Unholy Alliance

"Yes. You heard me right."

"Sorry, Oz - I'm having a hard time trying to understand it. You're telling me we should become allies?" Hanns reiterated.

It was unexpected, the constantly resistant headmaster was accepting radical change. It wouldn't be out of character for Hanns to suspect the long-lived wizard.

"Would you prefer a puppet?" Ozpin offered with Glynda at his side as stern as ever. The room was filled with Hanns' team RWBY, Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow.

"I mean I do but what made you change your mind?"

"You did."

Hanns did talk to him about it, so Ozpin hit the target in his response.

"Okay, you got me there. Elaborate on the details, I know we practically have a hold over you but you're not going to surrender and become my prisoner, instead, you prefer working under me?"

"Hanns, I realized too late that my time hasn't changed me for the better. If there is truly another way than my shadow war, then I believe we can agree. Imprisoning me isn't to your benefit, at the most, it's the lowest gains you can obtain."

"Now this is a negotiation. What can you offer, aside from your magical abilities?"

"I am at your mercy, tell me your terms I will counter with my own."

A surrender, wonderous for Hanns. He felt like Bismarck after RK'oing the French after the Franco-Prussian war. Toppling a nation was fine and all but them offering their servitude? This was an opportunity he could've only dreamt of, unlike a dream, however, this was as real as it could get.

"Emergency meeting!" He yelled for the others and huddled in his human form. "Ok, I think we need Torchwick for this one, he's the most business side of his expertise."

They all nodded. "Entrusting a criminal to get the best deal, fabulous."

"Weiss, you're a dictator. A front dictator but a dictator nonetheless."

"Point taken."

Hanns looked up from their huddle and approached the opposing trio. "I offer you another accord. A consulting member will have to be called so hold on for a moment."

~

Torchwick had been his life as a criminal, more times than not, he'd be busting kneecaps or bludgeoning heads. Now under Hanns' government, he had found something worse than a criminal, a politician.

Thankfully he's not a normal politician, instead of stealing tax money, he'd been stealing freedom. It was a comfortable job but he frequents joining in his operation personally to soothe his taste for violence.

Though, Hanns had been getting to him lately. Revealing magic existing, learning that Hanns could be the second immortal on Remnant, being subjected to multiple events like announcing a random dance with the girls, suddenly revealing there's ancient Grimm that even an immortal witch couldn't make, and all the sorts.

It tested his patience but once again, Hanns had a call to him.

*RING!*

"Oh by the Brothers, let's hope Lunchbox doesn't rope me into something way out of my pay grade like I actually need a pay at this point." he joked to himself.

He picked up his scroll and answered the call.

"Yes, Lunchbox?"

"I need you to negotiate the fate of the world-"

*CLICK!*

He breathed in deeply. "Damnit, Lunchbox!"

~

"So... your consultant is a criminal?"

Torchwick scoffed as he walked in, it was obvious that everyone on Ozpin's side grew weary as the flamboyant thief walked in after months of no action.

Hanns explained, "I know but hear me out, we went so far as to illegally overthrow a government, engaged in intrigue, killed a lot of naysayers, implanted influence to the world, and probably more in the future. Trust me, this is not the worst thing I've done."

Torchwick chuckled, he picked up his hat and tipped it mockingly to the headmaster. "Greetings ol' Oz. Ready to bend over and receive the most massive shaft in existence?"

"The vulgarity!" Glynda started to bring out her weapon.

"Hold up Milf no.2," Torchwick snarked. "When we're in a negotiation, the one who holds the least card should watch their actions."

"He's right, Glynda. I might be a drunk but a drunk knows when they're in the losing position. Besides, I think he's right."

"Right on what, Qrow?"

"That you're a Milf-ough!"

Glynda reacted on instinct and does a solid punch to his rib cage. Qrow fell to the ground while grasping his side. "Man, I should really start holding out my aura when we're near each other."

"Anyways, onto what the Volksreich wants from you. We'll obviously take Vale and incorporate it eventually."

"Eventually?"

"This alliance will hold, an outright annexation will be bad for us. We'll ease people into the idea that the nation that fights the Grimm is the best option. Until then, you'll be running your own party, Ozzy."

"So, you intend for us to be part of the Volksreich by running a party that advocates for unification, thus making it possible in the eyes of other citizens around Remnant to be open to the concept of doing the same. Interesting."

"We have other demands, this exchange can be modifiable up to the point of unification. Your foreign policy will be handled by us as well as the military. Your citizens can volunteer but in the case of war, we shall start conscription. At any moment Vale starts clearly going against the values of Order and Unification, well you already know what we can do."

"Hmm..." Ozpin thought for a moment. "I want to change a few aspects of this. Remove the ability for you to change this deal and the academies on all of the Remnant will be independent or have a high degree of autonomy. Volunteering is okay but conscription is not something I'll accept. One last thing, you need to return Ironwood."

"Your call, Lunchbox."

Hanns nodded. "First, I can concede being able to change this agreement. Second, the Academies will be treated as if they were officer academies. Those who want to join the military will be free to do so, while the current students can choose to leave. We won't touch on forceful recruitment but I won't guarantee it, circumstances may change. As for Ironwood, no. There would be widespread dissatisfaction in his release, I hope you know how that would affect the Grimm."

Ozpin closed his eyes, perhaps in a way to assess if this was truly a good deal. Ironwood was a friend, they'd had a disagreement and Ozpin thought it was too far. "I can't let you execute Ironwood."

Hanns knew this would happen, Ironwood being captured will always leave a sour taste on Ozpin's consciousness. "Torchwick, bring out the tape."

"It's not a videotape, Lunchbox. We're in the modern century, not the dark ages."

"Semantics."

"Of course." Torchwick rolled his eyes before bringing out his scroll and placing it on a table projector for all to see.

"That's... Ironwood?" Glynda muttered, it was Ironwood but he was held in a prison. Perhaps in relief, he was not visibly beaten, only mentally scarred. His hair had seen better days, his eyes dropped to form a defeated expression, his skin was paler than his white clothes and his unkept face was displayed for all to see.

"It's true." Ironwood's video started. "I didn't care if those Faunuses didn't get their freedom. Why would I? I would lose control. If I didn't support the SDC, there would be shortages and embargos. The army would have to suffer but I also couldn't let myself be seen as a villain. So, I accepted Faunuses in my academies, it wasn't going to anger the wealthy that support me and it would placate the increasingly furious Faunus. I had to do what I needed to."

"That can't be true..." Glynda was in denial.

"Of course being corrupt might not be justifiable but the Council wouldn't give me more in exchange for me turning a blind eye! This is all just a misunderstanding."

Another voice in the video asked, "So not only did you support the cycle of bribery and corruption but you neglected the position of your citizens?"

"No! That thing can make a play out of my words but you know very damn well I did what I needed to! Look at the results! A nation led by a dictator."

"A dictator that gave equality, employment, healthcare, living space, stability, order, wiped out corruption, and finally offered all of Remnant a chance to live without fear."

"Without fear?! I know that criminal of yours exercises his power to spread fear."

"No one has to fear anything when you've done nothing wrong."

"You replaced members of the government with military personnel! How can citizens be sure that they won't be corrupt?!"

"Pah, ask any soldier where their loyalties lie. You'd be surprised how many are willing to push themselves to the brink of death to uphold the nation he created. So in short, you have done all these crimes and have no guilt whatsoever? Shame."

The clip ends when Torchwick pulls out the scroll from the table. Everyone in the room aside from Hanns and team RWBY was shocked. Were these really the words of their friend?

"This isn't real."

"Glynda, we have irrefutable proof that Ironwood is willing to become a criminal. Here I am, a mastermind criminal, I know what criminality looks like. You're just denying it at this point, if you desire not to be under the same conditions as the General then we keep Ironwood. That's of course if you can show what you can offer if we do this in the first place."

"You can guarantee the academies turning to your side. I still have contacts in other nations. Don't think I know what you're looking for as well. What do you plan with them?" Ozpin directed his question to Hanns.

'The relics? So he knew I was aiming for them after all. The only location I don't know about is Ozpin's...'

"Divided we fall, united we stand. You know exactly why I want these."

Ozpin sighs. "In all my lifetimes, I have never entrusted the goal of forcing a stalemate. Perhaps, I can see that now, there could be a chance. It may look like a hundred years is too small for me. Hanns, I accept. The fate of the world lies within your goals."

Hanns in his glee smiled deliciously. "Then, we welcome the birth of an Unholy Alliance. The world will revolve around the Volkian-Vale Axis. Eventually, the Empire."

~

Everyone left except for Qrow, he had some catching up to do with his nieces.

"Hey, kiddo." He waved for Ruby and Yang.

"Qrow!" Ruby immediately hugged the aging man. "Sorry for the long checks and stuff, Weiss almost got assassinated and Hanns couldn't risk another one happening."

"Jeez, if you were still in Beacon, you'd be yapping about cookies and milk."

"She still does that."

"I do not do that all the time, Yang!" Ruby protested. "I started taking something called Redbull. It was a bit weird the first time but it grew on me. Better than bitter coffee at least."

"Heh, good to see you're still a good kid. Have you been keeping in touch with Taiyang? He's been working as a teacher at Signal still. I think he hasn't known you were uh... changed."

"Oh. We forgot about dad!"

"Relax, Ruby. He can understand."

"Yang, we turned Atlas into a dictatorship with us as the main actors!"

"As I said, he can understand."

"Well, if you ever want to deal with him, there should be enough time after you conquer the world and stuff. So, how's Ice queen?"

"Weiss?"

"No, the older Ice queen. Ever since you took over Atlas, I was curious about how Hanns managed to convince the old soldiers to switch sides so easily- ow!"

Suddenly, an ice-shaped nevermore hit the back of his head. Qrow turns with a visible irritation as he was about to toss hands with whoever was blatant enough to throw that at the drunken master, more like a drunk without the master but Qrow likes to think he's a master.

"Hey! Who-" he paused as he saw the person, or rather, the woman that sent the piece of ice behind his head.

"Hello, Qrow. Enjoying your stay in Atlas? Not the nation of course, finally gotten past that whole unequal representation. I hope I didn't hit your head hard enough since you haven't blinked yet."

"Heh, it's going to take more than that. Your army still sucks major ass but I admit, you look good in black. You looked stuffy in the old one."

Yang had something click in her head. "Oh my Brothers, I'm so going to tell Weiss about this. Let's go, Ruby. We should let them have their time to update their hate on each other."

"What? Yang, we still have so much to catch on-" Yang slaps her hands over Ruby's mouth and dashes away as quickly as she could. Leaving Qrow and Winter with confusion.

"Never knew Hanns accepts old enemies."

"You'd be surprised at how many past enemies he works with. Believe me, the Ace-Ops eventually did too but I had to watch over them."

"Yeah..." Qrow rubs the back of his head, looking over to Winter with an overhaul in her appearance. "Screw it." he takes out a flask and downs everything in a single gulp.

~

[Solitas Rex Awakening: 12 Days]