Atonement VII Part IV
Mantle Security Program Version 2.0
It has come to my attention that despite the work of my colleague, Arthur Watts, it appears Mantle is still suffering from the decline of being in the shadow of Atlas. As someone who was charged with the safety of their world and its people, I find this to be unacceptable. Fortunately, since I became CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, its resources combined with my memories of my previous life as ruler of Radiant Garden allows me to make some much needed changes and it became even more possible with the arrival of my former students, Aeleus and Dilan. With their help, I have managed to secure a connection to the worlds outside Remnant and gained so much needed assistance.
Though I was a ruler in my past life, a king and a President are much different and thus I needed to adjust my methods for bringing about change. My time as a student of Nicholas Schnee helped greatly, for he was a man who built the SDC from the ground up, but he could be overzealous in his approach as it threatened to destabilize the environment of places the SDC mined for Dust, such as Vacuo. I realized early on this could damage relations with the other kingdoms and I believed that another approach than the import of Dust would be needed to save Vacuo from falling into a deeper decline for its people and to show Nicholas that Dust does not have be the only resources this world can depend on. At the time, I was competing with Jacques Gele who presented himself as a kind man but the powers of darkness from my past life allowed me to sense his dark intentions.
As a future business partner of mine would tell me: You have to be tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties and making it square.
It was his business venture into Radiant Garden that inspired me to try my own luck at selling Sea-Salt Ice Cream in Mantle and it paid off more than I could have hoped. I managed to make contact with him eventually and informed him of this world and my attempts to build a business that was a mask to unite it. Intrigued by this, he accepted my proposal as a business partner and agreed to keep it secret. I learned much from him as I did Nicholas and we worked together to transform the SDC into a thriving company that expanded all across Remnant while secretly collaborating on several projects to help defend it.
I plan to start first with Mantle and slowly branch out from there, establishing branches in all four Kingdoms of Remnant to help improve lives and prepare for the coming darkness that my friend who was the wife of Nicholas at the time warned me of.
For the people of this world and of all worlds, I vow not to fail.
Winter and Ansem arrived at the SDC headquarters to find it was being evacuated with the staff workers rushing outside.
Ansem stepped forward, stopping a worker. "What happened?"
"A fire alarm went off sir." The worker said, immediately recognizing Ansem.
Ansem frowned, walking past the worker with Winter quickly following him. As they walked into the entrance of the headquarters, Hazel was watching from a window.
"Let's hope he comes quietly." He muttered to himself before slipping the Invisibility Cloak back on.
Ansem and Winter walked through the empty complex that the SDC headquarters, taking note of everything that had been left behind and making sure nothing had been stolen as they headed for Ansem's office.
"Dr. Watts wouldn't risk coming here even if it was evacuated." Winter noted as they walked down the hallway. "He would likely have some sort of link set up in your office."
"He will either be mobile, or he would be in a place he feels safe." Ansem said as the door to his office opened. "Still, I must make sure he doesn't find whatever it is he is looking for."
Winter watched as her father circled around his desk and sat down. "Is he truly doing all of this to spite you?"
"And likely the general, based on what Specialist Clover had to say." Ansem accessed his computer. "Watts was always ambitious and confident in his own intellect, but I never believed he would be so jealous of me, despite me respecting that intellect."
Winter could see her father was not taking this betrayal very well and she could understand why. Her father was a well-respected and brilliant man that almost everyone Mantle and most in Atlas revered him in some way or another. He had singly handedly changed things for the better on Remnant and yet some people resented him for it.
People like Arthur Watts apparently.
"Ah, Watts hasn't broken through the fire walls but he's trying to comb through the files." She heard her father say with a relieved sigh. "Tron is keeping him out."
"Tron?" Winter raised an eyebrow.
"A security program I installed to protect the SDC mainframe." Ansem answered and quickly typed away. "A little assistance and…"
Intruder Program Deleted
"Sorry, Arthur." Ansem said firmly.
"DAMN IT!" Arthur slammed his fist down as his connection to Ansem's mainframe was cut off. "HOW DOES HE DO IT?! HOW?!"
Tyrian watched from the side, becoming amused on how frustrated Watts was becoming from his failure.
Of course, since Watts couldn't glean any knowledge from Ansem's computer, they would have to jump right to the fun part:
Capture Ansem and drag him kicking and screaming back to their goddess.
"Well, time for plan B." Tyrian remarked, standing up and stretching his legs. "I'm sure Hazel will be able to convince our dear guest of honor to cooperate while we make our way to our traveling arrangement."
Watts grit his teeth for a second before calming down. "You will have to go on ahead. I cannot allow to be marked as an escaped convict, otherwise our lady will consider my useless."
That was true.
"And what will you be expecting me to do in the meantime?" Tyrian asked as his tail uncurled around his waist.
"See to it our getaway is prepped and ready." Watts simply said, actually waving Tyrian off.
The nerve of him!
Only his goddess could dismiss him in such a manner!
Tyrian scowled but said nothing else as he walked out the door and left the factory. It seems the good doctor had the typical Atlesian arrogance that he and everyone else had come to expect from people living in Atlas.
Tyrian was looking forward to when the doctor learned how to be humble from his goddess.
As he made his way through the city of Atlas towards the warehouse where the transport that would take them all back to Salem's domain was waiting, he stopped when he smelled something…delicious.
Blood.
Tyrian's lips curled into a smile as he looked around, wondering if someone was engaging in some fun activities in the evening. Crawling on all fours, Tyrian sniffed the ground as he followed the trail of blood to the entrance of what appeared to be a five-star hotel.
The Glass Unicorn
Tyrian noted that no one was inside the lobby, so he strode in, continuing to sniff the air and his ears perked up at the sound of something…
The sound of weapons clashing.
"Ohhhh…A little late-night brawling?" He wondered aloud to himself.
He followed the scent, listened to the sounds and his scorpion Faunus senses allowed him to feel the vibrations being sent out from the battle.
They were in the basement.
Quickening his pace, Tyrian found the way down to the basement and peeked inside just in time to see a body fall over.
Scratch that.
There were four bodies.
"Oh-oh-oh." Tyrian giggled to himself and then pouted. "I missed out on some real fun."
Inside the center of the room, standing over the body of a man was a young girl, holding a pair of swords in her hands.
Both swords had blood on them.
Tyrian grinned as he carefully opened the door and got a better look at the girl.
She was covered in blood.
A single tear having been shed.
Enraged, stressed and tired as she stared at the body.
"I came all the way here just to kidnap a man." He said almost lyrically, watching as the girl spun around to face him, shock and anger etched across her face. "Only to find a brat has engaged in some fun afternoon activities."
She let out an angered roar and charged at him, slashing at Tyrian who easily spun almost dance-like out of the way.
"I'm impressed." Tyrian remarked and leaned in forward as the girl faced him. "Were they your family? Did you kill them? Did you…enjoy it?"
"RAGH!" The girl let out a roar, slashing at him.
Tyrian had a bored look as he easily dodged and elbowed the girl in the back of her head, her Aura already exhausted easily broke and she fell to the ground. She grunted, holding her swords and bringing them together to form a double-bladed staff.
"Ohh…Creative." Tyrian said before delivering a second blow that knocked the girl out.
She fell face first onto the floor and Tyrian grinned down at her before picking her and her weapon up, throwing her over his shoulder and headed for the door, letting out small giggles that soon grew into full-grown laughter.
Ansem stood up from his desk. "Now that the security breech has been stopped, all that is left is track down Arthur before he can escape."
Winter nodded. "I already have teams searching for-"
POW!
CRASH!
"Winter!" Ansem cried out as something sent Winter crashing into the wall with such force that cracks formed on impact, and she slid down.
There was a distortion followed by fizzling like image before a man in a cloak was revealed.
A rather muscular man.
"Ansem Schnee, you will come with me." The man spoke in deep, growling voice.
Ansem narrowed his eyes at the man. "I will not go anywhere with a man who attacks my family without reason or provocation."
"She is alive." The man said, noting as Winter's Aura shimmered. "No has to die today, depending on your cooperation."
Winter grunted as she struggled to stand up, glaring up at the man who had the audacity to attack her from behind and attempt to kidnap her father. "The only one who to worry about dying is you!"
She unsheathed her sword and shot at the man with a battle cry, thrusting her sword at the man's chest. The man however held out a Dust crystal and Ansem's eyes widened when he recognized what was happening.
"Winter!"
He was too late as an invisibly blast of gravity repelled Winter and sent her crashing into the wall again before another crystal was pulled out and this time ice formed around Winter's body.
"Wait!" Ansem called out before the ice reached his daughter's head. "I'll go with you but spare her life!"
The man lowered the Ice Dust crystal and nodded. "Very well."
Winter struggled to break free, but the ice was too strong. Her Aura had been weakened but it was still protecting her from the worst of it.
She couldn't allow this man to take her father.
"N-No…" Winter tried summoning something but the cold interfered with her concentration.
Ansem pocketed his Scroll as he calmly strolled around his desk towards the man, glancing calmly at Winter who was sending him a pleading look. He sent a calm nod in her direction and followed the man out of the office.
As he walked down the hall with man behind him, Ansem tapped something on his Scroll.
Powering System
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CPU System Online
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Receiving Mission Instructions:
- Protect the Four Kingdoms
- Locate and destroy Grimm threatening outside villages.
- Capture criminals
- Act as personal medical droid of the Schnee Dust Company
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BAYMAX 3.0 Online
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Running System Diagnostic
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System Diagnostic Complete
All Systems at Optimum Efficiency
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Warning: Creator in Danger
Objective: Rescue Creator
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Engaging Battle Mode
Weapon System Online
Rocket System Online
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Accessing Mantle Security System
Pinpointing Creator's Location
A digital vision activated, allowing the machine to see the lab that its creator had built it. On the right corner, a mini-window appeared showing Ansem leaving the SDC headquarters and was being led by a large man through the alley ways of Mantle before losing sight.
Accessing Creator Scroll Tracking App
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Creator Located
Number of Enemies: 1
Identity of Enemy: Unknown
Recommendation: Subdue Enemy
The worktable that the robot had rested on angled up, now positioned vertically and the robot stepped off.
A pair of large doors opened up as a pair of wings sprouted from the robot's back and there was the sound of rockets igniting before it shot forward through the now open passageway, flying through the dark tunnel very fast and emerging out of a storm drain in Mantle, shooting up into the air. Anyone nearby thought they had only seen a rocket, but it moved too fast for anyone to get a proper look.
It had to move fast without being seen.
It's creator's life depended on it.
Ansem could see his 'escort' was the strong, silent type since he hadn't spoken since leaving the SDC headquarters. He kept his features hidden under the invisibility cloak he had obviously used to enter the SDC headquarters and his office, but Ansem knew that not just anyone could get their hands on Atlas technology as classified as a cloak that could render you invisible.
Watts must have given one to this man.
So far, they were walking through alleyways, avoiding the main streets, meaning that he wanted to keep them out of sight for as much as possible. So, it was likely that they had a secret transport or something hidden and they wanted to cover their tracks.
A clever plan and possibly one that had been months in the making.
Arthur must have been suppling them with the resources and intelligence needed to get in and out of Mantle without being seen and since he had been the one to design Mantle's security system it was likely he had used that to his advantage. Possibly a secret backdoor had he built that only he could access whenever he wanted to, allowing him to slip in and out of Mantle.
Ansem made a note to have a talk with James about that later.
"Keep moving." The man said, directing Ansem into another alley.
"I will only say this once: If you stop what you are doing now, I will speak with General Ironwood on your behalf. Perhaps you will be given a light sentence for your crime." Ansem said, glancing over his shoulder at the man.
The man paused but scoffed. "I only answer to one authority on Remnant."
"This authority dictates you endanger innocent lives and break apart families?" Ansem questioned coldly.
"Quiet." The man growled, giving Ansem a light shove.
"You would harm me if I spoke out of turn after the effort you put into abducting me? Whatever would your master say?" Ansem retorted.
"They wouldn't mind you temporarily knocked out." The man said as they walked out of the alley and came upon a series of warehouses. "Only that you were to be brought in alive."
"And of course, my choice doesn't matter." Ansem said, noting a flash of movement in the sky.
"Your choice will dictate the safety of your family." The man replied.
Ansem stopped and turned around, facing the man with the same stern gaze that no one on Remnant had seen before, but those outside of this world would know it from when he was the Sage-King of Radiant Garden. "You had best hold your tongue, sir. No one threatens my family, not even a man who behinds a veil and unseen authority to dictate my choices."
The man seemed to pause but shrugged it off. "You are a brave one, I'll give you that, but you don't have the strength to stop me."
"If you think strength alone determines the strength of one's heart, you are sadly mistaken."
Before the man could say anything else, there was the sound of a rocket blasting behind him and he spun around…
POW!
Just in time to see a red metallic fist slam into his face.
Ansem moved out of the way in time as the man flew past him and crashed through the wall of a nearby warehouse, leaving a hole in his wake.
CRASH!
Hazel grunted but stood up, his Aura and Semblance allowing him to shrug off the surprise attack and he stepped back out. His invisibility cloak was torn and fizzled, becoming useless to him so he tossed it aside while looking at his attacker.
It was a robot.
A giant robot, even bigger than him, in red and purple armor with a red helmet and wings. Its face was a blank white mask and large black 'eyes.'
"You are under arrest for kidnapping." The robot said, its giant hands tightening into fists. "Surrender now and you will be brought in with no injuries."