Y/n POV

We were all on a ship to head back to Atlas to see what General Ironwood needs from us now. Something about this seems off. I didn't expect the General to call us back to Atlas while the people in Mantle are still evacuating. Poe was flying his X-wing ship next to us flying back to Atlas as well. I still don't why General Ironwood called us back?

Weiss: I don't understand. Why would the General call us back without giving a reason?

You: I should be asking the same thing.

Poe on comm: Something about this doesn't feel right at all.

Ren: Especially with evacuations still going on in Mantle.

Elm: You don't have to understand orders, kids. You just have to follow them.

Harriet: Civvy transports won't be stopping any time soon. If the general says he needs us now, he needs us now.

Jaune: You all go to the general and find out what's happening. We'll bring Oscar and see you soon.

Merrin: I will join with you as well.

Kieron: Same here, it could be trap.

Poe on comm: I'll find a landing zone in Atlas and meet up with team JNR. Stay safe everyone.

We then heard Poe's X-wing ship flying pass us to go to a landing zone in Atlas. I have a bad feeling about this.

(Timeskip)

We all went back into Atlas Academy to enter General Ironwood's office with the four members of the Ace Ops. I still don't know what's going to happen here.

Harriet: General Ironwood?

Ironwood then turned around with his chair while having a cast on his left arm, what happened to him?

Ironwood: We have made a critical error.

Ironwood then put a black glass chess piece of a queen on his desk. She was here. Cinder Fall was here, and none of us didn't even notice.

Ironwood: The Black Queen was the symbol Salem showed us before we lost everything. Her way of telling us that she was inside. Then it was too late. We stopped Watts. We stopped Callows, but someone was here. They put this in my office to tell me that -- what if Mantle was just a distraction? What if it was to draw us away from the academy to, to --

Weiss: Sir. It's going to be okay.

You: We can still stop this whoever was here.

Weiss: Y/n's right. We've got Mantle on our side now, and --

Ironwood: How do we know that it wasn't part of her plan? (getting up from his desk) How do we know they didn't want us to bring people out into Atlas by the thousands?

Vine: In trying to save everyone. We left ourselves most vulnerable.

Ironwood: Salem has been one step ahead of us this entire time!

Ironwood said while he slammed is right fist so hard on the table that it made the chess piece roll a little bit. I began to look at the chess piece to see that it was the same thing that Cinder uses, and that was glass.

You: It's... glass.

Everyone around me began to look at me knowing that I know about this.

You: Black Glass. This was Cinder.

Yang: She's alive? And she's here?!

You: Yes.

Ironwood: (sighing) If Cinder's here, then for all we know Hazel's here too!

Blake: Sir, this isn't over yet. We're with you.

Ironwood then looked at Blake to ask her a question.

Ironwood: Are you with me?

I then saw Blake's ears dropped in a sad way after Ironwood said that. I'm starting to get nervous around here.

Vine: Sir?

Blake then stepped back with us for Ironwood to speak again.

Ironwood: How did Robyn know about the Global Communications Project?

I then started to look at Blake and Yang for how Robyn know about this project.

Yang: We told her. The night of the ambush.

Elm: You did what?!

You: They did for what's right for all of us.

Yang: We were trying to help.

I then saw something moving inside a bag that Ironwood has on his desk.

Marrow: By going behind our backs?

Harriet: Wait. Does that mean you let her escape?

Yang: Robyn is on our side! She always has been.

Ironwood: We didn't know that for sure.

Weiss: None of this matters right now!

Ironwood: Loyalty always matters!

You: This has nothing to do with loyalty!

After I shouted at Ironwood, something appeared out of the bag. It was some kind of orb with Grimm armor pieces and tentacles on the bottom of it floating in the air. I began to back away in fear holding my lightsaber hilt just in case something happens.

Salem: General Ironwood.

That was Salem's voice inside that thing. The orb began to do something, but it went on the ground while the glass of it cracked. The orb then started to appear a mist showing Salem herself. My heart was beating in fear while I saw her.

Salem: The brave Huntsmen and Huntresses bested Arthur Watts. Congratulations. And I didn't expect you to be here, child.

Salem said to me while I got out my lightsaber hilt and began to hold on to it for me to destroy this orb that Salem is on.

Ruby: We stopped, Tyrian too. And we'll stop Cinder and anyone else you try to send here.

Salem: Dear girl, their goal was never victory. It was merely to set the stage.

Ironwood: For what?

Salem then turned to Ironwood while he was holding his pistol at Salem.

Salem: For me.

Salem then started to walk to Ironwood to get close to him.

Salem: Time isn't on your side, James. It's always been on mine. The people of Atlas have suffered enough. Surrender the staff and the lamp to me, and they needen't suffer any further.

Ironwood: That's... not going to happen.

Salem then leaned down to Ironwood.

Salem: Simple accept the futility of your situation... and this can all be over.

Ruby: We've seen what you're capable of. The lamp showed us.

Salem then got back from Ironwood to listen to Ruby.

Ruby: It showed us everything.

Salem then turned to face Ruby while I stood next to her looking at Salem.

Ruby: We've seen that you can't be killed, but we've also seen you fail. We don't have to kill you to stop you. And we will stop you.

You: And you will fail again.

Salem then went in front of Ruby to tell her something.

Salem: Your mother said those words to me.

My eyes widened in shock and so did Ruby's. Salem was talking about that she killed Summer the day I was in Patch that I saw in my Force Echo.

Ruby: My... mother?

You: Ruby?

Salem: She was wrong, too.

I then saw Ruby starting to have tears in her eyes for what Salem had said to her about Summer. That monster.

You: Ruby, no.

I then started to have tears in my eyes as well. I then saw Ruby opening her eyes while she was using her silver eyes, but it was flickering and she stopped using them. Ruby then went on the floor while she was crying on Yang's lap. I knelt down to support Ruby as well.

You: Ruby.

I then started to feel so mad of what this witch said to her. I clenched my left hand with my glove on into a fist and looked at Salem with a face of hatred on me.

You: AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

I screamed at Salem and activated my lightsaber and started to charge at her while I was swinging my lightsaber at her mist swinging like crazy and screaming to try to damage her, but it didn't work. I then swung my green blade at the orb that was on the ground where she was appearing from and I sliced it in half so that this witch can fade away. I then deactivated my lightsaber and clipped it to my belt and went back to Ruby to go support her from her mother's loss. Yang let me hug Ruby in a sympathy way for her to cry on my chest.

You: I'm sorry, Ruby. I'm so sorry.

I said between my tears rolling down my cheeks from this terrible moment that we just witnessed.

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: They're offline. With all of the chaos, we didn't even notice.

Marrow: Watts must have shut them down!

Ironwood: Or they've already been destroyed.

I then looked at Ironwood walking to the window to see the view of Atlas and Mantle.

Elm: What? All of them?

I then wiped the tears out of my eyes to fully see what was going on while Ruby was still on my chest.

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

Ironwood didn't say anything. He just kept on looking out the window without responding to Blake's question.

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

You: What?

Weiss: General... Ironwood?

Ironwood: I've sent your sister to claim the power of the Winter Maiden.

Weiss: What?

You: You mean you're sending her to kill her, is that what you said to her?

Ironwood: When I realized we'd been compromised, I knew I couldn't wait any longer. The staff and the lamp will have to be locked away.

Ruby then got off my chest and wiped away her tears to speak to Ironwood.

Ruby: I thought... you said we could keep it.

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

Ironwood said while he smacked away the bag that Watts had. Ironwood then put his weapon on his desk and grabbed the black queen chess piece.

Ironwood: The timeline has changed. And so we must change accordingly.

Harriet: What are our orders, sir?

You: No.

Ironwood: We are going to take our plan for Amity Tower and apply it to the city of Atlas.

Ironwood said while he crushed the glass chess piece while me and Ruby got up.

Ruby: What?!

Ironwood: It was Oz's plan in a former life. But he didn't take it far enough. If we harness the power of the staff, and raised ourselves high into the atmosphere, the city's artificial climate will keep citizens and food supplies unharmed. Always out of reach of whatever Salem may try to send our way.

Blake: But we're nowhere near finished evacuating everyone! You'd be leaving Mantle to die.

Ironwood: Yes... I would. We can't allow Salem to capture the Relics. This is our best chance at getting the staff, the lamp and the maiden as far away from her as possible.

Ruby: But we have an opportunity to reunite the world. If we launch the tower, we can all work together again. We could even call for help. If we can hold out long enough --

Ironwood: Sometimes, doing the right thing means making tough decisions.

Blake: You're right. And I think the right thing to do would be to stand our ground.

Yang: Me too.

Weiss: Me too.

Ruby: Me too.

You: Me too.

BD-1: Boo bee boo!

I didn't hear any of the Ace Ops of standing our ground to stop Salem. Me and Ruby turned around to see them not responding to us.

Harriet: We ran ourselves ragged trying to save Mantle tonight. We try that again against an even larger force --

Yang: But you're Huntsmen and Huntresses! You can't just back down from a fight!

Vine: You can't just focus on one single fight while trying to win a war.

You: We don't run away from anything! We stand our ground and fight!

Weiss: What's the council going to say?

Ironwood: Nothing. Once I declare martial law.

Weiss: No.

Blake: What about Robyn?

Elm: Who exactly are you loyal to?

You: This has nothing to do with loyalty for any of us damn it!

Ruby: We're loyal to the people counting on us to save them!

Ironwood: We are saving who we can. And you're standing in our way.

Ruby then looked at Ironwood for what he has become right now. I can't believe that he's acting like this. I then heard Ruby's scroll ringing here Jaune's voice.

Jaune on scroll: It's Jaune! We've got a serious problem!

Ruby looked at Ironwood to watch him looking at her. Ruby carefully reached for her scroll to warn Jaune and the others what Ironwood is doing. Ironwood was about to stop Ruby, but I used Force Slow to slow down Ironwood to by enough time for Ruby to use her semblance to go behind Ironwood's desk and answer her scroll to tell Jaune.

Ruby: Ironwood is declaring martial law and abandoning Mantle! Salem is coming, and he's going to use the staff to move Atlas. If we don't stop him, then Mantle's going to be destroyed! What? No!

I then saw that Ironwood while my Force Slow stopped. Ironwood has his scroll out to stop Ruby from warning the others what Ironwood is doing. Me and the others walked to the desk Ruby was behind and Ironwood was walking to the door.

Ironwood: I'm sorry it's come to this, but until Atlas and the Relics are safe, you are all under arrest.

My eyes widened from what Ironwood said. He sounds just like the clone troopers executing order 66. I put my both of my hands on my head and breathing heavily and started to have terrible flashbacks about what happened to me during my time as a child. I began to have tears in my eyes from what's happening right now.

You: No. No, not again. NOT AGAIN!

I then went on the floor to cover myself to be curled up in a ball with my hands on my head.

Ruby: Y/n!

I then heard Ruby coming to me while I had my eyes closed for a second letting out my tears, then I opened my eyes to see Ironwood exiting the office.

Ruby: We won't just let you take us.

Then Ace Ops went in front of all of us to face us.

Ironwood: I know.

Ironwood then exited through the doors and went to go somewhere that I don't even know where he is going. I was still on the ground sobbing and still curled up in a ball.

Ruby: Y/n, come on, you have to get up!

I didn't listen to Ruby. I just stayed on the floor for all of this to stop and end already. I just stayed on the floor saying the same thing over and over again.

You: Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again.

Ruby: Y/n, come on, snap out of it!

I still didn't listen to Ruby while my eyes were closed to not hear anything right now. I just can't believe James Ironwood turned on us. Just like the Jedi Purge when I was a child. Why won't this stop already! I just wanted to live in a world at peace, but now... things are getting even more worse. And I can't continue to do this. I just waited on the floor for everything around me to just stop.

To be continued.