To the guy who said "why are there so many foreigners" at my brother's college graduation; fuck you, asshole
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
The general raced towards the multi-colored Outcast, but she was too fast and she managed to strike first. She started off the fight with a series of precise thrusts with Hush's hidden blade, keeping Ironwood on the defensive. He dodged each one expertly, but he parried the final strike to throw Neo off her rhythm for a minute. He reared back his fist and threw a powerful right hook, but Albedo's girlfriend wasn't just gonna let that connect. With a smirk, she opened up Hush's parasol and let the punch bounce off her trusty weapon's Kevlar barrier. She then quickly closed her shield and revealed that Oscar had closed the distance between himself and the general. Tagging in, Oscar leapt over Neo and cracked the general in the shoulder with an overhead downward attack from his cane. The Long Memory connected with the general a few more times, no matter how Atlas' tyrant tried to parry or counter. The maddened headmaster managed to grab the cane and push it aside for a moment, landing a punch to the farm boy's gut. Rush then sped in, sliding in and knocking Ironwood off his feet. Kevin bolted up and slammed his head right into Ironwood's own stomach before he slammed him back down into the stone of the courtyard. Atlas' headmaster retaliated by pulling both of his legs up to his chest and kicking out, connecting with Rush's chest. The general leapt back to his feet right as Albedo charged him from behind. The general was outnumbered, dealing with multiple angles of attack and making this entire battle far trickier. His prosthetics were good, but not strong enough to break the skin of Albedo's Petrosapien form. Ironwood parried a sharpened crystal blade before leaping back from another quick strike. He looked down to his black prosthetic hand and balled it into a fist, sneering.
No better time for a field test, the general thought to himself. A circular panel unwound on the general's palm, glowing with green energy. He blocked another strike from Albedo before shoving his palm in the Petrosapien's face. Neo rushed in to try and stop him, but she was a few seconds too late. Ironwood fired off a point-blank blast of DNA disrupting energy into Albedo's face before he lashed out and landed a spin kick on Neo. Albedo landed on the stony floor of the courtyard as his Diamondhead form scattered to dust around him, blowing away on the winds.
"You put that shit in your HAND?" Kevin yelled.
"In case of a scenario just like this. It was admittedly a last minute addition…but it seems to have paid off. After all, if there's one thing a general should never be, it's unarmed," Ironwood said coldly.
"Just glad Rook and the others aren't here," Oscar mumbled.
Ironwood was assaulted by another barrage of high-speed punches, courtesy of Rush. Left, right, left, right, behind, in front, each hit tore away at his Aura. Growing increasingly tired of this game, the tin-hearted tyrant changed a setting on his compacted DNA scrambler and slammed his palm to the ground, firing off a shockwave of green energy. It stopped Kevin mid-run and knocked him out of his Rush form, sending him rolling across the stone.
Kevin thought he could shake it off, but it felt like his entire nervous system was on fire. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to even have his eyes open! But why!?
"Kevin!" Albedo yelled, as Ironwood began firing off more shots. He ducked for cover, as Neo shielded Kevin's body with Hush.
I don't understand! Ben was perfectly fine after his transformation was stripped, so was I! Why is Kevin reacting so…so…violently?! Albedo pondered in a mental panic.
Ironwood continued his barrage, letting green blasts collide with the reinforced parasol of Hush until he heard something strange. An ethereal glimmer grabbed his attention as a series of Glyphs appeared in the air before him. Icicles launched out of each one, forcing him to run and gun, barely having enough time to aim before an icicle raced towards him. He looked to the source of the Glyphs, expecting to see Weiss with Myrtenaster held high, but it wasn't her. Weiss was still in the fight…but the one who'd just summoned those Glyphs was Winter. A newly kindled flame of rage, mixed together with feelings of hurt and betrayal, lit up in the general, but before he could unleash it, a flash of red stole his attention.
He saw Albedo take on a new form, that of a little creature with a body made up mostly of blue and yellow electricity and limbs shaped almost like lightning bolts. His legs didn't end in proper feet, merely the blue points at the end of the bolt, while his hands ended in three blue claws. For lack of a better term, the alien's head was almost battery-like, with a node acting as the top of his head. His eyes were two large, red visors that glowed with electrical energy.
As Buzzshock, Albedo's body was super-charged by another lightning Glyph forming under his feet, power flowing into him like a torrent of water, courtesy of the elder Schnee sister. Seeing Winter take such obvious acts of insubordination just made the general angrier. Part of him was in outright denial. After all her years of loyal service, she turned on him now, in Atlas' darkest hour. That wasn't the Winter he knew, or at least the one he thought he knew. He began to piece together that this entire plan of hers, from the very beginning, was a trap. And he fell for it. Enraged at the realization, he actually took aim at the elder daughter and readied to fire on her, only for something to slam into him from the side. A shining, summoned steel-clad arm slammed into his neck from the side. Weiss, donning her Berserker Knight armor, looked down on the man she once called father and grabbed his head in her armored hand. She punched him in the gut before throwing him in the air.
"ALBEDO! WINTER! NOW!" Weiss yelled.
Winter quickly changed focus while still letting the electric alien be charged by her Dust. A series of Glyphs appeared in front of her and curved towards Ironwood, Weiss' sister jumping aboard and quickly racing up to land a strike against her former commander. The general's reflexes kicked in as he quickly processed the situation unfolding around him. He held out his hand and fired off a single shot, boosting him upwards just enough for Winter's attack to miss.
With the attack interrupted by his sudden movement, Ironwood swiftly fell and timed it just right so he could reach his arm out and grab hold of the blade intended for him. The clash of steel echoed through the air as he halted Winter's assault. Ironwood's cybernetically enhanced arm trembled slightly under the force of Winter's blade, trying as she might to break through his guard, but he held firm, maintaining a firm grip on the blade. He managed to win out in the end and threw Winter off of her Glyph platforms, using them to quickly get back to the ground. His now ex-second in command managed to halt her own descent using a summoned Manticore to catch her and break her fall.
Buzzshock finished charging up, the power flowing through his small body was overwhelming. He held out both of his three-clawed hands and unleashed a blast of pure power at the general. Ironwood sneered and managed to sidestep the attack, surprising Albedo. Atlas' tyrant took full advantage of that surprise because surprise was an opening he could exploit. Not even a second after the lightning missed him, He blasted his human-Galvan opponent in the chest, expecting his form to revert to normal. Instead, as the Ultimate form turned to a fine dust, the 'base' Buzzshock, with the appearance of a rounded Earth dry cell battery, was revealed.
"What…?" Ironwood asked, caught off guard by his weapon seemingly failing.
"So that's how it works!" Albedo realized, his voice high-pitched and tinny, "Your little scrambler only 'peels away' what's on the surface, so if I add an extra layer of DNA-"
"You can ignore the shot..." Weiss finished, a smirk appearing on her lips, "Perfect!"
Ironwood sneered, but his focus was quickly stolen away when *Neo jumped back into the fight. She hooked the tinman's neck with the handle of her parasol and pulled him down, his face slamming into her knee. The illusionist tried to follow up with an elbow strike to the back of the general's head, but dodged the strike and shot upward. His head *slammed into Neo's chin, stunning her long enough for him to reach out and grab her by the face. He fired off a shot from his weaponized hand behind him and launched the two of them down into the stone tiles. Neo's eyes went wide when she made impact, but before the general could move into another attack, she pulled a leg up to her chest and kicked him off.
"Oscar!" Winter called the farm boy over to her, a plan already formed in her head. It was a bit risky, but when has that ever stopped an Outcast?
Still charged with the energy from Winter's Glyph, Albedo fired off another massive bolt of lightning that managed to connect this time, blasting the general with a surge of several thousand volts. He screamed as the lightning shocked him, outlines of his nervous system appearing as the electrocution continued. The only reason he survived that kind of hit was thanks to his Aura, which had taken a significant portion of the damage. He tried to recover as much as he could, taking staggering steps to try and reorient himself, get ready for another round. Except he couldn't be prepared for being run over by a massive glowing Manticore, Winter and Oscar riding on its back. The general was caught between its horns, the sheer absurdity of the tactic stunning him for a moment. He growled in annoyance before he stomped his boot to the ground, trying to anchor himself and push back against the conjured creature. The Atlesian general grabbed the horns of the massive feline mount and, using its own momentum against it, lifted it up and threw it behind him. Oscar jumped off of the mount at the last minute and landed on a black platform Glyph courtesy of Weiss.
The duo rushed in, the heiress racing in with her new broadsword and taking a few good swings at the general. He blocked and parried them, moving in and landing a three hit combo on his own daughter, two jabs to her chest leading into an uppercut, the final hit knocking her back. Oscar moved in next and began a technique he dubbed the "Poke of Doom." The new incarnation of Ozpin began to land several successive cane thrusts on Ironwood, the rate of his attacks getting faster and faster until the general swept the farm boy's legs out from under him. A quick kick to his gut sent Oscar flying back as Weiss moved back in to strike. The mad headmaster caught his supposedly traitorous daughter's blade with both of his hands, engaged in a perfect standoff.
Ironwood and Weiss put all they had into it, each one aiming to overpower the other. The massive glowing broadsword shook as two equal forces pushed against it from both sides. In the end, it wouldn't be the heiress or the general to break the stalemate, but rather the commander. Winter raced in, having abandoned her summoned Manticore and aimed to land a cross-slash on the general's back. The first slash hit, causing what was left of Ironwood's dark blue Aura to flicker, but he was ready for the second. He grabbed Weiss' upgraded weapon tightly and, instead of pushing back, he stopped resisting. All the force she was putting into it was used against her and made Weiss lose her footing. Ironwood stepped aside and used Weiss as a shield to protect himself from the second strike. He let go of the knight's blade at just the right time to toss the younger sister into the older.
Albedo decided to intervene, give Winter and Weiss the chance to recover. Buzzshock was a poor hand-to-hand fighter, so he swapped out to Ultimate Rath in a crimson flash. Neo, after recovering from Ironwood's underhanded surprise, shifted her gaze back to Kevin, still convulsing from the hit. She looked back to the others and thought they could handle the general as he was and raced over to the wielder of the Antitrix, making sure Kevin didn't have some sort of heart attack.
With a roar, Albedo charged ahead and slammed into the maddened general with his large lower fangs, almost like tusks. The general did the same thing as with the Manticore summon, grabbing the massive fangs and forcing his feline opponent to a stop. The almost feral Appoplexian form lashed out at the general with one of its larger arm-claws, blade at the ready to impale the man. Ironwood looked down at the bestial alien as his Berserker kicked in. His eyes changed to those unsettling black and white spirals and, as soon as he made eye contact with Albedo, he just froze mid-swing. The aura of malice and sheer, uncompromising, maddened determination radiated off of the tyrant and sent a shiver down the usually unshakable Galvan human's spine. That moment of hesitation allowed Ironwood to fire off a disruptive burst, disintegrating the Ultimate Appoplexian and leaving Albedo's base sample. The fallen general grabbed Albedo's head and jerked it down, slamming it into his rising knee before smoothly moving into punching the mutated alien to the floor.
"I'm told...that if this hit a pure alien, the results wouldn't be pretty," Ironwood began threateningly, before blasting away the remnants of Rath, leaving Albedo as his human form, "Let's see what happens when you get hit."
The energy in his palm began charging up, as Neo looked on in horror. She was about to race in and leave Kevin exposed before a gravity Glyph appeared beneath the general's feet and the pull actually seemed to immobilize him. Ironwood looked over and saw Winter maintaining the trap. A second Glyph appeared behind her, one that shone with golden light and seemed to resemble a clock face, the hands spinning around before they settled on an "11:59" alignment. His gaze shifted to his left and saw Weiss, having dispelled her own Berserker Semblance, standing in front of another time dilation Glyph.
With the set up complete and a warcry echoing out from both of them, the two sisters raced ahead at the immobilized general, blades at the ready. In a flash, the two sped past Ironwood, seemingly missing him entirely, but their real attacks came in when the time glyphs struck twelve. A barrage of flashes, like stars blinking into and out of existence, peppered the general with the strikes that the two sisters had lashed out at him with. With the speed boosts from the Glyphs, they landed about 200 combined strikes on the man they once called "father" in about a second. When the last flash died out, Ironwood fell to his knees as his Aura totally shattered, his eyes just blank and pupil-less. He was unconscious, and yet, even in defeat, the general refused to completely fall.
With the tyrant defeated, Emerald reappeared and spun the stolen revolvers in her hands before handing them over to Winter. The elder Schnee sibling took them and nodded, clipping them to her own belt and sheathing her blade as she let out a sigh of relief. For once, her own light blue Aura flickering for a moment.
"Winter?" Weiss asked.
"I'm...I'm fine. It was...nothing," Winter reassured, composing herself and clearing her throat, but before she could say the order, she turned her attention back to Kevin. He was still convulsing from the disruptor's hit.
"What...what's happening to him?" Winter asked as she and her sister raced over to him, "I thought-!"
Albedo raced over as well, hoping that maybe this was more of a tech problem and less of a medical problem. Yes, he could just call up Ari, but she had moved into the mines along with Lev in order to help out with the refugees down there. He had no idea if the signal would even reach her down there.
Kevin's body began seizing up, looking like it was going to possibly just explode in a matter of seconds. His eyes drifted back to the Antitrix as he put the pieces together.
"I...it's because of the uneven DNA mixes within his mutations." Albedo realized. "The blasts are twice as effective because a single form registers as two different aliens."
Winter looked over her shoulder at her still unconscious former leader and narrowed her eyes. If it were up to her alone, she would've killed him on the spot for a weapon like this. But it wasn't up to just her, was it? His actions affected two entire cities. If there was going to be justice, it had to be done right.
"Is there anything we can do?" the elder Schnee questioned, "Anything you can do?"
"I-I don't have the proper medical tools. I can at least monitor his vitals-" Albedo began tapping on the Ultimatrix interface, before Doppler cleared his throat.
"...well. I knew one day that this charade had to end." Doppler admitted. "Just not this soon."
"What?" Albedo asked.
"Like I told him earlier...I kept delaying things because I was scared I'd get replaced," the nanobot amalgam said, "This...I can't push this back."
Albedo closed his eyes. "...I see. This is the only way, then."
"Looks that way," Doppler sighed. "I have no last words. Just…a request."
"Of course."
"Don't forget me."
"Wait...wait, he's not-!" Weiss yelled.
"He is. Only way he can stabilize Kevin," Albedo confirmed.
"Don't act like you cared about me." Doppler scoffed. "How many of you forgot I was even here recently?"
No one responded to that stinging truth.
"I'm not asking you to shed a tear. I'm not asking for a huge parade." Doppler frowned. "Just...don't forget me. That's it."
"We won't, Doppler," Weiss promised, "And...I'm sorry."
"Didn't ask for an apology, Weiss. But, thanks anyway."
Doppler looked at Kevin's wrist and slowly melded into it.
We fought. We bantered. We annoyed each other at times. I was treated as a total joke...but these are good people. I trust that one day...they will save the world. As much as I wish I could see it...I can't. This was always bound to be my destiny, Doppler mentally lamented.
Doppler's body, all the nanobots that gave him form, dispersed throughout the AntiTrix's DNA storage chambers. Silver little mites seamlessly entered into the containment cells and attached to some of the DNA samples, various helixes of different colors in different states of damage. The Doppler-mites connected and began pulling the strands together, weaving the mutated samples back together. It took a little bit of doing, but each strand was repaired as quickly as possible. The first sample to be fully repaired was the burning Pyronite sample, but once their job was done, the mites started to disintegrate.
The bumps on Kevin's wrist, the ones that formed that Omnitrix shape, they slowly started to deflate, healing like it almost wasn't ever there. Weiss' eyebrows went up.
"The AntiTrix is vanishing...what's that gonna mean for Kevin?" Weiss wondered.
"I'm…uncertain," Albedo admitted.
Inside the device, more and more samples were restored. Red Vox, Black Ice, Wrecking Bolt, Sting. Each time another sample was rebuilt, the mites faded away, and with them, a little more of Doppler each time. At the same time, other nanobots were dealing with the more cancerous cells in the AntiTrix's design.
You know...I feel like you got this covered, Kevin, Doppler thought, I don't just mean the whole 'saving the world' bit either. You got all of them. Ben, Kylie, Blonko and how could I forget Min? Heh, always wondered how a guy like you managed to score a chaos demon but, what do I know about love's mysterious workings? Your future's looking bright, man. But even I gotta admit, it feels like things are gonna get worse before they get better. Savin' Atlas is one thing...but Salem's still got her lackeys. Cinder, Zs'skayr...all of them.
Doppler's last few nanobots started to fade.
And so did he.
You're not useless, Kevin. No one really is. I've learned everyone goes at their own pace. Some may achieve success early on, while others take longer to find their path. You needed help and that's okay. It's not a weakness. Your team, your friends out there, they're the epitome of strength in weakness. They always...
Kevin's eyes opened.
Find a way.
He looked over to his wrist.
Keep...onwards.
His eyes widened.
...Goodbye.
"Dop...Doppler? Doppler?!" Kevin yelled, looking at the AntiTrix. There wasn't a single speck or drop of silver goo anywhere on the device. But, his watch wasn't unchanged. Instead of the usual rusty, almost metallic colors scheme it once had, the AntiTrix was now a bright silver.
"...he's gone, Kevin," Albedo said.
Kevin stared at the new device. It...it was so weird. There's no flesh. It...it looks like something I can take off, he thought to himself, I-
Kevin's eyes glazed over. I never...
"...Kevin?" Weiss asked, concerned.
Weiss could feel the tension emanating from Kevin's rigid body, like a magnetic field of fury. It was a palpable force and Weiss swallowed hard as he watched Kevin take slow, deliberate steps towards the knocked down Ironwood. Weiss knew that she should intervene, but she hesitated, unsure of what to do in the face of Kevin's anger.
She'd never seen him like this. Ever.
Kevin glowered at Ironwood, eyes alight with indignation. "I grew up in Fordham, New York. Mantle has a lot of similarities with it. The poverty, the crime, the homeless. But despite all that, the people of Fordham had each other. They looked out for one another. It was a good place if you could look past the way it looked."
Kevin seized Ironwood by his collar, and lifted him up. "Would you seriously consider blowing up Fordham to save the Upper East Side? Because it looks prettier?! There are people living there, families, children! And you want to sacrifice them for what?!"
Ironwood didn't answer, still trapped in unconsciousness.
"WELL?! WOULD YOU?!" Kevin yelled, not even caring that the general couldn't answer. He was responsible for so much, and now the death of Doppler was resting firmly on the tin-hearted general's shoulders.
"Kevin!" Winter yelled.
"WHAT?!" he snapped back.
Winter took a step back. "This isn't helping anyone, least of all Doppler. We need to focus on the mission."
Kevin looked up at Ironwood, his rage still simmering beneath the surface. "Fine," he said, reluctantly letting Ironwood drop to the ground.
Winter marched up and summoned a glowing white Beowolf. The shimmering Grimm sniffed at the unconscious general before it grabbed him and tossed him over its shoulder.
"Move into position for Phase 2," Winter ordered.
"Winter. I'm coming with you," Weiss volunteered.
Winter turned to her sister. "No, Weiss. You need to stay here and help. Especially with...Kevin." the elder Schnee sibling's gaze shifted over to the Outcast in question. "After seeing that outburst…he needs someone to watch out for him until Kylie comes back. After all, we're going to be in-laws someday, once you and Kylie-"
"Not the time for that," Weiss turned bright red at the implication.
"Sorry. Trying to lighten the mood." Winter frowned. "I'll be fine on my own."
"But-"
"I'll be fine," Winter repeated. "I trust you to do your duty here."
"...call me once he's in a cell?" Weiss asked.
"I promise. Now, get moving."
A few minutes earlier, while Ironwood was still greeting "Penny," the Ace Ops raced their way into the academy hangar. When the doors hissed open, a Knight clattered to the ground, its visor and chest peppered with crossbow bolts. Qrow, Robyn, and Cammie were making quick work of the squad of drones stationed to watch over the payload. Qrow spun Harbinger, shifted into its scythe mode, behind his back before he seamlessly transitioned into a side slash that cleaved the head off one of the approaching androids. Another bot took aim with its rifle but Robyn was much quicker on the draw on than any robot. Bolts flew, one into the would-be gunner, another two into the exposed neck and chest joints in another automaton that was rushing to get in striking distance. Cammie dashed around the hangar, avoiding gunshots with every step, before she performed a somersault that flowed into a powerful axe-kick, slamming one of the Knights into the floor with a metallic crunch.
"Oh, of course it's you," Harriet growled, bashing her knuckles together.
"Oh! Hey Hare! You got here fast! Ironwood musta finally let ya off your leash!" Cammie quipped.
"Oh you little brat."
"Ace Ops!" Nesmith called out, "Let's take 'em-!"
CLANG! Nesmith was suddenly hit in the back of the head and floored by a sudden strike from Elm.
"NOW!" Elm called out and leapt away from the others.
"ELM?!" Harriet gasped.
"Did she-?" Vine started.
"She tricked us!" Chiffon finished, activating his rig.
"YOU BITCH!" Harriet yelled and was about to race after her teammate, already racing forward but before she could reach the "traitor-"
"STAY!" Marrow yelled, pointing at the Ace Ops and freezing them in place.
"You're kidding me-!" Harriet's eyes widened as her body just stopped in place, "How did you-!?"
"It was my idea, actually." A voice said, stepping out of the dark. "I figured you'd come rushing to follow Ironwood's orders. Especially if you found out Elm was a 'double agent'."
"Glad to know it worked absolutely perfectly." Rex smirked as he revealed himself.
"REEEEEEEEEEEEX!" Harriet screeched.
"You have got to learn to lose gracefully, Hare," another familiar voice said as Yang stepped out of the shadows, "Really doesn't do you any favors when you just scream like that."
"How...how did you...?!" Chiffon hissed.
"How did you survive?" Vine asked genuinely.
"Magic." Ceres grinned as she popped out too. Harriet's blood vessels nearly exploded at that stupid, cheeky response.
"Jeez. She's angry." Ben smirked, stepping out.
"W-WHAT!? BUT YOU-!?" Chiffon yelled. "YOU WERE JUST ARRESTED!"
"Were we?" Ruby gasped, appearing beside Ben, "Wow! That sucks."
"...Neopolitan," Vine realized.
"Who?!" Nesmith asked.
"Albedo's fucking girlfriend!" Harriet growled.
"Heyyy, Carl." Ben snarked, walking over. "Nice suit! Looks pretty decent for something meant to take me down."
"You little brat," Nesmith seethed. "I swear, when this Semblance breaks, I'm gonna-"
"Hmmm, no, I don't think you're gonna do anything," Ben smirked and dialed up Jury Rigg.
"Hey," Cammie chimed in, walking up, "You mind letting me do some?"
"Oh, you can disable all of 'em. I'm just making sure Carl here can't use his new toys," Ben smirked.
"Don't you dare touch this thing! It's the height of Atlesian-!" Nesmith protested.
"Boop!" Ben slapped down the Omnitrix, and shrank down into Jury Rigg. He grinned, and began tearing parts of his suit off. "AHAHAHAHAHAH!" Nesmith could only wince as his precious Conduit armor was disarmed in the roughest manner possible.
"And as for you," Cammie said, walking up and spinning a wrench in front of Harriet. She then began to sabotage the Fast Knuckles, making them unusable.
"I'm gonna make sure you pay for this, you fucking traitor..." Harriet growled.
"No. You won't," Elm corrected, resting Timber across her shoulders, "Sorry Hare. We never wanted a fight to begin with, so...once your weapons are out of commission, we'll slap some bolas on you and call it a day."
"You can't be serious! That's it?! What if we get attacked and we can't assist?!"
"Newsflash, asshole." Yang frowned. "Salem's down for the count. At least, for now. We have a window."
"A window that we'll be using to take the Staff," Ruby added.
"You'll what?! You can't! You'll destroy the entire Kingdom!" Vine gasped.
"Hey, wasn't our first option," Rex shrugged, "But you act like we don't have a plan."
"It had to come to this. Otherwise, we're gonna be looking at a lot of casualties." Ruby explained. "What sounds better? 50% of the population getting saved? Or closer to 100%?"
"We would be getting 100% of the population out! 100% of Atlas!" Harriet growled.
"You're still hooked on that idea that Mantle's worthless..." Marrow sighed.
"...I must concede that...maybe Miss Rose has a point." Vine admitted.
"No! You can't be agreeing with that brat! Mantle isn't our priority-" Harriet yelled.
"And that's the problem. It isn't." Vine frowned. "Why weren't some forces deployed down there?
"Some were! But that's what Salem wanted, spread us thin, open ourselves up to attack! She played on our compassion! She knew we'd rush to help, but if we never went down there, then our fleet, our army would've been at peak form for when Salem's little pet showed up at our door!"
"Do you really believe that, Hare?" Elm asked.
"Harriet. I don't know how to say this, but...even if we were on the same side, everything would have gone the same way." Ruby sighed. "Finding out Ironwood had files on all of us was just...the last straw."
"He needed those files! It was a necessary evil!" Harriet reasoned, "What would happen if Ben got controlled by some outside force? Mind control, possession, some...some crazy shit like that! I mean we know Salem has a goddamn ghost on her side! So what then? Huh?! Free him with the 'power of friendship' or some bull like that? You can't be that fucking naive!"
"Oh you'd be surprised," Nesmith sighed.
"Yeah. Because that's nice to know. Your boss is so paranoid he's fully accepted he's gonna have to take you down one way or another. What is this fear based on, Harriet? Where's the proof!?" Ben yelled.
"It's based on his position! Look at the world we live in, you fucking idiot! People with mind control Semblances, magic, aliens and so, *SO many others to influence people just exist. When will you get it through your THICK GODDAMN SKULL that some people will cross any line to win and you need to be able to follow them over it to stop them?! Salem's winning because you're all bleeding hearts! If you ignored your precious little emotions for one GODDAMN SECOND, we might be able to WIN!" Harriet screamed, stunning the whole room.
"It's easier for everyone to just ignore your feelings anyway! It's how I get through entire months of the year without...without..." the speedster stopped herself from saying too much.
"...if any of that happened, why does it fall on him to solve it? Do we just…not exist?" Ruby asked.
"He isn't holding up Atlas himself. He's not everyone's savior." Rex said. "That's why we're here, Harriet. To right wrongs he can't. But he can't have that, can he? He just wants all the glory."
"Kid's right. James always had a problem about not getting credit." Robyn said.
"It's not about credit..." Harriet sighed, "Oh, forget it. You're not getting anything else out of me..."
Ben sighed and shook his head. "Look, Harriet, I understand where you're coming from, I really do. But we can't just blindly follow authority without questioning their motives and actions. And we can't keep suppressing our emotions and humanity in the name of 'winning'. That's not a world worth fighting for."
Ben looked over at Ruby. "...my grandpa always said, "Always put a fire out, but never start one.'"
Harriet didn't answer, just looking away from the duo. She couldn't exactly move her head, but the idea was still there.
"Or you can just...ignore every word I say," Ben sighed, "Even more stubborn than me sometimes, I swear."
Qrow walked over to Ruby and Yang, quickly sheathing his weapon as it shifted to its more compact form.
"Sorry for the scare there, unc-" Yang started, but she was cut off by Qrow just hugging them both. The gruff veteran Hunter was never directly affectionate; hugs always had to be started by the girls. So this was an unexpected but welcome first.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again. Ever," Qrow said softly, "Especially you, Firecracker."
"Hey, hey. We're fine. We're...fine." Ruby said. She'd tell Qrow about the Hound later. He seemed pretty overwhelmed as it was, no need to make things worse.
Ben walked over, about to make a snarky joke about Qrow having a heart, but before he could, he was also pulled into the hug, shocking the girls and Ben.
"...thank you." Qrow mumbled.
"You're...welcome?" Ben said hesitantly, still unsure that this was actually happening.
"I still have a heart, kid. Don't act so surprised."
"So..." Marrow began, "Did your part of the plan go off without a hitch?"
"Yeah. Everything's set up." Ceres said.
"Then we can move right on to the next," Cammie nodded as she took Thorn away from Vine, "Need me to come with?"
"No, no. For safety purposes, we're gonna need the Ace Ops to cross over last and you'll be their escort." Ruby explained. "Especially since they're out of the loop."
"Cross over?" Chiffon repeated.
"What...what even is your plan?" Vine asked.
"You're out of the loop for a reason, buddy," Rex quipped, definitely feeling a little justifiably smug.
Vine did have to concede the point on that one, at least.
"Well, would love to stay and gloat a bit more," Ben said as Qrow released him and his nieces from the vice-like, uncharacteristic hug he trapped them in for a few minutes, "but we have people to save. You guys don't mind, right?" The wielder of the Omnitrix addressed Marrow and Elm specifically.
"I can keep 'em frozen for a bit longer...but thanks for putting the cuffs on them anyway," Marrow said.
"They won't leave this hangar," Elm promised.
"I've been sitting in a cell for the better part of three days now. Feels good to be the guard this time around," Robyn quipped.
"Spare us, Hill..." Nesmith hissed. Qrow turned and looked at the prone and restrained sponsored Ace-Op. He marched over to him and spun the rich bastard around with a quick shove, finding what he was looking for immediately. Qrow reached out and plucked the four-leafed clover medal that Nesmith had the audacity to wear and pocketed it.
"You don't deserve to have that..." Harriet growled.
"And he is?" Qrow shot back, walking away from the group, "Alright kid. All you now."
"See you on the other side, uncle!" Yang saluted before she ran up and gave the man one last hug, followed by a speed-enhanced hug from Ruby. The gruff veteran held them both tightly and sighed before he looked to Ben. He gave a slight nod, actually inviting him into the group hug as well. At first, Ben thought he was seeing things, but when the man just looked at him with a look of "Seriously?" Ben just accepted that and joined in on the hug.
"See you kids on the other side," Qrow said softly, before they all dashed towards the secret elevator Winter told them about. With her clearance codes, the elevator took the four right down to the Vault. When the elevator doors opened, they saw Penny's group, consisting of Kylie, Min, Blonko, and Blake. They were obviously the first to be there, they'd been dropped off by a spare Manta courtesy of Pietro and Holiday. It was a miracle that the ship was still intact really. Six, Pietro, Holiday, and Ciel had joined Lev and Ari in the subway, acting as relief workers. Albedo's group had actually beaten Ben's group there, save for Winter. Safe to assume she was dragging Ironwood to a cell as they spoke. But then Ben's eyes noticed the now somewhat normal looking AntiTrix.
"Kevin? What happened to the-?" Ben started.
"Doppler. Doppler did. The last thing he did," Kevin sighed. Ben's face actually fell at that. Yeah, Doppler could be a bit of a pest sometimes, but in a little sibling kind of way. Hearing that he was gone wasn't easy to process.
"I...I'm sorry."
"Heard that a lot lately...let's...let's just save the day, already, yeah?"
"We are ready when you all are," Penny and Eunice said in sync.
"Then, as the saying goes, 'let us crack this baby open,'" Blonko said, trying a quip. Penny took a deep breath and marched up to the Vault door. For a minute, she hesitated, looking up at the imposing structure.
Fria, Penny thought to herself, I hope I am living up to your expectations. With that, she placed her hand on the door. Her Maiden flames flared as a pulse of winery blue energy surged through the door. The braziers atop the nearby pillars had their flames flicker from the sudden pulse, as if a gust of wind had suddenly blown into the Vault itself. Much like the Vault under Haven, the door began to dismantle itself piece by piece, each individual golden plate retracting into the next, until, finally, the Vault's interior was exposed. Just as the Vault in Haven had a desert interior, the Vault of the Winter Maiden showed a field of green dotted with beautiful flowers. Penny, Ben, Ruby, Albedo, and Kylie entered this...other dimension? They weren't sure what the surroundings were supposed to be. In the middle of the field was a stone altar, with two large prongs jutting up like a claw. Between the prongs floated the Staff of Creation. It sported the same color scheme of gold and blue as the lamp and it was tipped on both ends with immaculate blue crystals that thrummed with power. Ruby raced ahead and took hold of the Staff, picking it out of its perch and moving back to the others.
"It's...beautiful," Penny admitted.
"You never really got to see the Lamp that much did you?" Ben asked.
"I did not. But still..."
"Alright. Oz said there was a dude inside so...let's wake him up," Kylie said.
Ruby nodded and held up the Staff triumphantly.
"Ambrosius!" Ruby called out.
Cyan smoke billowed from the jewel topping the staff as the group looked on in awe. A muscular, blue-skinned figure took form before them and flexed gratefully. He wore stud earrings, a gold ring for his ponytail, an arm ring on his left upper arm, bracers on his wrists with chains dangling from them like broken shackles, vine-like ornaments on his right thigh and left lower leg, and an ankle bracelet on his right. Chains were wrapped around his torso, crossing his chest and terminating in a point resembling the Relic of Creation.
Ben blushed as he stared at this person. "...oh."
"Eyes up, Ben." Ruby joked.
"Ah! It seems someone has come to engage my creative wiles! All I'll say is it had better be worth it after my last project." Ambrosius said. "A floating city? How pedestrian."
"Are all the Relic spirits like this, you think?" Kylie whispered to Albedo.
"I pray at least Knowledge or Choice has some modesty," the Galvan human said, not knowing about Jinn's own lack of proper attire.
"What was that?" Ambrosius asked with a cocked brow.
"Nothing to worry about, Mr. Ambrosisus!" Penny said, "In fact, we have heard many stories about your creative prowess so, we do indeed have a rather intriguing project for you!"
"Well, hello. You are a fascinating little design, aren't you?"
"I-i am?"
"Perfectly human in appearance and yet I can hear the various servos and gears inside you," Ambrosius commented, taking out a jeweler's magnifying glass and looking over Penny, "I'd love to speak with whoever built you."
"And I am sure my father would love to speak with you as well, but we don't have the time for that," Penny said.
"Right, right. SO! What is it you want me to make?"
"Well..." Ruby began.