Read undead unluck, its sick, wicked sick!
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Back in the foyer, while Willow was still berating Jacques, the party was continuing on as normal. Scattered groups of well dressed elites talked amongst themselves and enjoyed the refreshments. Off to one side of the foyer were the Ace-Ops and Outcasts. The two groups were the most obvious outliers when compared to the rest of the guests, honestly.
"Since it seems that Father will be...busy for a little while," Whitley began, looking over his shoulder at the still going dispute nervously, hoping it would wind down soon, "I suppose now would be a good time to lead those of you needed to start to the dining hall. Councilors Sleet and Camilla are already there waiting."
"Wish us luck in there," Clover said.
"They already invited you, didn't they?" Qrow asked with a smirk.
Clover rolled his eyes. "Yes, they did. But it never hurts to have a little extra, does it?"
"I'm sure you'll do fine, Clover," Marrow chimed in. "You always seem to know the right thing to say."
"Thanks." Clover said with confidence. Ironwood, on the other hand, took a deep breath to prepare himself for the most dreaded moment of the night.
"Best not to keep the other councilors waiting," Ironwood finally said, following Whitley along with Clover and Winter.
"That was Weiss' brother?" Yang asked.
"He seemed..." Blake began.
"More like a robot?" Harriet suggested.
"I'm starting to see why Neo wanted me to pass as him back then." Albedo hummed.
The dining hall was an opulent space, decorated with lavish tapestries and crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. The long, polished table was already set with fine china and silverware, and two councilors were seated at one end, waiting patiently.
"Ironwood." Sleet said.
"Sleet."
"James." Camilla said.
"Camilla."
"General," a familiar voice caught Ironwood's attention. He took notice of Robyn being seated across the table from Camilla.
"Robyn?" Ironwood asked with a raised brow.
"Eh, Councilor Hill woulda had a better ring to it, but I guess I should just be 'grateful' that I got invited to begin with," Robyn said, the sarcasm on "grateful" wasn't even subtle.
"Let's just focus on the matter at hand, shall we?" Camilla interjected, trying to keep the conversation on track.
Jacques walked in shortly after, clearly annoyed and trying to regain his composure. "Taken to task by my own ex-wife," Jacques grumbled before speaking up, "How do you handle her, James?"
"Provided her with her own agency, as she deserves," Ironwood frowned, taking his seat, "Unlike you."
"Ah yes, have to get in one last snide remark. As usual," Jacques rolled his eyes and took his seat.
"So Councillor Gelé," Sleet began.
"Oh that does have a nice ring to it, hearing it said aloud."
"As I was saying...Councilor, you said you had something you wished to discuss with us all."
"That I did, Councilor Sleet, that I did. I wish to address the threats to our kingdom, our very city and I wish to begin by asking the general...are we safe with them in the room?" Jacques pointed out Clover and Winter.
"...what did you just say?" Winter asked, her eyes already narrowed in anger.
"Considering everyone else seems so shocked, I'll come out and say it. Defections. The Atlesian military has seen a recent mass defection that the general here had deemed too 'unimportant' to share with the rest of us!" Jacques explained.
"I have not deemed anything 'unimportant,' Councilor Gelé," Ironwood leaned forward, his eyes meeting Jacques', "I have shared all relevant information with the council as it has come to light."
"Then explain why we're just hearing about this now," Jacques demanded, his voice rising, "One or two traitors is, while still a horrendous breach in security, manageable, why were an entire battalion and two spec-ops soldiers able to turn on their kingdom with so little resistance! And what did you do to stop them?!"
Ironwood took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure. "The situation is well in hand, I can assure you."
"And what about these two?" Jacques gestured towards Clover and Winter, "How can we be sure they weren't involved?"
"You would dare bring such accusations against my very own second in command and the head of my Ace-Operatives?"
"I would indeed! The past few months have proven that even your elites are not above corruption! Lieutenant Olive Harper, Isaac Gates, and Samuel Ortez, the latter two were prospective Ace-Operatives themselves, one even rejected the promotion despite being found suitable, just to name a few!"
"Is this...is this true, General?" Camilla asked.
"I can confirm that there have been some defections, yes," Ironwood said carefully, "But they were dealt with accordingly, and the remaining personnel are loyal to Atlas."
"Aha! You admit your own incompetence!" Jacques pressed on.
"I admitted nothing of the sort," Ironwood replied sharply, "I admitted that there were defections. While unfortunate, the three aforementioned officers and Bram Thornmane were all involved in a conspiracy aimed at discrediting me. While Thornmane and Harper were unduly executed by a third party, Gates and Ortez remain unaccounted for. The remaining conspirators were rounded up, tried under military tribunal, and imprisoned. I assure you all that the rest of the military remains loyal to our kingdom and are continuing to serve with honor and integrity."
"Loyal to the kingdom or loyal to their general, I wonder?" Jacques suggested, "The fact remains that there were indeed traitors in your ranks and you failed to notify the council until after the fact."
"I notified the council of the necessary actions taken to handle the situation," Ironwood retorted, "Because of the Grimm lures, panic was already an issue in the city and I did not wish to add to it. Too much and the proverbial dam would have broken."
"Speaking of breaking dams, let's shift gears to your secret shipments. The resources you're diverting from Mantle? Some of your suppliers actually came to me lately and told me about all those orders you've been placing. That's quite a lot of Dust, metal, and wiring to be shipped out for a mysterious project. All of it off the books, as well? And people say I'm the shady one?" Jacques scoffed.
"I promise you, Councilor, that everything I do is for the good of Atlas and Mantle, to safeguard them from our enemies," Ironwood said in a cold, controlled voice. "If there were any deals that weren't recorded, it was because I thought they were important enough to remain secret. I would never divert resources so flippantly as you seem to suggest. I understand there is a vulnerability, but I have worked to cover it as best I can."
When Jacques opened his mouth to answer, Ironwood stopped him. "You can keep making claims and playing your political games, but at the end of the day, it's my job to make sure Atlas and Mantle are safe and secure. And I will do whatever it takes to live up to that duty, even if it means making hard choices."
As Ironwood's words hung in the air, there was a tense silence in the room.
He's prepared. Winter thought. More prepared than Jaqcues' silver tongue can fathom. I doubt there's anyone who could even pierce through his words right now...
Enter Robyn.
"All of those supply runs…and not even you knew about it?" Robyn asked.
"Of course not. We all know it has to do with Amity, but the exact scope of the project is beyond us!" Jacques said.
"...you didn't tell them?" Robyn turned to face Ironwood, "I thought...I thought this was a Council project, but it was just you?"
Ironwood took a deep breath, collecting himself before speaking. "I apologize for not keeping you all informed about the details of the project. But I assure you, my reasons for secrecy are justified. Once the project is completed, you will see that my aims were for the benefit of all."
"Forgive me, but it sounds like you're just deflecting," Sleet spoke up, his tone wary.
Ironwood's expression turned serious. "I understand your concerns, Councilor Sleet. But I stand by my decision to keep the project details confidential for security reasons. What I can tell you is that its completion is crucial not only to our survival, but to the survival of our sister kingdoms as well. Any and all diversions of resources were necessary to keep the end goal on schedule."
"And what goal is that, Jimmy?" Robyn asked. "Is it oh, I dunno, something big and important? Why don't you tell us?"
"I...I can't. Not yet," Ironwood answered, a hint of regret in his voice.
"Why? Do you not trust us?" Jacques asked.
"Trust isn't something you can just buy, like everything else in your life! It's something you earn!" Winter yelled, her anger getting the better of her.
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Specialist."
Winter's eyes widened. She just gave Jacques the exact verbal opening he needed. He was playing a game and she fell right for his trap.
"General, if I may be blunt, you've spent what little trust the Council has had left in you. The hacker who turned the Knights on civilian targets at Beacon was never caught. And then one of my political rallies is sabotaged by a similar cyber-attack! Opponents of yours, especially in Mantle, have been discovered murdered with no clear indicator of a culprit! I'm beginning to wonder if you still have Mr. Gates on your own private payroll. How are we supposed to trust you when you have given us nothing but vague promises and veiled secrets?" Jacques asked, his words actually striking a chord with the other councilors.
Ironwood's eyes narrowed as he glared at Jacques. "You speak of trust, but what have you done to earn it? You're a manipulator, a liar, and a thief. You've stolen from the people you were elected to serve."
"General, I must remind you to keep your emotions in check," Camilla interjected, trying to defuse the situation.
Ironwood turned his gaze to her. "I am perfectly in control, Councilor. But I will not stand idly by while this man accuses me of crimes I did not commit."
"You accuse me of being a thief, but who's really stealing from the people of Atlas?" Jacques retorted.
Ironwood chuckled darkly. "You really want to play that game? Fine. Let's talk about your little operation in Mantle. The one where you're exploiting the people for cheap labor and funneling the profits into your own pocket, testing on Grimm for a secret militia and countless other failed deals. Is that how you earn their trust, Jacques?"
Jacques looked taken aback, clearly not expecting his opponent to retaliate so ruthlessly. The other councilors looked uncomfortable, but none of them spoke up to defend their newly elected counterpart.
"D-don't tell me you actually believe those accusations. The secret militia thing was a conspiracy theory, created by a madwoman who couldn't accept the death of her mother. She created that silly 'Midnight Upgrade' idea as a false justification for her acts! Lest we forget, she had aid from one of, if not the same hacker responsible for the Beacon incident!"
"I don't need to believe them, Jacques," Ironwood gave Jacques a cold, disdainful glare, "The evidence speaks for itself. You can try to spin the truth all you want, but the people of Atlas and Mantle know the truth about you. They know that you're only interested in your own power and wealth, not their well-being."
"You're twisting the facts!" Jacques protested, his voice rising in anger.
Ironwood shook his head. "No, I'm simply stating the truth. The question is, can you handle it?"
The room fell silent, with everyone waiting for Jacques to respond. After a few moments, Jacques seemed to deflate, realizing he had been outmatched. "I...I see your point, General," he muttered, his voice low.
He destroyed his spirit with words to make the rest of this meeting a breeze. Clover thought. The general really isn't pulling back his punches tonight...and I can't blame him.
Winter was still mentally berating herself for her outburst. She'd nearly destroyed any chances of the general actually making it through this.
"I...please, excuse me," Winter said, turning and leaving the dining hall, closing the elaborate double doors behind her.
Another door struggled to open on the other side of the manor. There were a few muffled sounds on the other side, people talking to each other perhaps. A technologic beep sounded from the other side of the oaken door before a flash of green light seeped in through the slit under the door. Ghostfreak easily phased through, hugging Kylie and Weiss close before releasing them in the office of Weiss' biological father.
"Now I see why you hated that," Kylie shivered.
Weiss was dead silent though, her eyes focused on the room she now found herself in. It was an elegant little study, full bookshelves lining both walls with a white carpet bisecting the room. A glass coffee table was set up in the middle of a black sofa and two recliners, with a chess match halfway completed resting atop the table. The black pieces were slowly encroaching on the white, and the black queen was leading the charge. A line of windows let light in from the outside, while the only other sources of light in the room were two sconce-mounted lamps and a large crystal chandelier that hung overhead. Oddly enough, despite all the negative memories she had tied to this study, there was a single, consistent, positive one.
When she was a little girl and Winter was away at training or Willow was...arguing with Jacques, she would sneak into this study and find a book that her father had deemed "for peasants." She wandered over to its usual resting spot, wondering if it was still here. By some miracle, it was. Maybe Jaques had forgotten about it over the years. She reached for and pulled it off the shelf, turning it over in her hands.
"The Girl Who Fell Through the World," Weiss read aloud, a small smile coming to her lips, "When I was a kid...I dreamed that I was the one in Alyx's place, you know. That I was the one who met the Rusted Knight, who fought the Jabberwalker."
"Never heard of it." Ben shrugged.
"It's a fun story. Maybe you should read it." Kylie said as Ben shifted into Clockwork.
"We'll form a book club later. Now to dig up some evidence..."
Clockwork focused his powers, rotating the key on his head to activate his time-manipulating abilities. The air in the room began to shimmer and distort as a holographic projection of the past appeared before them. They saw Jacques sitting at the desk in the study, a sly grin on his face as he spoke to a shadowy figure.
"I assume you have good news for me, Watts?" Jacques said.
"Indeed. Tomorrow will be a great day for both of us. Do you know how easy it was to hack into the election servers?" Watts asked.
"I assume easy-"
"No. It was not. They actually made it a challenge for me," Watts frowned. "If I wasn't doing this out of the 'kindness' of my heart, I'd ask for a pay raise."
"He manipulated the votes? Jeez. He must've known he wasn't gonna win." Ben muttered.
"Seems that way," Weiss replied, the holographic image still playing out in front of them. "But what was their deal? Said he's doing it to be 'kind,' but…"
"How do you plan to sabotage James' reputation?" Jacques asked. "That bastard is costing me more money every day with this damned embargo. I'd lay off every employee in Mantle if I wasn't trying to get their damn votes for this Council seat."
"Simple. I'm going to frame his prized possession." Watts said. "Penny Polendina will be the name of a murderer by tomorrow evening."
"He was going to WHAT!?" Kylie's eyes widened.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Ben asked. "Is he with Salem or just an agent of chaos?"
"I have a feeling we have more than enough." Kylie said, snapping a photo of Jacques and Watts with her phone. "Let's get this to the general. Weiss?"
Weiss stared at Jacques' projection.
"Weiss?" Ben asked.
"...there was a time I thought Ironwood was better than him." Weiss said. "I thought the general was open and kind, even if he could be a bit harsh at times."
Weiss took a deep breath, trying to shake off the feeling of betrayal and disappointment that had settled in her stomach.
"I'm just...tired of the lies and the secrets," the heiress said finally. "I appreciate that you guys have been honest with me, but everything just feels off right now."
"I know what you mean," Kylie nodded sympathetically, "It's like we're in this weird limbo, where we don't know who to trust or what's really going on behind the scenes."
"We still have to tell the general about this," Ben shifted back to his human form, a serious expression on his face, "He needs to know what Jacques was planning and what this Watts guy did..."
But then a thought crossed Ben's mind and hummed for a second in thought.
"I wonder if he had something to do with what happened at Beacon too."
"...the Knights and Paladins." Weiss realized. "He's the one who must have hacked into them."
"Exactly! Maybe he has a protege or something and they were responsible for turning Rojo into a bomb!"
"If he can get into even the most secure systems in Atlas…what can't he do?" Kylie wondered, a sense of dread creeping up her spine.
In Mantle, Watts sat in his safehouse, in front of a myriad of Scroll screens he'd set up to be a kind of nerve center for the next part of his operation. With his own personal project completed, he could focus entirely on the business side of things. A twisted smirk spread across his face as he typed away at the keyboard. With a few keystrokes, he gained access to the city's heating grid, and, with a few more simple strokes, he shut it down completely.
Throughout all of Mantle, there was always an ambient orange glow in the air. Heat vents lined the streets and occasionally protruded out from the side of buildings. With the sheer amount of them down in the city, they added to the light pollution. And one by one, they switched off. Once the glow faded away from the sky, the temperature began to drop rapidly. The rain that had been falling steadily mere moments ago, began to turn into snowflakes. The once warm air turned frigid and caused visible steam to rise from people's mouths as they breathed.
Watts chuckled as he watched the chaos unfold on the security cameras, people scrambling to find warmth and shelter as the temperature continued to plummet. He knew that the city's infrastructure was already weakened and barely holding together, and now he had just added another layer of misery for the people of Mantle to endure.
"Such a nice night for snow..." Watts grinned.
Back at the meeting, things were going poorly. By now, Winter had re-entered the dining room, seemingly with a better hold over her emotions. Another outburst like the one she had earlier and things might become outright catastrophic. But in truth, that might actually already be happening. While it seemed like Ironwood had actually verbally triumphed over Jacques. But it seems that Willow's ex-husband had succeeded in planting seeds of doubt in the minds of the other Councilors. The first of those to actually speak their mind about their concerns was Sleet.
"General…perhaps we need to talk about your use of your two Council seats," the councilor said, his voice firm.
Ironwood raised an eyebrow. "The use of my seats? I don't see how that's any of your concern, Sleet."
"It's our concern because you're overstepping your bounds, James," Camilla spoke up, "Even if Jacques is doing this as a political move, he's somewhat right. You're using your power to push your own agenda, without considering the consequences for the rest of the Council."
Ironwood leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "And what agenda would that be, Camilla?"
Sleet answered before Camilla could speak. "Your obsession with security and control. You're turning Atlas into a military state."
"Atlas is the most advanced in the world," the general's expression hardened, "I won't apologize for taking the necessary measures to protect our people."
"But at what cost?" Camilla asked. "You're neglecting other important issues, like climate change, the Dust embargo, and the other needs of Mantle. The people are suffering, and your tunnel-vision for security is only exacerbating the problem."
"I'm not neglecting anything. I keep telling you that I have a plan…"
Just as Ironwood said that, a waiter walked over to Jacques and whispered something into his ear. His eyes widened, and he stared at the waiter incredulously.
"My authorization?" the shady businessman turned politician asked in a hushed tone, only getting a silent nod in confirmation, "Check it again!".
The butler hurried out of the room, which made everyone give Jacques a weird look.
"...Councilman Gelé?" Sleet asked. Jacques tensed up, before he adjusted his tie and gestured awkwardly.
"Yes, I, uh… agree with everything, everything that was, uh, just said. No, uh, no further questions." Jacques said.
Everyone stared for a moment.
Robyn turned to Ironwood. "I'm not quite done yet, general. You're scared of Salem, aren't you?"
Ironwood's eyes narrowed at Robyn's statement. "I have reason to be cautious of her," he replied, his tone firm.
"But at what cost?" Robyn pressed. "Your paranoia is making you blind to what's really going on. You're alienating your allies and ignoring the needs of your people. And now, with the situation in Mantle getting worse by the day, it's only a matter of time before things spiral out of control."
"No matter what happens, I will not let our sister city fall into chaos," Ironwood's expression remained stoic, but his grip on the armrest of his chair tightened.
"Yet, you don't trust your own Council to help you? Operating in secret? These are the actions of somebody who's hiding something."
"I'm not hiding anything," the general kept his resolute gaze locked on Robyn.
"Then shake on it."
The Happy Huntresses' leader approached Ironwood with her hand extended, "You're all aware of my Semblance. Let's settle it here and now, General. Here and now."
Ironwood looked at her hand, then the councilmen, and then at her hand again. Before he could do anything, the double doors on the other end of the room noisily swung open.
"Wait!" Weiss's voice cut through the air like a bullet, forcing everyone to turn to her.
The trio Weiss, Kylie and Ben quickly entered the room. "
You've got the wrong man on trial!" the heiress announced, "Jacques rigged the election!"
Jacques tried to compose himself, but his hands were shaking. "What...what are you talking about, Weiss?" he stammered. Kylie pulled out her phone, and showed off the image of Watts and Jacques, talking together.
"Impossible. He died in the Paladin Incident years ago..." Sleet frowned.
"Paladin incident?" Ben asked.
Ironwood leaned forward, his eyes darting between the image on Kylie's phone and the council members around the table. "Several years ago, my research and development team was working on a top-secret project that was only recently completed ," he explained. "The results are the modern Paladin. Doctor Arthur Watts was in charge of it. During a test of the emergency auto-pilot system, one of our prototypes somehow malfunctioned and went on a rampage. We had to put a pause on the project for a while after that. Thirteen people were killed and several more injured…including Watts."
"Well, he seems to be remarkably active for the deceased ," Weiss said, still holding up her phone. "And working with Jacques, apparently."
"I've got some INTERESTING dialogue for y'all to hear, too." Kylie chimed in as she pressed play on the recording she took.
Every word the two unscrupulous Atlesian said behind closed doors was aired for the assembled audience. The longer the video went on, the paler Jacques looked, practically sinking into his seat.
Robyn closed her eyes. "Shut it off...think we've heard enough."
"That footage was fabricated!" Jacques exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch, "There's no way that's real! It was AI generated! A deep fake! AN IMPROV TROUPE!"
"Jacques, we have the evidence right here!" Sleet shouted, pointing at Kylie's phone.
"I never said any of that!" Jacques insisted, his eyes darting around the room. "This is all a setup! And you, Mister Tennyson, you're behind it all! Using your alien powers to manipulate the truth!"
"Oh, really?" Ben raised an eyebrow, "You hear that? I somehow managed to fake that entire situation and perfectly copy the voices of someone I've never met and someone I hate with...oh lemme think, a dude on fire, a guy with four arms, a rock guy- yeah, I must have some pretty good skills as a one man production crew that not even I knew about."
Weiss took a step forward, her eyes locked onto Atlas' newly elected councilor.
"You've been trying to climb back up, over and over again, acting like you aren't the biggest monster in the room," the heiress said, her voice cold and cutting. "You've lied, cheated, and stolen to get where you are, and you've hurt countless people in the process. And now, you're trying to throw someone else under the bus to save your own skin? It's disgusting."
Jacques tried to interrupt her, but Weiss continued. "You're not fit to hold any kind of power, Jacques. You've shown time and time again that you only care about yourself and your own interests, even if it means sacrificing the well-being of others. You're the biggest failure that Atlas has ever had the displeasure of producing..."
Ironwood's expression remained impassive, but Kylie noticed a flicker of something in his eyes. Was it guilt? Regret? It was hard to tell.
"Jacques Gele..." Weiss said, before displaying her Huntress license to really, really hammer in how much trouble her biological father was in, "You're under arrest."
A few moments passed, before she turned to look at Ironwood.
"Can I do that?"
Back down in Mantle, the people had taken notice of the heat being turned off and it didn't take long for chaos to erupt. At first, it was just confusion as the night's rain turned to snow.
"Is the heating still on in Atlas?" one citizen wondered as they shivered.
"They wouldn't just turn off the heating down here, right? Right?" Another wondered, looking to that shining example of progress in the sky.
Other variations of the same questions passed the lips of the quickly freezing people. People tried to cope with the sudden shut down in so many different ways. Denial, hope that maybe this was a system wide failure and that heating was off in that "paradise" that loomed over them all, even outright pessimism and blame.
Without answers, the people just became confused, and that confusion led to panic. People scrambled to find someplace warm or find anything that would burn, fuel for a fire that they so desperately needed. In that panic, the people needed someone to blame. When a citizen looked up to Atlas, seeing it still aglow with cyan and purple from the Dust, they had made up their mind. This wasn't some glitch or accident, this was deliberate.
"Atlas killed the heat on purpose!" a third citizen decreed, "They're letting us freeze down here so we'll be easier to control!"
And that struck a chord with people. Others shouted in agreement, claiming that Atlas never cared for Mantle and that this was just more proof of that. With people as riled up as they were, it didn't take long for those emotions to run wild. Riots were quickly forming. People were breaking into furniture stores and Dust shops, shattering glass with whatever they could find. One man threw a brick through the front display window of a shop called Dust in the Wind and, after clearing away some of the shards so he wouldn't get cut, reached in and pulled out a pair of finely cut red Dust crystals.
"Citizens of Mantle - Following the most recent Grimm attack, a temporary prohibition of assembly is in place. There are to be no public gatherings of any kind. Please conduct your business and return to your homes before curfew," the recording of Ironwood droned on. One of the rioters grabbed a metal pipe and walked right up to one of the screens projecting that recording. Winding up a swing, they smashed the screen over and over, cracking the glass until any functioning light in the screen flickered out. The people who had found furniture began piling the items up in the middle of the street, before someone grabbed a can of gasoline and doused the pile. Someone sparked a match and tossed it into the pile, igniting the massive bonfire.
Two Atlesian soldiers, along with two AK-200s and a camera drone, watched the riot rage out of control from an alley. How the hell would they handle this?
"Command, this is Mantle Patrol 4," one of the soldiers called in, "The situation is Mantle is getting out of control! Please advise!"
"Do not worry, soldier!" a much more energetic voice called over the line, "I am here to assist!"
"Wait, is this-?"
Penny rocketed over the hiding Atlesian soldiers, hovering above the bonfire for a moment and bringing an end to the shouts and cheers from the riot below. Some of the citizens took some steps back, though Penny could see the looks on their faces. They were afraid of her. Penny began to lower herself down to be at the same level as the other citizens of the city she had sworn to protect.
You're sure this is a good idea? Eunice asked in Penny's head.
They're familiar with us! After all we've done, we are least more...well received than the rank and file! This will work, Penny said, touching down on the pavement, It has to.
"Citizens of Mantle!" Penny greeted, trying to keep her usual chipper tone, "Please, I understand your confusion! I do not know what is happening, but I know that Atlas did not do this! They have no reason to!"
"Bullshit!" a fox Faunus yelled from the crowd, "They have every reason to do this! The resources for the perimeter walls never make it, so we just have gaping holes practically inviting the Grimm in! Then Ironwood uses that as an excuse to put more and more soldiers down here, keeping us under his boot!"
"He's right!" an older human woman agreed, "The only ones actually doing anything for us are the Huntresses! Robyn would've made real change in this city, but no, there's another Atlas elite up on the council, only looking out for himself!"
"I understand your-" Penny tried to interject.
"How could you understand?! You don't need what we need! You're just another one of Ironwood's tin soldiers, just another ROBOT!" an enraged teenager yelled before chucking a stone at Penny. He didn't have that good of an arm, but the stone did hit, scuffing her uniform and cutting her synthetic skin. Her Aura held so the wound wasn't anything to worry about.
But that kid was now in danger. The two Atlesian Knights accompanying the Atlesian patrol suddenly had one of their protocols activate, their visors flashing blue.
"An Atlesian officer has been wounded. Activating pacification protocols," one of the androids droned on, before the duo marched out past the soldiers.
"Oh no. No, no, no, no!" one of the soldiers muttered.
"Citizens, for your own safety, please disperse," the Knights droned on in unison, moving to get between the crowd and Penny.
Penny assessed the situation quickly, realizing that things were about to get out of hand. She knew that the Atlesian Knights were programmed to use force to pacify any threats to Atlas, but she also knew that it would only make things worse in this situation.
"Citizens, please, calm down!" Penny called out, raising her hands in a placating gesture, "I understand that you're upset, but violence will not solve anything!"
But her words fell on deaf ears as the crowd became even more agitated. More rocks and debris were thrown at Penny and the Atlesian Knights, who responded with their pacification protocols, moving to forcefully subdue several of the rioters. The problem with the AKs was that, while in practice they looked more approachable, when their protection protocols were activated, they became far less gentle. One man was shoved to the ground in retaliation after striking one of the Knights. From there, the situation quickly spiraled out of control as the citizens of Mantle fought back against the Atlesian forces.
Penny knew that she had to act fast to prevent any further escalation. She made a decision and quickly flew up above the chaos, her speakers blaring at maximum volume.
"Citizens of Mantle, please listen to me!" Penny's voice boomed over the sound of the rioting, "I am not an enemy! I am here to protect you!"
"Go back to Ironwood, robot!" one of the rioters shouted.
"We won't be controlled any longer! We're cuttin' Atlas' strings ourselves!" another shouted before tossing another rock up at Penny.
Incoming! Eunice said, activating a single sword of Floating Array and lashing out with it, cutting the rock in half.
"Citizens, for your own safety, please disperse," the Knights droned on again. They were about to repeat the phrase a third time, but someone rushed one of the Knights from the side and whacked it in the back of the head. It staggered at first, but the rioter just kept taking swings at the android. The Knight fell to its knees before one last swing took the android's head clean off. The other android turned to face the rioter, extending a stun baton from its wrist, ready to pacify him. A second rioter ran in and jabbed a broken lightning Dust crystal into the machine's exposed neck, shocking and overloading the mechanical soldier.
The looter from before, the one who had stolen a pair of red Dust crystals, finally returned to the bonfire and threw the crystals inside, making the flames roar with renewed intensity.
Penny's eyes widened in horror as she watched the scene unfold before her. She had come to Mantle with the intention of protecting the citizens and maintaining order, but now she was faced with a violent mob that seemed determined to destroy anything in its path.
With all of this despair...I'm sure this will attract them-!
And a horrible screech confirmed the worst.
With that, a klaxon alarm sounded in the city and the street lights all turned red.
"Warning: incoming Grimm attack. Threat level: Seven," an automated voice warned.
A riot, the Grimm...this is too much for us to handle alone! Eunice advised.
Penny quickly assessed the situation. The rioters were still throwing rocks and other objects, the Knights were incapacitated, and the incoming Grimm posed a significant threat to the safety of the citizens. She knew that she couldn't handle all of this alone.
"Penny to Atlas command," she spoke into her comm device, "I need backup immediately. We have a Level Seven Grimm attack and a violent mob on the loose."
There was a brief moment of silence.
"...hello?" Penny asked.
Nothing.
"Oh, no..." Were communications down too?
Checking comms, Eunice said, running a diagnostic, Everything seems fine. Try the general's personal comm. Or Winter's!
Penny frantically tried to reach anyone at Atlas command, but no one was responding. She tried General Ironwood's personal comm, Winter's, and even the other Ace Ops, but there was no answer. It was as if something was jamming her communications.
"What's happening?" Penny said, feeling a sense of panic rising within her. "Why can't I get through?"
Eunice quickly ran another diagnostic on Penny's systems, again finding no fault.
It's not your equipment, Eunice said, Something is blocking your signals. It's as if there's a massive electromagnetic field tailored to interfering with your transmissions specifically...
"But that shouldn't be possible," Penny muttered. One of the street-level security cameras turned and zoomed in on Mantle's protector. Watching from his secluded command center, Watts couldn't help but smirk a little.
"I will never understand why you decided to give a robot emotions, Polendina," Watts sighed, "Proper emotions at that, not just enough to pass for the real thing."
Watts chuckled to himself as he watched the chaos unfold on the screen.
"And now, the ultimate weapon, the protector of Mantle, is helpless without her puppeteers," he mused, "What a win for me."
He leaned back in his chair, a smug grin on his face. He had anticipated this moment, and he knew that Ironwood's failure would be his ultimate triumph.
"Ironwood's mistake was thinking that he could control everything," Watts continued, "But he forgot that there are always variables, always things that he can't predict or control. And now, he's paying the price for his arrogance."
He shook his head, still chuckling to himself. "Oh, James...you should have seen this coming. But then again, you were never as smart as you thought you were."
"Well, at least someone is having fun tonight," Tyrian hissed, bored out of his mind. His murdering companion groaned and spoke in some unknown language that only Tyrian seemed to really understand.
"See? He agrees with me," the scorpion Faunus snarked, "We should be out there, adding to the chaos! Not just hiding here."
"Patience, the both of you," Watts said, "You'll have your fun. Besides, if I know Mantle, and I do, once word of this chaos reaches Atlas, a few select people are going to come rushing down to try and 'save the day.' And I want you to kill a very special someone in that little group."
"...go on," Tyrian said, leaning in close now that his interest was piqued.
"No more boring civilians for you. Let's go big," Watts smirked, "Your target is Ironwood's most vocal opponent, even when compared to the others you've slaughtered. You might remember her campaign from a few days ago…"
"Oh, I do," Tyrian chuckled, before devolving into mad cackling.