Cover Art by CHE3ZY
Yeah these updates have been looking more and more like monthly updates lately. Definitely not what I want but there isn't much I can do about it at the moment. Work has been kicking my ass hard lately and I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues as well as family issues. At a few times it's gotten pretty low. Work is only going to get more stressful in the coming weeks and then I have to move again. This will probably be the only update for the next month or two because I'm going to be incredibly busy with everything else.
At the end of this chapter I included some pretty important supplementary information to reinforce what has already been presented. Would highly recommend you read it.
Thank you to all of you, the readers. It is definitely nice to see this story grow steadily. I hope it can be something even bigger. Please be sure to let me know what you think of this chapter in the reviews, and be sure to vote for your favorite OC on my profile. The results are public. Enjoy!
Solitas - 8 Years Before the Start of the Series:
A pair of Atlesian Knight-130s lifted an unconscious child, who was bleeding steadily from his nose, onto a stretcher and proceeded to leave for the infirmary. In the center of the sparring area stood Instructor Red alongside a young human boy between the ages of 8 and 10 years old. The boy had short dark hair, piercing green eyes, and brown skin, and sported an impressive build for someone his age. He was dressed identically to the many children surrounding the sparring ring. He wore a black t-shirt, green cargo pants that had a camouflaged pattern, and black boots. The white numbers on his shirt read 086.
Instructor Red smirked.
"Anyone else want to take on the champ?" Her eyes sadistically scanned the room to see if anyone wanted to take a shot at the champion.
One hand shot up, earning a disapproving look from the instructor.
"I will!" Said an enthusiastic voice.
"I want someone other than you, Zero-Three-Seven. You've had more shots than anyone else. Give someone else a chance," said Instructor Red.
Zero-Three-Seven looked angry. No one wanted to beat the champion more than him.
No one else wanted to fight the champion. Zero-Eight-Six wasn't the strongest or the fastest, but he was by far the most aggressive and he was a born fighter. He excelled beyond his peers in hand-to-hand combat training by leaps and bounds. No one could beat him.
"If no one is brave enough to fight Zero-Eight-Six, then let's bring out a new pair." Instructor Red typed in a few commands into her scroll before she brought a list up. She smirked as she saw the results.
"Zero-One-Two and Zero-Six-Nine, front and center!"
A series of "oohs" was murmured among the children. It was clear that this was a highly anticipated match.
"Let's go, Steele!" A girl with the number 009 on her shirt yelled with excitement. She glanced over at her two teammates and glared at them. "Doc! Twitch! Cheer your leader on!"
Next to her, were two boys with the numbers 010 and 011 on their shirts. The two boys did as she said and joined her in cheering on their teammate.
"Come on Steele, show what Alpha Squadron is made of!" Yelled Doc.
010, Twitch, softly mumbled something to himself.
"You don't have to be so bossy, Duchess," Twitch's comment didn't go unnoticed, and it earned him a punch to the face from Zero-Zero-Nine, Duchess.
A few feet from the three, two boys were talking quietly to each other.
"I don't know about you, Hunter, but Melon's got this one in the bag," said a human boy who sported the number 019 on his shirt.
"You're out of your mind, Joker," replied a male wolf faunus with a New Zealand accent. He had fairly long brown hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin. He sported a wolf tail, wore a red bandana over his forehead, and had what appeared to be a birthmark in the shape of a half skull on the left side of his face. The number on his shirt read 034. "Steele's the leader for a reason."
A female rabbit faunus overheard the two of them, her bunny ears perked up. Her shirt sported the number 038. She had light brown eyes, straight brown hair, and looked extremely confident for someone her age.
"By that logic, Rage would be the leader because he's the champion. You boys are wrong," her voice lacked any hesitation, "Steele and Melon won't even finish this fight."
A different voice chimed in at this point.
"What do you mean Bunny?" Asked a male human boy with the number 075 on his shirt.
"Just watch and see, Boss," replied the rabbit faunus.
Instructor Red stood at the edge of the ring, watching as Zero-One-Two and Zero-Six-Nine prepared to spar. Both boys were human. Zero-One-Two, who had dark skin, short black hair, and dark brown eyes, was slightly taller than Zero-Six-Nine. The tension was palpable between the two boys, both in peak physical condition and ready to showcase their skills.
"Remember boys," said Instructor Red, "keep it clean and no aura or semblances." The two boys nodded, signifying that they understood.
"BEGIN!"
Zero-Six-Nine took the initiative, launching a swift jab followed by a roundhouse kick. Zero-One-Two narrowly avoided the blow and countered with a sidekick.
"Is that all you've got?" Zero-One-Two taunted, his eyes locked on his opponent.
"Not even close," Zero-Six-Nine replied with a determined look on his face. He then launched into a series of kicks and punches, his movements a fluid dance of aggression.
Zero-One-Two blocked the incoming strikes with ease, countering with a powerful hook that sent Zero-Six-Nine reeling. Zero-Six-Nine responded with a swift knee strike to Zero-One-Two's midsection, causing him to step back in pain.
Zero-Six-Nine executed a perfect hip throw, but Zero-One-Two quickly recovered to his feet and retaliated with a quick knee strike to the ribs. Zero-One-Two then followed it up with a series of kicks that Zero-Six-Nine deftly blocked.
They flowed seamlessly from one style to another, each move a testament to their training and dedication. Instructor Red watched with fascination as they fought, impressed by their speed, agility, and technique.
The tension in the air grew thicker as each blow became harder, and each dodge more frantic. Zero-One-Two landed a solid kick to Zero-Six-Nine's ribs, causing him to grunt in pain. Zero-Six-Nine retaliated with a flurry of punches, but Zero-One-Two managed to dodge and land a few counterpunches of his own. The exchange continued, each boy trying to gain the upper hand. As the intensity of the fight grew, the rules of the spar seemed to fade away, and the boys' strikes became more vicious. They were no longer focused on technique and skill, but on inflicting as much pain as possible. Their movements became wild and erratic, and their grunts and shouts filled the room.
Zero-Six-Nine launched into a flurry of kicks and punches, trying to take control of the fight. Zero-One-Two responded with a series of devastating strikes that sent Zero-Six-Nine stumbling backward. The fight became more violent and reckless as the two boys abandoned technique in favor of brute force.
They began to throw wild punches, each one intent on hurting the other.
Instructor Red realized that the spar had spiraled out of control and intervened to separate them.
"ENOUGH!" Her voice terrified all of the children in the room.
"You two are out of control!" Instructor Red reprimanded sternly.
"This is supposed to be a spar, not a street fight. You are here to learn and grow, not kill each other. You two are going to have a talk with Dr. Haze."
The two boys were silent and looked a bit scared. Neither of them knew what to say. Instructor Red turned her attention to the children.
"Class dismissed! You're all done for the day."
From within the crowd of children, Bunny shot a smirk toward Boss. It was a silent way of telling him that she'd told him so.
Dr. Cassandra Haze sat behind her desk, looking sternly at the two boys in front of her.
"Boys," she began, "I hope you're aware of the seriousness of what happened during your spar."
Zero-One-Two and Zero-Six-Nine exchanged uneasy glances.
"Yes, ma'am," they said.
Dr. Haze continued, her voice growing more disappointed. "As leaders of your respective teams, more is expected of you both. And Zero-One-Two, as the leader of all the candidates, I had hoped you would set a better example for the others."
Zero-One-Two hung his head in shame, knowing that he had let Dr. Haze down.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Haze," he said quietly. "I let my emotions get the best of me."
Dr. Haze leaned forward in her chair, her eyes locked on Zero-One-Two.
"Emotions have no place in combat, Zero-One-Two. As a leader, it's your responsibility to keep your team under control and focused on their training. You both know that."
"As for you, Zero-Six-Nine," her eyes were focused on him, "you need to squash whatever resentment you have towards Zero-One-Two. It is not helping you grow. You need to focus on yourself and your team and move on."
"I'm sorry Dr. Haze," said Zero-Six-Nine.
There was a moment of tense silence before Dr. Haze continued.
"I'm disappointed in both of you. Your behavior today shows a lack of discipline and control, qualities that are essential for success in this program. I hope this serves as a wake-up call for you both to take your training more seriously and to learn to work together instead of against each other. Remember the motto: Guardians All."
"Cabure An," the boys replied together in a firm voice. They spoke in a language that was no longer spoken. It sounded radically different than the language normally spoken. The words Cabure An, meant Guardians All in the ancient language.
Dr. Haze smiled.
"One indomitable heart," said the doctor.
"Cabure An," said the boys.
"You the wrath of Remnant," she said.
"Cabure An!" They replied.
"Forged like the blade in the fires of death," she said.
"CABURE AN!" This time their voices sounded like the roars of a lion. It earned the silent admiration of the doctor.
Beacon Academy – Present Day:
The sounds of muffled, gurgling screams were the only thing that was heard in the small, dimly lit room.
Two men sat at a table in the center of the room as they watched the scene before them. General Ironwood and an interrogator, one of a special forces background evidenced by the lack of uniform and the loosely kept beard, observed as two soldiers, who likewise did not wear any sort of military uniform, stood over a struggling individual. Torchwick was restrained to a down-sloping table, where his head was at the lower end. One of the soldiers had a towel draped over the thief's face tightly as the other poured water over it.
Roman's body was convulsing as his muffled screams became more and more erratic.
"That's enough," said the interrogator. "Sit him down."
The two soldiers ceased their waterboarding; they removed the towel and went about removing the prisoner's restraints. All the while, Roman was violently coughing up water from his lungs and struggling to breathe. A closer look at the thief's face showed several bruises and small cuts. The bags under Roman's eyes were a clear indication that the thief had been sleep deprived.
Roman found himself unceremoniously dragged over to the table where the general and the interrogator sat and tied him to a chair on the other end of the table. Roman sneered at them, his eyes flickering with defiance. Ironwood leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.
"This has gone on long enough Torchwick. Just give me her name and tell me where to find her."
Roman remained silent, clenching his jaw tightly. The interrogator slammed his fist on the table.
"Answer the question, Torchwick! We can easily resume our other methods if you don't want to cooperate."
Roman chuckled dryly at the interrogator's threats.
"Oh, I'm sure we can. But I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. There's nothing for me to say."
Ironwood narrowed his eyes, studying Roman carefully.
"If you don't cooperate, you're putting innocent lives at risk. I know you're a thief, but even thieves can keep a semblance of honor. There's no reason you can't do the right thing."
Roman smirked.
"You mean like how you put innocent lives at risk by neglecting Mantle?"
Ironwood's face hardened, his fists clenching.
"I watch the news, General. Looks like Robyn Hill is showing Mantle just how much you care about innocent lives."
The general took a moment to breathe before making eye contact with Torchwick again. The general smirked; he wouldn't let this thief get the better of him.
"Why are you doing this Roman?" Asked James.
Roman, who had been expecting another threat or at least an insult, looked at the general with confusion.
"What?" Asked the thief.
"Why are you doing this? You're a thief, not a terrorist. I know your story," the general was firm in his assertion. "You grew up in Mistral in the city of Wind Path. Your mother abandoned you at an orphanage and you spent most of your teenage years in and out of the juvenile detention system. Eventually, you joined Miss Malachite's gang, Spider, and then for some reason you broke off ties with Spider and decided to go solo in Vale."
Roman smirked.
"My, my, general. I'm impressed. You've done your homework on me."
"We have," replied the general with narrowed eyes, "and it doesn't make sense why you would be willing to die for something so far removed from what you know and do. What does she have on you, Roman? Do you fear for your life? Do you fear for the life of someone else? What is it?"
Roman's facial expression softened slightly. The general and the interrogator quickly picked up on it.
"We can help you Roman. We can protect you or anyone that you fear for. We just need you to cooperate," said the general.
Roman began to laugh softly, earning blank stares from the general and his interrogator. Roman had seen many things during the past few months. He knew that Cinder worked for someone else, but as to who it was he did not know. What he did know, was that Cinder and the organization she was part of were much bigger than anything he could have ever imagined. He'd been a relatively fearless man, but the threat of Cinder and whoever her boss was truly terrified him. Everything he'd done for Cinder was not about what he stood to gain, it was about what he couldn't afford to lose. He would protect Neo at all costs.
"Sorry general," said the thief, "but I know you can't make good on your promises despite how firmly you, yourself, believe you can. All I can tell you is that she works for someone else, and I haven't the slightest idea who it is. Do whatever you have to do but know that it won't give you what you want."
James' suspicions were confirmed. Roman didn't know about Salem, but he was at least aware of something bigger in the shadows. James had to admire Roman's impressive defiance. Whatever Salem's agent had over Roman had to have been something extremely important to him.
The interrogator leaned in close to Roman's face, his voice low and menacing.
"Are you sure you want to go down this road?"
Roman remained defiant.
"I'm not telling you anything."
Ironwood leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving Roman's face. The general stood up abruptly, his voice cold and hard.
"We'll see about that," said the general. He gave the interrogator a head nod. The two operatives in the dark corner of the room quickly went about untying Roman with the help of the interrogator.
Roman's eyes widened as the three him out of the room, his screams echoing down the corridor.
Ironwood remained behind; his jaw set firmly. He mentally sighed. He had hoped that Roman would take his offer to help him, but he refused. It was rather unfortunate, but James would get the information he needed, one way or another.
Terre, Jai, and Rahm were hiding up in the rafters of Amity Colosseum, their eyes scanning the oblivious crowds below for any suspicious activity. On occasion, they would glance at the match taking place. Atlas's team FNKI was currently facing team BRRY from Vacuo. The match was only five minutes in, but it was clear that team FNKI was in control of the fight.
"Hey Rahm," said Jai, "didn't you mention that you caught Flynt Coal and Neon Katt snooping around a restricted area of Atlas Academy?" Jai's eyes glanced from the match to the crowds below.
Rahm merely nodded; his eyes were focused on the crowds.
"Yeah," he replied, "they claimed to have been lost but I didn't buy it."
The three went back to scanning the sea of people below them. There were Atlesian Knights positioned throughout the colosseum as well as Atlesian foot soldiers. The general had also taken the liberty of embedding a few undercover Specialists within the crowd. It wasn't long before team FNKI was declared victorious. The next match was set to be team RWBY of Beacon against team ABRN of Haven.
Rahm nudged Terre, getting his attention.
"Not sure about you, but I'm curious to see how much Ruby and Weiss have improved."
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious either," replied Terre, "from what Ruby told me, you put Weiss through a similar training regimen that Ruby went through under my supervision."
Rahm nodded.
"Yeah, Weiss's stamina and hand-to-hand skills needed a lot of work, but I managed to set a solid foundation for her."
"Likewise," replied Terre.
Rahm glanced over at Jai.
"What about Pyrrha, Jai? How'd her training go?"
Jai looked at Rahm with a raised eyebrow.
"Is that a joke Rahm?"
Rahm smirked again. "Possibly."
Jai continued to look at Rahm stoically, not finding his brother's joke to be humorous.
"Pyrrha had taken my advice to heart before we even sparred. Her skills are exemplary. In my opinion, the curriculum of a Huntsman Academy is beneath her current level."
"I agree," said Terre, "her match against team CRDL was highly impressive for someone who is supposed to be a first-year student."
Jai nodded.
"She's quite the sponge for absorbing lessons and adapting to new strategies," replied Jai, "in fact, she managed to trick me into lowering my guard."
Terre and Rahm looked at him with disbelief.
"Was that supposed to be a joke?" Rahm asked with a raised eyebrow.
Jai shook his head.
"No. She managed to get me to lower my guard through deception, and it was just shortly after I told her that she needed to think ahead to outsmart a superior opponent."
Rahm couldn't help but smile.
"She sounds like Duchess in that regard."
Jai and Terre looked at Rahm, seeing a hint of nostalgia on his face. The two couldn't help but nod in agreement with him.
"Duchess certainly was one to do anything she had to do to win," replied Terre.
"And she always had to have things her way," said Jai.
"Why do you think she got that nickname?" Asked Rahm rhetorically.
Jai couldn't help but let a small smile come to his face.
"I remember when Duchess beat the hell out of Joker in the chow hall for cutting in front of her."
"Yeah," replied Terre, "I remember Bandit had to carry Joker to the infirmary and bring him his food."
Rahm smiled lightly at the memory of his bossy teammate.
"Yeah," replied Rahm, "Duchess was a handful to deal with. I was really glad Steele was there to keep her in line."
Terre's eyes seemed to lose the spark of interest upon the mentioning of Steele, something that Jai and Rahm noticed.
"Yeah," said Terre with disinterest, "Steele…"
Jai took notice of Terre's less-than-stellar mentioning of Steele.
"I get that the two of you didn't exactly see eye to eye, but I didn't expect you to still hold resentment towards him," said Jai.
"I never did," replied Terre with firmness in his voice, "I simply didn't think he was fit to lead the Guardians."
Rahm raised an eyebrow at that.
"Well, then who did you think was fit to lead us back then?" Asked Rahm. "You? Rage? Joker? Fives?"
Terre shook his head.
"None of the above," said Terre. "I never once thought it should have been me." Before he could say anything else, Jai spoke up.
"My four guesses are Banshee, Scorch, Boss, and Hunter. I'm willing to bet that non-existent paycheck of mine on it," Jai's comment earned a laugh from Rahm and an eye roll from Terre.
"No," replied Terre, earning surprised looks from Rahm and Jai. "You two might find this hard to believe but I always felt that it was Bunny who was most fit to lead us."
Jai couldn't help but look at Terre with a bit of surprise and skepticism. Jai decided to pry a bit deeper.
"Even though she was hellbent on escaping?" Asked Jai. "Considering she was my team leader; I think I know Bunny the best out of the three of us. She was many things: intelligent, strong, brave, and clever, but if there was one thing she wasn't it was willing to give herself to the program."
This time it was Rahm and Terre who looked at Jai with skepticism.
"If I recall correctly," replied Terre, "you, Angel, and Stripes were always right behind her on her escape attempts. You were just as determined to escape and eventually you dedicated yourself to the mission. To say that Bunny would have never come around would be unfair."
"And I remember the four of you trying to recruit others on your escape attempts," Rahm chimed in.
Jai didn't have a rebuttal to that. His brothers had cornered him.
"I guess Bunny had something in her that made you want to follow her," Jai conceded. "She had a charisma that was infectious and no matter how bleak everything looked, she was able to lift you up again."
The three brothers sat in silence for a moment as they reminisced about their lost brothers and sisters. The moment was soon interrupted as the loudspeakers rang.
"GIVE IT UP FOR TEAM RWBY OF BEACON AND TEAM ABRN OF HAVEN!" The voice of Professor Port echoed throughout the stadium.
The three turned their attention to the arena floor far below them. They could see team RWBY stepping onto the platform as well as team ABRN.
"THE MATCH WILL START IN 3…2…1…BEGIN!"
The three watched with interest as the match began.
Blake attacked her bowl of fish noodles with such an eagerness that it left her teammates as well as team JNPR in shock. The cat faunus had been starving since before their match started and the satisfaction she felt upon devouring her fish was as if she were on cloud nine.
"Pyrrha," she said between mouthfuls of fish, "I love you so much."
Pyrrha merely stared as Blake devoured the fish with such ferocity. Jaune looked as though he were going to be sick, Ren seemed indifferent, and Nora was too busy filming Blake with her scroll with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Don't mention it, Blake," said Pyrrha with an awkward smile as she ate her noodles. The scarlet-haired girl looked over at Ruby and Weiss.
"Ruby, Weiss, I must say that I am impressed with your close quarters combat," Pyrrha smiled at them.
It was true. They had all noticed the vast improvement the two girls had made in their hand-to-hand skills. Before their match against team ABRN, Ruby and Weiss were hardly ever seen throwing kicks or punches. During their match against team ABRN, they showed off some impressive moves.
"Thank you Pyrrha," replied Weiss with confidence, "I did a great deal of training in preparation for the tournament."
"So did I!" Ruby chimed in.
"What they mean to say is that Rahm and Terre put them through the meat grinder," said Blake as she continued to eat.
"I doubt it could have been worse than getting your ass handed to you by Yang," replied Jaune with a deadpan look on his face.
Yang shot him a glare before she smacked the blonde boy on the back of the head, earning giggles from Pyrrha, Nora, and Ruby.
"OW!"
"Quiet you," said Yang.
"I would beg to differ Jaune," said Ruby, "Terre isn't human. He had me do so many exercises until I couldn't even move, and he didn't even break a sweat."
"Preach," said Weiss, who was shuddering at the memory of training with Rahm.
"Hey!" yelled Nora, "on that note, has anyone seen Penny, Terre, Jai, or Rahm?"
"I haven't seen them," replied Yang.
Nora shrugged. "Well, wherever they are, they're missing out on some great food."
Ren glanced at his watch, taking note of the time before he spoke up.
"We need to get going in the next few minutes. Our match will begin soon."
"Sounds like a plan," replied Jaune.
Ruby was excited for team JNPR. She couldn't wait to see them in action. "Best of luck you guys!"
Near the port of Vale, in a bar, sat a lone man. He was dressed in black pants, black shoes, an untucked silver and grey long-sleeve shirt, and had an intricate sword strapped to his back. He was tall, had jet-black hair with some streaks of silver in it, and held a glass of whiskey in his hand.
The bartender whistled at the screen, which showed the victorious team SSSN and the defeated team NDGO.
"Now that was a match!"
"Heh," replied Qrow, "that was a mess!" Qrow's words sounded slurred.
"Come on man, you didn't like them, the Vale kids, or any of the rounds before that? What fight are you here for?"
Qrow glanced behind him and spotted an aircraft with elegant ribbons flying from its wings.
"That one," he replied.
He finished his drink before he slammed the glass down on the counter and tossed a few Lien alongside it.
"Happy Vytal Festival!"
The bartender watched as his sole patron staggered away and put down the glass he just finished cleaning, only to knock it down and shatter it when he reached for another one.
Ruby leaned back in her seat and sighed.
"Aw, that was so close!"
Yang nodded. "Looks like the dorks made it to the next round!"
Blake looked down in the arena where Sun and Neptune were dancing like fools before the monkey faunus gave her a special double-gun gesture with a wink, eliciting a blush and a small smile from his target.
"Emphasis on 'dork'," replied Blake.
Professor Oobleck's voice sounded over the sound system.
"That concludes the matches for today. Please leave the Coliseum IN A CALM AND ORDERLY FASHION!"
Team RWBY couldn't help but flinch from the unexpected volume change.
"Come on," said Yang, "let's go congratulate them."
"I'll pass," replied Weiss stoically.
She had no desire to interact with Neptune.
The four girls got up from their seats and began to head out just as the ribbon-adorned craft passed over the colosseum, causing Weiss to stop in her tracks and Ruby to bump into her.
Ruby looked at her partner with confusion. "Uh, what are you looking at?"
Weiss was too busy looking up at the craft with a sense of awe.
"She's here!"
Up in the rafters of Amity Colosseum, the three members of the Bad Batch noticed the approaching aircraft. Rahm looked over to his two teammates and spoke up.
"Were any of you aware of Specialist Schnee's arrival?"
"I wasn't," replied Jai.
"I wasn't either, but I imagine she's here to deliver the additional security units that General Ironwood requested," said Terre.
"Interesting," said Jai, "in any case, seeing that our work here is done, I'm going to go find Penny and check on her."
Jai gave his two brothers a curt nod before he turned and walked away. Seeing that they had nothing else to do, Rahm looked to Terre and spoke up.
"I think I'll go congratulate Weiss on her improvement."
Terre nodded.
"I should do the same with Ruby."
Ruby was running, trying to catch up with her partner.
"Weiss! What is the big deal!? Who is it? Who is she!?"
Weiss stopped dead in her tracks and smiled at the sight of her older sister.
"Winter."
Special Operative Winter Schnee, escorted by both Atlas soldiers and Atlesian Knight-200s, exited her airship.
"Wait..." said Ruby, "your sister?"
Weiss failed to hear Ruby's question as she called out to her sister.
"Winter!"
The two first-years ran up to the elder Schnee as she turned to see them.
"Winter! I'm so happy to see you! Oh..." Weiss gave a polite bow. "Your presence honors us."
Winter looked around as she approached them.
"Beacon... It's been a long time. The air feels... different."
"I mean it is fall, so…" Ruby rubbed the back of her head, "…eh, it's probably colder."
Weiss punched Ruby in the shoulder, causing her to gasp in pain before turning back to her sibling.
"So, what are you doing here? How long are you staying?"
"I'm here to deliver additional units for added security for the tournament. I will be leaving tomorrow. I hope that answers all your questions."
"Yes! You're going to love it here!" Weiss couldn't contain her excitement. She hadn't seen her big sister since she left for Beacon. "I know you travel a lot, but so much of Beacon is different from Atlas! Vale, too. The government and school are completely separate! Can you believe it!? I-"
Winter cut her off.
"I'm more than familiar with how this kingdom handles its... bureaucracy."
"Right!" Replied Weiss. "I'm sorry!"
Winter glanced back toward her security detail.
"Leave us," she commanded.
The soldiers and the AK-200s obeyed, giving the military officer the space she desired. Winter sighed before she looked back to Weiss and smiled.
"How have you been?"
"Oh, splendid!" Weiss replied with enthusiasm. "Thank you for asking. I'm actually in the very top ranking of our sparring class! And the rest of my studies are going wonderfully, too! I'm-"
Weiss was shut up by a smack to her head by Winter.
"Silence, you boob! I don't recall asking about your ranking, I asked how you've been. Are you eating properly? Have you taken up any hobbies? Are you making new friends?"
"Well, there's Ruby," she pointed to her red-cloaked partner as she tenderly rubbed her head.
Ruby giggled as she poked Weiss playfully. "Heh, boob."
"I see," said Winter, "so this is the leader you wrote of. How appropriately... underwhelming."
"Uh... Thank you!" Ruby didn't know what to make of that statement.
"Greetings, Ruby Rose. I wish to thank you for taking an interest in my sister."
"Oh! Uh, yes, of course!" The awkward leader of team RWBY gave a sloppy salute. "The honor is in my... court!"
Winter examined her sister and Ruby for a moment before she spoke.
"I have business with General Ironwood and your Headmaster. But, seeing as I'm early, why don't you take me to your quarters?"
Weiss perked up. "Really?"
Winter nodded as she, Weiss, and Ruby began walking toward the Academy, followed by the androids.
"Yes," replied Winter, "I wish to inspect them and make sure that they are up to my personal standards."
"Of course. Just so you're aware, the bunk beds only look unstable."
Winter looked at Weiss with a raised eyebrow.
"Bunk beds?"
"It's a long story," replied Ruby.
Winter gave Ruby a curt nod before she looked at Weiss and smiled. "I watched your match from my ship, and I must say I'm impressed. Your close-quarters combat skills have greatly improved since the last time I observed you."
Weiss smiled excitedly.
"Thank you! Though I couldn't have done it without the help of a good friend who took it upon himself to help me train for the tournament."
Winter cocked an eyebrow at that.
"Oh?" She asked. "And who might this friend be?"
"His name is Rahm," Ruby chimed in with a cheeky smile.
"Ruby!" Weiss was glaring daggers at Ruby.
"Rahm?" Winter feigned ignorance, knowing full well who Rahm was, or so she thought.
Winter was still under the assumption that the Guardians were a highly trained black ops unit that was comprised of early graduates from Atlas Academy. That was the only way she could rationalize their young ages.
"Y-Yes," replied Weiss, "he's an exchange student from Atlas."
Winter gave Weiss a playful smirk. "Well, I would very much like to meet this young man and thank him for helping my little sister with her training."
Ruby's eyes lit up with joy. Way up ahead she could see Terre and Rahm walking toward them. Without warning the cloaked leader of team RWBY used her semblance and zoomed off in a blur of red to meet the two Guardians.
Winter and Weiss looked in the direction Ruby zoomed off in, spotting the two giants heading their way.
"I apologize for Ruby's erratic behavior," Weiss put a hand to her head in embarrassment.
Winter eyed Weiss for a moment before she returned her gaze to the two Guardians off in the distance. Winter watched as Ruby jumped up and down in front of Guardian Zero-Six-Nine, seemingly asking him a plethora of questions from what she could see. Guardian Zero-One-One shared a few words with the energetic Ms. Rose before he continued walking toward her and Weiss. Guardian Zero-Six-Nine stayed behind, clearly distracted by Ms. Rose.
Seeing the Guardians without their armor on was always a strange thing for Winter. Granted, she'd only seen them once without their armor on before this very instant.
"Who are those two that your friend deemed such an overzealous display of energy necessary?" Winter was once again feigning ignorance.
Weiss did her best to hide a blush, failing to notice Winter's raised, suspicious eyebrow.
"Oh, uh, well," Weiss was clearly nervous, "the one that's being hounded by Ruby is Terre Verte, and the one walking towards us is Rahm Tangerin."
"The same Rahm that has been helping you train?"
"Y-Yes."
"Interesting…"
Winter watched as the special forces soldier approached. Seeing him in civilian clothing was extremely unusual for what she was normally used to seeing from him and his team. It wasn't long before Rahm was standing before the two Schnees.
"Weiss," Rahm said with a respectful nod, "congratulations on your and your team's victory. Your training has shown its fruits."
Weiss' eyes lit up with joy. "You watched our match?"
He nodded. Rahm's eyes glanced over to Winter.
"I take it this is your sister?" Rahm played dumb, acting as though he didn't know who Specialist Schnee was.
"Oh, how rude of me!" Weiss looked a bit flustered. "Winter this is Rahm Tangerin of team PGRT. Rahm, this is my older sister Special Operative Winter Schnee."
Rahm extended a hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
Winter smirked before she took the soldier's hand in hers and shook it.
"The pleasure is mine," Winter glanced over at Weiss for a moment before she locked eyes with him, "my younger sister tells me that you are partially responsible for the impressive progress in her performance."
"I merely guided her in the right direction," he replied, "she's the one who put in the required work so thanking me is unnecessary."
"Quite humble," Winter mused, "an admirable quality nonetheless."
From Rahm's position, he could see Qrow Branwen staggering towards them. Without warning the member of Ozpin's secret brotherhood decapitated a few AK-200s with little effort. Seeing that it was merely Qrow and how this behavior was considered normal for him, according to the file General Ironwood gave him and his brothers, Rahm decided to refrain from engaging the Huntsman. He couldn't blow cover for such a reason. Instead, Rahm merely brought his fist up to his mouth and politely cleared his throat. Winter caught on to what Rahm was doing and she looked behind her.
"Hey!" Qrow's speech was slurred, evidence that he'd been drinking yet again. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, Ice Queen!"
An Atlas soldier pointed his weapon at Qrow but was stopped by a raised hand from Winter. Despite Rahm's attempts to stop her, Weiss angrily walked up to the drunk Huntsman.
"Excuse me!" Yelled Weiss. "Do you have any idea who you are talking to!?"
Qrow placed a hand on Weiss' head.
"Sssshhh. Not you."
He lightly pushed her out of his way as he moved forward.
"Hey!" Weiss fumed.
Qrow looked at the irritated Winter as he clarified. "You."
A raven was perched on a lamppost before it flew off and circled past the group.
"I saw that gaudy ship of yours in town. So I guessed you were here too."
Winter glared daggers at Qrow.
"I'm standing right before you."
Qrow squinted through his hazy state of mind before he gave a cheeky smile. "So it would seem."
"You realize you just destroyed Atlas Military property," Winter's eyes narrowed at the drunk.
"Oh, oh I'm sorry," Qrow feigned surprise. "See, I mistook this for some sort of... sentient garbage."
"I don't have time for your immature games, Qrow."
Weiss seemed surprised at that. "Wait, you two know each other?"
"Geez," Qrow slurred, "you Atlas Specialists think you're so special, don't you?"
"It's in the title," Winter couldn't help but shoot Qrow a cocky smirk.
"Well, you know what you really are? A bunch of sellouts. Just like your boss."
Winter's patience was wearing thin. "I'm not sure what you think you're implying, but I've heard enough."
"I heard ol' Ironwood finally turned his back on Ozpin."
Weiss looked at Winter with confusion. "Ozpin?"
Winter shoved Weiss aside. "Weiss, it's time for you to go." Winter gave Rahm a silent look that the super soldier understood.
Weiss moved to speak but was cut off as Rahm took her by the hand.
"It would be wise for us to not get involved in this matter."
"Listen to your big sister, Weiss," said Qrow, "she'll protect you. Just like Atlas is going to protect all of us."
Winter drew her sword and marched towards Qrow, stopping a few feet from him. "If you won't hold your tongue, then I will gladly remove it for you!"
"Alright then..." Qrow ran a hand through his black hair, "come take it."
The surrounding spectators quickly cleared the square just before the two began fighting. The two moved with incredible speed that left all but Rahm in awe. Rahm was more interested in observing their fighting styles. Rahm noted that despite Qrow's weapon being far larger than Winter's, he swung it around as if it were a fencing sword. As the fight raged on and caused more and more damage to the surrounding area, the crowd of spectators grew larger. Ruby and Terre were among the new arrivals, the two stopped next to Rahm and Weiss.
"What's going on?!" Yelled Ruby.
"Some crazy guy just started attacking my sister!"
"Oh no!" Replied Ruby. "Who would do such a th-"
Ruby stopped short as she saw who Winter was fighting.
"That's my uncle!"
Weiss was clearly surprised by what Ruby said. "What?!"
"Kick her butt, Uncle Qrow!"
Weiss decided to yell her own encouragement. "Uh...Teach him respect, Winter!"
As Ruby and Weiss cheered Qrow and Winter on, Terre and Rahm merely observed.
"Is it safe to assume that Branwen provoked Specialist Schnee?" Terre said in an almost whisper.
Rahm merely nodded.
"The general will not be happy about this," replied Terre.
"Yeah," said Rahm, "he'll be pissed. But this is her mess and not ours."
Terre nodded as he went back to watching the fight rage on.
From a distance, Mercury observed the fight dragging on. As soon as he saw that Qrow was there, he turned away and walked back in the direction he came.
Winter propelled herself forward, screaming in rage and preparing a thrust toward a smiling Qrow.
"SCHNEE!"
"Speak of the devil," said Rahm.
Winter's sword stopped mere inches from Qrow's neck. She looked behind her to see a less-than-happy General Ironwood standing there with Penny, Ciel, and Jai behind him.
Winter sheathed her sword, turned to face the general, and stood at attention.
"General Ironwood, sir!"
Ironwood approached her as Penny, Ciel, and Jai remained where they were.
"What in the world do you think you're doing?"
Winter pointed an accusing finger at Qrow. "He started the altercation, sir!"
Qrow placed his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner. "That's actually not true. She attacked first."
Ironwood looked at Winter with scrutiny. "Is that right?"
Winter searched for words, only to realize that Qrow was right. She looked down in shame.
"And you," said James. Qrow pointed to himself in mock confusion. "What are you doing here Qrow?"
"I could be asking you the same thing, Jimmy."
Ironwood moved to reply. "I-"
"Break it up, everyone!" Professor Goodwitch cut the general off before he could properly reply to Qrow. "We will take care of this mess."
The focus shifted to the more than angry Professor Goodwitch and the generally relaxed Professor Ozpin.
Ironwood sighed as he turned to look at Winter. "Let's go."
As Ironwood and Winter walked away, the general shot Jai a subtle nod, which Jai returned with one of his own.
"Let's go, Penny," Ciel said as she looked at her watch, "we need to get ready for our match."
"Yes, of course," Penny glanced over to her brothers, Ruby, and Weiss, "I have to be going now. See you all soon."
Ruby and Weiss waved goodbye to Penny while Terre, Rahm, and Jai merely nodded. Jai had since joined Rahm and Terre and observed as Ruby ran to her uncle and latched onto his arm, shouting and questioning if he had missed her.
"If Branwen is here that means he may have some useful information regarding Salem."
"Let's hope that's the case, Rahm," replied Jai.
It was evening and General Ironwood and Specialist Schnee were waiting in Ozpin's office. Ironwood was standing with his arms crossed while Winter was impatiently pacing about.
The elevator door to Ozpin's office suddenly sounded and out stepped a smirking Qrow, accompanied by Glynda and Ozpin.
Winter shot the drunken Huntsman an angry gaze.
"What were you thinking!?" It was clear she was still angry about the incident earlier. Considering how the general had chewed her out for the altercation, she had good reason to be angry.
"If you were one of my men, I would have you shot!"
Qrow pulled out a flask. "If I was one of your men, I'd shoot myself, Jimmy."
Glynda sighed, placing a hand to her head.
"While I wouldn't condone his behavior, retaliating like you did certainly didn't help the situation."
"He was drunk!' Winter fumed.
"He's always drunk!" Glynda shot back.
The four turned to Qrow to see him drinking from his flask. His eyes widened when he noticed them staring, and he held the flask out to the side, looking at it awkwardly before grimacing.
Ozpin sat down, sighing as he did so. "Qrow, why are you here?"
"You've been out of contact for weeks," Ironwood said, "you can't just go dark like that in the field!"
"I'm not one of your special operatives, Jimmy!"
"General," Winter corrected, "he's a general, Qrow" Winter's patience with the drunkard was at its limit.
Qrow rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You sent me to get intel on our enemy, and I'm telling you, our enemy is here."
Ironwood leaned against Ozpin's desk and nodded. "We know."
"Oh! Oh, you know! Well, thank goodness I'm out there risking my life to keep you all informed!"
Ironwood exhaled. "Qrow-"
"Communication's a two-way street, guys. You see this?" Qrow pulled out his Scroll and pointed to it. "That's the SEND button."
"They had reason to assume you'd been compromised," said Winter.
"And I have reason to assume you don't need to be here," Qrow pointed at Winter, "Seriously, who invited her?" Qrow earned another hateful glare from the former Schnee heiress.
The room was silent for a moment before the general turned to his assistant. Although Winter was his right hand, the fact that she was being groomed to be his successor, and the fact that she was the number one choice to succeed Fria as the Winter Maiden, she still didn't know about the Maidens or Salem. Ironwood couldn't help but feel hypocritical about keeping Winter in the dark. The Guardians and Dr. Haze knew everything that Ozpin had told him about the relics, the Maidens, Salem, and the brother gods. To be fair, Dr. Haze and the Guardians had known for over ten years now. In time he would tell her, but for now, he would continue to keep her in the dark.
"Unfortunately, he's right, this is a private matter. Schnee, you're dismissed."
Winter looked surprised. "But sir!"
"Winter," the general glared at her, "leave."
Winter reluctantly nodded before she saluted the general. "Yes sir."
On her way out she narrowed her eyes at Qrow who smirked at her. When it was clear that Winter was gone, Ironwood gestured to Qrow.
"Go on," said the general.
"Your little infiltrator isn't another pawn. This infiltrator is the one responsible for Amber's condition." Qrow took a drink from his flask.
"We are aware Qrow," replied Ozpin, "we had strong suspicions that it was the case but now you have confirmed it for us."
James looked at Ozpin with a half-annoyed look. He had tried his best to get Ozpin to act after Ruby encountered Salem's agent, but Ozpin chose to do nothing.
Qrow looked slightly surprised.
"So why is it that Jimmy here brought his warships to Vale when we need to be discrete?" Asked the drunk Huntsman as he glared at James.
Ironwood stared at Qrow. If Qrow was angry because the general brought a few ships to Vale, then one could only imagine if Qrow knew everything else he'd done. Whether that be having sanctioned the creation of an inhumane super soldier program or having said super soldiers and a synthetic human undercover at Beacon.
"Discreet wasn't working; this is what I deemed necessary."
"What you deemed necessary?!" Asked Qrow with anger in his voice.
"Yes," replied James calmly, "I warned that something was brewing in Vale all those months ago. I'm the one who found out that Salem's pawn enlisted the White Fang's help for a potential attack on Vale. And what did we do?"
No one answered. He wasn't wrong. When Special Mission Unit 117 and the Ace Ops brought Sage Lacertilia to him, James managed to link Salem's pawn to the White Fang in Vale. When he alerted Ozpin, he was told that countering Salem too early would alert her and make her change course. It was for this reason that James ordered the Guardians to go to Beacon.
"We did nothing," said the general with venom in his voice. "So, forgive me for bringing a few ships to help provide additional security in preparation for the tournament because as of right now it seems I'm the only one here who is willing to do anything before a tragedy occurs."
"You're here because Ozpin wanted you here! He made you a part of this inner circle and opened your eyes to the real fight that's in front of us!"
"And I am grateful!" Ironwood shot back.
He was grateful, but at the same time, part of him wished that Ozpin had chosen someone else. Had Ozpin not informed him of the truth then he would have been another ignorant fool going about his life, oblivious to the danger Salem presented. On the flip side, had he never known then he would have never dirtied his hands by sanctioning Project Guardian.
"Oh, well, you've got a real funny way of showing it," replied Qrow.
"Salem's agents are here Qrow," James' eyes hardened, "that means she's planning something big. I'd rather have forces ready to go than have all of Vale destroyed because we couldn't move fast enough."
"You think they're scared of your little ships James? I've been out there, and I've seen the things she's made, and let me tell you - they are fear."
Ozpin stood up.
"And fear will bring the Grimm. A guardian is a symbol of comfort. But an army is a symbol of conflict."
Ironwood glared at Ozpin. "So then, what would you suggest we do?"
"I suggest we bring forth our guardian," replied Ozpin.
Glynda looked at the Headmaster for a moment. "You mean Ms. Nikos?"
Ozpin merely nodded. "After seeing her performance in person, it's clear that she was the right choice from the very beginning."
"I still think that we've waited far too long to have Ms. Nikos inherit the Fall Maiden's powers," said James, "we should have done this months ago."
"I understand your reasoning James," said Ozpin, "but you can never rush these things. I have reason to believe that Ms. Nikos would have been less likely to agree to such a massive responsibility had we asked her last semester."
James ran a hand through his hair as he pondered the words of the man he had served for well over a decade. Ozpin was more or less right about one thing. They did need a guardian, and luckily, he had three Guardians and each of them was the equivalent of an entire army.
"Very well," replied James.
What mattered now was that Ms. Nikos inherited the power soon so that Amber's remaining power would not seek out its other half and fully empower Salem's vessel.
Mercury was sitting in a chair in his dorm room while Cinder paced back and forth, interrogating him as Emerald rested on a nearby bed.
"And you're sure?" She asked
Mercury nodded. "Bad hair, used a scythe, and smelled like my dad after a long day. It was him."
"What do we do?" Asked Emerald.
"We stay the course," replied Cinder, "they have no idea who we are, so we have no reason to worry. Besides, the last of the heavy lifting is being taken care of thanks to Watts." Cinder retrieved her scroll and began to reorganize the doubles round matchups to her liking. "Go to your rooms. I'll prepare everything for tomorrow."
"Yes, ma'am," said Emerald.
"Got it," said Mercury.
The Next Day:
Terre glanced at his watch, noting that he was on time. Ruby had invited him over to play video games and considering that his work for the day was complete he figured he could kill a few minutes with her. The Guardian arrived at team RWBY's room and as Terre moved to knock, the door swung open to reveal Qrow Branwen. The alcoholic Huntsman eyed the super soldier for a moment before a sudden realization came over him.
"Hey, didn't I see you yesterday in the courtyard?"
Terre nodded. "Yes sir, I was with Ruby while you were busy fighting Weiss' sister."
Qrow looked over his shoulder at Ruby, who smiled and waved at Terre.
"Is that true Ruby? Were you with this guy?" Qrow's question was accompanied by a playful smirk.
Ruby's pale face turned a deep shade of red.
"Y-Yes…uh…I mean…sort of…uh…"
Yang and Qrow couldn't help but burst out in laughter as Ruby struggled to formulate a coherent response. Teasing the young girl was far too easy. All the while, Terre watched this unfold with confusion.
"I'm afraid I don't know what's so humorous."
Qrow eyed Terre with a bit of skepticism before he looked over at Yang.
"Is he really that dense?"
"Oh yeah," she replied with a grin.
Qrow shrugged his shoulders. "Just remember what I said you two," the alcoholic looked at his two nieces, "you two are gonna go far, but only if you keep learning and if you never stop moving forward."
"Thanks for the advice uncle Qrow," said Yang.
Qrow nodded before he turned to face Terre.
"And you," he said as he placed a hand on Terre's shoulder, "if you break my niece's heart. I'll break your legs."
Without another word, Qrow maneuvered around Terre and left the room. He hadn't bothered to see if his threat had intimidated the Guardian. Terre watched as Qrow left with a lot of questions going through his mind. What was so funny? What did they mean he was dense? While Terre may have been confused, he was most certainly not intimidated in the slightest, something that both Ruby and Yang noticed. He turned his attention back to the two sisters.
"Did you still want to play video games?"
The blush on Ruby's face had since faded. "Yes!"
"You wanted to see me, ma'am?"
Winter looked up from her office computer terminal to see Guardian Zero-One-One standing before her. She had messaged him, asking him to meet her on her airship before she left.
"Ah, Zero-One-One, yes I did. Thank you."
Rahm gave Winter a crisp salute, one that she promptly returned.
"Please have a seat," she said.
He did as he was instructed and took a seat in the chair across from her.
"My sister speaks very highly of you. She tells me that you've helped her learn more than just improving her fighting abilities."
"She sought advice and I offered what I could."
"Well, she's certainly not the same girl I knew when she left for Beacon that's for sure. It seems you've done more to merely protect her, haven't you?"
Rahm looked at her quizzically, clearly not understanding what she meant.
Winter sighed. "She's formed attachments here at Beacon. While her attachments are not bad things per se, they certainly pose problems in the future."
Rahm said nothing, opting to listen instead.
"You and the other Guardians know that this mission will not last forever. Once it's complete you will return to your old lives and Rahm Tangerin, Terre Verte, and Jai Gris will be gone. When that day comes Weiss will not take that news well."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because," she replied, "Weiss has grown attached to you in one way or another."
"I've done what is necessary to protect Weiss."
"And you have my eternal gratitude for everything you've done to keep her safe. Make no mistake, I am not reprimanding you. You have done nothing wrong in the pursuit of your mission. I am simply telling you this so that you keep it in mind when it's time for you to return to Atlas."
"You make it seem as though I won't be forgotten in a matter of months."
Winter scoffed.
"She still talks about a certain giant in orange armor that she sees in her dreams every now and then. I've managed to get her to think that she was hallucinating."
Rahm didn't concede a single facial expression or glance of his eyes.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about ma'am."
Winter leaned forward slightly.
"I know, Zero-One-One," she said sternly, "you don't have to continue to keep up the charade with me. I asked General Ironwood about it myself two years ago, and I know the truth of what happened three years ago. What you did was nothing short of heroic, and I will forever be grateful to you."
"Your gratitude isn't necessary ma'am. I did my job. Is there a reason for bringing this up?" Asked Rahm.
Winter nodded.
"The point is, if she still thinks about an apparent hallucination, then what do you think will happen when Rahm Tangerin goes away?"
Rahm looked a bit surprised by that. "I see…"
"You Guardians certainly are men of few words."
"We prefer to let our actions speak for us, ma'am."
"And they have," she replied, "I thank you and Special Mission Unit 117 for your service to Atlas."
"As I said before, you don't have to thank me, ma'am. Soldiers shouldn't be thanked for doing what is expected of them."
"That's certainly an interesting way of looking at it," she replied, "but nonetheless thank you for what you've done to keep my little sister safe. Please keep what I said in mind."
"I will."
"Thank you," Winter nodded, "you may go. I must be on my way back to Atlas."
Rahm nodded before he stood up and saluted Winter. Once she returned his salute he made for the door, stopping just short of it abruptly.
"Good luck with your search for the rat."
With that said he left. Winter sighed in slight frustration. He reminded her of the wretched search she had to continue once she got back to Atlas. She hoped that this small break was just what she needed to finally make some real progress on the case.
Definitely a lot to unpack this chapter. We got to see a bit of the boys when they were younger. Jai has always been a fighter. Rage was the best fighter out of all the Guardians. Duchess was a bossy one, and Terre and Steele did not see eye to eye. Bunny was always meant to look very similar to Velvet so think of a younger Velvet for her. Two leaders at odds with one another. I wonder if anyone can guess where that ancient language draws inspiration from haha. This story isn't a crossover, but it has many elements from outside series. For those wondering how Roman is resisting torture, it's Neo. He's protecting her.
Not a lot has changed from the main series regarding the matches and the fights. The big difference is that Ruby and Weiss are better at hand-to-hand combat. Didn't feel like it was necessary to showcase it here because the outcome of the matches would be the same. I'd prefer to showcase that in a more original setting. That's my preference. In the original series Qrow mentioned to Ruby and Yang when they were playing videogames how the White Fang activity ceased. I had mentioned that in earlier chapters as well. You all know why the White Fang has ceased its activities since the Breach.
Ironwood is obviously butting heads with Qrow and Ozpin. Qrow is more devoted to Ozpin, and James was merely tired of sitting and doing nothing. He did try to work with Ozpin multiple times, but nothing seemed to work. This is why the wedge between them is growing. I'm not glorifying Ironwood and I'm not condemning Ozpin. The two want the same thing, but they are both very flawed in how they go about things. Perhaps Ozpin was far too complacent? Maybe James went way too far in the name of protecting Remnant? These are things that you the readers will individually decide. I'm curious to know what you all think.
If you all paid close attention, you will have noticed that Ironwood did not connect his scroll to the CCT network like he did originally in the main series. In this case, Ironwood is even more paranoid and careful. Dr. Haze is still trying to analyze the software and see if it has been infected.
Obviously, it is infected, but Watts is pretty clever and can disguise a virus to where not even Pietro or Cassandra can find it. Cinder can manipulate the matches because the virus is already in the CCT network and if you recall in chapter 30 Cinder possesses Penny's plans and is aware of what she is thanks to Watts, who would have been able to access the information when he was still a scientist for Atlas. If it's not clear to anyone, Cinder does not know what the boys truly are. She made a pretty good guess in Chapter 32, but she is only half right. She doesn't suspect that the boys are the Harvesters, but she does think they are special forces of sorts. Anyway, glad you all stuck around to read. Until next time.
-Dude64