Heart to Heart
Chapter 51 Duty, Betrayal and Heart
Oscar wasn't sure what to expect as he was dragged into the shooting range. The place didn't seem to have many Atlas personnel, most likely because of the time of the day. There were a few dozen shooting stalls as they went to the man working the desk before entering. The man looked a bit bored as he gave them a curious look.
"Hey, we want to do some shooting," Ruby told him.
"Students are only allowed before six pm." The man said.
Ruby pulled out her Huntress card. "I'm not a student."
He took the card and scanned it and shrugged passing it back to her. "Okay then, what about him?"
"He's with me, this is special training under my supervision," Ruby had no idea if this was even a thing but she figured maybe if she sounded confident it would work. She saw Yang pull this trick off all the time.
The man looked to think about it as he looked up Oscar's profile, when he saw that it didn't have much but what he did notice was the information lock that needed the General's approval to unlock. The man felt like he had seen something he shouldn't and quickly closed it down, maybe this girl was telling the truth.
"Uh…okay then, well since you're an official Huntress and he's under your care…"
"Great! Do you have some weapons he can use? We're trying to see what he use." Ruby asked.
"Yeah we got plenty of weapons just for the range."
Ruby's eyes lit up as Oscar was wondering what she was thinking as they quickly were led into the armory where the training weapons were stored. They were all neatly stacked in their places, everything from handguns to heavy weapons. Oscar took a look at the heavy weapons and paled, they looked like they weighed more than he did.
"Okay we'll start with the small stuff and work up," Ruby eagerly grabbed a couple of handguns, the standard rifle and sniper rifle.
"Yeah, uh…I don't think I'll be able to use anything bigger than those Ruby," Oscar explained.
Ruby looked at the bigger ones, while fun maybe they were a bit too big for him. Although Coco had a minigun she was a huntress and trained to hold it up. Oscar didn't have the years worth of training on his body like they did.
"Okay then, well let's set up." Ruby eagerly gathered them up with Oscar taking his share.
He wasn't sure if he would find anything to use but he was a bit excited. He was going to try and do something that was just for him, not something he inherited from Ozpin. He wanted to find something that was just him. Watching how excited Ruby was getting over weapons he found it kind of…cute.
She was really passionate about weapons as he tried to take in all the things she was explaining. Some of it was lost on him and she was going very fast as they set things up. It was impressive just how much knowledge she had on weapons, were all Huntresses like that or was this something unique to just her?
"Okay then let's try small and work our way up," Ruby handed him a standard handgun. "Now let's go over safety and how it works."
"Right," He was glad she was taking all this seriously despite her very eager and somewhat excited personality at the moment. She showed him how to load and unload, how to make it safe, typical clearing in case of a jam. Then she went into shooting forms and how to properly hold and fire.
At the moment Oscar held the gun in a two hand grip. "So like this?"
"Ease up on your elbows," She gently loosened his arms so they weren't totally locked and then placed her hands on his. "Now let me just adjust and…there, like that."
"R-right," He hated how his voice wavered just because she was close to him. He hated how nervous he got around her, he felt his hands getting sweaty and the heat in his face. He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts as he took aim.
The first few rounds weren't the best, they were all over the place.
"It's okay, you just got to get used to it. Remember when it kicks you have to zero in again." She explained.
"Got it," He took a calming breath and this time took aim and took a moment to pause after every shoot. This time at least the shots landed in a better grouping. It wasn't soldier level but at least he hit the target properly each time.
"See, much better," she smiled.
"Yeah but it seems to take forever for me to shoot."
"Everyone is like that when they start," Ruby shrugged. "You think I started out amazing? I had to work at it, I would practice all the time at home and at school. It took me a few years but after all that I was the top shooter in school before I went to Beacon."
"So it's just time and experience then," Oscar took a breath as he took aim trying to remember how to properly shoot. He took notice of his breathing and how each time he breathed in and out his aim would move with his body. He took a breath and fired, released the breath, took aim, breathed, and then fired again.
He got into the same pattern trying to redo the same steps over and over again. He wondered how long this would take for it to be natural and he wouldn't even had to think about it again?
Ruby watched him as he was quickly picking up on it, she smiled proudly as she watched him. Oscar did seem to pick things up a bit quicker than she would expect. She wasn't sure how much of that was Ozpin's life experiences bleeding in and natural talent. Maybe it was a mix? A boy his age without even six months of training had come far. He wasn't at the level of someone who just entered Beacon but in a year?
She watched as he diligently went to work, she liked that about him, his worth ethic. He always tried his best and that was something she could respect. She did worry he was pushing himself too hard and too fast but so far nothing horrible had happened. He hadn't torn a muscle or got a major injury but she wanted to keep an eye on him just in case. He was still growing and she remembered the lessons her dad taught her about over training and how it can damage the body of someone still growing.
He always made jokes about that was the reason she was short, she hated those jokes.
Thinking about her dad made her hope he was okay.
Oscar put in a new magazine as he started over again as she watched and gave out pointers when needed. Speaking of growing, she had noticed that he was just as tall as her now. When did that happen? Well as long as he didn't get too tall for her she wanted him more her size…well…maybe a few inches taller might be good.
Her mind went to how he might look in a few years, she imagined him a little taller maybe filled out a bit more with all the training. Her face heated up thinking about it as she pushed it down, now was not the time they were busy.
"Okay let's try the heavy handgun," Ruby stopped him as she went over the same things about his gun to him. Oscar listened intently as he took the heavier weapon, it was similar to what Ironwood used as he took aim.
"Remember this has a lot more*BANG*"
"Ow!"
"Kickback…" Ruby winced as the gun had kicked back into his face. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…just by pride, aura took the hit," Oscar still rubbed his face, just because you had aura didn't mean when you got hit it didn't hurt. This time he was more mindful of the kickback, it was a lot harder on his hands from the force. After a few rounds he had to stop and flex his hands.
"This might be a bit much for me," Oscar told her.
"Yeah that can happen when you're not used to shooting, well let's move on, SMGs?"
"Sure."
They kept at it trying out all the weapons as he finally got to the rifle, it was large and heavy as he took aim. He kept adjusting it trying to make it feel natural to hold it. Ruby could see he was having issues as she came up to him.
"Here, let me help," She got behind him as she helped to position the weapon properly adjusting the stock to his shoulder.
Oscar really tried to focus but it was really hard, she was pressed up against him, he could smell her hair and feel her hands on him, he could also feel something else pressing into his back as his young mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts as he swallowed hard.
"Are you okay, you're all tense," Ruby asked feeling his body so stiff it was then she noticed just how she was pressed up against him and how, nice it felt. Both youths turned slightly to face the other as they locked eyes.
They hadn't been this close since, well since they had shared that kiss between them. Both of them felt suddenly self-conscious and warm and yet didn't pull away. The outside world just seemed to fade away from the two of them as their hearts raced. Ruby wondered if she kissed him again would it feel as good as it had last time? Would he pull away?
Oscar felt her soft breath on him and his eyes shifted to her lips remembering his first kiss with a girl and the soft feeling of them on his own.
"Ruby," He breathed out.
"Oscar, I…" she wasn't sure what to say in this moment.
Of course just like their luck that was when a loud sound was heard making both of them jump and pull away as a PA system kicked in. "Attention, the range will be closing in five minutes, stop all shooting and prepare your weapons."
"L-looks like times up," Oscar said blushing madly putting the rifle away.
"Yeah-yeah we better, you know, do what they said," Ruby cursed and thanked whoever did that. She wasn't sure what was going to happen and she was afraid she might have messed things up as she wanted to pull her hood and hide her burning face in it. They had been so close and she wasn't sure what might have happened but she was too nervous to really push things.
In silence they packed up the weapons as they dropped them off to be cleaned up by the staff. Normally you're supposed to do it yourself but there was no time as a slightly annoying weapons officer grunted out about people taking proper care of weapons.
The two walked back to their quarters not sure what to say to the other. As they road up the elevator they had some time to themselves.
Oscar wanted to say something so he thought of the first thing that came to mind. "I enjoyed myself today."
"Really?" Ruby asked happy he was fun.
"Yeah I think the handgun is more my style, although I will need more practice with it."
Ruby shifted shyly as she scratched her other arm. "Well, if you want we can do this again. I liked today too, hanging out was fun."
"Yeah it was, I like being with you," his face grew red as he suddenly realized how that sounded. "You know hanging out, with you, it's great, you're great I mean, I, I'm just going to shut up."
Ruby smiled as she looked away but felt a warmth in her chest that was matching the one in her face. "It's okay," she said softly. "I…I like hanging out with you too. Not many people get me when I get excited about weapons. I've been called weird because of it but you didn't seem to mind."
"I didn't," He scratched the back of his head. "I like that side of you, I like seeing you all excited and happy like that. I can tell you really like your weapons."
Hearing that made her feel really happy, one of the reasons she had trouble making friends growing up was she got all excited about things like Huntresses and weapons while kids her own age liked other things. So the fact that he didn't mind and liked how she got put her at ease about it.
The elevator opened as they walked out as Ruby stopped him. "Let's do this again then, just the two of us."
"Yeah I'd like that."
Ruby paused before she decided to try and maybe be a bit more like Yang and be more assertive. She quickly moved and kissed his cheek as Oscar stood there stunned as he could only see a blushing Ruby quickly disappear in a flurry of rose peddles. He just stood there holding his hand to the spot she kissed, feeling the heat from the spot as it slowly faded away.
-Secret Location-
Weiss wasn't sure where her sister was leading her, this place was deep into the military facility and with all the check points and security she saw they weren't joking around with this place. She hadn't seen security this tight they went through door after door that Winter had to use her pass to get through. Weiss was pretty sure even with her Hunter's License she wouldn't be able to get in. The deeper they went the less people she saw in fact she was more robots than people.
She was led to a section of a wall with two doors.
"Go into the right," Winter instructed.
Weiss did as asked and found a small room with a window. She looked in to see a medical room with only one person in it. She was a very old woman in a bed as Winter came in.
"Ah there you are," the woman spoke up.
"Hello, how are you today?" Winter asked seeing a try off to the side with some food. "Would you like something to eat?"
"I think so, I can't remember what time it was, I think there was something I was supposed to do…do you remember what it was?"
Weiss watched as she realized that neither of them looked at her. She took a look at the glass and realized it was actually a one-way mirror. Her mind was wondering why Winter took her here as she heard the conversation. The old woman obviously seemed to have some sort of dementia sadly. She had trouble remembering things as Winter gently talked to her.
Why would there be all this security for just one old woman?
Suddenly it hit her, this was the Winter Maiden!
They hadn't heard anything about the Winter Maiden and now she saw why, General Ironwood was keeping her isolated. The fact that only Winter seemed to be in the room filled Weiss with a sickening thought. Winter was being put into place as the woman's replacement. Did Winter know about this? She had to right?
She watched the scene as the whole thing made her sick, they were playing to the poor woman's condition to ensure that when she died she would think only of Winter. The fact that the Maiden's powers were apparently given to the last person the Maiden thought of when they died (she wasn't sure how they figured that out) and Winter would be the only one in the Maiden's mind.
She watched in silence until Winter left the room and soon entered the observation room.
"She's the maiden isn't she," Weiss said looking sadly at the woman.
"Yes."
"You're trying to be the new maiden when she ties?" Weiss asked not looking away.
"Ironwood choose me for this role, so yes."
Weiss paused as she processed just how her sister was into this. "You agreed to this?"
"I accepted my role."
"So you don't agree?"
"It…took time but I came to terms with it," Winter had to admit at least to herself that at first she had been shocked and a bit angry that she hadn't been consulted before Ironwood started his plan. She had been taking care of her for two weeks before he told her who the woman was and the point of why she was taking care of her.
Ironwood had wanted them to get used to each other first before he had let Winter in on the secret.
Weiss sighed as she looked away from her sister to the old woman. "This feels wrong."
"We're protecting her from someone who would use her powers." Winter countered.
"She's locked up like a prisoner because of what she is and while it's obvious she needs care, this is all so manipulative." Weiss hated being manipulated, it reminded her too much of her father.
"It's necessary."
Weiss thought about that looking at the old woman who had started to take a nap, "Everyone here keeps throwing that word around like it's supposed to make it all better."
"Weiss, we have a duty to the people of Remnant to make sure that Salem doesn't win. We're in a war that is older than either of us put together and we've already lost too much ground lately. We all have a duty to preform and while I didn't like being kept in the dark, I know my duty and I will carry it out?"
Weiss was quiet as she looked at the woman there as she thought about all the things she had seen since coming to Atlas. Seeing her kingdom turned into a police state with everyone so scared and isolated and all of it being 'necessary'. Just how far was Ironwood willing to go and how far would her sister follow him?
"If Salem did attack and she was coming here, what would happen to her?" Weiss asked as there was no answer from Winter. She turned to face her sister who had a grace look at her face. "Winter, what will happen?"
"In the event that it seems like we will lose the Winter Maiden, she's to be terminated before that happens."
"You'll kill her!?" Weiss was shocked.
"We can't let her powers get into the wrong hands, you've seen that with Cinder." Winter told her.
"But to just kill her…" Weiss stopped and then realized something, that Winter was the only one that was allowed to see the woman. "You'll kill her."
"If…I have to," Winter strained standing straight up.
"You'll commit murder just because you were told to!?"
"I have my duty and orders, Weiss!"
"That doesn't make it moral," Weiss stepped back from her older sister horrified. That look on her face wasn't what Winter wanted, to see her little sister looking at her like this, it cut through her like nothing before.
"Weiss…"
"I used to look up to you," Weiss stated deflating. "I made no secret of that, you always seemed so strong to leave Father and find independence. I wanted that kind of strength, for you to be proud of me. It wasn't until I escaped from here that I suddenly realized what true independence was. Even when I left for Beacon I was still under Father's thumb, still trying to impress you."
"Now I can stand on my own, I don't want anyone's approval, I fight for my friends and for myself. I want to make the Schnee name mean something again. Not linked to corruption, exploitation but something I can be proud of."
"What do you believe in sister? Do you fight for yourself or for someone else? Did you just replace Father with General Ironwood as the father figure you wanted who would finally give you the approval all children want from their parents?"
Winter's eyes widened feeling like Weiss had just struck her, she was really insinuating that the only reason she followed the General was because of some kind of, "daddy issues"?
"Weiss I don't expect you to understand,"
"You're right I don't." Weiss shook her head. "I could never just commit cold blooded murder just because I was told to do it without question."
"And what? What if by questioning things you get people killed, can you live with that? One person has to die for the lives of many others, that's the cold hard reality." Winter angrily told her.
"If that's reality then I would fight against it, I would fight tooth and nail to try and change it." Weiss told her. "Some things are worth fighting for."
"And what if you have to die to accomplish this?" Winter demanded.
Weiss paused before looking her sister right in the eye. "Then I die but I die with my hands and conscience clean."
Weiss had already faced death she had been close to dying thanks to Cinder throwing that spear through her back. She still remembered the burning pain in her body and then the cold quickly rushing in. The darkness that enveloped her as she knew she had been close to death. She never wanted to go through something like that again but if she had to face death again, she wanted to do it head held high and without any regrets.
She left the room feeling slightly numb over it all.
Winter looked at her sister with a guarded pained expression but followed her as she would have to let Weiss out. This had not gone as she expected, she wanted Weiss to trust her more but in the end she felt a divide had started to form between them.
-Military Sector-
Atlas as a floating city was designed to be very accommodating to those living there. Of course there was limited space as the city couldn't grow much, so certain areas were set aside for certain things. Docks, storage, military use, areas used for support, businesses and homes. All of it was planned out, which was why those that served in the Atlas military had their own military housing area.
The higher in rank you were the more you could afford of course. One such home was where we find Colonel Bigby Wolfe as he returned home. The man lived along but he liked his privacy, he was a career man anyway as he drove his personal vehicle into the garage. The home itself was a nice two story home with plenty of open space that reflected a man of his rank and position.
As he walked inside the lights came on to his presence as he unbuttoned his dress shirt and threw it onto a chair as he walked into the den. It was a large circular area that had a few steps you took down into a small depression with a large curved widow that over looked the city. Going to the small bar he needed a small drink.
"TV, on. News channel." He spoke as a flat screen on the wall came alive.
"and we still are getting some reports from the attack on the oil refinery you all remember. When Grimm attacked the facility and…"
He tuned it out, he knew more about that attack than the reports anyway. They were just now finishing the repairs to the facility and production would commence soon. Although Ironwood wanted some extra protections in place in case it happened again.
Like they had the resources for it, he mused as he poured himself a drink. That was when he caught something in the glass case as he was about to take a drink and pulled his service weapon and pointed it at the intruder.
"My, my, you haven't lost a step," Watts grinned from his chair a drink in front of him. "I hope you don't mind if I helped myself while I waited."
Wolfe wasn't an easy man to surprise but seeing a dead man here and now, well that would do it. His mind raced as he had a guess he needed to update his personal security on his home, not to mention all of Atlas. Just how in the hells did this man managed to sneak into the city? Any and all ports were heavily monitored, something else to look into later.
Still pointing his gun he slowly walked down and sat across from the man. "Well, you look well for a dead man."
"Thank you, I see you were promoted since we last left. A full colonel now, you must love that." Watts grinned.
Wolfe didn't relax for a moment, this man while physically not dangerous was mentally extremely dangerous. "So what is it?"
"What is what?"
"Come on Watts, I could turn you in and it would be a huge boon to my career. You broke into my home secretly to have a talk because you need something from me but you have something in return. I remember how you worked, you never did anything without a plan, a reason behind it that benefited you in some way."
Watts leaned back with a slow smile on his lips. "I always knew you were one of the smarter ones. Unlike Ironwood."
Watts took a careful look at Wolfe's reaction to the name he could see a bit of a squint and a tightening of the jaw. So, it looks like his calculations were right, someone didn't like his superior all that much. Well, it was time to start putting some pressure on that point and see what followed.
"I've had a long day and my hand is getting tired holding up my gun, so give me a reason to either shoot you and to put it down." Wolfe told him slowly.
"Very well, you see after I left I fell into some new employment. Now I can't tell you what it is but this interested party wants a change in Atlas." He wasn't lying but he wasn't telling the full truth either. It was the best way in his opinion to get people to listen. Sprinkle enough truth in and the lies and truth become nearly impossible to weed out.
"For what reason?"
"Honestly? Her full plan isn't known to me," Watts has a guess but honestly it was only a guess. He knew what she said she wanted to them but he never took anyone, even Her at face value. "But I was tasked with this and I plan on carrying out her demands."
Wolfe cocked his head to the side. "Never known you to roll over and just go with anyone's plans. You were always a pain in the ass to work with because you always wanted to do things your way."
"She's very convincing."
Wolfe paused as he really looked at the man in front of him, judging him, looking through him. "You're scared of this person."
"My dear Colonel…the whole world should be scared of her," Now with this Watts was telling the full truth. "She is inevitable, like the sun setting. She can't be stopped, she is more patient than you can even conceive of and the most powerful being on the planet. If she truly wanted to, she could tear this world to pieces with her wrath."
"And the reason no one has heard of her is because?"
Watts chuckled. "Why do you assume that no one has heard of her? All the head masters know about her."
"Wait…ALL the headmasters?" Wolfe tilted his head as his mind was putting things together.
"Oh yes, Ironwood and his inner circle know about her. What do you think all his secrecy is about?"
Wolfe paused, things had been odd lately. Ever since Beacon fell the General had been acting strange. He had let his looks go, he had been more irritable and irrational, he was making strange demands and not given any answers. An outside threat would fit into the pieces but there were still a lot of missing pieces for the full picture.
"I don't see how a new threat could just show up and cause there to be so much worry that it's secret. If this woman is such a threat we should just wend in the army and deal with it."
"You assume this is a 'new' threat." Watts took a drink. "She had been here before the beginning."
"The beginning of what?"
"Of everything," Watts leaned forward. "She's been here since before recorded history, she is older than history, she is the oldest being on the world."
"That makes no sense!" Wolfe stood up and pointed his weapon harder at him. "I should just take you in now. I'm sure brining you in will get me some great honors."
"Oh? Honours but no promotion, oh wait that's right in order to be promoted you need General Ironwood to retire or something to that effect. Tell me, even if what I said was true or false can you deny that with Ironwood with his steel hand grasping his position in a death grip do you ever see yourself taking the position?"
Wolfe was silent as it was true, he was at the height of his career and he couldn't go any further now. He still hated that Ironwood was picked over him for promotion to General.
Watts grinned knowing this man's weakness about being passed over for promotion. "You know we don't have to be enemies. The fact that James is running scared, doing all kinds of secrets because he doesn't trust anyone, keeping all this secret of his enemy. Does that sound like the kind of man that should lead Atlas? He's even taken control of the council for now."
"Not for much longer," Wolfe told him. "And if you think I don't know you're trying to play me, think again."
"Oh I know, but you're a practical man, it's why I choose to come to you. You see the big picture, you see how things are and aren't afraid to do the dirty things to get things done. You're also an ambitious man and have no love to Ironwood."
"So what, you want me to betray him and Atlas?" Wolfe scoffed.
"Betray a man you hold no respect for in order to save Atlas is more like it," Watts leaned back. "She is coming and what happens to Atlas will be determined by those in charge. I'm here to give Atlas a chance to survive what's to come. To be part of the New Order."
"Atlas won't go down without a fight," Wolfe's grip on his weapon tightened.
"Oh yes…but it will go down," Watts told him. "She has seen countless kingdoms rise and fall, Atlas will be just another name added to the list of the forgotten kingdoms. Now, if the right people were in place and serve her, then Atlas will not only survive but thrive in the world to come. She's done playing in the shadows, Beacon was just the start and after she deals with Atlas she'll move on to the other kingdoms."
Wolfe's mind thought about what he was saying when something hit him. "The network…that was her plan, to cut off all the kingdoms."
"The first move," Watts grinned glad the man could see the plan in front of him.
The military man mind went into overdrive. Without the network it would be harder to help each other out or get information to the public. Atlas was now also isolated, the world saw Atlas machines attacking Beacon. No one would help if someone attacked them. Suddenly all of Ironwood's paranoia made sense, because it wasn't paranoia when someone was after you.
Lowering his gun he gave a long hard look at Watts. "Explain everything, from the top."
Watts smiled and poured himself another glass. "Get comfortable this is a long story, the longest story actually."
TBC…
Well I'm going on course now, so I have no idea how much time I will have to type but I will try. I'm thinking of ending this soon with a cliffhanger to recharge and then come back later with a short sequel as this has been going on for two years. I want to do it justice and write some other stuff but don't worry it will be a good open ended ending if I do this instead of rushing to the ending. Kind of like how a season finale ends kind of thing.