Nanosuit and Soul Magic: A Crysis/RWBY crossover

bonus 8

Interlude: Atlas Council Debrief

"Your report?"

The hologram of the intelligence officer flickered as the blue figure shuffled some papers. "Right here. As per protocol, I will remind you once again that acquiring all of this information took several breaches in ethical guidelines, including but not limited to reading civilian communications and copying security camera footage."

One of the councilors grunted. "The Ethics Committee greenlit the procedure. They believe, as do we, that the situation is exceptional enough to warrant these measures. Now, your report?"

"Only following protocol, councilor. The subject of this report is the individual that has recently made his home at Beacon Academy, going by the name 'Alcatraz.' We have tentatively assumed this to be a nickname, or perhaps a callsign. We do know that he is ex-military, though we are hesitant to apply our preconceptions to someone from another world."

One of the council members, the same one from before, made an impatient noise. "Enough with all that, we don't need his damn biography. What is he doing, what can he give us, what danger does he pose, and what does he want?"

The intelligence officer tapped at a tablet computer, skipping ahead in his notes. "Well, to summarize: He isn't doing much of anything right now, he could provide an enormous wealth of scientific insight, he would be an absolute nightmare to face should he become violently opposed to the government of Atlas, and...well, we don't really know what he wants."

There was silence, the officer took this as a cue to elaborate. "By all accounts including his own, Alcatraz is no longer human. Instead, he is some sort of...cyborg, created by what he claims is alien technology. Dr. Polendina agrees with that assessment, due to the presence of the other alien machinery we found at his point of entry into our world, something that he claims happened as a result of yet more advanced alien technology. Examining him, or having him tell us what he knows, could propel almost all scientific fields decades ahead of their current place. However, he has not been cooperative."

A different council member than the first lifted a finger. "We could reward him. Money, resources..."

"Or we could force him." The gruff one interjected. "Fabricate some justification, take him in, do the scans and whatnot, then release him when we're through." The other councilors gave him sidelong glances, uncomfortable with the suggestion but unwilling to go so far as to openly oppose it without justification.

"I would heavily advise against that, sir." The officer slid back into the discussion. "While his direct combat capacity isn't as dangerous as one of our own Specialists, his other capabilities make him a tactical nightmare to face. Aside from being immune to any nonlethal weaponry you care to name, he is also nearly as agile as a Huntsman, can become invisible, and is nigh-immortal owing to his ludicrous self-repair functions. He is also unnaturally observant, constantly scanning his environment and filtering every detail through the immense processing power his...physiology...provides. In addition, attempts to coerce or bribe him would likely only make him more obstinant. Evidence suggests he potentially has problems with authority."

"What I would like to know," the second councilor says, lifting his finger again, "is why he has attached himself to a group of young girls. It seems...odd."

At that, the officer just sighs. "To be perfectly honest, we have no idea. They made an effort to reach out to him at first, and he both witnessed and thwarted two assassination attempts against them. It could be as simple as him attempting to return the favor to some girls that were nice to him. Beyond that..." The officer just shrugs helplessly.

The gruff councilor scowls. "So we don't know what he wants, we don't want to piss him off, but at the same time, we want his tech. That right?"

"In a nutshell sir, yes. However, it is my department's opinion that remaining in his good graces is by far the most productive approach. We will prepare a follow-up report, to be delivered after the conclusion of the Vytal Festival, when General Ironwood will once again be free to attend the meetings."

The second council member nods. "Excellent work. Dismissed."

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Crouched on a Beacon rooftop, I dismissed the video feed and chuckled to myself. Guess they missed out on hearing about my hacking skills. Oh well, sucks for them.

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Author's Note: Well, it's been a bit over a year since the last update, and while I would love to announce this as the triumphant return of frequent updates...sadly, it is not. The story is still likely on hiatus, and will continue to be on hiatus until I can get back to it. Instead, this short interlude is more like a reassurance, that I haven't forgotten about this story, and fully intend to come back and complete it. One day.