DVNT (deviant) (RWBY OC story)

CHAPTER 60: THE ENEMY WE TRUST (Vol. 7 end)

Picking up where we left off, the scene shows Salem holding Dean's heart while the others look in horror. To make it worse, she claimed to be his and Vali's mother. As Dean was still in his shocked expression, Salem's hand was suddenly sliced off by Vali's sword. Dean then drops to his knees and his heart retracts back into his chest. The others get to his side as it looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack with his demon eyes flashing wildly.

Nikki: Dean!

Mimir: lad, say something!

Salem: (smiles) its understandable that he's in shock. It was a surprise for me too. But, we don't need to be enemies. Join me, and we can make this world better.

Dean still doesn't respond, until Ruby, despite her own tears, hugs him and whispers comforting words to him. He soon snaps back to reality, and looks up to Salem.

Dean: no way. I'm not looking for world domination.

Salem: very well. But, I'll give you and Vali time to change your minds. I'll be seeing you both very soon, kiddo.

She then fades away, and the others still look shock, but Archer and Vergil remain expressionless.

Marrow: that's Salem?! That's who we're up against?!

Harriet: and she's apparently on her way.

Elm: but we'd be alerted if any forces had approached the Kingdom. We have long-range proximity alarms all along the coast, and--

Vine: (checks his scroll) they're offline. With all of the chaos, we didn't notice.

Marrow: Watts must have shut them down!

Ironwood: or they've already been destroyed.

Ironwood walks over to the window and stares outside.

Elm: what? All of them?

DVNT then looked at each other, and agreed that he was not in his right mind, and was gonna do something really regrettable.

Blake: you said in your speech that Amity Tower was ready to launch. Was that true?

He continues staring out the window with no response. Blake and Weiss look at each other, uncertain about the silence.

Yang: no. You just said that... to lure out Watts.

Yang sits up and looks at Ironwood. He continues silently staring out the window with no emotion in his eyes.

Weiss: General Ironwood?

Vali: what exactly are you planning?

Ironwood: (after a moment) I sent your sister to claim the power of the Winter Maiden.

Weiss: (gasps and eyes widen) what?

Ironwood: when I realized we'd been compromised, I knew we couldn't wait any longer. The Staff and the Lamp have to be locked away.

Ruby: (sits up and wipes her eye) I thought... you said we could keep it.

Ironwood: (anger slowly returning to his voice) well, that was before you lied to me about the Lamp. Before you lied to us about Robyn, before Salem was right on our doorstep.

As he speaks, he turns around to face them. He then starts walking forward to stand next to his desk again.

Ironwood: before Mantle was nearly destroyed, and myself and my army were left exhausted.

He lashes out, hitting Watts' bag off of his desk. He takes a moment to calm down and sets his gun on the desk.

Ironwood: the timeline has changed. And so we must change accordingly. (Picks up the chess piece)