Promise: (Atlas Arc)
Chapter 1: In the Shadow of Atlas
It was a cold day in Mantle. Even with the heating that was placed all throughout the city, it was cold. The Schnee Dust Company was responsible for keeping these heaters running, large fire dust-powered vents kept the city so hot that it actually rained, a rare sight in Solitas. Had they not been turned on constantly, that rain would have turned to snow a long, long time ago. Despite this, the rain was a constant weather that swept through the lower world, as the mighty Atlas citizens referred to them.
Being born in Mantle bothered him none. In fact, it made him realize where he ranked in the grand scheme of things. The former kingdom of Mantle was now defunct, with the council moving up to Atlas on the day it rose from the ground and into the heavens. His great-grandfather had been a wee lad when that happened. How he wished he could have seen it. It wasn't every day that a large piece of land just floated into the sky.
When you were born in Mantle, two things were assured to you. You were among the lower rungs of society and likely would have a hard time going anywhere in life, and the second one, you would always live in the shadow of Atlas. It was just the unwritten law that all Mantle citizens grew up knowing.
Gods, it was blistering cold. How was it that a city so modern could be hot and cold at the same time? The heat rose from the ground, and yet it seemed so cold. Perhaps it wasn't cold. As in the feeling one got in the absence of heat. But cold. As in the absence of feeling.
That was what all of Mantle felt like. After the embargo was initiated almost a year ago, the people began losing favor with the Atlas Elite. Why was it that they could sit high and dry while the world below them rotted away? It was almost like an apple. It was a bright delicious fruit, sweet and red. It was sweet and had many uses. From Applesauce to apple cider, to even delicious apple pie. But the core? It was useless. Just the center of a useful fruit. You couldn't even eat the core, let alone use it for anything.
That's what the average Mantleian would think. Mantle was the core and Atlas was the apple. But they often forgot, the core was what housed the seeds. The seeds that would sprout a new plant. New Life. It was in the core of the apple that these seeds for the future would be stored. In many ways, Mantle was the life of the kingdom. After all, Mantle was the settlement that started the colonization of Solitas. It was where the first miners grew up, where the first convoys moved and spread out. Where Alcius Academy was built, and finally, it was thanks to Mantle that Atlas even floated at all.
So while Mantle was slowly beginning to rot, it wouldn't be long until Atlas realized just how useful they were, and they would be given the rights they deserved to have. But so long as the Military took control of everything, so long as Ironwood kept commanding his troops to patrol the streets, and control the people, bend them to his will, nothing would change.
And yet, as he stood watch over the city he called home, he could sense something on the wind. The tides were beginning to change. That blistering cold devoid of life and meaning was beginning to grow warm, and peppery. He knew something was going to happen that would shake not just Atlas, but the world.
As long as those in power continued being in power, the stagnant status quo would never change. The upcoming Council election would likely prove that. He was standing at the precipice of a great change. And maybe, just maybe, the shadow that Atlas cast over Mantle would grow just a bit brighter.
Or… it could have the opposite effect.
The young man shivered a bit as the wind picked up, a few Atlas Mantas were flying over the low buildings. The city of Mantle was big, twice as big as cities like Vale and Mistral. It was a rough place to live. The city acted more like one giant slum, neat and tidy and tired and old at the same time. The lower boroughs near the edge of the city were filled with residences. Large, dinky apartment buildings made of brick and mortar. Often, these buildings spanned many multiple floors, between three and nine. The streets were paved, some missing chunks from constant Grimm attacks. Near the center, right beneath Atlas was where the commerce district sat.
This place was filled with tall buildings, the tallest being nearly fifty stories tall. This one was mostly filled with offices, but the very top floors belonged to the sole news outlet for the city of Mantle, the "Mantle Tribunal" of which he was a proud member. The other buildings couldn't reach the same height as this powerhouse of the press. In many ways, it was one of the proudest achievements for Mantle. It was a remnant of the old world, the world before Atlas. When Alcius Academy still existed, and the Atlas Military was just a bunch of armored men and women on border watch.
Despite the grunge-like atmosphere of Mantle, and how uninviting it looked, it was anything but. The city was actually very inviting. People from the outskirts, from the old mining towns and cities beyond the reach of Atlas often moved to Mantle, as it was far too cold to survive. The Atlas Military did their best to keep those cities fed, and protected from the Grimm, but Solitas was a cold and solitary continent, with harsh areas, just like the rest of Remnant. At least the Grimm weren't the sole source of misery in this continent.
He couldn't help but feel sorry for the citizens. Those stuck here from other nations, unable to return home, and those who wanted to leave because they were scared of the military. Things were getting worse. Now, security drones patrolled the streets, and without proper identification, you'd be arrested or worse. He had seen plenty of these in the last week alone. He was glad he had graduated from Atlas Academy a few years ago, or else he'd likely be one of those frequent visitors to the best prisons in Mantle.
"We of the Atlas Military cannot express our appreciation enough. Many describe these as uncertain times, and while that may be the case for the rest of the world, I can tell you what is certain. The Kingdom of Atlas will remain strong, and it will remain safe. That is my promise,"
"Safe huh? That's why my co-worker was found dead in an alleyway? That's why you aren't doing anything for us? What happened to you, General? Was the Fall of Beacon that bad for you?" the young man asked, as he reached inside his pocket for his flask. He untwisted the top, taking a long drink from it.
The cool feeling of the aged rum did wonders for him. The sharp, wood taste served to wake him up, a slight warmth filling his body as it sat in the pit of his stomach. He wiped his lips with his sleeve, pocketing the flask.
He adjusted his hat, his pink eyes scanning the world below him. Another regimen of soldiers had been dispatched, all of them walking in formation, flanked by those ghastly drones. He looked away after a moment, his eyes looking back up at Atlas. The giant continent that floated above Mantle. That was how it had always been, for as long as he could remember. It was always there. Picturing a day without it there, he doubted anyone ever thought about that.
He was a man of twenty-four, with short, spiky pink hair that reached down to his shoulders. He was wearing a black beanie on his head, with various patches sewn in, including one he had gotten in Atlas Academy. He also had a thin strand of hair, tied into a tight braid at the left of his face. He was wearing a long black trench coat, with a high collar, which was embedded with silver-colored studs. He was wearing a crimson red scarf around his neck, which reached down almost to the floor. He wore a white tee shirt, over a long-sleeved thermal shirt, which sat just below his hips.
He wore a pair of black trousers, stuffed into a pair of armored buckle boots, with rounded steel toes. Strapped to his left hip was his personal weapon, a katana, whose sheathe doubled as a handgun. He had built it in Phoros Academy, back when he wished to become a soldier in the Atlas Military. Now, he was just a huntsman who had dedicated his life to making sure the news was known across Mantle. His caramel complexion often betrayed his origins in Mantle. Most thought he had migrated to Mantle, but he had been born and raised there.
His name was Valentine Aeterna, and he longed for nothing more than for the world to be at peace. But, with how things were turning out, he seriously doubted that would happen any time soon.
Suddenly, he heard the familiar thrusters of a ship, an Atlas Manta, in fact. He placed a hand atop his head, to ensure his beanie didn't come flying off. He saw the ship fly past him, heading down toward one of the more beat-up parts of town. This Manta was flying abnormally low. In fact, it wasn't taking any of the known flight paths. While Mantas did fly over the city, it was rare for them to be in this area. His journalist mode kicked in, he needed to go after it.
"How the hell am I supposed to get across the buildings?" he thought, glancing down at the street below.
"Do you need a lift, my dear?"
He closed his eyes, that familiar voice filling his skull. He loathed it, but he couldn't help but love it as well. It belonged to a seductress, after all, one whom he was glad to call his own. He peered over his shoulder, seeing the woman of his dreams floating above the ground, a playful smirk on her face.
"I see you are contemplating things again, my dear. Did you spot something of interest? Maybe you want to take down some more of those evil Atlas Security Drones?" she asked, lips pursed, eye closed in a playful wink. She tapped her chin, her dainty finger tapping the edge of her lip. "Or maybe, you want to follow that Manta that dipped a little too low below the clouds, is that it?"
"Are you reading my thoughts or are you just messing with me?"
"A little bit of both, darling, you know me," she continued, finally touching down, her heeled boots clicking softly against the concrete roof.
She was a gorgeous woman, with a sunkissed complexion that glowed with a sheen, reminding him of the shimmer of a polished diamond. She had long, silky honey-colored hair, that cascaded down her back in long tresses, reaching down past her hips, down just behind her knees. She was wearing a very revealing ensemble, consisting of a brown corset, tied at the back with thick leather straps. The front was covered in thick armor plating, light and easy to wear, it was low cut and protected each of her lovely assets, of which she was very proud.
She wore a pair of black leather bikini shorts, and around her waist was a thin see-through waistcoat, with various golden designs, in the shape of flowers, animals, and other markings he couldn't really place. She was wearing a pair of black thigh-high stockings, with white frills at the top, extending down to her small, but gorgeous feet. She wore a pair of armored heeled boots, the armor rising in layers to her knee, serving to protect one of her powerful assets. She wore matching sleeves on her arms, with armored braces on her arms. The most noticeable feature were the two ears that sat atop her head.
They were soft, fluffy, slightly cone-shaped ears that flicked and moved at her whim. It was one of her proudest features, second only to her chest. Her beautiful face was always contorted in a grin, either perverted, lavish, or somewhere in between. Her full pink lips looked very soft and very kissable, and that beauty mark that sat right below her lower lip…
Valentine shook his head, becoming aware of just how much he had been staring. Of course, this woman was his significant other, meaning he could stare at her as much as he wanted, for as long as he wanted. But he knew time was of the essence. He took a deep breath, resting a hand on his hip. "Teri, what are you doing here? I thought you were researching that missing person's case?"
"I was," she said, head tilting a bit as she walked toward the edge of the building.
He noticed the twin blades strapped behind her back, in a cross. Beautiful, gilded blades, forged out of the finest metal in all of Remnant. They were hooked blades, sharpened to a razor's edge, and had a special mechanism that allowed them to be connected at the center, forming her signature weapon, her bow. The wind picked up again, blowing a bit of her hair in his direction, allowing him to get a whiff of her cinnamon-scented perfume. She turned to face him, the playful smirk ever present.
"That was until I tuned into the Atlas Military radio and heard something of interest over the chatter. It seems there's a Manta that's deviating away from its course. It's been labeled a threat by the military. I decided it would be for the best to track it down, but what do I find when I do? My wonderful boyfriend, staring out into the distance, a look of melancholy on his face."
The look on her face shifted to a frown, as she reached for him. "Were you thinking about Hobbs again?"
"Hobbs, Ironwood, all of fucking Mantle. This shit is driving me nuts Teri. Every day I gotta wake up and see the same shit, and smell the same scents. I gotta stand here and watch my nation die and no one does a bloody thing about it," he snapped, his fist clenched tightly. "We finally get a break, something that could maybe turn the tides, get Robyn up to the council, and what happens? Our friend gets murdered."
"Val."
"I'm telling you, Teri. Ivy Brown is behind this, she's pulling some shady shit to get herself on that council ballot. Why is it that everyone around here decides to just blindly follow what she says when all of her campaign promises just go nowhere? She's funneling funds from somewhere, and that campaign of hers is going to fall apart. She's stealing from the people but everyone is too fucking blind to see it!"
"Val?"
"God, why is it that Ironwood fails to see the true problems going on in Mantle? I get that you're scared because of what happened to Beacon, but for the love of God, focus on the problems around your own home. The Atlas Airfleet has been positioned to attack for months now, what the fuck are we expecting to fight?"
"VAL!"
He jumped a bit, turning to face his girlfriend, who had a frightened look on her face. He sighed, realizing he had gone into another tangent. She placed a hand on his face, giving him a bright smile. He held his hand over hers, sighing a bit at her warmth. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking deep calming breaths.
"I'm sorry, Teri."
"There's no need to apologize, darling. Both of us are stressed, we'll get to the bottom of this. For now, let's see where that rogue ship landed," she said, giving him a firm kiss on the cheek. He felt himself float off the ground, almost falling. "You know, it's supposed to be the man who sweeps the woman off her feet, not the other way around,"
"You need to stop making me float with your kisses," he said with an eye roll. She took a hold of his hand, pulling him along.
"We need a day off. It's been such a long time since we've been on a date, my love. How about we take tomorrow off and just float around?" Teri asked, making him nod. "Excellent, we can make a picnic and everything."
Valentine could only nod. Maybe his girlfriend was right, a day off could be what he needed to recover some of his sanity. At least, that's what he hoped.
xxx
It hadn't been long since Team RWBY, Team ORNJ, Levi, Alto, Neo, Qrow and Maria had landed in Mantle. The city was a lot different than Levi had imagined. It looked almost tired. As if it hadn't seen the light of day for a very long time. And how could it, when Atlas floated right above it, casting a perpetual shadow over it.
They pressed themselves against a wall, waiting for an ATV and a regimen of soldiers to walk by. The citizens looked at them, mostly in fear, while others looked at them in annoyance or anger. There were medium-sized drones floating over the ground, scanning anyone that looked at them wrong. Levi panted a bit, trying to muscle through the pain. Thankfully, Neo's Semblance had allowed her to craft replicas of his missing limbs, allowing him to at least walk like normal. Though his leg was very fragile, he knew if he misstepped, he'd end up on the ground in an instant.
"Levi? Are you sure you are okay to walk?" Weiss asked softly, making him glance up at her. He frowned a bit, being reminded of the battle they had narrowly survived.
Her dress had been practically torn off, only the skirt remained, as the top half had been ripped off by Adam Taurus. She had taken the remaining sleeves and tied them together, using them to cover her breasts, as the man had also destroyed her bra. Her hair was out of place and her tiara was gone. Thankfully, the bruises and busted lip she had hours ago had healed thanks to Jaune's aura. Even so, he couldn't bear to see her like that. He looked away, the expression on his face falling.
"I'm fine, Weiss. It's not like we can find a hospital here of all places, Mantle is a huge place. Not only that, but it won't be long until they find the ship. We need to make it to Maria's friend's shop before we get found," he said. He paused for a moment, undoing his cloak. He wrapped it around her body, making sure it was firmly placed. "There."
"T-thank you," she said, flushing red. He smiled back at her, for the first time since they had landed."
"You're welcome."
"Hey, Lovebirds? The troops are gone, are we gonna stick around here smelling trash or are you gonna follow us?" Yang asked, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder. The pair glared at her but followed along. Levi hobbled a bit as he walked. His leg didn't exactly bend at the knee, making it function almost like a pegleg. It had its functions, but it hurt like hell whenever he put pressure on it.
"Remember, failure to cooperate with Atlas Military Personnel is a punishable offense. If your sector is under lockdown…"
Levi tried to tune the message out. He couldn't help but look up at the hard-light screen. Winter Schnee was the one delivering the message, a firm, no-nonsense look on her face. She looked just as beautiful as the last time he had seen her. Of course, the first time had seen her had been when she spoke with his mother during the Vytal Tournament. She looked happy and upbeat then. Now, she looked worn, tired, just like the General. The man was a shell of his former self. He hardly recognized him with his thick beard. The last year had not been kind to any of them.
The group paused at the opening of a street, seeing several soldiers running in the direction they had come from. They continued walking like normal, the soldiers not even looking back at them. Levi's ear folded back a bit as he tried to listen to them.
"It landed over there, come on!"
Levi noticed Neo looking around for something, holding Hush tightly in her grasp. She looked rather nervous, but he didn't want to ask her why she was. They continued traversing through the tired streets. Large trucks drove past them, blowing dark clouds of exhaust in their direction. Atleasian Knight 200s stood at every corner, holding their laser rifles tightly in their grasp.
He paused for a moment as the group passed by a holographic screen, seeing several new bulletins, several reports standing out to him.
Mantle Tribune Journalist Found Slain.
Election Imminent, Mantle Hometown Hero vs Atlesian Tycoon.
Embargo: The Right Call? Pressure and Criticism Continue to Mount on Council.
The Search for Weiss Schnee Continues: Last Seen in a Distribution Center 10 months ago. The Former S.D.C. Heiress has dropped off the face of Atlas.
"Hey Weiss, you're famous," he said, making the white-haired girl stop in her tracks. She walked back, looking at the article, it featured a picture of her, a crazed look on her face, with several others standing around her.
"Those bastards, of course, they would use this picture of me. That damn afterparty continues to haunt me,"
She kept grumbling under her breath as she walked, flanked by both Levi and Alto, who kept a wary eye out for anyone or anything that might pose a problem to them.
"Step lively, kids. Hurry! It shouldn't be much more of a walk," the old woman said, as she waddled her way up the street, clutching her cane tightly in her grasp.
"Uh, is this many soldiers normal?" Jaune asked as he looked away from another platoon heading their way. "It seems a little excessive."
"No. At least, I don't think so." the former heiress said, frowning.
"It's probably just a precaution. I read about the Outerwall having a large hole in it, perhaps they're patrolling the streets to make sure there aren't any Grimm out on the prowl." Blake said firmly.
"I hope that's the case," Ruby added, arms crossed tightly as she walked.
Yang waited for her friends to pass, deciding to keep an eye on their rear for a bit. She heard a whirring sound behind her and slowly turned around. Floating behind her was a security drone. It wasn't much longer than a medium-sized house dog, with several blades spinning to keep it aloft. It had a large camera lens on the front, zooming in and out as it tried to read her face. She looked around for a moment, shrugging her shoulders. She continued walking only to notice the drone was now following her.
She looked back at it, only for it to take a photograph of her. She blinked a few times, only for her to growl. She sent the drone flying back into a wall with a swift kick, the loud crunching of metal filling the air as it fell to the ground, sparking. It somehow managed to get back up, prompting her to give it another kick, this time into the street where it was run over by a truck. She winced a bit, glancing back at her friends, noticing Alto, Oscar, and Neo had been looking at her, the others following suit.
"Erm… maybe we should pick up the pace," she suggested, returning to her place at the front.
"You have to understand," Maria began, grabbing their attention as another military truck zoomed past them. Several more soldiers raced up the street, their radio chatter speaking about an abandoned ship in a nearby alleyway. "The kingdom had just lost the Great War. The people of Mantle needed a sign of a brighter future, and that sign was Alcius. The academy was the grandest in the world and followed the traditions set by the old knights. It evolved into what we have today. The academy was renamed Atlas, after the god that supposedly holds the world over its shoulders. After all, how much brighter could a home in the clouds be?"
They looked up at Atlas once more, seeing the large underside of the gigantic landmass. If it weren't for them knowing a Relic held it up, they would wonder how it was possible something so large and so heavy could even remain afloat. Alto's ears flicked around for a moment, looking away from the floating city. "If you ask me, all Atlas does is cast a shadow on the people. After all, how could the average citizen ever make it up there? Seems like an unattainable unreachable dream."
"That's what the military is for," Nora said, almost sarcastically. "You wanna become an elite? Join our ranks, and get trained to eat things that would make a billy goat vomit. Then we'll send you to fight a foreign war and when you come back, battered and broken we'll deny you your pension,"
A large truck drove past them, filled to the brim with miners, covered in dust and soot. All of them looked worn and tired. The group noticed most of them were faunus, all wearing armbands with the Schnee Crest on them. Another truck zoomed past, with pictures of a white-haired woman, along with the slogan "Protect Mantle" written in bold red letters.
"It's almost like they don't give you a choice. Work for the military and achieve the level of elitism that will get you out of poverty. You get to live in the clouds, free of the worry of dying on the street. Or you could become a miner, and excavate the fuel that powers the world, all for shitty pay and no benefits." Neo's scroll said, for the first time since they had landed. She brushed a bit of exhaust away from her face. "No wonder Mantle is dying,"
"It's been like that for as long as I can remember, sadly, it doesn't seem like it's getting fixed any time soon," Weiss said with a frown. They stopped at a street corner, looking up at the holographic screen, seeing the earlier message Winter had delivered.
"We are here for your safety. Thank you for your cooperation." the message said, only to stop. It started again from the beginning, this time showing General Ironwood.
"Jeez, if I didn't know any better, they're feeding this whole city some propaganda. We're here for your protection. We're here for your needs. If that's the case, why the hell do the people look so fucking miserable?" Yang snapped, her fist shaking a bit in anger. She felt Ruby place her hand on her shoulder, making her sigh. "Sorry, I'm just stressed,"
"I don't blame you… this whole city, it looks just awful," Blake said, ears flat against her head. A man who was walking past her paused, stumbling a bit in his drunken stupor, glaring at the cat faunus.
"Oh yeah?" he slurred, causing the group to stop. "You don't like it here? There's plenty of space out in the tundra!"
"S-sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"Atlas," he slurred, jabbing his finger into her chest, making her shy back. "Is the greatest kingdom in the world, alright?!"
"Hey!" Ruby snapped, glaring at the man. Blake stood between them, holding her hands out.
"We can't cause a scene, Ruby," she said, making the red-clad girl deflate a bit. The man took another drink from his bottle, while his drunken buddy, a man they hadn't noticed, stepped up beside him, clutching his own bottle in his grasp.
"The Embargo…" he slurred, glaring at the group. "The Embargo's got us in a rough patch. But it'll blow over… you'll see!"
"Doubtful, but okay," Levi shrugged, crossing his arms. "It's gonna take a lot more than ending the embargo to fix things. I agree that it's put the whole world in a tizzy, but Atlas shouldn't take it out on Mantle. It's almost as if this city has been forgotten. I'm… truly sorry for any suffering you may have faced,"
"You don't understand anything, you dumb animal." the first man said, taking another gulp from his drink. "We tried to help the other kingdoms and this is what happens? I say they all rot in hell! Mantle doesn't need Mistral, and it most certainly doesn't need Vale. All we did was help them and look at how they repay us! By calling Atlas killers! By making us responsible!"
"Look, I'm sorry alright? I didn't mean to cause any trouble, or to insult you if I did." Blake said, though her tone was rather disingenuous. The drunk man spat on the ground, glaring at her.
"Stupid faunus like you wouldn't unders-"
He suddenly felt weightless, his flask flying out of his hand as he was flung into a nearby dumpster. They all noticed the black glyph on the floor and looked to Weiss who had her rapier in her hand, a small smirk on her face. "What? It was worth it and you know it!"
Levi felt a tug on his sleeve and looked down, seeing Neo pointing to some Atlas Knights. He grit his teeth, hurrying along. "Come on, let's go."
While they get away, the two knights head for the dumpster, asking the drunken man inside some questions. His buddy paused to scratch his head, his eyes suddenly growing wide. "No way, that's… you're-"
He fell to the ground as he failed to give chase, losing the group as they headed up the street and away from the Atlesian Knights.
It didn't take the group long to reach their destination, an old-looking pharmacy that sat on a street corner. There was a large neon sign just above the entrance. The doors and windows looked to be barred, a bright green glow being visible just beyond it. As they approached, the door flew open, a young woman stepped out, moving her prosthetic arm around, a grin on her face.
"Thanks again for your help, doc!"
"Anytime sweetheart, just remember, no more heavy lifting! That model isn't made to take much strain!" a warm, elderly voice rang out. The young woman waved, happily skipping her way down the street. Yang caught the door before it closed, allowing the rest of the group to slowly make their way inside.
She briefly looked around, scanning her surroundings for anyone or anything that might've caught an interest in them. She didn't notice the two figures watching them from above, curious looks on their faces.
"It's good to see you, old friend!" Maria said cheerfully, greeting the apparent owner of the pharmacy. He was a portly man, sitting on an entirely mechanical chair, large spider legs aiding in his walk. He was dressed in a long-sleeved tan shirt, with a dark brown vest over it, and a light pink bowtie wrapped around his neck. He wore matching light brown slacks and dark brown shoes. He wore a pea green hat atop his head, which looked rather worn. He had a confused look on his face as he looked Maria over.
"Ah… yes, yes." the man said, pushing a few papers around his desk. He fixed his glasses, giving Maria another firm look. "Have we met?"
"Well, this is off to a fantastic start," Ren muttered sarcastically. Maria growled, tapping the prosthetic eyes mounted to her face.
"Cybernetic Optical Implants. You adjust them every ten years or so?" she said, making him smile a bit.
"Maria! It's so good to see you, has it been ten years already?"
"Yes, it has. It has been a while hasn't it, but you know what they say, I age like a fine wine. Would've been here sooner if I hadn't run into these jokers." She said, pointing to the teenagers behind her. "At the time, I thought they might need my guidance while fighting off a little old sphinx,"
"Did they?" the man asked, glancing just past them at the group.
"No no. They had much more complicated issues,"
Qrow cleared his throat, grabbing their attention. "And this is?"
"So impatient! Honestly, that's the problem with today's youth!" the woman snapped angrily. "I didn't think I needed to introduce one of Atlas' finest minds!"
Yang looked around for a moment, taking in the old and tired-looking building, along with the shelves filled to the brim with books. "Working in a place like this?"
"He likes to keep a low profile!" Maria said cheerfully, her face dropping a bit as she looked around the group once more. "Something you kids could learn to accomplish."
"You can call me Pietro, it's wonderful to meet you all." the man said, earning a laugh from the elderly woman beside him.
"Finest heart too. This pharmacy is just where he volunteers when he's not building the future of Atlas alongside Ironwood, up in the clouds."
"Bah, it's so stuffy up there! Down here, the doctor gets to help the locals and have a little bit of fun! At least down here, people appreciate the work you do for them, unlike in Atlas." a new voice said.
This belonged to a tall young man, with light blue hair that reached down to the nape of his neck. He had a fair complexion, bright-colored eyes, and strong chiseled features. He was wearing a white overcoat, a light blue shirt underneath, and a set of light armor over his chest. He was wearing a pair of dark blue shorts and armored sneakers. He was holding a tray in his hands, a rather lavish tea set sitting on top of it.
"Had I known we'd be getting this many guests I would have brought more teacups," he said, grinning as he set the platter down. "Maria, so good to see you again. You haven't changed a bit, still as charming as ever, I see."
"Oh you, if you wanted candy all you had to do was ask! Sadly, I lost all my candy during a train attack, courtesy of these jokers here."
The young man looked up, eyes narrowed a bit. "I feel like we've met before. Were you at Beacon Academy, perhaps?"
"Yes, all of us are students there, or were, before the fall," Ruby said, earning a nod from the young man.
"Ah, I see. Then I might have seen you all at the Vytal Festival. I was a fourth-year student when all of that went down, but I have long since graduated. My name is Sora Loire, former member of Team SWAN, I work for the Atlas Military, but on my off days I help Doctor Polendina here in Mantle."
"Polendina?" Blake asked, the name sounding familiar for some reason.
"Yes, yes. I am one of Ironwood's best scientists, in fact, I am currently coaching some new students who have been making great strides in various fields. Especially Miss Arc, she has made so many new discoveries in the field of cybernetics, leading to a brand new type of prosthetic that…" the man paused, shaking his head. "I can't get too far into my rants, I'm afraid I'll talk your ears off."
"Happens to the best of us. Before any of that, we'd like to ask you for help," Yang said, grabbing his attention. "We came to Atlas hoping to talk to General Ironwood but… um…"
"What exactly has been happening here?"
Pietro sighed, coughing a bit as he processed Blake's question. He sighed, glancing at the far wall, eyeing the pictures that were mounted onto it. "Well, the Fall of Beacon took a toll on all of us. James was no different. I couldn't tell you exactly what it was he saw there, but it changed him. He's…"
"He's scared…" Qrow said softly.
"Nah, he's more paranoid than anything," Sora said, as he handed Maria a cup of tea, along with the small bowl of sugar cubes. "You have to understand, it wasn't just the Grimm. Someone came in, dismantled Atlas security code, made a mockery of us, turned it into something it wasn't. It made us all look like traitors and buffoons, idiots who thought they were high and mighty but didn't know shit."
"Yes, whoever managed to do that is either a genius or… one of our own. I fear the answer might be both, and so does the General," Pietro continued, gratefully accepting his cup of tea.
"Maybe Atlas isn't as safe as we all thought," Ren said, causing Levi to pipe up, leaning away from the wall he had been resting against.
"It's not like we can turn back, remember what we did to get here? The sacrifices we made? Turning back is not an option. Not anymore."
"Uh… hey, are you alright man? You look a little-" Sora was caught off by Levi, who gave him a stern look.
"I'm fine, buddy. No need to concern yourself,"
"Levi makes a good point, though. We can't just leave anymore, we're gonna have to do something," Oscar said, placing a hand over the Relic of Knowledge. Weiss stepped forward, holding Levi's cloak tightly around her body, a firm look on her face.
"How does the council feel about all of this? They certainly must be concerned about what's happening. What about Winter Schnee? Has she made any statements?"
"Well," the man paused, scratching his head. "The council's just as scared as Ironwood is paranoid. They'll agree to whatever he wants. Though some representatives from Mantle… hey, wait a minute… you're Weiss Schnee!"
The girl looked around for a moment, shying away. Neo stepped up in front of her, almost, looking rather overprotective as she held onto Hush. Yang cleared her throat, holding her arm out, trying to get the man to stay on point.
"What was that you were going to say about Mantle?"
He shifted his gaze, his eyes widening a bit in surprise. "You… you painted it!"
"What?"
"Is everything alright, sir?" Sora asked, only for Pietro to cheerfully slap his armor, pointing to the girls.
"Don't you see, they're Team RWBY!"
Sora looked back at the girls, reaching for his scroll for a moment. He sifted through a few images, seeing one of the four girls in front of him. It was a picture that he had gotten from his very close friend, a small smile appearing on his face. "You're right, it is them. Man, they look nothing like this picture. The world's been hard on all of you, hasn't it?"
"Um… how do you know about us?" Ruby questioned, ignoring Sora.
"My daughter has told me all about you! And I feel like such a dunce for not recognizing you sooner. Why, my little girl is going to be so excited when she hears about this!"
"Your daughter?" Blake asked curiously. Just as the man was going to reply, a loud alarm started blaring through the city, the sound of people racing away and screaming echoing through the streets.
"Sounds like trouble!" Jaune said, reaching for his sword. He opened the door, dashing inside, followed by the others, who had their weapons in their hands. Pietro reached out to them, a look of concern on his face.
"No, wait!"
"Don't worry, sir! I'll make sure they don't get hurt!" Sora said, reaching for his backpack. It was a mechanical-looking pack, white in color with various glowing blue and green lines. He strapped it on, making sure it was secured around his shoulders before dashing out into the streets.
Outside, both teams and Qrow were already in formation, weapons drawn and ready to fight. They could see the Atlas Knights shooting into the distance, only for a cat-like Grimm to pounce on, biting its head clean off. Oscar looked around, holding his cane tightly in his grasp.
"I guess the city defenses aren't doing much," he said, just as an ATV slammed into some Atlas Knights, pinning them next to a wall, causing them to spark. Nora glanced at Ren, shaking her head.
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."
The large cat-like Grimm, Sabyrs, raced toward the group, fangs bared and claws out, ready to tear into their flesh. A sword flew past them, slamming straight into the leader's head, making it fade into nothingness. The sword flew back, glowing violet as it landed in Sora's grasp. He held another one in his grasp, six more floating behind him. He looked around, noticing more Sabyrs were beginning to surround them.
"Well, are you going to help or not?" he cried out. The group sprang into action, with Ruby taking the lead, zooming forward aided by her semblance. She swung her scythe, slicing two Grim clean in half, spinning the massive weapon around to bring down a third.
"Weiss, I'll cover you. Just do your best," Levi said, holding Overture up, lightning dust swirling around the blade. She gave him a look of concern but said nothing as she sprung into the fight. He continued channeling his aura into his glyph, firing several glowing yellow orbs at his friends, audible ticking sounds filling the street.
Yang let out a growl as she punched a Sabyr into the air, grabbing it by its tail before slamming it hard into the ground, its body breaking in a sickening crunch. She crossed her arms in time to avoid a slash that would have torn her throat open. Blake flung her sickle at it, the weapon wrapped around its body, and she was able to pull it back, slamming it hard into a nearby wall.
The pair shared a nod, racing back into the fight. At the same time, Alto and Oscar had teamed up, slashing and jabbing any Grimm that dared get close. The young woman swirled her weapon around, loud gunshots blasting from Milo with her every thrust. She planted the weapon on the ground, spinning around it almost like a pole, burying her heels into the Sabyr, which was finished off by Oscar.
"Nice hustle!" he said cheerfully, not seeing the giant Grimm behind him. Alto's eyes widened as she pushed him aside.
"Look out!" she cried, holding Akouo up, taking the slash, her heels digging into the street.
She pulled Milo from the ground, growling in anger as she bashed her shield into its face. She delivered two strong slashes before spinning around, dropping to a knee as she held her rifle up, blasting it twice in the face. She rapidly stood up, spinning the spear around her neck before throwing it forward, impaling another Sabyr which was preparing to pounce them. She let out a sigh, glancing back at the young man.
"Keep an eye on your surroundings, Ozzy. I might not always be here to cover your butt," she said with a wink, as she pulled her weapon free from the brick wall. Oscar smiled, getting back into his stance as another, far larger Sabyr raced toward him.
Levi grit his teeth, as he formed several glyphs in front of himself, firing large fireballs at the incoming wave of Grimm. His ear folded back as he heard a Sabyr attempting to pounce him from behind, only for Neo to slash it clean in half with Hush. She quickly sheathed her weapon, unfurling the canopy in time to block another attack. She spun her parasol around, causing the creature to back away as it gauged its prey. She gave it a playful smirk, her eyes changing colors as she let herself be attacked, her body shattering into a million pieces.
The Grimm looked around in confusion, only for a blade to embed itself inside its skull, ending its life. She pulled her weapon free, dashing forward to face two more Grimm, maws wide, their deathly roars echoing through the street. She spun her weapon around, bashing the Grimm in the face with the hook of her parasol, sending it flying up. Levi quickly took aim and fired the Energy bullet, making its head explode in a mass of chunky dark blood and bone that faded away in seconds.
Neo landed in a crouch, blocking another attack with her parasol, drawing Hush's hidden blade with a flick of her wrist; she ended its life by severing its head. She gave Levi a nod.
Sora was honestly impressed with the teamwork these teenagers had. They supported each other so well, he might have thought they were actual trained soldiers. They all covered each other's weaknesses, aided in attacks, and blocked hits that would otherwise knock their aura down into the yellow. They trusted each other with everything, down to their fights, and that was something he didn't really see too often.
He shook his head as he held his hand up, using his swords to block an attack by a Sabyr. He quickly pushed it back, swinging his hand forward, directing his blades to slide it in half. He pulled his hand back, before flicking it forward, sending two blades to the right, while the others swirled around him. He jumped into the air to avoid another slash, grabbing two swords as he did. He slowly moved forward, throwing both swords with all his strength, following it with a volley of steel, spinning and moving around his array with skill and precision.
Sora let out a soft gasp as he heard claws gnashing behind him, causing him to rapidly turn around. He swung his left hand with all his strength, sending all eight of his blades to the side in a single slash, slicing the Sabyr into eighths with a single attack. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw there were no more Grimm in the vicinity.
"Excellent work, you made short work of these guys. They're nothing more than a nuisance, really, but with so many of them coming at you at once, they can overwhelm you."
"It's nothing we haven't dealt with before, Sora. Though I must say, I am really impressed with your weapon. It reminds me a lot of another weapon, one that belonged to a really close friend of mine," Ruby said, a saddened smile on her face.
"Uh, guys… it's not over," Qrow said firmly. The group gave him confused looks, only for the ground to start shaking. The alarms grew in intensity, as a humongous Grimm raced onto the scene, crushing cars, ATVs, and Atlas Knights and leaving them in its wake.
"What… what the hell is that?!" Jaune shouted fearfully.
"It's a Megoliath! It's a type of Grimm that's only found in Solitas. It's like a goliath, only twice as big, three times as armor-plated, and four times as fucking pissed!" Levi shouted as he took aim. "It takes a group of trained huntsmen to bring one of these things down, and we're already tired and almost out of ammo!"
"Everyone get back!" Sora shouted as he directed his array forward, willing them into their laser forms. They spun around rapidly, a bright orb of bluish-green aura sparking in the center, crackling as it grew in size. He was about to fire when a bright flash of pink light slammed into the Megolioth, causing it to stumble forward.
The ground rumbled, quaking as the creature fell to the ground, its boney mask shattered from the devastating attack. The group watched as a tall young man dressed in black dropped from the sky, landing in a crouch, hand wrapped around his sword, his vibrant pink eyes glimmering.
"Ello, beasty!"
He let out a shout as he drew his sword, a wave of earth energy trailing his slash, several rocky spikes grew from the ground as it slammed into the giant beast. He dashed forward, spinning his sheath around, it morphed and spun around, shrinking down to the size of a handgun, the cylinder spinning as he blasted it with electricity. He jumped onto its tusks, spinning around in mid-air, sheathing his blade. The sheath glowed a bright blue, and just as he drew it, a swirl of ice trailed after the blade, as he drove it into its eye, making it howl in pain.
"Oh, shit! Teri!"
"Darling, how many times have I told you not to bite off more than you could chew?" a seductive voice said.
"Just shoot it!" he cried, hanging onto the tusk for dear life as the Megoliath rose to its feet. The woman rolled her eyes, holding her bow out, her pointer finger extended. She pulled the glowing pink string back, forming a large arrow swirling with pink light, nocked expertly on the bow.
"Tell me when dear."
"Now!" the black-clad man cried, jumping away from the Grimm.
Teri released her arrow, the loud snap of the bowstring causing a small wave of aura to burst from around it. The arrow sailed forward, a thin cone forming around the head as it slammed into the giant grimm, causing its head to virtually explode, sending bone fragments, fur, and liquid brain matter in all directions, only for it to fade into nothingness moments later.
Sora let out a sigh as he recalled his weapons, the energy that had been built at its center slowly dying down. He slowly strode forward, the swords flying back into his pack, his arms crossed as he met the two. "I had that handled, you know!"
"Oh? You freaking out and steadily charging energy while a Megoliath ran at you is your definition of "I had that handled"? You are sorely mistaken," the woman, Teri, said as she glared at the huntsman. "Do you know what happens when Megoliaths charge at people? They don't stop, these kids could have been crushed to death all because you decided to charge energy!"
"Again, I had it covered. Do you actually think I would have let this thing kill the kids? I didn't get my license for shits and giggles, Metera. I know what the hell I'm doing!"
"Doesn't seem like it. If me and my darling weren't floating around, we likely would have been taking photographs of crushed bodies." the woman said, arms crossed in annoyance. "Seriously, I don't understand how you can call yourself a huntsman and not be ready for this kind of thing."
"Teri, just drop it, will you?" the black-clad man said with a sigh. "Let's just celebrate the fact that there were no casualties and move on with our day, yeah?"
"Valentine," Sora said, rather stiffly as the man looked at him. "It's been a while since I've seen you. Last I heard you were reporting the elections up in Atlas."
"That was until my colleague and friend was found brutally murdered down here in Mantle. This is your sector, so you should know something about it. What were you doing on the night of December 13th at 7:02 AM? Are you aware that hiding the truth from the citizens is a punishable offense? Are you aware that Ivy Brown is funneling vital funding for the repair of Mantle's outer wall to fund her campaign?"
"Excuse me? Yeah, hi. What the heck is going on here?" Yang cried, causing the three bickering hunters to look in their direction. Valentine tugged on his coat, pushing Sora aside as he turned to address them.
"There's nothing to concern yourselves about, young men and women. This is just something we are dealing with. My name is Valentine Aeterna, I'm a huntsman and a journalist for the Mantle Tribune," the man said, holding out his ID, proving he was a Class A Huntsman, a graduate of Atlas Academy. "I don't believe I've ever seen you before. Tell me, are you the ones who came here in a stolen Atlas Manta?"
"Huh? Well uh… we wouldn't know anything about that. Stolen? Pfft, we don't steal, we're uh… Vikings, who sailed here from Mistral!" Ruby said cheerfully, trying to be as cute as she could.
"Hey, Ruby?" Levi said, leaning forward with his teeth clenched. "Stop talking."
"Relax, if you think we're going to report you to the authorities, we aren't. I could give a rat's ass about what you do. But if you did come from Mistral, tell me how things are there? Are things going well? How's the Council reacting to this? Do you know a woman named Wanda? If so, how is she doing?" Valentine asked, making the group shy back.
"Hey, listen, pal, we don't exactly have time to chat with the press. If all three of you are licensed huntsmen, then can you please contact General Ironwood for us? Tell him it's Qrow Branwen who wants to speak to him," Qrow said firmly. Metera cringed a bit, glancing away from the man.
"Yeah, that's gonna be a little harder, dear. We don't exactly have the best track record with Atlas Military Personnel. Sneak into one too many military bases and you get put on the special list for three years. I've had my huntress rank lowered so many times that-" she paused, her eyes had drifted back to the group, only for her to gasp rather audibly.
She started walking forward, making the group rather tense with each step she took. She stopped right in front of Levi, whose eyes were wide as she looked into them. She grabbed a hold of his face, looking him over for a few moments, her hands slowly moving toward his ears, giving them a slight tug.
"May I help you?" he asked softly, making her cup his face again, his lips almost puffed out as she squeezed it. "Um… miss?"
"You're from Eorzea aren't you? The long lost kingdom of the Miqo'te?" she asked, making him brush her hands away. He stumbled a bit, almost shattering his fake leg.
"How do you know about the miqo'te race?" he asked firmly. She pointed to her ears, which flicked and wiggled around for a moment.
"Darling, do you honestly think the miqo'te race was the only special race of faunus to have ever existed? I am shocked, appalled, and frankly quite disgusted. Sure, there are fewer Erunes in the world than there are Miqo'te and me and my sister might just be the last two that exist in Solitas, but that doesn't change things!"
"Okay, look! We don't have time for this, for any of this! We came here because we need to talk to General Ironwood, and if no one is going to bring us to him, then we'll just have to go there ourselves!" Nora cried. Just as she did, she felt something slam into her back, pinning her arms to her sides, her weapon falling to the ground. "Hey! What the heck is the meaning of this!"
"Oh shit, Ace-Ops!" Valentine cried, dashing past the group, grabbing Metera's hand. "It's been a pleasure meeting us kids! Here's our business card. Call us if you need us!" he continued shoving his card in Ruby's hand before pulling his girlfriend away.
It didn't take long for the rest of the group to be bound by the same glowing violet balls. Levi felt himself falling to the ground, his fake arm shattering. He groaned in pain, feeling his bindings loosening up a bit. He noticed the Relic of Knowledge had fallen from Ruby's belt, and pulled his arm free, grabbing a hold of it, just as a man placed his boot over his wrist, giving him a small smile.
"I'm gonna have to ask you to let go of that, son."
"Over my dead body!" he said, tightening his grip on the relic. "We have come a long way here, and we are not going to give this up!"
"Harriet, take care of this one, will you? He's being uncooperative!"
"Yes sir," the woman called Harriet said, dashing toward Levi. She grabbed a hold of his arm, wrenching the relic from his grasp. She quickly bound him up, tightening his restraints around his body. "Try not to move so much, these things tighten the more people wriggle around."
"Kind of hard to do when you're missing an arm," he said, as he was forced to walk forward. He felt the woman pulling Overture from his holster, tossing it to her companion who had gathered all of their weapons.
"Hey man, what's the big idea here? I'm a licensed huntsman! Just helped save everyone?" Qrow said, glancing up at the man who was spinning a horseshoe around his finger. He grabbed a hold of Qrow's weapon, Harbinger, looking it over for a moment.
"Get him in the transport."
"Please, we're just trying to help!" Ruby cried out.
"Ungrateful little-" Alto paused, glaring at the dog faunus who was in the group. "Hey you, what the heck are you doing? If it wasn't for us, a lot of people could have died!"
"Sorry, girl. I'm just following orders," he said with a shrug.
"Clover, what's the meaning of this?" Sora cried, approaching the supposed leader of the group. "These kids were with me, they helped us out, man."
"He's right! What are the Ace-Ops even doing down in Mantle?" Pietro said, earning a small smile from the man.
"Ah, Doctor, good to see you. To answer your question, we heard a report of an unauthorized ship making an unauthorized landing, followed by an unauthorized use of weapons by unlicensed huntsmen."
"I gave them the authority, Clover. They were under my watch!" Sora said, only for the man to shift his gaze toward him.
"Sora Loire, the last time I checked, you had a Huntsman Rank B license, meaning you have no authority to give orders to anyone. Licensed or not, they broke the law and they must be dealt with accordingly."
"Well… if we could maybe talk this out-"
"Don't worry doc, they'll be able to talk this out once they get to Atlas," the man said, slamming the transport doors closed. "Your daughter says hello, she wanted to be here but was tied up in another sector. Move out, team!"
Levi groaned in pain as he shifted around, his body was on fire. He was breathing a bit raggedly but was otherwise fine. The others gave him looks of concern, but they just shook them off, glaring at the floor. "Sorry guys, that chick pulled the Relic out of my hand. If I hadn't lost my arm I could have fought back."
"That would have made things a lot harder for ya, kid. These guys aren't messing around, they don't care about who they arrest. Kid, adult, licensed or not." Qrow said with a sigh, leaning back against the truck. "It was too good to be true. Getting into a new place that's crawling with soldiers and get away without being arrested, what a joke,"
"Hey, this isn't your fault, Uncle Qrow. We just got careless," Ruby said, trying to be cheerful. Neo kept struggling with her bindings, only for the balls to beep and tighten on her.
"Stop moving, Neo. These things get tighter the more you move," Levi advised, making her sigh. She blew some strands of hair out of her eyes, wishing she could readjust her hat.
"Let's just keep our heads down, maybe once we get to the precinct we can talk things out with the police. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll get in contact with James," the older man said, earning nods from the others.
Their landing in Mantle had been anything but easy. Levi could tell things here weren't going to go as smoothly as they had in Mistral. That freeing feeling from before was all but gone, and now, he was about to become a prisoner to a new kind of society. He only wished things didn't go as roughly as they had started. He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing, the last thing he needed to do was pass out on the ride to Atlas.
A/N: So I decided to post this as its own story, but quickly realized that it was very likely people would read the next arc without reading the first one. It didn't garner the best results, so I've decided to just put it here with the original and change the title. I've been working steadily on this series and have written several chapters already. Updates might be slow, but I will be posting the chapters that had been posted in the stand-alone Atlas Arc before deleting it, as well as what would have been Chapter 3. With the beginning of Part 2, the Chapters will be reset, so despite this technically being Chapter 34, it will be Chapter 1 because it's the first chapter of the Atlas Arc. But yeah, that's about it really. I should have done this from the get-go and not posted it as its own thing lol. Oh well, you live and you learn.
That'll do, Pig. That'll do.
