Chapter 20: Hopeless
Ironwood's office was completely silent. The only sound echoing around the room was the soft ticking of a wall clock, throwing off the tension in the room. Ten people were standing there, staring at each other, only five would consciously leave. The Ace-Ops held Team RWBY's firm gazes, no one saying a word or daring to move a muscle. They all knew the second someone made a move, they'd have to fight to get out.
"I don't suppose we can talk ourselves out of this one, eh?" Levi asked, causing Elm to scoff, tightening her grip on her hammer.
"He's right, please you have to think about this!" Weiss added, only for Harriet to speak.
"You heard the General, until everything is settled, you guys are under arrest," she said, pressing a button on her scroll. The shutters behind them slowly closed, one by one until the office was thrown into relative darkness. The once glowing blue lights had turned crimson red, alarms echoing throughout the academy.
"Really?"
"Don't make this difficult," Vine said, trying to persuade the blonde brawler.
"Don't make us get out of here by force!" Blake snapped, weapon in hand. Yang squared up, deploying Ember Celica. Levi drew Overture, cocking it as he took aim at the Ace-Ops. His eyes drifted to Sonata, who had been silent for a few minutes now. He saw her hand moving to her holster, drawing Carolloo from within.
"Whoa whoa whoa, we're not actually going to slug it out, are we?" Marrow asked, looking at his colleagues. Harriet cracked her neck, flexing her fingers as she activated her weapon.
"We're not doing anything. They decide what happens next."
Ruby vaulted over Ironwood's desk, drawing Crescent Rose from behind her back. She spun the massive weapon around, deploying it behind her as she looked at the Huntsman and Huntresses before her. She had a look of sadness on her face, sharing a look with her teammates.
"Heh." Harriet scoffed, planting her foot firmly on the ground. "You think you can take us? We're the strongest Huntsmen in Atlas!"
"You were." Ruby returned, flicking her hair out of her eyes. "And then you trained us,"
She shot out of the room in a swirl of petals, splitting apart as she darted past the Ace-Opes. Harriet let out a growl, eyes sparking with electricity as she shot past the others, racing after the red-clad girl. Yang shot herself forward, slamming her first into Elm's chest while Blake took on Vine. Weiss darted after Marrow, the dog faunus finding it difficult to actually fight against someone he viewed as a colleague. That of course left Levi and Sonata, alone in Ironwood's office.
She flipped her piccolo across her fingers, transforming the weapon into its dagger form as she darted forward. She let out a cry as she swung her leg at the miqo'te who blocked it entirely with his prosthetic arm, she planted her hands on the ground, twirling around, cartwheeling toward him, aiming her dagger at him. He ducked and weaved, darting around her, swiping Overture at her back. She moved her arm back in time, their blades clanging loudly.
Levi raced forward, blade glowing blue as he flipped over Sona, throwing a water-infused blade at her. She swiped Carolloo upward, her orange blade colliding with his, filling the room with steam. He narrowed his eyes, ears twitching as he listened for her movements.
"You know this is wrong, Sona! This is going against everything we trained for. I agree that we have to make sacrifices, but this is not the way!"
She cut through the steam, somersaulting toward him, aiming a downward slash at his face, which he easily deflected, using the recoil of his gun. He snapped his fingers, forming an ice-blue glyph behind her, firing several ice shards at her. She quickly spun around, swinging her arm in wild arcs, slashing apart every piece of ice flung at her. She twisted her body around, swiftly transforming her weapon, blowing into it, the shockwaves from her semblance breaking apart the fireballs flying toward her.
"I agree that this isn't the way, Levi. But you can't go against the General's orders. I tried to plead my case with him and he wasn't listening. You broke his trust in you and he is never going to forgive you for it. Just stop fighting and we can put an end to this!" she cried.
She flipped out of the way, avoiding the gravity bullets shot at her, dark violet sparks filling the room as the ground beneath her feet caved in. Levi darted forward, aided by a vermillion glyph. He pulled the trigger, Overture dropped down, the blade cutting into Ironwood's desk as Sonata hopped on top of it.
"Why? So I can be shoved in a jail cell next to Ivy Brown and Jacques Schnee? You saw Salem for yourself, you know what she is capable of. Do you think raising Atlas far above the clouds will solve anything? Will you be able to live with yourself knowing you did nothing while millions of people across the world died?"
Sonata growled, jumping toward him, angling Carolloo, blade glowing a brilliant green. He spun Overture, clashing blades with her. She managed to push him back, throwing a kick to his ribs, sending him flying toward the side wall. She darted toward him, swiping her dagger to and fro, the blade coming inches from his face.
He grit his teeth, forming a vermillion glyph beneath her feet, willing it to explode. She gave a cry of surprise as she was flung into the air. Levi darted forward, leaping into the air, throwing a hard kick into her chest, slamming her hard into the ground. The miqo'te faunus flung himself up, using the ceiling as a springboard as he shot himself down. Sona moved out of the way at the last moment, avoiding his stab altogether.
She panted a bit, clutching her knife tightly in her grasp. Levi took the chance to reload, never taking his eyes off her. She moved forward, throwing herself into a spinning kick, which he easily avoided. She slashed at him, the man using the recoil of his gun to parry her attack. He returned in kind, throwing several speedy jabs and slashes at her, all of which she parried or deflected. She pushed forward, uppercutting his chin, throwing a flaming slash at his chest. He growled in pain, cocking his gun. He leveled his rifle, firing three rounds at her to get some distance.
"It's not too late, Sona. We can still come back from this," he said, loading more shells into his gun. She didn't reply, instead, she raced forward, zooming from left to right as she threw several elemental slashes at him, causing him to duck and weave out of them.
She aimed a left hook at his face, causing him to dodge it, redirecting the attack entirely. She snapped her fingers, amplifying the sound with her Semblance, causing him to cringe at the loudness. He ducked back into a flip, avoiding the stab thrown at his face. He flipped back, using several timed backflips to get some distance, sitting down on top of Ironwood's desk, holding his gun to his shoulder.
"Pleading with her isn't going to work. I guess I'll have to stop holding back. I'm sorry Sonata, we met again after so long only for it to turn into this." he thought to himself. He opened his eyes, a silver flash racing across them as he planted his hand on his desk, throwing himself into a spin.
He slammed his heels onto the wooden top, holding his blade straight up, running his fingers over the blade. He snapped his hand forward, forming several yellow glyphs around Sonata, trapping her in a dome of his making. With a cry, hundreds of yellow bolts erupted from within, causing her to duck away.
She threw Carolloo forward, shattering one of his glyphs, allowing her to dive out of the dome. She wasted no time, picking the blade off the ground as she raced toward Levi, throwing a kick at his leg, which he easily avoided. He dropped down to his hand, sweeping her off his feet, aiming Overture at her face. She somehow managed to spin around, using her dagger to redirect the shot, the bullet destroying Ironwood's wall clock, putting an end to the ceaseless ticking.
Levi and Sona shared a look, bursting into laughter for a moment, only to resume their fight. The humor of what had happened disappeared almost instantly as the blue-haired girl twirled around him, throwing swift and speedy strikes, all of which he easily blocked and deflected. Levi narrowed his eyes, following her blade for a moment before spinning around, elbowing Sona in the chest. He threw a hard kick at her hand, sending Carolloo flying.
Leaping into the air, he spun around, using his aura to kick the dagger back down at Sona, her scream filling his ears as it sliced her arm, stabbing itself into the ground. She let out a growl, darting forward, he ducked and weaved, throwing a slash at Sona, who used her mechanical arm to block it. She grabbed a hold of his weapon, yanking it out of his grasp, throwing it out of the office. He glanced over his shoulder, the sounds of fighting coming from beyond.
"Now we're even."
"Hah, as if," he said, raising his hands. Sona shook her head, circling around the boy.
"You know, you never did beat me back at Beacon. I always managed to overpower you, a girl who's 4 foot 11 managed to bring down a nearly 6-foot tall boy. Are you going to let that happen again, dear Levi?" she quipped, making him chuckle.
"Sona, my new partner is 4'11'', and it's been a long time since she's beaten me in combat. You think I'm going to let myself lose to you?" he said. It was quiet for a moment before they darted at each other.
He dropped into a cartwheel, using a gravity glyph to keep himself balanced as he threw a spinning kick at the girl. She blocked it with her arm, throwing a punch at his knee which he was able to avoid. He leaped over her, throwing a back kick at her. She took a hold of his leg, hoping to throw him off balance, but he instead managed to pull himself free, dropping onto his hands. He twisted his body around, landing on his feet, and without losing momentum, he threw a right hook at her face, her head snapping back.
Sona growled, wiping the spit and blood from her lip as she threw a series of quick jabs at him. He blocked all of them, angling his arm to deflect a kick to his ribs. He caught her leg, giving her a smirk, only for her to throw herself back, using her weight against him. She managed to snake around him, grabbing a hold of his arm, throwing him onto the ground. She gave him a grin, pinning his face down with her thighs.
"Well this throws me back to our Beacon days," she mused, looking into his eyes. "How do you like my crotch in your face?"
His ears twitched, a smirk appearing on his face. "Sadly, due to me having a girlfriend, I can't comment on that. I'd much prefer her crotch on my face. Oh, heads up."
Sona tilted her head, only to look up. She found herself flying back into Ironwood's desk, body crumpling as her aura flashed, finally giving out. Levi looked up, seeing Overture's barrel smoking, and in the hands of his lovely girlfriend, Weiss Schnee.
"Here I thought I could trust you to handle her on your own, clearly I gave you too much faith, you mangy alley cat!" she said, dropping his rifle right on his face.
"Hey, I didn't mean to. She kinda overpowered me!" he said, rubbing his face as he forced himself to stand up. He took the Bolas in Weiss's hands, throwing them at Sona, who let out a groan, slumping over in pain. "What about the others?"
"Taken care of. They gave us a bit more trouble than it was worth but-"
Weiss was cut off by a massive explosion, the entire building shaking, almost throwing them to the floor. They shared a look, both darting out of Ironwood's office. Levi looked around at the destruction, noticing the Ace-Ops had all been rounded up and tied together. He looked around, the shaking finally stopping.
"The fuck was that?"
"I dunno, but it didn't sound good," Blake added, reloading her weapon. "Are you okay? It must have been hard having to fight your former teammate like that."
"I'm alright Blake, we have bigger things to worry about."
"Yeah, maybe we can start by addressing what the fuck you were saying back there," Yang said, towering over the boy, or tried to given that he was taller than her. He glared into her lilac eyes, not backing down from her glare.
"I was trying to maintain order, something that clearly went out the window the second you told Ironwood about Robyn. I mean what the fuck, Yang? I thought you said no more lies and half-truths, yet you go behind my back, behind Ruby and Weiss's backs and you tell Robyn about Amity? Without confirming if she was with or against us?"
"Robyn was trying to save lives!"
"Robyn was and is a loose cannon and a petty thief, a petty thief that, need I remind you, caused Amity to be fucking stalled. Her way of doing things would have led to more lives being lost," he said, walking around the blonde, loading shells into Overture. "It's because of you two that Ironwood lost faith in us, it's because of you two that trust was broken with him, and it's because of you two that we are all wanted!"
"Guys please stop fighting!" Ruby shouted, stepping in between the two. She pushed Levi back, causing him to stumble a bit. "I get it, my sister fucked up, but what's done is done. Right now we need to focus on what's important, meeting up with Jaune and finding out what the hell is happening! He didn't get to tell us before our Comms were locked!"
"What we need to do is find our way to the Winter Maiden. Winter is going to claim that power and if she does, Atlas is going to be forced into the stratosphere. It's imperative that we stop her!" Weiss said, glancing around the room.
"Don't tell me you intend to fight your own sister," Blake said, making the white-haired woman look away from her.
"I'll do what I must. I don't want to fight Winter, but I will if I have to. We all have to carve out our own paths."
"We won't be able to do that without knowing where she's being contained." Yang deadpanned, causing the group to deflate. Levi's ear twitched a bit, a smirk flashing onto his face. He darted back into Ironwood's office for a moment, leaving them stunned for a moment. "What got into him?"
"Clearly, he thought about something," Weiss replied. He returned seconds later, holding Sonata's scroll in his grasp.
"Sona is a Special Operative, meaning she has unfiltered access to all of Atlas Academy," he said, pouring through her scroll. He noticed her home screen was a picture of herself and Levi, taken back at Beacon Academy. He ignored the snort Yang gave when she saw it, as he continued opening and closing files. "Aha! Here we go."
It was a map, showing the path to a containment unit deep within Atlas Academy's Medical Wing. Weiss looked at it, nodding to herself. "My sister took me to see her once, I never got to meet her personally, I just watched. This route is covered by AK-200s."
"Then we'll have to cut them all down," Ruby said, trying to copy the map, only for her scroll to blink red. "We're still locked out though, how are we going to communicate with each other?"
Several dings filled their ears, all of them drawing their weapons. The elevator doors opened and out came Pietro Polendina, along with Maria. They both looked around, taking in the destruction they had left behind, as well as the tied-up Ace-Ops. Maria sighed, shaking her head as she pocketed her scroll, glancing at Pietro.
Levi found himself smiling. "Perfect timing~"
"This is the part where they ask for our help," Maria replied, a look of disdain on her face while Pietro gawked at the state of things around them.
xxx
"Did you manage to tell them, Jaune?" Nora asked, a worried look on her face.
"I didn't, the Communication dropped before I could tell them." the blond lad said, pocketing his scroll. He looked back at their dorm, the destroyed AK-200s sparking. "Come on, Oscar, Alto? Where the heck are you two?"
"We can't stick around, it won't be long before they come looking for us." Ren said, drawing StormFlower from his holsters. "Time we left."
Jaune nodded, moving down the hallway. Nora picked up the speed, looking around frantically. "Oscar! Alto! Where are you guys?!" she exclaimed, hands cupped around her mouth.
A gunshot tore through the air, causing them to stop mid-run. This gunshot was followed by the dull clang of metal striking metal. It was a sound Jaune recognized. He darted up the corridor, sliding to a stop.
"Haah!"
Sparks rained around them as the AK-200 was split clean in half. Jaune looked up, spotting a tired-looking Alto before him. She looked up, holding her arm out as Akuo returned to her wrist. She visibly brightened, a grin on her face. "Jaune!"
"Alto! Where's Oscar?"
"I don't know!" she said, spinning on her heel to block several plasma blasts from the drones. She spun Milo around, resting the barrel on her shield as she pulled the trigger, blasting their heads apart with a single shot each. "We were coming back to the dorms when we ran into that Cinder woman! He told me he'd handle it and I haven't seen him since. I was gonna go searching for him when that BOLO went out, and these things started shooting at me!"
"What? Cinder is here? Where?!" Nora cried, shaking Alto a bit. "We can't let her get at Ozzy, he's got the Lamp!"
"I know that, but-"
"Freeze! Stop right there!"
The wolf faunus growled, darting forward, she flung Akuo forward, hand glowing as she sped the shield up. It bounced off the walls like a pinball, striking all of the soldiers square in the head. Several managed to dodge, racing toward her. She swiped Milo at them, jumping off the wall, throwing a kick at their face. She fired Milo, sending the spear hurling forward, striking a second soldier square in the chest. She caught her shield, throwing it like a flying disk at a drone, splitting it cleanly in half. Stomping on Milo, she caught it, spinning it around her neck, simultaneously firing it, sending the man flying back.
She darted forward, spinning around his shoulder, throwing him into the air, leaping after him. She caught her shield, moving it to her feet. She kicked off of it, spinning around the frightened soldier, wrapping Milo around his neck, she pulled him down with all her strength, slamming him hard into the ground, with so much force the tiles broke. She kicked him away, sending his battered body into the remaining AK-200s, knocking them to the ground. She let out a sigh, stomping on Akuo, catching it with ease.
"If that Cinder bitch hurt a hair on my Ozzy's head, I swear I am going to shove Milo through her eye socket!"
Nora, Jaune, and Ren shared a look, following after the wolf girl. "Did you see that? She looked just like Pyrrha."
"Alto did say she was inspired by her. She followed in her footsteps, learning various styles before taking that break." Ren added, earning a smile from Jaune.
"I'm glad we gave her Pyrrha's weapons. I think she'd be proud knowing that another warrior like her is putting them to use. It's like a part of her is still with us." he said.
"Gaaaah!"
Alto slid to a stop, heels digging into the ground, her eyes darting around. "Oscar?"
She heard something slam into a nearby wall, her gaze shifting down it, seeing the boy running toward them. "Alto, run for it!"
He darted past them, the girl was going to ask what he was running from, but she got her answer. Hundreds of fireballs flew at them, burning the ground where they landed. Turning the corner was Cinder, a smirk on her face as she ignited her hand. Alto took a step back, her eyes falling to her waist.
"Alto, forget about it! You aren't strong enough to fight her!"
"But she has the lamp, Nora!" the girl said, darting forward. She threw Akuo forward, the woman spun, using a pair of glass swords to deflect the shield. Alto swiped at her, throwing several strikes at her face, all of them blocked. She flipped out of the way of a cross slash, Milo shifting into its Xiphos form.
She angled the blade, deflecting Cinder's spinning slashes. She kneed the woman in the chest, throwing a hard punch to the center of her face, grabbing the Lamp from her waist. Cinder's hand extended, grabbing the edge of the lamp, yanking it from Alto's grasp. The wolf girl spun Milo around her neck, firing it repeatedly, the blade being blocked by Cinder.
Cinder spun her blade around, throwing a flaming slash at her. Alto flipped out of the way, grabbing Akuo from the ground, just in time to deflect another strike. She kicked off the wall, throwing a hard shield bash at the woman, who crossed her blades, blocking it.
"Haah!" the wolf cried, aiming her blade at the Relic of Knowledge, hooking it around the tip. Cinder was quick to react, kicking off the wall, slamming her leg into Alto's side, throwing a kick at the Relic, sending it hurling through the air. She spun around, delivering several strong strikes to Alto, sending her flying back down the corridor, holding her hand out to catch the Relic.
"Alto!" Jaune cried, leaping in front of her, deploying his shield. He drew Crocea Mors, aiming it at Cinder who only smirked at him. "You and I have a score to settle, bitch."
"Forget your petty score, we need to get out of here!" Nora cried, holding her hammer tightly in her grasp.
"Not without that Lamp, we need to get it back," Ren said, kicking off the wall. He landed on Jaune's shield, the blond blasting him forward with the aid of some gravity dust. Ren shot his blades downward, both deflected by Cinder. She swept her hand, sending a stream of shimmering glass at him, sending him flying back.
She jumped back, avoiding Nora's speedy strikes. The orange-haired girl spun her hammer around, pulling the trigger, the rockets aided in her swing, shattering the wall where Cinder had just been. Cinder merely winked, firing several glass knives at her. Alto jumped forward, swinging Milo to and fro as she deflected each of her knives. She ran forward, swinging Milo, angling it as Cinder parried her attacks.
She swung both of them upward, the wolf girl narrowly avoiding contact. She spun around, slicing through her blades with Milo, bashing her across the face with Akuo. She flipped back, landing in a crouch at the mouth of the corridor, glaring at them. She suddenly looked to her left, giving them a salute before leaping toward the nearby window, shattering the glass with her heels as she leaped out.
"No! Get back here!" Jaune shouted, about to give chase when several soldiers raced down the hall, stopping when they saw them.
"There they are, get them!"
"Forget it, Jaune. We need to think about ourselves first!" Ren said, pulling his friend along. Nora grabbed Oscar's hand, pulling him along while Alto returned fire, covering their escape for a moment before joining them.
"Okay guys, what's the plan?" she asked, looking at Jaune who just kept running, a look of strain on his face.
"Not die?"
"Great plan." she deadpanned.
"We need to shake these soldiers, after that we need to meet up with the others. But our Comms are down, we won't be able to contact them." Ren said.
"Guys… I can't… we need to stop, just for a bit." Oscar pleaded, forcing himself to run. Just as they turned the corner, the entire wall erupted, as the front end of an Atlas Manta shot into the building, causing everything to shake. The five Huntsmen dove to the ground, covering their heads as ceiling tiles and light panels fell all around them.
"What… what the fuck?!" Jaune shouted.
"That separated us from those soldiers! Let's get out of here, we need to find a place to hunker down and rest." Ren said, earning a grin from Nora.
"I got an idea, come with me!" she said, grinning as she led them toward the academy training room.
xxx
Qrow let out a shout as he swung Harbinger. He twirled the scythe as if it was weightless, hoping to land a strike on Clover. He blocked every single strike, leaping back. He flicked his weapon forward, hook wrapping around Qrow's leg, pulling him to the ground. He jumped at him, aiming his fist at his face, but Qrow was faster, ducking away at the last second. He grabbed Harbinger, firing several rounds at him, all blocked by Clover.
"You're pretty quick on your feet."
"Years of training, I can easily sense my opponent's movements," the man said, twirling his scythe around. He pulled the trigger, sending himself into a spiral, bringing his scythe down hard on Clover, who easily deflected the attack. He shifted Harbinger back into its blade form, throwing several powerful swings, each aided by the recoil of an energy round. He sent Clover sliding back, the man spitting on the ground.
"How entertaining! Two former friends duking it out like no tomorrow, this certainly is a most entertaining trip."
Qrow growled angrily, glancing over his shoulder at Tyrian. The man tilted his head, grinning. "Oh, don't stop on my account."
He swung Harbinger at him, the man ducking and weaving. "Wasn't planning on it!"
He felt himself fall to the ground, Clover's hook wrapped around his ankle. He slammed his fist into the snow, rolling away from Tyrian's hail of machine gun fire. He freed himself from Clover's fishing rod, running back at him, throwing a downward strike at him, his blade striking the snow. Darted to the right as Tyrian opened fire, forcing Clover on the defensive.
He swung his scythe around, causing Tyrian to flip over it. He moved forward, pulling his scythe back, throwing himself into another death spiral, which Tyrian easily blocked, cackling in the man's face. He spread his arms, throwing three speedy kicks at the man, striking him in the ribs. Tyrian smirked, striking Qrow with his tail, just in time to avoid Clover's hook.
"Apologies, friend, but this is a battle that we still need to settle," Tyrian said, a faux frown on his face.
The scorpion faunus let out a cackle as Qrow swung his blade, narrowly striking him in the chin. "I'm no friend of yours."
"I'm still not wrong, you wanna settle the score? Then why don't we put the kid to bed and finish it?" he snarled, causing Qrow to narrow his eyes. He said nothing, dashing toward Clover, who narrowed his eyes, angling his weapon, catching Qrow's blade.
They fell into a flurry of strikes, parrying each other's weapons as best as they could. They slid across the snow, avoiding their strikes within a few inches. Tyrian vaulted over Qrow's shoulders, bringing his tail down hard on Clover, who dashed back just in time to avoid it. Qrow threw the man off of himself, slamming his fist against his face, following it with a flurry of scythe swings.
Qrow's body was pulled from under him, anger flowing through him as he once again brushed the snow out of his face. He pushed himself back, swinging his legs around, aiming a kick at Clover's face. He landed hard on the ground, the man flicking his hook at him, throwing Qrow off balance. Tyrian let out a laugh as he caught Qrow with his tail, pushing him forward at full speed, Qrow used the momentum to swing at Clover, who flipped over Harbinger with ease.
"Give it up man. Look at yourself, teaming up with a criminal to fight your friends. This isn't what Ironwood would have wanted."
"No one knows what Ironwood wants. We gave everything to fight against Salem, I sacrificed years of my life and trusted Ozpin with everything. All for it to be flushed away. Well, I'm not going to let that happen anymore. I'm going to give James a piece of my damn mind the second I'm through with you!"
"Ohohoho! This is getting zesty~"
"Shut up!" the gray-haired huntsman shouted, swinging his scythe at him. Tyrian leaped into the air, landing on Harbinger, taking aim at Qrow, licking his lips.
"Why? I'm having so much fun!"
He flipped through the air, unloading several rounds at Qrow, who had no choice but to block every round. Tyrian pressed his advantage, swinging his blades at the man, laughing with each swing, hoping to land a hit. Qrow darted around him, letting Clover get a strike in. He wasted no time in swinging at the both of them, the pair dodging his attacks. Qrow jumped into the air, bringing Harbinger down, aided by the recoil of his gun, cracking the snowy tundra where Clover had once stood.
Clover let out a shout, slamming his fist hard across Qrow's face, sending him tumbling to the ground. He turned to Tyrian, who was still laughing, flicking his hook at him. He wrapped it around the man, who fell forward, growling in annoyance.
Stunned, Qrow managed to pull himself back onto his feet, stumbling as if he was drunk. Several dull clangs filled his ears as he shook his head. He picked up his sword, darting toward Tyrian, swinging his sword with all his strength. The man spun around him, using his tail to push him forward and into Clover, who once again threw a punch at him. Qrow swung his blade once more, the leader of the Ace-Ops narrowly avoiding it, the very tip of the blade slicing his shirt.
The scorpion faunus took his chance, darting forward, swinging his blades to and fro before pushing himself forward, his tail glowing purple as he activated his semblance, taking a swipe at Clover, who deflected it with ease. Qrow gave a shout, swinging Harbinger upward, disarming Clover, who was left stunned by the maneuver. He let out a cry as he uppercutted Clover, sending him flying back across the snow, his aura shattering from the strike.
Qrow panted for breath, cracking his knuckles as he stared down at Clover, who was clutching his stomach in pain. He growled angrily, glaring at the man. "Why couldn't you just do the right thing instead of the thing you were told?!"
Clover forced himself to his feet, giving his friend an apologetic look. "Sometimes, the right decision is the hardest one to make. I trust James with my life!"
He circled around Qrow, looking away in disappointment. "I wanted to trust you."
There was movement behind Clover, Qrow reached forward but it was too late. Time moved in slow motion, as he saw his own sword plunge through Clover's body. Qrow would only stare in shock, as Clover spat a glob of blood on the ground. The sword was pulled from his body, the man stumbled forward, falling into a heap on the ground, blood pooling around him, tinging the alabaster snow crimson red. Tyrian cooed, lips pursed in sadness.
"Oh… it doesn't look like he's going to make it."
"Grrr, I'LL KILL YOU!"
"Oh, you mean like you just killed Clover?" he queried, letting out a laugh as he dropped the blood-drenched sword to the ground. He looked over his shoulder, the thrust of engines filling his ears. He clapped his hands, giving the man a bow. "Whelp, time for me to go. You know how I am with the authorities. Bwahahahahahaha!"
He looked over his shoulder, giving Qrow the finger. "Looks like our score will have to wait, catch you around, Qrow Branwen!"
He trailed after him for a moment before returning to Clover's side. He knelt down beside him, staring down at him, holding back his cries. He gave the man a smile, blood dripping down the corner of his lip. "Someone… had to take the fall."
"James will take the fall," the man said in a gruff tone, staring into Clover's eyes. "I'll make sure of it."
Clover gave him a slight nod, holding his hand out to him. Qrow took it, grasping it tightly as he shook it. He gave him a smile, the light of the rising sun falling on his face. "Good luck."
The man's hand fell limp, the light of his eyes slowly vanishing. Qrow looked in his hand, seeing the man's lucky broach in his palm, covered in specks of blood. He closed his hand tightly over it, letting out a scream of agony, carried away by the wind and snow.
xxx
"I hope it's painless for her," Winter muttered, placing a hand on the machine. The room was completely empty. Fria had been asleep when they had arrived, and for a moment, they thought she had passed away. The heart monitor made them sigh with relief, at least for the time being.
"You said your personal feelings do not matter," Penny quipped, making the woman sigh. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing she was using her scroll.
"They won't change my actions. What I'm committed to. The power of the Winter Maiden and the Relic must be kept from our enemies. Even if it means she dies."
Her gaze fell back on the sleeping woman, her expression softening a bit. "But yes, Penny, we must still acknowledge our personal feelings, wrestle with them. It ensures us that we are on the right path. It's what makes us human."
"What makes us human?" the cybernetic girl mumbled, glancing at her hands. "I've been… wondering what it would be like to be human. I can process things at lightning speed, I can fight multiple enemies at once. I can solve equations that normal people can't begin to fathom. But feelings… I just cannot fully grasp it. But your explanation… I think I understand."
A loud explosion rang through the building, causing it to shake. The lights flickered for a moment, causing them to look around. "What was that?"
A second explosion shook the building, this time much closer than before. The decorative cups on the counter rattled a bit, causing Penny to look around. Winter moved toward the hallway, throwing the door open. It was completely dark, save for the glowing red emergency lights. The AK-200s stationed down the corridor had been destroyed, sparking and smoking. She narrowed her eyes, spotting a figure standing at the other end of the hall. The lights flickered for a moment, shedding light over them for a moment.
The figure's hand swirled with flames, the massive fireball heading toward her. She ducked back into the room, locking the door with a passcode, backing away from the door. "Penny!"
Before the orange-haired girl could respond, the door exploded, sending Winter flying across the ground. Cinder stepped into the room, a grin on her face as she entered the room. "Hmm… how interesting. Both of Ironwood's puppets are here. Lucky me."
"Cinder." Winter hissed, forcing herself to her feet. She drew her sword, holding it tightly in her grasp. Penny looked her over, standing in front of Winter.
"You were the one responsible for Beacon. For what happened to me."
"It was unfortunately temporary. Now step aside or there won't be anything left to salvage this time," she said, forming a fireball in her palm, smirking. "What do you think of that?"
Penny narrowed her eyes. "I think…" she paused, summoning her array, each blade glinting brightly in the light. "It gives me personal feelings."
xxx
"Weiss, are we close or not? Levi asked, keeping up with her and Ruby as they moved across Atlas Academy.
"We're getting close, but with all the soldiers chasing us, I got a bit turned around," she exclaimed, panting a bit. "I still can't believe some asshole crashed into the academy. What the hell are they thinking?"
"Maybe they were playing Galaga?" Ruby asked, trying to be reassuring.
"I seriously doubt that's the case, you dunce," her friend replied, shaking her head. The trio turned the corner, sliding to a stop. A familiar group of Huntsmen stood before them, looking around for a moment. They locked eyes with the trio, stiffening a bit.
"Team FNKI," Ruby said, staring the quartet down. Flynt gave them a frown, tightening his hold on his trumpet. Kobalt and Ivory had similar looks on their faces, while Neon just looked hurt.
"We're not gonna ask what you did to get yourselves put on that list." Flynt began, turning to face them. "But we will ask that you come quietly."
"That's not gonna happen, Flynt. We have too much riding on our shoulders. Ironwood is declaring Martial Law and abandoning millions of people. You can't possibly agree with him." Levi said firmly.
"We only follow orders, don't make us take you by force," Kobalt added, making Weiss smirk.
"We've already taken down the Ace-Ops, you think you four stand a chance against us?" she boasted. Neon grabbed her nunchucks, cracking them on her knee. She gave them a shake, spinning them around.
"I'm sorry, but we have to do what the General asks of us."
"Levi, Weiss! We don't have time for this! If Cinder makes it to the Fall Maiden, we'll lose everything!" Ruby exclaimed. Team FNKI shared looks of confusion, wondering what she was even talking about.
"Ruby, use your Semblance and get Weiss out of here. I'll catch up with you."
"Are you crazy?"
"Darling, it's either that or we let Cinder win, pick your poison," the miqo'te faunus said, loading bullets into Overture, spinning it around and cocking it. Ruby took a hold of Weiss's hand, giving him a firm look.
"Don't get caught."
"Don't plan on it, Rubes. See you on the other side," he said, giving her a wink. Weiss reached for his hand, but Ruby darted past Team FNKI before she could. Levi took a deep breath as he moved to the center of the hallway, flicking his weapon downward, his estoc extending.
Flynt spun his trumpet around, blowing into it, a swirl of wind dust blasted Neon forward, who spun her nunchucks around as she skated forward. Levi cast a glyph beneath his feet, blasting himself into the air just as she darted below him. He shot himself forward, throwing a Water infused blade at Flynt, who blocked it with his trumpet.
He rolled across the ground, skating forward using several glyphs, throwing several slashes at Ivory. The man grit his teeth, ducking and weaving as he tried to avoid the man's rapier. Kobalt threw a punch at Levi, who moved his head just enough to avoid the strike. He grabbed Kobalt's wrist, swinging his foot up, hard enough to kick him in the face. He elbowed him in the back, using the recoil of his gun to force himself into a spin, throwing him at Neon, who cried in surprise and pain as both were sent flying.
"Seems like we underestimated you," Flynt said, standing firmly before the miqo'te. "But that won't happen anymore!"
He blew into his trumpet, activating his semblance. His Killer Quartet flashed to life, sending Dust-enhanced musical waves at the silver-haired lad, who had no choice but to block them with his Semblance. He spun his rifle around, shooting at Ivory who had pulled his whip back. Levi shifted his aim, shooting at Flynt's leg, making one of his copies fade away. He looked around for a moment, spotting a pipe above him. He shifted his aim, shooting it with a combustion bullet. The pipe exploded, filling the corridor with steam.
Flynt took a deep breath, blowing into his instrument, the steam dissipating. Kobalt and Neon got back to their feet, looking around for a moment. Ivory tugged on his whip, holding it tightly in his grasp.
"Neon, can you hear him?"
"I dunno, there's a lot of running and gunfire all over the place." the cat faunus replied. Levi let out a chuckle, causing her to turn around, only to see a flying kick being sent in her direction. She cried in pain, slamming hard into the wall, her aura flashing for a moment. Levi ran his fingers over his weapon, flicking it downward. The entire hallway became covered in bright yellow glyphs, all of them glowing brightly.
"What?!" Flynt cried. Ivory pulled his whip back, about to flick it when Levi snapped his fingers, detonating his glyphs. Thick bolts of lightning rained from each glyph shocking the four students. Levi grit his teeth as he held his aura steady, feeling it rapidly depleting. He finally cut the glyphs, panting for breath.
Ivory and Kobalt slumped over, their aura shattering. Flynt and Neon somehow managed to hang on, their bodies crackling with electrical energy. Levi walked past them, holstering Overture as walked.
"That was a cheap trick, Levi," Flynt said, causing the faunus to glance over his shoulder.
"I don't wanna hurt you. Ironwood needs all the manpower he can get for what's coming. I suggest you get some ready, you're gonna need it."
Though he was tired, he forced himself to keep running. Didn't dare look back, not knowing if Flynt was after him or not. He couldn't take risks. He made it to the end of the corridor, closing his eyes. He could hear so many things going on, voices of frightened cadets, gunfire from AK-200s. There was too much to focus on.
"Dammit, which way do I go?" he thought to himself.
"Levi, can you hear me?"
"What the hell?" he mumbled, reaching for his scroll, his eyes widened, a grin on his face. "Yo, Comms are back, yes! Weiss, I can hear you!"
"Good, did you deal with Team FNKI?"
"Yeah, they've been dealt with. I'm at the end of the corridor, which way do I take?" he asked, looking around for a moment.
"Take the left, run straight and once you get to the end, take a right. That'll lead you to a long stairwell." Weiss replied. He nodded to himself, sprinting up the corridor. His legs were quivering as he forced his aura through them, speeding himself up. He grabbed onto the corner, forcing himself to turn as he changed directions.
He slowed to a stop, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. The building rocked a bit, causing him to peer out the nearby window. It was nighttime, the city of Atlas was aglow with life. He saw a bright green laser shooting across the sky, followed by a swirl of fire. He stood stock still, hand clenching tightly when he recognized who was slinging fire around like a hulking dragon.
Cinder.
Levi shook his head, continuing his walk ahead. "I can't let my feelings toward that bitch cloud my mind. I have to get down to the Winter Maiden, if she's here then-"
"Well well well… if it isn't my former partner."
He slowed to a stop, ears folding down. He peered over his shoulder, eyes narrowing as he met Cadence's grinning face. She tilted her head a bit, pursing her lips. "Let me take a guess, you are going after the Winter Maiden, aren't you?"
"The maiden powers can only be transferred to women, Cadence. I have no need for it,"
"Ah but you need it to open Atlas's Vault. You need the Staff of Creation, don't you? I've listened to the chatter, and I know what Ironwood is doing. He's already gone and declared Martial Law. Atlas is under lockdown."
"That isn't going to stop us. We've sworn an oath to protect the people, and we'll do whatever it takes. I'm not scared of you, Cadence." he said, standing before her. She took a deep breath, about to speak when a flash of orange whizzed by the window.
"Though I'd love to continue where we left off, I regretfully have to pass. That woman has something that belongs to me, and I will retrieve it."
"The Power of the Fall Maiden… so, you didn't just join Salem, you agreed to become the new Fall Maiden… so you could go after the Relic of Choice," Levi said, earning a grin from the pinkette.
"Bingo! Ever since Cinder joined Salem's side, all she ever did was fail. She only got half of Amber's power when they first ran into her. They had to plan an invasion of Beacon just to recover it and search for the Relic of Choice. She was stopped at Haven and lost the Relic of Knowledge, and now she's here, trying to claim the Winter Maiden's power and the Staff. But I know she's going to fail, but I won't. I don't let petty things like revenge cloud my judgment."
"Yet you had know qualms with fighting me," he said, reaching behind his back for Shiva. He drew Overture as well, flicking it downward, blade extending. Though he was completely out of Dust rounds and was low on Dust in his cylinder, he had no choice but to fight.
"Our fight is on the horizon, but it's not going to be today, I've had my fill. But there's someone else who would love to fight you~"
As if on cue, a familiar masked woman walked around the corner. Levi let out a laugh, shaking his head. "I already know it's you, Octavia, why bother hiding?"
"I use the mask to hide. So I don't have to face the consequences of my actions," she replied. This time, she didn't bother with the voice changer. Levi swallowed the lump in his throat, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Cadence?"
"What?" she hissed, glaring at him.
"Remember that time back at Beacon when I took that mission for you? Because you wanted to practice your ballet?" he asked. She narrowed her eyes, brows furrowing.
"I remember that. What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
"You owe me."
She laughed, clutching her head. Her body shook with laughter as she leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "I owe you? You are seriously cashing in on a fucking IOU we made two years ago? It was pointless!"
"It was a promise, one that you made. Forgive me for being sentimental, but I like keeping my word. Please, I'm too tired to fight. Do what you gotta do, I don't give a shit about Cinder, all I ask is that you leave."
"Cadence, you aren't seriously considering this… are you?" Octavia asked, causing her sister to look at her.
"Let's go back to the ship. He's managed to convince me, this is the only one you get. Next time we meet, we're bitter enemies." she said, swiveling on her foot. She paused for a moment, glancing back at her former teammate. "I'm not gonna say thank you."
"I know you won't."
xxx
Penny flew forward, throwing a punch at Cinder, who easily avoided the strike. She grabbed a hold of her face with her shadow hand, flinging her back into the room. She stepped forward, about to enter the room, only for a flock of Nevermores to strike her body, pushing her back. She growled angrily, swiping her sword at them. She ducked to the right, avoiding the slash aimed at her face. She fired several molten balls of glass at Winter, each of them being blocked. The woman let out a shout, bringing her sword down on Cinder, only for her to form her own blades, crossing them just in time to parry the attack.
"You Atlas elites are all the same."
She pushed Winter back, throwing several swift slashes. She parried them all, pushing Cinder back several feet. She ejected the extra blade she kept in her hilt, darting forward, throwing a stab forward, which Cinder easily avoided.
"You think hoarding power means you'll have it forever. But it just makes the rest of us hungrier."
She threw a hard kick to Winter's chest, sending her flying back into the medical room. She darted forward, stopping to block Penny's blades. She turned to attack, only for Winter to kick her into the back wall, slamming her into some electronic panels. She let out a growl, throwing a flaming punch at the woman, sending her flying back.
"I refuse to starve!"
Penny returned, blocking her strikes, launching her blades, ducking, and weaving. She was completely focused on bringing Cinder down, but the woman was fast. She took aim, firing every blade at her. Cinder let out another growl, punching the cybernetic girl in the chest.
"Out of my way, you damned puppet!"
"I have been ordered to protect Winter, and I will follow my orders. I will not let you stop us!" Penny returned, forcing herself to stand up. She activated her rocket boosters, shooting toward Cinder, who leaped into the air, bringing her leg down on her back. She stood up, crying in pain as Winter sent another wave of Nevermores right at her back.
Activating her maiden powers, she sent a stream of molten glass at the woman, forcing her to dodge the attack. This gave Penny enough time to break free, slamming Cinder into the back wall, but did this little more than annoy her. She let out a scream as she shot forward, grabbing the pair by their necks, blasting them through the walls and out of the building. She dropped them both, firing swirling balls of fire at the pair. Penny righted herself, blasting herself back toward Cinder, swinging her blades to and fro.
"I will not be stopped by a goddamned toy!"
Cinder howled in pain as a blue ball of fire struck her back. She turned around, spotting Winter on a glowing Manticore. She flew forward, recalling her swords as the two clashed. She sliced the manticore apart, sending Winter falling. She snapped her fingers, about to summon another Manticore only for a fireball to strike her square in the back, shattering her aura. She let out a scream of pain, gravity pulling her down.
Penny looked at Cinder, seeing her blasting back toward the building. She shook her head, shooting down toward Winter as fast as she could. She swept her into her arms, changing her trajectory back to the medical building.
"What are you doing? My life doesn't matter!"
Penny gave her a smile. "I disagree!"
Cinder laughed as she landed in front of the Winter Maiden. She walked toward the pod, almost salivating as she stood before it. She reached for the pod, throwing it open with little effort. She stood over the elderly woman, grinning from ear to ear. Here was a helpless woman filled with power, ripe for the taking. She couldn't help but drink in the moment, enjoying the beauty of it all.
"You had your time in the sun, but now I'm afraid your time is up." she said, about to plunge her claws into the woman. Cinder's eyes were wide in surprise as Fria opened her eyes, staring deeply into her soul. She looked at her, eyes narrowing slightly as if racking her brain, trying to see if she could recognize her.
"I've been waiting here… for quite some time. I think. What was I waiting for?" she asked, earning a smirk from Cinder, eye swirling with magical fire.
"Me."
Cinder pulled her shadow hand back, about to plunge it into the woman's chest, only for her to catch it. The woman gave Cinder the tiniest smirks, shaking her head. "No."
Her eyes erupted with blue light, forcing Cinder back. "I had a job to do."
The woman growled, forming a glass sword with her semblance, aiming a stab at her, only for the blade to shatter. Fria released a wave of icy magic, the temperature in the room dropping steadily. Cinder let out a scream of pain, clutching her shadowy hand tightly. Fria began levitating in the center of the room, the magic power continuing to swirl around her. She clutched her head, groaning in pain as she unleashed the full might of her power.
On the nearby roof, the swirl of ice magic had erupted from the building, taking Penny aback. She looked at Winter, who was grasping her injured shoulder tightly. "What is that?"
"That is the power of a fully realized Maiden," she replied, shaking her head. She forced herself to stand, slowing to a stop before the hole in the room. She reached her hand forward, only to hiss in pain, pulling it back. She looked at her fingers, seeing they had almost frozen solid, the energy shearing her glove clean off. "It's too cold! We have to do something!"
Penny looked at her own hand, opening and closing it for a moment before standing up. She walked to the edge of the hole, jumping into the medical room. Winter reached out for her, only to miss her by a few inches. "Penny!"
xxx
Alto returned fire at the AK-200s, nailing each shot with great precision. She heard more soldiers running toward them, and prepared to fight back, only for her rifle to click empty. She swiveled on her foot, racing after her friends.
"This way!" Nora cried, slamming her hammer into a nearby door. She pulled Oscar inside, followed by Jaune and Ren. Alto looked back, panting a bit before following her teammates into the room. They held their breath, praying the soldiers didn't come into the training room. Thankfully, they kept racing down the hallway, shouting things about being close.
Ren swallowed hard, leaning back against the wall, sweat pouring down his face. Oscar looked at his hands, fingers twitching a bit before slamming his fist onto the ground. "Dammit, it's all my fault. I'm so sorry guys."
"Don't be, you were outmatched. There was no possible way you could have defended yourself against that bitch without Oz." Jaune said, patting his head.
"We weren't ready to be Huntsman." Ren quipped, causing the four to look at him. Nora stood firm, glaring at her boyfriend.
"That's not true!"
"Then why aren't we holding the Relic?" he questioned, glaring back at her. Alto looked away in disappointment, ears folded down as she held back the urge to cry. Oscar was leaning against the wall, focusing on catching his breath while Jaune stayed quiet. "Now Salem has the Lamp, Ironwood has the Staff, and we have NOTHING!"
"Ren, that's enough," Jaune said, standing firm before his friend. They glared at each other for a few moments, only for Ren to sigh.
"I'm sorry. I'm just…"
"Hey, it's alright, all of us are tired and beat to shit. It's been a long time. What we need to do is focus on how we'll get out of here. We need to meet up with the others, and we still don't have Comms."
As if on cue, his scroll let out a beep, a voice coming from it. "Hello, hello? Anybody there? Can you hear me?"
"Our scrolls?" he asked, reaching for his, seeing Pietro's contact on screen. "Ah! Doctor!"
"Ahahaha! Take that Ironwood, you're up against the finest mind in Atlas!"
"Maria? What are you doing?" Nora asked, earning a chuckle from the woman.
"Getting transport, where are you kiddos? We'll pick you up!"
"We're in the Academy Training room. We managed to slip away from some soldiers, but it won't be long before they-" She let out a yelp, a bullet whizzing by her head.
"They're here!"
Jaune deployed his shield, drawing Crocea Mors from his holster. "We've been found!"
"Jaune, just hang on, we're on our way!" Yang announced, giving the boy some hope. The blond boy looked around, his eyes widening when he saw Oscar was missing.
"Oscar? Oscar? Where are you?" he cried. Alto shot to her feet, a look of panic on her face.
"Oh no, where did he go? Ozzy, please don't do this!" she cried, tapping her communicator. "Oscar, where are you?"
"Sorry, but you all go on without me! There's something I have to do!"
"What are you talking about?" Jaune exclaimed, only for the boy to reply with a stern voice.
"It's something I have to do alone. Trust me!"
They all shared a look, worried about their teammate. Alto let out a growl, spinning Milo around, preparing herself for a fight.
xxx
Levi hissed as he forced himself to run, his legs almost like jelly. He had started climbing down the stairs, but an explosion caused the whole section beneath him to cave in. He had called Weiss and Ruby, but neither had replied. He was about to dig his way through when a platoon of soldiers spotted him, forcing him to run.
He didn't know where he was or where he was running to. He hadn't taken the time to explore Atlas Academy, but the endless corridors and hallways were making him lose hope. Beacon Academy had been much simpler, and Haven Academy had been open, why did Atlas have to make things harder for him and his friends?
He slowed to a stop, panting hard as he held back the urge to cry. "Oh Gods… what do I do? I need… Mom, I need you so much right now."
"Stop right there!"
He let out a yelp, almost falling as he glanced over his shoulder, seeing a group of men running toward him. He growled, forcing himself to run as he drew Shiva, firing back at them. The slide locked back, causing him to growl in anger as he kept running. He turned the corner, spotting a nearby stairwell. He raced toward it, flying down the stairs two steps at a time. He made it to the bottom floor, darting into the empty corridor, looking both ways before picking a direction. Once he felt he was safe, he stopped running, once again catching his breath.
The silver-haired lad reached for his holster, pulling out an extra magazine, only to realize it was empty. He pulled out a second and a third only to find the same result. All of them were empty. He was fully out of ammo. He hit the slide release, holstering his weapon behind his back, staring at the ceiling.
"There he is!"
He turned his head, gritting his teeth in anger as he pushed himself away from the wall. They had their rifles up, dot sights all trained on him. Instead of putting his hands up, he squared up, ready to fight his way through them if he needed them. As they opened fire, he saw a blur of movement in front of him, the familiar sound of a parasol unfurling filling his ears. He brushed the hair out of his eyes, seeing the grin on his partner's face.
"T-Trivia," he muttered, earning a wink from her. Her body glowed a brilliant pink as she transformed, taking the form of Blake. She darted forward, blocking their shots with the aid of Hush. She slammed her leg into the face of the closest soldier, sending him flying back.
She closed her parasol, swinging it hard, blocking every attack thrown at her. One man let out a howl as he swung his rifle at her, only for her to dodge it with a split, rapidly sweeping him off his feet. She drew Hush's hidden blade, twirling it around, landing several powerful strikes at the helpless men, none of them managing to counter her attacks. She sheathed her blade, spinning her parasol around, hooking it around the neck of the final remaining guy, pulling him down into her knee, knocking him unconscious.
Neo turned to face Levi, who gave her a tired nod. "I owe you one."
"You owe me twenty." she mouthed, gesturing for him to come along. He stumbled a bit, grabbing onto her. She wrapped her arm around his waist, hoisting him up a bit as they walked.
"I'm sorry, there was so much shit going on, I got separated from the others, my aura is almost gone and I'm out of ammo."
The building rattled again, bright flashes of blue filling their eyes. They moved toward the nearby window, seeing the thick plume of ice magic swirling around the building. He swallowed hard, hand moving to his mouth. "That's… the power of the Winter Maiden."
Neo pulled him along, handing him Hush as she pulled his arm over her shoulder. "We need to get out of here."
"But Weiss, and Ruby… they're probably there, we can't leave them behind!"
"They will be fine." she mouthed, glaring at him. He shuddered a bit, Neo using Blake's face to glare at him was something he never wanted to see. Her amber eyes bore into his soul. He sighed, nodding.
"Fine… let's go."
Neo looked over her shoulder, forcing a smile to her face. "Good luck, girls."
xxx
James Ironwood stood alone. A lot of things had happened, what had started off as a night defending his council seat, turned into a night defending all of Atlas. So many things had happened in 10 hours, reminding him of that old adage. Ten Years of Events happening in Ten Months. Atlas Academy was under lockdown, someone had crashed into the building and his finest team was now nothing more than fugitives.
But did he make the right choice? Did declaring Martial Law solve anything? Did Marking those kids as criminals solve any problems?
These were the questions among many that plagued his mind. He had reacted quickly, far too quickly, but someone needed to. Salem had taunted them, she had been one step ahead the whole time. And now, she was almost there. They were standing on the precipice of a great war, and he had no time to hesitate. And yet, Levi's words rang through his mind. His suggestion about using the lamp, using the S.D.C. freighters to ferry the people from Mantle up to Atlas. Perhaps there was a light at the end of the tunnel, something to cling to. If they could hold out long enough, have Salem focus on something else, perhaps maybe, just maybe, they could turn Atlas Academy's CCT into the new global communication system.
"It'll take time, resources. There's no way we'll be able to source material without Mantle. We'd have to knock down buildings just to repurpose the Iron and Steel. How long will the Air Fleet hold their positions? How long can we remain under the artificial atmosphere? How much food can we realistically grow? And how long will it be… before Atlas stands alone, above a ravaged world?"
His ear perked up as he heard the elevator. He stood straight, staring up at the Vault, eyes closed for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "Winter, thank you. I know it couldn't have been easy to-"
His voice caught in his throat. Winter wasn't the one in the lift… it was none other than Oscar. The young boy was staring at him, just like Ozpin had. The Long Memory was in his grasp, glinting in the low lighting as the lift continued its descent. It finally stopped, the General fully facing him.
"And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"
"Still just me." the young man replied. He started walking forward, cane clicking with each footstep. He noticed the Relic of Knowledge was no longer with him, a laugh escaping his lips.
"It was smart of you not to bring the Lamp down here. I wouldn't trust me either right now."
Oscar stopped before the man, shaking his head. "Trust is what I am hoping to fix. I know we can still figure this out. All of it, together… please."
Ironwood narrowed his eyes, tilting his head a bit. "Do you intend to fight me?"
"I wouldn't stand a chance against you, James. Fighting is exactly what she wants," he said, looking at the Long Memory. "It's probably because of Oz but… holding helps calm me down when I'm afraid."
"You still think I'm afraid?" Ironwood asked as the boy clipped his cane behind his back.
"We all are afraid, James. It's what we do in our fear that reveals-"
"You can label it whatever you'd like, but the fact of the matter is I was right!" Ironwood shouted, circling around the teenager, throwing his hand around. "The minute I softened, let my guard down, that's when Salem had her opening."
"If you abandon Mantle, you abandon our chance of reuniting the world. You abandon Remnant, leaving millions to fend for themselves just so a few can survive. What kind of-"
"All excellent philosophical points that won't matter if Salem wins!" he replied with an eye-roll. Oscar sighed, holding his hand out.
"Please… just listen to me."
"NO, you listen to me!" he shouted, taking a step forward. "I am done letting others' inability to see the big picture get in my way of doing what's right! Robyn, the Council, this Kingdom! Even you!"
Oscar held his gaze, swallowing the lump in his throat. "It isn't too late… we can still do the right thing. I haven't lost my faith in you, James."
Ironwood narrowed his eyes a bit as if pondering his words. He reached for Due Process, looking back at the teenager. "James… is what my friends call me. To you… it's General."
Before he could react, the man fired, the recoil of the bullet sending Oscar flying back. His aura shattered in an instant, causing him to plummet into the abyss behind him. Ironwood merely stared at the spot where the boy had once been, holstering his weapon.
"I'm sorry, Oz, but your way of doing things made us soft. We have to do what we can, even if it means doing what's wrong."
A/N: Ironwood was right
