Joining Atlas

Clover led the group to an aircraft waiting on the outskirts of Mantle. Soldiers had already arrived to tend to the defeated Ace Ops, assisting them to their feet and helping them onto a different transport for medical attention. The mood was tense, the aftermath of the earlier skirmish still hanging heavily in the air.

As they boarded the aircraft, Clover gestured for them to take their seats but remained silent, his expression unreadable. The engines roared to life, and soon they were airborne, leaving Mantle behind.

Ruby leaned against the window, her wide silver eyes fixed on the sight of Atlas as it came into view. The city was a marvel, suspended high in the sky, glittering like a beacon amidst the cold clouds. The sunlight reflected off the sleek, pristine buildings, making them appear almost otherworldly.

"It's beautiful," Ruby said softly, her breath fogging up the glass.

Weiss, seated beside her, nodded, though her expression was more somber. "It always looks beautiful from the outside," she murmured, her tone carrying a weight of memories.

Yang leaned back in her seat, arms crossed. "Beautiful or not, I just hope we don't run into more trouble once we're there."

The flight didn't take long. Before they knew it, the aircraft was descending into Atlas' central landing zone, where General Ironwood's base of operations stood. As the doors opened, Clover stepped aside, gesturing to the group to disembark. "The soldiers will escort you from here," he said curtly.

Ruby blinked. "You're not coming with us?"

"I have other matters to attend to," Clover replied, his tone clipped. His eyes settled on Crimson before leaving.

Yang watched him walk away, her brow furrowed. "That guy doesn't like Crimson," she muttered.

Ren, standing beside her, shrugged. "Understandable. His pride is hurt after what happened."

The group chuckled softly at that, even Raven cracking a small smirk. Crimson, as usual, remained quiet, his eyes scanning their surroundings as they were led inside the towering building.

They stepped into a large elevator, which began its ascent toward the upper floors. The hum of the machinery was the only sound until the doors slid open, revealing General Ironwood's office.

"I don't want to see another council meeting on my schedule, Winter," Ironwood's voice carried through the room, heavy with frustration. He stood near a desk, his expression stern, with Winter Schnee standing beside him in her immaculate uniform.

Penny was also there, standing slightly to the side. Her eyes lit up when she saw the group. "Friends!" she exclaimed, dashing over to them with a bright smile.

Her greeting drew Ironwood's and Winter's attention. Both turned to face the newcomers, their expressions shifting from surprise to slight relief, though they quickly regained their professional composure.

Ironwood dismissed the soldiers with a wave of his hand. "You're dismissed. I'll handle things from here."

The soldiers saluted and exited, leaving the group alone with the general, Winter, and Penny. Ironwood gestured for them to follow him into his office, where he took a seat behind his desk.

"I'm glad you're here," Ironwood began, his voice steady but carrying a note of exhaustion. "Things haven't been easy for any of us since the fall of Beacon. I am glad to see faces that I can trust, and I want to apologize for the rough welcoming you received. It wasn't my intention for things to escalate that way. We received a report about a stolen ship and assumed it might be tied to Salem's forces. That's why the Ace Ops acted as they did."

Ruby stepped forward, her hands fidgeting "The ship wasn't stolen…." she froze for a moment, then looked down, her voice dropping to a sheepish tone "oh right it was stolen"

Ironwood's lips quirked in mild amusement. "I see."

Winter, however, was less amused. She stepped forward, her expression a mix of worry and frustration. "Weiss, how could you allow something so reckless? Do you realize how dangerous that was? You could have been shot down before even reaching Atlas!"

Weiss didn't respond with words. Instead, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her older sister in a rare display of affection. Winter froze for a moment, caught off guard, before her stern demeanor softened, and she hesitantly returned the hug.

Winter then turned her attention to Qrow, her expression hardening again. "And you—how could you allow such irresponsible behavior?"

Qrow, unfazed by her glare, smirked and pointed a thumb toward Crimson. "Wasn't my call. That was all him. He forced his way into the military base in Argus and borrowed an aircraft"

Winter's eyes widened as she turned to Crimson. "You… you did that?"

Crimson nodded, his expression unbothered. "In my defense, I did ask Commander Cordovin to contact General Ironwood. I gave her several days to do so. Instead, she called me an imposter and tried to detain us by force."

Ironwood leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "And?"

Crimson's tone remained calm as he continued. "She forced my hand. I ended up forcing my way in, destroyed the giant mech stationed there, which unfortunately led to a Grimm outbreak, including a Leviathan-class Grimm."

The room fell into stunned silence. Winter stared at him, her mouth slightly agape. Penny's eyes widened, and even Ironwood seemed momentarily at a loss for words.

Finally, Ironwood sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll check what happened there later."

Ironwood's eyes turned to Raven "Raven Branwen, What is the leader of a bandit group doing here?"

Raven could see the doubt in the general's eyes and she didn't blame him. On the side, Winter Schnee narrowed her eyes.

"The Branwen bandits are no more, I killed them all. The rest is water under the bridge, you don't need to worry about her. She is on our side now and can be trusted." Crimson replied. Ironwood frowned slightly but said nothing. Meanwhile Raven looked at Crimson silently and pursed her lips.

As the room settled into a heavy silence, Qrow stepped forward, crossing his arms with a serious expression. "Now that's out of the way," he said, glancing at Ironwood, "I think it's time we talk about some… confidential matters."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. Penny and Winter moved closer to the general, flanking him protectively.

"Is it about the relics?" Penny asked, her voice carrying its usual innocence but laced with curiosity.

"Or the maidens?" Winter added, her tone sharp and professional.

Qrow blinked in surprise, his mouth slightly agape. "You… you know about that?"

Ironwood's smile grew slightly wider. "Yes. I told them. And so I told the Ace Ops," he said. "After the fall of Beacon and with Ozpin gone, I realized I needed people I could trust. People who could help me prepare for what's coming."

Qrow nodded slowly, his usual sharp tongue muted as he processed the revelation.

Ironwood continued, his tone turning grave. "After Beacon's fall, it became clear that Salem isn't going to stop. If anything, she grows stronger with every passing day. That's why I've made it my mission to stop her, once and for all. And for that… I brought my army back."

Blake, who had been quietly observing from the back, stepped forward. "The army might be here to defend Atlas, but it's making the people of Atlas hate you," she pointed out, her voice calm but firm.

Ironwood met her gaze and nodded solemnly. "I know. But if that's the price I have to pay to ensure their safety, I'm willing to pay it."

He turned to the group, his tone shifting. "However, I'm not just relying on the military. I have a plan."

At his words, a holographic device rose from the center of the office, projecting a detailed image of Amity Colosseum. The floating arena gleamed in the light, its iconic design instantly recognizable.

Oscar, standing near the front, tilted his head curiously. "Isn't that where the Vytal Festival was held?"

Ironwood nodded. "Yes. Amity Colosseum was built to unite the kingdoms during the festival. But now, we plan to use it to allow the kingdoms to communicate with each other again."

Winter stepped forward, taking over the explanation. "Our scientists believe they can retrofit Amity Colosseum into a communications tower. Once launched into orbit, it will be beyond the reach of the Grimm and capable of reestablishing communication between all four kingdoms."

The group exchanged glances, the scale of the plan dawning on them.

Qrow frowned. "If that's the case, why do you need an army? A project like this doesn't sound like it needs military support."

Ironwood's expression darkened. "The army is for the next part of the plan. Once Amity is operational, I intend to tell the entire world about Salem."

Qrow's jaw tightened, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Ozpin spent his life, countless lives, keeping that secret. Do you have any idea what kind of chaos that'll cause?"

Ironwood nodded, his eyes steady. "I don't know if Ozpin's decision to keep Salem a secret was right or wrong. But I believe the world deserves to know the truth. If we're going to win this war, humanity needs to stand united. That starts with trust."

Pyrrha, her arms folded thoughtfully, spoke up. "That's why you need the army—to manage the panic that'll happen here in Atlas."

"Exactly," Ironwood replied.

Yang crossed her arms. "And what about the other kingdoms? If you tell the whole world about Salem, there will be grimm everywhere."

"Atlas will assist any kingdom that needs help," Ironwood said firmly. "We'll do whatever it takes to keep humanity standing."

Throughout the discussion, Crimson had remained silent, observing quietly. Finally, he spoke, his voice calm but carrying a weight that made everyone turn toward him. "The plan has merit. It might unify the world in a way we've never seen before. But it also comes with risks."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow. "What kind of risks?"

Crimson's gaze sharpened. "It might create more traitors. People like Cinder, who'll see this as an opportunity to serve Salem for their own gain."

Ironwood nodded, his expression thoughtful. "I understand the risk. But it's a trade I'm willing to make."

Crimson fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, his tone even more serious. "There's something else. Salem is immortal. I don't know the specifics of how her immortality works, but if it's anything like Ozpin's…" He trailed off, his words hanging heavily in the air.

Ironwood's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"

Crimson shrugged. "It's a long story, and you probably find it hard to believe. I'll explain it later, along with what happened at Haven and Argus."

Ironwood hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Fair enough."

The group, however, was still staring at Crimson, taken aback by how quickly he had spilled such critical information.

Ironwood sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "If only Ozpin were here…"

Oscar stepped forward hesitantly, his hands fidgeting. "Um… about that."

Qrow gestured toward him. "This is Oscar. He's… well, he's Ozpin's next reincarnation."

Ironwood's expression shifted to one of cautious hope. He crouched slightly to meet Oscar's height, studying him closely. "Ozpin?" he asked softly.

Oscar gave a small, nervous smile. "It's… complicated. Ozpin's… gone. For now, at least."

Ironwood's hope faltered. Ruby quickly stepped in, her voice apologetic. "There was a train crash. After that, he just… disappeared."

Ironwood frowned deeply, looking downcast. "That's… not normal," he muttered, rubbing his temple. After a moment, he straightened and looked at Oscar. "You're safe here in Atlas. We'll figure this out. But for now, I need to know—did Ozpin tell you anything about the relics?"

Ruby answered for him. "The relic can answer three questions. But it's already been used up."

Ironwood nodded slowly, his expression grim. "That's consistent with what Ozpin told me in the past."

He looked at the group, his voice firm once more. "Atlas stands behind you. But first, you need rest. And I want your weapons upgraded to Atlas standards. Penny will show you around."

Penny stepped forward eagerly. "Follow me, friends! I'll give you the grand tour!"

The group began to leave the office, but Crimson lingered behind, turning to Ironwood. "Do you have time for a long story, General?"

Ironwood met his gaze, his expression unreadable. "I'll make time."