Manta airships patrolled the skies around the City of Atlas, kept in communication with each other over radio. As Maria Calavera piloted the group's stolen Manta toward the city, they received radio contact.
Atlas Air Traffic: Manta 5-1. Welcome home. Please continue your approach to Atlas docking bay Omega-12. A security team will meet you there. Over.
Ruby and the others aboard Manta 5-1 look around at the large military air fleet surrounding the kingdom's capital.
Arion: That doesn't look good...
Ruby: I don't understand. What's happening here?
Qrow: I don't know.
Jaune: But we are here. We got the lamp to Atlas, so I guess we land and get some answers.
Weiss: I'm not so sure. I've never seen our forces deployed so aggressively before. If we land in a stolen ship, there's no way the security team will let us anywhere near Ironwood. They might even take me back to my father.
Arion: Or lock me up for my "safety". Sorry, don't believe one word.
Blake gained a saddened look, while Ruby and Yang looked at each other, uncertain of what to do.
Blake: So...
Weiss, having gotten an idea, suddenly looked up.
Weiss: Winter!
Weiss brought out her Scroll.
Weiss: *to Maria* Put some distance between us and the fleet.
Maria: You don't have to tell me twice.
As Weiss walked to the back of the ship, Maria steered the ship toward Mantle. As people wandered the streets of Mantle, the group looked over the city through the Manta's windows. They fly past a giant screen on the side of a skyscraper. Ironwood's voice camed from the screen, catching Ruby and Yang's attention.
Ironwood: ...cannot express our appreciation enough. Many describe these as uncertain times, and while that may be the case for the rest of the world, I can tell you what is certain. The Kingdom of Atlas will remain strong, and it will remain safe. That is my promise.
Ruby and Yang looked saddened.
Yang: General Ironwood. He looks...
Ruby: Tired.
Qrow: James, what have you been doing?
Arion: We'll find out when we meet him. It became here for sure worse than it was before. Right, Weiss? *Weiss nods*
Weiss kept staring down from the window with a sad look on her face. Her sister Winter wasn't answering, which made her nervous.
Weiss: This isn't right. None of this is right.
Once again, the stolen Manta received contact over the radio.
Atlas Air Traffic: Manta 5-1, we've noticed a detour in your route. You are to make your way to docking bay Omega 12 immediately. Do you copy? Over.
Maria: We're kind of running out of time here, kids.
Yang: We need to ditch the ship.
Arion: Yeah, great. And where? The people down there don't look very friendly to help us.
Qrow: Agreed. Get lost in Mantle and buy ourselves some time.
Weiss: I'm telling you, my sister can take us to Ironwood.
Blake, who had been staring out of a window, looked over her shoulder and spoke to Weiss.
Blake: Uh, Weiss?
Weiss walked over and looked out the window and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw who was speaking on the screen.
Weiss: Huh?
Winter: A reminder. Failure to cooperate with Atlas military personnel is a punishable offense. If your sector is under lockdown...
Weiss: Winter?
Qrow: No offense, Weiss. I'm not sure that's a good idea anymore.
Weiss tensed her shoulders and turned to Qrow, fists clenched to defend her sister.
Weiss: There's obviously something very wrong. If we can just talk to her, then we--
Qrow: Look, I'm not even sure we should be talking to Ironwood until we know exactly what's going on with Mantle.
Arion: And we must be more carefully or we'll get another situation, like with Lionheart.
Weiss: But--
Maria: Everyone, calm down. *sigh* I know someone who can help with both.
Atlas Air Traffic: *angry* Manta 5-1, you are to make your--
Maria: *shutting off the radio, annoyed* Geez, lady, take a hint!
After Maria landed the Mantle, she cautiously exited an alley by slowly shuffling along with her cane and when she saw the coast is clear, she gave the sign by picking up her cane and walking normally, and everyone followed her. In the distance, a small group of Atlas soldiers ran down a street where Maria and the others came from to investigate the ship. The group began walking through Mantle together. Trucks drive past, and Atlesian Androids stood on various sidewalks. A small child placed a poster of a white-haired woman on a street lamp.
Maria: Come on now, hurry! It shouldn't be much of a walk.
Jaune: Is this many soldiers normal?
Weiss: No. At least, I didn't think so.
Yang noticed a whirring sound and stops to take a look and saw a small drone hovering to her right. The camera part of the drone lifted up, focused on her. When Yang ignored it and kept walking. The drone quickly followed her, so she stopped again and looked at it in surprise and confusion. As she leaned in to take a closer look, the drone camera suddenly made berfore her face a bright flash, making Yang recoil. Yang kicked as response the drone away so the drone fell on the streets. When the drone was about to right itself up, it got struck by a car. Yang turns to see everyone else in the group staring at her. She awkwardly smiled and rubbed her head.
Yang: Ooh... Maybe we should pick up the pace.
Arion just shook his head in amusement and then everyone resumed walking.
Maria: You have to remember, the Kingdom had just lost the Great War. The people of Mantle needed a sign of a brighter future, and that sign was Atlas. After all, a home in the clouds is as bright as it gets.
They looked up at the City of Atlas, when they saw a pair of trucks drived by with miners, covered in mining dust, sitting in the beds. When the second truck drived by, Nora looked away disgusted.
Nora: *crosses her arms and looks away* Unless you're the one having to look up at it.
Blake: This whole city, it just seems awful.
???: Yeah?
They looked at the direction where the voice came from and saw a drunken man stumble down the steps from a nearby porch and glared at Blake.
Drunk Man: You don't like it here? There's plenty of space out in the tundra.
Blake: (sighs) Sorry, I didn't mean to--
Drunk Man: Atlas is the greatest Kingdom in the world, alright?!
Ruby: *steps forward to confront him* Hey!
Blake stepped forward ahead of Ruby, speaking quietly to her.
Blake: We can't cause a scene.
The drunk man's equally drunk buddy who was hidding on the stairs looked out.
Drinking Buddy: The embargo... The embargo's got us in a rough patch. But it'll blow over, you'll see.
Drunk Man: We try and help the other Kingdoms, and this is what happens? I say let 'em rot!
Arion: *holds his hand ready* You should learn to shut your mouth before you cause a scene.
Blake: *holds Arion back by pulling his hand down* I apologize. I didn't mean to insult you.
The drunk man spit on the ground, glaring at Blake.
Drunk Mann: Stupid Faunus like you wouldn't unders-- *unscrew his flask and looks down*
Before Arion could turn the man into an icicle, the man looked down and saw a black glyph beneath his feet. He looked at it in surprise until he got send into the air and fell into a dumpster in the nearby alley, his flask accompanying him soon after with a bonking on his head. Everyone stared at the dumpster, then turned to see Weiss pointing Myrtenaster where the man had been standing with a smile on her face.
Weiss: It was worth it.
Arion: Don't worry. He deserved it must cool his head.
The group quickly fled while a pair of Atlesian Androids investigated. They soon catched up with Maria and the others and the group approached a building with a glowing green plus symbol above its front door. The side door opened, and a Faunus with a prosthetic arm exits, waved cheerfully to the man who spoke to her from inside.
???: And no more heavy-lifting, yah hear?
Maria smiled and entered the building, the others followed her.
Maria: Ah, it's good to see you again, old friend.
Arion could see an older man was sitting behind the desk. Maria cleared her throat, startling him, and he lifted his head to look at her. Maria smiled at him.
???: Ah, yes, yes. *pushes a stack of papers aside* Have we met?
Ren: *enters* Well, this is off to a fantastic start.
Maria: Cybernetic optical implants. *points to her eyes* You adjust them. Every ten years or so?
He stared at her for a few moments before threwing his hands cheerfully into the air.
???: Maria! Yes, with the cybernetic optical implants! I adjust them every ten years or so.
The robotic chair, the man was sitting in had four legs moved over from the desk and offerd his hand to her and leaded her to an examination table.
???: *laughs* Oh wow, has it been that long already?
Maria: Ah, I know. I age like a fine wine. Would've been here sooner if I hadn't run into these jokers. At the time, I thought they might need my guidance while fighting a little old Sphinx.
???: Oh, did they?
Maria: No, no. They had much more complicated issues.
Qrow: *clears his throat* And this is?
Maria: So impatient. I didn't think I'd need to introduce one of Atlas' finest minds.
Yang: Working in a place like this?
Arion: Looks very unstable.
The building creaked, and a ceiling tile fell to the floor.
Arion: Said so.
Maria: He likes to keep a low profile. Something I've come to realize none of you know anything about.
Pietro: You can call me Pietro.
Maria: Finest heart, too. This pharmacy is just where he volunteers when he's not building the future of Atlas alongside Ironwood, up in the clouds.
Pietro: Oh, it's stuffy up there. Down here, I get to help the locals and have a little fun. I'm currently working on shoes that make you dance. Wanna try 'em on?
Nora: YES!
Yang: *steps in* Before we get to that, we were wondering if you could help us. We came to Atlas hoping to talk to General Ironwood, but um...
Blake: What exactly has been happening here?
Pietro: *coughs* Well, the Fall of Beacon took a toll on all of us. James was no different. I couldn't tell you exactly what it was he saw there, but it changed him. He's...
Qrow: He's scared.
Pietro: Paranoid would be the more appropriate term. You have to understand, it wasn't just the Grimm. Someone completely dismantled Atlas security code, made it their play-thing, and made us look like traitors to some and buffoons to everyone else. Whoever managed to do that is either a genius or one of our own. I fear the answer may be both, and so does the general.
Ren: Maybe Atlas isn't as safe as we thought.
Oscar: After we came all this way, we can't just leave, can we?
Arion: Normally I wouldn't do it but I think leaving is the better option.
Weiss: How does the council feel about all of this? Or Winter Schnee? Do you know anything about her?
Pietro: Well, the council's so scared, they'll agree to whatever he wants. Though, some representatives from Mantle... Wait, you're... You're Weiss Schnee!
Weiss gasped and stepped back, with her friends looking nervous. Yang stepped forward to get Pietro's attention.
Yang: Wait, what was it that you were trying to say about Mantle?
Pietro: *looks at the prosthetic arm* You painted it.
Yang: *withdrawes her arm, confused* What?
Arion: *whispers to Yang* It seems the prosthetic is from him and not very pleased that you painted it.
Yang: *nervous* Oh...
Ruby: Is everything okay?
Pietro: You're Team RWBY! And this young man with the pointy ears must be Arion.
The Team RWBY girls and Arion looed at each other in confusion.
Ruby: You know us?!
Pietro: Oh, my girl, I do. I most certainly do. And I feel like such a dunce for not recognizing you sooner. My daughter's told me so much about you.
Ruby: Your... daughter?
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of an alarm and people screaming. Outside, civilians were running, and the lights from the street lamps had turned red.
Jaune: Ah, trouble.
The group except Maria ran outside.
Pietro: Wait!
Everyone in the group drew their weapons. Upon drawing her katana, Blake looks at the broken blade, exhaling sharply before folding the blade down to wield it as a gun.
Oscar: I guess the city defenses aren't doing much.
Nora: Somehow, that doesn't surprise me.
Down the road from them, growling is heard, and an Atlesian android had been thrown against a lamp post. Another robot has been thrown, and three more back up into view, shooting at Sabyrs, which tackle and destroyed them one by one.
Ruby: Well, we didn't come this far to fail now!
Ruby changes Crescent Rose into scythe form and aimed the sniper barrel toward the Sabyrs, which finish destroying the Atlesian android and charged toward her and her friends. Everyone readied their weapons. Yang charged forth, followed by Ren launching himself forward.
Nora: Hey!
Nora looked at Jaune, who looked startled. She used Magnhild to pole vault toward Jaune, who puts up his shield in response, allowing her to land on it. She then kicked off from his shield, launching herself. After Yang uppercuts a Sabyr, Ren landed on another one's back, stabbing his guns' blades into it, and it leaped into the air to knock him off, only for Nora to slam it to the ground with her hammer. Jaune beheaded a Sabyr, and when a second one leaped at him, he blocks with his shield and stabs it just above its collarbone. As three Sabyrs charged at him from behind they were suddenly impaled by ice pillars. He saw Arion who had stomped with his staff on the ground. Arion ran then forward to kill more Sabyrs with his weaopn and magic.
Qrow sliced two Sabyrs in half, leaned back to dodge a third as it attempted to tackle him. He transformed Harbinger into scythe mode and used it to hook the Grimm as it made another attempt to tackle him. As he finished spinning his scythe, he planted its blade into the ground and punched another Sabyr in the head, then uppercuts it into the air. He then kicked Harbinger upward, catched it, straightened the blade, impaled the Sabyr, and sliced another one that leaped at him from behind the deceased Sabyr's smoke.
While Qrow shot at more Sabyrs, another one turned its attention to Oscar. It charged him, and he leaped into the air and stabed at its skull with Ozpin's cane. While he watched it die, another one leaped at him from behind, only to be sniped by Ruby, who smiled and noded to Oscar.
Ruby transformed her rifle back into scythe mode and ran forward. As a Sabyr leaped at her, she did a flip and sliced it in half. She continued running, fired Crescent Rose, and began using her Semblance to speed down the street, before appearing to split into three blurs of red that went around a Sabyr, which splits apart with a roar. The blurs converged and transformed back into Ruby, who stabbed the tip of her scythe into the asphalt, swinging forward on it and landed on the ground. She fired Crescent Rose and let go of it, sending it spinning through a Sabyr and into the air. She leaped onto and kicked off of another Sabyr, spinning and catching her scythe. She fired Crescent Rose to keep up momentum and slamed the blade into the ground, sending out a shockwave that took out two more Sabyrs.
After Weiss sliced through a Sabyr, four more come running toward her from another street. She casted four black glyphs, used them to levitate the Grimm. As they flailed helplessly in the air, Ren leaped from Sabyr to Sabyr, cutting each of them in half. Meanwhile, another Sabyr attempted to run up behind Yang while she finished one off, only to be shot by Blake, who smiled and noded to Yang.
Suddenly, another Sabyr leaped into the air behind Blake, who gasped and turned to face it. Before she could fight back, a green laser fired from the sky, cutting the Grimm in half. More lasers shot from above, striking down the remaining Grimm. The alarms throughout the city stopped, and the street lamps changed back to their normal color. Everyone watched as a figure with long hair flew into view, with green jets came from her feet. She twirled in the air and slowly descended. Pietro and Maria walked outside to join the group, while Ruby stared at the girl before gasping and gained a look of recognition.
Ruby: Penny!
Pietro: Darling, why don't you say hello to your friends?
Penny turned to look in the direction her father's voice came from. Upon seeing Ruby, she gasped and her eyes shined with joy. Ruby smiled and put her weapon away. Penny leaned forward a little.
Penny: Sal...
Ruby: *confused* Huh?
Penny: U...
Ruby: *nervous* Uh...?
Penny: Tations!!!
Penny sprinted forward and activated her jets, rocketing at Ruby with her arms wide open to tackle her. Ruby, who flailed her hands around in front of her and screamed, eyes wide. Upon crashing to the ground, Ruby groaned in pain. Everyone else put their weapons away and approached the pair. Penny poped back up onto her feet, while Ruby slowly rised with her hand on her head.
Penny: It is such a pleasure to see you all again!
Ruby: *tearfully* Penny, I... I-I thought you...
Pietro: Died? I guess, in a manner of speaking, she did. But we were able to recover her core from Amity Arena once it had made its way back to Atlas. It took me some time, but...
Penny: I'm as good as new! Better, even! And now I'm the official protector of the city! *salutes*
Pietro: *proud* That's my girl. We're not going to let a little ripping to shreds stop us, are we? *laughs, then coughs*
Penny: No sir!
Ske knocked on her head with a clanking sound.
Weiss: This is...
Blake: Strangely wholesome.
Yang: Sounds like Penny to me.
Arion: I've somehow missed her joyfull attitude.
Penny: Arion! *hugs Arion very, very tight* I'm so happy to see you again too.
Arion: Good... to see... you too, Penny *loses air*
Ruby: Uhm, Penny. Maybe you should let him go before he loses all his breathing.
Penny looked at Arion who has difficult to breath and then let him go to let him catch air again and Penny excitedly grabbed Ruby's shoulders.
Penny: We have so many things to catch up about. I cannot wait!
Just as Penny finished her sentence with a grin, the city's alarms began blaring again. But that didn't let stop Penny with smiling.
Penny: It seems we will have to wait.
Penny bounced backward and saluted. As she charged her jets and then rocketed off into the sky, she continued speaking quickly to Ruby even as she took off.
Penny: Let's talk more later! I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures and tell you how I have been and I am just very excited about the whole experience!! *flies off*
Nora: I can't tell if I completely understand what's going on or have, like, a million questions.
Pietro: And thankfully, I have about a thousand answers. But let's get out of this weather first.
Maria: I have absolutely no idea who that child was. Is she important somehow?
Jaune: That was unexpected.
Ren: Never a dull moment.
Qrow: But I wouldn't say unwelcome. I was honestly expecting things to go a lot rougher.
Arion: *in a teasing tone* When you say that, there will for sure something bad happen.
Qrow: Hey! Very funny.
They laughed a little and the group began following Maria and Pietro. However, as they walk, Ren sensed something behind them while Arion could hear it. Before anyone can react, several bolases wraped around Nora, Oscar, Jaune and Ren, the spheres at the ends of the ropes locking into place with Gravity Dust. Blake turned to look back at the commotion, just in time for all of Team RWBY to be caught. As Ruby landed, the Relic of Knowledge came unhooked from her belt and clattered to the ground. Qrow and Arion drew their weapons and looked for their unseen enemy, before being captured themself. Five uniform-clad people come out of hiding and surround the group.
Clover: Good work, team.
Oscar: Hey! What's going on?!
Qrow: Hey, pal! I'm a licensed Huntsman! Just helped save everyone?
Clover looked down at Qrow, twirling a horseshoe on his finger. He put the horseshoe away and picked up Qrow's sword and Arion's staff. The other uniformed operatives began gathering everyone else's weapons, while Atlesian droids approached, and the operatives handed the confiscated weapons to the robots. Clover then approached Ruby, picked up the Relic, and looked at it.
Clover: Hm. Let's get them loaded into the next transport.
Ruby: Please! We were just trying to help!
Pietro: What is the meaning of this? (coughs) What are the Ace-Ops even doing down here in Mantle?
Ruby: Ace-Ops?
Clover: Doctor, good to see you. Well, we heard a report of an unauthorized ship making an unauthorized landing, followed by an unauthorized use of weapons by unlicensed Huntsmen. And our bird Nightingale found out where you were to find. You know, her people are really everywhere.
Arion: Wait. Nightingale!? *thinks*Could it be...
Maria turned and walked away.
Pietro: If we could just talk this out--
Clover: *tosses the Relic from one hand to the other* They'll be able to talk this out once they get to Atlas. Let's move out!
The Ace-Ops split up and left the area. Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Oscar, Arion and Qrow were forced into the back of a secure van with their wrists bound.
Qrow: Now, this... This is much closer to what I was expecting. Hey, Arion. When this guy said Nightingale, you looked like you know the name. Is it so?
Arion: Yeah. If she's the same then yes. She's not only good with a bow, but she's a masterspy.
Qrow: Oh great. And her name...?
Arion: Leliana.
The back doors of the van were slammed shut.
TBC
So, that was it for now the first chapter from Volume 7. I've didn't noticed it had been over a year since I've last updated. For now I'm working for my Kingdom Emblem project but if I have time I'll continue with this story again. Didn't expect I would set Leliana too, right? And she'll be not the only one from his past. In Atlas will come three characters more. Guess who. Until next time