Chapter 4: First Mission


Atlas was a lot different than Mistral had been. The high-rise skyscrapers that seem to reach for the heavens, the never-ending motion of the people. The floating cars and other vehicles that zoomed up the streets, and of course, the people. The people were always in a constant state of moving, never standing in a single place. When they did, it was usually to wait for the lights to change or for the walk signals to turn green. Men, women, and even children moved through the streets in a flurry of movement, all dressed in thick winter garments. Some wore fancy business suits, others wore regular clothing, seemingly not bothered by the cold, while some were dressed to the nines. It was just so different from the relaxed atmosphere of Vale and the overflowing streets of Mistral.

Everything was in constant flux, always moving, only stopping to rest briefly before continuing. It was almost like an economy, always changing. That was perhaps why Atlas was known as the City of Progress, the greatest Kingdom in all of Remnant. Yet despite that, it felt cold and heartless. Levi didn't know why, but his mood only seemed to sour the more he wandered through the streets of the futuristic kingdom.

"Man, you can see SDC World HQ from everywhere in this city," Yang chirped, as she waited for traffic to slow to a stop. She had her arms crossed as she looked ahead, seeing the largest structure, second only to Atlas Academy, towering over everything else in Atlas. The glowing Schnee Crest that sat at the top of the building was a perpetual reminder of who it belonged to. "If you throw a penny from the top floor, do you think it would leave a crater on the ground?"

"Yang, are you aware of what terminal velocity is?" Ren asked, earning a confused look from the blonde. "When you drop something from up high, it will reach a steady rate of 195 km/h, and it won't go faster than that. It's a constant speed that won't change until it hits the ground. Meaning you can drop a penny or a bowling ball from up high, it will fall at the same speed and likely won't leave a crater on the ground."

"Huh? But that doesn't make sense. Wouldn't it leave a crater in the ground?"

"No, Yang. It wouldn't. Even when you drop something with a point, it wouldn't stab into the ground. The only time it would be is if you shoot downward." the normally silent boy said, trying to explain terminal velocity to the blonde.

"You know, I would correct them, but it's kind of funny seeing them talk about this," Levi said to Weiss, who only giggled. "A penny wouldn't kill them, but a bowling ball certainly would."

"Why would someone haul a bowling ball to the top of a building just to throw it off?" Ruby asked, looking rather confused. Neo shrugged her shoulders, not really knowing what to reply to her.

"There are more important matters to attend to and bowling balls and pennies aren't any of them," Blake said, running her fingers through her lengthy raven locks. The group started moving the moment the walk signal changed. "We need to discuss what we told General Ironwood, or rather, what we didn't."

"Blake is right, James has been asking questions. He doubts what you all told him, but trusts that you did it because you weren't ready to share everything. It won't be long until that starts hindering all of you," Qrow said firmly, shoving his hand in his pocket as he walked. "We need to discuss what we're going to do here. I agree that establishing Global Comms is important, but I don't exactly agree with telling the world about her."

"We also have to talk about "That woman who shalt not be named". It won't be long until she gets to Mantle. After that I won't be able to stick around, it's likely I'll have to do some regrettable things to earn her trust," Neo's scroll chimed in, her expression souring at the thought.

"We're in a tough spot, and we should consider our options about everything," Oscar said, placing a hand over the Relic of Knowledge. "That being said, we shouldn't forget what we came here to do. That's to become trained huntsmen and huntresses. We need to make sure all of us are ready for whatever we're going to be facing in the future."

"The General was nice enough to upgrade our equipment and offer us new duds free of charge. We need to do our best to make sure everything flows smoothly, with the project," Nora said, making sure the people nearby didn't hear what she was talking about.

"There's something else that's worrying me," Levi said, holding his scroll up, showing the recent murders that had happened in Mantle. "I don't know about you but this has been bothering me since I heard about it. There's someone out there killing people that are opposing the General and Ivy Brown is using that to paint him in a bad light. It's making the already negative views on him even worse,"

"Do you know anything about this, Qrow?" Jaune asked curiously, causing the man to shake his head.

"I'm just as in the dark as you kids are. James told me that the murders seemingly increased after we arrived in Mantle. He has a theory on who might be causing it, but we're not exactly sure." he said with a sigh, running his hand through his hair. "Until we find concrete proof or a calling card of some sort, we won't be able to nail it down. All we know is that Ivy Brown is using this to her advantage to try and sway the vote."

"Weiss's father is supposed to be holding another rally soon. I read online that he's planning on speaking about Ivy Brown in his next one. But he's also changing his opinion on the General," Ruby said, closing her own scroll. "Weiss, wasn't General Ironwood a close friend of your father's?"

"At one point, they were very close friends, but my sister told me things changed after the embargo and the closure of borders. My father is a businessman, first and foremost. If something causes him to lose money, he blows his fuse." she said, sighing. "I was there to witness many of these explosions of his and was even the cause of one. But the night I left home, he seemed so angry. Things seemed to get even worse when the General said he wasn't allowed to send SDC reps to the other kingdoms to check the mines."

"So relationships between the SDC and the Atlas Military are beginning to fracture. Since the Military's biggest partner is the SDC, this is likely causing him a lot of problems. Jacques likely wants that seat on the Council to try and oppose the General, to open the borders, and that wouldn't be good for anything," Levi said sternly.

"Why not? Wouldn't that mean we could get help from the outside?" Yang questioned, her previous conversation about terminal velocity shelved for later. "That would be a good thing,"

"Atlas closes its borders, puts a dust embargo on the world, causes strife and the global economy to tank, and then you expect the other kingdoms to magically go back to what it was beforehand?" Blake asked, holding back a harsh laugh. "If Vale and Vacuo don't join forces to attack Atlas, that'll be a miracle."

"Things aren't that bad, right?" Ruby asked, earning glares from the others. She sighed, her hair covering her eyes. "Okay, it's pretty bad. But that's why we're here, to make things suck less,"

"Let's just hope we aren't way over our heads," Ren said softly, lips pressed into a thin line.

With depression at an all-time high in the group, Qrow decided it was finally time to bring them to the spot he had been boasting about. It didn't take them much longer to reach it, a beautiful restaurant near the center of Atlas, under the shadow of Atlas Academy. It was among the fanciest places they had ever seen. Levi could see the bold blue A that was plastered on the front door, along with an award of excellence. The older man held the door open, telling them all to step inside.

"Good afternoon, sirs and madams. Table for all of you?" the maitre'd asked, looking over the group, a slight disappointment on his face when he saw Levi and Blake. "Ah, I regret to inform you we don't serve their kind,"

"I regret to inform you that you do," Qrow said, showing his ID to the man, who visibly paled when he saw it. He gestured for the others to do the same, and though their licenses all said "In Training" the fact that it had "Beacon Academy" plastered at the top was enough to make him change his tune.

"R-right this way! We have a table that will be just large enough for all of you," he said nervously, grabbing a stack of menus. Levi held his fist out to Qrow, bumping them repeatedly as they headed to the table.

The young men, of course, held the seats out for the ladies, with Levi sitting in between Ruby and Weiss, with Neo across from him. She had a look of wonder on her face as she looked around, eyeing the crystal chandelier that hung above them. She had taken off her hat, and set it down next to her, patting her hair down as she did so. She looked up, seeing the amused looks on everyone's faces.

"First time in a fancy restaurant?" Weiss asked, earning a sheepish look from the young woman. She noticed all of the spoons and forks that had been set down next to the plate, her eyes wide. "Don't worry about those, just start from the outside and work your way in. Oh, no elbows on the table, it's bad manners,"

"I didn't really like how that man looked at Blake and Levi. It's almost as if he thought they were a plague," Oscar said with a frown.

"Don't fret, Ozzy. Atlas is just like that, they've been judgemental toward the faunus far longer than anyone else. Racism exists everywhere, but it's up to the lone human to decide to end it. Sadly, finding people who actually expect us here is like guiding a camel through the eye of a needle," Blake said, shrugging. "Besides, I have plenty of human friends who care for me. What they say is just words, we can't let those words hurt us."

"Yep, it's just like Blake said. We can't let them hurt us with their words, that's why we need to write them down on small bits of paper. Then we find a rubber band and shoot them in the face with them," Levi said cheerfully, as he twirled his fork around with his mechanical hand. Everyone looked at him oddly. "T'was a joke, I wasn't serious."

"Oh we know, we just weren't expecting you to suggest something like that," Yang said with a small smile.

"So, why did we come here? Not that I'm opposed to it." Jaune asked, looking around, seeing some of the other fancy-looking ladies and gentlemen sitting around the dining room. "It seems like one of those high-class places,"

"It is, but it's also run by a former huntsman and a good friend of mine. That's why the maitre'd turned pale when I showed him my ID. Just order anything you want, James said he'd be covering the tab for us," the older man said.

"Well… if you insist! I want duck l'orange. I heard Weiss talking about it once and I've been dying to try it," Nora said firmly, her face lightening up. "And pancakes for dessert!"

"Nora, pancakes are a breakfast food, not a dessert."

"Not in Mantle they're not! Did you see those chocolate ones? And the strawberry ones? I wanna try them all and you aren't going to stop me!" she exclaimed, rather loudly, making a few heads turn in their direction. Weiss sank in her seat a bit, making sure no one recognized her. Dinner was going to be a long affair, she could already tell.

xxx

Dinner had thankfully gone well, with Qrow being unable to speak to the store owner. He had wanted to get some more details about the situation in Atlas from a fellow huntsman, but the owner hadn't been in that night. They had taken a bit of a tour of the city, but ultimately returned to Atlas Academy, as they had all been tired from the walk. Of course, Ruby had called for an immediate team meeting, which included Neo and Levi since they were official members of their team now.

"So, what were these upgrades you gave my gun without my consent and or express permission?" Levi asked a cheeky smile on his face, ignoring the glare the former heiress was giving him.

"You haven't seen them yet?" Ruby asked, her eyes almost bulging out of her skull.

"Uh, Ruby? He was in the hospital, remember?" Yang said, making her sister sigh.

"Right, I forgot. Well, you can check them out while we talk. Me and Jaune are going to have our own meeting later to relay what we all decide to do as a team. We can't take risks anymore, not without some planning. So I wanted to hear what you all think we should do while we're here. Aside from helping the General, that is."

"Personally, I think we should keep an eye out on Mantle. They need all the help they can get, so if we focus our efforts there, I'm sure the people will feel a little better about it," Yang said.

"I agree, if we're allowed to take our own missions, then we should be able to help out whenever possible. There's a huge hole in the northern wall, and that will just bring more Grimm into the city,"

"I'll be conducting my own investigation around Mantle, getting some information just in case I need it. There are a few contacts that Roman and I had here. I also have to check the safe house I sent Cinder to, just in case she's shown up and decided to stay on the down low." Neo's scroll chirped. She leaned back against the bunks, a frown on her face. "This is what's going to bother me the most. Are you sure it's alright to drop all formalities between us and just go at it as if we were bitter enemies? I don't want to hurt any of you."

"I don't want to hurt you either, Neo. But we need to do what we need to do, remember what we discussed back in Argus. As long as it assures the safety of the relics, it needs to be done," Weiss said, giving her a firm look.

"We just gotta do what we gotta do. I think I'm going to focus on that serial killer that's stalking around Mantle. I don't like seeing innocent people die, especially if their deaths are being caused to further someone's political campaign. There's something fishy going on there and I don't like it," Levi said, as he flicked Overture's steel case open.

His eyes scanned his weapon, seeing nothing had seemingly changed with it. He lifted it up from the case, seeing the polished glow on the bronze handle and the fresh coat of varnish and lacquer that had been applied. He flicked the blade outward, seeing it was slightly longer and sharper than it had been, and had even more intricate designs to help with the dust flow.

"Doesn't seem that different,"

"It is, do you see the button near the top?" Weiss asked, earning a nod from him. "Well, press it."

He did so, his eyes widening as he saw the hard-light reticle appear on top of it. He held the weapon out, peering through the sight, noticing it was slightly magnified. "Oh, you added a sight to it, that's nice. I don't really need one since my eyesight is so good, but it will really help with the long-range shots."

"That's not all, we incorporated something else to it," Ruby said, almost excitedly as she took Overture into her grasp. She expertly spun the weapon around, causing it to start whirling and changing. Levi's eyes widened a bit as he saw the entire thing extend a bit, the buttstock, which had been rounded off, became more pronounced and squared out, with the aid of some hard-light dust. Overture had become almost twice its length, the scope having changed to accommodate its new length. "Tada! We turned Overture into a Long Rifle. General Ironwood suggested using stronger dust rounds for the Grimm that live around here, especially the Megoliaths."

The young man stood up, shouldering the rifle. It was still as light as it had been before and felt rather comfortable in his grasp. He looked the rifle over, seeing the tube had lengthed, allowing him to insert more shells into it. He grinned, lowering the weapon.

"Thanks, Girls. This will seriously help out in battle. It's always good to have a weapon that can be close-range, mid-range, and long-range. Plus, Long Rifles are just so cool!"

"You're welcome, all I did was look over the designs and tweak them, Weiss was the one who made sure everything was done just right." the red-cloaked girl said cheerfully.

"And that isn't the only thing I had recommissioned for you," Weiss added, reaching into the case for Levi's handgun, which she had recovered from Alto. She ejected the magazine, making sure the weapon was cleared before pressing the lever built into the trigger guard. Levi watched as the handgun morphed into a short blade, a dagger about twenty-four inches in length. His mother's precious coin still hung proudly from the pommel, glimmering brightly. "My sister said estoc users usually fought with a dagger, to compensate for their lack of a heavy weapon. So I figured I could get this old pistol reforged into a dagger."

"It has a special blade that channels whatever elemental dust is in the magazine," Ruby said, slightly above a whisper, as if to keep it hidden from the world. "I came up with that idea."

"Nice, I always figured that old pistol still had its uses, I'm sure my mom would be happy to see it being reforged into something useful," he said cheerfully. "Again, thanks for this. I know I was out of it for a week and a half, but it makes me so glad to know I wasn't just forgotten."

"How could we forget you, Levi? After everything you've done for us?" Yang said, looking almost hurt at what he had said. "You lost limbs for us, I think that makes you family at this rate."

"It does. I'm so sorry for everything that happened to you, Levi. I know you told me not to blame myself but… Adam was…"

"He was your mentor, I know, but he was too far gone. It might be for the best that he's at peace," he said, as he finished strapping Overture's new white holster to his leg. The new holster came with an extra belt, which held another holster for his new pistol, which he noticed had the name "Shiva" laser etched onto the barrel, making him smile. "Remember, the more time you spend blaming yourself, the less time you'll have to reflect and move on from it. That's a lesson I want to keep with me, for as long as I can."

"It's a brand new chapter of our lives, I just regret not being there to assist you," Neo said, her gaze shifting to Weiss. "Though wearing my Weiss suit like a second skin was nice. She has a really tight body and some really nice boobs,"

The former heiress gasped, towering over the short girl, her icy blue eyes filled with anger. "If you ever say something like that again I will drive Myrtenaster through your neck, understood?!"

"Oh, of course, Princess, don't mind me. It's not like you can stop me from transforming when you aren't around and feeling myself up," she said with a playful smirk. Weiss ground her teeth together, seriously debating on giving the short girl a concussion.

"Rosa please stop antagonizing Weiss, I can't hold her back if she decides to maim you," Levi said, brow quirked in scolding. Neo stuck her tongue out at him, sitting down at the corner of Yang's bed, acting innocent.

"I can tell it's going to be fun having her around," Yang said with a grin. "Now then, shall we have a Super Smash Sisters tournament? We won't have many days off where we can enjoy vidya like before,"

"Duh! Levi, do you wanna play? I heard from Nora that you ended up using the Wombo Combo against her." Ruby said, smiling. "I knew I did a great job teaching you."

"Wait, you mean that combo you used against Nora on the train was something Ruby taught you?"

"Yep, that night I spent memorizing combos? It was actually spent with Ruby drilling button commands into me and making sure I knew them by heart. Though as much as I want to play SSS, I want to play Call of Remnant: Atlas Operatives. Nora said it was the new one and all the local kids are on the servers. I wanna school some noobs while I can."

"Oh, we can play that for a little while. I heard it's a four-player split screen! I know Blake wanted to read that new Ninjas of Love book that came out, so we can play it. One of us will have to sit out though," Ruby said, causing Neo to raise her hand. "Oh, you don't wanna play, Neo?"

She shook her head, motioning to the doors, making a walking sign with her fingers. Ruby gave her a nod. "Okay, try not to get in trouble though, we're not in Mistral anymore."

Neo gave her a wink, grabbing Hush from the hook by the door. She tipped her hat back, blowing a kiss to her friends before disappearing out of the room. Levi shrugged it off, sitting down on the floor, facing the television, his mechanical tail coiled on his lap. Thankfully, he had already downloaded the game on his scroll, so connecting it to the Holo-TV hadn't been that much of a challenge. The familiar HNX logo appeared on the front, making him grin.

"Man, Human Nextworks outdid themselves with the graphics, let's hope the game isn't shit like Call of Remnant: Ghosts, because that game was a pile of donkey shit,"

"My, you have such a way with words," Weiss sarcastically replied, sitting down next to Ruby, her scroll tightly in her grasp. "I've never played an FPS, so don't mind me if I kinda suck at it."

"It's no problem, you'll learn how to play," Yang said, an evil grin on her face. "Of course, that means we'll have to teach you how to play the hard way, by making sure your Kill/Death ratio is perpetually at 0."

"Before you can 360 No Scope, you have to learn how to Ballistic Knife someone in the face," Ruby said, almost prophetically.

"Or you can bank a tomahawk off a nuclear reactor and hope it kills someone from across the map," Levi said, chuckling. "Oh this is going to be a fun time for me, I apologize beforehand, Weiss."

She sighed audibly. "I can tell this is not gonna be a fun time for me,"

And a fun time it was not...


Monday Morning…

"Ugh, maybe spending last night talking smack to those kids was a bad idea," Levi thought to himself, as he stumbled into the briefing room. He had gotten used to sleeping late and now it was beginning to show. He rubbed his eyes as he moved to the front of the room, where his teammates, along with Team ORNJ sat, all looking like zombies. He held back a yawn as Clover stood before them, with General Ironwood close behind.

"Alright, all of you are here. I would berate you for the tardiness but this is your first official mission so I'll go easy on you. As the General may have told you, our plan for this operation is simple," he said, holding up a remote.

Images appeared on the screen behind him, displaying the name "Schnee Dust Mine #2" at the top, along with a picture of the area. There were various others, along with a live video feed from the site. "This is Schnee Dust Mine #2. It has been closed down for a few years due to an incident where several miners lost their lives. It will be the launch site of the Amity Communications Tower."

"The designated area is the abandoned dust mine, since its closure, Grimm have moved in. Normally, we kept a team to clear out any Grimm that managed to get in, however, there was an unforeseen circumstance."

Another image appeared on the screen, showing several huntsmen fighting against a Grimm. Levi narrowed his eyes a bit, humming quietly. "That's a Geist, isn't it?"

"Very astute observation, Mr. Athan," Clover said. "Yes, that is a Geist, though it is unlike the ones you have likely faced. This one is a Petra Geist, a stronger cousin to the ones you may have faced. These creatures have similar abilities but are able to possess large pieces of stone and other materials to create their bodies. It was located in Huntsman Point North last month and was driven away. Sadly, the huntsmen suffered some minor injuries and weren't able to give chase,"

"Since then, it has made the mine it's home, not only that, but it is also attracting lesser Grimm to inhabit the old tunnels. Our main task is to locate the Petra Geist and eliminate it, but also eliminate any and all traces of Grimm. We cannot successfully launch Amity Tower if the mine itself is contaminated by them,"

"General Ironwood, how exactly do you plan on launching Amity Tower into the air?" Jaune asked, having held his hand up. The man smiled.

"That, Mr. Arc, is something we will discuss later. It will be a rather explosive affair, so we must be careful with any and all dust deposits located within. Our scientists have assured us that all the dust has been left in an untouched state since the collapse," the man said firmly.

Clover stood in front of the group once more, several more live feeds showing the surrounding tundra around the mine. "Atlas Military Crews have been hard at work this whole week clearing the area out. The recon team surveyed one of the entrances and saw it flying in. We've increased our numbers, but it was smart enough to retreat into the main chamber of the mind. That means it's old and extremely dangerous. After all, not every Grimm is willing to hide in a highly volatile area unless it knows of the danger."

"The Grimm are getting smarter," Blake noted, eyes narrowed a bit in thought.

"Normally, we would send you all in your groups and have you handle it. However, this mine is a labyrinth. There's all sorts of tunnels and chambers the Geist can move between. So if we're going to kill this thing, we're gonna have to split up." Clover continued, showing the team matchups for the mission. "Team RWBY, you shall accompany Harriet and Marrow and head to the main entrance. You'll be given the callsign "Bravo". Be sure to report anything that moves, even if it's just your shadow."

A few laughs erupted from the other Ace-Ops, but the other teams remained serious. Clover cleared his throat, coughing into his fist. "Right, Team ORNJ, you shall head in from the other side with Elm and Vine. Sadly, Mr. Pine shall have to remain behind with Miss Blaze. The two of you aren't ready for this level of mission yet."

"Aw… first my armor has to get remade and now I can't go. No fair." Alto said, arms crossed in disappointment.

"Sorry pup, we can't afford to lose a youngster just yet, even if you have experience." the man said firmly. He briefly glanced at the General, giving him a nod. "General Ironwood says you've seen your fair share of combat. I trust Him with my life, so during this mission, I'll be trusting you all too."

"Don't worry, Clover, sir. We promise not to let you down. We've seen our fair share of strife, and we want to do nothing but assist you in whatever you need of us. You give the orders, and we'll follow them," Ruby said firmly, a hint of seriousness in her voice that she hadn't displayed in a long time.

"Good, I like your enthusiasm, Miss Rose. But that alone won't get the job done. You've been given new armor, upgraded weapons, and of course, new scrolls. They will be your lifelines out in the field, remember to use them. Now then, do any of you have questions regarding this operation?" The General asked firmly. When he saw there were none, he nodded. "Excellent, you are all dismissed. Ace Operative Clover will guide you to your drop ships. Miss Brunswick, Mr. Pine, Miss Blaze, I need you. You shall go on your own mission down in Mantle, one that is of importance as well."

Levi and his team were ushered out of the briefing room before he could say goodbye to his partner, Oscar, and Alto. It almost felt as if he hadn't seen the girl these past few days, making him rather sad. But he knew she was where she needed to be and needed to focus on her own training.

After stopping to grab their weapons and refill their ammo pouches, they headed to the front of the academy, where the flight deck was located. A pair of Atlas Mantas had been sanctioned off to the right, being stocked by several military men. Clover stood in the center, along with the rest of the Ace-Ops, likely giving them their instructions. Noticing Qrow and the kids, he turned to face them, giving them nods.

"Excellent, I've given Harriet and Elm your mission details. Qrow and I will be heading in through the back. Our callsign is Alpha. If you need to relay information, just use that sign. Elm's team shall be known as Charlie Team, so if you find anything that might endanger them, do share it with them." the man explained. "Alright, into the ships you go. Let's do this team!"

And once again, they were ushered away. Levi wasn't used to this fast pace, but he also didn't want to upset anyone, so he just followed orders. He found his spot next to Yang, who was sitting across from Blake. She was busy checking her gauntlet and her new arm over, making sure it was loaded with ammunition. Blake was doing the same, taking the time to load her magazines with dust bullets. It wasn't long before their ship was airborne, heading toward the distant dust mine. Levi sighed, deciding to do the same with his own weapons. He drew Shiva's empty magazines, keen on loading them up.

"Is it weird being in Atlas?"

The faunus looked up, meeting eyes with Marrow, who had a firm look on his face. Levi had to admit, he looked rather young for his age and position. He had caramel-colored skin and dark gray hair tied into a ponytail. His uniform was firmly pressed and free of wrinkles. If one didn't notice his tail, he could almost pass as a human. Almost. Levi shrugged, as he continued sliding bullets into his empty magazines.

"It's a change of pace from what I'm used to. Vale and Mistral were far too kind to us. We had a bit of breathing room. Here in Atlas… well… It's kind of hard to describe,"

"Do you hate it?" Harriet asked, vaguely interested in the conversation. Judging by the look on her face, she didn't seem to like Levi very much. He remembered she had been the one to have pulled the Relic of Knowledge from his hand, making him look down.

"Nope, I don't. Trust me, being in Atlas beats walking aimlessly through Mistral. I've had enough of taking trains, fighting egocentric maniacs with magic powers, and abandoned ranches. I'd rather be here and know where I am going than be back in Mistral lost in the middle of bumfuck nowhere,"

"Ain't that the truth," Yang said, finishing her initial assessment of her weapons. "It's all Jaune's fault for losing the map,"

"That's beside the point, none of us knew we would be attacked on the train to Argus. We thought it was going to be walk in, ride it for four days and walk out. Not what happened," Weiss added, leaning back against her seat. "Maybe if we hadn't been attacked, we would have made it to Argus safely, and Levi wouldn't have-"

"Weiss, I've told you to stop thinking about that," he said sternly, giving her a glare. She sighed, nodding. "I know it's still fresh but we have to move on."

"Sorry."

He bumped her with his elbow, giving her a wink. "Don't worry about it. Help me with these mags?"

She took one into her hand, along with the box of rock ammunition. She expertly slid them into place, despite her hands being covered by her thick gloves. Ruby looked up from her scroll, having memorized all of the mission details ahead of time. "Is it fun being in the military?"

"It puts bread on the table,"

"Rye or Pumpernickel?" Yang queried, causing Marrow to snort. Harriet jabbed him in the ribs, making him cry in pain.

"Look, I didn't join the military for the benefits or for the fuck of it," Harriet said sternly, looking around at the group. "I joined because someone had to be out there fighting the fights no one else wants to fight. To protect the people."

"We didn't say that, I think it's noble that you've joined the military to protect the people. Ultimately, that's what all of us want," Blake added firmly.

"Doesn't really seem like it. The General may have said you have experience, but to me, you are all still kids in training. I don't really know if I can trust you not to mess this up," she replied, returning Blake's glare with one of her own.

"Yeah well, we didn't come here for shits and giggles either. We brought the Relic of Knowledge here from Haven. We fought against Cinder and her forces. All of us were at the Fall of Beacon and lost friends and family there. We're the ones who helped bring the White Fang down, and we managed to slay its former high-leader and high-profile member responsible for bringing WF members to Beacon." Levi said, sliding a magazine into his pistol, pulling the slide back. "We can go back and forth about why we're here doing whatever it is we're doing. But at the end of the day, it's just a job. One we need to accomplish. Let's just agree to be friendly with each other and focus on that, yeah?"

No one said anything after that, the quiet was too tense for anyone to speak. It was clear it was going to take some time to earn their trust. Levi wasn't too worried. To him, it was just a job. As long as he did it, he knew nothing bad was going to happen, at least, he hoped.

xxx

"We're approaching the drop-off point. Ready your landing strategies!" Harriet shouted over the wind, once the door to the manta had been opened. "Once on the ground, we clear the area of Grimm and head into the mines, understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" Ruby cried, giving her a salute. "Alright team, let's get in there and wreck house!"

Team RWBY readied their weapons, waiting for the signal. Once it was given, Ruby darted out first, using her semblance to dart down to the ground, laughing and whooping for joy. Blake flung Gambol Shroud at the nearby tower, pulling herself down while Yang decided to glide down, changing her direction with her weapon. This left Levi and Weiss, who both shared a nod before jumping down, using a trail of ice glyphs to slide down toward the ground. It didn't take them long to make it to the designated landing zone, the manta taking off into the distance.

The mine looked very old like it hadn't been used in years. Heavy machinery had rusted over, having laid unmoving for many many years. There were abandoned carts with large Schnee Emblems printed on the side. The entrance to the mine had been painted a bright blue, the very familiar SDC crest etched into the ground. The broken remains of communication relays and radio towers lay all over the property, broken and twisted from Grimm attacks and the weather.

"How eerie," he mumbled, his eyes glancing around the area. He could see tracks and carts abandoned where they lay, three large doorways had been installed in the land, two of them being conveyors that dropped dust crystals into large containers. "This reminds me of that abandoned mine shaft in the movie "The Wreckoning". I never liked how that movie ended,"

"Real life isn't a movie, kid. Let's start looking around, and make sure there aren't any Grimm in the area," Harriet said, scanning the area. Levi and the girls shared a look but said nothing as they began their job.

They spent the first half hour searching the entrance. All they found were signs of abandonment along with old markings. If Grimm had been in the area, they had either migrated into the mine or had left. The group ended up moving toward the entrance, noticing the large cave-in at the front, large chunks of rock and debris blocked nearly the entire entrance, with only one small section open enough for someone to slip through.

"Fantastic, the entrance is blocked," Harriet said with a frown, standing defeated at the entrance. "Bravo checking in, we've hit a bit of a snag,"

"What seems to be the problem Bravo Team?" Clover's voice asked.

"There's been a cave-in at the main entrance. Not sure if it was recent or caused during the original accident," she said firmly. "Either way, we're gonna have to do a little bit of problem-solving,"

"Understood, let us know if you need anything,"

With that the communication ended, and everyone returned to what they had been doing. Blake had moved over to a nearby pile of crates, staring at them with intrigue. They looked almost exactly like the ones she had been sent to steal, way back before she had joined Beacon Academy. These were old and rusted, the Schnee Dust Company logo being faded and bent out of shape. Her vision shifted toward the main entrance, a look of realization flashing onto her face.

"Something wrong?" Yang asked curiously, making her partner look at her.

"No, it's just… I just realized where we were. This mine closed after an explosion, it was the same one that Ilia's parents worked in," she replied sadly.

"Ilia, the chameleon girl from your childhood?" Levi asked curiously, causing Blake to nod.

"Yes, they worked here full-time to make sure Ilia was fed and clothed. Her father was a chameleon just like her so he could blend in easily, but her mother wasn't that lucky. I remember hearing the news, I was around 7 years old at the time,"

"I remember this disaster," Weiss said softly, as she looked around the mine. "Or rather, I remember how furious it made my father,"

"It wasn't your fault, Weiss, you know that," Ruby said, trying to cheer the young woman up. She shook her head, looking up at Blake, giving her an apologetic look.

"I wish I could take back all the years of pain my family has caused to the faunus, and all of my complacency in it."

"You know, this society is set up for Faunus to be at the bottom, and humans are willing participants. They benefit from doing nothing to help us," Marrow said, as he approached the group, pointing at a large case with the "SDC" logo on it. "But there are those who actively abuse us."

"Not all humans abuse us," Levi piped up, his mechanical tail flicking around as he turned to face the dog faunus. "There are some who genuinely care about us. Diamonds in the rough as they say. Though it is a shame that we're seen mostly as slaves. That doesn't really change anything. The faunus didn't exactly do the right thing either. Starting a peace movement was good, but letting it turn into a violent affair was nothing short of disappointing."

"Hm… you speak as if you were a member of the Fang, were you?"

"Nope. They tried to recruit me, but I never bought their cause. All I knew is that they were starting to become more violent. A small brawl here, a broken window there. Then it evolved into throwing bricks at the police and vandalism. I wanted nothing to do with it, and neither did my mother.'' The miqo'te finished, his eyes drifting over to Blake, who had remained silent. "But that doesn't mean we aren't capable of change. The new movement that started up in Mistral was the first step. All they have to do is roll with it,"

"Right. Anyway, I didn't come here looking to solve systemic societal issues. Harriet found a gap in the rubble we think one of you could fit through. Ideally, someone who can see in the dark,"

Blake's ears perked up a bit, saying nothing as she followed after Marrow. The others silently watched as Blake slipped through the gap, looks of worry on their faces. They knew she'd be able to handle herself, but watching a friend walk into the unknown was never a good thing.

"Alright, Blake, do you see any dust?" Marrow asked, speaking into his communicator.

"Mm… Minecarts, abandoned tools, debris, no dust though." came her reply. Marrow nodded, glancing over his shoulder at Harriet.

"Okay good, we should be able to blast our way through, head back and we can set the charges."

"Alright, I'm heading back no-" she began, screaming seconds later. Levi's ears perked up, hearing the familiar sound of Gambol Shroud, followed by gunshots.

"Shit, we gotta get in there!" he exclaimed, drawing Overture from his holster. Harriet raced forward, trailing lightning as she ran. She looked around for a moment, pressing her earpiece.

"Blake, get back!"

"Harriet wait, you can't- '' Marrow cried, only for his voice to fall on deaf ears. The group watched as she deployed her weapon, crackling with energy as she punched the boulder blocking the entrance, shattering it completely.

The Team raced forward, hoping to assist Blake, who had run out of ammo and was about to be attacked by their target. Yang shot herself forward, slamming her fist into its face, sending it flying back, tumbling into the wall. The Geist hissed in pain and darted away, heading deeper into the mine.

"Quick, don't let it get away!"

"I'm on it!" Levi cried, forming a vermillion glyph beneath his feet, shooting himself forward. He jumped from glyph to glyph, each blast sending him flying faster. He delivered a powerful slash at the Geist, slamming it down to the ground. He twisted himself around, sending a blast of energy-infused aura at the creature.

It howled in pain, its shadowy arm moving toward a nearby boulder. It flung it at Levi, who sliced it clean in half. His estoc extended downward. The Grimm was faster, dodging the attack in its entirety. He quickly flicked his wrist, activating Overture's rifle form, firing at it, only to miss and hit the nearby wall.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Harriet shouted, forcing his rifle down. "Can't you see there are dust crystals everywhere?"

"I am aware of that, I know how to aim. I was deliberately aiming at the space between crystals," he said, moving forward. "Great, it's getting away!"

Just as they started racing up the shaft, the ground began to rumble, making them slow to a stop. Several Centipede-like Grimm burst from the ground, hissing loudly, their bony legs wiggling, their beady crimson eyes peering at the intruders. Yang threw a punch forward, blasting it in the mouth, only for it to hiss, spitting a green viscous liquid at her, making her jump back.

"Oh gross! That's disgusting!"

"Forget that, just attack!" Ruby cried, using her semblance to dash forward. She sliced its head clean off, twisting her body around to shoot a nearby Grimm. She spun her weapon around to block an incoming attack.

Levi receded Overture's rifle form, extending his estoc. He snapped his fingers, forming several glyphs around some of the Grimm. Several blasts of fire and ice shot down, striking the creatures, forcing them underground. He jumped back just as Weiss slammed her rapier into the ground, hundreds of stone spikes erupted from the ground, piercing straight through the Grimm that attempted to hide beneath them.

Blake threw her weapon forward, the blade stabbing into the side of one of the Grimm. She pulled it free with all her strength, sending it flying upward. Yang blasted it twice, allowing Ruby to slice it clean in half. Using her new upgrade, she was able to spin Crescent Rose around, aided by her semblance, she managed to cut down three more, clearing the path ahead.

"Nice work so far, but it'll take more than that to impress us," Harriet said, her demeanor having changed entirely. She zoomed forward, slashing three more Grimm that emerged from the ceiling. Marrow threw his weapon forward, banking it off the walls, severing their heads clean off. It returned to his hand.

He turned back around, seeing a pair of Grimm erupting from the ground, twisting around each other like a darkened corkscrew. He snapped his fingers, his eyes glowing brightly. "Stay!"

Levi looked at the young man, rather impressed with his semblance. Shaking his head, he quickly took aim with his rifle, finishing them off with two swift shots. With a final gunshot from Ruby's scythe, the battle was over and the tunnel was, for now, clear of Grimm. Harriet panted a bit, turning to face the group, smiling.

"Good hustle. Maybe I was quick to judge you,"

"You totally were, Hare. I had a feeling these guys knew their way around their weapons," Marrow said cheerfully, tail wagging back and forth. He held his hand to his communicator, pressing the button. "This is Bravo Team. We engaged the Geist but it moved further in. Centinels have been dealt with, over."

"Proceed up the main path to the central shaft, Bravo Team. Excellent work so far, Over and out." came Clover's reply

"I'm impressed, Harriet. Your semblance makes you super fast, kind of like me." Ruby said cheerfully, earning a smile from the older woman.

"Very cool. Though based on your reaction time, I'm just a smidge faster," she replied with a wink. The group walked forward in silence for a few moments, admiring their surroundings. Levi took notice of a few crystals, seeing they were glowing a lot brighter than the others.

"Look at those, I've never seen hard-light crystals glow this brightly."

"It's due to the energy flowing through them. It hasn't been proven yet, but there seems to be an unknown energy flow through the planet that helps aid in the growth of dust. Other crystals lose a bit of their glow when they are mined, but-" Weiss paused, using her rapier to wedge one of the crystals out, handing it to Levi, who had a look of fascination on his face. "These crystals don't lose their glow. They are hardened light after all, all our aura does is turn it into a tangible element."

"Whoa… can I keep this?" he asked, his ears twitching a bit. She rolled her eyes, swiveling on her foot as she sheathed her weapon.

"Go for it, it's not like my father will stop you," she said, giving him a wink. He smiled happily, placing the crystal in his pocket.

Suddenly there was a crackle over their radio, causing them all to stop. "Bravo, Charlie, we've engaged the target. It's moving eastbound toward the main chamber. Cut it off there, over!"

"Acknowledged, Alpha Team! Let's move kids," Harriet cried, shooting off into the distance. Ruby followed suit, not wanting to be left behind by her fellow speedster.

The heart of the mine was gigantic, and in Levi's option, beautiful. It had large stone arches filled to the brim with dust crystals of every element. It gave the mine an almost ethereal glow, as the colors of the rainbow were on full display around them. There were pathways that lead to other tunnels, thick violet crystals grew around the main chamber, distorting gravity around them and making bits of rock float off the ground. Large electric dust crystals floated off the ground, electricity crackling across their surface.

The Geist was floating in the center of the room, attempting to dash into another tunnel, only for Jaune, Ren, Nora, and the last of the Ace-Ops to cut it off. It darted across the room toward the final tunnel, only to run into Clover and Qrow. Its exit's blocked, it moved toward attacking. It floated into a nearby boulder, encrusted with hundreds of different dust crystals. Its shadowy arms continued grabbing more debris, adding it to its body. Large metal spans, dust carts, and even more rocks making it grow in size. It looked almost like a crystal golem, one that had made its body out of dust.

"Oh Gods, how do we deal with that?" Levi mumbled, glancing around at his teammates. "Girls?"

"We have to hold it down, but that gravity dust is volatile when shot at. If it even hits the ground, this entire shaft will collapse," Weiss said, drawing her rapier. "We need to be careful when we fight it."

Before they could even react, Harriet shot forward, driving her fist into the center of the Geist, in a spot where there wasn't any dust. She flipped back around, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Vine!"

The man known as Vine flung his arms forward, grabbing a hold of its body. He grabbed the nearby span with his other arm, looking across the way. "Now Elm ground it!"

"Got it!"

Levi was honestly impressed with their teamwork. Their orders were flawlessly executed, with Clover supervising and assisting whenever possible. As they did they managed to collect the volatile dust crystals, making sure they didn't hit the ground, all while taking down the Geist.

"Hey, hold this!" Marrow cried, throwing a violet crystal at Levi, who almost fumbled as he caught it, taking a step back. The dog faunus didn't miss a beat, throwing his boomerang at the creature's arm, severing it clean off.

Finally, Clover wrapped his hook around the Geist's face, pulling it out of the body. Harriet punched it with all her strength, shattering its skull and ending its life. But as she began falling, she noticed the violet crystal that had been flung out, her eyes widening.

"Clover!"

"Ruby, quick!" Levi called out, forming a vermillion glyph beneath her feet. At the same time, she knelt down, waiting for him to detonate it. When he did, she activated her own semblance, shooting across the room faster than she ever had, leaving a trail of glowing rose petals behind her. She caught the crystal, sliding across the ground, slamming into a wall. She let out a giggle as she held it above her head.

"Oh yeah! I caught it!"

Everyone looked relieved, though Harriet looked at Ruby with surprise, not having expected her to zoom to the rescue. She looked back at Clover who shrugged and gave her a thumbs up. Levi looked down at the crystal in his grasp, seeing the energy that flowed through it.

"So uh, how do we get rid of this?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, there's no proper way of disposing of volatile dust crystals. They can't be refined and they can't be cut either. So people usually use them as explosives. They're quite effective, especially these gravity ones." Weiss said, looking at the crystal closely. "Hm… this one will have to be stored in a glass container until it can be used. If it even touches the ground or someone with an active aura even knicks it, it'll go boom!"

"Ehehehe… maybe I should hand it off to someone else, I don't trust myself with it."

"Hey Levi, nice job sending Rubes flying. We'd be totally screwed if that crystal hit the ground!" Yang said, clapping his shoulder, causing him to fumble the crystal in his grasp. He caught it with his tail, wrapping it tightly around it, just shy of hitting the floor. He turned to glare at the blonde, who rubbed her neck in embarrassment. "S-sorry,"

"Atlas Central Command, this is Clover. Mission Accomplished." the leader of the mission said, looking relieved. "Alright everyone, let's make sure these crystals are secure and move out. The Atlas Operatives stationed will begin to move in to secure the site, you'll want to be outside to see Amity float in."

"We aren't… going to step inside it, are we?" Levi asked, earning a confused look from the man.

"Probably? Why?"

"It's… personal," he said, handing his crystal off to Elm. "I'm gonna get a headstart, making sure those centipede-looking bastards aren't coming back,"

"What's up with him? I'd have thought he'd be excited to see Amity floating in." Harriet asked, earning frowns from the group.

"Amity Arena holds some more… painful memories for us. It's where we saw Penny die, but for Levi, it's where he made what he considers the worst mistake of his life. I don't think he'll like being back in that place,"

"Well he's gonna have to get used to it, if the General orders us to go in there, he's going to have to go in there," Clover said, though his tone was harsh, he was anything but. He sighed, shaking his head. "I may sound like an ass, but trust me, sometimes we gotta face our demons."

"We understand. We'll make sure he's okay," Ruby said, gesturing for the others to follow along.

xxx

"I'm honestly impressed man, you guys were incredible!" Jaune said, earning a grin from Clover. "The way you took that Geist out, your tactics, how everything flowed. It was like watching a well-oiled machine!"

"Well, Ace-Ops are hand-picked to perfectly match and complement one another. So we can focus on our assets and leave our liabilities behind,"

Marrow wiggled his brows, flexing his arm. "Some of us are all asset, zero liability,"

Elm scoffed, shaking her head as she walked past the young man. "What? Do you think I have some liabilities, Elm?"

"Yes, your brains for one."

"Oof," Jaune muttered, watching the dog faunus deflate. Vine gave him a pat on the shoulder, his face bearing no expression.

"You did ask."

Levi tuned out the conversation behind him. He wasn't necessarily in the mood to add in a clever quip or ask questions. His mind had drifted back to Amity and the fact that it wouldn't be long until it was floating near the Dust Mine. Of course, he knew eventually he would have to go back to Amity, back to where everything had ended for him. It had been such a long time since he had set foot inside it the thought looked almost foreign. Being inside the place where the Vytal Tournament was held well over a year ago was… just not something he had been considering.

He stared at the Hard-Light crystal Weiss had given him, tracing the edges of it with his thumb. True to her word, the hardened light crystal hadn't lost its glow. It was ready to be refined or turned into whatever else Hard-Light used. He could feel a bit of warmth coming from it, likely the light that glowed within the crystal. His ears twisted a bit, his head turning just in time to catch Blake and Yang, who sported looks of worry on their faces, eyes glowing with concern.

"Are you alright, Levi?"

"I'm fine, just… thinking about Amity, I guess."

"You know, you don't have to go in there if you don't want to," Blake said softly.

"I wish that were the case, but you heard Clover. If General Ironwood says jump we have to ask how high. If he asks for us to go to Amity, then we have to go. I've already dealt with a lot of other shit. Going to Amity, and facing that demon… It's just something I have to do at some point." he said, pocketing the crystal. "Besides, we worked hard to clear this bastard, didn't we? That means we need to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Even if that means going back,"

"If you're sure… I think the General would understand if you explain it to him,"

"I think he's made his mind, Blake. He's right, sometimes you have to face your demons in order to move on." Yang said, glancing at her mechanical arm. "I know my demon is dead but… I'm still getting used to it, you know?"

It didn't take long for the group to make it back outside. By the time they did, the General's ship had landed, along with two Atlas Mantas. They could see several soldiers moving around, carrying a wide array of instruments, tools, and other things. Levi heard the sound of an engine and noticed another Manta flying overhead. Finally, he noticed the glowing violet crystal that helped hold Amity Arena aloft.

It looked almost like a spinning top. It was just as he remembered it. The arena that had been built by four nations to host a festival of unity now floated empty and unused. Almost two years had passed since the attack on Beacon. The next festival was to be held by Atlas. He would have been a fourth-year student by then. He shook his head, swallowing his emotions. It wasn't the time to dwell on the past.

"So, what do you guys wanna do when we get back to Atlas?" Ruby cried excitedly, glancing back at her friends. Levi often wondered how it was that she was always so full of energy. "Sightseeing? Oh, what should we visit first?!"

"How about our beds?" Blake suggested, looking rather tired. It was almost sundown, had they been inside that mine all day? Levi couldn't really believe it.

"Ah… come on you guys! This is the perfect time to go exploring! I mean, sure we explored a little bit before our big mission. But we can go see some neat stuff!"

"Ruby, we just explored a whole continent on foot before flying to this one," Weiss replied, a similar look of exhaustion on her face.

"Well… yeah," Ruby muttered, rubbing her head. "But that was only the boring parts!"

"We almost died," Yang quipped, arms crossed as she looked at her sister. Levi leaned behind Yang, mouthing the word "Twice" before disappearing again.

Ruby rolled her eyes, brushing her sister's concern away with her hand. Yang wasn't having any of it and moved to join Blake by one of the crates, the raven-haired woman looking done with everything. She sighed, her eyes shifting back to Levi. "Isn't there a place you'd like to go?"

"Honestly? Not really. I do want to see the Prydwen II. I heard it was twice as big as the first one, and it's almost finished. I wanted to see when it lifted off for the first time. But ah… that's probably too boring for you," he said.

"I'm not too into military ships, sadly. If they were shooting their big guns, I'd be all over it but-"

"Heads up, Ruby," Qrow said, jabbing his thumb in Ironwood's direction. The pair followed his gaze, just as the man held his hand to his mouth.

"Can I get the team leaders over here? There's something I'd like to discuss with you. You too, Qrow,"

Ruby and Levi shared a shrug, the young miqo'te gesturing for her to run along. He walked over to where Weiss, Blake, and Yang were, sitting down next to Weiss. He noticed far too late he had been sitting on a rusty Schnee Dust Company Freighter, which bent under his weight from the rust.

"And that's why we didn't sit on it."

"You could have warned me!" he said, earning a chuckle from Yang.

"What's the fun in that?"

He muttered a few choice words under his breath, jumping off the container, choosing to lean back against it. He sighed, crossing his arms as he looked out into the tundra. "Do you think there are penguins here?"

"Probably?" Blake answered, not really sure of her answer.

"Penguins don't live near the north pole, they live in the south pole," Weiss corrected, making Levi moan.

"Damn, I was looking forward to seeing some," he said, stretching his tired limbs over his head, his mechanical arm whirling a bit as he moved his hand around. "So, how'd you ladies like our first mission? It was pretty tame in my opinion. I was expecting them to drop us into a caldera or fight some grimm dragon."

"It was alright, par for the course really, though something tells me this was just a mission to test our skills," Yang said, glancing at the General, who was showing Jaune and Ruby something on his scroll. "Probably some sort of initiation. We will be going to Atlas Academy. We'll probably join the third-year cadets,"

"You know something, after all the stuff we've been through… I'm kinda looking forward to being in school again. Even if it's the most mundane thing on Remnant. I miss being in class," Blake said, smiling.

"Atlas Academy is world-renowned. We have millions of books at our fingertips and the most state-of-the-art facilities in the world. It would be idiotic not to make use of them." Weiss added, placing her scroll back in her pocket. "I for one will be brushing up on Grimm Variants, and making sure I'm ready to face whatever Solitas will throw at us. We should make a study session at some point."

"As boring as that sounds, it's probably for the best. I was just learning about Centinels back when Beacon was attacked, so I sort of forgot they existed. We'll be dealing with Megoliaths, Sabyrs, and whatever else this frozen hellscape wants to throw at us. It's for the best we brush up on those things,"

The sudden roar of an engine brought the group out of their conversation, their eyes moving to the sky. A large, grand-looking ship trailing what looked like ribbons behind it. The group spotted the Schnee Crest emblazoned on the side of it, briefly looking at Weiss who likely figured out who was inside it. She took a deep breath, pushing herself away from the crate.

"Is that-"

"Yeah," she said softly, finishing Levi's question. He took a hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly, looking directly into her eyes.

"I'm not going to let him take you away from us, Weiss. None of us are," he said.

"We've been through too much shit together, we'll confront him as a family," Yang added, giving Weiss a pat on the back. She nodded, standing up straight as she went to join Ruby, just as the ship landed. The doors were barely open when the Schnee Dust Company President stepped out, stomping his way down the gangplank as he headed straight to the general.

"So let me get this straight, James. In addition to this nonsensical embargo of yours, crippling my business, you've also decided you have the authority to commandeer private property?" he pauses as he glares at the man. Ironwood stared back, not an ounce of fear written on his face. "When the council hears about this, you will never-"

"Actually, I've already informed them. As this is now the site of a classified military operation, it didn't even require a vote."

Jacques looked at him, eyes widening as he stood back. "Didn't require a vote?!"

James smiled inwardly, turning away from the man. "You might want to brush up on Council law before you lose this upcoming election, Jacques. Now. I've allowed you to land here once as a courtesy. Next time, it won't be a friendly reception."

The arrogant man seethed, fixing his tie as he gave the General another glare. "Lately, you seem to forget who your friends really are. I'm going to get that Council seat, James, and maybe then you'll-"

His eyes drifted past him, landing right on Weiss. He looked surprised, shell-shocked to even see her there. Everything he had been talking about vanished from his mind in that instant, as he walked past the General. "You…"

Weiss remained frozen in place, she didn't dare move, not wanting to spark the man's ire. He looked back at the General, his anger reignited. "You roped my missing daughter into these schemes of yours?"

"I didn't rope her into anything, she volunteered, just like another family member of hers." The man boasted, only making Jacques angrier.

"How long has she been back in Atlas? Did Winter know about this?" he screamed. By now, Weiss was absolutely done with this man. She let go of Levi's hand and strode forward, glaring at him with all the hatred she had pent up over the years.

"It was my decision to come here. Just like it was my decision to leave. Or have you forgotten about that?" she asked.

The man scoffed angrily. "If you think I am one to forget anything, girl, then you've misjudged the man your father is."

Weiss gave him a bitter smile. "Believe me, I know exactly the kind of man you are," she replied, a hand on her hip. Jacques squeezed his hands tightly, bringing one them up, knuckles facing outward.

"How dare you speak to me like that?! I have half a mind to-"

"Half a mind to do what, Jacques?"

It took Levi a moment to realize it had been him who had uttered those words. He hadn't even noticed himself move. But he was at Weiss's side, holding her hand tightly in his grasp. Blake had done the same, with Yang and Ruby looked rather distraught, taken aback by how a man could speak to his daughter like that. Levi held the man's glare, his silver eyes burning with anger.

"How dare you speak to me like you know me?"

"How dare you speak to your daughter like she's a piece of shit?" the faunus returned, his voice laced with anger. "Your daughter has done nothing but suffer because of what you have done. She had to run away just to be free! Yet here you are, yelling at her, threatening her, it's no wonder she ran away from home. I'd run away too if I had a man like you like my father. I'm almost glad mine was brutally murdered. Saves me the trouble of growing up with an asshole like you."

He could tell Jacques was biting back several insults, especially since various Military officials and soldiers were standing around. He adjusted his cufflink, sighing angrily as he looked back at Weiss, frowning. "You know… your mother was devastated when you left."

"I hardly believe that especially since she paid for my escape."

"Oh? That's a new tidbit. I wasn't aware it was her who had gathered the funds for your escape. I merely assumed she had spent it on her habit. You know how she gets," the man said, taking note of Weiss's change in demeanor.

He shifted his gaze back to the General, who had been watching everything with rapt attention. "I knew one day, you would overextend your reach. I didn't come here to beg for an abandoned mine. I came to thank you…"

The man glanced over his shoulder at his daughter, smirking. "For handing me the noose to hang you."

"How melodramatic," Levi said softly, making Weiss snort, hardly containing her laugh. She swallowed it the moment her father turned back to face her, glaring at the small group that had gathered around her.

"So these are the little friends you threw everything away for?"

"They're not my friends," she said firmly, giving him a smile. "They're my family."

"Hm." He muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "We may have our differences, girl but this…"

"Differences doesn't begin to describe what we have, perhaps this will show you that not everyone in our family is subservient to you," the former heiress returned, her glare ever-present.

"Tch." He spat, readjusting his tie. "Heed my warning girl. Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. There are things happening behind the scenes that even you aren't aware of. Don't blindly follow orders like a machine, and don't be a fool either."

"Duly noted," Weiss replied, not bothering to acknowledge his words. Levi on the other hand gave the man an odd look. Why would he bother saying something like that to someone he clearly disliked?

Jacques said nothing, his icy stare boring into Blake and Levi's eyes. He scoffed once more, saying nothing as he walked back into his ship. Moments later it took off, shooting back to Atlas. Weiss sighed, feeling an immense weight off her shoulders.

"Man, I didn't think I'd have the pleasure of seeing your father's caterpillar up close. I should have snapped a picture," Levi said. This time Weiss laughed, clutching her sides as her light airy voice echoed around them. Yang and Blake joined in while Ruby looked rather confused.

"I didn't see a caterpillar anywhere,"

Levi leaned down to explain the joke, finally making her laugh. As he did, another ship touched down where Jacques had been parked, and out raced Winter, looking around for a moment, almost expecting to see her father. Weiss rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip.

"Oh look, now you decide to show up, Winter. You just missed Father."

"Well, I wouldn't say I missed him. I was busy getting the-"

Something hard slammed between them, the exhaust blasting Team RWBY off their feet. Levi and the others groaned, their heads spinning a bit. His eyes fully focused, only to see the bright Congratulations banner floating above, being projected by an orange-haired girl.

"Huh? What…"

"Surprise!" she shouted, holding her hand out. "Salutations! You must be Levi Athan, son of Professor Terra Athan! My name is Penny, I don't believe we've met! I'm here to congratulate you on your success!"

He blinked a few times, glancing back at the girls before facing Penny. "Uh? Thanks, I guess? I mean, it was just a simple mission, nothing worth congratulating us for." He replied as he took Penny's hand. He felt himself shaking from the hard shakes the robotic girl gave him. "Ow, my arm!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to shake you!" she said, still sounding cheerful. She looked around for a moment, frowning. "Um… have we not started yet?"

Winter sighed, pinching her eyes. "Apparently, we haven't."

"Started what?" Ruby questioned, as the rest of Team ORNJ joined them, confused looks on their faces.

"There's something we must do before we can call this mission a full success. Please, step aboard Winter's ship. She'll give you a ride up to Amity Arena. It's the only place we can fully do what we intend to do." General Ironwood said, gesturing to the large airship behind him.

Levi turned to face the floating arena, his ears flattening against his head. He swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling rather nervous. He felt someone squeeze his hand, and looked to his left, seeing Weiss standing next to him. "Hey, we faced down my father, I'm sure we can face down the demons we left in there."

"You're right. It isn't about can or can't, something in life you just do," he said firmly, giving her a sheepish smile. "Weiss, would you mind if I held your hand on the way up there? I just… need to make sure someone is with me. Just so I know it's real."

"Of course, it would be…" she paused, ignoring the heat rising to her cheeks. "A pleasure,"

He gave the arena one last glance before stepping aboard Winter's ship. It was time to face the music, and this time, he'd make sure to bury his demons, and not let them bother him anymore.


A/N: You know, Levi meeting Jacques was something I had planned back when I was still working on the events of Volume 5. I knew eventually, as the story progressed, he would end up meeting the man who had caused Weiss so much grief. And not just her, but hundreds of underpaid Faunus. It's no secret that Levi doesn't like this man, especially due to how unabashedly racist it was. Which was also why I decided, instead of Ironwood saying the line, it was Levi. It was a sort of reaction, to defend Weiss from the man who had made her life hell for the last several years of her life. He knows she can defend herself fine, but in that instance, he also knew she wasn't fully ready to face him no matter how ready she seemed. It's also nice to see Blake taking her hand, and in the anime, she did the same, showing just how much Weiss has changed. But this meeting also served as a warning, unlike in the original where Jacques just left, he gave Weiss a message that she ignored, but one that Levi took instead.

Make sure to do your due diligence and don't blindly walk into things. Will Levi follow that advice or will he become another toy soldier? That is yet to be seen. Also just know that there will be another chapter where Levi just goes off on Jacques, another thing that I had been planning since Mid Volume 5 haha. It was just too tempting not to have him say something. And if you look closely, you might see something blossoming between two people. Will that flower fully bloom? Again, something for the future.

It has been such a joy working on this story again. I don't know why it took me so long to return to it, I suppose real life and a lack of inspiration led to this. With Volume 9 being over, I can start planning ahead. Now I am excited to see what Volume 10 brings us if it gets greenlit, hopefully. Thank you to my reviewers, your kind words inspire me to continue forward, and even those who feel the need to leave petty insults, I use those as fuel to move forward. I've long since grown out of giving them attention. Regardless, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Next time, we get to see Levi return to Amity Colisseum, the place where his story begins, and the place where his life ended and his nightmare began...

See you soon~