Author's Note: Advance warning that there may be a gap week at some point while I prepare the future chapters. Not entirely certain yet, but be warned.
Ironwood gripped his cybernetic hand tightly behind his back, taking some small comfort from the impossible task of trying to crush the metal with his organic hand. He always hated waiting, no matter how many times he had to do it; waiting for his soldiers to return was always a taxing and exhausting endeavor. Most of the time, he wouldn't know how the operation truly went until he was given a chance to debrief them. While they may have accomplished their mission goals they might have lost too much in the process.
It was moments like this that he missed being able to go out into the field himself. The thrill of the fight aside, he preferred to lead from the front. In the midst of battle, the uncertainty and political backstabbing seemed to fall away; everything always seemed so clear. He could rally anyone to his cause, because in that single moment they could assess whether he was being genuine or not. Sadly that opportunity was lost to him.
Being a General meant trusting his men to see the mission through and expecting them to return. It meant waiting to see if they had succeeded, or if everything had ended in disaster. All the while he was forced to keep a calm expression, lest he ruin the morale of his soldiers left behind. It wouldn't do for the rank and file to see their General so concerned, they had to have the utmost trust and confidence in him, and so he was forced to hide his own doubt or concern for a trusted few.
But gods, the waiting… He would have given up his position in a heartbeat if he knew there was someone more qualified to take his place. To be able to go and fight the enemy of mankind instead of sitting back and watching the battle play out, it made him miss the simplicity of his youth. Being ordered was far easier then being the one giving them, not that he had ever understood that back then. He was eager to climb the ranks, driven to see himself at the head of Atlas. He often wondered where that drive had gone.
The weather seemed to reflect his mood perfectly; though he wasn't usually one for superstition, the bleak world around him was a cause for concern. It felt all too familiar to the countless nights he had spent awake, waiting on soldiers that were never coming home. That had been why he had sent Clover, skepticism or not, they would need his luck if only to offset Qrow's. One of his best and brightest was in danger, and despite his often antagonistic nature, Ironwood would never wish harm on Qrow either.
Clover had radioed ahead to have medical personnel on standby, and while it wasn't ideal, it meant that they were at least alive. He had been light on the details, partly due to the time sensitive nature of medical evacuations, but mostly due to the importance of secrecy. They would have an incredibly small window to make their move before word reached Lionheart, he only hoped that Winter and Qrow had managed to find evidence concrete enough for him to reasonably act on.
He had no intention of letting Lionheart go, regardless of what they could find. There was enough circumstantial evidence for Ironwood to launch a formal inquiry, but by the time results came of that, he would have vanished. Ironwood planned to make his move tonight, it was just a matter of whether or not he would be able to legally justify it. Much of his own response would depend on the state of Qrow and Winter when they arrived.
"I'm sure they will be alright." Glynda spoke softly from beside him, having joined him only minutes after he received the call that they were on their way back. He had passed word along to her and, judging by the state of her hair and the look in her eyes, she had been asleep when he had called. She hid it well however, no doubt used to sleepless nights; Beacon didn't run itself and knowing Ozpin… Well, he wouldn't leave the paperwork to him either. "Qrow is stubborn."
"As is Winter, in her own way." Ironwood couldn't help the slight smile that worked its way onto his face. Winter had been the best risk he had ever taken, allowing her into his ranks had earned the ire of the SDC for several years and driven a noticeable wedge between Jacques and Atlas, but it had proven worth it. She had proven herself a dozen times over and earned her place as a Specialist. More than that, she often helped to keep him grounded, despite her own insistence on professionalism, he viewed her more as a friend than a subordinate.
"With Tai involved, I expect Qrow will act as if nothing bad has happened at all." Glynda chuckled dryly, driving Ironwood's smile onward.
"Yes, I'm sure the two of them will be arguing over who owes who next." Ironwood entertained the thought, if only because it promised a future where such was possible.
"I believe this one will firmly plant Tai ahead." Glynda added.
Ironwood made to respond but caught the outline of a Bullhead quickly approaching their landing pad, his joke dying on his tongue as his smile fell away. Stepping out from under their cover he felt the rain wash down his coat. He'd always hated the humidity of Mistral, the rain combined with the heat making it far too uncomfortable, but he did take some pleasure in the rain itself.
The Bullhead opened its door, two of the medics he had sent along hopping out and gesturing for help. The medical team Ironwood had brought along rushed over quickly, gurneys being dragged beside them as they moved to take over care for the wounded. While he had refrained from bringing any of his battleships, he had planned for all of this accordingly. His ship had been installed with a small medical bay for just such an occasion and, while it may not have been as largely staffed as Haven's medical wing, it was equipped with some of the most advanced equipment in the world.
It was also guarded and safe, something that Ironwood was going to rely on while he went to confront Lionheart.
Ironwood approached the Bullhead but kept his distance, not wishing to interfere with the experts as they assessed their patients and strapped them down to move them. He did take that time to observe however, identifying those too wounded to walk and requiring transportation.
Taiyang had hefted Qrow up onto one of the gurneys rather unceremoniously, and judging by the way that the grizzled Huntsman had limply fallen, he was unconscious. From where he stood Ironwood could see that his face was bruised and bleeding, though the blood was continuously washed away by the rain. Once secured, he was quickly carted off towards the medical bay.
Secured on the second gurney was Pyrrha however, and he couldn't help but stiffen at the sight. She was equally unconscious, having been carried and set down by a man that Ironwood vaguely recognized but couldn't recall the name of; she was visibly worse for the sole factor that her clothes were covered in far more blood. In fact, there didn't seem to be a single part of her clothing not dyed some shade of red. Apart from that, he could make out a faint purple hew in places that the doctors were giving extra attention to.
She was carted away quickly after that, with the large man joined by another Ironwood vaguely recognized before rushing off after her. Clover stepped from the Bullhead, but made no move to stop them, trusting his judgment Ironwood let them go.
Clover turned back towards the Bullhead, offering his hand up to help someone step out. Winter leaned heavily on him for support, her own clothes also stained with blood. Ironwood turned to leave for the medical bay, only to be stopped as Winter shouted for him.
Looking back he saw that, with the aid of Clover, she had limped over to him. She attempted to straighten herself and grimaced in pain before giving up when he waved off the formality.
"Specialist Schnee, whatever you have to say can wait until you have been seen to." James looked her up and down, noting the numerous purple stains on her clothes as well.
"Sir, I'm afraid it can't." Clover was the one to speak, though he remained bent over at Winter's side. "Tyrian Callows was killed, but Hazel Rainart escaped capture. Our cover's blown and we don't have much time."
Ironwood looked back toward the Bullhead, seeing two of his men offloading a black body bag onto another gurney. His attention quickly returned towards Winter however, waiting silently for her to speak.
"We need to apprehend Lionheart-" She spoke through gritted teeth, clearly struggling to speak past the pain. "-before he can escape."
"On what evidence?" He kept his words short, this had been the moment he was waiting for.
"Mistral's Huntsman have been disappearing." Winter confirmed what they already knew, while they hadn't found the extent of it yet, Clover had confirmed it was happening. They just hadn't been able to link a cause. It seemed Qrow and Winter had had far more fortune on that front. "Freelancers, career Huntsmen, even Huntsmen directly employed by the kingdom, have all started disappearing with little clue as to why. There aren't any links between their personal lives aside from their profession, except that the information for their missions all came from the same source."
Ironwood looked back towards Haven proper. It wasn't unheard of for the kingdom's to rely on the Headmasters for scouting and information on what kind of threat they were dealing with, but usually the more independent Huntsman had their own networks. Small guilds or just local information brokers usually worked well enough for the everyday activities, while allowing them to stay independent of any government control. Mistral's Council had even played into that, agreeing to share any information involving Grimm to anyone who asked without issue… information that they could have only gotten from one institution.
"The Headmaster for Haven Academy is the only one who could have given out the information for those missions." Winter continued. "The freelancers have gotten their information from him for years, it was part of a program he started in order to 'better spread information'. Qrow and I were questioning the people who handed out these missions and we confirmed it. They all rely on Haven. That's when we were ambushed."
"Clover, take Winter to the medical bay and meet me at the school's entrance." Ironwood's orders came out clipped as he struggled to suppress his rage. It was a clever trick, Haven's apparent generosity had no doubt been an enticing offer for most unofficial Huntsman, the people who would rather avoid the publicity that often came with their job. All the while, setting them up for death when they eventually bite off more than they could chew because they hadn't been able to plan accordingly.
Most people would then chock it up to arrogance or bad luck. Their profession was a hard one, and dying young was an all too common thing. Lionheart would no doubt offer his condolences… then lay the trap for the next one without anyone ever being able to pin it on him.
Was it enough to bring Lionheart to justice? Probably not. The Council would want irrefutable proof to try a man such as him, but it was enough for Ironwood; he was certain it would be enough for the Huntsman of Mistral as well. While they had been deceived, they weren't stupid, and the ones who were still alive would no doubt recognize how close they had come to death because of poor information.
It would no doubt be a diplomatic incident, but that was a burden Ironwood was willing to bear.
Ironwood stalked through the halls of Haven with a determined gait, glaring at nothing in particular. The hour being as late as it was meant that no students were around to see them, something he was thankful for. Trying to explain why the General of Atlas was marching through the halls of Haven with a platoon of soldiers would have been tedious indeed.
He'd sent Clover and Glynda along with another platoon of men to go after Cinder Fall. First they had to find the Deputy-Headmistress and confirm where her team was staying, it would be an entirely different diplomatic issue if they barged in on a room of innocent students after all. He trusted Clover and Glynda to make the right call.
In the meantime, James was able to go after Lionheart himself. He'd sent him a message about the Spring Maiden, saying that they had finally managed to track her down and that they needed to talk as soon as possible. The Headmaster had graciously offered the use of his office, to which Ironwood had agreed. It was centrally located within the school grounds, with only one built in exit and entrance that he knew of, and it would make it difficult for him to escape.
Ironwood had no doubt that he knew they were coming though, with how paranoid he was, it was likely that there were numerous cameras set up that betrayed their element of surprise. He had Bullheads circling above in case Lionheart tried to escape, they hadn't reported anything yet and Ironwood was unsure what to make of that.
Reaching the Headmaster's office, Ironwood paused. "Captain, take your men and search the Headmaster's quarters. If you find the suspect, bring him to me alive if possible, but under no circumstances can he be allowed to escape."
The officer nodded, gesturing for his men to follow before quickly departing down the hallway. Ironwood was willing to admit that it may have been a foolish idea, but the choice was beyond his to make. Lionheart would need to answer for his crimes, but much of what he had done couldn't be public knowledge; while he would have loved to inform his men of the truth, Ironwood knew he couldn't. Not yet anyways, but he was determined to get answers before the night was over and to do so they would need to be alone.
"James… what's going on?" Lionheart smiled nervously from behind his desk, but he wasn't sitting down. He had been packing something away when Ironwood entered the office, though what exactly he couldn't tell. "I thought we were supposed to-"
"Why?" Ironwood drew his revolver, keeping it low but ready to fire.
"I-I don't know what you mean." Lionheart stepped back, pulling his arm up and revealing that he had already attached his shield to his arm.
"How long?" Ironwood stepped to the side, hoping to circle around the room until the desk in its center was no longer between them. When Lionheart mimicked him he stopped.
"James, you can't just come to my school and-"
"Don't disgrace everything that Haven represents by claiming it belongs to you!" Ironwood snapped back. "You are a disgrace to everyone who has ever sat in your position, and I doubt it is a stain that will ever truly wash away. Now answer my questions!"
Lionheart shrunk back, clearly unsure of what to do. "Everything I did I did for the good of the kingdom-"
"Like hell you did!" Ironwood whipped his hand around, leaning forward and gazing into the man's eyes; willing his own hatred and disgust to be as evident as possible. "You betrayed everything we stood for, I demand you tell me why!"
"You don't get to make demands of me!" Lionheart frantically snapped back, and for a brief moment Ironwood thought he could see the courageous man that once was shining through. "Ozpin abandoned us! I've spent the last two decades guarding his precious school, and for what!? You have your army, Ozpin has his agents, what do I have!?"
"You could have asked for help." Ironwood replied. "You could have taken steps to build Mistral, instead you sold us out to her. Why?"
Whatever courage Lionheart had shown was temporary, at the mere mention of Salem he once again shrunk back. His hands were shaking as he struggled to speak. "I-I had no choice-"
"You always have a choice!" Ironwood yelled, pulling up Due Process and taking aim; continuing to circle around the man's former desk and close the distance. "Surrender now, I won't ask twice!"
Lionheart's eyes shifted towards the door; Ironwood began shifting his aim even before his target started running. Whatever important items he sought to take with him were forgotten as he tried to flee with his life. He managed to make it halfway before Ironwood pulled the trigger, his shot landing firmly on the backside of his knee; causing him to buckle and fall to the ground.
Despite his opponent's vulnerable state, Ironwood didn't pursue. Instead he watched as a man he once called friend desperately crawled towards the doorway he had no chance of reaching. Where once there had been a powerful Huntsman, now he only saw a coward; It was painful to watch.
Lionheart rolled over and pulled his shield up in time to block Ironwood's follow up shot, angling his shield, he quickly rotated it. Ironwood waited for the downed man to fully take aim before bending his knees slightly, the fireball that launched his way was fast, but it was easy to dodge. Diving to the side, he managed to get entirely out of its way, but he wasn't quite so lucky with the explosion it made.
While far from the largest explosion Ironwood had survived, it was enough to throw him from his feet as well as blow out the back wall of the office. He coughed and struggled to breath through the dust for a moment, a slight wave of panic overcoming him at the possibility that the traitor had managed to escape. Only for him to realize that Lionheart had been just as surprised as him.
Lionheart hadn't intended to distract him, nor had he planned any kind of escape. He was simply lashing out desperately in an attempt to survive. In the process he had managed to do something surprisingly useful. Despite his own shock, the coward had the common sense to try and take advantage of it, moving to try and run out the door again.
Ironwood reached the former Headmaster long before he was able to open the door. Flipping his pistol around to grasp it by the barrel he hit Lionheart in the forehead with the handle, causing him to stumble back several feet.
Rather than try and stand his ground or fight back, Lionheart turned and ran for the wall he had destroyed. Stumbling through the rubble on his way. Ironwood was close on his heels the entire time, never moving more than a fast walk to keep up.
Stepping back out into the storm, Ironwood saw Lionheart hesitate on the edge of the roof, looking around wildly for any path to escape. Looking up he saw the Bullheads circling above, the flashes of lightning helping to illuminate them occasionally.
"You're under arrest for murder and treason!" Ironwood yelled to be heard, the rain falling harder than it had over the last couple hours.
"I made the only choice I could!" Lionheart desperately yelled back. "The one Ozpin makes for all of us! We can't beat her!"
Ironwood tossed a pair of handcuffs over towards him, aiming his weapon in the process. "Enough excuses."
"She can't be killed!" Lionheart screamed back. "Salem can't die!"
Ironwood paused. "What are you talking about?"
"Salem is unkillable!" Lionheart's eyes were wide with panic and he stepped back, his feet coming towards the edge before he stopped.
"You'll say whatever you have to-"
"I asked Jinn, why do you think the spring Maiden ran away!?" Lionheart said. "We learned the truth! Ozpin is making us fight a never ending war that we can't win!"
"She… can't be killed?" Ironwood's hand fell slightly as he pondered the idea. It would explain why the Spring Maiden vanished without warning, she had been dedicated once. Until one day she was simply gone. As he thought about it, he realized that was around the same time Lionheart had started to distance himself. "Why would Ozpin keep that from us? You're lying!"
"Ask him yourself!?" Lionheart's eyes continued to flick around as he spoke. "He's manipulating us! All of us!"
Ironwood couldn't believe it. He trusted Ozpin, something that big… surely he would have told them. Surely he would have at least told him, right? Shaking his head he dispelled the thought for now, focusing on the task at hand. "You're coming with me to Atlas, where you will answer for what you've done!" He would need to speak with Ozpin, get his assurance that Lionheart was lying; he was a coward after all, and he would say whatever it took to escape.
As he stepped forward to grab him, Ironwood could see the fear in his eyes. When he reached out to grab him Lionheart shoved his hand aside, trying to create some distance between them. The rain, combined with him being out of space, caused him to lose his footing.
Lionheart managed to grab a hold of the ledge before falling, desperately trying to pull himself up the slick surface. Ironwood ran forward, reaching for the man's hand. As he did however he saw the fear return to his eyes, only this time he wasn't looking at the General but rather behind him. Hoisting his revolver and looking over his shoulder he saw something move inside the man's former office. He waited several long seconds before turning back towards Lionheart.
"Grab my hand." Ironwood reached down to pull him up.
"I'm no longer useful to her… I can't let her take me!" Lionheart screamed up at him.
"We won't let that happen!" Ironwood grasped a hold of Lionheart's wrist. "You're going to tell me everything you know!"
Lionheart didn't seem reassured, if anything his face seemed to pale in fear, before an odd sort of calm washed over him. Ironwood recognized it instantly and dropped his weapon, moving his other hand to grab hold of him. He was too slow however, Lionheart letting go of the ledge and falling, forcing him to let go lest he be pulled with him.
The fall was far, but not so far that a trained Huntsman couldn't survive. Aura, combined with a little bit of creative maneuvering and any Huntsman worth their dust would be able to land without incident. As the former Headmaster plummeted down however, he made no such preparations; landing with a sickening crack, he made no effort to move.
Standing from the ledge, Ironwood sighed, looking up towards the sky as if to ask for help. The rain that poured down onto his face and the echoing of thunder were the heavens only reply.
Waving his hand down toward the man's body, a Bullhead landed to investigate; the headshake he got in return was crushing. For all that he had become, Leonardo had been a friend once; many, many years ago. Now, he was nothing but one more life lost to the fight against Salem. His mind moved towards the man's warning, entertaining the idea longer than it deserved before picking up his pistol and returning towards the man's office.
Author's Note: So, that's most of the major stuff done for Mistral. Still a lot of character stuff to do as well as closing the last couple loose ends but I want to know what you all think of this whole section. Good, bad, etc. I want to know if I should try more stuff like this or stick to Beacon and Vale centric stuff.
As always, let me know what you think in the reviews.
Sincerely, SE