The loud thrumming noise in the warehouse was quickly chased by that of a piercing whine. Ilia narrowed her eyes and cupped her hands over her ears as she looked toward the source of the commotion. There stood the so-called autonomous combat system, a stabilizing frame around the hastily assembled core and railgun. A strange, blue and purple glow surrounded the center of the massive weapon before an energy bolt of the same color manifested from seemingly nothing. The flash was brief and heated the air in the immediate area, providing an almost pleasant warmth to the otherwise chilly building. A small crater had been carved into the concrete floor an appreciable distance away, and smoke rose up from the destroyed section of ground.

"Oh fuck yeah," Emerald commented as she accepted Moss' offered high five. "That was sick."

"Damn right it was," the man said with a grin. "So yeah, we've got the tech to pump out maybe two of these things a week, once we finalize the specs. Should help a lot in the fight against Salem. Might be able to mass-produce 'em if we can get something going with Ironwood, though Alice might not be keen on that notion. Even I'm not fully sold on that, but… it seems like the right move, all things considered."

"I don't blame her," Ilia said as she lowered her hands to her sides. "Ironwood is… I don't really know how to describe him. He's trying to do what's right, but he's also fucking it up from time to time, and it seems to be getting more frequent. Everything he does is supposedly for the greater good, but it's starting to cost a lot of lives. I've worked with men like that before…"

"So have I," Emerald said as she gave Ilia a knowing look. "Well. Women…"

Ilia couldn't help but raise a brow, wondering who exactly Emerald thought was working for any sort of 'good' among her previous employers. She didn't get much time to consider it as a nearby door was thrown open to reveal a very scandalized looking mink faunus.

"You test fired it!?" Shiv asked, his voice nearly cracking as he narrowed his eye at Moss. "What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Hey Em, reach around to his asshole and pull the twisted panties out for him?" Moss suggested as he walked around the girl and checked the monitoring equipment. "I had the analytics running, so we got data. Besides, it looked real fuckin' cool."

"I knew you sent me out to get the thumb drive for a bullshit reason," Shiv seethed, taking care to avoid Emerald as he, too, moved toward the terminals. "What exactly did you shoot?"

"Soda can," Ilia answered without missing a beat.

"A soda can?" Shiv asked, looking at her in disbelief. "I'm going to k-"

"Don't worry, it was empty," Emerald added helpfully as she crossed her arms with a smirk.

"I hate all of you," Shiv said as he looked over the onscreen readout with a scowl. "Why are all of the data points so elevated? Did you revert the settings I changed this morning?"

"…would you believe me if I said no?" Moss asked, not bothering to look over his shoulder at the other man.

"You are a child," Shiv accused, slamming down a thumb drive onto the metal surface beneath the monitor to punctuate the word. With a sigh of resignation, the faunus dramatically swept his hair back and fixed Ilia with a tired look. "Why do you want this security footage so badly, anyway? Robyn Hill is in custody, it doesn't matter who her security advisor is. We fully expected that he gave us a fake name."

"It kinda does," Ilia protested as Moss plugged the device into the computer. "I had to fight my way through her tavern on the way out of Mantle, and the security systems inside tried to kill me. They mowed down some innocent people, and it didn't look like they were targeting the grimm. Whoever installed them, they might be an agent of Salem. They'll be a target moving forward."

"Hm. Fair enough," Shiv said as he leaned against a nearby steel support beam. "You, at least, seem capable of logical thought. I hate one of you less than the others."

"What did I ever do to you?" Emerald asked. "We just met."

"No, no, you don't get it," Moss said as he waved a hand, using the other to pull up security footage from the drive. "Shiv hates everyone by default. You have to earn his slight contempt, and then, eventually, he might start to like you. It's rare, but it happens."

"Moss isn't there yet," Shiv clarified. "And his favor with me keeps slipping backwards. If not for his capabilities with machinery in spite of his idiocy, I'd have had him removed long ago."

"I outrank you," Moss reminded without bothering to look at Shiv.

"In what world?"

"Got to the Cradle first, that's how it works. Ask Alice."

"Perhaps I shall."

"You two are cute," Ilia commented. "Have you guys ever kissed? Maybe you should."

Shiv scoffed, his shoulders tensing.

"Have the two of you?" he asked, nodding toward Emerald. The former thief immediately looked away, a guilty grin on her face. "I see…"

"Hot," Moss added as he waved for the group to move closer to the monitors. "Gimme details later. For now, though, I found your man. Here. Look familiar?"

Footage from a camera somewhere down in Mantle began to play, showing a figure standing near the corner of a building. Upon closer examination, Ilia noticed the glimmer of meticulously maintained white fur peeking out from the sleeves of the figure's trench coat. Despite the newsboy cap concealing his face, it was abundantly clear that the man in the video was Shiv.

"…you look adorable in your little disguise."

"Silence."

A few moments later, another man walked up and began a dialogue. His back was to the camera, but he was a tall, thin figure in a similar coat. Ilia couldn't help but feel like she had seen him before, and when he looked off to the side, the feeling only intensified.

"…shit," Emerald cursed as Moss paused the video. "That stupid mustache. That's Watts."

"Watts?" Moss asked, looking at Emerald.

"Arthur Watts," Emerald spat. "Former Atlesian scientist thought to be dead. He used an alias with you, and he is one of Salem's agents. I worked with him for almost a year. Major asshole working to destabilize Mantle. Did you actually provide him with anything? You know, before you started working on these robots? Please tell me these were the first project…"

"We gave him a few turrets, and…" Moss began before trailing off, his complexion turning pale. "…oh…"

"…we did what we were paid to do," Shiv said coldly, not looking nearly as bothered as Moss. "We couldn't have known they would be used to gun down civilians. I see no fault of ours in this transaction."

"Wow," Ilia said under her breath. "You seriously just feel nothing, knowing that the weapons you built mowed down innocent people in Mantle?"

"You're seriously going to ask me that question, knowing your former affiliation with the White Fang?" Shiv countered. "No one with persistent guilt survives in that organization. Get over yourself."

"That's why I left, dipshit," Ilia snapped. "Because the weight of what we were doing to innocent people didn't balance with the progress being made for our species."

"We're both here now because of guilt," Emerald said in support of Ilia. "And now you've got an obligation to help fix this situation."

"I've no obligation to anyone," Shiv replied, standing his ground. "And this discussion is pointless. We're wasting time. You have what you wanted, and we have work to do."

"Could you even pretend to have a heart for once?" Moss asked, looking annoyed as he rubbed at his face. "We fucked up by dealing with this guy. Could've done a more thorough background check, at least."

"No, he made a judgment call that we were unaware of and roped us into involuntary slaughter," Shiv corrected.

"A judgment call?" Moss asked. "Trying to take over Mantle isn't a judgment call. Our weapons helped this asshole take down one of the twin cities!"

"And now, our weapons will help fight against him," Shiv reasoned. "I bear no responsibility for what he did w-"

"That's not how you felt about shit like this when you first came to the Cradle," Moss said icily as he shot Shiv a glare. "When y-"

"Don't," Shiv interrupted, his eye blazing. "Don't you dare."

Moss hesitated for a moment, clearly contemplating whether or not to say something. In the end, he decided against it and turned back to the monitor.

"Where's this Watts guy now?"

"Don't know," Ilia answered honestly. "Em?"

"He was… planning something, but he wouldn't tell Cin or I what it was," she explained. "I think near the end of our little alliance, he stopped trusting the two of us. He might've had us figured out."

"Great," Ilia said sarcastically. "We've gotta tell Ironwood what we know… and we probably should tell him about these mechs you guys are building."

"No," Shiv said immediately. "Don't mention our work, or the Cradle itself to Ironwood. Alice will decide our involvement."

"Shiv, we're going to war," Moss tried to reason. "That much is certain. No matter whether you do or don't feel like we owe Remnant anything, we owe it to ourselves and Alice not to sit on our asses and just let this Salem cunt roll over the entire planet. Our best shot is allying with Ironwood and everyone else in on the war effort."

"What happened to you?" Shiv asked. "You're suddenly a fan of the big government up in Atlas?"

Ilia huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Sounds more to me like he's a fan of staying alive. Stop being so stubborn, swallow your pride, and do the right thing for once."

"He's done it before," Moss encouraged. "That's what brought him here to begin with."

"I'm not a monster," Shiv protested. "I'm just… fine. Fine. We'll go to Alice and talk this out. Compromising the secrecy of the Cradle isn't something I ever wanted to do, but in this situation, it may be necessary. Come, Moss. Let's get this over with. Touch nothing while we're away, you two."

"We could just come with you," Emerald offered. "It would make sense, wouldn't it? We're all one big team now, supposedly."

Shiv and Moss exchanged a look before the latter gave Emerald an apologetic one.

"…not yet, we're not. Sorry, but Cradle business is Cradle business. Convincing Alice of anything- really convincing her- takes a delicate touch. She might seem friendly, but you haven't seen her bad side yet. It's best if you don't."

"Leave this to us," Shiv agreed. "For the record- don't take anything I say too personally. It's been… quite some time since I've had to work closely with anyone new. I may or may not come around in time, and you may or may not grow used to my… attitude."

"We've both dealt with more obnoxious twats than you," Ilia reassured. "Don't sweat it."

"Indeed," Shiv acknowledged before heading to the door. "We'll find you once this concludes. Touch nothing."

"Yeah, yeah," Emerald said as she watched the two men exit the warehouse. The moment the door shut, she turned to eye up the rail cannon once again. "The temptation to play with that thing is so strong…"

"How strong is the temptation to make out on top of it?" Ilia asked. "It looks relatively stable."

"Through the roof," Emerald admitted. "But I get the feeling that's not what we're about to do, is it?"

"No, it's not," Ilia confirmed as she headed for the exit. "We've got some work to do… but first, how'd it go with Mercury?"

Emerald's expression soured at the question, and Ilia lingered near the door to continue to afford them some privacy.

"Not… good," Emerald said cryptically. "He's a stubborn ass, and he hung up on me when I tried to get him to admit that he was wrong. I turned my scroll off afterward."

"Let him sweat for a while," Ilia advised. "And… I'm sorry, Em. It sucks when people just aren't ready to hear the truth. I was like that for a while. He might still come around, though."

"If he doesn't, he might die," Emerald reminded, seeming to deflate a bit as her shoulders slumped. "That's the part that's eating at me. This isn't just about 'we were wrong', it's about personal safety, too. Finding allies isn't easy, and he doesn't have much ground to stand on with the people around him. I've gotta call him later tonight and just… force the two of us to sort this out. That can wait, though. Where are we headed?"

"I'll be there when you do, and I'll try my best to help," Ilia offered. "For now, though… I think it's time we pay Robyn a visit and find out exactly what she's been doing in Mantle this whole time."

Author's Note:

How is it that with less overall crews/locations, there's now somehow more going on than before the invasion?

Should still be about 30 chapters in total, give or take 400.

-RD