Disclaimer: All rights to RWBY and its characters used in this story belong to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. Please support the show's original creators in any way you can, whether financially or by sharing the series with others.
Character talking: "A"
Character thinking: A
Narration of the story: A
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Volume 0 Ch 7: Comeback
Adam POV
"Hey careful with that dust, we don't need this place to collapse on us here."
Adam slapped the young recruit pushing the minecart filled with a different assortment of dust. Turning his back, head marched up a set of stairs straight to a room with two guards and an elderly man tied to a chair.
"I must say, for ex-military, you slacked on the defense here. Your guards were spotted having a smoke instead of paying attention, your barriers were just tables flipped over and metal sheets, and you didn't have anyone around you as the boss allowed me to sneak behind and drop you."
"Heh…"
…
"What?"
The owner started chuckling to himself quietly. Soon it grew louder and louder, and before anyone knew it, it became a loud hearty laugh"
Composing himself the owner spoke, "You idiot. Do you think you can fuck Atlas and get away with it? Heh, now THAT'S a joke. See, I only retired RECENTLY from the navy, and as Rear Admiral, I happen to know a few new toys heading your way."
The guards around the man tense up and Adam unsheathes his sword pointing the scabbard bush at the man's forehead. "What are you on about?"
"Poor fool, you freaks should have never messed with our kingdom. Don't you know? It's in our anthem." Taking a deep breath the man sang "ATLAS IS INVINCIBLE, WE WILL NOT FALL. WE ARE ATL-"
The shot is fired from Bush. The man's chair reels back crashing to the ground. His head now has a hole on his skull, blood pouring out into a small puddle.
Blowing the barrel of his gun, Adam sheathes Wilt back into it. "I didn't ask for your patriotism, I asked for information."
His scroll suddenly rings, picking it up his eyes go wide at the video he is sent.
"Proud citizens of Atlas, may I have the honor to present to you, the AK-130"
The applause is heard from the speaker of the scroll. Followed by the notification of another message.
"Meet at the abandoned Calimo Mine ALONE
-R"
00000
Rai's POV
On the top of a snowy cliff, two individuals are seen sitting on the ground
"Gotta say Snowbird, I did not see this coming."
Holding his scroll, Rai turned his head to his companion. Before him, a small girl polishes her lance. Her hair in a braid, still showing the white tips at the ends of her brown hair. Turning her red eyes at Rai she spoke,
"Really? You didn't see the most technologically advanced kingdom that is known to make more advanced weaponry and automated systems for said weaponry eventually develop robots with guns? Especially since the council of the said kingdom has been looking forever for ways to lessen the need for teenagers with what are basically superpowers to fight the big bad scary Grimm?"
She turns to face him with a finger under her chin, "Noooo your right, we couldn't have possibly seen something like this coming. Not at all."
Rai only scoffs staring back to the scroll, containing a diagram of the 130s. "Gotta say I'm impressed."
He flicks to another blueprint. "3 barrel Gatling on each arm, rate of fire 1000 rounds per minute. Also interchangeable with twin blades imbued with a mix of fire and hard light dust causing a laser blade-like weapon to form. Where they store the guns when the blades come out I have no idea."
"What about optics and AI?"
"Optics seem to be a red v-shaped visor, allowing thermal and night vision. Max distance is at least 1 kilometer with how much they can zoom without losing clarity."
Closing his scroll he faces Snowbird. "A.I, on the other hand, seems to be lacking. So far from what Bookworm gathered, they are only made to march and shoot, and when they get close they switch to the blades and try to stab. Nothing special."
Snowbird figures out the omission from the statement, "Yet. Nothing special yet. It's A.I., and all the bots are connected to a single A.I mind which can learn from each other. Even if one gets destroyed, the others will learn from its mistake through an update."
"It will still take time. Combat is varied and no two battles are the same, it will still take time to adapt."
A third voice enters the fray, "Even still, my forces will be severely outgunned with our current equipment."
Adam makes his way to the duo.
"Redbull, glad you can join us. Let me introduce you to Snowbird."
Adam raises his eyebrow, "Snowbird?"
"Katherine White." She raises her hand which he accepts "Before you ask, don't bother with him trying to call you by your name, I've been trying for years now and haven't got any luck."
"Years?"
Rai stands up, "Despite looking like a Loli-" 'A what?! Bitch say that to my face ''She's only 21." Ducking down, Rai dodges the thrust Snowbird sent with her spear.
"Woah Woah chill" Raising his hands he tries to speak, "we're on a tight schedule here so you can drop the pointy thingy."
Adam only looks on in confusion.
This is the guy I agreed to work with? No, he may act like a fool, but he is far more dangerous than he lets on.
Adam finally interrupts the duo, "You called me here for a reason. What is it?"
Rai turns to face him, "You need something big to fight Atlas, with those new toys of theirs, your current army is like you said outgunned. Pistols and the rare semi-automatic don't do well against 1000 rounds per minute. Well, my angsty, sexually confused wannabe emo of an ally, I happen to know the solution and it's in there." Rai points to the mine at the bottom of the cliff.
"What's in the mine?"
Rai smirks a grin, "You'll see in the end if we make it. Consider this your initiation."
Adam frowns, "Initiation? What is this, a huntsman academy?"
Rai only chuckles, "No no oh GOD no."
Snowbird takes the lead standing near the edge of the cliff, "Alright let's head down."
With the trio jumping off, each lands to the bottom of the cliff, with their own landing strategies, which the author is too lazy to write down specifically, like come on guys, give me a break already. I'm already 4 beers down writing this fa-
Rai speaks up: "Just a heads up, Grimm are bound to be in this place.
Adam asks, "Cause it's dark and abandoned right?"
Snowbird speaks up, "Winner winner, someone get this emo some chicken dinner."
Adam frowns
Great there's two of them now
His attention turns back to the entrance when he hears a low growl
Soon a pair of red eyes become visible at the entrance, followed by more. The creatures are on all fours with two tusks sticking out of their jaws.
Rai identifies them immediately, "Saybrs, they hunt in packs and stick to caves for dens, and an abandoned mine like this is perfect for them."
Unsheathing his sword he turns to face his companions, "A pack like this big has an Alpha, I'll go look deeper inside for it, you two handle the rest." With that Rai sprints to the inside of the mine, slicing at two Sabyrs in his path.
Before the rest can follow, a gunshot is fired taking out one, they turn around to see Adam with Bush extended, aim at them. They begin to charge while Adam fires more shots, taking a few with them.
As one leaps, ready to pounce Adam, a spear goes through its chin to its skull. Quickly it's removed and Snowbird sideswiped two more Sabyrs, knocking them to the ground before finishing each of them with a quick thrust to the throat.
Adam himself swings his blade upwards, gutting a leaping sabyr before shooting another one behind him. Two side swings kill another, followed by a stab on one's foot trapping it.
Before it can escape the tip of Snowbird's spear is opened revealing a barrel inside and a shot is fired finishing the last Sabyr.
As Adam sheathes his blade he notices, "There's no way that's the whole pack."
Snowbird nods, "Rai knew there would be more inside with the alpha, he won't be in any trouble. Let's head inside."
As both run inside the mine, they stop seeing many Sabyrs dissolving before them. Soon they see a larger creature harpoon to the wall with what appears to be a sword. The creature which appears to have most of its boney armor ripped off screams in pain
Rai walks up to the creature chuckling, "You are pretty close to the entrance here considering how deep this mine goes. What, are you afraid of something deeper?"
The Sabyr Alpha roars in response
"Not very talkative today I guess." With that Rai grabs one of the tusks and tears it off. Flicking his wrist he then stabs the Grimm in the skull killing it. As it dissolves and drops Rai's sword, he picks it up and sheathes it. Turning around he faces his two companions. Only to get smacked across the cheek by Snowbird
"What?"
Snowbird says, "You just harpooned a Grimm, that's my thing you bitch."
"Owww that hurt." Rai holds a hand on his now red cheek, "You know, you're a real bitch for a lo-"
"Finish that sentence and I will personally give you a rectal exam with the tip of my spear." Snowbird threatens
"Huh, kinky-"
"Can we MOVE already?!" Adam snaps
The two regain their focus before Rai speaks "Sure, but you better get used to this pal. This is what you get when you make a deal with me. Anyway, let's move the treasure is deeper inside."
As the three make their way inside the cave, Rai asks, "Redbull, what exactly are the Fang doing with all this dust? You can't process it, yet you go for it in open mines."
Snowbird asks, "Open mines?"
Rai clarifies, "The SDC operates two different types of mines, open and underground. Open mines are for dust that is not that deep and can be dug out with excavators. Underground mines by contrast are deep in the ground, sometimes requiring makeshift pulley elevators to go through the layers, they are also tight and cramped and MUCH more dangerous than the open mines. They also employ more faunus labor compared to open which have more human technicians and machinery. So I ask again."
Rai looks Adam in the eye, "Why the open ones Redbull?"
Adam stared back, "Orders from Sienna, she wants us to be a more mobile force and it's easier to raid the open mines compared to the underground ones. The dust itself isn't that important, just being sold to some crime families in Mistral for some money and other resources. The attacks are about sending a message. Sienna's Uqiquke policy makes it we have to raid easier targets."
Rai thinks for a moment, "Uqiquke, that means everywhere in the mengin, Menagerie's primary language. She wants to set an illusion of the White Fang being able to hit any mine in Solitas at any moment. Give the SDC a real scare for once. Well, she certainly did that."
"She also helped scare all of Atlas along with it, including the Armed Forces, now you got them at your tail." Snowbird points out.
"She knew," Adam responds, "That's what she wants, get the SDC and by extension, Atlas to invest more in defense until the cost becomes greater than the cost of proper compensation to the faunus working at the camps. The dust we collect helps with trades with the Dons at Mistral. They get cheap dust, we get firearms."
"But considering the only thing you are getting is pistols and semi-autos as you've said, I'm going to guess that this relationship is still in its early stages. Rai grins with his response.
Adam on grunts in response
"Luckily for you, I have a solution or well solutions as you will soon find out."
Adam stops moving
"Okay, what is this?"
Rai and Snowbird turn to face him, "What's what?" Rai asks.
"I may not know what you are, but I know you aren't exactly helping me by the goodness of your heart. You want me and by extension the Fang to get our hands on whatever it is you have. Why? What do YOU have against Atlas? Why help a terrorist organization?" Adam interrogates
"I want a war." Rai simply responds
Silence fills the mine
"What?" Adam asks
"I want you and the Fang to fight Atlas in a war," Rai says with a blank expression on his face
"Why?" Adam asks stunned
"Atlas has a certain… item I need, something magical if you really think about it. Not what my enemies think of when I say magical, but magical as in it changes the very foundation of our understanding in this world. Atlas has THAT, locked up in a base, and I need you and the Fang to fight them so the defenses get weak enough for me to sneak in and get IT."
"You… you plan to USE US?! LIKE CATTLE?!" Adam unsheathes his blade only to find Snowbird's spear pointing at his throat
Rai, not fazed, continues, "I want you to get your terms of the contract. Do you want to be a hero to the faunus? Then be prepared to fight since the hero fights the villains. You want Menagerie to be a REAL kingdom? Then be ready to fight the people who want it where it currently is. You want Jacques Schnee to suffer? Then be ready to pour blood, sweat, and tears to see that man break down before your eyes. I want what you want, and if that means I need you to fight, then don't worry, I'll help you fight, now put down your sword so I. CAN. HELP. YOU. FIGHT."
Adam reluctantly sheaths his sword, "How exactly do you plan to do that?"
"Rai turns around and begins walking, "we're almost there, you'll see-"
Before anyone can know it, the ground shakes
The trio look at each other before running deeper into the mine, finding a larger room connecting to different tunnels they see a large rock beast thrashing about.
"A Geist?" Snowbird asks confused, "Its body is so thin." Noting the rectangular rock the Geist is using as its body, and more importantly, the ground it's on, "That ice! Doesn't look that thick either."
"So that's what the Saybrs were afraid if. That thin body lets it move faster. This one is old, experienced, it knows any large boulder will just limit its movement." Rai points to the body
"What do we do?" Adam asks
"Can you charge your semblance?" Rai questions
"Only through damage to my sword" Adam points out slightly unsheathing Wilt, but not fully.
"Okay give me a minute… I got it, the Geist is on ice since this mine flooded before freezing over. If we break it, we can send it deep inside the ice lake due to its weight, then Snowbird and I can deal with its arms pinning it in place. Redbull, you go for the killing blow. Rai plans
"How will I get the energy?" Adam asks
"Snowbird, go distract it, I'll help our Redbull here get his juice" Rai grins
"Wait wha-" before he can fully respond, he blocks an attack from Rai sending him on one knee
Fuck my life Adam thinks
Snowbird leaps to the Geist and begins to circle it, firing with her lance. "Hey big guy, look at me, not the animal abuse currently taking place over there." The Geist runs toward Snowbird at incredible speed. "FUCK HE WASN'T WRONG ABOUT IT BEING FASTER." Before long, she has to dodge a stomp causing a crack at the ice below.
"ARRRAGH!" Rai slams one final time at Adam, only for him to block it. Wilt exploding red with energy.
"Alright, that should be enough, fire away," Rai says
Burning red with energy, Adam slices the air, a red burst of energy leaving in its wake. Before the Geist could react, the ground below it collapses sinking it below waist-deep with steam from the evaporated ice in the air, Before it can rise with its arms, its right is sliced in three.
Rai chuckles, "Sorry mate, but nothing is sharper than this blade here."
Before it can react, the white steam above circles around into a mini-tornado, Snowbird forms, and takes a shot with her lance, an explosive round, destroys the left arms.
Adam aims Bush at the mask. The Grimm tried to use its grimm arms to possess some more rocks, but both are pinned to the ground by Snowbird and Rai respectively. "Take the shot now!" Rai yells.
The bullet is fired and pierces the mask, killing the Grimm inside. The rock that was once the body falls due to the Geist fading, splashing into the lake.
"Well that's a mission acc-" before Rai speaks Snowbird smacks Rai across the cheek again, "Arghh same one as last time" Rai cries.
"What the HELL asshole? Mind giving me a fucking WARNING next time before you send a fucking energy beam of death my way?" Snowbird exclaims.
Adam jumps down to meet them, "Your semblance, it allows you to become air?"
"Not exactly. Vanish transforms me into a white mist that looks similar to steam. I can somewhat control where I go, but if there is heavy wind, I'm fucked." Snowbird explains.
"What, you think I only brought her here for the eye candy-" Rai gets bitch slapped again "AH COME ON!?"
Adam sighs, "Alright, where is this 'treasure' of yours?"
Holding his cheek Rai walks to a nearby wall. Pulling a rock, the wall begins to open revealing a hidden passage.
"Inside" he simply states.
Entering the dark room, Adam hears Rai grunting, "Come one you stupid generator work." Kicking it, the generator comes to life lighting up the room.
Adam's jaw drops when he sees what's inside. Rifles in racks, ammo crates, machine guns, barrels of dust, ordinances such as grenades and smokes. "It's an armory" he speaks
Rai begins to walk toward him, "This here is a contingency for a plan long ago in case of a Second Great War."
"Contingency?" Adam asks confused
"Mantle at the time didn't believe the piece of the Vytal Treaty would last. They were worried about a second war happening at their home front. Which they weren't wrong. When the leader of your nation wipes out a majority of your army in one battle, you have cause for concern."
Snowbird continues, "The then king of Vale offered peace, but Mantle was worried the successors would not be as generous. So they made these bunkers here as emergency stockpiles in case they ever get invaded. They weren't wrong in the end, another war DID happen, just not the one they expected."
Adam picks it up, "The Faunus Wars. It was asymmetrical guerrilla-style warfare mainly in Anima, because of that they forgot they had all these bunkers in the first place."
Rai smiles, "Correct, these bunkers have just been storing these weapons inside this whole time. They are older models of what Atlas is currently using, but it's the same caliber and magazines. Meaning if you raid any CURRENT armories, you can use the stockpiles with this equipment. The grenades and smokes are also the same, so they won't expect it."
A grin begins to from at Adam's face before he begins to chuckle, "This is JUST what we need to beat those robots. Sienna's going to have a field day with this."
Rai pulls out his scroll and sends a message to Snowbird. "These are the locations of the other bunkers, raid them quick before Atlas realizes what's going on and seizes them for themselves. Snowbird will now work with you until you gain enough arms for my next phase."
"Next phase?" Adam questions.
"You'll know when the Fang is ready, don't worry, Snowbird will keep me informed and you'll get any updates from me through her."
Snowbird goes to Adam, "Guess we're partners for now Taurus."
Adam smirks having his name finally be said, "So we are White. A human in the Fang though."
"Will that be a problem?" Rai asks
"The opposite, this will show that the White Fang accepts all. Discrediting Atlas' claim of us being faunus supremacists." Adam says
"Good" Rai turns around and begins to leave, "I'll leave you two with the logistics of this then. I got other business to attend to."
Snowbird perks up, "Your little field trip with the Schnee boy?"
Adam stared at Rai stunned, "Your WHA-"
Before he can finish he is slammed to the wall by Rai, who has a pissed expression on his face, "All right, listen here Adam Taurus, just so you are aware, I am now unofficially guarding and TRAINING Whitley Schnee. The boy you tried to ransom, then kill. Get in my way of that, and the deal is off, and you don't WANT the deal off, clear?!" Rai exclaims.
Adam nods his head making Rai let go, "Unofficially?"
"None of your concern." Rai simply replies
As he begins to leave he calls out, "One last thing, as you raid more bunkers and mines, you soon come into contact with the 130s, don't underestimate them now that you have big guns. These weapons are made to kill, they do an outstanding job at that, they also do an outstanding job and hurting or killing incompetent users."
As he is about to leave, Adam calls out, "Three little pigs."
Rai stops and faces him, "What?"
"You asked me my favorite fairy tale when we met last time, it's… three little pigs. Something about the three underdogs standing against the wolf stuck with me. I dunno, maybe the wolf was like Atlas to me, always tearing down our lives." Adam explains.
Rai smirks, "There may be a chance for you yet, hero." He turns and walks away
The AK-130, the first combat robot ever built, and if for fighting people, not Grimm. Bet you're not happy about that, are you Oz?
00000
Ironwood POV
"James, what exactly are you planning?"
Ironwood slams his fist down on the holo table, "I told you Oz, I'm simply doing what I NEED to do for my kingdom."
"Those machines are scaring people, and-"
"And fear brings the Grimm which brings chaos and HER, I get it Oz. I GET IT!"
"Oh, the tinman gets it, ain't that nifty Oz?"
Ironwood simply sighs, "Pray to tell me Qrow, what exactly is YOUR problem with this."
"Well besides the fact you gave my niece a scare, that is until Tai replaced the head of your machine with Zwei. Now though, she's currently looking for actual guns scrap metal to attach to the poor guy to make it 'real.'" Taking a drink from his flask he continues, "Heh, poor boi, never seen him this scared before. Anyway what exactly were you expecting to happen when you reveal those tin cans? People aren't exactly hopeful with the uncertainty these bots bring around."
Ironwood stands up from his chair, "Either way I can't let the Fang get away with this. Do you think these robots will bring uncertainty? What about the rising dust prices all of Remnant will feel if these attacks continue?"
Ozpin and Qrow remained silent on the matter
Ironwood calmed down and took his seat again, "Besides, it's not just the Fang I'm worried about."
This caught both mens' attention
"You remember that raid on the Schnee manor I told you about back then? About how we heard a scream louder than any person should be able to make? About how we found the trail of dead bodies near the unconscious hostage? Oz, it has to be him. There is no other person in all of Remnant that can project someone's scream like that. No one else I can think of that can leave those bodies and leave without a trace even though we had the building surrounded." As Ironwood spoke his voice became quieter with fear.
Ozpin remain silent on the other end
"That freak is in ATLAS?! Do you have confirmation?" Qrow asks
"No" Ironwood gets out, "The only potential witness we have is a kid who was unconscious at the time."
"But why would he go after the Fang? Why save the Schnee?" Qrow asks
"It could still not be h, maybe a serial killer for all we know, or huntsman Jacques hired in secret. Even if it is, these machines were made to be ready to enga-"
"No" Ozpin states with finality
Ironwood is confused, "Oz what are you on about, if he's her-"
"If the Demon of Remnant is in Atlas, and you can confirm this, then let me know IMMEDIATELY. I will deal with him…"
"Personally"
00000
AN: Wait wot? Two uploads within less than 7 months of each other? What heresy. Who are you and what have you done with the real Ranson112?
Cause if you didn't kill him, finish the job, that guy takes forever to upload, and he's drunk too when he types.
Seriousness time, I had some spare time and decided to be productive, shocker I know.
Anyway in this chapter we see our resident energy drink mascot, Adam, again, this time with that other character I made in the third chapter, you remember her right? the Character I made, only to forget I actually haven't introduced her in person yet? Yeah that one
Anyway, here we see the beginning of what I will call the arms race between Atlas and the White Fang. Tensions are rising and Rai made it VERY clear what he wants.
Anyway, wannabe emo and Snowbird will be on the back burner for a bit as I try to flesh out the Jesus Schneesus what a messed up family, and their little field trip.
Also, on that magical thing that Rai is after that, he made abundantly clear is NOT what people think it will be, well let's just say it basically breaks a lot of the laws in the world of RWBY and I am surprised its concept isn't used more often considering its scale and when compared to actual magic in RWBY, fits right in.
If anyone wants to take a guess what Rai is REALLY after, please post your thoughts in the reviews so I can see everyone guess it and I become sad cause the twist I wanted isn't actually clever since everyone guessed it :'(
Anyways see you for the next chapter
!Chiao! :D