Drove home last night in my sauna of a car and passed a wreck of a car on the side of the motorway that was on fire. Police had it pulled off the road and were watching with the passengers they'd saved as it was just merrily burning away, presumably waiting for fire engines. That's pretty much this week in a nutshell lol. My dog keeps wanting to go out and play, gets out, chases ball once and then goes back inside to collapse in the corner in a cool spot.
I also got about three hours sleep last night because it was just below 30 through the night. I think I caught little one hour naps in between trips to the bathroom to refill my water, and at one point I slept on the bathroom floor because it was cooler.
Cover Art: GWBrex
Chapter 11
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Council disappointed in protests outside hospitals following leave of absence for Jaune Arc on diplomatic mission
Atlas Times
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Is Atlas provoking Vale with diplomatic snub?
Vale Daily Tribune
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Council confirms Jaune Arc to attend Vytal Festival
The Mistral Review
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Loving Life; Interview with freshly resurrected man
Vacuo Today
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Atlas MASTER PLAN leaked by disgruntled faunus. Shows Menagerie to be omitted from diplomatic visits. Sienna Khan expresses disappointment but little surprise.
Kuo Kuana Express
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It was difficult keeping up with the pace of things. There was an itinerary, a set plan, and it all revolved around him meaning he could ruin everything if he grew tired and that he couldn't afford to let his attention or smile slip for even a moment without insulting their hosts or causing people to assume he hated Vacuo. After the arrival and the impromptu healing, there had been food and a show on Vacuo's founding, and then they'd been taken on a tour across the walls to meet the guards and huntsmen and huntresses, and to have them shake his hand and him say a few words back. In each of the towers, a freezer filled with ice was available for the guards on blisteringly hot days, and they paused at one to draw ice and ice-cold water and drink together before moving on.
Then it was down into the city and through the brightly coloured market stalls that Jaune could tell had been emptied out specifically for him. There was just no other way this place wouldn't be heaving with people, but it was empty but for the enthusiastic stallholders, the fragrant scents of spice and cooking meat and the men and women of all shapes and colours merrily explaining their wares. This was the kind of place he knew he'd have loved to visit with his family if all this fame wasn't a thing. A market without big-brand stores and where bartering and haggling over exotic goods was the norm.
They must have spent over a hundred thousand lien there. He had to, didn't he? The market had been closed for him to see and use, and if he didn't buy anything then he was basically robbing those stallholders of the day's profits. It would probably also be rude. So, with the Arc-Ops, Ironwood and Councilman Sleet with him and all smiling and laughing as well, they went on a mad shopping spree of things they really didn't need, but which would inevitably end up as souvenirs for his family. He bought a fancy rug, several silken robes, some headdresses, jewellery, pretty wood carvings of birds in flight, bottles of spices and perfumes, aromatics, a set of artistically decorated porcelain bowls and plates and even some local boardgames carved of wood and animal bone that were apparently games from hundreds of years ago.
They entered the bazaar with nothing and left with everything, porters provided by Vacuo piled high with goods and carrying them to a flatbed truck so that they could be brought back to their rooms, and later to their aircraft. Only once Jaune was sure they'd spent money at every store – the food ones included, sampling a little of everything – did they move on, and the contingent from Vacuo's Council looked positively ecstatic.
The first day wasn't over there.
They visited a brewery and he was given a tour - fruity alcoholic drinks, beers and ales were apparently a major export from Vacuo – and he shook hands with employees and sampled drinks that he normally wouldn't be allowed to. They tasted a lot better than normal, bitter beer he'd tried before at parties and holidays. Then they visited a textiles factory where the people were eschewing machinery and keeping alive old traditions to make intricate and bespoke outfits, curtains and sheets of cloth with wild patterns, bright colours and soft weave. It was surprisingly interesting hearing the person in charge talk about it, mainly from a curiosity angle of how they took ten times as long as a machine to make ten times as little product but had beaten the odds to find collectors and buyers to keep their craft alive.
And then they visited a hospital. This, at least, Jaune knew, and he brought back more people under the eyes and cameras of the Vacuan Council and their reporters, shaking hands with the resurrected, accepting hugs from the families and maintaining a wide smile throughout everything. By the end of it, he was exhausted, all but leaning against Elm and being propped up by her, and it was with incredible mercy that the Vacuan Council declared they were done for the night and would return to rest and eat one more meal before bed.
Clover and Vine made excuses for him – believable excuses given how worn out he was – and Sleet and Ironwood agreed to attend the last meal in his place. The Vacuans were likely disappointed but could see with their own eyes how tired he was, so they thanked him, shook his hand and even offered a few hugs as was their touchy-friendly custom, and wished him well. Clover and his dad helped him back to the capitol building and up the stairs.
They'd been given huge rooms in the building as befitted the honour bestowed upon them, and Jaune's featured a gargantuan bed fit for four people, a marble floor polished to a mirror shine and a huge double window stepping out onto a balcony that looked out over the walls and desert and the vast lands beyond. White curtains edged with gold patterns drifted from the windows and balcony, thin and gauze-like to let the cool air through while keeping any biting insects at bay. There was some other furniture, all of it in silver and gold, and the bathroom was bigger than his bedroom back in Ansel, replete with a shower, a hot tub and three sinks.
"Did I do alright?" he asked Clover wearily after the man was done checking every corner of the room for bugs, even going so far as to step out onto the balcony and look around. He came back in declaring everything was clear.
"You did wonderfully," he said. "I know it's exhausting. They want to show and tell you everything Vacuo has to offer, and they only have a few days to do it. That leads to our timetables being a little crammed."
"It's a nice place."
"It really is. Then again, anywhere is probably nice if you're important enough to be given the VIP treatment, but I'll agree it's a place I wouldn't mind coming to again on holiday. You look like you've pulled a smile muscle."
"I have to keep smiling, don't I?"
Clover sighed. "You do. Sorry about that."
"It's fine." It wasn't their fault and it wasn't like they were forcing him to do all this. He was receiving the kind of money people would kill for and Atlas had given his family their lives back. If all they asked in return was for him to put up with this and smile for a few days then that was what he would do. "I get the meaning behind it. The Vacuan Council are probably worried as well. All it takes is me looking bored or unhappy and people will start accusing them of wasting this opportunity."
"You're getting better at this politics thing."
Jaune laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Whitley has been teaching me."
"That's the Schnee boy? I suppose it makes sense he would know." Clover let out a heavy sigh of his own, drew out a seat and sat on it. Dad had already gone to fetch him some food and drink. "It's only another two days of this and then we can be away. Do you think you'll be okay with that? Ironwood and Sleet would rather you be honest and tell them something is up rather than push on and be miserable."
"It's fine. I'm enjoying myself. It's just tiring is all."
He meant it. Vacuo was lovely, the people friendly and yeah, sure, it was way too hot at times but that wasn't anyone's fault. This was much more fun than being locked away in a hospital like Ansel and it wasn't like he was faking his smiles. It was just having to hold them for so long that was a pain. Like most people, his default expression was closer to a frown and that didn't mean he was upset but people who didn't know him well might take it that way.
Nicholas came back with food that they ate while chatting. It was a lighter meal than before thankfully. Once they were done, someone came to collect the plates, watching carefully by Elm and Vine who had come up to meet with Clover and discuss a guard rota. The maid kept her head down and left quickly, and only then did they start talking.
"I want two people on the door at any moment." Clover said. "We'll do four hour shifts and rotate. If the next shift doesn't come, sound the alarm and stick to your posts. The two of you are first shift. I'll find the others and set them up. Jaune. I want you to keep your scroll on your bedside table. You see anything, you worry for even a moment, and you press the emergency call button. We'll come running. Don't hesitate. It's better to be safe than sorry."
Jaune nodded. Things weren't this strict in Atlas but then this was another Kingdom and he supposed they didn't want the drama and poor attention having him get in trouble would bring them. Just as he had to smile for Vacuo, he had to let all this happen for Atlas' sake. A slightly more complicated sleeping schedule was a small price to pay all things considered.
/-/
It was a faint tapping that slowly and incessantly drew Jaune out from his quiet dreams. The sound was reminiscent of back home when a bird might land on his windowsill or where an overgrown leaf and branch would keep bumping against his glass in the morning breeze. It was consistent and light, a tink-tink-tink not unlike a leaky faucet. And like one of those, it was making it harder and harder to fall asleep. Jaune rolled over and tugged the sheets over him, the nights in Vacuo being cold enough to warrant them, but even that didn't make the sound go away.
Tink-tink-tink…
Kchhk. Kchhk.
Jaune's eyes shot open. That wasn't a branch of bird. He pushed the sheets down and sat up, looking over to the balcony where the white curtains were billowing faintly. Why were they billowing anyway? His sleep-addled mind didn't have an answer to that, but it sure as hell kicked into gear when the sound repeated.
Kchhk. Kchhk.
The metal handle on the balcony door was moving down and clicking against the lock to make the sound. Jaune gasped – raw and panicked. His heart leapt to his throat in recollection of all those times in Ansel where he hadn't dared so much as look out the window for seeing the faces. He was out the bed in an instant, his panic button forgotten as he raced barefoot across the floor to his door, grabbed the handle and yanked it inward.
Vine was there within a second, Elm knocking a chair she'd been sat on to the floor as she lunged to her feet. "What's wrong?" Vine demanded. "Are you-"
"There's someone outside!" Jaune gasped. "Balcony!"
They were in and past him in a second, Elm dragging him inside with her and closing the door, then pressing a button on her scroll to alert the others. Vine raced to the balcony, grabbed the white curtains and threw them open.
Nothing.
The plain glass looked out on a completely empty space and the night sky.
"T-There was something there!" Jaune almost cried. "I promise. I swear. I heard-"
Elm pressed a finger to his lips to quiet him, smiled tensely and winked. "We believe you. Vine?"
"Give me a moment." The man unlatched the door and drew it open, then knelt without stepping out. He hummed and ran his fingers across the balcony floor, then took a crouched step out and continued to look. The seconds ticked into minutes without anything being found, and it got to the point where Jaune started to worry he'd made a mistake, and that they were going to tell him off.
"The curtains are blowing." Elm said suddenly. "They shouldn't have been."
"A window panel has been removed." Vine said. He picked it carefully up off the floor and angled it so that the light of the moon reflected off the glass for them to see. "There was someone here. Elm, call General Ironwood and Clover. Jaune, please wait by the door but lock it. Don't let anyone in, not even if it's General Ironwood himself. We will be the ones to verify that."
"O-Okay."
Elm strode up to the balcony door while talking quietly into her scroll. She stood by, ready to give aid as Vine stepped out onto the balcony proper and began to look around. Through the windows, Jaune saw him look to the left and right, up and even lean over the ledge to look downward. Since he didn't react with any violence, Jaune assumed it was clear, but they all knew someone had been there just moments ago.
A knock came at the door. Jaune leaned away from it, then answered without opening it. "Hello?"
"This is Abdul – Security." A man's voice came through. "We've been told there has been a disturbance."
Jaune backed away from the door and waved for Elm. She saw, said something to Vine and then came up, frowning as Jaune told her what the man at the door had said. Instead of answering, Elm turned the lock on the door and spoke through it. "This is Elm Ederne of the Arc-Ops. Any and all security matters relating to Jaune Arc are to be left to us."
"I understand that, ma'am," the man said. "I have been asked to prepare an alternative room for the VIP and yourselves should you wish it."
"You can tell General Ironwood that," she replied. "He's coming soon."
"Very well, ma'am. I shall wait here."
Elm drew Jaune away from the door regardless, this time to the bed, and had him sit there while Vine continued to search the balcony. The cold wind was brushing in now, leaving him to pull the sheets up over himself again to try and keep warm. It didn't take long for Clover, Ironwood and the rest of the Arc-Ops to arrive. There was a shout outside, a brief scuffle, and then a heavy knock on the door.
"This is General Ironwood. Lima-Charlie-Alpha-Foxtrot."
Elm nodded and unlocked the door. Ironwood entered alone while Jaune could see the other members talking quickly to a local man outside. True to his words, he did look like security, dressed in dark robes with a lanyard with an ID badge attached to the end of it. They weren't taking any chances, however.
"Clover. Vine." Ironwood growled. "Report."
"Sir. VIP woke up and heard something happening on his balcony. We were alerted and breached to try and catch them but they had already retreated. A glass panel near the handle has been removed and we believe they were trying to gain access to the room. Luckily, we had removed the key from the lock before, so it wasn't there for them to open."
Like Vine, Ironwood went out onto the balcony to look all around and down. Vine went with him to point out the panel and even reach through it to rattle the handle like the intruders had. They then came back in with Vine still talking. "-believe to be huntsman or huntress. That or they had a parachute, but they'd have had to leave that behind. The fact they got out of sight so quickly almost certainly means they jumped. Aura at the very least."
"I'll contact Theodore and have him provide a list of any and all rogue huntsmen. Tortuga!" Ironwood called to outside. "I need you."
Tortuga walked in with a lazy expression that contrasted with her tense posture and twitchy hands. It was like her whole body was on edge aside from her face, which somehow managed to look half-asleep despite the situation. "I'm here, sir."
"Who is our man outside?"
"Abdul Falah – he is a security agent working as part of the Council's team. However, Harriet reached out to the Chief of Security and he says there were no orders given to Abdul and he knows nothing of a new room being prepared. He's asked us to keep the suspect restrained and he's on his way now."
Ironwood grunted. "I want this mysterious new room searched."
"Yes sir. Shall I see to that?"
"Yes. Do that- No." He changed his mind at the last second. "No, stay here. It might be a distraction. We'll let security search them while we focus on what's important. In the meantime, have Harriet check on Councilman Sleet and Nicholas Arc. I doubt they've been targeted but I'd rather be sure."
"Yes sir."
It took almost half an hour for things to be sorted out, and Jaune was left sat on his bed the whole time, even when his dad came running, having finally been alerted. The Arc-Ops filled the inside of the room while Ironwood met with Sleet, a Vacuan Councilman and the Chief of Security in the hallway. There was much shouting and raised voices, and most of it he felt between the Vacuan Councilman and the security team. They were blaming one another.
All too soon, he was being moved out to a new room. This one was mostly a mirror image of his but with different patterns on the floor and a different view outside. He wouldn't be staying in here alone either, but would be sleeping in a bed while Harriet, Tortuga and Clover stayed in the room with him, alternating so that one could sleep while the other two kept watch, and then switching every now and then so they each got a rest. Nicholas decided to stay as well, plonking a seat down by the bed and settling into it with Crocea Mors laying sheathed across his lap.
He honestly thought it would be too hard falling asleep with three people in the room, especially two being girls and with how anxious he was, but it didn't take long from his head hitting the pillow for him to be out cold.
/-/
If General James Ironwood had his way, they would have left Vacuo come the morning. That was by far the safest option and the one that would better allow them to protect their charge, but Councilman Sleet and the Vacuan Council had been jumping down his throat since morning broke. It was a one-off instance, they said. It wouldn't happen again, they said. It would send the wrong kind of message, they said.
Politics was pain. Sadly, he was outvoted with Sleet here, and no matter the risk to Arc, nothing had actually happened. It might have been different had the intruders gotten into the room but they hadn't. They had been caught in the act and wouldn't try again, or so the consensus seemed to be. Ironwood was less than convinced and watched everyone around Jaune Arc like a hawk as he was shown around a new venue – this time a sports facility for helping young and impoverished children into other careers. Arc was smiling and nodding and paying attention, which was all Atlas could ask of him. He was dutiful. Ironwood respected that.
Respect wouldn't keep him safe, however.
"Sir." Clover Ebi approached and threw a quick salute. He looked tired. "Was anything discovered last night about the rogue security agent?"
"Nothing useful I'm afraid. Abdul Falah has been a loyal member of their team for nine years and has never had a black mark on his record. No one knows how he was aware of the break in attempt however, and when they investigated the room Arc would have been moved to, they found the doors unlocked and the keys removed. Abdul was arrested and his scroll searched, and it does indeed look like he sent Arc's timetable and room number to someone. The trail went cold there."
"It confirms we have someone after him."
Ironwood nodded his agreement. There hadn't been any doubt in his mind but it was troubling to hear that someone the Chief of Staff said he would have trusted with his life had for some reason turned traitor. Abdul would give nothing up in interrogation, refusing to even talk under threat of imprisonment, and he would be spending the next ten years behind bars by the sounds of things.
It doesn't make sense. Most people will sell out their conspirators for a reduced sentence. What would they hope to gain? The best they can hope for is to ransom Arc back to us, but they have to understand we'd come down on them with the wrath of Atlas.
It wasn't like you could just steal Jaune Arc and expect to get away with it.
"It's only today and tomorrow." Ironwood said. "Whoever they are, they'll need to make a move soon. Tonight, most likely. We'll need to be on full alert. Don't trust anyone from Vacuo. They've shown they're compromised. Your priority is getting Arc away from any danger. If needs be, take him and the Arc-Ops to the airship and pilot it away. Leave anyone else behind. Councilman Sleet and I included."
"Yes sir. I'll make sure they know."
/-/
Another day and another long slog of meetings, resurrections, visits and more. Jaune was even more exhausted by the time evening rolled around than he had been the night before, and it was no better for the Arc-Ops who had their sleep interrupted. The Vacuans were too dismissive of the danger, it felt like. They'd promised to have security trawl the building but the Arc-Ops weren't satisfied with an organisation that had failed once, and he couldn't say he blamed them.
General Ironwood had received a dossier of huntsmen and huntresses from Shade as well – which was planned to be the visit for tomorrow – and had disseminated it among the team. The problem was that there were just so many huntsmen and huntresses and they had next to no idea who it might be. Some were known criminals however, which Ironwood had the Arc-Ops focus more on. In turn, the room they had been assigned publicly had been left empty, switched, with Jaune now sleeping in Ironwood's quarters with the full Arc-Ops splitting between sleep and wakefulness, two outside the door and the others within. Councilman Sleet was in the room to his left and his father had taken the right.
"This is the last night." Elm told him, sat on the edge of his bed while Jaune slipped under the covers. The huge woman had a warm grin as she pulled the blankets up – an action which made him blush. "You'll be able to catch some sleep on the flight back tomorrow evening. Whoever this is won't dare try anything at Shade Academy. It's too well protected."
"Doesn't that mean they'll try tonight?"
Elm cringed. "I'm not good at this comforting thing, am I? Honestly, they've probably given up. They tried, we thwarted it and security is heightened. That's as clear a sign as any that getting to you isn't worth the risk. Enemy action is all about risk management. How much do they stand to gain versus how much they'll lose. The money from kidnapping and ransoming you would be a lot but you have to be alive to spend it."
"You think it'll be okay then?"
"Yeah." Elm placed her large hand over his eyes and pulled down to close them. "It'll be fine. Catch some rest while you can. They'll work you like a horse tomorrow."
Jaune laughed at the thought and closed his eyes, drifting asleep.
Only to wake up again to someone shaking him.
"Jaune. Jaune." It was Elm. He opened his mouth to ask why only to realise it was darker out. He'd fallen asleep. Then she shook him again, all but hauling him into a sitting position. "Jaune. Up. It's time to go."
"Go…? Go where? What's happening?"
Elm's voice was tense. "We're under attack."
His breath caught, heart lurching and eyes bulging out. He opened his mouth but she was already pulling him up and pushing his trainers into his hands along with a coat. Jaune looked to the balcony window and found it shut, but Clover was by the door and it was open, and he could see his dad and Mr Ironwood outside. Rather than waste time asking, Jaune yanked his trainers over his bare feet and the coat over his pyjamas and then let Elm hustle him outside. There were bodies in the corridor. Some were unconscious he thought, but others were bleeding, and they were dressed in the same outfit as the Vacuo Council's own security forces.
"You have him." Ironwood said. "Good. Jaune, we've come under attack by Vacuo's own security. We're taking you, your father and Sleet to the airship. Effective immediately. Arc-Ops, assume hostile environment. Priority exfiltration of our VIPs."
"Sir! Yes sir!"
Jaune and Councilman Sleet were quickly bundled together, the older man looking worried but unafraid. Maybe he'd faced this before or was putting on a brave face for him. The Arc-Ops formed around them, Nicholas behind, and they started moving at a fast-paced walk down the corridor with weapons drawn. Tortuga ranged ahead, a good ten metres ahead to check around corners and signal any trouble in advance. It was a quick but measured pace to make sure they didn't get worn out or trip, and Jaune felt safe speaking.
"What's going on, sir?"
Sleet jumped, chuckled quietly and looked down at him. "Nothing to worry about, son. Trust in General Ironwood and the Arc-Ops to see us safely out of here. They know what they're doing."
"I do, but what happened? How did this happen?"
"I'm a little in the dark myself. First thing I know I'm being shaken awake by Captain Ebi and told we're leaving. Then I find bodies in the hallway. It looks like someone has come for us. They're Vacuan Security. Captain Ebi, do you believe the Vacuan Council has turned on us?"
"No, sir." Clover answered without looking back. "There's no good reason for that and they would have had better opportunities than this."
"You don't think keeping Jaune Arc is reason enough?"
"Killing Atlas citizens and abducting another to force him into labour? The Council would never stand for it. There would be war."
War. Jaune was too young to have been alive during the last one but he'd learned about it – the Great War, they called it. The war to end all wars. There hadn't been any serious ones since and all the Kingdoms agreed that was a good thing. It was actually a boon to have so few kingdoms because it meant diplomacy was significantly easier, but if a war were to break out everyone knew Atlas would win it.
Would a war really start over me…?
He wished he could say no. Vale was already furious about him joining Atlas and had sent someone to try and bring him to Vale before, along with the headmaster and his deputy from Beacon. Given the staggering amount Atlas was paying both to him and to Ansel, it wasn't hard to see that he was worth a lot to the kingdom who had him. People would naturally flock to the kingdom where death might not yet be the end. He didn't think Vacuo would want to risk war to get a hold of him, but he was sure Atlas would risk it to get him back.
"We have contact ahead!" Harriet announced.
There were a group of men dressed like the one from last night wielding automatic weapons. They had seen Tortuga and were pinning her down and had only just seen the rest of them as well. One of them pointed and, in an accented voice, shouted, "Secure the child! The king demands it."
"For the king!"
"Elm on Arc – Vine on Sleet." Ironwood barked. "Everyone else clear the path." As the Arc-Ops rushed ahead with weapons drawn to meet the charge, aura deflecting bullets until they were among the agents. It was a brutal, one-sided affair, but the sound of gunfire would surely bring more. "Arc, you keep to your son," Ironwood said, and Jaune realised he was talking to his father. "Get him on board the aircraft and leave clearing the path to us. Councilman Sleet, I recognise this will sound harsh but your life is a second priority."
"I understand and agree completely." Sleet said with remarkable poise. "And as long as my body I recovered, it will be a moot point, no?"
"Exactly. Please do not think poorly of us if we prioritise the one who can bring any of our losses back." Ironwood looked behind them and cursed. He drew, aimed and fired his handgun without warning. A woman – orange hair and a flash of aura – was thrown back with an angry snarl. "Huntress!" he warned, firing again. "Elm, get Arc out of here!"
Jaune felt himself be bundled up in the larger woman's arms and carried quickly toward where the Arc-Ops were mopping up the security agents. He could see little, cushioned against her chest and shielded by her muscular arms, but he heard his father running behind and gunfire from Ironwood as he took on the intruder who had tried to sneak up on them.
This is really happening. They're after me…
The Arc-Ops ran through the halls following a path he didn't recognise and they went unchallenged for the rest of the way. Bursting through curtains held down over an entrance, they came out into the chill night outside the Council building, then continued running down the streets past shocked pedestrians. Some looked like they might try and reach out for him but the Arc-Ops were having none of it and brushed past without stopping.
The landing pads hadn't been far from the council building before but it sure felt like it when he was being carried and peering around just waiting for them to be attacked. They crossed a street with traffic screeching to a halt and Vine used his aura to grasp and shatter a lock on the metal fence gate leading up the ramp to where their aircraft was stationed. Its sleek white hull was coated with a thin layer of dust but it remained still, their ticket out of Vacuo.
A ticket that had been all too obvious in hindsight.
There were people stood before the ramp touching down, and the Atlesian pilots who had been entrusted with the aircraft's care stood alongside several distinctive figures. Huntsmen if the odd weapons and lack of armour was anything to go by. Elm gently set Jaune down and then pulled him behind her, but he peeked out around her broad back to watch.
"Stand down and remove yourself from the area." Clover shouted to the interlopers. "Or we shall remove you."
There was a woman at the tip of the ramp wearing a shimmering robe of different mixing colours. Her black hair was lit by lights from within the aircraft, but it came from behind and left her mostly silhouetted. "Come now," she said. "There's no need for such violence. Let us meet and talk like civilised peoples. We can yet avoid such needless bloodshed."
"Atlas does not negotiate with terrorists. Stand down."
"But Atlas does negotiation with foreign governments," the man beside the woman said. "And we are the rightful rulers of Vacuo."
"Arc-Ops." Clover said tensely. "Lethal measures are authorised. Take no prisoners. Nicholas, protect your son. Everyone else on the enemy." He brought out his scroll and pressed a button on it. "System Override. Charlie-Foxtrot-one-one-nine-seven. Authorisation: Clover Ebi. Close ramp."
The aircraft hissed suddenly and the ramp violently lurched upward. Two of the people who had been balanced on it stumbled and fought for their balance, hopping off to roll on the airfield. The man and the woman, the apparent leaders, turned to see what the problem was, and Arc-Ops took the chance afforded, attacking without warning.
"Kill them!" the man at the ramp screamed. "Kill them all and bring me the boy! Your king demands it!"
The Atlesian pilots, security agents and huntsmen answered as one. "For the King!"
Exhausted writing is exhausted. I really hope it's cooler tonight so I can get some proper sleep. I know it must sound whining these last few author's notes but I've always been bad with heat, one of the worst people I know with it, and this is… ugh, this is record highs and they're absolutely horrible. The UK doesn't have much air con either in homes. Last time I had some priced up it was at £2500 per unit! Seriously. Is it that ridiculously high in other countries, or are we just being gouged? That was after I shopped around too.
I have a standing tower unit now that uses a tube to pump the hot air out a window, but I can't have it on through the night because it dries the room and makes my eyes bloodshot and my throat act up.
Next Chapter: 2nd August
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