Atlas
The group sat in near silence in the transport ship. What was there to talk about? Nothing but disappointments the entire trip. First, they were betrayed at Haven, then the train was attacked and they learned Ozpin had been lying to them since the beginning, in Argus they weren't allowed to legally get to Atlas so they had to steal one which almost got the city attacked, now that they are finally in Atlas (or Mantle first, now on their way to Atlas), they were captured and all their belongings were taken into custody INCLUDING THE LAMP. Do not fret. Ero said optimistically in Peter's mind, You can sense it, can't you? The closer we get to that floating city, the closer we get to the enemy that caused our Spider Sense to go off. Peter shook his head and rubbed it, there was no denying it, the headache from his Spider Sense was getting more intense. Are you saying that Ironwood is the source of the issue? he asked. No. He is simply a vessel. Keep that in mind, I believe that this General Ironwood is being manipulated, whether he realizes it or not. But to what extent...who's to say. Peter let out a deep sigh, Geez, I thought I was done with the cryptic stuff after Madame Web stopped contacting me. But I guess that's asking for too much.
Peter glanced over to Oscar who kept his eyes to the ground, but Peter could see the kid was struggling to hide his fear as his body was moving up and down like he was hyperventilating. Peter whistled towards Oscar, he didn't look up but Yang and Weiss did. Peter pointed to Oscar and it was Yang using her experience as an older sister to pat and rub Oscar's back in a comforting way, at least as well as she could with handcuffs on. "Oscar," Weiss started quietly, "I think Peter wants to talk to you."
Oscar looked up to Peter, the hero seeing the young farmhand was pale as a ghost. However, it wasn't Peter who tried to calm him down first, it was Deadpool, "Hey, kid. Do yourself a favor. Take a deep breath," Oscar looked at Deadpool and did as he asked, "Good. Now, hold it for about five seconds, then let it out." Oscar did just that, "Good, now again." and again Oscar did as was asked, "Good. Now, as you calm yourself down so you don't pass out, remember this: you're going to be fine. They aren't going to hurt a kid, and believe me, if they did, they'd have a lot more than gods or Grimm to worry about." he chuckled.
"Sorry." Oscar apologized, "Just...first time being arrested is all. Also, our adventure hasn't exactly been going to plan...also, also...kinda feel like my aunt and uncle back on the farm wouldn't be too happy with me right now. I'm kinda just realizing I just left, with only the clothes on my back, without any warning. I hope they aren't worrying too much." The others in the transport all looked at each other, they realized that they hadn't really asked much about Oscar's personal life.
"I understand completely." Peter replied with a saddened expression, "I've been here for almost two years now. I left my aunt completely alone without telling her where I was going, when I'd be back...I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." It was rare now for Peter to be reminded of New York but hearing Oscar's situation felt too similar to his own. A slight tear rolled down Peter's cheek and he wiped his eyes, not realizing they had even started watering up, "I hope she's okay."
"She'll be fine right?" Nora mentioned, "I mean you have your brothers right."
Peter let out a deep breath, "I don't know. Kaine and I aren't close...I mean...He's an asshole. And Ben, geez...I mean, last time I talked to Ben he seemed to be doing fine, but he has his own things going on that he's trying to work out."
"He's borderline suicidal." Deadpool interjected causing Peter to wince.
"Yeah...and even if all of that were figured out and we all got along, May doesn't know about Ben and Kaine, she doesn't know about, you know, this." he emphasized his point by unzipping his jacket slightly and showing the emblem of his suit, "So, I just don't know. I hope she's doing well."
The group fell silent again, but Oscar's mood seemed to have lightened up a little bit, "Thanks, Peter."
"Um...where do you think they're taking us?" Ruby asked.
"I'm going to go with: jail." Qrow responded with a hint of snark.
"At least I'll have some cell mates this time around. But there's five of us men, and a one a femboy. So, sorry, Ren, looks like you'll have to take one for the team." Deadpool said with a maniacal chuckle.
"Gross, shut up." Weiss mumbled with a cringe.
"Take WHAT for the team?" Ren asked with a concerned expression, "And what did you call me?" Nora had a bit of drool coming down her mouth as she imagined Ren getting built in a prison gym, she quickly shook away the delusion and went back to trying to bite the handcuffs off her hands.
"I can't believe that fishing pole guy took us out like it was nothing." Jaune growled, still irritated about losing earlier.
"Well, welcome to Atlas." Weiss replied, "Those were Ironwood's Ace Operatives. The best of the best in not only Atlas, but probably the world."
"Hmm?" finally, the other man that was in the transport with them looked the other's way. He looked to be a young man with a beard that only covered his jaw area, his hair was thick like dreads and tied together in the back of his head. His outfit was an all brown outfit, or close to it, a brown shirt and jacket, a darker pair of torn pants and working boots. "You had a run in with the Ace Ops?" he asked, "Damn, Ironwood must really have it in for you."
"Story of my life." Peter mumbled.
"Oh, please. They aren't that big of a deal." Weiss replied with a roll of her eyes, immediately backtracking on her previous statement about them.
"Not a big deal!?" the man yelled out, "The Ace Ops are THE elite of Elite Military Huntsman. Not to mention they're Ironwood's personal attack dogs."
"So...they got you too, huh?" Nora asked with a deadpan expression.
"No!" the man defended, "Like I would dare be caught by them. I'm here because I've been speaking out against Atlas' exploitation of Mantle. And General Ironwood is trying to silence me!"
"Dude got arrested for thinking he was a true bleeding heart liberal, how cute." Deadpool chuckled.
"He was arrested for throwing a brick at our ship." the pilot corrected.
Peter let out a snort, "Oh, so he was arrested for being an idiot. Good to know."
"If it gets our cause known then it's worth it!" the man argued, holding his head high with pride.
"Cause?" Blake asked.
The man rolled his eyes in frustration, "Duh, the fight for better conditions in Mantle? Ring any bells? Led by talented, charismatic, (lovely) Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses!" the pilot sighed and began to roll up the sound proof window that was behind the grated bars, "They all top Atlas Academy graduates who could have signed up for the military, but Robyn and the Huntresses chose to stay in mantle! SHE'S GUNNING FOR A SEAT ON THE COUNCIL! AND WHEN SHE GETS IT SHE'LL PUT AN END TO IRONWOOD'S TYRANNY!"
"Shut up, sit down. Before the turbulence (or my foot) knocks you down and makes you pass out." Peter warned.
"Happy Huntresses?" Ren questioned.
"You think that's their real name, or do you think he gave it to them?" Yang chuckled.
"'Tyranny is a little too far, don't you think?" Weiss asked.
"Dude is in love with some random woman he's probably never met." Deadpool chuckled, "He's a tier three subscriber AND a moderator. What a loser. Tyranny is pretty accurate description though."
The man turned and faced Weiss with a scoff and look of disgust, "Real easy to say for a Schnee Heiress living comfortably up in Atlas." Before the man knew it, he felt his head get knocked back as he felt force to his jaw, the force then snapped his head back and he slammed the bars, knocking him out.
"Oops." Peter said with a shrug, "Looks like that turbulence got him. I warned him." he shrugged, "But idiots never tend to listen."
The engines began to ramp up slightly and the group felt they were gaining in elevation at a rapid rate. "Must almost be there." Qrow mentioned, "He...uh...he gonna be okay?"
"Well, I didn't kill him, if that's what you're asking." Peter replied with a snarky tone.
Ruby looked out the window and saw the seemingly glowing city as its blue hue shined like ice reflecting light. The buildings went up and up and eventually there was one large structure in the center of the city. Almost like a beacon, or the top of a mountain. If she was correct, and she was fairly certain in this case, it was Atlas Academy. "Wow!" Ruby gasped in awe, "The city is gorgeous." Her words seemed more than enough to convince JNR to stand and look out the windows to get a look themselves.
"Don't let it fool you." Weiss mumbled.
Deadpool looked out the window and frowned, "Hey, Qrow, is that big building the police station?"
"No..." Qrow replied with a furrowed brow, "That's the academy. What the hell could they be taking us here for?"
Peter frowned and held his head. The source. Ero warned, The source to our senses is here! I can feel it with every fiber of my being. Be on your toes. "Oh...great." Peter grumbled.
The transport ship began to slow before beginning its descent onto a landing platform that was connected to the academy. Two guards approached the ship with rifles in hand, followed by the pilot and co-pilot who stepped out to assist. The two pilots opened the doors while the two soldiers who approached the vehicle called for the group to get out. "Everyone out," one said. He looked to the back to see the man that was stuck with the group and frowned, "Uhhh...what happened to that guy?"
"Turbulence." Peter, Qrow, and Deadpool said in unison.
Ruby stepped forward with her friends close behind and looked up in awe of the buildings in front of her. She thought the relay tower at Beacon was big, but the one next to Atlas is HUGE! And there's two of them! More than that, the giant tower of Atlas just seemed to reach all the way to the stars! "C'mon." one of the guards said as he nodded his head toward the stairs that led to one of the entrances to the academy.
"Guess we...are(?) seeing the General." Ruby commented before following the guards, "For better, or worse, I suppose."
"I'm sure this will be fiiiiiiine." Peter groaned, "I have a bad, but also good feeling about all this."
The group followed the guards inside and immediately noticed the almost all white and navy-blue interior that seemed to be all over the city. "Hey, remember Mirror's Edge?" Deadpool asked, "This is that."
Peter shooked his head and cocked an eyebrow at Deadpool in confusion, "Are you dumb? This is nothing like Mirror's Edge." he countered, "Mirror's Edge was about a dystopian society where corporations had a majority of the power and influence in the city and it was up to the free runners to deliver packages of...like...medical supplies or something. I don't know, story was kinda finicky, but it was not this!"
"I mean, isn't the CEO of the largest corporation in the world best friends with the General of the largest military in the world? And his daughter is a Special Operative of that military? Don't you think he has some sort of influence in how society is shaped."
"That's just describing any corrupt politician, Wade." Peter countered.
"Will you two shut up, already?" a guard snapped, "Gods, it's like listening to an old married couple. It doesn't matter. Also, that's just overgeneralizing politicians and people in power."
Deadpool and Peter looked at each other and had the same look on their face, "Spoken like someone who's daddy influenced the law to get something taken off their record." Deadpool mumbled with Peter nodding in silent agreement.
The group continued following the guards until they were led into an elevator and were taken up. They watched as the elevator continued to climb and climb, the small screen inside showing the levels of the building as they passed by. "So, what do we do?" Ren asked.
Ruby was silent for some time. She really didn't know what to say, everything has been unexpected this entire trip. Everywhere they turn they reach some new obstacle. She hoped after all their bad karma, Ironwood would greet them with open arms. But that was just wishful thinking. Based off Argus, the Atlesians may be difficult to work with. "I don't know, yet." she finally answered, "But we should be careful with what we say...Peter...Deadpool." she looked to her dimensional hopping allies who just stood nonchalantly and whistled. One of the guards looked back at the group, giving them a dirty look and Ruby gulped.
"We'll follow your lead, don't worry." Blake whispered as she leaned towards her leader.
Finally, there was a ding sound and the elevator doors opened, showing a large hallway that went one way. They walked down the hall, and down a small set of stairs through a dome-like room that had four connecting hallways with the Atlesian crest on the floor in the center that was illuminated by a skylight. Peter winced in pain and his head jerked to the right. He stared down the hallway, it looked like there was nothing there, but there were several doors, but there was one in particular that his Spider Sense was leading his sight towards at the very end of the hallway. It had some sort of security panel on it, so that only authorized personnel could enter. I need to get into that room. he thought. His attention finally returned when his Spider Sense pointed him to the danger that was in front of him. "I swear, if I have to sit through one more council meeting..." it was him. Peter practically held his breath. Finally, after all this time, he saw Ironwood once more.
"Yay, you're here!" it was just now Peter realized that Penny and Winter were also with the General.
"It's...it's you." Ironwood mumbled.
"YEEEEEEEAH!" the group jumped in surprise as they heard Peter let out a loud battle cry and break free from his restraints like they were plastic, "IRONWOOD! GRIT YER TEETH!" Before anyone could react, Peter jumped forward with his fist cocked back before sending a punch across Ironwood's jaw, sending him flying a couple feet back and landing on the ground. "HELL YEAH! I've months for this moment! Ever since you blind morons left me there, in the dirt, and rubble, leg barely hanging on (still not completely healed, mind you). Nice God Damned search team, Atlas. I can tell you guys have top of the line vision care!" he took a deep breath before letting it out and relaxing his body, "Oh yeah. I feel better now. That was very therapeutic." Peter began walking towards Ironwood to help him to his feet before his Spider Sense went off.
"FREEZE/Hands in the air!" the guards shouted.
"At ease, he's not a threat." Ironwood explained as he reached his arm out and clasped Peter's hand and got off the floor, "A little more warning would be nice."
"I did say: 'Grit yer teeth'." Peter shrugged.
Winter let out a long sigh as she sheethed her weapon, "It's Mr. Parker. My apologies, I didn't recognize you. You've gotten...taller?"
Peter scrunched his eyes and slowly leaned back as if trying to get away from the older Schnee sibling, "Are you hitting on me? Or are you just really bad at small talk?" Peter chuckled, "I mean, you're cute and all, but I'm in a relationship and you're WAY too old for me." Winter's eye twitched at the last comment, "I mean, you're like...twelve? Fifteen years older than me?"
"I'm 25." she growled.
"Winter!" Weiss called out and it was now that the eldest Schnee sibling saw her sister. Winter's frown from before disappeared and she gave a genuine smile, possibly the first smile she's had in a while, and Weiss returned the gesture.
"Ahem." Nora, of course, immediately ruined the happy moment by butting in, "Since Ironwood and Peter are clearly on good terms, and you're one of our party members' sister...wanna help us out?" she asked as she held up her cuffed hands.
Winter straightened her composure and gained a stern expression once again, "You have exactly ten seconds to remove their restraints before I start hurting you." The guards looked at each other before fumbling around in their pockets for the keys to unlock the restraints. Peter stood by and acted as if he was removing the restraints with a key, even though he already broke them off. Soon, all the restraints were off and the guards were dismissed while the others finally were able to move their hands freely.
"Please, come in." Ironwood suggested as he motioned towards his office. The group followed and they were greeted to a giant room. Towards the back of the room was a half dome window behind Ironwood's desk. In the center of the room was the Atlas symbol, as well as designs of space and the stars. "Make yourselves welcome." Ironwood stated as he closed the door to the office, "And it's a pleasure to see all of you again, really." he said the final part while looking at Qrow with a sympathetic look, a look that seemed as if he was apologizing. His gaze then landed to Deadpool, and he had a slight frown, "Well...almost-It's good to see 90% of you."
Penny's eyes glowed slightly, and she held up a finger, "Technically, General, it is 90.909090909-"
"Penny." Winter interrupted, a slightly amused face, but one that still told the android girl to wrap it up.
"But we can round it up to 91% if you'd like!" Penny smiled.
"No, no, please, Penny. How many zeroes and nines? I want to hear the full calculation. We need to be accurate after all." Peter laughed, receiving an elbow from both Blake and Weiss and a stern look from Winter. Penny looked as if she were going to open her mouth and respond, but Winter held her hand in front of the android's mouth to stop her.
Yang looked around, much like the others, taking in the room and its looks, "You say you're happy to see us, but your warm welcome didn't really tell us that." her she then frowned and looked at the General with her eyes now red, "And your military is still going after Peter as if he were a war criminal."
Ironwood sighed and nodded before he started walking to his desk, his hands behind his back. Penny and Winter, seeing his movement, then moved to do the same. "I am truly sorry about everything. Truth be told, I only had Spider-Man in our wanted list so that he could be brought here instead of wondering the planet going who knows where. At least in my care, here, he could stay safe." he looked at Peter who didn't seem to have a too convinced look and he sighed, "But...it looks as if my warrants for his capture were unwarranted. He's alive, well, and seemed to be taking care of himself as always. As for your general treatment, believe me, I sincerely apologize for how my units have treated you." he finally made it to his desk and sat down in his chair and bridging his fingers as his elbows rested on his desk, "You need to see my reasoning, when a rogue airship entered our airspace, it raised some...red flags. We assumed the ship was stolen."
"Stolen?" Ruby echoed with a nervous laugh, "Who-Who-Who would do such a thing?"
"Yeah, we did it." Deadpool admitted with a shrug, "But, I mean, it's not like your cronies at Argus gave us much choice."
"Kinda destroyed some Atlas tech too, sorry about your weird Gundam city protector down there." Peter apologized as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
"You stole an Atlas airship?" Winter asked with a slight growl in her voice and a twitch in her eye as she looked directly at Weiss and began walking toward her, "What the hell were you thinking? You could have been shot down! How unbelievably irresponsible of-" she gasped as her ranting was interrupted by Weiss coming in for a hug, one the former heiress felt was long overdue.
"I'm sorry I worried you." Weiss said as she dug her chin into her sister's shoulder, "But what we did, good or bad, however you want to call it, we did it because we had to." she chuckled, "Believe me, we tried to reason with them...but we were unfortunate to have a tag-along with us Argus didn't like all that much."
Winter paused; she really wasn't expecting a hug like this from Weiss. "I..." she sighed before returning the gesture, "I suppose I understand. I can't imagine Mr. Wilson made your travel any easier."
"Oh yeah, just throw me under the bus, that's fine." Deadpool grumbled before he blew a raspberry and gave a thumbs down.
"But I still can't believe you allowed this to happen, Qrow." Winter said angrily as she darted her eyes to the older huntsman.
"Oh, sorry, I'll be sure to let you handle it next time. Go ahead, get in a one-on-one with Parker, see how you come out of that one." Qrow retorted, "But seriously...it's not like I could stop them if I wanted to. They're headstrong and determined to do anything they set their minds to. Even if I told them to stop, they just roped me into following along." he shrugged, "Anyway, back on track," he looked at Ironwood and cleared his throat, "We have some important information for you that's...confidential."
"It's about eh surprise birthday party!" Deadpool whisper yelled towards Ironwood as he pointed at Winter, "Talking booze, reefer, and male strippers galore!" he snapped his fingers and gave dual finger guns before giving two thumbs-up.
"No one here has a birthday any time soon." Penny corrected, "Unless you are making...a joke? In which case, good joke! Very humorous!" she gave a thumbs-up and had a large grin.
Qrow sighed, "Please...ignore him. He's an idiot. It's about THAT thing, James."
"OH!" Penny snapped to attention, "Is it about, the Relics?"
"Or perhaps you are asking about the Winter Maiden?" Winter asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"Wait, I thought you were the Winter Maiden?" Peter mentioned, "Like, your name is Winter. I thought it was a nickname. Is it ACTUALLY Winter?" he received a slap on the shoulder from Weiss, "What? Don't get mad at me because your parents threw a dart at a board of words. Like, naming a kid Summer makes sense. Summer is warm, hopeful, good vibes. But you wouldn't name a kid Spring or Fall. And who would give a name like 'Winter'. Like, they looked at their kid and said: 'Yes, let's name her something that's cold, unforgiving, and synonymous with dangerous road conditions.'"
"Peter, shut the hell up for thirty seconds." Qrow asked as he was processing the information that Ironwood clearly told Penny and Winter about...possibly everything. Peter complied by acting as if he was zipping up his lips. "James...you told them?"
Ironwood took a breath before slowly reaching under his desk and grabbing an object before liftin it up to reveal the lamp. "Did you really think you were the only one to come up with a plan after Beacon." Peter, still acting as if his lips were zipped shut, hummed a response as if he was talking with his mouth shut. Again, Weiss slapped his side to put him back in place. "With Ozpin gone I needed my own team of people I could trust. So, yes, I told them, the Ace Ops too. Which is why I'm so glad you're here, with this." he gestured to the lamp and for a moment Peter saw something...something weird in Ironwood's eyes. He couldn't quite tell what it was, but for a brief moment there was something there that alerted his Spider Sense, and just as quickly disappeared. "Until now, I believed it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, kept victory out of her claws, but she will keep returning stronger, and stronger." he took a deep breath and gained a very determined expression, "Unless we destroy her." Ironwood placed the lamp down on the desk and the group silently looked at each other, but none of them could really bring themselves to mention how that idea may not be.
"What...about the Atlas relic?" Ruby asked, doing her best not to reveal too much, like how the fight against Salem may be fruitless.
"You mean the Staff of Creation?" Ironwood asked.
"Not to worry, it's safe inside the vault!" Penny replied with a large smile as she stuck a pose giving a peace sign.
"Yang mentioned that the vaults can only be opened if the specific maiden is there to open it." Peter mentioned, "I assume you guys have that issue figured out then? And given what Winter said earlier, I assume the maiden to open the vault here is the Winter Maiden?"
"She is secure." Winter quickly replied, "And...in stable condition."
Yang blinked in surprise, "'Stable condition?'" she echoed, "Is she-"
"She's uh...not exactly a spring chicken these days, Yang." Qrow mentioned.
The room fell silent again. Everything seemed a little suspicious. Not necessarily the condition of the Winter Maiden or the relic still being hidden, there just seemed to be something Ironwood wasn't telling them. Something that may give reasoning to why Atlas and Mantle were looking like a dystopian Fascist State. "Look, I know how this looks." Ironwood said with a sigh, seemingly feeling the tension in the room, "Recalling my military, the embargo, I...probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now." He could say that again. Ero mentioned, Everything about this place has been making my entire being shake like crazy!
"Why continue this?" Blake asked with an annoyed tone.
"Yeah, it's looking like Franco's Spain out there right now, bud." Deadpool quipped, "If you aren't careful, you're gonna cause an Anarchistic uprising. Remember, there is always more of them than there is of you."
"Deadpool's (surprisingly) right, I don't know about this whole 'Spain' thing. But remove the 'S' and you have 'pain' which is what the people of Mantle are going through right now!" Nora argued.
"I needed to make sure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas." Ironwood argued, "And I wanted my military HERE protecting my people."
"But it's not protecting them, it's making everyone hate you!" Yang pointed out.
Peter scoffed at Ironwood's reasoning, "No offense, dude, but you don't need the whole military here to find one person. Salem herself sticks out like a sore thumb; she doesn't exactly look like a typical human. So, what's the real reason? What's the actual reason you are fine with everyone treating you like an ass?"
Ironwood shook his head, a solemn look on his face, "I assure you; I have a reason. If they hate me...then it is a price I'm willing to pay." he tapped a button on the holoscreen on his desk and blast shields began to close in front of the giant window, "Just as you have all been entrusted with the knowledge of Salem's existence, I need you all to trust me. I have a plan." he declared as the center of the room began to raise, causing Ruby and Oscar to move as they were standing on the moving platform turning into some sort of table, "Ozpin always believed the best way to fight Salem was in secret," Ironwood began as he walked over to the new table, "Now, whether that was the right choice or not...isn't for me to say. But we find ourselves in the position of needing...well...a new approach."
"So, what do you suggest?" Qrow asked.
"This." Ironwood declared as he pushed a button on a remote he was holding. The table in front of everyone lit up and a hologram of Amity Colosseum showed before everyone.
"Amity Colosseum?" Jaune and Peter asked.
"What does the Vytal Festival have to do with this?" Oscar asked.
"Everything." Ironwood stated, "When Beacon fell and the whole world lost contact with each other I knew our current system was outdated." No Shit./No shit. Peter had to stop himself bursting out into laughter, the event was tragic, for sure, but the fact it took THIS long for someone on Remnant to realize that their way of communication was outdated was pathetic in his eyes. This is what happens when you over rely on a specific source of power. He thought, Dust is good and has its uses, but it's finite, eventually it'll run out. The fact they never thought about it is astounding. "Amity was built to bring the nations together." Ironwood continued, "And I plan on it serving that purpose once again." He pushed another button, and the hologram of Amity Colosseum gained a new structure, a large antenna.
"Isn't it great!" Penny cheered excitedly, "We aren't just going to replace Beacon tower, but putting a new tower on top of Amity Colosseum will re-establish global communications!"
"By launching the tower high in the atmosphere, our scientists believe we can create a sort of...satellite." Winter explained, "Far out of reach from the Grimm and capable of keeping global communications even if we were to lose another tower."
"NO SHIT!" Peter and Deadpool said in unison. The Atlesians turned towards them, and Peter quickly coughed in his hand, "Sorry, it's just...frustrating. Sometimes I forget this place isn't Earth. Back home, satellites are fairly old tech."
"But it's new here." Ruby quickly mentioned, "And it's...it's amazing!"
Qrow shook his head, something still wasn't adding up for him, "James, you don't need the military for all of this. A world communicator is fine, but why worry your people? Why are they suffering? Surely this would only lead to more jobs, right?"
"I'll need them for...the next part." Ironwood gulped before nodding in determination, "When I tell them all about Salem." he looked at Qrow and then the others. The room fell silent as everyone tried to take in the information. Peter wasn't sure about the idea, it seemed a little brash in his eyes. He could see the benefits, but the cons seemed to outweigh the pros in this case.
"Heh..." Qrow chuckled as everything was finally clicking into place for him, "Heheheheh-Hahahahaha! So that's why you withdrew your troops. You aren't defending youselves from an attack from the outside, you're defending yourselves from an attack from the inside for when the people undoubtedly break out in a panic."
Ironwood nodded, "Yes, panic is inevitable, and panic brings Grimm. But I feel we're ready. Once Atlas comes to grips with the fight ahead, I'll use Amity tower to spread the message to all of Remnant."
"Yo, uh, bad idea, right?" Deadpool asked, "Or am I just crazy? I mean, I AM crazy, but this is batshit INSANE!" he lifted up his mask to his nose and began to run his index finger up and down, "Bababbleedeebleebebabladeblee-"
"I can't believe I'm saying this twice in a short period of time, but Deadpool is right." Weiss argued, "If you do that then everything will fall apart! Grimm will be everywhere! And don't think we haven't noticed the Grimm that was already breaking into Mantle down below and the defense wall being broken."
Winter stepped forward and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, "You're right. But Atlas is ready and willing to assist."
"Can barely assist your own people." Peter mumbled.
"Trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all." Ironwood argued before shooting a glance towards Peter. James then pushed a button on his remote again and the table at the center went back down and the blinds came up, bringing in the natural light from the moon.
Qrow scratched his chin and sighed, still wrapping his head around Ironwood's plan, "Oz spent his life, MANY lives keeping this secret. James...you know that this-"
"I know," Ironwood interrupted, "Believe me, I've spent a lot of time mulling it over. Months. I'm sure of it now. Without Ozpin here to guide us, I'll use my best judgement." as he started to walk back to his desk he saw Oscar give him a look as if he wanted to say something. Truth be told, Ironwood had no idea who this child was, but he didn't bring it up. It wasn't unusual to gain a new party member. But he looked...so young. "What is it, boy. Don't be shy."
Oscar gulped, "Actually...Oz isn't completely gone."
Qrow winced slightly when he realized he had to reveal the secret. He was hoping he wouldn't have to, seeing as everyone seemed to agree not to tell Ironwood that Salem was invincible. "You see, Oscar here is...well...he's the next Ozpin." as he said this he gave a slight frown to the young farmhand.
Ironwood's eyes widened and a genuine smile seemed to grace his face for what felt like months, "Oz?" he quickly walked towards Oscar and crouched down to the young boy's level, "I'm so glad you're here, I didn't think y-"
"Not quite." Oscar interrupted with a nervous expression, "Ozpin is...um...kind of...gone at the moment."
Ironwood's smile quickly became a saddened frown as he shook his head, "That isn't normal. How did he-"
"We don't know." Ruby interrupted, fearing the exchange was reaching closer and closer to telling Ironwood that Salem couldn't be stopped. Ironwood looked to Ironwood with a curious expression on his face, "We were in a train crash, and ever since then, well...suddenly Oz wasn't there anymore." she lied.
Peter kept his breath held, personally he would have preferred to tell Ironwood the truth, but Ruby seemed adamant that they didn't reveal that at the moment. It was wrong, but he would respect her judgement until further notice, not like he had any room to talk. If he had things his way, he'd still be keeping secrets from everyone in the room. "That's the worst news we could have heard." Ironwood sighed, "Did you learn anything from him about the relics before he...left."
"He told us the lamp could answer three questions." Ruby replied, "But also told use the questions were used up already." not technically a lie, since that WAS what Ozpin had told them before they found out the truth.
Ironwood squinted his eyes slightly at the answer, and Peter worried the General was figuring out it was a lie, "Right, right." Ironwood stood up and walked back to his desk and looked out the large window, "Ozpin told us that too once upon a time. At least we have you, Oscar. You'll be safe here in Atlas. Maybe we can work together to try and bring Ozpin back."
"Thank you, sir!" Oscar replied with a smile, "Er..I mean...General...Ironwood?"
Ironwood gave a smirk before grabbing the lamp and walking it over to Ruby, holding it out so she could take it. "You're giving it back to me?" Ruby asked.
"After what happened with the Ace Ops, I don't want you to think I'm keeping anything from you. Especially something as important as this." he emphasized his point by shaking the lamp slightly, "For the time being, I believe it's safest with the people who brought it here. And those same people are staying here, I'd assume, so I have no reason to worry to much."
Ruby grabbed the lamp with both hands and gave a slight bow, "Thank you."
Ironwood returned the gesture by placing a hand on his chest and bowing slightly himself, "Now, we must work together if we are going to fight Salem and win. All of us." he looked at Deadpool and Peter, both simply waved. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, to help defend a world that isn't even your own. No way of getting back."
"I mean, we haven't exactly been looking for Ock and the others, so it's not like I'm going to decline. No leads for me, but..." Peter looked down. Did he even want to go back? His original goal was going home, but now? He'd been gone for almost two years. Surely everyone would have moved on. It hurt him to know he likely has scared May to death, but if he went back now, what would he say? What could he say? "Just...just keep me posted on if you see anything, okay?" he smiled, but his friends could tell it wasn't genuine.
"How can we help, General?" Ruby asked.
Ironwood smirked, "I'm glad you asked. Getting Amity Tower ready to launch won't be easy and could take some time. But first, I think it's time we get those weapons of yours up to our standards." as he said this, he pressed a button that brought up a holoscreen that showed Blake earlier with her broken Gambul Shroud. The faunus in question only gave a nervous smile.
Winter gave a smirk of her own as she and Penny went to join the General by his desk, "Remember, this is Atlas, while assisting the military, we'll be providing you with the best equipment our scientists can devise. Parker," she looked towards Peter who jumped slightly from the sudden call out, "I believe you'll be excited to hear that one of our top scientists believes she found how your web fluid works. She even made all-new and upgraded Atlas quality Web-Shooters, complete with Dust loading." Yang and Blake had to stop themselves from giggling because they knew all that hard work would go to waste.
"Not bad, one problem." Peter rolled up his sleeve to show he had now Web Shooters on, then he pointed to the opposite wall and fired a webline, "Sorry, I've switched to organic. Better for your body, long-term, you know?" he chuckled, "Also, I HIGHLY doubt anyone around here could figure out my web fluid correctly. Even the best scientists alive back home don't know how to recreate it."
Winter blinked a few times before giving a look of disgust, "That...comes out of you now?" she asked, "How is it made? What sort of liquid could be used to create it? Do you have spinnerets in your wrists now? Or does it go to your thorax and come up?"
"I don't have a thorax though." Peter mentioned.
Winter actually let out a slight amused snort, "Well, we'll keep in touch. Penny," Penny snapped to attention with a large smile that seemed to fill up her entire face, "Show them to their quarters."
"Yes. Ma'am!" Penny gave a salute before marching to the door, "Walk this way, gang! There is so much we have to do!"
Ruby looked at the others and shrugged before following Penny, immitating the way the robot girl was marching. Yang chuckled and followed her sister, followed by Nora, then Peter, the Deadpool, and behind the line was Oscar. "Something's not right with that group." Winter mentioned as she looked on in bewilderment.
"Ugh...tell me about it." Weiss sighed.
After the group left Ironwood's office, they were quickly greeted by the sounds of people talking in the large intersecting room before the office. They could see the Ace Ops, it seemed they were waiting for something. "...so, that was the SECOND time I got banned. Then there was the third time..." the voice was coming from the one the Ace Ops leader called 'Marrow' when they last met.
The leader turned his head and saw Ruby and the others walking down the stairs, so he cut off Marrow from his story, "Alright, cut the chatter. We have guests." the Ace Ops looked to where their leader was pointing, and they all got up to greet the group, properly this time around. "Firstly, I'd like to sincerely apologize for the miscommunication down in Mantle, we didn't intend-" the leader didn't have time to finish what he was going to say as the large lade ran between her team and nearly knocked him to the ground so she could shake Ruby's hand.
"I feel so bad, honestly!" the big lady apologized as she grabbed Ruby's hand and shook it up and down quickly, unfortunately taking the young huntress along for the ride, only stopping when Peter grabbed the red hooded girl so she didn't get motion sickness, "If we had known who you were, we'd be laughing over a hot meal right now and-"
"Yeah, yeah, you guys were just following orders." Deadpool said as he waved it off, "I don't like that response, but I get it. I was Spec. Ops. too, once."
"Weren't you dishonorably discharged?" Peter asked.
"Hey, hey! That only happened ONCE and it was because I was pre-gaming it before Neo showed up."
"Gross, shut the fuck up." Yang gagged, "Bad enough I know what your face looks like I do NOT want to have to picture that about you too."
Peter shook his head shivering at the...very gross image Deadpool put in his head, "You know, considering you saw me and Deadpool, you guys probably could have put two-and-two together." he criticized, "Like, what, is your policy seriously 'shoot first, ask questions later'?"
"That's definitely MY policy."Deadpool laughed, wiggling his eyebrows under his mask, "Get it? It's a-"
"WE GET IT!" Blake and Weiss yelled in unison.
"Questions are for the weak." Marrow said as he waved his hand back and forth, as if dismissing Peter's criticisms, "But, it seems we're on the same team now. Not that I'm happy about it." despite what he said, the wagging of his tail indicated a different feeling...or maybe Peter was looking too much into it. For all he knew the guy could have been fanning himself. Marrow grabbed his tail to stop the wagging and that led to Harriet letting out a snort.
"As I was saying." the leader started again as he coughed into his hand before putting both hands on his hips, "We just wanted to say 'sorry'. And that we are looking forward to working with you on our next mission. You might be students, but you've been fighting just as hard as we have...if not harder."
Deadpool let out a sinister chuckle, "The only thing harder than that is-" Deadpool stopped as he felt his mouth get webbed up, and then his feet were webbed to the ground. Peter stood in front of the merc and popped his neck a few times spinning his right arm in a windmill motion as if he was getting ready to throw a punch. Instead, he threw a quick hook with his left hand which collided with Deadpool's cheek bone and sent his head into whiplash, snapping his neck instantly, causing the merc to collapse. The Ace Ops stood in shock at what they witnessed, but Qrow simply held a finger up, telling them to wait. In a matter of seconds, Deadpool's hands reached up and snapped his neck back into place, causing him to groan in pain. He looked up and he saw Peter, standing as if getting ready to kick a field goal. It was then to Wade's horror that he realized his feet were still webbed to the ground and he couldn't defend himself. Peter took two steps and sent a devastating kick to Deadpool's groin which not only broke his feet from their web prison, but also sent him flying into the wall across the way, creating a large Deadpool-shaped crater. Peter simply held both his hands up as if he scored a winning field goal before giving a fist pump. Deadpool fell from the crater, and he lay still, crying from the pain.
Peter held his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat, "Continue."
Harriet blinked a few times before nodding, "I was going to say I'm excited to see what you kids can do...but I guess one of you gave a demonstration already."
"To be fair, Peter is like...20 huntsman, in terms of strength." Jaune replied with a nervous chuckle. Peter flexed his arms as a response before letting out a snort.
"C'mon!" Penny pleaded, "I must show you all around Atlas Academy, it'll be just like Beacon again!" she cheered.
The kids left, all that was left was Qrow, Deadpool, and the Ace Ops. "Qrow." Ironwood called out as he walked down the stairs to catch up to his old friend, "I just wanted to say...I meant it when I said it was good to see you again."
Qrow cocked an eyebrow, more in surprise than anything, "Um...yeah, you too, James." Ironwood, even more surprisingly to Qrow, approached the recovering drunk and gave him a hug. Qrow wasn't sure how to take the gesture, but he ended up returning it by patting his old friend on the back and chuckling. "I should uh...find my quarters."
"Of course." Ironwood said as he broke the hug, "If you don't mind, Winter and the Ace Ops will show you and Deadpool to your living quarters. And, Deadpool?" Deadpool only let out a high-pitched groan as he still clutched his jewels in pain, "I'm sorry to say, but until I can be sure you won't try to kill anyone here, your weapons have been put on child-lock until you go out on a mission." Again, Deadpool only released a high-pitched whine, "I'll take that it means you understand. Winter."
"Sir!"
"If you'd please." Ironwood gestured to Qrow and the eldest Schnee nodded.
"Come, Qrow, Deadpool." Winter commanded as she began to strut away, "We'll show you where you'll be." Deadpool, again, cried in pain, and Qrow lifted the mercenary up before following the soldiers.
Ironwood sighed before walking back to his office. Truth be told, he needed some time alone. It has been...a very stressful last few months. He said he was fine if the people hated him, but really it had been getting to him. The pressure of his plan coming along. He just hoped it was the right thing to do. He took a seat at his desk, and a shadowy figure stood behind him. "What to do? There's the Amity Project, but now both Peter AND Deadpool are here. I didn't even tell him that the others who came with them are here too and working on that transporter." he rubbed his temples then his eyes before reaching into his desk and pulling out a crystalized bottle of an expensive brand of whisky. Something he got as a gift from Jacques Schnee, "Do I tell them? Peter is smart, I know they're his enemies, but maybe he'd help them finish the project so they could leave."
The shadowy figure stepped into the light, revealing itself to be Nightmare. He wasn't visible to the General, but Ironwood could hear the demon's suggestions all the same. "You need the Amity Project done." Nightmare stated, "Peter already said he'd help, so why not? This project is more important than them. Those aliens could die for all you care."
Ironwood shook his head, "But...Peter. He's a good kid, he deserves to know."
"For what?" Nightmare asked, "Peter can wait to be told. The project isn't even done. Better to ask for forgiveness later. Besides, you'll need all hands on deck for this plan."
"Yes." Ironwood nodded, "Peter is a valuable asset. With the Grimm that will show up, or even if the people need to be suppressed-" Ironwood caught himself and shook his head, "Dammit, no. He isn't like that."
"But he WILL." Nightmare chuckled, "He'd have to. For the safety of the world."
Ironwood nodded to himself, "Yes. The world comes first. Some may be harmed now, but that is just a part of progress." James quickly drank the glass of whisky and sighed, "I just hope I'm right."
Nightmare laughed and pat James on the back, "Good boy." as Nightmare said this, Ironwood's eyes glowed gold slightly before returning to normal.
Nightmare then walked to the lab room where the Sinister Five were being held up. "How's that stability coming along, boys?" Nightmare asked. Currently, it was Octavious and Lizard working on the machine more, enhancing it with the parts they needed, their eyes like the rest of the Sinister Five, were glowing gold to signify they were under nightmare's control.
"Stability has increased on our side to 87%." Octavious replied with a smirk, "The issue is stability on the other side. Beck is not very well equipped at building the machine such as I. His intellect is in fancy smoke and mirrors, not engineering as advanced as this!"
"But will it survive another trip?" Nightmare asked.
"Hrrrm...The Maaaaachine will be fffffine. But the portal getsssss weaker with each uuuuuuuse." Lizard replied.
"Good." Nightmare smirked, "Call Vulture and tell him to hurry up with gathering the materials. My plan will soon come to fruition."
"What about the Spider?" Electro asked with a growl, "I heard through the electrical field. He's here!"
Nightmare waved his hand, "Leave him be. He won't be a bother. All I want is the Grimm Essence. Electro, get back out to the streets of mantle, keep stirring up a commotion. I want Ironwood to be busy with his little project for the rest of time if necessary." Electro nodded, and with a simple wave of Nightmare's hand, Electro disappeared as the demon lord teleported him to Mantle. "Rhino, I need you for a moment." The large rhinoceros man approached the demon and winced in pain as Nightmare grabbed a knife and cut Rhino's face slightly so he could draw blood.
"Ow, boss!" Rhino complained, "Isn't there an easier way to make these Grimm Clone things?"
"Unfortunately, not." Nightmare laughed, "But not to worry, all the pain shall be with it. I just need to keep them distracted tomorrow while Vulture and Electro finish running their errands." with a wave of his cape, Nightmare disappeared from the villains and teleported just outside the gates of Mantle.
Nightmare ran the blade he used to cut Rhino's face along the palm of his hand and took in a sharp breath through his teeth. He watched as the blood seeped into the cut on his palm before it began to ooze back out in a black goo. "Go, Grimm Clones. Raise hell once more." the goo dropped from his hand and landed on the ground where it began to bubble pulsate. Eventually a hand popped out of the goo puddle, and then another, then a head. Soon the whole body came out, revealing a completely grimmified clone of Rhino! The creature roared, it was obviously more monster than man, but the fact this one was so large made Nightmare's smile stretch from ear to ear, "Would you look at that? An exact one-to-one copy! I'm getting damn good at this Grimm Summoning bullshit! Now, my Great Horn, do the bidding of daddy. Destroy that wall." The Rhino Grimm Clone, Great Horn, roared as it acknowledged its master's request. Soon, more of them began to rise from the puddle, a total of eight clones. Nightmare smirked as he could already hear the sirens of Mantle in the distance while his creations charged and damaged the wall. Keep them busy, finish my planning. My year is almost over. I need to strike soon. he thought.
To be continued...
A/N: Well, a bit of an exposition dump chapter, but not to worry, we'll have some action next time. Okay, I'm gonna go write a guest chapter for my buddy, then I'm gonna write a chapter for the MHA fic, then Bleach. I'll see y'all in a few weeks (hopefully).