Everyone's solemn looks aboard the bullhead, cuffs on their wrists and frowns on their faces, made Ruby's sadness grow deeper.

"Where do you think they're taking us?" She asked.

"I'm gonna go with jail." Qrow shrugged.

"I can't believe that fishing pole guy took us out like it was nothing." Jaune muttered.

"Welcome to Atlas. Those were Ironwood's Ace Operatives." Weiss said with a sigh.

Suddenly, a claw tore into the back doors of the bullhead, and everyone watched the claw move around in search of a door knob of sorts.

"Where the hell is it?!" Seth yelled, muffled from the door.

"Just tear it off." Dawn suggested. "Won't they fly out and— I don't know— DIE?!" Seth asked in annoyance.

Everyone was watching with unamused faces, glancing at the window in the back to see Seth looking away as he rummaged around.

"Goddamnit... let me just search somewhere el—...I can't get it out." Seth said trying to pull his hand back. "What? Why not?" Maia asked.

"I needed a claw to get through the door without breaking it... my hand's to big for the hole I made." Seth explained.

"Our hero..." Yang mumbled.

"You know what... everyone likes skydiving, right?" Seth asked, able to hear her. He expanded his claw and went to tear off the doors.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT—"

•

The bullhead landed, and unfortunately with the doors facing their destination, Atlas Academy.

Seth heard the click of loaded rifles and turned his gaze to them with Maia and Dawn, one of his back and the other in his arm.

He slowly hopped off the bullhead and tore the doors off, letting his friends peek out, slowly exiting as well.

All guns were aimed at him, and Dawn and Maia slowly crept to the others side for safety.

"Teams RWBY, JNPR, and Hunstman Qrow, along with the Maia Ironwood, and the other individuals besides the entity known as Seth Evans, head this way." A soldier ordered, a dozen or so lining up in a ceremonial walkway format.

"I guess we will be seeing the general." Ruby commented.

"Most of us..." Qrow said seeing Seth kicked in his shin and brought to his knees, where they wrapped a collar around his neck and forced his face to the ground.

They forced more cuffs and constraints around his ankles and wrists, completely restricting his movement. The spar soldiers began to lift Seth up and on their shoulders, following after the heroes.

•

The entire group was riding up the elevator, and Seth was on the floor face down.

"Why the excessive force...? I'm just a kid?" Seth grumbled from the floor.

"To be fair, you fought two Maidens and won." Weiss responded.

"Not helping."

"You're also a weird alien who can steal souls." Yang added.

"Again. Not helping."

"You also look like that." Nora shrugged.

"That was just racist."

"I think she means similar to a Grimm."

"Going down." Seth whispered.

Burden appeared on the floor beside him, and everyone's eyes widened in fear.

•

Everyone left the elevator with annoyed stares forward after Seth's threat to make them plummet all the way back to the bottom.

The group was escorted down a set of stairs, where Ironwood complained about a meeting with Winter beside him, and Penny behind them, who spotted the group once more.

"Yay! You're here!" Penny cheered.

Ironwood turned around, and rose his brow in shock. Weiss stepped forward, making Winter gasp in shock.

"Winter..." Weiss called.

"Please get me off this cold ass floor." Seth said making everyone look down.

"You have ten seconds to take those off of them before I start hurting you. Exclude the Grimm." Winter ordered.

The two soldiers stammered on their words and rushed to take off everyone's restraints, but left Seth down.

"I don't like you." Seth said letting his head fall.

•

"Please... come in." Ironwood said guiding everyone to his office alongside Winter. "It is so good to see... most of you." Ironwood said referring to Seth.

"I can tell I'm not welcome." Seth said as Penny held him under her arm.

"It's not that you aren't welcome..." Ironwood began. "It's the threat you bring, Seth. I cannot say this won't offend you, but you are on par with the likes of Grimm. We can't have you roaming around arousing suspicion and fear." Ironwood sighed.

"...I can't stand this place already." Seth muttered, growing irritated.

"His appearance doesn't matter, James! He's played a role bigger than any of us. You can't condemn him just because of his looks. He's a part of the team." Qrow stated.

"We have bigger fish to fry. We've got more information than you can chew. Confidential information." Qrow continued.

"Oh! Is it about the relics?" Penny asked. "Or perhaps the Winter Maiden?" Winter asked as well.

"You told them...?" Qrow said in disbelief.

Ironwood smiled and beckoned Penny over. She walked over and held up Seth, letting Ironwood take the Relic at his hip.

"Did you really think you were the only one to work on a new plan after Beacon? With Ozpin gone, I needed my own team of people I could trust. So, yes. I told them. The Ace Ops, too. Which is why I'm so glad you're here. With this," he said gesturing to the lamp.

"Until now, I thought it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, kept victory out of her claws but she will keep returning. Stronger and stronger. Unless we destroy her." Ironwood exclaimed.

"What about the Atlas relic?" Ruby asked.

"You mean the Staff of Creation." Ironwood nodded. "It's safe inside the vault!" Penny informed.

"And the Winter Maiden?" Qrow asked.

"She is secure. And in stable condition." Winter answered.

"Stable condition? What—" Yang was cut off by Qrow. "She's not exactly a spring chicken..." He implied.

"...I know how this all looks. Recalling my military. The embargo. I probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now." Ironwood agreed.

"Then why continue it?" Blake questioned. "The people of Mantle are hurting." Nora added.

"I needed to be sure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas. And I wanted my military, here. Protecting my people." Ironwood explained, before a loud crack was heard.

Seth broke out of his restraints and nudged Penny away.

"They are your people... you forgetting that makes you all the more of the tyrant they think you are, you spineless piece of shi—" Seth was cut off by himself.

He stopped and looked at his fist, trembling with anger as he thought about how he turned his back on the world.

Seth took a deep breath and peered into the mind of general. The voices he heard when he closed his eyes... though hard enough... or simply fought for what he believed in wasn't something innate to the Soul Sage.

"You're insane... You want to tell the world about Salem..." Seth said in disbelief.

"What?!" Everyone shouted.

Ironwood's eyes widened in shock before he slammed his finger down on a button, the lights turning off and a metal sheet flying up the window to block all from few.

"I was getting there! We need a new approach." Ironwood urgently went to explain. A table popped up and he tapped it, making a familiar floating arena appear in holographic form.

"Amity Coliseum..." Oscar muttered.

"When Beacon fell, and everyone lost contact with one another, I knew our current system was outdated. Amity was built to bring the nations together. And it will serve that purpose once again."

He tapped the table once more, and tower began to construct atop the coliseum, resembling the CCT tower.

"Isn't it great? We're not just going to replace Beacon Tower, building a new tower on top of Amity Coliseum will reestablish global communications." Penny explained.

"By launching the tower high into the atmosphere, our scientists believe we can create a sort of satellite, out of reach of the Grimm, and capable of maintaining global communications even if we were to lose another tower." Winter elaborated.

"That is great..." Ruby mumbled.

"James... you really plan to tell the world... that's why you called your military back. For the panic." Qrow deduced.

"This has to be the single most idiotic plan I've heard in the longest, and I've been traveling with Team RWBY. No offense." Seth said with a glare.

"Some taken." Yang replied, all giving unamused stares.

"We've literally seen, fought, and killed Grimm that can fly. Unless you've got a means of confirming we can get this thing to space, confirm that Grimm can't get to space, and make it operational within any conditions at that height, you've lost me..." Seth ranted.

"And don't even get me started. Telling everyone about Salem, huh? And you're scared of me walking around but are ready to tell the world about Salem?! You think this excuse for an army and the same buckets of bolts that turned on us at Beacon can stop the sheer onslaught of destruction that telling them would bring our way, you might have sealed your fate for earning title of the dumbest fucking tactician known to man." Seth said making Ironwood stare with indifference.

"All this just to save face for your lackluster security... the bait switch of telling them, bringing the Grimm, and then saving them... all for your reputation back. You make me sick, Ironwood. I'm seriously throwing up in my currently non-existent mouth." Seth said before pausing.

"Let's fix that then. You wanted me to change so badly? I'll show you change. If it's such a big deal— if I'm such a bigger concern than the Grimm— Worse than a monster..." Seth held his hand up over his face.

"...I'll show you worse than a monster." He said calmly.

With a flash of a ghostly white and blue, Seth dawned the face of his past self, appearing more tired than anyone could have ever imagined.

"You expected some horror... but no. It's just me. The guilty. The one who's hurting far more than any of you realize. Trying his best... to do what's right, and keep people safe." Seth said with sigh.

His arms and everything returned to normal, except the black around his fingers, but alas his old body structure was back. His hair was much more wild and unkempt, and it was obvious he'd collapse with just a breath.

"If you're really willing to tell the world... I need some proof you're ready for it." Seth said with a blank stare.

"...Listen... I know this all sounds rash, and impulsive... but I've given it deep thought. The only way we band together, and unite the kingdoms, is letting them know we have one, more serious and dire, common enemy." Ironwood said making Seth slightly agree, even opting to shake his head.

"I'm sorry... I'm..." Seth stopped and stared at his feet, unable to think clearly after his stressful journey.

"I wish Ozpin were here... with his guidance absent, all I can use is my best judgement." Ironwood said as the metal sheets and lights turned back on.

He walked over to his desk, and noticed the silence from everyone.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Actually... Oz isn't completely gone." Oscar said turning to the general. "Oscar here is... is the next Ozpin." Qrow gestured.

"Oz...!" Ironwood said in relief, elated that the one who'd shown him the way was back to do so once more. "I'm so glad you're here! I didn't think you—"

"Not quite..." Oscar said holding up his hands. "He's kinda... gone, at the moment."

"He disappeared after this train crash we got in. We don't know what happened." Ruby lied, as easily as she breathed.

"That's the worse news yet..." Ironwood sighed, believing her.

"Did you learn anything about the relics before he...?" Ironwood trailed off.

"Just that the lamp's questions had been used up. And that there's supposed to be three every hundred years." Seth added, lying as well, sounding more tired to add to the act.

"...Ozpin told us that, too, once upon a time. At least we have you, Oscar. You're safe here in Atlas. Maybe together we can figure how to bring Ozpin back." Ironwood said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir. I mean, uh, General I-Ironwood." Oscar said straightening his posture.

Ironwood nodded, and picked up the lamp from his desk, and walked over to Seth. Ironwood's gaze falter on the exhausted teen and held the lamp out to Ruby.

Seth looked with indifference, trusting Ruby with the relic more than himself in his head.

"After what happened with the Ace Ops, I don't want you to think 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." Ironwood stated.

Ruby took the lamp, in awe, "Thank you." and gave her gratitude.

"We must work together if we're to fight Salem and win... Now. If you're all on board...?" Ironwood trailed off, looking around the room.

Everyone stared with determination, excluding Seth and Dawn. They were the usual odd ones out in terms of resolve.

"What can we do to help?" Ruby asked.

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

"Remember, this is Atlas. While assisting the military, we will provide you with the best equipment our scientists can advise." Winter informed, making the others cheer.

"Hey, can I get some new clothes? This place is fucking cold." Seth asked ruining the mood.