Weiss hoped the previous night's epiphany was nothing more than a fever dream, but when she woke up to the scent of pine it was pointless to keep denying it. She found herself snuggled against his neck. Her arm draped over his chest, and their legs tangled beneath his sheets.
The right thing to do was to create some distance, but the selfish part of her wanted to stay a bit longer. Knowing what she knew now, she couldn't sleep in Adam's bed like this again. At least not until her feelings for him died out. But was it so bad to extend their time together for a few more minutes? If she wasn't going to do this again, she might as well enjoy this one last time.
Weiss closed her eyes. Her legs shifted as she welcomed the lingering images from her dream last night. She still remembered the touch of his fingertips gliding across her skin, lingering on her most intimate areas. Muffled voices passed by their door, snapping her out of her peaceful daydream.
If someone were to visit his room, the first thing they'd see is Weiss curled in his bed. Given his blossoming friendship with Jaune, she wouldn't put it past him to want to meet Adam in the morning. That terrible thought alone was able to coax her from his comforting embrace.
She woke him as she detangled herself from him.
"It's impossible to sleep in when you're here," he complained, rolling onto his side once she'd freed herself. "You work better than an alarm clock."
"You'll thank me when no one gets weird ideas about it," she said, leaping down from the upper bunk.
"I don't care what they think of us."
Weiss wasn't sure if he meant that or if he was too tired to know what he said. She grabbed her Scroll and raced back to her dorm. Ruby and Yang were still asleep while Blake's bed was empty.
After changing out of her sleepwear and freshening up, she proceeded to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Blake sat alone at their usual table. There was an even wider gap between her and the rest of the students. It was like everyone was putting in extra effort to avoid being near her. Frantic whispers erupt around them when she joined Blake after grabbing a cup of coffee. Some went as far as to photograph them on their Scrolls.
"What's gotten into everyone?" she asked, eyeing the student body warily. They weren't this reactive yesterday.
"They probably heard the news," Blake said, sliding her Scroll over for Weiss to see.
13 Found Dead in Mantle Apartment Complex
Atlas authorities were called last night at 11 pm to Complex #108, responding to a call made by a Faunus resident. The Faunus teenager reported finding her neighbour slumped dead by their door. Upon further investigation, it was discovered all Human residents on the first to third floors were mutilated.
All victims appear to have been poisoned. Atlas Military will conduct an autopsy this morning to confirm if the poison used is connected to the previous White Fang homicides.
A man living on the fifth floor reported seeing an unidentified male Faunus sneaking down the alleyway at around 10:30 pm. A female Faunus was seen following him.
He described the male Faunus as having a prosthetic scorpion tail. The female is suspected to be Sienna Kahn, a White Fang terrorist who mutilated Orin Blackwood, a visiting Huntsman from Mistral, 4 years ago. The suspicious individuals were last seen heading North.
"This is unacceptable!" a mother of three from the neighbouring building said. "My children are terrified to go home, and we can't do anything about the Faunus living around us!"
Mantle residents fear they are living amongst White Fang terrorists, yet nothing is being done to address their concerns. It is unknown how many Faunus residents are hiding terrorists in their homes. Authorities have done little to address the concerns raised by residents, and their automated soldiers have failed to catch any culprits.
Many are left wondering how many more families have to suffer before authorities put in place stricter security measures to catch Faunus terrorists.
General Ironwood has yet to release a statement regarding…
"They're just assuming their neighbours are hiding criminals?" Weiss couldn't believe her eyes.
"I can't wait to see what your dad has to say about this," Blake said sarcastically.
Weiss could only imagine what sort of damage Father would perpetuate. Though what bothered her most wasn't what Father planned to say. It was how Atlas students were reacting to the news.
It wasn't surprising when the younger students let their biases get the better of their judgment, but it was disappointing to see older students giving Blake the cold shoulder.
Maybe they'll change their ways once they begin working as professionals.
Weiss hadn't been able to break out of her prejudices until she was knee-deep in the real world. Perhaps it was unfair of her to expect students to understand the weight of their responsibilities when their training took place in a controlled environment.
The news spread quickly as the others joined them at the table. Blake remained glued to her Scroll, desperately checking for updates to the story. The rest of them kept to themselves for most of breakfast. Not even Ruby knew what to say to help lift the mood.
Dr Watts came to look for team RWBY as the student body left for class, requesting they join a confidential mission brief. Team JNR was asked to help with various smaller missions around Atlas.
"Adam can stick with me today," Jaune said when it was clear team RWBY needed to go immediately. "It'll be more fun than sticking around here."
"I can't argue with you there." Adam was quick to agree. "This place gives me the creeps."
"Be careful out there. There must be a reason why they want Huntsmen to escort a bunch of kids to school," Weiss warned, finishing her cup of coffee.
"You should worry about yourself. I don't know what you're doing today, but stay safe. It seems like Atlas is going through some shit lately."
Her face burned when their eyes met. She turned her back to Adam, hoping he didn't catch how red she's gotten.
"Hurry up now!" Dr Watts ordered impatiently. "We haven't got all day to wait for you, ladies!"
They followed Dr Watts out of the cafeteria. Weiss and Ruby were awkwardly stuck between Yang and Blake. Neither Blake nor Yang put in any effort to acknowledge the other. Ruby tried to get some sort of conversation rolling, but she could only manage one-word answers from them at best.
"It's a fine morning, isn't it?" Dr Watts said at some point. Weiss wasn't sure if he found the tense silence amusing or if he was trying to make the best of it.
"Y-yeah! Um…it sure is sunny!" Ruby answered with forced enthusiasm.
"Atlas is lovely this time of year. I heard it might snow in a few weeks."
"O-oh…uh…I-I think snow is cool. It's pretty and stuff…"
Weiss almost cried with relief when they arrived at the Briefing Room. The Ace Ops and Qrow were already inside, gathered around a screen projecting a map of Atlas' mountainscape. After some quick greetings, Clover got straight to business.
Their mission was to ensure the safe delivery of the remaining materials to Amity Tower's launch site. The site was situated in a valley not far off from Mantle. Two layers of thick metal walls surrounded Amity Tower like a ring. Robotic guards protected the site while Ironwood's most trusted engineers worked inside.
"We have two groups of airships coming in from Entrances A and B." Clover pointed to the two entryways of the circular launch site. "The interior isn't big enough to accommodate all the ships. To save time, the airships will land outside the gates and offload the supplies from there."
He circled two open areas outside the respective entrances.
"Our supplies will be most vulnerable during this time. Your job is to ensure no one tries to steal the supplies or tries to sneak into the base."
"Why would anyone want to steal the supplies, though?" Ruby asked.
"The materials can be used to create weapons," Harriet answered impatiently. She wasn't too impressed when Ruby's eyes lit up at the mention of new weapons.
"In any case," Clover regained control of the conversation. "Your team has the advantage of having all four of your members available to split off evenly. I'll have two of my people accompanying you. Qrow and I will each go with a team for extra backup."
It wasn't difficult to figure out how they'd split up. Ruby and Yang went as a group while Weiss and Blake stuck together. Qrow chose to accompany his nieces, and Clover went with Weiss and Blake.
Weiss was disappointed they were stuck with Harriet and Elm, who were more interested in talking with each other than anyone else. Clover at least tried to make small talk before he was called away by Dr Watts to check up on something.
"Stay here and don't speak about the mission. We're opening this place up to other teams," Clover ordered them before heading out.
More and more teams filed into the small space as the minutes rolled by. Some looked curiously at their strange group while others ignored them completely to browse the job listings.
"Hill's onto something," a Faunus woman, with fins sticking out of her forearms, said as she walked in. Her team stuck out like a sore thumb. It was the first all-Faunus team Weiss had seen on campus. "Why should we trust the words of some filthy rich businessman? Schnee isn't exactly known to look after the poor and–."
"Shhh! Do you want to get in trouble for talking like that?" a Faunus man with scales on his skin hissed.
Blake's ears stood up in alert. She put on a face of indifference as she continued staring at her Scroll.
"I have to agree with Schnee about the robots, though. They can't be as effective as a real Huntsman," the final Faunus member piped in. A slender chameleon's tail trailed behind her. "I've been in contact with a buddy in Mantle. He tells me they let the Grimm do whatever in their neighbourhood."
"Didn't Hill also say all the news about the robots is…fake?" the finned woman whispered.
"Will you two shut up already?" The scaled man slapped his teammates hard on the back. "We have video evidence of them fighting off the Grimm. Now be quiet before you get us in trouble, idiots."
"Well…it wouldn't be too hard to cut a video up," the chameleon-tailed woman murmured. "And has anyone seen what Mantle is like after the robots took over? Last I checked, they're only sending that technician and Schnee down. Seems convenient to me."
"I am not entertaining your conspiracy theories."
"But just look at these jobs, boss! None of them-!"
Their leader shushed them sharply before turning his attention to the job listings. His teammates huddled closer together and continued whispering. Their voices became too low for Weiss to make out anything.
"I'll be right back," Blake said softly to her.
Before Weiss could ask where she was going, Blake pocketed her Scroll and approached the Faunus team. They visibly jumped when she addressed them, staring wide-eyed at her before relaxing as they took notice of her cat ears. Weiss couldn't catch what Blake asked them, but it prompted them to usher her closer as they answered her in hushed voices. Their leader eyed the room warily while they spoke.
Weiss tensed as the Faunus leader met her eyes. They both averted their gaze elsewhere. She wasn't sure if she should stay where she was or join Blake in the conversation.
Weiss understood the Faunus team's concerns, especially when they didn't know what was happening in the background. They didn't know why Ironwood needed to rely on those robots. They didn't certainly know Winter's righteousness as she did.
It was only natural they'd let their imaginations run wild to fill in the blanks, regardless of how accurate their speculations were.
It felt like hours had passed before Clover and Dr Watts returned and told them it was time to go. Blake bid the Faunus team goodbye as she joined up with Weiss again.
"Sorry that took so long," Blake said with a tense smile. "We got carried away."
"I-it's fine." Weiss shrugged. Blake stared at her as if waiting for her to ask what they'd been discussing. She pretended not to notice and studied a dark corner of the room.
"The airships are waiting for us at the main courtyard," Clover instructed once he had everyone's attention. "This should be an easy mission. Regardless, stay diligent out there and listen to your orders. Good luck out there, team."
"Be sure you're dressed warmly too. The weather is miserable today, as it usually is," Dr Watts added.
They filed out of the room, leaving Dr Watts behind with the Faunus team still looking for a mission to take on.
They stood guard outside while the airships docked into the designated landing zone. Androids went to and fro from the ships, taking all the supplies through the only open gateway.
The Amity Launch Site was bigger than Weiss thought it'd be. The circular walls stood so tall that a thin layer of cloud nestled at the very top. Turrets and cameras lined the polished surface of the exterior wall. The mountains encircling the site acted as a natural barrier separating it from the rest of Atlas.
The initial appeal of the structure faded after a few minutes of standing outside in the cold. Weiss' biggest concern now was her numb fingers and toes.
"I wish they'd give us a place to warm up," Weiss complained, rubbing her hands feebly together. "We're going to turn into popsicles at this rate."
Blake muttered a short answer. Her ears folded down as she stared at the robots handling the supplies. She'd hardly spoken since leaving the Academy. Weiss knew her change in mood had something to do with the conversation she had with the Faunus team. She'd hoped the mission would help lift her mood or distract her from whatever was bothering her, but her melancholy persisted.
"Are you alright? You seem distracted," she finally decided to ask.
Blake eyed the androids standing next to her before leaning in towards Weiss. "I've been thinking…that team from this morning has a point. Has anyone actually seen what Mantle is like besides Watts and Winter?"
"You don't believe they'd lie to us, right?"
"N-no, I'm not saying they're lying. I just think it's a bit weird that only Winter and Watts have been down there. "
"It makes sense that Winter and Watts are the only ones sent back and forth. They know about Salem, and Ironwood trusts them the most."
"But that doesn't mean we should trust them."
"What's that supposed to mean? Winter's my sister–"
"I didn't mean to say it like that." Blake sighed and scratched her head fervently. "Look, I'm not trying to attack Winter or anything. I'm sure she's a great person and a loving sister…"
"But?" Weiss folded her arms.
"But after speaking with that team earlier, I think we should be more…critical about our superiors."
"I get why they would be worried, but that's because they don't know what's happening behind the scenes."
"And we do? They have family living in Mantle, and the things they're saying are the same as Robyn Hill's accusations. They say those robots aren't doing anything to protect Mantle from stray Grimm. Their families live in fear because those things are everywhere in their neighbourhoods. All it takes is one paranoid Human to land anyone in custody.
"They tried bringing all this up to their superiors, but they always got the same answer. They're told the robots are harmless to civilians, and they've been tested before deployment. No one outside of Ironwood's circle has seen if those claims hold up. Don't you think that's a bit weird?"
Weiss' blood turned cold. She didn't know how to respond. Though Blake never spoke the accusation out loud, it still lingered in the space between them:
Atlas Military was deliberately ignoring and targeting the Faunus community. Heroes like Winter were turning a blind eye to their most vulnerable.
It was unthinkable. Weiss knew Winter well enough to know she wouldn't sit back and do nothing if something like this was true. If Ironwood was the root of the problem, Winter would find a way to expose his crimes – she had to. She was a true Huntress, after all. A hero.
"I-I think there's more to the story," Weiss answered. A pit plunged into her stomach, leaving her nauseous. "T-those accusations are all…hearsay. We can't know for sure how true they are. Maybe there's extra context they didn't get, and it only sounds worse than it actually is."
"It's still fishy that only a few people get to see what's happening in Mantle."
"I trust Winter." Weiss curled her fingers into her arm. "She wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone. She's not like that."
Blake's gaze burned holes into her head. Weiss turned away to escape the suffocating weight of her stare.
"Ladies, we need some help up in the front," Clover suddenly interjected. He pointed his thumb to the far end of the tundra. "Harriet reported seeing a pack of Grimm headed our way. Can one of you give us a hand?"
"I will," Weiss volunteered at once. Blake didn't say a word.
She followed Clover away from her post, eager to take her mind off Blake's silent accusation.
The Grimm pack, though big in size, was taken care of far too quickly. She almost wished the Grimm put up more of a fight.
Weiss forced her shoulders to relax as she returned to her post beside Blake. Though they didn't bring up the topic again, neither of them spoke much for the rest of their shift. They listened to the mechanical clinks of passing robots for the remainder of the day.
Thanks to Iwr1918, StarStream2005, BrazeRancor, AlexusAP, CMDR Quillon, LiteralWhiteTrash, Gleaming Onyx, TerraCut017, and a Guest reader for the reviews!
I'm looking forward to the next few weeks because we're finally reaching some juicy chapters lol. I'll catch you, lovely people, again on Saturday!