Well I can certainly say I was not expecting this to do when I woke up this morning. Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter, despite how short it was. First let me just say that this chapter and from this point onwards will be taking place 3 years before the start of volume one in RWBY and I will be talking about key events when I get to it. For now I want to establish what will happen and how the Autobots will affect Remnant in general. So look forward to that and again thank you for reading and leave a review.
Autobots, roll out!
Chapter 2: Autobots awaken
-Dust mine in the tundra of Atlas-
Lights flicker in the tunnel as the miners dig into the wall for the much needed dust inside as carts full of dust crystals of various colours are driven along the track that stretches the length of the tunnel to the tundra outside. It's a hard life being a dust miner, you were underpaid thanks to Jacque Schnee, had to provide your own safety equipment and because of how volatile dust is you were risking your life everyday. Nothing like what the fliers or propaganda the SDC would spew out to recruit more workers.
Some had no choice but to become miners due to being a faunus, so work in other fields was very hard to come by. Even if you had the training, there was the discrimnation which would dash any hope you might have had. This was sadly the reality many had to face and working in a newly dug mine was especially dangerous. Regardless it had to be done, even if you didn't like it. A young miner tosses his pickaxe to the ground.
"I've fucking had it, Jacque Schnee can come and get the dust himself if he wants it so bad!".
An older miner nearby stops and sighs. "Sorry it's not what ya hoped for kid, just pick up ya axe and get back to work. Unless ya want to be paid even less?" He folds his muscled arms.
"To hell with that, we don't deserve this old man and you know it." The young wolf faunus grits his teeth, picks up the pickaxe and faces the wall. "Our people deserve better!".
Bringing the pickaxe up above his head, he swings down hard into the tunnel wall. Sinking the tip in a good four inches, before the wall starts to crack. The young miners' eyes widen as the crack gets bigger and the older miner shouts.
"Shit! Everyone get back!
He grabs the young man and pulls him back as the other miners nearby run to get as much distance as they can. Then the crack on the wall stops and only a small portion of it collapses inwards into a cavern as dust is kicked up and some small rocks fall.
"Ya damn fool!" The older miner smacks the younger one behind the head, knocking his hard hat off. "Are ya trying to bring the entire mine down on us?!".
"S...sorry….I...I didn't think" He stutters.
"Yeah? Well maybe from now on you will be alot more careful on where ya strike ya damn axe!" He grunts and heads over to the hole, shining the light from his hard hat in.
"We're lucky it only made a hole in the wall lad".
His head torch shines into the darkness, hitting only the floor as he enters and begins to look around the cavern. It was gigantic with dust coating the walls like jewels.
"Damn, who knew there was a cavern behind here this big. Probably the biggest ah seen" he sniffs, looks up and squints as his light bounces off of something metallic. Bouncing back into the miners eyes as he covers them to get a proper look.
"Gah! What on Remnant….is….that?" his jaw drops.
The younger miner comes in. "Are you alright old timer?" He spots the older miner and walks up from behind, till he stands next to him. Then sees the shock on his face.
"Wow what's shut you up old man?" he looks in the same direction and his jaw also drops. "By..the gods" he quickly gets his scroll out and takes a picture.
-Hours later, Ironwoods office-
Ironwood leans back into his chair and sighs. He had finally finished his work for the day and was looking forward to a couple of days off, he had more than earned it. Just as he stands up, the doors to his office open and a sad sigh escapes the general's lips.
"What is it Winter?".
Winter Schnee salutes him and stands proudly with hands behind her back. "Sorry to come so late sir, but we've just had a report come in...and I thought you would want to look into it".
"What's the report?".
"It's about the new mine that had been dug recently in the tundra".
Ironwood pinches the bridge of his nose"I'm not interested in Jacque's mine, I'm sure he can sort it out".
Winter walks over and holds her scroll out, she taps it and sends Ironwood the report. "The mine is not the issue General, it's what was found inside of it".
"Inside of it?".
Now this had gotten Ironwood curious, opening his scroll he read the report and looked at the accompanying picture, a look of confusion and curiosity came across his face. "This can't be real?".
"Is this report accurate?".
Winter nods slowly. "I couldn't quite believe it myself sir but if the picture is accurate. It's like nothing I've ever seen".
Ironwood cups his chin and closes the scroll before walking round his desk. "Looks like my time off will have to wait".
"Get a ship mobilised. I assume we already have men there?".
"Yes sir, they have already cordoned off the area and the Ace Ops have already interviewed the miners before sending them home, except for one who insisted on staying. I'd imagine my father will not be pleased about any of this" Winter smirks a little.
"On that I agree but I don't care what he thinks right now. Tell the men that no one is to enter that cavern until we arrive. I need to see this for myself and speak with the miner".
-Later, Outside the mine-
Ironwood's ship lands in the area around the mine as it bustles with soldiers moving supplies from the various ships and keeping an eye out for Grimm. As Ironwood and Winter walk down the ramp they're greeted by Harriet Bree and Clover Ebi who are waiting for them. Clover is the first to speak.
"Sir the area has been secured and no one has entered the chamber".
"Good work Clover, I understand the miner who first entered the cavern is still here" Ironwood replies.
"I have a name General, It's Otis".
Otis walks up to the General and shakes his hand, ignoring the looks Winter and the Ace Ops gave him.
"It's a pleasure Otis. Can you show us the cavern? And were you the one who took the picture?"
"Oh hell no, my younger colleague took that after he followed me in. Ah seen a lot in my time but nothing like this".
"It is something, if the picture is real," Ironwood says skeptically.
"Oh it's real alright. Come on, I'll show you and the lass around. You'll need these" he hands them both a hard hat each with a head torch on them.
Ironwood and Winter put them on and follow Otis into the mine, they walk down the tunnel a good 200 feet before ending up at the entrance. Which is flanked by two guards. He takes them inside.
"Get ready to have ya minds blown" He smiles as he points up and shines his head torch in the same direction.
Both Ironwood and Winter follow suit. Just like Otis and the young miner before them, their jaws go slack. Standing above them is the largest ship they have ever seen, easily dwarfing any in the Atlesian fleet. It's orange hull clearly shows damage and a red emblem that looks like a face stares back at them. How this ship had gotten into the mountain was anyone's guess but that was a question for later. Right now Ironwood and Winter had to pick up their jaws as Otis chuckles. "Ah had the same reaction when ah first saw it. But ah have to admit, this ship is a thing of beauty". Winter walks over slowly and strokes the hull gently, then taps her knuckle against it. The sound echoes throughout the chamber. Just what could have made a ship this size? What powered it? How much power did it need? Where did it come from? All these questions and more flew through her mind as she stepped back.
"What...do you want to do General?".
Ironwood thinks for a moment. "Do you have engineering experience Otis?".
"I that Ah do sir. Why?".
"Because as of today you will work for me and help lead the team in exploring that ship".
This takes Otis by surprise and a wicked smile breaks across his lips. "Ya got a deal, only if you pay me well, ah get to tell my family about the job, ya bring in some of the other miners who know this tunnel and pay them".
"You have my word".
"Then it will be a pleasure to work for ya General" Otis shakes Ironwood's hand with gusto and a smile.
-4 Days later-
True to his word Ironwood hired every miner that was working on the tunnel during the discovery, human and faunus. All were ecstatic, and some were even a great help in setting up sites around the ship, using skills they never thought they would get to use. A base camp was set up very quickly, with a lab, bunkhouse, canteen and a lift to take people up to the ship was almost finished. All it needed was power. During that time Ironwood would come in person to check in on the progress each day and was very pleased, despite some of the miners being rough around the edges. Under Otis's leadership they got their jobs done in record time and worked hard at whatever task they were given. Despite all of that, there was one glaring problem, Jacque Schnee.
The man was insistent that since they found the ship in his mine, it was to be considered his property and that Ironwood had no right to it. Thankfully he was easy to ignore and eventually by the fourth day he was told to desist by the Atlas council itself or face charges. After that he never made a complaint about the operation again. Giving Winter a sense of satisfaction. On the fourth day the lift finally became operational. This got everyone excited, they were finally ready to enter the massive, hulking ship that had been hanging over their heads, quite literally.
The lift moves up with Ironwood, Winter, Otis and Pietro Polendina on board. Ironwood turns to Pietro.
"I'm sorry that we had to take you away from Project Penny, Pietro".
Pietro chuckles a little and wipes his glasses. "Don't be James, I wouldn't want to miss this for the world".
"I, on that we can agree. Though ah do feel bad about havin ta cut into the hull" Otis sighs as he carries a small gas canister with a welder attached.
"Going in via one of the tears would be too risky, I'm afraid. It shouldn't matter though, considering the size of the ship" Putting his glasses back on, Pietro switches the head torch on his hard hat on. The others follow suit.
"Ah suppose not. What do ya think is inside?".
Ironwood readys his pistols just in case there are hostiles inside. "Let's just be careful. We're going to explore for now. If there are hostiles, Winter and I will handle it".
The lift stops at sixty feet above the camp, the doors open and Otis starts up his welder. He cuts a four foot by six foot section out for the next ten minutes before kicking it in. The sound echoes through the inside of the ship and the cavern with a loud clang and one by one the group steps inside as their lights bounce off the walls. They are awestruck, whatever built this ship had to be very big at least forty feet tall or more. Otis walks forward, making sure his body camera is turned on so the others in the camp below could watch.
"Alright lads, we've entered the ship and started to explore. Can ya see alright?".
Harriet's voice comes through in their ear pieces confirming the feed is coming in clear as Otis spots something coming up in the middle of the hall. He holds his hand up and Winter steps up beside him.
"What is it?".
"I ain't got a clue but it's big. Stick close lass" He slowly walks forward as Winter sighs.
"I told you my name is Winter. Not lass" she follows Otis, sabre drawn.
"Ah know, it's just a nickname lass. Don't get your hair bun in a twist over it".
As the pair get closer, a shape starts to form. Five feet in their lights hit the object, first a grey hand the size of a human torso, then a red arm and finally a red head with small horns on either side of it, lying face up on the floor. The two of them just stand there, not saying anything as Ironwood and Pietro come up behind them. They too just stood there, not believing what their eyes were seeing. A large red robot, with what appeared to be wheels in it's heels and the same red emblem from the ship's hull on its chest. It looked to be at least twenty, twenty five foot in length. As the group looks around they spot another robot nearby, a white one with a black head sitting up against the hallway wall. Again the same red emblem on its chest. Pietro is the first to speak.
"Fascinating, they must have been part of the crew of this ship and I've never seen any robots like this. They look more advanced than anything we've built in Atlas" He strokes the emblem on the small red robot's chest.
Winter presses her ear piece "Specialist Harriet, are you recording all this?".
Harriet responds letting her know they've been recording since the start. Ironwood walks ahead and starts to find even more robots. All different sizes and shapes, some even look like they could fly. Judging by the wings he could see. Just what were they? What did that red emblem they all seemed to wear mean? Nothing was clear yet. But he knew one thing, what was happening this day and possibly onwards. Would shake Remnant to its very core.
-15 minutes later-
"This must be the bridge," Pietro says as he looks around.
"Damn, the power it must ah taken to fly this thing. It's unbelievable" Otis taps the leg of a white robot leaning over what he assumes is the pilot's seat. Harriet comes through on his ear piece and her news makes the old miners eyes widen. "Uhh everyone...ya not gonna believe this".
The rest of the group press their ear pieces as Clover's voice comes through.
"General...we just got the results for dating the rock around the ship and...if these are right. This ship has been here for centuries, stuck in the mountain".
Ironwoods eyes just widened in shock at this new piece of information. "Are you sure Clover?".
"It's what the scientists are saying sir and they don't have a reason to lie".
Pietro wipes his glasses again before putting them back on his face with shaky hands. "That would mean...this ship predates our recorded history. It's...older than the very kingdoms themselves. Incredible."
Ironwood turns to face Winter. "Winter, get back outside and see what else they've learned. I want you to confirm this".
"Yes Sir!" She salutes and runs out through the hole they had cut in the bridge doors.
Turning his head back, Ironwood looks up at what he assumes is the leader of this group as it sits in a chair in the center of the room, leaning back in silence. Then he hears something and screens all over the bridge turn on and a voice comes out.
"ENERGON HAS REACHED SUFFICIENT LEVELS, STARTING CHARGE UP SEQUENCE FOR ENERGON WAVE".
Otis is the first to respond. "Energon wave? What the hell is that?".
The whole bridge lights up as does the rest of the ship as lights turn on in the halls and Winter's panicked voice comes over the comms.
"Sir what just happened?! The whole ship just lit up!".
Harriet's voice breaks through. "General, we're getting some crazy energy readings out here!".
"Both of you calm down" Ironwood responds in a calm authoritative tone "We'll start making our way out now just..".
Before he can finish his sentence the entire ship glows blue on every surface, including the robots.
"ENERGON WAVE INITIATED"
Just as quickly as it starts the light show finishes after a couple of minutes and the robot Ironwood was looking at, it's dark eye sockets start to flicker to life before going a solid light blue. The voice responds.
"WELCOME BACK, OPTIMUS PRIME".