Chapter 19: Disloyalty
Alto stuck close to Oscar as they walked, her hold on Milo not wavering. She had been listening to the chatter for the last few minutes, listening in to all the chaos. She felt a twinge of fear in her heart but she knew if she wavered, she wasn't going to get through anything. She needed to defend Oscar, there was nothing more important to her than that. She thought back to their first meeting in Mistral, all of those months ago. She never thought she would get roped into this massive adventure. She wanted to become a Huntress, learn how to cook, and eventually become a chef. But she hadn't gotten the chance to even do that. The General had kept her busy with so many missions.
But that didn't matter, she took an oath when she became a Huntress and that was to defend the people. But now, she wasn't so sure things were going to go that way. Salem was coming, that was for sure, and she wasn't ready. Aria had fought against her forces and had lost her life in the line of duty, she didn't want that to happen to her. Her hand shook a bit, ears folding down. She started hyperventilating, slowing down to a stop.
"Alto, are you okay?" Oscar asked, turning to face her.
"I'm… I don't know, I don't know. I started thinking about things, and got reminded of my sister and how she… I don't want to die, Oscar."
"We are not going to die, Alto," he exclaimed, taking a hold of her hand, looking into her eyes. "Look at me, okay? Things are dire, Mantle is being attacked and so many things are happening at once. But we are going to get out of this."
"Are we? Everything is going to shit, Ozzy. Ever since this election ended, things are not going our way. Tyrian was killing people and using Ivy Brown as a shield, Jacques traded the access codes to a hacker and now we are being locked out of the system. Our friends are down there fighting those Grimm and saving lives, but how long do we have before she gets here? How many more Grimm do we have to fight to win? Will we win? This is just a lost cause." she screamed, tears running down her face. "We're just… denying the inevitable."
"No we aren't," the boy said, giving her a firm look. "I get it… things aren't the best for us right now, but we can't lose hope. The second we lose hope is the second she wins. We have to fight back, as hard as we can. We might be tired and we might be running ragged, but we don't have the luxury of resting."
She closed her eyes, taking a few calming breaths. Oscar brushed some hair out of her eyes, giving her a smile. "We'll get there."
Alto nodded, sighing audibly. Oscar looked away for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly as he peered down the empty hallway. "I remember asking my grandfather once what it was like to be in war. He didn't paint it as anything pretty… I asked him if any Grimm got close to killing him… and he got real quiet… he said he was dead the second he walked into enemy territory. He would tell himself in the mirror, Rest in Peace, now get up and go to war. And after years pretending he was dead… he made it out alive."
The faunus girl looked at him, a firm look on her face. He turned back to her, giving her a smile. "I think that's the trick of it… we have to tell ourselves that we are dead because if we don't fight back against Salem's forces, everyone will be dead. That's how things are. We do what we have to do, and then we get to live in peace. Everyone is a dead man walking, but only we can fight back against her. Perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was destiny, or maybe I drew the short end of the stick. But I know what I must do, and that is to stop Salem. It's okay to be scared, Alto… "
He paused, recalling the words Levi had told him back in Mistral, all of those months ago. He found himself smiling fondly at that memory. "Fear is an emotion that keeps you in check. It shows you what kind of person you are. You can either run away in fear or protect someone because you're scared. Life is scary, and so is death. Losing your loved ones, failing, pressure, hell, even love, is scary. You don't get rid of it, you learn to accept it as a part of life."
She sniffed, drying her eyes with her sleeve. "You get that one out of a fortune cookie?"
"Pfft, no… I got it from a really good friend. We'll be fine, we aren't alone." he said, taking a hold of her hand. "Alto… I."
She didn't let him speak, silencing him with her lips. He kissed her back, eyes fluttering closed as they let the world around them melt. It was a soft and firm kiss, filled with so much raw emotion. He could feel his face heating up the longer they held it. Alto was the first one to pull back, hugging the young man tightly.
"I love you."
"I… I love you too, Alto."
The wolf faunus opened her mouth to say something, but instead, she stood firm, ears wiggling slightly. She spun Milo around, shifting it into its Xiphos firm. The soft echo of heels clacking filled the hallway. Oscar grabbed hold of the Long Memory, holding it tightly in his grasp. The figure finally turned the corner, standing before them. Oscar gasped, hand shaking a bit.
"Cinder." he hissed, narrowing his eyes. Alto looked between them for a moment before deploying her shield.
"This is the woman who killed Pyrrha, right? The one who led the invasion of Beacon Academy and Haven, right?" she asked, earning a nod from Oscar. "Then I'm not going to let her get one over on us."
Cinder's eyes glowed brilliantly, causing Oscar to gasp. He stood before the girl, holding his arm out. "No! She's dangerous, she's got the power of the Fall Maiden. I can't let you fight her, Alto. You need to get out of here."
"What? But I can't leave you. General Ironwood asked me to protect you!"
"I don't need protection. Alto, I can't bear to see you get hurt, especially by someone like her. I can handle her, I have before." he said, giving her a firm look. The girl looked between them, bowing her head.
"But you said…"
"Remember the plan, we're entering phase 1." the boy said, causing Alto to narrow her eyes in thought. She glanced at Cinder who just gave her a wink.
"Oh… I see," she said, coughing into her fist. "Alright, I'll stick to the plan, even if it feels scummy lying to our friends."
"It's an option that I'd rather not execute, but one that is necessary if we want to win. Trust me, Alto," he said, giving her a smile.
"Fine, but you better not die on me, asshat."
"I'm not going to!" he returned, smiling brightly as he watched her go. He waited until she was well out of earshot before retracting his cane, staring at Cinder. "So… the plan is a go?"
Cinder gave him a nod. He reached for the Relic of Knowledge, pulling it free from his belt. He stared at his reflection on it. Cinder closed the distance between them, giving him a saddened look. He held the Relic to her. "Before you go, we need to make it believable."
She tilted her head in confusion. He held his arms out, closing his eyes. "Let's see if you can hit me harder than Qrow."
The mute woman frowned, cracking her fingers as she strolled forward. "This is going to hurt me more than it'll hurt you, Ozzy. I'm so sorry…"
xxx
"This is Clover, requesting prisoner escort."
Ironwood let out a sigh as he entered his office. The doors behind him closed, a small smirk flashing on his face. His expression changed almost entirely when he saw the item that had been left on his desk. He dropped Arthur's bag on the ground, slowly walking toward the desk. He grabbed the small trinket in his hand, staring at it. It was a Chess piece…
A Black Queen.
His hand shook as it slipped from his grasp, clattering against the desk. His ear perked up as the school-wide announcement alarm echoed through his office.
"This is a School-Wide announcement. Atlas Academy is now under lockdown. All students and staff are to report to their stations, effective immediately. For the time being, it is forbidden to leave school grounds. All students are to remain indoors until the all-clear is given. Faculty and upperclassmen can provide gui–"
"Schnee," he said, the woman's voice cutting off mid-announcement.
"Y-yes sir?"
He took a deep measured breath, shoulders shaking a bit as he stared out the panoramic windows overlooking Atlas. "Was anyone caught trying to enter the school grounds while I was away?"
"N-no?"
"Are. You. Sure…?"
Winter didn't reply, swallowing the lump in her throat. She swiveled on her foot, sprinting full speed toward the school's entrance. Overlooking the front courtyard, Cinder smirked as she looked down at the Atlas Academy cadets.
"Still afraid, I see." she giggled, flicking her cloak as she started walking down the corridor. "Now… show me where you've been hiding her."
Back in the office, Ironwood was pacing around, Winter's silence didn't reassure him in the slightest. He closed his hand over the chess piece, before pocketing it, moving toward his desk. He pressed a button, speaking out loud. "Penny, this is General Ironwood. Return to Atlas Academy, I need you to stay with Winter."
"Affirmative."
"Team RWBY, Team ORNJ, Special Operative Piccolo, Ace-Ops, I need you to return to Atlas Academy, immediately."
"Understood, General. I'll gather everyone up and take the nearest transport, over and out." Harriet replied. He let out a breath he'd been holding, his legs finally giving out. He fell back into his chair, clenching the armrest tightly.
"Nothing has been compromised, things aren't bad… We can recover from this, things are not lost. They aren't." he thought to himself, as he spun in his chair. He looked out into the distance, to the lights of Amity Arena. He saw his reflection in the glass, expression hardening as he stared at himself.
xxx
Levi had remained completely quiet when the General had requested they return to Atlas Academy. He had wanted to stay back and help, but the urgent tone in the General's voice told him everything he needed to know. Something had gone wrong and they were needed back in Atlas. It was better not to question it and do as they were told. So many things had happened that he didn't even know how to process it. The night started at Schnee Manor and ended with him fighting his former teammate, someone he assumed was dead.
He didn't know what to think, what to say, or what to even do. There were so many questions and so few answers. So many things left unsaid left undone. He started questioning things, how long had Cadence been with Salem? How long had she been in Mantle? What had happened to her to lead her to that drastic turn? What had Salem told her? Clearly, whatever it had been had warped her sense of morality. If she was working with Watts and Callows, she was too far gone. The friend he used to cherish, whom he called a partner, was dead. Perhaps the shock of seeing her again was what caused Sonata to freeze. She had hesitated and hadn't said anything until he was standing over Cadence.
His eyes landed on the singe marks on his mechanical arm, where Brilliant Diamond had wrapped around it. He tried brushing them off, but they were deep-set, likely never coming out. His shirt sleeve had been burned off, shredded down to the elbow, but he was otherwise, just fine. His ears drooped as he closed his eyes, trying not to focus on everything that had happened that night.
"I don't get it," Weiss said, causing him to look up. She stared at her scroll, a look of disappointment on her face as she looked around the ship. "Why would the General call us back without giving a reason?"
"Especially with evacuations still going on in Mantle," Ren added, arms crossed as he leaned against the side of the ship. Elm looked over her seat at them, giving them a firm look.
"You don't have to understand orders, kids. You just have to follow them."
Harriet nodded, briefly glancing back. "Civvy transports won't be stopping anytime soon. If the General says he needs us now, he needs us now."
"You all get to the General and find out what's happening. We'll bring Oscar and see you soon," Jaune said, earning a nod from Ruby. Harriet touched down moments after, and they all filed out. Levi looked up at the Academy, it was just as beautiful and impressive as it had been months ago.
He slowly walked forward, hands stuffed in his pockets as he did. He glanced at Sonata, who met his gaze with one of her own. She forced a smile onto her face, but he knew that it was fake. She was just trying to reassure him, but nothing she could say or do would do that. There were Cadets running in all directions, asking questions, following staff members and overall causing a panic. Despite the shouts for peace and to remain calm, it was clear that they were failing at doing that. They entered the Academy, the foyer was partially crowded with people. All of the students gave way the second they saw the Ace-Ops, chanting their names and thanking them for their work.
"Levi, are you okay? You've been really quiet since we met up again." Yang asked, causing him to look at her. Blake shook her head, frowning.
"He's probably tired, it's nearly dawn and none of us have rested. That banquet at Weiss's house feels like it was weeks ago, even though it was just a few hours back," she said.
"I know all of us worked hard and kicked some serious butt out there, but after the General speaks with us, I'm sure we'll get some much-deserved rest. We evacuated six sectors down in Mantle, that's more than anyone could have asked for." Ruby said, trying to seem cheerful.
"I don't think it's because he's tired… there's something else isn't there?" Weiss questioned, a quizzical look on her face. He stopped mid-stride, staring at the ground. He traced the tiles with his eyes, ears folded down as he thought things over. He took a deep breath, meeting the gazes his friends gave him.
"Cadence is alive."
He said it so easily. His tone was flat, little emotion in his voice as he said it. The result was instantaneous. Yang's brows furrowed, while Blake had a look of disbelief on her face. Ruby could tell there was more, and Weiss looked hurt. Before he could speak, Sonata beat him to it.
"She's working for Salem… her body was modified by Grimm. She's lost all sense of reason and worships Salem as her mistress. It's likely she has been working with Watts and Callows as well, but we don't really know." she said, holding back the urge to cry. "The things she said… how she acted, how she fought… she's not… Cady anymore."
"You two fought her?" Weiss asked, earning a nod from Levi.
"I did, I managed to take her down, but Sonata called out to me before I could do anything, and then you called, told us the transport was leaving and I…" he looked away, clutching his head. "I don't know what to think anymore. This whole time, I thought she was dead, but no… she's been working with Salem this whole fucking time!"
No one said anything.
Harriet was the one to step forward, causing Levi to glare at her. She placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a firm look. "I was hard on you before… At Amity, I've had a lot of time to think about things. I can't begin to understand what you are going through… not only seeing someone you thought was dead being alive but working for the other side. But that in and of itself, should serve as a motivator. Salem turned her against what was right, we can't let her keep doing that."
"I know that… it's just… rough," he said, folding his ears back a bit. Harriet stepped back, allowing him to walk forward, a firm look on his face. "Cadence has made her choice, and I've made mine. I will do whatever it takes to stop Salem and defend Atlas. She'll do everything she can to try and bring down Atlas, and take the Relics. If that means we're fated to cross blades well… I'll have to make sure mine is the one that wins."
"I'm not letting you fight that battle alone, Levi. Cadence was my friend too, my teammate. I love her, but I will kill her if it comes to that." Sonata said, clenching her fist. "I was an idiot for not fighting her alongside you, all I did was just stand there and stare. But I am not going to hesitate ever again."
"We can't keep wasting time, guys. The General is awaiting our arrival," Vine said, gesturing to the General's office. They nodded, beginning their ascension up the stairs. Levi felt a hand slip into his, and when he glanced to his left, he saw Weiss standing by him, giving him a heartwarming smile.
"We'll face her together if it comes to that," she said softly. He nodded, returning her smile with one of his own.
"What would I do without you, Snowflake?" he returned, causing her to blush. She looked away, deciding to stay quiet.
General Ironwood's office was quiet. The only source of light was the one streaming through the windows. It was cold, almost devoid of life as they stepped in. Levi felt a shiver go down his spine as he slowly approached the man's desk. He could tell something was not right the instant he entered the office. There was tension in the air, thick enough that it had started choking him. But he remained calm, ears flat against his head as he listened to every sound around the room.
"General Ironwood, sir?" Harriet called out. Ever so slowly, the man spun around in his chair. His face lacked emotion, the glimmer in his eyes being absent. In their place were freezing pools of blue. He stared at everyone in the room, his expression was neutral, devoid of emotion, as cold as his office. It made everyone uncomfortable.
"We have made a critical error," he simply said. He reached into his pocket, placing a Chess Piece in front of them. Levi stared at it, focused on the piece. He thought back to his journey, remembering the last time he had seen a Black Queen. He bit his cheek, realization dawning in his mind.
"The Black Queen was on that scroll. The scroll that belonged to Watts, which he gave to Cinder… that's… Salem." he thought to himself. A bead of sweat formed at the corner of his brow, slowly falling down the side of his face as he stared at the piece, his gaze shifting to the General, who rose to his feet.
"The Black Queen was the symbol Salem showed us before we lost everything. Her way of telling us she was inside. That it was too late. We stopped Watts. We stopped Callows, but someone was here. They put this in my office to tell me that-" his voice caught in his throat, eyes widening. "What if Mantle was just a distraction? What if it was just to draw us away from the Academy to… to-"
"Sir!" Weiss began, grabbing his attention. "It's going to be okay… we've got Mantle on our side now. And-"
"HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WASN'T PART OF THEIR PLAN?" he shouted, slamming his hand against the desk. "How do we know they didn't want us to bring people into Atlas by the thousands?"
The air was tense, everyone looking at each other with worry. Vine let out a sigh, glancing at the back wall with a frown. "In trying to save everyone, we left ourselves most vulnerable."
Ironwood's shoulders shook as he straightened up, pacing around the room. "Salem has been one step ahead of us this entire time. She sent Tyrian and Watts ahead to put the people against us, frame me, and make me look bad. Then when the people's distrust was at an all-time high, Arthur swooped in and made a mockery of us, thanks to Jacques's credentials. They weaseled their way in, played the long game, and did all of this!"
He slammed his fist against the desk. It buckled under the attack, causing the Chess piece to tip over. It plinked as it rolled, slowly stopping before falling to the floor. Ruby narrowed her eyes as she looked at it.
"It's… made of Glass," Ruby said softly, eyes narrowed. The Ace-Ops gave her a look of confusion as she spoke. "Black Glass… this was Cinder."
Levi shared a look with Weiss, Blake, and Yang, all of them already knew she was in Mantle, but they couldn't let the General know. Before anyone could speak, he found himself moving forward, a look of disbelief on his face. "It can't be Cinder, I shot that bitch myself, back in Haven Academy. She's dead!"
"Well, clearly that isn't the case because she's here." Yang snapped at him. He folded his ears down, glaring at her.
"If Cinder's here, then for all we know, Hazel is here too!" Ironwood added, looking away from them.
"He isn't the only one. Levi and Sonata ran into their former teammate, Cadence. Both of them can confirm that she is, in fact, working with Salem." Vine added, causing the General to look at the pair.
"When did you run into her?"
"Back in Mantle, we had just finished killing an Alpha Megoliath and I heard the sound of her sword. We got caught up in the moment and I forgot to report it in. We fought her and defeated her, but she got away before we could finish her off. She was just like Cinder, half of her face is Grimm, as is her eye and her arm." Levi answered, looking away from the man. "That isn't the last of it… it seems Watts may have repaired her broken body, she mentioned a doctor, so I can only assume it's him."
"She doesn't have many places to hide, sir. I am certain she is hiding at the DiCappriccio Opera House. Antonio DiCappriccio was probably hiding her, and if her sister is the one who killed those Journos, then they're working together." Sonata reaffirmed, hands behind her back as she stared at the man. "I will take responsibility for this mistake. I will also track her down myself and put an end to her."
"No, for all we know, she's planning to lure you away. We need as many people as we can have here at the Academy." Ironwood said, causing her to shy back. "Who knows how many others Salem has sent. Watts and Callows, Cinder, and now Cadence? For all we know, Adam Taurus is on his way as well."
"He isn't, we made sure of that," Levi replied, a look of anger on his face. Blake placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She shifted her gaze back to the General, a pleading look on her face.
"Sir, this isn't over yet. We're with you."
"Are you with me?" he replied. She was taken aback by his question, ears folding down. The General walked around the desk, stopping next to the brown bag he had recovered from Watts. He kept his hand behind his back, eyes looking them over, scrutinizing them.
"Sir?" Vine uttered, making him shift his gaze.
"How did Robyn know about the Global Communications Project?"
The Ace-Ops looked toward Team RWBY, who shared looks between themselves. Levi looked confused, while Weiss and Ruby didn't know how to respond. Blake looked nervous, and Yang seemed indifferent. She took a measured breath, giving the man a firm look.
"We told her."
Ironwood narrowed his eyes at her, his silence begging for her to continue. "It was the night of the ambush."
"You did what?" Elm snapped, causing her to look back.
"We were trying to help."
"By going behind our backs?"
Harriet stepped forward, a look of anger on her face. Yang tensed up, standing defensively before Blake, who began reaching for her weapon. "You mean to tell me you let her go?!"
"Robyn is on our side!"
"That doesn't matter, Yang!"
She jumped a bit, turning to Levi who had a look of anger on his face. "How the fuck could we have known that? I dealt with Robyn myself, she was buying stolen materials from Gangsters, and when Jacques won, she outright stole it. She's a loose cannon, we had no reason to know if she was with us or against us!"
"Oh, that's rich coming from you, Levi. You didn't tell the General about that scroll until it was convenient for you." the blonde brawler replied, causing him to growl.
"Not telling the General about a scroll is different than leaking information. I didn't leak information did I? I did everything I could to figure out who was murdering people in Mantle. What you did was stupid and wrong, and crippled our chances of launching Amity!"
"Guys please stop arguing!" Weiss snapped, standing between the pair. "This is not what we should be doing at this instant. We should be working together!"
"Doesn't change the fact that Robyn is with us, she always has been!"
"We didn't know that for sure!" Ironwood bellowed, silencing the group. "The only thing that all of this has proven for me was that I was far too open with all of you!"
"We need to focus! None of this matters right now!"
"Loyalty always matters!" the General shouted, slamming his fist against the desk. Watt's bag suddenly flew open, crimson tentacles shooting from within. Ironwood yelped in surprise, swiftly drawing Due Process and aiming at it. Everyone stepped back, as a black and red Grimm shot out of the bag.
Levi drew Overture from his holster, barrel leveled as he saw the Grimm clattering on the ground, almost like a broken toy. His aim shook as a darkened miasma erupted from it. His silver-eyed gaze shifted upward, as the mist started taking shape. His face paled when he recognized her, it was the same woman he had seen in Jinn's vision. Her pale was cracked and pulsing red, her eyes devoid of emotion, nothing other than despair. Her slender body was covered by a dark dress, a crimson gem on her chest. Her white hair was tied back in a neat bun. She had a calm look on her face as she looked around, finally locking eyes with the General.
"General Ironwood," she spoke, her voice was smooth, motherly even. Though there wasn't a hint of emotion, Levi could feel the sheer arrogance from it. It was the voice of a woman who had all the pieces lined up, the voice of a woman who had killed millions just to get what she wanted. Someone who wasn't afraid of doing horrible things to fulfill her desires.
She looked back at the others, smirking at them. Levi kept his aim trained on her, if it bothered her she didn't show. She clasped her hands before her, giving them a smile. "The Brave Huntsmen and Huntresses who bested Arthur Watts… Congratulations."
"We stopped Tyrian, too. And we'll stop Cinder, and Cadence, and anyone else you try to send here." Ruby said, glaring at the woman. She chuckled, shaking her head.
"Oh dear girl, their goal was never victory. It was merely to set the stage," she said, matter of factly.
"For what?"
Salem turned to the General, her smile widening. "For me."
The apparition moved forward, causing him to shift his aim again. "Time has never been on your side, James. It's always been on mine."
The man looked absolutely terrified as she got near him. Her smile only widened as she stared deeply into his eyes. "The people of Atlas have suffered enough. Surrender the Staff and the Lamp to me, and they needn't suffer any longer."
Ironwood steeled his nerves, lowering Due Process, his voice hardening. "That is not going to happen."
The smile didn't drop from her face as she got closer to him. "Simply accept the futility of your situation… and this can all be over."
"Don't listen to her, James."
Salem looked over her shoulder. Her eyes fell on the miqo'te faunus, who had been the one to have spoken. He kept his rifle trained on the apparition, knowing full well it wouldn't do a damn thing if he fired. "This is how she works, the hearts of men may easily be swayed, but ours aren't. That's how she wins."
"My… it has been a long time since I've seen a miqo'te faunus… and one with silver eyes too," she said, chuckling. She narrowed her eyes a bit, smirking. "You remind me of someone… a young woman who used her precious gift to defend her baby. You look just like her."
"Taunt me all you want, I'm not falling for it." he said, eyes flashing briefly.
"He's right. We've seen what you are capable of. The Lamp showed us." Ruby said, the woman shifting her gaze over to her. Her faux smile disappeared, replaced by a look of contempt. "It showed us everything. We've seen that you can't be killed, but we've also seen you fail. We don't have to kill you to stop you, and we will stop you."
"Your mother said those words to me." she quipped, causing Ruby to back away. Her lip quivered, clutching her head. Her eyes flashed briefly, tears falling down her cheeks.
"My mother…"
"She was wrong too."
Ruby fell to her knees, sobbing into her hands. Yang and Blake knelt down beside her, hugging her tightly. Weiss stood defensively before her, a look of sheer anger on her face. Salem smirked, her apparition fading away into nothingness, throwing the room into silence. Levi lowered his gun, shakily holstering it.
"T-that is Salem? That is what we're up against?" Marrow exclaimed, disbelief written on his face.
"And she's apparently on her way," Harriet added.
"But we'd be alerted if any forces had approached the Kingdom. We have long-range proximity alarms all along the coast, and-" Elm was cut off by vine, who looked at his scroll, disappointment written on his face.
"They're offline. With all of the chaos, we didn't notice."
"Watts must have shut them down!"
"Or-" Ironwood began, turning to face them. "They've already been destroyed."
"What? All of them?" Elm asked as the man turned to look out the window. Blake stepped forward, fist balled tightly.
"You said in your speech that Amity Tower was ready to launch. Was that true?" she asked, only to be met with silence.
"That was just a feint, to lure out Watts so he could arrest him," Levi said, crossing his arms as he tilted his head. "Materials had been stalled because of Robyn's petty thievery, things were stalled. The time to finish Amity has come and gone."
"But there has to be something," Weiss said, glancing at the man's back. "General Ironwood?"
"I've sent your sister to claim the Winter Maiden's powers."
"What?"
"When I realized we had been compromised, I knew we couldn't wait any longer. The Staff and the Lamp have to be locked away," he said, grasping Due Process. Ruby narrowed her eyes, slowly rising to her feet.
"I thought… you said we could keep it."
Anger boiled in the man's voice as he turned to face her. "That was before you lied to me about the lamp. Before you lied to us about Robyn, before Salem was at our doorstep! Before Mantle was nearly destroyed, and myself and my army were left exhausted!"
"Hey, Ruby, Weiss, and I didn't know about Robyn," Levi said, standing between them. He held his hands out, taking a deep breath. "Things happened that we weren't aware of, for that, I am sorry. But that ship has sailed. We have to stay calm, because if we don't, then we lose this battle."
He fully faced Ironwood, who had his gaze locked with his. "That is what Salem wants, she wants to divide us. We cannot let that happen. Your trust in us has been broken, but let us amend it. Let us work together to stop Salem. My faith in you hasn't wavered, James. I will follow your orders until the very end."
"What are your orders, sir?" Harriet asked, folding her hands behind her back. Sonata, who had been silent for a while, stepped forward, turning to the others.
"We need to start making preparations. We're not sure when Salem will make land, but what we do know is that she is coming. Everyone from the Agricultural Sector needs to be recalled and brought back to Atlas Academy. The refugees from Mantle-"
"Miss Piccolo."
She glanced over her shoulder at the General, who shook his head. "It is far too late for that. We need to take our plans for Amity and apply them to Atlas."
"What?" Ruby squeaked.
"If we harness the power of the Staff, and raise ourselves high into the atmosphere, the city's artificial climate will keep the citizens and food supplies unharmed. Always out of reach of whatever Salem can send our way."
"But we're nowhere near finished evacuating Mantle!" Blake shouted.
"You'd be leaving them to die!"
"Yes… I would," he replied in an emotionless tone. "We cannot allow Salem to capture the Relics. This is our best chance of getting the Staff, the Lamp and the Maiden as far away from her as possible."
"That wouldn't work. Cinder is in Atlas, if Winter goes for the staff and raises Atlas, she'd still be here. She's a threat that we can't defeat as easily as the Grimm." Levi said, making the man chuckle.
"You underestimate me, Levi. We have contingency plans for Maidens like her."
"Still, you'd be leaving hundreds of people to die! We have an opportunity to unite the world, if we launch the tower, we can all work together again! We can even call for help, if we can hold out long enough-" Ruby said, her voice caught in her throat as the man turned to face her.
Ironwood stood over her, looking down on her, almost as if she were a bug. Whatever emotion he had left of his face was gone. It was almost as if someone else had replaced him. "Sometimes, doing the right thing means making tough decisions."
"You're right," Blake said, standing beside her friend. "And I think the right thing to do is to stand our ground."
"Me too," Yang said.
"Yeah, Me too!"
"Me too."
Weiss looked at Levi, who had been lost in thought. He looked up at her, seeing the look on her face. "You think we should fight, right?"
"I…" he bit his lip, looking away from her. "Any other day of the week I would agree, but Weiss… this… this is beyond us."
"So you're okay with leaving Mantle to die? I thought you gave a shit about people, Levi? Or has seeing your dead partner fucked you up?!"
"Yang!"
Levi growled, his eyes flashing briefly as he glared at the blonde. "You don't have the fucking right to say that to me. I am thinking about everyone and everything! I am thinking about you, Blake, Ruby, my girlfriend, Oscar, Alto, Jaune, Ren, Nora, Trivia, Qrow! I am considering every single person that means something in my life. We can stand here throwing ideas, spitting insults, and hurling platitudes at each other, but at the end of the fucking day, we are fucked!"
He stepped away from her, circling around the group. "Maybe we couldn't have stopped Jacques, maybe it was destiny that Arthur hacked Atlas, but we could have maybe done something. Nobody will be able to save Mantle if Atlas is gone! Nobody will be able to save Remnant if the world's largest army is gone! Stop thinking about the short term and think about the long term!"
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Ruby asked.
"What we should have done the moment we could have. Jinn can answer one question, the last question for this century. We need to bring the lamp here and ask her how we can stop Salem."
"She can't be killed, dumbass. We'd be wasting that question."
"Perhaps if you listened to your friend, you'd understand. Salem can't die, but we aren't going to ask how to kill her." Ironwood said. "Regardless of that, we can only prepare ourselves once Atlas is far away from her. We cannot take risks."
"Sir, what if we-"
"Special Operative Piccolo, whatever you are going to suggest, forget about it. I have made my decision. We have to preserve Atlas. It was Ozpin's idea, he didn't take it far enough, but I will." he said, turning away from them.
"The General is right, all of us ran ragged across Mantle, saving people. If we try to do anything, if we hold our ground, against a larger force-"
"But you're Huntsman and Huntresses! You can't back down from a fight!"
"You can't focus on a single fight while trying to win a war, Yang," Vine said, making the blonde growl.
"What will the Council say?" Weiss asked, directing the question to the General. He turned to face her, face devoid of emotion.
"Nothing… Once I declare Martial Law," he said, earning a gasp from the former heiress.
"You can't do that, what about Robyn?" Blake asked, only for Elm to glare at her.
"Who's side are you on?"
"We're on the side of the people who need us most!" Ruby exclaimed. The General walked forward, once again standing in front of the red-cloaked girl.
"We are saving who we can… and you are standing in our way," he said. Whatever glimmer was left in his eyes was gone, replaced by nothing but cold.
"Martial Law being declared isn't the worst thing, that means we can expedite the process," Levi said, turning to the General. "General Ironwood, sir, the Schnee Dust Company ceased global operations the second you locked down the border. There are hundreds of S.D.C. freighters sitting in hangers that we can use. I know that Salem is on our way, but please… All I ask is that you give us 12 hours. If we can't evacuate all of Mantle by then, you do what you gotta do."
"Are you seriously bargaining right now, Levi? What the fuck, man?!"
"Yang, I am trying to save lives here. Nothing we do will matter if all of us are dead! We have made mistakes, we have broken trust, and we are scared. But we cannot give into that fear. We have to do what we must to save lives. That's what Ozpin would have wanted."
"What Ozpin would have wanted doesn't matter anymore. He isn't here, and I am." Ironwood said, clenching his hand. The room grew tense once more, as everyone looked around, no one knowing what was going to happen next.
Ruby's scroll started ringing, causing her to glance at it. "Ruby, it's Jaune! We have a situation!"
Levi straightened up as he looked at his friend, his leader. She held his gaze for a moment, and in that second, he knew whatever he was trying to do wasn't going to work. He relented, giving her the slightest of nods.
She grabbed her scroll, darting behind the General's desk, flicking it open. "Ironwood's declaring Martial Law and abandoning Mantle! Salem is coming and he's going to use the Staff to move Atlas! If we don't stop him then Mantle is going to be destro-"
Her scroll beeped, turning red as her communications were cut off. She tapped on the screen, eyes widening. "What? Jaune, Jaune!"
She rose to her feet, seeing the man in question holding his scroll. He lowered his hand, a look of disappointment on his face. "I'm sorry it's come to this, but until Atlas and the Relics are safe, you are all under arrest."
"We won't just let you take us." she declared, causing the man to stop. He glanced over his shoulder, giving her a small smile.
"I know."
He left the office, the doors closing behind him. Levi's ears drooped as he looked around the room, at the Ace-Ops, at his teammates. His eyes fell on Sonata, who had a look of distress on her face. Within seconds, her scroll and that of the Ace-Ops beeped. She flicked hers open, Team RWBY's and Team ORNJ's mugshots were on the screen. She pocketed the device, moving toward the center of the room, an emotionless look on her face.
"Team RWBY, you are hereby under arrest, please… come quietly."
"This is wrong, Sona. You know it is." Levi said as he reached for Overture. She looked away from him, her hand wrapping around Carolloo.
"I had hoped we could spend more time together, my darling friend, but I guess that's not in the cards," she said, giving him a sad smile. "I said I wasn't going to hesitate, I plan to keep my word."
Location: 4 km from Atlas
It had been a long night for Qrow. What had started out as a boring high society, evolved into something that fell out of his hands. He, Robyn, and Clover had been working hard, fighting off Tyrian until they had finally cornered him. Just when they had time for a breather, had fought off hundreds of Grimm, and were finally heading back to Atlas Academy, his scroll flashed, a message from his niece ringing from the speakers.
"Ironwood's declaring Martial Law and abandoning Mantle! Salem is coming and he's going to use the Staff to move Atlas! If we don't stop him then Mantle is going to be destro-"
Qrow stiffened when the communication cut off. He stared at the screen, processing what Ruby had just said. He looked up, eyes narrowed as he made eye contact with Clover.
"Declaring Martial Law? Is Ironwood insane?" Robyn snapped, shooting to her feet. "We have to do something about this!"
"Miss Hill, I'm sure the General understands the enormity of his–" Clover was cut off by his scroll, his hand immediately moving for it. He opened it, staring at the screen for a moment. Qrow and Robyn did the same, getting a look at the mugshots that had been sent to everyone.
Wanted:
Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao-Long, Levi Athan, Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, Oscar Pine, Alto-Marie Blaze, Qrow Branwen
Detain On Site
He looked up from his screen, seeing the look on Clover's face. His friendly demeanor had changed, a sigh leaving his lips as he rose to his feet. He grabbed the hilt of his weapon, making Qrow sit up straight.
"Clover…"
"Qrow, you should know that I've been asked to bring you in." he stated, making him scoff.
"No shit, I got the same alert."
"Then you know I have to do my job,"
"I'm not going to let myself get caught, Pal."
"Ohohohoho~ A free ride and a show." Tyrian cackled, quite entertained by what was going on before him.
"Ironwood is trying to stop anybody who might get in the way of his inhumane plan!" Robyn cried, flicking her wrist. Her crossbow deployed, a bolt already notched. "Looks like he once again underestimated me!"
"Only Qrow is under arrest. After everything we've been through tonight, please don't make me arrest you too." Clover said, shooting daggers at the woman.
The woman growled, meeting Clover's glare with one of her own. She pulled the bolt back, causing the man to draw his fishing rod.
"Cut it out, both of you! We're almost back to Atlas, let's talk to James personally and-"
Tyrian let out a groan, cutting them off as he leaned forward in his seat. "It's taking a very long time for this show to start~"
"Shut up." Qrow hissed, glaring at the man.
"No, he's right, let's get this over with!"
"Robyn!"
Her cross string snapped, shooting the bolt forward which Clover easily blocked with his weapon. He threw several swipes at her, all of them blocked by her shield. She loaded another bolt, firing it across the ship. It bounced off the wall, almost striking Tyrian, who let out a pleased laugh, clapping his bound hands together. She darted forward, only for Clover to sweep her off her feet, slamming her to the ground.
Clover let out a cry as he brought his rod down, only for it to bounce off of Harbinger. He took a step back, Qrow standing defensively before the fallen woman. The brown-haired man let out a sigh, lowering his rod. "I wish it hadn't come to this, friend."
"It doesn't have to!"
"You two can hug it out once we're taken him down!" Robyn snapped, jumping back to her feet. The ship suddenly shook, causing the three to look back, seeing Tyrian crouching on the dashboard, the pilot's hat on his head.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Qrow shouted, wondering how the hell he had gotten free. The man let out a manic cry as he grasped the yoke, pushing it all the way down.
"THE WILL OF OUR GODDESS!"
Qrow darted toward him, finding himself thrown against the side of the ship. Clover slammed his fist into the hatch button, the door flew open and without hesitation, he leaped out of the ship. Before Qrow could do the same, the ship slammed into the ground. Everything went dark.
xxx
Winter stared silently at her scroll, the connection having been severed. She had no idea what was going on. General Ironwood hadn't messaged her, aside from asking her to claim the Winter Maiden's power. Within seconds, the screen changed, a Wanted Notice now replacing the message she had received. She bit her lip, her hand shaking a bit.
"Weiss, what did you do?"
"The General is leaving Mantle to perish?"
She looked at Penny, who had a blank look on her face. Winter sighed, pocketing her scroll as she stood before the cybernetic girl, hands behind her back. "He's saving Remnant. We can't let the Relics fall to Salem."
The woman turned around, walking down the corridor. Penny processed what she said, eyes narrowing slightly as she came to a realization. "But… all of those people that we just protected… they won't survive."
She looked over her shoulder at Winter, who hadn't stopped. "Doesn't that bother you?"
"We don't have time to-"
Penny glared at her, her voice catching in her throat. Who knew a cybernetic girl could glare with such hatred? She closed the distance between them, peering into her eyes. "What about your sister? Our friends? Do you not care about any of them?"
"Of course I do. But my personal feelings don't matter. We have orders. I'm to retrieve the power of the Winter Maiden so we can access the Relic. You're here to ensure my safety. Now come on, we've wasted enough time."
"It should matter."
Winter's expression softened a bit, lips curving into a sad smile. She placed a hand on her shoulder, bowing her head slightly. "Penny. The General is making hard choices so we don't have to. For the good of all, not just a few."
She took a hold of her hands, giving them a soft squeeze. The orange-haired girl pulled her hands free, walking around her, staring straight down the hallway. "I do not see the good in any of this."
The white-haired woman nodded, resting her hand on the hilt of her sword. "On that, we can agree."
xxx
Qrow hissed in pain as he stumbled out of the destroyed Manta. Sparks rained around him from a busted cable. He looked around, spotting the mangled body of the pilot, grimacing at how their life had ended. He spotted Robyn lying several feet from the aircraft, his eyes widening. He darted toward her, sliding across the snow. He checked her over, pressing his fingers against her neck, sighing when he felt her pulse.
"Robyn needs help."
The gray-haired man looked up, cringing a bit at the sparks that fell around them. The blistering wind picked up, making him shiver. He slowly rose to his feet, hand slowly wrapping around Harbinger's hilt.
"Surrender and we can take her to Atlas, get her patched up."
Qrow spat on the ground, glaring at the man before him. "Never pegged you for the manipulative type. But I've learned a lot of things tonight."
He started circling around Clover, holding his blade tightly in his grasp. Clover's face fell as he looked away, a frown on his face. "I enjoyed working with you, you know. Even with that endless cynicism."
"I'm usually proven right."
"We don't have to fight, friend." the man pleaded, only for Qrow to scoff at him.
"You don't know my friends. That's how it always goes."
It was quiet for a second, nothing but the breeze and the snowflakes around them. Qrow gave his former friend a bitter smile, angling his blade. Clover did the same, holding his fishing rod tightly. Without much fanfare, the two men ran at each other, swinging their weapons full force.
Location: Mantle
"Hm… so that's where she's being kept," Cadence mumbled, closing her scroll. She turned to her sister, who was still making preparations. "Is the ship ready to go?"
"Almost, it was hard clearing this damn thing. They put some passwords on some of the mechanisms but I'll get through them in a bit. I gotta thank that doctor friend of yours, his hacking abilities are the only reason we've gotten this far," Octavia replied, fingers pressing against the holographic screens.
"Watts is a helpful person, but a bit too arrogant and prideful for my taste. I appreciate everything he did to me, but he and I are not compatible. At least he's a sane person, unlike Callows."
"From my perspective, you and Callows are exactly the same." the pinkette said, earning a glare from her little sister. She scoffed, her eyes falling back on the panels before her. "You don't scare me, Cadence."
"Oh I know, I know." she giggled. Several beeps filled the cockpit, causing them to share a look. For a moment, they thought they had been found out, but it had been a notification sent to their scrolls. Cadence flicked hers open, staring at the message, letting out a laugh. "Ohoho… this is rich! Looks like my old friend is a Wanted Criminal now."
"How interesting, here I thought he was one of General Jimmy's most loyal dogs. Wonder what he did to get himself put on a BOLO."
"That doesn't matter, it's just a little bit of added irony. Just get us in the air," she said, sitting in the co-pilot's seat.
It didn't take Octavia long, finally getting the engine to start. She grabbed a hold of the yoke, slowly lifting the ship off the ground. She floored it, shooting into the sky. It didn't take long for them to clear the outer edge of Atlas, flying over the glowing skyline.
"Where do you want me to go?"
"Straight into Atlas Academy. We haven't found Cinder yet but knowing her, she's likely heading for Ironwood's throat. We can't waste time, her powers will be mine." she said, glancing at her sister with a grin. "And since you've been such a helpful sister, I'll let you keep the Winter Maiden's powers. All I need you to do is open the Vault for me."
"Right," she mumbled, shaking her head. "I still can't get over this… Maiden Magic, Relics? A woman who can't die no matter how many times you hit her? Everything I know is a lie."
"That's how I felt when I learned the truth. Headmaster Ozpin lied to me, lied to my friends, and look at where that got us. Aria is dead, Sonata is a toy soldier, and Levi? He's different." she said, staring at her hand. Her lips curved into a smile. "He might have gotten the better of me earlier, but once I get my powers… oh he'll be sorry,"
"Manta 9-6, this is Atlas Central Command, please respond."
Octavia glanced at Cadence, who shook her head. She stared straight ahead, locking onto Atlas Academy. "Manta 9-6, this is Atlas Central Command, Please Respond, over!"
"They're gonna shoot at us."
"Just keep flying."
"Manta 9-6, this is Lieutenant Colonel Alabaster Sanders, if you do not respond within the next 60 seconds, we will be forced to shoot you down. I repeat, if you do not respond within the next 60 seconds, we will be forced to shoot you down!"
Cadence scoffed, grabbing a hold of the yoke. "I fucking hate the military."
She pushed the yoke forward, causing the ship to shoot forward. The airships around them began firing, several laser shots aimed at them. She ducked and weaved through all of them, pushing the ship down, pulling up just before she slammed into the street. Octavia screamed in fear as the ship pulled up, inches from the road, the concrete behind them shattering from the laser shots being fired at them.
"CADENCE! WE'RE GONNA DIE!"
The girl hissed, shooting back into the sky. She locked on the nearest target, firing her .50 caliber guns at them. She zoomed past them, locking eyes with Atlas Academy, a grin on her face.
"Get ready! We're going in!" she shouted, flooring it forward. Octavia clenched her eyes shut, praying this trip would end soon. She opened her eyes for a brief moment, letting out a scream as a building filled her vision.
A/N: This was a fun chapter to write. I always wanted someone to call out Blake and Yang for their BS when telling Ironwood that they leaked information to Robyn. Ruby and Weiss were caught in the middle of that, completely in the dark. It baffled me how neither of them called them out for it. We also get to see Team RWBY being even more disloyal when not admitting that they knew Cinder was in Atlas. Keeping secrets is certainly what led to all this unfolding, and now everyone will face the consequences. Also, we are very close to the story catching up to the present, that being the first chapter of this story. It only took like 50 chapters lol.
I'll be distracted with FGO for the time being, so posts may slow down, but I have everything written out so it'll be okay. See you all when I see you.
