Well, it looks like once again, I've gotten a review that mocks my story. Why is it that people love to make fun of other peoples stories? I tell you, it's one of the reasons I hate bullying, especially cyber bullying. Any of you remember the suicide of Phoebe Prince, the fifteen-year-old girl who hung herself after being bullied on facebook among other things? Those kind of people, the ones who love to bully others, makes me sick. If I knew her, I could have helped her, she would have been about my age now.
Anyway, time for another chapter of Volume 8 and this one will definitely be deviating from canon, considering Ironwood isn't the one fighting Watts, several of the Ace Ops have seen sense, The Fox has revealed what he had seen to Ironwood, Sleet, and Camilla, plus the tunnels that have constructed, but things are going to get much worse. But for those of you wondering, Ironwood will die, but not like in canon.
First onto the reviews,
Jack Smith1: Thank you. And to answer your question, yes The Rebellion will help out, but not just yet. But they will help out.
Luffy L Deathwalker: Yes, it is time for some serious battles.
BlindFaunusGirl: Thank you.
Monster King: Oh, I will be continuing. You can count on it.
SilverFox3456: Thanks for sticking up for me.
Spartan-626: I can promise you that Watts will die this chapter, Tyrian I can't guarantee.
Alright onto the chapter. Songs this chapter is 'Standing in The Storm', by Skillet, and 'Thrill, Risk, Heartless' by Lisa from Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet, but first the intro.
(Start Rise, Tv version by Madkid)
(The camera moves fast over the frozen tundra of Solitas before it shots up to the floating city of Atlas and the city of Mantle below it. As fighter jets fly past, the title card is revealed with two lightsaber blades surrounding it.)
Remnant Unleashed
In this empty void, I found the way to light. Can't find my way in this lingering world. Searching fo the answer- the one that I can trust in. I'm just wandering around.
(The title card vanishes as a shot of Ironwood addressing his followers is shown, standing in full military gear. Among them is Galen and his team, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Lop, Faye, Kara and Zett, the students wearing new combat clothing. Behind them in the corner with their helmets off are Rex and his brothers who eye the general with suspicion.)
Yeah, still stuck in the shadow ey, But I never follow that. This pain at last soon will pass. Turn into my own unbeatable strength. This guy or that guy -dead or alive by hiding alone, can't survive. I don't want to lie to myself.
(Behind Ironwood are his Ace Ops and Winter who then dissipate into mist before being replaced by Jacque who has a devious grin on his face, while Whitley and Serra stand behind him looking at each other with worry. The scene then changes to Mantle where Boba, Robyn, Ahsoka, the Fox, Maria, Grogu, Pietro, Penny, Artoria and the Happy Huntresses look up towards Atlas, Robyn crossing her arms before looking at a picture of her, Ray, Neo, and Amber.)
Keep on the fight, get right I'll never lose and cry. Keep run up day and night. Time to rewrite. No matter what anyone say's I find my way. Never go away.
(The Grimm charge towards from the tundra as Galen, Ruby, Jaune and their teams ready for their weapons for battle only for Ruby, Jaune and their teammates to vanish into mist while soldiers appear behind Galen and his team aiming their weapons at them. Galen's eyes are shown and then narrow as he ignites his lightsabers.)
Now, nobody can stop me no way. I will make sure not to forget those precious things. Yeah, I'll take a stand, get back all that I've lost. Rise suddenly in this word. (I don't look back yeah.)
(Galen and his team then charge in, now fighting a top a speeding train in the tundra against the Ace Ops while droids attack both groups. Galen slashes a droid and counters an attack from Harriet, Rose dodges Elm's massive hammer, Arthur clashes blades with his cousin, March trades fists with Marrow who looks unsure of his choices as Vine's giant hands try to swat away two human shaped machines flying alongside the train, with Clover trading blows Rex at the front of the train.)
This repetition will repeat 'till the end. And the regret that's still lingering in my head. Time to get it all back, now turn over. Rise suddenly in this world.
(The scene changes once again as Teams RWBY, JNR, Domino Squad, the Bad Batch, Fordo, Alpha, Cody, Waxer, Boil, Kara, Faye, and Able fight against the Grimm which then change into Imperial troopers as the shadows of Vader, Palpatine, Barriss, Jacque, Watts, Maul, Salem, Emerald, Mercury, and a mysterious robotic figure loom over them. Ruby's face turns to fear before her eyes shine and a silver light engulfs the screen before the title card returns.)
(Song ends)
Disclaimers are the same as always.
Chapter 115: From Bad to Worse
As the fighting in Mantle continued, Airships and trains continued to fly away from the kingdom and towards the southwestern coast of Solitas. The airships flew at five thousand feet above the ground, flowing the tracks and roads below them, while S35's provided top cover in the event that Salem's forces discovered them.
Below them, a train was running parallel to the road where multiple trucks drove along the snowy road. In the distance were several buildings where both the tracks and road led to. The buildings were the remains of some of the first attempts at establishing settlements in the frigid temperatures of Solitas. A large amount of the buildings were rusted and rotting after years of neglect while only a handful of buildings were new as if they had been recently built, considering that this settlement was also used as a railyard for trains traveling to the west of the continent and towards the capital.
As the convoy and trains drew nearer and nearer to the buildings, the Sabyr Es broke off and landed at a makeshift runway under the control of Sicario, where ground crews worked around the clock to refuel the fighters so they could get back in the air and continue with their escort duties. Guarding the location were dozens of Landstalkers, Pumas, Missile Crawlers, Maulers, Timber Wolf and Thor tanks, walkers and anti-air defenses along with hundreds of Atlas soldiers from several nearby outposts who were greatly confused by Ironwoods orders.
"Alright, everybody out! We got to send these transports back to the capital so we can continue the evacuations!" One of the soldiers shouted.
"Do you expect us to just sit here and wait? What's your name and rank? I'll report you to General Ironwood for dropping us off in the middle of…" the same blonde trophy wife that mocked Beacon and Vale for actions that weren't their own before they were interrupted by another soldier.
"I expect you to follow instructions and get onboard one of the other transports of the trains. I don't have time to deal with this! We're trying to protect you, so get your ass moving and don't talk back!" the second soldier instructed, pointing towards one of the waiting trains on the sidings as another one entered into one of the tunnels constructed by the Fox and the miners who were laid off. Watching from one of the tents where those who were injured were being treated, was Diego's father.
"Mr. Vega, the first trains have just reported in from Vacuo. They arrived with no casualties and are on their way back. Same applies for the trucks." A soldier reported to the elder Vega.
"And what is the total completion of the evacuation?" Alexander asked.
"At the rate we're going, we've evacuated about twenty-percent of the kingdom." The soldier answered.
"That's less than I expected. If we had the airships belonging to the SDC, we would have evacuated more of the kingdom by now, but it appears that there are those in Atlas that believe they will be safe and opted to stay in their homes." The elder Vega said with a sigh. "I'm not sure why, but something is troubling me. Despite the fact that they're employer has been arrested, I have yet to see any SDC forces providing assistance in the evacuation."
"I've hearing reports from some of my comrades in the city. A lot of SDC equipment was left behind the moment the attack began. Save for a few squads of soldiers, no one's seen any major trace of the Schnee Dust Company security forces. It's like they all disappeared and are just waiting for something." The soldier replied.
"Whatever the reason, we need to focus on the evacuation efforts. We can worry about the Schnee Company forces later." Alexander said as one of the full trains departed into the tunnel.
Back in the city, siting in his office inside the Academy, Ironwood sat at his desk with his hands folded in front of his face. Not only had the Fox tricked him into making a bet about who the one facing Watts would be, but Galen had told Robyn about Salem and the tower behind his back, something he was trying to keep hidden until the time was right.
Despite being told about the everything Ozpin had neglected to tell him and the rest of his inner circle, Ironwood couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he really done as the Fox said he would do, of course the general soon pushed those thoughts out of his mind, believing that it was all an act just keep him from doing what he believed to be the right thing for the kingdom.
The doors to his office soon opened and Winter stepped in. "General, the evacuation is proceeding slowly. Our air fleet is taking heavy casualties from the enemy force but are holding the line against Salem's forces. Unfortunately, we're receiving reports of multiple families in Atlas refusing to leave their homes." Winter reported.
"Tell them if they stay, they'll die. We're trying to save everyone from both cities." Ironwood ordered.
"Understood, but sir. What Bram, Olive, and Hanlon? The ones involved in the conspiracy. Are they to be left behind?" Winter asked.
"No. Even if they did betray Atlas, we can't leave them to die. The same goes for Team BRIR, we'll need everyone who can fight on our side if we are to defeat Salem." Ironwood answered, standing up from his desk and turned towards the window where smoke from Mantle could be seen rising into the air. "Once we reach Vacuo, I want to set up a meeting with the headmaster of Shade Academy. Theodore needs to be briefed on everything that's transpired as of late, including Salem, the Empire and everything else. Perhaps the time for keeping secrets is over."
"Understood sir." Winter replied.
"Winter, be honest with me. If I choose to abandon and possibly destroy Mantle, would you turn against me or stand by my side?" Ironwood asked.
"I would be against it, sir. You would have been giving Salem what she wanted and possibly make the situation worse. However, I think you made the right decision in expanding the circle of trust with the council, Robyn and the others, but I don't think you're choice to keep young Ruby away from any missions was the wisest choice. The experience and growth of her combat skills are imperative if we are to stand a chance against Salem." Winter answered.
"I see. Thank you for being honest with me, Winter." Ironwood said. His Scroll suddenly rang, and the general answered it. "Ironwood here. What? I see. Understood." The General said into his scroll before he closed it.
"Something wrong sir?" Winter asked.
"I need you to move the Fria now. It seems we neglected something we've experienced once before." Ironwood said.
(Stand in The Storm starts)
Meanwhile, in the middle of the towers arena, the Fox stared at Watts who was standing on a platform in one of the gravity biomes. A lava geyser shot up from the fire biome on the left, behind the Fox while another shot up from the one on the right, where Watts was in who took aim with his revolver as did the Fox with his own revolver. "Nineteen." Watts said, as the Fox fired a gravity dust bullet from his gun, launching himself towards the gravity biome.
Watts fired his own weapon at the masked vigilante, shooting the bullet to the side to dodge it, but Diego fired another a bullet to put himself back on course towards the gravity biome. Once he was near, he fired another gravity bullet to his left, sending him towards a floating wall on the right, then kicked off of the wall to put himself in the air above Watts, catching the doctor by surprise.
The disgraced doctor soon began to aim his revolver at the vigilante, only to end up looking at him in surprise before jumping away just as the Fox came down and punched Watts with his right hand. The punch connected with the floor, and just as the Fox stood back up, he tossed his revolver into the air and caught it by the muzzle.
Once more, Watts took aim at the Fox, but the masked man swung the handle of his revolver at his face, forcing the doctor to lean back to dodge, which left an opening for the masked vigilante to punch in the diaphragm. While airborne, Watts took a kick to the gut that sent him flying across a gap to another platform. Watts was quick to right himself in mid-air and landed on his toes, sliding backwards and barely managing to lean his torso to the side to dodge several a bullet that was fired by his opponent, using the Hard-Light shield in his rings to block two more shots before he aimed his gun at the Fox yet again. "Eighteen."
Watts fired, then activated one his rings as the Fox dived and rolled out of the way as an electricity dust bullet flew towards him. Getting into a kneeling position, he took aim with revolver and was about to fire when a dull ping noise was heard, followed by the gravity around him suddenly change and levitated him in the air, followed by another ping that slammed him into a floating wall. "Ah!" Diego grunted in pain.
Watts smirked and then ran away, jumping to another platform as a crack of a whip echoed around the arena. Looking back, Watts watched as the Fox gave chase and ran along the floating walls, but another dull ping was heard and Diego would have fallen from the wall, had his whip not been wrapped around one of the beams below the platform, allowing him to swing himself onto the platform, drawing his rapier as he rolled across the floor. The doctor then created a series of small hard-light platforms, allowing him to traverse over to the sunken geyser biome and towards another gravity biome.
Hot on his tail, the Fox ran across the platforms, making it across as they disappeared, firing his revolver at Watts, who once again activated his rings but this time triggered a geyser beneath the Fox, only for the masked vigilante leaping away from the geyser before the boiling water could hit him. Running up a wall, the Fox took aim and fired his weapon again, but just as before Watts used his rings to create a hard-light shield, then fired two fire Dust bullets at his opponent. The first one missed, but the second bullet hit the Fox, causing his aura to flicker. "Fourteen, thirteen." Watts said, counting down his remaining bullets, then activated one of his rings and caused the Fox to fall to the platform below.
As he fell, Diego threw his rapier at the doctor, knocking him off his platform and into a wall, then landed on his feet while Watts fell along the wall and landed on his shoulder on the same platform his opponent was on. As Watts started to get back to his feet, the Fox sprinted towards him and landed a punch on the doctors head. Watts tried to punch back, but Diego leaned to the sides, avoiding the fists before he grabbed Watts upper arm and punched him hard in the ribs, forcing him into the wall, but he was forced to let go when Watts aimed his revolver and fired both electricity and fire dust bullets, forcing him to dodge the shots.
More shots were fired at the Fox, but ended up making holes in his cape as Watts continued to fire at him, only for the Fox to draw a lightsaber with a curved hilt from his belt and ignited it, melting the bullets as they hit the blue blade. "Well, that wasn't expected. It appears that you're also a Jedi." Watts smirked.
"I am no Jedi. I am just a man who's only duty is to protect the people of Mantle from the likes of you, Salem, Tyrian, and Ironwood who has seen reason." The Fox answered, dashing in and swinging his lightsaber at Watts only for the doctor to narrowly avoid the swings. "You were one of the greatest minds in Atlas, and you threw it all away because of petty jealously and your ego. You created war machines built for war, but the world desired peace and now you have stained your hands with blood. You are too dangerous to be kept alive."
Watts scoffed and shut down the gravity on the walls and tried to flee, firing several more shots at the Fox who dodged each of them before he ran to the left while Watts ran towards another gravity biome. Immediately after he arrived, a lava geyser erupted from the sunken fire biome below, and when Watts looked back, he thought he lost sight of his opponent, but was proven wrong when he peeked over the edge at the fire biome and saw the Fox running onto a platform behind him. "Hmph."
His whip in it's revolver mode in his hand, the Fox fired a bullet and struck Watts in the shoulder, causing the doctor to cry out in pain as his aura flickered. Turning in anger, Watts fired an Ice bullet that would have frozen the vigilantes foot, but the Fox jerked his body to the side, avoiding the bullet and continued to run towards Watts, who blocked an incoming saber strike with a hard-light shield, then fired a regular bullet and then several electrical bullets.
"James never appreciated my genius. He just stood atop it and called himself a giant!" Watts growled, firing several more bullets at the Fox, only to be tackled by his foe onto the central platform, slamming the two of them into the ground and breaking the Fox's aura. "He might have given me everything I wanted, yet he chose that fat imbecile over me!" he continued.
"Perhaps he saw that the need for weapons such as your creations was not the answer the world needed! There were plenty of people, who wanted to use your weapons to destroy Menagerie and the Faunus that lived there. Such a tragedy would only invite another war!" Diego shouted back, getting a slam in the chest by Watts revolver just as the platform came to a stop.
Watts fired the last of his revolvers ammo at the Fox, then tossed it aside and pulled out a blaster which he then fired, but the Fox's aura had recovered just enough for him to charge in regardless of the weapon and punched him several times, only for Watts to then hit him across the face with his blaster and moved forwards to take the offensive as the masked protector of Mantle recoiled from the blow. However, the Fox recovered and quickly punched Watts in the gut hard enough to send him flying against a metal beam.
Blood soon dripped from Watts mouth, resulting in a chuckle from him. "I suppose in this instance, my brains and your brawn are evenly matched." He then twisted one of his rings, calling several jetpack equipped Death Bots to his location, distracting the Fox with these arrivals. "But in the end, it's always the brains that win." The doctor scoffed.
Diego backflipped several times, firing his revolver at the Death Bots, nailing one of them in the jet packs thrusters which sent it crashing into the second, sending both of them crashing into the ground below. The third Death Bot fired at the Fox, putting holes in his cape as it landed, only for the masked man to switch his revolver back into it's whip mode, wrapped it around the torso of the machine and then spun it around, hurling it towards the forth and fifth machines, sending all three crashing into the wall of the arena.
"You're smart, but if you think a hard-light barrier and trying to change places with me will keep me from stopping you, then you are wrong, doctor." The Fox spat, kicking Watts towards the edge of the platform. Watts tried to regain his balance, but it left him open for the Fox to cut his hands off, then slashed him across the chest with his Jedi weapon. "Your skills will never be used by Salem, ever again."
The life in Watts eyes soon vanished as the doctors body fell over the platform and landed on the bottom floor with a thud. A final bullet from the Fox's revolver slammed into the dead doctor's bag, destroying the Seer he had hidden inside it. "Had you strayed from this path of revenge, maybe you would still be one of the best scientists in Atlas." The Fox said.
(End Song)
Back in Mantle, Tyrian stood before Robyn, Clover and Qrow in all his robotic glory, his hands reaching for his lightsabers as the three before him ignited their own lightsabers. "Tyrian Callows, you're under arrest." Clover announced to the serial killer.
"You're going to pay for what you did to Katie and all the other people you killed over all these weeks." Robyn declared, her hands clenching Ray's green blade as anger flowed through her body. "If there is one thing I hate more that the Atlas superiority complex, it's a serial killer like yourself." She spat.
"And you and I still have a score to settle for trying to take my niece to Salem." Qrow added.
"And here I thought you all would appreciate my effort to make the world a better place." Tyrian said with sarcasm, then laughed maniacally. "But it will be fun to slaughter all three of you at once, and maybe I'll start my own collection of weapons."
(Thrill, Risk, Heartless starts)
"Not going to happen!" Qrow yelled and angrily ran forward, swinging his lightsaber but was blocked by Tyrians blades, and the serial killer found himself slammed into a wall. Qrow continued to slash at Tyrian, but the mechanical serial killer ducked and attempted to kick Qrows feet out from under him, only to for Qrow to jump over his leg. Tyrian then rushed forward to stab Qrow, but had his attacked blocked, then dodged Qrows swing with amazing acrobatics, standing on his hands as he turned and leapt into the air to stab down at Qrow with his blades, but once more, Qrow blocked the strikes, using the techniques he was taught by Ahsoka, Faye, and Galen. Tyrian hoped down and Qrow swung his lightsaber at him, missing just as Tyrian ducked down and skidded backward, using his arms built in guns to slow him down.
Tyrian was soon on the offensive and started to slash at Qrow, but Clover hooked one of his arms with his fishing pole and pulled it away, causing Tyrian to look back just in time as Robyn came in swing her own saber at him, grinning smugly as he turned back to Qrow, who punched him directly in the right eye, sending him stumbling, followed by a downwards slash and slam into his chest, knocking him away. Tyrian thrusted his lightsabers into the ground, bringing himself to a stop and then growled angrily. He then looked towards Robyn and Clover, then grinned at Qrow before he ran towards them, firing at his guns at Qrow who spun his lightsaber to block the bullets.
Tyrian counted on this and leapt over and slashed Clover, who turned to the side to dodge before leaning backwards to dodge a slash from Tyrian's robotic tail. Tyrian slashed at him with his weapons, but Clover took a step past him and leaned back, going under Tyrians attacks while slashing at Tyrian with Ray's blue blade. As he moved behind Tyrian and straightened up, he maneuvered his pole and hooked the fishing poles wire around Tyrian's left arm and pulled on it, allowing Qrow to leap in and slash down at Tyrian, only for their foe to block the attack with his right arm.
"You three have the moves of Jedi, this will make it much more fun to kill all three of you and take your weapons as trophies. Oh, I can imagine the look on the peoples faces when they realize their beloved hero has been 'butchered' in the name of her grace." Tyrian cackled.
Gunfire erupted from behind Tyrian, forcing him to jump and spin sideways to avoid the bullets. The source of the bullets, was Captain Rex who unloaded the rest of his magazine at the serial killer. "Don't underestimate me or my brothers." Rex shouted, loading a fresh magazine into his weapon as Tyrian charged towards the clone Captain. Rex stepped backwards and dodged each and everyone of Tyrian's swings, forcing him backwards and out onto the open street. "That all you got? I've seen the head clanker do moves you could only dream of!" Rex taunted.
"I'll show you moves!" Tyrian snarled, unaware that Rex had led him into a more open area on purpose, giving Qrow, Robyn and Clover more room to engage Salem's devoted follower. First came a punch to Tyrian's robotic cheek by Qrow, then a series of slashes from Clover who's semblance allowed him to score a few hits on Tyrian's body. Robyn soon followed with a series of bullets from one of her handguns, which Tyrian sliced through but left him open for Robyn to get in close and put Tyrian on the defensive with her own flurry of attacks.
Her green blade met Tyrian's red blades, leaving him distracted as Clover and Qrow came in from behind and attacked him with their blades. "Now this is fun." Tyrian said with grin as his two arms separated into two more arms which grabbed two more lightsabers, forcing his three opponents to jump back and avoid four red blades from taking their heads off.
"Eat laser, freak!" Rex shouted, firing his pistols at Tyrian who used his sabers to block the shots, but failed to send them back towards Rex given his lack of the force. Rex looked towards Clover who nodded at the 501st captain before he ran down the street with Tyrian hot on his tail. Tyrian's maniacal laughter echoed around the deserted city as Rex skidded around a corner and down another street.
"Running away, I thought all you clones were soldiers who never cowered in the face of danger?" Tyrian mocked as he continued to chase Rex down the street until he finally caught up with Rex and tackled him to the ground, knocking his pistols out of his holsters. His red blades soon hovered over Rex's body as he spoke. "How shall I cut you up? Piece by piece or down the middle? Care to suggest?" Tyrian asked casually.
"Yeah. I got one for you. Four pieces!" Rex snarled, catching Tyrian off guard long enough for Robyn to leap in and sever one of Tyrians arms. Qrow then followed suit and sliced off another of Tyrians arms, followed by Clover who slashed at Tyrian's legs, slicing them off before Rex aimed his wrist and fired a wire from his gauntlet, which latched onto Tyrians body, then pumped electricity through his mechanical body until finally, Tyrian's body fell limp and toppled over to the ground.
"Where's that smile now?" Robyn said with a smirk.
(End Song)
"This is Clover. Requesting prisoner transport. We have Tyrian Callows in custody." Clover said into his communicator.
"Understood! Bring him in quickly! We have a situation!" Ironwood said urgently from the other side of the communicator, getting confused looks from all four of them.
Back in Atlas Academy, Ironwood watched from his office window as Mantas and Bullheads left the academy, evacuating all the remaining students to either the tunnels the Fox had created or Fort Arrowfell, which was refurbished after recent events. "I can't risk the lives of my students, they have to survive above anything else." He said to himself just as Teams RWBY, GARM and four of the five Ace Operatives entered his office, having called them back just moments ago.
"General Ironwood." Harriet addressed with a salute.
Ironwood turned back and looked at Galen. "Why did you tell Robyn about Amity Tower? About Salem? Its construction was to be kept secret from anyone not on the council." Ironwood demanded.
"It's because I trust her." Galen answered. "Right after we arrived to Atlas, I had a vison and saw Robyn stealing supplies meant for Amity and redistributing them to Mantle. Knowing that such actions would only hinder the construction of the tower and make her a criminal. She had a right to know because she wants the same thing as you do, restoring global communications and helping the people she vowed to protect. I made that decision by myself, so if you want to call someone a traitor than I take full responsibility." Galen vowed.
"I don't intend to call you a traitor, but we have all made a critical error." Ironwood said, pressing a button on his desk and brought up footage from a recon drone on the eastern coast of Anima. "At 1800 hours, all contact with our coastal defenses was lost and no one's responded from any of the nearby outposts. Getting Mantle on our side, that's an advantage we have, but as of now, it maybe all for naught."
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.
"A report from Commander Shepard at Rosamond. She reported seeing multiple unknown flying objects descending from the sky several miles off the coast and maintaining an altitude of about thirty-five thousand feet in the air. Based on their trajectory, they are heading directly towards the kingdom. I think the chaos caused by Watts and Tyrian was all a distraction, to make us forget about another threat we haven't seen in sometime. A threat that Team GARM discovered during their time on the run." Ironwood explained.
"You don't mean…" Yang began.
"The Empire's returned to Remnant. Everything that's happened in Mantle was a part of Salem's plan. To make us forget about the Empire and the threat of another invasion." Ironwood finished.
"Those Storm Commandos, they were just advanced scouts, keeping tabs on the state of the world and Ahsoka fighting Barriss the night of the White Fang attack should have told us that it was coming. We completely ignored it! Damn it!" Rose cursed.
"It's no one's fault. We were all fooled. Salem's been one step ahead of us this entire time. Fortunately, we have one advantage on our side. As much as it pains me to say it, I ow the Fox a debt of gratitude for constructing those tunnels. If we brought the people of Mantle to Atlas, it would have made us a bigger target than the kingdom is now." Ironwood said, pausing for a moment to catch his breath. "I'm afraid we have no choice but to halt the evacuations and give up the kingdom until we can come up with a new plan."
"But the tower…" Blake started to protest.
"Why don't you kids let the grown ups talk. You've all done enough damage since you've arrived." Harriet scolded.
"No. They haven't." Ironwood countered, turning to Harriet. "Harriet Bree, you are hereby dismissed from the Ace Ops for insubordination."
"What!? Insubordination? What are you talking about, General?" Harriet protested in shock.
"When I gave the Ace Ops explicit orders to stop the runaway weeks ago, you ignored those orders and attacked Team GARM when they were doing the same thing that I had ordered all of you to do, stop the train. You knocked not only Marrow off the train, but also Galen Marek and Rose Henry. Your actions nearly put the kingdom in jeopardy because of your competitiveness and unwillingness to see the truth. Galen Marek was not responsible for those murders; it was Tyrian Callows and Arthur Watts who murdered those people and soldiers. But you've constantly had to try and prove that you're the better Huntress. I won't have someone like that in my elite unit." Ironwood explained.
"After everything I've done for you, for Atlas, you're just going to toss me aside like I'm some damn machine! Because of some kids?" Harriet snarled, glaring at Ruby. "Those kids don't know what the real world is like!"
"If we don't know what the real world is like, then where was Atlas when the White Fang attacked Haven or Argus? I'll tell you where they were, not there. Closing yourselves off because of the possibility that Salem had followers inside this very kingdom only backfired and turned Mantle against you. If it weren't for us, you'd already be facing a civil war right now. There are somethings more important than loyalty, but none of that matters now." March pointed out.
"Excuse me?" Harriet shot back.
"They're right, Bree. We need to get as many of the civilians out of the kingdom as possible before the Empire and the rest of Salem's forces arrive and overwhelm us. We got Robyn on our side, that's a plus and she's supporting our cause. Watt's is most likely dead at the hands of the Fox, which means he can't access our systems and Tyrian has just been captured. Oh and let's not forget that Trigger killed Cinder at Haven, Roman's partner Neo has rejoined her brother and Hazel defected after learning the fact that Salem killed his younger sister. We don't have time to argue about trivial matters like this right now." Marrow agreed, still holding it against Harriet for sending him flying off the runaway.
"None of those matters? Trivial matters? Newsflash for you, Marrow, loyalty always matters!" Harriet barked back. Suddenly a shot shattered the window of the office and hit Ironwoods desk. The shot, however, was a holoprojector fired by Cad Bane who hovered outside the window with his rocket boots.
"Don't mind me, folks. I'm just here delivering a message from my employer." Bane said before he flew away. Right then, the holoprojector activated and appearing in the projection was Salem herself, dressed in the same attire she wore when she attacked Corinth.
"General Ironwood." Salem began, her voice sending shivers down the spines of those who hadn't seen her in person. "The brave Huntsmen and Huntresses bested Arthur Watts. Congratulations."
"Your tech geek is dead, lady." Rose snarled.
"We also stopped Tyrian, too. And we'll stop you and anyone else you try and send here." Ruby said, showing no fear, the same however couldn't be said for her teammates.
"Dear girl, their goal was never victory. It was merely to set the stage for me and my allies. I could care less about the death of Watts. Time isn't on your side, James. It's always been on mine. The people of Atlas suffered enough. Surrender the staff and lamp to me, and they needn't suffer any further." Salem told Ruby while making her demands.
"That's… not going to happen. Even if we did give you the staff and lamp, the Empire wouldn't spare my people and neither would the White Fang. I know who you've recruited to your cause and I will not surrender the relics to you, not in this life or the next life." Ironwood declared.
"I am giving you an opportunity to end this without further bloodshed. Simply accept the futility of your situation… and this can all be over. While I can't speak for the White Fang, I am sure that the Empire will spare your people from further harm, once you turn over the traitors." Salem implored.
"Traitors?" Elm questioned.
"It seems that all of you have been deceived. The Jedi that are your allies are plotting against you. They seek to usurp the rule of the kingdoms and take complete control of the planet, just as they attempted to do against the emperor in the final days of the clone war. They claim to be the guardians of peace and justice, but by throwing themselves into battle, they have become hungry for power and will do anything to get it. The Empire seeks to restore peace and order to the galaxy and the Jedi, this rebellion and these clones are only plotting against you." Salem said.
"That makes perfect sense." Harriet muttered under her breath.
"If you're an idiot." Galen snarked, getting the holographic form of Salem to turn and face him.
"Ah, The Demon Lord of the Round Table. How nice to finally make your acquaintance once again." Salem greeted.
"The Jedi traitors you speak of, they never planned on taking control of the Republic or plan on taking control of Remnant. I've spoken with them, and they all said the same thing, they didn't know they were being deceived by the so-called 'Chancellor' of the Republic. They were framed because of the actions of a few who acted to soon while the more reasonable Jedi were away from the temple, fighting in a war that was started by the Sith. Deception is the art of the Sith, just like it's your art. No matter what you say or offer us, we'll never give you the relics." Galen declared; his eyes narrowed at Salem.
"We've seen what you're capable of. The lamp showed us. It showed us everything. We've seen that you can't be killed by conventional means, but we've also seen you fail. We will stop you and we will kill you." Ruby added, causing Salem to stare at her with narrow eyes.
"Your mother said those same words to me." Salem remarked, hoping to get Ruby to lose her confident expression, but to her surprise, Ruby didn't lose her confidence and was then surrounded by her friends and teammates. "Nothing? Well then, perhaps Summer is still alive after all. Either way, I will have what I want and none of you can stop me. Enjoy your final moments, because when I arrive, I will unleash hell upon your pathetic kingdom." The holoprojector soon shut down, then exploded in a blinding light that caused everyone to close their eyes for a brief moment.
"That's Salem?! That's who we're up against?!" Marrow exclaimed.
"And she's apparently on her way." Harriet noted, still angered by what she was told.
"With our coastal defenses down, we won't be able to stop Salem's forces or the Empire long enough to complete the evacuation. Are only option is to leave the kingdom and regroup all remaining forces for a counter attack." Ironwood said.
"But, we can't just leave them." Weiss pointed out.
"I know, as much as it pains me to say it, we have no choice but to abandon the kingdom. I've already instructed the remaining soldiers in the city to evacuate any remaining civilians to the nearest shelters as soon as possible. We'll regroup at Fort Arrowfell and plan our next move from there." Ironwood admitted with much regret. "Right now, we have another objective to complete. Watts might be dead, but we can't allow Salem to learn of the tower. I want you all to evacuate the academy and head to the fort. I'll join you once I delete all the data regarding the tower."
"You said in your speech that Amity Tower was ready to launch. Was that true?" Blake asked.
"No, it was just to lure out Watts." Ironwood clarified, before turning to Weiss. "I've also sent your sister to move the Winter Maiden to Fort Arrowfell. The moment I realized the Empire was coming, I knew we had no choice but to move her before she could claim the powers of the Winter Maiden."
"In a former life, Oz planned to send Atlas high into the sky, out of Salem's reach. The artificial climate would keep the citizens and food supplies unharmed. Always out of reach of whatever Salem may try to send our way." Ironwood began, pulling out from his desk multiple components of an assault rifle that he was given back in Vale. "But, we still have a chance to reunite the world. We still need to complete the tower and we can finish it from fort Arrowfell, but as I said, we can't allow Salem to use the tower for her own purpose."
"You don't mean to say you're going to leave Mantle to die?" Arthur asked.
"No, I won't. If I don't make it to Fort Arrowfell, I'll coordinate a resistance movement from inside the Kingdom. The rest of you need to head to the fort right away, I'll buy you as much time as I can while I delete all the data from the servers." Ironwood answered, just as the academy began to shake.
"Imperial Troops have entered the academy! Imperial…" A transmission said over the communicator before it was cut off.
"We don't have much time. Get yourselves to a transport as quickly as possible. I'll inform Clover of the situation shortly." Ironwood told the teams, before turning to Galen. "In the event I don't come back alive, Galen I want you to continue Ruby's training. I want her to be ready to fight Salem, do whatever you see fit and tell Clover that he is in command of the military if I don't make it back."
"Just when I thought I had you figured out, you take a complete turn in a different direction than someone predicted." Galen remarked with a grin. "Give 'em hell, General."
"I intend to. Now go!" Ironwood ordered as he finished assembling his assault rifle. As the others left, Harriet looked back at Ironwood before the general remined her that his decision still stood, leaving Harriet furious. "One last battle, for the kingdom of Atlas." Ironwood said, exiting his office before the room went up in flames as he ran towards the servers.
At the same moment, roughly five miles from the kingdom, the imperial forces passed over the mountain with the massive Super Star Destroyer towering over the mountains as it's engines caused a series of avalanches. Launching from the ships, were hundreds of TIE fighters, including the TIE Advance of Darth Vader. "All pilots, begin the invasion. Show the enemy no mercy."
Yep! Completely different from canon. I had Ironwood do the right thing, because seeing as he was told about Salem and Ozpin's history, Salem's immortality, her potential weakness and considering Cinder is dead, plus with Neo being on the right side, I'd make sure he'd have at least one act of redemption before he dies.
Speaking of death, Watts is dead, but Salem and The Empire are on their way and our heroes have no choice but to abandon the kingdom for the time being, so they may plan their counter attack. With their forces depleted because of recent events, it's the most logical choice. Originally, I was going to have Jacques escape prison, throw a coup with his private security forces and form an alliance with the Empire, but that plan fell out the window.
Anyway, the release date for Volume 9 is February 18th, so be sure to mark that day.
One more chapter, then I'll take a break and try working on another story until volume 9 is finished. Whether I will incorporate the events of volume 9 into the series is not determined, but I can promise you plenty of action in the future. Oh, and Harriet is no longer a member of the Ace Ops, so that's probably going to come back and bite them in the ass.
Until next time, please read and review and don't forget to cast your votes for my poll if you haven't already.