A New World
Chapter 26: Unforeseen Consequences
A/N: Before we begin, I would like to admit that I messed up by including a scene last chapter that made no sense. The scene where Hiccup and Ruby encounter Roman and Neo. It was rather pointless and it had no real bearing on the story. It has been removed, so you might want to read the chapter again as it was changed to reflect the scene now being gone.
Anyway, exciting things have been planned this chapter.
I hope you all enjoy it!
Looking down at Atlas academy, the airship Winter Schnee and James Ironwood were standing in began to move.
"Sir, my mission?" Winter asked the General.
"Strictly recon, Specialist," he said. "I need to know everything you can find about that underground base. It does beg the question of how they managed to build it without being noticed by now."
"It may not be very big, sir," Winter replied
"Let's hope so," Ironwood mused. "We can work over the details when we get closer to the base. On other matters, if I may ask, have you spoken to your sister lately?"
"Not since she was brought back to Atlas by my father," Winter said. "She often prefers to speak to me when I visit home as I can usually talk to her for longer than when I call her with my scroll."
"Alright. Is she adjusting well? The attack on Beacon must have been hard on her, and for her to then be taken back to Atlas immediately afterwards…"
"She despises being there. She's miserable." Winter replied.
"Then I suppose Jacque wants her to become the heir to the SDC, and either hasn't noticed that she is miserable or doesn't care."
"It's the latter sir. He always thought Weiss's wish to become a huntress a childish notion, one that my brother Whitely seems to agree with wholeheartedly. Jacque isn't used to not getting what he wants."
"Yes, sadly I know that well. It's one thing I dislike about the man, being the cause of arguments in the past. When he objected to you joining the military for one, as you know. And what do you think Weiss will do about it, Winter?"
"I think she will be looking for a way to leave, sir. Perhaps at that fundraiser that he has set up for Beacon Academy."
"Hmm" Ironwood rubbed his chin in thought. "And would you attend it?"
"No, sir. I personally despise such events. But I would admittedly like to see my little sister again soon."
"How about I assign you to the fundraiser? I'm certain Weiss would like to see you." Ironwood winked.
"I wouldn't like to impose, sir."
"You're not imposing Winter. Accept, or I'll order you to attend." Ironwood said, the ghost of a smile appearing.
"I accept sir."
"Good, I'll see you there then Specialist."
A soldier marched over to them. "We've reached the coordinates you asked us to head to, sir. What should we do now sir?"
"Prepare to land when I give the order." The soldier saluted him and marched away.
"Now, I recommend you get ready for your mission, Specialist."
"Sir" Winter saluted before marching away as well.
Winter found her locker on the airship. Inside, her sabre and an earpiece were stored. She took out her sabre and strapped it to her hip. She took out her earpiece and placed behind her right ear before returning to Ironwood who was standing on the bridge of the airship.
Ironwood then prepared to address the group of five soldiers that stood a few meters in front of him - Winter standing as one of the tallest in the group - before they set off on their mission.
The soldiers, doing final checks on their equipment, from earpieces to rifles, all standard issue save for Winter's sabre. Ironwood noted they all looked professional and appeared ready to go.
"Alright. It was recently discovered that the White Fang has an underground base at this location. Not a lot is known about this base. We don't know its size, the amount of personnel within or even what the base is used for."
"However," Ironwood continued. "We do know that there is a gate that guards the entrance. Two guards are expected to be posted at the gate, with cameras watching the entrance from within."
"That is why you're here, as I'm sure you've guessed by now. You will be working under Specialist Schnee's command. It goes without saying that you should all proceed with caution. Good luck. Dismissed."
Winter and her assigned team of soldiers then headed to the docking bay where a collection of bullheads were located.
Winter turned to her soldiers when they reached the bay. "Alright, listen up!"
"Yes, ma'am." her group of soldiers said in unison.
"Since we don't know much about the White Fang base we are performing recon on, we'll be approaching the base using stealth, until we're close enough to drop the cameras. Once the cameras are destroyed, the base will be alerted. Shoot to kill. Our objective is the command centre. Once we reach it, Simon here will access whatever computers, storage devices or servers they have and download any intel we can get our hands on. Then we get out."
Winter saw a pilot head over to one of the bullheads and instructed her soldiers to follow.
Entering, she knocked on the door of the cockpit. "We need to land on the surface."
"Yes, ma'am" the pilot replied and proceeded to take off.
They landed and the group of five disembarked, stepping out into the cold Atlesian air before they proceeded to advance the remaining distance to the White Fang base.
Waking up, Hiccup opened his eyes to be greeted by pitch black darkness. It took a moment, but his thoughts drifted back to last night and he remembered where he was.
"Toothless." Hiccup said, reaching a hand out in front of him and touching the underside of the dragon's wing. "I'd like to get up now."
There was no reply, besides a suddenly audible snore from the dragon.
He tried again, but this time Toothless' wings pressed closer to Hiccup.
The third try yielded similar results, with Hiccup feeling as if he were in his father's embrace due to how tightly wrapped Toothless' wings now were.
'Well, I guess I'm stuck here for now.' Hiccup thought to himself as he gave up from trying to wake up Toothless, and instead turned into his mouse form and pulled himself from the embrace he was in.
Once free, Hiccup turned back into his normal form and stretched, feeling his neck crack as he did so.
"Lazy reptile," Hiccup muttered as he looked at Toothless, who was still snoring. "How can you sleep through that?"
A quiet voice spoke up from behind him. "Good morning."
Hiccup turned to look at the person, belatedly realizing it was Glynda. Replying in turn, he decided to follow with a question.
"So since we're going to meet the headmaster of Haven Academy today. Is there anything I should know about him?"
Glynda gave him a questioning look.
"I mean, is he able to use magic like Ozpin?" Hiccup elaborated
"No. He's just the headmaster of Haven. He's a Lion Faunus though."
"What's a Lion?"
"It's an animal."
"I figured that out already. That's redundant given he's a Faunus." Hiccup drawled.
"It's an animal that is known for being… fierce. Usually found in warmer places like Vacuo." Hiccup nodded.
"So am I to assume that this headmaster is as good at fighting as Ozpin is?"
"No. He's actually easily scared and usually nervous in a fight."
Hiccup blinked. "How nervous do you have to be, to be a trained huntsman and the headmaster of a school where the main focus is learning to fight and still be scared?"
"I have no idea, but nevertheless, he is friends with Ozpin."
"Right, so shall we go-" Hiccup stopped talking as a red portal formed behind Glynda.
Raven then stepped out of it. She looked around the room before looking at the two sole occupants. "This is different. We're not in Atlas I'm guessing?"
"Oh for the love of Thor, what is it now?!" Hiccup demanded.
"Why are you here Raven?" Glynda asked.
"I'm here to borrow him. I'm going to need every tribe member I can get."
"Stop talking about me like I want to be part of your tribe. I had no choice but to join and you know it."
"Details, details. It doesn't matter now. Come on."
Raven turned to leave when Hiccup's reply stopped her. "I'm not going anywhere until you let Gobber out of his cage."
"Done. Vernal?" Moments later, Gobber was shoved through Raven's portal. He stood up with difficulty, as his hands were still bound and he was still gagged.
"I-Is this an urgent problem? Because I think I need to process the fact you actually did something I asked."
Raven sighed before smirking. "Alright. I'll give you an hour and no more."
When Raven left, Hiccup proceeded to untie the cloth that was wrapped around Gobber's hands and remove his gag, allowing him to speak unhindered.
"No, it can't. What do you think has Raven so worried"
"My guess would be her tribe is under attack," Glynda suggested. "That or she is preparing to attack someone."
"Who would be so strong that she needs everyone in her tribe to attack them? And why would attacking someone else make Raven scared?" Hiccup asked.
"We should tell Ozpin about it. Maybe he'll have an idea of what has got her so scared." Glynda suggested.
"Let's go find him then." Hiccup said.
"We've got a problem" Glynda said when they found him. He had been talking to Yang before Glynda, Hiccup and Gobber arrived.
"What is it?" Ozpin asked.
"Raven showed up recently. She says she wants me to travel to her tribe." Hiccup explained.
"And what are you going to do, Hiccup?"
"I haven't got any idea. I was hoping you could help with that. Also, what could scare Raven so much that she requires every member of her tribe to help out? That's what she mentioned when she came here, at least."
Ozpin looked thoughtful. "Hmm. I have an idea, but there is only one way to know for certain."
"I have to go back to her tribe, don't I?"
"Yes"
Hiccup groaned. "Alright, so you three will be going to meet this headmaster, right?"
"Yup. Have fun with Raven." Yang said.
"Can I attempt to persuade you to switch places with me, Yang?"
"Uh…no. I told you to not search for Blake, and you called her while I was in the same room. Good luck Hiccup." Yang then left the room.
"Joy" Hiccup sighed, now resigned to his fate.
Glynda shot him a sympathetic look. "You tried your best Hiccup. I'll talk to Yang when Ozpin, Yang and I get back after meeting with Lionheart."
Hiccup nodded. "I'll see you later then."
Gobber, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. "Care to fill me in on what's going on?"
"The person who had you put in a cage is called Raven. A friend of mine had a plan to rescue you, but it's kinda fallen apart since she just handed you over. Now, we're wondering why she did it so easily. We think something has got her scared because she needs me to help fight with her for some reason."
"Ok. Maybe I can help with that."
"Help? How?"
"I overheard some people arrive and talk to Raven yesterday. I, didn't understand what they were talking about, but I know there were five of them. One of them sounded insane. He was giggling as he spoke."
"I should let Ozpin and Glynda know, but I don't think that tells us a lot. Sorry, Gobber."
"Don't worry Hiccup. I think it was a long shot anyway. So! How have you been these past few years?" Gobber asked with a grin.
"That's quite a long story."
"I've got time Hiccup. Tell me everything."
A faunus guard was sitting on a chair in front of a CCTV screen, when suddenly the camera that was watching the entrance to the base picked up a brief flash before the view went down.
The faunus nudged the guard in the seat beside him and pointed at the screen. The second guard's eyes widened and he stood up.
"We should check that out. Come on."
The gate opened and the two faunus stepped out to investigate. They were then grabbed and knocked out simultaneously before the soldiers entered the base. They found themselves in a corridor with doors on either side.
"Alright, so we need to find the command centre. Remember, shoot to kill from now on." Winter instructed. The four other soldiers nodded and moved down the corridor.
Out of the corner of her eye, Winter spotted a door on her right that was slightly ajar. She stepped closer and pushed the door open with her foot. Finding the room empty, she stepped inside. The room was on the smaller side, containing a single desk, with two chairs and a monitor that displayed various views of the base. There was a smaller monitor placed next to it and it was connected to a single computer underneath the desk.
'Well it seems I've found the command centre already' Winter thought.
She headed for the door and looked at the corridor in both directions. Not seeing any of the soldiers nearby, Winter raised a hand to her earpiece.
"I've found the command centre. You're up Simon."
"Yes, ma'am," came the reply.
Simon entered the room and made a beeline for the computer. Taking out his scroll, he produced a cable and connected it to the computer.
"So how long will this take?" Winter asked after a minute had passed.
"About five minutes, ma'am." Simon replied, watching his scroll.
"Ok. I'll keep an eye on the door," Winter announced.
"O-one… minute l-left." Simon reported after some time had passed.
Winter blinked blearily, not knowing when she had begun feeling tired.
She straightened up in an effort to stay awake but her body protested at the action. She slumped slightly before feeling her eyes close again.
She straightened up again, her eyelids now feeling like lead.
The last thing she remembered, before everything went black, was Simon announcing that he got all the intel he could find in a slurred voice, followed by what might have been a thud.
When she woke up, Winter found herself in a steel room with one long and narrow window that let her see into the next room.
She was tied up in front of the window, in the rooms only chair. Craning her neck, she noticed there was a table placed directly underneath the window, in the next room. The door slammed shut as she was looking into the room.
This time, looking straight ahead, Winter noticed that there was a button on the far side of the next room, beside the door. She wondered what it was for as the silence prolonged.
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, the door in the next room opened and four White Fang goons entered. They were each carrying two objects each. They were placed at the window before the goons left the room.
Winter bristled as she recognised the objects as Atlas Military helmets and guns. These had been in use by the four soldiers that she was in charge of when her mission had begun.
Each of the visors that were a part of the helmets sported several cracks, with one of the visors being broken entirely.
The door then opened again and a new figure entered the room. Winter tensed, recognising the figure immediately.
"You're the leader of this base I assume?" she asked
"I am now, Schnee. It has been quite a recent development. The previous leader met an unfortunate end." Adam Taurus replied, placing his sword on the table, within view of the window.
Winter forced herself not to throw up at the sight of the red liquid that dripped off of the blade and onto the table surface.
"Like how you killed my men for no reason at all?"
"Hundreds of Faunus have been oppressed for years, working to the bone in the Dust mines belonging to your family's company. The death of four humans was a comparatively small price to pay."
"So this is just because my father is cruel to people that neither he, nor I, or anyone in my family could ever know? Not even you would know or speak for all of them. And you certainly don't. Not after Vale," Winter seethed.
"The attack on the Amity Colosseum was the White Fang finally getting the Faunus the respect we deserve."
"By indiscriminately killing both Humans and Faunus living in Vale."
"They are considered martyrs for our cause," Adam replied.
"You don't speak for the Faunus. You only speak for yourself."
"I can show you people who disagree, but it doesn't matter. You're now a prisoner of the White Fang."
"Have you forgotten about the airship outside?"
"It's long gone. Do you think that General Ironwood thinks that you're still alive Schnee?"
"The fact there is no corpse would make him suspicious."
"It would, but General Ironwood wouldn't attack a base he knows nothing about. He cannot. He can call the death of a few soldiers a 'mission gone wrong' but intervening further would end his career if it went wrong. So even he wouldn't send soldiers to try and rescue you, as humans like him only care about keeping their job."
"Well, if I am really a prisoner, then tell me: what is your end goal here? Why did the White Fang attack Vale and convince General Ironwood that I'm dead?"
"Well, the first reason is simply because someone who is more powerful than you or I asked me to. I didn't have a choice. The second reason is admittedly more personal against the Schnee family - Jacque Schnee in particular, but my boss did eventually agree with my plan. Regardless, I'll enjoy seeing his reaction when he hears the news of his daughter's supposed death."
"He doesn't care about me, and I don't care about him. I expect you'll be disappointed."
"We shall see," Adam stood up. "Enjoy your stay, Schnee." he then left the room. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Winter alone with only her thoughts and the heavy silence of the room she was in.
"Glynda not around?" Raven asked when she returned.
"She went to go buy a few things." Hiccup said
"Alright." Raven looked him up and down. "Where are your weapons? You usually have them on you."
"They're at a forge, getting upgraded."
"That would be good news at any other time. I need to get you a weapon."
"I have throwing knives and a shield that I can bring. Would that help?"
"That should do fine, although I suspect you may need to practice a bit later on. Now, I need to visit… an acquaintance to collect something. You're coming with me. Bring your shield and let's go."
'More portal travel. Wonderful.' Hiccup thought dryly.
"So tell me, Raven. What would be enough to make you worried?" Hiccup asked when they were both were in the camp of Raven's tribe. Hiccup had his shield on his back.
"Wait and see," Raven replied curtly.
"You know, Yang told me a similar thing a few days ago. You two really are mother and daughter in that respect. It's almost like looking in a mirror."
"I'll consider my daughter lucky then."
Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked away, focusing on Raven's tent in the tribe's camp. "You know, I've been wondering why you left Taiyang after Yang was born."
A red portal sprung to life. "None of your business." Raven glared at him, her expression looking murderous.
"Why not? Full disclosure, I've never met my mother either, so I'm curious."
"Get in the portal," Raven growled.
"I will when you answer the question."
"Hiccup," she snarled. "Last warning."
"Let me tell you something, Raven. You've been getting under my skin for a while now. It's now my turn to get under your skin for once."
In response to this remark, Raven's eyes suddenly sported red flames. The strange thing was the flames didn't appear to be burning her eyes and were shooting out and away from her face.
Hiccup gulped, regretting what he had just said. "L-Let me guess, magic?" Raven nodded.
"Yeah… so I went too far here." Hiccup glanced at the portal. "If I go in there, can we forget this ever happened?"
"No"
"Thought not," Hiccup sighed. "Can I write a will?"
"Nope. But I will give you a piece of advice: Run."
"Thanks for the tip!" Hiccup yelled, sprinting for the portal and leaping into it, Raven's magic making contact with his clothing just before he reached the portal.
"HICCUP!" Raven roared.
On the other side, Hiccup got to his feet again and decided to keep a wide berth from the portal.
It was just as well, as Raven came through it seconds later. She stepped into the room and looked around.
"Who are you?" Raven asked, her expression changing from anger to confusion as she looked at Oscar. Her eyes trailed over to Leonardo Lionheart and she noticed his nervous gaze.
'Coward' she scoffed before asking aloud: "Why do you have a fourteen-year-old boy in your office?"
"Where are you Lionheart-" a new voice spoke up. Everyone spun round to look at whoever had spoken. "This was quite unexpected…"
There was a tall middle-aged man with a slim build and slightly tanned skin, standing in the doorway of Lionheart's office. He had short black and gray hair as well as a thick mustache and eyebrows, and green eyes.
He stroked his mustache as he stared at the occupants of the room before adjusting his grey overcoat.
"Who are you?" Glynda, Hiccup, Yang and Ozpin asked simultaneously.
"He's Arthur Watts. He decided to visit me with some friends of his." Raven said before she looked at Oscar, her expression clear that she had recognised Ozpin's voice.
"Well done Ozpin. You've given yourself away." Glynda sighed.
"Ozpin!" Raven roared.
Arthur Watts took a few wide eyed steps back, edging away from the door. "It seems like this is not the best time. I'll be back another day. I have places to be and people to speak to about this." The man then quickly fled.
Ozpin sighed. "Well, I think this day couldn't get much worse. Miss Xiao Long, Hiccup. Make sure our visitor doesn't escape. Glynda and I will deal with Raven here." Yang and Hiccup nodded and ran off in pursuit of him.
"Aren't you forgetting about me?" Lionheart asked.
"I'll need your help to fight old friend." Ozpin said.
"Alright, let me get my weapon." Lionheart said before he ran out of the room.
'I'll have questions for him later.' Ozpin thought.
"Now, Raven. I must admit you hide the fact that you have the Spring maiden's powers rather well."
"Thanks for the compliment. Now," Raven glanced at Glynda before focusing on Ozpin again. "You can avoid a fight. I only want to take the relic from Haven's vault."
"I can't allow that, but I'm sure you know why, since you know about the relics."
"Pity, but I figured as much. Are we going to fight or just keep talking?"
In response, Ozpin adjusted the grip on his cane and Glynda's riding crop began to glow purple. Raven used her magic to create a sword of ice before lunging at Glynda.
The fight had begun.
A/N: Never make Raven (or any maiden for that matter) mad. You screwed up Hiccup. Clearly, things have turned out quite badly for our group. I wonder how many of the readers of this story had guessed that was about to happen. Tell me in a review perhaps?
Either way, I wonder what you guys think of the story so far.
Until Next Time.
Silvolde.