AN: So, Volume 9 just ended. I have thoughts. Honestly, I thought it was a little underwhelming. I was expecting more from certain aspects.

Anyway, onwards!

Chapter 135

"I swear if I have to sit through one more council meeting like that…" Ruby heard General Ironwood's voice as they stepped out of an elevator. Atlas Academy seemed like the rest of the city of Atlas itself: beautiful, sleek, futuristic, and somehow… absolutely soulless. The general was ahead of them, walking into his office flanked on either side by Penny and Winter. Penny noticed the group first, and turned happily to face them.

"Yay, you're here!" she exclaimed, making Winter and General Ironwood turn around. Winter's eyes widened at seeing her sister, clearly surprised that she came back to Atlas. Ruby noticed that Yang and Uncle Qrow scowled deeply when they saw Ironwood, and she really couldn't blame them.

A part of her also really wanted to hurt him. But she had more important things to worry about than her feelings.

Penny seemed to notice the tense atmosphere that seemed to have fallen over the group suddenly, looking between both parties with confusion. Ruby shrank a little bit when she noticed that the general's gaze was fixed firmly upon her. Finally, General Ironwood spoke.

"Please, come in," he said, stepping inside his office, the group following after him, Penny, and Winter. The General stopped just in front of his desk, turning to face them with his hands folded behind his back. "I sincerely apologize for my te—"

WHAM!

General Ironwood's words were interrupted when Uncle Qrow suddenly ran up to him and punched him across the face, knocking the general backwards and forcing him to catch himself on the desk behind him. Everyone was taken off-guard by the sudden attack, with Penny covering her mouth in shock, and Winter instinctively reached for her sword at her waist.

"Qrow!" Winter called out warningly, but General Ironwood held up his hand.

"No, it's okay," he said. "I deserved that."

"You're damn right you did!" Uncle Qrow yelled. "After what you did to my wife!" Winter's eyes widened in remembrance, and her stance relaxed.

"I am confused," Penny said. "What did the general do to Mrs. Branwen?"

"After Beacon, Aqua was paralyzed and brought to Atlas for treatment," Weiss explained.

"And then this asshole worked with Weiss' father to keep both Weiss and our mom trapped in Atlas," Yang continued. "All because he wanted her weapon."

"When we escaped, he told the world that she had kidnapped me," Weiss said. Penny looked at the general in shock.

"Is this true?" she asked.

"…To a point," Ironwood said. "That is why I understand your anger. I would be mad at me, too, in your position. I also couldn't help but notice that Aqua isn't here. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

A silence fell over the room as Uncle Qrow clenched his fist again.

"She's not here because she's…" he said, closing his eyes to stop tears. "Because she's dead."

Ironwood, Winter, and Penny's eyes all opened wide with shock.

"What… how…?" Ironwood asked, fumbling for his words.

"Haven was attacked," Uncle Qrow said. "We were all there, defending it, and Aqua was killed. While you pulled all your troops out of Mistral with your tail between your legs, my wife was fighting and dying. If you hadn't left us high and dry, maybe she'd still be here!"

"I didn't want to pull my troops out, but after Beacon, I needed to secure my ranks," Ironwood said. "As for why I tried to keep Aqua in Atlas, I wasn't doing it as punishment because she wouldn't give me her Keyblade. While I would have wished to have access to a weapon of that caliber, I understood that she wasn't able to. I was trying to keep her in Atlas because I wanted to make sure Salem didn't get her hands on her. I didn't know Jacques was going to try to turn her into his plaything. Had I known, I would have stopped him. But I was keeping her in Atlas for her own safety. I couldn't let her be captured or killed by Salem."

Uncle Qrow backed off slightly. Ruby didn't miss the implications of the general's words. He tried to keep Mom in Atlas, where he thought it was safe. She escaped, and then was their only casualty during their very first battle against Salem's forces.

The general felt that he was right in keeping her here.

Uncle Qrow took a deep breath, and relaxed on the exhale.

"There's one thing I don't understand," Winter said. "If you all feel so strongly about what the general did, then why did you come here? Surely you Atlas would be the last Kingdom you would want to be in."

"None of us like it, but we have some important information that's…confidential," Uncle Qrow said.

"Oh, is it about the Relics?" Penny asked, surprising everyone.

"Or perhaps the Winter Maiden?" Winter asked.

"You told them?" Uncle Qrow asked. The general nodded.

"Did you think you were the only one who got to work on a new plan after Beacon?" Ironwood asked. "With Ozpin gone, I needed my own team of people I could trust. So yes, I told them. The Ace Ops, too, along with one other. Which is why I'm so glad you're here… with that." He pointed to the Lamp still dangling from Ruby's belt. "Until now, I believed it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, has kept victory out of her claws, but she will keep returning stronger and stronger… unless we destroy her."

His words gave Ruby pause, remembering the words Jinn had spoken to Ozpin.

Salem couldn't be destroyed, no matter what Ironwood's plan was.

"But… what about the Atlas Relic?" she asked.

"You mean the Staff of Creation?" Ironwood asked.

"It's safe inside the Vault!" Penny answered.

"And the Winter Maiden?" Uncle Qrow asked.

"She is secure and in stable condition," Winter said.

"Stable condition?" Yang asked. "What does that—"

"She's uh, not exactly a spring chicken," Uncle Qrow said.

"I know how this all looks," the general said. "Recalling my military? The embargo? Aqua? I probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now."

"Then why continue it?" Blake asked.

"The people of Mantle are hurting!" Nora said.

"I needed to ensure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas," Ironwood said. "And I wanted my military here, protecting my people."

"But it's not protecting them!" Yang yelled. "It's making everyone hate you."

"It's a price I'm willing to pay. Now, I know all of you have good reason to dislike me, but since all of you have already been entrusted with the knowledge of Salem's existence, I hope you can still find it in yourselves to assist me, and Winter, and the rest of Atlas."

Ruby was surprised at his request for help. A part of her wanted to deny his request on the spot because of what he did to Mom, regardless of his apparent reasons for doing them. But another part of her also knew that Mom's Keyblade definitely had something to do with what he had done. He knew Ruby had a Keyblade, too, and they had Riku with them, as well. If she refused to work with him, would he let her leave? Would he try to stop them from gathering the Relics to access the Keyhole and get Riku back to the Realm of Light? Would she and the others have any other way to help Mantle other than helping Ironwood?

"…Okay," Ruby said finally.

"What?" Yang asked. "Sis, you can't be serious. Did you forget what this asshole did?"

"Of course not!" Ruby yelled. "But what other choice do I have? I can't trust that he'd let me leave if I refused." Ironwood looked ashamed at her words, or at least she hoped it was shame, but he didn't speak up to deny it. "And I promised Mom that I would always do the right thing. And right now, the right thing is putting my feelings aside and helping out here, especially if I can help out in Mantle."

"Well, count me out," Yang said.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"I mean, it's taking every ounce of willpower I have to not rip him apart right now," Yang said, pointing at Ironwood. "I can't forgive him for what he did to Mom, and I can't put my feelings aside. It's been so much harder to stay in control ever since Mom died, and I know I'll jeopardize everything when I eventually snap and attack him."

"Yang, what are you saying?" Ruby asked.

Yang took a deep breath, and exhaled. "…I'm saying that I think it would be best if I left the team for a little while."

"What?" Ruby asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I just… I need to figure stuff out first," Yang said. "I haven't felt right for a while, and being around him is just going to make things worse."

"…But…" Weiss said, trying to think of something to say.

"I need the two of you to look after Ruby for me. Would you?" Yang asked.

"Of course," Blake said.

"You can count me out, too," Cloud suddenly said, surprising everyone.

"Why?" Tifa asked.

"I'm not interested in playing soldier," Cloud said. "I'm just here to look for Sephiroth. Staying here to work for him isn't part of the plan."

"Then I'm coming with you," Tifa said.

"No, you aren't," Cloud said. "Just leave me alone. Besides, do you really think you'd be able to live with yourself if you didn't stay to help out?"

"…" Tifa didn't seem to have any response to that.

"Does anybody else wish to leave?" the general asked. No one answered, so he gestured towards the door. "Very well. Miss Xiao Long, while your decision disappoints me, I understand your reasons, and I respect it."

"Yeah, yeah," Yang said, she and Cloud turning to leave.

"Yang!" Ruby called out. Yang turned around to look at her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Yang said, and the two blonds left the room, the door closing behind them.

"I'll have a squad escort them down to Mantle," the general said. He looked out over the group. "Now, I believe there are some unfamiliar faces here."

"Oh, these are Tifa, Oscar, and Riku," Ruby introduced the three of them.

"You should probably know that I also have a Keyblade," Riku said, causing Ironwood to pause.

"How is that possible?" Ironwood asked. "Aqua told me that she was the only Keyblade wielder left after her order was destroyed, and that Miss Rose was the only apprentice she'd ever take on. Did she lie to me? Who are you?"

Ruby's eyes widened in mild panic, and quickly looked at Riku. The silver-haired boy remained calm, however. "My Master was a man named Yen Sid," Riku said. "He left the order before Aqua's time, so she didn't know he existed. I was actually sent by him to find Aqua, but then I learned that she had died."

Riku had said it with such confidence, that Ruby wondered if any of it was even a lie. The general gave him a scrutinizing look for several seconds.

"…Very well," he finally said. "My apologies. But now that we are all on the same page, I need to ask one more time: Does anyone else wish to leave? What I am about to tell you is extremely confidential. I need to know that you are all committed to my plan." Everyone left nodded resolutely. "Very well. Ozpin believed the best way to fight Salem was to do so in secret. Whether that was the right choice or not isn't for me to say. But we find ourselves in a position of needing, well, a new approach." The general pressed a button on his desk, and the shutters in the office closed, darkening the room, while a holotable rose up from the center.

"And what do you suggest?" Uncle Qrow asked. The General pulled out a small remote and pressed a button, displaying the hologram of a familiar structure.

"That's… Amity Colosseum," Jaune said.

"Where the Vytal Festival is held?" Oscar asked.

"Indeed," the general said. "When Beacon fell and everyone on Remnant lost contact with one another, I knew our current system was outdated. Amity was built to bring the nations together, and it will serve that purpose once again." He pressed another button on the remote, and an antenna appeared on top of the colosseum.

"Isn't it great?" Penny asked. "We're not going to just replace Beacon Tower. Building a new tower on top of Amity Colosseum will re-establish global communications!"

"By launching the tower high into the atmosphere, our scientists believe we can create a sort of… satellite out of reach of the Grimm and capable of maintaining global communications even if we were to lose another tower," Winter explained.

"That is great," Ruby said.

"James… you don't need the entire military for this," Uncle Qrow said.

"I will for the next part, where I finally tell the people about Salem," the general said, surprising everyone yet again.

"Huh, so that's why you withdrew your troops, to handle the panic that would break out in Atlas," Uncle Qrow said.

"Yes, panic is inevitable, and panic brings the Grimm. But I believe we are ready. Once Atlas has come to grips with the fight ahead, I'll use Amity Tower to spread the message to all of Remnant."

"But everything will fall apart," Weiss said. "Grimm will be everywhere!"

"You're right," Winter said. "But Atlas is willing and prepared to assist."

"Trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all," the general said. He pressed a button on the remote. The hologram disappeared, the holotable receded back into the floor, and the shutters opened back up.

"Oz spent his whole life, many lives, keeping this secret," Uncle Qrow said.

"I know. But since Beacon, things have changed. Without him here to guide us, all I can do is use my best judgement." Osar shifted uncomfortably, catching Ironwood's eye. "What is it?"

"Actually, Oz isn't completely gone," Oscar said.

"Uh, Oscar here is…" Uncle Qrow said, his voice filled with uncertainty, "is the next Ozpin."

"Oz?" Ironwood asked, smiling and eagerly approaching a nervous Oscar. "I'm so glad you're here. I didn't think you—"

Oscar held up his hand to stop the general. "Not quite," he said. "He's kind of, um, gone… at the moment." The smile fell from Ironwood's face.

"That's not normal. How did he-?"

"We don't know," Ruby said, prompting surprised looks from some of the others. "We were in a train crash, and ever since, well…suddenly, Oz wasn't there anymore."

"That's the worst news yet," Ironwood said. "Did you learn anything from him about the Relics before…?"

"He told us the Lamp can answer three questions," Ruby said. "But all the questions were used up already."

Out of the corner of Ruby's eye, she saw Blake and Pyrrha share an uncertain look.

"Right, right," Ironwood said. He walked back over to his desk and began to stare out the window. "Ozpin told us that too, once upon a time." He turned back to face them. "At least we have you, Oscar. You're safe in Atlas. Maybe together we can figure out how to bring Ozpin back."

"Thank you, sir," Oscar said, before awkwardly trying to stand at attention. "I mean, uh, general. Uh, Ironwood?" Nora smiled lovingly at Oscar's awkward display.

"We must work together if we're to fight Salem and win," Ironwood said. "Now, if you're all on board…"

"Tell us how we can help," Ruby said.

"Good, because getting the Amity Tower ready to launch won't be easy. But first, I think we need to get those weapons of yours up to our standards."

"Remember, this is Atlas," Winter said. "While assisting the military, we will provide you with the best equipment our scientists can devise."

"Ohh!" Nora said excitedly.

"And as for you, Mister Arc and Miss Nikos," the general said. "Congratulations on the birth of your son. Rest assured, we will see to it that you are provided with anything you need to care for him."

"Oh, uh, thank you," Pyrrha said.

"May I ask his name?"

"It's Achilles," Jaune said.

"A strong name," he said. "I'm happy to see it."

"Hey, uh, before we get situated," Uncle Qrow said. "I'm going to leave active duty for a little while."

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"Back when Adam attacked us, I couldn't do anything to help," he said. "I started going through alcohol withdrawal. Aqua's death hit me pretty hard, and I can't be drunk on the job to avoid getting the shakes. And besides…" he trailed off, before shaking his head. "Anyway, you got any place I can check in? Get cleaned up?"

"Of course," the general said. "We'll have you checked into a rehabilitation facility here in Atlas. I'm glad you're taking the steps to ensure your good health."

"Yeah, sure," Uncle Qrow said, not entirely buying Ironwood's concern.

"Oh, and one more thing, Ruby," the General said before everyone could leave. "I trust you understand that discretion is important in this matter. Even thought Miss Xiao Long is your sister, I will need to ask you to limit communications with her. At least until Amity Tower is finished. I can't take any risks. I hope you understand."

"…I understand…" Ruby said.

"So, that was the second time I got banned," Ruby heard one of the Ace Ops, a man with long hair and a dog tail, telling his teammates. "Then there was the third time when—"

"Alright, cut the chatter," the leader, Clover if Ruby remembered correctly, said when he noticed the group approaching after leaving Ironwood's office. "I'd like to sincerely apologize for the miscommunication down in Mantle. We didn't intend to—"

"I feel so bad, honestly!" A large woman that her uniform without sleeves said, interrupting Clover. "If we had known who you were, we'd be laughing over a hot meal right now and—"

"I understand," Ruby said. "You were just following orders."

"I mean, you could have asked us some questions first," Weiss said.

"Questions are for the weak," the Faunus man said. "But we're all on the same team now. Not that I'm happing about it." He crossed his arms, but noticed that his tail was wagging, much to his visible embarrassment.

"We just wanted to say we're sorry," Clover said. "And that we're 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."

"Exactly why I'm looking forward to seeing what you kids can do," a short woman said.

"Not everything's a competition, Hare," the final member of the Ace Ops, a thin man with pale skin, said.

Penny ran up to Ruby and excitedly threw her hands up.

"C'mon! Let me show you around campus!"

"Thanks for the lift," Yang said to the pilot of the airship, after she and Cloud and hopped off down in Mantle. The pilot gave them a curt nod and took off. Yang rubbed her bare arms. She had never had a chance to recover her jacket back in Argus, so the cold was really starting to get to her. "So, what now?" she asked Cloud.

"Whatever you want," the blond man said. "I'm gonna go look for work. Get back in the mercenary game."

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" Yang asked.

"I'll figure it out."

"What about me?" Yang asked.

"You should have thought about that," Cloud said, turning to leave without another word.

"Jerk," Yang said under her breath. She took a look around, and saw a poster with the face of a woman with bleach blonde hair on it.

Robyn Hill for Council! The poster read. Fight for Mantle!

"Robyn Hill, huh?" Yang asked, pulling the poster down to get a good look at it.

"Didn't your mother say something about a woman named Robyn?" Simba asked from inside her head.

"Yeah, she did," Yang said. "I think she was a friend of hers."

"Maybe we should seek her out," Simba said. "If she was a friend of Aqua's, then maybe she'd be willing to help you."

"Yeah, but where do I find her?" Yang asked.

"You pigs can't keep Mantle down forever!" a man's voice suddenly yelled, throwing a rock at a departing airship. "Robyn will end Ironwood's tyranny!"

"Maybe he'll know," Simba said.

Yang sighed and approached the man. "Hey, you."

The man turned and looked at her with suspicion. "Who are you?"

"You were just talking about Robyn Hill, right?" Yang asked. "Do you know where to find her?"

"What do you want with the beautiful and powerful Robyn Hill?" the man asked.

"I want to talk to her," Yang said, putting her hands up in a placating gesture. "My mom was friends with her. Her name was Aqua."

"Aqua Branwen?!" the man asked, getting excited for some reason. Also, how did he know Mom's last name? "You mean to tell me that you're the daughter of the Angel of Atlas?!"

"The… what?" Yang asked.

"The Angel of Atlas!" the man said. "Everyone down hear has heard about Aqua Branwen, the stunningly beautiful Huntress that was wrongfully imprisoned in Atlas, and put Jacques Schnee and General Ironwood in the hospital!"

"Uh, sure," Yang said, deciding to put the brakes on this whole conversation before it got weird. "Look, do you know where Robyn is or not?"

"Of course!" he declared. "Let me show you the way!"

"For the last time, a singular hideout makes us susceptible to discovery," Arthur Watts spoke into a communication device on his ear. The person on the other end was one of Watts's least favorite people. Not that he particularly liked anyone, but the point stood. As Watts stood forward, he used his rings to hack into the traffic post to allow him to walk across the street without breaking his stride.

Watts couldn't believe how easy infiltrating Mantle had been.

"But what if we're seen?" Tyrian asked. "What if we're recognized?"

"We stay mobile," Watts said. He could hear the squelching sounds of stabbings on the other end of the call, informing him that Tyrian was indulging himself. "While cybersecurity has been stepped up in Atlas, as usual, none of the code was updated in Mantle."

Tyrian chuckled. "That certainly sounds useful."

"It should be" Watts, said, shutting down all the cameras around him. "I help write that code, after all."

"Well, I suppose we all have our talents."

Whoever was with him on the other end screamed.

"Thanks for the tour, Penny," Ruby said after she, Weiss, Blake, and Tifa had been situated in one of the dorms. They had changed into their pajamas, a white tee shirt with the Atlas Academy logo on it, and black sweatpants.

"Any time!" Penny said happily. "Let me know if you need anything!"

"I think we're fine," Blake said.

"Sensational! Then I will see you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Penny!" Ruby said, closing the door as the android left. She turned around and saw the others looking at her weird. "What?"

"Why did you lie to the general?" Weiss asked. "About the lamp, and Ozpin, and Salem?"

"I don't know," Ruby said. "It just seemed right. I don't think he would have taken it very well."

"But, we agreed that we would tell him the truth," Blake said.

"We did?" Ruby asked. "When?"

The others looked at each other.

"Back in Mantle," Tifa said. "You don't remember?"

"No," Ruby said. "Weird. Anyway, good night. I'm tired."

Ruby flopped into her bunk without a second's hesitation, doing her best to ignore the confused stares of her friends.

When had they discussed anything about Ironwood?

She really couldn't remember.

AN: So, I have some explaining to do. Yes, Ruby chose to still lie to Ironwood despite everyone already agreeing not to. The problem is that she was spacing out at the time and wasn't listening. But, now she kind of trapped everyone in her lie. They can't risk incurring Ironwood's wrath by revealing that Ruby is intending to begin their working relationship on a lie.

In other news, Yang has officially left Team RWBY. This was the buildup of her having such a bad attitude since losing Aqua. This was always where I was taking it.

I want to remind everyone that this story has a Tv Tropes page!

As always, thank you very much for reading, and I'll see you all next time!