Note: Ok arc time! Enjoy!

There was always something wrong when Ozpin saw Team RWBY enter his office. This was no exception.

The girls should have been in class—a shocking statement, give that they seemed to treat Beacon and Atlas like their personal playgrounds. He doubted they learned a single thing since arriving at his school, and unfortunately, their negative influence was spreading. When they burst into his office, armed to the teeth with disrespectful snarls and bad attitudes, they were accompanied by Team JNPR and Team CFVY. Though their acquaintances carried themselves less surely, their mere presence was offensive enough. Ozpin sipped his coffee dryly as Ruby planted herself in the seat directly across from his desk, swarmed on all sides by her allies. Through the slatted window behind him, morning sunlight cast strips of shadow onto Ruby's face.

"Miss Rose. You should be studying for your finals," Ozpin said blankly.

"We need to talk," Ruby said, her words as icy as an Atlasian morning.

"Did you need to bring your friends along?" Ozpin asked.

"We're all a team. Of course, they'd come," Ruby said simply.

He looked around the room. While the members of Team RWBY had mastered their defiant stares, the others were less confident. Nora was trying incredibly hard to be intimidating, leaning over her table, eyes bulging out of her head like some deranged ant, mouth puckered into what she must have thought was a defiant sneer. Fox had his arms crossed in some "bad boy" posture, but his constant shifting of weight on his feet revealed his discomfort. Jaune and Velvet wouldn't make eye contact with him. Ren and Yatsu did not try to look scary at all. And then there was Pyrrha, whose dark glare from the back of the room only made them lament what was lost between them.

And Coco was… well, actually…

"You're missing one."

Ruby did not miss a beat. "Coco is feeling under the weather. Don't read into it."

The remaining members of Team CFVY flinched. Ozpin hid his smile.

"Oh, I think I've read plenty," he mused, taking another sip of coffee. "So, why are you bothering me? I take it you've come with another baseless accusation? Or perhaps you wish to blackmail me for everything I have?"

"Not necessarily," Blake quipped. "Though we'll consider it if you make this painful for us."

"When is dealing with you ever not painful?" Ozpin quipped back.

"Let's cut to the chase," Ruby said suddenly. "We know where Penny is, and we need your help rescuing her."

Ozpin's face flickered with emotion. His eyes narrowed, fixed onto a point of Ruby's darkened face. "Is that so? Why do I not believe you?"

"Oh, you best believe her, buster," Nora said. "We don't mess around. Unless you want a knuckle sandwich straight into your gums—"

Weiss shook her head. "Nora, not what we discussed."

Nora apologized. "Sorry, got excited." She went right back to staring big, puppy dog daggers into her headmaster, who was so deeply unintimidated by her presence that he nearly burst out laughing.

"Did you actually work on a plan before you came here, or—"

Yang tapped Ruby on the shoulder. "Play it, Ruby."

Ignoring Nora's outburst, Ruby automatically whipped out her Scroll, effortlessly loading up the voicemail that had sent her spiraling that morning. She showed no such distress now, and as she placed the Scroll on Ozpin's desk and pressed play, she felt some microscopic satisfaction of being the party with more knowledge for once. Ozpin sat quietly as the voicemail played out, reacting at first with suspicion to the sound of Penny's distorted voice. As it continued, Ruby paid close attention to his face. She could practically see the doubts shifting in his mind. Was this audio real? It must have been. Ironwood? Vault? Those coordinates. All of it fitting together like perfect puzzle pieces. Ozpin had a magnificent poker face under the best of circumstances, but he hadn't lived in the best of circumstances in a long time.

She could feel his thoughts.

No.

He wouldn't.

How irresponsible.

How foolhardy.

He was a traitor…

When the audio was over and enough time had passed for Ozpin to fully process the betrayal, he was pale. Empty. Like he had seen a specter.

Ruby just shrugged and casually swiped her Scroll from the desk.

"Hurts being betrayed, doesn't it?" she said coldly. "Now you know how most of your students felt like."

Ozpin had his suspicions. How could he not? For the past several days, James seemed elusive. Despite his precious pet project going missing, he never seemed to muster more than a frustrated huff at Ozpin's queries. James was the obvious suspect… but the Vault? A sacrifice to retrieve the Grail? This was beyond his wildest and most horrid conspiracies. Worse, it was a direct violation of their partnership, a shameless power grab that threatened to turn the world on its head. And he had known nothing about it… but somehow, Team RWBY did. Because of course they did.

Ozpin's words were hoarse. "Get out."

"No, we've just gotten started," Ruby stated. Ozpin's knuckles turned white as his grip on his coffee mug tightened. He had so much thrust upon him, and Ruby, ever the monster, did not give him time to come to terms with the truth. It was by design. The last thing she needed was for him to realize he had other options.

"Get out," Ozpin repeated. His upper lip curled and there was something stuck in his voice. Pain, perhaps?

"Why haven't you taken the Grail from the Vault?" asked Ruby.

Ozpin shook his head. What was this child doing? She needed to leave right at this moment. He didn't have time for her pathetic little games. This was an emergency, an abject catastrophe, and she was trying to spin it in her favor. Just when he thought she couldn't stoop lower against him, she stabbed him in the back and played with his wounds. How was he supposed to think with her and her little friends taunting him? No, that was the plan, wasn't it? That's why they brought along all of their pals. They wanted to watch him squirm. The eleven of them had literally backed him into a corner, watching him flail under the weight of this disastrous news, and they planned to exploit him. This was malicious at its very core.

"Hey, earth to Ozpin," Blake said, snapping her fingers in his face. He suddenly turned his anger toward her.

"Of all the things for you to involve yourself with—" His growls were cut short by Ruby slapping her hands against the desk.

"Listen to us. We do no have time to argue about this," she said forcefully. "Penny needs our help, you need that Relic to stay in that Vault. We came here with an offer to help you, but we need information now. Now is the time to be honest with us. Why have you never taken the Grail from the Vault?"

"Help?" Ozpin spat. "In what way could you possibly help? You shouldn't even have the faintest idea what any of this could mean."

"Yes, because you've worked very hard to keep us in the dark," Yang said bitterly.

"To protect everyone," Ozpin countered. "Why do you think I don't just go spouting the location of a classified Atlasian base everywhere I go? The Vault is not to be trifled with. It should be left alone. Do you not think maybe it's in the best interest of the world to keep these things out of the hands of literal teenagers? The fact that James would genuinely attempt to retrieve the Relic is—"

"So you agree that's why he would send Penny there?" Ruby confirmed. Ozpin just threw up his hands in defeat.

"Well, that's rather obvious, isn't it?" he groaned. "James believes that Penny is capable of retrieving the Relic from within the Vault's depths. That's the only possible reason she would be there. Of course, that is an incredibly short-sighted plan, because she most likely will fail and die and waste billions in Atlasian resources."

"It sounds like we agree there is no good outcome then," Ruby claimed. "If Penny fails, she dies. If she succeeds, Ironwood gets his hand on the Relic. You don't want that either, though I'm still waiting for the answer as to why."

"You're so brilliant. You can figure it out," Ozpin mocked her. He was already being tormented by children, betrayed by his closest ally, and faced with the possibility of a Relic falling into the hands of a very violent man. He didn't see any reason not to stoop to mocking. Ruby just crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. She hated to admit it, but she enjoyed having the high ground.

"I have my theories," she confessed. "My first thought was that you haven't been able to reach the Grail. It would explain your hesitation in getting involved with the Vault. Ironwood mentioned that all those who entered it have died, and that means there were likely people sent into the Vault in the past to explore it or remove its treasure. Penny would just be the longest in a line of victims caused by your own greed. But after considering it… I don't think you want to get the Relic even if you could. You wouldn't know what to do with a weapon of mass destruction if you got your hands on it. You like ruling from the shadows. Having a Relic in the open only risks it falling into the wrong hands, so you'd prefer to keep it safe in the Vault, where no one can be tempted by its power."

Ozpin sarcastically smiled at her. "Very well done, Miss Rose. You've learned so much in your short time at my Academy. I only wish it was something I taught you."

"But now Ironwood is threatening to throw away that balance," Ruby continued. "He's always wanted to rule with an iron fist. You've probably had to keep his impulses in check, but now, he no longer trusts you. He thinks you're weak. If you can't keep control of a couple of students, then what good are you to him?"

"You seem to have learned the first lesson of fascism the hard way," Blake stated. "There are no allies. Only temporary alliances with future targets."

"And Ironwood has decided to make his power play behind your back," Weiss claimed. "And there isn't a way to stop it; not without sacrificing many of your men or Penny's life."

"But that's where we come in," Ruby said determinedly. "We are the solution to all of your problems."

Ozpin was quicker than most, and it only took a few moments for him to follow along with Ruby's ideas. "You wouldn't…"

"We go to the Vault," Ruby declared. "We go in, grab Penny, and bail. We don't touch the Relic, we don't reveal the Vault's presence to anyone, and we don't cause any trouble. You give us the authority to access the Vault, give us the tools to survive whatever is waiting for us, and then everyone gets what they want. Penny lives, the Relic stays safe, and you get to reassert control over Ironwood."

"I see," Ozpin said distastefully. "And under what delusion are you to believe I would ever let you get within a thousand miles of that Vault? I don't want you touching that Relic."

"On that, we agree," Ruby nodded. "If the Holy Grail is as powerful as Ironwood thinks, we want it staying right where it is. We're not interested in power, either."

"You could have fooled me," Ozpin sneered. "But why I would send you over anyone else escapes me."

And next, Ruby played her masterful card.

"Because we're expendable," she confessed. She swore she saw a twinkle in Ozpin's eye. "Would you rather send in Goodwitch to die there? Huntsmen you like? Of course not. We're offering to risk our lives for you, something that you've always wanted. If you fail, you literally don't have to worry about Team RWBY ever again. That's a pretty good deal, don't you think?"

Ruby could not contain her smirk. This was the greatest offer she could imagine: a final, brutal end to the glory of Team RWBY, Ozpin's greatest nemesis. She knew his hand was weak. He had been beaten down, disgraced, humiliated, and betrayed, and every one of his problems could be traced directly back to them. He was a feeble man—perhaps not as insecure as Ironwood, but his ego was easily bruised and he was vulnerable to his worse impulses. She was offering him a fresh slate, an opportunity to turn failure into a rousing success. All she had to do was die.

It said much about his circumstances that Ozpin didn't immediately laugh at her. Once, long ago, he may have scoffed at the notion. He risked his own reputation to keep them alive, after all, when he could have had them imprisoned after the Grimm. But he kept them alive under the pretenses of their cooperation, of necessity. The Schnee powers and Rosaline were far too valuable to be tossed aside. Unfortunately, what was once a powerful tool had become a liability. Team RWBY revolted, turning his other students against him in the process. The Blossoming was rapidly approaching by Ironwood's account, and he was no closer to wrangling Ruby to his side. His most promising Grimm-killing replacement had been thrown into the dark behind his back. Goodwitch was—well, indisposed would be the proper term. In his desperation, Ruby was convinced he would take the easy option.

Unfortunately for her, it was never easy.

"That's very generous of you, Miss Rose… but I'll have to decline."

Ruby stopped smiling. Dammit. Time to negotiate.

"You don't have better options, unfortunately," Ruby reminded him. "We might be the only people who can survive whatever's in there."

"You kill one Grimm, and suddenly you think you are invincible," Ozpin said, shaking his head. "But that's not true, and as remarkable and unbelievable as this may sound to you, Miss Rose… I don't actually want any of you to die."

Blake scoffed. "Really? Any of us?"

"Even you, Miss Belladonna. Even you," Ozpin claimed incredulously, almost like he couldn't believe himself. "Your lives all have value to me, and to Beacon Academy. I'm not going to throw your lives away chasing ghosts."

Despite Ozpin's dismissiveness, Ruby could still see him trembling. His protests were weaker than she anticipated; less a stern rejection and more a flaccid denial of the truth. She could push him. She had to.

"And what do you think is going to happen to us if Ironwood gets the Holy Grail?" Ruby challenged him. "What do you think is going to happen to you?"

"Probably nothing," Ozpin claimed. "James isn't going to do anything drastic."

"You mean like sending Penny to a secret Vault behind your back?" Yang pointed out. "That doesn't sound drastic at all."

Ozpin just squinted at her. Ruby took that as an encouraging sign.

"I think you understand the stakes here," Blake explained. "Would we really be sitting here, begging to put ourselves in harm's way, if we didn't understand the consequences? If Ironwood succeeds, nothing else matters. Say goodbye to Vytal, the President, your power, everything. Ironwood gets his hand on that Relic, and we are all fucked."

"The way we see it, there are four possible outcomes," Ruby laid out. "If you don't send us to the Vault, then Penny will die, and you lose out on your new favorite student. Or, Ironwood succeeds, gets the Relic, and we are all in danger. If you do send us, we could die trying to rescue Penny—something you can significantly reduce the risk of if you just give us all the information we are asking for. Or, we succeed: We rescue Penny, stop Ironwood from getting the Grail, and everyone wins. Just in terms of probability, you are more likely to have a superior outcome if you send us to that Vault."

Ozpin sighed. Ruby Rose: too analytical for her own good. He absolutely, positively, one hundred percent did not want Ruby anywhere near the proximity of anything pertaining to the Fables, but the risk of Ironwood's success was nearly unthinkable. It was as if Ironwood took every one of his fears about Rosaline and personified them within himself. James was always short-sighted, eager to receive quick victories and broad displays of power over long-term strategy. No matter what Ozpin decided, something significant would have to be done about James' temperament.

But as for Ruby's points, he did have to wonder: what did he have to lose by RWBY and Friends sacrificing themselves? A hit to their public reputation. The loss of a prodigal Huntress, and the public blowback that would accompany it. He would be down several teams in Vytal, though that seemed so insignificant to the threats he was facing if he failed to act. And, if failure was to truly come, the loss of Weiss Schnee, the powers she wielded, and the connections she formed. That loss would be difficult… though not insurmountable.

Ozpin was an old man. His Semblance had blessed him with an unnatural vigor, and for one hundred and thirty years, he had seen many Huntsmen and Huntresses with great promise come and go. There were always "chosen ones", those he believed could carry humanity forward into a brighter era. Glynda was not his first confidant, nor would she be the last. Pyrrha was not his first protégé, nor would she be the last. Weiss was not the first to tap into the mysteries of other realms, and no, she would not be the last either. With every Rosaline that came through his door, he wondered if his war would finally come to an end. It never did. Ruby was no different. If she failed—and he prayed that she did not—he could try again. He had time on his side. Always, and forever.

If James Ironwood got his hands on that Relic… there were no second chances. But then again, that was no guarantee either.

"I have to admit… I am deeply curious," Ozpin said. He turned toward the other members of Team NYBF, who, as instructed, had remained silent throughout RWBY's negotiation. They had not stopped squirming underneath the pressure, and Ozpin's keen gaze only broke them down further. "I can understand why Team RWBY would agree to such a foolish plan. How did they manage to convince the rest of you?"

Before any of the rest could answer, Ruby's head snapped around, and she spoke with panic.

"You don't have to answer that," she warned. "Don't let him get to you."

"Fearmongering seems to be the chosen strategy," he deduced. "Did she scare you with stories about a fascist dictatorship? Discuss threats to your families?"

The others squirmed. Velvet and Jaune both averted their gazes. Even Nora, as confident as she was, seemed to slump her shoulders. Their silence told him everything.

"You know, if you don't leave, the most likely outcome is that Penny dies. A tragic outcome to be certain, but hardly a world-ending catastrophe. If you do leave, then you'll just die with her. The lives of twelve students were sacrificed instead of merely one. You speak with confidence as if you'll somehow do what no one else has ever done, but it is entirely unjustified. You've all made your bed with Team RWBY, terrified of me as if I'm some horrible monster, but they are the ones leading you to your deaths—"

"Enough."

Ruby wasn't the one who interfered. She gasped as Pyrrha pushed herself to the front of the crowd, forcing the standing members of Team RWBY out of the way. Ruby watched in astonishment as the usually restrained Huntress leaned over her and the desk, throwing herself directly into Ozpin's field of view.

"Miss Nikos—"

"We are going to that Vault," she declared. Her green eyes had turned something vicious and Ruby smartly decided to keep quiet. "All you ever try to do is stifle us and pretend that you are acting in our best interest. None of us believe you anymore."

"I'm trying to stop you from getting killed," Ozpin tried to explain, but his former prodigy was having none of it.

"You are stopping us because it is beneficial for yourself. It's always beneficial for yourself. Our classmate is in danger, and you are preventing us from forming a rescue operation. You are endangering Penny's life. If she dies, we will firmly place the blame on you. We are in charge of our own destiny now, and if you do not agree to help us, I will report to the media directly everything that you have ever done to us, and I will give them all proof, and I will get you removed from your position as Headmaster."

Ozpin stared her down. This… this wasn't something Pyrrha had coordinated with Team RWBY. Perhaps they inspired her, but this was an idea all her own. Ruby seemed just as taken aback by her ally's outburst.

"You wouldn't dare," Ozpin growled.

"Try me." Pyrrha's hands clenched into fists. "Team RWBY tolerates you as Headmaster because they don't want the chaos that will come with your expulsion. But our tolerance is wearing thin. You do not get to decide what's good for me. If Team RWBY wants to go to the Vault, then you will allow them. And if you deny us that, then we will show you what a world-ending catastrophe looks like."

Ruby's eyes darted back and forth between the headmaster and his favorite student. Ozpin became quiet once more, and she could see his resistance break down in real-time. Pyrrha hid her trembling well, and Ruby was deeply impressed by her conviction. Ozpin's relationships were complicated. He had never liked her, always viewing her as a sword in need of sharpening. She was a foe, always something to strike down and defeat, or a tool to mold into a perfect vessel for is ideas. Ozpin never viewed Pyrrha that way. Maybe he always thought she was too naïve, or maybe she reminded him of a woman he once knew from a happier time. Ruby did not fully understand, but she never needed to. Ozpin viewed Ruby as an adversary, but he liked Pyrrha. Or at least, something so close to it that she could use it as an advantage. He would fold for her, plead and beg, and be broken into pieces. If Ruby came at him with threats, he would fight. But before they entered Ozpin's office, Ruby informed Pyrrha that if she threatened him, he would hurt.

She had more than one masterful card. And she learned long ago that when cooperation was impossible, threats made weak men crumble.

Ozpin said nothing under the weight of Pyrrha's stare. He would accept his defeat without fanfare. Ruby chose not to gloat.

By midday, Ozpin had the airship prepared. The pilots were given limited instructions; no need to reveal more than necessary. Ruby could only imagine their shock when they saw eleven students approaching them, equipped with swords, shields, spears, and scythes. They might have been prepared to detain them on the spot until Ruby flashed them the holographic badge provided by their headmaster. Executive Clearance. They were approved for the mission, and there was not a damn thing anyone could do to stop them.

The others were slightly hesitant to board the ship, but Nora gave them words of encouragement.

"Come on, you pansies! Let's go Vault diving!"

Nora skipped onto the airship, and her teammates reluctantly followed behind her. Before she boarded, Pyrrha and Ruby exchanged glances. Only they would understand the meaning between them.

Ruby took one step onto the ramp. Ozpin had been more than cooperative with the right prodding. He gave them everything they could ever dream of. Maps. Records. Insight that only one of the most powerful men in the world could bring. She was surer of herself than ever before. In six hours, the plan had come together. Her allies had been swayed. The Vault was hers to conquer. She was certain the last of the surprises were behind her. Then, she heard a voice calling out to her.

"Yo!"

Ruby turned around to see a brilliant, effortless stride. Coco Adel approached the airship, briefcase in hand, beret slanted and shades locked onto Ruby's face. The members of Team CFVY had not fully boarded and rushed to Coco's side. However, she strode directly past them. Only one woman was on her mind, and as Ruby stood defiantly on the ramp, Coco marched right up to her, staring down the youngest Huntress. Blake, Weiss, and Yang stood idly by, unsure if a fight was about to break out, but Ruby ordered them to stand down with a wave of her hand.

They stared at each other in silence.

A full minute passed. Neither moved a muscle.

Eventually, Ruby's gaze wavered, wandering down to Coco's briefcase.

"So… you decided to come along?"

Coco slowly removed her glasses. Her dark brown eyes contained all of the fury her cool posturing wouldn't reveal.

"I want to get something straight with you," Coco warned. She spoke in a hushed tone, keeping her voice out of earshot of her teammates. "I don't approve of what you did back there. I think it was fucked up to play on their fears like that. This is not the shit we signed up for, and we are never, ever doing this again."

"But you're coming anyway?" Ruby asked. Coco looked over her shoulder toward her teammates, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I couldn't live with myself if I let them go to that Vault alone. I'm doing this exclusively for them. Got that?" Coco turned back around, every word dripping with crystal clear intent. "And one more thing: if any of them end up getting hurt, I'm putting a fucking bullet in your head. Because that will be on you."

Ruby didn't flinch. She didn't falter. Instead, with a face of stone, she reached into one of the pouches on her waist, and retrieved a holographic badge, extending it to her partner.

"I knew it was a good idea to ask for an extra one of these," she stated. "Welcome aboard."