Chapter 10: An Object of Interest
Levi let out a cry as he swung Overture, slicing a Sabyr clean in half. He slid across the snow, a Vermillion glyph igniting beneath his feet. He shifted into his rifle mode, aiming downward, destroying the thick plating on a Manticore's head. Landing on the snow behind it, he shifted the dust in his chamber, flicking his blade outward.
"Take this!" he cried, swinging his blade outward, a flaming blade of aura striking the creature in the back. Yang moved in, delivering a swift uppercut to its chin, jumping back just in time for Ruby to dash in, slicing the creature in half with Crescent Rose.
The group let out a sigh as the Manticore slowly disappeared. Looking around the area, they made sure they were clear before lowering their weapons. Ruby let out a cheer, jumping up and down for a moment. "Good job team, we did a lot of work today,"
"If only, those Grimm were a lot weaker than the usual ones we deal with," Weiss said, loading Myrtenaster with some more dust. She let out a sigh, closing her weapon up before sliding it into the ring at her hip. "I'm all out of Hard-Light Dust, we're gonna have to go back to Base Camp for supplies."
"I don't get why we're even here. This place isn't that close to Amity Colosseum, so why are we even here?" Blake questioned. Her long raven hair was blowing in the wind, causing her to grab a hold of it. "Seems like a waste of time."
"We might not be that close to the Colosseum, but it's better to deal with these Grimm before they get close to the mine. The Ace-Ops are tracking down another Petra Geist and we don't want a repeat of last time," Yang said, rolling her shoulders. "Besides, I like being out here. Shooting and punching Grimm is my favorite pastime."
"My favorite pastime is laying in bed watching old cartoon reruns," Levi said, loading some bullets into Overture. He flipped it around, simultaneously cocking the weapon before sliding it into his holster. He crossed his arms, glancing back at Atlas. "Though I'd rather be back home helping the Chief with that case."
"How is that going, by the way? See anything gnarly?" Ruby asked, tugging on her hood as they walked. "Weiss didn't want to share details with me."
"As well she should have, what we're working on isn't for the faint of heart. The pictures I've seen will haunt me for the rest of my days. But those pale in comparison to the latest victims… Gods, those looked awful, like someone shoved a grenade in their bodies and pulled the pin." he said, shuddering. Yang blanched a bit while Blake looked indifferent.
"Oh, so it's like those zombie movies on TV?"
"Ruby, real life isn't like a movie. Those three people lost their lives in a very tragic, very horrific way, and comparing it to a movie is indecent. Don't do that, okay?" Weiss scolded, making the hooded girl frown.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"It's okay, Rubes. Weiss might be snarky, but she means well." Levi said, ignoring the glare the white-haired woman threw at him. He looked up, letting out a sigh as he walked. "But she's got a point… zombie movies and gore on TV don't compare to the real-life equivalent. How could someone just… do that to people?"
"Some disgusting asshole who loves seeing people suffer. I've been reading up on a lot of the cases and they seem so… odd. Aside from them all being Ivy Brown's supporters and dissenters of General Ironwood, I can't see any correlation between them. They almost seem like random targets," Blake said, looking away from her scroll. "As if them being Brown supporters is a giant coincidence."
"I don't know what to say really, all that shit goes way over my head," Yang said, resting her arms behind her head. "The person who's doing all this seems methodical though, reminds me of that guy… the serial killer that was apprehended a few years ago."
"Serial killer?" Weiss asked, tilting her head a bit. The blonde brawler nodded.
"Yeah, he became wanted in all of Remnant. He killed a lot of people in Vacuo and Vale before moving on to Mistral. He was caught and was to be brought to Atlas's Supreme Court to be judged, but his transport was destroyed. They never found any signs of him to see if he was alive or not. I remember my dad and Uncle Qrow both teaming up to find him. Saw some real gnarly shit,"
"Huh… I don't remember any of this," Ruby said, causing Yang to give her a pat on the head.
"Oh you, you were far too young to remember this. It was shortly after our mom, Summer, went missing. Dad wanted to find this guy because he thought they might have crossed paths. But then Uncle Qrow found evidence stating she hadn't been anywhere near Mistral." she said, looking away from her sister. "Must have been one hell of a mission if she went missing."
Blake looked up from her scroll, her gaze falling on Weiss who had been quiet for a while. It seemed as if she was deep in thought about something. She cleared her throat, grabbing her attention. "Cat got your tongue?"
"Haha, very funny," the woman sarcastically replied. "I'm just thinking more about this case. What Yang said resonated with me a bit. That Serial Killer she mentioned did have this sick flair he gave to every victim. Each killing was unique, but all of the ones after those journalists were similar in nature. That last one though… that one certainly fits his M.O. Goddammit, if only I could remember his name."
They settled into a comfortable silence as they walked. Solitas was a cold and grueling place, the wind and snow were bothersome, but nothing they couldn't handle. After what they dealt with in Northern Mistral, walking through the tundra was nothing. Levi was aware that there was a fishing village nearby, but it was too far for them to visit. How people managed to live out there was impressive. Thankfully, the land provided natural means of protection against the Grimm, but given their nature, they'd find a way.
It wasn't long before they reached their base camp. It was nothing more than some cold-proof tents and a metal wall. The walls were made of thick metal, that would protect them from the Grimm if worse came to worse. Compared to camping out in Mistral with no protection, this was a 5-star hotel. Finally out of the elements, at least for a moment, Team RWBY headed to their supply cache, restocking on dust and ammunition.
"We've been here for a couple of hours and we're already depleting our stock. We're lucky we have it, things were a lot harder for us in Mistral." Levi said, filling his ammo pouch with more bullets. He made sure his dust was topped off as well, in case he needed it.
"Mistral was just out to get us," Blake said, sitting down on a supply crate. She stretched her arms above her head, popping her back as she did so. "Haah… honestly, I like it in Atlas. Sure we have to deal with racists, but it could be worse."
"It isn't all it's cracked up to be. Compared to Vale, it seems like this place never sleeps. Even I like my peace and quiet," Yang said, biting into a power bar. She turned to her sister, who was already downing some cookies. "What about you, Rubes? How's Atlas treating you so far?"
"Honestly?" she asked, swallowing her cookies. "Pretty freaking well! I get to see lots of awesome weapons and I get free ammo for Crescent Rose! What more could I ask for?"
"Warm milk for those cookies so you don't choke?" Levi quipped, earning a laugh from the girl.
"I'll get some on the stove in a second. What about you, Weiss? Would you like anything? I think I spotted some Oolong tea in our supplies."
"Oh I'm alright for now, Ruby, thank you though," the former heiress said. She was refilling Myrtenaster's spent ammo canisters, making sure they were evenly topped off.
Levi jolted a bit, his ears twisting around as he heard something in the distance. Blake was already on her feet as well, Gambol Shroud in her grasp as she looked around. The pair relaxed a bit, finally identifying the sound. Within seconds, the land shook as Mantle's Protector landed in front of them, a grin on her face.
"Salutations Team RWBY, and Levi!" Penny greeted. Ruby shot across the field, hugging her friend tightly.
"Penny!" she cried, wrapping her arms around the robot girl. "It's been so long! I thought we'd never see you again!"
"It's been a few days, Ruby, not months," Weiss said with a roll of her eyes. She shook her head, leaning back a bit. "It is good to see you, Penny. What have you been up to?"
"Oh you know, dealing with Protesters across Mantle as well as putting down some Grimm. It seems the deaths of those three young adults have stirred the city. They're asking for General Ironwood to step down, and to open the borders." she said, her expression shifting a bit. "I do not understand how people could be so ungrateful. General Ironwood is keeping all of us safe with his policies."
"I saw a bit of that on TV before we came out here. Things are getting worse, all of this unrest is only going to attract more Grimm." Levi said, looking at the ground. "Fuck, if only we had a lead on that killer."
"Hey, you and Weiss are doing the best you can. Sadly, we have something else to prioritize." Yang said, clapping his shoulder. "Try not to worry too much. You have Neo on the case, right? I'm sure with her unique skills she'll find something,"
"What brings you out here, Penny? Don't you have other things to do? Or are you sneaking away without the General knowing?" Blake asked. Penny hastily shook her head.
"No, I was reassigned. The General said and I quote "Team RWBY is down a Team member. It will be up to you to fill that empty slot. For the time being, you shall act as Levi's partner. Do not hinder his progress," and so here I am." Penny said. Levi chuckled at her imitation of Ironwood, brushing some hair out of his eyes.
"Well, I look forward to working with you, Penny. I've been wanting to get to know you, see what makes you tick."
She looked at him, confusion on her face. "What makes me tick? But I don't have a clock inside me."
"He means learning what makes you, you," Weiss said, closing her scroll. "It's a figure of speech."
Finally understanding, the orange-haired girl grinned. "Ah of course! I look forward to seeing what makes you tick as well, Levi!"
A sudden beep filled their ears, causing them all to groan. Ruby drew her scroll from her pocket, flicking it open. She read the contents of the message, relaying it to her teammates. "Well guys, it seems we've got another assignment. There's an unusual amount of Grimm near the Fort's outer wall. We need to take care of it before it enters the complex."
"Just when we thought we'd be able to take a break. Looks like I won't be reading that new book until tonight after all," Blake said dejectedly. She checked her weapon over, making sure she had enough ammo for the fight ahead.
"Do you think I can read it after you're done with it? I'd like to discuss the intricacies of me being right about Hayabusa choosing my favorite girl to be his wife."
"Oh fuck off, you."
"You are just mad because I won the bet we had going on," the miqo'te faunus said, giving the ravenette a wink. "I told you! From the second that opening page talked about Hayabusa's backstory, I just knew that was where it was going!"
"You don't have to rub it in though!" she countered. The two devolved into petty bickering, with Weiss following after them, arms crossed as they walked across the tundra. Yang watched in amusement, not wanting to be involved in what they were speaking about.
"Um, Ruby?"
"Yes, Penny?"
"What are Blake and Levi arguing about?" she asked, an innocent look on her face. Ruby flushed a bit, clearing her throat.
"They're talking about a book called Ninjas of Love. It's one of Blake's favorites, and as it turns out, Levi also likes that series. The author published two new books recently and they've been discussing them. As it turns out, Levi was right about the final pairing in the book and he's holding it over Blake."
"Oh I see, I see." the orange-haired girl replied. She narrowed her eyes a bit, gasping in realization. "Wait, is Ninjas of Love the book where those two samurai have sex in the middle of a rainstorm? I always wanted to discuss it with someone, but General Ironwood becomes unresponsive whenever I want to talk about it. I asked Winter what "blasting her face with cum" meant but she just turned red and told me I wasn't old enough to know about that."
She turned to Ruby, whose face was as red as her cloak. "What's cum?"
Earning babbles as an answer, Penny looked to the others, who had equal looks on their faces. Save Yang, who looked ready to burst into laughter. "Why are you all looking at me like that? That word isn't in my memory banks, and whenever I search it up on the internet, the parental block kicks in. My father doesn't want me to learn about certain things. Is cum some sort of explosive? Is that why Hayabusa blasted her face with it?"
That was enough to cause Yang to snap, almost falling to the snow in laughter. Weiss was the only one to speak, giving Penny a firm look. "Penny, I am not at liberty to answer that question, that is something you must speak to your father about. I am further asking you not to talk to my sister about those things, and don't bring it up with the General either. Understood?"
"Okay…" she said, looking disappointed. She instantly cheered up, a look of pride on her face as she walked. "I'll ask my father about it when I get back to Atlas. But if you wouldn't mind telling me what Anal is, I'd love to learn about it."
It was going to be a difficult mission for Team RWBY, they could already tell.
Location: Mantle
Alto wasn't sure how long they had been moving. It felt like an eternity, she could hear the sounds of protesters at every stop they made. The box she and Neo were in jerked around wildly, barely being held back by its straps. It made for a very shaky experience far worse than flying across the Northern Ocean. If it wasn't because she was used to the jerky movement, she'd have probably thrown up by now. But she held true, alternating with Neo so they could get access to the only breathing hole. The smell of adhesive certainly wasn't doing them any favors.
"Dear Gods, when is this ride going to end? Please let it end soon!" the wolf faunus mentally cried, clenching her eyes tightly. Her prayers were answered, as the transport truck made a hard stop, everything jerking forward. She held back the urge to scream, anger flashing across her face. "Okay that's it, I'm finding that driver and I'm going to shove Milo up his ass!"
"Alright Boys, you heard the Boss! Start unloading this shit and getting it ready to be sold. I want it to be broken down and cataloged, and if you find explosives, you set those aside. The Boss wants those all for himself."
Alto felt a tug on her skirt, causing her to look back at Neo. She was holding her scroll out to her, a single phrase being written. "How many?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, they're all moving around at once, it makes it hard to tell." the faunus said, closing her eyes for a moment. Her ears turned and twisted around as she struggled to get a good reading. She opened her eyes, looking back at the silent woman. "There are ten, give or take."
Neo nodded, putting her scroll away. She took a hold of Hush, holding it tightly in her gasp, giving Alto a nod. They waited for a moment, the truck shaking as things were being taken out. After a few minutes, they heard a loud thump against the crate, followed by a second and then a third. Alto looked up, seeing the corner of a crowbar being wedged between the boards. She looked at Neo, who merely told her to stay quiet, finger on her lips. The second the lid was pulled open, a man peered in, his eyes widening in shock.
"What the-"
Neo quickly wrapped Hush's hook around his neck, pulling him down and into her waiting fist. Her aura-infused punch was enough to knock him out. She pushed the body back, the man falling off the truck with a thump. She and Alto quickly got out, finding refuge behind some larger crates. It was then that they noticed just how big this transport truck had been, filled with thousands of items, no doubt from the many stops they had made.
"The hell is wrong with him?" a voice asked, gesturing to the man who had fallen onto the floor. The others shrugged, not knowing what had happened.
"Something must have hit him, he was opening that crate, right? Maybe while he was pulling the lid off he hit himself with it?" someone suggested.
"Really? How the hell does that even happen?"
"I dunno, go check it out."
The truck jostled a bit as another grunt climbed aboard, peering into the empty box. He looked around for a moment, confusion written on his face. He turned back to the others, all of them waiting for him to speak. "There's nothing in this box, it's empty!"
"What? That's impossible, we put that box up there ourselves, and it was full of bricks or something!" another goon said.
"He's right, that fuckin' thing weighed a ton!"
"Grrr, that's it!" Alto shouted, taking the men by surprise. She leaped over a crate, landing in front of the men, a look of sheer fury on her face. "I do not weigh a ton!"
Neo sighed, slapping her forehead as she looked around, finding a place to hide. The men all brandished their weapons, taking aim at the wolf faunus. One of them stepped forward, chuckling beneath his bright yellow handkerchief. He wore a black shirt, with a leather vest over it, the image of a cobra visible on the front. Tattered jeans and shoes made up the rest of his outfit, his cronies being dressed similarly.
"Hello there, little thing. I wasn't expecting a cute dog to hide in our stuff. Looks like we're going to have to teach this dog a lesson, right boys?" he asked, a smirk beneath his mask. Alto merely stood straight, flexing her fingers.
"I'd like to see you try," Alto boasted, ears folded back. One of the men raced forward, a crowbar raised above his head, aiming to strike the girl over the head. Alto moved out of the way, spinning around her heel, simultaneously drawing Milo from her hip. She parried the man's attack, throwing a hard punch to his chest followed by several swift strikes.
One of the men took a few shots at her, causing her to block them with her gauntlet. She flicked her wrist downward, her armguard whirling around. Several metal plates emerged from within, joining together to create a shield, a gilded shield with two even indentations in it. The name "Akuo" was etched into the metal, gleaming brightly in the light.
She spun around, launching her shield forward like a disc, her fingers glowing as she sped it up. It struck one of the men right in the face, bouncing cleanly off of it. She spun Milo around, shooting it with a fire bullet which sent the shield careening in the opposite direction. With a flick of her wrist, the shield came flying back to her grasp, just in time to deflect a sword swung in her direction. She shifted Milo into its spear form, spinning it around her neck, managing to slash the man's wrist open.
"What the fuck is this girl made of? We can't even touch her!" someone shouted.
"It doesn't matter! Use everything you got against her, we can't let her get away!" one man shouted, sending his men forward.
Alto smirked, dropping into a somersault, twisting her hips around, she delivered a fierce kick to a goon's face, sending him flying back into the truck. She rolled across the ground, rapidly standing up, deflecting several sword strikes thrown in her direction. She raised her shield, deflecting another attack. With a grunt, she pushed the man back, bashing him in the face with Akuo.
She turned around, just in time to see a blade aimed at her neck, eyes growing wide. The blade made contact with her skin, her body shattering into a million pieces. Taken aback, the men looked around, all of them looking confused.
"She just shattered dude."
"Calm down, it must be her semblance. She's around here somewhere, don't let her escape."
"Ahem."
The men turned around, spotting the wolf faunus standing atop a large metal crate. She had Milo in her grasp, a look of disappointment on her face. "Don't you know stealing from the Atlas Military is a crime punishable by law?"
"Do you think we give a shit? General Ironwood is ruining our nation! We aren't going to stand for that!" the leader of the group shouted, flicking his wrist. His sword shifted, transforming into an assault rifle. He took aim, a red dot appearing on Alto's chest. "Say goodbye, Dog!"
Alto's body once again shattered, her giggle filling their ears. The man turned around, just as the wolf faunus flashed behind him. He took a shot at her, but Neo hopped between them, her unfurled parasol taking the brunt of the impact. Using her shoulder, Alto vaulted forward, burying her heels into the man's chest. She landed in a crouch, sweeping the man off his legs, sending him flying back with several slashes courtesy of Milo.
The wolf faunus turned around, just in time to see Neo running toward her. She angled her shield just right, allowing her to use it as a springboard, launching her into the air. She brought her aura-infused leg down on a man's shoulder, his bones shattering from the impact. Alto turned on her heel, launching Akuo forward like a flying disc, the weapon striking the goon in the chest, knocking him unconscious.
She flipped out of the way, avoiding a volley of gunfire only for a goon to knock her off balance. Alto cried in pain as she took several slashes and gunshots, her body rolling across the ground. Neo tipped her hat back, whistling loudly. The man turned to face her, a smirk on his face.
"What? You want some too doll face?" he chortled, taking aim at the ice cream-themed girl. "Well, here you go!"
Neo's body shattered, causing him to growl in anger. He looked to his right, just in time to see the woman throwing a kick at him. He caught her leg, throwing her back, but she recovered, using a somersault to mitigate the damage. She sprung forward, wrapping her legs around his neck, pulling him down with all of his body weight. With a silent grunt, she sent him flying upward.
Finally grabbing Milo, Alto twirled it around, resting the rifle on her shoulder, popping two rounds into the man's body. It careened backward, sending him flying into the materials they had stolen. She shifted her rifle back into its Xiphos form, darting forward toward her shield, throwing it backward just in time to deflect a sword strike aimed at Neo. Twirling Milo around, she shifted it into its Javelin form, throwing it at the man with all her strength. The weapon pinned him to one of the crates, shaking repeatedly from the strength of the throw.
Neo made short work of the remaining goons, using her flexibility against them. She drove her knee into a man's jaw, shattering it and his aura in a fell swoop. She drew her blade in time to parry an attack, spinning around, bashing the man with her parasol. She spun both around, slamming Hush into his forehead, finishing him off with a powerful kick. She started walking forward, flicking Hush downward, its blade scraping across the ground.
"Okay, okay, we yield! Stop!" the leader of the group cried, nursing his wounds. "Whatever it is you want, we'll give it to you, please just stop hitting us."
"You can begin by telling us who you work for," Alto said, picking Akuo from the floor. She moved toward Milo, her gaze firmly on the man. "We know you are stealing these items and selling them for profit, a profit that is being laundered by Piccolo and being funneled to Ivy Brown. We just wanna know who the middleman is."
"Tch… as if we'd answer that."
Alto said nothing, rather, she slammed Akuo into the pinned goon's face, knocking him unconscious. She pulled Milo free, moving toward the leader, shifting it into its rifle form. She rested it on the crook of her shield, feet firmly planted on the ground. "We're not going to ask again, sir."
"DiCappriccio, he hired us to do all of this. His idea is to take the materials meant to fix the wall and sell them off. The walls don't get fixed causing civil unrest. That money is funneled into Piccolo's business, turned into crypto, and then withdrawn. That money is then donated to Ivy Brown's campaign." the man replied.
"Ah, so that's the way of it, interesting," the wolf faunus said, clearing her throat. "Alright then, what about the Masked Man? We received intel stating that he was the one leading your crew. Not only that, but they attacked a few friends of ours and went as far as killing those journalists. Mind telling us who they are?"
The goon let out a laugh, shaking his head. "Hate to break it to ya, you mangy mutt. But we don't know who that is. Every meeting we've had with that Man has been the same. They always have a mask and a voice changer. Hell, we don't even know if it's a man or a woman. If you want their identity, then you are shit out of luck."
Neo pressed her blade to his neck, glaring at him. He matched her glare with one of his own, grabbing a hold of Hush. "Threaten me all you want, miss. But I can't tell you something I don't know."
"Fine… one last thing, we heard you telling these idiots to collect the explosives. What does your Boss need them for?"
"Can't say, I'm afraid I wasn't briefed about that. All I know is that the Boss has a need to collect explosives. He probably already got some, since we're not the only crew out there. You might have stopped us, but you can't stop all of us." the goon said with a laugh.
"Where's the Masked Man then? Is he with another crew?" Neo's scroll chirped, causing him to look at her.
"Hell if I know, he was given another assignment. He isn't in Mantle at the moment, you'd have a better shot of finding him in the tundra. That's all I have to say about that, so kindly, fuck off." he said, spitting at Neo, only for her to kick him in the jaw. Alto merely giggled, pulling her scroll from her pocket, her license already visible.
"By order of the Atlas Military, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. If you don't have money for a lawyer, the Kingdom shall provide you one. You have the right to be judged by a jury of your peers, do you understand your rights as I have read them to you?"
"Shove it up your ass."
"Cuff him, Neo. I'll put the call in," Alto said, watching the ice cream-themed girl throw the man on his face, quickly cuffing him. The wolf faunus grinned as she held her scroll to her ear. "Special Operative Schnee? This is Private 1st Class Alto Blaze requesting a pick-up. We have several suspects in custody and require immediate assistance."
The girl let out a sigh as she put away her scroll, a look of pride on her face. "Haah, I've always wanted to do something like that!"
Neo looked at her, crossing her arms. She gestured to all of the unconscious men around them, making her chuckle. "Right, I'll start cuffing them."
xxx
"You two did an excellent job, I'm impressed," Winter said, watching as the men were loaded into a dropship. She looked around at all of the recovered materials, ignoring some of the broken stuff. "Though I must admit, your means of tracking them down was rather… crude,"
"If it works, it works, right?" Neo's scroll said, causing the woman to laugh.
"Quite right. I'm certain my sister will be elated when she learns of this. The protests are getting worse, we are already considering a curfew. But that would make people like these more likely to steal from us."
"Their leader answered a few questions for us, but we still need proof. Everything that was stated could just be denied. I wasn't expecting the corruption to run this deep." Alto said arms crossed in annoyance. "Why would Ivy Brown go this far?"
"Money, of course, I bet you she did all this to line her pockets. Using her family name as a smokescreen ensures she gets away without burning her ass." Neo said, a frown on her face. Winter sighed, turning away from the pair.
"While I do not agree with everything the General is doing, you must understand that this is necessary. You of all people should know what is at stake. We must ensure Amity is ready to launch, and until then, we must do what we can to quell this civil unrest." she replied, turning back to the pair. "That being said, do be careful when tracking down dangerous criminals. While I do trust your abilities, a wide number of things could happen."
"Understood, Special Operative Schnee. We will do our utmost best to make sure these men are captured." Alto said, saluting the woman. She nodded, heading back toward the dropship. Alto sighed, looking back at Neo. "Now what? The Masked Man wasn't here. Sure we caught these guys and recovered all this stuff, but we're still at a loss."
Neo tilted her head, a pensive look flashing across her face. She snapped her fingers, a look that screamed 'eureka' appearing on her face. Alto's ears folded downward, not prepared for what the woman was about to say. "Now that we caught this group of men, probably the most notorious, DiCappriccio will be on edge. You heard that goon, they were hired directly from him. Why don't we go pay him a visit?"
"I don't like the sound of that."
xxx
Alto was honestly surprised by Neo's ability to do things. Even without a voice, she was able to convey just enough for people to understand her. She was extremely charismatic. With a few hand signs and a cute expression, she had men eating out of her palm. She was a devious woman with grace, poise, and cunning that rivaled a fox.
She paid the taxi driver handsomely, giving him a smile and a wink as they hopped out of the cab. They darted into an alleyway the moment they could. Neo pulled Alto along, finger on her lips as a sign for her to remain quiet. The alley was dark and smelly, overturned trash cans crawling with raccoons and rats visible everywhere they looked. She knelt down at the edge of the building, peering across the way at the large Opera House ahead of them.
"Okay, we're here, what exactly are we going to do, waltz in there?" Alto questioned. Neo shook her head, holding her hand out for a moment. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, locking eyes with a black limousine, something that was a rare sight in Mantle.
From it came out a gorgeous woman, with soft caramel-colored skin that glowed in the light of the opera house. Thick dark brown tresses hung down to her mid back, in curled waves. She had an aura of authority, her black sequin dress glowing in the light. She had a white feather boa wrapped around her neck, a small purse in her gloved grasp. The man with her, who Neo assumed was her driver, led her toward the entrance, holding the door open before returning to the vehicle.
Neo held her scroll out to Alto, who looked at the device, the picture of a woman on it. She looked just like the one that had entered the Opera House. "So, this is what Ivy Brown looks like? I won't lie, this woman is gorgeous. I can tell why she's popular too."
Taking her scroll back, Neo hastily typed out a message, holding it out to her. "If Ivy is here, that means she might be meeting up with Antonio. We need to figure out a way to get in there and listen in."
Ears flattening on her head, Alto looked up from the device, a look of concern on her face. "I don't know about you, but this is a lot riskier than hiding in a box. We can't go in there! We don't know if they're armed or not."
Neo shook it off. "So what if they're armed? We can take them."
"Yeah, and then we lose our shot at getting some information out of them, dumbass. We need to get them in a vulnerable spot without being caught," she said. Alto jolted a bit as the clouds above them rumbled. She shuddered a bit, feeling several cold drops of water hitting her face, causing her to sigh. She held her arm up, using Akuo as a makeshift umbrella. "And now it's raining, fantastic."
Neo looked back at the opera house, looking for a way that didn't involve using the front door. Of course, she was taken by complete surprise when she saw another vehicle pulling up to the building. This one was less conspicuous than the limo, being a sleek black hovercar. The passenger side door opened, and out stepped Quintus Piccolo, adjusting his tie as he looked around. He said something to the driver before closing the door, hastily making his way inside. The silent woman glanced back at Alto, who seemed just as shocked as she was.
"Will the money laundering CEO please sign in?" Neo cheekily typed, causing Alto to shake her head.
"Alright, it's a coincidence, but we still have to get in there, how will we do that?" she asked. Neo closed her eyes for a moment, snapping her fingers. She grabbed a hold of Alto's wrist, her body beginning to glow. "Whoa… what the-?"
She blinked after a moment, the pink light having died down. She looked at Neo, the silent girl looked completely different. She now wore a black, sleeveless shirt with white frills, along with a matching skirt and platform boots. Her hair, black in color, was tied up into twin-tails, vibrant green eyes replaced her two-toned ones. Neo held out a mirror, showing Alto her own reflection, leaving her stunned.
She looked identical to Neo, she could even pass off as her twin. The raven-haired girl typed on her scroll, holding it out to the disguised faunus. "You need to be careful, my Semblance will cloak you, but the second you take damage, it'll shatter. It doesn't hold like mine does, I'm essentially making a copy of myself and draping her over you. Be careful."
"Wow… when did you learn to do this? It's pretty cool!"
Neo shrugged, twirling her disguised weapon, smirking. "I've been told I have an Overactive Imagination. Now let's go, these disguises will assist us in case we get caught. Try not to attract attention."
They waited for traffic to die down, before crossing the street. They managed to make it to the front entrance of the opera house, easily stepping inside. Alto had to question why they had even left the doors unlocked, but she didn't question it. Neo looked around for a moment, searching for anyone or anything that could impede them. Luckily, the corridor seemed empty, allowing them to move at a leisurely pace. Neo paused, hearing voices nearby. She pulled Alto along, ducking into a nearby stairwell.
A pair of ushers walked past them, lost in conversation as they examined the front foyer. Neo grit her teeth, pulling Alto along and leading her up the stairs. Once they were away from the ushers, she pulled out her scroll.
"We need to be careful. Can you hear any voices? Aside from those two ushers?" she asked, causing Alto to shake her head. Though disguised, she still felt her ears atop her head. She closed her eyes, focusing on every sound around them. Her eyes snapped open, giving the girl a grin.
"I hear Piccolo's voice, it's nearby but it doesn't seem like it's coming from the main stage," she said, peering at the top of the stairs. "It might be in another room, a meeting room, or something?"
Deciding to keep exploring, Neo and Alto moved forward, being careful not to make too much noise. She grabbed Alto's wrist, pulling her back in just in time to avoid the security camera at the end of the hall. Alto clicked her tongue, narrowing her eyes a bit. "Now what? There are cameras installed. Do you think someone already saw us?"
"Could be, but by the looks of things, it doesn't seem like it. If they're having an ultra-secret discussion, I doubt they'd have their cameras online. But we still can't afford to be seen. Hm… what to do?" Neo's scroll read as the woman looked around. She pointed upward, Alto following her gaze until she saw the grate positioned directly above them.
"Oh come on, Neo! You can't be serious!" she said, earning a glare from the girl.
Neo let her actions speak for her, grabbing a hold of Alto's arm. She pressed Akuo's release mechanism, the shield silently deploying. With a bit of work, she managed to spring herself up at the grate, grabbing a hold of it. She tugged on it until it became loose, allowing her to grab the edge of the ceiling. Nimbly, she climbed into the shaft, holding her arm out. Alto withdrew her shield, kicking off the wall, grabbing a hold of Neo's hand. She pulled herself up, closing the shaft just as a pair of ushers were making their way up the stairs.
The mute girl pushed Alto forward, gesturing to her ears. Silently, Alto nodded, beginning to shimmy her way across the shaft, praying that it held their combined weight. As she moved around, she could hear voices in the distance, growing louder and louder until they were practically on top of them. She adjusted herself, peering down a vent, looking down into a room.
She spotted Piccolo, sitting in front of a round table, a worried look on his face. There was a man she didn't quite recognize, drinking out of a glass, and finally, Ivy Brown was near the other end of the table, sitting in a plush crimson seat. Neo drew her black scroll, wedging the camera through the thin slat, angling it just enough to capture the three, snapping a picture. She snapped a second and then a third before beginning a video recording, just as they resumed speaking.
"Those idiots let themselves get captured. The grunt that managed to get away said two Huntresses converged on them, hiding in one of the crates." an angry-sounding Ivy said, slamming her glass onto the ground. "What the hell, Cobra, you said your men could handle anything. Were you just pulling our leg?"
"You asked for my best men and that's what I provided. It isn't my fault that they were too stupid to scan for living people. We only check for trackers, not Huntresses. But I thank them for their failure because now we'll make sure that mistake doesn't happen again," the digitized voice of King Cobra said.
"This is absurd. We all came together in order to boost Ivy's chances of getting that Council vote. But everything that's been going on hasn't done shit. Her supporters are getting slaughtered, and we're still bleeding money," Quintus said, looking around the table at the others. "You assured me I'd not only get my money doubled but that the borders would be open before March. Guess what, it's April, and still nothing!"
"Would you cool your jets? What did you expect, you can't change things from one day to another. The grand plan is beginning to take off. The 5th Street Cobras can now openly attack the Atlas Military. That will bring chaos onto the streets, and the people of Atlas will have no choice but to kick Ironwood out of the Council. With those seats open, not only will Ivy Brown get her spot, but someone has to be named Headmaster of Atlas Academy. We can sway the vote, and Ivy can appoint someone at her leisure,"
"What, someone like you, Antonio? I didn't think you cared about Atlas Academy that much, considering you were kicked out of the military in your youth." Ivy said, drinking the last of her whiskey.
"It doesn't matter. The Headmaster of Atlas Academy has full control over the cadets. They will be at the beck and call of the Headmaster for anything necessary." the man said, chuckling as he looked toward the brunette. "And with a Council member approving all orders, well, we'd have our own Private Military Company at our beck and call."
"If you think Ironwood is going to lay down and let that happen, you have another thing coming. You don't know that man as well as I do. He's changed," Piccolo said, looking away from the pair. "He's become more paranoid and hyper-focused on something. I've been hearing things from some of my employees, about requests for special chips, all to be shipped to Amity Colosseum."
"The Colosseum?" Ivy questioned, genuinely confused. "What the hell could they be planning to do with that place?"
"I'm not sure, but all of the materials are specific. Communication Satellites, Special Wifi Chips, components, connectors, PCBs… you name it, it's been requested."
"Intriguing. Regardless, that isn't our priority at the moment, our priority is Mantle. The beginning of our plan is on the way. The people are protesting, civil unrest is spreading like a virus, and the Grimm are attacking our borders. All it takes is one light push for things to tip in our favor," Antonio said, leaning back in his seat. "King Cobra, how many explosives have you gathered for me?"
"My boys hit up a few Dust Depots, we were able to get some volatile Gravity Dust crystals recovered from that Dust Mine. They will make excellent explosives for us to use. All we need is for you to tell us where to put them." the man said, his disguised voice echoing through the room.
"I've taken the liberty of emailing you our plans. But you must first hold off, my daughter is getting something that will be of use. She requires it in order for us to fully lay waste to Mantle. With its people subjugated and in fear of the Grimm, the Council will have no choice but to oust Ironwood."
"What exactly are you planning?" Ivy questioned, a curious look on her face. "You've kept me out of the loop with this plan of yours. It won't require money, will it? Because I don't wish to part with any of it."
"Of course, it won't. You'll keep lining your pockets just as you have since our little alliance began. All you need to do is get me that Headmaster Position and we'll be squared. Piccolo, you keep producing Microchips for the good General, and keep mixing those tax records so our funds aren't discovered." Antonio said firmly.
"Sure, I'll keep doing my part, just as long as I get what I want. The opening of our borders, the elimination of that damned Embargo, and absolute control of Atlas's technological sector." Piccolo said firmly. "That's how I'll keep helping the people of Remnant, by creating more prosthetics and parts for those who need them. Never again will parents see their children broken and battered like I saw my daughter."
"How sentimental," the brown-haired woman said, finishing her drink. "I just hope things don't go tits up for us. I've been told we have a Huntsman and a Huntress prying into our affairs. Chief Roth has them investigating the murder of those journalists."
"They can search all they want. There are no clues as to who their killer is, and now that serial killer is further masking our activities." Antonio said, sneering a bit as he refilled his glass. "I made sure our agent was as protected as they could be. All thanks to King Cobra and his voice encoding technology,"
"Happy I could provide. Now then, I must be going, I have to ensure my boys are ready for the coming days. When preparations are made, do let me know," the man said, his screen going dark.
"Excellent, now all we have to do is for our Masked friend to return. What was it that she was after?"
"I'm not sure… some experimental object that apparently attracts Grimm. It was created by the Atlas Military a long time ago, but the project was abandoned. I have no idea how she figured out what it was or where it was located." Antonio said, causing Quintus and Ivy to look at him.
"She?"
He shook his head. "Never you fret, it is meaningless."
Alto looked away from the vent, meeting eyes with Neo, who merely gave her a wink. They had gotten extremely lucky. She was absolutely giddy, and for someone with little investment in this case, she was beginning to enjoy herself. Being a Huntress was way more fun than she had expected it to be. She opened her mouth to say something, only to feel something tickle her nose. She clamped her hand over it, squeezing her nose tightly.
"Don't sneeze, don't sneeze, DON'T SNEEZE!" she thought to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt her body stop shaking a bit, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief. Neo looked relieved as well, a small smile on her face.
At least until Alto sneezed. It was loud and resounding, echoing through the entire shaft. It caused the trio below them to jump in surprise, not expecting such a loud sound.
"What the hell was that?"
"It was a sneeze and it sounded close!"
"Someone is listening in, quick, call the ushers!"
Neo glared at Alto, a look of sheer anger on her face. She gestured for her to start moving, the pair needing to evacuate the shaft as fast as possible. Somehow, they managed to get out, racing to an emergency stairwell and leaving the Opera House without being seen. They didn't stop running until they had gotten a good distance away, the cold rainwater soaking them to the bone. They panted a bit, looking over their shoulders for a moment.
"That was rough,"
Alto found herself slammed into a wall, a fearful look on her face as Neo's emerald eyes peered into her own. She could tell every single thing the mute woman wanted to shout at her if she could. She shook her a bit, making various gestures as well as hand signs. She swept her hair out of her face, throwing her hand up into the air before stomping her foot. Anyone who was driving by would see nothing but a young woman throwing a tantrum, while her assumed twin sister watched her meltdown. Neo finally stopped, sighing silently as she pinched her eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay? What was I supposed to do? I held back that sneeze as best I could. Need I remind you we were in a ventilation shaft filled with dust?"
Neo nodded, giving Alto a pat on the head. She flicked her umbrella outward, holding it above her head and opening it. She wrapped her arm around Alto's waist, shielding her from the cool rain. She started walking forward, a small grin on her face.
"Despite how things turned out, we managed to get a lot of information. We might be one step closer to nailing this thing down. Now if only we could figure out who that killer is!" the disguised faunus said, clicking her tongue. "God, this is going to annoy the hell out of me!"
Neo rolled her eyes, handing the girl her umbrella. She hastily typed something out, holding her scroll out to her. "Don't worry, Alto. We'll figure it out soon. We need to meet up with Valentine and Metera so we can compile all of this information. We're one step closer to finally piecing together this scheme of theirs. I just feel bad for Levi's friend, whose father is involved in this."
Alto remained silent, her smile diminishing. She briefly wondered what her sister would think if she was still around. She just wanted all of this to end before things got worse.
Location: Solitas, 4 km from Atlas
"Shit, of all the luck!" Levi cried, swinging his blade. The Centinel before him screeched in pain, body fading as the hard-light blade sawed it in half. He formed a glyph beneath his feet, shooting himself into the air. "Penny!"
"I got you, Levi!" the orange-haired girl cried, grabbing his arm. She spun him around, launching him down like a missile. He let out a cry, chamber spinning as it settled on fire dust. Overture glowed brilliantly as he sliced the Sabrys clean in half. He rolled across the snow, shifting his weapon into its rifle form.
He rested the stock against his shoulder, waiting for Penny to move away before firing his final energy round, the barrel of his rifle glowing with a pink glyph. It shot forward at sonic speed, the bullet popping as it broke the sound barrier and flew straight through the armor plating of a Megoliath. The creature let out a roar as it fell onto its side, slowly fading into blackened wisps.
"How are we looking, Penny? Any more of them?" Levi asked, sliding bullets into Overture.
"I can't tell, the blizzard grew in strength, it's messing with my sensors." the cybernetic girl replied, glancing over her shoulder. "There aren't any in the immediate area, but we need to find cover soon. Our aura is already past the yellow,"
Levi looked around, holding his hand over his eyes. He spotted a wall jutting out, partially buried by snowfall. He took a hold of Penny's hand, pulling her forward. "Over here, come on."
They struggled to move for a moment but managed to make it to the wall, being shielded from the wind for a moment. Levi let out a breath he'd been holding, shuddering a bit. He glanced at his scroll, which he had mounted to his mechanical arm. His Aura was below half, while Penny's was slightly below the yellow. He leaned up against the wall, holding his finger to his ear.
"Weiss, can you hear me?"
He didn't get a reply, his worry deepening. "Yang? Ruby? Blake?"
"I can hear you, Levi."
Slightly relieved, he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Good to hear ya, Blake. I'm with Penny at the moment, have you heard anything from Ruby, Yang, or Weiss?"
"Yang is by herself, she's nearby but the whiteout is making it hard for me to see anything. The wind's making it hard to follow her shotgun blasts. As for Weiss and Ruby, I think they're together. I have no idea where they are," the feline faunus replied, making him frown.
"Alright… keep me posted alright? If you see a large stone wall, me and Penny are taking cover behind it. I'm not sure when this blizzard will die down, but we can't stay out here too long." he said.
"Gotcha, I'll see if I can find Yang. You stay where you are, and if you need anything, just call me." she hastily replied.
"Don't worry, Blake! I'll make sure Levi doesn't get harmed! Thankfully, I'm not getting any Grimm readings, but that might change soon. Be careful, okay?" Penny added.
"Sure, over and out."
Levi lowered his hand, peering around the wall, cringing a bit as the cold wind hit him in the face. It was like an arctic punch, freezing his already rosy cheeks. Despite his aura protecting him from the wind, it still managed to cut through, a testament to just how rough Solitas was. He glanced at Penny, who was examining the around them for a moment, her eyes focusing on where he assumed the horizon was.
"See anything?"
"Nope, even my sensors don't pick up any life forms. The blizzard grew in strength far too quickly for any of us to be prepared. We're too far from Atlas to receive any weather updates." she said, sighing audibly. "And the nearest relay tower is south of us, about 21 kilometers, so it's worthless trying to reach it."
"It might be better for you to head back to Atlas and radio in some backup."
"Negative, my orders were specific, Levi. I am to be your partner while you are out here," she said, forcing a smile on her face. "It's okay, if anything bad happens I'll be here to help you! I'm combat-ready!"
She sat down on a piece of concrete that had been jutting out a bit. She, however, sat down with so much force that the wall gave in, causing the whole thing to crumble. Levi jolted a bit, swiveling on his foot as he stared at what once was a wall. He looked back at Penny, who had a sheepish look on her face.
"S-sorry,"
"It's fine. But now we need to find more cover, we're not that far from Fort Arrowfell. I know the place is overrun and abandoned, but that might be the best place for us." Levi said, taking a step forward, only for Penny to grab his hand.
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Levi. No one is allowed to set foot inside Fort Arrowfell, not even the Special Operatives, not even the General. It is something that has been decreed for a very long time. If we seek shelter there, we might end up getting in a lot of trouble," the orange-haired girl said, making him frown.
"I understand that, Penny, but it's life or death. If we had supplies or even an emergency tent, then we'd be fine. But at the moment, we can't. We need to rest and recover our aura." the man said, looking around momentarily. "We should go before the storm gets worse."
Penny knew what they were about to do was wrong, but she also couldn't let her friend get hurt. After all, she was acting as his temporary partner. And a good partner made sure their friends didn't get hurt. That's what General Ironwood had said, after all. She took a step forward, about to say something only to feel weightless. She let out a yelp, tumbling down several feet before landing on something solid.
Levi jumped a bit, whirling around, Overture in hand, ready to fight. He was greeted with a massive hole where Penny once stood. Looking downward, he saw nothing but her glowing eyes in the darkness. "Penny, are you okay?"
"I am A-okay! The floor gave out so do be careful," she said, scanning her surroundings for a moment. "What a weird place I've landed in."
"I'm coming down, okay? Just sit still," the faunus replied, stepping toward the edge of the hole. He hopped down, forming a hard-light glyph beneath his feet to soften his landing. He looked around, eyes narrowed for a moment. "How odd, this seems like an underground tunnel system."
"Perhaps it leads somewhere… I wasn't aware this place existed," Penny said, her eyes still scanning her surroundings. Levi held his hand out, helping the orange-haired girl to her feet.
"We should be careful, we don't know what's down here," Levi said, looking around for a moment before picking a direction. "Come on, we should go this way."
And so, the pair started walking, heading up the corridor. The blizzard behind them died down to a dull roar, barely audible over their footsteps. The floor and walls were lined with metal, standing out to the young man. It wasn't every day a complex tunnel system was made beneath the tundra.
"How peculiar… What are the odds that the two of us would end up landing in here?" he thought to himself. They reached a crossroads, being greeted by more darkness. He spotted a metal sign ahead of him, and he reached out for it, wiping it with his sleeve before reading it. "Cafeteria… this place has a cafeteria?"
"Perhaps we landed in some underground hotel?" Penny asked head tilted slightly. Levi quirked a brow. She suddenly gasped, clapping her hands together. "Ah! Levi, we've landed in some secret underground bunker! This is the place where evil villains hide after committing their dastardly deeds!"
"We're not in a Saturday morning cartoon, Penny, as funny as that would be. I think these corridors were made for Dust Miners. We are near Schnee Dust Mine #2, so it would make sense if the miners had underground paths to travel, to stay out of the cold. With the explosion of that mine, this place would be closed, probably explains the stale air too," Levi said, following the sign. "Come on, we might be able to find an exit if we keep following this path."
Penny nodded, eagerly following behind him. She remained silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. She opened and closed her mouth for a few moments, briefly wondering what to talk about. After a moment, she spoke, finally formulating a question. "Is reading smut with Blake fun?"
He coughed at the question, almost falling forward. "What?"
"It's just that you two were bickering earlier. It seemed as if you were both very passionate about those books. I've read most of them but there are things I don't understand, probably because I'm not really human."
"Oh don't say that, of course, you're human! It might be tough understanding… those kinds of things… but that's something you'll learn as you grow up." Levi replied, looking at the path ahead of him. "As for me and Blake bickering, that's just something friends do. Whenever we both like things and see them from different points of view, we might not understand each other. We try to see things as they do, but we end up not seeing eye to eye. When it comes to romantic relationships in that novel we like, we disagree on the official pairing. I think it's good, she doesn't. But she's just salty because I won the bet."
"Salty… Blake pours salt over herself?"
"No, Penny… When someone is salty, it means that they're mad and disappointed at a certain outcome. Say that we're playing a card game," he said, earning a nod from the girl. "I end up putting down a full house but you beat me with a royal flush. I'd be salty because you beat me."
"Oh I see, I see. Now I understand! What else do you and Blake not agree on?"
"A lot of things, mostly related to books. She hates to admit it but she's writing a fanfiction based on Ninjas of Love. She loves writing but hardly has time for it. She tries to hide it but I managed to find it under her pillow, it made for a good read. Hmm… let's see… she enjoys chamomile tea and I like matcha, she likes fried chicken, I like mine baked, we both love tuna and hate pollock… on and she has bad taste in soda." he said, holding back a laugh. "You should have seen the argument we got into not long ago."
"Was it just as explosive as the one you had earlier today?"
"No, not as much. We were talking about soft drinks and she had the audacity to say Sprizie was better than Dr. Piper. I respect Blake a lot, she's like a sister to me, but that wounded my heart. I had to defend the honor of Dr. Pepper, as it is the far superior soft drink!" he exclaimed, earning a giggle from the orange-haired girl.
"I wish I could consume soft drinks so that I too may try them," she replied, a genuine smile on her face. "It is fun simply needing a quick charge, but I wish I could consume food as well. I've heard a lot about chocolate chip cookies from Ruby, and Sushi from Blake, and Weiss talked about Filet Mignon, which all sound so good."
"Oh, it is, someday, you'll be able to enjoy those meals too. Maybe once Amity Tower goes up and we defeat Salem, we can figure out how to let you eat food and drink things. Then we can stand tall and show Blake how wrong she is about Dr. Piper!"
"Sounds like a fun time to me!" she replied. Levi held his hand out, giving her a grin.
"Low five?"
She looked at his hand for a moment in confusion. "What's a low five?"
"Ah… right of course. It's this thing friends do, they hold their hands out and clap them together," he said, taking her hand and opening it. He clapped it with his own, smiling. "See? Now you try."
"Okay! I shall perform the low five so that I can show Ruby and the others later!" she replied, slapping his hand with all her strength. If not for his aura, it was likely his hand would have been broken. He hissed, shaking his hand a bit in pain.
"Maybe… maybe don't use all of your strength?" he said, flexing his fingers. She gave him a sheepish look.
"Sorry, I forget sometimes."
She suddenly stopped, soft beeps coming from within. Levi stopped as well, looking around the area. Penny's eyes glowed brightly, her HUD activating before her.
"What's the scanner say?"
"There's something close to us, it's odd. It feels like it's alive but there's no heat signatures," she replied, making the man frown.
"Grimm?"
Penny shook her head. "I'm not sure, we need to be careful. It's down this way,"
Levi took the lead, heading up the empty corridor. He was suddenly glad he was a faunus, it was far too dark for human eyes to see well at night. They came to a stop in front of a thick door, preventing them from moving forward. Levi tapped his fist against it, hearing a dull thud on the other side. He looked around, finding what looked like a scanner outer edge of the entryway.
"It's a biometric scanner, won't be getting through without the proper prints. Even then, there's no power in this place, I doubt this thing would even work," he said, glancing back at Penny. "What'll we do now?"
"Hehe… did you forget already, Levi? I'm combat-ready!"
She stepped back, Floating Array deploying from her back. With a flick forward, she sent the blades flying, striking the metal door. Now matter how many swipes she threw at them, the doors held true. She grumbled, snapping her fingers, her blades folding downward, taking the shape of floating pistols. "Alright then, looks like I'll have to use my full power!"
"No wait, this place could come down on us if you do that!"
But Levi's warning fell on deaf ears as the cybernetic girl blasted the door apart. The whole place shook, pieces of metal, stone, and snow falling in all directions. Levi coughed a bit from the smoke, seeing the light of the outside peering through a gash in the ceiling. Just beyond what remained of the iron doors was a stairwell, leading downward. He shared a look with Penny, who had a similar look on her face.
"Let's tread carefully, just in case something happens to be here," he said, holding Overture tightly in his grasp. He moved toward the stairs, which headed downward, deep into the earth. Penny followed after him, Floating Array at the ready.
The deeper they moved, the darker it got. The only light source was Penny, whose green accents illuminated the stairwell. Levi's heartbeat increased the deeper he walked, his eyes scanning everything around him, ears listening to every dull echo his feet made. He made it to the bottom, being greeted by another corridor. Continuing forward, they were stopped by another iron door, but Penny made short work of it, this time scaling back her power.
Slipping through it, they arrived at a large complex, with various corridors leading to several different places. Levi looked around, weapon at the ready. He narrowed his eyes a bit, taking a whiff of the air. "It's musty, no one's been here in a long time."
"My scanners indicate there are no other lifeforms, but that object is still close by," she said, pointing to the right. "It's down that way,"
Nodding, the miqo'te faunus moved ahead, heading toward the double doors. He elbowed the glass, sliding his hand through it and unlocking it, slipping inside. He walked slowly, footsteps barely making a sound as he scanned his surroundings. He was greeted by a large room, with what looked like broken-down machinery. The further they walked, the more broken machinery they saw. They finally made it to the end of the hall, coming to another thick wall. This one was black in color, with several warnings printed on it. He looked back at Penny, who shrugged her shoulders.
"We should be careful. Is this where your scanner is pointing us to?"
"Mhmm… whatever is in there, it's making me feel odd. Like there's this thick sense of foreboding over me if that makes sense."
"It does, a little bit," he said, stepping back from the door. "This one's probably thicker, aim for the center but don't go full power."
"Roger," she said, planting her feet on the ground. Floating Array swirled around her, charging energy before taking aim at the door. With a cry, she unleashed it, blasting the door with it. Levi shielded his eyes, looking surprised.
"No way, it's holding!"
"I'll increase my energy levels a bit. My aura is low, I can't afford to hold it up much longer!" she exclaimed, a bead of sweat on her forehead. Levi was surprised she could even sweat. He flipped his rifle around, taking aim at the door. He formed several pink glyphs before the barrel of his gun.
"Alright, I'm going to fire a combustion bullet at it, increase your power as best you can. At the count of three, hit it with everything you've got," he said, taking aim. "1…2…"
Floating Array buzzed loudly, bright green sparks of energy bouncing off of the walls. Levi tried to ignore the stray bolts that hit him, keeping his aim true. He rested his finger on the trigger, taking a deep breath as he pulled it. "3!"
He and Penny let out a cry as they were blasted back, pieces of thick black iron falling around them. He held his cloak over Penny's face, hoping all of the dust and iron didn't hit her. It settled shortly after, finally allowing them to see. "Well… that worked well, a little too well in fact."
"But we managed to break through! Let's see what's inside!" Penny cried, jumping to her feet. Levi tried grabbing her, but it was in vain.
"Wait, Penny, be careful! You don't know what's in there!" he cried, following after her. He was taken by surprise, seeing the room was completely lit up. The emergency lights were providing enough power to see what was in the room, several modules were flashing, while others were on standby. In the center of the room was a large device, which held a floating black orb, swirling with crimson energy. "What the heck is this?"
"This is it, it's making my scanners go crazy. I don't know what it is, but it's making me feel weird." Penny said, holding her hand out. She took the orb in her grasp, shuddering a bit. "What an odd feeling, I've never done that before."
"That's called a shudder, it's something that happens involuntarily when we feel something unnerving," Levi explained.
"I see… Well whatever this is, it's made me shudder. We should probably-"
A gunshot tore through the air, striking Penny's hand. She yelped in surprise, moving back a bit, the orb falling to the floor. Levi looked toward the entrance, aiming his rifle forward.
"Who's there?"
He jumped a bit, a black-clad figure darting into the room. His eyes widened a bit as he took their appearance, shock filling him. "You?"
"That orb belongs to me, you dirty dog. You and that dumb robot have one chance to get away from it before I get serious."
"I'll excuse you for calling me a dirty dog, especially because miqo'te's are felines. But you do not insult my friend like that." Levi said, flicking his weapon. Overture's blade extended outward, glittering brightly in the low lighting. He took a stance, cylinder clicking as he got ready to fight.
The Masked Man wasted no time, darting forward, spinning mid-air as they swung their axe downward. Levi reacted accordingly, parrying the strike and redirecting the weapon, causing it to slice the pedestal the orb rested on in half. He flicked his tail downward, striking the orb with it.
"Penny, get it out of here!"
"But I can't leave you!"
"Just go!" the faunus shouted, forming several glyphs behind him. With a snap of his fingers, hundreds of fire and water balls sailed forward, all of them being destroyed by the Masked Man.
Levi clashed with them, dodging their attacks, eyes firmly locked with them. He spun on his heel, sliding his fingers over his blade. He let out a grunt as he sent out a Gravity blade outward, striking the Masked Man in the chest. They let out a growl as they slammed into the back wall, anger coursing through them.
"I'll get you, you dumb animal!"
They paused mid-step, noticing Penny heading toward the door, orb in hand. They growled, shifting their weapon, aiming at her back. Levi struck their weapon with Overture, sending the shotgun blast careening upward. He dove forward, a section of the ceiling separating them from the Masked Man. He grabbed a hold of Penny's hand, pulling her along.
"Come on!"
He pulled her along, shifting Overture into its pistol form, firing several energy bullets behind him, hoping the walls would cave in. The Masked Man closed the distance, blasting himself forward with his shotgun. He let out a distorted howl as he shifted his weapon into its axe form, slamming it into Levi's back. He cried in pain, slamming into the ceiling with so much force he ended up going through it.
"Levi!" Penny shouted, hearing the Masked Man behind her. She turned around, eyes glowing in anger. "I won't forgive you for that."
"Just hand that orb over, you stupid robot. If not, I'll pull you apart piece by piece until I have it," she said. Penny narrowed her eyes, summoning her Array, forming a protective barrier around herself.
"I am not going to let you take this."
The masked figure only smirked, cracking their neck as they prepared to fight.
A/N: Alto vs The Goons was such a fun fight to work on. I always wanted to have her fight in a better capacity now that she was in Atlas and resuming her training. She took a lot of inspiration from Pyrrha and feels honored to be using her weapons. So her having a somewhat similar style is how she honors a fallen hero. Also, her bashing that goon in the face was hilarious, I remember giggling like a maniac when I was working on it and pictured it in my mind. Also, Neo having a silent shouting match with Alto while she cowered back in fear, wondering how much worse it would be if Neo could speak, that was also a fun moment. I'm having a fun time working on this series again, especially with characters like Neo who are so expressive without saying a single word. Certainly, a good girl who certainly deserved better in the series. Ah well, it is what it is.
