Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2023. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday; I know I did. I made my famous trifle and pizza again for the holiday and my family loved it, but I decided to mix things up with the trifle and used vanilla cake instead of chocolate cake to make it. Again, my family loved it and I think next time I make one, I'll do chocolate cake, vanilla pudding, and cool whip.
However, it was quite different than all the previous Christmases I've celebrated over the years. I don't know if many of you know this, but in the chapter, I dedicated to my grandma, I said she was born on Christmas day, which meant this year would have been her ninety-eighth birthday. I miss her a lot and the holiday wasn't just the same without her or my grandpa. But I know they are in a better place along with one of my uncles who my mom says I'm a lot alike in terms of personality.
On a Christmas note, setting up a trainset underneath the Christmas Tree is a wonderful sight to see and I encourage all of you to try it and see if you like it. I recommend a Lionel Trainset with a steam locomotive.
On the plus side, I've got another new chapter for you guys, and I can assure you that things aren't going to be the same as they are in canon, especially in regard to Whitley, Ironwood, and the fate of Atlas. I won't spoil any details, so I'll just let you all read it for yourself.
I think it might be time for me to upgrade to an Xbox One X/S, since the remake of Resident Evil 4 will be launched on that platform. Same with Star Wars: Jedi Survivor.
Anyway, let's see some reviews.
Monster King: Thanks
Luffy L Deathwalker: I must have gotten the last name of Diego and his father mixed up, my bad. Now John Swasey as the voice of Diego's father, the man who voiced Mickey in Area 88 along with Master Hades/Precht in Fairy Tail? I haven't considered that.
Blind Faunus Girl: Thank you, I really put a lot of effort into the last chapter. I hope you had a great holiday as well and I can't wait when you start writing your own stories. I'm still working on my Bad Batch story, so I haven't forgotten about it.
Jack Smith1: I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do about Harriet, but she will certainly need a severe talking too about her actions and attitude towards Galen and the others. Hope you had a great holiday as well.
Silverfox3456: Yeah, it was a long one, but in the long run, Galen's name has been cleared and let's not forget that Watt's access into the systems of Mantle have been removed, thanks to Tech.
SunPhoenix90: Yep, Harriet is such a nutjob obsessed with taking everything as a competition. It won't go well when the Empire returns.
Alright, onto the into.
(Start Rise, Tv version by Madkid)
(The camera moves fast over the frozen tundra of Solitas before it shots up to the floating city of Atlas and the city of Mantle below it. As fighter jets fly past, the title card is revealed with two lightsaber blades surrounding it.)
Remnant Unleashed
In this empty void, I found the way to light. Can't find my way in this lingering world. Searching fo the answer- the one that I can trust in. I'm just wandering around.
(The title card vanishes as a shot of Ironwood addressing his followers is shown, standing in full military gear. Among them is Galen and his team, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Lop, Faye, Kara and Zett, the students wearing new combat clothing. Behind them in the corner with their helmets off are Rex and his brothers who eye the general with suspicion.)
Yeah, still stuck in the shadow ey, But I never follow that. This pain at last soon will pass. Turn into my own unbeatable strength. This guy or that guy -dead or alive by hiding alone, can't survive. I don't want to lie to myself.
(Behind Ironwood are his Ace Ops and Winter who then dissipate into mist before being replaced by Jacque who has a devious grin on his face, while Whitley and Serra stand behind him looking at each other with worry. The scene then changes to Mantle where Boba, Robyn, Ahsoka, the Fox, Maria, Grogu, Pietro, Penny, Artoria and the Happy Huntresses look up towards Atlas, Robyn crossing her arms before looking at a picture of her, Ray, Neo, and Amber.)
Keep on the fight, get right I'll never lose and cry. Keep run up day and night. Time to rewrite. No matter what anyone say's I find my way. Never go away.
(The Grimm charge towards from the tundra as Galen, Ruby, Jaune and their teams ready for their weapons for battle only for Ruby, Jaune and their teammates to vanish into mist while soldiers appear behind Galen and his team aiming their weapons at them. Galen's eyes are shown and then narrow as he ignites his lightsabers.)
Now, nobody can stop me no way. I will make sure not to forget those precious things. Yeah, I'll take a stand, get back all that I've lost. Rise suddenly in this word. (I don't look back yeah.)
(Galen and his team then charge in, now fighting a top a speeding train in the tundra against the Ace Ops while droids attack both groups. Galen slashes a droid and counters an attack from Harriet, Rose dodges Elm's massive hammer, Arthur clashes blades with his cousin, March trades fists with Marrow who looks unsure of his choices as Vine's giant hands try to swat away two human shaped machines flying alongside the train, with Clover trading blows Rex at the front of the train.)
This repetition will repeat 'till the end. And the regret that's still lingering in my head. Time to get it all back, now turn over. Rise suddenly in this world.
(The scene changes once again as Teams RWBY, JNR, Domino Squad, the Bad Batch, Fordo, Alpha, Cody, Waxer, Boil, Kara, Faye, and Able fight against the Grimm which then change into Imperial troopers as the shadows of Vader, Palpatine, Barriss, Jacque, Watts, Maul, Salem, Emerald, Mercury, and a mysterious robotic figure loom over them. Ruby's face turns to fear before her eyes shine and a silver light engulfs the screen before the title card returns.)
(Song ends)
Disclaimers are the same as always.
Chapter 112: Cordially Invited
"Only my father would turn a hostile takeover into a fluffy PR move. I just can't believe we waited until now to do it." Weiss said as she, Ruby, Galen, Arthur, Rose, March, Yang, Blake, and Oscar sat in a circle in their dorm room at Atlas Academy. In her hands was an invitation to the banquet, sent to her not by her father, but by her brother.
"On the news, he said he just wanted to break bread and hash things out. I don't think that's what he's actually planning." Ruby spoke up. "Even before he won the election, he's been trying to get his way by destroying his own product and sent his own security forces into the city to keep the peace. And of course, we can't forget that the moment he won the election, he issued a warrant for Galen's arrest and then placed a bounty on his head, which his soldiers were doing everything they could to claim, even rounding up the people they were supposed to protect. Ironwood already opened up to Sleet and Camilla, don't we want him to that with Weiss's dad?"
"Yes, but on his terms." Ozpin said as he took control of Oscar's body. "James is going to be locked in a room at his rival's own dinner party. I've met with Jacques personally when he tried to convince me to reject Miss Schnee's application to attend Beacon, even offering me a large amount of Lien that I could use to assist in the education of my students. I of course, refused but when he says he's happy to moderate, but it only means that he'll be the one controlling the conversation."
"Not hard to imagine how that's gonna play out." Blake groaned, knowing the type of person Jacques is from her time in the White Fang.
"I still can't believe he won. Robyn was supposed to be the peoples champion, and despite her loss she still is. She did everything she could to keep the people of Mantle from starting an all-out war with Atlas while my father only fanned the flames and then, right away he accused Galen of murdering those people and immediately ordered his arrest, as if he planned this. I know he would do anything it took to win." Weiss said with scoff.
"You think your dad might have something to do with Salem?" Yang asked Weiss.
"No, I don't think so. But if he did, he would anything to make himself look like a hero. He'd gladly send his men to die and not give a damn about their deaths. I've seen it before. When he was securing a new mining site, he sent five companies of soldiers to clear out the Grimm and only one of them came back. As expected, he didn't care about their deaths and saw it as more money he could save." Weiss snarled.
"I heard about that. That was ten years ago. Your old man spun the media and claimed they were ambushed by the White Fang on the way back and that caused a lot of tension between humans and Faunus. At least someone was able to calm the people down before anyone got beat." Rose said.
"If your dad is willing to do whatever it takes to win, then maybe we should as well." March suggested.
"Meaning…?" Weiss asked.
"He means, that no one knows your father better than you, and out of everyone going tonight, you're the only one who could snoop around the house and not be questioned. If your father is up to something, I think we should know what it is." Arthur pointed out.
"He's right. After all, who would know the Schnee Mansion better than Weiss Schnee herself. After all, it does belong to her family." Galen agreed. "But we also need to focus on the virus that Tech and Fixer deleted from the systems. They got a good lead on the location of who was using your fathers' councilmen clearance. If they're right, then they'll have the man who caused this chaos six feet under. They're the one that helped Jacque win the election and frame me for murder."
"Rex, Ahsoka, Robyn, Trigger and Neo will be at your father's party. If there's any trouble, they'll be ready to help us." Ruby added.
Weiss had to agree that what her friends said made perfect sense. Knowing her home like the back of her hand would make her search for answers all the easier than if it was someone like Galen or Ruby.
The day of Jacques party soon came as an Atlas Broadcast News airship hovered in the night sky above the Schnee Manor as five hover cars drove along the driveway loop and came to a stop in front of the manor. Team RWBY and Crow got out of their car, Jaune, Oscar, Ren and Nora stood nearby having exited their car, followed by the Ace Ops in another and finally, Ironwood, Winter, and Penny. "Suppose we should smile for the cameras?" Ironwood asked Winter.
"Sir, with all due respect, you'd have to pay me." Winter remarked, getting a smile from Ironwood before they headed to the front door. Weiss stopped before she took a deep breath and followed everyone else. Just after the general rang the doorbell, the double doors opened to reveal Whitley.
"Good evening, everyone." Whitley greeted.
"Where's Klein?" Weiss asked.
"I'm afraid you won't find him here. He was let go. It seems that father found out that he 'assisted' in your 'escape'." Whitley said, equally saddened by what happened to Klein before he turned to Ironwood. "General, exactly how large do you think our dining room table is?"
"I happen to know it's enormous. But most of my guests will be on standby in case the council requires additional eyewitnesses. Until then, they'll be happily celebrating your father's victory." The general replied. "I assume that several others will be attending this meeting?" he asked.
"If you are referring to the ones that Miss Hill requested to be by her side during the meeting, then yes they are." Whitley answered with a smile. "I can assure you that my father was none too pleased with allowing 'people who have the blood of innocents on their hands' attending the meeting, but Councilors Sleet and Camilla were able to rein him in." he added before he led the group into the foyer. All around the room were small groups of well-dressed guests while waiters and a certain Jedi in disguise roamed the rooms with trays of wine glasses and hors d'oeuvres. "For those of you joining us in the dining room, please follow me." Whitley said, addressing Ironwood, Winter, Clover, and Galen, walking in the direction of dining room.
Clover casted a glance back at the others, including Harriet whose suspension from active duty had been lifted. "Wish us luck." He said to the others.
"I mean, they already invited you, didn't they?" Qrow joked, getting a slight chuckle from the Ace Ops leader before turning down the gesture of a glass of wine, then telling the others that he was going to patrol the grounds, with Marrow following him.
As for Harriet, she just told the teams not to wander off or breaking anything and be ready in case the general called on them, then walking away with Vine and Elm. "Counterpoint, how about we do wander off, consider breaking things and all that other stuff." Yang suggested.
"I would hardly consider that a wise idea." Whitley advised as he returned to the others after escorting the guests to the dining room, then turned to others. "Dear sister, I am pleased to finally meet your friends face-to-face and Team GARM. I've heard a lot about all of you from my sister and while I would love to hear about your adventures, I was hoping for my sister, and I could use this time to 'catch up'." He said to his sister who knew exactly what Whitley had in mind when he said, 'catch up.'
"That sounds delightful, Whitley." Weiss said as she and Whitley headed up the stairs, leaving the others to 'mingle' with the guests.
At the same time, down in Mantle, a pair of gunships flew over the industrial sector of the city, accompanied by the Marauder. In the gunship, the troopers of the 501st and 212th checked their weapons before they landed several clicks from an old warehouse. Fives, Echo, Cody, Hevy, Waxer, Boil, Hardcase, Jesse, Able and Kix exited the first gunship while exiting from the second gunship was Delta Squad, Fordo, Alpha, Jek, Rhys, Thire, Stone, Thorn, Lop, Kara, Faye, Ocho, Boba, Mordred, Artoria, and Zett. The Marauder soon touched down and the Bad Batch exited the ship with Tech holding a tracker that was picking up a Scroll signal from inside the warehouse. "The target is in that old warehouse." Tech said, pointing in the direction of the warehouse.
"Alright," Cody began. "Remember, our objective is to eliminate the target before he has a chance to regain access to the systems of Mantle and possibly Atlas. He's dangerous and he'll probably have back up with him. If you see him, take him down and don't hesitate, Salem's going to lose a piece tonight and I want to make sure that the people who died because of this bastard can finally rest in peace."
"We'll follow your lead, Commander." Ocho said, readying her rifle for battle before she followed the clones towards the warehouse.
Back in the Schnee Mansion, Jacques was standing on the other side of the dining room at the head of a long table. "General Ironwood, please… have a seat." Jacques said with his arms opened in invitation. Sitting on either side of the table were Sleet and Camilla who stared at Ironwood but were more suspicious about Jacques intentions for this dinner party. On the left, was Robyn who was standing by a window, staring outside with her arms crossed while Ray and Neo stood by her side, both of them holding the same bullpup rifle that Rex, Cody, Fordo and Alpha used in Anima, Neo's being an exact copy of the one that Ray made on Remnant.
On the right, were Rex and Ahsoka who stood by Diego who took the place of his father who Jacques invited, but due to 'his bad health' Diego came instead. He cast a glance towards Winter who hid a smile as she took her seat. "Councilman Sleet, Councilwoman Camilla." Ironwood greeted as he took a seat at the end of the table.
"Councilwoman Hill would have had a nice ring to it. Though I suppose I should just be grateful I got invited to the table." Robyn said, taking a seat at the middle of the table while her niece and nephew placed their rifles on their back, and removed their helmets. "Then again, as long as my family is here protecting me, I'm fine."
"Miss Hill, that vigor of yours is precisely why we're grateful to have you with us tonight. Though I'm not feeling very safe with these armed 'individuals' of yours." Jacques said with a chuckle.
"We're her family. A concept that you find to be unprofitable." Ray snarled with Neo holding her arm out to stop him from making a scene.
"Why is she here again?" Diego asked innocently, but he knew exactly why Robyn was invited.
"What we're all doing here, James, addressing the concerns of our Kingdom, which means we have much to discuss." Jacques answered, before he turned his attention to Galen who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Are we safe with him here by the way? I do recall some confusion regarding his involvement with that horrific massacre. How can we be sure that he won't lash out and kill us?" Jacque asked.
"I can assure you, that Galen wasn't responsible for those murders. The footage was doctored, someone framed him for those and all the other murders that have occurred in the city." Rex answered. "And let's not also forget that you gave your soldiers full authority to do anything they saw fit to keep the peace down in Mantle. The situation is completely under control." The captain pointed out.
"Which is concerning, I think." Jacques countered as a waiter and waitress entered the room carrying trays with plates of food. "Let's talk about exactly what it is 'under control'."
"What are you implying, Mr. Schnee?" Diego asked innocently.
"I am implying that ever since the embargo and closing of the borders, you've been diverting considerable resources to restoring Amity Colosseum. The fact of the matter is, you've operated with a fair amount of autonomy the past few years, James. But we need now is for you to work with us." Jacque said. "It's obvious that no kingdom intends to declare war on Atlas. We were not involved in the incident at Haven, we have proof, that our pilots weren't acting on orders at Beacon and were replaced by terrorists who used them for their own gain. At this point, the closure of Atlas borders is only serving to hurt our relations with the rest of the world."
"The rest of the world? It's hurting us. The people of Atlas are suffering, and they want to know why. Sure, the Dust Embargo makes sense, considering that the White Fang robbed a lot shipments prior to the Fall of Beacon, not that I can blame them considering your treatment of them, but it's not Ironwood who we should be questioning, but you Jacques." Robyn interrupted.
"Why should I be questioned?" Jacque asked.
"Let's see now." Ahsoka began. "Even before you won the election, you tried to drive up the price of Dust by destroying the already finished product and had your men eliminate anyone who witnessed them. And let's not forgot that the moment you won the election, you flat-out accused Galen of murdering those people, many more who died when you sent your men to arrest him, have been literally tearing down Mantle in an attempt to 'remove undesirables from the kingdom' and of course we can't forget your failed attempts to stop that runaway train which resulted in the death of a railroad employee." She listed.
"Don't forget about claiming Big One to be property of the SDC. That locomotive belongs to Vale and deserves to be preserved while the only thing you'd do is cut it up for scrap." Ray added. "Now I'm the kind of person who doesn't know the 'inner workings of the business world since I was born to inbred parents' as some people from Atlas would say, but if I know one thing, it's that business and politics don't miss and that my aunt would have made a better councilmember than you do, old man because she understands the needs of Mantle."
"We're not here to talk about my actions." Jacques brushed off, turning back to Ironwood. "We're here to talk about James. And I'm afraid there's more than just his choices that have brought harm to our citizens as of late. Have your forces found any additional evidence as to who is slaughtering innocent civilians down in Mantle? I heard from Miss Hill's broadcast that it was a man by the name of Tyrian Callows, but he's been reported dead for many years, how do we know that you're not trying to cover up Mr. Marek's actions?"
"We have confirmed reports and eyewitness accounts that it wasn't Galen's blades that cut down those civilians. In fact, one of the Ace Ops who was on the scene confirmed seeing four red blades cutting down civilians after the power went out." Clover answered. "Everything is else is still an ongoing investigation as to how Tyrian Callows infiltrated the Kingdom and how it is he came back from the dead. The details of which are classified, I'm afraid."
"Excuse me, if I might ask something?" Diego asked. "Yes, I've got something I'd like to ask, I remember hearing reports about multiple UAV fighters going haywire and attacking both the pilots that went to keep an eye on the runaway train and during a rumored military operation to retake an old piece of artillery. Shouldn't we be worried about someone taking control of them and turning them against the kingdom? I mean, they could have done that easily with the general's forces in Vale."
"Mr. Vega makes a valid point." Jacques said in agreement, not leaving a second to waste before he began to speak again. "However, I asked our fellow councilmen here to shed some light on your Amity Colosseum project and, as it turns out, they have decided to not tell me anything about, for they fear I would undermine the project." As he spoke, Winter had started to tap her fingers on the table which seemed to speed up every second.
"You want to know why they won't tell you? It's because I asked them not to." Ironwood answered. "The Amity Project will help with all the issues you've presented, but you have to understand that discretion is a top priority at this time. We have reason to believe that the one who implanted the virus into Vale's CCT and the systems of Mantle would be made aware of this and then sabotage the project. The fact of the matter is, Jacques is that you don't have the clearance to know what the project is."
"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Jacques asked innocently.
Now, Winter had lost patience and then slammed her fist onto the table, standing up and facing her father. "You can't just buy trust like everything else; you have to earn it! You may think that because you're the head of a company you married into, that people will accept your word over everyone else's, but you haven't earned their trust!" Winter exclaimed before she took a deep breath. "A wise warrior once told me, that respect has to be earned, not given. If you want respect, father, then you have to earn it with your actions instead of waving around money to buy it."
Jacques ignored his oldest daughters' words before he turned back Ironwood and was about to speak, but Galen spoke before him. "I've got something to say as well." He started. "Before the fall of Beacon, my team, friends, Trigger, and I were attacked in the port of Vale by machines. Machines that were familiar to Captain Rex and were seen emerging from shipping containers branded with your company's logo and were also stationed around Vale during the Vytal Festival, which I might add didn't activate when the attack came and were seen being used by the White Fang at various points over the last two years."
"Well, it appears that those machines still have several bugs to work out." Jacques said before he turned back to Ironwood. "General, if I might be blunt, you have spent what little trust this Council had left in you. The supposed hacker who you claim to have manipulated the polls to suit their advantage has not been captured, the supposed reborn serial killer who's been murdering your critics is still at large. If you are talking about trust, how are we supposed to give you our trust, when you've given us nothing as of late?" Jacques asked.
"Seems like someone's still a little sore in the jewels." Neo teased, giggling at her comment. Jacques however ignored her but did notice something familiar about her face. "Hey! Don't go laying eyes on me with those perverted eyes of yours."
At this point, Winter couldn't stand hearing what her father was implying and decided to get some fresh air before she did something she would regret. Diego noticed this and also said he needed some fresh air. As the two of them left, Ironwood looked to Camilla and Sleet who looked at the General who knew what he had to do, but that didn't mean he liked it. "Do you have a way of contacting your buyers in the other kingdoms, Jacques?"
"Of course, I don't, the destruction of the CCT has prevented any sort of global communications from leaving Atlas. I hardly see the reason for asking such a question." Jacques answered.
"What if I were to tell you that I had our best scientists working on a way to restore communications?" Ironwood questioned.
At the same moment, Weiss and Whitley were walking down a hallway, having managed to get away from the party thanks to some assistance from the others who were able to 'accidentally' spill some food on Whitley's clothing, forcing him to go and change out of the dirty clothes. After her brother had changed, they headed for the one place they could get some answers from.
As they walked down the hall, they passed dozens of family portraits that depicted various points in the Schnee family such as the wedding between Jacques and his 'wife' Willow, a portrait of their grandfather, the founder of Schnee Dust Company dressed in armor, Whitley playing the piano and other events. "To think, we have 'that man' to thank for marrying mother. If it weren't for him, we and Winter would never have been born. I guess that he was good for something, but what father has done to our family name, to our family's company, grandfather is probably rolling over in his grave at the direction the company is heading." Whitley remarked with disgust.
"It's going to take years for us to restore the Schnee families name, both to the world and the Faunus, but unlike father, we have the best intentions at heart." Weiss agreed as they continued down the hallway. "Be honest with me, Whitley, there's something different about you. Is there something else I should know about?" she asked.
"Nothing that you need to know about now, Weiss. But, when the time comes, I will tell you everything. For now, we need to focus on exposing father for who he is, a man who would anything to win." Whitley assured before they came to Jacques study and entered.
"Hello, my children." A voice said from the room. In front of the two Schnee siblings, was an older woman with white hair tied in a low ponytail over her left shoulder and stale blue eyes. Their clothing consisted of a white cravat secured by a silver broach set with a red stone, light purple jacket with white sleeves, a wide belt around her waist, matching pencil skirt, black tights, and slippers. In her hands was a bottle and glass. "It's been some time."
At the same time, Winter stood alone in a hallway away from the dining room with her arms crossed. Saying she was angry was an understatement as hearing her father saying that everything that had happened over the last few months was Ironwoods fault, claiming that the General didn't have the best intentions for Atlas and was only overstepping his authority. Thankfully, she wasn't alone for long. "Are you okay, Winter?" Diego asked as he approached her.
Winter let out a breath of relief as the man she knew as the Fox approached her. "I'll be fine. I just let my emotions get the better of me." Winter said.
"I can't blame you for that. Your father can be very annoying, especially when he's trying to take control of the situation and claim that everything that the General has done was only to suit his gains and not the betterment of Atlas. He isn't wrong, but what Ironwood has planned will only result in the destruction of Atlas, even if the General has taken steps to prevent it, Atlas and Mantle are going to pay the price." Diego said, understanding what Winter was trying to say.
"This place holds a lot of memories for me, I thought I was in control, but… you heard me. I sounded like a petulant child." Winter sighed.
"No, I think you did rather well. You were speaking from your heart and that's important for someone like you, Winter. Remember, no matter what happens, I'll be there to support you and help you whenever you need me." Diego assured, pulling Winter into an embrace.
"You're certainly a sly fox, aren't you?" Winter teased.
"I'm known to be when I'm not wearing the mask or when I wear the mask." Diego answered, before the two of them returned to the meeting.
Back in Jacques study, Whitley and Weiss continued to gaze at their mother whose presence was a surprised to them both. "I'm sorry I couldn't come down for your party, I'm… afraid I'm not feeling well." Willow told her children.
"Um… it's okay, mom. It's fine." Weiss said.
There was a brief silence before Willow spoke again. "What are you two doing i-in your fathers office?" she asked.
Weiss blinked rapidly, unprepared for the question but before she could speak, Whitley spoke first. "We need to use father's computer. It's clear that father had the election rigged in his favor and used his newfound power to frame Galen Marek for murder and Robyn Hill for becoming a criminal. All father has done is only create further chaos in the kingdom and Mantle. Sending his soldiers down into the city to 'keep the peace' has only turned Mantle into a powder keg with all the 'relocations' and don't get me started on his poor handling of the runaway. He's hiding something and he's doing a very clever job of covering his tracks." He explained.
"I thought we all simply assumed that at this point." Willow said, snatching up her bottle of vodka and began to drink from it, making Weiss and Whitley upset before their mother looked at them. "He started locking his home computer." She answered before she picked up a scroll from the desk. "But… he still has his blind spots."
She tapped one of the buttons, showing both siblings a live feed of the office, getting both siblings to gasp and look at the corner behind Jacques desk. "You put a camera in here? When did you do this?" Weiss asked.
"I put them in every room of this house, for our safety, in case I ever needed to…" Willow said, visibly upset.
"In case father threatened you or any of us and you ensure our safety, is that right mother?" Whitley guessed.
"Yes." Willow answered before she turned to Weiss. "You haven't come back to stay, have you?"
"No." Weiss answered.
"Good." Willow smiled before a tear rolled down her cheek, her smile fading, then wiped the tear away from her eyes. "A man came by. I'm afraid your father may be involved in something more dangerous than he realizes." She said, handing Weiss the scroll with a recorded video of Jacques and Watts pulled up. She then reached for the bottle, but for some reason, left it behind. "It seems you didn't forget about your brother." She noted.
"Well, we are family." Whitley answered as he walked behind the desk of their father and opened one of the drawers, then closed it after grabbing what was inside which he then tucked under his shirt. "And family is the one thing that father never cared about."
"I'm glad to see you've changed." Willow said, leaving them alone and not taking the bottle, which Weiss found very surprising before she and Whitley looked at the video.
"That's the man that came to meet with father months ago. He seemed to know the man a little too well, as if they were old friends." Whitley realized.
"Who are you?" Weiss said as the two siblings watched the video.
At that moment, down in Mantle, thunder rumbled, and rain poured down on the streets as the clones, Jedi and their allies moved towards the warehouse. Their blasters were raised as Delta Squad stacked up on the door. "Initiate door breach!" Boss ordered.
Fixer and Sev took cover on the right side of the door while Scorch placed the breaching charge which blew the door open, allowing Sev to toss in a droid popper, which exploded. "Move in!" Cody ordered as the troopers moved into the warehouse but found nothing except several empty crates that bore the logo of Merlot Industries. "Looks like someone managed to smuggle Grimm into the kingdom."
"Not just any Grimm. Remember those Grimm I told you about? The ones created by Merlot we encountered back in Vale. They were transported in crates like this one. Looks like some of them might still be alive." Hunter pointed out.
"I'm not picking up any lifeforms in the building. It's possible that Watt's abandoned the building after his access to the systems was removed." Tech noted.
Suddenly, a low-pitched beeping noise was heard by Lop who knew all to well what that meant. "EVERYBODY OUT!" she shouted. The others, unsure of what she was talking about were quick to follow her out of the building as the beeping became louder and louder. They barely made it as the source of beeping, a bomb exploded and took the whole warehouse with it. "Watts left a trap for anyone who found this place. I bet he saw the explosion from wherever he is actually hiding."
"Question is where is it?" Thire wondered aloud. No one had time to think about it as another explosion echoed through out the city with smoke rising from the eastern sector, closest to the opening in the wall and where Howzer, his men and rest of Robyn's huntresses were stationed. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Let's move it!" Fordo shouted as he led the group towards the smoke.
Let me remind you all, that Watts no longer has Jacque's councilmen clearance, and that Whitley has changed, but not just because of what happened to him, but also thanks to a certain someone. What he took from his father's desk, it's a secret.
I hope you are all looking forward to next chapter where Jacques finally gets his ass handed to him, but should it be Ray, Neo, Galen, or Rex that gives Jacques a piece of their mind? Let me know in your reviews and I'll see you all next time.
Once again, Happy New Year to you all and please pray that the war in the Ukraine will finally come to an end, without the use of nuclear weapons or the possibility of World War 3 starting. Oh, and keep an eye out for a new poll I am going to be posting in the near future.