Proceedings for the Vytal Festival were coming along well.
Amity Coliseum was nearly ready for the tournament. Arthur had done his best to ensure every technical aspect would be going right. The lighting, the different biomes, even the new gravity dust arena. Most of the code dictating the process was written by him and his team. Being made the leader of the project by the military, Watts had been putting all other projects on hold until the festival was perfect.
He'd adapted some of the tech he used for Due Process and Habeas Corpus in its design. They were made out of large blocks in various shapes. Gravity dust in general held them up in the air, but Watts had applied a tube-like apparatus within the colored borders of each block. A code was written to randomize the settings to activate and deactivate the gravity dust on each block, pulling, floating or pushing any contestant unlucky enough to be caught in its snare. Arthur was quite proud of his contribution. The problem was nobody else was as proud. Certainly not the military brass.
"What? Are you kidding me? I have to ask division HQ? Oh you good for nothing- hello? Hello?" Did he hang up on me?
Arthur furrowed his brows and slid his scroll into his coat pocket. He furiously rubbed his temple. "Incompetent bureaucrats!" he yelled out in anger.
If he'd known how miserable this assignment was he'd have never taken the offer!
"Problem's, Arthur?" a friendly, familiar voice spoke up from behind him. He shifted to see how it was. Dr. Polendina. He had come to check up on his co-workers' progress.
"Oh it's nothing Pietro. Why the military doesn't just have the engineer corps do this instead of contracting it out is beyond it. I wish I could just shift control of all these systems to my hands instead of dealing with bloody red tape!"
Pietro patted his friend on the shoulder, trying to keep back his laughter.
Watts puffed his chest before deflating in defeat. "I'd rather be back in the lab doing some real work."
Pietro shrugged his shoulders and took a bit to look at the ongoing construction work. Amity was a true technological marvel, something both scientists were proud to have worked on. Arthur joined him in looking.
"A real beauty though" he said.
"That it is Arthur…. Come on, you should be proud of this. They're even integrating gravity dust in the exact way you theorized in your thesis. This should be a cause for celebration."
Arthur huffed but glowed with pride. It was every scientist's dream to have a theoretical principle actualized in practice. "Yea… though I'd be able to do some good work for Atlas if I was back at base… Slate doesn't know a thing about gravity dust but he's still being credited for it as well." Watts grit his teeth and pouted.
Pietro frowned. It took a bit but Arthur had finally gotten to complaining about that again. Even with all his accomplishments at such an age and with such trust placed in him by the military, Arthur Watts had a massive ego that was not at all soothed.Pietro couldn't even deny Arthur's point entirely, either.
Their boss Dr. Nero Slate was given partial credit for the Vytal Festivals technical development despite doing mostly nothing. Watts hadn't stopped going on and on about it. "Because it's ridiculous. I'm the one that did all the work. It's my genius that's making this stuff work!"
He threw his hands up in frustration. "Arthur, everyone knows how much you've done for the festival. Let it go already! What's done is done."
Watts grit his teeth and didn't respond. Pietro must have hit a nerve unintentionally. "Ahhh I'm sorry Arthur I didn't mean to ah…"
Watts cut off Pietro with something else. "Pietro, I've got to get back to this." Dr. Polendina sighed as Arthur dove back into his obsessive work schedule.
I've done it now Pietro thought, then sighed and accepted it. He turned to leave but paused to tell Watts something else.
"Why don't you come to the staff party this weekend?" he half asked, half pleaded.
Watts grumbled something angrily, his face contorting into a frown, signifying he was thinking about it. He pursed his lip, ran what he called his 'thinking hand' through his mustache and reluctantly gave in. "Fine. Fine! May I work now?"
Pietro was surprised he got him to say he'd come. Arthur had never come to the parties their department threw every once in a while. He smiled. You softie Arthur…
Walking away, Pietro was stopped and turned back around when Watts spoke up again. Nervously running a finger through his mustache, the other doctor spoke in a voice that cracked halfway. "Is uh, Viola going to be there?" Arthur felt embarrassed asking about the presence of a specific coworker. Pietro hummed, wondering why his friend felt the need to ask.
"Why yes, I do believe she's coming, what fo-" Then it hit him. Pietro smirked as Arthur burned red. Watts mumbled something that sounded like indignation and embarrassment. "I'll let her know you're coming then. I'm sure she'll be glad to hear it."
"Uh, hhmm, yes… I uhm… Well I have to get back to work on this… festival. Lots of code to write and engineers to manage and uh...speak to later, bye!" Watts squeaked before zooming off in a flash, trying to escape his embarrassing predicament.
"Well who would have thought, such a serious man like that." Pietro chuckled to himself, waved at some of his fellow scientists and walked off to leave the arena.
The military had an extensive plan for the security of the Vytal Festival. During the engineering phase, armed units were stationed throughout in order to keep out any would be malcontents and an ever increasing Grimm presence. At least, that was the official statement. Everyone knew that the purpose of the heavy military presence at Amity Coliseum was in response to increased tension between Menagaire and Atlas. Military planners were so worried about the nearby faunus villages in the tundra, that several divisions had been mobilized in and around the coliseum.
Not all of the military was on board with General Lagune's plan of maximum aggression. The head of Vytal Security and rising star in the military, Captain James Ironwood, was the leader of a clique that had been arguing against escalation.
Escalation was the topic of the staff meeting Ironwood was attending. Frustration had been all he'd been feeling for the past few weeks. From being stymied by his superiors to problems with the engineering team, James was just about ready to burst.
Their meeting room was a stuffy backroom in Amity Coliseum. Rife with the smell of dust, lacking air conditioning and overcrowded. Add in the tendency for military men to smoke and you'd create the miserable atmosphere present. Someone had brought a dust projector for holograms and set it on the only table in the room.
James was contributing to the conditions with his own cigarette, so he wasn't complaining. Aside from a few murmuring conversations, there wasn't much talking. Among his peers Captain Ironwood was one of the youngest. Clean shaven, uniform neatly ironed and with his officers cap still on, James was the picturesque image of the propaganda used to recruit huntsmen into the military. They'd already begun using him at Atlas Academy and even for the Vytal Festival. Still frames of him heroically leading troops against the Grimm to inspire the next generation of huntsmen joining the army. Frankly, he didn't mind. More good officers were needed and even more good soldiers.
Crowding the table were a messy assortment of papers, maps and ash trays that were stuffed to the brim with cigarette butts. Battle lines had been scribbled, scratched out and redrawn half a dozen lines. Ironwood had even joined in earlier to write a big "NO" in red lettering on top of one of the other officers' additions.
Everyone stood at attention when the Colonel walked in. A quick salute and they returned to their seats. Colonel Rhyt was burly, bearded and almost always irritable. Today seemed no different. "Captain Ironwood" he snapped, causing James to perk up and douse his smoke in one of the countless ash trays. "Status report."
Standing up, James adjusted his cap. "Unfortunately sir, we're behind on schedule in almost every regard. Our engineering lead, Doctor Watts, has delivered on the gravity dust component of the arena but the rest of the arena is… lacking, sir."
Colonel Rhyt huffed, drumming his thick little fingers on the crowded table. There was visible displeasure on his face. "And why is that, Captain?" Several officers under James' command turned their heads to their superior, wondering who was about to take the blame. A man who's reputation was built on facing the enemy head on and caring for his men was about to be tested.
"General Lagune has seen fit to burden my staff and I with two divisions worth of men. I had specifically asked only for a light amount of military police." Ironwood didn't flinch, merely following suit and tapping his own fingers on the table.
Nobody in the room had a problem with Colonel Rhyt being made to look a fool. Even his own staff cracked a few smiles. The Colonel was not happy at all, though. "The General has made it very clear that those troops are here for extra protection against the Grimm. The Vytal Festival is an important event and the people must be protected from any possible harm!"
"Which is why they're busy building defensive lines only a few miles from the largest cluster of faunus villages that the government has designated as "rebel holdouts" for the past few years?" James countered and then promptly dismissed. "Sir, I have given my all in preparing the security for this festival. But I did not think that meant managing an army aimed at the head of innocent civilians!"
Colonel Rhyt pulled out his own pack of smokes, lit one and blew out a puff. More foul smelling fumes joined the rest of the stuffy room. "If that's what the general wants, that's what you'll be doing. James, the world's on the brink of war again. We need the ability to strike fast and hard if Kuo Kuana keeps going down this path."
Their conversation was one that was raging on in the higher echelons of the Atlesian Military. They'd been split between Hardliners and Reformists, the latter led by men like Captain Ironwood and Doctor Polendina, while the former was headed by none other than General Lagune. Colonel Rhyt was nothing if not loyal to the General of Atlas.
James on the other hand, recognized the danger of such a hard-line stance against the faunus and against Menagerie. "I will always carry out my orders to the best of my ability, but with all due respect sir, as I have noted in my reports, the faunus have only begun arming themselves in the face of our overwhelming provocation. Neither is our policy of restricting the faunus to Menagerie helped in reducing tension. This escalation is only going to bring more Grimm If I could just speak with the general-"
Raising a gloved hand, Rhyt cut James off. "You may be our poster boy Captain, but you ought to remember your place. Now, what I want is for you to utilize what command has given you. I don't care what it takes, I want this arena ready for the Vytal Festival on schedule and dammit I want you to take every security measure against the faunus you have to. Am I clear?"
Ironwood snapped his arm to salute and nodded. "Sir. Yes sir!"
"Good. Now, I've brought from command the General's newest orders." Putting his smoke between his fingers and pulling the main map over to his side. Inserting his scroll into the dust projector, he scooted his seat over the let the holographic image to take the main view.
"These are the newest reconnaissance images from the main faunus line. As Captain James has said, the faunus of these villages have been arming. Heavily I might add. Command has come to the conclusion they're being armed by Kuo Kuana. Right now our specialists in the field are saying they're planning for a major attack after the Vytal Festival. We don't know exact details yet but we think they're trying to bag important figures from other kingdoms to force a settlement."
Which could be easily resolved if we just let the faunus out of their gilded cage! James wanted to scream, but he knew his place. His superiors gave the orders and he followed them. Then, he'd order his men and they'd follow those orders and it would repeat down the chain until their operation was complete. "Now" Rhyt drawled with a heavy accent. "On your maps, we have our two divisions here and here." Rhyt went on to point out the crudely drawn markers for their units. "We're moving at least another dozen regiments away from Amity and towards this salient here."
Blabbering about logistics and supply chains would have bored him half to death back at Academy, but this was his job now. Ironwood knew better than to speak up again and get a belting from Rhyt. In typical fashion, Lagune wanted to reinforce an already hopelessly exposed salient in a pointless show of force rather than pull back to a more manageable position.
"Until we can successfully find a solution to this Menagerie problem, the general wants this arena ready for operation and more troops along our line. Captain, I want your staff to proceed with your full security detail and plan within a fortnight. The general excpects results gentlemen! Now, onto the second matter. It appears the Kingdom of Atlas will be receiving early visitors from the Kingdom of Vale. Deputy Headmaster Ozpin is arriving today with his best students. I've been told that he's here to preview the coliseum and acquaint his top team with Atlas. Captain, I leave their attendance to you."
James sat in silence as responsibility upon responsibility upon responsibility was piled onto his shoulders. Any other man might have balked, but Ironwood began to make checklists upon checklists and plans upon plans in his head while the meeting ran its course. No matter what, he was going to complete his task. Mettle would play an important role in getting the job done. It was a great help in the past, once again a boon for the huntsman.
Concluding the staff meeting, Colonel Rhyt rose to douse his smoke in an ashtray before removing his scroll from the dust projector. "Gentlemen, as you were." Ironwood attempted to leave quickly, but was caught by Colonel Rhyt. "A moment James."
Standing at attention while everyone else filed out, he finally turned and faced Rhyt. "Yes sir?"
"You're a popular man and I can see why. You might not know it, but you're becoming a household name, and not just in Atlas. Do you even know what they're calling you now? Regardless, understand that you're still an officer of the Atlesian Military. Remember that." Rhyt's ever present frown burrowed deeper down his face each time he opened his mouth to speak. The Colonel pushed a little finger into James's chest and rubbed back and forth.
James remained still, at attention, and saluted his superior. "I will fight and die for Atlas sir! Without question I would offer up my life if ordered to! Sir!"
Rhyt pursed his lips into a thin, hideous little smile. He appeared pleased. "As you were captain. The General has high hopes for you."
Saluting again, Colonel Rhyt stepped out of the room and was followed by James. Locking the door behind him, he let out a frustrated sigh, leaning heavily against it. "Fuck…"
"Rough meeting?"
James nodded and turned around to face the voice. The man was wearing the uniform of the military police, though he wasn't a standard trooper. His face was handsome, clean shaven and his hair was a chestnut brown. Beautiful turquoise eyes gleamed even in the dreary conditions of Amity, a brighter version of his own deep blues.
There was a weapon attached to his hip, a small fishing reel that must have been a mecha-shift weapon. A huntsman?Wait I recognize that...
"Clover Ebi, sir." Clover offered a salute which was returned by Ironwood. "Overheard most of it. Can't say I'm that pleased, but orders are orders."
"Tell me about it. I've got a thousand problems and now a thousand more. Clover, was it?" James waved him over to walk together. "Team CLVR right?"
Clover nodded. They had graduated the same year as Team GINS, the team James was on. "One and only."
James smiled, remembering his academy days. Clover was a skilled student, but James didn't know him personally. Team CLVR had always played second fiddle to GINS. The rest of the team dispersed after graduation, but it seemed Clover had stayed in Atlas. Together they walked and talked down the yet to be completed hallways of Amity. Exposed dust tubes trailed inside open panels. Atlesian engineers and contractors ran like rats in a maze trying to find their proverbial cheese.
"So, what made you join the military police? Not many huntsmen in the army outside specialists these days." James questioned, curiosity lining his voice. Huntsmen from Atlas either went solo or entered the specialists straight from graduation. Only a few were found outside that typical career path. Occasionally there would be some huntsmen among the enlisted men or some like Ironwood whom entered the officer corps.
Clover laughed and explained why he was in such a lowly position. It wasn't everyday a huntsman as talented as Team CLVR's leader ended up with the MP's. "Lots of us thought it'd be better to go solo. If I recall, everyone in your team but you went solo too. Caused quite the senior year drama you know."
James groaned and slumped his shoulders, thinking back to his last year at Atlas Academy. There was so much he'd done to cringe over. Feeling Clover pat him on the back, James tried perking up. "Anyways," Clover spoke on. "It didn't really work out for me in the end." Hesitantly, Clover rubbed the back of his neck. It was a habit he'd picked up during his schooldays. Nervous tics, they were called or something. He didn't really pay attention in those classes.
"Didn't want to leave Atlas for Mistral or Vale, so I went back after a while. Thought I could just get into the specialist program. Turns out they're not so kind about huntsmen that turn down the initial offer."
Smirking, Ironwood could only imagine the verbal beat down Clover must have gotten from the little witch in charge of Academy Relations for the Specialist Program. James quickly quipped back. "Let me guess, Cordovin?"
"That's the gremlin." The pair shared a laugh over their mutual dislike of the stingy little commandant, Caroline Cordovin. James liked the attitude Clover had. Compared to the others he'd met in the military, he was akin to fresh spring water after a trek in the Vacuoan Desert.
"Well, it might just be your lucky day," he began. "I just so happen to be in need of good men. Good huntsmen at that."
"Sir?" Clover raised a curious brow, unsure of where the captain was getting at. Anytime good luck was mentioned, Clover put his guard up.
"I need good huntsmen on my staff. The fact of the matter is, there's a rot in Atlas. Less and less huntsmen are joining the military. Officers are corrupt, the general is incompetent and the soldiers are getting lazier." James spoke with a steel will and iron ferocity. "As the head of security, I can transfer you to the Special Division. No promises, but I'll see what I can do to get you into the Specialists as soon as possible. A man like you shouldn't be stuck in the military police. A huntsman belongs with the Specialists!"
Each time James spoke, Clover was in awe. Here was a man who spoke with the utmost will and determination. Here was a man who'd let nothing stop him from achieving what he set out to do. Small wonder why the military leaned so hard to propgandize him and why he'd become an international huntsmen star so quickly.
"Sir.. I'd be honored sir. You really think you can do that?"
In a flash, the brave Captain deflated and the forward looking officer disappeared, only for the unsure and youthful officer to return in his place. "No. I'm not sure if I can. I sort of got carried away there. The amount of work they're putting on me is just way too much. I need your help. No other huntsmen are in the military and…" James trailed off. "I could use a friend from Atlas Academy with me…"
Clover realized his breath had been caught. Perhaps he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. "But I will try, Clover. I can get you on my staff by the evening. If you'd accept, of course."
"I would, sir."
James was starry-eyed that he'd accepted. Deep down he was worried Clover would refuse and leave him out to hang. Only now, did the captain register he too had been holding his breath, just as the other huntsman had. James extended his hand to Clover, who repeated the same, silent process. The two shook on it. "Now uhm, if you'll excuse me. I uhm, have to greet some students from Beacon. My staff office is in the same room. The stuffy one. I'll see you there tomorrow?"
Clover just laughed at the nervousness being exhibited by the Captain. No wonder why was so clueless about Willow...
"Sound's excellent sir. I'll see you there." Waving to his new superior, Clover made his way back to the staff room. He was still supposed to be standing guard there. Happy with his new found position at the Captain's side, Clover departed.
James was just standing there and watching Clover walk back until he finally blinked out of sight. Ironwood sighed and put a hand to his head. "Could have gone worse James… could have gone worse" he kept repeating to himself until he got it together. James took his officer's cap off to run a hand through his thick black hair. The cap was dark blue, a red accented band running around it.
Only one operational landing pad at Amity was deemed safe for use. Series of unfinished platforms were being tirelessly worked on, but just not fast enough for James. More headaches…
Mental notes aside, the captain waited patiently at the sky dock until he spotted an approaching bullhead. Unlike the ones at Vale, these bullheads were as white as his uniform. A blazoning Atlas symbol was painted onto its sides. Kicking up air during its descent, the bullhead finally touched down with a thud.
Moments later the doors slid open, revealing a thin man with glasses, a cane and curly white hair. He wasn't old by any means. In fact, James was unable to determine if the man was younger or older than himself.
Walking out behind the man with the cane were four teenagers, two girls and two boys, armed with the weapons of huntsmen and dressed for the profession too. So this must be Beacon's first year legend I've heard so much about.
Ironwood resolved to pull their files later, but settled for an ocular patdown for now. The smallest girl was wearing an oversized white cloak, with red and black hair and bright silver eyes. She had a mecha-shifted glaive behind her waist. Ironwood was shocked just how much he towered over her. It wasn't an oddity for others to be smaller than him but she was extraordinarily smaller. That wasn't to say she looked weak. In fact, the girl had the image of supreme confidence about her.
The other girl, the one with raven black hair and an eternally etched frown, wore as much red and black as the first girl. Her weapon was a sword at initial glance, though James never underestimated the weapons of others. The gods knew how his peers did the same to him during his first year.
The boys were taller, though few could match his towering build. The first was blond and blue eyed, wielding two doubled edged axes on his back and chatting up a storm with what James presumed was his partner. Said partner wore all grey and red and had a mecha shift broadsword on his back.
All of them had varying degrees of excitement on their faces. The small girl was fawning over the cityscape of Atlas itself while her partner, the raven haired girl, was eyeing him up. Accusatory red eyes watched him menacingly. How a seventeen year old could look so intimidating was beyond him.
"Deputy Headmaster Ozpin! Welcome to Amity Coliseum! I'm afraid it's not quite ready, but I will be more than happy to give you and your students a tour if you want."
Everyone's attention was on him. "Captain Ironwood. A pleasure" Ozpin returned politely, shaking his hand. Stepping to his side and waving his hand, Ozpin introduced his star students. "May I introduce my best. Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao-Long, Raven and Qrow Brawnen. Team STRQ."
Team STRQ huh? Why do I get the feeling they're going to be a troublesome bunch?
"I would like to apologize in advance, Captain," Ozpin continued, drawing out a quizzical glance from James. It soon dawned on him why. "My students have never been around celebrity huntsmen before. They can get… excitable."
So that's what Rhyt meant by 'reputation.' James just slowly nodded to Ozpin, completely unsure what to say next. Being so focused on the work he'd been given, James was totally unaware of his own status outside the. Atlas Military. "I'm not certain about celebrity sir, but I can begin a tour if you'd like."
"I think that would be best. As you can see…"
One glance at Team STRQ showed how they were earnestly staring at James, eagerly awaiting for the tour to begin. Nervously smiling, he began to lead them into Amity.
A/N: Long one authors note.
This is the resuming of writing for Hero, the planned canon compliant backstory of James Ironwood, Arthur Watts, Willow and Jaques Schnee. Primarily it will focus on Ironwood and to a degree Watts. It will run all the way till the end point of V8.
As some may notice, this chapter contradicts several things from prior chapters. For example, I had given Ironwood and Watts semblances, when in fact they were either different or didn't exist. This is because this story was first written during the end of Volume 7, before Mettle was revealed. In an effort to be as canon compliant as possible, any scenes involving either semblances I had written for James and Arthur are retconned out. They will be re-written at some point, probably not until I'm done with most of this fic.
Another major retcon is the number of the Vytal Festival. In an effort to keep years as vague as possible, the Vytal Festival mentioned in Chapter 3 is NOT the 34th.
This fanfiction is intended to be a complex look into the life of James Ironwood, his rise, his heroism and villainy, his sacrifices and his eventual downfall in V8. It will most likely be a long one and updates will be of various frequency. Everything of course has been planned out and all arcs have their course. This story will be, at its core, a tragedy, which at times will deal with potentially triggering topics such as body dismorphia, self-harm, suicide, marital and substance abuse. Any chapters with potentially triggering subjects WILL be labeled as such at the start.
I invite you to join this adventure into the life of the Tragic Greek Hero, General James Ironwood.
As always, please leave a review, favorite and follow.