'Rise and shine Alec,' A voice said, it sounded distant, like he was underwater.

Groggily Emmerich tried to stir. His head was pounding and he felt sick. Everything was off balance.

Managing to sit up he felt a wave of vertigo and had to stop for a moment. Once he'd blinked a few times his vision started to clear. He was sat in a cot looking at a stone wall.

With a pained grunt he felt the bruise on his head and the ache in his neck. At which point he noticed he wasn't wearing his suit anymore. In place of the much lauded, bespoke workwear/body armour he was in a prison uniform, and nothing else.

'Take your time Alec. It's important to acclimate to your condition,' The speaker said again, the voice becoming familiar as Emmerich's mind shook off the fog.

Turning so he could put his feet on the floor, which was freezing cold stone. He looked around the room. A toilet and sink on one wall, a folding desk on the other with a seat before it. And standing at the bars of the cell-

'Fisher,' Emmerich spat.
Standing outside Fisher gave a grin, 'Come on now A-'

The seat slammed into the bars bouncing off and rolling over the floor. Even before it stopped moving two DeeBees were at the bars weapons raised. Fisher stopped them with a hand.

'Well. I hope you got that out of your system. It's not like you to be so emotional Alec,' Fisher said.
'It's First Minister Emmerich. And I was rather hoping one of the legs would make it through and take your eye out,' Emmerich growled.
Fisher sighed, 'It's really not. After all, you're dead.'

Emmerich took a long breath, 'So. It's a coup.'
'No. That would imply I'm seizing power. I'm not,' Fisher said as if talking to a child, 'What I've done is support Kristen during this terrible time. And once she's deemed unsuited for the role I'll be appointed First Minister.'
'It would take a lot more than faking my death to give you the leeway to boot her out.'
'Oh Alec. You really don't know just how badly you've been missed. Why don't you have a look,' Fisher said, waving to one side.

One of the DeeBees stepped away, returning with a screen on top of a rolling cabinet. Fisher turned it on and set it to show the latest news. It made Emmerich's blood run cold.

Atlas was being blamed for him and Myers deaths. Wait, they'd gotten Myers too? He strained for a moment trying to recall what had happened.

They'd been discussing next steps in the cabin. Day had entered with another member of her team. She'd walked around to show him a PDA.

Myers had shouted something. Then it was a blur. Had they drugged them both?

Pushing those thoughts away for now Emmerich focused on the reports. More and more were asking what action the COG would take and pushed for some kind of retaliation. If they were real that was, if Fisher wanted to he could have had these all made up just to screw with him.

Emmerich massaged his temples, 'Why the fuck are you trying to start another war? Are you unaware we're fighting the Swarm?'
'Oh I know we are. But that wasn't enough for what we needed,' Fisher said with a wave of his hand.
'Enough what? Waste, loss of life, what exactly do you even get out of this?' Emmerich asked, trying to draw out more information.

'Chaos,' Fisher said with a smile, 'The kind that makes people scared right to the core. Enough to make them so eager to accept an offer of safety at the cost of some freedom.'
'By some I'm assuming you mean to say all of their rights. Is that really what this is? A power grab to make the citizens a little better than surfs under you?' Emmerich spat.
'Oh it's not just the current citizens. Once we show just how weak Atlas is we'll make the other Councils an offer they can't refuse. They can sign up to the COG and become a part of it or-'
'Or you invade them and make them into vassals anyway. Is that about right?'

'Nothing so blunt. We'll just have to withhold our support to focus on our own citizens. Nothing wrong with taking care of one's own first,' Fisher said as if pulling out a winning hand.
'This is why I made sure the command codes for the DeeBees were sent ahead of the conference and asked for them to be changed,' Emmerich sighed, 'You can't recall them now.'
'Oh from Menagerie no. It seems Chieftain Belladonna did as you asked. But lucky for us there's enough people on the Mistral Council who can see reason,' Fisher said with a pleased tone.
'You mean you bribed them to give you access. Have you ever actually being doing your job or has your little plot been your focus these last few years?'

Fisher stepped up to the bars, 'It's not a little plot. This is duty. Do you have any idea how close the COG has come to ruin if it wasn't for us? You might get to bask in the light, giving speeches and frolicking about, but the real work goes on behind closed doors. I knew you'd be a problem. Even so once we met I tried to help you to show you the right way.'
'Oh really? I must have missed that email or did you leave a call? How exactly have you ever been helping me?' Emmerich asked, holding his arms in the air.
'I worked to get us on good terms when we made contact with the Kingdoms. Yes I might have had to grease the wheels, but that's politics. I wanted to get us a hand in the SDC but you slapped it away. Think about it, once they were in reach we could have just started buying them out. A couple of years and we'd own them in all but name. But no you had to take the high road, insisted that DBI be our main industry partner,' Fisher sneered.

'Because we already have two seats on their board. It's part of DBI's charter the COG thirty percent ownership,' Emmerich said leaning back, 'But it's the other part isn't it that pisses you off. Since I got Ramos appointed CEO she took control of the fifty one percent controlling interest Damion Baird held.'
'Ramos is quite good at her job. It's a shame you had to give her so much leeway. If she was more focused on what she should be doing she wouldn't be such a problem to us,' Fisher said with a dismissive wave.
'You mean like her trying to cut down on waste and time wasting? Is that how you've been getting all of this setup?' Emmerich asked looking around the cell, 'Stealing resources during peace time was one thing but during a war. That's not just foolish, it's downright arrogant, but that's about par for the course for you isn't it?'

'You little shit! You weren't even third on the fucking list for Governor. That should have been Kristen, who would have done the smart thing and listened to me. But no. Jinn had to interfere, putting you in charge. Fuck she probably just pulled your name out of her ass after she pulled the stick ou-' Fisher clamped his mouth shut for a moment.'You're trying to needle me aren't you?'
'You're the one monologuing to a captive audience,' Emmerich replied, folding his arms.
'Oh ho ho. You think that's why you're alive? No. Truth be told normally we'd just finish what Day screwed up back in Old Ephyra. But you have something we want Alec. Something no one else from Sera does.'

'I don't know what you're talking about,' Emmerich said, 'Unless you mean I'm honest and loyal enough that I don't go around backstabbing everyone around me.'
'Cute. But no. You have a semblance,' Fisher said, cracking a smile, 'Don't be surprised, we've had your office bugged since it was built. We know everything.'
'So you say. Even if what you're saying is true. You can't swap semblances can you, so I guess you're just out of luck if I did have one,' Emmerich said, admitting nothing.

'We know you've been having, shall we say, performance issues recently. But we'll figure out how to make it work. Question is do you want to take this offer to help us willingly? Or will we have to rip it out of you?' Fisher asked with a shrug.
'If I did have anything you wanted I'd break or burn it before I let you pry it from my dead hands. You've bragged about betraying me, faked my death and are using it as an excuse to start another war. I'd call you a traitor but from what I can tell that word doesn't apply to you. Traitors have to have been loyal at some point, I doubt you've ever even believed in what the COG stands for. To you it's just a prize that's yours because you want it.'
Fisher glared for a moment before walking away, 'Think it over. I've got a little show for you that should make your alternative very clear.

He stopped by the doorway, 'Oh and Alec, keep up this attitude and things will get much worse for you. Just a friendly bit of advice.'
'We've never been nor will we ever be friends,' Emmerich said in a cold voice.
'Your loss. But please do enjoy the display. It should be quite impressive.'

Emmerich watched him leave wondering just how much was truth and how much was lies. Fisher had been there every step of the way, just out of mind but always around. If his words around how long they'd been monitoring the office were true, and given Day's betrayal there was little doubt they could be, things were going very poorly indeed.

What Fisher had said about finishing what Day had been meant to do. That would mean her leaving him twice in the ruins of Old Ephyra wasn't a mistake, she'd tried to get him killed and let it look like an accident. Pushing down any reactions Emmerich focused on the screen before him, he could ponder later, Fisher had already tipped his hand slightly; perhaps this little show would reveal more.


Oscar wasn't quite aware of what had happened since the fight under Haven. There were occasional flickers but not enough to get a grasp of events. His first real moment of awareness he had was him waking to Ozpin's voice.

'Oscar, you seem to be waking up, how do you feel?' Ozpin asked inside his head.
'Lousy. We lost the fight then after that it's just a haze,' Oscar replied, his head pounding and his vision distorted.
'They've got us in restraints of some kind. We'll need to wait for your vision to clear, then we can try to figure it out.'

True to the former Headmasters words Oscar couldn't move at all. His whole body was locked standing upright, his clothes were gone, replaced by some sort of gown and a band around his arm. As he blinked away the fog he felt Ozpin start to panic.

They were inside some sort of pod like a metal coffin. Outside was a room right out of an old history book. The walls and floors made of carved stone clashed with the desks and machines setup around their prison.

'How did they? This shouldn't be here. No one should be here.' Ozpin seemed to think aloud without meaning to send the words.
'What's wrong? Where are we and what are we inside?' Oscar thought back.
'This… This is Umbral. See that crest on the wall. There's no mistake. As for what we're inside… It's an aura transfer system.'

'Aura transfer? Wait aura is part of your soul. How can you transfer it? Wouldn't that kill you?' Oscar thought in panic.
'It's a possibility.' Ozpin admitted, 'It's never been tried, we only planned to use it in extremis before. But there should only be two of these machines. One at Beacon and the other still in Atlas. How did they get one?'
'I'd rather wonder about it once we're ou-' Oscar stopped as the machine started to run.

Both him and Ozpin screamed in pain, but only Oscar could hear Ozpin's voice. It was like something had grabbed ahold of the inside of his head and was pulling. The sensation only grew in strength, Oscar hoped he'd pass out from the pain just so it'd stop.

Then something almost more terrifying started to happen. As the feeling of his mind being stretched continued Ozpin's voice grew weaker, his presence too. Then with what could only be the process reaching its apex Oscar found he wasn't able to hear or sense Ozpin at all.

For a few seconds he was just locked inside the chamber, alone. Oscar had been used to working on his own back on the farm. Sometimes he'd go a whole day only speaking in passing to his Aunt.

But this time he felt like some part of him was gone now, torn away. Then the door infront of him swung open. A part of COG Androids stood at the ready already reaching in to pull him out.

He didn't know what they wanted, but he was sure they wern't there to help him. As they undid the restraints and pulled him out he reached for that part of his mind that Ozpin had used before. Back at Haven he'd used some kind of power, perhaps some was still left behind.

To his shock he found what he wanted, though not exactly as planned. Instead of projecting the same barrier Ozpin had and pushing the machines away. Oscar managed to do something most teenage boys dreamed of, he fired blasts of energy from his hands.

One second the Androids had him in their grip. The next they'd both been blown off their feet. Charred marks on their sides showing where they'd been hit.

'Oh shit! Tranq him! Do it now!' A voice called from above.

Oscar looked up to see what must have been a balcony overlooking the room. Now it had a large thick set of windows bolted over the top making some sort of observation space. Inside a set of people in white coats were panicking.

He pointed his palms at the glass, 'Stop what you're doing! Right now!'

A new man joined the others, one arm and eye were prosthetic, their design making him seem far more intimidating. He raised his metal arm and wiggled its fingers. The band on Oscars arm beeped then hissed as he felt something seep into his skin.

Near instantly that arm went dead, closely followed by that side of his body. He fell to the ground unable to move at all. He reached out trying to find Ozpin, perhaps the effect was temporary?

'Leave him alone!' Ozpin shouted.

For a moment Oscar wanted to cheer. Then he realised something was wrong. He hadn't heard Ozpin inside his head, the voice he'd just heard was in the room.

Another COG Android came into view and this one's lights were green. It moved to stand between Oscar and the balcony. Rather than the sharp, efficient motions that most moved with, this one was smoother and more organic.

'Whatever you want with me, leave this young man out of it,' The thing said in Ozpin's voice.
'Incredible. It seems not only has our proxy been accepted as a host, but the Mr. Pine retained access to magic. These results are most promising,' The man who'd paralyzed Oscar said with a clap.
The Android which Ozpin seemed to be controlling pointed up, 'Dr. Merlot you don't kno-'
'Disable primary core link and switch to secondary core,' Merlot said with a smile.

'Acknowledged,' The Android replied in its default voice, its arm falling to its side and lights snapping back to cool blue.
'Reconnect primary core for audio and electro optical devices,' Merlot ordered.
A strange burst of noise came from the androids speakers.

'Hmm. It seems disconnecting his awareness totally had a greater effect than anticipated,' Merlot said with a cocked eyebrow.
'It's possible he may have experienced something akin to sensory deprivation. His mind would have still been running without any ability to perceive the outside world,' One of the other scientists suggested.
'Yes that sounds like a possibility. We'll adjust the parameters to avoid that going forwards. We don't want to damage him too much… Yet. Get them out of there and into their cells, make sure that we have all the data saved properly, I intend to study the results once we have the time.'

Oscar wanted to scream, to cry out in rage, do anything. But he was stuck unable to move a single muscle. Another pair of COG Androids marched in and started to drag him between them. For just a faint moment he caught Ozpin's voice from the machine as its lights flickered to green.

'I-z sor-y.'


Emmerich sat on the bed, his breath coming slowly as he stomped down any outward reaction. That was utterly horrifying, which was the point of showing it to him. They wanted him to become hopeless.

He was running through what they'd taught him when the Onyx had walked him through being taken hostage. He'd laughed it off at the time, something he was regretting right now. This whole thing was about breaking him.

The cell could have been warmed, they'd left it as cold stone. His clothing was meant to be uncomfortable, likewise his injuries had been treated enough not to endanger him but not prevent him from being in pain. And his first interaction with his captor had been a tirade about how he'd lost.

So he had to focus on the good points. He was alive, though more than a little ruffled. Despite the plotters best laid plans the COG was not already at war with Atlas.

Emmerich was sure most of his people were loyal. He'd tried to keep that balance of cruel efficiency with a fair hand. Despite his current situation there was little he'd want to change, aside from having Fisher taken care of.

Speaking of which one of those reports had shown the Ministry of Security building on fire. But Fisher hadn't bragged about getting Clarke. Then again Emmerich would only believe that woman was dead if he watched her get beheaded.

So it was down to the people he'd chosen now. He doubted that Fisher or his allies would be dumb enough to let escape from this place be easy. They'd definitely have this cell rigged to monitor him so anything he said would have to be carefully chosen.

'Not even third on the list. Still managed to stop you for a couple of years without even knowing who I was fighting. I'd call that a win,' Emmerich said laying back on the bed, 'You'd better be ready for when I get out Fisher. Because when I do, you'll be top of my list.'


'I'm telling you I'm Doctor Arthur Watts. Now go get someone important so I can talk to them!' Watts shouted down the radio.
'They still don't think you're for real do they,' Mercury said, leaning back in the copilot's seat and putting his feet on the controls.
Watts slapped his feet off with a free hand letting go of the transmit button, 'Will you at least try to act your age.'

Mercury sighed, 'Bite me yo-'
'Is this the man claiming to be Watts?' A stern voice asked through the radio.
'James is here?' Watts muttered before clearing this throat and replying, 'It's me James. I have a lot to discuss, none of which should be done over a channel like this.'

There was a pause before Ironwood replied, 'You're cleared to pad eight. I'll be waiting.'
'Copy that. Heading for pad eight,' Watts said, steering the Bullhead towards the Atlas staging ground.

They'd been stuck circling it since they arrived. The troops on guard duty had been clear that coming any closer would get them shot down. Needless to say, the alternative of landing in the middle of nowhere wasn't viable.

'Uhh tell me they're letting us land already,' Emerald groaned as she stepped into the cockpit.
'James has given us his approval,' Watts replied, turning his head to the side, 'And an escort apparently.'
'The friendly kind or the we're going to kill you kind?' Emerald asked, looking at the missiles on the curved airships fronts.

'Well. I did cost him his arm and humiliate him in front of the supposed worthies of Atlas sooo,' Watts gave a wave of his hand.
'Right. Why are we going to him again? Is there no one else we can call on? Like anyone?' Emerald asked, flopping into a jump seat.
'No one else has an army. At least no one we won't be called crazy by. It's James or nothing I'm afraid.'
'Right. But let me be clear, I'll be standing well clear of you two. You might have covered our asses when Judith wanted to do her mind screw but that doesn't mean I'm taking a bullet for you,' Mercury said dismissively.

'I know James. He's a man of principles. Provided we can hold the threat of a Hammer Of Dawn over him he'll keep his temper in check. Though I expect he'll get one good solid hit in before I can talk him down,' Watts admitted.
'Great. We'll watch your great mind at work,' Emerald said, holding her head, 'If they don't just shoot us the moment we open the door.'

As it turned out they were allowed to land and open the door. Walking down with their hands raised they were greeted by Ironwood and the two dozen Atlas troops pointing rifles at them. Watts strode right up to Ironwood.

'James I'm sure you-'

The punch was solid and sent Watts arcing between the two teenagers. They both turned to watch him land. The guards adjusted their aim as the two moved to the side to let Ironwood pass.

'Just stop for a mome- Augh,' Watts' words were cut off as the General lifted him up by the throat.
'I don't know if you're real or if this is just some kind of trick. But if you think for a moment that I'm about to trust anything you say blindly you're mistaken. You have five seconds to make your case. Now. Talk,' Ironwood said, dropping Watts to the ground.
Watts gasped for air for a moment before gasping out, 'COG betrayed Salem. Hammer Of Dawn.'

The change was near instant. Ironwood's face went from total rage to a mix of shock and panic. Then he took a breath and some oddly cold look took hold.

'I'll take the prisoners for questioning. Half of you with me, the rest secure the craft,' Ironwood said, turning and marching away.

The troops split up as some set about searching the Bullhead whilst the rest took Emerald's weapons, not knowing about Mercury's. Emerald and Mercury exchanged a glance before moving to help Watts. They carried him till he recovered enough to walk on his own.

Ironwood marched them into the back of a landed Airship, the larger ones resting on its belly. They marched up the ramp and through the main hold before heading through a set of corridors. Finally reaching an office Ironwood dismissed the guards.

'Well that wasn't the welcome I expected from you,' Watts said as the door closed.
'I attended your funeral once already, Watts. I can make the second one much more streamlined. Now start talking,' Ironwood growled.
'Very well then. I'll be brief,' Watts said with a roll of his eyes.

Behind him both Emerald and Mercury cried inwardly. Brief was not a word they'd use to describe Watts talking. Hopefully this would be an exception.


A/N - I'm going to be taking a break over the holidays. If I get some time I might look at reworking some of the earlier chapters. But for now expect the next one 7th Jan 2024