Ironwood planted his boots firmly against the concrete, breathing hard, but his resolve burned like fire. The White Fang cheered as the row of Paladins loomed, their crimson optics glowing through the smoke like a pack of titans ready to crush everything before them.
"Atlas will not be humiliated tonight," Ironwood growled, raising his weapon.
He snapped orders with precision. "Shock teams, split wide. Focus fire on joints. Bring them to their knees—NOW!"
Atlas rifles roared in unison, sending concentrated volleys of Dust rounds into the Paladins' limbs. Sparks flew as plating cracked and hydraulics hissed under the barrage. One Paladin faltered, dropping to a knee with a mechanical scream.
Ironwood charged.
His bayonet flashed like a spear, plunging into the weakened joint and jamming deep into the exposed circuitry. He twisted, then ripped free just as the machine spasmed and collapsed sideways, crushing a line of White Fang fighters beneath its massive bulk.
The dock shook again as another Paladin advanced. Ironwood didn't retreat—he met it head-on. He fired Dust grenades at its legs, explosions rocking the machine until it staggered. Then, using the chaos, he sprinted up a stack of containers, vaulted onto its shoulder, and drove a thunderous punch from his metal arm into the optics. The glass shattered, sparks erupting like fireworks. With a roar, he tore free a bundle of wires and drove his bayonet into its core. The Paladin fell, crashing into the dock with earth-splitting force.
All around him, his soldiers executed the same brutality. With discipline and Atlas firepower, one by one, the hijacked Paladins toppled. Each fall was thunder, each detonation of Dust grenades echoing across the bay like cannon fire.
By the time the smoke cleared, the once-invincible machines were nothing but smoldering wreckage scattered across Dock 12. White Fang fighters, who had entered the ambush with roaring defiance, now fled into the night, their shouts of fury twisting into panic.
Ironwood stood in the middle of the ruin, blood streaked across his face, his coat torn, smoke rising from his rifle. He exhaled slowly, lowering the weapon.
"Atlas stands," he said, voice like iron.
But he didn't linger. The cheers of his soldiers rang hollow in his ears. He knew better. This had not been a simple raid. This was a test—a statement. The enemy had shown their hand, and while Atlas had survived tonight, the implications were grim.
"Retrieve what we can. Burn the rest. We're leaving," Ironwood commanded.
As his troops scrambled to follow orders, the General turned one last time toward the ruined Paladins, his jaw tight.
Whoever orchestrated this was bold—bold enough to pit Atlas' own weapons against them. And boldness like that only meant one thing.
Worse was coming.
___
Hyunwoo's spear cut through the air with a sharp whistle before he stilled it, the weapon's tip hovering inches from Ruby's shoulder. She had stopped her swing just in time, eyes narrowed, breath quick but steady.
He lowered the spear and gave a small nod.
"You already improved enough, Ruby. Seems like you understood what I taught."
Ruby straightened, Crescent Rose folded back into its rifle form as she grinned—though sweat still ran down her cheek.
"Heh... you make it sound like I'm finally passing some impossible test," she said, brushing her bangs aside.
Hyunwoo leaned the spear against his shoulder, his expression calm but watchful.
"It's not about passing. It's about surviving. You're faster now, sharper. You don't leave the same gaps anymore." His gaze softened slightly, a flicker of approval. "That's good."
Ruby's grin widened for a moment, before fading as she caught the distant, almost distracted look in Hyunwoo's eyes. He wasn't fully here, not even as he praised her.
"...You're thinking about something else, aren't you?" she asked, tilting her head.
Hyunwoo exhaled through his nose. He didn't want to weigh her with too much—yet. But the images lingered anyway: Ironwood moving tonight, soldiers clashing in the dark, machines tearing through steel.
"Just... keeping in mind what's happening outside this room," he admitted. His eyes shifted to Ruby again, sharp as ever. "Training you isn't just for fun. It's for when that storm reaches Beacon."
Ruby fell quiet, her fingers tightening on Crescent Rose. She wanted to argue, wanted to reassure him, but she couldn't—not when she remembered how he fought, how serious he was when speaking of enemies most of them hadn't even seen yet.
Instead, she gave a small, determined nod.
"Then... I'll just keep training until I'm ready to face that storm with you."
Hyunwoo almost smiled, faint but genuine. He reached out and tapped the end of her scythe with his spear.
"Good answer."
The training room fell silent except for their breathing, the air heavy with the unspoken knowledge that tonight—somewhere in Vale—blood and steel were already clashing.
Hyunwoo set his spear aside, letting it rest against the wall as he sat down on the training bench. Ruby followed suit, Crescent Rose folded and leaned beside her. She was still catching her breath, brushing loose strands of hair from her face when Hyunwoo spoke again—his tone quieter, almost reflective.
"You know... your eyes remind me of an old story I once heard."
Ruby blinked, tilting her head. "My... eyes?"
Hyunwoo nodded slowly, studying her with a calm but piercing gaze.
"Silver eyes. Warriors said to have the power to slay the darkness itself. Not just Grimm, but the evil behind them. They called them a light that monsters feared."
Ruby blinked again, then let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "Heh... sounds like something out of one of my bedtime stories. I mean, fairy tales are nice, but I don't think my eyes can just—" she made a dramatic face, widening her eyes and aiming them at her scythe "—zap things into dust."
Hyunwoo smirked faintly at her antics, then shrugged.
"Maybe. Maybe not." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "But sometimes... fairy tales come from truths people don't fully understand. Power shows itself when the heart needs it most."
Ruby tilted her head again, curious now but still not sure how seriously to take him. "So... what, I just stare at monsters and poof? Instant dust?"
"Not exactly." Hyunwoo chuckled softly and shook his head. "If you ever see your loved ones in trouble... don't think. Just focus on that feeling—the will to protect. Maybe then... you'll see what I mean."
Ruby blinked, the playfulness in her expression fading a little as she caught the weight in his voice. She opened her mouth to respond, but then stopped, unsure what to say.
Hyunwoo leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head like it was nothing, his tone lightening again.
"Or maybe I'm just telling stories to mess with you."
Ruby narrowed her eyes, clearly torn between being intrigued and annoyed, before finally puffing out her cheeks. "You're impossible, you know that?"
Hyunwoo smirked, eyes closing as he leaned back against the wall. "You'll thank me later."
The training room grew quiet again, but Ruby couldn't shake the thought—Hyunwoo's words, his strange certainty, and the way he'd looked at her silver eyes like they carried a weight even she didn't understand.
Ruby sat on the floor stretching her legs out after another round of sparring, cheeks still red from exertion. She glanced at Hyunwoo, who was quietly wrapping his wrist guard back into place. For a moment she fidgeted, then asked, almost too casually:
"So... uh... are you going to the dance this weekend?"
Hyunwoo looked up, blinking like the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. "The dance?"
"Yeah!" Ruby nodded quickly, her silver eyes bright. "You know, music, food, awkward small talk... the usual school stuff." She hesitated, twirling a loose lock of her hair around her finger. "Weiss and Yang keep saying I have to go, but I figured... I dunno. You're always so serious, I wasn't sure if you'd even care about something like that."
Hyunwoo leaned back, exhaling slowly. His thoughts weren't on food or music—he could already picture it: the night of the dance, the CCT tower glowing above Vale, and in its shadow Cinder making her move. None of them—not Ruby, not Ozpin, not even Torchwick—knew what she was planning there. And if she succeeded, the dance would mean nothing.
"I still don't know if I can join or not," he said at last, voice even, but with that undertone Ruby could never quite read.
Ruby tilted her head, her mouth tugging into a small pout. "That's not a no. So... why?"
Hyunwoo glanced at her, the corner of his lips twitching into a smirk. "...Why? You want me to be your date?"
Ruby's eyes widened as red bloomed across her cheeks. "W-what!? N-no! I was just—just asking! I mean, Yang was teasing me about it, but I wasn't—I didn't—!"
Her flustered rambling only made Hyunwoo chuckle softly. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, eyes half-lidded. "Relax, Ruby. I was joking."
Ruby crossed her arms, cheeks still puffed up. "You're the worst."
Ruby tilted her head, her pout deepening. "You didn't actually answer me," she pressed, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. "Most people would either say yes, no, or make some excuse about not having shoes. You just... sound like you don't even care."
Hyunwoo paused, looking at her. Her silver eyes were sharp in that moment, cutting through the half-smiles and vague words he usually threw around. She wanted a real answer. For a brief second, he considered it—telling her that while everyone else was thinking about dresses and dances, he was thinking about shadows in the city, a tower that would soon burn, and an enemy who was already inside the walls.
His lips parted, ready to speak.
But then his Scroll buzzed, the harsh vibration breaking the silence. Hyunwoo exhaled through his nose, almost irritated, and pulled it from his pocket. One glance at the screen, and the name made his expression tighten.
Ozpin.
Ruby noticed the change in his face, her worry flashing for a moment. "Is... everything okay?"
Hyunwoo shut the Scroll and stood, his chair scraping back. "I need to go. Ozpin wants to meet." His tone was calm, but there was a weight there that made Ruby's chest tighten.
He moved toward the door, but before he stepped out, he turned back to her. For once, his gaze softened, a flicker of warmth breaking through the constant steel.
"See you soon, Ruby. If you pick a nice dress for the dance..." His smirk returned, though his voice carried a teasing gentleness. "...maybe I'll be your date."
Ruby froze, her face burning red, but before she could sputter a reply, the door shut behind him.
The room felt strangely quiet after he left, and Ruby sat there with her hands gripping her knees, heart pounding far louder than it should've after training.
"...He's impossible," she whispered, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.
___
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