Chapter 58
"You're sure you want to do this?" Ilia worriedly asked.
"Yeah. Robyn can be our ally if we just offer a little trust." Ruby answered, loading rounds into Ember Emortus from her seat on top of a crate.
"Even though the General will be mad if he hears about this?"
"Even then." Ruby sighed. "Things would have been so much easier if Robyn had won. We can negotiate with her after all. No chance Jacques will ever listen to anyone aside from himself."
"Hm."
"You don't agree?"
"I don't know. I don't agree with the General on a lot of things, especially how he's used his power and control of the Council. But we don't know Robyn. Clover and Ironwood have a lot more experience with her. They know her better. Probably." Ilia shrugged.
"Maybe. But maybe they're letting preconceptions about her get in the way. I think she can be trusted. She wants what's good for Mantle. I want to keep people safe. We should be able to get along well." Ruby finished loading with a soft click and returned her weapons to their compact form. "I think bringing her in is our best bet. We can resolve this issue, gain an ally and be better prepared for when Salem strikes."
"Alright. So how do you-" Ilia was cut off as the truck came to a sudden stop. The pair lept to their feet moments before the door next to them opened.
"We just want to talk!" Ruby said as Robyn's eyes widened in surprise.
"Scatter!" Robyn shouted, immediately turning and running. May and Joanna, who had been holding the doors shoved them to try and close it on Ruby and Ilia. Sadly for them, it couldn't block Ruby, who transformed into a ball of petals and burst out. With Ilia right behind her, Ruby charged after Robyn.
Puddles of water splashed as the trio ran through the streets. The recent rain made it easy to slip, so they couldn't run at full speed. At least Robyn and Ilia couldn't. Ruby's Semblance wasn't affected by such things, due to it not being a pure speed Semblance. Thus it didn't take very long at all for Ruby to break ahead and close off Robyn's escape.
"We just want to talk!"
"Talk huh? Let me guess, you'll let me talk from behind bars?" Robyn scowled and drew her weapon, an arm-mounted crossbow that was kind of shaped like a bird.
"I'm not taking you in. I just want to talk. About what Ironwood is up to." Ruby didn't draw any weapons, however, Illia did. Lightning Lash was at the ready, just in case.
"Then talk." Robyn demanded, weapon aimed squarely at Ruby.
"Amity. We're turning it into a communications tower. It'll be sent up into the atmosphere, which should allow it to reconnect everyone."
Robyn's eyes went wide once again. Her weapon lowered and she extended a hand. "Take my hand and tell me again."
Ruby took the hand. The glow of Aura encompassed both hands, reaching up their arms towards the elbows. She then calmly and clearly repeated herself. The Aura glowed a bright green once she finished.
"So that's what he's doing…"
"I want to work with you, to better Mantle and reconnect the world. Please. Work with us, not against us." Ruby said without letting go. The Aura shone green once more.
Robyn nodded and retracted her hand. "We'll see. I might be able to trust you, but Ironwood… he's still taking materials we need."
"I know. But at the very least we can protect Mantle together until the tower is done and resources can be used in Mantle again." Ruby said, ignoring the distant calls that spoke to the military catching up to them.
"You've done a lot, Reaper. Keep working with the Defender. I'll keep doing my job."
"Sounds like a plan." Ruby replied as Robyn brushed past her and disappeared into the night and alleys. Ruby let out a sigh and started to walk back to the truck.
"That went well." Ilia said, returning her weapon to its hidden pouch.
"Hopefully things will go well from here. But I have a feeling it'll be a while before we can use this to our advantage."
"What do you mean?"
"Jacques Schnee. With him in place, Ironwood has lost control of the Council. The other two members will likely join with Jacques to take back control. If Ironwood isn't careful he could lose one or both of his positions. We need to take care of that threat now."
"Right. Even if we don't like Ironwood having so much control, it's better than the Schnee ruining things."
"Exactly. Let's hope Ironwood has a plan."
"I said a little to the left! No, that's the right! Yes, right there!" Whitley Schnee, Heir to the Schnee Dust Company, tiredly called out as the team of well-paid servants set up for his father's upcoming party. It was tiring work, despite not doing the physical side of things at all, but it was work his father had given him so he had to succeed.
There was no other option. Not any more. Not with Weiss…
Whitley shook his head and refocused. This party had to be perfect. It was a celebration of his father's successful arrival into politics, so it had to be more extravagant than any that came before. Father was too busy getting Sleet and Camilla to join his plans to organise the party, so it had been left to Whitley.
"Young Master, I have prepared a cup of coffee for you." Klein said with cheer as he entered the room.
"Ah. Thank you, Klein." Whitley smiled as he took the cup. The butler smiled back and retreated so as not to be in the way. He seems a lot more considerate lately. Actually ever since…
Whitley internally sighed. The mansion felt colder than before. Everyone was more distant. Ever since… ever since the funeral. Klein might have been the family butler, but he'd always been closer to Weiss than the rest of them. But now he almost exclusively served Whitley. He's always evasive when I ask him about it too.
The coffee was delicious, as always. Klein really knew his stuff. I do wonder who that man was and why he met with Father. I hope Father hasn't done something that will get us in trouble. Whitley could only hope, however.
"Hey! I said that was supposed to go over there! Not there, there!"
"Have you been getting enough rest, James?" Oscar asked as the elevator began to move.
"No." James answered honestly. "I haven't had a good night's sleep since Beacon fell. Not much I can do about it. My work hasn't suffered. I've ensured that much."
"Still I think it would do you some good."
"And how do you propose I get said sleep? I can't just will myself to not remember that day you know."
"Ah. Good point. Sorry." Oscar hung his head.
"It's fine. I've asked myself and others that question a lot over the past couple of years. We have yet to find a good answer." Oscar looked up at the older man. He definitely seemed to have aged quite a lot, especially with the bags under his eyes. Losing sleep for almost two years would do that to a guy.
"Have you not sought help for those nightmares?"
"Of course I have. But psychology is a developing field here. Nothing they've proscribed me has worked yet. Don't worry about me, Oscar. I can handle myself."
"Right. I'm just… I don't want anything bad to happen." Oscar admitted. James laughed.
"I know how you feel. But let's move on from that. We're here." The walls around them fell away, revealing a massive open space. Rocks floated throughout the room, adding to the strange feeling it gave off. In the centre of the vault was a massive door and behind it would be the Staff of Creation.
"Wow…" Oscar let out his amazement as the elevator platform came to rest. He followed James towards the door.
"Has this helped?" He asked, turning to look at Oscar.
"No… sorry but it seems this hasn't jogged anything." Oscar replied. I feel bad lying like this. He's our ally, isn't he? "Maybe we need to do something else to bring him back. I'm not sure what though."
"If only we could ask the lamp…" The pair looked down to Oscar's hip, where the glimmering lamp was hooked onto his belt.
"Yeah… if only. He never said when they recharge either."
"Which means we can only wait. Damn it. How could this happen Oz? Why?" James sighed and turned to look at the Vault door.
"So… what can the Staff do anyway?" Oscar asked, trying to change the subject so he could stop lying to the man.
"It can create almost anything, but it can only power one creation at a time. Right now it keeps Atlas aloft."
"I thought that was Gravity Dust?"
"Officially yes, but no amount of Dust could keep something this size aloft for so long. It has aided our research into Gravity Dust, however, which improved our Airship technology."
"So that's how. Makes sense I guess." Oscar nodded along. They grew silent, letting the conversation die. What should I say? I feel so bad about lying to him but…
"Oscar." James finally broke the silence as Oscar was starting to internally panic.
"Yes?"
"I want you to know that… I won't allow another Beacon to occur. I was defeated. Trounced so handily. My forces turned against me. I was used to destroy the lives of so many. I won't allow that to happen again. I will crush anyone Salem sends at us." His voice took on a darker tone.
"James… if we can take them alive we could get intel from them so-"
"I know that. I won't kill them. Not until they've given us everything. You can count on that."
"Right…" Oscar trailed off as a soft beep came from James' scroll.
"Winter has something she needs to report. Let's head back up."
"Alright."
The elevator ride back up was smooth but quiet. Oscar was unsure if he should say anything, or what exactly he should say anyway. He wanted James to get better but had no idea how to accomplish that.
The door opened with a ding and there stood Winter and Penny, their faces grave. Winter handed over a slip of paper. James' face darkened instantly.
"What is it?" Oscar asked.
"A party invitation. From my father. It's also an invitation to what amounts to a trial." Winter answered.
"A trial?"
James scowled. "For Penny. For me. The fate of Atlas hangs in the balance. Winter, get everyone ready. We'll go in force. It'll pay to have plenty of witnesses."
"Understood sir!" Winter saluted and rushed off.
"Damn it, Jacques…" James whispered. "Are you so obsessed with profit you'll threaten all of Atlas?"
A/N: So things are about to go bad. We all know it. But before that: Ruby gets Robyn on side, Whitley is having a horrible time in his own head and Ironwood is still not getting any good sleep. Yeah, not much to say really. Just a preparation chapter and the final breath before the shite show.
I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next time!