54 Deal?

Hanns kept a heavy silence, the audible constant droning hums of his V-12 gasoline engine letting out a consistent purr as he slowly comes to terms with how Weiss got caught.

The plan itself was fine, it gave them less exposure to the public. Although Hanns would've wanted for them to at least create backup plans.

"Weiss, did you have any kind of contingency planned out?"

Weiss' face snapped up, her forehead dirtied and bruised. She was covered in dirt from the way she planted herself on the ground to apologize.

"I- uhmm. I'll be honest with you Hanns. I- didn't get far to planning everything. I didn't take into account the random chances."

She stood up and fidgeted, she tried hiding it by placing her hands behind her back but her shaky voice betrayed that.

"Pyrrha being suspicious of us wasn't accounted for. Actually, I didn't take into account anyone being suspicious of our behavior. I was focused on letting Ruby leave."

"Is that all?" Hanns said.

"I- I also was not careful enough to make sure that my scrolls weren't going to be mixed up."

She gripped the hem of her combat skirt and bit her lip in anticipation. She was sure that she would get severely punished. Years of being reprimanded for any small mistake made her expect the worse of additional failures.

"Well, at least you'd know what to look out for."

Weiss was baffled at Hanns simply accepting her even though she had revealed the existence of Hanns to more than one person. "Wait, you're not going to punish me?"

Hanns turns to her, the mechanical inner workings chugging on as he faces her.

"Do you want me to?"

Weiss was conflicted. "Ye- I mean no?"

"You aren't even sure yourself."

Her fit of unhappiness was replaced by even more bewilderment, unsure of what she expected.

"But I failed!"

Hanns sighed on the inside. "You didn't fail, you took out Emerald and Mercury. I am infuriated that you got caught by Ozpin of all people but that's in the past. You're here with no more than 7 people and nothing else happened. You weren't captured or failed the mission so it's fine."

Ozpin sipped his coffee on the sidelines just as Hanns finished his statement. He took one glance at the headmaster.

"Though I'd probably blow up the entire school if he did try anything."

"Pft!"

Torchwick tried to stifle a chuckle. He covered his mouth with his gloved hand and prevented a full-on outburst of a laugh. Hanns was essentially saying to Ozpin that he'd blow up Beacon if he thought Weiss and the rest of the team were in trouble.

"Threatening to destroy the school of a headmaster who's right in front of you doesn't sound like a good look now is it, Lunchbox?"

The sudden appearance of a well-known criminal in Vale shocked everyone. He was off to the side and never properly stood to greet team JNPR and Ozpin.

Torchwick was never one to reject the opportunity to put on a show but his weariness to the headmaster made him stand and the back. Although now that Hanns was in a confrontation with the headmaster, it seemed like he wanted to join in now.

Ozpin focused his attention on the criminal mastermind.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect you to bring on a notorious criminal in your group."

"Hah, if criminals can do a much better job at actually fighting people that threaten the world then maybe I'd rather have them on my side than the likes of you," Hanns responded.

"An interesting point, how did you come to that conclusion?"

Hanns was preoccupied with how much Ozpin refused to see that they might be criminals but at least he wasn't Ozpin. Knowing the show, he probably thought Ozpin never once looked back on him scheming behind the backs of his students.

"Weird of you to be right at the exact moment Weiss was about to escape. Delaying her just as she reached a few more steps to succeed. Do you have any idea why that is?"

Ozpin one big sip from his coffee mug. The aroma seeped to his senses as he swirled it around while holding that stare he had on Hanns.

"I don't know what you mean."

If Hanns could roll his eye, he would've done so at this moment.

"Sure, of course, you don't."

Ruby knocked on his side armor, and a gentle tap on the metal frame by her got the attention of Hanns.

"Hanns what do we do? Do we need to cancel operation citadel?"

Hanns was disturbed by the thought but then he thought about it.

'Ozpin does seem suspicious. I mean that's always been the case since I remember him from the show always speaking like he knows everything. Though this one might be different. I don't see or hear anything odd from the trees so he might've come alone.'

'If that was the case, then he has no intention to fight. He would have no reason to unless he really cares about Mercury and Emerald being captured.'

"No, I have a feeling that wouldn't be the case," Hanns answered Ruby.

Hanns kept his turret pointed at Ozpin. "Why come here Oz? What do you want?"

"Well some closure would be reasonable, the two you kidnapped are from Haven Academy. An institution headed by one of my close friends, who oversaw their transfer. Granted they were half a team but I accepted their entrance for a good reason."

Hanns groaned on the inside. 'Does Ozpin even know anything going on in Vale anymore?'

"Hmph, unlike you, I prefer to actively do things than sit in a tower all day."

Torchwick strides in to give his own opinion. "He's right you know. I don't even care about the whole saving the world thing but I've been rather satisfied with the progress we have made to take out the person you have missed and was right under your nose."

Torchwick lifted his cane and pointed the handle side toward Ruby. "You can thank Red about that, did you know that one of your so-called students that we're sent by that traitor was actually planning on destroying beacon and Vale itself?"

Ozpin stiffened, his arm unmoving, his face solidified as if he had a moment of lapse in judgment. 'Traitor?' he thought.

"That's-"

Hanns was getting impatient at Ozpin still trying to wrap his head around the idea that the headmaster of Haven was a turncoat. "We are going to act on our information whether we get your approval or not."

A silence was produced after the conversation. The ambient noise of the trees rustling and the wind softly blowing. Hanns and Ozpin stared at each other.

"I have a proposal," Ozpin said.

"If it concerns our activities then let me stop you to say no."

"No, I'd rather have you go on with your fight. Let us instead work with each other."

Hanns wanted to consider it. 'Not like we'll have the obligation to listen to one another. Though I don't know how it would work out. If I could somehow manage to let team RWBY off then maybe it's worth it.'

"What are your terms?"

Ozpin chuckled.

"Terms? You humor me, we do not need written contracts."

Hanns scoffed. "What do you expect from this? No one offers that without expecting something in return."

Conditions are what Hanns was worried about. If it included anything on their actions which are but not limited to, destroying property, taking hostages, torture, robbery, counts of vandalism, forgery, and probably a lot more that Hanns directly or indirectly contributed to

"Won't a confirmation of amiable relations not enough?" Opzin said.

"No, I know how you play your games, Oz."

A lull in the negotiations occurred as the tank and the headmaster of Beacon stood silent.

Hanns was the first to put forward what he wants. "Alright then, I want a guarantee."

"Oh?"

"Team RWBY will be able to be exempt from any school activity and take days off on any day, you won't intervene in any of our plans. Let us be and we can fight... her... with you."

Ozpin closed his eyes while thinking, the terms were not that bad. Exempting RWBY from school activities could raise a few eyebrows from the other students but he could manage. Hanns was going against Salem, Ozpin had reason to believe that Hanns was doing everything to prevent Salem from ever being able to threaten the world.

"I'll have something in return for those."

Hanns had a breakthrough in the agreement. He silently wished that Ozpin wouldn't ask him to listen to what he said. God forbid that he was going to work under Ozpin.

"You will share everything you know and what you plan on doing."

A surprise was the only logical response from Hanns. 'Really? I thought there'd be more.'

"Is that really it? Sounds fair."

"It'll be hard to convince Glynda but I'll find a way."

A chill in his spine made Ozpin worry for his health if Glynda ever got word that some students didn't even need to join up with classes.

"Hanns, uhmm." Ruby from the side pointed at the group of people behind the other members of team RWBY.

Hanns turned to see the four members of team JNPR processing what was going on. A tank was talking and communicating with everyone. The moment they walked into the clearing they saw Hanns, then a while later they saw Torchwick and RWBY working together. Some old man was also there but they didn't think much of him.

"What about them?" Hanns turned to the group only to see one energetic girl who was pouncing on her friend who had a neutral expression.

"Ren! The thing spoke to us!" Nora shook Ren sideways as she gleefully exclaimed at the mechanical beast.

"Nora, I don't think he appreciates us calling him an object."

Pyrrha steps forward to address Hanns. "So you're that voice that came from Blake's scroll. Why are you named ice cream? I assume I accidentally picked up Blake's private scroll?"

"Pyrrha Nikos, I didn't expect you of all people to be the ones to expose us. Oh, and that's one of my associates since I don't have a scroll."

Hanns continued "Well technically I do but I ate it."

"Ate it?"

"Moving on why did you have to reveal them during their mission?" Hanns never paid much attention to JNPR the same way he did to RWBY so he didn't know what made Pyrrha act on impulse.

"I was just concerned and worried about what RWBY got themselves into. They're my friends and if they're getting forced into doing unsavory things then I'd step in to help."

Her will was unbending, Hanns saw that she was truly just concerned for team RWBY doing bad things for people. I mean, they already probably committed war crimes along the way but who counts?

"Admirable but you left out one thing, they agreed to this with their own accord."

"Why go through all the effort of this?"

'RP and SL' Hanns thought to himself.

"Because no one else will. You don't have to concern yourself with this, your team can stay away from what we do or you can help. Team RWBY wants this and they will follow through with it."

"They're my friends, I don't want to see them get hurt because of what you offered."

She stood still and relaxes after a few minutes of contemplation. "Just promise me you'll take care of them."

Pyrrha walks away, her team following suit while a surprised Jaune was there still starting at Hanns and Torchwick.

"Hold on Pyrrha wait!" June stumbled on his way to catch up after being dumbfounded at the situation.

Hanns wanted to seal the deal on their agreement. It could prove to be fruitful to have support but what mattered most was the continued operations that Hanns planned.

Ozpin joined up with team JNPR on their way back to Beacon. "I'd like to see you uphold your end of the deal. I look forward to our cooperation."

A few minutes go by and the area was clear. Torchwick scoured the nearby region to prove to Hanns no one else was there. They all breathed a sigh of relief once Ozpin left.

Now all that they needed to do was secure the prisoners and go on their way to Mountain Glenn to strike. "At least we have Cinder's subordinates in custody. Only a few hours left and we are going to leave."

"Hanns! We're ready to integrate your new shields!" Ruby excitedly hopped around. Merlot didn't notice the arrival of Ozpin since he wanted to get a few tweaks out of Hanns' new modification.

"I hope you're ready Cinder," Hanns said out loud to the other's approval.

Hanns looked menacingly at the new vehicle he was going to purchase. Among the many tanks, there was one he could see using in the future.

The Leopard I, the first of the post-war tanks.