Everything Stays: Frederic Scorch X Yang Xiao Long

A Much Needed Conversation

Inside Ironwood's office, reviewing footage of a truck becoming invisible by the Happy Huntresses.

Ironwood: This is the worst case scenario.

He angrily slams his fist on his desk.

Ironwood: More people are dead, Penny's been framed, and somehow, is sitting on the council.

Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, Ruby Rose, , , and Frederic Scorch are present in Ironwood's office.

Clover: That's the second shipment for Amity that was hit today. It seems election night was the last push Robyn needed to go from hometown hero to full-on vigilante.

Winter: I'm afraid the problem is more complicated than that.

Ironwood sighs and begins pacing behind his desk.

Ironwood: It seems Robyn has emboldened our suppliers in Mantle. They're refusing to sell us provisions until the city is adequately repaired. With Robyn redistributing the goods her team has stolen, the Amity Project is completely stalled.

Ruby: But we're so close. There has to be some way we can finish the tower.

Winter: There is - declaring martial law.

Ruby and Nora's eyes widen, and they look at Ironwood, who stares outside through the window.

Nora: You're not actually considering that, are you?

Ironwood: What's more important? Establishing communications, unite the world? Or appeasing a few city blocks?

Nora: (emotional) Don't make it sound trivial when you know it isn't. You keep talking about how we just need a little more time, but you're not the one having to struggle.

Ironwood turns around to face her.

Ironwood: We have all had to make sacrifices for the greater good. Mantle has had to bear a lot of the burden, yes, but—

Nora interrupts him and approaches his desk, becoming even more upset.

Nora: They're bearing all of it! The longer this waiting game goes on, the harder each day gets for people down there and now you wanna send in more soldiers? You can't just force people to fall in line. If you do that, you'll just be trading all of these problems for the Grimm!

Fred: Lock it down! Both of you!

They look somewhat surprised.

Qrow: IF we ever had any doubts Atlas  was Salem's next target, I think those are officially out the window.

Ruby: But now we have a suspect. We can tell the people.

Clover: That a long-lost serial killer is loose in Mantle and the military has no idea where he is - might make things worse before they get better.

Nora: I am so sick of secrets! If we just told everyone about Amity, about Salem—

Ironwood: We can't!

Everyone turns to look at Ironwood.

Ironwood: If we talk about Amity now, we risk Salem's forces, who we know are here, working to sabotage it. If we tell them about Salem now, we risk falling to the Grimm before we can reunite Remnant.

Ironwood stands up, slamming his hands down onto his desk.

Ironwood: We have to finish the tower. I want Robyn Hill in custody.

Ruby and Nora look surprised.

Ironwood: We can offer her a deal if she gets Mantle to cooperate.