Chapter 13:Mountain Glenn

At Beacon, General Ironwood was at the landing docks, looking at Vale when he heard a voice.

"Trouble sleeping?"

He looked back and saw Glynda.

"Arm was acting up," he said, gripping his arm.

"Of course, so logically, you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance," she said, standing beside him. "What's wrong?"

"I've trusted him for years. We both have. I just... I can't help but feel like he's keeping us in the dark."

"Don't be ridiculous! You know very well that we are not the ones in the dark."

"That makes it worse! I refuse to believe that a man that I've trusted for so long would act so... passively."

"You're a good person, James," Glynda said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You've always done what you think is best for the people, even against strong protest. It's admirable. But it's high time you stopped talking about trust and started showing it. Ozpin has experience that the rest of us lack. And I think that's something worth remembering."

In the deserted city of Mountain Glenn, the group was sleeping inside the building, as Ruby was watching the streets, wishing something would happen. The others were the ones who were sleeping, the girls on their mats, Legion just sat by the wall, and Oobleck was on the next level, which had a hole, lying against the wall.

Yang, who had troubled sleeping, looked at her partner and said "Blake, are you awake?"

"Yeah," Blake answered, looking at Yang.

"Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress? Like, what was he trying to say?"

"Maybe he was just curious."

"You think?"

"No."

Yang lied back down and said "Weiss, are you awake?"

"Of course I'm awake! You two are talking" Weiss whispered loudly, making Yang roll her eyes. "And I think he... When I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it. But, it's not what you think. I'm not stupid. I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... moral gray area."

"That's putting it lightly," Blake replied.

"Which is why I feel the need to make things right. If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it."

"All my life, I fought for what I thought was right," Blake started. "I had a partner named Adam. More of a mentor, actually. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place. But of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be not perfect for everyone. I joined the Academy because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world. Always fighting for good. But I never really thought past that. When I leave the Academy, what will I - how can I undo so many years of hate?"

"I'm sure you'd figure it out," Yang said. "You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake."

"But I am! I do it all the time! When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran! When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran! Even my Semblance! I was born with the ability to leap behind a shadow of myself; an empty copy that takes the hit while I run away!"

After a few moments of silence, Yang said "At least you two have something that drives you. I've just kinda of always, gone with the flow, y'know? And that's fine, I mean, that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for? I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring. And that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that.

"I'm not like Ruby, she's always wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said, ever since she was a kid, she'd dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today."

"Well, she's still just a kid," Weiss replied.

"She's only two years younger," Blake protested. "We're all kids."

"Well, not anymore. I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth!"

"It's the life we chose."

"It's a job," Weiss stated "We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads! But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people! And whatever we want, will have to come second."

On top of them, the 'sleeping' doctor's face made a small smile, as someone started silently clapping. The girls turned to see Legion, the source of the clapping.

"You're still awake, too," Weiss asked.

The robot stopped clapping and said "I think you still don't understand the concept of me being a robot."

"Good point," Yang said, as she got up. "Whelp, I think it's my turn for look-out. Who's next?"

"I will," Weiss said, as Yang walked to Ruby, who was asleep. "Legion?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did Bill want to be a Huntsman?"

After a few seconds of silence, Legion said "Revenge."

"Revenge?"

Legion got up and said "Follow me, please."

After finding a secluded place from the others, Legion said "I think I should explain to you first about Bill."

"Okay," Weiss said. "Go ahead."

"You see, Weiss, the White Fang has always been here. Hiding in the shadows. But, there was another organization, that was all about peace and protecting the people. They were called, The Brotherhood. The members were highly trained killers called, Assassins."

Weiss' eyes widened, making the connection.

"Sadly, the Brotherhood crumbled, with only a few making it out alive. Two of the few was a mother and her child, two Faunus' trying to run. Sadly, the same thing that hunted them got to the mother, and only the child survived."

"What was the child's name," Weiss asked.

"His name was Richard."

"Richard? You mean…Bill's dad?"

"Yep. After he was taken, he was already planning a way to over-throw the leader. After a few years, they took another child away from their family. Someone that took interest in Mr. Auditore."

"Bill's mother?"

Legion nodded. "What Mr. Auditore told me was that they ordered him to look after the recruit. He quickly made a pact with her, that he would take down the leader and take her back home. Sadly, though, when she was only fifth teen, they destroyed her town, to make a statement. So, she promised Mr. Auditore that she would stand beside him when he became leader. Then, they found their opportunity when another organization was picking students for an experiment. This organization, however, was enemies with the White Fang. So, Bill's mother disguised herself as a student to infiltrate the place.

"However, she found out that this place, this project, was worse than the White Fang. So, she stole some files and faked her death. After that, they had Tex and Bill."

"So, did they ever take down the leader," Weiss asked.

"Yep. A few Huntsman decided to shut down their operation, but then they found them. Luckily, the Huntsman knew Bill's mother, and decided to make a deal with them; they get to take the leader, and Mr. Auditore becomes leader, making the White Fang what it was years ago."

"Guessing from the crimes for those years, the other members didn't like the changes."

"Yep. They would disobey his orders, attack humans, kill even. Do you know about the Great Fire," Legion asked.

"Of course. It was when the old CCT tower in Mistral was accidently burned to the ground. A lot of people died, both Faunus and Humans."

"Well…let's just say one of those angry members caused that fire," Legion said, making Weiss' eyes widen. "It was an old friend of his in the White Fang. His name was Arthur Abbas. He didn't like the way humans have been treating Faunus, so he took it to his own hands. After Mr. Auditore found out about what had occurred, he put Arthur in jail. Arthur then knew what he had done wrong, and killed himself. That…was an awful day for the Auditore Family."

"How was it awful? He wasn't part of their family."

"How do you think we found out," Legion said. Weiss shrugged. "We found out…because Bill told us." Weiss was surprised by this, and gasped. "He saw Arthur when he died, and was the last one to speak to him. He didn't tell us what his last words were, thought. Probably a dramatic experience for him."

"What…what happened after that?"

"After that, it got worse. They kept disobeying and attacking more frequently, so, Mr. Auditore decided to shut down the whole thing…"

"But, they're still here," Weiss stated.

"When they were driving one day, one of the members made them crash, killing them instantly." Weiss looked down in sadness. "Now, the White Fang needed a new leader, someone who would change things. But, their plans failed when the child of Auditore took his place."

"How old was he?"

"He was only six when he led the White Fang." Weiss looked at him, surprised. "But, he was a damn, good one." Weiss was more surprised. "He had the body of a child, but a brain of an adult. He would quickly choose places to protect, planned protests, everything. But, the White Fang didn't like that, so they tried to kill them. If I wasn't there to save them, they'd be dead. We escaped with minor injuries."

As Legion said this, Weiss remembered the scar on Bill's back. Did he get that when he was a child?

"We lived on the streets for that time, and we almost didn't make it, until someone found us and took us to a nice home." He looked at the heiress and said "Well, that's my explanation for him…do you understand him better now?"

"Yeah," she said. "I think I do."

"Good…now I think it would be good for you to sleep."

Before he could leave, Weiss said "Wait…I want to know something else."

"Hmm?"

"How…how were you created?"

Legion sat back down in silence, and started "Well…first off …I not the only one…"

"What?"

"Mr. Auditore created more robots for the new White Fang. Robots that would help bring peace. He called them; the Geth."

"Geth…" Weiss muttered.

"I was one of them…but Mr. Auditore said that I was special."

"How were you special out of all of them?"

"Miss Schnee…I'm about to ask you a question that would change how you see you please keep this secret, along with the others?"

"Um…okay?"

Legion looked away for a moment, then looked at her and said "Miss Schnee…does this unit have a soul?"

Weiss' eyes widened, as she exclaimed "You're…you're Artificial Intelligence!"

Legion nodded, as Weiss backed away. "But…making AI is illegal now. After what my father told me, that is."

"I know about that," Legion said. "People were saying to just dismantle me and shut me down. But Mr. Auditore had other ideas. He taught me what is right and what is wrong. He taught me the history of Remnant. Then, he gave me my first objective; protect his children."

As Weiss stared at him, she nodded and said "Ok…I believe you."

"Thank you, Miss Schnee," Legion said, his eye turning yellow.

"Wait a minute? You said there were others, right?"

"Correct," Legion said, his eye now purple.

"What happened to them?"

"They're…gone."

"Dismantled?"

"Taken."

"Taken?"

"Reprogramed…the White Fang controls them now."

"Then…why haven't seen any yet?"

"I don't know…but there are a lot of possibilities that they are destroyed…"

"I'm…I'm sorry Legion."

"It's ok. I think it's time to go to sleep. You are look-out next."

"Yeah."

Before Weiss left, Legion said "Miss Schnee…you still haven't answered my question."

Weiss looked back, thinking about it and said, smiling "Yes, Legion. This unit has a soul."

"Thank you."

An hour later, Ruby was awaken by Zwei, who stood up, looking at the doorway to the room.

"Huh? Zwei, it's late," Ruby said, yawning. "Go back to bed." Zwei then ran off, as Ruby whispered "Zwei! Zwei! Ugh!" She ran after him, as she looked outside. "Zwei! Zwei, where are you? Zwei!" She looked and spotted Zwei urinating on rubble. "Zwei, this is a wasteland! You literally could have done that anywhere!" Zwei barked in response.

"What was that?"

Ruby stopped in her tracks when she heard the voice. She looked from behind a corner and saw two White Fang soldiers.

"What was what," one of them said.

"I thought I heard a Beowolf or something," the other said.

"Hmph. Let's just finish our patrol and get back to base. This place gives me the creeps."

As they walked away, they failed to noticed Ruby and Zwei following them.

"Hey? Any news?"

"Only a bad one. The bounty-hunter's here."

"Oh man! That guy gives me the creeps more than this place."

"Good thing he's on our side."

As they were going into the base, Ruby held Zwei from behind a corner and asked "Did they go in yet? One bark means yes." After the doors closed, Zwei barked. "Oh! This is it! This is it!" She began to call her team, but there was a low signal. "Aw man! Come on, we gotta get the others!"

As they began to walk back, the ground beneath them suddenly collapsed, sinking in. Ruby grabbed onto the ledge of the hole, as she catches Zwei from falling into the hole. She threw him out of the hole, as the ledge broke off, making her fall into the hole.

It was dark when Ruby woke up, as she saw ruined buildings below the surface. Before she could do anything, a nearby door burst open, as two armed WF soldiers pointed their guns at her.

"Freeze," one of them shouted.

"Where did she come from?"

As Ruby backed away, she almost fell off the building she landed on.

"You're a long way from home, little girl."

When she reached for her scythe, she realized that it was still on the surface. Both guards approached her, as one of them grabbed her by the arm.

"Hey! Hands off," Ruby shouted, jerking her arm out of the guard's hand. She started punching him, but it had no effect, as the guard punched her to the ground.

"The boss is gonna want to see this one," he said, using his foot to knock him out.

"Hey Weiss," Yang started, as she noticed the absence of her sister. "It's your... Ruby? Hey, where's Ruby?"

"What," Oobleck said, waking up.

"Alert, street collapse a block from here," Legion said. "Be advised and watch your step."

As he said this, Zwei came into the room, barking, and went up to Yang.

"Zwei?"

Blake got up and said "What's going on?"

"Grab your weapons," Oobleck said. "Your leader may be in trouble."

Ruby started to wake up, as she was being dragged by the same two guards that knocked her out. She looked around and saw White Fang members working around a train, some of them using Paladins to carry large crates. She heard a loud thump, and turned to see two soldiers fighting near a large device.

"Hey, be careful," one of them said. "What are you trying to do, blow us to the moon?"

"Sorry sir!"

The two soldiers stopped, as one of them yelled "Hey boss! Found something you might want to see!"

"Is it good or bad, Perry? because let me tell ya, I have had a day," a familiar voice said from inside of a railcar.

"Uh…it's a little girl?"

The voice turned out to be Roman Torchwick, as he dropped his cigar. "That would be bad."

Zwei led the group to the hole, as Yang spotted Crescent Rose. "Ruby's scythe!"

"Oh no."

"Do you think she fell," Weiss said, as Oobleck sprinted next to her.

"Fell," he questioned.

"Down there."

Oobleck looked down, saying "Oh my. Of course! Of course, OF COURSE, OF COURSE!"

"What is it," Blake asked.

"How could I be so stupid?!"

"Dr. Oobleck, what's wrong," Yang said, as Oobleck began to explain.

"Mountain Glenn! Yes, an expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by creatures of Grimm! Previously home to thousands of people! Working people commuting to the city, the main city! Developed a subway system to the inner city! Grimm attacks increased! Population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter! City evacuates into the metro tunnels and what do they find? The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and deep caves!"

"Doc, what are you saying?"

He went up to the blonde. "My dear, we're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for an UNDERGROUND crime network!"

"They've been working in caves,"Blake asked.

"No, no, Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion. It worked for a short period of time, thanks to an aggressive perimeter defense, and unique transportation; the city developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens safely from the new territory into the main Kingdom! Sadly, without the many natural barriers Vale had to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start! As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival: They took up shelter beneath the city! In massive caves that they had cleared out for the subway. And they had cut themselves off from the surface!"

"An underground village?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes. A safe haven. Until... an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern, filled with subterranean Grimm. After that, the Kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb. If Ruby is down there…" He brought out his canister, and made it into a Kanabo. "We must find her."