Welcome back to a story I bet many of you have forgotten! I'm having some editing issues with some of the other stories, as well as work taking up most of my schedule. Also, I'm writing a book now! I think you've even met one or two of the characters if you've paid attention to my other stories. But that's enough for now. It's time to get to the story! I'll try to get some of my more popular stories updated as soon as I can!
General Ironwood sighed, rubbing his face in frustration. He had fought in wars, been shot and then blown up, had half of his body replaced with cybernetics, and ran the most prestigious military academy on Remnant. And yet nothing prepared him to deal with raising a child with PTSD. According to Sing Love, she had always been a bit sickly due to an excess of aura, but now she was more skittish than a Snow Hare in early spring. She jumped at the slightest sound, and none of Blue Team could get her anywhere near the firing range. It had been five years since she had watched her mother die in front of her. Since she had wielded Sing's White Blade and used it to take down an Atlasian Knight.
Five years since James Ironwood had become a father.
An urgent beeping noise tore him from his reverie, letting him know that someone was at his door. With a sigh, he pressed a button under his desk to unlock the door, "Come in…"
John walked in, snapping a crisp salute before collapsing in a chair. James raised an eyebrow at the man, who looked more exhausted than someone saying his full rank and name Master Chief Petty Officer John Smith. Most people just called him Chief, or Master Chief if they wanted a little more formality. The seasoned veteran cut an imposing figure. Nearly seven feet tall, standard regulation buzz cut, and blue eyes that could shoot down a Nevermore with their gaze, the man was an absolute titan amongst the other Specialists. Right now though, it looked like he could use a stiff drink. He sighed, shaking his head, "James… I'm not sure what we can do. She won't be able to survive out there without some sort of firearm, but we can't get her within fifty metres of the firing range. She's just… I don't think… James, I don't think she's cut out to be a specialist."
Ironwood blinked in surprise, rather curious at his friend's somewhat blunt assessment. Leaning forward in his chair Ironwood scrutinized the man in front of him, at the same time thinking of Mato. In retrospect, he hadn't exactly been father of the year. John and his team had practically raised the now thirteen year old girl, and trying their best while they were at it as well. He frowned, standing up, "Let's go talk to her. You can tell me a bit about what's going on while we walk."
The marine specialist nodded, sluggishly getting to his feet and following the general out of his office, "Well, at first, we thought that she was just a bit scared of loud noises, but that clearly isn't the case. No, Linda managed to figure out that it's the weapon itself that terrifies Mato. She refuses to come anywhere near us when we have our sidearms. Hell, even water guns are enough to set her off. It's just… difficult. I understand you want her to be a specialist, but-"
"Excuse me?" General Ironwood stopped, looking sharply at John. "You think I want her to be a specialist?"
John's mouth went dry as he realized the potential blunder he made, "Well, sir… She's your daughter. Most people would assume that's what you would want her to be. Sort of like a Heiress to your legacy."
James sighed, shaking his head, "I appreciate the gesture, Chief. However, while I do think it's vital that she learns to defend herself, she doesn't have to be a specialist if she doesn't want to…" James frowned, but this time it wasn't towards his marine. An idea had hit him as he recalled what Sing Love had specialized in. "John, how is she at close quarters?"
"CQC? Well, we never tested that. Usually, you need to get marksman qualifications on a rifle and sidearm before we start combatives training."
James nodded, mentally cursing himself for not remembering that. "Alright, I want you to begin that as soon as possible. I'll try and get her onto a firing range."
"Understood, sir. Mato is probably in her quarters, down the hall and to the left. I need to get with Fred, see if we can fit her into a combatives session…" John took off at a light jog, already formulating a plan to convince Fred to teach Mato a little hand to hand.
John made his way to Mato's room, pausing outside the room to steel himself. He may have been a rather passionate man, but he never really had a way with words. That was more Ozpin's area. But now he had to convince a thirteen year old girl who was terrified of guns… To pick up a gun and use it. He sighed, knocking on the door lightly. After a few moments, it cracked open, and a single blue eye peered up at him. James cleared his throat, "Er… May I come in, Mato?"
There was a brief pause, but the smaller girl let her father in with a reluctant nod, opening the door completely. Ironwood stepped inside, bracing himself to see what a 13 year old would normally have in their room, only to be stunned when it was nearly as clean as his own. The bed was a bit ruffled, but she had probably been sleeping in it. And there was an extra small trainee uniform top tossed into the far corner of the room, but other than that the room was completely sterile… And lifeless. Even James had a few personal effects and items in his own quarters, but all Mato had… was one picture of Sing Love on her desk. James winced when the picture caught his eye, quickly looking away and redirecting his attention to Mato. His daughter still had on the grey bottoms to her uniform and a simple white t-shirt, her boots were already off and tucked neatly under her bed with her running shoes, leaving her in the regulation black socks. James's heart actually gave a sharp pang as he realized Mato was actually trying to emulate a soldier… And he didn't like that. She was still a child, after all. But he still needed to take care of something. "Mato… Mas-er… John has been telling me that you seem to have a problem going to the shooting range. Do you want to talk about it?"
Mato looked at James for a moment, before slowly shaking her head and pulling her knees up to her chin. In truth, she didn't know if she was scared of the guns. All she knew was that guns killed her mother, and they could kill her next. She didn't want that to happen!
James sighed, shaking his head, "Mato… You… Wait a moment. It isn't the gun, is it? Your mother… By Oum, I am so sorry, Mato. I should have been better at explaining things to you. Alright, I want you to close your eyes. I have an idea."
Mato looked at her guardian questioningly, unsure what to make of his request. Eventually, she nodded and did as he requested. Once that was done, James reached into his jacket, drawing his revolver, Winter's Wrath. He made sure the safety was on before gently taking Mato's hand and placing the pistol grip in her palm. He could practically feel Mato's confusion as he curled her fingers around the grip, holding it there tightly. "Alright, Mato… I want to to take a deep breath. In four counts, out four counts… In, out… Good. Now, I want you to open your eyes, but don't move. Just look at your hand."
Mato hesitantly did as she was told, her eyes growing wide and and her breathing nearly hysterical as she realized what was in her hand. To Ironwood's surprise though, she didn't move. Although, she might actually have been paralyzed from the fear. Ironwood gently cupped her chin, forcing her to look away from the weapon and into his eyes. "Mato… I understand a little bit of how you feel. A gun can be very dangerous… But on its own, it cannot hurt you. You've used a pencil right?"
Mato nodded yes, trembling in fear. But Ironwood refused to let her release her grip. She was going to have to learn at some point, and well… He didn't have the patience to have her go through years of therapy. "Well, a pencil can be just as deadly as this weapon. A weapon is a tool, completely indiscriminate of who or what it is used upon. If in your enemy's hands, then yes, a gun can hurt you… But the weapon is in your hand now. Is it hurting you Mato?"
Mato suddenly paused, her grip flexing slightly. She seemed confused again. No, the gun wasn't hurting her… but it still felt weird in her hand. A bit too… big. James smiled slightly once he realized that Mato wasn't about to pass out from hyperventilating, carefully removing the weapon and placing it back in his coat. "Mato… I think it's time we took you to the shooting range. I'm actually interested in how well you can shoot. Your mother was a natural with just about any weapon, and I'm wondering if she passed that on to you."
Mato perked up at the mention of her mother, and she turned a curious gaze to Ironwood.
"Yes, I knew your mother quite well. We actually went to this academy together. She was… well, she was certainly different from the run of the mill specialist…" He smiled fondly at the memories, before coming up with a plan. "How about this… You come with me to the shooting range, fire a few weapons so we can see where you're at, and then we can go into the city and I can tell you a bit about your mother?"
Mato bit her lip, nervous at the simple thought of the shooting range, but… Mr. Ironwood did know her mother, and now she knew that guns weren't going to hurt her as long as it wasn't pointed at her, or something didn't go wrong… Mato turned her unusual eyes towards Ironwood's jacket, where the gun had vanished. Then she nodded. It was best that she learned how to use a weapon, before the time came where it was needed, and she had no clue what to do.
Fifteen minutes and one short explanation about basic firearm safety later…
"Alright, Mato… This is a standard issue Excalibur 190. It fires a 5.56 lead round propelled by burn dust. It has a maximum effective range of 1600 metres, but we'll only be firing at 25 to 50 metres. Just to get you used to the feeling."
James watched as Mato got down into the prone position, propping herself up on her elbows and aiming down the sights. It was rather comical, seeing at the rifle was almost too big for the thirteen year old girl, but she managed to make it work. The general held his breath, pressing the button to activate the shooting range's close range preliminary target practice. Several holographic figures flickered into existence at twenty five metres, only to be blown away in a fraction of a second as Mato locked on and fired. James blinked owlishly, glancing down at his scroll to see that each shot Mato had taken was a direct head shot. All ten shots. Huh… Beginner's luck?
As if to contradict him, he decided to thrown in five fifty metre targets along with the previous ten metre targets… Only to have them blown away with a bare fraction of a second longer to aim. His jaw openly dropped at the sight. Mato was a natural!
"Well, what do you know… You actually got her to fire a gun." John had come out to the firing range when he couldn't find James and Mato, bringing the rest of his team with him, except for Fredrick. Fred and Kelly were openly gaping at the spectacle before them. A thirteen year old girl was showing more proficiency with a rifle than most grown men with ten years of training. Linda, the team's marksman, just chuckled and brushed a bit of red hair out of her eyes.
"Looks like she could have some real talent in sharpshooting… May I?" Linda gestured towards Ironwood, asking for the scroll in his hands. The General shrugged after a moment's debate, and handed it over. She grinned, tapping a few new settings into the shooting range and letting things play out. This time, instead of stationary targets at 25-50 metres, Mato was given a variable target set up to 125 metres. Silhouettes bobbed and weaved through the field in front of her, sometimes ducking behind silvery, holographic cover. Mato, being a thirteen year old girl, didn't really know any better, so she began the course without question. Blue Team and the General watched in amazement as the ravenette began sending rounds downrange with unnerving proficiency. Even Linda began to get worried when Mato's first magazine ran out and she switched with the spare one so quickly, that her initial magazine hadn't even hit the floor by the time she began firing again. NOt a single shot missed, not even the 125 metre range targets. Mato had some sort of instinct… She accounted for bullet drop before she knew what the term meant, and that was scarier than her accuracy. Eventually, the simulation finished, and no more targets appeared. Mato blinked in confusion, looking at the rifle in silence. The group of adults behind her waited in equal silence, concerned with her actions… Then she pulled the charging handle back, releasing one last bullet.
Linda burst out laughing, "She hit the double target! Two targets with one shot! Hell yeah!"
Mato jumped to her feet in terror, not realizing she had company. Once she realized it was just Blue Team (sans Fred), she relaxed, giving Linda a puzzled expression.
"Yeah, you did good kid. In fact, that was some of the best shooting I've seen in a while. I can't wait to see what you do with a real weapon in her hands. How did you know to account for bullet drop?"
Mato frowned, thinking carefully. Bullet drop? What was that? Did she mean adjusting for range? She looked out at the field, picturing it in her mind's eye. Then she looked back at Linda and mimed drawing back on a bow… no, a slingshot. Linda took a few seconds to figure out what she was doing, but when she did, a broad smile broke out across her face.
"Well, that explains a lot. You already had a little practice."
"Linda, I think this goes beyond practice." James peered at Mato closely, watching as a sort of blue haze faded away from her left eye. "I'm pretty sure she just tapped into a bit of her aura, and possibly her semblance."
Kelly grinned, shrugging her shoulders, "Aww man… I was hoping to get another speedster, like me!"
"Rabbit, can it. A thirteen year old girl just beat your best score for that exercise."
Kelly looked wounded at John's statement, but everyone could tell she wasn't serious. John cleared his throat and looked to Ironwood, "Fred agreed to giving Mato combatives courses starting next Monday. He said something about figuring out the right weapon for her…"
James nodded quickly, taking the gun from Mato and handing it off to Linda, "Right, tell Fred to let me worry about that. I'm taking Mato into Atlas City. You have the rest of the day off."
The group of soldiers snapped a hasty salute to their superior, before hurrying off to enjoy their brief bit of freedom. Mato looked up at Ironwood, who just shook his head and smiled, "Come along Mato, let's see if we can catch a VTOL to the city."
Thirty minutes later
Mato looked around in a bit of confusion and amazement. She had never actually seen Atlas City, having been completely unconscious when they brought her to the academy. The city was a pristine example of Atlas's technological might. Everything was clean, sharp, and in perfect focus. Not a single detail was out of place. Atlasian Knights roamed the streets alongside Specialists, acting as the Kingdom's defense force. Everyone seemed calm and peaceful, if a bit stiff. Ironwood looked around for a moment, before gesturing for Mato to follow him and taking off at a brisk walk down the street. Since he obviously knew what was what, Mato hurried after him. Despite her rather sickly, pale exterior, Mato was relatively fit. Even still, the shorter girl had to practically jog in order to keep up with the much taller man. After about five minutes of silent movement, they came to a halt in front of a small weapon shop. Mato looked at Ironwood questioningly, but didn't object as he guided her into the business, sighing softly. He looked around at the rather unusual weapons, picking up a silvery chakram with a faraway look in her face, "Your mother came her all the time. She loved the strange weapons the owner made. In fact, the owner made her two weapons she used as a specialist. I'm sure you remember White Blade. She made that one herself as a cheaper weapon when she gave up her life as a specialist. But her original weapons..." Ironwood trailed off, lost in his memories.
A soft, sultry voice spoke up, drawing their attention to the shop counter, "Soul Arc and Ravenous Reaper. Yeah, I remember them well, General. Sing was an absolute tank with them." A tall woman with large, red horns peered at the duo with a curious, yet somewhat amused expression. "I never thought I'd see you again, Ironwood. I thought you hated my weapons."
She smirked, tucking a lock of dark, maroon hair behind her ear as Ironwood cleared his throat awkwardly, dragging himself out of his reviere, "My opinion hasn't changed of your... unique weapons, Miss Irino. I am simply bringing Mato here to a place her mother frequented."
Saya's red eyes locked onto Mato, and she raised an eyebrow as if just noticing her, "Mato... Sing had a kid, eh? I never thought in a million years that would happen."
Mato stared at the woman warily, wondering suspiciously if that was some sort of insult to her mother. Ironwood put a hand on her shoulder, imperceptibly shaking his head when she looked up at him. He may have had Winter's Wrath on him… But Saya was a true master (or mistress) of CQC, and this shop was filled with weapons she had made by her own hand. He cleared his throat, "Miss Irino, Sing Love-Kuroi died five years ago. I am Mato's… guardian for lack of a better term."
Saya grinned, coming around the counter and gesturing for Mato to come to her. She crouched down to her level when she reluctantly came over, and whispered, "He's a bit of a prude, isn't he?" Mato's eyes widened in shock, and she looked back at Ironwood before shooting Saya an indignant glare. Saya chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. "Easy there, fireball. I'm just saying he isn't the best person to be raising a kid."
Ironwood narrowed his eyes, reaching out and gently, yet firmly pulling Mato back to his side, "Be that as it may, I am doing the best I can. I may not be winning any Father of the Year awards, but I trust you with children about as far as I can throw an Ursai."
Saya laughed, standing up with a sharp smirk that made her seem more like some sort of demon than the antelope faunus she was. "Oh, James… You and I both know you're at your wit's end here. I mean, why would you willingly come here?"
Ironwood's voice grew tight, and he looked around at the shop, "Mato watched her mother die in front of her… Shot from behind by a member of the little club you used to enjoy being part of."
Saya narrowed her eyes, the red orbs burning dangerously, "Key words being 'used to,' General. You would do well to remember that. Sing was like a sister to me. Why are you here?"
Mato shifted her gaze between the two adults, realizing that something was very wrong here. She shifted slightly, getting ready to make a run for it if things got ugly. Ironwood clenched his jaw, before gesturing at Mato, "I think Sing would have wanted Mato to have one of your weapons."
Whatever Saya was expecting, it certainly wasn't that. She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms with a suspicious glare at the human, "You don't want her to have one of your 'standard issue weapons?'"
Ironwood scowled, resisting the urge to tighten his grip on Mato, "The only ones who get 'standard issue weapons,' as you so eloquently put, are the foot soldiers. And I doubt Mato will fit the bill as a soldier… She's mute."
Once again, Saya seemed to stop, backing up to figure out what James just told her, "Wait… Mato, the daughter of Sing Love the hopeful idol, can't speak?"
Ironwood sighed tiredly, looking down at Mato, "We don't know yet. There's nothing physically wrong with her voice, but due to what she's witnessed…" The general trailed off, letting Saya fill in the blanks.
She nodded slowly, frowning, "Oh, I see… Do we know what her semblance is?"
"Same as her mother's."
Saya grinned at Mato's perplexed expression, "So, the little runt is an Overdriver? Alight, I can go dust off those plans for Sing's weapon but…" She circled the petite girl, muttering softly to herself. "I don't thing a massive scythe is going to do the trick here. She'll need a ranged weapon. Oooooh… Now, I haven't considered that weapon in a long time."
Ironwood frowned, "Speak plainly, please."
Saya hurried behind the counter, pulling out a black case, "Oh, I think I know the perfect weapon for her. It'll be a few years before the full thing is finished, but I do have one portion finished." She grinned, lifting a rather massive handgun out of the case. The weapon itself was bigger than Ironwood's Winter's Wrath, but the grip was made for much smaller hands. She held the weapon out to Mato, who just looked at it nervously.
Ironwood nudged her softly, nodding, "It's okay, Mato. Just remember what I said."
The short girl nodded, hesitantly taking the weapon from Saya. She blinked owlishly once she had it though, as it felt… Right. Sure, the grip was still a bit big, but nowhere near as bad as the general's weapon. She looked up at Saya in confusion. The woman grinned, "Looks like I was right. You'll grow into the weapon as you get older, but it's not complete either. That's just the base of the weapon. The real thing is much, much bigger. So, if your… guardian does let you get this thing, I'm going to need you to work on that strength training. Though, if you're anything like your mother, I don't think that'll be a problem. Your mother was a natural athlete. Some monstrous strength there." She chuckled, heading to the back, and rummaging around. "Now, there is another weapon. It was supposed to be the sister weapon to you Mother's White Blade. I was going to give it to her as a sort of present before she went off the grid. But, I think she would want you to have it."
Ironwood and Mato were both surprised when Saya came back out with a simple black katana, thought it was easy to see that the base of the blade, just before the hilt, was a bit irregular. Saya carefully drew the blade, revealing a masterfully crafted weapon. She leveled the weapon in front of her, eyeing the edge carefully. Once she was satisfied, she sheathed it again and held it out to Mato. The mute girl gingerly accepted the weapon, carefully drawing it with a single hand, just like she had seen her mother do with her own weapon. She marveled at how light the blade was, though the hilt was still a bit big in her young hands. She had always felt a mild affinity with blades, preferring them over the loud, terrifying guns the soldiers used. Mato looked over at the General, feeling a happy smile tug at her lips. Ironwood glanced sharply at Saya, "How much for the weapons?"
Saya blinked owlishly, surprised at the sudden change, "What? Oh, um… The blade is free. I was going to give it to her mother as a gift, I might as well keep it that way. As for the other weapon… That's going to be a bit harder to determine, since it isn't actually finished. For now, how about a down payment of… a thousand Lien?"
Ironwood nodded, pulling out his checkbook. Though he disliked Saya's unorthodox methods of weapon making, even he had to admit she produced some of the best weapons in the kingdom, "How long will it take to finish the weapon? Mato will be old enough to begin senior combat schools in a few years. She's…" Ironwood suddenly glanced at Mato, an odd look in his eyes. "Mato, could you wait outside?"
Mato looked up at the general, before nodding quickly and slipping out the front door. She looked around at her surroundings curiously, wondering why Ironwood had told her to leave. It wasn't as if she could tell any secrets. She couldn't even speak… A small shuffling noise made her jump and spin around. Bright blue eyes locked with pink and white eyes, and she saw a girl about her age, with pink and brown hair. She grinned at Mato, a mischevious look in her eyes. Mato backed away nervously, waving silently at the girl. The new arrival cocked her head to the side, before silently signing: Are you mute, too?
'Too?' Mato took a moment to realize that this girl was like her as well. Mato nodded quickly, sending back with clumsy signing, Yes. But I'm not very good with Standard Sign Langauge. I was taught Military Sign Language.
The girl nodded, grinning happily, That's okay! I can understand both. What's your name? I'm Neopolitan. Though, my big brother calls me Neo.
I'm Mato… Mato tilted her head to the side, mimicking her new companion, I've never had a brother. Is it nice?
Neo giggled silently, her eyes lighting up, You bet! Roman is the best!
"Well, this is interesting!" Both girls jumped as a taller boy with flamboyant orange hair swaggered up to them, carrying a cane over his shoulder and twirling a bowler hat on one finger. "Who's your new friend, Neo?"
Neo grinned, eagerly signing to her 'brother.' Mato couldn't really see the family resemblance though. Step-siblings? No… Maybe surrogates. Mato was brought out of her train of thought as Torchwick knelt down and looked up at her pale face with a grin, "So, you're a mute too, eh? What's a cute little thing like you doing out here, all by yourself?"
I'm waiting for my guardian. He's inside talking to a… Mato hesitated, unsure how to sign that the woman inside was a weaponsmith.
Roman looked up at the shop, and nodded as if he understood. "Oooh… I'm guessing you want to be a Specialist then? And guardian?"
Mato nodded reluctantly, unsure how to explain her situation. Fortunately, she didn't have to as Ironwood came out at that moment, carrying the gun case and sheathed katana. Both Neo and Roman jumped back with startled, if somewhat terrified expression, though Roman seemed to recover rather quickly, "You're General Ironwood!"
Ironwood looked down in surprise at the small gathering, "Oh, Mato, I see you've er… made a few friends?"
Roman grinned cheekily, though Mato could see a strange sort of fear in his eyes, "Oh, I just came to fetch my little sis. She and Mato were looking like some ninjas, going back and forth with their sign language."
Ironwood glanced over at Mato, making a note of that tidbit of info, before looking back at Roman, "And who might you be, young man?"
Roman puffed out his chest grinning like a fox in a henhouse, "I'm Roman Torchwick, sir! And you'd best remember that name, 'cause you're going to be seeing a lot of it!"
Mato glanced at Neo while Torchwick pulled his rooster impression, only to find her staring intently back. After a moment, the ice cream girl sent a short, but rather bold message. You're pretty cute. I hope we see each other again.
Before Mato could even think of reacting to Neo's statement, Roman had already said his goodbyes and had left, taking the girl with him. Mato stood there, somewhat dazed until Ironwood snapped his fingers in front of her, causing her to blink and look up.
"Miss Irino said your weapon should be completely finished in a year. A bit odd if you ask me, but she does know her stuff… Are you okay? Your face is rather red."
Mato reached up and touched her face, surprised to find how warm it was. After a moment, she nodded. Yes, she was fine.
Ironwood checked his watch, considering something, "Hmm… I suppose we have some time to get some ice cream. We can talk a bit more about your mother there…"
Mato nodded, trying hard to keep a smile off her face. She was getting to know about her mother, made her guardian proud(?), and possibly made a friend or two. Who knows, maybe she really would see Neo down the road. She quickly followed Ironwood down the street, a small smirk on her face. Maybe her life was looking up?
Annnnnnd done! Holy sh*t, I thought I'd never get a chapter done. Sorry for those who have been waiting ages for me to continue on this and other stories. I've been rather busy at work, and I've been writing my own book! I technically have several chapters written across multiple stories, but something about them just… doesn't click. I think with some heavy editing, I'll fix them up. As for this story, we finally have Neo and Roman introduced. Now, since this is pre-pre-RWBY, they aren't hardened criminals yet. Well, Roman's a petty thief at the moment, which explains his reaction to Ironwood, but things have yet to get that far along. I think the next chapter will have Mato receiving her military training, her cannon, and we'll get the reason she's being sent to Beacon instead of staying at Atlas. Also, I think I figured out the problem of teams. Team RWBY will be left alone in terms of team members (Weiss is still getting bashed a bit), and I'll be bringing in a few more characters from the BRS world. Background characters for the most part, but they'll still be involved in the main plot. Meet, Team IYKI (Mato will be taking her father's name, so it's Kuroi-Ironwood). It stands for Iyoki, or Y