A/N First off, new looks for Team CRMS, so:

(Y/N):

-sleeveless blue, zipped up shirt under light white armor (chest, shoulders, elbow pads), black, high collared jacket, with his skull emblem on the right front side in blue. Grimm Reaper's mask tightly strapped to his left arm

-blue jeans with black belt and silver belt buckle and knee and leg armor

-black boots and fingerless gloves

-blue cape, the same Ruby bought for him in Mistral, now held only by a skull pin. Skull necklace on his neck

-Mortem is now strapped to his waist instead of hip. Nothing changed in its design

-hair cut short and little spiky on top, with fades on the side

Sam:

-white long sleeved shirt, lightweight silver armor with floral design on it over his upper chest. Green jacket on top with his emblem on its back.

-black pants with armored knee-pads

-black boots, with green line on shoelace

-silver and green fingerless pads on his hands

-his sword now instead of being strapped to his hip, now sits on his back

-hair cut like he used to wear them at Beacon (look 'Team CRMS bio for Vol 5' for reference)

Ryze:

-short sleeved blue shirt with black top section under black hoodie with his emblem sewn on the upper chest. Black leather jacket on top. Blue fingerless gloves

-dark blue jeans with red belt and black, scissor-like buckle.

-white boots with steel nose, going over his ankles

-instead of guitar case he now uses two black crossed sheaths on his back to carry his weapons

-on top of his forehead sits aviators goggles

-hair cut in mohawk with red top and black bottom

Mako:

-new jacket like the one he used in Mistral, now armored with elbow and shoulder pads

-dark brown trousers with knee-pads having his emblem

-brown military boots going up to half of his shins

-he cut his hair shorter, revealing some of his forehead

Done. It's kinda low profile, but I don't like thinking about outfits and looks... sorry :)

Anyway, let's get started!

*(Y/N) POV*

We fly our ship through the sky around Atlas, watching the entire Atlas air fleet maintaining a blockade, while smaller airships fly all around them

Radio: "Manta 5-1. Welcome home. Please maintain your current course and prepare for landing at Atlas docking bay Omega 12. A security team will meet you there. Over"

(Y/N): "Crap..."

Jaune: "What is it (Y/N)?"

(Y/N): "Well, we are in a stolen Atlesian airship. We can't just dock and walk away. We'll be arrested on the spot"

Ruby: "I don't understand. What's happening here?" we all look around

Qrow: "I don't know"

Sam: "Seems like General is slowly losing his mind. First the Dust embargo, then closing the borders and now this" he sighs "Seems like the Fall of Beacon triggered some type of PTSD in his mind..."

Jaune: "But we are here. We got the lamp to Atlas, so I guess we just land and get some answers, right?"

Ryze: "My Oum... Jaune, if you want to be arrested then go ahead. We are in stolen military property, we're not on military payroll and I will NOT go to Atleasian prison"

Weiss: "Ryze is right. I don't think it's that simple. (Y/N), have you ever seen our forces deployed like that before?" I shake my head

(Y/N): "No. It's not gonna be easy. Security team won't let us near Ironwood, even if we tell them who we are. So, normal approach is out of the window" Weiss' head then slumps down

Weiss: "If they find out who I am, they may try and take me back to my father" Sam steps forward and puts his hand on her shoulder

Sam: "I will die before I allow this. It took me long enough to get you out" Weiss smiles at him before getting and idea

Weiss: "Wait! Winter! Maybe I could try to call her" she takes out her scroll "Maria, put some distance between us and the fleet. (Y/N), try contacting aunt Elly. Maybe she can help us too"

(Y/N): "I don't think..." Then our ship flies towards the ground below Atlas, to Mantle. I look down to see a depressing view of workers coming home from dust mines, dirty streets and every person standing on the street with sad, depressed faces "Dammit... It's worse than I remembered..." I try to call Mom, but she is not picking up "Oh man..."

Mako: "Would you look who we have here..." we turn to where he looks, only to see Ironwood announcement on one of giant screen

Ironwood: "...cannot express our appreciation enough. Many describe these as uncertain times, and while that may be the case for the rest of the world, I can tell you what is certain. The Kingdom of Atlas will remain strong, and it will remain safe. That is my promise"

(Y/N): "Oh my..."

Ryze: "You were saying something about PTSD, Sam? Cause it seems you were right..."

Yang: "General Ironwood. He looks..."

Ruby: "Tired"

Qrow: "James, what have you been doing?"

(Y/N): "Crap... it's really worse than I expected..."

Ryze: "Are we sure it's a good idea to contact the General in this state?"

(Y/N): "Either this, or Vacuo. And you know exactly how things in Vacuo are"

Sam: "Like you always say, 'never been in Vacuo'. It's the crime capital of Remnant. I, for sure, don't want to get kidnapped again"

Mako: "Leaving Atlas as our only safe option..."

We get a closer look at the city, seeing Atlas robot soldiers and drones throughout the city, and none of the civilians are quick to wave at them in appreciation

Weiss: "This isn't right, none of it is"

(Y/N): "Seems like our home changed during those years, Weiss Cream..."

Radio: "Manta 5-1, we've noticed a detour in your route. You are to make your way to docking bay Omega 12 immediately. Do you copy? Over"

Ryze: "And now we've the Atleasian army on our tail.."

Maria: "We're kind of running out of time here, kids"

Yang: "We need to ditch the ship"

Qrow: "Agreed"

Mako: "I second that"

Weiss: "Guys, I'm telling you. I know that my sister can take us to Ironwood" Mako and Blake look out of the window

Blake: "Uh, Weiss?"

Mako: "You may have a look at that" he points out the window. Weiss and I step up, only to see a recording of Winter on a giant screen now

Winter: "A reminder: failure to cooperate with Atlas military personnel is a punishable offense..." Weiss gets shocked

Weiss: "Winter?"

(Y/N): "Well, all our plans have gone to waste. Mom is not picking up, Winter is acting as Ironwood's yes man and General himself lost his mind"

Sam: "It's looks like we need to avoid your sister for the time being, Snowflake"

Weiss: "There's obviously something very wrong. If we can just talk to her, then we-"

Qrow: "Look, I'm not even sure we should be talking to Ironwood right now. Not until we know exactly what's going on around here"

(Y/N): "Right. We need more information before doing anything"

Radio: "...Mantle 5-1, you are to-" Grandma turns the radio off

Maria: "Geez lady, take a hint" she moves the ship lower to the city

After finding a spot to ditch the airship, we make our way onto the city streets, following Grandma. As we move through the city, we see people going about their business, though, we can feel melancholy in the air

Maria: "Come on, it's this way"

(Y/N): "Even more troops than I remember. This is really not normal"

As we move, a hovering drone focus on us, making Yang stare at it

Yang: "Huh?"

Drone's camera part lifts up and focuses on her. She shrugs it off as we continue walking. Soon drone takes the picture of her, making Yang kick the drone, knocking it out of the air and causing it to tumble into the street, where it is struck by a car

Yang: "Ooh..." We stare at her. She awkwardly shifts her posture with a sheepish smile

(Y/N): "Yang, can you not destroy something my mom probably worked over nights to design?"

Yang: "Sorry" she sheepishly scrap her head "Maybe we should pick up the pace" we agree and continue walking

Maria: "You have to remember: the kingdom of Mantle had lost the Great War. The people needed a sign of a new, better, future. And that sign was Atlas. After all, a home in the clouds is about as bright as it gets"

We stop by an intersection, watching a truck drive by with mine workers, both human and Faunus, in the back, covered in dirt and looking depressed

Ryze: "Bright for the people rich enough to get a seat in it. Not so bright for everyone else"

Blake: "This whole city, it just awful"

???: "Yeah?" we look back to see a drunk man approaching us with a flask in his hands

Drunk Man: "You don't like it here? There's plenty of space out in the tundra"

Blake: "I'm sorr-"

Mako: "Don't be Blake" he turns to the drunken "Maybe they should send you there"

Drunk Man: "Atlas is the greatest Kingdom in the world, alright?!" Ruby steps forward

Ruby: "Hey!" Blake stops her

Blake: "We can't cause a scene" A second drunk man sitting on the steps speaks up

Drunk Man #2: "The embargo... The embargo's got us in a rough patch. But it'll blow over, you'll see"

Drunk Man: "We try to help the other Kingdoms, and this is what happens? I say let 'em rot!"

Ryze: "If I were you, I'd shut up about now. With how Atlas always looks down on the rest of the world, Faunus especially, you're damn right they don't like you"

Blake: "Ryze, don't" Drunk man spits on the ground

Drunk Man: "Stupid Faunus like your friend there wouldn't-" he can't finish, as Ryze sends a wind wave at him, pushing him right into the dumpster. Mako then bends it so it won't open. We look at the duo

Ryze: "What? That drunk bastard saw it coming" we then noticed a pair of Atlesian Knights coming our way, so we decided to flee. We follow grandma to one building with a glowing green plus above its front door. The side door opens, and a Faunus with a arm exits, waving cheerfully to the man who speaks to her from inside

???: "And no more heavy-lifting, yah hear?" Grandma nods to the door and walks inside

Maria: "Ah, it's good to see you again, old friend" she greets the man inside, who is behind a desk with some piles of papers on it "Ahem"

An elderly man with dark skin appears from behind the desk, wearing a green cap and oval-shaped glasses. He is wearing a red vest over a cream shirt with a pink bowtie, dark mustard pants and leather boots. Finally, he has balding white hair. The man stares at Maria standing in front of his desk, before smiling

???: "Ah, yes, yes" he moves some papers out of the way "Have we met?"

Ren: "Well, this is off to a fantastic start" We walk inside

Maria: "Cybernetic optical implants" she points to her eyes" You adjust them. Every ten years or so?" the man looks at grandma for a while, before grandma sighs "Elizabeth's mother" he throws his hand cheerfully into the air

???: "Maria!" The robotic chair he is sitting in begins walking out from behind the desk "How can't I recognize you? With the cybernetic implants! I adjust them every ten years or so" He offers his hand to her and leads her to an examination table. He laughs "Oh, wow, has it been that long already?"

Maria: "Hah, I know, I age like a fine wine. Would've been here sooner if I hadn't run into these crazy kids. At the time, I thought they... might need my guidance while fighting off a Sphinx" the man helps grandma onto the seat

???: "Oh, did they?"

Maria: "Oh no, they had much more complicated issues. However, you remember my grandson? The one I asked you for a weapon for him?"

???: "Elizabeth and Albert's son? Of course. If I remember correctly, Elizabeth said he is coming here with his friends"

Maria: "(Y/N). Come here" I sigh and step forward

(Y/N): "It's been a while, Pietro"

Pietro: "(Y/N)... Oh my, look how you grew up. Well, it's a pleasure to see you again. And meet all of you after all" Qrow fake coughs, getting our attention

Qrow: "And this is..." he gestures to Pietro

Maria: "So impatient. I didn't think I'd need to introduce one of Atlas' finest minds"

Yang: "Working in a place like this?" to make a statement, building creaks and a ceiling tile fall to the floor

Maria: "He likes to keep a low profile. Something I've come to realize none of you know anything about"

(Y/N): "Guys, this is Doctor Pietro. My mom's colleague from work"

Pietro: "You may call me Pietro"

Maria: "Finest heart, too. This pharmacy is just where he volunteers when he's not 'building the future of Atlas', alongside Ironwood and Elizabeth up in the clouds"

Pietro: "Oh, it's stuffy up there. Down here, I can help the locals out, and have a little fun while doing so. I'm, uh, currently working on shoes that can make you dance. You, uh, want to try them on?"

Nora: "YES!" Yang steps in

Yang: "But, before we talk about that, we were wondering if you could help us. We came to Atlas hoping to talk to General Ironwood, but-"

Blake: "What exactly has been happening here?" Pietro coughs roughly for a second before speaking

Pietro: "The Fall of Beacon... took a toll on all of us. James was no different. I couldn't tell you exactly what it was he saw there, but it changed him. He's..."

Qrow: "He's scared"

Pietro: "Paranoid would be the more appropriate term. You have to understand, it wasn't just the Grimm. Someone completely dismantled Atlas security code, made it their play-thing, and made us look like traitors to some and buffoons to everyone else. Whoever managed to do that is either a genius or one of our own. I fear the answer may be both, and so does the general"

Ren: "Maybe Atlas isn't as safe as we first thought"

Ryze: "Nowhere is safe. Here only the rich can feel like that. In Vacuo thing would be a lot worse"

Oscar: "But, we came all this way. We can't just leave... can we?"

(Y/N): "What about the council? What's their opinion on all of this?"

Weiss: "Or Winter Schnee. Do you know anything about her?"

Pietro: "Well, the council's so scared that they'll let Ironwood do just about anything he wants, though some representatives of Mantle aren't so keen on going along with him... Wait, you're Weiss Schnee" Weiss backs up nervously

Yang: "Wait, what did you say about Mantle?" Pietro stares at her prosthetic arm

Pietro: "You... painted it?"

Mako: "Okay, what's going on here?" Pietro looks at us

Pietro: "You girls are... Team RWBY. And if (Y/N) is here, that means... you boys are Team CRMS"

Ruby: "You know us?!"

Pietro: "Oh, my girl, I do. I most certainly do. And I feel like such a dunce for not recognizing you sooner. Not only Elizabeth spoke about you. My daughter's told me so much about you"

Ruby: "Your... daughter"

'Crap... Ruby doesn't know... And I feel like I need to apologize for not protecting Penny..."

Just as I was about to bring the topic, sirens start going off across the city. We look out the door to see civilians panicking and running away. We run outside, seeing red lights cascading the city as they hit the streets. Feeling trouble looming in, we take our weapons

Oscar: "I guess the city defenses aren't doing so well"

Nora: "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me"

(Y/N): "It was always like this. Atlas may be safe, but Mantle is left for itself"

We look ahead and we hear some roaring beyond, seeing several Atlas robots firing off in one direction, only for each one to get taken out by Saber tooth tiger-like Grimm, before we charge down the street towards them

Ruby: "Well, we didn't come this far to give up now" she aims her scythe

(Y/N): "Team CRMS, you know what to do!" I charge ahead, with my team right behind me

Yang and Ren race with them while Nora uses Jaune's shield as a spring-board and launches off of him. I slice through one Grim, followed by Ryze and Sam slashing their way through two more. Yang punches one into the air while Ren stabs his blades into another's skull, and Mako lets one close, before smashing his mace onto its skull and into the ground. Jaune swings his sword, killing one as it runs by, and then uses his shield to block a second that tries to pounce on him before stabbing it in the throat and throwing it off. Qrow spins around, swinging his blade through two Grimm, followed by turning it into its scythe form and twirling it around as a third comes close, slicing it in half. He then punches a fourth into the air and then stabs it through the chest with his blade and then slices it in half.

Oscar watches from the back until one Grimm faces him and charges. He runs at it, flipping into the air and swinging his cane across its skull. They both land, but only Oscar remains alive. A second Grimm tries to attack from behind, but Ruby fires her sniper-scythe, taking it out. Ruby fires her scythe behind her, rushing past everyone as she slices through one Sabre and then runs towards me

Ruby: "(Y/N)!

I glance behind me after slicing another Grimm in half. Ruby jumps into the air as I follow her. I swing my scythe around as Ruby lands her feet on it. I swing one final time, sending her towards a small group of Grimm. She spins with her scythe in the air before smashing it onto the ground, sending out a shockwave that knocks all of them back. I land behind her, charging the fire from my semblance, before swinging my scythe to send out an orange flame wave

(Y/N): "Orange... Stage two!"

*3rd POV*

Meanwhile, Ryze fires his rifle, taking out a few Grimm, before Mako jumps over him, smashing his mace into the ground and using his semblance to control underground pipes to stab some Grimm too. Off to the side, Weiss slashes her rapier through one Sabre before turning to face a few more running at her. She creates a few black glyphs to catch and ensnare them and then lifts them into the air. Sam comes by, unsheathing his weapon before running to trapped Grimm, only to cut their heads off with one fluid motion. Meanwhile, Yang punches one Grimm into the dirt, but another comes in from her rear. However, a shot rings out, killing the Grimm and saving Yang as she looks back at Blake as her savior. However, a Sabre suddenly attacks Blake from behind, only for a sudden green beam of energy to fly in and slice the Grimm in two before it can hurt her"

*(Y/N) POV*

We all stood dumbfounded, looking at the source of the beam. A few more of these energy beams come in and kill the remaining Grimm in the area, causing the light to switch back to normal. We look up, seeing the silhouette of a teenage girl flying in the sky. The figure lands and after we get a good look at who it is. Much to our shock... It's Penny! Now with long orange hair, curled at the tips, with a black bow and new outfit

(Y/N): "Carrot Top...?" I ask with amusement, Ruby gasps

Ruby: "Penny...?" Pietro walks up behind us

Pietro: "Daughter, why don't you say hello to your old friends"

Ryze: "Daughter?"

Penny turns to us, gasps, and instantly gets a huge smile on her face, same as me and Ruby. We put our weapons away

Penny: "Sal..."

Ruby: "Huh?"

(Y/N): "This is bad..."

Penny lowers to one knee, getting into a sprinter position, worrying both of us

Penny: "U..."

Ruby: "Uh?"

(Y/N): "*sigh*"

Penny begins to run toward us at high speed

Penny: "Tations!!!"

Penny leaps and activates her jets, rocketing forward and tackling us. Ruby flails her hands around in front of her while I step behind her, sigh and open my arms, getting ready to accept a rocket powered hug. Soon us three crash to the ground, with me and Ruby groaning in pain. Everyone put their weapons down and gather around us

Penny stands back up, Ruby slowly rises with her hand on her head and I get up and crack my neck

(Y/N): "I will feel this tomorrow..."

Penny: "It is such a pleasure to see you all again!"

Ruby: "Penny... W-We tough you..."

(Y/N): "We... we thought you died, Carrot Top..."

Pietro: "Died? Well, I guess in a manner of speaking, she did. But, we were able to recover her core from Amity Arena, once it had made its way back to Atlas. It took me and Elly some time, but-"

Penny: "I'm as good as new, better even. And now, I'm the official protector of the city"

Pietro: "That's my girl. We're not going to let a little 'ripping to shreds' stop us, are we?"

Penny: "No sir!"

Weiss: "This is..."

Blake: "Strangely wholesome"

Mako: "It's strangely pleasing to me for some reason"

Ryze: "I thought I've seen everything, and yet, here we are"

Yang: "Sounds like Penny to me"

Sam: "She definitely acts like her"

Penny grabs and shakes me and Ruby's shoulders

Penny: "We have so much to catch up about. I cannot wait!" More sirens go off in the distance "It seems we will have to wait!" she steps back "Let's talk more later! I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures and tell you how I have been and I am just very excited about the whole experience!!" she shoots up into the sky, her words growing quieter as she flies away

Nora: "I can't tell if I completely understand what's going on or have, like, a million questions"

Pietro: "And thankfully, I have about a thousand answers. But let's get out of this weather first" he walks back to the pharmacy and grandma follows him

Maria: "I have absolutely no idea who that child was. Is she important somehow?"

Jaune: "That was unexpected"

Mako: "I would say it was a pleasant surprise"

Qrow: "But not unwelcome. I was honestly expecting things to go a lot rougher"

We make our way back to the office, However I, Ren and Mako feel a slight change in the air. I turn, but I can't react fast enough, as some kind of grappling cable wraps around my body and arms, making me fall onto my stomach. The rest of the group are summarily ensnared just like me and they all fall to the ground. I try to somehow get out of it, but to no effort as someone put his or her foot on my back

???: "Easy there, boy. Don't struggle and cooperate"

'Dammit, Ace Ops are here..."

(Y/N): "Very nice welcoming guys..."

???: "Good job, team" I instantly recognize the voice, Clover...

Qrow: "Hey, pal, I'm a licensed Huntsman. Just helped save everyone!"

More Atlesian robot soldiers arrive and help confiscate our weapons. Clover grabs the Relic from Ruby and inspects it for a moment

Clover: "Hm. Let's get them loaded into the next transport"

Ruby: "Please! We were just trying to help!"

Pietro: "What is the meaning of this?" he coughs "What are the Ace Ops even doing down here in Mantle?"

Ruby: "Ace Ops?"

Clover: "Doctor, good to see you. Well, we heard a report of an unauthorized ship making an unauthorized landing, followed by an unauthorized use of weapons by unlicensed Huntsmen" Grandma turns and walks away

Pietro: "If we could jus-" I cut him off

(Y/N): "Elm, get your foot off my back!" this gathers their attention, as she turns me on my back "Finally! What's the idea of attacking us?!"

Elm: "Do we know you?" I sigh

(Y/N): "I'm (Y/N), the little matchstick" she gasps

Elm: "Little (L/N)?! I never thought I'd see you again!" I roll my eyes

(Y/N): "Just get your foot off me, please" she did as I asked. I activate the Ignition and burn like a living torch with orange flame, melting the cable "Much better. Now, Clover, mind freeing my friends or should I do it for you?" he sighs

Clover: "(Y/N), I'm glad you're back, but we don't follow orders from anyone besides General Ironwood" I sigh

(Y/N): "Speaking of. I'm sure you have questions, We have some questions too. Just call us a transport and take us to James"

Clover: "We don't-" I get my hands on fire

(Y/N): "NOW!" he raises his hands in the air

Clover: "Okay, okay. But your friends stay tied" he turns to Harriet "Call the transport" she nods

Jaune: "Do you know these guys?"

Ryze: "And why the fuck can't they untie us?!" I sigh

(Y/N): "The Ace Ops. General Ironwood's personal guard and best Huntsman in Atlas after my dad died. As to why, I don't know, but I'd rather not fight with all of them, alone"

Elm: "Elizabeth would drop him off to any of us when she and Albert were busy" she looks to me "And you grew up to be a quite handsome man" she fans herself, making Ruby stare at her, angry

Elm: "What?"

(Y/N): "This is my girlfriend. And if I were you, I would rather not piss her off" Ace Ops scatter as we wait for our transport

Soon our transport vehicle comes by and we are loaded to it's back, with Qrow being the last one before the doors shut

Qrow: "Now, this... This is much closer to what I was expecting"

(Y/N): "At least we're not going to prison..."

Ryze: "That's still to see... At least you're untied!" he tries to fight the handcuffs as Nora tires to chew her way out of them

Yang: "You really couldn't tell your babysitters anything else?!"

(Y/N): "They respond to Ironwood and Ironwood only. That's Ace Ops for you"

Then another guy in the same truck turn to us with his eyes wide open

Guy: "You guys ran into the Ace Ops? Ironwood must really have a bone to pick with you"

Weiss: "They're not that big of a deal"

Guy: "Not that big of a deal?! The Ace Ops are the 'elite' of elite military Huntsmen... and Ironwood's personal attack dogs"

Nora: "So they got you too, huh?"

Guy: "Pfft, I wouldn't let myself get caught by them. I'm here because I've been speaking out against Atlas' exploitation of Mantle, and General Ironwood is trying to silence me!" One of the pilots then spoke

Pilot: "You threw a brick at our ship"

Guy: "It's worth it if it gets people talking about our cause!"

Mako: "Wonder what cause would that be?"

Guy: "The fight for better conditions in Mantle, led by the charismatic, talented, and lovely Robyn Hill, and her Happy Huntresses!" pilot press the button and the window starts to roll up "

Guy: "They were all top Atlas Academy graduates, who could have signed up for the military, but Robyn and the Huntresses chose to stay in Mantle. She's gunning for a seat on the Kingdom's council, and when she gets it, she's gonna put an end to Ironwood's tyranny!"

Oscar: "Happy... Huntresses?

Yang: "Is that their real name?"

Weiss: "Don't you think "tyranny's" a little dramatic?" the Guy turns around and looks surprised at Weiss

Guy: "Easy to say for a Schnee heiress, living comfortably up in Atlas" Weiss sighs sadly

Weiss: "Not anymore..." Ryze leans to me

Ryze: "You were saying we're not on our way to jail, but this proves you otherwise..."

(Y/N): "Shut up. I told you, we're not going to jail. And if we're, then my mom would rip Clover's eyes..."

Sam: "Your mom? Really? I met her and she would never do something like that"

(Y/N): "Her semblance allows her to mimic any animal trait and combine them. From the strength of the gorilla to the claws of a wolf"

Qrow: "And that's why we called your mother 'gorilla cyclops' back in Beacon" I chuckle

(Y/N): "We're flying for a while, so soon we should arrive in the ci-" Ruby cuts me off

Ruby: "Whoa, it's gorgeous up here!" Jaune, Mako and Nora leaves their seats and look out the window with her

Weiss: "Don't let that fool you" the guy stands up and looks out of the window

Guy: "This isn't a police station" I stand up and walk next to him

(Y/N): "Guys..." Qrow gets next to me

Qrow: "It's... Atlas Academy"

Soon enough our airship lands on one of the platforms, where two soldiers open up the back doors for us to step out. We look at the school before seeing more soldiers waiting for us on the stairs

Ruby: "I guess we will be seeing the General. For better or worse"

We head up to the school while this guy watches us from the airship. I turn around

(Y/N): "Good luck, buddy" I turn back to the group

We enter a large elevator heading for whatever floor we're supposed to go

Ren: "So, what do we do?" he whispers to me and Ruby

Ruby: "I don't know yet. But we should be careful with what we say" One of the guards looks over to us

Guard: "Mr. (L/N), keep your distance from them"

(Y/N): "They won't try anything" I lean down and whisper to Ren and Ruby "And to whom we say it..." Blake gets her head between me and Ruby

Blake: "We'll follow your leads, Ruby and (Y/N)..." Me and Ruby smile, but she soon starts to look worried again.

(Y/N): "It will be alright, Petals. I'm sure my mom will take our side"

Mako: "That's if she is here..." I elbow his side "Ow"

(Y/N): "She is. Atlas Academy is her main place of work besides home"

Soon, the elevator beeps as it arrives at its destination. Guards escort us out into a hallway and down a flight of stairs. We arrive in a room just as General walks through, speaking with someone else

Ironwood: "I swear if I have to sit through one more council meeting like that..." He turns toward a small flight of stairs on his way to his office, accompanied by Winter, Penny and... my mom...

Mom: "Calm down, James. It's not-" she was cut off by Penny as she notices our group and gasps

Penny: "Yay, you're here!" It catches the rest of her group's attention, causing them to stop and look

Mom: "(Y/N)!" She runs full speed at me and hugs me "My baby boy is back home!" She tightens her hug and I return it. As we embrace, Weiss steps out from behind Ruby

Weiss: "Winter"

Winter gasps lightly. Their sister reunion is however interrupted by Nora, leaning in and holding up her bound wrist, grinning and waving her fingers

Nora: "Anyone wanna give us a hand with these?" Mom breaks the hug and Winter collects herself. Mom looks behind me to see our group in handcuffs, as Ruby waves at her, a little embarrassed

Ruby: "Hey... Elly" Just as Winter was about to speak, mom get the claws ready and address the guards

Mom: "You have ten second to release my future daughter-in-law and her friends before I cut you to pieces!" Ruby blushed at my mom calling her daughter-in-law

'You're not too far from truth, mom' I double check my pocket to see if it's still here

Guards look at my mom, as the murderous aura she was emitting gets stronger. They frantically begin removing the bolases from everyone's arms, while Ironwood watches with a smile

Guard #1: "Sorry!"

Guard #2: "Please, let us help you!"

Guard #1: "Forgive us!"

Winter then look at my mom after sighing

Winter: "Why are you always responding with violence, Elly?"

Mom: "Wait till you have kids of your own. You will understand then" Weiss takes her head in her hand and shake it as the bolases fall to the floor

Ironwood: "Please, come in" We follow him and his group into his office "It is so good to see all of you"

Yang: "Our reception didn't really convey that" James sighs

Ironwood: "I sincerely regret how you were treated by my team"

(Y/N): "You can tell Clover he owe us one"

Mom: "So... it was Clover and his team...?" murderous aura return, before she breathes in and out

Ironwood: "Elizabeth, please"

Qrow rolls his eyes with a small huff. Ironwood walks behind his desk to sit down, and Penny and Winter take positions standing at either side of the desk. Mom leans on a pillar nearby

Ironwood: "When a rogue airship entered our airspace, it raised some... red flags. We assumed the ship was stolen"

Ruby: "Stolen?" she laughs awkwardly, as I shrug my shoulder

(Y/N): "I mean, yeah. It was stolen from Argus' base"

Ironwood's eyes widened in surprise. He then smiles, and his shoulders move a tiny bit with a silent chuckle while my mom does the same

Mom: "You stole a ship? From Cordovin?" I nod "Oh my... She deserved it for how she treated grandma Maria"

(Y/N): "Speaking of grandma, she is here too. She stopped by Dr. Polendina's pharmacy"

Mom: "So that's why you have to steal it. You somehow brought grandma with you! Oh my Oum, that's hilarious!" Winter however finds no humor in the situation and begins scolding Weiss

Winter: "You stole an Atlas airship?" Weiss watches with a frown as Winter approaches her "What were you thinking!? You might've been shot down! How unbelievably irresponsib-" Weiss cut her off by a hug

Weiss: "I'm sorry for worrying you, but we did... what we had to do"

Winter: "I... I suppose I understand" Winter hugs back, soon they separates and she looks at Sam "Thank you for taking care of her, Samuel"

Sam: "I promised something, didn't I?" he smiles. Winter then glares at Qrow

Winter: "But I cannot believe that you allowed this to happen, Qrow"

Qrow: "You try stopping these kids when they have their minds set on something. Speaking of which..." he turns to Ironwood "We have some important information for you that's... confidential" Penny and Winter join Ironwood's side

Penny: "Oh, is it about the Relics?"

Winter: "Or the Winter Maiden and her Guardian?"

Ryze: "Well, we can throw 'confidential' out of the window too..."

Qrow: "You... told them?" Ironwood hums before reaching into his desk and pulling out the Relic of Knowledge"

Ironwood: "Did you really think you were the only one who worked out a plan after Beacon? With Ozpin gone, I needed my own team of people that I could trust. So yes, I told them. The Ace Ops as well. Which is why I'm so glad you're here... with the Relic of Knowledge. Until now, I believed it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, has kept victory out of her clutches, but she will keep returning, stronger and stronger... unless we destroy her"

Ruby: "But... what about the Relic here in Atlas?"

Ironwood: "You mean the Staff of Creation? It's safe inside the vault beneath the school"

Ryze: "What about Winter Maiden?"

Winter: "She's secured. And in stable condition"

Yang: "Stable?"

Qrow: "She's uh... not exactly a spring chicken. She's been alive for quite some time" he turns to Ryze "You have an old lady to protect, gear eyes" this surprise Ironwood and Winter

Ironwood: "Qrow... you're saying..."

Qrow: "That matchstick here and his team are Guardians? Yeah. Matchstick, as everybody knows, is Fall's, gear eyes is Winter's, vine boy is Spring's and coconut is Summer's"

Ironwood: "Incredible... But, are you sure? I know (Y/N) is, but..." As to demonstrate, Ryze create a small wind wave, blowing papers from Ironwood's desk, leaving him speechless

Ryze: "We are. Now, back to the topic, Ironwood" James clears his throat and continues

Ironwood: "I know how this all might look. Recalling my forces, closing the borders, the Dust embargo. I probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now"

Blake: "If you understand the situation, then why continue it?"

Nora: "The people of Mantle are hurting!"

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

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

Mako: "All the negativity in Mantle brings Grimm, General!" James sighs

Ironwood: "It's a price I'm willing to pay" he reaches over to a glowing panel of buttons on his desk and taps a button that resembles a table emitting light from its surface "Just as you all have been entrusted with the knowledge of Salem's existence, I need you all to trust me. I have a plan"

Shutters come down outside the windows, darkening the room. A circle in the center of the floor bearing Atlas' emblem begins to rise up, prompting Ruby and Oscar to step off of it. As Ironwood talks and makes his way over to it, the circle continues to rise and transforms into a table

Ironwood: "Ozpin believed the best way to fight Salem was to do so in secret. Whether that was the right choice or not isn't for me to say. But we find ourselves in a position of needing, well, a new approach"

Qrow: "And what do you suggest?"

James brings out a small remote and hits a switch, bringing up a hologram of Amity Colosseum

Jaune: "That's... Amity Colosseum"

Oscar: "Where the Vytal Festival is held?"

Ironwood: "Indeed. When Beacon fell, and everyone lost contact with one another, I knew that our current system was outdated. Amity was built to bring the nations together. And it will serve that purpose once again" he hits a switch, and then the image of a tower appears on top of the coliseum. We stare at the hologram and look at each other

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

Winter: "By launching the tower high into the atmosphere, Dr. Elizabeth and her team believe we can create a sort of... satellite"

Mom: 'It would be out of reach of Grimm, human interactions and will be capable of maintaining global communication even if we somehow lose another tower"

Ruby: "That... is great"

(Y/N): "I must say, it's a genius idea, General. And you overdo yourself with this, mom" James and mom smiles

Qrow: "James... you don't need the entire military for this"

Ironwood: "I will for the next part, where I finally tell the people about Salem" this shocks us. Qrow then grunts

Qrow: "So that's why you withdrew your troops. To handle the panic that will break out in Atlas"

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

Weiss: "But everything will fall apart. The Grimm will be everywhere"

Winter: "You're right, but Atlas is willing and ready to assist"

(Y/N): "Wait a second, guys. General, I know you can help Atlas and maybe Mantle, that's if we will finally give a damn about it. But, what about the rest of our world? They hate you and will likely accept no help from you. Second thing is resources... Atlas don't have enough of them to share with every kingdom. Innocent people will die. Are you really willing to have their blood on your hands?" James sighs

Ironwood: "I understand (Y/N), and you're right. This isn't a pleasant situation we find ourselves in. As I said before, it is the price I'm willing to pay. But... trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all. We need to try something new" he presses a button on his remote, and the hologram disappears, the table transforms and recedes into the floor and the shutters pull away from the windows

Qrow: "Oz spent his whole life, many lives, keeping this secret

Ironwood: "I know. But since Beacon, things have changed" he heads back to his desk "Without him here to guide us, all I can do is use my best judgment" Oscar shifts uncomfortably as James stops and looks back "What is it?"

Oscar: "Actually, Oz isn't completely... gone, so to speak"

Qrow: "Oscar here is... he's the next Ozpin"

Ironwood: "Oz?" Smiling, he quickly and eagerly approaches Oscar, who looks nervous "I'm so glad you're here. I didn't think you-" Oscar puts his hands up and interrupts him, as he crouches to Oscar's level

Oscar: "Not quite. He's kind of, um, gone... at the moment" James' smile fades and he lowers his head

Ironwood: "That's not normal" he looks back up "How did he-"

Ruby: "We don't know" James, Qrow and Oscar look at her, as I speak next, going along with the lie

(Y/N): "We were in a train crash, and Oscar hit his head pretty hard. Since then Oz just... disappeared"

Ironwood: "That's the worst news yet" he stands up "Did you learn anything from him about the Relics before...?"

Ruby: "He told us the lamp can answer three questions. But all the questions were used up already" I notice Blake, Yang, Ryze and Sam look at each other and later at me and Ruby

(Y/N): "It's useless for another century"

Ironwood: "Right, right" he walks back behind his desk and stares out the window "Ozpin told us that too, once upon a time" he turns to face us "At least we have you, Oscar. You're safe here in Atlas. Maybe together we can figure out how to bring Ozpin back" he turns to Oscar

Oscar: "Thank you, sir, uh General... Ironwood?" James smiles a bit and then takes the lamp and brings it to Ruby, offering it to her

Ruby: "You're... giving it back to me?"

Ironwood: "After what happened with the Ace Ops, I don't want you to think that I'm keeping anything from you, especially something as important as this. For the time being, I think it's safest with the people who brought it here" Ruby takes the Relic and places it on its place on her belt

Ruby: "Um, thank you" James smiles

Ironwood: "We must work together if we're to fight Salem and win. Now, if you're all on board..." Me and Ruby think for a while, before looking back at James

Ruby and (Y/N): "Tell us how we can help"

Ironwood: "Good, because getting the Amity Tower ready to launch won't be easy" he walks back to his desk "But first, I think we need to get those weapons of yours up to our standards"

A hologram screen appears, showing footage of Blake drawing her broken katana before their fight against the Grimm in Mantle. Blake reacts with embarrassment

Mako: "Hehe" Blake elbows his side

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

Mom: "You can be sure those upgrades will take you to another level!" she smiles at all of us

Nora: "Ooh!"

Ren: "Really?"

Mako: "Mrs. (L/N), if you can add some 'power' to my pistols-"

Mom: "Will do, boy. Don't worry" Yang rises her fist in the air

Yang: "Yeah!"

We exit Jame's office, and encounter Are Ops again

Marrow: "So, that was the second time I got banned. Then there was the third time when-"

Clover: "Alright, cut the chatter" As we walk down the stairs, they approach us "I'd like to sincerely apologize for the miscommunication down in Mantle. We didn't intend to-" Elm pushes her way past Clover and Marrow and begins shaking Ruby

Elm: "I feel so bad, honestly! If we had know who you were, we'd be laughing over a hot meal right now and-"

(Y/N): "Elm, can you stop shaking her?" Elm stops and drops Ruby onto the floor. She then stumbles back on her feet as I help her stand straight

Ruby: "It's okay. You were just following orders"

(Y/N): "If you only listened to me..."

Elm: "Don't be so grumpy, fire boy. At least we delivered you safely to the General" she looks at Ruby "I'm so, so sorry! I really didn't know you are (Y/N)'s girlfriend. Most of us assumed he will never get one"

(Y/N): "Hey!" my team laugh and Ruby giggles "You could've asked us, and not tie us up"

Marrow: "Questions are for the weak. But we're all on the same team now. Not that I'm happy about it" he crosses his arms, but his tail is wagging. He reaches back and grabs it, much to Harriet's and mine amusement

(Y/N): "Really now? Your tail says otherwise, Marrow"

Marrow: "Oh, shut up..." Clover clears his throat

Clover: "We just wanted to say we're sorry. And that we're looking forward to working with you on our next mission. You might be students, but you've been fighting just as hard as we have, if not harder"

Harriet: "Exactly why I'm looking forward to seeing what you kids can do"

Ryze: "Is that a challenge?" Harriet smiles confidently at him

Harriet: "I like this kid" they stare at each other, ready to throw themselves at each other's throats, before Vine spoke

Vine: "Not everything's a competition, Hare" Penny enters the room and slides in front of Ruby, throwing her hands up in excitement

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

Penny enthusiastically marches away as we follow her. Soon we're deep in the school building, as we get more and more tired

Penny: "So that way's the cafeteria, and that way is the training rooms. Oh, and over there are the classrooms!"

Ruby stretches, yawning loudly. We stop, as I look around to see everyone on their energy reserve before yawning myself

(Y/N): "Carrot Top, it all looks nice and great, but..."

Ruby: "Where are we staying! We're exhausted!" she whines, leaning her head on my shoulder

Penny: "Remember, you're in Atlas now. As the most well-funded school on Remnant, every teen at Atlas Academy gets their own room! And if that wasn't enough-"

Ren: "So, we're staying in the dorms?"

Penny: "It'll be just like Beacon again!" she excitedly dance and hop

Ryze: "Sweet. Guys, you think what I think?" he turns to the three of us

Sam: "If it involves what I think it involves, then yes, please"

(Y/N): "I'm in too" However, our girlfriends quickly catch up what we're thinking about

Yang: "No way we'll allow you three!"

Ruby: "Cookie, you better quit thinking about this!"

Weiss: "Samuel Kiryuin! I will NOT allow you to intoxicate your body with something so... barbaric!" Us three sigh

Ryze/(Y/N)/Sam: "Yes Babe.../Sure, Petals.../Right, Snowflake..." Mako laughs at us

Mako: "Henpecked" that's until Blake approach him

Blake: "Mako..." she holds her arm sheepishly, looking down before looking up at him with a small blush "Would you... join them?" Mako can't help but blush too before scrapping the nape of his neck

Mako: "N-No! Of course not! I'm the son of a doctor after all! I know this stuff is bad for your health" Blake smiles at him

Blake: "Good"

And then Nora collapses. Ren and Jaune pick her up and we made our way to the dorms we'll be staying

A/N: And here it is, first chapter of Vol 7. As well as new looks and cover! Feel free to comment and vote. Stay safe, and I will see you in the next chapter!

Punkie out!

RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth

OCs belongs to me

(Y/N) belongs to you