Save the world? Fuck that, I want to make money! (RWBY SI) ch 29 (Patreon)

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Their 'cell' was no true cell but rather an office that had been barricaded from the outside and guarded by grumpy Silver Shields who clearly did not enjoy the idea of interlopers sneaking into the Foundry freely. The Happy Huntresses all gathered around trying to cope with their situation with FIona crying in the corner, May trying her best to comfort her. Joanna stood straight, her arms crossed and face contemplative, while Robyn looked at the door, wondering about what their fate would be.

They all joined the Silver Shields quickly, the queue to get into the group had been considerable reaching corners. One would be forgiven to think that they were all lining up to get a celebrity's signature but no, it was just a place to get employment. She had asked a few why they were willing to join the Silver Shields and each one told her the same thing.

They didn't exactly have a choice when Mantle didn't exactly have much opportunities for them.

And as soon as it was their turn to meet the recruiter, it was clear why.

Guaranteed pay bimonthly that only rose the further in the ranks one went, health and housing wasn't an issue as the outfit had places once could sleep at and were attended to by doctors, the families could be signed up on education opportunities sponsored by Royal and Imperial, and it didn't have the superficiality of Atlas. Everyone was honest in what they did there. The old Mistralians there were rather stand-offish with the new recruits but Robyn understood why as they had the mad idea of restoring the Mistralian monarchy and recruits such as her were meant to form a new batch of mercenaries that would replace them as soon as they went on their restoration scheme.

As soon as they were billeted, she and her fellow Huntresses were noticed quick due to their obvious skills. It did not make any sense to keep them with the new batch after all. They were assigned advanced training out of Atlas when May spotted the man they were itching to speak to, Alexander Wayland. 

Robyn had prepared herself to walk up and talk to him, it seemed to be that easy, when Wayland had marched off to areas she didn't have access to. It was also heavily guarded as well so having May use her semblance to get in there was impossible. A golden opportunity presented itself when they returned to Atlas and another transport was slated to return as well after delivering supplies to the Silver Shield village. Strategic application of May's semblance, one short flight, and the Huntresses found themselves deep in the belly of Royal and Imperial's factory. 

The hissing of steam and the mechanical monotony of a factory hit them. If a God of Death existed, he would be pleased with the industry tailored made to make the reaping of souls easier and quicker. Soul-less robotic arms moved in precision assembling rifles on black-coloured conveyor belts. Gears and pipes were displayed prominently, working and fuelling the process. Workers in bright orange jumpsuits supervised over this controlled chaos, tapping clip-boards of notes. Crates both made of wood and synthetic were stacked neatly with each other. The volume of tools just being made staggered her beyond belief. Whole shipping containers were in one corner, the Imperial Eagle prominently displayed on its sides. Opening a few revealed crates of weapons labelled for different customers. A single one had Defender rifles stacked neatly together. 

Robyn could not exactly recall when she had said it but she had nodded to Fiona's request to grab a few. She didn't even know why she said yes. A part of her just whispered to take some. Eventually, she and the other huntresses had snapped out of it and remembered their mission, finding Alexander Wayland. And so, with May's semblance, they moved through the factory, seeing more and more of the industrial orchestra the Waylands were conducting. 

It did not take long for them to find Alexander, Joanna had spotted him on the catwalks with that Atlesian specialist walking by his side, both deep in conversation. Following them, they were led into a less industrial portion of the Foundry but nevertheless still staggering. There were rooms filled with laboratory equipment bubbling with chemicals in glass containers and long clear pipes with different types of liquid. Another room where workers in lab coats gathered around drawings, schematics, and in the middle was a large raised platform where a type of machine she did not know lay. At the centre was a conical object made of a white material, the Royal and Imperial eagle plastered on its front. On its sides were long reflective blue panels. Robyn could not look too closely however as Wayland moved into a room with the Specialist. 

And so, the Happy Huntresses waited against the door to listen in on their conversation, catching bits and pieces. Robyn could listen on to them talk about Atlas's military and its role in the modern world. Personally, Robyn disaproved of Atlas having a military. Not only did it represent a ominous fist that at anytime could be used to terrorize Mantle but it took a lot of the Kingdom's budget at 3 percent. Money for hospitals, for education, for the welfare of its citizens instead went for battleships and other vainglorious projects. 

Thinking about it, no wonder she consented to Fiona wanting to take the rifles. In the face of such overwhelming firepower, it made sense to gain arms for themselves.

And here they were, trapped inside an office while their fate was being deliberated on.

"What's next for us? They're going to send us to an Atlesian prison!" Fiona cried, clearly terrified at the idea of being incarcerated. May shushed her.

"We're going to be fine, Fiona. I promise you," she tried to calm her down. 

"We've not just trespassed into areas we shouldn't be, we also did it while as Silver Shields," Joanna pointed out. "I wouldn't be surprised if they will also humiliate us in front of the band." At that, Fiona cried even harder.

"I don't want to be humiliated in front of old men!" Fiona wept. 

May glared at Joanna, hugging the sniffling faunus. "Joanna! You're not making this better, you are making it worse!"

​"That's enough," Robyn sighed, getting the three to look at her. She glanced at Fiona, smiling sadly. "Don't worry. We will not let anything happen to you. If they will humiliate us all, at least we have together to share it." 

"Mister Wayland won't want to listen to us now, Robyn," Fiona sniffed, wiping away at her nose. "He....He'll....put is in..."

"Prison?" Joanna supplied. 

"Prison!" Fiona wept again. May rolled her eyes at Joanna's bluntness before hugging the weeping faunus. Robyn sighed, moving over to sit on an available chair. They...did not think this through. But it seemed like a good idea at the time and the longer they would have waited, the less time there was to convince the Waylands to invest again in Mantle. But that sort of thing seemed a far off dream now with their detainment. 

​"We'll figure something out," Robyn swore, her voice rising. "We're proper citizens. I will not let our rights get violated." 

​It was then, the door handle shook.

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I sunk into my chair, a glaring headache pounding my head as a pair of voices spoke out against me. In one corner was Land looking positively livid and one one side, Winter was just as livid but for different reasons. Emerald sat quietly on a another chair, a drink in her hand, and looking more and more annoyed as both my bodyguard and Atlas's liaison yelled at me. 

"We should ensure that those thieves and deserters get their just desserts!" Winter hissed, face red from rage. "I can contact General Ironwood and make sure those four never see the light of day!"

"Boss, please, let me be the one to punish them. Let me run the gauntlet on them. They violated their oath," Land snarled. Winter paused her anger, glancing towards Land. 

"Run...the gauntlet?" she asked slowly. "We...we aren't doing that anymore, Doppelsoldner."

"What's running the gauntlet?" Emerald asked innocently. 

Land huffed, turning to her. "Back in my day, if someone did something bad, they had to walk between two lines of soldiers who'd beat the sh-" 

"They would get beat with clubs," Winter quickly interrupted before Land could swear. "The worse the crime, the deadlier the weapon used." 

Emerald blanched, imagining the punishment in her head. I frowned. "Let's spare her the details, please?" 

The Happy Huntresses as they called themselves had voluntarily surrendered which made detaining them easier and quieter. If word had gotten out about this breach, Atlas would move heaven and earth to go and push them into the deepest hole it could find. The media scrutiny...it would be hellish. And so, they were shuffled into a barricaded room as the Foundry had no cells and their stolen arms returned. If they had made a fuss or tampered with the guns they swiped, my already foul mood would be absolutely going beyond rock bottom. 

​"Speaking about punishments, what to do about those four happy campers?" I pondered aloud. 

"Send them to court for espionage and prison," Winter said affirmingly.. 

"Beat them black and blue for violating oath!" Land cheerily suggested. "And I'll do it!" he added. 

"....Don't give them any food?" Emerald squeaked in. 

A more cruel and vindictive side of me wanted me to have them beaten then sent to prison. I had the right of it after all. They were my employees and not just any employees, they had sworn an oath to the Silver Shield standard so I was quite sure Cheng would loved to dish out the punishment herself. But I had to admit I was curious to what sort of desperation would drive someone to risk life and limb sneaking into the factory just to talk with me, assuming that they had an actual message to say. 

And so, I made up my mind. "...I will listen to the idiots first then I'll decide what to do." 

"Are you serious?" Land asked, his voice filled with incredulity. "They not only infiltrated the factory but they also stole guns. In the old days, they'd be hung, drawn, and quartered!" 

"What's that?" Emerald piped up. 

"You...don't need to know," Winter assured her. Emerald narrowed her eyes at the Specialist. "But I want to know," she insisted. Winter's mouth hung awkwardly as she tried to think of what to say back. 

"I am serious," I sighed, getting their attention back. "Barring the attempted theft, they did say they had something to say to me. Their message must be important to them. I will hear it out."

"And if it is not worth your time?" Land asked with a raised eyebrow. I shrugged. "Then we let Atlas handle the rest."

I stood up from my chair. "Land, Winter, with me," I said before turning to Emerald. "As for you, I will be calling someone over to get you home." 

"What?" Emerald blurted. Her eyebrows furrowed. "How come Land and Winter get to go but I don't?"

"Because they're grown ups, Emerald. We're going to be talking about grown-up stuff," I explained as best as I could, my tone soft. 

"You were talking all that grown up stuff earlier!? Why kick me out now?" Emerald complained, her cheeks reddening with frustration. 

"It's for the Kingdom," Winter offered gently. "It's going to be long and boring." 

"I don't care!" Emerald yelled as she rushed up to me, grabbing my pant leg. She looked up, eyes watery. "I want to be with you!" 

Sighing, I knelt by the sniffling Emerald, my hands laying on her shoulders. Her tears flowed freely as she cried with the innocence of a child. "You are never at home, you never come to see me! You are always so busy! You...you promised that I would never be alone!" she ended weakly. 

My mouth hung open in shock. Was...was I away that long? 

"Do you hate me?" Emerald suddenly blurted. 

My eyes went wide. "Hate you? Whe-" I fumbled with my words, the shock too much for me. 

"Is it because I'm not big enough like her?" Emerald pulled back, pushing me away as she glared at Winter who herself was similarly shocked, gloved hands covering her mouth and ice blue eyes wide open. Emerald looked back to me, eyes red from rushing tears. It made my heart sink to depths I did not know I had. 

"I'll grow up quick! I will! I promise!" Emerald whimpered against her hands that covered her tear stricken face. "I promise...."

Land glanced away, his arms crossed and lip curled downward. Winter was slowly coming to terms with her shock, her eyes starting to redden but she controlled herself enough. I felt like the worst sort of man that ever was. I had tunnel-visioned in getting to work quick that I had neglected Emerald. My decision to adopt her was a spur of the moment thing and I didn't really think to deeply of what it meant for her. 

I sighed, pushing back my inner turmoil to attend to Emerald. I walked up to her and wrapped the crying girl into my arms. She melted immediately, resting her little head against mine. I let her stay there and cry against me until she quieted. As she did, I pulled back and gave her my warmest and most gentlest smile. 

"I do not hate you, Emerald. I could not see you because I was busy working," I explained truthfully and honestly. It was no good to lie to children. They were smarter than most people gave them credit for. And to lie to a child was a recipe for creating distrust. I continued. "I focused on work so that it would be finished quicker and I would have much more free time."

"Free time...for what?" Emerald sniffled. She protested as I gave her a pinch on the cheek. 

"To spend time with you, of course," I declared grandly. I stopped my pinching as I spoke. "I am sorry that I did not take breaks to be with you. That was my fault and I will do better. Just now, I want to tell you that I will be a little bit busy with work and some bad people tried to steal from us. I cannot let you be there because there are things discussed that you cannot see."

"Why?" she asked weakly. 

"We might have to hurt them because they stole from us," I explained to her. 

"I stole from you. You didn't hurt me," Emerald whispered. 

Well, damn. I had to admit I was taken aback by that. 

Little children and their innocence.

"I won't hurt them," I promised. "But they still have to get punished though. They tried to do a bad thing against us." 

"I just want to be with you," Emerald blurted, her fingers clutching at my shoulder pads. 

"And you will," I promised her once again. "Tonight, go home and sleep. Tomorrow, I will take time off work and we will go hang out. I know just a place."

"You promise?" Emerald asked again. 

"I promise," I vowed, my voice serious. She looked deep into my eyes as if trying to find a hint of deception but couldn't as she nodded. "Okay...but you take me downstairs," she demanded.

I smiled. "Come up then," I said as I lifted her up. Doing so, I mouthed to Land to call for a bullhead and he did so, slipping away with a nod. Winter...she glanced at me strangely as I walked out of the room with Emerald sleeping in my hands, tired form her outburst. After a brisk walk towards the landing pads with Land and Winter following me, a bullhead was already there waiting with a duo of maids bowing their heads at me as I approached them. I handed Emerald off to the first one as the second one spoke.

"Your father has already come home, sir. He's heard of what happened and says he'll go and take care of her while you are away," the maid declared. I raised an eye as I turned to look at Land who whistled innocently. I smiled sheepishly as I looked back. 

"If she wakes up later, make her some cordon bleu, alright? She loves that," I asked to the maid nodding again. 

"Of course, sir," the maid affirmed. She then leaned in to whisper. "Your father has also been informed of what has happened with the thieves. He says do as you see fit." 

I nodded dutifully. I love it when I get a free hand. "Understood," I said, inwardly hiding my pleasure at that order. "Bon voyage," I nodded at her. She gave me one last curtsy before turning around and boarding the bullhead. As the bullhead rose up high into the sky, Land walked up next to me, his eyes set on the rising craft.

"That's why I never started a family," Land muttered. "Work like mine, I'd just be making my family worried and sick if I ever would come home. They don't deserve that sort of pain." 

"Must be lonely," I commented. He shrugged. 

"Better to be alone than to have a wife worried if her husband is ever going to come home or to have children grow without a father," he yawned as he turned around. "I'll go prep the idiots. I'll see you there." 

​His steps echoed against the snow covered pavement, the Bullhead was now far ahead. I sighed as I turned around to see Winter looking contemplative. 

"What's with you looking like a philosopher?" I chuckled. Winter caught me looking and shook her head, smiling. "Nothing...it's just..."

"Just?" 

Her shoulders slumped. "It's...its sparked some memories. My father spent his life trying to make the SDC into what it was today and whatever time we spent with him, he made us feel like he was doing us a favour." 

​"Your dad is a prick," I blurted out. Then I thought of my neglect of Emerald. "I'm a prick." 

​She turned to face me fully, smiling. "I don't think so. Between you and him, your apologies are sincere." She then strode up to me, approval shining in her eyes. "You did good with Emerald. And honestly, you have been working hard. Go and spend time with her tomorrow, alright?" 

I nodded. "I will." 

And again to stunned silence, Winter walked up and gave me a peck on the cheek. Her lips were soft and warm even against the cold snow of Atlas. It was warm as she pulled back slowly. It was still warm when she gave me a wink. "You would make a good father, Alexander Wayland." she declared as she turned around to head back into the foundry. "Come come! We have prisoners to interrogate!" 

I watched as the Specialist looked near skipping on the snow-covered path. Slowly, my hand went up to my right cheek where she had pecked me. 

It was still so warm.

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Land stood outside the door, his boot tapping impatiently against the tiled floor. Inside was the thieves they had apparently caught. He hadn't seen their faces, the Silver Shields had removed them before he had arrived. The two guards were old, veterans like him. Their eyes were hollow, without life. 

They had seen war, like him.

"What is taking them so long?" Land asked, glancing at his watch. It had been five minutes already. What were they doing, making out in a corner? Land was old and rough but he was not dumb and he had lovers before. He could see the way that Schnee girl look at Alexander. Well, he was all for the boss to secure his bloodline but he would appreciate it if they respected decorum and did that later. 

"Finally!" he cried in relief as Winter rounded the corner quickly. He blinked as he saw the frazzled look on her face and the red cheek on her face. 

"Do not ask," she asserted, trying her best to fix herself. 

"I didn't even say anything?" Land blinked, confused. Winter looked up at him, eyes narrow. "And if you value your life, you will not speak!" she hissed. 

​Finally, Alexander came up, looking as fine as a leaf in spring. "Let's get started," Alexander said, voice neutral. His cheeks however betrayed a distinct shade of red. 

Oh?

"Did-" he tried. 

"The doors, please," Alexander said again. The two Silver Shields glanced at each other before shrugging their shoulders and opened the door for them to enter. Alexander walked in first, Winter following. Land tried to make sense of what he just saw and decided to ponder on it another time. He walked in, his mind made up of what a thief looked like. 

In one corner, there was a faunus being held by a another girl with blue hair. A typical, Land thought. Then there was taller woman that hovered over the rest and chose to stand. Then the last one, a tanned girl with blonde hair that sat on her seat rather regally. Her eyes were violet. Violet. Land blinked, his eyes settling on her with scrutiny.

"Hello," Robyn greeted them neutrally as she watched the Wayland and the Schnee enter. Alexander Wayland was handsome, in a boyish sense. Judging from the images of his father present throughout the factory, he would grow up to be even more so with right ruggedness. The Schnee was beautiful, noble in features and air. Ironic considering their origins was that of a commoner with a dream and will to make it big. She raised an eyebrow as she sensed a sort of awkwardness between the two. An awkwardness that Wayland dispelled as he spoke.

"Okay. I have decided not to toss you idiots out of a bullhead for now," Alexander began. "So, what was so important you sneaked in here for?"

Straight to the point. She could appreciate that. 

"I am Robyn Hill," she introduced herself as she stood up to her full height. It wasn't much but she still remembered the lessons that were taught to her about presentation. "I am here on behalf of the people of Mantle. A people that need your help." 

"Mantle is not suffering. What does it need help for?" Winter asked, confused. Mantle was a apart of Atlas and afforded the same rights Atlesian citizens had.

Winter would get her answer as May stood up from the couch she shared with Fiona and glared at her, hands balled into a fist. "Are you blind?" she hissed. "Do you have any idea what goes on in Mantle?" She paused, seeing the puzzled look on Winter's face. Quickly, her anger turned to scorn. "Of course you have no clue. You Atlesians and your floating tower in the sky." 

Below, Fiona tried to make herself look small, tugging at May's uniform. "M-May..." 

May ignored her, still angry at Winter. "No! I have had enough of Atlesians telling me that Mantle is okay when it is not! Mantle gets so damn little spending money, it hurts! All the businesses are leaving for Atlas and when we try to protest, we're told that we are disturbing the peace!" 

"May!" Robyn snapped. May paused, eyes wide, as Robyn looked at her. "Calm down." 

"But I-"

Robyn's eyes softened. "Please." 

​May glanced up as Joanna strode forward, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. She sighed, hesitantly sitting back down on the couch. With that settled, Robyn glanced back to Alexander who watched the display quietly. 

"That is the reason why we did such a dangerous thing sneaking in here, to ask for your help," Robyn Hill said softly, her voice sincere as day. "We know that Royal and Imperial is looking to expand. There is no other place to do that than for Royal and Imperial to come home, in Steyr." 

"Steyr," Alexander said softly, whimsically. Winter immediately understood what Hill was talking about. Steyr was where it all began, the birthplace of Royal and Imperial Arms. It began as a humble workshop that morphed and evolved in time until it was the foundry. Such was its size it accounted for most of Mantle's arms industry. It was however abandoned as Royal and Imperial got axed after the Great War, with much of its precious history left behind as the company moved to Atlas.

"Not only will Royal and Imperial not have to worry about building a whole new facility as Steyr itself is massive," Robyn Hill continued, her voice becoming more animated the more she spoke. "Royal and Imperial will have a workforce that already knows the dignity of the company and will work hard to ensure that Royal and Imperial will have quality goods. Our people are strong, talented. They...they will give back three times when you decide to reopen again there." 

She took a step forward, making sure that Alexander's eyes were squared firmly at her. "Come home, Mister Wayland. Let Royal and Imperial come home, to Steyr." 

Winter moved automatically, standing between her and him. Her eyes were focused directly at Robyn. Her voice, calm. "He is home, in Atlas. And who are you to ask for Mantle, someone that spurned an oath to Atlas?" 

For the first time, Robyn's expression became stronger. "Atlas is not just this floating icon in the sky. Atlas has Mantle too." She looked over Winter's shoulder, her expression soft as she took out something from her pocket. Land bristled, ready to intervene but paused as he saw what she was taking. It was a anachronistic looking thing, the gold medallion looked ancient but well taken care of alongside its studded jewels. Carved into it however was a spear, an older one. 

"I'm only one woman but I have more than enough right to speak for Mantle, Specialist. My blood, my bones, my very soul is Mantle. I may not wear it but it's my duty to serve our people no matter where or when I am. It is sewn into me like how the trees give air and the clouds give rain." Robyn declared as she turned back to Alexander. "I am not coming here to demand from you, I do not have that right and I will never, ever demand something from anyone. But I am here to appeal to you, to ask for help, because our people need someone to voice it out because they cannot. I am willing to do anything, everything, if it means that Mantle prospers." 

She bit her lip. She had thought to abandon this part of her. It...it demeaned everything that she held sacred now, the enlightenment of the Color Revolution and the identity she had forged for herself but screw it. Her personal feelings did not matter. Mantle was far more important than her pride. She never would have thought it necessary to do as she did now but Alexander Wayland literally had Mistral's heir working for him with a promise to let her reclaim her lost throne. If he wasn't moved by sympathy then there surely was a hint of traditionalism in him. So she banked on that now, on appealing to his and his father's sense of nobility for a city that had set her past aside. 

"Please...help me," she teared up.

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A/N: Eat fluff, slags. 

EDIT 1: Still had some juice left so here we go. So, Robyn Hill in RWBY is based out of Robin Hood the outlaw. In certain versions of the fairy tale however, Robin Hood was a lord's son so I am using that canon of Robin Hood for Hill here. 

She is going to be a fusion of that Robinhood and Maria Theresa, Austria's most girlboss Empress. I tried to get the same vibe of MT trying to appeal to the Hungarian Parliament as Prussia devastated her Empire under Old Fritz. Maria Theresa gave everything for the survival of Austria so I see no reason to not let Robby give everything for Mantle. It is so fucking frustrating not to find the exact speech she gave because apparently, it had turned the gamer Hungarian parliament into a die-hard MT supporers, screaming "Vitam et sanguinem pro rege nostro Maria Theresia' – 'Our life and blood for our king, Maria Theresa!"

Hilariously while researching for this chapter, I had typed in famous Austrian rulers and reviewing the lists, I was like "Mhm, famous HRE and Austrian leaders. Yes yes...wait what the fuck? It's Hitler! What is he doing here? Oh wait...he was born Austrian." I had forgotten Dolfy :skull: