.

"Qrow told me that JNR is quite a skilled team, just supplement them with Taiyang or your sister if you aren't afield. I would leave their assignment in your care. As leader of the coalition, you'll be making decisions on what needs to be done. To be clear Yang, this coalition will be an autonomous entity. I want reports and would offer council, but ultimately you answer to yourself in this."

I looked down at the plain desk and let out a long, defeated sigh. I can't believe I'm agreeing to this. "Alright."

"Alright?"

"Yeah, I'll do it. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I will." I paused and looked back into his eyes. "You owe me, big time. I reserve the right to three favors down the road, with in the realm of reason. No questions asked."

"One favor, questions asked, and within the realm of possibility, reasonable or not."

"Deal." We sealed the deal with a handshake.

"Let's continue then. As to the how of things, Stephanie will have more information after you leave." He slid the black Scroll towards me. I caught it and looked it over as he explained, "This Scroll is the result of a highly classified development project, dubbed Project: Nightingale. It's not officially due for use, but I've been assured that this prototype will work as expected."

"I remember that Ozpin's Scroll looked like this." I looked up at him, the statement hinted at a question.

"That isn't an accident. This was a project he asked me to work on. That scroll was originally intended for him. But, with the way things are going, I've decided to trust it to you."

"That-I mean... Do you really think I'm going to need it?"

James heaved a sigh and stood up. He paced behind the desk as he spoke, "Let me explain what it does. Then you tell me if you think you'll need it." I nodded. "First thing, it doesn't run solely on dust, but also draws on your aura as an additional power source and encryption key."

"Encryption key?"

"Yes. Essentially, the Scroll will bind to your aura the first time it activates. When it does, every bit of information that's on it is turned into a jumbled mess. Only your aura will unscramble it to a usable form." Seeing the shock on my face, he chuckled. "Like I said, highly classified."

"So it's essentially a paperweight to anyone other than whoever first binds it?" I questioned as my thumb hovered over the activate button.

"Precisely, go ahead and try it out. Just hit the button and it'll do the rest."

With a shrug, I pressed the button. A sharp, cold pain shot through my arm as the device powered on; I could feel my aura being forcefully drained. Almost as soon as it happened, the discomfort passed. "Is that going to happen every time?" I wondered aloud as the hardlight screen powered up.

"No, that was the initial shock of it binding to you. You shouldn't even notice the aura drain when you use it from now on, it's negligent at worst. ."

The first thing to show up was my Huntress license, except unrestricted. I was floored. "Wait what?"

James just leaned back against his seat. "I needed to know you would take the job. Congratulations Yang. You're officially one of the most trusted Huntresses on Remnant. You understand how much trust I'm placing in you?"

I had to lean against his desk to stay standing. "Yeah..." I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I could do almost anything with this. Dad would have a conniption fit. "What else is on here?"

"A direct and secure line to my Scroll and Stephanie's. And..." He paused. I looked back with a raised eyebrow. "Limited access to lightly classified information. Mostly records on anyone you may come across in Atlas or Mantle. Criminal records, histories, and any other items of interest that have been connected to said individual. Again, you understand what I'm trusting you with correct?"

I swallowed an anxious bubble. "This... this would be very dangerous if used carelessly. You're sure about this?"

James nodded, his face deadly serious. "I have to be. Yang, there are very few people on Remnant who hold as much power in their hands as you do now. I had to trust somebody, that somebody had to be you. I know you don't like secrets, but you're going to need to learn to deal in them. Sometimes it's necessary. This is the last chance to back out. Once you leave this room with that Scroll, there is no going back."

Without hesitation I replied, "No way. I said I would do it and I will. You can count on me."

James seemed to almost deflate. Tension faded from his shoulders and he smiled. "Thank you, Yang. I know this is a lot to put on your shoulders. But you've made it this far, I know you can handle the job."

I slipped the black Scroll into the inside pocket of my jacket. "Oh you bet I can. You said Ms. Santiago would have more information for me?"

"Indeed." James stood up and offered his hand. I took it in a firm grip. "Just so you know, there are more useful tools planned for that Scroll. After you get settled into your new role and we start seeing results...We'll discuss upgrades."

"I won't let you down."

"I trust you won't. You're free to go. Stephanie will take over from here."

I turned to leave but my eyes feel on the Lamp. A sudden realization dawned, freezing me in place. Indecision warred in my stomach. Unspoken words burned in my throat.

"What's wrong?" The concern in James voice is what pushed me over the edge.

With a grating effort, the words scratched out of my throat. "I... Fuck... Okay... I... The Relic... has one question left." I deflated almost instantly as the dangerous words dripped past my lips. I looked at James and was met with wide, shocked blue eyes. "I think... Ruby accidentally hinted at it last night. But... yeah..."

"That's... We need to use that question." I was taken aback and it must've been written on my face. "Unless we seal it away in the Vault here in Atlas, we have to use it. Can you imagine what would happen if Salem got her hands on this?"

That's... a really good point.

"Maybe even more important, is the fact that we're on the back foot. Not even that, we're actively losing. We're at our absolute lowest, but with this – we might be able to turn the tide and be ahead." My fingers had begun drumming on his desk. I couldn't find fault with his logic. Knowing Salem's plans could be exactly what we need to get our feet back under us.

"I can't find any flaws with your reasoning," I admitted the fact freely, "But I think this is a decision that everyone in the know should have a voice in."

"I completely agree and didn't intend to suggest we do anything less. For right now, I think it'd be best if you go, talk with Stephanie and get the ball rolling on your new role. Then gather up your team, talk with them about everything, then we can reconvene tonight. I'll call in the Ace-Ops, Winter, and Penny and inform them."

"Then once were all together, we brainstorm the best possible question?" I finished his plan, earning a satisfied nod from the General. "Sounds like a plan. I'll get to it then."

I took my leave, grabbing the empty cup on the way out. James' secretary was waiting at the bottom of the short staircase. She had a knowing grin. "So, you took the job huh?"

With a short nod, I replied, "Yup. I was told you'd be helping me get started?"

"Straight to business? Good." She smiled and motioned for me to follow. "I'm warming up to you already. Come along now, and please, just call me Stephanie."

A bit of a shorter chapter today. There wasn't anything interesting enough going on to warrant a pov change. Feel free to leave any thoughts or questions in the reviews. Til next time!