Capítulo 1882: 112
"Spider infiltrating in secret, the White Fang in Mountain Glenn, Torchwick on the loose again, Adam Taurus slowly dying in a maximum security holding cell… And a traumatized half grimm teenager running loose on campus with Atlas' most advanced robotics project. Truly, I have to question your leadership sometimes, Ozpin," Ironwood stated dryly as he went over the sheer amount of bullshit available to him on the datapad, grimacing as he tossed it back onto Ozpin's desk and massaged his temple with one hand, the other clenching the grip of his chair with such force that it almost started to groan despite being clutched by his non-robotic hand. "What the hell is going on this year? Is something in the water? Is it just that everything's collapsing all at once? I've been getting reports from my fleet of weird grimm activity too… everything is…"
"The situation as it currently stands is precarious, I am aware," Ozpin stated dryly, sending off a few messages to Glynda and Qrow as he sipped at his cocoa, not really bothering to address Ironwood's concerns about his leadership. He idly went through the files on his own scroll, frowning at the reports contained within. There were concerning crime reports from around the southwestern side of Vale- a string of assaults that seemed to take place around the more anti-faunus areas. Really, it was seemingly obvious that the perpetrators were the White Fang, but it wouldn't have made sense- why would they so tellingly reveal themselves like that when they were already supposedly moved into Mountain Glenn?
Theoretically, it might have been faunus supremacists hiding behind the threat of the White Fang, but he didn't know for sure.
There'd also been reports of strange noises in certain parts of Vale, especially in the old public transit tunnels that had long since been shut down and sealed off- even the ones that were still active had reported strange activity, as though there were the sounds of banging and yelling at night, faint but audible. The tunnels were still sealed off, though…
Unless someone wasn't digging out of Vale… but in . Even with the tunnels sealed and filled in with tens of meters of Earth Dust, could the White Fang have found a way to blast through the seals- what were they doing? And…
What Ozpin really couldn't fathom was why the grimm were circling so calmly around the White Fang base- Salem had to be involved somehow, especially considering that Adam Taurus was missing a good chunk of his body and the raw wounds where he'd been reported to have his arm and most of his leg back had lacerations, punctures, and contamination consistent with some types of parasitic grimm- especially in the case of his ruined right arm, which was barely more than a concavity in his shoulder from where it was completely ripped out.
Ozpin pitied the young man, truly. So lost in his hatred and thirst for revenge that he struck a deal with the devil and lost his arm twice for his troubles… He hadn't moved or awoken since he was defeated during the raid that Teams RWBY, JNPR, CMNE, and SSSN participated in, and Ozpin almost thought he was better off that way if not for the grimm poison that had leeched into his heart and started killing him from the inside out.
"I'd say it's more than a little precarious, Oz," Ironwood deadpanned after a moment's silence, breathing deeply as he laced his fingers together in front of his face, elbows on his knees as he hunched over and tried to think. "I can't help but think that Salem is planning something big. Something that might result in the loss of some of our most important assets if we're not careful-"
"Something I have well considered, James, I can assure you of that much," Ozpin cut in, interrupting Ironwood before he could suggest that he brought in even more soldiers and ships and guns to reinforce what was already there. "Military might is not the way to win against Salem- I cautioned you of that years ago when I brought you into our conspiracy, and I will remind you time and again that such things do not work against a woman who has time and again orchestrated the downfall of civilization to pursue her endless desire for destruction and ruin."
"Atlas' fleet is the most advanced, high-tech, high powered fleet that has ever existed- you talk about Salem as someone who couldn't be defeated in the age of spears and swords- the Atlesian military has Paladins, Knights, more ships than you could ever imagine!" Ironwood protested, slamming his hand down onto the armrest of his chair as he halfway stood while he spoke. "Let us help you! The more soldiers we have as a show of our might, the less likely she is to even try to do something against us!"
"James, Salem is not a mad dog, bowing before something that looks so much bigger and more powerful than it really is. In reality, the only thing that an excess of soldiers brings is a lack of rapid response time, a lack of trust, and far too many openings that could be exploited by even a half competent infiltrator. We will not win with military power, James. I have tried and it has failed time and again," Ozpin responded dryly, taking a deep draft from his cup before refilling it with a mildly reproachful gaze leveled at the man he had trusted so long ago- Ironwood had grown into a man that he thought he could trust but… some of his ideals were… troubling. They could lead to ruin if he let them get away with themselves. Paranoia, fear, overpreparation- those things were tools that Salem exploited ruthlessly in order to find even the smallest crack in an opponent's armor. The only way to truly proceed was by having a smaller, more condensed force that could not be infiltrated, could not be torn apart, could not be turned against each other through the machinations of outside agents. "Please- do not reinforce Vale at Atlas' expense. It will only prove to be the downfall of both of our Kingdoms, and we wouldn't want that now would we?"
"I- no. We wouldn't. But the fact of the matter remains that we need to make sure that the White Fang doesn't even have the slightest hope of taking down Beacon, let alone Vale. The school is too valuable- both for the tower network, and for… the assets," Ironwood sighed, grimacing as he stood and started pacing. "I can have some of my men investigate what's happening in the southwest of Vale, shore up the borders between Beacon and the Emerald Forest, make sure the defenses are working properly. If nothing else, we should at least make sure that the school is secure from harm."
"Perhaps. One can only hope that one's preparations lead to victory…" Ozpin murmured faintly, shaking his head as he stood and turned away from Ironwood to look out over Beacon- the entire school below sprawling out beneath him like a grand palace before its king, all of the students, teachers, and assorted staff milling about on their own schedules, doing their daily routines, hurtling towards the window at high speed-
Wait what?
"Oh my, it appears that Miss Rose misjudged her takeoff angle again," Ozpin deadpanned dryly as the red blur in the distance resolved into the screaming form of one Ruby Rose hurtling on a decaying trajectory towards the Emerald Tower, petals flying everywhere from her path and showering the grounds below in a rain of red.
Thank goodness they didn't stick around longer than an hour or so, lest the cleaning staff start baying for Miss Rose's head on a platter.
"What was she even doing?" Ironwood asked, wincing as the girl came up just shy of hitting the window before she managed to stop herself in midair as a Geist mask appeared on her chest, entire body turning black and red as she transformed, waved through the window, and then flew back off to where she'd presumably been launched from. "And why are you so calm about her openly displaying her powers like that?"
"Because the more that Miss Rose normalizes her own grimm features and abilities, the less the student body rejects her for things outside of her control," Ozpin answered, hands behind his back as he stood there and peered somewhat awkwardly down at one of the green areas on campus, where it seemed that Penny had been spinning Ruby around until the grimm girl had slipped out of her fingers. Ah, young love. "I cannot help her if she scares them away with her… enthusiasm … for high explosive, high powered weaponry, but if they accept her at her basic, most fundamental nature then her propensity for weaponry can be accepted too. As for what she was doing… I believe she was with Penny."
"As she always is, these days. Ciel has been getting insistent on finding a team for her, Nyx, and Terra. Penny being the leader of those three would have made for a perfect team of four with an easily arranged name," Ironwood muttered, grumbling a bit as he glared out of the window with only the mildest amount of annoyance on his face. "Pearlescent would have been perfect. PCNT. It was right there."
"And you will get your chance. After the Dance, of course," Ozpin answered, returning to his desk to retrieve his mug and taking another refreshing sip of hot cocoa. "I do hope you ask her permission before trying to reassign her to a team of people she knows nothing about, though."
"I- of course, Oz."
"Very well then. By your leave."
Ozpin sighed quietly as Ironwood walked out a few moments later, setting his mug down and grimacing at the thought of what was to come- was he making the right choices? Was he dooming yet more children down a path that he could not shield them from? He didn't know.
He didn't want to know.
Were it only so easy to save the world from Salem…
THUD!
Ozpin blinked, turning around to see one Ruby Rose flattened against the window of his office, still alive despite her amorphous body resembling a goo splatter more than a human being at the moment.
"Ah- Miss Rose. Would you mind coming in for a moment? I have something I'd like to discuss with you about a certain dusty old crow…"
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