Chapter 14: The Morning After


It wasn't hard to find Neo. She wasn't a woman who tried sticking out, in fact, she was a master of disguise. Being able to hide in plain sight quite easily allowed her to blend in. It was the thing that had allowed her and Roman to get away with so many things. Despite that, it was easy for Levi to pick her out from a crowd. It was, perhaps, why she had decided not to hide who she was. She stood silently, staring at the holographic board that was displaying the names of the deceased. Several flowers had been left, along with pictures of people who were still missing. There were cards, stuffed animals, candy, toys, and a myriad of other items. Candles had also been lit, along with incense sticks. It was quite honestly, a sad sight.

She hardly moved as her friend stood by her side. She twirled Hush in her hand, her faithful weapon deflecting the light of the boards from her face. She turned her head slightly, seeing the bundle of flowers in his grasp. He laid them down among the others, ears folded back as he stared at the names before.

"It never gets easier, you know? You try and try, but people will always die. I think I realized too late what it meant to be a huntsman. This job of course… it's a sacrifice, to ensure the people can live peacefully. And yet… we somehow still failed,"

She wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him close. She turned to look at him, a saddened look on her face. "You know that isn't true," she mouthed, only for him to shake his head.

"It is. There are things more important than saving the people of this city, that much is obvious," he replied, glancing back at the boards. "But we didn't meet up for petty sentiments, what did the Wicked Bitch of the West say to you?"

Neo's shoulders shook in a silent laugh. She handed Hush to him, her trusty scroll already in hand. "She's making plans to head up to Atlas. Her priority is the Relic of Knowledge. I had to tell her about Amity Tower in order to make her believe me. If the General finds out-"

"He won't. We keep that to ourselves and stick to the plan. If that's Cinder's priority, then we'll have to bait the trap. Oscar will lend himself to whatever we deem, and Weiss will back us up." he said, gesturing for her to follow. "It'll take a bit of planning, but I'm sure we'll be able to pull it off. How long can you make things last with your Semblance?"

"I'm not sure. I was able to make temporary limbs for you but I was splitting my aura control to keep them solid. Even then you know what happened. Making a copy of the Relic of Knowledge, making it last, and making it feel authentic, that'll be a tough one." Neo said, continuing to type. "My Semblance is evolving the more I practice, I can make more than two solid clones of myself. It'll take some practice but I think I can manage."

"Whatever resources you need, I got you," Levi said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out several vials of refined Hard-Light Dust, handing them to Neo. "Don't ask how I got that."

"Don't tell me you snuck aboard the Prydwen II and stole its reserves? My, Levi, are you leaning toward petty thievery now?"

He gave her a deadpanned look, much to her amusement. She pocketed the vials, finger pressed to her lips as she gave him a wink. "Never change, Trivia."

Levi's ear twitched, something shattering in the distance. He looked at Neo, who had a similar look on her face. "You heard that, didn't you?"

Before she could reply, a shrill scream filled their ears. She took Hush back, closing the weapon as they ran. They turned into an alleyway, racing down it as fast as they could reaching the end. Levi slowed to a stop, seeing a pool of blood coming from the bottom of a door. He spun on his heel, throwing a firm kick at the door, sending it flying open. In the low lighting of the apartment, he saw the shape of a man, holding a bleeding woman in his grasp. He turned to face Levi, his eyes glowing a bit.

"Ohoho~ Well I wasn't expecting someone to actually catch me in the act." he sneered, causing Levi to cock his gun, aiming at him.

"Stop what you are doing! By order of the Atlas Military, you are under arrest!" he proclaimed, only for the man to laugh, dropping the woman to the floor. She let out a garbled cry, clutching her bleeding stomach.

"Under arrest, you say? You'll have to catch me first," he said, stepping back. He slammed his fist into the window behind him, laughing maniacally as he leaped through it. Levi wasted no time, running through the building and hopping through the broken window, catching sight of a silver tail in the distance.

Levi placed his hand over his ear, Overture grasped tightly in his hand as he followed after him. "Attention all units! This is Private First Class, Levi Athan of the Atlas Military. I am in pursuit of a man who stabbed a young woman. I need emergency services at the corner of 53rd Street and West 75th Avenue. I will continue my pursuit."

Almost instantly, he heard sirens in the distance, but he didn't focus on them. He formed a vermillion glyph beneath his feet, launching himself forward, grabbing onto a light post. He forced himself to turn, catching sight of the fleeting man. He looked back at him, letting out another grin. With superhuman strength, the man leaped upward, grabbing onto the fire escape, jumping from balcony to balcony. Levi didn't waste a second, following after him, launching himself to the edge of a building, landing in a crouch.

There he was, standing at the edge of the building, panting for breath. He was a tall man, with light-colored skin, and long black hair braided behind his back. He wore a black jacket, his bare chest peeking through, hundreds of scars littering his skin. Tight-fitting white pants adorned his legs, accompanied by black boots. The man licked his lips, his mechanical scorpion tail resting over his shoulder.

"So.. you think it's a fun idea to follow me? Not cool, man, not cool at all," he said, causing Levi to narrow his eyes.

"Have we met before? You look familiar to me."

"Pah… I make it a personal mission not to meet with Huntsman. But now that I have and you've seen what I did, I'm gonna have to kill you. Ahahahaha~"

Levi ducked to the right, avoiding the massive stinger aimed at his face. He picked Overture up, slashing at the man who crossed his arms, clashing with him. The miqo'te pushed him back, the man laughing as he opened fire on Levi, who moved out of range, using several backflips to get some distance. The scorpion faunus licked his lips, racing forward gleefully, throwing several speedy slashes at him, all of which were hastily blocked by Levi.

"Come on kid, I'm barely trying here!" he shouted, slamming his fist into Levi's armor. He gasped a bit, digging his heels into the ground. The man cracked his fingers, wiggling them a bit as he stared at Levi. "You know, now that I think about it, you seem really familiar to me. I think I might have threatened you in the past."

Levi spun Overture around, pulling the trigger as he sent himself into a death spiral, using the recoil of his weapon to press his advantage. He slashed to and fro, leaping over the man's tail, landing on his right foot. He spun around, slamming his boot into the man's ribs, sending him flying into a nearby chimney. He merely laughed, using it as a springboard, leaping over the silver-haired man, firing downward. Levi summoned a Hard-Light glyph, using it as a makeshift shield.

The man landed on it, much to his surprise. He punched the shield until it shattered, grabbing Levi's wrist and throwing him upward into the air. "Now I got you!"

He darted forward, leaping off a satellite dish, tail aimed at Levi's exposed back, only his attack never landed. It was completely blocked, a pink parasol having cut before it. The man looked stunned for a moment, and before gravity pulled him down, he felt something hook around his leg, yanking him to the ground. Levi landed in a crouch, clutching his chest for a bit. Neo stood before her friend, eyes narrowed as she kept Hush outstretched. The scorpion faunus licked his lips, smirking.

"Well if it isn't Neopolitan, Roman Torchwick's personal bitch. How's the straight and narrow treating you, darling? You get tired of killing people so you turned a new leaf? Bet you Roman's tossing in his grave with a bad case of betrayal, ahahaha~!"

Neo opened fire, the man slashing apart her bullet. He parried every single shot as he got closer. She angled Hush, spinning around him while opening the canopy. She swept her weapon to and fro, landing several jabs to his chest. The man growled, throwing an aura-enhanced punch, shattering her into a million pieces. He quickly turned around, clashing blades with Levi who pushed him back with ease. Neo landed beside him, giving him a nod.

The pair raced forward, zigzagging as they ran, making the scorpion faunus look to and fro. He side-somersaulted to the right, avoiding Neo's forward jab, turning his body in time to kick Levi's weapon upward. Levi pulled the trigger, using the recoil to bring the blade down, his strike being blocked by the man's prosthetic tail. Neo raced in, jabbing at the man, all of her attacks being deflected by him, a shrill laugh echoing through the rooftop. She brought Hush down, only for it to be blocked. He spread his arms, aiming his poison barb at her.

Levi let out a shout, swinging Overture upward, blade glowing white with hard light. He pulled the trigger, his strike finally connecting. The scorpion faunus was sent flying back several feet, rolling across the ground before catching himself, landing on his feet.

"Impressive… seems to me like you've improved a lot, Neo," he said, chuckling, his yellow-eyed gaze falling onto Levi. "As for you, I know exactly who you are. I distinctly remember a day when I ran into two of your kind, a young woman and a little boy. You shot me."

Realization dawned on Levi, as his words seeped into his mind. He let out a growl, grasp tightening around Overture's hilt. "Now I know who you are… Tyrian Callows, you were sent after us by Salem. The only ones who escaped her massacre. You were there… when you killed my mother and father!"

"Ah yes! I was, wasn't I? I still remember that day like it was yesterday. The day when your bitch of a mom gravely injured my mistress. We hunted you down for weeks, for years, and just when I was so close to tearing your eyes out, you made me retreat." Tyrian said, licking the blade of his weapon. "What do you think Salem would do if I brought you back to her? Hm? I'm sure she'd have a party."

"As if I'd let myself get captured by the likes of you," Levi said, cocking his weapon. Tyrian let out a laugh as he raced forward, leaping over Levi, slamming his foot into his back. He turned to Neo, who ducked and weaved out of his grasp, blocking and parrying all of his attacks. He threw a slash at her, but she managed to grab his wrist, throwing a kick at his face. She spun on her heel, landing a sidekick on his chest.

He flipped through the air, landing on the edge of the building before springing forward, slashing at Neo. He swept her off her feet, the ice cream-themed woman managing to block his attacks. He threw a stab at her with his tail, landing between her legs. He grinned, aiming his weapon at her, only for her to unfurl Hush's canopy, deflecting all of his bullets.

Neo let herself shatter, taking him by surprise. Tyrian looked around, only to hear something crackling below him, but by the time he realized what was underfoot, it was too late. He let out a scream as he was sent sprawling into the air. Levi moved after him, blade glowing brown with Rock dust.

He threw a hard slash at his back which was somehow parried. The miqo'te faunus hopped to another platform, throwing a second and then a third slash before spinning through the air, bringing his sword down on the man, aided by the recoil of his gun. Tyrian was sent crashing down to the alley below him. Levi formed a vermillion glyph beneath his feet, Overture outstretched in a downward stab. Tyrian moved out of the way at the last second, the silver-haired faunus striking the ground.

Levi fired an energy bullet, spinning through the air as he landed on his feet. He placed his leading foot forward, ignoring the flickering street light. Despite having good eyesight, there were too many shadows for Tyrian to hide. His ears wiggled as he listened to his surroundings, hoping to pinpoint him. He finally did, turning in time to parry an attack. He held his ground, staring right into Tyrian's crazed eyes. He let out a manic giggle, running his tongue on Overture's estoc before Levi pushed him back.

"You sick bastard," Levi muttered, taking several steps back. "I take it you are responsible for all the deaths in Mantle these last few weeks?"

"Oh, you got me, kiddo. When I arrived in Mantle, I didn't have any plans to kill anyone. But as it turned out, someone was already offing journos. So I couldn't help but join in." the crazed man said, taking a few steps forward. "I would have got away scot-free if not for you. How's your mother by the way? Is she doing okay? I actually would like to speak to her, she has something that belongs to my mistress."

"My mother's dead, asshole, no thanks to your mistress. Whatever you were hoping to get out of her, you'll have to give up, because you won't get it," he said, bending his knees. The man raced forward, sweeping his arms to and fro, all of his attacks being parried by Levi. He put his hand behind his back as he started returning blows, sending the man tumbling back.

Levi drew Shiva from his back, firing several rounds at the man, all of which were blocked. Tyrian threw a hard kick at Levi's chest, sending him flying back into a dumpster, his aura crackling for a moment before holding. He looked up, just as Tyrian took aim, a smirk on his face as he let himself shatter. Tyrian let out a growl, spinning around.

"Your parlor trick is starting to bore me, Neo. Why don't you come out here and face me, huh? At least Roman had the balls to do that."

Neo finally emerged from the shadows, aiming a forward jab at Tyrian, who easily blocked it. He swiped at her neck, body shattering. He turned back, throwing a kick at another copy, breaking it as well, followed by a third and then a fourth. Growing annoyed, he turned his head, ear perked up slightly. He grinned, grabbing Neo's leg as she threw a kick to his face. He used his tail to throw her back, but she sailed through the air with grace, being caught by Levi's glyph, which sent her flying forward.

The silent woman grabbed a hold of his shoulders, using the hook of her parasol to knock him off balance. She spun around his head, and with a tug, she let herself fall to the ground, simultaneously sending him flying, right into the line of Levi's fire and ice glyphs, which dropped hundreds of ice and fireballs at the man.

"I'm getting real sick of you, kid." the scorpion faunus growled, pressing forward. He threw a tail jab at Levi, who angled his blade to parry it. He grabbed Tyrian's tail, which had stabbed into the brick wall next to his head, aiming at his face only for him to twist around, easily disarming him.

He let out a laugh as he aimed his blade to Levi's throat, only for him to put Shiva's barrel to his chin, finger on the trigger. "How are you doing on aura, bud?"

"Better than you, but if you wanna find out, pull that trigger, I dare you~"

Before either could move, Neo wrapped Hush's hook around his throat, pulling him away from Levi. He lowered his aim, firing the remainder of his magazine into Tyrian's chest. He swept his tail around, sending Neo flying back into a dumpster, firing his own weapon at her, each bullet peppering her body until her aura shattered.

"Stupid little bitch, you're going to be my next victim. No one is going to miss you when I send you to the other side! Make sure you give Roman my regards!"

Levi let out a shout, flinging himself at the assassin, Overture outstretched. Tyrian blocked his strike with ease, sweeping him off his feet. He pulled his leg back, foot glowing with aura as he kicked Levi right in the ribs. He howled in pain, slamming into the brick wall, aura shattering from the attack. His rifle fell beside him, too far for him to reach.

"You aren't going to slow me down, kid. You are going to watch this," he said, licking his lips. He snapped his tail toward Neo, who had been reaching for Hush. She let out a silent gasp as the appendage wrapped around her neck, forcing her to stand up. "Look at you, probably 100 pounds wet. You know I've always wondered what it would be like to slam someone onto the ground so hard their brains flew out their eye sockets."

Neo glared at him, somehow managing to spit into his face. Tyrian tightened his grip around her throat, causing her to claw at the metal tail. "Maybe I should choke you instead, you clearly deserve to be taught a lesson."

Levi grit his teeth, head still shaking from the hard hit he took. He grit his teeth in anger, reaching for Overture. He took aim, only for it to click empty. He looked around, noticing Hush nearby. He reached for it, seeing the desperate look on Neo's face as she flailed around.

"What do I do, what do I do? I'm too hurt to actually do anything," he thought to himself. Realization washed over him as he reached into his pocket, pulling out the Hard-Light crystal he had salvaged from the mine. He forced himself to stand up, reaching into his pocket for it. Tyrian looked at him, watching as he used Hush as a crutch.

"Oh… did you scrounge up enough aura to fight back? I'd like to see you try, boy. You are going to end up just like mommy dearest… and just like your friend here in a few seconds." he said with a laugh. Levi remained silent, holding his hand up, making several hand gestures with his mechanical hand. Neo, despite the lack of oxygen, let out a little smirk, closing her eyes tightly.

"You are lucky you got the best of us today, Tyrian. Because if not, the script would be flipped. Tell your mistress she can kiss my ass." he said, causing Tyrian to growl. Levi threw the crystal at him, much to his surprise. Lifting Hush up, he pulled the trigger, blasting the crystal with a fire bullet.

The effect was instantaneous, a bright flash erupted from the alleyway, far brighter than any artificial light ever created. Tyrian let out a howl in pain, his grip on Neo loosened, enough for her to break away. By the time the flash died down, the pair were gone, but Tyrian was completely blind. He screamed, throwing punches at the air, seeing nothing but white.

"You fucking little shit!"

"Tyrian, what the hell are you doing? I've been monitoring your aura and it is dangerously low. Don't tell me you felt the need to hunt some Grimm." Arthur asked, causing the scorpion faunus to growl.

"I wasn't fighting Grimm, you damned fool. I just had a run-in with Roman Torchwick's little cunt, and guess who was with her? The Summer Maiden's little boy, a silver-eyed miqo'te!"

"Ah… so you've had a run-in with Levi Athan already, well that saves us the trouble. That boy is one of Salem's targets, alongside Ruby Rose. I do hope you didn't maim him too badly."

Tyrian let out a hiss, his vision finally returning. "I didn't, but he sure as fuck maimed me. The two of them got away, but next time… oh next time they won't be so lucky."

He heard Arthur sigh on the other end, already picturing the look of disappointment. "Whatever the case may be, it is time for you to head to Robyn Hill's little party. I've sent the address to your scroll, it's nearby. Rest for a bit and recover, the true spectacle of the night is about to begin."

The serial killer let out a deranged smile, flexing his fingers. "Oh, it's about bloody time. I've been looking forward to this for such a long time, ahahahaha!"

xxx

Levi grit his teeth as he held onto Neo, the woman stumbling a bit as she walked. He looked around, realizing he had managed to make it to Mantle's Central Park. He kept walking, only to stumble, sending himself and Neo falling onto the grass. He tried to stand, but quickly found he couldn't move. He looked at Neo, who had fallen down on her side, and with strength, he didn't have, rolled her onto her back. She looked at him, eyes wide and full of tears.

"You okay?"

She shook her head, reaching for her neck. She mimed a few things to him, closing her eyes only to start silently sobbing. He pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly, ignoring the pain in his ribs as he activated his communicator.

"This is… Levi Athan, calling to… Atlas Central Command." he said, coughing loudly. "I request… medical transportation to… Mantle Central Park."

"Levi? Levi, this is Qrow, can you hear me? What happened?!"

He swallowed hard, throat abnormally dry as he struggled to speak. "Had a run in… with… Tyrian Callows. He's the one responsible… for all those deaths, not counting the journos."

"Levi this is General Ironwood, we've received your transmission and have sent transport to your location. Pietro Polendina and Sora Loire will bring you up to Atlas. Do you have Tyrian Callows' whereabouts?"

"I'm afraid… I don't, General. Shit happened so quickly, all I know is that he's near the Factory District." he replied, taking a deep breath. "Hey, Winter, are you listening?"

The radio crackled for a moment. "I'm listening, Levi."

He took a deep breath, breaking into chuckles as he looked up at Atlas's underside. "I sort of promised Weiss I wouldn't get hurt. Would you mind… holding her back while I'm recovering?"

There was silence for a moment only for Winter to reply. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Levi. If you made my sister a promise, you need to own up to your mistake. Just remain calm, transport will be there soon."

"Figures… alright sis, thanks anyway. I'm gonna pass out now… oh and Qrow? If I die-"

"Delete your browser history, gotcha."

Levi let out a laugh, slowly falling unconscious.


Location: Atlas Academy Dormitory Wing

"Citizens of Mantle-

Following the most recent Grimm attack, a temporary prohibition of assembly is in place. There are to be no public gatherings of any kind. Please, conduct your business and return to your homes before curfew.

This… is for your own safety. Thank you for understanding."

"This is the latest message from General Ironwood of the Atlas Military. Though Military officials have gone on record to say the footage was doctored, many citizens are still insisting the Protector of Mantle be deactivated.

Theft of Construction Materials is on the rise following Jacques Schnee's dark horse win during last night's election. The Councilman Elect has been in and out of meetings as he prepares to be sworn in this afternoon. He has already given his victory speech as well as laid out several of his campaign promises. He has made it clear that the first things to go will be the Embargo and the Closure of Borders.

Jacques Schnee has yet to rehire the hundreds of workers he laid off prior to the election. He has made no comments on the issue at hand and is holding no press conferences."

Levi frowned as he closed his scroll, setting it down beside him. It hadn't been that long since he had awakened. Doctor Ethan had been the one to visit him. He had been cleared to leave after a final check-up, but he was to remain in Atlas Academy as his aura hadn't fully recovered. He showed him a few of the X-Rays that had been taken of him, and he had broken several bones, including his ribs. Apparently, they had to break a few of them to ensure they healed properly. He was glad to be unconscious during that procedure.

He had also gotten news about Neo. She was out of danger, but the General had been furious with them. As far as he knew, Neo had been injured in a recent mission and had requested time off. So when she was brought in, unconscious after having fought a serial killer, well, he had virtually exploded. He spent most of his checkup giving the General a long-winded explanation about her wanting to go to the movies. He had to lie to him about their run-in with Tyrian, framing it as him attacking them first. The man settled shortly after that, even apologizing to him.

It was then that he had been shown the video of Penny, how she had supposedly attacked several people during Robyn's party. She had been shut down for the time being, something that hurt him quite a bit. He begged the General to wake her up, but he denied his request, saying she'd be asleep for the time being, at least while they analyzed her data banks.

Everything after that had blended together into a hodgepodge of colors and sounds. He had spoken with both Winter and Qrow, but he hardly remembered what he had said. All he knew was that now, the Ace-Ops were hunting Tyrian down, and he doubted they'd find him. He stared at his hands, which shook a bit as he thought about that fight.

"We got so close… Neo almost… fuck! I need to get stronger, unlock my Semblance's true abilities. I can't let something like that happen to her again, goddamn it." he thought to himself. He closed his mechanical hand tightly, the gears whirring a bit as he did so. His ears perked up as he heard the door to his room slide open. He shot to his feet, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh uh… good morning-"

Pain exploded across his face, the miqo'te almost losing his balance. He clutched his face, staring at Weiss, who had a look of absolute fury on her face. She walked forward, causing him to shy back.

"In what world is it a good idea to fight against a serial killer? Huh? Do you have a fucking death wish or did your brain decide to stay at the movies for the night? Do you know how close Neo was to dying? Do you know how close you were to dying? You were this close!" she exclaimed, holding her hand out, thumb and forefinger extremely close. "This close to biting the dust because you felt the need to fight him!"

"Weiss I-"

"Am I done talking?"

His ears flattened, back hitting the edge of his night table. Weiss placed a hand on her forehead, pacing around his room. "Honestly, I have no idea what got into you. Look at what happened when we fought Adam. That was seven of us, Levi, seven, and we barely got out of that fight with our lives, and you thought going up against Tyrian Callows with just you and Neo was a good idea?"

She turned to face him, arms crossed angrily. "You could have called for backup! Ruby, Ren, and Nora were nearby. You could have spoken with Metera and Valentine! You know those two thought you had died?!"

"I-"

"I'm not done yet!"

"Would you fucking listen to me?!" Levi shouted, taking her by surprise. "I had no clue who he was until I was on that rooftop! It was then that I remembered who he was. He had attacked me and my mother when I was younger. But by then I had no choice but to commit because he would have followed us. He's responsible for the deaths of who knows how many people! We thought we had a shot at him!"

"Well, you didn't, and look at what happened. You could have easily been killed, Levi, you and Neo could have… I don't know how I would have reacted! You have no idea how scared I was for Ruby, for Ren and Nora who were at that party! You didn't even call me, but you had the balls to ask my sister to hold me back!"

She let out a scream, fingers digging into her scalp. "God, you… piss me off so fucking much. How can you be so smart and quick on your feet but do dumb shit like this?!"

"Did you forget? I'm too stubborn to die. You actually think I was gonna kick the bucket without seeing you again?" he asked, quirking a brow.

"Oh and what's that supposed to mean?" she questioned, glaring at him.

"I think you know exactly what I mean, Weiss Schnee."

They kept glaring at each other for another few seconds, only for Weiss to close the distance, hugging him tightly. He sighed, hugging her back. "You idiot… don't you ever do that again, you hear me? I won't forgive you if you get yourself killed."

"I'm not gonna die without your approval, Snowflake. You jump, I jump, right?" he asked, quoting his favorite movie. She looked into his eyes, pushing him away, a look of annoyance on her face.

"You are such an ass."

"Would you love me any less if I wasn't?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. They stared at each other for several moments, neither saying a word. They slowly leaned forward, about to shorten the distance between them when the door flew open, causing the two to jump back.

"Whoa… I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Ruby asked, causing Weiss to push Levi away, a sheepish smile on her face.

"No, you aren't, Ruby. What uh… what are you doing in this part of the Academy Dorms?"

Ruby gave the pair a deadpanned look. "Levi's been asked to join us in a meeting. The General seemed really pissed off, so let's not keep him waiting."

Levi nodded, turning back to Weiss, taking a hold of her hand giving it a light squeeze. "We'll finish talking later okay?"

"Yeah sure… but um." she paused for a moment, glancing at Ruby, who rolled her eyes and walked out of sight. She gave Levi a kiss on the cheek, much to his surprise. "Sorry about that slap, I didn't mean it."

"R-right, the slap… sure," he said, cheeks tinged red. He coughed into his fist, slowly stepping toward the door. "Um… I got some chocolates in the fridge so uh… help yourself?"

He ran off, leaving the former heiress by herself. She let out a giddy sigh, tracing her lips with her fingers. "Oh… we were so close… I'm gonna get back at Ruby for interrupting us."

xxx

The atmosphere in General Ironwood's office was far, far different from the rest of Atlas Academy. Everyone was tense, no one knowing just what would set the man off. The shutters had been closed, the lights being partially dimmed from the moment they stepped in. Ren and Nora stood beside Levi, while Ruby stood to his left. Clover, Winter, and Qrow were also present, off to the right of the room near the General's desk.

The man in question had been staring at a news report from the previous night. Just as they had gotten everything in Mantle under control, another Grimm attack had set them back. The man finally stood up from his seat, a long-winded sigh coming from him as he looked at the people gathered before him.

"It seems the worst outcome has come to pass. More people are dead, Penny's been framed and somehow, Jacques Schnee is sitting on the Council."

A beep filled the room, coming from Clover's scroll. He read the message he had received, sighing audibly. "That's the second shipment for Amity that was hit today. It seems election night was the last push Robyn needed to go from hometown hero to full-on vigilante."

"I'm afraid the problem is more complicated than that," Winter added. Ironwood pinched his eyes, grumbling under his breath as he paced behind his desk.

"Yes, not only is Robyn outright stealing now instead of purchasing things from underground vendors. But now we have to worry about Ivy Brown and her little plot to frame me for the deaths of her supporters. She's been stirring up a storm on social media blaming Atlas for everything when she was the one who hired those goons!"

"Isn't she being arrested soon, sir?" Levi asked, earning a nod from the man.

"We're just waiting for Council approval for us to give the okay. Special Operative Sonata Piccolo discovered much more information, more than you and Miss Schnee could have hoped to uncover. Not only was Ivy Brown pocketing money from selling stolen construction materials, but she was purchasing stolen Schnee Dust as well as selling stolen armaments to the 5th Street Cobras for double their value, to make a profit. All with money she borrowed from Antonio DiCappriccio." the General said, growing angrier as he spoke. "Oh, and the coup-de-gras, Quintus Piccolo was deliberately stalling the production of Microchips for Project Amity and selling them to her, so that we'd have no choice but to make a deal through her."

"I… didn't think it ran that deep," Levi muttered under his breath.

"What's worse, Robyn emboldened our suppliers in Mantle. They're refusing to sell us provisions until the city is adequately repaired. With Robyn redistributing those materials, the very materials her team has stolen, Project Amity has been completely stalled."

"Come on, there has to be something, we're so close to finishing the tower!" Ruby said, taking a step forward. "Isn't there anything you can do, General?"

"There is one solution," Winter said, causing them to look in her direction. Her expression hardened a bit as she straightened up, lips pressed into a thin line. "Declaring Martial Law."

The young huntsman shared a look, glancing toward the General who remained silent. Nora looked at him, a firm look on her face. "You aren't actually considering that… are you?"

The tired-looking General looked at her, eyes locking with hers. "What's more important? Establishing global communications, uniting the world? Or appeasing a few city blocks?"

"Oh don't give me that shit."

"Nora."

"Don't, Levi!" she snapped, shifting her gaze back to the General. "Don't make it sound so trivial when you know it isn't. You keep talking about how we need a little more time, but you're not the one having to struggle!"

The man turned to fully face her, anger crossing his face. "We have all had to make sacrifices for the greater good. Mantle has had to bear a lot of the burden, yes, but–"

"They're bearing all of it! The longer this waiting game goes on, the harder each day gets. There are orphans on the street, people are picking up their loved ones off the fucking ground. Blood is running out of doorways because Tyrian is murdering anyone who crosses his path! And knowing all of that, you wanna send in more soldiers? You can't just force people to fall in line. If you do that, you'll be trading all of these problems for Grimm!"

The man shortened the distance between himself and Nora, looking directly into her eyes, hundreds of things swirling in his mind. Levi cleared his throat, stepping between them. "Look, what Nora is saying is true, but we also can't keep hurling insults at each other. The circumstances have made things harder for all of us. We knew that when we started working for the military. Our goal hasn't changed, and that is protecting the people from the Grimm. That is what Huntsman and Huntresses do."

He placed a hand on his head as he stepped back, sighing. "I just… fuck, there's so much shit going on at once, it's getting so hard to breathe. The people suffering, the lack of materials, Amity not being finished, Tyrian killing people and that is all but a prelude to Salem fucking being on her way."

Ruby placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. She shifted her gaze back toward the General, giving the man a pleading look. "Please, General Ironwood. Squeezing Mantle this way… That kind of division plays right into Salem's hands."

She took a hold of Nora's hand, not letting go of the man's gaze. "That's why Tyrian is here, doing all of this. To make the military look bad, to frame you."

"That's right… that's the reason why we called you all here," Clover said, stepping forward, holding a tablet scroll in his grasp. "Are you sure this is the man you saw, Ruby?"

An image of Tyrian was presented to her, a mugshot which had been taken several years in the past. Even that far back, he had a crazed look on his face, his yellow eyes glowing with malice. Ruby gave him a nod, causing him to look at Levi. "What about you, is he-"

"He broke my ribs and almost choked Trivia to death, that is 1000% the motherfucker I fought last night."

The leader of the Ace-Ops nodded, glancing back down at the tablet in his grasp. "Callows Tyrian, Male Faunus (Scorpion, Poisonous Tail) Age: Believed to be in his mid-to-late thirties. Wanted for murder, assault, kidnapping, sexual assault, battery, and a myriad of other things. This bastard is as bad as they come."

"Tyrian Callows was accused of murders all across Anima. A homicidal maniac who escaped justice when his prison transport was attacked by Grimm. After that, he was never seen again. He was declared deceased as his body was ever recovered."

"Well, he works for Salem, and he's here. We ran into him in an abandoned town in Mistral. If not for Uncle Qrow, Ren, Jaune, and Nora would be dead and I'd likely have been taken to Salem." Ruby said.

Qrow let out a deep sigh, hanging his head. "If there were any doubts that Atlas was Salem's next target, we can officially throw those out the window."

His niece turned to him, a small look of relief on her face. "Yeah, but now we have a suspect. We can tell the people."

"And what will we tell the people?" the General began, causing her to turn around. "That a long-lost serial killer is loose in Mantle, and the Military has no idea where he is? That might make things worse before they get better."

"God! I am so sick of secrets! If we just told everyone about Amity, about Salem–"

"WE CAN'T!"

They shied back from Ironwood's outburst, the man slamming his fist onto his desk. "If we talk about Amity now, we risk Salem's forces, who know we are here, working to sabotage it. If we tell them about Salem now, we risk falling to the Grimm before we can reunite Remnant!"

He walked past them, stopping in the middle of the room. "We have to finish the Tower above all else! I want Robyn Hill in custody. We can offer her a deal if she gets Mantle to cooperate!"

"We'll uh… figure it out," Clover squeaked, earning a nod from the man.

"Anyone not assisting with Robyn needs to focus on Tyrian. I want to know who he's working with, where he's hiding, and how the fuck he got that video of Penny all over my Kingdom. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," Winter and Clover replied in unison.

"Yes sir,"

Nora and Ruby turned to Ren, who was standing at attention just like Winter and Clover. They both shared a look, wondering what was going through his head. Levi just sighed, not knowing what to do or what to even say.


Location: Mantle Crater

Levi frowned as he looked around. It had been his first time down in the Crater. He had heard it was the slums of Mantle. It was a giant chasm left in the wake of Atlas rising to the sky. It had once been an industrial area, filled with Dust Mines, Iron Mines, and foundries. Now, the only thing left from that age was the heavy machinery. There was a small wind farm near the edge of the Crater, providing some of the rackety homes with power. The old machines were kept in working order to provide heat. The Crater was the only place in Mantle that wasn't on the heating grid, and due to this, everyone was forced to burn anything and everything that could be burned.

"This place is awful," Blake mumbled softly, ears folded down. Marrow let out a chuckle, shaking his head.

"Thanks for the reminder. You know some people don't really like it when outsiders say that," he said. The dog faunus jumped down from the back of the truck, checking his scroll. "We're here to give the people supplies, not to say things about their homes."

"She has a right to speak her mind, kid. No need to get bent over it," Levi said, standing between the two. The dog faunus glared at him, scoffing as he looked away.

"Yeah, whatever. I bet the two of you are used to living the good life. You guys are friends with a Schnee after all."

"Us being friends with Weiss has nothing to do with it. One's life isn't better than another. I grew up in Menagerie, and while I did have a decent life, it isn't a life that I wanted. Being trapped on an island was not what I wanted for myself."

"You had it better than most of us then," Marrow said, looking away from her. "My whole life, I've been treated badly by those in power. It's always insult this, or look at that mutt or how could they let him work here? It just serves to remind me that I'll always be below someone else."

His fist shook angrily as he looked up at the sky. "That's the reason I joined the Military. I trained my ass off just to qualify for Atlas Academy. I didn't have the luxury of heading to a Huntsman Academy like other people. No matter how many times I tried getting into Eden Academy, I failed. But General Ironwood saw potential in me, and gave me a chance, and I succeeded. I made it out, and I don't appreciate someone saying something about my home like that."

Levi and Blake shared a look, the raven-haired girl looking apologetic. She stepped forward, rubbing her arm in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Marrow. I wasn't aware that-"

"That I was born here? Yeah, I try to keep it hidden. I… look, it isn't your fault, okay? I just don't like it when people say that stuff." he said.

"Saying this place is awful is just pointing out a fact of life," Levi said, ears twitching slightly as he looked around. The people were hugging each other, hanging around roaring fires. Some were watching TV on old holovisions, while others were using old tube TVs hooked up to a Lightning Dust energy converter. "Not doing something about it is the true crime here."

"Why doesn't General Ironwood use his influence to help the people here? The Atlas Military should have more than enough supplies. To build actual homes, or at least get the Heating Grid down here."

"Because Atlas High Society doesn't give enough of a damn about us down here," Mantle said, a frown on his face. "Do you actually think people like Jacques Schnee care about the slums? When he's eating lobster and drinking fine wine every night? Do you think people like Ivy Brown would have done anything good for us? Of course not. They take one look at the Crater, laugh at our misery, and then look the other way. It's how it's always been."

Levi and Blake deflated a bit at his words, looking away, almost in shame. Mantle didn't say anything, instead, he plastered a smile on his face as he started unloading boxes. The second he did, several kids started running toward them, cheerful smiles on their faces.

"Mr. Amin, did you bring us food?" one little girl asked, earning a nod from the dog faunus.

"Yes, I did! I got food for everyone, so go and get your parents, tell them to line up while we pass these things out," he said. Two of the kids left, but one remained, a sad look on her face.

"I don't have parents," she said. Marrow opened his mouth to say something, but Levi beat him to the punch, kneeling down in front of the girl.

"It'll be okay, I lost my parents a while back too. It's hard, I won't lie, but things will be better," he said, ruffling her hair. "Now, how about some candy? It isn't healthy but it'll cheer you up."

She bobbed her head gleefully as he reached into the box, pulling out a chocolate bar. "Oh, what's that? I've never seen candy like that before."

"It's one of my favorites, I made sure to sneak a few in here while the boxes were being loaded up," Levi said, handing it to the girl. "Me and my mom used to eat these when she came back from dangerous missions."

"Was your mom a huntress like Mr. Amin is?" she asked, earning a nod from the young man. He looked around for a moment, finding a large crate. He sat down on it, picking the girl up and putting her on his lap.

"My mom was a really strong huntress. She went toe to toe with some really big grimm, all by herself. She had silver eyes like me and could vaporize them with a single look. Zap!" he said, snapping his fingers for emphasis. "Just like that, the big scary monsters were gone!"

"That's a whole lot of baloney!" a boy said, causing Levi to look at him. He had a big pair of fox ears on his head, bending slightly from the wind. "There's no way someone could just look at Grimm and turn them to dust!"

"Oh, but they exist! I have a friend named Ruby that did just that, not only that but-" he leaned in, his eyes flashing slightly. "I have Silver Eyes too. I've never used them but… well you know, I got them."

"Then prove it, turn something into dust right now!"

Levi sighed, shaking his head, a smile on his face. "I wish I could, kiddo, but my eyes only work on Grimm."

"So you're a liar!"

"I am not! Blake, can you tell them that I'm not lying?" he asked, glancing at the cat faunus, who was holding back her giggles. "Oh come on, Blake, don't just laugh."

"I'm sorry, it's just cute watching you argue with a kid."

"Whoa, she's really pretty!" another boy said, by now a small crowd of kids had gathered, taking interest in both the food and in Levi. "Hey mister, is she your wife?"

"Wife? You went and skipped over the girlfriend stage and went straight to wife?" Levi asked, holding back a laugh. "Nah, she's not my wife, but she's a really good friend. A sister even."

"Aw… but you do have a wife, right? Mr. Amin always talks about his wife."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Bronya Rand is not my wife, she's a character from my favorite game, that's it!"

"Poor Mr. Amin made a mistake. Don't you know that sharing your waifu with someone can ruin your laifu?" Levi asked, earning a death glare from his fellow faunus.

"I will bury your body in a place that'll never be found."

"You'll have to get through my bodyguard first," he said, gesturing to Blake who merely rolled her eyes.

"Just… stop messing around and help with this? We need to get back to Atlas soon, you know the General only gave us a one-hour window." the man said, making Levi frown. He set the little girl back down on the ground, ruffling her hair.

"Sorry, but I gotta get my work done. Maybe when I come down here next time, I'll tell you some more stories."

"Aw… okay, do you Promise?"

"Of course I do," he said, giving her a smile.


Location: Brown Ironworks

"Graaahhh!"

Antonio shuddered a bit as the bottle shattered by his face. He tried not to let it bother him as he adjusted his tie. Ivy turned to face him, having swept everything from her desk onto the floor. "How? How is it that after everything we did, I still lost?"

"There was no guarantee that your words were going to reach the masses, Ivy. Compared to Robyn Hill, you didn't earn their trust. Not to mention all of the shady things you did behind their backs. Having that homeless man killed, for asking a question?"

"I had to eliminate dissenters, Antonio, you understood that, right? Besides, your hands aren't clean in this. You hired a Gang to steal construction materials, had your daughter kill the journalists getting close to discovering us, and gave that money to a trusted partner to launder it. If any of that comes to light, you can kiss your dreams of making your Opera famous goodnight."

The man shook his head. "Those dreams will remain dreams, my dear. I am far too deep in this for me to get out unscathed. Alas, as long as my family is unharmed, I do not care what happens to me."

Ivy clenched her fist tightly, reaching for the bottle of rum. She pressed it to her lips, downing several gulps before pulling it away from herself. "We need to start making plans. The Atlas Military can't continue to control us. I've already told my workers to stop producing steel and iron for Atlas. They've grown desperate, enough that they might force me to keep the foundry open."

"You can't do that, you know. Ironwood is a powerful man, eventually, he'll get his way. I tried telling Piccolo that, and despite that, QuantumCore shut down all nonessential operations. Playing with fire is bound to get us burned."

"Forget all of that! I hold a lot of power in Mantle, Antonio. After all, Brown Ironworks is Mantle and Atlas's largest suppliers of wrought iron and steel. I am basically untouchable. Besides, we've covered our tracks well, there is no way they'd find us." the brunette said, holding back a laugh. "They can't prove I called a hit on those journalists even if they wanted to. I wasn't the one who killed them, I am home free."

"Conspiracy to commit murder is still a crime. As someone who aspired to be a part of the Atlas Council, you should have learned your laws." Antonio said, setting down his glass. He rose to his feet, adjusting his suit. "Whatever the case may be, it is best we go back to the way things were. I took a large risk trusting you and it had zero payoff. Perhaps that's why Piccolo cut all ties with us."

"That lowly worm only cares about himself. Good luck to him if he wants his stupid prosthetics to make it out of Mantle. With the way things are, I doubt this city will last more than six months. Ironwood is going all totalitarian on us. Won't be long before people revolt, and that'll attract the Grimm." she said, chuckling. "And when they do well… they'll wish they had someone other than Ironwood and Schnee up in the Council."

A knock filled the office, causing Ivy to growl. "What?"

"Um, ma'am… there's someone here to see you."

"Tell them to fuck off, I'm not taking visitors!"

The door suddenly flew open. Valentine Aeterna strode forward, a sneer on his face as he stepped toward the center of the room. "I'm afraid you'll have no choice but to accept my meeting, Miss Brown."

"Well… if it isn't the son of Noctis Aeterna. What, did you come here to gloat about some business deal with the Atlas Military? I'll have you know, Aeterna Steelworks is shit compared to my priceless company," she said, a smirk on her face.

"Believe me, ma'am, I'd love to discuss how much better my father's steelworks are than yours. Alas, I've separated myself from his company after he tragically died in that mine explosion. Of course, that is not why I am here." he said, reaching into his pocket. "By order of the Atlas Military, Ivy Brown, Antonio DiCappriccio, you are both under arrest."

Ivy's eyes widened in shock. "A-Arrest? Why? What is Ironwood planning now, huh? I've committed no crimes!"

"Oh I beg to differ," Valentine said, pocketing his Huntsman license. "You are being charged with Money Laundering, Grand Larceny of Construction Materials, Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder, Illegal Arms Dealing, Drug Trafficking, Tax Fraud, Campaign Fraud, Four Counts of First Degree Murder, and finally, 4 Counts of Frameup toward General Ironwood and the Atlas Military."

Valentine reached into his pocket for a pair of bolas, throwing them at Ivy, who tried and failed to dodge them. They spun around her body, causing her to fall to the floor. "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one shall be provided to you free of charge by the Kingdom. Do you understand your rights as I have read them to you?"

"Go fuck yourself! I'm innocent!"

"Up ta-ta! I don't think so~"

Ivy growled as she looked toward the window, seeing Metera floating by it, holding a scroll in her grasp. "This whole conversation you two had before our arrival? Yeah, it was all recorded. Try disproving that to a judge."

"You insolent little, that's a crime! Invasion of Privacy! It won't stand in court!"

"I have a warrant directly from the Atlas Council," Valentine said, holding the signed document above the woman. He knelt down before her, grabbing a hold of her face. "Now you get to pay for what you did, you fucking cunt. You killed my best friend, I am going to make sure you are buried deep beneath the Crater for what you did."

He rose to his feet, gesturing for the soldiers to enter. "Get her out of here boys, and as for you, Mr. DiCappriccio."

"Please… I'll comply with you. All I ask is that you allow me to call my wife," he said, causing Valentine to sigh, nodding.

"Fine, make it quick. Teri, keep your eyes on him would you?"

"I got you, darling," she replied, entering the office through the window. She drew her twin blades, joining them together and taking aim at the man, the glowing arrow pulsing with Energy Dust. Antonio frowned as he reached into his pocket.

"I've failed you, Cadence. I'm sorry."

xxx

Quintus Piccolo sat alone in his office, tuning out the video feed beside him. It was a breaking news bulletin, announcing the arrest of Ivy Brown and Antonio DiCappriccio in Mantle. He paid no attention to it as he reached for his bottle of alcohol, pressing it to his lips. He set it down beside him, his gaze locked on the photograph in his grasp.

It was his favorite picture, one that had been taken in Beacon Academy. It was a picture of his oldest daughter, who had a bright smile on her face. Her long, sky-blue hair was tied into twin tails, falling down past her mid back. She was wearing Beacon's uniform, firmly pressed and free of wrinkles. She was standing next to a tall young man, a faunus, who had become her best friend. He remembered how fondly she spoke about him in her phone calls. He was convinced her little girl had found love, but she never said anything about it.

He had never met the young man in the picture. But he had yearned to. She spoke about the fun times she had at Beacon. About her friends and how much fun she was having. But all of that turned to hell in an instant. The first time he had seen her since she left Atlas, was on a hospital bed, battered and broken. He couldn't bear to see her like that, it was why he started developing microchips, eventually working alongside the Atlas Military to make prosthetics. He didn't want to see parents suffer like he did when she returned to him.

Footsteps filled the office, but he didn't dare look away from the picture. He reached for the alcohol beside him, taking a long drink from it, setting it back down. It was silent for a moment before he finally had it in him to speak. "So… Ironwood decided to send you instead of someone else?"

"The General isn't that cruel. I decided to come of my own volition, you should know how headstrong I am, Dad."

Quintus set down his picture, staring deeply into his daughter's eyes. He didn't see anything other than disappointment. Her face was firm, with no emotion. It was hard to believe it wasn't long ago that she had a nearly unrecognizable face. Now, she looked identical to how she did before.

"Why did you do it? Can you answer that for me?"

He nodded, looking away from her piercing gaze. "The Embargo and the Closure of Borders was affecting my business. There was no way I could continue helping the folks who needed it if my Microchips didn't leave Atlas. I didn't want to at first… when Antonio approached me, I told him it was a bad venture, but he convinced me. I didn't want to see anyone else suffer the way I did when you returned from Beacon."

"That isn't a good reason. I understand that the Embargo and the Closure of Borders has been hard on everyone. But that doesn't give you the right nor the authority to do what you did. You colluded with criminals, you used your businesses to launder money. Worst of all, you gave that money to someone who had no qualms about hiring an assassin to kill innocent journalists. Journalists who wanted to get the truth out to the people of Mantle, because they deserved to know."

"Sonata, I-"

"Quintus Piccolo, you are hereby under arrest. You are being charged with Money Laundering, Tax Fraud, Campaign Fraud, Drug Trafficking, Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder, Illegal Arms Dealing, Colluding with Criminals, Withholding Materials without Proper Reasoning, Breach of Contract with the Atlas Military, and finally… Four Counts of First Degree Murder."

The young woman walked around the side of his desk, forcing him to stand up. "You have the right to remain silent, everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, the Kingdom will provide you one free of charge. Do you-"

She paused, biting back her tears as she spoke. "Do you understand your rights as I have read them to you?"

"Yes. I have one request, Special Operative…" he said, causing her to look at him. He pressed his lips into a thin line. "Don't handcuff me, I'll comply with you."

Sonata nodded, gesturing for the soldiers at the entrance to surround them. She held onto his wrist, her weapon, Carolloo in her grasp. "You have… no idea how incredibly proud I am of the woman you've become, Sonata. You are my pride and joy."

"And you were mine, before you decided to become a criminal. You have the right to remain silent, I suggest you use it… for my sake," she said dejectedly. Quintus nodded, sighing deeply as he walked forward.


Location: Atlas Academy: Pietro's Laboratory

Although it was bright and welcoming, Pietro's Lab felt almost as cold as Schnee Manor. Levi didn't quite know how to explain it. It was as if the whole place was devoid of feeling. It was nothing more than a place for science. The equipment all around was high-tech, among the most high-tech he had ever seen. There was a large robotic arm attached to the ceiling, seemingly having its own personality. A thick, blue cable ran into the other end of the room, and attached to said cable was Mantle's Protector.

She was unconscious, yet despite that, the silver-haired faunus could see the sadness on her face. It was amazing to see a cybernetic human being emoting so much. In the past, he wouldn't have believed someone like that could exist, but having met her, spoken to her… Penny was as real as he was. And it saddened him to know the people she had protected were now berating and calling for her to be shut down. It hurt him a lot, but it hurt Penny twice as much.

His ear perked up, his attention going back to the holovision on Pietro's desk. He and Maria were watching the news, which was showing the doctored video of Penny. It had been rerun so many times that he had grown sick of it.

"The toll from last night's warehouse massacre has finally come in. Four additional attendees have been confirmed dead. One witness describes the massacre as horrible, something no one should witness. Three of the victims were single mothers, whose children have been taken to Mantle's Orphanage. Sadly, these three managed to escape and are currently missing. The Atlas Military pleads for calm as the investigation continues, all the while, the citizens ask for The Protector of Mantle's Termination and Dismantling.

In other News, Council Seat Candidate Ivy Brown has been arrested. She is being charged with several crimes, chief among them being First Degree Murder, Tax Fraud, Money Laundering, and Frameup. Quintus Piccolo of QuantomCore and Antonio DiCappriccio of the DiCappriccio Opera House have been arrested and are accused of being her accomplices. Ivy Brown is believed to be responsible for the deaths of Four Journalists, one being Joshamee Hobbs of the Mantle Tribune, the first victim who was found deceased in December."

"How is she doing?"

Pietro looked away from the news, turning to Ruby who had a look of concern on her face. He let out a disappointed sigh, maneuvering his chair out from behind his desk. He had a tired look on his face, his eyes filled with worry. "She's confused, scared. We'll have her recorded visual data shortly. That should prove her innocence, but the damage has already been done."

"The things people are saying about her…" he continued, slamming his fist against his chair, his worry turning to anger. "Why, if she wasn't there, Robyn would be-"

His body was raked by loud coughs, the man clutching his chest. Levi pushed himself away from the desk, standing by him. "Are you alright, sir?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

"I don't think Robyn was their target," Ruby said, glancing back at the unconscious girl. "Salem's goal has always been to divide us. I think Penny was exactly where they wanted her, just like at the Vytal Festival."

"And just like back then, someone is using our own technology against us. This doctored footage of Penny came from her work all around Mantle. Stolen right from the surveillance network." Pietro said, causing Levi to frown.

"Just like the 5th Street Cobras, they hacked into the cameras and recorded a loop. They then used that video to mask the surveillance cameras so they could steal those supplies. That's why no one figured out who it was that was stealing it all,"

"Ugh! Hacking, technology… Why can't people just do what they used to when I was young and fight to the death?!" Maria exclaimed, a crazed look on her face. She cocked her head, reaching down for the cup of tea beside her. "Much simpler if you asked me."

"Fighting to the death doesn't solve everything, Maria. It just puts more people in danger," Weiss added, briefly glancing at Levi. He looked away from her, trying not to think about his fight with Tyrian the day before.

Pietro shook his head, taking his glasses off. "Well, if we're dealing with the same enemy from Beacon, hacking into Mantle's system would be easy. Fortunately, the rest of Atlas is running on an upgraded network."

"Hm… and how would someone get access to that network?" Weiss asked. The man turned to look at her, wiping his glasses before placing them back on.

"Only a few people have clearance. Ironwood, the Council, our cybersecurity and surveillance leads. Perhaps a select few who oversee critical systems, like sewage and the heating grid." he replied, earning a nod from the former heiress, who turned back to Penny.

"The heating grid runs in partnership with the Schnee Dust Company," she stated, a pensive look on her face.

"What are you thinking?" Ruby asked, earning a shrug from her friend.

"I don't know yet, but something isn't right."

"Understatement of the century," Maria quipped, causing the cloaked girl to sigh.

"When I went to Schnee Manor to speak with Jacques Schnee, to convince him to turn the Grid back on; Weiss's mother, Willow, mentioned him speaking with some man. Apparently, he spends long hours with him, but she never mentioned his name." Levi said.

"A clue, perhaps, but without a name, we can't say who it is," Ruby said, shaking her head. She glanced back at Pietro, whose gaze was firmly on Penny. She forced a smile onto her face, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And how are you doing?"

"If Maria hadn't offered to help me and Sora these past few weeks, I'd have likely collapsed by now. Even now, Sora is out there searching for extra components to strengthen Penny's body. Thanks to QuantomCore shutting down all nonessential operations, getting microchips has been a pain. Not only that but getting a communications tower into the sky seems impossible on its own. Now though… to think what people wanna do to my girl…"

The man teared up, looking at his hands for a brief moment. Another wave of coughs rocked his body, causing Ruby to worry. Levi stood straight as he looked at the man, a firm look on his face.

"Nothing is going to happen to your daughter, sir. She's our friend, and if Mantle wants to tear her apart, for any reason, well… they better learn to fight because I won't let them get close," he replied.

"Levi's right. Even if the worst does happen, you can always reactivate her again, so maybe try not to worry so much. That'll just make her worry even more." Ruby said, trying to be as reassuring as possible. The man nodded, regaining his ability to breathe shortly after.

"You know… there's a reason why Penny is the only one of her kind," he said, directing his chair over to his desk. He grabbed a picture from it, showing several Atlas scientists. His thumb was resting over one of them, blocking their face entirely. Levi looked over his shoulder at the photograph, recognizing only a few people, Pietro being one of them, while Ironwood was the only other one he recognized. "When the General first challenged us to find the next breakthrough in defense technology, most of my colleagues pursued more obvious choices…"

He paused for a moment, a smile flashing onto his face. "I was one of the few who believed in looking inward for inspiration."

"You wanted a protector with a soul, right?"

"I did. And when General Ironwood saw her, he did too. Much to my surprise, the Penny Project was chosen over all the other proposals." he said.

"Why would you be surprised? You worked hard for this," Levi added, earning a nod from Weiss, who stood by him.

"You made something incredible, you created an artificial aura!"

The man let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Not quite."

They stepped away in shock, the man's body glowed bright green, aura flickering to life. To their surprise, they noticed several patches and holes in his aura. He coughed again, body shaking as his aura disappeared.

"Y-you gave her yours?" Ruby squeaked. The man nodded, sighing audibly as he sat back in his seat.

"Yes, and each time I rebuild her, it takes a little more. If people get what they want… and she's destroyed… I won't be able to…" he grit his teeth, breaking into sobs. Maria moved toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder as he cried. Levi balled his fist tightly, turning away from the man.

"Don't worry, Pietro… we'll find the one responsible for this, and when we do… well… he'll wish he messed with someone else," he replied, heading toward the door.

"And where are you doing? You know the General forbade you from leaving the Atlas for today, right?" Weiss asked, a hand on her hip. He rolled his eyes.

"I know, I'm gonna have a chat with Neo about something. If she's up for typing that is."

"Levi, you know one day she's going to-"

"Kick my teeth in, I know Ruby. I'll try not to mess with her too much, especially after last night," he said, giving his friend a wave as he left the lab. Weiss and Ruby shared a look, neither saying a word. There was far too much on their minds to figure out what to even do. They just hoped nothing bad happened again.

Of course, fate had other plans for all of them. Only time would tell what those plans would be…


A/N: The fight against Tyrian was something I had been planning practically since the beginning. I always wanted him to be involved in Levi's past. Salem has been killing Silver-Eyed warriors for a long time, so it made sense that she used Tyrian to handle that. But for the miqo'tes, it was something had to do personally. Their race was the closest to the mages of old, due to how they could bring out the true potential of Dust and do acts of magic with them, limited acts anyway. The fact most of them were born with Silver Eyes gave her an incentive to murder them all, but it is also thanks to Y'shtola, Levi's mother, that they knew Salem's one and only weakness. That is the reason she's killing them all, because their Silver Eyes, a gift from the God of Light himself, is potentially the only thing that could stop her. Not kill her, but stop her. And that is certainly going to become useful in the future.

Also had to throw in Weiss slapping Levi there because he put himself in unnecessary danger lol. That's two slaps on the counter since she slapped him back at Argus too. What a healthy relationship lol. If you are curious about that, all I will say is Soon.

Whelp... that's about it for now. I've actually made it to the end of Volume 8's events, those events are the ones I wanted to tackle and change a lot of, for more personal reasons. Volume 8 had a lot of good moments but the bad outweigh the good. It's been fun working with those events. But now I get to work on Volume 9 and boy that's gonna be fun, given I have to change a lot of things as Neo is not an enemy anymore. That'll be interesting.

Before I go, I will say that I have written a couple of omakes for the story. They were bonus scenes that were meant to be a part of the main story, but just couldn't fit anywhere. With so many events to cover I just didn't know where to put them in and I didn't want to add filler to the story. All of the omakes will take place within the Atlas Arc of the story, but some may cover past events that happened before the story began. I've always wanted to cover more about Levi's time at Beacon and even reveal what his Initiation was like. I wanna say every class had a different one and that Ruby's class was the one with chess pieces but I doubt Ozpin would do that. I know Theodore launches kids into a dangerous pit which I find hilarious. Shame we never found out what Haven's initiation was like. Atlas was probably BootCamp which makes sense given what Atlas Academy is. I shall be posting both of those Omakes along with the next update as their own thing so look forward to them. For now, that'll do. See you all when I see you.