Sooooo I forgot that in the canon, Adam is known worldwide as a White Fang agent (I forgot about that little news report from the early Volumes…oops). In this AU, because I didn't even consider that, he isn't known internationally. He's basically like Blake. He's got a past with the White Fang, but someone like Winter wouldn't recognise him.
Hope that clears some things up going forward!
This L is completely on me lol. Thanks to Unsung Senpai for bringing that little nugget to my attention.
The longer Weiss sat alone in the Mission Brief Room, the faster her thoughts raced. No matter how much she tried to reassure herself that it was a freak coincidence, her mind always returned to the possibility of Adam being arrested by Winter.
There's still a good chance they caught someone else trying to sneak in. If Sienna's been active here, then her supporters outside Atlas may be trying to get in. But there was always a tiny possibility that it was him, and this minuscule chance drove her insane.
What if she tried harder to convince him to join her team? Would that have been the push he needed to give them a chance?
If he was caught, how was she going to get him out of custody? With so much White Fang activity going on, Winter might not be willing to help him. Would she have to break him out instead?
The doors to the room slid open, interrupting her terrible train of thought. Footsteps and chatter entered the space. She pulled the dark hood over her head, sinking deeper into her seat.
"Aw man, the cookies are gone," someone complained. "I was looking forward to finishing these all day."
"If you continue being a good boy, I'll consider buying more for you," another person piped in, prompting the others to laugh.
"Good work today, team. We had a few rough spots, but everyone pulled through," a deeper voice said.
"It's a good thing our little blood-hound was there or those thugs would've got us good."
"Yeah, that was good work back there! We owe you big time!"
"You're all giving me far too much credit," the cookie guy said.
"Always the humble one," a more quiet voice chimed in.
"Aww, look how much his tail's wagging!"
"For being such a good boy, I'll pitch in and get more treats for you tomorrow!"
More lighthearted laughter and teasing erupted from the group. The cookie guy's laugh; however, sounded forced.
"Marrow, can you get some jobs lined up for us tomorrow?" the deep voice asked.
"It's fine with me, sir," Marrow, who was the cookie guy, answered.
"We can call it a day then. Have a good evening, and once again, good work out there, team."
The rest of the team wished each other a good evening before heading out for the day, leaving Marrow behind to look over the job board.
He walked briskly past Weiss to go over the listed missions. He glanced at the plate of cookies on her lap as he went by. Weiss recognised the famous Ace Ops uniform he wore. Winter had once worn the same thing before Ironwood promoted her to his second in command.
Marrow hummed a quiet tune as he browsed the board, avoiding any jobs asking to investigate potential White Fang agents and focusing his efforts on jobs from Faunus clients.
"Do you still want the cookies? I'm not hungry anymore," she offered him.
Marrow looked over his shoulder. He held her gaze for a moment before surveying the rest of the room for anyone else.
"Sorry, I wouldn't have taken them all if I knew someone else wanted it too." She held up the plate to him.
"In a minute. Let me finish with this first."
Weiss placed the plate on the chair beside her. The space felt so much less constricting now that she wasn't alone, but her bubbling anxiety still left her chilled. She hugged Adam's coat closer to herself, wondering if he was cold wherever he was.
She should've tried harder to convince him to stay with the others.
"You're Winter's sister, right?" Marrow asked, taking a seat two chairs down from her.
After they both exchanged names, she asked if he'd worked with Winter before.
"A few times. We were all surprised when you didn't attend Atlas Academy." He munched on one of the cookies. His tail wagged behind him.
"I wanted some time away from home."
"Smart move. We learn a lot more when we leave our comfort zone." He spoke in a calm voice, contrasting how fast his tail swung.
Marrow, realising the same thing she did, reached behind and grabbed onto his moving tail. He murmured a quick apology and hastily finished the first cookie before grabbing a second one.
"You didn't have to apologise for that," Weiss said after he finished the second cookie.
"It's a bad habit I gotta break. Professionalism and all," he explained with a shrug. "It's no big deal."
Was that why his team felt comfortable enough to crack those strange jokes earlier? It didn't sound like they were coming from a place of ill intent. A team of professional Huntresses and Huntsmen would know better than to crack jokes at someone else's expense.
If he weren't happy with the jokes, he would've spoken up, right?
She thought back to the wall of wanted posters. The few cookies she ate sat uncomfortably in her stomach.
"Miss Schnee?" A new voice popped into the room. "Your friends have arrived. If you'll follow me, please."
She thanked the woman and got up. Weiss hesitated for a moment before addressing Marrow.
"I don't know if this is my place to say this, but I don't think it's unprofessional to express happiness. If someone has a problem with it, it says a lot more about them than you."
She didn't wait for him to respond, instead hurrying to meet the Huntress waiting at the door. She swore she caught him smiling out of the corner of her eye.
Weiss froze when she saw her team in front of Ironwood's office. She had braced herself to face them with false excitement. How could she be okay when Adam's safety occupied the entirety of her thoughts? Allowing her foul mood to show would only worry her friends. And if Ironwood or Winter picked up on it, that could lead to questions she wasn't ready to answer.
Her plan to mask her worries vanished once she saw them.
Nothing could've prepared her for the scene she walked into.
They filled the entire width of the hallway, but two individuals stood apart from the rest of them, choosing to stick with each other rather than the larger group. Winter stood guard with a few other officers, eyeing the two outliers curiously.
Weiss blinked once, twice, then three times, but the image did not change. Adam was talking with Blake on the side. He must've sensed her staring as he suddenly looked up to meet her eyes. The world went silent around her.
He was here.
He was safe.
"Weiss!" Ruby's voice jolted her out of her daze.
Ruby barreled into her, almost sending them both crashing onto the ground.
"Are you okay? I was so scared when you weren't replying to me! I-I thought something bad happened." Ruby squeezed her tighter by the second. Weiss managed a real smile and assured her nothing was wrong.
"Qrow did a lot for me back there. It would've gone differently if I'd gone alone." She felt it was important to let Ruby know that.
She didn't hear Ruby's response when the larger group gravitated around her, crushing her with hugs and compliments. Yang even went out of her way to voice her relief at seeing her. Maria also congratulated her on her bravery at some point.
Weiss flushed under all their kind words. She didn't think she deserved so much praise when she hid behind Qrow the entire time.
"Come on, you two." Jaune beckoned Adam and Blake, who kept their distance from the rest of them. "Stop being awkward and say hi."
Yang separated from the group when Adam and Blake approached.
Weiss' eyes were completely drawn to him. Nothing else mattered - not even as her sister studied their interaction like a hawk. Her heart raced as he looked over her, searching for any signs of injury. If they were alone, she suspected he would've had her in his arms by now.
"It was my idea to look for him after none of us could reach you," Jaune explained to Weiss. "Ruby and I helped, but all the credit goes to Blake for finding him."
"And that was the easy part." Blake rolled her eyes. "Your boyfriend here is so asocial he was adamant about getting into Atlas alone."
Weiss blushed at Blake's crude nickname for Adam, but not even that could upset her at that moment.
"Did you have to word it like that?" Adam complained. If Weiss hadn't been staring at him, she would've missed the subtle red flush colouring his face. "And asocial is rich coming from you. You know I had good reasons for not wanting to join you."
"Well, you're here now." Blake waved her hand dismissively. "At least you're not stubborn enough to abandon your girlfriend."
"Will you quit it with the nicknames? I don't remember you being this obnoxious."
Blake laughed – she was having too much fun messing with them. Weiss almost laughed with her. Relief washed over her so fast she wanted to crush them both into a tight embrace and never let go.
"You two had some time to catch up?" Weiss asked instead.
"You could say that." Blake shared a look with Adam. "He's a lot different from what I remember. It's a nice surprise."
"Yeah, well…lots has happened since then," he muttered, looking down at the floor.
Her gut coiled into a knot at Adam's flustered response to Blake. Weiss couldn't recall the last time someone made him this embarrassed. The knot in her core tightened.
She bit back a sigh of relief when Ironwood arrived with Qrow and Dr Watts, interrupting them. Ruby flew into Qrow's arms with a burst of rose petals as soon as he came into view. While the guards around them tensed at her Semblance, Ironwood chuckled as Ruby knocked Qrow down with her momentum.
Seeing Ruby's excitement at reuniting with Qrow seemed to reignite their group's morale. Amidst their chatter and laughter, Adam moved to stand closer to her, his arm lightly brushing against hers. Weiss could barely pay attention to what they were all saying when she was so tempted to reach out and hold his hand.
"Winter, I heard there was an issue with an incoming cargo ship. What's the status on that?" Ironwood asked as the rest of the group talked amongst themselves.
"Sir, the detected stowaways have been captured and detained," Winter answered. "I ordered the crew to do another sweep of the ships. There shouldn't be any more trouble."
Winter's eyes drifted towards Adam and Blake before focusing on Ironwood again.
"Good work." Ironwood cleared his throat, capturing the attention of the rest of the group. "I want to welcome you all to Atlas. I only wish you arrived under better circumstances."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.
"Before I continue, I need to ask, how many of you are not students from Beacon?"
Weiss jumped in to explain Adam was a trusted friend she met in Mistral, while Ruby told him Maria was someone who helped them in the Argus Express. Qrow cryptically added that Oscar was necessary to keep around.
"I see. Qrow informed me you were travelling with other guests." Ironwood looked warily over their group. "I'm aware most of you know about our current…situation. The information I'd like to share is related to that. I want to keep it between the people who know about it."
"I'm not interested in hearing your secret plans or anything," Maria said briskly. "All I need is a doctor to fix these eyes. They're acting up again."
Ironwood relaxed considerably at her lack of interest in their mission. "We can get someone to escort you to a hospital." He nodded at one of the officers standing on guard. They gestured to Maria to follow.
After some brief goodbyes, Maria was off, leaving Adam the only person unaware of the truth behind their mission. Weiss wanted to tell him too, but this was a decision that needed to be approved by everyone. It was only fair when they all had such high stakes in this.
"We can arrange a dorm for your friend to stay in while we talk," Ironwood suggested when Adam did not comment on wanting to leave. Another officer stepped forward and gestured for Adam to follow.
Weiss sensed him tensing beside her. She reached for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"It'll be okay," she whispered to him. "We'll catch up in a bit, okay?"
Adam still looked a bit apprehensive, but he nodded after a moment of hesitation.
"I'll be waiting," he promised, squeezing her hand back before reluctantly following the nameless officer out.
Ironwood gave them all a formal introduction to Dr Watts, a former apprentice of the late Pietro Polendina, one of Atlas' most skilled and trusted engineers. Weiss didn't miss the small gasp from Ruby when she heard the late engineer's last name.
After the fall of Beacon, Ironwood turned to Pietro for help to enhance Atlas' digital security. Their partnership abruptly ended when Pietro passed from a sudden heart attack. His work remained half-finished.
Although Watts had a falling out with Pietro and subsequently left Atlas to pursue a different career in Vacuo, he was still one of Pietro's brightest pupils. He came back to help after Ironwood reached out and told him about Salem. If there was anyone who could recreate Pietro's quality of work, it was him.
Ironwood then went into painful detail about his plan to tell the world about Salem by raising Amity into the atmosphere to act as an untouchable communication tower. He explained how Mantle played a vital role in supplying resources for the launch.
His most trusted team of Huntsmen remained stationed somewhere on base to protect the Winter Maiden, a healthy elderly woman with a knack for painting. Dr Watts was the only one who thought relying on real soldiers was less reliable than his creepy androids.
The painfully slow meeting was only made longer when Ruby told him what the Lamp showed them.
They could hear a pin drop when Ruby revealed Salem's immortality. For a long moment, Ironwood remained still as a rock. Winter's expression stayed neutral, but her body grew stiff with tension. Watts appeared transfixed at a corner of the room.
"We can still work with this," Ironwood finally spoke up. His eyes still appeared glazed from the bombshell they dropped on him.
"Wait, you still want to go through with this whole Amity thing?" Jaune asked at once.
"Just because she's immortal, doesn't mean she's invincible. Even Salem will have trouble fighting against a united world."
"But wouldn't revealing all this cause…mass hysteria? I don't think many places can handle a massive Grimm attack."
"I've considered this possibility as well," Ironwood said. "That leads to my next point. You've no doubt noticed the number of robots patrolling Atlas Academy. They're replacing the people we sent out to protect weaker communities after news of Salem spread. Most of our troops are in position and awaiting further orders. Our remaining troops will remain on Atlas."
"Wow, hold on," Qrow interjected. "You want to fill Atlas up with those robots? Don't you think that's a bit risky considering...last time?"
"I understand," Ironwood responded calmly. "I thought the same thing until Dr Watts brought up a great point. Unlike Atlas, the rest of Remnant isn't used to this type of technology. Using it to protect their communities could lead to more fear. It may help to have Huntsmen and Huntresses protecting them rather than robots.
"Dr Watts has generously agreed to oversee the creation of our new Altesian soldiers. He's using Pietro's design to ensure the likes of Cinder will be unable to hack into their system again. The androids have already proved to be useful in Mantle. They've eliminated any Grimm that have snuck past Mantle's weakened defences and are also helping with our investigation into the White Fang."
"Wait, the White Fang? What does the White Fang have to do with this?" Blake interjected.
Ironwood, unmoved by the abrupt outburst, told them about the recent murders linked to the White Fang.
"And how exactly are you guys dealing with the White Fang attacks?" Blake questioned with a surprising tone of hostility.
"We've temporarily added more guards and limited communication with the outside world," Dr Watts replied. "Curfew is encouraged to decrease the likelihood of running into those terrorists, but we understand that's not always possible for the working class living in Mantle."
"You're saying there are no consequences for people who break curfew?" Blake crossed her arms. "No offence, but I find that rather hard to believe."
Dr Watts scowled at Blake's line of questioning, but Ironwood replied before he could respond to her," I understand there hasn't always been good blood between Mantle and Atlas Forces, but I promise the safety of all Mantle residents is my top priority. Winter and I go over every report to ensure all is in order"
That was the first time Weiss had ever heard of bad blood between the Military and Mantle. Were they talking about military forces in general or did it include Huntsmen and Huntresses as well?
It was hard to imagine Huntsmen and Huntresses, who devote their lives to protecting people from Grimm, would do anything to make Mantle think less of them.
The wall of wanted posters glared holes into the side of her head. She pretended not to notice it was there, ignoring the sick feeling she was getting deep in her throat.
Blake studied Ironwood for a long moment before finally nodding her head. "If you say so, sir." She still didn't sound too convinced.
The conversation returned to the topic of Salem once more, but Blake wasn't listening anymore. Her brows remained furrowed in deep thought for the rest of the meeting.
"I understand you have all been through terrible ordeals after the fall of Beacon," Ironwood said once they finished discussing the identity of Ozpin's new incarnation. "You all may be young, but you're still willing to fight against the biggest threat to Remnant. That is the courage of true Huntsmen and Huntresses.
"For the work and sacrifices you've all put in, I want to present you all with official Huntsmen Licenses. And since you are not students of Atlas Academy, you will not have to concern yourselves with swearing loyalty to Atlas Military. Consider this my gift to you."
The dread from discussing Salem vanished within a blink of an eye. The room buzzed with excitement. Ruby was already bouncing off her heels at the news.
Weiss couldn't believe her ears. She was going to be an official Huntress - she was going to be a real hero like Winter! This will finally grant her greater authority and power to protect people. The thought alone brought a massive smile back to her face.
"I only ask that you help us prepare for the launch of Amity Tower and assist in small jobs around Atlas. I'll even allow your other friend to help in low-stake missions."
Weiss wasn't expecting to hear that from him. Even Winter appeared flabbergasted at the invitation.
"But, sir, are you sure it's safe to let an outsider participate in missions?" Winter asked at once. "We should at least do a background check on him."
"The only way we can defeat Salem is by fighting as one," Ironwood said without missing a beat. "We can't fight as one if there's no trust between us. They trusted me with the knowledge that the Lamp revealed. And I trust their judgement on who they consider an ally. They wouldn't jeopardise the safety of Atlas."
Yang frowned but refrained from voicing her true thoughts on Adam.
"Sir," Winter reluctantly bowed her head.
"We can discuss your first job tomorrow," Ironwood said to the rest of them. "For now, please make yourselves at home. We've prepared warm clothes for you all. Dinner will be waiting for you in our cafeteria."
"And please leave your Scrolls behind on the way out," Dr Watts requested before they could get too excited about fresh new clothes and food. "I'll need to register you all in the system and open communication access to your Scrolls."
After abandoning their Scrolls on Ironwood's messy table, they followed Winter to the dorms reserved for them. Yang made a considerable effort to stick to Jaune's team, not even bothering to hide that she was still avoiding Blake and (likely) Weiss.
Ruby; however, didn't share her sister's cold attitude as she stuck herself between Weiss and Blake, squealing excitedly at their new Licences.
"How come you don't seem excited, Blake?" Ruby asked when she noticed Blake was more quiet than usual.
"I am. It's just…" She looked at Yang.
"She'll talk to you once she's cooled down a bit."
"I-it's not that." Blake blushed. She took a second to recollect herself before adding, "I want to talk with you all after we eat."
Blake said it loud enough for Jaune's group to glance back at her curiously - even Yang peeked over her shoulder before turning away just as quickly.
"Is everything alright?" Jaune asked.
"We can talk more later." Her ears curled down when they passed two patrolling robots. "I want to discuss something in private."
Remember when I said there was a huge retcon incoming? If you haven't figured it out by now, Watts is the retcon. I've decided to rewrite his backstory so he didn't fake his death. As far as Ironwood is concerned, he simply left Atlas after a falling out with Pietro.
Thanks to Unsung Senpai, LiteralWhiteTrash, BrazeRancor, and Gleaming Onyx for the reviews!