F/N's perspective
I was the day after the party and I had started my investigation into the Schnee mine. Not really knowing where to actually go, I went to my best source of information, Ironwood. So now I stood in his office again, clad in my red warlock robes, staring at a holographic projection of the targeted mine.
F/N: "I appreciate the help sir."
I said as I looked to the side, Ironwood was standing next to me, his hands held behind his back. A worried expression plastered on his face as he looked.
Ironwood: "It's no problem, as much as I despise Jacque Schnee, we need the dust his company provides and this is something different. If it was a explosion or grimm-
Winter: "Business would continue as usual."
The both of us looked to the side to see Winter in her Atlas uniform, her rapier hanging from her hip.
F/N: "Good to see you again."
Winter: "To you as well."
She gave a soft smile which I returned before we both went back to our professional manners.
F/N: "As you two pointed out, if it was something slightly abnormal....... the only clue I got was brass and white liquid."
Ironwood: "Doesn't sound familiar."
Winter: "Same here, nothing at least natural fits that description."
F/N: "Which is what worries me more......do you mind if I use a Bullhead?"
Ironwood: "I'll do you one better, Schnee."
Winter: "Yes sir?"
Ironwood: "Accompany him on this op. There should be spare Bullheads about, though a pilot would need to be-
F/N: "Not necessary, you are giving me a favor so I'll do the same for you."
Fishing my scroll out of my pocket, pulling up the call app and tapping an icon. Raising it up to my ear, I waited a couple seconds before a familiar robotic voice spoke.
Orion: "You require assistance sir?"
F/N: "Yes Orion, meet me and Atlas Specialist Schnee at the Bullhead hanger bay, you're going on a mission."
Orion: "Orders received, estimated arrival in ten minutes."
F/N: "Good, see you then."
Orion: "Affirmative."
The call cut out a moment later as I turned the scroll off and slipped it into my pocket.
Ironwood: "Orion?
F/N: "Code name of the first of my forces to be constructed, think of this as a small test run."
Ironwood: "Very well, Schnee."
Winter: "Sir?"
Ironwood: "Give me a full report once this is over."
Winter: "Of course sir."
She gave him a salute before the two of us walked out of his office and towards the Bullheads. Making our way through the halls, Winter sprung a question.
Winter: "So Orion, that's the name of your robot?"
F/N: "Yes, named after the myth of a great hunter, thought it fitting for his purpose."
Winter: "Indeed, though when I met it......I had a bit of a-
F/N: "Personality? I programmed him with one, gave him more free thinking."
Winter: "That seems like a risk."
F/N: "It is, but it means he is more likely to survive if things go wrong."
Winter: "So a risk reward."
F/N: "Exactly."
She hums in response. After some time we enter the hangar to see one of the Bullheads beginning it's start up sequence. Walking over and entering through the bay door, looking towards the cockpit to see Orion at the helm.
Orion: "Welcome aboard sir, and a pleasure to meet you again Ms. Schnee."
Winter: "Likewise."
Orion gave us both a quick thumbs up before going back to getting the vessel airborne.
I made my way over and took the seat next to him. Winter appeared a second later over my shoulder, resting a hand on the back of the seat. After Orion hit a couple more switches the Bullhead shook a bit as it rose from the ground.
Orion: "Lift off achieved, ready for first flight."
I glanced at Winter as her head whipped around to stare at the Spectre.
Winter: "What do you mean the first time?"
She said a bit concerned as Orion turned his head to her as he kept gently raising the ship into the air.
Orion: "This is the first time actually flying a Bullhead, but I have been through the simulations."
Winter: "Oh, ok."
Orion: "I only crashed two out of the three times, so fingers crossed."
He said in almost a pathfinder like tone. Winter's grip on the headrest tightened as she looked at me. I simply gave her a shrug, leaning back in my seat. Orion put the craft into full gear after getting clear of the other Bullheads and we shot off towards the Mine.
F/N: "Relax, we'll be fine."
Winter: "But you heard what it said."
F/N: "Exactly and I like those odds."
Winter gave me an unsure look between me being crazy and her own self preservation as she slid into a seat behind mine. Orion flips a couple more switches before looking back at the two of us.
Orion: "Estimated arrival time, 20 minutes. Please entertain yourselves and prepare for emergency descent in case of emergency, thank you for flying with Orion airlines."
Timeskip
After flying for some time Orion started to slow the ship down, looking up from sharpening my blade, I looked over the dash and at the mine in front of us. From what I could tell it was a mix of a pit and deep cave mine, a couple landing pads and depo's that lay above the main pit that was at least twenty to thirty feet deep, anything would have trouble getting in.... or out. The only noticeable entrance being a lift that descended into the pit. Inside the pit itself lay the mining equipment and what looked like a dozen or so coupled together structures of unknown use.
Orion: "We have arrived, preparing the landing protocol."
F/N: "Alright, Winter, time to move."
Winter: "Finally."
She said relieved as we rose to our feet and entered the bay area. I sheathed my blade into the sheath on my hip. The bay door opened up as Orion slowly settled down on the pad, a trio of figures walked up to us. Two seemed to be security of some kind as they held rifles in their arms. The one leading the two had an air of authority to him, my guess was he ran this operation.
The bullhead fully settled down onto the pad with a small rumble as the two of us stepped off and met the approaching three near the pads edge.
Overseer: "I am the Overseer of this sight, state your business or you will be removed from this location."
F/N: "Warm welcome much."
The man turned and glared at me.
Overseer: "I do not recall asking you child."
He said in a snarky tone before Winter spoke up.
Winter: "Actually he is the reason we are here, Mr. Schnee has contacted him to resolve the issue here."
The Overseer gave her a raised brow, his gaze again moving to me, clearly judging me.
Overseer: "Clearly you must be mistaken, what use would there be for a child here."
F/N: "Looks can be deceiving, now if you can stop wasting our time, I have a job to do."
I said before walking forward, bumping shoulders with the man much to his disdain. I looked back as he was about to yell before catching Winter's glare. Her hand held close to the weapon on her waist, his face grew a shade of red but he held his tongue. Making a head gesture, he and his two guards followed me, Winter taking up the rear. Walking across the snowy tundra as we moved into the lift.
Once all of us were on, one of the guards hit a few buttons on the keypad and the lift descended down into the pit.
Overseer: "I don't see the reason for you to be here. We have the situation all under control."
Winter: "Clearly not if we are here now."
She states blankly as I chuckled. The Overseer growled to himself at the indirect insult. I found it quite amusing before I made an one eighty and looked out over the pit to see workers moving around. The sight put a sick feeling in my stomach at their condition.
Most of not all of the workers were covered in soot, with scraps and some scars covering their bodies. Though what pissed me off the most were the brands that were visible on a few. My fist tightened up when the lift came to a stop and we exited out onto the pit floor. Guards stood in small towers that looked over what I could now see were the shelters for the workers.
Guards: "Overseer present!"
They yell out as everyone of the 'workers' seem to pick up their pace, something I took note of. Though I was broken from that train of thought as a Faunas girl probably on older than fourteen tripped and spilled a bucket of dust crystals onto the ground. One of the guards that were with us started to walk over there and yelled at her.
Guard: "What do you think you're doing! That's Schnee money you could have cost us there!"
Girl: "I-I'm Sorry I just-
Guard: "Sorry! Sorry, don't cut it animal!"
He slung the rifle onto his back and pulled out what looked like a shock baton. Like hell I was going to let him use it as I started to walk over there at a quick pace. The girl looked up at the guard with fear in her eyes as he raised the baton, electric dust started to crackle around it. He went to hit her with it, though I firmly gripped his wrist, stopping his motion.
Guard: "Hey what the hell are y-Gah!"
He didn't finish as with my free hand, I palm strike him. The guard fell on his ass without a baton in hand. The other guards stood there staring at me as I tossed the weapon at the downed one's feet.
F/N: "Don't you dare touch her."
The guard growled but stopped as my hand moved and rested on the hilt of my sword.
F/N: "I suggest you stop messing in my affairs, unless you want to piss off the boss?"
He bit his tongue when I said that, a fact that only was reinforced when Winter walked over, her hand also firmly gripped around the hilt of her blade.
Winter: "Move along."
He glared at the both of us before picking himself off the ground and walked off. I turned back to see the girl still giving me a scared look, but it went away as I smiled at her. Slowly, I offered her my hand.
F/N: "Need some help?"
Girl: "T-thank you."
Nervously she took my hand and I helped her up. A pair of older Faunus, them plus the girl being Fox Faunus by the looks of their tails and the girls ears, ran over to us.
Man: "Honey are you ok!"
Girl: "I-I'm ok dad."
Women: "T-thank you sir."
F/N: "Just doing what was right ma'am."
I said, looking back at the girl. I grew a bit angry though as I say the Schnee company brand peeking out from under the girls left sleeve. Sighing to myself, I slipped my Scroll out of my pocket and called Orion.
Orion: "You acquire assistance sir?"
F/N: "Yes, bring whatever medical supplies you have and come to my position. There are injured personnel down here."
Orion: "Affirmative, on my way."
With that he cut the call. I spilled my scroll back into my pocket as the women looked at me with worry.
Women: "W-what was that?"
She asked, too busy checking on her daughter to hear what I said. Though her question was answered by the guards yelling as a form jumped from the top of the ledge and landed in a cloud of dirt before it was revealed to be Orion as he burst out of the cloud with a few medical kits in his hands. Coming to a halt just a few inches from my face.
Orion: "I brought you what you asked for sir."
F/N: "Good, tend to her and the others that require medical assistance, don't let the guards or that Overseer stop you."
I said the last part with a bit of spite, Orion's optics turned red for a moment as he scanned the surrounding area. Returning back to blue as he looked back at me.
Orion: "Orders received, activating care protocols."
He said before walking over and began talking to the girl and her mother. The father clasped my hand and looked me in the eyes.
Man: "W-who are you?"
F/N: "F/N sir, I'm here to help."
He nodded as several other workers walked over. Some seemed hesitant to speak up besides an older looking man with large bat ears on his head.
Bat guy: "So you're here to help us huh?"
The father stopped holding my hand as he looked back.
Man: "He helped my daughter Bruce."
The bat Faunus that I knew now was Bruce walked up to just a few feet from me, Winter coming up to my shoulder. Her hand was still on the hilt of her weapon as Bruce held his pickax over his shoulder.
Bruce: "From what I heard you're a Schnee dog."
F/N: "If I was, then I won't have helped the girl."
Bruce looked to the side as Orion was wrapping bandages around the girls forearm where she scraped it. His stern face turned into a slight smirk as his gaze refocused on me.
Bruce: "So it seems, but you're definitely an Atlas dog though."
He said directed at Winter, who didn't react in any way.
Winter: "If you have no information for us, then I suggest you keep those comments to yourself."
She said in her professional tone of voice, seeing as he wasn't going to get a reaction from us, he turned his head and called out to another worker.
Bruce: "Diana! Come here for a sec!"
Diana: "Coming!"
Looking towards Winter, we shared a confused look before a thin looking deer Faunus in her early twenties ran up next to Bruce. Unlike the rest of the workers though, she had a large nasty looking burn that ran up the side of her forearm.
Bruce: "I assume you want to know what happened?"
F/N: "Yeah. Um Diana was it? Can you tell us what happened?"
She nods shakily, seeming to bring up some bad memories.
Diana: "W-well we were mining through one of the lower tunnels, when the floor suddenly broke open. The guard and some of us went to see what happened.... but then these, red energy things started to shoot out from it. The guard..... didn't make it when he was hit, and I barely got grazed."
She said holding her arm up weakly. I frowned, at this point having a solid idea of what had caused this. Gesturing to Orion, I put on a small smile.
F/N: "Thank you, Orion can help with the burn."
She nodded and headed over to my Spectre, Bruce crossing his arms.
Bruce: "So, you going in?"
Winter: "That was the plan, yes."
He nods, his ears twitching as he glanced over at the guards. I followed his gaze to see a couple talking to each other, the one I sent on his ass among them.
Bruce: "......I'll show you the way."
F/N: "Are you sure?"
Bruce: "Yeah, come on. I don't have all day."
He said in his previous harsh tone before turning and heading towards the mouth of the cave. I gave one last look over at Orion as he started to treat Diana before following Bruce, Winter following right behind me as we entered into the.......semi unknown.