Save the world? Fuck that, I want to make money! (RWBY SI) ch 35

+++

I had returned back to the Foundry when the news broke out that extremists had shot down the craft, with concentrated Deuce fire of all things. My father met me there, his lips thin.

"Jacques Schnee is dead," He muttered quietly. Both of us had decided to take a walk on the factory floor. It was near empty, General Ironwood had declared a lockdown of Atlas and Mantle so most of our employees had to return home for the day. Anyone who wasn't a part of a vital industry was detained. People with faunus traits outside was also detained. A unfortunate decision made stemming from the multiple faunus gunmen that had joined John Brown in nailing Jacques Schnee. Arrets had already been made, to the predictable anger of the faunus.

"What does this mean for us?" I ask, curious on what my dad's thoughts were. He stopped.

"The extremists that were caught would have to be tried for meddling with Atlesian justice. Probably the death sentence," Father mused, rubbing his beard. "They did attack Atlesian military personnel too."

Three Specialists attacked. Two bullhead pilots dead. A few marines injured. The Atlesian Military may have its internal factions but it is still a tight-knit community. An attack on one is an attack on all. Considering the fact that the army was the state, the honor of the kingdom was at risk here too.

"Even though Jacques was going to get clapped on live television, Brown jumped the gun and hurt our guys," I said. I had recalled him acting as the interlocuter for the White Fang in Vale. He was just like the man he was named after, dedicated to the admittedly noble cause but so batshit insane in his dedication to it.

"Wasn't he the man that met you in Vale?" Father asked. His voice did not indicate displeasure nor approval, merely curiosity. I nodded.

"He's nothing but dedicated. When the Fang met us, the purchased arms were for bandits actively attacking Mistrali faunus communities. According to Shield reports, they've been totally successful in extinguishing such people from reality," I said, tapping my coatpocket where my scroll lay. I had asked for intel on what the latest happenings was from Ming and she was happy to give them. The Branwen's were gone, purged from the planet with extreme prejudice. I thought that Raven herself would have given a better fight since at this point of time, she was a Maiden, inheritor to a piece of Ozpin's incredible power. But frankly, I did not care much for her anyway. She was useless in the show, she's even more useless now. Instead of carving a kingdom for herself, she contented in staying a parasite in the Mistrali countryside.

Father walked up to a assembly line where a series of guns were about to be shipped until Ironwood ordered Atlas on lockdown. He halted before the line, picking up the weapon and examining its quality. I watched this all quietly.

"Has the government started knocking? Deuce machine guns were used to bring down the bullhead that carried Jacques after all," I asked, glancing around. I wasn't going to be surprised if Atlesian army units were bearing down on the factory.

"They are still checking the serial numbers of the weapons sold. They trace it, we find out where it came from," Gerard said, setting aside the rifle in his hand and walking up to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "At most, General Ironwood will introduce measures to control who exactly we sell our guns to from now on. But we've sold such large shipments that I am not surprised if our weapons are going to be sold illegally."

He shook his head. "Let me worry about the legalese. Our expansion must not be stopped. I will have to ask you to take in more responsibilities to your chest, son."

"I'm your heir. It's my job," I replied quickly. Despite the setbacks Atlas was experiencing, the company was going through this unscathed. In fact, you could consider our financial situation more than well off.

He smiled at me. "I am proud of you. The company will be in good hands," Gerard proclaimed. Despite myself, I couldn't help but smile.

"Iron and Blood," I replied, pride in my eyes.

"Iron and Blood," he recited gravelly, with the proper respect such a mantra deserved.

Silence fell as we regarded each other. Him, eyeing me with pride. Me, looking at him with respect. Finally, I spoke up. "So, we are continuing on with our Mantle expansion plan?"

He nodded. "I have sent people to check Steyr. The building has been relatively unscathed through the years. A little refurbishment then it will be ready to serve the needs of state. The fact that Atlas has descended to the ground will make transport between the foundry and Steyr easier."

"If only we can keep the place permanently tethered to the ground," I said, shaking my head. "It's inefficient to have one city above the sky while the other one is literally shadowed."

"Perhaps turning the Foundry here into a corporate office would be better-" Gerard shook his head. "No, no. That would be wasteful and inefficient."

As much as Robyn was a pain in the ass and a insufferable shit besides, she had a point that Atlas had left Mantle behind to the point Ironwood had been willing to abandon it in Vol 8. I wasn't going to recognize that version of him as legitimate though. That was not Ironwood, that was like Jake Steelbark the changeling bitch that hijacked the real General Ironwood. Perhaps by putting some use into Mantle would give Atlas a reason to permanently tether to the ground. However, Atlesians liked hovering high into the air. The reason for doing it was some philosophical horseshit about letting Atlas be the shining beacon to all mankind when in reality, Ozpin's illuminati needed Atlas to float to defend the Relic of Creation there.

Yeah well, the philosophical horsehit was splitting Atlas and Mantle from each other. Ozpin's admirable ways aside, it was seriously not improving the health of state.

I looked up. "I say we capitalize on this opportunity with Mantle. It has like what, a hundred thousand people? We've always wanted to get our influence back so waving our flag back will likely get the poor and desperate of Mantle to our side, if it means getting a future for their families."

"When you put it like that, it makes us sound like cold manipulators, son." Gerard joked. I chuckled a little. I was already thinking about organizing a pure Wayland charm offensive in Mantle. If Atlas wanted to ignore the Old City then it was fine. Lots of people, lots of loyal men and women. In the absence of strategic resources then human bodies was something to get out of. The Silver Shields always needed new bodies and everyday, I could sense Ming's growing desire to go home to Mistral. It was imperative that by that time, her Mistrali veterans can go with her but not have their departure compromise my manpower.

"It does sound a little cold," I admitted. "But we're not planning to be evil Saturday cartoon villains here. If Atlas wants to ignore Mantle then we can pick up the slack. We organize a political party that will function as our public arm. We cater to the poor, the disadvantaged, the lost, and the unemployed which Mantle has aplenty. We offer them opportunities or assistance, we have a loyal core of support."

Back in my home country, local politicians had managed to keep themselves in power by directly supporting those under them via patronage. The trapos would provide whatever the locals needed and in turn, they were given political support. It sounds like a beneficial thing but the trapo fucks deliberately would keep these people poor and disadvantaged that such folk would refuse actual government or NGO help to lift themselves out of poverty. I would know since I had gone out to these poor out of the way areas with NGO's and saw the state of such people. Unlike the trapos of my home country, Royal and Imperial believed in noblesse oblige and we were going to stretch that to the limit.

Schools, hospitals, lunches for the kids. Employment not just in Steyr but in other key industries too. Soon enough and in time, Mantle would once again be a shining beacon in Solitas.

"And to pay for all this?" Father asked carefully. "Don't get me wrong, I agree with you in principle that we could regain our influence but that sounds like a expensive venture."

"We're going to be rolling in government money, father," I said, turning to him. "Never underestimate the profitability of the Military-Industrial Complex, not when the world at this moment is in such chaos. Better to spend money on practical things than frivolous ego projects."

The US alone spent billions of money into the military. That meant a lot of work and jobs for companies such as Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and more. Atlas already was fabulously wealthy and the money Ironwood was pouring into Royal and Imperial meant we could build a whole new Steyr from the ground up, with plenty more to spare.

"I admit, I do feel a little dirty from this," Father suddenly said with a chuckle. "It feels a bit wrong to profit from guns that were just today used to attack our own military."

There was some truth to that, I could admit too. However and as I was going to tell my father, "All we do is make the weapons. As soon as they leave our jurisdiction, it no longer becomes our responsibility for what happens afterwards. True, our weapons had been used against fellow Atlesians but people also see on the CCT net the same guns defending villages in the frontier."

"True," he nodded yet again. "Your grandfather told me that you either go into the arms business or you don't. Little room for softness there."

"It's not wrong to still be worried about morals and ethics though," I shrugged. "I for one would enjoy it if we did not turn our guns on ourselves, not when the real enemy is out there."

It was then, my scroll began to ring. Raising an eyebrow, I picked it up.

"Winter?"

I paused, letting her words filter in. Father watched with quiet interest, his lips slowly curling into a smile. I rolled my eyes at him, my attention focused solely on Winter. I nodded then dropped the call.

"General Ironwood wants to meet, apparently." I said. "He's coming over to the Foundry."

The excitement on my father's face vanished. "Boo," he frowned in disapproval. "I should get Ironwood to allow Winter to meet you more."

"Bastard," I tutted, to even more chuckling from him.

+++

With the consistency of either of us meeting each other, I really should just dedicate a private line for us to dial me up whenever we both needed something from each other. The fat of travel could be cut down into a few quick words. When the company's planned satellite system was going to be set up, it would connect Remnant even more closely than what the CCT net could provide with the added benefit of allowing me to make more sophisticated weapons. Remnant would benefit wildly from GPS. But the satellite system would have to wait a little bit more until I could secure some extra spending cash from the state to fund my kingdom building addiction. Our tendrils were going everywhere now: electronics, steel, chemistry, and so much more. We aren't going to be buying those companies to avoid being slotted as a monopoly. I was pretty damn sure a Teddy Roosevelt expy was sitting at the Council seat and I don't want his anti-trust stance to smack us too.

In his previous visits, he had arrived in a singular bullhead. Now, he came in a Manta craft with four other bullheads hovering close by. Father and I went down to meet him. He stepped down the Manta craft and my eyes was beheld to a man that had aged rapidly in a single day. I could not blame him for looking that way considering the amount of shit that Atlas had to deal with in the past weeks and now, the shit-storm that was going to come from this fiasco. My eyes stole a quick glance towards Winter who was looking just as stressed as Ironwood though her eyes were slightly red.

Her father had just been killed. She was afforded to lose some manner of decorum.

"General Ironwood," my father greeted him. The General glanced up towards the bullheads who hovered away. The initial suspicion I had that we were going to be stormed by the army went away as Ironwood turned back to father and I.

"If you wouldn't mind, I would like us to get to business quickly," he requested, his voice tired. Father nodded, gesturing inside. I moved to talk to Winter but she just shook her head.

Later it was, then.

We walked quietly, father and I not really wanting to interrupt what looked like Ironwood's first time to be in a quiet place compared to the Council Hall. He visibly relaxed with each walk, probably content over the fact that no one seemed to be yelling and shouting at him.

"Would you two care for refreshments? I can have the staff send some food and drink up top or have them prepare it at the canteen?" I offered.

"That would be welcome but I must refuse. I need to return to HQ after this," Ironwood said, shaking his head.

"I will return to the Schnee Manor as well for...business," Winter added, her voice quiet.

Again, Jacques may have been a prick but he was still her dad. She could still grieve for him. Or at least the man he once had been, as she said.

We arrived into the conference room where Ironwood went and sat on a chair, utterly exhausted. Father and I did not even comment on the faux pas of him sitting down before we the host said he could sit since the guy was handling through crisis after crisis. Winter dutifully stood behind him, scroll in hand and ready to record the conversation.

Father and I took our seats. "Let's start," Gerard said, still unsure what General Ironwood wanted from us.

Taking a breath, Ironwood glanced up. "Due to the nature of events earlier, the Council wishes to expand ALCA. While your weapons have proven powerful and valuable tools in the defense of Atlas, it has also become means for bad actors to harm our kingdom. In that vein, Royal and Imperial is ordered to cease the sales of the Buzzsaw and Deuce."

I grimaced. Of course the Council was going to do something about it. 

"In our company's defense, we have been careful to who we have sold our weapons to," Gerard began. 

"The weapons used in the attack against our soldiers were sold to a Mistrali company," Winter began to read from her scroll. "Said company was used a lot by the local White Fang for their weapons." 

I noted the edge to her voice. 

"The weapons agreement between ourselves and the White Fang went through legitimate channels. Kali Belladonna gave us assurances that the arms were to be used in the defense of faunus civilians in Mistral," I quickly explained. "They have been doing that for months now, to the point that the Mistrali countryside is practically bandit free." 

"It has come to the point too that the Mistral has lost effective control from Shion to Kuchinashi," General Ironwood informed us. "The villages there have stopped paying their taxes to the main city and tax collectors attempting to collect have been forced out at gunpoint."

​This, I did not know. 

​"It seems that a figure has been rallying them, Sienna Khan. She is gathering not just faunus but humans too. Some villages have decided that she and the White Fang have done more for them than the actual Kingdom. Mistral has asked us to intervene for them," Ironwood revealed. earning shocked looks not just from father but also from me. 

A military intervention? Into Mistral?

"And are we?" Gerard Wayland asked carefully. 

​General Ironwood shook his head. "I will convince the rest of the council that we should not intervene. Presently, this is a matter for Mistral to handle. However..."

I did not like that however. 

"The SDC has strategic interests in the form of dust fields that Mistral have loaned out to us. Those assets must be protected. Domestically, the SDC will be shattered but its foreign assets remain where they are. Such assets must be protected." He continued.

​"And where does Royal and Imperial come into this, General?" I asked, suspecting where Ironwood was going with this. 

"The Atlesian military is going to be undergoing a massive reorganization in the face of our expansion and lapses both in security and competence. With that in mind, we cannot be everywhere at once. I would like to contract your Silver Shields in the defense of our Mistrali assets," Ironwood explained. 

Despite that, I suspected that there was more to this than what he was saying. My suspicion was that Ironwood was also pulling his troops defending SDC assets due to the dirty association. By using Silver Shield troops instead, Atlesian strategic assets could still be protected, the Atlesian military does not get tainted, and Ironwood can focus in trimming down the military to whatever he wanted it to be. 

"Well...that can certainly be possible," I said, rubbing my chin. "Wouldn't the Mistrali Council be upset that we aren't intervening in their behalf? And what about the movement going under Sienna Khan? Were they not in kahoots together?" 

"Mistral did put that out that Khan and Brown were compatriots in their countryside campaigns but..." He did not look happy. In fact, Ironwood scowled. "It is in Atlas's best interests not to sabre-rattle. The situation with the faunus has been tense as it is and to go after Khan would inflame an already tense time. And besides, we still have Ghira and Kali in our possession. With Ghira's inability to negotiate with us, we will be speaking with Kali instead to order a ceasefire of hostilities." 

I was surprised. I thought Ironwood would want us to go on the warpath against the more extreme branch of the White Fang but thinking about it, that would be exactly what Salem would want. I still had no exact idea what was going on but I was pretty ironclad sure that evil witch had something to do with all this chaos. 

"So that's why you are leaving soon? To speak with her?" I asked. Ironwood confirmed with a nod. 

"To peace, then. Blood-letting will get us nowhere. The target of their ire is dead, we return the Belladonnas to health, everyone wins," Gerard nodded. He paused his enthusiasm, looking towards Winter. 

"Condolences, Specialist," he offered. 

"It is to be a private affair. Mother wishes it to be somber," Winter informed us with a sad smile. Inwardly, I frowned. A sad Winter did not set well with me. We exchanged glances and her eyes were all but telling me that it is what it was. 

"May I speak with you afterwards, Specialist?" I opened up. 

"Of course," she smiled, a little bit brighter. The lack of input from Ironwood suggested to me that he had agreed to let her do this beforehand. I was going to get that done as soon as possible. I turned back to Ironwood. 

"Is there anything more you need, General?" I asked quickly. 

"No, that is all that I wanted to discuss," Ironwood said as he stood up. "I must be off now. The sooner we can secure a ceasefire, the less the fires will burn." 

"Then we are in business," Gerard announced. He stood up. "I do have some more things I wish to speak with you, General, but they can wait for another appointment. The negotiations is much more important." 

He nodded. "We may still chat about it as I return to the Manta." He turned towards Winter. "You have five minutes, Specialist." 

And with that, he turned on his heels and my dad went out to join him, erstwhile giving me a wink as he left. As the door closed on us, I was left with Winter who sat back down, her face devoid of emotion. I quietly pulled up next to her, landing a hand on her shoulder. 

"You okay?" I asked softly.

She looked up, her eyes glassy. "Not really, no." she admitted. "I...I thought I was ready to accept their death. Its...it is still quite something when the time actually comes."

"One can always prepare themselves for the needle but it still stings when its inserted," I joked. 

"That is true," Winter afforded me a smile. It wasn't a beaming one but it was a smile nonetheless. 

"I don't think I can say that your father was a good man, Winter. His sins are innumerable," I noted. 

"I know," Winter sighed. "It's just...he is still my father. The world knows him as a monster and I will not deny he was one. But I also have good memories of him too." 

"Like you said, remember the good and forget the bad. The mess he left behind, your mother and Weiss can fix up, restore the Schnee name again," I tried to be cheerful, to remind her of the good side to this. Unsaid of course was that prick Jacques wouldn't be able to challenge whatever plans Willow has to clean up the SDC. 

"Perhaps..." Winter whispered. She sighed, laying against my shoulder. I did not complain or tell her to go. 

We basked in each other's silence. Winter needed someone, I was happy to be there for her. 

"Alexander...about u-" she began but I interrupted her. 

"We can discuss further details when you are in a better state, Winter." I offered. She slowly pulled herself away, her attention on me. 

"I know...I...I just..." she breathed in. "Any single day, we could die at any moment. My father's death shows me that. The world we live in....it cannot afford hesitation or another tomorrow." 

She stood up, I followed suit. She took a breath before walking forward. She grabbed my wrists in a gentle yet firm manner. Her eyes were focused, intense. Her cheeks slightly pink. "I wish you and I to pursue a stronger relationship with each other. I feel attraction towards you, Alexander Wayland, and I-"

I was pretty sure she had a long speech planned which was such a Winter thing to do. I was pretty damn sure that she was embarrassing herself right now doing all this. I was going to go spare her the further humiliation.

"So you want us to date?" I chuckled softly. The pink on her cheeks intensified. 

"Yes," she affirmed, her voice cracking slightly which only made her cheeks pink to its full intensity. 

"Done," I smiled. 

"I intend for you and I to mingle soon," she declared. 

"This weekend, then?" I offered. 

She nodded and pulled back, pleased. "Good!" she beamed, pulling back and turning around. 

​"So...were you planning all this or was it a spur of the moment thing?" I asked, curious.

"Oh, Gods above, my five minutes is nearly up!" Winter declared, glancing at her watch. She then marched off. 

"Too late for a goodbye kiss?" I called out. 

She halted. 

She turned around, arms crossed, and head refusing to meet me. "Hurry," she grit out with red cheeks. 

I laughed, darting myself over. With a gentle hand, I reached out to cup her cheek and made her face me. She did not resist, looking up at me with a furrowed expression that slowly softened the more I looked at her. I did not wait some more, leaning down and planted my lips against hers. She moaned softly into the kiss, her head craned up to meet mine as we intertwined. 

We savoured each other for what felt like eternity until finally, Winter pulled away. 

"I will see you soon," she whispered. 

​"I will wait under the lantern light for you, then." I snickered. 

​The smile she gave was bright, so bright, that I forgot about the darkness threatening the world. 

+++

"...Lili Marleen!" the songstress closed. 

Cinder closed the door behind her, Jax Asturias well sleeping on the bed. It had been a slow work of weeks, slowly gaining Jax's trust and she culminated it by finally getting him to bed. Strangelove had suggested using music to lull him easier. While it did sound good, Cinder was sure that Jax's attention was affixed to something a bit more than the music. She was after all a incredibly beautiful woman. Cinder had to admit she enjoyed the worship. It was only natural after all. 

Now, he was asleep and she could report her success to Strangelove. 

She found him in his office and for the first time since they had arrived, he looked upset. Cinder inwardly savoured that look of frustration on his face and let it simmer as she sauntered and sat on the chair across his desk. His eyes turned to glance at her. For a moment, Cinder thought that the old man was checking her out but she quickly realized that the same look of annoyance did not leave his face. 

​'Bastard,' she inwardly hissed before finally reporting in. 

"We have hooked Asturias. He is my creature now," she declared. "What seems to be the matter, Strangelove? Did something go wrong?" she asked sweetly. 

"Unfortunately, yes," Strangelove growled. He adjusted his glasses. "Firstly, the Vacuan generals want us to unite the nomadic tribes. There is a artifact, the personal standard of Malik the Sunderer. It is currently in the possession of a merchant who purchased it for a great sum. He has refused to let them buy it and therefore, it must be taken if we are to solidify their support." 

"It sounds easy enough," Cinder mused, thinking about pulling a heist or just breaking in and taking it immediately. "Why must we get such a thing?"

Strangelove's lips went thin as he looked at Cinder as if she was a idiot. "Because, Cinder Fall, half of Vacuo's armies were nomadic tribesmen sworn to the house of Malik. Without his standard, the tribes won't go to war. Malik had broken them a long time ago, permitting them to only wage war when the banner is flown with the exceptions of defending themselves." 

"What a ridiculous tradition," Cinder snorted. 

"It is tradition besides," Strangelove grunted. "Malik had destroyed the old tribal confederations so brutally even their descendants today feel it. We do this, we get them. The issue lies with the merchant himself. He has a private residence in the desert, it was formerly a fortress turned mansion. There are other trinkets too that would help Asturias appear more legitimate so such items could be recovered too. Malik's banner however is much more important." 

"A fortress..." Cinder mused. "Will I have help?" 

"The generals have agreed to loan a battalion of men to assist you, no more and no less," Strangelove revealed. 

"A battalion against a fortress? We will need a little bit more than that," Cinder growled. 

"If you are incapable of this then I will have to ask our Lady for another operative. I have heard that serial killer Tyrian is a better fighter," Strangelove mused. Flames poured forth from Cinder's hand as she stood up and slammed his desk with such force, it was split in two. Strangelove did not even look disturbed by this. 

"I will get it done," Cinder hissed. "I expect better respect from you once I pull this off," 

"If you can pull this off," Strangelove said, adjusting his glasses. Cinder left with a hiss, her steps echoing against the walls. As she retreated, Strangelove shrugged and stood up. In the room, there was a connecting door that lead into a bathroom. Strangelove twisted the knob to reveal a Grimm. It was a small, black spherical bodies resembling a smoky crystal ball that  covered with bone-like plates and spikes, with six red tentacles underneath it. It was a seer, a peculiar Grimm that allowed for instant communication between himself and his Patron.

Salem.

"Must you really antagonize her so, Strangelove?" She spoke, her voice monarchial and majestic. It took much willpower for him not to kneel then and there. It was standard practice after all but for some reason, Salem would not let him kneel. Apparently, he fascinated her. There was plenty of potential messages there he could not interpret but he was sure Salem was fascinated by his sheer evil.

For what else could it best be described when one fully submitted themselves to games of realpolitik?

"She is a vain creature that becomes motivated when her ego is on the line. Better to use her volatility to your benefit, my lady," Strangelove said. 

"And how is she as a student?" Salem inquired. 

"She refuses to listen at times, convinced her ways are better. But she learns, slowly," Strangelove admitted, looking back at Cinder's growth. 

"Good. Now, how is your success in Vacuo?" Salem asked. 

"The generals are ready, we just need the tribes. They suspect our client's parentage but are willing to follow through, desperate as they are to believe in something. They yearn for the old days more than they want a legitimate candidate, as I suspected. Everything will be ready for the Grand Reveal at 38th biennial Vytal Festival Tournament, my lady." 

Salem smiled briefly before vanishing. "Good. I must inform you however of certain details. The Valeans have reported success in their Council session for the restoration of Vale's army. Armand Rouge is requesting that for its first action, Vale sends an expedition to assassinate Sienna Khan." 

His eyebrow rose by a fraction. With a restored Valean army, the Fleur have become apart of the state. An attack on them would be an attack on Vale. Atlesian attempts to bury their involvement with the chaos in Atlas would come with extra political baggage. Just as planned, of course. "How would Rouge justify that?" he asked. 

"Atlas is an ally and a partner, Vale would be a poor ally if it would let terrorists attack the Atlesian military, or so Rouge claims. I suspect that he himself is alarmed at the size of Khan's territory. It is quite considerable." Salem suggested. 

"And the first acts of a reinstated Valean Army should be to flex its muscles," Strangelove mused. "He too could act as an ally to the Mistrali Council. Even here, we have heard that the countryside refuses to pay their taxes." 

"All he needs to do is to gain the approval of the Mistrali council to get Vale to land its troops and to convince the Valean council of its necessity. Thousands of faunus under arms would be a good justification provided I approve of this operation." Her red eyes bored down his soul. "What are your thoughts?"

"We can enflame the faunus to full Revolution, allow Rouge to flex Valean muscle, and gain the tacit support of Mistral's council if only we can make their problems disappear. It is not a bad plan, my lady." 

Her red eyes glowed malevolently. "Then it shall be done."

+++

A/N: Updoot.

Sorry it took so long.