Chapter 30

Argus was attacked by the Leviathan. After it was amped, the Leviathan became an unstoppable monster and destroyed the Colossus. At the same time, Rosa had a Mandalorian Honor duel with the sister of Sienna Khan. Ruby used her silver eyes to defeat the Leviathan, and Rosa barely won her duel with Nix Khan. Now they are traveling to Atlas.

Ironwood brought the knights into Atlas. The cold winds filled the air as the knights were moving toward the port of entry, making each of them glad they got warmer clothing before arriving. Ironwood helped get them through quickly. Ironwood talked with Qrow and Oscar as they moved forward. Rosa walked beside Ruby as she rubbed her hands together.

"Thankfully it's less explosive than the last time I was here." Rosa said.

"Wish it wasn't freezing." Ruby said.

"Blushing can make your face warm." Rosa said.

"I'd have to be blushing." Ruby said.

"I can get Yang." Rosa said.

"I think there are other things that I can do first." Ruby said.

"Give me your hand." Rosa said. Ruby gave it to Rosa, and she started using magic to heat up her hands.

"This maiden power never ceases to amaze." Ruby said.

"You can heat up the area around you?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah. Just figured it out. Want me to try heating the area?" Rosa asked.

"Yes please." Nora said. Rosa closed her eyes and started to heat up the area.

After a minute, Ironwood turned around and felt the heat that Rosa was making.

"She's…" Ironwood started.

"Helping her friends feel warm." Oscar said. "If you had any doubts about her, I'm sure that should lessen some doubts you had."

Ironwood looked at the woman doing something so simple for her friends, and the friends who were huddling around her. He had to admit to himself that he did worry about her and what she had become. He knew that she had gone through so much, but she had also done so much. He did have private doubts that maybe… she was a spy. It wasn't the most outlandish thing that he ever thought. He turned back to Oscar and Qrow.

"Do you trust her with your life?" Ironwood asked.

"I have. Almost daily while we were in Argus." Oscar said.

"She's not going back." Qrow said.

Ironwood nodded.

After they left the port of entry and left the gates, they got to see Atlas. There was work being done everywhere. The damage from the attack over a year ago was mostly cleaned. There were still pockets of debris, but as a whole, the city was recovering. Rosa looked down and saw the city of Mantle right below Atlas. It hadn't had as many attacks against it during the White Fang attack on Atlas, but there was still damage. Ruby looked into the sky and saw three Republic Venators in the air.

"Atlas has three?" Ruby asked.

"Since you've been in Menagerie, there have been a few more ships that arrived. We've been receiving more and more clones and aliens from the galaxy at large. Frankly, Atlas is changing into a diverse place. We've had many smaller ships arrive since you all left Vale. Many smaller ships have joined us." Ironwood explained.

"I see you've already started putting good use to the Technology." Qrow said. The city was far more advanced than it once was. Mantle now resembles the tech level of what Atlas was only three years ago. Atlas was reminding Rosa somewhat of Coruscant. She was reminded of Nar Shaddaa, of the Empress Teta system. She could see the flying taxi ships.

"Really? That was the first thing you all adopted? The cluttered airways?" Rosa said. Ironwood turned to Rosa, surprised, before remembering that she was also from the galaxy at large.

"It is convenient. Besides, we already had the infrastructure. We just have… more of the flying cabs." Ironwood said. A larger shuttle came and picked them up.

"Where are we going to be housed?" Pyrrha asked.

"I was hoping in Atlas Academy. We have rooms prepared for all of you. Two beds per room. Most of the team rooms are already filled." Ironwood said. That would leave one member of team RRWBY and JNPOR in the same room. Yang realized it too and put a hand on Oscar's shoulder.

"I know we joke around a lot, but you are not rooming with Ruby." Yang said quietly so that only Oscar heard. His face turned red.

"I wasn't going to suggest that." Oscar said. Yang leaned back and turned to Ruby.

"You aren't rooming with Oscar." Yang said. Ruby looked away from Oscar, realizing why Oscar was blushing. Yang didn't think that Oscar would suggest that, but she could always be surprised. Rosa leaned forward and saved her two young friends some embarrassment

"It's probably going to be me anyway." Rosa said. Rosa put her hand on Oscar's shoulder to reassure him that it was okay.

"I can accept that." Yang said. Ironwood watched the Knights. Qrow leaned in so only he could hear.

"How long until the Sith get here?" Qrow asked.

"We assume they've already started arriving. General Fordo is in charge of Mantle's security. Winter's coming back soon. We just have to wait for them." Ironwood said.

"And the Winter Maiden?" Qrow asked.

"That's why I asked for Winter to come back. She's dying Qrow. She doesn't have long left." Ironwood said.

"Winter, huh. You sure not Weiss or one of these girls?" Qrow asked.

"I'm sure. You already have one maiden in the group. There's no reason to put two in danger." Ironwood said.

"I don't like this." Qrow said.

"I don't think any of us do." Ironwood said.

The knights got to Atlas Academy. Quinlan Vos was waiting for the group. He stood up once Ironwood and the group made it.

"Quinlan. Have you learned the layout of the school yet?" Ironwood asked.

"Got everything in order." Quinlan turned to the knights.

"I'm in charge of security here at Atlas, along with a group of hunters. The Ace-ops as you call them?" Quinlan asked Ironwood.

"Yes. The Ace-Ops are some of the best hunters and huntresses the school has produced. Quinlan Vos here agreed to take control of one of the aspects of the school. Jedi Master Maru is leading the Jedi team that is protecting the Winter Maiden. I am in charge of the military aspect here, so I am also in charge of the defense of Atlas Academy." Ironwood explained.

"Why so many layers of protection?" Nora asked.

"This news… shouldn't get out there. It could cause panic and that brings Grimm. But with that said, I trust all of you to protect each other and everyone here. The Jedi seers have seen a massive Sith army coming. We don't know when, but we know it is coming. I assume you all could have guessed that. Everything they want is in this building. That is why we had recently installed one of the strongest shield generators around the building. If this building falls, all is lost." Ironwood said.

"All is lost?" Rosa asked.

"Yes. The seers have seen that the oncoming battle will decide all of our fates. If Salem wins, there will be nothing and no one left to oppose her." Ironwood said.

"No pressure." Nora said her smile no longer on her face.

"I know what I'm saying isn't what you would want to hear, but I have to tell you. You have been a group that has been able to withstand against the Sith. Your group took the Maiden power that Salem had out of her hands. You all have proven yourselves time and time again that you are meant for something great." Ironwood said.

"Thank you for believing in us." Oscar said.

"I do have one favor to ask of your group. The citizens of Atlas are having a dance soon. Because of what happened at the Beacon Dance, I worry that the Sith are going to plant people there. Of course, there will already be security, but I will need… hidden security. From your group." Ironwood said.

"You're asking us to go to a dance?" Ren asked for clarification.

"It's not for two weeks, but yes. I am. I'm sure once people realize you're all here, you will get many official invitations. We need to see if our enemy has already slipped in. Qrow and Quinlan won't be there." Ironwood said.

"I guess if it's on official business…" Jaune said.

"We'll send special suits and dresses that will hide your lightsabers and still allow you to fight." Ironwood said. "We've even matched tried matching them to your color preferences."

"Can we go to our rooms now?" Rosa asked.

"Sorry. I spoke too much about business. Quinlan, do you know where the ace-ops are?" Ironwood asked.

"On a mission. Reports of Grimm they wanted to check out." Quinlan said.

Ironwood brought his finger up to his ear.

"No. You aren't ready yet. You can't show them around." Ironwood said.

"Who was that?" Ruby asked. Her scroll began to shake. There was a face Ruby hadn't seen in months, outside of nightmares.

A chibi version of Penny was on Ruby's scroll.

"Salutations, Ruby!" Penny said.

"Penny! You shouldn't…" Ironwood said. Ruby stared at her scroll not believing what she was seeing.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Penny said.

Penny was on all of their scrolls. Pyrrha looked at her face. She almost dropped her scroll.

"Penny…" Pyrrha said.

"Hello, Pyrrha Nikos." Penny said with her smile. A massive wave of guilt came over Pyrrha.

"I'm so sorry." Pyrrha said. Her nightmare was now on her scroll.

"There is no need to apologize." Penny said.

"I killed you." Pyrrha said.

"No. That was Valum." Rosa said.

"Valum?" Ironwood asked.

"Emerald Sustrai," Rosa said. "Her Sith name is Valum. She tricked you. She tried to trick you Yang, but you didn't take the bait."

"Because of Mom. She told me it was a trick." Yang said.

"I hold no ill will toward you, Pyrrha." Penny said.

"What are you doing on our scrolls?" Weiss asked.

"Her new body isn't ready yet. So for now, the part of her that makes Penny, well, Penny has been uploaded to the CCT. We have backups of her in other places in case something happens. That CCT box the Clones made for us also has a copy of her. We've been presenting it as an AI. Pietro came up with the idea." Ironwood explained.

"Pietro?" Ruby asked.

"My father. But he's a very busy man." Penny said.

"That reminds me. I need to go see him. I need some maintenance on my eyes." Maria said. Rosa jumped, forgetting Maria was there. That earned her a smack to the ankle with her cane.

"I think we should let the kids get their rooms before I take time to introduce myself." Maria said.

"She's the Grimm Reaper, she was a silver-eyed warrior, she was a Jedi master, and she trained Master Quinn." Qrow gave the summary. Ironwood opened his eyes wide.

"I think introductions are in order. It is an honor to meet you. Penny, do you think you can lead them to their rooms?" Ironwood asked.

"Yes Sir!" Penny gave a salute. Follow the map." Penny pulled up a map of the school and downloaded onto all of their scrolls everything they would need to move around, including their Atlas ID passes, and keys.

Team RRWBY and Oscar agreed to take the three rooms on one side of the hall, while Team JNPR took the other side.

"You two want to swap, or are we going to keep things the same as in Mistral?" Rosa asked. Ruby looked at Blake.

"You wanna swap?" Ruby asked.

"Sure." Blake said.

"You know, you could have worded differently." Weiss said.

"It got the job done." Yang said. Yang wrapped an arm around Blake and gave a thumbs up.

Oscar stood next to Rosa after they entered their room. They had two beds, one bathroom, a TV, two desks, a small kitchen area, two closets. Everything they needed.

"Why did you offer to room with me so quickly?" Oscar asked.

"Made the most sense. It makes everyone more comfortable. Unlike them, I'm asexual, so no one worries what I'll get up to with you." Rosa explained.

"Oh. It's not like I would have done anything." Oscar said with a blush rising. He didn't see Rosa in that way at all. He saw her as something closer to an older sister that knew what to tell him to get his head back where it should be.

"Yang sure seemed to think You and Ruby had a connection." Rosa said. Rosa smirked as Oscar tried to not continue to blush.

"I know everyone knows about the crush… but believe me when I say I wouldn't have done anything." Oscar said.

"Right now. But look at your other Team members. They started off like that. Now…" Rosa started.

"They're… active." Oscar said. Rosa held back from laughing at the word. Was he afraid to say the word sex?

"Exactly. I'm also thinking that we're the two who have our bullshit magic powers, so we at least have that in common." Rosa slapped Oscar on the shoulder. Oscar let out a chuckle at the magic comment.

"We've stopped being normal people long ago." Oscar said. "So, do you know who this Penny was?"

"One of Ruby's friends. I had nothing against her, I just went with the flow. Her death was the catalyst for the Sith attack at Vytal." Rosa said. "After she died… everything… happened. I was surrounded by the Sith, and the massive fight happened in the arena. Maku revealed his true colors. I learned the truth and fell. It wasn't a good day."

"I'm sorry for reminding you." Oscar said.

"It's not your fault." Rosa said. Penny popped up on their scrolls.

"I've ordered all of you your Atlas Academy supplies, including the new Atlas Pajamas." Penny said.

"What do they look like?" Rosa asked. Penny brought up a picture of the Pajamas. It could be worse. It wasn't flashy, which fit Rosa better.

Ruby and Weiss were finished getting unpacked. Ruby stood up and stretched.

"So what do we do now?" Ruby asked.

"Well…" Weiss said. "We finished our goal of getting the relic to Ironwood. We've got that dance coming up. We are at a school, so maybe sit in on some classes."

"Of course you would say study." Ruby said, rolling her eyes.

"And What's that supposed to mean? We haven't been in school for…" Weis started thinking.

"At least six months." Ruby said.

"There were the two months before we left for Menagerie, the two months in Menagerie itself, Were we in Mistral for two months as well?" Weiss asked.

"Sounds about right." Ruby said.

"And the time we spent in Argus. That adds another… three weeks." Weiss said.

"We were only in argus for two." Ruby said.

"But it took us about a week to get to Argus because of stopping for Rosa to heal." Weiss said.

"So, almost seven months without taking a single test." Ruby said. "Written I mean."

"Seven months. That means we all met each other a little over two years ago." Weiss said.

"Wow. When you say it like that, it feels so much longer." Ruby said.

"We are always by each other." Weiss said.

"We still need to figure out what to do." Ruby said. "Hey, you grew up here, why don't you show us to your favorite places?"

"Most of those probably blew up." Weiss said. "Besides, at this point, I'm just as much a foreigner as you all are. I barely recognize the city."

"I can help you come up with some fun activities." Penny said, popping up on Ruby's scroll. "Atlas has many state-of-the-art facilities including a training hall that has been built to test the limits of Hunters and Jedi. This includes Zero Gravity fields. We also have many museums that are free of charge, including art, history, weapon making, and dust. Plus, with all the new residents coming from all over the galaxy, they have brought with them many of their cultural dishes and have set up many small restaurants."

"Are you just reading that off of a database?" Weiss asked.

"I'm in a database." Penny said.

Ironwood sat down with Qrow in his office. It had everything that he would need to be able to lead the Alliance and had a constant flow of information. Qrow looked at the setup and whistled.

"You really are giving it all you got. How can you possibly keep all this in order?" Qrow asked.

"I've done a lot of work to get everything set up, and a lot of people that will help. Pietro has helped me develop AI that takes charge of various aspects of the Alliance. He's made Six of them. The first five are based on the personalities of the five heads of the Fleets. The sixth is based on Ghira Belladonna, who might as well be the leader of the Faunus." Ironwood explained.

"And how do they help?" Qrow asked.

"The six give perspectives of the other kingdoms and Menagerie. That keeps me from losing perspective." Ironwood said.

"Alright, what are you going to have me on that I can't be at the dance for?" Qrow asked.

"I believe we found a Sith ruin. I want it destroyed if it is. It's around the Crossed settlement." Ironwood said.

"What makes you think it has to do with the Sith?" Qrow asked as the Ironwood AI brought up a map of Atlas.

"We've found a lot of Grimm there who seem to have been strengthened. And Grimm have only been strengthened by the Sith that we've seen." Ironwood said.

"So you know about Nihil." Qrow said.

"I didn't know the name. But I hope we're talking about the same one." Ironwood said.

"She creates these Miasmas that have different attacks. She powered up the Leviathan in Argus." Qrow said.

"Then we better hurry." Ironwood said.

"Oh yeah, what's the deal with Amity Arena?" Qrow asked.

"What do you mean?" Ironwood asked.

"The Arena. You've been putting a lot of resources to it." Qrow said. Ironwood let out a sigh.

"Good. The cover story worked. Amity Arena is to most people here, a floating CCT. I haven't told the public about the small black box in here. Amity Arena is for all tense and purposes the sword and shield Atlas. We've brought back what could be salvaged from the original project and rebuilt it. Now, it can create a shield generator powerful enough to block any enemy. It has a droid factory on the inside, creating a few hundred of the Atlesian knights a day. These are newer models using some of the schematics we got from the clones. It has about as much firepower as one of the Venators as well." Ironwood said.

"How many resources have you put into the project?" Qrow asked.

"It's going to be worth every Lien. In a way, it's the war effort." Ironwood said.

"And it's going to be the first target." Qrow said.

"I know." Ironwood said.

"Salem's really shaken you up." Qrow said.

"Qrow, this is life and death for everyone." Ironwood said.

Rosa was unpacking her things. Many more this time around than when she rejoined with everyone. She was putting things away when she grabbed the Holocron she got from Kaiser. It was the one she opened that night to show Oscar she wanted to rejoin them. She forgot she had it. She took it out of her bag and looked at it. Oscar turned his head and saw the Holocron.

"You still have it. Good." Oscar said.

"I must have not been thinking about it when we were moving." Rosa said. She put it on the coffee table they had in the dorm room.

"Aren't you going to look at it?" Oscar asked.

"Not right now. I probably will later." Rosa said.

"If you're sure." Oscar said.

"Yeah. I'm going to take a shower, you can do whatever you want." Rosa said.

"I kind of want to check out the library." Oscar said. Penny popped up on his phone.

"I can show you the way." Penny said.

Torchwick had finally gotten everything set up in Atlas, well, Mantle mostly, but he could find some time to go upstairs. He used a lot of his funds from selling the Sith Holocron, but he was finally set up. A business front and all. The restaurant was filled with the diverse populace of Mantle. His cooks were also part of that diverse group. They were making food similar to the food they had in the galaxy at large. They were experimenting with the local foods of Remnant, finding a lot of the fruits were remarkably similar to what they had back home.

Torchwick could be confident in one thing, this was definitely better than what that bitch Cinder had him doing in Vale. He was selling some contraband to the clientele here. He got someone who would buy a Jedi Holocron for quite the price if he could get his hands on one. He had heard through the vine that Rosa and her group arrived. Which meant that she probably still had that Holocron.

Unfortunately, he wasn't going to send Neo. Even if she had all the right equipment to sneak past force users, today was her day off. And she decided to go to the library to find some reading material. She wouldn't say what she wanted. He didn't ask when she turned the TV on while bending her legs all the way around her head. He never liked how it looked when she was so flexible. He couldn't even start to guess what she wanted.

She was a strong girl who could look after herself. He wasn't worried.

Neo was in the library looking at getting a stack of books. They were all mystery novels. Some were detective, some noir, some horror, but they all were mystery. She loved the fantasy mystery novels, mostly the villains. She had a stack of books in her hand, and she was trying to reach another. She was being greedy, and she felt her books starting to Womble. She tried to get her balance back, but the books were throwing her off.

"Wow." A boy said. He rushed in behind and put one hand on her shoulder while grabbing the stack with his other hand. She turned around to look at the boy. The tanned, freckled, green jacket-wearing boy quickly grabbed half her stack and put it on a table nearby.

"You okay?" He asked. Neo nodded her head.

"Good. Sorry, I just saw you about to fall and had to step in." He said. "Name's Oscar, Oscar Pine."

Neo opened her mouth and pointed at her throat.

"Oh, you're mute. I know sign language." Oscar said. That stopped Neo. She put down her books and signed at Oscar.

"You do?" Neo signed.

"I learned it in Mistral, so I don't know if there are any Atlesian differences." Oscar signed. He was good. Neo was impressed.

"Not really." Neo signed. Sign language was somewhat of a universal language. That was one of the things that got standardized with the creation of the Hunter schools. Sign language was a useful tool in any hunter team. But mandatory for the stealthy teams.

"I didn't catch your name." Oscar signed.

"Call me Neo." Neo sighed.

"Like the ice cream?" Oscar signed.

"Yes. Why'd you learn how to sigh?" Neo asked.

"I had a deaf friend when I was little." Oscar said.

"You've seemed to keep the skill up." Neo signed.

"Thanks. Which book were you trying to grab?" Oscar asked.

"The Whisper of Shadows." Neo signed. Oscar found it and used the force to grab it. Neo opened her eyes wide.

"You're a…" Neo tried to think of the sign for Jedi. But the word wasn't common. She just spelled the word out.

"Jedi? You caught that? You meet Jedi before?" Oscar asked.

"A few." Neo signed. She was kicking herself for giving him a name that the Jedi might recognize. But only the knights knew who she was. It may have been a small world, but what were the chances of Oscar here knowing any of the knights?

"Do you want my scroll number?" Neo signed. Oscar grew red, and she rolled her eyes. "It's just a number." Neo signed. She needed to see his contact info, just in case.

"I don't really know how to add people." Oscar signed. "I grew up on a farm."

That made sense now. She took his scroll and quickly checked his contact info. She felt her stomach drop as he only had people who would recognize her. Fuck. But Rosa was also there, so she might be able to convince the others that they want nothing to do with the Sith or Salem. They just wanted what everyone wanted, a nice peaceful life. With a bit of crime to spice everything up.

She added her number and wrote mute in the contact info so he wouldn't call. She texted herself to get his contact info. It would look weird now if she didn't do this. She really had to hope Rosa would speak up for her.

"Thanks." Oscar signed.

"You're welcome." Neo said. Of course, this would be her luck. She couldn't think of a name on the spot. She just had to go for that last book.

"Oh, sorry, I'm bothering you now. I'll just get the books I was looking for." Oscar signed.

Nihil went to Requiem's sphere of influence. He was crafting the different armors for the Sith for the war that was going to happen soon. She needed some time off from making so many Miasmas and teaching students. She got a few good ones, but there were one or two that she was ready to kill herself.

She found Kaiser walking away from Requiem's office. He looked down at Nihil.

"What are you doing here?" Kaiser asked.

"Clearly, someone has nothing better to do than stick their nose where it doesn't belong. Should I find you a hobby?" Nihil asked.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Kaiser asked.

"Funny. I don't recall needing your approval for how I spend my time." Nihil said, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at Kaiser.

"Stop wasting time." Kaiser said.

"Right, because standing here arguing with you is such a better use of my time." Nihil said after rolling her eyes. Kaiser just continued walking in the opposite direction Nihil was.

"Dick." She muttered under her breath.

She found Requiem in his workspace, almost a perfect replica of his old workspace, but with a little more legroom. She stepped in and let out a dramatic sigh.

"What is it this time?" Requiem asked her as she sat down at his desk.

"I swear, Requiem, I deserve an award for not killing someone today. Truly, a testament to my patience." Nihil said.

"Who was it this time?" Requiem asked.

"Kaiser. He's a dick and I want you to know that before you get all buddy-buddy with him." Nihil said.

"What'd he say?" Requiem asked.

"He had the audacity to say I was wasting time by coming to see you. Can you imagine?" Nihil said. Requiem looked back at her.

"Don't start fights over me." Requiem said. Nihil wrapped her arms around Requiem's neck.

"Oh, Siggy, Darling, I'll fight whoever I want." Nihil said.

"Is there a reason you came?" Requiem asked.

"Besides being with you?" Nihil said.

"That is what I asked." Requiem said.

"My Scythe and Armor. Are they ready?" Nihil dropped the act.

"Your Scythe, yes. This is your armor." Requiem said. Nihil looked at it. She really looked at it. It was a light material. She touched the armor. It impressed her with how it felt. She smiled as it fit her color theme- a deep, shadowy black base with streaks of elegant white accents woven into the design. The white is present in subtle flowing lines across the armor, not in sharp edges but in a way that mimics shifting smoke, reminiscent of the miasmas she creates. The chest plate was Slim and contoured to her form, designed to absorb kinetic impact without hindering movement. There were small pauldrons on her shoulders. She looked at the leg armor Lightweight greaves and knee guards, designed to aid her agility. They feature small magnetic clamps for brief wall runs or scaling surfaces. She was impressed. She picked up the gauntlets, reinforced for both offense and defense, with hidden compartments for toxin vials and dart launchers—crafted specifically with Nihil's methods in mind. A retractable blade is seamlessly integrated into the wrist of one gauntlet. She found an asymmetrical cloak, draped over one shoulder, and cut short in the back, making it less cumbersome. The fabric is woven with specialized fiber that helps disperse energy attacks, though subtly.

"This… this is amazing. Thank you, Requiem." Nihil said with full sincerity.

"I took a lot of time thinking about it for you." Requiem said.

"Honestly…" Nihil had a blush on her face. She normally wasn't the one to get flustered. "I could kiss you."

"You don't have to." Requiem said. Nihil cupped his cheeks and kissed him anyway. She did it to see his reaction, but also to show how she truly felt about the armor.

He knew her so well. He cared about her in his own way. Yes, they've known each other all their lives. Yes, Nihil made sure to keep up their friendship, but this was something she didn't expect from him. He looked away from her after she ended the kiss.

"Did you just try to poison me again?" Requiem said.

"No. I swear to you that I didn't. Thank you." Nihil said. She hugged Requiem, a real one. "This is art. I hope you know me well enough to know that I mean that when I say it."

"We're probably going to Atlas after the others are brought on the council." Requiem said. Requiem never knew how to take compliments. Nihil was sure she was the only one who really gave him them.

"If you need anything from me, I will do it. Anything." Nihil said.

"I will keep that in mind." Requiem said. "I was hoping you could take that for a test run. We can't reach Atlas yet, but we can reach an outpost. There's a few on the outskirts of Solitas that can prove a good testing ground."

"Will do." Nihil said.

"It's just a test. The armor should be able to disburse blaster fire as long as you don't get hit in the same spot multiple times. It can deflect only a partial lightsaber strike, so you still have to be careful." Requiem said.

"I got it." Nihil said.

Kaiser looked at the map of the troop movements. They've moved out completely of Mistral and Menagerie. Vale only had a token resistance group, made up of what was left of the White Fang, but they were being hunted down. The usefulness of the White Fang had come to an end. Vacuo they still had the agents looking for the Summer Maiden.

Valum stepped next to Kaiser and looked at the map.

"When will we finally attack Atlas?" Valum asked.

"One we figure out how to get our men into Atlas. They have a shield generator that's completely protecting them from anything we could throw at them. Only small groups of Grimm have been able to slip through." Kaiser said.

"What about Memores and Ira? What are they doing?" Valum asked.

"They're the only reason we know about the shield generator. Memores has been unable to hack into the Atlas mainframe. There's something new about it that makes it far too difficult to deal with. Ira has been gathering intel on the underworld in the kingdom. He's set up a small base of operations in one of the central cities. One that has a few more Faunus members to try to hide." Kaiser said.

"How long until we think we can get out troops ready?" Valum asked.

"It's going to take some time. If we do everything properly, months would be the answer. We've been looking for a base camp, perhaps a city that we can build to house the troops in until they are ready. If we do this right, I can see us getting the shield down and winning. But if we rush into this, I can only see a loss. Salem and Requiem both agree. Salem even said that she would be happy with years." Kaiser said.

"I wouldn't have expected that from her." Valum said.

"I think she wants to make sure the five vessels are born by the time we invade." Kaiser said.

"Is there something you aren't telling me right now?" Valum asked.

"I believe she wants me to… make more." Kaiser said.

"Your ability would be a boon to the Sith." Valum said.

"I think something changed when Rosa left. A sense of urgency. Only now has she seemed to calm herself from that." Kaiser said.

"Do you think she's going to order you to sleep with people?" Valum asked.

"I don't think so." Kaiser said. He turned around to look at her. The thought had crossed his mind. Salem had already done this with him and Rosa. Maybe that was one of the things that got her to leave. Valum looked at him.

"What?" Valum asked.

"Why do you think Rosa left?" Kaiser asked.

"She was weak and afraid to hold onto real power." Valum said.

"Let me ask you this. If Salem told you to sleep with Mercury, would you have done it?" Kaiser asked.

"That can't happen, so there is no use in thinking about it." Valum asked, knowing she didn't want to answer the question. Kaiser took a step closer to her.

"Fine then. If Salem told you to sleep with me, would you?" Kaiser asked. Valum took a step back.

"Salem would have a good reason for it." Valum said.

"That is what Salem asked Umbra. We thought we went around her request. But what if all we did was delay her request? What would Salem ask you where you would say no?" Kaiser asked.

Valum looked into Kaiser's eyes.

"Would Salem ask anything that doesn't have a greater purpose?" Valum asked.

"You haven't tested that idea? Maybe something like that, an idea that was so terrible to complete that it broke Umbra. But I have no idea what that could be. Do you?" Kaiser asked.

"What are you implying?" Valum asked.

"I'm wondering how far are you willing to go for Salem? If she told you to kill yourself, would you?" Kaiser asked.

"That is an interesting thought experiment, Kaiser. Perhaps Umbra turned back into Rosa because I asked her to kill her friends." Salem said. Kaiser and Valum turned to her.

"Lady Salem." Kaiser and Valum said. Valum had to bend one knee to the floor. Kaiser just had to bow.

"I too wonder what was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to say. Do you have a hypothesis?" Salem asked Kaiser.

"Her main conflict was between her and her feelings for Team RWBY. She repeatedly saw them before she went back to them." Kaiser said.

"Yes. I saw the same thing. Valum, you are the last student of Vanus, who had many failed apprentices. Do I need to check your loyalty?" Salem stepped forward and touched Valum's face.

"I am loyal only to you." Valum said.

"Good. Kaiser did bring up an interesting hypothetical. If I wanted you to sleep with Kaiser so I could get another Sith child, would you?" Salem asked.

"I am yours to command, Lady Salem." Valum said.

"You have proven quite a loyal servant. I need your influence on the Sith." Salem said.

"I will do whatever I need." Valum said.

"I know you will. I do need a loyal Sith to teach the others. You have quite a powerful skill with Sith Magic. Stronger than has been seen in quite a while. Perhaps you would benefit by joining my Dark Council." Salem said. Valum's eyes widened. Was she being offered a position in the dark council?

"It would be the greatest honor, Lady Salem." Valum said.

"I know it would. The others trying to join the dark council are all vying for my attention, vying for power. But by are by far the strongest in Sith Magic. Quite the asset to the Sith. I do need to make sure of your loyalty first." Salem said. She put a hand on Valum's shoulder.

"Whatever it will be, Lady Salem." Valum said.

"I need you, both of you, to give up on revenge on Rosa. I need your attention on the coming war." Salem said. Kaiser and Valum stopped and looked at Salem.

"Yes. You heard me right. Cease trying to get revenge on Rosa. Revenge is mine." Salem said. She knew that was an order harder than even the one Kaiser suggested. Thought she would look into that one as well.

"I… Understand, Lady Salem." Kaiser said.

"Yes, Lady Salem." Valum said.

"Good." Salem put her hands on both of their faces. "In time, Rosa will be brought low. There will be ample time for revenge then. But now, we need to destroy Atlas. Oh, and if you two would find it a… pleasurable idea, you two can sleep together." Salem said. Hopefully, the pressure she put on their minds would enter into their heads. Valum was a desirable choice for creating Kaiser's children.

Salem was ready to wait out Ironwood. But she wasn't ready to stop pressuring him. The more pressure she put around the bubble, the less air Ironwood had to breathe. The more likely he would make a tactical blunder. But they had to stay simple for now. The Siege of Atlas was still only in the beginning preparation stages. She needed to prepare the noose before the execution was ready.

Oscar made it back to the dorm with his stack of books. He may have been overly eager to get some reading done. He shook his head after helping Neo with a problem he himself almost created. He opened the door and placed the books down.

"I'm back." Oscar said.

"Hey, Oscar. Everyone's going to check out the new fighting arena after dinner. Do you want to come?" Rosa asked.

"Sure." Oscar put the books down. Rosa was doing some maintenance work on her Jedi lightsaber.

"What did you get?" Rosa asked.

"I got some sci-fi. I met someone at the library." Oscar said.

"Look at you making friends. How did this pebble get in here?" Rosa asked as she grabbed a tiny pebble out from her lightsaber.

"I ran into a girl there who almost dropped a whole stack of books." Oscar said.

"Don't say that too loud or Ruby will get jealous." Rosa said.

"Not like that. She's mute, so I got to use my sign language with her." Oscar said.

"You know sign language?" Rosa asked.

"Yeah." Oscar said. "I got her number too. Her name's Neo."

Rosa stopped what she was doing. She slowly put her tools down. Oscar could tell something changed in Rosa when she heard that name.

"Was she kind of short?" Rosa asked. "With two different colored eyes and brown and pink hair?"

"Um… You've met her then." Oscar said.

"We all have. Oscar, did she try to steal anything from you?" Rosa asked.

"What, no." Oscar said.

"She didn't try attacking you, right?" Rosa asked.

"Was she a criminal?" Oscar asked.

"Yes, she's Roman Torchwick's right hand." Rosa said.

"And I gave her my number. And handed her my scroll." Oscar said.

"Oscar, don't jump to conclusions." Rosa said. She got up and put her hands on Oscar's shoulders.

"What do you mean?" Oscar asked.

"Torchwick helped me. So did she. They aren't dealing with the Sith anymore." Rosa said.

"They were dealing with the Sith?" Oscar asked.

"Ozpin should have told you about Roman. He's not a bad guy. Trust me when I say that. He helped me leave the Sith." Rosa said.

"Do the others know?" Oscar asked.

"No. I haven't told them that one of our biggest enemies during our time at Beacon helped me leave the Sith." Rosa said.

"Should I delete the number?"

"Yes." Rosa and Oscar looked at the door and saw Yang standing there.

"Yang, wait. Listen to what I'm going to say before…" Rosa said.

"Torchwick can't be trusted, and neither can Neo." Yang said. Yang stepped through the door.

"I thought I closed the door." Oscar said.

"Sorry, Oscar. I opened it because I thought you were being threatened by Roman Torchwick and Neo." Penny said.

"Neo didn't threaten me." Oscar said.

"She's a criminal and she tried to kill me. Blake nearly worked herself to death trying to get Roman. I thought he was dead." Yang said. "And now you tell us that he is in fact not dead, helped you, and is in Atlas?"

"Neo is at least." Oscar said.

"Yang, please. I think I have a lot more right to be mad at Roman than you." Rosa said. Yang raised a finger and was about to say something. "The train."

That stopped what Yang was about to say.

"He tried to help me there too. He tried to get Myst to stop what she planned on doing, but she overpowered him. The Sith don't know about him. He's not on their side." Rosa said. Yang stopped.

"We're having a team meeting right now." Yang said. Yang got the other members of team RRWBY and brought them into Rosa and Oscar's dorm.

"What happened?" Ruby asked.

"Rosa, Oscar, and Yang were arguing about Roman Torchwick and Neo, who are in Atlas. Oscar met Neo at the library by accident. Rosa has been defending Roman and Neo, while Yang has been prosecuting them." Penny said.

"That's… pretty accurate." Rosa said.

"Why are you defending him?" Blake asked.

"Rosa said that Roman tried to help her on the train and he helped her escape the Sith." Penny said.

"Penny, do you always listen?" Rosa asked.

"Not always, but I do keep a transcript when I do." Penny said.

"How did he help you?" Weiss asked.

"He gave me these talisman that kept me hidden from the Sith." Rosa said.

"Which you didn't use." Ruby said.

"…Okay, I forgot about them until after I checked my bag." Rosa said.

"So, how did he help you escape the Sith?" Blake asked.

"…the talismans." Rosa said.

"So, he didn't really help you." Blake said.

"It was a very emotional night guys, I don't remember everything that was said." Rosa said.

"So why are you defending him?" Ruby asked.

"Because he was nice to me." Rosa said, a blush on her face. Her defense collapsed and her head was in her hands. "He's not with the Sith. He can work against them if we do everything right." Rosa said.

"Rosa, we really shouldn't be contacting Neo. He could be anywhere in the city." Yang said.

"I have his business card." Rosa said.

"His… business card." Weiss said.

"Why the fuck would he have a business card?" Yang asked.

"…so, we could call him." Rosa said.

"Which we're not going to do, right?" Yang said.

"Oh, were you not wanting to call him? I'm sorry, I must have misread the intentions of the room." Penny said from Rosa's Scroll.

Roman was back at the hideout when he got a call to his scroll. He picked it up but didn't see a number he recognized. But that wasn't unusual for his type. What was somewhat weird was it was a video call, but he was used to that. He accepted the call, ready to see some shady dealer type that he was so accustomed to seeing. What he wasn't ready to see was Rosa Reidan, Little Red, and the rest of that merry band on the other end.

"Shut it off!" Ruby shouted.

"What the fuck is going on?" Torchwick asked himself. "Why did you call this number?"

Neo burst into the backroom and saw Torchwick on his scroll. Her face dropped as she heard the sounds of team RRWBY panicking and trying to end the call.

"I messed up." Neo signed.

"What?" Roman said.

"Roman Torchwick, are you aligned with the Sith?" Rosa asked.

"Kid you already know I'm not. Why did you call?" Roman saw the Jedi Holocron in the video.

"He should be in jail, for all the many crimes he's committed." Ruby said.

"Great. If you're done, I'm going to hang up now." Roman said.

"What did you do to convince Rosa you aren't evil?" Blake asked.

"Wow. Great chat. But I got a real job." Roman turned off the scroll and turned to Neo.

"What the fuck happened?" Roman asked.

"I panicked and tried to act normal." Neo signed.

"You are going to have to give me more to work with." Roman said.

"I ran into a new one at the library and panicked so I gave him my number." Neo said.

"You panicked?" Roman asked. Neo shook her head.

"You? How?" Roman asked.

"He knew sign language so we started chatting, then he used the force, and I thought it would look worse if I didn't give him my number." Neo signed.

"Neo… what part of that thought process made sense to you?" Roman asked.

"You weren't there." Neo signed.

"Yeah, that was a major fuckup Neo." Roman said. Neo felt a buzzing on her scroll. She took it out and saw it was Oscar.

"Would you consider helping the Jedi?" That was all he sent. Neo showed Roman the text.

"Sure, go from one master to another." Roman said while rolling his eyes. Neo responded with that before Roman could stop her.

"If you work with us, perhaps we can get many of those crimes dropped." Oscar texted.

"Why should we trust you?" Neo texted back.

"We're Jedi." Oscar sent back. The response almost made Neo gag.

"Wait, Neo. We do need that Holocron they had in the video. Let's have a face-to-face meeting before blowing it off. Perhaps we can salvage this." Roman said.

"Are you sure?" Neo signed.

"The Jedi won't be asking for us to rob every dust store from here to Pare." Roman said.

"We don't know what they would have us do though." Neo signed.

"I know. That's what the meeting is for." Roman said. "Terms and conditions. We get to lay down what we are and aren't okay with. They get our skills, which do go beyond just stealing. We get the Holocron, we make lots of money." Roman said.

"Are you sure about this?" Neo signed.

"Not really, but they may have been able to track us with that call. Just set up a meeting." Roman said. Neo nodded her head.

Oscar got the spot for a meeting. Team RRWBY looked at him.

"They'd like to set up a meeting." Oscar said.

"Great. We're making a deal with Roman." Ruby said.

"What could he even do?" Weiss asked.

"He is one of the best thieves in the world." Rosa said.

"Not helping." Yang said.

"No… that might help. We know the Sith want to come to Atlas. So maybe we can send him out to find some information about the Sith and their plans. See if any of them are in the city, see what they have coming here." Ruby said.

"So, we make him a spy." Weiss said.

"Yeah. And with his grey morality, he can do things we wouldn't." Ruby said.

"This is still a dumb idea. I just want you all to know that." Weiss said.

"We know."

There was a knock at the door. Oscar opened it. He saw Ironwood there.

"Ah, Ozpin, and team RRWBY, I was going to ask you about something, but it seems that you all have something already on your minds." Ironwood said.

"General Ironwood… we may have an opportunity on our hands. But it is a risk." Ruby said.

Ironwood looked over everything. He never would have believed that in the time it took to get from his office to here, they would have Roman Torchwick confirmed alive, but also thinking about working for them. He looked up with a face that must have been covered in confusion.

"It was a hectic half hour." Oscar said.

"You want to make him a spy? Him? After what he did to you?" Ironwood asked, looking at Rosa.

"Salem is the number one danger. We need every tool we have available to us. He can do things off the books for you." Rosa said.

"He's certainly a wild card. I did order his execution, you realize. He may not be… open to this deal even if we give it to him." Ironwood said.

"If he is, that's a tool we have against the Sith." Oscar said.

"It makes sense. As long as he stays away from us." Yang said.

"I see you aren't all happy with this arrangement." Ironwood said.

"He's a dick and Neo is a bitch." Yang said.

"That may be. This is a difficult thing to plan, you understand." Ironwood said.

"You're seeing what we're talking about now." Rosa said.

"Torchwick is dangerous not because of what he himself can do, but because of those around him. He has knowledge and influence. From what we were able to discover, he's one of the smartest criminals we've ever seen on Remnant. He has figured out how to pilot multiple different vehicles. He's unpredictable. But he also knows how to get into basically anywhere and knows the right people." Ironwood said.

"As long as he has a leash, he could be a wonderful asset to your cause." Rosa said.

"Why are you of all people defending him. He told me what happened to you on the train." Ironwood asked.

"He just hit me. Myst tortured me." Rosa said. Ironwood looked her in the eyes. She was determined.

"Set up the meeting. We need every asset we can get our hands on." Ironwood said.

Roman and Neo stood at the meeting spot. Neo was fidgeting. She had been constantly apologizing to Roman for the past two days. Now was the hour to see if this plan of theirs would work.

Oscar, Rosa, and Ruby walked into the meeting area. It was a different restaurant that Roman owned under a different name than the main one. The place was closed, but he kept it open now. Oscar sat down, signing to Neo.

"I hope you listen to the offer." Oscar signed. He could tell by the other two that they didn't know how to read sign language. But Roman did.

"This offer better be good." Roman said.

"You know sign language too." Oscar said.

"What's the deal?" Roman asked.

"Ironwood would like to offer you a job." Ruby said.

"Ironwood. The big boss of Atlas has looked down from his ivory tower to come down to our level. How magnanimous of him." Roman said.

"The offer is a good one. If you do your part well, all the crimes you've committed in the alliance can be washed away." Rosa said.

"Let me guess. He wants me to sneak into some place where he can't get in, find whatever treasure is buried there, and bring it back to him." Roman said.

"Was he right?" Neo signed.

"I don't think that would be part of the Job offered." Oscar signed back.

"How about you tell me what Ironwood wants?" Roman said.

"Ironwood would like to make you a spy." Ruby said. Roman looked at Neo. He wasn't expecting that.

"Wow little red, I must have impressed him." Roman said.

"You have." Rosa said. "And… me."

Roman looked at Rosa. That was more than she thought he would say. He liked the praise.

"I always look to impress." Roman said. "Where's Neo's place in this?"

"I believe Ironwood would like to discuss that with you personally. He's able to show up if you'll let him." Oscar said.

"Shit, I must really have impressed him if he's coming here." Roman said.

"You have." Ironwood entered the restaurant.

"You were serious about waiting outside." Roman said.

"That is how serious I am about defeating the coming darkness." Ironwood said.

"How do I know you won't just throw me in cuffs and toss me into jail the second I stop being useful to you?" Roman asked.

"Every mission you go on will have a rank of difficulty. Each rank will absolve you of more crimes. If you complete enough missions for me and are completely exonerated, we will have nothing we can do." Ironwood said.

"You make this sound so reasonable. What's the catch?" Roman asked.

"We are about to face the darkest days in Atlas. There is no catch. We will even pay you out of the black accounts." Ironwood said.

"Well, I think Rosa can help me with my first payment. I need a Jedi Holocron, and I know you have one from Cheland." Roman said.

"What are you going to do with a Holocron?" Ruby asked.

"I have a buyer. Here's what he's offering for it." Roman took out his scroll and showed it to Ironwood. He looked at the price.

"That's enough to get yourself one of the new ships." Ironwood said.

"Exactly. If I do this, I will need a ship that has specifications. I need everything that comes with the Spy job." Roman said.

"What about Neo?" Oscar asked. Ironwood looked at Neo.

"We can make it look like she's one of the transfer students from Haven if she wants. It would give her full rights as a student, but it would also allow us to keep a close eye." Ironwood said. Neo turned to Roman.

"I could keep everything in order when you're gone." Neo signed.

"Not in front of Ironwood." Roman signed back.

"This can be considered a cover story. You can trust me." Neo signed.

"You, yes. Them, not really." Roman signed back.

"You can trust me." Oscar said. Roman forgot for a second that Oscar could read sign language.

"I don't know how we can refuse this deal." Roman said.

"Good. As much as I hate the idea, your hobby is a good cover story. You are gone over long stretches of time so clients wouldn't get suspicious." Ironwood said.

"You know how to read sign language too?" Roman asked.

"Of course I do." Ironwood said.

On the way back, all the members of Team RRWBY and Ironwood, along with Oscar, looked at each other.

"I think using him like this may help us in the long run." Ironwood said.

"I still don't like it." Yang said.

"Give it time." Ruby said.

"I'll be keeping a very close eye on Neo." Yang said.

"Good." Ironwood said.

Once team RRWBY and Oscar got back to their dorms, they found team JNPR waiting for them. They knew about the plan. They liked it a little more than team RRWBY, only because Oscar was able to convince them.

"So, how'd it go?" Nora asked.

"He accepted." Ruby said.

"So he's working on our side now?" Jaune asked.

"In a way. But it is entirely self-centered." Oscar said. "But we can work with that."

"I hope he proves to be an actual asset." Pyrrha said.

"Ironwood is worried about the coming days. I think we all should train harder than before." Rosa said.

"We can only train so hard. We're already doing so much." Ruby said.

"Then what else are we supposed to do?" Rosa asked.

"We have to wait and see." Ruby said.

"I guess. Good night everyone." Rosa said. She and Oscar went to their dorm. Once the door closed Rosa turned around to Oscar.

"So, Oscar, did you ask Ruby to the dance in a few days?" Rosa asked. Oscar's face went red.

"It's a mission. I don't think we're supposed to ask each other out for it." Oscar said.

"But you want to?" Rosa asked. Oscar grabbed his pajamas and went to the bathroom. Rosa rolled her eyes. While it was easy to embarrass him when talking about Ruby, she couldn't believe he was still embarrassed enough that he refused to change out here.

But Ruby did once call him innocent personified. She just didn't want to shock him the first time he saw a girl getting changed. He would be insufferable after that. She started changing into the Atlas pajamas.

She did want him to ask Ruby. It would make her day. She didn't get why he couldn't ask as a friend. But they had time. It was only a few more days before that dance. Maybe he would change his mind. She really hoped he wasn't so worried about Ruby knowing about his crush. She couldn't understand someone not asking someone to a simple dance if they liked them. And she was fairly sure Ruby would say yes. Part of that may be because of what Blake had said about them. She grabbed the invitation quickly and looked over the part Ironwood said. He asked if they could pair up to keep up appearances. Team JNPR was obvious. Then Oscar and Ruby. So, she would go with one of her teammates.

Oscar left the bathroom, then made a noise. Rosa looked down and forgot to put on the shirt. Oscar's face was red again. Rosa put on her shirt quickly to help Oscar.

"You know you're in the same room as a girl, right? You're going to have to get over getting so nervous when you see that stuff." Rosa said.

"I just…" Oscar started but couldn't find words.

"Oscar, it's really not that serious." Rosa said.

"Ozpin's been telling me that too." Oscar said.

"He's probably unable to be embarrassed." Rosa said.

"I'm not Ozpin." Oscar said. She could feel the shift in emotion immediately. That shyness was gone.

"I know you aren't." Rosa said.

"Thanks." Oscar said. "Sorry, I really don't want to make you uncomfortable in any way."

"You're overthinking it. I know that you don't see it as I do, I get that. I just see body parts. Parts that you don't show off, but just parts." Rosa said.

"I know what you're saying. But… I respect you enough to not look." Oscar said.

"I get that. And it's sweet you take others into consideration. But we're going to be sharing the same room for a long time. If you see something, don't flip out and cause a scene. That annoys me more. We're friends, but there is no universe out there where we're anything more than that." Rosa said.

"That's… was that harsh?" Oscar asked.

"Maybe it's exactly what this universe's Oscar needed to hear." Rosa said. "Oscar, here's a principle that I think you should learn. This group, we're not normal. I think everyone on your team has seen Ren's dick beside you. Ruby has seen all of her teammates naked. And those two couples have certainly seen each other naked before. Hell, I bet Ren and Nora are right now. I don't know why, but there is a strong possibility you will see some parts. Stop overthinking it! You're probably going to see someone naked if you're around this group enough. Hell, they all saw my boobs at Beacon, though that was Maku and Vanus's fault." Rosa said.

"How do you know that about Ren?" Oscar asked.

"One day when Jaune and Ren were out with Professor Port on a camping trip with "All the Men" in class, we invited Nora and Pyrrha over. I think we played two truths and a lie or never have I ever." Rosa said. She used a mocking voice of Port when she talked about the campout.

"Wow. Is that normal for hunter teams?" Oscar asked.

"Well, hunter teams are often co-ed and live in the same dorm. So probably." Rosa said.

"Unfortunately, she is correct. It is just another fact of hunter life." Ozpin confirmed. Oscar sighed.

"So… I was being serious when I said you should ask Ruby. Look at the invite again, right where Ironwood gave special instructions." Rosa handed Oscar the invite. He read it again, then the blush came back to his face.

"Oh." Oscar said.

"Go get her, lady killer." Rosa said, trying to hide a smirk on her face, but failing.

"I don't need to be patronized." Oscar said.

"Are you sure? I just had to give you the hunter birds and bees talk." Rosa said.

"That's… Why didn't I just stay on the farm?" Oscar asked himself.

"Oscar, literally the worst thing that can happen is Ruby saying no." Rosa said.

"And that would most certainly not cause division between us again." Oscar said. Rosa brought her hands to her hips.

"Was that sass? Oscar!"

Author's Notes: This chapter is the setup chapter. I know that there was a lot of dialogue, but this is my story so stop complaining (To the screen. Complain in a review). This chapter is setting up a lot of the stuff we're going to see in the Atlas arc.

We see getting set up:

Amity Arena,

Penny,

Torchwick and Neo,

Nihil and Requiem,

Valum getting a seat on the dark council,

Sith forces,

The siege

And more. I know that this was a slower chapter, but a slow chapter is needed every once and a while. Also, I wanted to give more character moments this time around. Neo probably got the most character in this chapter, but Oscar got a lot too.

Next time we're probably going to see the dance. There's a Rosegarden comic out there with the (living and canon) characters at a dance in Atlas, which I will admit I took some inspiration from to come up with the idea of the dance. But that is as far as the inspiration will go.

Something I will admit, you can kind of tell what I watch by how I write. So when I wrote the first few chapters I had recently enough anyway watched "Fruits Basket" Which affected how I wrote Rosa. But I also gave that an in-universe explanation by stating that it was an act that Rosa put on and that Rosa changes a lot depending on who she's around. The story was originally going to be a short series about Rosa helping the characters with their emotional issues, which would have ended with them helping Rosa. But then the story kind of snuck up on me, until now, Jedi Huntress had outpaced Jedi Hunter. This story has become my longest story.

I think one of the best chapters of this story is Chapter 5 of Beacon of Hope. I love how I showed Jaune and the bully arc.

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-DragonZlayerx12