As Things Stand

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"Good evening, Mister Arc." The now Headmistress of Beacon Academy said as the elevator door slid open to let him into the familiar, open office of the Headmaster. He paid her a nod in return and she smiled, turning to look at the straight-backed woman beside him, "And the same to you, Miss Nikos."

"Headmistress." Pyrrha nodded, "It's good to see you are well."

"The same to you." The Headmistress nodded, waving at a pair of comfortable looking office chairs across from her. "Please, have a seat."

"I'd rather stand." Pyrrha laughed, the duo walking across the office towards the seat while she explained. "After so long without them, I enjoy being able to simply stand on my own two feet."

"So long as you're comfortable." The woman nodded, adding with a smile, "It is very good to see you on your feet again, though."

"I'm just happy to be on my feet, Headmistress." Pyrrha nodded, smiling and standing beside him where he sat, her hands folded in front or her. "Ever since I got them, well… I like staying on my feet, now."

"Nothing like losing something to make you appreciate it more deeply than ever…"

"Yes, well…" She frowned and shrugged, radiating a sense of unease that had him scowling. Pyrrha either saw it or knew him well enough to predict it and laid a hand on his shoulder, "I suppose you are right. And I am grateful to have survived to see my second chance."

Her prosthetics had arrived two weeks ago by now, and Pyrrha had wasted no time in having them fitted so she could start learning to walk again.

Like Ironwood's, they had been built in separate pieces and then connected by built-in joint pieces, hidden under thick but smooth protective tubing. Like Ironwood's, hers had come in military black and silver. Ruby was happy enough to repaint them to match her skin-tone when she asked, though. Combined with the smoother, more distinctly feminine shape of the pieces, Pyrrha looked like nothing had happened.

Aside from the gentle bumps of the bracketed connector he could see on her thigh, just below the hem of her skirt, at least.

"With all due respect, we're here for a reason, Goodwitch." He started simply, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair and steepling his fingers under his chin. "You saw my email, right?"

"I did." She sighed and nodded, "And I suppose you won't be surprised when I say I wasn't too pleased to."

"I won't be." He shrugged, "I'm about as surprised to hear that as you are to hear I don't give a damn."

"Jaune!"

"It's quite alright, Miss Nikos." The woman sighed, waving off the Mistralian's concerns, resting her chin on the palm of one hand and drumming on the desk between them with the fingers of her other, "After everything he did during the Battle, I respect Mister Arc enough to let him speak as he wishes."

"And I respect her, too." He nodded, "Enough not to sugar coat my words, or treat her like she can't handle my answers, at least."

"I suppose…"

"Whatever the case, I feel a grave need to urge you to reconsider your decision. Both of you." Goodwitch said, flicking a gaze to the Mistralian beside him and then back to him, frowning thinly, "We could use your skills here, in the coming days. Beacon, Vale, and frankly, personally as well."

"I'm sorry you won't have them." Jaune shrugged, "Fall is still out there, Miss Goodwitch. And while that's the case, my priority rests in resolving that."

"By which you mean killing her, I presume?"

"No better way to-"

"If we must, we will, but we are not on a blood path." Pyrrha interrupted, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows challengingly at him. He rolled his eyes, after a moment, and she chuckled, adding, "We're of two minds on the matter."

"As I can see…" The Headmistress sighed, "You'd be safer here, though. Surrounded by Hunters, soldiers and, soon enough, a battlegroup of Atlesian ships set to defend Beacon until something more permanent can be established."

"Permanent?" Jaune murmured, "As in…?"

"Ozpin detested standing armies." Miss Goodwitch said, "James disagreed, and then proved both that they can be kept in check and do good."

"You're going to push for militarization?"

"To an extent, yes." She nodded, sighing and going on resignedly, "I don't necessarily mean to replicate James' massive army or navy. But even if I didn't wish to work towards this, the image of soldiers rescuing people, fighting fires, and standing against the Grimm is rooted in people's minds."

"Better to keep ahead of it." Jaune nodded, smirking, "With you in charge, I'm sure it'll run like a well-oiled machine."

"I don't intend to be in charge."

"Did that save you from doing everything here?"

"I complained once about all the paperwork Ozpin didn't do before the Battle of Beacon, Arc." She sighed, shaking her head but smiling ever so slightly. Amusedly. "Once. Because you were brooding."

"I don't-"

"He doesn't brood, or so he says." Pyrrha chuckled, looking far too entertained when he turned a weak glare on her for it. "He just stares very intensely while glaring and thinking very hard and very deep for long periods of time."

He sighed, shook his head, and said, "To get us back on track…"

"I have provisional Hunter license accreditation drawn up for you." She nodded, pressing a button that had a small, translucent screen pop up from the desk. She pressed a few buttons and he felt his Scroll vibrate, opening it to a status update on his I.D.

'Jaune Arc, Huntsman, Rank : Provisional'

"You can't take missions with these, and they don't apply outside the Kingdom of Vale and its protected regions." Goodwitch explained quietly while he put his Scroll away, "But with these you can take minor assignments allotted an allowable rank, if approved by me. Once James grants you a provisional one from Atlas Academy as well, you'll be able to do so for the Atlas military too."

"Meaning we can work at the Archive." Jaune surmised, smiling thinly. It would be a good place to start at least. "You could have done this through messenger, though. And I doubt you called us up here to try and convince us out of going, you knew that wouldn't work."

"I had some hope," she shrugged, "but I knew you would not meet it. You've set your course, more or less, and I will have to respect it."

"Thank you." But that didn't answer his real question so he sighed and asked, "But then, why did you call us?"

"The Vault was damaged in the fighting, but…" Goodwitch sighed and stood, straightening her glasses and stepping around the desk, leaning on it and going on, "But, before the battle, Ozpin had things he wanted to show you down there. Things he believed you might possibly know about."

"Ah." So, things related to Revanism or the galaxy beyond Remnant, then. "I'm no expert, but…"

"I doubt Ozpin believed you to be." She dismissed simply, "But if there is a chance you may know something about them or, maybe, even be able to use them… Well, better you have every advantage we can find, no?"

"It can't hurt to look…"

"No." He nodded, standing and smiling, "I don't think it can."

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Weiss ducked under the awkward, mechanical cut of the Beacon training drone before her, Myrtenaster flicking in her right hand. The glyph the familiar, if a bit awkward, motion brought spun beneath them in shimmering white, flinging them both away, her forward and the machine back and away. She tucked her legs in to spin herself through the air and flicked Myrtenaster again, towards the wall. A black glyph spun to life there to catch her gently, letting her drop to the floor harmlessly.

The droid, on the other hand, smashed into the wall at something approaching ballistic speeds and exploded in a shower of sparks and metal.

Surrounded by a dozen broken, sparking machine corpses she let out a contented, relieved sigh, snapping the rapier up in front of her face in a traditional ready position. Turning to head for the locker room, she slid the weapon into the loop of her waist and smiled.

"You were sloppy." Her sister said once she'd stowed her weapon and combat gear, and changed into her Beacon uniform.

"I was using my off-hand." Weiss dismissed, taking a seat beside her sister to watch the janitorial staff clean up the debris ahead of Yang's automated spar. "I'm still adjusting to switching from left to right."

"I can tell." Winter nodded, "That you can fight at all, though, with your off hand is… Admirable."

"Thank you." She nodded, resisting the urge to rub her right arm where it had broken during the fight, just above her elbow. "After what happened, to myself and Pyrrha both, I want to be able to fight if my sword arm gets hurt."

"Except that your sword arm wasn't what broke."

"Maybe next time it will be." She shrugged simply, scowling as she watched her carnage be swept aside. "I cannot know, and I will not die like that, helpless and weak because of a hole I could have closed."

"I suppose that makes enough sense for me to approve of the training…"

"Thank you." She didn't need Winter's approval on her training, not strictly speaking, and would have gone through it regardless. But getting her approval was still… Nice. "I managed a partial summon during the fighting. Before you… Came to relieve me."

"Rescued you, you mean." Winter corrected her, adding with a small, pleased look, "Though you scarcely needed it. Barely a third of the way through your first year, and you're already so skilled. So strong. Enough to stand your ground in the midst of a battle far, far above your proverbial paygrade."

"You were impressed, then?"

"You did well out there, Weiss. Very well, in fact." She nodded, turning her head back to the stage as the barriers recharged and the cleaners left, staff preparing the training arena for the next bout. Weiss saw her smile ever so slightly more out of the corner of her eye as she added, quietly, "And yes, I saw your partial summon. The Arma Gigas father forced you to duel?"

"I believe so, yes." Weiss nodded quietly, watching Ruby and her sister come out onto the arena floor. They hugged and spoke while ten of the training drones joined them, marching out behind them and then forming up across the arena. To her sister, Weiss went on, "I've been working on it ever since, but… I've yet to get more than an arm or two out at the same time. Just that is powerful, of course, but…"

"But it isn't all that you can do." Winter said in a soft and empathetic voice. One that spoke of a kind of understanding Weiss knew she wouldn't get from anyone else in the world, aside from her mother. "I can understand the frustration there, Weiss, believe me. I found myself up against that wall myself for half a year."

"I know, Winter." She nodded, frowning thinly and watching Ruby bounce out of the arena, waving to the blonde she left behind, "So you've told me."

"Weiss…" The elder Schnee laid a hand on her knee and squeezed it reassuringly, drawing Weiss' blue-eyed gaze back up to her. Then she smiled gently and reassured her, "You're far more powerful than I was at your age, Weiss. You lack the skill I hold, but that is experience and time. Not potential. In five years, I expect you will be as good as I am if not far, far better."

"Oh…" That was… A lot of praise, coming from her sister. So much so that she felt her cheeks warming for it and shuffled unsurely in her seat, turning her gaze back to the arena as the alarm sounded to warn of the training match. "T-Thank you, Sister. That means a lot."

"Mhm." Her sister nodded and stood, sighing, "But I am afraid that my time off is up, for now, Weiss. Duty calls."

"I understand, Sister." Even as much as she disliked how short her sister's visits were, the fact they existed was enough for her to be happy. Standing politely she gave her sister the smallest of nods in farewell and said, "Have a good day, and be safe, Sister."

"I will try to." Winter nodded, turning an analytical gaze on the Arena as Yang began tearing through the training drones. "She is moving slower than records from before the Battle of Beacon showed."

"She is, yes." Weiss nodded, turning to watch the woman rip the arm from one and use it to beat another to death, "But she'll recover fully soon enough, sister. And then Team RWBY will be back on its feet, ready for whatever comes."

"I hope so…" Winter sighed, laying a hand on her sister's shoulder, "She still hasn't woken up, Weiss."

"No she hasn't." She nodded, giving her sister a flat look and then shrugging her hand off of her. "But she will and, when she does, I'll be there to greet her. As a proper teammate should do."

"Sister…" Winter sighed, "Father has been trying to reach you, you know. He asked that I let you know."

"As if my Scroll doesn't log his calls?" She asked, laughing and shaking her head, "Inform him I know that he is calling me, and I do not, frankly, give a damn. That he is being ignored or to hear his voice. I have contracting to protect me now, and don't want to hear from him."

"Weiss, he's just worried after-"

"I believe you said that you have duties to see to, Sister." Weiss cut her off, turning as the match ended and marching away, "I have a team member to see to myself. So have a good day."

As Weiss left she heard Winter sigh, and then the clacking of her heels on the concrete as she took her leave. For a moment, Weiss hesitated and considered turning back, to go to her sister and apologize. But the moment passed and, with a deep and steadying breath, Weiss turned and marched on.

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"Grimm are being pushed back away from the city's outer perimeters with only moderate resistance, Sir." His adjutant explained as they walked, the wiry man a step behind him and reading from the reports. "Vale's supporting resources and auxiliary draft are relieving much of the stress on our own forces, and both resupply and reinforcements are en route from Atlas in the form of the Second Wing of the First Fleet."

"Forward my thanks to Admiral Mets, adjutant." They disagreed on some politics but the man was a decent enough one, in his experience.

"Of course, Sir." He didn't need to look to know the man had nodded, having known him long enough.

Their briefing paused for a moment in the core of his flagship as the two of them drew out their identification for the brig guards to check. The guard wordlessly took both, inspecting them and then using his Semblance to cancel out any lingering Aura on them, and thus any Semblance induced changes. They'd lost Torchwick, in the end, to such tricks, and he wasn't about to risk allowing it again.

Not now or ever.

"How are our security enhancements going?" He asked as they walked the thankfully mostly empty light containment cells on the outermost sections of the brig.

"Very well, Sir." The man answered quietly, shuffling through his Scroll for the reports and explaining quietly, "By the end of this week all armories will be outfitted with finger-print identification systems, and personal quarters will be PIN-locked by unit. The Council has forwarded a list of recommended security measures as well, for your review."

"The short version?"

"I can compile the list later, but among them are preferential recruitment offers for Atlesian nationals, rather than foreign nationals or village citizens." The adjutant explained quietly, "It also includes preferential treatment over Mantle recruits, though the payment and education offers aren't altered for them."

"What is?"

"More intensive scrutiny, mainly, General." He answered, "More intensive background checks, communications monitoring, and a prioritization of their deployment to territories outside Mantle continental. And, of course, the city."

"Hm." It was wrong, in a way, and he knew that. But this attack had been caused by terrorists and arrests showed some had come from Mantle, originally... "No, we won't give in to fear and push even more of our own people away, into the arms of the enemy."

"I understand, Sir."

"Speak to the lawyers stationed aboard about more intensive scrutiny, though." He added, adding even further, "Across the board, however. I will not be seen to discriminate against people who wish to serve Remnant alongside Atlas."

"Aye, General."

"The rest of the more important reports?"

"Ah, yes, the anti-Grimm campaign." The adjutant nodded as Ironwood came to a stop in front of one of the higher security, occupied cells. After a moment, the old man spoke, "Synthetic casualties are well within the margin of predicted losses, and more than sustainable. The Council of Vale has offered to appropriate industrial factories to help with repair and resupply of the units, however. So long as-"

"-they remain Valean run." Ironwood filled in with a sigh, "Yes, an old trick. We'd need to issue them our production designs and share our technology. Which while not problematic on its own is still very illegal."

"The fleet is en route with more than enough units to resupply us in any event." The man nodded, "As well as reinforcements for deployed Human forces, as I said prior, Sir. Allied and Atlas casualties in that department are more than manageable, and for fact below expected margins in wounded and others alike."

"Good." He nodded, "Send orders to hold current defensive lines and await reinforcements. Once they arrive, withdraw to established defensive zones for resupply and replacement as needed."

"The defensive zones?"

"I will establish them before reinforcements arrive." He answered simply, "If nothing else is pressing?"

"No, Sir."

"Then dismissed, Adjutant." He grunted shortly, waiting until the man had taken his leave in full and vanished up the hall before he turned to the door.

Straightening first his uniform and then his hair, he drew his access card and scanned it over the electronic lock. It beeped quietly and then slid open to admit him. Inside, the holding cell was simple enough. There was a simple cot against the far wall, its metal frame moulded into the hull of the cell itself just like the toilet at the foot of the cot. A cot with a single man in white prisoner clothes sitting in its center, legs folded and eyes closed.

He'd have thought he was meditating if not for his omnipresent scowl.

"Taurus." He greeted simply, clasping his hands behind his waist and raising his nose at the man. "How are we doing today?"

"Hmph." Adam Taurus grunted, closing the one eye left bare by the simple medical wrapping he'd been given to cover his scars in. "Same as always, General. Potatoes, pork, and nothing to do but sit and wait for my people to rescue me."

"Your people believe you to be in Atlas at the moment, Taurus." He informed him, smiling thinly when the man's glower deepened. He didn't open his eye, though, or move from his spot. After a moment, James sighed, "I spoke to some of Atlas' best surgeons about your scars. According to them-"

"No." The man growled, good eye cracking open to meet Ironwood's two with more than enough heat to compensate for his missing blue. After a moment, the cold blue eye closed and Adam sighed, "I'm entirely uninterested in Atlas surgeons, Ironwood."

"Then perhaps-"

"You seem very keen on fixing me, General." His eye opened again and this time, Adam smiled, "Is that the Atlesian in you? Wanting to make me look how you think I should?"

"It's not like that-"

"I'm sure." Adam chuckled, shaking his horned head, "And the Schnees don't victimize us either. Right? What was the official position again? I remember you read it out on live television. Oh, right, I remember it was-"

"The SDC does not discriminate against its employees on the bases of race or class according to any officially recognized investigation." James nodded, frowning, "And that remains true, too. In large part thanks to your people's-"

"My people's?" Adam interrupted, laughing fakely, "My, my, General. And I thought I was the one going mask off here."

"We both know that you know what people I meant, Taurus." The response wasn't what the Faunus wanted, apparently, growling and closing his eye again. After a moment, Ironwood sighed, "Fine. Keep the SDC label branded onto your face, Taurus. It isn't my problem. Neither is the fact that in court, those bandages won't be allowed."

"I'm sure I'll find some way to live with that."

"Hmph." The terrorist wouldn't get the option, he supposed, once it was all said and done. "The plea agreement I told you about is processed. All it requires is your consent and a signature, and you could-"

"A cell is a cell." Adam dismissed easily, "You won't get anything from me, Ironwood."

"The Council is pushing for execution-"

"Let them." He shrugged, "Better dead than a puppet for the Humans. And besides, even if I agreed to your demands, my people," she sneered the word, "would kill me for the traitor I'd be."

"Fine comrades you have, then."

"I'd deserve it." Taurus shrugged, "Grimm, I'm half-tempted to take you up on the offer so they do come and kill me. If only because I wouldn't have to deal with you anymore, and it would be a lot of egg on your face."

"This offer won't be on the table forever, Taurus."

"And yet it's been there for a month while your Human forces have been fighting." The man shook his head, "And yet I'm pretty sure I saw several Faunus guards, when my food's been delivered."

"Atlas employs Faunus as well as Human forces." He explained quietly, half turned with a hand resting on the door release. "We don't discriminate in Atlas. It's illegal to do so."

"And yet," Adam smiled, "your man called your forces Human forces. Faunus erasure, plain as day or night."

"A technical term-"

Make your excuses to someone not marked for them bing bunk, General." The Faunus dismissed him, resuming his pseudo meditations as the door slid open and Ironwood stepped through. Before it closed, the Faunus added a bored, "See you tomorrow."

What aggravated Ironwood the most was that he had planned on coming to see him again tomorrow. He needed the young man's information quite badly, to root out the White Fang. But now he either had to prove Taurus right, or let him be left alone for a day. Neither of which got him what he needed.

Striding away he brought up his Scroll and snapped, "Get me the legal team. I want a protocol change. I want to revise our technical terminology."

Unknown to the General, Adam smiled in his cell.

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The first, proper, if a bit short, introductory chapter of the new fic! This one features several of the places of focus for this story. In fact, all of them I have intended, as of now, aside from one. Those being Jaune/Juniper, team RWBY, Ironwood and, the one not shown here, Cinder.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Also, dumbass comment here, but Blackimus Prime is following this story and I legitimately choked on my soda when I saw that name. Hi there! You almost killed Author-chan!

XD

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Fic Eater :

I intend to separate them, as made clear at the start of this chapter.

Steel Rain :

Glad you enjoy it so much. As for space n' ships 'n stuff, can't comment on it since that'd be spoilers.

Chris Adair :

Yep, and the sequel is up!

Zenith Tempest :

Always have faith in the author, friendo.