Here we are at Chapter 55. Now that their first mission is over, let's see what Megatron and his allies will do next. I do not own RWBY or Transformers. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 55. Enjoy.
Chapter 55: Pomp and Companionship
After the mission to secure the launch site ended ina resounding success, Ironwood sent in several Atlas transport trucks with supplies and personnel to begin working on the next step in the plan to launch Amity tower. Behind the trucks, Amity Coliseum floats over the landscape, with a few squads of Atlas military airship flying as escorts. Meanwhile, Megatron and his allies exit the mine through the main entrance to meet the welcome wagon. As they do, Ruby walks up to the Ace Ops members.
"You guys were awesome out there. You were all totally in sync with one another. You didn't make any plans or call out combos or anything. It was so cool!" Ruby cheers.
Clover chuckles, "Thanks. Ace Ops are hand-picked to compliment each other. This allows us to play to our strengths and not have to worries about our weaknesses,"
"Pfft, some of us have no weaknesses and all strengths, though," Marrow tries to flex his arms, causing Elm to laugh at him. "Hey, you thinking I have a weakness or something?!"
"Well, your brains for one," Elm shoots back, making Harriet laugh while Vine walks ahead.
"You guys must trust each other a lot. It's nice to have friends like that," Yang notes.
"Friends?" Harriet questions her.
"This isn't the school yard, kids," Elm adds.
"We're aware, but after fighting together for so long, don't things change between all of you? You become more than just a team?" Blake asks.
Harriet clicks her tongue, "Tch, yeah, we get along fine. I trust them to watch my back, and they do the same. But that's it. It's a job, and that's all that matters. We don't confuse the two,"
"I used to think the same," Megatron walks up and gets their attention. "I used to see those that followed me as fellow soldiers, as underlings who would fight and die for me, even though I wouldn't do the same for them. However..." he looks at Yang for a long moment. "I have come to realize that I was wrong. Optimus Prime saw his allies as his comrades, and was a leader of integrity. But, he treated them as more than simple allies, or comrades. He treated them as... family. Their bond is what allowed them to accomplish many things. Things I could not do by myself, or even with an army at my back. If you only see your fellow Ace Ops members as simple allies, then you will never fulfill your true potential as a team. It's a lesson I'm still learning, but I've learned much from it, and from them," he nods to Team RWBY and his fellow cybertronians.
"Well whatever floats your depressing boat," Harriet waves him off and walks ahead, as do the rest of the team while Clover goes to talk with Ironwood.
Yang walks up next to Megatron, "You've really changed since we first met,"
"All thanks to you, Yang," Megatron replies, making her blush and look away with a small smile.
Weiss sighs, "Well, now that this little mission is over, I think it's about time we return to Atlas. I'd really like to take a chance to rest for a bit. We didn't get to rest much before we started on this mission,"
"Then I will accompany you, Milady. I also must admit, that I haven't had a chance to experience the rest of Atlas aside from what I've seen while I was in recovery here, and the parts of it that involve the elitist parasites that grind my gears," Dreadwing adds.
Weiss puts a hand on his armored shoulder, "Trust me, while there are some parts of Atlas that are... less than pleasing, there are still a few sites to see that are worth it. I'll be sure to show them to you the next chance we get,"
"I would like that very much, Lady Weiss," Dreadwing bows his head to her.
"Of course. It'll feel like a d-d-d-da..." Weiss stutters and turns around, hiding her reddening face. "I was about to say a date! But, I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to it if it's Dreadwing-I mean, he's always been so loyal to me, he's handsome, strong, caring, but it's not like I... L-L-L-L-L-L..." her brain starts to fry as steam is seen flowing out.
"Lady Weiss, are you alright? Perhaps this mission took a greater tole on you than we first thought. I believe we should return to Atlas so you may rest as soon as possible," a clueless Dreadwing begins to escort her away, though that only makes her blush even more.
The others watch them leave before Ironwood gets their attention, "Can I get the team leaders over here, please. Qrow and Megatron as well," The selected members walk up to him. "Thank you. There's something I'd like to discuss with you all,"
Qrow crosses his arms, "What's that? New problems popping up in Atlas?"
"More of the same actually, though it's more of a recent problem," Ironwood pulls out his scroll, showing the image of a human male, and another image of his dead body found in an alley.
"Wait... who was that?" Ruby is a little disturbed by the image.
"He was a political activist speaking out against Atlas, or more precisely, speaking out against me. And he's not the first. This is the third murder this week. Originally, we thought they were isolated incidents, until this most recent one put some of the pieces together," Ironwood explains.
"And given how much the people in Mantle despise both Atlas and YOU, people that were killed while speaking out against you is going to cause unsettling opinions to rise up. Opinions that could cause potential problems for us on this mission,"
"I don't really care what they about me, but these murders are causing unrest, and that may draw more Grimm in. You already saw how bad things were during the last attack on Mantle. And this will only make things worse. I think someone's trying to frame me... and unfortunately, it's working," Ironwood then puts away his scroll.
"With things the way they are down in Mantle, with the Dust embargo and the closing of borders; of course, the public opinion would be against you. It's basically some of the same mistakes that I made that eventually led to my downfall back home," Megatron notes.
Ironwood glares at him, though Megatron stands his ground, but he quickly sighs, "No, you're right, Megatron. Things in Mantle have been hard recently. I'm not blind to its problems. I want to fix them, in fact. That's why I wanted to discuss this with you all. I believe that with the communications tower, and the tensions brewing in Mantle; I believe there is a lot of good you can do here,"
"Is this going somewhere, because this speech is starting to peel my paint," Megatron mutters in annoyance, causing Ruby to glance at him.
Just then, Ironwood gets a call, "...What? He's here already? Very well. It's fine. Let him land. I'll deal with him myself," and then ends the call.
"Another problem spring up, General?" Megatron asks.
"No... This is an Atlas problem. And a persistently annoying one at that," Ironwood replies as they notice an airship flying by.
Weiss sees the logo on the side and grimaces, which Dreadwing notices, "Are you alright, Milady?"
"Oh, well this may be a problem. Dreadwing, don't do anything reckless... unless he provokes you,"
The airship lands and opens up to reveal Jacques Schnee, looking mad as always, "So, let me figure this out, James. First, you enact this ludicrous Dust embargo that has crippled my business. And now, you have the audacity to try and commandeer one of MY Dust mines, which is private property?! When the council learns about this, you'll-,"
"Actually, I've already informed the council. Since this location is now the site of a classified military operation, it didn't even require a vote," Ironwood replies, keeping his cool.
"Didn't require a vote? Are you insane?!" Jacques argues.
"You may want to brush up on council law before you lose this upcoming election, Jacques. Now, I've allowed you to come here as a curtesy. Next time, you won't find such a friendly reception," Ironwood warns him.
"Lately, you've seemed to forgotten who your friends really are, James. I'm going to get that council seat, and when I do, then maybe you'll-," Jacques stops when he sees Weiss standing behind Ironwood. "You... You roped my missing daughter into these schemes of yours, too! How long has she been back in Atlas? Did Winter know about this?"
"It was MY decision to come here," Weiss defiantly stands up to him. "Just as it was my decision to leave. Or maybe you've forgotten all about that," she crosses her arms.
"Young lady, if you think I've ever forgotten anything, then you've underestimated the kind of man your father is," Jacques replies.
"And what kind of man would that be? A sniveling coward who shows neither love nor even respect to his own daughter and will use anything, and anyone, to get what he desires? Just eating away at anything that catches your eye, leaving nothing behind. You're no better than a Scraplet," Dreadwing joins them and stands with Weiss, narrowing his eyes at Jacques.
Jacques almost blows it when he sees him, "YOU! You dare to talk to me in such a manner, especially after what you did to me and my son. You have no idea who I am, or the power I possess, and yet, you continue to show such disrespect to me!" he yells.
"I only show respect to those who earn it. I've met a few lowlife scum that deserve nothing but my hatred and my contempt, but unlike you... unlike you, at least one of those individuals has taken efforts to atone for his failures," Dreadwing glances at Megatron for a moment. "You are unworthy of my respect, only my disgust and my pity,"
Jacques is boiling, "You insufferable little-," only to get blindsided by a punch to the face by Megatron with his left hand.
Jacques holds his face, which has a noticeable black eye now and looks up, "What the Hell do you think you're doing?!"
"You would be wise to leave now, Jacques Schnee, before I decide to do more than just give you a black eye," Megatron growls as he cracks his neck.
Jacques clenches his teeth, but when he looks around and sees everyone glaring at him. Meanwhile, Dreadwing holds Weiss' hand while Blake holds the other as her friends stand beside her.
He staggers to his feet, "So... these are the little friends you threw everything away for,"
"Not friends... Family," Weiss says.
Jacques is about to say something until he notices Megatron aiming his arm cannon at him, and finally decides to leave. As soon as he enters his airship, Weiss breathes a sigh of relief while her friends support her. She feels Dreadwing's hand intertwined with hers and blushes a deep red, but doesn't shy away from him. The airship then finally leaves the area.
"I can see what you meant when you told us about your father, Weiss. He really is a nuisance," Megatron notes.
Just then, a few more transport trucks roll in, with Winter driving one of them. She opens the door and watches as the airship leaves, and then sighs in relief.
"Oh, how nice of you to join us, Winter. You just missed father," Weiss jokes.
"I wouldn't say that I missed-," Winter walks up, only for Penny to suddenly land right between them.
"SURPRISE!" Penny cheers.
The landing scares Team RWBY enough to send them flying, but the cybertronians catch them all in their arms, making the girls blush at their closeness. It takes a long moment for them to regain their senses and separate from their male counterparts, though the men are also a little flustered as well (though it's hard to tell with Soundwave who remains stoic as always).
"Lady Weiss, are you unharmed?" Dreadwing checks on his charge.
Winter facepalms, Ironwood looks like he has no idea what to do, Team JNR laugh at their expense, and the former transformers just watch on.
"Oh, did we not start yet?" Penny asks.
Winter sighs, "No, apparently, we have not,"
Predaking looks back, "What are you talking about?"
"I think it would be best to continue this conversation somewhere else. If you would please follow me," Ironwood begins walking to an awaiting airship.
…
The group find themselves standing in the center of the Amnity coliseum, with Winter, Penny, and Ironwood standing in front of them, and Qrow and the former transformers standing off to the side.
Ironwood steps forth, "It goes without saying that this arena holds... a significance... to most of us, at least. It's only fitting that we gather together here, now, when the world needs to be brought together more than ever. The road you travelled since our first meeting hasn't been easy. You fought for your school and your friends at Beacon. You gathered unexpected allies and fought for the world and the innocent at Haven Academy, and beyond. You fought against terrors people can't even imagine. That's not the behavior of students... It's the behavior of huntsmen and huntresses," Ironwood says and nods to Winter and Penny.
Penny walks in front of the group with a console in her hands, stepping in front of each person and hitting a button on her console. Each time she does, they get a message on their scrolls and pull it up. Yang pulls out her first, his scroll showing her student license from Beacon getting turned into a huntsmen license.
"Wait, what is this?" Yang is perplexed.
"You are all receiving your official huntsmen and huntress licenses... today," Winter replies.
"I know this is coming a little ahead of schedule, but brothers know you all deserve it. I only regret that I couldn't prepare something more... ceremonial for the occasion," Ironwood says.
"I... We are honored, General," Ruby thanks him.
"And that's not all. Megatron, would you and your allies step foreward," Ironwood asks, and although confused by the request, they do so. Penny then walks up and hits a few buttons, causing them to look at their scrolls, seeing official licenses for them as well. "I know none of you ever went to any of the academies to become professional huntsmen, but I've seen what you can do, and Qrow personally vouched for your skills and your desire to do good. That's enough for me to give you this. Besides, these may help out in the future when you encounter people that give you a little trouble. You've each helped in your own way to fight against Salem and protect humanity. Just like your friends, you've proven that you are not just warriors, but huntsmen as well,"
The former cybertronians gaze at their licenses. Predaking doesn't really see the point in it, Dreadwing feels a small sense of honor coming from it, Soundwave is as blank as always, and Megatron looks a little melancholy.
"I... appreciate the gesture, General Ironwood, but I'm not sure I deserve something like this," Megatron's words leave the General confused. "I've only made one mistakes after another, which had caused so many of my people suffering and torment and death. A huntsman is something of a hero to the people, and I am nothing of the sort,"
"But, that's not true. You've helped me get back on my feet. You helped me get back to Ruby. You helped save Haven, stop the Leviathan, and have been working ever since you left home to atone for your mistakes. I can't say what a hero is supposed to be exactly, but I know you're not a bad person, not anymore, Megatron," Yang says.
Ironwood smiles, "She's right. You've earned this. All of you," he then looks to everyone else. "I know this is a big moment for all of you. When the tower is completed, and we get communications with the rest of the world up and running again, we'll stand against Salem and deal with whatever comes our way... Together," Ironwood looks around, though the rest aren't as pumped as he is. "Okay, well, that's about all the pomp I have. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to operating this... operation. Well, uh, enjoy the cake," and then Ironwood leaves, with Winter in tow.
"Your speech outros are improving, sir!" Penny exclaims.
Megatron walks up to Yang, "Is receiving something like this truly that much of a big deal?"
Yang shrugs her shoulders, "Well, normally it is, but... After everything that's happened so far, it almost feels... small, compared to everything else,"
"Agreed. Getting my official license has been the last thing on my mind for a long time," Weiss notes.
"You should feel happy, Milady. After all, this was one of the things you wanted to obtain when you enrolled at Beacon, is it not," Dreadwing says.
Just then, Penny walks back in, pushing a cart with a big cake on it. The group gather around the cake, with most Teams RWBY and JNR getting into the spirit of the festivities with pictures, cake, and other happy stuff. Megatron walks away, sitting up in the stands while he watches the others enjoy themselves.
"Not much for parties?" he looks to see Yang join him, carrying a plate with a slice of cake in her hands.
"Honestly, no. I feel too... out of place here. After everything I've been through, everything I've done in the past, I never once pictured myself at some sort of... celebration. Especially one like this," he nods to the party below.
Yang looks, seeing Blake share some cake with Predaking, who is unsure of what to do, though he takes the cake anyway, or Jaune and Ren trying to make sure Nora doesn't eat all of the cake before everyone gets a slice.
"I think even you deserve a chance to relax a bit after everything you've done for me and the others. You really should go and enjoy yourself sometimes," Yang suggests.
Megatron pulls out his new license, "I just... don't feel I'm worthy of something like this. I am glad that you and your friends received your official licenses, and I'm sure the others will get used to having one, but I'm just not as... excited about it as everyone else,"
Yang puts her cake down, "You know, Megatron, you said earlier that huntsmen and huntresses are like heroes to the people. And you're basically right, but there's more to it than that. Originally, my hero has always been Summer Rose, my mom. Qrow once said that she was pretty much the best of them back when they were a team. Even after she died, she's still me hero. But you know..." Yang moves to give a side hug to Megatron, making his face turn a little red. "I think of you as my hero too. You helped me when I was in a bad spot, when I didn't know how to ask or want help from anyone else. You helped me get back on my feet, and remind me of what's important. Whether you believe it, believe in yourself or not, I believe in you. And to me, you ARE a hero," he holds him a little tighter.
Her words touch a deep place within Megatron's spark. He reaches up and takes hold of one of her hands, causing her to look up at him.
"Thank you, Yang. For believing in me, even when I don't believe in myself," Megatron shows a meaningful smile.
Now Yang is blushing, "Well, you've... done the same for me," and she starts to lean closer.
Megatron finds himself leaning closer as well, unable to figure out why. However...
"Hey, guys over here!" Ruby calls out, breaking them out of their stupor and they look down at the others. "They have a mission board over here. We can finally choose our first mission as official huntsmen and huntresses! Come on!" Ruby waves.
Separating from each other, Yang is the first to go down to meet with the others. Megatron watches her go, seeing her glance over her shoulder for a moment before she continues downward. Megatron watches her go before sighing and decides ro join the others. Another situation for another time, for when they are alone.
And that's the chapter. Megatron and his allies meet Jacques Schnee, and get their official licenses. Now that they're legit, what kind of missions will they go on? Meanwhile, the operation for Amity tower is well underway. What else awaits our group of young warriors? Until then, please Read and Review.