The elevator beeps as it arrives at its destination, and the guards escort the group out into a hallway and down a flight of stairs. They arrive in a room just as Ironwood walks through, speaking to someone else.
"I swear if I have to sit through one more council meeting like that again..."
He turns toward a small flight of stairs on his way to his office, accompanied by Winter and Penny. The latter notices the group and stops with a gasp.
"Yay, you're here!"
Her celebratory greeting catches Ironwood and Winter's attention, causing them to stop and look. Weiss steps out from behind Ruby and approaches them, (y/n) follows her.
"Winter" both Weiss and (y/n) say together. Winter looks at them and gasps. Ironwood smiles "It's good to see you all again.
"Ironwood before you get all lovey dovey with us, we need to talk" (y/n) said as he nodded. "Please come in"
The group follows Ironwood, Winter and Penny into Ironwood's office
"I sincerely regret how you were treated by my team." Ironwood says. "Oh yea, sending clover and his lackeys to welcome us home is a great how do you do"
Ironwood sighed "(y/n)..." "IrOnWoOd" (y/n) mocked him. "Look we had to take precautions, your shop was marked-" ironwood stopped when (y/n) held up the relic "Hostile..." He gasped as (y/n) tossed the lamp to him.
"Surprise old man" Ironwood looked at the relic "I told clover to-" "he was generous and gave it back." (Y/n) said.
"Oh! You have the relic!" Penny said "you told them?" Qrow asked ironwood.
"Did you really think you were the only one who got 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. (gesturing to the Relic) 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 claws, but she will keep returning stronger and stronger... unless we destroy her."
He places the Relic atop his desk, while Ruby looks deep in thought.
"But… what about the Atlas Relic?" Ruby asked "You mean the Staff of Creation?" Ironwood asks as he looks at her "It's safe inside the Vault!" Penny says.
"And the Winter Maiden?" Qrow asked "She is secure and in stable condition." Winter replies "Stable condition? What does that-" yang says but qrow interupted her
"She's, uh, not exactly a spring chicken." Ironwood spoke next "I know how this all looks. Recalling my military? The embargo? I probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now." "Then why continue it?" Blake asked.
"I needed to ensure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas. And I wanted my military here, protecting my people." Ironwood said. "But it's not protecting them! It's making everyone hate you." Yang argued
"It's a price I'm willing to pay." He answers.
Ironwood 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."
I chuckled "oh boy. Old man fuck face has a plan" penny looked at me "why are you so rude to the general?" I crossed my arms "We've got history sweetheart, you wouldn't understand"
Ironwood was silent. "History..." He cleared his throat "ahem" he started looking at the table.
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.
